#a type of fae that does very little except lounge about and talk pretty

[mysunfreckle]

You said I could request stuff so get ready for a mountain of things!!! ❤️ I am a fan of slowly revealed things but I love love love that selkie Taire, dragon Enj AU and I need to know what the others are please please pretty please??? I need more JBM as well so if you wanna combine the two I mean... I won't complain 😉😊 You're a sweetheart and feel free to give ME prompts bc I have no clue what to write now 😂

[I was so pleased you asked for this! Here you go, ~1.8k of j/b/m ❤️]

Joly likesto travel and they are particularly fond of meeting new people. The merrowsthat inhabit the sea around here are rather old-fashioned though. They only goup the surface when there is a storm on the water and they hardly ever approachthe shore. Joly had to ask his new friend Grantaire if there was any convenientriver he could use to swim further inland. Luckily there was and now Joly ishappily swimming upstream. They like the feeling of freshwater on their skin,even if the salt being rinsed from their hair always makes it stand on end inodd ways. Besides, there are certain things to be found on land that cannot begot from the sea. Today, for instance, Joly is in quest of willow bark. When itcomes to remedies against pain there really is no substitute.

Joly istaking their time though, allowing themself to enjoy the scenery as they swimsteadily against the flow of the river. With only their head just above thewater they look no different from a human out for a swim, at least to a casualobserver. Not that Joly has a particular reason to fear being discovered. Hehas learned from Grantaire that most of the humans around here are open mindedand that those that are not have by now learned to look the other way. In anycase there is no one walking near the river today and Joly swims in unhurriedtranquillity until they follow a bend in the river and spot a gorgeous willowtree. Joyfully they give a strong swish of their tail and swim to the grassybank. The drooping branches of the willow nearly reach the water, casting acool shadow across the rippling stream, but the tree itself is out of Joly’sreach. Admiringly they look up at the elegant braches.

“I’ve neverseen a mermaid so interested in a tree.”

Jolysplashes their tail in surprise. The voice came from above them!

“I’msorry,” they say politely. “I can’t see you at the moment so I don’t know whereto look, but yes I’m very interested in this tree!”

“Why?

“It’svery beautiful for a start,” Joly says pleasantly, peering into the tree. Theyare certain whoever is speaking must be hidden there. “But I’m also hoping tocollect some bark for its medicinal purposes.”

“Hmm…” Thevoice is pleasant, but a little wary. “Well, at least you’re nice about it.” Arustling passes through the leaves of the willow and suddenly Joly sees asshape on one of the sturdier, low hanging branches, that stretches out towardsthe river. A moment ago there was nothing there, but now there is a young womandraped across the branch, hair cascading down just like the willow’s leafytwigs. She is dressed in leaves and her slender arms and legs blend inperfectly against the willow bark.

Joly isdelighted. They have never met a woodsprite before.

“Hello,”the woodsprite smiles and she studies them with large, expressive eyes. “Are you a mermaid?” she asks after amoment. “You don’t look like a merrow…”

“No,” Jolysmiles. “I’m a jiaoren, but I must be closely related to both. My name is Joly.”

“Mine’sMusichetta,” she answers and with an elegant movement she slides off the branchand let’s herself drop down between the roots of her tree.

She israther close now and Joly can clearly see how beautiful she is. “Nice to meetyou,” he smiles.

She smilesback, slowly steps away from her tree towards the water’s edge, and extends asmall hand. Joly takes it in his webbed one and shakes it with another smile.As soon as they let go Musichetta returns to her tree. But she drapes herself acrossthe branch again, looking down on Joly curiously. “What do you need the barkfor?” she asks. “Do you need to cure someone?”

Joly shakestheir head. “At the moment I only want to study it. I’ve heard a lot about itseffectiveness against pain and inflammation.”

“You dothat a lot,” she asks interestedly. “Go around studying healing things?”

“Yes,” Jolysays cheerfully. They’re not really used to being asked this many questions,but they’re more than happy to talk. “It’s one of the reasons why I travel.”

“Where doyou come from then?” she asks with another curious glance at his face.

“The SouthSea by China,” he smiles.

