Disclaimer: I don't own anything you recognize.

"Ha! Your evildoing has come to an end!" a young girl cried, flinging a red toy yoyo around. "Time to devilize!"

"Ah! I'm defeated!" another older girl mock-groaned, stumbling back onto the sofa. The younger girl leapt in excitement, pigtails flying up and down. "Yay! Ladybug wins!"

"You mean, Ladybug and Black Cat," the older girl corrected. "C'mon, he deserves the same recognition as Ladybug."

Chiba, who was doing homework on the dining table, was glad for his middle sister Fumiko's appreciation for his alter ego. His youngest sister Minori had taken a liking to Ladybug and basically idolized her after Ladybug had helped her find him that one time. After that, Chiba made getting his family away from dangerous akuma situations a priority.

Minori and Fumiko liked to do some role playing in the house, with Minori usually playing as Ladybug and Fumiko as an akuma. Fumiko often complained about this because she wanted to play as a superhero too. Unlike Minori, she wanted to play as Black Cat because she thought his suit was "cooler". And it was partly because Fumiko didn't want to get ear piercings.

But the two couldn't be superhero duo together, because their older siblings refused to pretend to be akumatized people. And they didn't want to bother their busy parents.

Chiba, however, was pretty happy when Fumiko said he was cool, even though she was talking about his superhero self.

Chiba checked his phone and found he had gotten a couple of messages, all from the group chat that included Okajima, Sugaya, Hayami, and him. They had decided to do their "important" (as said by their teacher) group project next day at the local library. It had taken them some time to decide on the time, date, and venue, because Okajima and Sugaya were one of those "I don't really care, I'll go with the flow" people, a stark contrast to Chiba and Hayami, who had a time for everything. He found it a bit amusing when Hayami took control of the whole group and demanded the others to send out their available time slots. At least he wasn't the only one who liked order.

So he was a bit annoyed when Okajima said he had a big family dinner tomorrow which he couldn't push off (for some reason, Chiba imagined Okajima's family to be full of bald people), so he couldn't do their project. To make things worse, Sugaya suddenly chimed in and said he had a fever and wasn't likely to recover by tomorrow.

Hayami replied quickly. On a side note, Chiba noted that Hayami's icon was a cute tabby kitten, its orange fur and bright green eyes matching Hayami's own hair and eyes.

Back to the main topic. Hayami said that it was okay and she and Chiba would do it. The artistic duo were still apologizing (they knew that Chiba could take up virtually any burden) when he intervened and said he and Hayami would meet up at the library anyway.

Suddenly, Chiba was quite conscious of the fact that he and Hayami would be spending a few hours together, without anyone else. His face heated up at the thought of it, but he knew he had to focus on work, and work only. They were schoolmates. They had to work efficiently no matter what. One little crush couldn't change that.

Meanwhile, Hayami was huddled up on her bed, thick fluffy blankets wrapped around her. She held a hot water bottle close to her stomach, trying to warm her chilly, frozen fingers. The past few days had been particularly harsh on her, with the weather and all that.

Hayami knew that both Sugaya and Okajima were unable to do the project, so she supposed she would just do it herself. Again. Oh wait, she forgot about Chiba. He would be present too.

She was thankful that she had met someone like Chiba. Someone who was like her, who took responsibilities and duties very seriously, and would probably never leave the entire project to someone else.

Hayami was sure that the boys' excuses were real and they were not intentionally dumping all the work on her and Chiba's shoulders. For what she'd seen, they seemed not to be the type to lie. Okajima might be extremely perverted (Hayami knew at least half of the girls had his name listed down as "pervert" or any other variation in their contacts), but he wasn't mean. Meanwhile, Sugaya was a pretty chill person. He needed some prodding from Chiba to actually stop drawing and do his work, but in Hayami's eyes, he was an okay guy.

Great, why was she even thinking about boys? Correction, they were her workmates. Hayami told herself that it was perfectly normal to think about her compatibility with her group mates. However, her partner Black Cat was a different matter, since she knew she liked him. Hayami believed that they got along with each other. After their awkward first meetings, they were able to communicate effectively.

To stop herself from thinking about him even more, Hayami got out of bed and started stretching on the cold floor. She and Tikki were afraid that the akumas might get stronger with time (Tikki seemed particularly concerned, which wasn't a shock because she told Hayami that this wasn't the first time the butterfly miraculous landed in bad hands), so Hayami made herself exercise and stretch daily, despite the cold. Hayami was pretty flexible from the years she had spent dancing, so she could do splits without considerable difficulty. She stretched her arms and pondered if she should tell Black Cat to train while in civilian form. It would be another thing to do on top of patrolling, fighting akumas, studying and doing chores.

