#but that’s an easy ladynoir sweep

[awakefor48hours]

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Remember: this is about normal/everyday Parisians who live in the Miraculous Ladybug universe. We've seen actual debate on whether or not Rena Rouge has a crush on Cat Noir or Carapace before so people feel strongly about this topic in universe.

[familyagrestefanblog]

If the woman at the pool really is Amilie then from S6 onwards we will have 2 orphans in the main narrative: Adrien and Lila

That fact that it's these two is honestly weirdly giving me hope

and yes, Adrien is an orphan. Just because he doesn't live alone and has legal guardian/s and a girlfriend doesn't it mean he isn't an orphan anymore. Marinette holding his hands and kissing him is not undoing the fact that Adrien's mother died harshly of illness almost 2 years ago and he thinks his father now died because Ladybug was partnerless and Gabriel as the only adult member of the Resistance and as Adrien's father - Adrien, who was thought to have been kidnapped - filled in Chat's place to defeat Monarque.

The amount of death surrounding Adrien's narrative right now - if the woman truly is Amilie - is beyond concerning.

Add Adrien blaming himself for Monarque having been cataclysmed in "Destruction" to the mix, plus depending on how Ladybug will go about Monarque's defeat she may use as a cover story towards the world in a panic reaction that Monarque crumbled to dust because of the cataclysm, which would indirectly but very directly include making Chat Noir responsible for Monarque's death in front of the whole world which in normal Miraculous fashion Marinette probably only accepts 20 episodes later to sweep it under the rug because *sighs; unfortunately insert random excuse for why she's blameless*

And let's not forget the fact that Adrien still had to wittness Nathalie having been sick like his mother (though Adrien never saw Nathalie in her worst state) and he also knows that Nathalie and his father were very close to the point where he has already given his blessing in season 3 and in s5 Nathalie has worn his mother's ring.

And now Adrien has every reason to blame himself for his father's death.

Take a damn guess if Nathalie being his legal guardian is enough for Adrien to not be or feel like an orphan anymore!

Then there is Amilie being around who looks like his dead mother and most likely can't stand either of his dead parents

Or Félix being around who gave ShadowMoth the 15 miraculous' which made Monarque as powerful and dangerous as he was (that's an objective fact) which for Adrien also would have lead into his father's death which is gonna be awful when Félix bad mouths Gabriel with Kagami, Marinette, Ladybug or in general.

Depending on what everyone else thinks and remembers, Adrien's friends may bad mouth Gabriel as Adrien's father too since that's what everything has lead up to by "Representation".

And let's not even get into Lila now.

The way Lila at this point would have such alarmingly easy game taking Adrien from Marinette and the rest of his friends and family, and also Chat Noir from Ladybug and her team that has barely ever been his anyway - especially now that there are 4 people in Ladybug's team who know her identity and he will continue not being allowed to be included in any of that, because I don't know how realistic it is to hold onto any hope regarding this - is ... insane. This is absolutely insane.

I know hoping that the new villain will latch onto everything bad and unfair is a shitty and biased thing to do, but Lila's villain narrative will be all about her being an orphan (right? That makes sense with the whole mothers thing and her extreme attention seeking behavior while not having a home. Just dialed up to the worst 11) and now Adrien is one too after.. all of THAT and how Adrinette and especially Ladynoir are at risk because of all the lies and secrets Lila is perfectly aware of.

For me there is a difference between wanting a new villain to latch onto the unfair treatment of a character because of one's own personal biase and just straight up refusing to get out of one's denial to acknowledge it when a new villain not only as an established character but story wise too has every reason in the book to do that now.

Do what you want, but I'm not putting my TRUST into LILA for her to not be as stupid as Gabriel because that's "mean to Marinette/Ladybug"

[sariahsue]

Banter

Ladybug expected one of two things when Chat Noir discovered that she was really Marinette. One, he would start hanging out at her house when he was transformed. Or two, he would start hanging out with her when he wasn't transformed (whether or not she knew his civilian identity already). 

Either way, she had expected him to try to get closer to her. That was what all the Ladynoir fanfiction she'd ever read had prepared her for. (Which wasn't a lot of fanfiction, okay? Well… it wasn't that much.)

What she didn't expect: Tips on how to ask Adrien out, support for her crush on another boy, and whatever other crazy things were happening right now.

"You need to pay better attention, M'Lady. You're breathing all wrong again." Chat Noir crossed his arms in annoyance, like he was personally offended by her anxiety over this.

"How am I breathing wrong?" Ladybug huffed. "I've been breathing perfectly fine my whole life. Maybe you're breathing wrong."

"You've got to breathe better. For Adrien."

"I don't think that Adrien will care how I breathe, thanks."

"He'll care very much if you pass out because you're hyperventilating. Now again. Use your diaphragm like I showed you, so you can say romantic things and sweep him off his feet."

It had been like this for three days, ever since she'd told him who exactly it was she'd been crushing on. Coaching and cheerleading. Scolding and impatience. He seemed even more invested in her love life than she was, and Ladybug couldn't wrap her head around it.

"Are you even listening to me? You are going to rob Adrien of the joy of saying yes to you!"

"Stop pressuring me! You're stressing me out!"

Chat Noir pinched the bridge of his nose, like a wearied, middle-aged school teacher. "Okay. This is the perfect opportunity to review relaxation techniques, then. You're not nervous when you're talking to me. Why don't you practice confessing to me?"

"You'd love that, wouldn't you?"

He struck a pose, slicking back his hair and cocking a hip, like he was in Adrien's place on the catwalk. "Well, we do look kind of similar, don't you think?"

"Not at all."

He switched up the pose to one much more unassuming, rubbing the back of his neck with one hand, looking down at the ground, and then deliberately smiling up at her shyly. "Are you saying I don't look like a supermodel?" He batted his eyes.

"No."

Chat Noir straightened up. "You wound me. How about this: While you're asking him out, you can just pretend you're me and do what I would do."

"You mean strut around and say the worst cat-themed pickup line I can think of?"

"The best way to a man's heart is through puns, M'Lady. Everyone knows that."

Ladybug snorted at the idea. "No, that's just your heart."

"I'll bet you five euros it'll work on Adrien, too."

Well, that was an easy way to earn five euros. "You're on."

"Really?" Chat Noir's cat ears perked up. "You're going to use one?"

She shouldn't. It seemed too silly. Too easy to dismiss as a joke instead of a confession. Too likely to get her rejected. But then again, what had she done so far that was any different?

"Do you think it'll work?" she whispered.

"I don't think it matters how you ask. He's going to say yes. You don't have anything to worry about."

Ladybug shrugged. "Maybe I'll use one then. I honestly don't have any better ideas. Everything I've done to get his attention so far has failed."

"Hey, that's only because I wasn't helping you." He held out a fist for her to bump. "You need your favorite partner's help with important stuff, right?"

She raised her fist to his, gaining strength from the feeling of his fingers against hers. "Right."

"You know, you and me against the world also means us against Adrien."

Ladybug shoved him.

***

Author's note: I wrote this for Post-Reveal Revelry, an event I hosted back in, um, March. This is part one of three! Read part two here and part three here!

[flippin-fins]

Roommates

LadyNoir July 2021 Day 21: Roommates

Read on AO3

It made sense after they had revealed their identities to each other.

What better roommate than someone who had been your partner since you were 14?

Even if he had to push down his unreciprocated feelings, sharing an apartment with Marinettee (and all her fabric) had been an easy decision when he was old enough to move out of the mansion. Plus, having all of the kwamis were fun as roommates, even if the trouble all of them got into together could put Plagg to shame.

Adrien smiled as he watched Marinette beat Nino at yet another video game. Why Nino had thought he could beat Marinette at any of their video games was beyond Adrien’s comprehension.

Adrien pulled out his phone to check the time, not realizing how late it had gotten. Trying to figure out how to get Marinette’s attention, she was better at ending the night with minimal questions or lingering, Adrien missed Alya watching him.

“Nino, I think it’s time for us to head out,” Alya called to her boyfriend. “Maybe it’s time to accept that she’s just better than you.”

Nino scoffed, but set the controller on the coffee table as he stood up. Marinette joined him a moment later, extending her hand.

“Always a pleasure.”

“Yeah, yeah, but your winning streak can’t last forever.”

The room filled with laughter as Alya and Nino grabbed their things, Marinette pressing a tupperware of baked goods into her friend’s hands.

As the door closed, Adrien looked at his roommate. All he wanted was to wrap her up in his arms, leaving a kiss on the top of her head. Instead, he stepped towards their balcony.

“Ready for a race around the city, Bug?”

She turned, never one to turn down a competition. “So eager to lose?”

She transformed and was out the window before he could blink, and Adrien quickly changed into Chat Noir before chasing her with a laugh.

He let his muscle memory carry him along to rooftops, setting an easy pace. He’d let her win every race she wanted for the chance to see the smile on her face. He couldn’t make it look like he let her win (and often he struggled to keep pace with her), but tonight he was caught up in his thoughts.

When he’d first approached her to be his roommate, Adrien had been nervous. He didn’t want to overstep, didn’t want to scare her away. He knew there was someone else, and while his feelings hadn’t changed, he didn’t want Marinette to be too uncomfortable to be his friend.

But sometimes, sometimes being just roommates was hard. Hanging out with Alya and Nino, all he could think about was the potential for double dates. Cooking together in the kitchen, all he wanted was to hold her close and dance to the music filling the room. Their sleepy, late night conversations were something he treasured, more precious than late night patrols or when he used to meet Marinette on her balcony and see the stars.

Maybe he wanted more, but for now, this had to be enough. In the past, he’d made it clear where his feelings were his partner lay, and it felt wrong to push when she’d set that boundary.

Too soon, Chat landed on their favorite landmark, the twinkling lights of the Eiffel Tower glittering around them.

Ladybug turned to look at her partner, to gloat at her win, but one look at his face stopped her.

“Chat? Are you alright?” Ladybug asked, moving to step towards him.

Plastering a grin on his face, Chat looked up at her. “Of course, just a little caught up in the sights of the city tonight.” He wanted to add that she was his favorite sight, but that felt too far.

She sat down next to him, resting her head on his shoulder. Wrapping an arm around her, Chat Noir held her close, trying to ignore the distance he felt between them. Far below, he imagined the lovers strolling the city, couples that held no secrets, just kisses and held hands warming each other.

He tried to ignore how much he wanted to be one of them.

He turned towards Ladybug as he heard her hum, lost in thought. He squeezed her shoulder lightly, and felt her eyes on him.

He could question her thoughts, but knew she’d voice them when she was ready. Instead, she took his free hand in both of hers, playing with his fingers.

“Alya made a funny comment tonight.”

Chat frowned, trying to think of what could have been said, but nothing came to mind.

“When we were in school, in lycee, I wouldn’t have imagined it would end up like this. I mean, Alya and Nino being together still is no surprise, but for you, for the guy who sat in front of me to be my partner, the flirtatious Chat Noir,” he grumbled at that, but she pressed on. “For us to end up such close friends, to be roommates. I just think that 14 year old Marinette would be surprised.”

“Is it that surprising that we’re friends?” Chat tried to joke, to sweep the pieces of how her words broke his heart under a nearby rug.

“No no, it’s not that. It’s just, well,” he could feel her tense against his shoulder, and Chat resisted the urge to turn, to see the secrets hiding in her eyes.

He was sure she could hear his heart pounding, desperate to know more.

She took a deep breath before continuing, and it felt like the longest silence he’d ever experienced. “Did you know I had a crush on you back then?” Her voice was just a whisper, but if she hadn’t been leaning on him then Chat would have fallen off the beam. He must have stiffened, frozen by her words. “I mean, it’s not, don’t misunderstand. I didn’t agree to be roommates to be creepy, I mean I did want to be roommates but not like that I mean we’re friends and partners and it makes sense and if this is weird just tell me and I can move out and -”

“Marinette,” he whispered, cutting off her rambling.

She dropped his hand, sitting up, away from him.

It was amazing how fast his side grew cold, how quickly he missed her presence.

He twisted to look at her, to fully see her, even if her eyes were hidden by her eyelashes as she looked down at the city.

“Marinette,” he repeated, reaching out to brush a stray hair behind her ear. “Do you remember what I told you, well before we revealed our identities?”

Her eyebrow furrowed as she tried to figure out what he was talking about.

“I said that I loved you, whoever you were under the mask. I loved the superhero, and all I wanted was to know who she was, so that I could get the chance to love her too. But then this girl in my class started to capture my attention, so I would visit her balcony some nights, just for the chance to see her.” Ladybug tried to turn away, to hide the tears shining in her eyes, but he kept going. “Imagine my surprise when I discovered they were the same person.”

