"Bye bye little butterfly~"

A small, white butterfly fluttered from the magical yo-yo; freedom and peace finally being the only thing to ensnare it. A satisfied smile crosses dainty, pink lips as she ties the yo-yo back around her waist. Glancing at the gathering crowd of cheering people, a broad smile crosses the heroine's face. As she waves sheepishly, a sneaky, black latex covered hand snakes its way around her waist and tugs her close to a matching hip. Bright, turquoise eyes glisten at the mischievous feline now connected to her before turning to ice as her signature sass unveils itself.

"What's the matter, alley cat? You cold?" She flashes him a small smirk before side stepping and crossing her arms, waiting for a response.

A small chuckle escapes the hero's lips before he smirks.

'Oh lord' Ladybug thought 'Here it comes'

"Only when my lady is away~" Chat purred, emerald eyes glossy, looking quite proud of his seemingly slick line.

Ladybug giggled and rolled her eyes, dropping her arms from across her chest to her hips.

"Yeah~ Okay~ Suuuure~"

They locked eyes in a seemingly flirty power play before a small, electronic beep breaks their focus. Blue eyes flash to the ring on her partner's hand.

"Oh no! Chat! You only have a few minutes left!"

Green eyes, having never left the blue ones, blink emptily, having not been paying attention.

"Oh...right." Chat sighs, finally breaking his stare into the clear, summer sky trapped inside his partner's irises; knowing that his time with "his lady" was over; well, over until some other manipulated Parisian citizen decides to wreak havoc on their beloved city. Covering his disappointment with a flirty smile and a wave, he jogs to the edge of the roof.

"I guess I'll cat-ch ya later than~"

'Ugh. Those puns are terrible!' Ladybug smiles, shaking her head. "Bye Chat!"

Extending his rod, Chat Noir launches off the roof and disappears into the crisp autumn air. A sudden weight hits Ladybug's shoulders and she sighs heavily, a breeze setting the mood.

'I guess I should head home too. Mama and Papa will be making dinner soon and they'll be suspicious if I'm not in my room.'

A small beeping sound from her earrings agrees. Backing up to get a running start, she glances over the edge of the old, crumbling building and suddenly realizes how quickly the cheering crowd of her and Chat's fans dispersed. Shaking the thought away, she sprints across the roof before flinging her yo-yo across the alleyway opening and swinging herself across the city to the tiny bakery she calls home. She always thought it was funny how much she reminded herself of Spider Man: red suit, bug related name, swinging on a thin string, and an annoying black mass that always seemed to be trying to stick to her. A smiles crosses her lips at the thought of her quirky partner. He was a good guy-she knew that for sure-but that damn flirty streak of his was sometimes too much. And the puns-god no, not the cat puns! They were clever the first time, but now they're just worthy of a head shake and a sigh. A single, silent "ha" escapes as a puff of air out of her nose as she shakes her head, her smile never fading as she slips into her room.

"Tikki, spots off~"

A single flash engulfs her room as her bright red suit, speckled with black polka dots fades back into her normal, "civilian", clothing: an ivory top covered by a black blazer, pink jeans, and comfy flats. A yawn fills her mouth as she relaxes, flopping onto her bed, eyes beginning to flutter closed.

"Marinette~! Dinner~!" her mother's voice called to her from the kitchen downstairs. Groaning, Marinette forced her eyes to stay open as she heaved herself back upon her aching feet and practically stumbled down the stairs to the table.

Her parents exchanged glances at the sight of their daughter, worry and questioning plastered their faces.

"Marinette, honey, are you okay?" her father asked, adjusting his sitting position to lean forward as to show his readiness to listen. Marinette nodded, her navy pigtails bouncing by her jawline.

"Ran the mile in P.E. today." she explained, slowly shoveling her food into her mouth.

"O-Okay." Her father didn't completely buy it because she'd always had an athletic build so things like P.E. had never given her trouble before; but he let his body language lie. Marinette was his one and only little girl and he knew that if she had an issue, she'd come to him. Confident in their bond and trust in one another's honesty, he just ruled it a bad day.

