#AO3 Ladrien Plus

[xhanisai]

sometimes ladybug can be an idiot.

AO3

Pairing - Ladrien, Adrinette + Marichat

Prompt - 'Purr Purr'

Summary -

'Do all blond boys purr and get cuddly?'

Ladybug sputtered internally, face composed and arms full of one blushy, cuddly (and apparently) purring Adrien Agreste as she leapt from building to building in order to take him to safety. His chest continued to literally rumble like her partner's namesake, vibrating hard enough to make her own chest shake along with his whilst the top of his golden hair rubbed itself under her chin in pure delight. As if he found the key to the highest of the seven heavens and paying zero attention to how the heroine had to perform daredevil-like acrobatics and parkour just to keep him safe.

Like an ignorant little cat.

~(x)~

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 'Do all blond boys purr and get cuddly?'

 Ladybug sputtered internally, face composed and arms full of one blushy, cuddly (and apparently) purring Adrien Agreste as she leapt from building to building in order to take him to safety. His chest continued to literally rumble like her partner's namesake, vibrating hard enough to make her own chest shake along with his whilst the top of his golden hair rubbed itself under her chin in pure delight. As if he found the key to the highest of the seven heavens and paying zero attention to how the heroine had to perform daredevil-like acrobatics and parkour just to keep him safe.

Like an ignorant little cat.

 The latest Akuma of the day was after him and wouldn't settle for anything less other than ripping the model apart limb from limb or skewering him with his villainous sword and using him as a makeshift javelin so that he could shoot the poor teen all the way to the moon. In fact, Ladybug would have been quite impressed with the Akuma's creative yet morbid threats that spilt out of his feral mouth had they not been directed towards the love of her life. He was determined to turn her purring future husband— ehem, her purring very good friend into a sheesh kebab.

 And why, you may ask?

Rewind to thirty minutes earlier.  An upperclassman at collège Françoise Dupont had been crushing on Marinette Dupain-Cheng for quite a while; often paying a visit to her parents' boulangerie and buying way too many pastries just to get a glimpse of her at the cashier, sticking around at the front of the school steps in the morning till the bell rings just to see her dart into the building in a rush and even making sure to sit at a table in the cafeteria that was closest to the one she was at during lunch just so he could watch her in his peripheral vision.

 Deaf to all of his peers' warnings and paying no mind to a single word they said ("You don't even know if she's single!", "Not a good idea dude...", "Bro, give up!"), he soon mustered up all of his courage and everything to finally, finally ask her out.

 In front of everyone.

 .

 The apple of his eye, whilst slightly flattered by his grand declaration (or so he thought), was also really uncomfortable and incredibly confused. She politely declined much to the upperclassman's dismay so of course he had to keep insisting and make her change her mind! Just because she's saying "no" doesn't mean that she really means it— she could be playing hard to get like all girls usually do, right!?

 Plus, how is he supposed to win her over if she doesn't give him a chance? He's cool, good-looking, older and has moderately good grades! Sure, she has no idea who he is but this is why it's more of a reason for her to agree and go out with him because how else will they get to know each other? All of his exes also said that he's a very good kisser (after much prodding and whining from his side every time they weren't feeling up for a kiss during the times they were together) so surely, once he gets Marinette to go on the date with him and he kisses her goodnight, she'll fall madly in love with him too, right???

 He just couldn't see why anyone would turn him down!

 However, all of a sudden, Adrien FUCKING Agreste appeared.

 .

 Not only did that evil little brat give him such an intimidating glare that it sent paralysing fear down the upperclassman's spine but he also had the balls to grab Marinette in his arms and envelope her tiny frame within!? All whilst glaring at him!?!? (He was only a few centimetres shorter than the upperclassman too so why is this blondie allowed to be so scary!?)  And the cherry on top???

 The way that Marinette stared up at Adrien with literal pink heart eyes and wearing the most adorable blush he'd ever seen, as if she belonged in that stupid model's embrace. He swore, SWORE to all the Gods and ancient powers he could ever think of that he saw Adrien Stupid-greste smirk triumphantly when Marinette relaxed and hid her face into his chest with a quiet squeal! So obviously that was more than enough of a reasoning for the upperclassman to get akumatised and gut the golden-haired stinking cat, right?!

And soon, he succumbed to the smooth, seductive voice belonging to the notorious villain and didn't waste any time to accept his offer of supernatural power in exchange for the miraculous of Ladybug and Chat Noir.

Present  Too caught up in her thoughts, Ladybug didn't catch the happy mumblings from the teen in her arms who continued to act like he was forever stuck in bliss and ecstasy and was practically cuddling her.

 "Hehhe~ mine ♡ My Lady, my Marinette, mine ♡♡♡ I love you, I love you, I love you~ we're so getting married and will have a million babies and live on an island together with a pet hamster~!" 

 Ladybug continued to stay wrapped up in her thoughts even after she successfully put Adrien in a safe place, was joined by her beloved Chat Noir and when they instantly took down the Akuma at record-breaking speed. She managed to clock how similar Adrien's and Chat Noir's behaviours were when compared together and yet all she concluded in her insanely intelligent brain was that it was just a 'blond-haired, green-eyed boy' sort of thing.

 Oh well.

 At least the upperclassman will finally leave her alone. For now? She has to deal with her purring, giggly partner whose arms are practically glued around her waist like the lovesick kitten he is. At least her Chaton is the cutest thing ever. And if anyone saw her pressing lots of kisses on his fluffy head— shush.

OMAKE

 "Months! You knew that I was Ladybug for months and you didn't tell me?" Marinette scolded the big black and yellow puddle of happy goop on her lap, her arms crossed and eyes narrowed whilst he continued to watch her with those big, glittery greens of his that made it absolutely impossible to stay mad at him. Even his belt tail curved itself into the shape of a heart from time to time before deciding to wrap itself around her ankle as if it were an extension of her partner's feelings.

 Technically, she wasn't as mad as she wanted to sound but dammit, she had to teach her silly Chaton a lesson!

 "Actually, I'd say I've known for over half a year now, ma Princesse," He leaned up from her lap with a mischievous smile and quickly pecked her nose to get her to blush just the way he liked it. Dieu, he wanted to kiss her so badly on the lips. Judging by the way she bloomed in a brighter pink colour, she must have realised his wishful intentions.

 "H-Hey! Bad Chaton! Keep your lips to yourself!" Her flustered stutter only worsened mid-sentence, unconsciously melting into the leather-clad hand that lovingly cupped the side of her face.

 Dammit.

 "But I love giving you kisses~" He flashed her his iconic kitten eyes, faux ears drooping and brows furrowed. "I can't let a single second go without making My Lady feel loved, non?" He pressed a couple more kisses on her cheek, each getting closer and closer to her lips. "Besides...I feel like from now on, I should wear some lipstick and kiss you all over so that no more annoying boys will pester you for a date when I'm right there. Hmmph."

 "What do you mean when you're right there— " And then, and finally fucking then, everything clicked for Marinette Dupain-Cheng and the two blond-haired, green-eyed purring boys in her life turned into one. "ADRIEN!?!??!"

 Bisou.

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~(x)~

[purrincess-chat]

In Breakable Heaven CH1

It's @ladrienjune yall!

And I know what you're all thinking

But I finally wrote something! One chapter of a thing. For now, but more will be coming, I promise! As I mentioned previously, I am moving for the next couple weeks, but I will hopefully have some down time to write here and there. I also still need to plan the ending for this fic, but shhhhh that's future Cat's problem ;) Anywho, here's the beginning of a Ladrien secret-dating adventure. Enjoy~

This chapter covers days 6, 7, and 8 (social media, jealousy, and biggest fan respectively).

Read on AO3

Rating: G

Summary:

When Adrien wins a contest on the Ladyblog, he catches the attention of Ladybug herself and scores more than just an opportunity to hang out with her. Caught in a fever dream high, the two lovebirds try to navigate their budding relationship away from the public eye and find that keeping secrets is a lot harder than they anticipated. Devils roll the dice, angels roll their eyes, what doesn't kill them makes them want each other more, and they'll do whatever it takes to stay in breakable heaven.

Chapter 1

“You Play Stupid Games, You Win Stupid Prizes”

“Alright, Bugheads, now onto the big announcement! With summer holidays coming up, I thought it would be a fun time to host a little contest, and ask the question: How well you know our resident superheroine? I’ve created a quiz that only the most die-hard fans will be able to pass because the stakes on this one are high. The person with the highest score will get to spend an afternoon with Ladybug! And don’t worry, this was approved by the head bug herself! Details for entry are listed below. Best of luck to all of you, and don’t forget to stay connected!”  Alya’s cheery lilt ended on Adrien’s computer screen, and he leaned back in his chair.

“A whole afternoon with Ladybug?” He swooned.

