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Finding a Way - Chapter 26

PREVIEW:

Drawing in a deep breath, Marinette released Adrien’s hand and took one tentative step closer to the curtain of water…then another…then hurried in, squeezing her eyes shut and clenching her teeth against the cold as it iced through her skin. She rubbed at her clothes and her hair, but her hands went numb and she let them fall, leaving nature to finish the job.

Then Adrien was taking her hand again, hauling her out and skirting the waterfall, standing in the open sunshine. He wrapped his arms around her, both of them shaking and shivering. He rubbed his hands quickly up and down her spine like he hoped that would warm her up faster. Taking his cue, she did the same for him, but he made a noise like he was in pain and pulled her hands away before concentrating on her.

When she’d regained feeling, she drew back a little and looked up at him, meeting his gorgeous eyes, the green of the trees that surrounded their little hideaway – a lagoon, the water ringed by boulders, nestled in the jungle. ‘Are you okay?’

‘Very okay.’ He pushed a wet lock of her hair behind her ear. The look he gave her was familiar – a look he’d given her so many times since they’d landed on this island, but she hadn’t understood what it meant. Not until now.

As if to make it completely clear, he bent his head down, his lips brushing hers before softly pressing them, holding them there. She closed her eyes again, sinking into the softness and listening to the roar of the waterfall – or maybe that was her heart. No matter how many times he kissed her, she’d never get used to it.

He drew his head back, wearing a smile brighter than the day. ‘You’re so beautiful, Marinette. I think it every time I look at you.’

Her face warmed, and she fought not to scream. After all this time…Adrien Agreste liked her.

No.

He loved her.

This had to be a dream – not just this moment, but the last two days.

Read at Ao3

#jurassic park au #camp cretaceous au #ml au #ml fic #ml fanfic #miraculous ladybug #mlb #adrinette #ml adrienette

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What We're Made Of - Chapter 3

PREVIEW:

Marinette continued to stand, staring at the living room doorway at least twenty whole seconds after Adrien had disappeared down the hallway. If only she could make a grand exit.

But there was no way. Those were her parents sitting at Nathalie’s dining table…watching her…waiting to throw more questions at her. They were her problem to deal with.

Just like Chloe and Kagami were Adrien’s.

Chloe…and Kagami…. Gabriel had been gone twenty-three years, and still he managed to find ways to disrupt everyone’s lives.

Feeling her parents’ stares, she slowly turned and sat back down on the sofa. She leaned forward, squeezing her hands between her knees and feeling like a child again. Across the room, her father was looking at her with large eyes, swollen with emotions. Worry. Confusion. Betrayal.

After all the years she’d spent hiding her identity to protect him and her mother – not to speak of everyone else – she’d managed to hurt them. She hadn’t told them she was Ladybug. Hadn’t told them her husband was Cat Noir. Hadn’t told them Adrien was a sentibeing. Hadn’t told them her father-in-law was the infamous Monarch. Hadn’t let them in on a lot of the most important points about her life.

Because she couldn’t. Being Guardian had prevented her from sharing these things with some of the people she loved most in the world.

But the way her father’s muscles were straining in his arms…he didn’t look like he was in a place to understand that. Her mother gripped his hand and leaned in towards him the way she did when she was trying to placate him – when she expected him to fly off the handle at any moment.

Read at Ao3

#ml au #ml fic #ml fanfic #married adrinette #miraculous ladybug #mlb #miraculous fanworks

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How the Heart Learns to Beat Again - Ch 9

PREVIEW:

Wearing a small, satisfied smile, Gabriel reached for the painting like he meant to stroke it. Then he pressed some place on the side, and there was a soft pop as it hinged open, revealing the secret safe installed to house the miraculous.

Nathalie sucked in a breath, her gaze glued on his elegant artist’s fingers as they grasped the lock dial, spinning it too fast for her to catch the combination. There was a click, and then he opened the door like he’d opened the painting.

Inside, the safe was empty, apart from two pieces of jewellery. The butterfly and the peacock.

His fingertips brushed the peacock the way they might have brushed over skin – with the tenderness of a lover. Even with his back to her, she could see him considering it – considering ignoring their warnings and using the peacock right away. Forget the test they’d agreed to conduct. Forget taking his time and trying the butterfly first. Gabriel Agreste hadn’t got where he was today without taking risks.

Every one of these thoughts was written into the stiffness of his shoulders, the bend of his back, and the caresses of his hand.

Time seemed to stand still, the world waiting for him to make a decision before he could turn again. Nathalie held her breath, while beside her, Emilie had gone still and pale. Like she expected her husband to disappoint her – in front of an audience.

Then Gabriel moved his hand aside, swiping the butterfly out of its place before shutting the safe and the painting again.

