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Rain in his hair. Ladybug stands mesmerised as her eyes chase a single drop of water that slips from his fringe down along the edge of his mask. It follows the curve of the fabric until it meets his cheek bone and stills. Trembles.
“Man it’s raining cats and dogs out there.”
Chat crosses his arm, leaning back against the rough stone of the small alcove. The drop leaps off the mask, skidding down his cheek and vanishing past his jaw. His profile stands sharp against the steel grey sky. Outside of their little nook, way way down below, the rain turns the streets into streams of silver.
“You see, I didn’t even go for a ‘cats and water joke’. Told you I could be original.”
He turns to shoot her a wink and the small space between them lights up with his smile. His hair has turned into a wet mop, stray strands of gold slick against his flushed skin. Raindrops glisten in his lashes like dew.
“You’re beautiful,” Ladybug breathes.
His cheeks flush even darker as he blinks down at her.
“Uh… Thanks?” He scratches the back of his neck, chuckling awkwardly. “You’re not so bad yourself, you know.”
“Chat?”
“Huh?”
This is it.
“Can I kiss you?”
He hesitates for a breathless second.
“Please.”
Time leaps forward. One moment she is standing there frozen. The next one she slams into him clumsily, knees bumping against the wall behind him. Chat stumbles back what little space he has left. Despite the cold water coating every inch of them both, he radiates warmth. Ladybug’s heart stutters. Her hands cup his cheeks, oh so carefully and –
“Um. Could you – Could you lean down for me?”
She peers up at his face that’s close, so very close now, his lips slightly parted, just above her forehead, still glistening from the rain.
That’s when he bows his head and places his mouth on hers.
A hundred sensations rush over her simultaneously. The pattering of the rain outside turns into a roar as her eyes slide shut. He smells like rain home and Chat. A hand comes up to cup her face, cool and slick against her cheek. Her own fingers have slipped into his hair, trickles of water running down her forearms. His breath burns on her skin. And his lips, his lips are still touching hers, soft and gentle and she wants to sing. Ladybug is just about to angle her head and deepen the kiss when he pulls back. Her mouth chases his on instinct, before she comes to her senses. Her eyes open and she glances up at Chat, who is leaning back as far as the stone behind him will allow.
“Sorry,” he says and his hand leaves her cheek. The water on her skin feels ice-cold.
Chat reaches up, smacking his lips as he pulls something from his mouth and a new kind of horror flashes through her as she realises that he is holding a single raven hair between his claws. “Um, you also have –” he gestures vaguely to his mouth.
Ladybug jolts back, elbows knocking into the opposite wall as she janks her hands from his hair. Her fingers fly to her face where she finds several strands of hair stuck to her skin. She sputters as she smacks them away, new drops of water showering them both.
“Sorry,” Chat repeats.
“You have nothing to be sorry for, I’m the one who stuck my hair into your mouth,” the last words come out muffled as her hands move to cover her face.
“Hey it’s okay,” he says quietly. “I don’t mind. After all I – I got to kiss you. That’s uh – nice.”
She peers at him through her fingers. “Nice?”
Chat fumbles. “Not nice. I mean – it wasn’t not nice but it was – uh more. Um. Awesome.”
Slowly, she lowers her hands. “So, I didn’t just ruin our first kiss for you?”
His chuckle ranges somewhere between awkward and hysteric. “Honestly, I never thought I’d get this fa – Wait did you say first?”
She blinks up at him “Uh –”
“As in ‘there will be a second’?”
“I – I mean if you want to – ”
“Maybe even a third ?” Chat stares at her with wide eyes. His voice is getting higher with each word.
“Yes, okay?” Ladybug lets out an exasperated huff. “I want a second kiss with you and a third and a one-hundredth-and-fifty-eighth one. Happy now?”
Instead of an answer, he steps forward and kisses her. She gasps against his lips, the fingers of her right hand fumbling to intertwine with his. Chat squeezes her hand and she returns the gesture. This kiss is more determined, more intense. Ladybug angles her head and after a moment of confusion Chat follows her lead, bringing his free hand to gently rest at the back of her neck. A droplet of water runs from his fingertip down her back and she shivers. Their lips move against each other, not yet quite in sync but testing, trying. Warmth pools in her belly. Her hand leaves his, wandering up his arm to snake around his shoulder and bring him closer, holding on tight to find purchase on the wet material. He responds in kind, gingerly placing his newly freed hand on her waist. Ladybug hums in approval. His body is warm against hers, so warm compared to the rain and she does her best to mould against him. Her free hand finds his hair again. Closer. She can feel his heart hammer in his chest and knows he can feel hers too. Her fingers play with wet strands. Chat sighs into the kiss, lips parting and Ladybug feels her knees wobble. The hand on her waist wanders to her back, Chat’s arm wrapping around her. His tongue shyly probes against her lips and she parts them eagerly, rising to her tip-toes to wrap her arms around his neck. Their teeth clank awkwardly and she feels his lip stretch into a smile. The pads of his fingers draw gentle patterns right below her ear. A giggle breaks from her lips and Ladybug pulls back slightly, placing a peck on the corner of his mouth. She places her lips on his again but it’s not long until Chat pulls back, resting their foreheads together.
“Breathing time, please,” he wheezes and she realises how she herself is panting. So they stay like this, sharing their warmth, content their closeness as they catch their breath. Ladybug idly runs her hands through his hair and watches the water run out in silvery droplets. She can feel them dapple her cheeks, their chill burning against her feverish skin. Chat’s hand slips from her neck, cupping her face instead. His thumb traces her cheekbone.
“You never fail to take my breath away, milady.”
Despite the butterflies in her stomach, her brows furrow.
“Was that – Wait, was that a pun?”
Chat just grins up at her.
“Okay that’s it.” Ladybug untangles her hands from behind his head, grabbing him by the collar. “Breathing time over.”
And going by the way his eyes slide shut as she pulls him in, Chat doesn’t seem to mind.