#Marinette loves her Chaton

[scribblekingdom]

Then let me bear your burdens

(Pt 1)

[xhanisai]

the only thing i’ll accept from the whole ass miraculous team’s presence is that of them growing taller and taller whilst ladybug stays the same height throughout so she’s just an itty bitty buggy leader

[familyagrestefanblog]

Do people even know what the word "cheating" means? All that's theoretically required here is Adrien having a conversation with Marinette, asking if she's bothered by him using an affectionate nickname for a friend he holds very dear. A nickname that btw isn't at all inherently of romantic nature. "Lady" is part of Ladybug's NAME.

And concidering that Marinette herself is still calling Chat Noir "mon Chaton" and other cute nicknames I think Marinette would not even think of counting it as "cheating". Or at least, if she isn't a whole hypocrite and red flag romantic partner where SHE can do something but takes offense when her significant other does it too.

Do you think that Chat Noir still calling Ladybug m'lady counts as him cheating on Marinette?

No, I think it just means he's a dork 😂😂

[mostmagical]

for @zodoods, I hope this lives up to expectations 🙏

Words: 4k Summary:

Marinette knew she tended to get tunnel vision when she was focused, but luckily her boyfriend Chat Noir was always there to watch her back as they fought Monarch. With their enemy having disappeared, however, they decided together that it was finally time to reveal themselves. In public. Face to face. It's a little silly to have to introduce yourself to your own boyfriend, but after all, it wasn’t Marinette’s fault that she never knew her boyfriend’s name. (Adrien has never been to school, and Marinette doesn't know him.)

Marinette hadn’t known her smile could be so wide. Staring at herself in the reflection, she couldn’t be bothered to worry about the awful dark circles under her eyes, or the frizzy mess of her hair. Everything could be covered or smoothed over, after all. None of that really mattered. Not when her whole world was about to change.

Today was the day.

“Today,” she breathed the word to herself. “Tikki, can you believe it’s today?” she asked, turning around to look towards her kwami.

Tikki giggled from where she sat atop the dresser. “You and Chat Noir have only been planning it forever,” she replied.

The smile was beginning to make Marinette’s cheeks ache. “We have.”

For months following the disappearance of Monarch, Ladybug and Chat Noir had been planning and mentally preparing to finally reveal their identities to one another, eventually coming to the conclusion that they were both ready for it just a week prior. She could still see Chat’s goofy smile in her mind’s eye, clear as day.

“So, we’re really doing this?” he had asked as they sat atop a rooftop together. “For real?”

“For real,” she had replied, excitedly nodding her head. Taking his hand in hers, she had pressed three rapid kisses to the back of it, trying to impress all of her enthusiasm and all of her love into his skin through the suit. “I can’t wait to meet you, mon Chaton,” she had promised him.

His face was rosy, with that big, beautiful smile of his stretching out his cheeks. “Neither can I, my Lady.”

Marinette let out a low squeal at the not-so-distant memory, pressing her hands against her hot cheeks.

She was going to meet her boyfriend. For the first time.

Well, not exactly the first time, but first enough.

They had plans to meet at a little café just a few blocks from the Grand Palais. He had surprisingly been a bit apprehensive at first, but she assured him everything would be okay. Marinette promised to wear the rose he had given her in her hair, and she was going to look for the boy wearing the scarf she had made him on his pretend birthday (and then he could tell her his real birthday!).

She couldn’t wait.

This day was a long time coming, and Marinette had plenty of fantasies to prove it. She wanted to hold her boyfriend’s hand in public, kiss him and go to the movies, all without a crowd of people taking photos of them. She wanted to goof off and be silly with him, all without worrying about being a hero, or acting like a good role model. She wanted to take him over to her house, and have him meet her parents, and stay for dinner without the threat of a supervillain interrupting the desert.

And after today, all that could finally be reality.

She got to work applying her makeup and wrangling her hair, not wanting to waste another second. Although she was notoriously late for most events, this was something she hoped to actually arrive early to. The ruby red dress she had laid out the previous night while she should have been sleeping was the last to slip over her head, perfectly matching the scarlet of Chat’s rose tucked behind her ear. The knee-length skirt fluttered to and fro as she took one last scrutinizing look in the mirror. Everything had to be perfect for her not-so-first impression.

Once she was finally satisfied, Marinette tossed her purse over her head. As soon as Tikki was settled and comfortable, she at last headed out.

There was a skip in her step the entirety of the walk, completely out of her control.

Although excitement was certainly at the forefront of her emotions, she would be lying if she didn’t acknowledge that little seed of nervousness. What if he didn’t like her? (He would.) What if he wasn’t as kind as she thought, and his personality was nothing more than a front? (Impossible.) What if his nerves got the best of him, and he didn’t show?

With her heart thundering in her chest, she turned the last corner to bring the café into view.

Her eyes zoned in on a mop of blond hair instantly. It was neat and combed back— completely at odds with the wild wind-blown look she was used to seeing on her boyfriend, but something in the way her stomach twisted and swooped inside of her told her that she may have spotted him. Taking slow steps closer, she traced the curve of his posture with her eyes as he sat hunched over the tiny café table, gasping slightly as she located the familiar shade of blue peeking from his collar.

It had to be him. It had to.

A chorus of giggles broke her concentration, drawing her eyes to a gaggle of girls a couple tables over. They were whispering excitedly and pointing in the direction of the same mop of blond hair, all with cell phones raised. A sudden wave of heat ran up Marinette’s spine as she realized they were ogling him.

She wasn’t surprised that girls were looking at him. Chat Noir was the cutest, most handsomest boy in the world, so of course they would. But that was her cutest and most handsomest boy in the world.

Her slow steps quickly evolved into a fast walk until she was right beside him, at which she practically threw herself onto the table, bodyblocking the girls’ view. The boy visibly jumped at her entrance. She glanced at his face for his reaction, but his eyes were covered by large sunglasses, effectively hiding any expression of recognition. Face feeling suddenly warm, Marinette stood back up straight and cleared her throat, casually drumming her fingers against the laminate surface.

“H-hi. I’m looking for my kitten,” she said, uttering the code phrase they had planned to use to confirm each other’s identities.

The boy smiled, instantly easing her worries. “I saw a little bug on the flyer.”

A grin spread across her cheeks before she could stop it, giddiness overflowing to the tips of her fingers. “I found you,” she murmured, just quiet enough to be just for him.

He stood from his seat, still smiling, and Marinette thought he was going in for a hug until he stepped around her. She was only confused for a second before he pulled out the chair on the other side of the table.

“Oh.” So the gentlemanly thing wasn’t an act after all. Accepting the gesture, Marinette turned to sit, feeling him push the chair in behind her as she did so. “Thank you.”

He simply hummed, before returning to his own seat across from her.

“So, um–” Not really sure where to start, (how does one introduce themselves to the boy they’ve been dating for two years?) Marinette figured the basics should go first. She almost wanted to laugh as she realized she was essentially on a blind date with her long-term boyfriend. “I’m Marinette,” she said, tugging at her bangs before pushing them behind her ear.

“Marinette,” he breathed. Breathed, as in he actually sighed her name when he said it. Marinette thought she might melt. “That’s a beautiful name.”

She wondered how dopey her smile must look to him. “Thank you,” she replied. “And you are?”

Thin blond eyebrows raised over the rims of the glasses, before dropping back down out of sight almost as quickly as they appeared. He laughed. “Okay,” he said between chuckles. “I’m Adrien.”

Marinette wasn’t quite sure what was so funny, but his laughter was just as contagious as always. With a giggle, she stuck out her hand. “Nice to meet you, Adrien.”

His returning smile was soft. “Nice to meet you, Marinette.” He took her hand, and turned it to rest atop his on the table, running smooth circles over the back of her palm with his thumb. The feeling of his warm skin on hers was foreign and exciting, setting off yet another flurry of butterflies in her stomach.

“You still wear your pigtails,” he stated.

Naturally, her free hand trailed to her hair. She smiled as her fingers brushed the velvet petals of the rose. “They’re kind of my armor,” she replied with a shrug. “All the better for you to recognize me.”

The corner of his lip twitched, but the soft smile remained unchanged. Part of her wondered if he was still nervous about meeting. Hoping to ease his worries, she grinned.

“And I’m glad to see you don’t wear whiskers,” she joked.

He laughed again, and that seemed to be enough to lower the tension in his shoulders, to Marinette’s relief. “You’re right, I don’t,” he said. “I have a clean public image to maintain, you know.”

Marinette furrowed her brows, trying and most likely failing to hide the confusion on her face. It was surprising; Chat Noir was definitely the type of person who would grow “whiskers” just to commit to the bit. To each their own she supposed. Mustaches did seem to be more supervillain-y than superhero-y, after all.

“I do have to ask, though, what’s with the glasses?” she asked, moving the conversation along. “They’re so big, they’re covering half your face. Any plans to take those off?”

“Well, I–” Adrien’s head turned minutely towards the girls at the table behind her, barely perceptible to anyone who wasn’t looking for it. “I don’t know.” His hand pulled at the scarf where it crossed over his black t-shirt.

“Please,” she insisted, putting on her best baby-doll eyes. “How unfair you get to see all of my face and I can’t see all of yours.” She held his hand tighter, imploring but hopefully he knew it was still light-hearted.

“Marinette, it’s just–”

She pulled out her secret weapon: the pout. His mouth instantly stopped moving.

“I’ve never really seen your eyes before,” she added. At his answering sigh, she felt a bout of pride swell in her chest. Victory.

Hesitantly, he removed the sunglasses and folded them on the table, all the while looking shyly up at her through golden lashes.

Marinette’s pulse quickened as she finally— really— met his eyes. Such strange feelings of déjà vu ran through her when she caught sight of how green they were. It was the first time she had seen his whole face, and yet it already felt so nostalgic and familiar. It was almost as if she had seen him before, and she supposed she had, in her dreams at the least.

“Gorgeous,” she sighed, unable to stop her tongue from embarrassing the rest of her.

