They'd been on patrol. Everything had been normal. They'd just been talking.
Friendship. She was determined. They were just friends. She had laughed him off. She had turned away. She had tossed her hand, flippant and prepared to yoyo off.
"My Lady…" Chat had murmured.
It wasn't a painful sound. It wasn't sad.
It was... her chest had suddenly felt tight. It was the reason she and Chat now stood face to face, chests inches apart.
Chat reached for her, hand hovering over her hip. He wouldn't touch her. She could tell.
That didn't stop her skin from tingling.
His nose stopped a centimeter from her own. His breath brushed her lips.
Ladybug froze. Her wide eyes darted back and forth across his face, her lips parting despite the reservation that sat like lead in her stomach.
She didn't know how she was supposed to feel. A piece of her brain screamed Adrien's name over and over, but it was dimming against Chat's proximity, becoming a sleepy buzz. Instead, the bigger piece of her brain went into overdrive, and she suddenly took in every single detail.
Chat's gold hair sat against his cheek. His narrowed eyes glowed despite the twilight that settled in around them. He bit his bottom lip and hummed whether out of indecision or a more pleasant emotion, Marinette couldn't tell.
All she could understand was that Chat was looking at her, and she really wanted him to drop that hand on her hip.
"My Lady…" Chat breathed, tilting his head just slightly. "I want to kiss you."
Ladybug took a shaky breath, trying to fill her lungs as much as she could. Her mind had gone foggy at his words, and her knees felt a bit weak.
He hadn't even done anything yet!
She shouldn't let him do anything. She had to hold strong. They were just friends.
Her hip ached to be touched.
She didn't really say yes. She just caught his hand with her own and guided it down first onto her hip, and then to the small of her back.
Chat's lips crashed into hers, parting immediately so they enveloped her bottom lip. He wrapped a finger in her pigtail, tugging at her hair before he cupped the back of her neck and guided her mouth even closer. Everything felt like a cavernous longing, a demonstration of absolute feelings for her. For Ladybug.
And she could feel herself wanting to answer those feelings. Her body responded to him, her skin tingled from the top of her head to her toes. Her stomach, once heavy, now swooped with each kiss.
Because they weren't just friends. She'd known for a long time. She wanted-
Her mind stuttered, and she stumbled backwards, her knees colliding with a metal vent. She hadn't realized how much Chat had leaned into the kiss. The two went sprawling. He wrapped his arms tight around her, probably in an attempt to take most of the impact. Maybe an attempt to keep her from escaping.
She pressed her hands against his chest, forcing him down as she wriggled up and out of his grasp.
"Ladybug!" Chat yelled after her, but she had already dived off the edge of the building, nearly swinging straight into an oncoming bus. She pulled herself out just in time, using her momentum to swing away toward the Eiffel tower that glowed against the dark sky.
Her mind flew apart, while her stomach twisted with a mixture of disappointment and fear. She shouldn't have these feelings for Chat-her partner and friend. She had to be professional. No matter what he did, she could not fall for him.
Besides, she'd only ever had room for one boy in her life, and that was Adrien. She loved Adrien. One day, she was going to admit those feelings to Adrien.
It didn't make sense. How was he just being replaced? Instead of summer green eyes, she only saw yellow-toned cat ones. Instead of perfectly coiffed hair, she saw messy blond. Instead of her sweet boy with a sweeter smile, she saw a cheshire grin and a belted tail.
Growling deep in her chest, she stopped on a roof that stood directly across from the Eiffel Tower. She peered up at it, panting less from exertion and more from emotional upheaval. She knew what she needed to do.
She tossed her yoyo and swung toward the left, eyes already picking out the intimidating mansion just a block away.
I just need to see Adrien, she decided. Seeing him would cure everything. The cat ears on her brain would completely disappear.
Hopping over the fence and straight into the bushes surrounding the Agreste mansion was easy. She pushed branches aside, searching for guards and cameras. Anything that would stop her Adrien stalking-er-searching.
Sure, there was a part of her brain that informed her this was creepy as she skirted beneath a roving camera along the wall, eyes searching in windows. The irrational part was just louder.