“But that was so long ago-”

“I told you I would wait until you were ready. Maybe I hoped being roommates would speed up the process.”

She whipped her head around to look at him, and Chat couldn’t tell if he was imagining the hope he saw in her eyes.

“Do you still?” She breathed, still speaking so softly, as if anyone could overhear them.

“Of course, I planned to wait my whole life if I had to.” Chat grinned, and he tried to ignore the cracks in his heart as he focused on her, on what she’d said. “Was I too late? Did you leave it behind at lycee?”

He startled as she jumped forward, wrapping her arms around him. “I have loved you since the day you handed me that umbrella in the rain, offering an apology I never deserved.”

Chat didn’t realize he was crying until a sob choked it’s way out.

“What does this mean for us? Now that you know my motives, does that change your decision on being my roommate?”

“Adrien, nothing could make me not want to be your roommate. I want to be your roommate as long as you’ll have me.”

He thought back to a joke that he’d heard Alya say, something that always made Marinette blush.

“Even if it includes three kids and a hamster?”

He heard her gasp, knowing exactly who he’d heard that from. She leaned back to look at him.

“Three kids and a hamster was always about you, so I’m in it especially if being roommates leads to that.”

Chat pulled her back into a hug, content with knowing the rest of his life was safe as long as she was in his arms.

[olivia-anderson-fanfic]

A Miraculous TikTok Account

Part 31

First

Previous

Next

Idk what happened. I was struggling to get this chapter to reach 1k words and then I blinked and it was 2k

... sorry?

Rena was the queen of pissing people off.

(She pinned most of it on her kwami, but it might just be because she had siblings. She’d been the baby for over ten years. It was the youngest’s job to piss off the older ones, it was basically in the job description.)

But even she knew that Chat had gone too far. She didn’t even have Chloe’s power of sensing emotions, but she knew from the moment Ladybug walked inside that shit was going to go down.

There are two types of anger.

Some people’s anger runs hot. Red faces and a voice raw from screaming and tears rolling down their cheeks. Rena’s anger ran hot, so did Chloe’s and Carapace’s. When Ladybug had stormed into the house, eyes full of fire, Rena had placed her in the hot anger category with them. She was fine with that. Preferred it, even. It was easy, predictable.

But it ended up not being predictable. She’d pointed the woman on her way and waited for the banging on the door, for the screaming to start.

… it never did.

Rena hesitated for only a few moments before heading up the stairs. For once, she was glad her kwami made it so people couldn’t easily sense her presence, because she did NOT want Ladybug’s anger to transfer over to her.

The woman’s hands were limp at her sides, her head resting against the door, her eyes squeezed shut. Rena watched, not daring to breathe…

And then Ladybug’s face forced itself into a neutral expression and she headed up to her room.

Rena watched her go and found herself almost scared of one of the people she’d used to idolize.

Ladybug had cold anger. Cold anger was everything that hot anger was not (obviously, cold and hot are opposites...). It was all thin lips and quiet words and dead eyes. And it was far, far worse for anyone involved. Because hot anger was traceable, there was a distinct escalation to follow until fists and words were thrown at each other. You knew when it was coming, you knew that when it did it would be over quickly.

But cold anger… it simmered under the surface. You may be able to detect when someone was experiencing it, but you’d never know when it would boil over or how.

Rena hoped that, whatever Ladybug did to retaliate (because she WOULD retaliate, pretty much everyone does at some point and she’d already had something against Chat), that it wouldn’t be too bad.

She made sure to be extra nice to the woman as she waited for something to happen. Ladybug probably knew why she was doing it, but that didn’t mean that she didn’t accept Rena’s offer to take patrols off of her hands when she’d noticed she was swamped with work or say no to the snacks she was giving her.

It was great. Rena’s chance of being murdered was like… 10%. Which she would take. It was better than Chat’s 90%.

~

Days passed, and the tenseness in the house did not leave.

Rena, obviously, was not a fan of the high tensions. No one likes to be in a tense place, and in Paris this was even worse. She was practically waiting for an akuma at all times.

On the other hand, it was a pretty good distraction. If she was constantly worried about what Ladybug was planning, then she wasn’t worrying about what Fu said --.

Damn it. Now she was worrying about what Fu said.

Because, as much as she hated it, the words they’d exchanged about her possibly getting corrupted felt far more real.

Back when she had only known about the other four miraculous holders, she hadn’t been worried. He’d gotten it right four times in a row; even Chloe, who was decidedly NOT a nice person, was very kind. All four of her predecessors were clearly chosen very carefully to fit the characteristics of their miraculi while also possessing heroic traits. Why would he drop the ball with the last hero?

But, no, now she had to live with the fact that he wasn’t totally infallible when it came to choosing heroes. Had Pieris been a fluke? Had the other miraculous heroes been the flukes?

Pieris had had the easiest miraculous to control. She had the hardest. Would she be able to stay sane while using it?

Part of her hummed that she’d already slipped some. That her time watching Chat had been an abuse of power and she knew it. So why had she done it?

Because it was necessary, the other part of her whispered. It was for the good of Paris.

… was she even completely sure that part of her WAS her?

She curled her fingers around the miraculous that hung around her neck like a noose.

And then Ladybug walked into the room and thank FUCK a distraction. Chat tensed up from his spot at the window.

… Ladybug brushed past him, her lips pressed together thinly as she made her way to the kitchen.

Rena couldn’t stop wondering about Chat. He had a tiny frown on his face as he watched the doorway she’d disappeared through. She wondered, vaguely, why he’d done it. It was a bad idea, anyone with two brain cells to rub together would know that, so why?

But she wasn’t really close enough to ask. So, she was left to just look on the internet for some theories.

(Her personal favorite was ‘it’s flirting!!!!!!’. The LadyNoir stans were always fun. Wrong, but fun.)

~

Four days in, Ladybug struck…

How did she know? Chat screamed at five o’clock.

She groaned and shuffled out of bed, rubbing her eyes as she slowly poked her head out the door to see what had happened.

Chat was standing in the doorway to his room after a long patrol… and it looked like he’d dropped into a pool of glitter… or, as her eyes took in the amount of glitter around his feet and the polka dotted tote bag resting on top of his head like a hat that was much too large for him to pull off, a pool’s worth of glitter had been dropped on him.

There was a beat before he slowly pulled the bag off of himself and tossed it into the room. And… wow, there was even more glitter than she’d thought.

It stuck to everything about him (the sweat probably didn’t help). She no longer felt like she should be rubbing her eyes because damn did he need it more. Not that it would help all that much, his hands were just as coated in glitter and it would probably only hurt him more.

There was a click of Chloe’s door opening and the woman stared at the scene before she mumbled a ‘it’s too early for this’ and closed the door again, presumably to go back to sleep.

Carapace walked out, the bags under his eyes more pronounced than usual and the cup of coffee in his hand was the size of a water bottle. It was midterms for him. He was… not taking it well.

“Sorry, Carapace, go ahead and go back to studying. Didn’t mean for him to come home so early,” called Ladybug. She was sitting in the ladder to the attic, legs swinging idly. She tipped her head to the side as she considered him. “Go back to studying. If you need help, I’m good with math and science.”

He looked between her and Chat, who was struggling to blink his eyes open without permanently going blind.

“Do you really want to get on my bad side, too?” Mused Ladybug. “You don’t need anything distracting you from school right now…”

Carapace winced at the threat. He continued to look between the two of them before sighing and slouching a bit. “Can I at least help him get to the sink? He’s going to blind himself.”

She clicked her tongue but nodded. “Sure, I guess.”

Rena hesitated. “May I take a video?”

Ladybug fixed her eyes on her and she fought the urge to shrink back into her room or look away.

And then she shrugged. “Sure. News is kinda your thing, right?”

Rena tensed a little, her brain screeching to a halt. Did Ladybug know about her Ladyblogger days? There was no way she did, right? Sure, Ladybug had known her a little bit back in the day because Rena had often hung out around akumas for her blog, but surely it wasn’t well enough to figure out her identity, right --?

… wait, no, she was still talking about the TikTok. Ladybug looked very confused about her sudden freeze up and Rena had to think of an explanation FAST.

She pulled a bright smile to her face. “Yeah. Not allowed to do as much as I’d like, but y’know… it is what it is.”

Ladybug still looked a little confused, but she shrugged to herself and started heading up to her room.

~

The video on Rena’s account was just a video of the aftermath in short cuts.

“Ladybug got Chat back for that video he posted about her!” She explained to the camera.

Chat was covered head-to-toe with glitter outside of a small area around his eyes. He was also struggling to figure out how brooms worked, it seemed. Rena had considered helping but honestly it was kind of funny to watch him attempt to sweep something with the wrong end and how did he not know how a BROOM worked it was a BROOM --?

“Regretting it?” Said Rena, sitting down beside him.

He wore an irritable expression, though that was hard to look at all intimidating when he looked like a child’s arts and crafts project. “A little, yeah.”

“It was dumb to mess with her.”

“A little, yeah.”

She laughed a little at that.

He brought up a hand to rub his eyes tiredly, because he wasn’t as used to not sleeping as Carapace and Ladybug were, and Rena had to grab his arm to stop him so he didn’t die by glitter-in-eyes-syndrome.

… but now she was kind of regretting it. Because her hand was all glittery.

He gave her a tiny smile.

“Thanks. And, uh, sorry about the hand.” He looked down at the broom and dustpan he was apparently still unsure about how to use. “Well, at least it’s over, right?”

Rena privately disagreed. But she didn’t say that aloud, instead she just smiled and pressed a kiss to his cheek… which she also regretted.

The camera caught her vague choking noises and curses for a few seconds before it cut.

Carapace was struggling to write an essay because of all the glitter on his hands.

“Fuck I should’ve let it go I should’ve let it go fuck c’mon I don’t know how I’m going to explain this to my professor fuckkkkkkk --.”

“Do it online.”

He whipped around, brandishing his pencil like a weapon, and only slightly relaxed when he realized it was her. “When did you --? Nevermind, whatever.” He sighed. “My teacher is old so he only accepts stuff on paper. It’s stupid.”

Rena reached out and gave him a little head pat.

The video cut briefly to a video of Chloe sleeping and decidedly not helping anyone with anything.

Ladybug was only there for a few moments. Rena had gone up to see her in a red crop top and black leggings. She sent her a smile and a wave despite the fact that she was currently doing her best impersonation of a pretzel. “Hey! You filming a video, too?”

Rena stared at her, wondering how she’d managed to get that flexible, and then realized she was talking to her and quickly nodded. “Yeah yeah yeah, just reporting on the incident… how’re you feeling?”

She watched Ladybug do a back roll and by the time she was finished all of her limbs were miraculously untangled, which was insane and should be impossible but I digress. “Great, honestly! I mean, it was bad that the internet got to see me on an off day and all, but…” She shrugged. “I feel much better now.”

She smiled at the camera and waved it goodbye.

