"Bye bye, little butterfly," Marinette tried to smile as she watched the white bug flitter away, but a wave of pain and nausea washed over her. She staggered slightly as she lifted a hand to her head.

"Pound it – hey, are you OK?" Chat Noir asked, his claw dropping open in surprise.

"Yeah, I'm… a little sick, but I'm okay," Marinette responded, but as she stepped forward, her knees refused to cooperate. Chat Noir caught her as she fell, preventing her from hitting the cement.

"You don't look well," he responded, concern coloring his tone. She tried to look into his green-yellow cat's eyes, but couldn't focus. Stopping the Taco-nator - Hawk Moth's latest villain - had taken everything she'd had. She'd been down with a little bug for two days, but nothing serious… or so she'd thought. Her head fell back, listless, as Chat Noir lifted her easily into his arms. "Let's get you out of here," he growled in a low tone.

"But I'm about to transform…" Marinette's protest died on her lips as her head began to spin and her breakfast considered an encore appearance.

"Don't worry. I'll take care of everything." Chat Noir's words echoed in her head as the sky faded to black.

Adrien looked down at the girl in his arms, a worried frown creasing his forehead. They had only minutes left before they both changed back to their secret identities. He was half tempted to just let it happen, and tell Ladybug it was an accident. But he knew she had her reasons for keeping her secret, just as he did. Home was only moments away - for the acrobatic Chat Noir. It was the obvious choice. He'd just have to figure out how to help her on the way.

Marinette came to with a start. Where was she? How long had she been out? Was it night?

"Hey, hey, Ladybug, it's all right," said a familiar voice. Ladybug? How could she still be Ladybug? She gasped as she remembered her last moments on the rooftop with Chat Noir. Had he –

A gentle hand restrained her shoulder as she tried to sit up. Why couldn't she see?

"You're blindfolded," said the voice, which she recognized as Chat Noir. "You were unconscious, and I knew we both didn't have much time. My house was close… so I covered up your eyes. You can't see me, and I can't see your face." Marinette touched the soft fabric wrapped gently around her head.

"Thank you, Chat Noir. That was fast thinking." She tilted her head this way and that, even though she couldn't see anything. The movement left her dizzy. She pressed herself back into the pillow behind her. "So we're at your house?"

"Yeah. The place is pretty big. It's easy to get in and out unseen, if you know how." She could almost hear him shrugging. Marinette reached up again and rubbed her fingers against the fabric obscuring her vision.

"It's soft," she commented, feeling the stitches of a knitted scarf. "Where did you get this?"

"My da- uh, my dad's sister made it for me. Yeah, a gift from my aunt."

"Is she a knitter? You wouldn't happen to know what kind of yarn this is, would you?"

"Um, no, she didn't say." Again Marinette could almost hear a shrug. Was the glib Chat Noir a little nervous?

"Doesn't matter," she went on, "It just feels kind of familiar. Like a scarf I made for a, uh, friend."

"Oh, you knit? That's neat."

"Yeah," Marinette could feel an odd tension shading the silence between them. A sudden shock of panic raced through her, "Oh, my phone!" she almost wailed.

"Yikes, did you lose it? That sucks." She clumsily felt around herself, digging under the comforter and patting her pockets until she felt the rigid outline of her smartphone at one hip. Was she wearing anything too… Marinette? Oh, no, that's right - she'd put on one of her dad's old t-shirts this morning, so she could curl up and watch TV all Saturday long while she waited out this cold. The shirt was as big as a tent. Her pride withered just a little, imagining Chat Noir's first glimpse of her less-than-impressive style. She pulled the phone out and held it up triumphantly.

"False alarm," she said, smiling.

"How are you feeling?" Chat Noir said, changing the subject. "You had me worried there when you passed out. I almost thought hospital."

"Oh, no, I'm so glad you didn't. I feel… actually, I feel pretty bad. Head hurts, chills...am I running a fever?" She tried to feel her own face and neck.

"I want to check that, actually. Here," she felt something small pressed into her hand. "It's a digital thermometer. Can you take your temperature for me?" She put the smaller end of the thermometer in her mouth and listened for the beep. "Hmmm," Chat Noir clicked his tongue when she handed it back. "39 degrees. That's no good. Here, take these with a sip of water." She held out one hand and two small pills were dropped into it. The other hand received a small glass, which she held carefully to keep from sloshing. "Of course," Chat Noir continued, "this would all be a lot easier if you'd just take off that blindfold…"

"Not a chance, Chat. Thanks all the same," Marinette couldn't help but smile, even with the pounding in her head. He was incorrigible.