For some reason, she'd thought she would spot Adrien's window immediately. She stopped behind a brick wall, checking back and forth once again for guards. She seemed safe, and let her eyes rove over the side of the mansion. At least half of the windows were lit, and she sighed in frustration. How many people lived here?
Ladybug twitched, eyeing a dark window that flashed with blue-white light.
If I was a teenage boy, where would I be, she thought with a dash of irony. She tossed her yoyo toward the roof, letting it catch around the wrought iron railing of an empty balcony. She checked the cameras (there were two now) and timed her ascent right in between them, shooting straight for the blinking window.
Turns out, she was right. Adrien lay across a king-sized bed as if he'd just collapsed there, his feet dangling over the edge. He'd thrown one hand over his eyes, and Ladybug tried not to admire the way his burgundy t-shirt slipped up his stomach.
Instead, she looked toward the flashing light; his computer was the source. Marinette instantly recognized one of Alya's videos posted to the Ladyblog earlier that week. She (Ladybug) had waved to the people after an akuma attack that had involved dolphins and a flooded Louvre.
She felt the blush streak across her face but couldn't quite pinpoint the source. It's not like Adrien watching a Ladybug video was embarrassing. It's definitely not like Adrien was a fan.
His arm fell away from his face, head turning toward the computer screen. He looked as if he was talking to himself, and she wished she could hear. Everything from his pink face, his hands waving slowly over him, his gaze… it all looked kind of sad, maybe dejected. And it all seemed to be directed towards the Ladybug video.
She almost let go of the yoyo.
Instead, Ladybug acted on impulse. The same impulse that spurred her to reach for Chat. The very same that had led her to this window despite all the logic floating around.
She didn't think.
She just knocked.
Adrien's head snapped around, eyes wide.
Ladybug gulped as she hung there, looking kind of stupid with one hand pulled over her head, the other pressed to the glass. She wondered if he could even see her with how dark it was. The creeper vibes got worse, and she gulped, forcing a nervous smile.
Adrien's cheeks turned bright red.
She wanted to run. All she had to do was jerk up with the yoyo, and it would be like she'd never been here. She was fast.
Adrien tripped over himself to get out of bed, vaulting over his white couch in his desperation. The lights flipped on-she assumed they were voice activated.
She knew she couldn't leave now. The moment existed. She had knocked, and now she had to deal with the awkward consequences.
He opened the window, eyes so wide, she wondered if his face might break. "Ladybug," Adrien's voice was breathy, like he'd just vaulted over the white couch or something.
Cautiously, she put a foot on his window frame, balancing herself so she could hold his gaze. Her face was probably the same color as her suit by now. She felt the heat from her forehead to her chest.
"H-Hi, Adrien," she managed to say-gasp, really.
"You know who I am?" he said, his voice squeaking at the end.
"Of course," she said. She tried to shrug, be casual. Her grip did tighten its hold on his windowsill. She leaned away from it, trying to draw his eyes to the relaxed part of her.
"But, what are you doing here?" he asked. His voice still crackled, although he looked as if he was trying to fix it without actually clearing his throat. His adam's apple kept bobbing.
She couldn't lean like this anymore. She dropped to a seated position, still in the window but cutting their height difference in half. She put a knuckle against her mouth, eyebrows furrowed. She needed an excuse.
"I was… on patrol." She decided mid-sentence, dropping her hand in hopes that it assured her innocence. Her eyes darted off to the left, but she didn't really take in the view of his room as she tried to continue the lie. "I thought I saw something suspicious over here." She waved a hand over her shoulder, feeling the lame finish on her tongue.
"On patrol without Chat Noir?" Adrien asked.
She glanced at him to see his head tilted and eyebrows raised in befuddlement. "Um… Yes!" she said. "You know, akuma never rest."
"Did you catch any akuma?" Adrien asked, looking past Ladybug into the night.
She shook her head, pigtails jerking back and forth. "No, no, it was just a stray cat," she said, mind immediately returning to Chat Noir on the roof. She slapped a hand on her thigh in response to the sudden image, and the words spilled out before she could stop them, "But then I found you, handsome boy, and I couldn't resist saying hello."
Marinette wanted to melt. Or maybe the heat from her body would just melt the metal beams in his window, toppling her backwards into the night where she could die peacefully from her absolute embarrassment.
