Ladybug was flying over Parisian rooftops, enjoying the cool night air in her face when she saw it. At first, she thought it was only her imagination, showing her a horrible, disgusting and impossible vision, but it was real. The hero, who was swinging back home, landed on a building and looked down. It was a dark alley. There were some people there, gathered around something. Something on the floor. No, it was someone. Someone who, arms tidied up with a thick rope, was desperately kicking the air, trying to break free. When Ladybug saw those golden locks she would recognise anywhere, her eyes opened widely and she acted quickly.
"LUCKY CHARM!" The hero exclaimed loudly. When she found a gun in her hands, perfectly loaded and ready to shoot, she gasped. Trembling hands, she didn't let it fall. Breathing deeply, she hesitated. Ladybug wasn't a criminal, but a hero. She had never killed. She had never even thought of killing.
"Geeze, how old is he?" She heard someone from that group say. Even being several meters away from them, she had inhuman magic senses, like hearing and vision. She thought it was a strange question. (So the darn kidnappers probably want to ask Gabriel Agreste for a ransom. But why is his age important? Shut, my kitty must be so scared. I should just stop thinking and start shooting, but I'll purposely miss. Just a few shots in the air, to scare them) The innocent girl thought.
"Oh, I don't care. Just undress him already!"
Said a deep voice.
Ladybug gasped, horrified. (Then them, those bastards, those monsters!!! No, no, I must have misheard) She just couldn't believe her ears, she didn't want to kill anyone, either. But then, the man who had just spoken held Adrien's chin roughly and, when he was about to kiss him. To kiss him! a bullet went through his brain, limpidly killing the criminal. The hero heard those abominable beings scream in pain, but her hands stood steady. Ladybug had perfect precision, impeccable reflexes and skills in her magic costume. She wanted to make them suffer so badly it scared her, but that wouldn't be right and she knew it. She was nothing like those dreadful demons. She was justice, and that's what she was doing. Justice. Hidden in the shadows, the girl killed them, one by one.
Her heart still beating frantically, Ladybug landed right on that alley, next to Adrien, who was still tied up and even blindfolded, blood staining his white shirt. Her heart ached with the sight. (It's not his blood. My baby is fine, my baby is fine) She told herself, like a mantra that tried to confort her, somehow. She heard Adrien whimper, and bent down to untie his arms. She heard him cry.
"Please, please don't-don't hurt me" She understood how scared, how terrified he was, specially since the massacre she had just done had been hidden from his eyes. He could only hear the assaulters' screams in fear, right before they got killed.
Not knowing what to say, her eyes as teary as his, Ladybug wrapped Adrien in a hug, but he pulled away, his body trembling.
"No, don't touch me. Please don't! Stay, stay away from me!" He was breathing heavily, in fear.
He sounded so affected, but maybe her voice would help him to calm down.
"Adrien, kitty, it's me. Ladybug" (Oh shit, I killed those men. I'm a criminal now. Adrien will never love me like this) She couldn't help but think, but she didn't regret what she had done. She had saved him from something indescribably dark.
M-m'lady?" Eagerly and still trembling, Adrien reached for the blindfold and took it off. He sat up, his eyes opened widely, fixed on his saviour's face.
"It's-it's really you!" Adrien pulled the girl for a tight hug that she returned.
"But how? I-I mean they-they were a lot and they wanted to, they wanted to..." He couldn't help it, the boy started to cry and whimper, digging his face in Ladybug's chest. She hugged him even tighter.
"Shh, it's okay now, Adrien. It's alright, I'm here my little prince, I'll always protect you, like you protect me" He sighed tremolously.
"But they were saying, agh! If you hadn't arrived, I-I don't know what would have happened to-to me, M'lady. I don't want to-to know. But how? How did you defeat them?" Adrien pulled away and saw, at last, the bloodstains on his shirt. He gasped in horror, looking around. They were corpses on the floor, around them, bleeding from a hole right at the back of their heads. A gun lied near to them. A red AK-47 with a black spots pattern. Adrien, from being Chat Noir, of course, recognised the lethal lucky charm. The girl rapidly grabbed the gun and threw it in the air, muttering a stuttering "Miraculous Ladybug" she made it disappear. Then, she fell on her knees to the ground.
"Oh my God. I killed them, Adrien! I killed them! I'm a, I'm a monster. Please, please don't say anything, I'd never do you any harm, I swear, I love you!" Her magic earrings bipped. Ladybug's transformation was about to end. He gasped once more and looked at the shocked girl.
"No, you're not" He spoke, surprisingly calm. His Lady loved him, as she always did, and she needed reassurance.
"Uh?"
"You're brave, strong and fair. You're a hero. You know that. The monsters are, are them" He pointed at the corpses.
"Ladybug, can you please take us away from here? Even their-their dead bodies are bone chilling" She nodded and picked Adrien up. She felt his racing heart against her own chest.
"Are you okay?" She asked, concerned.
"Yes, I'm fine" Ladybug flew them away from the crime scene. They landed on a rooftop and she put him down. Ladybug's earrings bipped again and she ran to hide behind a wall and feed her kwami, then, the girl transformed again and walked to meet Adrien. Lost in thoughts, sitting with his legs hanging down, his emerald eyes were filled with tears.
She sat next to him, not knowing what to do.
"Why are you crying, kitty? Please tell me they didn't hurt you" She was worried to death. He shook his head.
"N-no, they mentioned it, though. I, shit! I'll have nightmares for a while"
"Are you sure, Adrien?" She had never heard him swear before.
"What do you mean?" Ladybug moved closer to him and put a protective arm around his trembling shoulders.
"They didn't do anything to you? I know I-I wasn't too late, but... Please, I just want to be sure" Adrien sighed, defeated.
