Chat held out the keys.
"I don't expect an answer tonight, and it's totally okay for you to say 'Thanks, Chat, but I'll pass.'" I watched as his masked green eyes searched mine from where he was perched on the coffee table, hoping to get a sense of where I stood on his miraculous, amazingly insane but totally purrfect plan. "You know I love you," he said softly, "and I just want you to be happy. That's it. Nothing else."
I considered my boyfriend and partner. Was it only a few days ago I'd been complaining about trying to find a place to live after graduating from University, somewhere close to my new job at Chateau Le Blanc? Chat had appeared on my balcony one evening and seen me looking through property listings while decrying the expense, and the likely chance I'd have to live quite far, far away from both my parents and my job. It wasn't a prospect I'd been happy with, and true to form, Chat had decided to solve the problem.
We'd landed on the generous balcony outside the suite he'd designated as mine; it was already furnished tastefully in a style I couldn't have picked better, proving once more just how well my kitty knew me. And the kitchen – he'd truly paid attention during all of those hours we'd spent together in the Bakery, as I'd taken him from boiling water to making a full holiday dinner. My thoughtful kitty had, well, thought of everything, right down to the mini design studio and brand new iMac sitting in the corner of the living room.
And somehow, he'd managed to pay for it all himself. Claiming his alter-ego had come into some one-time cash, he'd used it to secure the apartment; his terms were amazingly simple and pure Chat. He expected me to become a top fashion designer, and though I wasn't entirely sure I was up to the task, his faith in me at least made it feelpossible. Then, he made it clear that I could start paying my way once my cash flow situation improved (knowing, of course, that could be years) - and not a moment sooner. His feline reasoning was that he wanted me to be able to focus on my career without worrying about my living arrangements.
The final condition? He would be my roommate, using the suite on the opposite side of the apartment. That last had the added twist that he'd remain transformed – stay as Chat, essentially – while living with me. He had his own balcony so he'd be able to come and go as needed for his superhero duties; what he might not have realized was my balcony was similarly shielded and would allow for my own secret escapes.
I looked around the space again, and especially the wide floor-to-ceiling windows facing the Eiffel Tower; Chat had cleverly taken me to check out the apartment in the early evening, so the Tower was fully lit in the distance. I turned back to my boyfriend, and put my hand to his face, cupping the side of his mask. Almost like a true cat, he closed his eyes and leaned slightly into my touch and I smiled. Some would say it was completely nuts to move in with a masked feline – someone who was intentionally hiding their identity from the world in general, and to a lesser extent, myself in particular. They would be wrong, for I knew exactly who was making the offer, and who I was moving in with.
Chat had redoubled his efforts to mask his true identity, and though I'd interacted with... well, his alter-ego... regularly through our final two years at University, he'd gone to great lengths to keep the façade up and bar the two personas from comingling. Living together would be a far more difficult task than I thought he was anticipating, but I was also preparing to smooth the experience a bit, too. Tikki had assured me that she and Plagg were committed to making it work, though a part of me wondered if she was, herself, secretly excited to be able to spend her downtime with her partner.
As I started to smile, I ran my finger along the edge of his mask. "When do we move in?" I asked as I took the set of keys from his paw.
Chat let out the breath he'd been holding. "As soon as you want. I'm already here," he laughed, indicating his costume, "since I didn't have a lot of things to unpack."
He paused. "I'm happy to come with you to break the news to your parents."
"I'm not sure that would be helpful," I smiled. "I'll have enough trouble telling them I'm moving in with a guy let alone one who runs around in a cat costume."
Chat sat back. "They know me, though," he pouted.
"I'm pulling your paw, Chat," I replied with a warm smile. "But I can handle that on my own."
We both stood up – me from the insanely comfortable love seat (I'd noticed it was purrfect for a cat to curl into his mistress) and took one last, long look around the space. I knew my boyfriend was all grown up now, muscles and all, but damn, I'd hooked myself one thoughtful kitty. It was hard to imagine I'd nearly thrown it all away multiple times in those early years; it was only through the persistence of my feline boyfriend that we were standing here, together.
And I couldn't be happier.
"Take me back?" I asked.
"Absolutely," he said, before pausing. His masked emerald eyes took on a look of concern. "Is this what you want, truly?" he asked. "I'm not kidding – it's okay for you to tell me to go jump in the Seine."
I searched his eyes and realized he was worried that he was pressuring me in some way to accept his offer; I knew him better than that, of course, but it was still endearing to see him so concerned. I moved toward him. "Let me answer that, Chat," I said.
Slowly, exquisitely slowly, I pulled him toward me by his bell, my blue eyes locked to his masked green, then slowly, oh-so-slowly down to my lips. I touched my lips to his, gently at first, then blooming into a deep, passionate kiss that left both of us breathing hard when we parted.
"I'll take that as a 'yes,'" Chat said happily.