Her eyesspark with delight. “Tell you what,” she says. “I will give you some bark frommy tree if you tell me about your travels.”

To talkabout themself to someone genuinely interested in them seems hardly a trade toJoly, but when they laughingly tell her this Musichetta says:

“Who saysdeals should be disagreeable? I’ve never made a single deal that didn’t pleaseme.”

Joly smilesat the sparkle in her eyes and finds a seat for themself on the river bank. “Whatdo you want to know?” they ask.

It turnsout Musichetta wants to know a great deal. Far too much to tell in oneconversation. So Joly comes back the next day, and the next day, and again acouple of day later. It was never really Joly’s intention to stay in this partof the world, but they are seriously considering it now. It’s not justMusichetta, although Joly has to admit they have quite lost their head overher, this place has a lot to recommend itself. Grantaire is very good companyand he has introduced Joly to a fellow selkie called Éponine. Joly has even meta young vampire called Combeferre, who has a lot of very interesting knowledgeto share. All in all Joly is certainly tempted to stay and when the weeks passand Musichetta’s smiles turn to kisses they decide there really isn’t any otherplace they’d rather travel to than upstream to her tree.

They gothere almost every other day, usually when the sun is at its highest in the skyso Musichetta knows to expect them. Today Joly is running late, so they areswimming fast, fully submerged in the water. They could find their way throughthis river blindly by now and they know they are reaching the bend in whichMusichetta’s tree stands without looking.

Just asJoly is about to surface they hear a voice. Cautiously they peer up through theshimmering of the water’s surface. Musichetta sings to herself sometimes, butthis voice does not belong to her. It sounds unhurried and nonthreateningthough, so Joly slowly lets their head rise above the water. They are greetedwith the familiar view of Musichetta, hanging draped across the lowest branchof her willow, but lying beneath it is a stranger. He is lounging stretched outin the grass, leaning back elegantly on his elbows, and looks up at Musichettawith such a look of admiration that Joly feels a pang of jealousy. Thestranger’s looks do not help them one bit. Had he been scowling he would barelyhave been handsome, but he has as attractive a smile as Joly has ever seen andit is unclear to them whether it is the sun or his good humour that gives sucha glow to his dark brown skin. With very conflicted feelings they swim a littlecloser.

“What afine day,” the merry stranger smiles at Musichetta. “It started with me gettinglost, but what a lovely place to be lost in.” His eyes twinkle. “And whatexcellent company.”

“I’m notquite sure what suits you more, your lounging or your idle flattery,”Musichetta remarks challengingly from her branch.

“You haveseen me lounge,” the stranger smiles. “But you have not even heard my idleflattery. So far I have spoken only the truth.”

Jolybristles slightly at that, especially since Musichetta is clearly rathercharmed by him. They don’t exactly blame her, but it does give them a strangedisgruntled feeling they have never really felt before.

“Really,”the stranger continues. “Between, the sun, the grass and your eyes fixed on meI’m beginning to think myself the luckiest creature in this meadow.”

Musichettalaughs with a slight scoff in her voice. Just the sound of her laugh is enoughto make Joly decide that not even the uncomfortable feelings in their midriffare enough of a reason to give up spending the afternoon with Musichetta. Theygive a splash of their tail to announce their presence and swim to theriverbank.

“Joly!”Musichetta exclaims, sitting up on her branch.

Thestranger turns his head, still smiling, and sees Joly. “Well,” he says with a look of unrestrained admiration. “Ifthis isn’t unequivocal proof of my luck today, I don’t know what else couldpossibly convince me.”

Jiaoren donot blush, but Joly would have if they did. “Hello,” they say, still a littlereserved.

“Joly,darling,” Musichetta chimes. “This is Bossuet.”

“Joly,”they nod.

“Pleasureto meet you,” Bossuet says brightly. “Really.”He looks from Musichetta to Joly and sits up a little straighter. “Oh, I’msorry! Am I interrupting a scheduled meeting?”

“You areactually,” Musichetta says, throwing a glance at Joly.

