Dear Reader, while this story is an accompaniment it is also a standalone tale. If you have read 'A Piece of My Heart' you will find a familiar tone and plot because this piece holds a number of scenes discarded from the final cut of that story. These scenes have now been reweaved into something new. So, with that in mind, I hope you enjoy it either way. Cheers!

Chapter One

Adrien had never meant to break Marinette's heart. Her declaration of love had come at the worst possible time. He was dealing with his father's strict rule, plus he was angry because he wasn't allowed to attend his best friend's party. What made it worse was the fact that he didn't reciprocate her feelings. Perhaps he could have let her down more gently but it wasn't fair to give her hope when he loved another.

Yet Adrien was compassionate by nature. Hurting his friend's feelings didn't sit right with him. He wanted to check on Marinette to make sure she was okay and there was only one feasible way to do that. Plus, there was also the less noble duty of ensuring she wasn't akumatised. While Chat Noir's visit had been quick, he was reassured that she would be okay, especially when he discovered Alya was supporting her best friend.

Regardless of this, Chat Noir found himself returning to Marinette's place. He missed their interactions at school and began seeking her out to talk as his alter ego. To his surprise Marinette was more at ease with him while wearing the mask and their friendship developed into a much deeper level than before. She teased him about his crush on Ladybug and he hammed up his antics for laughs. But eventually Chat Noir started to see Marinette differently. It was around the same time he realised that Ladybug did not reciprocate his feelings, nor was it likely she ever would. His attempts to woo her continued to fail. And the more time he spent with Marinette, the more he questioned his lovelorn feelings for his partner.

It probably didn't help that one reckless night Chat Noir and Marinette had shared a kiss in the most unorthodox way. Both were depressed by the fact that they had never been kissed, at least properly. Somehow, they'd come to the agreement to kiss each other. From there the boundary of their friendship was stretched and Chat Noir began to wonder if something more could blossom from this development.

After many nights of tossing and turning, the blonde debated the wisdom of going any further. Marinette no longer wanted Adrien, and at the end of the day, Chat Noir was Adrien. But they were both lonely, got on well and seemed to be attracted to each other. He'd done his dash as Adrien. Marinette no longer saw the model as boyfriend material, but what about Chat Noir? Being a creature of impulse, he decided to act. From the moment Adrien was free of his chores and duties, he transformed into his alter ego and traversed across the rooftops.

Luck was on his side as he spotted Marinette on her balcony, watering her plants. With an eloquent leap, Chat Noir landed gracefully on her railing before dropping down beside her. The girl gasped at his unexpected arrival and watered his boots by accident.

"Do you want me to get taller?" Chat Noir chuckled.

"Hardly, you tower over me enough at it is." Marinette adjusted her stance and resumed her watering. He didn't miss her eyeroll either.

Nervousness made Chat Noir want to pace. Instead he dropped to sit in her foldout chair and watched as she finished attending her plants.

Marinette was miffed by Chat Noir's sudden appearance during the day. This was an out of the ordinary drop in and the question escaped her mouth before she could stop it. "So, to what do I owe the visit?"

"I needed to ask you something."

"Oh?"

That blonde head turned from side-to-side, as if spying for trouble, and then Chat Noir crooked his finger for her to come closer. He was acting strange but Marinette complied with his wish and shuffled into his space. She couldn't deny the pull she felt when in such close proximity to him. There was some emotion within his feline eyes that called to her. But they were just friends, even if they had participated in one heck of a make out session, which neither had discussed since.

As if he were reading her mind, Chat Noir wet his lips with his tongue and her eyes were drawn to the movement. Marinette's attention was so thoroughly glued to his mouth that she missed his hand reaching out to her. He caught her own palm and placed her fingers against his cheek, holding them in place with his gloved digits.

"Do you think we could be more than friends?"

The questions astounded Marinette and her heart began to gallop. "I-I'm not sure."

In a quick movement, he grabbed her hips and sat her sideways on his lap. Strong hands cradled her face as he looked into her eyes with an intensity that made her stomach flip. "Maybe I can convince you." She opened her mouth to answer but Chat Noir was zeroing in on her lips and words escaped her. As his hot breath touched her skin she found herself leaning into him, eager for his kiss.

A jolt of excitement raced through her as their mouths met. Her arms immediately snaked around his shoulders and tightened as Chat Noir nipped at her bottom lip. Soon his hands were roaming down her back, though one returned to cup her nape, holding her in place as he became more ardent in his ministrations. She eagerly kissed him back, threading her fingers into his hair with one hand while the other cradled his jaw.

Marinette whimpered as his mouth left hers but she reclosed her eyes as she felt him nibbling his way along her jaw and up to her ear. "Have I convinced you yet?" He whispered, his breath making her shudder with pleasure.

"I'm on the fence." She murmured against the hair concealing his real ears.

Chat Noir made a noise that sounded like an, "Mm." Then he was kissing a path down her neck and her eyes widened as she felt him tug at the collar of her shirt, exposing her collarbone. The warmth of his tongue sent tingles through her as he licked his way from the far edge of her clavicle, up her throat and then he attacked her mouth with a fervour that curled her toes. "How about now?" He uttered with the brush of his lips against hers.

"Yes," she gasped.

"Yes, what?" he urged as he trailed the pad of his finger down the side of her neck.

"Yes, I want you." She panted as she pressed her lips to his, "As more than a friend."

"Excellent, because I want you too."

Did I mention this is a short story? It's only three chapters long, so stick around. I'll post a new one each week.

Thanks for reading and supporting. The review box loves attentions, please give it some ;)