Chapter Text
Age had been kind to Adrien in looks, yet his desires had been hidden behind false smiles and a bravado attitude. If he were being totally honest right now, he was terrified.
‘I can do this,’ he muttered to himself, hoping the words would chase away the fears.
It was funny that with age came realisations. When he was younger, he wouldn’t think twice about this. He would jump into the battle headfirst, no game plan, just a strong hope that Ladybug had some epiphany of how to defeat the Akuma and save him.
Now, it seemed more of a risk, a fear of the unknown. Death being permanent if he didn’t jump at the right time. But the fear was still there for her. If either were to go…it should be him. Only he wasn’t sure he could do that anymore.
Chat Noir climbed through the window and leapt out into the skies, his eyes searching for red and black.
And there she was. Already holding back the akuma with practised ease and perfect poise.
Chat Noir couldn't ignore how different his partner was. She was stunning, easily the most beautiful woman he'd ever met—except for one. He looked back and hoped Marinette was smart enough to hide somewhere safe. She’d scrambled quickly, and that was the only hope he had.
Leaping over the rooftops, he ran to join his partner.
‘What’s the deal with this one?’ he asked. Ladybug had paused on a rooftop, crouching and looking at the akuma below.
She beckoned him over, and he crouched beside her.
‘It seems like we have another broken heart. He’s forcing couples to argue and break up.’
Chat Noir studied what was happening on the street below. Couples were squabbling, fighting, and then…they disappeared.
‘Where have they gone?’ he asked, glancing around the area in hope of spotting them.
Ladybug shook her head. ‘No idea. But look over there.’
She pointed off to the distance, toward the Montparnasse Tower where giant mistletoe was appearing…with berries big enough to hold couples.
‘Yikes,’ Chat Noir said, turning his attention back to Ladybug. ‘So what’s the plan?’
Ladybug shrugged. ‘Defeat the akuma and don’t get caught?’
Chat Noir snickered. ‘And that’s why they made you the leader. Do we need anyone else?’
She froze for a moment, and he could see her battling with herself.
‘No,’ she said. ‘No. We don’t. We’ve got this, just like the olden days.’
Chat Noir held out his fist, Ladybug tapping her own against it.
She scanned the chaos below, her yo-yo flicking open as she searched for the source of the purple glow.
‘His powers are emotional,’ she murmured. ‘He’s feeding off heartbreak. The more people break up, the stronger he gets.’
Chat Noir grimaced. ‘Then we really don’t want to break up.’
He winked, and she rolled her eyes—but her cheeks pinked, anyway.
Before she could answer, a sudden pulse of rosy-pink energy blasted upward from the akumatized villain. It washed over them like a shockwave.
Chat Noir staggered back. ‘Whoa—what was that? My ring… it’s buzzing.’
Ladybug felt it too, like her earrings were vibrating against her skin. ‘It’s messing with our magic.’ She pressed a hand to her chest as her heartbeat stumbled. ‘Something’s—wrong.’
The villain’s voice boomed across the city.
‘True love is the only thing stronger than heartbreak! Let the fake crumble! Only the genuine shall survive!’
A ring of energy formed around the rooftops, trapping Ladybug and Chat Noir inside. The rooftop beneath them shimmered with pink sigils.
Chat gulped. ‘That’s… not ominous at all.’
Ladybug checked her yo-yo. ‘It’s a condition. He’s forcing pairs inside his barrier to prove they’re true loves—otherwise…’ She glanced at the sparking rooftops around them. ‘…we’ll lose our powers.’
Chat Noir blinked. ‘Wait. Wait, wait. How are we supposed to prove—’
Ladybug’s earrings beeped twice. His ring chimed in response.
A sphere of white encased them, wrapping around them and pushing them together.
‘What is this?’ Ladybug moved to the side pushing hard against the wall. It pushed out like chewing gum before returning to its original form.
‘I think we’ve been captured.’ Chat Noir smiled at her.
Ladybug sat down with a thump. ‘Great. We lasted a total of thirty seconds. What a great comeback!’
Chat chuckled. ‘Come on, Bugaboo, it could be worse. At least we’re still in Paris.’
‘Easy for you to say. You’re used to this.’
‘HEY! Put those claws away.’
She shook her head, bringing her knees up and sighing. ‘Sorry, Kitty. Just you know, expectations and all.’
‘Well, lower them and think. We can get out of here…we’ve just got to figure out how.’
She nodded. ‘Yeah, you’re right. So, how’s your day been?’
‘Not bad,’ he chuckled. ‘Yours?’
‘Yeah, fine.’
Small talk…great! That’s really going to help them kick the akuma’s butt. He studied her for a moment, and that’s when it clicked. True love. The akuma. Them.
‘You’re not fine,’ Chat Noir said, knowing they needed to talk…maybe even argue to break the akuma’s spell.
‘And how would you know?’
He tilted his head, his eyes fixed on hers. ‘It’s simple, really. Shoulders slouched. Face drooped. Eyes dull. You’re an easy one to read, Bugaboo.’
