Book Two: Chapter 8
Sleepless Bones
Marientte watched Lila march across class with her test in hand. "What a nightmare I only scored a ninety. My tutor will be furious with me. He's the tutor of the royal family, you know. He's been used by those famous kids in the states, too. You know, those ones from that creepy Netflix show? Anyway, he's a doll, but looks like I'll need a few extra lessons."
"Puh-lease, a ninety? My tutor doesn't have half the credentials of yours and I scored a ninety-two. You're being so ridiculous." Chloe grinned, her usual spite missing. "Utterly ridiculous."
The girls went into a fit of laughter. Marinette wanted to bury her head and not come back out until spring. This was terrible.
"Adri-kins, how about you? You have the best tutors in Europe."
"I did fine Chloe, there's no need to brag."
"We're not bragging," Lila said. "We're celebrating our hard work. Come on, what did you get? I bet you did outstanding. I'll have to come over again for a study group, just you and me."
Adrien put his test paper in his bag and crossed his arms.
"Fine, if you don't want to tell us, then what about you Dupain-Cheng. Let's compare to a baker's daughter with no tutor." Chloe approached and Marinette smashed her paper to the bottom of her bag. Or tried to. Lila snuck up behind her and yanked the sheet free.
"Seventy-eight percent?" At first Lila and Chloe looked shocked, then shared evil twin grins.
"Exactly what I expected from someone as low class as you, what a laugh." Which was exactly what Chloe did. Marinette's face felt aflame, and she wanted to shrink down to Tikki's size. She could still be Ladybug, just super tiny. Sneakier that way, too.
"Chloe stop it." Adrien's voice was hard, but that only made Marinette groan. He was terrible at letting her suffer, which in truth was one of the most amazing things about him, but when would he ever learn to put the greater situation ahead of her?
"Don't tell me you care about this lowlife's feeling, Adri-kins. She's been stalking you for years and even you've had to put her in her place." Chloe perched on the edge of his desk; her curvy hip practically thrown in his face.
"There's no point." Adrien seemed to recover his senses. Marinette refused to look at him. "She's not going to change. Let it go. It's just a practice test."
"Alright, I give up." Chloe held her hands up in surrender. Adrien shouldered his bag and stood. Chloe snaked her arm into his pack and snatched out his test. "I knew it! Perfect score, just like you." She winked. Marinette didn't think she could feel worse about forgetting to prep for the test altogether, but he aced it? Of course, he had. He could perfectly balance being Cat Noir, their final year of school, and modeling. Maybe Chloe was right, she was beneath him.
Marinette shook herself. She was not going to start believing the outrageous lies of Chloe and Lila. She was Ladybug... just Ladybug in a slump… struggling in class… without any advances in her ability. Damn it.
"Please give me back my test." Adrien took his paper back and headed for the door. She watched him in her peripheral, but he kept his head forward and marched out. She plopped her head on her desk with a groan.
#
Ladybug sat on the roof of Le Grand Paris hotel, waiting. She'd done a quick loop of the city but felt especially tired tonight. She really needed to get her sleep in order.
Cat's photoshoot wouldn't end until eight, but Ryuko and Viperion would be arriving presently. What would she tell them? She checked the splintered Miraculouses in her hand and bit her lip. Even now that she was a Guardian and could read the book on Kwami's, she couldn't find anything about how to heal a cracked Miraculous. Whatever the Guardian did, it didn't have a solution in a centuries old text. She may have Tikki's power of creation, and she could heal damage done by the Sentimonsters, but this was something new.
Viperion landed silently on the rooftop. She only noticed him by the teal gleam of his suit in the dim light.
"Ladybug, are you okay?" He sat next to her. She leaned on his shoulder, happy to have an old friend at her side. He'd never let her down, and never held it against her civilian self that she was in love with another—not that he knew she was under the Ladybug mask, but Luka was unquestioningly kind. Besides, he found his partner in the end.
"No. But I'll explain when Ryuko arrives."
