Late one night, a lonely Chat Noir finds himself seeking company on Marinette's balcony. Feelings are revealed and Marinette learns more about her Kitty than she expected to. A Marichat story.

Chat Noir sat perched on a concealed rooftop. The sun had just started to set on the horizon and the brilliant colours of golden orange and yellow streaked across the skyline. It was beautiful, but also a little melancholy, because it also reminded him of her.

Things had been strained between him and Ladybug for some time now. Ever since she had become the Guardian, there seemed to have been more secrets between them than ever before. Even their joint patrols, which he used to look so forward too, had become less frequent and over too soon. She was distracted and closed off, but whenever he tried to talk to her, she would just dismiss him like she always did. With Shadow Moth being less active over the summer break, she had scaled back their interactions to the bare minimum. He doesn't know what it was he did that made her want to avoid him, but it hurt more than he could say.

Things weren't much better for Adrien at home either. His father buried himself in his work and kept Adrien's schedule packed so that he had no time for seeing his friends. He had been invited to go to the movies that night with Alya, Nino and Marientte, but instead his father had scheduled him for an afternoon photoshoot with Lila of all people. To say the shoot had been painful would be an understatement.

Lila, as usual, couldn't keep her hands to herself, and when the akuma alert sounded, she wouldn't let him out of her sight to go and transform. By the time he could get away from her, the battle was all but over. At least the akuma forced the shoot to wrap up early and he could get away from her.

Watching the sun lower on the horizon, the warm summer breeze flitted through his blond hair and his chartreuse eyes turned up to the sky above. Yes, he missed Ladybug, but he had also begun to question how he felt about her. He'd had her on such a high pedestal for so long, and he still respected her, but she had become elusive. He trusted her judgement in battle, he trusted her to bring him back when he sacrificed himself to protect her, but he wasn't sure he trusted her with his heart. Not anymore, not while she kept him in the dark.

He leaned against the railing, remembering the night he had stood on this same rooftop, asking her to accept his love. She had turned him down gently, saying she loved another. He wondered now if that had even been true, or had she just been saying that to fob him off and keep him at arm's length. It hardly mattered now. She didn't love him, and maybe she never would.

He let out a heavy sigh into the darkening sky. It was becoming a bit of a bad habit staying out until late into the night, then living on only a few hours of sleep. His stylist had already had a go at him for the bags under his eyes and it was all Adrien could do to beg her not to tell his father as the concealer was applied. Even Marinette had noticed at school and asked him if he was okay. He smiled at the memory when she passed him her coffee, insisting he needed it more then she did and he felt a flutter in his chest at the thought of her and her sweet smile.

Speaking of Marinette, Chat turned his head towards where her parents bakery was. He could just make out that the fairy lights she had strung out on her little balcony were still on. Maybe she was still up? He looked at the time on his cat phone. The movie would have finished ages ago, and he was pretty sure Marinette wouldn't want to be a third wheel with Alya and Nino after the movie. He knew exactly how uncomfortable that could be, although he would never admit out loud that a little bit of jealousy on his part was in the mix.

Chat tried not to make a habit out of visiting Marinette too often. Deep down he knew it wasn't safe for her to have a superhero on her balcony, and Ladybug probably wouldn't like it either, but getting away from his father to see her as Adrien was almost impossible most of the time. He couldn't explain it really, but there was something about her presence. More than that though, Chat felt inexplicably drawn to Marinette. She was someone he could talk to, on both sides of the mask, and his friendship with her had only grown over time, and he had to admit his feelings for her also. Plagg had teased him enough times about his feelings for the girl that sat behind him in class, and it was getting more difficult for Adrien to still call her just a friend, because she was starting to become so much more than that to him.

He looked back up at the moon as it shone brighter in the darkening sky. Even if he was to ask Marinette out on a date, his father would just say no anyway. After the debacle with Kagami, his father disapproved of dating in case it tarnished his image and therefore the brand. Gabriel seemed to have had that opinion with all of Adrien's friends which was why he kept finding excuses for him not to hang out with them. Well, his father might be stopping Adrien from seeing someone, but that doesn't mean Chat can't visit his friends on a late summer evening.

