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The whoosh of air around Adrien wasn't comforting. It was downright terrifying, especially coupled with the ground closing up on him. But he hadn't had another option, right? Jumping off the rooftop of Montparnasse to escape Gorizilla had seemed like the only way out.
He trusted Ladybug. If she thought that this would work, he'd never doubt it.
But as he rushed toward the crowd that had gathered at the base of the tower, with only Plagg's cheese jokes to keep him company, he hoped that she would hurry up. He couldn't risk transforming mid-air, out there for everyone to see. Maybe it was silly to put his secret identity before his own life but he knew how important this was to Ladybug.
And he was doing this for her. Because he believed in her and...
The string wrapping around him and pulling him back from the brink snatched his breath away. Then he collided with something solid and warm and his heart stopped for a second, before triumph and relief sent his pulse way up.
He knew that it was her and yet when he looked over his shoulder and saw her there, smiling reassuringly at him, it was as if he was falling all over again. Not literally this time, but falling for her. He was so stupidly and irrevocably in love with his lady, it hit him with the force of a full drop from a skyscraper.
As she somehow managed to unfurl her yo-yo, use it to anchor in a beam somewhere up high, and steady them to a smooth glide while still holding onto him, because she was this awesome, he couldn't take his eyes off her.
Maybe it was the near-death experience that made him feel like that. There was definitely still adrenaline coursing through him. But there was something different about her.
She was looking at him in a way that was straight out of some of his best dreams - all soft eyes and rosy cheeks. As if she couldn't believe that she was lucky enough to be there with him, not the other way around.
It made him forget where he was, who he was, not to mention everyone who was watching. It was all her - so close, so real, so welcoming - that he couldn't resist the impulse to kiss her.
And, goodness, it was amazing to feel her lips against his. He had no memory of that first kiss that had taunted him from a sneaky photo taken while she was saving him form Dark Cupid. He couldn't believe that he could forget something like this. But he now had another chance and he was sure that he was never going to forget this.
Especially not the way she was kissing him back. She had clearly changed her mind because she had never before been receptive of his advances before. And now, well, she wasn't rolling her eyes and telling him to forget about it. She was actually kissing him!
Loud cheers and the hard ground suddenly appearing under his feet brought him down to Earth with a bang. His eyes flew open to look into Ladybug's and he instantly knew that he had messed up.
No, he wasn't Chat Noir and his lady hadn't had a surprising change of heart. She had been kissing Adrien, without knowing that he was her partner.
And everyone around them clearly had loud opinions about it. They were still clearly celebrating his miraculous saving, but the confusion at the unexpectedly affectionate scene before them was obvious. Much too late, Adrien realised that the sparks he had attributed to the kiss had been flashes as everyone on the ground rushed to capture the moment for posterity.
There was no way to just pretend this hadn't happened.
"I'm so sorry, m'l-um, Ladybug," he quickly corrected himself, hoping that his expression and his voice made the regret he now felt very clear.
"You got carried away, it's ok," Ladybug mumbled, her cheeks flushed as she looked away.
"Thank you so much for saving me, but I shouldn't have... "
"This is on me too, we-we both did it," she shot him a look.
There was so much he wished he could say, about what his meant and so much more. But they both realised that this wasn't the time or place for it.
"Let's go," he sighed, dragging her away from the crowd and the akuma that was still after him.
The rest of the day was a blur. Trying to get away from Ladybug in order to transform while still dealing with all the awkwardness between them hadn't been easy. Tricking her and everyone else with Wayhem's help had left him feeling like a coward. He hated lying. He hated hiding. Especially with Ladybug. And he had gone and made it so much worse.
It was late when Adrien got home and he didn't feel like talking to anyone, but he couldn't escape his father. He ambushed him in his room and to his surprise pulled him into a tight hug.
"I'm so glad that you're alright, Adrien," he said.
"Oh, you heard?" Adrien tried to laugh it off.
"It was all over the news," his father gave him a look, before reaching for the remote to turn the TV on.
And this was how Adrien found out that there had been a news crew nearby and they had caught it all on camera. The whole scene, including the kiss, was there in HD. So much for hoping that people would just forget about it.
"Well, it was just... not a big deal," he tried to downplay the obvious absurdity of it all. He had been falling from a skyscraper. He had been saved by a superhero, who he had then kissed. No one's imagination could possibly come up with this. To believe that it was real was beyond him. And he had been there.
"You could have been terribly hurt. But Ladybug saved you, thankfully," his father sighed.
"Of course she did. I never doubted it." The words were out of his mouth without his consent, his faith in her so deeprooted.
"And you weren't subtle in showing your gratitude," another sharp look told him that his father wasn't about to let this go.
"It was a stupid thing. I got caught in the moment and... " He shrugged.
"She didn't seem to mind."
He couldn't help bristling at his father's comment, quickly looking for an excuse on Ladybug's behalf.
"She probably didn't want to cause a scene."
"Good for her. Although the publicity certainly hasn't been bad for us."
