Red.

Red everywhere.

Chat Noir stared at the girl who lay unmoving in his hands. As her red suit gave way to a flower-patterned blood-soaked shirt, tears fell from his face and mingled with the contrasting color of her dark eyelashes. Unresponsive and out cold, ladybug's identity was revealed, in the worst situation possible.

Marinette dupain-cheng. That was the name that went with the face below his own.

"...hospital. I have to get her to a hospital! Ladybug-no, Mari, please be okay, please, please, please!" Over the rooftops and away from the caution tape strewn streets Chat went as fast as he could to the school infirmary room. Although his mind was in a panic it seemed like some sort of emergency autopilot was guiding him from the recesses of his brain.

He couldn't bring her to an actual hospital, not yet at least. The press and mass media would be swarming over every public area to find them. He didn't know if anyone had gotten any photographic evidence of Marinette being the girl in red. But there were certainly eye witnesses. One of which had been Alya.

Holy crap, ALYA.

Chat couldn't stop his tears and thought that his head was ready to explode, he needed time. Time to cool down, to think about what he had found. But he didn't have time, no matter how much he wished for it. He could not gain back the elusive seconds that he had failed to protect his lady, his princess.

Chat clumsily dressed and cleaned her wounds, the bandages loose and messy because of the bubbling fear in chat's stomach of hurting her even more. His ring was on the last glowing green cat pads. He ambled clumsily over to the nurse's swivel-chair and sank into the chaotic waves that his brain had adopted as its current state of being.

Insignificant details mingled with life changing revelations. His brain was running in circles with nothing to stop it.

Marinette, Ladybug, Princess, Bugaboo, Classmate, my Lady, Mari. Mari. Mari, Mari, Mari.

Mumbling to himself, Chat felt like a madman. "I wonder if this is what it feels like to skydive…"

"A...Adrien?"

He had been so deep in thought that he hadn't realised he had transformed back. "Oh, um… hey Marinette."

She propped her head up, wincing in pain. This made Adrian wince as well. Marinette's eyes filled with panic. How did she get here, why was she here, why was adrien here, wasn't it sunday? Wasn't the school closed? Mari's eyes widened. The window behind adrien was completely shattered.

"Marinette? Are you okay?" He seemed hesitant, scared even. Marienette was the fine china, Adrien was the cat that had somehow made its way into the cabinet. "Are you okay?" he repeated his question, slowly, as if he were afraid to hear the answer. Marinette's mouth opened and closed like a fish left on the dock, she waited for the words to come but words seemed to be avoiding her, so she simply bobbed her head up and down twice quickly.

Adrien glowed, his smile brighter than any sunny day, warmer and sweeter than any hot chocolate could ever even dream of being.

So was Mari's face, well, the warm part at least.

Finally Marinette managed to squeak out the question "Am I dreaming?"

Adrien was surprised, his eyes grew wide, then he burst out laughing, his giggling was just as charming as the first time she had seen it in the rain. "No, you just woke up, would I lie to you bugaboo?"

Marienette froze. "Bu-bugaboo?"

Adrien choked on his laughter, sputtering and spazzing.

"...Crap."

"...Chat?"

"Maybe."

"No way."

The front pocket of Adrien's green flannel overshirt started moving and a tiny black creature flew out of it. "Well if we're screwed anyway, might as well get it over with Adrian."

Adrien's eyes bugged out, "PLAGG, NO!"

His hands swiped in vain to grab the floating cat-looking-thing. Marinette's hand quivered and shook as she pointed in Plagg's direction "K-k-k-kwami?"

"Yeah I'm a kwami. And I'm hungry. I'm a hungry kwami. Named Plagg. Adrien, you've got some camembert on you, right? Adrien?" It seemed that Adrien was too busy facepalming to answer Plagg. The boy glanced up, his eyes full of hesitation and fear of rejection.

"I guess the cat's out of the bag?"

Marinette was certainly overwhelmed, but couldn't help the snicker that escaped her lips.

"Adrien?"

"Yeah?"

"Your Chat is showing."

"Pfft!"

Plagg rolled his eyes in the most unceremonious way possible, "And I'm still hungry, can we move on from the flirting now?" Almost on cue, Tikki few out from Marinette's purse and hit him over the head.

"FORGET ABOUT YOUR GOD DAMN STOMACH FOR A SECOND, IT WAS JUST GETTING GOOD! Oh, and I'm Tikki. Nice to finally meet you Chat… er… Adrien." Tikki giggled because both Mari and Adrien were blushing, blushing hard.

"F-f-f-fl-flirting…" Marinette stammered, slightly shell shocked.

"Err, nice to meet you Tikki, I suppose." Adrian offered, regaining his cool head.

"Yeah, yeah," Plagg interrupted, sarcasm almost tangibly dripping from his words, "Why don't we break out the cheese in celebration?"

It was only when Tikki let the laugh escape her tiny red lips that Adrien then Marinette followed suit. Soon the entire room was filled with nothing but childish giggles. Except for Plagg that is, he just contributed a different way. He added the "What? Why are you all laughing?"s and "What's so funny?"s. He also offered a few "I'm still hungry"s.

Mari and Adrien were bursting to add their questions, but they both knew that would have to wait til later, for they still had an akuma to catch.

Marinette stared wistfully out the nurse office window, completely forgetting that it was broken. She now felt well enough to move, although her head didn't yet want to. Mari sighed and turned hesitantly to Adrien, "After we catch the akuma and head to our homes… I'll...um, text you! Then maybe we can discuss every little question and detail we wish to mull over on a rooftop, over coffee or something… "

Adrian smirked, "Sure thing Mi Lady, although I'd rather hear your voice, but don't leave me hanging! I don't wanna be-" Marinette sighed and rolled her eyes, and in sync…

"...Forever provalone."

The two finished the sentence together.

Mari rolled her eyes again and blew her bangs out of her eyes. "Whatever Kitty, just feed your Kwami his cheese or whatever so we can go fix paris again."

"You got it bugaboo!" Adrien said to her with a wink.

Marinette rolled her eyes again and smiled at her little Kwami. "Ready Tikki?"

Tikki simply giggled "Always Marinette!"

"Spots on Tikki!"

The flash of red with black spots and blue eyes zoomed out of the widow, a super heroine to her calling. Adrien simply watched the broken window and smiled a lovestruck lopsided grin, but his stupor was soon broken by Plagg.

"So are we gonna do this or not?"

Adrien grinned at the Kwami and, without another second delay gave the same familiar order in the same familiar voice.

"Plagg, Claws out!"