All the regret she might have held drained out of her, however, when she saw how pink his cheeks went in response. His dropped jaw slowly curved into a small smile, and those pretty green eyes closed in half moons as he replied, “Thanks for the compliment.”

Was this really the same boy?

Marinette snorted. “What? No cheesy remark about how you knew I wouldn’t be able to resist you?”

“I’m just far too stunned by the beauty in front of me to think straight,” he said, mouth pulled sideways. “I daresay you could outshine me anyday.”

There he is.

She rolled her eyes in response, but she couldn’t deny the coils of warmth that spread across her skin. With a fond shake of her head, she brought one elbow to the top of the table to cradle her chin in her hand.

“You know, you’re taking this really well,” Adrien said, the smirk fading back to a humble smile. It was odd seeing him so reserved. “Better than I thought you would.”

“Taking what well?” she asked. Her heart squeezed in her chest as she recalled his apprehension from the night before. She attempted to keep things light, sliding into a teasing tone as she conspiratorially whispered, “Did you think I wouldn’t like you without the cat ears, mon Chaton?”

“Well, no, that’s not exactly—”

She cut him off, making sure to speak with all the sincerity she could muster, “Because there is no universe where I wouldn’t like you.” With a coy wink, she added, “Believe me. I checked.” She grinned with pride as her fingers squeezed his on the table, feeling as though she had one-upped him in cheesiness.

Again, his mouth hung open slightly as he processed her words, but soon morphed back into the soft smile. His head tilted to the side. “You always know what to say to make me happy, my–” The corners of his lips twitched, his intended endearment clear to both of them— “my Marinette,” he said instead, pulling their joined hands up to brush his lips against the back of her palm.

Dimly, Marinette registered the sound of a squeal from somewhere behind her.

“But, um, no.” His countenance took on a much more nervous expression, his free hand drifting back to play with the nape of his neck. “I meant more–” He paused, waving his hand awkwardly towards himself.

“What?”

His brows furrowed, mouth open and clearly poised to explain himself, but he was interrupted by a waiter arriving to take their orders, and the moment was surreptitiously forgotten.

As the date went on, conversation flowed freely between them. Marinette learned so many of his favorite things, what he was studying in school, that he was an only child just like her, and of course, his birthday, time and year. So many things that she would normally have naturally learned over time, which was something that she took for granted in her other relationships with family and friends. It was odd, but wonderful that this absurd blind date was just another unique experience that they could share together.

She would have been more than happy to talk to him forever if she could, but a trill from Adrien’s phone stopped their conversation short.

His eyebrows turned down as he read the screen. “How did it get so late?” he pouted, just as cute as before when he wore cat ears on his head. “I’m sorry, Marinette, but I have to go.”

Her smile was sympathetic, barely holding herself back from mirroring his pout. “That’s okay,” she replied. “We’ll just have to have our next date sooner.”

The answering smile on his face made it all worth it.

Adrien’s fingers flew across his keyboard for a second, before another trill responded. “My bodyguard says he can take you home, though!” he announced happily. “So we can spend a little more time together.”

Marinette couldn’t stop the confused noise from escaping her mouth. “Your…bodyguard?” she repeated slowly.

“Yeah!” He looked up from his phone, lips softly quirked upwards. “And don’t worry; he may look mean but he’s the kindest man I’ve ever met.”

That certainly wasn’t something Marinette was worried about, but now she felt like she needed to be.

She tried to cross the appropriate wires in her head. Okay, so Chat Noir, famed superhero of Paris and wielder of the power of destruction, had a bodyguard in his everyday life. And that bodyguard apparently drove him places?

Perhaps she needed to collect more evidence.

Too busy thinking to come up with anything to say, Marinette mutely nodded her agreement.

Having already paid the bill— well, Adrien paid, despite her protests—, the two stood from their seats and headed down the sidewalk. Marinette followed Adrien closely, too busy sweeping her eyes across the busy street to spot this ‘mean-looking’ man to notice Adrien’s knuckles bumping into hers. She finally looked up at him when he laced their fingers together and squeezed. His green eyes almost seemed to shimmer as they looked into hers, and Marinette could feel all that wound-up tension melt away in response.

The spell between them was broken by a sudden honk.

Adrien was the first to break eye contact, turning back towards the street. “Oh! There he is.”

Marinette followed his gaze. Her eyes widened as they landed on the sleek sedan that had pulled up to the curb in front of them. She didn’t know much about cars, but she knew enough to identify the logo of a luxury brand. The car was well-washed and shiny, unlike most of the vehicles that parked along the dirty city streets.

A burly man emerged from the driver’s side door, and walked around the car. To Adrien’s credit, he did seem a bit scary, based on sheer size alone, but Marinette supposed her Papa was probably about the same size. She figured if the man smiled a bit more, he would come off much friendlier. He greeted the two of them with little more than a low grunt and a nod, before briskly opening the rear passenger side door.

Marinette froze in place as she waited for one of the others to move. She couldn’t for the life of her understand what was going on. Was Adrien going to drive and this man was graciously letting her have the front seat?

“Marinette?” Adrien cleared his throat. “Are you ready to go?”

She blinked a few times, looking back and forth between the open door and her boyfriend’s face. “Um, yes,” she replied nervously. “I’m ready.”

He bowed his head, gesturing with his free hand towards the open door. “Then, after you, my lady.”

The familiar name quelled the voices in her head long enough for her to step forward. “Thank you, my prince,” she teased in response.

Though she did step in first, she held fast to his hand, pulling him along with her. The inside of the sedan was just as clean as the outside. Small tablets nestled into the back of both front headrests, and a far fancier screen than Marinette had in any of her devices at home was centerstage on the dashboard. She could feel her eyes widening as she took it all in.

Chat Noir was rich.

Chloé Bourgeois rich, maybe.

That was… unexpected. Admittedly, she never imagined Chat to have a high-class upbringing (if she could even call Chloé’s that). She had always envisioned him as a rough and tumble sort of kid. He would take soda over wine any day. Canned tuna over caviar. He had never turned up his nose to fast food, or cheap nosebleed seats at a concert, or acted like he was any better than anyone else.

No, Chat– Adrien— was amiable, gracious, and an appreciator of the little things–

“Marinette?”

She whipped her head around to meet her boyfriend’s gaze, having been yanked from her thoughts. “Yes?”

Adrien seemed to be holding back a laugh, clearly having recognized her thinking face. “Your address?”

“Oh!” She leaned forward in her seat, directing her attention to the driver. “12 Rue Gotlib, if you’re sure you don’t mind.”

Adrien’s face lit up in the rearview mirror. “That’s just around the corner from us!”

“Really?” She was reminded of that flash of déjà vu she had felt upon seeing his face for the first time. Maybe they had met before. Most people who lived in the 21st arrondissement got their baked goods from her parents’ bakery, and Marinette often worked the front counter. They must have had at least one encounter before as their civilian selves.

It was almost a shame.

She would have loved to know that her favorite person was just around the corner.

He tightened his grip on her hand as she turned back to face him. “Almost too good to be true,” he said, echoing her thoughts.

All lamentations of lost time were forgotten at that, and she chose instead to be happy in the moment they had now. She smiled, squeezing his hand back.

They were content to spend the short ride in comfortable silence after having spent the majority of their time together with endless conversations. Adrien’s bodyguard didn’t ask any questions after Marinette gave her address, so she saw no reason to try chatting with him when she could cuddle into Adrien’s arm instead. The world was pink and fuzzy, and the only leather pressed against her skin was that of the car seats. Feeling the rise and fall of Chat Noir’s breaths through warm cotton was a wholly different, welcome experience.

The ride was too short, however, and before she knew it, they had pulled up in front of her family’s bakery.

Adrien’s short intake of breath pulled her eyes upwards, and she noticed him staring at the sign with eyes full of wonder. “Whoa, you live so close to the boulangerie,” he noted.

Marinette grinned. “Well, yeah, I live above it,” she said, delighted when his head whipped back to face her. “My parents own it.”

His eyes looked about ready to bulge out of their sockets. “You do?”

She pointed to the sign. “And I designed the logo. Tom and Sabine Boulangerie,” —she turned the finger towards herself— “Tom and Sabine daughter.”

Adrien’s face was painted with the most excitement she had seen from him all day. “That’s so cool! They have the best macarons— I’ve had some at events when we get catering— and I’ve asked Nathalie a few times, but, well–” His face was a bit pink as he paused. “You’re amazing, Marinette.”

“I’ll have to bring you some macarons next time I see you,” she giggled.

His eyebrows danced over his eyes. “Now I know why you’re so sweet.”

“Oh, hush.” She lightly shoved his shoulder. “Takes one to know one.”

Following some pointed clearings of the throat from the driver’s seat, they eventually got out of the car and Adrien walked her to her door. She left him with a quick kiss and a promise to text him later.

The remainder of the day went by in a blissful blur. Dinner, homework, and television with her parents faded into the background as she slipped lovingly into her daydreams. Adrien was too busy to talk, but he had sent her a few hearts and memes throughout the evening, and she looked over all of them with her chest fit to burst. Before she knew it, it was time for bed and they were texting each other good night.

It wasn’t until the next morning that Marinette realized the true shift the world had undergone.

The incessant buzzing of her phone was an unwanted wakeup call. Marinette blindly slapped her hand against the mattress until her fingers met the smooth plastic of her phone case. She slowly cracked her eyes open as the screen lit up again with notifications.

New Message - 🦊Alya🔥(32), Missed Call - 🦊Alya🔥 (2), New Message - Adrien ♥️🐈

Wondering what was so desperate for Alya to be blowing up her phone so early, Marinette quickly responded to Adrien’s “Good morning <3” in kind before opening the floodgates. She was immediately treated to a number of news articles, all caps messages, and photos. Photos of her and Adrien.

Her fingers flew through the slideshow of photographs: Adrien waiting alone with those ridiculous sunglasses, herself haphazardly draped over the table, Adrien kissing her hand, the both of them stepping into his car. She paused on one of the last photos. It was of the two of them, hand-in-hand as they waited for their ride. Adrien’s soft eyes that had mesmerized her up close were just as soft from a careful distance.

