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oh-boleyn · 4 years

Text

katherine / infamy

words: 4880, one shot, language: english

anne / jane / katherine / catherine

TW: there are suicidal thoughts, slutshaming, victim guilt, minor ways of self harm, nightmares and some other things.

this turned to be a character study rather to any other thing but oh well, it's done

the commentary between scenes are things I got from internet about Katherine Howard.

Katherine Howard was just an attention seeker.

(…)

When they first arrived at the twenty-one century, Katherine Howard felt alone. It was a whole new world; one she didn’t have a clue of what was it about. Didn’t even have the advantage of knowing other women, except for Anna of Cleves, the only one she met during her short time as queen when they shared a dance, but nothing more.

The rest of them were just rumours while she was in court. Names nobody dared to say. Histories without faces, blurry memories. All of them carried themselves as queens. All of them except her, who was just a frightened nobody in the middle of five of the most powerful and celebre queens.

(…)

Katherine Howard was a silly flirt who actually did sleep around even after she’d married the king.

(…)

They had all been thrown into a small house. With thin walls, two bedrooms, loud queens and just one bathroom. She shared room with Anna of Cleves, this royal Germany queen who was the second divorcee, and Anne Boleyn.

A cousin she never really had the chance to meet, since Henry decapitated her when Katherine was still young. Anne Boleyn, her famous, notorious cousin, a mystery to this new world. Anne was perfect, smart, pretty, even her reincarnated version had the long dark brown hair and big curious eyes. She knew about politics, debate, could talk fluently in English and French.

In the new world, Anne Boleyn was an icon. A notorious woman who got beheaded because of her opinions and incapacity of keeping quiet was something admirable today, and everyone loved her, as the French court once did.

The opinion about Katherine was not the same. Not then, and not now. She was a traitor before, and now she was a naïve who couldn’t even save her own life. A foolish, provocative girl who warmed her way into the king’s bed, and other beds too. She didn’t have a legacy, didn’t left anything to be remembered.

(…)

Katherine Howard: Whore or Victim?

(…)

Money and finances were not something she was interested. She wasn’t good with numbers, Francis always said that. About how she was so lucky to be so pretty, or else nobody would want her as a secretary. With the years she had been discouraged to keep trying, so she just stopped.

Not every woman had been made to be good with it. Katherine considered herself more of a pretty face, rather than someone with a great intellect. It felt shallow, now more than ever. Her life was just like that, being a pretty face, smile, conceal emotions. She was raised by her step-grandmother to please. Emotion were not needed when trying to grant pleasure to someone else.

The other queens weren’t like her. And maybe that’s why they were so worried about making money or getting jobs.

The great salvation came by Catherine’s hand. Catherine Parr, not Aragon. Rewrite their histories, if everyone could make money out of it, why not them? It could be a way to reclaim what happened to them, set the record straight, be view as the real queens they were, not just six who banged the same guy.

(…)

Katherine Howard – The Material Girl?

(…)

“Catherine, almost moved into a nunnery, and then not.” Her voice sounded snob, trying to mock the other queen. “That could almost be really hard for you.” She concluded with a fake pout.

Her heart was beating faster every second. She was never good at arts.

Even when trying to please Manox, her first music teacher, he always wanted more. She could always be better, greater. It was never enough, no matter how high her voice went while singing, or how many times she practiced dancing, or how much her hand aches after playing one instrument for hours, she was not enough.

Not enough like the air in her lungs while performing. The rest of the group were natural, delivering their lines perfect, playing with the silences making it enjoyable and funny. But she wasn’t like that, she talked way too fast, pronounced words unintelligible and forgot that she had talk.

The musical, a fake competition, didn’t help her. It didn’t bring her release, or peace. Katherine felt always numb, there was no connection between what she was doing and her own story. Her past life just felt like a numb blurry dream.

(…)

Katherine Howard, a slut 17-year-old queen who was beheaded for being a slut!

(…)

It came to Katherine attention how much Catherine (of Aragon) hugged Catherine (Parr). They were usually together, helping or making each other’s hair and make-up. She knew Cathy was Catherine’s goddaughter, but the physical affection takes her by surprise anyway.

The idea of touch being something soft, delicate was so out of her range. Her father was bed-ridden and her mother died while she was young. After that everyone was rough. For the Duchess, touch was only a way of punishment. Katherine sometimes saw the ghost of bruises she would have when she didn’t behave like a lady, when her feelings were shown.

Touching was never something appreciated after that.

(…)

Manipulative, flirty seductress.

(…)

The show was doing well, so well that they bought a new house.

New is a way to say, because it’s old, really old. It needs to be fix, the stairs crack, it is too cold, and there are leaks in the bathroom. But it’s bigger, and each one of them get a room or something like that. Catherine Parr takes the basement, and Anne takes the attic. Anna decides to stay on the only bedroom that is on the first floor. And now Katherine is stuck between Aragon and Seymour.

The room feels impersonal, and Katherine is going crazy trying to make it feel more like her. She paints it, buys a carpet, a desk. When all of it fails, she starts pinning fanart to her wall, photos with Anne and Anna, tickets of plays and movies they attended. She is trying to make new memories but it doesn’t work, it feels like she is just pretending. As if she stole a life. It feels numb and impersonal.

An empty room could be a good metaphor for an empty brain. God knows she had never been bright.

(…)

The Tudors Season 3 episode guide says “As Henry presses for an end to his new marriage, a new sexual conquest emerges – young prostitute Katherine Howard”

(…)

“Kitty, I bought new chokers.” Anne says one day, entering her room.

Katherine doesn’t like buying new necklaces or chokers, maybe because she feels them dreadful. Still she wears them every day. The scar around her neck is a darker colour than her skin, resulting in a brownish tone to it. It looks grotesque. Internet, that magic source of information calls is a hypertrophic scar, thick and raised injured skin.

“Great.” She responds, smiling.

“I thought you might like the pink ones, after all you wear a lot of pink.” She started passing Katherine pieces of electric and baby pink fabric.

“And you wear a lot of green.”

“What can I say? It’s my brand.”

“Are you okay, Annie?” Katherine asks when she notices Anne does not have her usual energy.

“Yes, just Aragon getting on my nerves.” Boleyn sits on her bed. “I’m sure she hates me. It’s not news, we been knew for like, I don’t know, five hundred years. But I hoped it would change.”

“I’m sure she hates me too.”

“Why would you say that KitKat?” Anne frowns. “Did she say something to you?”

“No, but I’m sure she is not too fond of me. Mary wasn’t.”

The look in her cousin’s face does something to her stomach, twisting it. Anne loves her, and Kat knows she does. She uses pet names with her, and calls her Kit, or Kitty or variations of it. Anne tries to protect her. But Katherine knows she doesn’t deserve any of it. Why would she?

Even when she is trying her best, Katherine can’t love Anne back that easily. It doesn’t come natural to her. Giving her love to someone never resulted in anything good. Honestly, it resulted in death. She feels guilty about not reciprocating, but it’s the best way to keep the other queen safe.

“I love this pink.” She tries to change the conversation.

(…)

Michael Hirst describes her as a “Lolita figure”.

(…)

Not even in court, where nothing was private, and people would get into anyone’s problems, people had so much opinions. Nowadays, with social media and phones, everybody had a word. Parr said something about it, about Warhol and how we imposed the new “five minutes of fame”. Social media helped to convey that.

While she was dead, people made up their minds about her. It would be nice to say that they found her just to be someone trying their best, but for the most part it wasn’t. They described her as this femme fatale. A sexually active, young woman, who seduced a whole court.

Five hundred years later, she was still nothing more than a common harlot.

The movies, and TV shows helped with it. Always naked, disposed to just fuck. A toy. A possession. The king’s favourite flower.

Katherine couldn’t be really mad about it, because that was all about her. Even her solo was about how she was the ten among these three. Aragon was the faithful wife, Boleyn the witch who made England break the church, Seymour the one he truly loved, Cleves the great queen of the castle, Parr the feminist writer.

