I'm unsure as to whether or not this will be a one-shot or not, so as of the moment, I'm marking it as incomplete. Either way, hi! My pen name is Jessika, and I'm hoping you'll all enjoy this introvert's attempt at FanFiction. I tend to let the story write itself, so I apologize if it seems all over the place. If you like it, follow, favorite, review- do all those lovely things.

Disclaimer: If I owned Miraculous Ladybug, those two idiots would've gotten together ages ago.

^.^

Chapter 1: Wet Leather Just Doesn't Fit Right

Adrien despised water. He figured that it was due to the fact that his alter ego had multiple cat-like features, and as a result, he also had many cat-like features. Whenever he was transformed into Chat Noir, his teeth were sharper, his nails were obviously longer and sharper, his eyes were slitted, his ears and tail had minds of their own, and he hated water. There was also the fact that he now hated cucumber sandwiches, but that isn't what this was about.

Adrien had been out on his nightly patrol when he stiffened, the wind beginning to shift. There was a whole two seconds before Adrien let out the most ridiculous howl as a sudden downpour hit. He was soaked from head to toe in seconds, and he ran along rooftops in desperation. He was too far from his house to even attempt to go back. He especially didn't want to stay out in this rain for too long, if at all. So, that left only one option.

Chat Noir straightened up, looking around. There had to be someone he knew that lived around here. Nino, Alya, or Marinette maybe. The thought of his Princess made his lips twitch before the rain coming down forced the happy expression off his face. He continued to look around before darting off in a seemingly random direction, his claws scraping the roof of buildings he ran across. In his haste to find shelter, he didn't realize that he was running on all fours, the water-logged bell under his chin jingling distastefully. Adrien skidded to a stop when he spotted a familiar bakery, and happiness flooded him. He hopped across a building and landed on the balcony with a light thud. He quickly headed over to the hatch that was the barrier between salvation and hell.

Marinette was bent over her desk, the lamp on her table just barely bright enough so she could see. Her dark locks were down for once, and she wore a simple t-shirt and sweats, as far as he could tell. It looked so toasty and warm in there that he could barely keep himself from forcing his way in. He rapped against the hatch lightly, hoping she would hear him.

Chat apparently knocked a little too hard, because the pencil in her hand suddenly snapped and she sat up straight, eyes wide with panic. The wet cat couldn't help but feel bad as she sighed and threw it away before she began looking around, wondering where the noise came from. He tapped against the glass lighter this time and was happy when her gaze lifted.

Marinette lifted her gaze to the small balcony entrance and was confused for a moment before she saw the shadow shift and a metallic sheen that came from his bell. She hurried over to the door and climbed the ladder up to her bed, standing. She unlocked the glass door and opened it a bit, trying to keep out as much rain as possible. "Chat Noir? What're you doing here? It's pouring out," she questioned, looking around before opening the door wider.

Taking the obvious invitation, Adrien leapt into the room, feeling so much colder now that he was out of the rain. He kept still as Marinette closed the hatch, locking it firmly before she walked over to him. "You're soaked. Wait here. I'll get you a towel or two." Chat didn't bother making a witty reply. He was too busy shivering and observing each corner of her room. His tail was wrapped around his body as he looked around, the light from the lamp not allowing him to see much.

He almost jumped when a towel suddenly appeared around him, small hands rubbing at his shoulders and back. Another towel landed over his head as the Noirette began drying his hair, her own dark locks damp from her own recent shower. She settled the towel around his neck. "Are you okay," she asked again, her voice soft. "It's a stupid question, but necessary."

Chat Noir chuckled softly and nodded, the wet leather sticking to him and holding so much water. Wasn't leather supposed to keep water out?! "I-I'm feline f-f-fine, Purrinc-cess."

Marinette sighed and rubbed a finger against his leather covered shoulder. He'd get a cold if he didn't dry off soon. "…Would you be completely against hiding in my bathroom and drying off properly while I find you some clothes?" She purposefully stressed the word 'properly' to show she meant for him to change back into his civilian self. "You'll get sick if you don't get dry soon."

Adrien let out a weak laugh, continuing to shiver from the cold as Marinette persistently tried to rub as much water out of his suit as she could with the thick towel. "It h-has a z-z-zipper," he stuttered out, reaching up and flicking the bell lightly at her look.

He was rather surprised when he noticed her cheeks dust with pink, her gaze suddenly anywhere but on him. A signature Chat Noir smirk appeared on his face at the sight. "W-Were you wish-shing t-to see some sk-skin, Purrincess?" He loved teasing her, especially when that blush that had appeared over her cheeks darkened in response.

Marinette seemed to roll her eyes and smack him on the shoulder lightly. "No," she said defiantly, ignoring the blush on her cheeks. "Why-Why don't you go dry off in the bathroom then? I'll try and find some clothes for you."