He nodded and leaned his head against hers. It was a comfortable silence without judgement or expectations. Just calm. Just quiet.
Ryuko joined them in a puff of cool air, her eyebrow raised. "You can't have them both."
Ladybug laughed. "I can barely handle one." She let Viperion go, but he grinned at her before kissing Ryuko's cheek. They settled in for their meeting. Ladybug hadn't signed up to be a leader when she'd accepted Tikki into her life, but it seemed she was born for the job. She told them about the encounter the night before. That there was no news on where Nino and Alya were being held or why. But their Miraculouses had been returned damaged. It was about then that Cat vaulted the hotel's rooftop railing and landed with fineness in their midst.
"All caught up?"
"Almost," Ladybug answered. "We need to make sure you two are safe. We can't risk them getting their hands on you or your Miraculouses."
Viperion said, "You only have to ask, Ladybug. We trust in your judgement." He held out his wrist, his Miraculous freely given.
"Honestly, yes. That may be the smarter route, but in order to find Rena and Carapace—"
"You need bait." Ryuko bowed. "Whatever you need, you can count on us." Ladybug caught her own surprise and swallowed it. Ryuko had a fierce mind, but Ladybug hadn't expected her to see ahead so swiftly.
"You will both wear this tracker as heroes and civilians. I'm sorry to do this." Ladybug extracted two small circular charms from her yoyo, one imprinted with a dragon, the other a snake. "Wear them like jewelry. I'll be able to find you if anything happens but try to stay together."
They each took a charm and nodded. "Patrols will be nightly for all of us until we find our friends."
"When we find them, their identities may be revealed to us." Ryuko hesitated. "Will that preclude them as Miraculous holders?"
Cat gave Ladybug a significant look. She cleared her throat and said, "I'm not sure. This job is full of risks, and knowing each other's identities is a threat to each other and your families. If more are exposed—"
"Then we'll deal with it as it comes." Cat set his hand over hers. "We'll figure it out M'lady."
#
By the end of the night's patrol, there were no new leads.
By Friday morning she couldn't think of anything but her missing friends. Alya has been missing for over a week. Nino since Tuesday.
"Marinette? Marinette Dupain-Cheng. If you are so desperate for a nap, I suggest you stay home instead of taking up space in my class." Ms. Mendeleiev crossed her arms as Marinette shook out of her stupor. Some of the class snickered. "Go to the principal's office please."
Marinette swore silently and packed up her bag. She couldn't keep letting her focus slip in class, but how could she pay attention when there were people who needed her? Out in the hall, Adrien called after her, his footsteps quick.
"What are you doing?" she hissed and peered around, waiting for Lila or Chloe to jump out and catch them.
He slowed and gave her a tight smile. "Checking on you. This isn't like you."
"Yes, well I'm sorry I'm not perfect like you." The moment she said it she regretted it and palmed her face. "Sorry. I didn't mean that." If she could just get some sleep, maybe her head would stop hurting and everything would clear up, but even napping through lunches hadn't improved anything.
Adrien looked away. She caught a bit of coolness in his eyes. "I know things are difficult right now. That you feel... less somehow."
"I'm fine, really, but you shouldn't be talking to me." She started to reach out to him but yanked her hand back and cursed the impulse.
He made a frustrated sound. "I'm tired of being on constant guard." He took her hand. She squeezed his fingers, momentarily caught up in the warmth of his smooth skin against hers, but then she slid free.
"We don't have a choice. Go back to class, Adrien." She tapped her thigh three times. He noticed, sighed, then left.
#
That night Cat was late to report in for their patrol. As she waited on her rooftop balcony her regular cell phone rang. The number was unlisted.
"Hello?"
"Ms. Dupain-Cheng. You will report to the Agreste Manor. We've sent a car." Nathalie's voice gave Marinette chills, and a good case of the oh shit. She detransformed and had a flash of vertigo while the magic disappeared. It took a moment to steady herself, but the rush of anxiety made her feel sick. She made her way downstairs and waited in the bakery where Dad was still at work laminating layers of puff pastry.