She blinked rapidly as she processed it all.

How did Alya get these?

Scrolling back up in her conversation history with Alya, she looked at the articles again, scanning over the headlines: “Adrien Agreste - Dating?” “Adrien Hits the Town with Mystery Girl!” “Who Caught the Eye of Adrien Agreste?” “Agreste Son is Growing Up!”

…Agreste?

The conversation shot down to the bottom as another text from Alya came in: CANT BELIEVE YOU DIDNT TELL ME????

Faster than she could process, Marinette swiped away from her messages to plug “Adrien Agreste'' into her search engine. A shocking thousands of images popped up, all of her boyfriend in various poses and campaigns— including one with the bowler hat she had designed for a competition run by Gabriel Agreste.

A banner notification popped up at the top of her screen, Marinette’s finger tapping it automatically.

Adrien ♥️🐈: I have a photoshoot until around noon, but do you want to get ice cream after?

Marinette dropped the phone as everything suddenly became clear.

Perhaps maybe their civilian relationship wasn’t about to be quite as low-key as she thought.

[galahadwilder]

Even after the reveal their dynamics are still slightly different so Adrien asking Marinette “would you still love me if I was a worm?” gets a soft kiss and an “of course I would, Chaton” but Chat Noir asking Ladybug “would you still love me if I was a worm?” gets her unifying Tikki with Nooroo and going “let’s check”

[milabeedoodling]

“My Lady...” Adrien's hand was on the side of her face, caressing her freckled cheekbone with his clawed thumb so softly, so tender that it was threatening to melt Marinette to a pile of goo. “I need to know who Buttercup is” His voice was a mere whisper, Adrien's eyes pleaded for her answer, his face at the verge of breaking, but his eyes, his bright beautiful green eyes surrounded by black were shining so brightly that Marinette felt herself flush. She couldn't leave him without an answer and the words couldn't get out of her throat. “Oh, Chaton” Marinette slowly cupped his hand in her's, softly squeezing as she leaned more into it's warmth.

“It's always been you”

HIIII @asukiess I'M YOUR SECRET SANTA!! As soon as i got your preference list i got hit with an epiphany and had to do all of the things the list said at once and good lord was it a challenge. I am so very happy that i did make this because it was also giving me the brainrot.

I LOVE YOU & HAPPY HOLIDAYS

[familyagrestefanblog]

Jep, this is basically it.

A+ additional tags 👏👏

ML Hot Take

Chat noir is hiding just as much from Ladybug as she is from him, and they are both doing it just so the other is kept safe and unburdened because they both have a flawed understanding of the other, which leaves them both at fault for the ladynoir fall out.

[nobodyfamousposts]

Hey I love your work. This idea keeps popping up in my head involving your doll au. I know in your posts for this au marinette still become guardian and let's say a situation causes a scene similar to the beginning of gang of secrets. Girl squad comes over, confess her secret, starts to look through her room. But instead of almost finding the box, they find Chatton drawing behind a pillow. I imagine 5 one-shots of the each girl babysitting him. Or did I just create the origin of reluctant dark l

Chaton was having a good day!

He got to rest in Mister Sunbeam. But he wasn't sleepy. Instead he was working! He was being artsy, just like Mama!

Chaton had a big piece of paper and his own cray-eons to draw with! And he was drawing all sorts of things!

He was drawing Mama! And Mama as a hero! The best hero! Spotty Mama with a cape and staff!

And he was drawing Pinkling and Greenie and Grand Pa Fu! And the Box! And the Friends Inside!

And Untie! And cookies! And kitties!

Hmm….he was running out of space on the paper.

But he had more paper to draw even more things on! Yay!

He thought it over and was debating whether to draw an alien or a unicorn.

…..he couldn't make up his mind, so he decided to do both and draw a space unicorn!

And he delivers rainbows and smiles!

And he shoots marshmallows with his laser!

Chaton got really into his drawing that he stopped paying attention to the sounds of the bakery below.

Even when those sounds started getting louder.

Alya, for her part, wasn't having that good of a day. But it was going to improve now that she had a plan to talk to her best friend. And she was going to ge some answers, mark her words!

"Okay, we'll talk to Marinette and get her to tell us the truth so we can help her!" Alya explained the plan with the other girls in tow.

Alix frowned, uncertain. "Maybe we should let her talk to us in her own time?"

Alya rolled her eyes. "I am not going to stand by when my girl is hiding secrets!"

And not wasting any time, she shoved open the door to Marinette's room.

"Marinette! We've come for the truth!" She announced.

Silence.

Nothing but silence and an empty room.

Empty and silent.

Except for the sounds of scratching on paper.

And Marinette's Chat Noir doll in the middle of her room. Whom was clearly the one drawing on the paper. And looking quite happy with himself.

The girls stared.

Chaton finally took notice of the intrusion and turned to the ones responsible.

They gaped at him.

Chaton stared back, a bit surprised. People? Who were these people? Why were they there? What were they doing there?

Then he realized that there WERE people there and remembered that he was supposed to not be caughted.

Chaton flopped back onto the ground, pretending to be a regular toy and hoping they didn't see him.

Alya stared in disbelief.

"No, don't try pretending now. We saw you." She told him.

No, they didn't. Chaton insisted.

[redtippedfox]

Here’s something to feed you Mariblanc shippers.

Finals are torture so here's something to feed you'll while I do more work.

-----------------------------------------------------------------

“Marry me.”

Marinette stared down at her corrupted Chaton, his eyes a piercing blue as he held out the small box, he was down on one knee, his smile wide as he looked at her with so much love and lust, her heart was doing backflips as he looked at her like she was some delicious prize. Marinette placed her hands on her mouth, just like how all the women do when their lover proposes to them, but Chat Blanc wasn’t her lover...he wasn’t even hers. Chat Blanc looked at her lovingly while Marinette looked at him horrified; she was so confused! “But-but you're in love with another girl! You told me on patrol many times! I tried to move on from you!" Chat Blanc frowned and stood up then he let out a deep terrifying laugh almost as if he was going insane.

“Oh, my lady, my precious Princess, my beautiful Marinette” he chuckles under his breath, “For an incredibly smart woman…” his claws grasp a few strands of her dark raven hair, the pieces slipping through his sharp claws. “…you’re very oblivious and dumb when it comes to being seduced.” Marinette could only gape at him as his clawed hand popped open the small ring box. “The girl I fell in love with was you, my Marinette.”

[miabrown007]

post-Representation reveal for @ladyofthenoodle and @asukiess <3

Time stops when Chat Noir plummets from Marinette’s skylight. She stops in her tracks and stares at him, eyes blown wide behind the polka-dotted mask that sits snug over the mascara streaks on her face. Her heart skips to her throat, because she doesn’t understand. She doesn’t understand what Chat Noir is doing at Marinette’s right now, in this break of dawn, when she was just about to head out to purify the Akuma he and Alya captured. He has even left her a voicemail to cheer her up—he always had an innate talent to know when she needed some cheering up—and he sounded so calm and collected then— Face buried in her mattress, he sniffles now. And Marinette knows that her identity is at stake here, that she’s incapable of explaining away Ladybug’s puffy eyes staring at him from the end of Marinette’s bed, but Chat Noir’s crying. He came to her because something so devastating happened to him that he’s crying.  If there’s one thing Marinette knows, it’s that they have sacrificed enough. She gave up love and gave up her friends for the mighty cause, and in the end, it was her friends and their love that saved the world.  She won’t give up her partner. Never again.

She reaches out, stroking her fingers through his hair gently. “Marinette, I need to tell you that—” he starts, then looks up and his eyes go wide. She smiles down at him. “It’s okay, Chaton. I’m here for you.” His bottom lip trembles, and several beats pass until he finds the voice to whisper, “I love you, Marinette. I’ll never let anyone separate us.” And maybe that should feel like a surprise. Maybe his arms around her and his lips on hers should wreck her world. Maybe, once, they would have.  Now, they feel like a small sound of ‘oh’ at the back of her mind.  Of course, it’s him.  Of course, he’s hers.  Of course, it’s them until the end of the world. She cups his face and smooths the messy hair out of his eyes, kissing away the tears spilling over his black mask. “I love you, too, Adrien. I’ll never let anyone hurt you ever again.” And if he cries harder and buries his face in the crook of her neck, that’s alright too. She hugs him, rubbing his back and peppering kisses all over his face—his nose, his forehead, his crown and his little cat ears—and holds him until he needs her to. She would be his Atlas and hold him until the end of the world, but slowly, his breathing calms and Adrien draws away, wiping at his eye with the palm of his hand. “I need to— I’ll need to go back,” he stutters over a swallow. Marinette shakes her head firmly and holds him tighter. “You are not going back.” His face softens. “My lady,” he begs, and she thinks her heart might give in from the way he says her name alone. “You know I have to before he discovers I’m missing, otherwise—” She cuts him off with a kiss before he gets to finish that train of thought. It’s an option she isn’t willing to entertain. “Your cousin owes me big time. You are not going back. Never ever,” she confirms.  If the surprised fervour and gratitude he dives back in for a kiss with is of any indication, he believes her. Marinette isn’t delusional enough to think Félix would do her a solid as an apology for his theater kid nonsense, but she suspects a chance to be closer to Kagami in place of Adrien will do it. She laces her fingers with Adrien’s, as if gluing them together, but he doesn’t seem to mind. She smiles against his lips with confidence only his support can grant her. “Okay, Chaton. Here’s the plan.”

