#(adrien: tries to brush off his injuries) | Explore Tumblr posts and blogs

knifedancer · 11 months ago

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Winds of Change - Hope Ending

You've selected the HOPE ENDING!

Light angst, implied happy ending.

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~~~~~~~

Words from broken sentences filtered through the darkness, a familiar voice increasingly tinged with desperation and pain.

“You’re cold to the touch…”

“Could be mild hypothermia from the rain…going to wrap you in my shirt.”

“Don’t be surprised if you find me in a state of undress.”

“Your bleeding has stopped, that’s a good sign.”

“Marinette, I’m going to use my pant leg to bind your head injury…..this may hurt.”

“It’s probably strange to hear… I’ve always looked forward to our spats...”

“…Life would be empty without you in it.”

“Don’t you dare die on me.”

“…your Miraculous cure would be helpful now…”

“God, you shouldn’t have been the one to get hurt!”

“It’s all my fault…”

“…Adrien is going to kill me…”

“I swear on all the Miraculous that Lila will fucking pay!”

“Just keep breathing.”

“…I was such an ass…”

“I’ll keep you safe, Marinette.”

“When this storm passes, we’ll head straight to the hospital and... You’re going to be fine.”

“I’m sorry… I’m so, so sorry… for everything…”

“…we’ll defeat Monarch together…”

“Please…please don’t die.”

“…I don’t know if I’ll ever get to say it but I…greatly admire you…I think I might love you…”

“Please stay with me.”

“Please…open your eyes…Please…”

Marinette tried to push through the haze in her mind, feeling like she was fighting to surface from deep under water. She felt drops of moisture on her face, dully wondering if they were still stuck in the rain. Her eyelids fluttered open, taking in the sight of the blond boy cradling her against his warm bare chest that trembled with each breath he took. Though his eyes were closed, she could tell they were red rimmed and observed the dampness of tear tracks down his cheeks.

‘Is Felix…crying?’ the drowsy girl thought as she mentally tried to move her body, her limbs feeling as if they were made of lead.

~~~

It had been a few hours and Marinette had yet to awaken, his fingers had grown too numb from the cold to check for her heartbeat. She was so still that Felix was sure she was at death’s door. He didn’t know what else he could do for her, so he held her cocooned to his chest in an effort to keep her warm with just his core temperature. “Please…open your eyes… Please…,” he begged, allowing a few new tears to fall. How he still had any left to shed, he did not know. It seemed the well of sadness within him was bottomless. He thanked his lucky stars that he was not anywhere near Gabriel to be akumatized…

Suddenly a small, cold hand brushed his cheek and his eyes flew open in shock where they met hazy, unfocused blue. Felix’s voice failed him as he stared at the girl in his arms. She was alive! – pale, injured, and concussed but alive. And she was awake! Thank heavens!

Her voice came out as a pained but concerned whisper, “Fe-lix…are – are you h-hurt?”

He couldn’t help himself, he started to laugh. Hours of holding her limp, cold body after she took a blow for him…and that was what she was worried about? “I’m perfectly fine, my dear. You’re the one that took a hit to the head. A hit meant for me.”

She winced, her eyelids closing slightly against the dim light of the room they were in. “Ah, I wondered why my head felt like it was split open… I’ve had worse—”

“Why did you do that?!” Felix cut her off, his eyes wild with a mix of fear and anger.

Marinette winced at his raised voice, feeling like she was just punched between the eyes. “It was going to fall on you, I couldn’t…”

His voice dropped to a whisper, his shaky hand cupping her face as if she was something precious, “I was so worried, Marinette. Please don’t ever do that to me again.” Unable to stop himself, he leaned in and pressed a lingering kiss to her bandaged brow, taking a shaky breath against her hair. “You need to stay awake, but you shouldn’t move around too much. The storm seems to be lightening up so we should be able to get you medical care soon.” He positioned her so that her forehead was against his neck, securely wrapping his arms around her once more.

She was only able to hum an affirmative in reply, feeling the exhaustion of the day catching up with her. Groggily she combed through the haze of her memories that seemed to be jumbled together. Her leg injury, the storm, the roof caving in, Lila…and Felix’s voice coming through the darkness. “…did…you mean it?”

She felt him chuckle silently before he answered, “Mean what, my dear?”

“…that you loved me.” The body beneath hers suddenly went rigid and his heartbeat raced where her nose rested against his pulse point. “…that you’d protect me…and you know my identity…”

Felix turned his head as much as he could to look down at her, knowing he could not see her eyes from this angle. “How…”

“I…I heard you…in the darkness…your voice…”

Tikki flew into Felix’s view, staring into his eyes as if daring him to lie; willing for him to tell the truth. He swallowed hard and opened his mouth to reply when Marinette interrupted him again.

“…need to get you…new suit…now that you’re on the team, Argos…” His eyes widened and he opened his mouth to protest. However, any words he planned to say died in his throat as one slender finger wobbly rose into his field of view and weakly poked him on the nose. He blinked, aware of the hand falling limply against his bare chest but was stuck staring down the bridge of his now ‘booped’ appendage in bewilderment.

Duusu broke into a fit of giggles and a smug smile spread across Tikki’s face. What had he gotten himself into?

~~~ Ladybug POV: 6 Months Later ~~~

“Alright, boys, let’s see drill sixty-two today!” Ladybug called out as she settled onto the edge of a roof to watch her team train. With a carefree grin, the former antihero Argos – now known as the hero Phénix – traded playful blows with the new recruit he had suggested for the Snake, Kobra. Their suits taking on golden highlights as their movements caught the light. Felix had drastically changed over the last few months, no longer the troubled and lonely boy that had betrayed them a year before. His scowls had slowly become soft smiles and quiet chuckles around Marinette, still hesitant to fully express his emotions when out of suit or the privacy of her room. He blossomed under the sincere friendship only she could offer.

They had plotted Argos' retirement – with a little help from his unsuspecting and devoted mother – framing a rather destructive akuma for him being trapped in the rubble, Ladybug took the peacock brooch and cursed him to lose all memory of the Miraculous. Wayzz had confirmed that the old temple could do so but that the knowledge was lost with the Order. What mattered was that Monarch had no idea if the Guardians could do so or not. Tikki, for her part, provided a pretty light show from her hand as the 'curse' took effect. Ladybug looked determined while the de-transformed teen's eyes became blank and passed out. Marinette had watched the replay on the news and felt they were rather convincing. Amelia and Felix showed their superior acting skills in the weeks following as they convinced everyone around them to believe it.

This fabrication had to be done to protect him, the few recovered Miraculous in their possession, and their future plans. Chat had become withdrawn due to issues in his personal life and, although no one except Ladybug remembered it, had been akumatized again. Seeing Chat Blanc once more had brought back so much repressed trauma that Argos started spending nights in the shadows on her balcony, watching for akumas, and risking their connection being revealed. He didn't remember being turned to dust by Chat as he defended the shell-shocked heroine but had held her when she could no longer keep the words from spilling from her mouth. Marinette would never forget the grim look on his face paired with the empathetic glow of his eyes as he dried her tears.

An older Bunnyx, one with eyes that spoke of a haunted wisdom, appeared to them soon after the fight and had then cryptically explained that it was time for new holders and new identities... To play these close to their chests and to trust no one, not even the rest of the team, until Monarch could be defeated. Chat had been oddly sad over the loss of Argos, but the young Guardian knew he was still secretly among them. Her hero partner became even more distant, telling her that his home life had deteriorated further, and he struggled to escape to help out in the fight as he was under even more surveillance than before. When Chat did appear for patrol, he would try to bond with the new holders. However, it was still very much a work in progress – especially with the cat hero’s old grievances about his place in the team still dangling over his head like a hangman’s noose. That coupled with some sort of internalized hysteria expressed in sporadic aggressive behaviors that left her concerned he might be approaching some sort of breakdown – concern and a tingle of dread down her spine. Felix seemed angry for the hero, likening Chat's situation to his cousin's...which was understandable after the peacock holder finally confessed Monarch's identity to the shocked bluenette in the privacy of her room.

Marinette had sworn to Felix that they would get Adrien out of that house and from the clutches of his crazed, terrorizing father! Sure, the two of them had not worked out… Ladybug stared off and frowned as she recalled that disastrous period of her life.

~~ Flashback~~

Gabriel had disapproved of their relationship and tried to bribe her to leave. She had steadfastly refused; Marinette had faith that Adrien would stand up for her. However, the teen model, deciding it was more a matter of trust and perceived immaturity, had thrown himself into ‘proving’ to his father and gain his approval. She had watched as Adrien was bogged down with additional extracurriculars, photoshoots, and supplementary lessons. At first, they had still tried to meet up, but planned dates were inevitably canceled or put on hold indefinitely. Lila doubled her efforts in keeping them apart during the day and his bodyguard constantly hovered nearby to whisk him away. However, it wasn’t until she started wearing a feather-shaped sentimonster brooch Felix had insisted on making her for her safety – linked to a necklace he wore tucked into his shirt – that Adrien seemed to distance himself from her at school, followed by his texts slowly trailing off to nothing. The bluenette had explained to him why, the model had claimed to be relieved and understood, however his actions expressed resentment. Her faith in him had been shaken but her hope held on by a thread, excusing her feelings of abandonment and hurt as a mistake.

Marinette had finally gotten the message over a holiday break when a full-page photo spread of Adrien and some copper-haired heiress enjoying a romantic evening together in Italy was published online. Paparazzi had even caught them sharing a kiss on a starlit balcony at a ball. Her denial and that tenuous thread shattered along with her heart. She stumbled against and gripped her balcony railing as a sob ripped from her throat, her vision blurred with tears as she choked on her overwhelming emotions. Within moments a panicked Argos had landed heavily on her balcony, having sensed her heartbreak halfway across the city regardless of the furiously buzzing chain around his neck. He caught her in his arms before her legs gave out, muffling her agonized wails against his chest and whispering words of comfort into her hair until she fell asleep from sheer exhaustion. Tikki had dutifully recounted how the antihero had carried her slumbering form back to her bed and tucked her in.

‘I thought it was some kind of miracle I had not been akumatized,’ Ladybug thought amusedly, ‘now I know it was only because Monarch had left for Milan Fashion Week.’

Felix took it upon himself to confront Adrien upon his return to demand answers. He found out that his uncle had essentially been selling his own son off for monetary favors from investors and the model had gone along with it in some misguided scheme to continue dating Marinette. Ever her stalwart defender, the outraged peacock holder had spelt out just how monumental of an error his cousin had made before storming off to return to her side. The secret bug heroine had not had time to dwell on that information before she was summoned to defeat Chat Blanc, approached by Bunnyx, and began planning a new identity for her ally…

~~End Flashback~~

Ladybug shook herself free from those memories, refocusing her gaze upon the playful sparring match that had devolved into a game of rooftop tag. Phénix launched himself from one roof to another, his indigo-colored peacoat flaring out to reveal the shimmery peach and tan tones of the interior that, in the golden light cast by today's sunset, gave him the same fiery appearance as his namesake. Ladybug watched with a smile as he threw back his head and laughed; his white-striped, blue mohawk shifting in the breeze like a crest of feathers. Gone were the blue tinted skin and magenta-colored eyes, replaced by a half mask over naturally creamy skin. It resembled three peacock plumes whose quills started from the tip of his nose – forming a miniature faux beak – and flared out over his eyes and brow ridge. The ellipsoid pupil of each ‘eye’ feather substituted by his now blue and gold-ringed irises; a delicate t-feather shooting straight up the center to bridge the gap between the two peaks and covering part of his forehead. The edges of his mask seemed to crinkle like a real feather when he smiled or furrowed his brow – an optical illusion his kwami was quite proud of.

‘It’s good to see him smile and laugh so freely,’ Ladybug thought happily, proud of his metamorphosis.

Felix had saved her from the storm in China and nursed her injured form. While his confession had been a shock, he did not expect her to reciprocate and even fully supported her quasi-relationship with his cousin – simply stating that he was happy if she was. Their subsequent friendship felt natural and easy. Argos became a trusted confidant and protector to Marinette, a huge support for Ladybug and Chat Noir in their fight against Monarch, and then became an integral part of the team as Phénix. He had even begun assisting her with the Grimore and her Guardian duties! However, the two teens had grown even closer over the weeks since her heartbreak. Spending almost every evening on her balcony or in her room whispering secrets and pouring out emotions that they had kept bottled up. Comforting, supporting, and commiserating with each other. They had become each other’s ‘safe haven’ where no word, thought, action, or feeling were forbidden nor degraded. They could be who they truly were without judgement, it was freeing! It was in that air of safety that she had watched him blossom into the cordial man before her now. At this point, on the cusp of the final battle against Monarch, she could readily admit that she trusted Felix with her innermost thoughts, her welfare, even her Miraculous…

Thinking back to that horrible day in the rain and his desperate, whispered words, Ladybug’s expression turned contemplative. He had seen her at her best and worst, had saved her countless times – emotionally and physically, and remained diligently at her side as a pillar of unwavering support. Whose gentle encouragement had slowly helped mend and reform her torn emotional landscape.

‘I trust him with my life,’ the spotted heroine eyes met Phénix’s warm gaze for an instant before her lips curved into a small smile. As if sensing her thoughts as well as her emotions, the pale blond returned her smile.

