Work Text:
What Didn't Kill You Made Me Stronger
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Ladybug was facing an akuma alone.
Well, she wasn't really alone- just temporarily.
Chat Noir had needed to duck away to feed Plagg after using a Cataclysm, leaving Ladybug to keep the akuma busy while she waited for his return.
It was a nasty akuma- not much in the way of physical damage, but would surely lead to a lot of therapy appointments in the coming days.
The akuma's power bound two people together, forcing each to live through the other's most painful memory.
So, keeping it from hitting civilians was paramount- the miracle cure wouldn't undo the psychological damage.
Which is why, when Ladybug saw the akuma targeting one Adrien Agreste, she jumped in the way of the attack, taking the blow for herself.
In hindsight, it was a stupid decision- it wouldn't stop the akuma from hitting Adrien as well. She was taking a hit for nothing.
But nonetheless it happened. So, Marinette saw Adrien's most painful memory.
She knew a fair bit about Adrien, so Marinette expected a memory relating to his mother's disappearance.
What Marinette didn't expect was to live through a memory she had participated in.
Adrien was talking to Ladybug, on a rooftop. They weren't far from the Eiffel Tower, in a spot that Ladybug and Chat usually passed by on patrol.
"Ladybug," Marinette felt herself say- felt *Adrien* say. "I love you, Ladybug. I'll always be here for you, whether as a friend, a partner, or something more."
Marinette could swear the words sounded familiar, but she couldn't for the life of her remember ever having spoken to Adrien on a rooftop.
Then Adrien's memory of Ladybug spoke.
"I'm sorry, Minou. There's someone else I love. A boy in my class. My heart belongs to him, Chat."
Marinette didn't understand what she was hearing. Adrien remembered a conversation Chat had? And it was Adrien's most painful memory?
Memory-bug swung away, across Paris, in the direction of the Dupain-Cheng Bakery.
Adrien- or, Chat- lay back on the roof.
"Claws in," he muttered.
Sure enough, a flash of green enveloped the memory, heralding the arrival of Plagg.
"I told you, kit. Ladybug's a lost cause. You should think about dating that Baker Girl."
"And I've told you, Plagg. The heart wants what it wants- I can't help that mine wants Ladybug any more than she can help that her heart doesn't want me."
Marinette felt a buzz in her pocket- Or, Adrien remembered a buzz in his.
Adrien grabbed his phone, unlocking it to check his texts.
*Marinette: 'Hey Adrien! Just wanted to check in, since we have that project Mme Bustier assigned this morning. Would you like to meet up tomorrow to work on it?'*
Adrien sighed, putting his phone down on the roof beside him.
"She likes you, you know," Plagg called.
"I've told you, Plagg. Even if you're right, I know how it feels to be rejected. I'd rather not put her through that if I can still pretend to think she doesn't like me."
"You don't have to reject her, you know."
"What am I supposed to do? I love Ladybug. That's not going to change."
"Maybe it doesn't have to change."
"So you'd have me lead her on? That's worse! You do see how that's worse, right?"
"Suit yourself, kitten. I'm just trying to help."
"Since when have you ever done anything selfless?"
"Never, and proud of it. I'm trying to help because I'm sick of your lovesick whining. Ladybug this, Ladybug that. You could be perfectly happy if you took my advice and went out with Baker Girl."
"You know that's not an option, Plagg. Firstly, you're wrong- Marinette and I are just friends. Secondly, as long as Ladybug is out there, I'm not going to fall for anyone else. And as long as she has her other boy, I'm doomed to be alone."
Marinette felt herself crying. Sure, Adrien was probably crying in the memory, but that was fading away. These were Marinette's own tears, realizing how much she'd hurt her best friend. How much she'd hurt her crush.
She was back in the present, in costume as Ladybug. Adrien was right there- because, Marinette realized, Chat had just slipped away to feed Plagg. She looked to him- her crush, her friend, her *Chatton.*
He looked devastated. So incredibly hurt.
Ladybug forgot all about the akuma. She scooped up her kitty, her Adrien, and held him tight. She never wanted to let go again.
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Adrien ducked into an alleyway, calling off his transformation. He threw a piece of cheese at Plagg, not caring to pay attention to whether it was caught.
