Hey! Okay, so to be perfectly clear, I really suck at typing these things. I really do; therefore, I am going to make this author note very short and sweet. This is definitely an Adrienette/Ladynoir story with a lot of humor, drama, and romance in it. There will be a bit of other couples such as Alya/Nino, ect. They are a secret at the moment, but I hope that all of you will enjoy my story and review! Everything Miraculous Ladybug does not belong to me. Although, I really wish it did. Nevertheless, I digress. With that said, let's begin! Till next time, mes beaux lecteurs!

Oh, and by the way, all of my French is done through Google translate, so please let me know if I publish anything wrong on here. Enjoy!

***edit*** Also, henceforth, each of these chapters will be named after a certain song that I have randomly heard while driving to and from the hellhole which is college that reminds me of our favorite couple. Thus, the name of this chapter is 'Honeybee,' a sweet song by Steam Powered Giraffe... So yeah, this is a definite way for me to come up with a few cool chapter titles. Plus, you readers can check out some great new songs which will give you the feels, so everyone wins!~


Ch 1. Honeybee

"I know that I heard it from somewhere," Ladybug heard herself say, as she propped an apprehensive hand against the thick, wrought iron lattice of Paris' famous Eiffel Tower. Her fingers tightened around the rock-hard iron, and she instantly tensed from her stance beside Chat Noir. The thin cat-boy in question only swiveled his head toward her, his blond spikes flying around him, before he furrowed his brows and gazed unsurely around himself.

"It was in this direction," Chat declared confidently, throwing up a claw, before he gave Ladybug a slightly confused look. Gradually, his glove fell back down to his side, "Well, at least, I think it was, anyway. I think we're close."

An abrupt, extremely loud scream suddenly sounded in the very near distance, and Ladybug felt a thin, almost inaudible buzz of frustration build in her throat. She scowled deeply and swung her neck toward her partner.

"You think?" Ladybug shot the retort at her partner and sent him as a sarcastic look.

Readying the red and black polka-dotted compact yo-yo within her palm, the superhero immediately reached for the waist of the male beside her and pulled him in close; her form became protecting and securely wrapped around him, as she yelled, "Sounds like it came from the Louvre!"

"Y-Yeah, sure," Chat fumbled out a reply. His sharp green eyes widened instantly, and his entire form froze upon contact. Simply the weight of her touch, the feel of her hip against his, sent a light hammering throughout his chest, and an incredibly warm but welcomed emotion formed. His palms grew shaky yet he was perfectly okay with her near proximity. Feeling a thick blush start to creep over his features, the teen mentally gasped. It was not until he heard the panicked yelps of around a hundred different citizens that he was prompted to wrap his arms tightly around his companion for the pair's descent. Swiftly, he rested his head upon her shoulder and latched his legs firmly around hers.

"Time to go," cried Chat Noir, as Ladybug speedily threw the device, and she used it to swing them downward from their stance high above the city of Paris. Landing upon a nearby apartment building, Chat precariously let go of Ladybug and blew out the breath that he had been unknowingly holding. The male instantly blushed, watching her stuff the yo-yo into the pack around her waist. The teen had to fight off the sudden urge to make a pass at her – "Wow, I had no idea you swung that way for me" – as he drew out his dark baton and turned it into a lengthy staff; the duo immediately broke out into an urgent sprint.

"Meet you there!" cried Ladybug, as she broke off from Chat in order to take an easily accessible rout.

The cat in question merely gave her a noncommittal thumbs up, as he used his staff to make a huge lunge across the rooftop. Across from him, gaining speed, his little Ladybug ran fast and hopped sensibly forth, her hasty movements causing her to flitter rapidly from building to building; contrasting this, the male slunk forward with every dashing leap. He almost grinned through his urgency, once more feeling the freedom of the cool, crisp wind splashing against his moderately warmed cheeks. His emerald eyes sparkled with life, as he used his staff as leverage to force every jump higher, thus his pace was much faster than his companion.

