#daminette fic

[starwarsmum]

Day 2 of Daminette December: Forced Proximity

@maribat-calendar-events

How did Marinette get into these situations? Her finger jabbed the ‘door open’ button uselessly, the power completely cut. She growled and mentally cursed her best friend soundly. She should have known he was up to something when he had convinced her to enter the elevator first, but she had been distracted by the absurdly attractive boy who had entered first. 

The boy, Damian, was part of the class that hers was shadowing for their trip to Gotham and he had fascinated her from the moment she had seen him. He had been coldly haughty to everyone she had seen him interact with, even the tall boy he called his friend, but he didn't go out of his way to insult other people.

But what had intrigued her most was something she had seen by accident. During one of their lunch breaks, she had been looking for a quiet place to get away from Lila and stumbled across him. He had been sitting alone, a sketchbook in front of him and a tray of portable watercolours next to him. He was painting something from memory and she was awed by the confident brush strokes and obvious thought going into the painting.

Since that non-interaction, she had been drawn to the enigmatic boy. She had done her best to curb the attraction she felt for him, but it was fighting a losing battle. He had all but refused to interact with her class unless a teacher forced him but it didn't seem to deter her growing crush.

“Tt, this is absurd,” Damian said, his gorgeous green eyes glaring balefully at the number pad on the side of the elevator. He plucked his phone out of his pocket and sent a message to someone before turning towards her. “I have alerted my brother to our predicament but he will likely take some time to arrive.”

“Oh, you're fine- that's fine,” she yelped, correcting herself as fast as she could, mortified at her awkwardness. “I mean, you're fine too, but it's- the situation is what I meant, I've been in worse and- not that this is bad! You seem like a really great guy, from what I've seen and gorge- great, I mean, just great.”

Someone put her out of her misery, she was dead. Her face was burning and his eyebrows rose with every fumble she made. He looked almost amused, leaning nonchalantly against a mirrored wall. She forced herself to stop, swallowing hard and mentally writing her will.

“You are amusing,” was all he said, looking away from her at last. Any hope she had of coming out of this encounter with a positive impression was shredded beyond repair. If she got out of here without combusting, she was going to murder Adrien and frame Chloé for it. She was sure the blonde girl had a hand in this, the childhood friends had been suspicious all day.

“What should we do while we wait?” She blurted out at last, freezing momentarily when he looked back at her. He shrugged elegantly and she forced back a groan at how badly she was doing at this. “I mean, if we're stuck here anyway, maybe we could do something to pass the time?”

“I suppose it would not hurt,” he responded in a cautious voice. He seemed to be debating something before sighing and sitting down. She followed suit immediately, not wanting to be looming over him. Whilst the power seemed to have been cut to the button panel, the lights were still on which meant at least they weren't sitting in the dark. “Perhaps we could play a game? I understand ‘twenty questions’ is often used to alleviate the stress of an uncomfortable situation.”

“Oh, uh, okay,” she said, trying not to visibly deflate at the word ‘uncomfortable’. She knew he wouldn't be thrilled to be trapped in an elevator, but she had hoped he wouldn't have minded being trapped with her in particular. “You should go first since it was your idea.”

“Alright. My first question is about the Parisian heroes, Ladybug and Chat Noir. Have you ever met them?” Marinette stared at him, her confusion at the direction this had taken leaving her speechless for a moment.

“I mean, yeah, most of our class has met them,” she hedged cautiously, trying to think why he would want to know this. “Hell, most of the class were akumatised at least once during Hawkmoth's reign, so it was kind of impossible not to meet them.”

“Hm, interesting,” he said, and she could almost see him cataloguing her answer for later review. He nodded once before gesturing at her. “Alright, you may ask me your first question.”

“Right, sure, okay, um…” she wracked her brain for a question that would make her seem interested but not invasive. She settled on something she assumed was a safe topic as he had already mentioned it himself. “You said you have a brother, what's that like? I'm an only child,” she added as an explanation when he frowned at her.

“Grayson is singularly the most annoying and most supportive person I know,” Damian said after a few moments' consideration. “He is an adopted brother and I did not meet him until I was ten and came to live with my father. You said that most of your class has been akumatised, is there anyone who has not been?”

“Oh, um, just…just me,” she said meekly, blushing as he appraised her again. As he had been thorough with his own answer, she decided to go into more detail. “I mean, there were a couple of close calls but it never actually happened. And, I think Adrien said that he was only akumatised in an alternate timeline? Or that's what Ladybug told him.”

“I see,” he replied, fingers twitching a little as though he were typing something, or would if he had access to a keyboard. “That sounds like it was a stressful time. My understanding of the situation is that akumatisation occurred when negative emotions overtook an individual, making them susceptible to the supervillain.”

“Oh, yeah, that's a pretty good summary,” Marinette said, feeling inordinately pleased by the slightly smug look on his face at her compliment. “Okay, so, my second question is: do you have any pets?”

“I do. Currently, I house a cat, a dog, a cow, and a turkey, although I do some volunteer work with an animal shelter and will occasionally foster an animal.” He said all of this as though it was completely normal to have a cow as a pet. She must have made him a little uncomfortable because he coughed and looked away before continuing. “I find animals to be better company than most people. You mentioned your friend, Adrien Agreste. Is your relationship with him of an intimate nature?”

“What?” Marinette shrieked, clapping her hands to her cheeks in embarrassment. When he remained coolly detached, she forced herself to calm down and swallow the bitter taste of disappointment. For a second there, she thought he was asking because he was interested in her. But if he was, he was very good at hiding it. She sighed slightly before answering, as honestly as she was able without giving up secret identities. “I mean, we're just best friends. Maybe when we were younger it could've happened but it would just be strange now, I think.”

“But you would not have been opposed to a romantic entanglement with him,” Damian said, his tone going slightly flat. She looked at him curiously, because he hadn't asked a question, per se, but he had said something so she needed to respond.

“When we were fifteen and I had a crush on him, sure,” she said, shrugging. She heard him exhale softly and continued tentatively. “But we know each other a lot better now, so I think we're better off as friends.”

Before she could continue, or work out why his eyes were suddenly completely unreadable to her, the lights finally flickered out and plunged them into darkness. She squeaked and moved a little closer to him involuntarily. Even though she wasn't scared of the dark, the surprise made her grab automatically for his hand.

What surprised her was that he didn't pull away at the contact, his hand flipping so that he could hold hers too. Her stomach erupted in butterflies and she was glad he couldn't see the blush that flared to life across her face. 

“It is your turn to ask a question, Marinette,” Damian murmured, leaning closer to her. She could feel how close he was and her brain malfunctioned completely, leaving her trying to discern his features with wide eyes.

“Ah, right,” she said, her voice squeaky from the stress. Quick, think of a question, her mind screamed at her uselessly, trying to function. “Uh, so, are you dating anyone?” She eventually blurted out, cringing at herself and wishing the elevator would just drop suddenly. Honestly, death seemed preferable to the awkward pause that followed.

“I am not currently dating anyone,” he said at last, leaning back and she almost sobbed with disappointment at the cool air that rushed in from his absence. She cursed her stupidity, wishing she could take the words back. “You mentioned Agreste had spoken with Ladybug previously, is he in contact with her?”

“Um, well, his dad was kind of the supervillain, Hawkmoth, so he spoke with her more than anyone else,” she said, again carefully choosing what to tell him without lying. “My turn! What's your favourite art medium and why?”

“I was not aware you knew of my artistic inclinations,” he said, his tone warmer again. “I think I prefer oil paints as I find it relaxing to sit with a canvas and brush. I often try to find time and space on the manor grounds with my pets and paint.”

“Manor, huh?” She said, wondering how she kept meeting rich kids. He tensed slightly and she tried to put him at ease. “I guessed you came from a wealthy family, since you go to Gotham Academy. It's fine, most of my friends come from the upper crust of Paris,” she joked, smiling reassuringly even though he likely couldn't see her.

“Tt, and I suppose you have heard many rumours about my family,” he said grouchily. Marinette was bewildered for a moment, trying to work out how on Earth she could have heard rumours about his family. When the pause spread, he coughed awkwardly and pulled his hand away from hers. “You said you were friends with wealthy individuals, what of your own family?”

“Well, my parents run a pretty successful patisserie,” she replied, curling her arms around her knees to hide how hurt she was by his withdrawal. She decided she wasn't enjoying the game so much any more and tried to think of a question that wouldn't offend him further. “What's your favourite subject at school?”

“...I enjoy mathematics,” he said, a puzzled tone entering his voice. She made a non-committal noise but didn't press for further information. He was prevented from asking another question when his phone lit up. She looked away as his face was illuminated, not wanting him to see that she was upset. “It appears Grayson has arrived and is working to release us.”

“That's great,” she said dully, inspecting the hem of her skirt in the sudden light. She could feel his eyes on her but didn't look back at him. The phone mercifully darkened and they were in darkness once more. “If you still want to play while we wait, it's your question.”

“I do not-” he was cut short when they heard shouting and thudding coming from above them. He glanced up and Marinette decided it was time to stand again, stretching as she did so. The emergency hatch opened above them and light flooded from it.

“Lil D, you okay in there?” A cheerful voice rang out, tinged with a touch of concern. “We're gonna have you out any second, it looks like there's a little corrosion on the elevator wire, so we're being real careful. But if you could get ready to climb up- oh, hi.”

“Hi,” Marinette said awkwardly, waving as the handsome older man looked at her in surprise. So apparently Damian hadn't said there was someone else in the elevator - whatever hope she had that he was just shy or something shriveled into a hard lump. “Thank you for coming to get us.”

“Uh, no problem, sweetheart,” Grayson said, smiling at her bemusedly. She mustered up a smile that vanished as soon as he ducked out of view. She and Damian stood awkwardly, much further apart than they had been five minutes before. He was staring intently at her but she kept her gaze fixed on her hands. 

“Okay, I'm going to pull Damian out first because he's heavier, okay Miss?” Grayson said, dangling further into the elevator with a harness around his torso. She gave a soft okay, cupping her elbows with her hands. Through her peripherals, she saw Damian hesitate before reaching for his brother's hands and allowing himself to be pulled out.

She could hear the vague sounds of whoever was supporting Grayson as they took on the burden of removing Damian. Before too long, Grayson lowered himself back and offered her his hands. She grasped them tightly, pulling herself up with practiced ease, before the crew started pulling them out of the space.

The bright lights of the mall made her squint when she exited the elevator shaft and she was immediately engulfed in Adrien and Chloé’s arms. She glanced at Damian and Grayson, who were standing to the side of everything and speaking in low voices. 

She flushed again when Damian looked over at her, and pointedly looked away, furious that he had caught her watching him. Adrien looked at her curiously, but she could also see a flash of guilt which told her the elevator hadn't been malfunctioning naturally. 

“You are in so much trouble,” she hissed, glaring up at him. He rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly, muttering sorry as she huffed. “Also, you probably ruined any chance I had of getting to know him normally, so thanks for that.”

“Miss, I hope you're okay, we have paramedics that can check you over if you would like,” Grayson said, having approached them. Damian hung back, still watching her, but she made no move towards either of them. “Damian said you kept really calm in there, so you did a great job.”

“Thank you, but I'm fine,” she answered, offering him a smile again. “There wasn't really anything for me to worry about, and Damian told me he had asked for you to come and rescue us. I'm sorry you had to take time out of your day to help.”

“Anything for Lil D, and his friends,” he responded jovially, and Damian made a strange noise that made Marinette ache again. It shouldn't hurt that he didn't think of her as a friend, because they weren't, but that didn't lessen the sting.

“That's very kind of you, Grayson, but I'm just one of the French exchange class,” she muttered, glaring at the floor. She missed the curious look he sent towards his brother, but carried on regardless. “Thank you for your time, Damian, I hope the rest of your day is pleasant. Adrien, Chloé, we should rejoin our class.”

Damian watched her stalk away, confused and frustrated. Marinette had been one of the few students from the Parisian class that hadn't annoyed him with questions and power-hungry looks. She had intrigued him with her generally pleasant demeanour and the cordial way she spoke to everyone she met. 

So when the elevator malfunctioned he had thought the game would be a good way to get information about Paris’ heroes without generating suspicion. But he had surprised himself when he asked about her relationship with Agreste, slightly unnerved by his own burning curiosity and the anxiety he felt while waiting for her answer. He had also been fascinated by her responses, charmed in spite of himself when she blushed and stammered.

