CHAPTER 5: Once a mess, always a mess

[PROMPT: Thunderstorm]

Today's scenes were taking place indoors, in the studio. They had to change the schedule along the way because the weather didn't allow for the shots initially planned at the top of the Eiffel Tower; they predicted a major thunderstorm.

So, here they were, filming a few individual transformation sequences with their "civilian" pairs before filming with the green screen.

The following scene implied a very agitated conversation between Ladybug and Chat Noir, working out a plan to outwit the Monarch after they had unmasked him. This was one of the final scenes of the movie and also one of the very few that required the use of the green screen; the landscape behind it was going to be a perfect replica of Paris, ravaged by a fire of unprecedented proportions.

They had rehearsed the text this morning and they were spot on.

Pun intended. Which internally made Chat Noir laugh a lot.

Well, Let's get back to the point…

At least, they thought they were prepared, but it was without counting that his partner's 'madly clumsiness' and his bad luck would strike both at once; quite an explosive cocktail.

Let's rewind a few minutes…

Chat Noir stood with his back to a false wall, his Lady at his side. He had to cataclysm that very wall with his real power (they both tried to object earlier; it was a bad idea, they knew it).

And they were right. As a suspended arm brought a camera closer to them, his partner was caught off guard by the object, and took a step to the side, stumbling into the cable of a spotlight.

Instinctively, the feline moved forward to get closer to his partner and catch her before she fell. Except that his destructive power was already crackling in the palm of his hand...

The action then happened in a fraction of a second; his hand cataclysmed the closest thing he could reach—the aforementioned camera to his right, before making its way to Ladybug's hip, his other arm wrapping behind her back to hold her safely. Then they both tripped backward, and ended up crashing into the false wall, which then gave way under their combined weight.

A tangle of limbs and pieces of cardboard were all that was left of the set. In simple words; a huge mess.

"The dailies! They reduced the daily footage to ashes! everything we filmed today is lost! We need to reshoot everything!"

Chat Noir glared at the cameraman who gulped audibly. Was 'I told you so!' too pretentious? Definitely not…

"I told you it was a BAD idea. We should have used special effects, like Ladybug and I had suggested in the first place," he sighed, closing his eyes. He didn't even bother to get up, letting his arms fall in criss-cross on the ground. Strangely, Ladybug didn't even move her weight from him.

The heroine exhaled deeply, obviously as done as he also was.

"You okay, M'Lady?"

"I need a break," she sighed, voice winded as she let her head fall on his shoulder.

"I'm fine with that, but you put on some weight you know," he teased her, ignoring the staff around, probably staring at them.

She propelled herself up on her elbows, looking down at him with what he considered a cute pout, and he grinned. He was ready to receive the snarky reply that was itching to leave her lips. She didn't have the time though; another female voice cut her off before she could say a word.

"You gotta be kidding me! And these bunglers are the heroes of Paris?"

They both turned their heads to the sound of Aimée Bourgeois' arrogant voice. The woman was standing in front of them, arms crossed on her chest, one foot impatiently stomping the floor.

"I'm going to murder her," Ladybug whispered in his ear, making him choke on his own saliva as he held back an embarrassing snort.

"I thought I was the one you were going to murder." He chuckled quietly.

"We still have an apple to peel. Don't think I'll forget so easily," she muttered whilst eventually getting up.

"Sounds appeeling."

Ladybug rolled her eyes, before holding out her hand to him. Both of them apologized for the mess, although they had warned the staff, and since they didn't want to listen, they were facing the consequences of their refusal.

"I'm taking a break. I'll be back in 20."

Chat Noir watched his Lady step away, her shoulder bumping into Aimée's as she walked past the woman.

"Diva!"

"Oh! Careful there, you should watch your words," Chat Noir warned the pompous actress. "Provoking two superheroes will get you nowhere," he added before leaving, without ever looking back at her.

As Chat Noir walked away, in the direction of Ladybug's dressing room, he heard the producer having a few words with Aimée. He really hoped this would calm things down because he wasn't sure he could keep his partner under control for much longer. And, he didn't want to see this movie end prematurely. At least, not until it reached the kissing scene.

Yes, he couldn't deny that he was very much looking forward to it.

He stopped in front of Ladybug's dressing room, knocking on the door.

"I'm on a break," she yelled.

"Just wanted to make sure you're okay. I'm sorry for the teasing. I know that sometimes girls can have some anxiety over their weight and physical appearance; damn ridiculous beauty standards!" He was a model after all… He knew how stupid those thinness rules and diets were. How destructive they could be. Physically and mentally. Not that he thought that his Lady had such trouble, but still… he didn't want to hurt her with misplaced taunts. "I shouldn't have joked about something like that. Besides, I love the feel of your weight on me. Uh… I mean—"

A loud 'thud' cut him off and he jumped out of his skin, turning straight into his protective mode. "Is everything okay, M'Lady?!"

