Miraculous Ladybug: Volpina's Return

A Concered Kitten

The sound of running water echoed across the white bathroom, within Adrien's room. Chat Noir stuck out like a sore thumb against his bathroom as he leaned his forehead against his door. His fair Lady on the other side, was unaware that she too was mirroring his actions. Chat waited until he knew she was gone before heading back into his room and releasing his transformation. Another sigh left his mouth as he sat down in his computer chair. The black blur,that was his Kwami, flew in front of his Chosen, with a very rare concerned look. Plagg wasn't the most caring, at least that's how he made it out to seem, but he could tell that the recent encounter with Ladybug left Adrien feeling incredibly troubled. Without waiting for Adrien to look back at him Plagg started speaking,

"You okay kid?" He asked in the kindest voice that Adrien had ever heard from Plagg. Plagg was never kind even when asking for his daily Camembert, and it took Adrien by surprised. Plagg continued, "It doesn't take a rocket scientist to see that something is bothering you." Adrien couldn't disagree with him, he was completely right. Something had been bothering him, a lot of things actually, but one was pounding on the back of his head; how his Lady nearly gave up her Miraculous to save him. Well the illusion version, produced by Volpina, of him anyways. Was she just trying to put a civilian above herself or was was trying to put Adrien above herself?

In any previous time when there was a civilian in trouble she never backed down and never once gave in so easily. So what was different about this time? Sure the times he had run into her in his civilian form she was there protecting them from the clutches of Simon Says(Jack Says which ever you prefer) and with the Mime and even when he returned home with the local Santa, even if she did jump the gun. But they never meet outside of that, and sure the time that she spent in his room during one of the Akuma attack had been oddly nice, he doubt she could actually formulate feelings for him that quickly and on the spot. Unless she knew him as her civilian self. The thought of it made Adrien's head spin as he put his fingers to his temples to stop the spinning and finally glanced back at his Kwami who still was concerned.

"I just don't get it. Why would Ladybug possibly give up her Miraculous to save me? I mean I knew that it wasn't me because I was right there so we can rule out that she knows that I'm Chat. She has never offered her Miraculous as an serious trade." He recalls how she had tricked the Pharaoh in taking the false earrings from her Lucky Charm. Adrien continued his train of thought. "And she also had never been so... vulnerable before." It's a side to Ladybug that he hadn't seen since their first Akuma battle when they started their heroic duties. But that was due to lack of experience, but this, this was something else entirely. "If it was anyone else, I feel as though she wouldn't have bargained her Miraculous that easily." Plagg offered no office, and merely just gave him a shrug. "I don't know Plagg I feel as though Ladybug wouldn't just do that, she could've found another way. And..." he had to stop himself. Adrien didn't want to know what would've happened if he didn't throw his baton at the illusion and stopped Ladybug from forfeiting her earrings.  Plagg dragged him out of his thoughts,

"Look I know I'm definitely not good with this kind of stuff. Sure I've been around for over thousands of years, but love has never been my strong suit. However I'll explain it in a way that I can." Adrien looked over at Plagg and listened carefully. Anything would be useful in trying to understand this better. "If it was the best piece of Camembert that was in danger, my stomach would've told me to act. And that is exactly what Ladybug did." Adrien had to ponder that for a second. He knew fully well the little Kwami's ginormous appetite for his stinky delicacy, and didn't know how he felt about being compared to cheese. But Adrien understood the analogy; Ladybug wasn't just doing her duties, she was following her gut feelings, her emotions. Could it be...

"Your not saying that... she might like me?" Plagg could only shrug again as he couldn't read Ladybug's mind, but was fairly certain of her choices. "Look kid I've seen it all before. Ive seen plenty of Ladybugs and Chat Noirs end up trying to sacrifice their Miraculouses to save the ones they truly cared for." Adrien could feel a blush work his way up from his neck to his ears. Sure he had always admired, heck maybe even loved Ladybug, but she never returned his feelings the same way, at least as Chat. However as Adrien, he never made such advances, wether from being to nervous or had to uphold the Agreste family name, there's no way as Ladybug could she had known about his growing love for her. And if she did like him as his civilian self, then did that mean he knew her? He leaned back in his chair and let out another sigh; it was a lot to take in. His Lady might have a thing for him.