Fic: Under Cover(s)

[soc_puppet]

Fandom: Miraculous Ladybug
Summary: When Cat Noir gets caught in the rain after an akuma attack, Ladybug has to take him home to keep from losing her partner to hypothermia.
AO3 link: Time to warm up :O
Wordcount: 4279
Notes: Written for pod_together 2018; podfic by my fantabulous partner podfic-chicklet/Yvi_sama can be found at the link above, with and without audio backdrop. Thanks also to lelied for providing medical beta services and helping make sure no characters should have died in the making of this fic. Any remaining medical mistakes are ours. (Mostly mine, says the author.)
Fic: Under Cover(s)


Ladybug raced along rain-slick rooftops, eyes scanning for any hint of bright green irises, ears perked for the jingle of a golden bell. Once in a while she would lose her footing on a patch of ice, and had to use her yoyo to redirect herself back onto the roofs to continue her search.

"That stupid cat!" she growled to herself as she ran, heart thudding in time with her steps. "That stupid, mangy cat! If he's gotten himself hurt or killed, I'll--I'll..." Ladybug trailed off, not wanting to finish the sentence. She'd just have to look harder, was all; she'd find him, and make sure he was okay, and then she could yell at him for scaring the living daylights out of her!

A beep from her earrings reminded her that time was of the essence. While her Lucky Charm had cleared up the intense heat wave caused by Sunny Daze, the rain the akuma had interrupted had started again with a vengeance immediately after, dumping buckets of icy water onto the streets and residents of Paris. This included Ladybug herself, and likely Cat Noir, whom Sunny Daze had tossed like a frisbee only moments before Ladybug had managed to grab the akumatized item.

She'd managed to see the direction that Sunny Daze had thrown her partner in, but unfortunately hadn't been able to follow; with many of his chosen "party guests" fainting from exertion in the heat, cleansing the akuma had taken priority. As soon as she'd tossed her Lucky Charm in the air and activated its healing spell, though, she was off like a shot after her partner. Biting her lip, she prayed silently that nothing too bad had happened to him; it very unlike him not to have made it back already.

But then, he'd been acting unlike himself all evening. While normally he was very exuberant, demanding attention and affection with every gesture, tonight he'd been much more subdued. More panther than eager house cat, Ladybug reflected; all the sleek grace (and occasional pratfall) of his usual performance, but much less enthusiasm. He seemed tired, now that she thought about it, and she wondered briefly why. Heaven knew she was; she had exams coming up, and Gabriel Agreste was holding another design contest, in addition to all of her superhero work.

Most of her classmates were feeling the strain as well, even without moonlighting as a superheros. Nino was stressing out over a DJ competition, the recent influx of akuma was keeping Alya busy with the Ladyblog, and Adrien had both a fencing match and a huge modelling job coming up. She could only imagine what sort of pressures Cat Noir was under, and spared a brief moment to regret that they couldn't share their secret identities with each other. It would have been nice to meet up in real life and see if they could relieve each other's burdens, even a bit.

Suddenly, something caught her eye, breaking off her train of thought. Ladybug skidded to a stop, focusing on a patch of shadow that was just slightly too black. Slowly, the shape came into focus: Curled into a shivering ball in a corner where two buildings met, leather ears tucked flat against his skull and belt-tail wrapped firmly around his body, was her partner.

Ladybug was at his side in an instant. Cautiously, she touched his shoulder. "Cat? Cat Noir? Are you okay?"

Cat Noir lifted his head from his arms and blinked blearily at her; a large bruise blossomed on one cheek. "M-m'Lady?"

"Yes, it's me," she said, as reassuringly as possible.

He smiled like the sun fighting off clouds - a losing battle in this weather. "D-did we get him?"

"All thanks to you." She smiled back, trying to keep the worry from her face as she took in the bruise on his cheek and scrape on his otherwise flawless jawline. This was not good; it seemed like her partner had made impact only after she'd used her Lucky Charm to reverse the damage done by the akuma, or perhaps had slipped when the rain started again. Either way, he was left unhealed. While their transformations helped speed up healing in the event that she didn't need to use her Lucky Charm, Cat would need a warm place to rest for several hours at least before he was back to full strength.

