#take a closer look and you see the glitter on chat noir's mask

[yukifantaji]

Miraculous: Ladybug & Cat Noir, the Movie (2023)

#miraculous ladybug #miraculous movie #aesthetic #moodboard #miraculous awakening #take a closer look and you see the glitter on chat noir's mask

[xhanisai]

See Me

AO3 / FFN

Pairing - Marichat (One sided reveal where he knows)

Prompt - ‘See Me’

Summary -

"I fell for you...both sides of you, so hard. And now knowing not only are you way out of my league, but you're also in love with Buttercup too? It hurts...it hurts so much..." Tears were now cascading down her partner's sad little face, his body seeming so small and vulnerable tucked in her bed. "Why don't you see me? What will it take for you to see me?"

"I do, mon Chaton. I do see you. I've always been looking at you," She held his hand against her warm chest, baby blues compassionate with unadulterated love. "But...But...until the day we defeat Monarque, we cannot be any more than what we are for the sake of our safety and our loved ones too."

~(x)~ . . . "What do I do, Marinette? I'm so hopelessly and madly in love with you," A thoroughly dishevelled Chat Noir clutched the duvet that the girl wrapped over his shivering form, his voice painfully broken (whether it was because he was very sick or because he was really emotional, his beloved partner wasn't able to tell) and his feline emeralds watery with lethargy. "Finding out...finding out your real name and identity is both the bestest day and worstest day of my life," He continued with a few more sniffles, burying himself further within the cotton pink comforts until all that was visible was his huge green eyes, his fluffy blond hair and his kitten ears. Marinette wordlessly paused in her ministrations, her petite hand frozen on his forehead when she was checking his temperature (which was still much too high for her liking). Her eyebrows were furrowed and pretty pink lips pursed, beckoning her Chaton to continue with where he was going. "I fell for you...both sides of you, so hard. And now knowing not only are you way out of my league, but you're also in love with Buttercup too? It hurts...it hurts so much..." Tears were now cascading down her partner's sad little face, his body seeming so small and vulnerable tucked in her bed. "Why don't you see me? What will it take for you to see me?" The smile she wore was so adoring yet so bittersweet at the same time. She tilted her head ever so slightly to the side, wisps of dark midnight strands curling around her soft face and eyes practically glittering. "I do, mon Chaton. I do see you. I've always been looking at you," She held his hand against her warm chest, baby blues compassionate with unadulterated love. "But...But...until the day we defeat Monarque, we cannot be any more than what we are for the sake of our safety and our loved ones too." . "I hate him. I hate him so much. I just want to hold you in my arms. I want to kiss your pretty lips. I want to finally be yours." His tears continued to stream down his mask, his voice slightly nasal and gravelly and the edge of the duvet still covering the lower half of his flustered face. Marinette remained silent, lying down right next to him over the covers with her hand placed over his and offered what she hoped was a comforting smile. She knew that the last thing she should be doing was staying so close to her sick partner but dammit, she couldn't bear to stay another second apart from him. Especially when he's so upset and crying those tears. "Hate who?" She asked with a quaint mischievous tone, smile widening when the hero puffed out his cheeks in a manner that reminded her of hamsters stuffing their faces. "Monarque. Buttercup. Hate them so much." He wiggled closer, honest emerald greens peering under his unruly, golden fringe. "I hate that they both caused you so much pain- even if it was unintentional on Buttercup's part." He squeezed her hand tighter, his brows pinched under his dark mask. "You deserve the world! The moon...the stars...everything!" A vision of the destroyed moon and the annihilated city from the other timeline was quick to flash within Marinette's mind for a split second, causing her to be momentarily petrified on the spot and her eyes to turn to steel. However, she quickly brushed it away to the back of her mind, hoping that her partner didn't catch her bewildered expression and the way her muscles stiffened. Hoping that he didn't detect the despondency that flickered within her blues because of the way he reminded her of his own battered yet lonely self decked in blinding white. Perhaps if he wasn't so sick, he would've noted the tension that flared up within her frame. "Again, that sadness in your eyes..." Maybe she spoke too soon. After all, her Chaton was so perceptive and patient and just so loving; he'd be able to pinpoint if her hair was bent out of shape a million miles away. "I wish you were able to tell me what caused you so much pain and anguish. I wish I could protect you from it all so that you can smile freely like you once used to," This time, the other hand that was under the duvet peeked out to stroke Marinette's cheek, thumb rubbing the cheekbone tenderly and catching the lone tear that escaped her eye. "One day, when things are different...when we're finally safe...I'll tell you," Marinette wore a wobbly but true smile, full of unspoken promises and vows. "First, get better, Chat Noir. Sleep. You need your rest." . "Do I get a goodnight kiss?" His soft yet cheeky request had Marinette's heart skip far too many beats for it to be healthy, her complexion taking on a brilliant red hue and all traces of her pain from earlier on were wiped off clean (much to his silent pleasure). "Eh? B-B-But you're sick! I can't kiss you! O-Otherwise, I'd get sick!" Chat Noir smiled goofily under the covers as he watched his partner fall into a series of babbles and word soup, something he's more than familiar with as a civilian whenever they were at school or hanging out. Something that he always found so endearing and absolutely adorable to the point where it fuelled his wants and needs to stay by her side as much as possible. Slowly, he sat up despite his aching muscles' protests, watching Marinette intensely as she followed suit to steady him with a cute flustered scowl. Cute, cute, cute, his Lady is so cute~ "If you were really concerned about not getting sick, you wouldn't be so close to me right now~" He waggled his eyebrows with exaggeration, earning a soft but firm slap on the shoulders which only caused him to cackle quietly (or, dubbed by his Lady, his 'Gremlin Laugh'). "You shouldn't make j-j-jokes about kissing, silly Minou. Go to sleep!" His face only softened even further, his green eyes vivid and the reflection of his lover on them so crystal clear. He was picturesque and undeniably belonged with her soft pink pillows and duvets and blankets, bathed under the golden hue of her twinkling fairy lights. He was beautiful and wonderful and easily became a part of her home from day one. "It wasn't a joke," Charmingly, he tilted his head to the side, kitten eyes pleading and golden skin lit up in a sweet, red feverish hue. "One kiss?" "F-Fine. Give me your cheek-" "On the lips, please?" He knew he was pushing it. He knew he was being selfish right now but at the same time, it just felt so right. He didn't know if it was because he's already shed all of his vulnerabilities and some of his true feelings before her or if it was because of an inner gut feeling he has never failed to trust. Always following his heart. . He expected another "no", a flick on the forehead or even a pillow being thrown to the face. . He didn't expect the fleeting moment of her lips (soft, sweet, sinful lips) grazing his like the flutter of a butterfly's delicate wing. . "That's all you're getting...silly Chaton..." Marinette murmured almost timidly, eyes averted away from his and the apples of her cheeks so red, they would have given her alter ego's suit a run for its money. "Silly boys who catch colds from dancing in the rain without an umbrella should suffer a little." Chat Noir remained rooted on the spot, gawking at her with raw astonishment and pupils blown out to the point where his irises were only a thin ring of spring. The blatant awe was immediately snapped out of him as a sudden pillow was slammed into his face without mercy, making him fall back on the bed and into the abundance of cushions. When he regained his bearings, he was face to face with his wonderful and extremely blushy Princesse. "Quit staring at me and go to sleep! You're embarrassing me! Stupid!" Chat Noir was evidently still in the middle of rebooting for all he replied back with was: "I love you so much." . He didn't get to sleep until he was whacked by the giant cat teddy a dozen more times.

#miraculous ladybug #miraculous ladybug and chat noir #my writing #my fanfiction #ml fanfic #ml fanfiction #marichat #marinette dupain cheng #adrien agreste #chat noir #ladybug

[soulmate-game]

Bio Dad Bruce Wayne Month 2020

Day 2: Father Daughter Bonding

Marinette had known her father was Bruce Wayne since she was thirteen, and the man showed up on her balcony one day in full bat-attire exactly one month after Hawkmoth appeared. He had apparently spent the whole month sorting through all of his magical contacts and trying to figure out who the heroes were so he could offer help—only to realize that the apparent leader of the duo of heroes was his biological daughter that he never met or told about his existence.

Okay, so the majority of the month was actually spent on him trying to figure out how to deal with the daughter he had never met becoming a superhero, even a leader of a team, without his assistance or influence whatsoever. But. Regardless. It ended up with him taking a Zeta tube at midnight in Gotham, and ending up on Marinette’s balcony as she got ready for school.

That was when Marinette learned about Bruce Wayne being both Batman and her biological father. After, of course, a brief heart attack at seeing a stranger outside her trap door.

But besides that short visit, Bruce had largely respected Marinette’s order request to stay out of Paris. He understood, after all he held a similar policy for metas in Gotham. Didn’t mean he was happy about leaving Marinette to deal with her supervillain without any reliable backup, but he stayed out of the city nonetheless.

But, there was Marinette’s lack of training to see to. She was not completely untrained, she knew at least two types of martial arts pretty well and her gymnastics ability was second only to Dick himself. But for a superhero? No, she needed a lot of teaching still. So Bruce had arranged for her to spend some holidays and a weekend or two that she could get away with over at Gotham (via Zeta tubes or other portal of course) for him and the other Bats to personally instruct her. Now, three annoying years later without any solid evidence to land Gabriel in the brig (though they all knew by then that he was definitely Hawkmoth), Marinette decided to switch things up.

She landed on a gargoyle’s head, on one of her rare patrols with Batman. She wasn’t Ladybug there, instead deciding to go by the simple name Rouge Wing, as both a play on her native language and the fact that red bats are considered lucky in China. She didn’t wear her Miraculous on these patrols, instead using the rare opportunity to develop her natural skills. And prove once and for all to her stupid brother that, yes, she could keep up with him. And, no, it didn’t matter if she didn’t grow up in a temple learning how to kill, she can still hang him upside down by his ankles if he upsets her one more time—.

Right. The gargoyle.

Batman landed on the rooftop behind her, raising an eyebrow under his cowl. “Don’t you usually make fun of me for perching like that?” He asked, crossing his arms. Robin landed on that same rooftop a moment later, choosing just to sit on the lip of the building and swing one leg lazily over the edge. He and Marinette tended to get along at least half the time nowadays, which Bruce considered An Accomplishment. Marinette only hummed, blue eyes hidden behind her red domino mask as she gazed over the dark city.

“I’ve just been thinking—“

“Nothing new there,” Robin interrupted. “Should I be on the lookout before you run into a wall again?”

Marinette tossed one of her batarangs at him, which he only had to duck to dodge. Sticking her tongue out like a Mature Teenager, she continued. “You guys do things really differently here in Gotham. Which makes sense, of course, because Gotham is a lot different than Paris. But…”

“But?” Batman prodded, deciding to sit on the rooftop and lean one arm on the lip of it so he could lean towards his blood children.

“But it’s been three years. You hardly ever get out of Gotham besides JL meetings or missions, Dad. And, well, if you promise to keep a handle on your emotions—“

Robin snorted, before realizing where this discussion was going. His eyes widened behind his mask in disbelief. “No way.”

Marinette glared at him half heartedly for a moment before completely turning around on her gargoyle and facing Batman. “We don’t see each other enough. And it’s not easy for me to come to Gotham all the time. So maybe, just this once, you can come to Paris and patrol with me? Next week, maybe?”

Bruce couldn’t talk for a moment, just staring at his daughter with his mouth slightly agape. Marinette had been very specific: no non-miraculous heroes in Paris. Period. Not him, not Robin, nobody, because she wasn’t sure she and her partner would be able to win against an Akumatized hero with years of experience.

Robin tossed a birdarang at Batman, which he dodged on instinct. “Well, he’s still alive,” he remarked to his sister. Rouge Wing had scooted closer somewhere during Batman’s shock, looking minorly concerned.

“What brought this on?” Bruce finally asked, making his daughter sigh in relief at the proof of his consciousness.

“Well, multiple reasons. For one, I know now that I am capable of at least restraining you until I have the chance to break an akumatized item, so there aren’t too many worries there anymore. And I only see you once every month if I’m lucky—“

“And her birthday is next week,” Robin supplied easily, smirking at the glare his sister sent him at that.

“Traitor,” Marinette grumbled, puffing out her cheeks a little. Considering the two of them were only a month apart in age, with Damian being the older of the two, it wasn’t unusual for Bruce to forget about one or the other. Summer birthdays in general were hard for him to remember, what with all the spring birthdays that he strained to keep up with.

“Oh, oh,” Bruce sighed, rubbing a hand over his cowl-covered forehead. “That’s right. I’m sorry, of course I’m more than happy to visit Paris next week. Maybe we can even do more than one day?”

Marinette relaxed, nodding. “That would be nice. Just, not in your civilian persona. Bruce Wayne is too recognizable, even in Paris, but a visit from Batman would be shrugged off as just us getting help. But, in order for everything to work, it would probably have to be a day patrol.”

Batman flinched a bit. That’s right— his daughter was a day hero. He wasn’t looking forward to patrolling in full daylight, but he owed her this at least.

“I’ll be there.”

—*—*—*—*—*

When Batman arrived on Marinette’s balcony (actually expected, this time), it was to see the poor girl covered head to toe in ribbons and balloons that all had some variation of “sweet sixteen,” “happy birthday,” and ���16!” On them. She hadn’t even been able to transform yet, her Kwami just munching on a cupcake and giggling at her expense. She even had a party hat on her head, but judging by the way she was trying to wrestle it off it hadn’t been put on her head willingly.

“Need help?” Bruce asked when he entered her room, peeling his cowl back and grinning a little at the awkward sight she made. Marinette groaned, looking at him with the most pitiful expression ever.

“Please! Maman and Papan always like celebrating my birthday, and they’ve gone over the top a few times, but I think they went a bit…” she pulled at one of her pigtails, releasing a waterfall of glitter. “Crazy this year.”

Bruce chuckled, walking over and helping to untangle the various ribbons, streamers, and other celebratory restraints that had trapped the petite Parisian. Then, once she was completely untangled and only stubborn confetti and glitter remained, Bruce hung a small box to one of her pigtails by one of it’s bow-loops. She let out a surprised laugh, rolling her eyes at him before pulling it off and looking at it properly.

On a little white card it said: “Happy 16th, Marinette!” In Bruce’s handwriting. It was a small, black box with silver ribbon tied around it in a bow. Marinette couldn’t help but snort at the color choice, sending her dad a knowing look that he dutifully ignored. Carefully removing the bow and unwrapping it, she opened the box to see two little silver, bat-shaped hair pins. Carefully taking them out, she could feel that they were real metal, and surprisingly sharp.

“You can wear them however you want in your hair, to hold your bangs back or in your pigtails,” Brice decided to explain. “They have trackers in them—no, don’t give me that look. They only activate if you tap SOS on one of them. If you hold down the back of the clip, you can extend small blades if you ever need to cut yourself out of a trap or defend yourself.”

“You gave me mini batarangs for my hair,” Marinette teased, but immediately clipped them to her pigtails. “I love them. Ready for patrol?”

“Whenever you are,” he agreed before pulling his cowl back down.

One transformation and some travel later, and they were at the Eiffel Tower to plan their route.

“Obviously, Paris is too big for me to patrol the whole place on my own alongside school and Akumas,” Ladybug explained. “Even with Chat Noir’s help, it’s too big. So, just like you guys back in Gotham, we have routes that we rotate out. But the police here actually do their job and can handle most criminals, so our patrols follow a different logic than in Gotham.”

Batman nodded, holding his chin as he considered that. “That makes sense. Instead of focusing so much on the more crime-heavy parts of the city, especially since Hawkmoth hasn’t akumatized any criminals yet, it makes more sense to focus on areas around schools, tourist sites and other hotspots for recreation, and the general residential area.”

Marinette nodded. After talking a bit more about how she and Chat normally patrolled, and why, they actually hit the rooftops. It only took thirty minutes before Marinette had to intervene, grabbing Batman’s shoulder before he could punch a purse snatcher. The criminal in question, clutching a sparkly holographic purse in utter terror, couldn’t even muster the courage to run in the face of the famous Dark Knight. Ladybug glared at the older hero for a second before turning to the thief and shrugging with a lopsided smile.

“Sorry, he’s still not used to Parisian crime stopping. I’m reigning him in though, no worries,” she assured him. Just as the thief began to back away though, her yo-yo sprung out and wrapped him up head to toe, allowing Ladybug to grab the purse with a smile. “Thank you, I’ll take that. Remember Batman, minimal force. This isn’t Crime Alley.”

Batman grumbled. “It was just gonna be one punch,” as he zip tied the guy and dragged him to the corner for the police to pick up. Ladybug returned the purse.

“See? A daytime patrol isn’t that bad,” Ladybug remarked as she ran over the rooftops with Batman, deciding that sticking closer to her dad was more important than going as fast as possible. Batman grunted, but Ladybug saw his minuscule grin.

“I still prefer the night.”

“Only because you don’t stick out like a sore thumb at night,” she teased. And then the Akuma Alarm went off.

—*—*—*—*—*

Marinette panted as she lay sprawled over her bed, catching her breath. Bruce was slumped in her computer chair, cowl off and head curving over the top of the headrest. After a moment, Marinette spoke up;

“You look peaceful.”

“When I’m winded?” He cracked an eye open to shoot her a tired but still deadpan look. She snorted.

“No. With your eyes closed. And cheer up, it was only Gigantitan. Not anywhere near the worst we could have gotten.”

“I think you’re forgetting that I don’t have magic helping me out. Fighting giant children is not something I do often.”

“Oh please, you’ve fought way worse.”

“... that is true.”

“Dad?”

“Mmhmm?”

“Thanks.”

“Of course. Want to go back to Gotham with me and get ice cream before you have to be back for dinner?”

“Read my mind.”

—*—*—*—*—*

hi! Let me clarify something real quick guys. These one shots are for Bio Dad Bruce Wayne Month. Meaning, there are 30 prompts, one for each day of september. These one shots will NOT be connected unless previously stated! This one, as you could probably tell, has NOTHING to do with the story for Day 1. I’m just exploring a bunch of possibilities and letting my imagination run wild for these. Nonetheless, I will definitely tag you if you want. Thanks!

@momothefemur @ladybug-182 @starlightshield @trippingovermyfeet @greatcatblaze

#maribat #ml x dc #mlb x dc #b!dbwm2020 #bio dad bruce wayne #platonic brucinette #platonic daminette #B!dbwm #Day Two

[roseinaugust]

Like an Old Enemy

Chapter Eight: You Can Bring The Trowel

Summary: Miraculous Enemies AU. Gabriel Agreste has the Black Cat Miraculous in his possession, so when his wife, Emilie, "disappears," he sends his son, Adrien, undercover to pose as Ladybug's partner. Two years later, the once famous duo are sworn enemies. Marinette might have loved Chat Noir once, but now she would stop at nothing to defeat him. Adrien will do whatever it takes to bring his mother back. Best friends in their civilian lives, Adrien and Marinette find obstacles and complications when they can no longer deny their love for each other. But will they be able to understand and forgive the mistakes of their past? Or will they be doomed to end as bitter rivals a second time?

Rated: T

Pairings: Ladybug/Chat Noir Enemies, Adrien Agreste/Marinette Dupain-Cheng Mutual Pining

Word Count: 7,619

Read on: ao3

A/N: I am only posting part of this chapter on tumblr so please read the rest on ao3!

Marinette never ate the ice cream Andre had given her. So, why was Chat Noir on her balcony? 

There was really only one possible answer: he knew her identity. Her plan with the Black Potion seemed foolproof but he must have seen something or figured it out, biding his time until he had the perfect opportunity to attack when she was vulnerable. He probably followed her all night, lurking in the shadows as she made a fool of herself in front of her friends. She wouldn’t put it past him and Hawkmoth if they turned out to be the reason why Adrien couldn’t come in the first place; they always orchestrated plans like that. 

