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Robin dove to the side, narrowly avoiding a bright pink heart shaped blast. "Anyone know what this thing is!?" he called out into the mind link.
The chorus of no s was not reassuring as he readied a few birdarangs in his hands hearing the soft zip and the sound of someone landing in the alley he had taken cover in.
He peered around the dumpster, spotting the ladybug themed hero they'd seen fighting Eros. He let out a silent breath of relief, stowing the birdarangs away as a rapid beeping was heard. The bright flash of red drew his attention back to the spotted heroine to find her now in civvies.
"Oh, Marinette!" Eros called out.
The girl paled, reaching into her bag, pulling out a cookie and handing it to the red bug thing he saw sitting in her hand.
"Move!" he yelled, rushing out of his hiding spot to tackle her out of the way, as Artemis yelled in his mind.
"Guys, do not get hit!"
"Why?"
"Kid Idiot here got hit and now won't let go of me!"
"It's not bad being hit. It's relaxing and nice. You should let Eros whammy you. Feel the love."
"Disconnecting Wally."
He tuned out of the conversation as he focused on the girl in front of him. Her eyes glanced around quickly, taking in what was happening before trying to stand up. He quickly stood, helping her up.
“Are you okay?”
She didn’t answer him as she grabbed his wrist, shoving something, the bug thing?, in her bag before pulling him along behind her, avoiding the small side streets and going straight for the main road, putting as much distance in a short time between them and Eros.
“Don’t you think it’s risky running out in the open?”
“He knows I’d usually go for the alleys. He’ll be looking there,” she shot back, pulling off into the gardens coming to a rest in the covered tunnel created by rose-covered trellises before slowing to a stop, finally letting go of his wrist, catching her breath slightly, her cheeks rosy from the sprinting.
“What is that?” he asked.
“An akuma.”
“I need a bit more information than that, beautiful,” he replied, blinking as he heard himself say that last part. Where’d that come from? She was beautiful, yes he wouldn’t lie about that but he wasn’t trying to flirt. Not in the middle of hiding from Eros.
She leaned closer, eyes narrowing slightly as she looked at him, concern clear as her blue eyes as they met the lenses of his mask.
“Were you hit?”
“I don’t think so. I didn’t feel anything anyways,” he said, checking his suit and finding no signs of damage. “No sign of anything hitting me either.”
She let out a breath, shaking her head in annoyance at what he said, before launching into what sounded like both an explanation for him and thinking out loud for her.
“It’s not going to leave any noticeable effect. Love akumas, they're vague . It’s going to be something subtle. Acting out of character, extremely out of character singing, lip color, a small mark, eye color….” she trailed off, looking at him, eyes roaming as she studied him. “Eyes. It’s the eye color. Can I see your eyes?”
It didn’t even register to him that he was a half a second away from pulling his mask off for her, until he felt the slight pull from the mask. He grit his teeth quickly pulling his hands away from his face.
She frowned slightly as she watched. “A graze then.”
“What does that mean?”
“It’s going to be slow and gradual, not immediate like it would have been had you been hit directly. It’ll feel like a more natural progression instead of the instant obsession,” she said, pursing her lips before starting her next thought. “So-”
“So soon enough you’ll be the only thing on my mind. I should leave,” he finished her thought.
She nodded. “Thank you for taking the hit. It’s pretty much game over if I go down and unfortunately I’m the main target.”
So she was Marinette. A pretty name for a beautiful girl. He shook his head, taking a few steps away from her.
“I should go.”
The idea of leaving her behind felt wrong . She only nodded.
"Your team. Get them underground please. It'll keep them safe and out of my- Ladybug’s way."
"Out of the way? We can help."
"You are going to be useless to them within the hour most likely, and they were going for brute strength. You can't fight and win this without losing yourself. You need to use your brain and tricks and it'll be easier for me to do that if they aren't in the way. At least keep myself out of trouble until Ladybug shows up. Now go."
He nodded, taking off in the opposite direction, ignoring the soft tug in his gut for him to go back and stay with her.
“Miss M, disconnect me.”
“Robin, is everything okay?”
“I got grazed by a blast. Mar- Ladybug says I’m still hit, just going to take a bit longer for the full force to hit me. She wants you guys to get underground, take cover in the sewers. Safest place, she doesn’t want other heroes getting hit and in her way.”