"I have some soup heating up for you. I'll be right back." She could hear the squeak of his sneakers as Chat Noir walked out of the room.

Plagg, waiting outside Adrien's door, took his normal spot floating next to his friend as Adrien walked down the stairs and went to the kitchen. "Your aunt gave you the scarf? What was that all about?" Adrien shrugged. "I don't know why I lied. It seemed right at the time. I wear that scarf a lot, and all my friends know my dad gave it to me for my last birthday. It's like my favorite thing from him. Maybe I'm just hoping it's possible Ladybug and I know some of the same people." Plagg accepted this without further comment. His eyes widened as they entered the kitchen. He opened his mouth to speak, but Adrien beat him to the punch.

"Yes, your camembert is right here." He pulled open the first refrigerator along the wall and grabbed the soft cheese he had set aside for his Kwami. The greedy Plagg devoured it. Adrien checked the soup he'd put on and found it warm enough. He ladled some into a bowl, which he set on a tray with crackers. He managed to get the whole thing - along with a sated Plagg - back to his room without running into anyone. As he quietly closed the door behind him, he breathed a sigh of relief. She was still really there. In his room, his own bed. Thank goodness the maid had changed the linens this morning.

"Hello?" Marinette called out, a bit nervous.

"It's me," Chat Noir answered. "Soup and crackers, to get your strength back up." Before she could respond, Marinette's stomach growled loudly. She put an embarrassed hand to her middle.

"Thanks, Chat, but how am I going to eat it? Can't see anything," she gave an expansive shrug, one hand brushing a lampshade, which she quickly grabbed to steady it. The grab only served to push it harder, and the whole lamp crashed to the floor. "Oops, sorry."

"Don't sweat it. Here, hold that scarf away from your mouth. I'll feed you the soup. You're practically an invalid anyway." She rolled her eyes behind the scarf. "I can hear that eye roll, Ladybug. Sit up a little more. There you go."

Marinette sighed gustily. "You're loving this, aren't you?"

"Stop talking; the spoon's at your lips."

"Oh," she gingerly opened her mouth, and a warm spoon with equally warm - and tasty - soup was inserted. She swallowed. "So do you live alone, or…"

"No, I live with – um, a few other people. But it's okay. We won't be disturbed. They're good about privacy,"

"Oh," she said again, feeling awkward. "That's good, I guess." Another sip of soup arrived. The food was helping her stomach, thank goodness. Chat had tied the blindfold well; not a peep of light came in.

"Talk later. You need to get some food in your stomach, or that medicine's not going to sit well." This time a cracker touched her lips, which she grabbed and fed herself.

"You're really good at this, Chat."

"I've been taking care of myself for a while now. It's not so hard. It sucks being alone when you feel sick like this, though."

"Tell me about it," Marinette agreed. "I'm… glad you're here with me. I have good friends in my regular life, but I don't think any of them would know what to do if I fainted." She reached up and caught Chat Noir's unseen hand, taking the spoon out of it. "I know I can trust you, Chat. Thanks for taking such good care of me."

"I'd do anything for you, Ladybug." Chat Noir cleared his throat a little and retrieved the spoon. Marinette heard it clatter as it landed back on the tray. An awkward silence stretched between them.

"So, where's Tikki? I trust she introduced herself?" Marinette leaned back against the pillows.

"She's off with Plagg somewhere; I gather they know each other from way back. She volunteered for a little blindfold herself, so she wouldn't see me. I see a certain resemblance in your moral fortitude."

"Plagg?"

"Oh, that's my Kwami. He's a pretty solid dude. Likes his camembert a liiiittle too much, though, if you know what I mean."

"You know what, Chat? I like you better with the mask off. You're less of a flirt."

Chat Noir laughed. "I'm not competing for your attention now, either. So, do you need to be somewhere? You're pretty sick and I'd rather not move you."

"Actually, no." Marinette breathed a quiet sigh of relief. Her parents had gone on a weekend trip together. They'd already checked in with her that morning.

"Okay, why don't you take a nap and let those meds kick in? I've got stuff to do around the house anyway." She nodded, feeling a bit woozy and scrunched down under the comforter. Gentle hands straightened it over her shoulders as she rolled to one side.