"You're one of the most hardworking Ladybugs I've had the honour the look after," Tikki praised in wonder as she saw Hayami reading from a textbook as she was doing splits. The exams were looming up, and Hayami knew she had to work extra hard, because her grades had been slipping that year for various reasons. One, her superhero duties at night resulted in a loss of sleep, so she couldn't focus as well at school. Two, her classmates had been bugging her to do their work for them, so how could she refuse?

Chiba was also, curiously enough, facing the same problem. Maybe their similar personalities led to the same problems.

His classmates found out he was pretty good at math (although he could never be on par with the genius school delinquent, Akabane Karma), so they kept making him do their math homework. It wasn't just maths, though. They shoved so many requests in his face, Chiba barely had the time to focus on his own studies. And when he did have time, he was already too tired, or had to patrol.

And because Chiba stayed in his room frequently, for studying and transforming into his alter ego, his family began to worry, especially his mother. Chiba had once caught his mother crying into his father's arms through a gap in a door. She had been sobbing, "I don't even know what he's thinking about! He doesn't talk!" Chiba immediately knew it was him, and the guilt pressed against his chest like a weight.

Chiba still tried his best to deal with his struggles. Maybe his classmates were less capable with their studies, so they sought help from him. Despite his scary appearance, Chiba was a good guy underneath, and was willing to assist people. Perhaps a bit too willing.

Plagg was unhappy to see that his holder's classmates were basically exploiting him. Plagg tried to talk to Chiba about it, but Chiba said it wasn't like that.

Plagg was secretly pissed off every time someone asked Chiba to do a favour. He wanted to say do it yourself, he's a part time superhero, but he had to keep his existence hidden. Anyways, Plagg knew he shouldn't be too attached to his holder (unlike Tikki). It was for his own good.

The next day, there was an akuma attack. Throughout the battle, the only thing that Ladybug and Black Cat could think of was that they were going to be late for that meeting at the library, so they tried to finish off the akuma as quickly as possible. They barely had time to do their customary fistbump before they fled into opposite directions.

Black Cat managed to go on for a few blocks before he had to detransform. He missed running and leaping on rooftops because it was much faster, but he couldn't complain. He knew he was already going to be late, and he hoped Hayami wouldn't mind too much. He dearly wanted to make a good impression.

Ladybug's transformation wore out earlier. Standing behind a tree as Hayami, the girl shivered, pulling her hood over her head. She surveyed the area and then she started to walk briskly, breath coming out in white puffs.

She dragged her frozen, stiff legs along. Stretching her limbs in winter had its benefits, but she was still pretty tired from fighting the akuma. Hayami checked her phone, and gritted her teeth. Three minutes before the designated time. She couldn't make it.

Hayami decided against texting Chiba. She was sure that would only waste time because of her fumbling fingers. She broke into a run, uncomfortably feeling her shoes slide on the icy street.

Miraculously (thank the Ladybug luck!) enough, Chiba managed to arrive on time. He went in the library and took a seat. Chiba checked his phone while he fed Plagg some Camembert. No messages.

And so he waited.

And waited.

When Hayami didn't show up, Chiba wondered if she had already arrived, and he couldn't see her. So he took a walk around the library, wondering if he had missed her.

But she was nowhere in sight.

Five minutes had already passed. Chiba began to feel distinctly anxious, but he told himself it was only because of his tiny schoolboy crush on her.

As the seconds ticked on, Chiba grew more jittery, frantic eyes sweeping across the library. He jumped every time he caught sight of a peach-coloured thing. "Relax," Plagg muttered, nonchalantly biting on a chunk of cheese.

Plagg was right, Chiba thought. He really was a bit oversensitive.

Another three minutes dragged by, and Chiba was so worried, he could barely sit still. Finally, he took his phone and walked out of the library doors into the cold winter air, planning to make a call.

Hayami didn't know how long she had been running. The bitter wind grazed against her skin and her eyes stung. She had gotten stuck in the masses which had gathered to watch the akuma fight, and then stupidly enough, took a wrong route.

Hayami briefly thought that if she couldn't find her way around, she wasn't suited to be Ladybug. She had to patrol the rooftops daily, after all.

She lost track of time and she hoped with all her might she wasn't too late. Hayami was usually punctual and she didn't want to let her groupmate down.

With every breath she took, the freezing air sapped her energy from her. She could feel her legs moving slower as she became more exhausted.

Hayami pushed past people and to her relief, she saw the big building of the library. She remembered that it was her and Black Cat's meeting spot, but it was no time to reminisce, because Hayami felt her legs finally give way and slip down-

And bumped right into a black-haired boy.

Oh crap.

