#“My perfect little Adrien will never go near the commoner's bird!!!”

[miraculouslbcnreactions]

Adrien: I'm a what?

Gabriel: A sentimonster made by your mother to be our perfect child.

Adrien: (horrified) No! No, it can't be! I'm not... I'm not...

Nathalie: It's true, Adrien.

Adrien: But... but... wait, then why am I allergic to pigeons? How is that "perfect"?

(Gabriel and Nathalie exchange tense looks)

Gabriel: Well, you see, son, a sentimonster represents a person's emotions and, um, well...

Nathalie: Your mother f-ing hated pigeons.

Gabriel: Yes, she despised those miserable sky rats! Every time I see one I think of her and how much she loathed them. Her hatred was so strong that it bled into your amok and gave you an allergy, but that only made you more perfect to her! She never had to worry about you going near those disguising common birds! You were meant to be near more illustrious types of fowl! You are an Agreste, after all!

----

Guess what guys, I came up with a way that the pigeon thing could still pay off! (Post I'm referencing) Can we please get some variant of this in the show? I don't even care that it will validate this fandom's total lack of media literacy, I still want it to be canon. I want it to be canon so hard! It perfectly fits the show's brand of humor and it's so dumb that I find it hilarious.

[whitebear-ofthe-watertribe]

That Which Holds Us - Chapter 3

Pairing(s): Adrien / Marinette, Nino / Alya

Summary: It has been several months since Ladybug and Chat Noir discovered their true identities. Now that they are not trapped by secrets, they can finally be their full selves around each other and have never been closer. Marinette is going into her final year at university, Adrien is exploring new classes and passions, and their friends Alya and Nino seem to be moving towards a happy future together. It all feels like things could not be better.

But of course, nothing in life is quite so perfect.

When Adrien starts having vivid nightmares and visions about his mother, old questions begin to resurface. Will he be able to find the answers, or will these ghosts from the past tear apart the heroes of Paris for good?

Reminder, you can also read / follow this fic at AO3 here, and FF.net here.

Previous Chapters

Chapter Word Count: 5,028

Enjoy!!!

A refreshingly cool breeze swirled around Marinette as she made her way through campus. Bright patches of early morning sunlight streamed between the buildings. The only sounds that reached her were enthusiastic twitters from birds soaring around the trees overhead. Adjusting the fully stocked cardboard coffee tray in her hands, she took in a deep breath and grinned.

Today felt like it was going to be a good day.

She’d managed to stay true to the goal she’d shared with Chat Noir the night before; when her alarm had gone off, she’d actually gotten up with it. And even with showering and prepping for the day, she’d ended up with plenty of time to stop by the nearby café and place an order.

“Mar-bear!”

A familiar voice rang out, and looking around Marinette spotted Meesh hurrying towards her, her long dark mohawk trailing behind her in a thick braid.

“Meesh!” Marinette cried, letting out an “Oof!” as her friend barreled into her and wrapped her in a hug. “You’re here!”

“How have you been?” Meesh asked, releasing the hug but keeping her arm wrapped through Marinette’s as they continued on. “You’re here so early, this is so unlike you!”

“Hey! It’s a new year, might as well start off on the right foot,” Marinette laughed, removing one of the to-go cups from the coffee tray and holding it out. “And I’ve been great. How are you? How was the move?”

Meesh took the coffee gratefully and shrugged. “Hectic, but alright. I always hate leaving home – and I especially hate leaving Benjamin – but at least it’s only for one more year.”

“Where’s the new place?”

“In one of the neighborhoods on that hill behind the library. You and Alya need to come over soon, I’ll make you guys dinner!”

Marinette let out an excited hum at the thought of that. Meesh always brought large bags full of fresh Mexican spices, a gift from her uncle who ran his own company. Food from Meesh was to die for every time.

“I’ll let her know! She was asking about you last night.”

The two girls continued around the corner and their familiar studio building came into view. Marinette’s heart leapt at the sight; after spending countless hours working there over the last three years, it was thrilling to be back once more.

