A/N: This the first fanfic I've written so I hope you enjoy it. If you have any suggestions please write them in the comments. So, to the story.
No Point Living Without You
It was a day like any other. Marinette was at lunch with Alya, Nino and Adrien when they heard screams from just outside. "Ladybug and Chat Noir give me your miraculouses!" Marinette jumped up and mumbled something about 'having to go to the toilet' and almost instantly being followed by Adrien.
"Well hello Kitty!" Ladybug was standing at the edge of a building and calling to her partner.
"Hello M'Lady!" He called back.
"Looks like someone wasn't happy with it only being Halloween once a year." Ladybug commented on the new Akumatized victim who was wrapping the city in cobwebs. The two heroes ran to their new challenge ready to fight.
"Isn't it a bit late for Halloween decorations?" Chat was ready as ever with his jokes and Ladybug let out a groan beside him.
"Chat, I need to concentrate!" She really needed to find a way to defeat this akuma.
"Are my purrfect puns too distracting?" Another groan from Ladybug followed that.
The villain was wearing a very realistic 'Grimly Reaper' costume and was holding, not a fake blade, but a real one. Ladybug realised that was probably the akumatized object she will have to break to defeat this victim.
They were soon in the middle of the battle when the opponent's blade made contact with Ladybug's back. She groaned but did not stop fighting. Blood trickled down her back on to her legs. Chat Noir hated seeing her like that and promised himself to take every next hit the akuma aimed at Ladybug.
It was a long and hard fight and by the time the blade had been broken and the akuma cleansed Chat had collapsed from the pain of the cuts he had gotten. The magical Ladybugs have healed some of the injuries so they would no longer be deadly but the pain had obviously weakened him.
Ladybug ran to his side, scared for her partner. "Hey Kitty, are you ok to go home on your own or should I help you get somewhere closer?" She looked worriedly at Chat, her face only slightly crunched against the much smaller injury on her back.
"Don't worry... I can manage… I'll be ok." His answer was feeble but Ladybug knew not to argue with him, so she left him, concern etched across her masked face.
Ladybug jumped into her room and detransformed. She handed Tikki some macaroons and immediately asked on her opinion. "Tikki, do you think I should have helped him?" She looked really worried and even though Tikki wanted to be reassuring she stuck to the truth.
"He said he didn't need help so let him be. That was a good idea Marinette because he is a quite proud person and if he feels he doesn't need help you shouldn't disagree with him but he probably would have needed some help." At the look on Marinette's face, she added; "I'm sure he'll be ok though. Don't worry, he's a tough person." Marinette looked slightly reassured after that but still looked worried.
After finally being able to settle down to stitching flowers on a spare piece of cloth there was a loud crash on her balcony. Alerted she asked "Who's there?" She did not get a response so she looked out the window.
"C-Chat!" There on her balcony he was lying, unconscious, and bleeding. Marinette jumped onto her balcony and carried him inside quite easily, something she could do thanks to being the heroine of Paris.
Chat woke up, forgetting where he was he sat up quickly which he regretted as little lights popped up in front of his eyes. Only then he realised there was someone else in the little room.
"Easy there, Kitty." Marinette was looking at him, her bluebell eyes filled with concern. Chat realised he was sitting on the lounge in the middle of her room and felt bandages where he was slashed by the blade of the akumatized victim. "I fixed you up a bit, but I haven't finished yet."
They sat there for a little while when Marinette spoke up. She was thinking about how to phrase what she wanted to ask without hinting that she was Ladybug. "Um... Chat, why did you get hit so much?" She really wanted to know why he had let himself get hit by the akuma so often.
"Well... it was quite a tough akuma today and the akumatized victim had a very sharp blade and he hit us quite a lot-"
"Hit us?! Hit us?! You were the one that got hit all the time, Ladybug barely got hurt!" Marinette could not help herself. She could not believe he was denying how much pain he was in. And saying that Ladybug got hurt a lot too. Yes, she knew she had a few deeper scratches but it was nowhere near as bad as Chat's.
She was ripped out of her thoughts when Chat spoke after the short moment of silence Marinette had used to argue against him in a way she knew she could not have out loud. "I didn't want her to get hurt," He sounded like a frightened child after being scolded by a mother after Marinette's shouting. "I made sure she could finish the battle and heal the worst cuts with the magical Ladybugs, so even if I did get hurt really bad I would be ok."
This momentarily silenced Marinette when a risky comment burned on her tongue. "I'm sure she could have handled the pain."
Chat hesitated before answering: "I hated seeing her in pain, even if it wasn't that much. I would never forgive myself if she-if something happened to her." He was looking down his eyes filled with fear. "I wouldn't want to live on if she left me. I wouldn't be able to."
Marinette looked shocked. "But Chat, what about me?" She knew it was a pointless question seeing the situation they were talking about, "Would you not live for me?"
The look Chat gave her was full of pity. "Princess, don't get me wrong but I just... I couldn't... I wouldn't want to live, mainly if I could have done something about it."
Next thing he knew a silently crying Marinette was hugging him tightly. "I'm strong I can handle some pain. Don't do that again, you scared me so much."
Chat felt shock mingled with realisation at these words. "M'Lady, is it you?"
She simply nodded into him still shaking. She let go but didn't move away, she leaned in closer and stopped but Chat did not move, he closed his eyes and as he did Marinette's soft lips brushed his.
Marinette slowly broke the kiss and whispered "I'll finish patching you up, ok?" He nodded his eyes still closed. A small smile was playing on his lips, he was so happy he had finally kissed Ladybug, his Princess.
