When Walls Crumble

Chapter 9: The Silent Sigh

Two minutes after receiving the message from Ladybug, Cat Noir met her on the rooftop of the Notre Dame cathedral.

"Hey, Bugaboo!" he called. "What's up?"

Ladybug forced a smile. He really liked her, didn't he? This was gonna be hard.

"Chaton, we need to talk."

Cat Noir's smile slid off his face in less than half a second.

"My lady?"

Ladybug sighed and sat down, patting the roof next to her. "I'm a little worried about you."

"Me? I've got nine lives. What's to fear?"

"Mayura."

"What about her?"

"Well...you seemed really crushed when I mentioned my boyfriend the other day. You didn't get akumatized, but if you allow that despair to fester, it might attract her attention and then we might have to fight your own senti-monster and..."

"Woah, there, Bugaboo!" Cat interrupted. "I think you're getting ahead of yourself."

Ladybug took a deep breath. "Ok, yeah. I started rambling there. So what I wanted to tell you was this: I do love you, Chaton, but not the way you expect. You are like my best friend and my dear partner. I'd be helpless without you. You've saved my life countless times. Maybe someday it might be more than that, but for the time being, I don't want to take this very far especially in our current situation. I care too much about you to risk our friendship and partnership for a chance at romance." When she finished, she forced herself to look at his face and what she saw made her gasp. "Cat Noir? Are you...crying?"

He sniffled and wiped a tear off his mask. "No...Maybe."

"Chaton...It's okay." she shifted closer to him and put her arm around his shoulders. "What's the problem?"

"Nothing, m'lady. I'm sorry I worried you."

"Hey," she pulled back and ruffled his hair. "It isn't your fault, kitty. I should have realized sooner that you weren't just joking around. I'd hate to think that I might have led you on."

"Maybe I'm mixing up my feelings. Maybe I'm so attracted to you because you're so brave and creative. It reminds me of my mother." The minute he invoked her memory, he regretted it. Before he could hide his face, tears welled up in his eyes.

Great. Just great. Not only was Ladybug friend-zoning him, but he was also bawling his face out in front of her. Sheesh. What happened to his 'cool cat' persona?

Ladybug put her hand on his cheek and gently turned his face back to her to wipe away his tears. "I do care deeply for you and I will always be here for you. And don't be afraid to cry. Its something that makes us human. No one can be so confident all the time."

He met her eyes through his tears and managed a weak smile. Then before he knew it, he was caught up in a dream.

Ladybug was hugging him.

He had dreamed of this so many times, but somehow, never the scenario where he lost his cool in front of her and started blubbering. He didn't know what to think. Fortunately, she didn't make him.

"If you ever want to talk or need a shoulder to cry on, I'm here. And I've got a gift for you. Right now we can only contact each other when we're transformed, so I found these. They're a little archaic, but I think they'll do nicely."

She pulled out a pair of old fashioned rectangular devices. "This is a two-way pager. They can only contact each other, but they don't really need a data plan, so they are more convenient. You'll be able to contact me whenever, whether or not we are suited up."

"Wow," he said. "Thanks, Bugaboo! You really are thoughtful."

She laughed. He loved her laugh. It was like the bells of Notre Dame (the little ones, soft as a psalm). "So do you want to talk about it?" she asked.

"Talk about what?"

"You know...your...your mother?" she stammered, clearly uncomfortable about needing to remind him of something that might make him cry.

Cat Noir took a shaky breath. "It's just...I would like to, but I feel like that might jeopardize our identities."

Ladybug nodded and rubbed his back. He rested his head on her shoulder as they looked out on the city.

"I miss her," he breathed. "She would have loved a view like this."

Ladybug rested her head on his and they sat there for the remainder of the sunset.