Dabble in Drabbles 25: Those Three Words

Summary: They loved with a love that was more than love.

Disclaimer: I do not own Miraculous Ladybug.

She knew. She had always known. People would talk, but that didn't deter her in the slightest.

She would always save herself first.

Why?

Because she was the only one who could cleanse the akuma? Because she was slightly more important than Chat Noir? Those were plausible reasons, but those weren't the reasons why she saved herself.

It was because of him.

It happened once, and it would never happen again.

Another person had been akumatized and surprisingly, it wasn't because of Chloé Bourgeois.

"I am Dark Mind! No one shall ever have happy thoughts ever again!" The booming voice of another akuma villain echoed around Paris.

Adrien, who had been in the middle of a photo-shoot, perked up at the tell-tale screams of the citizens. Blasts of black light flashed around. Luckily for him, his photographer had the mind to run away before being targeted, giving Adrien the opportunity to transform. He rushed off to where he had kept his things and zipped open his bag, only to recoil back at the smell.

"Plagg!" Adrien peeked in his bag and grunted in disgust. The stink of camembert cheese floated out along with his glutton of a kwami. "Plagg, we have to go."

"Can't it wait?" The quantic god said, sleepy from his meal.

"Nope!" Adrien thrust out his fist. "Plagg, transform me!"

With a yowl, Plagg swirled inside the ring and Adrien transformed into Chat Noir.

Extending his baton, Chat Noir leaped over the roofs and looked down at the new enemy. It was a middle-aged woman with black clothes, her hair floating around her head. With her gloved hands, she would zap black light at people, causing their clothes to turn black and speak out their darkest thoughts.

"It doesn't look like this'll be easy to beat." Ladybug said as she landed beside her partner.

Chat turned to her. "What makes you say that?"

She frowned, the usual confident smile on her face, replaced by a grim line. "Her akuma is in her gloves. If it touches you, you're under her spell. And also, her powers directly interfere with your thoughts. This is going to be a mental battle."

"Well," Chat started with a grin, "I better mind the gloves."

Ladybug groaned. "That one's the lamest pun you've come up with."

"Oh, so you think my puns are great."

"I didn't say that."

"But you didn't deny it either." He said teasingly.

"Stop playing mind games with me!" She snapped. Her eyes widened at her mistake as he looked at her in delight. She sighed in exasperation. "Just don't get caught by her gloves. I don't know what I'll do without you."

"I'll keep that in mind." Chat said with a laugh as he jumped down to distract Dark Mind while Ladybug formed a strategy.

Chat landed in front of Dark Mind and twirled the baton in his hand. "Good afternoon madam, would you mind if I asked you to stop brainwashing people?"

Dark Mind thrust out her hand at him and he deftly hopped out of the way. "I'm guessing that's a no."

He exchanged blows with Dark Mind, keeping himself away from her reach with his weapon. He took a stance and got ready to bring out his Cataclysm when he tripped over Alya, who, for some insane reason, decided to film the battle as close as possible.

"What are you doing here?!" Chat Noir said angrily.

"I -" Alya's eyes widened in fear as she screamed, "Watch out!"

Chat turned around, protecting the reporter with his body as he watched the black gloves of Dark Mind rush at his face. This is bad. My lady, please don't kill me.

And suddenly, his vision turned red.

Ladybug had jumped in front of the way before Dark Mind could get to him. He watched in horror as the usual red of her suit metamorphosed into black. His voice trembled, "My Lady?"

She opened her eyes, and the usual brilliant blue, were now a dull midnight azure. She snarled, "Don't call me that. I'm not your lady!"

He jolted back in surprise at the hate in her voice. Hurt and anger rushed inside of him. He grabbed Alya's arm and leaped out of reach before Dark Mind could touch them. Landing safely behind a car, he turned to her and said, "Get out of here! It's not safe!"

"But – Ladybug -"

"I'll take care of it." He said shortly as he got up, but paused when Alya gripped his arm.

"Are we – are you going to be okay?" She asked nervously.

He gave her a reassuring grin. "Why wouldn't I be?"

"But you'll be going against Ladybug." Alya pointed out. "Are you sure you're able to fight her?"

"I-" He started, but then he ducked just as Ladybug's yo-yo shot out. "Run Alya!"

Alya scrambled away, but still stayed within video range, her heart filled with unease. Chat Noir never answered her question.

"Come on, mon chaton." Ladybug cooed out. "Hand over your miraculous and no one has to get hurt."

Chat tightened his grip around his staff. When she took a step towards him, he took a step backwards. He called out, "Come to your senses, Ladybug! Dark Mind is controlling you! You have to fight it!"

"Don't you love me?" Ladybug whispered softly.

Chat Noir stilled. He stood rooted on the spot as she walked towards him and touched his cheek. She asked again, "Don't you love me, Chat Noir?"