“What’s the big deal? You already spend every afternoon with her.” Plagg hovered over Adrien’s head with a wedge of cheese.

“Yeah, when we’re fighting bad guys,” Adrien said pointedly. “She never wants to spend time with me outside of work. This could be my chance to finally see a movie with her.”

“What’s the appeal of seeing a movie anyway? You just sit next to each other in silence for several hours. The only plus is the buttery popcorn with its salty, crunchy, oily goodness...” Plagg shoved the cheese into his mouth and chewed thoughtfully for a moment. “On second thought, why don’t you and I go see a movie? I’m much better company.”

Adrien rolled his eyes and clicked the leaderboard in the comments of Alya’s post. Someone had already gotten a decently high score on the quiz, only a few points away from perfect. A few scrolls down, the same username popped up again, and Adrien’s grip tightened on his mouse.

ladybugsfuturebf: Good luck beating my score! Only Ladybug herself could score higher. Can’t wait to spend one-on-one time with her on our date!

“Who does this guy think he is? A date? Ladybug’s future boyfriend? Before me?” Adrien scoffed.

“Need I remind you, the contest is to win a chance to hang out with her, not date her,” Plagg said.

What kind of flowers do you think she likes? Oh, wait! I already answered that on the quiz! She’s gonna be so impressed she’ll forget all about Chat Noir.

Adrien’s teeth ground together. There was no way such a boastful, arrogant person was in the lead. And forget about him? Please, he was Ladybug’s best friend! No one knew her better than him. He could ace that quiz in no time.

“What are you doing?” Plagg sighed as Adrien clicked the entry form.

“Oh, come on, Plagg. I can’t let that guy win! If anyone is going to win a date with Ladybug, it’s me! I know her better than anyone,” Adrien said.

Plagg floated down in front of his face. “And you don’t think it’s going to be a problem if you get a perfect score? Let’s just broadcast to the world that you’re Chat Noir!”

“I’m not that dense, Plagg.” Adrien waved him out of the way. “I’ll sign up with a fake email and username. No one will ever know Adrien Agreste won.”

Pursing his lips, he tapped the keys of his keyboard in thought on the account creation screen. He needed something inconspicuous, but not too mysterious. Something that wouldn’t be surprising when Chat Noir revealed himself as the winner, but also, not something that would be a dead giveaway that it was him. He didn’t want Ladybug to disqualify him for cheating. Besides, he wasn’t really cheating. There were no rules that her best friend and partner couldn’t enter…

He’d keep it simple but on brand — thecatsmeow had a nice ring to it, and it was surprisingly not taken. Now that his account was squared away, he just had to pass the quiz. 40 questions? Piece of cake.

What is Ladybug’s favorite color? Easy, pink.

Favorite musical artist? Jagged Stone.

Eye color?

It was almost sad how easy the questions were, and before he knew it, he’d finished. Adrien sat back as the site tabulated his score, and Plagg came to a rest on the top of his chair. A perfect score flashed on the screen, and Adrien shot up with a whoop.

“Yes! Take that ladybugsfuturebf!” he cheered.

“Don’t you think Ladybug is going to be mad when she finds out you won?” Plagg asked.

“Oh, come on. If anything, this just proves how much I pay attention. She’ll be impressed that I know her so well,” he said. At Plagg’s skeptical expression, Adrien sat back down. “And she’s not going to have a choice because I won fair and square.”

“You’re delusional.” Plagg floated off.

Adrien shrugged it off, smiling at his username at the top of the leaderboard. He was finally going to get that movie date with Ladybug! Nothing was going to sour his mood.

***

The next day, Adrien arrived at school as usual, shutting the door to his silver town car without a second thought. After winning the date with Ladybug, he was on cloud nine, imaging how romantic it would be in the dark theater. Maybe he’d pick a horror movie and hold her when she got scared. Oh! And their hands could brush as they both reached for popcorn at the same time! Entering the contest was the best idea he’d ever had.

“There’s no way it’s not him. Chat Noir totally won the contest,” Alya said as he entered the classroom.

Adrien stopped in his tracks. Okay, maybe not his best idea, but it was fine because he used a fake account. There was no way they traced it back to him.

None of them paid him any mind as he took his seat beside Nino, who was tapping his chin in thought.

“But why would Chat Noir need to enter a contest to spend time with Ladybug. He spends like the most time with her out of everyone,” Nino said.

“It’s so obvious. He’s been trying to get her to go to the movies with him for like ever, and now she has to say yes,” Alya said.

“Shouldn’t that be against the rules or something?” Marinette asked. “I mean, they spend so much time together, of course he’d know all the answers.”

“I’m willing to allow it because I think it’s really funny, and I don’t mind being Chat Noir’s wing woman.” She shrugged.

“Alya!” Marinette gasped.

“What? I want them to get together. Sue me.” Alya giggled.

“Hey, didn’t all the contestants have to have valid accounts to enter? What’s the name on the email address for the username that won?” Nino asked.

Adrien stiffened.

“Way ahead of you,” Alya said. “I looked right after the results posted, but the email is registered to an obvious alias, which further proves that it’s Chat Noir. He wouldn’t use his real name. He may not always look it, but he’s a smart cat.”

He wasn’t sure if he should be offended by that statement or not.  

“Dang, would have been cool if we learned who he was,” Nino said.

Adrien breathed a sigh of relief when they let it drop. Everything was fine, and Alya wasn’t going to disqualify him. He could already taste the popcorn!

“Ya know,” it was Max who spoke up, having stopped midway up the stairs to his desk upon overhearing their conversation, “if you’re interested in knowing who the account really belongs to, I can track the IP address.”

Adrien’s heart shot up to his throat.

“Wait, for real?” Alya perked up.

“That would be totally awesome!” Nino added.

Maybe it would be fine. His father paid for crazy firewalls to protect his design secrets. No way anyone could get through them… Right?

“I recently upgraded Markov’s tracking capacity. I can crack a low-grade military firewall and find an address with pin-point accuracy,” Max said.

Most of the time, Adrien was amazed at Max’s genius, but today he was terrified of it. Plagg was right, entering the quiz was a surefire way to get him caught!

“Guys, that’s an invasion of privacy! Besides, don’t you think it will be dangerous if it is Chat Noir? I mean, exposing his identity will lead Hawkmoth right to his door. You’re practically handing him his Miraculous,” Marinette, his sweet pig-tailed savior, said.

Adrien cleared his throat and turned around, “Yeah, Marinette’s right. I think it will cause more trouble than it’s worth.” For him specifically.

“Chill out, I’m not going to post it online or anything. I just think if we knew who he was we could help him. I can be the girl on the ground, and I can also give him tips to fix his pitiful attempts at flirting with Ladybug,” Alya said.

Pitiful! Oh, she was definitely getting snubbed next time she asked for an interview.

“Alya, it’s dangerous and wrong. Even if he entered the contest for selfish reasons, that doesn’t mean you can invade his privacy like that.” Marinette chided. “Promise me you won’t look into it. It would put all of you and him in danger.”

Alya pursed her lips, exchanging glances with Max and Nino before slumping in her seat.

“Fine, I won’t look into it,” she said.

“Good,” Marinette said as Mlle. Bustier entered and called for everyone to find their seats.

Adrien turned back around, breathing out a ragged sigh. That was close, but it had all worked out in the end. He’d have to stop by the bakery later and buy a caseload of chouquettes to thank Marinette. Her level-head really saved his hide.

As the day wore on, Adrien pushed the morning’s conversation from his mind, though he had a feeling Plagg would give him an earful about it later. It would all be worth it when he and Ladybug finally went on their date. Could he get cherry blossoms this time of year? They were just barely out of season, but he could probably pull a few strings.

He pulled out his phone to check as he entered the library, and he’d almost found a promising listing when he rounded the corner and found Alya and Max crowded around a laptop at a table. Ducking back behind the bookshelf, he strained his ears to listen.

“His firewall is surprisingly good, it may take me a while to crack,” Max was saying.

“But you can definitely get around it?” Alya asked.

“Of course, what do you take me for?” Max scoffed.

They were going through with it after all! Adrien’s heart sped up, his palms growing shaky and sweaty. He should go over to their table and call them out for going back on their word, but would it be suspicious if he got onto them? Why would he be so bent on keeping Chat Noir’s identity secret unless he was Chat Noir? This was bad! What should he do?

Adrien bolted from the library, peering out over the railing at the courtyard below. Marinette was sketching quietly on a bench, and he raced to her side. She looked up at him with wide eyes, recoiling back with a nervous smile, probably in response to how desperate and deranged he looked, but there was no time to worry about that.

“Marinette, we have to stop Alya and Max. They’re in the library trying to crack Chat Noir’s firewall right now!” He panted.

“What?” She abandoned her sketchbook on the bench and took the lead back up the stairs to the library.

