#Supermari May

[starwarsmum]

Let SuperMari May begin! First prompt is Meet Fail

@maribat-calendar-events

AO3

PinkFrenchMarigold: I can't believe I get to come to meet you in person at last! Are you sure your dad doesn't mind me staying for a couple of days?

HortonsCoffeeFiend: please Mari, he might not even notice you're there

PFM: pfft, whatever you say, Timbit. Still good to meet me at the airport?

HCF: 👍 absolutely! I'll bring the coffee and doughnuts

PFM: my hero! Going dark, see you in 10 hours or so 🫶

*_____*

Marinette put her phone away, setting it to aeroplane mode before relaxing into her first class seat. She hadn't been sure she wanted to spend that much on the flight but Alya had convinced her that she would want the extra leg room and privacy. And now that she was settling into the chair, she could admit that it was absolutely necessary. 

Pulling out her sketchbook, she let her mind wander as she sketched out a design for a new line of hero inspired clothes. The main duo of the Parisian team, Scarabella and Chat Noir, were joining the Justice League that day and it meant that other people might want merchandise of the team. She'd been designing little bits for a long time, but now she would be able to market it to a wider audience. 

Mullo peeked out of her purse after the first hour of the flight and Marinette pulled out some cheese cubes, scattering them on the tray table. The tiny mouse Kwami grinned and began nibbling immediately. It was crazy to think she had been part of the team that took down Hawkmoth' and she was a little sad that she wasn't going to be introduced to the Justice League. 

She shook her head at herself. She was moving across the world, meeting her online friend in person for the first time, and it wasn't like any of the rest of the team were joining yet either. Maybe once she was settled in Gotham she could talk to Alya about bringing her into it, but for now she was going to focus on being Marinette. 

She smiled as she checked the time and decided to try and get some sleep.

_ _ _

The mood on the WatchTower was fairly relaxed and Kon watched as his best friend updated his notes on the Parisian team. They were due to arrive any minute and, because they were presumed to be the closest in age to them, Kon and Tim were supposed to be part of the welcome party. 

“I thought you were supposed to be busy today,” he said when he thought Tim was less distracted. 

“Yeah, I will be, but right now I'm okay for time. My friend doesn't land for another few hours and we should be done with plenty of time to spare for me to get to the airport,” Tim shrugged, saving his files and standing. 

“I can't believe you have an online civilian friend that you invited to Gotham. Wouldn't it have been smarter to go to them?” 

“Maybe if she hadn't been stuck in Paris for the past few years. Besides, I'm locking her up in the manor for a bit until I can tell if she can handle herself.” 

“That would be really concerning if I didn't know you,” Kon laughed, his grin turning roguish in the next moment. “And when do I get to meet your online friend? Maybe I can come and introduce myself while she's locked up in whatever tower you choose for her.” 

“Ha ha, funny. Marigold doesn't need another target on her back, it's bad enough that I'm probably going to have to keep her safe from Rogues. I don't really want to have to worry about Lex on top of all that.” 

“Fine, I'll have to meet her when you don't have her locked up I guess.” 

“Don't you have an off-world mission to get ready for?” Tim asked, sounding annoyed. Kon grinned widely, pleased that he'd managed to get under his skin so easily. He was fairly sure Tim was in love with his online friend, so he hoped she was everything she seemed. Tim deserved to be happy.

_ _ _

Adrien was excited to meet some of the Justice League, he just wished Marinette could be there with them. He knew why she wasn't, even agreed that it should just be him and Alya to begin with, but he still missed his best friend. 

“What do you think they'll be like?” He asked when they were waiting at the Paris Zeta Tube to be escorted in. “Multi seemed to think this was a good thing, but she didn't want to come up so…” 

“You know she was busy,” Alya said. They were prevented from continuing their conversation by the Zeta Tube lighting up and Wonder Woman stepping out to greet them. They exchanged hellos and then they followed the older heroine into the tube and up to the WatchTower. 

“Oh my god, that's Batman,” Adrien said in a hushed voice as they entered the meeting room. Alya looked like she was barely containing a fangirl squeal as Wonder Woman joined Batman and Superman. “Uh, hi, nice to meet you. I'm Chat Noir, this is Scarabella.” 

“Well met,” Wonder Woman said, smiling at them both. “Congratulations on defeating your villain, I'm sure it's a relief that Gabriel Agreste will no longer be terrorising your city.” 

“It is,” Alya said, actively working not to look at Chat. He knew this because she was tense as a taut wire and he forced down the nausea that came with the knowledge that everyone knew it was Gabriel that had done it. That the man he had called a father was the reason most of his friends had been akumatised and the reason he had died more than once. 

Shaking away the bad thoughts, they were formally inducted into the Justice League and introduced to a few heroes that were similar ages to them. Once that was all complete, Superman informed them cheerfully that they were expected at a few upcoming meetings and that support was available through the trials and any further investigations for Hawkmoth.

Adrien found himself relaxing completely once the big three were gone, leaving him and Alya in the care of Red Robin and the elder Superboy. It all seemed to be going well until Superboy started to quiz them on the rest of their team. Red Robin seemed to get frustrated and embarrassed on behalf of his friend.

“Do you think you'll bring the rest of your team up some time?” Superboy asked, and Red Robin looked like he wanted to hit him. “I thought you were going to bring everyone up here at once. Weren't there, like, fifteen of you?” 

“Something like that,” Alya said breezily. “But most of them are retired now and the others…they have their own lives to get on with. If any of them want to come up, we'll let them know that they're welcome but I don't want to pressure them at all. Hawkmoth wasn't really a barrel of laughs.” 

“So long as they know they're welcome, that's cool,” Red Robin said, shooting Superboy a look that said ‘shut up’ that even Adrien could read through the mask. 

“Maybe one day we'll get our strategist up here, she's a goddamn powerhouse,” Adrien said, grinning as he thought about Marinette. 

“Yeah, but is she hot?” Superboy asked cheekily, and Adrien thought he understood why Red had been getting annoyed. He wondered if Superboy flirted with many heroes. 

“Oh, like a supernova,” Alya nodded sagely. “But also not interested in dating a hero so you're out of luck I'm afraid.”

“Guess I'll just have to try my luck with Red's friend then,” he smirked, leaning back in a chair so far it rested on two legs. 

Adrien gave a bark of laughter when Red Robin kicked his chair out from under him.

_ _ _

Tim was not running late. He knew that it was more than likely that Mari’s flight would land on time but then customs would be a nightmare, so he was comfortably on time, he was sure. Besides, the coffee would get cold if he arrived too early, so getting there slightly after wasn't a bad thing.

But luck was not on his side because as he pulled up, he got a notification that a B-list rogue was trying to hold up the airport. Damian had already confirmed that he was nearby and would be expecting Tim to be suited up by the time he got there. 

“Good, it appears that Condiment King is attempting to rob the passengers of the flight from Paris for some reason. We should do some reconnaissance and then plan accordingly,” Damian said when Tim arrived in costume. 

“Fine, you head left, I'll head right and we'll meet at the back of the room to discuss strategies,” Tim said curtly, focusing on getting this done as soon as possible. 

As they circled to the back of the room, Tim spotted one of the passengers slipping away and heading into a corridor marked ‘Employees Only’. It was a young woman in a pink hoodie and grey jeans, worn sneakers on her feet. Very notably not an airport employee. She must have abandoned her luggage except for a small bag on her shoulder. He lost sight of her momentarily when she turned a corner but he could hear her murmuring urgently. Perhaps she had been on the phone?

“Mullo, get squeaky!” Said the voice, and Tim froze. What on earth did that mean? And then a light flashed and when he turned the corner the young woman he had spotted was nowhere to be seen. Instead, a superheroine in grey and pink stood there, two buns atop her head and a skipping rope tied around her waist. She gave a squeak when she turned and saw Tim, hand flying to her rope. “Uh, oh, you must be one of the local heroes, right? Red Robin, unless I'm mistaken. Hi, I'm Multimouse! Want a hand?” 

“...sure, why not.” 

Rounding up the goons took minimal effort between Tim, Damian and the new hero. She wasn't seen by anyone else but she was capable and strategic, following Tim's orders and offering insightful suggestions that sped things along. When it was over, she vanished with a quick salute in his direction, smiling brightly.

“She was…not horrendous,” Damian said stiffly. It took Tim by surprise because that was practically a compliment coming from him. “Hadn't you better go and find your friend? On the off chance that you have not been cat fished, she must be rather perturbed by the attack.” 

“Thanks Robin, I'll see you back at base,” he acknowledged, changing back to his civilian clothes in record time. He grabbed the cups of coffee and the box of doughnuts, and headed for the arrivals. 

Looking around, he held the box as visibly as he could, checking his phone. He sent a picture of the doughnut box and flipped the camera to show his line of sight and hoped that was enough for her to find him. He was staring at the check marks to see if they changed colour when someone stopped in front of him. He glanced up and was met by the woman he knew had to be Multimouse. He froze for a fraction longer than felt comfortable, until she broke the awkwardness. 

“Tim? Or, uh, whatever your real name is, HortonsCoffeeFiend,” she said, a slight tremor in her voice giving away her nerves. He was a little astounded that she was nervous to meet him when she had been completely calm during the fight. 

“Oh, uh, it actually…yeah, my name's Tim. Tim Drake,” he said, feeling a little smug when she laughed. “What about you, Marigold? Or would you rather I just keep using that?” 

“Marinette, actually,” she said with a bubbly giggle. “That's so crazy, what were the odds I would have picked your actual name? You look like you would know that sort of thing.” 

“Rude,” he said, holding out her coffee cup. “Sorry, it's probably a little cold now. But welcome to Gotham! As much as it sucks that you got caught in an attack, it's really…kind of common. Not how I pictured this meeting going though,” he added glumly. 

“Yeah, I thought I'd get at least a couple of days in before I experienced one of your villains,” she agreed, accepting the coffee and taking a sip. Upon finding that it was more than a little cold, she grimaced before chugging it back. “Hmmm, not too bad. At least it's caffeine.” 

“I'll get you a hot one another time,” Tim promised, reaching to take her bags. She shared them with him and chattered happily as he led her to his car. “I should probably warn you, my house is kind of…manic. And big.”

“That's fine, I won't stay too long. Thanks for offering me a space, I really didn't want to get an apartment without seeing it in person. Plus, I couldn't come to Gotham without meeting my online coffee bestie.” 

They lapsed into silence when they were seated, Marinette opening the doughnut box and offering it to him first. They got through the box of half dozen fairly quickly and he laughed when she licked her fingers clean. 

“I take it you want a serviette or something instead,” she mused, pulling napkins out of her purse. 

“Sure would, thanks,” he said, accepting them without taking his eyes off the road. 

“Would you be up for hitting a drive-thru or something? The doughnuts were nice and all, but I think I need something more substantial.” 

“Sure, why not,” he agreed, mentally figuring out where the closest drive-thru was and how to get there. Which was probably why he missed the sharp look she sent his way. 

Once they had more food, Marinette seemed to be mulling something over. She ate quickly and was done well before they pulled up at the manor. But where most new arrivals gawked at the massive building, Marinette was studying him. He cocked his head, wondering what the problem was, when she groaned and hit her head onto his dash. 

“Uh, are you okay?” He asked, nervous suddenly. He knew the manor was intimidating, but-

“Oh, yeah, just peachy thanks. Just wondering if you know the odds on us both having secret identities,” she said, tone flat. 

Well hell.

[mochegato]

Mistakes Were Made

Jon pursed his lips as he studied the list in front of him, his brow furrowing deeper the longer he stared at it.  There was a pattern there.  He knew there was.  Something linking the names on the list.  Something he hadn’t managed to figure out even after endless hours staring at the company names, running down investors, calling ex-employees, scouring the internet for scandals.  It was getting damned frustrating.

Jay hadn’t had any more luck with the list than he’d had, and Jay had been working on the story a lot longer than Jon had been.  Weeks.  Weeks of focused investigation had yielded a lot of results, but nothing conclusive.  Nothing they could splash across the front page of the Daily Planet.  Nothing that would lead to the convictions that he knew were forthcoming.  If they could figure out the pattern.

It was there… somewhere.

He was shocked out of his focus by his phone and answered before the first ring had completed.  “This is Jon,” he intoned mindlessly, still staring at the list.

The responding snort finally brought his attention away from the list for the first time in so long, his vision was starting to cross.  “I guess I called the right number then,” she chuckled.

“Hey, Starlight,” he sighed and instantly returned his attention to the list.  It wasn’t investors.  It wasn’t ex-employees.  It had to be…

“Hey, Mon rêve,” she cooed.  “Where are you?  It’s getting pretty late.”

“Hm?  Is it?  I hadn’t noticed,” he answered absently.  “I’m still here with Jay.”

“Wait.  Really?” she asked.

“Yeah,” he nodded, cocking his head to the side to stare at the list.  Maybe that would give him a new perspective.  He was pretty sure if he stared any harder than he had before, his laser vision would activate.  “Jay has been following a lead for a few days and asked this morning if I could help.  We are doing some research to hopefully get a direction.”

“So…” she started, her tone was careful, measured.  If Jon had been a bit more aware of anything outside of the list, it would have set the hairs on the back of his neck on edge, especially contrasted with the adoring tone microseconds before.  “…you're staying there.  You're not going to join me?  You're going to stay there... with Jay.”

“Yeah, sorry, can't join you tonight.”  He paused to look over their desks full of documents, binders of reports, and endless Post It notes marking random thoughts in their glaring color.  It should be overwhelming, but it just excited him.  This story wasn’t just important, it could make a major difference, to Metropolis and him.  “I think this could really be something,” he gushed almost breathlessly.  She was silent for a few beats too long; long enough Jon noticed she hadn't responded yet.  “Mari?”

It was another few beats of loaded silence before she responded.  “Yeah, I thought it could really be something too.”

He frowned at the phone.  “Hey, you okay?  You sound a bit off.”

The silence was more concerning than any response she could give.  If it took that long to respond, there clearly was something wrong.  He almost waved Jay off when he jutted his laptop in front of his eyes, but the insistent look in Jay’s eyes made him reconsider.  “I just thought we could spend time together today celebrating,” she finally answered.

“Oh? Celebrating what?” he asked distractedly, flicking his fingers through the document Jay had just found; property listings.

She let out a mirthless huff of a laugh.  “Nothing.  It doesn't matter.”

“No, I'm sure it does,” he insisted instantly, though it was clear in his voice his attention was still elsewhere.  “I'll see you tonight and we can talk.”

“I wanted to dig up property records for the rest of the organizations,” Jay piped up.  “If we can get a listing tonight, we can look into their ownership history tomorrow.  Maybe make some inquiries.”

“Oh!  That’s a good plan.  Yeah.”  He looked at the list again and let out a breath at the length.  “This is going to take a while.”  It wasn’t until he had reached for his laptop that he remembered he was still holding a phone and supposed to be talking to Marinette.  “Sorry!  Tomorrow,” he promised quickly.  “We’ll talk tomorrow.”

“Right,” Marinette scoffed.

He paused and turned away from Jay to give himself a bit of privacy.  “Are you upset I'm hanging out with Jay?  Mari, you know we just work together.  There's nothing to worry about.”

“Right,” she repeated.

This time, Jon took note of her tone.  It wasn’t one he associated with her.  He wasn’t even sure if he’d ever heard her speak that way before.  It was hollow, defeated, and so very wrong.  “Don’t be like that, Starlight.  You're being ridiculous.”  He shook his head, exasperated at her reaction.  They needed to talk about this, clearly, but he didn’t have time tonight.  “Look, I have to go.  We'll talk about this later, okay?  Love you.”

