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thewritewolf · 4 years

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What He Deserves

Summary: Not even a week has passed since Hawkmoth was revealed to all the world to be Gabriel Agreste. As Adrien sits in his truly empty house, unable to leave thanks to the crowd of people outside, he wonders if this is what he deserves for not realizing sooner.

But then again, not everyone has the same ideas about what he deserves...

Hello and welcome to another birthday fic! This one is for the ever amazing @leviaana, founder of my favorite discord group, fantastic artist, and occasional candy exchange buddy. She said she likes post-reveal hurt/comfort that turns to fluff and I aim to please!

Enjoy!

Read on Ao3

Adrien tentatively pulled back the curtains in the second-floor living room and peered outside, across the porch and over the wall that separated him from the outside world.

The news had broken only a couple days ago - only hours after Adrien himself found out. He wasn’t sure what he had been expecting at first, but it wasn’t long before the crowd started to form. Some were unquestionably reporters. His years as Chat Noir had made it easy for him to pick them out from a crowd. He even recognized some of their voices, which had long been chasing him for interviews.

Somehow, he didn’t think they were going to be asking him about his favorite flavors or the most interesting akumas now. Although they definitely would be interested in what he knew about Hawkmoth, now that his father had been unmasked.

Which is why he believed the other people in the crowd were here. Some just seemed curious. Others seemed... Angry.

Maybe that was to be expected. The fall of Hawkmoth was as sudden as it was unexpected. Just another routine akuma attack that had accidentally revealed his base of operations. A quick five on one fight later and the butterfly miraculous was in Ladybug’s hands, a battered Gabriel Agreste was taken into custody, and Adrien Agreste’s life had been left in shambles.

It meant that there wasn’t much closure for anyone - not yet, at least. While people waited for his father’s trial to start, years of building frustration had to find an outlet somewhere.

And who better than the last free, living Agreste?

Thankfully, nothing had happened yet, but the crowd had turned his home into more of a prison than it had ever been while his father was in it and that was an accomplishment all on its own. Without his parents, Nathalie, or even the Gorilla to take up space in the mansion, he had never felt so alone before.

The only company Adrien had Plagg and his own emotions, and neither were doing wonders for his mental health.

“Kid,” Plagg said with a tired voice. They’d had this conversation plenty of times before and Adrien knew they were about to have it again. “None of this was your fault.”

“Yeah?” Adrien closed the curtain just as people started to look his way, plunging the room into darkness once again. “I’ve lived under the same roof as Hawkmoth for years.” Adrien raised his voice and threw his hands over his head. “I’m Chat Noir! If anyone could have found Hawkmoth ages ago, it would be me!” His arms fell limply to his sides once again and he stared dully at his kwami. His voice dropped to just above a whisper. “So why didn’t I?”

Plagg shook his head. “He was good enough to hide it from everyone and he was a recluse, even with you. There’s no way you could have known without doing some serious digging.”

“Maybe…” Adrien stared at a massive family painting, saw the cold and calculating look his father had even then. “Or maybe I just didn’t want to even consider it. Maybe I was having so much fun being Chat… fighting alongside my friends… alongside Marinette, that I just didn’t care.”

“You know that’s not true,” Plagg replied quietly.

“Who knows? That’s probably what they think now. No wonder they haven’t tried to visit since the news broke. They don’t want to be anywhere near me right now, and I can’t blame them.” Adrien put his back to the wall and slid down it, taking a seat on the ground and pulling his knees up to his chest. “I don’t want to be near me right now. No wonder they feel the same way.”

“Kid-”

Whatever Plagg was going to say was cut off when there was a knock at the front door. With how quiet and still the rest of the house was, it sounded as loud as thunder as it echoed in the emptiness. Adrien shot a fearful glance toward his kwami - had people finally stormed the mansion? - but Plagg just shook his head and smirked.

Cautiously but now a little curious, Adrien went down the stairs. He watched the door all the while as soon as it came into view. There was another knock. Not violent or angry. Polite. Familiar. But definitely insistent.

Adrien peeked out the window next to the front door and his eyes widened at the sight of his friends loitering on the other side.

Nino and Alya were chatting as if this was nothing out of the usual. Marching up to Hawkmoth HQ, straight past a future angry mob, just to knock on the front door? Who doesn’t do that on a Friday afternoon, honestly? And there was Chloe, of course, checking her makeup in her compact, looking as fashionably detached from her environment as ever.

And standing right in front of the door, expectantly, happily… was Marinette herself. One hand was holding onto a big duffle bag that was thrown over her shoulder and the other was held at her side as she stared up into the sturdy wood door. There was no doubt in her eyes, no worry that he might not answer. Just complete and patient faith.

How could he even contemplate letting her down?

Adrien opened the door and it was like breaking open the flood gates. The first thing he saw was Marinette’s face, her bright blue eyes looking up at him as they shifted from quiet contemplation to soft affection. Their eyes connected in a moment that lasted forever and he could almost swear that his heart stopped beating as they stared into each other…

“Dude!”

The moment shattered when Nino bodily threw himself over the threshold and collided with Adrien, forcing him to stumble back a few steps or fall down in a heap.

The others quickly followed Nino’s example and soon Adrien was caught at the center of one big group hug. Marinette was the last to join since she paused to close the door. A few seconds into the hug, Adrien realized to his surprise that he was trembling - had he really missed human contact that much over the last few days?

All too soon they each pulled back until they were standing around the foyer, watching him. That’s when he noticed that it wasn’t just Marinette with an overstuffed bag with her. It looked like each of them had packed for a long trip.

Some of his confusion must have shown on his face since Alya grinned and said, “Better get used to having some roommates for a while, blondie. We’re not going anywhere.”

“But how did you get passed the-?”

“She knew the passcode for the gate.” Chloe jerked a thumb at Marinette. “The rest of us glared at the crowd until they gave us some space.”

“But don’t worry ‘bout that, dude!” Nino threw an arm around Adrien’s shoulder. “We’re here to have a chill time. You’ve got the space and we’ve got the fun, so let’s get this party started!”

Nino steered Adrien towards his room and they got started.

‘Bringing the fun’ hadn’t even been close to an exaggeration on Nino’s part. There were video games, movies, board games, all sorts of ways to keep themselves entertained. His room started off as the cold and sterile place that it had been for most of his life. But as the hours ticked past, it slowly changed into something else. Someone would go and grab more pillows. They’d push some couches and chairs together in front of the television. Tables would be pulled together for a huge game. Snacks and drinks were strewn everywhere.

It was chaotic. His room was a mess.

It was the most fun he’d had out of the mask in his life. The house was filled with light and life and love for the first time in years and he had his friends to thank for that. Or, as he slowly realized, Marinette specifically. She was the one who had planned it all, organized them, and got as much entertainment together as possible.

The day gave way to night and they were all camped out in front of his television, lost in a cozy den of blankets and pillows propped up against his couch. They were deep into a movie marathon. It could have been twenty two hundred at night - it could have been four in the morning. Time was meaningless at this point. Almost everyone was asleep, except for him.

Well… him and Marinette.

She was laying right beside him as they shared the same blanket, scooted close to each other as the winter chill began to set in. They weren’t touching, but he could feel her warmth radiating off her. His hand twitched ever so slightly as he yearned to move it just a few centimeters and take her hand in his.

The years had brought them closer together than ever, especially after their identities had gotten revealed to each other. They’d always teetered on the edge of a relationship, but with all the uncertainties of life and the tangled mess of revealed identities, they never could commit.

But now, as he glanced furtively at her, lit only by the pale light of the movie, he wondered…

Then he remembered the reason they were here in the first place and his mood crashed. He didn’t deserve her. He didn’t deserve any of them. He-

“Adrien?”

Her voice was soft - he could barely hear her over the television, even with the audio turned down to a low rumble so their friends wouldn’t be woken by it.

She was waiting on an answer.

“Yeah?”

“We’re all here for you. We love you.” His ears may have heard ‘we’, but his heart had heard the ‘I’ that was hidden beneath it.

She was braver than him. Her hand crossed the short distance between them and she intertwined their fingers.

The television became blurred as tears began to build, clouding his vision. He shook his head as he bit his lips to hold back a sob.

“I don’t- I don’t deserve- After everything-”

“You aren’t your father,” she said quietly but firmly. “You’ve proven yourself so, so much better than that.” Her thumb began to rub against the back of his hand. “We’re not going anywhere.”

She scooted closer to him. His arms wrapped around her waist, with his hands meeting up on her back, pressing her close to him as he buried his face into her shoulder as the tears that he’d been holding back for so long began to fall. He was worried he was holding her too tight, but she didn’t seem to mind at all.