She caught his stumble out of the corner of her eye, and checked his face to find it had turned beet red. He caught his footing before he could fall, but he turned away, the back of his blushing neck presented to her.
"Ha-haa-You think I'm haaaa-handsome?" He was so quiet, she instinctively knew that those words were not meant for her to hear.
She shouldn't reply. "Of course, I do. You're Adrien Agreste."
This time, she had the decency to slap a hand over her offending mouth.
Adrien's shoulders stiffened. He folded his arms and looked at the ceiling and tapped his foot.
ABORT, her brain screamed, beseeched, blubbered.
"I'm so sorry!" she said, her voice cracking. "I'm so sorry! I don't know what's wrong with me." She pushed to her feet, ready to bug out.
"No, wait!" His hand caught around her ankle just as she was about to swing away, her yoyo already hooked to a nearby post.
She stared into the night, fingers tense on the line.
"Please don't go. You don't understand," Adrien said. He didn't pull at her, but she could feel his grip and knew he wasn't going to let her escape.
"What don't I understand?" she asked without looking at him.
"I've-You-You're Ladybug. You are the Ladybug," he said.
She heard a thump and peeked under her arm to see that Adrien had slapped a hand to his forehead. She considered shaking his other hand off in his distraction, but stopped herself. He seemed to want her to stay, so she would stay. No matter how internally awkward she felt.
He continued, the sound muffled as his hand dropped partially over his mouth. "You're Ladybug, and you think I'm ha-handsome. Y-You called me handsome boy."
It was his turn to peek, a single green eye darting up to meet her blue ones. He looked so earnest. He looked so… cute.
Ladybug gently twisted his hand off her ankle so she could drop into the room to stand beside him. "Is this a good thing?" she asked her voice just as quiet as his. She linked her hands behind her back to hide their anxious twisting but managed to hold his gaze with her own.
"Of course it is," he said, his voice failing halfway through. He looked over her shoulder when he said it, immediately rubbing at the back of his head.
Marinette let a smile slip across her face, allowing his words to suddenly boost her confidence. He was so cute, and so sincere, and so perfect. Her chest felt light, her pigtails buoyant. She rolled her feet back and forth, trying to contain the exuberance that suddenly wanted to explode out of her.
She was so cute! Oh no! She was so cute! And she looked so happy.
Adrien's brain was in overdrive-had been for a while now-except the only thing it kept screaming around the "Oh no"s and the "she's cute!"s was, "LADYBUG IS IN OUR ROOM LADYBUG IS IN MY ROOM LADYBUG IS HERE LADYBUG LADYBUG LADYBUG THINKS I'M HANDSOME?!"
And he understood.
As Chat Noir, she had refused him. He had kissed her, and she had pushed away and run for it. He knew that she didn't really want him.
See, he knew that.
But here she was. And she said he was handsome. She said Adrien Agreste was handsome, and what was he supposed to do with this information?
Wouldn't it be best if she fell for his real face?
"Sorry. I'm grinning like a stupid kid at Disney World," she said, eyes drifting away from him to the rest of his room.
He wanted to reach out and tell her that her smile was perfect. He ruffled his hair harder in an attempt to push the courage out of him.
In his silence, however, she dimmed and moved away, feet swinging out casually as she turned to examine his room. "This is a crazy space," she said, stopping just in front of his couch to get the full effect.
Adrien shrugged, at least managing to follow her. If he had to go with a cliche, he felt like her moon, stuck in orbit around her. "It's okay," he replied, stopping just behind her.
She glanced over her shoulder, frowning. "Just okay? I'd kill for a setup like this."
He shrugged again, this time so she could see. "It's less fun when you're by yourself," he said.
Ladybug's hands dropped to her sides as she turned to appraise him fully.
Adrien deflated with her, hands darting into the air to wave off her concern. "No! It's okay, it's okay. I'm fine," he said. She thinks I'm pathetic, his internal voice said, plowing through his original elation.
"Okay, then what do you want to do?" she asked.
"Do?" Adrien repeated. He just couldn't control his voice. So high pitched.
Ladybug's smile was soft, and she giggled, the sound turning his stomach into a swirling mass of butterflies. His legs wobbled a bit, and he leaned against the foosball table casually, as if he could hide his decomposure. Discomposure? Lack of complete composure.