Bossuetjumps to his feet. “And here I am talking away at you both.” He shakes hishead. “Forgive me.” He laughs at them both by turn and Joly is seriouslywondering if it is even possible to feel resentment towards someone thatradiates so much cheerfulness. They likeBossuet. They hardly know him and they like him.

“I will leavethis lovely meadow to you lovely creatures,” Bossuet sighs. “And take myselfelsewhere.”

Jolyglances at Musichetta, who gives them a look that seems to say: we could keephim?

“You canstay,” they say, lifting themself out of the water to sit on the riverbank.

Bossuetlooks delighted. Musichetta smiles.

“You haveto trade something though,” Joly says, slanting their head playfully andshooting a twinkling look up at Musichetta.

“Oh yes,”she agrees. “We’re very big on trades.”

Bossuetpats the pockets of his colourful suit. It’s a fine suit, but badly cared for, itsrumpled and full of grass stains. “I don’t have a lot to give,” he laughs. “Butask whatever you want, if I have it I’ll give it.”

Joly grins.“Do you know any good stories?”

Bossuetgives him a look that feels warmer than the noon sun. “So many.”

“Are any ofthem about yourself?” Joly smiles.

“Only the tragicallycomedic ones,” Bossuet quips.

“Oh dotell,” Musichetta invites, letting her arms dangle down on either side of herbranch.

“Yes,” Jolysmiles warmly. “Please do.”

[eikatsukiyomi]

In Heat 💓

So...I’ve started trying my hand at writing ML sin...?  [Nervously leaves this here]

Rated E (for explicit sexual content throughout and language)

Aged-up Mating Cycle/Pheromones AU + Chat Noir with Feline Tendencies

Summary:  It’s the one-year anniversary of when Ladybug and Chat Noir received their powers, and Marinette learns from Tikki that it marks the beginning of the mating cycle: for the next 30 days, Ladybug and Chat Noir will be drawn to each other by powerful pheromones generated by their miraculouses.  The more time they spend in each other’s presence, the stronger the effects will become, until they risk being completely overcome with lust.  And so, Ladybug and Chat Noir have little choice but to brace themselves for what is bound to be a month of intense sexual tension and frustration...but what they don’t know is that they unknowingly cross paths almost every day, and so not even their kwamis can prepare them for how profoundly their heats will affect them.  Will their partnership survive if they give in to temptation?  And what will happen when Hawk Moth figures out what’s going on?

Next Chapter >

Chapter 1:  Summer Fae

Marinette had never looked forward to the first day of a school year, and she was pretty sure she was in the majority; did anyone look forward to the end of summer break?  Even so, dreading the coming of September 1st so much that it caught Hawk Moth’s attention and got you akumatized?  This seemed a bit much.

“Now that I’m here,” proclaimed the supervillain calling herself “Summer Fae,” “Nobody ever has to go to school again!  I’m going to make today--the last day of summer break--last forever!”

She looked to be a girl in middle-school, with her long auburn hair tied back in a wild ponytail and decorated with a crown of flowers.  She was dressed in an orange sundress decorated with fresh green leaves and miniature sunflowers, and she had wings like that of a fairy and was armed with a scepter wrapped in vines.  She didn’t seem to be carrying a grudge against anyone, nor did she seem resentful of society in general, and so she wasn’t particularly aggressive, but she was under Hawk Moth’s control, and so, sooner or later, she would be coming after Ladybug’s and Chat Noir’s miraculouses.

“Okay, but can you be more specific?” Chat Noir called, addressing Summer Fae.  “Is today gonna last forever ‘cause the sun will never go down?  Or will today keep repeating without the date changing?”

“Why, do you have a preference?” Summer Fae asked.

“Does it matter?!” Ladybug yelled, glaring at Chat Noir across the street.  He was perched on the edge of the school roof on all fours, like the cat he loved acting like.

“Absolutely!” he yelled back.  He turned his head to address Summer Fae again.  “If you never let night come, you’ll never have another sleepover!  Or see the fireworks at midnight on Bastille Day! Or go on moonlit walks with your true love!”

Ladybug couldn’t decide whether to be surprised or not that Chat Noir was the type to like moonlit walks with his significant other.  She filed that intriguing detail away to think about later.