The akuma was nearby, and Ladybug was facing it alone.
Adrien risked a peek from his hiding place, wanting to check on the fight. Ladybug was doing well, holding her own and keeping the akuma from zapping any civilians.
Then the akuma saw Adrien.
It probably didn't realize he was Chat- he was fairly certain noone had seen exactly where Chat had gone to recharge- but it definitely saw a target.
Adrien had no options. The only way to escape the blast was retreating into the alley, but then anyone following him- such as an akuma- would see Plagg. Even if they didn't see him, Adrien would be cornered with nowhere to go to transform.
So Adrien prepared himself to take the akuma's hit, steeling himself against whatever stranger's memory the akuma was going to show him.
The blast connected, and suddenly Adrien felt himself swinging through Paris. Ladybug's memory- a different akuma attack, a different time. Adrien was just along for the ride.
The akuma was Gorizilla- Adrien's bodyguard. In Ladybug's memory, she called out to Adrien- who had been held tight in Gorizilla's hand. Ladybug had managed to force the akuma to let Adrien go, and called for him to jump.
Naturally, Adrien had.
He'd jumped off the top of a skyscraper because Ladybug had told him to.
He remembered that moment- Plagg had begged for him to transform, and Adrien had refused. He knew that doing so would reveal his identity to the world. He also knew that Ladybug had a plan, and he'd never be hurt following her instruction.
What Adrien didn't remember about that moment was what he was experiencing now- Ladybug's recollection of it.
She swung in an arc towards the side of the building Adrien had jumped from, on a perfect trajectory to catch him, like he'd known she would.
Before she could connect, the akuma grabbed her. Ladybug was forced to watch as a civilian plummeted to their death, because of an order she'd given them.
Even though he knew he'd survived, Adrien still panicked. He was watching himself in free fall, with nothing to save him from the pavement.
At the last second, for no explicable reason, the akuma dropped Ladybug.
That was where the memory ended.
Adrien felt catatonic. He'd never known before how close he'd come to dying in that moment. How it had been up to Hawkmoth whether he'd lived or died.
Sure, he'd made sacrifice plays before- but he'd always done so knowingly. This was a whole other level.
The memory was over. There was another akuma to face. Adrien glanced up to Ladybug, who had such a guilty expression on her face he could've sworn she'd relived the same memory he had.
Adrien fully intended to turn and run. He had to find Plagg, after all, so he could transform and help Ladybug.
Before he could do anything, Ladybug had grabbed him. She held him in a death grip, crying into his shoulder.
Adrien had no idea what to do.
"Ladybug..." He said quietly. "Ladybug, there's an akuma. You should probably get to fighting it before Chat Noir rushes in on his own."
Ladybug held him tighter. "Chat Noir's not going to do that," she said stubbornly.
"He's done it before," Adrien pointed out, not bothering to try and free himself from Ladybug's grip.
"I won't let you," Ladybug insisted.
"You..." Adrien trailed off, not quite piecing together what Ladybug had said. "How do you plan to stop him when you're here with me?"
Ladybug grunted. "You stupid, mangy, cat! I'm never letting you go again."
And the penny dropped.
"You- ah," Adrien said quietly. "Well, I'm afraid you're going to have to. We have an akuma to take care of, m'lady."
"Never," Ladybug hissed. "And don't call me that, not without your mask. Someone might hear."
Adrien gulped. Ladybug could be scary, sometimes. It was one of the things he found most attractive about her.
"Yes ma'am," he squeaked. "If you'll excuse me," he said, his voice normal again, "I need to go see a cat about a cheese."
Ladybug didn't let go.
"...Ladybug?" Adrien asked cautiously. Whispering, he asked "Don't you think Chat Noir should be making an appearance?"
"I'm not ready," Ladybug mumbled.
"Please, Ladybug. I- I won't be careless this time. I promise. But we have to go, there's a city that needs us."
Wordlessly, Ladybug let go.
Adrien knew he had to leave her- find somewhere to transform.
He forced himself to look away from her heartbroken eyes and lovesick frown.
They had a lot to talk about, but Adrien did what he had to.
He set it aside, and did his job.