Go the Distance

Chapter 3

Title Drop

Authors Note real quick: thank you guys for favoriting and following this story! I've held out for a long time not including this song, but come on- this is a disney movie AU! I will keep this brief but this will basically be a time-skip to older Adrien/Marinette. 3 Feel free to leave reviews telling me what you like and don't like - those feedbacks light a fire under me and leave me feeling so inspired. Enough chit-chat - let's get down to business! (oops - wrong movie)

Most evenings, the pair strolls around the outskirts of towns. The fights are rough: knowing that each monster is actually an innocent human prevents the duo from killing the enemy first and asking questions later. During battle, Chat Noir always studies his partner, how she handles herself in battle. The more he does this, the more awe-struck the teen becomes. After a particular gruesome battle, Ladybug finds herself in the blonde's arms again.

"Chat, put me down," she breathes with a hiss of pain, eyes squeezing shut. Chat has no intention of letting her walk with a twisted ankle. "I said, let me go!"

"No can do, princess!" He stares diligently ahead, determined to make it to their master's abode before nightfall. Chat bites his bottom lip in frustration, eyes hardening with a steely look.

I was so stupid! If I hadn't stepped back like she said to watch her perform the finishing blow, I could have seen the second akumatized-victim attack from the side. The minotaur had just plowed into her like she was nothing while I-

A gentle hand cups his face, breaking his train of toxic thoughts. The boy in leather gasps at the sensation, a warm tint painting his cheeks. The hand softly sweeps a thumb under his eyes, hinting the moisture pooling there.

"Chat Noir…." A concerned look wavers over her face as she gazes up at her 'support.' His hands grip her tighter to him. "It's not your fault, Chat. I told you to stay back. I told you-"

"No, Ladybug." He says quickly. "I'm just so full of doubt. I'm constantly in your way, no matter what I do."

The young teen hops out of his arms and before he could react, a large crack splits the air. The contact on her hand against his cheek stings as he stares at her in disbelief. Her blue eyes are icy as tears threaten to spill over.

"No, you're not! If Master Fu trusts you to give you the Chat miraculous, then so do I!" She shouts, shifting her weight to one side. "You've been taking more chances, anticipating the risks. You saved that pretty blue-haired girl in the town square before I even arrived on the scene. If you hadn't done that, the battle would have had a very different outcome. Our training sessions are producing good results, I promise. Now, could you keep carrying me, Kitty?" She finishes with a weak smile.

"Of course, Princess." Returning her smile, Chat gently picks her up. A risky thought crosses his mind, but is he suave enough to pull it off? He leans down to bring their faces inches apart and whispers, "But at the price of a kiss, M'lady."

An annoyed Ladybug stares up at him, swatting him away and mumbling half-hearted offenses at him.

I wonder if she even thinks of me that way. She's so amazing and driven and good-hearted...

The leather-clad boy sighs dreamily, but remembers he's not here to chase heartstrings. He needs to keep things professional and learn how to become a hero, or something that'll lead to him learning more about his past. Only he and Master Fu knew the truth about his lineage. Learning that his father was the god of all gods… was a lot to take in, but he'll keep moving forward and stay focused.

Chat steals a glance at the girl in his arms, noting that her face was still slightly flushed, or was that just the red suit? Either way, she looks so adorable at times!

But with the darkening of the forest and the increase in akuma attacks, they both needed to concentrate on keeping the town's people safe. And after that? Would he learn who he is then?

I have often dreamed, of a far-off place
Where a hero's welcome, would be waiting for me
Where the crowds will cheer, when they see my face
And a voice keeps sayin', "This is where I'm meant to be."

"Ladybug!" Chat calls his partner as he swings the column hard to this left, catching the cyclops off-guard.

"On it!"

With a flick of her wrist, the entire town square has her whip laced in every nook and cranny, creating a tightly-woven net. Once the cyclops hit the first section, the rest came rushing in to ensnare the giant. Firmly bound, Ladybug casually walks over to the beast that continued to yell curses and threaten the heavens. But Chat notices her hips swaying to and fro, very different from when they were younger. Shaking his head, he lightly jogs to catch up to her just in case the cyclops had a trick up his sleeve.