“I’m not going anywhere,” she said as she held him back and kissed the crown of his head.

#Miraculous Ladybug #Adrien Agreste #Marinette Dupain-Cheng #Adrienette #Post-Reveal #Nino Lahiffe #Alya Cesaire #Chloe Bourgeois #ml fanfiction #birthday fics #my writing #What He Deserves

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janaikam · 4 years

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ML Positivity Week - Fav Artists

Happy ML Positivity week!!!!! I completely forgot about this but I definitely want to shout out some of my favorite fandom artists because each and every one of them is amazing and I love them all.

@bugaboo-n-bananoir @landturtlealyce @marikittynoir @chatnoirinette @emsylcatac @mireilletan @gabriel-agreste-has-no-rights @leviaana @lesslinette @sweetsweetsweetie @breamart @masilvi @celerydays @iveofficiallygonemad

Gosh I feel like I’m missing an entire wall of artists that I love and are amazing and wonderful.

Everyone I’ve listed here and everyone I’ve forgotten is such an amazing artist. Keep up the good work because y’all are going to do amazing things and I love everything so much!

#happy ml positivity week #this was day 1 #i missed that #miraculous ladybug #love yall #favorite artists #MLPositivityWeek2020

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gabriel-agreste-has-no-rights · 4 years

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Rating: T

Summary: Chat Noir isn't allowed to cry over his father. But even when he's just Adrien, Ladybug won't abandon him. Hawkmoth reveal hurt/comfort + Ladrien

Word Count: 4720

Notes: For the APS server birthday and as a gift to @leviaana, inspired by her art! Also Marinette and Adrien are 17-18 here, about old enough to move out

XXX

It was wrong how pristine his designer suit looked when the crackle of magic wore off. The leather of his transformation hadn’t crumpled the jacket or crisply ironed pants beneath. His breathing came hard and haggard as if he’d run for kilometers—he had—yet not a spot of sweat dotted the white button-up.

He wished he could tear the expensive clothes off. He settled for shrugging out of the suit jacket and collapsing on the roof of Montparnasse Tower.

“Adrien?” Plagg asked, his voice as soft and brittle as it had been moments before Adrien called claws out and trapped him in the ring. “Please, kid, say something.”

He squeezed his eyes shut, warding off tears that shouldn’t couldn’t wouldn’t come. He was a superhero. Tonight was—was a success, even if the bile rising in his throat said otherwise. He’d finally found the secret that he and Ladybug had been searching for these three years.

Hawkmoth’s identity.

“Shouldn’t have… eaten so many pastries,” he said through a grimace.

“Kid, now isn’t the time for jokes! I saw what you did. Your dad is—”

“Not my dad.” He clenched his teeth. Not now, not ever. Just not. “And I… wasn’t joking.”

He really shouldn’t have snuck so many pastries at the party. Maybe then his stomach wouldn’t be threatening to empty itself all over the roof every time he moved.

It was a weak excuse, but easier than facing the panic that pulsed hotter with each breath.

“Adrien…”

“You should hide,” he whispered. “Ladybug will be here any minute.”

Plagg crossed his arms. “No way. I’m staying out here where I can spot any butterflies before they fly into that thick skull of yours.”

Normally Adrien would’ve laughed, but he was pretty sure if he tried, he’d end up either crying or vomiting. He might do both anyway.

“He only had one. In his cane.”

He swallowed, trying to stop the flash of purple light from echoing against his eyelids, the way it had reflected on the hall’s polished hardwood.

“You don’t know that. There’s no telling what your—what Hawkmoth has up his sleeves.”

Plagg was right. There was too much he didn’t know about Hawkmoth. Too much he didn’t know about the man he used to call Father.

He wouldn’t akumatize me, he wanted to believe. Even if he has another butterfly, he wouldn’t. He told Nathalie to keep me safe.

“Are you going to tell her?” Plagg asked. “Shouldn’t you suit up again? I snuck enough cheese cubes at the party. I’m good for another round.”

Things were really bad if Plagg wasn’t demanding Camembert before transforming again. It was the biggest proof Adrien had that he wasn’t overreacting.

“No. I told her that Adrien wanted to talk to her when I called.”

Plagg’s eyes widened. “What? Why?”

But then red streaked across the indigo haze, and the kwami darted into his abandoned suit jacket.

“Adrien!” Ladybug effortlessly transitioned from her swing into a run, then to kneeling at his side. “What’s wrong? Chat told me you needed to see me as soon as possible—”

And then he was crumbling into her arms, barely holding back the saltwater behind his eyes.

“I’m sorry,” he murmured, because they weren’t friends. They weren’t anything. Right now he was just a civilian, and she was the hero of Paris. Sure, she’d saved Adrien a time or two (or three, or seventeen; he’d journaled about each occasion in excruciating detail). But that didn’t give him the right to just hold her, or be held by her.

Plagg had asked why. This was the pathetic truth. Adrien was nobody to her, while Chat Noir was supposed to be her support against Hawkmoth.

Chat Noir wasn’t allowed to cry over his father.

“What happened? Are you hurt? Was there an akuma?” Ladybug’s questions came rapid-fire as she shifted him into a more comfortable position, his head cradled in the crook of her neck. “Why did Chat Noir leave you here alone?”

All he could do was shake silently, a few tears breaking free of their dam and spilling down the groove of her spine. Pathetic. He was pathetic, and overemotional, and everything Father had accused him of, and—

“Father is Hawkmoth,” he choked out.

There. At least he’d given her the information she needed. He’d been useful for something.

Ladybug jerked back, and for a moment he thought she’d release him, treat him as if he was as tainted as his father. But she only pulled back far enough to meet his wet eyes. It was hard not to flinch under her searching gaze.

“Did he hurt you? Oh my gosh, he didn’t try to akumatize you, did he?”

“I… no. Not me.” He bit his lip. “One of the designers at the party, I think. He—he was insulting her designs, and then he left and…”

Purple light.

“Nooroo, dark wings rise!”

His enemy standing at the end of the deserted hallway, his back to Adrien.

“Keep my son away from the battle, Nathalie.”

“Yes, sir.”

Ladybug’s arms enfolding him. Rocking him gently back and forth, her hand stroking up and down his spine, warm through the thin dress shirt.

“It’s going to be okay, Adrien. Chat Noir and I, we’ll… well. We’ll have to take him down,” she whispered. “I’m sorry.”

“What for?” He gave a shaky laugh.

He wouldn’t count on Chat Noir being too useful in this fight. What if he hesitated? What if he wasn’t strong enough to fight back against the man who had taken his freedom for so long?

“Because he’s your dad,” she said as if that was obvious. “I’ve never liked the way he treats you, but still… you’ve already lost so much.”

“You—you know?” Not only did she know, but she cared. About Adrien.

It was almost enough to push out the thick panic lining his lungs.

“Er—forget I said that,” she mumbled. “Do you have somewhere to stay, if… what am I saying! I can’t do this to you.”

He felt a few drops of water soak through his sleeve. At first he thought it was rain, before he heard Ladybug’s sniffle.

“Ladybug, I-I’m sorry.”

He pulled back, wishing he could kiss away the tears from the lip of her mask, the curve of her cheeks.

“You have nothing to apologize for, Adrien.” She wiped the offending water away with the back of her hand. “I just wish there was some way to stop Hawkmoth without taking away the last family you have left.”

That was what she was worried about? He thought she might be frightened at the thought of finally facing Hawkmoth, but he should’ve known better. She was made of firmer stuff than that.

“He’s not,” he said firmly.

“W-what?”

“He’s not my family. Not anymore. Not after what he’s done to Paris, to my friends, to—to you.” His voice barely stumbled over those last words.

Her lips parted in surprise, and despite everything else that had happened tonight, he still wished he could kiss her. Maybe some of her courage would rub off on him, diffuse into his lungs.

“He’s never really been much of a father to me, anyway,” he mumbled before she could catch the blush staining his cheeks. “I kept hoping, and hoping, and sometimes he’d do something that would surprise me, like let me watch mom’s movie or duet with me, but then he’d—he’d just shut me out, and I told myself it was just because he missed mom, that he’d get better, but he—”

His shoulders shook in a silent sob. Why was he saying all this? Just because he’d always wanted to confide in Ladybug didn’t mean she’d want to hear it. He’d just told her Hawkmoth’s identity; she’d want to make a plan with Chat Noir.

He couldn’t be Chat Noir. Not now. Not until he could bury his hurt and anger and grief so far down that Hawkmoth would never find it.

Because Hawkmoth might not akumatize Adrien Agreste, but he would have no problem taking advantage of Chat Noir.

