The Running Bear (Cat Noir x Reader)

Chapter 24: Love, Anxiety, and the Pursuit of Slapping People

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When I see the dirty look on Mato's little face from behind my pillow, my eyebrows furrow. "What? Be free with your words, little one."

Mato scoffs. "I'm older than you, you shitass."

"Yeah, I know. Your grey hairs told me."

She smacks my head. "Don't change the subject." Pointing a tiny claw at my face, she demands, "What was the one thing we told you not to do?"

"Don't eat the unsweetened cocoa powder?"

Rolling her big brown eyes, she sighs. "That Cat Noir, that big ball of charisma and trouble, needs to stay your work partner. Nothing more."

"What the heck are you talking about?" I ask, trying to disguise the small quiver in my voice that happens when I get nervous. 

"That!" she hovers in front of me, a serious expression crossing her features. "That little lovestruck look on your face." 

"It's the same, plain look I've always had. The look of a potato."

"Don't give me that. It's the same look Nini had when she talked about wanting to marry Talula in the forest back at Burney." 

I try to remain nonchalant and play it off cool despite memories of my partner trying to kiss me repeating like a slideshow in my head. "There's nothing going on between us."

The little bear blinks at me, trying to figure out how I could be so dumb. "Look, if you get the hots for Cat Noir and someone figured out his identity, imagine all the shit he's gonna go through."

She pauses, looking me dead in the eye. "What if Hawk Moth found him out?"

I've fought with myself about that so many times in the past, weighing my responsibilities to the city with my feelings for him, trying to decide whether Cat Noir's love or his safety was more important to me. 

I still don't know the answer to that question, lingering around me like a hungry vulture. 

"I've thought of that already, Mato. It's just..." I exhale slowly. "Hard to resist him with how cute and sweet he is." 

Mato groans. "Ay coño, I can already see what's happening."

"What?" I ask. 

"You being the death of me with how infatuated you are with that cat," she snaps sarcastically, squinting her eyes. 

I frown. "Wait, can you actually die?"

Mato shakes her head. "I didn't help your ancestors live through boarding schools and stupid Catholics to drop dead now."

I nod but turn quiet, remembering that I have to face my mom after what I just said to her. Anxiety churns in my stomach, paralyzing me in place. 

"Hey." Mato's voice snaps me out of my thoughts. "It's gonna be fine. The world's not going to end when you have dinner with Shania."

Sighing, I make my way down the hall to the stairs. "It might as well with how pissed she is."

"If she's pissed at you, then just apologize to her."

"It's not that easy, Mato."

"Not everything in life is easy. Sometimes you have to fight your way through it, to use your damn teeth if you have to."