“Oh, well, don’t worry about that!” Summer Fae said cheerfully, waving a hand.  “Summer nights are nice, even if they aren’t as fun as summer days, in my opinion.  We’ll all get an infinite number of days of summer to do whatever we want with!”

“But is it gonna be like Groundhog Day?” Chat Noir wanted to know.  “Is the same day gonna repeat over and over and over, with everyone doing exactly the same things every time?”

“No, of course not!” Summer Fae cried, pressing a hand to her heart in horror.  “What would be the point of that?!  No, it’s just gonna be a beautiful summer day every day, with no more school!”

“Ah, okay, glad we straightened that out,” Chat Noir said, nodding in satisfaction.  “It sounds like, out of all the ways you could have planned this, you’re doing it the way I would, too!”

“Aw, thank you!” Summer Fae said, beaming.  “You know, Chat Noir, you seem like a really nice guy…if you and Ladybug give me your miraculouses instead of starting a fight with me, I’d love to go on a...a”  

She couldn’t see from here, but it sounded like Summer Fae was probably blushing.

“...a moonlit walk with...with y-y-y-you…!”

Is this for real?  Ladybug marveled, slapping a palm to her forehead.

Chat Noir straightened in surprise.  Then he raised a hand to rub the back of his head.

“Uh, gee, that’s...very, very flattering, mademoiselle!  I must say, you’re the first supervillain to pay me such a glowing compliment!”

“So, what do you say?” Summer Fae asked excitedly.

Ladybug resisted the urge to demand of Chat Noir where the hell he was going with this.  Maybe he actually had a strategy and she just hadn’t caught on, yet.  He wasn’t usually the one to direct the action, but not because he wasn’t smart.  She decided to just keep her eyes open and see where this went.

“Alas, a cat has much more pride than to let himself be wooed by sweet words,” Chat Noir answered dramatically.  “But I’ll tell you a secret…”

He gestured for Summer Fae to approach.  Ladybug gaped at him.

Is THAT how he expects to get the object with the akuma in it?!  Seduce the supervillain?!  He’s gonna make a fool of himself...although I will admit, I would be VERY impressed if it worked...also a little weirded out, though.  IF, just IF there’s a chance he could pull this off, I’d blow the whole thing if I interfered...but maybe I can position myself to be backup if his plan doesn’t work…

Summer Fae appeared to be approaching Chat Noir, albeit hesitantly.  Ladybug quietly jumped down from her perch and started making her way sneakily towards the school.  She took the long way around the side of the building, and began climbing as quickly but quietly as she could.  

Easy does it…

As she approached the edge of the roof, she could hear Summer Fae’s voice...sounding strained and panicky?

“No, wait!  Wait, please!  If I can free him, he’ll give me his miraculous!  And he’ll get us Ladybug’s!  We won’t even have to fight them!  We’ll all get what we want!”

“Free him”?  He’ll give you his miraculous?  And mine?  What is happening?

She hoisted herself up to peek up over the edge.  

Summer Fae was on her knees, eyes screwed shut, gripping the sides of her head like she was suffering a migraine.  Chat Noir was--strangely--sprawled out on his side right next to her, propped up on an elbow and supporting his head on a fist.  He could have been lounging on the beach, except he was eyeing Summer Fae with a look of mingled confusion and concern.

Is she talking to...Hawk Moth?  Of course...he would have to have a way to communicate with his supervillains so that he could tell them what to do.  Is this our chance?  Why is Chat Noir just lying there?!

Just then, Chat Noir caught sight of Ladybug; his eyes gleamed with confidence and he flashed her his trademark smirk.  In the same second, she returned the look; she knew that look:  it said, Victory’s ours, my Lady.

With that, Chat Noir snatched the flower crown off Summer Fae’s head and tossed it to Ladybug.  She tossed it easily with one hand and used her teeth to tear it in two.  

“No more making mischief for you, little akuma!”

The akuma emerged, and Ladybug dropped to ground and whipped out her yo-yo, capturing the black butterfly with practiced ease and purifying it.

“Bye-bye, little butterfly!”

