About a month and a half after Adrien's Christmas stunt - which resulted in both his father keeping him under Nathalie and his bodyguard's gaze more than ever and his sister coming around even more, from popping up unannounced at photoshoots and hanging out in the background to arriving unexpectedly at his balcony whenever he's alone - its Valentine's Day and Adrien's trying to write a poem for Ladybug. And nothing's panning out. This is the eighth poem he's tried, and they all sound ridiculous to him.
Bloom said she'd get his note to Ladybug, but so far…nothing sounds right. Rather, nothing sounds good enough for his Bugaboo. He can faintly hear Bloom humming in the background - Smells like Teen Spirit, if he's not mistaken - and just puts the finishing touches on Failure #8 when Ms. Bustier says "Adrien, I hope what your writing has to do with today's lesson. Can you tell me what I just said?" He recites it word for word, having long since mastered the art of splitting his attention - he can be daydreaming for ten minutes and still say a paragraph of stuff that was just said to him, thanks to the mind-numbingly boring homeschooling he went through with Nathalie and all the photoshoots and such.
Adrien gives up on this poem to, deciding he's had enough of the writing attempts - Plagg's critique didn't help matters at all, given the detail that he was dismissive of all of it and even the idea that he loves Ladybug. Asking what it is he sees in her, since she's got arms, legs, and a face just like everyone else. Honestly, for a thousands-years-old Kwami that's been around since the beginning of the universe, he's terrible at giving love advice - apparently, that's Tikki's department. And then the bell rings, and he tosses the last draft into the can on his way out - and gets waylaid by Chloe and Sabrina, who claim they want him to sign a petition to give pet hamsters better living condition. Something about the sweaters they're forced to wear being horrible, he didn't listen or care.
Bloom internally sighs - she made a promise, and it looks like that's the winner. And then Chloe and Sabrina make some snide remarks about her looking for something to eat or better clothes in the trash because she can't afford any. It makes Bloom's blood boil for a moment - those circumstances are actually true, and its nothing to joke about, dammit! It's not the reason she's currently digging Adrien's poem out of the garbage, though!
Spoiled rich brat...
"Your hair is dark as night, your pretty bluebell eyes. I wonder who you are beneath that strong disguise. Every day we see each other, and I hope that you'll be mine. Together our love could be so true, please will you be my Valentine?!" Marinette looks up at Bloom, who's staring at her expectantly from the other side of the bed. "Adrien wrote this?!"
Bloom nods, steadfastly ignoring Tikki saying how that's a love poem, and Marinette murmurs "I wonder who he could be talking about…"
Bloom feels like smacking herself on the head, or possibly Marinette upside the head - she's literally the only girl with bluebell eyes in the school. Instead of trying to smack some sense into her friend, Bloom deadpans "You, Marinette."
"Me?!" Marinette starts laughing, and says "There's plenty of girls at school who have dark hair and blue eyes."
Tikki asks "Yeah, but bluebell eyes?"
Bloom keeps herself from reacting to Tikki's presence, since Mari doesn't know she's Dragon Fyre, and says "Alright, you or Ladybug then. I've heard she's got bluebell eyes. And it would certainly be a strong disguise." C'mon, Spots, please get a hint soon...you two are driving me crazy.
Marinette listens, pretending to think as Tikki says Adrien's writing about her, then squeals and jumps for joy. While saying to pinch her. Tikki and Bloom both comply, turning her squeals of joy into ones of pain. "ARGH! Not literally!"
Bloom snickers, and says "You asked. Anyway…I brought this for you." She holds out a heart-shaped card, and says "Run wild, Mari. My advice? Answer the poem."
Marinette squeals again, hugging Bloom after putting the card on the desk, and asks "What about you? Did you get anything?" She knows Nathan had a massive crush on her, after all.
Bloom sighs, and says "Nope. Nathan and I fizzled before we could even really get going. Great, huh?" Something about him not being able to compete with her being a superhero, and how he'd only drag her down. She didn't care that he didn't have a Miraculous, but he sure seemed to.
Marinette hums sympathetically, and says "You'll find someone someday, Bloom. I know it!" How could she not, she's amazing. Once she warms up to you, she's always willing to help so you have time for something - for instance, she'll do their homework while Marinette works on one of her projects, or they'll split up the homework by subject and get done in half the time. She's always willing to be a model for Marinette, always ready to help if she or her parents need it...oh, and her sarcasm is hysterical when it's not aimed at you.
Bloom just shrugs, and says "Maybe. You, though, need to start writing, Marinette."
Marinette starts writing at once, and soon she's got a Valentine to mail. Of course, she starts losing her nerve right in front of the mailbox. Bloom pinches the bridge of her nose, then her hands darts out and yanks Marinette's towards the mailbox. Making her drop the Valentine in. Marinette freaks out, trying to get the Valentine back, but its too late.
