On the ground, Chat stopped and waited for Ladybug to land a second later. He braced himself.
"Chat Noir," Ladybug said. She walked up to Chat, the most beautiful smile on her face. "You came back for me."
"Ladybug, I-" he started to say, but Ladybug reached up and pulled him in for a kiss. He broke it off.
"Why did you do that, Chat?" she asked. "I thought you wanted me to love you."
Chat swallowed. "I do, Ladybug. Just…just not like this."
Her brow wrinkled in confusion, but before Chat could explain, he heard the whoosh of the Well Wisher's wings as she landed beside them.
"I wish to capture Chat Noir!" the akuma shouted. She aimed the horn's mouth at him.
"Later." Chat grabbed Ladybug's waist and pulled her close, while at the same time pushing the two of them up off the ground by an extension of his baton-turned-staff. The water splashed at the spot they were standing a moment before. He set Ladybug down on the rooftop garden of Marinette's house and stepped beside her. "Stay here," Chat Noir said, turning to face the akuma.
"Duck!"
Chat ducked at Ladybug's command. Her yo-yo flashed over his head and wrapped around the Well Wisher before the akuma could shoot at Chat again. At least she's still got something of her old self left.
The Well Wisher, no longer supported by her wings, fell out of the sky. She landed with a loud thud on the ground below. She grumbled and thrashed, but it seemed that Ladybug has captured her, though she had uncharacteristically thrown her yo-yo down with the akuma. Chat Noir stood up on the roof and faced Ladybug. Before he could say anything, Ladybug leaned over to him, across the decorative metal barrier, and pulled him into another kiss. Their lips had barely touched before Chat pushed Ladybug away, holding her at arm's length by her shoulders.
"Ladybug, stop! This isn't you!"
"What do you mean, Chat?"
"You're under the effects of the akuma, Ladybug," he said, locking his gaze into hers. "The Well Wisher grants wishes, and I….she heard my wish that you would fall for me, on the rooftop before you showed up. She must have heard me."
"You love me, Chat Noir? Then why did you want to stop?"
He swallowed, mouth dry. "You don't love me, Ladybug. You never have. This is only because of what the akuma did to you." The expression on Ladybug's face ripped at Chat Noir's heart. Confusion, and betrayal. "I love you, Ladybug. I love you, and I want you to love me back. But as you, not under someone's control. Not like this."
Ladybug's mouth moved without sound as she tried to come up with what to say. "Chat Noir, I love you. I want to be with you. It doesn't matter what happened to me. All that matters is that we love each other."
Chat swallowed. He had to get her to go fight – the Well Wisher could escape at any moment – and right now nothing was working. Maybe…. "Ladybug, I-I lied. I don't l…I don't lo…." I can't do it. I can't say that to her. She watched him, expectantly, unsure of what he was trying to say.
Wait, when Chat had been affected by Dislocoeur, Ladybug had…well, it was worth a shot if he initiated it.
"Ladybug, I'll kiss you, once."
Her eyes lit up, and Chat Noir reached in to kiss Ladybug. She kissed him back, and they stood there, his arms wrapped around hers, hers around his. It's not working. Ladybug wasn't letting go. Chat needed Ladybug to listen to him, to go fight the Well Wisher! But she wouldn't! Ladybug wouldn't listen to Chat Noir…but maybe, she would listen to Adrien Agreste.
Ladybug didn't want to know who Chat Noir really was, but there was little choice. He pulled the Miraculous off his finger.
The familiar feeling of release instantly starting running up his legs from his feet as the transformation wore off. His suit went away, replaced by jeans, a t-shirt, and an unbuttoned white shirt. The sounds of the city dulled as his powers went away. Green light flashed through his closed eyes as the transformation finished.
Ladybug must have seen the light too, because she pushed back from Adrien with a gasp. He gripped the balcony railing tightly, aware now how high off the ground he was. With a sheepish grin, Adrien looked up at Ladybug and said, "Hi, Ladybug."
Her brow furrowed. "Adrien, you – you're Chat Noir?!"
"Yes, I am," Adrien said. He climbed over the railing and came to stand next to Ladybug, placing a hand on her shoulder. Plagg floated beside him and snickered quietly. Adrien ignored him. "I'm sorry you had to find out this way, Ladybug. But you're not listening and we have to fight this akuma soon. You're in danger of losing your Miraculous if you're distracted. This was the last thing I could try to maybe break you out of it."
"I…," Ladybug stepped away and pressed her palms to her forehead. "I don't know what's going on, Cha- Adrien. I love you- um, Chat Noir, but I also love you, Adrien. Adrien Agreste. I did before…."
"Before what?" Adrien's heart pounded in his chest. She already loved Adrien? He shook off the thought and grabbed Ladybug by her forearms and looking into her eyes. "Never mind. Ladybug, you have to focus. We can talk later, okay? We just have to fight the Well Wisher first."
Ladybug took a deep breath and nodded. Something more of the Ladybug Adrien knew reappeared on her face. "Okay, Adrien. I'll fight the Well Wisher and then we'll talk." She glanced around them. "But I don't know a way down from this rooftop, and if you transform back into Chat Noir, I might….Lucky Charm." Ladybug smiled at Adrien, much like she would at Chat Noir. The akuma's effect might not be gone completely, but part of Ladybug was back. "Maybe Lucky Charm will help."
Adrien smiled and stepped back from Ladybug. Through she didn't have her yo-yo, Ladybug threw her hand into the air and shouted "Lucky Charm!" Pink light flashed in the air and a metal staff taller than Ladybug dropped into her hand.
"A staff?" she asked, looking at Adrien. "It looks like Chat's- um, your staff."
Adrien shrugged. This was her thing, not his.
Ladybug frowned, then looked around the balcony. She had described what she saw more than once: things that could help flashed red with black spots, like Ladybug's costume. Adrien couldn't see it, of course, but it worked for Ladybug.
She looked over the edge of the balcony, then did a double take. Ladybug turned and smiled at Adrien, that same smile that made his heart flutter as Chat Noir. Then it fell into a confused frown. "We don't know where the akuma is, though. I can't stop her without it."
Adrien thought back to what he had seen earlier, the shiny thing in the Well Wisher's hand. "There's a coin in her hand. It's the only thing not green about her. That must be it."
Ladybug nodded. "Once I'm gone, get ready to transform back into Chat Noir. I don't know what she could do, and I might need his- your help."
Adrien smiled back at Ladybug, and watched as, with a leap over the railing, she was gone.