‘Perhaps it’s time to trust him with my heart as well…’

~~~~~~~

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coffeebanana · 1 year ago

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how strict are we on this dvd commentary 500 words limit because what if i ask for all of say smth chapter 2

if i HAVE TO narrow it down then i wanna know about the part from “Irony was a real bitch.” to “you should get some sleep” but also what about the part before that and the part after that 👀

Irony was a real bitch. She glanced back over, heart clenching when the chain around his neck glinted in the moonlight. With his Amok safely in his own possession, it shouldn’t be able to control him anymore. But the knowledge of it still seemed to have some hold over him. It kept him quiet. It made him cold. The past couple days had felt somewhat like living with a ghost—Adrien was seen, but rarely heard. On the off chance he spoke, his words were flat or clipped, and it only seemed to worsen the more Ladybug urged him to open up. She’d tried everything she could think of. Senseless chatter? He tuned that out. She suggested a movie? Somehow he’d seen every film she proposed. And if she dared to bring up any real issues? He shut down completely. Before Ladybug could shift her eyes back to the ceiling, Adrien mumbled something in his sleep. The words were indecipherable, but the corner of his mouth quirked up into a tiny smile that Ladybug felt deep in her core. His hand slid over his chest, stopping when he brushed against Plagg. His fingers wrapped instinctively around the Kwami, cuddling him like a teddy bear and eliciting a tiny purr as they both dozed on. Something about the scene broke Ladybug. Something about the way it proved he was undeniably human. And Adrien didn’t seem to see that. Everything Ladybug had been trying not to feel—the guilt, the inadequacy, the exhaustion—all surfaced at once. It was like trying to hold back a tsunami with a chain-link fence; she knew the tears were coming now. She swallowed them back as she shifted across the bed, careful not to disturb Adrien but not quite willing to let him out of her sight yet. Despite her best efforts, a single sob slipped out. Plagg stirred at the sound, twisting around and blinking sleepily before locking eyes with her. His gaze was hard. Unyielding. Ladybug fled before he could do anything more The image of Plagg’s eyes flashed in her mind as she rolled out of bed and stumbled half-blind to the bathroom. Their disappointment haunted her as she flicked on the light and shut the door with shaking hands. Their judgement weighed upon her jilted movements as she grabbed a towel from the rack and sank to the floor. She couldn’t even blame Plagg for being critical—she’d more than earned that. Because how many times had Chat helped her through her lowest moments? How many times had he made her believe in herself again? Why couldn’t she manage the same for him? She let her transformation fall alongside the tears now steadily streaming down her cheeks. Somehow being Marinette made her feel worse, as though the suit had been the last thing holding her together. Tikki flew up to nuzzle her cheek, but Marinette just shook her head. She buried her face in the towel to muffle her sobs and cried until she couldn’t anymore. It took surprisingly little time to calm herself down afterwards. Maybe practice made perfect, since Marinette felt like she spent half the time breaking down lately. But any relief she felt was short-lived. Her throat was dry and scratchy. Her eyes were raw. Her limbs were nearly as heavy as her heart. And she couldn’t for the life of her figure out what came next. There were no leads on Hawk Moth’s location so far, and even if they did find him, the idea idea of ending things without Chat by her side felt wrong. She wouldn’t risk his safety, though. Even if the suit could protect his injuries to some extent, he clearly wasn’t in the right headspace for a confrontation. Chat had been reckless even before the stakes had gotten even higher. “Marinette,” Tikki said, flying in front of her, “you should get some sleep.”

Okay, well like. Tikki at the end really summarizes everything best because SO MUCH of the love square miscommunication could have been solved if they had been asleep at the same times, actually. because there's a time skip obviously between this chapter which takes place at the end of day two in the hotel room, and chapter one where adrien's waking up in the hotel to see lb standing at the window...and like i'm not saying she was standing there ALL NIGHT but uh. whatever she WAS doing she certainly wasn't sleeping.

so when DOES she sleep? during that first day she's gotta catch up at some point. unfortunately this is time that adrien has to spend awake and alone and cycling through all the terrible bombs that have been dropped on him in the last 24 hours. and maybe you can see why this is not condusive to him being particularly conversational when she DOES wake up. (and then they have another day of trading off on naps after that. so things are going super swell, obviously)

oh and plus, lb has definitely not had ENOUGH sleep

plagg has also probably not had enough sleep--simply because he's plagg so to him it's NEVER enough--and so honestly even though plagg actually is a little salty about certain things for adrien's sake, i don't even think he's mad at lb here other than the fact he thinks she woke him up 😂 but yk. marinette's gonna assume everything's all her fault anyways

It was like trying to hold back a tsunami with a chain-link fence; she knew the tears were coming now. <- idk what it is, but i really like this line

It took surprisingly little time to calm herself down afterwards. Maybe practice made perfect, since Marinette felt like she spent half the time breaking down lately. -> Marinette is getting a good grade in recovering from breakdowns, something both normal to want, and possible to acheive. and i'm sure it'll be so so healthy for her in the long run 😇

honestly she's just emotionally done here. she should get more sleep. hopefully she doesn't have nightmares... 🤭

i think this chapter goes the deepest into marinette's feelings so far in this fic? but don't worry! plenty of fun things to delve into in the latter half of the fic!!

(i'm so going to get broomed for this response 💀)

thanks for the ask!! 💜

#redundant-lava #ask response #miraculous ladybug #say something

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ggomos-maribat · 2 years ago

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Rebirth Chapter 2 | Reborn to Kill

TW: Graphic depictions of violence and injury

"We have to tell them," Dick says as he rests his elbows on his knees. "Before you say anything Jay, it's the only way we can get more information. They'll have an idea about what's happening and we can confirm if they have the Miraculouses with them."

Jason opens his mouth but his brother interrupts. "We can contact them in suits. They already know about the JL anyway."

Jason looks at Tim. "You think this is a good idea?"

"It's not." Tim crosses his arms. "As much as I want to make my research easier, Bruce is going to know, a hundred percent. Plus, it's going to put our identities at risk. I can take a couple more days to look—"

"What if those monsters attack again? Then what?" Dick asks challengingly. Tim drags a hand through his face. Sometimes he can't bear the stubbornness from both sides. Not to mention, he's running on three hours of sleep.

"Then, we'll have to let the Paris heroes handle them," Tim answers. "I checked the police, and they also have footage of the attack. They're already suspicious since we carried Jason's unconscious body from the street and didn't take him to the hospital."

"If we go to them, are you willing to tell them that their dead friend is alive?" Jason narrows his eyes at the eldest.

Tim lets them argue and focuses on his laptop screen again whilst taking a swig of his energy drink. Adrien Agreste. He has already been revealed to be a former hero, ridding him of all suspicion as Hawkmoth's son.

He clicks to other files. Chloe Bourgeois. Kagami Tsurugi. Luka Couffaine. They were also close with Marinette. Tim doesn't have enough proof, but he won't be surprised if those three also wielded Miraculouses themselves.

The talks abruptly cut off when Damian steps into the room.

"What are you still doing here?" He asks. "We have to buy those souvenirs now."

Tim almost forgot; Stephanie, Cass, Duke and Alfred all asked for things from Paris. He rubs one eye and shuts his laptop. "Where's B?"

"He was invited to lunch with that girl's extended family," Damian replies as they file out of the hotel room. "The Dupain-Chengs apparently count him as a family member."

The walk to the Avenue des Champs-Élysées doesn't take too much time. Tim notices one area closed off: the same street where Jason met the incident last night. Hordes of people fill the busy city. Groups of teens convene in trendy cafes; workers rush in and out of clothing stores; and shop owners beckon customers in rapid French.

Tim keeps an eye on his brothers as he follows at the back. A stranger suddenly hits him on the shoulder, making him stop and squint at the man.

It's strange. The pale, lanky man is walking languidly in a straight line, with eyes glazed over. He seems to be in a permanent daze as his face is locked in a blank expression. Before Tim can look more closely, he loses sight of the stranger, who disappears within the crowd.

There's so many people. He faces forward again and tries to catch up with Jason's tall figure. He needs to weave around the current, brushing elbows with Parisians and maneuvering between bodies.

That's when the screams begin.

---

Adrien absentmindedly sips his drink. Chloe dragged him to an outdoor cafe when he deemed the hotel and his house stifling. Choking him. He traces the edges of the circular table. As it turns out, the avenue isn't any better. The throngs of passersby just overwhelm his eyes and the sounds make him tap his foot nervously.

"Let me get this straight." Chloe crosses one leg over another. "None of the kwamis can confirm if those monsters are from the peacock unless they sense them in person."

Adrien nods sleepily. "And only Duusu can tell where or who they came from. Or what they exist for." He eyes the bead of water sliding down the side of his cup. "But Tikki said that those sentimonsters looked like ones they've seen long ago. One of the original purposes of sentimonsters is to provide soldiers in war without sacrificing real human lives."

"So those monsters are fighting for someone."

"We can't be sure of anything yet right now." He casts his gaze downwards. "I might have to consult other guardians for this. I'm sorry . . . I don't know what to do."

Chloe reaches across the table to squeeze his hand. "You can't blame yourself for this. None of us know anything."

Adrien looks down on his naked finger. The kwamis suggested that the Miraculi can be brought into action again in case the monsters come back, but he declined. Since the knowledge about the Miraculi has become publicly known, he can't afford to bring them out again lest they fall into the wrong hands.

And he's not ready. He doesn't know how he'll be able to wield a Miraculous again without his Ladybug.

"Why here? Why now?" He says softly. "Why can't they leave Paris alone?"

High-pitched screams thunder out in the street. Adrien's head whips up to see the crowd rapidly evolving into a stampede. The source of the commotion isn't too far—he tries to stand up but gets pulled by Chloe under the table.

His stomach hurtles and flips when he watches from their hiding place. There's a flicker of the Turtle's power, a translucent shield with a familiar pattern. The last time he saw the bracelet, it's safely kept in the Miracle Box.

He can't move.

He can't think.

He can't breathe.

To his side, he hears a few hushed voices nearby but can't make out a clear meaning even if he knows English.

"What do you mean you're going? You're not suited up!"

"What do we do here? Wait?"

"We cannot risk being seen out there, Todd."

"I have my helmet. That's enough."

"Red Hood can't be seen—"

He steers his attention towards the main avenue. The street clears out as civilians run for their lives. Adrien's fingers curl around his shirt, right above his chest.

There, on the sidewalk, a girl dressed in all black and a hood draws her weapons against a tall wiry man. Her twin swords gleam under the hot sun and grants a glow to the accents on her suit. A solid white mask spans the entirety of her face, with claw marks painted over it.

The man gurgles when the blade strikes through his throat. Instead of blood pouring out of him, his head shifts, and transforms into a faceless monster.

---

There is no choice but to kill.

The sentimonsters are already blending within the crowd, walking aimlessly until they find a victim to corrupt. That is the illusive tactic of their kind: they make themselves one with the people, making her hesitate to attack first, especially in a public area.

So she has no choice.

There's three of them she can sense. Not quite the same ones from the night before, but still powerful sentimonsters hiding in plain sight. One is a tall thin pale-haired man, one an adolescent woman dressed as an officer worker, and one a pudgy-faced teenager.

She keeps an eye on all three as she moves through the street with her own illusion in place. Marinette comes near one of them.

The first man's face contorts, and a spiky tongue slips out and extends, ready to stab a toddler through the head. Marinette drops her civilian illusion in an instant and tackles him to the ground with one sword unsheathed. The surrounding people shriek and horror and push against each other, drawing out panic like an echo.

Marinette touches her mask. They thought I wouldn't strike. She digs her sword into the disguised monster's throat, causing its illusion to drop. But they're wrong. Its face morphs into an ugly creature and at the same time, the other two sentimonsters jump towards her.

She feels herself being thrown into the air, but she manages to land lightly on both feet. People run out in all directions, giving way to a generous clearing on the avenue. She can't hide the entire scene from the frightened onlookers; the space is too big for the scope of her powers. Instead, Marinette shoots a mirage to the cameras around them. The least I can do is protect everyone else from the sight of this horror.

She steps out of the way to dodge the monsters. The three have become hybrid-like, sporting dirt-ridden claws and beastly heads while closing in on her. She grips her sword tightly.

I made a mistake last night. They're sentimonsters—they should have feathers containing their existence. But she didn't find any amoks from her previous encounter. Those monsters only retreated. They were not killed off completely.

Which means the ones facing her now can keep fighting, coming at her with their foul snarls until she either dies again or finds their feathers.

Marinette hisses under her breath. She vaults upwards, steps on the head of one of the monsters, and slashes at the chest of another. The blade hits a soft spot but recloses slowly.

Think! Where will their amoks be? She swallows at the possibility that the feathers will be completely out of her reach.

She summons her shield to fend off the attack of another claw. Can't use Cataclysm. They will become unpredictable. Her sword pierces the middle of the monster's face, sending it backwards.

Marinette hears a shout behind her. A man wearing a full helmet and carrying a crowbar rushes into battle. She recognizes him as the one she rescued last night. He grabs the attention of one of the sentimonsters, which grows a pair of bony wings. She parries another strike from the creature that slammed into her.

Marinette holds two monsters at the same time. They inch closer to her face, gurgling and choking with filthy breaths. She clenches her jaw. Can they talk? Can they understand?

"Where is your amok?" She whispers.

More strangled gurgles sound out from the monster, as if it's trying to speak. She ducks away from another strike towards her, rolls on the ground, and jabs both her swords at them.

Just then, as she's catching her breath, the one with wings pushes and drags her from the ground, pinning her down on the pavement. The speed knocks her swords from her hands and breaks off a piece of her mask, revealing one of her eyes. She can faintly hear Jason yelling out.

The monster doesn't give her a chance to retaliate. It stabs the spot where her neck and shoulder meet and she stifles a scream. Blood rapidly pours out on the cement as the creature punctures her skin over and over again. Her body heals the wounds with magic at each injury.

A steel tongue pierces her stomach.

Claws scratch her palms and forearms.

She can't push the monster off of her.

Where . . . where is it?

She turns her head, writhing. Her swords are out of reach, lying uselessly a few feet from her.

It can't be too far. I can feel it. It's close.

She gasps for air as the thought bursts in her head. Almost invincible on the outside. What about the inside? Her eyes zero in on the monster's chest. Her sensations become numb. It takes them more time to heal when it's the chest.

Marinette tears her hand away from the monster's grip. She charges her fingers with destructive energy that fizzes around as a dark glow and strikes the sentimonster through its chest. Her hand is buried deep inside, her skin feeling the soft vanes of a feather being engulfed in the Cataclysm.

She releases a breath and at the same time, the monster disintegrates away. She lets the crumbling remnants of the amok fall from her wrist.

Marinette picks up her weapons as she feels her gashes heal. She comes at the other two sentimonsters with full force, kicking them away from Jason who's struggling to distance them from the civilians.

She clutches one of the creatures by the top of its head and drives her hand into its chest to finish it off. For the last, she courses the energy through her sword and lets the blade penetrate the bloodthirsty monster.

Jason stares at her. "You. . ."

She stumbles on her feet, finally noticing that her head is throbbing. Used my powers too much. The world starts to spin before the darkness engulf her vision.

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miraculouscontent · 4 years ago

Note

I say Miraculous AU where Luka comes on the trip as a chaperone.

- Marinette stressing over what happened with Fu and now being guardian. Tom and Sabine are actually concerned about their daughter and want to do something about it, so when Luka visits the bakery to say “hi” to Marinette, they recognize him (he’s been in Marinette’s room in “Silencer” so they’ve almost definitely seen him before) and ask him to go along on the trip with Marinette, with them pulling all the strings to find a way for him to join. Luka isn’t a fool, so he happily agrees. Tom and Sabine like, “oh don’t forget to ask your parents if it’s okay,” and Luka’s just, “trust me, she’s fine with it.”

(optional bonus that, since the whole class but Lila went, there is actually an extra seat that they’d reserved for her before she backed out when she thought Adrien was going to stay behind)

- During the scene where Ms. Mendeleiev offers Marinette her seat, Luka moves in after the switch has been made, chiming in to offer Marinette his seat so she’s not uncomfortably crammed in between two adult men. She’s surprised at the offer, but thanks him and swaps with him, earning a nice window seat in return.

- At nighttime, Marinette wakes up (her head probably slipped and it hit the wall; didn’t hurt but she’s awake now) and slips out of her seat to go check on Luka to see how he’s doing. She giggles at the popcorn Mr. Damocles has dropped on him, finding it cute, then carefully reaches over to wipe off the pieces. She turns to leave, but her earlier motion brushing the popcorn off wakes Luka up. He gently calls her name and slips out of his seat to join her; she tries to apologize but he just smiles and assures her that it’s fine.

- While on their way to the back of the plane, Marinette trips slightly on Alya’s foot (as Alya is sleeping on Nino and her foot was partly in the aisle; Marinette didn’t bump into it earlier because she didn’t have to move to the side for Luka back then). Luka steadies her and Marinette covers her mouth to suppress a yelp, then they keep walking to the back.

- Still, the movement woke Alya up and she glances back to look at Luka and Marinette watching the sunrise together. Confused, she nudges Nino so the both of them can look together. Alya comments that she’s seen Marinette making “lovey eyes” at Luka (referencing “Captain Hardrock” and “Frozer”), but Marinette is so OBVIOUSLY into Adrien and “can’t be honest about her feelings.” Nino chimes in that he’s having “best bud struggles” too because Adrien is still as sheltered as ever and “won’t come out of his shell.” They get the idea to perform “Operation New York” as in the original and think that it’ll be totally easy with no roadblocks whatsoever!

- Meanwhile, Marinette and Luka have their talk about her getting her “clarity.” Marinette sighs and admits that it feels like people are going to talk about her and Adrien no matter what she says/does (which tips Luka off that something’s wrong), to which Luka replies with a smile that he promises not to bring up Adrien for the rest of the trip unless Marinette does so first. She agrees to that, even giving him a “thank you” hug that he eagerly returns.

- On the ride to the place everyone’s staying at, Alya tries to engage Marinette in conversation about Adrien, clearly smug and feeling confident that it will be easy, but then she realizes that Marinette isn’t paying attention and is idling on her phone. Alya nudges Marinette, earning her attention, but when Alya starts talking about Adrien again, Marinette’s phone goes off and she looks back down at it, now giggling. Alya, now annoyed, asks Marinette if she’s even listening, which gets Marinette to look up and really give Alya her attention. “Oh, sorry about that. I was texting Luka.”

- Alya is just, “?????”

- Yes, this special is very much going to be Alya and Nino suffering to try to get Adrien and Marinette alone together and constantly failing. You’re welcome.

- No sliding door lock-ins because that’s dumb and the special is dumb for thinking it. Also, when Alya goes to mock “tease” Marinette about her Adrien crush in front of Sabrina, she turns to realize that Marinette is with Luka talking to Miss Mendeleiev about where he’ll be staying since he’s not technically with the class, and/or Luka is talking to some of the New York people about how amazing Marinette is ala Jagged Stone.

- Later in the night, everyone sneaks out to the party (bonus if someone comments that they “never took Luka for the type to sneak out” and Luka just grins like, “You clearly haven’t met my mom.”; double bonus if Luka stumbled into Aeon and Jess’ room with Marinette and Adrien, so Aeon was all “those two are--!” before seeing Luka and being confused) and a few party-goers ask Marinette and Luka if they want to dance to the energetic music. Marinette grins nervously and insists that she’s clumsy and will just end up falling all over people (a few pout and complain that “it would’ve been fun” but drop the subject).

- Cue the superhero hot dog vendor (a description I never thought I would say but here we are) handing out hot dogs. Aeon (foreseeing what will happen; it does pain me to still put her in the roll of “love square shipper” but I’m trying not to change what characters do or how they act unless I’m specifically adding things, meaning the main change is just that Luka’s here) and knowing that Luka interfered earlier, sees the guitar case on his back and quickly requests that he play some music alongside Jess since they both play guitar. Luka agrees, assuring Marinette that it’s alright and he’s not interested in having hot dogs since he’d just get crumbs on his guitar.

- Alya and Nino grin because they’re finally going to do something here!! As in the original, the hot dog vendor only has two hot dogs left and Alya and Nino split them in half, handing two halves of the same hot dog to Adrien and Marinette, who eat their respective half.

- Marinette yelps as her feet leave the ground and Luka’s head darts up on alert. He immediately abandons his guitar, his hand reaching out and catching hers as pulls her back down (or at least as down as she’ll go while still floating). He looks up at Adrien - as if to consider helping - but Adrien doesn’t want it and seems to be having fun trying to figure out how to fly, even muttering to himself about how he wish Kagami were there because they could’ve done “air fencing.”

- Luka looks back at Marinette, ensuring that she’s okay. She’s staring up at Adrien, expression mixed, then looks back at Luka, his presence grounding her as she calms down. She almost seems to forget that Adrien is there, focusing on her current flying capabilities and how light on (off?) her feet she is.

- “Oh...oh!” She gasps, realizing with a grin. “I can’t fall over if I’m floating! Luka, dance with me!”

- He’s caught off-guard by the enthusiastic request, then chuckles and nods in agreement, happily taking her other hand as well as he guides her to the other people dancing.

- Cut to the next day when the group is going to the museum. Alya and Nino are absolutely exhausted because Luka has consistently gotten in her and Nino’s way, which leads to them coming up with the new scheme with Aeon and Jess.

- Nino sends Adrien to the planned room and Alya goes to send Marinette, but Luka catches on and casually asks Marinette if he can go with her. Alya cuts in to “playfully” dismiss Luka and tell him to stop “hovering over Marinette,” leading Marinette to slowly walk off with one longing look back at Luka.

- Luka intentionally waits for Alya to not be watching anymore, then follows after Marinette.

- Episode plays out mostly as normal, though because Marinette has to carry Luka off to somewhere safe, she’s not as easily able to go off after Chat until later since she had time to cool down. Aeon doesn’t die but Paris is still a wreck because Chat Noir didn’t show up, leading to the same Chat Noir quitting scene (just with Ladybug calling out Chat here instead of mid-battle) as before. Adrien still ends up having to leave and Alya still snaps at Marinette, which leads to Marinette chasing after Adrien (mostly due to just mounting stress and pressure and the loss of her partner).

- As Marinette lies on the pavement, Luka shows up, soaking wet because he had actually never gone back with the rest of the class; he’d run off when Ms. Mendeleiev explained to him that Marinette was missing. He panics when he sees Marinette lying motionless there, running up and quickly checking her for injuries and to ensure that she’s breathing. She just leans forward and hugs him without warning, defeated but happy to have him with her.

- Marinette slowly explains the situation, Luka looking horrified when she starts talking about what Alya was shouting at her about, and he listens all the way up until the end before pointing out, “You didn’t have to like him that way to want him to stay.” “W-what?” “Marinette, you can be Adrien’s friend and still want him to stay in New York with us. It didn’t have to be any deeper than that.”

- His words cause Marinette to realize something; she - and definitely her friends as well - had put so much weight to everything she did for Adrien just because of her silly crush that of course she couldn’t see him as a friend. With all the insistence that getting him permission to go to New York and wanting him to stay was due to her crush, it was all she could focus on. She can want things for Adrien and want to do things with him regardless of her feelings for him, and she doesn’t have to put a name to those feelings either; she’ll never be able to truly move on if she keeps equating any good feeling towards Adrien with crushing on him.

- That done, Luka helps her up and they slowly walk back to go inside, though stopping as they see that Ms. Mendeleiev is at the front of the building chewing out Alya and Nino; both of them for sending Marinette and Adrien away from the group for fake tasks at the museum, and Alya specifically for sending Marinette after a car in the rain. Ms. Mendeleiev states that they’ll talk about it more inside but everyone should get back to their rooms for now.

- Marinette heads back to her room alone (as she shared a room with Alya but Alya’s getting a talking to at the moment) and is later visited by Uncanny Valley, who explains that she’s needed. Marinette - now with renewed confidence in how she feels thanks to her revelation - doesn’t say that she “can’t imagine Ladybug without him” and instead states that she and Chat Noir are partners, and a partner doesn’t abandon the other. She did it once herself, a long time ago, but she was ready to face her mistakes afterwards and she hopes that Chat Noir is too.

- Cue return of Chat Noir (no LadyNoir hug because no Chat, you have to earn that back) and the battle plays out as usual. Adrien still has to go home and Marinette sends him a text for later saying, “I wish you could’ve stayed,” but with a smile on her face, confident that this really is a friend thing and that’s all it needs to be.

- Marinette and Luka end up sitting together on the plane ride back to Paris, right behind Juleka and Rose. It’s nighttime, but neither can sleep and Marinette decides to use the private time to thank Luka for what he said (really, all the things he said), but Luka assures her that any improvement is all on her and he’s just happy to be around for it. She chides him for his modesty and tells him to take the compliment because he deserves it (they’re just flirting at this point), then slips out of her seat and into Luka’s, lightly jabbing at his chest with a finger while insisting that he accept everything’s he’s done for her. He laughs and replies that he’s happy to do that and is just glad seeing her smile.

- Eventually, the subject shifts to Juleka and Rose, who are once again sitting in the same seat, all cuddled up and sleeping together. Marinette asks playfully if Juleka and Rose are like that back on the Liberty, to which Luka nods and answers that they are, all the time. They have a good giggle about it, with Luka explaining that they’re very close (possibly giving some exposition on how long they’ve been “together” which is obviously referring to dating but could be seen as friendship by writers who are chickens).

- Marinette thinks about that for a moment, fingers briefly twitching, then she settles a little closer to Luka, asking quietly, “Do you think we’re that close?”

- Luka gapes at her in response, needing a moment to study her expression - which is more confidence than he’s ever seen her show before - and make sure that she means what he thinks it might. Once he’s certain, he gives her an almost shy smile, replying, “I’d like us to be. What about you, Marinette?”

- Marinette turns more towards him, one of her hands falling upon his. She leans up, and the camera then cuts away to Juleka and Rose in the seat in front of them, smiling and cuddling closer to each other (a very obvious hint that Luka and Marinette kissed because the show is allergic to people kissing if it’s not the love square so fine, I’ll get creative)

- Just as the screen fades out, Marinette’s voice can be heard, saying, “Luka, I think I found my clarity after all.”

#category: salt #special: Miraculous New York #MC's Adjustments #adjustment: plotlines #adjusment: romance #other: ask and answer #Pro LukaMari #Lukanette

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chocoluckchipz · 3 years ago

Text

Dreams of You - 12

Marinette

Perhaps it was her finally coming clean about her feelings, or maybe it was Adrien confirming that she wasn’t the only one falling inexplicably and hopelessly in love, but Marinette couldn’t remember the last time she had slept so peacefully and woke up so late. The sun was already high above the horizon when she opened her eyes. Good thing it was Sunday: no school to rush to, and the bakery shouldn’t be too busy as well.

Marinette stretched, eyeing the splint Maman had put on her yesterday. Needlessly spent money, but she appreciated the care anyway. She would also appreciate seeing the look on Adrien’s face when she walked like nothing had happened to her ankle when he came to check up on her today. The dumbfounded look, the disbelief in his eyes. His jaw would go slack, and Marinette would not shy away from proclaiming with a smirk on her face “I told you so.” This weird quirk of hers was proving to be useful once again.

Her phone chimed. Marinette reached for it, not surprised in the slightest to see multiple text messages from Alya. Adrien’s name was a new and very welcome addition. She clicked on Alya’s name first. Her hurt ankle wasn’t a secret to Alya anymore, but it seemed she wasn’t aware of how Marinette and Luka’s conversation went.

Marinette: Sorry, I slept in. My foot is fine. Brand new, as always.

In true Alya fashion, she called right away. “Girl, you have to be more careful. I know you have this weird thing going on, but come on, you don’t have to take my every word literally. I meant ‘break your metaphorical foot’, not an actual one.”

Putting Alya on a speaker, Marinette got to taking off her splint. “So from now on, I shall ignore your advice?"

“From now on, you should be more careful and not ruin your dates with injuries.”

"Got it." Marinette plopped in a chair in front of her desk, wiggling her toes. Her suffering didn't last long, but it was still nice to be pain-free. "What's up with you? Any plans for today?"

“Nino’s taking me out, but don’t you change the subject, M. How did your date go? I’m dying of curiosity.”

“Nino’s taking you out?”

“I said no subject changes until you spill the beans.”

“But it’s Nino, the man you are currently swooning over, and he’s taking you out. How—”

“I’m not swooning over anyone,” Alya hissed. “We’re just hanging out. That’s all.”

“Second time this week? And every week since you two met. All alone without a chaperone. How scandalous.”

“Listen! If you're going to accuse me, then I’m going to ask you how the heck did you go on a date with Luka and ended up with Adrien bringing you home?”

Someone knocked on the door, Sabine peeking in a moment later. “You up, sweetheart? How is your ankle?”

“Brand new, like always,” Marinette replied, showing off her foot. She could hear Alya’s huffs on the other side of the line, but she ignored it all the same. If Marinette wouldn’t tease her best friend, then who would? “Sorry, Maman. I slept in.”

"No worries," Sabine said, seemingly unaware of Alya's call. "We thought you could use some extra sleep after yesterday. How are you feeling otherwise?”

Oh, right. Maman had seen her red, swollen eyes and tear-stricken face last night. She had tried to probe what had caused Marinette’s tears, but Marinette was too tired to explain, so she’d just brushed it off and claimed her injury was more painful than usual. Maman hadn’t looked convinced, but let her be. Not for long, though, it seemed.

“I’m feeling great.” Marinette grinned, the most innocent expression on her face. She would have to tell her parents about Adrien and her eventually, but with Alya being on speaker, right now wasn’t the best of times. “Nothing hurts anymore, so I can help out in the bakery if you need me.”

Sabine shook her head. “It’s a slow day, so we’ll manage, but…” She seemed to be unsure of something for a moment, before hesitantly adding: “Adrien’s downstairs. We—“

“Adrien’s here already?!” Marinette practically jumped in her place, glancing at the clock. How late exactly did she sleep in?

Ten o’clock!?

She hadn’t slept this long in centuries!

“Adrien’s there?” Alya yelled from the speaker. “Marinette Dupain-Cheng! You are telling me what’s going on right now or I’m coming over this instant!”

“No!” Marinette squeaked.

“Should I tell him to come back later?” Sabine asked.

“No!” Marinette shook her head, feverishly scrambling to her closet. Where was that cute, red romper she always looked great in?

“Marinette, what’s going on over there?” Alya called again.

“Should I let him come up then?” Sabine echoed.

“No! Yes! I meant—” Marinette stopped and breathed in. Calm down. Get a grip. One thing at a time. She grabbed her phone first. “Alya, don’t come over. I’m fine. Adrien’s here just to check on me after yesterday. I’ll call you myself after he leaves. Okay?”

“Fine,” Alya grumbled on the other side. “But I expect details.”

“And you’ll get them, as long as I'm the one calling you back first. Enjoy your day with Nino and don’t worry about me.”

She hung up before Alya could reply. There was no time for chit-chat. She’d have to properly apologize later, but now Marinette had to find her lucky red romper.

“Maman, please, tell Adrien to wait in the living room,” Marinette said, getting back to her closet. “I need to change and at least brush my teeth and hair. Have you seen my red romper?”

Sabine’s eyes lit up. “The lucky one?”

“Yes. That one. Where is it?”

“And here we weren’t sure you would want to see him. Clearly, we were wrong if you’re looking for that romper.”

Marinette halted her frantic search, peeking out of the closet. “Why wouldn’t I want to see him? Did he say something?”

“No, but…” Sabine took a breath in and looked straight at Marinette before continuing. “Sweetheart, you were all smiles when Adrien brought you home last night, but after he left, your eyes were swollen from crying. I know you said it was from an injury, but you haven’t cried from those since you were a child. We didn't want to think that something happened between Adrien and you because he seems like such a nice boy… But you were crying, and neither of us could buy the injury excuse… Neither of us is still buying it.”

Her parents were the best in the world! Always supportive, respectful, and loving, and the sole reason why Marinette was so set on continuing the bakery legacy. To make them proud. To partake in what was so dear to them. To keep it alive. For them.

“I love you, Maman.” Marinette wrapped her mother in a tight hug, forgetting her search. She sniffled back moisture gathering at the brim of her eyes and whispered, “Thank you. I really appreciate your concern, but everything is fine. Adrien didn't do anything. We just… talked, and I got a little emotional, but it's nothing bad. I promise. You have nothing to worry about.”

Sabine held her silently for a couple of moments, giving her daughter a light squeeze before pulling back. “I’d try to get details out of you, but Papa is waiting for me at the bakery, and Adrien seemed impatient to see you, so… just promise me you’ll be careful?”

“I will.” Marinette nodded. “And I promise to tell you everything as soon as there is something to tell.”

Usually, it was her father or Alya to get excited over such things. Seeing that mischievous spark in her mother’s eyes was a little odd. “Oh? And are you expecting there to be something to tell us about?”

The room had suddenly warmed a degree… or ten as Marinette rushed back into her closet to search for that lucky romper of hers, murmuring along the way. “I don’t know… Maybe? We’ll see. Isn’t Papa waiting for you, Maman?”

“I see.” Sabine laughed and headed to the door. “I’ll tell Adrien to wait in the living room. Let us know if you’re heading out.”

“Will do!”

The door shut just as Marinette’s eyes finally landed on the garment she was looking for. Sleeveless, knee-length, and flared from the waist down, the romper looked more like a summer dress and never failed to make her feel pretty while providing more comfort and ease of movement than a regular dress would. Marinette blessed the day she designed it.

“There you are,” she mumbled under her breath, grabbing the garment and sprinting for the bathroom to get ready. Ten minutes later, she headed downstairs, her hair tied in two messy buns, her face showcasing the best natural makeup she could muster at the moment, her romper sitting perfectly on her toned figure. Now, if only her nerves would cooperate and be just as perfectly calm…

Her breath halted when she saw Adrien standing by the window, watching her descend. His face lit up with a smile the moment he saw her. Illegally handsome. Men shouldn’t be allowed to have such flawless features and such perfect mops of golden hair. If she could only touch it, run her fingers through the silky strands… Or gaze into the warmth and beauty of his eyes for an eternity. And who the heck gave him the right to look so good in a simple pair of jeans and a black t-shirt? That alone sent her heart sprinting to the moon and back.

“Hey.” Adrien waved at her, taking a step in her direction. “I see you’re feeling better.”

“Brand new.” Marinette flashed him a smile, showcasing her foot. “Just like I told you.”

“May I take a look?”

“Sure.” Marinette shrugged, sitting down on the stairs. Sadly, Adrien didn't seem to be shocked at all by her miraculous recovery, but as he crouched before her, taking her foot in his hands and running his fingers along her ankle, Marinette couldn’t find it in herself to regret that. His touch on her skin was more than a good compromise.

“I guess you won’t be needing that ‘Get Well’ ice cream I bought you.” Adrien smiled at her, carefully pressing different spots on her ankle. “This does look brand new.”

Marinette perked. “There is ice cream?”

“Yes, but it’s for injured people, who you clearly aren’t. The same goes for the newest UMC I brought, thinking you’ll need entertainment being stuck on a couch all day.”

"Rude?" Marinette huffed, poking her finger at his chest. "I deserved that ice cream because I'm still in the emotional pain of not being believed by some people that I'll be fully healed overnight. And the newest UMC is not out for another two weeks. There is no way you have one.”

“Wanna bet?” Adrien smirked and got up.

Marinette frowned. She was yet to catch Adrien lying, but he did look awfully confident for someone who wasn't telling the truth. Especially since she could easily prove him—Her eyes widened as he pulled the game she was expecting to arrive at her doorsteps in only a few weeks out of his jacket’s inner pocket.

“You were saying?”

Marinette jumped to her feet, grabbing the box from his hands. “But… how? I pre-ordered this weeks ago and nothing yet.”

“I got it as a beta tester.” Adrien proudly grinned. “And I already have a few weeks of practice under my belt, so if you were to challenge me, guess who’s going down?”

