The Fox and the Ladybug

Part 22.2: Loveheart

Lila's POV

2:02 pm

"Ladybug!" I cried out, but it was too late. Ladybug was knocked over by pink light. Slowly she heaved herself on her legs and a sense of relief washed over me. The feeling of dread quickly replaced that, however, when I looked her in the eyes.

Her eyes were droopy and dumb and lost their usual witty glint. Instead, her eyes had a heart highlight substituting her sharp shimmer. The weirdest thing of all was the color. Her normal dreamy sky-colored eyes were now bright pink. Her eyes were also extremely bloodshot and red around the edges. Her smile was a stupid open-mouthed face; not even a smile, just an open mouth.

"Are you okay?.." I whispered, although the growing pit of despair in my stomach and I knew the answer clearly. She turned to Chat Noir, and her open mouth formed a distorted grin. I looked back at Chat Noir and my heart dropped to the floor. His eyes and face looked identical to Ladybug's.

They hopped gracefully while for a moment almost defying gravity and collapsed into each others arms, their lips meeting almost instantly. The pit of horror travelled from my stomach to my eyes, and I was now on the verge of tears. A crazy cackle could be heard behind me, I and ducked just in time to avoid being hit.

I jumped out of sight to the secluded roof of Chloe's hotel. My moist eyes blinked again and again to calm myself. I closed my eyes for just a moment and when I opened them, I possessed a determined look.

"Mirage," I whispered angrily.

A replica of Chloe Bourgeois formed next to me. Her pastel blue eyes were blank and lifeless, like a canvas that hasn't been painted on. Other than that, she and the real Chloe looked identical. She jumped down from the building and stood in front of Loveheart, whose eyes dilated as soon as she saw the girl she was looking for.

"Chloe..." she whispered. Just as Chloe came near her, her face morphed into an expression of thunder.

"Don't you come near me, you had your chance!" Loveheart screamed ragefully with tears in her eyes, but there was helplessness behind her anger. Like if Chloe came near her, she would...fall in love with her all over again.

I pinched myself to make myself stop watching the pair, and dashed down to grab her bracelet and break it. The akuma flew out of the charm and into the air, but luckily Ladybug and Chat woke up from their...um...making out session.

"Ladybug, you have to purify the akuma!" I said to her, pointing to the purple butterfly flapping away. She nodded, and used her ladybug-magic-pink-light-magic-thing-stuff to capture the butterfly.

"Wait a minute, are you okay?" she asked nervously. "You just defeated a villain by yourself..."

"I'm f-" I started to say, but was cut off by Ladybug's worried rambling.

"Come here right now! What were you thinking? What kind of tea do you like? What about soup?" Ladybug talked anxiously, picking me up as if I was a helpless kitten and carrying me to her balcony.

"Marinette, I'm fine," I chuckled. I looked back at Chat Noir, who was confidently answering questions that would be filmed live. My mind drifted back to the moment where Chat kissed Ladybug, where Ladybug kissed Chat, and all of a sudden I wasn't in the mood for chicken soup.

Marinette sat me on her pink couch and wrapped a fluffy red and black blanket around me. She opened her mouth to ask me if I wanted some tea, but stopped when she saw my troubled face.

"Lila?" she asked nervously. She cupped my cheeks with her hands and turned her head towards hers.

"You don't...love...Chat, do you?" I choked out; my voice being disoriented by the lump in my throat. To my surprise, she laughed softly, then looked at me lovingly before giving me a quick kiss on the lips.

"I could never love anyone but you, Lila," she answered, and I believed her. I believe her, with all of my heart.