Climbing the stairwell and opening the door to the third floor, Meesh let out a soft, “Yes!” and held out her fist for Marinette to bump. “First ones here, first choice of desk!”

Marinette returned the fist bump, letting out a dramatic sigh.

“Oh, however will we choose?”

“Goodness me, I just don’t know!” Meesh exclaimed, walking over to the desk second from the corner window and dumping her bag on it without hesitation.

Marinette laughed, following her and placing her own things on the corner desk, the very same one which she’d claimed as her own the previous year. Turning to look out the window, she placed her hands on her hips and took in the beautiful view. If she was being truthful, it wasn’t unusual to see the campus below her as it was now, slowly filling with life and light as the many students began their day; however, it was more common for her to see it from drowsy eyes at the tail end of an all-nighter working. To watch this now feeling so refreshed and charged for the coming day felt very nice indeed.

Going back to Meesh, she grabbed a second large cup out of the coffee tray and perched herself on her stool. They chatted happily, discussing their ideas for the Senior Capstone they would be putting together in their last semester, and wondering what sorts of assignments awaited them in the coming months as their studio slowly filled with fellow classmates.

“Hello ladies,” someone said above the growing noise.

They swiveled their stools to see Marinette’s favorite instructor approaching them, dressed in elegant black as usual, only her jewelry glittering with color.

“Good morning, Madam Charbonneau,” Meesh greeted.

Marinette pulled a third coffee out of the tray and offered it.

“Did you have a good summer?”

“Thank you, my dear,” Charbonneau accepted the drink with a smile. “You’re too kind. I certainly had a busy summer, but yes it was very good. I hope you are both ready for an exciting final year?”

“Very,” Marinette said, while Meesh nodded enthusiastically.

“Excellent!” 

Charbonneau grinned, before moving off to greet a few other people.

As she turned back to Meesh to continue their conversation, a figure from across the room caught Marinette’s eye; Mathis was setting his bag down at his desk from the previous year. 

A twinge of unease passed through Marinette as memories of what he’d done to her months ago came rushing back.

After the fateful Akuma attack that had brought the Student Gala to its horrendous conclusion, everyone had treated the situation the same as all other attacks. Hawkmoth was the one behind everything, and those who were Akumatized were considered as much the victim as anyone else.

But even though Marinette supported this approach wholeheartedly, she still couldn’t help but despised Mathis; after all, everything he had done to sabotage her and other students leading up to the Gala had nothing to do with any supervillains.

Adrien had encouraged her to tell her instructors about all Mathis had done, but without any concrete proof, Marinette decided it wouldn’t do any good. And since he had gained sympathy for being Akumatized, she might’ve just come across as spiteful. So instead, she’d kept the truth to herself. 

Surprisingly, Mathis had abandoned his usual snide remarks and criticisms after she’d returned to school from the hospital. In fact, he’d made no efforts to interact with her at all. 

Thus she, in turn, refrained from acknowledging him, and life had gone on in peace.

As if sensing her thoughts towards him, Mathis looked up and locked eyes on her. 

Marinette held his gaze defiantly for a long moment before turning fully back to Meesh, who was in the middle of telling her about a family trip from that summer. Marinette smiled and nodded, as though she’d been listening the whole time. After a moment, she chanced a glance back at Mathis.

He had his back turned to her, and was pinning things up to the wall above his desk.

Taking a deep breath Marinette looked away from him again, deciding to just keep ignoring him as best she could for the rest of the year, before she would finally be free of him for good.

A tall man with shoulder-length brown hair pulled into a ponytail walked through the door just then. Spotting the two of them at their desks, he picked his way over to them, smiling.

“Alec!” Marinette called to him, standing and giving him a hug once he reached them. “How are you? It’s so good to see you!”

“It’s great to see you guys too!” he said, giving her a squeeze and then hugging Meesh in turn. Pulling a nearby stool over to a neighboring desk, he set his things down. “I’ve been great! I’ll miss sleeping in regularly, but it’s good to be back.”