And then she had asked about his own status and he had immediately been wary. Often, young women, and men, expressed an interest in whether he was single and immediately proceeded to ingratiate themselves so that they could work their way into his family.

And when she had tried to backtrack, his heart had sunk, convinced that she had overplayed her hand. But then she had deviated from his experience by giving a short, probably understated view of her family's standing. And she had withdrawn completely from the game, showing no interest in the final question she had been able to ask.

“She was cute, did you get her number?” Grayson asked slyly, a mischievous smirk on his face. Damian gave him an unamused glare, not wanting to admit that he seemed to have offended her. “Oh come on, D, I'm joking. I'm just impressed she came out of there without any broken bones, you hate being stuck with random girls.”

“Tt, she is not random, she is one of the students here for the French exchange trip,” Damian said, annoyed by Grayson's immediate interest. “Regardless, I have not caused injury to any of my peers in quite some time. Additionally, she was able to give me some insight into the Parisian heroes, causing an injury would have been counterproductive.”

“Oh, it was part of the mission then.” Grayson had the gall to sound as disappointed as Damian felt, and it grated on him. “Well, I hope she didn't make you too uncomfortable in the process. Maybe you can ask someone else about anything you didn't get?”

Damian was saved from this excruciating conversation by Kent jogging over to them. He looked far too happy, and it irritated Damian more given his own emotional state. Grayson greeted him warmly but Kent was grinning at Damian in a way that made him wary. He had the sudden suspicion that his conversation with Marinette was not as private as he would have liked.

“So you got stuck in an elevator with Marinette, huh.” Damian’s suspicions were confirmed by the way Kent stressed her name, and he growled a warning to the half-Kryptonian. “You know, you're very grumpy now that you're out of the elevator, what's wrong, did Dick interrupt?”

“Kent, I would advise you to shut your mouth,” he snarled, a blush spreading up his neck when Grayson stared at him. “Tt, there was nothing to interrupt, as I have already explained to Grayson that I was gathering information on the Parisian heroes.”

“Oh? And the relevance of asking about whether she was dating her model friend?” Damian was going to murder him. He hissed as much to his now ex-best friend, acutely aware that Grayson was far too interested in the exchange. “Besides, I don't think I've ever heard you talk about your art with anyone before.”

“I was gaining her trust,” he ground out, before turning to glare at Grayson. “Do you not have somewhere else to be?”

“Oh, I think I can spare a few more minutes,” his traitorous brother said, grinning more widely than Damian had ever seen before. “I can't wait to tell Tim and Jay about this. You sure you didn't get her number, little bro?”

Kent snorted and any hope that Damian had of keeping the disaster the rest of the conversation had been disintegrated. He looked away, glaring into the distance as Kent proceeded. “He offended her; apparently he's allowed to ask her invasive questions about her ‘romantic entanglements’ but she can't ask if he's single.”

“She asked if you were single?” Grayson squealed, whipping around to see if he could see her still. He looked disappointed when it became clear that she was out of sight. “Dames, I can't believe you weren't going to tell me any of this! I could've helped!”

“There is every chance that she was only enquiring to further her own ambitions,” he said grumpily, glaring at Kent when he sighed exasperatedly. “What is the problem, Kent? You are perfectly aware that most everyone who approaches me is interested only in my father's money. It is not as though I have a winning personality that bids them to approach me.”

Neither Kent nor Grayson had anything to say to that, and Damian felt vindicated, if a little hollow. Of course she was only interested in the Wayne fortune, and if even overly optimistic Grayson could not argue the point, it was practically fact. He had hoped, when she had asked about pets and his art, that he could explore the strange attraction he felt for her, but it was a risk he dared not take.

The remainder of Marinette's day was overshadowed by the frustration that she had already blown her chance of getting to know Damian better.

_ _ _

Adrien was nervous. He knew he had taken a risk when he had let Plagg mess with the elevator to force Marinette to spend time with Damian. She had been mooning over the youngest Wayne for the past week and a half and they only had a few days before they returned to Paris.

But apparently it had backfired, and now Marinette was angry and disappointed - not to mention slightly heartbroken. She had locked herself in her room at the hotel they were staying at, courtesy of the Gotham Academy exchange program, only coming out for dinner. Her eyes had been a little puffy and she had made a point of talking to everyone else during the meal.

And when they had gone back to the school the following day, she had made herself small and unobtrusive, barely talking to any of the Parisian students. And whenever she was in the same room as Damian, she had completely shut herself off, buried in her schoolwork or, if she was on break, her sketchbook. 

He wasn't blind, he saw the young billionaire’s son watching his lady, and wondered how true it was that he had ruined any chance she had. It had looked like he was going to approach her several times, but each time she had mysteriously become busy and vanished. A sour look was common on Damian's face, but even his usual glower had nothing on today.

As they approached the last lesson of the day, Damian's tall friend made his way over to her. She looked up at him, a brittle, bright smile fixed on her lips. The smile faded as he spoke, a concerned frown taking its place. She stood, abandoning her work and nodding to the boy before following him out.

Marinette followed Jon to an empty classroom, wondering what he needed to talk to her about. He had said it was urgent, and all but begged her to come with him so she had relented. But she couldn't think what he possibly had to say to her. Was he going to warn her to stay away from Damian? Because, if so, he would likely be surprised by how quickly he'd get her agreement.

“Sorry to drag you away from your work,” he said sincerely, and she nodded confusedly. “I just wanted to talk to you about what happened yesterday. Damian hasn't said much but he's been pretty grumpy ever since.”

“Oh.” Her throat tightened and she felt a hot prickle of tears in her eyes. Even though she had figured this was how it was going, she didn't know what to say. ‘Sorry, I made your friend uncomfortable and he hates me, which is a bummer because I have a crazy crush on him’? Yeah, not likely. “I mean, it was- bad luck, really. It sort of follows me around sometimes, but my best friend was the one who pushed me into the elevator with Damian.”

“Adrien, right? Why'd he do that?” Jon looked earnest, and she felt her will to keep quiet crumble away slightly. She mumbled something incoherent, not wanting him to think she was completely insane. He waited patiently, cocking his head to the side.

“Look, my friend thought that, if I was forced to spend some time with your friend, I'd get over my nerves and tell him I think he's cute,” she said eventually. She was rapidly losing her desire to keep it to herself in the face of telling someone who knew Damian well enough to put her mind at rest. “But I blew it because I have precisely zero chill and rushed into asking him if he was seeing anyone and now he hates me.”

“Whoa, hang on, you think he's cute?” Jon looked like Christmas had just come early, bouncing onto the balls of his feet. “Sorry, sorry, I just- Damian thought you were asking because you wanted to get close to his family, since that's how these things usually go.”

“Why would I be interested in his family?” Marinette was bewildered, her mind turning over their interactions and picking at them. In none of their conversations had he ever mentioned who his family were, and she had been so overwhelmed on the first day that she'd only caught people's first names. “I mean, I get it, I know enough people with money that I've seen the kinds of people that do that sort of thing. But he's the one who mentioned Grayson when we were talking.”

“Kent, you are supposed to be speaking with Mr-” Damian strode into the room and froze when he saw Marinette. She squeaked and turned away, apologising for intruding before racing out of the room. She didn't make it far before someone caught her arm. She pulled out of the hold automatically, turning to face whoever it was. 

“Apologies, I did not want to shout and cause a scene,” Damian said stiffly, arm slowly lowering. She blushed again, trying to look at anything other than him but only succeeding about twenty percent of the time. “I did not mean to interrupt you and Kent, you should go and continue your conversation.”

“No, no, it's fine,” she said breathlessly, trying not to let him see how panicked she felt. She got the impression that she was failing, abysmally. “He just- he wanted to make sure I didn't do anything in the elevator yesterday, I think. But I was rambling and I think I just confused him, so I think it would be better if I-”

“Marinette, calm down,” Damian instructed, stepping closer to her. She stopped breathing as she looked up at him with wide eyes. The only thing she could see was his steady green eyes and she felt dizzy. “Marinette, take a breath for me, I am concerned that you will faint otherwise.”

She gasped suddenly, and something like relief shone in his eyes. “Why do you think I'm only after your family?” She blurted abruptly, flushing when he jerked back from her. “I mean- Jon said you thought I was only interested in you because of your family, but I don't even know who your family are. Obviously I'd like to meet them some time but it's not like we're even dating, so that's kind of a moot point.”

“...you are interested in me?” He said quietly, stepping closer. She blushed harder, stepping back and looking away. He stepped back into her space, and she retreated once more, continuing until she was against the corridor wall. He used a surprisingly gentle hand to turn her face towards him searching for an answer.

“Obviously,” she whispered, her hands somehow gripping his lapels. He didn't seem to care, the hand on her chin moving to brush a loose strand of her hair out of the way. She licked her lips, a quick darting motion that he tracked, which made the butterflies return in force. 

“Then I should probably tell you that I find you attractive,” he murmured, his head lowering towards hers. His breath fanned over her face, but he stopped short of actually kissing her. They stood, suspended in that moment for several seconds before they moved.

Marinette could not swear to what happened next. All she knew was that she felt the pressure of his lips on hers and she thought she had died and gone to heaven. It lasted for the briefest moment before someone else came into the hall, and Damian jerked back again, cheeks adorably flushed.

“Oh, I'm so sorry to interrupt,” came a sickly sweet voice that made Marinette close her eyes in anger. She turned to glare at Lila, hands falling away from Damian’s shirt. “Adrien was just saying that he hadn't seen you for a while, and with class starting soon we should come and find you. I didn't realise you were…busy.”

Before Marinette could retort, she skipped away, flashing a smirk at Marinette over her shoulder. She looked back at Damian, who was eyeing the retreating vixen with suspicion and resentment. He glanced back at Marinette, a warmth coming back to his eyes.

“I apologise for my forwardness, Marinette,” he said, taking her hand and squeezing gently. She grinned at him, flushing as she thought about just how forward they had both been. “But…if it is alright, perhaps we could spend some time together this evening?”

“I'd love to,” she said, practically buzzing with excitement when he gave her a crooked smile. She excused herself to go and get her things from the lunchroom, after giving him her number so they could find each other at the end of the day.

When she got back to her bag, she found Adrien sitting guard over it. He smiled tentatively at her, clearly hoping he had been forgiven for the previous day. She gave him a mock glare, but the heat that had been behind it that morning had dissipated.

She still planned on getting him back for putting her and Damian in danger, just because he thought she needed a push, but she could let him have a false sense of security for now.

As the last class of the day ended, Marinette received a short text from Damian, letting her know where to find him. She said goodbye to Adrien and Chloé excitedly before shooting off to inform the teachers that she would be spending time with one of the Gotham Academy students. 

When she approached their meeting place, she slowed when she spotted Jon practically hovering behind Damian, an excited spark in his eyes. He waved exuberantly at her and she gave a small one back but smiled brightly at Damian.

Damian had been dealing with Kent's smug behaviour for the final hour of the day and he was irritated that the super had decided to stalk him to his meeting with Marinette. He was convinced that his meddling had resulted in the resolution of Damian and Marinette's conflict and it made him unbearable.

When she finally appeared, she seemed reluctant to approach whilst Kent was with him, making him even more annoyed. But she gave him a smile so lovely he forgot his bad mood momentarily, smiling back at her. She stopped within touching distance, gripping the strap of her bag tightly. 

“Apologies, Marinette, Kent insisted on accompanying me to this meeting, but he will leave in a moment,” he said, turning sternly on his friend. Who proceeded to ignore him in favour of the girl he was attempting to woo. Damian seethed quietly, swearing he would find a way to get back at Kent. 

“It's fine, my friends have been trying to butt in since yesterday,” she assured him, giving Kent a stern and disappointed look. Damian smirked at the wounded look on the other boy's face, relieved that Marinette was not deterred by his presence. “But would you like to get going? I have to be back at the hotel by 7pm and I'd like to get to know you better.”

“Of course,” he said immediately, offering her his arm which she took without hesitation. “I'm keen to learn more about this famous patisserie your parents are responsible for.”

“Besides, we can always plan how we're going to get revenge over coffee,” she said sweetly, shooting Kent a wolfish smile. Damian laughed aloud in surprise when Kent squawked. Marinette was certainly far more interesting than anyone else who had approached him and, if she truly did not know who his family were, she could not possibly be angling for the Wayne heir specifically.