She worms her hand in between the coils of her whip to grab the akumatized item: a broken piece of decorative pottery. She breaks the clay in two and the sick butterfly starts to fly away. Ladybug captures the bug with one hand and brings it to her lips. Chat smiles, knowing their job was finished, and brushes a stray lock of hair behind her ear. Blue eyes pop open in surprise and the white butterfly flutters gracefully away from them.

I'll be there someday, I can go the distance
I will find my way, if I can be strong
I know every mile, will be worth my while
When I go the distance, I'll be right where I belong

The pair rush to the scene of the crime, eyes peeled for who their next akuma-victim will be. Rising dust clouds and screams of terror bring them to the temple of Helen. Walking down the steps is a shadowy figure cloaked in darkness - the true power of the victim yet to be decided. A concerned citizen runs up to the figure, probably a friend or relative, begging to see past the evil. The victim is too far gone, deaf to reason and logic. With a sweeping motion of her hand, the victim finds himself sent flying in the air.

Just as Ladybug was preparing herself to save the victim through an elaborate series of acrobatic maneuvers - Chat beat her to it. Digging his sword into the ground, he extends the metal to its full length with him riding to the top. Catching the civilian, she watches his gradually let gravity sway them over to a nearby rooftop. He could have left to join her in battle, but in the corner of her eye, Ladybug witnesses him console the person, ensuring their safety and promising to bring back their friend. When had he been kind to everyone like that? When did he start thinking like a hero?

Down an unknown road, to embrace my fate
Though the road may wander, it will lead me to you
And a thousand years, would be worth the wait
It may take a lifetime, but somehow I'll see it through

"Chat! You're so impossible sometimes!" Ladybug shrieks before turning away. Master Fu could only stare at the duo, struggling to stiffle his laughter.

"Don't you mean 'im-paws-ible? Or do you really mean 'can't-live-without'? I've good with either." He grins ear to ear.

He produces the much-too-large bouquet of roses in a vase once more. After he learned that her birthday was so soon, he jumped right away to getting her something. They had been working together three years already and she didn't tell him! Sure, hero work absorbed their schedules on the daily basis, but even on his birthday, the three of them celebrated with an extra desert. God he loves sweets.

"Plus," he adds, getting his princess to look at him once more. "I never uprooted these flowers. We can plant them here in Master Fu's garden. I'll even plant them just as you like them!"

At first, his lady stares him up and down. "You?"

"The one and only." He puffs his chest out a little, clawed hands on hips as he stares stoically off into the distance with ears flat against this blonde head. Hopefully he would look the part of a hero by now? "Ya know, if you fe-line up to the task later. Maybe we could take a stroll by moonlight later if you don't mind the little purr-ivacy."

In an instant, his lady doubles over red in the face. Fearing her health, Chat places the vase down and grabs her by the shoulders. Instead, she straightens up with a huge smile on her face, struggling to breathe only from laughing so hard.

This girl…. Chat thinks to himself. Is so damn cute!

And I won't look back, I can go the distance
And I'll stay on track, no I won't accept defeat
It's an uphill slope, but I won't lose hope
Till I go the distance, and my journey is complete

Laying down on the straw mat in Master Fu's spare room, Adrien groans as the pain on his back flares up again. He grits his teeth, breathing hard as he tries to ride out the waves of blinding white-hot pain. Anything lightly touching the damaged skin was too much to bear, so he laid with his tunic covering only his lower body. His hand clenches in a fist, the fight replaying in his mind.

His screen door behind him slides open slowly.

"Master Fu-" he starts, starting to sit up.

"He had some other business to take care of," Ladybug's voice wafts over to him. Panic starts to rise in the young man's mind: he didn't have Plagg keeping him transformed. He and his tiny companion had both sustain serious injuries in the last battle, of course Master Fu would be away healing their kawamis - they were far more precious and important than he was, ever would be. Another flare of pain echoes across his back and he fights to hold back the groans.

The shadow cast on the wall facing him is more…. Soft. Gone is the armor. Only a figure dressed in a flowing dress and long locks of hair stands behind him. The screen door shuts and light footsteps slowly make their way towards him.

"Ladybug, why're you?-" Adrien stiffles another cry of pain.

"Just don't turn around!" the girl kneels behind him, readying the cloth of alcohol to clean the wounds. The sight of them made her stomach churn, four gashes from his left shoulder raking down to his right hip. The two middle ones are the deepest, still slowly oozing blood. "We need to clean the wound or else an infection will set in. This is going to hurt, a lot, but please bear with me."

