Marinette's POV
"She didn't believe me." Marinette explained to her boyfriend.
"What do you mean she 'didn't believe you'?"
"I mean, Alya still thinks that I'm not over Adrien, and says that Jamie is an awesome boy and I should give him another chance. She thought I was bluffing when I said I wasn't interested... and now she wants to set us up again." She moaned.
"Well, maybe we should tell her-"
"Tell her what? That I'm dating a superhero? Kitty-"
"You're right, for your safety and mine, we can't tell her. I know. But this 'Jamie' guy is starting to get on my nerves, princess. Just, promise me you'll be careful?"
"I promise." She agreed, leaning in for a kiss.
"And don't worry, you'll always be my knight."
- • - • - • - • - • - • -
A week later, Marinette reluctantly waited for her "date" in the park.
He was a nice guy, but even if she wasn't with Chat, Jamie just wasn't her type.
She didn't know how to explain it, but there just something about Chat (and at one point Adrien) that she felt drawn too. Something she had never felt with anyone else. A certain bond.
Regardless, Alya wouldn't let her give up on the boy until she had given him a fair chance, so she was assuming this wouldn't be the last date she found herself roped into.
It had been almost an hour when the two could hear an explosion across the town.
"Was that-"
"An akuma." Mari finished, watching as leaves and vines began to cover the city, quickly crawling towards her and Jamie.
"Run." She whispered, but it was obviously too late as the vines began to surround them, wrapping themselves around their legs and making their way up.
"Looking a little green there, princess." A familiar voice called.
Using his baton, Chat shredded the rope like plants and put himself in between his girlfriend and the hostile greenery.
He sliced and hacked at them until the plants pathetically shriveled away.
"Are you okay, Mari?" He rushed towards her wrapping her in a hug, and she almost kissed him until she remembered their spectator.
"Wow. Friends with Jagged Stone, Adrien Agreste, and Chat Noir. Anyone else I should know about?"
"Um... a few run ins with Clara Nightingale and my mortal enemy just so happens to be the mayor's daughter. That's about it." She added, still in Chat's arms.
"That's it?! You're literally hugging a superhero and you don't think it's a big deal?!"
"We're pretty tight," she admitted, pulling out of her boyfriend's embrace. "Go get 'em kitty!"
She gave him a large smile and he returned the gesture with a fake salute.
"You got it princess!"
"Sorry to cut this short, Jamie, but I better go check on my parents. I had a nice time, thanks!" Marinette called out, waving and running in the direction of the bakery.
"Wow, that boy can really talk about sports!" Tikki yawned as they hid in an alley.
She rolled her eyes in response. "Tell me about. But first, let's go help a certain cat take care of miss Lorax." She muttered as plants continued to fill the city. If they didn't do something soon, the whole country would be a jungle.
"Tikki, spots on!"
- • - • - • - • - • -
Chat Noir's POV
That night, after taking down Iris, a nature enthusiast who was very passionate about deforestation, he and Mari just sat down and cuddled.
"How was the 'date'?"
"Boring." She admitted. "Nice guy, but not my type."
"Oh really?" Chat smirked. "And just what is your type?"
"Blond, loyal, dorky, selfless, and a horrible sense of humor." She listed.
"Hey! My puns are purrfect!"
"Sure," she giggled, "whatever you say."
"Well, do you want to know my type?" He offered.
"Why not?" She mused, running her fingers through his hair before scratching at the attached cat ear.
"Blue hair. I've heard it's a fairly uncommon trait, but I just can't seem to help myself," he began, his girlfriend already giggling.
"Compassionate, brave, and determined, " He continued, counting each attribute off on his fingers.
"Talented, smart, and unbelievably gorgeous. And somehow, I managed to find someone with all of that and more."
The hero snuggled closer into her embrace before nuzzling his nose against hers. "I love you."
"I love you too, kitty."
He froze before a new idea popped into his head.
"You know, it's only 9:00... why don't I take you out on a real date?"
"Chat, you know if love that, but... what if someone sees us? We can't risk anyone finding out."
He sighed before giving his most swoon worthy smile with a smolder in his green eyes.
"C'mon princess, we'll be careful. You know you wanna..."
"No. Our safety is more important than a date. We can have just as much fun watching a movie with the popcorn machine as we can at a cheap restaurant." Chat almost laughed out loud at the comment. If he took her anywhere, it would be anything but cheap.
"Really Mari? You wound me. A knight always gives his princess everything she deserves, and you deserve the world... cheap restaurants and all." She rolled her eyes as if stating the obvious.
"Really kitty? I appreciate the gesture, but you're a teenager. Where would you get the money for a nice date? I mean, I would pitch in too, but you're father doesn't even know I exist. There's no way he wouldn't notice you taking out a bunch of cash."
There was so much wrong with that sentence that he just wished he could correct.
Yes, he was a teenager, but he did have a job. Not a minimum wage job to make a few extra bucks, but an actual career. A career that made him one of the most recognized people in Paris.
Second of all, his father wouldn't notice if he pocketed a thousand euros much less fifty.
Of course, his personal savings alone could be used to simply buy the restaurant, but his dad could turn it into a chain and station one in every major city in Europe.
Money would not be a problem.
No, it would be the pesky "superhero with a civilian" thing that would cause issues.
"Well, if that's how it is..." he smirked before turning towards her closet.
"Oh no... no you don't. Don't make me grab the spray bottle."
"Sorry princess, but this is for your own good. Not going out could turn us into shut ins and homebodies for the rest of our lives. Heck, it'll lead to dysfunction and relationship counseling! We need to be more social... mingle or something!"
With that, he opened the closet and stepped inside, quickly closing the door.
Chat knew the bluenette kept a lot of designs and pieces that she never thought she would use in the back, a couple lines of male clothing included.
The hero called off his transformation in the dark closet, promptly grabbing a pair of jeans and a hoodie that she had made.
Adrien changed out of his usual pants and into the black pair and slid the Chat Noir themed hoodie over his usual T-shirt. He messed up his hair to give it Chat's signature look and draped the hood over his head.
Finally, he grabbed a dark pair of Marinette's sunglasses sitting in the closet and put them on.
Normally he would be scared that she might recognize him, but he knew that if she hadn't pieced together his identity yet... he should be safe. She saw the model and the hero as two completely separate people due to their personalities and even the small differences in their appearances.
If she hadn't figured it out yet, then she probably wouldn't tonight.
He finally exited the closet with his head down, trying not to make his face increasingly obvious.
"Ready princess?"
He gave a soft smile as she stood there in awe, so close yet so far from the boy under the mask.
"Y-yeah. Let's go on a date."