Without looking back, the two pressed on; they left the Eifel Tower standing awe-inspiringly tall behind them, like a bright beacon in the dark, as it watched quietly over the citizens of Paris. The image of it was beautifully regal, as its stance remained great and proud. It symbolized the strength of Paris; in that aspect, it was a lot like the charm of both Ladybug and Chat Noir. If the two of them unaccompanied could take on the evildoers of Paris, then there was no telling what the city's people could do if they all banned together.

"Atta, cat!" Chat cried, finally coming to a foreseen stop.

The cat-boy was the first to make it to the rooftop of the Musee du Louvre, and he queerly looked down. Standing beneath him, incredibly horror stricken and wide-eyed, was the forms of approximately a hundred confused civilians. Each was covered in paint from head to toe, and many were on the brink of screaming. A few of the people were testily wiping at their faces, while some were wiping away at themselves furiously, outwardly weeping in agony. One child even cried out to his mother in immense pain, as he attempted to wipe away at the thick acrylic goop that was now seeping heavily from his eyes. Blinking dangerously, the kid's injured voice entered Chat's ears, and the cat bared his teeth dangerously at the villain.

His dark ears fell flat to his head. "M-Maman, I can't see! It hurts!"

The whimpering pain coming from the unknown child made Chat Noir feel inexplicably angry. Sure, the akumas were usually bad. At first, they always were, but rarely anyone ever got truly hurt. No one screamed out in agony. Still, the sound of little boy who wept through paint covered eyes – it absolutely infuriated him! The superhero felt his claws begin to glow a threatening green by his side. God, this never-ending fighting needed to end! Ultimately, this was a war between the holders of the Miraculous and the one called Hawk Moth; the hosts of the Akuma were merely pawns in Hawk Moth's scheming. However, no one was to be harmed except for him and Ladybug. No outsiders were to be put through this.

Chat's eyes narrowed in pure hatred. The teen was tired of the constant attacks, everything, all of the unnecessary involvement. No citizen should get hurt on their account. He and Ladybug could defend themselves, but regular humans without protection could not; no one besides him and Ladybug held a Miraculous, and these otherwise innocent people were susceptible to the alluring attraction of the Akumas. Hawk Moth's fluttering, immaculate promises. Each one was spoken out of hate but sensibility, and in his soothing words, Hawk Moth would allegedly agree with the host's pain. His voice would croon that it was perfectly okay to live with such strong feelings of animosity. Once the doubt was placed there, Hawk Moth knew that he had a host's heart. At that juncture, he would feed those feelings with a single, authoritative promise. A false promise which would fill the host's heart with a sense of false hope. Most people were susceptible to the promise of hope. Benefit and power. Revenge and eternal happiness.

The newly darkened Akuma had finally found its home.

Chat felt his resolve harden, as he stood face to face with the possessed figure of a colorfully dressed man before him. The male's features were distorted into a Picasso-like montage of differently sized shapes. The image was odd and a bit frightening, but through the man's minor details, the cat immediately recognized the owner of the grotesque face as the portrait of an artist who was usually found selling street paintings around the Bois de Boulogne, a park that he was indeed familiar with; the landscape's warm setting was often used as a backdrop for many of his summer photoshoots. Behind him, swinging herself elegantly onto the roof, his lady took a defiant stance. She sent him a charming smirk, and he mentally gushed out of happiness. Mentally thriving from the knowledge of her presence, a strong sense of reassurance surged through his whole body, and the cat allowed a maddening grin to overtake his features.

"Oh, you'll pay for this," Chat hatefully muttered beneath his barred teeth.

Ladybug pointed heatedly with her left hand towards the evildoer and threw her other arm down to her side to grab her yo-yo. Tightening her fingers around the small object, she yelled, "It's all over now, Le Peintre! We saw what you've been doing to the Louvre's priceless paintings!"

"Yeah, it's time to clean out your brushes and put a stop to all of this!" Chat nodded from in front of her and readied himself to make an attack, looking back to check for her signal to move forward. She merely shifted her head to the left slightly, rebutting his movements. Not yet, her eyes spoke with conviction.