She hung up without responding, leaving him staring at the phone in confusion.  He let out a deep breath and squeezed his eyes shut.  She was upset.  Clearly.  But this was time sensitive.  They needed to get this research done tonight so they could jump on City Hall tomorrow.

Would he have loved to spend the night with her?  Of course he would!  He would spend every night… and day with her if he could.  But this was the life of a reporter, not to mention a hero.  He needed to be able to spend a night in the office with a coworker from time to time.  When he was working on a story, it might even be days.  Hell, his mom had slept on her office couch every night for a week before.

And, he huffed mentally, Marinette didn’t really have standing to complain.  She regularly got caught up in design dazes and would end up in her studio for the entire night.  More than once, he had to track her down to her studio and drag her home.  She had no right to be mad at him for doing the same thing she did constantly.

It was particularly strange because he had worked late into the night on stories, or been away unexpectedly for a mission, and she had been extremely understanding.  But this time…

“Hey, I think I found something!” Jay called, drawing Jon out of his spiral.

Jon was at Jay’s side looking over his shoulder in a microsecond.  This was it!  This was the link they’d been looking for all day.  He could feel it.

They got lost in digging up all the information they could, so focused, he’d completely lost track of time.  Gun to his head, not that it would do anything, but it’s the sentiment that counts, he couldn’t tell you how much time had passed since he’d spoken to Marinette when his phone rang again, but it was at least long enough for them to have gathered the bulk of the property listings for the names on the list.  And at some point Jay had drifted off to the break room to get them yet another cup of godawful black coffee.

They hadn’t done a deep dive yet, looking for the hidden assets, but there was a lot of night left… maybe.  He really needed to check a clock.

He checked the ID and furrowed his brow in confusion for just a second before answering.  If he knew her, and he did, she would just keep calling until he answered.  “Hey, Kara.  I’m a bit busy right now.  Can I call you back another time?”

“Yeah, I know how busy you apparently are, dumbass,” she growled into the phone. “What the hell is wrong with you?”

He jerked back in surprise.  “What?  What did I do now?”  It took a few moments for his mind to register the situation and recall his previous conversation.  “Oh, did Mari call you?”  He sighed and rubbed his forehead.  “Is she that upset I'm working with Jay.  This is insane.  She's best friends with Adrien and regularly hangs out with Luka and Vic and I can't even work with Jay?  I can't believe...”

“What day is it?” she cut in, saccharine sweet in a way she had never actually embodied.

The tone caught him off guard.  It was, quite frankly, a bit creepy coming from her.  “What?”

“What day is it?” she repeated, the sweetness bleeding from her tone.

It was a trap, he knew it was, he just for the life of him couldn’t figure out what it was supposed to trap him into or why she was laying it.  Working late one day didn’t warrant the effort at entrapment.  Nothing made sense.  “Thursday,” he answered slowly.  It felt like it wasn’t the answer she was looking for, but it was the correct answer.

“The date, you dimwitted pudding socket!” she hissed.  All pretenses of sweetness were completely gone.  Her hostility was fully out.

“Dimwitted… what the heck, Kara?”

“What. Is. The. Date,” she repeated, carefully enunciating each word, punctuating the final syllable like they were weapons.

He could hear her teeth gritting through the phone without even having to use his super hearing.  But more than that, he could hear the disappointment, which again, didn’t make sense.  It was one night.  “It's May...” he trailed off as the realization hit and Marinette and Kara’s reactions finally made sense.  “Oh...”

“Yeah,” she concurred bitterly, “oh.”

“Oh, fuck.”  If anything, Marinette’s reaction was subdued.  She should have yelled.  She should have screamed.  She should have raked him over the coals for forgetting their anniversary.

“Yep,” she agreed popping the p.

“Oh no,” he lamented, running his hand through his hair and tugging painfully on it.  “No, no, no.  No, fuck.  Is she still at the restaurant?”  The question was essentially perfunctory, he was moving before she responded.  But her response stopped him in his tracks, yet again driving home the level of fuckupary.

“Is she still at the restaurant you had a reservation for hours ago and you left her sitting alone waiting for you?” she scoffed.

“No!  What time is it?”  He whipped his head around looking for the damned clock that he should have checked when he talked with Marinette.  His heart dropped at the sight.  It was in fact hours after he was supposed to meet her.  Hours!  And he hadn’t talked to her.  Hours for her to stew and spiral and start thinking the worst of the situation.  “Fuck!  Where is she?”

There was a pause before she spoke, and Jon could picture her narrowing her eyes, leaning back, and cocking her hip as she prepared to answer.  “She is somewhere she doesn't want you to find her.”

“Fuck!  No, Kara,” he pleaded.  “No, I need to talk to her.  I need to fix this.  I need to...”

“That's a lot of I's for someone who is just fucked up so royally,” she chided harshly.  “It isn't about what you need right now, is it?”

He groaned and ran his hand through his hair again.  He needed to do something he couldn’t… he couldn’t lose Marinette.  The very idea of not being able to go home to her gutted him.  But the idea of Marinette thinking that he blew her off, that he didn’t love her with his entire soul, felt like a kryptonite knife to the heart.  “Fuck!  Fuck, fuck, fuck,” he agonized.  “How do I fix this if she won't talk to me, Kara.  What do I do?”

“I would suggest massive groveling,” she offered, her false sweetness back though not quite to the level it had been before.  “Flowers and fabric aren’t going to fix this.”

“I need to apologize to her face,” he announced as much to himself as her.  He stood up straight as determination flowed through him.  He was going to find her and talk to her, beg her, plead for her to understand.  He was an idiot, but he was a devoted, utterly lovesick idiot.  “Where is she?”

“No.”  Flat but solid.  She used no emotion, just raw steel.

“Kara, where is my girlfriend?” he growled.

“Gone.  And you need to consider what you're going to do to make sure it isn't permanent,” she snarled before hanging up.

“Kara?  Kara!” Frustration inundated his voice.  “How do I make sure it isn’t permanent if I can’t talk to her?” he screamed into the void.  “I know you can hear me!”

He immediately called Marinette, which in retrospect, he acknowledged, he should have done as soon as he realized he’d missed the date.  He clenched his hand into a bouncing fist as he waited for her to answer, pacing a tight circle, and he almost started apologizing when he heard her voice.  It took a few seconds to realize it was the start of her voicemail, not her.

But he wasn’t going to be deterred so easily.  She was angry, frustrated.  She didn’t like to answer the phone when she was frustrated with someone.  He knew that.  He should have anticipated it.  Instead, he sent off a few anxious texts, not able to wait more than a few seconds before sending the next text.  When she didn’t answer those after a full minute, he couldn’t force himself to wait any longer and tried calling again, but it went straight to voicemail.  Meaning she was either instantly rejecting the call or she’d blocked him.

“Son of a bitch!” he yelled, fighting the urge to throw his phone.  If he allowed his anger to overtake him now, he would lose his only means of communication if she did decide to respond… and he’d probably tear a hole through the wall and possibly the next… and all the walls in the next building.

Jay came careening around the corner, the coffee mugs in his hands sloshing over the rims and spilling onto his shirt unnoticed.  “What?  Did something happen?  What’s wrong?” he questioned frantically.

“I… fuck!” Jon yelled again.  He kicked an exposed steel support beam that at this point luckily was merely decorative, because it crumpled instantly.

“Woah, hey, you have to take a breath,” Jay urged.  He set the coffee down and approached Jon cautiously.  “You’re going to destroy the building.  What is going on?”

“I…” he moved toward something else to hit but Jay stepped in front of it with a concerned but firm look and Jon deflated entirely.  He collapsed onto the floor, head in hands.  “It’s our anniversary.  I… I missed our anniversary.  We had a night planned.  I… she waited at the restaurant for me.”

Jay crouched down next to him in an instant.  “What?” he gasped.  “It’s your… What are you doing here!”

“I forgot,” he moaned.  “I got caught up and…”

“Jon…” he cut in his voice firm again.  “Why are you still here?  Go fix it!”

Jon shook his head despondently.  “She doesn’t want to see me.  She has made that abundantly clear.”

Jay scoffed.  “She’s mad.  Justifiably.  You forgot a really important date for your relationship to hang out with an ex.  Fucked up doesn’t even begin to cover it.  But, what?  You’re just going to slink away, tail between your legs?  You’re not going to fight?  Beg?  Fly up to the moon and bring it back for her?”

Jon glanced up at him, his eyes welling as he did.  “If she wanted.  I’d give her anything she wanted.  And what she wants is space.”

“Is it?” Jay demanded.  He wasn’t giving any space for self-pitying.  It was time to act, not wallow.  “I don’t know man, if you aren’t even willing to fight for her, I don’t know if you deserve her.  She’s hurting right now.  You’re going to let her do it alone?”

“No!  Never,” Jon exclaimed, affronted by the very suggestion that he would ever, ever leave Marinette to suffer alone.

“So…” Jay prompted.  He grinned as a determined look came over Jon.  “I’ll continue on my own.  We can pick this up on Monday… or Tuesday.  The evidence isn’t going anywhere.  You go get your woman and fix your future.”

Finding her wasn’t as difficult as Kara made it out to be.  After he excluded their place and Kara’s place, she was in the next place he looked, which would have been the first, but Kara’s comment had thrown his instincts off.  So, either she wasn’t as adamant that she didn’t want him to find her as Kara had indicated or Marinette just was too upset to think logically and was thinking emotionally instead.

Jon took a deep breath to fortify himself before knocking on the door.  The night was going to be rough, and it was completely his fault.  He had done this to them.  He’d stood her up and forgotten their anniversary.  She’d even prompted him to remember they were supposed to be celebrating and he blew her off.  God, she must think he didn’t care about her at all.

He was so lost in his self-deprecation; he missed the sounds of someone approaching the door until it had already been opened, an imposing, hostile figure glowering at him.  “What do you want?” Adrien snarled.

Jon flinched at the venomous tone from the normally friendly, gregarious man.  He steeled himself and met Adrien’s eyes.  “To talk to my girlfriend.”

“Oh, she’s worthy of your attention now, is she?” he sneered.

“Of course she is.  She always is.”  Jon took a deep breath and let it out slowly.  He wanted to argue with Adrien, to point out all the times she’d been the center of his attention, all the times he’d put her needs and interests above his own because he knew she did the same.  But it wasn’t the right time for that argument.  He needed to speak with Marinette, to make her feel his devotion, not waste time arguing with her best friend.  And if it meant letting Adrien take out his protective wrath on him uncontested, that’s what he would do.  “Look, I screwed up, I know that.  Please let me fix this,” he begged.

Adrien stared him down for a few long moments, not breaking his intense eye contact, clearly enjoying the way it made Jon squirm.  But finally he grumbled something that might have been a word, or just a sound to make known his extreme discontent, and let him in grudgingly.  Just as Jon was about to pass him, he held his arm up to stop him.  “You get this one chance.  You screw this up, I won’t need kryptonite to end you, but you’ll wish I had.”

Jon met his eyes again, letting an understanding pass between them and nodded.  “Noted.”

He thought he couldn’t feel any guiltier or worse about himself, but the moment he saw Marinette, he knew he was wrong.  He could feel so, so much worse.  She was slumped on the couch, empty tumbler in her hand, staring absently at nothing.  Her eyes were red and puffy and even from his distance and without using enhanced vision, he could see the still wet tear tracks, her ruined mascara highlighting their trail.

Desperate not to make her feel worse, he approached her cautiously, slowly.  While in the past, he’d enjoyed ambushing her by appearing in front of her in the blink of her eye, surprising her and possibly shocking her into a violent reaction was the last thing he wanted to do at that moment.  He could tell the moment she noticed him.  She didn’t acknowledge him outright, but he could hear the way her breathing changed and the way her body tensed just before she sat up and refilled her glass.

The liquid slopped out of the bottle, splashing as much on the coffee table as in the glass and Jon rushed forward to steady her hand.  It was instinct.  He saw her in need of assistance, and he acted.  It wasn’t until she flinched away that he realized his assistance may not be welcome in that moment and perhaps he was the very reason she was in need of assistance.  His heart squeezed painfully at the realization, tearing the breath from his lungs.

“Hey Starlight, what are you doing?” he asked gently.  He sat next to her, close but still giving her space, and angled his body so he could face her.

She glanced at him from the corner of her eye, not quite willing to grace him with her gaze, and took a long drink before answering.  “You forgot about our anniversary,” she answered her voice forlorn.

 “I know,” he admitted guiltily.  “I…”

“I wanted to too,” she continued as if she hadn’t heard him at all.

He could have sworn he didn’t have any more air left in his lungs, but her tone and the agonized look in her eyes, made his chest feel like it was in a vise forcing all air out in a rush.  “No, baby…” he begged miserably.

“I’m not your baby anymore,” she shrugged, still not meeting his gaze, her eyes returning to the blank spot in the distance.

“Baby, Starlight,” he pleaded.  He moved a step closer to give him better access to wipe away her tears and caress her face.  The need to touch her was visceral.  He needed to feel her and make her feel his love, look at him.  But at the last second Kara’s words rung in his head.  It wasn’t about him.  He redirected before making contact and instead laid his hands on either side of her knees.  “You will always be mine.”

Sloppily, she shook her head.  “I’m not.  You don’t love me anymore.”

It was said with such certainty that he could feel it in his soul.  “Starlight, I love you more than anything…”

“I’m not important to you.  You can’t love someone you don’t think is important.  You don’t put in effort.  You don’t care.”  Any emotion that had crept into her eyes when he first approached her, drained completely, giving the impression of a haunted house, empty and seemingly abandoned, but with hidden secrets fiercely protected.  “You forgot,” she finished desolately.

It was over.  He could see it.  She was done for the night.  Nothing he or anyone else said would make it through to her.  Nothing but time and rest and a whole lot of sobering would make a difference.  He would just have to hope she got that overnight and then pray to whatever deities that might listen, that in the morning, she would let him apologize.  “Marinette,” he started earnestly, tenderly, “you are by far the most important person in the world to me.  Let’s get you to bed and we can talk in the morning, okay?”

She shrugged, or at least gave a rough, loose approximation of a shrug.  “I don’t believe you,” she mumbled, almost incoherently.  “I want to.”  She glanced over at him with watery eyes.  “I want to, so much.  But I don’t.”

What was left of his heart shattered into neutron sized pieces.  He couldn’t believe how badly he had messed it up.  He didn’t know what he was going to have to do to fix it, but whatever it took he would do.  Whatever she needed… tomorrow.  He reached up and gently cupped her face, his thumbs softly wiped away her tears.  His heart mended slightly when she nuzzled into his hands.  “I will do everything I can to change that, I swear that to you.  But let’s get you to bed and sleep.”

“Okay,” she slurred, but made no sign of moving other than to lift her now empty glass to her lips then frown at it, after a few beats.

He sighed and looked over to Adrien.  He would fly her home but at this point, he was worried there was no way she’d make it without feeling absolutely terrible and likely throwing up… a few times.  “Can she stay here tonight?”

Adrien scoffed and headed over to her.  “You don’t even have to ask.”

Before Adrien could make it over to them, Jon had already picked her up as gently as possible so as not to shake her and cause her head to spin or nausea.  “But I do have to ask if I can stay,” he pointed out tentatively.  “I can take the couch,” he added quickly.  “I just… really want to be here when she wakes up.”