"Kn-new you could - do it," Cat managed, then held up a shaking fist. "Pound it!"

Ladybug indulged him, knocking her knuckles against his, mind racing as his eyes drifted shut. She couldn't leave him here; the buildings gave him some protection from the rain and wind, but it was hardly enough for him heal properly. And what if the storm got worse, or the wind changed direction? No, she would have to find somewhere safe for him to stay while his kwami worked its magic.

Where, though? She didn't know where he lived, and, as her earrings beeped again to remind her, she didn't have much time to find somewhere he could rest. If her transformation wasn't about to run out, she was sure she could get a hotel room for him to recover in, but what was possible for Ladybug wasn't likely to be an option for Marinette. Re-transforming was also out of the question, since she hadn't had time to grab anything for Tikki on her way out.

With growing dread, Ladybug realized there was only one viable option. Hefting her unconscious partner over one shoulder so she had a hand free to use her yoyo, Ladybug swung away from the rooftops where Cat had found refuge and in the direction of her balcony.

-----

Ladybug's transformation wore off just after she managed to get her partner into her room, leaving a somewhat damp Marinette standing with a dripping wet Cat Noir over one shoulder. She half-stumbled under the new sense of weight, her super-powered strength leaving with her costume. She struggled with his weight for a moment, before setting him down as gently as she could manage on her bed, her cheeks heating up with the memory of flirtatious comments. This is the best place to put him, she reasoned silently. It'll be easier to let him rest here than to try and get him down to the chaise, and the blankets will be easier to dry out.

Tikki floated up next to her, half a cookie already stuffed in her tiny cheeks. "Marinette?" she asked, then swallowed the cookie. "Do you want to transform again once I'm done?"

Marinette thought it over, then shook her head. "No," she said, "you need to rest, too. And there's still a chance he won't figure out that I'm Ladybug; it'll be a lot easier for him to put things together if I'm in costume." She smiled at Tikki. "You go find a good place to hide and eat; I can handle things with Cat Noir."

Tikki smiled and patted Marinette's cheek, then zipped off to a drawer where Marinette kept extra cookies. Marinette sighed in relief; that was one thing taken care of. Now for her guest.

Marinette turned back to her bed. In an instant, all of her worry over her partner came rushing back threefold: He was curled up on top of the blankets, limbs tucked in tight and shivering hard. Biting back a cry of dismay, Marinette tried to assess the situation.

Part of the problem was her room; her house in general wasn't very well heated, the ovens doing more than enough to keep the building warm during the colder months. Her parents had even had an air conditioning unit installed a few years ago to help combat the heat during the summer. Today, though, was their annual maintenance, so the ovens had been off all day for a worker to look at. This normally wouldn't have been a problem so late in spring, and was in fact why her parents scheduled the work for that time of year in the first place, but Paris had been the subject of an unseasonable cold snap of late, Marinette even waking up to frosted windows that morning. She had planned to just bundle up more than usual to deal with the cold, but she wasn't sure she had anything warm enough that would fit Cat Noir, and her few winter blankets were already packed up for the year.

The other part of the problem was his costume. Marinette had noticed over time, and Tikki had confirmed, that the material their costumes were made of tended to change slightly in the weather: They became thicker in colder temperatures and lighter in hotter temperatures, and even water-repellent in rain or snow. Since she and Cat had transformed in the midst of an akuma-induced heat-wave, rather than the not-quite-sleet that had made Sunny Daze so angry in the first place, their costumes had adjusted for warm, dry weather, instead of cold and wet. While this had been very helpful in fighting the akuma, it was considerably less so in dealing with the rain that the two heroes needed to get through on their way home. Detransforming was also out of the question, both because it would reveal his identity to her, and because his kwami wouldn't be able to continue healing him if he was in civilian mode.

First things first, Marinette decided. She would get Cat Noir up, make sure her blankets weren't too damp, and get some towels so he could dry off properly. She reached out to shake him awake - and then stopped about ten centimeters short.

What if this was it? What if he figured out her secret identity? For all his goofball tendencies, Cat Noir was far from stupid. He'd met Marinette before, and been in her room at least once. Would he put two and two together and realize who she was? Would this change everything?