"But I'm so ready, my lady," Adrien heard his mind whine out of frustration; the want for retribution was almost killing him, "So ready!"

The villain raised the gigantic paint brush arrogantly within his hands and laughed darkly, giving them a cruel sneer. A threatening, ominous multicolored glow instantly began to emit from the brush's soaking tip; a few heavy droplets of thick, acrylic ooze dripped leisurely from its poised bristles, lamely landing in dense puddles upon the roof. The villain aimed the weapon forebodingly toward the two superheroes.

"Tut-tut! Not before I finish my finest work, mon cher Ladybug! I shall prevail, you see, because unlike you, I do my job with heart!"

The artist's proclamation was met with a gruff laugh, and a cheerful yell broke through the tension.

"Woo-hoo! Go get him, Ladybug!"

Both Chat Noir and Ladybug blinked and turned to stare precipitously at the confident yet wide-eyed stare of their friend Alya. She smiled a toothy beam, completely awestruck as always, and waved energetically up at them. The spirited blogger had no idea of the pair's identity, and honestly, neither the two of them were clueless about that as well; the duo's secrets were a thick, rarely mentioned wall which continuously sat, never broken and duly wedged between the crime fighting couple. Nevertheless, in the end, Chat was okay with that, for Ladybug was the one who he looked to make the final call. She was his lady, after all.

Eventually noticing the weight of their combined stares, Alya directly flushed and stuttered, "O-Oh, yeah! And you too, Chat. Of course."

From beneath his mask, Adrien rose an inquisitive brow. Then, he gave Alya a well-meaning shrug and grinned, turning to regard Ladybug with a faithful stare. He blinked confusedly. An intense look of fear shone in his friend's bright blue orbs, and she swiveled to glare heatedly at their enemy. A buzzing growl echoed from her throat, and her stance tightened; the way the man was raising his brush toward Alya sent the raven-haired heroine into an absolute frenzy.

"Oh, no you don't!" Ladybug moved to throw her yo-yo at the offending weapon and slapped it easily out of the villain's hands. Angrily furrowing her brows, the hero leapt forward and yelled back to her companion, "Go protect Alya! Take her far from here; I've got this artiste!"

"Right!" Chat immediately agreed, and he made a split decision to fully trust his lady. His only hope was that she could handle the fight on her own, as he started off into a rapid sprint. The teen quickly turned his staff back into a small baton. Letting out a wild meow, he stuck the baton in the holder around his waist, hopped down from the high rooftop, and leapt swiftly toward Alya. The girl in question merely blinked as he approached her, feeling completely dumbfounded when he dutifully wrapped his arms around her waist. As he cradled her securely to his chest, the dark skinned female grinned. Alya found herself feeling unexpectedly thrilled that she was being included in the fight, even if she was apologetic for stupidly pulling herself into the fray.

"Sorry," the russet eyed teen mumbled, as she scrunched her shoulders in a fusion of half embarrassment and half excitement. She continued to hold onto the phone in her hands, while Chat Noir ran, accidentally bouncing her form against his chest.

Feeling generous, the male merely beamed and chuckled, before gazing graciously down at her and jeering, "No problem, kiddo."

Instantly, Alya grinned but let out a moderately haughty laugh. She made herself comfortable in his arms, replying, "Kiddo? Wow, Chat Noir, we're the same age! Probably… Anyways, since I've got you here, you got anything to say to the blog?"

"Not at the moment," Chat huffed, grinning a little at Alya's never-ending search for answers. He immediately countered her words by asking, "Got any questions from the message boards?"

Chat would never tell her that he liked to frequent the Ladyblog daily. Sometimes, the sneaky cat's other persona would even come up with his own little quips, questions, and theories, if only to get the fandom riled up every once in a while. It was hilarious and slightly embarrassing to see all of the things that random people were willing to mention on them; the fan art could sometimes get… very disturbing, to say the least.

