I own nothing of Miraculous Tales of Ladybug and Chat Noir, this is just a fanwork.

The night wasn't right, it hadn't been since she'd started her patrol, but she'd shrugged it off. With her yo-yo swinging her from building to building there had been no sights of danger, the city of Pairs felt simply at ease. Her kitty followed closely behind her, pole vaulting when his long noddle legs couldn't quite give him the jumping distance he needed. Her feet planted themselves firmly atop the school roof, torso turning to face her partner was quick to stand at her side.

"It's getting late, and it looks like this patrol is going as well as yesterdays. Why don't you head on home? I think I'm going to head home myself. I'm sure if something happens worth our while, the Ladyblog will be bursting with alerts." She spoke, watching his face take on a slightly somber scowl. She knew he enjoyed his time with her, and it wasn't that she didn't enjoy her time with her kitty cat, but there energy was best saved for when it could be used for saving Paris.

His scowl quickly changed, he couldn't stay disappointed with his bugaboo. He knew she was right. Their patrols for the past few days had been lifeless, which could only mean that an Akuma would soon strike. With a few long strides, the cat moved to stand before her, body dropping to one knee and a hand reaching out to grasp hers lightly. "Very well, if that is what My Lady wishes; I'll try to be on your tail as soon as any news breaks out. Take care tonight Ladybug." Standing to his feet, he gave her a small wink, whisking out his baton and letting it extend to the ground off the side of the roof.

She let out a light chuckle, her hand giving him a tentative wave as the blond boy vaulted off to the adjacent roof. "Goodnight Chat Noir!" She called back, waiting for him to fade before scoping out the sidelines of the school building.

It was best to release her transformation here, as her home was nearby. As far as her mother knew, she was still out with Alya studying, so landing on her balcony without walking through the front door would be far too suspicious, and risking de-transformation next to her home was even more risky.

Pulling out her yo-yo and wrapping it around the edge of a window of the building beside her, Ladybug let the string become taught, before jumping off and lowering herself to the ground of the alleyway. "Tikki, spots off." She whispered, letting the pink glow of magic flow over her. She cupped her hands, holding them out for the small sprite to land in them, quickly moving TIkki to her clutch purse at her side. "I'll get you some cookies as soon as I get home." She spoke softly, watching as Tikki eagerly let herself be slipped inside, too tired to complain.

With a small smile on her face, the blue haired girl snapped her purse shut and twirled around to the alleyway entrance. Her feet began to move forward, but she quickly stopped just as a sharp metal object skidded past her cheek, scratching her skin before wedging itself in the wall beside her. Her breath seemed to escape her, eyes darting as far to the side as she could.

There was a hearty chortle, the silhouette of a disheveled man now stepping out from the shadows. It was too dark to make out much, but the ratted form of his hair and a God awful smell on him alerted her that this wasn't a sober man. She couldn't place the smell, but it wasn't wine; something stronger for sure.

His steps were jagged, his body swaying from side to side as he gave out another laugh. "It looks like a little mouse has stepped into my trap tonight. What's a little thing like you doing out so late?"

She turned herself then, hands grasping at her clutch straps as she took a few paces back. Her eyes stayed locked to him, not willing to risk losing that eye contact. The outcome here wasn't in her favor, Tikki had just used up her power for that patrol, and if the man hadn't seemed to catch her de-transformation, she wasn't about to let him catch her trying to transform back to Ladybug.

Speaking was bad, any wrong words said could instantly have this man going after her, but not doing anything also wasn't going to help either. One of her hands dropped its position from her clutch, legs turning out to ground her a bit more. She'd have to make a run for it. Without her magic from her Miraculous stones she wouldn't have the strength she'd need to defend herself one on one. Her best bet was to make a dash for the Bakery, and hope that the street lights would deter the man enough to turn back into his hole.

It was now or never, and as the man took another step towards her she made her break. He was behind her in a flash though, one hand latching around her upper arm, and another over her mouth, pulling her back into the shadow of the alley. She screamed, her body thrashing against his arm, but it did nothing to help. With his hand over her mouth she'd only been able to let loose a partial scream. His hands kept her close to him, and she could feel the grin plastered all over his face.

Scared was an understatement. She'd been scared when Tikki had first come to her, scared on her first run as Ladybug, and scared when she first fell head over heels for Adrien. Here, and now, she was beyond scared. Petrified. As her alter ego she fought akumas on a weekly basis, but as herself, she was all bark and no bite.

