"I can't believe you did that," Nathaniel frowned at his sketchbook, stretched out face up on his bed.
"I can't believe you almost revealed my secret identity in front of the whole class," Chat Noir leaned back with a chuckle, cross-legged in Nathaniel's desk chair.
Nathaniel lowered the sketchbook to stare at Chat. "And you would've deserved it. You were driving me out of my mind."
Chat uncrossed his legs and rested his elbows on his knees. "How so?"
"You kept flirting with me as Adrien and as Chat Noir, and you knew it all along!"
Chat licked his gums to hide his smirk, pushing his lips out into a near pout. "Of course I knew," he grinned, standing up and strolling over to Nathaniel, "You think I would flirt by accident?"
Nathaniel took a few seconds more to search Chat Noir's eyes before putting the sketchbook back between them.
Chat reached over and pulled down on the book, "C'mon, enough of that," he snatched the book and the pencil and tossed them on the nightstand.
Nathaniel squeaked as Chat threw himself onto the bed and curled himself around Nathaniel's waist.
"If I'd known you were such a cuddler I wouldn't have agreed to be your boyfriend," Nathaniel grumbled, contrary to his grin.
Chat rested his chin on Nathaniel's chest to look up at him. "You don't mean that," he whined.
Nathaniel's smile was replaced with a small, semi-serious frown. "Oh, and another thing," he reached down to pinch Chat's cheek; tugging until his lips pulled along with it, "Don't ever snatch my sketchbook while I'm drawing."
"Owr! Okeh, okeh, uim sawreh, uim sawreh!" Chat wailed as his cheek reddened.
Nathaniel released him abruptly so that his cheek smacked back into place with a pop; reaching over to retrieve his sketchbook and propping it up against Chat Noir's head to proceed his sketching.
Chat Noir waited a moment to rub his face before sighing deeply. "Anyway, no one saw the kiss.."
Nathaniel flinched at the word.
Kiss.
Now that the word related to him for the first time since his mother's cheek, he couldn't stop his heart from skipping a beat from even the slightest reminder.
Nathaniel cleared his throat. "What do you mean, no one saw it? We were in a classroom filled with many people!"
"Yeah, but it was the near end of the day and there was a class assignment. Plus we were at your desk, at the very back. No one was paying attention to us," Chat pointed out, "Besides, don't you think someone would've said something to us before we even left class?"
"Or they kept it in all weekend, and now it's the end of the weekend and they've probably spread it around to as many people as possible. When we get back to school tomorrow, people are going to be pointing at us and asking us questions and- oooh I just wanna smack those pathetic grins they'll dare to throw at us."
Chat put his hand on Nathaniel's side and gave a squeeze to give him a warning before he moved from underneath his sketchbook. He propped himself up on his elbow and looked Nathaniel in the eye as the sketchbook shifted to the side.
"First off," Chat grinned, "You're exaggerating. But, it is possible that someone caught a glimpse from the corner of their eye, and showing any signs of a relationship - much worse a relationship we will appear to have jumped into all too quickly - might confirm their suspicions,"
Chat eyed Nathaniel curiously, "What do you wanna do about it? Wanna lay low?"
"Well…" Nathaniel drummed his fingers against the hardcover of the sketchbook laid across his chest, "I'm not really out to anyone, including my parents, so if anyone walked in and saw you snuggled against me it would be more than just surprising to see a hero in my room…"
"Oh!-" Chat scrambled to a sitting position, "-My God, I am so sorry; I hadn't thought of that!"
"No, it's fine-" Nathaniel sat up.
"I'm actually not out either- well, except for two of my friends. I feel like I should tell Nino…"
Nathaniel shrugged. "I mean, are you not comfortable telling him?"
"It's not that, it's just… I dunno… never came up? It's not something you just casually drop in a conversation," Chat Noir raised his hands in a mocking gesture, "'Hey! By the way, I'm bi! 'Kay, bye!'; it's just kinda awkward, you know? And then there's my father…"
"Yeah, I don't think I'm quite ready to tell anyone either."
"So…" Chat twitched the corner of his mouth up into a lopsided frown.
"So, we pretend to not be dating? For now?"
"If it's okay with you."
"It's… the better option."
Chat smiled softly; leaning in to give Nathaniel peck on the lips.
He watched Nathaniel's face soften, but his frown remained.
"Everything alright?" Chat rubbed Nathaniel's knuckles with his thumb.
Nathaniel let out a breathy laugh. "Yeah, it's just, we already looked like we were dating… before we were dating."
Chat smiled. "Isn't that a good thing? That's exactly why it was so easy to transition into 'becoming an item'," He bent his fingers into air quotes.
"Sure, but if we can't even look like we're not dating when we aren't dating… then, uhum," Nathaniel gestured vaguely.
Chat puckered his lips thoughtfully. "Well, on the bright side, no one was suspicious of us then."
"That's what we think."
Chat Noir snorted. "Take full offense when I say you're even more dramatic than Ladybug," he giggled after he felt something swat his arm.
Nathaniel slouched in defeat and puffed his cheeks.
"Hey," Chat reached over and swept Nathaniel's bangs from his face, "Don't worry about it, we'll figure it out. If you're scared, I'll protect you, ok?"
Nathaniel glanced up at Chat with a weak smile; leaning into an embrace in Chat's arms.
Chat could feel his stiff shoulders and uneven breaths. "Easy…" he murmured, "I can tell this means a lot to you, so I'll take it just as seriously. I won't let anything hurt you."
Nathaniel allowed his breathing to steady before he pulled away from Chat Noir; looking into Chat's eyes with awe.
Chat responded with a kiss on the forehead. "I'll see you tomorrow. Night, Red," he unfolded his legs and got up to make his way for the window.
"Love you," Nathaniel whispered; causing Chat to whip back around.
"Sorry…" Nathaniel stuttered after waiting under Chat Noir's stare for what felt like an eternity, "That was-"
Chat sighed a chuckle. "You make it really hard to leave, you know that?"
Nathaniel's eyes widened. He flicked the lights off to hide his blush - or at least convince himself he was hiding from a cat with night vision.
"Screw your super-hearing," Nathaniel grumbled.
"I love you too," Chat smiled.
Nathaniel froze, then mumbled something with a stubborn frown.
"I heard that too, Nath," Chat smirked, "And you're right, it is easier to say it back. But I meant it."
Chat Noir threw a wink in for good measure, then turned and leapt from the window. Nathaniel sat motionless; pretending the moisture building up in his eyes was from the contrast of the bright city lights to his dark bedroom.
"Why am I such a sap?!" He hissed; knocking his fist into his chest a couple times to beat out the shaky breaths.
"Dammit, I really am in love with the guy who brings short jokes into every conversation and compares me to Little Red Riding Hood," Nathaniel sighed; throwing himself back onto his bed.
It was only going to keep getting worse as they kept dating. Before feelings had been vocalized, he toyed with the thought of how his mood skyrocketed around Adrien or Chat Noir. They became closer and closer as friends until they could throw sarcastic jokes at each other without the insecurity of accidentally offending the other. Now all Nathaniel could think about was that they were actually together and could expect a surprise kiss at any moment without it being some sort of bet or 'reward'.
He wasn't uncomfortable, but a new perspective was… distracting… but thrilling, to say the least. Tomorrow was going to be the longest school day of his life.