Marinette came out of her trapdoor holding a tray with soup and a glass of water. "Here, you should eat something and I thought a warm soup would be nice." She placed the tray next to Chat.
"Thanks, Princess." Marinette sat watching her partner while he ate gladly.
"Didn't you also get hurt?" When Marinette looked confusedly at him, he added, "From the akuma?"
At this, she quickly answered, "Well yes, I did get hurt a bit, there are a few cuts on my back," But at the look, Chat was giving her she hastily added, "But it's nothing to worry about I've already looked after them, so don't worry."
Chat didn't look completely convinced but she thought it was enough. "Oh," He looked at the clock on the wall, "It's late, I should probably head home so you're not too tired tomorrow."
Marinette agreed it was late and she was definitely going to be tired tomorrow so she nodded, "Yeah, you're right. Goodnight Kitty."
He leaned down to kiss her forehead, "Goodnight Princess."
The next few nights passed by quickly. Chat Noir and Ladybug were seen patrolling together, looking joyful and their joy seemed to have washed off on all of Paris. There were almost no akuma attacks and the city was peaceful.
"I love our city, don't you M'Lady?" Chat Noir and Ladybug were sitting at the edge of a roof looking over Paris. "Yes, I do, mainly when it's so peaceful."
They enjoyed laughing over things that had happened, like the time Marinette confessed her 'love' for Chat. She explained it was because she was scared of what he was going to say was: "...unless... you are Ladybug!" They laughed together and felt so happy.
School was not any different except for the fact that Lila was around, there only seemed to be happiness. Marinette was finally managing to talk to Adrien. He too seemed really happy and seemed even friendlier with Marinette. She did not know why but she did not mind.
"Do you ever wonder who I am?" Chat was curious about the answer he would get from Marinette.
"Well, of course, I wonder sometimes but never too much. I'm sure the moment will come when you can tell me who you are."
Chat thought this was a good answer and he did not seem to be the only one. "You're right Marinette! The moment will come for you two to see each other as who you are under the mask." Tikki had approved, a bit unwillingly, to what Marinette had done. She was now often floating in front of the two heroes, sometimes commenting on what they said. Marinette was happy not to fight with Tikki and enjoyed her helpful comments when she and Chat were not sure what to think.
The next day at school Lila had fed up Marinette with her many lies. She knew she had to calm down but only did when an akuma came flying towards her. She breathed in and out, calming herself. The akuma flapped away, Hawkmoth must have realised she was no longer angry. Suddenly, she heard screams she did not wait to see why but still being in a bathroom cubicle, called: "Tikki, spots on!"
"Well hello M'Lady! Fancy meeting you here!" Chat was standing battle-ready in front of Volpina.
"Volpina! Again?" Ladybug was not happy and could not see why Lila would have been angry but she knew she could not just stand there but she had to fight.
Volpina, instead of running towards them, jumped away towards the Eiffel Tower. The two heroes looked at each other, confused, and then followed her.
"Help! Ladybug, Chat Noir! Help!" Volpina was dangling someone from the top of the Eiffel Tower and as they got nearer they saw it was Adrien!
"Adrien!" Ladybug had shouted out and leaped up to where Volpina was standing.
"Move any closer and I will drop him!" She shouted at Ladybug. "Now, let's see... Give me your Miraculous or he falls!" She called and laughed at her evident joy of seeing Ladybug so unsure and worried.
"Ok Volpina," Ladybug seemed to have made up her mind. "I'll give you my Miraculous."
But there was a shout "Ladybug don't!" It was Chat, "He isn't real, it's an illusion!"
She did not believe him. "How do you know!?" Ladybug was being ripped to pieces by this uncertainty.
"I know! Trust me!" But Ladybug shook her head, "I'm sorry Chat but I'm not taking any risks!" This was her final word.
She took off her earrings and handed them to Volpina
"Marinette!" Volpina sounded incredulous, "Who in their right mind would make you Ladybug? No wonder I didn't like you, I knew you were weak!"
Marinette let those words wash over her, No wonder… Weak…
Volpina spoke her name with disgust in her voice. Suddenly she dropped Adrien, "Oops! He slipped out of my hand!" But Marinette jumped down from the top of the tower. She knew she could not save him nor could she save herself but it did not matter.
She was ripped out of her thoughts by a shout, filled with fear, "I'm coming Princess!" Chat. She felt him collide with her in the air then hold her, so he could jump back onto the side of the tower. "Why did you do that?!" His face was as pale as a ghost, "You could have died!"
Marinette did not answer, she was sobbing, tears streaming down her face. She was trying to struggle out of his grip, "A-Adrien, A-Adrien, I-I don't-t want t-to l-live without-t him. Y-You could have s-saved h-him. Y-You should have saved him, not me."
Chat was looking at her, eyes fool of love and understanding. "Princess, he's ok."
Marinette looked at him tears streaming down her face. "N-No he isn't. H-He fell."
There was a small smile on Chat's lips, "No he didn't."
Marinette gave a small whimper, "Chat this isn't funny! Stop lying!"
Chat didn't look concerned at all. "Princess, why would I lie to you?" She looked at him just as he muttered, "Plagg, claws in."
There was a blinding, green flash of light and Marinette started sobbing harder as she hugged Chat Noir who had now turned back to Adrien in front of her. "A-Adrien," seemed to be the only thing she could utter through her tears. "Shhh. I'm here. I would never leave you, M'Lady."
When Marinette had calmed down, Adrien gently let go of her. "Come on Princess, we've got some earrings to retrieve." And soon they were jumping off into the distance to another quest they will achieve together.