#after adrien and marinette got married and had those three or four kids they want

[rosie-b]

🦮 fill this empty space (ask game)

(link to the summary)

This turned out to be... longer than a snippet, and like the summary, angstier than I expected. It's been that kind of week ig! But there's a promising ending because I needed one :)

It had been a warm summer day when the old Marinette died.

The new Marinette woke up surrounded by golden light, soft, green grass, and the soft murmurings of a stream in northern France. It was perhaps the best way for her rebirth to happen, in a calm, relaxing environment far from the place she somehow knew was home.

She met her family there. They already knew her, and called her "maman," or "ma femme," or "my lady."

Marinette was no one's lady. She never had been, but according to video evidence and the testimony of her husband and children and best friend, that was one of the many roles her past self had filled.

Marinette did not know how to fill any of those old roles anymore. But because of the secret, magical way she'd chosen to lose her memories, she couldn't let anyone know this fact. She had to study years worth of business lessons in mere weeks, preparing for her return to Paris and the international company she would soon be in charge of running again.

At least her past self had accounted for this new Marinette's incompetence. But no one else seemed to see that she wasn't the same woman she had been once, back when a kwami lived in her purse and villains of the day (and year) kept plaguing Paris.

Adrien, the man past-Marinette had married, professed to still be in love with her. He saw some of the differences between the new Marinette and the old one, but claimed they weren't nearly as big as Marinette thought they were. And he chose to spend most of his time around her, so maybe he was right. He whispered praises for each small thing she did, both when they were alone and in public; took the time to learn her new habits; made her fresh coffee for when she woke up two hours after he did; stayed out of her bed to help her feel comfortable.

Marinette could see why her past self had loved him. It was something both halves of her were beginning to share, a love for this man who found a way to bring joy to her life even when it had been turned upside down.

But it didn't change the fact that the new Marinette was not the same woman he'd married. That fact was written into the vows Adrien and the past Marinette had exchanged; the way they had split up their chores; the daily schedule that Adrien still remembered while the new Marinette did not.

To Marinette, this new self of hers was nothing more than a facade made to cover the void her past self had left behind. She was thirty years old and as empty inside as a newborn baby, with no memories to guide her through this unfamiliar world.

Marinette was an icon, the magazines said. A paragon of virtue in an age of corruption, one half of both Paris' favorite couples, a woman who managed to be a world-famous CEO and an attentive mother at the same time.

That wasn't the new Marinette's reality. She didn't even know her children's middle names, though she was learning their favorite desserts, sports, and hobbies.

Most days, it was like learning a foreign language, and it felt just as isolating when she got something wrong or tried to remember something she thought she knew but actually didn't. Sometimes, this new life of hers was crushing, a drain on her already empty self, taking the last bit of Marinette out of her.

But not always.

As out of place as Marinette felt in her own life, the people in it still felt right somehow. They'd been there for her when she woke up; they were there to hug and comfort her when she cried in the night, to help teach her about her own life and tell her about theirs, and to listen when she said she felt different. They loved her, that much was clear, and they promised to love her no matter which Marinette she was; the old one with all her memories or the new one just fumbling through life.

And somehow, even though she claimed not to feel anything more for them than for other strangers at first, Marinette still loved them back. Their presence soothed the ache she felt in her chest, the one she felt when she couldn't remember, and she found herself more than missing them when they weren't there. She looked forward to hearing about their day, to learning their middle names; she held on to the facts they told her about themselves like sweet gifts of gold and honey, like they were all she needed to survive, to fill the empty space her memories had left behind.

The new Marinette was not the old one, and she never would be.

But maybe that was okay. The new Marinette had her own space, too; it began here, in this remote, rural town near the seashore, and it would expand back to Paris, to the place where the old Marinette had lived.

Marinette's home had always been her family, the people she loved. That was something she knew without having to remember it, and something she was more sure of every day.

So she studied the journals her past self had written, re-learned how to design, baked bread beside Adrien, sang songs with her children and stayed by their side. If her mind was an empty slate, then she was going to fill it with love, the same love she'd chosen before and was choosing again.

And someday, this new Marinette would feel whole again.

Thanks for the ask! I hope you enjoyed <3

[flightfoot]

Do you know any good fics where either Marinette or Adrien has other superhero partner?

Hm... those do happen, but it's rare.

Stone Streak by kingxuppu

Ladybug and Violet Tigress had been fighting the mysterious Duskwing for eight years now. Through the years, the two have grown stronger together and even gotten married, they are waiting until they finally beat Duskwing to start a family. At least, that was the plan. When Juleka gets confronted with the realization that her friends are starting families of their own, she realizes just how badly she wants to be a mother.

Due to unfortunate circumstances, Juleka and Marinette get the chance to adopt Juleka's young modeling friend Adrien.

Maybe they aren't quite a traditional family, but with magic, rockstars, and fame, normal was never an option.

Via Discovery: There are actually two terms of venery for tigers, depending on the makeup of the group. The first is a streak of tigers and this refers to a female tiger and her cubs.

Now this is a rare pairing, there’s not a lot of Julenette fics! Adrien and Rose actually have some ship tease going on, the whole kid group in canon got broken up into two groups here, one that remained around canon age (so like 13) which notably consists of Chloe, Rose, and Adrien, and then I think everyone else are adults in their mid-twenties. It’s weird seeing Adrien as Marinette’s and Juleka’s son, but hey it works! I love how Juleka really showed Adrien the ropes on modeling and became a Mama tiger for him, the fic’s mostly just very sweet, though with a surprisingly dark final act. 

---

Accidents Are Also Miracles by @liiinerle

After a few turbulent days where four new people discover her secret identity, Marinette loses faith in her ability to keep the secret hidden. Wracked with doubts and insecurities, she pleads with Alya to take over as Scarabella, but she still can't let those worries go. Especially not once Monarch starts taking a particular, and personal, interest in her.

Along the way, she also starts to date Kagami, and has to deal with changing feelings about herself, Adrien, Alya, Kagami, and the idea of being Ladybug. At the same time, Alya works to uncover Monarch's secret identity, while Kagami struggles against a controlling parent, and a girlfriend who seems bent on destroying herself - with or without Monarch's involvement.

Fantastic Marigami fic here! You’ve got three major POVs in this fic: Marinette, Kagami, and to my delight, Alya. I loved getting to see Alya cope with taking over as Scarabella especially.

But of course, this fic centers more around Marinette and Kagami, with Marinette struggling with Monarch targeting her, and Kagami struggling against her abusive parent, as well as both of them trying to navigate their relationship together when they know that not everyone will approve. 

There’s also some other plots going on in here, like Sabrina breaking away from Chloe and becoming more independent (and closer to Adrien in fact), as well as a Lila takedown plot, though thankfully not one that involves demonizing other characters. While there are conversations about people believing Lila and siding with her, no one’s actually attacked for it except for Lila herself.

Oh yeah, and while this fic may not have much focus on Adrien, he’s still treated fairly and with respect, even when he messes up. He can make mistakes, but people understand where he’s coming from, and are still kind to him and want things to be okay, and to help him escape his abusive circumstances.

---

Crepes and Petals by @fruitdragon1a

For MLB Femslash February 24! AND for nik's birthday! Happy birthday :D Day 26: Alya/Marinette 'idea', 'taste' Alya and Marinette have been friends ever since that fateful first day in collège. Scarabella and Lady Noire have been friends ever since they started fighting crime together at the age of fourteen. Alya and Lady Noire? Their friendship is newer-- and Alya wishes it were more.

---

Withered Wings by @11jj11

Nino wasn’t sure if anyone had ever willingly took the akuma butterfly before him, but with his mind completely open to this apparent son of Hawk Moth he knew that he couldn’t turn him away. Not someone that was so afraid, not someone who would be left at the mercy of Hawk Moth.

[capesandshapes]

All You Had to Do Was Stay (Post Reveal/ Pre Relationship) (1/4)

Thanks to LNC for the title!

Summary:

Three years ago, Marinette revealed her identity to him. Three years ago, he promised to wait in a hotel room for her. Three years ago, she opened the door to find it empty.

Now she's expected to play nice with him, since she's the maid of honor and he's unfortunately the best man. But old habits die hard, and old feelings die harder.

"This is a wedding, not a death march, Marinette."

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

Things that need to be done before Alya Cesaire could marry Nino Lahiffe:

1. Designs combining both Martinique culture and Réunion style needed to be made for the whole wedding party. Everyone should get to have a say in what they wear.

2. The video of Alya dancing overenthusiastically to the cupid shuffle needed to be removed from Lila Rossi’s Instagram, lest Nino’s nana see and wonder what type of woman he’s marrying.

3. The cake tasting needed to be had. Marinette needed to make sure that her parents didn’t go overboard and keep the couple for the whole night. Even if Alya was practically their daughter. Even if they begged. Even if papa cried.

4. A totally unique and unreplicable combination Bachelor and Bachelorette party needed to be planned.

And, lastly… The most difficult of all:

5. Marinette somehow needed to be able to stand in a room with Nino’s best man, Adrien, and hold a conversation for more than five minutes. Even if, three years ago, he found out her identity, left Paris, and broke her heart.

“Easy,” Marinette groaned, sinking further into her barstool as she closed her notes app, her head touching the counter of the bar. She’d already crossed off the top two of the list items, and yet…

“I’m not asking for a miracle,” Alya began, obviously knowing what she was thinking about. She was the one to ask Marinette out that night, wanting to find out her progress… and also to check in on her wellbeing. It was obvious that she felt bad, she knew how things went between the two and how Marinette originally thought they would go. But she couldn’t just ask Nino not to have Adrien be his best man. “Five minutes, that’s all I’m asking. Just five minutes in a room together. You quickly plan the bachelorette party, since we know that you’re far too organized not to, give him the run down, and then leave. Back to your life, back to doing whatever it is you do now.”

“Sit at home. Alone,” Marinette supplied.

Alya grimaced. “It’s for the best that Luka got married, Marinette. You couldn’t keep playing that game. All that kiss and tell was gonna kill you some day.”

Marinette groaned, somehow sinking further into the wood of the bar. Anymore and she’d become part of the grain.

“Plus, Juleka’s in a better mood with you now,” Alya said, obviously looking at the other young woman as she undoubtedly danced on the floor with Rose. Marinette’s habit of coming back to Paris and making out with her brother had obviously put a strain on their relationship, even if Luka insisted that things weren’t committal and he was totally fine with only seeing her twice a year. “Who knows, maybe Nino will have a handsome cousin and you’ll fall madly in love.”

Marinette raised the side of her head to cast Alya a glare from one eye.

Alya didn’t falter. “So, he’s back. After spending three years in New York, Milan, Hong Kong, and Tokyo. I get it, it’s life changing, it’s world ending, it’s all the things you don’t want and more—especially after how things ended,” Marinette groaned, Alya carried on, “but, you know who else is back? Max, Rose, unfortunately Lila, and Kim. Good old Kim. All your friends, everyone who you’ve known for years, everyone who has missed you as you flitted in and out of Paris! Sure, you found out that Adrien was Chat Noir, went to his hotel room, thought you were finally going to get together, and then opened the door to find it empty—but you know, life happens! And when you least expect it, it keeps going on and on and on and on!”

Marinette turned her face back to the wood.

“I really did try to get Nino to change his mind,” Alya said flatly. “I begged.” Marinette doubted it, but…

“Why couldn’t he just stay in New York?” Marinette mumbled.

“Because Nino is his best friend.”

“Why couldn’t Nino go to New York,” Marinette said, “or Adrien done a zoom call for the wedding.”

Alya snorted. “Okay, that’s it,” she said, grabbing Marinette’s arm. “Adrien’s landing today, nothing’s going to stop it, you just have to clear your head and power on.” She leaned into Marinette’s view as her friend finally turned her head, insistently stating, “you were Ladybug for god’s sake. Even if no one else knows it, you do. I do. You gotta suit up, lovebug, and face the day, lest another evil butterfly come flying by.” Never mind the fact that there hadn’t been an Akuma in years.

Not since Gabriel Agreste was arrested.

Marinette rolled her eyes, finally lifting herself off the bar.

“There’s my girl,” Alya said. “Now, finish your dirty shirley, order another drink, and come do karaoke with me. I’m a hundred percent certain that I saw Say You’ll Be There on the song list, and you know that I’ve been singing Spice Girls since I was in diapers.”

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

Marinette stumbled into her apartment at one am. Not drunk, she didn’t get drunk, not out in public at bars. In friends’ apartments, maybe. She was still a bit tipsy which was, in its own way, dangerous. But she could fight through it, maybe.

Kicking off her heels, she looked at it, the studio she called home and had once been so proud of a few years back, the same studio she’d lived in ever since she was a fashion design student. The same one in which she’d left Chat knocking on her balcony door when she struggled to stay asleep, and eventually relented to let him in time and time again before he knew who she was.

“Someday, I’m going to move,” she grumbled, beginning to pull the bobby pins from her hair. She wouldn’t, of course, not for a long time. Rent-controlled apartments were rare, and while she pretended that the history that practically stained her hardwood floors was something she would rather forget, she was a nostalgic young woman. She’d be there for at least another five years, or until she was finally well and truly over Chat.

Five years would probably come first.

She passed by the photos washi taped to her walls, the ones where fourteen-year-old kids gave toothy smiles and eighteen-year-old young women gave winks while leaning into blond young men. If she was so concerned about history, she’d have to get rid of those first.

She sighed, finally removing the last bobby pin from her hair and letting it fall down her back, placing the black pin in one of the many bowls around her apartment placed for that very reason. Adrien would be in Paris by then, she was sure. He was probably sound asleep in the Agreste mansion.

“Welcome home, kitty,” she said sarcastically, beginning to climb the steps to her lofted bedroom, a space that was not unlike her childhood room.

This wasn’t how she expected things to be.

Of course, this wasn’t how anyone expected things to be. If you asked anyone, they told you how the story ended. Ladybug and Chat Noir finally got together, they were hiding in Paris somewhere, they were in love. They probably had kids, a dog, a hamster—normal jobs and normal lives. That was what the people of Paris wanted. She thought that that was the ending they would get.

She thought that when she went to the hotel room that night, he would be there. She thought that he was happy to know who she was. She thought that he loved her.

She thought wrong.

Marinette always thought wrong.

She thought she could get over him. She thought making out with Luka was a solution, one that she could keep trying every time she went to Paris. She thought that she would miss Adrien more than Chat, the promise of love more than sitting in her bed and watching subtitled anime while he mouthed the English translations.

By now, she thought she’d be waking up to someone else. That maybe she’d have a steady life, someone to wrap their arms around her in the morning.

Adulthood hits hard.

“Adrien Agreste,” she said, flopping back in her bed and pulling open her phone. She wasn’t above social media stalking.

There he was. Gold hair, tanned skin, too many muscles to know what to do with. Landed in Paris four hours ago, his Instagram posted a picture of him with his arm around Nino. His eyes were still kind, his smile still flawless. Her heart still pounded.

“Jerk,” she muttered, letting her phone fall down beside her. “I didn’t need you anyway,” except for all those times she did. Like when she put the earrings back in the box and said goodbye to one of her closest friends. She could have used him then.

She could have used him a lot of times.

Her eyes stayed glued to the ceiling, her chest rising and falling with every breath. There was no sound, no doting kwami, no laughter from her parents, and no Alya playing with her hair. Just her.

“Now I’m going to see you and fall in love with you all over again,” she said, wishing she could steel herself against the inevitable.

[ravennm84]

Serafina

Part 2     Part 3

Based on @unmaskedagain post “Marinette’s Haunted Doll” this is my take on the story and the kind of things Serafina would have done to get even. There’ll be three parts, and will hopefully be posted through the week. Blood, gore, and character death ahead. You have been warned.