The video ended.

~~~

Taglist

@nathleigh @sassakitty @th1s-1s-my-aesthet1c @blueslushgueen @woe-is-me0 @ladybug-182 @cas-and-their-refusal-to-write @trippingovermyfeet @melicmusicmagic @meimei3841 @roseliali

[e-milieeee]

paris’ sweethearts—ladynoir

Summary: When Ladybug and Chat Noir are interviewed by a particularly intrusive reporter, they decide to have a bit of fun by trolling her as payback.

Disaster has never felt so good.

Notes: Day 7: Interviews for @ladynoirjuly2020, requested by anon! Dating shenanigans, pre reveal, established relationship requested by anon :) 

Or read on AO3 | Kofi

paris’ sweethearts

“Good evening, Paris!” the interviewer—her name tag reads Elise, and Ladybug absolutely hates her. Why couldn’t Nadja Chamack have taken this interview? “On this lovely night, we have Paris’ sweethearts with us! Everybody, welcome Chat Noir and Ladybug!”

Help me, she mouths at Chat before they enter the scrutiny of the cameras. He flashes her a wink. I’ll handle this, he mouths back.

Elise already has a large grin plastered on as they sit down on the couch in front of her. Ladybug eyes her and tries to keep her own smile on her face, even if her mind is recalling the last dreaded time Elise had interviewed them. If Nadja was intrusive with the dating questions, Elise was an absolute monster. She and Chat had left feeling thoroughly awkward with each other, and that had been before they started dating. Now…

“I’m so excited to interview you two again!” she chirps, nauseatingly excited.

Chat shoots her a warning look before replying. “We are, as well. Ladybug and I wanted to focus this interview more on the situation with Hawkmoth, and how all of you Parisans can help make our job easier. I’m sure you have questions prepared that many have wanted answered.”

How he says all of that without looking like he wants to sock Elise over the face, Ladybug doesn’t know. She applauds his self control.

“Of course.” Elise leans forward on her chair. “Now, first order of business: the last time you two were here, both of you mentioned that you were single!”

Here it comes.

“Yes,” Chat replies carefully.

“I’m sure many ladies would line up to date you, Chat Noir, but I’m certain there are equally as many fans who really want you and Ladybug together.”

“I know,” Ladybug cuts in grimly. “I’ve seen.”

Oh, she’d seen alright. She’d seen the merch—she’d nearly been trampled by a herd of Ladynoir shippers, all with matching shirts that had a frightfully good edit of her and Chat Noir kissing. Even after she swung away to safety, Ladybug was almost certain that the girls would end up trampling each other. She’d seen the fanfictions written online. Some were admittedly rather sweet, but others… they were a breed of their own. The list of terror went on and on.

She suppresses the shudder and snaps out of the reverie. “Chat Noir and I would like to relay a message to Parisans about Hawkmoth,” she tells Elise as firmly as possibly. Put your foot down so she can’t refuse you.

Elise beams. “Of course! But first: are you two finally dating?”

Back at square one. Ladybug contemplates slamming her head against the table. To her horror, Chat shoots Elise an easy grin and leans back on the couch, arms draped against the back of the chair. “Yes,” he drawls, “I have a girlfriend.”

Ladybug’s own eyes widen in disbelief and confusion. It takes all of her willpower not to look over at Chat and demand what he’s doing—they’d agreed to skirt around the topic because it was simpler without people probing. But now, Elise has latched onto it, her cheeks flushed in excitement. Even the cameraman’s mouth has dropped open.

“You’re dating?” Elise asks, recovering from her brief confusion. “That is so amazing to hear, Chat Noir! We’ve been waiting for this to happen. What’s the ship name? Popular demand calls for Ladynoir, but there is a small cry for Cat Bug as well! Which do you prefer?”

Chat catches her eye in her periphery, and she immediately knows what he’s gunning for.

“Oh, you’re mistaken,” she tells Elise in her best apologetic voice. It’s a miracle she doesn’t burst out laughing then and there. “I have a boyfriend, and he has a girlfriend.”

The cameraman’s mouth opens wider, if that’s even possible. Elise looks like the ground has been knocked out under her feet. She is quite literally gaping.

“S-so you two… you two aren’t…?”

Chat doesn’t answer the question. “It’s really hard balancing all the superhero work while being in a relationship,” he bemoans. “My girlfriend really hates that I’m Chat Noir. I mean, it comes with its perks, but she’s always worried about me.”

Elise recovers from the second shock that night to approach the problem at a different angle. “Can we have a name for your girlfriend?”

“She’s a very private person, so I’m afraid I can’t reveal her identity.”

She isn’t deterred. “What does she look like, then?”

Chat gives Ladybug a sweeping, obvious glance. “She’s beautiful,” he sighs, so convincingly, ridiculously dreamy in tone that Ladybug isn’t sure if she’s to laugh or pretend to hurl.

When Elise seems to realize that Chat Noir is a lost cause, she moves back to Ladybug. Her smile is a bit more strained, and Ladybug would’ve felt bad if it hadn’t been for the lingering horror of the last interview. “Ladybug, I’m sure you can tell us a bit about your boyfriend,” she grits out.

Ladybug smiles sweetly. “I’ll answer what I can.”

“Great. What’s he like?”

She parrots Chat’s dramatic sigh. “He’s so handsome. The most handsome in all of Paris. I’m just… not that fond of his job.”

“His job?” Elise asks, jumping quickly onto that tidbit of information. “Why? What does your boyfriend do for a living?”

“It’s… complicated. His occupation is dangerous, though, but he won’t listen so all I can do is tell him to be more careful. It’s really hard, sometimes.”

Elise connects the dots again. Her eyebrows draw together, lifting a hand to point at Chat Noir. “Wait! You... if you say your girlfriend doesn’t like your job and you say you don’t like your boyfriend’s job… you two are dating!”

Chat practically throws his hands up. “Ladybug and I, dating?” he asks, so convincingly scandalized by the suggestion. “Oh God, no. No offense, Bugaboo. We’re honestly just meant to be friends.”

“But—”

“No offense taken!” she chirps. “Chat and I are just really, really good friends. Best friends, even!” For extra emphasis, she links her arm around Chat’s.

Elise opens her mouth to speak again. “Would you two share just a little bit more about your significant others? I’m sure Paris would love to hear it.”

Ladybug smiles sweetly at the camera. “Paris, if you’re listening, this is my message to you: stay safe! Chat Noir and I are working our best to take down Hawkmoth, and we want to promise you that soon, Paris will be free of him. But in order for that process to go smoother, we need your cooperation in any way possible. Be sure to get out of the way when there’s an akuma attack, and if you find anything suspicious, be sure to call the line that will be provided. Bug out!”

Chat makes a motion at the camera man, and just like that, they’re off screen once more.

Elise looks at both of them as if they’ve sprouted second heads. It really shouldn’t feel so wickedly satisfying, but Ladybug reminds herself once more of their last meeting and decides that the satisfaction is well-deserved.

“I have to go, now,” Ladybug tells the reporter. “I promised my boyfriend I’d meet him at eight outside.”

“Same,” Chat echoes. “My girlfriend’s going to be so mad if I’m late. She’s all about punctuality. Eight o'clock, sharp!”

He offers her his hand, and Ladybug takes it with a little smirk. “See you around,” she calls.

Notes: Here’s my fics masterlist!

Reblogs are very much appreciated :)

[coffeecomicsgalore]

A Little Rain, A Big Love Story

Ao3

This is my submission for the @luckycharmzine! I hope you enjoy the Ladynoir Identity Reveal Scene.

------

Ladybug looked across the dark Parisian skyline, allowing the cool breeze to sweep over her. It was still fairly warm out, the heat of the summer day seeping into the night. The cool breeze felt welcomed against her exposed skin.  

Chat Noir sat beside her as they relaxed on their favorite beam on the Eiffel Tower. As usual, it was an easy night of patrolling. There was nothing besides a stray cat stuck in a tree and two young boys arguing over a pack of trading cards. They didn’t have to stress over an akuma or deal with police-solving issues. So, when they have nights like this – quiet, peaceful, and relaxing – it made their conversations quite comforting. 

While they couldn’t talk much about their civilian lives and risk revealing too much, they did enjoy giving each other a glimpse of themselves. It would only be little things, like favorite colors, snacks, or subjects. Things that were common enough that neither could guess easily, yet they still relished in those little tidbits of information. 

Trusting yourself in your partner without knowledge of who they were underneath the mask was a risk, but Ladybug would risk her life for him on any occasion. 

If he would let her, that is. 

“You know.” Chat started, continuing to look towards the skyline as he spoke. “You would really like my friends. We are so close. I don’t know what I would do without them.” He ended with a satisfied hum as his lips quirked into a small smile. 

Ladybug looked over to her partner and grinned. He looked so at peace tonight. It was a pleasant change to their last conversation where he seemed distressed and distracted. She missed it when her kitty didn’t ooze silliness out of his suit. 

“I know what you mean.” She looked back out to the skyline as he turned to look at her. “Do you remember that boy I had that major crush on?” 

“You mean the one that never gave you the time of day?” 

She scoffed and pushed his shoulder teasingly. “Chat!” 

He chuckled. “Alright, alright. Go ahead.” 

Ladybug side-eyed him for a moment. When she felt like he wasn’t going to continue teasing, she proceeded. “Well, over the last two years, especially after me trying to get over said crush on him, we grew closer. I consider him to be one of my best friends. Like so close that he is a close tie to my best girlfriend. But I won’t tell her that. I enjoy my life too much to succumb to imminent death.” They both laughed. “But anyways, he said something today and it reminded me of you. I think you two could be close friends.” 

“Why? Does he have amazing puns like moi?” He joked, bringing his hand to his chest as he mentioned himself.  

“Actually, yeah. I didn’t even know he could joke like that. But you would appreciate his puns. Sometimes I think he could probably out-pun you.” 

“Out pun the pun master? Never.” 

“I know of one other person that could probably out pun you, chaton. But I can’t mention who.”  

“I guess I will have to battle your friend in a pun duel then. I need to keep this knight and shining leather fighting by your side, puns and all.” 

Ladybug shook her head. “I have enough room in my heart for all three of my pun masters. No dueling required. I promise.” 

They sat in a comfortable silence for a moment before Chat noticed that her face softened, but her eyes meant she was a distance away. 

“You okay, bugaboo?” He inquired, just enough softness in his voice to allow her to talk her feelings through, but also enough to show her he wouldn’t pry. 

She sighed, but decided to tell him. “Even though he’s my best friend, a part of me will always love him. Do you know how difficult it is to force yourself to move on considering he’s constantly in my life? Of all the people that have come into my life, no one has caught my eye or my heart like he has.” Ladybug turned to him. Chat could see the sadness in her face. “Actually. There has been one other person, but it’s just not possible. At least not right now.” 

Chat eyed her with a mix of fondness and sadness. Seeing her feel like this broke his heart, and he knew exactly how she felt.  

“I know what you mean.” He looked back towards the sky, the last two years crossing his mind. The relationships he had made and lost were pressing against his heart and he ached from the pain. “Letting go of the one you love, especially when they’ve made a significant impact in your life, is hard. But love has never been easy. No matter how much you try to move on, it still lingers.” 

Ladybug turned to Chat and took his hand, squeezing the love she had for him through her fingers. “I love you, Chat, more than you can begin to know. But you have to understand, you were never meant to be second best. You deserve someone who will love you with their whole heart.” She looked down and laughed bitterly. “And unless luck is truly on my side, maybe the boy I love is really you beneath the mask. Once Hawkmoth is defeated, I want to know who you are. You will always have a place in my life and my heart no matter how this chapter of our lives end.” 

They gazed into each other’s eyes as her words etched themselves into the spot in his heart reserved for her. Chat was the first to break the gaze, looking back out into the Parisian skyline as a comfortable silence mingled between them. When Chat finally swallowed the strangling pain in his throat, he confessed. 

“You know. I’ll always love you, bugaboo. A part of me always had. It always will. I’ve tried to move on and date other people, but no one besides this one girl, my best friend, has ever caught my eye.” 

Ladybug looked at him and smiled even as a twinge of jealousy ran through her body. She shrugged it off and placed her head on his shoulder. Their fingers laced together as they enjoyed the small embrace. If she couldn’t love him in the way they both wished she could, she could at least love him like this. “That girl is lucky to have your heart.” 

They sat there in another comfortable silence before Chat scrunched his face and let out a breathy chuckle. 

“What’s so funny?” She asked, lifting her head up from his shoulder to look at him. 

“Well, it has something to do with that girl. You know, I don’t think anyone knows this, so I think I’m in the clear to say it.” Ladybug scrunched her nose, but then decided it would probably be fine. She gave him a nod to continue. “She became my first self-initiated friend when I started school. There was a huge misunderstanding. I almost lost her friendship before building one.” 

“That seems extreme. What happened?” 