She burst through the doors and stormed over to their table, and Adrien did his best to look supportive but not too panicked. Alya winced when she saw them, and Marinette placed her hands on her hips.

“So, you were just going to go behind my back and do it anyways?” She scoffed.

“I’m sorry, girl! But think of how much good we could do if we could team up and help him!” Alya said.

“Think of how much danger you’re putting yourselves in! If Hawkmoth finds out you know his identity, he’ll come after you and your families. What if one of you gets akumatized? You could get hurt. Chat Noir could get hurt or worse!” Marinette said.

“She’s right. You guys shouldn’t go through with this,” Adrien added.

“I’m almost through the firewall,” Max said.

“Call it off, Max!” Marinette ordered.

“Keep going! We’re so close!” Alya pleaded. She turned to Marinette and pressed her palms together. “Look, I know it’s risky, but what if we can help take down Hawkmoth? That’s worth the risk, right?”

“It’s not our job! We don’t have superpowers, and it can put us and the people we love in danger!” Marinette placed her hands on Alya’s shoulders. “Please, stop.”

“Girl, I know you’re scared for me, but I promise I’ll be careful. ‘All that’s necessary for the triumph of evil-”

“That doesn’t apply here!” Marinette shook her head.

“I made it through the firewall!” Max said. “A few more seconds, and I can tell you exactly where he lives.”

Marinette and Alya were at a stand-off, and every clack of Max’s keyboard was a nail in Adrien’s coffin. He didn’t have a choice, but if they were going to find out it was him, he was going to do whatever it took to convince them he wasn’t Chat Noir. He just hoped Ladybug didn’t think he was a total freak afterward.

“It’s me!” He blurted. When Marinette and Alya turned to him with quirked brows, he let out a sigh. “I’m the one who won the contest. I’m thecatsmeow.”

Max’s keyboard went silent, and he turned the screen to face them where Adrien’s home address was flashing. “He’s telling the truth.”

“Whoa, so you’re Chat Noir?” Alya grinned.

“No!” Adrien held up cautioning hands. “I’m just, uhh, I didn’t want my father to know I entered, so I used a fake profile. There’s no way he would have let me go if he knew about it.”

“Why didn’t you say anything sooner?” Marinette asked.

Adrien rubbed the back of his neck and averted his gaze. “I guess I was just embarrassed. I didn’t want any of you to think less of me.”

“I don’t think less of you!” Marinette assured him. “I-I mean, you won the contest fair and square, and you had every right to enter.”

Alya’s eyes narrowed, and Adrien shrank under her gaze.

“I’m still not entirely convinced. Ladybug and I made some of those questions crazy specific. How would you know she doesn’t like anchovies on her pizza, or that she likes lemon in her tea?” Alya crossed her arms over her chest.

“I… have a lot of money and free time.” He shrugged. “I got a bunch of drone cameras and spy equipment, and I watch her and Chat Noir all the time.” When everyone stared at him with wide eyes, he quickly added, “Not in a creepy way! I just admire her.”

“…You don’t know her identity, do you?” Marinette asked.

“No, of course not! I’d never do something like that.” Adrien shook his head. “I’m just…her biggest fan.”

Alya looked him up and down, her skeptical expression giving way to a smile. “You could have just said something. I mean, you know how freak-crazy I am about all of this. I would have understood.”

“I’m sorry. I’m just used to keeping a lot of my interests a secret because I have my father’s brand to consider — and my father to consider. If he knew what I was doing, he’d put an end to it immediately.” Adrien traced his thumb over his ring behind his back.

“Well, you don’t have to worry about us. Your secret’s safe.” Alya placed a hand on his shoulder with a wink. “Though, I may need to borrow your drone from time to time as payment.”

“Alya,” Marinette said in a warning tone.

“We’ll discuss the details later,” she said. “And if you ever want to talk Ladybug, I’m always here.”

“Thanks.” He smiled, letting his shoulders relax.

“Though, I am still a bit confused on your logic. I mean, you won the contest, so you were going to have to reveal it was you eventually to claim your prize. What was your plan there?” Alya quirked a brow.

“Uhh, wear a disguise?” Adrien said with a wince.

Alya threw her head back with a laugh. “Well, congrats on winning. I’ll pass the message on to Ladybug that you’re the winner, and we’ll arrange your prize soon.”

“Thanks,” Adrien said.

When the bell rang, Alya and Max packed up, and Adrien breathed a sigh of relief as they headed to their next class. That was way too close, but somehow, he’d managed to convince them. Plagg was going to scold him later.

Marinette fell into step beside him, tugging at her blazer.

“Um, congrats on winning,” she said. “I-I think it’s a good thing you won instead of some weirdo. I mean, if I was Ladybug, I’d be happy you won because it means we’d get to spend time together, and who wouldn’t want to spend time with you?”

Adrien smiled at her. “Thanks. I’m looking forward to hanging out with her. I admire her a lot,” he said. “And thanks for your help earlier.”

“N-n- Mmmhmm.” Marinette nodded.

She fell back to link up with Alya, and Adrien bit back a smile. It wasn’t exactly what he’d planned, but he still got to spend time with Ladybug either way. And who knew? Maybe there would be advantages to her going with Adrien Agreste instead of Chat Noir. At least this way, she couldn’t scold him. Besides, it didn’t matter to him which side she fell in love with, so long as it was him. He couldn’t wait for their date!

[rosie-b]

Fic authors self rec! When you get this, reply with your favorite five fics that you've written, then pass on to at least five other writers. Let’s spread the self-love ❤️

Hi @kasienda! Thanks for the ask! 🩷

True Blue - It's not even that close. This is my baby, the AU I've put the most effort into and gotten the best response to. I got to crank up Gabriel's villainy and then had to put myself in his shoes in order to get Marinette to join his side (even just for a while). It was a challenge (still is, since it's not finished yet) that I really enjoyed, and I've loved the comments I've gotten on it! I really adore it when I can know that I'm not the only one who loves my fics, and this is one of the fics that allows me that security.

it's them (again) - Recency bias, partially! The idea for this fic was just so fun to work with, and it required more thought than your average AU since it doesn't really intersect with canon at all. I had to create a whole new world, and limit what I showed for simplicity. I think it worked pretty well! It still doesn't have many hits on AO3 compared to my other works, but I think it's just the side effect of locking my fics (what can I say, I don't enjoy AI stealing my work). When few people respond to my works (like with this one) it makes it harder for me to enjoy them, because I feel like I did something wrong. But this one was born in specific circumstances that allow me to at least temporarily overlook its response, and I think it has a unique charm that I'll keep liking. Plus, for a low number of hits, there's a high corresponding rate of kudos and bookmarks on this fic, which I do find encouraging

Centuries Overdue - Another fun AU to work with! I enjoy writing things that make me think and plan and scheme, I guess. Plus I got to work with two artists on it!! This fic (historical and modern, unique magic elements, plot twist-reliant) was unlike any others I'd written, so it forced me to try new things and grow as a writer. I think it turned out pretty well!

The Bedbug Problem - The last Ladrien fic I had a real blast writing! This was for the ml secret santa exchange, and while I haven't heard whether the fic's recipient liked it, I did, at least. I had fun trying to include certain elements I hoped the recipient would like as well as the ones that would drive the story forward. It always helps when you have similar tastes to the person you're writing for, because it feels like it's partially your gift, too!

Stealing Freedom - This was the first fic I wrote that got a lot of attention (by my standards) and it's one that was a lot of fun to write! It's another fic that was a new style for me at the time and that required me to kind of scheme as I worked my way to the perfect ending. I think I struck a pretty good balance of angst and hurt/comfort where Adrien and Marinette's love for each other basically saves the day, which is one of my favorite things to read. I was really glad that other people liked it, too!

[kasienda]

Kisses in the Rain: Chapter 3 - Ladynoir - Out of Time

Written for @ladynoirjuly​ - Day 24 - Out of Time

Read on AO3

Chapter 1 - Adrinette - Kiss in the Rain

Chapter 2 - Ladrien - Goodbye Kiss

Chapter 3 - Ladynoir - Out of Time

The onslaught of miraculized robots is endless. For every one they manage to throw off, another three portals open to spill out more to fight.

She’s not sure how they ended up in the sky fighting on a cloud. And it’s bad. She knows it’s too much. She’s exhausted and she knows he is too. It’s only a matter of time before they’re overwhelmed.

She feels no fear at the conclusion. In fact, she finds herself smiling with Chat Noir at her back, grateful that if this is the end, he is here with her.

“I love you,” she shouts, and she can barely hear herself over the gales of wind whipping around them. But she knows he can hear her.

“I know.” She can hear the smile in his voice, she’s picturing it in her mind as she presses against his back facing the onslaught.

“You do? Since when?”

“Since our dream.”

Of course he hadn’t believed her attempts at misdirection after the fact. He had gone along with it because she wanted him to.