With a cry of, “Miraculous Ladybug!”, she threw her lucky charm--a red and black-polka-dotted replica of Chat Noir’s ring that she hadn’t known what to do with except wear herself--into the air, and a burst of magical ladybugs erupted into the sky, reversing the invisible spell of Summer Fae’s that would have prevented September 1st from ever coming.

She leapt back up onto the school roof where Chat Noir was talking to the girl who had been Summer Fae up until just a moment ago.

“Well...I’m glad I didn’t do anything,” she was murmuring, “But it’s already mid-afternoon, and tomorrow, I’m going back to school!  I don’t want to…”  She sounded close to tears.

Ladybug wanted to sit with them and hear the girl’s story--maybe it would help make sure she didn’t get akumatized again--but she needed to go.  Her earrings beeped, reminding her that she had four minutes before she turned back into Marinette Dupain-Cheng.

But...I’d REALLY love to know how Chat Noir’s plan worked...and how did he know it was her flower crown that had the akuma in it?  I thought for sure it would be her scepter…

“Hey, Chat Noir, I gotta bug out; I’m about to detransform.  But if you hang around, I’d...actually like to hear how you pulled this thing off!  Make sure she gets down safely, and I’ll see you soon?”

Chat Noir’s eyes lit up with excitement at her proposal.  He gave her a two-finger salute and a jaunty grin.

“Leave it to me, my Lady!  I shall eagerly await your return!”

She nodded, leaping off the school rooftop and swinging her way over the Parisian cityscape.

Chat Noir watched her go, then turned back to the young girl.

“What’s your name?” he asked kindly.

“Um, Aimee…” she timidly replied.

“Aimee...it suits you, since you seem to be quite the romantic type!”  He flashed her his encouraging Adrien Agreste smile.

“Uh, thanks!  I guess so,” she murmured.  She blushed and smiled shyly.

“So, what is it about going back to school that’s upsetting you?” he asked.  “It must be pretty bad if it caught Hawk Moth’s attention.”

Aimee took a deep breath and sighed sadly.  

“Last year, these two girls in my class started picking on me.  They point all the ways I’m not pretty enough to ever get a boyfriend, and they leave nasty messages in my locker and on my desk.  They make every day miserable for me...so I’ve been dreading the first day back to school all month long…”

“That...sounds really rough.  I’m sorry…”  Chat Noir smiled sympathetically and patted Aimee’s shoulder.  “I admit I’ve never been bullied at school myself, so I don’t really know what it’s like, but I’ll say this:  if no boys were interested in you because you weren’t pretty enough for them, then they don’t sound worth dating anyway.  A real gentleman will love you because he thinks you’re amazing inside and out, so don’t feel like you have to settle for anything less, okay?”

Aimee’s cheeks glowed, and she smiled tremulously.

“You really think so?” she asked shyly.  “I hope you’re right…”

“One more thing!” Chat Noir added brightly.  “Do you have a smartphone?”

“Uh, yeah…?”  Aimee fidgeted until she had dug out her phone from her pants pocket.  “Why?”

“Take a selfie with me!” he chirped, scooting up next to her.  “The next time those girls give you a hard time, tell them Chat Noir’s got your back, and show ‘em our selfie to prove it!”

“R-really?!  A-Are you serious?!”  Aimee fumbled clumsily with her phone in her excitement.

“Yeah!”  Chat Noir leaned in as Aimee readied her phone.  “Now smile like you just got a kitten for your birthday!”

Aimee laughed giddily, and snapped the picture.

“There we go!”  Chat Noir grinned as Aimee beamed at the picture, then glanced back at him.

“I love it!  Thank you, Chat Noir!”  She hugged her phone tight to her chest.  “I’ll treasure it always!”

“You’re welcome!”  Chat Noir stood up and helped Aimee to her feet.  “Let’s get you back to solid ground, shall we?”     

~

After dropping down into a narrow alleyway to feed Tikki a cookie, Marinette transformed into Ladybug again and headed back to where she had left Chat Noir.  Neither he nor the young girl were there any more, of course, but she knew, wherever Chat Noir was, he would see her up here...or she would see him nearby.  Sure enough, she caught sight of him on top of a building to her left out of the corner of her eye.  She turned and headed straight for him as soon as she caught his eye.