Read at Ao3

#nathalie backstory #nathalie #gabenathemilie #gabenath #gabriel #ml gabriel agreste #ml au #miraculous ladybug #mlb #miraculous fanworks

[uptoolateart]

Chapter 23: Taking It Slow

@adrinetteapril

Excerpt:

Adrien led Marinette through the winding paths of the park, the moonlight casting a gentle glow around them. Her presence seemed to shimmer in this ethereal light, her dark hair catching hints of silver and her eyes reflecting the serene beauty of the night sky. He couldn’t help but notice how the soft illumination highlighted her delicate features, making her appear almost otherworldly. His heart failed to keep steady.

They reached the fountain, its cascading water creating a soothing melody in the background. Adrien settled on the edge, gesturing for Marinette to come and join him. She gracefully took a seat beside him, the moonlight bathing her in a soft radiance that seemed to enhance her every movement. She didn’t need the costume to say she was a goddess, she oozed it constantly, his heart soaring with love and devotion.

Taking a deep breath, he knew the moment had come. They’d been playing this game long enough, and he just couldn’t continue pretending when everything he wanted was so close for his taking. All it would take was a little confidence and belief.

He turned towards Marinette, his heart racing with anticipation. “Marinette,” he began, his voice steady yet filled with emotion, “there’s something I need to tell you.”

But just as he was about to lay his heart on the line, a flash of light disrupted the tranquillity from near the carousel. They turned towards the unexpected interruption, their conversation momentarily derailed.

“What was that?” Marinette asked, her brow furrowing with curiosity.

Adrien glanced back at her, a slight smile tugging at his lips. “I think it’s a sign,” he said playfully, his eyes twinkling. “Let’s continue this conversation somewhere a bit more private. Do you think your parents would mind me coming in?”

For a moment, he’d forgotten who he was and what they really were. The conversation they were about to have out in the open would have been incredibly stupid considering they were meant to be head over heels in love and engaged. He’d almost lost himself, forgetting that this could all be destroyed if the wrong people had the wrong information.

Continue reading here

Or read from the start

#this is adorable #adrinette april 2024 #adrinetteapril2024 #fake engagement? why not #fake dating but not fake dating #i love these two #idiots in love #oblivious idiots

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[uptoolateart]

Chapter 13: The Knitting Fairy

This is my story about Sabine & Marinette for the @mlbigbang. The story is from Sabine's POV as she tries to figure out what has been traumatizing her little girl (who, by the way, will not tell her anything).

Thanks also to @uptoolateart and @raspberrycatapult. These two absolute legends get me through the gauntlet chapter in and chapter out.

Synopsis

Sabine trains Ladybug in martial arts. She needs a little miraculous help to keep up. And then an old friend she'd once had for dinner shows up.

Extract

Sabine still wasn’t sure how she felt about sharing her home with a god. She seemed nice enough, but didn’t gods usually come with words like Ragnarok, Armageddon, and...Cataclysm?

At least she didn’t live with whatever god gave Chat Noir that ability. What would it be like to break bread with something that could end reality?

What if her partner ever went crazy and touched Marinette with that power? Could the Goddess of Creation hold off the Goddess of…Destruction?

Sabine felt the blood drain from her face, recalling what she’d read in Marinette’s diary. She had been so high on adrenaline and fear that her memories were a threadbare quilt, unraveling even as it was stitched together. There was something about Chat Noir, and…

Her skin froze, and she felt like someone had curled their fingers under her rib cage and pressed up into her organs. Our love did this to the world.

[uptoolateart]

Finding a Way - Chapter 25

Jurassic Park AU

PREVIEW:

As Adrien stared at the T-Rex that had just emerged from the jungle, his mind went blank as paper. He’d seen a T-Rex before – but it hadn’t been real. It had been Animan, Alya’s father shapeshifting into one animal after another. Whereas this….

He pressed Marinette closer in his arms, as if that was enough to shield her from the beast. The beast that was just – just standing there, maybe twenty metres away, and – and –

Watching them.

Angling its head and studying them.

Like it knew they had nowhere to hide.

They were completely exposed, standing in thick mud near the edge of a cliff. Apart from the jungle the T-Rex was blocking, there were only a few trees dotted around. Big trees – maybe five metres tall. But even if they managed to reach one and climb it, the animal was at least two storeys high. And if it raised itself up on its toes….

Marinette let out a high-pitched whimper and pressed her face into his chest. She was shaking as much as he was. Maybe she’d just thought through their total lack of options too.

God, there had to be something they could do – or they’d be killed. She’d be killed. For fuck’s sake, he was meant to be a hero! He had to – he had to think of a plan.

But planning was Ladybug’s department. And anyway –

I’m not Cat Noir right now. I’m just Adrien, and – and –

The T-Rex snorted, opening its mouth like it wanted them to see what fate awaited them. The teeth were monstrous, each maybe a foot long and stained red. Thick globs of blood stuck to the enamel, and chunks of chewed-up flesh were caught in the gaps – animal or human, it was hard to say. Even from this distance, a rotting smell mingled with the sulphur already in the air.

