"It's almost my birthday, you know," Chat said, swinging his feet that dangled from the platform they rested on. Ladybug couldn't help but smile, leaning her head against his shoulder in comfortable familiarity. Of course she knew. Years of partnership with the boy - no, young man- in cat ears had given her more than enough information about him - his birthday, his favourite colour (blue, which she was nearly certain was a soft romantic reference to her eyes), and treats that he loved to eat. Despite the fact they couldn't and hadn't shared any specific details about their civilian selves, she knew what he was thinking with a single glance at the look on his face.
She loved him more than anything.
"And what does my Kitty want for his birthday?"
She knew this game. The simple flirtatious banter that allowed them safely skirt the fine edge of romance while still drawing the line at friendship. It scared her - the thought of Hawkmoth somehow managing to destroy Chat, the memories of haunting white version always lingering in the back of her mind. It didn't matter how long ago that reality had happened. The truth of it haunted her. Until the day they defeated the villain, Chat remained off limits. Her heart be damned.
"A kiss, milady. That is all this cat could ask for."
A gentle purr rumbled from within him, a knowing smirk on his lips when she dared to glance up at his face.
"I guess we will have to wait and see."
"I guess we will."
Silence rested softly while they stared out over the city. Night always provided a beautiful view of Paris - lights twinkling all around like stars in the universe.
Neither seemed particularly anxious to leave their perch. An uneventful patrol of the city at the end of a relatively quiet week left them loathe to leave each other's company.
Except, perhaps, the to-do list in Ladybug's head. Assignments. Commissions. All sorts of things that needed finishing, along with promising Alya an early breakfast meeting (which now seemed impossibly foolish) and the need to help in the bakery throughout the following day. Or was it already this day? She wasn't sure.
With reluctance, Ladybug stretched, pulling herself to her feet.
"Time to go, Chat," she murmured, fingers grazing her yo-yo. He practically jumped to his feet beside her leaning breathlessly into her space, the emerald green of his eyes flashing from the reflection of the lights on the tower around them. He grasped her hand, just like he did every other time they parted, pressing them against his lips without breaking his gaze.
"Good night, Milady."
A shiver rippled through her at the timbre of his voice, temptation to give into his birthday desire nearly overwhelming her. At least until his confounded, knowing smirk returned, breaking the moment.
"Gah. Good night." Pulling her fingers out of his, her yo-yo whizzed at her sudden, sharp throw and whisked her off into night. "Troublesome cat," she grumbled to herself mid-flight.
Her feet barely hit the edge of her balcony patio before an alarm vibrated quietly through her yo-yo. Pulling it back to her with a snap, she flicked open the screen to see the words "AKUMA ALERT" flashing in a brilliant red. So much for the responsibilities.
A flick of the wrist sent her back onto the rooftops, racing across the city towards where the signal indicated danger. Situated in a section of Paris that seemed to stay busy despite whatever time of day it might be, the Akuma didn't move. Ladybug hoped that at least the people would have cleared out.
Sliding to a stop on a roof just outside the indicated park, Ladybug could hear the sound of Chat's casual stream of banter. A quick peek revealed him standing calmly in front of an extremely oversized clam.
Jumping down, she approached with caution, shooting her partner an eyebrow raised look of curiosity. Chat simply shrugged.
"Should we crack it open and look for a pearl?" he asked, poking the mollusk with the end of his baton. When she agreed, the baton became a lever, jammed between the seam and levered hard in an attempt to pry it open. A crack echoed off the walls of the buildings nearby, a sign of some progress on Chat's behalf. He grinned at her, resetting his stance to try again.
The instant his arm applied pressure, the oyster released, popping open so unexpectedly that Chat tumbled backwards with a yelp and a soft thud.
The lid raised slowly, a thick mist filling the park and enveloping everything around.
Ladybug coughed as it crept over her, yo-yo already whirling to create a gap in the fog. She could hear Chat scrambling to his feet, trying not to choke.
"Ladybug?" His voice raspy with irritation.
"Here."
Somehow he found her in the mist, pressing his side against hers in a defensive pose. Who knew what to expect from such an unusual Akuma?
