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eggrestes · 3 years

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ladrien fic recs!

there are SO MANY amazing ladrien fics i cant possibly cover them all but here are a few!

(all the ratings used are ao3 ratings)

((this is a very long post!))

FLUFF

Of Ivy and Sunlight by cyanise [ T, 1509 words, 1/1 ]

When Adrien takes to wandering the streets of Paris in ungodly hours, Ladybug has no choice but to keep an eye on him. Still, things are bound to get a little out of hand between two overloaded teenagers with a lot of love and not enough self-control.

a lovely post-chat blanc fic :’) it has a great flow and is just soft and so sweet and it’s just perfect. gosh i cannot really say more other than read it!!! also almost all of their other stuff is also ladrien so do check it out!

This can't be happening by PlaPla [ T, 6,467 words, 1/2 ]

Ladybug is unsure whether accompanying Adrien to a gala as his not-date is the best or worst thing that has ever happened to her. But when their table mates turn out to be none other than her long time friends Alya and Nino and with Adrien acting weirder and weirder she finds herself with bigger worries than an unrequited crush.

a djwifi/ladrien double date? hit me up! i love identity shenanigans, ball dancing, ladrien, and djwifi and this is a perfect mix for me. i know it’s incomplete but it doesn’t end in a cliff-hanger really, the part 2 is just a promise of more so it doesn’t feel incomplete! PlaPla also has a short oneshot of ladrien going for a motorcycle ride.

Falling again by emsylcatac [ M, 4,506 words, 2 Works ]

They had been dancing around each other for a while now, and while fifteen year old Adrien would have been ecstatic at the idea of dating Ladybug in secret, twenty-two year old Adrien knew better. But Ladybug wasn’t making it easy. It was like… she, too, was falling for him. And that surprisingly enough, she didn’t mind.

* * *

Or Adrien trying (and failing) to keep things professional between him and Ladybug when the two of them partner up for a mission. Older AU

things are a little steamy~ here (don’t worry, it’s only implied it’s very mild and closer to a T rating than the M) but it’s a great mature take on their dynamics! emsy has more ladrien one-shots in her collection of one-shots!

i'd love to go on a date with you by sae_what [ G, 6,480 words, 1/1 ]

Once it had been falsely announced throughout Paris that Adrien and Ladybug are in a relationship, Ladybug pays him a visit to turn him down gently.

Only, she doesn’t. And instead, she has a formal dinner date. With Adrien. At 8 pm. Tonight.

LADYBUG IN A SUIT!! aaaaaaaaaaaaaa. okay but for real it’s so sweet and also??? they are on a date!!! a rooftop date!! (too man exclamation marks oops)

Always Welcome by chatonne-rousse [ T, 1,683 words, 1/1 ]

Ladybug knows that Adrien's window is always open for her to swing by and stop in, whether for video games or a chat or, like tonight, for soft kisses and sweet nothings.

He loves these visits. His girlfriend is always welcome. Always. (Especially for kisses.)

Written for Ladrien June, day 8: bluebell eyes.

established relationship, pre-reveal ladrien. there is something very home-y about this fic and it’s all about the comfort and quiet that i adore about it!

Five Times Gabriel Agreste Caught Ladybug in His Son’s Bedroom (and the One Time He Caught Chat Noir) by agrestenoir [ T, 1,923 words, 1/1]

Gabriel Agreste keeps finding Ladybug in his son's bedroom. As a super villain and father, this will not stand.

this crack fic is... honestly so hilarious. it’s all through gabrie-i-am-trying-to-parent-and-failing-a-lot-agreste’s POV so it is so much ridiculous!

an uncurtain discovery by Missnoodles [ T, 4,684 words, 1/1 ]

When he returns from school on Wednesday afternoon, Adrien discovers the darkness in his own home. He struggles to come to terms with it. To his utter mortification and delight, Ladybug is nearby to rescue him.

(He does not discover that his father is supervillain. That will happen on a different Wednesday.)

Adrien is being a cat and gets tangled in the curtains on his window and it’s utterly ridiculous. all the bug and the cat tendencies make it funnier and adrien’s inner monologue is just a cherry on top!

secret valentine by a_miiraculer [ T, 12,245 words, 1/1 ]

this is the moment that we will come alive brace yourself for love sweet love, secret love

If Adrien had known that getting himself stuck in a tree would end like this, he would've gotten himself stuck sooner.

A drabble series.

i just,,,, don’t have words for how much i love it! it’s ridiculous, it’s cute, it’s funny, it’s whole-some and just ladrien. the writer also has a M rated multi-chapter ladrien kissing (no the M is very much real here) and a heroic adrien and ladybug one-shot too!

Those Benevolent Stars by peachcitt [ G, 23,696 words, 3/3 ]

“Will you come back?”

She looked up at the deep blue sky, as if she could somehow find the answer there. “I shouldn’t,” she said, shaking her head and looking back at him. But the stars were still there, caught in her eyes, and Adrien persisted.

“But will you?”

adrien meets his soulmate, a thief who calls herself ladybug. he falls for her, but she seems determined to maintain a space between them.

oh my god this au.... just no words!! it’s poetry and it’s tender and it’s about the yearning and just!!! perfect :’). Her current ongoing ladrien june fic is also akin to this (and the fic i linked before it) so do check it out too! (literally check out all of their works it’s so beautiful)

Flowers on the Window Sill by LNC [ G, 2,144 words, 1/1 ]

The first time Ladybug saw him, really saw him, the universe stopped.

this fic feels like poetry and it’s so lovely. LNC is always short and direct but it always hits right in the feels while also being hilarious. Her other ladrien works are just as good and i highly recommend going through them because it fulfills all of the ladrien needs (along with Reiaji)

whatever a sun will always sing is you by komorebirei [ T, 32,980 words, 37/37 ]

“I didn't think you'd actually... do anything," Adrien admitted, cheeks prickling with warmth. "I-I mean, I never expected... I didn't know you watched my interviews.” That definitely wasn’t how he'd imagined confessing to Ladybug.

“Of course I do!” Ladybug squeaked. “Uhh, that is…” She looked down at her hands, nervously turning her yo-yo over, over and over. “Maybe you’re not the only one with a crush.”

(After an unexpected confession, Ladybug and Adrien start dating in secret. A progressive character- and relationship-study quilted from drabbles, with the intention of digging treasure out of the cove that is Ladrien. Written using kashimalin-fanfiction's kiss writing prompts from Tumblr.)

it does such an excellent job at exploring this dynamic along with the characters. it’s such a sweet fic, each chapter short and fun!

ANGST

whose woods these are (I think I know.) by Reiaji [ T, 105,000 words, 25/25 ]

Four years after his future turns to cinders, Adrien is a servant in the house he was meant to inherit. Disowned by his father and abused by his stepmother, his days are filled with drudgery until he meets a masked huntress in the forest behind his father's chateau.

As his friendship with Ladybug turns to first love, he dreams of a future spent at her side.

Then, on the eve of the Princess's masquerade, he meets his guardian—and is granted a wish.

[Ladrien Cinderella AU]

Warnings: Child abuse, Graphic depiction of violence

this is absolutely gorgeous. it has so many troupes and so many amazing character arc and great build up and everything just flows so well. it left me in awe for weeks and i just. want to experience reading it for the first time again. look at this gorgeous art inspired by this! {and you have to read leonard bernstein too because LETTERS and LADRIEN and YEARNING}

i would do it again (oh, a thousand times) by bugabisous [ T, 2,266 words, 1/1 ]

Knowing you can bring someone back doesn’t mean you’re free of the pain of seeing them disappear before your eyes. He can’t imagine he’ll be able to look at her directly without replaying every horrifying moment when he felt her slip away in a puff of smoke.

When it happens once again, he already knows he’ll be trying again. He just can’t give up.

it expands on adrien’s feelings in the episode desperada (my beloved <3) and it is just ouch. such great angst, such great potential. the kind of tragedy that it offers is unusual for ml (it gets only rivaled by chat blanc tbh). to rival this angst bugabisous also has a fluffy one-shot :)

when the world gets too heavy (put it on my back) by Taliax [ T, 4,720 words, 1/1 ]

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

the plagg and adrien bond written is just perfect, and oh this hits right in the feels :’) it hurts all in the right way. tali also has so many other ladrien works in all genres too

By Your Side by omniousunflower [ T, 4,361 words, 1/1 ]

(Angry and alone, Adrien waits on top of the Eiffel Tower for his lady.)

“So, how did my kitty get stranded up here?” Ladybug asks.

Groaning, Adrien pulls his knees toward his chest and presses his face against them. “Because he’s stupid and impulsive.”

“Chasing pigeons, then?”

“No.” Shame burns in Adrien’s veins, white-hot now that Ladybug is here to witness his stupidity. “I threw my Miraculous, and Plagg wouldn’t get it for me.”

post-hawkmoth defeat, and adrien is not doing well at all. i am cheating because it is post reveal, pre relationship but it’s still ladrien. this fic is a roller coater of emotions, starting from a slightly crack scenario to a cute, awkward, hopeful ending. More Than You Know is another of sunny’s angsty ladrien work!

Breaking The Rules (AKA The Ladrien Fistfight) by ThisKwamiNeeds_aNap [ T, 8,714 words, 1/1 ]

Marinette may or may not be dying, but she’s still going to do her best to fix every single problem in the world. She’s not expecting Adrien to be the one who tries to stop her. (Takes place immediately after Kwami Buster)

Warnings: panic attack, broken bones, PTSD. please read the tags!

*slaps this fic* this fic can fit in so much angst. it just?? left me in PAIN oof. it says ‘ladrien fistfight’ on the lid but nooo there is marinette is just having a freak out and it’s all so much??!! and it’s not just marinette there is adrien too and chloe and alya and- wow it’s amazing. love it so much it fills up my angst needs :’)

so that’s it for now! my personal commentary isn’t impressive nor does it do justice to the fic but i still hope you read a few of these!! happy reading!!

#ladren #fic rec #ml fic rec #miraculous ladybug #i know i dont do the fics justice but. oh well #lovesquare #ladrien #obviously check out the writers other workd too but this is ladrien so i am trying to give it a bit more emphasis #also i am so sorry i couldnt include more lesser known writers but unfortunatley they dont have ladrien uRGH anyway maybe sometime later!#i spend a lot of time on thi n got lazy so plz be considerate #also add recs if u want even self-promo is cool duh

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secretly-miraculous · 4 years

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Just a Peck

Based on @everythingelsegoesherethen’s prompt where ladrien is established and sleep-deprived Marinette forgets she’s not in the suit and kisses Adrien. I literally couldn’t stop thinking about it sooooooo I wrote it! It’s kinda long, so be prepared. I know I’m like four years late but here ya go

_______________________________________

It wouldn’t have been too bad if it was just the akuma, but of course, it was never just the akuma. It was the hour long akuma. It was the lengthy conversation with Chat Noir after the akuma. It was the swing by Adrien’s house before she went home to make sure he was safe. It was the gigantic test she studied for until 3 am. It was the construction work right outside the bakery that prevented her from sleeping. It was the homework assignment she remembered at 4 am when she’d finally gotten comfortable enough to sleep.

To say Marinette was a zombie when she walked to school the next morning was an understatement. She covered her face as she stepped out of the bakery and exposed herself to the bright, sunny day. The world swirled around her and everything was blurry. She groaned and began to make her trek to school. Every step felt like a chore and each one was more like shuffle than a step.

After tripping over herself twice and almost being hit by a car while crossing the one street between her and her destination, she finally found herself in front of Françoise DuPont.

“You did it Marinette!” Tikki cheered, hoping to give her some energy through encouraging words. “And you’re not even late!”

“Yeah, I did,” she replied groggily.

She trudged up the stairs and made her way to the classroom. Marinette’s mind wandered to the end of the day; she dreamed of being reunited with her bed and spending with Adrien who’d listen attentively to her issues or drown out hers with his own. She didn’t mind either situation; as long as she was with him, all the stress and pain faded.

When Marinette walked into the classroom, her heart soared after seeing the blonde boy who took up the majority of her thoughts. She didn’t notice much else, making her unaware of the fact that she was surrounded by most of her classmates and Ms. Bustier. She let out her first smile of the day as she walked up to him.

“Good morning,” she said gently, giving him a peck on the lips. She kept walking up to her seat and placed her head on her desk, hoping to get a few more minutes of sleep before class started.

Marinette found it strange how the classroom became silent as she put her head down. That’s sweet, she thought, they’re letting me sleep. What cool classmates I have.

Her thoughts were interrupted when she received a jab in the ribs from Alya. The raven-haired girl lifted her head and turned to Alya who stared at her with a look she couldn’t decipher in her state.

Alya leaned in close and whispered, “Marinette. What. Was. That.”

“What was what?” Marinette replied, still oblivious to what she’d just done.

“The kiss! Why did you do that?”

“Oh. I kissed Adrien? Yeah. I kissed him ‘cause I love him,” she slurred, ready to put her head back down.

The chorus of gasps around her began to take her back to reality. She slowly started to become aware of her surroundings and words started ringing in her head.

François DuPont. Adrien. School. Adrien. Classmates. Adrien.

After her mind caught up to where she was, names started clicking into place as she looked at the numerous sets of eyes on her.

Alya. Nino. Chloe. Adrien. Nathaniel. Alix. Kim. Adrien. Max. Ivan. Rose. Adrien. Ms. Bustier. Sabrina. Lila. Adrien.

Adrien.

Marinette suddenly sat bolt upright, eyes growing wider by the second. She locked eyes with her boyfriend and red flushed her cheeks. She was paralyzed.

What did I do? What did I do? What did I do? What did I do? What did I do?

Everyone knew about Adrien’s relationship with Ladybug. When the news came to the public, Alya rushed over to Marinette to see how she was dealing with it, but Marinette assured her she was completely fine with it and he deserved to be happy with whomever he chose. She said she was over it and Alya really heard and saw the truthfulness in her voice and body language. Most of the class rooted for Adrien and Marinette to get together, so they were disappointed, but they all thought it was good for both of them to find their own happiness, not be forced into something pushed onto them.

So what was going on?

While Marinette was still struggling to find words and to function like a normal human, Adrien was having his own mini-crisis.

What am I going to tell Ladybug? I kissed another girl. I didn’t initiate it and it didn’t mean anything...or did it?

Adrien loved Ladybug, he knew that, but the kiss didn’t feel completely wrong, which worried him even more. He knew Ladybug already had a long day yesterday and she didn’t need something else to make her week worse.

In his own head, Adrien didn’t notice the sly smile coming from Lila, but for once this morning, Marinette noticed something no one else did. Her mind was already struggling to run at a normal speed, and now the liar’s look told Marinette she had to find a way to get around Lila, someone who could find five ways to twist your own words around into something that can hurt you every second. Marinette didn’t have the time or the energy to think of anything that could help her, so she opened her mouth and hoped the words that tumbled out didn’t didn’t betray her.

“I...um...I was just tired...that’s all,” she said, hoping they’d take pity on her and get off her back. When she saw everyone’s expectant eyes remain, she knew it wasn’t enough, but her heavy eyelids and slow processing capacity made them very difficult to battle. “...I just...uh...had a dream about...this...uh...boy...and I must have thought it was Adrien...or something like that...he and I aren’t together or anything...it was just me being, you know...”

Marinette couldn’t keep up and her tiredness overtook her. She closed her eyes, slumped and hit her head on the desk.

“OW!” She held her hand on her forehead which was turning red and winced in pain. She was definitely going to stay awake now. “Oooow...”

Suddenly, the class heard a loud crash. The class looked outside and saw a figure leaping across buildings shooting projectiles at people. They felt the building shake and voices rang out across the classroom.

“Someone’s been akumatized!”

“Wait, there was just a villain last night.”

“If we felt something here, that means it’s close!”

Ms. Bustier did her best to calm the class and dismissed everyone.

Everyone bustled out of the classroom and in the middle of the chaos Marinette made a beeline for the restroom.

“That’s the fifth time this week, Tikki, and the week’s not even over!”

Marinette couldn’t take it anymore. Hawkmoth’s akumas had been getting more frequent, more difficult, and more intrusive in her life. She was going to get this done, finish the day, and get some much needed down time with Adrien.

Adrien.

With the sudden arrival of the akuma, she’d almost forgotten what she’d done.

“Let’s make this quick. Tikki, spots on!”

_______________________________________

Chat Noir was already at the scene when Ladybug arrived, dodging beams of light the akuma was shooting out.

Ladybug hesitated to join the battle. She was shocked by how quickly both figures moved and wondered if that was what akuma battles were normally like or if it was her fatigue once again messing with her view of the world. Chat charged at the victim with his staff, but the swift villain dodged his attack and shot out another beam. Chat flipped out of its way, but the light bounced off a mirror that happened to be in front of a small furniture store behind him. Caught off guard, he extended his staff and shot himself upward to avoid being hit at the last second. As he landed, he caught sight of Ladybug.

“Careful, the beam from his spear makes you fall asleep!” Chat warned.

She laughed bitterly. “Is that so?”

She dodged one of the beams, stumbled as she landed, and held up her yo-yo as a shield. “I would like to get this done so I can actually get some sleep tonight.”

She kept her eyes trained on the villain, shooting daggers through her tired eyes.

