Disclaimer: I Do Not Own Miraculous Ladybug. It belongs to it's beloved creators, and Hawkdaddy.

Authors Note: This is my first ML fanfiction. I decided to try a new fandom, and I've fallen into the bottomless hole of this show, and considering how far I fell into it, there's no hope in crawling out of it. This is risky, since I haven't read much ML fanfics, but we'll see how it turns out. I hope you like it!

Extra: I don't know how long this will be. Maybe a one-shot, but maybe longer if people like it.

Enjoy!

Foolishness

Marinette gazed out her window, slumping her cheek on her fist. Her homework was spread across her desk, unfinished, but discarded. She couldn't concentrate.

"It's so quiet out there."

Tikki perked up, flying off the small cushion she inhabited and looked towards the balcony.

"It's been awhile since anyone's gone bad," the little red Kwami spoke up, "but I guess that's a good thing."

"But it's too quiet," the girl grumbled, spinning her chair around. "There hasn't been any havoc in almost a month. I guess I worry too much."

"If you're that worried, why not patrol a little before bed?"

She thought about it, then looked toward the stack of biology homework she needed to turn in. She couldn't leave now. It was well past ten o-clock and akuma victims rarely prowled around at night. Everything was probably fine.

"I shouldn't fret about it," she decided. Taking the pencil her kwami handed her. She flung herself back on her chair and began pulling out her pig-tails. "Alya's going to wonder why I'm late for class, so I can't stay up."

"I have a strange feeling about this," Tikki said out loud, hovering over her shoulder. "Do you hear something?"

"You have sensitive hearing Tikki, it's probably just the-"

Thump-thump-thump

She stopped herself, as there was a light patter on the metal roof. It sounded like footsteps, as she was sure it wasn't raining. The patter grew slower, and without a second thought, she threw the doors open to the balcony.

She looked around the deck, but there wasn't anything out of the ordinary, and the thumping was gone.

Tikki spun around, shrugging. "How strange. I still think-"

The tiny Kwami was interrupted as a sound as small as a twig snapping came from the overhang above them. Marinette turned on her heel, and was about to give up and go to bed, when something black shuffled into the corner of her eyesight. It moved like an unsteady shadow, fumbling through the dark, midnight haze.

She squinted, figuring it was only her eyes faltering, but as that black something fell from the roof, landing directly three feet from her, she covered her mouth to keep herself from screaming in shock.

She turned around and bolted for the door to her room, nearly tripping over her own feet. Her kwami hid behind her shoulder to keep from being seen. She was Marinette, she wasn't ladybug, and there was no time to transform. She could fight, but she'd lose.

"Marinette, wait," Tikki whispered in her ear, tugging back on her collar. "Look."

Marinette stopped, gripping the doorframe. Her heart was pounding. If she were to lose, there would be no ladybug, and no one could de-evilize the Akuma. She looked towards the direction Tikki was pointing to, and stared at the heap of leather on the floor.

Her eyes widened. Whoever was laying there didn't move. They looked unconscious. She stepped out again, hesitantly. It wasn't until she got a closer look with the light that leaked from her bedroom, that she could clearly see who it was.

As she only knew of one person with ears and a tail...

"Chat noir!" She gasped, almost triping over thin air as she went to him. "Chat...?" He didn't respond. "Chat! Are you okay? wake up."

She fell to her knees, and cupped his cheek, turning his face. She pulled her hand away as she felt something warm stick to her palm.

She starred in horror at the red substance on her fingers. "You're bleeding! What happened?"

He groaned, shifting in her arms to lay his cheek on her lap. "Ladybug..."

She cringed, clearing her throat. "Uh-... no! No, it's... Marinette. Are you... are you okay?" She waited for him to say something, but he didn't seem like he was completely conscious.

She grazed his cheek, wiping his wound below his mask. "...Chat Noir?

"Ow." He hissed.

"I'm sorry!"

She frowned, pulling her hand away. "You're hurt ... How did this happen?" She asked again. "What were you doing?"

Chat shifted against her, flinching as his head was moved to lay on her lap. "I'm sorry, m'lady."

Marinette scowled. "Open your eyes. Do you know where you are?"

He tried to do as she said, but his eyes wouldn't budge. Behind his mask they felt as though they were swollen shut. It hurt to even move his mouth.

His hands clenched. "I'm sorry, Ladybug," he repeated. "It happened again. There wasn't any time, I didn't know what to do... I broke it. It got away."

As a habit, she rubbed her hand over his hair. "What did you do? What got away?"

He didn't respond, but he didn't have to. Memories from when it first happened came flooding back to her.

"An Akuma? You let it go!"

He winced. "I had to do something... but you're the only one who can-"

"Who can capture it, yeah, but you shouldn't have fought at all! Look at yourself."

Like a real cat, he rubbed his face into her lap, grabbing her shirt in his hands. "I'm sorry. I tried going after it, but-"

"No 'but's', what's done is done," she sighed. Her brow twitched in exasperation, but still, she could only be mad at herself. "Come inside. I'll help patch you up."

He didn't move. "I don't have a lot of time left..."

At that, Marinette picked up his hand and looked at his ring. Three paws were missing. Meaning he had half an hour at least before he'd un-transform.

She shook her head in riddance to his protest. "It'll be okay. It'll be quick. You can't leave anyway, can you even walk?"

He shook his head.

She rolled her eyes. "Dumb cat, don't be so foolish as to run into a fight by yourself like that."

"I thought I could hold him off until you'd get there," he explained, hushed, "but it got out of hand. I didn't think it'd be so violent."

He hid his face in her shirt. "I'm kind of glad you weren't there."

Chat felt the soft fabric of her shirt under his uninjured cheek. It didn't have the smooth leather fell to it as her uniform normally did. This was ladybug, but Ladybug in civilian form.

"Ladybug..." he managed. "You're not-"

"Shut up," Marinette stopped him, gently slinging his arm over her shoulder to help him up. "You can come inside. We'll worry about the Akuma later. Can you walk?"

He was able to get to his feet, but collapsed against her in pain. He clutched his side. "I... I think I might have broke something."

She didn't say anything more as she carefully led him inside her room. She gave Tikki a look and the ladybug kwami escaped from hiding to fetch the first-aid kit.

Guilt washed over her as she helped her partner onto the daybed. She should have been more aware. She sat, not even doing her homework, while Chat was getting pulverized by their next villain.

Her hands were surely going to be full tomorrow.