Adrien was surprised when he heard the shakiness in her voice. Why was she stuttering? She only stuttered around his civilian counterpart. He watched as she stood up and walked over to her dresser, rooting around in the drawers. "O-Okay." Chat stood, walking towards the bathroom. His ear twitched as he heard her sigh, the door closing behind him. He pressed one of his cat ears against the door, listening as she seemed to mumble to herself. Hm.

Adrien shook it off as he reached up, clasping the golden bell between his fingers before he began pulling it down. As soon as the sodden leather hit the floor, it disappeared in a shining green light. Chat gazed down at the floor for a moment before shrugging it off and continuing to dry off his body, trying his best to pat his mask dry. Luckily, it seemed his mask was much more water-resistant than he thought.

That was definitely a big help.

He looked up when there was a soft knock on the door, and he wrapped the towel around his waist before a twinkle appeared in his eyes. I wonder… Chat kept silent as he walked over to the door, only to open it wide to reveal Marinette holding a bundle of clothes. He watched as her face flooded with pink, unable to keep a smirk off his face as she slapped a hand over her eyes. "What's wrong, Purrincess," he asked, his voice shaking only slightly from the chill in his bones.

"N-Nothing. Here." She pressed the clothes into his other hand, letting out a squeak when his fingers brushed hers. The Noirette was quick to hightail it out of there, heading out of her room and down the trap door.

"Nothing, huh?" Chat mumbled to himself as he watched her go, amusement sparkling in his eyes. He closed the door and dressed, the pink pajama pants falling a few inches above his ankles. Despite that fact, he couldn't help but purr with the knowledge that his Princess had let him borrow her clothes. It was a sweet gesture.

Maybe it was because of the fact that he'd been mostly naked when he greeted her at the bathroom door, but he suddenly had the thought that perhaps she was developing a crush for him as Chat Noir. If that was the case, then he could assume she had one on him as Adrien. Now that would be an interesting development.

Deciding to investigate further, he left the bathroom, beginning to take a look around. His ears twitched at each little noise in the room as he examined everything. Luckily, as he was still Chat Noir, he had his night vision, so he wouldn't trip over anything that might've been on the floor (not that there was anything). But it wasn't the floor he soon found himself focused on. He approached a wall that seemed to be covered in pictures of Adrien Agreste, and he tilted his head. A small smile appeared on his face as he leaned closer, pressing his hands against the table.

A small gasp reached his ears and he turned around, seeing Marinette standing at the trapdoor with some lovely smelling croissants. Forgetting all about the photos on the wall (for the moment), he wandered over to her, deftly plucking one of the warm treats from the pile and taking a large bite out of it. He sighed happily and sat down on the chaise, looking at Marinette who seemed stunned. "Princess," he called softly when his mouth wasn't full, an eyebrow raised. "Are you okay?"

Marinette seemed to wake up from a trance as she shook her head, rubbing her hands against her eyes. "Y-Yeah. I'm fine. I brought these up because I'm always hungry after I've had a 'shower', so I thought you might be," she explained after a moment, sitting next to him on the chaise.

"Well, they're purrfect. Thank you." He began looking her over after she returned the smile. Her soft looking locks were tied into two short braids, each leading down to her delectable looking shoulders. He purred softly when he noticed that her sweats were dotted with black cats. Being a normal teenage boy, it wasn't surprising when his eyes wandered across her body. What was surprising is that she seemed not to notice, which he was sort of happy about, as he'd rather not be kicked out into the rain for ogling her.

Marinette was gazing at her desk, her eyes clouded over as she thought.

Chat wiped at his mouth lightly to rid his face of crumbs before he reached up, placing a hand on her shoulder. "Marinette? Are you sure you're okay?"

Blue met green as they locked gazed and she smiled, seeming to relax. "Yeah… I just, uh, got lost in thought I guess," she said softly, patting his hand lightly before holding out the plate of baked treats. "Please. Eat." Her bright eyes sparkled and she smiled. Chat returned the smile and took another, taking a bite and purposefully letting out a purr, watching as she giggled.

The next hour passed quietly, the two talking mostly about Marinette's life, as Chat couldn't speak much about himself without possibly exposing himself as Adrien Agreste. He learned that her favorite color was pink (obviously), she tended to sketch when she was bored, she loved snickerdoodle cookies, her favorite singer was Jagged Stone, she had a very large interest in fashion (that he already knew), and she was a dog person. That one made him pout, but the light scratches under his chin ended his momentary pout-fest.

"Can I ask you something, Kitty?" Chat nodded, nibbling on one of the last croissants. His head was leaning against her shoulder, his eyes half open as he stifled a yawn. "Did you ever wonder what would've happened if you didn't get your powers?"