“Oh my, it seems a certain red bug needs her beauty sleep,” the akuma taunted. “Why don’t I help you out!” The akuma reared up and sent a large blast in Ladybug’s direction. She leapt to the side, dodging the projectile, but she tripped over herself, got her legs caught in her yo-yo’s string, and fell to the ground.

“It seems like you aren’t up for it today, savior of Paris. Maybe you should give it a rest!” He swiftly shot a beam at Ladybug, giving her no time to recover from her fall. Right before the light made contact with the heroine, her feline partner swept her away, causing them to both barely miss the beam.

“I think the akuma’s in the spear that he keeps shooting the beams from,” Ladybug breathed, still trying to be of some assistance in her weakened state. She shakily stood and stared at the akuma in determination.

“Milady, you need to take a second and—”

“Lucky charm!” She called out, trying to press on.

Chat really admired her persistence, so much so that his heart swelled at her determination, but he knew this trait was going to get her hurt in this state. However, he knew his lady; he couldn’t change her mind, so he did his best to cover her while she did what she had to do.

A large, heavy red and black-spotted slab of wood fell into her hands. Her knees buckled under its weight and Ladybug was on the ground again. She inhaled deeply and let out a heavy breath. Even though she was on the ground again with a giant weight keeping her down (literally), she lifted her head with the strength she had and her eyes darted around the room. She noticed the mirror that the villain’s beam bounced off of earlier and Chat’s hand.

“Chat Noir, the mirror, and then get ready to destroy the spear,” Ladybug spoke weakly yet plainly, using her anger because of the lack of sleep as a way to fuel her instead of bring her down. “That slab of wood, you can’t carry it, I’ll—” “Don’t worry about me, I’ll be fine, okay?” Chat gave her look of concern that told her he was definitely not okay with that. Ladybug sighed and looked down at the wood slab. Then in the tiniest voice of defeat, she said, “Help me get it off the ground?” He wanted to hold her and protect her. He wanted to tell her he was there and that everything would be alright. He wanted to stop and just hold her in his arms forever. But he knew they had no time, and she needed him for something different. While it wasn’t exactly the image he had in mind, he promptly moved to her side and assisted her with the lucky charm. As long as he was next to Ladybug, though, he didn’t care what they did. “Let’s use this building here for some cover,” she suggested. He agreed with the suggestion and helped drag her to the location while blocking projectiles flying at them. “Take all the time you need, fur ball,” the akuma called out as he saw them escape. “I’ll get you soon enough and all my worries will be put to sleep anyway!” Ladybug shook her head at the additional pun from the villain. “His jokes are much worse than yours...mostly.” Chat smirked and turned his attention to the wood that once again crushed her when they stopped. They pushed it off her legs and leaned it against the wall. Using Chat as support, Ladybug lifted herself off the ground. She stretched out her legs and turned to her partner. “Okay, so here’s the plan. We’ll get him to shoot at you, but when he does, you’ll have the mirror and reflect the beam to his legs. His legs will fall asleep and he’ll try swinging at me, but I’ll be ready with this big guy,” she gestured toward the wood slab, “and the point will get stuck, leaving the staff exposed and ready for you.” “Even when you aren’t feeling the best, you still manage to amaze me.” She lifted the slab of wood and though she was a little hunched over, she managed to stay standing. “Go,” she breathed out, unsure of how long she could keep it up. Chat Noir swiftly departed and, surprisingly, everything went according to plan. Chat reduced the spear a pile of rubbish and the akuma fluttered out. Ladybug purified it and turned to the slab of wood she had dropped as soon as she could. She groaned and picked it up again. “Miraculous Ladybug,” she whispered as she tossed it as high as she could above her, which was only a few centimeters. The magic ladybugs went around repairing all the damage the akuma had caused, but Ladybug still felt like she was about to collapse. If anything, she felt more tired than before. The adrenaline from pulling off the lucky charm was gone and everything became fuzzy and overwhelming again. The school day was far from over, but and she knew they would probably cancel the whole day because they had in the past with similar incidents. Even if she did go back to school, she wouldn’t have been able to pay attention. Her mind swirled with all these thoughts and she tried to think of what to do next. Seeing the obvious pain she was in, Chat gave her a long, comforting hug. He then looked at her bluebell eyes intently. “What can I do for you, Milady?” Ladybug smiled for the second time that day. “You’ve done more than enough. Thank you, kitty.” Ladybug held her hands to her ears as her earrings beeped in alarm. She swung her yo-yo at a building so she could make her way out, but she missed her target and the string fell sadly at her feet. Suddenly she was scooped off the ground and found herself looking into Chat’s eyes. She wanted to object, but for some reason she felt extremely comfortable in Chat Noir’s arms and no words ever escaped her lips. He leaped across the rooftops and the breeze made Ladybug feel even more at ease. Her eyelids closed and she quickly succumbed to sleep’s embrace.

_______________________________________

Marinette’s eyes fluttered open. She saw a distant roof in a shade of gray that was definitely not the color of her own. Having slept off some of her tiredness while still not feeling quite like herself yet, she stayed in the same position while she quickly ran through what she last remembered.

The battle was over, I purified the akuma, the magic ladybugs fixed everything, and I was exhausted. I went to leave but I was carried by someone...Chat Noir...somewhere...wherever this place is...and I must have fallen asleep on the way.

As her vision became clearer, she realized the roof was not completely unfamiliar; she was in Adrien’s room. Marinette looked down and saw she was on Adrien’s bed—not transformed. She looked around frantically, but no one was there. In her mad search of the room, her eyes landed on a letter placed next to the bed that was addressed to Ladybug with a pink rose sitting next to it. She scanned her surroundings one more time then reached for the letter after deciding it was completely safe. She carefully unfolded the letter inside the envelope and read:

Ladybug,

I ran into Adrien and he insisted I take you here. Don’t worry, I didn’t see anything and neither did he. Trust me, Milady, I’d never allow that cat-astrophic situation to happen. No one can get in without your permission; I had Adrien made sure of it. He wants to see you, but he won’t come in until you let him know it’s okay. Don’t hesitate to let me know if something’s ever bothering you.

Feel better, Bugaboo,

Chat Noir

Marinette chuckled at his silly pun and thought about how even when he wasn’t with her, she couldn’t escape the cat puns. She picked up the rose and took in its delicate scent. She smiled warmly and placed it and the letter back where she found them. She then gently woke up Tikki, who was sleeping soundly on the pillow.

After briefing her kwami and giving her something to eat, she transformed and called Adrien through her bug phone. Not even a single ring occurred before he picked up.

“Ladybug! Are you alright? Feeling better?”

She smiled, grateful for such a caring other half. “Yeah, I am. We’ll talk when you get here?”

She could hear his grin as he said, “See you very soon,” and he promptly hung up.

Ladybug tidied the bed and opened a few of the many large windows. Even though the room was spacious, it always felt very closed off to her, so she liked opening windows whenever she visited. She placed her hands on her hips, satisfied, when she was startled by a knock at the door.

“It’s just me,” she heard her boyfriend say gently.

The heroine walked over and opened the door. “Well that was pretty quick—”

She was cut off by a fervent hug from Adrien. She returned the hug graciously and wished she could stay in his arms forever.

After they finally broke apart, they stared at each other, both wearing the same goofy grin. Adrien was relieved to find the spark in her eyes that the lack of sleep had dimmed. Ladybug was on cloud nine, just as she was every time she was with him. She was still shocked that they were together and felt extremely lucky to have something that felt so wonderful. She instinctively leaned in to kiss him, but he pulled away.

“I…I know you’ve been through a lot lately, and…this is probably the last thing you want to hear,” Adrien croaked, knowing she could hear the fear in his wavering voice, “but you deserve to know.

Ladybug tilted her head in confusion. What could he possibly mean? Then, it hit her.

“Today at school,” Adrien continued, averting his eyes, “a girl kissed me.”

The kiss. Marinette’s kiss. Her kiss. What was she supposed to react like? Should she be jealous to protect her identity? Or should she be understanding?

“It was short, just a peck,” he quickly added, “but still, a kiss.”

“One of your fans?” Ladybug finally settled on, trying to sound passive but still trying to give her voice an edge.

“No. Well, um, yes? Sort of…” he said unsteadily, “She’s a fan of fashion, but she doesn’t see me in that way…she was really tired, must have gotten confused.”

“You didn’t initiate it, right?”

“No.”

“And it was an accident on her part?”

“Yes.” Adrien’s voice started to sound a little more confident.

“And it didn’t mean anything to you?”

Adrien stayed silent.

“Oh,” she said simply.

Adrien frantically grasped her hands tightly and shot out, “You’re the one I love. Know that will never change. But because I love you, I need to tell you the truth. Somehow, the kiss didn’t feel wrong, and I feel really awful for saying that, because you know how much I—”

Ladybug cut him off with a kiss that he couldn’t help but melt into. Adrien’s stress and self blame is something she feared when she realized what she’d done, and she couldn’t bear to hear him beat himself up about kissing, well, his girlfriend.

“Thank you for being honest with me; that’s the best thing a girl could hope for,” she told him gently after separating. “I know your feelings for me are real and I understand; don’t fret.”

She let go of Adrien’s hands and collected the letter from Chat and the accompanying rose. “I’d love to stay, but I know my parents are probably already extremely worried, and I really don’t want them to panic too much.”

Adrien was still in shock from her response, not fully understanding how she could just brush it off so easily. “And you’re sure you’re okay with—”

“Hey, I said don’t worry about it. Don’t stress about things you couldn’t control.” Ladybug walked toward the window and turned back to the blonde. “If it makes you feel better, I’ll visit Marinette and give her a nice stern talking to about staying focused,” she said playfully. She leaned in and planted a peck on his lips. “I love you, Adrien.” She gave him a salute and flew out the window.

Adrien’s fingers lingered over his lips as he watched his lady jump from rooftop to rooftop, his mind working furiously. She must have not conquered all her tiredness.

He never told Ladybug the girl he kissed was Marinette.

#miraculers #miraculous ladybug #miraculous #ladrien #adrinette #adrienette #ladybug #chat noir #marinette dupain cheng #adrien agreste #one shot #ml oneshot

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ashtheshortstack · 4 years

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make them learn - ch 3

Rating: T Ship: Adrinette (sorta) Chapter 3/3: followed the rules

Tags: Princess Justice AU, Akumatized Marinette, Bullying, One-Sided Reveal, Angst, Hurt/Comfort

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Previous Chapter

Adrien hopped along the rooftops, scouring the city for his now akumatized partner. He was terrified for her well-being, as well as Lila’s. Though the girl was a total brat, he couldn’t help but worry that his lady would do something horrible to her.

There was so much guilt swirling within him. If only he had really been there for her when Marinette needed him the most. How much pain had she been in for it to finally come to this? How long had Lila been harassing her and she had always been able to overcome the negative thoughts and feelings that came with being bullied like this? And he had catered to Lila! Told Marinette not to bother with exposing her because it wouldn’t do any good.

Some friend he was, huh?

When he heard a scream, he spun quickly towards the sound as he was jared from his thoughts. Glancing over at the park, he finally spotted his target. There stood an entity in a deep purple, flowy dress, jet black hair flowing behind her in long pigtails. There was a sharp crown on her head with a purple jewel in the center. A black, inky mask covered her face where she normally adorned her spots. It made his heart twist to see her in such a state. She held a staff in her hand, pointing it towards Lila who cowered by a tree.

Adrien tossed the yo-yo, hooking it on the tree and swinging himself over towards the two of them.

“You deserve judgement,” the akumatized Marinette hissed.

Lila laughed hesitantly, glancing around nervously. “C’mon Marinette, you can’t be this upset over something I did when I was akumatized, right? It wasn’t my fault.”

“Marinette’s gone. I’m Princess Justice, and you’ve been asking for this for a long time.”

Adrien had no idea what the weapon did, but it hissed menacingly as Princess Justice aimed it directly at Lila’s nose. Lila whimpered with a grimace as the weapon was waved in her face.

“You will tell the truth .”

Suddenly, Lila was glowing and Adrien took that as his cue. Oh, how he didn’t want to fight her. He just felt guilty more than anything. His poor Marinette… how could he let this happen to her?

Swinging down from the tree, he pounced on Princess Justice, knocking her down to the ground. His palms rested on either side of her head as dull, grey eyes gazed up at him. There was so much sadness… an emptiness he never thought he’d see on Marinette, let alone his Ladybug. His heart ached in his chest. Quickly, he grabbed her palms and pushed them flat beside her head.

“Marinette…?”

She sneered at him. “There is no Marinette. Princess Justice is here to serve the people of Paris who should all learn the truth.” Princess Justice pushed back against him, rolling them over and slamming his palms to the ground. He grunted before gazing up at her as she loomed menacingly over him.

Damn, no wonder he could never win against Ladybug. Marinette was strong as hell.

It would be kinda hot if his life wasn’t at stake.

“Careful, Insect. If you get in my way, then I may have to reveal your identity to the world.”

Adrien felt his eyes widen at that. “What?”

Smirking, she glanced over at Lila. The girl had her palms over her mouth with wide eyes. He’d never seen Lila so stunned before. There was a sick, twisted sense of satisfaction swirling in his gut, but he had to ignore it. He was supposed to be the hero.

But… he was here to save Marinette. Lila on the other hand, eh, not so much.

Somehow, Adrien wasn’t at all shocked when he heard Alya’s surprised voice at the sight before her. Bless Nino… he was trying to pull his girlfriend away from the action, but she was clearly not giving up a chance to see this. For multiple reasons, obviously. Her best friend was akumatized and there was no Ladybug. There was Mister Bug instead, which he was pretty sure no one had ever seen before--aside from Juleka.

“Marinette!” she cried.

With the way Princess Justice glowered at her best friend, it was clear Marinette was not in there at the moment. And not too thrilled to see Alya sprinting towards them.

“C’mon, girl! You’re better than this!”

Adrien groaned as Princess Justice shoved his face into the dirt when she jumped to her feet.

“What do you know!?” she hissed. “All you ever did was take Lila’s side! You never believed me!”

Alya stepped back as if she’d been struck. “What’re you talking about?”

Princess Justice snarled at Lila, snatching her by the wrist and shoving her towards their friends. “Why don’t you tell her, lying scum.”

Lila, whose eyes were now glowing a deep purple, was under the influence of whatever Princess Justice’s powers were. But from the context clues Adrien had gathered, he figured it was a truth spell.

“I lied,” Lila said. “I lied about having tinnitus. About knowing Jagged Stone and any other celebrities,” the girl began laughing. “And you know what? I don’t have a disease that makes me do it! I do it because it’s fun. People like me that way.”

Jaw dropping, Alya gaped at her. “W-What?”

“And, for whatever reason, Marinette here figured me out. She knew I was lying about my life. But I couldn’t let her out me, obviously,” Lila barked another laugh. “So, I had to get rid of her. I got akumatized on purpose twice to do just that. Oh, and I do know Ladybug. Because I hate her! And I only want to take her down. Well, her and Marinette. Adrien is mine . I just had to send Marinette a little reminder.”

Alya trembled as her hands went to her mouth. Lila’s tyrant continued, growing more and more infuriating with each passing statement. Adrien could feel sick… He felt so wrong. Had he really failed his lady this much? She was suffering at the hands of this girl for so long. And he had brushed it off!

He was seething at himself, but he needed this battle to be over. “Lucky Charm!”

A sketch-pad fell into his hands. Glancing around, his brow pinched. “What am I…?” he suddenly remembered the last time he used the ladybug miraculous. His lady said he was a “straight-forward guy” meaning the answer was obvious and right in front of his face, unlike his lady’s convoluted schemes.

“It’s not like I didn’t warn her,” Lila snickered before crossing her arms. “She and I had a great talk in the bathroom once. I told her that I would turn everyone against her and that Adrien would be mine. And if it weren’t for Adrien himself, my plan would’ve worked.”

Princess Justice paused, looking at her victim in surprise. “Wait, what?”

Lila rolled her eyes. “Adrien told me that I had to get you back into school after I got you expelled. He threatened to not be my friend anymore. Well, I think that’s what he meant. Either way, I had to prove my love to him, right? So, I told Mr. Damocles about that fake lying disease.”

“Adrien… did that for me?” Princess Justice murmured, eyes widening slightly. Adrien blinked in surprise when there was a flash of blue in those dull irises. Suddenly, there was a butterfly framing her face. She clutched her head. “Shut up! Shut up! Shut up!” The butterfly shattered making him gasp. Did she just…?

“I don’t need Hawkmoth. I don’t need a miraculous,” she growled. “I’m doing this my way!” She aimed the staff at Alya. “Do you see now, Alya!? All I ever did was try to tell you the truth. And Adrien was the only person who ever believed me!” Princess Justice cried.

That was definitely Marinette. A Marinette who was still angry and had truth powers, but it was her nonetheless. How did she break the mental connection with Hawkmoth? And why hadn’t he just removed her powers when she went rouge? Was he planning something worse?

“Marinette, I didn’t know!”

Princess Justice strode up to her. “You thought I was jealous! That I was lying! It’s like you don’t even know me at all!”

“ Please, Marinette. I never meant--”

Quickly, Adrien wound the yo-yo around her waist and yanked it towards him. She didn’t come willingly, however. Princess Justice took a swing, knocking him in the jaw. Skidding backwards in the dirt, he groaned as he looked up. She was charging at him, those eyes grey and pained once again. There was the pang of pain in his heart again as he flipped backwards away from her attack.

