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Another hot evening, another success for Ladybug and Chat Noir. The fight hadn't taken them as long as usual and it leaves Ladybug in an unusually bright mood, despite who she just fought. And, despite it being a short fight, Chat had used his cataclysm near the beginning. His miraculous squawks at him and loudly announces his desperate need to leave.
There's just enough time for a quick, "Pound it!" and then he's on his way in a flurry of goodbye kisses in Ladybug's direction. "You can take care of her this time, Buggaboo! You lady-bugs get along so well!" He tells her before bolting off, nearly on all fours in his haste. There's a bright flash of green just around the corner.
Whatever. She smiles crookedly, charmed by her partner and his oddities.
Ladybug's in an indulging mood this evening, anyway. So what if he was transformed just around the corner where anyone could've seen? Pot, kettel. She's certainly been in one or two situations like that.
"You can't be serious. Again? Just you wait, Ladybug, I'm going to shred. You. Apart." Someone grits out a few feet below her.
Lila is absolutely fuming on the rooftop they defeated her on; hands fisted in her shorts by her side, mouth twisted into an unsightly grimace. And oh, her eyes - they say the eyes are the key to the soul. Ladybug supposes Lila has a soul then, if the dizzying heat in those electric green eyes is anything to go by. There's something oddly beautiful about Lila when she's all sweaty and pissed off: failure, weirdly enough, looks impossibly good on the girl.
It sends something in Ladybug raring to go. Some urge that she feels needs to be acted upon. Like someone's snicked a hairpin into a lock, tugging at the restraints until all the latches fall free. And suddenly, Ladybug wants to sink her teeth in.
"Do you know what I think, Lila?" Her sweet voice floats downwards to the Italian girl, "Do you wanna know what I think?" She smoothly shifts on the sun-warmed rooftop, making sure to keep her body agile and ready, in case she has to strike quickly. Lest Lila jump off the roof just to get away. God, honestly she wouldn't put it passed her. The diva that this girl is.
"What's that, bug?" Lila spits, heaving breaths wracking her small frame. She paints a pretty picture.
Ladybug's heated gaze nearly sizzles under the other girls scathing glare. Still, she doesn't back down; she only crouches closer, leering down at Lila. Her magic-glossed lips pull into a smirk as she says - "I think, you're actually really, really pretty when you shut your mouth."
And to that, Lila seemingly has nothing to say. Though, her face does bloom into an interesting shade of reddish pink. It blends with her tan skin, giving her a sunset-ish look. Is it anger? Is she flustered? The sudden narrowing and downturn of Lila's lips is hardly anything to go by. She kind of looks disturbed, but embarrassed at the same time. Maybe put off is the word...? There's really no telling, but it satisfies something in Ladybug. Enough for her to stand up and turn her back, spinning her yo-yo at her side.
Glancing over her shoulder, she smirks, "Same time tomorrow, Little Liar?" She can't resist saying before her wrist flicks out, sending her body flying through the air.
An enraged shriek is swallowed by the hot Parisian night.
"Ugh Tikki, do you think that was too much!? Was that weird? It was totally super weird, right? RIGHT!? Why did I say that!? What's wrong with me!" Marinette stresses once she's back in the confines of her room. Her hands grip her hair, blue eyes bugged out and frantic.
She spins in sickly circles on her pink chair. "I honestly don't know what to tell you, Marinette," Tikki frowns, floating next to her holder. She watches Marinette spin and feels sick watching her go round and round.
"Whatever it was, it's done! Over! I can't take it back - but, I don't talk like that, I don't treat civilians like that, and I don't think LILA ROSSI is pretty!"
Lila Rossi is so pretty it's starting to piss Marinette off.
Said girl struts into the empty class with a purpose; a woman hellbent. Her auburn hair is twisted into a thick braid that lays over her shoulder. She's wearing a lace-trimmed, low cut, baby blue tank top that contrasts so well with her olive skin. It's actually upsetting how good it looks on her. The ruby red shorts also don't help Marinette's case, nor do the flower print sandals she's sporting. They showcase her painted toenails - red with black spots.
Marinette's eye honest to God twitches in attempt to hold herself back. From doing what? Who knows. Probably something crazy like pinning her enemy to a desk. To do what? Who knows. Probably something like kissing Lila within an inch of her Goddamn life.
The Italian girl catches her staring and opens her mouth to say something undoubtedly cruel, mean smirk curling on her lips, when -
"You look pretty today."
.....
?
?
?
