For all that the mad dash across Paris was a quick one, it seemed that Ladybug was doomed to spend the better part of battle struggling to keep her eyes scanning the horizon in search of the Akuma and not her partner.

'Ah," Chat Noir sighed, halting on top of the Trocadéro and tugging her by hand to duck back out of sight to survey the growing damage. The wind blew through his untamed mop of golden hair and his lips curved upwards. "That looks like trouble."

Nibbling at her lip, Ladybug stared off into the distance, eyes aimlessly darting around the gardens for a sign of their newest Akuma. It was a little hard to focus on a plan when she kept finding Adrien hiding in Chat Noir's crooked grin. Her mind kept stumbling, wondering what else she should have noticed about Adrien. After all, she was the one who had been looking at him for so long…

He sniffled beside her. "Well, this battle is going to be for the birds."

Smirking apologetically, she glanced over at him watching him swipe his claw in front of his nose. "Need to head back for some allergy medication?"

"That's no use." He shook his head. "It'll just make me sleepy."

Ladybug's lips pressed into a thin line. That wasn't going to do. At least one of them needed to have their wits about them. She forced her gaze pointedly away, all too aware he was still watching her. "Lucky for us both, Hawkmoth could only bother to push Mr. Pigeon to fly the coop again. Of all of the Akuma we've fought multiple times, Mr. Pigeon is the least likely to learn from failures of battles past."

"Got a preference in mind?"

Ladybug shook her head. "My mind is still reeling a bit, if I'm honest."

His smile grew soft; His voice even softer still. "You always are, my Lady."

"Then maybe you should pick the plan of attack today, Chaton."

Chat Noir gripped the edge of the rooftop, looking gleefully eager to pounce over the edge. "Call me sentimental, but I've always been a big fan of the classics."


Sighing wearily, Ladybug tossed the red spotted boomerang up into the sky, hoping it wasn't doomed to come back and smack her in her unsuspecting face again this time.

It was bad enough that she had managed to literally get tangled up with Chat Noir on that first day.

Exhaling slowly, she pulled her yoyo from the bandolero. There was nothing she wanted to do more than head back to school to get her bag, go home, and nap for the next week.

Or possibly more.

As her earrings beeped, she instinctively rushed to send her flying yoyo off to anchor onto the most solid building across the way.

"Ladybug, wait!" Chat Noir grabbed for her hand, before dropping it again, uncertain.

Blinking, she glanced back, following that hand with her eyes.

"You don't need to." He smiled softly. "Remember?"

She gulped against the growing lump in her throat. "I think I do. This...all of this is still a lot for me to process."

Fretfully, he nodded, not quite meeting her eyes. "Do you want to cancel patrol then? Or should I run it myself?

"I'll call you." She smiled ruefully, half-turned to swing off towards school to grab her backpack first. "Purromise."

Mentally exhausted as she was, the tiniest flicker of hope and humor that leapt into his eyes kept her going.