A/N: This is probably the longest break I have got since 9th grade. A whole month of lockdown in my country. Wow! Seriously though, my summer vacation in grade 9th and 10th was just 13 days long.

And before you ask, it wasn't because of summer school or something like that. Apparently, they wanted to take extra classes of all those students who opted for advanced studies.

And in 10th grade, the only real holidays I got were just during the festivals and even then, thank you internet, I was still busy studying. Weekends were just like weekdays to me.

11th grade- 20 days. And now, in 12th grade, I got a whole MONTH! Who knows how much longer this is gonna last? But this lockdown did do something good: I finally watched a movie with my whole family after 1 and a half-year! It was fun, really fun, finally watching a movie together after such a long time.

My brother and I are so busy with our study schedule that we hardly ever get time to breathe. Even though I'm getting bored, I am glad that I got this break.

We all should thank god with everything we've got for giving us such a beautiful life and appreciate the little things. Thank the almighty for keeping us safe even during these hard times.
•°•°•°•°•°•°•

Cat Noir was shocked. She loves me?
His heart fluttered in his chest as she said those words. The feeling of doubt and sadness was washed away with the ray of hope. But, if she loved him then there wasn't any problem, right? Then, why would she lock him out and separate their ways? Something wasn't adding up. "Wh-What?" He managed to ask, still unsure of the situation.

"You... You ruined me! You did this to me, Cat Noir, all of this is your fault!" She pointed her index finger at him angrily.

The cat in front of her was getting more and more confused by each passing second. Seeing her glaring at him didn't help his case either. So does she love me or not?

"Wait, I don't get it. How is this my fault?" He asked. What was with her? And, what was the real emotion behind that sudden fury in her eyes? Did she hit her head or something after he passed out? That could happen, considering her clumsiness from time to time. But before he could investigate further she retorted.

"Oooh! The kitty wants to know. Well, I will happily tell you. You-You make me the happiest person on earth! If I am having a bad day, all I've got to do is to think about you and poof! I become happy. You are a blessing, Cat Noir. You are selfless, kind, caring, funny, goofy, serious and everything. You inspire me and hundreds out there. You make the world a better place, you keep others around you happy. How can you expect me to not fall in love with you? Huh? Tell me!"

Of all the praises he had received in his life, this one had to be the most peculiar. The complements leaving her mouth didn't match or justify her angry tone.

"Marinette, I-" Cat started.

"I am not done with you!" She interrupted him. "You have the most enchanting eyes I've ever seen, the most attractive smile, sweetest voice and not to forget that pretty face of yours."

"Princess-" Cat whined. He wanted to speak and find out what was wrong with all that. Not to mention the giddiness he felt because of her exalting him.

"I am still not done with you!" She interjected, raising her hand to silence him. "You make me feel special and I do not want anything but to make you feel loved and happy. But, none of that is useful when you are lying unconscious or if you are bleeding. Do you even have any idea of how I felt when I saw that wall crashing down on you and knocking you out completely, do you? No! I felt as if time had stopped and my entire world had come crashing down. I need you in my life, silly cat, nothing makes sense without you. You always go around sacrificing yourself for others. Why can't you be more careful?" She sobbed.

Cat Noir looked at the sobbing girl. At that moment, he wanted nothing but to hug her, cuddle her and kiss her. He wanted to tell her that he felt the same. He tried to reach for her but she backed away as she opened her mouth to say something.

"A-And wh-when I-I confe-" She paused. No, she couldn't tell him her identity. At least, not yet. "And wh-when th-that d-day I ove-overheard L-Ladybug confessing t-to you, y-you rejected h-her and told her that you m-moved on but, there wa-wasn't anyone else. H-How can I, Marinette, h-have a chance when even t-the superheroine of Paris doesn't?" She broke down into tears. Treating Ladybug as a different person was very difficult sometimes. She knew that the spotted heroine was her own extension but, the people didn't. So, she had to put up an act of a normal civilian. She was getting more and more tired of her facade.

Trying to stay mad at someone Cat Noir was even more difficult than scaling Mount Everest. She didn't want to know how much she boosted his ego by praising him. She had tried to be angry with him, she had. But, it wasn't his fault that he was so amazing. It was wrong to be cross with him because of her feelings and mistakes.

"I am selfish too, Cat Noir. I am nowhere near as selfless as you are. When I discovered that your heart could never be mine, I couldn't bear to look at you. If I had let you in that day then I- then I wouldn't have been able to fight the urge to kiss you or to move on. So, instead of solving the problems, I ran away from them. I just couldn't face the reality." She paused to take a deep breath and then proceeded to continue, averting her gaze from him, "I thought that if I could move on then maybe, just maybe I could get rid of the pain. And then, be able to give you the friendship you deserve. I am a horrible person."

