Another akuma conquered. Another win for Paris' favorite crime fighting duo. Chat and Ladybug bumped fists.
They stood atop the Eiffel Tower under the bright moon, the poor villainized civilian already safely deposited on the ground. "Ladybug! Your earrings!" Chat exclaimed.
Oh please no, Ladybug thought. This had been a particularly trying and time-consuming feat. She had arrived several minutes before Chat and had forgotten her time was almost up. She said a rushed goodbye before flinging her yoyo and swinging off into the night.
Except, moments after her feet left the ground, pink light engulfed her and her transformation melted away. Suddenly Marinette Dupain-Cheng was plummeting.
I'm about to die, Marinette thought as a piercing scream ripped through her.
Everything came to a sudden halt. She gasped, confused as to why she was suddenly suspended in midair, hanging above the night-lit streets of Paris. "I've got you, my lady!" Chat exclaimed.
Thank God, I'm not dead. But that thought was soon overshadowed by oh crap he knows who I am. All she could manage was a squeak.
As soon as he saw the flash of pink light, he lunged off the tower and grabbed his falling lady. Once he had a secure grasp on a metal beam with one hand and his other arm had wrapped tightly around her, he squeezed his eyes shut. Even in a case of life or death he would not betray the wishes of his lady and view her true self before she was ready to reveal it.
"I've got you, my lady!"
Moments later, his arm was already straining from holding them up, and his heart sped both from the rush of adrenaline mingled with and the feeling of I am holding Ladybug she's in my arms she's so light and delicate. Wow, this is just as I imagined she'd feel like oh good Lord if I open my eyes I would know.
Her squeaked out response seemed to show she had a similar thought process. "Don't worry, my eyes are closed. I don't know who you are."
He could feel a deep sigh of relief and her body physically relaxing—as much as it could while her life hangs in the balance.
"My arms are getting quite strained, my lady," Chat said, grimacing slightly. "I can't pull us both up with one hand…"
"Here, pull me up as much as you can," she instructed. He held her tightly against his body. She wriggled, adjusting her position until she could securely wrap her arms around his neck, and her legs automatically wrapped around his torso for extra grip and security. His arm tightened around her slim waist. She said, "Now you can grip the beam with both hands."
He swung to gain some momentum before he grasped the beam with his other hand, digging his claws deep into the metal. And yet all his mind could do was think oh my stars her face is so close to mine she smells like cinnamon and sugar and sweets and all nice things she's so close I could kiss her. No. Stop it, Chat. Focus on not dying.
"I'll try and pull us up," he said through gritted teeth. "Hold on tight, my lady."
Somehow her body drew even closer to his, and he felt electricity course through him. Suddenly, even though he was dangling dangerously close to his demise, song lyrics played in the background of his mind:; "Set my heart aflame, every part aflame, this is not a game."
Dang.
Just as his muscles were tensing to pull them up, he noticed the telltale sound from his ring. Time's up. A bright green light enveloped the duo, and soon the black cat was replaced with the meek Adrien Agreste. And his clawsome grip on the beam was replaced with his tired, sweaty palms. Great.
"Chat, you all right?" Marinette asked, her eyes squeezed shut. She hated not being able to see what was happening, but she would surely extend the same courtesy to her partner as he had for her. She held onto him even tighter, drawn to his scent. Whoa. He wears the same cologne as Adrien. Mmm. Weird.
"I can't pull us up! We're slipping!" he shouted in response.
Mind whirling, she assessed the situation and came up with a plan in her best Ladybug fashion. "I'm going to let go of you and grab the beam. Pull yourself up, and then pull me up after you."
"I don't want you to fall!"
"Don't worry about me. I am the lucky one, after all."
Her legs tightened around his waist, and she let go of him with one arm, feeling around for the beam. As soon as she found a tight, solid grip, she let go with her other hand and grabbed the beam. The odd duo were still connected at the hip, dangling over Paris, faces so close to one another they could feel each other's breath. "You've got this, Chat," she said, as she released her legs from their vice grip around him.
With the sudden release of weight, Adrien hoisted himself upwards, slowly but surely inching towards the platform, trying desperately not to kick his lady. At one point he stopped, gasping for breath.
"You alright, Chat?" she exclaimed. It was then that he noticed how close her face was to his… never mind.
"I'm just fantastic," he muttered through gritted teeth, before taking a deep breath and hauling himself onto the platform.
His arms screamed with relief and he panted, exhausted. But his work was not over yet. Eyes still squeezed shut, he laid on his stomach and felt around until he found Ladybug's arms. "I've got you, my lady."
With all the might he had left, he hauled her over the side of the tower. They collapsed on the platform, her on top of him, breathing heavily.
Adrenaline and relief coursed through his veins. All the fear that he or his lady could have died just now in the dark of night made him feel queasy, but the fact that they survived filled him with undeniable relief and elation. Unable to contain his overwhelming feelings, he gave in to an impulse. He grabbed her face and kissed her lips. In shock, her eyes flew open. So did his.
"Marinette?!"
"ADRIEN?!"
The two heroes of Paris gaped at each other as the first light of day crept into the sky.