"You've got a friend over. What do you want to do first?" she asked, gesturing at herself first, then the rest of the room.
"Friend…" Adrien realized that he was making a stupid face. She had called Chat her friend earlier. Then they'd kissed. He cleared his throat, an embarrassing hacking sound, but at least it was over. "I'm not sure," he said. "What looks most fun to you?"
Ladybug returned to the plethora of toys, eyes roving over the entire room before she made a decision. She leapt over the couch, landing with a tap before she sprang into the air, aiming toward the expanse of rockwall placed next to his basketball hoop. She tossed her yoyo, catching a hooked jug on the incline, so she stopped parallel to the wall. She planted her feet against two footholds, leaning backwards until she was upside down, hair standing on end.
She laughed when her eyes met his; he still leaned against the foosball table.
"I'm not really surprised," he said, digging deep for that Chat Noir debonaire. He pushed away from the table, walking around the couch.
"It called to me," she said, following his progress until she hung completely upside-down, feet winding around the yoyo wire for balance. "Don't you want to join me?"
"Maybe I just want to watch," he replied, wishing that flirting as Adrien didn't result in blushes and stomach flutters. It didn't help that he was out of his element. Ladybug acted as if she was flirting as well, and her flushed cheeks were so new to him.
"Well, that's unacceptable," Ladybug muttered, dropping her feet so that she returned to an upright climbing position. She continued down, landing beside Adrien, and wrapping an arm around his waist before he could stop her. Then, she pulled them up, giggling when Adrien squeaked.
His arms immediately wound around her shoulders, his eyes darting to her face. She refused to look at him, but it didn't matter. He noticed the pink blush, and the way her fingers trembled against his waist. Instead of feeling elated, his throat constricted thanks to the anxiety that bubbled in his stomach on a low heat.
She slowed as they reached the base of the wall, releasing him. She kept moving up as soon as he was situated, stopping just above him. She unhooked her yoyo once she had caught hold, and then smiled at him from beneath her arm.
"I thought up a game," she said, eyes squinting from her excitement.
"When," he asked, surprised that the tease had actually left his lips. He climbed the wall, stopping when he pulled even with her.
"Just right now," she replied with a pout. "It's called, 'Follow the Leader.'"
"That's a classic," he said, a tiny grin pulling at one corner of his mouth when she huffed in response.
"You can only use the holds I use," she said, looking away from him so she could map out her path.
"Who says you get to be the leader?" Adrien asked, poking her shoulder so she'd look at him again. His finger shook when he returned his grip to the sloper right beneath his chin, but at least her blue eyes were focused on him.
"I do," she replied, her upper lip jutting out in determination. "Come on. Game starts now."
Ladybug scrambled up the wall, feet and hands adept at picking the smaller holds for tricky maneuvers and pinch grips. She reached and hopped and swung from hold to hold until she touched the exact corner of his room, cocking her hip and holding onto a larger jug with one hand so she could lean to watch him.
"Simon says," Adrien said. His stomach roiled even more, attraction mixing with anxiety as his head replayed the way her hip moved in the flirty stance.
"Simon says, you have to pick all the right handholds, or you have to let me dunk you through the basketball hoop," she said, her smile borderline devilish.
"No one told me Ladybug was a bully at heart," Adrien said, already reaching for her first hold. It was a bit out of his reach; so he changed tactic, hooking his foot into her first foothold easily, hoisting his body until he was sideways on the wall. He pushed against the handholds, grasping immediately for her first hold, catching with his left hand and then his right.
Ladybug's eyes were wide as she watched, no longer cocky or flirty. "Well no one told me you were a daredevil," she said.
Adrien shrugged, too focused on measuring out his next move. "It's not that long of a drop," he said as he reached for her next hold already.
He followed her pattern to perfection, finally stopping just beneath her. He looked up, meeting her electric blue eyes with his own smirk. "You're in my spot," he said.
"Right." Ladybug moved over, and Adrien hoisted himself up, patting the roof to mark his finish.
His chest heaved under the exertion and his fingers already felt a bit raw (it had been a while since he'd actually used the climbing wall seriously). However, he felt a bit better about facing Ladybug. Especially with the impressed look she was giving him.
"Do I win?" he asked, shaking his hair off his forehead. He pushed at it until it stuck straight up.
