Feet hit the ground hard, causing a stinging sensation to reach up Ladybug's legs. But now was no time to focus on that, she grimaced as she dodged another attack from the akuma.

Earlier that night, during her and Chat's patrol, an akuma had attacked them out of seemingly no where. It was getting desperate now, the akuma dubbed "Main Act", continued throwing volleys of knives after them. It was just their luck that a knife thrower would've been kicked out of his circus group, only to become an akuma. Well, perhaps it was Chat Noir's luck. Speaking of him…

"Move!" Marinette yelled as she barreled into her leather clad partner, knocking him out if the way of another wave of sharp projectiles.

"Everyone will see I'm the best knife thrower around!" Main Act boasted, getting ready for another attack.

Ladybug groaned as she rolled off of Chat and helped him up. "Be more careful." She scolded him. "I can't do this without you."

Chat nodded, uncharacteristically serious for once. "You stay safe too, I don't want to see you hurt."

Butterflies rose inside of Marinette's stomach at those words, but promptly squashed them. Now's not the time, she lectured herself.

Seeing as how the knives were not finding their mark, Main Act changed tactics, throwing a large knife into a flagpole, knocking it over towards the two hero's. Ladybug threw herself out of the way, hearing her shoulder make a sickening noise as it took the brunt of the impact.

Chat, however, was not so lucky. At the last second, Main Act shot more knives at the flagpole, changing its course.

Right into Chat's back.

Ladybug heard herself scream as he was thrown to the ground with force, the sound awful to her ears.

She launched herself forwards towards the akuma without thinking, ignoring the stinging of knives that barely knicked her, ignoring the screaming pain in her shoulder, as Ladybug tackled Main Act to the ground, distracting him from further hurting Chat. She jumped off the akuma and ran towards the park, hoping to lure Main Act there, and use the trees as cover.

When she glanced over at Chat, though, reluctant to leave him, she didn't see him. He wasn't the one under the flagpole.

It was Adrien.

At first Marinette was confused. Why was he here, and the one injured. Then the realization sunk in. A ring laid on the ground next to him, and a black cat kwami was shaking him, trying to wake him up.

Adrien was Chat.

With renewed strength, Ladybug pushed herself faster to the park. She couldn't let the akuma see him when he wasn't transformed. And the sooner she beat this one, the sooner her cleansing light would get that pole off Chat- no, Adrien.

"Hey, I bet you can't catch me. For someone who's supposed to be the main act, you aren't very good!" Normally she wouldn't resort to such tactics, but right now Marinette could barely think at all. Anger boiled through her veins at the thought of her injured partner and crush.

This akuma would pay.

Taking out her yoyo, she threw it and wrapped it around a tree branch, swinging herself out of the way of even more attacks. Marinette almost dropped her weapon at the protest in her shoulder, but she did her best to ignore it. She didn't have time to focus on her injuries right now. Using the momentum, she turned it around and jumped at the akuma.

"Lucky charm!" She called out, a light appearing above her and dropping a red and black coloured jacket in her hands.

Oh what was she supposed to do with this?

No time to think, as a split second later, she hit the akuma, her knee burying itself in his gut. The akuma coughed and fell to the ground, and without thinking she threw the jacket in his face, grabbing his main knife in the second he couldn't see, and broke it over her knee.

"Come on out, evil butterfly!" She called, quickly trapping the dark butterfly in her yoyo before cleansing it and releasing it. Picking up the jacket, she tossed it into the air, and the light it emitted spread everywhere, reversing the damage.

She only hoped it helped Chat.

As soon as she saw the akuma turn back into a regular person, she dashed back to where she left him. Her earrings beeped, warning her there wasn't much time left since she used her abilities.

When she reached the area, she was relieved to see the flagpole back where it was supposed to, and Adrien was waking. Without further ado she reached over and grabbed his ring before helping him up.

"Well, so much for keeping it a secret even between us." Marinette laughed, handing Adrien his ring before turning serious. "Are you alright, you looked hurt pretty bad."

Adrien shook his head, looking over himself. "Should've been more careful." He sighed. "Yeah, I'm sore but I think I'm alright." He slipped the ring back on his finger, picking up the small kwami, who looked worried. He took one look at his partner and paled.

"What about you, are you alright? What happened?"

Marinette looked down at herself, wincing at the sight before her. Her shoulder was still sore, though it no longer appeared injured. The cuts from the knives, on the other hand, were a different story. She supposed that the adrenaline had kept the pain at bay for the most part, though now the hurt was seeping into her, as blood trickled down her suit.

"I'll be fine." She tried to wave it off. "Nothing some cleaning and a couple band-aid's can't fix after all.

Adrien didn't look too convinced. "Seeing as how you know who I am now, it's only fair that you let me help you home, my lady."

Marinette felt her face grow hot. Sure, she was used to being called "my lady" by Chat, but that was before she learned he was Adrien. Hearing him say that now, when he looked his usual self, make her stomach flip.

"Well, I suppose that's fair- But my transformation is about to run out."

"You can trust me my lady, you know who I am after all."

Marinette bit her lip, conflicted on what to do. It wasn't that she didn't trust him. They've been fighting together, she trusted him more than anyone. When Copycat had stole a painting using Chat's face, not once did she believe Chat really did it.

But she was still worried, worried that he would be disappointed with who she really was.

Her earring beeped.

Shaking her head, she turned to go. Marinette couldn't do this, she was too nervous.

Adrien caught her wrist, a pleading look on his face. "Please? I would love to get to know you when we aren't, you know, fighting akuma. We could go out for coffee and get to know each other better."

She had to leave now if she didn't want him to see.

But, looking at his face, she relented. She had the biggest crush on him after all, and here he was asking her on a date.

Marinette pulled her wrist free, and released her transformation, catching the exhausted Tikki and putting her in her purse, opening the small package of cookies so the tired kwami could get her energy back.

Afraid to look up, Marinette stared at her feet, waiting for his reaction.

There was silence.

Of course he's disappointed, she chided herself, trying not to cry. She turned to run out of the alley, far away from here, and him.

As soon as she took the first step, however, Adrien's arm reached out and pulled her back, into a nearly bone crushing hug.

"To think my lady has been you all along." He laughed, as Marinette felt her face grow red.

Oh my gosh Adrien was hugging her.

"I'm glad." He said eventually, his arms eventually releasing her from the hug. "So, how about that coffee?"

"Yeah, that sounds good."