Hello sinners! This ISNT a smut one-shot, it's actually pretty chill compared to my other ones. You can also read this story on AO3!
https://archiveofourown.org/works/19816795
Please enjoy!
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"Bring me her miraculous."

"As you wish, Hawkmoth."

This was the fourth hour of work her parents were putting her through. She wasn't even sure what she was doing anymore from the amount of brain damage of boredom she was experiencing. No one had really come through the bakery today. She lost track at this point. Besides, it wouldn't really matter in a few hours or so. She will soon be out with her friends bowling or ice skating, away from this hell her parents temporarily trapped her in. Of course, she loved her parents and wanted to help them, but they didn't have to put her to work for five hours.

She tapped her fingers in a smooth rhythm softly on the table top she sat in front of with the cash register right next to her. Her eyes occasionally glanced up to the to the door to see if any customers were coming. When in reality, she had other important matters on his mind. Issues involving Hawkmoth and the fate of Paris mostly held within the palm of her hands.

Ever since Marinette was gifted with the ladybug miraculous, she's done nothing but fight to protect the people of Paris from Hawkmoth's reign of terror, occasionally stopping bad guys from getting what they want. It became pretty routine for her at this point; fight, de-evillize the akumatized butterfly, repeat. It was getting pretty boring, and she wondered if Hawkmoth would change this silly routine. And boy, he really changed it this time.

And she didn't see this weapon coming.

He was different from all of them. Instead of being mind slaved by Hawkmoth, he had a mind of his own. He was cunning, smart, and fast. At first she thought he was just another akumatized victim, ready to be cleansed and go back to his normal life. Only she soon came to realize after failing in capturing him and beating him, he wasn't like the other villains she's faced.

He was a miraculous holder, just like she was.

Another person just like her — only they were using their powers for evil instead of good, like Hawkmoth.

He calls himself Chat Noir, as if his name couldn't be anymore obvious to the association his miraculous held. She noticed the cat themed ring he wore on his finger, which she assumed was his miraculous. Tikki had informed her that the ladybug and cat were similar to the meaning of yin and yang, meant to balance each other out and bring peace to everyone. Now the bringer of creation was fighting the bringer of destruction — sounds fitting.

When he first appeared, she was taken away by the confidence he possessed. He carried herself with dignity and charisma, his eyes withholding so much secrecy and mystery, and his grin just as cunning as he was. This was her match, two people destined to battle each other out till the end of time. This was the yin to her yang, the creation to his destruction.

The bug to his black cat.

Cheesy, huh? Marinette thought to herself.

He was evil, nothing but a rotten entity meant to do nothing but poison this earth and every little, living thing just like the cataclysm he brings.

Their battles were legendary — as what twitter would usually say. Every time they fought, the words "Cat vs. Bug" would start trending and people would discuss what happened and make assumptions about the other. Some people would even go so far as the ship the two, which Marinette couldn't understand at all. Their dynamic was based on pure hatred for each other, feeding on the passion to destroy the other and finally succeed on what they were born to do.

But... she knew there was something deeper brewing. Although she's chosen to deny it countless of times, she couldn't stop herself from almost caring for him. She was a hero after all, she was supposed to have compassion, even for those trying to kill her.

Marinette assumed it started when they would get close past their boundaries; when she'd close in on him and pin him to the wall, or she'd crawl on top of him and prevent him from escaping, and many other situations.

Then again, there was another situation...

She couldn't exactly recall how it happened, she just remembered the two chasing after each other on the very top of the Eiffel Tower. He had just knocked her yo-yo out of her hand and sent it on the other side of the tower. Just as she was chasing after it to regain it back in her possession, he extended his staff toward her in order to trip her. Unfortunately, her "trip" ended with her completely falling off the tower with no way to save herself.

His instincts kicked in. He grabbed her yo-yo and jumped off the tower in an attempt to save her. He dove quickly down through the air fighting back against him, and he used her yo-yo to reach out to her and pull her towards him. His hand immediately snatched her waist while his other grabbed his staff, pressing the small green paw and extending it. It hit the ground, slowing down their speed of the fall and helping him to land on the floor safely with her in his arms.