"Not so fast, han-handsome boy," she said.
The words dove straight toward his abdomen, his breath hitching in his throat. All his bravado disappeared. That nickname would be the death of him.
"Round two," she said.
"Is it my turn to lead?" he asked, attempting a wink, although it probably looked like a wince.
Ladybug refused to look at him. She nodded, though, saying, "Why not," before gesturing for them to head down the wall once again.
Adrien paused to map out his next path at the base of the wall, feeling a little risky and like he wanted that bravado to come back by impressing Ladybug again.
He shook out each hand and then his feet, preparing himself for the bit of bouldering he was going to mix into the route.
Ladybug must have noticed his determination, because she touched his shoulder. "Be careful," she said. Then she yanked her hand away.
He wondered suddenly if his shoulder was super sweaty and whether it had grossed her out. Then he shrugged off her warning tone and his own doubts, ready to impress the heck out of her.
He set off, heading for the inclined wall over the basketball hoop. He used a couple of twists like the one before, trusting that his fingers would catch and hold each pinch and mini-jug he aimed for. As he reached the incline, he picked the perfect jug he knew he could catch with both hands, two deep footholds spaced perfectly beneath it. He shook out his hands again, readying his body for the stress he was about to put it under.
"Adrien," Ladybug said, her voice rough with warning.
He didn't listen. He took three quick breaths, crouching against the wall to get the best spring. And then he jumped.
It was an impressive move. He grinned when he caught the jug by his fingertips, his feet already scrambling for purchase.
He thought he'd done it; he nearly cheered when his fingers touched. Turns out they'd been more tired than he'd realized. His muscles gave out the second his weight dropped.
He fell.
He didn't even remember his fingers slipping.
He wished that he'd had some chalk. Chalk fixed everything.
"Adrien!" Marinette shrieked. She jumped, arms outstretched. They collided in midair, her arms locking around his waist. She tossed the yoyo behind his back, catching the basketball hoop so it could slow their descent.
They landed harder than she had anticipated, however. Her knees gave out, and she dropped Adrien so that they both fell to the floor with a soft thump.
"What were you thinking!" Ladybug yelled as she scrambled to her knees and scurried the couple inches to his side. She simultaneously pushed him away and pulled him close as soon as he came in range. Her heart pummeled her chest.
"So I guess I didn't win round two," he said, not fighting her, but instead letting Ladybug pull his arm against her chest.
She was surprised by her immediate response when her fist collided with his chest, barely thinking enough to restrain most of her strength. "Definitely not," she said, her teeth gritted. Her head dropped against the bicep she clutched as she tried to breathe her inner peace back in place.
"Sorry, I haven't done that in a while," he said, putting a hand on her head. He didn't stroke her hair, just placed it there.
Marinette wished he would stroke her hair.
Instead, she tilted her head back up, digging her chin into his shoulder so she could stare him down. "Well then I guess you shouldn't have done that move," she said.
Adrien laughed, the sound sweeter than she'd ever heard it.
She tilted her head as he gazed down at her, and his hand fell to her cheek, stopping there but not stroking. His thumb touched the tip of her nose.
"Thank you for saving me," he said.
She suddenly recognized the affectionate smile, and it was hard not to return it. She settled for a pout. "As Ladybug, it's my duty," she mumbled.
"I guess that means you win. Which means you get to dunk me in the basketball hoop," he said with a resigned sigh that didn't hide his smile.
It was like he couldn't stop smiling, and it was becoming infectious when Ladybug just wanted to pout and grumble and be angry.
"I just saved you. I can't be a bully now," she said, turning her head so his hand fell off her cheek. She glared at the wall.
Adrien laughed again, this time less controlled. "What would you like for a reward then?" he asked.
"For you to never do that again?" she said. She sat back, releasing him.
"Something more substantial than that," he replied, shaking his head.
"Well I can't think of anything," she said, folding her arms. "Any suggestions?"
Adrien considered her pout, the giddiness still in his chest. Her proximity was intoxicating. After nearly falling to his death, he felt suddenly brave. Maybe not brave enough to really admit his feelings… but brave enough to do something crazy again.
"Yeah, I have one," he said, reaching up and catching the back of her neck.
