Our Tale As Old As Time

Chapter 9

         Chat Noir took a deep breath as he tugged on the lining of his blazer. He decided to dress nicer for the occasion and put on the beast's tux over his super suit. The only difference between this tuxedo and the one in the film was the color and fit. It was black and green with the inner lining as a deep shade of purple. A white button-up was underneath the coat and a ruffled yellow scarf on his neck was in place of his bell. He felt rather dashing, but that wasn't a new feeling for him. Not sure what to expect when he saw Marinette, Chat prepared to have his breath snatched away. He was right to do so, because when he laid eyes on Marinette, his breath was indeed snatched away. It was the same iconic dress from the film design wise, and like his suit, in a different color. It was red with black accents. A dress that was unmistakably inspired by Ladybug. Never before, had Adrien seen Marinette look so beautiful. He had always seen her as pretty, but never to the point where she took his breath away. She was gorgeous. Her hair was pulled up into a half bun and the rest hung loose over ///her shoulders. He almost had to look away from how ravishing she was. Pulling himself together he descended the stairs toward her.

"What do you think?" She asked fanning out the skirt. Chat swallowed nervously.

"Absolutely gorgeous Princess." He finally said, hoping she wouldn't pick up on how irresistible he found her. Politely offering her his arm with a bow, Chat Noir wasn't sure if he would make it through tonight. Marinette slipped her fingers around his bicep as they made their way down the stairs in unison steps toward the dinning hall. As Mrs. Pots hit the first few notes of "Tale as old as time" Chat found himself relaxing a little and adjusting to the new romantic mood. Though, it was a bit awkward to be going through it with Marinette and not Ladybug as he had always imagined. Dinner was surprisingly good, though he still would rather have had a meal from Marinette's bakery. Why was he thinking so much about Marinette lately? It made sense though, he had spent quite a bit of time with her lately. They were both trapped in this fairytale together after all. His heart began to race as he heard the violin grow near. Marinette was about to get up and take to him to the ballroom for a dance, wasn't she? To his surprise, Marinette didn't wait for the violin to get close. Was she really that eager to dance with him!? Instead she jumped up from her seat with the most beautiful smile, a smile that was so beautiful he didn't notice when she took his hands and pulled him to his feet. Arm in arm they strolled to the ballroom, their eyes on each other the whole way. This scene was the most beautiful and famous in Beauty and the Beast, and he could tell that Marinette was excited to experience it. He didn't want to screw it up for her! Chat liked to think of himself as a decent dancer, but ballroom dances, he wasn't so sure how well this one would go. The doors opened with ease as they stepped out onto the floor. Again, the girl took him by surprise as she initiated contact by turning him toward her. His breath caught in this throat as she pulled his arm around her to lay his hand on her waist, before taking his other within her grasp. Feeling her left hand slide up his arm to rest on his shoulder, he knew his fate was sealed for the next few minutes. Without the courage to take the first steps, it was left to Marinette to get them started. After the first few steps, Chat Noir began to relax. This was nice, dancing with Marinette below the candle lights. The ladybug dress fanning out as she spun around the room in his arms. With his confidence revived, Chat took the lead, joyfully guiding her steps as they danced. Suddenly, he felt Marinette move closer to him, opting to rest her head on his chest. Chat couldn't help the smile that spread across his face, she was comfortable with him? Ha! She was comfortable with him! Did this mean she liked him? No, he refused to give himself a false sense of hope. Wait did that mean he was hoping she'd fall in love with him!? Whatever the case, he was happy anyway. As the lights began to dim, Chat heard the song slow. Finishing off the movement, he pulled Marinette toward him. The expression she wore undoubtably a sign that she had enjoyed herself just as much as he had. Together they made their way out of the ballroom out onto the balcony. The breeze was warm, and the stars shone brighter than Chat could have ever remembered them before. The sight was beautiful for sure, but it wasn't as beautiful as when he snuck a glance at Marinette. She made the scene stunning and suddenly her presence made it impossible to imagine it without her there. Chat Noir tried to hide his blush by shifting his eyes away. That's when Chat realized that Marinette was holding his hand. Her fingers soft against his glove even with the tender squeeze she gave as their fingers interlaced. Perhaps she was falling in love with him. Chat Noir let out his own satisfied puff of air.