Marinette shook her head firmly. No. Those were questions she could deal with tomorrow. Right now, she had to make sure Cat Noir got better, even if the price was her secret identity. Besides, she thought, there were much worse people who could find out who Ladybug was in her off-hours. Forcing down her hesitation, she closed the distance and gripped Cat Noir's shoulder.

She swallowed when she realized that his shivering had slowed and weakened. Was that a good sign, or a bad one? It might mean he was warming up, but hadn't she read somewhere that it might mean the person's body was shutting down? She shook Cat Noir's shoulder, harder than she initially meant to, spooked by his stillness. "Cat. Cat Noir. Cat!"

His eyes peeled slowly open and he blinked at her. "Ladybug?" he mumbled, then frowned slightly. "No... Mar'nette?"

Marinette's heart lurched; he was so pale, like he had been drained of color. This was definitely not good. She needed to get him dry and warm, fast. "Cat, listen," she said. "Can you get up for me?"

"Think so..." He tried to sit up, then fell back against the blankets.

"Here," Marinette said, trying to keep the panic from her voice. Taking hold of his arm, she helped hoist him to his feet in the small space beside her bed. She held him in place for a moment until she was sure he could stay upright. "I have an important question for you," she told him, heat rising in her cheeks. "Do you think you can get your suit off?"

He blinked at her again. "Yes?" he said. "Claws i--"

Marinette slapped a hand over his mouth. "Not," she said, "by releasing your transformation. I mean, if you undo that zipper you have, can you take off your suit?"

Cat Noir looked down at his suit, seeming to focus on the bell at his neck. "...I thin' so," he said, dubious.

Marinette sighed in relief. "Great. Okay, I'm going to go get a towel for you to dry off with. While I'm gone, I want you to take off your suit and then turn around, okay?"

Still puzzled, Cat Noir nodded. He reached up to start pulling at his zipper, and Marinette turned around fast enough to make her head spin. "I'll be right back!" she squeaked, and ducked down the stairs to her bed and out of her room to the linen closet. There, she took a few deep breaths to steady her nerves. She could do this. She could deal with her partner-in-crime-fighting getting naked in her room. And using her towels. And getting into her bed.

Marinette groaned and buried her face in a towel. This was not how she'd pictured her evening going.

Taking another deep breath, Marinette picked out the softest, warmest towel she could find, then grabbed an extra for good measure before going back up the stairs to her room. From a pile of works in progress, she also pulled a pair of pyjama shorts (which she was prepared to swear in a court of law that she hadn't made for Adrien Agreste). She held it and the towels up in front of her face as she climbed up to her bed, trying to give Cat Noir what privacy she could. "I have some towels! And something dry for you to wear, too!" she announced, and peeked around the items so she could see if he was ready to take them. Registering a bit too much black, she moved them aside slowly to find Cat Noir sitting on the edge of her bed, muzzily toying with the bell-pull of his zipper. "Cat?"

He raised his head to look at her. "Think I need help," he said, even more puzzled than before.

Marinette felt her blush returning. What had she done to deserve this? Sure, she was late a lot of the time, and sometimes outright missed engagements, but that was because she was out fighting akumas! She tried to be a good person, there was no reason she should be subjected to helping her extremely attractive teammate strip! "Be right there," she croaked, and made her way on unsteady legs over to where Cat Noir sat.

Setting the bundle of cloth down on the bed, she got to her knees in front of him. "Are you sure you're okay with me doing this?" she asked quietly.

Cat Noir chuckled weakly. "S'fine," he managed. "Used to getting undressed f'r people."

Marinette set the second part of his response aside as something she Did Not Need To Think About Right Now. Hesitantly, she reached out a hand and started tugging the bell of his zipper-pull downward. Centimeter by centimeter, a pale sliver of Cat Noir's chest was revealed. Marinette was suddenly very aware of how close they were, and the fact that they were breathing the same air. She clenched her eyes shut and yanked the zipper the rest of the way down. When her hands bumped his belt, she fumbled that off as well; if Cat Noir couldn't even pull down a zipper, there was no way he'd be able to undo a belt buckle.