Hayami felt stupid thinking that the boy could somehow magically catch her, because he lost his balance too and the two fell down, limbs and scarfs jumbled up together, faces smothered by heavy layers of clothing.

A wave of déjà vu washed over Hayami as she recalled that she had (nearly) fallen down another time in a place near the library too, only with a different boy and she was using a different identity.

And then Hayami suddenly realized that she was pinning the boy under her by her own weight. Highly mortified, she rolled away with the quickness of a snake. "I'm sorry," the words tumbled out of her mouth.

"It's okay," he replied faintly, and Hayami was painfully aware that she had crashed into Chiba, her classmate. Her classmate that she was supposed to be working with.

Hayami reached out a hand and helped Chiba up. He rubbed the back of his head, wincing when he felt a lump.

"I'm really sorry," Hayami repeated sincerely. Firstly, she had been late, and secondly, she had fallen over him and thirdly, she hurt him. Accidentally, yes, but still. "I'm sorry that I bumped into you and was late too."

Shame filled Hayami, and she couldn't look at Chiba in the eye (his eyes were covered up anyway).

"You're cold," Chiba piped up in the middle of nowhere.

"Huh?"

"Your hand," he said simply, referring to when she held him up. It's as cold as ice, he thought. "Let's go in."

"Okay," she followed Chiba inside and to their table, where the project supplies laid. Hayami casually took note of Chiba's opened pencil case. The stationery were arranged neatly and looked clean, which, Hayami thought, was somewhat rare for a boy.

The girl hadn't recovered from her long sprint to the library, so she was still huffing a bit. Chiba wasn't oblivious to that, and asked, "Was it the akuma attack?"

"In a way," Hayami replied.

They went to work briskly, two people doing work that was meant for four. Sugaya said he was doing some decorations at home.

"It's funny how he has the strength to do that but not the project," Hayami noted with an icy tone.

Chiba knew what she was implying, but remained silent as he cut out a few pictures.

If Chiba felt nervous about working alone with Hayami, he didn't show it. He buried his emotions in his work. However, occasionally, he did look up at Hayami, to see how she was doing.

One of the pros of having hair covering your eyes is that no one can see what you're looking at, so he hoped he didn't seem creepy. He could see her slightly wavy hair framing her tired face, emerald eyes focusing intently on her work. When her eyes moved, Chiba's own eyes darted away and frantically attempted to refocus on his work.

Surprisingly enough, Hayami struck up a conversation. More like, she tried to.

"The others have barely contributed to this project," she said.

"They have other things to do," Chiba replied shortly.

Hayami's lips twisted into a small frown. "You say it like it's not the first time it happened."

There was silence, the only sound being Chiba's pen scratching on paper.

"Maybe they're taking advantage of you," Hayami continued to prod.

Chiba felt a flash of anger inside him. He felt uncomfortable, like someone had peeled a layer off him, as if he was an onion.

You have no right to do that!

"As if you're any different," he shot back with unusual harshness.

She bit her lip and bent her head, choosing to work in silence. His words had also struck home. It was uncanny how similar they were.

To avoid any conflicts, for the rest of the day, they only spoke when it was necessary. Locking themselves into their "work" mode, they didn't talk, drink, or eat.

At a furious pace, the two churned out reports, analyzations and shorts essays. Fueled by motivation and determination, the duo went on and on and on without stopping to rest.

As a result, they finished the project much earlier than they would've expected. Together, they stared at the result of their hard work with satisfaction.

It's rather refreshing to work with someone who is hardworking, Hayami thought. "Good work," she said.

Chiba nodded as he stood up and surveyed the work, and then sat down. "Nice. I'll bring it to Sugaya's for some final touch ups."

"Okay," Hayami agreed and began packing up. They had been working for the entire afternoon and she could see the darkening sky outside.

After they exited the library, they gave a short "bye" and walked in opposite directions awkwardly.

Even though they could work seamlessly together, apparently, their social skills needed a bit of work.

Exams.

Chiba tried to drill all the information in his mind, but none of the words made sense to him. He blinked and the pages of his textbook seemed to spin before his eyes.

"Having trouble?" Plagg asked, and somehow his question rubbed Chiba the wrong way. It was obvious that he was having trouble, and Plagg knew he didn't like to admit that.

"I don't understand this," Chiba gritted his teeth, blankly staring at his biology notes.

"You should've asked the teacher in class. Now it's too late," Plagg said airily, tossing a piece of cheese and catching it in his mouth. "That's what teachers are for."

With a jolt, Chiba realized his kwami was right. He never asked any questions even if he didn't understand a concept. He was too shy and too afraid. Maybe he thought that he could be fine on his own.

"That's what teachers are for."

… And Chiba never utilized that.

"You wanna ask your classmates?" Plagg suggested.