She was seven years old when her Grandma Gina’s sister, Ramona, passed away. Marinette couldn’t remember ever meeting her. Her dad said that she was a very private person and didn’t get out much. Since she had never married or had any children, all of her relatives were asked to come over to the house and divide the property before the rest was sold and equally divided. 

While her parents had been in the kitchen, looking over some family cook books, Marinette had wandered around the old house until she came to a small room. It was full of spiderwebs and old toys, which greatly interested her. She spent a long time looking through the boxes and shelves until she found a locked chest in the closet. Remembering the key she had seen in a dresser drawer, she retrieved it to see if it worked. It was hard to turn, but she heard the click and was able to open the lid. Inside was a box with an envelope laying on top of it. Curious she opened the envelope and read the note as best as she could.

“If I’m dead, Serafina killed me.”

Tilting her head in curiosity, Marinette set the letter aside and opened the box. Inside was an old looking porcelain doll. It was covered in spiderwebs, the dress was old and ripped, she was missing a shoe, and the hat looked like it was stained with red paint. 

“Are you Serafina?” She asked the doll before carefully lifting it out of the box. “I don’t think you’re bad, you just look lonely. But don’t worry, I’ll take care of you!” Giving the doll a gentle hug, the little girl got to her feet and left the room and letter behind. Finding her parents, she asked if it was okay to take the doll home so she could take care of her.

Tom remembered seeing that doll when he was a kid and had always thought it was creepy, but if his little girl saw the good in it, he would trust her. And since none of the other relatives wanted anything to do with the doll, it came home with them. 

Once home, the little girl raced up to her room with the doll and immediately got to work. She threw away the old dress, hat, and shoe before cleaning away all the dirt with a washcloth and carefully combing out the knotted hair. Then Marinette got to work on making Serafina a brand new outfit with new shoes and a hat. It took a few days, but she was really happy with what she came up with: a pink Victorian dress with rose and pearl accents, a wide brimmed hat with maroon feathers, and maroon slippers that tied with ribbons around the ankles.

Proud of what she had made, Marinette held the doll up high as she twirled around her room. She had been interested in fashion and clothes for months now, and making the pretty outfit for Serafina was a lot of fun. If anything, it proved to her that fashion design was what she wanted to do.

“I hope you like your new clothes, Serafina. You make the perfect little model, so I hope you don’t mind if I make more clothes for you later on. I promise to only make you clothes that will make you feel pretty.” Giving the doll a kiss, Marinette placed her next to her computer before skipping down stairs for dinner.

~oOo~

Serafina had not been expecting this when the young girl, Marinette, had opened her box. It had been decades since anyone had shown her any kindness. For so many years, she had been passed from person to person, shoved into boxes and hidden from sight or attempted to be sold off. Serafina had had no choice but to punish many of her past owners, and she had not been lax with their punishments. 

But she didn’t feel the need to do that with Marinette, this girl was different. She wasn’t afraid of her. She didn’t scorn her and hide her away where no one could see her. No, this girl was kind and made Serafina feel loved; something she hadn’t felt in nearly a hundred years. Staying with Marinette, she knew that she would be happy. So, no one needed to die here.

And she was.

The porcelain doll smiled quietly on Marinette’s desk as the years passed, and felt more for this girl than she could remember with anyone else. She felt beautiful whenever Marinette used her to experiment with a new outfit before she would make a full sized outfit for herself. She had fun when the girl would sing and dance around the room, sometimes even picking her up so she could dance with her. She felt entertained when she would play movies on her computer, one time watching a movie about a haunted doll like herself; they didn’t watch much before she turned it off, but Serafina thought it was funny. Scratching people and leaving notes wasn’t scary, she had done much scarier things than that.

As Marinette grew into a teen, Serafina felt proud as she grew from a shy girl into a fearless superhero. Her owner had a lot of love and light to give, so it made sense to her that she became Ladybug. She also felt scared for the girl, not wanting to lose her to Hawkmoth, but silently promised her that if she was ever hurt, the people who hurt her would pay her back in blood.

Serafina was also aware of the tiny god that gave Marinette her power, just as Tikki was aware of her. No doubt, the god could sense the darkness that dwelled in her porcelain body, but realized that she cared for the girl and would not harm her. So the little god wisely said nothing, she would hate it if Marinette suddenly feared her.

After all, the three of them were happy and at peace.

Until the day Marinette came storming into her room, complaining about a girl named Lila. From what she could hear, this girl was a liar and was using her friends. Knowing how much her human cared for other people, that didn’t sit well with how it would affect her. Then she didn’t hear anything about the girl for months. But when she was mentioned again, it quickly got worse from there. 

Serafina heard about the threats, the lies, almost being akumatized, her crush Adrien telling her to take the high road, all of it. She watched as one by one, her friends turned against her. Bullying her while accusing her of being a bully until only three of her classmates remained. She knew that the teacher and principal were useless and even accused Marinette of being a problem, especially after the expulsion. Serafina had nearly enacted her revenge that day, but held back when she was reinstated the next day.

Nathaniel, Rose, and Juleka were the only people left that believed her or even bothered to try and help in her class. There was also Kagami and Luka, Juleka’s brother. Serafina would admit, that boy was sharper than most. When he first saw her, his blue eyes studied her intently for a long moment until Marinette spoke up.

“That’s Serafina, she’s been passed down through my family for a long time. She was in really bad condition when I got her and took a lot of work to get her fixed up, but it was worth it. She was my first ever model and I’ve never felt lonely since she’s been around.”

Luka looked back over at the doll and gave her a smile. “I can tell, I’d bet no one gave her the proper love or attention until she came to you. And I think, if she could talk, she would say that you kept her from feeling lonely too, and all she wants is for you to be happy.”

Serafina liked that boy, a lot more than she had liked Adrien when he had come to play video games. The boy genuinely seemed to care for Marinette. And even though he could somehow sense that she was more than just a doll, he didn’t spill her secret. Yes, she approved of this one.

And then, less than a week after she returned to school, came the worst day. They were taking pictures at the school and Marinette had worked so hard on a new dress; it was pale purple cotton with teacup sleeves, a tulip skirt and pink lace at the hem. It was so sweet and looked like she was going to a spring tea party. Then half way through the day, she came into her room crying. Her makeup was smeared, there were bruises and scratch marks on her arms, another bruise on her cheek, her hair was a mess and covered in dark blue paint. The same paint that covered almost half of the dress. Tikki was doing her best to comfort the girl as she showered. Marinette was unable to save her dress and ended up throwing it away before she cried herself to sleep on her bed. 

Serafina was angry, the kind of anger she hadn’t felt since Ramona had attempted to burn her in the fireplace… and that hadn’t gone well for her. Tikki flew over to face her. “I know what you’re thinking and I can’t condone you falling into old habits and killing her entire class. Despite how much they’ve hurt her, it would still break her heart if they all suddenly died.”

The doll actually considered that for a moment before picturing some very specific people. Lila, the liar that was trying to take away/destroy the person she cared about. Alya, the best friend that betrayed her, acted like a hypocrite, and took joy in hurting her. Adrien, the boy that not only broke his promise to help her as a civilian, but continually harassed her as a pseudo-hero. And finally, Hawkmoth, the person that was constantly putting her in danger. Everyone else that had harmed her would be punished, paying back the harm they had done to Marinette in blood, but those four would pay with their lives.

Tikki shook her head. “As angry as I am with Adrien, you can’t kill him. Marinette still has feelings for him and if he dies, she might never get over him. I can’t stop you from punishing them, but please try not to kill them. You know that she has a big heart and it would hurt her to lose any of them, so please keep that in mind.”

Serafina would have argued, but the little god was right. Killing around Marinette would only upset her. So she would do her best to punish them without killing them… although, accidents do happen. 

~oOo~

It was easy enough to sneak herself into Marinette’s bag the next day of school. It was even easier to select her first victims. One of her classmates, Kim, stole her backpack and dumped out all of her stuff, including her. The boy laughed about Marinette bringing a doll to school as he ran up the stairs to keep it away from her. It took little effort to make the boy trip, in full view of everyone that had been watching, and fall backwards down the steps. 

Serafina had landed at the top landing with a perfect view of the boy’s tumble, and it was oh so satisfying. She could see his knee bent in the wrong direction, a bone in his arm protruding from the skin, and blood dripping from the cuts and open wounds. But the sound was even better, all the cracking and popping of bone before he began crying like a little girl, begging for his mom.  Ah, she hadn’t realized how much she had missed those sounds.

When the principal came out to see what was happening, she hid her presence and let the principal trip over her and fall as well. He even landed on Kim, causing more injuries to both of them. She held back a laugh as the grown man wailed and cried until the paramedics arrived. Loading the two into the ambulance while one of the teachers called the Board of Governors. A representative, M. Rupere, quickly came to take over the principal’s duties while he was gone, and was surprised when a bunch of students tried to blame Marinette for the incident.

“And how is it her fault?” He asked the students that surrounded him. “Did you see her push or trip M. Le Chien or M. Damocles down the stairs?

“Marinette brought in a doll and Kim was distracted by it when he was going up the stairs, that’s how he tripped and fell,” Lila told him with tears in her eyes. “Then M. Damocles tripped over the doll and fell down the stairs too. It’s just like how she pushed me down the stairs last week and I hurt my knee. I think she’s actually trying to hurt people.”

The man looked at Lila for a moment before looking to the top of the stairs, but there was no doll there. Then he looked back at Lila with a stern glare. “Young lady, if you had been pushed down the stairs last week, you would have been severely injured just like your friend or M. Damocles. And whether or not it was Mlle. Dupain-Cheng’s doll that caused the incident or not, does not mean that she is at fault for the accident. To the principal’s office, right now. I think we should have a discussion as to why you are trying to blame another student for something she did not do.”

Totally shocked, the girl looked around to her followers for some support, but they were now looking at her with uncertainty. They had just seen two people fall down the stairs and receive severe injuries, so how was Lila walking around just fine without a scratch on her? Huffing in annoyance, Lila stomped her way to the office while the class stared after her, most of them noticing the lack of limp to her walk.

Serafina was pleased with how this was turning out, she had already punished two of the people that had betrayed Marinette and had begun sewing seeds of doubt with the liar. At the moment, she was hiding in the classroom, observing everyone so she could figure out the best way to punish them. She noticed Rose, Juleka, and Nathaniel sitting close to the girl and doing their best to comfort her. She also noticed Nino, a boy she had seen a couple of times over the years, casting looks back at Marinette. 

During the first break, the boy cautiously approached her, clutching his hat in his hands. “Hey dudette, listen… I, um, wanted to say I was sorry,” he said, having a hard time looking her in the eye. “After Kim fell, what that Governor dude said about Lila not being hurt, and the fact that I’ve known you forever. I felt so stupid. You would never push someone down the stairs or cheat or steal from someone like that. And I tried looking up Jagged’s discography to see if there was any mention of a song about Lila, and there was literally nothing. I tried telling Alya, but she didn’t want to listen and-”

Nino was interrupted by Marinette giving him a hug. Serafina smiled at that. The boy had thought for himself and admitted that he was wrong. He apologized and Marinette was willing to offer him forgiveness. She supposed that Nino could also be exempt from punishment, so long as he never betrayed the girl again.

Half way through the second lesson, Lila had returned to the class with two weeks worth of detention and had a meeting scheduled with herself, M. Rupere, and her mother at the end of the week. Serafina decided to let the girl’s empire fall before going in to completely destroy her.

During lunch, when all the students had left. Serafina got to work on punishing Mme. Bustier. She started by slamming the door shut, it made the woman jump and look around the room, but there was no one there. Then the giggling started, causing her to look around the room again. This time, she walked up the steps to see if anyone was hiding in the room, but she was completely alone. When she turned back to her desk, the papers she had been grading were torn to pieces. A bit panicked, Bustier tried to run out of the room, but the door was locked. As she struggled with the door, she heard the scraping of chalk and froze for a moment before looking at the board. Large words were scrawled in block letters: LIAR, ENABLER, MEAN, CRUEL, and the most frightening of all, YOU WILL PAY.

Bustier’s hands were shaking as she erased the words from the board, not understanding what was happening. Only taking a breath when the door opened and her students began to file in. Serafina quietly laughed at the teacher’s fear, she was another person that she would take her time in punishing. Payback for failing to help Marinette. For now, it was time to take out her biggest supporter. 

Again, it was much easier than it should have been to sneak herself in Alya’s backpack and go home with her. When the girl found her she sneered. “The klutz must have put you in my bag by mistake.” Then she smiled cruelly at her. “I think I’ll give you to Etta and Ella to play with before giving you back to Maribrat, maybe tell them that you need a makeover and give them some permanent markers too.”

Turning to take the doll out to her sisters, she stubbed her toe on her desk chair hard enough that she felt a crack and dropped back on her butt while hissing in pain. When she was finally able to think past the pain, she realized that she had dropped the doll and didn't see it on the floor. After wrapping her foot, she looked all over her room but couldn’t find it anywhere.

That night, things got… more than scary. Alya was absolutely terrified.

First, her computer turned on, on its own, and started printing off papers saying “YOU KNOW THE TRUTH”. She turned the computer off, only for it to turn back on after she’d climbed into bed and the browser pulled up past searches; specifically, the searches that proved that Lila had been lying. She had found that out after Lila had disappeared from school for months, but had kept to herself so she wouldn’t lose her credibility on her blog or have to admit to Marinette that she’d been right. Turning it off again, she’d decided to sleep on the couch when her phone suddenly let out a hiss and burst into flames.  

Letting out a shriek, Alya rushed to her door, and had just barely opened it when it slammed shut on her fingers, causing her to scream as she struggled to pull her hand free. She could hear her parents and Nora shouting on the other side of the door, trying to push it open, but it wouldn’t budge. Her head got fuzzy and she suddenly felt cold, she realized that she was going into shock. Her parents’ shouts became garbled background noise and Alya heard the sound of tiny feet running around the room. She tried reaching the light switch so she could see, but it was out of reach.

From the light outside her window, she could barely make out the movement of a small shadow, moving from one part of the room to another. Coming closer and closer to her with every sweep. Alya began tugging harder on the doorknob and her hand. She needed to get out. Something was in the room with her. She could almost feel the darkness creeping closer. It wanted to hurt her!

What happened next, Serafina couldn’t have planned better if she’d tried. Alya jerked back her trapped arm and the doorknob at the same time Nora threw her shoulder into the door as hard as she could. Sending the teenagers flying into her bedside table and her head hitting the corner with an audible *crack*. The doll smiled silently in the corner of the room as the paramedics were called and listened to her parents cries for their horrid daughter to wake up. They called time of death at 2:03am.

~oOo~

It was a bit more of a chore for Serafina to get back to the school, but it was still manageable as her mother had to inform the school of her daughter’s death and pick up her things. The woman had also noticed the information that had been brought up on Alya’s computer and thought that she had been up late chasing a lead. And as the lead had to do with the disturbing behavior of one of her daughter’s classmates, she thought it best to show the acting principal the information before taking her leave. 

Making her way back to the classroom, she saw that the news had spread already. Nino seemed to be hit the hardest, as it was his girlfriend, but he would get over it. Kim was still out of class, and likely would be for a few more days. Tikki saw the doll when she was peeking out of the purse and gave her a disapproving glare, but there was nothing she could do. And in Serafina’s defense, she had only intended on maiming the failed journalist, her death had been an “accident”.

When class let out for lunch, Serafina got back to work tormenting Mme. Bustier. Today, the door slammed and locked shut a few minutes after the last student left. The woman shrieked and was struggling to open the door when the giggling started again. Bustier started screaming for it to “go away” but the giggling continued. Turning back to the door, books began flying at her from all over the room, hitting her chest, back, arms since they were shielding her head.

Then the door opened to show a panicked looking M. Rupere. “I heard screaming, are you alright?” The red haired teacher looked extremely frazzled; her hair was a mess, eyes wide and dilated, and her hands were shaking.

