Under The Mask 🎭 (a Miraculous Ladybug Fanfic)

-3- Bookworm

"We can't let her write in that book!" Ladybug uses her yo-yo to knock Bookworm off balance. She drops her pen. "Cat Noir, the pen!" As he leaps off to grab it, Bookworm kicks Ladybug in the chest, sending her flying off the building.

"Milady!" Cat Noir dives off head first and grabs Ladybug, wrapping an arm around her waist. He uses his staff for a safe landing and sets her down. "I guess you could say you'll be falling for me in no time."

Ladybug rolls her eyes. "Bookworm has her pen back. We have to be careful. We can't let that purple light touch us." Grabbing her yo-yo, she throws it in the air, screaming, "Lucky Charm!" A book falls into her hands. "Another book? What are we going to do with this?" She looks around for clues. Bookworm's book glows, along with Cat Noir's staff and a jacket laying on the ground. "Cat, you think you can give me a boost with your stick?"

"Of course, Bugaboo." Cat Noir extends his staff, waiting. After Ladybug grabs the jacket, she balances herself on the silver pole. "So, what exactly am I doing?"

"On three, you're going to fling me up!" Ladybug points at the top of the building. "I'm going to try and get her book."

"I love the way you think, Milady."

Ladybug smiles. "Okay. One. Two. Three!" Cat Noir throws her in the air and she flies to the top. She twists off into a backflip and covers Bookworm's head with the jacket. She lands behind her, smiling, but is thrown against the roof door. Her head bounces off as she falls. "Oh..." She whispers, rubbing her forehead.

"You thought you could defeat me?" Bookworm walks up to Ladybug. A purple silhouette appears on her face. "First, you're going to give me your miraculous!"

"Never!" Ladybug defends.

"You think you have a choice?" Bookworm clicks her pen. "I'll just write it." She scribbles in her book and aims her pen at Ladybug. "You will give me your miraculous!" A purple ball of light shoots out and hits Ladybug in the chest. She smirks to herself.

Ladybug matches her smile.

Bookworm's eyes widen. "What?! Why isn't is working?"

"Oh, is this what you meant to write in?" Ladybug reveals Bookworm's book behind her back.

"What?!" Bookworm looks down. Her lucky charm sits in her hand. "No!"

Ladybug rips the book in half. "There. Now we just need the pen."

Cat Noir sneaks up on Bookworm, but she senses him and turns around, grabbing his tail and throwing him on Ladybug. "Just because I don't have my book doesn't mean you can defeat me!"

"Cat, don't hate me for this." Ladybug grabs the front and back of his suit. "Use your power. Ready?"

"Ready for WHAAAAT!" Cat Noir goes flying as Ladybug throws him. "Cataclysm!" He reaches his hand out and grabs the pen, destroying it. An akuma flies out.

Ladybug quickly catches it and sets it free. "Miraculous ladybug!" Paris and its people start turning back to normal.

Bookworm transforms back into civilian form. She looks around. "What? Where am I?"

"Pound it!" Ladybug and Cat Noir fist bump.

Their miraculous start beeping. "Uh oh. Gotta go, Kitty."

Cat Noir grabs her hand just as she's about to leave. "Wait! Will you meet me at the Eiffel Tower tonight? Ten o'clock?"

"Cat, we're about to transform."

"I know." He pouts. "I just need to talk to you about something important where we're not racing to hide our identities."

Ladybug smiles. "Okay, Cat Noir. See you tonight." She places a kiss on his cheek before leaping off the building.

"I love that girl," Cat Noir whispers to himself, smiling. His ring beeps again. "Time to go!" He jumps back into the alley just as he transform back. Adrien smiles at Plagg. "She kissed me! Ladybug kissed me!"

"On the cheek," Plagg corrects. "But Marinette kisssed you on the lips."

"Marinette!" Adrien's eyes widen. "I have to go find her!"

Adrien runs out of the alley towards where he last saw Marinette and collides with her as she runs to him. They both fall. "Marinette!" He cheers, smiling. He wraps his arms around her in a hug. "You're safe."

Marinette smiles at the hug. She's glad he's safe, too. Her heart dances. He was worried about her? "I'm glad you're safe, too." Adrien helps her up. "We should find Nino and Alya."

They both take off running and find them sitting on a park bench. "Look at these awesome shots I got!" She hands Nino her phone. "I'm going to post everything after I edit it." She spots Marinette and Adrien. "Hey! You guys okay?"

"Yeah." Marinette pants. She's not used to running, even being Ladybug. "I was hiding in an alley."

"Me too." Adrien and Marinette share a smile.

Alya pouts. "It sucks that I didn't get any footage of Ladybug and Cat Noir in action."

"Next time, babe." Nino wraps an arm around her shoulder. "Anyone hungry?"

Marinette smiles. "My dad's been baking all day. Anyone up for a treat?"

Adrien's eyes widen. "Always!"

On the walk home, Adrien couldn't help but notice that Marinette was acting weird around him. She wouldn't even stand next to him. Unknown to him, though, she's trying to calm the butterflies in her stomach. Her hands won't stop shaking. She finally kissed Adrien and she couldn't believe it. Adrien slows down and lets Nino and Alya walk ahead. He places a hand on Marinette's shoulder, and she jumps with a scream. "Are you okay, Marinette?"

"What? Why wouldn't I be?" She laughs, scratching the back of her neck.

"I don't know. You're acting..." He trails off. "Did I do or say something to make you uncomfortable?"

Marinette's eyes widen. "What? No! Not at all. Why would you think that?"

"It's just... you're acting a little different and I thought it was because I did something bad." Adrien frowns. "I couldn't live with myself if I hurt you somehow. Was it because of the kiss?"

Her cheeks burn and her eyes widen. "Yes! No! I mean, I just get nervous. That was my first kiss."

His eyes light up. "Mine too!"

"Really?" She almost didn't believe him. He was a handsome model. What girl wouldn't want to kiss him? "For real?"

"Yeah." Adrien smiles. "So, you promise I didn't do anything to get you mad?"

"No! Of course not." She shakes her head. "You could never get me mad."

Adrien smiles. "Cool." He sneaks a glance at her and his smile grows.