“You, of course.” Marinette shrugged. She was yet to meet a person who would be able to beat her at UMC. New game or not.

“I very much doubt that. You see—”

“Wanna bet?”

Adrien paused, looking at her for a moment before stretching his hand forward. “Only if there are prizes involved.”

Oh, so he wanted to make this interesting? That was more than just fine with her. She took his hand but stopped short of shaking it. “What do you want if you win?”

“A date.”

“A date?” She echoed, arching an eyebrow. “What happened to you waiting for my answer?”

“Nothing. I’m still waiting." Adrien's smile turned mischievous as he leaned against the staircase railing and mused, "But you did mention you barely know me, right? And getting to know me better will help you decide, so maybe… a platonic date would be alright?”

“A platonic date?” Marinette pulled her hand back if only to cross her arms over her chest at a wording she’d never thought she’d hear in her life. “How can a date be platonic?”

“It’s like a date, but between friends.”

"People call that a hangout. Not a date."

“Yes, I know,” Adrien grumbled, the cutest of pouts on his lips. “But date sounds so much better.”

The person who first penned “the kicked puppy look” surely was inspired by the same picture Marinette was observing at this very moment. She almost laughed, holding back only for fear that Adrien would burst into tears. And a 'platonic date' did sound innocent enough, so she outstretched her hand to him and said, "Alright. One platonic date it is. Now, what do I want if I win?"

“How about Paris?” he offered before Marinette could come up with a single idea. “A week before Christmas. Exclusive Chattel fashion show. I’ll cover accommodations and transportation.”

She watched him in a stupor for a few moments, pulling her hand back. He just had to offer her one of her biggest dreams, even though he had probably known himself how impossible it was to get in that event for regular people like them. Not to mention how much it'd cost. Marinette had ambitions, but she wasn't a fool. "Yeah, and the pigs can fly. How about you offer me something I can believe you can get?”

He looked almost offended. “I can get the tickets. I have enough connections to get not only you but Alya, Nino and myself in.”

He did work at the palace, so maybe… She shook her head. Get a grip, Marinette! Even if he could somehow find a ticket or two, she couldn’t even start to imagine how much it’d cost him. “That’ll be too expensive of a prize.”

“Not for me.”

“For me it is.”

“But I’ll be paying.”

“And I cannot accept something so expensive.”

“Or you doubt that you can win,” Adrien blurted out, looking away. “Fine. You can come up with something else. Something you won’t regret not winning.”

Marinette flinched, blood starting to boil in her veins. The audacity of that cocky man-child! It seemed he had no idea who he was dealing with! And wasn’t it him yesterday bragging he could afford a few bakeries if he wanted to? Well, time to pay for his arrogance and learn that no one, absolutely NO ONE wins against Marinette Dupain-Cheng in UMC!!!

“You’re so on, Noir!” she fumed, heading for the TV. “Say goodbye to your money, because you’re going down and paying for that trip not only for me but also for Alya.”

“In that case—“ Adrien plopped on a couch beside her, offering her the game, “—I get ten platonic dates.”

“The only thing you’re getting is an ego bruise.” She passed him a controller. “Best of three? Not that it’ll make a difference, but I kind of want to see you suffer for a bit longer than five minutes I need to kick your ass.”

“Let’s make it best out of ten," Adrien proposed. "And I get a date for every time I win, even if I lose overall."

“That’s not how this works. You either lose or you win. You can’t have both.”

“Hey, if I lose I’m spending a pretty penny. Can’t I have a consolation prize at least?”

That man! Ugh! She didn’t have the right words, but… perhaps he could? Truth be told, after yesterday’s conversation and a good night’s sleep, Marinette was pretty sure of what she’d tell Adrien the next time he asked her if she would give him a chance. But that didn't mean she wouldn't be interested in a platonic date or two with him. She still made sure to look a bit reluctant. He deserved to be teased a little.

"Fine." She stretched her hand to him. "One platonic date for each win you score. Best out of ten for the overall win, and you're taking me to a Chattel show on Christmas."

“That’s assuming you win.” Adrien took her hand and shook it.

“Oh, I will win.”

“You can always try.”

“Shall we start, so I can show you how well I can win?”

“Sure. Let’s start.” He grinned and directed his attention to the screen, choosing the black cat robot as his character. “Just so you can see how many dates I can score. How does ten out of ten sound?"

“Unrealistic.” Marinette chose her beloved Ladybug. The bot had practically called to her when she first picked up a game back in lycée, and it had yet to let her down ever since.

"Good choice." Adrien smirked, stretching his fingers. “You’ll need all the luck you can to get a win against me.”

“Right.” She rolled her eyes. “And you chose the black cat because you’re so good, you’ll win despite the bad luck?”

“Bingo!”

“It’ll be an honour to kick you down a notch.” Marinette chuckled and started the game.

She almost regretted her words as soon as the first round had started. Adrien was good. Way better than any other opponent she’d ever faced. She could still hold her ground, but barely, the battle taking a lot longer to finish because neither one was yielding. She still won, despite Adrien having the advantage of having already played the new edition while she had to rely on tricks from the previous one. The second one was a bit harder to win since Adrien had figured out some of her tactics and was able to block most of her attacks. By the end of the third game, Marinette had never before been so happy her stomach growled, distracting her opponent and giving her the opportunity for the final blow.

“Sorry.” Her smile was apologetic, yet in her mind, she was thanking all the deities alive for a break opportunity. “I haven’t had breakfast yet. Are you up for some lunch before we continue?”

“When did I ever refuse food in this house?” Adrien practically jumped off the couch. “What are we having?”

“There should be some salmon quiche left from yesterday’s dinner.”

He as well might have been drooling, so wide his pupils dilated. “Sounds heavenly.”

Marinette couldn’t hold back her laughter. What a dork! And why did she fall in love with this man-child again? “Come on. I’ll warm it up.”

He didn’t need a second invitation, following her to the kitchen like a puppy. His face lit up at the sight of her Papa’s quiche just as brightly as that of a small kid's upon seeing his Christmas presents. Watching Adrien devour their meal with such enthusiasm and emotions—one would think he was eating the best of the world's cuisine—somehow made Marinette appreciate the quiche she'd eaten countless times before in a new way. Perhaps it even did taste a little bit better this time around… She wasn’t sure, but should Adrien ever quit whatever job he had in Paris and relocate to Dupont, the man certainly had a future in the food review industry.

“Ready to get back to the battlefield?” She nudged him after his third slice was gone and her own hunger satisfied.

“Never been readier.” Adrien grinned and cleaned the dishes off the table.

Once their battle resumed, Marinette realized two things: one, feeding Adrien was her best tactic yet. With his stomach stuffed full, he was not as sharp and fast as before, and Marinette needed only fifteen minutes to kick his butt in round four. And second… “Two more games and I’m going to Paris for Christmas.”

“Okay but we’re playing all ten,” Adrien grumbled, putting on his “I’m serious now” look. “I want to win a few dates.”

“Platonic ones, don’t forget.”

“As if you’ll let me.”

By some miracle, he almost won the fifth round. If not for Tom coming into the room, Marinette would’ve been a Ladybug pancake on a UMC digital floor.

“Is that the new edition?” Tom’s eyes sparkled as he practically ran to the TV.

“Yes.” Marinette nodded. “Adrien’s a beta tester. Want to try?”

Her father didn’t have to be asked twice as he took the controller from her hands and switched a character to the one he preferred.

“You two enjoy. I’ll go get ice cream. Adrien, you want some?”

“After I crush Tom, absolutely.”

“We’ll see about that.” Tom grinned and started a game.

He lost all five they played, just like Marinette had thought he would. Papa hadn’t won against her in a few years. How was he supposed to win against someone she was struggling to beat?

“This is not the end,” Tom proclaimed after Sabine had called for the third time that she needed him back at the bakery. “You come back next weekend, young man, and we’ll play a rematch.”

“Of course.” Adrien chuckled, standing up. He turned to Marinette as soon as Tom left the apartment. “I believe there was some ice cream for me?”

“Come here and choose your poison." Marinette grinned. Perfect! She had a chance to feed him again. A proven victory for the next round.

The next hour or two, they spent discussing their favourite ice cream flavours and sharing stories that went along with those. Marinette told Adrien about the time she shoved a whole cone of ice cream in her mouth just because she didn’t want to throw it out like Maman had told her to do. Suddenly realizing that they were running late just wasn’t a good enough reason to waste a perfect strawberry vanilla deliciousness in Marinette’s five-year-old mind. And even if she paid with a fever for the next few days for her actions, Marinette had never regretted her choice. That ice cream was worth it.

Adrien couldn’t stop laughing for the whole two minutes, and in return, told her how he and his cousin Félix would pretend to be great chefs and mix all kinds of stuff in ice cream. Then, they would feed their creations to his father’s secretary, who had never refused. He wasn’t sure why. Perhaps she was afraid to lose her job or maybe she was willing to humour her employer’s kid and his nephew, but Adrien was pretty sure it was white chocolate, raspberry ice cream with pickles, pieces of broccoli, and a generous dash of cayenne pepper that had finally laid the end to their culinary careers. He and Félix were banned from the kitchen the day they fed Nathalie that concoction. Nathalie returned to work only a few days later.

Marinette couldn’t stop laughing either, even if she felt bad for his father’s secretary. “Why did she eat it? Or rather how?”

Adrien shrugged. “I really need to apologize to her one of these days.”

“I’m amazed she still works for you after that.”

“As unbelievable as it sounds.”

His cell phone rang. Adrien apologized, saying it was Nino, and took the call, giving Marinette a chance to clean up and get settled for the next round. She glanced at the clock. How did it get so late? The bakery would be closing soon, and that meant her parents would be back home in no time. She’d have to work extra hard to finish the last five games fast and get Adrien out of the house before that happened. If she wouldn't, they were stuck here; and Marinette wasn't going to do what she’d already decided to do with her parents in the room. She also wasn’t waiting another day, because this man was one in a million, and if this day of video games, sharing food and chatting the hours away had taught her anything, it was that Marinette would absolutely risk it all to try to make this work. Adrien was simply too good to let go without even trying. What they had felt too right and precious to push aside and ignore. And if different postal codes weren’t as huge an issue as she’d made it out to be, then what was stopping her?

“Sorry,” Adrien said, getting back to the couch.

“Is everything alright?”

Adrien nodded. “Nino just had a question. Nothing serious.”

"I heard he's taking Alya out today? A hangout between friends?"

Adrien chuckled. “Yeah. Friends.”

“What’s holding him back then?”

“The same thing we’re facing.” Adrien shrugged, settling down. “His whole family is in Paris. He loves his job more than anyone I’ve ever seen. And he’s not a man to date around. The moment he asks Alya to consider moving with him to Paris, I can guarantee you, he already looked at engagement rings a week prior.”

“Then he’s in luck.” Marinette passed Adrien his controller. “Alya’s been dreaming of moving to the capital for years. She’s a journalist and Paris is where it all happens. Pretty sure she wasn’t even going to look for work here. All she’s been talking about was Paris’ news agencies.”

“Good to know. May I share this confidential information with the man in question?”

“Go ahead. I’ll be surprised if he doesn’t already know it.”

“He hadn’t mentioned anything to me. Ready to get crushed?”

“As if.” She snorted. “I haven't seen you win a single time yet.”

“Oh, but I’m getting closer. This time I’ll win for sure.”

He didn’t. Marinette claimed victories for the sixth, seventh, eighth and even ninth games and if not for her getting distracted by how cute Adrien looked with his tongue poked out as he concentrated on beating her, she would’ve had the tenth game as well.

Adrien jumped off the couch as soon as her character fell and the screen announced his victory. “I won! Marinette, I won! I won! I won!” Collapsing back to the couch, he closed his eyes and deeply breathed in before looking at her and whispering, “I won a date with you.”

“A platonic one, don’t forget.” She doubted things would be much platonic between them from now on, but Adrien didn’t have to know that yet.

His lips still stretched in the goofiest smile nevertheless. “Of course.”

“And don’t forget you’re now taking Alya and me to the exclusive Chattel fashion show in Paris since, you know, you lost the overall tournament.”

“Was worth it.”

“For one platonic date?”

He silently nodded, reaching for her hand, placing a tender kiss on top.

Her heart fluttered. This man. One of these days, he’d be the death of her. He and his green eyes, filled with nothing but adoration when he looked her way. The eyes that caused her many sleepless nights—

A thought crossed Marinette’s mind. She perked. “Want to go out for a bit? We’ve been cooped inside all day.”

He glanced at the clock, his eyes widening a speck. “Oh. I didn’t realize how late it was already.”

Marinette chuckled, standing up. “Let’s go. I’ll give you a bonus platonic date for being such a good sport and letting me win.”

“You don’t have to rub it in.” Adrien pouted, following her suit. “Next time, I’ll win for sure.”

Marinette grabbed a jacket and got her shoes out. Perhaps she should give credit where it was due? He did make her work for those victories. And she was about to score one more out of him. He could use some praise before his untimely demise. “Not to stroke your ego, but you’re the strongest opponent I’ve ever played against. With some practice, you’ll be my equal in no time.”

“Does that mean we’ll play again?”

“Didn’t Papa invite you over for a game day next week already?”

“He did!” Adrien put on his jacket, getting ready to leave. “Where are we going?”

"The beach," Marinette said, eyeing his hand. Nothing was stopping her. Adrien certainly wouldn’t protest, and it wasn’t like they hadn’t done that already. She reached forward before she could lose her bravado and grabbed his hand, quickly pulling him out the door, down the stairs and out of the house before her parents could notice.

“And why are we sneaking out?” Adrien broke the silence only when they were safely out of the bakery’s view.

She gave him a look that said it all, but just in case, Marinette added, “Do you want to spend the rest of the day in my parent’s clutches, being fed to death and smouldered with love while they get every little detail of your life out of you and start debating the names of their grandchildren by the end?”

A corner of his lips twitched in a smile. “That doesn’t sound too bad.”

“Does it sound more appealing than a platonic date with me?”

He shook his head. “Never.”

“Then follow me and don’t ask questions.”

His eyes softened, a lopsided smile on his face. “As you wish, Princess.”

***

The sun was almost below the horizon when they got to the beach. Marinette headed straight for the destination she had in mind. She could see it in the distance. She could almost feel Adrien’s pain once she put her plan to work. She couldn’t wait to—

“Are we in a hurry?” Said man nudged at their still linked hands.

Marinette halted her steps. Technically, no. “Not really. Why?”

He pulled her to stand beside him. “Do we have a few minutes to watch the sunset then? It’s especially beautiful today.”

Marinette’s eyes shifted to the setting sun. It was beautiful. Perhaps, they could spare a few moments. Watching sunsets was one of her favourite things to do, and she could always squeeze some teasing to spice things up and lay the foundation for what’s to come. “Don’t you think it’s not very platonic to watch a sunset together?”

“It can be both,” Adrien said, his eyes glued to the horizon. “Friends watch sunsets together too. We already did that, didn’t we? As long as we don’t kiss at the end, it’ll be a platonic sunset watching.”

“And did you just say that to make me want to kiss you?”

He turned her way. “Did it work?”

She laughed, bringing his hand to her lips and quickly smooching it. “There. A very platonic kiss for our absolutely platonic sunset watching.”

A chuckle slipping his lips, Adrien turned back to the sun, his eyes mirroring its glow. A tiny smile on his lips, he hadn’t said a single word the few moments she’d watched him. Yet, right after she’d followed his example and directed her gaze to the scenery, Adrien asked, “Want to go to the movies tomorrow?”

“I don’t really go out on weekdays. Too much work.”

“Then next weekend? Maybe Friday?”

“Friday sounds good.”

His gaze shifted to her. Someone walked by, a couple of birds glided past them. Waves kept crashing against the shore at their feet as the last of sun rays dove behind the horizon. Adrien’s eyes were still on her.

“I thought we stopped to watch the sunset,” Marinette finally commented, turning to face him.

“And that’s exactly what I was doing.”

“You were watching me.”

“I was watching the sunset reflecting in your eyes. It’s even more beautiful when captured in the most gorgeous eyes I’ve ever seen.”

She could kiss that precious dork right there and then and be done with it. But Adrien Noir had caused her much heartache and trouble ever since he showed up in Dupont. He deserved to pay for that, and she deserved to see him suffer just as much as she did. That was the only reason Marinette hid her blush by looking away as she nudged him to resume their walk. He followed her without questions, stopping only once it became apparent where exactly she was leading him.

“Marinette?” His voice trembled with uncertainty… or maybe it was fear? She couldn’t tell. But Adrien was definitely nervous.

"Yes?" She looked at him over her shoulder, a slight smirk on her lips, a sultry look in her eyes.

“Please, tell me we aren’t going in there?”

She looked ahead at the club Alya told her about. Live, exhilarating music pulsated through the space. Neon lighting escaped the darkness of the building full of dancing people. Laughter, chatter, singing echoed around, every imaginable drink pouring at the bar, and a few couples already kissing in the corners. This was the ultimate destination for everyone young and looking for a fun night in the town. This was the establishment, Marinette knew without a doubt Adrien would not survive keeping their date platonic. Especially not if they would be dancing to the music this club was famous for. And certainly not once she started flirting with him.

“Why? You don’t like dancing?”

He paused, his eyebrows knitting into a slight frown. “Wasn’t it supposed to be a platonic date? Like a friends’ hangout kind of thing?”

With the most innocent smile on her lips, Marinette took a step closer. "Come on, M Noir. Friends go dancing together. Alya and I used to go dancing together all the time before we got busy with university work."

Adrien visibly swallowed, taking a few moments to look between Marinette and the club. “I… I’m not sure…”

Marinette smirked, taking another step and placing a hand on his chest. He was all hers. There was no doubt about it, and she loved how she could render him speechless by such a simple suggestion. “Are you worried I won’t be able to keep my hands to myself?”

Adrien shook his head. “I—No. I was…” His hand reached behind his head to rub the base of his neck, an awkward smile settling on his lips. “I was worried about myself. I mean the ‘platonic’ part could be a little difficult in there, wouldn’t you say?”

She looked at the club and back at him. “I think it’s perfectly manageable, but we can always leave if it’ll get too much for you. Okay?”

She could see the hesitation in his eyes, his stiff posture, his parted lips, but once she squeezed his hand a bit, Adrien nodded and followed her inside.

Like a sheep to its slaughter.

The moment they stepped into the room, music and lights attacked her every sense. A sexy, alluring beat enveloped her body, beckoning her to move. Marinette turned to Adrien, dropping all of her pretences to look innocent. “Let’s dance.”

He let her pull him onto the dancing floor. She let his hand go, the song sucking her in. Marinette loved to dance, loved to move in rhythm with the pulse of the song, loved to feel the vibrations of the music on her skin and capture its melody in her muscles. Dance was powerful. Dance was freedom.

And now, dance was a torture device for Adrien.

Her hands gliding along her body, Marinette flowed with the song. She knew her curves, knew how to flaunt them. The lighting and her outfit accentuated the sway of her hips. She swiftly undid her buns, letting her hair cascade down her shoulders just as she was losing herself in the dance, calling Adrien to follow her, to lose himself to the music.

Adrien tried to follow, failing miserably to even move. Unsurprisingly. The man was barely breathing. Marinette pulled him closer, gliding her fingers over his chest. His hands on her hips, she moved against him, her eyes locking on his. She weaved her arms around his neck, his eyes fluttered closed for a moment before he opened them again, his gaze turning fuzzy.

“Marinette…”

“You can do this.” She smiled coyly, stepping away just enough for him to breathe in. “But I can always find myself a different dance partner if you need a break.”

His hands tightened around her waist, he pulled her back to his chest, catching one of her hands and bringing it to his lips. “I can do this.”

“Yes, you can.” She continued to dance, moving a bit away, the skirt of her red romper swirling under her moves. She wanted him suffering, but not dead. Yet, Adrien twirled her around, bringing her right back to him. Her back pressed to his chest, she moved intact with the music against him.

Adrien swore under his breath, his grip on her tightening. “You aren’t making this easy.”

She swirled around, seeking out his hands, entwining their fingers together. A step back, her hips never stopping moving to the music. “You didn’t make it easy for me either.”

He brought her closer, pressing her back against himself, never letting her hands go, never stopping dancing as he leaned his head into the crook of her neck. “So, this is a payback?”

Turning around, she wrapped her arms around his shoulders as he sneaked his to the small of her back. Leaning closer, Marinette whispered against his lips, “Absolutely.”

She pulled away, but something changed. A glint sparked in his eyes. Adrien smirked and the next ten minutes were a blur, the music, the lights, the whole dynamic of the party getting not only to Adrien but to her as well. They never stopped dancing, never took their hands off each other. Their bodies moved to the music, the beat overtaking their every sense. The world vanished, everything around them disappeared. Only them, only each other, only the person in front of them. Way sooner than she’d expected, the “platonic” part of their date flew out of the window when Marinette brushed her lips against the inside of his wrist, her eyes locked on his. Right after, Adrien sneaked a kiss in the crook of her neck, breathing out “I love you” against her skin. Without words, Marinette grabbed his hand and pulled him out of the club, letting him go as soon as they stepped outside.

“Marinette?”

She laughed, running for the water, beckoning him to follow.

“Marinette, wait!”

She stopped only to quickly remove her shoes before stepping into the water and splashing Adrien as she ran away, the sounds of her laughter echoing around the beach. Taking his own shoes off, Adrien chased after her, soon catching up. Picking her up, he swirled them around with the biggest grin she’d ever seen on him. “Gotcha, Princess.”

Their laughter echoed throughout the beach. No people in sight, only music pumping in the distance. Adrien turned her in his arms to face him, holding her tightly by her waist. So strong and safe. She could stay in his embrace forever. Could keep gazing into his eyes for eternity. She wasn’t even sure how she ended up wrapping her legs around his middle and cradling his face in her hands as he held her tight against him, but when Adrien’s lips parted and his eyes flickered to hers and back up, Marinette couldn’t hold back anymore. She quickly pressed her mouth to his and prayed he would respond.

He did. Immediately. Adrien pulled her flush against himself, kissing her like it was his first and last and every single kiss in between. Kissed her like his life depended on it. Kissed her the way she'd always dreamed he would. Hot and burning, yet gentle and loving, and longer than she could ever think possible. They pulled away only when Adrien almost fell down, carrying her out of the water.

Marinette planted her feet down in the sand, her arm wrapped around his neck. “I like you enough to give us a chance despite the uncertainties of the future.”

With a myriad of emotions in his eyes, he pulled her into another kiss, shorter yet so much more passionate than the previous, whispering against her lips once they pulled apart. “You won’t regret it. I promise you that, my Lady.”

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#miraculous ladybug #ml au #ml fic #adrinette #adrienette #love square #adrien agreste #marinette dupain cheng #dreams of you #fluff #ladynoir #marinette dupain-cheng

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starshine583 · 4 years ago

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New Girl on the Block (12)

(Are you guys getting tagged for these??? I’ve been putting all of the names on here, but it doesn’t look right.. anyway, sorry if the tag doesn’t work. I tried!!! Anyone else who wants to get tagged or asked but isn’t getting tagged, please contact me and let me know!!!)

Ch. 1 / Ch. 11 / Ch. 13 (ao3) (Journal Entries- a mini series connected to this fic)

Chapter 12: Quiet Conflictions of the Heart

Felix tapped his pencil against his textbook, staring blankly at the words that he wasn’t reading. The minutes ticked by on the grandfather clock that sat across the room next to the stairs, informing him of exactly how much time he was wasting by sitting there, and moonlight poured through the wide windows in front of him, signifying the beginnings of the evening. The fact that he started this assignment during the day and still had hardly anything done should have been frustrating, but Felix’s mind was too far lost in other thoughts for him to care.

As soon as Rosemary found out about his direct involvement with the akuma, they sent him, along with Marinette and the others, home for the day with light homework assignments and instructions to “take it easy”. The procedure was meant to help them regain composure and process the traumatizing events, but it only gave Felix more time to think.

And think.

And overthink. About him hitting the ground with Marinette, about her pulling them behind the fence only to run right out again, about her shocked and panicked expression upon being picked up by the akuma.

About her flailing body falling from the sky.

Felix set his pencil down and rubbed the bridge of his nose with a sigh. That scream still rang in his mind even hours later, sharp and blood-curdling, like a constant echo of a bad dream. He couldn’t help wondering what might have happened had Chat Noir not arrived on time, how she might have felt hitting the pavement, or if she would have survived at all. The very thought left him gripping his textbook and forcing a deep breath to relax. It hadn’t happened, after all. She was fine. Everything was fine..

And yet, no matter how many times he tried to push the gruesome images out of his mind, they continued to worm their way back in, fueled by how tame Allegra, Claude, and Allan’s reactions had been towards Marinette’s incredible risk of self. The girl almost died multiple times over the course of a single hour, and the only thing those idiots did was hug her and tell her that her actions were justified. Who cares if they were justified! Justification does not equate to rationality, and doing something for a good cause doesn’t always mean that it’s the right- or wise! -thing to do.

Normally, he could brush it off and ignore it. The experience had been daunting, of course, but he could accept it knowing that Marinette had learned her lesson, realized how stupid her decision was, and vowed not to do it again. The problem came with the little fact that Marinette hadn’t learned her lesson. Oh, she’d apologized and admitted that her actions weren’t properly thought through, but it was clear that she didn’t intend on waiting for the heroes any time soon. He couldn’t quite explain how he knew- maybe it was how calm she looked when she returned, as though everything had been in her control the entire time, or how she only smiled when he asked her not to do it again instead of fervently agreeing to his request -but he knew. Her entire demeanor gave way to her belief that her sacrifice had been both necessary and acceptable, and it disturbed him to think of how far she might be willing to go under that belief. What if she challenged another akuma that wasn’t nearly as polite or rational? What if she was alone next time this happened and didn’t have Allegra or Claude or himself to help her when things inevitably got out of hand? Why was she so willing to throw away her own life without a second thought?

“Felix?”

Felix flinched, his eyes snapping upwards. His mother stood next to the couch with a frown, which was odd. He hadn’t heard any footsteps approaching. How long had she been standing there?

Bridgette shot him a concerned look as she sat down next to him. “Are you alright, sweetheart? You’ve been on that same page for half an hour now.”

It’s been longer than that. He thought to himself, plucking up his pencil and closing his textbook. There was no point in leaving it open if he wasn’t going to read it.

“It’s nothing.” He muttered. “History homework just tends to be monotonous after a while.”

Bridgette narrowed her eyes at him, though her tone remained gentle as she said, “Oh, come now. You don’t expect me to believe that. We both know that you would sit and read every history book available if you had the time. What’s wrong?”

A small, bittersweet smile tugged at the corner of his lips. She could always read him well. Too well at times.

“Is it about the akuma attack?”

Felix felt himself stiffen, and he silently chided himself for it. That would be all she needed from him to know the answer.

It’s not that he wanted to hide his distress from her. He was simply unsure of whether he wanted to talk about it or not. The threat was over now, meaning all of this worrying was somewhat unreasonable, and Felix didn’t want to express irrational thoughts to his mother only for them to fade away by morning. It would just make this a bigger problem than it probably was.

Then again, watching your classmate casually wave off their jumping headfirst into an akuma and almost dying was a decently sized problem.

Bridgette lightly touched his shoulder. “Felix, honey, if it’s bothering you, then you need to talk about it. You can’t let things like this weigh on your mind unattended. It doesn’t have to be with me, but communicate with someone, please.”

The amount of earnestness in her voice caused him to avert his gaze, and he began tapping his finger on the arm of the couch. Her wording could almost be considered amusing, as he had no one else to talk to aside from her and Father. Allegra, Claude, and Allan clearly didn’t care as much about the subject as he did- not to mention, he’d rather spend his days putting up ad posters for Adrien Agreste than confide in them about anything personal -and Marinette was the cause of the problem. Besides hovering around those four, Felix was a common shut-in who proudly (and happily) hid himself away in the penthouse with his books and, on pleasant occasions, Mother’s tea.

Nevertheless, he knew that Bridgette was right. He needed to get these tangled ponderings off of his chest, but to do that, he’d have to unravel them first. Where should he start? The attack seemed as though it had happened within five minutes, yet it also seemed to drag on for hours. Time is a shaky illusion when your entire body is buzzing with adrenaline.

“I just don’t understand,” He said slowly, beginning with the thoughts at the forefront of his mind, “how they can all act like nothing happened. Marinette risked her life for no reason, and they all want to treat it as though it’s an everyday occurrence.”

“Who risked their life?”

Felix and Bridgette turned towards the stairs, where Felix’s father was now standing. The man’s eyebrows knitted together as he continued his descent, similar to how Bridgette’s expression had been a moment earlier, and in a few, long strides, he was standing in front of them.

“Oh, Francis.” Bridgette greeted with a smile. “I thought you were still working.”

“I was,” Francis replied, leaning down to give her a light peck on the lips, “but I came down to get a drink. What’s all this about someone risking their life?”

“Apparently, Marinette did during the akuma attack today.”

A disapproving hum came from him as he settled on the couch next to Bridgette. “Isn’t that the girl from school that he’s always talking about?”

Felix bristled. “I don’t always talk about her.”

A soft chuckle fell from his mother’s lips. “You do talk about her more often than anyone else, though.”

“Can we get back to the point?”

“Of course.” Francis said, lazily wrapping an arm around his wife. She leaned back against him naturally. “Start from the beginning. How did you get caught up in this akuma business in the first place?”

Felix sighed, letting his irritation quiet down before thinking back on the attack. Where were they when it happened again?

“I believe we were exiting the café.” He said. “Claude was telling some story as we walked to our cars, so we didn’t notice the akuma flying towards us until she was landing in this gust of wind that knocked us over.”

A ghost pain trailed up his back at the memory of skidding across the pavement. He didn’t get a chance to see it during the battle, but the prickling sting of the injury told him that his shoulders and back had been scraped up immensely, especially during the second blast. If the miraculous cure hadn’t healed him, he probably wouldn’t hadn’t been able to sit up straight now.

“As you can imagine, we were all terrified, since we’d never seen anything like this in person before, but Marinette wasn’t. She grabbed all of us and helped us hide behind a fence within the first few seconds of falling. It was like she hadn’t been phased by it at all.”

“Perhaps she’s simply more level-headed during a crisis.” His father suggested.

“I’d assume so,” Felix replied, “but it’s strange considering she’s usually someone who would jump at their own shadow.”

“True, but people with anxiety can still flourish in a stressful environment.” Bridgette remarked.

Felix tilted his head in a nod. He supposed that was true.

“The akuma said she wasn’t going to hurt anyone, only the buildings to get the heroes’ attention.” He continued. “But Marinette didn’t like the thought of that, saying the people in the buildings might get hurt or killed. So she decided to counter the claim by running out to the akuma to lure them away.”

“That’s very noble of her.” Francis commented.

Felix tisked. How many times has he heard that now?

“Noble and stupid. She was a powerless bystander running straight into danger. Am I the only one who sees a problem with that?”

“Sometimes you have to try to do what’s right even though you might not be able to succeed,” Bridgette said softly, “but I can understand why you would be distraught about her actions. You didn’t want to see her get hurt, and that’s not a bad thing. It proves you care.”

Felix’s gaze flicked to the ground. Admitting his recent attachment to Marinette hadn’t sounded irksome before. She was a kind and compassionate person who hadn’t failed yet in giving him a sense of satisfaction after each of their conversations. Anyone with half a brain would gravitate towards her presence. After everything that’s happened today, however, a part of him was starting to resent that sentiment. Why did he have to care for the one person who would openly throw themselves to the wolves without prompting?

“What happened next?” His mother prompted, tugging him from his thoughts.

Felix drew in a breath and continued again. “She told the akuma that she could lead them to the bigger, corporate buildings, since that was apparently what they wanted. I didn’t understand it at the time, because wouldn’t that bring more death? But looking back on it now, it was probably a ploy to stall time. I doubt she actually intended on leading the akuma anywhere.”

It was quick thinking, considering they’d all gotten attacked seconds earlier, but it hadn’t been quick enough to account for the consequences.

“The akuma accepted the offer and used more wind to carry Marinette into the air with them.” Felix paused, Allegra’s horrified cry resurfacing in his mind. “It was.. nerve wracking. We didn’t know what was going to happen or what the akuma was going to do to her later on.”

Bridgette reached forward and rubbed his upper arm, giving her silent support, and Felix leaned into her touch as thanks.

“I ran after them. I’m not really sure how, but I did.” He said, gazing absently towards the windows again. His reflection stared back at him, along with the glittering stars and illuminated city behind it. How many alleyways did he run through? Five? Seven? He knew he couldn’t see the cafe by the time he stopped, nor could he hear Allegra and the others calling.

“I followed them for a few blocks,” He resumed, deeming the exact number of alleyways unimportant. It was what came next that shook him to his core. “I thought I had lost them at one point, but then I caught a glimpse of Marinette in the air again. She looked like she was talking with the akuma again, but I couldn’t hear what was being said. Then..”

Felix briefly closed his eyes, once again trying to push the image of Marinette’s flailing body out of his mind.

It didn’t work.

“..Then she fell.” His voice was quieter than he expected, but he kept going anyway. “I’m not sure what happened. All I saw was this silver pole that came out of nowhere and hit the akuma, and suddenly, Marinette was falling from the sky and screaming.”

And screaming and screaming and screaming and screaming. He had to stand there and watch her fall, knowing full well that he couldn’t do a thing to save her. The feeling of helplessness that overtook him in that moment had been overbearing.

A classmate passing away was not something he hadn’t experienced before- accidents happened every year, and sometimes, those accidents involved Rosemary students- but he’d never witnessed their deaths personally. It was something you heard about over the morning announcements or from your teacher at the beginning of class, not something you stood there and watched in a daze, and he’d certainly never lost someone that he-- someone that was so-

“I heard later that Chat Noir saved her mid-air.” He added, if only to help his parents’ nerves. The anxiety crawling across their expressions was evident. “I wasn’t aware of that until after I went to look for her, though.”

Until after he scoured the dismantled streets and ever-increasing debris for signs of her. Until after he lifted boulder upon boulder by adrenaline alone and being torn about whether he’d want to see her under one or not. Until after he called her name till his voice was hoarse and searched relentlessly for some kind of clue, like a shoe or a purse or even blood.

Gosh, he looked for blood! Felix was out there, in the middle of a terrorist attack, looking for the lifeless corpse or the splattered blood of his classmate, and everyone wanted to act like that was fine simply because she came back alright. How could any of them be considered alright after that?

“She could have died.” He stated for the millionth time it felt like. She probably will die if she keeps doing this. “But no one seems to care. They all brush it off because she’s safe now, instead of worrying about the fact that she purposely decided not to be safe beforehand.”

Bridgette let out a breath and pulled Felix into a hug.

“I’m so sorry that you had to endure that.” She whispered, her voice full of emotion. It reminded him of Marinette’s apology back at the cafe. The way she carefully held his hand, the warmth of her palm against his- it told him, in that moment, that she truly was there and that she truly was safe again. That confirmation had admittedly been one of the things to keep him from unraveling towards the end of the fight.

Felix felt the slender fingers of his father ruffle through his hair. “You went through something that no one should have to go through, but you also made it out alive. And so did everyone else. Remember that.”

Bridgette’s cheek brushed against Felix’s forehead as she nodded. “I know it’s scary, and you have a right to acknowledge it in your own way, but don’t let yourself get carried away with the ‘what if’s and ‘what should have been’s'. You’ll never be satisfied with them.”

Felix heaved a heavy sigh and allowed his eyes to drift shut. After a full day of almost dying, almost watching someone else die, and worrying about both of those subjects for hours on end, he was officially exhausted. Felix couldn’t remember the last time he’d put so much energy into a single event.

Maybe it was best to just let it go..