Katherine Howard was the pretty one.

There was no personality to it, just a pretty face that happened to be compared with real queens. Of course, she would never win.

(…)

A nymphomaniac.

(…)

The first time she doesn’t feel drugged or numb comes after a show.

They were just heading out, tired out of their minds. Katherine just felt tired, as always. With that voice in the back of her head telling her how she was weak for not giving more every performance.

A man took her by the wrist, and a wave came from it. Her whole-body getting tense. It comes from her wrist, all through her arm, to her shoulder, finally getting to her neck. And now she can’t breathe. His hand is still there, firm, while she is trembling.

It could have been hours, or minutes, or seconds, but her mind was panicking and racing. She couldn’t seem to hold on to a thought, instead everything became overwhelming, a dizzy feeling. Her body not responding her calls.

“Kitty, can you hear me?” A voice quietly talks. It must be Anne; she is the only one who calls her that.

“We should take her inside.” Another voice speaks. “It’s not safe here.”

“Outside air can help, Jane.” She starts focusing in what the queens are talking. “Kat?”

She manages to break the amount of nervous on her and starts breathing heavy, as if she just ran a marathon.

“I’m okay.”

She sounds raspy, more tired than before if it was even possible.

“Can we go home?”

Parr gives her a hand to take and stand up, but she refuses and decides to stand up by herself. Instead of going to Anna’s car as she would usually do, she heads to Aragon’s, sitting in the passenger seat, making sure to set distance between her and the other queen. Luckily nobody makes questions, and Parr rides with Cleves and Boleyn, so the car is not packed.

(…)

A girl whose only education was into how to please a man.

(…)

She didn’t think it was possible, but it gets worse.

Now, instead of feeling nothing, she feels too much. Way too many bad things. She feels something raw coming from inside of her. It’s so sad, it’s eating her from inside. Her limbs are so tired, but now she can’t sleep. There are nightmares keeping her awake.

It results that feeling was not good after all.

But at least, it makes her feel alive.

After a night full of nightmares, she would just go to the kitchen and serve herself, and usually Cathy Parr, a cup of coffee. If it wasn’t enough, another cup wouldn’t do any harm. She sometimes drank energy drinks if her first cup was not even of a little help, but tried not to rely on them. It was not healthy.

The rest of the queens didn’t bring up what happened, nor her new sleeping habits. Anne would shoot her concerned looks, but nothing outside that. No words.

She must not care. Katherine thought. She knows I’m Katherine Howard, too idiotic to even be sad.

She managed. Pretended to be happy, to have energy. To be oblivious.

(…)

A reckless fool.

(…)

“Jane, just stop it, okay?”

They were alone in the theatre, the rest of the queens were heading out to a bar, instead Seymour and Howard were going home. Katherine was just so tired after just two hours of sleep, and Jane simply didn’t liked bars as much as the rest of them.

“It’s cold, put on a coat or something more, you will catch a cold.” She tried to give the teenager her pink sweater, but all she got was rejection.

“Just don’t.” Katherine bitted her lip, but couldn’t help herself and snapped. “Stop acting as if I’m a child.”

“You are nineteen.” Jane stated.

“I am like five hundred years old.” There was bitterness in her voice. “Nobody cared about me being nineteen when the king beheaded me. They didn’t even care when I was younger, why now?”

“Because I care about you.” The blonde tried to look for Katherine’s eyes, but she was too focused on the ground.

“You shouldn’t.”

There were just too many connotations to what she was saying. She felt trapped inside her own mind, a mind that was useless. As long as she looked pretty, nobody should care about anything else. It was more than enough. Feelings were too complex and ended in tragedy, and whoever cared for her would have to see her downfall.

If she didn’t take them down with her.

After all, Thomas cared. Or so he said.

(…)

Cold, calculating and ambitious.

(…)

The nightmares would just not stop, even as much as she tried.

She would just wake up, agitated and breathless, with the images still going through her mind, even when her eyes were open looking to her bedroom celling.

Katherine tried all the things internet said about sleeping without nightmares. Don’t sleep on her stomach, drink something warm first, try to be warm. Nothing worked. It just got worse and worse, to a point were her still shaken up body would not response once she was awake, instead looking at dark figures that painted the walls in her room.

Internet calls it parasomnia, she calls it her brain just can’t seem to work properly.

It’s one night when after an episode she hears a knock on her door. Heavily moving aching muscles, she opens it, revealing Aragon with a bag of crackers.

“I heard you were having a nightmare.”

Katherine lets her in.

“Why the crackers?” She asks, while sitting back on her bed.

“They say that if you talk about a nightmare without eating something first, it will become true.”

She offers one to Katherine, who accepts.

“I am not sure it was a nightmare.” She takes a deep breath. “I don’t want to talk about it either.”

They fall into a not so comfortable silence.

“Why are you awake?” the teenager asks.

“Nights are a hard time for me. I can’t close my eyes without a memory appearing. Tonight, is Mary.”

“I remember things about her.”

“I do too. I still can remember when she was a baby, you should have seen her. Her hair was so soft, and her skin looked like porcelain. Like a doll, too perfect to be real.”

“I wasn’t even born when she was a baby.”

Aragon laughs unpredictable. “You got me there.” Her face turns darker. “I can’t wrap my head about the things she had done. What they say about her. Bloody Mary, a ghost story. She was just so kind before.”

“Life in court can change you.” Katherine establishes. “Those were other times; other things were allowed. Things people now would consider monstrous.”

“No, that is still no excuse.” Catherine smiled even with eyes full of tears. “I won’t keep you up any longer, there’s no need for it.”

“You can stay here.” Katherine spoke before thinking. “If both of us have problems sleeping, it might be good to be together.”

It becomes a thing, when they heard the other one was up, they would get a bag of crackers and go to the other room. Spending nights talking about meaningless things, trying to take their minds out of dark places.

Katherine discovers Aragon knows a lot of history, things that people have already lost, or that she never heard of. Spanish proverbs and idioms, details of her time as queen. It becomes their night time stories. Talking about the older queen’s past but never about the younger. There is something so appealing for Katherine about history, a curiosity she didn’t knew she had inside her.

It helps.

(…)

It is easy to see Katherine as a spoilt child, a child saying “I want, I want…” all the time and sticking out her bottom lip and sulking if she didn’t get her way.

(…)

Anna is objectively pretty. She doesn’t have the fine gestures of Aragon, or elegancy as Parr. She doesn’t have striking green eyes like Anne. But Anna is still attractive. Full lips, dark skin, and short hair. She chopped it off as soon as they landed to the modern times, and never let it long again.

Anna was also the only one who could remember her time as queen.

Still she doesn’t talk about it, she just ignores history all together. Cleves is great at support, noticing when they are tired and buying stuff for make them feel better.

They are friends, or so she thinks, still there is a lot that is out of the line. Things they never talk but all of them know. About her own past as queen, how Jane’s actions have led to Anne getting beheaded, about Parr’s implications with Elizabeth.

Katherine wonders if they had Googled her. If they have seen the show made about Henry. She is afraid because nobody talks about her truth, is either morbid retellings on how she was abused, on how they pimped her way into Henry’s arms, or about the teenage, spoiled brat she was.

Kat doesn’t think she is either of them. She is not just someone they used to climb their way into court, nor just a teenager who had everything she ever wanted.

Maybe she is something in the middle, constructed by pieces of it. Just pieces because she knows she is not whole; she is breaking beyond repair. Every day it passes it’s another piece, another fragment missing. A nightmare long forgotten; a night lost from her mind.

A rose without a thorn was unnatural after all.

(…)

No other wish but his.

(…)

Katherine realizes her costume is the smaller one, and not only talking about size.

She sometimes feels exposed, and wishes for pants or a better skirt, but the costume designer assured her it was better that way, to play the seductress and then surprise the audience with her real story.