[familyagrestefanblog]

The existence of the Ox miraculous is such an unnecessary ugly detail when you think about Ladynoir and how Chat Noir served as the punching bag and scapegoat for Ladybug, Alya as Marinette's actual partner in season 4, and the whole team in every single way pre-s5

The Ox gives the power of immunity even against any other Miraculous power. One would think with Adrichat's self-harming tendencies that canon had Marinette make entirely about herself because "they're haunting her so much", and her still narratively entirely unchallenged tendency of leaving Chat Noir behind on the battle field as sacrifice or bait to possibly have whatever the hell done to him so she can be save and sound while she and everyone else can look and be cool on his expense

With all that, one would have thought that if Canon Marinette truly loved Chat Noir "sooooooo much" and is oh so haunted by his self-harming behavior and him always getting hurt so she sidelined him "for his own good"

Then how come at no point did Marinette do the actually caring thing by giving Chat Noir the Ox miraculous since he's ALWAYS left behind BY HER so she can leave the battle field and execute her plans with the others save and soundly? If her Chaton's well-being was oh so important to her and it always "pained her so much" to see him getting hurt then why was the Ox only used 2 insignificant times by Ivan at the end of season 4 when it could have saved Chat Noir ALOT of suffering all the way through?

Or the turtle. Or ANY OTHER Miraculous for that matter?

Why was Alya getting two miraculous in Hack-San perfectly fine with Marinette but heaven forbid Marinette is actually expected to ACT like she gives a damn about Chat Noir's well-being as his leader, guardian, partner, and friend and not just the show having her claim superficial words that hardly have anything to back them up once they actually have to mean something?

Its almost as if Canon inherently doubled down on having Marinette be the kind of leader who will only do things in a way that primarily benefit HER while everything else gets swept under the rug because she isn't maliciously intentioned and then never brought up again. And unfortunately it was her who was written to prioritize making an unnecessary team of 18 miraculous holders no one ever asked of her to form (Su-Han even told her NOT to give out the miraculous like candy),

so Marinette was just made to not consider Chat Noir either at all or simply not as worthy enough of any kind of consideration in her entire leadership/ guardianship or actual safety, support, or ANY KIND of resource since that wouldn't be narratively about her, now would it?

She can't have Chat have the Ox because she might need Ivan as Ox in 4 months and she doesn't want to have to ask Chat to get it back or end up NOT getting to use this ONE other Miraculous out of a whole ass box, because that would involve a basic ass conversation Marinette can't have apparently or her not getting to use all of the miraculous however she pleases at any given point

The horror. Now she would have only 14 miraculous to work with!

As per usual, count me fucking unimpressed by Marinette's writing. The negligence towards Chat Noir on even the most basic level is insane and she was declared the epitome of leadership and kindness for this.

Cool that Marinette already decided in her head that Ivan is suitable for the Ox miraculous and he should get it in future, but Chat Noir needing help and protection wasn't some theoretical case, it constantly happened right in front of her eyes and even by her own freaking orders too because she never thinks of him in ANYTHING and the show glorified the hell out of her as leader for doing all that

Why is looking into ANY detail only making Marinette's side of Ladynoir so much worse ever since season 4? There is no escaping this! Just don't add the Ox with this power or actually have Marinette be a good leader towards Chat Noir. But noooooooooo.

[scorchingdriedink]

When inner desire leads to identity reveal

An mlb fanfic.

Chat Noir's inner desire gets shown to the whole of Paris. This led to an identity reveal, Chat Noir being accused pedophile and Marinette becoming really confused.

_______________

Fireworks lit up the Paris sky as Chat Noir ran across the roof. He was up to date on all holidays, events, and festivals, so he was clueless about why there were so many fireworks when there was no occasion.

As soon as he landed beside her, he said, “I’m so sorry for the delay, M’lady.” He took her hand and kissed her knuckles. “I wasn’t transformed, so I didn’t get your calls.”

In reality, he had been watching the fireworks from his window and got distracted by them. “Didn’t you see the news about the fireworks?” she said, pointing to the fireworks show at the Eiffel Tower.

“Oh!” He wrapped an arm around her waist and pulled her closer. “You’re that eager to watch fireworks with me?” he waggled his eyebrows.

She rolled her eyes. “Chaton, the fireworks are caused by the Akuma.”

His jaw dropped. “Wha- how come? This looks way too festive.”

“Then take a closer look at it,” she said, pulling away and tilting his face towards the night sky.

The fireworks transitioned to a smoke screen that acted as a display, showing a young woman surrounded by many cats in a living room.

"What exactly are we dealing with?" he said, astonished by the sight in front of him.

"The Akuma was a mother. Her daughter won't tell her what she wants to do after college, which ticked her off. Now she is known as Desiderium and has made it her mission to expose everybody’s inner desire."

She pointed towards the Eiffel Tower, where a lady in purple robes and a witch hat was flying across the street on her broomstick. The Akuma shot a beam at a teenage boy. He was unharmed; however, the Akuma's crystal ball glowed, and a beacon of light rocketed up into the sky. It burst into a firework and then transitioned to show everyone the same boy making out with a girl at a high school dance.

Chat Noir looked back at Ladybug and shook his head. "I did not need to see that at all. I only want to do that with you," he smirked.

"Now is not the time to flirt, chaton," she scowled. "Everyone’s privacy is getting compromised."

"She looks pretty harmless. Have you figured out where the Akuma could be?" he asked.

"It's the crystal globe," she said. "The problem is that if I get hit, my desire can reveal my identity."

"Oh. I guess I’m safe then." He brought his finger beneath her chin and pulled her towards him. "Everyone knows that all I want is your love," their lips were a hair’s breadth away. "And a kiss."

A firework burst again, and an array of brilliant light shone on her face. He was close enough to see the sparkles reflecting off her blue eyes. At that moment, she looked beautiful, magnificent, and ethereal. Blush rose to her cheeks, and her lips parted slightly. It gave him hope. This past week, she had started to react differently to his advances. It was quite subtle, so he wasn't sure, but if there was a minuscule chance, he would grab it.

Oh, how he wished he could get a chance to kiss her. Sadly, all he got from her was being pushed away with her finger on his nose.

"What if it showed you wanting to kiss me as your civilian self?"

He blinked. "Now that��� is an actual problem."

"You better not get hit."

They jumped into action immediately.

~~~~

Half an hour later, fighting this akuma posed a difficult challenge. Desiderium was quick on its feet and always maintained distance with its long-range attacks. Whenever they tried to catch up to the akuma, it would attack them, and they would narrowly miss its shots.

“A little bit of luck would be nice, LB!” Chat Noir cried out.

Ladybug halted on a rooftop. “Lucky charm!”

A roll of window privacy screen was summoned. Looking at it, she had no idea how to use this to win against the akuma.

Another firework exploded in the sky. This time, the smoke screen showed a woman marching towards a senior man in a fine suit sitting behind an office desk. The woman tossed a paper on the desk and shouted, “I quit!”

The old man smiled. “Brilliant! You may enjoy your freedom.”

The scene changed to the same woman, now in a hair salon styling Clara Nightingale’s hair.

“My hair looks so fine. The talent in your hands is divine!” Clara sang. The woman beamed, and the scene faded away.

All of that lasted within 30 seconds, but it left Ladybug astounded. There was something about that particular desire that bothered her. It felt strange; it made her feel sad.

“Ladybug, watch out!”

She looked up in time to see a flare aimed at her from a sniper distance. Just when light flashed before her eyes, she felt an impact at her side and tumbled to the ground.

Once again, Ladybug found her face very close to Chat Noir’s as he hovered on top of her.

Fireworks shone over his head like a halo. She wouldn’t lie; this past week, her feelings for Chat Noir had been growing. She was entranced by how handsome he looked and felt tingles from the weight of his body on her. With how enticing his lips looked, she almost pulled him down for a smooch.

However, she was shocked by what she witnessed over his head, toward the sky. The explosive display showed, for the whole Paris to see Chat Noir and her sharing a passionate kiss on her balcony under the moonlight. Except she was not shown as Ladybug. She was shown as Marinette.

“Shit,” she heard him mutter above her, who was also looking at the fireworks.

“Is that your desire or mine?” she said, still quite stunned at what she had seen.

Chat Noir looked back at her. “What do you mean, ‘yours or mine’? Your desire is for me to kiss Marinette?”

His weird question made her realize what she had said out loud.

“Uh, I ship you with her?” she said sheepishly.

All he did was look at her with a big question mark on his face, followed by a long silence.

“Chaton?”

Then his eyes widened. “No way,” he whispered. “I was right.”

Suddenly, Chat Noir rolled them out to dodge an attack thrown at them by their latest akuma. He got up and faced Desiderium, who had a neon purple mask blinking on her face. “Who might that be, Chat Noir? Girlfriend?”

“No comments,” he said and took a fighting stance.

“You ain’t fooling anyone. I wonder where she could be.”

“Leave her out of this!”

“Only if you surrender your miraculous,” the Akuma snarled.

An idea struck her, and she looked at the roll of film in her hand. With a plan in her mind, she pretended to whisper while being loud enough to be heard. “Go protect her, Chat Noir. Go to her before the akuma finds out she’s in her room.”

She winked and passed the roll to him. “Keep her in your special vision. I’ll buy you some time.”

She mouthed, ‘She’s not in her room’ before she launched the yo-yo to block the path of Desiderium.

~~~

Keep her in your special vision.

Special vision as in his night vision?

She’s not in her room.

Those were the words she had mouthed even though she declared to everyone that Marinette was in her room. And the lucky charm that she has given to him is a blackout window film.

Oh, now he understood.

He watched Ladybug, busy blocking Desiderium’s path. Then he launched himself with the help of his baton and ran faster than he ever had with all his might.

As soon as he landed on Marinette’s balcony, he quickly covered the skylight with the lucky charm and left it open when he entered. The room was dark, save for the nightlight streaming in through the skylight. All of the windows were already covered with film. He found it strange even when he visited Marinette last night. When he had visited her as Adrien, she mentioned she liked the natural light this attic allowed in. So why were all the windows covered up?