~~~~~~

By the time Marinette arrived home from Rosemary, her parents were beside themselves with worry. Apparently, they saw her on the news while they were working and spent the last hour and a half trying to reach her. Marinette had been either running around as Ladybug or talking with Allegra on the phone so she hadn’t noticed her phone ringing.

They doted on her and hovered around her for a good twenty minutes, with Marinette insisting that she was fine and apologizing the entire time.

“Chat Noir saved me before I could really get hurt.” She assured, plastering on a bright smile. “And the miraculous cure healed any scratches that I might have gotten. See?-” she held her arms up and did a small twirl “-I really am fine. But I’ll try to keep my ringtone on from now on.”

Her parents’ worried looks didn’t change.

“We were hoping that transferring schools would keep you away from akumas.” Her papa lamented. “How do you keep getting caught up in these fights?”

“I don’t know, Papa.” She replied honestly. Maybe some of her partner’s bad luck had rubbed off on her. “I was hoping I wouldn’t run into any more akumas too.”

Sabine sighed and gently rubbed her daughters back. “Well, as long as you’re alright.. Would you like to see the package that came for you?”

Marinette furrowed her eyebrows, confused. “A package? For me?”

Tom nodded, a small smile returning to his features. “From a Mr. Claude Herolds. We put it upstairs in the living room.”

“Tried to.” Sabine corrected under her breath.

Marinette tilted her head slightly. A package from Claude? But what could he be giving her that he couldn’t give in perso-

“My fabrics!” She gasped, immediately shooting for the stairs. Her parents chuckled behind her, but she hardly heard them in her excitement. The fabrics finally came! How many were there going to be? What kind of fabrics? He hadn’t really specified when he talked about buying them, though she gave him as detailed of a list as she could. Oh, please, be the good ones-

Marinette threw the front door to their apartment open, coming to a dead stop as soon as she entered. The mere sight of their living room had her jaw dropping to the floor.

Claude had indeed sent her a package of fabrics, but her parents happened to leave out exactly how much fabric he had sent. There were rolls upon rolls lining the couch and the floor, hiding in the corners of the room, sitting on the coffee table and the dining room table- it was too much to count. She was quite certain that she couldn’t see the floor!

Just- Just fabrics.

Fabrics everywhere.

Marinette turned to her parents, who had since caught up to her. They shared eager smiles as they waited for her reaction, and she quickly found herself smiling as well. In fact, she found herself down right laughing at the ridiculousness of it all. Who needs this much fabric for three suits? How did Maman and Papa manage to bring it up in the first place? What did the deliverer think as he loaded this up into his truck to take to one person? How was she going to fit it all into her room?

Nevertheless, despite the insanity of the situation, she couldn’t help being ecstatic. This was more fabric than she could have ever dreamed of having, and it was all of the highest quality. So, with the help of her parents and her steely resolve, Marinette got to work on carrying the “package” up to her room in the attic.

It took a while, as one would expect. They had to stop several times for Marinette to rearrange her room simply so she wouldn’t be completely swimming in fabric by the time they got everything up there. They also had to make sure she could reach her trapdoor to get out of her room, her stairs to get to her bed, and her desk to work with the fabrics in general. This resulted in her creating a sort of obstacle course with the few solid things in her room that she could stand on without the fear of breaking something.

“I can’t even believe it, Tikki.” She said to her kwami once her parents went back down to the bakery. “Look at all of this! How am I even going to use it all? This is crazy!”

Despite her words of disbelief, she had the widest grin on her face, so wide that it was starting to hurt. Claude had told her that once she was done with his suit, she could keep any of the leftover supplies, since he supposedly had no use for it. She assumed it was his own little way of paying for the outfit, even though she’d told him that she would make it for free.

Tikki zipped around the room, giggling as she inspected the different types of fabric. “You could make him ten different suits with all of this!”

Marinette laughed. “Tikki, I could probably make him thirty five different suits and still have some leftover.”

She walked over to the piles of fabric in front of her and plucked up the first one that caught her eye. It was a deep blue silk that sheened under her bedroom lights, and she smiled at the mesmerizing display. Marinette had used silk before, but nothing like this. This was the type of silk that she imagined royalty to have, something smooth and soft and slick as butter. It was incredible, and she couldn’t wait to start working with it.

Marinette picked out a few more fabrics, the finest of the bunch, and brought them over to her desk to compare the colors and theorize how they might look together. If Claude was going to give her the best of the best, she was certainly going to return the favor by giving him the most regal and enchanting suit she could muster. Not to mention, this was an amazing, probably once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. Fabric of this quality was something she could never get on her own without saving months and months of allowance, and that was only to buy one roll. The fact that she had piles upon piles of this fabric at her disposal now was a miracle in and of itself. She couldn’t waste a piece of it.

She rolled the blue silk out across her desk to begin measuring, but just as she pulled out her sketchbook for extra notes and other things, her phone buzzed next to her, informing her that she’d received a text.

DancingQueen: Hey guys! Mom said that February eighth would work well for the sleepover if you’re all free! I think it’d be a great way to celebrate winter break.

A soft, delighted gasp passed her lips after reading Allegra’s text on the group chat. With the whole akuma battle and receiving Claude’s fabrics, she’d completely forgotten about the sleepover that they talked about earlier.

She quickly switched the calendar app to check her schedule, and her smile widened at the sight of an empty time slot. She appeared to be free that day.

Marinette found herself beginning to wiggle with joy on her rolling chair as she switched back to the messaging app. This was going to be her first sleepover with her new friends! It would also be the first time going to one of their houses! What was Allegra’s house going to look like? Would it be a mansion like Gabriel Agreste’s? She hoped it didn’t have high walls.

Another text drew her thoughts back to her phone, where a message from Claude had just appeared.

TheBetterShakespeare: works for me! What time are we gonna come over?

DancingQueen: I was thinking right after school like usual

TrebleChild: Sounds good to me :)

Marinette perked up when Allan joined the conversation. That meant most of them were going to be there! All they needed now was Felix.

She began typing.

Our-Cinnamon-Roll: February eighth works great for me too! I’ll probably stop by the house for my clothes and stuff first though lol

DancingQueen: Of course! I can send a car by to pick you up if you want?

TheBetterShakespeare: Woohoo! Mari’s coming! All we need now is Felix

Our-Cinnamon-Roll: Oh, you don’t have to! I don’t mind walking

DancingQueen: Are you sure? The walking distance is pretty far, and I totally don’t mind sending a car! (no pressure though. If you wanna walk that’s also fine!)

Marinette pulled her lip between her teeth in thought. Whatever the walking distance, she could probably just swing over as Ladybug within a few minutes. That way, she didn’t have to bother Allegra. If she got there too fast as Marinette, though, they might be suspicious.. Well, not suspicious, but curious because getting there faster than her legs could possibly carry her would be odd.

Ugh, just take the car. She told herself. It’ll be easier than carrying your luggage around while swinging through the air anyway.

TrebleChild: You think Felix is going to respond on here?

Marinette glanced down at Allan’s text and frowned. That was a good question.

After the akuma, Felix seemed to shut down. He hardly uttered a word to anyone, even after they were sent home early from school. She supposed he tended to be quiet in the first place, but it just felt different. It was as though he were in some trance, lost in the distant corners of his mind. He wouldn’t even talk to her all that much. Not that she was someone special to him or anything. They just.. They normally exchanged more comments to each other than they did on the way out of the school. Either way, she’d be surprised if he actually texted them back that night.

TheBetterShakespeare: Oh he’s going to have to respond when I’m done

Claude’s reply caused Marinette to suck in a breath and cringe. Oh, what was he going to do to poor Felix now?

Allan and Allegra appeared to have the same thought, as they quickly texted back.

DancingQueen: Oh dear

Marshmallow Man: Uh oh

Our-Cinnamon-Roll: Claude, maybe you shouldn’t bother Felix. He already doesn’t like the group

TheBetterShakespeare: LET’S

TheBetterShakespeare: FLUSH

TheBetterShakespeare: HIM

TheBetterShakespeare: OUT

DancingQueen: Claude, please-

TheBetterShakespeare: I’M

TheBetterShakespeare: NOT

TheBetterShakespeare: STOPPING

Marshmallow Man: Dude

TheBetterShakespeare: UNTIL

TheBetterShakespeare: FELIX

TheBetterShakespeare: DECIDES

TheBetterShakespeare: TO

TheBetterShakespeare: SHOW

Rolling-Eye-Emoji: What do you want?!

TheBetterShakespeare: HIMSELF

TheBetterShakespeare: Oh hey Felix!

Although she felt extremely bad for the blond, Marinette had to purse her lips to avoid laughing. She could practically hear the growl in his voice, and the image of Felix’s signature glare flashed through her mind. He had to be so annoyed right now.

TrebleChild: I’m surprised you didn’t just delete the app again

Rolling-Eye-Emoji:You know, that’s a marvelous idea.

The BetterShakespeare: NOOOOO ALLAN SHUT UP

DancingQueen: lol we were wondering if you were free February eighth, Felix.

Rolling-Eye-Emoji: Free for what?

TheBetterShakespeare: Can’t you just tell us if ur free or not?

TrebleChild: for the sleepover at Allegra’s house

Rolling-Eye-Emoji: We’re still doing that?

TheBetterShakespeare: Absolutely!

Our-Cinnamon-Roll: If you’re up for it!

TheBetterShakespeare: Mari that statement was way too nice for Felix

TheBetterShakespeare: You gotta drag him kicking and screaming or he’ll never do anything!

Rolling-Eye-Emoji: Why don’t you take a guess as to why?

TheBetterShakespeare: because you don’t know how to have fun and it’s our job to teach you

TrebleChild: Claude, you’re never going to get him to the sleepover that way

Rolling-Eye-Emoji: Claude, you couldn’t teach a cat how to climb a tree, and I know how to have fun just fine.

Marinette snorted towards Felix’s reply. She often wondered how he managed to perfect his sarcasm and cutting remarks to a fault. Did he read a book on it somehow or was it just practice?

TheBetterShakespeare: RUDE

DancingQueen: lol Felix, are you free on the eighth or not?

Rolling-Eye-Emoji: ..I’d have to check my schedule.

TheBetterShakespeare: Don’t laugh at him Allegra!

DancingQueen: Hey, if it’s funny it’s funny lol

DancingQueen: Do that please, Felix

TheBetterShakespeare: Betrayal!! I can’t believe I was naive enough to trust you!

DancingQueen: Oh whatever. It’s not like you haven’t laugh at me before

Marinette chuckled as she continued to set up the silk fabric. She almost worried about using her sewing machine for it in case it ripped, but hand sewing it wasn’t an option either. That would take way too long, and she wanted to finish this for Claude as soon as possible. (without cutting corners of course)

“Oh!” She gasped, straightening in her chair. She hadn’t told Claude about the fabrics arriving yet! He’d probably want to know that.

Our-Cinnamon-Roll: Hey Claude, I almost forgot to tell you but your fabric arrived today!

TheBetterShakespeare: Really?!

Marinette smiled and stood up from her rolling chair to take a picture of the room. She then sent the picture to the group with an added message:

Our-Cinnamon-Roll: I could barely fit it all in my room!

The responses were immediate.

TrebleChild: WOAH

DancingQueen: CLAUDE

TrebleChild: you sent that much?!

TheBetterShakespeare: …

TheBetterShakespeare: I may have gotten carry away

Marinette giggled and shook her head.

Our-Cinnamon-Roll: PLEASE feel free to get carried away anytime you like, I’ve literally never been happier

DancingQueen: lol

TrebleChild: lol

TheBetterShakespeare: Will do! 😉

Marinette smiled and set her phone down again, before rolling her chair over to the other fabrics to pick another one out. Her phone buzzed as she rolled back, notifying her of the new additions to the group chat.

Rolling-Eye-Emoji: Mother said that the eighth of February would work fine.

Marinette let out a squeal. They were all going! This was going to be the best sleepover ever!

TheBetterShakespeare: Aw yisss group sleepover!!

TrebleChild : awesome, so we’re meeting right after school?

DancingQueen: Yep! Except for Mari who needs to go get her clothes. Did you want me to send you a car Mari?

Our-Cinnamon-Roll: If you don’t mind :)

DancingQueen: Nope! I’ll make sure to tell you when it’s on its way.

Our-Cinnamon-Roll: Thanks 😁

DancingQueen: Of course! See you guys at school tomorrow!

TheBetterShakespeare: See you Al!

TrebleChild: Bye A

Our-Cinnamon-Roll: See you tomorrow!

Marinette set her phone down and let out another squeal of excitement as she kicked her legs back and forth.

Her first group sleepover with everyone!

How do you make time go faster?

Tag List: @artbyknigit @athena452 @nickristus-dreamer @throneoffirebreathingbitchqueen @arsaem @abrx2002 @neakco @pawsitivelymiraculous @too0bsessedformyowngood @nathleigh @lusicing @officiallydarkgeek @all-mights-asscheeks @tbehartoo @woe-is-me0 @raeuberprinzessin @lazuli-11 @miss-chaos27 @trippingovermyfeet @sadpotatoondrugs @ladybug-182 @jaggedheart11 @marinahrasauce @i-need-blog-ideas @thewheezingbubbledragon @crazylittlemunchkin @unabashedbookworm @moonystars14 @sunflowers-and-mooncakes @2confused-2doanything @magnificentcrapposts @moonnette @nickristus-dreamer @vixen-uchiha @casual-darkness @luxmorningstarr @jjmjjktth @kaithehero @itsme1598 @theymakeupfairies @xjaccyx @miraculous-ninja @miraculouspenta @swiftie-miraculer13 @justafanwarrior @all-mights-asscheeks @ira-sairain @lookatthestars1 @dahjokester

#felinette #Rosemary AU #New Girl on the Block #Marinette #Felix Culpa #Quantic Kids

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princessjaqulinechess1031 · 3 years ago

Text

by the bedside, part 2

Characters: Marinette Dupain-Cheng, Damian Wayne

Summary: Marinette comforted Damian. Damian returns the favor. Stand-alone sequel to this one-shot.

Damian stood at the foot of Marinette’s hospital bed, watching as the girl breathed softly, her eyes shut as she slumbered. The bandage around her head was clean, free of blood, as the wound had stopped bleeding nearly a day ago, but it was needed to be changed regardless. The room was dark, hidden and windowless deep in the bowels of the Batcave.

Right now, it was only Damian who stood vigil by Marinette’s bedside. Adrien had been here for nearly as long as Damian had, but eventually he had to sleep and rest. Some might say Damian might need to sleep too, but those people were not worth listening to. His nawaret aynaya was the one on the bed before him, and he would be damned if he would leave her alone even for a few minutes.

Nawaret aynaya. Flower of my eye. She was the rose in the trashed garden that was his life – roots were torn up and the flowers trampled over. All in all, his life was one tragedy after another, but Marinette…. Marinette was the most perfect thing. Something so strong and perfect, not even Damian’s penchant for self-destruction had turned her away.

He put a hand on the edge of the bed, fingers dancing over the plastic edge as he tried to think of something, anything that could wake her up.

“I doubt you can hear me, nawaret aynaya,” Damian started. He walked over to her side, and took her hand in his, giving it a tight squeeze. “But I hope you can, because – because I have a lot to say to you.”

With his other hand, he brushed the dark curls she had behind her ear, cupping her face gently before retracting it and covering her hand in both of his. It felt so delicate, so breakable, without the usual life that Marinette gave to it. She seemed so breakable, like she might snap at any second if he jostled her just a little. Was this the same girl that defeated the greatest supervillain Paris has ever known? It couldn’t be, that girl had fire and passion, this one was trapped in sorrowful and restful ice.

“You have to wake up,” Damian said. “You don’t get to leave us. We’re counting on you. Adrien is counting on you. I am counting on you.” Damian furrowed his brow in frustration and kissed the top of her hand. “I have to go first, okay? That’s the deal. We’ve already done all we can for you. Now it’s your turn.”

“You don’t get to leave me here, okay?” Damian said. Pinpricks of tears appeared in his eyes, and he tried his hardest to bite them back, to make them disappear. “You promised me you wouldn’t leave me alone. Don’t break you promise now. Please. Wake up.”

Damian reached to wipe at the few tears that had managed to get out, but then he heard it. Groaning.

Damian startled, squeezing her hand tighter as she let out a second groan. Her body began to move in slow motions, her eyes blinking as she tried to come back to him. Finally, she blinked them open for good, even it was only half-lidded. Marinette looked up at Damian and smiled weakly.

“Hi,” she whispered hoarsely. Damian laughed despite himself and cupped her cheek.

“Don’t ‘hi’ me,” Damian said. “You nearly died.” Her smiled deepened just a little, and she rubbed at her head.

“What happened?” she groaned. Damian wiped at his face again, hoping the red splotches would disappear soon.

“We, uh, -- the Riddler. The Riddler was trying to rob a bank, you used Lucky Charm and had to recharge, so you detransformed in a hidden location and then – then a bomb went off.”

It had taken all three of his brothers, Cass, and Stephanie to hold him back from hunting down the Riddler and killing him when it looked like Marinette wasn’t going to make it. He had been so close to breaking their one rule, so close to letting all those years under his father go to waste. To be honest, he was still teetering close to the line of breaking it, if not for needing to be here to comfort and check on Marinette himself.

“We-we thought—thought the worse,” Damian said slowly. Marinette squeezed his hand very weakly and then looked around, as if realizing something.

“Where is Adrien?” Marinette asked.

“Getting some sleep,” Damian said. “He’s been here since you came in yesterday, you just missed him.” Damian moved to press a button on the wall to call someone down to get Adrien. “I can always –”

“No, let him rest,” Marinette murmured. “He’s probably very tired.”

Marinette was selfless. Always putting others before her. How could she be so….so kind as to consider her brother’s rest when she just awoke with a head injury? One had to be born with that kind of kindness, it could never be learned. That was the difference between him and Marinette. Deep down, Marinette was kind. Damian was not.

“Ma moitié, when was the last time you slept?”

“Unimportant,” Damian dismissed. “Right now, I just have to make sure you’re okay. Does anything hurt or –”

“My head hurts,” Marinette admitted. “But I’m fine, really.”

“You almost died, nawaret aynaya,” Damian said. “You’re not fine.”

Marinette smiled the biggest smile she could, which was a pale reflection of her usual big, toothy, adorable grin, and patted the spot in the bed next to her, scooting over so he could sit next to her.

“Come, sit with me,” Marinette pleaded. Damian hesitated for a moment and then slowly moved to sit next to her, making sure not to disturb her or cause her any pain. Marinette leaned her head against his chest and sighed, and Damian curled an arm around her, kissing the top of her head, careful to not catch the bandages.

“You had me worried,” Damian murmured into her hair.

“Don’t worry about me,” Marinette said. “I have all the luck in the world.”

Damian was silent for a few moments, shutting his eyes, just breathing in the scent of her.

“Promise me something,” Damian said.

“Anything.”

“Promise me you’ll let me die first,” Damian said. Marinette stopped, catching her breath, and she moved to look up at him with wide, blue eyes.

“What?” Marinette reached for his face, caressing his cheek. Damian stopped her hand, looking down at her seriously and somberly.

“Let me die first,” Damian continued. “Don’t let me – don’t let me live one minute without you. I can’t survive that nawaret aynaya.”

Marinette blinked and then sighed, breaking her hand free from his and laying it on his chest. Marinette leaned her forehead against his, and their breath mingled in the shared space between them.

“You’re a fool if you think I could survive without you either, ma moitié. Because I can’t. So no, I won’t promise you that.”

“Please.” Damian’s voice was desperate. “I can’t – I can’t do this without you.”

“There’s no way to tell if I could keep it,” Marinette pointed out. “This is out of our control. You know that.”

No. It had to be. He couldn’t have the fate of his beautiful, wonderful, perfect Marinette be up to chance and fate. She deserved a long, happy life filled with joy and wonder and no pain. Damian could never survive knowing that the women he loved most was gone. It would break him beyond repair.

“I love you,” Damian decided on, eventually.

“I love you too.”

Damian leaned down and set a gentle kiss on her lips, just enough to be known it was there. Marinette returned it, and they broke away slowly. Marinette yawned, tiredness beginning to take over her again.

“Are you still tired?” Damian said. Marinette nodded once, leaning back into his chest and shutting her eyes. “Then get some rest, I’ll be here when you wake up.”

#miraculous ladybug #marinette dupain cheng #BatFam #batman #robin #damian x marinette #damianette #Damian Wayne

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buggaberry · 3 years ago

Note

For your Bad Things Happen Bingo Card, how about "Passing Out From Pain" with Ladynoir? I'm a sucker for Ladybug freaking out if something bad happens to Chat Noir ;)

pairing: ladynoir

word count: 3981

warnings: character injury

a/n: this is over a year late im so sorry but i hope you enjoy ;o;

Read on AO3

__________________________________________

The Parisian sky was dark and cloudy as rain poured down heavily, soaking Ladybug’s hair. She futilely tried to shield herself from the barrage of droplets with her hands.

The rain came on rather suddenly, there were sparse clouds earlier but it was otherwise clear. She’d been sitting on a rooftop waiting to begin patrol.

Chat Noir was late. Though it wasn’t uncommon for him to show up later than her, Ladybug couldn’t help her gnawing concern this time around.

These past few days there’s been something off about him. It took her a while to notice since she’d been worried about Adrien, who was recently discharged from the hospital after having been in an accident.

She could never quite place her finger on it because he’d always throw on that big cheeky grin of his before she could catch his prior expression. Chat fought the same as he always did for the most part, but she noticed that he got knocked over easier and he would breathe rather laboriously at the end of their battles.

Ladybug knew her partner wasn’t well, in what manner was beyond her. The thought had crossed that perhaps he was resting, which would ease her mind, but he would’ve called in by now to tell her. He could always be too fatigued to transform if he was exhausted, but Plagg would have shown up by now if that were the case.