Jumping to a few rooftops away, he saw that Marinette was indeed home, watering a few of the plants she had growing in pots on her balcony. She had already changed into a cute little pj shorts ensemble in her signature pink and white and her hair was down. Chat didn't know a lot about plants, but he noticed they kind of looked sad and neglected. He appreciated how they felt. It struck him though how melancholy Marinette looked and it upset him to see her that way. After all, they were friends and he cared about her a lot. Maybe more than just a lot, and that thought scared him a little.

With a vault and a jump, he landed on the railing of her balcony with a soft cat step. Marinette didn't notice him at first, caught up in her own thoughts as she passed the little watering can over the wilting plants.

"Hello?" Chat spoke tentatively. Marinette jumped, dropping the watering can out of her hand with a thud on the ground.

"Oh, Chat it's just you." She gasped, holding her hand to her chest.

Chat quickly jumped down and picked up the watering can, passing it back to her.

"I'm so sorry, I didn't mean to startle you." He apologised, rubbing the back of his neck with his hand.

"No, it's okay." Marinette reassured him with a smile. "I just didn't hear you there. Guess I was just lost in my own thoughts."

"Well, don't get too lost, otherwise I'll have to go looking for you." He chuckled, but Marinette could detect a sadness there behind his smile. Truth be told, she had noticed it before when they were on joint patrols, but she wasn't sure how to broach the subject with him. Usually when she asked him as Ladybug he would just smile and say everything was fine, but looking at him now, she could clearly see that everything was not fine.

Marinette put the watering can down and walked over to the railing, looking out across to Notre Dame. "I haven't seen you for a while, are you out on patrol?" She asked, knowing full well that it wasn't his night for patrol. Chat came and stood beside her, sharing her view of the horizon.

"No, I just spend most of my nights out here." He said, a small waiver in his voice as he spoke.

Marinette looked up at him, but his eyes were downcast. "But...don't you have a home?" She frowned. Chat closed his eyes.

"A house." He said flatly. "I have a house I live in. It's not a home." He turned around and lent his back against the rail, folding his arms.

Marinette was lost for words. She had known Chat for so long, and yet had not realised that his home life was so troubled. She was trying to think of something to say when Chat looked at her.

"What about you? It's a bit late at night to water your plants isn't it?"

Marinette looked back out over the streets below. It was Friday night, and there were couples all around, holding hands and hunting down André's ice cream cart that was parked nearby in the park.

"I was just feeling sad that someone I care about wasn't able to join us at the movies tonight." She said, then she sighed. "It's not his fault, he has a strict father who won't let him out much. It's not a surprise though. We invite him because we want him to know that we care about him and want him there, but we don't expect him to be. Still, I was hopeful. We haven't seen him much over the summer, and I worry about him."

Chat had to conceal his surprise by looking away from her. "I'm sure he would have wanted to be there too." He said, trying to hide his emotions. His friends were so used to him disappointing them, they weren't even surprised anymore when he cancelled. More than that though, Marinette worried about him, and it filled his heart with happiness that she cared.

"I know." Marinette said. "I guess I just miss seeing him." Chat's mouth dropped open a little, but Marinette didn't see it as she was still looking out at the horizon. "Besides, I would have appreciated the distraction. Having to try and ignore Alya and Nino snogging during the movie would have been easier with someone else there."

Chat snorted at that. He remembered one time his father was away and Nathalie did let him go to the movies. He whispered a running commentary on everything Alya and Nino were doing like it was a reality show. He made Marinette laugh so much Alya started giving him the stink eye and the usher threatened to kick them out.

"Yeah, I get how annoying that can be." He said with a chuckle.

"It's not that really." Marinette replied, turning to lean back on the rail like Chat was, a look of wistfulness in her eyes. "I envy them, I guess. It can be lonely sometimes."

