A/N: Sorry for the delay. I knew last week would be really busy with work and I'd have no writing time, so I was trying to get this story finished last weekend - but having to rewrite it took my time instead. There's at least one more chapter, possibly two (I have to decide whether to split it or not). Enjoy!

Love Is A Battlefield by Pat Benetar. This one... might be self-explanatory.

Ladybug watched the moonlight slowly creep across the scuffs on the pavement towards her shadowed seat. Each scuff another minute closer to being taken over by one of Hawkmoth's pawns.

By Adrien.

She wanted to scream and run away in six different directions at once.

Footsteps broke the quiet of the plaza. Their sound was achingly familiar. Ladybug looked up from the pavement, eyes travelling up the legs of his white suit, across his perfectly cut tuxedo jacket (how unusually stylish, Hawkmoth?) and to his face. The moonlight and magic touched it with a faint glow. She stood up, facing him, and waited for him to say something. To demand her Miraculous.

A purple butterfly symbol glowed across his face.

He still didn't speak.

Behind him, she heard people, his crowds, his fans, the ones who wanted to be near him – oh, Adrien – spreading out around the plaza. She didn't dare take her eyes off him. She had to hope that there were no more of them than yesterday, that the broadcast she and the police had sent out had done its job, that the news stations were showing Alya's feed as they'd agreed instead of sending their own reporters in to get taken over. She didn't want to hurt civilians, didn't want to hurt anyone. Plus, Chat Noir's civilian form was amongst them somewhere, trapped by the akuma's spell. Plagg had warned her that the akuma's effects would likely return with the moon, before snuggling into the small bed she'd made for him in her room safe far away. She resisted the temptation to peek over Adrien's shoulder, to look for that familiar grin and laughing eyes. Chat couldn't help her now. She was on her own.

The battle for Adrien had begun. Whatever else happened, she was determined that Hawkmoth would lose it.

"Come with me, beloved".

His voice took her by surprise, and she glanced for just a moment at his lips before turning her gaze back to the safety of his eyes.

No, that wasn't safety. They were dark with everything she'd ever wanted to see in them.

She looked at his cheek instead and put her hands on her hips, glancing to make sure she was still well shadowed. He seemed unfazed by the shadows himself this time, his glow unruffled – but it didn't reach out to touch her as long as she stayed away from the real moonlight. Plagg's observations had helped, there. She owed that little kwami a cheese croissant.

"Come with me", he said again, holding out a hand. The purple mask flickered over his face and he flinched aside as if hit, pulling his hand back. Then he looked back at her and said very quietly "Don't come with me. Run away, Ladybug, before he makes me take them".

She looked at him in shock. He smiled sadly at her. "You don't understand, do you". It wasn't a question.

He continued without waiting. "I always said I'd love the girl under the mask, no matter who she was. But I've always been afraid to find out whether your answer would be yes or no. If I take your Miraculous like he wants me to, I take away part of you. And I need to know that that part loves me too." She saw a hint of silver in his eyes, tears forming but not shed. "I want all of you to love all of me."

"You're right", she said. "I don't understand".

His smile was self-mocking, and it twisted her heart to see it. "If you stepped into the light, you would." He held out his hand again.

She looked at his hand as if it was a thorn. Sadness slid over his face as he pulled it away.

"No, wait!", she said. "I... it's just..."

"You can't love me. Even in the moonlight." His voice was broken.

"No!" she cried. "That's not it! I... I..." She looked down, foot toeing the ground, even now unable to get the words out.

He reached out and lifted her chin. She held her breath, but the moonlight in his touch did nothing but drift cool kisses against her skin. She met his eyes again. They were listening, waiting.

This was it. She took a deep breath, gathered her will and spirit within her. Everything the kwamis had told her pointed to this being the only way to defeat Adrien.

She stepped into his moonlight and let it flow over her. Let all her love for him show in her eyes.

Her held his breath. She – SHE! - stood before him, hesitant. Wild, glorious, all of his dreams. Her eyes begged him to let her hold him. He laughed, just as wild, finally feeling truly free for the first time. He knew without a doubt how much she loved him. Wanted to be near him, with him. As much as he had her. And it was euphoric. He shivered.

He reached out and took her hand, confirming what she already knew, and she stepped into the circle of his arms with a smile. They stood there for a moment, just holding each other. The love between them was an ocean and the waves were crashing down, sea foam and dark water submerging them in the moonlight. She shivered with him, that sense of almost losing control – and yet, there was no rush. No insistence on Now. They could breathe.

They belonged.

Her fingers trailed along his shoulder and down his arm, gentle, caressing, all the time in the world. They both knew they had it now. Had each other. Free of fear, they looked each other in the eyes. He raised her hand to his lips and kissed the back of it. She smiled, and drew their hands close to her lips to share the gesture, never letting go of his eyes. Never letting go of him. She turned his hand over and kissed his palm.

A pure white butterfly rose out of his skin and fluttered away. Adrien collapsed into Ladybug's arms.