Because he always followed her lead in all things. She loved him so much.

“I wanted to say it out loud. In case, in case–”

In case they didn’t make it.

 “I love you, too.” he tells her. And for a second, she forgets where they are, fights against the never ending horde on autopilot as time seems to slow down around her at his simple words that she’s heard him say before, but had never accepted.

 Now, she accepts and tears prickle at the corner of her eyes. She wants to whirl around and throw herself into his arms. She wants to kiss him for real - outside of a dream where they both will remember. She had her memory of Adrien. It’s not fair that she doesn’t have her memory with Chat Noir too.

 He grabs her hand and she feels the pull in her navel as he vaults them over the army  that’s always closing in, right into the open sky. The air is battering her pigtails and ribbons around her face as they fall to the ground that look kilometers away.

 They needed to drop their transformations. The robots had said enough that she had put together that they were tracking their active miraculouses. But that knowledge hadn’t helped as they had never been out of sight long enough to detransform. And now they were in the open air with portals still opening all around them.

 Assuming they could create even a second of cover, she knew they didn’t have time to separate, which was fine. As cornered as they were, it seemed like it was time - how else would they find each other if they couldn’t transform? Plus, she would be damned if Monarch discovered her identity before Chat.

 They needed just a moment of cover.

 “Lucky charm.”

 An umbrella - red, spotted with black like always - fell into her hands. She opened it. It was cartoonishly large, but it would cover both their faces. Still in Chat Noir’s hold, she opened it over their heads.

 “You have to drop your transformation first,” she tells him. “I have to hold mine to keep the umbrella.”

 “Always dreamed of sharing an umbrella with you, M’lady,” he quips, giving her a smile so soft that when he turns into Adrien a second later she’s not even surprised.

 Her eyes threaten tears. Of course it was him. She feels like an idiot for never realizing.

 She drops her transformation, while studying his face. His eyes widen only for a second, and then all his tension eases and he’s giving her a smile that’s somehow even softer than before.

 She cups his face and pulls him in for a kiss. The air around them is suddenly silent. It’s like they’re the only two beings in the universe because everything makes sense now.

 They've loved each other since the beginning. They loved each other over and over in all their forms and combinations, even when they weren’t allowed to. They sacrificed being with one another as Adrien and Marinette to keep being there for each other as Chat Noir and Ladybug. They made all the same choices even when it was hard, had to break each other’s hearts four times and counting.

 They’ve already had four first kisses.      Six    if they counted Dark Cupid and Oblivio. But this kiss feels like a first kiss all over again. A kiss where she sees all of him and he sees all of her. A kiss where she’s laughing against his mouth instead of crying.

 A kiss that she      know    s is a new beginning, the first of many to come. A kiss that is all the sweeter for all that they’ve gone through together, for all that they’ve survived together, for all that they’ve had to overcome.

 She had spent days screaming, crying, and yelling at the universe for denying her this love.

 But in this moment, she wouldn’t have it any other way.

 She loved every part of him as he loved every part of her, and even if they had to keep waiting, she knew without doubt that he would be there waiting for her. And she would wait forever for him. He was worth it.

 She pulled away to look into his smiling eyes. He didn’t say anything. He didn’t need to. All their words had already been said.

 “Umm… guys? I hate to interrupt, but—“ Plagg said.

 They were still falling, air rushing around them, the ground growing larger by the second.

 She giggled in pure delight. Adrien laughed as well - the same delighted explosion of joy that she heard the first day his umbrella closed in over her head for the first time.

 “Astro Plagg, claws out.”

 “Astro Tikki, spots on.”

 Wings caught painfully in the air, slowing their uncontrolled descent. Their hands are still entwined, and they pull each other in to share another brief kiss. The portals would start opening again in seconds. They could only be transformed long enough to land.

 “Let’s go destroy Monarch and then live happily ever after,” she says, when they have to break apart.

 “Brilliant plan, m’lady. As always.”

[san-fics]

Multi-group-Chat

Text fic

MultiNoir, Ladynoir, Marichat, Adrianette, Ladrien, DJWifi

AO3

Part 4

01:30 pm

Private messages Ladybug - Chat Noir

MyLady: why do u hate Adrien?

MyLady: r u jealous?

Kitty: really?

Kitty: what does he have that i don’t?

Kitty: fan girls? Pretty face? Fame? Money?

MyLady: Chat

Kitty: cause i’ve got that all covered

Kitty: the only thing

Kitty: he seems to have yr vote for him over me

MyLady: Chat

MyLady: u’r my partner

MyLady: i���d never choose someone else over u

MyLady: in battle

MyLady: i just don’t get it

MyLady: why r u so much against him?

Kitty: that’s simple

Kitty: he failed u

MyLady: Chat

MyLady: u weren’t there

MyLady: how can u judge him?

Kitty: neither were u

Kitty: anyway

Kitty: u can have him

Kitty: but i prefer Luka

Kitty: just for u to know

MyLady: SM knows Luka’s id

Kitty: it didn’t disturb u during wishmaker

MyLady: i didn’t have much choice

MyLady: but if we train Adrien

MyLady: we may have this choice

Kitty: what ever

MyLady: thank u, Chat

Kitty: u know i can’t fight u, my lady

Kitty: u have power over me

MyLady: kitty

MyLady: don’t

Kitty: ...

01:43 pm

The team - group chat

Carapace: why everyone left?

Carapace: i feel lonely

Rena Rouge: i’m here, babe

Rena Rouge: but it looks like some things r better to be discussed in PM

Rena Rouge: u know, by our main couple

Ladybug: we r not a couple

Chat Noir: yet

Rena Rouge: see, babe?

Rena Rouge: those were the magic words for LB and CN to appear

Ladybug: Chat

Chat Noir: u know u love me

Chat Noir deleted a message

Chat Noir: i have to be on the alert when new guys appear on the team

Ladybug: Chat, will u add him?

Ladybug: i’m not an admin for this chat

Chat Noir: but u r the admin for this Chat

Ladybug: kitty

Chat Noir: i love when she calls me that

Chat Noir added Aspic

Rena Rouge: and here i thought it was already the top level fun)

Rena Rouge: hey Aspic

Carapace: greetings, dude

Ladybug: welcome to the team, Aspic

Multimouse: hello Aspic

Chat Noir: u r on training, don’t relax too much

Ladybug: Chat

Aspic: umm, hello?

Aspic: what am i doing here?

Aspic: are u all superheroes?

Aspic: i thought i failed

Ladybug: don’t say that, Aspic

Ladybug: u’ve done a great job

Ladybug: and we want u to do even better

Chat Noir: which won’t be too hard...

Ladybug: Chat

Chat Noir: sorry

Chat Noir: we welcome you in the team, Aspic, and will gladly train u

Carapace: wow, more passive-aggressive here

Carapace: i thought it was the Ladybug/Multimouse thing

Aspic: Ladybug can’t be like that

Aspic: she’s perfect

Ladybug: kfusgaiflcbaueod

Ladybug: sorry

Rena Rouge: here it comes

Chat Noir: u right, she is

Chat Noir: i guess it’s something we can agree on

Chat Noir: anyway

Chat Noir: i’ll make a schedule and send here

Chat Noir: if someone can’t cower their night, we’ll fix it

Chat Noir: i think it’s better to have stable pairs for few patrols

Chat Noir: then we switch

Chat Noir: Ladybug can have the snake

Chat Noir: Rena and the turtle can go together

Chat Noir: princess is with me

Aspic: schedule?

Aspic: princess?

Aspic: umm

Ladybug: i’ll explain everything on our first patrol

Ladybug: don’t worry

Rena Rouge: :)

Ladybug: Chat

Ladybug: what about us?

Chat Noir: what about us?

Ladybug: our patrols

Chat Noir: we fight akumas like every day

Chat Noir: plus the team needs us more then we need each other now

Chat Noir: it’s not like we’re a couple

Ladybug: ...

Ladybug: r u still mad at me?

Chat Noir: no

Chat Noir: but they need a training

Chat Noir: patrols are a good starting point

Ladybug: u’r right

Aspic: who’s Multimouse?

03:14 pm

Private messages Nino - Adrien

Nino: dude

Nino: u were tired today

Nino: r u ok?

Adrien: sure

Adrien: just a late night

Nino: reading fanfictions again?

Adrien: it was just once, Nino

Nino: right) i believe u

Nino: so

Adrien: so?

Nino: what with all the glances?

Adrien: what do u mean?

Nino: at school

Nino: i trust u didn’t stare at my girlfriend

Adrien: bro

Adrien: i would never

Nino: i know, bro

Nino: but it makes me wonder

Nino: Marinette?

Adrien: what about her?

Nino: dude, i’m not blind

Nino: u couldn’t keep yr eyes of her

Adrien: me???

Adrien: and Mari?