Alya instantly perked up and used her nimble fingers to expertly open the notes section in her cellphone, "Actually, I do!"

Chat Noir jumped up onto a building and ran across the rooftops of Paris. Not out of breath in the slightest, he chuckled out a suave, "Lay them on me, then."

"Any new crushes?"

"Nope!"

Alya frowned but pulled on a sneaky smile.

"Hmm... Can you at least give us a teeny tiny hint about your identity?"

Chat smirked down at her and replied, "That is a negative Ghostrider."

"Drat. Okay, Last question," Alya responded, as she suddenly held her phone a tad closer to her chest. She watched curiously, as Chat Noir jumped off a building and came to a sudden stop beside a gigantic flower bush. Once he was finished running, she gave him a final mischievous beam

"I'm sure you already know what I want to ask, but The Ladybuggers desperately want to know. Are there any updates that you can give us on the 'Ladybug X Chat Noir relationship' issue?"

"Well, I can tell you this," Chat Noir grinned affectionately, while he went to place Alya carefully on the ground, "My lady is curt and unrelenting with a delicious side of cold."

As Alya found her footing, he jokingly continued, "Basically, I have a big pile of nothing!"

"Riiiiight," Alya leered cryptically, before she happily chirped, "Got it!"

She smiled out of fondness for the superhero and laughed outright when he hurriedly nodded, giving her a tiny, two-finger salute. She waved once more at him when he turned to sprint back in the direction he had just seconds before been running from.

"Thanks, Chat!" Alya called out to his retreating form. The teen grinned hopefully in his wake and eagerly continued, "Don't worry, I know that she'll cave in soon! I believe in you! Fight!"

Once Chat was out of sight, Alya immediately went to work on her phone, typing out a huge, black headline with an image of Ladybug staring horrified down at her. She put 'Fiasco de la Picasso!' as the heading and began to type out her Ladyblog exclusive. A bright, sun shiny grin overtook her round features; oh yes, she would always be the number one Ladyblogger in the world. The teen was sure of it! Besides, the people of Paris needed her, and Alya was only too happy to oblige their curiosity.

"I want all of Paris to see my artwork! He-he!"

"Come on, give it up! It's all over now, Painter!"

"Hmm, do you know what I think?"

"I think you are beautiful, mon cher. With your beautiful blue eyes and your flowing dark hair, you are sure to be nothing but an absolute masterpiece!"

"Let me paint you a portrait."

As Chat Noir was running hastily towards the Louvre, he felt a bolt of fear run down his spine, as a shrill scream inexplicably sounded in the far off distance. No, it did not sound like Ladybug; he knew her voice without a doubt, therefore Chat could tell that it was a civilian, but he could not help it when the frightening noise forced him to accelerate his leaping. Forming his baton into a lengthy staff, he lunged onto a nearby rooftop. The cat-boy narrowed his brows and mentally berated himself. Now that he was running back to Ladybug, he did not want his lady to be on her own for one more second. It was utterly nerve-wracking; the sudden extreme hammering in his chest. Just because the two of them were in their superhero forms, it did not mean that he and his lady were not susceptible to being injured. Quite the contrary, actually.

Chat grit his teeth in frustration, as the ring around his finger abruptly beeped. Another scream had him glancing upward and skidding to a sudden halt at what he saw. The teen's arm came out impulsively, and his mind ran into overdrive, as his legs precipitously began to move faster than they had ever before. Tears were already welling up in the corners of the cat's eyes, as he sprinted forward, desperately wishing that time would pause. No. No! Chat needed to get close to her; he had to! Frantically panting, the boy let out a single scream, as his eyes witnessed a sight that he had never wanted to see, not in a thousand lifetimes as Chat Noir.

"Ladybug, no!"

