The Battle of the Century...

Apparently
Posted originally on the Archive of Our Own at http://archiveofourown.org/works/26345251.

Rating: Teen And Up Audiences

Archive Warning: No Archive Warnings Apply
Category: F/M
Fandom: Miraculous Ladybug
Relationship: Adrien Agreste | Chat Noir/Marinette Dupain-Cheng | Ladybug
Character: Adrien Agreste | Chat Noir, Marinette Dupain-Cheng | Ladybug
Additional Tags: Romance, Pining, Unresolved Romantic Tension, Fluff, Mild
Hurt/Comfort, chat noir is goofy, ladybug loves it, Reverse Crush AU
Language: English
Series: Part 4 of When Duty and Desire Meet Series
Stats: Published: 2020-09-07 Words: 1296

The Battle of the Century...Apparently

by midnightstarlightwrites

Summary

Chat Noir opened his arms wide, spinning and yelling out loud. “Behold! Our battle arena!
For one night only! The fight of the century! Ladybug Vs. Chat Noir!”

Chat Noir has a surprise for Ladybug. Fluff and cuteness ensues...

Set in the When Duty and Desire Meet universe.

“Ok, are you ready?”

Ladybug giggled, Chat Noir’s gloved hands tickling her nose as they covered her eyes. “I have no
idea if I’m ready or not, Kitty-Cat.”

She heard him chuckle and, after making her promise that she’d keep her eyes closed, he moved
away from her. Ladybug picked up the sounds of hurried feet. Whatever this surprise was had
gotten him excited.

A shiver ran up her spine and she wrapped her arms around herself. They were up high, probably
the Eiffel Tower. Ever since the fateful day they’d become friends, and he’d given her the forever
rose, any gift he’d given her had always been on the tower. It was one of his many adorable
routines, yet another reason she loved him so much.

As she waited, it was difficult not to delve into detective-mode. But she refrained. For him.

“Ok it’s all ready now! Open your eyes!”

Ladybug didn’t need to be told twice. Following Chat’s instructions, she frowned at the sight
before her.

They were indeed on the tower, as she’d thought, but he’d changed it. The floor around them was
covered in a white, hard-foam fabric, like mats at a gym. Lanterns hung up, flooding the area with
enough soft light so that they were visible to each other, but without being glaring. In the corner
was a little café-like table, where two large water bottles rested, the kind you’d use when working
out. The windows of the souvenir shop had been boarded up.

“So? So?” Chat was beyond excited. He bounded towards her, grinning from ear to ear, and
practically vibrating on the spot. “What do you think?”

His eagerness was infectious, sure, but damped slightly by the fact that Ladybug had no idea what
was going on. “It’s great?” she tried, waving her hands as she saw Chat’s smile slipping. “I mean!
I’m sure I’ll love it once you explain what it is?”

Chat blinked for a moment and then smacked his palm over his head. “Of course! Sorry! Yes! I
should explain, shouldn’t I? Come here.”

He beckoned her into the centre of the mat-like material, taking her hand and pulling her towards
him. Ladybug tried to concentrate on the semi-squishy feeling of the mats beneath her feet, instead
of the mess her heart was making inside her chest.

The excitement faded from Chat Noir’s countenance, slipping into something quiet and
contemplative. He let go of her hand and took a step back, not meeting her eyes.

Ladybug flexed her now empty hand.

“So, I know you’ve recovered from your- your- your wound,” he stammered out and Ladybug
fought not to wince, not to bring her hand up to the gunshot scar on her abdomen. It was still so
difficult to talk about. The recovery. The trauma. She’d been back on her feet and back to being
Ladybug for two blessed months and already it felt so much better. But it wasn’t going to feel like
normal for a long time. If it ever did. And Chat was the same, she knew he blamed himself for not
being there to take the bullet instead of her. She knew there was nothing she could say to assuage
him of such a burden, such an intense guilt.

They figured it out together, slowly, supporting each other in turn. It had taken a lot for Chat to
even talk about his feelings regarding her near-death experience, he’d wanted it to be all about her,
looking after her, making sure she was ok.

But they were a team, and Ladybug wasn’t going to let her partner suffer in silence.

Noticing he was struggling with his words, she reached out and put her hand on his arm. It’s ok, her
touch sought to remind him, I’m still here. You didn’t lose me. I’m right here.

He picked up on the message, shoulders relaxing away from his ears as he exhaled. Finally, he met
her eyes and she flicked his bell playfully. Chat laughed, and the mood lifted once more.

“Ok so my brain is really annoying me,” Chat tried to explain again.

“Understandable, it is your brain after all,” Ladybug teased, laughing when he tapped her on her
nose in admonishment.

“Let me explain or I’ll start talking about why Ouran High School Host Club deserves a season
two again,” he threatened.
Ladybug threw her hands up in the air. “I concede, I concede! Please,” she bent forwards in a half
bow, gesturing for him to continue.

He nodded, offering her a cheeky, triumphant smirk (one which she’d definitely have to get him
back for) and continued. “Ok, so I know that you’re better. Logically, I know that right? But here’s
the thing, whenever we’re stopping crime or dealing with the wild akuma, I keep… I just keep
freaking out. My brain goes back to the time you got hurt and I psych myself out thinking about it
happening again even though I know you’re fine and it was a freak accident, and we were dealing
with the worst evil we’d ever faced. I know all of this, and I feel better since we talked about it
before,” he said, referencing the time she confronted him and they’d cried together. “The thing is
though, emotionally I don’t think I’ve gotten the message yet. And I really hate it. I don’t ever
want to see you as less than capable. Because you ARE, and I need to get over this.”

“I think you’re being too hard on yourself,” Ladybug shook her head. “I don’t mind that you’ve
been more protective recently, I get it ok?”

“But I need to get over it,” Chat replied. “I made the mistake of underestimating you right at the
start of our partnership, and I almost killed it before it began. I’m not going to do it again. So!
Enter this idea of mine!” He opened his arms wide, spinning and yelling out loud. “Our battle
arena! For one night only! The fight of the century! Ladybug Vs. Chat Noir!”

Ladybug’s jaw opened wide. She didn’t know whether to laugh or despair. “Our…battle area?”

Chat bounced on the mat, grinning wide again. “That’s right!”

“Let me get this straight,” Ladybug replied, pressing her fingers to her temple. “You’re scared
about me getting hurt again, and your solution is to…try and hurt me?”

“Huh? No of course not! I don’t want to hurt you! We’re just sparring,” Chat looked appalled at
the very idea. “I’m gonna give it my all and, when you inevitably kick my ass, then I’ll be able to
recall it every time I get worried about you getting hurt the next time we’re up against real bad
guys.”

He padded over to her, smirking again. “Come on, think of every bad pun I’ve ever made, every
time I jumped into battle without thinking things through, every anime rant I’ve ever inflicted on
you, the time I got high on catnip mid battle. I’ve had it coming a long time, so I know you want to
try.”

“Try?!” Ladybug wrinkled her nose, feigning incredulity whilst trying not to laugh.

“Yeah, you’ve got to try, I’m not going to go easy on you, remember? That’s the point.” Chat
poked out his tongue. God, she loved him so much.

“You know you’re insane, right? Just checking you know. You’re actually crazy,” Ladybug was
definitely laughing now as she turned towards one corner of the mat, pulling out her yo-yo and
getting into a fighting stance. “But fine. I’ll prove to your emotions that I’m fully capable, by
kicking your ass.”

Chat Noir beamed at her, bounding over to the opposite corner and whipping out his baton.

“I wouldn’t have it any other way, LB,” he said.

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