He swallowed, tail twitching as she pressed her body against his and tiptoed up and whispered in his ear, "If you love me, give me your miraculous."

That snapped him out of his daze. He hissed as he pushed her away and ran a few feet away. "Ladybug would never say those things! Snap out of it!"

"Don't you love me?" She asked once more.

Chat's heart ached. He wanted to say yes. Of course he loved her! He would willingly give his life up for her! He would even willingly give up his miraculous for her!

But the real Ladybug would never want him to do that.

"Please," he called out, "I don't want to fight you!"

"Then give me your miraculous!" Ladybug snapped, whipping out her yoyo at him. He deflected it and it retracted back in her hand. She sprinted towards him, but he extended his baton upwards and somersaulted behind her.

His cat ears flickered and he ducked just as Dark Mind came from behind him and tried to touch him with her gloves. He swung his baton and sent her crashing at Ladybug. He winced and started to help his lady when he remembered that she was under Dark Mind's spell.

"Ladybug, come to your senses!" He cried out again. "I need you!"

"I don't need you."

Chat Noir blinked. He watched as Ladybug stood up and looked at him with utter loathing. "You always got in the way and I hate your flirting. I bet your feelings aren't even serious. I bet you flirt with every girl out there. What's so good about destroying things too? Without me, you'd already been pegged as a supervillain. Face it, chaton, you're nothing without me."

Each word she uttered was a slap in his face. He had to remind himself that Ladybug was under the control of Dark Mind and that what she said wasn't true. But then again, Dark Mind's power was to produce the dark thoughts of people. So what she was saying were her real dark thoughts.

And then she said those three words.

"I hate you."

His world cracked. This was worse than his nightmares. This was worse than him dying or her dying in front of him. Never, in his whole entire life, had he imagined that Ladybug would say those words to him with such venom.

While Chat Noir was distracted, Ladybug flung out her yo-yo at him, successfully snapping his baton out of his hands and letting it clatter a few feet away. Before he could defend himself, she had already tied him up and forced him in his knees. He didn't even try to resist. She crouched down in his eye-level and reached for his ring.

"Take it, Ladybug! Give me his miraculous!" Dark Mind said behind her, Hawk Moth's greed being conveyed through her.

Chat Noir's green eyes locked with her dull blue ones, tears streaming down his face, as he tried to pour out every ounce of his feelings out to his partner. With a small voice, he called out her name.

"Ladybug."

A glimmer of recognition flitted through her face. It was small, but he noticed it. She was fighting back.

"Buginette."

She blinked. The dull in her eyes was clearing away.

"Bugaboo."

Her suit started to turn back to red.

He smiled and said tenderly, "My Lady."

Dark Mind stopped as she noticed Ladybug stiffen. "Why aren't you taking his miraculous?"

Suddenly, Ladybug released Chat Noir and whipped her yo-yo up in the air.

LUCKY CHARM

And out fell a chair.

"What am I going to do with this?!" Ladybug exclaimed in distress.

"Well, no time to sit around and think." Chat said.

"That's it!"

Ladybug quickly whipped out her yo-yo and tie it around Dark Mind before the akumatized villain could escape, forcing her to sit on the chair. Dark Mind struggled around. "Why were you able to break the spell?! How?!"

"Chat Noir!"

CATACLYSM

Chat's hand touched Dark Mind's gloves, causing it to crumble away and send the akuma fluttering out in the air.

"I free you from evil!" Ladybug shouted; capturing the akuma butterfly in her compact yo-yo, cleansing it and watched it flutter away with white wings. "Bye bye, petite papillion."

MIRACULOUS LADYBUG

And everything was as good as new. Paris returned to normal, and the akumatized victim, who was a therapist, looked around in confusion, wondering how she got there.

Ladybug turned to Chat Noir, her fist in the air. "Bien joué."

But Chat Noir didn't return the gesture. She grew startled at the pained look on his face. "Chat?"

She jumped in surprise and then relaxed as he grabbed her and hugged her tightly. She winced as his claws lightly dug in her suit. He whispered harshly, "Never again. Never do that again."

"What are you talking about?" She asked in confusion. She couldn't remember what had happened during the time frame when she was under Dark Mind's spell.

"Don't ever sacrifice yourself for me."

Ladybug blinked twice and then frowned. "Why not? You've always done it for me. We're partners."

"I can't…"

Her eyes flickered at him. "You can't what?"

"I-" Their miraculous beeped in warning. Chat Noir quickly stepped out of her embrace and she shivered at the loss of warmth. He smiled sadly at her. "I have to go. See you later at patrol, Ladybug."

He gave her a two finger salute and bounded away, leaving her in confusion on what he was about to say.

"Wasn't Chat Noir acting strange today?" Marinette commented to her kwami as she got out of the shower, toweling her damp hair. She stopped and frowned as she looked at Tikki. The small bug was sitting in front of her computer, sorrow in her eyes. "Tikki, what's wrong?"