Cat watched her in astonishment. It all made sense now. He was happy to know that she loved him but, on the other hand, he was angered at the fact that she disregarded herself.

Why can't she see how amazing she is?

Slowly and carefully he reached out for her. Grabbing her hand, he hauled her into a gentle yet comforting hug. He caressed her hair as he held her close to himself. He hugged her as if he was dealing with a fragile flower, too afraid to break her. He rubbed her back in circles, trying to calm her down.

"Princess, I never get it when you call yourself ordinary. You are extraordinary, Mari. You are a funny, sweet, brave, witty passionate, talented, helpful, righteous and a resourceful person. You are so compassionate. You are always looking out for others and so many of your classmates look up to you." He pulled back, holding her by her waist while stroking her cheek by his other hand.

"You are so beautiful with your pretty bluebell eyes, shiny midnight blue hair that feel like silk, you have the cutest button nose, everything about you is amazing... your radiant smile, your sweet voice, your tinkling laughter, your cute freckles. If you consider yourself as ordinary, then I would like to see your definition of extraordinary."

Marinette blushed at his words. "B-But you sti-still don't l-lo-love me. No on-one can l-love me, Cat Noir." She hiccuped, "And I end up hurting those people who do."

Despite the ache in his heart that had been there since she refused to talk to him that probably justified her statement, the only thing his brain could really think was: How can anybody not love you, Princess?

"Oh, my sweet little Princess! You misunderstood me that day. When I said that there was no one else, I meant that no one can ever take her place. Ladybug will always have a place in my heart, she is my partner and friend, she is my lady, no one can replace her... not even you."

Marinette cried loudly and made weak efforts to get out of his hold, but Cat didn't budge.

"Shh... I am not finished, Princess. I mean it when I say that you can't replace her, but you are not a replacement Mari. You might not be my lady, but, you are my princess. Marinette Dupain-Cheng is not a replacement to Ladybug. You are an amazing person and only you can't see it. Mari, you made a way into my heart and occupied a place that I didn't even know existed. You have always rocked my world princess. Mari, you are my heartbeat and I too, do not want to imagine a life without you. I don't want to live with you, hell, I can't live without you. Princess, I love you too." He cupped her face gently and stared into the endless sea of blue. He licked his lips unconsciously, an action that didn't go unnoticed by the girl in his arms. "You taught me how to love, chèrie. Before I met you, I just knew how to breathe but, you taught me how to live."

With shaky hands, he took her hands in his own and brushed his thumb against her knuckles slightly as if he was still hesitant about the entire thing. His eyes were shining with tears. Happy tears. Marinette mirrored his expression and his heart swelled with affection for the girl. "Princess, my heart blooms whenever I see you. I find all the love in the world through you. I was just the dust on the ground, your one touch elevated me to the stars in the sky. What more can I ask for?"

Marinette looked at her silly kitty. Why did he have to be so adorable when she wanted to be mad at him? He said that he loved her. He had a place for both Ladybug and Marinette in his heart. He loved her, every side of her, completely.

Her breath hitched when Cat Noir leaned in and their foreheads touched. She could feel his breath.

"Princess, we have been foolish and ignorant for so long. I don't want to do so anymore. I want to be with you all my life. I want to be yours, as in with you. Are you willing to be mine?" He asked hopefully.

She blushed and nodded shyly, giggling a little.

That was all Cat needed to close the space between them. He captured her lips with his. The moment he kissed her, he felt like he had touched a live wire. It felt like heaven, it felt like a dream he never wanted to wake up from. He wanted to make most of this moment. He wanted to make their first kiss memorable.

It felt so great when she responded a few seconds later, fluttering her eyes closed. He found her lips extremely soft and addicting. The kiss was full of love and passion. He poured his entire devotion, admiration and longing into the kiss. Their lips moved in sync. He kissed her again and again. His hand moved to her waist to pull her closer, he intertwined the fingers of his other hand with hers.

He purred in appreciation it when she kissed him with the same passion and laced her fingers behind his neck.

They reluctantly broke the kiss when they heard a camera flash, but knowing better, they had to do it anyway as they were both out of breath. They turned just in time to see the trapdoor being shut.

Well, it was great Sabine caught that on camera.

Cat Noir looked at Marinette, her whole face was bright red as she caught her breath. "Another thing added to the list, I absolutely love your perfect pink lips, Mari." He smirked, leaning his face closer to hers.

