Diamonds in the Rough Ch 4: Miraculous Swap
Mountain Lion was a frightening force. There was no denying the might of him, big and powerful, akumas always thought twice about charging at him. To a point, they’d sooner turn and charge at his small partner, which usually ended up a grave mistake on their part. Sweet Ladybug easily flipped akumas heading her way, akumas twice her size. For the most part, it worked out for them both. Ladybug made use of akumas assumptions and Mountain Lion can be the intimidation and strength to back her.
Ladybug and Mountain Lion were a solid duo. A solid team. Hawk Moth was going to tremble before them. Nothing would get in their way or slow them down.
Sitting on a ledge of Notre Dame, Ladybug sat on his leg, leaning against him as she stared down, searching the streets for the latest danger. Lion though, his silver eyes were directed elsewhere. Down below, slowly walking by Notre Dame were his classmates. Classmates he hardly had the chance to talk to.
Alya, Alix, Juleka, Rose, and… Mylene.
Ladybug gave a start as Mountain Lion shifted, leaning over a little see them better as they walked by. The spotted hero raised a brow as she glanced up at her towering partner, then looked down to see where his silver eyes were drawn. Her lips puckered up into an amused smile as she turned to her partner, giving him a light nudge.
Lion blinked, turning to see Ladybug grinning up at him. She teased, “Does someone have a crush?”
Lion’s face went red. “What?” he mumbled.
“You do!” she gasped in delight, leaning forward to look over the girls. “Who? I’ll help you, I’ll totally help you.”
“Ladybug,” he mumbled, fidgeting with his claws.
She caught onto the punk-themed cat hero’s protest, sighing. “Yeah, you’re right. That could be risky…” She glanced up to see him offering her a small smile, his cheeks still pink. She slid off him, settling on the edge of the ledge, kicking her feet out as she asked aloud, barely keeping her excitement hidden away. “Is there anything you can tell me about her?”
Lion turned away, rubbing his arm, his short thick belt tail curled about behind him. Her smile grew as he smiled slightly, his gaze fond as he stared down.
To Ladybug, he said, “She’s pretty small in comparison to me. And so brave. And sweet. And soft and charismatic, and so energetic. And her eyes, they look like honey, and she’s just so colorful…”
“You’re in love, Mountain Lion,” Ladybug gushed, giggling. She slid closer, looking up and wondering, “You going to tell her?”
Mountain Lion looked away, rubbing his neck. “Well, it's kind of complicated…”
There was that instance before he discovered the ring. That big of rage that took him, the shaking of Paris as he hunted for the source of his anger.
That bout of anger had been so costly…
There was a light pressure on his arm and he looked down to see Ladybug’s gentle smile. “Maybe you should try talking to her again,” she suggested.
Before Ivan could respond, she rose up and stretched. “I’m going to head off, got some homework I’ve been putting off that I should do.”
Lion chucked. “You should.”
“Talk to her,” she encouraged before she zipped away.
Mountain Lion peered after her, then glanced down, seeing the girls leaving the area. He dropped down and detransformed, Ivan Bruel pressing his back against the wall, fiddling with his fingers, nervous and anxious. Plagg floated before him, watching the large boy fret and stress.
“I don’t get why humans find talking to be so nerve wracking,” Plagg said, crossing his arms.
“It's scary,” Ivan mumbled. “What if I mess up? Look like an idiot?”
Plagg hummed, diving into Ivan’s pocket as he warned, “Well, it's about to get scarier.”
Before Ivan could ask just what the kwami meant, he stilled when there was a surprise “Oh!” behind him.
She was leaving. He saw her leave.
Slowly, Ivan turned around, seeing Mylene staring up at him, her honey eyes wide and big.
With a shy, tight smile, Ivan offered her a wave, mumbling, “Hi.”
“He-hello, Ivan,” she returned, clasping her hands together, turning to stare down at her feet, rocking on them.
Ivan turned away, rubbing his neck, flustered and tense. He gave a start when Mylene asked, “On your way home?”
“...Um, do you want to walk up together?” Mylene offered, her smile small and shy, but open.
Ivan blushed, and found that he could only nod, wishing that he could just say it. Yes, he would like to walk with her, that yes, he liked her very much and she made this mighty cat so shy and silly and she had no idea.
“Talk to her,” Ladybug’s advice rang in his mind again, a gentle urging.
Witha gulp, Ivan tentatively asked, “So, uh, how was your day?”
She looked up, her smile turning warm. “It was a fun day. “And um, how was yours?”
His smile grew, feeling silly with bliss as he glanced down at the silver ring on his finger. “A little miraculous,” Ivan answered.