“Marinette,” he murmured as she took another swing, this time with her staff. He caught it between his hands. “I know you’re in there, Marinette. Come back to me, please.”

She merely growled. “What do you know!? You never believe me either, Kitty!”

Grimacing, he shot a look back at Alya and Nino, who were both still distracted by the Lila who was spewing her guts out to them, much to Alya’s continued horror. He loved his friends, but he had no idea that Alya had treated Marinette that way. That she hadn’t believed her and just assumed she was jealous. What an awful thing to do… Even after Marinette was right that Lila had framed her and gotten her expelled! And her best friend knew it too!

So, thankfully, the fact that Mister Bug was Chat Noir was still a secret. For the moment, at least.

He sighed. Tossing the yo-yo, it wrapped around her wrists, binding them in place. “I did believe you. I promise you, I did,” Princess Justice struggled against the binds, gritting her teeth as she pulled. Adrien held his ground, keeping her tied as he spoke. “I knew she was a liar, but I just didn’t realize how manipulative and cruel she was. U-Until Oni-Chan. When I fought Oni-Chan, then I realized that she would do anything to destroy yo--Ladybug. I’m sorry that people weren’t there for you like they should have been, Marinette! I’m sorry that telling Adrien your feelings was taken away from you! But you need to talk to him!”

“What do you know!?”

“I know everything! I know--I know how brave you are! I know how much you put everyone before yourself. I-I know how amazing you are, Marinette. I know that you’re creative, talented, selfless. I can’t imagine how much pain you’ve been bottling up inside,” he felt his voice wavering. “I’m so sorry that I wasn’t there for you,” he cracked. He tossed the sketch pad towards her.

It opened to a page, showing a familiar doodle. The one he made for Marinette.

Princess Justice froze, eyes going wide. The grey color of her eyes flashed back to that beautiful bluebell he’d grown to love. Gasping, she threw the staff down to the ground. Adrien watched in awe as she fell to the ground, collapsing in an emotional heep. Her hands went to her face as she sobbed. Her cries were loud and agonizing to listen to.

Adrien grit his teeth, brows pinching as he listened to her finally break down. Listened to all the emotions fly out of her at once. How long had she bottled this? How long had Lila been tormenting her?

Grabbing her staff, Adrien broke it over his knee. He snatched the butterfly with the yo-yo, purifying it and sending it off. He tossed the sketch pad into the air.

“Miraculous Mister Bug!”

He wasn’t quite sure what happened with Hawkmoth… and he may never know. It seemed reasonable that Marinette would be strong-willed enough to defy Hawkmoth’s orders. It dawned on him then that she never demanded his miraculous a single time. Had she never been fully under Hawkmoth’s control?

Shaking off his confusion, he scooped Marinette up in his arms. Her eyes were closed as her head lulled gently to the side. It must’ve taken a lot of energy to defy their enemy. Could it have drained her? He wasn’t sure, but he needed to get her out of here.

“Wait!” Alya called as she ran up to him. “Who are you?”

Adrien glanced around. “U-Uh, Mister Bug. I use the ladybug miraculous when the actual Ladybug can’t be here.”

Alya crossed her arms, clearly not buying it. “Oh, really? How come I’ve never seen you before?”

“I’ve worked before. Reflekdoll. I was there. That was your friend Juleka, right? Anyway, I’ve gotta get going.”

“Wait, where are you taking her?”

Sighing, he shook his head. “I just think it’d be best to get her away from everyone for now.”

Alya hugged herself, glancing down at the ground as Nino wrapped an arm around her shoulder. “Hey, dude. Will you tell Marinette we’re sorry?”

With a sad smile, Adrien nodded. “Yeah, I can do that.” He shot a glare in Lila’s direction. “In the meantime, maybe you should put that journalism to good use and set some records straight, hm?”

Alya looked back at Lila who was fleeing the scene now that the cure had freed her from Princess Justice’s powers. Lip twitching, her eyes hardened. Adrien said nothing as he shot the yo-yo to a nearby roof and repelled himself forward with Marinette in tow. He decided the best method would be to take her home.

So, he landed on her terrance and detransformed.

Tikki gave him a look. “You were a little reckless for a Ladybug.”

He laughed hesitantly, ruffling his blond locks. “Sorry about that. I was just so desperate to save her.”

“I know… Thank you, Adrien.”

Giving the kwami a soft smile, he took out the earrings. As gently as he could, he pinched the miraculous back into her lobes.

o~o~o~o

Adrien brushed a batch of raven locks behind her ear, making Marinette stir. Her eyes scrunched before blinking open.

“A-Adrien…? What--What happened?”

Gingerly, he helped her sit up. “You were akumatized.”

Her eyes blew wide. “What?!”

“Hey, hey, calm down,” he said as he hushed her.

Marinette was so confused. She had no idea what had just occurred. Akumatized!? She’d been akumatized!? Her eyes flicked around her terrance frantically. “H-How did I get here?”

“Um, a hero named Mister Bug?”

Oh, right. She’d given Tikki the earrings to take to Chat Noir, right? But wait… why had she--oh. Oh, that’s right. Lila exposed her crush on Adrien to everyone. Lightly, she pushed Adrien away before curling in on herself.

“I--I’m sorry. I know I should’ve told you how I felt about you a long time ago. B-But I was so nervous and I couldn’t barely make sentences around you! Let alone confess! And--And I know you love someone else. And I know it’s probably Kagami which makes this so hard because you’re both my friends and I don’t want to lose either of you and--”

“Woah, woah, woah, Marinette,” his gentle hands went on her shoulders. “Slow down. I-I’m not in love with Kagami.”

Wait.

What!?

Her confusion must’ve been written all over her face as she gaped at him. Adrien gave her a small smile with a nervous laugh.

“If you want me to be honest? I’ve been stupidly in love with Ladybug for a long time.”

Marinette felt her cheeks heat. “L-Ladybug!?”

He nodded. “Yeah, but that’s kind of stupid, right? I don’t even know her.”

“NO! I-I mean, no way. That’s not stupid. You can’t help who you like, right?”

Adrien chuckled at that. “Yeah, maybe not. But I… I realized after I found out how you feel about me that I--I think I could fall in love with you too, Marinette.”

Did he…? Wait. Was he choosing her? Over Kagami? Over her own superhero persona? That wasn’t--no way. That wasn’t even possible, was it?

Marinette almost short-circuited when he reached over and touched her hand. “I’d love to get to know you more, if you’ll let me. My, uh, my father won’t allow me to date right now. But maybe… in the future? If you can wait for me?”

Nodding stupidly, she agreed. “Y-Yes! Of course.”

The smile he gave her was so, so gentle. Her heart nearly melted at the sight. Adrien leaned in, pressing a soft kiss to her cheek. “I’m so sorry, Marinette. I had no idea what Lila was really doing to you. This--This was my fault. I kept telling you to brush it off, and in turn I almost got you expelled.”

There was a flash of something in her mind. “Did… Did you get her to fix it?”

“I did. I couldn’t let her do that to you.”

Marinette yanked on the hand he was holding, tugging him into a hug. She buried her nose into his shoulder. “Thank you so much. And thank you… for believing me.”

“I should’ve done more. I-I didn’t know she was harassing you.”

Shaking her head, she nuzzled his neck. “No. You at least knew. You trusted me. You have no idea what that meant to me.”

“Alya knows now. And I assumed the whole class will after today.”

Marinette tilted her head in confusion, pushing him back at arms length. “What?”

“Your power as an akuma was like a truth spell. Lila’s true colors came out, the maniacal laughing and everything. She spilled everything she did to you to Alya.”

As shameful as it was, she felt relief wash over her. Finally, her best friend would believe her. Finally, it wouldn’t be chalked up to jealousy or an overreaction. This girl who’d been so mean to her for months would finally get what she deserved. Knowing how Lila ran from her problems, she doubted they’d even see the cunning girl again. Not that Marinette minded. She could go the rest of her life without seeing Lila Rossi ever again.

“Oh, wow…”

Smiling, Adrien stood and helped her to her feet. Marinette glanced down at their conjoined hands. God, she was going to spontaneously combust right there. How was this her life? And what rotten luck that Adrien wanted to be with her and his father had banned him from dating!

She couldn’t make eye contact when he pressed his forehead to hers. “I’ll see you around, Marinette.”

“Y-You too, Adrien.”

As he detached from her, he gave a small salute before going down into her bedroom to leave. The gesture felt oddly familiar, but she brushed it off. Leaning onto the railing, Marinette glanced over to see her kwami hiding behind the plants. Tikki squealed, fluttering over and hugging Marinette on the cheek.

“Oh! I was so worried!”

Marinette cupped her kwami’s back. “I’m so glad you’re alright, Tikki. Did Chat Noir do a good job?”

“Yep! He saved the day!”

Humming, she smiled. “I’ll have to thank him.”

It was then she saw her crime-fighting partner bouncing through the rooftops nearby. Was he coming to check on her? That was sweet of him. He paused, giving her a glance and waving. Marinette returned the wave before pausing.

Wait.

She touched the miraculous in her lobes.

How’d he give her earrings back…?

#princess justice #princess justice AU #miraculous ladybug #adrinette #marinette dupain cheng #adrien agreste #angst #ML fic #princess justice fic #ash writes #make them learn #tw: bullying #miraculous ladybug fic #adrinette fic #hurt comfort

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mairmeetsmiraculous · 4 years

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Squeaking By

Multimouse Appreciation Week!

Pairing: ChatMouse/Marichat

Marinette being a squeaking mess when some simple self-help does not go as planned in the slightest.

•••

This had been the worst idea she had ever had, which was saying something when she looked back at the long, long list of convoluted plans that grew from her brain. But this? This was practically catastrophic.

Marinette had been so beyond exhausted. She was the Miraculous Guardian, she had a portfolio due for her dream summer fashion program, plus all of the stress of final exams coming up. It had been the only hope she had to get it all done, and even Tikki had reluctantly agreed that it was better than Marinette exhausting herself on her own.

So she had put on the mouse miraculous, transformed and multiplied herself. The relief she felt at having ten hands instead of just two was overwhelming. It all would have been fine, if only h e hadn’t shown up.

As soon as she heard the thump from her balcony, she knew she was doomed. It wasn’t the first time that Chat had stopped by, but his visits were rare enough that she had been lretty sure that tonight would not be one of those nights. Of course, she had been wrong. Even worse, her light was on, and he was already opening the hatch because she had told him to drop in whenever (something she very much regretted right now). And then he was in her room, staring with the most confused expression she had ever seen. All five mini-nettes had frozen in place, watching him try to piece together exactly what he was looking at.

“Uh, hi, Chat Noir.” she finally managed to stammer out, all of the mini versions of herself stopping their separate tasks to gather on her desk. She sat down on the edge of it, letting the other minis combine with her until she was full sized again and hopped off the desk.

“I’m confused,” he said quietly, still not sure at all what was going on.

“Well, um, uh, Ladybug came by? Yeah, she stopped by earlier,” Marinette started, feeling increasingly guilty as she struggled to lie through her teeth to keep the cat off her trail. “And she’s been thinking about giving out the Miraculous permanently, and she asked me to do sort of a trial run, I guess?”

That wasn’t exactly a lie. Since becoming the guardian, she had been strongly leaning towards it. She knew she could trust the wielders she had chosen, and she had just been struggling with how to tell Chat.

“Oh, okay,” Chat replied, almost instantly seeming to fold in on himself. She could only imagine what was going through his head. Oh she was making a mess out of this.

“She said she wanted to tell you at patrol tonight, and that she wanted you to help her decide who else would get them permanently.” Pausing for a moment, she flushed as she tried to come up with a plan for how she would have this conversation later as her other masked self. “Apparently, um, she only came to me first as a sort of surprise? Because she knew that you wanted to give me the mouse a few times. Which I’m flattered by, of course.”

It was his turn to blush as he stiffened slightly and then immediately brightened again as he realized that his lady was trusting him with responsibility. “Of course I did! You were great, Marinette. Or should I say Mousinette?” He laughed and she couldn’t help but join in. He had seemed to accept her explanation, which was good. “Well, I’ll let you get back to your mousing around, sorry if I put you in a weird spot. I should probably go find Bug, but maybe we can hang out sometime? Patrol, or something,” he added quickly, looking a little awkward and uncertain. It was endearing, she noticed, the way he seemed so hesitant when it came to specific things. It was so different from the boldness he had in fights.

“Definitely!” she replied with a slight squeak as she caught her train of thought slipping down the wrong path. He grinned, climbing the ladder back to the trap door on her ceiling.

“Later, Mousinette!” he called before climbing out and closing it behind him. She waited until she heard him leap off and then finally relaxed, letting out a whoosh of air.

“Oh Tikki!” She groaned, slapping her hand into her forehead. “That was almost a disaster,” she said, shaking her head at herself. The little kwami just laughed, quite amused at the hoops her chosen had put herself through. “Now I have to go find him and explain that all, again,” she realized, groaning once more. She started to clamber up the ladder and opened the hatch, already climbing out when she was startled by a loud and shrill yell.

“Marinette! Aren’t you forgetting something?” She whipped back around, realizing that Tikki was still there because she was still transformed as Multimouse.

“I think that I might be an idiot,” Marinette said quietly, taking a deep breath. This was going to be a long, long night.

#miraculous ladybug #marinette dupain cheng #multimouse #multimouseweek2020 #chat noir #marichat

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clarenecessities · 4 years

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Widow

Fandom: Miraculous Ladybug Word Count: 4093 Summary: When Papillon tries to akumatize Chat Noir, Ladybug gets in the way. No one is prepared for the consequences.

(A what-if fic of Chat Blanc, wherein Ladybug is akumatized instead).

baby’s first one shot

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She had barely made it to the rooftops before a hole opened up in the sky.

“Bunnix?” she managed, gaping, as the older version of Alix emerged from the portal. “What are—”

“No time!” she said, somewhat paradoxically, ushering Ladybug into the portal. “Come with me, quick! You have to fix this!”

“Fix wh—whoa!” said Ladybug, stumbling into the burrow. She listened to Alix with half an ear, mostly absorbed in the windows through time. “Wow!”

“Focus!” said Alix, snapping in front of her eyes. She produced a bowl from somewhere, using it as a makeshift blindfold. “You can’t look at any of this. You could mess up the timeline.”

“Right,” she said sheepishly. “What am I fixing?”

“This.”

Alix led her, still blindfolded, through one of the windows. She kept her eyes closed, determined not to see something she wasn’t supposed to, until Alix gently removed the bowl from her head, and revealed—

Revealed—

The whole world was green. They were in an area she barely recognized as Montparnasse, skyscrapers held together by twisting trees like banyan vines made of steel and glass. The air was muggy and hot around her, uncomfortable even in her suit, and below them…

Below them, Paris was gone.

“What happened?” she gasped. Alix shook her head, grim, and pointed down, to the forest below. She could just make out the outline of the Seine through the canopy.

“I have to go,” said Alix, waving her suddenly-incorporeal hand through her face as explanation and stepping back towards her burrow. “Please, Minibug, fix this.”

“But—”

The burrow closed, replaced by miles of green.

For a jungle, it was deathly silent. She wrapped her yoyo around a branch, rappelling down the side of the building and contemplating the uneasy stillness. She hadn’t been to many jungles, true, but—there should be noise, right? Bird calls, the drone of insects, leaves rustling as wildlife stampeded through. But all she could hear was the creaking of wood and her own feet tapping off the side of cracked windows.

Whatever Alix wanted her to find, it was down there somewhere.

She slowed her descent as she breeched the canopy, landing on one of the highest branches that could support her weight to scout out what she was dealing with. Hopefully Alix would be back with Chat Noir soon; whatever this was about, it wouldn’t be easy.

Huge furrows and craters lined the forest floor, like an animal had been digging in a frenzy only to become distracted and begin again. Some of the shorter trees had been ripped up, and a few larger ones had strange pockmarks at their bases.

She slid the rest of the way to the ground, carefully inspecting the bole of an especially huge tree, holding her fist out to compare heights.

Someone had punched a tree the size of a building into woodchips.

She looked up sharply at the sound of shifting dirt, dropping into a crouch on instinct alone.

Slowly, as slowly as she dared, she crept across the uneven ground, careful not to disturb what few leaves remained. The dirt was strangely bare of them, as if the leaves hadn’t had a chance to fall beyond whatever fresh ones had been knocked loose by a superpowered blow.

Someone was digging.

Frantically, but methodically, dirt was being hurled backwards out of a gaping hole in the earth. Ladybug inched nearer, craning her neck to see who—or what—was creating this strange, pocketed landscape.

It was a human, or least shaped like one. Dressed mostly in black, with black hair falling in a curtain in front of their face and no shovel in sight, whomever it was seemed to be digging by hand. Was it an akuma? Could they be reasoned with? What were they looking for?

Ladybug grimaced. If it was an akuma, she’d never find out what to break just watching them dig. From the way Alix had been acting, there probably wasn’t time to wait on Chat.

“Excuse me,” she called. The figure went rigid, hands curled into a loose approximation of claws as loam slid between its frozen fingers to the ground. “Who are you?”

The figure turned slowly, wiping their hair out of their face, and—

But—

That was… her?