"Why the glum look? It's a bit late to be heading out."
"Sorry, I, uh." How did she explain this one? Her dad was a massive supportive teddy bear made up entirely of heart. "Adrien needs my help on our class assignment last minute. I won't be out too late."
"I'm glad you're talking to him again. I was so sorry you two fell out. Why was that anyway? You never told us. Your mother never wanted me to ask, so keep this just between you and me." He made a guilty face and looked around like Mom might be behind him. It made her smile.
"Nothing much. We just realized we weren't a good fit."
He made a strange, unsure face. "If you say so. Before I forget, what do you want to do for your birthday this year?"
You mean besides keep her Miraculous and get to openly love Adrien? "I'm not sure." The Agreste BMW pulled up out front. "Gotta go."
"Don't wake us if you're back past midnight." He turned the dough again and kept rolling.
"No problem."
Adrien's bodyguard held open the car door for her. She slipped in the back. Ah, damn, she'd forgotten to warn Viperion and Ryuko that she and Cat wouldn't be patrolling until later. Too late now.
The silence in the back seat was only broken by the hum of the engine and her own thoughts. Arriving at the mansion as herself felt like going to class naked. She was so exposed and raw—completely at Gabriel's mercy.
The bodyguard dropped her off at the front doors, where Nathalie waited. She stepped back so Marinette could answer. The mansion was cavernous and cold. Only a few lights were left on, but Gabriel stood at the top of the stairs like royalty, ready to dole out punishment to his subjects. Well, Marinette was not one of his subjects, and she didn't have to pretend to cow before him anymore.
"Mr. Agreste."
"Ms. Dupain-Cheng. If you'd accompany me to my office, please." He strolled down the stairs at his usual steady gait, beckoning for her to follow. He entered the office first, not bothering to hold the door for her, but Nathalie did. She nodded once at Marinette and closed the door behind her, looking ready to take notes. Or maybe announce she was a vampire; it was hard to tell with that expressionless face of her.
Gabriel turned to a massive screen on the far wall and cast something to it from his phone. It was the picture Lila took of Adrien hovering too close to her in the school closet, their expressions anything but adversarial.
"I've been gracious until now." He flicked another image to the screen. Adrien holding her hand from... today. Damn it, she knew it hadn't been safe to be together. "But this is your final warning. Nathalie, please bring Adrien to us."
She nodded and left the room, closing the door softly behind her.
"We have a deal, if you expose me, I expose you." Marinette fisted her hands at her side to keep from wringing them.
"Oh, it won't come to that. You're going to convince my son that he wants nothing to do with you. I don't care how, but you'll make it real or we'll see whose fallout is worse."
She gritted her teeth. There was no way to let Adrien in on the scheme before Gabriel forced this, but he'd back her up, like he always did. Except… maybe it was time for a new tactic.
There came a knock on the office door and Nathalie poked her head back in. "Sir, I'm afraid that your wife insists on being present."
"She what?" Gabriel's stony expression cracked, showing a slice of uncertainty. Marinette felt like the universe was finally working on her side.
Emilie preceded Adrien. He glanced at Marinette with a touch of concern along his flattened lips.
"You should be resting." Gabriel's voice lightened considerably as he brushed the back of his hand along Emilie's forearm.
"A phrase used to keep women out of important matters for centuries. I'll rest right here, thank you." Emilie sat in one of the meeting couches and crossed her arms with a serene look on her face.
Adrien stood at Nathalie's side, keeping his chin high. He was well on the way to matching his father's height, but he had the more delicate features of his mother, even with the muscle he'd packed on. Marinette may have filled out here and there, but she still felt like a child at times like this. She wished she could transform; Ladybug was always in control.
Nathalie was dismissed, so she bowed her head and left them to it.
"Ms. Dupain-Cheng merely needed to tell Adrien something." Gabriel spoke more to Emilie than to anyone else. "Go on, Marinette."
