Chapter Text
Chat Noir liked this place. A deserted roof balcony he had found in winter. It had a lounge chair so comfortable to lie in, surrounded with sleeping flowers. If he rose up, he could see the streets below, and even his own school. But he didn't want to do it. He just kept coming to linger here, bask in the sunshine during daytime and nap in the dark. Fresh air was doing wonders to him.
This was nice. Peaceful.
Until one day it all changed.
That day was too warm, unlike winter time, unlike earlier spring days. Well, that was quite expectable for the month of May. But he was having a bad premonition since the morning. When he managed to get free from school and transformed to get to his favorite place and shake off the feeling, he was finally met with the problem.
The problem was having a shape of his classmate, who was tidying up his roof, taking away dead leaves and cutting the benches of his plants.
“What do you think you are doing?” The superhero demanded, landing on the balcony and glaring at her.
The girl froze, looking up at him and not at all baffled by his demeanor. She shifted into a sitting position, facing him and frowning in displeasure.
“First of all, hello,” she stated, slightly irritated. “I'm Marinette, and, as I can see, you're Chat Noir. Nice to meet you.”
The boy raised his brow, keeping silent. The girl huffed.
“I'm cleaning up my roof, obviously. The real question is, what are you doing here?”
Chat's eyes shot wide open. No no no! That was wrong! How could that have come to this?
“This is my roof,” he muttered through gritted teeth.
The girl rose up, cocking her hip to the side, and the blond couldn't help but notice how small she was. But that didn't make her any less intimidating.
“Oh, but you see,” she drawled, inspecting her nails. “My room has happened to be just below this balcony, and this building is my parent's bakery, so, I'm afraid, this roof is mine and not at all yours.”
Chat frowned, averting his eyes. She surely had a point here. The girl sighed, looking at him.
“Well, I don't mind you visiting this place as long as you behave properly. I've heard you come and go throughout the winter, and it didn't hurt anyone. So… how about we share?”
The boy blinked at her. This wasn't ideal. But it might work. How often would she come up here, anyway?
------
As it turned out, quite often. Chat stood on top of school, watching the girl with crossed arms. The girl, who was lying in his lounge chair on his rooftop balcony, sketching something. Chat growled lowly, glaring at her.
That seemed to attract Marinette's attention. She raised her head, smiled brightly and waved her hand, motioning him to come close.
The blond scowled in distaste, but decided to comply, lunging forward and landing gracefully on the railings.
“Hey,” she bid, “I'm meeting up with my best friend in half an hour. So you can use the balcony as you wish until eight… even nine o'clock.”
Chat blinked at her in confusion. Is that what they called “share”? He didn't like it. He didn't want limited time to do what he liked. He needed to stay here when he wanted. Now, how to do this?
Marinette was staring at him expectantly. Did he need to say something? “Err… thank you?” he croaked.
The girl beamed at him. “You're welcome, Chat!” she checked the time. “Oh, I'm afraid I need to get going now unless I want to be late. It was nice to meet you.” And she fled to the room, leaving him on the roof.
“But what if I… want to stay until ten o'clock?” he wondered aloud.
On the second thought, he might have an idea.
------
Marinette was feeling weird.
That had been one thing to fight akumas with her superhero partner, who was emanating pure admiration and tenderness to the point where he started getting annoying.
It had been another thing to see him on her balcony for almost the whole winter, being extra careful talking to Tikki in her room. Always extra aware of his enhanced hearing.
It was something entirely new talking to him as Marinette. Maybe, that was the main reason she had been postponing clearing up her balcony till May.
But now it was already getting ridiculous. She should have probably just shoo him away yesterday, when he started getting territorial.
But she was weak. And he was her partner, who she cared about. And she just had to suggest sharing the roof. She had no idea how they would do that.
At nine thirty, with a heavy heart, Marinette lifted her hatch. She had been reluctant to come up to her balcony, considering Chat's latest demeanor. But like hell would she back up, leaving the place in the blond’s undivided possession. She was territorial too, okay?
Chat was still settled in her lounge. But that was not what caught her attention. There, near to her own lounge chair, stood another one. New and nice. God knows, how he had managed to fit them both in.
The boy cracked one eye open, glancing up at her.
“Here,” he bid. “Now we can share.”
With a sigh, Marinette settled in the new chair and opened her sketch book.
That might work.