What was she going to do? Should she transform and fight him here on her cramped balcony? If he already knew her identity, then this was it. There would be no escape into the night to regroup; it would be over, and she would need every bit of Ladybug’s strength to finish it. 

But what if he didn’t know? It seemed improbable, but if there was even the smallest chance her identity hadn’t been compromised, shouldn’t she take the risk to protect it? She could lose precious time as a civilian, but until she knew without a shadow of a doubt that Chat Noir knew she was Ladybug, she couldn’t transform. 

Now that left her with the task of deciding what to do with him. She glanced, ever so slightly, over her shoulder to gauge how far away he was. He was only a single—albeit large—step away, standing directly in the middle of her balcony. It was time to stop thinking, time to act instead. 

“Marinette?” Chat Noir said again, raising his right arm as if to tap her on the shoulder. 

She stepped backwards until her back was nearly flush to his chest. Her left hand circled around his outstretched wrist as her right locked underneath his bicep. Before he could even process what was happening, Marinette dropped her weight, pulling Chat Noir over her shoulder. He let out an oof of pain as he landed on the solid ground of her terrace. His metallic black ring glittered, catching the moonlight on his outstretched hand. 

Before she could move to take the ring, Chat Noir hooked his legs around her ankles, sending her plummeting to the hard surface, her head barely missing the corner of the flower box. Pain jolted through her back, but she gritted her teeth and looked for a way out of her predicament. As a civilian, she couldn’t overpower Chat Noir, and she no longer had the element of surprise. 

What she needed was a weapon. 

Chat Noir was already on his feet, his cat-like reflexes giving him an advantage. In a blink of an eye, he was hovering over her. This was it. He was going to kill her. She was going to die and she had spent her last day on earth acting like a brat because of some stupid ice cream. He grinned as he grew closer, that easy-going charm that masked the cruelty beneath. If she was going to die, she would give one hell of a fight going down. 

She swiftly reached for the discarded trowel next to her, brandishing it in front of her with straight arms. Chat Noir veered back as the point of the gardening tool found its way to the sliver of exposed skin at his throat. He blinked at her in astonishment. Marinette was still laying on her back; Chat Noir was still too close. The only way out of her position would be to transform. “Are you still mad that I threw a rock at you?” She baited, throwing one last-ditched attempt to see if he knew her identity. 

He blinked once more, then burst into laughter. His eyes squeezed shut and his shoulders bounced, the sound of his laugh harsh against the quiet night. She longed just moments ago to hear that sound. Now, though it was just as melodic as before, it left a bitter taste in her mouth. How quickly her desires changed when confronted with reality. Chat Noir plucked the trowel out of her hands, super-strength overpowering her grip, and dropped it onto a nearby table carelessly. Weaponless and defenseless, Marinette sucked in a breath, accepting the limited options she had left. There was only one: transform and fight. 

Before she could say the transformation words, she was lifted off the ground effortlessly. Arms held aloft for balance, Marinette found herself on her feet once more. She eyed Chat Noir as he moved to the opposite side of the terrace, distancing himself from her. What is he playing at? He took one look at Marinette’s defensive stance and laughed, “Don’t worry. I’m not going to hurt you.” 

He had her completely defenseless and chose to help her up. Maybe he really didn’t know she was Ladybug… She straightened but kept her eyes fixed on him, poised for any sudden movement. “You already have.” He hurt her in more ways than he knew. 

“Sorry,” he apologized. He looked genuinely sorry for causing her pain, but she would never know what was genuine when Chat Noir was concerned. “But you had me in quite a compromising position.” He said, returning to his typical laissez-faire attitude. He held up his right hand, waggling his fingers to show off the Ring of the Black Cat. “Where’d you learn to do that?” 

“Akuma self defense class.” She answered curtly, thankful for the few afternoons she managed to convince Alya and Alix to join her. She was plenty strong and quite adept at fighting, but she wanted to be prepared as Marinette in case she was unable to transform. 

“Came in handy.” 

“Yeah, well it’s not like I expected a supervillain to show up on my balcony.” She crossed her arms, playing into the annoyed civilian act she used during Evillustrator and Syren. “What are you doing here, Chat Noir?” 

“Oh you know, the life of a villain gets boring sometimes. Lonely even.” That lazy grin that once made Marinette feel safe and secure, unsettled her now. 

“I’m not afraid of you,” she lied. She was very much afraid, but she would never show it to him. 

Chat Noir watched her intently before saying, “I know.”

Marinette’s skin prickled, annoyance and anger setting in at the surety of his statement. “Don’t pretend like you know me,” she bristled. 

He abandoned his spot on the terrace, making his way to her at a crawl. She held her ground. If she backed away, he would see her fear. He was only a step away when he spoke again, just above a whisper: “And what if I’m not pretending?” 

A pause. 

Then a flurry of action. 

Marinette ducked around Chat Noir, maneuvering her body away until it was next to the table. She grabbed for the trowel again, but he was too fast. He was on her in a blink of an eye, spinning her to face him. His chest flat against  hers, so close she saw his eyes dilate in the dim glow of her string lights. Her wrist held in his hand, a firm grip that pressed into her, demanding she release the weapon. “Tsk tsk, Marinette,” he ducked his head to whisper in her ear. His breath sent a shiver down her spine. “I told you that I wouldn’t hurt you. Don’t you trust me?” 

“No.” She stated flatly. All her attention was focused on keeping her hold on the tool, but it was no use. As Marinette, she couldn’t compete with Chat Noir, and released it. It clattered to the floor between them and Chat Noir let go of her wrist in favor of retrieving it. With it in his grasp, he moved away from her and perched on the railing. 

“Smart girl,” He used the tip of the trowel to clean underneath his claws. She rolled her eyes, exasperated with the stupid cat’s jokes. His costume covered the underneath of his claws. “But you can. Trust me, that is.” 

“And why’s that?” She scoffed. If there was one thing she couldn’t do, it was trust Chat Noir. 

“Well, I’ve already saved your life twice. Seems kinda stupid to start hurting you now.” He stated as if this was the most logical answer. 

“So why did you? Doesn’t it go against your image to save civilians?” She sneered, emphasizing the ‘civilian’ aspect to distance herself from a certain spotted superhero. 

“Yes, which is why it’s our little secret.” He winked at her, lounging on top the railing as if he owned the place. 

“Why did you save me?” Marinette stepped forward. “You never answered me last week during Syren’s akuma.”

He sat up, pointing an accusatory finger at her. “That’s not true. I gave you an answer.” 

“You said you didn’t want me to die.” She took another step forward. Chat Noir held his neutral expression, refusing to comment. “Why? You don’t care about civilians dying. So why save me?” 

That finally got a reaction out of him. He slipped off the railing to face her head on. “You don’t know what I care about.” 

She moved closer again, brows furrowed as she tried to make sense of him. “What are you saying? That you care about me?” He clenched his jaw, silent under the night sky, neither confirming nor denying her question. She searched his eyes for an answer but they were unreadable—a mysterious storm of green that masked his emotions. “Why? What makes me different?” 

He broke first, turning around to look out over the city. “Everything,” he breathed, so quiet she could barely hear him. 

Marinette’s mind reeled. How could he possibly feel like this? Although she has known him for years, Chat Noir only just met Marinette less than a month ago. Evillustrator felt like a different lifetime, but in reality it’s only been a few weeks. His words from earlier rung in her head, and what if I’m not pretending? Was it possible that she knew Chat Noir in his civilian identity? Or is this just part of another scheme to take the Miraculous? 

Her temper flared at the inability to solve this puzzle. She’s had enough of these games, enough of this back and forth dance, circling around the situation. “Why did you really come here?” At his silence, she marched over to the iron railing. There was still a considerable distance between them, but her presence demanded answers. 

He shrugged, turning his head slightly to see her. “You looked upset.” 

She hadn’t meant to laugh, but the sheer ridiculousness of that statement made it impossible to contain. “What? You thought you would cheer me up?” 

His lip twitched before plastering on his trademarked grin. “You don’t like me,” he stated casually. 

Marinette didn’t know if that was strictly true. Like and dislike. Love and hate. The concepts were all so interwoven and complex it was impossible to tell them apart anymore. The way she felt about him now as he stood before her—though she couldn’t quite tell if she even felt anything other than the necessity of survival—was not the same as she felt walking home that evening. Was there even a word that could encapsulate all her thoughts about him? One word to describe the masochistic ache of missing someone who hurt you in immeasurable ways? Was there a phrase to relate to the quick-fire shifts in her emotions; from loathe to longing to bitterness all in the blink of an eye? Marinette didn’t think it was possible to summarize all her history with Chat Noir into a simple ‘like.’ Instead she asked, “Am I supposed to?” 

Taking her response as a confirmation of her dislike, Chat Noir resumed nonchalance. “That’s your opinion, even if it’s the wrong one to have.” 

“I didn’t realize my opinion mattered.” 

He didn’t respond. Instead, he shifted, turning his back to the night sky and leaned against the iron railing. “So,” He started, changing the conversation, “what has you crying alone on your balcony?” 

She reddened, embarrassed of being perceived in such a vulnerable state with out her knowledge. She had cried in front of him before, but that was as Ladybug, when she had anonymity and the security of her mask. But this, him seeing her as Marinette during what she thought was a private moment, suddenly felt like a violation. It was wrong. It was all wrong. He was never supposed to see her as Marinette. Never supposed to have access to this part of her life. That was supposed to be secret—sacred, even—yet here he was, intruding. “How did you even know I was crying? Were you spying on me?” She asked defensively. 

“What? No, no!” He was flustered. “I swear. Hawkmoth sent me to this area. I was positioned over there,” he pointed to the school rooftop across the street, “and saw you come out to the balcony crying.” She narrowed her eyes at him. It could all be a lie obviously, but the rational part of her brain poked holes in her own theories. How would Hawkmoth and Chat Noir have known she would come out to her balcony tonight? She was unsettled, but she needed to see what information she could get out of him. Why had Hawkmoth sent him to this area? She couldn’t ask him that yet, he would deflect or outright refuse to answer. Marinette needed to gain his trust but it had to seem like he was earning hers too. 

“What makes you think I would even tell you what was wrong?” 

He shrugged, tilting his head up to look into the night sky. A breeze blew through the air, lifting Marinette’s hair but she didn’t move to push it back. “Sometimes,” he started after a pause, “it’s easier to talk about your problems with a stranger.” 

Her breath hitched. Here was her opening. It might be shot down but there wouldn’t be a better opportunity to ask. The possibility that she knew Chat in his civilian identity quickened her heartbeat. What if he was someone she was friends with? Would it be akin to a second betrayal? Another friendship ruined by the strange circumstances she found herself in? 

While the prospect terrified her, it would also give her a starting point to uncover his identity. For the past year, she’s had nothing but dead ends, overwhelmed by the vast amount of possible suspects in the city. If she knew him, if he was someone in her life, it narrowed her search. Possibly enough for her to find out once and for all who wore the Black Cat Ring. She inhaled deeply, building her courage to ask, “Are we really strangers though?”

For a while he didn’t say anything. His silence was making her anxious and she was suddenly aware of how cold the night air was. With his sly grin cemented on his face, he straightened and turned to her, holding out his empty hand. “Come with me,” he said with a step forward. 

A/N: Reminder that this is only part of the chapter so read the rest here

#Miraculous ladybug #miraculous ladybug fic #ml enemies au #ladynoir enemies #adrienette mutual pining #marichat #ladynoir #adrienette #angst fic #marinette dupain cheng #adrien agreste #my fic #like an old enemy

[verysheep]

Getting Over It (Marichat May 2021)

Ngl this is the most fun I’ve had writing fanfic in a while lol. I based the top that Ladybug wears on a traditional Chinese fashion that I believe is from the Ming dynasty and is called a chang’ao (you should 100% search up pictures bc it is so beautiful). If anyone thinks that I should remove the description of this piece, please let me know why and I’ll remove it! You can also read this fic here on ao3 👀. 

Previous | Next

Chapter 2: In the Empty

Adrien knew he was dreaming when she smiled at him. Ladybug would never look at him with such love in reality, but here she was warm and safe, pressed into his chest. Her head was on his shoulder as they sat in a field of flowers. It wasn’t rare that she showed up in his dreams, but he cherished each moment all the same.

Both were transformed, but her suit had taken on an older look. Ladybug’s spotted design remained, but it fell soft against a rich red, giving her a cloudy appearance in the setting sun. Her sleeves were long and folded over, revealing the light pink fabric underneath. The top ran down below her waist, with slits on both sides almost melting into the top half of the long black skirt she wore underneath it.

As Adrien stole another glance at her, he noted that her hair had been pinned up into a low bun adorned with a hair piece which mimicked small redcurrants sprouting from the gold. Ladybug’s mask was no longer cloth, but instead a powdery mix of red and black dots. She seemed like she was glowing, and yet his eyes couldn’t focus on her appearance. It felt like if he looked at one part for too long, it would disappear, taking her along with it.

A breeze wafted past them, her hair brushing along his cheek. She giggled and looked up at him, flicking the bell around his neck playfully. He smiled down at her before closing his eyes and leaning back into her hair. The calm moment between them didn’t last long however, as Adrien felt the ground melt into nothingness below them.

They were falling. His hair and ears were battered by winds, arms still locked with Ladybug’s as they flew faster and faster downward. He looked at her, terrified, until he noticed that she was laughing. Adrenaline pumping through his body as he pulled her closer, and let go of his fear.

They twirled in the sky, her hair becoming undone as the golden hair piece burst into pieces, spreading itself around them in a fine dust. Adrien felt his body slow down, until both he and Ladybug were just standing in empty space. The floor was coated with the glittering dust, but Adrien couldn’t tear his eyes from Ladybug’s. But eventually something shifting on the ground grabbed his attention.

It started with her legs, the black skirt dissolving into the dust on the ground, which was beginning to lightly twirl around her. Adrien held her arms tighter as panic bubbled in his stomach

“What’s happening my Lady?” He asked, looking back up in confusion.

She only smiled at him, lifting her hand to his shoulder as her legs vanished into the black whirlwind of dust surrounding her.

“Please, Ladybug, what’s wrong, I-'' Adrien swallowed dryly, feeling horrified as her arms began to disappear in front of him. He grabbed at the dust flowing gently from his leather clad shoulder, but it slipped through his claws to join the rest in their swirl of colors.

“I don’t understand,” He cried weakly. “Where are you going?”

She just kept smiling, looking at him with that same warmth, until she was gone. Adrien fell to his knees, alone in the empty. The light from the glitter reflected onto his face, as he sat, stunned at the sudden vanishing of his Lady.

A quiet laugh echoed behind him, causing him to scramble up, turning toward the source. A figure was standing there, close, but shadowed in his vision. The voice began to speak, and Adrien’s stomach turned with every word.

“ So, do you have any plans for this weekend? ”

No.

No, why was his brain showing him this?

“ Not really, why? Do you want to do something? ”

His own voice responded, echoing around the darkness surrounding them.

“ I uh, I was thinking maybe, um, we could go on a… date, maybe? ”

He could see her face clearly now, looking at him shyly.

“ A… a date? ”

She looked away now, biting her cheek.

“ Yeah, I um, I’ve liked you for a long time now so… ”

He could see her hands fidgeting with the umbrella she had brought.

“ Really? I had no idea, since when? ”

At this she looked back at him.

“ Oh um, since you handed me this umbrella, actually. ”

Adrien’s eyebrows lifted in surprise.

“ It’s been that long? ”

Shifting, she handed him the closed umbrella. Her eyes were so hopeful.

“ Yeah, actually I wanted to return it finally ha, after, you know, five years. ”

He saw her visibly wince as she said this.

“ Oh, um, thank you, for that, but Marinette… “

Her face fell at his tone.

“ I’m sorry, I’m in love with someone else. ”

At this, her face turned blank before blossoming into a kind smile.

“ Oh, okay, yeah I thought so, it’s no big deal .”

He felt like Ladybug was turning into dust all over again.

“ No really, I’m sorry Marinette-”

She was gathering her things quickly while starting to walk away.

“ It’s fine Adrien, it’s fine. ”

Slipping through his fingers like dust. Adrien wouldn’t let her go this time though, he needed her to understand.

“Please, Marinette wait!”

She didn’t turn around. He was going to be alone again.

“Don’t leave, I- you’re one of my best friends!”

How did she get so far away from him? He was sure it was impossible to move that quickly.

“Marinette,” His voice cracked. “Please.”

Then she was in front of him again. Only this time her hair was wet, and she was furiously wiping her face. He reached out to her, pulling her solidly against him. Marinette only shook in his arms, but he didn’t care. He was the reason she was like this, he was the reason she was heartbroken. Guilt swarmed through him, mixed with another emotion.

Relief, that she had come back, that she had stayed in the empty with him. Adrien couldn’t let her go, not this time. He didn’t want to be left alone again, left without friends, and-

And even if he had friends, he didn’t want Marinette to walk away from him again. So, he held her, hoping that he could remain just for a while longer in this dream. Just for a while longer with her.

But, that’s the thing about dreams, you have to wake up from them at some point. And he did.

Staring at the ceiling of his apartment, Adrien contemplated his options. Marinette was heartbroken, their encounter earlier that day had been a clear indication that as Adrien Agreste, he couldn’t help her feel better. As Chat Noir, however, he could. He needed to take responsibility for what he had done, at least help Marinette move on from him. And when he thought back on it, she had always seemed less jumpy around him as Chat.

Now Adrien had a clear goal. He had a duty, as a hero of Paris, to help anyone in distress, and Marinette Dupain-Cheng was certainly distressed.

Chat Noir would help her move on from him.

#miraculous ladybug #marichat may 2021 #marichat #marinette dupain cheng #adrien agreste #adrinette #chat noir #ladybug

[ladyofthenoodle]

our hands would not be taught - Chapter 1: the wall between us

Read on ao3

1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19

Adrien loved Ladybug. But sometimes he really, really hated her.

He knew that wasn’t fair. There were rules, and now that Master Fu was gone, it was her job as the Guardian to enforce them. There were rules, and he knew the rules, and he broke them. He hadn’t meant to, but he did.

That didn’t make losing the ring hurt any less.

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“My girlfriend and I broke up,” Chat Noir said, leaning his head against the wall behind him.

“Oh, kitty, I’m so sorry. Is everything okay?” Ladybug said softly, just barely loud enough for her voice to carry across the wall between them.

“I… don’t know. I think so. Maybe. Things with her were… well, it doesn’t matter. You don’t need to know that part.”

“Of course it matters! Just because I can’t know the details, doesn’t mean your problems aren’t important to me. Please, Chat, you’re my partner--”

He couldn’t hear this. Not without telling her. “She found out that I’m Chat Noir!” he blurted. He heard a gasp from behind him.

“How? When did this-- how could you-- oh, no, oh no, no, no. This is a disaster, if someone knows who you are, I have to-- I can’t…” Ladybug’s words were swallowed by short, gasping breaths. Chat stood up and turned to move towards her, but she shot out a hand from behind the wall, her fingers splayed and her palm facing out. He paused.

He heard her take in a final, shuddering breath, as she clenched her hand into a fist and lowered it back out of his view. Chat wanted to move closer, to cross to the other side of the wall and wrap his hands around that clenched fist, but he was afraid of what he’d see if he faced her.

“Chat,” she said, her voice small. “You know what this means.”

“Please, little bug, I know what Master Fu’s rules were, but I promise, you can trust her.”

“You want me to trust your ex-girlfriend?” Ladybug’s voice had gained a sudden edge to it. He could feel the shape of something behind her words, but he couldn’t make it out. He grasped at it, hoping there was something to latch onto.

“She’s trustworthy! And you do trust her, I know you do--”

“Chat,” she interrupted, her voice sharp as glass. “It doesn’t matter if she’s trustworthy. Our identities are secret for a reason. You know that. I’m sorry, I am, but we can’t take the risk.”

With that final proclamation, Ladybug emerged from behind the wall. The city lights shone behind her, illuminating her silhouette. As she moved closer into the light, he could make out the hint of tears at the edges of her mask.

