Dearly Despised, (I love you)

Action!

A/N: I mean, they may fight, they may kiss, who knows with these idiots

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Their rivalry became relentless proceeding that.

While trying to avoid akuma in creative places, they seemed to share one braincell and kept finding themselves squabbling in bathrooms, classrooms, behind walls, or any locker room in the school, demanding the other "get out". Once, Marinette and Adrien bumped heads ducking behind a recycling bin in an empty park. Then they wasted two minutes threatening to sue the other in case they took on concussion (both probably had it with the intelligence that argument had).

It was by sheer luck (not his, undoubtedly) that Ladybug faced her own distractions and arrived similar times he. Her school must have been further away, he reasoned, or that pesky guy that caused her grief held her up.

"He sounds the literal worst."

"Oh, he is," the love of his life, the reason to breathe, the fragility of his knees, laughed dryly, and he caught that sad smile that tacked on. "But you just have to get over some things, right? That's what you say about... her."

Her compassion swelled his heart and her tolerance inspired him. Nothing could compare to peach skies above sun-bitten rooftops with his lady, the random gatherings of dinner snacks from street shops on their blanket they most definitely stole, and the gnawing reminder at the back of his mind that Nathalie could walk in on his phone doing his piano lesson for him at any minute.

But then she'd smile.

And he remembered being in love made every risk worth it.

The time she stood up to Hawk Moth's butterfly incarnation – all fiery and brave and sure of herself – he couldn't do anything but watch. Then by her creative genius and their meant-to-be teamwork she purified the akuma and caught Mylene's fall, and as he onlooked the spotted parachute sailing to safety, he swore his heart was no longer his own.

They were friends, for now, and they were only getting closer.

"She's a handful, but it's good to remember that not everyone in life is going to like you."

Ladybug leant forward, holding her cheeks. She blinked up at him, red ribbon and cowlicks of her dark ponytail falling past her shoulder. "How could they not, though?"

He laughed, quietly bashful. "I guess I'm just too good looking to not hate."

"Oh, stop."

That giggle could single-handedly fuel him for a week.

"I can't wait until the day I get to meet that guy who tricked you all those times– then purposefully ignored your note asking to start over. I swear, I'm gonna cataclysm his as—"

"Chat."

He looked over. The evening cast over them and her eyelashes glowed orange as she held out a Capri Sun drink from their assortments of snacks. He read the "all natural ingredients" label and took it from her eagerly.

"We're better than that." She shuffled up, digging through their food pile and retrieving a milk chocolate bar. "We've had out weekly vents. Now let's forget about them."

Ladybug was right.

Evenings with her were just... ahh. She was both a relieving consolation and distraction to the situations he faced at school. She kept him from wanting to punch a wall whenever Marinette told the class he was having "gastro issues" when he went to the bathroom (akuma victim check-up) more than once in a day. She gave him someone to think about during dinner, at the toe of the spiritless table, so he felt less lonely as he faced that empty chair. She gave him a reason to do better – be better – than what Marinette drove out of him.