She had the same domino mask, though it too was stained black, and her hair was loose, but that was definitely her. There was a strange, sharp red hourglass splayed across her torso, partially obscured by mud.

“Ladybug,” she said, strangely emotionless. “I thought you might come. I am Black Widow.”

“But I—you—what happened?” Ladybug stammered, eyes skating over her, struggling to understand.

Black Widow laughed, high and cold. “What do you think happened? You ruined everything, and now you’re going to make it worse.”

Ladybug flinched back. “What?”

She climbed out of the hole she’d been digging, stomping over to Ladybug, who scrambled to her feet. “You. Ruined. Everything. If you had just—just listened to Chat, or Tikki, or your heart, we wouldn’t be here. I wouldn’t be—this.”

“Black Widow, what happened?” she asked desperately. “Where did the trees come from? How did you get akumatized?”

“I protected him,” she bit out. “He’s saved me so many times, and what did I ever—I never—”

Unexpectedly, she swiped at the air, and Ladybug had to dive to avoid being wrapped in the string of Black Widow’s yoyo.

“Get out of here!” she screamed at Ladybug, stamping her foot. “You can’t fix this! You can’t fix me!”

“Let me help you,” Ladybug pleaded. “I don’t—I don’t understand. Who did you protect?”

“Chat,” said Black Widow, mood shifting abruptly. She shrank in on herself, tears filling her eyes. “He was… I was trying to protect him.”

“Wh—”

“I was trying to protect him. I can fix this myself. Get out of here, Ladybug.” Her mouth twisted unpleasantly around the name, like it had a bad taste. “I don’t want to look at the face of the one who killed him.”

“Killed—?” Ladybug started, breaking off when Black Widow unleashed another blow from her yoyo. She tumbled out of the way, barely safe, and had just rolled back to her feet when she was slammed against a tree trunk by a giant… chess piece?

“What?” she wheezed, wriggling free of the knight’s lance. “I thought your theme was spiders. What’s up with that?”

“I don’t need a theme,” said Black Widow. “I have all the powers of creation. Did you think only destruction could end the world? Everything exists in a delicate balance, and I,” she stepped forward, yoyo scything menacingly through the air, “upset it.”

“You can’t,” said Ladybug, glaring at her as she got back on her feet. “I’m you—you’ll die.”

“You’re not me,” said Black Widow curtly. “You’re an ignorant little bug that’s gotten herself wrapped in a spider’s web. You don’t even know who you’re in love with.”

“Yes I do!” Ladybug protested instantly. Not this again. She loved Adrien! Not Chat!

“You don’t know what it—what it feels like,” said Black Widow, arms wrapping around the hourglass on her stomach as if it were an open wound. “To be in love. To see his—his own father—”

“What are you talking about?” asked Ladybug, taking another step towards her, reaching automatically to comfort someone in pain. Black Widow didn’t look at her, eyes welling with tears again.

“I admired him. I thought—you think—he’s—he doesn’t deserve it,” she bit out as the tears began to overflow. Vines curled from the ground where they fell, and Ladybug took a step back. “His own son—and he knew—”

“Black Widow,” Ladybug said slowly, “Listen to me. You need to calm down. If you let me cleanse the akuma, we can fix all of this. We can—we can bring him back. We’ve done it before, right?”

“Not when it’s my fault,” moaned Black Widow, curling in on herself further. “Go away. I’m going to fix this myself, and if you try to stop me, I’ll—I’ll kill you.”

Ladybug blanched. “But I’m you,” she stressed again.

“If you die, then none of it will ever happen,” said Black Widow, finally looking up at her. “And—and if you cleanse the akuma, none of it will ever happen. So it doesn’t make a difference to me. I’m going to fix it.”

“But—”

She didn’t get more than a word out before the yoyo sliced towards her again, this time scattering a spray of blades that she only just managed to avoid. Tendrils of something red and threatening writhed from the ground like maggots, growing swiftly into pillars and vines that all seemed trained on her.

“Time out!” called Ladybug, running full tilt from the storm enveloping the trees behind her. “Time out time out time out!”

She tripped on something and went down hard, only to look up and find herself in the burrow, Alix and a confused-looking Chat Noir frowning down at her.

“My lady?” asked Chat, moving immediately to help her up.

“I should have figured,” said Alix, grimacing. “It’s always like this with you two. Do you know where the akuma is?”

“I—I think it’s in her yoyo,” said Ladybug, accepting her partner’s hand. “Chat, listen—how much did Bunnix tell you?”

“Purractically nothing,” he said, with an exaggerated shrug. She didn’t have it in her to pull her hand free just yet. “Just that you needed my help. That was enough for me!”

“Well—you might not be crazy about how,” said Ladybug, frowning to herself as she looked him over. There. He wasn’t dead. Maybe—maybe in Black Widow’s timeline, but—her Chat was okay. He was here. He was okay. “It seems I’ve been akumatized.”

“What?” gasped Chat, drawing back to look her over, hands resting on her shoulders as if searching for a butterfly. “But, Ladybug—”

“In an alternate timeline,” she said wearily. “Or at least, it had better be alternate. I kind of destroyed Paris.”

“What? What could have—why would you—”

“Oh, and apparently you’re dead!” she added, laughing a little hysterically. His hands tightened around her biceps, and a complicated play of emotions washed over his face. “So that’s—that’s going to be upsetting, for everyone.”

“How can I help?” he asked. His expression wasn’t something she’d call serious (Chat was never ‘serious’) but it was definitely determined. She could always count on him.

As long as he was alive.

“I… am not sure,” she said carefully, pulling him a little closer in spite of herself, arms snaking around his waist. “She won’t listen to me. She keeps… changing moods, changing subjects, until I’m not sure who she’s talking about anymore. I think maybe seeing you will help keep her focused long enough to be predictable.”

“Maybe?”

“Well, she could freak out and kill you.” Yeah, she was definitely getting hysterical. She thunked her forehead against Chat’s chest. “Promise you won’t let her kill you while you’re trying to think of a pickup line, okay?”

“I purromise.”

Good old Chat. His puns always did get worse when he was nervous.

“Are you not coming with me?” he asked gently, no expectation. She shook her head.

“I’m going to wait here in case… in case. Is that okay, Al—Bunnix?”

Alix shrugged wordlessly, the picture of stress.

“Time for Plan C,” said Chat, squaring his shoulders and pulling away from her, moving towards the window she’d tumbled out of. “The C is for cat.”

“The C is for Can’t Believe It’s Come to This,” muttered Alix as he joined the timeline in a ripple of magic, rubbing her temples. “Ladybug, put the bowl back on. No spoilers.”

********************************

Chat wasn’t sure what he had expected when Ladybug said she ‘destroyed Paris’, but this—wasn’t it.

A forest sprawled in front of him, with trees so huge he didn’t understand how they could support their own weight. Green curled from every surface, except long furrows in the earth and a series of blades embedded in a tree trunk, in a shape that suspiciously mirrored Ladybug’s own stature.

Nothing for it, then: Time to turn on the charm.

“My lady!” he called, swallowing back his apprehension, ready to run at the slightest sound. And there it was—a faint rustling in the bushes.

The akuma that was once Ladybug didn’t look especially menacing, as akuma went. No fangs or extra limbs, no furious scowl. She looked nice—pretty, even. Her hair was down, and her eyes were still that beautiful sky blue, and they were wide with apparent shock as she stumbled blindly towards him.

“Chat?” she asked, barely above a whisper. He grinned at her, going for reassuring.

“Ladybug,” he said warmly, raising his arms to fend off the inevitable blow.

He was still too slow to dodge when she hurled herself into him, having been expecting a yoyo, or perhaps one of those large knives she could apparently make on command.

She wrapped her arms around him, squeezing so hard he was briefly worried she was trying to snap him in half, her face buried in his chest. She was mumbling something unintelligible into his sternum.

“I didn’t quite catch that,” he said gently, allowing his arms to settle around her shoulders. This… wasn’t so bad, actually. He could always use a hug. Maybe she actually could be reasoned with. Ladybug was always the more rational member of their partnership.

“I thought I’d never see you again,” she said more clearly, looking up at him, and oh. She was crying. “I thought—I thought I—”

“My lady, it’s alright,” he said, as soft as he could. He rubbed her shoulder blade with the side of his thumb, careful not to catch his claws in her loose hair. “I’m here now. I’m not going anywhere, not now and not ever.”

When she loosened her grip, he wasn’t sure what to expect. Maybe an attack, but she didn’t seem—aggressive. Just desperately sad and remorseful of what she’d done, however accidentally.

He wasn’t expecting her to grab his face and pull him into a kiss.

He definitely wasn’t expecting to like it.

His eyes closed almost automatically, leaning into her embrace. It shouldn’t feel good to kiss an akuma, right? They should have cold lips, or venomous spit, or something, but all he felt was warm and soft and she even smelled like Ladybug still. And she was cradling his jaw so gently, and it was everything he’d ever wanted, but—

But she needed his help.

Breaking away felt like coming up for air after being underwater. The humidity, which had been uncomfortable before, felt cold and bracing against his skin where he could feel a blush spreading over his cheeks. His eyelids were so heavy—and when he opened them and saw her face, it took everything he had not to just pull her into another kiss.

“Ladybug,” he managed, after he remembered how to speak. “We need to cleanse the akuma.”

Hurt flashed across her face, always so open, painting the tears still rolling down her cheeks in a different light. Chat ached to apologize, but—they needed to. They had to fix this. There would be time for kissing later.

“No,” she said, her hands trailing down his jaw, his neck, his shoulders, all the way down until their hands were joined. Chat shivered. “We need to fix this first.”

“What? But—”

He cut himself off abruptly as she yanked on his ring, nearly getting it off his finger before he sprang back. Now it was his turn to be hurt.

“Ah,” he said, trying to smile the shock and betrayal away. “So it was just to distract me, huh? That’s fair. You always were great with plans.”

She wiped the tears off her face, but she still looked—broken. Like the world had ended.

Well. It sort of had.

“Don’t be stupid,” she said thickly. “I’ve been in love with you since practically the day we met.”

Chat blinked, stupidly.

“I’m from your future, remember?” she asked, laughing. She turned her face to the sky, as if she could keep the tears in her eyes with gravity alone. “We’re—we were dating.”

“Then—in the future, you—you love me back?” he heard himself ask, as though from far away.

“I told you,” she said, smiling at him, and he’d never seen a smile look so miserable before, “I already do. I’ve always loved you, Adrien.”

Chat stiffened, ears going flat against his head. He wanted to deny it, to protect his identity, but—

But—

“Don’t you see?” she pleaded, stepping towards him. “If you cleanse the akuma, we’ll forget. I’ll forget who you are, all the time we spent together. I’ll forget about—about—”

She faltered, expression darkening as she seemed to be suddenly overcome with fury.

“I’ll forget about your father.”

“My father?” asked Chat. He’d been holding his breath. That probably wasn’t good for him. “Uh—what about my father?”

“Specifically? That I tried to kill him.”

“You wh—”

“I mean, I guess technically I did kill him,” she said, perfectly casual under her scowl, as if she wasn’t pulling the world out from under him. “But that was—that was a mistake. If you want, we can bring him back too.”

“But why would you kill my father?” asked Chat. He felt a bit like he’d been clubbed over the head. “Why did—is that why you were akumatized? He made you angry…?”

Her scowl deepened, until her entire face was contorted with fury. “He made me a lot of things, yes, but—I wasn’t his target. I thought… I thought I could save you, for once.”

“You—Papillon was after me?” asked Chat, tail lashing. Ladybug had been right, she was so hard to keep up with when her mood changed. Whose target? His father’s, or Papillon’s?

“You were so scared, and he just—he just kept going,” she continued, ignoring him completely. “He kept trying to make you listen, and when you wouldn’t he tried to force you, and I couldn’t—I couldn’t just stand there and let him—”

“Ladybug,” he said, raising his hands pleadingly. “Slow down, who are you talking about? Papillon thought he could—”

“You’re always saving me,” she whispered, the fury abruptly melting off her face, and she just looked drained, now. “But I’m not Ladybug anymore, Chat. I’m Black Widow. It was my turn to save you.”

“Well, now it’s my turn again!” He stepped towards her, hands still raised, encouraged when she didn’t flinch away. “Please, my lady. You must be so tired. Let me help you.”

“You can’t,” she insisted. “Adrien, you can’t. You’ll be alone again—you’ll be stuck in that stupid house and—and—”

“And you’re alone right now,” he said, taking her hand in both of his. “Do you think I could leave you in this world to bear this weight alone? Come back with me. I found you once; I can do it again.”

“But everything—everything we had will be erased. I can’t let that happen, Chat. If you just give me your ring, I can fix it. I can put everything back how it was, and we’ll be together again, and I can tell you how sorry I am, and how much I love you—”

How could the sweetest words he’d ever heard hurt so much? He felt like he was being torn in two.

“Listen,” he said softly, clutching her hand tighter. “It’s like—it’s like a save file in a video game. Just because you erase it doesn’t mean it didn’t happen. You might not remember, but I will. I’ll remember everything you’ve told me, and I—I won’t be alone.” His voice cracked. “With your words to keep me safe? Never.”

“It’s not a save file,” she murmured, leaning her forehead against his chest, body swaying. “It’s my whole life, Chat. I’d be erased.”

“But if I give you the ring, what happens to me?”

She flinched against him, arms curling up between them. He dropped her hand to wrap his arms around her shoulders protectively.

“Right,” she said, as if just remembering. “It can only be one timeline. Only you or me.”

And if it were that easy, he would give himself up in a heartbeat. But all of Paris was at stake—all of the world, maybe. He didn’t have all of the information, but he had enough to know that he couldn’t throw his life away for once.

But how was he supposed to choose between everything he’d ever wanted and the whole world?

There was really only one way.

“It’s your decision, Ladybug. I trust you,” he murmured into her hair, holding her closer.

She took a deep, shuddering breath against him, then drew away, taking his hand.

The one with the ring.

Her face was running through expressions so quickly he couldn’t even begin to parse them, but a thread of agonizing guilt seemed to psuh through.

“It’s okay,” he whispered. “I trust you.”

“And it’ll get you killed if you aren’t careful.” She pressed her yoyo—sharper than her usual one, almost an hourglass itself—into his hand. “Alright, Chat Noir—go save me one more time. Just…”

She stared into his eyes for a long, searching moment, and he held his breath.

“Just remember that I love you, okay? Remember that you aren’t alone. You and I were made for each other.”

His throat suddenly too thick for words, he nodded.

“And tell Ladybug to beat up your dad, okay? He really, really deserves it.”

“I’m not going to do that, my lady,” he chuckled.

“I hope… I hope you find out differently, next time. What he’s like.” She turned her head away, expression shuttering off. “It’s selfish, but—I don’t think I should tell you. I don’t want to see that look on your face ever again.”

He crooked a finger under her chin, turning her face back towards his so she could see his smile.

“Thank you, Ladybug,” he said sincerely. “Thank you for saving me.”

*************************

“One yoyo, for the lucky lady in red,” said Chat’s voice.

Ladybug tore the bowl from her head, leaping to her feet. “Chat! Are you okay? Did she hurt you?”

“Only emotionally,” said Chat, with a big grin and a thumbs up. “Say, you never told me you were in love with me.”

“That’s because I’m not,” she groaned, taking the yoyo when he offered it. “Seriously, are you okay? You look…”

He looked like he’d been crying, but he didn’t have any noticeable bruising. Didn’t seem to be impaled on anything. No blood that she could see.

“Dashing? Debonair?” he asked, flexing, tail curling into a heart behind him.

“Better than I did, I guess,” she sighed. “Did you sneak up on her?”

“No. She gave it to me.”

“Oh my god,” muttered Alix, running a hand over her masked face. “You two are going to be the death of me.”

“She gave it to you?” Ladybug asked incredulously.

“It’s happened before! Nino’s little brother—” he started.

“She tried to turn me into an entomology project!”

“It must have been my irresistible charm and good looks,” said Chat, preening.

“I’m just glad you’re okay. I was really…” she trailed off, watching him pose theatrically. “I was really worried about you, Chat.”

He stopped, blinking in surprise, and gave her his softest, sincerest smile.

“Don’t worry, my lady,” he said. “I’m right here.”

“I guess I had better go take care of whatever started this in the first place before I cast the cure,” said Ladybug. She sighed to herself; she had a feeling she knew what that might be. “Are you going to be alright?”

“I am,” he said, nodding. She almost believed him, but the red rims of his eyes stood out against the green. As hard as it was for her to see that, it must have been even harder on him—he was in a future where he died, for crying out loud.

She threw her arms around him, just to feel the confirmation that he was there, and breathing. “Bien joue, Chaton,” she murmured into his chest.

He wrapped his arms around her, and she could hear the smile in his voice when he said, “Bien joue, my lady.”

#miraculous ladybug #chat blanc #chat blanc spoilers #uh #mlb #clare's writing #damn how do tags work

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thewritewolf · 4 years

Text

Eating Habits Chapter 13: Bliss

The semester is passing by quickly as Adrien and Marinette live happily together, supporting each other in everything they do.

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 (Final)

Enjoy!

Read on Ao3

Her feet aching from the long week of classes fresh out of winter break, Marinette shambled up the stairs and blearily stood in front of the door to her shared home. Her faint hope that it would open on its own extinguished. A few long moments passed before she worked up the energy to open the door, slowly lifting her tired arms as if every centimeter of movement was an absolute chore.

