Pining

[mistkitt]

 Originally Posted: 06/18/17

ChloNath Week Day 7: (Chloebug and Chat Nath) AU. Thanks for joining in on the fun, everyone! :D

~*~

A tap on Chloe’s balcony door made her look up from her Twitter feed. As far as she could see, no one was there, but it wasn’t the first time she’d received that phantom knock. “Wait here, Tikki,” she said to her kwami, who gave her a disapproving stare but otherwise remained silent. She got up and walked over to the door.

Chat Noir had parked himself on her favorite lounge, pretending to sunbathe in broad moonlight. He’d even put on the pair of sunglasses she’d left on the table earlier that afternoon. She joined him outside in her slippers and bathrobe.

“What are you doing?” she asked.

“Tanning,” Chat Noir replied. “Can you tell me when five minutes have passed? I need to flip myself over.”

She pulled her sunglasses off his face. “What do you want, Puss in Boots?”

He sat up and flashed her a toothy grin. The moonlight caught in his red hair and made his sea green eyes glitter. “Just wanted to check on you, purrincess. You got hurt in today’s akuma attack, didn’t you?”

Chloe sat next to him. “I’m fine. Ladybug’s undo thingy fixed me up.” Though it had been a major pain trying to subdue an akuma with a sprained ankle. She hadn’t felt the sprain, but the longer she ran on it, the harder it became to move. And as if that wasn’t annoying enough, she’d had to make sure Chat Noir didn’t notice anything was wrong with her.

Chat Noir took her hand in his. She stared at his ring, the glowing green paw with all five pads present. “I was worried about you,” he said.

Chloe’s face warmed. “You shouldn’t say things like that. A civilian like me might get the wrong idea.”

He tilted her chin up. “What if you have the right idea?”

She had half a mind to kiss him right then and there, but she could imagine the lecture Tikki would give her for complicating their already complicated relationship. She sighed, put her hand on Chat Noir’s chest, and gently pushed him back. “I appreciate your concern, Chat Noir. Contrary to what you might think, there aren’t many people who’d bother to worry about me.”

“Ah, Chloe,” he said with a sad smile, “that’s exactly why I came.” 

The urge to kiss him multiplied tenfold, but he sprang to his feet and vaulted up onto the roof before she got the chance. “You know, you should show your softer side more often,” he said.

“Why? So people can take advantage of me?”

He saluted her. “You’re too smart for that!” 

Chloe laughed and waved as he dropped down out of sight, no doubt headed towards the next stop on his patrol route. She could have joined him, just to spend that little bit of extra time with him, even if he wouldn’t know it was her. 

But the last thing she needed was to fall deeper for her partner than she already had.