Marinette's blush darkened and she did nothing to push him away as if she was too startled to do anything while in reality, she was enjoying the closeness and her beloved's flirting.

"So, you did fall for this Cat, girlfriend." He wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her flush against himself.

The ravenette smiled coyly, she rested her hands on his shoulders, the mischievous glint in her eyes was more than visible. "Who said anything about being your girlfriend?" She teased him with a smirk of her own.

Cat blinked. He was really very confused. "You agreed on being mine, didn't you?"

"Oh, mon minou! You need to take me on a date first." Marinette giggled.

Cat understood what she was implying.
"Not a problem, soon-to-be-girlfriend." He booped her nose.

Marinette blushed uncontrollably.

******

Marinette looked at her reflection in the mirror. She was going on a date with Cat Noir. She had been jumpy and giddy all day according to Tikki, for she had been too busy daydreaming the whole day to notice anything. Her mom had told her it was natural. On the outside, she looked peaceful and excited while on the inside, she was screaming and panicking from nervousness.

I am going on a date with Cat Noir. I am going on a DATE with CAT NOIR!

"Don't worry, Marinette. You'll be fine. He loves you so, there is nothing to worry about. And stop sweating! You'll ruin your makeup." Said Tikki as if she saw right through her.

"Sorry, Tikki. It's just that... all this is too good to be true. I can't believe that I actually kissed him and now I am going on a date with him." She cupped her face as she sighed dreamily and then she threw her arms in the air in elation, "I am going on a DATE with CAT NOIR!"

Tikki smiled at her lovesick chosen.
Marinette heard her mother call for her and she nearly tripped on air.

Come on Marinette... You can do this!

.

.

.

Cat Noir tapped his foot nervously as he waited patiently for Marinette to come downstairs. He didn't know why he was so nervous or why his palms were sweating under his suit. It was just Marinette, there was no need to be nervous. He was just going out on a date with the love of his life, the girl of his dreams. There wasn't any reason to be nervous. There was. He was FREAKING OUT! He was terrified! What if he messed this up? What if he lost the only chance he got with the love of his life? He was hyperventilating.

Tom had just finished giving him a talk on treating his daughter well. He found it kind of funny. He knew that deep down Tom knew that he (Cat) knew that he (Tom) knew that he was going to treat her well. He heard Sabine call for his princess.

His heartbeat quickened as he heard a click of her heels. His cat-like ears twitched a little as he heard her descend the stairs. His breath hitched when he saw her.

Holy cow! She is so perfect.

She was wearing a macaroon cream satin shirt along with a high-waisted navy blue skirt that had intricate designs and details on its edges. She was carrying a matching crossbody purse with her. Her hair was down. She looked so gorgeous, so beautiful, so godly... so kissable.

"T-This is for y-you." He said as he handed her a red rose. She gladly accepted it.

"I k-know you like Tulips better, but I thought roses are more romantic, so I brought this with me instead. But, I promise to get you a Tulip next time-"

Marinette cut off his rambling by placing a finger on his lips. "Shh... Relax kitty. Who knows? Roses might be my new favourite." She winked.

Blushing profusely, he held out his hand. "Shall we, Princess?"

Yes! was what she had wanted to shout out in her euphoria but managed to contain herself as she laced her fingers with his, "We shall."

.

.

.

"Chaton, this is so beautiful! I can't believe you did this all by yourself." Marinette admired as he twirled her around while dancing.

Cat Noir had arranged a romantic dinner for them at the top of the Eiffel Tower all by himself. He had decorated the place with candles and rose petals and some fairy lights. The stars above them illuminated the sky perfectly. After having a quiche as dinner, they had started dancing.

"Not as beautiful as you, Princess." He whispered under his breath. She heard him nonetheless and her blush spread until the tips of her ears were burning. Why did he have to be so sweet, again?

He led her while dancing. Their feet move rhythmically from side to side in a classic waltz box step. Dropping his right arm, Cat took a step forward while Marinette dropped her left arm and turned under his raised left arm, took a ninety-degree turn, performing the underarm turn.

Holding her hands, he pushed his partner in front of him and then spun her towards himself, drawing a circle in the counterclockwise direction. She put her right arm on his shoulder while he put his arms around her back so that they were in a close hug position. He rotated her body and bent his left knee and extended his right leg to the side of his body. She was facing him, her left leg extended forward while her right leg balanced her weight. His left arm supported her weight as he dipped her gracefully.

They never broke the eye-contact and they could lose themselves into each other's eyes for eternity.

The blonde pulled her up gently to her feet and his arms circled around her waist, pulling her closer than she already was while the ravenette laced her fingers behind his neck and rested her head on his chest.

