"Are you excited? You've become such a huge celebrity with Ladybug and Cat Noir!" Kiismet chirped as she watched Ella from inside her locker.
"I'm just surprised that Raven is as popular as them. I mean- she's only helped out in a few fights. But to capture the eye of the famous sculptor, Théo enough to be included in his artwork for Ladybug and Cat Noir? I guess I never thought Raven would become a public figure."
"I think it's great!" The kwami fluttered down from her ledge to Ella's pocket, spinning a couple time like a dog before making herself at home. "Don't you have to get going?"
"Yeah... but I don't wanna be the first one to show up- I would have no idea what to say or do!"
"What're you gonna do? Sit on the roof and wait for Cat Noir or Ladybug to get there first?"
"That sounds perfect!" Ella giggled, shutting her locker. But as she moved to exit the room, someone pushed the door open, the pair colliding.
"Oh geez Ella I'm so sorry! Are you okay?" The onyx-haired girl blushed, looking up into Adrien's green eyes. The teen was dressed in his fencing outfit, clearly in the middle of practice.
'It looks good on him...' Her gaze moved down, taking it all in before Ella's eyes widened at her thoughts.
"Y-yeah... I'm okay- I didn't mean to bump into you." She pulled her eyes up to his face, which wasn't much better for her flirty thoughts. Those eyes just always captured and held her... But now they look familiar...
"Ella?"
Startled, Ella realized she had been staring at Adrien's face. Her face erupted red, stuttering apologies, while the teen chuckled.
"You're alright, Ella. Are you going home?"
"O-oh, uh, no- no. I uh, I was gonna go- um, the Louvre! For some inspiration!" Adrien chuckled again, making Ell'a blush deepen- geez the boy didn't know what he did to her!
"Well- I'll, um, let you get back to your practice! See you!" Ella waved and darted out of the locker room, Adrien watching her go with a soft smile.
Moving up to the second floor of the library, Ella hid her bag between some shelves and went to the open window. Taking one last look around to make sure she was alone, Ella opened her pocket. Kiismet zipped out, squealing about how cute Ella and Adrien were, drawing a blush and swatting hands from Ella.
"Are you done teasing me?" Ella asked, her cheeks and ears still hot. Kiismet nodded, that big smile remaining on her face.
"Kiismet, touch the sky!"
Stretching her wings, Raven flapped them a couple time before taking off for the roof. She settled in, sitting on the edge, waiting for one of her partners to show up first. Luckily, it wasn't long before Cat Noir came bouncing by.
"I think that's my cue!"
With a jump, Raven caught the air and followed the cat-boy, landing silently beside him and the statue.
"There you are, mon merle- been waiting for you~" Cat purred, taking her hand and giving it a kiss.
"Well hello to you, kitty." Raven giggled, waving at the crowd.
"Wow- Raven, it's such an honor to meet you! You and Ladybug are such an inspiration to me."
"Oh- it's, um, nice to me-meet you too, Théo..." Raven blushed, shaking the sculptors outstretched hand.
"I was wondering if you and Ladybug could autograph this for me?"
"S-sure!"
Cat watched the interaction with a "slight" wave of jealousy. Only he was allowed to make his angel blush!
"Do you know what Ladybug's gonna be here?" Théo asked Raven, but Cat slid down between them from his statue perch.
"Don't worry about Ladybug- I'm sure she'll be here any minute. Mon merle and I can handle this situation- I'm the one in charge after all, ya know."
"In your dreams, kitty cat." Raven teased, giggling at the disgruntled look Cat shot her.
"I want her to sign this too. She and Raven are both so smart and brave, the way they work together and save everyone..." Raven was blushing again, making Cat glare at the sculptor.
"Perhaps the ceremony should commence. It might bring her here faster." The mayor spoke, turning towards them.
"Please, just one more minute, Mayor Bourgeois. She's going to make it, I can feel it..."
Raven offered to try calling Ladybug's yo-yo, moving a little ways away from the noise. Cat watched her, making sure she was safe (or just being an overprotective crushing teenager), until she returned shaking her head.
"No answer." 'She might not even be Ladybug yet' Raven thought, wondering what was taking so long.