(Now with Part 2)

[ggomos-maribat]

Double Lives

Damian was certain that his wife was keeping a secret from him.

He trusted her with his life, of course—Marinette had kept a number of things from him in the earlier stages of their relationship, like her experience and trauma in Paris. He knew not to pry, and eventually she opened up. He was glad that some burden was taken off her shoulders.

But this was different. She was deliberately trying not to get caught; she took care to hide her phone from his view, and there were days she'd come home very late. When asked, she'd get irritable but also nervous around him. Damian didn't want to assume things right off the bat, but he did hope she would finally grow comfortable to talk it out with him. And so he resisted using his ‘resources’ to peek into her life—what kind of distrusting partner would he be if he did that?

He knew, too, that he was being awfully hypocritical. He was still yet to sit her down and reveal his vigilante alter ego to her as well as his family's. Damian would swear he planned to rip the bandaid off when they got engaged. But he couldn't bring himself to do it, out of the fear that she'd leave him. As far as he knew, Marinette wanted a normal quiet life after living through the Evil Butterfly Man's reign of terror. Telling her his identity would just put a target on her back, if there wasn't any already after she became a Wayne.

He couldn't imagine his sweet innocent wife exposed to the horrors of vigilantism.

Still, even though he had his own secrets, it felt quite frustrating not to know hers. That was what Damian was thinking one dark night when the door finally opened, signalling her arrival from work.

“Damian?” Her eyes widened. “Why are you still up? You shouldn't have waited for me.”

“It's alright. I couldn't sleep anyways.” And I will be sneaking out for patrol later. He stood up to kiss her cheek—

But froze upon seeing a red mark right at the base of her neck.

Marinette hummed tiredly. “Next time, don't wait for me if you're tired, okay?”

“. . . What's that on your neck?” He dared to ask.

Her hand immediately flew to the spot on her skin. For a split second, her expression changed into a hint of annoyance. “It's—it's . . .” she stammered, “I accidentally hit myself.”

“You hit yourself?”

She nodded meekly.

Damian stared at her for a moment. There was one thing he knew about his wife: she was a bad liar. But she was expert at omitting things, partly because she probably knew he wouldn't interrogate her further. He knew that she was aware it was the vaguest of explanations but she never tried to elaborate.

He mustered out a smile. “Be careful next time.”

She let out a nervous laugh and squeaked out a ‘yes’.

“By the way.” He took a deep breath, “I visited your office this morning.”

“Oh?”

“Yes, and your secretary told me you hadn't punched in for the day yet.”

The silence between them was thick.

“Ah . . .” Damian could practically see the gears turning in her head. “That was . . . erm, I had to run an errand before work! Yeah . . .”

“I see. I was hoping to have lunch with you earlier but it seems that you're busy nowadays.”

She cursed in French under her breath.

“I'm really sorry, Damian.” She fidgeted with her fingers. “I'll make time this week. I promise.”

She hurried off to their bedroom, leaving Damian with his thoughts.

He really really didn't want to assume the worst. But his heart was racing and when he looked at the signs, they were clear as day. His mind started to spiral a little, wondering where he could've gone wrong, wondering if he didn't spend enough time on her or if she felt that he wasn't giving enough effort.

But he pushed all those thoughts away and followed her to bed.

***

One Saturday afternoon saw Robin and Superboy in the Watchtower's breakroom, talking about Damian's predicament. He hoped his friend could at least contribute an objective outsider's perspective in his dilemma and encourage him to broach the topic with Marinette.

“She's cheating,” Superboy deadpanned.

“She's—she's not,” he argued back, “Perhaps I am just reading too much into it . . .”

“Um but the hickey? The late night escapades?” Superboy frowned. “I don't know about you, but I don't think there's any other explanation for it.”

Robin bit his tongue. No, it's not possible. He loved Marinette terribly, and he knew—he could feel the same love from her if not more.

His friend sighed, “Look, I know it's hard to believe. Even I don't think M can be . . . unfaithful but you should confront her about it.”

“I can't. I can't face her like that when I am still keeping a secret of my own.”

“Then tell her you're Robin. A secret for a secret, hm?”

Robin didn't even want to think about how messy that conversation would be.

“It's all just about communication,” Superboy continued. “If you're worried she won't accept you, take my mom and dad as an example—”

He stopped talking, indicating that he sensed another presence nearby. Just on cue, a fuming Ladybug stomped into the breakroom, heading straight to one of the refrigerators.

The two men watched as she muttered angrily while looking around for food—Robin could see the clear exhaustion on her tensed figure. The Parisian heroine had joined the Justice League after the Hawkmoth fiasco became public; the heroes were quick to recruit her but not before she voiced out her complaints about the League neglecting her city. Though she hadn't revealed her identity to anyone, she had formed bonds with the other heroes her age, not excluding Robin and Superboy.

Superboy winced when she kicked the fridge door.

Ladybug did a hundred eighty, showing both the fires of hell and sleepless nights in her blue eyes. “You don't happen to have an extra stock of Kryptonite, do you?”

Superboy looked at her warily. “What happened this time?”

“Your dad assigned me to another magic-involved mission!” She tugged at her hair, sitting beside them. “I thought I made it clear I didn't want to be involved in too many missions especially if it's non-miraculous related ones!”

“You could . . . tell him that?”

She shot a sharp glare at them. “You don't think I did? They're insisting it's miraculous related when Constantine hasn't even confirmed anything! Just because Paris was terrorized, it doesn't mean miraculi are going to pop out from everywhere! These missions are affecting my normal life!”

It was a common complaint for heroes who had alternate civilian lives, but Robin was a bit surprised that she was that open about her feelings.

“And—and Batman too!” She pointed a finger at Robin. “I know Monsieur Furry's guilty about the Paris thing and all and me not having a mentor but he keeps checking on my progress after missions liked a damned helicopter parent! “

Before either of them could reply, she continued ranting, “I was going to meet an important client yesterday but they just had to call me in to help with the mission! And then it goes on until freaking midnight! What about my precious sleep?! Then Zatanna accidentally used a spell on me—it hit my neck and now it looks like a hickey!”

Her head dropped onto the table. “How the fuck do I fucking explain that to my husband?!”

Robin and Superboy looked at each other, wide-eyed.

“You—you haven't told your husband that you're a hero?” Superboy asked carefully.

Not lifting up her head, she replied with a muffled voice, “Of course not! I can't do that to him! He's already exposed to enough danger because of his last name! I just can't tell him ‘ hey mon amour so I'm actually that heroine from Paris on top of my emotional PTSD!’”

Robin swallowed. That was Marinette's name for him.

It ticked too many boxes.

He started to subconsciously connect the dots: catching his wife absent at work at the time the magic-wielding team of the JL was away on a mission; Ladybug sharing that she finally linked up messages from her yoyo to her personal phone; his wife coming home late, tired and fatigued from head to toe when all she was supposed to be doing was designing.

“I'm sure he'll come to understand your circumstances,” Superboy consoled.

“He won't.” The heroine sat up, revealing that her eyes were now welling up with tears. “He probably hates me right now because I'm sending the wrong signals. What if he thinks I'm just taking advantage of him for his money? His family already hates me! What if he's filing for a divorce right now?”

Robin felt the nudge from his friend, as if to tell him to do damage control. Superboy abruptly stood up, spouted out an excuse about being called by someone, and left the room to the two of them.

Ladybug sniffed, “Sorry, you probably didn't want to hear all of that.”

“It helps to get your problems off your chest.” Robin awkwardly patted her head. In truth, she was really Marinette, he wanted to pull her into a hug already.

He coughed. “Why—why do you think your husband's family hates you?”

“Oh . . . I don't know, but his father’s always distant. Whenever I'm at a family dinner, they're just very quiet,” she replied sadly. “I know they're good people but I felt like I didn't belong somehow. My husband keeps saying they adore me though.”

Robin wanted to sigh out loud. His father still had his guard up because he believed she was a civilian, hence there was a side of her family they could never show her. It was always quiet due to Alfred's stern lecture about behaving in front of Marinette lest they accidentally spill something they shouldn't.

“It sounds like your husband cares a lot about you,” he told her, “Don't you think he would trust you if you told him the truth?”

“But I can't! I don't know where to begin!” She pursed her lips. “He's always been good to me and he never steps the line even if I'm obviously lying. I just . . . I thought I could tell him before we got married but I was too scared and I didn't want to ruin what we had.”

“But he won't think any differently of you, would he?”

“No . . .”

“Then you have nothing to be afraid of.” He smiled a little. “It may come off as a shock at first but he will accept it in time. You will be stressing yourself out even more if you keep thinking about the worst scenarios.”

She stared at him. “When did you get so wise?”

“Ever since I started thinking about what my wife was doing.”

She tilted her head. “Huh?”

It was unmistakable. Those gleaming blue eyes were Marinette's.

He was such an idiot.

“She keeps coming home late, hides her phone every time I'm near,” he listed, gauging her reaction. “Last night, I found out she hadn't come to her office even when she said she was working, and I caught her with a strange mark on her neck.”

Her eyes slowly widened as she seemed to come to the same realization. The heroine's gloved hands flew up to cover her mouth. “Damian?” she whispered.

He checked if the coast was clear and slowly peeled off his domino mask to show his full face. “I'm sorry I didn't tell you habib –”

He was cut off by her warm lips, her arms winding around his neck. Damian immediately melted into her touch, relieved that they finally divulged their secrets. He wouldn't have to be worried about introducing her to the hero world after all.

He was extremely relieved, in fact, that he hadn't noticed his father and eldest brother stroll into the room.

“ROBIN! Are you cheating on your wife?!”

Robin pulled away from Ladybug, withholding a sigh of exasperation. He put his mask back on and turned around to see Batman looking constipated and Nightwing utterly shocked.

"How could you do that to—to . . ." Nightwing cried out.

"Leave us." He glared.

"Robin—" His father's voice was tinged with disapproval.

"Leave. Us."

Fortunately, the two scurried off. Damian faced his wife, who seemed as flabbergasted. He was worried since it was her identity that was at risk, unless he embraced the unexpected cheating allegations.

"Oh my kwamis," Ladybug said softly, "I called my father-in-law a furry ."

"It's deserved." He rubbed up and down her shoulders. "What do you want to do?"

"Oh um . . ." She ducked her head. "Maybe go home and I'll—I'll explain everything from the beginning."

***

Damian had to recount his life story after his wife shared hers whilst they cuddled in bed. After they talked, he was surprised to learn so many new things about her—he thought he had her memorized already, even before they exchanged vows. At the same time, he was mentally kicking himself for thinking that Marinette was never closely involved in the war against Hawkmoth.

Of course she was Ladybug.

Of course she was a hero.

So while she was spiraling at the number of times she'd unknowingly mocked her in-laws in the suit, he was regretting not telling her the truth sooner. If they'd opened up years ago, he would've stayed by her side during missions, helping her deal with the troubles of having a masked alter egos, and sharing his own experiences with her. A stronger bond would've formed between them, because they both understood the hero's life after all this time.

Not long after, she finally decided she was ready to tell the Waynes who she was. ‘It would do more harm than good if I kept hiding it anyway,’ she reasoned. He did agree, since she was part of the family, both as Ladybug and Marinette. The others would surely be overjoyed (and less overprotective) if they found out that she was a hero. What Damian found strange, however, was Marinette seemed to worry that Bruce's opinion on her would change and he'd become ‘distant’ as Batman as well.

“Remember, Batman is afraid of you,” he had reminded her over and over again.

(And Batman would be ecstatic to discover that Ladybug was his daughter-in-law, but Damian would never tell her that. The caped vigilante had grown fussy over the Parisian heroes as his way of ‘making up’ for the Paris incidents . . . But at the same time, he cowered ever so slightly when Ladybug raised her voice on him. Damian's siblings blamed Ladybug's black hair and blue eyes for triggering the adopt-itis.)

And so Damian and Marinette decided to arrange a family lunch to break the news to everyone. It was then Damian remembered that there was one issue he hadn't resolved yet.

“If you don't tell Marinette today, I'm telling her.” Dick glared at him from across the table.

Damian glanced at his watch. His wife wasn't present yet, and had sent him a message about picking up pastries from Paris first.

“Tt. That would mean revealing our identities, Richard.” He crossed his arms.

“Just because you have the mask on it doesn't mean you can do that to her!” Dick argued. “Does Ladybug even know you're married?! ”

“What did he do to Pixie-pop?” asked Jason.