Chat looked at her in understanding. "I know what you mean." He said. "We live in the city of love, and have no one to share that with." His eyes met hers and Marinette felt herself becoming lost in his all consuming gaze. She turned her eyes away from him.

"I would have thought someone like you would have dozens of girls around you. I mean Chat Noir is the hero of Paris, and I'm sure you are just as charming in your civilian life."

She was surprised when Chat scoffed. "No, not really." He said quietly. "My civilian life is a bit...complicated for relationships. I did have a girlfriend, well sort of, but I had to keep ditching her when an akuma would turn up and in the end she dumped my sorry butt. I can't say I blame her. I would have dumped me too. As for Ladybug, well she never cared that much about me."

Marinette's mouth dropped open. "How can you say that? Of course she cares." Truth be told, she felt a little hurt that he thought she didn't care about him.

"How would you know?" He asked, sounding a little annoyed.

Marinette swung her arms around wildly. "Oh, you know...ah...Alya is my best friend and she...ah...runs the Ladyblog and...um...Ladybug told her that Chat is very important to her and she couldn't be Ladybug without him."

Chat only huffed in response. "Yeah, she just needs me to be her human shield and cataclysm a few things now and again."

"Chat, I don't think..."

He laughed humorlessly. "It's okay Marinette, you don't have to defend Ladybug. It's the job I signed up for. It doesn't matter what happens to me really, as long as she's safe to fix everything, then I've done my job." He turned back to the horizon and rested his arms on the rail, crossing his ankles.

Maybe it had been part of the quantum masking when they were transformed, but Marinette had had found herself more than once taken in by Chat's presence when she saw him like this on her balcony bathed in the moonlight. It was like she hadn't really seen him before as Ladybug. She couldn't deny that Chat was very nice on the eyes, but it was more than just a physical attraction. His quiet manner felt so familiar to her, and she felt a little treacherous that her heart would skip a beat being close to him.

As Ladybug she had strived to keep a wall between them, to keep him at arm's length. In her mind, protecting their identities from each other kept him safe, but at what cost? She had felt them drifting apart, yet here he was coming to see her as Marinette. There had to be some reason behind it because she knew he had no idea she was Ladybug.

Although his visits to her civilian self were all too infrequent, she had the chance to see a different side to Chat, a more vulnerable side and it was becoming harder to keep her feelings for him in check.

"Your job isn't to die for Ladybug." She said quietly. "Your job is to help protect the people of Paris and I for one feel a lot safer with you out there."

Chat gave her a signature grin. "Well, thanks for the vote of confidence little mouse."

"Little Mouse?" She asked with a curious look.

"Why not?" Chat chuckled. "I remember when you were Multimouse. Not to take away from Polymouse, but you did rock those space buns."

Marinette could feel her face heating up and she had to look away from him. "Well, that was just a one time thing." She said with a shrug. She felt Chat's face come closer to hers.

"For what it's worth, I didn't agree with Ladybug taking the miraculous off you. You were amazing as Multimouse, and helped save my poor tail."

Marinette was taken aback by the intensity in Chat's eyes and she could feel her heartbeat thumping in her chest. Why was he having such a strange effect on her tonight?

"I broke the rules and revealed my identity." She said, swallowing thickly. Suddenly needing some space she walked away from him and sat down on her deck chair.

"Yeah, well, she can keep her rules." He grumbled, walking over to sit beside her. Then he smiled at her again. "I'm sorry, I shouldn't be dumping my issues on you, it's just, well it's been a bit lonely lately and it's been nice to have someone to talk to."

"Don't you have anyone you can talk to?"

Chat shrugged his shoulders. "I have a few friends, but I don't like to talk about my problems with them. I wear a mask that's more of a front in my civilian life than the one on my face now. Besides, I've hardly seen anyone over the holiday break because my father..." He trailed off, wondering how much he could really tell her without revealing too much.

"You can talk to me." Marinette offered, placing a hand over his on the chair. "I won't judge." She bit her bottom lip and waited for him. This was risky, but she felt Chat really needed someone to talk to.

