Worth The Wait - Chat Noir x Fem!Reader

CHAPTER THIRTY FIVE - Time Will Tell

Mon ange.

Word count: 1330

The sun burst through the clouds in a brilliant show of warmth, washing away the darkness. The red sky mingled with the blue to create a range of colors as day bled into the early evening. The light speared through the heavens to cleanse the hell below, banishing the smoking rubble with the help of a lucky charm.

My head pounded with a dull pain, the residual whispers of a headache slowly dissipating as the seconds passed. I tasted blood in my mouth. The sound of my groan was raspy as if my voice hadn't been used in a long time. Under the latex material of my suit, a myriad of cuts and bruises were sure to litter my sore skin.

I opened my eyes tentatively and blinked away the fog in my mind, a blurry silhouette becoming clearer to me. Clawed hands tapping against my thigh. The cool metal of a bell pressing into my side. Warm breath against my cheek faintly smelling of strawberries and mint.

Chat smiled at me as he held me across his lap.

"Adrien? But—" I croaked, clearing my throat before I spoke again. "What happened?"

Chat shook his head to silence me, speaking cryptically in a soft tone. "I knew I could trust you to bring me back."

"I thought you were dead." My tone was watery. I bit my lip against the tears welling in my eyes.

"How could I possibly stay away from you?" He shrugged flippantly, his tone infuriatingly secretive.

Sunlight shone over our huddled forms as we sat under the Eiffel Tower, and the small injuries on his body glistened a bright red before closing as the lucky charm took place. A fine layer of dust muddied the orange of my suit, and it seemed as if the white color would never be clean. His blonde hair was messier than usual, spattered with dirt. His smile was bright, despite looking like he'd been through hell.

A smile crept onto my face at his expression. I sat up and swung my legs over to straddle his lap. "Why are you looking at me like that?"

"Because I see an angel." His jaw clenched, painting his face with a sorrow I had never seen before on his features. "I'm hoping if I never take my eyes off of her she'll be real."

"I'm real." I spoke gingerly and raised my hand to his cheek, letting my fingers explore the line of his jaw. I nodded once, my face softening as I looked into his pretty green eyes. "It's me."

His touch was respectful, caressing the curves of my body with no other goal than to express affection. I was real, and his fingers cherished that blessing. His hands dipped to my hips as mine lazily toyed with his hair and slipped down to feel the ridges of his back. His heart beat in tandem with mine, pounding in a love song meant only for our ears.

"Mon ange," Chat whispered in a hoarse tone, his throat bobbing with emotion as he tilted his face to look up into my eyes.

"Always." My tone was the softest sound I could coax from my dry throat. I placed a kiss to the underside of his jaw, soothing the pain in his expression. I didn't know the reason why, but I knew not to ask questions.

Chat let out a sigh of contentment, his hands settling on my waist to give a gentle squeeze. "You always find a way to save me."

"I tried." I paused and frowned, biting my lip nervously. "But I didn't this time."

"You did." His fingers lightly pinched my chin, pulling my eyes down to meet his. "In ways you'll never know."

I lowered my lips to his, the kiss slow and delicate. I reached up to tug gently at his hair, scratching behind his cat ears to feel the vibrations of his purr against my chest. His cheeks pinkened and I placed a hot kiss to where the skin burned in embarrassment. His hands ran along the curve of my spine, pressing into my lower back to earn the satisfaction of hearing my gasp. I felt his joy in every stroke of his tongue and brush of his fangs against my mouth.

"I guess it's true what they say about black cats," Chat started in a joking tone, still catching his breath.

"And what's that?" I panted in a breathless tone.

"We're very unlucky," Chat chuckled as he spoke, nuzzling his nose against the crook of my neck. He placed a tender kiss along the collar of my suit, mumbling softly into the fabric. "But I don't know how I got so lucky with you."

I let out a laugh, too elated to pretend his jokes were corny. "Curiosity killed the cat, but satisfaction brought it back." I tapped his nose with a gloved finger, my voice playful as I spoke again. "Are you satisfied, Agreste?"

"Deeply." His grin matched mine.

The next kiss was much less patient, leaving us both reeling. I was left with my hair nearly entirely out of my hair tie, messily hanging around my face. His dusty handprints covered the expanse of my suit. With his face pinkened and the dust from my hands all over his face, he wasn't looking much better.

I craved future mornings like this, waking up tangled in his limbs under messy sheets. I wanted nights where he snuck through my balcony door to sneak a kiss, adoring me as I got ready for bed. I wanted to sneak into his room and care for him like he deserved, letting him fall asleep on my chest and escaping by dawn before his father found out. I wanted dates and time to know him, stargazing on the top of the Eiffel Tower as I discovered every constellation on his body.

"I will fall in love with every part of you. I will take time to find every part. No matter how long it takes," Chat rasped lovingly, sweeping a stray hair from my face. His hands affectionately cupped my face, his thumb unintentionally smearing dust against my cheeks.

"I love you," I said sweetly, looking into his dilated eyes.

"I'll never get tired of hearing you say that." Chat swallowed, his voice softening. "Say it again."

"I love you," I whispered, giving him a chaste kiss.

Chat kissed back with desperation, pulling me back against his lips to murmur his confession into my mouth. "I love you."

I loved his affections and the awkward mannerisms he had after trying to get my attention. I looked forward to his kisses and craved the taste of strawberries. The little pieces of him I got were worth the pain it took to know them. His dimples. The scent of his perfume on my clothes, or the small birthmark on his inner thigh. I didn't even mind the lingering smell of Camembert cheese.

I found solace in his green eyes and in the way his hands served to worship my body. His peace came in some well deserved whispered words of affirmation, or the sleep I let him get in my bed. I had looked forward to his late night visits and luckily, there would be many more to come.

Chat toyed with the hook dangling from my neck, watching it catch the warm afternoon light. "As difficult as this has been, I wouldn't have it any other way."

"Yeah?" I asked him teasingly with a raised eyebrow, pulling my hair back into its rightful place with a hair tie.

"Yeah." His hands slid down to press affectionately into my hips. "You're worth the wait."

My extended finger hooked around his to secure our union. No masks, no secrets between us. Just teenage love and the promise of a better future. Would it last? There would be battles to fight and trials to face, but for the time being, I enjoyed the sunlight.