"Chatoyant- Like a cat's eye". For MariChat May. Better late than never?

I guess.

Enjoy.

"Princess!"

Chat beams as he lands lightly on the bannister surrounding Marinette Dupain-Cheng's balcony. The princess in question simply raises an eyebrow, matching his expression with a soft smile of her own. She reclines into the lawn chair she's had on her balcony for ages, resting her elbow on her small, wooden, patio table beside a steaming plate of chocolate chip cookies. Chat's gaze lights up as it locks ravenously on the cookies.

Marinette's giggle jerks his attention back to her. "Is the kitty hungry?"

Chat strands straight before stepping off the railing, practically prancing over to Marinette's side. "Princess, mew, without a doubt, are my favorite civilian."

Marinette raises an eyebrow as Chat fakes a yawn and stretches, settling his arm around her shoulders to slyly snatch up a cookie.

"Nope."

Chat hisses in surprise when Marinette smacks his hand, forcing him to drop the cookie back to the plate. The bested hero pulls away, turning a wounded, betrayed look to the giggling girl. Marinette smugly bites into a cookie, setting it down immediately on a napkin to cross her arms and playfully turn up her nose. Chat pouts.

"Mari, whyyyy?" He's not ashamed to admit that he whines. He will whine his way into Dupain-Cheng cookies any day. Marinette only glares playfully at him over the bridge of her nose.

"I'm your 'favorite' civilian, Chat?" Her lips twitch. "I thought I was your one and only civilian."

She allows her gaze to soften into heartbrokenness, and even if Chat knows it's fake, he only wants to scoop her up into his arms and sooth the expression away. Then she places the back of her hand dramatically against her head, reclining in the chair, and the feeling fades. "I thought I was the only civilian in your life, Chat Noir!"

"Which would pawtomatically make you my favorite!" Chat chuckles, reaching for a cookie once more. He beams when Marinette simply laughs and sits up, allowing him to scoop it up in his claws. Chat nudges her leg with his knee, biting into heaven in cookie form. "Mnow scoot ovmer, mmrincess, 'nd sh're your throme."

"Noooo." Marinette groans, holding fast to her seat. "You're not my prince, so you get to stand! And don't talk with your mouth full!"

"Ah, mmyes." Chat swallows. "The infamous Prince Charming."

Chat bites once more into his cookie, clutching it between his lips as he bends down to pull a halfheartedly protesting Marinette from her seat, plops his own butt in the vacated spot, and settles the girl in his lap. Wrapping an arm around her waist to help balance her, he pulls the cookie from his mouth with his free hand. "How are your endeavors with him going, by the way?"

"Same as usual." Marinette flies into a series of over-exaggerated, awkward faces as she snatches up her own cookie. "Oh, agh, ack is the basis of our conversation. Not that he doesn't try, I'm just… bleh."

She bites savagely into her cookie, accidentally leaving a smear of chocolate on her face. Chat's gaze zeroes on the spot. He twitches, but frowns at Marinette's distress. "Come on, Purrincess, you're so sassy and snarky and… some other word beginning with s for alliteration purposes… Sarcastic!" Chat grins, staring off to avoid seeing that stupid chocolate smear. "Sassy, snarky, and sarcastic. Surely you can work up the courage to speak to your prince? The Princess deserves to have her happily ever after."

Marinette sighs, leaning back against Chat's shoulder (and bringing that chocolate smudge dirtying his Princess's face closer to him. Chat tenses). "I really wish I could, Chat, what if he figures it out?"

He's hardly listening, though not for lack of trying. It's just… that smudge. Marinette's face is dirty and needs to be clean. His Princess is under his protection and anything under his protection the way she is must be clean. He clears his throat. "Well, Mari, anyone would be a fool not to return your affections."

"Marinette fiddles with her cookie before turning her wide blue eyes on him, tilting her head up to look at him- and giving him that much a better view of that stupid smudge. "Do… Do you really think so, Chat?"

It moves along with the cheek as she speaks, smearing as it brushes against more skin.

It has to go.

In an instant, he drops his cookie so his hand can flash up to gently cradle her cheek, steadying her head. The girl freezes under his touch. "Chat?:

"Sorry, Princess," he breathes, eyes locked onto the chocolate. "But let me just… you got a… I can't- It's gotta go."

"What's gotta gooaaaaagh!" Marinette shrieks, jerking away from Chat as he drags his tongue over the stupid stupid stupid smudge. Chat growls, tightening his grip on Marinette's waist as she struggles to get away. Marinette manages to scramble away, dragging her hand down her cheek to wipe away the trail of saliva. "Did you just lick me?!"

Chat whines, reaching out for her. "I'm sorry, I'm sorry, it was just- I just- it was there, Marinette, I had to clea-"

He freezes.

Sure, the giant splotch is gone, but in its place is a faint chocolate streak against her skin. He growls. Marinette takes a step back at the look on the hero's face.

"Chat…"

He grins, playfulness leaking into his expression. Marinette's gaze narrows. She takes another step back. Chat's muscles coil as he prepares to pounce. "Pawse for a minute, Princess."

"Chat. Don't you dare."

He lunges.

"Chat, no!" Marinette shrieks as Chat snags the fleeing girl by her waist, pinning her to the banister so he can drag his tongue over her face. She splutters. "I thought only mother cats did this! To her kittens!"

"I thought so too," he mutters, more focused on cleaning his Princess. Marinette squirms a moment longer before sighing and relaxing as best she can.

"This is what I get for letting a cat hero in a leather suit befriend me."

"Yep. Now hold still, I found another spot."