Chat Noir X Reader: The Muse

Chapter 20: Ch. 7: The Annunciation (Chat's/Adrien's POV)

A light breeze and bright sunrays entered the room through the large windows, illuminating a form laying down face first on the bed. A melancholic muffled sigh sounded in the room.

"Stop," Plagg said while sitting on his small cushion on the table beside the bed, munching on a piece of cheese.

A shuffle on the bed and another sigh, this time louder.

"Adrien, stop sighing. You've been doing this the whole morning." Plagg shook his head, looking at him. "I can't concentrate on my cheese like this." He put the half eaten food down. "Just get over it already."

Adrien sat upright on his bed, his blonde hair sticking up from all sides due to him thrashing around on the mattress. "I can't, Plagg."

Flashes from the night at the Seine came back to his mind. The way he just stared stupidly at the artist as she introduced herself. A groan left his mouth. "I was so stupid." He let himself fall on the bed again, covering his eyes with his arm.

"Oh, please." Plagg munched on the cheese again. "Just because you embarrassed yourself in front of the very person you wanted to impress?"

Adrien grabbed a pillow and threw it at the kwami, who flied away from it with ease. "You're not helping!"

Plagg snickered as he flew back to his place. "Relax, boy. I bet she doesn't even remember it."

"Yeah, right." Adrien turned to the other side as he once again remembered what happened.

'Are you sure about this?' Marinette had asked after he had made a fool of himself, a serious look on her face.

Adrien sighed, earning a groan from Plagg, who began to fly away with his cheese.

"That's it. I'm leaving." He looked back at Adrien before exiting the room. "Do something about it instead of moping around, will you."

Adrien shook his head, getting up to change his clothes and go to college. If only he knew what to do.

The whole week passed by in an instant, and through it all, Adrien couldn't stop thinking about the artist.

He meant what he said as Chat in the alley that night. He wanted her to see him as more than someone who posed for her. He wasn't sure what having a muse meant for the artist, but it felt like she was putting a barrier between them. The reason for that was still a mystery to him, was it professionalism? His flirtatious reputation? But after the day in the terrace, Adrien was sure of something. He wanted more and wished the artist felt the same.

His thoughts as Chat were more confident, as always. He kept thinking of ways to show her what she was missing in trying to distance herself from him, from his touch. However, none of his plans seemed good enough, and the embarrassment from their previous encounters impeded him from visiting her.

The urge to see the artist was stronger every time he transformed, and he told himself he would go, but chickened each time he got too close to her flat.

The week passed by and his dilemma continued, until he saw her in the cafeteria on a weekday.

At lunchtime, she was sitting alone with many papers scattered around the table. Adrien wondered what she was doing, a hand supporting his chin. Was it a project?

"Your food is getting cold." Nino's voice made him blink and look at his plate, still full of food. "And you're going to burn holes into her head with all the staring, man." Adrien took a sip of his water, ignoring his friend, but Nino continued. "If you want to talk to her, just go."

The blonde almost choked. "I don't want—"

Nino gave him a poker face and Adrien sighed, rolling his eyes.