Marinette laughed and nodded in agreement, offering him the fourth and final coffee from the tray, which he took enthusiastically. 

Alec was from America, and had been one of the top three winners with Meesh and herself at the Gala that previous semester. In the months that followed, they had gotten to know him more and Marinette now considered him a very dear friend.

They continued catching up as the noise level grew and the studio filled with familiar faces. Friends greeted friends who they hadn’t seen in months, and the atmosphere hummed with anticipation.

Finally, the instructors gathered on one side of the hall near the wide windows, and Charbonneau called for everyone’s attention.

“Welcome, students, welcome!” she addressed them with a nod and a smile as they gathered around to listen. “Welcome to your final year at the Academy! You all have come so far over these last few years, and have grown impressively as designers. This year, we plan to push you more than ever, to stretch you in new directions, and challenge your skills in preparation of launching you into the professional industry. We know what you all are capable of, and we want you to see it for yourselves.

“This semester, we will be doing something a little different,” she continued, taking hold of a small box that had been sitting on the desk beside her. It seemed to be full of slips of paper. “While it is often preferable to design on your own, there will be instances when you will have to work closely with another person, or even with a team of fellow designers, on an extensive project. So, for your midterm assignment, we will have you partnered up with a fellow classmate.”

A murmur of surprise rose from the students.  

“Are they serious?” Meesh hissed to Marinette. “It’s our final year! They can’t expect us to show our best skills on a team project!”

Marinette frowned and nodded. It had been a long time since she’d had to work on a serious assignment with a partner – or even in a group – and that had only ever been in a traditional classroom setting. She’d never actually designed with anyone else.

“I know for many of you this isn’t your first choice,” Charbonneau said loudly, reclaiming their attention. The whispers died down and they all looked back at her, albeit warily. “But sometimes in life, you can’t always choose to have everything go your way. Many of you will likely have to work under a lead designer, depending on the kind of job you strive towards after graduation. And in those situations, you will have to work closely under their vision. This exercise will give you a taste for collaboration, and allow you the opportunity to figure out how you best cooperate with a partner in a setting where the stakes aren’t as high.”

As much as Marinette wasn’t thrilled by this project, she had to admit that Charbonneau had a point.

“Can’t we choose our own partners, Madame Charbonneau?” asked a tall girl standing on Meesh’s other side.

“Unfortunately, you may not,” Charbonneau said, reaching into the box to shuffle the bits of paper around. Marinette realized the box must be filled with their names. “Just as much as you can’t always choose your professional situation, you won’t be able to choose who you work with. Collaborating on something with your best friend is one thing; collaborating with someone you have yet to get to know is another. Your midterm deliverables will be a collection of twelve pieces total. Come up with an inspired theme and develop your visions together. Explore one another’s strengths and weaknesses, figure out a dynamic that works to your team’s advantage. From this point on, you must work together as one.”

With that, she pulled out two of the slips and read them aloud. “Antony and Clarissa, you will be our first pair.”

The two students smiled nervously at one another. 

Marinette noticed most of her fellow classmates still looked a bit apprehensive. Peering around, she imagined that working with any one of these people wouldn’t be half bad. There was, of course, a range of talent, but everyone had something to bring to the table, and she could certainly learn a thing or two from whoever she was put with. This might not be such a bad assignment after all.

Charbonneau continued pulling names out of the box, and as they were called, the pairs were shuffling around to stand next to one another.

“Meesh and Alec? You two are together.”

Marinette felt a small pang of disappointment as her friends high-fived each other; either Meesh or Alec would have been her top choices for this project.

“Marinette...”

She turned her attention back to Charbonneau with anticipation.

“You and Mathis will be partners this semester.”

Meesh and Alec let out a collective gasp. Even a few other students looked around in surprise.

Marinette was rooted to the spot. She stared at Charbonneau, who glanced between her and Mathis, looking slightly concerned.

Mathis, who stood at the opposite side of the class turned his head towards her, and he looked just as shocked as she felt.

