A/N: It's late, like always, but this time I did no grammar check and didn't bother to proofread, so bear with me. Anyway, hope you like it!

"You have to be careful!"

"I was."

Ladybug is pacing around his bedroom, repeating the same speech in the most diverse ways possible. He knew she had a lot to say when she arrived at his bedroom that night, but the amount of time she's taking is a surprise to him, and she doesn't seem to be nowhere close to the end.

Meanwhile, Adrien is sitting on the couch, already too drained to argue with her.

"You were running straight to the conflict!" She reprimanded him again.

"I didn't know what was going on."

"Everyone was running in the same direction, and you went against them!"

"I was just curious."

"They were screaming!"

Adrien doesn't retort this time, because he just can't think of a way to explain to his angry girlfriend that when he ran towards an explosion, instead of following Nathalie towards safety, he was intending on helping her to save the city after he had turned into Chat Noir, his alter ego and protector of the city.

Now, a few hours after being rescued by Ladybug (and secretly transforming and helping her to defeat the Akuma), he was being scolded by a very mad superhero. He would be scared if she didn't look so cute when she was angry.

Angry and worried about him.

After a moment of the silent and reproving gaze of Ladybug he sighed.

"Sorry."

"Sorry? That's all you have to say? Just sorry?"

"What do you want me to say?" he runs a hand through his hair, uncomfortable with the point the situation had went to.

"Do you realize you could have been seriously harmed?" She marches up to him "Or, Heavens forbid, even worse!"

"You wouldn't let it."

"I'm not invincible!" She places her hands on her chest, face flushed with frustration "I'm not infallible! What if I hadn't got to you in time?"

"Then I'd have taken care of the situation." he says with a smile, trying to lighten the situation a little bit.

She frowns even more, not amused by his attempt of humor.

"Can you be serious about this?" she asks in a calmer and colder voice, that doesn't put him at ease in the slightest.

"I am." At her expression of disbelief he puts more conviction in his voice "Really, I am. I just don't want to be that worried every time something happens to me. I can take care of myself. I've been doing pretty nice before we were together, right?"

"You make me wonder how did you manage that!"

He knows she doesn't say it in a playful manner, but he smiles anyway.

"Not revealing my secret! Besides, it's not like I'm the only civilian you had to save. I don't see you scolding every single civilian you save-"

She stops his defense by sitting abruptly by his side on the couch and taking one of his hands into hers.

"Just promise me you'll be careful." her voice was now tired and fragile, eyes pleading and teary instead of shining with anger.

He knows that look very well.

She's just a girl, Adrien reminds himself. She's a teenager, just like me. And behind the mask and the superpowers she's just a girl carrying the burden of a hero, holding the same fears and insecurities that I do.

Adrien wouldn't trade the opportunity of being Chat Noir for anything in the world, but he can't deny that the position is costly. Every civilian life is his responsibility, being him in suit or not; and if anyone gets hurt it's because of him, because he isn't good enough, he isn't anything perfect. His heart twists inside his chest, as he remembers the day he thought he had lost Ladybug forever in their fight against Animan.

He understands exactly how she feels, but Adrien has no superpower to reassure her, to ask her to trust that he can take care of himself. Not when there are buildings collapsing, vehicles falling from above and explosions filling up the skies.

He sighs again and then he turns his body to face her, letting go from her hands to caress her cheek, his eyes still locked on hers, big pools of the ocean that make him want to drown every time she looks at him.

He brings a hand to her shaking shoulder, trying to give her as much comfort as possible and still have a conversation that clearly upsets her.

"You really don't have to worry that much about me, you know."

"I wonder if he knows." She ignores what he says, voicing her worst fear.

"What?"

"Hawkmoth." Her voice now shakes with dread "I wonder if he knows how much you mean to me."

"He doesn't."

"Are you sure? Because he has been really close to you before. Remember Volpina? I almost collapsed. And Jackaddy? I was dead worried!"

"Those were just coincidences." He is sure, he'd spent a few sleepless nights trying to make a sense of the attacks, but agreeing with Plagg in the end, and classifying all of them as mere collateral damage.

"That's why I need you to be careful!" She raises her hands and grabs a handful of his shirt "If something happens to you again I might not be able to act properly and he'll find out about us! Hawkmoth will target everyone I love."

"Is that why he keeps targeting Chloé?"

"Not funny, Adrien." she tries really hard not to get angry again "I wouldn't think twice about surrendering my miraculous if you were in danger."

"You can't do that!" He gasps, eyes wide, but already knowing she speaks only the truth. He would also surrender his if it were the only way to save her. Not that she needs to know that.

"Well, I can't lose you." She whispers, staring at her gloved hand resting on his chest.

He brings her face closer to him, lingeringly kissing her forehead before whispering.

"You won't."

One day she'll know that he's actually her superhero partner, the one who can defeat the entire Parisian police by himself. The one who can distract several mummies and an hypnotized army for as long as she needs him to. The one that jumps over rooftops and constantly climbs the Eiffel Tower. She'll know just how agile and strong he is.

But she'll also know that he's the one who always jumps in front of her to save her. The one who doesn't think twice before putting his life at risk to protect her. The one who takes the blow and lets himself to be put under control of the Akuma so that she can save the day. She'll know just how far he would be willing to go to keep her safe.

One day she'll know that he's Chat Noir, protector of Paris, and he doesn't know if she'll be either relieved or terrified.

But, until this day comes, he'll continue to live as two different people with her, and he'll be by her side, however she needs him. And he'll pretend not to know that she and Adrien were celebrating their three months anniversary, even though Chat Noir knew by heart when they got together. And he'll roll his eyes with her when she tells him Chat Noir ridiculous jokes, even though Adrien knew that deep down she loves his puns.

But until this day he'll have to make sure that she faces no distress, no hardships. His Lady's welfare and happiness it's his responsibility, and he'll make sure he does a well-done job, as her partner; both in crime-fighting and love.