"We can hel-"
"She doesn't want it."
"Okay. Stay safe."
With that they were gone, that was a mistake for him. Without the team’s talking in the back of his mind he found it harder and harder to keep his thoughts from straying back to her. Her blue eyes and pigtails, her freckles, her concern for him despite being the one Eros was targeting.
Eros was targeting her.
She was a target.
Why was he walking away from her when she was the main target. He could protect her. Why leave when he could stay close and keep her safe.
He didn’t know when he switched directions and started making his way back to the rose covers tunnel and that scared him. That was- that was disconcerting. He wasn’t in control, not fully. That was terrifying.
He stopped his path back to the rose trellises when he caught the spotted heroine swing by in his peripheral. He didn’t even think as he grappled up landing behind her as she scanned the city, heart racing as he got close, breath catching slightly.
“Marinette-”
She turned her eyes snapping to meet his, wide before they narrowed slightly, she taking a few steps back.
“I’m not sure what you mean.”
“I saw you detransform,” he admitted. “I wasn’t aware there was a hero in Paris.”
“Heroes. There’s two of us. We’re partners,” she informed him, a pang of jealousy shooting through him at the word partners.
She was taken already. Of course she was. She was amazing and beautiful and kind and a hero to top it off. Of course she was unavailable. He was too late.
“Then where’s your partner ?”
“That is my partner,” she hissed, pointing out towards the city.
“Eros?”
“That’s what he’s going by at the minute isn’t it,” she bit out.
“Bit much for a lovers spat don’t you think?”
“No! We’re not- I’m single. That’s why I’m in this mess in the first place. Valentine’s continues to prove a pain to me and my life,” she muttered. “Love akumas everytime.”
He couldn’t help the grin that came with the wave of relief as she said that she was single. “We could change that.”
“I’m not going to date a stranger.”
“Hi I’m Robin. Also known as Dick Grayson.”
“Well that complicates everything,” she breathed out, cheeks growing pink.
“But we’re no longer strangers. No secrets now. Simple.”
“We’ll see how you feel about that after I take care of Eros,” she muttered.
“We.”
“We?”
“I’m going to help you. I want to protect you.”
“Protect- You-” She started but broke off as she looked at him. “How are you feeling?”
“Better now that I’m with you. Concerted,” he answered, crunching his face quickly.” No, scratch that, disconcerted. Struggling to focus on anything other than you. I don’t have a problem with that though, love.”
Her sharp exhale was the only warning that something was happening, before she’d grabbed him and pulled him out of the way of another blast. Into her. He didn’t hesitate in hugging her. This was right. He belonged here. In her arms.
The feeling of being right where he belonged continued as she tried to dive out of the way, rolling and narrowly missing the blast, letting out a small huff as Robin held onto her.
“Robin, I need you to let go.”
“Why would I do that?”
“Because I need to put everything right, and I can’t do that while you are hugging me.”
“Everything’s perfect right now though.”
“Well, almost,” Eros’ voice cut in. “Ladybug here still doesn’t believe that she deserves to love or be loved. What do you think, Robin?”
“She’s beautiful and strong and amazing and kind and sweet. She deserves the world.”
Eros laughed looking at the two. “I like how he thinks. I think I’m a pretty good matchmaker if I do say so myself, so if you would please just let me work my magic on you Ladybug. We’ll be all set,” he said before launching his attack, slowly growing more frustrated as his attacks continued to be blocked by the currently over affectionate hero hugging her as if there was no tomorrow.
“Sorry, Eros. Looks like you can’t get to me because someone already has,” she told him with a grin.
Eros grit his teeth, grabbing Robin and prying him off of Ladybug, not expecting the young vigilante to put up a fight, the two struggling mid-air as Ladybug threw her yoyo, hitting Eros smack dab in the forehead and knocking the rose tucked behind his ear out.
He yelled out in pain, dropping Robin, the vigilante barely having the time to feel the sensation of freefall before he saw Ladybug dive off the roof, catching the rose before angling herself towards Robin, sweeping him into her arms as she threw her yoyo, bringing to a safe landing on the ground and crushing the rose.
She wasted no time in de-evilising the akuma, giving Robin a quick once over before muttering a quiet, “Wait here please,” and rushing off, rose in hand towards the blonde boy sitting on the curb.