‘Mathis? Freaking Mathis?!’ Her stomach felt as if it had decided to exit her body via her feet. ‘No, absolutely not. There is no way.’ 

Well, there went her plans of ignoring him for the year.

Charbonneau continued to read the last few names. 

Marinette stared at nothing. Thoughts of shouting “No!”, of declaring she’d refused to work with him, of demanding a new partner raced across her mind. But she did none of these things, her tongue frozen and heavy in her mouth. 

Absently, she heard Charbonneau name off the last pairs, and declare that the rest of their studio time was to be spent collaborating on ideas and researching inspiration. They were allowed to leave the building if they wanted as long as they sent in an email update by the end of the day to show any progress they’d made.

The hall filled with chatter as people broke off to start working. 

Mathis didn’t move. 

Neither did Marinette. She watched him, but his face had gone blank. A hand suddenly wrapped around Marinette’s arm and she looked around to find Meesh pulling her back to their desks, Alec trailing behind them looking unsure.

“You need to talk to Charbonneau,” Meesh said, releasing Marinette and sitting on her stool. “After everything he did to you? There’s no way, no way you can work with him!”

“You think I want to?!” Marinette hissed back, sitting on her own stool and feeling a swell of anxiety twisting her stomach into knots. “I don’t want anything to do with him! But –”

“But nothing!” Meesh insisted. “He’s the worst! You’ll be dragged down for this entire project. C’mon, you know I’m right.”

“I mean yeah, this will suck,” Marinette conceded. “But… I just… well, if I don’t do it, someone else will have to. And isn’t it better that I already know all his manipulative tricks? I don’t want anyone else to suffer just because I didn’t want to deal with him.”

“You don’t always need to be the hero, Mar,” Alec said earnestly.

Marinette let out a snort at that, knowing he had no idea how close to home he’d just hit.

“You’re right, no one ever needs to be the hero, but it’s still the right thing to do isn’t it?” she countered.

“You’re too nice for your own good, Mar,” he said, shaking his head.

She bit her lip, feeling conflicted.

“I can see the headlines now,” Meesh said dramatically. “‘Sweetest Girl In All Of Paris Tries To Do The Right Thing, Ends Up Convicted of Second Degree Murder.�� Sources say she was driven to ultimate violence by the biggest prick this century has ever seen!”

Alec laughed.

Marinette rolled her eyes and was about to shoot back a retort when she heard her name.

“Marinette?”

Turning, she found Mathis approaching them from between the desks. Instantly her guard was up, prepared for whatever snide insults he was going to throw.

But after a moment, he sighed and pushed his hands into his pockets, looking uncomfortable.

“Well, it looks like we’re stuck with each other,” he said, the muscles in his jaw tense.

“Yeah… looks like it,” Marinette said slowly, crossing her arms over her chest. “And I don’t know what kind of sabotage you have in mind, Mathis, but I really don’t have time for –”

“I’m sorry,” he interjected suddenly.

Marinette frowned. 

“For what, exactly?” she asked.

Beside her, her friends were doing nothing to hide their eavesdropping. Alec was looking back and forth between them. Meesh was glaring daggers at Mathis.

“You’re right. There isn’t any time for mind-games or whatever. This is our last year here, and I just want to use it grow as a designer and gain more knowledge and skill.” He shifted his weight to one leg, but never broke eye contact. His voice had an earnesty to it that she’d never heard before, though from his mouth it sounded like every word of sincerity was its own torture. “I’m sorry for how last semester went down. I let my temper and old habits get the best of me, and you won that competition fairly.”

Marinette tilted her head. Confusion coursed through her. There was no way he was actually, genuinely apologizing… was he?

“Oh, come on!” Meesh burst out. “You can’t actually expect us to believe a single word you say!” 

Marinette looked over at her, and Meesh shook her head warningly.

“No, I didn’t really think you would,” Mathis said irritably, a hint of his usual drawl coming back into his voice. “But regardless of whether you believe me or not, I want to do well this semester. And if we must work as a team, it wouldn’t really do me any good to sabotage my own partner, would it?”

