I must admit I'm in love with your comments. Whether you are rambling (and don't worry, I like that), trying to guess what's next, making assumptions, or just cheering me on... You're all amazing!

As for a reminder, the story had been written for LadyNoir July, I'm just so busy that I published it on time day after day on Ao3 (and reminder that you can follow me there too: same username but the hyphen is an underscore) and I completely forgot to publish here on FFN. So yes, the main focus here are aged-up Ladybug and Chat Noir since I filled all the prompts for the LadyNoir challenge, even though you will see some Adrienette. And no... there's no mature content coming for that one, even though, again, some content can be a little 'borderline' but not too much. It's 'teenager readable'.

Have a good reading,

CHAPTER 6: Hold me tight

[PROMPT: Breathe]

"Ladybug?"

She could hear Chat Noir, but her mind was crippled by fear. The same fear that had never left her, that had just struck her harder than it ever had before. So hard that it halted any reaction coming from her. The words were stuck in her throat, as if her vocal chords were tangled together.

Strong hands gripped her shoulders, gently shaking her body, and then shaking her even harder when she didn't respond.

"I don't give a damn about the damage, I'll pay for everything, but I'm going to destroy that door." His voice was filled with determination.

"No!" Ladybug's hands came to rest on his, preventing him from summoning his cataclysm. "Please, no destruction," she whispered.

"Bug, you're shaking! I swear, I'm not letting you have a panic attack here."

"It's going to be okay. It's just… What if it's a Sentimonster out there? What if…" Her breath stuttered, heavy and irregular as it came out in short puffs.

Clawed fingers slowly slid along her hands, intertwining with her fingers and ever so gingerly squeezing them.

"Listen to my voice, M'Lady. Just breathe slowly, please. Can you do that for me?"

She shook her head, feeling the familiar sting of tears gathering in her eyes. "I… I can't."

"I know you can do it. We can do this together. Breathe in…." He slowly squeezed her fingers. "Breathe out…" He released the pressure on her hand, before repeating the same pattern, encouraging her to take deep, calming breaths. "Go ahead, do it like I do. Breathe in... Breathe out… Breathe in…. Breathe out…" His tone was soft, his voice soothing.

But then, one of his hands moved and she gripped it tightly, holding onto it for dear life.

"Don't let me go," Ladybug whispered, her voice still broken.

"I got you, don't worry. Let me just grab my baton, okay?"

She nodded, one trembling hand still firmly gripping his as he moved ever so carefully.

A faint light quickly came to give her a little clarity. Chat Noir's thumbs stroked over the screen of his weapon, opening the news app and showing it to her. "See. there's a thunderstorm, and they predicted it. No Sentimonster on the loose."

She sighed in relief though the panic had set in so deeply that her whole body was still shaking.

"Come here, M'Lady, you're still shaking." Of course, he felt it too.

She couldn't get rid of the fear of Félix striking HARD with the Peacock Miraculous. It had been five years since he vanished with the brooch, and she was still wondering if he planned something big or if this was just something else that she couldn't understand; like an old threat he used on his uncle… They would never know the full extent of that story. That part of the truth remained an unsolved mystery so far.

Chat Noir dragged her somewhere in the dressing room, probably toward the couch; with his night vision he could see much more clearly than she could. Indeed, the next moment, she fell into his lap, his arms wrapping around her like a blanket draped protectively around her body, providing her the comfort and safety she needed. His arms felt like a shelter in the middle of the storm; well, in this case they quite literally were. She allowed herself to rest her head on his chest, hoping his quiet heartbeat would soothe hers, their two hearts pounding to the rhythm of the rain drops which she could now hear falling on the roof above their heads. However, she was mistaken, and the mild rain was more like a tidal wave washing in his chest, his heart beating wildly as if to burst out of his ribcage and escape the storm.

"Chaton? You okay?"

"Not really. But as long as you're by my side, I'll handle it."

Knowing that something was wrong with him instantly brought her back to earth, her mind clear, ready to think quickly and straight . It was a bit like with Adrien. When it came to helping him, she could totally talk to him and hold her nerve. Same with Chat Noir, whether it was during a fight when he was in a bad position, or when he was showing a moment of weakness during random patrol or conversation with her, she would collect her wits, stay calm, and do her best to resolve the situation.

"What's going on? You're shaking too."

"The room is very small and dark," he stated, his pitch dropping. "Night vision helps though. It's not that bad, don't worry."

Indeed, she couldn't see a thing, which wasn't a big deal for her but for her partner although… "Chaton, are you claustrophobic?"

"I am." His voice was a weak whisper.

"Merde!" She snuggled her head in the crook of his neck, one hand gently resting over his heart and drawing soothing circles. "If I've managed to calm down for you. Can you do the same for me?"

"Of course," he murmured softly. "I told you, as long as you're here with me, I'll be fine."

He took a deep breath, and she knew that he was inhaling her perfume all the while, burying his nose in her hair. She closed her eyes, allowing him to do whatever he needed in order to feel better and help his growing panic to stay away.

"Just hold me tight then." Surprisingly, she didn't mind the closeness and intimacy of the moment. It felt good. It felt right.

Both their bodies eventually relaxed, quiet breaths mingling together, heartbeats throbbing in unison. She didn't know if they'd been there for a few minutes, several long minutes or even an hour. Time seemed to stand still as they were trapped in a bubble of their own. Neither of them dared to speak, yet silent words of comfort were somehow said; when she stroked her fingertips along his forearm, or when his lips pressed a soft kiss to her forehead. This was a whole new way to seek tranquility. Just merely breathing it in.

It was a whole new thing.

A sizzling sound that barely pierced their bubble of serenity failed to alert them to the imminent return of the power, causing them both to jump when the light actually came on. The two jerked away quickly, and Marinette could feel her face growing hot, as if the heater had suddenly been turned on to the highest temperature setting when the electricity returned to the building. Chat's cheeks matched the color of her own as he rubbed the nape of his neck and cleared his throat, getting up from the couch.

"Ahem, see you outside to clean up the mess we made then?"

"Yeah, clean course. Uh, we're clean… I mean…" She paused, resisting the urge to fan herself and coughed once to hide her stutter. "I mean, of course, we're going to clean."

He walked away from her dressing room, closing the door behind him, and she hastily allowed herself to grab a pillow to scream into.

She was not going to survive this filming without collateral damage.

No, she was not referring to the decorations on the set. Her heart, though…

She was falling. She was falling hard and without a safety net.

She was screwed.

So fucking screwed.

Feel free to entertain me with your comments!

Miraculous kisses y'all!