“You deserve so much better than him, Adrien.” She kept up the soothing motion on his back, and he tried to time his inhales with each stroke up, exhales with each stroke down. “You’re the most amazing person I’ve ever met. You’re so kind, and forgiving, and just… good. And you’ve been living with him.”

“I’m not, though.” He shook his head, accidentally shaking off her embrace. He fell back onto his heels, arms wrapping around his knees. “I’m not forgiving. I don’t know that I can ever forgive him for…”

For pretending to care about me.

Gabriel didn’t care. For all that he said “Keep my son away from the battle,” he could care less whether anyone else got hurt. All he wanted was to lock Adrien in a glass care where he could be seen but never touched, like an enchanted rose in a fairy tale.

“You don’t have to, you know,” she murmured and placed a hand on his knee.

He squeezed his eyes shut. “I know. I think. I don’t…”

A pathetic whimper escaped him. If his father—if Hawkmoth had another butterfly, Adrien would be a prime akuma target, family or not.

It was just too much.

“You don’t have to know. Just breathe for now. Breathe with me.”

He’d lost the rhythm when he broke their embrace. Now like a plant seeking the sun, he folded back into her arms.

Breathe. Breathe. He wasn’t alone. His Lady wouldn’t leave him alone.

“Thank you, my—Ladybug.”

“Of course, Adrien. I’ll always be here to protect you.”

Warmth flooded his veins at her words, but guilt quickly mixed with it.

“I was supposed to protect you,” he whispered.

“What?”

“N-nothing.” His face heated. He pressed his cheek to her shoulder, where she wouldn’t see. “Do you have a plan?” He asked to change the subject.

“Not yet. I’m kind of too mad at your dad to think straight right now.” She laughed shakily. Even broken as the sound was, it was hard not to join in.

“Join the club.”

A jolt ran through him as he realized what he’d said.

He was mad at his father. He was allowed to be mad at his father. No more excuses for his behavior, no more hoping next time would be different.

His father was Hawkmoth, and Adrien was angry enough to fight him.

“I should call Chat Noir. He’s pretty good at coming up with plans when he wants to. I also want his explanation for why he left you alone on this roof.”

He winced at that. “I’m sure he had a good reason.”

She frowned. “I can’t think of anything more important than keeping you safe. Did you tell him that Gabriel is Hawkmoth? I hope he didn’t do anything reckless...”

“Er… technically, no. I didn’t tell him, I mean.”

Her eyes widened. “Was he with you when you found out?”

“...Something like that.” His pulse raced at the thought of her connecting the dots. For so long he’d wanted her to know her identity, but now? She would never be able to trust him to help take down Hawkmoth.

He wanted to bring the terrorist to justice. He of all people deserved to.

The anger pumping in his veins was still unfamiliar, still mixed with fear and guilt and grief. But he wouldn’t back down, wouldn’t hesitate. His Lady would be depending on him to be strong when the time came.

“Do you want to talk about what happened?” She asked quietly. He barely heard her over the whistling breeze.

Yes. No. I don’t know.

“I think… if we could just stay like this for a while… that would be nice.”

She held him tighter. “Of course.”

He could feel her heartbeat. Or maybe it was his. It was hard to tell while he clung to her like she was his raft in the center of a storm. He would be strong, later. But for now, he allowed himself this.

He wasn’t sure how much time passed before the arms around him loosened, letting the cold back in. It still wasn’t long enough. He guessed it never would be.

“Adrien?” Ladybug’s bottom lip was trapped between her teeth.

“Yeah?” He asked, suddenly worried that he’d asked too much of her.

“I was going to offer to take you home, but… will you be safe there? Do you need somewhere else to stay?”

It was a question he had to confront, but he’d hoped to put off a little longer. Gabriel would notice if he was gone. At least, Nathalie would, and she would tell him. It would be even more obvious if he never returned to the party.

But could he really go back?

“I’ll… I’ll find somewhere,” he said, fear barely giving way to resolve. Or maybe it was just a different kind of fear. He couldn’t go back. Returning would be the smart thing—it would keep suspicion off of him, and it would give him a chance to spy on Hawkmoth. But the thought made him more sick than the half-dozen pastries he’d eaten.

How often did he see Gabriel at home, anyway?

“I’m not leaving until I know you’re safe,” Ladybug said firmly. “Where do you want me to take you?”

Where? Who would take him in on no notice, wouldn’t ask questions, wouldn’t send him back to Gabriel?

“Nino,” he realized near instantly. “I think… I know I’ll be safe with him.”

Ladybug’s smile lit up the whole rooftop. “Then if you’re ready, I’ll be your personal chauffeur tonight.”

She held her arm out and bowed, like she was trying to imitate Chat Noir. He was sure he’d made that exact motion before. Had she realized who he was? Or was she just borrowing her partner’s humor to try to cheer him up?

It worked, of course. The fact that he had an excuse to cling to her as they swung across the rooftops didn’t hurt, either. For a moment he could pretend they were just doing this for fun, that she was escorting him to a normal slumber party instead of helping him escape his terrorist father.

Too soon they were landing in the alley on the side of Nino’s apartment building.

“I can come with you inside, if you want. Or—at least make sure Nino’s home. I won't leave you alone. I mean—I will leave you alone, if you don’t want me bothering you, but not alone alone—I won’t leave you by yourself. That’s all.”

He smiled to put her at ease. “Don’t worry. He gave me a spare key, just in case anything happened.”

Nino had probably meant it in case Gabriel ever grew too controlling to handle. He couldn’t have predicted this.

“Alright, then, um… is there anything else you need? You don’t have any clothes, or—or a toothbrush! What are you going to do without a toothbrush? You might get cavities, and your teeth would fall out, and then you’d have to get dentures, and—”

“Whoa, my Lady, my teeth are made of stronger stuff than that.” He grinned. She was so cute when she got flustered like that. He’d never seen it before, yet it felt strangely familiar. “But if it would make you feel better, there are a few things I’d like from my room.”

“Of course. Just tell me what and I’ll bring it.”

Adrien smiled. What had he done to deserve Ladybug going out of her way for him? She sounded more worried for him than about taking down Hawkmoth. Could she know his identity? No, that was just Ladybug; she’d do this for anyone. Right?

“I don’t want to ask for too much,” he said, suddenly embarrassed. There were a few things he could use, but didn’t want Ladybug to see. Namely, his underwear (Ladybug boxers) and the Ladybug doll he’d commissioned from Marinette.

“Don’t worry about it, really. I just want you to be as comfortable as you can through all this.”

She looked at him with those soft eyes, ones he wished he didn’t have to share with the rest of Paris. Standing in the shadowed alley, he could pretend that look was reserved just for him.

“Thank you, Ladybug.” His cheeks warmed, but he dug a napkin and pen out of his pocket, jotting down a short list against the brick wall.

“Thank you, Adrien.” She smiled as she accepted the scrap. “Go ahead and go inside. I’ll be back before you know it.”

She pressed a quick kiss to his cheek, but before he could melt into a puddle of goo, she was swinging off again.

His fingers brushed the still-warm skin. “Plagg, did that really just happen?”

No reply. Right. Plagg had been in his jacket, still at the top of Montparnasse Tower. Adrien didn’t know how long it would take the kwami to fly all the way to Nino’s apartment, but hopefully Ladybug wouldn’t need Chat Noir before then.

He turned his keys over in his pocket, but suddenly felt daunted at the thought of going inside. Ladybug’s presence had cheered him up, but if he had to explain everything about Hawkmoth to Nino… he wasn’t ready to talk about it again. Soon, but not now.

Besides, Ladybug would be back before he knew it.

XXX

Marinette wouldn’t be distracted by Adrien’s desk, Adrien’s scent, Adrien’s bed. She wasn’t here because of her crush. She was just here for him.

Besides, this might as well not be his room anymore. He’d only be keeping the items she could fit in his satchel.

She pushed aside her deep sadness at the thought. Adrien’s father—Gabriel Agreste—was Hawkmoth. She’d had that theory a couple years ago, but she’d never wanted to be proven right.

Best not to dwell on that now though. Who knew when Gabriel would come back from the fashion gala? Hopefully he would be delayed looking for Adrien. If Gabriel even cared he was missing.

She pushed down half-baked plots of strangling the man and got to work. A few things were already in his satchel, like his tablet and homework. Most other items were easy to find—Adrien’s flash drive, his journal (she didn’t peek), a phone charger, his wallet, the Stationation record that once belonged to his mom. That took her back. Joining the Hardy Camp dance at his party two years ago was still one of her favorite memories, even if she’d had to dress up as “Marino” for it.