“On my first day, she thought that I was trying to target her. She had always been bullied by one of my longtime friends, so she assumed I was the same way. Believe it or not, I’m socially awkward. I didn’t know any of the dos and don’ts of making friends.”  

Ladybug could see his face visibly soften. 

“It was raining and we were the only two standing outside as I was leaving to go home. I don’t know why, but something just compelled me to talk to her, to tell her that I didn’t have any friends, that everything was still so new to me. I almost left but then turned around. I told her I was sorry that I made her believe that I played a cruel prank on her. I told her that I only had one friend before that day and at the time, I didn’t want to lose that friendship either.” 

Chat continued to look out at the skyline, but Ladybug had caught on to something interesting about his story. It was one that was strangely similar to her own story. One that no one else would know of. 

“Once I apologized, I gave her the umbrella I had. I mean, my car was right there so it didn’t bother me to get a little wet. But I just didn’t want her to get soaked going home and I didn’t know how long the rain was going to be around for. I didn’t know where she lived and I didn’t realize that she lived so close to the school, but I couldn’t just let her get soaked.” 

He let out a lovesick sigh and let out a chuckle before looking down at his claw to examine his ring. “Honestly, I think that was the first moment that I started to fall for her. I just didn’t realize it because I was so infatuated with you.”  

Ladybug looked to him with such softness. Tears were welling up in her eyes and a blush donned her cheeks. Chat looked up at her and started to worry, afraid that he said something he shouldn’t. 

“That moment is a moment too beautiful to forget.” She said, wiping the tears that started to fall in front of her mask. “She is lucky to have such a caring person in her life, chaton.” 

Chat finally smiled. “Yeah, she’s so caring that I’m afraid to lose her. She’s shy around me sometimes. I’m afraid that she’ll reject me if I ask her out.” 

“I think you should ask anyways. I bet she’ll say yes.” 

He thought for a moment before asking her. “What about you?” 

“I guess since you told me about your bestie, I should tell you about mine.” She snickered. “Every time I tried to confess to him, something went wrong. Like this scarf I made him, or the valentine I tried to send him, or the doctor’s note I gave him instead of a love confession, the video love confession that got deleted. Oh, and the beret... it just never worked out before.” She shrugged. 

Guess it doesn’t matter now because she could finally confess without having to do it first.  

“You see. I fell in love with this boy who I thought was a bully. I thought he put gum on my chair and was a prissy rich kid because he was best friends with the girl who hated my guts. But then he apologized and handed me his umbrella in the rain. That simple act of kindness and his laughter after I accidentally pressed the close button on the handle filled my soul with so much love, that I couldn’t let it go.” 

Ladybug turned to Chat to see that he was wide eyed and jaw slacked. 

“No wonder why I couldn’t let it go.” She smiled with so much love in her eyes that she could not contain the giggle that bubbled up within her. “I guess I was lucky after all.” 

“Marinette?” He said so quietly, afraid that the conversation would crack and leave them in a different world. 

“Hi Adrien.” She replied back softly. 

Chat cupped her cheek with his claw and rubbed his thumb against the line between her mask and her skin. “It’s really you. I fell in love with you twice.” 

“And I never stopped loving you. My love only grew.” 

He leaned in and nuzzled his nose against hers. She sighed at the contact, her eyes pleading. He leaned in and kissed her lips, slow and soft but full of love and want. When they pulled back, they looked at each other as rain started to fall around them, the clasp of thunder bringing them back to that very first moment that sealed their fate. 

“My lady. I love you.” 

“I love you too, my chaton.” 

[megatraven]

ladynoir 4 alyanette 6

Thank u for the requests, I’ll do the second later on its own post and tag u! :)

...Where It Hurts - Ladynoir

AO3

---

In the dark of the night, as the city beneath them sleeps and the sun has long since set, Chat Noir rests his head on the shoulder of his Lady. Aside from the sound of their breathing, everything was quiet, and it made it easy for Chat Noir to ignore the ache in his chest.

He could imagine that the city was safe, in moments like this one, when Ladybug begins to hum a little tune that sounds too familiar, but that he’s certain he’s never heard before. And when she lets her head fall on top of his, as she reaches out and clasps their hands together, well... it made it easy to forget his troubles.

Eventually, Ladybug’s free hand makes its way to his forehead, where it sweeps the hair aside in that gentle way that seems to be reserved for him.

She heaves a sigh, and shifts slightly so that her lips press a small kiss to the top of his head. A light purr picked up then, and he relaxed further into her touch.

“Chaton,” she says, breaking the silence after some time.

“Mm?”

She moves again- pulling herself away from him enough so that she’s looking at him and he can see her. She searches his face for something, and he wonders what she sees. There’s sadness in her eyes as she looks at him.

“Why’re you crying?”

Her question shocks him. Raising a hand up to his face, he wipes away a trail of tears, and pulls his hand back to see the wetness on his fingers. Without much warning, his breath hitches, and he’s now all too aware of his body- the lump that’s formed in his throat, the way his chest shudders with each breath, the tears that won’t stop coming. His body begins to shake.

“Chaton,” Ladybug says again, her voice impossibly soft and warm. She’s not pressuring him into answering her, no, but as she cups his face between her hands, he knows she just wants to help.

But how could he tell her? How could he tell her that, after all the trouble they’d faced together, after everything they’ve been through... that it was his own father who did it? Who hurt them over and over again, with no regards for anyone- not even Adrien himself.

He couldn’t get the words out just then, but he places a hand over his heart.

“It hurts,” he tells her, his voice cracking, and it’s all he can say. He’ll tell her why another time. For now, he watches her, feels her hand move on top of his with a squeeze before moving them aside.

She bends down so that her forehead rests against his chest, and she whispers something into the fabric of his suit that sounds like his very own, “Miraculous Ladybug,” before she leaves a small kiss over his heart.

It doesn’t fix everything, and he didn’t expect it to- but he feels warm again. And that’s enough for now.

[artisticflutter]

LadyNoir July Day Nineteen - Identity Reveal

Rating: G+ Genre: General, Fluff, Angst Pairing(s): LadyNoir Summary: Continuation. Chat Noir takes Ladybug to safety just as time runs out. Warning: Continuing from “Oblivio” and “A Ticking Clock”, and concluded by “Crushes”. Mentions of blood and injury. Also, no beta!

“LADYBUG!”

He’d never really yelled that loud and that scene just played on repeat as he fled. Chat didn’t understand why she’d done that when she could’ve easily pulled him out of harm’s way.

She hadn’t – she didn’t need to be injured right now and bleeding as he put more distance between them and the Sculpteur with Lucky Charm in tow. She was still breathing and had a pulse, but he needed to stop soon. Originally, he considered a hospital in his panic, but her earrings chirped warning and left him really not sure what to do. He risked her identity either way, but in a hospital where the public might find out? Or should he trust himself with the Lucky Charm which he’d realize after the second beep was a medical kit.

It was obvious which one would be better since he had no idea what he was doing, but he had to protect her identity too.

“Chat…”

He almost tripped over the next ledge, but righted himself, sending her a quick glance. Her suit was so wrong, so not the right red, and he so, so wanted to removing the carving knife already, but he knew he couldn’t.

“Hold on. W-We’re almost somewhere safe. Ladybug, I’m so sorry; if I had been paying attention--”

“N-No… my fault.” She hissed at his next landing, tears spilling from the corner of her eyes and he wanted to cry himself. “I-I was… distract… ed.”

“You? No, you were paying attention.”

The area had been clear as well so it wasn’t like a civilian could’ve distracted her, right? Maybe she saw Alya? But he didn’t see Alya or smell her. He ducked into Notre Dame’s bell tower and lowered her, wincing as she flinched, but confused when she smiled.

“Should’ve… told you. Oblivio…”

“You can tell me after you’re all better.”

He wanted her to save her strength.

Opening the first aid kit, it seemed to have everything, but… but what did he do first? Take the knife out yes, but then what? The wrappings wouldn’t do anything, but the cotton balls? Pads? He paled seeing a small needle inside – he didn’t know how to suture…

“Adrien…”

… Eyes widened, Chat Noir turned his head to Ladybug. She was staring at him and while her eyes seemed unfocused, she was staring at him. “You’re… Adrien Agreste…”

He was at a loss what to say.

The last dot on her earrings blinked out and his breath caught as her suit peeled away in a scattering pink sparkle. Tears spilled from Marinette Dupain-Cheng’s eyes faster as her face twisted before she inhaled sharply between her teeth. The cry that escaped her lips broke him and he shot to her side.  His Lady, his Princess, and the girl he called their ‘Everyday Ladybug’ with such high respect, and the irony in this revelation…

The girl under the mask was his best friend and whom he’d been so unsure of seeing as more, but it was her.

And her favorite shirt was staining red fast.

Taking hold of her hand, he felt her squeeze tight while he leaned forward, whispering calmly into her ear that it would be already with hopes his trembling voice did not betray how hopeless he felt.

“Chat Noir!”

A red-and-black kwami darted before his face, her big blue eyes boring into his. “It’s going to be okay. You still have the Lucky Charm! I’ll help you treat her so you can defeat the akuma.”

“But… but what about purifying it? The Miraculous Ladybug??”

“I can do that, but we need to get rid of this knife before she goes into shock.”

Dropping his gaze to Marinette, her face was still scrunched tightly as she tried not to scream. She was breathing too fast; almost hyperventilating. He had no idea what the signs of shock were, but – but he wasn’t going to give up. This wasn’t the ideal circumstances, but he just learned this girl before him was everything to him and if he could save her, he would.

At the kwami – Tikki’s – orders, he Cataclysm’d the knife and watched as she laid one of the gauze pads over the wound. While he applied pressure, Tikki soothed her chosen, stroking her cheek and telling her over and over they would be done soon. Chat didn’t say anything – he was trying to hold it together, but he did tell Plagg to eat when his transformation wore off so they could transform again. His kwami didn’t make any of the usual comments once he realized what was happening and hurriedly stuffed his face.

With another pad soon and a little bottle to disinfect a little, Adrien was taping it down to cover the wound. No longer did it bleed heavily, but a look towards Marinette’s face beaded by sweat, he didn’t want to leave her like this. Unfortunately, he needed to capture the akuma; and once everything was fixed and she was healed and safe, they should talk.

Leaning closer to her, he gently took her hand and rested his forehead against hers. “I’ll be right back, Marinette. I need to get the akuma so just… please, hold on and wait for me.”

“I’ll look after her,” Tikki said, nodding to him as he pulled away. “Plagg knows a containment spell. Once you trap the akuma, bring it back here and I’ll purify it.”

“It’s easy, kid. Just say ‘Cat Claws’ and make sure to catch the akuma,” Plagg explained. “Cats catch insects all the time so you’ll have no problem.”

“Right… Plagg, Claws Out!”

Bright green sweeping over him as he re-donned the suit, Chat Noir sent one more look Marinette’s way. Her breathing had evened up; hopefully, it was okay for her to sleep. Feeling the hair on his neck bristle, he rose to his feet and made his way swiftly from the bell tower.

Hawkmoth and his akuma were going to pay.

[whatarubberchicken]

Adrinette April -12- Lucky Charm

@adrinetteapril

Previous chapter

(Ok, before anyone calls me out and says this is nothing but Ladynoir, I would like to argue that right now these guys would be severely offended if anyone suggested shipping them. They are pissed. That, and plot. The plot must move, spice must flow... all that goodness.)

Chapter 12 - Lucky Charm

Chat Noir felt a wave of annoyance at Marinette, even before he turned around. It had to be her fault, after all. Ladybug had found him too quickly. Marinette must’ve alerted her to the fact that he was out tonight.

And after I listened to her and told her how much I suspected Ladybug, he thought, seething, as the superheroine strode closer. She sold me out! I thought we were friends!

“You never called me back,” Ladybug said, stopping a short distance away. Her eyes narrowed. “I told you I wanted to meet.”

“You’ve been holding out on me too,” Chat spat, looking her over. Nothing new on her. He didn’t think she had pockets in that skin-tight suit….

Yoyo or hair ribbons?

Yoyo or hair ribbons?

But… if he took out the yoyo with his Cataclysm, they’d still be screwed unless she called for a Lucky Charm first, to put everything back afterwards.

He gulped at the thought. A Lucky Charm designed to take him down? That was not a pleasant thought.

“I’m not akumatized, Chat Noir.” Ladybug’s voice broke through his thoughts.

“So you say,” he said. A chill went through him as he processed that idea. “In fact, I think that might be worse: you working for him of your own free will.”

“I still want to take Hawkmoth out,” she said, sounding like she was explaining things to a child. “But it’ll be easier and quicker this way.”

He snorted. “Since when have you favored the easy plan?”