Adrien: we r just friends

Nino: right

Nino: that’s what i thought)

Nino: anyway

Nino: u won’t believe what’s happening

Nino: we have a superhero group chat now

Nino: and brand new heroes no one’ve seen yet

Nino: and we’ll patrol the city in pairs now

Nino: i’m so glad i can share with u now

Adrien: wow

Adrien: this sounds cool

Adrien: u deserve it, Nino

Adrien: u’re great

Nino: i’m only worried about the couple

Adrien: the couple?

Nino: Ladybug and Chat Noir

Adrien: r they a thing?

Adrien: i didn’t know that

Nino: haha, neither do they)

Nino: it’s just obvious for us

Nino: but not for them

Nino: kind of like u and Mari

Adrien: me and Mari?

Adrien: but we r friends

Nino: that’s what they think too

Nino: anyway

Nino: what i’m worried about, is that they fight over those other new heroes

Nino: if LB have chosen someone herself, why would she dislike her?

Adrien: that sounds strange

Nino: but then again

Nino: there’s Chloe

Nino: so u never know

Nino: and Chat Noir

Adrien: what about him?

Adrien: is he being annoying again?

Nino: no, not at all

Nino: i was really mad when i said that

Nino: he is actually very professional

Nino: especially in organizing a team, it turns out

Nino: but the thing is

Nino: i thought he was really into Ladybug

Adrien: me too

Adrien: what makes u think he is not?

Nino: Multimouse

Adrien: Multimouse?

Nino: it’s a new mouse hero

Nino: well like old new mouse hero

Nino: anyway

Nino: Chat Noir definitely got it bad for her

Adrien: bckemaoafheuian

Adrien: my phone fell

Adrien: why do u think so?

Nino: he is like overprotective of her

Nino: especially with Ladybug

Nino: and he calls her princess

Nino: in front of LB as well

Nino: and he was like puppy all around her

Nino: even in the chat

Nino: and took her for a date

Nino: and it seems the date went well

Adrien: from what u’re saying it sounds bad

Adrien: but maybe he is just being friendly?

Adrien: he seems to be fair to Ladybug

Nino: maybe he thinks so

Nino: but i think he’s long gone under the princess’s spell

Adrien: hmm

[part 1] [part 3] ... [part 5]

[more MLB fanfic]

[tsuki-chibi]

Adrien AUG-reste Day 29 - Significant

This story is part 5 of a series: a sequel to my Marinette March, Adrinette April, Marichat May, Ladrien June, and Ladynoir July stories; I highly recommend reading those first.

You can also read this story on AO3: Petrichor

---

“Adrien,” Amélie said finally. “I’m – I’m not sure what to say to that. I thought that you would want to get away from Paris. Away from all the people who will be angry about what your father did.”

Adrien breathed, relieved that she hadn’t immediately shut him down the way that Gabriel would have. Honestly, her assumption was a fair one. Under any other circumstances, Adrien probably would have wanted to leave Paris right away. Without Marinette and Plagg, without the rest of his friends, there wouldn’t have been much in Paris for him besides anger and mistrust.

Initially he had been worried that would still happen, but he knew better now. His friends didn’t blame him for what his father had done. Maybe some people would, but that could happen whether he lived in Paris or whether he lived in London. And if he was going to have to deal with those reactions anyway, then shouldn’t he at least be with people who supported him?

Not that his aunt and cousin wouldn’t support him, but they just couldn’t do it the way that his friends could. But how to best communicate that to Amélie?

“I know that some people will be mad. But I don’t want to let what my father did drive me away from my home,” Adrien said carefully.

Amélie sighed. “I can appreciate that, but don’t you want to be with your family? I know that we don’t know each other very well, but I really want the chance to change that.”

‘Now that your father isn’t standing in the way,’ she didn’t add.

But Adrien knew that she wanted to.

Gabriel had been pretty adamant about keeping Adrien separated from the Graham de Vanily family. Adrien had never been sure why that was, and he supposed that now he would never know.

“I want to get to know you better too,” Adrien said, more because he felt that he was supposed to than because it was really true. Maybe, in time, it would hurt less to be around Amélie, but right now it was just too painful. He didn’t think he should say that to Amélie, though.

“Then please at least consider coming to live in London. You could go visit your friends anytime you wanted,” Amélie said.

“It wouldn’t be the same. I’d have to switch schools. I love my school,” Adrien told her. “Please, Aunt Amélie. I could come visit you and Félix instead sometimes. Like when school is on break and things like that. Plus you two could come see me sometimes. I just don’t want to leave Paris. I need my friends right now. I need their support. It would be too much to move to a new place right after… right after all this.”

He’d almost said ‘right after losing my dad and losing my mom again’, but he bit it back at the last second. Amélie couldn’t know about Émilie, of course. And she couldn’t know that Gabriel had died. But he hoped that she would think he just meant the fact that Gabriel was now probably going to jail for a long time. He crossed his fingers, hoping against hope that she would understand where he was coming from.

After another significant pause, Amélie sighed again. “But where would you stay? I don’t know if I would feel right about infringing on your friend’s families. Another child is a lot of responsibility.”

“The Dupain-Chengs wouldn’t mind. They already said that I could. You said it yourself, Marinette’s mom said I could stay as long as I needed to,” Adrien said. “I wouldn’t be much of a bother. I promise.” He couldn’t keep the begging tone out of his voice. “They’ll barely know that I’m here.”

“I doubt that,” Amélie said wryly. “Well… I don’t know. I’ll have to think about this, and I would need to talk to Sabine and Tom again. You understand that unless the two of them are completely on board, the answer would be no.”

“I understand,” Adrien said, a bubble of hope swelling in his chest. He knew that Marinette’s parents would be okay with him staying. The only hard part would be getting Amélie to fully say yes. But it sounded like she was already partway there, which was already more than Adrien had honestly thought he would get.

“Let’s touch base tomorrow, after I’ve had some time to think and talk to the Dupain-Chengs,” Amélie said. “Other than that, how are you doing?”

Relieved now that the hardest part of the conversation was over, Adrien settled back against the chair. It was weird to talk to a family member who actually cared enough to listen to what he had to say, but it was nice too. Really nice. He’d be cautious, of course, but maybe in time he’d be able to separate his aunt and his mother in his head after all.

[peachcitt]

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.”

or

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

[flippin-fins]

Scandal

LadyNoir July 2021 Day 14: Scandal

Read on AO3

When Ladybug landed on the rooftop for patrol one night, she wasn’t expecting Chat Noir to be sitting there, laughing at his phone.

She sighed, having a pretty good idea of what he was laughing at.

Chat Noir looked up at his partner with a sober expression. “Why, M’lady. How could you do this to me? And with a model! Oh my heart, it breaks!” Dramatically clutching his chest, Chat Noir fell back onto the roof.

“Seriously, Chat?” She deadpanned, a headache already starting to form. “You know I already heard about this from Alya.”

“Well maybe if you hadn’t been caught kissing The Adrien Agreste, we wouldn’t be the top news story of the day.”

“How was I supposed to know they would spot us! You said no one would look down that alley! What if I had been transforming?”

He propped himself up on his elbows at that. “Well, that would have been an unfortunate end to our day, now wouldn’t it?”

Rubbing her temple, Ladybug suppressed another sigh. “If you’re so heartbroken over my kiss with The Adrien Agreste, maybe we should patrol separately tonight.” Throwing out her yo-yo, Ladybug hid her smile. She could hear him getting up, presumably reaching out to stop her, but she was faster.

