LadyNoir One Shots

Knock-Down

"Chat you stupid, stupid idiot - I swear to God I knew this was going to happen..."

Ladybug trailed off as she cradled Chat Noir's head in between her hands. Hawkmoth had certainly become much more powerful over the last year; this akuma had taken nearly all of the energy they had, and this ultimately lead to Chat taking a hit for Ladybug which gave her enough time to cleanse the akuma. However Chat's blow was so deep not even his Lady's cleansing light could fix him totally. A trickle of blood ran down his face from an ominous looking wound, horribly scarlet, running into his hair and staining the blond bright red. Even now the idiot was smiling weakly at her, though his eyes were stinging with tears.

"It's okay my Lady," he said gently, his voice cracking a little as he tried to put on a brave face through it all, holding onto the hand that was cupping his cheek. "You just need to get me to a hospital, is all."

"But your Miraculous -" she began but he waved her off.

"I know. It'll run out in a minute and you'll see me for who I really am. It doesn't matter. I trust you, Ladybug. I trust you with my life. You know that."

"You shouldn't have taken that shot for me," she said, almost angrily. "Why would you do that? You could have left it to me to get hit for once; you're always doing this, chucking yourself into danger when you don't need to -"

"I couldn't do that to you," he whispered, "I can't let you get hurt, my Lady. I care about you too much."

"Have you ever considered that I care about you?" She really was annoyed now, but she was holding him tighter and closer against her chest, aware that his miraculous was very nearly out. "That you mean something to me? That possibly I can't think about you taking a hit for me because it physically pains me to see you like this?"

"Ladybug..."

Chat uttered her name in a breath which hitched half way.

"I care about you Chat. And we have to get you to hospital. Now."

"My lady, wait -"

The final beeps from his miraculous in his ring rang through the crisp night air and Chat looked into her eyes as a blinding flash of green light hit her and he transformed into a still very injured and now unconscious Adrien Agreste; his transformation obviously having worn him out totally. Ladybug made no comment, she simply bit her lip and picked him up and swept him into her arms, running as fast as she could and screaming for help down the Parisian streets, that a boy had been hurt, to call an ambulance, to hurry, that he needed help now. She soon received help from some strangers in the street and the paramedics arrived in minutes. Adrien was whisked away, hooked onto some oxygen and away from her, leaving her to watch as the ambulance drove with sirens screaming down the road.

* ~ * ~ *

A day later with no sleep the previous night, Marinette had made a card and a basket of baked goods for Adrien in the hospital.

She couldn't get over how hopeless he looked, lying in his arms; that it was him, this whole time. He was the one who had tried so hard to win her over, who sacrificed everything to protect her without a thought for himself, and Marinette realised that after all this time, she'd been falling for both of them simultaneously. Now, she didn't have to choose.

* ~ * ~ *

"Marinette?"

Adrien sounded surprised to wake up to the girl at his bedside, and more so when he realised she was holding his hand. She blushed and let him go. Part of him wished she hadn't.

"I wanted to see you - I mean, because I know about what happened and I figured you might want a visitor, I mean I remembered how much you liked my parent's pastries so I made some for you ..." She trailed off, embarrassed and flushing scarlet.

"Marinette is something wrong?"

Yes - god there's something wrong. You took the hit that was meant for me and I can't see you hurt because it breaks me, damn it you stupid cat -

"I was just - worried about you, Adrien -" The blonde's face seemed to fall a little as he asked quietly,

"Just that?"

A long silence passed in which Marinette looked at him square in the eye, steeling herself for the confrontation which she knew had to happen.

"I know you're Chat Noir."

Why was he smiling? WHY WAS HE SMILING.

"Ladybug," he said with a smile.

Oh my god. OH MY GOD NO. This was NOT supposed to have happened. How in hell could he have known? This was not how she planned it. This was not how she wanted to look, she was tired and had bags under her eyes and they were red from crying and rubbing them too hard because damn it she'd been so scared for him and now he was SMILING?

"No, oh my god, how did you -?"

"Please, just kiss me."