“The books,” she said in a trembling voice. “There was giggling, the door wouldn’t open, and the books attacked me. And this was the second time!”

His eyebrows rose to his hairline as he stared at the woman. “Did you see who was throwing the books at you?”

Bustier shook her head in a frantic manner. “There was no one, the books just started flying at me after the giggling.”

Giving her a slow nod, Rupere gently motioned her to step out of the room ahead of him. “How about you take the rest of the day to recover? Some rest will do you some good.” 

To his relief, Mme. Bustier agreed and collected her purse before leaving the school. Looking around the room, he was confused to see all the books in place on the shelves. Curious, he went to examine her desk and saw essay papers… covered in red ink with large “F’s” on every one of them. Reading the paper on top, all he saw were a few grammar mistakes, nothing that should have resulted in a failing grade. A bit unsettled, Rupere called the Board to schedule a psychological exam for the teacher. Serafina watched the man with satisfaction, at the rate she was going with that terrible teacher, she wouldn’t be around much longer.

Her next victims were Max and Alix during science class. She switched a couple of labels on the tubs on their desk before hiding in the room to enjoy the show. Half-way through class, Max poured a large amount of reactive chemical into the mix while it was warming over a burner, and the glass exploded. The two screamed and cursed in pain as Max tried wiping the liquid away from his face, only succeeding in getting more in his eyes. Alix tried wiping it away with a cloth, not noticing in time that the fabric was also soaked in the chemicals that now covered her entire face.

Serafina was impressed with how quickly Mme. Mendeleiev reacted to the incident. Doaning on gloves in an instant and leading the two students to the chemical wash station. Both students looked to have chemical burns on their faces, arms and necks. She could already see the burns covering a large amount of their exposed skin. While the class was distracted, Serafina switched the labels back so it would appear that the two had not been doing as instructed.

When school let out, the doll hid away in Mylene’s bag and ended up going on a date with the girl and Ivan. They commented on the bad luck their class seemed to be having and wondered out loud at what the cause might have been.

Mylene was hesitant to speak as the two ate their ice cream. “Do you think… maybe it’s karma coming back on our class?”

“Why do you think that?” Ivan asked her, seeming genuinely curious. Deciding that their conversation might lead to something more, Serafina waited and listened.

“It’s just… ever since Kim fell down the stairs, it’s got me thinking. Lila says that Marinette pushed her but the only injury she says she got was a bad knee, and she’s been walking around fine since then. And then she tried blaming Marinette for Kim and M. Damocles, when Kim shouldn’t have been running up the stairs and M. Damocles tripped at the top of the stairs when she was still down in the courtyard.”

“You’re right, now that I think about it. Lila lied to that new principal and she did it really easy.” Ivan nodded slowly, his brow creased as he pulled out his phone. “I wonder if she lied about anything else.” Mylene watched over his shoulder as he looked up the story about saving Jagged Stone’s kitten from an airplane. There was nothing, the only article that came up about a pet was his crocodile, Fang. The story said that he had hatched the reptile himself seventeen years earlier and any other pet wouldn’t be as rock’n’roll as Fang. “I don’t think Jagged ever had a cat, this article says that he’s only had Fang for longer than we’ve been around.”

Mylene pulled out her phone and called Rose, putting the call on speaker when she answered. 

“Hi Mylene, did you hear anything about Max and Alix? Are they going to be okay?” The girl asked as soon as she picked up.

“Ivan and I haven’t heard anything about them yet, but we have a question for you, Rose, and it’s something only you would be able to answer.”

There was a slight pause on the line. “Go ahead.”

“Do you still chat with Prince Ali?”

“Sure I do! We video chat every Saturday and I send him videos of our performances with Kitty Section. Why do you ask?”

“Ivan and I were wondering… Has he ever mentioned Lila to you?”

There was another pause, although they could hear a hushed conversation in the background. “So, you guys figured out the truth about Lila?” When they didn’t respond right away, Rose continued. “I found out a few weeks after Lila says she came back from Achu. I mentioned Lila to Ali and asked him about the charities they had been working on together, but he’d never heard of her. And Ali is only working on charities involving children, nothing with the environment. When Juleka and I tried asking Lila about it, she got really mean and threatened us if we told anyone. I would have been akumatized if Marinette hadn’t been there to calm me down.”

Ivan and Mylene were horrified, not only had Lila been lying to them, but she had threatened Rose, Juleka, and probably Marinette too. “What should we do?”

“First, you should apologize to Marinette for how you’ve been treating her and let her know that you know the truth.” They heard Juleka over the phone. “Lila has been more terrible to her than anyone else and she keeps getting in Lila’s way to protect us and Nathaniel since we know the truth about her.”

“Who all knows?” Ivan asked, feeling a bit sick to his stomach. Sure, he and Mylene hadn’t really hurt her or done anything, but they hadn’t stood up for her either and they were supposed to be her friend.

“Us, Luka, Kagami, Nathaniel figured it out when she said she could introduce him to Stan Lee, Nino figured it out yesterday, and Adrien’s apparently known from the start but didn’t say anything because he doesn’t think her lies are hurting anybody.”

Both of them could hear the acid in Juleka’s voice when she mentioned Adrien, and they couldn’t argue with her. They knew he had led a sheltered life, but how could he claim that ‘lies don’t hurt anybody’ after sitting back and watching Lila and her friends torment and bully Marinette?

Mylene hadn’t even realized that she had asked that question out loud until Rose answered them. “He told us that it was Marinette’s own fault for antagonizing Lila, and ‘If she just took the high road like I told her, then Lila would leave her alone’. It took everything I had not to slap him.”

Coming from Rose, that really was saying something.

Serafina was then taken on a shopping trip to an arts supplies store, a card shop, and a stop at an ATM before going to Marinette’s family’s bakery. She smiled quietly and with great respect to the couple as they apologized to her girl, gave her cards, an entire bolt of soft purple cotton the same color that her ruined dress had been, a new sketchbook, and money to pay her back for some of the things that Marinette had given them over the past year. They even asked her to provide them with proper receipts, and admitted that they knew the amount they had given her wasn’t enough to cover everything. But they promised to pay her back before asking for anything else, as well as pay in advance for any future items or baked goods. 

The little doll would have cried right along with Marinette if she could. These two had proven themselves to her and would avoid punishment, just as Nino had.

Taglist (it’s a long one):

@themagicmistic @andromeda612 @ramos123 @t1dwarrior-of-earth @justanotherweirdo277 @irisfox @thestrangestofthemall @plz-excuse-my-inner-ravenclaw @certainmuffinbagelcalzone @the-fandom-girl @wisecolorthing @mewwitch @luxurioushellgirl97 @seraphichana @fantasiame @whydoexamsexist @wispyrainbow @legodetectivemalsblog @kindasoundslikealien @shadowangelreborn @kazedancer @unmaskedagain @7-sage-7 @irontimetravelflower @ghostmaster83 @izang @ulmban @plushbookworm @corabeth11 @darkened-flame @caffeinetheory @iamablinkmarvelarmy @raiderofthelostbooks @cheshire5210 @chocolateherringtacofan @city-of-all-tunas @aadnrsstar @kitten12113 @interobanginyourmom @pandacatxd @nerd-nowandforever @jesussavedevenme @zoiechance @the-smallest-kittenz @wonderbat91939 @maskedpainter @tazer6787 @that-girl-sakea @seesea22 @with-forward-motion @ola-is-dead @thecrazyfantrollshasmoved @bayball @2confused-2doanything @queen-in-a-flower-crown @sabrina1414 @ceres-zephyr @if-you-give-a-chat-a-cookie @zalladane @tails-and-scales @rumbelle18 @sam-spectra @collegefae @pale-lady-dreamer @animegirlweeb @evaraux @consumeconstantly @iz-bell-saiah @puspa-san @wishing-to-be-a-fictional-chara @sassakitty @miraculous-ninja @fandom-trapped-03 @idontfuking @sillyfishrubberducky @anonymousreviewer-t @i-am-fallen-angel @zotinha456 @throneoffirebreathingbitchqueen @chocolatecatstheron @crypticsabbat @startouchedqueen1318 @para-dox-normal @marinettepotterandplagg @incredulous-reader @professionalfangirl1738 @fangirlnerd001 @redscarlet95 @sixtyeightdays @iamtotalfandomtrash @tazanna-blythe @animehime94 @mysticsoulgirl @miraculouspenta @local-witch-of-mn @roseinbloom02 @senpaiweird @iggy-of-fans @tropestropestropes @sleep-deprived-aroace @comteqfr @neromerp13 @prudencerika @galaxylightmoon @c-s-stars

[obsidianstrawberrymilk]

ML TUA AU

Veginald Hargreeves - Garbage Agreste. A billionaire who looks like a toothpaste tube who attempts to adopt as many of the 43 ‘miracle babies’ as possible, though he only gets seven. Shitty dad who used torture tactics to ‘train’ all his kids in their abilities. His favorites were Kagami and Marinette until the latter died and his least favorites were Alya until she disappeared and Adrien. Used those two as scapegoats, the former two as Golden Children and Peacemakers respectively, and ignored the rest. Narcissist who made a robot version of the woman he wanted to marry but who rejected him. Kills himself to bring his kids together to stop the apocalypse he causes by being a shitty dad.

Grace - Emilie? Robot mom/maid who was closest to Adrien and Nino as kids. Despite her programming does her best to keep her kids as safe as possible. Eventually killed when Adrien/Entropy destroys the house.

Pogo - Nooroo. A butterfly who was experimented on and given human intelligence by Garbage and human-Emilie. Feels indebted to Garbage as a result. Does care about the kids but was complicit in Garbage’s abuse and kept his secrets. Closest to Marinette and took her death very hard. Killed by Adrien/Entropy when he destroys the house.

Luther/Number 1 - Kagami. Power: superspeed. Superhero name: The Riposte (fencing move that involves hitting an opponent in a vulnerable spot after they attack). Duty oriented and serious so never left the Academy because she was manipulated into believing she had no purpose other than being a hero. Is actually a good strategist, but is bad at communication and has been raised to see herself above her siblings so not the best leader at first. Has an accident a few years before the siblings all meet again so now her legs are damaged and she has prosthetics I guess.

Diego/Number Two - Juleka. Power: invisibility. Superhero name: The Shadow. Was always quietly resentful of being Number Two, forever overlooked, and developed a lot of repressed anger as a result, though she’s much quieter about it than Diego. Doesn’t want to be invisible and overlooked, but doesn’t know how to fix it. Left as soon as she turned 18. Luka’s twin sister and the only one who believed he could see Marinette after she died at first, though she also stopped believing him after a few years. Was the main one who looked out for Luka (along with Marinette) after they all split up.

Allison/Number Three - Nino (the only one who I see being very very different from the role I’m giving them - he’s just here because he doesn’t really fit any of them). Power: force fields/shields. Superhero name: The Barrier. The only one who managed to form actual still-existing connections with people, though he doesn’t really have any close friends because #trauma from being ignored his whole life. Does attempt a relationship but they break up because Nino is unable to let his guard down enough to be genuinely vulnerable due to trauma.

Klaus/Number Four - Luka. Power: hearing people’s ‘souls’ and seeing them, like soul synesthesia, kind of, where he sees their soul through what sound he hears. This is how he can see his dead sister. Superhero name: The Symphony. Juleka’s twin brother, developed an alcohol issue to cope with all the sounds around him. Garbage locked him in a crypt like Klaus but he just got overwhelmed with all the sounds of tortured souls so it really only made things worse. Stuck with Marinette’s spirit after she died. He’s responsible when he’s not drunk... which he mostly is so.

Five/Number Five: Alya. Power: teleportation through electricity. Superhero name: The Charge. Basically Five’s except she can only teleport from electricity to somewhere there is electricity. Was stuck in the apocalypse for 12 years after she recklessly attempted to time travel just to see if she could do it and prove Garbage wrong. Willful and intelligent but a lot more ruthless due to her almost five years as an assassin in the Commission after they ‘saved’ her from the apocalypse. Has an unhealthy attachment to a stuffed fox she found and calls Trixx and talks to it like it’s an actual person.

Ben/Number Six: Marinette. Power: creation using the environment around her. Superhero name: The Genesis. Died at age 17 after being forced by Garbage to overuse her power on a mission and used too much of her own energy and killed herself while her siblings were forced to watch. Creative and Done With Life and sarcastic, now follows Luka around trying to keep him from dying. Was close friends with Alya and Adrien as kids and now just wants her siblings to see her and talk to her again.

Vanya/Number Seven: Adrien. Power: destruction. Superhero name: The Entropy. Had his powers and personality suppressed by Garbage after he nearly killed him in an outburst when he was four and basically just gaslit all the kids into thinking he never had a power at all. They were four so none of them remembered anyway. Quiet and polite but has a lot of anger suppressed. Eventually accidentally causes the apocalypse after getting into an abusive relationship with Lila Rossi. Off his meds he’s cheerful and mischievous, but between going off them cold turkey and finally feeling the full force of all his suppressed anger he doesn't really have time to be who he actually is.

[rosesgonerogue]

How to be a Dad 101

Chapter Four - Villain AU

Jasonette July Day Five

Masterlist

“Marinette, Alya is here!” Sabine called up the stairs.

“Thanks Maman, I’ll see you later!” Marinette called back, launching herself down. Sure enough, her best friend was waiting for her at the bakery’s front door. “Nino isn’t with you?”

“He’s helping Chris get all of the kids settled, the sucker,” Alya said, though Marinette couldn’t tell which Lahiffe boy was being called the sucker.

“Are we sure that Chris can handle all the kids at once?” Marinette asked, admittedly nervous.

“No,” Alya said matter-of-factly. “But Nora is going to drop in on then to make sure everything is okay.”

“But are you sure? I just feel bad, you know Jules has been biting. Maybe I should—”

“If you were going to finish that sentence with ‘stay with the kids,’ I will strangle you, Marinette. I love you girl, but it has been three months since I’ve gone somewhere and not taken a diaper bag with me, and I know it’s been way longer than that for you. Give me tonight.”

“Okay, okay, I get it, Alya,” Marinette said, holding up her hands. “I will leave things in Chris’s questionable hands.”

Alya softened a bit. “Look, I get it. Next time we’ll try to plan for a day when Manon is available, she’s really good with the kids.

“Deal. So have we heard if everyone is going to make it tonight?”

“Almost everyone. Adrien and Kagami might be a little late? Rose has a fundraiser she has to be at tonight, but other than that I think we’re a go.”

“Wow, it’s been a long time since we’ve all been together like this,” Marinette said. “It’ll almost feel like old times.”

“It sounds like Max is finally letting us meet his wife. I think Kim has a running bet on whether or not she’s a robot.”

“Kim is still on that? He’s probably just jealous that Max beat him to getting married even though he hasn’t known Camille very long.”

“Hold up girl, you know Max’s wife’s name?” Alya demanded. “Spill.”

“It was nothing much, I only know her because I made her wedding dress,” Marinette said, pausing at the sidewalk corner. “Do we go left or right?”

“Right. But how did you not tell me this?” Alya demanded.

“Even though we’re school friends, I still have to maintain a certain level of professionality. I can’t go tell Paris’s most promising reporter about one of the world’s most promising computer programmers personal life. Besides, Max really wanted to surprise everyone,” Marinette said, smirking. “The dress was one of my finest creations yet.”

“Fine, I suppose I can’t compromise one of the world’s most promising young designers,” Alya huffed. “But she has good taste? This gets more mysterious by the moment.”

“So who picked the place this time? I know we’re trusting Chris with the kids, but you know how Kim gets when we go to his bar, and I don’t know if I trust Chris to watch them all night because we got a little tipsy or something.”