Chiba vaguely regarded Okajima as being good at biology, but he didn't want to bother him, especially during the crucial exam weeks.

"I'll be fine on my own," he muttered.

"Liar," Plagg said bluntly, although his words were muffled by the cheese.

Exams weren't the only thing he was worried about. Kochou had sensed that the superheroes were students, and were busy because of studying, so the akumas seemed to be stronger and more vicious. He and Ladybug were both exhausted with their battles against the akumas and their battle for good grades.

Before he jumped out his window for nightly patrol, Black Cat mumbled biology terms to himself, forcing them into his memory. He continued to go through his study materials even when he reached the library.

"Exams?" a familiar voice asked. Black Cat spun to see Ladybug, also on the roof. There were dark circles under her eyes and he could feel that she was tired.

"Yup," he nodded. "You too?"

"Yeah," she replied.

It was a bit funny about how the superhero duo knew they were both Japanese middle-school students, despite not knowing the other's true identity. Ladybug had heard from Nakamura that some people speculated them as immortal gods who chose to appear as teenagers. Hayami had laughed along with Nakamura back then. Now, they, along with everyone else, were studying with all their might.

"Is that biology?" Ladybug asked curiously, knowing that she had been studying the same thing, down to the same concepts and terms.

"Mmm," he gave a half-hearted affirmative answer.

So it's likely that we're in the same year… Ladybug thought to herself. She scrutinized her partner as they leapt across the rooftops.

Maybe if she was as outgoing and friendly as Nakamura, she would've known him in civilian form. Perhaps he was in a neighbouring school. Or maybe they had passed each other on the street.

She blinked and noted that his cat ears were drooping, an indicator of his mood. Like virtually every student, he was naturally stressed during the exams. His lips were also moving as he continued to study, even when patrolling. He must be on a terrible time crunch.

Ladybug felt bad for him, almost forgetting that she was facing the exact same situation.

"Hey," she said softly, after they had patrolled for ten minutes. "I can do patrol for the two of us. You can study."

His cat-like eyes seemed to be brighter during the night as they fixated on Ladybug. "What?" he said with a tone of disbelief. "You-you can't do that. We're a team!"

"I know but you… you look like you need some time," Ladybug answered honestly. "The recent akumas have all happened during daytime. I can manage nighttime patrol."

"What about you? You have your exams, too."

"I'll be fine! Look at you; you're mumbling about scientific terms even out here," Ladybug gave him a stubborn glare. "It won't do you any good."

That offer was tempting, and Black Cat weighted the options in his head. It was true that there weren't any nighttime akumas lately, and he could use that extra time. But it didn't feel right to leave Ladybug alone.

But she was looking at him so seriously with such concern, it made him rethink his decision.

"Alright," he answered finally. "You sure that you're up to it?"

(In fact, he knew she was capable, he was just worried.)

"Yes," Ladybug nodded so surely that he felt nothing dangerous would happen to her.

"Okay. Watch out."

"You have to be careful," Tikki reminded her holder again. "Crime rates go up during the night, and if Kochou knows you're the only one patrolling, he'll definitely target you."

Before Hayami could say a word, Tikki continued with some sort of feverish worry, "Besides, you have your exams! Your grades haven't been exactly good so far so you'll need to ace your exams, or else you might get dropped down to that infamous 3-E everyone's talking about!"

"I know but… I just want to help him," Hayami muttered, looking at the Black Cat plushie perched on top of her pile of plushies. "And it's been alright for the past two days."

"You've already lost some of your studying time fighting the akuma today," Tikki nagged, but then sighed. "Oh well, I can't stop you now. Time for patrol!"

Ladybug ran nimbly across the rooftops, eyes sweeping left and right for any suspicious activity. The patrol seemed to take longer than usual, without her partner by her side.

A dull pain began to throb inside her head. A headache, probably caused by her lack of sleep. The girl closed her eyes, hoping that would draw the pain away. It didn't.

A wailing siren made her snap her eyes open. Peering down from her perch on the roof, Ladybug saw policemen swarming a building, while an officer barked orders at them. With a jolt, Ladybug realized the building was a bank. A robbery must had happened.

She was instantly alert, muscles stiffening. Ladybug moved slowly around the bank, making sure to stay hidden. She was prepared to attack if anything happened, the grip on her yoyo tightening.

Ladybug, despite not having Black Cat's night vision (which could come handy at the moment) had good eyesight too. She had been in the dark long enough, so her eyes were used to seeing with minimal light. She was also standing above the others, and that gave her a huge advantage.

And that was when she saw them. Three black figures scurrying from the circle of policemen that surrounded the bank. Ladybug saw that one of them looked back but quickly turned away, as if they were afraid.