Adrien sighed and softly stroked Marinette’s hair as Jon carried her past.  His eyes never left Marinette as he responded, “You don’t have to either.  You two come as a package.”

Jon breathed out a sigh of relief.  “God, I really hope we still are.”  He gave Adrien a nod at his shoulder pat and carried her back to the guest room they’d stayed in together many times before.  It felt strange knowing this time he wouldn’t be welcome.  They’d always stayed together, squeezed together pleasantly in the entirely too small bed.

Her even and rhythmic breathing seemed to reverberate through the unwelcome room as he laid her down and tucked the comforter around her as tenderly as he could so as not to wake her up.  He hadn’t made it a full step away before he heard her voice.  “Stay?”  She turned her mournful eyes to him.  “Give me one last night?”

She had turned away from him as soon as he started removing his shoes, getting ready for him to slip into his familiar position, which he did with ease.  He stroked her hair as she slept, more for himself than her, relishing what might be the last time he was allowed to be so close.  “Starlight, I want to give you my every night.”

It took quite a while for him to finally fall asleep, constantly afraid she would disappear on him if he did.  When he finally fell asleep, it was fitful.  He constantly jolted awake to make sure she was still there, and chastised himself each time because with the way he was wrapped around her, their legs intertwined and his hand splayed against her abdomen holding her tight against him, every time he jolted, she whined and shifted.

It was no surprise then that when she awoke quite a few hours later, he was already awake to catch her getting restless until her eyes started to flutter and finally open to take in the room, quickly scrunching in confusion.  “Morning, Starlight,” he murmured, his voice scratchy from disuse and the little bit of sleep he’d managed.

“Morning, Mon rêve,” she responded instinctively, but he could see the moment memories of the night before flooded back.  Her soft expression became wary and she edged away from him.  “What are you doing here?”

He stared intently into her eyes and took a bit of pride in the way she didn’t shy away from him reaching out to wind his hand into her hair and brush her cheek with his thumb.  She wasn’t angry or hurt enough to refuse to let him feel her, that was something, definitely better than he thought he would be.  “There’s nowhere else I wanted to be.”

“Jon…” she started, her voice tired and her eyes gleaming with hurt.

“I’m sorry, Marinette,” he cut in.  He’d wanted to ease into it.  He’d wanted to feel out how she was feeling then go from there.  He’d wanted to be tactful.  But as soon as he saw the pain in her eyes, he couldn’t hold back.  “I’m so, so very sorry that I forgot, but more than that, I’m sorry I made you feel like you’re anything less than the center of my entire universe.”

She looked away as she sat up, tearing herself away from the comforting feel of his hand.  “I understand being a reporter you’re going to have to work late.  Probably a lot.  But… It was our anniversary,” she lamented, another set of tears trailing down her cheeks.

Jon jumped out of bed to kneel in front of her again.  He ducked his head to try to catch her gaze, but she deftly avoided it.  It hurt, but he needed to get through to her, so he took her hands in his, squeezing them gently.  “I know, Starlight.  I know.”

She finally lifted her eyes, but it was worse.  The pain in them had increased into something desperate.  “It was our anniversary, and you were too busy for me.  For us.  You didn’t even remember.”

He shook his head vehemently.  “I forgot the date, yes.  But I didn’t forget the anniversary.  I swear I didn’t.  I’ve had your present wrapped at home for weeks.”

She shook her head as well, but while his had shaken like he could make her misperception evaporate, hers shook like her heart had lost the strength to do anything else.  “You’ve been working so much lately… for weeks.  And it’s been building up for months.  Months of not making it to our plans and working late.  It’s like you’re looking for a reason to stay away,” she murmured in a voice so fragile it seemed like a simple word could break her.

“I want to marry you,” he blurted out.

“What!” she exclaimed, shock evident on her face, but quickly faded to exasperation.  “Jon, it isn’t that bad.  You don’t need to propose to get over the fight.”

“What? No!  That’s not…”  He took a deep breath and let it out with a loud groan.  He ran his hand down his face roughly, letting it rest over his mouth for a few moments as he let the words settle into the right order in his head.  “I’ve been working harder the past few months to earn money and force my break.  I want to be able to support us when we get married, when we decide to start a family.  I wanted to buy you a nice ring.  It won’t be as amazing as you deserve, because I don’t think I’ll ever make enough to buy you what you deserve, but still a really nice ring.”

“Jon,” she murmured and with that one word, his heart started rebuilding.  Her tone had completely shifted from broken to compassionate, her eyes shifted from pain to adoration.  “My friend proposed to his girlfriend with a tiny shell on a string, because that’s what he could afford, and it was possibly the single most romantic gesture I’ve ever seen.”  She cupped his face and stroked his cheek gently, her thumb making a quiet rasping noise against his stubble.  “I don’t need a fancy ring.  I just need you.”

Jon grinned as he laid his hands over hers.  “Does that mean I should take the ring back?  I can still find a shell somewhere and keep the money,” he teased.

“Don’t you dare,” she gasped and smacked him in the chest.

He chuckled at the swipe before pulling her into a long, tight hug, one he wasn’t sure he was going to get again just a few minutes ago, making it all the sweeter.  “Are we okay?” he asked softly, still holding her tight, but too afraid to make eye contact just yet.  A fear Marinette clearly did not share as she pulled back to meet his eyes.

“Yeah, I think so.  I think we just need to make sure we communicate better.  You shouldn’t have made such a big change in priorities without talking to me and I should have let you know how it made me feel.”  She ran her fingers through his hair and along his face, her eyes trailing behind her fingers.  “I love you.  I want to spend my life with you.  I shouldn’t have just let things fester.”

“I shouldn’t have pulled away,” he agreed.  “I wanted to surprise you, but not the way I clearly did.  I’ll do better.”

“So will I,” she promised.

“Our first big fight.”  He grinned and leaned in conspiratorially.  “Does that mean our first make up sex?”

Marinette groaned and pushed him away, watching as he fell to the floor dramatically.  She watched him for a few seconds before finally answering.  “Not here, no.”  She chuckled as he shot up in front of her before she could comprehend he’d even moved, hope blazing in his eyes.  “Take me home, Flyboy,” she cooed.

His grin turned excited as he picked her up in a bridal carry.  “Yes, ma’am,” he agreed and had them home before she’d finished laughing

[ggomos-maribat]

It's Just Me, You, and the Cosmos

A small piece for SuperMari May, cross posted from AO3

Nothing else rang in his head except the harsh words uttered by Damian, and a replay of their latest mission which he apparently nearly steered to failure. Immature. Impulsive. Reckless. As much as he wanted to deny those descriptors, he only fell more disheartened. Sure he strayed away from the plan at times, but he understood the consequences of what he was doing. The rest of the team didn't see that.

The final blow was delivered when they mentioned his father.

Jon had flown out of their base as fast he could, withholding the tears pooling at his eyes. He knew he wasn't the glorified Superman, the symbol of hope and founder of the Justice League. He wasn't his father who had saved countless lives, who knew exactly what to do each time. He knew his own shortcomings more than anyone else and to have his insecurities thrown at him was like a kryptonite-infused slap in the face.

And that was how Superboy found himself hovering past the earth's atmosphere, in the vast space littered with stars. He had carefully avoided the Watchtower and its line of sight, propelling himself near the sun. He swallowed thickly. They can get by a few hours without me.

His friend lashing out wasn't a rare occurrence and he was certainly used to it, but it was one of the times he needed to take a step back. There was an anxious thought at the back of his head saying that he didn't actually deserve to be a hero, that he was dead weight if not a liability even with his powers.

Jon ran his hand through his head. That's not true. And yet the thought persisted as he thought back to their missions.

He suddenly felt a tap on his hand, startling him a little.

Floating alongside him was a girl, clad in a suit with a brown-red palette and black spots. A translucent visor covered her face, but he could see a mask surrounding her eyes. Matching the bluish tinge of her hair was a pair of sturdy wings on her back.

Jon tilted his head in confusion. Who . . .? For a second, he wondered if she belonged outside of earth but his gut told him otherwise.

The stranger seemed as surprised as he stared at her in scrutiny. She fished out a device from her side (a yoyo?) and plucked out a black circular object from it to offer to him. Co-mmu-ni-ca-tor, she mouthed.

Confusion unwavering, Jon accepted it.

"Who are you?" he immediately asked after fitting the comm in his ear. "What are you doing here?"

"Who are you?" she bounced the question back. Jon noted how her voice was light. Melodious.

"Uhh---err, Superboy?" He internally winced at his awkwardness.

Her mouth popped into an 'o' as a light blush covered her cheeks. "Ahh, sorry, I'm not familiar with all the heroes." She fidgeted before clearing her throat. "I am Ladybug---or Cosmobug?---heroine of Paris. Nice to meet you."

"Paris? I didn't know Paris had heroes."

Her figure shifted to more anxious movements. "Yes, um, Paris does but can you . . . maybe keep this a secret from other heroes?"

Jon only nodded, already making a plan to research it later. It wasn't like he didn't believe her, but as far he knew, Paris didn't have local heroes nor villains. If there was Ladybug-themed hero anywhere, he would've heard of them.

"So . . ." he trailed off, "If you're from Paris, what are you doing in space?"

Ladybug laughed nervously, her gaze averting. "I just needed to get away for a moment. It has something to do with our villain. I hope I didn't bother you?"

Jon blinked. It was now clear that she'd traveled to space to shake off some stress like him. And she's worried that she bothered me?

"I can go somewhere else but I'm afraid the Watchtower will see me and the Justice League will try to capture and interrogate me. Which is a bad, bad idea because they can't---shouldn't---know about Paris and it's dangerous if they find out anything," she continued rambling. "And it's ah, um, a potentially world-ending outcome---"

"Hey, hey, it's okay, you can stay here." Jon cut her off to keep her from spiraling. "I think it's better that I have a distraction anyway. And don't worry, I won't tell anyone about you."

She took a deep breath. "Really?"

"Promise." He smiled. "If it makes you feel better, I can keep you company."

Ladybug put a hand on her chest. "Thank you very much. What are you doing here by the way?" She looked around them. "Is there trouble in space?"

"No, I also came here to blow off steam actually," he admitted.

"What happened?"

Jon hesitated on telling her but he found himself unable to resist those wide curious eyes. A part of him was saying 'why not?' while he mulled over it.

But now the things upsetting him seemed pale---shallow---in comparison. This girl had to travel to outer space to get away from her city's villain. "It's not a big deal," he began, "We, the Titans, had a mission and I screwed the plan over when I attacked the enemy first because I realized they were going to kill the hostages before we made a move. My, um, friend got mad and it escalated from there."

"I get what I did wrong, I really do, and I was ready to apologize." His fists clenched subconsciously. "But I just . . . I felt so defenseless, like what he said was all true. Then there's this insane pressure being Superman's son and . . ."

If what she was going through was actually a thousand times worse than his situation, he was going to feel terrible.

He expected her to relay empty 'sympathy'. To give him a pat on the back, saying that 'it's going to be okay'. Instead, she nodded. "I get that. Sometimes, I just straight up sacrifice myself if nothing's going according to plan and my partner hates it when I do. But it's not like I'm mindlessly putting myself in harm's way. It's just the . . . best thing to do if we're out of options."

Her hand rubbed her arm, expression turning pensive. "And carrying a mantle? It's horrible. An important responsibility was passed on to me very suddenly and I keep worrying about having to fulfill that role because the city's fate rests on my shoulders."

Jon was awestruck. And at the same time concerned over the fact she seemed to be alone in her heroic burden.

He bit his lip. "Your life sounds . . . wow. Sorry, my rant was childish. Sometimes I think I don't see eye-to-eye with my teammates because I grew up 'normal'. I haven't seen the worst of everything."

As if she couldn't surprise him any more, she floated closer and put a warm hand on his shoulder. "Hey, it's not childish and it's good to air out things that upset you. Take it from someone who always doesn't have that luxury. You're still figuring things out for yourself, I think, and just because your teammates have different experiences, it doesn't mean they can say mean stuff."

He wanted to ask why she 'always didn't have the luxury' but kept his mouth shut.

"Actually, I'm . . . I was just an average Paris citizen before I became a hero," she chuckled. "The learning curve was seriously steep."

"Thank you." It seemed like all the tension had dissipated from him. "I probably can't ask many questions but I'm sorry about your villain?"

"To be honest space is already too far for him to get to me, but I wanted to be sure." Her cheeks were set aflame again. "Talking to you helped me too, so thanks for that. I wish I could tell you more, though."

"It's okay. That's your business and it looks like you're better off handling it without other heroes interfering, right?"

"Mon dieu, yes, thank goodness you understand." Ladybug's lips stretched into a grin. "If I met any other hero, they would've been nosy."

"But is there any way I can help?" he asked. "I know I can't be too involved, but . . . actually do you have something I can write on?"

She thought for a moment before taking out her yoyo and handing it to him. There was a digital screen on one half of it and a digital keypad on the other. Jon hastily typed on it. "This is my personal number. If you need some sort of backup for an emergency, you can reach out to me."

Giving her his number was a gateway to revealing his civilian identity, but he didn't mind. If there was a way to ease off this sweet stranger's troubles, he wanted to be that support just for her.

"Thank you so much," Ladybug breathed out. "You're trusting me too much."

Will we see each other again? Jon wanted to ask. He fiddled with his fingers before he said, "And if you want to talk again . . . about anything, give me a call, okay? I'll meet you anywhere."

"You're really nice," she said quietly.

A light on her yoyo flashed with a ping and the smile on her face was slowly replaced with a frown when she looked at it. "Sorry, I think I have to go," she apologized, taking out a pair of goggles from her yoyo. "I'll contact you, I promise."

Those mere words warmed Jon's chest. He watched her put on the goggles, summon a portal out of nowhere, and disappear into it. 

[maribatserver]

The Super-Rebranding!

After careful consideration, the Mods have decided: Fuck Batman. We will no longer be supporting content about emotionally constipated goths or emo crime lords or angsty acrobats. Instead, we'll be focusing on a SUPER new set of characters!

Goodbye Gotham, hello Metropolis!

We're so excited for sunshine, beacons of hope, hard hitting journalism, and punching a billionaire in the face. The Super-Fam has everything you could ever need, from radical 90's punk to gay sunshine child to badass women who are SO good at their jobs. Not to mention good old fashioned home made apple pie.

So join us as we join Clark, Lois, Jimmy, Kon, Jon, Kara, Paige, and naturally Krypto for a new chapter of DC x MLB Crossovers!

Oh, and don't forget to start planning for SuperMari May, which is our new favorite event.

[marauderundercover]

Stars Shine

AO3

Prev

Clark Kent didn’t often take days off. He enjoyed both of his jobs (being a journalist was something he liked almost as much as being a hero), and didn’t really see a need to stay at home alone. And then, his niece was born. And suddenly, days off were important. Because days off meant time he got to spend with his adorable niece. Someone who was growing and learning more and more every time he saw her. Like now. His older brother and Sabine had a convention in DC, which meant Marinette was staying with him in Metropolis for a week. Which meant, he was supposed to be off duty for the week.

“Bruce, I don’t exactly have an Alfred. What was I supposed to do with her? You’re the one who sent the emergency call even though you knew I had her this week.” He asks, trying not to let his tone suggest how frustrated he was. No need to upset Marinette (who was currently going back and forth between looking out the windows of the Watchtower and looking at him). Bruce’s jaw clenches slightly, his lips pursed.

“Bringing a child here was-” Bruce starts, but Marinette cuts him off with a squeal.

