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Tripping over his feet, he scanned frantically for any sign of red in the crowd. When he’d shown up to distract the akuma, she had been cut and badly bruised. Even though she probably wouldn’t answer if transformed, he took out his phone to call her.
Before he could even open the app, strong arms wrapped around his neck, and the familiar scent of strawberry shampoo calmed his nerves. Ladybug slammed him against the brick wall of the alleyway, attacking him with a flurry of lips and teeth.
He’d merely begun kissing her back when he tasted the saltiness. Tears rolled down his fingers where he held her face.
She pulled away, eyes livid and spilling. “Are you insane?”
Adrien, still recovering from the whiplash, wiped at his mouth. He was vaguely aware that they weren’t fully hidden from public view. The desperation in her voice hurt enough to make him forget.
“What made you think,” Ladybug continued, “that running… running into a fight detransformed– Adrien, you weren’t even–”
He cut her off with another searing kiss, gripping her waist tighter to him. “She had you,” he managed to whisper between kisses, “cornered and I couldn’t–” She captured his mouth again– “just stand there…” Ladybug made to lean in, once more, but he held her back, not meeting her gaze. “While you were killed.”
He could only mouth the last word. For a small eternity, they stood in each other’s arms, calming their shallow breaths.
Bringing his chin up and caressing his cheek, Ladybug muttered, “You could have been killed, Kitty.”
He traced soothing circles on her spine. “Marinette–” She gasped in surprise at his use of her name, in costume– “My Lady,” he corrected in more hushed tones, “whether or not I’m Chat Noir, I’ll always be your partner.”
“You idiot,” she sputtered, rising to her toes in search of his lips.
He obliged, flipping them around to better hide her from view. Her gloved fingertips, slid up his neck, to the base of his scalp, pulling at the hair from his roots. They stayed entangled until the afternoon sun tired to a pink.
With every loving touch and every sigh, he poured in every ounce of the love he’d been terrified of losing earlier that day. No threat would ever come that close again.