Past or Future

Meet Again

Someone knocked on the door and Fu opened it. Chat Noir craned his neck to see around him and locked eyes with Ladybug. He pushed past Master Fu as politely as he could and knelt next to her. Adrien mirrored him, kneeling next to Marinette.

"Are you okay?" They both asked in unison. The girls laughed and nodded. Ladybug pressed a hand to her bandaged wound, trying not to wince. Chat Noir stilled and rigidly pulled the blanket away from her now exposed bandages. He gasped and Adrien whipped around. He saw Ladybug's bandaging and pulled Marinette's blanket down to reveal her own bandages.

"I thought you said you were okay." Adrien said with a deadly calm voice. Marinette shifted uncomfortably and hissed through her teeth, pain stabbing her.

"I'm fine! I'm fine. Or, I will be." She pulled the blanket up to cover her bandages and forced a smile.

Adrien's fierce expression melted into concern and her forced smile softened into a real one. She raised a hand and stroked his face, comforting him. He curled up next to her and smiled softly because Marinette was finally being herself in front of him as himself, not Chat Noir. They became aware of their surroundings and heard yelling.

"You idiot! Why would you do that? You couldn't think of anything else?!" Chat Noir yelled. Ladybug's eyes widened because Chat Noir had never, in all the years they worked together, raised his voice at her. She turned her head away from him and her eyes welled up with tears. She sniffed and Chats face fell. He scooped her into his lap, careful of her wound, and apologized. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to yell. I just-I didn't know where you were. All I knew was you were badly injured and missing. I waited for you to come back, to return and have the perfect plan to defeat the villain. I had given up. I started to think-" He broke off and started again. "I started to think you were actually dead!" He wailed. He looked away. Ladybug was shocked. She was so caught up in her need to see him, she forgot to think about how he must have felt.

"Oh, kitty." She raised a hand and pulled his face to look at her. "I am so sorry. I couldn't think of another way." She wiped a tear from his cheek and had a flashback from Chat Blanc. She shook her head, dispelling the memory. "Chat, kitty. Look at me."

He looked up and wiped another tear. She leaned forward and kissed his cheek. She pulled away after a few seconds and laughed at his face. He was frozen and his cheeks were bright pink. She lightly flicked his nose and laughed again as he touched his cheek in shock. She realized the room was silent and she looked over. Both Adrien and Marinette were staring at them, as pink as Chat Noir. Ladybug laughed a third time and waved her hand in front of Marinette's face.

"Hello? Earth to Mari?"

Marinette blinked and muttered under her breath, "I can't believe I just kissed Chat Noir..."

Ladybug froze and looked at the boys worriedly. Thankfully, they didn't seem to have heard.

Marinette touched Adrien's shoulder and he shook his head, clearing his thoughts. Chat Noir came to his senses as well.

Ladybug's bracelet started to flash and she remembered she used her second chance. "Guys, you need to turn around. I'm going to detransform because I used the second chance."

They both closed their eyes and faced the wall without hesitation. Ladybug de- and retransformed and they all started talking.

They talked for a while; the boys told the girls what they had missed. The girls laughed at Adrien when Chat told them he stumbled to defeat a villain with a hairclip. Adrien told them Zoe ran up to him during a fight and asked for her miraculous. Chat Noir distracted the villain while they hid in an alley and Adrien handed her the bee hair clip. (or honeycomb XD)

With Vesparia's help, they easily won.

After half an hour, Tikki flew up to Adrien. "Adrien! There's an akuma!" Ladybug moved to get up, but Chat pushed her back to the mat.

"We'll handle it. We've been pretty good so far!" Ladybug rolled her eyes and smiled.

"I suppose." Chat Noir kissed Ladybug's nose and walked to the door. Adrien kissed Marinette's forehead and followed him. They waved and walked out, Adrien transforming right as the door closed.