“Please, kitty, don’t make this harder than it has to be,” she said, softer now, her voice catching on the word “kitty.”

“C-claws in,” he said, closing his eyes as the magic washed away from his body for the final time. He’d never felt more naked than he felt right then, standing fully clothed in front of his Lady.

“Kid, I told you not to--” Squeezing his eyes tighter, Adrien ripped the ring off his hand, silencing Plagg as he disappeared into the ring. Adrien opened his eyes, preparing to hand over the ring, but was stopped by the look on Ladybug’s face. Her unblinking eyes were wider than he’d ever seen them. He could still see the hint of tears glittering, but without his night vision, he couldn’t make out the rest of her expression.

He’d been wrong before, he realized. This was the most exposed he’d ever been, with his ring finger bare and his closest companion trapped in a small circle of metal in his palm. He felt stripped raw.

Suddenly, Ladybug started shaking her head, her limbs whirling to life as she opened her mouth to speak. “Yo-You’re-- I didn’t, you’re… I can’t, I need to ring you Adrien. Adrien your ring! I please, you, sorry, sorry, sorry!” Ladybug’s voice came out high and quick as she waved her hands around her face wildly. And then, just as abruptly as she had started, she stopped. She pulled her shoulders back and faced him fully, her previously-animated face now grim. When she spoke again, her voice was low and measured.

“Adrien, I’m so sorry. I wish there was another way. But you can’t be Chat Noir anymore.”

#ladynoirjuly2020 #ladynoir #miraculous fanfic #our hands would not be taught #miraculous ladybug #noodles writes

[lnc2]

Runaway Wedding

Summary: The invitations are sent, the caterers paid, and the date set.  Now if only Marinette could locate her groom.

A/N: This is a commission for the lovely @crazyfanatic97 who requested a wedding reveal.

AO3

Of all the ways Marinette thought she’d be spending the morning of her wedding, the one hundred and one thousand disasters she anticipated and prepared for, somehow she missed the most obvious catastrophe of all:

“What do you mean you can’t find Adrien?”

Alya, already dressed and a vision in red, shot Nino a scathing look.

“What part of ‘don’t tell Marinette’ was unclear to you?”

Nino backpedaled. “It’s not like he’s gone gone.  He’s just… not where I thought he’d be.”

But Marinette wasn’t listening. 

Already she could feel the stays of her corset tightening as she struggled to breathe.  Oh god, she was going to be one of those people that got left at the altar. Hell she wasn’t even going to make it that far.  Marinette could see the headlines now: Former Teen Model Adrien Agreste Finally Comes to His Senses.

Oh god.  How was she going to tell her parents?  And the guests? What were they going to do with all the food ? What would happen to–

Alya’s hands, warm and firm clasped her shoulders and squeezed.

“Hey, M, breathe, honey. Stop it.  I’m sure everything is fine.”

“But what if–”

“There is no scenario in the world you could run through your crazy little head that results in Adrien Agreste not showing up at that church today.”

She bit her lip. “Alya, I don’t want to marry him if you have to threaten him.”

Alya’s grin was almost feral. “Who said anything about a threat.”

Despite her rising panic, Marinette laughed. “You’d have to get behind me first.”

“I promise you, if it comes down to it, you’ll get the first swing.” Alya squeezed her shoulder again and smiled. “But M, I’m sure there’s a logical explanation.  That man is crazy about you.”

It was true.

Somehow, some way, about three years into lycee Adrien Agreste noticed her.  Like, noticed noticed her. It was unlooked for and surprising and such a shock to her teenage heart that Marinette actually laughed the first time he asked her out.

“No really, Marinette,” He said, all limbs and nerves and awkward teenage insecurity. “If you’re interested I’d really like to take you out.”

And really, lingering college crush aside, how could she say no?

The answer was she couldn’t. 

Marinette took his offer running and never looked back.

Until now .

She fussed with the skirt of her princess gown.  It was a Gabriel original, just for her, an ivory dream with gold and silver thread creating soft, illusory roses throughout the fabric.  The underskirt a pink ruffled fall that shushed as she walked.

She’d never felt more beautiful when she first tried it on.  Now it felt like a chiffon chafing trap.

“Don’t worry, Marinette.” Tikki whispered as Alya and Nino had it out in the dressing room. “Adrien loves you.  I’m sure he’s around here somewhere.”

He better be .

Just as her thoughts turned more bloodthirsty Alya’s phone chimed out in a familiar, red alarm wail.

Marinette’s eyes snapped to her maid of honor who abandoned berating her boyfriend to check the alert.

“An akuma at the Trocadero.  It looks like Chat Noir is already on the scene.”

Oh for fuck’s sake .

Her hands fisted in her skirts and she felt Tikki shifting beside her.

Why today ?

Bad enough her groom was missing– now she had to find away to escape Alya and her cousins and her mother long enough to defeat the akuma.  And dammit, she’d already done her hair .

Miraculous Ladybug better be as good at fixing makeup as it was at restoring city blocks or there would be hell to pay.

“Alya,” She said, stealing herself to play the distressed bride. “You should go help Nino.  I think– I think I need to be alone for a while.”

________________________________________________

Adrien was going to kill Hawkmoth.

Of all the days to send out an akuma he had to choose the morning of his wedding.  Never mind he had to convince Plagg to once, just this once , go without camembert so he didn’t smell like stinky cheese or the fact that Nino had earnestly asked him if there was such a thing as a formal baseball cap.

No, instead of spending a few quiet hours preparing himself to marry the love of his life Adrien was forced to exchange his tux for leather and play supernanny to an akumatized toddler.

Needless to say, he was feeling a little rattled.

Fortunately, this akuma seemed more preoccupied playing with cars like Tonka trucks rather than causing untold mayhem.  It left Chat running interference with said car’s occupants and waiting for his lady to show up to take care of the situation.

She didn’t disappoint.

Twenty minutes after he first appeared on the scene he heard the familiar whirring of her yoyo as she swung up and landed beside him.

“Let’s make this quick,” She snapped, calling on her lucky charm. A small, pink rubber ball dropped into her hand.  Ladybug met his eyes as if to say what the fuck do I do with this?

In the back of his mind, Chat noticed that she seemed to be more done up than usual.  Her hair was arranged in an intricate knot, with glitter dusting her fringe like a halo.  Her eyes were brighter, lips rosy pink, and he wondered about the special event she had planned today that left her rejecting his own wedding invitation.

“Sorry LB.  That’s your area not mine.”

She huffed, shook her head, and shot off towards the akuma.

Inspiration eluded her, however, and minutes passed as they flitted around the akuma and her makeshift racetrack.  He could hear the occasional beep as Ladybug’s miraculous ticked down, down, no closer to solving the riddle of the rubber ball than she had been before.

“Chat, I’ll need to recharge!”

Or at least, that’s what she was going to say before a pair of grasping, chubby fingers caught her out of the air midswing.

“Ladybug!” He cried.

The akuma cooed happily. “Dolly!”

Panic, tight, gave way to terror as his partner squirmed, helpless, her miraculous giving out its last warning before engulfing her in bright pink light.  Frightened by the sudden flash, the akuma let out a cry and stumbled back, dropping its prize and sending a detransformed Ladybug falling.

Chat didn’t hesitate.

Using his baton he sprung forward, retracting it mid-leap to catch her, and cradling her close as they tumbled to a nearby roof.  He winced as his back slid against the tiles, hoping his lady would be able to repair any damage and lingering soreness. He really didn’t want to limp his way through his first dance.

“Nice catch,” Ladybug breathed.  His pained laugh was cut off by her startled shriek.  Chat’s eyes snapped open only to see a blur of black and pink and ivory as she rolled off and away from him.  “Oh my god. Oh shit, oh holy fuck .”

“LB?”

Distraught, Ladybug whirled, her dress– her wedding dress – swirling around her feet in the process.  But it wasn’t the dress, lovely and stained though it was, that sent Chat Noir into a shell-struck daze.

“Ma– Marinette ?” He squeaked.

Marinette’s head snapped up and her kohl lined eyes went wide.

“No. Oh no, no, no, no, no. ” Another round of curses escaped her mouth and wow, yes, this was definitely his fiancee.  Unfortunately he didn’t have too much time to dwell on that particular revelation as the akuma regained its bravery and was waddling towards them again.

“Sorry my lady.  Looks like we’ll have to take this freak out to-go.” Chat scooped up his partner in his arms and took off running.

Marinette’s arms wrapped tight around his shoulders as she buried her face in his neck.

“Alya is going to have a fit.  It took her and my mom like an hour to get my hair right.”

“I think you’re beautiful no matter what.”

Marinette snorted. “Flatterer.”

“Besides,” He said ducking into a nearby alley. “Miraculous Ladybug will put everything to rights.”

“It better,” She grumbled, squirming until he set her down. “My father-in-law will have a conniption if this dress is anything less than pristine.”

Chat winced. “Tell me about it.”

Marinette frowned up at him. “What?”

He was saved from answering however when Tikki poked her head out from one of the many, many layers of satin.

“Did you remember to bring any cookies?”

Marinette shook her head.  “I’m sorry, Tikki. I didn’t want to get any chocolate stains on my dress.”

The little kwami looked to him.

Chat shrugged.  “I have some cheddar if that’s okay.  Plagg can handle sharing for one day.”

“Thank y-OU what are you doing ?”

Marinette’s question ended on a shriek as he dropped his transformation.  She squeezed her eyes shut, hands smacking wildly for his face.

“ Orw, Merhneh, schtop irt,” He said through her fingers. Adrien attempted to pull her hands away only for her to press into him harder.

“Chat Noir you put your mask back on right now!”

“No can do, bugaboo.” He said, gently grabbing hold of her wrists and removing them from his face.  Her eyes were squeezed tight, irritated pout on her lips. Adrien’s heart flipped over itself with joy.

Marinette .

He placed a kiss on her palm. “How will I explain a black eye to our guests?”

Marinette’s eyes snapped open, then opened further still as she took in her wayward fiance.  Tux Agreste pristine and hair a windswept Chat Noir mess, shock and relief and irritated affection threatened to overwhelm her.

“I guess this explains your disappearance.” She murmured, hands reaching up to tame his hair.   Adrien shrugged, sheepish, but didn’t pull away.

Realization, hot and quick, sliced through her.

“Adrien.  Oh my god, Adrien .”  Marinette’s hands fell from his hair to cup his face, panicked. 

Confused, cheeks squished together, he murmured, “Yerh?”

She let go and whirled away, skirts swirling around her in a frantic show of pink and ivory and– he froze.

“I’m not supposed to see you before the wedding!  It’s bad luck!”

“Chat I swear to god–” Marinette laughed, slightly hysterical. “We have to be at the church in an hour .  Hell, we’re supposed to be there now .”

In the distance, the sound of car alarms and sirens echoed.

“I guess we better get moving then.” He said, passing Tikki a wedge of cheddar and calling back his transformation.  “I have a date I really don’t want to be late for.”

Marinette waited for Tikki’s signal and transformed.  Chat inwardly preened as his fiance turned lady met his gaze with a wry smile.

“What?”

Ladybug shook her head. “I just can’t believe you were right.”

“Technically,” He said, grinning as he pulled her close, mask meeting mask.  “We both were.”

#miraculous ladybug #lnc2 writes #adrinette #marichat #ladynoir #identity reveal #post relationship pre reveal #they're dumb #real dumb #commission #crazyfanatic97

[agrestebug]

Marichat May 2020

Here’s a little piece of writing from my marichat 2020 post on Fanfiction!  Please do not repost on another site without permission!

Day 6 - “I like someone else.”

Chat Noir took the mug of steaming cocoa from her with a smile, feeling its warmth through his paws. She settled next to him with a knowing look. He took a deep breath and told her, "Let's see here. Tonight we have, a Belgian Chocolate no doubt. It smells like a beautifully melted piece of fudge. There's, a swirl of caramel, sugar, milk," he took another deep breath for show, watching Marinette squirm as she waited, "And... cinnamon."

"Dang it!" She said disappointed.

He could only laugh. This had become one of the games they played lately. Guess the secret ingredient in the hot chocolate. The first time it had been nutmeg. The second time, peppermint. The third, coffee. That one had by far been his favorite. He took a sip and told her happily, "It is a clawsome addition though purrincess."

She smiled, her eyes shining in determination, "I'll trip you up one day. I haven't given up yet."

He raised an eyebrow at her teasing, "We'll see about that. This Chat has senses unlike any other."

She rolled her eyes at his bravado, but he noticed it again. She looked upset. He didn't want to pry if she didn't want to talk about it, but he needed to make sure, "You okay princess?"

She smiled instantly, and far too brightly, "Oh yeah, yeah everything is great."

He held her eyes in silence, knowing that she would cave eventually. When she looked away suddenly, she let out a heavy sigh, "Honestly, it's nothing Chat. I'm just, tired, I guess."

He could hear the small lilt of sadness in her tone and asked worried, "Everyday problems kind of tired, girl troubles, or, boy troubles?"

Her grip around her cup tightened at the last one and he knew that was it. He asked softly, "Did he hurt you?"

She instantly shook her head, "He doesn't have the capacity to hurt anyone on purpose. I'm sure there isn't a mean bone in his entire body. It's hard," she hesitated slightly, "feeling like you will never be good enough to be noticed."

Chat stared out into the night, taking another sip before telling her, "I know how that feels."

He heard her small gasp and he gave her a small smile, admitting it out loud, "Don't worry, I'm a big Kitty. I've sort of, come to terms with a few things."

She asked like she was pleading for an answer, "How? How do you come to terms with something like that?"

"Being in that state in between, knowing you are a friend," he sighed heavily, "and even knowing how important you are to the person you love, without knowing if they really feel the same, or without being able to even fathom that you can live up to how amazing they are. Knowing that there is a real chance they may never love you the way you love them," he hesitated before looking at her, "it's not easy. You cling to the hope that one day they'll see you, really see you the way you see them, but then they remind you how great of a friend you are, and it's like,"

"Having a door slammed in your face without warning." She finished knowingly, adding it softly, "She is pretty amazing. It's no wonder you love her so much. Ladybug is crazy, for not seeing how amazing you are Chat Noir."

He stared at her confused, "Ladybug?"

Now she was the one who looked confused, "You are in love with Ladybug right?"

A small blush appeared just at the edge of his mask before he stared down into his hot chocolate, "I was, and I do love her, but I wasn't talking about Ladybug." He closed his eyes, a soft smile pulling at the corners of his mouth, "I realized that my heart was pointing me in a different direction. I like someone else."

"O-oh." Marinette whispered.

He dared a glance over at her, seeing her eyes tearing up. He smiled sadly, his heart hoping in that chest-pounding way it did.

"She, she's lucky then." Marinette said, forcing the tears not to fall, "As long as she makes you happy Kitty. That's all that matters."

She was refusing to look at him, and he couldn't pull his eyes off of her, "She does. She makes me happier than I've ever been. Seeing her smile makes me smile and warms my heart. Hearing her laugh puts butterflies in my stomach that make me want to hear it more." He saw the tear falling down her face and wiped it away gently with the side of his finger, telling her quietly, "Seeing her cry, it breaks my heart, and I'd do anything to stop another tear from falling."

Another tear fell anyways and he wiped it away the same way. He knew she still didn't understand. He let his cup sit on the top of the rail and moved closer to her, resting his head on the side of hers, "Please don't cry princess, didn't I tell you it breaks my heart?"

She sniffled slightly and then immediately stiffened. The mug in her hand fell over the rail, slamming to the ground with a loud crash as the ceramic shattered from the second story fall.

He peered over the edge with a frown, "Aw, what a paw-ful waste of hot chocolate."

He looked back over at her, seeing her staring at him wide-eyed, "What did you just say?"

He smiled, "The hot chocolate was amazing, it's sad to see it go to waste."

"Chat." She said shakily.

He took pity on her, her still glistening eyes pulling at his heart. He grabbed her hand and pulled her closer, cupping the side of her face, "I said, please don't cry princess. It breaks my heart."

She buried her face in his chest and he held her close, resting his head on top of hers as she told him, "I'm dreaming. I know I am."

"A good dream or a bad one?" He asked, feeling his heart pick up speed in anticipation of her answer.

"A good one." She pulled back and smiled up at him with more tears in her eyes, "A really, really good one."

"Hmm, that won't do." He told her, frowning slightly before smirking, "How can we make this go from good to great?"

"I don't think you possibly can." She said, wrapping her arms around his neck. His smirk widened, "Is that a challenge purrincess?"

"Maybe." She teased. "What are you going to do about it Kitty?"

He leaned forward and told her softly, his voice vibrating through her in its smoothness, "Count to five, and I'll take you from good, to amazing."

He could feel the heat radiating from her face as she told him shakily, "You're confident aren't you?"

"Humor me purrincess." He whispered huskily in her ear.

"One." She started slowly. He kissed her forehead and pulled back. Her face was flushed pink, her eyes wide as she stared at his chest in silence. He told her trying not to laugh, "Two comes next."

"T-Two." She whispered shakily, coming back to her senses. He smiled, kissing her left cheek.

"Three." He kissed her right cheek, promising her, "You can stop counting whenever you want, and I'll stop."

"Four." She said quickly, making him grin before leaning forward and placing a gentle kiss on the tip of her nose.

He stared into her eyes, running his thumb along her cheek as he told her again, "Only with your permission my princess."

She leaned up, pulling him closer as her arms tightened around his neck, "Five."

He gently pressed his lips to hers, her hold pulling him even closer as they deepened the kiss. It was better than he ever imagined it to be. The way her nails scratched lightly at the base of his neck in his hair sent chills down his spine. The small moan that left her drove him crazy. Taking a subtle deep breath in, he poured all of his feelings into it.

The way her deep ocean eyes glittered in joy when she saw him. The way her bright smile could break through even his cloudiest days. The way her laugh warmed his heart and brought him home.

She had to know what she meant to him. He would tell her every day for the rest of his life, but he would show her too, with every kiss - starting with this one. He lifted her up in his happiness, twirling her in a circle and making her laugh as her small hands cupped the sides of his neck.

She rested her forehead against his as she told him breathlessly, "I love you Kitty."

He hugged her tighter, still holding her off the ground and never wanting to let go, "I love you too princess."

He set her down but she pulled him into a hug, laughing slightly. He asked happily, "What?"

"Most amazing dream I've ever had."

#miraculoustalesofladybugandcatnoir #marichat #i love them

[shedreamsofstars]

the secrets that make and break us - chapter one

“I can’t do it anymore Ladybug,” he said bluntly, running a finger absentmindedly over his ring. “Do what?” “Keep the truth from you. I won’t stand back and let the secret of our identities ruin us.”

With his already strenuous relationship with his father in ruins, Adrien has had enough of secrets tearing people away from him. Fearing the same will happen with Ladybug, he resolves to reveal himself to keep them from meeting the same fate.

...xxx...

Secrets tore people apart.

Adrien Agreste knew that better than most.

They dug under your skin and festered beneath the surface, rearing their ugly heads at the worst possible moments. Like the one when he'd discovered that his father had been more than just the antagonist in his personal life.

It had been stroke of luck that Hawk Moth had not noticed Chat Noir's advance. He was distracted by Ladybug purifying an Akuma and this alone had allowed him to execute a close-range attack. The hand of fate had guided his staff right towards the man's chest, knocking him off his feet and the Miraculous right off his coat.

It clattered to the rooftop beside him, leaving behind a scrambling man Chat knew all too well. Or hardly at all, as the situation would have it.

It should have been the ground-breaking moment that finally gave Paris' heroes the upper hand – knowing Hawk Moth's identity meant they were closer one step closer to retrieving the Butterfly Miraculous and saving Nooroo.

But all Adrien felt was the ground shifting violently beneath his feet as his world rearranged into something unfamiliar before his very eyes. His ears filled with white noise, drowning him in a deafening reprise as he tried to make some sense of why his father was snatching up the Miraculous and disappearing in a cloud of white Akuma's.

