Reunited (A Miraculous Ladybug Romance)

29: Love Begins

Finally. Adrien silently hummed as he extended his baton, flinging himself onto the rooftop nearest his mansion. Finally he would get to talk to Marinette, to be alone with her - something he had desperately been pining for ever since the disturbance of that incredibly annoying akuma.

Early Finisher had been the villain's name, and oh how Adrien wished that battle had ended as quickly as the name suggested. But no.... hardly anything in that battle had gone completely right - at least the parts that involved any sort of Adrien's contribution. How could anyone expect a guy who had just kissed the love of his life to not be distracted in a situation like that?

Sure, he had seen Ladybug in her skin tight costume before, but back then she had just been a petite young girl with hardly any figure. Now, the suit accentuated every part of Marinette's womanly body, and Adrien couldn't help, no matter how much he tried, but to admire the absolute beauty of his girlfriend.

Then, there was that. The fact that Ladybug was actually now, practically, officially Adrien's girlfriend. It was easy to ignore the suggestive nature of her suit when nothing was going on between them, but this time things were different. Ladybug was Marinette, and unlike before, she actually wanted to be with Adrien.

"Is everything okay?" Ladybug softly asked him after he ended up getting caught in the trap they had carefully planned to catch the akuma. "You've fallen at least six times and totally messed up two of our plans."

If Adrien, Chat Noir, had been acting anything remotely normally, he would have responded with some sort of witty pun such as: Does it look like I'm okay? Get meowt of here, my Lady. But no, the only thing running through his head in that precise moment was his astoundment that Ladybug had addressed him with such genuine tenderness - her words echoing through his mind as a sweet fragrance lingers in its stead. She wasn't annoyed at his blunders like she would have been in the past. No, this time... this time her voice was laced only with love and worry, causing Adrien to slump even further down into a mushed up heap of uselessness.

If it hadn't been for Marinette's clever thinking and the use of Ladybug's lucky charm, then there would have been no way they - no... she would have won. But as usual, Ladybug pulled through even when Chat Noir was mentally unable.

After the fight had finished, Adrien had been hoping to steal away with his newfound girlfriend, but he had no such luck. As soon as the akuma had been cleansed, Alya was right by Ladybug's side.

"Ladybug!" the star struck reporter announced with enthusiasm, with one hand outstretched holding her camera, while the other was propped against her leg as she leaned forward, gasping for breath. "I can't believe I am actually standing here face to face speaking with you! It has been ages since you have had to save Paris. Welcome back!" She straightened, eyes sparkling in admiration at the return of her favorite heroine.

No longer bound by the trap he had so foolishly allowed himself to get caught in, Chat Noir joined his place next to his Lady's side.

"I wouldn't say the return of akumas is a cause for celebration," he butted in as he playfully flicked the bottom of Ladybug's ponytail. "But getting to see my beautiful Lady again," he continued while wrapping his arms around her waist and looking into her eyes, "more than makes up for the trouble it may have caused."

Adrien had waited, somewhat nervously, for Ladybug's snarky reply, but none came. Instead, her face turned as bright as a tomato right before she buried her head into his chest. "Chaton," she whispered, only loud enough for the two of them to hear, "you're such a hopeless romantic. And now that I know I'm in love with you... well, how should I put this...?"

But, much to Adrien's chagrin, Ladybug never got to finish that sentence, because right at that moment, her miraculous had begun to beep.

"Looks like that's our cue to leave," Chat Noir winked at a gaping Alya as he picked up Ladybug bridal style and reached for his baton while Ladybug feebly struggled in his grasp, her face turning more red - if that was even possible.