Peeking over her shoulder, she could see his grin as he extended his baton, ready to chase her across the city.

~~~

Of course, it only got worse from there.

Turning to reporters after an akuma battle later that week, Ladybug expected questions about akumas or Hawkmoth. Not, well …

“Ladybug! Ladybug! Is it true? Are you cheating on Chat Noir with Adrien Agreste?”

“Ladybug, what can you tell us about Adrien Agreste?”

“Ladybug, how does your relationship with Adrien Agreste affect your partnership with Chat Noir?”

She could have sworn she heard Chat snickering at the last one.

“Does anyone have any questions related to -”

“Ladybug! Who’s a better kisser: Chat Noir or Adrien Agreste?”

She definitely heard Chat Noir laughing at that one.

“Alright, if no one has any relevant questions, Bug out!”

Chat’s laugh chased her all the way home

Even Tikki laughed at her misfortune. Thankfully, the kwami wasn’t telling her off for kissing her boyfriend (because really, who expected someone to stick a camera down that specific alleyway?) but instead was trying to help Marinette brainstorm a way out of this. It was too clear of a picture, and had been too long to refute that they were doing anything but kissing. The way their hands were tangled in the other's hair? The way his eyes were closed as he faced the camera? Even the way their foreheads pressed together made what they were doing incredibly obvious.

And now? Now Ladybug had to come up with a plan to explain why she had been kissing Marinette Dupain-Cheng’s boyfriend, when the city was convinced she was dating Chat Noir. Which she was, but the city didn’t know that. Nor did they need to know the real truth behind their messy love square.

Chat’s suggestions that night didn’t help either.

“What if I happen to bump into Marinette and we happen to get caught kissing?”

Ladybug thought she’d fall off the roof she was sitting on as she rolled her eyes.

“And what? Do you want the entire city of Paris to think we’re in some kind of throuple? Some sort of open relationship?” She rubbed her face to avoid looking at his smirk. “Just how well would that go for hiding our identities? Especially when Ladybug and Marinette are never seen together and Adrien and Chat Noir can’t show up to the same events? Plus, how do you think that scandal is going to fare with Gabriel Agreste?”

Chat frowned at her, silently considering other options.

“I guess we could just wait it out, I’m sure people will get bored and move on to some other story.”

For all the good luck she got from being Ladybug, she’d really hoped it would help with this situation. Maybe she’d been too hopeful.

When Chat Noir landed on the rooftop to start patrol a week later, Ladybug was shoving a magazine under his nose before he could even say hello.

“Seriously? It’s been a week! There’s been 3 Akumas! Why is this still front page news!”

“Are you really surprised? A teen model caught in an alley with Paris’s favorite superhero?’

“Second favorite.”

“Uh-huh, sure. But Chat Noir isn’t on any of these covers-” she cut him off, pointing to a comically small version of the hero in the corner of the magazine cover. Where they’d gotten a photo of him looking so sad, she wasn’t sure. “Okay, but the gossip isn’t getting in the way of you trying to deal with akuma victims.”

“I get stopped as both Adrien the model and Chat Noir the hero to be asked about my feelings for Ladybug!”

“You get asked about that because you said in that interview Ladybug was your celebrity crush!”

“What was I supposed to do? Lie?”

Ladybug dropped her face into her hands, trying not to scream.

“Chat, what am I supposed to do? Nadia tried to get a camera in my face during an Akuma attack on Thursday, and I got stopped on my way to school on Friday morning. My parents keep saying it makes for nice business, but all the press is going to drive the regulars away! Not to mention how much harder it is to keep this city safe if they keep trying to distract me from the Akuma!”

Chat Noir reached out to place a hand on her soldier.

“I’d be happy to get caught kissing Marinette any day of the week.”

Reaching out blindly, Ladybug slapped her partner’s arm.

“Have you talked to Rena? Or considered using Trixx yourself? I know, I know -”

“Kwamis and their miraculous should not be used for selfish gain,” Ladybug looked up as Chat raised an eyebrow at her.

“But would it really be a bad idea? I mean, they are interfering with your daily life and our ability to do our jobs. At what point does selfish gain become keeping the city safe?”

Ladybug sighed. “Chat, we just have to deal with it. I don’t know what else to do at this point. Hopefully no one else gets aumatized over it.”

“I know what you mean. Any more and I’ll lose the bet with Alya.”

Chat Noir’s laughter filled the air as Ladybug jumped up to tackle him.

~~~

The ‘Ladrien’ headlines finally ended 3 weeks after the initial photos were taken … only to be trumped by a photo of Chat Noir kissing Marinette on the balcony of her apartment.

When she threatened to throw him off the Eiffel Tower the next day, there was genuine fear she meant it.

[sunfoxfic]

For the ask game: 18, 23, 19

18. current number of wips

On AO3? Letters to be Burnt, Easier Said Than Done, (Preparation for) A Night to remember), Death by 1000 Cuts, and A Minecraft Server of Our Own. In my drive?

....we don't talk about my drive.

23: fics you wanted to write but didn’t

There are all still theoretically coming:

Adrien/Alya/Marinette/Nino poly ship fic where Ladybug, Adrien, and Alya were all invited to a gala (at different tables) and they're all trying to convince Nino to go with them as their plus one. Nino is a pathetic mess who melts whenever one of them is tender to him and he ends up making promises he can't keep. (Hopefully this one will be Valentine's Day.)

Lukloé fic where Viperion keeps provoking Queen Bee into venoming him to get information out of her and she keeps resetting the timeline because she doesn't know what his power is

Post-Desperada Ladrien fic where Adrien is trying to catch up on schoolwork since he just spent months trying to save Ladybug and is expected to go to school tomorrow so Ladybug helps him study

24: favorite fic you read this year

Don't make me choose.

....fine. It's still ongoing, but I am freaking IN LOVE with Ying and Yang by @kasienda. There's just.... something about it...... it's very funny and very sweet and overall just like. PRPR combined with body swap? What's not to love.

[aalissy]

Poetry

Anddd day 9 is doneee!! Plus, it includes a bit of post-reveal, pre-relationship which is one of my faveee tropes <3. I don’t think I’ve ever written it for Ladrien either haha. Lemme know what you think :)

AO3

“Do you remember that poem you wrote?” Ladybug asked, leaning towards him with her chin in her hand as she blinked at him with a pair of big, innocent sapphire eyes.

“W-what poem?” Adrien choked out, still wondering how he was even able to talk to her. This was Marinette. Who was also Ladybug. The love of his life. That fact made it almost even more impossible for him to function around her. He was the luckiest cat in the world.

They had revealed their identities a few months beforehand. Fortunately for him, they had both stumbled into the same alleyway to detransform and didn’t have time to stop before they became their civilian selves again. To say that it was a joy to have Marinette be Ladybug was an understatement. It was practically heaven to know that the girl sitting behind him every day was the love of his life. Of course, it only reaffirmed just how out of his league she was. Marinette was much too perfect for him. 

That hadn’t stopped him from sneaking out of his house to meet up with her as Chat Noir, though. At least, until his father started to get suspicious somehow, keeping him under a tighter lock and key. Thus, Ladybug began to sneak into his room so that they could continue their late-night talks. It was still hard for him to fully believe it. Adrien was still determined to keep her as close to him as possible, however. If he would never be able to kiss her and hold her hand as he had always dreamed, he could at least be her best friend.

“Valentine’s Day a few years ago,” Ladybug giggled nervously, pulling at a loose thread on his couch. “You wrote a poem about a girl whose hair was dark as night and who had pretty bluebell eyes.”

Adrien tensed up, his eyes widening in horror. She had read that?! He had thought he had thrown that stupid poem away after he couldn’t quite get the words out. Clearing his throat, he winced as he voiced his concerns, “You read that? I thought I threw that stupid poem away.”

She stopped pulling on the loose thread, whipping her head up as she blinked at him in surprise. Ladybug laughed awkwardly, waving her hand in the air as she began to stutter and stammer. “Y-you did... really? Huh, I-I wonder how I did find that poem then. M-maybe I had accidentally read it over your shoulder in class or something. Pfft, who knows. J-just forget I asked, okay?”

As she turned as red as her mask, Adrien smiled at her fondly, watching as her eyes darted from side to side. How had he missed it earlier? It was so obvious who Ladybug was. She and Marinette both shared so many similar qualities. With a small chuckle, he nodded his head. “Yes, I do remember writing that poem.”

She squeaked but lifted her head back up to meet his gaze again. Clearing her throat, she tapped her fingers together nervously, “A-and do you remember who you wrote it about?”

“You mean you don’t know?” Adrien frowned. “I figured it was pretty obvious that it was about you, Ladybug. Especially now that you well... know who I am.”

He gestured to her as his cheeks turned a light pink. Scolding himself, he wondered why he was even telling her any of this. It wasn’t like it would change anything. Ladybug’s eyes grew wider as she pointed at herself. “R-really?” she asked. Rubbing the back of his neck sheepishly, he nodded his head. 

“Wow,” she murmured, leaning back on the couch as she blinked up at the ceiling. “I guess the response poem that I wrote back wasn’t for nothing then.”

“Wait, wait, wait,” Adrien’s frown got deeper. “Response poem? What response poem?”

Ladybug turned an even darker red, ducking her head back down as she giggled shyly. “Yeah, I-I kind of wrote a response to that poem a while back. I don’t think you ever got it, though, because I forgot to sign it.”

Worrying his lower lip, he scanned his memory, trying to remember if he ever got a poem back. It was then that he remembered the time Plagg had brought out all of his Valentine’s Day cards. Adrien's eyes widened as he blinked in surprise. He distinctly remembered comparing the handwriting to Marinette’s and then brushing it off. Smacking a hand to his forehead, he groaned to himself. He had been so close.

“That was you?” he whispered, “Really?”

“Mhm.” She hummed, tucking a stray strand of hair behind her ear.

Adrien leaned closer to her, scanning her eyes for something. Ladybug simply stared back at him, her lips slightly parted in shock. Running a hand through his hair, he asked, “But why? Why did you write a response poem?”