Jumping into motion, Ladybug weaved through the rooftops and silently followed the suspicious trio. The girl pulled out her yoyo and used the map function to check her location. Then she held up her yoyo, body into a throwing stance, preparing to knock them out.

"Don't move!" a powerful command from behind startled all of them, and Ladybug nearly let her yoyo slip from her hand. The suspected thieves broke into a run, but more policemen blocked their path.

What happened next was lightning quick. Ladybug barely had time to register what was happening, but then she heard a policeman holler, "Two of them escaped! In that direction!"

Without pausing to think, Ladybug zipped after the two, throwing her yoyo at them, hoping to trip them. One of them whipped back and they seemed to be holding something. To her horror, Ladybug heard the loud bang of a gunshot, and she clamped down her lip to suppress a scream. She froze in shock and despite the ringing in her eardrums, she managed to disarm the person of their gun, using her yoyo to fling it far away.

They tore though the town, ducking behind buildings, checking streets, as if playing one gigantic game of hide and seek. Ladybug felt her headache worsen and she knew she was running out of energy. It was now or never.

"Lucky Charm!" she cried, and a red lasso fell back into her arms. Acting reflexively, Ladybug hurled it towards one of the robbers, and the lasso went around their body, effectively trapping them. Ladybug was pleased that she had been given a lasso, which felt similar to working with a yoyo.

A beep from her earrings indicated that she didn't have much time left. Ladybug was worried that if she lost track of the number of beeps, she wouldn't know when exactly she would detransform, unless she asked someone. Another reason to patrol with Black Cat, Ladybug thought to herself, heart sinking.

Ladybug chased after the other robber into a dead end. She had left the lasso with the other caught robber, but she could fight with her yoyo. Eyes flashing, she hurled the yoyo at them, but they were pretty agile and dodged the attack. The girl gritted her teeth and in a series of quick movements, the yoyo bounced off the walls of the street, knocking the man to the ground (she could see that he was a man). Ladybug let her yoyo retreat back into her hand, quickly scheming another attack.

The man gave a sharp laugh and Ladybug caught sight of something whizzing towards her. Instinctually, she stepped to the side, but that was when she heard the dull thud of something hitting its target. Ladybug spun so quickly that she might had broken her neck, and blanched at the sight and the sensation.

A knife had grazed her left shoulder and it had pierced through her suit and her skin. Thankfully, the wound didn't seem to be deep. Warm blood seeped out of the wound slowly, trickling down her arm. The pain was burning and searing, and Ladybug forced herself to take deep breaths.

Another beep made its way into her ear. Ladybug could barely focus due to the agonizing pain. Was it the second beep, or the third one?

The girl was at a lost. She and Black Cat had never dealt with a bleeding wound before, and she had never taken first aid classes. Now she wished she had.

Ladybug hated being so helpless. Additionally, she was also hurt and needed someone to heal her, which would just add on to someone's burden.

"We got him!" someone yelled, and through her dazing pain, Ladybug realized that the last robber had been caught. "Thanks for your assistance, Ladybug."

It took her two seconds to realize the words were directed at her. "Ah, no problem," she gave a forced smile, clenching her right fist tightly.

"You're down to two dots," the officer informed her. It was likely they didn't notice her wound in the dim light. Ladybug didn't know whether to be relieved or worried about that.

"Okay, I'll take my leave. Goodnight." Ladybug somehow managed to swing herself up to a building, a strangled cry escaping her lips as the wound was exposed to the wind.

Panic began to set in, as Ladybug clamped a hand over her shoulder, attempting to stop the bleeding. It probably wasn't the proper procedure because of the possibility of infection, but she didn't know what to do.

Maybe I'll go back to the police? Ladybug thought, regretting her quick getaway. Or the hospital?

Another worrying thought hit her like a ton of bricks. She was about to detransform. And she was alone and hurt, so she was especially vulnerable. If Kochou chose to release an akuma attack that moment, Ladybug would be screwed.

Ah, right. My Lucky Charm. She had forgotten it. Maybe she could use Miraculous Ladybug and heal herself. Ladybug lifted her bloodstained hand from her wound and slowly, painfully swung herself towards the crime scene, where she'd last seen her lasso.

Another beep. One minute left. Ladybug entertained the possibility of Black Cat suddenly appearing. In her pain, she had never bothered to look at her surroundings, and unbeknownst to her, she was drifting further and further away from her supposed destination.

Ladybug had never felt so foolish. God, why did she have to be so independent? Why did she offer to do everything herself? Why did she unreasonably refused help? And now there she was, on the roof of someone's house; exhausted, hurt, lost and worst of all, alone.