“Well, it is at Kim’s bar, but don’t worry, he’ll be too distracted by Max, so we won’t even be tempted by all of the free alcohol. Besides, you always seem like such a pro at resisting temptation.”

Getting to Kim’s bar didn’t take long, even on foot. Once there, a good portion of their high school class yelled greetings from the back of the bar.

“Alya, Marinette! Good to see you, but where’s Nino?” Kim asked, opening the door for them.

“He’s helping Chris get the kids situated, he’ll be here soon,” Alya said, hugging the muscular man. “Is Max here yet? I hear we get to meet the wife.”

“Yeah, she’s way out of his league,” Kim said, jabbing a thumb towards the corner of the bar.

As much as Marinette had complained, she couldn’t help but smile upon coming into the bar. Kim had fallen into the role of bartender easily, amusing his patrons with tales of akumas and the Miraculous team – although tales of King Monkey were definitely the most popular. It was a clean, warm space, decorated with murals and framed newspaper clippings about any akuma incidents involving their class.

“You must’ve been desperate if Chris is babysitting,” Adrien said, sidling up next to her. “Manon was busy?”

“She had a study group,” Marinette said, bumping his shoulder with hers. While she considered Alya her best friend, Adrien still was, and always would be her partner, the black cat to her ladybug. He knew her mind in ways that no one else ever could. “You caught me. So what do you think of Max’s wife? I think she’s absolutely adorable.”

“Marinette, you knew about Max’s wedding?” someone yelled, positively betrayed.

“I think it’s time for s to join the others, but for the record I completely agree with you.” Adrien offered her an arm to escort her to the rest of the group. “By the way, Kagami says hello.”

“How is pregnancy treating your lovely wife?”

“Oh, the normal. The cravings, the irrational anger, average pregnancy-type things. The last time I mentioned you she nearly skewered me with a fire poker and told me that if I spoke about any other woman that way she would kill me where I stood. After that she cried for a few minutes because she missed you.”

“It sounds like I need to pay her a visit,” Marinette said brightly.

“So we’re just ignoring the part where my life was in danger, typical. I should have known that you would side with her,” Adrien pouted.

“You can complain to me when you’ve been pregnant,” Marinette said, patting his cheek.

“I’d like to think I’m a fairly decent husband, so I would say I’m allowed to be a little offended by threats of homicide.”

“No, that’s just pregnancy,” Nino said, his version of a grand entrance. “The more violent they are means you’re taking good care of them.”

By this point they’d gotten to the larger group, and Max’s wife, Camille, a sweet, auburn-haired woman, brightened. “Marinette, it’s lovely to see you again!”

“Wait, you really did know about this too, Marinette?!” Kim demanded.

“Client confidentiality, Kim,” Marinette said with a wicked smile. “Rose can’t make it, so everyone is officially here, Camille.”

“Oh, perfect,” she said, clapping her hands. “Max and I have an announcement to make!”

“Don’t tell me you’re already having a kid!” Alix groaned. “All of you are making it even more sucky to be single right now.”

“We came to invite you to our wedding,” Max said, pushing up his glasses.

“Excuse me, what?” Chloe asked.

“What we did before was just a little ceremony in England for Camille’s parents. Did you guys really think I could get married without all of you?”

There were a few beats of silence before chaos erupted. Kim had Max in a headlock while at least three of the girls were asking Camille about wedding plans. Nearby Alix was still sulking about being single.

When everyone settled down, Mylene said, “We’re getting old, aren’t we?”

“I’m going to die alone,” Alix lamented.

“We’re still in our twenties,” Marinette reminded her. “We’ve got time.”

“But if you’re still single how do any of the rest of us stand a chance?” she demanded.

“Oh yeah. Sometimes I forget that Marinette is still single because of the whole…” he waved his hand, indicating things he couldn’t put words to, “… situation.”

“Exactly!” Alix spat. “She’s perfect, she makes a perfect mother, and she’s handling everything better alone than any of us can with a significant other! I’m doomed!”

“But Marinette is still looking, just like you, Alix,” Mylene pointed out. “She just did things a little out of order.”

“And I’m not perfect, I promise you,” Marinette said with the weariness that could only be a product of parenthood.

“Is Jules still in a biting phase?” Sabrina asked.

“Unfortunately yes,” Alya said with that same weariness.

“Since we’re on the topic, what was the baby daddy even like?” Kim asked. “We haven’t heard much about him, and from what little I’ve heard, I can’t help but picture him as one of those old cartoon villains twirling his mustache and preying on young girls.”

“Villain works. Although I would have called him a lying, scheming—” Adrien cut off, glancing at the young parents he was situated between, Marinette in particular was known for body-checking people if they used any sort of questionable language regardless of if there was a child present, “-scheming meanie pants,” he finished lamely.

“It’s okay, Adrien, this is a safe zone,” Alya said, patting his shoulder. “You can tell them that Jason is a bastard.”

Nathaniel inhaled sharply, choking on his drink. “Wow… I just… What would you say about him, Marinette?”

“I wouldn’t call him that,” Marinette said, ignoring Alya and Adrien’s protests. “Really, I had no misconceptions about the way things were. We never gave each other our numbers, or even our last names. Something bigger than both of us brought us together, and I don’t regret it. If I’m lucky, maybe it will bring us together once more.”

The class fell silent until Alix groaned once more, burying her head in her arms. “I’M GOING TO DIE ALONE!”

Taglist: 

@jasonette-july-2k20 @ira-sairain @myazael @pawsitivelymiraculous @nik-nak-3 @dast218 @queen-of-the-trash-planet-tm  @vixen-uchiha @momothefemur @toodaloo-kangaroo

Note: 

I thought this chapter would barely meet the word limit I’ve set for myself, but that was not a problem. If you want to be tagged, or if I forgot to tag you, just leave a comment below. Also just leave a comment below regardless, I’ve been helping my family move all week and I need something to keep me sane. In all reality, though, I write like this mainly to improve my skills as well as get feedback on them, so I appreciate any comment you send my way. 

This story is also really different from what I normally write. Despite the premise, it’s WAY more slice of life than I’ve ever done long-term like this, so I especially want to hear your reactions on this! 

[random-ramblings0300]

MLBxPJO

Some HC I’ve had for a while.....

The whole Adrien being Apollo’s son came from one comment I read about how Marinette already has good parents [With the lot Bio!dad AU’s that are out there-don’t get me wrong, I love them] , and to let Adrien have some of their own. (Even thought in this AU, Apollo is still an absent father....) but yeah, the idea came from there. 

Adrien Elías Agreste (15)

Adrien is the son of Apollo; The god was enchanted by Emilie’s beauty and her talent with music and her free spirit (she was a renowned pianist -hence why Gabriel insist on the piano lessons-). Emilie was on her rebellious state when she met him and was very happy by their encounters. He left in a hurry because something had happened in Olympus with that on his mind, he gave Emilie a necklace to protect her (telling her some weird stories about monsters and such), then she discovered that she was pregnant (and after an accident at the hospital where Adrien was almost kidnapped by a fury-nurse, she decided to give the necklace to the baby because it apparently guarded off bad spirits).

Her family never approved of her being a single mother, so when the young designer started to court her the family encouraged the relationship, going as far as telling Emilie it was for the sake of restoring the family’s reputation. His mother married his stepdad when he was three, she certainly didn’t love him back as much as he did, but she was found of him, but she was more preoccupied with her son.

Adrien felt intimidated towards the man, but his grandfather insisted that he was his father, a little bit of manhandling here, because Mr. De Graham is very strict and poor baby Adrien lived in his maternal house until he was five. (It took two years for Gabriel to construct the mansion). His grandfather was always mad at him because he couldn’t pay attention or because every time he told him to recite something he couldn’t (Diagnosed with dyslexia and mild ADH)

He was forced into piano and violin lessons since he was three.

Etiquette lessons since he was four. The torture here, imparted by grandfather, he hit his hands with a ruler old school.

Fencing lessons since he was three (despite being terrible at it and that he really wanted to try an arch, like the one Felix had when they were playing, but his grandfather deemed it un-classy and prohibited it)

Gabriel didn’t pay attention to Adrien. Up until they were missing a model child for a photo-shoot and the kid was nearby, the photographer got captivated by his looks and insisted that the kid should be a model. Hence, Adrien’s model career started when he was six. So that’s when his schedule started to fill up.

Model lessons, photo-shoots, proper model training.

Piano and violin lessons, English, mandarin and German lessons.

Basketball practice, fencing and body conditioning.

Being still little and with his mom there it was not that cramped, but it cemented the schedule for teenage him.

He met Chloe when they moved to Paris from London, they had to stay one week at the Hotel and quickly became friends, Chloe kind of forced him to play pretend with her as soon as her eyes landed on him, ‘He’s perfect for the prince role!’

Now he had started to show a little bit of his powers around ten, he developed an interest in medic books and despite it taking him weeks he will always manage to read medic books. He also started to correct his music teachers.

He is the one in a century Apollo kid with decease powers. So, sometimes small animals got sick around him, and when he was nervous, he had a deathly aura that made most monsters stay away from him. (that summed with his necklace made no monster chase him). [Saw this in an awesome HC about Will...If I remember where I saw it I’ll put it here]

This made him the perfect candidate for the chaos and destruction miraculous, and despite not knowing this, Master Fu choose well. Plagg immediately felt the connection and was ecstatic about it.

About the miraculous little gods

Tikki and Plagg are one of the first gods of all the universe, so they are very respected by whichever pantheon they come across with. But they don’t usually interfere with their matters.

The rest of the kwamis are lesser gods, and the Chinese zodiac kwamis are like the kids of the actual Chinese zodiac gods.

They are not supposed to intervene, but if their chosen ones are somehow involved in other pantheons they will (Like with Hippolyta), they only have a chosen one every few centuries and one of their faults is that they get attached easily to them.

Marinette Dupain-Cheng (14)

She can see through the mist. It’s a family trait from her grandmother’s side, that’s why she is always traveling around. Nonna is a witch, specialized in potions and since she somehow knows Hecate and gained her favor, she was put on demigod hunt duty. -She was the one who sent Clarisse to camp- Also, those small candies she always gives Marinette are actually monster repellent potions.

She was bullied because she kept on telling everyone about weird things she saw, her parents didn’t know what she was talking about and tough their daughter had a wild imagination. She stopped saying what she saw after one visit of her grandmother where she explained her how things worked. She even gave her one book of Greek and roman mythology. Thanks to Gina’s magic, she was left alone by the monsters if she didn’t pay them no attention, she was also gifted with a small bronze dagger for self-defense in case she ever needed to fight a monster.

Since she can see trough magic, she put together Chat Noir’s identity in some months, after she started to pay more attention to Adrien without being a mess. And she was dumbfounded, because it was so obvious, why hadn’t anyone noticed before? Tikki at least change the hair color or something.

And, there. Thank you for reading this thingie. Bye. 

[salthaven]

Make a Change P15 (an Explanation and Summary)

Part Fifteen (An Explanation and Summary)

So, as I recently posted, I don’t plan to continue this story any longer. As much as I loved writing it, I also...fell out of love, I suppose. I just don’t have the time, passion, or motivation to try forcing myself to write it anymore, and it’s unfair to you guys to have to accept a sloppy second, something thrown onto a document for the sake of a word count and an update. I want to write stuff I’m proud of, and that just wasn’t happening with this story.

That said, one reader asked for a summary, so that they could get some closure. Luckily, I have some notes that I took as I planned the story and started writing it, and I thought you’d like to see some of them. This includes three things: 1. The schedules for most of the main characters 2. The heroes I was planning on bringing in and 3. All of the ideas I had for “Who on Earth will Marinette end up with?” (This was a doozy.) Along with this, I want to talk about other pairings I had in mind. 

With that all said, let’s hop right in!

The Schedules:

I really planned out their schedules, just so I could start figuring out who the Quantic Kids would be. I had a general idea in mind: Each student at Collège des Arts would have to take their four core classes (History, Language Arts, Mathematics, and Science), a language, and then their last period would be a two hour block that focused on their artistic talent. I set it up this way so that I could integrate the Quantic Kids into Marinette’s life. (Along with this, I made it so the whole school had lunch after fourth hour, so that the morning had four hours of classes, and the afternoon had three. I note this, because some schools separate lunches based on fourth hour, so that there is an A, B, and C lunch. I...did not feel like dealing with that, and I wasn’t sure how French schools do it but I doubt it’s like that.) 

Marinette Dupain-Cheng’s schedule: 

1. History (right next to Félix, later on stuck between him and Adrien) The original plan never had Adrien’s arrival, it was supposed to be a moment of comic relief where Marinette and Félix were just kind of half awake and barely conscious at any given time during first hour. This is why their history teacher, Mr. Marcel, was either wide awake or dead asleep. I thought it’d be a cute moment to show off the dynamics of their exhaustion or energy, depending on the day. I didn’t show this off nearly as much as planned, however, because I shifted my focus soon after.

2. Language Arts (with Allegra). A nice, calmer class seemed perfect for Marinette, who’d probably still be waking up. Allegra is calm and classy, so it only made sense to pair the two up for the second hour.

3. Science (Claude’s here!) Loud and exciting, just like their class seems to be, it was a perfect pairing. 

4. Math (with Allegra and Claude) I wanted to show off Allegra and Claude’s...chaotic dynamic. 

5. English (with Allan) Marinette wants to be a fashion designer, and she had to take a language, so she thought “hey, fashion is pretty big in America, let’s learn English”. (It was also the only class I could think of that she and Allan would take...more on that later.)

6. Fashion Design. Pretty self-explanatory.

Allegra: 

1. German. Allegra likes opera music, and wanted to mimic the sound of some German singers accurately. 

2. Language Arts (with Marinette, as mentioned above)

3. Science (a different teacher than Marinette and Claude, though. What a pity) (Also I apparently called it ‘physics’ in my notes and I just noticed.) 

4. Math (With Marinette and Claude)

5. History

6. Choir (She’s a singer.)

Claude Mercury:

1. English (It was for the theatre, but also for Shakespeare, but more accurately….for Shakespeare’s more inappropriate humor.) (and memes)

2. History

3. Science (with Marinette) (Lots of explosions and fires were planned)

4. Math (With Allegra and Marinette) 

5. Language Arts

6. Drama. He was just a simple thespian lad who wanted to have fun and make friends, what can I say?

Allan:

1. Math

2. Science

3. Language Arts

4. History

5. English (with Marinette) He likes hip hop and rap, and wanted to learn English rap, too. He, like Claude, also loves their memes, and I planned to have a few moments where he explained some to Marinette. 

6. Dance. Mainly hip hop, although the boy can break dance a little bit

Félix Agreste: 

1. History (with Marinette) He’s tired in the morning, but good at reciting dates. Again, had a lot more planned for this.

2. Math

3. Spanish. (“Come on, guys, it’s logical. It’s one of the most spoken languages in the world.” -Félix, probably.) I also planned for Félix to already know English. I wanted a cute chapter where he tutored Marinette, only for Claude to start dramatically monologuing because ‘why do you help her but never help me? The betrayal, Fe, the betrayal!’ 

4. Language Arts

5. Science

6. Music (he’s a piano boy in my heart) (maybe also good at violin) (a classy young man) 

Adrien Agreste:

1. History (with Marinette)

2. Language Arts (with Marinette)

3. Science (with Marinette)

4. Math (with Marinette)

5. Chinese (with Marin- oh, wait, we’re done with that!) This class, along with his next, is another reason Adrien relaxed so quickly at the school. By taking Chinese at school, he was able to convince his father to stop the at-home lessons, clearing up some of his schedule.

6. Music. Same as above, playing piano at school meant he didn’t have to do it at home so much.

The Heroes:

“But salthaven, you already introduced the heroes! Envision and Viperion, remember?” Haha, as if those were the only guys I had planned?

Yeah, I had more. Four more.