As soon as she reached him, she gestured to him to sit next to her against a chimney so as to be less visible from the street below.  She didn’t want to risk attracting an admiring crowd when she just wanted a nice, quiet talk with her partner.  They rarely had opportunities like this.

“I’m back!” she announced, sitting down.  “So, how is she?  The girl?”

“She’s fine!” Chat Noir replied proudly.  “Apparently she’s been being bullied a lot at school, so she was really dreading going back.  I let her take a selfie with me so she could tell her bullies I’ve got her back!”

“That’s nice of you,” Ladybug said, smiling.  “I just hope people don’t start picking on her next because they’re jealous she got a picture with you.”

“Well, then, you and me will just have to pay her school a visit and tell those girls we’re very disappointed in them!” he responded, crossing his arms and giving a self-satisfied nod.

“We don’t have much time to spare for personally checking up on Hawk Moth’s victims,” Ladybug pointed out, “But you did good, chaton!”  She stroked his head as if she were petting a cat.

“Mmm, thanks!” he purred, letting himself nuzzle his head into her hand just a little bit.

“So, tell me what you were thinking with that seductive scheme of yours,” she said.  “I’ll admit I’m impressed that it worked, but it was awfully risky.  And how did you know it was her flower crown and not her scepter that had the akuma in it?”

“Well, I couldn’t think what the sceptre could’ve been if that was the object,” Chat Noir said, “But I just so happened to recognize what the flower crown was:  See, there’s this anime that really popular right now, about a magical girl with, like, the power to make plants grow really fast and strong, and she has to defeat this evil wizard who’s plunged the world into an eternal winter--”

“Ahem, Chat Noir?  The flower crown?”

“Heh heh, sorry!  Anyway, she wears a flower crown exactly like the one Summer Fae did, and you can buy replicas of it online and at conventions, but of course, the flowers are fake and not as pretty and realistic as real flowers would be.  So, coupled with the theme of Summer Fae’s costume, I figured she was a big fan of the show, and had a replica flower crown that turned into the real thing when she was akumatized!”

Ladybug blinked at him for a moment, impressed with his impromptu detective work, and a little surprised but amused that he know a lot about anime.

“Wow…” she muttered.  “But, what about that whole, ‘Come here and I’ll tell you a secret’ scheme?”

“Ah, that...well…”  He suddenly looked sheepish and scratched the back of his head.  “Remember the ring that appeared when you used your Lucky Charm?”  He pointed at her left ring finger, wear she had worn it.  “It looked exactly like mine, except it was red with black spots, right?  It was like it was part of a pair, along with mine.  So, I told Summer Fae that you had me under a spell and that I was under your control as long as we both were wearing the magically-linked rings.  I told her I couldn’t take mine off unless she...earned my loyalty and affections…?”  He trailed off uncertainly, looking uncomfortable.

Ladybug narrowed her eyes at him.  

‘Loyalty and affections’?  ‘AFFECTIONS’?!  That...makes me feel...off, for some reason...

“Okay, you’re gonna have to explain what you mean by that,” she said, raising an eyebrow and smirking wryly at him.

Chat Noir eyed her warily with the expression of a shamefaced dog that had been caught with his face in the garbage bin.

“Erm...okay, so…keep in mind, I was totally just trying to play the part and lure her in--”

“Now you just sound even shiftier,” she cut in.  “Should I be worried?”

“What?  Worried?  Naw, not at all!  I just…!  Okay, so, what I told her was, ‘A cat’s affections can be won only if he’s pampered the right way,” and that if she, uh, basically won over the cat in me, she could break the spell on my miraculous that prevented me from taking it off or disobeying you...and then I’d basically be ‘her kitty’ and I’d fight on her side.”

Ladybug had no idea how to feel about about this...heartstring-pulling scheme of his.  She supposed it had been a simple matter of trying to trick the supervillain to get the object without even having to start a fight, and she had to admit it was a clever scheme...but to sweet-talk the supervillain...what had she tried to do to earn his “affections”?

“Uh...okay…” she said slowly.  “So...sounds like she fell for it…?”