She wearily sat down on the edge of the roof and stopped to check her location. There were blood smears over the screen that popped out of her yoyo, and Ladybug squinted at it. Wow, she still had to go on for two blocks before she could reach the bank. The hospital was completely out of the question, being a twenty minute walk away.

Just as she was about to lose all hope, a voice sounded from down below, "Ladybug?"

Yes, Chiba knew he didn't have to patrol that night.

No, that did not mean he would go to bed before midnight.

He had forced himself to do an entire book of comprehension questions, despite his drooping eyelids. He shook his head in an effort to keep himself awake.

All was quiet for a while. The house was dark except for the lone light in Chiba's room. His kwami was asleep, nestled in his blanket. The sound of a car outside on the streets. The wind blowing against his window. Chiba hadn't bothered to draw the curtains shut.

His phone suddenly vibrated and simultaneously, he heard a distant siren of a police car. Chiba resisted the urge to check his phone and continued studying.

After ten minutes, Chiba's eyes began to hurt from working too much. He let out a small sigh and reclined on his chair. He decided to call it a day. Or night. Or whatever.

He reached out an arm for his phone, sleepy eyes roaming across the latest news article. Apparently there had been a foiled bank robbery that night. All three thieves were held and captured. Ladybug had helped with chasing the robbers. Wait… Ladybug!

Chiba's eyes shot open, and he read the article more attentively. He knew she would try to stop the robbery at all costs, and that was why he was worried about her. Ladybug was independent and determined. She would likely hurt herself if she continued.

Something odd caught his attention. A dark droplet on the outside windowsill. A red droplet.

A droplet of blood that definitely wasn't there before.

Gently, he put his phone down, and listened, sharp eyes darting around the room, which had felt so safe three seconds ago.

Yes, if he listened intently, he could faintly hear laboured breathing from outside. Something was there. Someone. Perhaps on the roof.

Instantly, scenes from horror movies flashed into his mind. But somehow, Chiba wasn't afraid. Just alert.

He peered up and to his shock, a figure was perched there. They didn't seem to have noticed Chiba. He opened his window slowly and waited for his eyes to get used to the dark. And then he blinked.

That was Ladybug out there! There she was, with her trademark polka dot suit and pigtails, her tired face lit by the glow from her yoyo, those bleary green eyes! To his alarm, he could see something dripping from her left arm. A red liquid that could barely be noticeable due to her suit being the same colour. Blood.

Guilt punched him in the gut, and Chiba felt a sudden, raging hatred for himself. He should have been out there. He should have been with Ladybug as they fought together against the robbers.

Now she had gotten hurt. It was all his fault. How could he be so selfish! How could he leave her alone?

He looked up at Ladybug, a new determination in his eyes.

The least he could do was to help her in civilian form.

So he called up to her, "Ladybug?"

Black Cat? Ladybug thought automatically, but that thought dissipated when she saw the boy who had said her name.

"Huh?" Ladybug looked surprised, eyes flying to where he was. Chiba could see a flash of recognition in her face, but it quickly disappeared.

Chiba?! Ladybug screamed in her mind. Of all people! Good grief! How could she face him at school ever again?

She probably remembers saving me during her first akuma fight, Chiba thought, recalling that memory. He felt very awkward standing there. "Uh, umm, hi, do you need some help?"

Ladybug almost said "no" (it had became a habit for her) but then she looked over at her bleeding shoulder. She did need help, but was that too much to ask of a teenager during the night?

"I know about first aid," Chiba offered. "You can come in."

And I need to transform again, Ladybug thought. Well, it wasn't like she had a choice.

"Ah. Sorry for interrupting," Ladybug said formally as she swung herself through the open window. She didn't want to imagine what it would look like if the media caught her: Ladybug sneaking into a teenage boy's room at night! A secret rendezvous?

Chiba was instantly grateful that Fumiko had insisted on teaching the entire family about first aid after she participated in a course at school. He might not have appreciated it then, but he sure did now.

The room felt way more crowded with her present. Chiba became aware that Ladybug was the first person that wasn't family to enter his room.

"I'm going to detransform," Ladybug whispered, and he could see the apprehension in her eyes. Something she rarely showed to the average civilian. She must be really stressed, Chiba thought.

"I won't look," he assured her. As if on cue, a flash of red light covered the girl. Chiba whisked his head away as if he was stung.

I can trust him, Hayami told herself. After all, when she'd saved him during the first akuma attack, he didn't tell anyone much about her. That was because he respected her. And now, he respected her wish to keep her identity private.

"I'm sorry for bothering you," Hayami muttered, feeling even shyer by the second without her mask to shield her. She wanted to bury herself in something in embarrassment- but the closest thing was his bed and that was just plain weird.