The hardest find was actually the lucky charm she’d given him the day they first played Ultimate Mecha Strike together. It was tucked under his pillow, the red string just barely poking out. She tried not to think of what it might mean.

That still left plenty of space in the satchel. He hadn’t written down underwear, but Marinette figured he’d appreciate not having to borrow Nino’s. Ignoring her embarrassment, she opened drawers until she found one with… oh.

Her cheeks heated at the sight of his neatly folded Ladybug boxers.

“Maybe he just likes polka dots,” she muttered, shaking her head and stuffing them at the bottom of the bag.

That theory seemed pretty flimsy after finding his Ladybug pajamas. She packed those too, for good measure. What else might he need that he hadn’t thought of? He probably didn’t want any Gabriel-brand clothes, so she threw in a few newer pants, shirts, and socks that didn’t bear his father’s logo.

She threw the bag over her shoulder and scanned the napkin, making sure she’d honored all of his requests. Her brow furrowed when she noticed a word that had been written on a folded corner.

“Cheese?” That was weird. She’d never known Adrien to enjoy cheese; if anything he’d wrinkled his nose at it. He used to like passionfruit flavored desserts and quiche, but maybe his taste had changed over the years?

She shrugged and searched the room until she found a minifridge by his desk. She pulled the door open and—

“Ack!”

She slammed the door on the big black rat she glimpsed inside. But Adrien needed this cheese, for some reason. Should she summon a Lucky Charm to deal with the rodent?

“Woah, pigtails, don’t freak out.” The black creature phased through the door and—

Oh. Oh. That wasn’t a rat, obviously. But what was Plagg doing here, unless—

“Oh my gosh.” She slapped her hands to her cheeks. This couldn’t be Plagg’s cheese. Not in Adrien’s room. Could it?

“Oh swiss, you’re freaking out. Why did you have to look in the cheese fridge?” Plagg threw his tiny arms in the air.

“You… what are you doing here?” She asked. He’d gone all the way to her school before just to eat cheese. Maybe he’d done the same thing here. She couldn’t jump to conclusions.

Plagg laughed awkwardly. “Nothing! Just eating some Camembert. You know that’s my favorite cheese. Nothing weird about that.”

She bent down, eyes narrowing as she stared into the fridge. “Except for the fact that Adrien has a whole refrigerator of it.”

“Technically it’s just a minifridge.”

She glared at Plagg, who grinned nervously. She didn’t have the heart to be mad at him though, not after everything else that had already happened tonight. She could hardly be surprised either.

It was only fitting that her partner would be the most wonderful boy in the world, but have the worst luck.

“It’s him, isn’t it,” she murmured, her throat tightening. “Adrien. He’s Chat Noir.”

“...Yeah. Yeah, he’s my kid. The best kid I could hope for.” Plagg’s smile felt older than he normally let on. He was thousands of years old; he must have had plenty of holders before. His voice sounded genuine though, if tinged with sadness.

“And you never realized he was living with Hawkmoth?” She couldn’t help asking. “Couldn’t you—I don’t know, feel Nooroo or something?”

Couldn’t you have saved him? Her heart cracked. Chat Noir occasionally dropped hints about his lonely home life, much more than he had as Adrien. Probably because Chat’s anonymous father didn’t have a reputation to tarnish.

Couldn’t I have saved him?

Guilt threatened to weigh her down, but she tried to shake it off. Adrien’s situation was no one’s fault but Gabriel’s—but Hawkmoth’s.

At least when she took down Hawkmoth, she’d get to punch the two people she hated most.

“Believe me, Pigtails, I wish I had,” Plagg murmured. “I’ve wanted an excuse to Cataclysm his dad for ages.”

Well, at least they were on the same page there.

“Sorry. I know it’s not your fault.” She shook her head. “I just never thought—”

Plagg’s ears twitched, his whiskers jolting up.

“What?”

“Shh,” he hissed, flying up to press a paw to her lips.

She went cross-eyed looking at him, but did as she was told.

Footsteps. Definitely footsteps.

“That irresponsible boy is always running off! And you were supposed to be keeping an eye on him!”

Gabriel’s furious voice, getting closer.

“Come on, move it!” Plagg whispered, tossing a wheel of cheese into Adrien’s satchel.

Marinette threw it over her shoulder and was out the window before the footsteps could arrive.

XXX

Adrien paced back and forth beside the apartment building, trying not to worry. Ladybug hadn’t been gone that long. She might have had trouble finding his lucky charm; he couldn’t remember if he’d written down the right place to look. Had he left it under his pillow again? That was always dangerous in case the cleaning staff came in and bundled it with his sheets.

Of course, it was dangerous to have it left it behind in the first place. Maybe if he’d had it on him… but no, no amount of luck would have stopped Gabriel from being Hawkmoth. Rolling the beads between his fingers might have soothed his rapid heartbeat, though.

He felt naked without Plagg. With just his own thoughts boiling inside his head. He should really go inside, or at least call Nino, or… anything. He felt like an NPC trapped in a predetermined loop. Five paces forward, turn, five paces back. The rhythm was the only thing keeping him from cracking again.

It was easier to be strong when Ladybug was here. But he wouldn’t let his resolve waver. One, two, three, four, five. Turn. One, two, three, four, five. Don’t think. One, two, three—

“Adrien!” Ladybug’s voice called, and then she was swinging down into the alley. His school bag hung from her shoulder; it looked too big for her. “What are you still doing out here? I thought you were going inside. You didn’t get locked out, did you? Is Nino not home?”

“I—I don’t know,” he admitted, shrinking under the rapid questions. “I was… too much of a coward to go in yet.”

Ladybug’s eyes widened. “Adrien. You could never be a coward.”

She stepped forward, and his pulse quickened as she reached for his hand.

“You’re the bravest person I know...”

She lifted his hand to her lips, which brushed the skin of his knuckle just above his ring. He shivered, his eyes held captive by hers.

“...my Kitty.”

Everything in him turned to slush. How did she find out? Why did she have to find out now? He registered that she didn’t look angry, or disappointed—if anything, her soft smirk was exactly the expression he always longed to see.

“My Lady…” His voice shook. She still hadn’t let go of his hand. “How can you say that? I couldn’t even talk to you as your partner. I should’ve been supporting you so we can defeat Hawkmoth, and instead I…”

Tears welled in his eyes. Pathetic. Too overly dramatic… Why wouldn’t Father’s—Gabriel’s words leave him alone?

“Instead you left the only family you had. You risked everything by telling me his identity. You’ve done so much. So just let me take care of you for a minute, okay?”

A shuddering breath escaped him. His hand tightened around hers, as if she’d disappear at any moment.

But she wouldn’t. She knew who he was, and she was here.

“O-okay. Just—you’ll still let me fight him, won’t you?” He hadn’t meant to ask that yet, but he needed to know. She wouldn’t replace him right after telling him how brave he was, right?

“Like I’d let her take me away from you, kid.” Plagg flew out of his satchel, phasing directly through the flap.

Adrien jumped in surprise, but it made sense. It was probably Plagg who’d given away his identity, if not the lifetime supply of Camembert. Putting cheese on the list had been unavoidable though. He could probably only make one last withdrawal with his debit card before Gabriel froze his accounts, and tracking expensive cheese purchases would be too easy.

“I wouldn’t force you to fight him, but I’d never make you stay away, either.” Ladybug smiled, her thumb running soothingly over the back of his hand. “To be honest, I’m relieved you still want to though. I don’t know that I’d stand a chance without you.”

He laughed quietly. “Somehow I doubt that.”

She gave him the Look. The Look was usually reserved for when he made a pun at an incredibly inopportune moment, or when he flirted with her just a little too much, or (on very rare occasions) when he flirted with someone other than her. He hadn’t done any of those things this time.

“Stop that, Chat. You know you’re irreplaceable. Or… I want you to know you are. I don’t tell you enough.”

“Thank you, my Lady,” he whispered reverently. “I won’t let you down. I promise.”

Her smile could have lit the Eiffel Tower. “I know you won’t. You never have.”

A wave of calm washed over him. His Lady would never lie.

“You and me against the world, one more time?” He would have held his fist out for a bump, but his hand was still wrapped in hers. That suited him just fine.

She pulled him into a tight hug, her words tickling the shell of his ear.

“You and me against the world, always.”

#miraculous ladybug #ladrien #ladybug #adrien agreste #fic tag #tali writes #aps anniversary #really happy with how this one turned out #please forgive the cheesy title i finished it at midnight

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lovelylapins · 5 years

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can we always be this close?

for the lovely @leviaana

enjoy this fic? buy me a ko-fi!