That's when she saw a hint of something in his eyes. Beyond that black mask, she saw something pure — almost whole. Before she could take him in, he dropped her on the ground and ran off, disappearing in the distance. He somehow knew she wouldn't chase after him, and she didn't. She stood behind and watched him leave. She soon left the scene as well once her earrings beeping pulled her back into reality.

That was the first small hint of humanity that she saw within him. Something that was pure and innocent lied behind that mask he so desperately clung too. After thinking about it, she's never actually seen him put anyone in harm. Every danger that seemed to come by innocents, he somehow managed to move it away from them. He only focused the battle between the two of them, fighting for only her miraculous and nothing else unlike the akumatized victims who was forced to reign havoc on the entire city. She assumed that he wasn't completely evil then, but he was still on the wrong side.

After that moment, he only seemed to be working twice as hard to take her earrings from her. One time, he almost did achieve in taking it, if only she hadn't gotten distracted by his incredible, attractive eyes that she easily gets herself lost in. She successfully kicked him off once she felt his gentle hands cupping her cheek.

Nonetheless, she couldn't afford to feel anything towards him. He was the bad guy, trying to take her miraculous and achieve Hawkmoth's wishes. He already succeeded in capturing the black cat miraculous, she couldn't afford to let her miraculous fall into his hands and eventually rule over Paris. He often wondered why he chose to fight along Hawkmoth's side instead of hers. Why did he want to fulfill Hawkmoth's wishes? Why not fight beside her if they were destined to fight alongside each other as Tikki said?

Her mom tapped on Marinette's shoulder bringing her back from her thoughts. She turned to her mom frowning at her. "Marinette? I've been calling your name but you didn't hear me."

"Oh, sorry mama, just lost in thought, I guess." Marinette smiled at her mom and straightened herself up.

Her mom then told her that her shift was over. She almost tripped over himself when she stood from the table and rushed out of the door saying goodbye to her mother. She was ready to meet up with her friends and finally get some free time.

Marinette felt a wave of relief wash over her once she felt the breeze of the air hit her. Tikki zipped out from her purse smiling. "Do you think he'll be there today?" Her kwami smiled. "He wasn't there the last time when you all hung out. Or the time before that."

"He'll be there." Marinette sighed, feeling her shoulders grow less tense and eventually relaxed.

After a few seconds of silence, there was a loud explosion that caught her attention from a distance. A voice soon followed the explosion as well as fits of laughter. "Hey, Ladybug!" Her alter ego was called, hints of anger and teasing were chanted behind her name. "Come out and play, my lady! Ready for another round?"

Marinette cursed under her breath and immediately ran into an empty alley nearby. "Tikki, spots on!"

A pink light consumed her, and she immediately transformed into her signature look. She threw her yo-yo into the air latching on to something and pulled herself off the ground and on to the rooftop of the building she was close to. She began to run across the roof, jumping over to the next rooftop and the next reaching the explosion nearby. As soon as she reached the scene, she didn't see any mangled bodies or anyone at least injured. It seemed that nobody was nearby the building when it exploded. Had he intended for that to happen?

She hardly had time to react to the fact that she was kicked off the ledge of the building from behind. Ladybug hit the ground hard, leaving a dent in the pavement below. A groan rose from her throat, and she forced her eyes open despite the pain spreading throughout her. A small, maniacal laugh came from above her. "Nice of you join in, my lady! It's been no fun without you." He hopped down to the pavement below, landing on his feet with grace. Ladybug began to force herself off the ground and back on her feet. "Trust me, kitty... this won't be fun."

"Hmm... pity." Without a moment to blink, he came at her in a hurry. He threw a punch in which she dodged, but threw her off with a backwards kick to the jaw. He was fast, and she almost forgot how fast he was. She stumbled back a bit but was prepared for his next blow. Almost like she knew what his next move was, she managed to catch his foot midair before coming in contact with her stomach. She then acted fast and twisted his foot around, resulting in twisting his body and landing him on his stomach on the ground.