“He---he—” Dick was once again trembling in anger and disbelief.

“We saw him kissing Ladybug.” It was Bruce who replied. “Damian, I never expected this from you. You will have to talk and apologize to Marinette.”

“You did what?!” Jason stood up so abruptly that the utensils clattered.

“What the fuck?” Tim exclaimed.

Stephanie gasped. “What the hell Damian?”

“Holy shit,” Duke whispered.

Damian could only stare at the entryway of the dining hall, hoping that Marinette would arrive soon. If he was left with his family any longer, they'd be beating him up and disowning him.

“I have . . . a reason,” he said through gritted teeth. He couldn't exactly tell them right off the bat, since Marinette wasn't there yet.

“Open . . . open relationship?” Cass frowned.

Suddenly, a bright light appeared at the ceiling—a portal— and from it, a figure dropped down, much to everyone's shock. Ladybug, unified with the Horse miraculous, grinned at them with an armful of boxes filled with croissants and macarons.

“Ladybug?” Bruce gaped.

“Your daughter-in-law actually.” She lowered the sunglasses, showing her narrowed eyes. “And your worst fucking nightmare.”

“W---What?”

Damian could barely control his laughter, seeing his father frozen.

She detransformed completely and scowled at Bruce. “This is technically your fault, furry old man! If you didn't keep agreeing to send me on those magical missions, I wouldn't be so tired and caused a misunderstanding in the first place.”

Damian didn't have time to shield himself from the eruption of noise on the table. With his wife's theatrical reveal, everyone was in different states of shock. Tim stood up quietly to face a wall with a blank stare, entertaining another existential crisis. Duke choked on the water he was drinking. Jason was crouched on the floor miserably with his hands over his face, perhaps because of the times he complained to Marinette about Ladybug's uptight methods. Dick's jaw was completely unhinged, and he was slapping himself every minute or so. Stephanie passed a hundred dollar bill to Cass.

And Bruce. Poor Bruce was paler than their porcelain plates, speechless and unmoving.

Damian exchanged a wide smile with his wife. He loved her so much.

[person25]

i just realized that those ‘peter parker school trip’ fics are literally the maribat Wayne Industries fics just in a different font

[aliensunflower-fics]

My Recommended Fic List

So, I got this ask awhile ago, and since I have been re-reading a bunch of my old favorite fics as a way to cheer up after work I figured why not. This list will be long... and varied but mostly its older fics cuz idk there my favs. Now lets go:

Fashion Upgrade - By @soap-lady : Straight up one of my favorite fics ever, its fun, its creative, it never fails to make me laugh when I need something warm and wholesome after a bad day. Also go check out the rest of her stuff there's so much good okay like shes just a writing queen. Shes on AO3 I don't want to spoil you on her other stuff just GO experience it for yourself.

Ode To Decoy pt 1 / 2 / 3 - By @a-marlene-s : Ive always liked this short sweet little fic about Lila getting caught. Its Lila + class salt though so avoid if that's not your flavor.

EVERYTHING - By @unmaskedagain : They have salt, they have sugar, they have funny, they have crossovers. Like honestly they are a just a great writer with so much variety so go check out the masterlist I linked and I guarantee there will be something there you like.

@ravennm84 Is a writer on the saltier side but they have a wonderful selection of weird wacky tales from the salty but oh so well written Damning Evidence that sees Lila get caught in the best way to the 3 part Horror inspired Serafina other great fics from them include Marinettes Family Court Circus pt 1 / 2 and Of Moldy Bread and Cockroaches / Be Kind to Servers honestly its worth giving there blog a look.

@mochinek0 Is another writer with several beloved fics. They write a lot of Maribat and we love them for it. Ones to check out would be Blind Date / Bruce vs Gabriel just go check out there tag list of daminette for more.

Accidental Crime Boss Marinette - By @lady-literature : This is a wonderful idea and a wonderful little fic and I just... I just like it okay. Sadly I haven't read a lot of there other stuff... But I might after finishing this list considering how much I enjoy this one.

@nobodyfamousposts I love a LOT of there fics. They are one of the best when it comes to striking that sweet spot of calling out the show for some of its garbage while not getting so salty that you cant have fun lighthearted goodness. I have been looking for a masterlist of there work but cant find one so just go stalk there tags. I do recommend there Chloe's Lament Series 1 / 2 exploring how certain 'wishes' would backfire. Guardian Assistant Kevin is also a good one Miracle Queen Aftermath pt 1 / 2 / The 8 parter Burn the Witch series / The Wisdom Teeth Reveal / Kagami Vs The Wall of Faces / Resigning With Grace & Spite / I tried to give a lot of links cuz they have a lot of stuff

Kill Them With Kindness - By @luki-fanfic : Well written, good salt without going overboard. Just good vibes. I havent stalked there other stuff but if its anything like this fic its probably excellent quality.

Stephen Vladislav pt 1 / 2 - By @stormiclown : Adrien centered salt on the idea of finally giving Adrien his own proper rival. I like the idea of Adrien having a rival because its usually Marinette and this was just the right length to get those creative ideas flowing. Also just well written what more can you ask for.

Power Trip - By @storygirl000 : This was the first fic that made me go... Wait would it be more fun if Lila was actually competent? And that set me on the path to writing my own fics where Lila is more villainous and more capable. Its short, well written. Good.

Your Wish is My Command - By DemiGoddess28 on AO3 : A great 11 chapter fic looking into Lila's life if she were to win and get a miraculous wish. Its got sugary goodness for our protagonists and the class and salt for our dearest friend Lila.

LadyBugOut AU - By Miraculous-Content on AO3 : A 50 chapter fic made up of snippets and ideas. I found it really inspiring in many ways. I also love how it redeems Marinettes classmates showing how and why they were tricked but holding them accountable anyway its just... Good.

Juleka vs The Forces of the Universe - By goldenlaurelleaves on AO3 : For those of us not yet ready to accept the death of luka/mari we have this wonderful fic showing Juleka being the biggest wingman as she helps these idiots find there way together.

ChaoticNeutral on AO3 has there own Chloe's Lament fic as well as a Gabriel's Lament fic for people who need sweet salty of those two characters.

BroadwayCutie16 was Inspired by the person above and DemiGoddesses your wish is my command fic to write Lila's Lament fic going over Lilas failed wish. Honestly I always love these fics because there just so interesting and the way wishes can be taken and twisted is always a fascinating idea to me.

#WayneAngel - By Tired-Writing-Teach on AO3 : For us Maribat lovers. Its fun and lighthearted with some good gags and some light fluff.

Damian in Paris - By Lilliesandliveries on AO3 : A sweet Maribat series showing what would happen if Damian ran away from home and found himself in Paris and getting therapy.

How a Demon Commissions an Angel - By AlixAnonymous : Damian blackmails Marinette into letting him be her client so he can get his bros the best gifts, they end up becoming penpal buddies.

Mythomania - By LadyEnna_50 on AO3 : Proof that I dont hate Adrien or Mari/Adrien. In this fic Adrien's spine gets titanium plating and he sees just how bad Lila is hurting Marinette and does something about it.

The Contingency - By AbyssalGuardian on AO3 : SALT. Also Tim/Mari but even still I love the way this was written, the style, and some of the ideas just ugh love it. Its not for those who dont like salt so just avoid at your own discretion. Its about a chaotic Marinette done with her life running away to Gotham where she meets her true black cat, and gets her life back on track.

The String That Binds Us - By FaithAndATypeWriter on AO3 : Okay so is there any Mari/Bat fan who hasnt already heard of this one? Who cares its good, its cute, I love it. May the author be blessed with snacks.

The Great IKEA Game - By @batsandbugs : Okay again... I think every Mari/Bat fan has probably heard of this one already because its just that good and that popular. But who cares I am recommending it anyway. Don't read if your allergic to fun I guess.

If this list still doesn't somehow have enough salt for you then try @goggles-mcgee fics here is a link to there Masterlist. They are in a way a professional at salt and angst and they make you want to adopt Marinette and pop her in a blanket fort.

Honestly I could keep going but this list already feels so long for other great recs though I can link you to @jayphoenic who has some great Daminette Fic Recs and some Lila Salt Fic Recs!

Feel free to reblog this and add some links to stuff you would think I or others might like! Also lets just acknowledge how many talented authors the community has like wow.

[hlyreg]

I Need A (Girlfriend)Hero!

Chapter 1

For those of the mlb community who haven't seen the fics of this crack ship, and those who have but haven't read the incredible "I need a (girlfriend)hero!"- by LilaVaporizer9000, go check it out. ✨️it's amazing✨️.

I'm currently rereading it and practicing my art skills through drawing a comic for certain parts that I think being drawn would be justified.

[fanfic-recs-01]

Daminette Fic Recs

So it looks like my posts are getting too big for Tumblr lol

I'll now be separating them a bit more and will have to make multiple parts for each post.

Link to Part 2

Updated 11/2/24

Marinette Dupain-Cheng/Damian Wayne

She’s Sunshine, She’s Grace, She’ll Punch You in the Face by Brinxiethebear *Finished*

~Marinette struggles to stay happy nowadays but what better way to change your mood than with a change of location? Adrien gave up his miraculous so he could start fresh. After all, his dad was in prison for being the super villain Hawkmoth and his other caretaker Nathalie died from over use of a broken Miraculous. So now Marinette is the guardian of the miraculous. ~

for us to collide by LadyLiterature *Finished*

~The story of Marinette stumbling upon the illustrious Wayne family over and over again, as well as the more infamous Bats, over the course of her many visits to Gotham. She, of course, charms the whole lot of them and finds that the same is true in the reverse.~

A Robin and His Lady by ProudGeek4Ever *Finished*

~Marinette lost her friends to Lila, Adrien was long forgotten and Chat Noir kept getting more irresponsible. Being a teenage superhero was stressfull, but Marinette's life takes a turn for the better when a chance meeting in Gotham changes everything. Damian changes everything.~

No, Mr. Wayne, You Can't Adopt Me! by ggomoz (ggomo_springtime) *Finished*

~Bruce's personal assistant is scarily competent---she seems to know the best decision at each time, predict emergencies, and is an expert at handling all of his children. But what if there's more to her than meets the eye?~

More Than One Secret by Tyshian  *Finished*

~Marinette Dupain-Cheng has Secrets. Damian Wayne has Secrets. The pair together have Secrets.~

Reunions are... interesting if you’re a Todd by crazyjc *Finished*

~Alright, this is based on laraceleste's Tell Me More where Jason Todd is Marinette’s big brother with one exception—Marinette didn’t know where Jason was after she was adopted until after he died when she was ten. They were apart for three years here, as GCPD got her at 7.~

It's Just Indifference by dontyoublink *Finished*

~Marinette thought she would just get some inspiration for her designs when she headed to the park. As luck would have it, she also meets four (interesting? unique? slightly insane?) Americans. Frisbee, ice cream, and much-needed conversations ensue.~

World's Greatest Detectives, My Ass by Appleberry84 *Finished*

~Marinette figures out the Batfam's identities and decides to torture them.~

Leave it Behind by ShannonEsmerelda *Finished*

~Marinette Dupain-Cheng has grown tired of Paris, and the miracle box was no longer safe there. It'd been active in the country for too long, seen too much damage. She needed to find a place for both her and the kwami's to heal, while still having the ability to be a hero. So, why not Gotham? The city had enough crime for both her and the bat family without getting in each others way, right? Right?~

Report to HR by SimplyAnotherWriter  *Finished*

~Look; Bruce liked Marinette. If the girl hadn’t already had loving and adoring parents that had spotless records and nothing incriminating about them whatsoever(Bruce had checked long and hard), he probably would have adopted the girl just like he had the others.

However, things wouldn't remain this perfect if Damian continued to try and mess it up by SCARING the poor girl!~

The Sun Who Lit Up The Night Sky by FandomQueen10325, leaping_lizard_babe *Finished*

~4 months after the defeat of Hawkmoth, the akuma class wins a trip to Gotham. While they are there, Marinette keeps attracting bad luck, and can never seem to stay out of trouble. The Batfam is very interested when they learn about what had happened in Paris, so they question ladybug.~

Travels of Passion by StarShine583 *Finished*

~When people as famous as the Waynes come to visit your city, the most you'd expect to get from them is a quick little smile. A hand shake if you're in the right place at the right time and extremely lucky. Marinette didn't really expect to get either, and she certainly didn't expect to get what she actually got.~

Of Birds and Bugs (revising and rewriting) by orphan_account *Finished*

~Marinette was a busy girl. Between her idol work as NeTi, and her duty as Ladybug, it was hard to do everything else, like being a good class president. Still, she was able to pull through.