“Étoiles! Oncle Clark, étoiles!” She says, grinning from ear to ear, pointing out the window. Clark nods, smiling back at her.

“Yes they are. Can you say, star?” He asks, adjusting his hold to point back out the window.

“Oui! Star!” She says, before clapping. Bruce’s face falls slack as he sighs.

“I’ll have Robin stay here with her. But we need you.” He says. Clark nods. Robin was eleven, that’s old enough to babysit, right?

—-

Dick did not sign up for this when he put on the cape and became Robin. He wanted to avenge his parents and fight alongside Bruce. He didn’t want to babysit a toddler! He was totally whelmed.

“Brille, brille petite étoile dans la nuit qui se dévoile. Tout là-haut au firmament, tu scintilles comme un diamant. Brille, brille petite étoile, veille sur ceux qui dorment en bas.” The little girl, Marinette, sings again. She’d been singing it pretty much nonstop. And while it was cute the first couple of times, there were only so many times he could listen to ‘twinkle twinkle’ before he lost his mind.

“So, your Uncle said you’ve been working on English, too. That’s cool.” Dick says, because what else do you say to a random toddler that just so happens to be Superman’s niece?

“Cool!” She says, grinning. Dick grins back, unable to keep it in. Okay, maybe this wasn’t so bad.

“Wanna see a cool trick?” He asks. She nods. Dick jumps to his feet and does a couple of cartwheels before moving into a back handspring. Landing it, he looks over to the kid. He grins immediately when he sees the awed expression on her face as she claps excitedly.

“Again! Encore!” She giggles. Dick does, adding in a couple more flourishes with it just to make the kid giggle more. “Robin teach?” She asks, eyebrows scrunched in concentration. Dick frowns, thinking of something he could teach her. She was really little-

“Okay, but we have to be very, very careful, okay?” He asks. She nods, grinning.

“Okay!” Somersaults were easy enough for toddlers, right? He couldn’t remember what he’d learned by the time he was her age. He just knew he started learning tricks young. But how hard could it be to teach a two year old somersaults?

—-

Walking back into the Watchtower, Clark immediately zeroes in his hearing for his niece. Ignoring Bruce’s calls (probably reminding him to fill out his reports), he follows the sound of Marinette giggling. Walking into one of the gyms, he’s slightly shocked to see Dick helping her do a cartwheel on one of the mats. It was rough, but the second she was on her feet again, she cheered.

“Again, oiseau! Again!” She exclaims, clapping her hands. Dick laughs.

“Why don’t we try the somersault again instead?” He suggests. Marinette pouts.

“Non. Cartwheel please!” She says, moving into a position to attempt it again. Clark can see the moment she spots him. Her eyes widen and she runs to him, arms outstretched. Clark grins and picks her up, tossing her in the air gently. She giggles before landing back in his arms, hugging him tightly. Clark relaxes, letting out a breath he didn’t realize he was holding as he hugs her close. It’s not that he doubted Dick’s ability to babysit, but he had realized after leaving that the boy was an only child and had likely never spent time with such a young child before.

“Did you have fun with Robin?” He asks her, and she nods, grinning.

“Oui. Robin is my friend.” She says matter-of-factly. Clark glances at Dick, grinning at the shocked look on the boy’s face.

“Looks like you have a new friend, Robin.” He says. The boy grins, snapping out of his shock.

“I guess so. If you ever wanna learn more tricks, kid, you know where I am.” He says, and Marinette grins.

“Cool!” She says. Dick laughs and nods.

“Oh yeah kid, the coolest.” He says. Clark grins.

“Thank you for watching her, Robin.” He says. Dick grins.

“Any time. She’s a pretty cool kid.” He says. Clark laughs.

“That she is. Ready to go home, Sunshine?” He asks. Marinette shakes her head.

“No.” She says, turning around so that she can reach towards Dick. He reaches back towards her and she immediately latches onto him, giving him a tight hug. “Love you!” She says, hugging him close. Clark sneakily brings up his phone, snapping a quick picture of the two. He’d make sure to send it to Bruce later.

“Love you too kiddo.” Dick says, his voice quiet. Marinette leans back and reaches for Clark again. Once she’s settled in his arms, she waves at Dick.

“Bye bye!” She says. Clark grins.

“Bye Robin.” He says lightly, heading towards the Zeta tubes. Maybe he could arrange for Dick to babysit again. They both seemed to enjoy it. And if Marinette kept up with gymnastics, Dick would really be able to help her. Besides, it wouldn’t hurt for either of them to spend time with actual kids. Maybe they’d even grow up to be friends.

Next

Tag list: @maribat-calendar-events  @stainedglassm @kittenmywaythrulife @laydeekrayzee @doll246 @queenz-z @deathssilentapproach-blog @literaryhiraeth @unoriginalmess @kking13  @toodaloo-kangaroo  @crazylittlemunchkin @buttercupsbitch @jayjayspixiepop @iloontjeboontje

[abyssal-ali]

Marinette "Valkyrie" Wayne

Masterlist Part 1 Part 2 Part 3 Part 4 Part 5 Part 6 Part 7 Valkyrie's suit ao3 link (completed)

Pairing: Marijon, but the first bit's just family-oriented.

Rating: G

WC: 1.7k

A/N: I wrote this a couple years ago and decided to edit a bit for MariJon Week 2023/SuperMari May 2023. Fills prompts from day 1, 2, 4, and 7 for Marijon Week.

Marinette and Jon are 17-ish here and Damian is (I believe) a year older than Jon, making him 18.

The other Bats are in their early to mid-twenties and live at the Manor for plot convenience.

Also, when I wrote this a couple years ago I did not know a ton about Kon, so he's not part of this fic. I do love him, though; he wasn't excluded out of hate.

Summary: Marinette is adopted by Bruce Wayne after her parents died in a car crash. She figures out her new family are the Bats, but she also has a secret.

Meanwhile, Bruce is looking for Ladybug, who retired and disappeared into thin air.

Disclaimer: I do not know anything about the American/French fostering/adoption systems; we'll just pretend everything works out fast because it's Bruce Wayne. If there's anything in here that's confusing, drop a comment!

Please ignore any and all plot holes such as why a random American billionaire was ahead of her grandparents, Chinese side of the family, or even Jagged and Penny o adopt her. 🙂

Beta'd by the wonderful @sarcasticbambi. Enjoy!

1007 Mountain Drive was in a tizzy.

Why?

Well, Bruce “Serial Adopter” Wayne was bringing home yet another black-haired, blue-eyed child with a traumatic past.

Fostering with intent to adopt: Marinette Dupain-Cheng. Age: 16.75 years. Orphan; Tom Dupain & Sabine Cheng died in a car crash 15 months ago.

Marinette had been to a couple foster homes, but her foster parents claimed she kept sneaking out at odd times and acted very coldly to everyone, only warming up to animals. Marinette’s peers told stories upon stories of Marinette’s cruel actions toward them, specifically one Lila Rossi.

Her social worker, Genevieve Lemieux, dug a little and found some proof of Lila’s lies, but Marinette wouldn’t talk and wouldn’t explain her absences. Finally, Genevieve decided that the girl needed a new perspective, and called her college best friend’s brother– a policeman, if she remembered correctly.

“Oh, Genevieve Lemieux! Yes, I know someone who would love to foster her, I’m sure. Does she have blue eyes and/or black hair, by any chance?”

“As a matter of fact, she has both. Why?”

“I just wondered. I’ll talk to Bruce right away and get back to you.”

“Merci beaucoup, James.” (A/N: Jim Gordon)

“No problem, ‘Eve. Talk to you soon.”

“Au revoir.”

He called back a little later, saying the family would love to have Marinette come. Several of the other children were adopted, so they knew the process well. Bruce was currently in Paris doing business, actually. He could bring Marinette back with him if the paperwork went through quickly and smoothly.

Thus, Marinette landed in Gotham in the Waynes’ private jet. It was gray, drizzly, and gloomy, the antithesis of Paris.

She smiled inwardly.

Perfect.

~~~~~

Bruce Wayne eyed the dark-haired girl beside him. She appeared quiet and withdrawn when Genevieve Lemieux introduced them, didn’t startle or appear impressed or scheming at his name, though Mme. Lemieux was a little awed.

She appeared indifferent to the luxurious accommodations on the flight back to the States, plopping in her seat, fastening the safety belt, putting her earbuds in, and drifting off.

[She stopped the music whenever Bruce spoke so she could eavesdrop better. She also eyed him through her lashes, appraising his body language.]

All of her things fit in one large suitcase and a duffle bag. Her polished black nails were filed short and her hair was in a pixie cut with a crimson streak running through it. She was shorter, appeared fit and maybe even muscular, and walked with a distinctive tread. Faded lines were around her eyes and mouth, suggesting that she used to laugh and smile regularly. She didn’t seem cold like Mme. Lemieux had warned, though she did display some of every foster child’s apprehension on new people and situations.

Now she was dozing, almost curled into him, though the seats didn’t really allow that. He figured she wouldn’t like waking up like that, so he moved to the opposite seat and pulled out some documents that needed reviewing and signing.

When they landed, she headed straight for the Rolls, though several other cars were nearby.

Bruce frowned. How did she know which car to approach?

Alfred politely introduced himself as he loaded her baggage, then drove to Wayne Manor.

Inside, five people were waiting to meet the new arrival: Cass, Steph, Dick, Tim, and Damian.

Jason was who-knows-where and Babs was at her own house.Marinette nodded briefly at each introduction, then Alfred showed her to her room.

Everything was white, except for where bare wood showed through.

~~~~~

Marinette carefully and neatly unpacked her things, then pulled out her phone and took pictures so she could compare if anything was disturbed. She also set several quick safeguards in place (e.g. a strand of hair across the door) and portalled to outside her room. S

he walked noiselessly downstairs to Bruce’s study, where she found everyone gathered.

Well, Mr. Wayne had passed test #1. Onto #2.

“Will you tell her about the family business?” Dick asked. Mari paused just outside the door.

“Not yet, we don’t know her well enough. Her school friends say she is a bully, a liar, and a troublemaker. Previous foster families say she is cold and a sneak. Her social worker thinks there is some reason for the other’s statements, but she isn’t sure. For now, we act normally and say nothing suspicious. Please try and actually keep this a secret,” Bruce pleaded.

He suddenly sounded like an exhausted parent tired of corralling a pack of wild toddlers.

“She has a tread like this,” Bruce crossed the room in a demonstration, “so no giveaways if you hear her.”

Marinette tiptoed back down the hall, then walked to the study in her faked stride and knocked.

“Come in,” someone called.

Cass smiled at her, Damian glared [stared normally], Tim and Dick assessed her, and Steph continued texting someone.

“We have a few house rules I’d like to go over,” Bruce stated, and she nodded.

“No weapons, specifically at the dinner table; no alcohol, drugs, or smoking allowed if you’re underage; respect each other’s boundaries; if you’re going out, tell someone the general area and expected return time in case of a Rogue attack or kidnapping; tell Alfred ahead of time if someone is staying the night or for a meal; and take care of yourself.”

This last item seemed to be directed at Tim, who shrugged and slurped from a mug of coffee.

“Monday nights are alternating game nights or movie nights with the family. Sunday evening is family dinner.”

“Got it.”

“Do you have any allergies or sensitivities to anything?”

“No. I have a friend in New York. Do you think I could see her sometime?”

“Of course. In the fall, Gotham Academy–”

“I already graduated,” Marinette cut in. “I skipped Grade 3 and did 11 & 12 in one year.”

“Oh. Okay, then. Do you have an idea of what secondary school you’d like to attend?”

“I’m working on a course online. I’m good, thanks.”

Everyone stared at her. “Uh, Mme. Lemieux said you like animals. Damian has several you can meet later.”

“Thank you. Is there anything else?”

“No. Thank you for your time, Marinette. Dinner will be at six-fifteen. Cass can give you a tour of the manor later if you’d like.”

Marinette nodded at Cass. “Okay.”

After dinner, Cass gave Marinette a tour of the main rooms in the manor. They both preferred body language and signs to communicate over words.

She also met Titus, Alfred the Cat, Jerry the Turkey, and Batcow. They all liked her, and she was thrilled to meet all of them. She told Cass she used to want a hamster, but now she was thinking about a dog.

Cass told Marinette that she could personalize her room how she wanted, and Steph would love to take her shopping. Marinette said she’d think about that too.

~

Steph ended up spending the whole day at the mall with Marinette and Bruce’s credit cards.

Marinette thanked her and Bruce, then retreated to her room with her arms full of bags.

No one had seen the inside of her room since she arrived except Alfred once when he called her for breakfast. He said it was clean and orderly, and Bruce was satisfied with that.

When a social worker came to check up on Marinette, the family saw the setup for the first time in the month that she’d been there.

The walls stayed white, but everything else was different. The queen bed had a red and black poofy duvet, the sheets were white, and the throw pillows were black & grey and red & white. The curtains were black, the rug grey and white, the fluffy chair was white, and the pillow navy. The desk was white, the chair was red, the row of jars was red glass.

A gold Eiffel Tower lamp matched the strings of lights crisscrossing the ceiling. Two picture frames were on the nightstands. The black bookcase opposite the bed was full of various book genres.

The worker approved it and everyone left.

Marinette kept a close eye on the worker and the Waynes.

After the worker left, she turned to her foster family. “I know you’re hiding something, and I’ve almost figured out what it is. Would you like to simply tell me?”

Bruce crossed his arms and raised a brow.

“Suppose I call your bluff. What have you almost figured out, with what evidence?”

“Well, when I heard I was going to be fostered with intent for adoption, I hacked the orphanage’s database and found your name. When I looked you up, I discovered you adopt a black-haired, blue-eyed child every few years. I hacked into your family’s file, but to my surprise, it was very hard to access. It wasn't easy to crack like other files -- only people with something to hide would make their files so difficult to get at. But when I got in, there was really nothing to see. So I watched the video clips and noticed some trimming and cropping of some places in the Manor. In real life, there doesn’t appear to be anything there, either. A clock, a piano… nothing unusual.

“When I came to your office the first day, I overheard your warning to not let me know about the ‘family business’. And why is the first rule 'no weapons'?! So I hacked into your financial records, but apparently, everything is aboveboard there, too. You do spend a lot of money on the Justice League, though. Mr. Queen doesn’t spend nearly that much. I do have a question about that, though: why does Green Lantern #2 break so much stuff?”

The Wayne children burst into laughter at the question (Bruce blamed a lot of stuff on Hal Jordan.).

“He’s a clumsy, egotistical member with no sense of professionalism or appropriateness,” grumbled Bruce.

“A-ha! You're Batman! Only Batman dislikes GL#2 that much!”

“...”

“Oh come on, just admit it.” She strolled to the piano. “What's the tune Dick’s always humming?”

She played the first couple of bars.

“No-” everyone gasped.

Too late, the secret passage opened.

"Hah!” Marinette crowed. “I said I’d find out.”

~

Babs adopted the new hacker into the fold; Marinette became known as Delphi.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

(Mari learned hacking from Max.)

[khneltea]

Day 3 - Original

So...About That Jacket...

MASTERLIST | PREVIOUS | NEXT

Marinette was going to kill him. She was going to murder Adrien "Radiant Carefree Dreamy" Agreste. Say goodbye, world, to the blond sunshine. He was not long for this world, and it was inevitable for it to be shortened because of his actions. She could handle the drama. She could handle the daddy and mommy issues. She could even handle the goddamn leather cat suit.

But this? This was where she drew the line.