She didn't resist when he pulled her close, his eyes gauging her reaction. Their noses nearly touched, and he thought back to when he'd been wearing a mask. He had dove in and kissed her, taking her touch as consent. And that had been a mistake.
He let go of her neck, waiting for Ladybug to pull back.
She didn't. Instead, her breath shuddered, and his stomach fluttered again.
He leaned forward, eyes narrowing to slits as he bypassed her mouth and pressed a light kiss to her cheek.
When he pulled back, he laughed at her stunned expression, loving how wide her eyes had gotten and how close the red of her face was compared to the red of her suit.
"The white knight always gets a kiss, right?" he said.
Marinette squeaked. A bubble sat in her throat, and so any sound she made squelched around it. She didn't feel any heat in her face. This time, she felt like all the blood had suddenly drained out of her entire body.
Ladybug squeaked again. Her hands fluttered back and forth over the ground because she couldn't quite figure out where to put them.
The spot on her cheek burned.
And suddenly, everything burned.
She shot to her feet, knocking Adrien backwards. Her knees threatened to leave her, but she knocked them in place, stomping in a tight circle around him.
She turned to look at Adrien and nearly melted at the goofy grin that filled his face.
"Homework-I-go-I go-Got-I'm leaving!" she sputtered.
Adrien shot up, his grin immediately disappearing. "No wait , I'm sorry! Did I do something wrong?"
Ladybug stopped her clumsy departure to stare at him. "Wrong?" she squeaked. "I-No-Sto-Stop. No I-Why-UGH." She threw her face in her hands, dropping the yoyo that had gotten there somehow. She massaged her forehead, trying to unblock the lump in her throat that had destroyed all ability to speak normally.
She couldn't look at him.
Every time she did she felt his kiss on her cheek burn even hotter.
She took a deep breath. "You're too perfect for me," she said, nearly groaning as she realized what suave words had popped out before she could stop them.
Adrien caught hold of one wrist and pulled it down away from her face. She felt the yoyo in hand and realized that he had picked it up for her.
Still refusing to look at him, she hooked the yoyo back on her belt before returning the hand to her face.
"I don't think that's true at all," he said.
She peeked through her fingers and eyelashes and bangs, catching sight of his blushing and sheepish face.
"I'm sorry I kissed you," he said.
"Don't be sorry!" Ladybug said, dropping her hands so she could give him a sharp look from beneath her own blush. "I'm just a mess."
"Me too," he said.
His soft smile returned, this one careful. "Will I ever see you again?"
"Of course, I'll be back," she said, pausing. She bit her bottom lip, inching her way closer to him. "I couldn't just forget you, ha-haaan-handsome boy."
Then, mustering all kinds of courage, she jumped close and pecked him on the cheek.
He watched her go. Couldn't even stop her, if he was being honest. Not this time.
Her kiss warmed his cheek, and he lifted a hand to touch it as her feet disappeared into the dark.
"Hey, loverboy. Will you go get me cheese now," Plagg asked, drifting up from beneath Adrien's bed.
"She kissed me," Adrien murmured, eyes unfocused. "She kissed my cheek."
"Yeah, that's great. You're hopeless. Meanwhile, my stomach has caved in on itself."
Adrien turned, falling face down on his bed once again. His hands buried into his hair, and he let out the weirdest high pitched shriek into his bed covers.
"How about you just signal if you ever decide to take care of me," Plagg grumbled, floating off toward the computer so he could stop the Ladybug video that had been looping the entire time.
Adrien propped his chin up, dreamy smile slow and lazy. "I love her so much."
"Ugh, I'm just going to get cheese on my own," Plagg said, tiny paws pulling his ears down in an attempt to shut out his lovesick partner in herowork.
"No, wait, I'll go," Adrien said, finally coming out of his fantasy. He climbed off the bed and scooped Plagg out of the air, tucking him beneath the neck of his shirt as he walked off toward the kitchens, the dreamy smile never quite leaving his face.
A/N: This took me almost a full month to write. It was by far the hardest fluff fic I've ever written. I originally jumped in with the idea of writing a Ladrien make-out. That didn't happen.
Have this instead. Posting in honor of the FREAKING LADRIEN that happened in a recent episode that is twenty million times better than anything I could have ever written.