"Well then, we should begin. It's only proper for Paris to pay homage to those who protect us from evil. Ladybug, Raven and Cat Noir!"
The cloth fell away from the statue and Raven couldn't help but gasp in awe. Cat Noir was crouched in front, Ladybug standing with her yo-yo loose, and her own likeness was seemingly mid-flight- her wings outstretched as well as her arms over her partners.
Cat Noir and Raven shook the mayor's hand at the end of the event, the female staying to answer some questions for Alya, while Cat walked back to the statue.
"These statues are amazing! One thing's slightly off though- I'm actually taller than the girls."
"Ladybug didn't show up. And Raven stayed by you the whole time. I just wanted to express my adoration for them. Let them know that everything I have went into their statues. I'm sure that if at least one of them took a little time to get to know me, they would see how much we have in common- our devotion to the things we love."
Cat frowned at the artist's words, not liking the implication that the guy would settle for either of his partners- that was just creepy.
"Well, don't mean to burst your bubble, but you know, Raven was by me all day because we're a thing- a couple, ya know? And Ladybug's got a crush on someone already, and she's pretty close to becoming a thing with them."
"Really?" And Cat couldn't help feeling smug at the look of heartbreak on the guy's face.
"Yeah, Raven and I are like this." Cat crossed his fingers, smirking. And the smirk only grew when Théo angrily shoved Cat's arm off his shoulder and stalked away.
The timing was perfect, as Raven jogged back over to him.
"Man can that girl talk!" She sighed, taking a deep breath to calm herself. Cat smiled at her reappearance, wrapping an arm around her waist.
"I wish I could spend even more time with you, my beautiful angel, but sadly the civilian life calls for this cat."
"I'm sure I'll see you tonight, kitty~" Raven poked his cheek, smirking at the blush she drew from the flirty boy.
"Someone's getting a little bold." Cat teased, wrapping his other arm around her to pull her close. Raven smiled, leaning her head forward so her forehead met his nose gently.
"Go do your thing, Cat, and I hope to see you at the Eiffel Tower later." Raven pulled herself from his arms and blowing a kiss, she spread her wings and took off.
~Théo wanted to break something. He stomped into his studio, staring up at the sketch of his statue.
"A thing, huh? You don't even take love seriously! Calling it a thing... You don't deserve Raven- or even being near Ladybug! I do!"
"Disappointed by Raven and jealous of Cat Noir. The perfect formula for disaster. This couldn't come at a better time, knowing what I know about you and your feathered friend, Cat Noir..."
Hawkmoth smirked as one of his many butterflies landed in his hand, only to be imbued with his miraculous' power.
"Fly away, my little akuma, and evilize him!"
The butterfly traveled through Paris' sky, flitting into the open window of Théo's studio and landing on the crumpled half autographed photograph.
"Hello, Copycat. I am Hawkmoth. Once you get rid of Cat Noir, you can take his place. And then Raven and Ladybug will be yours forever!"
"The very thought makes me purr..."
Ella groaned, stretching her back out. She ended up staying in the library after she got back from the ceremony, working on some homework and writing some more sheet music for a new music assignment: create a music piece in honor of the city's heroes. Of course she wasn't going to include Raven in the mix but wanted to equally shine light on Ladybug and Cat Noir.
Kiismet was currently asleep in her bag on top of her unneeded books. Rifling through the papers all over the tabletop for her phone, Ella finally found and unlocked the device, scrolling through her texts. Seeing one from Adrien timestamped after they had run into each other in the locker room, with a simple message asking her to call him when she had a free moment, had the girl blushing 'Ladybug' red. Steadying her breath, Ella tapped the screen a few times before raising the phone to her ear.
~ "How do you listen to messages on this-" Marinette's panic was cut off as the phone began to ring, Ella's name shining across the screen with a selfie Adrien had taken with the girl, the pair smiling happily. Marinette frowned at the sight, immediately hitting the 'deny call' button. Tikki made a face, sad to see her holder jealous of her friend.
"Marinette, why'd you do that? Why not just let it ring?" The kwami scolded.
"She knows I have a crush on Adrien... and yet she's closer to him than anyone else..."~