A foreign sound intruded on his thoughts, and his ears picked up the swooshing sound of the akuma gliding closer. He hid himself against the shadows, and saw Desiderium searching throughout the room in dim light. Suddenly, the skylight was shut, and absolute darkness filled the room. With his night vision, Chat Noir could see the akuma becoming frantic against the dark and chose that opportunity to swipe at the glass globe and cataclysm it. After that, Ladybug entered the room and purified the butterfly.

~~~~

The wait for Chat Noir after dropping off the akumatized victim ended when Marinette heard a knock on her skylight. Questions that she had been dying to ask poured out as soon as Chat Noir entered.

“How did you know? How long have you known?”

His eyebrows furrowed. “What do you mean?”

“My identity!”

He smiled and pulled her closer by wrapping his hands around her waist. “Didn’t I already tell you? My love for you is so strong I’d recognize you the moment I see you as a civilian?” he said.

She pulled away and gave him her most impassive look. “Do you want me to remind you of the first time you met me as Marinette?”

“Why don’t we just pretend and give my love for you some credit—”

“Stop playing dumb, Chaton. Tell me how!”

“This evening. When I got hit saving you,” he said, averting his eyes.

“What?” Her lower lip dropped. “How did you even make the connection?”

“You asked whether it was my desire or yours. It would have been weird for Ladybug’s desire to be about me kissing Marinette. Unless you are Marinette. I actually had my doubts since Kwamibuster. I’m so glad was right” He let out a lovesick sigh. “I still don't want to get my hopes up. But… do you have feelings for me—?”

“So you didn’t know I was Ladybug?” disbelief colored her face.

He looked back at her earnestly. “Really. I swear I didn't know until now.”

“You said you wanted to kiss me. And your desire did show you kissing me, except it was Marinette me.” her brows furrowed.

“True. But I promise I didn’t know it was you, m’lady. Even if I did, I would have let you know.”

“Then how come it showed me instead of… well, the other me? Weren’t you in love with Ladybug?”

“I was shocked as well. It seems I was in denial. Plagg also told me about that. And with how much I have been hanging out with you on the balcony, I guess my affection has shifted to, well, you.”

“So hanging out is all you need to be fickle?” she frowned.

“Hey, I wasn’t fickle. Not falling for you is tricky.”

She blushed, then shook her head. “B-but I’m not even as cool as Ladybug. You probably had an attachment to me because you’re lonely and Ladybug kept rejecting you.” Chat Noir’s jaw dropped. “You did not just say that,” he said in a low voice.

“Well, I can’t think of any other reason why you would like me, especially when you didn’t even know I was Ladybug.”

He pinched the bridge of his nose. “You can’t be serious right now. Did you forget that you are Ladybug?”

“You didn’t know that! I’m a complete ditz otherwise,” she fired back.

“Marinette, you are what makes Ladybug.”

“Give it a rest!” Her voice rose. “Anyone can be Ladybug with the earrings. And even as Ladybug, I’ve just been causing disaster.”

“That’s not true!”

“Oh yeah? Guess who lost all of the Miraculous? Guess who lost our only mentor?” she challenged him.

“That only mentor of ours once lost a whole temple along with the butterfly and peacock Miraculous. Come on, Marinette, not everyone is perfect.”

“Then shouldn’t we get someone perfect when lives are at risk?”

“Wait, we are getting off-topic. I thought this was about me having feelings for you without knowing you’re m’lady.”

“Exactly. I still don’t get why.”

“Marinette. I—”

Both of them jumped away from each other when the trapdoor suddenly opened, revealing Marinette’s mom, Sabine, followed by Nadja.

Upon seeing them, Nadja’s eyes widened. “Chat Noir! It’s good to see you here,” she said as she pushed past Sabine and approached him with a cameraman behind her.

“We were going to ask Marinette a few words for an interview. It would be great for you to join us, Chat Noir. Everyone in Paris wants to know more from you and Marinette.” Chat Noir and Marinette shared a glance.

~~~~

A storm came in the form of Nadja Chamack, and all Chat Noir and Marinette could do was face it. There was a bit of a delay while Chat Noir negotiated with Nadja before the interview began. Both Chat Noir and Marinette were seated in Dupain-Cheng’s living room. Nadja was adjacent to them, and beside her sat a man holding a tablet and a cameraman shooting footage for the interview. Marinette’s parents were also in the room, across from them, seated at the dining table. After the introductions were done, Nadja immediately jumped into questioning them.

"The biggest question that everyone in Paris has on their minds: Are you two dating?" Nadja asked.

Marinette spoke before Chat Noir could answer. "No, we are not dating. And we never will." As she said that Chat Noir’s shoulder slump.

"Then what about Desiderium showing your inner desire to share affections with Marinette, Chat Noir?" Nadja brought her microphone close to him.

"It’s simple, Nadja. I love h—Ow!" He massaged his side where she had elbowed him while she pretended to smile.

Nadja continued, "But as of yesterday, you were declaring your affections to Ladybug." She pointed to the tablet, which displayed a picture of him kissing Ladybug’s hand.

"He does that with every girl. He’s a big flirt," Marinette said, rolling her eyes.

"He does seem to flirt with many maidens," Nadja said, signaling the tablet man, who continued to display pictures of Chat Noir kissing the hands of a little girl, an elderly lady, a woman with a toddler on her hip, and many other female akumatized victims.

"It’s just a gesture of greeting," he pouted. "I was born in the wrong era."

"Will we get to see you both as an official couple in the future?"

"Absolutely not!" Tom interrupted furiously. Nadja simply shifted the microphone toward Tom.

"It’s no surprise that you would succumb to Marinette’s lovable charm," Tom said. "But you are too late! You were given a chance that you carelessly lost. You could have had it all, and we could have seen the little kittens—"

"Papa!" Marinette’s face turned red.

"When did this happen?" Nadja asked.

"It happened when I was akumatized as Weredad. He broke her heart. My poor cupcake cried so much. Chat Noir does not deserve her."

"It’s not your fault, Chat Noir. Declining is the right thing to do when you don’t reciprocate," Sabine added. Chat Noir gave her a sincere smile.

Nadja proceeded, "So what changed, Chat Noir?"

Time spent with Marinette, both as Adrien and Chat Noir, was what changed for him. It’s not something he can easily explain. The next plausible thing he could say, from Chat Noir’s perspective, is, "That was the second time I met her. The more I spent time with her, the more my feelings for her started to change."

"Then what about this?" Nadja pointed again at the tablet, which showed pictures of them meeting during Evillustrator.

"Yes, that’s why I said 'second time,'" he replied.

The tablet man showed more pictures of them during Galciator. "These photos clearly show you had many encounters with her before the Weredad incident,” Najda said.

"At that time, I was in love with Ladybug," he said, subtly winking at Marinette. "And my mind was more focused on handling the Akuma than on falling in love."

"I’m sorry, Chat Noir, but the evidence shows otherwise." At her signal, the tablet man showed a video of him asking Ladybug to go on a date if he defeated the Akuma.

"You had no problem wooing Ladybug while simultaneously handling the Akuma." "Doesn’t that validate my first point: ‘I was in love with Ladybug’?" he frowned. How do they have all kinds of videos of him?

“You were in love with Ladybug and then immediately switched to Marinette.” She paused for dramatic effect.

“What are you getting at?” he asked, crossing his arms.

“What Paris would like to know is,” she said, shifting the microphone to Marinette, “are you Ladybug?”

Her parents gasped and then looked at her intently, waiting for her answer.

“Pfft, me? Ladybug? No way. I’m too much of a ditz,” she laughed while also averting her eyes.

“Would you stop calling yourself that? You are anything but a ditz. You are the most brilliant girl I know. You are superhero material. Don’t sell yourself short—Ow!”

She seethed through her teeth. “You’re not helping.”

He scoffed while massaging his rib again.

She turned back to Nadja. “No, Nadja, I’m not Ladybug.”

“If you’re not Ladybug, then does that mean,” she asked, shifting the microphone back to him, “that you’re into younger women?”

One of his eyebrows rose. “What does this have to do with anything?”

“You mentioned on Ladyblog that you and Ladybug are the same age. If Marinette were Ladybug, then it would imply that you’re young based on your being the same age as Ladybug. Since Marinette denies being Ladybug, it means you are older than Marinette.”

“Did logic go on vacation, or is it allergic to you? I could be the same age as Marinette.”

Ignoring his remark, she continued, “ You also mentioned something about your job.” The tablet man played a video of Chat Noir speaking to Ladybug.

‘I had to sneak out of my workplace. I need to go back before they notice I’m missing.’

Chat Noir considered the video as he leaned back. “You don’t happen to have videos of my birth, do you?” he said jokingly to the tablet man, but his eyebrows rose when the tablet man nodded. The tablet man then showed Chat Noir a video of a black cat giving birth to a kitten. “You know I’m not actually a cat, right?” The way the tablet man’s eyebrows rose indicated that he had misunderstood. What a dumb man.

“Repeating myself,” Nadja continued, “Is Marinette the superhero Ladybug, or are you into younger women?”

“Chat Noir is not a pedophile!” she yelled. Even though he was used to dumb allegations thrown at him by the media, it warmed his heart to see Marinette defend his honor.

“And I’m not Ladybug,” she added.

“Nadja, you’re taking this a bit too far,” Sabine interjected sharply.

“I didn’t mean to make you uncomfortable. We only want to know the truth. And with the evidence we have, it’s either this or you’re Ladybug.”

“You bit—” Marinette got up, but he held her back.

“Nadja, I need to speak with you right now, in private.”

“Just a few more questions—”

“Right,” he glared. “Now.”

~~~~

While Marinette and her parents waited for Chat Noir’s return, her mother gave her a suspicious look. “You aren’t Ladybug, are you?”

The lie came out like second nature to her. “Of course not, Mama. I'm scared of horror movies. How would I face a scary Akuma?”

“As long as my cupcake is safe,” Tom said, pulling her into a hug. “I wouldn't ever want you to always be putting your life in danger.”

Marinette bit her lip. Lying to her parents would always be the painful thorn that she could never pull out. She gave a weak smile after their hug but didn’t meet their eyes.

“What about Chat Noir? He may be a hero, but if he is an adult, then I don’t want him near you,” said Sabine.

“Don’t worry, Mrs. Cheng,” Chat Noir answered when he returned in time to hear her mom’s comment about him. “I am 18, only a year older than her. I assure you I'm not a paedophile.”

“You aren’t supposed to reveal your age.”

“I believe you,” Tom said, patting his back. “You are too nice to be a creep. I would have married her off to you even if you were a few years older than her.”

“Papa!”

“This whole time you were fighting as a kid? How could your parents allow it?” Sabine said.

“Mrs. Cheng, I may have been a child, but I have been trained since birth to handle such situations,” he said. Chat Noir was such a smooth liar. Had she not known that they were chosen, she would have believed his words.

“But still.” She rested her hand on her cheek. “Kids should be enjoying their youth, not carrying everyone’s burden. They should be learning about responsibility before taking up responsibility.”

Marinette couldn’t bear to listen to this anymore. The only thing she picked up from her mom’s comments was that she was never ready for responsibility. She was never meant to be a superhero. And everyone had to pay the price for that.

“I’m done for now. I’ll go to sleep,” she said and went straight to her bedroom.