They danced around with their eyes closed, savouring the moment and enjoying their current proximity. It felt like they were dreaming. That they weren't dating in reality. It all seemed so surreal. And if they were dreaming, they didn't want to wake up.

The song ended and they slowly and reluctantly pulled apart though they never left each other's embrace.

"M-Marinette?" He spoke softly.

"Yes, kitten?"

"I have- I have something to give you..."

"Really?" Her eyes brightened. She loved gifts. Cat Noir knew this and chuckled fondly at her cuteness. He reached for the left pocket of his suit and took out whatever gift he had for her, concealing it from her as he kept it hidden in his fist. A blush was prominent on his face.

"Close your eyes and turn around." Even though he knew that she loved gifts, he was still nervous about whether or not she would like the gift he had bought her.

Marinette did as instructed. She felt Cat moving aside her hair from the back of her neck. She could feel his hot breath fanning her bare neck and goosebumps popped up all over her skin. Something cold and metal touched her neck. She felt it and made out a familiar shape.

"You can see it now, love." He said.

She turned around to face him again as she looked at his present. It was a beautiful gold heart locket. She felt its smooth surface as she opened it. Inside it was an adorable picture of her and Cat Noir wrapped in a tight hug while the other side had an engraved message in cursive- 'With you I'm complete, I need you like the air I breathe.'

"I remember when you said that I was really lucky for you. There can be cases when I am not around," he rubbed the back of his neck nervously, "Don't worry, I am not going anywhere, but I wanted you to have luck even if I fail to provide you with some. So... You like it?"

Marinette felt her eyes watering. He was too sweet. She jumped and embraced him in a tight hug. "I love it, kitty! It's beautiful. But no matter what, you will always be my luckiest good luck charm. And you are stuck with me forever whether you like it or not."

His beaming face made her insides fluttery. She wiped her eyes with her palms, "You know, I have a gift for you too." She said, trying to get the date back on track.

"Really?"

"Mm-hmm... We are not going to be like those old-fashioned couples where guys did all the work." She dug in her purse for something. Something about her voice was suspicious. She was acting way too innocent.

"Here!" She produced a strawberry flavoured chapstick, smiling impishly.

Cat Noir looked at her and tilted his head in confusion. "Mari, I don't wear chapstick."

"True enough." She applied some chapstick on her lips. "But, I thought you loved strawberries and my lips."

He finally caught on and blushed hard. There was that shit-eating grin again. He pulled her closer. "So, what are we waiting for, princess?" He smiled flirtatiously as he pressed their foreheads together and closed the gap between them. Quite instantly, he tasted strawberries.

Huh, I like this gift.

At first, he just thought of giving her a close mouth kiss, but then he remembered his heritage. He swiped his tongue across her lower lip, asking for an entrance. Slowly and hesitatingly, Marinette opened her mouth. Cat's tongue entered her mouth gleefully. He explored her mouth, trying to remember all the details.

He held her tightly against his body with his one arm while the other tangled itself in her hair.

Marinette's one arm hooked under Cat's arm while her hand splayed on his back. Her right hand moved slowly up his chest to his neck, into his hair and then to his jaw. She kissed him back with the same ferocity and ardour. Tilting her head to her left, she found it easier to kiss him more deeply. If the noises eliciting from Cat's throat were any indications then she was doing something right.

Cat nipped her bottom lip and enjoyed the whimpers she was involuntarily making. He loved her, he loved her so much. He put everything he had into the kiss. He needed her. He kissed her again and again passionately, trying to convey just how much he loved her. God! He loved this feeling. He had never loved strawberries more. He kissed her like no tomorrow.

After what seemed like an eternity, the two teens pulled back, looked at each other and blushed. They both were very breathless.

"We should do this more often." He panted.

"Yeah, we should." Marinette couldn't agree more, dizzy from the effect of his kisses.

.

.

.

"I had fun today, princess. Now, I must take my leave." He set her down in her room.

"Wait, Cat! I have another gift for you." She stopped him.

"Another chapstick?" A teasing smirk ghosted his lips.

Marinette rolled her eyes. She grabbed his arm and pulled him to her table. She picked up a beautifully packed box and handed it to him, smiling timidly.

Cat untied the ribbon and lifted the lid.
He blinked. "Chocolates?"

"Just the way you like them. I spent the entire day making them for you. I know this isn't much but..." Her eyes darted everywhere but him as she tucked a strand of hair behind her ear.

"Princess, I love these chocolates. No need to feel down. The fact that you made them especially for me makes me feel special."

Marinette smiled at him more confidently this time, "They also come with a surprise."