Play his game, or change the rules? "I'm no good for you, Adrien. I'm—" She let out a frustrated breath. Too much else was going wrong, and at this rate she wouldn't even make it as Ladybug until the end of the year. "Adrien, I love you. I've loved you since I was fourteen, but I have something I must do, and it seems that my goals are too extreme for your father's blessing. So, if not me then I hope you're able to find someone brave, and good, and willing to do whatever it takes to protect the ones she loves. Because you deserve no less than someone the caliber of Ladybug herself." She glanced at Gabriel. Suck on that.
Gabriel turned red, and all but bared his teeth.
Emilie stood and came to Marinette's side. "It's so strong of you to wish someone you love a life of happiness, even if it doesn't include you in it. Adrien?"
He looked dumbfounded. And shocked. And something else that hurt to look at. He blinked hard a couple of times. "I love you too, Marinette."
"Do you now?" Emilie's voice sounded not at all surprised. She shot her husband a look.
"I forbid any relationship between them."
"Gabriel, you're being unreasonable."
"I will not let Adrien's reputation be stained by her."
"You need to think carefully on this." Emilie settled her hands on her hips. "He's eighteen, if we—"
"I said no." Gabriel cut her off, his words as sharp as the cane sword he once wielded.
Marinette's phone beeped. One of the trackers activated. "Thank you for having me. I need to go." She ran for the door.
"Marinette, we're not through." Gabriel advanced with one long stride.
"Yes. We are." She shot back. Her heart was racing. She'd just called Gabriel's bluff. Stupid, stupid. She couldn't bring herself to look at Adrien. She and Gabriel had a staring contest, but she didn't have time to wait and see if he'd blink. One of her friends was in trouble, and she'd do whatever it took to keep them safe. She spun away and dashed through the front doors.
She sprinted down an alley and leaned against the cool brick wall. She had to let her heartrate calm before she could catch her breath, then she went to work. She transformed and again, her anxiety mixed with the magic in an unpleasant way, but the sensation passed leaving only a vague headache in its place. Ignoring it, she popped open her yoyo and checked a map of the city. One of the trackers was moving south-east.
"Bugaboo, where are you at?" Cat's face briefly disrupted her screen.
"Two streets down. Tracker is leading south. Meet me at the tower."
"Love, what you said—"
"Not now. I need to check in with the others." She hung up on him and called Ryuko, then realized what she'd done and palmed her face. Poor Cat. She'd have to make sure he was okay before the night was up. Ryuko answered, her red facemask doing little to hide the worry in her eyes, though her expression betrayed nothing.
"They've got Viperion."
"Are you safe?"
"For now. There was a Sentimonster, but Mayura appeared and took the feather back. Then the Guardian jumped Viperion and did something to him."
"It's okay. I'm tracking him now. Make sure you're not being tracked. Get somewhere safe and wait for my call."
She tried to insist on joining the fight, but Ladybug refused to risk her. Finally, Ryuko agreed. Ladybug swung towards the Eiffel Tower and dropped down onto the park's grass. Not even a minute later Cat swooped down beside her.
"M'lady, who is it?"
It was a little embarrassing to look at him straight on, so she kept her focus on the yoyo's screen. "They have Viperion. Looks like they're heading towards the Catacombs."
"Not good. If they're keeping Rena and Carapace down there, then we haven't narrowed our search by much."
"Then we better start looking." Ladybug swung the yoyo wide and yanked. It shot her up and across the clearing. Another throw and the arc carried her over a building and down the other side. Cat caught back up and she said, "We have to hope they take Viperion straight to the others."
"M'lady, about earlier—"
She cringed. If he was going to chastise her for making a rash decision like that, then she wasn't ready to hear it. "We'll discuss it later."
He vaulted up to her height and kissed her midair, letting her swing carry them both. He broke away. "Thank you." His green eyes reflected the nightly glow of Paris and her heart wanted to burst at the way he watched her, but then the arc of the swing slowed and they both had to correct their course.