She had been careless, too cocky in her work. She had the akumatized-victim pinned in a corner and was just about the break their item when one of their summoned, a bronze lion from the town's temple, jumped from the shadows. She didn't have time to dodge, she could only feel the impending shadow bounding her way. A low rumble from behind sent chills down her spin. She could almost feel its hot breath on her neck when Chat had stepped in.

By the time she whipped around, he had already backed the beast further away from her. Frozen to the spot - she could only watch them, fangs bared, claws flying. One swipe and Chat Noir was smacked right into the wall of the alley. His body crumpled to the ground, but the blood shone brightly on his back and wall. The sight of the red liquid had broken Ladybug out of her trance, but the damage was done.

She broke the item and quickly brought the butterfly to her lips, but the lion was getting restless. She had tossed the item in the air to commence the ladybugs who cleaned up everything that the akuma attacks had destroyed. The lion was about to grab Chat Noir's neck with its giant bronze jaws by the time the ladybugs made their way to the metal beast.

Another hiss of pain brings Ladybug to the present to see her partner suffering from her mistakes. The few candles surrounding the duo add little lighting to the situation, but they'll suffice. Their dimness will only add in keeping the young adults' identities secret. All it would take would be for her to lean over just a little more and-

She stops herself, resting back to her kneeling position with a sigh. Repeating the motions of cleaning the wound and sterilizing the cloth, she gradually cleans the gashes enough to start stitching the injury close. The outer two would be fine with simple bandages, but the inner gashes would been stitches. She grabs the thread and sterilized needle to begin the process, pinching the skin closer to seal the second gash. She can feel his muscles tense up the entire time.

When she finishes, thank the gods that was over, she helps him sit up so she could bandage his injuries. They pass the roll of bandages, they end up using more than four, back and forth around Adrien's chest. The entire time, a slow heat spread across her face.

When had Chat gotten so muscular? I know we've been training together and fighting Hades' akumas for about four years. I guess the world's hardships are shaping him into a hero faster than I thought.

A lump forms in her throat, still believing that he wouldn't have been bandaged so much if she hadn't gotten reckless. She grabs his shoulders and releases the flood of emotions, sobbing into the nape of his neck. He stiffens, completely caught off guard. He rests a hand on top of hers on his good shoulder.

"M'lady, do you trust me?" He asks, his heart pounding hard in his chest. This could be dangerous, this could be a mistake.

"With my life, Chat." She chokes out.

Squeezing his eyes tight, he turns around and cradles her to his chest. He rocks them gently, hushing her with gentle coos.

"I won't look, Princess. I promise."

She hangs on to his strong arms, her back to his chest. His toned muscles felt hot on the other side of her dress. But she could only squeeze her eyes shut and continue to ride the waves of emotion as he held her together as she continues to fall a part.

But to look beyond the glory is the hardest part
For a hero's strength is measured by his heart

"Chat, don't look!" His lady giggles. He allows his eyes to be blindfolded, but his sense of hearing and smell were heightened to the point he didn't need sight to know she was making his favorite dessert. He places his clawed hands over his chest as if wounded.

"You've got to be kitten me right now!" He teases. "All these pawsitively ridiculous accusations, why I never." Black ears flicker this way and that as he hears her walk over to where he sat on Master Fu's porch. She places a plate down next to them but the present in his lap surprised him!

"Okay," his lady bites her lips. "Open them!"

She didn't need to tell him twice! He made quick work of the blindfold and the neatly wrapped gift. When he gets to his gift, he pauses. His arms go limp and the cheerful expression on his face drops as he studies the gift in his hands. Her stomach drops.

"Do… Do you not like it?" She asks tentatively. He turns to her quickly with tears in his eyes and pulls her in for a tight hug.

"Of course I do!" Chat cheers. "I bet you made this, didn't you Princess?"

She giggles as she replies, "You bet! Happy 20th birthday, Kitty."

The fabric in his hands felt so soft even between his gloved fingers. The scarf displays various textiles detailing their adventures these past five years from the first beast they battled together to most major events up until now. Wow, she's an amazing woman. He hugs her even tighter as he thinks how the scarf and her friendship would keep him warm in the oncoming winter months.

Like a shooting star, I will go the distance
I will search the world, I will face its harms
I don't care how far, I can go the distance
Till I find my hero's welcome, waiting in your arms