Marinette was used to coming home at night to find Chat already there so when she climbed up the stairs to her room and found it empty she was a little shocked. She went to her window and found it shut.

"Maman!" she called for her mother. When her mother poked her head around the stairs Marinette asked, "Did you close my window?"

"Yes, it was going to rain so I was afraid the spray would come in."

"Okay."

"Is there a problem?" her mother asked.

"No, it's okay."

Going back to her room, she opened her window again and the heavy after-rain air wafted in. She leaned out of the open window and rested her arms on the sill as she watched the people under their umbrellas of dizzying colours hurry by. Sighing, she decided to take a shower.

That night, as she lay on her bed wondering where could he be. He hasn't come in yet and she wondered as to why that is. She lay on her bed in the dark, staring at the ceiling as she tapped her fingers to the beat of her alarm clock. How many beats has passed?

Marinette didn't know when she fell asleep but now she was startled awake to a figure at the end of her bed. Before she could sit up and scream, a hand came over her mouth and she struggled against it as another hand moved to restrain her.

"Princess, princess! It's me!"

"Chat!" she screamed from under his hand. She fixed him a glare that she wondered if he could see.

"Are you going to scream again?"

She grunted noncommittally under his hand and he took it off her mouth slowly.

"Did I hurt you?" he asked fearfully, running a hand over the arm that he grabbed.

She pushed his arm away in annoyance. "Where have you been?" she tried to ask with some anger but instead a sliver of fear crept into her voice. She was really worried for him.

"I had to think some things through." She saw his dim silhouette shift and rub his arms uncertainly.

"The entire day?" Marinette asked, unconvinced.

"It was a big decision."

"You know what, this is ridiculous; I can't see anything!" She reached over to switch on her bedside lamp.

"No!" He quickly lunged forward and flicked the light off again.

"Chat, you're being unreasonable!" Checking her anger, she tried again in a gentler tone. "Is there anything wrong?"

"This is just easier in the dark," he tried to explain. "If I see your face I really don't know what I'd do."

"Should I be afraid?" she asked, alarmed.

"No!" His voice spiked in alarm as well. "I mean, I hope not."

"Chat, you're not making any sense."

"I know." He groaned and threw up his hands. "Maybe it's better if I just show you." He padded closer to her and stopped next to her. In the gloom, she could barely make out his head; she only saw the tips of his ears and his green eyes, glowing in the dark.

Marinette nodded. "Probabl-"

Her agreement was cut short when he placed a hand around her head and he kissed her. Hard.

Marinette let out a small gasp as teeth and nose bumped into each other. Then his hand lowered to cup her neck and it changed. Her surroundings melted away and she was only tethered by sensations. Like the way his lips were warm and firm as they slid over hers and how his teeth captured her bottom lip firmly as he nibbled on it gently.

It was instinctive when she turned her body to him and lay a hand on his chest to steady herself. Desire rose up from her solar plexus unbidden as she opened her mouth and explored his mouth with her tongue, which elicited a small moan.

As he kissed her back, her surroundings slammed back to her with a vengeance and she had to push him away.

They stared at each other in the dark, both panting at what they had just done.

"Chat?" His name whooshed out of her mouth in a rush.

"I'm sorry! I just has to do it!" Chat had his hands up and he sounded completely apologetic.

"'Had to'? Was someone pointing a gun to your head?" was the first thing that came out of her mouth.

"I'm sorry-"

"Stop apologising," she cut him off. "Why did you do that, Chat?"

"I'm sor- I mean," he cleared his throat uncertainly. "That's why I had to go away for a while. I just had to think things through." She could hear the rasping sound of his suit rubbing against each other and she wondered if he was rubbing his arms again. "The truth is, Princess, I really like you."

Marinette blinked a few times, dumbfounded. This wasn't what she was expecting. "What?"

"It's kind of more than that. I-" She heard him take a huge intake of breath. "I love you, Marinette. And I was wondering if you would like me too."

"L-love you?" For a terrifying moment, she felt her brain stall. No words. No thoughts. And she felt herself willing more words into her brain. "But I love another boy," tumbled out before she could apply that little filter you're supposed to have between your brain and your mouth.

Everything was silent in her room. There were two people in the room and it was deadly silent. None of them seemed to breathe nor make any humanly noises that indicated their presence.

"What?"

Marinette hated the tone of his voice; the sound of loss. "I love someone else," she stammered.

The was another stretch of prickling silence. "Who?"

"A boy in my class."

"No." The word was whispered, breathed through stiff lips. Under normal circumstances she wouldn't have heard it. But in the dark as they were, in complete silence as it was, she heard it like it was a scream.

"Yes." She didn't know how to soften the blow for him other than to lean forward and take his hand.

"No!" Quick as a flash, he pulled away his hand. If a whisper sounded like a scream, this sounded like a hurricane.

"Chat, I'm so sorry-"

"No!" She saw him jump off her bed and she scrambled to get to him before he reached the window.

"Chat! If I had more time-"

He was at the window now, his silhouette highlighted by the weak moonlight and the orange streetlight as he turned to look at her. His eyes still glowed and she could see the hurt in them.

"Chat, please." Now that he was looking at her this way, she had no idea what to say. "I'm sorry," she said instead, pouring her regret into those two words.

He tried to smile. To his credit, he really tried. "I-" he cleared his throat when his voice broke. "No, I'm really sorry I did that to you. Without warning. It was unwarranted. I'm sorry I put you through that. But I really have to go now."

He climbed out the window and scaled down the wall to the streets below. When he reached the bottom, he looked up at her. Underneath the full glare of the streetlight, she could see how plainly he was hurting and she hoped he could see the same.

"Don't worry about me!" he called out, lifting a hand in salute. "I'll be fine."

Liar.

A/N: Part of Marichat May: Day 2; In Denial. I can't guarantee I'll hit all the days but I'll certainly try!