As she stepped into the apartment, she was vaguely aware of the meat and vegetables sitting out on the kitchen counter, but much more important was the mop of blonde hair and the strong back poking out from behind the couch. At the sound of the door closing, Adrien looked behind him with an expression that started off curious before lighting up with a bright smile.

“Bugaboo! Amazing timing as usual, I was just about to get up and-” He was cut off as she plopped onto the couch, resting her head on his lap as she curled up into a more comfortable position, “-and make dinner, but I guess we can sit here for a little while.” Picking up the remote, he turned down the volume of the show on the television. “Wanna talk about it?”

She groaned and reached out her hand, groping around until she found his. Dragging her prize, she dropped his hand onto the back of her head.

Adrien laughed, a sound that was already soothing her aching muscles. His hands began playing with her hair and she sighed in satisfaction. “Poor tired bug. I can’t imagine just sewing and studying all day make you this tuckered out. Did you go to the gym after classes too? I keep telling you that you have to start smaller.”

Marinette was too tired to contribute much to the conversation, but just having him there, listening to him, feeling his touch on her, was doing wonders for her. It was just as heavy a burden she was carrying as last semester. But with him here? It felt so much lighter. She didn’t feel as though she were falling apart at the seams any more.

----------------

Adrien turned off the television and ran his fingers through his hair. His shift at the bakery had ended hours ago, leaving him waiting for Marinette to get back from school. The grumbling of his stomach got louder as he glanced back at the untouched selection of ingredients he’d assembled on the kitchen counter. He didn’t really want to start cooking until she got back.

After all, the time she got home each day was pretty arbitrary. Weeks into the semester and he still struggled to keep track of all her commitments, between student organizations, classes, study groups, and extra design work time. Yet another skill his coddled early years had deprived him of.

He sighed and opened the door to their balcony. The chill of winter was receding fast and the late March night was surprisingly warm. Leaning against the railing, he took a deep breath of the fresh air and stared out into the glimmering lights of the Parisian night.

“Beautiful, isn’t it?”

Adrien jolted, but quickly relaxed when Ladybug landed beside him. His sly smirk was undercut by the soft blush he could already feel spreading across his cheeks. “Yes, you are.” He took her hand and kissed it. “I didn’t know the great hero Ladybug made house calls?”

“She’s been known to make an exception for her favorite civilians.” She smiled teasingly as she closed the distance between them, their faces centimeters apart. “Or at least, the particularly handsome ones.”

“Don’t let Chat Noir hear that,” he whispered into her ear. “I hear he’s the jealous type.” His arms wrapped around her, pulling her flush against him.

“Somehow, I don’t think he’ll mind what I’ve got planned for you tonight,” she said, pressing a chaste kiss against his lips.

“And what do you have planned, hm?”

“You’re about to find out.” Suddenly, she had one arm wrapped around him and with the other pulled out her yo-yo. Before he knew it, he was sailing over Paris and latching onto her. Despite the speed and the heights, he wasn’t afraid. Not just because he’d done this plenty of times as Chat before, but because he had absolute faith in her. She would never let him down - literally, in this case.

Before long, they had landed on the rooftop of a building that stood a story taller than the ones around it. Still holding onto his tiny, superpowered girlfriend, he looked around. His eyes widened when he saw the candlelit dinner with boxed chinese food, a single rose in a vase completing the scene.

His heart melted, but a thought caused him to fall into a giggle fit.

“What’s so funny, oh handsome civilian who is on the fast track to the couch tonight?”

He bit down on his lower lip and looked at her with eyes that glimmered with mirth. “I was just thinking… if I told fourteen year old Adrien that this was happening - that Ladybug made a romantic dinner just for us - I know that either his heart would explode from happiness or he just wouldn’t believe me.”

The annoyance in her eyes melted away, replaced with gentle love. She rocked forward on her toes to press a kiss against his cheek.

“Better believe it, sunshine. You aren’t the only one that knows their way around romance. And I’m definitely not going anywhere.”

He took her hand and held it between his. There were so many things that he wanted to say to her, but he just couldn’t find the words. Instead, he simply whispered, “I know.”

She seemed to understand as she slowly walked away and towards the dinner she had set. She pulled out his seat for him. Laughing, he sat down.

“Such a gentleman!”

She rolled her eyes with a smile and took the seat opposite him. They chatted while they ate, filling each other in on what they’d been doing that day. The food was wonderful and even if he hadn’t seen the logo on the boxes, he would have known it just from the taste. The Chinese restaurant was a favorite of theirs when they went on casual dates. Marinette’s mom was friends with the owners, and they’d all gone as a family plenty of times during the years he’d dated Marinette.

Adrien trailed off in the middle of explaining one customer’s particularly strange order when he heard music filtering up from the building below them. He glanced back at Ladybug, who was smugly watching him.

“...Are we above a symphony’s practice studio?”

“Mhm,” she hummed in confirmation.

Deciding she was being far too smug for her own good, he stood up, offering her his hand as he rose from a bow. “Would you do me the honor of a dance, my lady?”

Her pupils shrunk to pinpricks and she flailed her arms around her face. “Adrien, you know I can’t-”

He grabbed her hand and pulled her to her feet. His other hand found its familiar spot on her lower back as he held her close to himself. He smiled down at her as she looked up at him, stunned for a moment. He decided in that moment, as he had many times before, that love was a good look on her.

As they settled into their dance, Adrien nuzzled against the top of her head as they twirled in gentle circles across the rooftop. He breathed deep, letting her scent - strawberries and cookies and a hundred other sweet things - fill him and bring peace to his weary spirit.

-----------------

Adrien finished his story and took a sip of his coffee, made exactly how he liked it. The cafe they’d chosen was quickly becoming a favorite and not only because it was right between their current living spaces.

Nino chuckled and shook his head. “Geez, dude. You two are made for each other, no doubt about it.”

“Jealous of our romance, bro?”

“Not a chance. Me and Alya are doing just fine with our chill love. But you two? With your over the top declarations of love? You two got each other to save everyone else from the sickeningly sick vibes and plots.”

“Hm…” Adrien put his chin in his hand, propped up on the table. Tapping his cheek he gave it some thought before nodding. “Definitely jealous then.” Nino scoffed. “Hey, you should have said something sooner! I’m sure Marinette wouldn’t mind if I brought you up to a rooftop for a candlelit dinner. Just so you could see what it’s like.”

Nino covered his face in his hands, but couldn’t hide the laughter bubbling out of him. “Yeah sure, dude. I’m just saying - you two tend to go crazy with romance, so it works out nice that you ended up with each other.”

“It’s way better than nice, man.” Adrien smiled with what he knew was a dopey grin - knew, but didn’t care. “Being with her - living with her - is a dream come true.”

“I figured it would be. I’m psyched for you guys - both of you are loads better when you’re not by yourselves, so it makes a ton of sense for you to move in.”

“What about you and Alya?”

Nino laughed. “After years of being stuck in crowded apartments with tons of siblings, we’re actually enjoying the space apart. But,” he said, grinning at his coffee, “after seeing what you and M have, I’m starting to like the idea more and more.” He made a dismissive gesture and leaned back in his chair, one arm over the back. “But that’s a while down the road. We’re supes happy with our set up right now.”

“I’m happy for you, man,” Adrien said softly. He took another long sip of drink, letting his mind wander. “Things are looking up, aren’t they?”

“They sure are, my bro.” Nino raised his coffee toward Adrien and they clinked their cups in a toast. “They sure are.” Nino took a quick gulp and leaned forward. “What else has been going down? I bet you’ve got a lotta sappy stories now that you two are together every day, so spill.”

They talked for another hour, exchanging stories about their girlfriends, about working with Jagged Stone, about the crazy customers the bakery had seen. He was glad they had managed to sneak in this time to hang out together, despite how busy both of them were. Adrien would always treasure Nino’s friendship, the first real friend he had made at school - his first, and his best.

----------------

Marinette stretched, reaching her hands far above her head as she worked out the aches from sitting still for so long. The dress in front of her was almost finished, but she needed to take a break before she could continue. If Adrien weren’t working at the bakery for the weekend, he’d have approved.

Her stretch brought her to her feet and then her toes, which then turned into wiggling her hips vaguely in time with the music that was filling the apartment. It felt liberating, dancing in her spotted pajamas in an old black t-shirt she’d stolen from Adrien years ago, hair hanging free. She was making great progress with that commission and she knew it. The dress could wait a few minutes while she had a little fun.

Sure, it was already the middle of April and the spring show was getting closer, but even that didn’t bother her. Speaking of, she was supposed to get a letter soon concerning how many front row tickets she’d be reserving for friends and family. After giving it a moment’s consideration, she opted to just head down to the mail room as she was. Who cares if someone saw her in her pajamas?

The song stayed in her head and she hummed along to it as she quickly went down the stairs. She grabbed the mail and started leafing through it as she returned the way she came. Her eyes widened just as she reached the door, hand hesitating at the door knob when she recognized the writing on one of the letters.

The surprise evaporated under a withering tide of anger. She knew what she’d read if she opened the letter - excuses, protests, and blame directed at Adrien. Of all the limited talents that Gabriel possesed, self-reflection was not among them.

She shoved it roughly in the basket with the rest of his letters, only barely resisting tossing it in the trash. As she changed her playlist to something a little more energetic to help her blow off steam, she decided that Adrien didn’t need to know he had gotten any mail at all today.

And everyone would be happier for it.

#Miraculous Ladybug #Adrien Agreste #Marinette Dupain-Cheng #Nino Lahiffe #Adrienette #Ladybug #Ladrien #ml fanfiction #my writing #Eating Habits #The Lucky One series

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whatarubberchicken · 6 years

Text

AU YEAH August - 15 - Life Swap

@auyeahaugust

(Paired with 4 - Enemy, because I don’t like sleep)

Part 1

Everything I Want - Part 2

“Okay, I can do this,” Marinette said, slapping her cheeks to get herself worked up. Then, before she could chicken out again, she rapped on the door to her father’s office.

“Come in,” she heard him say, and quickly stepped inside, closing the door behind her.

“Papa,” she said primly, “I would like to talk to you.”

Gabriel Agreste barely spared her a glance. “I’m very busy, Marinette. I’m due for a meeting here—”

“—With me,” Marinette interrupted, pausing a bit at her own daring. She regained her composure and stood tall again. “I had Nathalie schedule a whole hour for us to talk, so if we make this quick, you should be able to actually get ahead in your designs afterwards.”

Her father regarded her silently for a moment, then flipped to his schedule to confirm her words. She heard him hum as he found her name under the appointed time.

“Very well, Marinette,” he said, lacing his fingers together. “You have my attention.”

She let out a breath she hadn’t even realized she’d been holding.

“I want to talk to you about the issue of my going to school—”

“Absolutely not.”

“But, Papa—”

“Out of the question,” he growled. “I will not have you outside in that dangerous world!”

Marinette firmly told herself not to scream. Not to cry, or pout, or stomp her foot. Those were things Chloe Bourgeois did to get her way. She was not Chloe Bourgeois. She was a lady. The Lady. Ladybug.

“I am Ladybug, Papa,” she reminded him, gritting her teeth to keep her words calm and even. “I am ‘out there’ every time you release an akuma.”

“Oh, are you going to go to school in your suit, then?” Gabriel sneered at her.

“I won’t need to,” she replied swiftly. “But I’ll have Tikki with me all the time, just in case. Please listen to my reasoning. I know the signs of an imminent attack; I know what to look for in your victims. I can help you find more people—”

“I am more than capable of doing that on my own,” her father interrupted, holding up his hand. It was clear he thought the matter was over.

“And I might be able to find Chat Noir easier!” Marinette burst out, before he could dismiss her completely. That made Gabriel hesitate, just like everything else that had to do with Mama. The Cat Ring was the one thing they were missing in order to bring her back. Marinette took another deep, calming breath. “Look, you and I have both tried to sketch him to figure out who he is, but the Miraculous magic gets in the way. We know he’s my age, and somewhere in the area. School’s the best place to look for him, you said so yourself—that’s why you keep akumatizing people from that school!”

To her delight, Gabriel appeared to be considering her words.

“I’ll be able to be on the scene that much quicker,” she said. “And I’ll have more of a chance to catch him that way. I can—” make friends, she almost said, but she swallowed it. She didn’t want Papa thinking she was going to get too distracted from her mission. “I’ve been having some difficulties in creating my own casual line,” she said instead. “And it would really help me if I could see what people my age are wearing these days. Normal people. You’ve been talking about making the company more marketable….”

Her father shot her an amused glance. “You’re still too young to take over my company, little bug.”

She grinned at him cheekily. “More information is always better, Papa. We have the advantage here. We need to press it.”

He nodded thoughtfully. “If we’re going to do this,” he said sternly, “we are going to do it my way….”

Marinette mentally cheered.

……………..

“I’m off to school, Mom—what’s that?” Adrien skidded to a stop on his way out the kitchen door. Sabine quickly hid the piece of paper behind her back.

“It’s nothing, dear,” she said, giving him a smile. “Have a good day at school.”

Adrien frowned, but gave his mother a quick kiss on the cheek and waved goodbye as he headed out. They thought they could hide it, but he knew better. Dad was an amazing baker, and Mom’s chocolate was to die for, but their PR skills were crap. Hardly anybody knew about the gem that was the little bakery on the corner.

Dad couldn’t even come up with a marketable logo.

So, they were struggling. Not much, just a bill here and there. Still, Adrien was old enough to notice. And he was also old enough to want to do something about it.

“I think it’s about time to put my plan into motion, Plagg,” he muttered as he made his way downstairs.

“You want to get a job?” his kwami asked incredulously. “You’re barely a teenager! Learn to relax and live a little! Who would even hire you? You don’t have any skills!”

“Yeah, as you keep reminding me, the only thing I have going for me is my pretty face,” Adrien snarked back. He waved to his dad as he left the building. “So, I’ll use that.”

“Please tell me you’re not gonna let that blonde harpy hang over you even more than she already is,” Plagg moaned.

“Chloe’s rich, and well-connected,” Adrien argued. “She already thinks I should be a model.”

“Yeah, ‘cause she wants you as arm candy.”

“A good word from her will almost definitely land me a modeling gig somewhere,” Adrien continued, pretending he couldn’t hear the tiny cat. “Besides, it doesn’t hurt to be a little nice to her. She’s got barely any friends.”

“Probably because she’s rude,” Plagg drawled, rolling his eyes. “Baker Boy.”

Adrien grinned at his kwami. “It’s only an insult if I feel insulted, Plagg. I’m proud of my father. So, I happen to like being called a—”

“Baker Boy!” Chloe’s voice sang through their conversation and Plagg quick hid, trying to find a place where he wouldn’t be glomped with the rest of Adrien.

No luck. The kwami was swept up in the tight squeeze, more grateful than ever for the ability to phase through things.

“Oh, Adrikins, the most horrible thing happened!” Chloe sighed dramatically, draping herself over the blond again. “She’s somehow convinced her father to let her come to my school! It’s awful! She’ll ruin everything!”

“Who are you talking about, Chloe?” Adrien asked, disentangling himself and gently keeping her a good arm’s length away so Plagg could breathe. “Who’s she?”

Just then, a large car drove up to the school. Chloe gave a shriek of outrage and hid behind Adrien. “Her,” she hissed angrily. “Marinette Agreste!!”

Adrien blinked. Agreste? The daughter of the famous fashion designer? Rumors said she’d done a few pieces for her father’s company, and even designed a CD cover for Jagged Stone!! Ever since he’d considered modeling, he’d wanted to model for them!!

And… the girl that stepped out of the car… her hair done up in pigtails, with a pleasant smile on her face… Adrien felt himself blush.

Oh damn, she was cute.

She glanced over at him and, to his dismay, her eyes hardened.

What had he done? He couldn’t have done anything to her yet! He’d just seen her for the first time!!

Adrien felt his stomach drop further as she headed towards him.

“Chloe Bourgeois, how nice to see you,” she said, and he realized she wasn’t staring at him, but the blonde gripping his shoulders like he was her personal shield. Chloe realized she’d been called out and, of course, responded in kind.

“Marinette Agreste,” she sneered, stepping up to Adrien’s side and looping her arm into his. “So your daddy finally let you out of your cage?”

“Mmm,” Marinette agreed, and Adrien felt the temperature drop in his immediate area. “So nice of you, to send him police reports of all the crime in the area for the past three years.”

“Glad to help,” Chloe simpered.

“It’s too bad they were doctored,” Marinette said, her voice hardening. “Or that my father’s assistant isn’t as stupid as whatever flunky you hired to fudge them.”

“How dare you!” Chloe shrieked. “When my father hears of this—!”

“He’ll investigate immediately?” Marinette suggested, her voice sugary sweet again. “Wouldn’t want to lose my father’s vote after all, since he’s one of the mayor’s most prestigious supporters.”

Chloe actually growled, and clutched Adrien tighter.

Marinette glanced at Adrien dismissively. “Your arm candy, I assume?”

Inside Adrien’s shirt, Plagg started cackling. Adrien considered smacking the kwami to shut him up, but he was too mad to focus on that right now. How dare she? She’d hadn’t even met him properly, and she’d just assumed….