She glared at him. “All Hawkmoth wants to do is make a wish.”

“A what?”

“He told me what he wants, and what he’s willing to give up for it, and it makes sense, Chat—”

“ARE YOU EVEN LISTENING TO YOURSELF??” Chat finally screamed at her. “THAT MAN IS NOT STABLE, NOT SENSIBLE, AND YOU’RE LISTENING TO HIM?!? HE ATTACKS PARIS EVERY OTHER DAY! HE TURNS PEOPLE INTO MONSTERS ‘CAUSE HE CAN’T HAVE HIS OWN WAY!! AND YOU WANT TO JUST GIVE HIM WHAT HE WANTS?!?!”

Ladybug took a deep breath. “It’s a lot easier to simply make the monsters disappear for good if we’re willing to sit down and talk like adults—CHAT!!”

Chat Noir was already walking away from her. “Nope. No. You’re crazy,” he snarled. “You’d rather rendezvous with the evil villain than actually talk things out with me, your partner!”

“I’m trying to talk to you!” Ladybug yelled. “You’re the one who’s running away!”

“Because I don’t want to fight you!! Or did you think I wouldn’t notice your akumatized friend sneaking up on me?” he asked, glancing to the side where a pair of glowing eyes were watching them. The villain raised his head, showing he had a pair of oversized puppy-ears on his head, and a big, brown nose. Chat curled his lip. “You smell like dog.”

“I’ve got this, Hawkmoth,” Ladybug growled. “Tell your pet to go home.”

A glowing butterfly mask appeared on the villain. He grinned.

“Ohhh nooo, Ladybug,” he cooed. “Pound Puppy will only get what he wants once Hawkmoth has his naughty kitty. Pound Puppy must help Hawkmoth. Ohhh yeeesssss.”

Ok. This dude was creepy.

“Congrats on your new partner, LB,” Chat said sarcastically. “Seems like a real winner.”

But he’d taken his eyes off her for too long.

“Lucky Charm!” she shouted. A leash dropped into her hand. “Dammit, Tikki. Really?”

Chat Noir couldn’t help it. He burst out laughing. “Aww, does your kwami agree with me, Bugaboo?”

“I can still take a cat for a walk,” Ladybug said, glaring at him. “Pound Puppy, sic him!”

With a happy yelp (that sounded far too realistic to be comfortable), the akuma sprang at Chat, even as Ladybug’s yoyo shot out to wrap itself around his baton. Chat spun in a circle to throw them both off, and then lunged at Ladybug. She had the advantage in a ranged battle, but close-quarters were his specialty. She knew it too. She danced away.

Desperate, he followed her, even as he kept an eye on the stupid puppy akuma trailing him and trying to pounce.

Not for the first time, he cursed the fact that he was usually the one to get hit by an akuma’s power and put under mind-control. Now it meant that Ladybug was used to fighting him, and she lashed out with her yoyo ruthlessly.

Snarling, he threw his baton at her head, and she stopped for a moment in shock. Deep down, they both knew he didn’t want to hurt her, not ever. But he didn’t have time for regret as he was grabbed from behind by Pound Puppy.

Oh, HELL NO. I am not gonna be taken out by a dog! Chat was unsurprised to hear his inner voice sounded a lot like Plagg right now.

He threw his head back into the akuma’s nose, hearing a very-satisfying yelp when it connected. Then, he burst free into a crouch.

“Bad puppy. SIT!” he yelled, sweeping the monster’s feet out from underneath him. Pound Puppy fell onto his butt with another cry.

But then Ladybug pounced onto Chat’s back, wrapping her leash around his middle to keep him still, and already reaching for his hand. He hissed and rolled with her, beginning a wrestling match. Being slightly taller and heavier gave him an advantage, and soon he had her pinned beneath him, the leash securely in his own hand.

However, he only had one hand free, she was squirming desperately. She cried out and redoubled her efforts to break free as he swiped at her head, no doubt thinking he was going to go for her earrings.

Instead, her hair fell free as her ribbons were shredded from his claws.

They sprang apart, and Chat Noir felt his heart break.

No akuma.

No akuma.

She really was doing this of her own free will.

Deep down, something inside him had hoped….

Unless… he glanced at her yoyo. That was his only hope…

And it came whirling towards him as Ladybug attempted to attack him again. Something inside Chat snapped.

“Cataclysm!” he yelled, grabbing the yoyo instead of dodging away from it. Ladybug shrieked as it disintegrated. Chat Noir ignored her and backflipped back to Pound Puppy, who was still dazed. Using Ladybug’s Lucky-Charm-leash, he bound the villain’s arms to his sides and pulled him to his knees from behind.

“Stay,” he commanded the dog-like akuma, and Pound Puppy obediently froze. Chat met Ladybug’s eyes. “Where’s the akuma?” he snarled at her.

She ground her teeth and balled her fists, refusing to answer.

Then her earrings beeped.

“You’re running out of time, Bug,” Chat warned. “It’s gonna be me or the dog. And I’m not going down that easily.”

Ladybug’s expression crumpled. “Chat—”

“Choose, Ladybug.”

“The akuma’s in his belt buckle,” she said softly. Pound Puppy whined.

Chat apologized to the big guy and gave the buckle a good scratch with his claws. As soon as the butterfly flitted out, he threw the Lucky Charm at Ladybug and ran for it before she had a chance to call for the Cure.

….

Adrien collapsed onto his bed as soon as he was home. Plagg was thankfully busy stuffing himself with cheese; neither of them wanted to talk about what had just happened. His eyes burned as tears fell onto his pillow.

God, he needed a hug right now.

He thought about calling Marinette, remembering her warmth and comforting words, but then… she was the one who’d betrayed Chat Noir and called Ladybug.

He put his phone down and reached into his pocket, pulling out the lucky charm she’d given him so long ago. He stared at it for a moment before throwing it to the ground and clutching his pillow instead.

Alone.

He had never felt so alone.

End Chapter 12.

[unforgetabelle]

Lords, Lies & Ladybirds :LadyNoir July

part: 1  2  3  4  5  6  7  8  9  10  11  12  13  14  15  16  17  18  19  20

21  22  23  24  25  26  27  28  29  30  31 32

ao3

Epilogue

When the light knock on the front door sounded through the hall, Adrien was instantly on his feet. Talking long strides towards the foyer, but trying not to run, he still reached the door before any of the servants. With a wide smile that hopefully concealed his nervous anticipation, he swung open the grand entrance and looked down to find his favorite person smiling back at him. For too long, he didn’t even dare imagine this moment, too ashamed of where he came from and then afraid that he’d ruined it all.

But things were changing. In the last month, his house was no longer the cold prison he’d come to regard it as, but a peaceful abode. While he and his father were by no means of the same opinion on all matters, he could tell Gabriel was genuinely trying to repair their shattered relationship, his crusades into town becoming less frequent and their shared meals more cordial. When Adrien had announced his engagement to the daughter of Thomas Dupain, Gabriel had managed a hesitant “Congratulations” in response. Even the mumbled it could have been worse Adrien picked up as he left the room with a strained smile was more approval than the boy had ever expected to receive.

And now Marinette was on his doorstep, knowing everything there was to know, and still showing up. For their date.

Adrien’s eyes glanced behind her to find her married cousin, Rose, watching them both with a smirk. No more unchaperoned meetings for them. Her parents had been as lovely as she had described, but they were no less outraged at the thought of their only daughter escaping to meet a man under the cover of darkness. In fact, they were more scandalized by that than the revelation that Marinette had been dressing as a man for the last month or so to work at the theater.

Because of all the earlier subterfuge and consequential chaos, Adrien had only seen her twice in the last month, her family deciding it would be best if Marinette at least publicly took some time after breaking with Luka before being publically courted by him. Adrien wasn’t exactly pleased, far too used to seeing Marinette everyday, but he knew her parents were right. Marinette would already be under enough scrutiny as his betrothed, and he was determined to protect her reputation however he could.

So they wrote letters. Adrien, sometimes twice daily. Their messenger boy was surely swimming in coin with the amount of notes he’d been delivering to Marinette on his behalf. But as much as he loved reading her thoughts, as much as he would cherish those physical manifestations of their courtship, nothing could compare to her by his side. Yet, when the day finally arrived and she stood before him at his front entrance, he froze. Marinette thankfully came to his rescue.

“Are you going to invite us in, minou?”

“Of--Of course,” Adrien backed up with a smile, sweeping his hand as he ushered the ladies into the entryway.

“May I take your cloak, M’Lady?” He asked with a grin and Marinette smiled back at him as she nodded. He moved to stand behind her as she unclasped her cloak and stole a glance towards their chaperone, who was being helped with her own garment by Maisie, one of the servants. Taking advantage of her distraction, Adrien rested his hands on Marinette shoulders, leaning down to quickly place a kiss on her cheek. She relaxed into his chest for the briefest of moments, letting out a contented sigh, before turning to allow him to remove her cloak.

“I missed you, chaton,” she whispered. “It’s been a long month.”

Adrien reached down and grabbed her hand, kissing her knuckles lightly, an acceptable touch as he felt eyes were watching them once again.

“You’re here now, Bug,” he whispered back, placing her hand in the crook of his arm. “And soon, these long separations will be over.”

She took a deep breath, her hand squeezing his forearm lightly, and smiled.

“In the meantime,” he continued in a louder voice. “Would you like a tour of your soon-to-be home?”

“Yes, please!”

“Where would you like to see first? The Grand hall? The Kitchen? The library? The--’

“The library,” Marinette and Rose responded at the same time and Adrien chuckled.

“Well, mademoiselles,” he stuck out his other arm in offering to Rose. “Follow me.”

~*~

Marinette strode through the grand house on Adrien’s arm, his words still ringing in her ears.

Her soon-to-be home.

It shouldn’t surprise her, but it did. She knew she wanted to marry Adrien, and with her parents’ and his father’s, however begrudging, approval, she knew that dream would be realized, but she hadn’t quite thought of what came after. She and Luka had been in such a different situation with their elongated engagement, she’d never had to. But with Adrien it was different. With him, everything seemed to be different.

Once they wed, she’d become part of the nobility. She’d be expected to appear in court on occasion and don just as many horrendous corsets as Alya had throughout the years. She’d become a wife, and as Adrien’s mother was no longer alive, she’d also become lady of the house, in charge of running the estate. All that she walked through now would be under her command, and while she found the thought intimidating, it also excited her. The house was dreary, but clearly steeped in family history. It was begging to be turned into a home, and Marinette could just imagine the walls dressed in tapestries, the fire roaring and windows thrown open.

She could take the slate gray palate of the walls and warm it with rich burgundies and calming greens. She knew how much Adrien loved being out of doors, and she could just imagine bringing those colors inside. To their home.

Marinette was still smiling, lost in her thoughts as she analyzed the dimensions of the room when Adrien’s light cough caught her attention.

“If you’re done costuming the room, Bertie, we’ve arrived at the library,” he said with a smirk and nod towards the door they’d stopped in front of. Marinette glared at him but didn’t contradict his statement.

“You’ll thank me when it’s done,” she raised her chin with a flourish and left his arm to push through the doors herself. Her flare left her as soon as she looked around the room though, its grandeur far outshining any attempt at dramatics she might even attempt.

Marinette moved throughout the library in a trance, the shelves stretching from the ornately arched ceilings down to the slate floor, luxuriously covered in the largest oriental rug Marinette had ever seen. There was a smattering of furniture, a lounge and two armchairs huddled around a massive fireplace situated on the exterior wall, and though covered in dense draperies, Marinette could detect two large windows framing its mantle. She immediately gravitated towards the light, throwing one curtain open and turning in awe as she took in the true splendor of the room.

It was all the warmth she had imagined throughout the rest of the house concentrated in one room. From the myriad of colored tomes that sat upon the shelves, creating a rainbow that enveloped the room, to the rich leather furniture and hearty hues of the wood throughout, the library was absolutely perfect.

She had moved to run her fingers lovingly over the spine of a crimson colored book when she finally looked back towards the door to see Adrien leaning there with a secretive smile.

“What?” She asked, brows furrowing at the look on his face, but he shook his head in response.

“You belong here already,” he said at last, starting towards her.

“You did mention  this would be my home too soon,” she reminded him, absently noticing Rose settling in the far corner with a book. “Is that a bad thing?”

“It’s a wonderful thing,” he corrected her, laying a hand over hers where it still rested on the book.  “Seeing you here...Marinette, you don’t know how happy you’ve made me.”

“Adrien…”

“Truly, Bug,” he continued, cutting off her words. “I never dreamed--And then for a while I feared--”

“That you’d ruined it?” She supplied.

“Yes,” he agreed with a sad smile. “We both know you let me off far too easy.”

“Of course,” she agreed with a smile of her own. They’d had this conversation numerous times through their exchanged letters, yet Adrien still seemed reluctant to believe that she’d forgiven him. Placing a hand on his cheek, she sighed. “It’s a good thing you’re so pretty,” she patted it once. “And wealthy. Your fortune doesn’t hurt either.”

“That’s the reason, is it?” His eyes slanted mischievously, holding her hand on the book in place even as she tried to pull it from its location.”