“Well, yeah…” he answered hesitantly.  “She, uh...scratched behind my ears…?”

Ladybug felt her jaw clench and her brow furrow before she could even label the emotional response behind it.  She took a breath and tried to instantly relax her face, but he had already been watching her for her reaction, and he saw it.

“Hey, bugiboo…” he murmured in a comforting voice.  “You don’t have to feel jealous…”

“Wh-who said I was jealous?” she yelped, trying for force her amused-face back on.  “D-do I look jealous?”

“I meant, if you feel jealous, you don’t have to!  I assure you, I only pretended to enjoy it!  Now, if it had been you, Bugiboo…”  He trailed off suggestively, but he was blushing and grinning bashfully.

And, goddammit, was she blushing, now, too?!

He really needs to stop accidentally being...cute…

Sometime during the last month or so (Just because school was out didn’t mean Hawk Moth had been vacation), Ladybug had started to notice two things:  First, Chat Noir seemed to have matured somewhat, in that he wasn’t showing off as often in his attempts to impress her; and second,  that she had started to catch herself reacting differently than usual to little things he did.  She couldn’t always brush off his jaunty banter and lame puns with smooth comebacks and banter of her own anymore.  Sometimes she found herself stunned momentarily by a blinding grin, or a casual touch, or an off-hand compliment, or a warm smile of raw adoration that, once, she caught him shooting when he thought her back was turned.

It wasn’t as if he hadn’t known before that he could be as sincere as he could be playful; she just never thought she would see so much of it all at once.  It made her think that, maybe, there was a lot more of that warmth under the surface.  These days, she often found herself wanting to look for that warmth...to get to know that side of him even more.

“Hey...Ladybug?”

Ladybug jerked back to the present.

“Ah!  S-sorry!  Kinda spaced out there…” she said, grinning sheepishly.

“Uh, okay…” he said, still looking a little concerned.  “So, anyway...that’s how that all happened!”  He crossed his arms and smiled.  “My favorite part was when you read my mind the way you do and finished the deal.”

Ladybug smiled.  He was totally buttering her up, but it was nice to hear, anyway.

“Well, saving the day is what we do!  We’re a team, we know exactly how to work together flawlessly!  Almost all the time, anyway!”

“That we do, my Lady!” he said warmly.

There he goes again… she thought.  He could have said that with way too much enthusiasm like he usually does...but he had to say it like...that.

“Yeah…” she murmured.

He just kept looking up at her, smiling, and she did her best to keep her own smile smooth, but she had no idea how he could hold her gaze like that without feeling as nervous and strange as she currently was.  Was it normal to look someone in the eyes for seconds on end?

“Oh!  Hey, I just realized--!”  Chat Noir suddenly seemed excited about something.  He pushed himself to spin and face her.  “Since tomorrow is September 1st, and it’s the first day of school, it’ll be the anniversary of the day we first teamed up!  It’ll be exactly one year since we fought Stoneheart!”

“Oh!  Yeah, I guess you’re right,” she said.  “It’s kind of amazing to think that we’ve been fighting Hawk Moth for an entire year, huh?  I wonder how much longer it’ll be before we find him.”

“Yeah, who knows?”  Chat Noir said, cocking his head thoughtfully.  “Actually, I’m surprised he hasn’t run out of ideas for supervillain identities!”

“I know, right?”  Ladybug laughed.  “I guess whatever it is the person is upset about helps give him ideas.”

“Makes sense,” Chat Noir remarked, nodding.

“You know, speaking of school starting tomorrow…”  Ladybug stood up.  “It’s getting late.  Since I assume we’ll both be going to school tomorrow morning, we could use at least eight hours of sleep.”

“Yeah, you’re right…”  Chat Noir stood up beside her.  “Well, I hope your first day back at school goes smoothly for you, my Lady.”  He turned and took out his baton, getting ready to head off to wherever he lived when he wasn’t helping her fight evil.

“You, too,” Ladybug replied.  She waved, and then turned and took out her yo-yo.  A second later, she was soaring over the rooftops on her way home.

I wonder what the odds are that we might go to the same school? she found herself thinking briefly.  I wonder if I’ll ever find out…

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