Marinette knew begrudgingly that he had a point. This was exactly how she imagined any one of them should behave in their situation. Though of course, all of this would require thinking rationally and behaving like an actual, honest human being; things which she’d never really considered Mathis capable of.

“Is there a problem?”

Marinette turned to see Madame Charbonneau watching their conversation, wearing a critical expression.

Mathis looked back at Marinette with an eyebrow raised, as if to say, ‘Is there a problem?’

Taking in a deep breath, Marinette was silent for a long moment, thinking hard. Finally, she let out a sigh and shook her head. 

“No, Madame. We’re fine.”

Meesh scoffed.

Madam Charbonneau was regarding them closely.

Marinette put on a reassuring smile and said, “It’ll be fine. For this project, we’ll make it work.”

“Very well. Please let me know if this becomes any more trouble.”

Charbonneau gave Marinette one last meaningful glance before turning to check on the other pairs of students scattered throughout the studio.

Marinette suddenly had a strong feeling that Charbonneau might understand a bit more about her situation with Mathis than she was letting on. Smiling slightly to herself with this knowledge, she turned back to Mathis and glared up at him.

“Alright, let’s not dance around this,” she said in clipped tones. “I don’t trust you. Not even a little bit. But I do trust that you are a good designer. We are stuck with each other for the time being, whether we like it or not. But we don’t need to be friends to make this work, we just need to want to make a good collection and find a way to get along with as little bloodshed as possible.”

Mathis regarded her, and she saw a flicker of amusement in his expression.

“Fair enough,” he said, offering his hand to her. “Begrudging partners?”

Marinette smirked before taking his hand and giving it one, firm shake.

“Begrudging partners.”

Mathis released her hand and made his way back to his desk to collect his bag.

Marinette watched him for a moment before turning to her own desk and gathering up her things. 

Meesh and Alec were still looking at her in surprise. 

She shrugged, a little defeated.

“It’s not like I have much choice,” she said.

Meesh sighed. Putting her hand on Marinette’s shoulders, she whispered, “Watch him like a damn hawk, Mar. If he tries to pull anything, let us know immediately. He’ll never know what hit him.”

Marinette smiled at her, grateful to have a friend like Meesh.

The rest of the morning was devoted to inspiration hunting and library research. Both she and Mathis gathered up armfuls of books about everything from historical architecture to sci-fi and space travel, and they claimed a large corner table in the library to pour over them.

They discussed the merits of merging raw, elemental designs with the concept of clean, futuristic lines. They also pondered different types of detailed embroidery, and pairing simple silhouettes with dramatic embellishments. 

Every now and then, Mathis would say something rude or insulting that more befitted his character as she knew him, and in those moments Marinette would have to practically sit on her hands to avoid slapping him across his face. But regardless, she had to admit that it was obvious he was actually trying.

Eventually, they found themselves producing sketches based on their themes, and agreed to keep creating concepts until they could meet again in person during their next studio time.

By the end of the long period, Marinette felt unusually exhausted. The emotional tension that came with being around Mathis for such a long time had worn her thin. On any other day, Marinette knew she would’ve stayed in studio to keep improving their initial designs. But almost unthinkingly, she found herself making her way towards the subway station and boarding a train.

Tikki risked poking her head out of Marinette’s bag to look up at her, curious.

Marinette glanced down and shrugged apologetically. 

“I know, I just needed to see our guys for a bit.”

Tikki grinned. 

“You don’t need to apologize to me, I understand. This morning was way rougher than you were expecting, huh?”

“Ugh, tell me about it.”

Their whispered conversation was cut short as more people boarded the train at the next stop. It wasn’t long before Marinette was climbing the steps back into the bright afternoon sunlight.

The Agreste studio offices were set up in one of the larger buildings that inhabited downtown. Inside the entrance hall, the air was cool and conditioned. 