Marinette cleared her plate and rinsed it before setting it in the sink, kissing her parents' cheeks, and trudging back up to her room. She glanced at her homework spilled across her desk and kicked herself for not just doing it in study hall, but that was her only time to become Ladybug and patrol without having to actually miss class to do so. After school is no problem, but during-which was becoming more common-was more challenging. Sudden urges to use the bathroom wasn't cutting it anymore; and even when she was allowed to leave, she couldn't explain why it took her an hour and a half to make it back. Her grades were struggling to stay afloat because it's not like she had a whole lot of study time when fighting crime is a full time, round-the-clock job. Not to mention, she has a best friend who is absolutely obsessed with Ladybug-not knowing it's her, of course-and always wants to spend time with her to talk about it. There have been times when throwing in the towel sounds better than life itself, but Marinette knew that as "the chosen one", she couldn't. She had an obligation, not just to Paris and its citizens, but to Tikki and Chat as well. They were counting on her; and it didn't help that she was the only one who could "de-evilized" akumas. She let a heavy sigh fall from her lips as she plopped down on the edge of her bed, kicking off her shoes and sliding off her socks and jeans, leaving them in a small heap on the floor. With the last of her upper arm strength, she pulled her blazer off and slipped her shirt over her head, letting gravity help them join her jeans and socks on the hardwood. As she rolled over lazily, she glanced at the clock: 7:24pm. Too early for bed; too tired to stay up. She weighed her options and decided that she'd crash for the night; but not before she texts "her best friend in the entire world who she loves more than life itself", Alya, and begs her to do her half of the frog dissection while she studied, using the excuse that she's "too weak-stomached but still wanted to do something productive instead of just sitting there". Seemed like a solid plan to her; and after about 10 minutes of pleading and bartering, her plan was in place.

M: [OMG thank you Alya! ILY 3 3 3]

A: [Yeah yeah~ You owe me so big for this, ya know ;) 3]

M: [Pastries..? :]

A: [lol sure. Blueberry crepes? :D]

M: [Deal :]

A: [yeeeeesssssssss lol. Gtg. gotta update the LadyBlog. You better be first comment ;)]

Marinette let a small giggle bounce around behind her closed lips, mentally noting, again, that she really does owe Alya so big for all the times she's helped her out. She really was her best friend and only hoped that she knew even a 1/100th of how much she appreciated everything she did for her. Placing her phone on her bedside table, she feels the exhaustion overwhelming her body, engulfing her entirety. Her bluebell eyes flutter closed as she musters the last of her strength to pull her blanket over her shoulder, a final sigh escaping her body as she slips into a deep-and well deserved-slumber. Slowly, a black alley cat enters her thoughts and the corners of her mouth curl into a soft smile.

Across town, another hero is also winding down for the night. Pushing himself from his desk, Adrien spins around in his chair, giving up on straining his eyes to stay open. His father wouldn't approve of him leaving a task unfinished, but as close as he was to collapsing, he couldn't care less. He sighed heavily before rubbing his neck, his muscles tense from the intense fight he endured that afternoon; a deep purple bruise was smeared across his right shoulder. He reached behind his head, grabbing his shirt and pulling it off, tossing it to the floor beside his shoes and socks he discarded earlier. His toned frame was one that he didn't necessarily have to work for at all, but he still forced himself to drop to the floor and pound out a few push-ups before bed.

'I have to stay strong for Ladybug. I can't let her down. I will protect her'

His mental motivational speech was enough to help him barrel through 25 shaky push-ups before he collapsed onto his face, letting out a groan similar to that of the floor he had just attacked. He strained to stand again, his joints popping and bones cracking. He didn't sound like the superhero he had been that day; he sounded elderly. He swiftly unbuttoned his black slacks and let them drop to the floor, joining the rest of his outfit; knowing all too well that the maids would be slipping in at dawn to pick the pile up and wash it so that he may wear them again. Normally, he'd go put his clothes in his hamper, but at this point, he couldn't move. His shoulder throbbed and his consciousness was fading in and out like a camera trying desperately to focus. He closed his eyes and was immediately met, not with darkness, but with ruby red.

"Hello m'ladybug~"

A familiar giggle made his lips curl into a grin and the oceanic discs she swore were just a bland Crayola blue used their tides to sweep him off his feet. He watched her pigtails flop around the frame of her face, giving her an adorable, childish demeanor even though they were both in high school. He didn't know much about her, but what he did know for certain was this: Ladybug is breathtakingly beautiful with a heart of gold and the moment he discovers her real name, it will be the one he attaches to his last name. He would be inheriting his father's company when his father retired-or, rather, died-and it was expected that he be wed and carry on the Agreste name. He wasn't about to think of children; he couldn't. His lady was just that: a lady. He couldn't taint her angelic image with such scandalous thoughts. She was a lady and he would forever treat her as such. It's the number one most important rule in regards to the Gentlemen's Code: the respect to one's lady. She was precious to him and he swore on his life to protect her. If only he knew who she was under the mask; the real lady behind his beloved Ladybug. He knew that transformations coat the individual in magic so they can't be recognized, but he wished that the magic didn't hide you from other miraculous owners. But he understood the risk of an identity slipping, so for now, he'd treasure his time with his lady fighting crime and his private thoughts and dreams of her. A perfect male model dreams of a perfectly imperfect girl; and that very girl, too, dreams of her purrfectly impurrfect partner.