She would remain stubbornly at their meeting spot until there was a sign or if she ended up caving into the weather. Even if it was just to kick him and send him home to rest.

Ladybug attempted to shake off some of the water that soaked her, pulling out her yo-yo and spinning it over her head to shield her from the rain. It was much better, her arm would get tired after a while, but she was determined to tough it out.

It turned out that toughing out wouldn’t have to last long, as she heard a splash and a thud from behind her. Her heart leapt up to her throat in anticipation, only to drop to the pit of her stomach when she turned around.

There Chat Noir was, a soft sheen covering him from the rain, soaked to the bone. Aside from his slightly hunched posture and dull eyes that wouldn’t brighten despite his soft smile, his skin looked pale. It was undeniably pale.

Ladybug let her yo-yo drop from its rapid twirling, placing it back on her hip before scurrying to stand up and approach him.

Chat’s smile strained, trying to give her a better one, though her look of concern didn’t waver for a moment.

“Chat…”

Chat Noir grimaced in return, his smile wasn’t getting him anywhere.

“Hey, Bug,” he tried, attempting to keep his demeanor as straight as he could.

“You look terrible, what are you doing out here?” Ladybug said with brows furrowed in both worry and frustration.

Chat opened and closed his mouth a few times before pursing his lips.

“And it’s pouring out here, you’re gonna make yourself sick! Are you nuts?!” she exclaimed, both her hands fists at her sides.

Chat’s ears drooped atop his head, he looked away in shame remaining silent. Ladybug’s features softened as she gazed at him, shoving her frustration down in an attempt to calm down. Her hand started to reach out to him only to pull away, guilt tugging at her heart for yelling at him.

“I’m sorry… I—… I shouldn’t have yelled,” she said quietly, looking down, “I’ve been worried about you.”

Chat’s eyes returned to her, his smile was much more genuine than the one he was giving her earlier, “It’s alright, I’m alright. I guess I kind of deserved that.”

Ladybug chewed on the inside of her cheek before picking her head back up. He was a lot closer to her face than before, he looked much worse. His eyes weren’t as wide open as they usually were, his lips were paler, each breath he took seemed almost tedious. There were slight tremors that ran through his body occasionally, which could have been because he was cold, but his winces that came after made her think otherwise. It made her chest clench.

“You should go rest, Kitty. You don’t look well,” she whispered while placing a hand on his cheek, caressing it with her thumb, brushing droplets away. There was a brief look of surprise that flickered in his eyes from the action.

Chat sighed, his face pressing into her palm, “If My Lady insists, I suppose I can leave patrol to you.”

“I mean it, Chat. I don’t wanna see you again until you’re feeling better. I need you, but I need you healthy, got it? If you’re sick or hurt, you need to be resting,” Ladybug said, pushing his soaking bangs away from his face.

Chat glanced away, his expression was unreadable but he nodded.

“Good,” Ladybug sighed and pulled her hand away, Chat pouted at the loss of her touch. She wasn’t completely satisfied with his answer though, hesitating before asking, “It’s nothing I need to be worried about, right?”

He let out a soft chuckle before smiling and brushing her dripping bangs away like she had done to him, “I’m not dying if that's what you were wondering. I promise.” He had said it with such sincerity Ladybug couldn’t help but stare at him with wide eyes. There wasn’t a joke about nine lives or a hint of nonchalance in his answer, he was being honest which filled her with relief.

“Do I look that bad?” He snorted, tilting his head to the side endearingly. Ladybug could feel her lip quivering a bit as she turned her head away. “Yes, you do.” she wanted to say.

She heard Chat breathe in a bit like he was about to say something, only for her to suddenly be tackled over to the ground. A loud bang followed, making her ears ring.

Chat painfully groaned from above her, making her snap her gaze up to check if he’d gotten hit. There wasn’t any visible damage, but she still gingerly held him as she got up.

“Can you get up?” she said with urgency, glancing around to make sure another hit wouldn’t come flying in. Chat Noir nodded, so she held him from his forearms to help him up. Ladybug brought his arm around her shoulders, holding him firmly at his waist as she pulled out her yo-yo to swing away, not catching his scrunched-up face.

Though the minute they were airborne, there was a bombardment of large spikes flying in their direction. The rain splashing in her face wasn’t helping her as she tried to maneuver away, she ended up skidding as she landed in the street.

An odd figure approached them from a distance, humanoid with tentacle-like limbs it walked with that sprouted from its back, pitch black and oozing goop. An Akuma that looked like it could have come straight out of some sort of horror movie.

Of course, there would be an Akuma in the midst of pouring rain and her partner basically out of commission. Ladybug was plotting the types of violence she’d resort to when she confronted Hawkmoth.

She spun her yo-yo over their heads to protect them from the rain, though it was kind of pointless since they were already utterly drenched.

The Akuma suddenly lurched forward towards them and in hindsight, maybe she should have spun the yo-yo in front of them to protect them from it. It was fast, too fast for her to move. Chat Noir pulled out his staff from beside her and extended it, quickly moving in front of her to block the incoming limb about to ram into them.

He tried to push it back, only for another one to coil around him and toss him to the side. “Chat!” Ladybug gasped and began to sprint over to him, only to get whipped in the opposite direction. She landed with a thud on her back, the wind knocking out of her lungs.

Just as she began to get up, another spike came flying in, going just over her head and impaling the wall next to her. She whipped around to look at it then back at the unnamed Akuma. The spikes were its limbs, they solidified when they disconnected from its back, growing back promptly after. How quaint.

It began to make a move towards her partner, who still hadn’t gotten back up. Ladybug saw red as she tore the spike out of the wall and chucked it as hard as she could at the Akuma.

She sprinted over to Chat Noir, relieved to see him blinking and breathing, albeit, weakly. She wasted no time tucking her hands behind his back and knees, lifting him up from the ground.

Ladybug whipped her head up to check on the Akuma, who was currently immobilized, tentacles stuck to the ground from the spike she had thrown. It was starting to regenerate, but it was enough time for her to get Chat somewhere safe.

She made haste, sprinting back home, up to her balcony. Her home was decently far away from where the Akuma was.

Chat was quiet the whole time, as she laid him down on her sling chair and pulled out a throw blanket to put over him. Ladybug would’ve put him in her room, but there was no way for her to justify putting him in a stranger’s house. It would have been better to hide him and protect him from the rain, but it was too risky. The drape above the chair was enough to shield him from the rain, thankfully.

“Is this alright?” Ladybug whispered as she tucked him in. He only nodded and gave her a brief smile.

She furrowed her brows at him before jolting back when she heard a distant crash. The Akuma must have gotten free. She had to go back.

Ladybug turned back towards him, reassuringly grabbing his wrist, “I’ll be back as soon as possible, okay?” she said, backing away and swinging in the direction of the noise.

The pit of her chest was filled with anxiety the entire time, her gut practically screaming to go back and stay with him. There was something wrong, she could see it in his eyes.

She took a little longer than she would’ve liked fighting the Akuma, her frustration growing as the battle went on and causing her to continuously slip up.

Ladybug didn’t think she’d ever smashed an akumatized object so hard in her entire life.

She managed to keep the Akuma far from her home the entire time, which didn’t make her any less urgent to get back to her balcony.

The Akuma turned out to be a director who’d gotten upset at the refusal of promoting their horror movie. Ladybug didn’t pay much attention to anything else, her partner was the only one on her mind.

She promptly ran away, out of sight after casting her miracle cure, detransforming in an alleyway to feed Tikki before transforming once again.

Ladybug returned to find Chat Noir sitting up, his legs dangling off the side of the chair, watching raindrops gather from the brim of the sheet above him and dripping down. His eyes had this sort of mesmerization in them that was akin to what a cat might have.

She let out a puff of air, he looked okay.

One of his cat ears twitched at the sound of her footsteps before he turned his attention towards her.

Ladybug smiled gently at him, "Hey, are you feeling any better?" she asked.

Chat Noir paused for a brief moment before nodding, "Yeah, I think I'm alright," he said, his voice rather quiet.

This was probably the moment she should send him off to go home, part of her felt like that would be wrong.

Before she could say anything to him, he started to get up.

"I should get going now," he said as he walked past her and towards the railing. He barely spared her a glance, he sounded a bit rushed and panicked.

Ladybug turned around to protest, but he just as quickly hunched over and stumbled with a hiss of pain.

She grabbed him by the shoulders to steady him, her prior panic filling her all over again. The moment she held him, he leaned into her, knees wobbling.

"Chat? Chat, what's going on?"

He didn't respond, he had a grimace painted over his features and he was panting.

Chat Noir went limp in her arms in mere moments.

"Chat!" Ladybug cried out, lowering him down to the ground to lay his head on her lap.

She quickly checked his pulse and breathing, both of which were perfectly stable. He had fainted.

What was she supposed to do? Was she supposed to take him to the hospital?

There was no fever or anything, so he wasn't ill, he was clearly in pain. Ladybug couldn't think of anything other than that he must have been injured somehow, badly at that. Which made her worry if he was bleeding at all under the suit.

She tried tapping on his cheek a few times to rouse him, but he wouldn't budge.

Her best bet was to wait for him to wake up to see if he could go home or if she needed to take him to the emergency room.

Even if he was mostly alright, she wasn't entirely sure if she trusted him enough to not pass out again on his way back.

The rain had at least eased up, she lifted him up bridal style and carefully laid him back on her chair.

Ladybug was conflicted, they were fairly exposed up on the balcony and both had gotten utterly soaked. She didn't want him to catch a cold on top of everything else.

She debated between walking into the bakery as Ladybug to ask her parents for help or jumping straight into her room to try and care for him.

There was also Alya, she could call Alya for help, she'd understand. Right?

She thought about detransforming and saying Ladybug asked Marinette to watch him, but then she'd feel like a jerk for ditching him as Ladybug.

She placed her head down on Chat's lap and groaned, "Why do you have to do this to me, kitty?" She huffed and took his hand, caressing it with her thumb.

She was just going to have to take him into her room as Ladybug, that seemed like the best option. Her parents would have been ideal, but they were definitely busy in the bakery at this time of day.

Ladybug crawled over to her trapdoor, pulling it open before standing up. She picked him up, adjusting her grip so his head was leaning on her and not bobbing about.

She carefully lowered him onto her bed, gingerly placing his head down first on her pillow. Taking another pillow, she tucked it beneath his legs. They were both dripping water onto her sheets, she'd have to wash them later.

After making sure he looked comfortable enough, she climbed down to grab some clean towels and a warm fluffy blanket that had been sprawled on her chaise.

She set the blanket to the side, unfolding a towel first to tap his face and neck dry before going at his hair. His hair was still damp, but at least it wasn't sopping wet anymore. She then dried off the rest of him, chucking the wet towel to the ground when she was done to pick it up later.

Ladybug dried herself just a bit with the second towel she’d picked up before tossing it along with the other. She picked up the fluffy blanket she had set to the side, tucking him in and pulling her comforter atop him as well.

Letting out a sigh, she let herself lay down beside him, staring at his calm expression. Her hand moved up to brush his bangs away, lingering beside one of his leathery cat ears. She gently scratched right behind it, usually that was enough to get him to purr. It was a little unsettling how he didn't even twitch.

She had to place her hand on his chest just to reassure herself that his heart was beating normally and his breathing was even.

Ladybug closed her eyes, keeping her palm to his chest. There wasn't much else she could do other than to stay by his side until he awoke.

The number of things possibly wrong with him kept flitting through her mind. She wondered how bad it was and if he had family at home worrying about him right now if he was supposed to be resting. In that moment, she couldn’t help but briefly be reminded of Adrien. The extent of his injuries was unknown, but it seemed pretty serious from what she’d heard. Adrien was in a car accident, her only knowledge of the situation was that it seemed intentional and was currently being investigated. If she thought about it, the timing of Chat’s unwell demeanor matched up pretty closely but… Adrien would never sneak out after sustaining such injuries, right? Chat Noir had been out and about for a while as well, she didn’t think it was anything severe.

She was being silly, it was just her concern speaking.

Chat Noir shifted a bit, causing Ladybug to immediately sit up and efficiently end her train of thought. A small noise emitted from his throat before his eyes fluttered open.

“Chat! You’re awake!” Ladybug gasped, throwing her arms around him but in no way hard enough to inflict pain.

Chat Noir looked dazed, shifting his head around to take in his surroundings.

“Are we in Marinette’s room?”

Ladybug felt her face pale, pulling away.

“Oh, right. I uh… I panicked and I asked this girl for help and she was kind enough to let us borrow her room,” she fibbed with a nervous laugh.

“... I see,” Chat replied, closing his eyes and breathing in deeply, “Make sure to tell her I said thank you… and that I’m sorry for any trouble I caused.”

“Of course, I’ll bring her ‘thank you’ flowers or something, no worries. She didn’t mind helping out at all,” Ladybug waved off. She hesitated for a moment, pursing her lips, “We were both really worried about you, you know? I was scared half to death… You weren’t any trouble at all, I’m just glad you’re okay,” she said, smiling reassuringly and ruffling his hair before pausing and pulling her hand back.

“You are okay, right? Should I be taking you to the hospital now or—”

Chat Noir chuckled a little at her demeanor, finding it endearing, “No, it’s alright. I think I’ll just tell someone I passed out when I go home, then I’ll go if I need to,” he said.

Ladybug nodded along, furrowing her brows, “How are you gonna get back home? You passed out after barely taking a few steps on your way back.”

Chat Noir grimaced at that, “Right. Do you think I could give you an address close to my place where you can drop me off and then I can make the rest of the way back?” he said in a mostly joking manner. But to Ladybug, that didn’t sound like such a bad idea.

“Yeah, I can do that. Just type it in my yo-yo, we can get going right now,” she said as she opened up her yo-yo and handed it over to him, leaving his mouth gaping.

“Wait, really? You don’t have to, I don’t wanna trouble you, you’ve done more than enough. You probably have to go back home now, I can probably make it back on my own,” Chat insisted, sitting up a bit trying to hand the yo-yo back to her.

Ladybug pushed it back towards him and shook her head, “Nope. We’re going. I want you to get any help you need as soon as possible.”

Chat Noir pouted, reluctantly starting to type in an address, handing it back to her when he finished, “There.”

“See? That wasn’t so hard. Come on, up. I’m picking you up,” she said, already removing the blankets on top of him and tucking her hands under him.

Chat Noir didn’t have a second to complain, grumbling in her arms and she carried him out bridal style.

“Let me know if I’m hurting you,” she said, trying to be as careful as she could. Chat nodded back before tucking his face into her shoulder. Ladybug had to fight down a blush from his close proximity.

They were airborne in mere moments, Ladybug hurried as quickly as she could to the location he’d given her. She didn’t want to waste a moment if he was in need of any medical attention.

Once she reached the rooftop, she gingerly let him down, still holding him up from his arm.

“This is the spot, right?” she asked.

“Yeah… thank you,” he said quietly.

Ladybug couldn’t quite get over this quiet and reserved demeanor of his, it only made her more worried.

She chewed on the inside of her lip in thought before attempting to toss on a cheesy grin, “It was no purr-oblem, kitten.”

Chat Noir was quiet after that, Ladybug's grin was wavering but she tried to keep it up, throwing in a finger gun. The gesture alone probably took years off of her own life.

He eventually snorted softly, followed by a quiet melodious laugh. Ladybug’s heart briefly stuttered at the genuinity of it.

“Thank you…” he said once again after catching his breath, it was filled with much more sincerity.

Ladybug coughed, lightly punching his shoulder, “Yeah, right. Just don’t do anything stupid like that again.” Chat smiled, giving her head a little pat.

“I’ve been really worried about you and you… you just really matter to me, okay? So… get better soon. Please go home and try to rest,” she pleaded, voice wavering, Chat Noir froze in place.

He shifted to pull her to his chest, delicately hugging her.

“I will, I promise,” he whispered into her hair.

Ladybug breathed in shakily and nodded, “Good.”

She pulled away from his embrace, staring up into his eyes. She brought her hand up and cupped his cheek, leaning in and tenderly pecking the other, “Go. Come back to me healthy,” she said as she backed away.

Chat stared at her in awe, his pale complexion tinting pink.

“Ah,” he said after a beat or two of surprise.

He nodded, “Yes, of course.”

Once he seemed to regain his senses, he approached her, brushing her bangs to the side and pressing his lips gently to her forehead, “Till we meet again?”

Ladybug blinked a few times, holding her breath for a second to repress a noise of surprise. She cleared her throat, “Even if it takes weeks or months, take it easy until you’re better. I can handle things.” She placed her hands on his shoulders and spun him around, mostly to hide her red face, “Now shoo.”

Chat Noir chuckled, “As my lady wishes,” he said before steadily taking off.

Ladybug puffed a sigh of relief watching him go off. Though she realized she shouldn’t keep staring since his home was probably nearby. She quickly averted her gaze, spinning around and pulling out her yo-yo to head home.

When she landed in her bed and destransformed, she did so in a plop.

Marinette’s sheets were still damp from earlier, though she felt far too drained and fumbled with her feelings to do anything about it right now.

All she could do was think about him, he was all that was on her mind.

She idly wondered if the kwamis would let them exchange letters, Marinette had a feeling it would be a while before she could see him again. As long as he was bright again once more.

#Bad Things Happen Bingo #ml fanfic #miraculous fanfic #miraculous ladybug #Ladybug #Chat Noir #Ladynoir #hurt/comfort #angst #character injury #passing out from pain #buggy writes #feel free to send requests of the remaining prompts~#this was longer than i meant for it to be oops #again i am so sorry anon this was la te

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peachcitt · 4 years ago

Text

falling, flying

a miraculous ladybug fic

for @softkwami for @mlsecretsanta

Tags: Adrien Agreste/Marinette Dupain-Cheng, Ladrien, Adrinette, Fluff, Hurt/Comfort, MLB Wing Au

Summary:

“It’s not supposed to hurt,” she said softly. “Flying, I mean. It’s not supposed to hurt.”

His jaw worked. His mouth settled on a smile. “I know.”

in which marinette and adrien speed toward a foreseeable end on purpose. and also a little bit on accident

read on ao3

enjoy :)

Marinette felt, all things considered, that this situation was not her fault.

Granted, she was the one who threw herself into the fight without coming up with a plan, but how was that supposed to be her fault when this akuma had started making problems exactly seven minutes before her chemistry exam? She’d stayed up nearly all night cram studying (that much, she’ll admit, was her fault), and she’d be damned if she didn’t show up on time to at least get a B minus on it. So she’d barreled into the fight without Chat because she really wanted to get this all over with. She could hardly be blamed for that.

And she certainly couldn’t be blamed for the fact that she was currently speeding toward the hard cement ground right outside a posh business building in the heart of the city at terminal velocity, hands, legs, and wings bound tight.

Sure, there was that comment she’d made to the already very upset akuma about his nose, but, well.

Okay, so maybe this situation was a little bit her fault.

But, like, that was just the nature of being a superhero.

Sometimes, you ended up speeding toward a very foreseeable end, knowing that it’s going to hurt, but not quite knowing how to avoid it. And that’s just life, too.

Not that she was going to let herself become a smear of sidewalk gum. She had her miraculous to protect, after all, and she also had this Daedalus-damn chemistry test that she was going to get a B minus on - no, screw that - a B plus on. There was also the matter of dying at the tender age of seventeen, but that existential dread didn’t touch her as she watched her pissed-off reflection follow her down, down, down on the polished windows of the building she had been thrown off of.

It’s not like she could rely on Chat to get her out of this one. Who knows when he’d show up.

She twisted around in the air, trying to maneuver her bound arms to her hip, where her yo-yo was. If she could grab it, she could summon her lucky charm, and she could stop her fall with the help of a handy-dandy polka-dotted tube of chapstick, or something.

The tips of her fingers brushed against her yo-yo, and her arms ached. Icarus above, the akuma couldn’t have tied her arms in the front of her body? At least then she wouldn’t have to try and bend her left arm at a weird angle to get around her wings.

This, as it turned out, was becoming a dire situation.

She had about ten floors to go before she would eat cement. Her left arm was cramping, and her fingers could only brush up against the feathers of her bound wings instead of anywhere near the yo-yo. She tried to stretch her wings out, test the binds, and only ended up crying out in frustrated pain.

Well. She could always aim for a clumsy rolling landing.

She squeezed her eyes shut, taking a shaking breath through her nose, and braced herself for the inevitable impact. The bitter cold air whipped past her cheeks, and she released the breath she was holding.

This was fine.

She’d had more than a few landings that had left her battered and bruised throughout her lifetime, and this was just another one.

Not that she’d ever fallen off of a thirty story building before, but, like, semantics. She would probably be fine.

Unless she died.

Just as the thought occurred to her, her body connected with something hard, a jolt traveling through her bones, and she sucked in a punishing breath, eyes flying open.

But she hadn’t hit cement, like she first thought. She’d hit-

She’d been caught in someone’s arms.

There was a familiar smell - mint and spice - and she relaxed into familiar arms. “Nice of you to fly by, Cha-”

The person holding her looked down, and her words caught in her throat.

It was Adrien who had caught her.

Not Chat.

Adrien. Adrien Agreste. Adrien with the beautiful wings he never used to fly, Adrien her classmate, Adrien with the green eyes that sparkled in sunshine and glimmered still on cloudy days, Adrien with the kind smiles, Adrien with the nice hands, Adrien with the nice hands that were currently holding her as they soared up into the air. Adrien freaking Agreste.

“Ah,” she said, and she could feel his hand, gentle, cradling her wings, fingertips light and steady on her feathers.

“I thought you might,” he started, his cheeks coloring, “uh, need a hand.”

“Right,” she said rather weakly. They stared at each other for a moment longer, and then he looked away, looking for a suitable place to land. She bit the inside of her cheek, eyes following the strong line of his jaw, up the smooth curve of his cheek, over the sharp bridge of his nose. Her eyes caught on a little crease in between his eyebrows, and she frowned.

Her eyes flicked down to his lips, and she saw they were pinched tightly, as if he was in pain but trying to hide it.

“Are you-” she started, and then stopped, breath catching in her throat. His wings. She was only just now looking at them properly.

“Am I what?” he asked, glancing down at her as they landed gracefully on the next building over from the one she’d been thrown off of. He tucked his wings back in their normal, perfectly straight posture, and his pinched expression relaxed.

But she couldn’t get the image out of her mind. His wings - his golden, regal wings she so admired but had never seen spread - had been littered with spots that had been rubbed raw. Feathers falling, skin red. Raw.

“Your wings,” she said, and she felt his grip tighten on her legs, but he just as quickly relaxed, setting her down with a smile.

“Oh, it’s nothing,” he said, moving around her so that he could untie her hands and wings. “Not really.”

“It looks like it hurts,” she said, shaking out her wings once they were free and bending down to untie her ankles.

“It doesn’t,” he said, and she looked up at him, at his perfect posture that hid his injuries.

She stood, and his gaze followed her. She reached out a hand, shaking fingers just barely brushing along his smooth outer feathers. Her eyes met his, and he took in an unsteady breath. “Doesn’t it?” she asked, and he shrugged half-heartedly, feathers bristling.

“Not usually.”

“Oh, Adrien,” she whispered, pained, and he blinked. And she remembered.

She wasn’t supposed to know him. Sure, she’d saved him a couple times with the mask on, but she wasn’t supposed to whisper his name like she knew him, like she felt for him.

“S-sorry,” she said, stepping away, and she saw, belatedly, that his hand was reaching for her. Her heart ached. “I- you- we.” She stopped, taking a deep breath. “I have to get back to the fight. You should get to safety.”

“Yeah,” he said.

Neither of them moved.

Marinette bit the inside of her cheek. “It’s not supposed to hurt,” she said softly. “Flying, I mean. It’s not supposed to hurt.”

His jaw worked. His mouth settled on a smile. “I know.”

Chat showed up not long after that, and they made quick work of the akuma. Marinette avoided any more comments about his nose, rolled her eyes along to Chat’s dumb jokes, and tried not to think about Adrien.

During her chemistry exam - which she showed up ten minutes late for - she also tried not to think about Adrien. But he was sitting right in front of her, and every time she looked up to think, his wings were right there. Regal, golden. Raw.

How many people had seen his wings spread up close like that? Adrien never flew anywhere - he never had to. Perks of being the son of a famous fashion mogul who owned fancy cars and private jets. In gym, he always ran laps because of a daily doctor’s note - who knows what it said. He always took the stairs instead of flight paths, and his wings were always tucked neatly away, glimmering underneath the crappy public school fluorescents.

She tore her eyes away from Adrien’s wings, staring hard down at her test. Icarus, she’d be lucky if she scraped by with a C. Today sucked.

---

“I’m going to spend the entirety of winter break curled up in a blanket nest,” Alya groaned, flopping down at their picnic table. Marinette scooted to the side to make room, hardly looking up from her lunch. “These tests are killer. I think our teachers are out for blood this year.”

“Speak for yourself,” Nino scoffed. “I have my literature exam on lock.”

“Yeah?” Alya asked, raising her eyebrows. “And what about pre-cal?” Nino made a face. “That’s what I thought,” Alya replied.

Adrien looked away from his friends, eyes focusing on Marinette. She’d been acting strange ever since chemistry - she’d shown up late, no doubt caught up in the akuma attack just like half of their class, including him - but this quiet from her seemed more heavy than the quiet dejection of a student afraid of midterms. She kept on shooting him looks and then looking away, like there was something on his face that made her want to cry.

“How have your exams gone, Marinette?” he asked, and she jumped, not expecting to be spoken to. Her eyes met his, and she quickly looked away, a smile forcing itself onto her lips.

“Oh, you know. Terrible. But that’s fine, I guess.”

“I’m sure you did better than you think,” he assured. “We’re our own worst critics, after all.”

“Yeah, you’re probably right,” she said, and she squinted her eyes at him, as if trying to mimic a smile reaching up to her eyes, before looking away again.

Well, he was sure she hated him.

Okay, so maybe he was overreacting.

He was definitely - probably - overreacting.

It was just something about Marinette - something about her that always made him think a little too much. He supposed it was a residual rub from the way they had met a couple years ago what with them starting off on the wrong foot, and, yes, he was aware that if he was a healthy person, then he wouldn’t still be overanalyzing their first interaction every time Marinette’s face fell in his presence, but that was beside the point.

He just.

Well. He wanted to be liked by her. And that was natural, to want to be liked by a friend, to want to be liked by someone as amazing as her.

He didn’t want to see her upset. He wanted to see her smile, as much as he was able. She had a wonderful smile, after all.

