Close Call

Marinette POV

"Marinette! Listen to me, ok? I need you to breathe, I need you to let go of your negative thoughts! There is an akuma and I can't let you be akumatized! I can't let you go. You are going to be okay, please just think positive!" Adrien panicked.

I let out a gasp and my tears instantly stopped.

An akuma? Let me go? What could he mean by that? I think in question.

The fluttering of the akuma's wings against the window break me from my thoughts. The dark plum colored butterfly trying to make its way into the room. Adrien has fear in his eyes as he puts his hands on my shoulders.

"Marinette, you need to stop crying please." He says urgently.

I raise my voice as I yell for him to leave, "Please go! Run away! I can't let you get hurt for my actions!"

"Your actions?" He says in utter confusion. "Chloe did this, not you! You can't apologize for being human."

I sat in bewilderment. His words hit me hard. This boy didn't care that I am putting him in danger, only in getting me to safety and making me feel better. Calming myself I begin to take deep breaths.

As I breath deeply and compose myself, I try my best to clear my mind of what happened earlier that night.

No matter what I do, all I can see is Chloe making her way towards me and Adrien near the food table, how I paid her no mind, how she ruined my work,how Adrien had seen it all and had watched me cry.

The akuma still pushes its way through the crack between the wall and window.

"It isn't working. Go downstairs Marinette and stay there until I catch the akuma." Adrien orders me.

I'm not a fragile object! I think sternly. Well, I did just sob on him. How could he not think I was fragile right now?

I tighten my fists and get even more comfortable on the bed. I can't leave him.

I speak to him the way I do Chat Noir when he tries to protect me, "I can handle myself and don't need a babysitter!"

He takes a deep breath turning his attention from the akuma and back to me. He looks on the verge of tears and he seemed scared. My fists loosen at the sight of him.

Adrien sighs, "Marinette I am not trying to babysit you, I know you are capable but please let me help you. I can't lose you."

He said it again. Why can't he lose me? Why am I so important to him?

He breaks me from my thoughts, "You are creating more negative emotions right now by scolding me. Please go protect yourself."

I nod and leap off the bed. As I open the trap door to escape my bedroom I take one last look into his stunning eyes. Racing down the stairs I pass the living room towards the front door of my home. I swing it open and step into the hallway. Tiki zips out of my coin purse.

"Oh no Marinette! Hawk Moth took advantage of your emotions and embarrassment to release an akuma! We have to transform and help Adrien!" She shrieks.

"I know Tiki this is terrible!" I tell her, "Time to transform!"

She pauses for a second.

"How are you going to get to your bedroom in time without Adrien being suspicious?" Tiki questions.

"Adrien has to think I came flying out of the sky. If he sees me run up through the trapdoor he will know I'm Ladybug for sure! I will transform and quickly leave the bakery to then enter my bedroom using the balcony." I answer confidently.

Tiki has a look of determination on her face and gives me a nod of approval.

"Tiki spots on! Ha!" I say as the tiny fairy is sucked inside my miraculous powering my suit. I reach my arm out and my yoyo appears in my palm. Bright pink sparkles envelope me and transform me into Ladybug.

I race down the stairs to the entrance of the bakery. I sprint to the middle of the street and extend my yoyo. It wraps around the railing of my balcony tightly. I give it a light tug and it yanks me into the sky.

The night breeze whips my face as I swing my legs in front of me to land on the balcony. I land swiftly and urgently yank open the window.

Good thing I leave this thing unlocked! I think gratefully.

I pull myself through the small opening. For a second I get stuck, I apply force and yank my waist out. This then causes me to fall on my face.

What's up with me? I am never clumsy as Ladybug. I ponder.

I pick myself up and begin spinning my yoyo to create a shield. I then notice Adrien huddled over on the floor.

Oh no! Not Adrien! This is all my fault. I scream at myself mentally.

I get down to the floor to get a look at his face.

Please don't be akumatized! I beg.

I take a good look at him and he is unharmed. He jumps in surprise at my sudden presence.

"L-ladybug?" He says in both relief and question.

"Are you okay? Where is the akuma?" I urgently ask.

Adrien turns and picks something behind him on the floor. I tilt my head to try and get a peak. He pulls it in front of him. In his hands is a glass cup turned upside down with a piece of paper below it to keep the akuma inside.

"You captured an akuma? Without the ladybug miraculous?" I ask in astonishment, "That has only been done once by Multimouse in the defeat of Kwamibuster! That's pretty impressive!"

He sets the cup down and gives me a proud smile. I giggle.

"My friend Marinette was going to be akumatized. I had to do something." Adrien says honestly.

"You were willing to become akumatized to protect her?" I ask the sweet boy.