"Predictable." She grinned down at him. Before she could pin him down, he pushed herself up with his arms and made a few flips away from her. He successfully landed on his feet and clenched his fist, positioning himself in a battle stance. "Please, my lady, I'm just getting started."

She frowned in response, then began to charge at him. He ran towards her too, and the two of them began to battle it out. He threw a few punches while attacking her with his staff, her yo-yo tried to disarm him but he stood his ground with a strong grip. She didn't enjoy fighting him, even when she knew it was the right thing. They've been doing this too long, and she needed to get through to him. She was tired of pulling her punches.

She kicked him back away from her, causing him to stumble back. She charged at him with a punch to the cheek, another in the jaw, and another at his cheek again. He tried to block her attacks with his arm, but she broke through with a strong blow. Realizing he was losing, he reacted fast and extended his staff in the air, and lifted himself up and away from her landing on the rooftop next to the burning building. She followed after him using her yo-yo to get on high ground.

"Running so soon?" She teased while landing a few feet away from him.

"Not until I get my hands on your miraculous."

She threw her yo-yo at him, and it wrapped around his arm while he brought them up to block her attack. She yanked her yo-yo forward towards her, and she charged at him with a strong kick to the chest. The force of the kick caused him to fly backwards and land on the roof of the burning building, disappearing in the heavy clouds of smoke. She followed after him disappearing as well.

Ladybug landed on the building and kept her guard on. She coughed a bit after inhaling the smoke around her, not realizing how heavy it was until she was inside of it wandering around the unsteady rooftop. He could've fallen through the roof and into the building, then she would've had to go in and search for him. Of course, only for the sole purpose of retrieving his miraculous. Nothing more, and nothing less.

He seemed to be nowhere in sight, and she grew more curious as to where he was. In an instant, Chat launched himself at her and tackled her to the ground. Ready to take her miraculous from her, she reacted quickly and kicked him off her causing him to land a few feet away from her. A loud crack sounded below him, but his rage clouded his hearing. She remained on the ground feeling weaker than before. "Give up, Chat!" She stayed away from him, continuing to cough from inhaling too much smoke.

He stood up from where she threw him, beginning to step closer towards her as the ground below him continued to creak. "I won't give up! But if you give me your miraculous, then this could all be over."

Ladybug looked down at his feet realizing what was happening. "Don't come any closer." She spoke softly.

"Scared now, are we?" He took another step forward, the creaking growing louder and heavier. "When will you understand that you just can't beat me —" He was cut off when the roof caved in below him, causing him to fall into the burning building. He disappeared into the flames, unknowing how many floors he fell through.

"Chat Noir!" She called out to him in shock. Reacting quickly, she rose to her feet and dove into the flames after him. She landed on a wooden surface, almost breaking through it. she ducked as ceilings began to cave in with fire. Ladybug coughed from the amount of smoke filling her lungs and making her eyes water. She searched the areas she was in, trying to spot the familiar villain that fell through.

"Chat!" She called our to her. "Chat Noir!" She came across another hole in the ground and spotted him lying beneath unconscious. She hopped down to the floor below and managed to land beside him. She turned him over on his back, seeing that his eyes were closed and he was unresponsive. Her heroism kicked in, and she scooped him up in her arms prepared to get them out of this mess. Wood continued to cave in on them, and there seemed to be no way to escape. Fire was surrounding her and blocking every exit she could think of.

She was going to die, and it was all his fault.

Ladybug felt herself growing weaker and more tired as more smoke began to fill her lungs, making her cough uncontrollably. She could barely stand, even with the added weight she was carrying. Ladybug had to think fast, or at least, she couldn't afford to think at all. Her instincts kicked in, and she ran towards the nearest wall she could see with the clearest path. She clutched Chat Noir close to her chest jumped through the wall, breaking through the wood and crashing into the building next to the burning one. The burning building collapsed as soon as Ladybug jumped out from it. She rolled on to the ground, and they were both safe. She loosened her hold on him and tried sitting up just when she began to cough tremendously. Her whole body ached with pain and her eyes felt tired.