Somehow, the class get's a trip to Gotham, sponsored by Bruce Wayne himself, and it looked like Marinette would be able to take a break for once.~

Dinner at Wayne Manor by littlefleetinglight *Finished*

~In the front hall standing in a line was Bruce, Dick, Jason, Tim and Damien; in that orders, with Alfred standing in front of them like an officer in front of his troops.

“Now, when Ms.Marinette arrives there will be no inappropriate language, no crude gestures or noises, and there will be no interrogation. Do you gentlemen understand?”~

#SunshineOfGotham by sixtyeightdays *Finished*

~All of Gotham knows Marinette, the Sunshine who's made her way into everyone's hearts. But so what if all of Gotham knows Marinette? Does her class know that they know Marinette? Of course not, why would they! But, well, let's see how they find out.~

Rockin’ the House by littlefleetinglight *Finished*

~It was another charity gala held by the Wayne Family; this one was raising funds for art programs across the world, and because it was for art there were artists of all types from all over, including the famous Rock’n’Roll artist Jagged Stone…and his guest.~

To marry an Assassin by PL_Panda *Finished*

~Marinette wakes up in a cell and later is forced to marry a member of the League of Shadows, who is also less than willing. Exactly what she was pulled in? And of course there is magic involved, so no cancellation. And apparently in Tibet ancient orders can marry minors off just like that. This was definitely not Damian's day. Or Week. Or month. He got married with a random girl...~

Who Needs Words? by AKP31E *Finished*

~After the defeat of Hawkmoth and the retirement of Suhan, Marinette’s life is just getting crazier. She doesn’t know how a soulmate could ever fit into her life, and sometimes she thinks the two letters on her wrist are just the universe’s joke to her, but she knows better than to bank on it. Her soul mark isn’t even a word. Who is going to say “Tt” to her?~

History Repeats by DesertSnowQueen  *Finished*

~When Kitty Noire makes an appearance in Gotham, she finds herself drawn to a certain little bird whose brothers are far too entertained by this turn of events~

Magical Girl by Judysupremus

~Marinette accidentally portals into the batcave.~

The Power of Luck by FridayFirefly

~The Ladybug Miraculous had quite a few side effects, none more powerful and unpredictable than the power of Miraculous Luck. When Marinette's family relocates to Gotham, Marinette finds her Miraculous Luck leading her down a path she never would have expected, a path that leads straight to Damian Wayne.~

The events on a Saturday Morning by orphan_account *Finished*

~Marinette and Damian have been in a long distance relationship for over a year with (most) of the Batfamily not knowing at all until a young girl stumbles through a portal on a Saturday morning.~

Friendly Sunshine In Gotham by M1dn1ght_Star *Finished*

~Marinette is happy to be back in Gotham after a visit with Jagged several years ago. This might just end up being the perfect way to expose Lila once and for all, as a nice bonus to seeing her honorary family and boyfriend again.~

Daminette Soulmate AU by keeptellingyourselfthat *Finished*

~Tradition says that your soulmate will have another tattoo, something that relates to you. When they meet you, it is said that the tattoos start glowing a bright gold.~

Calling for Help by Dramatic_Squirrel  *Finished*

~It's been a month since the Battle of Miracle Queen and Marinette has been struggling alone under the pressure of being the new guardian. With her training yet to have been completed, Marinette makes her first official decision as the new guardian, to ask the Justice League for help.~

serendipity by keeptellingyourselfthat *Finished*

~The last time Damian AL-Ghul saw Marinette was when they were twelve. He didn't think he would see her again. So, it's a huge surprise when he stumbles upon her in WE while exposing the liar of the class from France.~

In The Wrong Bed? by San_fics  *Finished*

~“Like I said,” Jason yawned. “Eventually everyone in this family goes crazy.”

“I'm not crazy!” Damian protested. “She was here!”

“Maybe you just had a very realistic dream?” Dick suggested.

“I’m perfectly capable of distinguishing dreams from reality, thank you very much!” Snapped Damian. “She was real and she was in my bed!”~

Cat Cursed by TheStarfishAlien *Finished*

~The Cheng family carries a curse. Every other generation carries a second form, that of a cat. Their dual nature makes it difficult for those with the curse to fit in with society. Some flee permanently into the form of the cat, while others try their hardest to pretend that their cat form does not exist. Very few find a balance in the middle.~

Secrets, Masks and Family Gatherings by ggomoz (ggomo_springtime) *Finished*

~After nearly a year of being together, Damian finally decides to introduce Marinette to his family.~

living among the regular people of the world trying to blend in by another_cancer *Finished*

~Marinette was an assassin named ladybug that was supposed to kill Damian, but she didn't and now they meet again years later.~

New but True by yannowhatigiveup *Finished*

~Damian and Marinette are kidnapped from their lives to be betrothed to one another. Unfortunately, they were separated and missed the other greatly. Once realising that Marinette is in Gotham for a school trip, Jon, being the good friend he is, reunites them.~

Eons & Eternities by Utopian_angel *Finished*

~After dedicating many life cycles to an endless conflict between chaos and order, Ra's Al Ghul decides to use his last chance to form a union.

A union between their respective heirs that will last for eons & eternities.~

Use Your Brain by Judysupremus *Finished*

~Marinette and her class go to Gotham. What happens when she has to rescue Chat Noir from Batman?

The is silly, potentially crack.~

An Awkward Reveal by Miraculous_786 *Finished*

~Who can blame Edward Nygma for being protective over his adopted daughter?

The very daughter who was dating Damian Wayne right under his nose.~

The Bride that can Break Bones by LovesWifi *Finished*

~Marinette and Damian are betrothed and that's all you need to know.~

Senses by Alexiessan *Finished*

~Marinette never thought that she would be among the 0.1% of the population to have a soulmate, and yet, here she was.

She wasn't ready for her life to change drastically because of it.~

A Welcoming Change by Brinxiethebear *Finished*

~Damian Wayne always saw himself in a certain light. He was calculating and cold and he always took his work seriously. He was what others would call the Ice Prince. He was a loner and by choice. The only people he ever really tolerated talking to was his family and his only friend, Jon. Mainly he just spent time with his pets.~

Never alone by Alexiessan *Finished*

~For a moment, ever since Lila came into her life, Marinette thought she would lose everyone dear to her. Turns out, if she keeps trying, she can do anything and make everything turn out for the better.

Contrary to her belief, Marinette was never alone.~

#8024 by SimplyAnotherWriter *Finished*

~“Inmate #8024 of Gotham Asylum Institution. State your name.”

“Marinette Dupain-Cheng.”

How had she come to this, you might wonder? Well... It wasn't as long of a story as you would think.~

Summer in Gotham is a time for the Akuma Class to relax and oh wait are those assassins? by baby_blue24680 *Finished*

~After hearing a brief description of the class dynamic of the Akuma Class, Mayor Bourgeois all but blackmails Bruce Wayne into sponsoring a trip to Gotham for the summer semester, believing that it will lead to fewer akumas. Word travels to Talia al Ghul, who decides to give an old friend a visit and literally and figuratively throws an engagement at Marinette.~

Four times the Ladybug magic teleported Marinette to where she would be safest, and the one time she was already there by EditorOfEverything *Finished*

~This is part one in a five part series. I have never actually completed a fic before, so this is kind of my NaNoWriMo goal for myself, I guess... So, without further ado, here is four times the Ladybug magic teleported Marinette to where she would be safest, and the one time she was already there~

The Bug, the Bird and the Bats by whoscountinganyway *Finished*

~Everyone knows that Damian Wayne doesn't have any friends; he pushes away anyone who wants to get close to him, denies those close to him the knowledge that he cares, vehemently refuses to be in the presence of wanna-be suitors. He simply isn’t social.~

The Eyes are the Window to the Soul by Brinxiethebear *Finished*

~Have you heard the saying that the eyes are the window to the soul? In a world where soulmates are common, one might think that soulmate marks dealing with the eyes would mean something tremendous, and they would be right.~

In Which Damian Needs a Tutor and Marinette Needs a Job by kceedraws *Finished*

~It starts with an offhand comment on Tim’s birthday.

Damian blinks. “It looked like what?”

“Lit,” Richard repeats. “Isn’t that what you kids call it, with the music and dancing…?”

“I don’t follow. The video had rather dim lighting, if you asked me.”~

Freezing Fate by boldlyanxious *Finished*

~Like everyone, Marinette received her soulmate journal when she was ten. She was excited about all the possibilities it offered, but she never expected her soulmate to show up a few weeks later to take the journal away from her.~

Gotham For Two by multifandomscribette *Unfinished*

~Marinette Dupain-Cheng organized a spring field trip for her class but of course things didn't go as planned and she is still shunned by her class. Cut off from her formed support system and almost completely alone in the most crime ridden city in the world, Marinette meets Damian Wayne via his dog, Titus and she might not be so alone anymore.~

Lost And Found by FridayFirefly *Unfinished*

~The thing Marinette wants most in the world is a Soulmate. But no matter how much she tries to convince herself that her perfect match is out there, she still has her doubts. In a world where your Soulmate finds the things you lose, Marinette only ever seems to lose things. In eleven years, she's never found a single thing her Soulmate lost.

Until the day she does. That's when it all begins.~

The Paris Problem by newdog14 *Unfinished*

~Damian Wayne, one time assassin, present-day vigilante, and entirely uninterested in getting the normal teenage experience. Marinette Dupain-Cheng, part time superhero, full time guardian, and very much wishing for the days of being a normal girl again. They’ve been brought together by circumstance and common enemies, and they’ll never be ordinary, but together they might just find a new normal as they work together to solve The Paris Problem.~

Damian Wayne by deathsong *Finished*

~ the class goes on an exchange program to Gotham, and Lila decides to say she's dating the billionaire's son, Damian Wayne. Who is sitting like three seats away from her.~

[artemisiasthings]

The Great IKEA Game by @batsandbugs

She’s done. My first bind. 🤌🏼 I’m so proud of this book and I cannot believe I made this with my own two hands!!!!

The story is incredible, The Great IKEA Game is a fic I come back to time and time again when I need a pick me up so it was a no brainer to choose this as my first bind. It’s the perfect length and I know I’m going to be eternally grateful to have it in my shelves if society collapses and the apocalypse comes 😂

I learned so much throughout this process about typesetting, materials, graphic design, conservation-grade techniques, and everything else that goes into making a finished, readable book. I wouldn’t have such a beautiful finished project without the incredible support and tutorials from creators on instagram and TikTok! I was blessed to find an answer for any question that came up either through existing videos or through kind responses to my frantic 3 am insta stories.

Needless to say, having a physical book that I CREATED WITH MY OWN TWO HANDS is fueling my god complex and I cannot wait to bind even more 😈

Progress Posts: 1 | 2 | 3 | 4

[nana-mizu-shiki]

It good. Read. Kudo. Do it.

[professor-beaker]

How my parents view me being aroace: Ew romance! I hate everything romance! I am so Independent and hallmark movies are the scum of the earth!!!

Me: *reading the twentieth fluff fic of the same pairing today*

[ali-annals]

Unexpected Visitors

Pairing: Damian Wayne x Marinette Dupain-Cheng

Rating: G | WC: 800 | CW: - | A/N: This is one of my first fics so I'm not super proud of it but the lovely peeps on ao3 seem to like it ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ I thought I'd cross-posted this already but apparently I haven't, oops :| | Ao3 |

An unknown woman shows up on Wayne Manor's doorstep asking for Damian Wayne…

And enjoy this lovely fanart made by @tinybrie 🥰

A bright light flashed through the windows of the manor, the echo of thunder sounding overhead almost immediately. The knocking on the wooden door echoed down the dimly lit hallway, almost covered by the sound of rain and wind gusting outside.

The family butler swung open the door, taking in the visitors.

A young woman was standing there, holding a baby. She had her mother’s dark hair, but her eyes... 

He tore his gaze away from the baby when the pale, tired woman asked, “Is Damian Wayne here?”

“I’m afraid he is not ‘in’ at the moment, Miss. May I say who called?”

“He’s alive?”

The butler blinked, hearing the note of relief underneath the urgency in her voice. “Yes, Miss..?”

