Chapter Five – Bell

It had been two days and six hours since Cat Noir had left his class field trip and transformed to fight Oblivio.

Two days, five hours, and forty minutes since Ladybug had fallen in love with Cat Noir (he thought and earnestly hoped).

Two days, five hours, and twenty minutes since she had run away from him, claiming everything was fine.

He'd listened as she flew down the stairs, and though he waited and didn't follow, he was desperate to finally know who she was.

Ladybug hadn't shown up to patrol that night or the next, instead leaving a note for him at their normal spot at the top of the Eiffel Tower. With no akumas in the past two days, Cat Noir was going crazy with missing her. What did it mean? Was she mad at him? Was she lovesick? Or had he read the whole situation wrong, and she still didn't feel anything for him other than friendship?

"So, Plagg," Cat Noir said. Being transformed was his favorite time to have deep conversations with his kwami, because it was the one time he couldn't talk back. Cat Noir paced the roof of the Notre Dame, strutting from one bell tower to the other. "What do you think? Does she love me, finally? Should I try flirting some more? Or is she upset with me and I should just give her some space?"

One of the disadvantages to conversations in the suit was that Plagg couldn't talk back, though this time, Cat Noir already knew what he would say: the same thing that he'd been saying for two days. "Stop whining to me about it and go ASK HER."

There was no way that was going to happen. What would he say? "Hey, LB, have you developed an all-consuming love for me recently?" Yeah, no thanks. She'd deny it, and that would hurt, whether it was true or not. More likely, she would just sidestep the question to avoid talking about it. She had never been comfortable with sharing personal details like that.

He sighed and sat on the edge of the walkway, feet dangling over the stone railing. It was unusually warm for early October, though he knew it wouldn't last much longer. It seemed like winter in Paris was always trying to sneak up on him.

He was early for patrol, as usual. There hadn't been a note this time, but he wasn't holding out much hope of seeing her tonight, so he told himself it was a worry for another time and he should focus on helping the city instead of wooing Ladybug, though perhaps he should try being sincere and supportive to her again, since that seemed to work out really well while fighting Oblivio. And what was he supposed to be thinking about? Oh, yeah. Patrol. Not his Lady.

The quiet zip of a yoyo line and a soft thud were enough to send Cat Noir leaping to his feet in excitement. "You're here!"

"I'm here," she said, beaming at him. "Thanks for covering for me, Kitty. I had some, uh, personal things going on."

She seemed so happy, so relaxed, so... normal. Nothing had changed. That was his answer right there. Absolutely nothing had changed between them.

"So, how've you been?" she asked, taking the spot he'd just vacated. "I heard about the robbery on Rue Soufflot that you stopped. Sounded exciting."

"Oh," he said. He could sit down next to her, but his legs didn't want to move. For a few wonderful days, he'd thought he had a chance with her. He hadn't even been close to winning her over, had he?

"Cat?"

"The robbery, yeah. It was fine."

"Four on one, and it was just 'fine'? You aren't going to regale me with your feats of unparalleled courage?"

"I could..." But what difference would it make? He stood there, feeling small with her eyes on him and the two bell towers dwarfing him, unsure of what to do next. He'd missed her so much for the past two days, but now he kind of wished she'd stayed home.

"Are you okay?" She picked herself up off the banister and stopped right in front of him, so he was forced to look at her.

"Fine," he said, injecting some of the life he didn't feel into his voice. "Just lost in thought."

"Oh really?" Ladybug folded her arms, unimpressed. "About what? Do I even dare to ask?"

"Just which details of my harrowing ordeal would impress you the most. It was quite all heroic of me."

"Quite." Though she usually would have rolled her eyes, maybe or giggled and slapped his arm if he was lucky, this time she leaned forward and squinted. She was getting to know him too well.

"I really am fine," he said.

"I thought you said you weren't going to lie to me." Yes, she knew him much too well, and he loved it.

Cat Noir raised his hands in surrender. "It's not anything you need to worry about."

"Maybe I don't need to," she said, "but maybe I want to."

His heart restarted at the concern in her voice. "I'm fine, really," he said, twirling his baton. "Should we get going?"

She hesitated. "Sure. But you'll tell me if something's bothering you?" When he didn't answer, she continued, "I can't help you if you don't tell me what's wrong."

He looked away and nodded, not sure how much more of her attention he could stand. Was she just being friendly? Why was she taking this much interest in him if she didn't feel anything for him?

"I'll be sure to wring-" She flicked his bell to hear it ring, her fingers accidentally brushing the exposed skin at his throat. "-the information out of you if I think it'll make you feel better."

He gulped. "I might like that."

"You might. Shall we?" She zipped off to start their route, Cat Noir shadowing close behind.

By the end of the night, Cat Noir was much more confused, but getting better at hiding it. Ladybug had never joked around with him so much. Had she simply missed him for the past two days? Or was she trying to hint that she now had a crush on him? In the hour-long patrol, she made four puns, countless jokes, and started two games of tag. (She declared herself the winner both times.) Cat Noir smiled and joked back, letting her lead, carefully masking his feelings. What did it all mean?

"I had fun tonight," she announced. They were perched atop the Tour Montparnasse. He wasn't sure which of them had decided that was a good location to stop. It just seemed like the natural place to be. The place where his confusion had started.

"Same time tomorrow?" he asked, already turning away. He didn't want to see the... what? The love on her face? The platonic fondness? He wasn't even sure what he expected, but he was sure he couldn't withstand either.

"Hey," she yanked on his bell to get his attention. "What is the matter? You've been too quiet all night."

He pulled away, eager to escape, but she didn't give.

His zipper did.

Cool night air hit his chest as the bell went down his neck, past his collarbone, stopping somewhere around his sternum, where Ladybug finally gasped and let go. She was openly staring at him, face red. He thought it best to leave the zipper where it was for the moment.

"Nope! Nope! Nope!" Ladybug yelled, jumping backward, her gaze roaming all over him. "I'm not doing this again."

"Doing what again?"

"I finally stopped thinking- UGH!" She covered and uncovered her eyes and threw her yoyo all in a split second. "I have to go." And she went, leaving an even more confused partner behind.

"Stopped thinking what?" he asked the empty air. The obvious answer, that she had been thinking about him seemed too good to possibly be true. Whatever she meant, one thing was certain. She'd gotten flustered about him again. This was a promising development.

He left the bell where it was for the rest of the night.

Author's note: I'm going to go on record as saying that you're getting another chapter tomorrow night and ANOTHER on Saturday night. Hold me to it!