Ladybug collapsed back down on the floor. She turned her head to look at the male beside her, his eyes closed and body still. She had enough energy to remove his miraculous, to keep them hidden, but she chose not to. She rather just lay here beside him, and feel her eyes grow heavy and vision become dark.

She woke up with the view of the sun setting. Her eyes readjusted to the light, and she forced herself  to sit up. She turned over expecting to see her enemy sleeping beside her, only he wasn't there. She turned and found him sitting up prompted against an old desk with his eyes looking towards the window. His face looked dirty, covered in debris and smoke, and his hair was messier than it already was.

"You're still here." She managed to say even when her throat strained for water.

"And you're still alive... for a moment, I thought you were dead."

"Sorry, kitty, but unfortunately my luck over powers your bad luck..." She smiled. She still felt sore, and tired. She managed to scoot backwards and lean back against a pillar. She stared down at herself and found that she was still dressed in her red and black spotted suit. She then lifted her hand to her ear feeling her earrings. The two sat in awkward silence, staring out at the window and watching the sun set in the distance.

"You saved me." Chat Noir spoke first. His eyes remained on the glass. "Why?"

"I'm a hero. It's what I do."

"But I've done nothing but made your life a living hell, torture you and pester you. You could've taken my miraculous and left me, but you didn't. Why save someone like me?"

She turned her head to look at him and found that he was staring back at her. "You're not a bad person. Although you pester me and torture me, you still have a good heart."

ChT scoffed and crossed his arms over his chest. "Yea right. I'm a villain. Villains aren't good and don't have a good organ in their bodies."

"Then why do you avoid hurting innocent people?" She watched as he grew tense, but his eyes remained fixated on the broken window. "I've seen the way you protect people. With the mayhem you cause, you still find a way to protect the people of Paris from it. Makes my job a little easier." She paused. "Besides... I couldn't just let you... die. I may hate you, but I don't want you to die."

She rubbed her neck from the soreness she felt, remember her miraculous. "You had the chance to take my miraculous too... so why didn't you?"

Chat Noir shrugged and looked the other way. "I owed you... for saving me. We're even now."

The two fell into silence once again. Neither one of them leaving, only staying and keeping the other company as they healed. Ladybug continued to stare at the unlucky black cat sitting just a few feet away from her, taking in the image of his face as the sun gleamed over him. She let out a small sigh and crossed her arms over her chest. "Why do you do it?"

"Do what?" Chat frowned.

"You know... make my life a living hell. Why do you want my miraculous?"

"I don't want it." Chat glanced at her for a moment then looked away again. He had trouble keeping eye contact. "Hawkmoth does."

"Okay, dumbass, I know! But why are you helping him?"

Chat felt himself growing irritated. He clenched his jaw and turned his head. "You ask too many questions."

Ladybug stood up after gaining some of her strength back. She stretched a bit, feeling a bit of her bones crack. "I don't think I'm asking enough." He remained on the ground, looking away from her and keeping quiet. Ladybug continued to stare down at him, leaning back against the pillar for support. "Can you at least answer me this..." She frowned. "Why can't you look me in the eyes?"

This time, Chat stopped to look at her. She was crossing her arms, her posture straight and her back against the pillar. He remained silent as his eyes burned into her skin before lifting himself off the ground and making his way slowly towards her.

"I can't look you in the eyes because..." He paused. He took a few small steps towards her, and she felt herself grow tense. She almost reached out for her yo-yo. "If I look at you... even the slightest bit..." He was closer. Ladybug could almost reach out for him. "I'll realize that what I'm doing is wrong... and that I shouldn't be fighting you." When he reached her, she noticed how much taller he was compared to her. She kept her head low, and his eyes were staring down at the top of her head. She held her breath afraid that she might say something she'll regret. "If I look into your eyes... I'll see all the hope and heroism you possess, and be captured by the beauty you hold within yourself. While you're smiling as you save Paris, or your determined look while beating me." He lifted his hand and placed his fingers on the bottom of her chin, gently lifting her head so she could look at him.

"That's a lie..." Her voice cracked and her mouth dried.