“Oh, thank goodness! His tracker stopped working and I was…I thought…can I see him, please? I can help heal him.”

“How did you know he was injured, Miss?”

She stepped further inside, brushing raindrops off the baby’s and her clothing. “Tracker. If it stops working and he doesn't reply, he’s either dead or severely injured. And since you say he’s alive-”

Alfred still didn’t know her name, but he knew she was trustworthy. Call it an old man’s intuition, call it experience from sizing up every type of person under this roof (of which there were many), he could tell his youngest Master would be safe with her. 

“I’ll show you to his room, Miss.”

“Thank you, Alfred.”

~~~

Damian groggily opened his eyes. Owww… His muscles protested after all that had happened in the last short while. 

The faint sound of rain hitting the window by his bed provided soothing white noise, mixed with the soft breaths from the dark head resting on the bed by his hand. 

Marinette was fast asleep, like the baby in her arms.

He stroked her hair gently. “ Habibti , I’m awake.”

She jolted upright, carefully cradling the baby so as not to disturb her rest. “Ma lune? You’re okay?”

“Just fine, mon coeur . I take it you healed me?” He scooched into a half-sitting position.

She nodded. “I thought…Your tracker stopped, so I came to see…”

“Shh, it’s alright, habibti .” Damian cupped her face in his hand. “It broke when I was fighting. I would have immediately contacted you but they forced me to stay and heal, and drugged me so I would sleep and recover without protest.”

“I’m so glad you’re okay!” She leaned over to kiss him. “I brought Zara.”

After Marinette had reassured herself that he was well-healed thanks to her handiwork, he brought up the question niggling at the back of his mind.

“How many people know?”

“Alfred, and whoever’s watching your monitors right now.”

“You’re okay with them knowing, now?”

Marinette nodded. “I’d prefer to be close by if anything like this happens again. So what if Bruce doesn’t like magic users or the fact that we hid this from him? He can get over it or not, but I will be by your side,” she stated firmly.

He smiled softly at her, seeing the feisty woman he fell in love with. “Let’s go settle their disturbed brains, then, shall we?”

He removed all the health monitors and stood, stretching and enjoying the slight discomfort.

She handed Zara to him, whom he carefully cradled in his arm and stroked his finger over her tiny cheek, and then they headed down to the dining room, where the rest of his extended family were gathered for a celebratory meal. 

The entire Bat clan was there, in various stages of recovery from an assortment of injuries.

Alfred brought in the plates of crepes and casually announced, “There was a young lady here to see Master Damian this afternoon, just after your last check. She’s up with him right now.”

“Why didn’t you tell us sooner?!” The ones who could, jumped up to check on their youngest.

“Hello, family. I am perfectly fine, so don’t scold me for getting up. Dinner looks delicious, Alfred.” Damian and the visitors strolled in.

“Why do you have a baby in your arms? How are you up?”

“This is Marinette Wayne, my wife, and our daughter, Zara. Marinette healed me; thus, I am awake and about.”

“Since when were you married? With a child? When did you get a girlfriend?” Questions echoed from all corners of the table.

“We met when I was in Paris to help Ladybug six years ago. We got married last year and Zara is nine months old now.”

“Jon helped Damian escape when he needed and covered for us. He’s quite good at illusions,” Marinette spoke up. “Hi, I’m Marinette Wayne; it’s nice to meet you all.”

Taglist (open): @jennifer-rose123 @questioning-blob-of-fog

[starwarsmum]

HMB Word Darts number 2!

Marinette paced the cell impatiently. It was just her luck that not only had she been unsuccessful in her plan to free the research animals but she had tripped over another person and now they were both being detained. She glanced up at the man who had been shoved into the cell with her but he was scowling at the ceiling so she went back to her restless pacing.

“Would you cease your incessant movement?” He sniped suddenly, making Marinette stop just to glare at him. “We are stuck in here because of you, I would appreciate it if you did not drive me to insanity with your constant back and forth motions.”

“Oh bite me, you were in my way, and if you had been there for a legitimate reason, you wouldn't be in here at all. You had to know being caught and sent to jail was a risk or you're just contributing to the dumb pretty person stereotype.”

“It most certainly was not a risk until you barrelled into me and halted my attempt to free the creatures. I cannot say I have ever been on this side of a jail cell before, and as such I will undoubtedly be released before long as it is my first offense.”

“Man, wish I could say the same,” Marinette sighed, slumping into the seat next to him. She propped her head up on her hand and looked at him with some interest. She hadn't been lying when she said he was pretty, he had a strong jaw and striking features that made her stomach do that weird swooping thing it always did when she was attracted to someone. 

“I suppose the polite thing for me to say is that I am surprised, but that would be a lie, you were sloppy and under-prepared for whatever your mission was.” It was such a shame his personality made her want to hit something. 

“My ‘mission’ was to free the poor animals that Lex Luthor decided were subhuman enough that he could commit horrible crimes on! Besides, what self respecting animal rights activist hasn't been in a jail cell?” She demanded, leaning back in her seat and crossing her arms.

“The kind that doesn't get caught!” The man hissed back, voice low so that he wasn't overheard by the officer on duty. “What use would I be to the suffering creatures if I was caught each and every time I worked to free them?”

“You can't have been doing it often enough to make a difference then,” Marinette sniffed, cheeks stained red from anger. She was saved from further conversation when the officer called out to her and said that she could have her phone call. “I would say it's been a pleasure to meet you, but it most certainly has not.”

“Tt, you will be back in here after your phone call, so I do not understand why you would think-”

“Because I shan't be speaking to you when I return,” she retorted, stalking over to the officer. She disappeared down the hall to the phone banks, ignoring the scowling man. 

_ _ _

Damian was grouchy. He had no intention of calling his family for help but there was absolutely zero chance that they wouldn't hear about this unfortunate event. He glared at the officer who had swapped with the one who had taken the woman to the phones.

He stared blankly at the opposite wall, pretending he couldn't hear the guard whispering on the phone, gossiping about having to haul in ‘The Damian Wayne’ for breaking into a LexCorp building. 

He had only been intending to gather intelligence to get an idea of how many animals he needed to find refuge for, but as soon as he had seen how lethargic and unhappy the rats had been, he had seen red. How anyone could cage rats without stimulation or space to run around properly was beyond him, and he had been determined to get the animals free.

He had been more than surprised when he had come across a petite, dark haired woman who had been muttering to herself as she snapped pictures of the cages. He had tried to sink into the shadows but it almost seemed like she had sensed him and turned towards him with a squeak.

It had all gone wrong from there: the woman had knocked over an entire tray of drugs that had been due to be administered in the night, something Damian had already noted and taken a picture of the write up sheets. The resulting cacophony had brought security guards running and Damian had somehow ended up tangled in computer wires of all things when he had tried to get back out of the room.

When she returned from the phones, she stayed true to her declaration that she would ignore him. It was both a relief that she wasn't fawning over him because of his name and an irritation because if it wasn't for her, he wouldn't be in this situation at all!

“Alright, your turn,” the guard said, holding the cell door open and motioning for Damian to follow. As he stepped over the threshold of the cell, he begrudgingly decided that he would have to choose a family member that could collect him. 

In an attempt to delay the inevitable, he called Jon, hoping that Conner wasn't near enough to hear and rat him out to Tim. He breathed a sigh of relief when Jon told him that Conner had sped out of the house about ten minutes before, muttering something about dumbass friends.

He sighed and started heading out of the phone room but pulled up short when he spotted a familiar shock of dark hair and a leather jacket. Apprehensively he walked back with the guard to the cell, avoiding looking at Conner for as long as possible.

“...weren't supposed to get caught!” He was saying, sounding simultaneously exasperated and amused.

“Yes, well, I wasn't accounting for someone else to be doing a break-in at the same time,” the woman shot back, looking annoyed and embarrassed. “Whatever, did they say you could bail me out?”

“Yeah, but you have to be the one to tell Tim what hap- Damian? What the hell are you doing here?” Conner had caught sight of him as the guard had opened the cell. “Mars, you didn't tell me you were getting help from Jon's friend! How did you both get caught?”

“I didn't get help from anyone! This guy royally messed it all up when he startled me badly enough that I knocked over a tray of experimental drugs,” the woman scoffed, shooting Damian a disgusted look. “Besides, look at him! He's clearly a rich, pretty boy that decided he would give the whole activism thing a try.”

“...you're telling me you don't know who Damian Wayne, leader of Gotham’s animal charities for Wayne Enterprises and outspoken animal rights activist,” Conner deadpanned, making the woman blanch and then blush so much that Damian was concerned she would collapse.

“I- you- he- you run the charitable division for animals at Wayne Enterprises?” She spluttered, turning and pointing an accusing finger at Damian. “If you have that kind of power why are you sneaking around in the dead of night? You have the power to fix things through the right channels!”

Before Damian could defend himself or his actions, the police station door opened and Jon sped in, almost knocking a tray of papers over as he went. Conner turned towards his little brother, amused and lifted a hand in greeting. Jon stared at him for a moment before turning fearfully to Damian and swearing that he hadn't told him.

“Tt, that has been apparent, Kent. Your brother is here for a different inmate,” Damian said, jerking his chin towards the woman. She visually bristled and he smirked at her even as he felt mortified that his family was absolutely going to be hearing about this sooner rather than after.

“Marinette? What are you doing here?” Jon asked, obviously bewildered. The name saved itself in Damian's memory, even as he pretended that he didn't care. 

“Okay, look, clearly you're having a lovely heartwarming moment here, but this is a police station,” the officer said loudly and impatiently. The woman, Marinette, flushed and her eyes narrowed in the officer's direction. “If you're bailing these hooligans out, I need you over here for a few minutes and then you can all get out of my hair.”

Conner and Jon both agreed, although in vastly different ways. It appeared Conner was still mostly allergic to being polite to governing bodies and Marinette appeared to be regretting her choice in phone call.

And she was, very much so, but she didn't really have a choice. She had come to visit the Kents for a couple of weeks and she literally only knew them and Conner’s boyfriend Tim, who she did not know well enough to call and ask to bail her out of jail.

“I can't believe that is the same Damian Jon has been raving about for the past week,” she hissed at Conner, glancing back at the two men. Jon shot her a chagrined look and she glared back at him. “He isn't just asocial, he's straight up condescending.”

“Yeah, but Jon's his best friend so he's got some strong blinders on,” Conner said, not bothering to keep his voice down. “And condescending isn't the worst thing I've ever heard him called, so he must have been more polite than usual.”

“Conner, the man told me I was sloppy and under-prepared,” she said, voice low but the anger she felt seeped into it. She knew she went into most of her plans with healthy optimism and belief that her luck would hold, but sloppy? “I love you and Jon, but if he comes as a package deal, I'm going to be visiting a hell of a lot less.”

“Mars, this is literally your first visit,” Conner said, shooting her an incredulous look. He made a frustrated noise and hunched into his jacket when she stared back at him pointedly. “You are quite literally the kindest person I know, and you're going to let your impression of him after meeting him at a break-in dictate how you treat him?”

“That's not fair, you said he was being nicer than usual!” She shrieked before clamping a hand over her mouth and glancing back apologetically. She dropped back to a whisper and thwapped Conner on the arm. “I am a wonderful judge of character, and in spite of his looks, his personality-”

“Oh, gross, you think he's hot, don't you?” Conner said it with a grimace, but there was enough suppressed laughter in his voice that Marinette growled, even as she blushed. “Mars, I know I said you need a boyfriend but you can do better than Damian Wayne.”

“Believe me, I'm done dating vapid rich boys,” Marinette said, waving a hand. “Adrien put me off them for life, I hate the idea of trying to make conversation about nothing important. Plus, with you as a big brother figure I have impossibly high standards.”

Walking behind them, Damian watched Jon wince at whatever the pair in front were discussing. It nettled him that he had to go with them so that they could get Marinette and his vehicles, but he was glad he could block out their inane chatter. 

“What?” He snapped after the last time Jon had winced and sent him a pitying look. His friend didn't say anything, looking away. “Jonathan Kent, you will tell me why you keep looking at me like I am on my deathbed or I will locate some kryptonite so that you can be on one.”