"What," she growled, pinning her brother down with her glare and the mop she found in the kitchen, "did you do to the jacket?"

Adrien was cornered. He had nowhere to go. All possible exits were blocked by Marinette, Plagg was preoccupied with two whole wheels of Camembert, and Marinette had that look in her eye. The one promising pain and torture and his anime collection finding itself on eBay before he could even say "spaghetti". What's worse was that Marinette knew she had him on the ropes.

He gulped. "I can explain?"

"Start talking." She leveled the handle to his neck, and his eyes grew frantic. "If you talk fast enough, I might cancel the auction for your PreCure action figure in time."

"You don't mean..." He gasped, covering his mouth with his hands. "Not Cure Twinkle, Go! Princess Precure limited edition! Anyone but her! Take Cure Flora, or Scarlet, but not Twinkle!"

"Then, you better start talking, Agreste."

He cried like a baby after that.

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

"You what?"

"I'm so sorry, Mari! I thought it was one of my jackets."

"It was on my bed. It was in my room. You don't just take stuff out of my room—"

"But we had movie night in your room, and I was in a rush! You know how my professor treats students who are late, even if it was just once!"

"That doesn't mean you get to give the jacket to a random stranger in the street who looked cute!"

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

Marinette flopped on the couch, grabbing onto a discarded throw pillow. "What am I going to do?"

"Can't you just buy him a new jacket?" Adrien suggested, then held up a throw pillow in front of his face. The amount of times a heavy object was hurled at his head by a grumpy or catastrophizing Marinette was enough for him to be fearful of her moods.

She mumbled gibberish into the throw pillow. "I'm sorry, could you repeat that again for me, Mari?"

"I can't." She lifted her head off the pillow to give him a self-loathing glare. "His grandmother made it for him. He told me when we went on that study date."

"Oh." Adrien deflated, not even noticing she called it a date like he had been telling her it was. An idea hit him. "Well, why don't you make one for him? An MDC original, handmade by MDC herself, has got to be worth something, right?"

Marinette opened her mouth to refute it, and closed it, thinking. If she could make it exactly how it was when she got it...

She jumped up, rushing to her bedroom. She needed to research where the hell could she buy flannel from Kansas fast.

As soon as she left the room, Adrien collapsed on the couch. He congratulated himself. He wasn't going to die today. Maybe.

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

Two days and one sleepless night later, she regretted all her decisions. Thank Kwami it was a weekend.

Somehow, she had convinced Kaalki to transport her to a small haberdashery in rural Kansas. The isolated town of Smallville was quaint with its little shops and smiling folks. Vintage cars and retro shops lined the streets, and they even had an old school general store near the center of town. It looked like a place she could imagine herself growing old in, and she would have loved to explore the place more, maybe get one of those famous apple pies Jon kept telling her about, if she hadn't seen the boy himself sitting in the back of an old blue pickup truck the moment she stepped out of the haberdashery.

So, you might ask, what did she do?

Simple. She ducked in between the haberdashery and the laundromat, summoned Kaalki, and portalled out of there in five seconds flat.

That wasn't even the least of her troubles. When she came back to class on Monday, Jon sat next to her like usual. It would have been fine until he mentioned her visit to Smallville. She didn't even realise that he'd seen her.

"Uh— yeah Smallville went— I mean, I went to your Smallville— wait, no that's not right, I wanted to jacket—" She lit up bright red and shoved the box she carried into class at him.

"Oomph!" Jon held the box and furrowed his eyebrows. "What's this?"

She took a deep breath. "So you remember that jacket you lent me when we first met? The flannel one that your grandma made you? Well, my roommate slash brother kinda took it without me knowing and somehow gave it to a stranger, so I made you a new one and it's made of the same materials that your grandma used, at least I think they're made of the same material and I couldn't find the correct buttons so I picked the closest one to it and I'm sosorryagainit'sallmyfault—"

She didn't even know her eyes were closed until she was shocked by a weight falling on her shoulders. The surprise made her jump, hitting Jon on the forehead.

"OUCH!"

They looked at each other, and they laughed at the red forming on their heads. They were a pair of blue-eyed clumsy idiots. But, they were a pair of blue-eyed clumsy idiots together in the same economics course.

Grinning, Jon opened the box, took out the jacket, and put it on, showing off the back to Marinette. "How do I look?"

The MDC original signature fluttered on the collar as he spun around.

"It's perfect." She beamed, clutching her hands close to her heart.

---------

Bloopers:

Adrien nudged her as she ran to the car waiting in front of the campus. "Hey, hey, hey—"

"What do you want?" She hissed, resisting the urge to yank him by the ear. Damn tall genes.

"You might want a stop staring at his neck like that." He wiggled his eyebrows. "He's gonna start thinking you're a vampire, or maybe you've got a neck kink—"

"START WALKING, AGRESTE!"

so i've rewritten this author note at least four times now, so I'm just gonna leave it at the regular greetings. like, reblog, and comment! thanks for @maribat-calendar-events for the wonderful prompts, and everyone have a good day

tag list: (OPEN TAG LIST)

@verymuchimmortalcat @wolfy-kat @jumpingjoy82 @couffeeine

[tinybriewrites]

A Soul’s Glow - 1

Marinette had always known that her soul bond was a little out of the ordinary. Her soul guide, an adorable golden retriever she calls Soleil, would have its irises turn ice blue or fire red or grass green, among other colors, from time to time. She had thought that they only had a stronger soul connection, which manifested into an additional emotions bond. It was rare, but not unheard of. She thought wrong.

Just last night, Marinette had finally succeeded at tapping into the truest creation magic humanly possible - pure soul magic. More specifically, its first level, the Windows to the Soul. It was a power held by only the most in-tune Ladybugs. It allowed them to see the essence of the soul of any living thing around them, with or without the mask. The connection brought an intense burst of magic that promptly caused her to pass out.

Which was why she was now panicking in a flurry all over her hotel room the morning after. Marinette just can't believe what she's seeing.

"Tikki, I think I'm still dreaming." Her soul guide was surrounded by a gem-like glow that she knew instinctively signaled something non-human.

"Well, at least, he's still partially human..?" was Tikki's very unsuccessful attempt to stop Marinette's panic.

"But that still means he's part non-human! What if he hates me for just being human? Oh no, or worse, what if he hates magic? I can't give up my responsibilities as the Guardian, and what if h-"

Knock! Knock! Knock!

"Marinette, we'll be late!" came a voice from across the door.

Marinette and Mireille Caquet rushed into a bus in front of the hotel. Mireille had introduced her to the Ten Youths Taking on the World essay challenge released by the Martha Wayne Foundation. Marinette had become fast friends with the students from the class next door after most of Mme. Bustier's class cut off any amicable relationship with her. Mireille and she were two of the ten finalists of the contest. The winners were to be interviewed today by the Foundation's partner newspaper, The Daily Planet, for a feature article.

"Hi, I'm Claude and this is Allegra," said a tall slender blonde with a fennec fox in his lap. "We're a prima ballerina and danseur soulmate pair from a dance company based in England."

"Hello, I'm Mireille, a weather forecaster for the local news."

"Nice to meet you! I'm Marinette, aspiring fashion designer."

"Both of your dresses look lovely," said Allegra, another willowy blonde with a hummingbird resting on her shoulder.

"Thanks, Marinette made both of our outfits herself!"

"Woah, you're very talented. Makes sense since you won, but just, wow. It looks so professional, especially for someone probably in sixth form."

"Says the youngest principal dancer ever."

"Shut up."

And just like that, the ride to the Daily Planet passed by in a blink for Marinette in between the bickering of her new acquaintances.

Stepping off the bus, Marinette marveled at the towering building topped by a giant bronze planet.

"Impressive, isn't it?" said a bespectacled man next to a pacing lion. "Welcome to the Daily Planet! I'm Clark Kent, I'll be interviewing each of you later today. But for now, we'll have a tour around the premises."

For the next two hours, the reporter brought the ten teens around the bustling newspaper company. Marinette was enjoying the trip, but of course, that meant the universe had to interrupt it somehow. For all her luck as Ladybug, she had equal misfortune as Marinette.

"BRRRIIING. BRRRIIING. AKUMA ALERT. AKUMA ALERT." loudly chimed from the phones of the two Parisians in the middle of the lunch break at the cafeteria. Everyone turned to look at them, the source of the jarring blare.

"I'm really sorry, everyone! I'll go outside to watch the live stream, Mir," Marinette shouted in a panic as she rushed off with Soleil right at her heels.

"Sorry! Paris alert, we forgot to switch on the abroad option." Mireille apologized. "We're understandably a little jittery from the Level 4 announcement mode."

"Level 4?" Clark asked the remaining Parisian in the room.

"It's a new classification the Akuma App introduced last week. Level 1 for low-danger repeat akumas. 2A for property hazard and 2B for injury hazard, evacuate from surrounding areas. 3 for new akuma, remain indoors. 4 for deadly, prepare for the worst."

"Deadly? Aren't you worried?" Allegra asked.

"Worrying is useless; it only makes you a target for Hawkmoth. No damage is permanent, in any case," she said while nuzzling her palm civet soul guide.

After four years of continuous emotional terrorism, Parisians were quite hardcore.

---

Okay so in this AU, everyone has a piece of their soul (the truest part of themselves) expressed as an animal, called their soul split. This animal doesn't stay with them. Instead, it stays with their soulmate (in which they're called soul guide) until the moment the pair physically touch wherein the soul splits will then stay with their original soul instead of the soulmate. So basically, people gradually fall in love (romantically/platonically) with their soulmate before they even meet, which would explain the easy trust between soulmates even if it seems quick.

---

@maribat-calendar-events

Also on AO3!

Next

[silverwhiteraven]

Heard some of yall like my Krypto-Mari fics. Here, have 10k words worth of one.

@maribat-calendar-events

[starwarsmum]

Day 3! And the prompt is Disguise

@maribat-calendar-events

AO3 Link

“And they want to investigate Adrien!” Alya ranted, anger obvious even through the phone call. “They're not really convincing me that you and Nino should be invited up.” 

“How's Adrien doing?” Marinette asked once she was sure it was safe. Alya was protective of her partner and Marinette knew it would redirect her friend's energy. 

“He's been quiet. I don't know how to pull him out of it, he's been holing up in his room for the past couple of days,” Alya admitted. 

“Maybe it's time to get him out of Paris,” Marinette said thoughtfully. “Didn't Chloé say she wanted to see him soon?” 

“She's been demanding it since Gabriel pleaded not guilty,” Alya said through gritted teeth. Marinette understood that she still wasn't a fan of the blonde woman but Marinette knew that Adrien needed all of his friends. 

“Great, we can arrange for him to fly out the same day as the sentencing. It stops him getting stuck with the fallout. And after a while we can do a press conference in New York to say that he's stepping back from the public eye.” 

“That's why you're our strategist,” Alya said with a laugh. “I can't thank you enough for everything you do for us.” 

“Anything for my best friends,” Marinette said firmly, already looking up flights and drafting a few messages to relevant parties. “I'd better go, I have a meal with Tim and his family tonight and I promised I'd bring some macarons. Call me if you need anything?” 

Alya assured her she would before ending the call. Marinette looked around her apartment and winced; she had been deep in a creative groove and her housekeeping had fallen into complete nothingness. Sighing, she went about clearing enough space that she wouldn't be overwhelmed when she returned and so she could bake safely. 

_ _ _

Marinette arrived at Wayne Manor with her numerous bags and her sketchbook tucked under her arm. Tim smiled and pulled her into a hug as soon as she crossed the threshold, ignoring her grumbling that she was busy. 

“Okay, fine, but I wanted to talk to you about stuff that happened on the WatchTower,” he said. He didn't want her to think they were hiding things from her about someone she had confirmed was practically family. 

“Great, you can tell me why the Justice League is being assholes about my brother,” she said with a steely look in her eyes. 

“Already talked to your team, huh?” he said with a wince.

“Obviously I would. Scar and Chat know just how important Adrien is to me and they knew I would be upset if I didn't hear about it as soon as possible,” she said pointedly. “So, care to tell me why you didn't tell me?” 

“I didn't know until Superman said something to Scarabella and Chat Noir, I promise. I would have said something, I swear. And before you go and tear off Bruce's head, I will say that he's just doing what he does best - trying to stop problems before they become them.” 

“But I know Scar and Chat would have explained that Adrien is innocent. Isn't their word good enough?” Marinette sounded more than upset, she sounded hurt. It wasn't a huge leap to hear the question she wasn't asking: isn't my word good enough? 

“Trust but verify. I believe you one hundred percent, but that just means that this will be a really quick check. As soon as nothing comes up in their checks, Bruce and Cl- Superman will leave it alone. I'm sorry I couldn't warn you though.” 

“No, I get it. I would have thrown a fit and Bruce knows that. It just sucks. But let's forget about that because I made you something!” 

Tim blinked as a bundle of black and red fabric was thrust into his hands, tied neatly with a ribbon. She urged him to open it and his jaw dropped when he saw the Red Robin sweater she had carefully crafted. He didn't hesitate before jamming it over his head eagerly, the warmth and softness enveloping him instantly. 

“Oh my god, I'm never taking this off!” 

Marinette laughed and started pointing out hidden details and explaining the techniques she had used. At some point during this, Damian appeared and studied the sweater as well. 

“You created this?” He said abruptly, derailing Marinette's passionate explanation about the lining. She nodded, raising an eyebrow at him in challenge. “You are talented. I would like to discuss you making something for me.” 

“Sure thing,” she agreed easily, pulling her sketchbook into her hands. “We can take some time this evening, yeah?” 

Tim frowned but chose not to object. It took a lot for Damian to accept someone and if he was denied he would probably raise hell. He left shortly after anyway, looking pleased, and they fell back into a discussion about the sweater she had made. The grin that appeared when she said she'd made her own, paired sweater to his vanished into a pout when he saw it. 

“That's not the same as mine! That's a Multimouse one,” he complained, outraged. “Why isn't mine a Multimouse one?” 

“Because you're not Multimouse?” Marinette said, sounding amused. “I thought you loved your one?”

“I do…” he trailed off and sighed, running his hand along his own arm while he enjoyed the fabric. “Fine, keep your Multimouse one. For now. I have a case for you to help with! It's an old one but-”

“A case sounds like exactly what I need to get my mind off of things!” Marinette said enthusiastically, pulling the files he brandished out of Tim's fingers. 

_ _ _

Kon was happy to be back on Earth - or, he would be when he was done with the WatchTower debrief. He hadn't seen Tim in forever and he really wanted to see if the Miraculous Team had brought in their strategist. She sounded exactly his type and he was more than ready to have some fun after a long away mission. He grabbed his phone and shot off a message to Tim right away.

Kon: hey, RR, back from space

think I can swing by and catch up?

Tim: sorry SB, got company for the next couple of days :( message you when I'm free?

Kon: but I just got back! not cool man

Tim: :(

Sighing in annoyance, he shoved his phone into the pocket of his jeans. He was willing to bet money he didn't have that ‘company’ was Tim's civilian friend. Hell, she might even be more than a friend with how long Kon had been gone. 

“Superboy, I trust your mission went well?” Bruce said, coming over and patting him on the shoulder. Kon nodded but didn't elaborate. He would only have to repeat himself once Clark was available and he wasn't entirely sure he was up for that. 

When he was finally done, he headed to the rec room on the WatchTower, intending to waste time on a video game or two. He found Cyborg and Beast Boy playing an older game and bantering back and forth. He settled into a chair and waited for the round to finish. 