He knew Ladybug was talking at him, but even her voice couldn't break through to him as he stared blankly at her lips, trying to figure out the words they were forming. He was losing his balance, the world teetering from side to side until Ladybug's hand rested firmly on his shoulder.

Her touch steadied him – it was likely the only thing that kept him from slipping and plummeting from the rooftop down into the traffic below.

Adrien didn't return home that night.

Nino had been confused by the last-minute request, but he had been more than happy to let him stay the night. He'd have to deal with Gabriel and Nathalie's wrath in the morning but getting some time away from his father was worth it.

Besides, what could his father do that was worse than him terrorising Paris?

As Chat perched on the top of a brick chimney scanning the city skyline, he wondered what Ladybug had made of the whole situation. It had been a week since they'd discovered that Gabriel Agreste was Hawk Moth, and he hadn't seen the girl since.

Looking out over the familiar city, it seemed that everything was the same on the outside. People still traversed the Champs Elysée with joy and the Eiffel Tower still glittered on the hour.

It was the same on the outside, but his world on the inside couldn't have looked more different as he traversed the Parisian rooftops nightly, flitting from one place to the next with an ease that bordered on deliberate carelessness.

Adrien had never gotten along well with his father, that was a well-established fact in the Agreste household. But that didn't mean that he didn't want to. In fact, it had been one of the only things he had wanted for years. To have his father understand him, to have him see him more than just a tool to exploit and further his business reach.

But there was no hope of that now.

Not when Adrien had spent the better past of the week avoiding the man at every opportunity he could. Whenever he was forced into his company, Adrien had done nothing but seethe with quiet anger and loathing at the man that sat before him, so calm and carefree.

How could his father live knowing that he was the cause of so much hurt? How could he be so unaffected by everything around him. He didn't even seem worried that Paris' two superheroes now knew his identity and could reveal his darkest secret at any moment.

What kind of man-

"Chat Noir!"

The boy spun at the sound of Ladybug's voice, his anger cooling a little at her very presence. His heart slammed wildly in his chest as he caught sight of a flash of red to his side, turning just in time to see the girl land gracefully on the rooftop below him.

"Milady," he responded with a light air he didn't quite feel as he hopped down to join her. Instinctively, he reached for her hand and bowed low, letting his lips brush against her knuckles. He held onto her fingers a beat longer than was proper, but if she noticed at all, Ladybug didn't comment on it.

"I got your message Chat. Is everything okay?" she asked, her dark hair glistening in the setting sun.

"No, actually …"

"Hawk Moth?" she interrupted, glancing around as if there was some imminent danger present. She swung her yo-yo defensively, the sound of it cutting through the air sharp and dangerous as she spun to face him again.

"No," he responded. "It's not him, but it's about him."

"Oh," Ladybug said quietly, letting her yo-yo fall slack in her fingers. She was silent a moment, tilting her head as if to try and figure out what he wanted to say. Even as conflicted as he was on the inside, he couldn't help but notice how adorable she looked right then.

"You … you saw who he was," Chat said simply, dropping down to the ground and leaning against the brick wall behind him.

Ladybug nodded. "Yes," she replied softly. "We both did."

"But you haven't told anyone."

Adrien had expected his public life to implode just as much as his internal one at the revelation that his father was a criminal mastermind, but the news channels had been nothing but crickets. Ladybug had remained silent, and he didn't know whether to be grateful or not.

"No. I don't know what to do with that information yet." she said, taking a seat beside him.

"Why not? What's stopping you from going straight to Nadia or literally any other reporter?"

She sighed, fiddling with her fingers in that nervous way of hers. It always reminded him of something, but he could never place what. "It's difficult to explain but, exposing him could hurt someone I care about."

"… Adrien?" he asked cautiously.

Ladybug looked surprised but nodded. "Among others, yes."

A thick silence settled around them just as Chat realised he was out of time. The small talk was done. He had called Ladybug here for a reason, one he had refused to tell even Plagg, and now it was time to follow through

He took a deep breath and turned to the girl beside him. "I can't do it anymore Ladybug," he said bluntly, running a finger absentmindedly over his ring.

"Do what?"

"Keep the truth from you. I won't stand back and let the secret of our identities ruin us," he said, repeating the words he'd been practicing inside his head all week.

"Chat, what do you mean? We can't reveal ourselves - you know that. It's dangerous, and we could-"

"I don't care anymore. I thought that I'd be able to know him someday, you know?" Chat said, his green eyes glassy as all the pain and hurt at his father's betrayal caught up to him.

Talking to Plagg had been one thing, but to actually voice the words he'd been feeling inside was harder than he had ever expected. Even still, he pushed on, knowing that there was no going back now.

"I wanted us to understand each other and have something real between us. But his lies were always more important. They kept us apart and now he's so far gone I can never reach or forgive him."

Ladybug reached for his hands, and a part of him wondered if she was doing it to keep him from slipping his ring off. Not that it mattered anyway. They both knew that he didn't have tor remove his Miraculous - there were other ways for him to achieve his goal.

"Chat," she said, her voice full of concern. "Who are you talking about?"

"My dad," he choked out. "We've been fighting Hawk Moth, but it's been him this whole time and I never knew. The secrets kept us apart and I can't do it anymore."

Ladybug's eyes went wide as the pieces began to fall into place. "Chat, stop talking-"

"No Ladybug! I don't want us to end up like him – so deluded by ourselves that we can't even tell the difference between right and wrong. That we can't even trust one another."

"We won't Chat. I'll always trust you; you never need to worry about that," she said, but there was a flicker of doubt in her blue eyes and he caught onto it instantly.

"You don't believe that. Our secrets will come back to haunt us one day," he said, voice defeated. "Forgive me Ladybug, but I can't let that happen."

Chat knew the exact moment Ladybug figured out what he was about to do. She lifted her fingers to cover his lips, as if she could somehow stop his words escaping if she could just reach him in time, but she was too slow.

"Plagg, claws in!"

She sat transfixed in horror, hand still outstretched as Chat's mask and suit began to disintegrate in front of her. She screwed her eyes shut tight, but by then the damage had already been done. She'd seen who he was underneath, who he always had been.

She knew that Chat Noir and Adrien Agreste were one and the same.

It was a relief to have another person know the truth if he was honest. A cold and welcoming relief. Like he had spent the longest time tied with invisible bonds, and now that they were gone he could move easily again, without restraint.

It felt like he had finally set himself free.

Adrien risked a glance towards Ladybug, but she had turned away from him. "Ladybug," he whispered, placing a gentle hand against her shoulder and urging her to face him. Now that he no longer had to hide himself from her, everything would be easier. If he could just explain to himself to her, she'd see that too.

"Ladybug, please look at me," he said again. She resisted at first, but she could only hold out for so long. As she turned back to him, all the elation he had felt at revealing himself vanished the moment he caught sight of her tear stained cheeks.

"Ladybug, you're crying," he said, tone filled with alarm. He leaned in towards her to wipe at the tears, but she swatted his hands away angrily. She jumped away from his touch and pushed herself to her feet, sniffling softly.

"Chat … what have you done?"

...xxx...

full disclosure, i have no idea where this is going, i'm just along for the ride lol. this started off as a fluff piece believe it or not, but it accidentally turned into this angsty mess. 

i've never written for these two before, so i don't feel like i have their voices down just yet, but hopefully i'll get better at that. thanks so much for reading, i hope you enjoyed. feel free to let me know your thoughts if you have the time

#miraculous ladybug #ladynoir #adrienette #ladrien

[kittinoir]

Echoes of You: Epilogue

Read on Ao3

Ladybug could feel the ribbons in her hair fluttering as she gazed out over the city, alone for once. The buildings glittered in the setting sun. Its rays were warm on her face, and for a moment, she just closed her eyes and breathed it in.

The first time she’d transformed, she’d been afraid the Miraculous would somehow reject her as its holder, her betrayal still lingering in its magic.

Except the opposite seemed to have happened.

Rather than punish her, the Miraculous had welcomed her back with joy she could feel in her bones - and an upgraded suit. Unlike before, when it had been simple and spotted, it now sported solid black legs to her mid thigh and a solid and matching torso. Her hair, too, was now pulled back into a pony tail, longer than her civilian self - all reminders, she thought, of the girl who’d enabled her to wear the suit again at all. 

“You look happy,” she heard her partner say seconds before he dropped onto the roof beside her. “Thinking of me?”

“It’s good to be back,” Ladybug said simply, cracking an eye to glance side-long at her partner with a grin. 

“Good to have you back,” Chat Noir said, leaning on his baton like it was a fancy walking stick. His eyes softened. “Are you ready for this?”

Ladybug sighed, the moment over. “Yes. No? It feels so strange. I kept my identity a secret for so long. The crazy things I did… To have it all out in the open, sort of, is…”

“Oh, I bet,” he said, raising a brow in amusement. “I still want to hear about those crazy things, you know. I have a feeling the calls were closer than I ever imagined.”

“We’ve got time,” Ladybug said lightly, but inside, her heart had begun to pound, a newfound experience she didn’t entirely enjoy. She was used to her crush on Adrien. She had even gotten used to her feelings for Chat Noir. But together, as one person? Her partner was lethal. The idea of spending any amount of extended time alone sent her into acute cardiac arrest.

“Yo!”

Ladybug had never been so happy to be interrupted in her life. 

The two of them turned as Rena Rouge and Carapace dropped onto roof with them. They stopped a few feet away, Rena squinting at Ladybug’s face as though only seeing her for the first time.

“It’s really you, isn’t it?” she said softly.

Ladybug took a deep breath, subtly straightening her spine. Why was this so much scarier than any akuma attack ever had been? 

“It’s really me,” Ladybug admitted. It was the closest she could get. She’d get reakumatized before she said her own name from behind the mask.

For a moment, her friend said nothing. Ladybug could just imagine what she was thinking. All the secrets, all the lies, all the manipulation. Was she any better than Lila? Was she a hypocrite? Didn’t she trust her at all?

But then Ladybug was reeling as Rena Rouge enveloped her in a bone-crushing hug, at once familiar and strange with the competing Miraculous. “You are so amazing,” Rena whispered. “So incredibly, awesomely amazing. I’m so sorry you had to do this alone for so long.”

“Not entirely alone,” Ladybug murmured back, glimpsing Chat Noir over her friend’s shoulder as he chatted with Carapace. Giving them their space. He always knew exactly what she needed. How did he do that? How had she never noticed before?

“Talk about coincidence,” Rena said, finally releasing her. “We have some catching up to do.”

“How about a sleepover tonight?” Ladybug suggested.

“Done, girl,” Rena said. “I can’t wait to hear it all.”

And for once, Ladybug was looking forward to telling it all. Hiding her other life had caused a strain on their relationship she’d been unable to fully understand. It wasn’t just the lying, but the secrets, the things she had no way of knowing, the thing about herself she’d hidden away. Anxiety made her palms tingle; what if her friend liked who she thought she was more than who she actually was?

“Late as usual,” Chat Noir muttered loud enough to interrupt Ladybug’s runaway train of thought. She took the opportunity to scan the horizon once more.

“Maybe that errand is taking a little longer than we expected,” Ladybug said.

Chat Noir snorted, a sound so unexpected now that she knew who was behind the mask Ladybug had to bite her lip and turn her face to keep laughter from spilling out. “Somehow that doesn’t surprise me.”

“Quit whining,” another voice cut in. “We’re here.”

The four of them spun to the southern edge of the roof where Felix, borrowing the horse Miraculous, and Chloe, sporting the bee Miraculous once again, had appeared. Both were scowling, though the latter was staring pointedly at the roof, her arms crossed as though she’d rather be anywhere else.

Ladybug held her breath as she took in her one-time rival. She looked…the same. No scar marked her as having sacrificed anything for anyone, the loss invisible to the naked eye. She knew it didn’t hurt, not physically, but that confusion, that feeling of uncertainty haunted you. It was something she would never be able to repay. Chat Noir had told her he’d tried to tell Chloe about her missing memories, but they’d disappeared again over night. She knew the truth of that experience as well. The magic of the Miracle box simply would not allow one to have what it had taken away.

“Nice of you to drop in,” Rena quipped, but it lacked the usual bite. She, too, was regarding Chloe with a softness Ladybug had never seen directed at her before. 

“Well, he practically begged,” Chloe sniffed, her gaze darting up to them at last. “Plus he brought this with him, so how could I say no?” She fingered the Miraculous in her hair like she couldn’t quite believe she had it back. 

“Thanks for coming then,” Ladybug said, letting the attitude slide. It was the same old Chloe, but different, like she could see through the bravado now to the scared, lonely little girl underneath who was desperate to make friends but wasn’t sure how.

“Want to tell me what this is all about?” Felix asked. “I have places to be, you know.”

“So sorry to inconvenience you,” Chat Noir said with a sweeping bow. “We’d be delighted to get started to accommodate your busy schedule.”

“As of last week, every thing’s changed,” Ladybug said, interrupting what she was sure would turn into a Miraculous-powered smack down. As she spoke, her teammates visibly relaxed. “Some of us had our identities revealed previously to the confrontation with Hawkmoth. Some of us did not.” She didn’t miss Chloe’s wince, but the words held no malice. “Therein lies additional risk, but risk has always gone hand in hand with being one of Paris’s protectors. The previous guardian had rules about identities. They only hurt this team. Chat Noir and I are the guardians now; we have different rules. We know who you are, and you know us. I won’t force any one to hold, or to keep a Miraculous, but if you want it…it’s yours. Some of you have gone public with your identities. Some of you may have your identities discovered during the course of the next few months. This is no longer grounds for losing your Miraculous. Accidents happen. Mistakes happen… Fate happens. A Miraculous may be returned at any time, no questions asked. We understand the toll it takes to wear one. But what Chat Noir and I are asking now is for your aid in the fight against Hawkmoth and his henchmen.”

“He’s getting stronger,” Chat Noir chimed in. “We don’t know how, but the akumas he’s creating… well, you’ve seen them. He’s angry, and for him, it’s personal. He’ll <em>make</em> it personal. Your family, your friends, it’s all at risk. But…”

“The choice is yours,” Ladybug said, splaying her hands. “Chat Noir and I will be making the rounds tonight to offer everyone the same thing, but you four are the ones who got us this far. I wouldn’t be standing here without you, and…” She glanced at her parter to find he was already looking at her, an encouraging smile on his face. “We can’t save the world without you.”

For a moment, they all glanced solemnly at each other, the weight of the city finally shared between them. Then Felix snorted.

“And I thought I was prone to dramatics,” he said, but genuine warmth sparkled in his eyes. “Though I doubt you’d be able to manage without me. I’m in.”

“Ditto,” Carapace said with a grin, exchanging a fist bump with Chat Noir.

“You know it!” Rena squealed, enveloping Ladybug in another hug. “This is like, a dream come true!”

“You’re sure?” Ladybug whispered, hugging her friend back.

“Never been more sure of anything in my life,” Rena insisted. “I won’t let you down.”

“You never could.”

But Ladybug stiffened as she suddenly beheld Chloe over her friend’s shoulder. She wasn’t looking at them, instead choosing to stare at the roof, scuffing it with her shoe. War raged on her face.

“Be right back,” Ladybug said. Rena followed her gaze but didn’t say anything, merely offering a half-hearted smile, a silent wish for good luck before she turned to the boys.

“I thought you’d be happier,” Ladybug said softly as she came to a stop a few feet away from her one-time nemesis. 

“What’s there to be happy <em>about?</em>” Chloe demanded. Those deep blue eyes flashed up to meet hers, but dropped again almost instantly. “This city doesn’t want me as its protector. It never has, especially when it already had you, and despite the pretty speech, you can’t want me here, either.” She fingered the hair clip again as though she might just pull it off then and there, but she hesitated. “I don’t…I don’t deserve this.”

A thousand responses roared up in Ladybug, backed by guilt, but she reached for the only thing that mattered. “Do <em>you</em> want to be here?”

Tears welled up in Chloe’s eyes, but she blinked them away before they could fall. “<em>Yes</em>.” Her voice throbbed on the word and she quickly bit her lip before more words spilled out. It didn’t matter. Ladybug could read everything in it; the pain, the confusion, the shame, the desperation - the tentative happiness, the fierceness. The hope. 

“I meant what I said,” Ladybug murmured, daring to reach out and put a hand on the other girls’ shoulder. “We can’t save the world without you. More importantly, I don’t want to. You’re right - we do have history. But neither of us are the same girls we were back then. So much has changed. I’ve changed. And…I like to think you’ve changed a little, too.”

Chloe finally smiled, a half-hearted grin that faded almost as quickly as it had come. “That’s true,” she said. “The girl I thought you were would never have had it in her to be Ladybug.”

“Between you and me, I didn’t think I had it in me, either,” Ladybug admitted with a half-smile of her own. “I almost gave it up, right at the beginning there. Tikki convinced me to try again.”

“Tikki…” Chloe frowned at the name, confusion flickering in her eyes. Her hand went to her hair comb for a third time, but then slipped to her bare ears. Hope burst though Ladybug. She’d been right; Chloe’s memories <em>were</em> still there. But the look in Chloe’s eyes faded, blurring as the magic took hold, supplying a plausible answer to the question she’d only begun to form. “Huh. Some would say it’s impossible to improve on perfection, but I suppose if anyone could do it, it would be a Bourgeois.”

And despite the grim truth of the Miraculous magic she could see at work, Ladybug laughed. The comment was so like something Chat Noir would say she couldn’t do anything else. The two of them were going to be a handful. 

“So are you in, then?” Ladybug extended a hand, palm up towards the girl that had given her her life back.

Chloe finally looked up, meeting Ladybug’s gaze and holding it for the first time since she’d arrived. She placed her hand in Ladybug’s, hope blazing in her face.

“Yes,” she said, taking a step forward to where everyone else was waiting - towards the future. “I am.”

#echoes #echoes of you #the final chapter #i made myself sad

[bugaboowritings]

ICY - Chat Blanc Fic

The Lonely Boy Gets His Heart Rekt

How would Chat Blanc play out if Adrien never went to public school and his dad was more of an a-hole than he is now?

Aged up AU

   All the glaciers in the world could melt right now but they won’t be able to drown out all the destruction and sorrow by a little white cat on a rooftop. It can destroy the beach houses his father owned on the foreign coasts or flood the swimming pools a golden model once filled and refilled with his tears during the lonely summer days. Days spent out tanning in the sun with the only sound to accompany him being the ripples in the water that splosh against the pool’s titles.

The glamorous life truly was a boring one.

Adrien would push up his sunglasses a little higher before staring at the sun for a little bit longer. The view from his yard would be amazing if it wasn’t for the great wall dividing him from the outside. Debating that the view from his closed-off room was better than this. Even with locked windows, his room looked over the wall and out to the city. Adrien Agreste still got to see Paris without that ugly, bland, beige brick wall.

The backyard wasn’t any worse, don’t get me wrong.

There were gardens, a pool, a rose nursery, and stone paths that seem to be taken from a silver screen. However, the backyard felt like a cluttered mess even if there were gardeners watching and caring for it 24/7. The tall walls of vegetation seem to be climbing out of the house to be free. To break out but it never grew long enough to escape since the landscapers would always come around and trim it before it reached the edge.

Sighing in frustration before Adrien decided that it wasn’t even worth being outside. Annoyed by the unnatural stillness of his backyard and the booming melody from the Bluetooth speaker. His sandals shuffled around the smooth concrete before stepping inside. Throwing back his dry towel without really diving into the pool.

The glamorous life truly was a pointless one.

-----

His hands stayed cold before getting burned by the hot teacup in front of him. Chamomile with no sugar, but with large gloops of honey at the bottom. Just the way he liked his morning tea. 

Letting the thick, golden nectar dissolve with a twirl of his silver spoon. Slouching over his teacup before getting a cough from the other side of the table and over the platters of food. Signaling Adrien to straighten his back.

Not even saying good morning.

