Falling for a Villain (Miraculous Ladybug)

Beautiful Eyes

Marinette

~~~

Ladybug was losing... pretty badly. But that was the plan, to lower his guard-- she just hoped it worked.

"So, Tracker, you don't seem like the type to get akumatized easily."

He huffs, his eyes watching her move her knight, "I'm not."

"So, what happened then?"

He moved a bishop in response, "I was doing your job, bug." She raised an eyebrow, prompting him to elaborate, "I was protecting an innocent person from an Akuma." He huffs out, not a fan of talking during their game.

She would need to make this conversation quick. Her eyes scanned the board, noticing that even while they were a decent way through their game, he hadn't yet used his queen. In fact, it was still behind a wall of pawns, "Either you're toying with me, or you really like your queen."

"She deserves to be protected-" Tracker answers, seemingly before his mind can catch up. He attempts to brush off the comment by then saying, "Why can't it be both? Now stop talking."

Ladybug pouted a bit but focused on the game. By now, she had stalled Tracker long enough for Chat Noir to safely get all the people off the rooftop. He casually sat as the mediator, his belt tail flicking back and forth.

Ladybug had to leave to give Tikki a rest, returning shortly. The board was still there--interesting. A few minutes had passed and Chat Noir seemed to have started a conversation with Tracker that Ladybug walked in on, "You really care about Marinette, huh?" Chat Noir asked.

Both Ladybug and Tracker seemed to be a bit caught off guard by that statement. She couldn't help but be curious about his answer, though.

Tracker tenses, "That's not why I did it."

"Then why did you do it?" Ladybug asked.

"Are you two always this annoying?" Tracker's intense glare met both Ladybug and Chat Noir as he deflected the question.

Chat smirked, a feline grin taking over his features, "A-fur-aid so, isn't that right, Bugaboo?"

Ladybug smiled and shrugs, "It's mostly you, Chat."

"Hey!" Chat huffed a bit.

"You two are much too relaxed for people about to lose their miraculous." Tracker huffed.

"Oh, silly, I only promised you my miraculous, not Chat's," Ladybug smirked mischievously.

Tracker's eyes flicked up from the chessboard to meet her gaze, his glare was downright icy. In a flash he reached for his book, knowing that he had been played, only to find the place that he had set it empty.

Chat Noir wore his signature feline smirk as he dangled the book in front of Tracker and said, "Cataclysm."

The book turned to dust and Felix was released from Scarlet Moth's hold. Ladybug quickly captured the Akuma and purified it. She and Chat Noir bumped their fists with their signature 'pound-it' before Ladybug quickly rushed to Felix's side.

"Are you alright?" Ladybug asked, worried. She looked to Chat Noir, "I'll take him home, you're going to detransform soon." Chat Noir looked at Felix, worried, but he nodded and left.

~~~

Felix

Felix looked at his hands and then his surroundings. His mind was a jumbled mess but there was someone here--Ladybug. He wouldn't let her see how rattled he was, he had to display the calm and collected Felix no matter the situation.

"Certainly an unpleasant experience..." He responded. He wanted to ask about Marinette-- was she alright? Was she hurt? "What happened while I was akumatized?" He asked calmly. He still couldn't meet the hero's gaze.

"Well... you tried to expose Lila Rossi to all of Marinette's classmates," She said.

"A fate deserved if you ask me." Felix then looked at her. His gaze met beautiful eyes, blue eyes like the ocean. His own eyes narrowed as he studied her. Surely they were different...

He could tell she got a bit flustered by the intensity of his stare by how she looked away.

"I agree but Lila should come clean in her own time if we ever have hope of her becoming a better person." It looked like Ladybug was trying to convince both of them with that statement. She stood and held her hand out to him.

Felix took her hand and she helped him stand. He was focused solely on her eyes, "You're acting strange, little bug. Last time I checked, you still didn't like me, if our encounter at the train station has anything to say about it."

He could see her tense up just slightly as if remembering she had a certain role to play.

"Yes well, from what I've heard-- you were quite the hero yourself today. Maybe I should've cut you a little slack."

Felix could tell she was hiding something but he's sure she hides a lot--being a masked hero and all. For now, he would back off, "I am no hero, Ladybug. But where is Miss Dupain-Cheng?"

"She's nearby... she was worried about you," Ladybug said, and Felix believed every word. "You should be able to take the elevator down to the street and find her, I've gotta get going."

Felix nodded, his gaze again locked on hers, "Until we meet again, Little bug."

Ladybug nodded quickly as she felt a blush rise up her cheeks and she quickly swung away.

~~~