Chat's cry came out as a deafening roar, as he watched her fall from a hard blow to the stomach; the villain must have managed to take her yo-yo away from her. Thus, his Ladybug was totally defenseless, and it was all his fault. Everything was his fault. The cat could only watch on with tearful, terrified emerald eyes, as the dank substance suddenly splattered against her frame, and everything seemed to move as if in slow motion. Falling and falling into himself, Chat stared on in horror, as she unconsciously allowed gravity to carry her down, down, down. The teen sucked in a shocked gasp and chocked on his own breath when she landed with a dull thud on the hard pavement below. A faint glow seemed to protrude from Ladybug's form upon impact, yet besides that, the masked woman laid unmoving on the ground.

"She's dead!" Chat Noir's thoughts screamed at him all at once, "Oh my god, Plagg. She's dead!"

Adrien could feel Plagg mentally comforting him, as he skid to a halt beside her, immediately falling to his knees by her immobile form. The welling tears escaped him and fell down his downtrodden cheeks. He stilled, deftly leaning down to desperately check for her breathing. Listening with a careful ear, the cat was instantly relieved to find that his lady's breaths were thankfully even; however, her pulse was quickly weakening.

His words were a choked sob, "No, please, wake up mon cher! My lady, please!"

A small, feeble beep came from her ring, and Chat's fingers gripped mildly around her frame. The fact was official; the cat's lady, his little Ladybug, was coming ever-so dangerously close to changing back into her normal form. Chat could not see her; not like this. Despite his want for learning the truth about her actual identity, the teen was understanding whenever it came to Ladybug's desires. Yet, if her true identity was to be discovered in front of so many people – No. It was vital that his lady not be discovered. No matter his feelings, the cat-disguised man wanted her to be happy and comfortable when it came to revealing her true self to him. The cat wanted her to admit her secret to him on her own accord with no outside intrusions; just her and him, as it always should be.

Nevertheless, Chat Noir believed in allowing Ladybug the privacy she desired, even if it hurt him whenever he thought about her during the night. The fact that she wanted their identities to remain a secret made an ample amount of sense to him; however, the cat was certainly not happy about it, and his other identity, Adrien, was not happy with it either. Truthfully, perhaps he was being selfish for wanting to know her identity. To take a closer step towards her heart, and to finally understand her. That is all Chat Noir wished for.

In contrast, Ladybug's single wish was for the two of them, along with their families and friends, to remain safe – well, heh, as relatively safe as one could possibly be while remaining in the seemingly peaceful but completely chaotic city of Paris. Its beauty – along with a cast of surprising villains – was definitely a sight to behold; it was a fact that many unsuspecting tourists were allured to the city by the breathtaking face of Paris. Nevertheless, they would get swept along, as well, in its disarray. Paris, a city of want and destruction. The look of it all inspired its citizen, but did it failed to blind the two superheroes, Chat Noir and Ladybug. Still, the two thrived in it.

Chat sniffled, "D-Don't worry, Ladybug!"

The boy wrapped himself securely around her unconscious, slightly glowing form.

"I've got you," his voice came out as a soft whisper, before the teen directly regarded the people standing around him. He piercingly yelled, "Is there a doctor around here? Please!"

"M-Me," a tentative Frenchwoman came forward and carefully reached for Ladybug's head. With a pair of worried green eyes, the short haired, blonde headed woman hurriedly continued, "Although, I'm just a doctor in pediatrics, so I'm not sure if I can do much for her at the moment..." she gently broke off at Chat Noir's tears and said, "But I will try."

The cat smiled sadly, and an immensely grateful sheen entered his orbs. He knew that pretty much everyone in Paris knew of Ladybug and Chat Noir's constant efforts to protect them from the forces of evil; it made him swell with gratitude to know that there were people willing to help them fight the good fight.

"Merci, madam," Chat quickly whispered, before shooting up from his spot like a rocket. The man stood stalk still, as his shoulders started to shake with a concentrated rage. His blonde head hung toward the ground, a dark shadow forming for a short, muted moment, and he stared sharp daggers at the stiff concrete beneath him. Then, his teeth bared; a livid mewl left his throat.