"It's embarrassing, M'Lady. It's something I'd never imagined" His broken voice broke her heart.
"Please tell me, I mean, I understand if you don't want to, but please don't be ashamed. It wasn't your fault, you're so sweet, sincere and pure" He shook his head.
"I'm not, Ladybug. I, shit! I feel so dirty and disgusting" Her eyes opened widely.
"Why, Adrien?! I thought it wasn't too late! Please, tell me! I-I'm loosing my mind!" She pleaded him, shaking him by the shoulders. Tears falling down her cheeks.
"No, no, M'lady, they didn't, you know, they didn't ra-rape me. You can be sure of it" She breathed out, deeply relieved.
"Thank goodness, I thought, when you said you feel dirty.."
"I know, I know" Adrien hugged her, feeling how fast her heart was beating, along with his own. He just loved that girl so much, whoever she was under the mask. Her smell, which reminded him of homemade cookies, always comforted him.
"But I... I was kissed, roughly. Tongue and everything, ugh!" He admitted at last. Ladybug gasped and put a hand to her mouth, in horror.
"No! Oh my, that's..."
"Awful, horrible, disgusting. Damn! I feel so sick. Besides, everything's ruined, right?"
"Wha-what do you mean?"
"Well, to be honest, I have dreamed of my first kiss quite often. I wanted it to be special, something unique, not, not some random sick stranger who, who goes in and about how hard and painfully I'll be raped and then just forcibly kisses me... Oh, I'm sorry! I'm sure you didn't want to hear that"
Ladybug shook her head, deeply glad of having killed Adrien's aggressors.
"No, it's fine. I-I'm really sorry, Adrien" She cried out and grabbed his hand, giving it a comforting squish. He sighed, feeling its warmth and drawing it to his lips, giving Ladybug's gloved hand a tender kiss. She blushed and smiled slightly.
A few silent minutes went by. She was thinking of the crime she has committed, feeling guilty and relieved at the same time, till Adrien broke the silence.
"You know? My kiss, I mean my first kiss, actually, it was, it was going to be for you. I'm stupid, right?"
An awestruck Ladybug gasped.
"For-for me?"
"Yeah. You'd never know how many times I daydreamed about kissing you or, or you kissing me. That kind of silly stuff. But now? Now a-a man did it and you know I'm not gay. He stole it, he ruined my lips, stole my kiss and I'm sure I'm so... so disgusting to you" He said, sobbing.
"Oh no, no, no, Adrien, don't say that" Ladybug, slowly and carefully not to scare him, placed a hand over his right cheek and caressed it. Their faces were so close he couldn't believe it.
"Are you okay with this?" She asked lowly, almost a whisper. He nodded. One of his aggressors, the one who kissed him, had also touched his face and, at first, he shuddered. But then, his racing heart calmed down. Ladybug's hand was smaller, definitely softer, and there was something in the way she was caressing his cheek. Something sweet and full of feeling. Adrien put a hand over hers, leaning in her palm. He closed his eyes and smiled, pleased and feeling safe. Then, when he let go of her hand, Ladybug stroked his hair, lovingly scratching him right behind the ears, like she'd do with a real cat. Adrien let out a low purr, just like a real cat would do.
"My little kitty" She said tenderly and leaned in to kiss him.
"But M'Lady I-you, don't you feel grossed out about kissing me?" He asked in disbelief. He was so ashamed.
"How could I, Adrien? You're my partner, my kitty, my everything and nothing in this world, no, nothing in the universe could ruin that" She smiled, her eyes full of love and affection.
"Can I kiss you?" They both blushed, their hammering hearts was the only sound in the surrounding, quiet city.
"Yes, M'lady, please, please kiss me" He needed that kiss. He needed to forget what had almost happened that horrible night. Smiling, inhaling the fragrance of his cologne, Ladybug closed her eyes, tilted her head and kissed Adrien on the lips. She did it slowly and carefully, she brushed her lips against his, tenderly. They pulled away with a smile and a blush in their faces.
"Thanks, Ladybug. Thank you so much. You saved me again"
The lady of his dreams had turned a horrible night into a beautiful one. She was his safety, and her arms were his home.
"M'lady, could you take me to the mansion? I don't want to go alone, not even as Chat Noir. I just, I wouldn't feel safe" He shuddered and she nodded, giving Adrien yet another hug that turned, little by little, into an embrace.
"I'm stupid, right? Being so scared in front of you makes me feel weak" She embraced him tighter.
"Of course not, Mon amour, the world can be a hostile, awful place sometimes. Even us, heroes, feel fear. We're human beings"
They pulled away slowly. Ladybug locked eyes with Adrien's and smiled reassuringly at him.
"Let's go home, okay?" She picked him up, bridal style, her eyes so bright and her smile so sweet he smiled too.
"But M'Lady, I'm already there. You're my home" He verbalised his thoughts while Ladybug was flying the two over Parisian rooftops. Ladybug blushed a lot. They soon landed on the Agreste mansion and got through Adrien bedroom's open window.
She put him down and gave him a still concerned glance.
"My kitty, will you be okay?" She held both of his hands.
"I will, M'lady. Don't worry about me. I have you, so I'll be purrfectly fine" She nodded, chuckling with relief. (He hadn't made puns for a while. I think he's truly fine now)
Ladybug, still holding Adrien's hands, stood in her tiptoes and put her hands on his shoulders.
"May I kiss you goodbye, honey?" Blushing, his eyelids shut, he put his arms around her waist and nodded, giving her his consent. Ladybug pressed her lips against his gently. He sighed and she felt the pleased purring making his chest vibrate.
Adrien's, green eyes half-closed and a lovestruck smile in his face, waved her goodbye and she left the place. Butterflies fluttering in their stomachs.