“I’m so sorry, Princess. I didn’t mean-”
“I’m the one who should be apologizing. I shouldn’t have dismissed everything as harshly as I did.”
“But I shouldn’t have pushed.”
She laughed softly, wrapping an arm around him. “It just means that you care. Now if I recall correctly you and Luka have a date that you need to get ready for?”
“What about you?”
She gave him a soft smile. “I have my own date with a little bird I have to get wrapped up and taken care of. Don’t worry about me.”
The boy who had been Eros looked over at Robin, sizing him up before grinning at him. “You two would be cute together,” he said, waggling his eyebrows.
Ladybug rolled her eyes, giving him an affectionate shove. “Get going you mangy cat,” she shook her head, as he ran off laughing, choosing to instead make her way over to Robin. “Mind if we go somewhere a bit more private?” she asked. He nodded, readying his grapple when he felt her lightly touch his back. “We’re going to travel via yoyo if that’s okay. I’m almost out of time and it’ll be a bit faster.”
“Go for it.”
She smiled, wrapping her arms around him and throwing her yoyo letting it extend and holy how far did that thing go - before giving a small yank and pulled the two of them through the air. He cackled in delight as she repeated the action a couple of times before landing on a roof, letting him go as her earrings beeped, and the bright red flash enveloped her leaving Marinette behind along with the little bug thing.
“Robin, this is Tikki, Kwamii of Creation.”
“It’s nice to meet you,” the kwamii said, flying up so it was eye level with him.
“Uh You too, Tikki.”
“Tikki, there’s some fresh macarons on my desk.”
“Are you sure?” the kwamii asked, looking at her wielder. Marinette simply flicked her eyes over at Robin, the small creature simply giving a hum in response and density shifted through the roof. He blinked, staring at the spot where it had disappeared.
“What was that?”
“Tikki? A kwamii. Think of them as miniature gods, representing concepts. Tikki is Good Luck and Creation, her counterpart Plagg is Bad Luck and Destruction. But kwamii’s aren’t the subject of this discussion. How are you feeling? What do you remember?”
Robin sat for a second before answering. “I remember the alley, watching you detransform and tackling you out of the way. The rose tunnel, almost taking my mask off, telling you- B’s going to kill me,” he groaned.
“So you remember sharing your identity?”
“Were you not going to say anything?!”
She shrugged. “I was saving that break out for later but if you didn’t remember it I wasn’t going to say it. I would have, and still will if you want, considered it forgotten. You weren’t in your right mind at the time. How are you feeling?”
“Back to normal mostly.”
“Mostly?”
“I mean my heart still races a bit when I look at you. You’re still there in my thoughts. They’re just not overwhelming and invasive. I can focus on things other than you. How long will the lingering effects last?”
Marinette looked away, her cheeks turning red as she blushed. “Um. Those are not lingering effects. There’s only a few minutes of confusion after everything gets set back. Those are- um- those are your own,” she finished softly, refusing to meet his eyes.
Robin felt his own cheeks heat up. “Oh. Well in that case-” he reached up and pulled his mask off and held a hand out. “I think I established this earlier but Dick Grayson, Gotham’s Boy Wonder. And I developed a crush on you in an afternoon.”
Her eyes widened before she smiled softly, taking his hand with her own. “Marinette Dupain-Cheng, Paris’s own Ladybug. And I’ve had a celebrity crush on you for a while.”
“Is that so?”
She laughed, taking his mask from him, gently placing it on his face before pressing a kiss to his cheek.
“Goodnight Robin. I hope I see you again.”
“I’ll make sure of it. Good night, Marinette.”
He watched as she expertly climbed down before disappearing into her room, getting ready to grapple away as he turned, catching a cat themed boy landing on the chimney.
“I’m running late for this but wanted to make sure two things were made clear,” the cat told him, not giving Robin the chance to say anything. “One. If you hurt her in any way, no where will be safe for you and they will never find the body. Two. Her number and email. Don’t let her slip away,” he warned, handing Robin a delicate pink card with her name printed out in curling golden letters.
“Thank you.”
“Happy Valentine’s Day, Robin,” was the only response before the two boys split ways.
And if Marinette woke up the next morning to a bouquet of flowers and box of chocolates accompanied with the number and email of Bruce Wayne’s ward, well a slightly belated Valentine’s never hurt anyone.