Stray ~ A MariChat Love Story (Complete)

Chapter 18: A Terrible Mistake

The air around the Eiffel Tower was bitter cold that night, seeping in through the pores in Ladybug's suit. But she didn't care. Not after today.

According the Tikki she'd passed out against Chat Noir's chest in a fit of tears and he'd left a long while later. She closed her eyes and envisioned the way he held her. She didn't understand why it affected her so, but just the thought of him holding her sent alarming tingles through her body.

She'd never felt so embarrassed. First, she'd been humiliated in front of the school when she was rejected and then in front of her own partner when he had to console her. She couldn't help but wonder what he'd been thinking.

Or what he'd do if he knew the same weak girl was the one beneath the mask.

The pain was still fresh, the wound too deep. She hadn't wanted to move, but Tikki assured her the fresh air would do some good. Ladybug was the hero of Paris. She couldn't afford to be weak, especially if her people needed her.

The mask kept her identity secret and, along with it, all the baggage of her normal life. It was easier to stop crying as Ladybug –to find strength –and Marinette was sure it had something to do with Tikki's presence being a part of her in this form.

Ladybug inhaled deeply and looked over the blinding lights of the Parisian buildings. Noise from the streets buzzed and voices from cheerful people echoed all around. The city of lights, the city of love –it never slept.

She unhooked her yo-yo from her waist and readied herself to take off when someone landed behind her. She smiled bitterly, "I was wondering when you'd show." She turned around to face him, but unlike all the other times Chat wasn't smiling.

His ears were flat, his tail was limp and his entire demeanour seemed filled with fatigue. He didn't even look at her. "I did something awful." he muttered, staring down at his silver-tipped boots. He ran a clawed had through his unruly blonde hair and slumped down against one of the beams.

Ladybug frowned at him. "Chat, if this is about your civilian life then –,"

"I know what we agreed on." he snapped. Ladybug stared wide-eyed at him and he gritted his teeth. Fisting his hair in his hand, he sighed, "I'm sorry, Ladybug. I just make a terrible mistake and I could really use a friend right now."

Ladybug would've denied him. She herself was hurting inside, but when she saw his eyes illuminating in the light she couldn't find the strength to turn away. They were so dull and pained. Her heart ached for him and she seated herself in front of him.

"What happened now, Kitty?"

Chat flinched at the nickname and turned his head away from her. "I thought I was helping her. I thought I was doing the right thing. This girl –," his jaw clenched and his hands fisted in his lap, "And I had to break her heart."

Ladybug's heart fluttered anxiously in her chest. "What are you taking about? You're not making much sense."

Chat buried his face in his hands and groaned. "I told a friend of mine to confess to the boy she likes. He rejected her and now she's miserable. I pressured her, I –," he pulled his hands away and tilted his head back against the beam. "I should've just left it alone. And now she's down there crying because of my big fat mouth."

She didn't know what to say. She wanted to comfort him –to reassure him, but she wasn't supposed to know about his visits to her alter ego. She had to use her head, not her heart. "Does she know who you really are? Behind the mask?"

He shook his head, "No...she doesn't know who I really am."

Ladybug reached out for his hand and squeezed it reassuringly. "Chat, this isn't your fault. You encouraged your friend to take a risk. That's a good thing."