“I am not!” he exclaimed, pulling away from Chloe so he could face her better. “My name is Adrien Dupain-Cheng, and I want to be a model!!”

Crap, why’d I say that??

“But just because I look good doesn’t mean I’m stupid,” he continued, trying to save face. “And you’re being very rude to assume something before we’ve even met!”

Marinette took a step back, blinking. Her mouth opened, but Adrien didn’t want to hear it.

“Now, normally I’m not this rude either, so if you’ll please excuse me, ladies, we’re going to be late for class!”

With that, Adrien stormed off into the school, not even caring if either of them were following.

…………

She’d been in his class, Adrien reflected miserably as he waited for the sudden downpour to stop. Almost all of his classes. He’d had to see her practically all day and remember how he’d tripped over his words, and shouted at her, and how Chloe had practically clutched him all day long….

Ugh.

He was mad at her. But he was also mad at himself.

He hadn’t needed to react that way. So what if she saw him as nothing other than Chloe’s accessory? Maybe she still would’ve considered letting him work for her. Now he’d ruined all his chances.

Talk about bad luck.

“Um, excuse me,” came a small voice behind him. He yelped, jumped and spun around, his eyes going round when he saw who’d addressed him.

It was her! Marinette Agreste!

But instead of the haughty fashionista he’d seen this morning, she looked almost… shy. And she blushed when she realized she had his attention.

“I wanted to apologize, for earlier today,” Marinette said softly. “You were right, I had no right to assume—and no right to talk to you like that. I’m sorry.”

Adrien blinked, only part of his brain realizing that he’d backed out into the rain, and water was now dripping into his eyes.

“I’m sorry too,” he said, looking away. “I didn’t have to yell at you either. It was uncalled for, and totally unlike me.”

“Truce?”

He looked back at her to see her holding out her hand. He smiled as he grasped it firmly with his own.

“Truce.”

Water from his hand squirted up at her with the handshake, and he grimaced. But, before he could pull away and apologize again, Marinette flicked open an umbrella with her other hand and held it above them both.

Above them, thunder rolled.

.....

#au yeah august #life swap #adrien agreste #marinette dupain cheng #with enemy #everything i want

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paganinpurple · 6 years

Text

Clowder - Ch 5

I suck at updating anything and I have no excuse...

Buy Me A Coffee?

It Was You (comes before this fic)

Read on AO3 or FF.net <<Ch 1 <Ch 4 Ch 5 Ch 6>

Patrol

Chat Noir dropped down onto the rooftop silently - even his steel toed boots making no noise as they came into contact with the flat beam connecting the two sloped surfaces of the roof. In front, towards the far edge of the roof -back turned towards him- was Ladybug, pigtails caught in the light breeze blowing towards him and trails of hair gracefully flapping along with the ribbons holding them up.

The sky was dark but Paris was the City of Lights after all, and by the illuminations along the Seine he could make out the subtle movement of her head as it turned -proving that despite his silence, she knew he was there.

“You know,” he started, sauntering towards her with a wicked grin adorning his face, “bugs that stay out in the open tend not to do so well when a cat spots them.”

“Maybe I wanted you to see me,” she said back, her face turning to watch him from over her shoulder, a playful glint in her eyes and her smile.

It was the first patrol they had been due to complete since everything had finally been out in the open between them and Chat had been getting slowly more and more excited about it all day. Back when he had first discovered Marinette’s identity he had immediately thought of playful, flirty patrol routes, littered with newly discovered make-out spots and the odd scandalised civilian as they were seen together. But it had quickly become apparent that it had been too risky. Not because they were frightened Hawkmoth would find out - after all, he would have already known they were close from interviews and on the job banter, and if he had wanted to try and use their relationship against them he would have already done so.

No, it had been too risky because if anyone had seen them, it would definitely make it back to the Ladyblog and Alya would have immediately assumed Chat was cheating on Marinette. Her possible reaction was a multi-faceted thing -she might have gone directly to Marinette and freaked out, she could have waited at her house until he showed up to chew him out herself, or she might have tried publicly shaming him. All of the many, many scenarios Marinette had managed to come up with had been less than ideal and some outright dangerous to them.

But, with Alya in the know that Ladybug and Chat were together now…

“And why would a tiny, cute little bug want a big scary cat to see them?” he asked, finally reaching her and sliding an arm around her waist to tug her back against his body.

“Maybe I want to play a little,” she said, turning in his grip to face him, palms pressed against his chest as she reached up to whisper into his ear, “before he eats me up.”

Chat sighed. “You’re too good at this,” he said before leaning down to capture her lips in a kiss.

“I have no idea what you mean,” she said when they finally pulled apart, “I’m just being the same old me as always.”

“Liar,” he said with a smirk, “You know, I have a girlfriend who hates liars.”

It was Ladybug’s turn to smirk now. So, he wanted to play it like this, did he? “Something us girls have in common then,” she told him, “I think there’s a lot your other girlfriend and I would agree on, actually.”

“Oh really?” he said, his lips peeling back to reveal a dangerous looking grin as he considered her, “Then I think you two should absolutely meet up some time.”

She raised an eyebrow playfully and circled around him, the breeze now pulling her hair out of her face where it fanned behind her in an otherworldly dark halo. “No thanks, Kitty. I’m not as into girls as you are. Although I might want to revisit the two boyfriend’s thing again someday. That was an interesting afternoon.”

She bit back a laugh as Chat appeared to choke on his own saliva at her comment before looking down at her wide-eyed. “Ladybug!” he sputtered, “Absolutely nothing happened, and you know it!”

“I know,” she said, backing away carefully until she was leaning against a chimney stack which formed an enclosure from the brisk night air and gave her a reprieve from her uncontrollable wind-rushed hair, “That wasn’t because I didn’t try hard enough to make something happen though.”

She giggled openly this time at his unamused look and especially at his snort of derision. As much as she loved to tease him, being reminded of her tasteless and lusty behaviour when he’d been split into two Chats by an akuma was clearly souring his mood, and she didn’t want that. She gestured to him to join her over by the brickwork and wasted no time once he was within reach, slipping her arms around his neck and pulling him close again.

“I’m a horny teenager,” she said against the shell of his ear and was thrilled to feel the shudder that ran through his body as she repeated her same sentiment from at the time, “I can’t help if having two hot boyfriends makes my mind wander sometimes.”

Leaning forward, he gently nipped at her neck as she gasped little breathy sighs against his hair until he gave in to his desires and captured her lips with his own again. They moved against each other for a while - just lips at first until their kisses grew more and more heated until eventually Chat had Ladybug pinned against the wall, both bodies moving and panting lewdly against the other.

Chat groaned a little before pulling back, Ladybug trying to follow and whining slightly when he gripped her by the hips to hold her away from him. “As a horny teenager myself,” Chat began with a hiss, “I can’t believe I’m gonna say this, but we have to stop. You know there’s someone who will kill me if I make a mess of this suit and he’s hardly easy to live with as it is.”

“Chaaaat…” she whined, reaching down to try to cup him through the suit, “that’s not fair.”

He grabbed her hand before it reached him, lifting it up by the wrist until it was level with his face and placing a tender kiss against it. “Bug,” he said, “I said no.”

“Oh,” she said, eyes widening as it occurred to her that she had almost disregarded his choice in the matter and overstepped, all because she wanted more. “OhmondieuI'msosorry,” she said, the words becoming one long noise rather than actual language, “I wasn’t thinking. Please don't hate me.” She buried her face in her hands as her body shuddered from a combination of arousal and humiliation.

Chat rolled his eyes a little at her dramatics, starting to giggle loud enough to have her peek at him through her fingers. She frowned as they dropped aware revealing her face to him again and his laughter tapered off to a grin as her expression belayed her confusion. “Isn’t the stereotype that it’s the guy who usually pressures the girl about this stuff?” he smirked.

Her jaw dropped open in horror at his words and he couldn’t help but consider how much he’d like to taste the inside of that mouth again. Her voice was high pitched when she spoke, and he fought back the wince when his enhanced hearing registered the sound as unpleasant. “I wasn’t trying to pressure you, I-” the armour coated finger pressed against her lips halted her words and he leaned in, his smile turning dangerous as his face loomed above hers. She gulped despite her desperate attempts to remain composed.

“I know,” he said, “and had we been at yours or mine I absolutely would not have pushed that no, My Lady. It would’ve been half-hearted at best. This cat still wants to play.” Her lip trembled beneath his finger as she moaned softly. He loved this. Usually Marinette was nothing but confidence when they were intimate in any way -at least, she had been since their first couple of attempts at fooling around together- but suddenly she had turned to putty against the wall behind her. He revelled in the way her breaths came short and shallow against his hand and at how she was clearly warring with herself to avoid pressing her curves against his body again. He continued to smirk wickedly and tried to tone down his thoughts lest patrol get uncomfortable for him in his tight suit. He dropped his hand from her face to cradle her hip.

“I could s-stay over,” she said, her cadence suddenly much less measured and more unsure than before. His thoughts screeched to a halt. A sleepover. Another sleepover at his, when the previous one this weekend was still so fresh in his mind. So much for controlling his thoughts.

Mentally, he shook himself, pleading with his lower body not to react when he was outdoors and in the position of a role-model for over half of Paris. You’re a responsible superhero first, he told himself, horny as hell second. “What about patrol?”

“Let’s skip it this once. We’ll go to yours instead. I just need to, um, text maman. You know, so she knows where I am?”

“You’d-” -he cleared his throat in an attempt to hide the way his voice cracked- “-you’d need to get up early to leave before you’re caught. Can you manage that? With the way you…struggle to wake up?” He smirked. Of all his girlfriend’s talents and abilities, being an early riser was not among them.

Her nose scrunched up adorably at the thought of an early wake-up call and he melted a little at the cute Marinette-esque gesture from behind Ladybug’s mask. “Then stay at mine?” she suggested, her volume dropping as she looked up at him.

He swallowed, his throat dry as sandpaper. Her eyes were so, so big, boring in to his own from beneath her lashes. Twin pools of deep blue that he found himself drowning in. He wanted to give in, to surrender to her suggestion. He really did. But they’d probably stay up late again, and they had school tomorrow. But Dieu he wanted to spend another night with this gorgeous specimen of a girl. “I don’t know…” he said, not sounding even slightly believable, even to his own ears.

“Oh.” Apprehensively, she glanced between his face and some point in the distance for a few moments, her face becoming warmer and more flushed as she had some kind of internal debate with herself. Eventually, she leaned her body into him again, arms winding around his waist while she hid her face in his chest, the very picture of a bashful, pleading mess. “I really want you to come over,” she whispered, nuzzling his pectoral muscles.

He smiled tensely into her hair even as he was puzzled by her suddenly shy attitude. It was so strange to see his normally fierce girlfriend this self-conscious around him. She seemed to really want him over for some reason and if he was being honest with himself, he wanted to go too. “Okay,” he finally relented, feeling her tremble against him slightly before squeezing his waist tighter in response, “But I really do need to leave early so I’m not missed before lycée.”

“Great,” she whispered softly as another tremor shook her body. Not at all normal for her. His smile dropped and transformed into a frown at the sensation.

He placed a concerned kiss to her head. “Why are you so nervous?” he asked, tone dripping with worry as he pulled back to look at her. Instantly her face was aflame, and she quickly grabbed at the loose hairs which had escaped her pigtails, aggressively tucking them behind her ears as she avoided his eyes.

He watched as she sidestepped him to move towards the edge of the roof with such speed he panicked she might have kept going even once she reached the edge and fallen in her haste. She halted in time however, turning to face him finally. “I’mnotnervous!” she garbled, “Come on, I turned the heating off before I left. Let’s go before my room gets too cold!” And with that she leapt from the rooftop.

Head tilted in confusion at her retreating form, he quickly shook himself and began to follow her back to the bakery via the slightly elongated route she seemed to prefer the security of and remained completely puzzled by her behaviour throughout the journey.

It took only an hour or so after they arrived for Adrien to make the new-found connection that although Marinette always seemed confident when she was in a familiar setting, it quickly became apparent that she could get ridiculously apprehensive whenever she tried something new. Even something that she herself wanted and had been the one to initiate.

As a result, he was really looking forward to the next time she got this nervous around him again.

Buy Me A Coffee?

#PIP writes #miraculous ladybug #ML fic #Clowder #Love Square #It Was You sequel

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breziarchive · 6 years

Text

BOOGALOO for my dear friend from the mythical land of Australia, @a-queenoffairys! Gay Aelita and Marinette Dupain-Cheng in a code lyoko/miraculous ladybug crossover!

valentine’s day boogaloo - guidelines - ko-fi

(requests closed! just getting through the last of em)

They were next to each other in line at the cafe.

Marinette noticed her because she was rather, well, noticeable. Not loud, but she definitely stood out, in a soft and friendly sort of way. Bubblegum pink hair pulled up in a ponytail, sweet curls from her bangs bordering her cheeks. Every accessory seemed to be knitted, and from the stitches and insignificant mistakes Marinette was able to see that it was definitely homemade. When she spoke too, she radiated a sort of kindness that Marinette found comfort in. So much stress from unhappy people becoming akuma! On top of that, her favorite barista wasn't working today. But she relaxed next to this person, waiting for her coffee to brew.

After a while she tapped her foot, a little nervous. It was charming how this girl stood out without being loud or pretentious, seemingly comfortable in her clothes that didn't clash or compete. Biting her lip, Marinette brought out her phone, scrolling through social media to put up a front.

Then, finally, she asked.

“Excuse me?” the girl turned, eyebrows raised and Marinette put on a big smile, “May I take your picture?”

The girl blinked, turning towards her, but at the very least suspicion wasn't on her face, “Oh? Sure, what for?”

“I uh,” Marinette felt her face get heated even though she had met Jagged Stone and not cracked this much, what was going on? “Well, I've got an interest in fashion and I just find you...interesting,”

A small smile broke on the girl's face, genuine, and Marinette felt hers widen in response. Gesturing to the scarf hanging from her neck and the arm warmers, she continued, “Those are homemade, aren't they?”

“Yes!” the girl enthusiastically replied, raising her hands to rub her thumbs against the knit yarn, “I made them myself, you definitely have the eye for your interest!”

Marinette beamed, taking the photo before noticing she hadn't even gotten her name. The girl looked to be about her age, maybe a year or two older, but she didn't recognize her from her school. That wasn't too far-fetched of an idea in Paris, but still Marinette's curiosity spiked.

“Aelita,” she answered, putting her hand out, “Nice to meet you,”

“Marinette,” she introduced, “Dupain-Cheng. My parents run a bakery, Tom and Sabine's?”

To her slight disappointment, Aelita frowned and shook her head, “I've never been, but that sounds delicious! Or torturous, waking up to fresh bread every morning,”

Marinette giggled, “You get used to it, but some mornings it is pretty bad,”

She didn't realize it, honestly, but that Aelita's demeanor matched the vibe she gave off relieved Marinette to no end. The conversation went its natural course to end, though the both of them certainly felt a little lighter due to the interaction, watching the baristas scurry like mice to fill orders. It was such a nice moment. Or it had been, until her favorite barista walked in.

Or, smashed open the window. Looking like a massive, comic crab with only her face sticking out of its shell.

“Crabby Abby!” The barista called in a mocking voice, “That's right, I'm Crabby Abby, or I was, until I became Crabitude!! All you shrimps will wish that being crabby was my only problem!”

Crabitude cackled, maniacal but, as Marinette could hear, broken behind it. Tikki bounced around in her purse until she felt the kwami race up the sleeve of her jacket until she rested at her collar.

“Marinette,” Tikki whispered, watching as Crabitude unflinchingly destroyed the front of the cafe while people scrambled over small tables and chairs to get out of the way. Marinette nodded but couldn't respond; there were too many people and the panic was palpable—she was trapped between the building and the akuma. Not really caring about the logistics of ducking into a bathroom to come out as Ladybug since only so many people were in the cafe to begin with, Marinette turned her head to locate it just beyond the bar.

“Down!”

Aelita tackled Marinette to the ground just as one of Crabitude's ten legs swept overhead, breaking pipes to spray hot coffee everywhere. Stunned, Marinette felt limp in Aelita's arms as the other girl wrapped her hands over her head and, at the right moment, lifted Marinette to her feet to clamber over the broken bar.

What.

Marinette looked at Aelita, incredulous and thankful. She was already in a sort of battle mode like this was simply natural for her, pink brows creased in focus and determination as Crabitude continued to cackle and destroy. Who could say when Chat Noir would get here to lure the akuma away so she could become Ladybug and end it all—right now all Marinette had was a deteriorating cafe and Aelita.

“Th-The bathroom,” Marinette blurted without thinking, and Aelita swung her head to look at her, “I...I gotta get to the bathroom!”

“The b-bathroom's gonna be a euro!” a gangly barista struggling to grasp some grounding for his sanity.

“A euro?!” Marinette barked, “Your cafe is crumbling around you, you think a euro's gonna save it?!”

“Hey lady,” the gangly barista barked back, “Policy's policy, and second of all, you can't just go around and selfishly save yourself! I need to go to the bathroom too!”

Marinette fumed. Suddenly she was aware of what might have sent Abby off the edge. She opened her mouth to argue but as Crabitude encroached on the bar the barista screamed and scrambled to the bathroom himself, spilling euro coins everywhere as he struggled to enter.