Whore or victim, no in between.

At least she loved pink.

“Kitty, you ready?” Anne asked.

They were at a big studio, and their performance was going to be on TV. All the queens were so anxious the house was as loud as ever, even at night.

“I’m a little bit scared.” She admitted, punishing herself for admitting that.

“Don’t be, you do perfect every night, today is just one more day.”

Emotions fills her for a moment. And it’s not as usually the horrible, dreadful feeling, but rather a warm one.

“I love you Annie.”

Her heart is beating fast, fearing rejection by her cousin. Instead Boleyn hugs her, procuring not to squeeze her in any way she might panic.

“I love you even more Kitty.”

They stay for a while. It’s been hundreds of years since the last time someone hugged her and talked about love. But it felt real. A family bond that she never thought she could have again.

“Now, get prepared, you are going to kill it tonight.”

(…)

Had many characteristics of a juvenile delinquent, who was spoiled, fawned upon, and flattered.

(…)

Jane is the first one to start seeing a psychologist.

She has a survivor’s guilt, even when she was the one who died. But it was honest that she was also the one who came back. Katherine wants to help, but doesn’t know how. Dying is easier when you wish for it. When you leave no one behind.

“How was therapy?” Kat asks when Jane gets home after the first session.

“It’s good, I think. Talking about it was like releasing a breath I didn’t knew I was holding. I know there is still a lot to work on, but I feel like it is a good decision.” She smiles. Jane lets her hand in the table, offering it to the teenager without a word. She takes it. “Thanks for asking, Kitty.”

“Can you not call me that?” Katherine pleads, giving Jane’s hand a little squeeze. “Annie calls me that, and I like it being a thing with her.”

She knows it’s cold to just say that, but Anne has been the only one to call her that. From the moment they arrived, while everyone called her Katherine, for her cousin she was Kitty. It gave her a feeling of comfort, of belonging to a family. Boleyn was her family.

“No problem, we can look for another nickname.” Jane smiles. “I want to bake cookies, what do you think?”

(…)

Could this ‘whore in the bedroom’ really be a virgin?

(…)

“Are you okay, Catherine?” Kat asks.

The survivor was still in the kitchen, even when it was past midnight. Her face was slammed on the table, illuminated by the cold light of her notebook.

“Yes, just can’t seem to get this done.” She straightens her spine.

“What is it about?”

“Just about Spain history, and the colonies.”

“Can I read?”

“Yes. I will make tea.” Parr handles the computer to the fifth queen.

Catherine takes two mugs, and chooses peppermint tea for them both. When the water is hot, she serves it, and takes the sugar to the table.

“It is good, really.” Howard says.

“I can sense a “but”.” Catherine laughs.

“You are only taking one side; you should know how Spain sent a lot of people from the church on missions to re-educate the natives. Las misiones Jesuitas. Politics and religion were more connected than what this make it look like.”

“That’s… Very true. I didn’t know you were interested in history.”

Kat can feel her face getting redder and warmer, embarrassed.

“It’s great, if you ever want to work together, you know where to find me.”

Work. Work together.

The teenager is not sure about how to react.

(…)

If only she had been willing to put her pride and title aside, (…) she may have lost her title as queen but kept her head.

(…)

When she realizes how much her life had changed, it’s more than half a year since they arrived.

There is still something obscure, twitching inside of her. The voices of a million ghosts, and even more people now with their opinions.

Researching history with the first and the last queen helps her. She starts noticing the changes in the discourses, how things that could be empowering before now are just mere normal things. The idea of a part of history she missed is attractive, and she spends hours on Wikipedia and blogs before talking to Parr about trivia facts she finds of the years they were dead.

The house gets better by the time. Having it painted, changed the plumbing, renewed the stairs. It also gets better with them, slowly growing into a group, learning how to deal with each other.

It’s slow, but it gets better.

(…)

I have to conclude that Catherine was incredibly stupid and foolhardy.

(…)

Katherine decides to start therapy. Jane talks highly of how it affected her, how she resolved so many things about her past. And the youngest queen just wants that, to be liberated, to step out of her own shadow.

At first therapy was good, having a chance to talk about her feelings, about living with people who were totally strangers. Adapting to a new world. Having a cousin. It all comes easy, it’s just the way it is. It gives her a short feeling of release, of being liberated, but it always quickly vanishes.

Not everything can always be smooth sailing in her life.

“What is a child?” Her psychologist, a woman in her middle thirties asks.

“A child?”

“Yes, what do you consider a child?”

“A really young human, I guess.”

It’s a weird question, and she feels as if she was being interrogated. That is what exams must feel like.

“I can’t really remember a lot from my childhood.” Katherine starts. “It’s just things. My mother died when I was five. I loved dancing; my father let me study it. I was never good at important things, such as math or music.”

“Why you weren’t?”

“I’m not sure. Manox always told me how I wasn’t enough, how I should try harder and be better. Francis was also like that, telling me to be quiet, to please. My grandmother also was like that, wanted all of us, the ladies to be better.”

She waits, thinks how to continue.

“I think what I always wanted to do was to make them proud, to be always better. I wanted to be liked, just that. I thought that if I was better my father was not going to leave me in a place full of people I didn’t know.”

Katherine can feel herself thinking again, trying to put her thoughts into words once, and once again.

“Why do you do this to yourself, Katherine?” Her psychologist watches her straight to her eyes. “Why are you hiding things for me? You think, and think, and think again, trying to control what your saying, how you move, how you act. I can’t judge you, and I won’t. You need to be real here, or else therapy is not going to help.”

“When I was real, I died.” Tears are streaming down her face; a pout is there and she doesn’t want to look so much like a child, but she feels small.

“Were you real? Why did you love him?”

(…)

She must have had rocks in her head.

(…)

It takes time after that, to really open up.

It takes even more time to notice that a lot of her thoughts weren’t hers, but rather thoughts she had attached herself to. It becomes difficult to realize that she is made of other people’s opinions. That she is just a victim of an adult game. It doesn’t come easy, and when it comes, it breaks her.

It breaks her to the core, to a point she is not sure how to act because that’s all she has ever knew.

(…)

Katherine had been shameless. She had been deceitful. But that was all.

(…)

Anna is there when she gets back from one therapy session.

“How was it today?” Cleves asks.

“Was I just a child?” Katherine returns a question.

“Explain that, please.”

The queen who lived the longest makes the youngest sit on the couch.

“Was I just a child when I arrived to court?”

“You were. You were so young and knew so much about things I couldn’t even imagine.”

“I thought I was an adult.”

“That’s what older people want to make you believe to manipulate you. “You are wiser”, “Too mature for your age”, “You know better than others”.” Katherine is trembling, but that doesn’t stop Anna. “They made you believe you were ready so they didn’t have to live with their own guilt. But you are just a victim.”

The teenager starts crying, and Anna hugs her.

“I thought it was my fault.” She admits. “I thought it was me.”

(…)

There is so much that is not known about her that I am still thinking of all the ideas that people have suggested.

(…)

Dealing with trauma is not easy. Katherine slowly learns to manage. Sometimes is harder, when breathing exercises are too much for her panicking brain, or when nightmares can’t seem to stop. But she still gets out of them, learns not to blame herself.

She learns to be loved. Truly love. Not to fear emotions.

Katherine gets mad, and forgives, taking matters into her own hands. She learns to be young, to be carefree.

She learns to unlearn everything she knew, to question other people opinions about herself to the point she knows who she is, and can’t bring herself to care what an history book or some random person on internet has to say.

It’s hard, but she learns to own and embrace who she is.

#six the musical fanfiction #six fanfiction #six fanfic #six the musical

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pessimisticlatte · 4 years

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Glass Roses ~ Chapter 20

Adrienette ~ Marichat ~ Ladynoir ~ DJWifi ~ Lukagami ~ Chlobrina

We’re getting close to the end here, guys!! I’m actually so excited to end this to finish cause I’ve had a million and one MLB fic ideas bouncing around my head for weeks and I literally cannot wait to get started on my favourite one of them!

