Miraculous: One-Shots ✅

Listen

"Bye-bye little butterfly."

Marinette pressed the surface of her spotted yo-yo, causing it to spring up into two pieces as a purified akuma flew out. It flapped away, its white wings reflecting the sun's light.

She watched it leave, before letting out a heavy breath. Her body bent down to an object on the floor, as she brought it into her grip.

It was a tissue box. The colouring was a cherry red, with black spots dotted over in a regular pattern. Glancing up, she smiled faintly. Marinette threw the item above her head and into the air.

"Miraculous Ladybug!" she yelled.

The box split up into thousands of magical ladybugs, that repaired any damage inflicted on the Parisians or the buildings. They whizzed about, circling structures and leaving them repaired.

"W-What happened?" a girl muttered nearby.

Ladybug turned, facing the teenager sprawled on the ground. She kneeled, holding a suited hand out. "You were akumatized, but that doesn't matter. Are you okay, Vivica?"

Standing with the heroine's help, Vivica confusedly replied, "Yeah, I think I am. Except for this killer headache I have."

She rubbed circular motions on her temples, though it did nothing to soothe the pain. "Sorry for any trouble I caused."

"Don't worry about it. Everyone feels negative emotions from time to time," Ladybug assured, beaming at the brunette.

"M'Lady!"

Marinette turned behind, seeing Chat Noir stood with his baton on one shoulder. Her fists clenched the slightest bit when taking in the carefree grin that he adorned.

"So, about that date?"

Ladybug sighed, closing her eyes whilst pinching the skin between her brows. "I've already told you, no. I've got somewhere I need to be tonight."

"Oh, where would that be?" he asked.

"Chat, you know I can't answer that," Marinette deflected. "Our identities could end up being at risk."

A silence lingered between them for a moment. It was broken by a snort escaping Adrien's mouth, which he covered immediately. Chuckles shook his frame.

"Oh, I see what this is about." He was shaking his head from side-to-side. "You're just scared that I won't love you anymore when I see you without the mask."

Ladybug wore an astonished expression, that only fueled Chat Noir's reasoning.

"Judging by your face, I'm right. Well, I purr-omise that my feelings towards you won't change. Don't worry."

The woman he spoke to gritted her teeth in restrained anger. She felt her back straightening and her nails digging into their palms harshly. Every other noise around seemed to melt away, replaced by the obnoxious nattering of her partner.

"...and all it takes is one date for you to see. You'll love me as much as I do you, and you'll understand exactly what I feel," he carried on. "So, how about it?"

Quietly, she responded, "That's not what I'm scared of." Her tone had the hardness of steel, yet Chat Noir seemed oblivious to its connotations.

"What, are you scared of loving me?" the boy scoffed. "Well, that's just-"

"No," Marinette broke in with. "What I'm scared of is you harassing me like this in my civilian life. Following me around, disrupting my routines, constantly pestering me for a date."

Her voice increased in volume as she listed off more things, with her arms gesturing wildly about in anger.

"I don't do any of that! You're lying-"

"'Lying'?" she repeated incredulously. "Look at what you're doing now! You're trying to convince me to go on a date that I want no part of!"

"And now you're making yourself the victim! Why am I not surprised?" Chat retorted, throwing his arms exasperatedly in the air.

"Shut up!" Ladybug exclaimed, making Adrien jump at the sheer anguish in her tone. It was then that he noticed that her bluebell eyes were watering, with red rims outlining them just beneath her mask.

However, what caught him most off guard was the purple symbol outlining her features, causing a glow to shine on her pale skin. She gripped the sides of her head, falling to her knees when they buckled from the strain.

"M-M'Lady? Y-You've got to fight it! Don't listen to Hawk Moth!" Chat Noir shouted, his emerald eyes flickering to Vivica at the side with her phone held out.

"Don't listen to him, you say?" she murmured, though it was loud enough for him to hear with his enhanced senses. "Unlike you, I actually am able to."

Her breathing hitched, as she clutched her earrings tightly. Tears began to roll down her face, dripping down onto the floor in pools.

"Y-You want to know what talking to you is like?" Ladybug quizzed, pointing a shaky finger in his direction. "It's no worse than talking to a brick wall. At least I can expect it to not listen, but when I even have the slightest feeling that you will, I look into your eyes, and guess what I see?"

She grunted, scrunching her eyes shut when another barrage of words from Hawk Moth echoed in her mind.

"I-I see a selfish 'hero' who only listens to himself. Never me, never anyone else." Marinette let out a dry chuckle, suddenly relaxing her body and removing the hands on her ears.

"Well, I bet you're listening now, aren't you?"

With that, a waterfall of violet bubbles spread across her form, engulfing her spotted suit from head to toe.