Marinette’s strange behavior extended through the rest of the week, and on the Friday before break, Adrien mustered up his courage to ask. She normally flew home, so Adrien raced up the stairs to the roof, only just catching her as she was saying goodbye to Alya. Her eyes caught on him, the same color as the bright, cold winter sky, and her eyebrows twisted in something akin to pain.

Alya followed her gaze to him, and her eyebrows raised. She looked back to Marinette, said something that Adrien couldn’t quite hear, squeezed Marinette’s arm, and then lifted off the roof, rust-colored wings causing a wind to rustle through Marinette’s hair. Marinette looked after her for a moment, tucking a lock of hair behind her ear, before turning back to Adrien.

“Hey,” he said as he walked closer, and a small smile twitched at her lips - almost as if on instinct.

“Hi,” she replied, tilting her head at him. “You’re flying home?”

“Ah, no, not today,” Adrien said, shaking his head and ignoring the itch of the binds hidden beneath his feathers. “I just, well. Uh.”

This was new. He was normally very good at talking.

Marinette watched him, gaze careful.

“I wanted to ask,” he continued, running a nervous hand through his hair, “if there was anything I’d done. To upset you.”

Marinette blinked. “What?”

“Because,” he said, clasping his hands behind his back to avoid fidgeting, “I’ve noticed that you’re more, um, quiet around me than usual, and I” - he remembered his father normally kept his hands clasped behind his back, cold, professional, and he unclasped his hands, stuffing them in his pockets - “I just wanted to know, I suppose. If it was anything I’d done. So that I could apologize.” The air was cold, and a biting breeze nipped at his cheeks and nose. He swallowed. “I don’t want you to be upset with me.”

“I’m not!” Marinette said, hardly before he finished his last sentence, and he blinked. Her cheeks, red with the cold, became a little redder - no doubt from the new gust of wind that brushed past them both. “I’m not upset or angry with you or anything at all like that, not even a little bit! You haven’t done anything wrong, you’re perfect, I promise, I just-” She stopped, biting on her bottom lip, her shoulders travelling up to her ears. She didn’t continue.

“Is there anything I can do?” Adrien asked, and Marinette’s expression travelled somewhere between a smile and a pinched frown.

“Just…” She trailed off, and she reached over, dainty hand settling on his shoulder. He was sure her fingers flexed, brushing along his feathers. “Have a good break, okay? Spread your wings a little bit for me.” She gave his shoulder a squeeze, and then she let go, lifting off from the roof of the school. Her pretty brown wings, speckled with white, carried her through the cold winter air, and Adrien stared after her silhouette.

Spread his wings.

Somehow, Adrien thought, Marinette always seemed to say just the things that made his chest ache.

---

Marinette spent the first half of her winter break thinking. She also spent that first half of her winter break trying not to think. She made dresses and sweaters and pants from old clothes and bedsheets, trying to keep her hands busy so her mind wouldn’t take over. She pricked her fingers more times in those first few days than she had all year.

She looked forward to Morpheusmus by making her friends gifts and dropping them off at their respective houses, determined to keep her spirits high for the holiday.

It was winter, and Morpheusmus was supposed to be all about cheer and friendship and good dreams. Giving gifts to friends and family to encourage peaceful nights through the long dark hours, while nature slept in its cold. And she was giving her gifts with a damn smile on her face, no matter how much she kept thinking about-

She held Adrien’s wrapped gift - a warm red sweater made from the softest fabric she could find - tightly in her arms as she dropped down to the ground in front of the gates of the Agreste mansion. She dropped the package in the drop box, checking twice to make sure she’d signed her name, and then looked up at the mansion. Towering and cold, colder than the winter air.

She’d done some research, on those nights when she couldn’t avoid thinking.

About wing binding.

It was a common practice in well-off families to encourage good posture and to show off wealth. In excessive amounts, it could cause pain and long-term injury to the person binded.

She bit at the inside of her cheek.

So, she was doing something stupid.

It’s not like she decided - right then at the gates to the Agreste mansion - that she’d do what she’d decided to do, but staring up at that awful mansion had certainly encouraged her. It wasn’t her place, to intrude on family affairs, but Daedalus be damned, she didn’t give a shit.

She lo-

She cared about Adrien. It was awful to think about him hurting, every day, all the time. She couldn’t have another friend that meant so much to her living a life of pain - not when she knew that she might be able to do something about it. If she went in and didn’t find any bindings, then she would take her leave and that would be it. But.

But if she did find bindings, then.

Well. It was a stupid plan. A disaster in the making.

But Marinette was quite used to being a step away from disaster.

She found it quite nice, in fact, to step close so disaster for the sake of someone else. It was a nice change of pace from her own disasters.

---

On the last night of Morpheusmus, Adrien walked into his room from a late night kitchen raid to see Ladybug standing before his bed, arms crossed. He froze.

The moonlight stumbled through his windows, reaching out for her, just barely managing to catch its fingers on her red wings, on her dark hair. She turned her head to look at him, bright blue eyes reflecting the stars of the night, and then she looked down at his bed once more.

He realized then that there were things on his bed that hadn’t been there before he’d left for the kitchen.

His bindings.

Each one of them, their unforgiving lines of gold-colored vines, laid out on the bed. But they looked wrong, somehow. He stepped closer, frowning, and he realized, eyes wide, that they’d all been cut apart, each and every one of them.

Ladybug watched his face as he looked over his useless bindings. “Are you wearing one now?” she asked, voice quiet through the night, and Adrien nodded, speechless. He hadn’t gotten the chance to take off the one he’d worn throughout the day. “Come here,” she said softly, beckoning closer, and he followed the sound of her voice as if on instinct.

She turned him around, and he noticed idly that she only came up to his shoulder. But he felt small, smaller than her, and she seemed to know it. But she didn’t do anything with that knowledge, like other people in his life might’ve. She simply moved her hands through the feathers of his wings, gentle fingers finding the clasps of the bindings and undoing them. The bindings fell to the floor, and he turned around, watching her bend down and pick them up.

For a moment, she seemed to consider them for a moment, so little and heavy in her hands, and then she took the pair of scissors she’d left on the bed. And she slowly and methodically cut it apart.

He shivered at the freedom.

“I’ll leave a note for your father, if you’d like,” she said, setting down the remnants of the bindings on the bed and admiring her handiwork. “Say it was me who did this.”

“No,” he said, and she looked over at him, furrowing her eyebrows. He felt his cheeks heat up. “I don’t want you to get in trouble.”

A slow smile spread across her lips, and she touched a fleeting hand to his cheek. “He wouldn’t know where to find me,” she said, and then she looked back down at the bindings, her smile turning a little satisfied. “And besides, I chose to get in trouble.”

“Thank you,” he said, and she turned her smile to him, soft and sweet.

“Merry Morpheusmus, Adrien,” she said, and she turned to leave.

“Wait,” he said, and he caught her wrist in her hand, so small and strong. She turned, raising her eyebrows. “Why?” he asked. He didn’t need to elaborate.

For a moment, it seemed like she wouldn’t answer. And then she sighed, turning and sitting down on his bed. He sat down next to her, heart racing.

“You know of my partner, Chat Noir?” she asked, and he felt himself smile.

“I might’ve heard a thing or two about him,” he said, and her lips twitched up into a smile before it faded.

“When we first met, he was absolutely terrible at flying,” she said, and Adrien raised his eyebrows. She’d never told him that before. “He was like a toddler,” she said, and Adrien bit back a retort. She didn’t seem to notice. “He was all crash landings and giddy laughter, like he was doing it all for the first time. And his wings…” She trailed off, shaking her head.

“His wings?” Adrien prompted, and she let out a small sigh.

“Well, they looked like yours. Damaged. Raw.” She shook her head again, tucking a lock of hair behind her ear. “At first I thought that was just what the miraculous did to him for his disguise, but the more I thought about it, the more I thought that maybe… That maybe outside of the mask, he probably didn’t fly.”

She paused, and Adrien ached.

“I asked him once, if it hurt,” she said softly. “He told me it didn’t. Not then. Not with the magic.”

He remembered. Remembered the way her expression broke.

“Chat gets to fly - during fights, yes - but still. He gets to fly. Without pain.” She turned her eyes to him, and he saw all the weight of the world there in her eyes. “I saw your wings, when you rescued me, and it reminded me of him. And the more I thought about it, the more I thought…” She trailed off, letting out something that might’ve been a laugh. “Sorry, it’s silly.”

“Please,” Adrien said, voice breaking of its own accord, “tell me.”

“I just thought,” she started, eyes finding his again, “that if I couldn’t help him, then I might be able to help you.”

And, like, Adrien was no stranger to the rush of emotion in his chest; of course he wasn’t. But he always chose not to act on it most days because he was always afraid - afraid of losing her.

He leaned in.

This was a bad idea.

She leaned in, too.

But sometimes.

Well.

Sometimes it was perfectly understandable to act on a bad idea, wasn’t it? It’s not like he could be blamed for doing so, not when she was in front of him, soft and vulnerable, powerful and beautiful. She’d given him more than he could ever have asked for, and she’d done it simply because she cared.

This was a bad idea, but that was alright.

Their lips met.

It was a gentle, fragile thing - their kiss. It was soft and it was hesitant, and Adrien hoped even as he didn’t that she could feel how much she meant to him. His hand reached up, and he cradled her cheek, thumb tracing along the edge of her mask. She let out a small sigh against his mouth, pushing closer.

He felt, almost, like she was trying to tell him something. Something important.

And then she pulled away, blue eyes heavy on him. She stood, and she cupped his face in her hands, something sad and indecipherable travelling across her face. She rubbed her thumbs along his cheeks, and he reached up, holding on to her wrists, loosely. He wanted her to stay. He knew she had to go.

She brushed the hair away from his forehead, and she pressed a kiss there, soft and caring. “Sweet dreams, Adrien,” she whispered against his skin, and he closed his eyes. Her hands left him, and he mourned the loss. “Spread your wings a little bit for me, okay?”

His eyes flew open, but she was already gone, his window open and welcoming in the cold night air.

He ran to the window, leaning out and letting the wintry air bite at his cheeks as he stared after her silhouette.

“Marinette,” he whispered.

He was probably wrong.

But he didn’t feel wrong.

He felt - awfully, terribly, wonderfully - right.

---

Marinette spent the next few days thinking about mint and spice.

It’s what Chat always smelled like - not that she’d, like, made an active effort to notice. It was just that in the heat of a battle, he’d catch her or she’d catch him or they’d be huddled close and she would smell it. Mint and spice. That was what Chat smelled like.

It was also what Adrien’s room smelled like.

What Adrien himself had smelled like - when he’d caught her, falling mid-air. When he’d kissed her, sweet and gentle.

Against her better judgement, Marinette was having thoughts. And feelings.

A whole lot of feelings.

So when Adrien showed up at the bakery, wearing the soft red sweater she’d given him for Morpheusmus, Marinette had done what any rational person would do.

She sprinted out the back door of the bakery.

Was it the best possible thing she could do in that situation? No, absolutely not. She knew that. And that was fine.

She was speeding toward an end, an end she wasn’t quite sure if she would like, so she squeezed her eyes shut and pretended that she was alright with free-falling just so she wouldn’t have to look down at the fast approaching ground.

“Marinette!”

Her eyes snapped open, and she looked up at the sky, following the sound of her name. It was Adrien, above her, beautiful frame backlit by the bright winter sky. His wings looked better - still a little raw, but better.

Marinette considered running.

Adrien landed in front of her, graceful and intentional, and his eyes searched her. “Why did you run away?”

“Bug,” Marinette answered immediately, her mouth providing her with a lie. “On the cash register. A bug.”

He tilted his head at her, stepping closer, slowly, carefully, like she was a flighty bird.

Which.

Yeah.

“You mean it wasn’t because of me?”

So that was super rude of him, to look so honest.

Marinette let out a strained sound from the back of her throat, throwing her hands up into the air and turning away from him.

“It’s because of the- the Daedalus-damned mint!” she exclaimed, whirling around to face him again. He had a confused sort of smile on his face. “And the- the stupid spice! And your wings, a little bit- no, a lot a bit. It’s all so much- which is. Which is absolutely-” She cut herself off with a frustrated groan, shaking her head and meeting his gaze.

His eyes were so green. His hair so gold, the strands wind-blown and familiar.

“It’s all just so much like him,” she said, her voice breaking into quiet.

Something in his expression cracked open, and he smiled, bright and honest as the sun. “I knew it,” he said. “I knew it!” He laughed as he said it, throwing his arms around her and pulling her close.

“Adrien-”

“You said the same thing that night,” he said, pulling away and holding her by the shoulders, grin wild. “‘Spread your wings a little bit for me.’ I didn’t want to hope I was right.”

She felt like she was falling.

She felt like she was flying.

“You know,” she said, and he nodded, excited.

“And you know, too,” he said, “don’t you?” And she realized that she did. She’d known for a while.

“Oh, Icarus save me,” she breathed, and then she grabbed Adrien - Chat Noir, her partner, her best friend - by the collar of the soft red sweater she’d made for him, and she kissed him hard.

And he kissed her back, just as hard. She could feel his smile, pressed up close to her mouth, and she laughed, breathing in the wonderfully familiar mint and spice.

---

Looking at this rationally, Adrien was absolutely certain this was a bad idea. His father wasn’t going to be happy about him getting a girlfriend, let alone getting a girlfriend that cuts up all the new bindings he buys with a gleam in her eyes that is, quite honestly, downright terrifying.

However, Adrien didn’t like being rational. He did like this bad idea, though, and all it was speeding toward.

And Marinette felt far from a bad idea, she felt like soft feathers and softer kisses, gentle smiles and quick laughs. She felt like everything absolutely and totally right, and he couldn’t exactly fault himself for falling - flying toward her.

It was only natural.

That much, at least, he was sure of.

hey apple i hope you loved this as much as i loved writing it (can you tell i got carried away a little bit? because i did. i totally did) and i hope anyone else reading this enjoys at least one sentence. it doesn’t really matter which one

happy holidays everyone!! i hope you’re able to spend this winter, no matter what you celebrate, safe and happy and surrouned by things you love

thank you so much for reading<3<3<3

#ml secret santa #softkwami #miraculous ladybug #mlb fic #adrinette #ladrien #mlb wing au #tbh? i saw ladrien on your likes list and blacked out and now we're here. god i love ladrien so much #also YES if youre wondering i DID look up mythological beings with wings to create a new holiday for fanfiction bird people #so. if you're wondering. morpheus is the greek god commonly associated with dreams and sleep and he is commonly depicted with wings #why greek? it followed the daedalus/icarus theme #see? i think about things sometimes #ANYWAYS thank u so much for reading (if youre still reading these tags) happy holidayds love u goodnight

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olivia-anderson-fanfic · 4 years ago

Text

Satisfied, Part 28

First

~~~

The pair sprinted out of the store, blonde in tow. It took about half a minute for Chloe to finally process everything going on, and another ten seconds for her to finally catch her footing enough for them to let go.

Marinette chanced a look back and cringed. A few people had stayed inside the store for various reasons but most were following after them, phones in hand. She pulled up her hood.

Dick glanced at both of them as they neared a crowded escalator. “Can you guys hop a railing?”

“Obviously,” said Marinette.

“... No? What the hell?” Chloe said.

Marinette and Dick gave each other a look before he groaned.

“Sorry for this.”

“For wha --?” The girl began but she, unfortunately, got her answer pretty quickly. He picked her up and held her to his chest, resting a hand over the back of her neck.

The two vigilantes gave each other a small nod before they jumped over the railing. Neither of them pointed out the fact that they both had perfect form, or that it was clearly an everyday thing for them. Because now more people were staring.

“Didn’t think this through, huh?” Chloe commented as she was let down.

“Shut up,” muttered Dick.

And then they were running again.

A quick look back at the crowd chasing them made her face pale. Fun! Now security thought they were thieves.

“Oh, come on, do you guys have to do your jobs?” She whined.

Ah, crap. They were losing Chloe. Dick was distracted, pulling out his wallet (for some reason) and hadn’t noticed.

Marinette bit her cheek. They could just leave her. A glance at the security footage would clear her name. It would be fi--.

She skidded to a stop and wheeled around. Damn it.

When Chloe got to her, she threw her over her shoulder and started up again. She raced to catch up with their third member, who was now dropping money on the floor.

She blinked a few times to process this, then shook her head and ran faster.

“The hell, Dick?” Chloe yelled as they stepped out into the sun.

“The less people chasing us the better! I can afford it!” He said.

They gave a pause at the edge of the parking lot. Their car was... well, they didn’t know.

“Random alley and hope we don’t get mugged?” Marinette offered.

“Yeah,” Dick said.

They passed off Chloe like a baton and then broke into a run again.

Five minutes later, they were panting in an alleyway. Marinette looked down to check her clothes weren’t originals before dropping onto her back and spreading out in the grime. Dick all but dropped the girl he was holding and leaned against a wall as he tried to catch his breath.

Chloe, who hadn’t run in a little while, was mostly just holding her probably bruised stomach (Marinette hadn’t taken time to make sure she was positioned properly on her shoulder).

“The PR team is gonna hate meeeeee,” complained Dick, who was sliding down the wall very slowly.

“You know...” Began Chloe, who seemed a bit hesitant to say anything.

“What?” Hissed Marinette, squeezing her eyes shut.

“You probably could have said that Mari was going to be future Wayne adoptee number 453542 and no one would have batted an eye.”

There was a short silence, then a string of very creative cursing from both of them.

After they had cursed enough to feel marginally better, Dick turned to Marinette. “Remember when I told you that you should let go of your anger?”

“Mhmm...”

“Not with her. Stay mad. She’s smarter than us. That’s not allowed.”

Chloe gave a short laugh and held out a hand to each of them to get up.

Marinette smiled and took it.

It took a week for her to be allowed on patrol again. This was good for her job, she was actually getting work done (she had even finished Adrien’s outfit!), but also dreadfully boring at times.

So, when she was finally told on the comms that she could come back, she was somewhat disappointed when Red Hood said that he was going to take the day to teach her sparring.

There was, unsurprisingly, a bit of an argument over this.

“Red Hood can’t mentor her! She already has less morals than us, we can’t just let him corrupt her!” Nightwing hissed.

“Excuse me?”

“You’re excused.”

“I’m doing this to teach her to communicate her injuries. Would you like me not to do that?”

Batman sighed. “No, but maybe someone else would be better suited than you to --.”

“I’m better suited than all of you!”

“Why don’t we just go over and abduct Ladybug?” Chimed in Robin.

“Yeah, do your weird dad thing and track his credit card,” said Red Robin.

Batman sputtered for a response, then sighed. “I guess I could...”

“Suckers! I’m using cash!” Red Hood said, which was met with a string of cursing.

Marinette turned off her comm with a small roll of her eyes. “Tikki, spots on,” she muttered.

Only to scream.

Because the hands and feet of her costume weren’t appearing.

She stared at the glowing purple at her wrists and ankles. As she watched, it retreated up her arms very slightly. Her costume was disappearing before her eyes.

She swallowed thickly. What could she do? She couldn’t really switch miraculi. Ladybug was already well-known enough there to have a costume made of her. But, ethically, could she continue on like this, knowing how Tikki must be suffering? And even if she did, how? The purple was glowing. It would be hard to miss.

Marinette mulled this over for a bit before walking around her apartment. She picked up the pro-fighter gloves she’d stolen from the Waynes and a set of parkour shoes. At least they were black. She didn’t know what she’d do if her outfit didn’t even slightly match.

A few minutes after she’d pulled them on, Red Hood opened the door to her apartment.

She blinked. “Didn’t I lock that?”

“Yeah, I learned how to pick house locks while you were out,” he explained.

She gave a small frown but shrugged it off and pushed past him. He caught her hand and raised his eyebrows at her new look. Dang, she hadn’t even gotten out the door.

“What’s up with the new outfit?”

She shrugged casually and pulled her hand from his grip. “Honestly? I was getting tired of the plain outfit. Figured I’d start upgrading it over time.”

He looked a bit skeptical. She couldn’t blame him. The last time he’d seen her in this costume she’d been shot. She’d think that she was getting weaker, too.

And she was. But he didn’t need to know that.

Okay, so maybe Jason had had a point. So what?

They slipped out the window and started making their way across the rooftops.

“You’d tell me if there was anything wrong, right?” Red Hood said as he hopped another roof with ease.

She tipped her head to the side and considered this. It was the whole point of what they were doing, getting her to admit when she needed help. But she brushed this aside. She couldn’t get help for this. The only way to fix it was to give someone the cat miraculous.

And she didn’t know if she trusted Robin enough yet.

So she smiled and shook her head. “Honestly, you worry too much. Relax. I’m a designer, remember? Of course I’d want a more intricate outfit than plain spandex.”

His shoulders relaxed slightly and he nodded. “Good.”

She bit back her guilt. “Where are we going, anyways?”

“Private studio.”

She nodded and they continued on in silence. She always hated silence. It gave her way too much time to think. About the way she was getting weaker with every transformation. About how she was supposed to hide it. About whether it was right to do so.

Marinette was glad when they finally touched ground outside a dojo.

They stepped inside and the person at the front blinked a few times. “It’s really you,” he said.

Red Hood rolled his eyes. “Take a picture, it’d last longer.”

She swatted him over the back of the head when the attendant actually began to take out his phone. “You can take one afterwards, okay? We’d prefer not to be hounded right when we leave.”

The man nodded and sheepishly put his phone away. They were led into a private room not unlike the one the Waynes had (though, admittedly, far lower in budget).

Red Hood crossed his arms. “Right. Ground rules: we fight until one of us gives up, we have to give up when we’re in pain or completely pinned, and two taps on whatever you can reach is a give up.”

She raised her eyebrows. “Why two taps?”

He gave a shrug. “It’s what Nightwing and Batman drilled into all of us. My guess is one could be an accident and three just feels excessive.”

Marinette nodded. Fair enough.

She could feel him watching while they stretched and groaned. “I’m fine. I barely even feel it anymore.”

“We can postpone if you need, I don’t care about the money.”

She rolled her eyes. “Relaaaaax.”

All he gave her was a stern look in return.

“Kwami, you’re beginning to look like Batman, scowling like that.”

He gasped. “You take that back!”

“Nope,” she grinned, pushing herself to her feet.

They both got into fighting positions.

They eyed each other warily as they circled each other. Marinette didn’t know Red Hood’s fighting style for close-combat, and Red Hood seemed to be considering his options.

She chewed on the inside of her cheek as she eyed him up and down. He was certainly strong, a quick glance showed that, but did he know how to use it? He had years of vigilante experience, surely he must know some hand-to-hand combat, right? Then again, he was only really known for using guns. Maybe she could beat him, maybe not. She didn’t want to underestimate him...

He lunged forward and she had to jump over him to dodge, using his back as a vault so she could land on her feet. He stumbled forwards a step and whipped around just in time to earn a kick in the stomach. To her surprise, though, he didn’t double over all that much, only giving a small wheeze at the blow. He must be used to hand-to-hand, then, if he could take a kick like that.

Damn.

They narrowed their eyes at each other.

He ran forward, hand coming up for a punch. She grinned and dodged the easy attack. He must be trying to figure out her style. She’d just have to make sure to stay inconsistent --.

His leg swiped under her and she cringed as she hit the ground with a dull thud, only just managing to roll out of the way when he came down after her.

A hand locked around her leg and she cursed, kicking up in a weak attempt to break his grip, but he held fast. With a quick twist she was forced onto her stomach to avoid messing up her ankle and she groaned as he leaned forward to press her head onto the mat. She wiggled around awkwardly underneath him, only to sigh when she realized she wasn’t getting out of it.

There was a beat.

She reluctantly tapped the ground twice.

His weight shifted off of her and she sent him a glare as she flipped onto her back.

He gave her a small smile, holding out a hand to help her up.

“You know, if I didn’t think Nightwing would infect you with his stupid morals, I’d let him train you. You have similar fighting styles. Very... jump-y.”

She scoffed and took his hand, allowing him to pull her up. “Fight with him often?”

“You have no idea,” he said with a slight grin. “Best two out of three?”

She nodded and brought her hands back up to her face.

After a little bit of fighting she’d managed to get a grasp on his fighting style. It seemed a mix of a bunch of different martial arts, but he seemed to put an emphasis on pins rather than genuinely painful attacks.

With this in mind, she was actually able to win some. He definitely won more than she did, he wasn’t going easy on her at all, but it was nice to not lose every time.

Red Hood handed her a water bottle and rested an arm around her shoulders as she drank it. “Same time next week?”

She grinned and wiped her mouth. “Don’t trust me to tap out all the time, yet?”

“You’re getting better,” he admitted, then ruffled her hair. “You’re finally tapping out at the moment you realize you’re not getting up, but I’d like you to start doing it while you’re being pinned instead of after.”

She nodded thoughtfully.

“Fine, fine. I’ll... consider it.”

He sent her a halfhearted glare. She smiled cheekily and rested a hand over the doorknob. “Ready for the press?”

“Never am,” he muttered.

They both brought their widest smiles to their faces as they stepped out to greet the paparazzi.

~~~

Taglist

@comet-kun @thatonecroc @trippingovermyfeet @swiftie-miraculer13 @nickristus-dreamer @moongoddesskiana @i-am-ironic @indecisive-mess-named-me @thebooki3h @insane-fangirl-of-everything @deepestobservationwombat @theymakeupfairies @fatimaabbasrizvi @clumsy-owl-4178 @fanofalittletoomuch @iamablinkmarvelarmy @nathleigh @lilkymilky @silvergold-swirl @dino-lovingreen-angel @thestressmademedoit @kissa-chan @ladybug-182 @alysrose-starchild @t1dwarrior-of-earth @spyofthenightcourt @rowanrouge @nik-nak-3 @momothefemur @aestheticnpoetic @labschaos @our-preciousss @mochinek0 @eliza-bich @mythogaychic @severelyenchantedwonderland @sashakoi @smolplantmum @bluesimani @tropestropestropes @kitsunebell @keepingupwiththemalfoys @sassakitty @2confused-2doanything @too0bsessedformyowngood @all-mights-asscheeks @demonicbusiness @meg-an-ace

#maribat #satisfied #timinette #timari #marinette dupain cheng #ladybug #tim drake #red robin

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itsmeevie01 · 4 years ago

Text

Bio!Dad Bruce Day 9- Last Name (Wayne)

ok, so, if youve paid attention, the you know that i can’t write dialouge for the life of me lol.so today…i bring you dialouge in the form of texting :)

Marinette didn’t make a big deal about who her father was. Of course, when she had just met the man, she had relied on her friends to help her navigate the tricky situation. Since then, the teen had gotten good at only saying what she needed to. Chloe knew. Nino knew. Kim ands Alix knew. Max knew. They all knew and didn’t bring it up. They knew that she had processed it and moved on. To her, Bruce Wayne was just her father. She didn’t talk about the money, or all the work her father did. Marinette made a point to just be herself, and not worry about what names were attached.

