"I just don't understand, Chat. I thought...all this time...," she clenched her fists at her sides and stared up at him, "What changed?"
Chat Noir stepped closer, pinning her against the railing of her balcony. The moonlight highlighted the dark rid...
Marinette hated how she'd pulled away from Chat, but the feel of his warm skin around her wrist frightened her. Seeing who he truly was, no matter how much she wanted to, would put him in danger and that was the last thing she wanted.
Besides she had a job to do. One she couldn't do as Marinette.
She ducked and allowed the crowd to flow out around her, before quickly sneaking back. She hid behind a dark sculpture and felt around for the clasps on her purse. "Tikki?" she whispered. The spotted kwami flew out from the purse and frowned, her antennae glowing faintly.
"What's going on?" she yawned.
"Chat Noir's here and I think he's in trouble." she replied, "Tikki! Spots on!" In a flash of pink light the kwami was sucked into her earrings and she'd transformed into Ladybug. She could feel Tikki's aura flowing over her skin, giving her the confidence she needed.
She ran through the halls, following the sound of voices and flashes of white light glowing through the passage ways. Then it stopped and Ladybug couldn't make out anything in the darkness.
"Chat?" she called softly. She blinked and a flash of bright light flew towards her. Ladybug flinched back and two arms circled around her waist from behind, throwing her to the side. She felt Chat's weight on top of her and saw the outline of his head as the light flashed and faded above them.
She had to fight the warmth rising to her cheeks. He quickly yanked her up with him as he ran a few feet away and suddenly stopped. "Milady, so nice of you to drop by." he said.
Her heart fluttered involuntarily and she brushed it aside. She could feel his erratic heart beat against her palm and heat from his body through their suits. It was so tempting to lean further into him, to surrender to his embrace and –
No. She had to focus. She was Ladybug, not Marinette. She had to defeat the akuma. She had to use her head.
She pushed away from him and glanced around the room, but it was still too dark to see anything aside for the rapid flashes of light bouncing off the walls and the artefact that shielded them.
"I know you're there." murmured the akuma, cackling loudly, "Da Vinci won't hurt you so long as you give me your miraculous."
Chat Noir nudged her hip and whispered, his breath brushing against the shell of her ear. She stiffened. "There's a sky light above us," he whispered, "But it's covered by a tarp. If we get it down you should be able to see."
Ladybug gripped her yo-yo, tighter than usual and smiled in what she thought was his direction. "Guess we'll need to light it up then. You with me, Chat?"
"Never doubt me, Milady. I always will be."
Oops! This image does not follow our content guidelines. To continue publishing, please remove it or upload a different image.
Ladybug cleansed the akuma and one by one the lights flickered back on. Every artefact was restored the people quickly broke out of their clay tombs. The struggle was over. But Chat Noir was frantic.
