Kitty Cat ~ Chat Noir

Chapter Six

Y/N woke up just as Chat had sneaked them both inside her room.
"Chat? What have I done?" She asked softly as Chat set her on her bed.
The last thing she remembered was trying to fight HawkMoth, after that, everything was dark in her mind.
"You were akumatized," Chat said softly as he fought the urge to hug Y/N, "but Ladybug and I figured everything out."
Y/N started crying into her hands, lamenting how she'd hurt everyone she loved and how she had screwed up.
Chat's heart broke into millions and trillions of little pieces at the sight in front of him. He hugged Y/N closely.
"It wasn't your fault," he said earnestly, "you fought back as hard as you could."
Y/N hugged Chat closer to her as she cried.
Chat didn't know what else to do, so he just held the girl in his arms, until she was ready to let go.
"Everyone hates me, don't they?"
Chat frowned as his heart broke even more.
"How could someone hate you?" He said softly as he held her at arm's length, "You're amazing! You're caring, you're loving, and you have such an infectious smile! No one could hate you, even if they tried."
He hated the fact that she thought anyone could hate her, he hated the fact that he couldn't hold her heart in his hands and protect it from getting crushed by the vile people in this world. He especially hated that he couldn't protect her 24/7.
He remembered the charm Ladybug had told him to give Y/N.
"Look, Ladybug told me to give you this. She would have done it herself if she could, but her miraculous was running out of power and she'd detransform halfway here." He held out the charm to Y/N, who took it and twirled it in her fingers, "It'll help keep you safe and out of Akuma's way."
"Thanks Chat." She sniffed sadly, "Would you like something to eat? The box on my desk is filled with croissants, and I know they're your favorite."
Chat smiled at her, "You remembered that?"
Y/N let out a choked-up laugh, "Of course I do. Help yourself."
Chat came back with two croissants and held one out for Y/N. She took it without a word and nibbled on it.

"You're an amazing girl, you do know that, right?"
Y/N paused, looking at Chat, "Sometimes I don't think I'm that great," she began softly as she put down her croissant, "especially when I fight with Chloé, there aren't many people that get to me the way she does. It seems like she always knows what to say to hurt me."
Chat sighed.
He'd have a chat with Chloé, maybe even two.
"You can't let her get to you. None of what she said is true."
Y/N sighed as she stood slowly from the bed. Chat reached out for her, she seemed dizzy and he was terrified that she'd hurt herself.
"Sometimes I wonder if it isn't. And after today..." She looked out her window sadly, "And after today I'm beginning to think she's right."
Chat stood up, and turned Y/N around, hugging her tightly. "As much as it might mean, I believe she's wrong. You're one of the most amazing people I have ever met, and I'm proud to call myself your friend."
"You don't need to flatter me, you can just have another croissant," Y/N said in a teasing tone as she hugged him back.
Chat smiled, "You wound my fragile heart, darling," He noticed Y/N chuckling to herself and smiled as he held her tighter. She'd be fine, he'd make sure of it. "But seriously Y/N, I mean it. You're amazing, and anyone who doesn't see it is plain stupid."

(...)

The next few weeks passed by in a blur.
Y/N's friends rarely left her alone, and they made sure she knew how much they appreciate her.
And if by daytime she was surrounded by friends and family, at night, she'd get visited by Chat.
She was beginning to see Chat in another light, no longer just the funny friend who could cheer her up, but a confidant, a best friend.
A lover.
She'd developed feelings for him, and she felt awful hiding something so big from him, but he already had a lot on his plate, and although he had never said it out loud, she was pretty sure he was in love with Ladybug.

Today, Y/N was having lunch with Adrien. They wouldn't be having classes in the afternoon, and they had reserved the afternoon for working on an assignment for their Chemistry class, and if they had time, going for a swim.
They were alone at the Dupain-Cheng residence. Y/N's parents were pretty busy at the bakery, Marinette was off to meet with Luka, and the two friends were in the kitchen, having some dumplings which Y/N's mother, Sabine, had cooked for them.
"Say, Y/N," Adrien began as he sipped his juice, "you've got this look on your face, and you keep daydreaming about something. What's that all about?"
Y/N looked at Adrien with a smile, blushing brightly, Adrien rose an eyebrow at that, "I think I'm in love?"
Adrien spat out his juice, and Y/N, laughed as she went to get some paper towels and rags to clean up the mess her friend had made, "Jesus, how dramatic."
Adrien coughed lightly as he helped her clean, "Do I know who it is?"
Y/N sighed, "I think so," Y/N bit her lip and Adrien knew immediately there was something more to it, "but I think he's in love with someone else."
"How can you be so sure?" Adrien asked as he felt his heart hurt. She was in love with someone else.
Someone who wasn't him.

Y/N sighed, "If I tell you who it is, you have to promise not to make a fuss about it. And this stays just between us! Not even Mari can know!"
Adrien nodded, "I promise!"
Y/N sighed, "You remember when I was akumatized and Chat Noir brought me back home?"
"Yeah, you told me about it," Adrien said as he looked at her with narrowed eyes. What else had happened that night? Had she gone out to a club to try and forget being akumatized and met someone? Impossible! The two of them had stayed up until 3 in the morning talking!
"Chat's been coming to visit every night since then." She admitted and Adrien did his best to look surprised. "I think I'm in love with him."
Adrien stopped what he was doing, the rag suspended by his hand somewhere above the table.
Y/N was in love with him?! Well, with Chat Noir, but they were the same person, weren't they?
"Why do you think he's in love with someone else?"
Y/N looked at him as if he'd grown another head, "Adrien," she said as I he was stupid, which to be fair apparently seemed like the truth, "have you not seen him with Ladybug?"
Adrien sighed. Ladybug.
Truth was, all his thoughts had been reserved for Y/N lately, no one else. He hadn't spared Ladybug a single thought in weeks.
"How are you so sure they're in love?" Adrien asked and Y/N sighed.
"Adrien, have you been living under a rock?!" She asked with a small laugh, "He flirts with her daily!"
"Does he though?" Adrien asked, knowing fairly well it had been weeks since he last flirted with Ladybug. He treated her just like he treated all his friends now, "Have you seen them flirt lately?"
Y/N paused. She hadn't, and Alya had even written in the LadyBlog about how the two had stopped flirting.
"I haven't." She admitted and Adrien smiled. He had a shot with the girl of his dreams! Y/N liked him back!
"Well, then that says it all, doesn't it?"
Y/N sighed.
"There's still no hope for me, he doesn't like me that way," Y/N began and Adrien frowned, "Who would, really?"
Adrien finally put down the rag, reaching to take Y/N into his arms.
"Any guy would be lucky to land an awesome girl like you, and if Chat really can't see that, it's his loss."
It took a lot of restraint from Adrien to not spill his guts right then and there.
But he knew he had to wait until that night.
"Thanks, Adrien, you're a great friend."