Chat's gaze lifted immediately. Marinette gazed at him, her eyes clouded with an emotion he couldn't exactly place. He smiled after a moment, the action small and insignificant. "Well, I suppose I'd be rather depressed." At Marinette's questioning look, he sighed. "When I was younger, something happened to my family that rattled us. I'm unsure as to whether my father recovered, but… I was the perfect son. I did as I was told and was rewarded with silence. But I didn't like it. Not at all. It was depressing, being stuck in the same loop day after day. So, one day, I snuck out to go somewhere and after getting caught, I was brought home to discover that someone had delivered my…" Chat paused, wondering how to word the next sentence. "Someone had left a gift in my room that gave me my powers." That worked. "That day, I became Chat Noir. I realized that by being this-this person I could do what I wanted, and I didn't have to worry about being judged." Chat lifted his gaze to Marinette's to discover that she was watching him with her large bluebell eyes. "If I hadn't become Chat Noir, I wouldn't have come to know My Lady, and I certainly wouldn't have come to know you."

"Do I really mean that much to you?"

"You mean the world to me." While that wasn't exactly what he meant to say, he knew it was the right thing when he saw her face.

Marinette's eyes began to shine before she threw her arms around his neck and hugged him tightly. Chat Noir gasped and his eyes went wide, not having been expecting that. He slowly moved his hands to her waist, hugging her back. Warmth spread through his body, moving from the tip of his nose to the bottom of his feet as he hugged back, burying his face in her hair. He hadn't been hugged in a long time… It wasn't until he noticed Marinette's shaking shoulders that he realized she was crying.

"Princess…"

"I-I didn't re-re-realize th-that I was that import-tant to you," she cried softly, her hands gathering handfuls of his borrowed shirt.

Adrien smiled after a moment, his grip on her waist tightening as he sighed. "Of course you are. Where would this cat be without his Princess," he asked, hearing her giggle softly. The action filled him with warmth and he gave her one more squeeze before she moved away, wiping at her eyes.

"Sorry for crying on you." Marinette gave him a soft smile and stood, picking up the empty plate that had once held baked goods.

"Don't worry about it," he murmured, watching her go. The cat stood with a sigh, popping his back. Telling that much to her, while still keeping some things hidden (to keep his identity) had been difficult. But in the end, he supposed, it had been worth it to see her eyes shine when she realized how much he relied on her as a friend.

He'd been very unlike Chat Noir tonight, although it seemed to have been a good thing. He'd learned quite a bit about Marinette, and she'd learned a few things about him as well. He began to see why she was liked by so many people- with a soul like hers, how could you not?

Marinette returned to find her guest sitting on the chaise, one of the blankets she'd gotten for him in his lap. "Thanks for letting me stay. I wouldn't have been able to make it home in record time," he said, looking up at her.

"Don't worry about it Chat. I don't mind." Marinette walked up to him and wished him goodnight before she went towards her bed, climbing the ladder leading up to it before getting comfortable under the sheets.

Chat got comfortable on the chaise, squeezing his eyes tightly shut. He never slept well during a storm unless something (like a Kwami) or someone (also possibly a Kwami) was laying with him. He'd try though. Despite being told that she didn't mind him being there, he didn't want to push things. The man would need more incentive before he-

Lightning flashed outside.

"Mari," he asked softly, his cat-like eyes practically glowing as he looked over the railing that kept her from rolling off her bed and onto the floor.

The black haired girl opened her eyes after a moment, the blue depths clouded with sleep. "Chat? Is something wrong?" She yawned softly and sat up, rubbing her eyes.

His black ears lowered to his head, his gaze shifting away from Marinette as he spoke, "Would you mind if I- well, if I laid with you? I haven't been comfortable during thunder storms since…"

She gazed at him for a long moment before pulling the comforter and sheet back, patting the spot next to her. "C'mon Kitty."

Chat slowly climbed into the bed, worried she'd reject him and start laughing. When she didn't, he laid down, his ears still low. "Thank you," he murmured, wiggling close and relaxing in her warmth as the sheets covered them. Mari didn't answer. Instead, her hand found his hair, scratching lightly behind his ears in an attempt to calm him. It worked. He began purring and nuzzling into her neck as his eyes fluttered closed, his own hands moving around her waist to pull her against him. With his nose firmly against her neck, taking in her reassuring scent, he fell asleep, his purr becoming deep and soft as he breathed in and out.

Marinette smiled softly and continued to scratch behind his ears until she too fell asleep, her hands finally becoming still.

That night had been a roller coaster of emotions, and the following day was discovered to be very much the same.

I hoped you all liked it. Remember, review! They feed the muse.

Also, something worth mentioning: because I'm doing this on my phone, anything I italicized during writing (like puns and inner thoughts) will not be italicized after the transfer. I'm so sorry!