CHAPTER 22: True Love's Kiss Part 2

"Run, Chloe, run!" Ladybug yelled, the akuma close on their heels as they sprinted from the Bourgeois hotel.

Suddenly, Chat Noir landed directly in front of her, allowing Dark Cupid to go after Chloe and Sabrina.

"Well, well, Ladybug," he greeted, a taunting note in his voice.

"I don't want to fight you, Chat Noir," Ladybug firmly responded. Oh, why did he have to get turned? she lamented in her head. This fight was going to be so much harder without him.

Chat spun his baton around as a disgusted look crossed his face. "Ugh, that friendliness! It's so revolting!" He slammed the end of his staff onto the concrete and snarled at her. "You are definitely not my friend!"

His words put her on high alert, and she started twirling her yoyo in defense just as he made his own move to attack. She escaped to a lamp post nearby and then hopped up to the rooftops, where Chat continued to chase her across the city. As she evaded him, she tried to come up with a plan. Should she try to turn him back to normal or incapacitate him until the fight was over?

She turned around and managed to ensnare her yoyo around his baton. "Why are you so full of hate, Chat Noir?" she bated him.

"Because hate conquers all!" He smiled evilly, straining to keep his staff with him as she pulled on her yoyo string.

She could only shake her head at his words. "I hate to burst your bubble, but hate doesn't conquer all. Love does!"

Ladybug gasped as the words of her teacher and fellow classmates came back to her from earlier that day. Only love can conquer hate! Maybe true love's kiss would work? she questioned, a plan whirling in her mind.

While she definitely didn't see Chat Noir in a romantic light, she did certainly care about him. Hopefully the true love of friendship would be enough to free him from the spell, even though she suspected she still might have to kiss him on the lips to actually make it work.

"You're just buying time!" Chat Noir's words brought her out from her thoughts. He separated his baton to free it from her yoyo, and struck a combat pose. "Fight!" he demanded.

"I'll do better than that," she smirked. She let her yoyo rest at her side and strutted towards him. He backed away, confused.

"C'mon, kitty kitty. Just a peck…" She puckered her lips at him, all while slightly cringing on the inside. But I have to get Chat Noir back! her mind reasoned.

He rapidly jumped out of the way, and she growled. "Almost!"

"G-get back, you savage!" Choir Noir took off; now she was the one chasing him across the rooftops.

After a minute or so, she managed to snag his foot and trap him against a light post with her yoyo. "No! No!" he cried, struggling against the string as she hung upside down in front of him.

"Don't worry. I'm not looking forward to it either…" She leaned closer to him, but he kept dodging her lips. Grabbing his nose to steady his face, she leaned in once more and sighed. "I can't believe I'm doing this…"

Just as she started to lean in even more, an arrow sliced between the superhero's faces. Ladybug quickly untangled her yoyo and dodged the multiple arrow attacks being thrown at her. Chat Noir escaped to pick up his baton and stand by Dark Cupid.

"How are you going to fight both of us now, bug eyes?" her partner taunted as he fist-bumped the akuma and then called for his power. "I've often wondered what would happen if I used my Cataclysm on someone…"

Well, if he was going to do that, there was only one thing she could do in return! "Lucky Charm!" As a candy apple fell into her hand, she looked around, the wheels turning in her head.

She stepped out from the tree she was hiding behind, confidently brandishing her twirling yoyo shield once more. "I've got a Valentine's gift for you!"

She managed to dodge the attacks from both the akuma and Chat Noir, using her partner as a springboard to get to Dark Cupid's flying height. Throwing the candy apple at him, she smirked as it stuck to his head and he reached to take it off. Step one of her plan complete!

"Looks like you've got yourself in a sticky situation!" she called to the akuma.

As an akumatized Kim tried to fire his bow once more, he realized in frustration that the stickiness was preventing him from letting an arrow loose. "Ladybuuuug!"

She flipped over to the fountain, banking on the minute she would gain from the akuma's distraction to help her free her partner. "And now for the pussy cat…"

Chat Noir yelled a battle cry and jumped up to attack her. She dodged him a few times before letting him trap her underneath him. Step two of her plan complete!

"Chat Noir! Her miraculous!"

"With pleasure!" he replied, a malicious glint in his eye. "Finally, I'll find out who you are, Ladybug!" He reached for her earrings, and she cringed a little. "Your little secret will be out of the bag!"

Now! Moving as fast as possible, she reached up to Chat Noir's face and pulled him down to hers. She tried to channel good thoughts about her kitty, hoping that the love she did have for him would be enough to set him free. As their lips touched, a strange jolt of warmth flowed into her body and she almost let herself get lost in the kiss (it was her first one after all, give her some slack). But then, her body froze, as if bucket of cold water washed over her, startling her away from her partner and bringing her back to her senses.

Did it work?

Her partner shot up in shock. "Huh? What? What am I doing here?"

It actually worked! Now for step three of her plan!

Ladybug stood up and slung him over her shoulders. "No time! The quiver pin, Chat Noir! Now!" She launched him at the akuma, trusting that he understood the meaning behind her rushed words. "Grab it! Grab the pin!"

Cataclysm weathered away Dark Cupid's strap, and Chat Noir took the opportunity to swipe the jewel off the akuma's chest. "Sorry, need that! Happy Valentine's Day!" he called to Ladybug as he threw the pin over to her.