Like a quick bolt of lightning, Chat Noir's form shot forward. He let out a rough hiss, as he used the force of his anger to punch a mighty hole in the ground with his staff. Pushing down, the teen flung himself upward and fired himself onto the rooftop. The male landed in a haphazard mess upon descent, mentally cursing his bad luck, and forced himself into a firm position athwart from the Technicolor villain. With his movements full of passion, Chat immediately sprang into action. A terrible, blazing fire overtly radiated in the depths of his eyes. His orbs burned with a conical green fervor; the look of hate within them was made greater by the astute nature of his strict, feline appearance. The enemy immediately felt his heart quicken out of fear.

Turning as if he were about to dash, Le Peintre stopped cold for a split moment. Within his deformed ears, a mad, erratic fluttering noise sounded, and the cold voice of Hawk Moth completely flooded his senses.

"What are you doing, Peintre?" The mastermind eerily demanded; a new cruelness settled in his tone, "Run! Go forth and take Ladybug's Miraculous!"

The Painter barely dogged Chat Noir's movements, as the cat-boy came flying towards him.

"B-But," the Painter softly quaked to the voice inside his head, "What if I can't do it?"

The hesitant anti-hero shot a sudden blast of paint in the lead's direction, to which Chat Noir merely jumped out of the way, laughing heartlessly out loud and whirling his body into a lithe, supple barrel roll. The teen stopped on impact when he collided with a random generator; a painful groan escaped his lips.

A shaken threat left the cat when he went to sorely pick himself up, "Y-You'll pay for this, evil Akuma."

Chat Noir knew that time was running out for Ladybug; his companion had but two minutes left until she shifted back into her normal form, if the cat was lucky, which… honestly, the teen was usually not. He had to hurry! Moving to make another sprint toward the artist, he felt his heart quicken when the second striking sound of beep called his attention down to his ring. Apparently he did not have long either. Chat Noir's movements became panicked, as his mind began to run into overdrive.

Chat Noir narrowed his brows and pursed his lips at the sound. He turned his head back to his assailant and gazed heatedly in his direction.

"You did this to Ladybug!" the cat called out, immediately remembering the wounded expression which had covered her beautiful comatose face. The image filled him with an insatiable anger, and he hatefully continued, "Better suddenly get stronger painter."

The eerie threat on Chat's lips made him smirk wildly, and he ominously extended his claws out to the enemy, "Because you're paint is about to get chipped!"

"Careful Adrien!" He instantly heard Plagg speak within his mind, "Don't lose your cool. Ladybug is alright, but your identities are at stake! Be careful!"

However, as Chat Noir, there was no time to be careful. There was no time for wary; no thinking, only action.

"CATACLYSM!" Chat yelled out of sheer anger. The cat loped forward, deftly shooting a thick wave of green-black toward the villain's brush, as he sprinted along the length of the evildoer's weapon. The obtuse object shook, as the miniaturist held the armament within his misshapen, triangle-like hands; the teen fervently poisoned the brush with all of his strength, and the scoundrel could only look down in astounded horror, as the gigantic brush seemed to hastily evaporate within his grasp. He stole a hasty breath, as Chat hopped past him to grab the square beret sitting upon his head. He stared with wide eyes, as the cat hurriedly ripped at the offending cloth in abhorrence, all too happily pulling it into a pair of separate pieces.

Chat watched the pieces of the hat fall, as a dark butterfly seemed to emerge from the beret's fabric; suddenly, the cat had no idea what to do with it. Gazing as it quickly began to flutter away, he reached for the offending creature and held it close to his chest.

"Oh, no you don't!" he cried, unsure as of what to do now. Usually, this was the moment where Ladybug would purify the Akuma and use her magic to fix all of the havoc that the vile creature had created, but since she was currently out of commission – Chat's gaze traveled back down to where Ladybug lay in the Doctor's arms, and he gripped the black butterfly tighter, "No, absolutely not! After all of the fuss you made, do you actually think I would ever let you go?"