Tilting her head back up to what she thought was safer territory, Marinette opened her eyes again, only to be confronted by his unfairly attractive jawline. She was at least relieved to notice that Cat's kwami seemed to be doing its job, as the scrape there had gone from three centimeters across and bleeding to one and scabbed over. Licking her lips, she turned her attention back to Cat's suit, peeling it away from his shoulders and arms. She couldn't help noticing that three years of superhero work had done extremely nice things to Cat's chest and arms - a thought she immediately tried to suppress. Focus, Marinette! she mentally chided herself. You're trying to help your teammate, remember?

As soon as she had Cat Noir's torso free from his costume, she grabbed the smaller of the two towels and dried his hair briskly, trying desperately to ignore the bare skin in front of her. Once that was done, she shot to her feet. "You can handle it from here, right? Great! Just... get the shorts on and under the covers as soon as you're dry, I need to go get something." Without waiting for an answer, Marinette rushed back down the loft stairs and out of her room. She leaned against the closed door and took stock of the situation.

Okay. She'd managed to get Cat Noir out of his wet clothes. The second towel she'd gotten him was really close, so he shouldn't have any trouble drying off, and the shorts should be easy for him to put on as well. The blankets on her bed weren't too damp, either. His skin had still been distressingly cold when she'd brushed against it while helping him out of his costume, though, and the blankets would only warm him up so fast. What else could she do to help him? Maybe there was something he could eat? Soup would be good, she thought, but she wasn't sure they had any. If she dug around, though, she might be able to find something else to give him.

A few minutes later, Marinette was headed back to her room with a mug of crème anglaise she'd heated up in the microwave. The mug was warm against her fingers, but not hot, so hopefully the custard wouldn't burn Cat Noir's mouth when he drank it. Holding it carefully in one hand, she ascended the stairs to her bed and sighed with relief when she saw him curled under the blankets. His suit and towel were crumpled on the floor next to each other. Cat's shivers had returned to full strength as well, which she hoped was a good sign.

Cat Noir smiled when he saw her. "S-something fur m-me, P-prin-cess?" he asked, struggling to sit up.

Marinette sat gingerly on the bed next to him, and he leaned against her gratefully, a cool weight at her side. "You must be feeling better if you're making puns," she teased lightly. "Yes, this is for you. It should help warm you up some."

He flashed her a grin. "P-p-purr-fect," he said, and reached for the cup. She helped steady his hands while he drank its contents, breathing in the scent of his still damp hair, then started to rise from the bed; she could wait under her loft while he recovered.

A tiny whimper escaped from Cat Noir. Marinette turned a worried look on him. "Cat?"

He tugged the blankets up to his face. "S-sorry," he mumbled, his leather ears drooping a bit. "You're j-ust... w-warm."

Marinette frowned anxiously. Cat may have been dry and under her blankets, but her room was still on the cold side, and he was barely clothed as well. "I'll be right back," she said, coming to a decision. Ignoring Cat's confused blink, Marinette climbed back down to her work area and, on impulse, changed into a set of pyjamas that matched the shorts Cat was wearing. Biting her lip, she made her way back to her bed once more and crawled in behind him. She felt her face heat up for the umpteenth time that evening as she pulled Cat Noir back against her chest. At least my embarrassment should help keep him warm, she thought wryly. "Better?" she asked aloud.

Cat Noir felt like he had tried to go rigid against her warmer skin, but was shivering too hard. Cautiously, he relaxed back into her hold. "Yeah," he said quietly. "Much." From her vantage point, Marinette could see that his neck had turned red; she was somewhat comforted that even her brash, confident kitty was embarrassed by this situation.

Cat's exhaustion caught up with him shortly after that, and Marinette heard him start to snore softly. Smiling in relief, she tucked herself closer to his back and closed her own eyes. In a little while, she'd check how Cat was doing, and maybe get him another warm drink. In the mean time, she'd just rest her eyes a bit; it had been a long day, after all.

Moments later, Marinette was asleep.