I wanted the Quantic Kids to be heroes. I had three of them for sure chosen, names and Miraculi assigned to them. (Allegra was my only problem child, but I’ll explain that below.)

The first was supposed to be Allegra. I was going to make her the Fox, with the name Mélodie. I’m pretty sure that was her original hero name, back during the PV stage of this show, and I wanted to pay an homage to her inspiration. But then Félix got it, because I didn’t end up giving him the Cat (yeah, I was really salty when I started this, and I was planning to go the same route that I do in my ao3 fic, Of Patience and Pettiness, and take away the Cat from Adrien to give to Félix.), as Adrien learned from his mistakes. So Allegra waits, and Envision springs to life with Viperion.

Next would be Allan. Miraculous: Bee. Name: Mellifury, based on Mellifura (aka the Africanized Killer Bee) + Fury. He was supposed to be an unexpected storm. A dancer, he uses rhythm in a way that throws off opponents. Uses the spinning top like it's another limb, throws the game way off when first introduced. 

Then we’d have Allegra. After a while, I decided that the Rabbit would be best suited for her. Messing with timelines is a tricky business, but Allegra has a knack for details and organization that would leave her cruising through her tasks with some practice. While it’s nothing musical, it would be fun to see. Name: Cottontail. 

Finally, after an interesting fight that would cause Nathalie to lose the Peacock...Claude would step in. Bold and flashy, the thespian knows how to strut his stuff. But again, he’s a thespian, and theatre kids know when it’s time to hide in the shadows and stay unseen and unheard. With dark blues that can hide in the name and stand out in the daylight, Claude would become Le Paon, turning the tide and becoming a major help for the team. [At first, he dealt with some sickness, but after a talk with Ladybug, who in turn talked to Fu, the Miraculous was fixed and Le Paon could fight as easily as the rest.] He’d use sentimentals wisely, although he’d have a bad habit of monologuing as he created them. 

The Ships:

The moment we’ve all been waiting for. Our first question: Who the hell was Marinette going to end up with? Well, that answer changed throughout the story.

The first choice: Félix. I wanted Marinette to move on from Agreste...and fall in love with Agreste. It humored me, and I was in love with a bunch of Felinette one shots at the time. (And, again, very salty towards Adrien at the moment.) 

But then I redeemed Adrien. No problem, I thought. Marinette could choose between one of the boys...and the other would date Luka! (I mean, did you see the Instagram picture of Luka and Adrien. Luka with either Agreste would be cute, just imagine the musical moments they could have together)

But then I Akumatized Juleka, and Luka was right there...and I made Marinette fall for all three guys. So I decided “Hey, she can just date all three!” And so that’s the final choice, because I’m apparently a sucker for poly ships. 

But I mentioned other ships, didn’t I? So let’s talk about those!

First: Luka with an OC. Yep, I was going to bring in a new girl. It was actually going to be one of my friends, due to a conversation we had that went as follows:

S.H. (Salthaven): So I’m thinking that I’m going to pair up Félix and Marinette. Thoughts?

F. (Friend): Okay, but what about Luka?

S.H.:  ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

F.: Well then pair me up with him!

So I did. Or I was going to...but then poly ship idea happened. 

As mentioned above, I also considered Luka with either of the Agreste boys. Whoever Marinette didn’t date. Again, couldn’t happen because I went for that sweet poly route. 

Finally: Claude and Allegra. What can I say, they act like an old married couple in my mind!

And that’s everything! Once all the heroes were chosen, and romantic confessions set aside, the Miraculous Team was going to gear up and take down Hawkmoth once and for all. Fun times, the end, we all get a happy ending.

So I hope that makes up for my rather abrupt end to this story. Thank you all for the time you put in, reading my writings, and I hope you enjoy the other works I plan to create! Until next time. <3

[themiraculousladyblog]

Awesome! My drabble request from the list is 74 with Adrien and Marinette.

@captainchocolate29 Since you didn’t give me a particular ship, I figured I could tie this in with another one. Enjoy!

Future Fic

74. “It’s been 10 years how do you still look so good?”

“It’s been 10 years, how do you still look so good?” 

Adrien stopped taking the garbage bag out of the trashcan and turned to the voice. There was his beautiful wife, Marinette, standing by the door frame of the kitchen, a small pout on her face. “What?”

“You heard me.” She entered the room, grabbing an apple from the bowl. 

“I most certainly did.” He tied up the plastic bag and set it against the wall. “What do you mean?” 

Marinette shrugged but didn’t say anything and took a bite of her apple. Adrien could tell something wasn’t right by the way she was glaring daggers into the fruit in her hand. “Princess...”

“It’s just... You look as good, maybe even better, as the day I met you! And me-” She gestured to her body. “My hips are wide, I have permanent bags under my eyes, and I can’t even fit into the dress I made for our honeymoon!” The bluenette’s fist clenched so tightly that the apple she had in her hand was now nothing but mush. 

“Marinette.” Adrien walked over to her and took her hands in his. To say he was shocked was an understatement. Sure, she had more curves than when they started dating and were first married, but he didn’t care. She was still the same Marinette he knew and loved and able to make his heart race when she wore certain clothes. 

She turned away from him. “I just... There are so many other girls out there who are prettier than me and yet... Why don’t you leave?”

“Do you think that poorly of me that I would leave the moment you didn’t look like you did when we got married?” His hands moved to her hips. “You’re still as beautiful as the day we met, perhaps even more so. I don’t care if your hips aren’t as thin, or if those bags under your eyes stay there, or even if that dress from our honeymoon is never worn again.”

“But I-”

“No buts, Bugaboo. I may look as good as I did ten years ago but I didn’t grow, nurture, and give birth to three beautiful children. You did. Besides, we were twenty. No one looks the same after being married for ten years. Where is this even coming from?”

“Well... Chloe came by the other day...”

“That explains it. Honey, Chloe doesn’t have children. She probably won’t have children. She’s been on a diet ever since we graduated so she would stay as skinny as before. But you are not her, and I don’t ever want you to try and be like her.” He pulled her into a tight hug. “I love you just the way you are, Marinette Dupain-Cheng. Never forget that. I love your hips, your stomach, your thighs, those dimples at the bottom of your spine, every single little part of you.”

Adrien felt tears wetting his shirt and he pulled away, placing a kiss on her forehead before wiping the tears. “Look at this house, full of love. Emma, Hugo, and Louis certainly don’t care if you can fit into your dress from ten years ago. And I don’t either.”

“I love you so much!” Marinette threw herself at him and he chuckled, once again wrapping his arms around her.

“I love you too.” They stayed like that for a while before Adrien hummed. “You know... the kids are at your parents house...”

“Yeah, and?”

“Since we’re alone and we both love each other so much... Want to get started on baby number four?”

“Adrien!” The blonde laughed as Marinette shoved him away, a blush showing up on her cheeks and a small smile gracing her lips. There was one thing Adrien knew for sure, and it was that he loved this woman.

*~*~*~*

Requests still open!

[kagayakuseiza]

Why don't you ship Adrigami or Lukanette?

First off, thanks anon! You’ve given me the perfect opportunity to spill a bunch of thoughts that I’ve had for months but probably never would have posted without being prompted to do so because I didn’t want to come off as just hating on things. 

So to start, I don’t think anyone really needs a reason to not ship something. If a ship doesn’t appeal to someone, then it just doesn’t. So the short version is that these ships don’t appeal to me. But I doubt this was the point of the question. The anon probably saw some of the negative things I’ve said about these ships and wants to know what issues I have with these ships that would make me want to say those things.

To get out of the way, it has literally nothing to do with me being a love square stan. If you want to know just how ok I am with multi shipping, talk to me about Haruhi Suzumiya (Kyon x almost anyone OTP!)

My main issue with both of these ships is basically that Marinette and Adrien are not really that into Luka and Kagami respectively, and are treating those relationships almost like consolation prizes. They are (unbeknownst to them) mutually in love with each other, but are starting to reach a state of hopelessness, so they are trying to move on in a way that is not exactly healthy. 

It’s one thing to move on to another person when you find someone who is actually a better match (see Nino moving on from Marinette to Alya, and Kim moving on from Chloe to Ondine). Otherwise, if you can’t have the person you want, then it’s best to give yourself time to be able to let go of those feelings first so that you can eventually be able to genuinely fall for someone else. But neither of those things are the case with Lukanette or Adrigami. They’re like “well, I can’t have the person I’m in love with, but I kinda sorta like this other person who likes me.” That’s called a rebound. It’s a recipe for all four of them getting hurt and I do not want to see that.

Now with Lukanette, that alone is pretty much the issue. Marinette likes Luka to a degree, but she doesn’t want to marry him and have three kids and a hamster with him. That’s all. In fact, I don’t actually hate this pairing. I just don’t like it at all.

With Adrigami on the other hand... I have more issues than just that. As I have said on more than one occasion, Andre called it with their flavor combination because those two go together about as well as orange juice and toothpaste. The two of them are terribly mismatched.

Aaaand I was going to go on a big analysis of the “I’m not ready” scene and how that scene perfectly illustrates why those two are just not right for each other, but after typing the stuff above last night, I got a bad news phone call and didn’t really feel like trying to organize my thoughts on this… and I thought I would do it today but I’m still dealing with some other shit, and at this point just want to give my main response to the anon. So I’ll save my anti-Adrigami rant for a time when I’m not dealing with a bunch of other stuff. For now, there’s the main issue I have with the rival ships, aside from them just not appealing to me.

And of course, I have to end with the obligatory comment that this is just my personal take on it, and if you do like these ships, that’s totally fine. Ship whatever you want.

[coffeecomicsgalore]

Unveiled Love

@smutember

Ao3

Chapter 28 – 1+1=3

“Ugh.” Marinette groaned out as she laid on the bathroom floor. Adrien sat beside her with his back against the bathtub, rubbing soothing circles on her back.

“Are you feeling any better, bug? That was a lot.”

Marinette reached her hand towards him and made her hand curl to gesture herself holding a cup. He grabbed the cup of water that he had grabbed earlier and handed it to her. She slowly sat up and held her stomach, taking a sip and pleading that it would stay down.

After taking a sip and handing the cup back to Adrien, she leaned against the tub and placed her head on his shoulder. 

Adrien looked at her with worry. She had been sick every morning for the last few days and barely eating enough to keep her going. She’s been sleeping the sickness off, and by the time she was ready for bed, she looked back to normal. Marinette was convinced that she had food poisoning the first day, but now that it's day four with no end in sight, he was wondering if it was something else.

“Maybe it’s the stomach flu?”

Marinette shrugged her shoulders as the feeling of nausea overtook her again. Quickly crawling over to the toilet, she spit out whatever she could, then flushed the toilet before wiping her mouth with the back of her hand.

Plagg had opted to hide in the kitchen and away from the grossness of the situation, while Tikki stayed close by perching herself on the vanity.

Adrien grabbed Marinette and laid her head down on his lap, giving her a comforting place to hang out until she was either ready to go back to bed or vomit again.

He bit his lip as he ran his fingers lightly through her hair. Marinette’s eyes were closed, but he could see how both pale and green she was. He hated seeing her so sick and decided that maybe it was time to call the doctor.

He ran the back of his palm across her forehead, searching for any signs of a fever.

“Am I hot?” Marinette mumbled out.

“Yeah you are,” Adrien smirked and Marinette mumbled out a ‘not what I meant’ making him chuckle. “No, you don’t feel warm. Maybe I should take your temp to make sure.”

“I’ll get it Adrien.” Tikki chirped out before opening the cabinet and grabbing the thermometer. She flew back over and handed it to Adrien.

After a minute of waiting, the thermometer beeped indicating it was done. “Odd. No fever.” He said, looking at the numbers on the stick. Tikki flew over and grabbed the thermometer bringing it back to the cabinet. 

Adrien followed Tikki’s movements and noticed an unopen box of tampons waiting to be used. He thought over the last month to remind himself of all their fun escapades when a thought crossed his mind.

“Hey, bug?”

“Mm.” Marinette hummed out.

“Do you think- might there be a chance that you’re pregnant?”

Marinette’s eyes widened at his words. She sat up and looked at him blankly. Her eyes shifted as she thought it over and blanched paler when she realized something.

“Oh my god.” Marinette slapped her hand to her forehead. “Do you remember that akuma? The one that made me go into heat?”

“Yeah?” Adrien drawled out.

“I realized that morning that I forgot to take my birth control for a few days. I planned on taking my earrings off if and when we had sex so we wouldn’t risk it. But then the heat happened, and I still had my earrings in, and I didn’t make you wear a condom, and... and... wait. Tikki? Wouldn’t the Miraculous Ladybug’s reverse those effects?”

Tikki came into view and hovered in front of them. She looked apprehensive at what she wanted to say and Marinette’s glare only forced the words out of her mouth.

“For everyone not you? Yes. For you... sorry Marinette. I told you. I am the embodiment of creation. My wielder can get pregnant without the correct protection and in any situation; akumas included.”

Marinette groaned and curled into herself. Adrien wrapped his arms around her and held her close. He rubbed his nose into her hair before placing a sweet kiss to the top of her head. 

“I’m sorry.” She mumbled and Adrien looked at her with confusion. 

Adrien pulled away from her and brought his finger to her chin, lifting it until her gaze was peering into his. “Why on Earth are you sorry?”

“Because I messed up and now I’m most likely pregnant, and I know we were engaged, and now we’re not because of what happened, but we weren’t planning on having kids yet, and I still need to finish school to even get my business off the ground, and Paris still needs Ladybug, and you’re probably mad at me for being an idiot, and-”

“Whoa!” Adrien interrupted before she got too much further in her own head. He knew she needed to get her thoughts out, but for her to think he was mad at her was crossing the line. “Marinette. I’m not mad at you. I could never be mad at you.”

“But-”

“But nothing, love. You and I both know that this could happen. We wanted a family. Is it the right time? Probably not with everything going on, but does that make me upset for one minute?”

Marinette looked at him with tears in her eyes. She didn’t want to answer, afraid that he was still upset with her for what happened.

“Marinette. You have no idea how happy you have just made me. My mother has been gone for eleven years. My father doesn’t care about me. Besides the love you give me, I have my few constant friends and your parents. But you giving me a family, having a beautiful baby with the love of my life and the woman I want to spend the rest of my life with? Marinette. I’m so happy right now I could cry.”

Marinette gave him a wet smile and let out the breath she was holding in. The fears of feeling alone and afraid all blew out in that moment, and she let out a breathy laugh as she wrapped her arms around his neck.

“Maybe we can get married.” Marinette tentatively stated, waiting to hear his thoughts. “You know, before the baby comes?”

Adrien looked at her with both hope and fear. “Are you sure? I don’t want you to do anything you don’t want to do.”

Marinette placed a hand on his cheek. “Even though we’ve had our issues, and we’ve been working on it for months, the one thing that never wavered was how much I want to spend the rest of my life with you. I love you so much Adrien. So, so much. I don’t know a better way to celebrate this by getting married.”

“Maybe we should go get a test to be sure. Don’t want to celebrate without the proof.” He winked mischievously prompting her to giggle.

Lifting Marinette up onto her feet, Adrien looked at her with all the love in the world. 

“Then let’s go.”

---

Waiting the few minutes for the test to finish were torture. But there they were, both sitting on the floor against the tub like they had done a few hours prior, but this time with the test sitting on the vanity. They were holding hands and waiting in silence, both excited and afraid of the answer.

When the timer went off, they both stood up and walked to the vanity, their hands still tightly intertwined. On the count of three, Marinette flipped the stick and peered at the test results and a smile formed on her lips.

“I’m going to be a father.” Adrien whispered, allowing the words to register completely.

“I’m going to be a dad!” Adrien called out this time, tears starting to form at the corner of his eyes. He looked over to his fiancé and saw the happy tears falling down her cheeks, and Adrien couldn’t contain his joy. He picked her up and spun her around before placing her back down to the ground. He wrapped her up into a tight hug and hid his face into her neck. 