Did Marinette really just say that?
The blush crawling up Lila's sharp cheeks tells her she most definitely did. Dread pools in Marinette's stomach just as Lila's hand slams on her table, sending little shockwaves up the black haired girls spine. Her life is spared thankfully as the classroom door opens and the rest of their classmates start pooling in one by one.
Lila's scowl is impressive but her face is no less red as she huffs and heads to her seat. No doubt her expression is schooled into something sweet and friendly when Rose greets her. Alya scoots passed Marinette, her and Nino chatting up a storm about some party that's being organized (of course, Marinette will be baking for it), and Adrien sits in front of Marinette just like usual. And just like usual, he greets Marinette with a gentle smile.
Why Marinette doesn't spend class that morning daydreaming about Adrien and their future hamster, she doesn't know.
Why she spends it thinking of Lila's waist in that top and her legs in those shorts, she really doesn't want to know.
"Aren't you getting tired of this, Little Liar?" Ladybug smirks. If it looks any bit fond, it's very clearly lost on Lila whose anger is frothing and frigid all at once. Ladybug honest to God thinks she hears a tooth crack with how hard the girl seems to be grinding them. And yet, she still manages to look breathtaking. It's a frustrating fact of life that Ladybug is starting to just.... accept.
You can't change facts: you can't change that Lila Rossi is gorgeous when she's spitting with anger and vitriol.
As of current, Lila is strung up - hung upsidedown by Ladybug's yo-yo. Long limbs all twisted and tied up. Ladybug grips the string with all the strength of one hand, easy and unworried as the pretty little liar glares at her. Sweat beads Lila's forehead, dripping onto the concrete.
"I have no idea what you're talking about, bug, but if you're done torturing me, I'd really like to get home. I have a science test tomorrow and I can't afford to miss it because the Savior of Paris kept me hanging all night." Lila grits out. Lying, of course. There's no science test tomorrow.
"But you look so pretty all tied up for me." The hero tosses back smugly.
"WHAT IS WRONG WITH YOU!?"
That night, Ladybug gets home with her cheek smarting, and Marinette shows up to class the next morning with a suspicious bruise shaped like someone kicked her in the face. Lila eyes her for a second longer than usual before her expression cuts off.
No way, right?
"I'm getting really tired of needing to tell you this, Dupain-Cheng, so I'll only say it one more time..."
In the middle of being threatened within an inch of her life, all Marinette can think about is how close Lila's lips are to hers. And how soft and pink they look. And how her breath smells like spearmint gum and mint toothpaste combined, so fresh and sharp. She has one canine tooth that's sharper than the other, like a snaggle tooth. It's attractive in all the ways that sets Marinette's pulse aflutter.
"Stay awa-" Whatever else Lila is saying is completely lost on Marinette. She's tunnel vision-ed on Lila's palms pressed by Marinette's pigtails, aggressively pinning her to the bathroom wall with the weight of her full body; the heat of Lila's legging covered, warm thigh. The rising of her chest with every angry breath, and scathing word.
Unconsciously, Marinette's hand raises to rest on the other girls waist. She feels the warmth of the girls olive skin through her red cami, the one that shows a sliver of skin, a taut stretch of olive skin and the flash of a golden belly button piercing. It startles Lila enough into accidently scooting closer, their noses bumping on impact. Lila goes nearly cross eyed before she scuttles backwards as if burnt, "Watch it." She snaps out.
Her hackles are raised, but why? Wasn't she close enough to Marinette all of the countless times Lila threatened her? Marinette goes to say just that, but instead, what comes out is - "Sorry, you're just really hot."
WHAT?
"WHAT!?" Lila shrills, and in one breath she says, "What is actually wrong with you, why do you KEEP saying that!? Why do you both- ugh, oh, something is so seriously wrong with you two freaks." Again, her teeth grind together in anger, she's unable to contain the frantic, heated flush that bathes her cheeks. Her nails dig into her palms.
Oh, she's talking about Ladybug, right? That's Marinette. Lila doesn't know that.
Marinette grins, holding her giggles, "Gasp! Are you moonlighting with another woman? I thought I was the only girl you touched like this? Are you pinning other girls to bathroom walls?" Where is this coming from? Marinette's never acted like this before! But it's like something way deep inside her is brought out by the way the other girl acts in turn. It's... nice, not being the flustered one for once.