The cat easily hopped off the roof and ran toward the Doctor, leaving behind a dumbstruck villain. Lost in his search for the recognition he believed he deserved, the painter fell hollowly to his knees. Hawk Moth merely growled cruelly within his thoughts. By now, the connection between him and the host was usually broken, but now that Ladybug was out of the picture, he was free to speak; he revealed in a chance to berate his henchman's failure.

"To think that I believed in you," the man hatefully leered, "You're nothing to them; totally useless! To think I thought you were capable of doing anything – You're nothing. Your art isn't art. It's merely trash. Fucking trash."

"No," the painter softly whispered, "No, it's not; it's a whole part of me! I believe in it-"

"Do you know why they never sell?" The voice in his head zealously questioned about his artwork, "Because no one likes it. True, there is an old aphorism that says 'beauty is in the eye of the beholder' …but what does it say about you when everyone's eye seems to only want to look away?"

The painter let his arms fall down to the ground, and he wept into his fingers, crying, "Stop it! You're wrong, you're wrong!"

The sound of his weeping fueled Hawk Moth, as he only laughed, further forcing the man's soul to recede into the darkness. Perhaps the voice was right. Perhaps he was garbage…

Chat stopped before the doctor with a hurried pant, making sure to place the Akuma in the tight space between his arm and bicep. He immediately crept down beside her, hastily reaching for Ladybug's lame form. He found a little comfort in the fact that she breathed slowly yet evenly under his hands, and he sent the doctor a thankful glance. The woman gave him a kind smile and gently patted his shoulder. Her eyes shown with a certain comradery; she knew that what Chat was doing was especially important, and she was happy to help him and Ladybug in any way she could. The cat tightened his grip around Ladybug's back and gently lifted the brunt of her weight against his body. He scowled out of frustration, as the ring on his right hand beeped a final time.

"Gotta go," the superhero said, as he cradled his beloved tenderly to his abs. Hurriedly dashing off, the teen called over his shoulder, "Merci, merci, mademoiselle!"

The woman in question only blinked and placed an embarrassed hand over her blonde forehead. A couple of thin, pretty golden-yellow threads fell over her bright green eyes, and she smiled, "Au revoir, monsieur Chat Noir!"

The doctor could not help but beam widely, as he leaped heroically away, "Au revoir…"

Running faster with every footfall, Chat Noir huffed in exhaustion, as he was about to transform back. Without thinking, he glanced worriedly downward at the woman in his arms and tightened his hold around her. Looking up, he instinctively dove behind a large bush, as her body began to glow a blindingly bright light. The cat landed with a painful thud; his face skid across the sharp grass, but he held taut to the precious gem in his clinch. He felt relief flood him when he felt the Akuma's touch; the little butterfly continued to sit in an indignant silence, noiselessly wedged between his underarm and suit. The teen gave a tired sigh, as he felt the bubbly feeling of Plagg stripping himself away from Adrien's body.

The black, cat-like kwami promptly made an exhausted face. He fell from the top of Adrien's blonde locks and landed on the ground in pure exhaustion. His mouth open and closed repeatedly; he wearily placed a paw upon his protruding tummy, before saying, "Hungry. So very hungry."

Plagg's voice came out as a sniveling whine, but Adrien paid his friend's griping the sparest of mind. Instead, he focused his emerald orbs on the form of the broken girl before him. They widened in shock and confusion, before a strong sense of protection filled them. There was no time for wondering; no time for questions. There was only time for action.

As the human boy moved to pick up her body, he stilled when a high-pitched voice instantaneously sounded from behind him.

"Adrien?" it gasped in a squeaky tremor, "Y-You're Chat Noir?"

The teen in question blinked slowly, progressively feeling his heart hammer in his chest, and he turned to observe the owner of the stunned words. His handsome green eyes widened in added surprise.

Choking out a response, he accidentally let the Akuma escape his hold, "B-Black and red? L-Ladybug… you must her be her kwami, right?"

The tiny kwami shook her head as if to clear her thoughts and paused. Then, she suddenly nodded, knowing that he rapid shaking was confusing.