Chiba gave a noncommittal shrug. "I'm getting the first aid kit." And then he hesitated. "Do you need anything?"

"No, thank you." Hayami shivered slightly at the cold wind that was blowing through the open window. She could hear Tikki munching quickly on a cookie.

That was when Plagg woke up. He gave a yawn, but thankfully that wasn't audible. Plagg peeked out of the blankets, and to his utmost shock, he saw a trembling Hayami standing in Chiba's room, observing the area with wide eyes.

Unhelpfully enough, Plagg's first thought was HE INVITED HIS CRUSH INTO HIS BEDROOM AT NIGHT? but then his common sense came back to him and he corrected himself eh, Ladybug got hurt and she's seeking help from him. How exactly that happened, Plagg had no idea. He dearly hoped he hadn't missed the grand reveal. He and Tikki had placed bets on that.

Plagg could hear footsteps from outside. "Umm, are you done?" he heard his holder ask cautiously.

The cat kwami almost snorted, and buried himself in the blankets again. Wow. Asking for permission to enter your own room.

"Just a moment," Hayami replied, a bit of a frantic tone in her voice. There was some hushed murmuring (Tikki and her holder, Plagg thought) and then he heard, "It's okay now."

Plagg was afraid that they would notice him due to his glowing cat eyes, but he didn't want to miss a single moment. He settled with spying at them through a tiny gap.

Chiba entered his room, a box in his hand. Ladybug was standing there, looking at the little slit on her suit, where blood was still seeping out. And then he lead her to the bathroom where she gently cleaned the wound.

Plagg groaned internally, and then sneakily followed the duo, hiding in the shadows. The price he had to pay to see a moment between those two!

"First, you have to sit down," Chiba instructed, feeling very weird that he was giving orders to a superheroine. Granted, he was a superhero himself, but he wasn't Black Cat at that moment. He was just his introverted, socially awkward self.

Ladybug swept her eyes across the room and then sat on the toilet.

Chiba approached her and inspected the wound. It didn't seem to be deep, and it wasn't bleeding profusely. He guessed that Ladybug had gotten hurt a while ago and didn't bandage it (or was unable to) so that explained the blood.

"It's not as serious as it looks," he said. He took out some gauze pads and began to apply pressure on the wound.

Ladybug was feeling worse by the second, despite her physical conditions improving. She hadn't thought of being so hurt that she had to seek help from a civilian… and of course it had to be her friend(?). He had exams tomorrow! What if he didn't get enough sleep because of her?

Chiba was filled with shame as he quietly helped Ladybug. After all, there was a reason why the ladybug miraculous and the cat miraculous were in use at the same time. They had to balance each other, with the powers of creation and destruction. They were an inseparable team. They couldn't win their fights without the other.

He was never going to let Ladybug patrol on her own ever again, unless it was absolutely necessary.

The two were both trapped in a bubble of their own guilt, and refused to look at each other.

When the bleeding stopped, Chiba began to bandage the wound with a careful hand, preoccupying himself with work, like he always did when he felt too emotional.

Ladybug peered at it, suddenly feeling small. She bit her lip and watched her wound being wrapped up.

"It's all set," Chiba said finally, and was rather pleased. It looked okay to him, but he wasn't an expert, so his opinion wasn't all that reliable.

"Thank you," Ladybug looked at him and said sincerely, heart brimming with gratefulness. "I'll go now."

"Ah. Okay." Chiba packed the first aid kit and Ladybug touched her bandaged shoulder gingerly. With a tilt of their heads, their eyes met. Well, technically, Ladybug wouldn't know about that, because she couldn't see Chiba's eyes. But still she had the feeling that they were making eye contact, so she gave a small, but genuine smile.

And for one second, Chiba wasn't his lame self, he was Black Cat, grinning at Ladybug after a finished patrol. Then that vision vanished and he found himself nodding to show that he had gotten the message.

Once Ladybug leapt out of the window, Plagg immediately flew out from his hiding place and virtually yelled in Chiba's face, "What was that? Do you know what it sounds like, inviting a teenage girl into your room at night? Kid, I need answers!"

Chiba's face coloured at Plagg's suggestive wording. "S-she was hurt. I wanted to help her, because I couldn't do that as Black Cat," he defended himself.

"Okay." Plagg obviously needed more information than that.

"Well, I think she hurt herself when she was out patrolling on her own," Chiba explained. "I felt really bad. Now, I'm going to patrol with her no matter what."

"Ooh, appointing yourself as her protector." Again, Plagg only talked about stuff like that. Chiba could never get why Plagg liked to tease him about both Ladybug and Hayami. Seriously, he just had two female friends, and Plagg thought of them as his girlfriends.