“You totally blew your first meeting with Marinette!” Jon whined, keeping his voice down for Marinette's benefit. Obviously Conner could hear them but that was unavoidable. “I've been telling her all about my cool best friend for the past week so that she doesn't get scared off by you the second you meet and then you manage it anyway!”

“Tt, I do not care what she thinks of me,” Damian said, glaring at the back of Marinette's head as she had a heated conversation with Conner. “She is an impulsive, emotion driven child that I have no intention of babysitting.”

“Dude, she's literally our age. Plus, she lives in Paris, and has her whole life and she's never been akumatised! Which is a good thing, believe me because- ow!” He glared at Conner and rubbed his forehead. “Because Mari is freaking scary when she gets mad.”

Damian furrowed his brows, wondering what Conner had thought Jon was going to say. Clearly it was a secret regarding Marinette that the older Kent did not want to relay to him, which meant that he definitely wanted to know.

He was still looking at Jon when Marinette stopped in her tracks, which meant that Damian almost tripped over her. He cursed as he righted himself, glaring down at the petite woman. She gave him a shrewd look, tilting her head slightly and squinting. 

“Oh my God, you're Jon's best friend,” she said quietly. She swept an eye over him, though he didn't get the feeling that it was sexual in nature. It was almost like she was getting his rough size and comparing it to Jon's. “Shit, did I screw up a mission? Oh man, I can't have screwed up a proper mission, you're not-"

“You owe me twenty bucks, Jon,” Conner crowed smugly, flitting over to his brother. Damian was taken aback by the speed at which he moved, and was ready to snarl out a warning but Marinette didn't even look at him. She was still staring at Damian with a horrified expression. “And given he didn't have any backup, I'd say this was a personal mission, Mars.”

“What am I missing in this conversation?” Damian demanded as Jon handed over a twenty dollar note while grumbling. The two Kents bickered, ignoring him completely and he turned to Marinette with an eyebrow raised, speaking imperiously. “Tell me.”

“That's- I- how are you more handsome under the mask? Wait, no, I meant- shut up Conner, I am having a crisis and you are such a little shit, I'm telling Tim that you-”

“Oh yeah, are you also gonna tell him that you got caught in a LexCorp building?” He rebutted, smirking at her. Damian had frozen the moment she had mentioned masks and was trying to work out how he had been rumbled.

“Kent, does she know your identity?” Damian asked in a low voice and both of them replied affirmatively. Exasperated, he pinched the bridge of his nose. “Why are you being so cavalier in regards to a civilian knowing your identities? Not to mention that you should have informed me so that I would be able to steer clear of them so that my own was not compromised.”

“Oh, I'm not a civilian,” Marinette said offhandedly, still blushing but giving a small smile. When he turned to her, she looked down at the floor before glancing back up. “I, uh, I've met you in the suits before. I usually wear something slightly more spotted, with red?”

“...you are Ladybug?” She nodded and gave him a grimace while he quickly revised every part of their interactions that night. “That is how you got into the building without triggering the alarm, you used the horse - Kaalki, was it?”

“Mhm,” Marinette squeaked, looking pleased that he had remembered the kwami’s name. “It's also why I couldn't get out before we were found; I thought a random civilian would see my transformation. One that was breaking into a building, no less.”

“A more than reasonable assumption,” Damian agreed, stepping slightly closer to her. Now that he knew he was dealing with another hero (one that he had spent a lot of time openly admiring) he felt guilty for the disparaging comments he had made. 

“As adorable as this is,” Conner said loudly, making both of them flush although Damian less obviously. “Maybe we can get moving? We have plans tomorrow and I'd like to get some sleep between now and then.”

“I'm sorry, you're right,” Marinette said guiltily, fidgeting. “Assuming Damian is parked near the LexCorp building, we can probably get there ourselves if you want? That way you can both head home now.”

It was a neat solution that also meant that they wouldn't have overbearing Supers watching over them and Damian was impressed. Given Conner's complaint, it left little room to argue and the brothers departed with a pointed comment that they would expect her home shortly.

“Shall we?” She asked, looking up at him shyly and Damian found himself offering his elbow to her. She blushed again as she took it, before launching into a conversation about his work with animal charities. 

They arrived at her motorcycle much too soon and Damian surprised both of them by asking for her phone number so they could arrange a time to combine their efforts to free the research animals.

Part 2

[ggomos-maribat]

Secrets, Masks, and Family Gatherings

Cross posted from AO3

It had been nearly a year since she moved to Gotham City, but the skyline seemed new each time she went out for night patrol. Ladybug zipped to another building with Red Hood to gain a higher vantage point. Her wings fluttered slightly with the breeze behind her.

"All clear here." Red Hood pressed on his comms.

"Okay. We'll wait for an update from Robin and Spoiler then we're finished for tonight if there aren't any problems," Batman replied.

"Yeah, it's a miracle we get to finish up early." The vigilante rolled his shoulders and stretched his arms. "So LB . . ."

"This small talk again?" Ladybug groaned.

Red Hood put his arms up. "Hey, I'm just curious."

"What is it now?"

"I was just wondering what made you transfer to Gotham." He perched on the ledge right beside her. "You defeated your city's villain, right? You had nothing to do anymore."

He's not wrong. She often thought about it herself. Her past and responsibilities clung to her like unshakeable nightmares. Ladybug knew the moment she gained guardianship that her life had no chance of reverting back to 'normal'.

"I think you know how it feels," she said.

"How what feels?"

Ladybug sighed, slumping. "When we defeated Hawkmoth, I thought we could finally rest easy. But I couldn't. I was restless, and between that and taking care of the aftermath, I realized I was missing the superhero life." She shrugged. "That's why I'm here now---it's inescapable. As the guardian, I decided it was better for the Miraculi to be used for good instead of sitting unused."

"Ah, classic PTSD like all the Bats." Red Hood nodded.

She snorted. "But that doesn't mean I still live a restless life. In fact, I've gotten used to life in Gotham."

"But why Gotham of all places?"

"The Miracle Box told me something. I can't divulge anything more."

"Just like you don't divulge anything about your civvy life."

She rolled her eyes, elbowing him on the side, which caused him to flinch dramatically. Bats and their nosiness. "Hey, we're not that close yet for me to reveal my identity. And it's a fair game. I don't know any of you either."

"I'm surprised B hasn't dug up anything on you. And he has contingency plans for all the JL members."

"I told you, the glamor protects us."

At first, she'd been hesitant to work with the vigilantes and at the same time, Batman had been wary around her especially when she was entering their territory. But she had gotten to know them well over time, despite not knowing who were behind the masks. She could also tell they'd grown to trust her like one of theirs.

"All clear near Crime Alley," Spoiler reported over the line.

"Good. Thank you for your help tonight, Ladybug. Everyone else, back to the cave."

Ladybug stood up abruptly. "Thank you too. I'll join the Signal during the weekend. He mentioned he might need some help."

"Oooh, you seem in a hurry to get back home." Red Hood tilted his head.

"No, I'm not spilling anything about my plans for the night," she huffed. "And I need to go because I'm hungry and my timer's running because you forced me to use my Lucky Charm to win that bet with Red Robin."

"The look on his face was priceless."

Ladybug threw her yoyo. "Good night, Hood."

After double checking that none of the others had followed or tracked her, Ladybug detransformed and walked back to her apartment building. She could practically hear the coffee calling to her; she'd drown in it endlessly whenever patrol nights ran late and she needed commissions to finish afterwards.

In the empty elevator, Tikki hovered up to her shoulder. "It's a good thing patrol ended early, Marinette."

"It's not a good sign, Tikki." She smiled grimly. "I think something big's going to happen. A massive breakout or a big plan by the Rogues."

The kwami hummed. "You can try to get plenty of rest before that happens."

"No promises. I have twelve designs I have to submit to Audrey by next week."

Just as she headed to her apartment door, her phone rang a familiar customized ringtone. Tikki also gasped in excitement upon seeing the caller's name.

Marinette tucked her phone between her ear and shoulder while jamming her keys through the doorknob. "Hey, Adrien. What's up?"

"Hey Nette. Done with patrol?"

"We finished early tonight. The Rogues are suspiciously silent. How are you? How's Plagg?" Marinette stepped into the room and Tikki turned on the lights.

"Currently pigging out on cheese. As always." She could almost see her best friend's eye-roll. "Anyway, I called to tell you that I'll be visiting Gotham on Friday. Wayne Tech is partnering up with our brand and Chloe and Kagami are coming with me."

"That's great news, Adrien! I'll bake something special---or should I take you out to a restaurant? I know some good ones near my place."

Adrien chuckled. "Pick anything you want. I'll tell Chloe to send you our schedule so we can reserve lunch or dinner with you and----no, Plagg! I'm not telling her to buy extra cheese!" He heaved out a breath. "At night we can have a short . . . run. You can introduce me to your new partners."

"They're not my partners. It's just you, kitty cat," Marinette said pointedly. "We're just allies."

"You gush about winning prank wars against them."

"It's fun being around them but that's it!"

He laughed. "It's okay. I'm glad you're enjoying your time over there. Send my regards to Damian."

A knock suddenly sounded on the door.

"Speaking of Damian, I think he's here. Gotta go, and say hi to Plagg and the others for me!"

"Pfft, you keep stroking his ego."

With one last goodbye, Marinette threw her phone on the couch and ran to the door. She hadn't expected her boyfriend to drop by, but she was glad he could make time for her. She knew Damian was as busy as her and she was worried he'd end up not taking care of himself like she always did.

"Dames, I thought you had work at the company for the whole night." She gave him a tight hug and a light kiss as soon as she opened the door.

Damian pecked her cheek, winding his arms around her waist. "They let us go early and I thought I should surprise you."

"Good, because I'm surprised," she beamed. "Are you staying the night?"

"Of course, habibti."

Damian Wayne had been an unexpected addition to her Gotham life. They had met in the park while they were working on their sketches---him, a portrait drawing and her, an inspired dress design. Before she knew it, she was with someone who she believed she could spend the rest of her life with. Damian was her support, her confidant in all aspects except her secret identity (though the thought of finally telling him had crossed her mind too many times).

"Are you hungry? I haven't had dinner yet and I was just thinking of cooking instant ramen . . ."

"We can have dinner together, but . . . there is something I need to talk to you about." Damian rubbed her arms, gazing at her intently.

Marinette's heart quickened as she subconsciously thought about all types of bad news. Did he get hurt? Did I do something? Is he going to break up with me?

"Habibti, love, I can already read your thoughts." He kissed the tip of her nose. "It's not anything terrible."

"What is it?"

Damian took a deep breath. "I think it's time for you to meet my family."

Marinette felt her jaw drop. "Your . . . your family? Are you sure about this?"

For the longest time, Damian had expressed his distaste at the thought of her meeting the Waynes. At first, she'd thought that it was the status difference, but he seemed more worried about his father and brothers doing something crazy.

On the other hand, they had both flown to Paris four months ago for Damian to officially meet her parents and friends. It had gone smoothly, and Damian was convinced that the opposite would happen if she met his family.

"Yes. I've thought about it." He sat down with her as she ran her thumb over the back of his hand. "They're already asking about you and if I stall for any longer, I know they will start prying into your life."

"Oh . . ."

Damian had talked about his brothers before, and Marinette saw them sometimes in news and tabloids. In her impression, they didn't seem too bad.

"But don't worry," he assured her, "I will be with you the whole time. We'll have lunch at the manor tomorrow---"

"Wait, tomorrow?"

"Is it too sudden? I worked with your free schedule and---"

"No, no, I'm definitely free tomorrow." Her eyes widened. "Let's meet them tomorrow. It just caught me off guard. I have to prepare my outfit and buy a gift and----oh no, what would your brothers like? What about your father and Alfred?"

Damian smiled gently. "You don't have to concern yourself with that. You’ll make a wonderful first impression."

"But---"

"I have to warn you about my brothers instead." His lip curled. "They will be a handful."

She laughed a little. "You already warned me a million times."

"Because I can't overstate how troublesome they'll be."

Instead of her reply, Marinette's growling stomach echoed in the room. She blushed as Damian pulled her from her seat, kissing her cheek. "It seems that we have an emergency to take care of first. I'll help you cook."

---

