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She feels her heart stop in her chest.
He’s lying down, a piece of the deteriorating building that surrounds them stuck right through his side. His hand presses against where it rests, and she scrambles over to him.
That stupid cat.
—-
It shouldn’t have been this bad.
The akuma had been quiet at first, and Ladybug hadn’t quite known what to do. So she had studied it, looking for anything that could attack, or where the akumatized object was.
She had sent Chat Noir to escort the citizens out of the area, because even if the akuma wasn’t attacking at the moment, it didn’t mean they never would.
The sun was barely peeking over the horizon, and it was far too early for this battle. It was too early for anything really.
She hadn’t slept enough the night before, and the akuma alert had jolted her out of much need sleep, so she was still rubbing her eyes when the akuma turned around.
She watched as the akuma’s hand extended, some kind of blast forming in the palm of their hand. Her brain was moving too slowly, much too slowly. She really only registered that the blast was leaving their hand as someone slammed into her, pushing her out of the range.
The blast went right into the building behind him and her beloved Chaton pushed her away as the street collapsed around them, pieces of ruble falling down around them. She barely had the time to think how glad she was that the citizens had been evacuated before the ground she stood on crumbled, and she fell.
The fall startled her brain into being awake, better than any cup of coffee, and she reached for her yo-yo, hurling it for something, anything to slow her descent. She’s no good to anyone passed out.
She manages to hook it round a spare piece of pipe that pokes from the grimey walls of the sewer. Somehow she always ends up in the sewer.
Lowering herself down, she retracts the string. The tunnel behind her is well and truly collapsed, full of what’s clearly the pieces of the street. It then hits her. Chat Noir.
She’s running down the tunnel, looking for any sign of him. It’s eerily quiet, too quiet. What she wouldn’t give for the stupidest pun, any pun really. Her legs burn, her eyes burn, and she feels the slightest bit of blood at her temple. So clearly she hadn’t escaped the fall as unscathed as she’d thought.
She runs until she sees it, the stupid remains of the building the blast meant for her had hit. And next to the rubble, is her Chaton.
“Nice of you to drop in my lady.” He grins lazily at her, his voice raspy and his breathing uneven. She’s sure her breathing isn’t all that great either once she notices the giant piece of building embedded in his side.
“That's not a pun minou.” She whispers, falling to her knees, her hands shaking as she feels the heat of his blood. It makes her feel as though her red suit is awful, the color of blood. His blood.
“You’re bleeding.” He slurs, his mouth twisting into a frown. He reaches his hand up, thumb wiping wearily at her forehead.
“So are you.” She replies. She needs to fix this, needs to get him out of here. He keeps frowning at her.
“You were right, it was a shit joke,” He ignores her statement. “I can do way better if you give me more time.”
“I’ll give you all the time you need, I promise. Just hold on.” She presses desperately against the wound, but there’s only so much she can do. She’s also pretty sure the rubble will crush him if she can’t get him out of here.
“You gotta let my puns sink in, that’s what makes them good.” He’s still not focusing, still muttering about puns.
Ladybug uses one hand to press against the wound, trying to apply pressure, trying desperately to keep him awake.
“Chaton are you with me?” She asks. Her voice is wavering. She doesn’t have time for her voice to fail her now. She needs to keep going, keep working, and she can do it, she can save him.
“I’m here.” He responds, voice stronger. It seems as though the pressure on his wound has given him more clarity.
“I need you to apply pressure to your wound as I pull you out of here. And I need you to stay with me.” She clears her throat. Her partner nods, and he shifts his hands, pressing down where her hand was.
Ladybug breathes, sliding her hands under the piece building that is impaling her partner. She pulls and nearly drops the rubble when he lets out a cry. She never wants to hear him make that noise again.
“We’re almost there, I promise.” She hooks a hand around his waist and pulls him away, letting the debris fall once she’s pulled him clear.
“Don’t let go of me.” He murmurs as she pulls him closer. His hands are still pressed against the wound, which is bleeding so much more now.
