#alybug

           Alya crushed the small note to her chest, face burning scarlet. Ladybug asked her out on a second date! She needed Marinette to confirm that she wasn’t dreaming.

           “Mari!” She shouted, tackling her friend and dragging her to the side away from listening ears.

           “What’s up?” She asked, tilting her head to the side slightly.

           “Read this and tell me it’s real, and it says what I think it says,” She thrust the crinkled note in her friend’s face. After a moment of scanning, Marinette smiled.

           “You’ve got a date, Al,” She giggled, jumping up and down with Alya as they let out a series of ear shattering squeals.

           “Oh my god. What am I gonna do? What am I gonna wear? Marinette, help!” She buried her face in her friend’s chest who patted her hair sympathetically.

           “I’ll help you wow her. Let’s go dig through your closet,” She vowed, lifting her chin up with one finger.

           “You’re the best, M,” She grinned, taking her hand and racing from the school. “I’m home! Mari’s with me, we’ll be in my room!”

           “Hi, Marinette,” Alya’s father called from the living room.

           “Nice to see you, Mr. Cesaire,” Mari called as Alya kicked open her bedroom door. “Okay, let’s see what we’ve got.”

           “We’re meeting in the park, but I don’t know what we’re doing! Should I wear a dress or will that be too much? She’s gonna be in her suit most likely, so I don’t want her to feel underdress,” Alya paced back and forth across her floor while Marinette held up a couple different shirts.

           “Alya, breathe, it’s going to be fine,” She laughed, tossing a crop top at her. “Put that on.”

           “What if she asks me to be her girlfriend?” She gasped, unbuttoning her shirt. “Mari, what if she tells me who she is under the mask!”

           “I think you’re getting a little ahead of yourself,” Mari shook her head as Alya slipped the white top over her head and pulled it down then passed her a pair of high-waisted jean shorts and a red flannel shirt. “Try these.”

           “I know, I’m just nervous, I guess,” She let out a deep breath as Marinette dug through her shoes while she changed and tied the shirt around her waist.

           “She’s gonna love you. How can she not? You’re incredible,” Marinette encouraged, holding up a sandal and a sneaker before tossing them both aside and grabbing a pair of black boots.

           “Not compared to her!” Alya ran a hand through her hair as Marinette dropped the shoes at her feet and began rifling through her jewelry. “She’s smart and beautiful and super sweet and a great kisser, and I just run a blog for crying out loud!”

           “A very popular blog,” Marinette pointed out, fastening a necklace around her neck and a few bracelets and rings on her hands and wrists.

           “Only because it’s about her,” Alya huffed. “I just really want it to go well, ya know. I love her, Marinette.”

           “I know you do, and she probably loves you too. Why else would she ask you out?” Marinette placed her hands on her shoulders with an encouraging smile. “Now, sit. Let’s try some makeup.”

           The next day passed by much too quickly for Alya’s liking, and before she knew it Marinette was recreating her look in the girl’s bathroom. She could feel her pits sweating, so she rested her elbows on the arms of the chair to create airflow under her arms. Her leg shook anxiously even after Marinette’s complaints that she was making it hard to do her eyeliner.

           “Relax, Alya. You’ve got this. I promise,” She fluffed her hair and gave her a once over. “Looks good. Go knock her dead!”

           “Thanks, Mari. I’ll call you later and tell you everything that happens, okay?” She called as she paced quickly from the locker room.

           “You better!” Her friend shouted after her.

           She took several deep breaths on the train ride across town, but her blood felt like ice running through her veins, though despite that her palms refused to quit sweating which made gripping the standing pole rather difficult. She wiped her hands on her shorts for what felt like the millionth time when the train came to a halt at her stop. Taking several more deep breaths, she stepped off the train and headed up the steps out of the subway. Ladybug was waiting in a secluded corner of the park under the shade of a tree, sitting calmly on a picnic blanket watching ducks swimming around in the pond.

           “There’s my ladyblogger,” She smiled as Alya approached.

           She called me her ladyblogger. Alya thought dreamily before shaking her head to clear it.

           “I hope I’m not late,” She tucked a loose strand of hair behind her ear and kicked at the ground a little with her foot.

           “Not at all. I only just got here too,” She smiled, patting the space beside her for Alya to sit. “I’m just happy you accepted.”

           “Why wouldn’t I accept? You’re only the girl of my dreams,” She laughed, sitting down and biting her lip at how she’d already managed to put her foot in her mouth, but Ladybug chuckled good-naturedly.