“Marinette.” He murmured into her ear and she nodded for him to continue. “We’re going to be parents.”

Marinette pulled back and looked into his eyes, rubbing the pads of her thumbs against his damp cheeks. “You’re going to be such an amazing father.”

“And you’re going to be such an amazing mother.” He wrapped her up into another tight hug. “I love you so much, Marinette. So, so much.”

“I love you so much too, my kitty.” She leaned back and pressed her lips against his. “So, so much.”

[fantasy-pens]

United By Love, Rain And Forgotten Umbrellas

Her eyes as blue as the merciful drops from the heaven. His eyes as green as the happy grass enjoying the heavenly showers. A tale of how forgotten umbrellas in the rain bring together the four lovable sides of the Love Square.

Chapter 4: When Our Paper Boat Floats in the Water of Love

Summary: Love is like a river, a never ending stream. Love is shared by each other, To answer someone's dream. (~~Mon Kolom)

And in the water of this stream my love, our little paper boat floats, capable of braving any heavy rains that may come our way, because it was rain itself that tied together our red strings of fate.

Read on Ao3 here

Read on FFn here

(Kudos to @nyanms​ for the beautiful art that extremely suits the chapter!)

(Mild swearing has been used here)

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“Will you go to the ice sculpture gallery with me?”

 Silence reigned in Miss Bustier’s classroom. A silence so heavy, so dense, you could cut it with a saw. 

Such was the silence, that the fifteen children in the room could hear the cars outside on the road honking, the hum of the desktop computer and the soft squeal of someone shifting on the cushion they sat on. 

 Fourteen pairs of eyes turned to the petite blonde girl in the back. “Sorry,” Rose whispered, shrinking a bit in her seat as Juleka patted her back comfortingly.

 The attention shifted back to the front. Specifically, to the two dorks over whose just a friend relationship most of the class had bet nearly three whole months of pocket money.

 “Mat do you wean?” Marinette blubbered, her eyes bulging out at how stupid her words really sounded that moment. 

The boy smiled. “What do I mean?” he replied, chuckling as the girl felt her cheeks heat up. “Will you go out with me? Like a….uhm, a date? If you want?” His hand reached up behind his neck, a sheepish smile crawling on his face.

 Silence again. Well, near silence, considering a brown-haired Italian girl in the back was gritting her teeth too noisily.

 Marinette blinked, then blinked again. This must be a dream. It had to be a dream!

Was Adrien Freaking Agreste really asking her out?

 Her brain started its quick mathematics (with a speed that she wished she possessed in Ms. Mendeleiev’s pop quizzes). Adrien asking her out = Adrien having feelings for her = 99.54% chance of Adrien eventually falling for her (given her clumsiness might account for the 0.46% uncertainty) = Adrien and her getting married in future = Emma, Hugo, Louis along with her dream house, a cat, NOPE, a hamster being a reality and the cute little hamster would finally get the name she had decided 3 years ago, that was-

 “Marinette? Will you?” Coming back to reality, the girl saw the question swimming in Adrien’s eyes.

 Oh goodness, it really was happening! Why was it happening? She couldn’t be so lucky. Yeah, there was-

  “NO WAY THIS IS HAPPENING!”

 Shocked silence. A resounding facepalm. Green eyes clouded with the pain of rejection.

Bluebell eyes bugged out with the realisation that she had just spoken her thoughts out loud at the worst time possible!

 Mon Dieu! It is too early to put that 0.46% uncertainty in action!!

 Clasping her hands over her mouth, Marinette did her best to undo the blunder, “MEEP! I-I-I did-didn’t me-mean th-that! It wa-”

Her messed up words were drowned out by the class’ sudden uproar.

 “Of course you didn’t mean that!”

“No way she just rejected him after all these years!”

“Girl, girl, girl…”

“Marinette, you couldn’t have meant that! Fairy tales aren’t supposed to go like that!”

“Ridiculous, utterly ridiculous! Accept that proposal, Dupain-Cheng, I’m not losing like that!”

 “Alya, I won! Now give me my….”

The triumphant voice trailed off as Lila noticed the scathing glares her peers gave her.

 Silence reigned in the room again, this time tensed, as the attention shifted back to the front.

Marinette was still freaking out at the stupidest mistake of her entire life when a sigh nudged her back to reality.

 Adrien was speaking.

 “It is okay, Marinette.” He shrugged.

  Okay? Nothing is okay! I messed up big time!

    “Adr-Adrien..” 

 “I get that you do not like me…”

  Of course I like you! I have not been romancing all your photos, ads and cutouts for practising Romeo and Juliet!

 “...You have told me the same on many occasions…”

  Just to prevent you from knowing that I have a universe-sized crush on you! Seriously, I thought about things and I feel. Freaking. James Bond style. Stalkerish. Is that even a thing? And no Alya, you DO NOT GET TO FACEPALM knowing how idiotic things happened between me and Adrien in the wax mueseum!

 “It is-isn’t like tha-”

 The boy smiled ruefully, “I know you are saying this just to make me feel better. But I am all good! I know you have feelings for Luka…”

  Luka? Luka Couffaine? How the hell did he strum his way into this mess?

 “...and that he feels the same for you..”

 Her eyes bugged out. “WHAT?” 

  LUKA FEELS THE SAME FOR ME? BU-BUT, IS-ISN’T HE…

 “My brother has a boyfriend,” a quiet voice spoke from behind.

  EXACTLY! Thanks Jules!

 “Oh!” Adrien seemed...surprised. But catching himself, he continued, “Still, I know you see me as just a friend and…”

  Just a friend.

Just A friend.

  JUST A  F...R...I...E...N...D…

 Something raged inside Marinette, hearing those Three. Damned. Words. “Oh goodness, I SWEAR on the name of EVERYTHING holy and lovable!” she screamed, shocking everyone in the room. “Fuck this Just a Friend drama and..,” Grabbing a petrified Adrien Agreste by his collar, Marinette kissed him on the lips, pouring out the frustration of all the years into that one sweet gesture.

 As she pulled back from the dazed-but-certainly-ecstatic blond, the class erupted into wolf-whistles, cheers of “HELL YEAH! IT HAS BEEN TOO LONG!” and thunderous applause, perfectly masking out the angered string of Italian words being spewed out from an unknown corner. 

 “So...so I take that, as a yes?” the smirking Agreste asked the now-flustered girl.

 “OMG! You guys just made me a fortune! I am going to celebrate! The Adrinette ship is finally sailing!!!” Alya squealed, counting the thick wad of Euros Lila tossed at her, grumbling.

 Adrien couldn’t help but laugh as the love of his life hid her flushed face in his jacket. 

 Three years back, Marinette had caught his attention right from their first interaction. On later thought, he had found the feeling refreshing. The feeling of not being treated as the Adrien Agreste, but just like some random new kid.

 Somehow, the clumsy girl who got herself caught in the umbrella had found a special place in his heart. Her opinions, her advice, her happiness, everything, big or small, had mattered to him. He simply had been in denial of his feelings for way too long.

And it was his sheer luck that Marinette waited for him. That even though she had multitudes of people who cared for her and showed their affection for her, she ultimately chose him.

 Alya was partially right. Adrinette was finally sailing. But it was not a ship.

  No.

 Adrinette was a paper boat. Tiny and meagre, yet a true beauty in its own. A paper boat that sailed in the rains. The rains that had brought them together.

 Yes. Adrinette was a paper boat that now sailed in the waters of love.

 Everything was just purr-fect.

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This is followed by the development of the Ladynoir side of the square in the next chapter, so do make sure to read that if you are following the fic! 

With that, Mini Scat!

[mikauzoran]

Lukadrien Drabbles: Nachtmusik Chapter Four

A Little Night Music (Eine Kleine Nachtmusik) Chapter Four: The more things stay the same...

“My father would kill me if I got a tattoo,” Adrien sighed, twirling a pen between his fingers as he leaned in to get a better look at the simple reference doodles Luka had drawn.

“You’d have to get it somewhere no one would see,” Luka hummed, going over the runes beneath the leftmost raven to thicken the lines.

Adrien scoffed. “Luka, I’m a model. My body is public property. There is no ‘somewhere no one would see’.”

Luka looked up and frowned. “Your body is yours…and whoever you decide to share it with’s…not public property.”

Adrien set the pen down on the counter and put his hands up in surrender. “Aren’t you getting discouraged yet?” he wondered.

“How so?” Luka went back to the doodle of the ravens.

“Trying to teach me self-worth,” Adrien explained. “Isn’t it frustrating having to repeat the same things over and over?”

“Not particularly.” Luka shrugged. “I mean, you’re only the way you are now because some people—who shall remain unnamed yet obvious—have been telling you you’re worthless and undesirable for years. Realistically, I figure it’s going to take me a solid two or three years of constant fussing and lavishing of praise and affection to get you back up somewhere close to normal. Why would I be frustrated after only four months?”

Adrien didn’t reply.

Luka looked up, an eyebrow quirking.

Adrien stared. “Are you serious?”

Luka’s brow pulled together into a frown. “It…probably is going to take longer than two or three years, honestly…but I’ve got time.” Luka’s eyes flicked back down to the doodles on the back of the flyer announcing a Greek music festival that weekend.

Adrien continued to stare, wondering what he had done in a former life to deserve this man’s friendship and devotion.

“…You could get a tattoo on your stomach,” Luka broke the silence after a minute or two had passed without words.

Adrien rubbed his stomach just above his bellybutton. “I pose shirtless or with my shirt unbuttoned sometimes. I think they’d see it.”

Luka snickered, looking up to surreptitiously wink. “I was thinking…lower, Angel.”

Adrien frowned, looked down, and then burst into laughter. “Geez. What kind of tattoo would I get on my pelvis?”

Luka shrugged, self-satisfaction still clinging to his lips. “What kind of tattoo would you get anywhere else?”

Adrien bit his lip. “Haven’t really thought about it.”

“How about a snake?” Luka offered.

Adrien smiled incredulously. “On my lower abdomen? Isn’t that kind of…I don’t know…suggestive?”

“I think the only people who would see it would be in a suggestive mood anyway,” Luka reasoned.

Adrien covered his face with his hands, shoulders trembling with laughter as he shook his head. “I think I’m too pure to be having this conversation.”

Luka rolled his eyes. “Please. Says the guy who has made suggestive jokes at my expense on numerous occasions.”

Adrien removed his hands from his eyes to playfully slap at Luka’s arm. He glanced furtively towards the stairwell to the upper deck. “What if your mom or sisters walk in?”

Luka snorted unconcernedly. “Juleka would gang up on whomever she most felt like seeing blush at that moment, Rose would go into hysterics over how we’re supposedly a couple now, and Maman would tell me to make sure my box of condoms isn’t expired and remind me how long it’s been since I last had need of them.”

“My father would…I don’t even know,” Adrien sighed. “Have a heart attack? He wouldn’t be supportive of me having a physical relationship with anyone like your mom is.”

“I kind of wish she was less supportive,” Luka grumbled. “She thinks it’s strange that I don’t have any interest in sleeping with people until I feel a really strong connection with them. She thinks I should experiment more.”

“I wonder why, if you’re happy the way you are,” Adrien hummed.

Luka shook his head, going back to tracing the runes on the doodle. “She comes from an era of free love, so it’s weird for her that I would only want one partner in a long-term, committed relationship…. Like…even though she was with our father for a long time, I’m not actually certain that Juleka and I have the same biological father. We look pretty different, and…Maman and my father’s eyes are both blue…but Juleka’s are brown. Genetically, that’s…”

Adrien drew in a slow, deep breath.

“…Part of me feels like they shouldn’t teach kids about genetics and Punnett squares until they’re old enough to deal with the reality that they’re adopted or their siblings aren’t full-blooded siblings,” Luka snorted. “…But we were talking about tattoos.”

Adrien nodded. “You should get the snake tattoo on your pelvis. You could pull it off.”

Luka grinned at the flattery. “You think?”

“It fits your image.”

“Because I was seriously considering it,” Luka informed.

“Were you really?” Adrien leaned in closer, picking up his pen once more and twirling it between his fingers. “What kind of snake? A cobra like Sass?”

Luka shook his head. “Something more stylized, more Zen, less threatening. Maybe a sleeping snake coiled up. Maybe a Chinese calligraphy-style snake.”

Adrien nodded in encouragement. “That would be kind of cool. I’d like to see that!”

Luka blushed. “I’m giving you the opportunity to remember the placement of the tattoo and adjust your enthusiasm.”

Adrien grimaced. “Pretend I made some kind of flirty, teasing comment to save face that made you feel slightly flattered but also a little uncomfortable.”

Luka gave him a thumbs up. “I actually think it would be cool to get an entire Chinese zodiac…plus a cat.”

Adrien’s face lit up. “Like Fruits Basket!”

Luka’s eye twitched as Adrien completely missed the implication. “Uh…what’s that?”

Adrien’s brow scrunched into an unimpressed frown. “You’ve never heard of Fruits Basket? It’s an anime…and a manga, but you have to see it. It’s one of the classics!” Adrien insisted adamantly. “I’ll have to show you. Marinette and I have been getting together for take away Chinese food and anime on Saturdays the past few months. We’re almost done with the anime we’re watching now, and, after that, we’re going to have to have you over to show you Furuba.”

Luka tried not to let the conflicting emotions show on his face. “That sounds like a lot of fun, but I don’t think Marinette would appreciate me intruding.”

Adrien rolled his eyes. “Marinette wouldn’t mind. She loves having you around. It would be fun, all three of us together.”

“Yeah,” Luka sighed, imagining an alternate reality where both Marinette and Adrien were ecstatic to have him around for all of the reasons he wanted them to be. “But it sounds like anime and Chinese is your thing—just the two of you. You would feel kind of off if Marinette started coming to our jam sessions or family meals, wouldn’t you?”

Adrien shifted awkwardly on the kitchen stool, his nose crinkling. “…That’s different.”

“Maybe it’s not to her,” Luka suggested kindly. “I’ll tell you what, you and I can watch that anime together, just the two of us. How does that sound?”

Adrien’s smile came back, and he nodded. “Deal…. So…tattoos?”

Luka grinned, motioning down at the doodles. “I don’t want a sleeve or anything too big or noticeable. Just some little decorative tattoos here and there that can be hidden easily.”

Adrien switched hands so that he was twirling the pen in his right, freeing up his left hand to point. “I love the concept of Odin’s ravens on your shoulder blades…and a snake around your wrist under your usual bracelet is too funny.”

“I’m also thinking about getting a little pawprint on my finger where I usually wear my ring,” Luka announced tentatively, awaiting Adrien’s reaction.

“A pawprint?” Adrien’s head slowly tipped to the side. “Why a pawprint?”

Luka fought not to show his chagrin. “You know,” he replied conversationally. “like Chat Noir.”

Adrien’s eyes widened, and his face took on an amazed gleam. “Really?”

“Of course,” Luka replied smoothly, inwardly steeling himself. “I am his biggest fan after all…both in and out of the mask.”

Adrien let out one of those dazzling, marble machine laughs, hitting a jerky collection of pitches that somehow managed to sound just perfect to Luka.

“You’d have to fight off hordes of fangirls for that title,” Adrien cautioned.

Luka shrugged. “I’d take them…and I would win.”

“You’re wasted on Chat Noir and whoever he is behind that mask,” Adrien replied in awe, a wide grin spreading from one corner of his mouth to the other. “He could never appreciate you the way you deserve. He’s too full of himself.”

Luka shook his head. “I’ve met Chat Noir. He may come off as a flirty goofball in public, but in private he’s sweet and considerate.”

“Wow,” Adrien chuckled. “If you like him so much, you should marry him. I’m sure you two would make adorable kittens together.”