It was only just now hitting Adrien how far-reaching the repercussions from this could be.
"I'm sorry but I will take the full blame for this," he insisted.
"You don't need to," a shadow of a smile replaced the stern expression usually on his father's face. "You're just a teenager that fell victim to his overwhelming emotions. It's a story as old as time. No one would really think to hold it against you."
The condescending tone really irked Adrien and he did his best to stifle his irritation at the commentary.
"I guess," he spat out.
"All's well that ends well. Don't fret, Adrien," his father fully smiled. "I feel inspired, in fact. We can incorporate some superhero elements into our new collection. Think about it, people will go crazy seeing you in Ladybug-themed clothes."
"Father, no," Adrien exclaimed, the thought of anyone, especially his father, taking advantage of this situation, made him feel sick. He could imagine how humiliating such a reminder of this accident would be for Ladybug.
"It was just an idea," his father barked out a laugh, but he could swear that the calculating look in his eyes had been all too real. "Or maybe we can arrange a photoshoot for you with Ladybug. I'm sure that she will agree."
"I sure hope that you're joking, although even for this it's too soon," Adrien grumbled.
"I'm just relieved that you're alright. I want to celebrate. And you're acting as if I'm a villain plotting your downfall. Relax, my boy," he added with a pat on Adrien's back. "Although I can imagine that doing so now will be hard for you."
"I will feel better after I get some rest, you're right," Adrien forced himself to reassure his father.
But he was sure that he wasn't getting any rest anytime soon because his father's words had just made him realise that Hawk Moth had probably seen the news as well. And while Chat Noir hadn't been involved in this, Ladybug could be targeted because of it. Because of him.
He couldn't help rushing to patrol later on, still worried. But when he arrived there, it was Ladybug who struck, not giving him time to ask how she was.
"I guess that you saw the news," she said instead of a greeting, looking nervous as he tried to recalibrate.
"I did," he admitted. Altough in his case, there hadn't been anything he hadn't known before watching the news. She just didn't know.
"I'm sorry, kitty, I didn't mean for you to find out like that... I really didn't want to hurt you." She looked really concerned for his reaction.
It took him a moment to switch from his point of view to hers. She was worried about him? How could her saving Adrien and this being shown on TV hurt him?
And then it hit him.
"Is Adrien Agreste the other guy?" he asked in disbelief. This.. this would certainly explain a lot.
"Um, yeah, I thought it was obvious after today."
The first instinct Adrien had was to grin at her and tell her just how happy this made him. Almost too late he realised that this would be a very bad idea.
"Oh. It's ok," he shrugged, although he hung his head as if in defeat. "I would have found out sooner or later."
"I wish it hadn't been so on the nose," she sighed.
"You just got caught in the moment. It happens."
"I guess this is what it was to him, it makes sense." Now she sounded sad.
"Don't be so sure," he said much too quickly, making her look sharply at him. "I mean, he looked positively smitten." Worse. He was making all this worse.
"Do you think so?" Now she looked so hopeful, he wanted to kick himself.
"Maybe you should talk to him about this, to clear things up," he made a face.
"No way. I think we should pretend it never happened," she shook her head, as if his suggestion was outrageous.
"Is this what you want?" He asked quietly.
Of course, this would be for the best. He couldn't really tell her that he was in love with her. Not as Adrien. It would make zero sense. Then again, how she managed to have feelings for him was a mystery as well.
"It would be the responsible thing," she said firmly. "Also, I bet that we will be old news by tomorrow."
Ladybug laughed at that and Adrien couldn't resist joining in, even though he couldn't voice his similar hope.
***
The next morning dawned bright and noisy. Adrien's phone was overheating from notifications and one look at it told him that their hopes had been in vain.
"The new celebrity couple with a whirlwind romance - Ladybug and Adrien Agreste. A kiss to mark a truly miraculous saving."
That first headline accompanying a photo of the kiss itself he saw made him groan as he rubbed the sleep from his eyes. He had slept after all. Talking to Ladybug had helped. But seeing all this, he had a feeling that things were just going to get worse.
His phone pinged with an incoming message.
Adrikins, what in the world is this ridiculous story about you being with Ladybug?
Oh no, even Chloe was onto this! For her to be reading the news so early, it was really bad.
Just celebrity gossip, Chloe, you know how it is. They are making a mountain out of a molehill.
Are you sure? This kiss doesn't look innocent at all.
Ladybug saved me from certain death. I might have been a bit too grateful, but you can't hold it against me.
Well, I certainly can understand getting caught up in superhero worship, Ladybug is just amazing! But I can't help being a little jealous.
Adrien smiled to himself. Chloe admitting this much was a big deal. But he also knew that with her it was more about possessiveness and less about genuine feelings. Or so he hoped at least.
See, anyone in my place would have done the same. You're still my favourite childhood friend, you know, he added for good measure.
And don't you forget it!