“That selfish, self-righteous, self-absorbed, self-abiding...,” she gaped in anger. Time to find another place to transform, but to do that Crabitude needed to bug off. (Did that count? Were crabs bugs? Screw it, now was not the time for semantics!)

“Crabitude!” Marinette called, to the chorus of aghast baristas scrunched against the far wall of the bar, “Yoo-hoo, Crabitude! If you let me by, maybe we can talk about this?!”

“Shut it!” Crabitude snapped, “A shrimp like you would never understand!”

Marinette sucked in a breath and summoned her inner Chat Noir, “Don't clam up about it, now, that's unhealthy!”

Crabitude roared in shock at the pun. Marinette prepared by ducking farther down as the crabby akuma was spurred into a blind rage. Hopefully, then, the akuma would be distracted enough so she could slip by and—no, damn it, it was impossible, Crabitude was too large and the cafe was too small. Marinette bit her lip, heart screaming that she had just written and signed everyone's death sentence. Something pricked at her cheek and she slapped at it, thinking it was Tikki.

No. It was a pair of eyes. Aelita was still staring at her, long and hard. Against her better judgment with the impending decapod despot, Marinette stared back. Vaguely in fear, vaguely in awe, mostly in confusion.

“Bathroom,” Aelita repeated, but the way she said the word implied like she knew. She knew, without knowing. Marinette's heart blocked her throat, “You need a bathroom?”

She gulped, then slowly nodded. Aelita continued to stare until one of Crabitude's claws closed around the bar behind her. Spurred into action without looking, Aelita took up Marinette's arms again and said one last thing.

“Then let's go, Princess,”

Marinette's heart stopped as Aelita led her straight through Crabitude's offense, ducking underneath the crab's massive but flat body. The akuma had no dexterity to retaliate, which somehow Aelita seemed to just know, and before she knew it they were out on the streets just as a lithe, black shape bounced from the awning across from the cafe.

“Chat Noir!” Marinette called, almost forgetting she wasn't yet Ladybug. The hero didn't hear her, far too focused on the people still inside the cafe. But when she said it, Aelita's hands tightened before ducking into an alley and swinging her behind a dumpster.

“Go.”

Marinette peeked around the dumpster to see Aelita standing at the entrance, watching Chat Noir battle the akuma. Tikki tapped on her cheek.

“Marinette, what are you waiting for?”

“How,” Marinette breathed, “How does she know,”

“We'll ask that question later!”

Marinette shook her head and herself, then nodded, “Right. Tikki? Spots on.”

#code lyoko #miraculous ladybug #valentine's day boogaloo #aelita #marinette dupain cheng #ladybug #PLEASE pay me real earth dollars for the inclusion of 'decapod despot'

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chelseaapproved · 7 years

Text

I’ll Sing a Song Beside You

read on Ao3!

1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13

Chapter 3

After the third night Chat visits her, Marinette decides to take down all her Adrien posters. She feels rude keeping the boy on her balcony when she has a cozy, warm room they could hang out in but she would never welcome him there with the posters. She can’t even think of what Chat would say if he ever saw them.

“You got number 7 wrong.” Chat is laying on her carpet, his legs propped on her chaise, as he reads over her math homework. Despite her protests, checking her homework has become one of Chat Noir’s favorite things to do in her room.

“I did?” Marinette frowns and wheels her chair over to him.

He hums in agreement and hands over her notebook. Marinette looks it over quickly but doesn’t see anything wrong.

“Are you sure?”

“What’s four times eight?”

“Thirty-two.”

“What’d you write?”

Marinette glances down and lo and behold, she wrote forty-two, which threw off the rest of her equation. “Oops. Thanks for the cat-ch.”

“No problem. That’s what I’m here for.”

“You visit my room every night to spot my careless math errors.”

“Marinette,” Chat whines as he kicks his legs off the chaise and sits up. “It’s not fair when you make too many puns. My poor heart can’t handle it.”

Marinette slips off her chair to sit next to Chat on the floor, letting her shoulder brush against his. “Sorry, you must be rubbing off on me.”

Chat grins and wraps his arm around her shoulders. The cuddling should be weird but their first meeting had their bodies pressed against each other, trapped in her yo-yo; touching always came naturally to them. Plus, she feels calmer when they cuddle, safer. She wonders what Chat thinks about their constant need to be touching each other but she doesn’t know how to bring it up.

“You’re in a really good mood today,” he notes.

“I guess I am.”

“Any reason why?”

“Am I not allowed to be happy?”

“You’re always happy. You seem extra happy today. There’s a certain buzz about you.”

She’s reluctant to tell Chat the reason for her good mood though. It doesn’t seem right—like she’s breaking an unspoken rule—telling Chat about her huge crush on Adrien. He keeps pressing her about it though so she relents. “I talked to my crush today. He actually started the conversation and everything. It was nice.”

Adrien had started talking to her more and more the past couple of weeks. It’s both exhilarating and terrifying but Marinette is trying really, really hard not to get her hopes up.

“Your… crush?”

“Yeah.” Marinette shifts uncomfortably in his arms. She definitely shouldn’t have brought it up. She can’t peg why talking about it with him is awkward, but it most certainly is and she wants this conversation done with. “He’s just some boy who goes to my school.”

“Oh.” There’s a lull and Marinette tries to think of a way to change the subject but Chat keeps pushing on. “He must be pretty awesome if he’s caught your attention.”

“He is,” she admits. “He’s so sweet and smart and good at, like, everything and he’s really cute and… anyway, enough about my lackluster love life. Is there anyone in your life, Chat Noir?”

“You know you’re the only lady for me, Bug,” he says with a wink.

Marinette rolls her eyes but lets it slide and changes the subject. After all, there’s still a line that they precariously drew, one that she can’t cross until she knows his identity too.

“Wanna play UMS III for a bit?”

“Is that even a question?” Chat says eagerly. They untangle themselves and head over to Marinette’s computer. Her new wallpaper is an action shot of the four heroes taking on an akuma. Whoever took it got a really good angle of her. “Nice background.”

“Thanks. I thought I should give the heroes of Paris my support.”

“It’s nice to feel appreciated.”

They only get through a game and a half when Chat’s baton starts going off.

“Vix?”

“Thank goodness! There’s an akuma down by the Seine and Ladybug and Bee aren’t answering my calls. Come quick!”

Chat hangs up and looks at Marinette. “I guess we’re gonna have to put a pause on our game. Duty calls, M’Lady.”

Marinette beams at him. “Let’s do this! Tikki, spots on!”

“So cool,” Chat whispers.

“You’ve already seen me transform, Chaton.” Ladybug starts toward the skylight

“I know but it’s still cool!” He follows her out the room and the pair rush off to face today’s villain.

When they get there, there are fires everywhere and Vixen is dangling from a rooftop. “About time,” she exclaims. “Help me so we can beat this guy up.”

Ladybug smirks and races to the roof to pull up her teammate. “We’re not here to beat anyone up, Vix. We’re here to help him.”

“He made it personal. You can help him, I just want to get one good punch in before you fix everything.”

“Aren’t you the one always saying—”

“Look out,” Chat yells, tackling the girls to ground. Ladybug feels a strong force of heat zip by them.

“Thanks for the save, Chat,” Ladybug says, trying to free herself from the cage that is Chat Noir.

“You have to be more careful.” He completely ignores Ladybug’s struggle, choosing instead to crush both girls under his weight. “You can’t keep getting so distracted.”

This ruffles her feathers more than she’d like to admit. How can Chat Noir, of all people, lecture her on being more careful? The boy is a walking disaster who is far too rash and impulsive and spends half their time fighting cracking jokes.

Ladybug pushes Chat off her and wobbles to her feet, both knees cracking in the process. “That’s rich, coming from you.”

Chat stands up too, leaving them just inches apart. “What’s that supposed to mean?”

“I need to be more careful? You’re always throwing yourself into danger and never think about the consequences. Besides, I can do whatever I want. Who are you to tell me to be more careful?”

“I do what I have to do to protect you and civilians. You were the one having a chat with Vixen, leaving you defenseless.”

“I would have been fine.”

“He shot a fireball at you!”

“It wouldn’t have even hit me, it was too high!”

“It might have!”

“Oh, my gosh. Are you always going to be this infuriating now?”

“I’m not being the infuriating one right now.”

“Really? Because up until a few days ago, this never would have been a problem. So tell me, Chat Noir, what is this really about?” Ladybug steps forward and lifts her head even higher, bringing them nose to nose.

“Um, I don’t really know what’s happening but now is not the time for your lover’s spat,” Vixen says from her spot on the ground.

Ladybug flinches and leaps back. She completely forgot about Vixen and the akuma. “You’re right,” she says. “Let’s wrap this up quickly.” She leaps off the building, following the trail of fire, and doesn’t give Chat a second glance.

Marinette is tempted to ignore the consistent knocking and scratching but she knows that’s just her stubbornness talking. It’s always better to talk through an argument than to let it sit and fester. At least, that’s what Tikki keeps telling her.

“Can’t I avoid talking to him for one more day,” Marinette asks.

“What good will that do?”

“It’ll let me stay angry for an extra day.”

“I’m going to let him in.”

“Ugh, no! I’ll do it.” Marinette heads to her bed, grumbling ‘stupid Kwami’ under her breath.

“Hey,” Chat says, dropping onto her bed. “I didn’t think you were gonna let me in.”

“I almost didn’t.”

They sit across from each other on her bed, cross-legged and tense. They’ve never really had big arguments before.

The seconds tick by.

“So, about before,” Chat finally says.

“Yes?”

Chat sighs and rubs the back of his neck. “I’m sorry for getting overprotective. I didn’t think knowing who you are would affect me this much but… I let it get to me.”

“I’ve always been Ladybug. Everything we’ve done together has been me. You can’t treat me like a delicate flower just because I’m Marinette, too.”

“I know. It’s just… you’re so tiny, Marinette. I always… you’re really…” Chat takes a deep breath. “Now that I know who you are, it’s not just Ladybug who is in trouble when we fight, it’s Marinette. I’ll try to be better about unnecessary freak outs but it might take me a while. I don’t want anything to happen to you.”

“I don’t want anything to happen to you, either. But we can’t let our feelings or emotions cloud our judgments. And next time I’ll try to be more alert when there’s an akuma around. I always let my guard down with Vix, I don’t know why.”

“If I didn’t know any better, I’d say she was your favorite teammate.”

“Oh hush, you,” Marinette says, relieved that the atmosphere feels more relaxed. “It’s you and me, always.”

Chat grins at her and scooches closer. “So, tell me more about this crush of yours.”

“Ugh,” Marinette groans. “You just got back on my good side, do you really want to ruin it?”

“What? You don’t want to talk about this boy you like?”

“I already told you about him. He’s—he’s really nice.”

“Nice,” Chat repeats.

“Honestly, I don’t think I’ve ever met anyone with such a caring and gentle demeanor. He genuinely wants the best for everyone, you know? Even some of the worst bullies, he’s there for them if they need it.” Marinette plays with a loose thread from her comforter. She doesn’t like talking about Adrien with Chat Noir but now that she started, she’s finding it difficult to stop. “You just don’t see people like that anymore. And he’s always so busy, doing a million things, but he still finds the time to help when someone asks. And he never complains about how overworked he is, either.

“Gosh, and he has so many friends—of course he does, how can anyone dislike him—but he still seems lonely, sometimes. Like, he’s surrounded by people but there’s still something missing? And sometimes I’m so tempted to just go up to him and wrap him in a huge hug and let him know I care and I’m there for him. I never do, obviously but if I could, I would hug him all the time.”

“Why can’t you?”

Marinette hangs her head in her hands and groans. “I can barely talk to him, let alone find the courage to hug him. Can we stop talking about this now?”

“Sure. I should probably head home anyway.”

Marinette whips her head up. “So soon?”

“The akuma used up all my time. I wouldn’t have even stopped by but I wanted to make sure we were okay. We are okay, right?”

“Of course we are, Kitty.”

“Okay, well, have a good night. Good luck with your crush!”

“Stop bringing up my crush,” Marinette says, flinging a pillow at him as he leaps to the balcony. She can hear him snicker before he takes off.

#miraculous ladybug #miraculous ladybug fanfiction #marichat #ladynoir #adrienette #chp 4 is up on ao3!

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fastpacedfreefall · 7 years

Text

hope dangles on a string

Fandom: Miraculous Ladybug, Marichat

Hurt/Comfort

Takes place post-Dark Cupid; Marinette gets a surprise visitor, who comes bearing a little sore-needed solace.

AN: I’m very, very new to this fandom(like 5 episodes new), so please forgive any OOC-ness you may find. Title from “Vindicated” by Dashboard Confessional.

It's probably not the most productive idea, but Marinette was of the mind that every once in a while, a good old-fashioned sulk session is needed.

After the absolute catastrophe of Valentine's Day, it seemed like just what the doctor ordered. Or rather, she couldn't bring herself to get up the energy to do anything else. So after dinner, she'd bid a hasty goodnight to her parents, and raced up to sequester herself on her balcony. Tikki was near, but had finally given in to the days exhaustion and was curled up in Marinette's purse, fast asleep.

Marinette leaned against the railing, watching the happy couples on the street below, silently berating herself for the hundred-thousandth time. All that effort and anxiety and desperate hope, and it amounted to nothing, because she couldn't even remember something as simple as signing her name.

'Dorkasaurus' was too tame. 'Disasterceratops' seemed more appropriate.

She sighed, slouching into herself further, gently knocking her head against her knees. Stupid, stupid, stupid...

“What have we here? Why the long face, princess?”

She dragged her eyes up to find Chat Noir lounging on the roof, one leg swinging free and looking entirely too cheerful for her current state of mind.

“Do we need to have a chat about entering other peoples' private property, Chat,” she said flatly.

“Ah, but technically I haven't 'entered' anything,” he purred, still incessantly swinging that leg. She half wished she had her yo-yo on her just to pull him down by it. “So how about you tell me what's bugging you? A young lady shouldn't be hiding herself up here alone, not on Valentine's Day of all days.”

She growled, returning to her slouch. “That sounds like absolutely none of your business. What are you even doing out here, anyway? Isn't it a little late for alley cats to be prowling around?”

“It's just too nice a night to be staying in,” he chirped.

“Then go enjoy it somewhere else, I'm busy here.”

“I can see, you looked very busy being curled up in a ball.” She definitely had picked the wrong place for some quiet self-pity. Should've stayed in bed. Maybe if she just pretended he wasn't here long enough...

“You still haven't answered my question, though.”

“About the technical trespassing,” she asked wearily, eyes sliding up to find him crouching in front of her. He still had that smile on his face, but it was tempered by the gleam of concern she could see in his eyes, and that broke past her wall, just a little bit.

“Not too upset to make jokes, I see,” he said. “Seriously. Why are you up here all by yourself?”

Marinette looked at him for a long moment, and sighed. She'll blame it on the long day; it had to be the reason she's opening up about this to Chat of all people.

“It's stupid. I just kind of screwed up something really important today, and I'm sulking.”

“I see...” Chat trailed off, shuffling over until he could plop down next to her. He watched her from the corner of his eye, considering his next words.

“...were you rejected?”

That brought on a long, stunned silence, Marinette briefly wondering if she shouldn't just go ahead and flip him over the railing, before she let out a strangled chuckle.

“No, I wasn't,” she said, a little rueful. “That would require actually confessing in the first place.” He let out a small noise of understanding, and she let her head softly thunk back against the cool metal behind her, eyes fixed on the few stars that were visible, the ones that could overcome Paris' considerable light pollution. There was probably something inspiring about that, struggling against a force that seemed greater than themselves, even if it wasn't a conscious thing.

A bunch of balls of gas millions of light-years away had more determination than her, an actual superhero. She'd go ahead and call this the low point of the day.

She could still feel Chat's eyes on her. “Sounds familiar,” he said softly, and she turned her head to face him a bit more, a single eyebrow raised.

“What, the not-confessing? Didn't think you'd be the type to hold anything back.”

His smile tightened a bit, and she could see it in his face: he did. “You're not the only one with something they can't spit out, princess.”

Well. That was something new. Chat hadn't ever really been so open with her, not as Ladybug at least. The thought that he had someone he was pining after, unable to tell them what it was he felt... it didn't make her feel good, but it made her feel a little less alone, and she gave him a humorless smile. “Guess not.” And without stopping to question it, she let herself tip over until her head rested on Chat's shoulder. Chat tensed, but relaxed after a long moment, and scooted closer, wrapping an arm around her shoulder.

On the brightly-lit street below, countless couples walked together, hand-in-hand, entirely wrapped in each others' presence, and wholly unaware of the two people curled together a few stories above their heads taking solace in their company, and in the hope that someday soon they'd be holding those they yearned after the same way.

***

Hope you enjoyed!

#miraculous ladybug #marichat #marinette dupain-cheng #chat noir #dark cupid #freefall writes #fanfiction #sorry if it's a little rough; i'm still getting my bearings in this fandom

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thewritewolf · 5 years

Text

Adrien AUG-Reste Day 27: Dadrien

Chat Noir has to take care of Ladybug when she gets hit by an akuma's attack. Also, there is a scene in here based on this comic, which was most of my inspiration for this story.

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@adrienaugust

Enjoy!

Read on Ao3

Another day, another akuma so out of control they are even defying Hawkmoth.