Luka’s entire face went burgundy as he burst out laughing. “Oh my God,” he gasped, burying his face in his hands.

“As for me, Viperion is much better,” Adrien continued, smirking in triumph as Luka continued to laugh convulsively in a mix of misery, disbelief, and genuine amusement.

“Seriously,” Adrien pretended to pout. “He’s all mysterious and suave and sexy. I’d like to see him in a suit…. Though…Chat Noir is pretty hot. I mean, his butt…”

“Perfection,” Luka snickered.

“Exactly,” Adrien emphatically agreed. “…Do you think Viperion would think I was a slut if I wanted to have occasional threesomes with you and Chat Noir?”

Luka looked up from where his head rested on the countertop. He wiped a tear from his eye and wondered, “How did this become a thing?”

“What?” Adrien hummed, satisfied with his work. “The whole pretending to be gay for Chat Noir and Viperion thing? Remember when Rose got us to play Kill, Screw, Marry last month, and I said I would kill Chat Noir, screw Ladybug, and marry Viperion? And then you said you would kill Ladybug, screw Chat Noir, and marry me? And then Juleka made a joke about foursomes. And then I observed that it seemed like the best of friends always made jokes about sleeping with one another? Like Marinette and Alya and Nino and me, so…it seemed like a logical leap to start doing that with you?” Adrien frowned as a thought occurred to him. “…But is it weird because you’re bi? I know a lot of friends joke about being gay for one another, but…is this insulting? If so, I’m really sorry,” he backpedaled hard. “I’m still kind of new to this whole ‘acceptable casual social etiquette’ thing. Tell me if I cross a line. Please. I don’t want to screw this up.”

Luka straightened and shook his head. “You’re okay. I don’t mind your flirting and teasing. I know you’re a flirty person to start with and that it’s not just me. I don’t have any delusions about that. I mean, I’ve seen you and Nino. You and Nino need to get a room and work out some of the sexual tension between you two sometime. Put the poor man out of his misery, Angel.”

Adrien rolled his eyes. “I think Alya is doing a fine job. She doesn’t need my help…but we’re okay?” He eyed Luka anxiously.

Luka nodded. “I know you’re just joking. No offence taken.”

“Good,” Adrien sighed in relief. “…So…tattoos?”

The side of Luka’s mouth rose in a fond smile. “I think I’m going to get the pawprint tattoo on my finger. Do you think this looks accurate?” He indicated the doodle below Munin the raven.

Adrien frowned, pulling the paper in closer.

“I mean, I’m always distracted when I’m around Chat Noir, so I haven’t paid very close attention to what the pawprint on the ring looks like,” Luka explained.

“Distracted?” Adrien hummed, peeking up mischievously. “By his butt?”

Luka had mostly meant the akuma, but…

Luka bumped Adrien’s shoulder and replied a little too genuinely, too tenderly, “By his eyes. I’m a sucker for his eyes.”

Adrien’s heart jumped. “…Mine are prettier.”

“Jealous, Angel?” Luka snickered.

“Confused,” Adrien thought.

Confused because he kind of wanted Luka to be serious. Sometimes, Luka would say something painfully sweet, and Adrien’s heart would ache for Luka’s words to be true. And that was extremely confusing because Adrien wasn’t interested in guys. At least…he had never been interested in guys before. It had only ever been Ladybug, but…sometimes Luka confused him.

“Super jealous,” Adrien snorted.

“Don’t be. He’s not interested in me, so I’m all yours, Angel,” Luka chuckled at his own expense.

“Don’t you forget it,” Adrien clicked his tongue, switching the ink pen to his left hand to draw. “The pawprint is more like this.”

Luka nodded, impressed by the likeness. “…How is it that you have such an intimate knowledge of Chat Noir’s ring?”

Adrien looked up and answered with a straight face, “Oh? Didn’t I tell you? I’m sleeping with him.”

“Oh?” Luka snickered. “Be a friend and get me his number, would you?”

“I don’t think I want to share,” Adrien pouted.

“Share which one of us?” Luka arched an eyebrow.

Adrien smirked, twirling the ink pen playfully. “Either.”

Luka rolled his eyes. “In all seriousness—”

The pen went flying from Adrien’s hand, landing over by the wraparound couch.

“Oops.” Adrien smiled sheepishly. He hopped down from the stool into a feline crouch, scooped up the pen, and slowly rolled up, his posterior leading.

Luka’s brain blew a fuse. He knew he shouldn’t, but he couldn’t help watching. It had happened so fast, and now he couldn’t keep from staring. He was already a little riled up from all the suggestive flirting, and now…ngeh. His mind was in the gutter.

Did Adrien know what he was doing? He couldn’t. He couldn’t have any idea. Even if he did, he wouldn’t. Adrien may have been a flirt, but he wasn’t a tease. He would never.

Adrien turned back around, and Luka scrambled to put a lid on all thoughts of Adrien’s butt and Adrien naked and sinking his teeth into the flesh of Adrien’s hip until he left a mark and Adrien’s laugh and Adrien’s eyes and how bad he wanted this guy. Because Adrien had no idea, and it was an abuse of Adrien’s trust to be sitting there staring and having those kinds of thoughts when Adrien was under the belief that their flirting was only all in good fun.

“Sorry. What were you saying?” Adrien smiled innocently as he sat back down on the stool next to Luka.

Luka shifted uncomfortably, mentally cursing his preference for wearing skinny jeans that were too tight to begin with.

Belatedly, he realized that Adrien had asked him a question. “Um… Was I talking?”

Adrien nodded, waiting expectantly.

Luka gulped, trying to discretely regulate his breathing. “Uh…I forget.”

Adrien shrugged, not suspecting. “Well, just let me know if you remember.”

“S-Sure,” Luka replied thickly, shrugging off his overshirt because suddenly the main cabin was sweltering.

And then Adrien took hold of his hand.

The touch felt like a hot iron on Luka’s unexpectedly hypersensitive skin.

“May I?” Adrien inquired, motioning to take Luka’s ring off.

Luka nodded, not trusting his voice.

With the retrieved ink pen, Adrien carefully traced the pawprint onto Luka’s flesh, blowing on it to help it dry before slipping the ring back over it.

Internally, Luka was panting. The contact, the way Adrien bit his bottom lip in concentration, the way he puckered his lips to blow the ink dry…simultaneously too much and yet not enough. He almost whimpered when Adrien withdrew his hands.

“Done,” Adrien announced proudly.

Luka pulled the ring back off carefully to inspect Adrien’s work and immediately came to a decision: he was going that very evening to get that pawprint permanently tattooed onto his skin before the ink had a chance to smudge or wash off.

“I love it,” Luka breathed. “It’s perfect.”

“Glad to hear it,” Adrien chuckled, obviously pleased with himself.

Luka caught Adrien’s right hand. “Would you be comfortable with moving your ring to a different finger for a second?”

Adrien nodded, slipping his ring off and sliding it onto the ring finger of his left hand.

Luka picked up his own pen and made two little dots on the finger, reminiscent of puncture wounds. “Done,” he announced.

Adrien frowned, inspecting his “tattoo”. “Bite mark?” he questioned.

“Snake bite.” Luka winked.

Adrien tittered in amusement. “Oh no! Aren’t viper bites lethal? You’d better suck the venom out before I die!”

“Drama queen,” Luka snorted even as he grinned.

“Seriously!” Adrien insisted, hamming it up as he held out his hand. “Quick! I’m already feeling woozy!”

Luka took Adrien’s hand and delicately brought it to his lips for a feather-light kiss.

Adrien’s heartbeat tripped. His stomach fluttered. His breath caught.

Luka looked up, his eyes meeting Adrien’s as the most perfect blush skated over Adrien’s cheeks, highlighting the dazed look in Adrien’s eyes as his pupils widened.

Luka’s breath hitched.

At the same moment, a thought occurred to both boys:

“Shoot. I’m in serious trouble.”

[thenovelartist]

Disruptor Designer and her Model, day 25

<Previous  Next>

25. Hiding

They had found a house just outside of the city limit they really liked. Though it was a bummer that it was outside of Paris, it was in a nice area and allowed them to have a larger house than they would be able to find within the city limits.

There were four bedrooms for them to raise a family in, though one would become Adrien’s office. A nice kitchen connected to an open dining room and a large living area were what filled the downstairs. Then, the biggest bonus of all was the large studio space that Marinette could use as an office. It was perfect, and they immediately put in a bid.

Adrien and Marinette were overjoyed when they were the ones accepted.

However, now meant that they had to combine two apartment’s worth of things into one home. They decided that there were going to be things they each packed that were going to have to be gotten rid of once they moved into the home, but for now, things like deciding whose furniture stayed and whose went was possible. As was sorting through all the kitchen stuff.

“We should have done this earlier,” Marinette commented as she unloaded as much of her kitchen supplies from her car as she could carry.

Adrien nodded his agreement, setting another box of stuff on the floor of their living room. “Oh well. Too late now. And it was nice to have stuff there to make lunches with.”

Marinette shrugged. “I suppose. But now we have to figure out how many frying pans we actually need and who’s are nicer and ugh.”

Adrien chuckled. “We’ll get through this.”

“Yeah. Next century.”

With a laugh, Adrien wrapped his arms around her waist, pulling her in. “Someone’s grumpy,” he quietly teased.

Marinette sighed, relaxing against him. “I’m sorry, I’m just… a little frustrated, that’s all.”

“Why? Because you had to go down to two videos a week?”

“Well… kinda, but honestly, that’s for the better anyway.”

“Because we’re moving?”

“Yes and no?” she said. “Like, I’m excited to move into a new house that’s honestly amazing. But like… we’re moving because your dad’s a jerk. We’re literally moving to hide away from him.”

Adrien sighed, feeling a weight on his shoulder. “Yeah. I know. I’m sorry he’s such a jerk.”

“Yeah, because that’s your fault,” she snarked. “Adrien, I just… wish this was under better circumstances. That he wasn’t practically stalking your every movement. You had to block him on social media already.”

“He’s also stopped by our apartment one day when we were both out. I don’t know what he wants, but frankly, I don’t want him anywhere near me. Or you. Or what about kids? I don’t want him anywhere near them, mostly because I have no idea what he’d do. I’d like to just talk to him and figure out what’s going through his mind. Like… why’s he being a stalker all of a sudden.”

“Your guess is as good as mine,” Marinette said. “Maybe he’s just pissed because he doesn’t know what to do with the fact he can’t control you anymore.”

Adrien shrugged. “Maybe. Crazy reason to be a stalker.”

“Adrien, stalkers generally don’t need reasons. They’re just crazy.”

He grunted in agreement. “Could also be pissed I changed my last name.”

“Oh yeah, no doubt he’s livid. But Adrien Dupain-Cheng has a certain ring to it.”

“That it does,” Adrien agreed. “Your dad took me in and practically adopted me and is treating me better than my dad ever did, so I won’t complain.”

“You have a right to,” she said. “It’s okay to be angry.”

“But no use in being bitter,” Adrien said. “Otherwise, my father wins.”

“I suppose you’re right,” Marinette admitted.

“Besides,” Adrien said with a grin. “Your dad is awesome. We’re pun buddies.”

“Oh geez,” Marinette mumbled under her breath.

Adrien laughed at that. “And then to top it off, my fans have actually been surprisingly receptive to me becoming ‘Chat Noir’. So life isn’t all that bad.”

Adrien had thought for sure that it would backfire. That people would have no idea what he was going on about. But when news got out that Adrien disowned the family name because there was a rift between him and his father, Adrien found it the perfect time to rebrand himself. He changed all his social media handles to “Chat Noir,” and to his surprise, people latched onto it surprisingly quickly. It led to a whole new social media platform for him as a model critiquing the fashion industry instead of one being part of it.

That, and it didn’t hurt that he was married to Ladybug which helped re-expose him that way. People loved the idea of ‘Ladybug’ and ‘Chat Noir’ being a couple, and soon enough #LadyNoir was larger than #Ladrien had been.

It was a whole new start for Adrien, and he loved it.

“Now,” he said, calling their attention back to the fact their living room was full of two kitchen’s worth of supplies. “We should get back to business. After all, we have a lot to sort through.”

Marinette groaned. “Don’t remind me. Can’t we just stay here and snuggle?”

“As much as I’d like to, I’d actually rather get this all over with so we can snuggle more tonight. Preferably under a blanket, maybe with popcorn and a movie that we quickly forget about.”

Teasing her like that, even after three months of marriage, still caused him to blush. Better yet, it got her to blush, too, even though she was able to take those insinuations in stride better than he did. “Oh? What ever could distract me from a good movie and popcorn?”

His blush deepened. “Do you think I should tell you so you can prepare for what I have planned? Or keep it secret so that you’ll never expect what’s coming?”

Marinette pretended to think it over. “Maybe you can show me now?”

He wanted to. But… “After we figure out the kitchen, I will do whatever you ask of me.”

She pouted. “Fine,” she whined. “Whatever. Let’s just get this stupid thing over with.”

He chuckled, disappointed as she slipped from his grip to start lining up all the pans they had between the two of them. But oh well. Something he could look forward to later.

[artisticflutter]

LadyNoir July Day Twenty-Four - (Not) Giving Up

Rating: G Genre: General, Fluff, Angst Pairing(s): LadyNoir (More Adrinette), Adrien and Plagg Summary: A distraught Chat Noir is brought home by Ladybug. Warning: Preceded by “Blindsided”. Followed by “Hawkmoth’s Defeat” and “Sacrifice”. Also, no beta and minor spoilers (maybe) from Season Three! Oh, also, this follows the previous Oblivio divergence. Annnd maybe some minor... comic book spoilers if you don’t already know some things.

“Ladybug… it’s my dad.”

Those words echoed in her head as she carried Chat Noir home – home home. No secret hideouts or pausing on roofs because the way her kitten clung to her so tightly, he needed somewhere secure.

She hoped her room provided that; at least, she’d like to think it did when they arrived and he sequestered himself beneath her blankets on her bed, silently crying to himself. De-transforming, she went downstairs and gathered a few things – food and something warm to drink – as well as informing her parents Adrien was here. They asked why (and how), but she asked for them to trust her and that she would explain later if Adrien said she could.

Returning upstairs, Adrien had de-transformed himself and Plagg sat on his shoulder, purring and rubbing his head against his Chosen’s neck. It was hard to say if that helped at all, but from where she stood, the boy just stared blankly on, the tears finished but his eyes rimmed red.

“Adrien…”

Setting both plate and mug down on her desk, she clambered up to her loft, and settled down beside him. She didn’t make to remove the blanket nor did she move to hug him. She waited until he made a signal or reached out to her on his own, but worried that he wouldn’t either. At the moment, he seemed lost, trapped in his mind and she could only imagine what might be going on in there. One thing she could be certain of was that he blamed himself – Adrien was just the kind of person who would.

“… Do I even deserve the Miraculous?”

The first words he’d manage to speak in the last thirty minutes, and they had Marinette floored.

“Of course you do. Why wouldn’t you?”

Adrien shivered and drew his knees in closer to his chest.

“I didn’t realize my father was Hawkmoth. What kind of hero doesn’t notice that?”

Marinette chewed her lip for a moment, quiet, but not too long. She just wasn’t sure if her words would provide comfort or make him feel more cliché.

“… Spider-Man didn’t realize his Uncle was a bad guy, right?”

She noticed Adrien’s fingers tense and saw him blink once. Shifting a little closer, she ventured forward.

“Nightcrawler and Mystique are related, and then there’s Professor X and the Juggernaut being stepbrothers. There’s the Hulk too, and I’m pretty sure when we last checked, Bruce Banner’s a really smart guy. We don’t even need to look at comic book examples, but those are heroes with ‘evil’ relations.”

He was now frowning in her direction, but she just shrugged before he could possibly say ‘that wasn’t helping’ to get to her point.