Tear rushed down her cheeks, the man only pulling her in closer against her will. His grip was far too tight, and she knew if she got out of this alive there would be bruises left on her body for weeks.

Her mind began to slow down, body now draining of the adrenaline that had built up in her when she'd first been grabbed. She kept trying though, wiggling and squirming with everything she had.

Just as she'd though escape to be frivolous, she felt the man release his hold. Falling to her knees, she was instantly on the move, crawling her way to a pocket by a trash bin near the entrance of the alley. Her mind was clouded, sounds of shouts and bangs ringing though her ears, but she couldn't make anything out. Her breathing was too heavy, eyes dashing around far too fast, and her body shuttering far too much.

A black blur found itself in her vision, and she instantly tried to tuck as much of her body as she could to the wall.

It wasn't the drunken man who was before her though, he didn't smell the same. It was a familiar scent, one of expensive cologne and cheese. She could tell the instant gentle fingers nudged against her hands that this man meant no harm.

"Marinette? Princess it's okay now, no one is going to hurt you, that man is long gone." His fingers moved up to her cheek, a black cloth pulled from one of his pockets now wiping at the blood that had dried on her face.

Marinette knew this voice, and as her vision cleared, she couldn't help but let a harsh sob tumble out her throat. He was supposed to have gone home, her mangy blond cat, but now he was knelt beside her. The scream she'd made must have drawn him back. She found her hands grabbing at the fabric of his chest, head colliding with the skin under his chin while she cried. Chat was an anchor for her, a savior whenever she needed him most. Clearly he'd proved it to her once again.

Chat let his arms fall on her back, rubbing small circles to try and calm her down. This was far too much for her, the small, shy Marinette who only ever seemed to think of helping others. This wasn't how she was supposed to be treated, and he certainly wasn't going to let it happen to her again. Gathering her up in his arms, he pulled the blue eyed girl closer as he whispered soft coos of comfort. He couldn't offer much beyond what he'd already done, but he knew he could at least be here, and let her emotions spill out to him.

It took a while for her sobbing to die down, but now she was only making small hiccups, fingers much looser with the fabric of his suit. "Thank you." Marinette whispered, so hushed that Adrien was almost certain he'd not heard it at first, but the smile that formed on his face was his own proof that he had. His arms let go of her, one moving to catch under her knees while the other braced her back. A small grunt left his mouth, legs extending his body to full height, his shy classmate now resting bridal style in his arms.

"Let's get you home, alright Princess? Your parents must be worried sick about you." She simply gave him a small nod, arms wrapping around his neck so that she could be settled as close to him as possible.

It wasn't a long walk by any means, but it had been long enough for Marinette to find herself nearly dozing off. As the bell above the inside of the door of her parent's bakery chimed and helped to bring her senses to her. It was warm inside the bakery compared to what it had been outside in the cold. The smell of fresh baked cookies wafted into her nose, and a sigh easily escaped from her lips. Home was as relaxing as she'd hoped it would be.

"Oh Marinette dear, is that you-" It was her mother; she'd recognize that voice from anywhere. She turned to look at her, giving a small smile at the shocked expression her mother wore. It wasn't like any mother would expect their daughter to be hauled home in the arms of one of Paris' superheroes, but Sabine seemed to be motionless.

Chat gave her a gentle smile; his arms staying in their strong hold around Marinette as his shoulder nudged the door closed behind him. "It's Madam Cheng right? I-I know this is somewhat sudden, but I found your daughter tonight in a bit of a tough spot, and I felt better bringing her home myself."

Slowly, the small Asian woman made her way to the pair, hands reaching out to cup her daughter's face, before her own sob found its way through. Chat lowered his classmate, letting the women cling tight to one another now, Sabine's fingers tangling desperately in her daughter's hair.

"Sleep well Princess." Chat whispered back, hands pushing at the door to leave, before he felt tiny fingers clutch tight around his wrist.

His eyes were as wide as saucers now, and seeming to match Sabine's in size, but he didn't let them rest long on her, instead they moved to take in the sight of Marinette again. She was shaking like a leaf, gripping tighter to his wrist, the water of her tears sliding off his leather gloves. "Please…please. I-I just-" She whispered back, seeming far too desperate for his liking. "I-I don't wanna, I don't-" The words seemed lost on her lips, but he didn't mind. She was scared still, her mind having not fully cleared from the events of the night. Her parents were there, but he'd been the one to step in when she felt threatened tonight.

