Chat Noir X Reader: The Muse

Chapter 26: The Gates of Dawn

Your chest heaved as you climbed the stairs to your apartment two steps at a time. The metro line you used to get home had stopped due to a strike, so you had to go back walking. You were glad your flat was relatively near the university, so it only took you half an hour.

It was the end of the afternoon now. Would Chat be waiting for you already?

You slowed down as you passed by another resident, trying your best to look composed as you greeted him. When he disappeared down the stairs, you went back to your former rhythm. You couldn't help it. It felt like your heart would burst with all the anticipation. What was Chat going to say? Was he going to accept your decision?

You unlocked the door of your flat and looked around. The place was empty. You bit your lip. Maybe he couldn't open the window lock? You went outside and searched for a sign of the masked hero, but to no use. He wasn't there.

Your shoulders sagged as you leaned on the balcony rail and looked down at the calm residential street. Your chest felt heavy with Chat's absence, but you forced yourself to smile. Chat liked to appear at night, that was probably it.

To pass the time, you began to unbox your belongings and organize them. Every time you went to open another box, you looked outside, seeing the sky getting darker and darker, but still no cat hero. You let out a sigh and went back to the task at hand.

Cradled in a safe nest of clothes, you found the black cat figurine Adrien had made for you. A sad smile lifted your lips as you put it on the coffee table. You hoped the blonde was doing all right. Maybe you should talk to him later about what Nino had told you, or maybe it was better to forget about it. You didn't know what to do. You already had so much to think about.

----

The clock on the wall showed it was way past midnight. It seemed to mock you, telling you to give up and go to sleep. You were already in your pajamas, lying on the sofa in the hall. The TV was on, and while you were aware some news about a fashion designer was going on, you weren't paying attention. Your eyes were unfocused, staring out at the illuminated top of the Eiffel Tower through the window.

You were ready to sleep, but a part of you believed Chat would still appear, so you decided to wait. But... it didn't seem like he was going to come.

With a defeated sigh, you turned around on the sofa, turning your back on the TV and the judging clock, and closed your eyes. Enveloped in darkness, your thoughts began to wander about you and Chat. Were you really sure about your decision? You scrunched up your face, but the thought persisted. If you got more involved there would be no going back, and when you had to leave it'd be much more painful. You sighed. This was ridiculous. You were already too involved, and you had already made your choice.

You tried to empty your mind, but the thoughts kept repeating over and over. It took some minutes until you were able to fall into a restless sleep.

Your eyes opened with a start when you heard a noise coming from the balcony. It had been almost imperceptible, but you had heard it, you knew it.

You're going to be disappointed again, a voice in your head said.

You shook your head and sat up, rubbing your eyes. You waited, but there wasn't a second knock. A glance at the clock perched on the wall told you it was 2 am.

You got up with a groan and peaked through the curtains with tired eyes. A rush of adrenaline made your heart speed up at the sight in front of you. Chat was there, with his back to the door, staring up at the Eiffel Tower. Your growing excitement died down when you saw his somber expression, green eyes devoid of their usual liveliness. Did something happen?