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In hindsight, Killua really should have just refused Ladybug’s begging.
“Chat, that move was so cool!” Ladybug gushed as he bounced up and down at Killua’s side, brown eyes alight with a mixture of excitement and awe. “How do you always look so graceful and amazing and-”
“S-Shut up!” Killua stammered, hating the rush of embarrassed heat that rose his cheeks.
Even as Chat Noir, taking compliments was a challenge for him. And Ladybug- he just never stopped. The red and black suited teen just went on and on about everything and anything: how fast Killua was, what great a team they made, the fact that he couldn’t wait to see Chat again whenever they said goodbye-
Killua blinked as Ladybug suddenly leaned into his space.
“Can you show me how you did it, then?” Ladybug asked eagerly.
Killua took a large step back. “Ah- no.”
“What? Why not?!”
Killua almost laughed at the indignant expression on Ladybug’s face.
“Because we just spent all night on patrol,” Killua pointed out. “I don’t know what you like to do in your free time, Ladybug, but for me, sleeping is a very enjoyable experience.”
He could already feel exhaustion seeping into his muscles, after all. It was messing up with his brain and making his limbs heavy as lead. He was probably going to fall asleep on Gon again later during school at this rate…
The thought of Gon’s shoulder against his cheek and the smell of his cologne in Killua’s nose was enough to make Killua’s heart do a triple back-flip. He quickly turned away before Ladybug could see the love-struck look in his eyes. The last thing he needed was more of Ladybug’s prying questions.
“Go home, Ladybug,” he said shortly. “There’s always tomorrow-”
Warm fingers suddenly encircled Killua’s wrist, forcing him to stay.
“Don’t go yet! Please, just show me that one move? I promise it’ll only take a little while!”
The back of Killua’s neck prickled. He turned slowly around to see Ladybug staring at him with wide, pleading eyes.
“Pretty, pretty please?” he begged as his grip on Killua’s wrist tightened. “You just…you looked so amazing, I wanted to try it too.”
Killua’s mouth was dry as sandpaper; the way Ladybug was talking, Killua couldn’t help but be reminded of Gon.
God damnit.
“Fine,” he relented and Ladybug’s face lit up. “BUT! I’m only showing you that one thing, okay? Then I seriously need to get to bed.”
Ladybug chirped, “That’s fine! I just wanna see how you twist around like that! you’re always so light on your feet, you know? Whenever I try to do one of your moves on my own I always end up falling flat on my face, and then-”
Killua just stared as his partner babbled excitedly. Honestly, sometimes just watching Ladybug chatter on with that boundless energy of his was tiring.
The lesson started innocently enough; Killua just mimicked the move in slow motion for Ladybug to see. He could feel the heavy weight of Ladybug’s stare digging onto his skin but he ignored it. Ladybug always watched him, this was nothing new.
Soon enough Ladybug was trying to do the trick on his own. That ended up being a total failure considering the fact that Ladybug seemed to posses no self control whatsoever and ended up falling on his ass.
“Its not funny,” Ladybug grumbled while Killua bent over his knees, cackling uncontrollably.
“It is!” Killua gasped. “Ladybug, if you had done that in a real fight the akuma totally would’ve caught you by now-”
“That’s why I have you!” Ladybug huffed and Killua’s laughter died in his throat. “You’re supposed to protect me, right?”
“I- yeah, of course.” They were partners, after all. Killua attracted the bad luck as Chat Noir so Ladybug could focus on saving the akuma victim. It was the perfect balance, even if it did mean Killua found himself in more than one sticky situation over the past few years.
“Then I wouldn’t have gotten caught, no matter what!” Ladybug shifted back into a squat. “Chat, can you show me how you kicked your leg out again? I think that’s the part I messed up on.”
The ‘lesson’ eventually changed, as Killua had known it would. What started off as Killua gently moving Ladybug’s arms and legs into the proper positions- somehow making Ladybug shiver every time his claws brushed against his spotted suit- rapidly turned into a heated sparring session. Before he could stop, Killua found himself ducking and dancing around Ladybug to avoid his well-aimed fists.
Ladybug had strength on his side and Killua, as Chat Noir, had speed. That’s how their fights always worked out: Ladybug using brute force and determination while Killua danced along the edges, watching carefully for his opportunity to strike.
But Killua was tired. The entire day had been exhausting- from waking up early to help Gon finish his homework, struggling through another lecture from his mother after school, fighting off a sudden akuma attack and then going on night patrol with Ladybug again at night. To say he was burned out was an understatement.
That was probably why Ladybug was able to take advantage of his split second lapse of concentration.
Killua didn’t have time to react when his legs were abruptly wiped out from underneath him. His back slammed into the concrete roof hard enough for him to see stars and the air vanished from his lungs.
Ladybug was on top of him a heartbeat later, pressing Killua into the ground with one of his arms shoved up under Killua’s chin while the other pinned Killua’s clawed hands above his head.
Killua’s chest heaved as he panted for air. Ladybug grinned down at him with shinning brown eyes that reflected Yorknew’s million multicolored lights. He couldn’t look more pleased with himself if he tried.
Before Killua could think to say anything, Ladybug slowly leaned towards Killua’s face. Killua stopped breathing at the sudden proximity. They were so close that Killua could make out the splash of freckles peaking out from under Ladybug’s mask, feel his warm breath brush against Killua’s lips…
“What’s wrong, hm?” Ladybug hummed lowly and Killua’s pulse began to race under his skin. “Chat got your tongue?”
Killua’s eyes flew open wide and he flushed, heat rushing to every part of his leather-clad body.
“You!” Killua snarled and yanked his hands free. He shoved Ladygug off him with enough force to send the other teen flying backwards.
“AHHH!” Ladybug twisted in mid-air. He landed lightly on his feet a good distance away and shot up.
“Chat! That was rude!” he whined.
“Like I care!” Killua snapped. “Go have fun on your own, Ladybug, I’m going home!”
Ladybug’s jaw dropped. “Wha- no! Don’t go-”
But Killua had already leaped off the rooftop. He barely made a sound as his boots hit the ground and he was sprinting down the street before he could stop to think about where exactly he was going.
Killua’s face burned under the black cat mask and his head spun in dizzying circles. He could feel his own heart hammering away like he’d just run a hundred miles. Emotions swirled around inside him like a thunderstorm, too chaotic and explosive to ignore.
How dare Ladybug trap him like that?! Killua wanted to be angry, to scream and rage at the sky but that was utterly pointless. Ladybug had beat him fair and square. Killua had to admit that no matter how much he hated it.
So why the hell did he feel so enraged and, and…so confused?!
“Chat got your tongue?”
Ladybug’s sultry voice echoed in his mind and Killua cursed.
Tomorrow- tomorrow, he would push this whole thing out of his mind and everything would go back to normal. Tomorrow he would see Ladybug again and take out another akuma and everything would be fine.
He just needed some sleep, and time. That was all.