-----

Marinette awoke the next morning to the familiar sound of bells. She drowsed for a moment, content in the knowledge that she had nowhere to be until that evening, then sat bolt upright in bed, blankets clutched tight in her hands. The space beside her was empty, save a scrap of paper with the word "Thanks" written on it; Cat Noir was nowhere to be seen.

Marinette felt a chill run through her blood. Had he figured out her identity? Was that why he'd left without waking her? Had he felt deceived that she had hidden her identity from him while he was in such a vulnerable state? She thought she had been careful last night, but maybe she'd slipped; maybe Cat Noir had noticed something she'd missed, or had simply put two and two together when she'd taken him to her own room instead of somewhere, anywhere else.

Calm down, she tried to reassure herself. He could have left because he didn't want to impose on you any longer, or because his transformation was running out of time. It's not necessarily because he figured out who you are; it could just be coincidence.

Still, the worry plagued her for the rest of the day. She found herself going through the motions of helping her parents out in the bakery, and she wasn't sure that anything she'd actually retained anything she studied. All the while the clock ticked closer to nine pm, when she had patrol scheduled with Cat Noir.

At last the hour came. Marinette transformed and slipped out her window, nerves twisting in her gut as she made her way to their designated meeting place.

Cat arrived only a few minutes after she did. He was beaming when he landed on the roof beside her. "Ladybug! Lovely to see you as pawlways, my Lady."

Heart fluttering anxiously, Ladybug opened her mouth to say - something. To apologize for keeping her identity from him? To thank him for still wanting to work with her? To beg him not to treat her any differently, now that he knew who she was? She wasn't sure.

Before she could begin, however, Cat held up a hand to stop her. "A moment, my Lady. I just wanted to thank you for taking me to Marinette's house last night." Ladybug's heart began to return to its normal rhythm; could it be that he really hadn't figured out who she was? She shoved down a slight feeling of disappointment. It was better that he didn't know her identity; it was safer for both of them. Even if she had started wanting to share that part of her life with him.

"I know you would have taken care of me yourself if you could have," he continued, "and I understand why you couldn't, so I wanted to tell you that you made exactly the right choice with Marinette. She went above and beyond to take care of me, and made sure my identity was safe the entire time. I couldn't have asked for anyone better." He smiled softly and looked into her eyes. "I know you're Lady Luck, but with the two of you looking out for me, I can't help but feel like I'm the lucky one."

Ladybug felt her heart speed up for an entirely new reason. Oh no, she thought, a flush rising on her cheeks again. She couldn't fall for Cat Noir! What about Adrien? Would it really be that bad to fall in love with Cat, though? a part of her asked. She pushed it roughly aside; she didn't need that distracting her right now! "Thanks!" she squeaked loudly, trying to derail the unwelcome train of thought. She blushed harder, then cleared her throat. "That's very kind of you to say, I mean. I'll tell Marinette you said so the next time I see her."

Cat smiled at her again. "Sounds purrfect, my Lady. Now, which way should we go tonight?"

Ladybug managed to keep her focus on her work and off of Cat's numerous attractive qualities for the rest of their patrol together. At ten-thirty, she waved good-bye to her partner and made her way back home, pleasantly tired and thoroughly distracted from unwelcome new feelings. About to slip back into her room, her eye caught on a small package left on her windowsill. Curious, she picked it up and took it inside with her to open, not bothering to release her transformation.

Tucked in the box, neatly folded and smelling freshly laundered, was the pair of pyjama shorts she had given to Cat Noir to wear. Underneath them she found a thank-you card.

Dear Marinette, the card read.

Thank you again fur all of your help last night! Your loyal knight wouldn't pawssibly be back to normeow without all you did for me. Here are your shorts back, as well as a token of my fangs.

Sincerely,
Cat Noir

At the bottom of the box, Ladybug found a brand new sketchbook with a light pink cover, and a set of twelve of her favorite brand of drawing pencils. She stared at the contents in awe, her heartbeat ticking back up. "That stupid, mangy tomcat!" she accused, desperate to fight back the heat rising in her cheeks. She could tell already it was a losing battle: Between the night before and this simple gesture, she could no longer deny how deep his claws had sunk into her heart.

--fin--


(Seriously, folks, definitely go check out the podfic if you can. It is super good.)