“Marinette, I have a confession,” Adrien tells her one day. Her hands were playing with his hair while his head rested in her lap, and stilling for a second, Marinette looked down, observing how bright his green eyes looked when the sunlight hit just right.

“A confession?” she asks, watching the way he smiled. Adrien always seemed to smile around her, no matter what was occurring. An akuma attack led way to a mischievous grin, a joke had him throwing a hand over his mouth in an attempt to stifle laughter, and now, there was the simple swoop of his lips, curving upward as he looked up.

She always loved that kind of smile the most.

“A confession,” Adrien repeats, nodding. She can feel the weight of his head sinking into her thighs as he does so, more than comfortable with her touch.

“Care to share it?” Marinette asks, voice low as her fingers sought new territory, roaming the usually well-combed curls and seeing just how badly she could mess it up before he went home.

He answers with a bright glint in his eyes, alit with chaos.

“I’m Chat Noir.”

There’s a brief moment between the two, a shared space of silence, if only for a second. Adrien’s expectant grin, waiting for Marinette to react. Marinette’s frozen look, almost biting her lip to hold herself back.

It doesn’t work. With a snort, she tugs lightly on his hair, shaking her head.

“A bit too late for that, kitty,” Marinette says. “Or did you forget we’ve already revealed our identities?”

Adrien sighs, rolling his eyes. “I can’t entertain the idea of another one?” he asks.

“Not if you’re gonna make each confession as cheesy as that.”

“Oh, come on, Mari,” Adrien says, practically begging her as he talks, “I know you’re not going to look at me and tell me that wasn’t the best time yet. Seriously, that was perfect.”

“Was it now?”

“Of course. I’d much rather prefer we remember that as the reveal as opposed to the real one.”

Ah yes, Marinette thought. The real one, the one that had left the two without any contact for a near twenty-four hours, Adrien avoiding her like the plague. At least, up until Marinette had grabbed hold of him and dragged him off to an empty classroom, forcing the two to address the elephant in the room.

The real reveal, the one that had sent Adrien rushing around for anything else that could make up for it. The one that brought a smell with its memory, one that made her nose crinkle.

“You mean,” she starts, “when you crash-landed on top of me in an alley, pushed the both of us onto a pile of trash, and made the suits smell so bad Tikki and Plagg detransformed so they wouldn’t have to deal with it, completely wrecking our clothes?”

Adrien grimaces, closing his eyes. “That would be the one.”

“I was sure I had mixed it up,” Marinette says, chuckling. “You do have a habit of trying to rewrite it, after all.”

“Can you blame me, Mari?” Adrien asks. “We were covered in rotten food. Nathalie nearly lost her mind when I came home and had me wash my hair for like an hour to make sure we got all the gunk out.”

“You act like my parents didn’t freak.” Marinette laughs, hand moving away from Adrien’s hair to run through her own, rethinking that day. “It’s a good thing I’m so clumsy, or they would’ve never bought my story.”

Adrien laughs, finally raising himself up on his elbows and pushing off from Marinette’s lap. He moves his body around until he’s sat upright, and slouches next to Marinette.

“You know,” he says after a moment, “we couldn’t have asked for a worst reveal.”

Marinette smiles, resting her head on his shoulder. “I don’t think of it that way.”

“You don’t?” Adrien asks, his heart starting up in a familiar tune, rapid and unwavering. Marinette snuggles closer, her hair tickling his collarbone as she did so.

“Well, a reveal’s a reveal,” she says. A hand comes down, finds Adrien’s. Marinette holds onto it gently as she closes her eyes, continuing. “It shouldn’t matter how it goes down. We still know who’s who, right?”

Adrien looks down at their hands, interlocked. He moves his head a bit to gaze at Marinette, taking the small moment he had to admire her features. Eyelashes, so long and delicate, each one taking flight with every blink she did. The slope of her nose, dotted with freckles that never seemed to grow old to his eyes. And her lips which were puckered, as if readying for a kiss onto some lucky being.

Adrien wondered if one day, would he be so lucky.

Eyes moving back down to their hands, he gives a gentle squeeze. Marinette returns it in the next few seconds, even while her eyes never opened and breaths began to slow down.

“Right,” Adrien finally agrees, before moving his head down to rest onto hers, eyes closing just the same.

A reveal was a reveal, after all. In the end, Adrien knew just what he had always wanted to, and that was enough.

#ml fic #adrien agreste #marinette dupain-cheng #adrienette #post reveal pre relationship #miraculous ladybug #yes this is a taylor swift lyric who's gonna stop me

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miraculousladyb · 4 years

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Battles

Happy holidays, @leviaana! I’m your Secret Santa for @mlsecretsanta this year! I wrote you this fanfic, and I really hope you enjoy it!

Title: Battles Summary: The events of Chat Blanc are still weighing heavily on Marinette’s mind. Themes: Hurt/Comfort, Friendship, Romance Words: 3,121 Warnings: Very mild violence, spoilers for Season 3 including the episodes Chat Blanc and Miracle Queen

It was a blustery autumn afternoon in Paris. The trees had lost most of their foliage now, orange scattered the pavements as the leaves danced down the streets. A grey overcast sky hung dauntingly over the French capital, the top of the Eiffel Tower was no longer visible as it had been swallowed by the clouds. The temperature had dropped dramatically over the past couple of weeks, but it wasn't going to deter Marinette from sketching. The bitter breeze kissed her cheeks as she lay back in her balcony deck chair, absentmindedly scribbling away her latest dress design.

With all the new responsibilities that came with being the Guardian, Marinette found herself needing the distraction of designing more than ever. Her teenage years seemed to have suddenly dissipated with the arrival of the oversized, ladybug patterned cylinder that contained all the Miraculous. Thankfully once she was home and detransformed the box had changed into what looked like a big sewing kit with lots of little compartments. Even though it was in her bedroom drawer locked away most of the time the everlasting burden constantly weighed on her shoulders.

Her distraction didn't last too long as the skylight to her window burst open dramatically.

"Girl, I have got to show you these pics I got of Ladybug and Chat Noir last night, the Ladyblog is blowing up!” Alya said as she climbed through the skylight, immediately reaching for her phone in her back pocket.

“And hello to you too,” Marinette said, a sarcastic smirk across her lips. She closed her sketchbook and held it on her lap, knowing her best friend would require her full attention if she was fangirling.

“Nino and I were walking home from the cinema last night and I saw them! They have to be a couple, look how close they are!”

Marinette peered over her friend’s shoulder to see the photo in question and she couldn’t help the small smile that crept onto her face. She saw her alter ego and her partner sat on the edge of a random rooftop near the Louvre. Ever since she’d become the guardian, Chat had been worried about her. She noticed he started making a lot more effort during akuma fights; he saved the flirting and puns until the fight was over and instead focused on capturing the akuma as quickly as possible. It was a welcome change and took some of the weight from Marinette’s shoulders, but he was still concerned. In the photo in question, Chat had been quizzing her, asking how she was, how civilian life was going, was she coping with the stress. She’d smiled, hugged his arm and rested her head on his shoulder.

“As long as I’ve got you, kitty, everything will be okay.”

He’d blushed, placed a gentle kiss to her head, then rested his own head against hers.

Returning her gaze to Alya, Marinette said, “Nah, I don’t think they’re into each other like that.”

Alya scoffed.

***

Later that night, Tikki was awoken as her chosen shot up suddenly in bed, panting frantically, her breathing erratic.

“Marinette, are you okay?” the kwami asked as she floated over, placing her tiny paws on Marinette’s cheek. “Did you have another nightmare?”

Marinette nodded, still breathing heavily. She shut her eyes tightly as tears rolled down her cheeks, dampening Tikki’s paws.

“You really need to tell Chat about this,” Tikki said, gently. “You shouldn’t be facing this alone.”

“I’m not telling him,” Marinette said. “He’ll blame himself, even though whatever happened that caused him to get akumatised was clearly my fault!”

Tikki sighed gently. “Marinette, you don’t know that.”

“‘Our love caused this,’ is what he said, Tikki,” Marinette sighed, placing a hand to her chest as she tried to steady her heart rate. “I just keep seeing the way he looked at me before he Cataclysmed the beam I was standing on.”

Tikki folded her arms and tilted her head at her chosen sympathetically. “I still think you should talk to him. He cares about you, Marinette.”

“I’ll be fine, Tikki, let’s just go back to sleep. I’m sorry I woke you up,” Marinette said, before rolling over in bed to face away from her kwami. Tikki sighed softly, placing a gentle kiss in Marinette’s hair, before she returned to her spot on the pillow to return to sleep.

***

Despite what she’d said, Marinette didn’t get back to sleep that night. She’d cuddled her Chat Noir doll close to her chest and spent hours wondering what she’d done to hurt her partner so badly.