But, Plagg wasn't as shallow as he seemed. He was concerned, because in the history of the duos of ladybug and cat miraculous holders, there had to be one that was more self-sacrificing. That was usually the cat, being madly in love with the ladybug. Sometimes, they even died to save their love's life. But this time, it was Ladybug who liked Black Cat. The entire scenario was flipped over.

"Wait," Chiba said suddenly. "Did you see Ladybug's civilian identity?"

Plagg blinked idly. "Perhaps?" he drawled, giving an ambiguous answer.

Plagg knew Chiba respected Ladybug and wouldn't try to find out her identity until she was ready. So he was sure Chiba wouldn't attempt to bribe him with cheese (no joke, one of Plagg's previous holders actually did that). Besides, Tikki would probably kill him if he told Chiba. Tikki could be pretty threatening at times (Plagg learned that the hard way).

This time, it's the ladybug who's willing to serve the kitty, not the other way round, Plagg remarked, and a bitter feeling rose in his chest. Will that change anything?

"Rinka-chi!" Tikki growled aggressively at her holder, the first thing she did after she was released from Ladybug's transformation. "I told you!"

"I know-" Hayami began feebly.

"Don't 'I know' me!" Tikki placed her tiny hands on her hips, eyes narrowed. "You have to actually listen and do as I say!" And then her facial expression softened. "I suppose you're even more tired than usual (who's fault was that, huh?), so I'll talk to you another day."

Hayami fiddled with the bandage on her shoulder, making sure it was still in place. She was fortunate that it wasn't her dominant hand that had been hurt, because that would pose a problem at the exams during the next day.

However, Tikki was right. Rest was a priority at the moment. Hayami lowered herself in her bed, deliberately lying on her right side as not to irritate her wound. She closed her eyes, but a thought kept her awake.

"I'll see Chiba tomorrow," she said out loud.

"Yes, you will." Tikki replied sleepily. "Now hush and go to bed, or do you want me to sing a lullaby?"

"It's going to be awkward," Hayami mumbled. "He probably lost sleep over helping me," she added.

"Now you're losing sleep over thinking about that," Tikki pointed out.

Hayami could see the logic in Tikki's words, so she obediently shut her eyes and willed herself to sleep, drowning in strange dreams of a no-eyed boy glaring at her while blood poured out of a wound on her chest, red filling her vision.

Bonus:

"Hey, Ryuunosuke," Shiho, Chiba's eldest sibling, said, giving her brother a curious look.

"Yeah?" Chiba asked, slightly confused.

"I don't want to sound inquisitive, but… I heard a girl's voice in your room last night," Shiho muttered, lowering her voice, but she clearly wanted an answer from Chiba. "My dear brother, what was that?"

Crap, Chiba thought, blood freezing and his entire body stiffened. He did not dare to look at his (scary) sister in the eye.

"Huh…" an uncharacteristic smirk rose on Shiho's lips. "Are you meeting with someone, perhaps? A girl around your age? At night?"

EVERYONE GETS THE WRONG IDEA, Chiba yelled in his mind, but outwardly he mumbled, "You read too many books, nee-chan."

"Oh, right," Shiho did not look convinced. She raised her voice. "Well, if you eventually get a girlfriend, I want to meet her, okay? Won't it be nice if my shy brother finds someone?"

"Onee-chan!" Chiba hissed. His sister was usually so serious, so why did she suddenly start to tease him?

Shiho gave a light chuckle. "Ryuu, I was just kidding. You're so stressed nowadays, so I thought I might play with you for a bit."

"Umm, okay…"

Before Chiba could actually calm down, Shiho leaned down (she was unnaturally tall for a girl) and whispered in his ear, "I actually did hear something last night, but I know you're a sensible kid, so I'll keep it a secret and pretend that never happened. But, if you want to talk to me about anything, I'm always here."

For a moment, Chiba nearly impulsively spilled his greatest secret, the fact that he was Black Cat, to his sister. But he resisted, knowing that he would just endanger his family.

He looked up at Shiho, and replied, "Okay, onee-chan."

A/N: Thank you for the reviews! Fumiko Matsubara, haha you're so nice! I'm so happy that you like this story!

And DreamDuelist, yes! There will be a Valentine's Day chapter. In fact, it's going to be the next one. I originally planned this update to be a Valentine's Day special, since it coincides with the date in real life, but unfortunately, I still had this chapter to write.

I think in the canon storyline, exams happen in December, but I screwed up on this, so let's pretend that it happened in January *awkward laugh*. And this time, I genuinely got frustrated writing about Ladybug refusing all help. Oh, well. That's Hayami all right.

Also, do you want to see a character being akumatized? Preferably a 3-E student. Just pop by my inbox or write a review!

Thanks for reading and please review! I want to see what you think! :)