Ladybug flushed, rubbing her arm as she gave him a small, almost nervous smile. “W-well, I-I may have, sort of, kind of, had a bit of a crazy crush on you back then. D-don’t worry though! I know you don’t feel that way about me anymore! I don’t even know why I brought this up. We should just forget about it.”

She turned forward stiffly, staring resolutely at the TV which was still playing a show that he had forgotten about a long time ago. Ladybug in love with him? The idea was too laughable to even consider a reality.

Carefully, Adrien reached out, placing a hand on her arm. Ladybug stared down at it before meeting his gaze again cautiously. He shook his head slowly, staring at her desperately. “I don’t understand... Ladybug, I’ve been in love with you for years. Why would you think that’s changed? It’s you who's always said you’ve been in love with someone else.”

She chuckled but it was more of a scoff. “That’s because I’ve been in love with you, Adrien. I thought it was obvious.”

“Not to me,” he moved his head from side to side, feeling like his entire world was crashing down around him. How had he missed this? “Never to me.”

“But your feelings have changed, though, right?” Ladybug asked, her blue eyes searching his gaze.

“No,” Adrien breathlessly responded. Unable to help himself, his eyes darted down to look at her lips after she licked them. “A-and you? Did your feelings change?”

Instead of responding, she simply shook her head. Feeling bold after that declaration, he swooped forward, capturing her lips in a sweet kiss. Tilting his head, he deepened their kiss, determined to make certain they both remembered it this time. After this, he was never letting Ladybug go again. They needed to make up for the lost time they had spent dancing around each other. Smiling into their kiss, Adrien tangled his fingers in her hair, wondering just how long they could have been doing this if they weren’t such idiots.

[sae-what]

TOP 5 OF 2020

Rules: It’s time to love yourselves! Choose your 5 (ish) favorite works you created in the past year (fics, art, edits, etc.) and link them below to reflect on the amazing things you brought into the world in 2020. Tag as many writers/artists/etc. as you want (fan or original) so we can spread the love and link each other to awesome works!

So I saw this going around, and I thought it would be nice to start a chain 😊Happy new year <3

1) i’d love to go on a date with you // First of all, Ladrien rights. Second of all, I’m really REALLY proud of this one the most. It’s easily my favorite fic that I’ve written in 2020, not only because it’s Ladrien, and Ladybug in a tuxedo, but also because I wrote this around the time when I started feeling really insecure about my writing and the numbers I was receiving for my fics. But after reassurance from friends (mainly @apopcornkernel <3), I picked myself back up, and my word count tripled. Also, I was pissed at people for saying “Ladrien is the easiest side of the love square,” as if they can’t be friends first, so throughout the fic, even though Adrien and Ladybug are pining and flustered, at the end of it, they talk to each other after a long night, as friends, and Adrien gives Ladybug reassuring advice. 

2) every morning, she’d climb up that sycamore tree // This one is a WIP, but it has a special place in my heart because it’s based on my favorite book when I was a child: Flipped, but with Adrienette. This was my very first chaptered fic that I kept in my AO3 and didn’t delete, lol. I’ve been really inconsistent with when I update, but overall, I’m proud of the fact that I’m resilient and I still do update it. I really like where the story is going so far, and I really can’t wait to finish it up. Both the characters face their feelings for each other, grow through each other, and also grow in the process of trying to figure out what one person means to the other. We follow Marinette and Adrien as they overcome their fears of being in love, and we also follow them being flustered and just generally cute because that’s classic Adrienette style.

3) uncharted territory // First of all, writing this one was really difficult. I felt like I wanted it to be perfect, and I wanted it to capture Ladynoir perfectly. I remember literally shaking as I was writing this one, lol, but it honestly paid off. This one is easily one of the works I’m proudest of, simply because it was actually one of my first times really delving into the character’s emotions. Being afraid of catching feelings. Being afraid to step forward in a relationship and make change because it’s different, it’s unfamiliar… It’s completely new, and uncharted, and you don’t know what’ll come next. 

4) drown in your green //  I really did not do a lot of angst before I wrote this one, so I’m really proud with how it turned out. I decided that I just had to write this because I feel like there’s never enough fanfiction where Marinette experiences some sort of trauma after the events of Chat Blanc. I was in desperate need of Ladybug whuuump. Also, I’m proud of just how I weaved the narrative around, also the imagery and ~color symbolism~. 

5) silly notions // Another one of my Ladrien fics. I really wanted to paint self-sacrificial Ladrien, but this time, I did it royalty/medieval style. I’m really proud of this one, mostly because of the imagery and how I painted the romantic tension. And again, just… Adrien would die for Ladybug and vice versa, so I just projected that idea onto this fic.

Honorable mention: It’s Nice to Have a Friend // It’s based on a TS song. Cuddly childhood friends to lovers Adrienette. I’m proud of this one because I honestly didn’t know how to weave it together, but it worked out somehow! It was really enjoyable to write. Plus, this song suits them so well aaaahh

Tagging: @apopcornkernel @kitten-noire @an-elysian-tree @silveryeet @fictionalinfinity @sukker-sugar @byaurum @miabrown007 and many more people I want to tag aaaahhh <3 sorry if you guys were already tagged in these already 

[mlbforblm]

What's your favorite fic you've ever written? (Feel free to tell us why, and what it's about!)

Out of my ML fics, How to Kiss Your Crush in Ten Minutes or Less is probably my top favorite!  It's Ladrien and canon diverges in the middle of the episode Desperada.  It manages to parkour between angst and humor which is always my favorite to do haha.  Plus it's a reveal fic which is what really matters.

What do you usually focus on as a writer? What do you consider your strengths?

I write mostly love square reveal fics, often diverging from single episodes. Humor is really fun for me but I can't write complete crack without taking it seriously, even with premises like Hawkmoth with literal moth tendencies. Most of the character development in my fics is driven by dialogue, which is super fun to write.

What are your favorite fic tropes?

Have I said identity reveals enough?  I also really like roommate dynamics and fake dating when they're done well, though I haven't written either of those personally.

Which ML characters and ships are your favorite?

Every side of the love square is about equal in love for me, but I have the easiest time writing Ladrien.  I've somehow developed a soft spot in my heart for Luka/XY too haha.  I also really love the family/friendship dynamic in fics between the original five heroes from season 2, if that counts as a ship. As far as characters go I just. Love everyone so much.  Even the side characters are so well developed they're just all so great.  Special shout out to my boy Pegasus though for popping off man I would love to see him again.

What do you love most about Miraculous Ladybug?

It's just so fun and not afraid to be ridiculous!  Humor peaked with the statue scene don't @ me. Also the inherent drama in the love square without having to rely on love triangles gets my dramatic irony butt every time.

Who are your favorite writers in the fandom?

Kim (botherkupo on tumblr, or boogum on AO3) was the one who first got me into the fandom before I'd even watched most of the show haha.  I have so many favorites it would be hard to list but I also love chatnoirinette and maketea!

What kind of requests would you be most interested in receiving? 

I'm really down to write anything I put on my list!  Love square reveals are my jam but I also love writing side characters so if you have any desire to see like, Max, Mr. Ramier, Kim, Phillipe, XY, etc. I'm your metaphorical man.

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Choose a writer to commission | Submit a request to the pool

[multibug]

3: flowers (ladrien)

AO3

The florist closes in ten, Adrien’s just under twelve minutes away and the Gorilla is currently doing 112 kmh through the bustling streets of Paris to get him there before the store locks.

Stupid, stupid, stupid, he thinks to himself, window rolled down and his head sticking out the window a bit unsafely. 

The Gorilla glances at him through the rear-view mirror and grunts. 

Adrien knows he means business from the tone of it and settles into cushioned seat of the Mercedes-Benz. He rests his folded arms over the soft flap of the window, chin atop them. 

Paris flutters by in its pristine glory, shops upon shops, bakeries upon bakeries, people upon people. Lots of people that Adrien studies casually as he taps his fingers idly against the warm metal of the car. 

An orange-pink sky is slowly being tinkered away by midnight blue, a waning crescent tickling the edges of the sun out of view. Lingering remnants of summer and warm fill the air, clinging to his skin, his face, the interior leather seats, even the flaps on the window.

17:55 the clock reads, tick tick tick edging into Adrien’s anxiety like a knife. 

He knows the Gorilla can’t drive faster. He understands that it’s his fault for taking his sweet time dressing and undressing in different outfits. Plagg reminds him of it with a small snicker that’s not heard to his bodyguard. 

Max has told him time and time again that statistically speaking, the better chance he has of woo’ing a potential partner is to show he cares. Now he wonders whether his messily slicked-back hair, white button-up tucked into navy shorts and birkenstocks is overkill. 

Too late to go back and change, so Adrien rolls with it, plucking a loose strand of hair off his forehead before leaving it with a pout. ‘No matter how much gel I put in it, that piece always lets gravity win.” 