“I'm telling you, Cy, you aren't getting enough points in your combos to beat her! You saw how she trashed your mech last time-” 

“I still don't get how she did it,” Cyborg groaned, throwing the controller aside. “Nightwing said she wasn't cheating but…”

“Someone beat you?” Kon blinked, staring at them both. “Like, a normal, non super powered person, or another hero?” 

“A civilian,” Beast Boy confirmed gleefully. “She knows the bats but they confirmed she is one hundred percent human. It was insane to watch.” 

Kon stayed there for a while longer before heading off to see about heading home. He stumbled upon Clark and Diana deep in conversation about the Hawkmoth trial and decided to listen in. 

“...with my Clark disguise they'll have no idea who I am, and that gives me the chance to catch him out. Bruce has been weirdly reluctant about this so I'll just let him know what I find out afterwards. Something I can help you with Conner?”

“Just wanted to let you know I'm heading out,” Kon said as he smirked at the older Super. “I'm probably gonna head to the farm for a couple of days since Tim's busy so that's where you'll find me if you need me.” 

_ _ _

Adrien hung up the phone after a long call with Chloé and sighed. It wasn't a bad call, per se, but he was still drained from the conversation with Superman and Batman. Alya had been in a rage, ranting about the injustice and lack of respect she felt had happened. 

He had tried to explain that he understood, that it was really no big deal that the leaders of the Justice League were suspicious of him, and he meant it. Marinette had been unusually offended by the suspicions as well, seeming to take it personally that they didn't trust his and Alya's assessment of the situation. 

He lay on his bed, wondering if he should just…tell the League who he was. It would end a lot of these problems and give them enough understanding of why Alya was so offended. And, thanks to the magic, it wasn't as though it would give away the others easily. Because if it did, him knowing Alya's identity should have given him a massive clue to Marinette's but he had remained completely oblivious. 

His phone lit up with an incoming text and he sighed, turning towards it and smiling when he read it. 

Marinette: if you want me to suit up and kick some Super ass, I'm willing and able!

Adrien: thanks, but maybe hold off on the attacks for a little bit

Marinette: this is why you're the sunshine kid 🫶 but also why it's stupid for them to suspect you

Adrien: they don't really know me Mousy

Marinette: another good reason to tell them imo

Adrien: I know, mouse, I know

Marinette: sorry, ikyk but I just hate how they won't take another hero's word for it! And I just think sharing your identity would give them better perspective for what you actually went through 

Adrien sighed again, warmth at the concern she was showing him filling up some of the empty, unhappy places that had been spreading because of everything that was happening. Truthfully, telling at least one of the big three had numerous benefits. He knew they all knew each other's identities and it had definitely helped the Parisian crew to work more fluidly together. 

Plus, they were going to find a lot of concerning behaviour during Hawkmoth’s reign when taken out of context of his being part of the hero team that defeated the villain. Flimsy excuses for being absent during attacks, erratic spending and appearing places he shouldn't be. 

“Hey mec, got a minute?” 

Adrien looked over and smiled at his best friend, Nino, who was hovering in the doorway. He motioned him in and sat up to give space on the bed.

“How're you doing? I know Als has been on the warpath since the meeting but you've been kind of quiet,” Nino said, leaning against Adrien. Since everything with Gabriel, Nino had been more physically affectionate with him: he would drape an arm around his shoulder when they walked, sit right up next to him so their entire sides connected, and held hands with him sometimes when he thought he looked overwhelmed or sad. 

“It's been a lot,” he admitted, knowing that Nino would be calmer than either Marinette or Alya had been. “I don't really blame them for wanting to do their own due diligence but…I guess it kind of hurts. And I'm worried about how it's going to affect my life. I thought all of this shit was over with, you know?” 

“Yeah, I get you. If you change your mind about all of this,” Nino said, gesturing to his bracelet and Adrien's ring, “nothing has to change, okay? Mari, Alya, and I will still be there, no matter what. And you know I'd never keep you from Plagg.” 

“Yeah, I know that. But I don't want to quit, I like being Chat. Do you think…would it be all that bad for me to tell the Justice League who I am?” 

“I don't know. And Alya is fully against it right now so I'm not gonna speculate on whether that's the right choice,” he replied gently. “But let's talk about it when she's not about to break someone's face, yeah?” 

“Yeah. Hey Nino,” Adrien said, leaning his head onto his friend's. “Thanks.” 

“Anytime. I'll call for help if Mari and Als get too far into plotting.” 

Adrien laughed as Nino left, feeling lighter again. 

[mochegato]

Words Are Hard

Marinette stared at the newly added contact in her phone wondering if it was too soon to text him.  Last night had been amazing.  She’d never felt like that with anyone; connected so instantly and deeply.  The connection was crazy.  Their conversations were fun; light yet giving hints into deeper thought processes and values.  Their banter had been sharp and witty.  And the way he’d looked at her… those blue eyes warm yet mischievous, and entirely focused on her, like she was the only person in his world.  It sent tingles throughout her entire body every time his eyes met hers… which was quite often throughout the night.

They hadn’t even drunk that much.  They’d sat at the bar for at least 4 hours and had talked so much they hadn’t had the chance to get more than a drink or two.  And when the bar had closed, they still weren’t ready to stop talking.  But with everything closed and neither of them from Gotham, they didn’t have anywhere to go but her hotel room, so perhaps it wasn’t surprising that it ended in her first ever one-night stand.

And now, in the light of day, looking back with a clearer head, all she wanted was to talk to him again.  But, seeing as the night before had been her first one-night stand, she wasn’t exactly sure what the etiquette was.  If she was honest though, she was really hopeful it wouldn’t actually be just a one-night stand.  It could be more.  She wanted it to be so much more.

Surely thirty minutes was too early though, right?  That would scare him off.  She should wait at least until after the wedding to text him.  Focus on Adrien and the wedding and then her boy.  This weekend was about Adrien’s love life, not hers.

Right. That's what she'd do… after a gigantic cup of coffee.  She nodded to herself determinedly and passed into the coffee shop’s patio, almost immediately tripping.  She watched the culprits with an amused sigh that turned into overwhelming giggles when they jumped up on her trying to lick her face and get as many good-boy pats as they could, to which she gladly acquiesced, or at least tried to.  She couldn’t give them all the pats they deserved, because they deserved all of them.

Entirely too quickly, she started to carefully extricate herself from their leashes, which had wrapped around her when they jumped all over each other, and around her, to urge her to pet them further.  With her luck, and clumsiness, she was highly likely to trip and knock herself unconscious and miss the wedding.  Or, worse, hit her face on the railing or a table and give herself a huge gash on her face just before the wedding, which would be a huge distraction from Adrien’s moment.  He would insist she still keep her place as his Maid of Honor, but she would feel terrible about it.

With one more pat for each of them, she shot into the café before she could let herself pet them longer and got in line to order.  She looked back at the dogs wondering if he liked dogs.  Would he want to get one?  He didn’t have one.  He’d said he didn’t have pets, but maybe he’d want to get one?  One like the dogs outside, still straining to get to her.  She could definitely see him with a dog.

She ordered politely and went back to watching the dogs while she waited.  It wouldn’t be so bad to send him a picture of the dogs, right?  It would only be a small violation of her resolve to wait to contact him.  She wasn’t asking him anything… just showing him something.  She could even make a cute comment about someone else trying to kiss her, but she guesses she’ll allow it in this case and then he’d send back a comment about how he wished it was him and they should see each other again that night, meet up and talk… maybe more.  She’d agree because she wanted more time with him before she returned to Metropolis.

One night was not enough and her dress for the wedding was stunning on her.  She’d designed it after all, along with Adrien’s tuxedo.  She’d barely had time to finish it with how quickly the wedding got planned and was happening, but it flattered her in every way.  It was sleek and sexy, a bit more than she would normally go for a wedding, but it fit their theme and vibe, and Adrien had been extremely encouraging.  It would be a shame not to show it off to her boy and let him appreciate it in person.

She picked up her drink and rushed out to get a picture of the dogs and enact her perfect plan.  The dogs were almost as excited to see her as she was to start her plan, immediately jumping toward her with such fervor the leashes were straining.  She set her coffee down, away from the chaos, where the good boys couldn’t knock it over in their excitement, because that would truly ruin her morning.

She crouched down and pulled out her phone to take the picture but had to readjust out of the walkway so a customer who was just approaching would be able to get by, but froze when she heard a familiar voice.  “Man, it was crazy!  I absolutely did not expect it when I first started talking to her but it was all night long.  Yeah, so desperate after just one night of a bit of sweet talk.  And it was so easy, like no effort at all involved.”

She knew who it was without having to look up.  She’d heard his deep, smooth voice in conversations all evening and then telling her, what she had thought were, genuine praises all night.  Clearly, he had not felt the same.  While she was picturing their future together and fighting the need to get back to him as quickly as possible, he had gotten what he wanted and moved on.  While she’d savored their deep, instant, genuine connection, he’d just been talking her up for a quick night.

She shot up and spun to face him with hurt in her wide eyes to see horror in his.  The dogs, oblivious to the events around them, yapped at her to return her attention to them.  When she proved too frozen to give them what they wanted, they turned their attention to her partner from the night before, their jumps just as eager as they had been with her, though not quite reaching as high on him as they did on her, but what they lacked in height, they made up for in enthusiasm.  Despite their best efforts, he was completely unmoved, frozen in place.

“Uh oh…” he muttered out.  He turned off his phone and reached for her.  “Marinette…” he started, but that was enough to shock her out of her freeze.

She brushed by him, just out of his arm’s length, and yet it felt like she was being drawn back to him.  She fought the draw and pushed on like she didn’t hear him, rushing away with such speed she was almost flying.  She had to move as quickly as she could and put as much distance between them as possible before he freed himself from the leashes.  The dogs had done a fantastic job of wrapping him up, but it wouldn’t hold him for long.  They definitely deserved far more good-boy pats than they’d gotten.  She could tell he was calling after her, but the blood was pounding too loudly in her ears, it was all she heard, not traffic, not the multitude of conversations around her, not the construction the street over, and certainly not him, just static.

She’d been played.  So.  Damn.  Hard.  And she’d completely fallen for it.  Hook.  Line.  And sinker.  She’d reveled in each duplicitous tingle and relished each honeyed lie and held them close to her heart so she could savor them like they meant something when she was the only one who believed them.  She was so stupid.  God, he probably wasn’t even from out of town.  He probably lived in town but just didn’t want to take her back to his place.  Had anything he’d said been real?

She felt even stupider for even asking and all she wanted to do was go back home to Metropolis and drown in a bottle of something strong that tasted terrible.  She didn’t deserve something that tasted good.  That was for people who didn’t let themselves act like brainless fools for every fuckboy who crossed their paths.

But she couldn’t.  She didn’t have time to slowly drown in her misery like she wanted.  She had to get to the hotel everyone was staying at, splash water on her face, and paste a massive, fake smile on her face.  Heartbreak didn’t have any place in Adrien’s wedding weekend.  She’d put too much effort into his wedding for it to get dragged down and Adrien deserved happiness too much for her to ruin it, damn it.  And it would ruin it because Adrien would be too concerned about her and let it interfere with his mood.  He’d stop everything to just focus on her, further proving her point that he deserved everything good and to luxuriate in ridiculously perfect happiness.

So, forget that guy.  Forget the night before.  Forget the scheming tingles.  She was never going to have to see him again anyway and now she knew better.  Lesson learned.  About the world and about herself.  And she would be better armed for the next time.  Like Master Fu told her, if you keep looking back, you’ll end up running into a lamp post.  Okay, maybe that was Plagg, but it was still valid advice… one of his few.  She had to focus on the future.  And hers was going to be delightfully free of that man.

><><><><><><>< 

Marinette threw herself into the wedding, making sure every detail for the rehearsal and ceremony were meticulously cared for, particularly getting their friends cared for, all with a plastic smile.  Thankfully, her friends knew were so familiar with her anxiety when working on a project they all wrote her mood off as planning stress.  Later she would tell Alya everything, well after Adrien had left for his honeymoon and it wouldn’t take away from his day.  Alya could focus on Adrien like she should instead of trying to comfort Marinette.

She went to Wayne Manor ahead of the rest of the group, trusting Alya and Luka to get everyone there without her, so she could check the ceremony site before the rehearsal.  Not that she didn’t trust Alfred to have watched over it, in fact during the conversations they’d had about the ceremony along with the planner, she’d come to trust him more than most of the people she knew, but she needed to check on it herself.  As soon as she saw the site, she knew she was right to have trusted Alfred.  The ceremony space was beautiful.  The flowers had been arranged like they’d discussed, sleek and contemporary with a touch of old-world sophistication.  It was perfect for them.

“Meet your standards?” a familiar voice inquired, significantly closer than she had anticipated anyone being able to get without her notice.

Marinette squeaked and whirled around on him with a light slap to his chest.  “Mon Dieu, Adrien!  You just about gave me a heart attack!”  He didn’t even have the decency to look properly chastised or even sheepish.  Instead, his grin widened and his eyes sparkled playfully.  She sighed helplessly and pushed up to give him a tight hug and kiss on the cheek.  “It doesn’t matter what I think.”  She ignored his scoff and continued, “What do you think?”

“I think it’s absolutely gorgeous, just like you,” he winked.  “But honestly, I’d be just as happy in a warehouse as long as it ends the same.  It’s not about your conditions, it’s about your partner.”

She smiled at his response, such a completely Adrien answer to give, sappy and sweet and utterly devoted to the people he loved.  She gave him another long, tight hug.  He was getting married to the love of his life.  He was going to be a married man and likely start a family after not too long.  It was all coming together for him, and she couldn’t be happier for him.  She wiped at her eye before a mirthful tear could escape.  “Speaking of which, where is your partner?”

Before he could answer a voice carried over from behind a hedge.  “I’m here.”  Moments later, a figure appeared around the hedge, bright smile, sparkling eyes, and clothes rumpled but presentable.

“Tim!” Marinette screeched and launched herself at him.

“Mari!” Tim called back, jogging to her with just as much energy culminating in an ebullient hug that swung her in a circle.  He set her down with a brilliant smile on both their faces.

“I missed you!” she lamented with faux devastation.

“I missed you,” he concurred in the same tone.  “A month is too long.  You have no idea how hard it is dealing with him day in and day out all by myself.”

Marinette chuckled at his over-the-top delivery.  “I do, actually.  That’s why he’s not my problem anymore.”

“He’s right here you know… and feeling a bit left out,” Adrien pouted dramatically as he sauntered up to them, hands in pockets and lips twitching to curl back up.  “Where was my welcome like that?”

“You got a kiss,” Mari scoffed.  “Plus, he didn’t scare me.”

“He got…” he motioned wildly toward them, “that.  You’re my Maid of Honor and best friend.  I feel like there are some questions about that here.”

“He got a kiss?” Tim pouted ignoring his fiancé’s insinuation.  He was well aware of how happy Adrien was that he and Marinette got along so well.  It was absolutely the best-case situation for him that his life partner and pseudo-sister were almost best friends themselves.

“I got you babe,” Mari cooed and gave him a matching pink lip print.  Movement just over his shoulder, back at the hedge Tim had appeared at, drew her attention as she was just making contact.  It was so shocking she almost missed his cheek despite only being millimeters away because standing there was her lamentable one-night stand.  She blinked at him for just a second then focused entirely back on Tim.  If she’d kept her eyes on him for a few more seconds she would have seen the shock on his face as well.

“Awww.  I feel loved,” Tim cooed and wrapped his arms around her shoulders to pull her against him so he could lean his head onto hers.