How fatherly of him and still so on-brand.

His fencing competition wouldn’t start for another hour or two, but he was ready to jump in the car and leave. Or just leave really.

Stabbing the last of his eggs with his fork and sipping the rest of his fresh-squeezed orange juice from his glass.

“I’ll be out. Practice some more before the competition.“ Adrien announced, keeping it short. Pushing his chair back without hearing what his father thought or even hearing Nathalie tap on her tablet to check if Adrien fit in the schedule.

The end of the sentence gave him a bitter taste and it wasn’t because of the peppers on his eggs.

Rushing across the marble floor, only to catch the clicks of heels after him.

Nathalie tapped her tablet again before catching up with the young adult.

“Don’t forget to get back on time, you have a couple of meetings with the company’s marketing team about the new collection coming up and-.”

“-I have to check some paperwork for my branch and then get ready for dinner with the Bourgeois. Right, Nathalie?”

“Just be on schedule, Adrien.”

“Have a great day too, Nathalie. Don’t let my father overwork you again.” Adrien huffed, giving a slight smile. Tugging his gym bag over his shoulders before stepping in front of the mansion’s grand doors. There Gorilla pulled back the door handle, letting the young man slip out. Stepping quickly down the stairs before his driver could open the door to the white limousine.

——-

Adrien Agreste was many things, but he wouldn’t say he’s a liar. He was a part-time hero and part-time public figure, already having so many eyes on him. So it’s only natural to have to spit out words in some cases to get out of sticky situations but he never would think of it as lying. Like the things he was telling his bodyguard right now, that wasn’t really a lie- No it was more like an ‘excuse’.

Advising Gorilla to drop him off by the gym and to come back when the competition ended. He prefers to be alone when he’s practicing.

Really, he did.

However, he didn’t add that he was going to sneak off and talk to a girl after he throws his bag in a sweaty gym locker.

This wasn’t really a lie, but an incomplete truth.

Adrien Agreste was going to practice before his competition. Preferably when Kagami came around and after seeing the dark-haired girl behind the bakery counter. The only cashier in the whole world that seems to remember the customer’s name and order just by having them once. Yet, Adrien picked his fingernails in anxiousness, fearing that she wouldn’t remember him or look at him weird when he would ask about her day.

God, hopefully, that didn’t happen.

———

Her name was Marinette Dupain-Cheng and he had a date with her this weekend.

Agreeing to meet up after her shift at the bakery.

She’s the daughter of the owners and she smelled like what happiness would if it could be captured and made into a candle. She smiled and meant it. All as her eyes did this cute thing where they seem to glitter in the sunlight or just whenever she laughed. She’s short and only reached up to his shoulders, but she stood tall like the shining light-posts at night as she twirled and looped around busy people in the streets.

Her hands were always stained with frosting, mostly bright pink since that stained the most. So she tells him. Her lips were a coral color while her hair was tied with red ribbons and bands. Her color palette was warm and soft like her. 

The bakers’ daughter, his date to the movies this weekend.

_____

Ladybug rocked on her heels the last time in the last twenty minutes.

“Chat, have you ever obsessed over something?”

“Why do you ask M’Lady?” Chat Noir asked. Not looking away from his view of the city. Waiting to say a punny-remark before catching the red heroine’s sigh. Sounding more aggressive than she meant it to be.

“Stuff, I guess.” She mumbled, planting herself next to the cat. Earning herself a concern expression before Chat Noir turned himself over.

“Stuff?”

“Stuff.” LB nodded. Her hand pulled up her legs, crossing them under her weight. Pulling back her bangs as her bluebell eyes stared out to the city.

“Stuff.” She sighed again, letting her fatigue show as she continued. If she had eye-bags, the mask covered them. Yet, it was the way her eyebrows touched and got stiff- that told him that she had been debating this for a while or been overthinking something that could easily be solved in minutes - or maybe over some painful hours.

“I’m only telling you this since you’re my best friend.”

“And you for me, M’Lady.”

“I’m telling you the biggest secret ever. You have to promise that you don’t speak about it to anyone.” Ladybug hushed, moving closer to the cat. Her voice utters a sense of fear and demanded seriousness. However, her body language betrayed her as she kicked up her feet like a small child would.

“I promise.”

“You really have to promise me.”

“I-”

“You have to swear on your miraculous to never tell another soul.”

-----

It was her. It was always her.

He knew she looked familiar, however, he brushed it off with the practical and reasonable reason why he recognized her as if it was dirt on his shoulder rather than a clue to an enigma. The same puzzle that has been haunting him since he earned the title of the Wielder of Destruction.

Telling himself it’s because he has been sneaking off to that bakery a lot lately or because she graduated from the school he had fencing practice at. Not because he sees that same shape every patrol when he jumps over rooftops. Convincing himself that the hand that hands him his coffee can’t be the one that opens up to reassure him that there’s a plan to take the Akuma down. The girl that works bakery, the same one that draws little heart on his cup, can’t be the hero in red and black. However, they seem to blend together as one person, the more his mind chewed on this information.

For God’s sake, she had pigtails!!

Now, what was once a trivial thought played out as an unexpected reality. There on the cold ground was Ladybug. Groaning in pain as she lifts herself up. Her magical suit disappearing in a flash of pink and red to show the bakers’ daughter. Her padding and combat boots were gone and replaced with the sundress she designed after finding a whole store full of them when they went out last week.

Her bangs stuck to the hot sweat on her face. Running her hands through it before wincing. Blood painted the tips of her fingers as she slowly pieced herself together. Her eyes widen when she realized what happened. Ready to go out into a sprint.

“Chat!” she cried, her eyes getting red as she couldn’t find him. The fabric around her waist twirled around as she whipped her head. Ready to scream again before the glimmer of blond hair caught her eye.

“Chat. . . .”

Adrien tried to get his eyes to focus on her. Watching her face blur before she ran over to him. His transformation was gone, but his hair kept its messiness as his left eye stung. It’s probably throbbing red with patches of purple. Adrien couldn’t see himself, but telling from the pain, it felt like something gruesome and raw.

      “M’Lady. . .”

Even when one good eye, Adrien could see Marinette’s reaction. How her face dropped and paled. Pulling him near before hushing sweet nothings to comfort him.

“My god. . . oh, Adrien. It’s okay. We’ll get out of here! We have to! I think I know where- there’s a shortcut to Master and he’ll-”

“It’s you.”

Marinette shut her mouth, processing his words before responding.

“And it’s you.” she laughed. However it wasn’t one of her hearty laughs, but one that was deflated to a huff of air out of her lungs.

Marinette pulled her kitty up and out of the debris. Her arms stiffen around his chest. Too tense to relax even when the danger was gone. The bakers’ daughter wrapped her arms around her partner in crime.

“Please be okay.” She hushed out like an old prayer. Letting light sob escape her coral lips before Adrien returned her embrace.

Both unaware that the villain behind the terrorist attacks on Paris saw this touching moment. 

——

Marinette pressed her lips against Adrien’s cheek. A tingle ran up her spine as his hand combed through her hair. It has gotten longer as time passed, she has been debating about cutting it. Maybe up to her freckled shoulders or her rosy chin or maybe up to her round ears.

Honestly, he wondered over the idea of her having shorter hair. Yet, in the end, he had no real preference but Marinette grew fond of cutting it off. Her Instagram feed grew to be different haircuts and tutorials on how to style short hair. However, she still enjoyed the length her hair was at. It was the longest it has ever been so Marinette was gonna enjoy it as much as she could. All before she got tired and in a fit of frustration cuts it off if it gave her any problems.

But that was Marinette for you.

His lovely Marinette, the only Lady in his life, and his partner in crime-fighting.

It was perfect. Sitting on the couch like this was perfect. Holding her close and keeping her close was just great. Perfect. More than perfect, if a word like that even existed. Nothing could ruin-

Marinette sat up from her seat, pushing her head away from Adrien’s shoulder.

The TV in front of them rang a familiar news report.

There the screen played a burning red screen as the words that usually glowed, “Akuma Alert” now spelled “Miraculous Emergency”.

Hawkmoth was spotted at the top of the City Hall. In-person and with a message for the heroes.

----

Master always liked Marinette more. He planned for her to be his successor, so he made sure that she knew all the in’s and out’s of everything that involved the Secret Order and how to defend the Miraculous. Understanding more and more of the powers behind her earrings and the other jewels hidden away in a black music box. Luckily, Marinette was a quick learner and even quicker on her feet. Swift even under pressure. 

Never breaking a sweat even when she wanted to cry and her strength failed to push ‘him’ off of her.

“Chat Noir, I know this isn’t you.”

   -

“How many times do I have to tell you it’s Chat Blanc, now!”

Pressing harder on his baton before Ladybug slipped out from his grasp after getting her footing and knocking him off. Shoving him on to a wall before making a break for it.

She was too smart to try to escape and run. Most likely, she had a plan and she just needed to bait him in. To drag him into somewhere where she had the upper hand. Honestly, Chat Blanc knew better- but there’s something in him that made the grin on his face grow and burst into a sprint after her.

Excited to see how the next Guardian handles this cat-astrophe.

----

This wasn’t Adrien Agreste, but another plan crafted by his father. One that was determined to use any pawn in his reach to get what he wanted. This time it was just his son playing the role of the villain for him.

Gabriel didn’t expect his own flesh and blood to be the hero he was plotting against, but it made things easier. -And ten times harder. He had to come to terms with his actions and ask Emilie for forgiveness for what he was determined to do. Yet, all that time locked up in his office, shuffling around business deals and schemes made him realize that not everything can be black and white. Yet, you can force it to be. Killing the feelings of doubt in him as he summoned his ‘wings’.

Adrien will be so heartbroken when he wakes up, but he’ll forget about that the moment he sees his mother again. Everything will be right as rain.

All after a little bug gets squashed.

-----

#ml #miraculous ladybug #marinette dupain cheng #adrien agreste #my writing #ladybug #ml au #my fic #fic #my writings #writings #chat noir #chat blanc #ml season three #ml season 3 #ml fics #miraculous the tales of ladybug and chat noir #aged up #aged up au #icy #ml fic #hawkmoth #whole love square #anagst #light angst #light ice angst

[ominousunflower]

New Tradition

Fandom: Miraculous Ladybug Pairing: Adrien Agreste | Chat Noir / Luka Couffaine Rating: T Word count: 4195

Fic summary: Luka stays home on New Year’s Eve, hoping that Chat Noir will visit for a midnight kiss.

Read previous fics on AO3  

———————————–

On New Year’s Eve, with thirty minutes until midnight, Luka stands on the deck of the Liberty and scans the sky for Chat Noir.

He doesn’t know for a fact that Chat is going to show up. In fact, Luka knows he’s taking a risk by staying home on the off chance that the superhero will visit. For all he knows, he could end up spending the night by himself.

A freezing wind sweeps across the deck of the houseboat, and Luka adjusts his clothes, tugging his hat over his ears and pulling his scarf up over his mouth. At least he’s dressed for the weather for once.

On both sides of the Seine, crowds have gathered to wait for midnight and watch the fireworks together. Luka knows that there are similar groups scattered across Paris—and that somewhere, Juleka and his mother are gathered with friends as they count down to the new year. He’d been invited to go with them, of course, but he’d declined.

Luka was a little concerned by the knowing looks his mother and sister gave him as they left, though. He really hopes that they don’t know about his visits from Chat Noir.

He glances at the empty sky again, and then he retrieves his phone from his coat pocket and pulls up his last conversation with Adrien. It’s a long shot, but he still thinks that Adrien and Chat might be the same person. Maybe if he texts Adrien a hint…

Luka sighs, repocketing his phone. He’s being stupid. Even if he’s right about Adrien being Chat, Luka doesn’t know how to be subtle. His text would probably end up going something like, Bonne année! So, you’re Chat Noir, right?

A few more minutes pass, and Luka spends them brooding over his relationship with Chat. He wishes that Chat would have just approached him as a civilian, because falling for a superhero has made Luka’s life far messier than it has to be.

Luka is horrible at romance—he’s too awkward, too blunt—and thanks to this arrangement, he can’t exactly ask his family or friends for help with wooing Chat. And of course, standard relationship advice doesn’t help when Luka is dealing with an enigmatic cat superhero. He can’t talk to Chat’s friends to figure out how Chat feels about him, or invite Chat to hang out with Kitty Section so that Luka’s bandmates can tell him if Chat seems to like him.  

His only clues are mixed signals, and the fact that Chat keeps kissing him. While that second part should tell Luka where Chat stands, he can’t help but worry that Chat is just being flirtatious. After all, isn’t he supposed to have a thing for Ladybug? Maybe he’s not serious about Luka after all. Maybe he’s up on a rooftop somewhere spending New Year’s Eve with Ladybug.

Despite the layers he’s wearing, Luka feels a chill creep across his skin. It seems as if this is a cycle that Luka’s doomed to repeat: meet someone, fall for them, feel a connection…and then watch as that person pines after someone else, pulling farther and farther away from Luka until they slip through his fingers completely.

It had happened with Marinette, of course, though she hadn’t been the first. Although she’d sometimes accepted Luka’s advances, she was always quietly pining for Adrien. And that’s not her fault, of course—Luka doesn’t blame her for who she loves, or for her great taste in guys—but it still made him feel like he’d done something wrong.

Luka’s mother has always told him that love is like a song: different for every person, and always from the heart. And for a while, Luka’s inner romantic had thought that his mother’s simile, as simple as it was, made sense.

Sometimes love is slow, creeping up on a person over time; and sometimes it’s fast, sudden, a coup de foudre that hits two people out of the blue. It might be loud and passionate, or it might be soft and simple, or it might even switch between the two. The song could repeat itself at times, with a comfortably familiar refrain—or it might be ever-changing, with each verse sounding like an entirely new song. And while some loves grow stronger with time, a steady crescendo, others fade out, growing quieter until the song can’t be heard anymore.

Now, Luka’s pretty sure that’s wrong. If love was a song, he would understand it. And it’s never been that easy. No, love is some sort of game—and Luka plays music, not games. That’s the only explanation for why he’s so bad at this.

Before Luka can torture himself with more thoughts about his failed love life, his phone buzzes in his pocket.

He smiles when he sees that it’s a text from Adrien. Hey, Luka! Twenty minutes until 2020. Hope you’re ready to ring in the new year!

I guess I am, Luka responds. Are you stuck at home, or did your father let you out?

I’m at home, Adrien texts, apparently deciding to ignore Luka’s comment about his father. What about you?

Luka squints at his phone screen, bright against the shadows of the deck. If Adrien is Chat—and he almost has to be, really—is this his way of asking Luka if he can come over?

“Say what you mean,” Luka mutters, as he types his response. Maman and Juleka went out. I’m home by myself right now. If I’m lucky, maybe someone will show up to kiss me at midnight, but I’m not counting on it.

As he hits send, he knows that his reply is too bitter. For one thing, he doesn’t actually know that Adrien is Chat, so Adrien probably doesn’t deserve Luka’s irritation. And for another, it’s not like it’s Chat’s duty to show up and kiss Luka. For all Luka knows, he’s patrolling with Ladybug right now to keep the city safe on New Year’s Eve.

But, well…Luka has expectations. Chat has kissed him for the past three holidays, one of which France doesn’t even celebrate. The least he could do is kiss Luka on the one holiday where there’s actually a kissing tradition.

A few minutes pass, and Adrien doesn’t respond. Luka considers sending a follow-up text to apologize for being so negative, but he doesn’t want to make things worse. Instead, he just slips his phone back into his pocket and stares out at the water, wondering if maybe he should go join his family after all.

He won’t be upset if Chat doesn’t visit. Sure, he’ll be a little disappointed—but he won’t let it ruin his holiday. It’s not the end of the world if Chat doesn’t kiss him a fourth time.

Someone clears their throat behind him. “Salut, Luka.”

Luka whirls around. “Cha—Chat Noir?”

He says it as a question, because he’s not actually sure. The boy in front of him certainly resembles Chat: he has pale hair—probably blonde, though it’s hard to tell in the dim light—and he’s the same height as Chat, the same build. His voice is just as smooth and lilting, like a song without a tune, and his eyes sparkle the same as he stares at Luka.

But he’s also more fidgety than Chat. His movements are smaller, not as bold, as if he’s not sure he should be at the houseboat. And most importantly of all, his outfit is different. He’s still wearing a mask, but it’s a decorative masquerade mask with glitter and an elaborate border. Instead of cat ears, he’s wearing a beanie on his head, and instead of a leather suit, he’s wearing a black coat and scarf.

The boy wrings his hands together. Luka notices that he’s wearing mittens. “Uh—I mean—that—is that who you want?”

Luka folds his arms and regards the boy. “Am I supposed to guess your identity?” he asks. He’d always assumed that if he did figure out Chat’s identity, Chat wouldn’t want Luka to say anything.

The boy drags a mitten-clad hand down his face. “I’m Chat Noir,” he says. “You—you probably shouldn’t guess my identity. Ladybug’s already going to kill me for visiting a civilian so often. I don’t want to make it worse.”

“You’re not transformed,” Luka observes.

Chat rubs the back of his neck. “Right. I figured that since there are so many people near the Liberty right now, I should probably try to blend in.” He shrugs. “There are enough New Year’s Eve masquerade parties that no one questioned the mask. They probably just thought I was on my way to a party.”

“Are you?” Luka asks, even though he’s almost certain the answer is no.

Chat shakes his head and finally takes a few steps closer. “No. I came to see you.” He bites on his lip. “Unless—uh, unless you’re going to a party? Because I don’t want to keep you from, you know, your friends or…”

“I’m not going anywhere,” Luka says. “I’m glad you’re here.”

Chat takes another few steps toward Luka, until he’s close enough that Luka could take his hand if he tried. “You seem a little…upset?”

“I was worried you wouldn’t come,” Luka admits. “You didn’t have to, of course. It was a stupid reason to be upset.”

“I’m sorry!” Chat says. He reaches down and grabs Luka’s hands. “I assumed you’d be out celebrating. It didn’t occur to me until a few minutes ago that you might be here.”

When I texted you? Luka wants to ask. But he knows he can’t ask Chat about his identity so directly.

“You don’t need to apologize,” Luka says, squeezing Chat’s hands. They can’t intertwine their fingers since he’s wearing mittens—and oh, he’s adorable in those mittens—but the weight of Chat’s palms against Luka’s is comforting. “I didn’t interrupt your plans, did I?”

Chat smiles ruefully and shakes his head. “I was home alone. I would have visited sooner if I’d known you were here.”

Not for the first time, Luka is frustrated by their arrangement. Thanks to Chat being a superhero with a secret identity, Luka has no way of inviting him over or visiting him when he’s lonely. And there’s a churning in his gut, an urge to demand how long are we going to keep this up?—except he doesn’t want to ruin the night. It’s New Year’s Eve, and Luka doesn’t want to start the new year on a bad note.

Luka leans forward with a smile. “Hoping to celebrate some New Year’s traditions?”

Chat stares at Luka with wide eyes. Then he ducks his head, hiding his mouth behind his scarf. “M-maybe?”

“Well,” Luka says, “I have bad news. Maman is firmly against holiday traditions, so we’ve got a strict no-mistletoe policy here.”

Chat’s nose wrinkles. “That’s a lie,” he says. “She had Krampus. Krampus is a holiday tradition.”

“Krampus is no longer with us,” Luka points out, “since you dumped him in the Seine last week.”

Eyes squeezed shut, Chat buries his face against Luka’s chest. “I’m sorry,” he whines. “I wasn’t thinking. And Krampus was terrifying.”

Luka laughs and wraps his arms around Chat. “I’m not mad,” he says. “Maman was furious, but she thinks it was the work of vandals.”

“Now I can never meet your mother,” Chat mumbles against Luka’s coat. “I bet she can smell fear. She’ll know it was me.”

“Is there a reason I’d be formally introducing you to my mother?” Luka asks, hope unfurling in his chest. Please say there is. Say we have something.