If any of the press caught that it would be hard to explain, but she grinned at him anyway. They seemed to fly across the city and even though three of their friends were missing, her heart felt light.
They landed at the mouth of the catacombs. The entry building was locked for the evening, but they didn't even need Cat's power to break the lock and force the door open. She flipped a couple of main power switches and followed the pale-yellow lights through a dark and dusty path, then down into the depths.
The walls were lined with human femurs, long dried and stripped of anything resembling flesh. Skulls created lines and patterns in the walls like striations in a hillside. Empty eyes stared out like sentinels. Much of the catacombs were lit, but Viperion's tracker led them off the main path.
"Here," Cat offered his hand as the light around them was swallowed by shadow. "I can guide you. Too much light might give us away." He glanced at her yoyo, which she was using as a make-shift flashlight.
"Which gives me an idea. Is the coast clear?"
"Far as I can see," he said. Ladybug detransformed then lost her footing and tripped herself. The world spun and her head pounded, but Cat made a startled sound and caught her, setting her upright. "Are you okay? What are you doing!"
"Give Tikki the gray one." Marinette felt for the case of cookies and opened it. She felt the pressure of Cat's fingers against the box as he extracted a macaron. Then heard Tikki munching. Headache or no, she wasn't going to let anything stop her.
"Tikki, power up and spots on!"
###
He blinked at the rush of light, then blinked again in panic. "Ladybug?" He raised his voice. "Ladybug!"
"Shh! It's okay. I'm right here. I didn't realize it would work so well."
He could feel her hand on his arm. And her voice was close, but he couldn't see her. Then he stared at where he thought she was and caught the glint of her beautiful blue eyes. Her suit was dark gray with black spots, a full cowl, and a hood that barely left room for her mouth, nose, and eyes.
"What kind of power up was that?" He slid his hand over hers and held it.
"A new one. I've been expanding on the recipe Master Fu left me again. He once incorporated animal traits, but Tikki hated those, so I'm working to harness more elements."
"Cool, but how did you harness darkness?"
"I didn't. I used charcoal and an eye dilator in the recipe."
"Sounds like a sooty idea."
"Not now, Cat. Come on." She tugged him along, still following the night mode screen of her yoyo to track their friends.
They walked into a cavern a dozen meters tall and the size of a small theater. The walls were set with skulls and stones like a mason laying whatever materials were on hand.
"I don't see anything," Cat said, scanning the room for any signs of movement. Ladybug did the same next to him. Now that he knew what to look for, he could see her easily, but they both blended well into the dark.
Footsteps echoed in the cavern, followed by a silky woman's voice. "Hello Ladybug, Cat Noir."
Mayura. Cat took a defensive stance, watching the depth of shadow where her heels clicked from.
"Return our friends," Ladybug demanded.
Then a second set of heavier footsteps came from behind. "M'lady!" He swung her out of the way, instinctually lifting his staff to block a blow. Cat spun then, putting distance between him and Ladybug. The staff cracked against stone and bone as he struck out towards the advancing footsteps. The shadow of Mayura leaped out of the way. Ladybug's yoyo whirred and her screen went dark. Nothing but total black met his eyes, but his ears were sharp. Ladybug breathed heavily, hitching a little.
"Ladybug." He inched towards her. Two other heartbeats circled around them. He bumped into her and held on. "I've got you."
Etan's voice filled the cavern. "The Guardian Enforcers merely threatened your standing so they could take back the power your Master Fu stole. But I don't think they realize how dangerous you really are." Cat went still and swallowed the growl creeping up his throat.
"We've done nothing but protect the city. We'll protect it until the end." The muscles in Ladybug's arm tensed. He wished he could see her expression.
"Ladybug, you've been charged with improper handling of the Miraculous box, but the Order is too short sighted by only demanding its return. It's time to end all Kwami."