Anyway, enjoy this chapter! Fanart of Mari in her dress to follow cause I felt like drawing her! Fanart of Ladybug’s dress to come at some point because I’m inspired to draw her dress now too!

Fiddling anxiously with his cufflinks, Adrien’s fingers itched to reach for one of the wine flutes being toted around the room on black trays by plainly dressed waiters and waitresses. People had started filing in ages ago and the stream had remained steady for about an hour now, people coming to the door to have their name announced like a damn debutante ball before they descended the stairs into the white marble room and swept over to Adrien to give him their congratulations on reaching adulthood. Though the ballroom was ridiculously large, he felt so small and so trapped, a clock ticking away in the back of his head for how long he would last before the busyness of this room overwhelmed him and sent him fleeing to the garden for some peace and quiet. Nino had disappeared not too long ago, likely to meet Alya so they could be announced together but something told him that the aspiring DJ was probably crying in some empty corridor somewhere from how slow and boring the music playing was and, frankly, Adrien felt that the string quartet wasn’t exactly his speed at the moment either.

Sweeping his eyes across the room as he shook yet another hand, Adrien searched for the bright red hat of his best friend (Nino had outright refused to take the hat off, even when Gabriel had requested that he did, saying that anyone who tried to remove his hat would not be found the next morning) or the two-toned hair of Kagami’s musician beau with no avail. The smile on his lips was fake but he was so glad that none of the people who he’d greeted so far had known him well enough to see that and he internally begged for someone, anyone, to come and save him from this hell of his father’s making.

“Marinette Dupain-Cheng,” The herald or whatever the guy was called that was standing atop the stairs calling out guest’s names held the card with Marinette’s name on it out in front of him with a confused look as he announced her, Adrien’s eyes immediately snapping to the dark haired young woman standing at the top of the stairs. His jaw dropped so low he swore that he heard the silver threaded marble beneath his feet crack slightly from the impact. He couldn’t think of the words to describe how she looked as she took a tentative step forward and began descending the stairs. Her dark hair was loose around her shoulders with a small section of it tied into a small ponytail that melted into the inkyness swishing below, her fringe was fluffier and two small strands of hair framed the sides of her face as she awkwardly chewed a plum painted lip. The train of her dress spread out behind her and cascaded down the stairs in a waterfall of the deepest purple he’d ever seen; the sleeves were long and ended right at her wrists with the top of the dress sitting low across her shoulders so as to expose them and her collarbone tastefully; a sash was tied around her waist and, though Adrien could not see it, sat in a neat bow against her lower back. She wore no necklace, her loose hair ornamentation enough for her slender, slowly reddening neck and shoulders.

Finally reaching the bottom of the stairs, at the same time, Adrien and Marinette smiled at each other as he held his hand out for her to take so he could lead her further into the ballroom. There were whispers around them as Adrien tucked Mari’s hand into the crook of his elbow and wove through the room toward the long catering tables set up toward the back. Eyes followed the couple as they moved past, Marinette holding herself with a grace that made Adrien’s heart race. Let them stare, he thought, let them stare and see that I’m here with the most beautiful person in this entire place. Coming to a stop at the back of the room, Mari looked up at her boyfriend shyly.

“I asked him not to announce me as your girlfriend, I didn’t want to embarrass you,” Playing with a silky strand of hair that had slid over her shoulder, Marinette spoke in a low voice.

“You could never embarrass me, Mari,” Brushing his hand against her waist, Adrien released Mari’s hand and decided to rest his hand on her hip, pulling her into his side. “And I think they’re pretty much aware that we’re together anyway.”

The two began to sway slightly to the soft, classical music coming from the string quartet in the corner across the room from them.

“A-adrien,” Mari began speaking, feeling her words get caught in her throat as he moved slightly to look at her, worried.

“Are you alright?”

“Y-yeah, I-i’m okay,”

“You’re not, Mari, I know that look. What’s wrong?” Rubbing his thumb gently against her waist, Adrien tried to press her without being too harsh.

“I...I don’t know if I can do it,”

“Do what?”

“Take the miraculous away from your father,”

“Why?”

“Because…,” Tears sprang to Marinette’s eyes as she bowed her head, ashamed. “Because I know that taking the miraculous away from him means him going away...him going to jail...and I don’t want to deny you the father you deserve.”

“Oh Mari. You’re too sweet for your own good,”

“I know,”

“If he was going to be the father I deserved then he would’ve tried ages ago, which he hasn’t. He’s constantly put himself first and this,” Adrien waved his hand to encompass the whole room and all those within. “Just shows that he never took the time to actually get to know me. God, if it weren’t for Nathalie, he’d probably have forgotten how old I was. Gabriel Agreste isn’t going to be the father I deserve and I know that because the father I deserve gave me you.”

~~~~~~~~~

At exactly nine pm, Alya slipped into the hedged garden just beyond the ballroom and transformed into Rena Rouge, albeit a more formal version of what she normally wore but still distinctive as herself, as she waited for Marinette and Adrien’s signal to conjure Ladybug and Chat Noir’s arrival. The couple had just left the dancefloor and made their way to a table covered in canapes, standing side by side as they discussed something just below the reach of Alya’s fox enhanced hearing, crouching behind the hedge with the glass Adrien and Marinette stood behind in view, Alya watched as Mari turned slightly and swept the long sheet of inky hair hanging around her shoulder blades over her left shoulder. To ensure that the signal was more than just Mari fiddling with her hair like she usually did when it was out, the group had agreed to get Adrien to act as a secondary signaller; his instructions being to somehow snag his cufflinks on Mari’s small ponytail and pull it out so Mari would have to leave the ballroom to fix it, giving Alya the perfect chance to bring in the illusory Ladybug and Chat Noir before Marinette returned so she and Adrien could follow Gabriel’s retreat.

Catching Mari’s hair on his cufflink as planned, Adrien’s eyes met Alya’s briefly as Marinette’s hair came fully loose and she released a yelp of real, sincere pain at the tug. Watching Mari leave for the bathroom, Adrien following after her before slowing down and standing beside Nino, who was talking animatedly with Luka as Kagami nursed a flute of champagne, listening intently to the conversation before Juleka came out of nowhere and grabbed her brother’s arm, dragging him to the dance floor to waltz with her. The team hadn’t exactly factored in their non-superhero friends when they’d made the plan earlier that day and, as Alya raised her flute to her lips and wove her illusion, she hoped against hope that their friends, no matter how dearly she loved them, didn’t fuck this up.

~~~~~~~

Pacing back and forth, Nathalie was wringing her hands again. The skin on her hands was beginning to crack from how much she’d been wringing her hands in the past few days, she’d taken to wearing gloves when they’d arrived at Alsace, trying to hide the extent of her worry from Adrien. Dressed in a floor length cocktail dress of deep crimson, a gauzy cape hanging off her shoulders and falling to the floor behind her dress in a cascading waterfall of shimmering fabric, Nathalie played with the silken fingertips of her gloves as she looked out over the ballroom crowded with people. She could easily pick out Adrien’s golden head in the midst of all the people, his blue and black haired friend being dragged away by a girl with vibrant purple hair as the boy in the red hat, Nino she tried to recall his name as, laughed and laughed and laughed. Moving to the railing and placing her hands against it, trying not to squeeze the shining marble in a display of her anxiety, Nathalie’s eyes scanned across the room for Marinette, confused as to why she wasn’t at Adrien’s side.

