The akuma was sending beams of light in various directions, the usual. This time they were upset at their rebellious teen for continuously sneaking out. They aimed for apartment buildings, condos, homes— putting them all on lockdown. It made Chat Noir snarl for reasons Ladybug didn't know, but could take a guess.

They took to high ground, trailing the akuma by rooftop. As Chat Noir slid, Ladybug flipped. They were swift and rhythmic. A team with an unstoppable force of harmony. So strong that even if they were a little bit off their game, no one would really notice. Even if Ladybug were feeling a bit sluggish and uncomfortable and hadn't told Chat Noir. She could deal with it and no one would be the wiser. She just had to shake off the slight haze and get her head in the game. It was probably something she'd get over in an hour or so. Probably just needed a nap or a soothing cup of tea and a bath. She'd been under a lot of stress lately, it wouldn't surprise her if she was on the brink of the common cold.

Still, with every swing of her yo-yo, every twist and turn of her body in midair, it slowly felt worse. At some point at which she had not noticed exactly when, a pain blossomed in her abdomen. Perhaps indigestion. Ladybug stumbled as hurdled a chimney, Chat Noir blinked back at her curiously. She was beginning to feel nauseous with a pain so great that a bear's paws thrust into her stomach— curled, thick paws twisting about her insides and tangling her muscles —could rival it. Finally she felt it. Like the eerie dance of a poisonous snake.

A shiver ran down her spine, her face was plastered with panic. "Oh no… oh no, oh no, oh no!" She reached into her yo-yo, "I don't think I have one, I never thought to… oh God, what's going to happen? Can my suit-"

"Is everything okay, My Lady?" Chat Noir stopped and jumped down from the building ahead when he saw Ladybug had stopped running.

Her gaze fluttered about, landing on anything but Chat Noir. "Well…" she looked up at him suddenly, her face pale and eyes wide. "No! I need something from home, but I can't get to it if all of the houses are on lockdown!"

Chat Noir stepped closer, in a sense of submitting himself to her orders. "What do you need?"

"Oh, um…"

He tilted his head at her curious expression. "Ah," he reached into his front pocket, "is this what you need?"

Ladybug flinched slightly at the sanitary pad he held between his claws, "... yes. Why do you…"

"I have a girlfriend now, and I vowed to take care of her. I always carry things just in case," he smiled.

Well, he hadn't quite vowed yet. He was way ahead of himself, but Ladybug could definitely see herself exchanging those vows someday. His kindness and devotion warmed her heart.

"This one, or this one?" Chat plucked a tampon from his pocket with his other hand.

Ladybug reached for the tampon, "I guess this be better if I'm going to be jumping around."

Chat furrowed his eyebrows as he put the pad back and dug around for some pills. "Are you sure you're not gonna sit this one out?"

Ladybug reached for the two pills and water bottle that Chat presented her with, her hands trembled as she took them and her forehead was beaded with sweat, "Where do you have the room for all of this? Of course I'm not going to sit this out, I still have a responsibility. It's typical for all women to plow through no matter what, you know? We have to."

"My pockets are bottomless just like your yo-yo," he chuckled, then stepped forward and grabbed her shoulder, "but you know, you don't always have to plow through. If you want, I can handle this and bring the akuma to you."

"No, I can do this I just—" she threw her head back as she drank from the bottle, "—it's been a while since the pain has gotten this bad, so I'm not one-hundred percent readjusted. Normally I notice symptoms and take pills before it can reach this point ."

Chat Noir shook his head as she winced. "Ok, but… I'll be keeping my eye on you."

"You should worry more about the Akuma.."

"Ah, ah," he wagged his index finger, "you won't be changing my mind."

"Fine." A dead silence fell between them as Ladybug looked around. "I have no idea where to go put this on."

"Huh? Oh!" Chat whirled his head around in a similar fashion. His eyes fell to the chimney. "Would it be enough if you hid behind that and I covered you and made sure the akuma doesn't come our way?"

"I…" Ladybug stared nervously at the chimney, "I guess… if you think about it, people have Done It here, so…" She shuffled over to stand by it.

Chat blushed a little but nodded as seriously as he could. He stood facing away from Ladybug, legs planted boldly and arms slightly lifted from his side. His eyes shifted back and forth, discouraging any onlookers. Ladybug crouched slowly, curiously eyeing Chat Noir's protective stance. The muscles of his back were taut and his breathing was steady. In all honesty, was doing everything he could to make her feel safe. She took a deep breath and spoke for her transformation to be let down. It wasn't any less embarrassing to know that no one was looking, but she was comforted by Chat.

She looked down at herself and groaned. She felt filthy. And her hands too… she couldn't just get up and go, she strained her face as she checked her purse knowing there was nothing that would help her entirely. She muttered a bit and without much prompting, Chat Noir jumped as if he remembered something, reached into his pocket, and brought his hand behind him so that Marinette could take the packet of wet wipes. She asked him if he had planned for this, he replied that he was always prepared for anything. He really was amazing. He deserved the world and so much more. He deserved the reveal he wanted so much. When she got up to transform, she hesitated. She almost told him 'ok', before she was ready. While she was still Marinette. She had to whisper the command— even though she knew his cat ears would pick it up either way —because she felt so ashamed to say it.

"Okay, I'm ready. Thank you, Chat Noir."

He turned around steadily, his vibrant eyes reaching her with its gentle smile before his lips did. "Anything for you, My Lady. Let's go take this guy down."

Ladybug nodded, walking forward to take Chat Noir's hand, partially because she felt the urge to and partially because the pain killers had yet to settle in and she felt a bit weak. Either way she refused to leave Chat alone. They both depended on each other now and then, and it was good, they were stronger together. As her adrenaline pumped, she felt better every minute.

She was just as fierce as ever. Chat Noir and her took the akuma down before they knew what hit them. Ladybug sighed with relief as her surroundings returned to normal. The nightmare was over.

"I wish there was somewhere we could both go to spend the rest of the afternoon. But our homes are a giveaway and a hotel would stir rumors we don't need. Just promise me you'll take the rest of the day easy?" Chat pet Ladybug's head.

"Yeah, I know. I swear I'll melt right into my bed and watch tv."

"And eat sweets! That's the one thing I didn't have on me, turns out a quart of ice cream does not hold up well in these pockets, not refrigerated I guess…"

Ladybug laughed. "I'll keep that in mind. See you, Kitty." She reached up and kissed him.

He watched her zip away.

Slipping through her skylight, Marinette noticed a message waiting for her. A soft purple glow from her lamp, changed from the yellow it had been earlier. She didn't need a decoder to figure out he was checking in on her. Marinette rested her hand on the lamp, pretending it was Chat Noir's cheek, and watched it turn orange. With a kiss, it turned red. She chuckled at the coincidence.

Yes, she was doing just fine. She loved her Kitty very much, and she knew he loved her too.