Ladybug's breath caught. A flame suddenly brightened the room. After pure blackness, it seared Cat's eyes and he blinked.
Etan held a flickering candle, making their shadows dance across the dead. Mayura hovered over his shoulder.
"Cataclysm." Cat let the power collect in his hand. "Release our friends or I'll collapse this tunnel with you in it.
Mayura laughed. "Empty threat. You won't risk hurting your allies." Etan shifted closer to Mayura. He didn't have the power of a Miraculous to armor him.
"Do it." Ladybug shot out her yoyo just over the wick of the candle. The cavern plunged into the sightless dark. Cat kept the layout in his mind and rushed to the right, palming the knobby bones around him. The wall crumbled, and with it the ceiling cracked and gave way.
"Lucky Charm!" A flash of light sliced through his vision like a strobe. Ladybug's reach for her item—a bottle opener?—imprinted in his mind and scarred his vision.
Down through a tunnel to his left he heard shocked cries and shouts. "Ladybug I hear them!"
"Go!" she shouted at him, then grunted as she engaged with Mayura and Etan.
He popped open his staff and used the light to leap and dodge debris. A shadow of Mayura holding Etan rushed in the opposite direction, the whirr of a yoyo following. He tipped his head to better hear their friends. The tunnel turned sharply. Dust and bones tumbled free, but the structure was more intact down here.
"Hello?" Cat called out.
"Over here!" Nino! Cat dashed forward into a small alcove without all the macabre decor. Alya, Nino, and Luka were tied together in the middle of the room. Alya's clothes were dirty, her hair in tangles, her glasses cracked. Nino sported a layer of grime, but Luka looked fine.
Footsteps approached. Cat spun to defend the opening, but a spotted shadow appeared and he calmed. He Cataclysmed the ties securing their allies.
Ladybug ran over and helped Alya stand with Nino. Light from his staff and her yoyo kept them from veering too far off the path.
"Come on, we'll get you all out of here." Ladybug reached out and squeezed Luka's shoulder. "Thank you for finding them."
He laughed. "It was by complete accident, but you're welcome."
"Took you long enough," Alya's voice was weaker than usual, but no less sassy.
"Did you find out anything else about Mayura and the Guardian?" Luka asked.
"Another Guardian?" Alya coughed and leaned heavily on Nino.
Ladybug hesitated, focusing on her steps. "Yes, but I don't think the Guardian is here for the Order. He doesn't only want to take the Miracle Box and our Miraculouses, he wants to end Kwami."
"Screw that!" Alya's voice was suddenly much stronger.
Cat curled his fingers into a fist, feeling his Miraculous pinch his finger. He wasn't going to let anything happen to Plagg or Tikki. More than that, he wasn't going to watch Marinette suffer if anything did.
###
Ladybug pulled back the cowl hiding the majority of her face and caught Cat Noir staring at her.
"The Kwami are impossibly old interdimensional mini-gods. How does he think he's going to end them?" he asked.
"I don't know, but he did something to the Fox and Turtle Miraculouses that I don't understand."
"Trixx? What did he do?" Alya shuffled forward. Ladybug kept pushing them on, leading them out of the dark cave. She didn't want to explain down here, and the sooner they got out the sooner she could repair the catacombs.
"Ladybug, hold up." Nino stopped just outside the exit under the bright moon and starlight. "Please tell us what's going on."
She sighed but caught Luka's eye and delayed. "Now that you've all seen each other we need to decide if there's a way to keep you as Miraculous holders."
"M'lady, answer him." Cat's voice was too quiet for her liking.
"The Guardian damaged the Fox and Turtle Miraculouses."
"And the snake." Luka slid his cuff off and handed it out to her. Like the others, it was now laced with tiny cracks running along its surface. She showed Alya and Nino. "We can't call the Kwami out. They've been locked in or hurt. I don't know. The book Master Fu left me doesn't have any information on something like this."
"And the other Guardians want the Miracle Box?" Luka's brow pinched as his lips turned down.