~~~~

When he bid his goodbye to the Dupain Cheng’ and left their residence, he climbed up the wall and knocked on the shade-covered circular window.

She opened it immediately. “You didn’t leave?”

“I wanted to continue where we left off,” he said as he entered. Marinette had already changed into her pink pajamas and had a hairbrush in her hand. Tikki was on the desk by the computer, munching her cookies and watching them.

“Can we do this sometime later? I need to sleep if I want the energy to deal with the aftermath of today’s interview tomorrow,” she said as she removed her hair ties and went to her vanity.

“It’s okay, Marinette. The interview will not be broadcast.”

She stopped combing her hair and turned to him. “What do you mean? It wasn’t live?”

“She was going to shoot it live, but I gave her a few bucks beforehand to do only a normal interview. Then she started asking nonsense, so I paid them off again along with a message video.”

“There is no way any money could stop them from spilling about ‘Chat Noir’s love,’ right?”

“It was tough convincing them, not gonna lie. But I paid them more than they could have profited from this news, so we should be fine.”

“But they could profit millions with it.”

“Yeah. So I paid them off with £10 million.”

“You paid them £10 million?!” She left the hairbrush and rushed toward him. “Where the heck did you get that kind of money?”

“Relax, I have that kind of money to spare in an emergency,” he said with a smirk.

“How can you pay off £10 million just like that? It’s too much. And it also means you are an adult.” She cringed.

“I’m not, I’m not. This was just my dad’s money that I borrowed.”

Her jaw dropped. “That does not make it any better. Aren’t you gonna get in trouble?”

“This much won’t even make a dent in his account. He won’t notice,” he said, rolling his eyes.

“There is no way he wouldn’t notice £10 million missing from his account.”

“He had already spent £50 million on a sculpture and £60 million on a portrait. He definitely won’t notice.”

“A whole £110 million for just a sculpture and a portrait?! No offense, but is your dad an idiot?”

“Not gonna lie, but this gift for Mom’s death anniversary is a dumb move.”

The silence that followed his statement stretched long and loud. He watched her struggle to say something until she joked, “Wish I could treat a measly £50-60 million as only £5 or £6.”

Good on her for not broaching his mother. Sure he missed his mother but was tired of it. This morning, with his father mourning and the millions of sad edits on the loss of the actor Emilie, felt more depressing than honouring someone’s life. He may miss her, but he would always honour her by looking at everything on the bright side and experiencing new things, Something that his mother taught. That’s why he fought to go to school after a year of mourning for his mother. That’s why he took the superhero role when he was given the ring instantly.

Placing a thumb on his chin, he said, “You can marry and then all my money will be yours.” “Can you ever be serious?”

“That was the most serious I have ever been,” he said, followed by a mock smolder.

“Knock it off, Chaton.”

“Alright,” he said, raising his hands in surrender. “Serious question, though. Can I reveal my identity to you?”

She hesitated. “Are you sure? Maybe it’s best to keep it a secret.”

Not this again. It always felt like the secret identity rule was just for him. “But why? You even let Alya and Nino know each other’s identities. So why can’t we?”

“Them knowing each other’s identities is not as dangerous as ours. If one of us gets akumatized, Hawkmoth can mind-control us to make us spill about where the other miraculous is.”

“You have a confidante with whom you share your identity. Isn’t that dangerous?”

“It is, but at least yours will be safe. Even if Hawkmoth gets mine, as long as he doesn’t get yours, he can’t make the wish.”

It really was a rule just for him. He couldn’t believe it. And it was all because she was scared, so she chose to be stubborn. The lack of her trust not only made him mad but also hurt.

“Oh no!” she exclaimed.

“What?”

“If you get akumatized, he will get to me next through you. Then he will get both of the miraculous, and it will be the end of the world. This is a disaster!”

“I promise I won’t get akumatized—”

“I have some spare charms that I’ve been trying to enhance. Let me get them for you.”

She went over to her desk to grab a drawstring pouch. That was when he realized why Marinette’s room felt odd. Her desk, which was usually occupied by her sewing machine, was missing. It was put under the desk along with all the other fabric and supplies. The corkboard was bare of all pictures and now filled with notes, lists, and timetables. Her drawing books and art stationery were replaced with bundles of papers and dried ingredients for potions. Even her mannequin was missing.

“Where is your mannequin?”

Tikki, who had been quiet this whole time, answered in her stead. “She sold it to buy ingredients to strengthen the protective charms.”

“I haven’t been using it anymore. So why let it collect dust when it could have been of some use,” she said as she took a charm out of the pouch and put it in his hand.

“Ever since Hawk Moth was able to breach the protective charms, I’ve been working on making them stronger. I guarantee you this is very strong. It will protect you from akuma at all costs.” A confident smile appeared on her face but deflated within three seconds. “Or what if it doesn’t work? I haven’t even tested it out, and I’ve already made a bunch.”

She dropped to her knees and scattered the contents of the pouch on the floor.

He knelt next to her. “Marinette, relax.”

“Now’s not the time to relax. Hawkmoth can target us anytime, and it’s because of me.”

“How is it your fault?”

She looked at him incredulously. “Of course it’s my fault. You got hit while protecting me, and now everyone knows we know each other.”

“It was just an accident.”

“Accidents shouldn’t have happened.”

“Marinette, calm down.”

“How can I—”

“Marinette!” He grabbed her, and she stopped rambling. She was breathing heavily.

“Breathe.”

She took a deep breath and followed his breath pattern until she significantly calmed down. He guided her to the chaise.

When Marinette got her bearings, she immediately hugged him, and he let her while he rubbed her back soothingly.

He looked at Tikki, who shrugged. “Usually, she is too busy working on the protective charms to be stressed. Though it's true that she has been anxious for the past week.”

He felt her shoulders shake within his arms. “Marinette?” He tried to coax her.

Her voice was muffled against his shoulder. “I am tired, Chat Noir.”

He pulled away to hold her face and wiped her tears with his thumbs.“Do you need a break?”

“I wanna quit, Chaton.” She closed her eyes and let more tears flow. “But I don’t wanna forget about you.”

It struck him that Marinette could forget her memory if she gave up being the guardian. She would forget him and all the precious moments they had lived together. Marinette losing her memories would devastate him. But he was already feeling that when watching her weeping in his arms.

He took a breath before he said, “If it means it will give you peace, then I’m fine with you forgetting about me.”

She looked up at him. “No, Chaton. I love you way too much to forget you.”

His eyes widened. “You love me?”

A soft smile graced her face. “You’re still with me despite me being such a mess and always being there for me. Of course, I’d fall for you.”

“You’re not a mess.”

She shook her head and pulled away from his hold. “It doesn’t change that we lost our mentor and I put my memories at risk. I lost all the miraculous that made Hawkmoth so powerful. You don’t need to sugarcoat anything for me.”

“Just because some things were out of your control doesn’t mean it’s your fault.”

“But now everything is so hectic. We have to leave everything in the middle to fight against Akuma. No breaks, our plans are pending, and everyone in Paris is worried. Worse, if this doesn’t end well, I will lose my memories no matter what—”

He pulled her into a hug again to stop her from rambling again.

“I don’t want to lose my memories,” her muffled voice came. “I want to just worry about homework. I want to freely date you and know your identity.”

“And it will happen. We’ll get through this together, I promise.”

“But how?”

He touched his forehead to hers and looked her in the eyes. “With a well-rested and clear mind.”

She sighed. “Well, that isn't very helpful.”

He pulled away. “Sorry, I don't have any ideas at the moment. We can brainstorm tomorrow, but only after you rest. You look exhausted.”

“What makes you think tomorrow would be different?” she rolled her eyes.

“Because two heads are better than one,” he winked. “We can do this, Marinette. We fought against a sentimonster without our powers. And during Oblivio, we worked it out despite not remembering anything. We were strangers to each other at that time, yet we were such a good team.”

He held her hands. “Did you ever feel like we knew each other when we first met?”

Her eyes brightened. “I always got the feeling like we had known each other forever when we teamed up.”

“Exactly. Marinette, I fell for you because we get each other. We are such a good team. I admire you, your talents, your personality, and everything. But mostly, because I love the people we become when we are together.” He said and kissed each of her knuckles.

Marinette’s chin quivered again and her eyes glistened. “Are you sure? I mean, you did leave once when I made you angry and had Cat Walker as a substitute.” “That was me being immature and petty. You were just doing your job. Can you forgive me for that?”

He felt her grip his hand more tightly. “It's okay, Chaton. I deserved that. Rather, I should apologize for treating you poorly.”

Chat Noir placed a kiss on her forehead. “It's okay. We're all fine now. I promise I'll always be by your side.”

She gave him a kiss on the corner of his mouth. “Thank you. I promise as well,” she said sincerely.

“It's late, you should sleep,” he said and got up. “For now, don’t worry your pretty head. Save that for tomorrow.”

Marinette got up and gave him one more hug. “Will you sleep with me tonight?”

Chat Noir couldn’t help himself from saying, “I didn’t buy any protection yet.”

“Chaton!”

He laughed as she smacked his arm. She looked adorable when she pouted and her nose scrunched up.

“Kidding, kidding. I’ll let my folks know at home that I’ll be cooped up in my room mourning for my mother, then I'll be back.”