“Well, of course. It definitely couldn’t be that I was already hopelessly in love with you,” she smiled sweetly up at him. “Nor that over the last month you’ve incessantly apologized in increasingly imaginative turns of phrase.”

“You love my notes and my jokes,” he countered.

“I love you,” she responded, placing a swift kiss to the corner of his mouth and using his distracted state to pull the book out from under his grasp. “The jokes I merely tolerate,” she continued, spinning away from him into the center of the library.

Adrien blinked at her in a daze before darting after her. She quickly rounded the small seating section and plopped herself in an armchair. Adrien pouted, looking between her choice of seating and the lounge that would comfortably fit the both of them forlornly. After a moment, he came  to sit by her feet, resting against the base of her chair. His shoulder leaned against her leg, and as Marinette opened the book, she let her hand fall to his head, fingers combing through his locks absentmindedly. Rose caught her eye from across the room, but said nothing.

Marinette relaxed into the chair with a smile, easily imagining an eternity of moments like this and a lifetime of this contentment.

Had she let him off easily? Probably, but her chaton was already too hard on himself. She had no desire to berate him further for his mistakes. Neither of them were perfect. They’d both made mistakes and would doubtless make more. A lifetime’s worth of mistakes and fumbles, if Marinette had anything to say about it.

And fumbling through life with Adrien by her side?

There was nothing Marinette had ever desired more.

~*~

Gabriel unclasped his cloak and handed it to the waiting servent with a nod. Inside the safety of his home, he let out a long-suppressed sigh, running a hand over his face in exhaustion. He’d been under mounting pressure the last few weeks, but despite his colleagues’ confusion at the seemingly sudden change in his practices, Gabriel offered no explanation. He was their superior, after all. If he decided that their accuse first ask questions later stance needed to change, then their job was to carry out his wishes. No hesitation. No questions. Thankfully, his carefully cultivated fearsome reputation saw it done with minimal hesitation.

Which was honestly for the best. Gabriel still had trouble explaining his change of heart to himself.

There was no fundamental shift in belief. He was still as devout as he’d always been and wholeheartedly believed in Queen’s law. The Catholics were still traitors and it was still his duty to capture them for prosecution...but not the way he had been. His son had been right, as loathe as he’d been to listen to the young man. Gabriel had taken it a step further, carrying out his own personal vendetta. He’d wanted--he’d needed-- to avenge Emilie, but his wife would have never chosen this for him. She would have never asked for violence in her name. And if she’d lived to witness what his relationship with their son had become… Gabriel shuddered to imagine her fury.

In his misguided attempts to find justice for his wife and create a feared reputation that would protect his son, he’d driven away exactly what he’d been so desperately trying to shelter. Adrien had no love for his work. He had no love for the cause Gabriel served and had no desire to follow in his footsteps. Gabriel had only succeeded in pushing his son away, pushing him to view his father as a monster and their house as a prison he needed to escape from.

Gabriel could practically imagine Emilie’s reaction to how they were now. Her boys, she’d always lovingly referred to them. When she was alive, they’d been a team. Gabriel was determined to make it so again; make it right...No matter how set in his ways he’d become.

Rolling his shoulders to release some tension, he began to unbutton the top his doublet when he heard a laugh echo down the hallway. No, not a laugh. A giggle. Gabriel felt his brows furrow, the sound so foreign in his home it took him a minute to register the reason.

Adrien’s betrothed was here today. He had mentioned the meeting at breakfast that morning, but in the havoc of the day, it had completely slipped Gabriel’s mind. He grimaced at the thought of forced niceties after the draining day he’d had, but left his doublet fastened and began to move towards the sound. He supposed it was high time he met the girl who had captured his son’s heart.

From what he’d heard, she was entirely respectable. The only child of a prominent man of middle class, no one seemed to have anything negative to say about the woman, save that she came of questionable heritage and recently broke off a betrothal. Adrien had told him as much, and her foreign mother concerned Gabriel far less than her recently jilted husband-to-be. He knew Sir Couffaine somewhat, and knew him to be a fine young gentleman, despite his father’s...questionable temperament. Gabriel could only hope that Adrien was correct when he relayed that the man was agreeable in the dissolution of his arrangement with Miss Dupain. That, and that the girl hadn’t jumped ship from Luka once she’d caught sight of Adrien’s much more sizable fortune, as he admittedly feared.

Locking his jaw, and attempting to place a neutrally pleasant expression on his face, Gabriel walked into the doorway of the library and froze in his tracks. The room was alight for the first time in...in Gabriel couldn’t remember how long. The curtains  that covered the windows framing the fireplace had both been slid open and the room seemed to glow with the colors of the books and reflection of their gold lettered spines. In the far corner sat Lady Rose Lavillant, a cousin of Miss Dupain who had also married above her station. Book perched on her barely protruding stomach as she chaperoned the young couple, she looked in his direction as he entered and nodded before looking away.

What truly caught Gabriel’s attention was his son. Adrien glowed even brighter than the room under the gaze of Miss Dupain and Gabriel could do nothing but watch in awe. A genuine smile stole over his face as he watched the girl spin away from Adrien, calling some jab he could not hear, but causing his son to chase her around the lounge chair by the fire. With a satisfied smile, Miss Dupain fell gracefully into and armchair, the left armchair. After a moment, Adrien came to sit at her feet, leaning into her legs with a sigh as her hand came to rest in his hair, fingers lazily playing with the length of it.

Gabriel felt his breath catch in his throat at the sight of them, his mind being transported into the past and catapulted through a cacophony of memories. How many times had he and Emilie circled each other in this very same library? How many times had his wife sat in that very chair, her chair, as he lay at her feet contentedly. He remembered how she would kick off her slippers and bury her toes under his torso, claiming he was warmer and more efficient than any bed warmer.

He distinctly remembered sitting against that chair one day two decades ago, exactly as Adrien did now, as Emilie’s fingers brushed through his hair in a daze.

“What do you think of the name Adrien?” She’d asked out of the blue and Gabriel had groaned.

“Emmy, no more stray cats,” he responded. “We practically have an army in the backyard at all times. You get too attached when you name them.”

“So,” she hedged. “You don’t like the name?”

“It’s a lovely name,” he relented with a sigh. “Which cat will be Adrien?”

“Maybe the pretty black one,” she began, but Gabriel could hear the laughter in her voice. “Or...maybe it could be our son’s name.”

Gabriel remembered how his body had jolted, the world freezing for a moment before being thrown into a tizzy. In an instant, he was on his feet, pulling Emilie with him as he spun her in jubilation. Her laughter had echoed off the walls as she held him close, their unborn child nestled between them.

As he watched the two before him now, he knew his son had a chance at the same happiness.

Gabriel took a step into the room, and the young couple seemed to startle as one, Adrien jumping to his feet with Miss Dupain following quickly in suit. He watched as she carefully closed and set the volume she’d been holding on the side table with reverence, and decided he liked the girl even more.

“Pardon my interruption,” Gabriel began, taking a few more steps into the room. “I didn’t mean to startle you.”

Adrien gave him a quizzical look, but after a moment reflected his soft smile.

“Father,” Adrien said. “Allow me to introduce Miss Marinette Dupain, my betrothed.”

Gabriel couldn’t help but smile wider at the pride that echoed in Adrien’s voice, but his attention was quickly captured by Miss Dupain as she rounded the chair and came to a stop before him.

“A pleasure to make your acquaintance, Lord Agreste,” she curtseyed briefly, but broke with decorum as she lifted her eyes and held his gaze. Gabriel took her proffered hand, and bent over it as was customary.

“Likewise, Miss Dupain,” Gabriel responded as he released her hand, surprising himself by the sincerity he felt in the statement.

“Please, call me Marinette,” she smiled up at him, her now free hand immediately seeking Adrien’s as he came to her side.

“Then you must call me Gabriel,” he said, looking to his son and and giving his shoulder a quick squeeze. “We’re practically family after all.”

Adrien’s eyes shone in gratitude and Gabriel gave him a slight nod before excusing himself from the room without another word.

As he walked to his chambers, the faintest smile teased at his lips.

He stood by his earlier appraisal of the girl, but while it was still true that his son’s choice in bride could have been worse, Gabriel did have to amend his statement. After seeing the two together, he realized there was a more apt measurement.

He doubted Adrien could have made a better choice.

Despite the questionable beginnings of their courtship, Gabriel would have never found a better match for his son.

And with a pleasant ache in his chest he couldn’t ignore, he knew Emilie would agree.

[sodokachi]

Ladynoir July Day 9 - Petty Arguments

Alya needs to know. You know?

(Ao3 Link)

Alya grinned as she ran up to her idols. They had just finished fighting an akuma and she hoped to get an interview with the two of them.

Chat looked up from the akuma victim he was comforting to give her a nod in greeting. Since he was obviously busy Alya made her way over to Ladybug instead. The girl was standing off to the side and frowning slightly at her partner.

Alya glanced between the two of them and frowned. A sudden feeling of dread ran up her spine. Were they alright? Determined, she decided to find out if they were having relationship issues.

“Hey Alya you there?” Ladybug waved her hand in front of Alya’s face.

She shook off her worries, for the moment, and turned on her phone to record audio.

She smiled politely, just a hint of something sly behind it. She had been working on what she called her ‘reporter smile’ and, considering Ladybug was smiling back, she thought it was coming along nicely.

“Bonjour Ladybug. Can you tell me about the fight?” She started with an easy question to throw her off guard.

Ladybug smiled confidently and went over the details of the akuma battle. Alya considered most of it a repeat and therefore wasn’t very interested. The akuma was another disgruntled janitor, Paris got three of those a month on average. They typically don’t cause that much damage before the heroic duo are able to sweep them up.

“Thanks for the info, how is the victim doing?” She lead the questioning, hoping to get to the topic she wanted to discuss since she first arrived.

“He’s fine, just a little shocked about the whole thing.” She gestured to her partner and the jumpsuit clad janitor chatting on the side of the road.

“Oh? Chat must have his hands full.” She remarked, watching Ladybug’s expression carefully.

Ladybug’s smile turned a little tense and she shot a look in Chat’s direction. “He’s fine, apparently.” She grumbled the last bit under her breath. Alya only heard her due to her paying close attention.

“Apparently? What do you mean?” She needled, only feeling slightly bad for digging when the hero most likely didn’t want her to. She needed to know if the superheroes were having a falling out.

Ladybug sighed, surprisingly not minding the interrogation. “He never lets me help.” She pouted.

Alya blinked. What? “What?” She asked out loud.

Ladybug rolled her eyes. “Chat. He won’t let me help.” She gestured over to him.

Alya tried to wrap her head around what Ladybug was saying. “So, Chat won’t let you help him with personal stuff?” She guessed hesitantly.

Ladybug gave her an exasperated look. “No. He won’t let me be the one to talk down the akuma victims.”

Alya’s mind went blank. “What does that matter?”

Ladybug frowned severely. “Chat shouldn’t be shouldering all the work while I get to chat it up with the media. It’s not fair.”

“Right.” Alya agreed.

“He won’t listen to me though! He just says: ‘My lady, don’t worry about it.’ Like, really Chat! He’s way too nice, ugh.”

“Mmhmn.”

“I mean, I don’t need to do it every time, I just want him to have a break every once in a while. You know what I mean?”

Alya nodded.

Chat cleared his throat from behind Ladybug, making her jump. “Uh, hey Chat! Done with the akuma victim?” She giggled nervously.

He gave her a wry look. “Yep, just in time to hear you talking about me.”

She cringed slightly. “Sorry.” She murmured. “I didn’t mean to talk behind-”

He waved it off. “I’ll let you talk to the next one.” He smiled to show no harm had been done.

Her eyes lit up. “Great! Don’t you worry Chat; I’m sure you’ll be great on camera!”

Chat snorted in amusement; his eyes full of humor.

“Um, hey Chat Noir, feel like saying anything before you two have to go?” Alya asked, she kind of needed to lie down. These two gave her a headache.

He winked at her. “Not really, just make sure you catch me later, miss reporter.”

Ladybug didn’t even seem to notice the pun while Alya felt a full body cringe coming on.

“Well, I’m going to bug out! See you later Chat Noir!” She nodded at Alya as she left.

Alya groaned as Chat left with another wink and a salute. “Those two are awful. I’m going to need some serious down time after those puns.” She groaned. “At least they’re not having issues.”

[cass-chan12]