Once more, his arms gather her close to him, and he glanced over at Marinette's mother, watching as her father now stepped into view. The worry was ever present on both their faces, horrified and confused at the scene still playing in front of them.

"I'm sorry about all this." He spoke to them, rubbing small circles on their daughter's back as a new wave of sobs took her over. "I know this is a bit- well, horrifying. I should have been there earlier, but at least she's not in danger anymore; I assure you both of that." He paused, a hand moving to rest on top of her head and gliding down the back of her hair. "May I go with her to her room? Just to say goodnight? I don't think she wants to let go of my fur at the moment." Adrien let out a small snicker, watching the girl's parents give him a sad smile back.

Gesturing over to the staircase, it was Tom who spoke back to him first. "I don't want to make this a habit of super boys coming into her room, but I'll make an exception purr tonight, but only for a few minutes."

Adrien gave off another snicker at the man's attempt at a pun, quickly scooping the girl up like a bride. "Of course Mr. Dupain, I wouldn't dream of intruding longer than paw-sitivly necessary."

The climb to her room had been short and sweet, and Chat had let her climb from his arms and up into inside her room. He kept her privacy, waiting outside her room till she'd finished changing, and hesitantly pulled himself up when he'd heard her small voice give him the okay to come inside.

Her room was small, but spaced well. The pink color was easily inviting, and Adrien couldn't help the blush that formed on his cheeks at the sight of his face plastered all over her walls. In need of a distraction, he let his eyes wander over to the girl, watching as she slowly crawled her way up to her loft bed. Chat followed behind, moving to sit on the side with his feet dangling off the edge.

He could see where the man had grasped on her face, a red ring forming from one side of her jaw to the other, almost blending in with the cut that had long since stopped bleeding. Another ring began to form around her upper right arm. Foundation and layering would be enough to cover both, but he felt guilty knowing she'd have those marks as reminders for a few weeks. A clawed hand reached out, cupping her jaw with a thumb stroking her cheek. Leaning in slowly, Chat placed a small peck to her forehead, before pulling back and letting his hands sit still in his lap.

"Get some sleep now, alright Matinette? I'm sure your parents will keep guard tonight."

"Thank you Chat… I know it's your job to help people- but I-I'm grateful that you were there." Her confidence was returning and he could hear it in the way she spoke, the smile she held on her face. He wouldn't expect for her to be okay tonight, but he knew she'd try and bound back tenfold. She may be a quiet peer in his class, but if there was anything he'd learned from her as of recent, it's that she would do anything to keep moving. She'd of kept breathing with or without his help. She was too strong to back away without a fight. "Get some sleep yourself, alright kitty? I know I don't look so great, but you don't look purrfect either. Not with those creases in your brow."

The laugh from him was louder than he'd expected, the grin on his face reaching ear to ear. If she noticed he was a mess, then he was sure he could believe it. Adrien's emotional state was no were near as bursting as Marinette, but he was sure it was closer than he ever expected it to be. Her hand reached over, tugging at his jaw to bring him in closer. Her lips connected lightly to his forehead, pulling back just as quickly as they'd been placed there. "A kiss for a kiss." She mouthed back.

With one last smile, Chat hauled his body off her loft, and back to the staircase by her open door. "I've returned you to your tower Princess, but I fear I must make my leave. But fret not, for I'm sure I'll see you soon." An arm swung around to his middle, tucking into his stomach as he dramatically leaned forward in a bow, head snapping back up with a devilish smile.

Marinette laughed hard, giving a small wave to the cat as he straightened his back. "Then I guess I've nothing to do but wait for my Prince to come free me from this tower another day."

With one last wave, the boy who had stood in her room now vanished, replaced by her father making his way to Marinette.

She'd had a feeling that night before her patrol, one she should have paid more attention to, but maybe things hadn't turned out all bad. The Princess would have to find a way to repay her Prince the next time she saw him as Marinette, but she didn't mind owing him a debt. It was a debt she'd be willing to repay any day, both as his daring Lady, or towered Princess.

Author's Notes

So I wrote it with an impulse idea, excited to get it typed out and posted as a oneshot. I'm not really looking for critiques are more of it being just a work to share. It's not my best by a long shot, but I had fun writing it, and I hope you had fun reading it though! Maybe I'll turn it into a series of a few connected stories leading to a reveal? No promises though.

Take note that this was also edited rather quickly, so I might push an edit again in the future.

I hope you all have a fantastic day!

-Edokinz