Maybe that explains why they completely lost interest in Chat Noir after he dived after Ladybug. He still had no idea what the akuma’s ability was, but his partner had definitely been hit. Instinct took over after that, but it was only once he landed that he realized that his partner was a lot lighter than she normally was.

When he finally stopped to look for any injuries, his jaw fell open when he realized he was carrying a little girl, no more than three or four years old. A four year old in magical kwami-granted armor, pigtails, and the biggest, bluest eyes he ever saw. His heart melted even as worry gnawed at his gut. There was no way they could continue to fight like this - and he definitely wasn’t about to drop her off somewhere by herself while this wore off.

He bit his lower lip, bouncing up and down in place while cradling her in his arms. It had to be temporary, right? And he had no idea where the akuma went anyway. Maybe if he just… kept an eye on her for a while, she’d go back to normal? The day was still young - although not quite as young as Ladybug was at the moment. What were they going to do until then?

“Pway with kitty!” She reached forward, pawing at his ears that stayed just outside her reach.

“Hey! Young m'lady you can't just go pulling on a distinguished cat's ears!"

Her only response was an entertained giggle as she stubbornly continued her quest.

“Okay, maybe we can burn off some of this energy first,” he mumbled mostly to himself as he tightened his grip on her and leapt up onto the roof tops. There was a park he vaguely remembered from his childhood, one that his mom would take him to.

With the threat of an akuma hanging over people’s heads, the park was unsurprisingly empty. A perfect place for his little lady to exhaust herself while he waited for her to return to normal. However long that took. But he was more than up to the challenge. He was Chat Noir, after all. How hard could watching a four year old be?

The moment Adrien planted himself on a bench, his eyes widened as he watched her running around the open space, narrowly avoiding colliding with various hard, metal playsets as she weaved between them. He immediately sprung to his feet.

“Okay, technically, m’lady you are still in a super suit, but you still need to watch where you’re going!” He yelled after her, but she just laughed and kept doing what she was doing. Their time at the park only got more stressful from there.

He let out a very manly screech. "Young M'lady you get AWAY from the fountain!"

Without having anything to dry her with, both her and her kwami could get sick. Thankfully, she changed her course...

“No! You CANNOT play with the pigeons! They might carry you away!"

...right towards a flock of birds.

It went on like that for nearly an hour and by the end of it, Adrien was feeling more exhausted than little bug was looking. He already felt frazzled and she was still pulling him along by the hand, clearly trying to get… wherever she wanted to go to in a hurry. Which made it all the more jarring when she suddenly changed course to stop and look up at him.

"Kitty? Tummy's growly."

All his previous annoyance with her melted right along with his heart in the face of her pleading expression. It took him a minute to process what she was saying.

"Tummy's... oh! Right. Children need food. And the akuma battle was this morning so you probably didn't get a balanced breakfast."

"Fwench fwies!"

"Now,” he began as he put on his best Stern Parent impersonation, “I don't know who your parents are, but I don't think they'd appreciate- Don't look at me like that, LB. I…” He sighed in defeat. “Fine..."

“Yay!” She started skipping as they walked.

Was this how she was back then? Carefree and adorable? Or was that just part of the akuma magic? Not for the first time, his heart ached with how little he knew the love of his life. Maybe one day they could share their identities and he could find out all there was to know about her. He had to believe that.

Like the park, the fast food joint was mostly abandoned and the cashier was looking at her phone when Adrien walked in. She glanced up at him, only to do a triple take - once to realize a customer had just arrived and another when it hit her that it was Chat Noir. And baby bug.

Mustering as much charm as he could, he smiled warmly at the bewildered staff. “Hello! Can I get two fries and two drinks?”

“Um… yeah.” The cashier - Katia, if her nametag was accurate - said slowly. “That’ll be five euros.”

He reached in his pocket and thanked Plagg for magic as five euros from his normal wallet manifested in his hands. He was just about to hand them over when Ladybug pulled on his free arm.

“I wanna buy it!” She frowned in thought and whispered to him. “Pst! Can I pwease borrow some money?”

He shrugged apologetically to Katia and took back his five euros, handing them to Ladybug, who could only barely see over the counter. She clutched them in her tiny fist for a moment before nudging his elbow and holding the euros up to him. Fighting a smile, he took the euros and handed them to Katia, who was thoroughly bemused at this point.

“We’ll, uh, have them out to you two in… just a minute.” She disappeared behind the counter and Adrien took little bug over to one of the booths. He had her sit on the inside to keep her from getting into mischief.

Thankfully, it proved unnecessary since there was some paper and crayons at the table. She hummed to herself while doodling and he took the opportunity to browse the Ladyblog. Maybe Alya had spotted the akuma while he’d been busy taking care of Ladybug.

He hadn’t found anything by the time their food arrived. From the way her eyes lit up when her fries were put in front of her, it was just as much a treat for her as it was for him. Father would never approve of him having fast food, after all.

“Kitty, here! This for you!”

His attention floated back to her and his heart melted when he saw the crude crayon drawing of a him and a mini Ladybug at the park. They seemed to be having a lot of fun.

“Aww, thank you, little bug. I’ll love it forever!” He took one last tender look at it before carefully folding it up and staching it in his pocket.

They finished their meal and Adrien hoisted her up onto his shoulders once they were out of the restaurant. He wandered back through the park and could feel Ladybug getting antsy above him. That didn’t bother him too much until he heard her start to sniffle.

“Hey,” he said in as soothing a voice as he could, “what’s the hubbub about, bug? Aren’t you having fun?”

“I wanna go home!” She sniffled. “Wanna see papa a-and momma!”

He held her close, heart breaking. It was easy for him to forget that she had a family to go back to.

“I know, little lady, I know. But you have to be Ladybug until we can get you back to normal, okay?”

"Don't wanna be Wadybug anymore! I'm Mawinette!"

The world froze in time for one brief moment. There was a feeling of something shattering. Later, Adrien would assume that was him breaking through the enchantment on the miraculous. For now, he was too stunned to form a reply. Instead, he just held her close while she cried. Her tears pulled him out of his stupor before long and he tightened her hold on him.

“I’m sorry, Marinette…” He gave her a kiss on the top of her head.

He was startled again when she became enveloped in a flash of light. When he was done blinking the spots out of his eyes, he noticed that there were still a lot of spots in front of him - except these were the much more familiar black-on-red spots he was used to. The unexpected weight toppled him over and both him and a restored Ladybug tumbled to the ground.

“Geez, kitty, and I thought I was the clumsy one.” She disentangled herself from him and stood tall. Well, as tall as she usually stood. “What happened? Where did the akuma go?”

“You… don’t remember?” It was a struggle to get any words out, but he was doing his best.

“Well, I got hit by the akuma, you caught me, and you just fell…” She looked around and her brow furrowed. “Does the akuma have teleportation powers? Weird.” She waved him on. “Let’s go find them before they can cause any more harm, Chat Noir!”

She swung off, leaving Adrien to stare blankly after her.

How was he going to break the news to her?

#Miraculous Ladybug #AdrienAugust #AdrienAugreste #Chat Noir #Ladybug #ml fanfiction #my writing

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ashtheshortstack · 7 years

Text

ML Fluff Month Day 13 - Elation

Elation

Rated: G Pairing: Adrinette

For: @miraculousfluffmonth

ao3

Day 1 / Day 14

Marinette’s eye cracked open as the sun peaked in through the blinds. She sighed contently at the feeling of strong arms wrapped around her and body pressed against her husband’s. Smiling to herself, she knew today was the day. She was going to tell Adrien today. She and her mother had been planning this for about a week now. Was she nervous? Of course. She didn’t know how he was going to take the news, nor did she know how well she would actually execute the plan.

With a lot of coaxing, Marinette had convinced Gabriel to host a party for Adrien’s birthday that year. At first, it was supposed to be just a simple party to make her husband feel special since he didn’t get parties from his father in the past. Now, it had turned into an entirely different ordeal.

She rolled over in his arms, taking in Adrien’s sleeping form. His breathing was slow and even, while his hair was tasseled and wild, much like when he was Chat Noir. Brushing his bangs out of his face, Marinette giggled as he nuzzled into her palm. Such a cat.

He peeped an eye open to see her, letting out a small chuckle with a smile. “Good morning, my lady.”

“Good morning, kitten,” she cooed as she ran her hands through his hair.

Adrien hummed, and his smile grew wider. “You’re in a good mood. You’re usually a grumpy bug in the mornings.”

Giggling, she scratched a sweet spot on his head, making him groan. “Yeah, well, today is a good day, remember? What kind of wife would I be if I was a grumpy bug on your birthday?”

He leaned forward and nosed at her cheek. “You’d be my everyday, ordinary Marinette. It’s weird seeing you so chipper before ten.”

“I’m just excited is all,” she chimed.

“You’re excited about my birthday?” he asked with a snort.

She beamed. “Of course! You didn’t get to have parties when we were younger!”

“I still don’t know how you were able to convince my dad to throw a party at a ballroom of all places. I’m sure he’s invited designers and models, and other people I really don’t want to see.”

That earned him a laugh. “Well, don’t worry. I made sure that who I wanted got on the guest list. Plus, we put this together kind of quick. It might be too short notice for some people.”

His brow twitched. “Did you do that on purpose?”

Marinette hummed as she sat up in their bed, clad in one of his larger shirt and her pajama shorts. “Maybe, maybe not,” she sang as she stretched her arms. She turned back to him, leaning her weight on one arm. “So, how about it, birthday boy, want breakfast in bed?”

Snorting, his pushed himself up. “You spoil me too much.”

“I’m your wife. I get to do that if I want to.”

“Can’t we just stay in bed all day?” he grumbled as he stretched for her, only for her to quickly spring off the bed and tip-toe out of his reach.

“Nuh-uh. This is the one day out of the year that I have the right to spoil you as much as I want without you trying to do something in return, got it hot stuff?”

He flushed, as he did every time she called him that. “Y-Yeah, okay, fine.”

Grinning, Marinette puffed out her chest and strode out of the room in confidence. Operation: Make Adrien Agreste Feel Like The Luckiest Man In The World was a GO. It was going to start out with breakfast in bed, for sure. As Marinette started down the hallway, she felt herself get slightly woozy. Gripping the wall beside her, she panted as she held her head. Okay, maybe the operation would be a go after a quick trip to the bathroom.

Tikki hovered around Marinette as her chosen flipped blueberry pancakes over the stove. She flew and perched on her shoulder. “Are you sure you’re okay, Marinette?”

“I’m fine, Tikki. I’ve got this under control.”

The kwami started at her. “He’s going to find out if you keep pushing yourself, you know?”

“I’m telling him today. It’s going to work out.”

“Telling who what today?”

Both chosen and kwami jumped at the new voice. Marinette’s heart palpitated quickly, but thankfully, she recognized the voice wasn’t Adrien’s. Glancing over her shoulder, she saw Plagg floating next to cabinets. How long has he been there? Sneaky little cat.

“It’s nothing, Plagg. Don’t worry about it,” Marinette chimed with a forced smile. She knew Plagg was too smart for this, but she didn’t want him to accidently… well, let the cat out of the bag.

Crossing his arms, Plagg glowered at her. “Uh-huh. Fine. Don’t tell me. I see you don’t trust me.”

With a sigh, Marinette shook her head as she spoke, “It’s not like that. I just don’t want Adrien finding out anything before I want him to. Okay?”

The cat kwami’s eyes widened. “There’s nothing wrong with you, is there?”

Marinette smiled at his concern. “No, there’s nothing wrong. I promise.”

Plagg floated over and perched on her other shoulder. “You sure?”

“I’m sure.”

“Okay… are you going to make any camembert pancakes for me?”

Marinette scrunched her nose that the thought, but instead said, “I’ll see what I can do.”

“Yessss!”

After breakfast in bed, followed by syrup flavored kisses, and a warm, cuddly bubble bath together, it was actually time for the pair to begin getting ready for Adrien’s party.

Marinette was a nervous wreck.

Scrambling and pacing in their room, she was struggling to keep her cool. The plan was to tell him before the party, but oh, boy, was she freaking out. What if she completely fucked this up? What if he was upset? What if he wasn’t okay with this?

“Marinette, calm down, everything will be alright,” Tikki reassured.

Surging into her closet, she clambered through clothes trying to find the new dress she had bought just for today. It was pink with white polka-dots and flared out at the bottom. Getting into the dress caused her a bit of trouble, but thanks to Tikki, the dress was zipped without needed help from Adrien. She wanted the new dress to be a surprise as well. Deciding to keep her hair down, Marinette brushed it out in the mirror.

It was then she heard Adrien leave the bathroom beside their bedroom. She nearly squawked as she heard this footsteps go in the direction of the kitchen. Turning to her kwami, she spoke quickly. “Tikki! Don’t let him get those chocolates yet! I’m not ready!”

“On it!” her kwami chimed as she phased through the door. She knew Tikki could only stall Adrien so long. Her kitty had a habit of just staring into the refrigerator when he was bored. Marinette hurried up her pace, zipping into the bathroom to put her make-up on quickly.

“Hey, Marinette?” she heard Adrien’s voice call from the other room.

Hissing, she was hoping that he wasn’t about to ask what she thought he was. “Y-Yeah?”

Much to her surprise, he was closer than she realized when he opened the bathroom door. “Did you buy some—woah,” his question died on his tongue, thankfully. “Wow. That dress is gorgeous, Mar.”

She smiled lightly at him, before turning to the mirror to finish her mascara. “You think so?”

“Yes,” Adrien slipped in the bathroom and wrapped his arms around her from behind, “definitely. I honestly expected you to go your sexy dress route. You know, the ones that end up killing me throughout the night?”

Marinette finished her quick make-up job and turned around his arms. “Well, that would be a little inappropriate at a party thrown by your dad, wouldn’t it?”

He rolled his eyes. “Oh, yeah? What about the one at my father’s gala a few months ago? You had no problem with it then. I practically tore that thing off of you when we got home.”

Marinette popped her lips. “Yeah… about that…”

Tilting his head to the side, he cocked a brow. “What is it?”

“Were you going to ask me about those chocolates?”

Blinking in realization, he gasped slightly. “Oh, yeah! I got distracted by your beauty, my lady,” he teased as he booped her on the nose. “Anyway, what are those for? Did you make them for the party?”

It was now or never. She didn’t want to keep him in the dark any longer. “Maybe, you should go open that box up?”

“What? Why?”

“I made them special for you. You should go look at them. I worked really hard. Please, for me?”

Bending down, he placed a quick kiss on her lips. “Of course, anything for you. I’m excited to see what you made for me,” he chimed as he detached himself from her to run into the kitchen.

“You made it too,” she mumbled knowingly to herself as she followed suit behind him.

Adrien reached into the fridge and pulled out the large, square tin. He slowly started lifting the lid and glanced up her. “Ready?”

“Quit drawing it out, you silly kitty.”

Sticking his tongue out at her, he smiled. “Okay.” Adrien removed the top and stared down at the chocolates. Mouth falling agape, his eyes darted between her and the chocolates. “A-Are you serious?”

Each chocolate had a letter on it spelling out: “You are going to be a daddy.”

Marinette nodded, biting her lip shyly, still unsure of his reaction. Slowly, Adrien’s mouth morphed into a surprised grin. “Are you serious!?” he squealed as he smacked a hand on the counter. His hands flew up into his hair as he processed the news. “Oh, my God! Marinette! This is amazing! You’re amazing! C’mere, you!” Adrien flew across the kitchen and scooped her up into a hug, lifting her off the floor. “This is the greatest birthday gift I could ever want!”

Giggling, Marinette smiled down him. “I’m glad you think so.”

Setting her down gently, Adrien cupped her cheeks and pulled her in for a searing kiss. “God, I love you.”

“I love you, too,” she said before being pulled back in for another kiss.

Adrien’s excitement was still bubbling. He spoke so quickly, “I can’t believe this. We’re having a baby! We’re going to be parents! This is one of the greatest days of my life!”

“I know, I’m so glad you’re happy about this.”

He cocked a brow. “You thought I wouldn’t be?”

“Well, you never know…” she murmured as she glanced away from him.

Adrien tucked two fingers under her chin, bringing her gaze back to him. “A family with you is more than I could ever want, Marinette. I mean that,” he pressed a soft, meaningful kiss to her lips. She felt it. His love, his excitement, all of it.

He pulled away a little breathless, but she could still see his curiosity. “So, how long have you known?”

“A few weeks.”

“Does anyone else know?”

“Besides Tikki?” she asked with a laugh. “Yeah, our parents know.”

Squinting at her, he nodded. “Ahhh, that’s how you got my dad to agree to a last minute party. You used the ‘you’re gonna be a granddad’ card. Nicely done.”

“We made a deal that you and I would announce it at the party, but I still wanted it to be a birthday surprise for you. I figured that you wouldn’t be able to keep it in long anyway,” Marinette smirked.

Adrien bounced giddily. “Like hell I’m keeping this in! I’m too excited to not tell every living being I see! I’ll scream it from the rooftops! Watch me!”

“How about you wait until you’re Chat Noir to shout it from the rooftops.”

“Deal!”

#mlfluffmonth #miraculous fluff month #ml fluff month #miraculous ladybug #miraculous trash #ml fanfic #adrinette #adrienette #adrien x marinette

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