“Not unless you’re planning to turn me in.” Chat glances up with big, pleading eyes. In that moment, Luka realizes that he would do many, many things for those eyes. “You wouldn’t do that, would you?”

Luka laughs, even as disappointment needles his heart. “No. I won’t tell her.” His fingers brush against Chat’s masquerade mask. “I’m good at keeping secrets, you know.”

Chat inhales and opens his mouth, as if he wants to say something. He stares at Luka for a long moment, some mix of emotions warring in his eyes—and then he sighs and shakes his head. “I know,” he says quietly. Then he clears his throat. “So, Anarka Couffaine doesn’t allow a single holiday tradition on this boat? Not even one?”

Luka pokes Chat’s cheek. “Nope,” he says. “Although…” He leans down, closer to Chat, until their lips are almost touching. “There is one tradition she might make an exception for.”

Chat tilts his head back. “Oh? And what’s that?”

“Fireball swinging.”

Chat squints at Luka. Luka can practically hear the record scratch playing in his mind. “What.”

“It’s a Stonehaven Hogmanay tradition.”

Luka watches as Chat tries to process his words. He tries not to laugh, but the confusion on Chat’s face is endearing.

And maybe Luka shouldn’t tease, except he kind of wants Chat to work for this kiss. Luka’s doubts from earlier still haven’t disappeared completely, and he wants to see if Chat is really interested in him or not.

“Hogmanay?” Chat echoes.

“Scottish New Year’s, basically,” Luka says. “We have relatives near Stonehaven, so we’ve visited once or twice to celebrate.”

With a frown, Chat loops his arms around Luka’s neck, preparing for a kiss that he’s not getting anytime soon. “So what is fireball swinging?”

“It’s…people swing fireballs?” Luka says, laughing. “They process down the street, and at the end of the ceremony, they throw the fireballs into the harbor.”

“That sounds kind of pretty,” Chat says.

“It is,” Luka agrees. He stares out at the sidewalk, imagining fiery rings lighting up the streets. Right now, the only light is from the dim stars and street lights overhead. “That said,” he adds, glancing at Chat, “I’m not sure I’d trust you to swing a giant ball of fire around here.”

“Quoi!” Chat says. “But I wield the Miraculous of Destruction!”

Luka laughs. “That’s exactly what I’m worried about.”

“I’d be careful,” Chat grumbles.

“Sure,” Luka says. His hands find their way to Chat’s waist, and it occurs to him that they’re basically in a kissing position. “You know midnight’s not for another few minutes, right?”

Chat smirks, though there’s something vulnerable in his eyes that softens his expression. Luka wonders if maybe it’s the fact that he has human eyes instead of cat sclerae. “I wanted to get here early,” he says. “In your arms, I mean. Just in case someone else tried to beat me to it.”

“Oh?” Luka says. “Is someone else competing for my affection?”

Silently, he asks an even simpler question: is Chat competing for Luka’s affection? Or is he still pursuing Ladybug?

“I—I don’t know,” Chat says. The smirk slips off his face. “I thought maybe Marinette was…well…”

“Visiting the houseboat every holiday to kiss me?” Luka says, raising an eyebrow. “No, I think that’s just you.”  

“But don’t you like each other?”

That’s a question Luka has asked himself several times over the past several weeks, and with each one of Chat’s visits, the answer has become increasingly clear. It’s been weeks since Luka wrote a song about Marinette, weeks since he dreamed about kissing her, weeks since her gaze made his palms sweaty. Luka still cares about her, of course—but their song has changed entirely, and the affection he has for her is almost completely platonic now.

Almost. Because occasionally, there’s still a sliver of his brain that wonders what if. What if Marinette asked him out tomorrow? What if she took his hand, or cupped his cheek and kissed him? Luka can’t entirely forget that he used to want her like that, and sometimes, the thought of having her love still makes his heart skip a beat.

But he knows that’s not really what he wants anymore. The person he wants is right in front of him, cradled in his arms right now—and yet, somehow, Chat seems even more unobtainable than the girl who’s turned Luka down several times.

“I have no idea how Marinette feels about me,” Luka finally says. “But I’m not really interested in her that way anymore.”

“Oh,” Chat says. He blinks several times. “Uh, good. So I don’t have to fight anyone for that midnight kiss?”

“What midnight kiss?” Luka says, struggling to keep a straight face. “I told you, there’s no mistletoe on this boat. Maman doesn’t approve of traditions like kissing under le gui.”

“Not a problem,” Chat says, his voice sing-song. “I came prepared.”

Luka frowns. “You brought mistletoe with you?”

Of course he did. Did Luka really expect Chat to take chances with these holiday kisses?

Chat laughs. “Technically, I didn’t bring it,” he says. “Look up.”

Slowly, Luka tilts his head back to gaze above them. Some sort of tiny figure is floating between him and Chat in the darkness, dangling a sprig of mistletoe overhead.

“Honestly,” the floating blob says, “I can’t believe you roped me into your ridiculous holiday ritual. No amount of cheese is worth this.”

Realization dawns on Luka. He gazes down at Chat in disbelief, a smile tugging at his lips. “You’re using your kwami to hold mistletoe?”

Chat nods. “I’m very committed.”

“And I’m very exasperated,” Chat’s kwami says. “If you want to kiss guitar boy so badly—”

“Plagg!” Chat says.

Luka laughs. “I’ll admit, I didn’t expect that,” he says. “You got me.”

Grinning, Chat asks, “So, do I get my kiss?”

“Say yes, s’il vous plaît,” Plagg says. “He’ll complain all night if you don’t do that bizarre thing with your mouths.”

“Plagg,” Chat whines.

“I don’t know,” Luka says. “I’m impressed, but we don’t really honor tradition around here. I’m not sure if I should make an exception.”

“Luka,” Chat says, pouting. His hat starts to slip off his hair, and Luka reaches up to tug it back down. “You know how the tradition works. Are you really going to condemn me to a year of loneliness?”

“You know,” Luka says, “that’s a good point. That would be pretty cruel of me.”

“Exactly.” Chat presses closer, until there’s barely any space between his and Luka’s bodies. “And you’re too kind for that, Luka.”

Plagg groans. “Disgusting. I wish I was in my ring right now. Or at home eating cheese. What kind of torture is this?”

Sighing, Chat reaches up and tries to snatch the mistletoe from Plagg’s paws—but Plagg floats just out of reach, narrowly avoiding his hand.

“Plagg,” Chat says, “if you’re going to have such an attitude, just give me the mistletoe.”

“Absolutely not,” Plagg says. “You promised me copious amounts of cheese for this. I’m holding up my end of the deal.”

“You bribed your kwami?” Luka says.

Chat rolls his eyes. “He never helps unless he’s getting something in return.” He glares up at Plagg. “Can you just be quiet for a few minutes?”

“Hm,” Plagg says. “Maybe. It depends on whether or not you’re willing to sweeten the deal.”

Chat groans, and Luka can’t help but laugh. There’s something bizarrely entertaining (and sweet) about watching Chat barter with his kwami to secure some mistletoe.

“What do you want?” Chat asks.

“A dozen extra wheels of cheese,” Plagg says. “Imported.”

“Père is going to think I’m insane,” Chat says. “Did you know Na—his assistant tried to stage an intervention about my consumption of camembert? You’re ruining my life.”

“That’s not my problem,” Plagg says. “Do we have a deal, or not?”

Chat glances between Luka and Plagg a few times, then lets out a frustrated sigh. “Eight wheels,” he says.

“Ten.”

“Fine!” Chat snaps. “Now be quiet until this is done.”

Luka tugs lightly at Chat’s scarf, pulling it down below his chin so that his lips are completely uncovered. “You know, I’m glad you got that sorted out,” Luka says, “but I still haven’t decided if your tradition should be allowed on the Liberty.”

“You know what I think?” Chat says. His eyes glint with determination, and maybe that reaction is a little over-the-top, but Luka kind of appreciates Chat’s dedication to making out with him. “I think your ban on traditions has become a tradition. And if you’re really anti-tradition, you’ll lift the traditional ban on traditions.”

Luka closes his eyes, trying to make sense of Chat’s winding logic. “Chat,” he says. “Please don’t make me start the new year with a headache.”

“Well, then, don’t think about it too much,” Chat says. “Just agree that I’m right.”

“You’re pretty stubborn,” Luka notes.

“So am I getting a kiss?” Chat asks with a toothy smile.

Luka laughs. “I guess I could give you one,” he says. “But you’ll have to wait another minute or two.”

Soon, the crowds along the river begin to yell out numbers. Luka struggles to understand them at first, but somewhere around thirty, he realizes what they’re saying.

A few moments later, Chat whispers, “Twenty seconds.”

“Twenty seconds until 2020?” Luka says.

If Chat notices that Luka’s echoed Adrien’s text from earlier, he doesn’t say anything. Instead, he wraps his arms more tightly around Luka’s neck and tugs him closer. Luka lifts a hand to cup one of Chat’s cheeks, which makes Chat laugh for some reason.

He taps the back of Luka’s neck. “I can’t do much with mittens. No fingers—it’s like having paws.”

“Oh,” Luka says. “Well, they look cute, at least.”

Chat ducks his head, and around them, the last countdown begins.

Ten, nine, eight, seven, six...

Luka takes a deep breath and tilts his head to the side, lining their lips up. “Three,” he murmurs.

“Two,” Chat says.

And then the streets and sidewalks around them erupt in whoops and cheers, signaling midnight. Luka doesn’t waste a second, pulling Chat’s lips against his while his other arm holds Chat’s waist as tightly as possible.

Chat’s hands paw at Luka’s hair, knocking Luka’s hat sideways. Luka responds in kind, yanking Chat’s hat off and running gloved fingers through his hair. Before he can get much farther than that, though, the fireworks start with a loud BOOM overhead.

Chat jumps, his lips breaking away from Luka’s. “S-sorry,” he says, eyes wide. “I’m not a big fan of fireworks. They’re too—”

He yelps as a round of fireworks cracks and booms overhead, then buries his face against Luka’s chest. Luka kisses his forehead—now bare without the hat Luka tossed—and strokes Chat’s hair to soothe him.

“Too loud,” Chat mumbles, nuzzling Luka’s torso. “Usually I’m inside, so fireworks don’t bother me as much, but…”

He flinches as a particularly loud blast goes off, and Luka pats Chat’s back. “How about we go downstairs?” he says. “It should be quieter down there.”  

Chat nods. Luka bends over to retrieve his hat, then grabs his hand and leads him below deck. Once they’re downstairs, the thundering of the fireworks is muted, though still audible.

In the light of the kitchen, Luka can suddenly see the features that were muted by the monochrome evening light outside. Chat’s hair is just as blond when he’s not transformed, and his eyes are the same sparkling green, just without the cat shape. They’re earnest, and soft, and bright, and—well, Luka’s pretty sure he’s already fallen for Chat, but if he hadn’t, Chat’s eyes would have done the trick.

Chat tilts his head to the side. “What is it?”

“You’re pretty,” Luka says. He tugs Chat’s hat back onto his head, flattening his messy curls.

“So are you,” Chat says.

Luka raises an eyebrow. “Are you trying to get another kiss?”

“No,” Chat says. “I just wasn’t sure if you knew how pretty you are.” He reaches down and plucks off one of his mittens, then reaches up to cradle Luka’s cheek. “That said, our kiss did get interrupted, so…”

After a quick glance upward to confirm, Luka says, “Your mistletoe’s gone, you know.”

Chat sighs. “It’s somewhere on this boat. Isn’t that good enough?”

Luka wraps his arms around Chat’s waist once again. “I guess I can make an exception. But, you know, I’ve been wondering…” His nose brushes against Chat’s. “Are your holiday kisses going to be a tradition, too?”

“They could be,” Chat says. “If you want me to come back.”   

“There are still a few holidays you haven’t done yet.”

“I’ll take that as a yes.” Chat smiles up at Luka, his cheeks pink with a blush. “Bonne année, Luka.”

“Bonne année, Chat,” Luka says.

Then he kisses Chat again, with added enthusiasm to make up for the fireworks that interrupted them earlier. And as their lips meet and their hands hold each other close, Luka decides that if he can just spend this coming year with Chat, that might be enough.

And maybe Luka has a chance with him. He just needs a few more holidays, a few more kisses, and maybe he can convince Chat to stop running away.

After about a minute of kissing, Luka leans back and says, “You’re coming back for Valentine’s Day, right?”

Chat’s only answer to that is to capture Luka’s lips in another kiss.

#holiday kiss series #my fic #full fic

[komorebirei]

Broken Fugue: Solfège - 24. Flirt

(AO3)

“Tu sais je vais t’aimer.”

Chat Noir perked up as the honey-sweet voice met his ears. He turned in time to see Coccinelle taking the steps up to the stage, looking stunning in a red sleeveless dress with a lace bodice. “Ah, really, Ladybird? If I may humbly say so, I don’t blame you—besides my good looks, I also have a great sense of humor.”

“Don’t give yourself too much credit, Chaton,” she chided, not unkindly. “Do you know the song, or not?”

“Of course. I’m prepared for you, Milady.”

She lifted the mic from the clip, and he played the opening chords.

“Tu sais je vais t’aimer… même sans ta presence, je vais t’aimer…”

Chat Noir closed his eyes as he played, savoring the way Coccinelle’s voice melted into the piano’s tones. Her voice was soft, soothing, easy to listen to—perhaps untrained, but beautiful nonetheless, like a rare wildflower.

The mood of the club had shifted as she sang, commanding the audience’s attention. Who was this girl who could cast such a spell with her voice? Or was it only him under the spell?

Opening his eyes, he was surprised to find her looking at him, her eyes glittering like sapphires in the mood lighting.

“Tu sais je vais pleurer quand tu t’éloignera… je vais pleurer, mais tu me reviendras, et j’oublierais la douleur de m’ennui…”

Chat Noir held her gaze confidently and waggled his eyebrows playfully. A few whoops rang out from the audience. He smirked, enjoying the act.

When she finished the song, she stepped off the stage without so much as a glance his way. Juleka and Luka joined him onstage, with Luka on the guitar this time—his instrument of choice. As they launched into a lighthearted improvisation, Luka setting the chords, Chat Noir discreetly scanned the audience for the girl in the red dress.

He didn’t see her. She couldn’t have left already, could she?

He would have missed her, if not for the way the sequins of her mask caught the light when she glanced toward the stage, about to push open the door.

Chat Noir played a cadence to gracefully retire the piano, and slipped off the stage, weaving between tables, dodging patrons, out the door.

Her heels were clicking on the concrete as she strode away, one hand on her mask.

“Ladybird!” Chat called out.

Her hand fell away from her face and she turned with the mask still on. “Chat Noir,” she acknowledged, pausing in the middle of the sidewalk.

He caught up to her. “Leaving without a goodbye?”

“Well, you were busy.”

“A cat always has time to chase a ladybug.”

“You’re too much!” She playfully pushed his shoulder. “Do you ever stop flirting?”

He caught her hand. “With you? Why would I, when it’s so much fun?”

Her smile faded slightly, and her eyes gained a faraway look, as if she were thinking about something else.

“It’s funny,” Chat Noir started, still holding her hand. “The lyrics of your song? They describe the way I feel about you. Almost, anyway.”

“Almost?”

“You seem like someone I could fall in love with. I cried every night you weren’t here to serenade us all with your sweet voice.”

Coccinelle snorted dismissively, rolling her eyes, and dislodged her hand from his. “You don’t even know me. How could you fall in love with me?”

“Ah, but Milady, I didn’t say I am in love with you. Yet, anyway. You intrigue me, that’s all.” He touched the edge of her mask, as if asking permission to lift it. “Do you want me to fall in love with you?”

She looked aside and tugged his wrist, taking his hand away. “I’m happy with the masks.”

“You’re perplexing. Are you afraid of something?”

They were standing very close. She looked like she was grappling with a thought, and she opened her mouth to speak, but hesitated. The veil of playfulness had lifted—he was seeing another side of her.

When she didn’t say anything, a daring thought came to Chat Noir’s mind. He leaned forward—she didn’t move away. He hovered his lips above hers—she still didn’t move away.

He kissed her, quick and light. “Caught you, Ladybird.”

Before he could pull away, she wove her fingers in his hair and drew him closer, reinitiating the kiss and returning it with passion. He closed his eyes, the feeling of her lips overtaking his senses.

As they parted, he brushed aside her thick bangs and touched a front tip of her bobbed hairstyle. “A wig? It’s beyond me why you hide. You’re magnificent.”

“Coccinelle isn’t me,” she answered breathily. “This is all just a game.”

“You’re playing me, then?” He pretended to be hurt. “Did that kiss mean nothing?”

“It meant something.” She seemed uncharacteristically shy. Then again, he didn’t know her true character.

“So you’d do it again? If the opportunity presented itself.” He grinned cheekily.

She kissed him again, something defiant smouldering beneath her gentle touches. As she tangled her fingers in his hair, he lay a hand between her shoulder blades, feeling her warm skin under the web of lace that formed the back of her dress.

“One rule: the masks stay on.” Her words tickled his lips.

“As you wish, Milady.”

She mustn’t be serious. This was all a game to her. And that was fine with him.

—

Written for @adrienaugust - part of a collection of drabbles about my music school / jazz club AU. Check out more on AO3 or listen on YouTube.

Tu sais je vais t’aimer: https://youtu.be/YzjZXKzGxTU

#Miraculous Ladybug #Miraculous Ladybug Fanfiction #Adrien AUGreste 2019 #Adrien August #Adrien Agreste #Chat Noir #Cat Noir #Marinette Dupain-Cheng #Ladybug #Ladynoir

[perditaalottachocolate-blog]

The Girl in the Mirror (16)

AO3 / fanfiction.net

Chapter: 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18+ | ( >> (more coming soon)

A @marinettemarch​ story, Day 16: Triumph

Warning: this chapter contains a discussion about cataclysming a person. If you’re not up to read such a thing, you can skip it. I put arrows to indicate where this fragment begins and where it ends.

If anyone would ask Marinette at that moment how she felt, she’d have no idea how to reply. She was relieved Ladybug appeared to serve as distraction, because she wasn’t sure she could just keep a straight face knowing who had been hiding behind the black mask for so long. And if it wasn’t for Adrien’s phone in Ladybug’s hand maybe she’d even dismiss Chat’s words as coincidence.

After all Adrien wouldn’t have been the only person who would compare his friend to the heroine of Paris, right? Nor would he be the only one earning himself a cheek-kiss for it. But it would be too much of a coincidence for him to also have so many cheesy fanart about Ladybug saved to his phone, when Chat Noir claimed to be in love with his partner.

All the little puzzles started jumping into the right places. Adrien ended up very close to akuma really, really often, because they were his responsibility, just like Marinette’s. Chat took awfully long to show up during Gorizilla’s attack because he was captured by the akuma. He never made it for Style Queen because he'd been glitterized.

Click, click, click, the puzzles went taking Chat’s secret with them.

Mirror Ladybug pushed herself from the chimney she’d been leaning on and strolled to them. She crouched and put her arms on their shoulders.

‘That’s a nice view you have here,’ she said conversationally.

Maribug blinked. She realized she wasn’t prepared for her company yet. She had no idea how to react, but now that she knew Ladybug had been akumatized, uneasiness settled over her rather easily. Especially since the heroine was acting so… casual.

‘Has Master Fu-’ Maribug started.

‘Told me I’m an akuma? Yes,’ Ladybug confirmed. ‘Shame I don’t remember my akuma name. I bet it would be something ridiculous, like… Dark Yoyo, Despair Bug or Buginator.

‘Missfortune has a nice ring to it,’ Chat Noir offered.

‘Yeah, that’s actually a good one.’ the heroine grinned. ‘Hello to you by the way. It’s nice to see you when you’re not blowing up.’

‘The pleasure is all mine,’ the boy ducked his head. He couldn’t bow or do anything else because of her elbow resting on his shoulder. ‘It’s nice not to blow up.’