Marinette’s footsteps clicked on the polished marble floor as she made her way past the receptionist desks. A couple of familiar people greeted her with nods and friendly smiles, and she hurried up the grand staircase to the floor where Adrien’s office lived.

She was always surprised by how lively this place was; where the Agreste mansion always felt so cold and solemn, this company buzzed with activity. People hurried past her with stacks of materials or large magazine layout boards. Racks of high couture garments were being wheeled in and out of rooms. Every now and then, Marinette caught sight of an interior photoshoot taking place, the bright lights glowing to rival the sunlight she’d just left outside.

Making her way down several long, bustling halls, she finally rounded the last corner, bringing Adrien’s office into view. The floor-to-ceiling glass walls were gently frosted lower down but became clearer and clearer above eye level. She could make out Adrien sitting at his desk with his back to her, gazing out the window where the city stretched before him. 

Opening the door, she realized he was on some sort of conference call, speaking into an earpiece.

“Well if we can get her on board for the winter line, I’d say we’re in pretty good shape,” he was saying.

Marinette quietly put her bag down on top of his own backpack that sat in one of his guest chairs – he must’ve gotten there from his own morning classes not long ago – then moved around his desk to turn his chair around towards her. 

Adrien gave a small start when he felt himself being moved, but shot her a broad smile when he saw her. 

Without saying a word, Marinette sat herself onto his lap, snuggling into his chest and burying her face in his neck. She felt him smile against her head as he wrapped his arms around her. 

Already, just being close to him was causing her anxieties of the morning to fade away a little.

“Tell her I will come to Toronto myself for a few days if that would make things easier,” he continued, not missing a beat. “She shoots dramatic outdoor lighting better than most, and her techniques would be perfect to show off this series.”

Marinette fiddled absently with one of his shirt’s pockets, sad at the thought of him gone for a few days, but pleased that he would be getting to travel. He always loved assignments that took him places.

“Alright, let me know what she says, and hopefully we can arrange something for October, yeah? Cool, talk to you soon. Bye.” Adrien reached a hand up to his ear and clicked off the earpiece. “Hey Bugaboo, what’s up?”

“Hey,” she said, her voice muffled a little by his shoulder. “Did your classes go well this morning?”

“Yeah, that photography class looks like it’s going to be amazing.” He gave her a gentle squeeze. “I’m guessing my morning went a little better than yours though, huh?”

Marinette groaned.

“You’re never going to believe this,” and she launched into a recap of the events in studio.

“Wait, Mathis?” Adrien exclaimed when she got to the part of the name drawing. “You have to be paired up with Mathis?!”

“Yup.”

“And you can’t get swapped with anyone else?”

“Nope.”

“Why not?!”

Marinette sighed, and explained how even though it would be uncomfortable, at least she knew what he was capable of.

“Uh, yeah? Exactly?” Adrien said angrily, shifting her off himself a little to look her in the eye. “Don’t you think you act heroically enough as it is without making your personal school life suffer too?”

“That’s kinda what Alec said,” Marinette sighed, rubbing her eyes wearily.

“He’s right, you know,” Adrien huffed. “Mar, this is the guy who put you in a coma. You shouldn’t be spending your time with him! It’s not safe.”

“Adrien, he’d been Akumatized,” she sighed. “He would’ve never been able to do what he did if it wasn’t for Hawkmoth –”

“Oh, I’m sorry, is that supposed to make it better?” he shot back. “Every choice he made up until being Akumatized was still all him.”

“Your right!” she countered. “Which is why I don’t want him working with anyone else! I mean who’s better to handle something like this than Ladybug, y’know?”

“So you’re just going to step in front of the train on the off-chance that no one else will have to?”

“Well, now you’re just making my arguments for me,” she teased.

Adrien opened his mouth again, clearly ready to argue further, but was interrupted by a sharp knock on the door. 

Turning, they saw Gabriel Agreste standing in the doorway, looking just as stern as always. 

Marinette hurriedly climbed off Adrien and stood up straight. 

