The Dating Contract

Andre's Ice Cream

It had been about a month since Marinette and Chat Noir signed their dating contract. What started off as a joke was slowly turning into something deeper. Chat Noir could feel his love for Ladybug turn from romantic to platonic. Of course, he still loved her but more as a friend and he respected her as a partner.

Ladybug on the other hand began to be more friendly with Chat Noir. Opening up to him and hugging him every time she saw him. Chat Noir thought to himself that their relationship as friends was getting stronger. Meanwhile, for him, it was beginning to get harder to be around Marinette as Adrien. He wanted to hug her at school and eat lunch with her, follow her around like a puppy but since they had agreed to not seek each other in civilian form he had no other choice but to respect that boundary.

Unexpectedly, he didn't know their bond was about to grow stronger today when he woke up in a cold sweat from a nightmare and the only thing he could think of was to call Marinette. He didn't waste time searching for the black phone which he kept under his pillow.

He heard the phone ring once and she picked up, too quickly for him to regret his decision.

"Hey Kitty" She answered, her sleepy voice making his heart skip a beat

"S-sorry.. uh I think I rolled over in my sleep and pressed my phone by accident and called you. I didn't mean to wake you, goodnight-"

"Wait! I wasn't sleeping, I was up working on a project for school. Talk to me, what is it?" Marinette encouraged him

Adrien turned to the clock on his nightstand and read the number 3:47 AM

"Um well, sorry it's stupid. I just had a nightmare..."

"Mmh" Marinette's soothing voice coaxed him to continue

"Um, not to give too much away but... I lost my mom... um, a while back and in my dream, I was chasing her. She was laughing and I couldn't catch up and as I kept running I fell down a deep dark tunnel and landed in a cage. And the cage just kept getting smaller and smaller and- well, I woke up." He closed his eyes, ready for her to tease him or laugh.

"Thank you for allowing yourself to open up Chat. I know that wasn't easy, especially since you carry such a big secret with you. It's often hard to deal with your darkest emotions when it feels like there's no one around to listen..." She paused to hear him breathing through the phone and continued.

"Although I don't know you very well, I think it's safe to say that your mom loved you just as much as you loved her. And whether she's here or not doesn't change that fact. Maybe the nightmare was a reassurance that at the end of the dark and scary tunnel we call life, she'll be waiting for you at the end of all of it. So stay brave, whatever cage you find yourself locked into I promise you I will always be there to set you free." She smiled as she thought of him, knowing that as Ladybug she would always be there to protect him.

Adrien didn't say anything. The lump in his throat and the hot tears running down his cold face made him feel almost paralyzed.

"Chat Noir? Did you fall asleep? Silly Kitty." She laughed softly and shook her head

"Goodnight my prince." She whispered before hanging up.

Adrien stared down at his hands as he let the tears fall onto his open palms.

" Would Marinette have said that to me if she knew I was actually Adrien?" He whispered out loud to himself

"Is she still in love with Adrien anyway? Please don't be in love with Adrien. Be in love with Chat Noir..." He muttered as his eyes began to slowly shut