Chapter Text
It was a truth universally acknowledged that Marinette Dupain-Cheng would always get tongue-tied around Adrien Agreste. Thus, it stood to reason that Ladybug herself would also get tongue-tied around him. She just couldn’t help it. No matter who she was, she’d always be flustered by him.
However, what wasn’t universally acknowledged was Adrien getting tongue-tied around her. Thus, it came as quite a pleasant surprise when she got to see him blush and stutter around her. It was something that she had never even allowed herself to hope for, believing that she was the only one with a silly crush.
One evening, though, when Ladybug was swinging through Paris on her patrol, she caught sight of Adrien almost cowering in an alleyway. With a slight frown marring her face, she swung down to land behind him. Sucking in a deep breath for courage, Ladybug lifted a gloved hand up in a wave. “H-Hello. Are you alright?”
Adrien spun around in surprise, blinking up at her with a widening pair of green eyes. Slowly, much to her shock and delight, a red blush began to spread across his cheeks. Was Adrien blushing? Because of her? But all she had done was say hello.
He grinned at her almost nervously before shuffling on his feet. “O-oh, hello Ladybug. I-I’m fine. I was just, um, waiting to get home.” Adrien chuckled awkwardly, scratching the back of his neck. “You see, a new ad was released and, well, I’m guessing a lot of people saw it. Y-you don’t have to worry though! I’ll be alright! I’m sure you have other things to worry about on your patrol.”
He ended his sentence by staring at her rather earnestly. Not able to stop herself, though, a small smile began to spread across Ladybug’s lips. She knew the exact ad that he was talking about. Adrien looked absolutely stunning in the new summer advertisement that Gabriel had released. Suddenly, she was hit by a wave of fond memories of running through Paris with Adrien holding tightly onto her hand after the perfume ad was released.
Ladybug shook her head, stopping herself from sinking even further into her daydreams. Adrien needed help. Either as Ladybug or Marinette, she’d always be there to save him. Clearing her throat, her smile got a little wider as she glanced over at him from beneath her lashes shyly. “Oh d-don’t worry, Adrien. It’s my job to protect the citizens of Paris and it sounds like you need some help. It would be my honor to get you home safely.”
His emerald green eyes softened as his shoulders relaxed. He looked at her almost awestruck, causing her light pink flush to turn a shade darker. Quietly, he breathed out, “Wow... really?”
Her heart quickened its pace in her chest. She had never heard Adrien sound like that before. Biting down on her lip, Ladybug was about to respond when he shook his head. “I-I mean, uh, a-are you sure? I would hate to take up your time.”
“No no no! You wouldn’t be taking up any of my time,” she rushed out quickly, eager to reassure him. Feeling her cheeks warm once again at how desperate she sounded, Ladybug quickly moved her gaze away from his, hoping that would ease some of her flustered stutterings. Grinning down at her yo-yo, she began to twirl it around. “I don’t mind giving you a lift home if, um, y-you don’t either...?”
Please say yes... please say yes, she practically prayed in her thoughts. Sneaking a glance up at him, a delighted shock raced through her at the blush that was quickly spreading across Adrien’s face. Wow... maybe some of her Ladybug luck had finally rubbed off on her. She had never thought that she could get that kind of reaction from him.
“I-I would absolutely love that, Ladybug,” Adrien murmured, running a hand through his hair.
Trying to hide her happy squeal and beam, she pulled him closer to her, feeling warmth spread inside her as his side gently brushed against hers. Holding Adrien tightly in her arms was one of the best feelings in the world. Maybe... if she was really lucky... another ad would release and she would get to rescue him once more. Shooting a glance at his smiling face, Ladybug didn’t think Adrien would exactly complain either.
A flood of butterflies welled up inside her. She didn’t have time to squeal about them, though. Right now, Adrien was in trouble and she was going to save him. She’d have plenty of time in her room later to freak out over the meaning of his stammerings and blushes. Until then, though, she would keep her cool.
With a determined nod to herself, Ladybug wrapped her yo-yo around a building’s chimney, pulling them both up into the air. As they began to swing through the streets of Paris, Adrien buried his face even more into her side, protecting it from the wind rushing around them. Sighing happily, she tightened her grip even more, cradling him to her protectively. This was definitely going to be the best patrol of her life.
However, unfortunately for Ladybug, they were but a short distance away from Adrien’s house. She only had a few, brief, amazing moments of holding him to her. Of course, they would be forever seared into her mind, though, just like the time she got to protect him when Riposte attacked. It was definitely going to be a memory that featured heavily in her daydreams later.
When Ladybug finally swung in through his bedroom window, which was surprisingly open, she allowed herself one last second of holding onto him before letting go, forcing herself to take a step back. Adrien’s eyes slowly fluttered open and she practically jumped for joy inside at just how flustered he looked. Pink was dusted across his cheeks as he grinned over at her rather shyly. “Thank you for saving me, Ladybug.”
“N-no problem, Adrien.” She beamed, feeling happier than she had in months. “Like I said, it was my honor to protect a citizen in danger.”
His flush darkened before he took a step closer to her. “It, um, really meant a lot to me.”
Why did he have to be so adorable? With her heart practically melting in her chest and, feeling a sudden rush of confidence, Ladybug closed the distance and brushed a kiss against his cheek. “I’ll always be here to protect you, Adrien,” she whispered.
He brought a hand up to cradle his cheek, staring at her with a wide, dazed pair of eyes as his lips parted with surprise. “Thank goo. I-I mean, thank you.”
Not daring to speak for fear of babbling out something even more incoherent, Ladybug simply gave him another smile and a wave. Taking her yo-yo, she flung herself out of his bedroom. When she got home she was absolutely going to squeal about this to Tikki for the rest of her day. And maybe... just maybe... she’d be able to figure out what she did so that she could replicate it as Marinette.