Takes place during the movie, the scene just before the 'Stronger Together' scene but it's completely separate from the other chapters here that are also set within the movie.

Ladynoir July 2024

Day #10: Panic

Ladybug landed on the roof of an old, abandon theater. She'd gotten a message from Chat Noir to met him there for something important. She just wasn't sure what. She assumed there was another akuma and they had to do their 'thing' again.

"Alright, kitty. Let's do this quick. I've got a big day tomorrow and I need my beauty sleep," she said to herself, quickly rolling her shoulder, ready for whatever job that awaited her.

But as she looked around the tiny cupola of the building's roof, there was no one around.

"Chat Noir?" she called out "Hello?" There was no reply.

It was quiet. A little too quiet.

Ladybug walked over to one of the stone pillars and saw fresh scratch marks. This worried her. And it only got worse when she looked down to the floor and saw his baton. The green glow of the paw print symbol on it catching her eye.

"Oh, no," she gasped, picking it up. Ladybug stood up and stared at the magical device.

Chat had been there. But he wouldn't just leave this behind. Why would he?

Unless…

Ladybug's heart pounded harder in her chest, so much so she could hear it in her ears. Her breath was short and labored. Her eyes stung with bitter tears.

An akuma!

"I didn't make it in time. They took him! He's gone!" she cried, clutching the baton to her chest. The akuma must have captured him, might be taking him to Hawkmoth right now, and it was all her fault for not getting there faster. "Kitty!" she yelled out helplessly, her lip starting to tremble.

What had she done? Her kitty was…

Suddenly, the baton flew right out of her clenched hands. Up it went. Ladybug watched it ascend above her head to the old wooden beams of the cupola's roof, and be caught right in Chat Noir's waiting hand.

Ladybug's face dropped as she stared up at him with wide eyes.

"So, you do care about me," Chat said cheekily, grinning down at her. He jumped down from the beam and landed on the floor just a few feet from her. Then he chuckled. "Ha! You should have seen your-" he laughed but quickly stopped when he finally noticed his partner's body language.

Ladybug's hands were both clenched tight at her sides, her whole body was rigid but there was a slight trembling from head to toe, and her head was tilted downward so he couldn't see her eyes, let alone much of her face.

Chat wasn't sure what to do. He knew his pranks annoyed her but he didn't think this one would make her that angry. Should he make a run for it before she chased him down and strangled him with her yoyo string?

Moments later, she finally raised her head then immediately dashed toward him. He was expecting a kick to his shin or shove to the chest while she angrily berated him for being so childish.

And he got the shove to the chest. What he didn't expect were the tears.

"I hate you!" she hollered after shoving him and he stumbled back a bit. "I thought you were taken or worse!" she yelled at him angrily and he could see the tears in her eyes. As she stared at him and he stared back at her, taken very aback, she eventually broken down. She came at him again, standing very close to his front while weakly striking his chest with her fists. Meanwhile, Chat just stood there and let her. "You're such a jerk," she cried softly.

When the punching stopped and she just cried, her shoulders shook as more tears fell down her cheeks.

In reply, Chat wrapped his arms around her, pulling her in closer. "Milady," he uttered into her hair, tucking her head under his chin. "I'm sorry. I was just fooling around, but it was dumb. I didn't mean to upset you," he apologized.

He should have known pretending to be captured was a stupid practical joke. He was so sure she'd just be angry and annoyed. But upset and scared? That caught him completely off guard.

He expected her to panic a bit and be worried about him. That was what he had been going for.

They had teased each other a lot. She pretended she didn't actually care what happened to him, so he wanted to prove that under all the quips, she ready did. Make her worry about him a bit.

But he took it too far. He didn't expect her to be this bother by it. He should have known better. He frightened her and made her cry.

He might be a jerk after all.

As upset as she was with him, having his arms wrapped around her was comforting.

She'd thought for a minute that she had lost him.

"I-I can't do this without you," she uttered, her cheek smooshed against his chest.

She couldn't defeat akumas without him. She couldn't stop Hawkmoth without him. She couldn't be Ladybug without him beside her.

"Neither can I," he replied. After a brief contemplation, Chat came to the conclusion that if he had been the one to think, even for just a minute, that his lady had been captured because he wasn't there to protect her, he'd be devastated. He couldn't be Chat Noir without her beside him. Nor did he want to. "I'm sorry. I won't joke like that again," he promised.

He'll still keep up his regular joking with her, but no more pranks that involve him being in danger.

True, it was sweet to see that she cared so much about him based on that panic, but he would never intentionally cause that in her ever again.

She didn't deserve that kind of scare. And the fact that he caused it just made it worse. He only wanted to be the source of her joy and strength.

And her love.

Short but sweet.

Next chapter *here* will be on the 16th. =^.^=