It felt like minutes, but in likelihood it was more like seconds, a loud click vibrated through the air, the sound dissipating the cloud that surrounded them. Ladybug stared at the now open shell, a figure standing in the midst of it.
Bathed in the moonlight, a woman stood, auburn hair curled around her like a mantle, nearly reaching her toes. She wore nothing more than thin fabric that appeared more invisible than real, draped in such a way that it accentuated and clung to the curves of her immaculate body - like that of a Greek statue. Although Ladybug couldn't make out the colour of the woman's eyes, the way they flashed in the silver light of the moon was breathtaking, calling somehow with an almost unmistakable lure.
Beside her, Chat let out a low whistle.
'Wow, Hawkmoth has seriously stepped up his design game with this one." Ladybug had to agree. Usually his akumas were dressed in some gaudy outfit that made it stand out in a flash of brilliance and flamboyance. This one, whoever she was, stood out in sheer beauty.
"Be careful, Chat. I know she looks innocent enough, but I think she's going to be trouble." Chat nodded, clutching his baton in front of himself, poised for action. "Where do you think her akuma might be?"
They studied the woman who simply stood in place, staring unyieldingly in their direction. The only option seemed to be one of the golden accessories she wore - the tiara, bangle, or belt. In agreement, they nodded at each other in the silent understanding borne from partnership, throwing themselves into action.
"Hey. Pretty Lady! Looks like we really brought you out of your shell!" Chat called, moving the opposite way of Ladybug. Despite his eternal need to be a jokester, she knew that deep-down he took this job seriously. Be the distraction. Draw the attention. Give her the chance to get the akumatized object.
The copper-haired woman did as expected, turning her gaze to his direction with a slight look of curiosity. Ladybug made her way around the other side of the park, silently approaching from behind the open shell. Peeking around the edge of the shell, Ladybug examined the woman who was nearly in her grasp. One of the golden features had to hold the akuma.
The woman's head snapped around quickly to look at her, her eyes narrowing sharply. The unexpected movement caught Ladybug by surprise, a moment of hesitation as she grasped her yo-yo for an offensive attack. The woman stretched out her hand, reaching as if she begged to be touched. Throughout the park, the single sound of fingers snapping together vibrated, creating a pressure so deep within Ladybug that she found herself forced to her knees. Weighed down as if she carried cement around her neck, Ladybug sank to the ground, head bowed and body curled in on itself.
"Ladybug!" Chat's voice yelled from somewhere on the other side of the space. Ladybug struggled to fight against the sudden heaviness, fingers twitching against her yo-yo but unable to do anything of value. Still able to control her eyes at least, Ladybug searched for her partner in the moonlight - a flash of silver the only sign of him before he struck at the woman with his baton. The responding movements were quick, a hand reaching out to connect with his weapon before it hit her. Chat made a grunt as the sudden stop of motion jolted him, tumbling on the ground with his baton thunking into the grass beside him.
"Foolish mortal," the woman muttered, her voice as smooth as silk. "No one treats Aphrodite like this."
"Aphrodite?" Chat echoed, suddenly connecting all the pieces together of the woman's appearance. "As in, Goddess of Love?" Her smile made his breath catch in surprise. She really was beauty embodied.
At the edge of his vision, Ladybug looked frozen in a hunched over sort of kneel - as if she was praying to the goddess before her. Scrambling to his feet, Chat scooped his baton off the ground to launch himself at the woman again. He needed to somehow get Ladybug free - whether that be breaking the spell or knocking the woman's akuma, it didn't matter.
Aphrodite's arm stretched in his direction, her finger curling is if she called him closer. His eyes widened in surprise as his body first froze in position, baton clutched in one hand, and then slowly began to slide closer towards the open shell, stopping only when she lowered her hand.
She moved with alluring elegance - a soft sway of her hips the only indication of movement that made her appear to be floating than walking as she stepped off her pedestal to stand so close to him that he felt uncomfortable. Despite the darkness of the night, the moon lit up the park in a silvery sheen, illuminating all the breathtaking features of the goddess. Her eyes were a colour so light they almost seemed clear, thick lashes framing them as she leaned into his face. Her breath tickled his skin.