At school, of course, she was Marinette Dupain-Cheng. On her ID? On her ID, she was Marinette Cheng-Wayne. Only those who needed to know knew. That how Marinette liked to keep it, at least, if she could help it.

When Marinette was 14, a new girl joined her class. The girl was sweet, if a little delicate. She said she had a lot of different injuries and conditions, but who was Marinette to judge? When the girl started to cling to one of the boys, Adrien, Marinette got a little worried. It wasn’t the end of the world, if he had offered to help, but he looked uncomfortable. When she mentioned this to Chloe, the girl had snarled. “That leech has been worming her way into his head. If you could hear what Gabriel was telling him to do- “her friend shook her head. “If I step in, want to help?” Marinette felt a smile crawl its way onto her face.

“gladly.”

Over the next few weeks, the girls watched what their new classmate, Lila, did. By that point, Nino had brought up his own concerns at fit far too well with theirs. Finally, Chloe decided it was time to take action. The blond stormed into the class and settled into her seat with a scowl. When Sabrina hurried over to join her, Chloe shook her head. Marinette took pity on the redhead and tugged the girl to the back of the class with her, whispering a quiet “watch”. When Nino and Adrien came in, Nino made his to the back, where he plopped down next to Kim. Alix and Max sat across the aisle, and all of them were ready for the explosion that was bound to happen. As Lila and Alya slipped in together, chatting and giggling over some story, the others exchanged glances. They had all been pretty close for years. Because of that, it was hard for others to join their group. The newest addition was Sabrina, and that was only because of her tendency to hang around Chloe. A ding on Kim’s phone drew the groups attention, making them all glance down at their own phones. In the group chat, Alix had sent a video linked to the LadyBlog.

Alix: saw this, this AM. Might be worth looking into. (video attached from the LadyBlog, Titled The Secrets of the Wayne Family)

Mari: wtf

Mari: what is she trying to do

Mari: her ass will get lawyered so fast

Max: she obviously hasn’t thought this through

Kim: is she claiming to know them????

Chlo: oml

Chlo: SLANDER

Chlo: please Mari, please tell me that she doesn’t know your family?

Mari: I mean

Mari: she might? But I think her family name would have come up when Tim and I were planning world domination if she did.

Max:!

Mari: don’t worry, its been put on the back burner. Dad has a new kid that keeps trying to stab Tim w/ a Katana lol.

Nino: Mari, aren’t you supposed to go visit soon? Maybe you should just stay here, dudette.

Chlo: ITS SHOWTIME

The friends hurriedly stowed their phones away and returned their gazes to the front of the room where Lila had approached a confused Adrien. The boy had been deposited next to Chloe in the first row, confusion evident in his green eyes. The Italian girl leaned over the desk, trying to garner as much attention as possible. “Adrien, why don’t you come sit with me? I was hoping you could help me keep up with the lesson.” The dangerous flash of her eyes was so fast that most would have missed it. Marinette narrowed her eyes in suspicion. It looked like Chloe hadn’t been exaggerating about what was going on behind the scenes. Moving before things could get out of hand, Marinette skipped down to the desk.

“I can help, Lila! Literature is one of my favorite subjects!” the anger that glowed behind Lila’s eyes was worrying, but Marinette wasn’t worried. She grabbed the other girl by her elbow and tugged her towards the seat the brunette usually occupied. “I’m sure that Alya wouldn’t mind sitting next to Sabrina!” as Marinette settled into the new seat, Lila folded herself onto the bench and pulled out her notebook, shunning her new seatmate. As Marinette got her own supplies ready, she mentally prepared herself for an hour of clod anger directed at her.

After the bell rang, Marinette slowly started to collect her things. The girl next to her was moving faster than the noirette expected. For a girl who was supposed to a wrist injury, Lila sure wasn’t trying to avoid the pain. Shaking her head, Marinette finished collecting her stuff and went to join Chloe where she was waiting at the door. As they linked arms, Marinette realized that there was a sharp voice behind her, crying. “Oh Alya, it was awful! Marinette wouldn’t answer any of my questions, and told me that if I didn’t understand it, I should keep my mouth shut!” Chloe sniggered next to her and strode away towards the lockers, pulling Marinette with her.

“Honestly, Mari? I wish you had told the brat to shut up, maybe then she would be scared of you.” Marinette rolled her eyes at her best friend.

“your only scared of me, because you’ve seen me with Tim, and know that we already are on the path to world domination.” Chloe shook her head and closed her locked with a soft thud.

“Mari, you are worse than all of your brothers, simply because you don’t use your fathers name to back you up. If you did that, then you would have the same royal brat rep I do.”

Chlo: so, is anyone going to put a stop to the liar’s yapping?

Adrien: wait what? Chloe, who are the other numbers?

Chlo: Adrien, please.

Chlo: do you really not have these numbers saved already?

Nino: yeah dude, that’s a little mean

Mari: lol yeah, I’m insulted, Adrien!

Adrien: Wait, Nino?

Adrien: who…is in this chat?

Alix: Me!

Max: Markov and myself

Kim: and me, man

Adrien: that…doesn’t help.

Chlo: oh honesty!

Chlo: you idiot, its Mari, Nino, Max, Alix, and Kim.

Chlo: you are Ridiculous

Chlo: UTTERLY RICICULOUS!

Mari: Chloe, chill. I don’t think he’s been in one of our…unique chats before.

Max: affirmative. Adrien usually spends time with Nino, Alya, and Lila if he isn’t with Chloe and Sabrina

Chlo: back to the topic at hand!

Chlo: the brat has to stop

Mari: I mean…she hasn’t done anything we can stop her with yet.

Nino: we need solid proof

Alix: are we just going to forget this AM? (video attached from the LadyBlog, Titled the Secrets of the Wayne Family)

Adrien: is someone going to tell me what’s going on?

Mari: we can’t drag them into this, Alix. it’ll make it worse, not better.

Alix: M, are you sure? we could shut her up real fast. Your fam, mine, Chloe’s?

Max: theoretically, it would be the path of least resistance.

Mari: THEY ARE A LAST RESORT

Mari: I AM NOT LETTING JASON MOCK ME FOR THIS

Mari: bc that ass totally will.

Adrien: ok, but what’s going on?

Max: Lila is trying to use you to catapult herself to fame

Kim: haha yeah, its not going to work if we have anything to say about it.

Chlo: also, very happy Mari never brought Alya into the fold

Mari: fuck no

Mari: do you see the way that girl doesn’t research anything. She latches on and never lets go.

Nino: so, you’ve said, Mari. I still think your over exaggerating on that one, lol

Mari: lmfao

Mari: Nino, she thinks I have a crush on ADRIEN of all people.

Mari: sorry, Adrien, bc you’re my friend? But she latched onto something and won’t let it go

Alix: shit I remember that. She tried to get us to set the two of you up. Those plans SUCKED.

Mari: remember how I kept sabotaging them lol? She just thought that fate was against her

Max: logically, shouldn’t that be a sign that you two aren’t meant to be?

Mari: haha I wish. After that, she tried to set me up with Chat Noir.

Chlo: WAIT

Chlo: that’s what Lady Wi-Fi was about?

Mari: yesssssssss

Adrien: um…should I be concerned about this?

Kim: I mean…no? its normal at this point.

Max: Chloe, plan #3 might work for taking down Lila? We wouldn’t need Mari’s family to join in if we do that.

Mari: if that fails, I’ll call Tim.

Mari: but ONLY if #3 fails, and we can’t make say…#5 work.

Chlo: you got yourself a deal, Marinette.

When the group entered the classroom together the next day, Chloe and Marinette were chattering excitably together. Adrien and Nino were talking about something on his phone while Max was keeping sore for whatever competition Kim and Alix had going on. When Lila approached Adrien and tugged him over to her seat, the others tracked her movement wordlessly.

When Alya came in and found them watching, she smirked at them. “those two make a cute couple, don’t they? Lila was practically glowing earlier when she was talking about the date they went on last night.” The friends exchanged telling glances but otherwise brushed the girl off as they dispersed to their seats. As she made her way to the seat she had claimed at the back at the beginning of the year, Marinette paused by Lila’s desk.

“Lila, do you need help again today? I know that the topics we’re covering are a little difficult if you’re not familiar with them.” The brunette scowled up at her.

“sorry, Marinette, but you can’t really keep up with the help I need.” The smaller girl shrugged.

“I’m sorry that you feel that way, Lila. If you ever need help, feel free to ask.” as she made her way to her seat, Marinette could hear Lila say loudly

“She’s just jealous that I have connections like the Wayne’s and Jagged stone and she’s just a little miss nobody.”

Mari: fuck it, it’s on bitch. I’m calling Jagged and Clara. These are slander charges now.

Chlo: should I expect your family’s lawyers too?

Mari: hell no. Tim is a last resort.

Mari: dad’s friend tho? THEY are defiantly going to be getting a few phone calls.

Mari: hey Jagged, Penny. I have just a tiny question.

Penny: Marinette! We were getting ready to contact you! What’s going on?

Mari: what kind of slander would be bad enough to sue over?

Penny: why?

Mari: this (voice file attached. Label reads SeNd To JaGgEd ASAP)

Jagged: little lady…where did you get this?

Mari: I recorded it during class today

Jagged: this liar is your age?

Penny: Marinette, would you mind if I send this to our lawyers?

Mari: go right ahead.

Tim: so…

Tim: would you like to explain why Jagged Stone is ranting to B in the entryway about a “little lying brat” who is in his “favorite niece’s class?”

Mari: wat

Mari: idk what you’re talking about

Tim: Little Bit, you can’t possibly think he hasn’t name dropped you yet.

Mari: WHAT.

Mari: fuck

Tim: ummmmmm

Tim: WHEN DID YOU START CUSSING?

Mari: tim. Please remember who my brothers are.

Tim: OH neverminded

Tim: why didn’t you get me involved?

Mari: theres no reason for Marinette Dupain-Cheng to know the Wayne fam

Mari: also, we wanted to use #3 and #5 first. If they didn’t work (they are) we were going to rain fire lolz.

Tim: fine. When your ready for the power that comes with the name, lmk

Tim: aslo, I insist on being included in the planning.

Mari: also*

Tim: fuck off

Tim: I wan to be ready for whatever damage control might be needed with the press

Tim: also, I live the kind of chaos that you and Chloe create together lolz

When Adrien turned to Marinette during lunch that day, there was clear confusion in his eyes. “Mari?”

“what’s up, Adrien?”

“who was that guy…Tim? That Chloe kept mentioning?”

“oh? She didn’t tell you?” the blond shook his head, looking worried. Marinette smiled ruefully and sighed.

“he’s my older brother on my father’s side.” When Adrien furrowed his brow, Marinette elaborated. “My father lives in the United States and runs a big corporation. He spends a bit of time in the limelight, but he keeps us all out of the press.”

“the…Dupain family?” Marinette laughed before smoothing over her friend’s confusion.

“no, Tom is my dad, but Bruce is my Father. He lives on the east coast, and I spend most holidays and breaks with my siblings over there.” Adrien nodded and smiled at her.

“I guess that makes sense. Its really cool at you get to spend your time with both sides of your family like that. What is your father’s last name then? I don’t think I’ve heard it.” Marinette winced.

“My father’s last name is Wayne. Anywhere except school, I use the name Marinette Cheng-Wayne.”

ok, thats a wrap. for once, this could be read by itself with almost no context. this will fit intothe overall storyline, but i had to go back and set the stage (this) for when Mari is 15. here, its the begining of the school year that she turns 15. (her b-day is in April bc i want to mess wiht cannon even more than i already do.)

#b!dbwm2020 #b!dbwm #miraculous ladybug #marinette dupen chang #chloe b is my fave #if you cant tell #My writing #maribat #mari is as smart as tim #fignt me on this #she is a queen #ml x dc

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omniswords · 4 years ago

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Chronicles of a Parisian Dumbass 18

i'm sorry this is a few days late!! it's been real Headless Chicken time around here for a number of reasons, but, here you go!

this chapter is also known as, "LUKANETTE SHIPPERS COME GET Y'ALL JUICE: Part 1"

to: Marinette hey… um. hey. just. checking if you’re okay. those postcards came out beautiful.

from: Marinette shouldn’t i be asking you that?

to: Marinette i’ll live. i’m a Couffaine, “chaos” is practically my middle name. …so… how can i pay you? cash? one of those money apps?

from: Marinette just get better 😊 that’s all.

Getting better shouldn’t feel like such a tall order. But like with other affairs, Luka will just say it’s his fault and call it a night.

It only takes a few days for his knee to go from “bulging, throbbing mess” to “sort of tolerable,” and he doesn’t understand how the time is so annoying and yet so relieving. He has to call out of work because there’s no way they—or Juleka— will let him bike or even hobble around Paris with an injury like that. But it opens up his schedule for more band practice. And more chances to talk to Bubbles. Or, more accurately, convince Bubbles that he can still hold his own and shred the setlist to pieces.

And yeah, he tries his hand at perfecting Marinette’s song, but it barely comes out any better. Whatever melody is swirling in his head sounds wrong on paper, and even worse on guitar. Checking the posts of his drafts doesn’t help, either; the likes and comments and reposts have mostly come to a halt, no matter how many times he bumps the latest version to the top of his profile.

He thinks, for the most part, that it’s doomed to live in his head forever. And he hates it. Hates that it doesn’t sound right or good. Hates that he’ll never get to share what he really hears, what he really feels... with anyone.

The best he can manage is hopping on the metro, with his guitar and his amp and his busking license tied around the belt loop of his jeans, and finding just the right stone ledge or just the right bench at the bridge with the padlocks. Sometimes he doodles, strums out whatever comes to mind and hopes it resonates with someone. Some then he takes requests or plays fan favorites, the kind that earns him a smile or even an extra euro in his case.

He’s got to make the money somehow.

One time, he plays by the fountain at the Place des Vosges. For the parents who need something to tide them over while their children ask for balloons and skin their elbows and ride the carousel one too many times. He thinks about angles, and hearing colors, and pear tarts fresh from the oven, and business cards that look like flyers. He thinks about the color blue, too. Ocean blue. But he doesn’t play it. He’ll save it for a better occasion, when he’s not weighed down with cutting deals and combing through backstory that he’s not quite sure he’ll ever earn. When he’s not thinking about Marinette dropping a few coins in his case at the padlock bridge and almost looking guilty about it.

He shakes his head and gathers his paltry earnings for the day into the side pocket of his gig bag, stretches his leg to see if it’s worth putting weight on again. It doesn’t protest too much, thank God; at least he’ll be home before it gets too dark. But the sound of music stops him once he crosses the street. A radio. And it’s playing outside.

And it’s just over his head.

It takes him one moment to realize he’s stopped in front of Tom & Sabine’s, and another to look up. There is Marinette, watering some flowers in a box and resting her chin in her hand. Humming along to the music. when she meets his eyes, it sounds like her. Like exactly what he’s been looking for. Good, and right, and perfect.

And... sad.

The one thing Luka’s grateful for is that he wasn’t standing there long. Instead of fear or panic, he’s only caught up in mild surprise, and to his relief, so is Marinette. He readjusts his weight on his good leg, and he manages a wave with his free hand. “You know,” he says with a weak laugh, “we really gotta stop meeting like this.”

The smile Marinette gives him in return is just as sad as her humming, but harder to read. He doesn’t know if it’s telling her she agrees or disagrees, or if she doesn’t want him to go. Or if it’s something else entirely, something he’s not a part of. “Hey,” she says, leaning over the balcony to get a better look at him. Or maybe just at his leg.

He glances down at it, gives it a little shake, and shrugs in the face of the urge to wince. “It’ll be fine,” he says as nonchalantly as he can. “I’ll be back at work in a day or two. But, y’know... let me know if you’d rather I go busk somewhere else.”

Which, he’ll admit, is code for, let me know if you don’t want to see me anymore. He’s given her enough reasons for her to feel that way.

If Marinette’s somehow waded through to the real meaning of it, she doesn’t show it, and Luka doesn’t know if that’s a good thing. Instead, she leans over to pause her music, brushes her hair out of her eyes, and says, “Do you... wanna come upstairs?”

Well.

He wasn’t expecting that.

Luka can’t get any words out, so all he does is nod dumbly and limp toward the side door. On a better day, he might have been able to scale the bakery and hop over the balcony railing, if all his work on the Liberty is anything to go by. But maybe his guitar wouldn’t necessarily appreciate that. And neither would Mr. Dupain or Mrs. Cheng; he’d probably scare them half to death. Not to mention that maybe this is the sort of stunt reserved for Actually Cool People, and Luka is only ever Actually Cool in the recesses of his imagination or with a guitar in his hands.

Marinette meets him by the side door and lets him in with barely a sound. It doesn’t seem like she’s trying to sneak him in, the way she might have if they were in high school. If she might have even pulled off something like that in high school. But they slip into the apartment with Marinette’s whispered explanation that her father’s closing up shop and her mother’s getting ready for a dinner date. It reminds him, as they head to her room and she shows him how to hoist up onto the balcony, of all the dates his ma tried to go on. And how one day, she just stopped trying, and didn’t shed a tear over it.

Maybe, he thinks as he leaps up on the weight of one leg, he’s built for something like that. Or should be.

Marinette lets him take the deck chair so he can rest his leg, despite his weak insistence that he’s fine. She doesn’t go back to watering the flowers, or even leaning on the railing and giving the city that wistful look he thought was only reserved for Adrien Agreste. Instead, she sits cross-legged on the floor, and she watches him, never lingering on one part of him for too long. Like she’s expecting him to say something. Maybe it’s payback, in the end, for all the times she must have caught him.

“Hey,” he finally says to break through the quiet. “That song you were listening to... Can you play it again?”

She jolts to attention then, nods without a word, makes a grab for her phone. With a few taps, the song bleeds to life with a few piano notes, the rise of a few violins, the thrum of a cello. Luka thinks he’s heard this before, once. The words are all in English, so he doesn’t quite know what they’re saying. All he knows is the blue. It’s electric, it’s swelling in his chest, buzzing under his skin, closing his eyes. It sounds...

Like the ocean.

Like a world Marinette’s pulling him into. Her world. And he’s stepping into it. Just for a while. Or like, perhaps, just for that while, they’re meeting in the middle.

She must know what the song is about. She can wade through the colors and the sound, right to the words, as she sings to herself in accented English, as her voice dips low but not quite low enough, as her breath snags on the notes it can’t hold for very long. Maybe that’s why she seems so sad. Or maybe it’s something else.

“That song sounds like your eyes,” he says once the violins fade. It sounds like what I’ve been looking for.

Marinette looks at him like he’s lost his mind, and maybe he has. But there’s a softness to it. Like maybe no one’s ever said anything like that to her before. Like, secretly, she’d spent years wishing someone would. “What?”

“Oh, uh. It’s...” He can’t tell if it’s the music, or the evening sky, or Marinette that’s making it hard to snap back to himself. Maybe it’s all three. “It’s... that sound-color thing I told you about—”

“No, I—I figured.” Marinette fumbles as she turns down the volume. He hardly thought her the type, but she does it like it’s something she’s done for ages. Like she’s tapping into someone she used to be. “You... think about my eyes?”

Luka can feel his face burning, his stomach lurching. He’s overthinking, he knows it, but somehow it doesn’t feel wrong for him to say, “I’ve been trying to get them right for a long time.”

She gives him a confused look at first, but understanding cracks across her face once he unzips his gig bag, sets up the amp, and sets his guitar in his lap.

“Can you play it again?” he asks. It’s quiet, and unsure, but there’s a tinge of hope to it. “I want to get it right.”

Marinette’s eyes go wide, and her cheeks turn pink under the delicate string lights. It seems like she holds onto her breath for longer than she means to, but she nods, and she does that fumbling thing again as she reaches for her phone. Once those first piano notes trickle out, she looks to him expectantly. That’s all it takes for his fingers to find the strings. For his heart to find that ocean blue. He doesn’t quite copy the melody note for note; instead, he finds the little pockets where his music fits, and he makes it sound a little fuller. A little more like her.

Maybe it’s not perfect. But it’s good enough.

Somewhere along the way, Luka closed his eyes, and when he opens them again, he finds Marinette sitting closer—just across from him, in fact. She’s huddled up with her chin on her knees, all but marveling at him in silence. When she finally speaks, it’s after she’s paused the next song, and it’s only to breathe, “Wow.”

Luka’s not feeling particularly flirtatious; actually, the most he does is laugh sheepishly and rub the back of his neck. “I’m not so good with words,” he says. “But music gets me pretty close to what I want to say. So… maybe I was wrong about not having an angle. Maybe my thing is playing people.”

Marinette snaps out of it long enough to laugh, all breath, and say, “Where I’ve been, that sounds an awful lot like you’re a con man.”

“I’m not a con man, I mean... what people sound like. Their hearts, or... the parts of them that are most beautiful. That sound like that”— he gestures toward the speaker, and then up to the sky—”or remind us that... whatever we’re made of, it came from up there. Somewhere. That’s what I wanna think about, when I play…”

He catches himself and goes silent, but Marinette’s already giving him a meaningful look, teeth sinking into her lip. Somewhere along the line, her face went right to scarlet.

“Me,” she says. “That’s what you were playing in the park. Me.”

Luka doesn’t know how much of him has been discovered, but he keeps quiet all the same. He won’t give any more of himself away. It’s only as he’s about to apologize—for what, he’s not entirely sure—that Marinette cuts him off.

“Look, I… I need to tell you about something.”

He grips his guitar more tightly, because his phone is too far out of reach, and all the alarm bells go off.

#miraculous ladybug #lukanette #luka couffaine #marinette dupain cheng #fic: chronicles of a parisian dumbass #I SAID COME GET Y'ALL JUICE AND I ***MEANT IT***

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highonchocolate · 4 years ago

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Take Two: The Guardian in Gotham Chapter 8

First Previous Next: Nonexistent Ao3

Ladybug dove through the portal and landed smack-dab in the middle of a massacre. Civilians lay dying in the middle of the streets and the heavy smell of iron lingered in the air. Their muted sounds of pain swirled around her as she swung through the streets towards her teammates’ trackers. Landing on a rooftop, she found herself watching as Ryuko fought the sword-themed Akuma in front of the Louvre, heart in her throat. The bright red of her costume caught the akuma’s eye, and they immediately paused and called up to her. “Ladybug! I was wondering when you would show up!” Quick as a flash, they turned and disarmed the Dragon-themed heroine, holding their sword to her neck before any of the team could even blink. Queen Bee went absolutely still, and Chat Noir and Viperion were tense with fear and rage.

Feeling the familiar panic well up inside her, Ladybug took a steadying breath, mind racing with half-formed ideas. Through it all, a steady stream of ‘I messed up again. I’m not good enough. Why am I such a failure? Whywhywhywhywhy’ rolled through her mind on an endless loop. “Alright, Chat, I need you to cause a distraction while Queenie venoms the Akuma from behind. Viperon I need you on standby.” She spoke quickly, not giving herself room to hesitate.

Nodding at her team, she gave the signal and they split up. Chat jumped down in front of the Akuma, tossing them an easy-going grin. “Hey there! Looks like you’re having a gory-ous time!” Rolling her eyes at his puns, she watched with bated breath as Queen Bee crept around, stinger pulsing with magic and poised to attack. She raised her arm, ready to hit them in the back, when everything went to shit.

She saw as Chat Noir’s ears perked up, and he looked towards the sky, eyes wide in panic. He opened his mouth to shout something, but whatever he said was cut off with a loud whoosh. In a blur of color, Superman swooped down from the sky, followed by Batman and Wonder Woman. Landing in front of the Akuma he shouted to Chloé: “Hey Bee girl! Get out of the way!” At his shout, the Akuma whirled to face Chloé, letting go of Ryuko and slashing at her abdomen with their sword.

It cut her straight down the chest, and she collapsed to her knees, hands pressing to the wound, and letting out a weak wheeze as blood began to fill her lungs. Ryuko sprinted to her fallen form and kneeled at her side, grasping one blood soaked hand between hers. She whispered something quietly to the blond-haired girl before standing and turning her furious eyes on a horrified Superman. Chat and Viperion roared in anger from where they had seen it happen, the latter going to reset his bracelet. “Not again!” He turned to the other two, dread painted across his face. “That was my last Second Chance.” He whispered hoarsely. “This is it, we can’t go back anymore.”

“How can we help?” Wonder Woman called, an apology in her tone. “Just stay out of it!” Chat snapped, glowering at Batman, who simply glared back. “You’ve done enough.” Ladybug agreed firmly. “We’ll talk after the fight.” With a yell, the four of them leaped back into the fray. Sensing their approach, they turned, bringing one fist up to punch Chat hard across the face. He flew back several feet before crashing into a wall. Spitting out blood, he stood and bared his red stained teeth in a snarl before whacking them across the stomach with his baton.

The Akuma barely even winced, opting to bring their other hand down, sword poised to cut him in half. In a flash of silver, Ryuko was there, rapier raised to block the blow. Ladybug threw her yoyo, the cable wrapping tightly around the Akuma’s scimitar, and yanked. Arms trembling from the strain, she pulled their arm back, giving Chat and Ryuko the space to dart away. What she didn’t count on was the akuma using their sword to drag her toward them.

Summoning a dagger, they loomed over her as she frantically struggled to untangle her yoyo. She heard the hiss as it sliced through the air, and closed her eyes, still tugging fruitlessly at the tangled cable. There was a wet thunk as it collided with something, which was accompanied by a pained grunt. Looking up, she saw Viperion clutching his thigh, the blue of his suit darkening as blood gushed out of the wound. He tried to step towards her, and collapsed as his leg buckled from the strain.

Gritting her teeth, she glared up at the three superheroes watching from above. They decided to show up now?! And what does that do? Get three of her teammates injured, two of which were now incapitated. Or they could be dead. Her mind whispered. Shut up. She thought back, pushing the image out of her mind. She inhaled sharply and turned her attention back to the fight. Across the courtyard, the Akuma (she was naming it Stabby) had managed to catch Ryuko between the ribs, and she staggered back, hand automatically pressing to her side. Chat Noir was lying on the floor (when did that happen?), struggling to his feet as he wobbled unsteadily. “Ryuko!” She screamed, running for the heroine. As she set her gently against a pillar, the girl in question brought her mouth to her ear and whispered a weak: “Finish this.” Resting her head against the stone, the Dragon themed heroine coughed weakly, blood spilling from her lips. One hand gripped hers tightly, squeezing once before letting go. Ladybug stood, her chest tight from the force of holding back her tears. “Chat, let's regroup!” She called, before swinging up to another rooftop. He landed next to her with a soft thump, standing tall at her side. “The two of us again, M’Lady?” He asked, his breath unsteady and rattling as he exhaled. “Just like the good old days, Chat.” She responded, feeling her lips quirk up at the familiarity of their banter. “Lucky Charm!”