Adrien made no move other than to turn his chair slightly more towards his father.

“Mlle. Dupain-Cheng, what a pleasant surprise,” Gabriel said, his low voice cool and collected. “Adrien didn’t tell me you would be stopping by today, I would have made reservations for lunch.”

“Hello, Monsieur Agreste,” she said, smiling nervously. “Adrien didn’t know I was coming. I just decided spur of the moment to come and see him.”

“I can still call for a reservation if you’d like –”

“There’s no need, father,” Adrien cut him off.

Marinette glanced down at him and saw that his face had taken on the usual impassive façade she knew he saved primarily for interacting with Gabriel.

“Marinette was just checking in, she has to go to work here shortly.”

He looked up at her briefly, and Marinette instantly caught on to his plan of protecting them both from an extended social engagement.

“He’s right,” she said, adopting an apologetic air and moving to gather her bag off the chair. “I really must be going.”

“Before you leave,” Gabriel interjected, causing Marinette to freeze uncertainly on her way past him. “I have a small request to make of you.”

Marinette looked back at Adrien, who’s façade had cracked just enough to allow a small frown through.

“Oh? What sort of request?”

“You are in your final year at the Academy, is that correct?”

“Erm… yes, Monsieur?”

“Well, I will be hosting an event at my home at the end of the month. It is a sort of annual get-together for all my best business partners and designers. A ‘thank you for all your hard work’ party, if you will.”

Marinette tilted her head. She knew of this event; Adrien had told her about it in the past. But he’d also done his best to avoid returning to his old home. Ever since he became a legal adult and moved out on his own, he’d never gone to any of the events his father hosted there, no matter how “mandatory” they seemed.

“Some of the people there are looking for new, talented designers to join their teams in the coming year. Designers like yourself. I have already spoken to a few of them about the skills and professionalism you have demonstrated over the years. They would love to meet you in person.”

Marinette had thought all the big surprises for that day were over. But hearing that Gabriel had been talking her up to potential employers had her utterly floored. She stared at him, trying to figure out whether she’d heard correctly.

“Oh, my goodness, th-that is such an honor!” she sputtered, feeling her cheeks going red. “I-I had no idea you were… thank you so much!”

“Yes, well,” he said, offering her a small smile. “Adrien has always managed to find an excuse for why he cannot attend this annual party, but perhaps you can convince him that one night away from his duties won’t do any harm? Please, I insist.”

Marinette fought the urge to let out an incredulous snort. Hearing Adrien’s father of all people say that his son needed to forgo work to attend a party was the last thing she’d ever expected to hear in her life. She looked over at Adrien again, unsure of what to say. His father had cornered them quite successfully.

Adrien’s shoulders slumped a little in defeat.

“Erm, well… how can we, uh, refuse?” she said finally, turning back to Gabriel and smiling hesitantly.

‘Seriously… how?’

YOOOO!!! Guess who is the Actual Worst, coming at you with a brand spankin’ new chapter!!!

Honestly, I’m so sorry for the hiatus between updates. Let’s just say, depression is a real MoFo and for most of December and January when I had actual time to write, I wasn’t motivated. And then, February hit, I left my old soul-sucking job, and started working three new jobs all at once! Now I’m down to working two (thank God) with one of them being actual Graphic Design work, so that’s awesome! And! I’m planning on moving into a new apartment with some awesome friends here in a couple months, so that’s great. I may be crazy busy, but I’m finally feeling happy and energized and like my old self once again!

Anyways, I am thrilled to be writing more, and I already have most of Chapter 4 written! I need to add in a few things and then do an editing read-through, but I’m planning on posting that here in the next few days at least.

Also!!! I want to give a HUGE THANK YOU to everyone who has been commenting on this fic, giving it Kudos on AO3, and sending me all those wonderful messages! YOU GUYS ARE THE REAL MVP HERE!! Reading the amazing, positive things you had to say was so encouraging and motivating, I don’t know how I would’ve gotten back into the swing of things without you all! So thank you, thank you, a million times over!!!