The stench of death.

Forget having a plan. They just needed to run.

Read at Ao3

#ml au #jurassic park au #camp cretaceous au #adrinette #ml fic #ml fanfic #miraculous fanworks #miraculous ladybug #mlb

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"Everyone is relying on me."

Give our girl a break please

#gorgeous

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[uptoolateart]

What We're Made Of - Chapter 2

PREVIEW:

Hugo folded his arms and leaned on the railing of the balcony at the back of Nathalie’s apartment. From this height, he could see the whole neighbourhood – an undulating sea of flat rooftops. And when he looked further into the distance, peaking out over the skyline was the very top of the Eiffel Tower. There was something reassuring about it. One constant he could rely on while the rest of the world was falling apart.

Voices drifted into his mind, and he rubbed his temples, shutting them out. All those people he’d left in the living room…they were all still talking, still making theories – like they had any idea what was happening. Like they hadn’t just survived Armageddon. Like he hadn’t witnessed his father being ripped apart and devoured by a monster that shouldn’t exist. Hadn’t been kidnapped and left to suffer in some cell, with only his awful memories and a fucking sociopath to keep him company. Hadn’t been so certain he would die himself.

Hadn’t welcomed it – welcomed anything that would erase the guilt burrowing in his core.

And now…now this. The revelation that his father was a – a –

Sentibeing.

The word filled all the space in his mind, making him shiver right down to his toes.

He dropped his head, holding it in his hands and digging into his scalp with his fingertips. If his father was…if he was a sentibeing…did his death even count? Uncle Felix insisted they were both human…but they’d been magicked into the world with a thought – the way the hundreds of senti-soldiers had.

How real were they?

Read at Ao3

#ml au #ml fic #ml fanfic #ml hugo #hugo agreste #ml adrien #ml adrienette #ml adrinette #nathalie sancoeur #miraculous fanworks

[uptoolateart]

I read all 3 books and 1st chapter of the 4th book of Breaking Free and GOODNESS GRACIOUS

You guys ripped my heart to pieces, burned it, stomped on it, all that

I'm still waiting for my comfort after the hurt 😭😭

(I LOVE YOUR WORK SO FREAKING MUCH!!!! GORE SCENES WERE DEEPLY DISTTURBING BUT GOD DID I ENJOY IT!!!!!!)

Thank you!!! And I PROMISE there is comfort...eventually haha

#ask me stuff #ask me anything #ml fic #fan fiction

[uptoolateart]

I CAN'T BELIEVE ANOTHER BOOK IS OVER AND THERE'S STILL SO MUCH MORE TO GO?! I'm dropping in to say that I started with book 2 last year then read the first one so I could fill the few gaps I had and you are probably the most creative person I've ever seen in this fandom (and many more fandoms)? You managed to capture the Implications and Horrors of ML, created both realistic "we're in our 30s and life is.... different" drama then an absolutely epic, well thought out storyline! I love that you don't shy away from full consequences and true violence that would happen, I didn't even think about the trauma people would have after Marinette fixes things until your fics. You even made me like characters I don't normally like and gave everyone so much more depth and personality?? Ahhh sorry for going on and on but your fic is just one of the best fanfics I ever read in any fandom!

Thank you so much!! I've put possibly too much thought into my Breaking Free series since it started haha. It began as a one-shot and then just took over my mind, so it means more than I can express to receive feedback like this, especially while I'm working on a novel to send to agents next year. Thank you from the bottom of my heart for the much-needed confidence boost! 💗

#ask me stuff #ask me anything #ml fic #fan fiction

[uptoolateart]

A Whole New World - Chapter 16

For the @mlbigbang 2023

PREVIEW:

Marinette waited until they’d got enough distance from Adrien before she let out a delirious whoop of jubilation and fell back on Carpet, a grin frozen on her face as she stared up at the moon. Against all odds, things were finally starting to go her way.

She was floating on air – literally, as Carpet spun her around in dizzying circles of joy.

Her mind was a cup, spilling over with memories of every little moment she’d shared with Adrien tonight. Laughing with him. Sitting so close to him that she could feel his breath on her neck. His arms wrapped around her, first out of fear and then out of affection. His beautiful green eyes locked on hers.

The feel of his lips….

Tikki flew out from her hiding spot within Marinette’s bra – a completely inappropriate spot to be, but also the only option. ‘It’s good you were honest with him.’

‘I had no choice. He saw right through me.’

‘You sound happy about that.’

‘I am.’ She sat up straight so they were face to face. ‘He wasn’t fooled by my disguise at all. It’s like…he really did see me before. He remembered me. Do you realise what this means?’

‘You…make an impression?’