“Anyway, you’re just a kid, Adrien. We’re just kids, and no kid ever wants to think that their parents could be a bad guy. You didn’t want to back when he became The Collector and—holy crud, he akumatized himself to throw us off, didn’t he?”

“… You’re right, he did.”

His flat delivery made her wince and she waved a hand. “The point! The point is… you have memories with your dad that you’d never think he was Hawkmoth.  Besides, you earned the Cat Miraculous.”

“Not really… I just helped up an old man when no one else would…”

Marinette brows furrowed.

“Hey, kid, listen…” Plagg chimed in. “That wasn’t just helping an old man up; you almost missed out on your chance to go to school. Heck, to be outside. Imagine what would’ve happened if you just stuck to being a hero trapped indoors. Wouldn’t be much of a hero then – ugh, and your dad probably would’ve caught on.”

“He would’ve…?” Adrien grimaced, “But he can’t have the Miraculous!”

“See!? It’s that goody-goody attitude that makes you a good cat!” Plagg exclaimed, somehow sounding a mixture of disgusted, but proud. Marinette didn’t know how the kwami did it. “Anyway, your Bug here is basically saying you shouldn’t feel guilty for whatever your father’s done. He decided he’d rather sneak off when he could’ve spent time with you to probably some ‘secret layer’ and misuse Nooroo to get the Ladybug and Cat Miraculous. He was the one that told you the world is dangerous and decided to contribute to that. He’s the one actively working with super liar girl and basically setting you up to marry her!”

“WHAT!?”

“Put a pin in that, Little Bug. We’ll come back and freak out over it later,” Plagg grunted, waving a paw. If Adrien didn’t look repulsively determined, she would’ve raised an objection to that freaking out part, but they needed to focus on the fact he was perking up. “Now, say it. Who decided he would be Hawkmoth?”

“… My father.”

“Who kept telling you the world was dangerous?”

“He did…”

“Who now?”

“M-My dad…”

“And who decided that if anything happens, she’d be the next Hawkmoth and get to ‘have you’?!”

Adrien’s face twisted, “My father did… just like he’s been telling me everything.”

“Exactly. If there’s ever the time to not give up and be a real Cat holder, now’s the time…” Plagg crossed his paws with a hard look on his face. “You’re a good kid and don’t deserve this. You have a good bug here to help you and together, you’re putting an end to this and forging your own path, got it?”

That light that’d been out of the blonde boy’s eyes reignited and Marinette looked at Plagg. “Wow, not bad, cheese cat.”

“Hey! Sometimes I can tell motivational speeches. Sugarcube’s just better at it.”

“There you go, ruining it by calling me Sugarcube,” Tikki groaned, floating down to grab Plagg’s arm and pull him away. The two would continue talking, but it was obvious what they were doing giving their Chosens space.

Marinette’s eyes turned to Adrien as he lowered the blanket down to his shoulders. He’d been fired up for a second, but he seemed unsure again. “After we stop father and Lila, what’s going to happen? I’ve never really done anything on my own before… and there’s going to be fallout when everyone learns he was Hawkmoth…”

“There will be, but Adrien, it’s like Plagg said, I’ll be here for you. No, I’m going to be with you through everything no matter what anyone says or thinks.” Her eyes narrowed and she smirked, filling herself with that same determination whenever she donned her mask. “I wouldn’t be a very good partner leaving you now. And you’ve always done everything you could to be there for me.”

“Marinette…”

She didn’t hold back anymore. Leaning against him, she brought her arms around him and drew him into a tight hug not unlike her hold before. This was a sucky situation for him, but she wasn’t giving up on him. Feeling him lean back into her hold, she smiled. They would make a plan to end this once and for all… but after some well-earned hot chocolate and croissants.

[munofsilver]

Putting Everything in Place 5

Day five Artist/Muse of @chlonathweek You can read it on Ao3.  

Nathaniel wakes up on his own. Once again a figure is there. "Maybe this time its Queen Bee checking up on me as I asked."

He makes his way to the window and opens it only to find the figure jumping down to greet him. Nathaniel was right it was Queen Bee. "Is something wrong?" She asked acting like she isn't there every night.

"Just seeing if it was you," Nathaniel smiles.

He's happy to see Queen Bee. Since she's here, he's guessing the figure that usually there isn't. "Anything to report?" He has to make sure.

"Just me tonight. Whoever you saw must have seen me and ran off."

That sounds right. Nathaniel and Queen Bee said their goodbye and nights before she flies off. Nathaniel went to sleep while Queen Bee circles around to lands on the roof again. Like she does every night for the past week ever since she found out about Nathaniel's memory dreams.

She usually gets some sleep after her daily visit. Queen Bee leaves when she notices that Nathaniel is awake. Fling off home, so she can detransform, make breakfast, drop Nicole off and visit Nathaniel. Her new morning routine.

Nathaniel was drawing when Chloe came to visit. While she was looking through the window, Dr.Tumbler sneaks up behind her. "He's been drawing a lot more now."

Chloe doesn't speak or look away. Almost like she wants the doctor to leave. Instead, he moves in next to her. "Come with me there is something I want to show you, please," he taps her shoulder so she would look at him.

Chloe takes her attention away from Nathaniel just for a moment and glances at the doctor. With an eye roll, she complies and follows the doctor as he leads her to a different room. As Chloe steps in she notices that all around her she can see drawings and a few painting that Nathaniel has made. The shocked blond can tell they are made by him because it's in his style.

"He's been making art of you a lot lately. It used to be Queen Bee and the other heroes. Mostly Queen Bee. As you can see from the left wall," he points to the left side of the room.

Clearly even with drawings of the other heroes, Queen Bee would be the main focus. She's happy to be Nathaniel's muse again. Even if it's as Queen Bee. Dr.Tumble turns her to the right side of the room, "Now his muse is you."

The happy Mrs. Kurtzberg is bursting with joy, as a tear rolls down her cheek. The right side was full of drawings of Chloe. Some with a small child in her arms. Like she's holding a baby. "I've come with a decision. Next time you visit you can bring Nicole."

Those words are the words Chloe has been waiting for Dr.Tumbler to say for what feels like forever. Another tear fall as she cries with joy, to the point that she hugs Dr.Tumble. "Thank you so much."

He laughs as he gently pushes her off. "I think he knows about his wife, so I gave him his wedding ring back this morning."

"He knows I'm his wife?"

Dr.Tumble shows her the room again, "I think this says it all,"

Chloe now full of smiles enters Nathaniel's room. Right away Nathaniel shows her his hand. "The thing missing from my hand has been returned."

Chloe looks at it like she has never seen it before. Then she takes her usual seat at the table. "I gave it a once over before I put it on. There's a date on it. We've been married for seven years."

"W…..we?" Chloe's eyes widen. 'He really does know!'

Nathaniel takes his usual seat at the table. "Am I right? You're my wife."

Chloe still in shock was able to conform Nathaniel's guess. "Yes," she squeaked. "Did Natalie tell you?"

"Ever since I found out I had a daughter and wife, I had a feeling we are married with a child. You are the only person that visits me every day. Marinette is once a week. Sometimes she would bring Adrien. Alya and Nino have only visited me three times since I've been here. Even though my sister does visit me a lot, not every day."

Today is turning out to be a great so far. Chloe can't wait to bring Nicole over. She would be happy to see her father after four months without him. She's going to surprise him. "How was the night watch?" Nathaniel whispers.

"Nothing to report. I stayed for a bit after you dozed off and went home," Chloe whispers back.

They shared a smile and leaned back in their chairs.

"Did he give you back all your things or just the ring?" "Just the ring for now." "It's a start," they both say.

"Do you want another check tonight?" Chloe lowers her voice.

Nathaniel shakes his head, "Stay home with our daughter. I'll be fine." Nathaniel looks down at the table, "Our daughter. Did anything happened to her during the attack?"

"Sadly yes. She saw you transform. Lucky that's all. Neither of the akumas or Lady Papillon harmed her."

Nathaniel looks worried. Chloe picked up on that. "Don't worry. I'm sure she won't tell anyone. I already had that talk with her."

Nathaniel's smile returns. "Dr.Tumble told me you've been drawing more than usual. I take it you're no longer stuck in an artist block," Chloe tease.

Nathaniel starts to blush, making Chloe laugh. "Don't worry I think it's sweet you like to draw me. Even if it is as Queen Bee."

The blush deepens. Chloe leans in very close to Nathaniel. They are now eye to eye. "I've been wanting to do this for way too long," Chloe smiles.

Then she kisses Nathaniel as she wraps her arms around his neck.

Chloe smiled all the way home. She even bought a sweet, creamy turtle cheesecake. One of her guilty pleasures when she's in a good mood like she is today. "What treat did you bring today?" Asked the babysitter.

"Hello, Adrien would you and Hugo care for some turtle cheesecake?" She places the box on the table. "Then again Hugo might be too young for that. Nicole came here honey!"

The little blond two years old come dashing into the kitchen and hugs her mother. "Hi, Mommy."

Chloe hugs her daughter back and kisses her cheek. "I got a surprise for you. A nice cheesecake. Will you be joining us?" Chloe looks at Adrien.

"A tiny piece for Hugo though," Adrien helps his son into one of the two high chairs.

Chloe cuts the cake into many pieces. Two small ones for the kids. Past two to her friend, so Adrien can take one home for the Mrs. They eat the sweet, creamy, delicious cake while talking like they did back in college when Chloe started to change.

"You should visit Nathaniel sometime. He's getting better," Chloe pours some milk in Nicole's sippy cup and hands it to her.

"If you don't mind watching Hugo, then I can. Unless I go without Marinette," Adrien helps Hugo put his jacket on.

"Do you need her there?"

That is a good question one that Adrien keep in mind all the way home. Chloe, on the other hand, has some good news for her daughter. "Nicole honey I have good news for you. How would you like to see daddy tomorrow?"

The little girl's eye light up. "I see daddy!" She cheers.

"First we have to get you ready. That means a bath tonight." "I like baths." "I know you do. After dinner, it'll be bath time." "Then see daddy?" "That's in the morning."

Chloe was true to her word. After she finished cleaning the table she gave Nicole a bath. After a sweet cute bedtime story Nicole was out, and Chloe goes to bed early. She can't wait to bring Nicole to visit Nathaniel. Early in the morning, Chloe got up made breakfast and got Nicole up.

Once everything and one is ready, Chloe and Nicole left the house. Both are excited as can be. As soon as they got there waiting outside was Dr.Tumble. That made Chloe worried. She has Nicole looking all cute for her visit.

"Hello, Chloe. Don't worry nothing is wrong. I just wanted to meet your daughter. I never got too before. Only saw a picture of her once," Dr.Tumble kneels down and offers his hand to Nicole. "Hello, Nicole. I'm Dr.Tumble. I've been taking care of your father."

Nicole shakes his hand, "Hello."

Chloe enters the room first while Nicole stayed back with Dr.Tumble. "Hello, Nathaniel. I got a surprise for you."

Nathaniel was drawing his muse again. He puts the drawing down looking up at Chloe full of smiles. "A good one I hope."

Chloe opens the door, soon Nicole enters the room. As soon as he sees her, Nathaniel stands up only to fall to his knees, as Nicole runs to her father and the two embraces in a big hug. One that Nathaniel doesn't want to end, he feels like if he did Nicole would disappear. "Hi daddy," Nicole cheers with a smile.

She's happy to see her father again. Nathaniel feels the tears in his eyes. Ever since he found out about Nicole, he's been wanting to see her.

"What is taking so long? Can't you drive any faster," a Chloe in pain yells at her sister in law.

"I'm already going 70. If you want me to go fast. I'll go fast," Natalie steps hard on the gas pedal.

"You don't need to go that fast, Natalie. Everything is going to be fine Chloe," Nathaniel tires to calm down his wife.

Natalie slows down back to 70, while Chloe lets out a scream of pain. "Why does this have to hurt so much?"

"We're here, now you can stop being a drama queen," Natalie whines.

"Natalie I swear I would…"

The opening of the door shuts Chloe up. Soon she's being rushed in the delivery room. nine hours later the sound of a baby cry tells Nathaniel his daughter is here. Chloe doesn't care about crying as she holds her baby for the first time. "You are the best thing to happen to me. I will never stop loving you. You're my everything, and I'm going to give you everything," Chloe says to her crying baby.

Soon the baby stops crying, but Chloe hasn't yet. Even Nathaniel himself has tears. "I can't take all the credit. Your father will be here also. In fact, he helped create you," they both chuckle."Do you want to hold your daughter?"

Nathaniel takes his daughter into his arms. He just smiles at her, right now he has no words for how he feels besides happy and over joy. "She needs a name," Chloe tells him.

Looking into his daughter's eyes, Nathaniel says, "Nicole Kurtzberg."

Nathaniel picks up Nicole, while Chloe pulls up a third chair. Nathaniel places Nicole on the chair then sits next to her, with Chloe on the other side. "I say this is a nice surprise," Nathaniel smiles.

"If you want I can bring her over more often," Chloe starts to dig around in her tote bag.

"That would be nice," Nathaniel rubs Nicole's head.

After digging for a bit, Chloe brings out a little blue box and an envelope. She hands both to Nicole. Nathaniel looks confused, and so does Nicole. Then Chloe brings out a sippy cup and places it on the table. "Mommy?"

Chloe puts her finger on Nicole's lips. "This is a birthday gift your daughter wanted to give to you. Sadly Dr. Tumble said she couldn't. Since now she's able to visit you I thought now you can revise it," Chloe sighs she hated how Dr.Tumble controlled her.

Nicole hands her gift to her father. "I can't believe Dr. Tumble wouldn't let you give me a gift from my own daughter," Nathaniel growls. "You could have said it was from my mom or something."

"I told him the same thing," Chloe shakes her head.

He opens the envelope first. It's a handmade card drawn in crayon. Written in marker in Chloe's handwriting says, "I love you, daddy. Happy birthday. From Nicole."

Then he opens the box. Inside was a red folder. Nathaniel opens it and sees a bunch of drawings in crayon. On the bottom of each drawing written in marker was the name of the picture. Of course, the writing is in Chloe's handwriting. Nathaniel goes through every drawing. "It seems our daughter has picked up your love of drawing."

Nathaniel puts the drawings back in the folder and the folder back in the box. "So it seems," Nathaniel has a bit of pride in his voice.

"Daddy like?" Nicole asked.

Nathaniel hugs his child. "I love them. Thanks for a lovely gift."

Nicole hugs her father back. Not wanting to be left out Chloe joins in the hug. It was a pleasant visit. They would have stayed longer, but it's time for Nicole's nap. "You don't have to go. Nicole can take her nap here," Nathaniel points to the bed in the room.

He doesn't want his family to go yet. Nicole is getting tired; they haven't had lunch yet. "That is tempting, but after her nap, we usually eat lunch."

"That's fine. You can also have lunch here. This place does have a cafeteria."

"I guess we can do that."

Nathaniel gets the bed ready for Nicole. Chloe carries there now sleeping toddler to the bed. Nathaniel takes Nicole and places her under the covers and tucks her in. With a kiss on the forehead, he remembers when his mom would do that when he was younger.

After Chloe gives Nicole her own forehead kiss, the two sit in their usual spots. While Nicole is sleeping, they talk a bit quieter. "Our daughter looks like she's still a baby," Nathaniel glances at his sleeping child.

"That's because Nicole is only two years old. Her birthday was a few months ago." "I missed her birthday. I hope I don't miss her next one." "Her birthday was a few days before in happened. I think you will be there for her next one. You just had a breakthrough. At least to me, you did."

They both seem to agree on that. Chloe wants to talk to Dr. Tumble about seeing if Nathaniel can be released. He seems to be okay with knowing about his family. "You mom's leg is finally healed," Chloe just remember that. "She will be visiting you soon now that she can."