Naturally, she was late to school that morning. She mumbled a half-hearted apology to Miss Bustier as she slid into her seat beside Alya. She realised she must look a mess this morning, because Adrien was eyeing her over his shoulder, concern drowning in his eyes. She was trying hard to let her feelings for Adrien go, having learnt he couldn’t be trusted with her identity after what happened prior to Chat Blanc, she knew it was a ship that was never going to sail.

“You okay, M? You look like you haven’t slept in weeks,” Alya whispered as Miss Bustier began reading out the daily announcements.

“I’m fine,” Marinette said, forcing a smile. “I just didn’t sleep great. I’ll have a nap during lunch break.”

Miss Bustier dismissed them to their first class a few minutes later and as Marinette went to grab her bag it flipped upside down, most of the contents spilling out across the classroom floor. She groaned and bent down to pick up her things, ignoring Chloe’s sarcastic comment as she did so. She went to grab her pencil case, but another hand beat her to it. She looked up to see Adrien bent down too, helping her collect her belongings. He flashed her a gorgeous, gentle smile that made her begrudgingly melt inside.

“You okay? You’ve not been yourself lately,” Adrien said, placing a hand on her shoulder.

Marinette snorted. “I’m still as clumsy as ever, don’t worry.”

They carried on picking up her things, but Adrien’s focus was on the girl beside him. “You know I don’t mean that. You’ve been really tired and distracted for weeks now… You know you can talk to me about anything right?”

Her heart snapped, because she knew that wasn’t true, even if he did want to mean it. She forced a smile regardless.

“I know, Adrien, thank you. I’ve just not been sleeping well, don’t worry about me.”

He finished collected her things and handed her bag. “Thank you for helping me, I’m such a klutz,” Marinette said with a sigh.

Adrien chuckled lightly. “You’re perfect just the way you are. Can I walk you to our next class?”

She took his arm gratefully. “You can, but I won’t promise I won’t fall asleep on you again.”

***

Marinette cursed Hawkmoth using several different swear words as a collective of screams sounded in the distance. She was across the street from her home, ready for her lunch break nap, when the akuma alarm began to blur across the streets. Diving into a nearby alleyway, she shared a mutual look of disdain with Tikki before calling for her kwami to transform her.

Soon enough she was running across the rooftops towards the sound of the screaming, Chat Noir by her side seconds later.

“Hey, LB, you know anything about the akuma?” her partner asked. She shook her head.

“No, surprisingly it seems Hawkmoth hasn’t chosen a target from the local high school for once,” she said with an eye-roll.

Chat snorted. “Yeah, it seems like the akuma’s near the Eiffel Tower. She’s shot a few people with her laser beam according to the news but no-one’s truly sure what her power is yet.”

Ladybug sighed. “Guess we’ll just have to stay away from those laser beams then.”

The pair landed near the Eiffel Tower, the akuma not too far in the distance. She called herself Sherry Holmes, a Sherlock Holmes pun that even made Chat Noir groan.

“Sherry Holmes? What is she solving murder mysteries as a power?” Chat shook his head with a sigh, scanning the area. Ladybug furrowed her eyes, watching for any change in people as they got hit.

“I still sleep with my teddy bear!”

“I spend my Saturday nights watching Sex and the City!”

“I’m in love with my best friend’s wife!”

The superhero pair shared a look. “Well, fair to say this akuma is weird,” Ladybug replied.

“Ah, Ladybug and Chat Noir!” the akuma shouted, rushing over to them, shooting laser beams as she went. Marinette didn’t usually approve of Hawkmoth’s akuma designs, but this one was quite cute. She had the classic supervillain pale skin and dark eyes, but a plaid detective hat rested on her head with a matching bowtie around her neck and a beige trench coat encircling her. In her hand was a magnifying glass that she was shooting laser beams from. “So nice of you to join us, why don’t you tell us your darkest secrets?”

Panic flashed across Ladybug’s face as a laser beam came hurtling toward her. She dived out of the way just in time, Chat Noir following in her wake.

“Do you think the akuma’s in her magnifying glass?” Chat asked, scanning over her as he dodged the laser beams.

“I’m not sure, that or she has something in her trench coat pockets,” Ladybug replied.

“Good thinking, I’ll bet you’re- ahhh!” Chat cried out as a laser beam hit him, suddenly standing frozen to the stop. Ladybug gasped as she rushed to his side. “My name is A-”

Terrified, Ladybug did the only thing she could to do to silence her partner and pressed her mouth against his, capturing his confession with her lips. He didn’t have time to react once the beam’s effects had worn off as she quickly pulled away, dragging him with her, to avoid getting hit by another laser beam.

“You okay, kitty?” Ladybug asked. Chat nodded, dazed, as he’d landed on top of her.

“Yeah, no more confessions ready to slip out, m’Lady.”

They rolled out the way to avoid another laser beam. Chat shook his head, his mind was whirling at a hundred miles an hour after his kiss from Ladybug, but he had to focus.

They separated again, running on opposite sides of the street. Chat’s eyes darted around the villain, trying to work out where the akuma was. Glancing at his partner he could tell she was doing the same, but something in her gaze was distracted. Suddenly, she tripped, and taking her stumble to her advantage, Sherry Holmes took aim.

The beam hit her and she felt herself frozen to the spot. Chat, on the other side of the road, looked at her with sheer panic. She could feel the words bubbling up her throat but she couldn't stop them, she couldn't move anything except her mouth.

"I'm in love with you!"

The words left her lips as he reached half a foot away from her. Her eyes went wide and she smacked her palms against her mouth as if she could somehow smother the confession back in.

She had been sure that when Chat had been akumatised and had looked at her with pure hatred that nothing could hurt her more. But the way he looked at her in that moment, his eyes wide with shock and hurt, his mouth gaping in confusion, she was sure she could feel her heart breaking in her chest.

"Oh god," she breathed. "Chat..."

Sherry Holmes, meanwhile, looked very unimpressed. "Wow, like I need to be a detective to work that one out. Guess I need to hit you again to find out your identity!"

Still stunned, Ladybug didn't even flinch as a beam hurtled toward her. Chat grabbed her and pulled her away just in time.

"Call your Lucky Charm," he instructed calmly, refusing to meet her eyes. "I'll distract her."

He didn't give her chance to reply before he bounded off, swiping left and right at Sherry Holmes with his baton as he dodged her attacks. It took a few seconds but Ladybug shook herself out of her stunned stance.

"Lucky Charm!" she yelled to sky, as she pulled her trademark pose. A handheld mirror materialised above her and landed in her hand. She ducked as a beam suddenly went shooting over her head. "Wow, Tikki, you really gave me a simple one today. Guess you can tell my brain is fried."

The heroine stormed toward the akuma, smirking as she did.

"Hey Shezza, I'm right here, just try and hit me!" she taunted.

The akuma snarled, swiping Chat Noir aside so she could take aim at the bug. Just as the beam was about to hit her, Ladybug held the mirror in front of her, deflecting the beam back at Sherry Holmes. She couldn't react quick enough and the beam struck her.

"The akuma is hiding in my trench coat pocket!" she announced, her face horrified.

"How kind of you to share," Chat grinned, reaching into her pocket to reveal a mobile phone. He smashed it the ground as Ladybug opened her yoyo.

"Bye bye, little butterfly," Ladybug sighed, watching as it flew off into the distance. The akuma victim returned to her human form; a petite brunette with deep brown eyes and a pink floral dress, covered by a similar trench coat she'd had as an akuma.

Chat Noir was about to walk over to her when a hand on his arm stopped him.

"Chat," Ladybug said softly, her voice breaking. A heavy tension held between them as their eyes met. Ladybug felt her legs shake with anxiety as her heart pounded against her ribcage, her chest feeling so tight she could barely remember how to breathe. "Please let me explain."

Chat glanced at the akuma victim before returning his gaze to his partner.

"Go and recharge and I'll make sure she's okay. I'll meet you at our usual spot," he replied. His tone wasn't necessarily cold but it held a horrible sense of formality that didn't sit well with Ladybug. She hadn't missed how he'd avoided their usual victory routine either.

She nodded, dropping her hand from his shoulder and her eyes to the ground as she blinked back tears.

With one last glance back the cat superhero, who was now knelt down next to the akuma victim with a comforting hand on her shoulder, she dashed off to find a place to recharge.

Half an hour later, Ladybug found Chat waiting for her on 'their' rooftop; it was actually some random Parisians' rooftop, but it their favourite place to meet up, it was secluded but still gave a great view of the city.

