To Love Thy Enemy

Chapter nine - LadyNoir

"See you, Alya!" Marinette waved goodbye as she walked in the front door of her house.

It was almost midnight, so Marinette was getting dangerously close to her curfew, but she made it just in time.

Her parents didn't keep her long, just asking her if she had fun and then bidding her goodnight. Marinette returned their sentiments with a wave and headed upstairs, hopeful for a good night's sleep.

Lately, Hawkmoth had taken to sending akumas at night. Which was great excuse-wise, but was causing her to miss valuable hours of sleep.

"Night Tikki," Marinette yawned.

"Good night Marinette! Sleep well," Tikki replied, already settled in on Marinette's pillow with her eyes shut.

Marinette had just closed her eyes when her phone beeped with a familiar alarm.

"Oh no, no no no..." Marinette groaned, checking her phone to be sure. An akumatised victim was rampaging outside the Louvre.

"Ugh. Tikki, Spots On..." She mumbled as she dragged herself out of bed and through her trap door.

The familiar red costume molded itself to her skin and Ladybug felt a familiar surge of strength rush through her veins with the transformation.

At least the miraculous magic prevented her from being too tired while fighting an Akuma.

Slinging her yo-yo in the direction of the Louvre, Ladybug swung over the city. She could already see bright purple flashes coming from the museum, as well as an inky black shadow that could only be Chat Noir.

It had been awkward with her and Chat lately.

She had been meaning to speak to him about the other night, but every time she tried she just couldn't do it.

Besides, she was beginning to feel something for Luka, if not as strongly as she felt for Chat.

Chat had probably already moved on any way.

The awkwardness hadn't affected their relationship to an extreme extent, it was just there, lingering over them like a cloud of dust and infecting their lungs whenever a normally pleasant silence fell.

Ladybug dropped down on top of the pyramid, taking a second to survey the scene before leaping to action.

She hopped down next to where Chat Noir was spinning his baton. The villain was busy spurting purple goo out of his hands at anything that moved.

"Milady! Always a pleasure," Chat greeted, with Ladybug responding with, "The pleasure is mine, kitty."

The words left a strange feeling in her gut like she shouldn't be flirting since he'd shot down their chances. But then, he was flirting too, unless that was just his personality.

The awkwardness tinged the air as Ladybug called up her lucky charm, a leaf blower, and looked around for ideas.

The solution popped into her mind like a penny in a jar. "Chat, remember Glaciator? The object is beneath the goo!" Chat noir nodded and readied himself as Ladybug ran as close as she could to the villain.

Switching on the leaf blower, she turned it up to the highest setting and pointed it at him, resulting in all the goo coating his body being splattered across the glass panes of the Louvre.

Once the goo was almost all gone, Ladybug heard Chat scream for his cataclysm, followed by him bolting past her and grabbing the watch of the stunned man.

Ladybug dropped the leaf blower to catch the Akuma, releasing it into the sky before picking her Lucky Charm back up.

"Miraculous Ladybug!" She yelled, watching her Ladybugs clean up the leftover goo and restore everything to normal.

Chat Noir stepped up beside her, "Pound i-" he started, but Ladybug didn't let him finish.

"Chat we need to talk," she blurted.

"Uh now? It's kinda late..." Chat said uncomfortably.

"Yes, now. It's important," Ladybug insisted.

Oh shit.

Do I really want to do this?

Oh just do it Marinette, do it now.

"I like you too. A lot. And I don't want to tell you who I am but I want us to have a chance," she babbled, her words rushing over each other in their haste to exit her mouth.

Chat looked stunned.

"That is...if you haven't moved on already..." Ladybug mumbled self-consciously.

"No! Ladybug, believe me, I haven't," Chat assured, "But...how would it work? If we can't share who we are how will we properly date?"

Ladybug bit her lip, "I...I don't know," she admitted, "but I still want to try,"

"I'm sure you'll think of something bugaboo, you always have the best ideas,"

"So...you'll try?" Ladybug's face shone with hope.

"Of course M'lady! How could I resist your charm?" Chat winked.

Ladybug giggled, throwing her arms around his neck and holding him close. "I'll tell you what," she whispered into his shoulder, "We defeat Hawk Moth, I'll tell you my identity,"

"I can't wait," Chat sighed, his lips against her hair, "We'll defeat him. You and me M'lady."

-

"Can you believe it Plagg!" Adrien asked enthusiastically instead of trying to get some sleep, "Ladybug wants a chance. With me! And when we defeat Hawk Moth, she'll tell me her identity!!!"

Adrien had to muffle his excited squeals with his pillow like a little girl.

"Yeah I know kid, you've only told me 500 times," Plagg groaned, "I don't understand what the big deal is, besides, weren't you the one who shot her down?"

"I- I didn't shoot her down Plagg!" Adrien spluttered, "I didn't even know she liked me! It was more like shutting myself down actually..."

"Well either way, here we are!" Plagg groaned, just trying to sleep.

Adrien, on the other hand, couldn't sleep. He wandered about his room like a puppy. Climbing his rock wall, shooting some hoops, dancing to non-existent music. Adrien excitedly flittered from one thing to another, his attention span short and the night long, but he didn't tire or grow bored.

When the sun began to rise and Adrien's eyes began to droop, he was glad it was a Saturday so that he could get some sleep.

With his stupid smile still lingering on his face, Adrien pulled himself into bed.

"Wake me up if there's an Akuma, 'Kay Plagg," he asked the kwami, who was on the hunt for breakfast cheese.

"Sure thing kid," he affirmed, before hungrily digging into a piece of Gouda.

Adrien fell asleep still grinning like an idiot.

-

Some Ladynoir for you all 🫶
Don't be like Adrien, get some sleep please 🙏