"Of course!" He immediately answers, his emerald eyes twinkle with content, "Marinette is everything to me!"

He leaned forward, his fists tight.

What did he just say? I ask myself.

I begin to blush the brightest I had the whole night. My jaw slightly dropped in question, my eyes widening in confusion, my cheeks burned underneath my mask, probably the same shade of bright red.

Adrien brings me back to earth, "Did you see Marinette? Is she okay?"

"Y-yes! I um. . . saw her running out of the bakery and escorted her to a rooftop a few blocks down. She told me everything!" I lied, my fingers pointing in all directions nervously.

"Good." The handsome blonde sighed in relief.

We sit there in an awkward silence. I take the time to decide what to do with the now useless akuma. It hasn't taken over anyone yet so it could still be very dangerous. On the other hand it could be quite useful to me and Chat.

"I should contact Chat Noir." I think out loud while pulling out my yoyo.

Adrien squirms nervously at my words before making his way to the bed. The contained akuma in hand. He sits down and faces his head to the ground.

"Are you okay Adrien?" I ask concerned.

"Yes, I am worried for Marinette." he replies with a pause, "She is never like this."

"Don't worry for her. She is safe, I made sure of it." I reassure him.

Turning my face towards my yoyo in hand I opened it to reveal my bug phone. I scroll through it and select Chat Noir's number. It dials and goes to voicemail. His annoying audio message playing through the phones speakers.

Cat got your tongue? Leave a message!

Adrien breaks into laughter and I roll my eyes. Chat isn't transformed, not good.

"Chat Noir, I need you to get over here. I have a loose akuma and need your help!" I end the voicemail and close my bug phone.

With nothing to do while we wait Adrien decides to start up a conversation.

"I am sure he will be here soon! Don't worry buga- I mean Ladybug!" He says with a nervous grin.

"Chat is one of the most reliable people I know, I can always count on him." I tell Adrien.

Another five minutes goes by without a word between us.

"How did you know?" Adrien asked me out of the blue.

"Know what?" I questioned him back.

"That there was an akuma." He says flatly.

"OH! Er- I saw an akuma alert!" I say and instantly slap myself mentally.

"Ladybug, there are no akuma alerts for a loose akuma, only an akumatized person." He says matter of factly.

I begin sweating, I don't have an excuse or an explanation. He is going to figure me out for sure! I quickly tried to think of another fake story.

"I was. . . was. . . was strolling by and noticed the akuma fly overhead." I fib.

Adrien looks at me, unconvinced.

"Are you lying?" He asked mischievously.

"N-NO! It's the truth!" I lie again.

"Ok, ok." he says, his hands coming up in defense, still unconvinced by my lie.

Adrien definitely knew I was lying and was suspicious. I had to come up with something or he could figure out my identity. My eyes dart around the room in thought. Finally I came up with something.

The truth.

"I was lying before." I say frankly.

Adrien looks up and watches me as I continue. I am not sure if I should continue. I breathe deeply and look deeply into his evergreen eyes. His beautiful golden locks framed his face perfectly as he looked down at me still sitting on the floor. The moonlight pouring in through the window behind his head made him glow and highlighted his edges.

The nervous tension pulsating through my body since he asked the question became stronger. I rubbed my gloved hands together nervously.

"I was in the area actually. . ." I pause, not sure if I can continue, " but I can't get into detail or it will jeopardize my identity. Please understand." I finished

He nods and smiles, "Of course I understand Ladybug. I shouldn't have made you feel so uncomfortable about it."

I am grateful this thoughtful boy was the one who had asked the question and not someone else. Anyone else would have pressured me into talking more. Adrien understood where I was.

I got up and embraced him in a hug. I could feel him stiffen but loosen and hug me back. This boy is too perfect.

I pull apart from the hug and sit next to him on the bed. I gaze out the window at the night sky, the stars twinkling and the moon acts as a spotlight on the beautiful city of paris. The lights from the eiffel tower and the buildings all over shine and glimmer.

Adrien gets up and walks towards the trap door.

"Where are you going?" I ask him.

He turns around, "I was going to go wait downstairs until the issue is solved. Maybe you could try calling Chat Noir again and wait for him at the Eiffel Tower. If he is touring the city he would see you and transform."

"Great thinking Adrien! I will do that. Bug out!" I call out as I make my way to the balcony.

The blond smiles and gives me a wave.

I climb through the window and step out onto the deck. My footsteps give a quiet echo, my long blue hair blowing behind me. I didn't even realize that when I had transformed, the suit hadn't put my hair in two ponytails like usual. I didn't think it mattered at the moment, brushing it off my shoulder.

I just extended my yoyo string and flew over the rooftops toward the famous tower in the center of the city.