Maribug now had a moment to calm down. She took a closer look at Ladybug. Those few days and the knowledge of what she might have been going through were enough to pick up on her state.

‘How do you feel?’ she asked, noticing the tired eyes and stiffness hiding under the seemingly relaxed posture.

‘As an akuma you mean?’ Ladybug made a face. ‘Pretty good. I admit this isn't ideal. But it could have been worse.’

‘How?’ Chat blurted out.

Ladybug sent him an amused smile. ‘I could have been Hawkmoth,’ she quipped. ‘Or I might have thought you were Hawkmoth and come down on you like a ton of bricks.

‘Yeah, that’s worse,’ he solemnly agreed.

‘I’m sorry we couldn’t do anything about the akuma,’ Maribug murmured.

The heroine sent her a long searching look. ‘Don’t worry about it,’ she finally said. ‘Maybe it wasn’t a day of triumph, but I wouldn’t consider it a failure either.’

 [skip —————————->>>>>>]

‘How come?’

‘I mean, yes, there’s still an akuma somewhere in here,’ she thumped her chest with her fist, ‘but at least now we know about it. And luckily I landed in a time where there’s a Chat Noir who can cataclysm it should the need arise and a second Ladybug who can undo the damage and restore the balance.’

Maribug and Chat looked to her with utter horror. Chat was the first to gather his voice.

‘Are you suggesting I should-’ he gestured to her chest, absolutely horrified.

‘Not now, no.’ Ladybug assured him with the same laid back attitude she adopted earlier. ‘But I need you to promise me you’ll do this the moment I go rogue,’ she added, her voice dropping down just for a moment. ‘I’m serious. You have to act the moment I lose control. Do not hesitate. Do not give me the benefit of the doubt. Treat this as an order and as my consent.’

‘Your consent to kill you?’

‘To destroy the akuma,’ Ladybug said. ‘If I’m as lucky as I’ve always believed, you can save me later. The miraculous should be fine, too.’

‘Should be?’

‘There’s always a risk. Vigilantism is a risky business after all,’ she shrugged.

Maribug felt tears coming. She did everything she could to hold it together. Chat didn’t look better himself.

‘Listen now, kids,’ Ladybug narrowed her eyes. ‘No matter what Fu says, no matter how noble your reasons, I am telling you to do this, okay? Hell, I demand you do this. Whatever is in here, whatever Tikki is keeping at bay, it might not give you a second chance. Do you understand?’

No reply.

‘I said, do you understand?’ Ladybug growled under her breath.

Now there was a duo of two weak and broken “yes”s.

‘Good to know we have an agreement,’ the heroine nodded, reverting back to the cheerful mood.

Only now Marinette understood it was just another mask. A mask that she finally saw through.

[<<<<<<<———————- return]

 Ladybug swayed slightly. Both young heroes caught her arms before she could lose her balance.

‘I think you need to rest,’ Maribug said. ‘We should go.’

They helped the older girl to stand up.

‘Well, I guess I’ll see you around,’ Chat quipped shooting them a two finger salute. It sounded as false as the smile he plastered onto his face.

‘Hey, Kitten, wait up!’ Ladybug called after him. ‘Could you return this for me?’

She tossed Adrien’s phone in his direction and Chat caught it skillfully. The screen lit up upon contact with the boy’s glove displaying Adrien and Nino smiling for a selfie.

Maribug didn’t know what to do with her eyes. She was sure her face was as red as her suit out of second hand embarrassment.

‘Hey, is that my-’ Chat blinked. ‘I mean, whose phone is this?’

‘You’ll find the owner in Place des Vosges,’ the heroine supplied. ‘it’s on your way anyway and I have places to be.’

Chat’s brow furrowed as he tried to understand. ‘B-but why did you even take it?’

Marinette thought that was a very careful wording for an action that had a rather simple name. Theft. And since this was his phone, he must have been aware of that.

‘Don’t you worry your pretty head over it, Kitten. It was simply for superhero inquiries,’ came a reply.

‘You do that kind of thing often?’ he asked weakly.

Ladybug sent him a sweet smile. ‘Only when I’m out of minutes,’ she chirped. ‘Now off you go,’ she shooed at him. Then she turned around and headed for the other side of the roof.

Chat looked to the phone, then to Maribug. He leaned in to whisper into her ear. ‘Ah, so she’s a pickpocket in her free time? I can see why you’re worried, Bugaboo.’

#marinettemarch #marinettelove #ladybug #chat noir #ladynoir #future ladybug #akumatized ladybug #cataclysm #triumph #the girl in the mirror #perdita writes #ml fic #miraculous ladybug

[rosettared]

Lift Me Up

Summary: After watching Chat Noir almost get himself killed once again, Ladybug strongly considers they tell each other the truth - though not before he tells her his plan to cheer her up. A patrol picnic. Simple enough. What could go wrong? In which Adrien gets sick, they get trapped in an elevator, and Master Fu knows what's really in Marinette's heart. Pairing(s): Ladybug/Chat Noir, Adrien/Marinette (it’s a love square fic, so naturally all four corners are present)

Chapter 1: Enough is Enough Word Count: 4481 Also read on: AO3 Next Chapter >>

Marinette had a lot on her mind right now, and she wasn’t sure which thought she should address first. Recalling everything that unfolded before her very eyes – watching yet another schoolmate upset over what only Chloé found trivial, watching as she succumbed to Hawk Moth’s tempting offer, watching as she reigned fiery terror upon Paris with her fuelled rage, watching as Chat Noir took yet another hit for her – it was all becoming quite overwhelming for her.

It didn’t quite help that she had a bad week to begin with, and it was a wonder how she had not yet been akumatised herself (Tikki once mentioned that bearing the miraculous gave her the protection from Hawk Moth’s akumas, but surely, he’s sensed her negative emotions before). Alya had been horribly ill with high fever, so she sat by herself through all her classes. Her sewing machine had broken the very minute she wanted to start on a project she had been excited for.  Her workload from school was ridiculous, what more with her responsibilities as class president piling up. Marinette had come running into class one morning with a cup of coffee, and it didn’t take long until she tripped over herself on the school steps (well, Adrien lent her his jacket to wear over her stained shirt, if anything good came out of that).

As Lady Luck herself, it was funny how her luck seemed to be running dry.

She wasn’t laughing.

She watched over the city she fought to protect, swinging her legs as they dangled over the ledge of the rooftop. She was forty minutes early for her joint Friday patrol with Chat tonight, but she couldn’t think at home. The confined pink walls of her bedroom, though she loved them, were not what she wanted to associate with the battles in her brain. Her room was her workspace, where she felt creativity flow from her head to her hands, where she put heart into each of her projects. She needed the fresh air and wide-open space she could only get from over the rooftops of Paris. It reminded her that her decisions may bring consequences to her people, including the people she loved, so she had to think about her actions more carefully.

Today’s akuma, Medusa, was Clara, a girl from Marinette’s art class. Before class had started, she had shown Marinette her art project, which was a near-perfect clay sculpture of herself, from the collarbone up. It had taken her every day since they received their assignment, and she was proud. But when it was Clara’s turn to unveil it to the class, she could only look and gape in sheer horror. Someone had defaced it – it was missing both ears, and there were cracks everywhere. It didn’t take a genius to know who was behind it, and the sight of Chloe and Sabrina high-fiving and snickering was all the proof she needed. Marinette had run after her to cheer her up, but she realised that Hawk Moth got to her first. He had given her elongated snake-like locks, which could turn whoever she wished into solid stone (instead of her eyes, like in the stories Marinette read as a child).

Of all the thoughts that ran in her mind, the most profound one – the one that shouted and nagged for her attention – was the memory of Chat pushing her away and taking her place when one of Medusa’s serpents aimed for her. She had had her guard down, trying to think of a plan with her Lucky Charm (a can of hairspray, go figure), and she somehow missed the ear-piercing cry of “Ladybug, watch out!” from her partner, and before she knew it, her breath was knocked out of her and Chat slowly turned into stone, from where the snake had wrapped itself around his waist. When Medusa threatened to knock him over, and shatter him into a million pieces, the scream that left Marinette’s mouth was shrill and deafening, raw with dread and fear.

She hated this feeling.

That was the sixth time this month. Chat had been taking bullets meant for her, time and time again, and Marinette hated it. She was so sick of watching her partner put himself in danger, which often times made him turn against her. She hated fighting one of her best friends over and over again. Other times, Chat would literally take bullets for her, which was much, much worse. She couldn’t count the number of times in their three years together that she’s watched him die in her arms, watched him untangle from her grasp that had only grown tighter as time passed. If it wasn’t for her restoration spell after each battle, she wasn’t sure what she would do.

She was tired of losing him.

The sound of footsteps hitting the ground broke her reverie, and she quickly wiped away the tears with her wrists. After the battle, she hadn’t spoken a word to the cat, hadn’t even looked at him. She remembered throwing him a hushed “see you later” over her shoulder before swinging home. He had called out to her, but she just had her mind set on getting to the bakery as fast as she could. Usually she would make it a priority to check up on him after battles, but there was only so much a girl could take.

She heard the slow steps he took in her direction, probably hesitant to approach. She straightened her position and kept her eyes on the twinkling city lights, still refusing to turn to him. “Hey,” he offered weakly, breaking the heavy silence between them. When she replied with a disinterested ‘hmm’, she saw from her peripheral that he took it upon himself to take a seat on the roof beside her. She could see that he was fidgeting with his miraculous, which he only did when he was nervous. She had half a mind to ease his thoughts, probably agitated to start the conversation, but she stayed stubborn and kept her mouth shut.

She still had a bone to pick with him.

Eventually, he cleared his throat to get her attention (he already had it, but she didn’t want him to know that yet).

“Some akuma today, huh?” he tried again. Nothing. Her eyes stayed on the glittering lights of the Eiffel Tower, not very far from where they sat. He heaved a heavy sigh. “Ladybug, about what happened earlier…” Still nothing from her. She was just going to let him ramble. Another sigh. “Look, I know you’re still mad at me for what I did. I called out your name, but you didn’t hear me, and she almost turned you into a statue! I can’t say I’m sorry for pushing you, but I am sorry I made you worry. I know you would’ve done the same for me. We’re partners, after all, right?” Again, nothing. He was only making things worse. She let him try again. “If there’s anything I could do to make it up to you, just say the word and I’ll do it.”

Marinette closed her eyes and took one deep break in, and held it for four seconds, then slowly let it out for another eight. She repeated the practice one more time, tension calmly leaving her body, before opening her eyes and finally looking his way, offering him a small smile. She noticed how quickly his shoulders dropped and expression softened, ready to hear what she has to say. The anticipation in his eyes almost made her regret not speaking sooner.

Almost.

“Chat, you’re not just a partner to me. You know you’re one of my best friends, right?” she finally spoke.

Maybe it could’ve been how he took in the word ‘friend’, but he was briefly hesitant. Then he returned her smile. “’Course I do.”

“We’ve been saving Paris for, what, three years? We were only fourteen when we got the job. Crazy, huh?”

His smile grew a little more. “Yeah, we were,” he agreed.  “Time sure flies, doesn’t it? Those three years have been rewarding, I have to say.”

She felt her nerves loosen up a bit, but then they quickly tightened again. “And… and you know I trust you with my life, right?”

“And you, mine.”

“Yeah, it’s that.” Marinette took in another deep breath, then scooted closer to him on the ledge. “What you did for me with Medusa… Chat, I can’t thank you enough. You’re brave, and noble, and so, so selfless. I couldn’t ask for a better partner, but… See, it’s not that I don’t appreciate you always trying to protect me. I do, more than you’ll ever know – heck, I’ll do the same for you. You know that.” She was stalling. She had become a master in the art of rambling, if only to take her time to fight back the tears behind her eyes and the lump in her throat.

Luckily, he couldn’t tell, as he simply chuckled and said, “Yes, I do. That’s what partners do. That’s what friends do, right?”

She nodded, still fighting a losing battle. “Yeah, yeah, friends do that. Chat, listen,” she sighed, putting one gloved hand over the other, softly drumming her fingers. It was best to stop beating about the bush and just tell him like it was, tears be darned. “Okay, I’m just gonna say it. You almost died today. Medusa threatened to topple you over and let you break if I didn’t hand over my miraculous. I had to face her scaly snakes all by myself, and she almost killed you! Do you know how terrified I was? I mean, I know we’re both scared to face akumas to some extent but come on! She could have ended your life like that!” Marinette snapped her fingers for emphasis.

Chat looked away from her gaze, not wanting to see the fury in her eyes, then she calmed down a little. She was lashing out, and that was only unfair to him. He was only doing his duty, after all. She turned his face to look at her, for she wanted to see the sincerity in the tears that trailed down her mask. He almost missed how she let a tiny sob escape, and his jaw dropped.

“I swear, Chat Noir, I’m not mad at you,” she began, her voice controlled, hoping she could get at least this to him. Chat, however, did not look convinced. “I’m just… I’m just tired. I know you mean well, but I’m tired of having to fight you over and over again, or worse. I almost lost you again today, and I hate that I can’t make you promise it won’t happen anymore, because it will. You and I both know that.”

Chat was quiet for quite some time, longer than Marinette liked, and she waited for him to deny her claim, or defend himself. Say something, she thought. When he didn’t, she sighed again and proceeded. “We protect each other, Kitty. I know I’ve taken blows for you before, but it’s obvious that our counts don’t tally.” She brought up one hand to his face to gently rub her thumb against his cheek. He leaned into her touch, and Marinette felt her insides turn to mush and flow through her body.

“You’ve thrown me off a roof.” The dumb cat dared to give her a cheeky grin. She wanted to smack it right off his pretty face.

“When you were mind-controlled! Do you see where I’m going with this?”

Chat lifted his own hand to hers, and he wrapped his fingers around her own. When he placed a soft kiss on her palm, even through the layers of spandex between them, all of Marinette’s nerves caught on fire, the burn spreading from her neck to the tips of her ears. He then pursed his lips in thought. “You’re the only one who can save the akuma victims. We can’t afford for you to get hurt. I can’t let anything happen to you, Bugaboo.” It was rare that he used that particular nickname in such a situation, but she guessed that was how he tried to lighten the mood. By the direction this conversation was going, he didn’t have much luck there. “If they get to you, there’s not much I can do. I find out where the akuma is, break it free, and then what? I don’t have my own ‘Miraculous Ladybug’ like you, I can’t clean up our messes or purify the akumas, and I know you’re more than capable to save Paris without me. You’re way too important for our missions, so I will gladly put your safety before my own.”

“Even if it’ll cost you your life?”

“Especially if it’ll cost me my life! Better me than you, Ladybug,” his voice strained, and she realised he was holding back just as much as she was. “Besides, you always save me in the end, right? I trust that whatever sacrifice I make, you’ll always find a way to make things right.”

“That’s not the point, Chat. I don’t want to have to fight you anymore. I don’t want to have to save Paris without you, I can’t do it without you. I’ve seen you die in so many ways, and I want it to stop. I just…” her voice faltered, and like the weight of all her week’s troubles taking their toll on her, she finally broke the dam behind her eyes, not caring that she looked more vulnerable than ever to her partner. This was the boy she trusted with every fibre of her being. He deserved to see her like this.

“Just because I can purify akumas, that doesn’t make you expendable,” she added in between desperate sobs. “You are not expendable, Chat, do you hear me? You’re just as important as I am, and I want to be by your side, every step of the way. We’re a team, remember? We fight for Paris together.” Marinette took his hands in her own and squeezed, trying to tell him that every word she spoke was 100% fact. “I don’t need you to fight for me, I need you to fight with me. There’s only so much I can take, so I need you to promise that you’ll be more careful, Chat. I… I-I lo-,” Not yet, she thought. She couldn’t bring herself to say it, not right now. She cleared her throat and tried one more time. “I can’t lose you.”

She saw the way his muscles relaxed, and his shoulders dropped again, and she felt the breath he was slowly letting out through his nose. She welcomed the way he released his hands from her hold, so he could wrap them around her waist and pull her closer to him, flushing at how he pressed a lingering kiss on the top of her head. “Alright. I promise.”

She smiled. “Thank you.”

Adrien had never been more on edge.

Ever since his talk with Ladybug last week, her words had become his new mantra, playing in his head like a broken radio. ‘Be more careful’, she had said to him. He was bound to find a new akuma victim this week, but by Wednesday, nothing had happened yet. The stillness was unsettling, and Adrien had been on the lookout for any suspicious activity. His enhanced senses as Chat Noir had seeped more into his civilian life as time went on, so that made it all-the-more easy for him. He kept a watchful eye on Chloé, and so far, she hadn’t given anyone more distress than usual, so he supposed that should have eased him a little.

It didn’t.

Something bad was going to happen. He could feel it.

Adrien walked into class that morning, his head reminding him repeatedly to calm down, and was taken aback at the sight of his best friend in the seat next to his own. Nino looked… off. For starters, he was incredibly pallid, his form pale and weak. His eyes drooped behind his thick-framed glasses, and the bags and dark circles underneath were as clear as day. The turn of his body to greet Adrien was sluggish, and his reactions were belated.

Nino was just fine last week, so Adrien tried to recall their past conversations to see what could have made him so sick. He remembered Nino excusing himself from their study sessions to pay Alya a quick visit when she was sick. He and Marinette didn’t think too much of it the first time, awed at how much Nino cared for his girlfriend, to be there in her time of need. Now that he was thinking about it, it baffled him how he didn’t realise that he would leave to see her twice, thrice, several times in that same week. The one time he and Marinette made time to visit Alya themselves, Nino was already there.

He did mention that he was at Alya’s all weekend.

Ah, that explains it, Adrien thought.

“Dude, you look awful,” he told Nino bluntly, skipping their morning handshake routine. Nino didn’t even try to look offended, and instead opted to give him a shrug. “Why did you come? You should be lying on your bed, resting at home.”

Nino sniffled. “No one was at home, and my mom wouldn’t let me stay by myself.”

Adrien knitted his eyebrows. “You’re seventeen.”

“You’ve met my mom.”

That’s true. Touché, Lahiffe. Touché.  

“Go to the nurse’s, then. That’s much better than staying here.”

“No point. I shouldn’t have to miss today’s classes.”

“There’s also no point if you’re gonna be sneezing and coughing in class, either.”

It was astounding how flat and final Nino’s expression was in his sick state, refusing to budge from his spot. There was no talking him out of leaving class.

So be it.

Adrien shook his head, then taking his seat in the front row and placing a hand on Nino’s shoulder. “I’m gonna help you get through this, man. Don’t worry about it. I can reteach everything you might miss, and you can borrow my notes to copy once you get better.” He took out the notebook and pens from his bag, prepared for the day’s lessons. “And I’ll explain the situation to the teachers if they decide to pick on you – if they can’t already tell,” he chuckled quietly.

Nino gave him a reassuring grin, one that barely reached his tired eyes, and plopped his elbow on their desk and opened his palm. There was only one thing that could mean, so Adrien clasped his hand in his and squeezed, telling Nino he was honouring his word (his bro-mise, as he liked to think. Nino left the room when he first told him this). He watched from his peripheral as Nino blew his nose into a tissue, and the class was filling up more, with Mme Bustier walking through the door a sign that she was about to begin today’s lesson (she must have loved their class a whole lot, if teaching them for three years in a row was something to come by).

For the rest of the day, Adrien made sure to give as much aid as he could to his sick best friend. He followed him to the nurse’s office for some much-needed medication, he waited for him all through lunch because Nino was eating more slowly, and he helped him up the stairs because he didn’t exactly have the energy. Nino occasionally insisted that his help wasn’t necessary, but Adrien wasn’t having it.

An hour into their next class, with Adrien diligently jotting down his notes and Nino coughing in the background, all heads turned to see the classroom door being violently swung open by one tardy Marinette Dupain-Cheng. She stumbled to her seat as rushed as the apology she gave their teacher, who was, with everyone else, all too familiar to Marinette’s notorious track record. She had never really been discreet about it. Adrien assumed she ran all the way to school, given how heavy she was panting behind him.