When Adrien got to school, it was like his first day there but also worse. Everyone was looking at him, whispered conversations still reaching his ears as he walked to his classroom. And there, he was accosted by an overenthusiastic Kim.
"Hey loverboy! You went and scored yourself a superhero!" He welcomed him with a hearty slap on the back.
"Nothing like that," Adrien chuckled. "Learn not to believe everything you read in the papers."
"Or see in the news?" Max asked thoughtfully. "They're supposed to present the facts."
"The video footage definitely was worth more than a thousand words," someone commented from the back.
"Seriously, dude, what happened?" Nino looked at Adrien with confusion that he couldn't understand at first. Then he caught him looking at Alya who was shooting daggers at him as she had an arm protectively wrapped around Marinette... who was looking resolutely at her desk, but her cheeks were red.
A look around the room told him that very few of their classmates seemed to share Kim's enthusiasm over the news. Most of them were looking at Marinette with concern as if this particular transgression on Adrien's part had somehow been targeted at her. He was beyond confused.
"It was a mess, Nino," he said tiredly. "I was this close to becoming a blood splash on the pavement. How the news are framing this is the least of my concerns."
"You're fine, though," Alix said pointedly.
"Thanks to Ladybug, yes," Adrien shot back.
"So this was a kiss to thank her?" Alya asked, her curiosity clearly taking precedence over her concern for her friend at least for a moment.
"It was... God, it was just me getting carried away."
"It looked like you both got carried away," Nino narrowed his eyes.
"She did, for sure. Do you really think that she'd actually have a thing for me?" Adrien laughed, not even having to pretend that this was what he was thinking. So Ladybug had a crush on him, big deal. She didn't really know him. She had rejected him as Chat Noir, so in his eyes this didn't really count. Or so he wanted to believe.
"Why not?" It took him a moment to realise that this was Marinette's voice. She looked up and finally caught his eye. She was still blushing, as if somehow his presence was too much for her. But there was something in her eyes, combined with her flushed look, that floored him.
There was something there. He could blink and miss it. Something so familiar it was annoying how it was eluding him.
"What?" He cleared his throat to hide his bewilderment.
"Why wouldn't Ladybug have a thing for you?" She asked with surprising intensity.
"Just like basically everyone else," Chloe chimed in, walking in with the late bell.
"Well, if you mean a celebrity crush, then sure. I guess even superheroes aren't immune to this," he shrugged.
"Unless she actually knows you," Marinette mumbled.
And just like that Adrien knew. It all aligned in his mind. The look on Marinette's face was identical to that on Ladybug's the day before. If she had feelings for him and everyone else knew about that, this totally explained their protectiveness in the face of this drama.
The arrival of their teacher put an end to this discussion and gave him some more time to rearrange the pieces until everything made sense. Now he knew that he had only one option. He had to talk to her about this.
Ambushing her at her locker wasn't anything new and the realisation made Adrien smile. It was ridiculous how close they had been all along without realising it.
"Adrien!" She exclaimed when she saw him. Fortunately she was on her own.
"I told you that you need to talk to me to clear things up," he said softly, barely resisting the urge to just sweep her up in his arms.
"You told me... " she started repeating his words, trying to make sense of them. Then her eyes widened and her hand flew to her mouth.
"You put two and two together, right, m'lady?" He smiled teasingly.
"Oh my God," she cried out. "But how...?"
"You couldn't resist trying to convince me that Ladybug might actually have feelings for me earlier," he shrugged. "It was suspicious, coming from someone seemingly hurt over me being in love with someone else."
"You just figured it all out?" She groaned.
"If looks could kill, Alya would have murdured me already," he chuckled. "I'm not stupid, you know."
"Never thought you were," she sighed. "I was just... very bad at clearly expressing what I feel."
"So. Ladybug does have a thing for me. It seems like I was right all along - you were never able to resist me," he rubbed his chin with glee. She instantly bristled, as expected.
"Should I remind you who kissed who?" she crossed her arms.
"Ok, I already apologised about this," he held his hands up. "But as the one who got rejected, let me gloat just a bit."
Her expression softened instantly.
"I really didn't want to hurt you, kitty."
"I know. I'm not holding it against you."
"And I'm not mad at you for just walking up to me and revealing yourself," she smiled.
"Would you have preferred it if I had hidden from you the fact that I knew?" He challenged her.
"No, definitely no."
"Great. Now everything is cleared up. Come here," He reached for her, no longer patient.
"Unfortunately, all of Paris thinks that you're in a whirldwind romance with Ladybug," she giggled. "Don't make this extra spicy by adding another girl in the picture."
"Noo," he groaned. He had been wrong to think that it could all be resolved so quickly.
"Look, as far as everyone knows, Marinette is single. And so is Chat Noir," she nudged him as she closed her locker.
"Are you suggesting what I think you're suggesting?" He smiled, his mood instantly improving.
"See you later," she winked at him over her shoulder as she walked away.
Maybe, just maybe, this whole thing hadn't been a disaster.