CHAPTER 2: The script

[PROMPT: Moon]

"I would never talk to you like that!" Ladybug almost threw the script in the air as she objected vehemently.

Chat Noir raised his chin, looking at her with an unsettled smile.

Uh-oh… Did she?

"I did, didn't I?"

He raised a finger. "'Stop wasting my time', or something along those lines, that one you did say. You said I 'act like a clown', too," Chat Noir stated, raising a second finger as he began to count. He unfolded a third finger. "You even threw me in the trash, saying—"

"Okay, that's enough," she cut him off. "I get it," she winced, looking embarrassed. "I need to work on my communication skills."

"Well, they're not that bad; you already made progress. You're even flirting now."

"That detail is way overdone in the script. I'm not flirting that much," she huffed.

"'That much… So you admit that you're flirting with me," he teased in a sing-song voice.

"I didn't say you were the one I was flirting with." She smirked and flicked his bell with the tip of her finger.

"Do you want me to count again?" He raised a finger. "Good job, kitty. *scratch chin*" While saying it, he mimicked the gesture under her own chin. "Nicknames; My kitty, Bugaboy..." He grinned, unfolding another finger and wriggling it mockingly toward her. "You play along with my puns." Another finger. "Look, just now you flicked my bell, and you do that often. You also—"

"Got it!" She whimpered, her cheeks flushing bright red. "The writers got me right. Damn right in character…"

Chat Noir moved onto her side, playfully nudging her shoulder. "It's just because they got me in character in the first place, which means that you can't resist my chat-rm."

She giggled, poking him in the ribs. "Back off, Minou. I can perfectly handle your charm. don't worry about me."

"We'll see if that's still what you think when you find out what's coming up in the script."

She froze on the spot, all traces of joking fading away from her face. "Wait. You know what's coming next? I thought you didn't read the whole script."

Chat Noir reached for the nape of his neck, rubbing it nervously as he sucked his breath in through gritted teeth; he'd been caught. "I didn't?" he tried.

"You, sneaky cat!" she scolded him, swatting his forearm.

"I didn't want to spoil it for you!" He chuckled as she swatted him a second time and let out an annoyed grumble.

She started to flip through the pages of the script, skimming over the text and dialogue until she pinpointed precisely what he was referring to. Her eyes widened and her face grew paler than usual.

3,

2,

1…

"A kiss! Who do they think they are to dare to do this to us!?"

There. It stung painfully, but he should've known better. He was right. Of course, he was right. Why would Ladybug agree to kiss him anyway? He backed away, putting some distance between him and Ladybug, his face dejected as he looked up at the moon.

The moon that reminded him of one of his biggest failures. A failure which was probably one of the reasons why Ladybug would never kiss him. The reason she still kept him at a distance when her gaze fell upon him, however, was quite a story. A story they could not allow to become reality, lest it cause the world to crumble and the moon to be broken. He was spiraling into the memories of Ladybug confessing to him that she had fought his white alter-ego. It was like what… One year ago? And it still felt as if she'd told him yesterday; the white shadow hovering over his head like a cursed sword.

A hand reaching for his shoulder startled him, getting him out of his misery as his gaze shot up at her.

"It came out all wrong. I didn't mean to hurt you. I mean… I don't mind kissing you… Uh…no… yes… uh. What I'm trying to say is that kissing you for the movie is not a problem," she babbled, stumbling over her words. "It's just that I shouldn't be learning about it from reading the script. I mean, the producer could have warned us during the meeting. That's it."

"Oh." He freed the breath that he hadn't realized he was holding prisoner.

"Yeah. I can totally kiss you." Ladybug leaned in, dropping a quick peck on his cheekbone. "See." She pulled back, leaving him breathless and flushed.

Overcoming the initial surprise, Chat shook his head, his signature smirk slowly stretching his lips. "Not sure that's what they mean by 'kiss'," he cooed, back on track.

"Don't push your luck, kitty cat. You should already be happy that I agree to do this movie."

"You do?"

"I do."

The moon had suddenly not shone as brightly in years as it did tonight.