"What surprise?" He asked.

Marinette shoved a piece into his mouth. He closed his eyes, savouring the taste. As soon as the chocolate melted away in his mouth, he felt something else, something unfamiliar. He took out a piece of paper from his mouth. He looked at Marinette questioningly as he unfolded the paper to read.

Dear Chaton,

I love you. Will you be my boyfriend?

Yours forever,
Marinette

"Of course, princess! I'll be your boyfriend. You are my girlfriend now. Yay!" He squealed as he spun her around.

"I guess I have to get used to being called Cat Noir's girlfriend." She said jokingly.

"Oh! We can fix that in no time. Girlfriend, girlfriend, girlfriend~"

"You are a dork." She laughed.

"Yes, but I am your dork." He hugged her and she hugged him back.

"And chaton, I know that you will finish all these chocolates in no time so, each one of them has a message from me so that you can cherish the memory forever."

Cat pulled back to look at her. "You know, I can't stop myself from kissing you if you don't stop being so adorable."

"Who's stopping you?" Marinette asked.

Cat smiled. "I love you too princess."

She smiled back. "I love you more."

The two lovebirds leaned in for a kiss.

******

"But I can help you, chèrie."

"How exactly?" The ravenette crossed her arms across her chest, "The last time I checked, you didn't know how to decorate a cake."

"Meow-pe. You're right, I don't know how to decorate a cake. But," he pulled her flush against him and held her in place by her waist. Smirking in victory when he heard her breath hitch, he leaned to whisper against her ear, "I'm a genius, I can help you study for your Science quiz. A kiss for every right answer." Cat Noir pulled back and winked at her.

Marinette flushed. She couldn't help it. He was so, so devilishly handsome. He was the one to blame for turning such innocent moments into this.

Nonetheless, she turned her back against him and started decorating the triple-layered chocolate cake in front of her.

Her heart raced and she was sure that her lover could hear it pounding against her chest with his human ears when his chest pressed against her back. She was glad that she wasn't facing him or else he would've seen her blushing like crazy.

Her grip on the piping back loosened and she almost messed up a flower when his right arm encircled her waist. She could feel his hot breath on her neck. This was all too distracting! How was she supposed to decorate the cake now that he was way too close to her? Not that she minded the proximity.

"What is the Z-effective in a Face Centred Cubic Cell?" He questioned.

The girl racked her brains while trying to make flower petals, "Four?"

She just got a kiss on the top of her head in response.

"Which is the most abundant enzyme present on Earth?"

"RuBP." She replied without thinking twice, remembering the enzyme present in all the plants.

Cat leaned forward and pecked her temple. "What is the coefficient of restitution for an elastic collision?"

"One."

He pecked her cheek. "In Organic Chemistry, which functional group is given the most priority for naming by the IUPAC guidelines?"

"Carboxylic group." She answered.

He tilted her head a little so that he could plant a lingering kiss on her lips. She found herself leaning towards him to kiss him more properly, but knowing better she turned her head back to the cake. Her tongue stuck out as she focused on making some swirly patterns.

Thirty minutes elapsed in this manner. Cat Noir would ask her questions and she would answer most of them correctly and she would get kisses for the correct answers. It would be an understatement to say that she was enjoying this. She was enjoying this way too much, more than she should. Maybe, it was because she had messed up everything so badly a few weeks earlier and now her life was getting back to normal.

Her kitty was by her side once again and that comforted her. She had decorated the cake completely and carefully. No mistakes this time. Cat was also done with his questions.

Sighing, she put aside the piping back and took a good look at the cake. It was just like the customer had wanted. Wiping her mouth with the back of her hand, she turned to face the superhero in the kitchen to thank him for being so helpful.

Her voice caught in her throat when he leaned dangerously close to her face. "I want to taste the cream on your lips." Was all she got before he claimed her lips.

She had closed her eyes as soon as their lips had made contact, she sighed into the kiss as if it was the only thing she had ever wanted. They moved their lips together in a perfect rhythm.

She squealed happily in his mouth when his tongue entered her mouth and she cupped his face.

A voice made them spring apart as if they were two like charges and flush with embarrassment.

"What's with her and icing?!" Tom asked.

"TOM!"

"DAD!"

•°•°•°•°•°•°•
A/N: It's about time they got together...

Thank you so much for 4.18K reads. It's been two months since this book was initially finished and one and a half since I started re-writing it. The reads have increased by 2K. I can't thank you guys enough. ❤️❤️

Peace✌🏻
I'm out!

{Edited: April 25, 2020}

»» Please, please, please don't forget to VOTE and COMMENT.««