Not 100% sure when this would take place. At least season 1 or 2 I guess. And I guess their relationship is that they see each other and hang out already and they know they like the other a lot. That's about it.

Ladrien June 2024

Day #20: Protect

Adrien tried. When the akuma showed up at the shopping plaza when he was out with his friends, he tried to get away so he could transform and fight them. Ladybug should arrive any second and Chat Noir needed to be there to help her when she did. Sadly, some of his friends and a few other shoppers refused to run. Choosing instead to stop and film or take pictures with their phones.

He tried to get them out of the area before anything bad happened. But he wasn't quick enough.

It all happened so fast. One second, Adrien was ushering some kids to go hide in one of the stores, the next, he heard a loud THWAK-BAM! Right above him.

He looked up and had a split second to see a billboard from the roof tip and fall over.

Coming closer and closer down toward him.

Adrien meant to run. But instead, before he could command his legs to move, he felt himself being shoved hard, sending him far away, just before the BANG-SMASH! Of it crashing to the ground.

Laying the floor, Adrien looked back to the spot he'd just been a moments ago. Where there was now a giant pile of broken billboard pieces, big and small.

That could have been him who had gotten smashed.

But who pushed him out of the way?

As he stood up and dusted himself off, he looked around. All the civilians in the area had finally vacated the premises.

Among the rubble, Adrien spotted something round and red.

With black spots.

Adrien's stomach dropped. He leaned down and snatched the object up.

It was a yoyo.

He'd held this yoyo before. It wasn't a fake replica like the one he had as part of his Ladybug merch collection.

This was the real thing.

"Ladybug," he uttered. She was nearby. He looked around but didn't see her. "Ladybug!?" he shouted. If she didn't have her yoyo, then something must be wrong. Then his eyes turned back to the remains of the fallen sign. Whoever pushed him out of the way…if they weren't around for him to see…then they must be…then she must be… "Ladybug!"

Panic setting in, Adrien dashed to the pile, grabbed a piece and heaved it away. Then he grabbed another, and another, moving piece after piece.

She had to be okay.

Their suits protected them from any major harm when they were transformed. And even if she was hurt a bit, she could just use her miraculous cure to fix everything. It had worked when he fought Weredad. He had beaten the fudge out of him. He was in a lot of pain and could baring stand by the time it was over, but he was alive. And he felt instantly better right after she reset everything. Sure, the akuma was still out there but they couldn't wait until after. She couldn't fight if she was injured.

She had to be okay. He just had to dig her out.

Finally, Adrien uncovered something red. By the shape, he guessed that it was a foot. He dug more, continuing to call her name, hoping she'd reply and tell him that she was alright.

But the more of her body that he uncovered and no matter how loudly he shouted for her, she didn't move and she didn't reply.

A foot became a leg, then another leg, then a back, then an arm. Then finally, the back of a head of bluenette hair.

Pushing the last bits of debris away, Adrien gently but quickly pulled her up and turned her over. There he sat, holding Ladybug in his arms. He cradled her face as he checked her for any visible injuries. Finding none, he was relieved, but she was still unconscious.

Her eyes were closed and her face relaxed.

"Ladybug?" he uttered while lightly shaking her. She still didn't move. "Ladybug, wake up," he tried again, shaking her a bit harder. Still no response. Adrien's eyes began to fill with tears. Her suit was supposed to protect her. He was supposed to protect her. But he couldn't since he hadn't transformed fast enough. She had protected him. Now look at her. Guilt weighed heavily in his heart. "Please," he whispered.

After what she just did for him, he needed her to be okay. If not, he'd never forgive himself.

Suddenly, he saw her eyebrows scrunch together and she coughed.

Adrien sighed with intense relief.

Her eyes fluttered open and stared up at her savior. Her vision was a bit blurry but she'd recognize that head of blonde hair and green eyes anywhere. "Adrien?" she asked groggily.

"Yeah, it's me," he said, smiling while holding back happy tears. "Are you okay?" It was sort of a dumb question but he'd like to know how bad she was hurt.

"Everything…hurts," she uttered before grunting in pain as she moved her arm. "Can you help me stand?"

"I don't think you should," he told her. Movement would probably only make it worse. Adrien turned around and spotted her weapon. "You're yoyo," he said, reaching back to pick it up again and hand it to her. "You need to summon your lucky charm. Then you can reset everything and heal yourself."

"But the akuma-"

"You can't defeat the akuma like this," he told her, urging her to take it.

"You're right," Ladybug nodded and took her yoyo. "Lucky Charm!" she said softer than she normally did. She also didn't throw it up into the air. It still activated, making a red and black spotted metal crutch appear on the ground next to her.

"Huh," Adrien shrugged. "Exactly what you need." Even her powers were encouraging her to use her cure earlier than usual because of her injuries.

"Now can you help me stand up? I can use this but I'm gonna need you to keep me up right so I can throw it," she explained. She couldn't use it to support her weight just before she threw it. So he had to keep her from falling over.

"Of course," he said. Very carefully, he slung her arm over his shoulder and started helping her stand, slowly. Ladybug grit her teeth as she moved her limbs, trying to get her feet under her. Leaning on both Adrien and the crutch helped. "I'm…I'm sorry," he said when they were about halfway there.

"Why are you sorry?" she asked.

"I should have gotten away faster. Then you wouldn't have needed to push me away and gotten hurt," he lamented, blaming himself.

"That thing would have killed you. The only reason I'm even alive is because of my suit," she explained. Sure, her body was screaming at her but she was still in one piece. And it was only temporary. When she was finally on her feet, leaning on Adrien mostly, she lifted the crutch up above her head. And with more strain, she threw it up and yelled, "Miraculous Ladybug!"

The magical ladybugs spread over the sky, then to all around the plaza, instantly restoring all the damage to everything, including the billboard.

The ladybugs surrounded them and were gone in a blink. And when they were, Ladybug didn't feel any more pain.

"Feeling better?" Adrien asked her as she removed her arm from around his shoulder.

"Much," she replied, moving and stretching out her limbs to test how they felt. They felt great.

When she was done, Ladybug picked her yoyo back up and secured it around her waist. She still had an akuma to defeat. But before she could head out, Adrien sprang forward and wrapped his arms around her.

Ladybug just stood there for a moment and just let him hug her closely.

"I know you were just protecting me and it's your job," he said before pulling back to look at her but kept his hands on her shoulders. "But please…never scare me like that again," he added, his voice emotional.

Ladybug simply gave him a sad smile. She was touched by his concern but she couldn't make that promise. And Adrien knew she couldn't, but he still wanted her to know how much she meant to him.

But he meant a lot to her too.

Sure it had caused her a great deal of pain but if it meant protecting Adrien from getting killed, she'd endure a hundred more falling billboards.

And it also meant a great deal to her if he was there to dig her out again.

Next chapter will be posted on the 27th ;D