She nodded. "They don't approve of my place as a holder or Guardian. They demanded the return of all the Miraculouses by the end of the year. Which is why I don't think Etan's here on the Order's instructions." She kept them walking. Her earrings beeped and she held out the bottle opener she'd used to pry Mayura's fan out of her grasp before she escaped with Etan.
"Plus, he's working with Mayura. No way a real Guardian would work with the one terrorizing the city," Cat added.
Ladybug tossed the bottle opener up. "Miraculous Ladybug!" The ladybugs zipped around and into the cave, disappearing out of sight. "I'm sorry all this is happening. If I'd protected the city better, you'd all still have your Miraculouses."
"No one blames you." Nino gave her a weak smile. "We all have your back, superheroes or no."
"Agreed." Luka nodded.
"I say we kick that Guardian's ass and show the others exactly what we're made of." Alya lost a little color and sagged in Nino's arms.
"Perhaps after you've rested." Ladybug took her other arm and helped her walk.
"I'm not letting anyone remove Ladybug from the city. We'd fall apart without you," Alya whispered.
"There could be another to replace me."
Cat blanched, looking ill in the dull light. Luka massaged the back of his neck and said, "Let's regroup with Ryuko. She has a shrewd mind. She might see something we're not."
Ladybug scanned her friends, but other than exhausted they looked whole. "Today we take the wins we can and worry about the rest tomorrow. I'm glad you're all safe."
"Thanks to you and Cat. We owe you." Luka offered out his hand, but Ladybug stepped in for a full hug.
"You and Cat get them safe, then contact Ryuko. I'll be in contact." Luka nodded as they broke from their hug.
Cat hesitated, his green gaze searching her, but she'd said everything that needed to be said. They'd deal with this the best they could, even if it meant Cat would be the last one standing. She gave him a reassuring nod and launched her yoyo out, taking to the skyline with only a couple minutes left on her transformation and left Cat to get their friends home. She landed on her rooftop balcony with flourish just as her transformation timed out. With the magic went all of her strength. The world tilted and her stomach churned as her inner ear worked to balance. She fell against the rail and crumpled. Then everything went black.
"—ette. Marinette! Can you hear me? Should I call an ambulance?"
The world was blurry at first, but then Cat's face came into sharp focus. He cradled her on her roof. "What happened?" she asked, her tongue feeling thick and dry.
He swore in relief. "I should be asking you. You and Tikki were both out and unresponsive. But I couldn't exactly take Tikki to a hospital with you." He bowed over her and set his forehead to hers. "Don't scare me like that, okay?"
She closed her eyes and swallowed hard. "I was dizzy. Tikki?" She rolled to the side and saw a bleary-eyed Tikki give her a weak smile. Maybe they were both exhausted. She'd been pushing Tikki hard lately with all the transformations, but she'd never seen her weaken over something like that.
"Are you feeling sick?" she asked.
"I'm okay, Marinette." Tikki squeaked. "Just tired."
"You need sleep and to eat properly. You've been working too late and letting stress get the better of you. I'll get you some water."
"No, it's okay. I feel fine now." Maybe still a little queasy, but stable.
He curled her into him and held her head against his chest, stroking her long hair. "You've got to stop making me worry."
His vanilla espresso scent eased her stomach and his heat made the lingering tension behind her temples relax. She gave into his muscular arms wrapping around her, and the reassuring feel of his chin resting on her head. This was where she wanted to be. Which was what made it so dangerous. They had all of Paris to protect, not just each other.
"I'll tuck you in." He kissed her temple and lifted her easily into his arms. She let him, giving into the temptation of his comfort. She told herself it would just be for tonight. A little rest and she and Tikki would be fine.
Author notes
Things have gone a little screwy with my home state all but shutting down. There are a few more distractions now in my work hours at home, but I'll try and up my chapter posting to keep us all sane. Right now the world needs some magic and love, and what else is fanfic for?
Thanks for sticking with me and this story for so long 💜