"Do you truly believe that?" His voice came out softer, and his eyes looked sincere. He leaned closer, and she found herself leaning her head back and away from him, but that only allowed him to move towards her. His hand rested on the pillar that was supporting her. "Because I'm looking at you right now... and I can't help but feel myself fall for the courage you possess in your blue-bell eyes..."

Ladybug looked away readjusting her eyes to look down at the ground below them. "You're just saying that... to get to my miraculous." She breathed out her answer shifting uncomfortably under him.

"You could be right..." He simply answered, lifting his other hand and pushing her hair behind her ear leaving her red and speechless. "But why not have a bit of fun while I'm at it?"

"Fun?" Ladybug scoffed. She then pushed him away and moved around him to place more space between them. "Is that all this is to you? Fun? You think fighting each other and trying to steal my miraculous is fun?"

"Come on, Bug, why can't you just chill out and behave —"

"God, you're unbelievable!" Ladybug scoffed. "For a moment, I actually believed you were being genuine!"

"Ladybug —"

"No!" She shouted, reaching for her yo-yo and going towards the window she broke through. "No, go to hell, Chat!"

"I wasn't playing with you!" He cried out to her, causing her to stop in her tracks. "I was... I was being serious." He frowned.

Ladybug turned around to look at him directly. She wasn't sure what to say, so he took her silence as a sign and continued talking. "I don't want to fight... but you have to understand that I can't just stop fighting you."

"Why the sudden empathy?" She glared.

"It's like you said... I'm not a bad person."

Ladybug frowned, looked down at her yo-yo and thinking for a moment. They were sworn enemies, and Paris knew that. But deep down she knew they both didn't want to live this life anymore. She saw it in his eyes with every battle they fought as he tried desperately to avoid hers.

"I can't trust you." She spoke softly.

Chat nodded understanding what she said. His eyes stared into hers, and she stared back at his desperately. "Alright... but at least allow me to do this." He charged towards her, capturing her face in his hands and smashing his lips against hers. Her body tensed under him, and her eyes went wide with shock. She didn't think he'd kiss her, and she couldn't believe how incredibly nice it felt. She knew this was wrong, but it all happened so fast and felt so familiar to her. She No one was watching, nobody was around, and so she believed that just once this was okay. She figured that she was Ladybug, and he was Chat Noir. This moment would soon be forgotten.

So Ladybug relaxed and felt her arms wrap around his neck, embracing him and this kiss they were sharing. He turned his head to deepen the kiss, his hands trailing down to her waist pulling her closer to his chest to the point where she could feel his heart beating rapidly.

Eventually, she had to pull away for air. She let out a shaky breath, keeping her eyes closed because she knew that if she looked at him it'll all be over. They both had their eyes closed, their foreheads pressed against one another. They stood there listening to each other's breathing not wanting this moment to end.

"I'm going to turn around..." She sighed. "And leave the building... with you behind."

"Okay..." He nodded. Eventually, he felt her leave from in front of him. The moment he opened his eyes, she was gone. Like a ghost that vanished before him. He looked ahead at the empty space in front of him, frowning for a moment. "Father is going to kill me."

Marinette arrived at the cafe her friends were meant to meet at. Alya and Nino were already waiting for her at a table. When Alya caught sight of her best friend, she stood from her seat and waved her over. "Marinette!"

The raven head walked over to the table, smiling at Alya and Nino. "Girl, what took you so long?"

"Sorry, I got held back at the bakery... Is Adrien here?"

"Sorry, Mari, no text from him." Nino shrugged sipping on the last bit of coffee left. Not a minute later, the door chimed alerting everyone that someone had entered the cafe. Marinette turned around, seeing that Adrien had just walked in. His eyes wandering around the area, scanning for his friends. Eventually, his eyes landed on Marinette, and a smile grew on his face.

Marinette ran over to the boy and immediately pressed her lips against his. Being as oblivious as she is, she didn't suspect anything, and neither did Adrien.

The blonde happily returned the kiss to his girlfriend, his hands latching around her waist just as he did with Ladybug. A hint of guilt came boiling in the pit of his stomach, but he ignored it.

Marinette pulled back and smiled up at him. "I'm happy to see you again..."

Adrien chuckled. "So am I."

If only they knew.