“I don’t,” the man grumbled.  He slowly made his way to the trio, his eyes darting between the three of them like he was trying to place the pieces together.

“You got plenty last night,” Adrien chuckled and shoved his shoulder playfully.

“Oh?” Tim asked.

“Uh… yeah,” he acknowledged awkwardly, trying to shy away from Marinette’s glare behind Adrien and Tim’s backs.  “Last night was…” he paused like he was looking for the right word.

“All shy now,” Adrien chided.  “He was going on and on this morning.”  Marinette felt like she was going to be sick and if Adrien ever knew it was her, she knew he would too.  Of all the people he could have called up to brag about his conquest, it had to be Adrien!  Adrien?  Not that it would have been okay in the first place but Adrien!  Really?  The only possible worse person would have been her dad.

“Why were you telling Adrien and not me?” Tim chastised but instantly pivoted.  He stepped between her and the man.  “Actually, it’s not important right now.  I haven’t even introduced you guys officially yet.  Marinette, this is my best friend and best man, Conner Kent.  Conner, this is Adrien’s best friend and Maid of Honor, not to mention unofficial wedding planner and possibly Alfred’s new favorite family member, Marinette.”

He sucked in a breath and stepped forward to offer his hand.  “Uh… my friends call me Kon.  It’s really nice to meet you.”  He said it with such sincerity, she absolutely would have fallen for it if she hadn’t heard him on the phone just that morning.

Marinette shot him a tight smile as she shook his hand.  “Conner, hi.  I’ve heard lots about you,” she enthused, saccharine sweet but yanked her hand back after one shake.

Conner winced like he was thinking through all the things Tim and Adrien would have told her about him.  He rubbed the back of his neck with the abandoned hand.  His chuckles were awkward enough that both Adrien and Tim eyed him curiously.  “Yeah… the rumors of my…” he looked around frantically as though he might be able to spot an appropriate word, “history have been greatly exaggerated.”

Tim snorted.  “If anything, I’ve under sold it.  You are the flirtiest flirt I’ve ever met.  Even Dick tames it down more.”  He shook his head and returned his focus to Marinette missing the glare Kon aimed at the back of his head, but Adrien didn’t, inciting a raised critical eyebrow.  “Come on, Mari.  I want to finally introduce you to Alfred.  Do you need any lunch or coffee?  He’s in the kitchen so we’ll be right there.”

Marinette kept her eyes Tim, determinedly not looking at Kon.  “Thanks, that would be great.  I had to abandon my coffee this morning when some lowlife accosted me before I could drink it.”

“Are you okay?” Tim asked instantly.  He pulled back to look her over as he said the words.  “Sorry, I should have just had you stay with us.  Gotham can get pretty grimy.  In fact, that’s what’s happening.  I’ll send someone over to get all your stuff.  You’re staying with us.”

“Yeah,” Adrien agreed coming up on her other side and pulling her into a side hug.  “You can stay with me.  We’ll have a last single night party, just us.  Face masks and mimosas and stuff.”

><><><><><><>< 

Marinette had been excited about the idea of staying in the manor with Adrien thinking it meant less opportunities for her mind to wander until she discovered Kon was staying at the manor as well… with Tim… in the next room over from theirs.  There was no escape.  Everywhere she went, he was there and she couldn’t for the life of her figure out his game.  He’d gotten what he wanted.  There was nothing left.

The only thing she could think was he didn’t want her to tell Adrien or Tim and make things awkward, but that was the last thing she wanted too, and she had no intention of letting him corner him and try to gaslight her into thinking what had happened was anything other than what it was.

But he was persistently insistent.  He kept trying to make ‘meaningful’ eye contact with her throughout the rehearsal no matter how much she staunchly avoided his eyes.  He’d tried to sidle up to her during the rehearsal dinner, but she made sure she was never without at least one friend, if not more, aided unintentionally by Adrien who seemed more clingy than he had been for quite a while.  By the end of the torturous party Luka had been plastered to her side, sensing something was wrong, but not quite knowing what.  Or more likely, he did but didn’t say anything, knowing she wasn’t ready for it.  He was good like that.

When it was time to leave, she saw him leave just before her in the same direction as Adrien’s room, so she invited Alya and Nino to spend the night as well so the four of them could have a last night together like old times… just without the crushes and with a baby on the way in Alya’s case.  She could almost hear his groan as they passed the corner he was waiting at and Adrien cut in to pull them down to his room before he could step forward.  She grinned to herself.  Good.  Let him suffer a fraction of the amount he’d made her suffer.

The next morning she actually thought she should send him a thank you.  The night had been amazing for her and exactly what Adrien needed.  He was so bright-eyed and excited the next morning waking up with his best friends next to him, she almost cried again for him, but then it turned to crying for herself and she had to turn it around right quick.  She excused herself to the bathroom when she heard a knock at the bedroom door and silently cried harder when she heard his voice in the bedroom saying something to Adrien who seemed more than eager to get him out of his room.  Her tears quieted when she felt something on her back, almost like someone trying to comfort her but when she looked around, there was nobody there.

She just had to get through the wedding ceremony and the reception.  She could do that.  Luka would be more than happy to help her.  His significant other would understand and honestly, they would probably help her as well.  Just a few more hours and avoiding him would be significantly easier.  He thought he could corner her, but he clearly didn’t know her and the lengths she would go to not to be noticed or put on the spot.  If it were literally anybody but Adrien at the altar, it would be flawless, as it was, there were a few vulnerabilities that she would just have to prepare for.

The first was the ceremony itself.  Avoiding his eyes as she walked down the aisle with Adrien to give him away should have been easy, but she found her eyes drawn to him like the black hole he was, and cursed him for it.  He looked impeccable in his suit.  It hugged his body like it was made for him, and considering what she knew of him from what Adrien had said, it probably was.  He looked as roguishly beautiful in a suit as a leather jacket, the bastard.

But it was his eyes that really made her want to march up and kiss… SLAP!  That made her want to march up to him and k… slap him.  He looked absolutely stupefied as he watched her walk down the aisle, like a faint breeze could have knocked him over.  Like he was remembering the night they’d had.  Like he wanted nothing more in the world than to do it again.

After the ceremony, he held his arm out for her to take as they walked down the aisle behind the happy couple and it should have been safe.  She knew that.  He couldn’t say anything as they walked surrounded by so many people, but she wasn’t willing to take the chance.  She reached out for his arm but smoothly redirected to give a guest on her side a hug.  When he waited for her rather than moving forward, she hugged the next person down and continued to shake hands and hug guests like they were best friends she hadn’t seen them in years until Adrien called to him to encourage him to come for pictures, so he had no choice but to move on.

She’d managed to keep her avoidant streak right up until the Wedding Party dance.  There was no escaping him during the dance.  And because they were the Maid of Honor and the Best Man, they had the entire song together… alone… face to face, or more accurately body to body.  There was no escape.  There was no distraction.  Just her and him and the awkward tension that had been building the entire day and those damn treacherous tingles that dared to come back the moment he took her hand.

She tried to keep her eyes busy, bouncing from subject to subject, what the subjects were had no rhyme or reason other than they weren’t him.  But Kon was clearly done letting her avoid him and was not going to stand for it any longer.  “Can we talk, please?” he begged, his eyes when she finally met them grudgingly, were pleading.

Her eyes narrowed and any warmth that had been in them from the ceremony rapidly drained from them.  “I think you’ve talked quite enough, don’t you?” she hissed.

His shoulders dropped but he kept his eyes determinedly locked with hers.  “Look, I know what you think you heard, but I didn't call to brag…” he started desperately, but interrupted himself, “well no, I did call to brag but not about the sex… No, I think… I mean…”  She scoffed and looked away again, but thankfully for him, the song wasn’t over yet and she would never do anything to purposefully disrupt Adrien and Tim’s wedding, so she hadn’t pulled away from him.

He took the opportunity to pull her a little closer, trying to communicate his feelings through his touch.  He might not be able to get his words to work right, but he was always more physical than intellectual, and if there was any way he could make it through this without using words, crush a mountain and present her with its heart?  Done.  Drill to the center of the Earth and bring her back a sample of Earth’s Core?  Tell him the day.  Hike to the remotest regions of the world and bring back a flower.  What color?  But he couldn’t.  He just had to power through as best he could.

“I did brag about the sex, but it wasn’t… I mean the sex was amazing, so it was deserving of bragging, but…” he trailed off at Marinette’s expression which had become increasingly pinched the longer he talked.  Instead of making it better, he was just making it so much worse.  He groaned and threw his head back.  “Damnit!  When did I lose the ability to talk?”

Marinette's face morphed into a look of mock pity. "Aww poor baby. Did I screw your brains out?"

“Yes!”  He threw his head back in exasperation, accidentally pulling her closer as his whole body lurched back in the movement, but he froze as soon as the words came out and looked back at her wide eyed.  “No, wait…”  He narrowed his eyes in a newfound determination.  “Okay, you know what?  Yes, yes you did.  But if I’m being honest, I was already a brainless lump before that, the moment I met you, really,” he corrected softly.

She stared at him incredulously and would have pulled away from him this time, but it felt like there was something wrapped around her, like a blanket, keeping her close to him, she could establish space, but she’d have to put effort into it.  “You better give more context before I assume you mean that's the only way you'd end up with me.  Or, better yet, I was so terrible to be around, you had to turn your brain off to deal with me.”

His eyes bugged out, his eyebrows shooting up to his hairline instantly and his arms instinctively pulling her closer.  “What!? No!  That is absolutely not…”

What it wasn’t got cut off by Adrien cutting into their dance before the song even ended.  “What the hell, Adrien,” he protested under his breath.

Adrien kept a smile on his face for the crowd but it was a harsh, sharp smile with none of the warmth that normally embodied everything about him.  “Back off,” he hissed as he pulled Marinette away playing it off like he was pulling her into a friendly hug.  “I've seen the way you've been looking at her all during the rehearsal and wedding and I'm here to tell you that it absolutely positively is not going to fucking happen!  After all the babbling you did this morning about the girl you met last night and how she was the one for you.  Going on and on about how amazing your connection was.  It was all so easy to talk to her and you didn’t even have to try to force the conversation.  And it was magical and there was just something about her.  I absolutely refuse to allow you to use Mari like this.”

Marinette blinked a few times trying to let the words register in her head.  That wasn’t what he’d said… or at least that wasn’t what she’d heard.  She studied Kon who was looking mortified and exposed.  “What exactly did he say,” she asked cautiously.

Adrien took her tentative, timid tone as hurt and intensified his glare at Kon.  “He was saying how he wasn’t expecting it, but he knew from the moment they started talking that they were going to be together, and she was the one and… and damn man she's got me contemplating marriage is half an hour too early to text?  Does that make me look desperate?  More desperate than I already am after one day,” he mocked.  “And now, I am absolutely not going to let you start hitting on my best friend just because that other woman ghosted you.”

Marinette turned her guarded gaze to Kon.  “You said that?”

He sighed but met her eyes, his eyes a window to his despair as he searched hers for a sign of what she was thinking.  “I did, yes,” he admitted.  “Words are easier when you're not looking into the eyes of your future wife who you want to give you a second chance.”

Adrien looked between the two of them and opened his mouth then shut it again.  “Oh… Oh!”  He started edging away.  “Right then, so sorry for interrupting.  I’m just going to… return to my new husband.  But I just wanted to say before I take my leave, that was a really fucking smooth line.  Like holy shit, man, that…” he stopped midsentence and snapped his mouth shut again.  “Right, I’m not needed here.”

He wandered away at some point, but they didn’t notice too engaged in staring at each other, surrounded by other couples dancing around them doing a terrible job of pretending like they weren’t trying to see or hear what was happening, before Marinette spoke up.  She pushed a strand of hair behind her ear to give her hands something to do other than twisting together or touching him.  “I thought there was a connection too.  I… I’ve never felt that strong that quick.”

Kon let out an anxious breath and grinned tentatively.  “Yeah?”

She pulled a lip between her teeth and nodded shyly, but then she finally broke eye contact to lower her eyes.  “I was so devastated when I thought…”

His arms were around her before she could finish her thought, pulling her into his chest like he’d been desperate to do since the morning before, especially when he’d heard her crying in the bathroom earlier in the day but couldn’t physically get to her.  It had taken everything in him not to burst through the door and hold her until all her tears had dried.  “I’m so sorry, Marinette.  I didn’t…”

“No, I know now,” she interrupted.  “I should have given you a chance to explain.  I was just so…”

“I know,” he interrupted softly.  He pulled away from her just enough to meet her eyes but kept her locked against him.  “Can we start over?”

She slid her hands from his chest, up his neck, and settled them along his jaw.  “No, not over, I don’t want to forget…” she looked down to hide the way her cheeks flared up in embarrassment, “… um…”

Kon grinned brilliantly.  “Our connection?” he offered, voice dripping with inuendo.

She glared at him without heat.  “Yes, that,” she agreed begrudgingly.  “But I mostly meant the connection,” she stressed stripping it of the suggestive nature.

“Oh, yeah, that,” he settled his hands on her hips then slid them around to circle her waist, his smile somehow getting cockier. “That was pretty good too.”  He continued to stare into her eyes for a few long moments, now swaying with her to the music long enough several songs had come and gone.

“You know,” he started quietly, showing more vulnerability than she’d seen in him to that point, “As much as I joke, I meant everything I told Adrien.  I’ve never felt anything like this before, like just knowing you’re close is enough to make my heart race and my brain calm at the same time and knowing I might get to see you soon makes my whole day better.”

She grinned up at him.  “Yeah?”

“Yeah,” he nodded.  He pressed his lips to her forehead.  They lingered there for a few beats like he couldn’t stomach the idea of not being that close to her.  “Stay with me tonight?” he whispered against her skin, but almost instantly pulled away to meet her eyes again.  “Not… not like… to talk!” he exclaimed frantically.  “I…”  He groaned and dropped his head in defeat.  “I still can’t say it right.”

Marinette pressed a finger under his chin to urge his head up again.  “Yes.”

“Yes?” Hope and excitement had made their way back into his eyes, which just moments ago had gone flat, and she took more than a bit of pride in that fact.

She hummed in affirmation.  “Yes.  We can change after the wedding and go somewhere to talk… and just be close.”

He tightened his arms around her and brought her into his puffed out chest again.  “Yeah, I like that.”  He waited a few beats before looking around them surreptitiously.  “Do you think they’d notice if we did that now?”

Marinette chuckled and shook her head.  “I think they might.”  Just then she caught sight of Adrien and Tim watching them very closely, a look of utter glee on their faces.  “Or not…” she snorted.

Kon followed her gaze and chuckled.  “That’s a not.  Come on,” he encouraged, pulling her hand toward the gardens.  “Let’s get out of here.  I promise to have us back in time for the cake.”  He took a step but stopped and looked back at her questioningly.  “Do you trust me?”

Marinette didn’t have to think about it.  The answer she’d been fighting all day burst out.  “Yes.  Yes, I do.”

He grinned and pulled her to him with a kiss.  “I’m going to get you to say that again someday,” he promised.  He took advantage of her blushy sputtering to pull her out to the garden and all to himself.

“I can’t say the right thing.  Words are hard,” she mocked.  “You’ve had some of the smoothest lines I’ve ever heard.”

He grinned back at her.  “Just for you, Sapphire.  Just for you.”

