"This is without a doubt the stupidest plan you've ever had." Chat winks at Ladybug, a grin spreading on his face as he speaks. "Of courseI'm in."
Ladybug shoots him a look of surprise, one eyebrow raised as she turns away from the akuma scanning the area for the duo.
"Really?" She says, "This is my stupidest plan?" Ladybug speaks quietly, trying not to draw the attention of the akuma. It can't see them, hidden behind an overturned van, but they know their safety will be short-lived; the akuma has the senses of a hound, and will be sure to catch their scent eventually, even with Ladybug's Lucky Charm helping them. But Ladybug and Chat Noir have to bide their time - as long as it's looking for them, the rest of Paris is safe.
So they're hidden, using their time to figure out what to do next. And Ladybug's plan is... well, it's straightforward, at the very least.
Chat lets out a soft laugh at her question, darting his head to look through the van's windows to see if the akuma heard him. When he sees that they're safe for a little bit longer - although the akuma is getting closer, a little bottle of perfume which Ladybug's Lucky Charm gave them is covering their scent - he turns back to face his Lady with a smirk.
"Well, yeah. Your other plans have sometimes been reckless, or impulsive, but this one takes the cake when it comes to sheer stupidity, Bugaboo."
Ladybug blushes slightly at the nickname, something she never used to do; Chat Noir's grin widens at the involuntary reaction - it takes a lot to make Ladybug blush, so it's always a proud moment for Chat Noir when he succeeds in doing so.
"Okay, but we once had to ride a dragon," Ladybug whispers, carefully peering around the van to locate the akuma. She spots it getting closer with every heartbeat and takes hold of her yo-yo, grasping it tightly in case the akuma suddenly pinpoints their hiding place.
"And that was insanely cool. How many people get the chance to ride a dragon? Nobody would call that plan stupid," Chat points out, lowering his voice as he notes the tension in Ladybug's frame. The akuma is closing in on them, and Chat Noir pulls out his baton, ready to extend it at a second's notice.
"How about the time I jumped into a dinosaur's mouth?" Ladybug asks. Chat Noir's smile drops, and he's glad Ladybug isn't watching him as that moment, that horrifying moment when he thought he'd lost her forever flashes through his mind. Chat instantly tenses, and has to take a breath to calm himself.
She's okay - she's alive, she's here, she's alive and perfect and alive, he reminds himself, before letting out a shaky laugh in response.
"That was reckless, and terrifying, and I'd love it if we never talked about it again. But it wasn't technicallystupid," Chat replies, and Ladybug can hear the quaver in his voice. Her head snaps back to face him, blue eyes wide in concern, and he shrugs with an air of nonchalance which neither of them believe. "But this plan, My Lady, is."
Ladybug's eyes narrow as Chat brushes off the tremble in his words like a piece of lint on a shirt, and she's about to ask if he's alright when they hear the footsteps of the akuma pad towards them. The duo freeze, hearing the canine akuma sniffing the other side of the van. But whatever's in the bottle that Lucky Charm gave them works perfectly, and the akuma moves away after a few seconds, deciding that they aren't there. Ladybug turns to face Chat Noir, her face set in a look of determination.
"Stupid or not, we've got to move," she says; as if they were waiting for her to say it, Ladybug's earrings start to beep. She used Lucky Charm, and she's running out of time. Chat nods and slides to his feet, still using the large van as a cover.
"I can't believe you want me to tackle an akuma," he murmurs, shaking his head as Ladybug stands next to him.
"You ready?" Ladybug asks, placing one hand on her hip as she smirks at her partner. Chat looks down at her, and wiggles his eyebrows at her.
"A kiss for luck?" he asks, lowering his voice in an attempt at flirtation. Ladybug rolls her eyes, and Chat Noir is sure that she's going to walk away. But before he knows what's happening, a hand is on the back of his head and Ladybug's lips are on his. They're soft and insistent, and Chat Noir is sure that he's died and gone to heaven because no matter how often this happens, he's never used to the feeling of bliss which envelopes him when Ladybug's lips touch his. He doesn't have time to relax into the kiss, however; Ladybug pulls away after a few seconds, her hand sliding from his neck and resting on his chest as she takes a step back.
"Got all the luck you need, kitty?" she grins, and Chat Noir nods, speechless. "Good. Now, remember: jump, land, run, and tackle. Hopefully you'll have the element of surprise. If you don't, then I certainly will, and once we grab the neck scarf and purify the akuma, we can continue from where we left off." Ladybug winks, gently pushing Chat backwards before she moves back to lean against the van. She moves down onto one knee, cupping her hands so she can give Chat an extra push when he jumps.
Chat Noir steps back onto the pavement, as far as he can go without blowing his cover. He puts one leg in front of the other, ready to run towards an akuma which has an innate hatred of cats.
"It's a stupid plan, and if I get mauled by this akuma you have to bring me baked goods everyday, Bugaboo," Chat says with a grin. "But what the hell. On the count of three?"
Ladybug nods, holding out her cupped hands, ready to help her partner jump into the fray.
"Alright, Chat, on three. One.. two... three!"