‘Yes! A positive impression, for a change! And even after he worked out that I’d lied to him – after he realised I’m nothing but a poor girl from the streets after all – he still accepted me. He kissed me, Tikki – like I really am the princess I pretended to be.’ She let out a little sigh and touched her tingling lips, still feeling him there.

‘Hm. Hopefully, he doesn’t plan on using you and losing you. I’ve heard stories, you know, about princes who aren’t so charming.’

Read at Ao3

#ml au #aladdin au #adrinette #ml marinette #ml ladybug #ml adrien #miraculous ladybug #mlb #ml big bang 2023 #ml fic #ml fanfic #miraculous fanworks

[uptoolateart]

Finding a Way - Chapter 24

Jurassic Park AU

PREVIEW:

Adrien laughed and caught Marinette's hand, holding it against the side of his face. His skin was warm – or maybe that was her, because he was staring so deep into her eyes, it was like he saw something there…or maybe he'd slipped through some magical portal and lost himself.

As if only just realising what he was doing, he dropped her hand, stepping back. His gaze travelled down to her semi-bare legs. ‘They’re looking good. Your – your legs, I mean.’

‘…thank you?’

‘What? No! I mean – I mean the wounds! You can – you can hardly see the marks anymore. Just…just lots of skin. Yep. Just…skin….’ That lost look had returned to his eyes.

‘They’ve healed well – thanks to your care.’

His eyes shot up to hers, and he cleared his throat, dragging his hands down his face like he was trying to centre himself. ‘Still…if we go back out, we’ll be exposing that bite to all kinds of bacteria. We should bandage it again.’

She nodded. ‘Good thinking.’

That was their cue to move, to start walking towards the back of the room and down the hall, to the supply room. Instead, they both stood there, staring at each other.

Read at Ao3

#jurassic park au #camp cretaceous au #ml au #ml fic #ml fanfic #miraculous fanworks #adrinette #adrienette #ml marinette #ml adrien #miraculous ladybug #mlb #chat noir #ml ladybug

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The Peacock Was Always the Goal

I'm planning out a fic showing Felix's story, e.g. his episodes from his POV plus lots of new material to flesh out his journey and explore his emotions and motivations.

In the process, I was looking at his debut episode again and noticed something. Maybe I'm late to the party with this observation, but I'm going to share it anyway.

During the akuma battle, he demands to speak to Hawk Moth and says he's interested in a certain piece of jewellery. I always thought he meant the wedding rings, because Amelie made a big deal of them earlier in the episode, and Felix takes one later. However...

At the end, he tells Adrien he's sorry for posing as him and deleting his friends' sympathy messages, and promises he'll make it up to him one day.

We could say this foreshadows him returning later to free Adrien, BUT...RIGHT after he makes this promise, he turns to Gabriel and puts out his hand to shake, thereby stealing the ring.

Knowing the direction the story goes in S5, now I'm thinking when he spoke to Hawk Moth and referred to 'a' piece of jewellery, he meant the peacock brooch. Then he takes Gabriel's ring as a way of apologising to Adrien - because he knows what Adrien is.

When he gives the ring to his mother, he probably knows she'll give it back to him, or at least that she'd never use it to control Adrien - because he adores his mother, and later we learn that she thinks Gabriel is a monster.

She has to know both boys are sentibeings, because Gabriel loaned Colt the peacock, and there's no way they could just magic up her son without explaining to her how vital it is to keep his amok safe. After Colt died, she must have approved Felix wearing his father's ring, or even given it to him herself, which means she believes in him being free, ergo she wouldn't harm Adrien. Although, from the conversation Felix and Amelie have on the train, it's probably one of those subjects they never speak about openly.

Felix probably thought, 'That's one ring down, at least.' Then he had to come back later to try for the peacock again. This makes so much more sense to me than my previous interpretation of events, because it's always bothered me that he says he wants 'a' piece of jewellery, when he knows there are two rings - and why would he go to so much effort to get Adrien's ring and then just give it away? Especially when he shows us he can easily take the ring himself with a cheap trick. He doesn't need to make a deal with Hawk Moth for that.

Because taking the ring wasn't the plan - it was a last-minute impulse. The peacock was always the goal.

#ml meta #mlb meta #ml analysis #ml felix #felix fathom #miraculous ladybug #mlb #ml fandom #ml adrien #adrien agreste #graham de vanily rings #ml fic #ml thoughts

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stupid thing I did

[uptoolateart]

The pleasure has been all mine, working with such a talented artist!

It’s been a pleasure to make art for the fantastic @uptoolateart for the @mlbigbang event! I’m happy to present the scene the chapter that birthed this art piece! Thank you so much for writing such an amazing fic! It made me laugh so much and the scenes hit deep at times and it was overall a comforting and fluff read!

‘Wow. Just…wow.’ It was crazy – like a whole new world, up here – a new, fantastic point of view.”