His legs were hanging off the edge of the rooftop, his hands resting on the guttering. She approached him slowly, taking tentative steps across the rooftops as though they might crumble beneath her feet. His head suddenly turned in her direction and she jumped in surprise, but quickly composed herself as she brought herself to stand behind him. She was surprised again when he spoke first.

"The akuma victim, her name is Amy, had suspicions her boyfriend was cheating on her but he always denied it. She was convinced he was gaslighting her, so she investigated and found out he had been sleeping with someone from work. Then she got akumatised."

"That's awful. Was she okay?" Ladybug asked softly, refusing to meet his eyes.

"No, but she will be. I waited with her until her friend came to meet her."

"That's because you're one of the sweetest people on the planet," she said gently. She looked up when Chat scoffed, standing up to face her. "What? It's true."

"If it's true, why are you so ashamed to have feelings for me?" Chat spat. "Why is that your darkest secret? Not your identity but the fact," he paused as his voice cracked. He broke eye contact for a moment and when his gaze returned his eyes were brimming with tears. "That you’re in love with me. That's your darkest secret..."

"Because I can't love you," she shouted, tears rolling down her mask. Her words echoed across the rooftops surrounding them. “Our love could cause the end of the world!”

Chat blinked, taking a step back in surprise. “What… What do you mean?”

Ladybug took a shaky breath, her voice barely a whisper. “A few months ago, Bunnix grabbed me and took me to the future. She wouldn’t tell me anything about the context, obviously, but the world was in pieces. Paris was destroyed. The only one left was you; you’d been akumatised…” she closed her eyes, blinking back more tears. “You told me it was because of me, because of us…”

Chat sighed gently. He walked toward her and wrapped his arms around her tightly. "Why didn't you tell me this?" he murmured into her hair.

"Because you'd blame yourself, I know you."

"You mean like you're doing right now? Bug, you've got enough going on with the guardianship. You need to tell me if somethings bothering you."

She nodded into his chest. “I know, thank you,” she murmured before she paused. “There’s more.”

“Go on.”

“You knew who I was. I was transformed and you called me my civilian name.”

There was a long pause at that. “Oh,” Chat said softly. “Wow. Um, did you know who I was?”

“I don’t know, but I think so? I think we were together.”

Another long pause, Ladybug laughed ironically.

“A lot to take in, right?”

Chat chuckled lightly. “Knowing I had everything I’ve dreamed of but someone took it away, yeah, just a bit…”

“I took it away,” Ladybug whispered and he held her tighter.

“You did no such thing, I don’t care what akumatised me from another timeline told you, but there has to be more to it than us being in love…” he paused, his cheeks flushing. “After all, we’re in love now, aren’t we?”

She looked up to meet his eyes, sadness drowning her blue irises. “Chat, we can’t. Not until Hawkmoth is defeated, at least…”

Chat’s ears perked up at that. “So, after we defeat Hawkmoth, I can take you on a date?”

Ladybug giggled, wiping her tears with the back of her hand. “Silly kitty… I guess you can.”

Chat smiled, releasing her from his arms. Taking a few steps forward he paused. He reached his hand out to her, his loving expression making her stomach flip.

“Well then, you and me against the entire world, right?”

She smiled, taking his hand and entwining their fingers. “Always.”

Hawkmoth never stood a chance.

#mlsecretsanta #lady b babbles #fanfic #my fanfic #ladybug #chat noir #ladynoir #adrien agreste #marinette dupain-cheng #adrinette #adrienette

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carpisuns · 3 years

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Hello :)

You always give the best recommendations.

Do you have some Adrinette and Marichat recs (art and writing)?

Fluff and happy endings are very appreciated.

Thank you! (I hope you are well) 🤍

Oh thank you 😌 I pride myself on enjoying good things djdjdk

i've recced a lot of these before so sorry alksdfja they're just so good! also sorry i aways go overboard with recs lol I CANT HELP IT, PEOPLE MAKE SUCH GOOD THINGS THAT I LOVE

this list ended up very long so I’m putting it under a cut fjdjdm

adrienette fics:

golden (like daylight) by @anna-scribbles — FAV FAV FAV literally so exquisitely written, gorgeous prose, lots of nuance and it all ties together to perfectly at the end HNNNG it has some Angst but it’s also very soft and the end is so fluffy💜💜

more than words by @zimtlein — another current fav, ongoing wip!! adrienette fake dating, angst but also lots of humor and shenangians (pre reveal pre relationship)

Operation Mega Sleepover by @smellerbeee — literally the purest sweetest adrienette friendship ever 😭(pre reveal pre relationship)

Comfort Food by Reiaji — GORGEOUSLY written adrienette bonding thru cooking lessons 🥺(ft. reveal)

the right side of his face by @hamsternamedmarinette — i just really love this, it's well written and i think it shows their relationship in a beautifully nuanced way 💜(pre reveal pre relationship)

new marinette by @rosekasa — this is a marinette memory loss fic so it's so sad but it has a perfect happy ending, dw! (alizeh also has tons of fluffy adrienette oneshots so check them out too!)

the roses still bloom by @botherkupo — this one is sad but so sweet and pure i just 🥺🥺🥺 platonic hurt/comfort, pre-reveal

Make It True by @ominousunflower — prpr closet makeout alkjdfasf

Plaggatouille by @gabriel-agreste-has-no-rights — peak adrienette shenanigans + cute reveal!

Short-Circuited by @mikachu-chu — this fic has such cute chaotic energy hdjdjd I love it. ft that one Electric Love tiktok trend 👀

Photograph by @sha-nwa — this one makes me cry but it's still fluffy just like.......bittersweet 😭(post reveal, established relationship)

marichat fics:

the way i loved you by @sha-nwa — FAV, ongoing wip that owns my entire mind!!!!! painful but so so good and beautifully written 😭

a lie for a lie by @botherkupo — I always gotta rec this one, Kim’s a fantastic writer and this is one of the first things I read in the fandom and it’s still on of my favs! Marichat fake dating (kim also has tons of other amazing marichat, check out all of it lol but Glad We’re Friends is so sweet and I’ll Be Your (Wing)Man is hilarious)

spark by @zimtlein — marichat tinder fic that starts out silly but evolves to be more angsty and it's like a delicious slow reveal aaa

home is where your wifi connects automatically by @zimtlein — cute marichat reveal!

Madame Snare by @jettiebettie — possibly my fav marichat fic ever aaaa such a good, in-character, canon-compatible exploration ft adrien (detransformed) acting as chat who is pretending to be a female model asflkadsjf i cry it's perf

Loopholes by @gabriel-agreste-has-no-rights — I don't think I've recced this before but it's such a cute and sweet marichat reveal! (also check out Tali's other marichats bc they're the best,,,I will mention Charcoal Lines but literally they're all my fav haha. ok also read Tastes Like Dirt. And Your Kitty. And The Wrong Balcony. Screw it all of them!!! dhsjsm)

Ladies’ Choice by @smellerbeee — this has been a fav for a long time, she just gets them and I love Kim’s writing 😌

where timing is kind to us by @deinde-prandium — this one is so sweet I just really like it 🥺 they’re nerds and they’re in love

A Breath of Fresh Air by @trashcatontherooftop — I’ve reces this a bunch before but it’s such a perfect wholesome brand of marichat dancing that like bt platonic and romantic!! wip

these are more like drabbles but they're so delicious i wanted to include them as some Tasty Tidybits

and i never saw you coming by @bugabisous — marichat fluff

i feel you holding me (tighter, i cannot see) by @botherkupo — marichat angst

This one is adrienette and marichat so it deserves its own category haha but How to Be a Hot Mess by @botherkupo is so cute and fun!

as for art!!!! here are some of my fav adrienette and marichat pieces :) these artists all have tons more amazing content so I highly recommend checking them out!

umbrella scene by @jascurka

adrienette sleepover by @anna-scribbles

post-reveal adrienette by @sweet-childhood-dreams

ML Amalie by @shishitsunari

Adrienette Phinbella by @inkshila

adrienette cuddles by @leviaana

umbrella adrienette by @nokkiart

Weredad animation by @bugaboo-n-bananoir

cute marichats by @thechatsmeow

marichat movie night by @queenlypirate

marichat sketch dump by @eona-art

midnight spaghetti by @cat-saturn

reverse crush animation by @miraculouslylazybug

marichat dating by @sabertoothwalrus

grocery store marichat by @matchalaatte

marichat cooking by @zivazivc

comfy marichat by @secondlina

#SORRY I CANT CONTAIN MYSELF #me: oh yeah someone asked for recs #I will just drop a couple links to my current favs :)#oR……#I could completely overwhelm them with a huge unwieldy list!!!#great idea #DHDJDKD #fic recs #fav writers #fav artists #anon #ask

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khunned · 4 years

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Hello! This is probably weird and you don't have to answer it, but do you have any blog recommended blogs to follow? You seem like an answer person so you must know some more awesome people 😀

I seem like an answer person sdkjaskdlfjask.