She flinched.
‘Still hate the nickname?’ he asked.
‘Despise it even more now.’
‘Do you still hate me?’
She scoffed. ‘I’ve never despised you. I wanted to hunt you down and kick you in the balls, but that was as far as I’d gone.’
‘Me-owch!’ He placed a hand on his heart. ‘And I used to think you liked me.’
‘I did…I mean…do. I was just so angry, I almost changed my whole life for you. I was preparing too. I thought it all meant something—’
‘It did.’
‘Please, just let me finish…I thought after that last akuma where you almost…you know…’
He nodded. ‘Yeah, I know.’
‘I thought things had changed between us. It felt so deep, so real. I wanted it so much. Then I came to meet you, to find out if you felt the same way…and you were gone. So that was the end of that.’
He breathed out, his eyes locked on hers. ‘It meant something to me. It meant a lot, actually; it was feelings I’d never really felt before. But…but I’d been seeing someone…’
‘Oh.’
‘Yeah,’ he nodded. ‘After leaving the letter for you, I went to see her…and she didn’t want to see me. Refused it blatantly actually, told me I was a stuck-up snob and just messed around to break girls' hearts. But I didn’t. I’ve broken no one’s heart…but she sure as hell broke mine. After that, I just cut off and left. No more looking back.’
With a pop of another berry, shadows appeared in the sphere beside them.
‘She sounds like a right piece of work.’
Chat Noir shook his head. ‘Nah, she was well within her rights. Above my league and already taken, I was throwing a ball without a chance of getting it in the net.’
She laughed. ‘Weird analogy.’
‘Yeah.’
They both glanced at each other and laughed.
A holographic script appeared between them:
TRUE LOVE’S KISS REQUIRED. TIMER: 60 SECONDS.
· · ─ ·✶· ─ · ·
Chat Noir stared. ‘You’ve got to be kitten me.’
Ladybug turned as red as her suit, standing and pacing in a small frantic circle. Of course, their heart-to-heart would be sealed with a kiss, because why not?
Whoever was delivering her Christmas presents this year was doing a rather crappy job of giving her good ones. Not that she had a problem with kissing Chat Noir during an akuma—she’d done it enough. However, with everything spiralling into insanity inside her, maybe kissing him right now wasn’t the best idea.
…but there was no other.
‘This is ridiculous—okay—fine, we just kiss and the spell breaks before we lose our Miraculous, right? Easy. Quick. Professional.’
Chat lifted a brow. ‘Professional kissing. Got it.’
‘Chat!’
‘Sorry! Sorry.’ He lifted his hands. ‘Whatever you need, M’Lady.’
The timer ticked down to 35.
They shuffled closer. Ladybug swallowed hard. She tried to focus, tried to pretend her heart wasn’t slamming against her ribs. But she was pretty certain—with his super hearing—he knew exactly what was happening.
‘Okay. On three,’ Ladybug announced, eyes closed and head tilted.
‘Right.’
‘One… two…’
Chat’s voice softened. ‘You sure?’
She opened her eyes and met his eyes—green, earnest, steady. He’d trusted her through everything. He’d always been there. And right now, she needed him.
Ladybug nodded. There was no other choice.
They leaned in—
The world glowed white as their lips brushed, soft and brief—only the barest touch, but enough.
The walls shattered, both grasping each other as their lips remained firmly attached.
Finally, they broke.
Ladybug unhooked her yo-yo. Throwing it against the bright light of the akuma’s next strike. The shockwave reversed course, blasting downward toward the villain. The barrier collapsed, hearts mending in its wake.
Ladybug and Chat landed on the street, neither standing as confidently as usual.
‘W-well,’ Chat Noir managed, ears pink. ‘That was… magic.’
Ladybug tried very hard not to smile. ‘Don’t get used to it, kitty.’
But her voice was warm. Warmer than she meant it to be.
Their Miraculous chimed again—fully restored, glowing brightly.
‘Come on,’ she said, regaining her composure. ‘Let’s go finish this.’
Chat followed her with a grin he couldn’t hide. ‘After you, M’Lady. And for the record?’
She glanced back.
‘I think we passed the test.’
The reverse shockwave had weakened the akuma’s hold, but couples still argued, tension hanging in the air like static.
Chat Noir followed, flipping beside her and landing in a crouch.
‘There!’ he said, pointing to the centre of the plaza.
The akumatized villain – Heartbreaker – stood atop a fountain, robes swirling like torn love letters. His staff glowed with pink light, the broken halves of a heart fused to the top.
‘You think your little kiss can overpower me?’ Heartbreaker shrieked. ‘Love fails! It always fails!’
Ladybug snapped her yo-yo taut. ‘Not today.’
Heartbreaker fired a wave of heart-shaped blasts toward them. Ladybug dodged left, Chat right, the plaza exploding in bursts of glittering pink light.
‘Chat Noir!’ Ladybug shouted. ‘We have to find the object he’s using!’
Chat leapt onto a bench, ducking another blast. ‘He’s holding that staff like it owes him money—bet the akuma’s in there!’