           “That’s so sweet of you to say. I hope they’re all good dreams,” She reached for a dainty woven picnic basket and popped open the lid. “I picked us up something.”

           “Oh my gosh,” Alya gasped when she pulled out a box of lemon macarons from Mari’s bakery.

           “I had a lot of fun the other night, and I really want to get to know you more, Alya,” She laid her hand lightly over Alya’s and looked into her eyes. “You always ask me questions, now it’s my turn.”

           “Ask me anything you want,” Alya’s eyes widened and her heart pounded a mile a minute in her chest.

           “What’s your favorite color?”

           “Red,” Alya laughed, pointing to her suit. “I liked it before I liked you though, sorry.”

           “I’m so offended,” She scoffed in mock-offence, picking up a macron and pressing it to Alya’s mouth. Her face felt hotter than the sun as she parted her lips to take a bite of the little cookie, getting even hotter when Ladybug popped the other half in her own mouth. “So, what do you look for in a partner?”

           “Um,” Alya coughed, beating her chest as that blasted cookie went down the wrong way. Ladybug passed her some juice and helped her take a sip, wincing apologetically. “I-I dunno, I don’t think I have anything in particular that I look for. Maybe I like people who are kind and brave, like you.”

           “That’s sweet,” Ladybug’s gaze softened, and Alya swallowed hard.

           “Well, you’re always helping people, and I think that’s amazing too. You’re always putting other people before yourself,” She clutched a fistful of the blanket nervously. “It reminds me of my friend Marinette. She’s always helping people. She even helped me get ready today; she’s so awesome.”

           “You like her a lot, huh?” Ladybug cocked her brow playfully.

           “I, uh, I mean, not like I like you, but I- of course I love her. She’s my best friend, and I’d do anything for her,” She stammered, and Ladybug chuckled.

           “She’s lucky to have a friend like you I’m sure,” She pulled out an apple and took a bite, offering it to Alya. She bit a chunk off and passed it back to Ladybug.

           “I’m lucky to have her,” Alya clasped her hands in her lap. “I just feel bad that it didn’t work out with the boy she liked.”

           “Sometimes it takes being rejected by someone out of our reach to realize the people most important to us are sitting right beside us,” She commented, taking another bit of the apple.

           “Hmm?” Alya tilted her head slightly, and Ladybug shook her head.

           “Nothing,” She waved it away.

           “So, what about you? Do you have any best friends?” Alya shifted the subject as she accepted the apple again.

           “I have a lot of friends, but only one really best friend. She’s awesome,” Ladybug laid back with a wistful sigh. “She’s smart and super supportive. She’s feisty and always finds a way to get what she wants. And she’s a huge Ladybug fan.”

           “Have you told her you’re Ladybug?” Alya laid down on her side, facing Ladybug who rolled over so their faces were merely inches apart.

           “Not yet. I think she’d have a heart attack,” She giggled.

           “I’d love to be in her shoes,” Alya grunted, and Ladybug bit back a smile.

           “You’re pretty amazing too, ya know,” She murmured, tucking her hair back behind her ear. “You’re always on top of every akuma battle, and you always say such sweet things about me.”

           “Well, that’s because you’re perfect,” Alya blurted. Foot in mouth. Take two.

           “Do you really think so?” Ladybug breathed.

           “Of course,” She affirmed, and Ladybug sat up.

           “Well, then I’ll do my best to stay worthy of that title,” She winked.

           “So, can I ask you something?” Alya squeaked, sitting up stiffly.

           “Don’t you always?” She teased, crossing her legs and giving Alya her full attention.

           “Um, why did you ask me out?” She shifted slightly, glancing up at Ladybug nervously. “N-Not that I’m not having fun or anything, but I’m just curious because I’ve been driving myself crazy thinking about you since the other night. More than usual.”

           Ladybug’s gaze softened, and she took Alya’s hands in hers, tracing her thumbs over the back of her palms tenderly.

           “Because you’re fun and beautiful, and I like you,” She breathed, eyes flicking down to her lips, and both instinctively move forward until their lips met.