While their teacher wasn’t looking, he turned to smile at his friend in greeting. “Overslept again?” he whispered, a smirk now replacing his grin.

She shook her head, settling down and getting her own tablet out. “Not this time,” she replied, almost proud that she was late for something else for a change. Her eyes then darted to Nino. “What happened to him?”

“Alya. Too many visits,” he chuckled into his fist. “Speaking of, any word from her?”

She nodded. “That’s why I’m late. I stopped by her place this morning with some treats from the bakery.” She took out a small green box from her backpack, opened the lid and offered some cream puffs (well, whatever was left) to Adrien, who happily popped one into his mouth. Those were Alya’s favourites, and he knew her parents had made them fresh this morning. “She’s getting better, thank goodness. She’s certainly faring better than Sir Snot McSniffles over there,” she snorted. “If she’s well enough, she’ll even come to school tomorrow. After more than a week of sitting by myself, that’s something to look forward to.”

“Excuse me?” he scoffed in disbelief. “What are Nino and I, then? Gargoyles? Have you not been appreciating our company, Mme Dupain-Cheng?"

She punched his shoulder lightly, only to humour him, and he rubbed where she hit him with a pout. “You know what I mean.

“Some friend you are. You’ve broken my heart.”

She giggled. “Aw, does the poor little rich boy want me to patch it up? Shall I fetch you a band-aid, Adrien?”

He couldn’t help the hopeless smile on his face. He loved hearing his name roll off her tongue.

They were both interrupted by their teacher loudly clearing her throat, like she was as sick as Nino right now, and they both faced forward with their hands on their desks. “Excuse me, Adrien and Marinette, would you like to take over my class?” she put her hands on her hips and eyed them menacingly. He imagined that when the day came to finally face Hawk Moth in person, his evil glare would rival hers. “I will gladly sit aside so you can share what you have to say to the rest of class.”

Adrien didn’t dare look up, only hearing faint sniggers from his classmates. He kept his eyes on his hands, and flatly told their teacher, “No, ma’am.”

“We’re sorry, ma’am,” Marinette chimed in, and their teacher resumed to writing on the chalkboard.

Slumping further into his seat and letting out a sigh, Adrien straightened up when he felt a quick, sudden vibration from the pocket of his jeans. He fished out his phone from said pocket to find one new text message: from Marinette, of course.

M: Alya’s been feeling like she’s missing out. She’s just been gone for so long, and I feel bad that I haven’t been visiting her as much as Nino has, so what better than to bring her favourites and fill her in?  

Adrien took no time at all to text her a reply.

A: You’re truly amazing, Marinette. She’s really lucky to have you for a best friend, then.  

She didn’t text back right away, for reasons Adrien couldn’t think of at the top of his head. He wondered if she was just trying to think of the perfect response. He imagined Marinette looking at her phone with such intensity, like if she stared hard enough her text would write itself, and aggressively hitting the keys, her tongue stuck out in that cute little way she did when she was concentrating. That was what he tended to do if he didn’t send a reply in 0.4 seconds. Then his phone lit up.

M: I know, right? Who wouldn’t be? :P

A: lmao can’t argue with that. You gonna see her again after school?

M: Definitely. I asked my parents to save some madeleines when I go visit her again. I might even bring along some video games! You coming with?  

Oh, how tempting that truly was, that Adrien almost said yes.

A: Don’t think so :( You know how it takes my father three business days to pay me any attention.

M: All too well, unfortunately.

A: Don’t you think you’ve fed her enough?

M: Hey, I say that free food and good company are KEY to cheering someone up. You should try it sometime ;)

Something about that last text had him drawn, and he found himself rereading it over and over. Even as the final bell rang, and he and Nino headed straight for the library to study, he was still thinking about it. He couldn’t get it off his mind even as he came home and walked into his bedroom, flopped on his bed and stared at the ceiling. He knew that he would greatly appreciate being surrounded by his closest friends and talk about life with pizzas in hand. He certainly had to try that out the next time one of his friends needed good cheering up. Had any of them been upset lately?

“You made Ladybug pretty mad,” Plagg pointed out, flying out from underneath his overshirt to land on the mattress. He must have said that one out loud. “Would be nice if you did something for her, I don’t know.”

Adrien couldn’t believe what he was hearing. “I’m sorry, was that what I thought it was? Good, dare I say helpful, advice?” he raised an eyebrow, doubtful. “Ground-breaking. I didn’t know you had it in you, buddy.”

“Hey, I’m just sayin’,” the kwami stated and gave him an indifferent shrug. “You did say you’d do something for her. Better get to it, boy.”

That wasn’t a bad idea. Perhaps he should.

All sorts of ideas to make Ladybug feel better came flooding his brain, and Adrien got out of bed to hurry to his desk. He must have gone too fast, because he felt a sharp pang to the head, suddenly feeling as if the room was spinning, holding the corner of the desk for support. He couldn’t breathe properly, for his nose was slowly getting congested and he started to sniffle. His throat began to clench a little, and he could taste the phlegm at the back of his mouth. He buckled over and brought his hand to his neck as he started to cough out a lung.

Plagg, the little punk, only laughed heartily at his predicament. “Looks like all that time with Nino the Nauseous finally paid off!”

This was not good. This was not good at all. It seemed his gut feeling was right, that something bad was bound to happen, and that something bad did happen – he just didn’t think it would happen to him.

Ladybug’s gonna kill me.

#miraculous ladybug #ml fic #ladynoir #adrienette #marichat #ladrien #ml #my works #i've been working on this for a while #AND LOOK IT ISN'T A ONESHOT THIS TIME #I'm also thinking of joining Adrien Appreciation Week but I'll also have /this/ to update #i'll try doing both

[myladyladybug]

The Twelve Days of LadyNoir

Merry Christmas @digiowl​ !!!! I hope you like your LadyNoir~ 

Thanks to @mlsecretsanta for running the event~

Rating: K+

Words: 2815

Summary: Chat Noir is determined to have a cute, romantic, and memorable Christmas with his Lady Love. 

FF AO3 

“On the first day of Christmas, your true love gave to you,” Chat Noir sang, “a kiss from a superhero.”

This year marked their first Christmas together, and Adrien wanted it to be something special. Seeing as he didn’t have much in the way of celebrations at home, he thought he would put all of his efforts into making his Christmas with Ladybug the best one.

“Chat, what are you doing?” Ladybug giggled, glancing up at the mistletoe that hung from a string on a stick. He brought it closer, leaning into his girlfriend and puckering his lips comically.

“I’m giving you the gift of a kiss of course. It’s Christmas!” She raised an eyebrow skeptically, though there was still playfulness in her expression.

“It’s December 14th. Christmas is still two weeks away!”

“Actually, My Lady, it’s twelve days away.” A laugh came out of the back of her throat that sounded something like a cough. The smile never left her face.

“Chat. You aren’t.”

“Now, allow me to give me your first purresent.” Without acknowledging her incredulity, Chat Noir leaned in, closing the gap between the two and pressed his lips to hers.

“On the second day of Christmas, your true love gave to you, two ugly sweaters, and a kiss from a superhero.

“These are horrendous,” Ladybug mused, a smirk plastered on her face. Held in her hands was a large, warm, and ugly Christmas sweater. Chat Noir donned the second, which was decorated with pictures of cats wearing Santa hats that were topped with real sleigh bells. He jingled with ever little movement he made. Hers looked like a wrapped gift, a thick golden ribbon running down the middle and topped with a large golden bow that protruded from the chest.

“Aren’t they pawful?” Chat Noir grinned, helping the sweater over his partner’s head.

“Absolutely,” she agreed. “Does that mean you’re getting half of my gift?”

“Do you want this sweater?” he asked, surprised as he looked down at the wonderful creation he modeled. Ladybug hummed histrionically, striding toward him and wrapping her arms around his neck. His hands found their way around her waist, and she stole a swift kiss.

“On second thought, I think it suits you.”

“On the third day of Christmas, your true love gave to you, three candy canes, two ugly sweaters, and a kiss from a superhero.”

“Does this mean I’m going to get an ugly sweater everyday until the Christmas?” Ladybug asked, opening up a candy cane to eat. She handed one of the three to her boyfriend.

“No, I’m only going to bring the latest verse’s gift,” he explained. Gently, he provided to her a mint flavoured kiss, making the candy somehow taste sweeter. She smiled.

“So, how come I keep getting ‘a kiss from a superhero’ then?” Chat Noir raised an eyebrow.

“Would you like to not get a kiss from a superhero?”

“No, it’s not that,” Ladybug amended quickly, returning a minty kiss. “I just wanted to be sure.”

“On the fourth day of Christmas, your true love gave to you, four cups of eggnog, three candy canes, two ugly sweaters, and a kiss from a superhero.”

“I think this is cheating,” she said, sipping at the warm drink. She loved the sweet flavor and he had thought to add cinnamon to it all. If she wasn’t already in love with him, this would have taken it over the top.

“But eggnog is so good.” The two superheroes sat peacefully atop a roof that faced the bright lights of the Eiffel tower in the night. Her head leaned familiarly on his shoulder, and he rested his head atop hers.

“And four cartons of eggnog would have been better,” she observed absently.

“That’s true. But it would’ve been hard to carry.”

“Also true.”

“On the fifth day of Christmas, your true love gave to you, five golden bells! Four cups of eggnog, three candy canes, two ugly sweaters, and a kiss from a superhero.”

With him today was a string of sleigh bells, strung on a ribbon and ornamenting his baton. As he approached, she could hear the distinct and cliched rhythm of Jingle Bells being performed.

“Did you lose a bell on the way here chaton?” Ladybug mused when she saw that only four hung from the band.

“As a matter of fact, I didn’t. All here and accounted for.” Her eyes glinted, and when he smirked at her, Ladybug reached out to take hold of the fifth bell and pull it down, bring Chat Noir with it. He was only shocked when she planted a brief, but satisfying kiss on his unsuspecting lips.

“Found it.”

“On the sixth day of Christmas, your true love gave to you, six Christmas crackers, five golden bells! Four cups of eggnog, three candy canes, two ugly sweaters, and a kiss from a superhero.”

The crackers were gold and silver, and difficult to pull apart, which in turn made them all the more amusing.

“One, two, THREE!” The first set popped ceremoniously, laughter joining the bang the rung in the air. They had held one end each of two crackers, one in each right hand, and another in each left. She had gotten both ends, but handed one off to him regardless.

Ladybug could tell he wanted to mention something about his bad luck, but she had scolded him enough times for doing so that he seemed to be restraining from comment. Each cracker contained a paper crown, that were promptly donned.

“Finally, my princess has her crown,” Chat Noir remarked. Ladybug curtsied, and she was met with a bow. Without a word, her right hand found his, and her free hand landed on his shoulder, while his was on her waist. As they twirled about a roof of Paris, he gave her her daily gift.

“These must be the most romantic Christmas crackers I’ve ever opened.”

“Well, you are with me My Lady. I am a very romantic cat.”

“On the seventh day of Christmas, your true love gave to you, seven sparkly ornaments, six Christmas crackers, five golden bells! Four cups of eggnog, three candy canes, two ugly sweaters, and a kiss from a superhero.”

“The ornaments that we have around the house were kind of plain, so I made you some!”

Ladybug looked down at the plastic, paper, and wooden ornaments in her hands. All were rather poorly made, but all were very cute and endearing. A couple of plastic baubles filled with glitter, appropriately themed to suit the two of them. Two building block dolls with the blocks as the body, again, each themed appropriately. Sheets of cardstock cut into the shape of long ornaments were decorated, and finally, a little 3D star made from mostly pipe cleaners.

She could only imagine how long these took him to make. Images of the boy sitting at a desk, painstakingly crafting these ornaments specifically for her, and with her in mind. It was all enough to make her heart warm. She made a mental note to make some more of these with him later. Ladybug smiled sweetly at her boyfriend.

“No angel for the top of my tree chaton?” she goaded playfully. “Or did you plan on perching yourself up there personally.” A blush could be seen blazing beneath the black mask, and Chat Noir closed drew her to him, setting aside the ornaments to make room.

“Hmm… I’m not sure the tree will hold, but I’m more than willing to try,” he grinned.

“How about instead, you just perch yourself on the highest point of my house. Or in the highest room.” A wink from her sent shivers up and down his spine.

“I think that could be arranged.”

“On the eighth day of Christmas, your true love gave to you, eight fuzzy socks, seven sparkly ornaments, six Christmas crackers, five golden bells! Four cups of eggnog, three candy canes, two ugly sweaters, and a kiss from a superhero.”

“There are fur pairs, which means there are eight socks total,” Chat Noir explained pointedly when Ladybug first tore apart the wrapping.

“I love them,” she promised, and she meant it too. The older she got, the more she came to appreciate a warm pair of socks. His arm found its way around her shoulders and she leaned into him.

“I know you get cold in the winters, My Lady.” A kiss fell to the top of her head. She looked up at him and returned the favor.

“Now I’ll have these socks, an ugly sweater, and a kitten to keep me warm.”

“On the ninth day of Christmas, your true love gave to you, nine flying reindeer, eight fuzzy socks, seven sparkly ornaments, six Christmas crackers, five golden bells! Four cups of eggnog, three candy canes, two ugly sweaters, and a kiss from a superhero.”

“It was my favorite book during the Christmas seasons when my mom was still around. I wanted to share it with you.” In her hands was the story of Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer. She turned to face him, her heart touched by his sentiment.

“Adrien…” she said, using his real name for the first time since they had transformed with the knowledge of each other’s identities. He blushed fiercely at the sound of it, and she reached out a hand to take hold of his. “Thank you.” Her smile was so kind and genuine that all the tension and anxiety he felt over her reaction melted into her touch. Foregoing his daily gift for the time being, Chat opted for a much needed embrace.

“No, thank you.”

“On the tenth day of Christmas, your true love gave to you, ten Christmas cookies, nine flying reindeer, eight fuzzy socks, seven sparkly ornaments, six Christmas crackers, five golden bells! Four cups of eggnog, three candy canes, two ugly sweaters, and a kiss from a superhero.”

“I… tried.” The cookies were slightly burnt, rather misshapen, and decorated in questionable designs. One of them was definitely supposed to be Pere Noel’s face, though the rest could have arguable been Christmas ornaments, bells, or presents. Ladybug brought one to her lips, taking a bite.

“And that’s all that matters,” she replied, leaning over to give him a quick peck on the cheek. “Next time I’ll help you okay?”

“It’s a date.”

“You know, these really aren’t that bad at all,” she commented, taking a bite out of her second cookie. “Have a taste.” Before he could say a word, Ladybug turned to pass a bit of the pastry into his mouth. Pulling back, she took the time to enjoy the redness in his cheeks, and his absentminded chewing. His eyes didn’t seem to be focused on much of anything, and his shock made her feel rather triumphant.

“I don’t know if I can tell from just that small bit. You’re going to have to feed me a few more bites.”

“On the eleventh day of Christmas, your true love gave to you, eleven lovely photos, ten Christmas cookies, nine flying reindeer, eight fuzzy socks, seven sparkly ornaments, six Christmas crackers, five golden bells! Four cups of eggnog, three candy canes, two ugly sweaters, and a kiss from a superhero.”

“I made it so you could still show it off if you wanted to,” Chat Noir said, tremendously pleased with himself. In her hands, Ladybug was flipping through a partially finished scrapbook, decked out with fancy stickers, cut-outs, and exactly eleven photographs. He sat next to her so he could both look at his handiwork, and watch her reaction to each page.

Ladybug felt like a mother who had just received a piece of art from her child. But it was a good feeling. She bit her lip to avoid the spout of giggles that threatened to burst forth over how adorable he was acting.

The photos were all of Marinette and Adrien at various points of their relationship. She hadn’t realized he had even taken some of the candid ones, and if were something for himself, she did not doubt for one second that he would make an entire page dedicated to candid pictures he had taken of her person.

“How on earth are you finding more ways to make me fall in love with you chaton?” she said when she had skimmed through a couple of pages. His face glowed and she reached around the large photobook to give him a hug.

They spent the following moments commenting on photos, reminiscing about the places they’ve been, things they’ve done, adventures they’ve had. And with every passing minute, her adoration for him only grew. She sighed deeply and cuddled up against his chest, listening carefully to the purring that vibrated through him.

There was nothing in the world she was willing to trade for this. And although she knew it was a selfish thought to have, her happiness wouldn’t allow her to take it back.

“On the twelfth day of Christmas, your true love gave to you, twelve romantic hours, eleven lovely photos, ten Christmas cookies, nine flying reindeer, eight fuzzy socks, seven sparkly ornaments, six Christmas crackers, five golden bells! Four cups of eggnog, three candy canes, two ugly sweaters, and a kiss from a superhero.”

“Or many kisses, if you’d prefer,” Chat enticed, raising and lowering his eyebrows seductively. A grin crossed her face.

“We could probably manage both,” she pointed out. “We do have twelve hours.”

“That’s not long enough,” he muttered, planting the first of many kisses on her forehead. “I am at your disposal My Lady.”

“I’d never dispose of you chaton,” she remarked. Another kiss found its say to her cheeks. A third to her nose. “You’re right. Twelve hours is definitely not long enough.”

“Let’s say twelve is the minimum,” he mumbled as his lips pressed against hers.

“But you have to come to the Christmas party,” she whined, pressing his forehead against hers. “And I guess I have to go too. It won’t really be twelve hours.”

“We can mix and match the hours into twelve,” he suggested absently, not finding himself very attentive as his mind wandered to the way her hands scoured over his chest.

“Twelve uninterrupted hours sounds much more pleasant,” she argued, both hands now wandering to bury themselves in his hair.

“Rain check?” he asked. Now his own hands were at the small of her back. Ladybug sealed the deal with a kiss.

“Perfect.”  

“On the last day of Christmas, your true love gave to you… something in return.”

“I’m not sure if it’s any consolation, but I got you a gift as well. Made it, actually.” His ears seemed to perk up at the thought that he would be receiving anything. Although the day was his gift to her, she couldn’t help but surprise him with her own.

“You didn’t have you!”

“Seeing as you set up such a wonderful string of gifts, I thought it only right I give you at least one.” Her tone was only slightly teasing. “Not to mention that fact that you’re my boyfriend, and I love you, and I wanted to get you a gift,” she admitted, producing the poorly hidden parcel about the size of a pillow. “Here.” Chat Noir tore at the brightly coloured wrapping paper in vigour.

He wasn’t sure what he was looking at at first. Squares of designs were littered before him, the one that caught his eye was of him kissing ladybug’s hand. Another was a simple design of her yoyo. Another of his ring. There were little things here and there. Images of their first date. Silhouettes of the two of them galivanting through the sky. It was meticulously detailed, as even in the boarder of a square, he could just make out a patter of Tikki and Plagg.

Words failed to form in his mouth.

“I… I don’t know what to say,” he said unnecessarily. A smile twitched at the corner of her lips, and she took the quilt from his hands and wrapped it around his shoulders. Even with his brain failure, she could tell he was over the moon. Ladybug kissed his cheek.

“A simple ‘thank you’ would suffice.” Chat Noir woke from his shock, and she could barely make out the tear that threatened to fall from his eyes accompanying his smile.

“Thank you, Marinette,” he finally managed, using her real name to declare his sincerity. He took hold of the edge of the quilt and brought it around Ladybug’s shoulders, holding her to his chest. “Thank you so much for your gift. For being with me. For loving me.”

“Being with you is thanks enough.”

“Could you also be a part of my gift?” he mumbled softly, his voice a deep whisper. She met her blue eyes with his green with a half-lidded gaze.

“Only if you could be mine.”

#myladywrites #miraculous ladybug secret santa #ladynoir #ml #miraculous ladybug #digiowl #mlsecretsanta #ml fic #miraculous ladybug fic #miraculous ladybug fluff #ml fluff