"You have to fix this, Marinette." Tikki said. Marinette sat in her chair, listening closely to her kwami's words. "Chat Noirs are very in tuned to their partner's feelings, yours even more so."

"I don't know what you're talking about." Marinette said in confusion.

"You were under the control of the akuma."

Her eyes widened in shock. "But I thought it was difficult for Ladybugs to be under the control of akuma!"

"Generally, it's true. But you threw yourself in front of Chat Noir, willingly sacrificing yourself. Ladybug's luck can only go so far." Tikki turned around and pushed on some keys, opening the screen to the Ladyblog.

Marinette pressed play and the latest video showcased Ladybug and Chat Noir fighting. The audio was spotty, but she could make out the hurtful words she had thrown at him, words she would never even think to say to anyone, much less to Chat Noir. And he, on the other hand, pleaded for her to come to her senses. Her chest tightened as she covered her mouth with her hand, wincing every time she landed a blow on him.

It was only when she noticed that he never made a single offence at her, did she finally realize what he was about to say awhile ago.

He couldn't fight her.

"Chat?"

The superhero flinched as Ladybug touched his shoulder. She pulled her hand away, as if she was burned. This was a first. Biting her lip nervously, she sat down beside him.

They looked over the night life or Paris on top of the Eiffel Tower, an awkward atmosphere hanging around them.

"I'm sorry."

Chat jumped and he stared at Ladybug. She looked at him, emotions whirling in her eyes. She said softly, "I didn't mean it when I said I hated you. I could never hate you, I would never hate you."

She scooted closer to him and took his hand where his ring resided. He watched quietly as her tears fell on his miraculous. Her small frame trembled. "I'm sorry. I don't hate you, Chat. I'm so sorry that I said those words to you. I don't know how I can ever make it up to you-"

"Ladybug," Chat put a finger on her lips. "It's okay."

"But-"

He smiled sadly. "I'm used to it."

"You – you're used to-" She gaped at him, and then anger bubbled up inside her. "That's not-"

"I'll be okay, Ladybug." Chat said. And then she realized that he was affected by her words more than he let on. Her heart clenched as she grabbed the sides of his cheeks and forced him to look in her eyes.

"I love you."

Chat Noir's eyes widened. He abruptly lurched away, but her grip was firm. She wasn't letting him go. There was a big gaping hole within him, it was her fault, and she was going to fill that up. She repeated it again.

"I love you."

His breathing was shallow and he shook his head. He didn't want to believe her. She drew his face in and touched her forehead with his. They rocked back and forth, their tears falling down and mingling on the iron, as she said it again, lacing the words with affection and gratitude.

"I love you."

It was all out now. His body wracked with sobs as his hands cupped the sides of her face, his thumbs stroking her cheeks. Their eyes locked, emotions battling and whirling inside them.

"I need you." She said gently. "I want you to stay by my side, as my partner, as my best friend. You mean more to me than you will ever realize. You've always jumped in harm's way in front of me, and despite letting you have a taste of how I feel whenever you do that, I'm sorry I let you experience it. I can't stand to think of what I'll do if you hate me. What more from me to you."

Ladybug traced the edge of his mask and cupped his wet cheek, his face swimming in her vision through her tears. She said in a small broken voice, "I am so so sorry."

"D-Don't -" He gasped in between his sobs, "Don't do that again. Please, my lady."

"As long as you won't sacrifice yourself for me." She said.

"I can't promise you that." He said. "But I'll try. I'll try. Just…I can't. I just can't."

He couldn't fight her.

"Mon minou."

He clenched his eyes shut, fresh tears rolling down his cheeks that she wiped away.

"Mon chaton."

He nodded, his fingers wiping away her tears.

"Chat Noir."

He looked at her. She said the words with as much emotion as she could muster.

"Je t'aime."

His breath hitched. She squeezed her eyes shut, her heart thudding in her chest. He let go of her and then wrapped her in his arms, their hearts beating in the same rhythm.

He replied back.

"Je t'aime aussi."

Her blue orbs met his green glowing ones. He smiled at her and she smiled back at him.

Those three words. It wasn't just meant romantically.

Those three words meant one cared.

One cared so much, that a million feelings could never be described as perfectly as those three words.

The reason why Ladybug would always save herself first? Why she would never let herself get corrupted?

It was because of Chat Noir.

He was too kind, too selfless, too caring.

But so was she.

She was too kind, too selfless, too caring.

That's why she would never let him go through what she sometimes had to go through. She would never let him fight her. She would fight him, but never the other way around.

He loved her too much.

She loved him too much.

They loved with a love that was more than love.

LADYNOIR IS THE ANGST SHIP OF THE LOVE SQUARE! YOU CANNOT CHANGE MY MIND!

:D I told you to prepare your hearts. But hey, Marichat's next!

See ya'll next time!