"Sweet dreams, Ladybug," Chat Noir called and she heard a door close softly. She snuggled down into the pillow, which smelled unmistakably of Chat… and a faint odor of Camembert? She ran her hand under the pillow and found an empty cheese container. Gross. She tossed it, unseeing, toward the edge of the bed and breathed deeply until she fell asleep.

Adrien checked the clock in the library. He'd been reading for three hours, trying to give Ladybug the time she needed to rest. He'd kept her hidden for nearly all of Saturday, but he didn't think he could manage it overnight. Nathalie was way too observant of his eating habits and she would notice extra snack runs. He hoped Ladybug would feel better when she woke, but at the same time, it was so cool to have her here needing his help for once. He gave a quiet sigh, set aside his book, and stood. He should check on her, make sure she was okay.

"Plagg, buddy, time to hide," he whispered. Plagg zoomed away from the tome he'd been hovering over and hid himself against Adrien's ribs. "Where did Tikki go, anyway?" Adrien muttered under his breath to Plagg as he walked across the expansive library.

"She was tired, too. Didn't want any camembert; apparently she only likes pastries. She's napping with Ladybug now," Plagg whispered.

"Okay, great," Adrien whispered back. He crossed to the other side of the house, where the bedrooms were. Checking to be sure no one saw him, he knocked softly, then turned the knob when he heard a faint response. "Hey, Ladybug, how are you feeling?" he asked. The room was dim, the windows displaying evening twilight. He hadn't realized it was so late.

"I'm feeling much, much better. I think Tikki is, too." Adrien turned on a light in time to see Ladybug's smile. She looked like there was more color in her cheeks - below the scarf.

"Yeah, much better!" chimed in the tiny red Kwami next to Ladybug's shoulder.

"You think you can transform long enough to get home?" Adrien asked. "It's almost night now."

"Ooh, yikes, I better go. Aly- um, I mean all my friends will be wondering what happened to me." Ladybug pulled back the comforter and threw her legs over the edge of the bed. She stood cautiously, but didn't sway.

"I'm convinced. Hang on a second. Plagg, claws out!" Adrien lifted the hand that wore his Miraculous and completed his transformation into his alter ego. "If you'll give me your hands, Milady?" He grinned when he heard Ladybug sigh. She didn't have much choice. He guided her arms around his shoulders. "Now jump, and hang on!" he said, catching his arms under her legs as she did so and settling her against his waist. He felt her breath whoosh past his ear as she grabbed tight. "Off we go," he remarked cheerily, then silently padded down the dim hall to the back entrance of the house. In the near darkness, no one noticed as he leapt to the top of the back garden wall, then up to the roof of the house next door. He leapt rooftop to rooftop, holding Ladybug snug against him, until he was sure she wouldn't be able to see Gabriel Agreste's expansive mansion in the distance.

"This is your stop, Ladybug," Adrien set her down gently on a flat rooftop.

Marinette released Chat Noir's shoulders and slipped down from his back. She could feel the chill of the night air as a breeze played through the fraying ends of her jean cutoffs and gave her legs goosebumps. Chat Noir turned to her, lightly pressing one of her hands with his own. "I hope you'll be back on the job in a few days. Take some time to rest, please." She could imagine the bright glint of his green-yellow cat's eyes in the dark.

"I will. I promise."

"And I hope you'll, well, that is I - you… know I'm here for you or whatever. If you need anything."

"Chat Noir, you've seen me at my worst. We're friends forever after this." She felt the pressure on her hand increase, then he released it suddenly.

"So does that mean there's a chance you'll take off that blindfold before you change into Ladybug?" Marinette heard, rather than saw, the sly grin on Chat Noir's face.

"And here I thought we'd grown as people," she sighed. "Tikki, spots on!" Marinette lifted her chin and pushed the scarf up to reveal the Miraculous she wore at her ears. As she changed into Ladybug, she felt the scarf suddenly whipped from her head. When she opened her eyes, Chat Noir was innocently stuffing it into the back of his belt. Hmmm. Oh, well. "Good night, Chat," Marinette called sweetly as she swung her yo-yo out and away.

"Good night, Ladybug," she heard him call out behind her. On impulse, she turned and blew him a kiss over her shoulder, then disappeared into the dark.

Stunned, Adrien landed flat on his back, then stretched and curled his claws behind his head. Sure of his solitude, he changed back to his street clothes. "Did you see that, Plagg? I think I'm finally wearing her down."

"Yeah, like the flu!" Plagg agreed.

Thanks for reading Misadventure No. 1! If you click on my profile, you'll find Misadventure No. 2 and No. 3. Enjoy!