Well you were right, I do know some awesome people with amazing blogs. A few are @chatnoirinette @chatalyst @alteanroyals @lahiffesblog @spoopyslayer @honeychats @botherkupo @themiraculousladyblog @pawsomelybuggy @veroocasanova @flashflashitsash @gabriel-agreste-has-no-rights @xthreeravensx @gryffindorcls @bugaboo-n-bananoir @lesslinette @lovesquaretrash @marinoodles @supergirl9130 @multibug @14-hiatus @emsylcatac @janaikam @leviaana @thewritewolf @marikittynoir

#anon thingz #ask thingz #skkskskdkdkd #im sorry to this anon i answered so late #but here you go some quality blogs #all talented smsmdmd

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yeet-noir · 4 years

Text

Get To Know The Blogger

Tagged by @creativetwit thank you so much!

Rules: Tag 9 people you want to get to know better.

Top 4 ships:

Love square (Miraculous Ladybug)

Aang X Katara (ATLA)

Rayla X Callum (TDP)

Danny X Sam (One of my ogs lol)

Last song listened to: Bitch by Allie X

Last film watched: I really don’t watch movies I honestly think the last one I watched was the Sonic movie with my friends in theater loooool

Currently reading: Nothing, I need to get back into reading for fun

Currently craving: I been wanting cinnamon buns

Tagging: @mlady-noir, @honeychats, @chataclysmes, @alteanroyals, @botherkupo, @gabriel-agreste-has-no-rights, @amimons, @leviaana, @marinoodles only if you guys wanna

#personal #not ml

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galahadwilder · 5 years

Text

We Break Things Down Just To Build Them Back Up Again

Chapter 4: Avoidance

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AO3

The mom friend override is working—Marinette hasn't flinched at the sound of Lila's voice all morning. Of course, Lila has barely been speaking all morning, thank the tiny gods, though that has nothing to do with her. They've started a unit on Vietnamese history, and, well... the version that the textbooks are teaching is... heavily sanitized.

It turns out that Kim may not know a lot about most things, but his family history? He knows really, really well. Most of morning class is spent with Kim actually correcting Mme. Bustier in progressively louder and angrier tones. (She seems to be aware that he's right, but can't officially acknowledge it.) Lila is, for once, staying out of it, which Marinette thinks is one of the wiser things she's done: this is too delicate a topic for the Italian girl to pretend expertise on, especially with the mood Kim's already in. One wrong word and he'll immediately turn his vitriol onto her.

The problem is that Kim is having some trouble articulating his thoughts, and he's getting more and more frustrated the more words escape him. And the angrier he gets, the more trouble he has speaking. It's a vicious cycle.

Everything he's saying is something Kim's grandmother had explained to Marinette a few years ago. She and Kim had been closer when they were younger—as two of the only Asian students in a school full of predominantly European and North African origins, they shared a number of experiences that their classmates didn't quite understand, despite the differences between their cultures. So normally she'd be leaping in to back him up, to help him find the words, to—

Her hands are shaking. Her heart is slamming against her ribs. She knows that if she speaks up, she becomes a target. No matter what she does, Lila will immediately go on the offensive, find a way to attack her, to silence her, to turn her words against her. Even if she's supporting Kim, Lila will make it sound like she's being condescending towards him or needlessly antagonizing Mme. Bustier or something, and...

And this is exactly what Adrien has been doing to her, she realizes. This is how he feels all the time.

She squeezes her eyes shut and gouges her fingernails into her palms, tuning out Kim and Mme. Bustier's argument and focusing her mind's eye on the blond boy sitting in front of her. This beaten-dog feeling is all too familiar to her—Chloé had pounded it into her over years of shared classes, and she'd only managed to break it thanks to Alya, Tikki, and Chat Noir. And even then it still came back sometimes before Lila retargeted it.

...and Chloé has been Adrien's only friend for eleven years. Oh, Kwami, this just keeps getting worse, doesn't it?

She zones back into class and realizes that Kim has gone quiet. Bustier is continuing with her lecture, but she seems embarrassed. Marinette's willing to bet she's going to apologize to Kim later, and admit he's right. Only in private though.

She tunes Bustier back out again—she's saying something terribly incorrect and colonialist, and Alya's pencil is creaking under the pressure of her angry fingers. Most of the class seems kind of annoyed, actually, though whether at Bustier, Kim, or the French school system, Marinette couldn't say.

Come lunchtime, the atmosphere in the classroom is downright frosty, and everything that Marinette is is screaming at her to fix it. But somehow she doesn't think anyone is going to let her. Anything she says will make her a target for Lila and she doesn't really have anyone in her corner.

Her mother's words from last night come back to her: "You have a big heart, but you need to look after yourself first." But... helping other people is part of who she is. She's Ladybug for Kwami's sake. She needs to feel useful. She just needs to fix one thing today; doesn't matter what it is, she needs to help someone.

So it's a relief when Adrien turns to her as soon as the bell rings, teeth digging into his lip. "Uh, hey... Mari?" he says, his voice rough.

Her heart slams into her ribs immediately, and she has to swallow down anxiety bile at the thought that oh god he hates me why did I break into his bedroom he's going to call the police and I'll never see him again. "What's up?" she chokes out. They're way past the point of calling cops.

Adrien's face falls. "I..." he begins in a whisper, staring at the floor. "I don't want to go home for lunch." He clenches his hands, his whole body tight.

Marinette can't miss the tension in his frame. "What do you need?" she says, heedless of Alya and Nino staring at them.

Adrien starts, his stunned emerald eyes locking on hers. "I..." His hand twitches, flaps, and he does something that's sort of like a snap but not quite. Relief spreads across his face. "Can I..."

"Of course," Marinette says with an unnaturally steady voice, her heart bursting in her chest like a balloon on the end of a fire hose, utterly heedless of the students who are beginning to file out of the classroom. "I told you. You're always welcome." She rests her chin on her fist and smiles despite the pounding of blood in her ears. "You don't even have to ask."

Alya glances between them. "What just happened?" she says.

Nino narrows his eyes. "I think Adrien just asked Nettie to invite him over for lunch."

"Thank you for not telling them," Marinette says as they cross the street between the school and the bakery. "About..." The muscles in her arm tighten with nerves, and she flaps her hand, letting the tension bleed out through the sudden movements. "You know, me breaking into your room."

Adrien glances at her hand, smiles as they step up to the curb. "You're doing that more often," he says.

She holds up her hand with a soft smile and snaps a few times. "The more I do it," she says, "the more comfortable you'll get with doing it."

Adrien grins, biting his lip with his front teeth. "You're amazing," he says.

She feels her face squeeze from the rush of extra blood, and immediately loses track of her feet. Which promptly smack against the leg of one of the chairs on the bakery patio. She shrieks, bracing for chin to strike table, but instead she feels the familiar crushing pressure of Adrien's arms across her chest.

"Whoa, Princess," he says, his voice stronger and faster than she's ever heard it, yet somehow achingly familiar. "Can't have you falling for me."

She squeaks, sliding out of his hands into the chair. She tripped and he caught her and he said—he said—oh gods, everything about what just happened is a disaster she needs to move to Tibet.

"Mari?" he says. "Are you—"

"I'm going to explode, thank you!" she yelps, drawing her feet up onto the seat of the chair and hugging her knees to her chest, curling up into a fetal position. Even with as small as she is, she barely fits her whole body onto the seat.

"Mari, I'm sorry," Adrien says, sliding to his knees in front of her. "I—I forgot."

"Forgot?" she whispers, looking up at him through her bangs. "Forgot what?"

Adrien swallows. "That..." His fist clenches, and he pulls it close to his chest.

She reaches out to pull his arm out, holding it between them. "Stim if you need to," she says.

Instead, Adrien's fingers creak open. "I forgot you said you were in love with me," he whispers.

Marinette's breath turns to ice in her lungs.

"Didn't... mean to make fun of you for it," he adds, looking away.

She opens her mouth, tries to speak, "I—I—I..." she starts, trying to force the words out around the anxiety-blockage in her throat, but her brain is stuck on the first word like a record where the needle keeps skipping. "I, I—I don't... I—I'm..."

He collapses backward, falling onto his ass, his eyes wide with shock. "Mari?" he gasps. "Are you—"

She presses her palms into her eyes, crushing them into her skull, and screams.

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