Chapter 10: To Love or Not to Love

"Well, good evening, My lady!" Chat exclaimed, pretending innocence as he had followed her to the agreed meeting place.

She frowned at him. "Hello, Chat Noir." She sounded irritated which caused a slight reaction to flash over his face. She saw it and sighed. "I'm sorry, Chat. I didnt mean to sound so harsh."

"Is something bothering you, Ladybug?" he asked, concern evident in his voice as he moved to close the distance. He placed a hand on her shoulder forcing her to look up at him. "I'm hear if you need to talk."

She shook her head, pulling away. She wrapped her arms around herself in a tight hug and looked out over Paris. "How's your leg?"

Chat smiled. She was worried about him. "Nothing I cant handle." A pause as she turned her head to look back at him. "It comes and goes," he shrugged. "Is that what has you so worried?"

She nodded slightly. "I couldnt heal you. Never in the past two years has something like this happened."

"It nothing really," he pressed. To show her he stomped his leg on the Cathedral roof. "See? No pain. In fact, I think its finally gone. More of a bruise."

She nodded, remembering Adrien had something similar just a little while ago. "It could happen again." Her voice was soft and sad. So un-Ladybug like.

Chat frowned, not liking this side of her. It reminded him of another girl he knew. A girl with blue pigtails.

"If it does then we will deal with it as it comes," he smiled, showing her he wasnt worried. "We're partners, right?" She nodded in response. "Then we will work things out."

"Chat, you know I think of you as more than a partner, right?" She winced, realizing how it sounded. But it was too late now.

He pounced on it. "Well well now." He touched her shoulder with his and looked her in the eye, there faces mere inches apart. "Do tell, Bugaboo, cause I've been waiting for you to say that for a very long time." He pursed his lips for a kiss.

She rolled her eyes and giggled, using her finger to push him in the nose to put a little distance between them. "Silly, Kitty. I didnt mean it like that."

He frowned, trying the corner of his lips down in a pout.

She flicked the bell at his throat. "Oh dont act like that." She smiled at him, turning to look out over the city. "You're more than just my partner, Chat. You're my best friend. I trust you with my life." She cocked her head to see his reaction and hoped he didnt take it the wrong way.

He nodded. "You trust me with your life, but not you identity."

She sighed. "You know why. If Hawkmoth were to ever get a hold of either of us..." she trailed off, not wanting to think about those possibilities.

"So you have said on more then one occasion," he sighed, understanding her point of view, but not liking it. "When we defeat Hawkmoth, what will happen then?"

She was quiet for a moment. "I dont know," she whispered. "When will we defeat him?" she asked, remembering that Tiki had commented on their prolonged battle against their enemy. She remembered the conversation she had with her kwami and dreaded bringing it up.

He had no reply. He wasnt sure how they could go about defeating an enemy that never showed himself. They hadnt seen any sign of him since the day he announced his presence during the Stone Heart attack, well over 2 years ago.

"Chat?" she broke the silence. Maybe I should talk to him about it, she thought.

"Yes." It wasnt a question, but an answer to the question she was about to ask, whatever it might be. He tried to lighten the mood with his Cheshire grin.

She scoffed. "You dont even know what I was going to ask."

"My answer will always be yes when it comes to you, My lady," he winked, wiggling this eyebrows.

She rolled her eyes, but a small smile played on her lips. "Never mind, Kitty." She would confront him another time.

"No, serious. What were you going to ask?" He leaned on his staff hands both the end cupping his chin as he used it to lean forward, his eyes never leaving hers. "Are you finally trying to ask me out on a date? The night is quiet so it would be a good time."

Ladybug laughed and grabbed his staff, pulling it out from under him. His body was jolted at the sudden loss of support and he tripped up. He went head first over the side of the Cathedral.

Ladybug was quick. She threw out her yo-yo wrapping him up before whipping it back over her head. Chat did a mid air twist and landed on his feet back on the roof where he was moments before.

Ladybug giggled with an eyeroll. "Sorry, Chat Noir." She handed his now small baton out to him. "Guess you really are becoming a lucky cat."

He eyed her wondering in what context she meant that in. "I would be even luckier if knew who you were."

She sighed. "Your not getting that lucky."

Chat pouted. "Was worth one last shot, right?"