"What about Papillon?" Ladybug asked, their former enemy's name rolling over her tongue like a spit of poison she wanted to get out of her mouth. "We saw that you haven't found the actor who would play his role; he's the only one missing on the cast list."

"Yes… we have some more auditions this afternoon. So far, we can't find the right profile." Antoine, the producer, looked uneasy. They were going to start shooting the movie in a few days, and one of the main actors was still missing. Yes, they could start by filming the scenes where their enemy was not seen, but it still seemed to be a bit of an annoying situation for the production team.

Chat Noir scratched his chin and pondered the question for a minute. He knew some good models and actors, maybe he could come up with a nam— oh! He elbowed his Lady and the heroine looked up at him as he leaned into her side, whispering in her ear.

Ladybug nodded. "I must admit it's a good idea. He proved to be not only a great humorist but also a wonderful actor in these last few years. It seems that he took his revenge on those who thought he couldn't make it."

"It's all the more laughable knowing that Gabriel Agreste was one of the people who didn't believe in his talent. Plus, Harry's a former akuma victim. I think that makes him a perfect choice for the role."

A throaty cough silenced them both as Antoine stepped closer from the two. "You mean Harry Clown? The French fries guy?"

"Yes, the French fries guy," Ladybug resolutely repeated, standing serious and tall, (despite her lack of growth spurt) in front of the producer. "Do you have something against the idea?"

Antoine raised his hands, waving them frantically. "N-no, no. Not at all. I'll ask the recruiter to call him today."

"Great." Ladybug smiled, and looked aside to her partner. "Isn't that great, Chaton?"

"Purrfect," he chuckled, trying hard to hold back a deeper laugh. His Lady could be pretty convincing and almost scary (almost!) when she was fighting for the greater good.

"Is there anything else you would like us to know before signing the contract?" The producer's voice was still shaking a little. Quite an effect that his Lady had there... "That's why you're here, right?" Now he sounded unsure even though they both had made it clear it was a 'yes'.

"Some puns must be changed," Chat Noir prompted. "I'd gladly make some suggestions to the writing team," he offered.

"And I don't want Chat Noir to be shown like a sidekick. He's my partner; we're equal. I don't want to sound like I'm belittling him," Ladybug sternly stated.

Antoine, the producer, raised his hands in a defensive move. "It won't sound like that. We're going to play around with the fact that Ladybug is dismissive toward Chat Noir's feelings because of her own," he explained. "You have read the script, haven't you?" His eyes narrowed at the two heroes.

"We have. We just want to make sure things are clear." The heroine stood serious. She would leave no stone unturned if they wanted her to agree to make this movie.

"I can add these terms to your contract. We won't do anything without both your complete agreement," the producer assured, while in front of his computer screen, he was already typing the new clauses mentioned above. It didn't take him long to print out a contract and hand it to the two heroes, followed by two pens. "So, you agree to play your own roles in this movie despite what it involves?" he asked a bit vaguely, but what he had in mind was fairly clear for Ladybug, since he looked intently at her while inquiring about this.

"I guess you're referring to the kissing scene, right?" She raised a brow, and Antoine nodded. She took a quick glance at her partner who shrugged, letting her know that the ball was in her court. "We talked about it. We're on. For the movie; it goes without saying," she clarified.

"As the Lady said," Chat Noir enthused.

Ladybug grabbed a pen and suddenly stopped in her tracks before signing anything. "Although, I have one last question; I saw we were going to travel to Istanbul? What are the reasons?"

"The final battle will be filmed there. There is a butterfly farm which will be the perfect setting to recreate the Monarch's lair," Antoine explained. "You'll stay in a hotel for a weekend: at the expense of the production, of course."

Both heroes simultaneously looked at each other, a silent agreement passing between them; over the years, words were no longer much needed. Still in perfect sync, they both laid their pen on the last sheet of the contract and affixed their respective names (no, not the real ones) and signatures (still not the real ones).

"Thank you again for agreeing to participate in this venture. I'll make you both personal copies and then you'll be free to go. We'll be starting the first rehearsals and shots in two days," Antoine cheered. They could say that the producer was really excited to start this project.

"That's fine by me."

"Same for me."

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See you tomorrow for more.