As the small animal statuettes fell into her open palm, she felt an absurd idea pop into her head. “Kitty, I’m going to grab Wayzz and Trixx. You hold down the fort!” Calling on Kaalki, she quickly stepped through the glowing blue portal into her room back at Wayne Manor. Opening the Miracle Box, she grabbed the bracelet and pendant, storing them in her yoyo. Her hand hesitated over the Mouse miraculous, debating on whether or not she should take it. Trust your instincts. She recalled Master Fu telling her one day as they sat together in his massage parlor. Nodding resolutely, she grabbed the necklace and pulled it over her head, before transforming. She swayed lightly from the strain of holding three transformations and then leaped back through the still-open portal. Stepping back into Paris, she dropped the Horse and Ladybug transformation, staying as Multimouse. Turning to Chat, she whispered quietly to him. “I’m going to split and use Tikki, Wayzz, and Trixx, to cast an illusion and trap Stabby, okay? Then I need you to destroy the Akumatized object.” He nodded once, jaw clenched.

Exchanging the glasses for the two other miraculi, she split herself into three. One of her clones clasped the green bracelet over their wrist, as another slid the fox pendant over their head. Her original self held the earrings, and upon securing their miraculi they all transformed. She gasped softly at the sudden flash of pain that spread through her body. Hearing the quiet noise, Chat Noir turned to her, eyes narrowed. “Bug, are you sure you’re okay?” Straightening her spine, the Turtle Marinette faced him with an easy grin on her face. “Of course I’m fine Chaton! Let's just get this over with!” He frowned reluctantly, still looking her over with some suspicion in his gaze. Pushing past the pain, she willed herself to stay strong as he scrutinized her. After he nodded, they immediately enacted her plan. Thankfully, Stabby fell for the illusion she had created of her and Chat hiding in an alleyway and talking, so it was easy for her to trap him and Chat in a Shell-ter. After the akumatized object (His sword, what a surprise! She thought to herself bitterly as she watched it disintegrate.) was destroyed, she quickly captured the glowing butterfly and set it free, summoning her Lucky Charm and throwing it up again with a cry of “Miraculous Ladybug!” As the glowing pink butterflies rushed through the city, healing injuries and bringing back the dead, she felt the familiar pull on her life force at the cost of saving all these people. Squaring her shoulders, she pushed past the burn of using three Miraculi and ignored the drain of the Cure. She could take the pain. She had to.

She dropped all her transformations, leaving her in her signature Ladybug suit once more. Leaning against Chat Noir, she saw the wide eyes of the foreign superheroes as they took in the magic. “Hey.” She called to Viperion as he landed beside her. Jerking a thumb towards the three heros, she lowered her voice and asked “Think you can take care of them for a second?” At his affirming nod, she let out a relieved sigh and went to hug Ryuko and Queen Bee, who were standing to the side, holding each other tightly with their foreheads pressed together. When they heard her footsteps they stepped apart and opened their arms for her to fall into their embrace. She clutched them desperately for a long second, before letting go. “We have to deal with some outside company before we can detransform, I’m afraid.”

Looking past her, they saw the four figures of Viperion, Batman, Wonder Woman, and Superman as Luka negotiated with them. They landed on the rooftop beside him, Marinette and Adrien leaning on each other (her with a hand around his waist, his arm slung over her shoulders) as Chloe and Kagami stood shoulder to shoulder with their arms brushing. Ignoring the other two heroes, Marinette turned to Wonder Woman, who bowed respectfully to her. “Holder of Creation, it is an honor to meet you.” Smiling slightly, Marinette bowed in return. “Daughter of Hippotlaya. The honor is mine.” Surveying their trio, she arched a brow as they all remained silent. “Was there a reason for this unexpected visit?” This time, it was Superman who stepped forward. Batman just stood behind him and glowered. “Yes. We wanted to see what all the fuss about Paris was.” “And now you’ve seen it.” Chloé snapped, flicking her hair over her shoulder. “So you can go back to not caring about us, thank you very much.” Wonder Woman stepped forward, hands held placatingly. “We didn’t know anything was wrong with Paris. The satellites showed us nothing was amiss, so we never checked any further.”

“So what made you change your mind?” Luka asked, eyes narrowed in suspicion. At that, the three of them fell silent, seeming to have a silent conversation with each other. “We can’t tell you that,” Batman spoke, his voice a low, dark sound. “And why not?” Kagami challenged, arms folded across her chest defensively. “Because it could compromise my identity.” He growled, daring them to argue. “Okay back to the original topic,” Adrien interjected, “You said you were here to check on Paris, and now you did that. So unless there’s something else you want…”He trailed off, waiting for their response. “We want to help train you five as well. You’re already very powerful, we just want to help you hone your magic.” Wonder Woman answered. “We’ll think about it,” Marinette spoke, “But we definitely can’t train in Paris. Volatile emotions are easily taken advantage of.”

“Agreed.” Superman nodded, before the three of them took off. At their departure, Marinette felt her shoulders sag in relief. The five of them said quick goodbyes before heading home. She was about to transform using Kaalki when she saw a flash of back and silver out of the corner of her eye. Sliding her gaze to the side as she put on the glasses, she nearly groaned at what she saw. She would know that black outfit and stance anywhere. The League of Assassins had finally come to meet with the Order.

---

@laurcad123, @liquid-luck-00

#maribat #marinette dupain cheng #damian wayne #adrien agreste #chloe bourgeois #luka couffaine #kagami tsurugi #alfred pennyworth #bruce wayne #tim drake #jason todd #dick grayson #lila rossi #alya cesaire #lila salt #class salt

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nobodyfamousposts · 5 years ago

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Dolls AU: Take Out The Trash

Littlebug did not like waking up in the trashcan.

The first time it happened, she was forgiving. Or at least she was once she was sure it hadn't been Papa or Plagg who had put her there. Not that she really thought Papa would. Plagg might, but it would be a prank and one he would regret shortly after.

It had been Papa's Father's assistant. She did not like the assistant. She liked Papa's Father even less. But she couldn't blame them for the mistake. It wasn't like they knew she was alive and Papa said it wasn't a good idea for them to know.

So fine. She huffed a bit. Begrudgingly accepted the apology he gave her on their behalf. And that should have been the end of it.

....if not for the three other times it happened. Once was an accident. Twice was circumstantial. Three times was really pushing her buttons.

And Papa tried. He did. He'd pulled her out when he'd found her, brushed her off, and held her close. He'd talked with the assistant to ask her to leave Littlebug alone.

...And yet here Littlebug was. Again. In a trash bin. Again.

This time in That Man's office, woken to the sounds of him lecturing his assistant about things Littlebug found were not nearly as important as the fact that SHE WAS IN A TRASH BIN.

Sure, at least the bin only had wadded up papers instead of gross and smelly things, but really!

She had been nice. She had been patient. Adrien had asked nicely for her. And yet That Man seemed convinced he knew better about Littlebug and where she belonged.

She belonged with Papa. When not with Papa, she belonged with Mama. She always belonged with Chaton.

SHE DID NOT BELONG IN A TRASH BIN!

"Just throw it out with the rest of the garbage in the morning." That Man ordered. "If Adrien asks, let him think he misplaced it. He'll forget about it eventually."

“Yes, sir.”

And with that, they both left the room. Still talking. Focused on the next project or whatever. Neither noticed the way the doll was poking her head just over the trash bin.

And glaring at them.

________________________

Adrien had been in a panic that morning. He couldn't find Littlebug anywhere! In his panicked state, he probably would have torn his room apart if he wasn't fully aware that if Littlebug WAS in there, she would have come out when he called. She was a good girl like that.

Instead, Adrien had rifled through the REST of his house looking for her. The kitchen in case she had gotten hungry. The music room in case she had gotten bored. The foyer in case she had gotten lost.

Nothing.

He couldn't find her and he had looked EVERYWHERE!

Well, everywhere except...

Feeling growing fear, Adrien rushed outside and to the large trash dumpster. Given the last couple "incidents", he couldn't put it past Nathalie or his father to have tried to throw Littlebug away again.

The last time, they'd thrown her away in the kitchen trash can in some belief that her getting dirty would make him willing to leave her there. Instead, he had carefully picked off every bit of trash and spent a good couple hours cleaning her and hugging her and trying to soothe her.

Littlebug was NOT happy.

To be honest, neither was he. And yet despite his pleas and making it clear that he was NOT giving her up for anything, his Father still seemed insistent on getting rid of her. And perhaps the best way to do so would be to throw her in the dumpster directly. Which was why Adrien quickly made his way there, hoping that he wasn't too late and the trash had not yet been taken that morning. By the time he got there, the dumpster was still in place, but the truck was there. He gasped and rushed forward, mentally pleading that either she wasn't in there or that the workers would let him pull her out.

Instead there was a scream.

Confused and panicked, Adrien opened the dumpster lid alongside the equally bewildered workers.

"What the hell?"

"Dad? Nathalie?"

It was a very disheveled Gabriel Agreste who glared at the three from the bottom of the dumpster. Although the full effect of that glare was diminished somewhat by the banana in his hair.

"Get us out of here. Right now."

No questions were asked. None of them dared. Perhaps because they were trying too hard to not laugh. Within minutes, Gabriel and his assistant were rescued from the confines of the dumpster, though not without some injuries...albeit mostly to their pride.

"What happened? How did you two get in there?" Adrien asked, concerned. Even though he did try to ask from a bit of a distance as the two were covered in bits of garbage and a variety of substances he wasn't sure he wanted to know.

"We just woke up in there." Nathalie stated, uncertain.

"Could it have been an akuma?" One of the workers asked.

"Of course not. I didn't..." Gabriel cut off, as if realizing something. "...see anything. Neither of us did."

"Huh."

"Um...sir? Would you like some help?" One of the workers offered. "You seem unsteady."

"No." Gabriel replied briskly before he and his assistant both made a quick retreat to the house and likely to the bathrooms to clean up.

With some muttered insults, the workers went on with their business as well.

Adrien was...confused. And a bit amused. But if they were in there...where was...?

"Uh...Adrien?" Plagg called, drawing his attention to the kwami as he hovered near a statue. After a couple seconds, Littlebug poked her head out from behind it and smiled up at him.

Safe. Perfectly safe.

"There you are!" He exclaimed, reaching out and taking her in his arms.

Littlebug smiled up at him, patting his cheeks as if to reassure him she was really there.

"Where were you? I was worried sick!"

She frowned at that. Any happiness gone. She pointed to where Gabriel and Nathalie had just left, gesturing angrily. "They tried to throw you out again?" He questioned.

She nodded, clearly unhappy and frustrated, her eyes shining and appearing on the verge of tears. Oh dear. Can't have that now.

"I'm so sorry." He whispered to her as he held her close. "I'm gonna talk with Marinette about this. They had no right to touch you."

Littlebug clutched to him, soaking in the warmth and reassurance.

"Wait..." He paused, realizing something. "Was that YOU?"

She froze.

"Were you the one who put them in the dumpster?"

She shrugged.

"Littlebug..." He said, warningly.

Slowly, she peeked up at him. She tried to maintain an air of innocence. But of course, Adrien wasn't fooled. Plagg's cackling probably hadn't helped.

Littlebug pouted. They put her in the trash! Several times! And were going to try and get rid of her for good! She was only giving them a taste of their own medicine!

"Still, that didn't make it okay to throw them in the dumpster...wait, how did you even get them both in there, anyway?"

She shrugged. It was the only trash bin big enough to fit them, so she figured it would work.

"That wasn't the question...you know what? Nevermind." Needless to say, Adrien ended up having a...long conversation with his father about respecting his belongings.

Though it was nowhere near as long as the "conversation" had by the media coverage over the incident. After all, known recluse Gabriel Agreste and his assistant being found by maintenance workers in the dumpster was a rather unusual story. And it ended up spawning many jokes ranging from him searching the dumpster for ideas to them using it as a place to indulge in their illicit affair.

Nonetheless, the lesson seemed to be learned, as neither Gabriel nor Nathalie touched Littlebug after that. Not when Adrien gave them “knowing” looks or sweetly commented on their time in the dumpster.

And especially not when the doll seemed to move whenever any of them weren’t looking. Or appears in the strangest places. Or sometimes, they could swear she’s glaring at them. But then they blink and she’s a simple doll. Staring with a blank smile.

If they do suspect anything, they wisely choose to not comment. And simply leave the doll alone.

#ml fic #dolls au #littlebug #adrien agreste #plagg #gabriel is an idiot

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kittinoir · 3 years ago

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Phantoms Ch. 14

Read on Ao3

Marinette couldn’t stop screaming.

Not in a way that anyone could hear, but the inside of her head was a shrill banshee call, heralding the death of her soul mate. Stupid, stupid, stupid. That was the only word that registered, occasionally breaking through that wordless wail before vanishing again.

It was our love that did this to the world.’

How could she have believed him? How had she taken that as the one honest thing Chat Blanc had said in that other world, that other time? Had it been the truth of her name lending weight to it? Was it because, even then, she’d been afraid he was right? Hadn’t she always assumed that truly pursuing Adrien would inevitably mean falling apart when she couldn’t be honest with him or prioritize a relationship?

It had been a hint, like flicking the bell. He hadn’t been telling her their love had ended the world. He’d been telling her how he knew her identity - that he loved her, and more importantly, that she loved him back. That if indeed it was their love that had destroyed everything, it was also their love that fixed it. That together, they were unstoppable. Even if he hadn’t been able to free himself from the akuma, Chat Blanc was still her partner, and he’d still been fighting with her, not against her. He’d been counting on her being smarter than her fear. He’d under-estimated how strong that fear was.

Or had he?

Had discovering Hawk Moth’s identity been the trigger last time, too? Had he known that in some timeline, some where, this discovery would be inevitable? And that when it came, Hawk Moth would take advantage of it? Had Chat Blanc tried to give her every warning he could, so that when the time came, she’d be ready?

In the present, caught up against Chat Blanc’s chest, his arm an iron band around her torso, Marinette couldn’t help but feel the effort had been wasted. But a small part of her protested. She was right. She could feel it in the way Adrien’s hand cupped her cheek, his fingertips just brushing the shell of her ear, his nails scraping her earring: hesitation.

“I suppose you were wrong, Marinette,” he cooed as his thumb caressed her cheekbone. “All that agony, for nothing. We could have been happy.”

“We will be,” she promised as he started to reach for her earring. “I promise. I’ve got it figured out now.”

Marinette slammed her elbow back, hissing as she made contact with Chat Blanc’s very solid torso. It wasn’t enough to hurt him or even break his hold, but it surprised him enough that he loosened his grip, just for a moment. It was enough; Marinette slipped from his grasp and rolled, calling Tikki as she went. In seconds, Ladybug was back on her feet and dodging Chat Blanc’s blows as she reassessed the situation.

Chloe had survived the blast that had nearly struck them with minimal injuries. She was watching Ladybug and Chat Noir spar with narrowed eyes, her mouth set in a determined line. Viperion was no where to be seen, and Ladybug had to assume he was incapacitated, or he never would have let her end up in Chat Blanc’s deadly embrace.

A shadow moved over Chat Blanc’s shoulder and she registered Koira slipping up behind him. Ladybug adjusted her tactic to him, but it didn’t feel as natural as it did with Chat Noir. It was like missing the last step on the stairs. She couldn’t be sure Koira understood what she was doing.

“Why won’t you help me, Marinette?” Chat Blanc said as he slipped closer again. “This is our chance to finally be rid of Hawk Moth. All I need is your Miraculous!”

“He’s manipulating us, Chat Noir,” she panted as she skipped back, dodging a series of small cataclysms. Where had Ryuuko gone? Was she down, too? “Just like always. We can’t win like this!”

“Maybe you can’t,” he conceded with a swipe, “But I can. Koira was right; we can’t beat him on our terms.” A boom shook the room as another explosion hit the wall. Concrete rained down.

Ladybug swept her leg out, but he avoided her easily. “What are you talking about?!”

“People like Hawk Moth are always one step ahead because there’s no line they won’t cross, nobody they won’t sacrifice to win.”

“And so you’re willing to sacrifice me now?”

She doubted anyone else would have noticed it, but she knew him, and so she saw it - he wavered.

“I don’t want to hurt you, Marinette,” he said, “But Gabriel needs to pay.”

“This wasn’t exactly what I had in mind,” Koira said as he finally made his move. He surged up behind Chat Blanc and hooked his arms behind his back. “There’s toeing the line and then there’s crossing it, and I think you’ll find yourself ill suited to the latter.”

“Coward,” Chat Blanc hissed. “I should have known.” He gave a mighty heave and pulled Koira over his shoulder, sending him flying.

It was our love that did this to the world.

Marinette hated those movies - the ones where love was the answer.

Love had never been the answer for her. It had only ever caused her problems. Hollywood loved to prop love up as some sort of cure-all answer, as if it were anything without trust, and hard work, and respect. Love didn’t deakumatize people - she did. Love hadn’t led them to Hawk Moth’s lair - Chloe had.

But somehow she knew, beyond a shadow of a doubt, that it was the only thing that would save Adrien now. He would have to choose. It had to be stronger than his hatred. And it wasn’t a choice she could make for him.

Chat Blanc began to advance on her, but Ladybug just closed her eyes. “Tikki. Spots off.”

Her transformation dissolved in a familiar shower of cool red sparkles. Her heart pounded as she felt the wind from another cataclysm brush her cheek, but when she opened her eyes, she saw Chat Blanc had frozen, too. Even though it would be easy to over-power her now, he didn’t move.

“I won’t fight you,” she said calmly. She reached for her right ear. Though she never took them off, the stud slipped easily enough from the lobe.

“Marinette!” Tikki zoomed in front of her face. “What are you doing!”

“What I have to,” Marinette said. She pulled the other stud from her ear, and Tikki vanished. She cupped the jewelry in her palm for the briefest moment. Then she held out her hand.

Chat Blanc’s eyes narrowed. “What is this.”

Marinette’s voice was steady as she said, “This is what you want. Right?”

Confusion crossed Chat Blanc’s face. “Yes, I - ” He took a halting step toward her.

“You’re right,” she said. “Gabriel will sacrifice anything to win. Maybe you’re willing to make that choice right now, too. But I won’t. I can’t. I won’t sacrifice us. Not ever again.”

He was in front of her then, the face that had haunted her for weeks just inches from her own. It didn’t scare her anymore.

“Marinette.” She refused to look away as he laid one white hand over her upturned palm. He felt like ice, but she didn’t move. “I’m sorry, my love. He has to pay.”

She said nothing as they stood there, balancing on a knife’s edge. She would not cajole him. She would not fight him. He had to want their future as much as she did. He had to believe it was possible. He had to want it more than he wanted revenge. She couldn’t make him; she wouldn’t waste her time trying. But she wouldn’t let Hawk Moth take this from her, too.

“All these years,” a deep voice said from the back of the room. “I never imagined Ladybug would just hand over her Miraculous.”

Distantly, Marinette’s nerves twinged: Hawk Moth would know her identity. It was a distant thought, there, then gone, not even significant enough to really register. Marinette felt more than she saw Chat Blanc stiffen, then slowly turn. She knew she should look as well, especially when Hawk Moth was addressing her directly, but she couldn’t tear her eyes away from Chat Blanc’s face. It was devoid of anything but icy, unforgiving rage. She had miscalculated. There would be no mercy today.

“A deal is a deal, Chat Noir,” Hawk Moth said as he stepped out from behind a silver canister at the back of the room. “Or is it Chat Blanc now?”

“You won’t live long enough for it to matter one way or the other,” Chat Blanc snarled, but even as his fingers contracted around her hand, he didn’t take the earrings.

“We’re not so different,” Hawk Moth said as though they were talking about the weather. “True, you lack any real fore-thought or follow-through, but our motivations are similar enough. Surely you of all people can understand the things we do for true love?”

Even Marinette blinked at that one. Of all the reasons she’d lain awake at night trying to imagine what drove the man, love had never even crossed her mind. It was impossible to imagine Hawk Moth loving anything other than the terror he perpetuated.

But her surprise was nothing compared to the all-encompassing horror that stifled even the beating of her heart as Hawk Moth pressed a button on the side of the cylinder he still stood beside and the lid slid back to reveal Emilie Agreste, looking for all the world like an enchanted queen cursed to eternal slumber.

Chat Blanc convulsed at the sight as though Hawk Moth had dealt him a physical blow. For all her time as Ladybug, the girl with the right idea at the right time, Marinette couldn’t get her brain to work. She hadn’t anticipated this. Who could have?

“All I want is to bring her back,” Hawk Moth was saying. “One wish to fix the damage. Surely you can understand that? Surely there’s nothing you wouldn’t do…to save the one you love?”

Marinette shuddered as she felt Hawk Moth’s gaze land on her again. She didn’t want to, but she couldn’t help but consider his words - if it were Adrien in the chamber, was there anything she wouldn’t do to save him?

It was impossible to know, but she could guess: losing Adrien would be better than Emilie’s suspended state and the monster she’d become to try and undo it. Adrien wouldn’t want it, and neither would she.

Chat Blanc was shaking. His fingers were tight around hers, but he wasn’t hurting her. This was it, Marinette knew. The moment had arrived. The hope she’d been holding onto when she’d called off her transformation had died when that casket lid had slid back to reveal Emilie’s face. Marinette knew his mother was the person Adrien loved most in the world. Now Hawk Moth was presenting him with a chance to bring her back. It wasn’t his fault. It was hers. She’d gambled. She’d failed to anticipate that Hawk Moth might have one more card to play. She was going to lose Adrien, and she had no one to blame but herself.

Chat Blanc’s hand scraped against hers. His back bowed like a reed in the wind, so sharply she thought it might break. And then the bell at his throat cracked. It fell to the floor in two pieces, and a scarred black butterfly emerged from the remains. The white suit dissolved as though the black one had devoured it whole, and when he finally straightened, Marinette saw that his eyes were the clear, beautiful green she knew.

“I’d worry about saving yourself,” Chat Noir panted, his voice promising violence. “Cataclysm.”

Chat Noir didn’t spare her a glance as he curled her fingers back over the earrings. Marinette didn’t waste anytime slipping them back on as her partner lead the charge. Through the haze of her transformation, she saw Koira follow Chat Noir’s lead.

“Lucky Charm!” Ladybug was already running as she snatched the spotted bottle from the air. She dodged another piece of falling concrete. “Fabric dye?” She scanned the room, but the only thing that lit up was Hawk Moth.

Movement out of the corner of her eye snagged her attention. Ladybug’s heart leapt into a gallop as she spied Chloe sneaking closer to the battle, but no sooner did she begin to shout a warning than did Chloe light up as well.

“Ok, ok, I get it,” Ladybug muttered. Her earrings ticked down to four minutes, which meant Chat Noir had three. “Time to end this once and for all.”

Ladybug loosed her yoyo, but Hawk Moth evaded it easily. Chat Noir ducked in as she pulled her yoyo back. He swiped at Hawk Moth with his cataclysm, but Hawk Moth evaded that, too.

“You’re children,” he spat as he sent Koira sprawling. “I have nothing but time. You can’t possibly think you have a chance.”

That was when Ladybug saw the plan come together, as surely as she saw all the players standing there now. Her earrings chimed two minutes.

“We don’t need a chance,” Ladybug panted as she feinted to the left. “Just a little bit of luck.”

Chloe shot to her feet behind Hawk Moth and struck him with the piece of chain still attached to her wrist, hard. He wouldn’t feel it through the Miraculous, not really, but it was enough of a distraction. Ladybug slipped under his guard as he turned to face the new threat. She squeezed the bottle, squirting undiluted dye directly into Hawk Moth’s eyes. He never even saw Chat Noir coming.

But Ladybug saw it all.

The way Chat Noir came from above. The paw pad on his ring flashing its last moments. The butterfly Miraculous shattering from the force of the cataclysm. And the twin flashes of green and purple as both transformations dissolved.

NO.” Gabriel clutched the tie pin at his throat as though he could will it back together as he stumbled from the impact. And then his gaze landed on Adrien.

Gabriel’s eyes flew wide as he regarded his son and said, “You. You? This whole time - ”

“I think you’ll find we are equally disappointed, Father.” Adrien’s voice was cold, colder than Ladybug had ever heard it. She sensed Gabriel’s move before he made it; there was no avoiding her yoyo now. She caught him mid-lunge, and he dropped to his knees.

“Gabriel Agreste,” Ladybug said, her voice steady. She’d imagined this moment a thousand times, but never thought his name would be the one she’d utter. “Your reign of terror ends now.” And then she leaned over and tore the damaged Miraculous from his throat. “I told you this was how it would end.”

But Gabriel only smirked. “If you think this is the end, you are very much mistaken.”

A white flash from the opposite side of the room caught their attention. Pegasus was half-hanging out of a portal, Ryuuko beside him. “I heard you were ready for an escape route,” Pegasus called.

“You heard right,” Koira said. Then he swept Chloe up, ignoring the way she immediately started howling like a banshee.

“I can walk,” she snapped, kicking her legs, even if the kicks were on the feeble side.

“I have no doubt,” Koira said dryly. “Unfortunately you seem to have trouble following instructions.” They vanished through the portal.

“Viperion’s down,” Ladybug said, turning back to Adrien.

“On it,” he said. He stood and, without looking at his father, strode for the back of the room.

Cement dust continued to trickle down from the cracks throughout the room. Somewhere, a creak sounded ominously. Ladybug clutched the dye bottle in her hand, bracing herself. “Miraculous Lady - ”

Marinette’s transformation dissolved and her Lucky Charm turned to dust in her hand, the Miracle Cure abruptly beyond her grasp. Before she could blink, Ryuuko was there, her rapier beneath Gabriel’s chin before he could move. He chuckled.

“I suppose there’s no magical cure this time, is there, Ms. Dupain-Cheng?”

She got the feeling he wasn’t talking about the damage caused in the basement room. “Not this time, no. Take him.”

Ryuuko nodded, took Gabriel firmly by the arm, and escorted him through the portal. Marinette took a breath. Then another. And another. It was over. It was finally over. Hawk Moth’s reign had finally come to an end. She squeezed her fingers, felt the jagged edges of the damaged Miraculous bite into her hand, a relic of their victory.

She took two steps towards the portal, but came up short when the long skirts of her dress caught on a piece of rubble. She tugged on the fabric, took one more step.

With a groan and ear-splitting <em>crack</em>, the damaged walls gave way and the ceiling caved in. Someone screamed.

Marinette plunged into oblivion.

#phantoms

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