"I'm T-Tikki," the kwami stuttered out, her eyes moving upwards to follow the freed Akuma. She shot upward in order to wrap her arms around the petite creature, and a timid light emerged from her chest. Then, the thin light spread out across all of Paris. As Tikki's grasp lessened its hold around the Akuma, the purified butterfly optimistically fluttered from her embrace. It fluttered high into the gradually brightening sky; hopefully now that it was set free, the kwami's weak light would go on to spread peace and care. Her essence would help to retract Hawk Moth's destruction.

"TiTikki," Adrien swallowed down his own trepidation and glanced down at the black kwami by his feet. He awkwardly mumbled, "Well, this is Plagg. He likes cheese."

Ladybug's tuckered out kwami gently fluttered down to the ground in a fatigued heap and weakly chuckled, "No, my name is Tikki! Not TiTikki, he-he. Ah, I am so hungry and tired."

Adrien's orbs immediately widened, and he moved to pick up the worn-out kwami. He tenderly tucked her within his arms, laying her against Marinette's sleeping chest. He then picked up Plagg and positioned him beside the tuckered-out ladybug kwami. He watched with kind eyes, as Tikki smiled weakly over to Plagg, and a thin blush formed across the black kwami's flushed cheeks. It was easy to see that the two of them were definitely pooped out.

"Hey there," the red and black spotted kwami spoke warmly. Her manner held an extremely gentle lilt, as she gazed toward Plagg. The female's gentility shown in the kindness of her chipper tone when she tentatively whispered, "It's been a while, huh?"

Plagg flushed from his place beside her and let out an embarrassed grunt. Feeling outright drained, the reddened kwami cheekily replied, "Yep, and by your face it's apparent that you missed me."

Tikki merely giggled out a little song and trilled, "In your dreams, little kitty cat."

A lazy meow was Plagg's only response, as Adrien went to stick a shaking hand into his pocket. Worriedly grabbing his cellphone, the male easily ignored the pair's soft-spoken jeers and started to click on his phone.

"I-I'm gonna call an ambulance for her," Adrien's voice came out hurried and ragged, as he specifically chose not to use Ladybug's real name. He simply could not utter; at least, at this moment the thought seemed impossible. It was crazy who her true identity was. The poor teen could barely believe it when he placed the cellphone hurriedly by his ear, "Yes, 911? I-I need to report an accident. I-It's my friend."

As Adrien listened to the operator speak in a calm, authoritative voice, he began to blink his eyes uncontrollably, as he allowed his honest bottle green orbs to slowly fill with tears. Their sheen brightened out of sheer pain, so much so, that two thick streams of salty wet tears eventually began to fall down his ample, paled cheeks. He could not control the sob which escaped him, as he held the girl he had cared for under the mask for so long; it had nothing to do with her beauty or the allure of her mysterious nature. Ladybug's generous and sweet heart was what had attracted him to her as both Chat Noir and Adrien. Now that he knew her secret – Adrien was not entirely sure what he felt. Still, he knew that he cared deeply for the raven-haired mademoiselle in his arms. She was his lady. He was devoted to her soul.

"Si, yes. Si, madam. Merci and… p-please hurry."

As the phone call ended, Adrien dropped the phone and mentally broke down. He fell desperately to his knees. Mumbling her name on his lips, the blonde headed teen let his tears land in her hair, a few dripping on her face. Caressing the cheek, once hidden behind a mask, which he had yearned to caress for years, the teen murmured a list of sweet nothings, and he leaned close to her unconscious ear. True, the male now knew her secret – but at what cost? Ladybug's life? If that was the price, then Adrien could have lived without putting his best friend through this – this pain.

"It's all my fault," Adrien cried into her auricle, beginning to feel his heart break. Under the weight of her seemingly lifeless hug, he visibly shuddered to his core and held her as close as he could bring her without breaking her, "Mon cher, I'm the one to blame."

Sniffling, the poor fellow sobbed, "I'm so sorry, Marinette."


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