There was a sudden clamouring and rise in volume from the floor below, heads turning to face the staircase as the crowd thickened into a tsunami of people moving slowly. Leaning over the railing slightly, Nathalie saw a dark haired girl in a gown of cold, bright red with black polka dots and a wide skirt standing beside the herald. Ladybug looked stunning, despite her face still being covered in a mask (though this one covered more of her face than the one she usually wore). The bodice was heart-shaped, showing off Ladybug’s clavicle slightly with long, black gloves reaching up to her surprisingly defined biceps and no sleeves, the waistline was tapered slightly in a V before the skirt sat out wide from her hips. A tulle overskirt designed to look like ladybug wings floated over the larger skirt on a phantom wind, that had Nathalie wide eyed and itching to take notes on every aspect of the dress so that she could study it and recreate it for herself.

“Ladybug, Superhero of Paris,” The herald’s voice rang across the room as every single voice dropped, Nathalie’s heart dropping too and cracking into the floor beneath her feet like a stone. No, no, no, no, she’d tried to tell them not to come. This was what Gabriel wanted. Why would they give him what he wanted? And why would they do it on Adrien’s birthday of all days? They knew that today was for him and they’d still come, intent on destroying Hawkmoth and Adrien Agreste with him. A young man with a head of golden hair dressed in a pristine black suit with a black button up beneath it and a golden bow tie appeared behind Ladybug and placed a hand on her lower back, leaning into the herald who announced him a moment later. “Chat Noir, the Superpowered Pun Master of Paris and King of Kitty Cats.”

Nathalie face palmed. Of course Chat Noir would make a spectacle of himself, asking to be announced in such a way. The two superheroes descended the stairs, Ladybug’s hand tucked into the crook of Chat Noir’s elbow as she looked around the ballroom serenely. Eyes snapping to the back of the room, Nathalie caught sight of Gabriel just in time for him to slip into a servant’s corridor and out of sight, her breath caught in her throat painfully. Oh shit. Oh shit. Oh shit. Oh shit. Oh shit.