[verymuchimmortalcat]

Chapters: 1/1 Fandom: Miraculous Ladybug, DCU, Batman - All Media Types, Maribat - Fandom Rating: General Audiences Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply Relationships: Marinette Dupain-Cheng | Ladybug/Jonathan Samuel Kent Characters: Marinette Dupain-Cheng | Ladybug, Jonathan Samuel Kent, Background & Cameo Characters Additional Tags: Supermari May 2022, Bruce Wayne is Marinette Dupain-Cheng | Ladybug's Biological Parent Series: Part 4 of Supermari May Summary:

Jon meets Marinette Dupain-Cheng-Wayne for the first time when she happens to be baking enough pastries to feed a small village.

Supermari Day 5: Powers/ Baking

[attempting-writer]

Supernette 3: Allergies

In which Supermari gets an allergic reaction

So I started asking myself what Marinette would be like with a miraculous. This is taking the Kryptonian weakness to magic into account.

·         So during the Evillustrator incident, Marinette, on her date with Nathaniel, gets a magic necklace that he drew

·         After a few minutes, he notices that she keeps rubbing at where the necklace was put on her

·         He asks to see why she was doing that and removes it to find a rash along her skin where the necklace was, he freaks out as it wasn’t something that could have an allergic reaction to and asks if she’s feeling okay

·         She admits that the artificial moonlight was making her a bit uncomfortable, not quite “red sun” uncomfortable as much as “too close to the space heater” uncomfortable

·         She figures that at that point she may have an allergy to magic

·         So, one day, Pixiebug, that’s what I’m calling Ladybug!Rose, and Chat noir, as they are growing together as close friends and practically siblings, even teasing  to the public that they are siblings to protect their identities, -Chat even once shouted “Wonder-Twin powers activate!”- Tikki and  Plagg say that they are ready to meet Fu and the do so individually, out of costume before meeting up somewhere together.

·         Fu tells them about the miraculous and lets them judge for themselves who the temp miraculous holder should be.

·         They simultaneously say “Marinette!”

·         Fu’s surprised, but goes with it.

·         They take the mouse miraculous and go rushing to Marinette’s balcony, where she is designing a better suit for herself.

·         She asks if there’s an akuma, but they say no and offer her the miraculous, as a chance to test out what her powers would be and patrol with them.

·         Hello darkness my old friend ~Marinette’s brain

·         She accepts, and goes on patrol with them.

·         As she transforms she immediately notices that her supersenses are fading,

·         No xray, no super-hearing, no flight,

·         She learns the flight thing the hard way as she tries to take off and jumps right into a wall at some point

·         Cue: Chat high key joke-flirting and Mousinette low key reciprocating and Pixiebug very high key silent shipping

·         They meet up with Robin and the four of them patrol together,

·         After like ten minutes Marinette is wheezing and coughing, straight up not having a good time right now.

·         She tries to hide it for a few minutes, but Robin notices and calls it out right away, she admits that she thinks she’s allergic to magic, calling back upon the Evillustrator incident,

·         Pixiebug and Chat apologize profusely and the three take her home and she transforms back on the way, falling from her jump, into Robin’s grasp.

·         Chat high key jealous.

·         They leave her at her place, tell her to get some rest and Robin lectures them about endangering her

·         They all decide to not give her a miraculous again,

·         The next two days she’s called in sick to school by her parents.

·         People are shocked because Mari never gets sick, Rose and Adrien are avoiding the topic because guilt.

·         She spends the entire two days on her balcony, sunbathing.

·         At night she keeps working on her designs and the day after those two days, Marinette comes back refreshed and Supernette comes back with a few new outfits

·         Supernette apologizes for her absence as she was communicating with her uncle about getting some new suits. Not technically a lie considering that she did at some point ask Clark if he could get her some sturdy materials to make her designs from.

@virgil-is-a-cutie @vixen-uchiha

[magical-mistral]

Merry Christmas! May the new year be full of happiness for you, may you have the strength to get through it and don’t forget that sometimes all you can do is laugh your way through problems. This year was spectacular in so many ways - especially because of all the amazing people I had the pleasure of meeting. I love all of you!

@n3rdlif343va – fluff of my life! How can i ever put in words just how much happiness you've brought me this year? You inspire me every day and I owe you so much. Whenever I feel down you always lift me up. You deserve all the sunshine, rainbows and positivity – if I can contribute only a little bit to that I will be the happiest little hamster. Thank you so much, for everything! I'm not good with words – that's your job – but I will do anything in my power to show you how grateful I am that you found your way into my life. Love you, my fluff! <3

@daysinrussiavictuuri – Nugget!! Can you believe it's already been a year since we stumbled over each other through the magic that is the yoi fandom? I cannot thank you enough for all the cheeriness you've brought me over the course of that year and it's been an honour walking down artist improvement road together with you!

@atelerixe – You started out so quietly, always supporting my art even back when it really wasn't that good yet. You always saw something unique in every picture and I know that when I get the thumbs up from you, then I did my job right! Your enthusiasm and excitement are so precious to see, and you never cease to be amazing, even when life puts stones on your path. I really admire you, thank you for being my friend! @eclair – Sweet eclair!! Ever since I stumbled over your art for the first time I couldn't stop looking at it. You have such a distinguished style and such an amazing personality – I'm so happy that we met through this fandom!! Now I just wish we lived closer so that I could stop by the next time you have a table at a con and buy all your amazing stuff...! ;)

@d2diamond – Thank you so much for listening to my morning rambles and a special thank you for calming me down when I was stressing out about my cat's diabetes diagnosis. You are such a sweet and supporting character, thank you for existing, Daiya!

@worldofcopperwings – My fellow artist buddy! Well, at least I refer to you in my head like this. I've been following you for a long time now and it's been such an amazing experience to see how you improve with every single picture. You've developed a really cute and unique style and I always know it's your artwork when I see it on my dash. I don't even ship Otayuri, but your art of them is just so cute??

@dramaticmari – Cute little Mari...! I am honoured and glad I know you now – because I am convinced that in a few years you will be either a really famous artist or an even more famous fashion designer. And then I will be able to say „yup, I've known her from the beginning!“. With every little step you get closer to be Supermari all the time – even without coffee!

@rikichie – We don't talk that often, but knowing you I get the feeling of a person you can 100% rely on. You just have a...sort of vibe I guess – even if we haven't spoken in a while I know that without fail, if I need somebody to listen, you'll be there. Plus, you make Nerd so incredibly happy and I couldn't be more grateful for it!

@phaytesworld – At first I only knew you because you won my giveaway, but I'm glad we've kept talking after that! You are incredible – such a hard-working personality and a brain overflowing with ideas. Thank you for always saying nice things about my art. Also happy belated birthday!

@saniika – I owe you so much! Thank you so much for reaching out to me when I was frustrated with my drawing program and just...couldn't get it to work the way I wanted. I've tried to incorporate your advice into every digital piece I do ever since, and it helps so much. You are such a kind soul – thank you for encouraging me...!

@spainsasscheeks puts on star shaped glasses finger guns at you hell yeah! Where would I be without you? You were the one who introduced me to SAI and showed me the basics when I was totally overwhelmed with how digital art works. I mean it still confuses me, but without you I probably would have never even dared to venture into that unknown territory that is digital art. Thank you so much!!

@stokrot – When I see your nickname I always think of the first art I saw from you. It was for Seungchuchuweek and I immediately thought what a cute style it was! And I was so impressed that you managed to do something for every single day! Thank you so much for always talking to me and showing me your latest works!!

And then there's so many more of you! We might not talk that often or haven’t known each other for long, but I still am grateful that YOI brought you into my life. I hope you are all doing well – thank you for all the kind words you ever said and your encouragement!

@seththeshallow @detective-ryugazaki @slightlystalesushirolls @outoffcks @katsudonforthesoul @gaykatsudononice @nayru37 @rainsdollies @kamisartvonkunst  @catsudon-purrozhki And last but not least a big THANK YOU to those I cannot tag – all the sweet anons you kept sending me messages over the course of this year. Those of you who sent me requests, those who sent me nice asks when I was down, those of you who inquired after my cat's health – I cherish every single one of you! (If I forgot someone I am terribly sorry and it wasn’t on purpose....!!) I hope you are seeing this even though I cannot tag you. Thank you so so much for everything!

[marauderundercover]

Baby’s First Hero

AO3

Prev

Clark’s eyebrows shoot up as his jaw drops. When Batman had said he wanted to tell Clark who he was under the mask, Clark had not been expecting…this.

“You seem shocked.” Batman- no, Bruce freaking Wayne, says. Clark swears the other man’s lips twitch slightly, as if he’s suppressing a smile. Clark scoffs.

“Well of course I’m shocked. You’re- Bruce Wayne is- you’re smart.” He says, stumbling over his words. Bruce quirks an eyebrow up.

“Yes. I am.” He says simply. Clark huffs.

“I can’t believe you’re a freaking billionaire.” He grumbles. He should have at least suspected it, but as far as he knew, none of the other heroes in the League were rich. Which, again, he should’ve guessed that at least one of his teammates had some money. Another thought hits him and his eyes go wide.

“What?” Bruce asks, obviously hesitant.

“You’re a dad. Robin isn’t just a sidekick, you’re- wow.” He says. Bruce winces slightly and Clark suddenly remembers the articles about Dick Grayson. About the boy whose parents died tragically and the billionaire playboy who adopted him. “That’s really awesome, Bruce.” He adds, not missing the tension that had appeared in Bruce’s shoulders. Before he can say anything else, his phone rings. Smiling apologetically, Clark pulls it out and hits the answer button.

“Clark! How’re you doing, little brother?” Tom asks, immediately making Clark smile.

“I’m fine. How’re you guys doing? How’s the baby?” He asks. Tom chuckles.

“We’re all fine. Sabine and I were actually invited to a baking competition in DC. And we were wondering if you would want to watch Marinette for a couple of days.” He offers. Clark blinks.

“Really? Me? Like, by myself?” He asks.

“If you’re up for it. If not, I’m sure I could get my mom to watch her. But I know you aren’t able to come to Paris as much as you want, so I wanted to give you the option.” Tom says. Clark doesn’t even think about the logistics. Like the fact that his niece, who isn’t even a year old, will need around the clock supervision. Something that would be difficult for a superhero journalist to provide. He doesn’t think of any of that though. Instead, he just says:

“I’d love to watch her.”

---

“You really didn’t have to come with me to pick her up.” Clark says, arms crossed as he stands next to Bruce outside of the terminal. Bruce shrugs.

“You seemed panicked at the idea of taking her home in a cab. I have plenty of cars, and Dick’s at a friend’s house today.” He says, keeping his head slightly down. The man had sunglasses and a hat on in addition to an outfit that was far more casual than he’d ever seen ‘Brucie Wayne’ wear in public before. Clark wasn’t sure if the man’s disguise was obvious to everyone, or if Clark just thought it was obvious because he knew the man was trying to hide. Either way…

“Clark!” A familiar voice calls, making Clark glance up and grin widely. He walks towards his brother quickly, immediately hugging the man before giving Sabine a smaller side hug (since she was holding Marinette and he didn’t want to crush her).

“How was your flight?” He asks, and Sabine smiles.

“Surprisingly, quiet. Marinette slept almost the entire time. Though I’m afraid that means her schedule may be a bit off for you.” She says apologetically. Clark just grins.

“It’s fine. I’m sure we’ll figure it out.” He says, before glancing back at Bruce who was standing awkwardly where he’d left him. Clark nods towards his brother and sister in law, and Bruce hesitates slightly before walking over.

“Hi.” He says quietly. Clark rolls his eyes, grinning.

“Tom, Sabine, this is my friend Bruce. Bruce, this is my brother and his wife.” Clark introduces the three, grinning at Bruce’s awkward attempt at a smile. He’d quickly discovered, after the reveal that Bruce Wayne was Batman, that ‘Brucie Wayne’ was very much an act. And that the man in question was actually very awkward, especially around strangers. How he had managed to pull off the ‘airhead socialite who loves parties’ for so many years was beyond Clark.

“Nice to meet you.” Bruce says. Tom smiles.

“You too. I’m glad Clark has some good friends up here. I know Martha and Jonathan were worried about him living in such a big city.” He says before glancing down at his watch and wincing. “We’ll have to catch up more when we pick Marinette up. I don’t wanna miss our next flight.” He says apologetically. Clark just waves it off, taking Marinette gently as Bruce takes the bag that Tom held out.

“Don’t worry about it. Let me know when you guys land safely, okay?” He asks. Tom nods, giving one last wave before he and Sabine walk away. Clark turns to Bruce, a thought suddenly entering his head.

“Uh, Bruce?” He says. Bruce raises an eyebrow. “Did you think to bring a carseat?”

---

It turns out that although Bruce didn’t think of a carseat, Alfred had. Apparently Alfred Pennyworth was Bruce’s butler/father figure/caretaker/advisor. He was a man who wore many hats. Lucky for them, because he would not have wanted to wait at the airport with Marinette while Bruce went out to try and find a carseat that would work for her. Setting Marinette down on a blanket with a few toys, Clark smiles and takes a step back.

“Thank you, for everything.” He says. Bruce nods.

“It was no problem. I do have one more thing, though, before I leave.” He says. Clark raises an eyebrow.

“What is it?” He asks. Bruce sighs, raising a finger up.

“I left the bag in the car. I’ll be right back.” He says, before slipping out of the apartment. Clark shrugs, plopping down on the ground next to Marinette, who simply giggled at him.

“Hey Sunshine, are you excited to spend time with your Uncle?” He asks, laughing as she coos and babbles back at him, crawling towards him. Just as Clark is beginning to think Bruce jumped in his car and drove away, he walks in.

“Sorry about that. Dick called to remind me about the onesies.” He says. Clark frowns.

“Onesies?” He asks. Bruce nods.

“When I told him that your niece is a baby, he insisted that we buy a onesie with my symbol on it, a onesie with your symbol on it, and a onesie with Diana’s symbol on it. So that she could decide on the best hero.” He says. Unable to stop himself, Clark laughs, shaking his head.

“That’s amazing. How do we do it?” He asks. Bruce’s lips twitch, a small smile forming on his face.

“According to Dick, we have to set them out next to each other and then let her crawl to them. Whichever one she picks will have the ‘honor of best hero’ until there’s a new baby to pick.” Bruce says. Clark snorts.

“Is he hinting that he wants a younger sibling?” He asks. Bruce shrugs, laying the onesies out on the floor.

“We can’t sit by them or the results would be biased.” He says. Clark nods in agreement, setting Marinette back a couple of feet from the onesies before moving to stand by Bruce and the door. Marinette glances up at them, giggling before crawling forward.

“What do we do if she picks Diana?” Clark asks. Bruce hums lightly.

“I suppose we have to tell her. Dick certainly would, and I don’t think either of us could actually lie to her.” He says. Clark snorts. His friend definitely had a point. Watching his niece head immediately towards the blue onesie with his symbol on it, Clark tries not to smile too widely. His smile falls as she pauses, tilting her head as she starts to change direction and head towards the Bat symbol. Glancing at Bruce, Clark doesn’t miss the smile on his friend’s face. He definitely doesn’t miss as the smile starts to fall, making him look back at his niece. She’d completely stopped just in front of the onesies. Clark holds his breath as she grins before lunging forward and grabbing the red onesie, giggling.

“Do we have to tell her?” Clark asks with a sigh. Bruce just nods.

“Unfortunately.” He says. Clark sighs again, but can’t stay upset. Not with his adorable niece giggling like a madman as she cuddles the red onesie. Maybe he could convince Diana to come meet her at some point.

Next

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