Closer than you think (part 2)

Fandom:  Miraculous: Tales of Ladybug & Cat Noir. Genre: Romance & Comedy  Pairing: Adrienette, LadyNoir, Marichat, Ladrien  Rating: K+ Type: Two-shot, (part one)

Summary: The person you're meant to be with might be right in front of you, all it takes is some searching. 

Paris couldn’t have looked more beautiful than it did at dusk. The beautiful pinks and oranges lit the sky and the Eiffel tower shone in pride over the city. The city was looked after in more ways than others and made it peaceful to live in… well for some.

Due to the unfortunate circumstances of Hawkmoth living somewhere in the city, akuma incidents tended to occur a regular basis. But fear not! Ladybug and Chat Noir are the protectors of all Parisians!

Two partners with unique skills and good compatibility is definitely a recipe for a good team. But…

It makes it difficult when love is in the mix…

Due to some love struck craziness, Chat Noir had done something he should have never attempted to do, but the poor boy was at his wits end.

He found out Marinette Dupain-Cheng, is his very Ladybug.

It definitely came as a shock but it made so much sense and provided so much clarity, and it made him fall harder for her albeit it made her madder at him.

After that fateful day when he found out, he gave strong hints she knew him in her day to day civilian life and that she practically gave away her own cover and to top it off he refused to tell her who he was and made a game of the matter.

Marinette’s competitive side was unleashed but her temperament wasn’t as easy to control, especially when he mocked and teased, giving him the advantage.

One particular time after solving an akuma incident and the crowds had cleared around them, giving them a few minutes before reverting, he had started some jabs at her ego.

“Great job as always MariBug- Ooops! I mean Ladynette- Oh Sorry! No no, Ladybug…” He teased, trying to act clever in using new names.

She glared at him and turned her back to him preparing to leave until she heard his voice again.

“Why not stick around Bugaboo, it doesn’t matter if you revert after all~” he sang cheeringly.

She froze and gripped her yoyo hard.

She breathed in and out and whipped her yoyo across to swing away without saying anything, not to mention she was having a tough time not kicking his tail and killing him on the spot.

By the time she got home she was fuming. Jumping into her bedroom from the trapdoor Marinette released her transformation and didn’t give much time for Tikki when she started to rant and huff.

“What a relentless Ally Cat!” she seethed as she walked to her chaise and then to her computer, pacing back and forth.

“He was a little over the top…” Tikki admitted

“Not only that, he blabs my name, well half of it, as a joke and anyone could have been nearby!” Marinette collapsed onto her chaise and groaned unbecomingly.

Tikki floated over to her head and patted it sympathetically and heard Marinette pipe up again.

“What could he possibly gain from torturing me like this?” She grumbled.

“You know Chat Noir, he seems to like teasing you when he can, whether its puns or poor jokes.” Tikki sighed as she sat on her holders head.

“Well it has to stop, quite frankly I don’t like being beaten at this game of his. He said he knows me in real life so the question is who it is and how I can catch him…” Marinette brainstormed.

“I sure we’ll think of something Marinette. For now, you should start on your project for school. Hero’s need to do homework too.” The little polka dotted kwami lightly joked.

Marinette internally nodded and lifted herself off her chaise and headed to her desk to start her project for school.

She gave off a soft sigh “I hope tomorrow will get better.”

Tomorrow didn’t get better…

Anyone who knew how ‘graceful’ Marinette was in the morning would have not been surprised by her running, bumping and tripping she had to accomplish to make it to class on time.

With an exasperated sigh Marinette sat down at her seat just in time for class with her best friend smirking and shaking her head at her.

“Girl, how in the world did you make it here without breaking any bones? And I'm not talking about yours.” Alya said in her usual sassy tone.

Marinette rolled her eyes “I'm lucky I guess” she dryly joked.

A stifled laugh came from the class door and both girls looked up to see Adrien was the one making the sound. The two stared at him, with no emotion on their faces- confused to why Adrien thought Marinette’s sarcastic comment amused him.

He stared back and in a panic he faked a cough to pass off the first sound he made.

It seemed to work since Alya changed the subject.

Marinette tried to follow along with the new conversation at hand but she couldn’t focus. Sure on a day to day basis Adrien clouded her mind but today she found it particularly difficult to tear her eyes away from him sitting in front of her.

His head tilted to the side to look behind him and their eyes locked for a moment. Her eyes few back to Alya’s face pretending to pay attention.

She could only pray her cheeks weren’t as hot as she felt.

‘Why did he just look at me? He usually never turns around…’ she panicked internally.

That was the least of her troubles that day.                

In science she fell asleep and Ms. Mendeleiev had been on her wits end and sent the sleepy girl to the Principals office… not to mention she got paired with Chloe again in Chemistry.

So far everything was in shambles and to Marinette’s detriment she definitely was not living up to Lady Luck as one would think.

It was almost time to head home in time to help her mother with dinner, which Marinette was eternally grateful for since she feels like she needs to end this day. As she was leaving the school grounds a familiar blonde popped up in front of her.

“A-A-Adrien!” she squawked by his sudden appearance.

He was smiling very charmingly, with or without his knowledge that reminded her of the emotion of smugness. But it didn’t end there, no, Adrien just had to stop her heart once more… but not in the way she was expecting

“Fancy meeting you here Marinette.” He joked, which was an occasional occurrence but then he winked at her and did the finder guns…

She blinked once. Twice.

‘Umm what?’ she almost said aloud.

Her lack of response panicked the blonde but kept his cool and spoke again.

“Sorry about what happened in class, I mean being paired with Chloe; I know she can’t be easy. Too bad you guys don’t have good chemistry…”

Marinette couldn’t stop herself but she rolled her eyes and huffed at the pun but instantly regretted doing it so gaudily.

Adrien oh so desperately wanted to call her out on her Ladybug side showing but controlled himself from doing so.

Marinette tried to play off her eye roll with an attempt to laugh at the joke her crush made but came out sounding awfully fake. Adrien could tell and tried to contain his own laughter.

“Sorry for the pun, I know a lot of people aren’t fans” Adrien apologised.

Marinette panicked “What- no no no! I-I love puns! I have a friend who can’t stop making them! Yours was funnier though! Yep!”

She groaned at herself and ceased speaking in general. And ‘I have a friend’ is used very loosely right now as she wants to strangle said friend till his miraculous runs out.

No. no, no she will not think about that cat now, certainly not when she’s in front of her school crush!

‘Who reminds me of Chat’ her mind whispered.

She screamed at herself internally ‘He does not! It was just the pun!’

“Uh Marinette?” Adrien called out.

Marinette broke of her trance and looked bewildered to Adrien; she was somewhat disgusted at herself for zoning out so badly. Her face did certainly make Adrien chuckle.

“The joke must have been bad if it sent your mind flying” he said and winked at her.

Her face, which was red already, felt hotter tenfold. And the wink could kill… thankfully she was a hero that could handle it… barely.

“But don’t worry” he continued “You pulled a very cute face”

Oh boy, scratch that last comment she was a goner.

Adrien didn’t realise his own comment before he said it and he himself was screaming internally.

‘Really? Cool it with the flirting, you don’t want her to find out by shameless seducing!’ he scolded himself.

Before she could make an audible sound Adrien leapt to his recovery “Anyway I’ll see you around!” he said and dashed off.

She still stood in place, mouth agape and face red, ready to die. She… just couldn’t believe her ears! Adrien… ADRIEN just called her cute?! She wished someone was videoing or something.

“Well that was worth snooping around for” a familiar voice called out.

Of course Alya would be nearby with her phone pointed at Marinette who was still inaudible and red.

“Marinette B-R-E-A-T-H-E.”

The Raven headed girl did as she was told and gasped for a large gust of air and breathed out as slowly as she could had.

“I… didn’t dream that right?” she whispered.

Alya smirked and waved her phone “Do you want the proof?”

Marinette let a free hand cover her face and lightly laughed “Maybe another time… I don’t think I can handle it right now”

Alya chuckled lightly and adjusted her bag “I’ll send it to you later then. In the meantime why don’t you walk by the park and cool down”

It was a good idea and Marinette certainly needed it.

Dusk was settling in and Tikki decided to take a nap in her purse. Perhaps with no one to talk to, she can sit in peace and sort out her thoughts. And with the park being right next door she can enjoy the whole sunset and return to help with dinner.

She sat on a bench under a lovely lush tree, enjoying the breeze sweeping through the leaves that refreshed Marinette along with the beautiful pink and orange sky calming her into tranquillity.

That was until a few leaves fell in front of her.

Her head turned upwards to see a naughty, very sly cat

“Still being a creep I see…” she sighed out.

“Still using that term I see” he countered with an impish grin.

Chat hopped down into the shadows by the bench and crouched down so no one could see him. She adjusted her body to face him but kept her body comfortable.

“Just how long are you going to torture me?” Marinette eyed her partner.

“You see it as torture, I see it as fun. And only until you find me, My Lady.”

Marinette snorted unladylike at his comment “You aren’t very easy to find Kitty. In fact I'm considering strangling you until your kwami comes out.” She jokingly threatened.

“Meowch I don’t want that to happen. So what? My charming personality not easy to spot?” he joked.

She laughed dryly “Hardly”

“Well I guess I should be blunt like the guy who made you blush redder than a cherry at school today” he teased.

On que her face went the cherry red he mentioned.

“You were eaves dropping?! How dare- Grr- I… I can’t believe you!” she almost yelled out loudly but kept it tapered in case someone was walking past.

“You could say I got a front row seat” he snickered.

Before she could speak or possibly hit him he spoke again “So was that purrhaps my competition?”

She was sooo ready to smack him but huffed at him “That is none of your business” she hissed.

The sneaky black cat leaped onto the bench next to Marinette and intertwined his hands behind his head casually “You can’t blame me for being a little jealous Bugaboo.”

She remained quiet at what he said. Chat Noir is and had always been a flirt but his recent actions of desperation to find out who she was screamed something else on his behalf. Did he really like like Ladybug? And knowing who she is now didn’t change his mind? Was that really what this all was?

“So you really do like me” she muttered.

He heard her though despite her quietness, and remained still.

“Wasn’t that always obvious?” He said back, feeling his cheeks heat up.

She raised her brow at him. ‘Well no not really’ she thought to herself. She always had thought he was a jokester and a silly flirt, she hadn’t ever thought it was because…

The revelation hit her and she felt awfully exposed. Her cheeks felt warm all of the sudden and thank the sun for hiding the red tones in her cheeks with its orangey sunset.

She coughed, recollecting herself “S-so then, now knowing your beloved lady is me, you h-haven’t changed your mind?” she stuttered

He smiled warmly at her that sent shivers down her spine, as if those green eyes had stared at her before somewhere else but she couldn’t put her finger on it.

“It made things ten times better.” he grinned at her.

”In fact I feel so stupid for not putting it together sooner… the wit, the charm, the independency, the eyes, the freckles…” he chuckled “And overall, the ability to keep me wondering”

She was certain the sun couldn’t save her now with her blushing. Even her mind was screaming at her to stop.

She breathed loudly through her nose and caught his attention. She noticed that he also couldn’t hide his blush under his mask. So Chat Noir gets embarrassed too…

“And what about you, My Lady, what will you think of me when you find out my identity?” He asked barely audible.

Marinette looked to the suns last moments before setting, blinking slowly and tilting her head pondering.

“Well I guess I would be surprised since I apparently know you and I always assumed we never met out of costume…” she started.

“But I wouldn’t think less of you. You’re still my loyal, goofy, pun making, amazing partner and friend, I could never treat you less than that” she told him honestly.

He smiled at her words of endearment and couldn’t help but feel like he was floating on air.

And then her last words got him to think.

‘So there’s a chance you would treat me more than that?’ he thought

The sun finally set and Marinette sighed peacefully, she hadn’t thought her and Chat’s conversation would take such a usual turn from her trying to kill him to her complimenting him. Perhaps now that she had been so nice to him she could try getting some information out of him.

“I know what you’re thinking and nice try” Chat playfully said interrupting her thoughts.

‘Darn cat’ she cursed

He got up and brought his baton from his belt “Well time for me to dash Princess. Till next time” he saluted and vaulted towards the building.

“Till next time ally cat”

‘He might be closer than you think’ Marinette kept chanting to herself the following day

She hadn’t intended to think about him the whole night but Chat Noir plagued her thoughts and not in a good way. For the most part she was thinking about the fact that he liked Ladybug and her, not just one side of her but both…