           Alya ingrained every detail into her memory, unwilling forget one moment. The warmth of the setting sun trickling through the trees, Ladybug’s fingers lacing through hers and holding tightly as their mouths moved in time together. How even after they stopped, Ladybug kept her forehead pressed to Alya’s just breathing in her scent for a few minutes. The softness of her suit when one hand reached up and pulled her back in for another soft kiss, and how her fingers felt laced in her hair. Alya was on cloud nine through it all, but the most memorable thing about that moment was the loving look that entered her idol’s eyes when Alya quietly whispered,

Alya shifted nervously, clutching her phone in her hands as she waited by her bedroom window for a certain superheroine to make her appearance. After a moment she wiped her sweat on her jeans and took a deep breath. It wasn’t every day that the most beautiful and amazing woman in the world agreed to do an exclusive interview at her house, and part of her still thought it was a dream. She glanced over her overly tidy room once more for anything that could be out of place. Everything had to be perfect, which is why she’d banned her little sisters from entering all afternoon. The last thing she needed was for Ladybug to think she was a slob.

“Hi,” She nearly jumped out of her skin when Ladybug landed silently on her windowsill and slipped inside. “Sorry I’m late. Got roped into helping a little girl get her cat out of a tree.”

“No, it’s totally fine! You’re not late at all,” She waved it away, taking a moment to admire her soft smile and gorgeous blue eyes. “Thank you for agreeing to this.”

“No problem! Anything for my favorite reporter,” Ladybug grinned, taking the seat that Alya gestured to casually. She was always so calm and cool, and Alya couldn’t help but blush a little at her comment. Ladybug said she was her favorite!

“So, uh, I’m just going to ask you a few questions that our fans want to know, but if you don’t want to answer something we can totally skip it,” She explained, mounting her phone carefully so that they both appeared in the shot before grabbing her note cards.

“Okay,” She shrugged, crossing her legs comfortably and waiting patiently as Alya hit record and took her place in the chair next to her. She took a deep breath before turning on her usual energy.

“Hey, peeps! Alya here with the one and only Ladybug!” She squealed. “Thank you for coming out tonight!”

“No problem! Thank you for having me,” She laughed smoothly.

“I am so stoked that you are here. I’m sure you’re super busy saving Paris and all,” She blushed.

“Yeah, it can get a little crazy, but Chat Noir and I really appreciate all of the support from the people of Paris. We always do our best to keep you guys safe,” She placed a hand over her heart to show her sincerity, and Alya was sure she melted a little bit.

“So, you guys sent in your burning questions, and I’m going to ask them for you! Let’s see if we can dig a little deeper about the girl behind the mask.”

“Not too deep, I hope,” She chuckled.

“Okay, question number one: What is the scoop on you and Chat Noir?” Alya read off of her white index card.

“He and I are partners, well, not partners like, we’re together or anything, just we’re a team, that’s all,” She explained nonchalantly.

“He seems to flirt with you a lot, so our viewers often wonder if there’s anything going on behind the scenes,” Alya waggled her eyebrows suggestively, and to her amusement, and relief, Ladybug actually gagged.

“Not at all,” She insisted. “We’re friends, I guess. We don’t know each other’s identities, and I plan to keep it that way.”

“There you have it, peeps,” Alya turned to face the camera with a smirk. “Okay, next question then. Is Ladybug single?”

“Everyone is very concerned with my relationship status,” She observed with a good-natured chuckle. “Uh, yeah, I’m single.”

“What?” Alya gasped. “The hero of Paris is single, guys! Someone take her on a date!”

She covered her mouth to stifle her giggles, a sound Alya could get used to hearing. Why did everything about her have to be so perfect?

“That leads me to our next question: Would you ever date a fan?”

“Totally!” She nodded.

“Oh, good to know,” Alya smirked mischievously.

“You wanna go out? We can go out,” She shrugged. “This just in, Ladybug’s relationship status changed to taken.”

Alya bit back a smile, feeling her face heating up. What she would give for that to be real.

“Sorry, Chat Noir. Looks like I just stole your girl,” She looked into the camera with a triumphant grin while Ladybug giggled beside her. “Next question: What is your favorite flavor of macarons?”

“Ooo, I love raspberry and pistachio,” She bit her index finger through her suit. “But, I don’t know, lemon might be a close third.”

“Oh, I love lemon. My best friend’s bakery has the best lemon macarons you’ve ever eaten,” Alya moaned.

“Aww,” She giggled.

“Okay, just a couple more questions. Cats or dogs?”

“I love all animals,” She replied. “I have no preference.”

“Man, Chat Noir must really be hurting tonight,” Alya snickered, and Ladybug bit her lip.