A/N; not an awfully long chapter, this one, cause chapter 21 is gonna be a monster of a chapter and I really didn’t want to make this one massive.

~~~~~~~TAGLINE~~~~~

@lady-charinette @maniic-pixie-dream-girl @aussie-lesbian @hnbutt @camelliaflwr @mochegato @a-star-with-a-human-name @beauty-and-her-books @imgaydontshoot @severalverysmallmangoesinabasket @katieykat513 @nifflerstorm @itwasmydog

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bbwoulfc · 7 years

Text

Newbies - Childhood AU

This was inspired by fanart from Pinterest and Tumblr. Mainly Pinterest.

Summary: With Adrien busy gawking over the transformation, Félix heads to retrieve a practice epée sword.

“Now, show me what you’ve got, Chat Noir.”

Adrien looks over to see Félix in a fencing stance with a look of determination and challenging smirk.

A grin forms on Adrien’s face full of eagerness and excitement.“With Pleasure.”

With a shaky breath, Marinette calms herself and takes a deep breath. “Okay. I can do this.”

“You can do this.” Said Bridgette.

Marinette looks over to see Bridgette giving her a supportive smile. Feeling slightly more determined, Marinette looks back at Tikki.

With a nervous smile, she calls on her transformation.“Tikki, spots on!”

*Sequel continuation from Intertwined with Destiny*

Chapter One

Today was the day.

Today was the day that Felix and Bridgette were going to pass down their miraculous to their successors. Adrien and Marinette.

For Felix and Bridgette, it was going to be liberating. Not saying they didn’t enjoy their years as Ladybug and Chat Noir. It just wasn’t what they wanted to do with their lives.

They both were twenty. Felix and Bridgette had their own plans for their future and it didn’t consist being Chat Noir and Ladybug. The two were now in university where Felix was pursuing a degree in business to join his father with the Agreste fashion empire. He was lucky enough to avoid modeling for his father and take the interest behind the lines towards the business side. Though it didn’t prevent Adrien from avoiding the modeling life. His younger brother was forced into the role as model to help sell the Agreste brand. Felix knew Adrien wasn’t the biggest fan of modeling but he knew his brother was willing to help the family business. As for Bridgette, well, Felix got lucky that she was pursuing a business degree as well. With artistic skills like her younger cousin, Marinette, Bridgette was aiming towards business marketing. Together they planned to work for Agreste. Felix would handle the business side and Bridgette would handle the marketing side. It felt like the perfect decision.

Even now, Felix and Bridgette had their own place not far from his Agreste family home. It felt like home and he finally gets to spend all his time with his girlfriend. It took a year to convince his father but thankfully he eventually won him over. Now he has a more positive and welcoming life with his beloved.

But now, he and Bridgette will finally be passing down the ladybug earrings and black cat ring to their rightful chosens. Oh how Felix is slightly nervous.

“Are you alright, Felix?” Came Bridgette’s voice.

Felix was sitting on their couch, his head resting in one hand as his index finger taps against his chin. He looked a little restless according to Bridgette, but she knew her boyfriend. She knew he was just worried about his brother getting the miraculous and dealing with the responsibilities. Though they both knew Adrien needed Plagg. The kwami will be able to allow Adrien to have the freedom he needs to be himself. Plus, he also had Marinette. With those two, and each other, Adrien and Marinette will be just fine.

Stopping the tapping, Felix’s gaze moves up to see Bridgette standing beside him, looking down as she offers him a warming smile. Eyes glistening with care and love like she’s always possessed since they first met.

“I’m doing fine. Maybe a little worried about Adrien and Marinette taking the miraculouses, though I know they’ll do great. I don’t know. Maybe it’s more that he’ll be alone now in that house knowing that I’m no longing there.” Came Felix’s reply. A little doubt gliding within in his eyes.

Moving around her boyfriend, Bridgette sis beside Felix and lays a comforting hand on his knee, rubbing soothing circles above the top of knee and thigh area as she looks at Felix.

“Fe, I know you care about Adrien, but there’s nothing you need to worry about. You’re a great brother and that says a lot. But I promise you everything will be fine. Adrien won’t be alone. He’ll always have you and me, but most importantly, he’ll have Marinette with him along every step of the way. Like Master Fu said, let them learn and help each other. If they ever need help, they’ll come to us. Plus, it doesn’t mean we can’t visit them.”

Felix looks over to see Bridgette’s radiating smile. He might have grown to be rather stoic in front of others and in public, but he could always count on his girlfriend to lighten his mood. With her confidence, Felix lets a calming smile reflect on his lips towards her. If there was anyone he believed that all would turn out positive, it was Bridgette.

“Now, let’s head back to bed.” Said Bridgette.

“But it’s already 5:30am.” Replied Felix and raising a brow.

“Yea and that’s too early. We’re not confronting the two until lunch time. So we’re going back to bed for another two or three hours before we start our day.” Bridgette was not leaving any room for further argument.

With a smirk and nod, Felix replies, “Very well, my queen.”

*****

Summer was over and the day finally arrived announcing the beginning of the new school year. It was the year that Marinette was dreading. Okay, maybe not dreading. Just dreading to the thought that she might be stuck with the nuisance of having Chloe in her class. Marinette rather have another week or so of summer to hang out with Adrien. At least that’d be one positive she’d look forward. Any chance of hanging out with her crush would be better than dealing with Chloe.

Hearing her alarm set off, Marinette groaned in annoyance. She was not ready for the day to begin. The softness and coziness of her bed was calling her mind and body to crumble back to sleep. A few more minutes wouldn’t hurt, she thought. It’s not like she has to go far to reach school in time anyways.

Laying her head back against her pillows, Marinette grabs her blanket and pulls in over her body, covering her head as well. The sun was bright from where it was casting off her trap door leading to her balcony. She wanted some darkness as she tried to sleep a little longer.

“Marinette! You need to get up!”

Her mother’s voice penetrated through the morning silence that hovered throughout her bedroom. Of course going back to gain a few more minutes of sleep were too good to be true.

With a grumble and groan, Marinette pushed her covers aside. “Alright, maman.” Releasing a huff of breath and another groan.

Well, might as well head down and eat breakfast.

Throwing the bed covers off, she slides to the edge of her bed and stands up, walking over to her lofts stairs and descends, reaching the lower part of her bedroom walking towards the trap door.

Lifting the door open, Marinette descends the stairs to the main house level towards the living space. Raising her hand towards her mouth, she releases a long yawn and greets her mother. “Morning maman.”

“Morning, sweetie.” Responded her mother.

“Morning, Marinette!” Greeted a welcoming and familiar voice.

Marinette screeches in her steps. Turning around from the staircase, she turns her head towards the dining table with wide eyes as she sees a familiar boy sitting with the biggest grin on his face. A familiar blond green eyed boy. The same boy she’s known since they were kids.

Like a ray of sunshine, Marinette sees Adrien sitting at her family’s dining table with a plate of food looking at her with that damn gorgeous smile of his.

Even though all of that was a lovely sight to see, the only thought that really took Marinette by surprise is Adrien being in her house. Why is he in my house?! Seriously, it’s not like he hasn’t been to her house but of all days and time, why was he here this early. Why was he here period?!

“What are you doing here?” Marinette was very curious.

She didn’t think Adrien’s smile could grow bigger than it already was. The gleam that glistened in his eyes told that something very good was the cause of it.

“Oh my god, Marinette. It’s the best day of my life! Guess what Félix managed to convince my father and Natalie to do?!”

With a chuckle, she looks at him, brow raised in curiosity. “I don’t know, what?”

“I’m finally going to school! Your school. Isn’t that awesome!”

Okay, Marinette had to be honest. That was the last thing she ever expected. But oh my god was she excited.

Adrien laughed at Marinette’s stunned expression. He found it adorable seeing her eyes wide with shock and mouth agape. Then again he found everything about her adorable. He could look at her every minute he if was given the opportunity.

“No way! Are you serious?” Marinette rushed over towards the dining table, taking the seat across from Adrien as she prepares herself a bowl of cereal.

“Of course I am, Mari. I don’t know how Félix managed it, but I’m officially a student at Collége Françoise Dupont. This will be so thrilling. We have to make sure we sit next to each other!” Adrien clearly was beaming. Marinette hasn't seen a kid so excited for school before like Adrien.

“This is amazing. I think you just made my day. I was dreading going to school today. Now knowing you’ll be there I think I’ll be able to bear it.” Marinette felt relieved. She was going to have a friend with her and that friend was one Adrien Agreste. This moment couldn’t get better.

“Oh and I love those pajamas you’re wearing. They’re so adorable.” Adrien broke through Marinette’s thoughts. However, that wasn’t what she needed as the moment was broken.

Looking down at herself, Marinette clearly saw her pink and white pajamas that she was in fact wearing. And worst, Adrien is sitting in front of her and clearly has an overall view of her and her pajamas. She wished she could just die right now. Let a hole appear in the ground and claim her. Swallow her from this embarrassing moment.

She has never felt embarrassed this much in her entire life. Marinette badly wants to sink down into her chair and never resurface. Why of all days did Adrien have to be in her home when she’s not properly dressed?

“Oh my god!” Marinette jumped out of the chair and ran up the stairs to her attic bedroom in a white and pink blur.

Blinking, Adrien watched Marinette’s retreating form and looked back at his plate.

Raising a brow, Adrien looked up to Sabine. “Did I say something, Sabine?”

A worried look took over Adrien’s features wondering if he did something wrong. Last thing he’d ever want to do is end up doing something wrong to Marinette. He wouldn’t know how to feel if he hurt his crush.