"My, aren't you a handsome young man," the goddess purred. A finger slowly trailed over the seam of his suit, running across his collar bone to stop on his zipper. He grit his teeth as she splayed her hand over his chest and her body pressed against him - assaulting his senses with a smell that he could only describe as temptation.
"So strong. So powerful. So wild." Aphrodite made a low appreciative hum, walking around him as if appraising him. He'd been circled countless times as a model in numerous states of dress and undress, but the way she eyed him made him feel stripped bare and slightly dirty. Unable to do anything about the woman's advances other than growl slightly, he slid his eyes to Ladybug where she continued to be pinned in her bow.
He snapped his eyes back to the woman who now took hold of his ring hand, pulling it up to look at it more closely. Her thumb ran over the small raised paw print before she dropped it.
"Fascinating creature you are." There was a heavy pause as she leaned in close again to brush her lips against his, arms clasping around his neck, draping herself on him as if she had a claim on him somehow. Ladybug let out an angry grunt.
"No."
He didn't know how the word escaped his lips, only that it had. Aphrodite took a step backwards, untangling herself from him with a look of shocked amusement.
"Oh? No mortal being can resist me, unless - " Her eyes slid over to Ladybug and then back to him. "Oh. I see."
A sharp snap from the goddess' fingers released Ladybug from her kneel, her hand pulling her yo-yo from her hip in a flash, whirling even before Aphrodite's bubbly laughter hit Chat's ears. Ladybug's practiced toss wound around the woman, tangling enough to trap her arms to her side.
"That's enough. No one touches Chat without his permission. Especially whatever you are." Ladybug looked furious, her body tense with the anger that she rarely allowed to take over her judgement. Chat felt relief rush through him at her words.
Aphrodite simply smiled, seemingly unflustered by the cord that bound her in place. A snap of her fingers released the string, uncoiling to the ground as Ladybug once again froze into a statue.
"He loves you, you know," the goddess cooed, stepping close enough to tap Ladybug on her nose.
A faint outline of purple shrouded the features of Aphrodite's face, making her pause with a slight tilt of her head.
"Yes, yes the earrings. Be patient, my dear Hawkmoth. This is so much better. A pair of star-crossed lovers. Shh."
When the purple faded again, she leaned back into the Ladybug's face. Chat struggled to move.
"Love is naught without trust. You, little Ladybug, don't trust him with your love, nor enough to learn who he is behind that mask So sad." Aphrodite gave an overexaggerated pout before she glanced between them with a dazzling moonlight smile.
"Destiny awaits."
Long fingers pressed against perfect lips, a kiss on their tips blown softly into Ladybug's face. Chat watched as his partner's eyes grew round, looking at him in wild terror while her body began to fade, dissipating like sand in the wind. He tried to call out to her. To reassure her. To do anything. All he could do was growl in frustration.
"Don't worry." Aphrodite waved her fingers in farewell at Ladybug. "There is no white cat."
Chat fought, desperation pressing him to break free of the hold that held him captive to the wiles of this being. In front of his eyes, Ladybug vanished. A soft, pleading cry of his name from her lips whispered into the dark before the last wisp of red fluttered away.
A growl tore through his chest as rage lit a fire in his heart, his eyes glaring at this woman - an akuma in the form of the Goddess of Love. How dare she think she had any right to take his Lady without a consequence? Anger at himself for failing to protect his partner stoked the flames.
Was there any way that he could find the akumatized item and save Ladybug? He needed to. Had to.
Aphrodite stepped close to him, running the back of her fingers down his cheek in a soft gesture and a gentle smile.
"Oh, kitten. Don't be mad. Your lover awaits. Go find her."
A kiss blown in his direction sent tingles up his spine, the sensation of air fluttering through his skin. Air vanished from the lungs he didn't need, a swirling sensation pulling him backwards. It felt like being pressed flat at the same time as being a million specks of glass. His eyes saw nothing. Fingers felt nothing. There was nothing.
A voice, soft and sweet, sang from far away, hissing through ears he no longer had.
"Your birthday wish and so much more. She will be yours. But only in the darkness of the night."