“Oh, I forgot about that! Are you okay, Chat? If you're feeling down, you can stay home.”

“Aww. Well, the cure to my sadness is cuddling with you. So…” Suddenly feeling bashful, he rubbed the nape of his neck. “Is it okay if I come back?”

“Of course, Chat!” she said with a bright smile on her face. She blushed, but there was a fierceness in her eyes. She closed the distance and felt her lips brush against his. He definitely thought they were about to kiss, but she backed away instantly. She was averting her gaze and biting her lip while her cheeks turned an even darker shade of pink.

Chat Noir looked confused. “What just happened?”

She squeaked and covered her face with her hands. “I kissed you.”

“That was not a kiss! That was barely a touch.”

She peeked through her fingers. “Are you saying you don’t like my kiss?” she teased.

“Clearly, you have never kissed before.”

She folded her arms. “Not true. I kissed you on Valentine’s Day during Dark Cupid.”

“Which I don’t remember. I will never not be upset about that,” he groaned.

“At least now you got a kiss to remember,” she gave him a sheepish smile.

“That is not how you kiss.” He cupped her face and whispered, “This is how you kiss,” and brought her lips to his.

He heard her gasp, which prompted him to pull her closer with an arm around her waist and nuzzle his mouth against hers. Parting her lips slightly with his, he tilted her head to deepen the kiss. She wrapped her arms around his neck and felt her nails digging into his shoulders through his suit.

When they separated for air, they grinned at each other.

“Be right back.”

“Okay.”

