"Hey, Chat?" she asked, looking at the boy sitting beside her. The moon, half full, sat in the sky behind them, illuminating the two of them, creating a picturesque scene around them.

"Yes M'Lady?"

The night was beautiful and made Ladybug want to think of beautiful things. "It's a nice night," she said, pictures of beautiful things swarming in her head. "Do you think something amazing will happen?" She looked at him, his green eyes shining with curiosity.

Curiosity melted into confusion and he leaned back on his hands, turning his eyes away from his companion. "I'm afraid I don't know what you mean." The way she was acting... it was too different from the way she acted only yesterday. The somber expressions she wore were replaced with something else entirely. Something sexy and alluring and something that was... not quite right.

"I was just thinking that it might be time," she took a deep breath, gathering her thoughts, "for me to reveal myself to you."

"Ladybug?"

"If I task off this mask promise you'll still be my love me, alright? No matter what?"

Chat Noir shook his head, trying to make sense of the situation. What could have possibly brought on this change? "This is sudden." It was hard to believe this was the same girl who had always declared their identities must remain secret. "What brought this on?"

She leaned back so her movements copying his, and placed one of her hands on his, causing him to stiffen for a moment. Her touch shot lightning bolts through his body, but the electricity was seemingly replaced with ice, slowly freezing him. "Don't you want to know who I am, Minou?"

"More than anything," his heartbeat quickened and he found himself staring into those starlit blue eyes that drove him crazy in his dreams.

"Don't you want to be with me?"

Was this real? Surely this had to be his imagination playing tricks on him. "I- I want to. I really want to, Ladybug."

"Won't you kiss me?" She leaned in close to him, her fingers intertwining with her right hand, tightening her grip while her lips came closer and closer. He wanted to place his lips on hers. He imagined they were like strawberries, cherries or some other beautiful red forbidden fruit. He wanted to so bad, but a feeling in his gut made him pull away.

Too late.

The ring was taken off of his finger. His transformation dropped and his identity was exposed. "What?" He could feel his heart shattering as he looked at her, her face contorting into a satisfied smile, an outline of purple on her eyes. His lady had been akumatized.

OoOoOoOoO

She shook her head, tears falling down her face. "Tikki, I was supposed to save him! I wasn't able to- to-" The little fairy tried to comfort her holder, offering words of encouragement, saying that worst things have happened but it was no use. Someone had died in the last akuma attack and Ladybug couldn't save them.

"Marinette, no one is able to save everyone. There's only so much your miraculous cure can do."

Marinette shook her head and buried her face in her pillows and sobbed. "I was right there, Tikki! I should have been able to save him! If only I was paying a bit more attention then- then I-" she once again dissolved into sobs and tried to make sense of everything that had happened.

The villain was destroying buildings and one civilian just happened to be standing at the wrong place at the wrong time. They didn't stand a chance against the rubble. Supposedly the death was quick, at least. There was some solace in that. She couldn't forgive herself, though. "Tikki, I need a break. I- I don't want to be Ladybug for a while."

Tikki nodded. "I understand. I'll be here, waiting for you when you're ready to return. Don't keep me too long."

Marinette nodded. "I won't. I just need an escape from being Ladybug for a couple of days. I don't want to do something I'll regret." Marinette took off the earrings and placed them back in their box before putting them in her desk drawer, hidden from sight. Next to the box sat the good luck charm Adrien gave her. She grabbed it, praying from something good to happen, and returned to her bed, crying into her pillows.

She didn't notice the purple butterfly come into her room, or see it land on charm she clutched. "Coccinelle, I am Hawkmoth. I will give you an escape from the stress of being the hero by letting you play the villain. In return I want something, Ladybug and Chat Noir's Miraculous."

A smile crossed her face, the mask around her eyes darkening. "Sounds great, Hawkmoth." Darkness surrounded her and to an outsider, this was Ladybug. In reality, Coccinelle had come to play. She knew just where to go to find her kitty.

OoOoOoOoO

"Ladybug, is that you?" Adrien looked at the girl in front of him, trying to reach for the ring.

"Not anymore. I'm Coccinelle! I'm done being the hero. I just hurt those around me." Coccinelle looked at Adrien, hurt apparent, "And I'm don being hurt as well."

"What- what do you mean? M'La- Coccinelle? Did I hurt you?" What could he have done to crush his beloved?

"Just now," she said, "when I discovered who you were. No wonder you never loved me. You were too busy being distracted my alter-ego." Adrien looked at her. She loved him? Who was this girl? Who was Coccinelle? Who was Ladybug?

This wasn't over. She was still here. He could find the akuma and crush the item and hold the butterfly until he could convince whoever was behind the mask to purify it. He just had to find the item. He looked her over and saw it, on her wrist tied on like a bracelet. It was familiar. Too familiar. It was the good luck charm he gave to Marinette.

Marinette was Coccinelle, but more importantly, she was Ladybug. He sauntered toward her while she looked at him. Her akumatized self was probably proud of her victory and proud to lord it over him. He wouldn't let her. He sauntered up and took her head in his hands, placing a kiss on her lips. Two could play this game.

While she was caught off guard he crushed the bracelet with his hand and pulled away from her, catching the butterfly in his hands before it could fly away. The costume dissolved and before him stood a tear stained Marinette looking at him with shock and confusion. "A-Adrien?"

He gave her a shy smile. "Hello, M'Lady."

This was written for Anne Camp aka Obi-quiet's Dark!Bug challenge on the Miraculous Challenge Forum. It's a fairly new forum but it's a lot of fun and if you have any interest in writing for challenged I strongly recommend it!