And then Bloom gasps and tackles Marinette to the side, knocking her out of the way of something speeding towards them both. When Marinette looks up, there's a red and black figure floating in the sky…wearing the same jewel Kim had when he was going to ask the girl he had a crush on - Chloe - to be his Valentine. And then Chloe texted everyone a humiliating picture of him, a chip bag on his face and his clothes wet from river water. Neither girl knows what she might've said to him, but it was obviously something bad considering he's now Akumatized.
Marinette mutters "Had I known it was Chloe he was going to propose to..." She wouldn't have encouraged him, it's like giving someone the thumbs-up before they hurt themselves on purpose - far as anyone knows, Chloe doesn't have anything good to say about anyone but Adrien. Why Kim thought she'd agree to be his Valentine, then, is an absolute mystery to her - though, to be fair, Chloe's been an absolute witch to her since they first started school together so she's a little biased.
Bloom mutters "Hindsight, Mari, it's always perfect." She would've tried to talk him out of it, seeing as he's constantly making bets and dares with Alix, but there was no plausible explanation for how she knew it was the class witch he was trying to impress.
Dark Cupid smirks as Cat Noir agrees to help defeat Ladybug and get her Miraculous, this will be easy with the superhero team broken up since the Cat's under his control. And then Cat Noir says "We will need to watch out for Dragon Fyre. She's dangerous." Yes, Dark Cupid could tell - Hawk Moth warned him to try for Ladybug and Cat Noir rather than Dragon Fyre. Something about mind-controlling abilities not working on her.
"…and for this gift, I feel blessed…Cat Noir?" Both males whip around to stare in shock, the familiar voice doesn't usually sing. Dragon Fyre's standing there, a resigned expression on her face as she sees the two of them.
After a tense moment - on their end, anyway, she seems more resigned than anxious - spent with both sides observing one another, Dragon Fyre shakes her head and asks "Why in the world would you ask Chloe Bourgeois, of all people, to be your Valentine, Kim? Really? What do you see in her? Because she's the most stuck-up, selfish, shallow, cruel girl in the whole city." She then walks onto the edge of the roof, and Dark Cupid shoots her with an arrow.
Dragon Fyre's lips turn black for a moment, but then her eyes burn bright orange. And then she looks back, casually asking "Did you think that was gonna work on me? I'm known for not being affected right by Akuma powers." She then wipes her mouth with the back of her hand, and it comes away smeared with black lipstick. "Well, that's disgusting."
Cat Noir gets his staff out, turning it into Batons as he asks "What are you going to do now? Fight us, two on one? Give up?"
Dragon Fyre gives him an indecipherable look, then says "I hate it when he Akumatizes kids…let me guess, you took an arrow for your Lady, right?"
Cat Noir immediately snarls "I loathe Ladybug, she means nothing to me, nothing at all! She's just a little pest to be-"
"I'll take that as a yes…" Dragon Fyre pinches the bridge of her nose, and walks over to the edge of the roof to think for a moment - she doesn't really want to try and break Dark Cupid's power over her brother herself, as she has no idea if it'll work or hurt him. She can keep herself from being controlled, possibly someone else if she's already using magic on them when they get hit, but she doesn't want to try and rip the magic from their minds and potentially give them brain damage.
After a moment, she murmurs "Our little group has always been. And always will, until the end…hello, hello, hello, how low…" She heard the song on the radio, and now its stuck in her head. Not to mention the detail that she likes that particular line.
Dammit, she really doesn't like holidays - too many memories attached to them. Her parents always went all-out for the big ones - Christmas, Thanksgiving, Easter, Valentines Day...all of them. After a moment, deciding to try and get through to Cat Noir and see just how much of his love has really been turned to hate, she says "Mom loved Valentine's Day, you know. She'd fill the lower shop with all kinds of Roses in advance. Colors to. Red as my suit, bright pink, pure white…we'd have the flowers for days, even though they sold like wildfire…" Dammit, she misses her parents. She'd come home from school to find a bouquet of roses in her room, all kinds and colors, without fail. And then her Dad would surprise her by making a flower-themed dessert.
And then she feels about eight arrows hit her in quick succession. After getting rid of the magic trying to take her mind, she snaps "If you don't stop that, I'm going to smack you silly!" She'd been hoping she could get through to her brother, but it looks like that's a bust with Dark Cupid right there. Oh well, she tried. There is one other thing she can think of, but she's not kissing her brother on the lips.
Deciding to test that particular theory out, just in case Dark Cupid ever makes a reappearance, she quickly ties Cat Noir up in ropes made of fire, yanks Dark Cupid's bow out of his grasp and breaks it, and then burns his arrows. When no Akuma comes out, she says "Guess its in the pin. Let's go, Cat-Nip. Time to go find your princess and get a kiss." And then she has to gag him at the sheer amount of protesting, oh her brother's got it bad.
Dark Cupid's power turns love into hate…so the more someone loves their target, the more they hate them…
And Cat Noir currently won't shut up about how much he hates Ladybug. Dear Kwamis, they need to get together.