“Lucky charm.” She calls, begging for something directly applicable to fall into her lap. And for once, it does. A red and black spotted bandage falls from nowhere, and she nearly cries in relief.
She shifts him, giving herself room to wrap the bandage tightly around him. He keeps making pained whines and she feels her heart shatter with each one.
“My lady,” Chat Noir rasps, his hand clutching at hers. “You have to go.”
“I-” She shakes her head, her voice failing her. Looking at him, clinging to her hand, it’s a far cry from when she’d first pulled him free of the rubble. He’s alert, his eyes scanning hers. But still, she can’t do it. She can’t let go of his hand and abandon him.
“You have to defeat the akuma, and then I’ll be alright. You’ve done what you can for me now.” The clarity in his eyes is fading and she knows he’s right.
“Chaton, listen to me. However hard you’re clinging to life right now, grab on harder. Don’t let go. Not before I save you.” She leans forward, pressing a kiss against his cheek. He’s unreactive, so she squeezes his hand once and with that, she drops his hand.
She will save her Chaton.
—-
Her throat aches.
That’s her first thought. Her second is that blood dries way too sticky.
The large purple and black butterfly emerges from the shattered object, and she feels the dried blood cling to her gloves as she swings her yo-yo at it. It’s caught inside with a satisfying snap and she purifies it with little enthusiasm.
She’s not really sure where the enthusiasm went.
She looks for the stupid lucky charm she summoned during the battle, not the one she had summoned in the sewers. It’s a spotted trash can lid, and she doesn’t feel much like shouting miraculous ladybug. The swarm of magic ladybugs zoom throughout the city regardless. They swirl around where the wrecked buildings were inside the sewer with her and her partner.
“Ladybug, where is Chat Noir?” A reporter voices a question she hadn’t had a chance to name. She turns, looking for him in the place he had been before the street had collapsed.
“I…” Her voice fails her again. She looks at the face of the reporter, the face of the akuma victim who now sits on a curb staring down at their hands. Could she really do any of this without him? Could she bear to face their city, let alone Hawkmoth, without him? She doesn’t think so.
“Right by my lady’s side as always.” An arm lands around her shoulder, the steady rumble of her partner’s voice more comforting than she’d ever thought possible.
“Right, he’s… he was right behind me.” She knows she leans against him, but she really hopes it’s not noticeable to the cameras.
“Unfortunately, we’ve got to head out.” Clearly he’s noticed, as he’s ushering her away as fast as he can. He salutes the camera and she watches as he glides off into the sky.
“Bug out.” She mumbles, going after him. She lands on a rooftop where he waits. The bandage lucky charm from earlier was gone, and he looked lucid, focused, whole, and alive.
She surprises herself when she sprints at him, jumping right into his arms. He stumbles back a little as she clings to him, but his arms rise to meet her, to hold her against him. He’s warm and he’s breathing and he’s alive and she saved him, he’s okay.
She nearly cries right there.
“My lady, the lovely bandage you gave me vanished, so I can’t give it back to you.” He mumbles, his chest rumbling as she buries her face into his shoulder. She needs to feel him breathe, and even the sensation of him talking is comforting, reassuring her that he’s okay.
“I don’t want the bandage.” She whispers and he chuckles in response.
“I wouldn’t want it either.” He tells her. She lets out a half laugh, half choked sob. It only makes Chat Noir pull her closer, his hands rubbing soothing circles on her back.
“Don’t let go.” She tells him as she buries her face further into his chest. He lets out a hum in acknowledgment and she sighs.
“I’m not going anywhere,” He whispers, and she nods against him. “You and me against the world.”
“You and me against the Parisian sewer system.” She mutters. It’s a dumb joke, but she’s tired, and the warmth of her Chaton is making her sleepy.
“You should take a nap. You’re a sleepy bug.” He tucks her more firmly into his lap. She’s not sure at what point they sat on the rooftop.
“Don’t let go of me.” She mumbles into his shoulder.
“Never.” He promises, the lightest of kisses brushing against her cheek.
“I wouldn’t let go of you either.” She murmurs as she slides into sleep, comforted by the steady breaths of her partner.