He then let out a long sigh. "Have you ever been surrounded by people, and yet felt completely alone?"

Marinette slowly nodded. "Yeah."

"Well, that's how I feel. I'm surrounded by lots of well meaning people all the time in my job, but they are only doing what is asked of them. They don't really know me, not many people do, and it's hard sometimes to keep up the act. I can never just be myself." He looked her meaningfully in the eyes. "Even now with this mask I still can't tell you everything, and I want to Marinette. There's so much I want to tell you."

He spoke with so much tenderness in his voice that it shook Marinette to her very core. It felt personal, too personal, like they knew each other as more than just Chat dropping by to say hello.

"Well...maybe you can start with what upset you today. I can tell something is bothering you."

Chat looked down to where Marinette's hand was still resting on his. Feeling self conscience when she noticed him look, Marientte went to move her hand away, but Chat entwined his gloved fingers between hers.

"I had to do a job with someone I don't enjoy being around too much." Chat began. "It's...it's like a family business so I just have to suck it up since my father is the boss, and I can't talk to him, like, at all. She, the girl I was working with, made it difficult for me to get away and transform today, so I was late for the akuma. Ladybug had already gotten Carapace and Pegasus to help her, and the fight was pretty much over by the time I got there. She just gave me this look like I was so useless and a disappointment to her. I guess maybe I am."

Chat dropped his head and closed his eyes. Marinette was trying to hold back the tears that were threatening to fall. She hadn't meant to look at him like that at all. It had been difficult without him, but she also had no idea he had a job, a real job, and that getting away was so hard for him. She wondered how many other times she had been harsh on him for being late, not understanding his struggles. She shided herself for that.

Chat started shaking his head. "One day I'm sure she'll ask for my Miraculous back because I can't be relied on. With so many other heroes now to choose from, she probably won't need me much anymore."

"I don't believe that." Marinette said, leaning closer to him. "You were the first person to stand by Ladybug and the first one to believe in her. You matter, Chat Noir, you are important and I promise Ladybug knows that."

It broke her to see Chat's sad eyes looking back at her. "You think so? I don't think my father cares all that much except that I do a good job and not embarrass him. All I really wanted was to matter to someone." He had become aware that his face had gotten so much closer to hers and it made his heart race.

There was so much that was eerily familiar in what he was saying. "You matter to me." Marinette said softly. There was something searching in Chat's eyes, like he was conflicted in some way.

"You matter to me too, Marinette. More than you know."

Chat picked up her hand and gently kissed the back of it. He then turned her hand around in his and gently kissed the inside of her wrist. Marinette sucked in a breath at the intimacy of the gesture, and her conflicted heart began to pound again. In the distance the town clock chimed the midnight hour. Chat looked back up at Marinette. Her soft porcelain skin glowed in the moonlight and he wished he could feel her hand without the gloves on. "You know, Alya said something to me which got me thinking. She said she couldn't love somebody she didn't know. I think maybe now I'm beginning to understand what she meant."

"You barely know me, Chat." She replied, her voice sounding breathy while her heart raced. This was Chat, her partner, her friend. Why was he making her feel this way?

"I know you Marinette, better than you think I do." The cat hero said mysteriously.

Marinette gasped and pulled her hand away. "You mustn't tell me things like that Chat." She scolded, turning away from him. "What if I figure out who you are?" Already her mind had begun to betray her. There weren't that many people she was that close to, and she couldn't let herself think of the possibility of the similarities between him and another boy with blond hair and emerald eyes.

"Does it matter?" He said simply. Reaching out he gently stretched his clawed fingers under her chin and guided her eyes towards him. "There's something about you Marinette, something that I can't explain, but I want to find out."

He ran his finger across her bottom lip and the air around them became still. "We shouldn't Chat." She managed to say, licking her lips that had become impossibly dry. "We're walking on dangerous ground. You...you're a superhero and I'm...I'm..."

Chat brought his face closer to hers, his warm breath fanning against her cheek. "I'm willing to take the risk if you are."

Marinette brought her hand up and