"Aww, you shouldn't have!" she played along. Flipping her hand over, the jewel dropped to the ground, and she crushed it with her foot.

One akuma purified and Miraculous Ladybug later, Ladybug stepped over to Chat Noir to do their normal fist-bump. "Pound it!"

Her earrings chirped at her and she hastily stepped away to leave.

"Wait! Ladybug, I gotta tell you something!" Chat pleaded, reaching out to her.

Oh god, here we go, she thought. "Look," she insisted as she turned back to glance at him, "the kiss, I had to break the spell or-"

"What? A kiss? What kiss?" Chat stroked his chin briefly. "No, I just wanted to say-"

"Look out, Chat Noir! Your ring is flashing!"

"Yours too!"

She laughed, trying not to let her partner see her internal stress. "We're about to turn into pumpkins. And personally, I'd rather not see that."

She left before he could say anything else, yoyo-ing her way back to her house. As she detransformed in the alley nearby, she couldn't help but bring her fingers up to her lips.

Well, that was an interesting way to have my first kiss…

Adrien jumped though his bedroom window and detransformed, Plagg immediately going for some cheese. He sat down at his desk, pushing the substantial pile of Valentine's aside, and immediately went to the Ladyblog for information on the akuma attack. I know I got put under the akuma's spell, but just what exactly did I do during that time?

Unfortunately, the Ladyblog had very little information, and the news outlets only had a few clips of Ladybug fighting both him and Dark Cupid on the rooftops. Still, they had managed to catch some of the exchange between him and his lady. Ugh, why did I let that arrow hit me? He spun around in his chair in frustration and stood up, needing to use the restroom. As he finished up and walked back into his room, Plagg snarked out a laugh at him.

"Can you believe all the horrible, thoughtless things you said to Ladybug?" the kwami taunted, twirling around with his cheese in hand.

"You think it's funny, huh?" he sighed, letting himself faceplant onto his bed.

"What's the big deal?" Plagg questioned as he flew towards the desk. "You've got so many cards from all these lady fans of yours. Take your pick!"

But none of them are from Ladybug, Adrien observed with bitterness. He felt a fluttering near his face and opened his eyes to see a heart-shaped card next to him on the bed. Picking it up and reading it, he jolted up in recognition.

"Woah, hold up! Someone answered my poem? But I threw it away!"

Your hair shines like the sun
Your eyes are gorgeous green
I look at you and wonder
Your innermost thoughts and dreams
Yes, your Valentine I will be
Our love will be so true
Together for eternity
My heart belongs to you

Plagg groaned. "Well, anyone who writes as sickeningly as sweet as you must be your soulmate," he noted, a sarcastic tone to his voice.

"It isn't signed," Adrien complained, even as his mind was running through the possible people who could've responded to his poem.

Suddenly a ladybug landed on the card, reminding Adrien of the reason he wrote the poem in the first place. As it took off again towards the window, he followed with wonder. "Could it have come from Ladybug?" he asked, awe creeping into his voice as he slid down against his windows.

"Oh, puh-lease!" Plagg rebutted. "How would Ladybug have access to your poem?"

Adrien scowled at his kwami from his position on floor. "It was just a nice thought, Plagg."

"If by 'nice thought,' you mean complete and utter fantasy. Ugh!"

"Would you stop?" Adrien requested, standing up. "Haven't you given me enough grief today?"

"I'm just being realistic, kid. That card is more likely to come from one of your classmates than Ladybug," the kwami reasoned, crossing his arms. "What was it that you were writing about? Dark hair and bluebell eyes? I bet it came from Marinette!"

"Marinette's not the only person at school with that description!" Adrien argued back. "And I told you to stop teasing me about her!"

Plagg turned away from his holder, not saying anything in response except a grumble under his breath that Adrien couldn't decipher.

"I'm serious, Plagg. Leave it alone." The model walked over to his desk again, resolving to go through the pile of cards and keep any of the ones that caught his interest. In his frustration, he purposefully ignored Plagg as the kwami flew over to get more cheese.

A few minutes later, as he was about halfway through the pile of cards, a knock sounded on his door.

"Yes?"

Nathalie opened the door and strode in a few steps. "Adrien, your father wanted to let you know that he has signed you up for the Soulmate Conference next month."

"Wait, what? Why do I need to attend a Soulmate Conference, Nathalie?"

The woman frowned a bit upon his protest. "Your father wishes for you to find your soulmate as soon as possible, by any means necessary. It will be good press for the company."

"Um," Adrien flubbed, not quite expecting that response. "Okay. Thank you, Nathalie."

"Remember to practice your piano today at 1700 hours," she reminded, striding towards the door again.

"Yes, Nathalie…" Adrien trailed off, before slamming his head on his desk. "What is my life?" he groaned.

Plagg flew up to the desk and landed in his chosen's hair. "Sorry, kid," he said quietly, ruffling around a few strands of his chosen's hair.

Adrien took that as both an apology for earlier and sympathy at his situation.

"Thanks, buddy."

A/N: Happy Valentine's Day! I hope this chapter is the purr-fect gift!

If you wanna give me some love, leave a review! Reviews are purr-fur-able over chocolate, lol ;)

Thanks and love you all,

Starlin's Ghost