‘Agreed!’
Heartbreaker slammed the staff into the ground, a shockwave bursting outward. The pavement cracked, energy rippling toward them.
‘Cataclysm!’ Chat Noir activated without hesitation, plunging his hand into the wave. The moment his power touched it, the shockwave disintegrated—but the force sent him skidding backward, crashing into a planter.
‘Chat!’ Ladybug sprinted toward him.
He sat up woozily. ‘Still standing. Still handsome.’
‘Good. Keep him busy!’
Chat grinned, then lunged forward, agile and quick despite the hit. ‘HEY, HEARTBREAK-HOUDINI! Over here!’
Heartbreaker whirled, firing at Chat with rapid blasts. Chat danced out of the way, vaulting over debris and leading him in circles.
Ladybug seized the opening and threw her yo-yo, hooking it around a lamp post and launching herself behind Heartbreaker.
‘Lucky Charm!’
A bright flash—and a roll of tape landed in her hands.
‘Really?’ she muttered. ‘Tape?’
Chat dodged another blast, panting. ‘Use it creatively, Bugaboo!’
She did a quick scan: broken benches… a toppled sign… streamers from a half-decorated festival booth… and the fountain.
A plan formed.
Ladybug sprinted to the booth, grabbing the loose streamers. She tied one end to the tape, then swung around the fountain, looping it all the way around Heartbreaker as Chat kept him distracted.
Chat finally dived aside, giving her room.
‘NOW!’
Ladybug yanked hard, the streamer tightening and wrapping Heartbreaker in a colourful, tangled mess. He stumbled, dropping his staff.
She darted in, taped the streamer down to the pavement for good measure, and stomped on the staff—splitting it in two.
A dark butterfly fluttered out.
‘No more evil-doing for you, little akuma!’ She caught it in her yo-yo, purified it, and released a sparkling white butterfly skyward.
‘Miraculous Ladybug!’
The city burst into shimmering red light, repairing the plaza, soothing arguments, and mending newly broken hearts.
Heartbreaker reverted to a tearful young man clutching a shattered picture frame. Ladybug knelt beside him, softening her tone. ‘It’s okay. You’re going to be alright.’
Chat placed a gentle hand on the boy’s shoulder. ‘Love never ends the way we expect—but it’s worth trying again.’
The boy nodded, sniffling.
Ladybug and Chat stepped away, their work done.
As the last ladybugs dissolved, Chat looked at her with a shy smile he couldn’t hide. ‘So… uh…’
She turned, hands on hips. ‘Yes, Chat?’
‘Just checking.’ he grinned. ‘Still not used to the whole ‘true love’s kiss’ thing.’
Ladybug rolled her eyes—but she smiled back. ‘I’ll see you around, Kitty Cat.’
They ran off across the rooftops—hearts pounding for reasons neither dared admit.
· · ─ ·✶· ─ · ·
Landing back in the closet, Chat Noir faded away in a shimmer of green light. Adrien caught his breath as the ring cooled against his skin. His mind was still reeling—flashes of the kiss, Ladybug’s blush, her soft ‘I’ll see you around’… it all looped in his head like a song he couldn’t turn off.
But another worry squeezed his chest.
Marinette.
He’d left her earlier as the city descended into chaos. She’d probably barricaded herself somewhere safe—she was sensible like that—but he still needed to check. Needed to see that she was okay. And maybe make sure she hadn’t got caught in the crossfire of magically induced breakups.
He pushed open the door and made his way back to the window.
Marinette was already there with her head in her hands.
Well, at least she was alive.
The moment she saw him, she jerked upright, narrowing her eyes like he’d walked in tracking mud onto her favourite rug.
‘Adrien.’ Her tone landed somewhere between annoyed and why are you even breathing in my direction?
He blinked. ‘Uh—hi, Marinette. I just wanted to check that you were okay after everything that just happened in the city. The—uh—breakup beam thing?’
She raised an eyebrow. ‘I’m fine.’
Short. Sharp. Absolute.
Adrien felt the sting and tried not to show it. ‘Good. Good! I just… you ran and I just thought maybe—’
‘I said I’m fine,’ she repeated, crossing her arms.
Okay. Message received, loud and clear.
He shifted awkwardly. ‘Right. Well. We need to get this display sorted before my father fires both of us.’
Adrien tried to lighten the situation, but the attempt fell flat as she moved to pick up a selection of dresses without a smile on her face.
‘I have an idea,’ she said.
Adrien moved over to her, grabbing a couple more dresses. ‘Okay, I’m all ears.’
‘We’re going to make a tree…out of these dresses.’
Looking at the different fabrics and sparkles, Adrien attempted to picture what she was trying to accomplish.
‘Are you sure this will work?’ he asked.
Marinette gave him a look that made his insides shrill into a tiny speck.
‘Trust me,’ she said, ‘I know what I’m doing.’
And as they moved, and the display took place, he knew she had an eye for this.
And it would be best for him if he just followed her lead.