“Sorry, Chat!” She turned to the camera with an apologetic wince.

“What is your favorite spot in Paris?” Alya asked, setting aside the final card and looking up. She felt her heart skip a beat as she watched Ladybug think about it for a moment.

“Mmm, probably the top of the Eiffel Tower. It’s so high up, and you can see everything. It looks so beautiful when it’s lit up at night, and I love how small everything looks,” She sighed.

“That’s so romantic,” Alya giggled, and Ladybug actually blushed. “Well, that’s all the time we have for this one. Thank you so much for answering our questions and being so wonderful, Ladybug.”

“Anytime,” She smiled sweetly.

“Until next time, Bugheads. Be sure to subscribe to the Ladyblog where I post updates on everything Ladybug, and make sure you stay connected!” She and Ladybug waved, and Alya stood up and stopped the recording.

“This was fun,” She commented, standing up. “You’re a lot easier to talk to than most reporters, and your questions are way more fun.”

“Well, you can come over anytime you want and do interviews,” Alya hinted, rocking back on her heels. “Or just anytime.”

“I’d like that,” She smiled, and for a moment Alya felt herself getting lost in her eyes. “Anyways, I should go.”

“W-Wait,” Alya called, reaching out and grabbing her wrist before she could stop herself. “Um, were you being serious about what you said? About dating a fan…”

Ladybug eyed her for a moment before her gaze softened, and she stepped closer.

“Come with me,” She murmured, moving Alya’s arm around her shoulders and wrapping one arm around her waist. Carefully, they climbed out the window, and Ladybug tossed her yoyo across town. “Hang on.”

The sensation of flying across Paris while clinging to the love of her life was indescribable. Everything zipped by in a blur, and Alya couldn’t believe it was really happening. Before she could even process the situation, they landed atop the Eiffel Tower, and Ladybug fastened her yoyo back around her hip.

“I have a bit of extra free time right now, so I hope you don’t mind the short notice,” She winced, wrapping her other arm around her waist.

“No, this is perfect!” She shook her head and looked down over the edge. “Wow, this is high up. You weren’t kidding about everything looking tiny.”

“It’s very peaceful,” She murmured. “Sometimes I just like to get away for a while and just enjoy the view.”

Alya glanced back at her staring out contently at the city below, her pale skin glowing in the light. She could just make out tiny freckles along her nose, and she had to contain her smile. She was so lovely up close that it felt like a dream. The curve of her rosy lips looked awfully tempting in such close quarters, and when Ladybug turned back she seemed to catch on because her eyelids drooped and her head tilted to one side, and before Alya knew it her arms were wrapped around her neck as their lips met gently.

Now she knew she was dreaming, but she wanted to memorize every detail about this moment. The muted roar of the bustling city below, the cool breeze that made her press just a little bit closer, the way her heart skipped a beat when Ladybug tightened her grip and tilted her head to deepen the kiss. She’d be dizzy thinking about the taste and feel of her lips for weeks, but all too soon it was over, and Alya let out a ragged breath as their eyes met once more.

“Sorry,” She let out a breathy laugh. “I know this isn’t much of a first date, but…”

“No!” Alya insisted, cupping her hand on her cheek. “It’s amazing. You’re amazing.”

Ladybug smiled at that and pulled her into a close embrace, resting her head on Alya’s shoulder as they stared out at the people below. She could probably feel how hard her heart was pounding, which was pretty embarrassing since she seemed so calm, but Alya didn’t really care. All that mattered was Ladybug’s arms around her and their bodies pressed together. She wasn’t sure how long they stayed like that, but it wasn’t long enough. When Ladybug dropped her back on her balcony, she didn’t want to let go.

“Maybe someday we can go out on a proper date,” Ladybug rubbed the back of her neck with an apologetic frown. “If you’d like.”

“I’d really love that,” Alya blushed.

“Me too,” She tucked a loose strand of Alya’s hair back into place and traced her thumb along her jawline. Alya smiled and pulled her in once more, tiny shocks sparking across her lips and cheeks when their lips reunited just as eagerly as before. How had she gotten so lucky to catch the eye of the most extraordinary woman in all of Paris? The thought that this could become normal for her nearly made her brain malfunction. What if she became Ladybug’s girlfriend? Now that would be a dream come true.

“Good night, Alya,” She breathed when they pulled away. Her eyes were filled with a warmth that made Alya’s heart lurch, and the smile on her lips portrayed an undeniable affection.