She smiled at him before taking a seat on the edge of the roof, legs dandling as she looked out over the horizon. "I did want to ask you something," she finally admitted.

He saw how her playful tone went to serious. She was moody this evening. He took a seat beside her waiting for her to continue.

"I spoke with Tiki tonight about my powers and what might be going on."

"Your.. Kwami?" he asked, remembering the name Plagg had given for Ladybug's little god.

She nodded. "She fears our..." she struggled with the right words as she didnt want to give Chat any more ideas.

"Bond," Chat finished for her, sighing as he looked away from her and out over the city. "I spoke to my Kwami, too."

She looked at him eyes wide. Of course he had a Kawmi, idiot! She mentally yelled at herself. And they would have spoke about the injury he had received earlier in the day.

"How much…. Did your Kwami tell you?" Ladybug asked, afraid of the answer.

"There was a pretty intensive history lesson," Chat smiled at her, almost sad. "About the Ladybug and Chat Noir of the mid 1500's."

Ladybug nodded. "Tiki had mentioned a Princess, and the man that was Chat Noir… er.. I mean.. Gatto Nero," she quickly corrected. "She really didnt get a chance to tell me much about them."

"From what Plagg tells me, their story was none too happy." Chat leaned back on his hands looking up into the sky. "As Princess and Commoner they were in love. They didnt know the others identity, though." He turned his head slightly to look her as he remembered the rest of the story as told by Plagg.

"As partners, they didnt care much for each other. Plagg says they borderline hated each other. Which… lead to their demise. But they somehow still managed to work together up until that point."

Ladybug frowned looking into his green orbs. "I wonder what would have caused such a rift between partners."

Chat shrugged sitting up only to hunch forward, starring off. "Plagg's not much of a talker. I'm surprised he told me as much as he did."

"He.. he told you of the bond, though?" she almost whispered, not wanting to hear what he had to say. She wanted to crawl into a hole at the moment, but she had to know.

Chat nodded. "Yeah. I take it your Kwami told you, too?"

She nodded at a loss for words.

He sighed, standing up. He held his gloved hand down to her to help her up.

She took it hesitantly still looking into his eyes, mentally trying to get him to see what she felt. Feelings she herself wasnt sure of on this particular subject.

While Chat wasnt a mind reader, he had a pretty good idea what she was thinking and responded carefully.

"Look Ladybug," he smiled down at her. "It doesnt matter what happened 500 years ago. You may not care for me the way I want you to..." He wiggled his eyebrows suggestively, teasing her again.

"Chat..."

He swallowed, forcing himself to continue, looking down at their entwined hands, a soft smile playing on his lips. "But I will always be her for you. You're my partner. My best friend. I trust you with my life. Whatever is going on with our powers, whatever it has to do with the past, I'm sure its not just you or because of you."

He dropped her hand and instead pushed a lock of her hair behind her ear, his eyes dancing to meet her own. "Just because the Miraculous are destined to be together doesnt mean anyone is going to force you or I to choose." He smiled, trying to give her reassurance. "No matter what happens between us, we will always have a strong bond. That I can promise you."

In one swift motion he knelt down to one knee and grabbed her loved hand, kissing it. "My Lady," he finished addressing her endearingly.

"Chat.." she whispered his name again. "I…. Thank you." She blushed and averted her gaze, slowing pulling her hand away.

"We have the purr-fect partnership," he winked at her, trying to lighten the mood as he stood. "In fact, I can feline things will only get better here on out now that some things are out in the open."

Ladybug attempted to hide her giggle with a groan. "You know just when to be catty, dont you?" she smiled, trying her attempt at a cat pun to appease him.

He laughed. "It was a good try. But it isnt Pawsible to reach my level of Furtastic-ness. This feline is the kittens whiskers."

"Only time will tail," she responded with a wink, pulling out her Yo-yo. "Not that I understand anything that you just said," she giggled.

Chat laughed with her and elongated his baton. Now that the inevitable conversation was over it was time to part. "Until we meet again, My Lady." He bowed low to her without his gaze leaving her.

"Good Night, Chat Noir." She departed with a smile, leaving Chat to watch her fade in the distance.

He sighed when she was finally out of sight. They both knew what had to be done, and as much as Chat loved the idea of them being together he didnt want it to be forced. He wanted Ladybug to love him for him. For Chat Noir.

Because that is who I really am under the mask.

Destiny be damned.