A/N: I know. It's been a million years. But on the bright side, I've just finished university so fingers crossed that I've passed :D Enjoy this old little drabble~ (Little warning, this is based on covid-19 and the pandemic that's currently shitting on us right now so if you're not comfortable with that, skip it).
"Maybe then you'd know me
'Cause I've had everything
But no one's listening
And that's just f- lonely"
Lonely - Justin Bieber, Benny Blanco
Pairing - Ladynoir
Prompt - 'Pandemic'
~(x)~
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Ladybug and Chat Noir's abilities were capable of many, many things. Things that were miraculously incredible to say at the very least and beyond scientific comprehension- for goodness sake, how many times have Ladybug brought the dead back to life after the umpteenth distraught puppet villain razed them to the ground?
And how many times have Chat Noir managed to take down La Tour Eiffel with one singular touch, rendering it to nothing but ashes and dust in the wind?
However, as magnificent and majestic as their powers were, not even they were able to prevent the dreaded pandemic that took over the world by a storm and put everyone completely at its mercy.
This time, the heroes that the world needed were those with medical training, scrubs and a vow to the Hippocratic oath.
Mon Dieu, were they such brilliant, resilient heroes indeed.
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Despite the United Nations worldwide urging all civilians to stay indoors at all times (unless necessary outings were needed) and countries locking down dozens at a time, Le Papillon let it all flow through one ear and out the other. It's as if he has an addiction to sending out akumas left, right and centre as severe as a chain-smoker and the fact that there's an airborne virus that could completely destroy even the most healthiest person was just a muted buzz in the background.
Then again, what does one expect from the tunnel-visioned, single-minded, 'father of the year', Gabriel fucking Agreste?
"There are people literally dying out here and this crusty old man can't even take a hint!?"
"My Lady, what do we expect from the same man who regularly akumatises M. Ramier?"
Of course, the teenaged vigilantes had no choice but to risk their safeties as well as their loved ones by sneaking out of their abodes and battling the millionth akuma on the streets.
"Chaton...my parents are starting to think I'm constipated. CONSTIPATED."
"I told you, just use the shower excuse rather than the toilet excuse."
"But then they'll think I have some sweaty teenaged puberty problem!"
"Either way it's a bit shit, isn't it?"
"Oh fuck off..."
Thankfully, Tikki and Plagg were able to upgrade their traditional superhero suits, extending the masks downwards so that they covered the heroes' lower faces and filtered out the air, keeping them safe as they battled. However, social distancing was a whole new different obstacle that made these very fights thousands of times harder to win.
The numerous events that Chat Noir had to be verbally restrained from going absolutely apeshit on akumas that gave Ladybug a beating that went too far when he could have pushed her away in ordinary circumstances was just insane. The heroine never realised how dangerous her infamous clumsiness could be at times, concluding her completely vulnerable and at the akuma's mercy whilst Chat Noir has no choice but to scream her name in agony a good distance away.
And vice versa.
Oh mon Dieu.
She has had witnessed her poor partner get skewered and burnt alive by the more unforgiving victims too many times, her shaking arms aching to bring his body against hers so that she can feel his heart beating under her touch and lay kisses upon his tousled locks just to ensure her barely sane mind that he was still alive.
That he won't leave her forever.
The pandemic was such a vile curse...
And it made everyone feel so, so alone.
Finally, after months of these life-threatening fights, both physical and internal, both Ladybug and Chat Noir against le Papillon and the doctors and nurses and essential workers against the virus, a new testing system was introduced.
"I finally got my results! I got negative. What about you, Bug?"
"I got negative too! Dieu merci...looks like those sniffles I had really was hayfever after all,"
"You have no idea how relieved I am to hear that, Ladybug. I...I couldn't help but think the worst when you mentioned about the sniffles last week...and I even yelled at you for coming out to battle the other day..."
"Chat, you only had my best interests in mind...and I would have had done the same. But you can make it up to me, now that we can share a social bubble,"
"How?"
"Follow me!"
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"-And now, we can freely grab each other whenever we want and we will be back in sync during akuma battles in no time. Isn't that great? Neither of us has to wallow in guilt or cry because we weren't able to push the other one out of harm's way." Marinette sighed happily, her bare hands squeezing her Chaton's as they both rested their backs against the pillar in between them.
The noir-haired girl couldn't help but let her fingers and thumbs map out every nook, every crevice and every feature of her partner's hands like a desperate lover.
The way that his longer, thicker fingers flexed under her touch and curled warmly against hers, the rough callouses on the palms that indicated years of hard work to whatever sport he's dedicated himself to, the glossy smoothness of his detransform miraculous on his right hand and its ridges poking into her skin and the sweet body heat that emanated from his caresses and sent her entire body aflame.
She missed this.
Dieu, she missed her partner's physical touch so much.
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"...Am I dreaming?"
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Marinette almost leapt to her feet and turned around, only for common sense and the hammered identity rule to slap her in the face and keep her rooted on the spot.
Her Chaton was crying...crying. His entire body shook and shuddered as the sound of his quiet gasps filled the tense air, his touch now a raging inferno coursing through her veins.
And she couldn't even bring him into her arms and brush his tears away with her pinpricked fingers.
"Chat Noir? What's wrong?" She asked, her heart skipping multiple beats when she attempted to move her hands away from his, only for Noir to grip them tightly and entwine their fingers firmly.
A perfect fit.
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"S-Sorry...heh-I'm not upset," He reassured her, tightening his clasp on her hands lovingly, his lips aching to press against her sweet, bare-knuckles in a sound kiss. "It's just...it's just been a while since I've had proper human contact, My Lady...so I've almost forgotten what it's like to be touched...or touch another..."
Adrien felt her move, rather than saw, his Lady's breath hitching in her throat as she in return sent a squeeze back to him. It was as if his entire being was surrounded by a pool of warmth, lighting up his crushed soul and cleansing his shattered heart. The urge to just turn around and envelope her in his greedy arms was exorbitantly unbearable.
She was right there, just behind him, tempting him with that oh-so-familiar bakery scent of cinnamon and vanilla that he could taste it. Alas, his unwavering sense of loyalty to her rules and his primal feelings to keep her safe kept him chained down.
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But sometimes, even the most beaten down, the most saddest and the most broken of people can receive a glimpse of hope.
"Well, now you can have all the human contact you want, Chat. C-Close your eyes and I'll come to you- mine are closed too."
She didn't give him a chance to answer, using her hands to manoeuvre her way towards him until finally, she found his lap and settled down before bringing him in for a well-needed embrace and burying his head into the crook of her neck. Adrien didn't hesitate in crushing her body against his chest, his arms locked around her waist, one hand digging into her smooth tendrils whilst the other one clenching the fabric of her shirt on the small of her back.
He selfishly inhaled in her scent, his tears saturating her neck whilst she in turn let her fingers tangle with his blonde strands, lips puckered against his nape as she memorised the pattern of his heartbeat in tandem to hers.
"How long can w-we stay like this?"
"As long as you would like, mon Minou..."
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They stayed like that in the same position, all night.
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~(x)~
A/N: Ohohoooh no it's almost 6am off to bed I gooooOOOoo- pls leave a comment ;A;