Quite a number of times she had to pat away the red in her cheeks…

Never… never had she blushed about Chat Noir… but his sincerity was just so appealing at the time. No jokes, no teasing, just him speaking from the heart and she couldn’t get it out of her mind.

With her mind muddled up, Marinette hadn’t realised she walked into her last class of the day which was chemistry.

She snapped out of her trance and sat at her desk where Chloe was supposed to be at too since she was her new partner.

Marinette scowled in her seat without realising until the moving of the chair next to her caught her attention. Her bright blue orbs turned to look at Chloe but instead found a set of eyes that belonged to another.

Adrien’s eyes to be exact.

“Morning Marinette” he greeted

“H-Hi… uhhh what are you-?”

“I spoke to Miss Mendeleiev about swapping partners. I had Sabrina so I figured her and Chloe would get along as partners. I hope you don’t mind.”  He explained

Her brain felt like it imploded… she was going to be his partner for the rest of the term? She wanted to pinch herself!

But at the same time her mind figured Chloe must be awfully mad that she’s Adrien’s lab partner and not her.

She forgot Adrien asked her a question and quickly answered his question before she seems rude “No, no I don’t mind!” she squeaked.

“Morning Mari” Alya’s voice called from behind her.

Adrien smiled at her and proceeded to write up some notes while the girls chatted.

Alya’s face turned devilish and bent down to Marinette’s ear “Chloe caused quite a ruckus earlier, wanting to swap Sabrina for Adrien. But Miss Mendeleiev put her in her place”

Marinette figured as much and cast her eyes to a glaring Chloe who flicked her ponytail arrogantly.

Marinette rolled her eyes and looked back at Alya “Great, I'm probably going to have to deal with her later aren’t I?”

“I'm sure it’s worth it though” Alya winked.

Before Marinette could respond Miss Mendeleiev entered the class and had assigned experiments.

Adrien smiled towards her “So new partner, why don’t we make this term Fluorine Uranium Nitrogen?”

Marinette blanked “Uh…”

Adrien laughed at her expression “You know… FUN.” He snickered again.

Marinette wasn’t sure how to react but released a half-hearted laugh “Wow…” she said without realising.

“Sorry Marinette,” Adrien laughed “I tell bad Chemistry jokes because all the good ones Argon”

“Oh my god…” Marinette huffed out of control and quickly slapped her hand over her mouth.

“Don’t worry! That is people’s reaction to chemistry jokes” Adrien laughed again.

Marinette laughed along too, not at the joke but how bad it was “Please stop, it hurts” she pleaded with a sheepish grin.

Adrien smiled ‘Finally she opened up’

“Adrien, Marinette, less yapping and more working!” miss Mendeleiev yelled from the front.

The two snapped back to work without hesitation but secretly peeked at one another.

And that’s how the whole hour went, just her, Adrien and very, very bad Chemistry jokes. For the first time in the history of ever, Marinette wanted to strangle Adrien Agreste.

Was that even possible?

Yes, yes it was, especially when he would relentlessly shower her with lame jokes.

For instance, he asked her pass a beaker in which she said ‘Kay’ and he’d reply ‘Well Potassium to you too’

Or when she wrote down the wrong formula he said ‘I Zinc that’s wrong’

And so on and so forth.

What she found the most odd about her day, was that she felt more like herself around the boy who made her act like a babbling idiot. How long would it last though… when she would look at him, even just a glance, she felt all those anxieties come back.

She wishes she could be herself like she was when she was around Chat, she wishes she could be good friends with Adrien like she is with Chat.

She frowned without realising it ‘That mangy cat always finds his way back into my mind’

The bell rang and broke her thoughts, she sighed in relief as it was the end of the day… a very long day.

“See you tomorrow Marinette” Adrien smiled brightly at her before exiting the class.

“S-see you to-tomorrow!” She called out

When he left the class she groaned and covered her face in her hands and felt the sympathetic pat of Alya.

“Why is it so hard to talk to him? I was doing so well during class…” she fake cried.

Alya’s interest peaked “What did you do differently during class?”

“Well the thing is that I didn’t do anything… Adrien started acting differently…” Marinette frowned to herself again in confusion.

“He kept telling lame Chemistry jokes and puns and I couldn’t help but laugh or scoff at them. I can’t believe he saw that side of me,” Marinette suddenly panicked at her realisation.

“Did he react badly to your reactions to the jokes?” Alya asked

“I guess not” Marinette whispered

“Then there’s nothing to worry about. Your dislike for it maybe spurred him on to make more… Wow he’s not the sweetheart we painted him as.” Alya said in a humoured tone.

‘He did have a mischievous look in his eyes… Ugggh! This makes no sense!’

It really didn’t, Marinette couldn’t really think straight from the start of the class and well for the remainder of the time.

‘I need to clear my head’

And so she did, after she waved Alya off, Marinette transformed and took to the roofs of Paris. She leapt further and higher and swung faster with every thrust of her yo-yo. This was how she’d clear her mind, feeling the wind in her face and letting adrenaline coarse through her body. Her mind travelled to a simple and peaceful state were only she would be found.

Being Ladybug gave her that freedom, that indescribable fleeting feeling that she loves so much. Being Marinette is amazing but being Ladybug was equally as enchanting in such a different way.

The Hero in polka dots landed on top of Notre Dame and released a shaky breath of exhaustion. She didn’t particularly like the part where her adrenaline wore off and she was left exhausted.

She stepped near the edge and breathed in as much as she could from the familiar view she had fallen in love with so long ago. So high and secluded, her mind felt completely at ease. Until…

“Thought I’d find you here Miladybug” Chat’s voice said from behind her.

She gave him a deadpanned face without her knowledge.

“Everything okay?” he asked cautiously.

She snapped out of the facial expression and gave him a confused one “Yeah, just… needed fresh air. Chemistry class took a lot out of me today” she answered partially truthfully.

‘More like Adrien confusing me…’ she thought.

“Did your teacher tire you out? Lab partner?” he asked

“NO!” she answered too quickly.

“I-I mean no, Adrien couldn’t tire me out. He did confuse me today though” she said without thinking.

‘What am I saying? This isn’t something you should be discussing with Chat!’ she scolded herself.

“Oh?” Chat said surprised “How so?”

“Nothing to worry about” she answered again quickly, trying to dismiss the topic.

“Oh c’mon, he obviously got a reaction out of you” he punned playfully.

She snapped and was prepared to raise her voice.

“Oh my God you sound just-!”

Wait…

Time seemed though it slowed down.

And the more the realisation came to her the faster time sped.

Chat Noir’s eyes constricted at his mistake and wrapped his own hand around his mouth which was clearly not going to help him now.

Marinette could only stare at him in a mixture of shock, anger, happiness, relief and pure… pure realisation.

“-just like him… Adrien?” she breathed out.

He could only stare at her. He thought this moment would be… less tense. He pictured running into his arms and boom! Happily ever after! But he couldn’t quite comprehend how his heart was ready to shatter if she rejected him.

She wasn’t sure what to think until her brain recalled all the times they had been heroes together…

“A-all this time…” she mustered some words out in which Adrien became more anxious.

‘All those flirts, patrols, him jumping in front of me all the time… oh my- I kissed him during the Dark Cupid incident! This… this can’t be real!’

“Marinette, don’t be mad” Chat asked walking towards her, looking so… worried and sad.

The masked hero let out a shaky breath, forgetting her own anxieties, and looked to her partner who looked as if she pulled a knife on him. She knew full well of his fear of being rejected. In the end did he really want to be found out?

“Silly cat,” she breathed out, still comprehending what’s going on in front of her and forgetting everything that made her worry.

“Remember what I said? I wouldn’t think- I couldn’t think less of you.” She shakily spoke

“R-really? You don’t hate me?” He looked down at his feet

“N-never!” She took a step closer to him

‘You just happen to be the boy I have a crush on’

…

“W-what?” Adrien choked out.

Marinette’s face turned either pale or burning red.

“D-did I s-say that out… out…loud?” she managed to say.

He nodded slowly and looked to the ground again but not in sadness but in disbelief.

‘I want to die. I want to die. I WANT TO DIE’ she screamed internally.

“So… do you only like Adrien?” he asked in a monotone voice.

Her thoughts of how she wanted to die died… pun intended and she focused on Adrien.

Her heart soared at that moment and she could only do what she’s been afraid to do all this time.

“I thought I did… until an ally cat kept sneaking his way into my mind.” She mumbled due to her embarrassment.

He could hear her perfectly though and his heart felt like combusting with joy.

The several steps that separated them were being filled by Adrien, slowly but fast enough to send Marinette’s heart into her throat and nearly choking her.

Only a step separated them and Marinette couldn’t move, she could only look into familiar green eyes that looked at her so fondly and lovingly.

‘What is he going to do’ she panicked

In a swift move, Adrien’s arms wrapped around Marinette’s small frame and encaged her in warmth and his head tucking itself in the crook of her neck.

He didn’t forcefully grab her and trap her, no, the right words were soft and gentle and dare Marinette think- blissful.

“If you want me to let you go, say so.” He whispered but at the same time also desperately asking her not to say no.

She didn’t; she instead had raised her own arms and wrapped them around him. Hugging him back felt so natural and it felt better than any adrenaline she could muster up jumping from building to building.

Adrien’s heart swelled at her returning the hug. But he yearned for more…

He lifted his head and leaned back to look at her.

She looked up at him, her eyes bold and blue and certainly curious. Her cheeks were bright red and making her look absolutely adorable.

“Marinette… I want to kiss you” he whispered.

Her whole face turned red and she had immediately averted her eyes from his.

“I won’t if you don’t want to” he quickly added.

She looked up at him quickly “I-it’s not that I d-don’t want to” she interjected “It’s just…uh… it’s m-my first-”

“It’ll be mine too” he smiled and reassured her.

She stared at him, feeling anxious and so unbelievably happy at the moment. She bit her lip out of habit which didn’t help Adrien contain himself.

“I-I want to kiss you too” she confirmed.

He smiled and leaned down slowly until their lips met in a sweet and pure first kiss.

She couldn’t keep her eyes open at all; her thoughts were drowned by the feeling of Adrien’s lips on her.

First kisses were exactly what they are set out to be- a learning curve, a new sensation, a burst of affection. The kiss was short but the two felt like it had been longer and wished it would last longer but they slowly separated, both flushed and very embarrassed.

Marinette started to giggle all of the sudden which caused Adrien to raise his eyebrow at her playfully.

“And what is so funny, Milady?”

She stopped her giggling “I just realised something… You also gave away your identity! And with a stupid chemistry pun too!” she giggled again loudly.

He couldn’t help the grin that spread across his face. Looking at his lady, his Marinette giggle at him and return his feelings. He couldn’t feel any happier right at this moment.

“Chemistry puns are not stupid! They are the cat’s meow!” he grinned.

“And now you’re lumping in your cat puns, how pawful” she deadpanned.

“See my lady, we are meant to be” he grinned.

She only rolled her eyes at him. And let her mind wonder again,

‘To think this dork of a cat had been sitting right in front of me in class this whole time’

‘He was closer than I thought’

[ao3feed-ladynoir]

Once Upon a Dream

read it on the AO3 at http://ift.tt/2jt5iFb

by independentwriter137

"When we’re at a party like this, it’s almost magical, don’t you think? It’s easy to get swept up in everything.” She makes a vague sweeping gesture with her hands. “The music, the lights, the fancy get ups—all of it is like this happy little bubble and then when it’s over, it’s not the same.”

“It’s like waking up from a dream, you mean,” he said.

“Yeah,” she agreed with a smile. “It’s exactly like that.”

It was crazy, he knew. This idea forming in his head was absolutely insane, but it was worth a shot, wasn’t it? She was going to walk away from him tonight either way. He might as well make the most of it.

“What if we cut that part out?” he blurted out.

"What do you mean?"

“Tomorrow. What if we just enjoy tonight? No expectations of anything after tonight. No relationship, no meet ups. What if we keep it exactly like a dream? We don’t tell each other our names or exchange numbers or anything. We’ll keep this as a beautiful memory that we can look back on without ever regretting it,” he said.

“Okay,” she breathed.

~When Adrien and Marinette meet at a party, they decide to create a memory they'll never regret.

Largely inspired by the HIMYM episode "Drumroll, Please"

Words: 1613, Chapters: 1/1, Language: English

Fandoms: Miraculous Ladybug

Rating: General Audiences

Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings

Categories: F/M

Characters: Adrien Agreste, Marinette Dupain-Cheng, Nino Lahiffe, Alya Césaire

Relationships: Adrien Agreste/Marinette Dupain-Cheng, Adrien Agreste & Marinette Dupain-Cheng, Chat Noir/Ladybug, Chat Noir & Ladybug, Alya Césaire/Nino Lahiffe

Additional Tags: Inspired by How I Met Your Mother, HIMYM - Freeform, drumroll please, LadyNoir - Freeform, adrienette - Freeform, exasperated nino, exasperated alya

January 26, 2017 at 06:13AM read it on the AO3 at http://ift.tt/2jt5iFb