“Don’t worry, Adrien. Marinette I’m sure wasn’t expecting to have a friend over while in pajamas.” Sabine gave Adrien a relaxed smile.

Adrien quirked a brow, “What? It’s not like I haven’t seen her in her pajamas before.”

“I know, but that was when you two were a little younger. You two are fifteen, so I’m sure it’s a little different now than it was back then.”

Adrien’s face flushes red, “Oh.” Looking away from Sabine, Adrien goes back to eating his breakfast provided by Sabine and patiently waits for Marinette to return.

After a few minutes, Marinette returned downstairs dressed for school with her pink school bag around her shoulder. No longer embarrassed being in pajamas in front of Adrien, she grabbed a bowl and milk for cereal. Other than glad to know Adrien will be with her in school, Marinette hopes the day will get better from this little moment of her life.

*****

After breakfast, Marinette and Adrien walked down the stairs of the apartment and into the bakery to see her father and mother baking the varieties of goods for the day.

Coming from the back of the bakery of the kitchen to the front of the store, dressed with a white apron holding a small box of fresh macaroons.

“Morning Papa.” Greeted Marinette.

“There’s my little girl. Got a fresh batch of macaroons for you and your class. Nothing beats the first day than some freshly baked goods to brighten your day!”

“They look amazing papa! Thank you!” Marinette jumped in excitement and wrapped her father in a hug.

“Technically I should thank you and your amazing art skills. The new logo design you did turn out amazing.”

“It was nothing, papa. I’m glad you and maman liked it.”

Giving his daughter another hug, Tom looks beside him to greet the other. “Morning, Adrien.”

“Morning, Tom.” Adrien walks forwards and stops beside Marinette, gazing at the delectable fresh macaroons. The smell was mouthwatering. When it came to Tom and Sabine’s food, Adrien could eat them till he passed out. But then again, he’ll never know when he has a model’s diet to pertain. Then again, one or two couldn’t hurt.

Reaching his hand up, Adrien hovers over the macaroons when Marinette sees Adrien’s movement.

Looking at his hand, Marinette raises her own and slaps Adrien’s hand away. The blond boy retracts his hand with a small yelp.

“Don’t even think about it, Adrien.” Scolded Marinette.

Adrien whimpers and offers her puppy eyes, “Aw come on, Mari. They look and smell delicious. Please? Just one.”

“When we get to school. You can hold off till then.”

Adrien grumbles as he crossed his arms, submitting to Marinette’s whims.

“Alright now. You kids need to get going. Have fun at school.” Sabine spoke up from near the back of the counter.

Giving the two adults a nod, Marinette and Adrien head out of the bakery and towards the school.

*****

Entering the classroom, Adrien and Marinette look around to see students sitting at desks. For Marinette, all students she’s known were sitting in the same seats from the previous years. However, she noticed Nino sitting in the front desk nearest to the door.

Looking over to the other side of the class, she noticed a new student, a girl with reddish brown hair. She was sitting alone and busy on her phone.

Maybe they can be friends.

Marinette walked over and stood in front of the student. “Hi. You must be new here. My names Marinette.”

The girl looks up from her phone to see Marinette looking at her with a bright smile. Blinking, the new girl sets her phone down and offers her hand and smiles. “Alya Cesaire. It’s nice to meet you, Marinette.”

“I noticed you were sitting by yourself. Wanted to know if you would like to sit with me.”

“Sure. Thanks.” Alya grabbed her bag and sat up from the desk and followed Marinette to the other side.

Reaching the other side, Marinette and Alya took the second row above Nino.

“Adrien, why don’t you sit with Nino.” Adrien smiles and nods and moves to sit beside Nino. “Alya, Nino, I’d like you to my best friend, Adrien. We’ve known each other since we were kids. Adrien’s new as well.” Continued Marinette.

Nino look at Adrien and offers his hand to the blond. “Sounds like you need some friends, dude. And any friend of Marinette is a friend of mine. Like Mari said, name’s Nino.”

A brighten glow runs through Adrien’s face as a smile takes over and shakes Nino’s hand. “Nice to meet you, Nino.”

“And just to make sure we meet everyone; this is Alya.” Marinette gestures her hand to Alya.

Alya simply smiles and waves to the boys.

“And to start off this new friendship, let’s begin it with a share of ma-”

“ADRIKINS!!!” A loud high feminine voice echoed through the classroom as all four and the other classmates cringe. “Is that you?!”

Adrien turns around fully and stares at Marinette, his pupils small and brows mid high as he looks at her pleadingly. “Mari! Oh my god, help me, please!” He whispered hissed to her. His hands were gripping the edge of her desk.

Marinette looks at Adrien and can see the pleading and suffering to come as her gaze looks up in time to see a blur of yellow.

From behind, Chloe wraps her arms around Adrien and embraces him in a tightening grip. As for Adrien, it didn’t feel much like a hug if he had the ability to offer an opinion.

Desperately, Adrien tries to remove the deathly grip from his other childhood friend. Well, forced childhood friend.

“Hey, Chlo.” Adrien huffed out from the available airway that wasn’t being trapped from the grip of Chloe’s arms.

“Chloe, release Adrien.”

Chloe halted her attack and looked up to see Marinette. A smirk curves on the mayor’s daughter.

“Oh, it’s you. Marinette Dupain-Cheng.” Her tone was very much said with venom. That Marinette definitely didn’t miss.

Chloe releases Adrien and walks up until she towered over Marinette’s sitting form. “Let’s make this easy, Dupain-Cheng. I’m going to sit here and you and miss new girl can move along over there in the front row.”

“Excuse me.” Seethed Alya from behind Marinette.

“Chloe, I’ve always sat in this spot. You know that.” Marinette’s brows furrowed downward. Her frustration slowly rising. She may not be strong or secure in some things, but there’s only so much that Marinette can take before it gets too much.

Truth be told, Marinette didn’t have close friends even if she knew everyone in her class, but as for close friends, she only ever had Adrien. Now that she added Alya and Nino, and even better now having Adrien, what’s stopping her.

“Yes, but now that Adrien is here, I will sit behind him. Now move.” Chloe continued to stare as a smirk played on her lips.

“Chloe. I want Marinette there. You and Sabrina can sit in the front row over there.”

Chloe turned to see Adrien looking at her and pointing to the front row across from him and Nino. Adrien’s brow’s furrowed with a sign of frustration seeing Chloe treating Marinette rudely.

Opening her mouth to argue back, Chloe was interrupted when the teacher entered the room.

“Good morning students. For those who don’t know me my name is Ms. Bustier. If you’ll please take a seat so we can begin class.”

Giving a huff, Chloe spins on her heels and walks down the steps and heads over to the front row near the windows, Sabrina following close behind. Once Chloe was out of ear shot, Adrien and Marinette released a breath of relief. Adrien’s body easing from the tension.

“Your friends with Chloe?” Nino asked Adrien.

“Yea, well kinda. My father and her father have business together a few times and introduced us when I was younger. I know she’s not perfect, but I can only tolerate her for so long. That’s the reason why I hang out with Mari the most. At least as much as I possibly can.”

“Bro, I’m going to have to make sure I rescue you. Dude, we are going to make sure we make bro time.”

Adrien liked the idea of finally having a guy friend. Plus, looks like Marinette has a new friend for girl time.

“I almost forgot.” Came Marinette’s voice.

All three turn to look at Marinette before class officially began. Marinette opened the small box of macaroons and handed a macaroon to Alya, Nino, and Adrien. “To friendship.”

“To friendship.” Alya, Nino, and Adrien echoed.

“Amazing, Marinette. Just like you.” Adrien said, still savoring the macaroon.

A blush grazes over Marinette’s face, gathering the attention of Alya as her brow raises and a smirk playing on her lips. Marinette sees Alya’s expression and stiffens seeing the knowing smirk. Alya glances back at Adrien, the boy not even paying attention, and glances back at Marinette. She wiggles her eyebrows at Marinette as her smirk turns into a grin. Marinette releases a semi fake cough and eats a macaroon as the teacher calls for everyone’s attention. Thankful, Marinette relaxed as she felt saved by the teacher from any possible questioning from Alya.

*****

During class, Adrien’s phone silently vibrates in his pocket. Glancing up to the teacher, Ms. Bustier’s back was towards them, he reached for his phone. Checking the screen, he sees a text from Félix.

From: Félix

To: Adrien

At lunch, please come home. I’ll be in the study waiting. I’d like to talk to you.

Blinking at the text, Adrien responded back to Felix, agreeing to head home for lunch, curious about what his brother wanted to talk about. Though, Adrien’s excited to see his brother again. It’s been a little lonely without him home anymore, but at least he still gets to see him.

*****

Walking through the front door, Félix heads up the stairs towards the study. It won’t be long before he passes on a new life to Adrien.

Taking a deep breath, Félix uses the time he has left to relax and calm himself before meeting with Adrien. This is going to be a huge change, not just in his life, but his brother’s as well. He just hopes Adrien can handle it.

*****

Looking down at his watch, Felix stands in the study as he waits for Adrien to arrive home. Any minute now everything will change. But change for the better.

As the father clock stroke noon, Félix heard the front door to the house open and footsteps echoing off the openness of the large home. He looks out the window towards the city of Paris awaiting for his brother. Within a minute, he can hear Adrien enter the study, thankfully alone.

“Hey Félix!” Adrien greeted with happiness etched in his words.

“How was your first day of morning classes so far?”

“Amazing! I get to be with Mari and a met some new friends. It’s awesome. Thank you for doing this.”

“You’re welcome, Adrien. However, there is a reason why I asked you to come home.”

“Okay. Is everything okay?” Adrien was curious, but when his older brother started acting serious, than he was being serious for real.

“If you wish to remain in public school, you’ll have to do me a favor. Could you do that?”

“Of course! Anything.”

“Do you remember our discussion about Chat Noir a while back?”

“Yea. One of the two best heroes in Paris. What about them?”

A small silence spread between them. Only shortly, though Félix still looked out the study’s window.