Lila growls, slamming forward again. This time, the palm of her hand strikes Marinette's sternum and presses her against the cold tile wall. She lurches forward so close that her lips brush Marinette's. It's like their eyelashes kiss, how close Lila is, "You're on thinner ice than you can stand on Marinette, mark my words. Cross me again, and I'll make you regret it."
And just like that, she's gone.
Marinette fights the urge to bring her fingers to her lips.
"Your performance tonight is deserving of a standing ovation."
"Oh, bite me, can we just get this over with?" Lila sighs. "I didn't even do it this time and you know it. How is it my fault that guys such a loser? Speaking of losers, where's your stupid cat?" It's a good question. Ladybug had wondered the same thing mid-akuma fight when her yo-yo alerted her of a message from her partner. Apparently, Chat was so sick he couldn't make it. He said he'd be more of a liability than anything.
She can't say she minds it this time. She does mind the strange undertone to Lila's question.
"He's not my cat. And I'm not his owner."
Something visibly untwists between Lila's brows at that. Hm. Weird. Is that relief? Or is it annoyance? Who can tell. "Okay, then. Can you at least put me down? This is humiliating." Which is clearly referring to the fact that Ladybug is holding Lila in her arms like they're newly weds. "I don't know, kind of like you like this." Ladybug smirks down at her. Lila rolls her eyes skyward, blushing just like the spotted girl knew she would.
Difference this time is, Lila doesn't object. That's weird.
"Why do you keep flirting with me?"
Oh. Okay, straight to the point then.
Ladybug does set the girl down, after all. It's not really the conversation you want to have holding your enemy slash...crush? "You're really pretty. And your reactions are cute. That's all." Lila swallows. Digests the strikingly honest answer, and the strikingly fond look in Ladybug's masked gaze. When did Ladybug start looking at her like that? And why? Why, when she's only ever terrorized and hunted Ladybug? What changed for the spotted hero?
Nothing really changed for Lila, herself; she genuinely still hates the Hero of Paris. Or, so she tells herself. So what changed for Ladybug?
"Why? What changed?" She mumbles.
"Nothing. I just... feel that way." Is all she gets back from the black haired girl across her.
Frustrated and fed up, Lila groans, "That's such a stupid reason. And not good enough. It goes without saying I think you're the worst goody two shoes on this planet, and I don't want anything to do with you. You piss me off beyond words and I think you're a total joke. Everything that you have, I want for me. That's how I feel."
It's Ladybug's turn to be silent.
"What?" Lila grits, spitting vitriol and hate, taking a brave step forward, "Did you think I'd fall head over heels and kiss your ass? Get over yourself, Ladybug, I could never like someone like you. Too good for your own good." She gets so close to Ladybug that she can taste the chocolate puff pastries on the girls breath, and the familiar scent of cinnamon and sugar invades her senses.
Ladybug nods once, firm and understanding. Then she's gone with a whip of her yo-yo. The wind slashes through Lila's hair, her heart races like a thunderbolt.
Why does it feel like she lied? It's kind of sad, she didn't even mean to this time.
Seeing Lila in class instantly pisses her off. She's mad all throughout the class period, and when Lila sets off out the door for lunch, Marinette is right behind her. Grabbing the girls thin wrist like a vice, she drags Lila into a nearby broom closet and shoves her against the wall.
A familiar position for them.
"How do you feel about me? Be. Honest."
Caught under those steely blue eyes and that demanding tone of voice, Lila feels like she's been hit by a freight train. "What?" Her green eyes narrow to slits, "Look, I don't know what trip you're on lately, but whatevers wrong with you, it stops now. You think you can talk to me like this? Tell me what to do? You've got another thing coming."
A thin string of restraint audibly snaps.
"How are you so pretty when you're threatening me!?" Marinette growls, slamming forward to press her lips to Lila's. Instantly, her hands sink to clutch at Lila's soft waist that she's been dreaming about, tilting her head to kiss her further. Closer. Lila personally wants to say she fights it - that she feels some urge to push the girl away and spit at her. But, honestly, she instantly kisses back. Claws at the girl to drag her closer.
It's like she can't get close enough.
The smell of sugar and cinnamon bites at her. The taste of puff pastries. It lights a fire under her skin and pisses her off all at once. Why does Marinette taste so familiar when she's the first girl Lila's ever kissed?
The question nags at her.
"You're always telling me-" Marinette starts, mumbling between kisses, "-that you can't stand me-" She mumbles, "that you can't stand me, don't like me-" Her teeth catch and tug on Lila's bottom lip, dragging across the seam, "You're such a little liar."
Lila freezes.