“One more for the road.” He pecked her, then left her room through the skylight.

~~~~

That night, they slept cuddling on her bed, with smiles on their faces.

[xhanisai]

It's always about Adrien/Chat Noir and his cat tendencies here and there BUT WHAT ABOUT MARINETTE/LADYBUG AND HER CAT LOVER TENDENCIES???

YOU CAN'T TELL ME THAT SHE DOESN'T SUDDENLY JUST PICK HIM UP BECAUSE SHE FINDS HIM SO CUTE OR THAT SHE DOESN'T CONSTANTLY RUFFLE HIS HAIR OR KISS HIS NOSE OR PLAY WITH HIS HANDS OR SUDDENLY GRAB HIS FACE AND KISS IT ALL OVERRRRRR COME ON HE IS HER CHATON!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

AND SHE WILL LOVE HIM LIKE A CHATON SHOULD BE LOVED!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[lady-de-mon-coeur]

(There's) A Cat in My Room

AO3 link

Rated G. Language: English. 1,091 words.

Summary:

Chat Noir was the last person Marinette expected to see in her room at this time. Yet here he was, clutching at her for dear life and telling her how much he loved her. What on earth was happening?

The Representation almost reveal reimagined.

Stretching her sore limbs, fatigued after sleeping on the classroom floor, and wiping her puffy tears-swollen eyes, Marinette tried to gather her thoughts.

Despite having been so devastated the night before, all Marinette felt right now was strong determination filling her up.

Now she knew everything she needed to defeat Monarch.

She can do it. Adrien will be free. His father won't hurt his son or any of the Parisians ever again. This nightmare was nearing its end.

The only thing that was left to do before that was to take care of the akuma Chat Noir had captured the night before while she was busy watching the play starring Félix and Kagami.

***

Just when she put her graduation party dress back into the wardrobe and was about to transform, her skylight suddenly clicked, and a familiar figure came into her view.

"Chat Noir?" She asked, her eyes wide.

Yes, it was him. The person she least expected to see in her room at this time.

Chat Noir stared at her for a moment, a very odd expression in his eyes she'd never seen on him before—as if he were terminally ill, and she was the only person who was able to heal him.

The next second, he took a step forward and grabbed her in a tight embrace.

"I love you to pieces, Marinette," he whispered into her hair, pressing her to his chest, and Marinette let out a muffled gasp upon sensing his erratic heartbeat through the leather superhero suit. "I missed you so badly."

Marinette was so overwhelmed that she let him do it, but her head was buzzing with questions.

What on earth was happening? It didn't make any sense.

Yes, she knew that Chat Noir used to have a thing for her civilian self, but she was sure he wasn't being serious. Besides, he seemed to get over her a while ago, dating another girl whom he seemed to adore so much.

Yet here he was, clutching at her for dear life and whispering words of love.

Why did he come here out of nowhere to preach his love to her?

"I thought you forgot me.".

"I'd never forgotten you, Marinette. I never gave up on you. You're always here in my heart." He whispered, squeezing his arms around her.

The flashbacks of the recent past started popping up in Marinette's memory.

Chat Noir handing her the magical charm for recently de-akumatized Kagami. That was their first encounter after that memorable night.

The way he was gazing devouringly at her. The way he avoided letting his hand linger in hers, as if it were a white-hot iron. The way he smiled languidly at her. The way his eyes flickered longingly down to her lips.

The meaning of all this was completely lost on her back then. But now the realisation struck her.

He didn’t get over her.

She should have understood. He wasn't being too subtle, after all.

Somehow, the whole situation reminded her of the nightmare she once had, with her partner showing up dressed in white and suggesting that they should tie the knot. Marinette did her best to push that memory to the farthest back of her mind.

"What about your g— Wait, what's that? Chat Noir, are you... crying?"

There were sniffing and gulping noises coming from her Chaton.

He sobbed.

Marinette felt her heart clench painfully.

Seeing him like that was outright scary. She'd recently witnessed the boy she loved crying his eyes out. And now it was happening again to the person she held so dear.

What could've happened to this usually cheerful and easy-going catboy to make him so distraught?

She took Chat Noir’s face with both hands to make him look at her.

The wet tracks shimmering in the dim light were clearly visible on his cheeks.

Marinette stared in horror. Then she rose on her tiptoes and started instinctively showering his face with kisses.

She remembered the series of kisses she gave him that memorable night, when she believed for a moment that things could work out between them and they could become a couple. Those were soft and slow kisses, meant to convey the overwhelming tenderness she felt for her Chaton.

But these were angsty, desperate kisses, meant to save his life. As if she were throwing him a lifeline.

She's been distributing angsty kisses generously lately.

She forgot about her own heartbreak. She couldn't care less for why he came to her of all people searching for comfort. The only thing that mattered right now was to show him her love and affection, to try and take the pain away from this heart of gold.

Who broke this precious boy's heart? She would like to have a word with whoever was responsible for such cruelty.

She started whispering sweet nothings in his cat ears, calling him Chaton, Minou and a hundred other pet names she literally just came up with, telling him how much she loved him. Literally each and every tender word she could remember she dedicated to him, like a poem.

"You're such a sweetheart, Marinette", Chat Noir murmured eventually, his voice still a little thick from all the tears he shed. "You're always there for me. You mean the world to me."

Marinette stared at him, dazed. But the look in his eyes was so soft. She could practically feel his love and tenderness pouring all over her. She had to believe that he really meant every single word he said.

"I still don't get it. Aren't you dating someone? What about your girlfriend?"

"How did you know that I ever had one?" Chat Noir asked with only a hint of surprise in his voice, as if he were totally out of spoons to be genuinely surprised. He went on without waiting for an answer: "Well, you know what, never mind. I have something super important to tell you."

He placed his hands on Marinette’s shoulders and started gravely, emphasising every word, looking her straight in the eyes:

"You're right, Marinette, I do have a girlfriend, and I love her so much that I can't bear to hide my true identity from her anymore."

Marinette waited wordlessly for him to continue, not knowing what he was getting at with all of this, her brain being completely and utterly short-circuited due to the lack of any coherent thought in it.

She didn't know what she was expecting Chat Noir to say next.

However, it definitely wasn't "My girlfriend is you, Marinette."

[aalissy]

First Sight

Andddd welcome to the first chapter of Marichat May :). I hope that you like it <3. I'm still upset about how short the reverse love square was tbh!!

AO3

Marinette had practically fallen in love with Adrien Agreste at first sight. That was a universal fact. He gave her his umbrella and that had been it for her. She had been his.

Except for when she wasn’t...

Because she hadn’t fallen in love with Chat Noir at first sight. No. The love she had for her partner had grown slowly. So slowly, in fact, that Marinette hadn’t even recognized it until that day at the museum where they faced Manipula together.

Marinette sighed as she pulled her knees up to her chest, swiveling on the chair she was sitting in. She nestled her chin on her legs, glancing down sadly at her bedroom floor. 

But, it just seemed different now. He didn’t seem to have the same feelings for her. No matter how hard she tried to get closer to him as Ladybug, Chat seemed to be pulling away. Almost like he had lost feelings for her.

Marinette clenched her eyes shut tightly, shaking her head rapidly. She didn’t want to think about that. That was just a terrible thought.

A small tap on the trapdoor above her bed had her suddenly grinning from ear to ear, however. That was at least one thing that hadn’t changed. Chat still continued to pay visits to her. Instantly her mood was lifted as her eyes fluttered closed, listening to that familiar tap on the trapdoor above her bed. 

In just a few more moments, Marinette grinned, springing up, her heart fluttering with anticipation. Chat's visits always managed to brighten her day, no matter how down she might have previously felt about the fact that his feelings may have changed for her.

With a swift motion, Marinette sprang up her bedside ladder, opening the trapdoor. There he was. Her partner. Her Chat Noir, grinning mischievously as he descended gracefully into her room. "Good evening, purrincess," he greeted her with a bow, his emerald eyes sparkling with excitement.

It took everything in her not to positively swoon at the nickname. Had he always called her princess with that intonation? How had she never freaked out about that before?! Oh, she was very much so going to be gushing to both Tikki and Alya later tonight.

"Hey, Chaton," Marinette replied, trying to sound casual despite the warmth spreading through her cheeks. "What brings you here tonight?"

Chat’s grin widened as he approached her, his cat-like grace evident in every step. "Oh, just wanted to check on my favorite civilian," he teased, leaning in closer to her. She almost thought she imagined the humorous glint in his eyes, however, when they suddenly softened, and he murmured, “I missed you.”

Marinette felt her heart race at the comment. She felt dizzy. Like she was floating on a wonderful bed of clouds. It felt just like old times. She hadn’t heard Chat talk like this for years.  

Clearing her throat, she attempted to keep from fainting on the floor below. "Y-your favorite, huh?" she retorted, a playful glint in her eyes. “But I missed you too.”

Chat chuckled, a sound that never failed to make her stomach flutter. "Well, seeing as how we were both missing each other, purrhaps I should consider stopping by more often," he quipped, his tail swishing behind him. 

He seemed almost... anxious? Was that even possible? Marinette didn’t think she had ever seen Chat look this anxious before.

With a small smile, she nodded. “Yes. Yes, please. You, um, you’re always welcome here, mon Chaton.”

Marinette's heart raced as she watched Chat, feeling a mix of excitement and nervousness. She couldn't deny the warmth that spread through her at his words, at the familiar banter that felt like a comforting embrace.

Chat’s eyes lit up at her response, and for a brief moment, Marinette thought she saw a hint of relief flicker across his features. The anxiety seemed to melt away as he replied, his voice soft and sweet, "Thank you, purrincess. You know I always feel at home when I'm with you."

Marinette's cheeks flushed at the sincerity in his tone. It was moments just like this that reminded her of why she had grown to love her partner so deeply. Despite the masks and the secrets, there was a connection between them that went beyond words. They just seemed to understand each other. Even without the use of words.

With a motion of her head, Marinette led him down the ladder into her bedroom. It was time for her to defeat him in a game of Ultimate Mecha Strike III just like usual. He bounded after her, his eyes sparkling as he knew exactly where they were headed.

She pulled up the game, and as they talked and laughed while playing, she couldn't help but steal glances over at Chat, noticing the way his eyes sparkled with genuine happiness whenever he was with her. It was a side of him she positively cherished, one that was making her heart skip a beat.

The night wore on, and eventually, even Marinette who was used to going to bed late, was yawning in the middle of their matches. Chat paused their game, causing her to frown over at him. She was not ready for their night to be over yet! She still wanted to continue talking with him!

“Hey!” She pouted. “I was winning!”

“And you can win again tomorrow,” he said, bending to brush a kiss against her forehead. “I’ll see you then.”

“O-okay.” A dizzy smile spread across her lips as Marinette lifted her hand to wave up at him. He had just kissed her! The top of her forehead was still tingling! 

He bid her goodnight with a lingering smile, his eyes filled with something that she couldn’t quite identify. She watched him bound up onto her balcony, falling back against her chair with a contented sigh. He was coming back tomorrow! How crazy was that?! He didn’t usually pay her visits two nights in a row. 

Maybe... maybe... it was possible that he still felt the exact same as her. With another yawn, Marinette stood up with a stretch. It was time for her to go to bed. Climbing up her ladder into her bed, she was ready for dreams of Chat Noir to greet her.

[sariahsue]

Jealousy Ch 2

Adrien's point of view

(Chapter one (Marinette's pov) here. Please note that I started this story in the ancient days of May 2021.)

---

Chat Noir almost always felt at home in Marinette's room. It was cozy and warm, lined with layers of fabric, like she was building a soft den. It was so different from his own old and sterile room. His windows let him see outside at the same time they reminded him he would always be disconnected from it. Marinette leaned against him, but tonight, no matter how close he physically was to her, he felt like they were on opposite sides of glass.

Their playing cards had been knocked out of their piles by Marinette's victory dance. A container of leftover noodles lay empty on its side. And Chat Noir held steady against Marinette's weight as she relaxed into his side.

There were so many things he couldn't tell her. So many things he wanted her to understand. "Hey, Bug?"

"Hm?"

"Can I ask you something?"

"Aren't you asking something now?" she joked. "Sure."

He hesitated. Asking was only a few steps removed from the forbidden act of telling. (Not his name. Not how many days it had been since he'd last had dinner with his father, or been given a hug.) He wanted to ask why she'd taken down all her pictures of Adrien. What had he done as his civilian self that had upset her so much? She stayed perfectly polite to him at school.

Instead he asked, "If it weren't for that other guy, do you think you would have fallen for me?"

Marinette leaned away. It wasn't the first time he'd asked a variation of this question. It was almost always on his mind. His rival.

"Um... do you want to play another round of Uno," she deflected, "or should we do something else?"

"Marinette, I'm serious. Would you have?"

She shrugged. "Maybe, I guess. Video games? I have UMS 4."

"Really, that's it? You guess? That's not a real answer."

"Please, chaton. Don't do this to yourself."

He selfishly slid closer to her. Not many people allowed him to be in their space like this, and the need to touch her was too much. If she felt like he was chasing her, she didn't complain. A reminder that at least someone wanted him around.

He didn't stop until he could feel her comfortable body heat against his side again. "I just want to know."

He'd expected a simple yes or no.

"You're kind and compassionate. You're reliable. You're funny." She stopped, taking care to find her next words. He thought she would just tell him no. "We have such a strong connection, and I trust you with my life. You're brave. You're my best friend."

Marinette's voice dropped for the devastating truth. "It would have been so easy. That's the real answer."

Chat Noir struggled to stay still, focusing on not hugging her, not crying, not moving. Even if she didn't love him back, she did in some way love him. She just… loved someone else more. Differently. Who was it? Adrien watched her at school. He knew Alya teased her constantly about her love life and Marinette's inability to talk to the mysterious boy who'd so effortlessly caught her attention. Adrien never overheard his name, though he'd tried.

"So why haven't you talked to him yet?" Chat Noir asked.

"What?"

"If you'd pick him over all that, then you must like him a lot, but you aren't together."

Marinette shifted, looking at him for the first time since gifting him a list of her favorite things about him (a gift he didn't deserve). "And I can't imagine anyone rejecting you, so you must not have asked him out yet."

"I'm... very awkward around him. I'm pretty sure I make him uncomfortable sometimes."

"I doubt it," he said. "So who is he?" Another question he hadn't been able to ask before. But he was tired of the glass in between them. If he couldn't be with her, maybe knowing more about her would help. This nameless boy was such a huge part of her life.

And one of the biggest obstacles in his.

Marinette got up and walked away, her back to him. "We shouldn't be talking about this."

"Why not?"

"Because I hate this!" Her face was pained as she turned to him. "I hate hurting you every time you bring it up."

The headless mannequin was suddenly very interesting. Father didn't have his own mannequin until he was nearly 18. Marinette was more passionate and more talented.

"I'm only curious," he lied. He felt like a bad friend for pushing, but there was only so much he could learn about her from studying the decor in her room. "I just want to know what type of person attracts Ladybug. That's all." And find out what he still lacked.

"I'll tell you under two conditions. One, you stop asking about it. Two, you don't laugh at me."

"Laugh?" he asked. "Why would I laugh?"

"Because you're going to think it's a celebrity crush, and it's not."

He waved to distract her from his face. He hoped it was neutral, but he couldn't be sure. A celebrity? She had a crush on some random celebrity? That's who his competition was?

Marinette groaned. "Adrien Agreste."

He didn't think. Didn't realize he'd stood up until he was walking toward her. The glass was shattering. "Plagg, claws in!"

"NO!" she shrieked, snapping her eyes shut. Had she seen? "What are you doing? Put your suit back on!"

"No."

"I'm not going to look at you."

Plagg bobbed back and forth between the two of them, then flew off to find Tikki. That was as close to permission as he was going to give.

"You have to retransform." Her commanding tone was at odds with the way she backed up, flinching away from him until she hit her desk, hiding her face in an effort to protect him. Or maybe herself.

"No," he repeated, "not until you look."

"You'll have to," she said. "You can't walk out my front door and let people see you. You'll have to leave the way you came in."

"You're just going to keep your eyes closed for the rest of the night?"

She nodded.

Adrien walked over to her, his socked feet stepping lightly over the remains of their time together. He wrapped her in a loose hug, and then waited. After a few seconds, Marinette dropped her hands from her face and sunk into him. He took that as permission to hug her the way he'd always wanted, like he was never going to let her go.

Maybe he didn't have to.

He was the boy. The rival. The obstacle. She could know all of him, and he wouldn't have to feel so fragmented and broken. There would be nothing left to come between them, if only she would open her eyes.

Marinette shivered in his arms. His fire dimmed, replaced with softness at her worry. It was so much better to hold her without thick armor in the way, just a few layers of fabric.

He wouldn't force her to look, but he wasn't above leading her for once. He could tell himself that it would be an advantage, tactically, for her to know who he was. It would strengthen their partnership, but really, he just needed her to know him.

"I'm not opening my eyes," she said.

"Then please just listen to my voice. I won't tell you my name, but please just listen?"

She pushed her face into his neck, skin to skin, and breathed deeply, nodding. Adrien wanted to drop his head on top of hers, but instead only leaned down, letting her hair brush his cheek. Almost nothing in between them.

"When I'm not transformed, I'm much quieter."

"A quiet Chat Noir?" Marinette teased. "What must that be like?"

"I don't show off either. I try to avoid attention, actually. I get too much of it."

Marinette didn't ask him why, though he'd expected it. He hoped it was because she was trying to figure it out despite herself.

"Did you know that we know each other outside the masks? We go to the same school."

He stopped, letting her come to the truth if she was ready. Despite what he wanted, and how desperately he needed to be seen by her, this ultimately had to be her choice. If she wanted to understand, she would.

Marinette's fingers started to roam, first to his ungloved hand, maybe testing to see if he really was detransformed. The hairs on his forearms raised as she drew a line from his wrist to the edges of his rolled up sleeves. Over and across, to his shoulders, a breathless slide along his collarbone, then down the buttons of his shirt, then back up to his shoulders as she breathed into his neck, and her eyelashes tickled him as she opened her eyes.

She wouldn't be able to see his face, but she knew. He rested his head on hers, strengthening his hold on her.

"You're kind and compassionate," he said. "You're brave and creative and amazing. It was so easy to fall in love with you, Marinette."

Her hands slid from his shoulders and wrapped around his neck, holding him just as tightly as he held her. "I love you too, Adrien."