“Would you still want to be Chat Noir if given the chance?”

“Absolutely.”

Félix turns to look at Adrien. He looks over and gives him a smile that Adrien rarely sees on his older brother. A smile of relief and excitement. One of gratitude and life.

“Then, I would like you to meet Plagg. Plagg, please come out.”

At the mention of his name, the kwami flies out from his hiding spot and floats in front of Adrien.

“Hey kid.” Plagg greets Adrien with a smirk.

Adrien looks at the kwami with awe, eyes wide at the mysterious creature. Looking at the cat creature in curiosity, Adrien starts gathering the clues until his eyes blow wider and spin to look at Félix grinning.

“Oh my God. Oh my God! You’re Chat Noir. My brother is Chat Noir.”

A chuckle emitting from Félix. “Was Chat Noir.”

Adrien’s giddiness comes to a halt as he looks at his brother. “Was? What do you mean?”

“I’m retiring Adrien. I’m passing down my duties and role to you. I had fun while it lasted, but I never really wanted it. So I figured, who better to be suited for the role than my dorky carefree younger brother.”

Breathless, that’s how Adrien felt. He couldn’t believe that he was going to be Chat Noir. This was a dream come true. He’ll get to have a secret life, a life of freedom to be who he wants to be.

“This is the coolest moment of my life. So if you’re retiring, does that mean Ladybug is as well?”

Félix gives a nod, informing his question as a yes.

“Then do you know who the new Ladybug will be?”

“Your soulmate? Of course.”

“My soulmate?”

“Ladybug and Chat Noir are soulmates. Two halves of a whole. They are destined to be with each other. Two souls that complete the other.”

Ladybug and Chat Noir are soulmates. What about Marinette? He loves her. Of course, he hasn’t told her yet, but he really wants to be with her.

“Does that mean I can’t be with Marinette?” Asked Adrien, a sense of sorrow overtaking him.

“I never said that.” Félix gives Adrien a smirk, a glint in his eyes.

Adrien couldn’t understand and began thinking everything he knew about his brother. Félix was Chat Noir, and Ladybug and Chat Noir are destined to be soulmates. Félix is dating Bridgette which means…

“Bridgette was Ladybug.” The revelation hitting Adrien. “That means she’s planning on passing down Ladybug to Marinette!” Adrien says with hope.

Félix’s smile only grows as he looks on at his brother. “I guess you’ll just have to wait and find out.”

Walking over to Adrien, Félix slips of the silver ring that was on his right ring finger and hands it over to Adrien.

“Place this ring on your right ring finger.” Adrien does as he’s told and places the silver ring on his right hand. He watches in amazement as the ring forms and resizes to the size of his own finger. “This is your miraculous. It’s what allows you your powers when you and Plagg combine. You become stronger but doesn’t mean you’re completely invincible. Your special power is called Cataclysm which allows you to destroy whatever you touch, but you’ll need to be careful on how you use it. Once you use it you will only have five minutes before you de-transform. For your weapon you’ll have your baton that extends and divides into two smaller pieces if need be. And lastly, to transform, all you have to do is call out ‘claws out’. Keep your identity safe only letting your Ladybug know who you are for the time being.”

“And you and Bridgette.” Added Adrien.

“Yes, us too.” Félix moves back away from Adrien. “Now why don’t you give this a go?”

Nodding with eagerness, Adrien shouts, “Plagg, Claws Out!”

In a burst of green electricity, Adrien becomes covered in a leather like based suit with mask, cat ears, and leather belt tail, and a golden bell. His blond hair pushed and splayed out, longer as well, similar to Felix’s but not as crazy.

“Your suit is different from mine. It suits you. Oh look, you even have an adorable bell.” Félix stated as he circled Adrien to check out the suits difference.

“Thanks, Félix.” Adrien responds, glancing over his magic suit, reaching over and inspecting his baton.

With Adrien busy gawking over the transformation, Félix heads to retrieve a practice epée sword.

“Now, show me what you’ve got, Chat Noir.”

Adrien looks over to see Félix in a fencing stance with a look of determination and challenging smirk. A grin forms on Adrien’s face full of eagerness and excitement.

“With Pleasure.”

*****

With lunch time, Marinette said goodbye to Alya and Nino as the two headed home for lunch. After Adrien informed that he had to head home to meet Felix, she went ahead and walked her way home as well.

Marinette greets her parents in the bakery and walks up to her to her room. Reaching the main level and walking up the stairs to her attic bedroom, Marinette becomes surprised to find Bridgette in her room looking out her window.

“Hey, Bridgette.”

Her cousin turns around to greet her. “Hello, Mari.”

“What are you doing here? I didn’t know you were coming to visit.”

“Well, I have a surprise for you.”

“Oh?” A smile forms on Marinette’s face. “Okay. What did you get?”

“Do you remember our discussion about Ladybug and Chat Noir a while back?”

“Yes.”

“Good. I would like you to meet someone.”

Blinking, Marinette is curious on who Bridgette brought over for her to meet. She doesn’t recall seeing any one else in the house when she made her way to her room. Watching as her cousin opened her purse, Marinette watched a little red creature fly out.

In dignity, Marinette freaked out and let loose a shriek.

“What is that?! A bug?! A mouse?! A bug-mouse?!”

“It’s okay, I’m your friend Marinette!” The red creature greeted in hopes to calm the girl down.

“It talks!” Marinette jumps back further as she clutches one of her loft’s wooden beams.

“Marinette, calm down.” Said Bridgette. “This is Tikki, she’s a kwami, the Ladybug kwami.”

Ladybug. Marinette looks at the kwami and her cousin, moving her gaze back and forth between the two until the facts began forming in front of her.

“You were Ladybug?!”

“Affirmative.”

“Why are you telling me now and not before?” Asked Marinette.

“I wasn’t sure how you would react if I told you earlier, as you can see how you reacted just now.” Marinette’s cheeks burn red from embarrassment. “It’s okay, don’t beat yourself up. The reason why I’m telling you is because I’m retiring. I no longer wish to be Ladybug and now am passing on the duties and role to you.”

“Me? Why me?”

“Because there is no one else I believe who deserves to be Ladybug more than you, Mari. You were destined for this role. Even Tikki and the Guardian of the miraculous believe it as well. Besides, the Guardian chose you to be the chosen one. You and your Chat Noir.” Bridgette removes the Ladybug earrings and hands them over to Marinette.

Cupping her hands together, Marinette receives the earrings.

“As Ladybug you will work with your partner, Chat Noir. Your other half and soulmate. The two of you will protect Paris like me and my partner previously had.”

Soulmate?

“My soulmate? Chat Noir is my soulmate?”

“Yes. Well, the person behind the mask.” Bridgette said with a smile.

Hearing that, Marinette’s mood faltered to sadness. This was easily visible to Bridgette and Tikki.

“Mari, what’s wrong?”

“You said that the person who’s Chat Noir is my soulmate. Which means…Adrien and I won’t have a chance to end up together.” It hurt for Marinette to feel that she wouldn’t end up with her childhood best friend. She really loved him and hoped to confess her feelings one day.

“Oh Marinette.” Marinette snaps out of her thoughts and looks back at Bridgette. “Who’s to say that you and Adrien won’t be together? Look at Félix and me. We ended up together and are soulmates to the end.”

Well of course Bridgette and Félix ended up together. They’ve been interested in each other for years and started dating when they were fifteen along with the first appearance of Ladybug and…

Wait.

Marinette’s brows knit together as she thinks over all the clues and looks back up to Bridgette, noticing the smile beaming off of her face.

“Félix was Chat Noir wasn’t he?”

“What can I say. He’s not as stiff as people make him out to be. He’s got a light side to him that is absolutely attractive.”

“Does that mean Felix plans on passing down Chat Noir to Adrien?” Marinette’s voice sounding hopeful.

Bridgette shrugs her shoulders, her smile remaining on her lips.

“I guess you’ll just have to wait and find out. As long as you’re willing to accept the role?”

Looking at the earrings in her palms, a smile etches its way on her lips as she places her new earrings on each earlobe.

Tikki jerks in excitement and flies over to Marinette. “I’m excited to have you as my Ladybug, Marinette. You’re going to be amazing. I know it.”

Marinette smiles at the encouragement and belief from Tikki. “Thank you, Tikki.”

Bridgette moves forward until she’s standing in front of Marinette, “So? Ready to go for a spin?”

Marinette nods her head.

“Excellent. Before you go I need to give you a brief knowledge on everything. To begin, Tikki is your kwami. She’s the one that allows you to transform into Ladybug when you say ‘spots on’. Your suit will protect you and make you stronger. However, that doesn’t mean you’re invincible, so be careful. Your weapon is your yo-yo that allows you to swing around Paris. Your special power is Lucky Charm. I haven’t had much reason to use it expect fix damage that Chat Noir’ cataclysm effected. Once you use your Lucky Charm you only have five minutes left before you de-transform. Other than that, it’ll be a learning experience.”

“There is one other fact.” Spoke Tikki. “As Ladybug, we are the only one who can purify and cleanse negative corrupted energy. So far there hasn’t been a need for it but it’s good to know just in case.”

“Okay, I think I understand.” Responded Marinette. “I think I’m ready for a test run.”

As Marinette prepares to call on the transformation, a vibration rocks through the streets. Marinette and Bridgette grab the wooden beams of her loft to sturdy themselves. When the shock ends, both thought all was good until they heard a deep voice shout coming from the location of the school.

“KIM!!!”

What on earth was that?! Marinette’s mind buzzing.

“Sounds like Ladybug and Chat Noir is needed. You should go, Mari.” Spoke Bridgette.

Letting go of the wooden beams, Marinette looks over at Tikki.

With a shaky breath, Marinette calms herself and takes a deep breath. “Okay. I can do this.”

“You can do this.” Said Bridgette. Marinette looks over to see Bridgette giving her a supportive smile.

Feeling supportive and slightly more determined, Marinette looks back at Tikki. With a nervous smile, she calls on her transformation.

“Tikki, spots on!”

#miraculous ladybug #childhood au #adrien agreste #marinette dupain cheng #felix #bridgette #i love these four so much #i love adrien and marinette interactions #I think theyre all dorks in their own way

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