marinette x felix // APPREHENSION

turn

When the girl collided with him, The air knocked out of his lungs and they flew backward. He clutched his side, which had slammed into the corner of a chimney, and waited for the pain to settle in, but the feeling never came. It was as if the suit had absorbed the impact, but that was practically impossible.

The girl got to her feet in a second, and clasped a hand over her mouth, "I am so sorry," she told him, "I was trying to land on the roof. Are you alright? Did I hurt you?" she asked, and offered a hand to help him up.

He got to his feet by himself, "How did you do that?" he demanded, and she gave him a sheepish smile. She pulled at a string in her hand, and a yo-yo came flying at her. She caught it in one hand, "It's a... very long story."

She was a fair-eyed girl around his age, perhaps a bit younger judging by the height difference, though that wasn't a great indicator of one's age. Her dark hair was pulled back into two twin-tails, and she wore a domino mask very much like his own. The bodysuit she wore was a vibrant red, and black spots were symmetrically arranged on the suit, vaguely reminiscent of a ladybug's spots.

Unlike his suit, hers didn't have a zipper, and it covered her from neck to toe. "And why are you dressed like that?" he asked, trying to maintain his balance on the roof tiles. "Why were you trying to land on the roof?"

"Haven't you seen the news?" before she could explain any further, she stopped herself. "Wait!" He sucked in a breath.

Of course, somebody recognized him.

"...What is it?" he asked,

"You're the holder of the black cat miraculous," she said, as if only now realizing he was dressed in a cat costume. She studied his expression, searching for a reaction, "I'm your partner, Ladybug."

"Partner?" he repeated, eyebrows raised, "What are you talking about?"

"I'm... the holder of the ladybug miraculous?" she told him, as if he already knew that, "Where have you been for the past hour and a half? I've been looking everywhere for you."

"I don't have a partner," he told her, "Surely, Plagg would have told me if I had one,"

"Your kwami... didn't tell you about me." she realized aloud, and he slowly shook his head. "That's why you weren't at the akuma attack today."

"I don't have the slightest idea what you're going on about,"

"I guess I'm going to have to explain, then." she held out her hand, and he shook it, "I'm Ladybug, your partner. well— at least, that's what people were calling me. Tikki, my kwami, said not to tell you my real name," she said to him.

Though there were a million questions he wanted to voice, he managed to get a comment out. "I still don't know what you mean by 'partner'."

She frowned, "Your kwami really didn't explain anything, huh? Well, You were given your miraculous for a reason. You're a protector of Paris, like me."

He crossed his arms, "Excuse me?" 

A raised finger pointed at her own spotted earrings, "I guess that makes us superheroes,"

An involuntary laugh left his lips. Even though he'd seen a kwami with his own two eyes—even though he had transformed, he couldn't quite... wrap his head around this entire thing.

"Me? A superhero?"

The word 'superhero' implied the existence of danger, of something to protect Paris from. Anxiety bubbled in his chest, and he had half a mind to walk away.

How absurd, the universe had chosen him of all people to bestow these powers upon. Him, who was only recently allowed to go to school in person.