Copyright Disclaimer: This is a work of fan fiction using characters from the Miraculous Ladybug world, written and directed by Thomas Astruc. I do not own Miraculous Ladybug or any of its story line. This is for entertainment purposes only, and not part of the official story line. Thank you Mr. Astruc for creating Miraculous Ladybug.

Ladybug, in fear of transforming in the middle of the street, throws herself in a window to avoid being seen. Her limbs are weighing her down; it seems like the miraculous power-effect has worn out. Somehow she knows, that it is only going to feel worse after she detransforms. She knows her limbs are not used to this much exertion. She can only imagine how Chat Noir is faring. She looks around her, finding the room to be adorned with countless paintings, covering all four walls and the ceiling. She finds some to be cheerful and bright, and others to be depressing. They have one thing in common: they are all beautiful. She gazes in wonder, and her eye catches on a man hanging by his neck from a noose, the only color in the picture is the stark red of the man's hair. The air turns ominous, and she hears the last beep as someone enters the room.

" Ladybug" a soft voice exclaims, and surprised, Ladybug quickly turns away and instructs him to close his eyes.

A quiet moan of pain escapes her lips as she detransforms.

" L-Ladybug," the voice is worried now, " Are you okay?"

The voice is louder and she can recognize it: Nathaniel.

" Fine. Keep your eyes closed." Marinette feels as if her whole body has been hit by a truck.

She tries to shift her legs and bite back the involuntary gasp that escapes from her mouth. The gasp is audible, and he can tell that she is injured. He slowly lifts his hand enough to see her body is trembling. She notices his movement and raspily asks him to close his eyes.

" It's okay. I'm okay. I'll be out of your hair in a minute" she whispers. She tries to stand up and winces, but she makes it up, and grabs the window. Her feet almost collapse under her.

" W-Wait... Ladybug" Nathaniel grabs her ungloved hand, " I have a first- aid kit, I-I can help you."

" O-ok.." Marinette whimpers as she attempts to move over to the couch. Nathaniel helps her arm over his shoulder, his eyes still closed. Marinette lays some of her weight on him and he supports her. His face reddens from her closeness and her breath on his shoulder.

" Nathaniel, we're about to hit a wall."

" Ah" He says flustered.

" Wait how do you know my name?"

As Marinette lets out another groan, he stifles this line of questioning and quickly seats her on the couch. He brings out his first-aid kit, facing away from her.

" So, I don't know what's wrong, " I didn't see any blood?" He phrases it like a question.

She winces again. " Wait, hold on " she takes a white tablecloth, she had found in a closet and ties it around his eyes, obscuring his vision.

" I c-can still see."

" If it's only my silhouette, then don't worry about it."

" Umm… so I'm not the most active person in the world, and today was pretty hectic."

"Yeah..." He frowns, imaging the stress that jumping from roof to roof would have on her muscles. She notices his concern and tries to soothe him.

She weakly smiles, "Don't worry, the suit took most of the impact, just all that stress on my muscles…"

" You've p-probably overused them. Your muscles micro tear w-when you work out , but because of the extremity of your use, it's probably caused microtrauma. Your wrists look fine, but I have to see about your ankles. Do they hurt particularly?"

"Nath my whole body hurts."

He sighs, and kneels down. He gently removes her flats and wraps his hand around her feet. He asks her to relax, as he dexterfully stretches her foot. Although a necessary action, she cannot help but feel the intimacy of the moment, and her flushes.

" D-Does this h-hurt?"

" Not really" she responds in a breathless tone of voice. He exhales a long breath, she didn't know he had been holding.

" It's not s-sprained." he unzips his first aid kit and takes out the necessary items.

" First, take some painkillers, I 've got some water for you And some ice"

She makes a noise of confusion, remarking that she didn't have any ice in her water.

Nathaniel laughs " Not for your water, for your ankle."

" Wow! You're pretty knowledgeable about this! That's pretty cool!" She laughs, a tinkling-bell sound he wouldn't mind hearing more often.

She quickly gets up to leave, but has to sit back down. "Ah."

He reveals a small, shy, smile. " It's not i-instantaneous, you know."

" You can stay here until the drugs kick in."

When she makes no move to respond, he wonders if he makes her feel uncomfortable.

" I can leave if you want"

"No. Stay."

They sit in silence for a couple moments that feel like minutes, when Marinette moves forward and wraps her arms tightly around Nathaniel, shaking. Now, that the pain is gone, she has finally come to realize the severity of her actions. A few tears escape from her tears, and she squeezes Nathaniel tighter. Nathaniel, so flustered his face like that of a tomato's, is momentarily unsure what to do, and chooses to rub soothing circles across her back. Her few tears escalate to sobbing.

"Um…" Nathaniel sympathizes, albeit awkwardly. He really doesn't know how to deal with this situation.

"Nathaniel" a despairful wail escapes her mouth. " I don't think I'm suited for this…"

She pulls away and wipes the tears and snot off of her face.

" Five people almost died." She utters this statement, and hearing it out loud cements the reality of the statement.

"So much damage had been caused."

" Because I didn't get it right the first time."

" Because of me…" Nathaniel couldn't listen to this any longer. She had saved the city, not tried to destroy it! That was Hawkmoth!

" It w-wasn't because of you. Hawk Moth caused this!"

"Alya almost got crushed by a car! Chloe, Ivan and Mylene almost fell to their death! Chat Noir almost died under Stoneheart's foot."

" That's exactly it. A-Almost! You were there to save them in time."

" If I was a second late, they would have died! I saved them this time, but next time, who knows whether I'll be in time to save them."

" But your m-miraculous cure, the swarms of ladybugs that went around repairing the city, and returning people to their original forms… it can restore the damages that Hawk Moth has c-caused."

"It's not all powerful!" She spits out spitefully. " It couldn't heal me!" She pauses, bringing her hand up so that her head can rest upon it.

"What makes you so sure that it can bring people back from the dead. " Her voice dwindles down to a whisper, and two tear droplets drip from her bluebell orbs. Nathaniel encapsulates her frail figure in an embrace.

" L-Ladybug! S-Snap out of it! You saved everyone today. You will save the day the next time. And the time after that. You will keep on saving the day until you finally defeat Hawkmoth. Because when you messed up the first time, you came back swooping in to fix your mistake. You didn't back down from the challenge. Because you are s-strong, so strong." He firmly and simply proclaims this statement, as if all he is stating is the truth. He turns to the side and self-deprecatingly adds an afterthought.

"Unlike me…" Ladybug doesn't seem to notice his mumble. Her spirits renewed, Ladybug lifts Nathaniel up in a hug.

" I have to go." She kisses his cheek, and his face flames again.

" Thanks Nath." She transforms, and disappears in a flash of light, leaving Nathaniel sitting there wondering if he had imagined the whole thing. He grips the tablecloth in his hand, the softness reminding him that it had not been a dream. He smiled, and closed the window.

" A miraculous encounter." he softly exclaimed.