His comment pulls an unusual grin out of the Gorilla. 

17:59 and the Gorilla is skidding to a stop, Adrien hauling his ass out of the car and into the aesthetically-pleasing flower shop. Flowers upon flowers, beautifully-colored ones that are vibrant against the shops dark paneling fill his vision. 

It’s overwhelming and his brain hurts from overstimulation. 

An elder florist dressed in a light and airy skirt turns the corner and shocks Adrien enough for him to nearly fall over, steadying himself on the counter closest to him. It’s filled with bright colored peonies and hydrangeas he almost knocks off, fumbling to catch the beautifully arranged assortments. 

“You look lost,” the florist quips with a hint of amusement on her otherwise stoic face. 

“I am in desperate need of help,” Adrien replies, eyes wide as he scans the excessive amount of flowers and arrangements and it’s all too much oh my god. 

Said florist tilts her head to the side, tapping a patient foot on the ground. “Are you looking to send threatening flowers? Because that’s not really my thing,” she pauses, leaning in with twinkling eyes. “If you pay me a little extra, though…” 

“No, oh god no, it’s just—It’s a special day for this girl I really care about and I want to show her how much I care, if that makes sense.” Shuffingly awkwardly in place, Adrien’s hands twist into one another to stop himself from touching his neck. “I don’t want to go overboard either, even though I think she deserves every flower in this shop.” 

“If you’re not careful enough, you might accidentally send her threatening flowers with that mindset,” Agnés—her name tag reads as she approaches him—tells him with slanted eyebrows. “Alright, lover boy. I’ve got you covered.” 

  Please still be here, please still be here, please—

Oh dieu merci, Adrien thinks as he slows his breathing from running across the Champ de Mars. Decorations scatter around the vicinity, Ladybug and Chat Noir themed merchandise lining the park in mobile kiosks. Balloons with their faces being held by small, crying children with overjoyous parents. 

Heroes’ Day is a time of celebration, filled with joy and love and happiness that warms Adrien to the brim. Him and Ladybug, plus all of the temporary miraculous holders, share in festivities that reminds the population of Paris that their savours are still human, like them. 

The extra time spent with Ladybug each year is an added bonus. 

Adrien left the celebrations a little early to find the Gorilla, grab his flower for Ladybug, and take off into a sprint across the grassed field behind tour Eiffel to catch her before she left. 

Ladybug rounds the corner after signing a civilian’s signature book, clearly ready to leave, when Adrien calls her name loud enough for her to hear him. “Ladybug!” 

They practically bump into each other as they both try to round the corner synchronously. Ladybug’s eyes widen as she takes note of him and his trajectory, digging her feet into the ground to stop the seemingly inevitable crash. 

It doesn’t happen. 

Before either of them can ram into one another, Adrien’s free hand lands on Ladybug’s shoulder and halts their movements, warmth flooding to his cheeks. 

His hands burn, his cheeks burn, his whole body burns now that he’s here. 

‘Adrien Agreste?” Her voice is stricken and slightly shrill, so unlike the Ladybug he knows and has come to love that he almost—keyword being almost—laughs. 

“H-Hi Ladybug,” he says, dumbly, cursing himself for acting so starstruck around her. Get ahold of yourself, idiot, this is your partner for crying-out-loud!

“Hello,” she replies a bit unsurely, her own cheeks matching her suit color. “Is everything okay?” 

No. You’re too pretty for me to think clearly. “Yes. I have something for you,” Adrien spits out, cringing internally at how blunt he is sometimes. “I wanted to get you something for Heroes’ Day—”

A smile grows on her face, a slow rise akin to a blooming flower. “That’s so sweet, Adrien! You really didn’t have to!” 

Shrugging his shoulders, the hand behind his back appears in front of him, showcasing his flower for her to see. 

It’s a red hibiscus with coral undertones, so vibrant in color it rivals that of her suit. The flower is encased in a small paper cup with intertwining colorful designs on it, soil and all. “I didn’t want to buy a pot for it because I wanted you to find one that suited your room, or something,” he trails off dumbly at the expression on her face, slightly panicking. “If you don’t like it, I can always get you another? I mean, the florist I went to doesn’t open until tomorrow, but—” 

“—Adrien,” Ladybug interrupts, her hand finding his bicep with a pretty smile on her face that has Adrien’s stomach soaring. “Please, it’s perfect. Don’t you take this flower away from me.” 

Adrien chokes at her words, eyes dipping to glance at her hand before they raise to meet hers, except—

She’s leaning in. 

Time stops. Adrien’s lucky his grip on the cup is tight as Ladybug’s soft, plump lips graze his cheek. Her lips touch the corner of his mouth and it sends shocks through his body as she takes the paper cup from him. “Thank you. This is one of the nicest gifts anyone’s ever gotten me.” 

“Am I dead?” His brain-to-mouth filter is gone, eyes widening in mortification at her giggle—the cutest giggle he’s ever heard.

“Not yet, no,” Ladybug tells him through her quiet laughs, blinking up at him through her eyelashes. “As much as I would love to stay and chat—”

Heh. Chat.

“—I must be going now. Thank you again for the flower, Adrien. It’s really lovely.” 

With a surge of confidence and determination, Adrien gently grabs one of Ladybug’s gloved hands in his. Lips graze over the top of her hand, across the ridge of her knuckle and the dip where her fingers meet her hand. “Get home safe,” he whispers, smiling stupidly at her. 

“I—I,” Ladybug stutters, her eyes wide and mouth ajar. “I’ve gotta go,” she squeaks out, quickly but carefully ripping her hand out of his and yo-yo’ing away. 

“You two are disgusting,” Plagg grumbles in Adrien’s shirt pocket, face-palming with his tiny hands.

(Later on, Marinette buys a pot and decorates it with her paints and keeps the flower tucked away in Tikki’s garden so it lives longer). 

((Tikki tells her to google the flower and Marinette has a near stroke when she realizes the symbolizing behind Adrien giving it to her)).

(((Ladybug shows up at Adrien’s house and kisses those same words into his mouth, forehead, and cheeks until he believes her))).

[thewritewolf]

Marinette March Day 2 - Letting Go

I gift you with some Ladrien cuddles.

@marinettemarch

Enjoy!

Start | Previous Chapter | Next Chapter

Read on Ao3

“I really need to go home,” Ladybug said, but even to her ears she sounded half hearted.

Adrien’s grip around her waist tightened just a little. Not enough to be uncomfortable, but just enough to let her know that he had no intentions of letting go.

Her eyes looked out the massive windows of his bedroom, saw the snowflakes catching the light from the street lamps. The very thought of going out there right now would have sent a shiver down her spine, if it weren’t for Adrien’s warmth surrounding her. Despite what she said, she bunched up the fabric of his shirt in her fists and pressed herself closer to him, buried her nose in his chest even as his face nuzzled against the crown of her head.

Lavender. She’d always loved the smell, even before she met him, but now that she’d associated the scent with him that love had doubled. It made her weak in the knees whenever she caught a whiff of it during the day, when she didn’t have the confidence her mask gave her.

Was that how she’d ended up in this mess in the first place? Too much confidence from the spots, with good sense drowned out by affection?

Whatever the reason, she couldn’t bring herself to regret it, even if it had become a guilty pleasure. Duty was supposed to come first, and Ladybug dating a civilian - especially one with as many cameras tracking them as Adrien - could never happen. But… she was human. Couldn’t she indulge in a cuddle every now and again?

She wasn’t sure how long they stayed like that, listening to his heart beat a steady rhythm as his hand ran through her hair. But eventually she groaned into his chest and began to pull away.

“Are you sure?” He said, eyes full of innocent yearning. His hands fell to his sides as she propped herself up.

“Yeah… I’m sure,” she lied. A frown found its way to her face as she looked out the window again. “I’m not going to like the trip, but I’ve got to go home.”

“You could… spend the night?” She looked back at him to see his entire face a deep, blushing red. When she raised an eyebrow, he quickly added, “I’d be sleeping on the couch, of course! But, uh, are you sure you should be out in this… this weather?” He picked up speed as he wrung his hands in front of him, looking down and away from her. “I-I mean your suit’s feet don’t have much traction. Not that I’ve been looking or anything! Plus, um, plus aren’t ladybugs supposed to be hibernating in winter? You might get tired on the way back home and-”

Her finger on his lips silenced him. He tensed but saw the soft smile on her lips and relaxed. After a few moments, she pulled her hand back and he sighed.

“I’m sorry.” He rubbed the back of his neck. “I know you have to go. I just… I don’t want you to.”

“And I don’t want to either, but I have to. I promise I’ll be fine.” Mustering all her Ladybug confidence, she rocked forward to pressed a kiss to his cheek. “See you later, hot stuff.”

Then she swung out from his window, barely minding noticing the cold from how furiously her cheeks were blushing.