She didn't answer him directly, but he could hear very colorful language coming from the inside of the dressing room. Gosh, this woman was swearing like a trucker!

"Just hit my toe against the dressing table, you stupid flirty cat."

"Do you want me to bring you some ice?"

"You know where you can stick your ice! I don't even feel the pain in the suit!"

A bit more swearing followed suit, and even one word in Chinese, which surprised him quite a bit.

"Got it, I'll come back later," he guffawed.

Marinette cursed under her breath.

"I love the feel of your weight on me."

She was not prepared to hear something like that. Her partner had totally caught her off guard and in her surprise, she turned so quickly toward the door that she almost broke her pinky toe against the fucking dressing table.

Though, she should've known better; she was the one who told Chat Noir that flattery will get him everywhere… She couldn't blame him for using the advice she'd served him on a silver plate.

Argh! This cat was driving her crazy. And all the time spent together between patrols, rehearsals and filming did not help at all. The flattery, the flirting, him… did things to her. Things she'd tried to ignore for long. Things she could ignore anymore. How unnerving! She stomped her foot on the ground, hissing through gritted teeth when the shock sent a jolt of pain through her little toe. Damn it!

Clenching her fists and jaw she let out a heavy sigh, almost sounding like a groan. Her hands quickly reached for the door knob and she flanked the door open.

"Come back here!"

All the staff present in the hallway turned to the heroine with shocked looks on their face, except for her partner who didn't even flinch, not a single bit.

"Chat Noir!" She tried again, louder.

The feline stilled, keeping his back to her. "The magic word?"

The first magical, and colorful, words coming in her mind were juvenile; fuck you. Although, she had an immaculate image to keep and couldn't say it out loud for the world to hear—she meant it very much, though, when he acted like an 8-year-old schoolboy with her. Not that she was acting any better anyway. He had rubbed off on her; that much was clear.

"Please," she muttered through gritted teeth, surrendering quite reluctantly.

"It's much better than all that colorful language of yours. I even think I'll consider charging you money every time you swear," he pondered as he turned around, making his way to her. "I'll end up rich by the end of the week."

Ladybug glared at him as he walked by the door and he grinned smugly. Oh, so smugly… The only thing she was going to give him were tissues to wipe away that shit-eating smile he so brazenly displayed on his fucking handsome face.

She shut the door behind him and turned around to face him. His face had suddenly changed, all traces of teasing gone away, and she felt worry instantly gnawing her at the bone.

"Are you mad at me? You've been a little testy since the incident my power provoked earlier." His cat-like ears flattened in his golden mop of hair and the corner of his lips curled downward. "Is it because of the mess I've made or because of the joke about your weight?"

Her eyes widened. She didn't mean for him to think he was the cause of her bad mood because she was bickering with him. In fact, she only did it because it was their thing and because somehow, there was something familiar and comforting about it.

"Oh, Chaton… None of that…" Her voice softened, just as her gaze. "Aimée is the one I'm mad at. I can't stand her demeanor and it got on my nerves. I might have been a little carried away… I'm sorry, you didn't do anything to deserve my rudeness. Maybe she's right, I'm starting to act like a Diva…"

"You're anything but a Diva!" His gaze shot up at hers, stern and intense. "It's already forgotten. Take your time to calm down. I'll go help them clean up the mess."

"I'm already feeling much better. I'm coming with y—" A sudden black-out made her words die in her throat. The lights turned off, indulging them in a complete darkness.

Chat Noir's night vision stirred instantly, his pupils expanding at the lack of light.

"I can't find my pass to open the door!" Ladybug cringed, her pitch raising a few octaves.

He turned around, looking over the room, quickly spotting the white card they needed lying on the couch.

"I got it," he reassured her, grabbing hold of it and waving it before the sensor. "It's not working though. There must be a power-cut because of the thunderstorm. I can use my power to short circuit—"

"No!" Ladybug yelped. "We did enough damage for today. We're going to wait for the power to be back in the building."

If she wanted to wait, why did her tone sound so unsure and hurried? Also, her voice quivered a little. Something didn't sit right, and he was well aware of it.

"Are you sure, LB?"

A beat of silence.

"Ladybug?"

I'm still very grateful to see that you like the story. Thank you for all the comments in English and even in french—ça me fait chaud au cœur.

Oh, yes, there's a little bit of swearing here. It goes with their 'bicker and banter' dynamic. Like an old married couple, but they're not even dating. Yet. *shrug*

Keep up the reviews, it's a pleasure to read you guys.

Miraculous kisses!