Ladybug looks at her Bug-phone in no small amount of concern, asking "Uh, Dragon Fyre? Did you get hit with an arrow?"
"Did I forget to wipe off that gross lipstick it leave on me again? Yeah, about nine times. Dark Cupid freaked on me when the first one didn't work. So, I've got the two of them here…and your Prince Charming needs saving, Princess Spots."
"Uh…come again?"
"We're in the park, Cat Noir's tied to a tree, he's got it BAD for you, and the only way I can think of to free him from Dark Cupid's control without potentially giving him permanent brain damage is for you to kiss him. Love conquers all, remember?"
Yes, yes she does remember. She heard that just a little while ago in Miss Bustier's class. "What do you mean he's got it bad for me?"
Dragon Fyre's tone of voice sounds distinctly annoyed when she says "Dark Cupid's power is to turn love into hate, Ladybug."
"Alright, and?"
"Ok, let me try this…Kitty, its Ladybug. She says hi." And then Cat Noir's voice explodes over the phone, saying how he hates her, they're not friends, he loathes the very air she breathes and she means nothing to him whatsoever. Honestly, if hate were water, Paris would be flooded from her partner's current hatred for her.
Wait a minute, she's not serious about…Cat Noir flirts with everyone…
Ladybug can feel her head starting to hurt already. Their partner is an obnoxious flirt with terrible timing for his puns, and she was always sure all the times he flirted with her were either to make a joke or try to get on her nerves. Her silly, flirty partner...he doesn't actually love her, does he?!
When Ladybug gets to the park, she finds Cat Noir tied to a thick tree and gagged, and Kim lying on his front, arms bound under his wings and looking particularly disgruntled. And Dragon Fyre sitting on the edge of the fountain, watching the two of them intently. "What did you do to him? Both of them?!" This would be why she'd be a horrible Akuma to fight, this right here!
Dragon Fyre shrugs, saying "Nothing much. Just tied them up. Please, for the love of Kwamis, go kiss your Kitty and break the spell."
Cat Noir's eyes widen in horror, and he starts struggling even as the gag suddenly vanishes. He sees Ladybug start walking forward, and yells "Get back, you savage!"
Ladybug stops walking, and glances over at Dragon Fyre in concern. "I told you, Spots, he's got it bad for you." And that's when she sees Dragon Fyre's holding her communicator.
"Uh, what are you doing?" This had better not be for blackmail purposes!
Dragon Fyre smirks, and says "Getting my brother a Valentine's Day gift." And testing out a theory, but she doesn't need to know that quite yet.
Ladybug sighs in exasperation - honestly, both her partners - and walks over to her other partner…who starts squirming and struggling extra hard when she approaches.
When he figures out he can't get away, "No…no…" Ladybug sighs, and drily says "I can't believe I'm doing this…" She then puts a hand on either of Cat's cheeks to keep his head still, and lands her lips on his.
At first its awkward - mainly because Cat Noir's stiff as a plank and keeps trying to squirm - but then he seems to melt into the kiss. It's chaste, as far as kisses go, but it still seems to send lightning through Ladybug's head all the way down to her toes. When Ladybug finally pulls back, her lips feeling like they're tingling - is that what all kissing is like? Or are they special? Or the Miraculous' perhaps? - Cat Noir's eyes are closed…and the black lipstick is gone. His eyes flutter open, a thoroughly-dazed expression on his face as he looks around. "Ladybug? What's going on? Why am I tied up?"
Dragon Fyre sighs in relief, releasing the ropes holding her brother against the tree, and says "Good to have you back, brother. That hit you took for Ladybug messed with your head a bit."
Adrien collapses face-first onto his bed, a few hazy memories here and there are starting to drift back to him - Dark Cupid offering to help him crush Ladybug in return for her Miraculous, his sister showing up and trying to get through to him, spewing unending hatred about Ladybug - and it makes him feel terrible. He tried to tell her he loved her, and instead she probably hates him.
And then he gets a text from Bloom, saying 'He turned love into hate, she knows that. You saved her, she knows that to. Here's a pic to cheer you up.' What follows next is a picture of…Ladybug kissing him. Ladybug kissed him!
…and he can't even remember it.
Still, she did kiss him - something to hold onto, right? That, maybe, she really does like him and is trying to be professional?
And then Plagg pulls out a heart-shaped Valentine…which turns out to be an answer to his poem. He's suddenly over the moon - he's got the best sister in the world!
AN: Hey, everyone! Happy Thanksgiving! Posting the update today since I won't get another day off for the next few days. Got Smells like Teen Spirit from the Black Widow movie stuck in my head when I was writing this chapter, and then I figured 'what the heck, why not roll with it?' And, yes, I really wanted them to kiss - also, Dark Cupid was way more dangerous the second time around and having a reliable way to reverse the effects of his arrows would've been great that episode. Trying not to have any spoilers, but if you look you'll know which one I'm talking about.
Anyway, enjoy! More updates coming soon! Please review!