Marinette smoothed down the remnant wrinkles on her skirt. She'd chosen a simple pleated dress to wear to her first family lunch with the Waynes. At the same time, the car pulled up in front of the Wayne Manor. It was just as intimidating as she remembered---she'd only ever been to the manor once, to wait for Damian.

"Nervous?" Damian touched her hand.

"Should I be?"

"Never," he replied firmly. "If anything, I should apologize ahead of time. Also, there is no reason to be nervous. If they aren't busy acting insufferable, they'll be impressed by you."

Though the words were warm, they did little to calm her heart. These were the Waynes, royalty of Gotham. She even found it hard to believe that she was with Damian in the first place.

"Come on." Damian helped her out of the car and guided her to the front steps. He pushed through the large wooden doors and they were both met with a broad-shouldered man rushing down the main hallway.

"Todd," Damian called out. "Where on earth are you going?"

The man---Jason, she assumed---stopped, glanced at them, and gave her a quick once-over. Marinette noticed the motorcycle helmet he held on one hand.

"Demon brat." Jason tilted his head. "I have work to do."

"But lunch---"

"I promised to drop by. I didn't say I'll stay." He gave Marinette a single nod and went off.

"I bet he had another fight with Father," Damian muttered under his breath. Marinette squeezed his hand.

"I'm sorry," he murmured.

"Don't apologize. Let's go," she told him softly.

Damian led her to the dining hall where the others were already sat around the table. Curious stares burned through Marinette, making her duck her head away. Damian himself was unfazed, wearing a half-scowl as he helped her to her seat.

"Master Damian, Miss Marinette, welcome." Just in time, Alfred strolled in with the food. She gave the butler a meek smile.

Then, she took a look at the Waynes one by one. The poised Bruce Wayne was at the head of the table, his presence the most prominent  in the room. Across from her was Dick Grayson, who looked like he was studying her. Positioned beside him were Tim and Stephanie, both whispering to each other. Finally, Barbara was at her other side, offering her a small smile of comfort.

"I'm glad to finally meet you, Marinette," Bruce greeted. "Damian talks a lot about you."

Marinette momentarily eyed the array of silverware near her plate which she did not know how to use. "The pleasure is all mine . . . sir."

"Please call me Bruce." He gestured to the food at the center. "Go ahead and help yourself. Alfred cooked a feast for us."

She cleared her throat. "Thank you, Bruce."

"How did you both meet?" Tim questioned.

"In the park, Drake. We were both drawing. I already told you," Damian butted in.

Tim waved him off. "I want to hear it from her, not you."

"I---"

"It's okay, Damian." Marinette nudged him a little. "I was sketching in the park when Titus came to me. Damian was drawing a picture of me while I was absorbed in my designs and accidentally let go of his leash. Titus led me to him and it all started there."

"You design?" Barbara asked.

Warmth crept to her cheeks. "It's my dream to become a fashion designer. I just do a few commission pieces here and there. I'm trying to take small steps to reach my goal."

A quick glimpse at her boyfriend told her that he was radiating all the pride in the world.

"Little D mentioned you came from Paris?" Dick sipped on his drink. "Why did you decide to leave?"

"Oh, please don't get it all wrong. I know Paris earned a bad rep after the Hawkmoth fiasco but that was years ago. I just decided to move here to find more opportunities for myself," Marinette answered smoothly.

"Why Gotham of all places, if I may ask?" Bruce chimed in. "Admittedly, this isn't the friendliest city in the country."

"Father, stop with the interrogation," said Damian.

"It's okay, Dames, I don't mind. Promise." She squeezed his hand under the table.

"Fine. But do not answer anything if you're not comfortable."

Marinette looked at Bruce. "One of my friend's parents who works in fashion suggested Gotham. There's a low competition among the designers here so it might be easier for me to make a name for myself."

"That's not a bad move actually," Tim remarked.

"So back in Paris, did you get to meet any of the heroes?" Dick leaned in.

"Grayson," Damian warned.

"That's---"

A sharp ring blasted out, cutting off her statement. Bruce fished out his phone, a muscle on his face twitched, and he abruptly stood up. "There's an emergency at WE."

"Emergency?" Tim peered at his phone as well.

"Yes, Tim. You're needed. Also Stephanie." The eldest Wayne looked around the table and uttered monotonously. "I apologize for cutting this short. We have an urgent matter at the company---"

"Father."

Bruce shook his head. "This absolutely cannot wait, Damian."

The three filed out of the room in a flash. Marinette, stunned at the sudden interruption, saw Dick also checking the emergency.

"Sorry, Babs and I need to go." He stood up and picked up his coat, going around the table to help Barbara. "It's nice to meet you, Marinette."

"Let's go out for drinks sometime, okay?" Barbara reached over and patted her shoulder before they left.

The disappearance of the Waynes left her fidgeting with her fingers and wondering what the big emergency could be. She peeked at Damian hesitantly. "Do you need to go too?"

His jaw clenched. "I think so."

"You can go." She cupped his cheek, pecking the other.

"I can't tell you---"

"I know. I won't ask, I promise," she assured softly. He didn't have to explain anything to her; she'd gladly wait for him to open up. "Go."

"I'm sorry."

"Damian."

He pressed a firm kiss on her forehead. "Alfred will drive you to your apartment. I'll come to you later, alright?"

"Okay."

She could hear Alfred offering her food to take home and guiding her to the car, but it was all a blur. Marinette knew she had nothing to do with what happened yet she was afraid that it would sour Damian's relationship with his family. Her fists clenched around her skirt as she looked down, feeling Alfred's keen eyes checking on her through the rearview mirror.

"Please do not take it personally, Miss," Alfred said softly.

"Yes. Thank you," she whispered.

Finding nothing better to do than to check her phone, Marinette noticed the numerous alerts plastered all over her screen. Arkham breakout. Fuck. No wonder it was so quiet last night. There were a number of messages from Red Hood (which was directed from her burner phone), asking her if she could help.

Marinette looked out the window. Sure enough, there seemed to be a racket coming from the other streets.

"Umm, excuse me Alfred?" She searched for a safe alley to transform. "Can---can you drop me off at the cafe over there?"

"Are you certain? There are Rogues running around the city at this time."

"I'll stay inside. Don't worry."

Fortunately, the butler did what she asked and she made a beeline to the cafe as soon as she stepped foot out the car. Transform. Connect comms. Head to the upper east side. The same words ran through her head.

Her phone rang suddenly right before she could say her transformation words.

"Adrien! Can't talk right now. Arkham breakout. Big emergency," she said hurriedly into the phone.

"Oops. Need backup?" He asked.

"Maybe not. I don't know." She massaged her temple. "Can I ask you guys to standby? You can take your power-ups just in case."

"That's fine. Stay safe," Adrien said, "How did lunch go by the way?"

"Gah! Not now, kitty!"

"Right, right, right. Emergency in Gotham. I'll hang up now."

Marinette sighed. "It was a disaster, by the way. I'll text the details later."

"Aaaand Chloe's yelling at me to spill right now. You should go."

---

Ladybug swiftly landed beside Nightwing when she arrived and the Bats had just finished capturing Penguin and his men. On the next rooftop over, she could see Robin with Batman---they were loud enough for her to deduce that they were having an argument but she couldn't make out the exact words.

"What's up with them?" Ladybug frowned. She had always known Robin as the cold, closed-off one in the group but it was her first time encountering a complete outburst.

"Personal stuff. Happened earlier," Nightwing replied briefly. "I'm surprised you came. I thought you had an appointment today."

She bit her tongue. "Uhh, it got cancelled."

Batman told Robin something which had him storming off, grappling away to another direction. Their comms buzzed to life.

"Ladybug, team up with Robin. The Riddler's in the next avenue," Batman ordered curtly.

Ladybug turned to Nightwing with wide eyes. The stress was obvious in the sag of his shoulders and tight grip on his escrima sticks.

"He's mad at all of us," he explained. "It's better if it's you who joins him."

Ladybug only nodded, throwing her yoyo to follow Robin. Her curiosity was growing by the minute, but she focused on thinking of ways to calm down her fellow vigilante. If he became too riled up, he could lose focus and get injured.

She followed him close enough for him to hear her. "Robin, you have to slow down."

"No, I have to get back as soon as possible."

"Get back to where?"

She only received silence.

Frustrated Robin equals not a good Robin. Ladybug leapt to match his pace and blocked his way. He glared at her. "Move."

"Look, this is the Riddler we're facing. He's still dangerous and if we're not careful, we'll get caught in his traps."

"I don't care. I just need to get this over with. Stay out of my way."

When he pushed past her, she had half the mind to wrap him in her yoyo and deliver him back to Batman for a time-out. She huffed as she followed him. You're not the only one having a bad day, grumpy boy. Robin anchored his grappling gun to a faraway building and at the second he jumped off, he careened to the side, swept away by an elaborate trap by the Riddler.

Before she knew it, Ladybug was after him. Her teeth gritted and her legs ran a mile as she groaned out loud. "This is exactly what I was just talking about!"

They were trapped in an empty little box with a puzzle lock on its door.

Ladybug released a shaky breath.

The worst argument I've had with one of the Gotham vigilantes was when I interfered with Red Hood's mission and he got overprotective. She stared at Robin, who was relentlessly kicking the metal walls. But that might change today.

"Robin," she called out. "I understand that you're mad at the others but it doesn't mean you can act reckless while you're in that suit."

"No. You don't understand." He raked a hand through his hair. "I told them. I already told them and they still . . .Do you know what they did?"

She opened her mouth to reason with him again but he beat her to it. "I only wanted at least an hour. No interruptions." Robin clicked his tongue. "For them, there is nothing more important than capturing these criminals even if there are other heroes who will help. And Father had to be the first to run out."

Ladybug gaped. She knew the Bats were somewhat of a family but it was Robin's first time referring to Batman as a father. "Are you sure you should be telling me---"

"Yes, so you know how unfair they acted earlier." He twirled his katanas, looking for a simple way out. "I only wanted them to meet my girlfriend. I brought her home. And they all left for this. Father didn't give a sincere apology and my brothers either don't care or are suspicious of her."

Wait . . .

She thought she'd stumble back, but her feet were surprisingly still planted on the ground. Lunch. Earlier. Girlfriend. Shit. Her breath was knocked out of her lungs as she processed Robin's words.

Damian's words.

She wanted to laugh. All this time, she'd been anxious about telling him the truth when he was already living the same life as her. The Waynes, the sudden emergencies, staying out late. Merde, it all makes sense now. It was ridiculous how she didn't recognize her own boyfriend.

"It was a mistake after all. I shouldn't have invited her to come," Robin sighed. "They're wary because she's a civilian---she'll be my weakness if anyone finds out about our connection. They know that, which is why they don't approve."

Her first instinct was to tell him that it wasn't true, but an identity reveal would be too much given their current situation. Ladybug pieced her words with care. "I'm sure they'll listen if you tell them how you feel. Your girlfriend will understand too."

"We don't communicate healthily, in case you haven't figured that out."

Her heart was still drumming against her ribcage. Damn it. Marinette would work better in consoling him. Ladybug's just a colleague. "I know. But a few words can go a long way. Tell them you'll be careful. Ask them to help protect your girlfriend if anything ever goes wrong."

As Robin lowered his gaze, an urge to come up to him and hold his hands washed over her. She counted the seconds of silence that passed. It looked like he was thinking deeply about it.

"I apologize for getting you involved," he said. "And for mindlessly telling you about my personal life."

She laughed nervously. "Ah . . . it's okay to vent out sometimes."

Yeah, and your story definitely did not reveal your whole identity.

Robin turned towards the puzzle lock. "Should we attempt to crack the code in his puzzle?"

It wasn't a simple coded lock---it was a six-wheeled puzzle that was embedded onto the door. "By the looks of it, it will take us hours if we go through that route. I think I have a better idea. Are there any cameras here?"

He surveyed the small enclosure. "I see two by the corners."

"Good. Break them and cover the lens." Ladybug touched her earrings while he did what she said. I have spare cookies in my purse. That should do. "We can't unlock the door by ourselves, but Tikki can phase through and let us out."

"The tiny god-being in your Miraculous."

"Yeah, that's Tikki." She smiled. I'll have to introduce them sometime. "Close your eyes?"

After making sure that the cameras weren't functioning and he couldn't see her, she detransformed, motioned to the puzzle lock and sent Tikki out.

"Before we were trapped, I saw other civilians captured in similar boxes," said Robin. "Riddler should be camped east."

Marinette crossed the gap between them and tapped on the back of his hand. GOOD. RIDDLER FIRST THEN FREE OTHERS.

"Morse?" Robin scrunched his nose. "Are you also cautious about revealing your voice?"

YES.

"Tt. That is too much. Most of us don't even use a modulator." He shifted. "I doubt that I will be able to recognize your voice."

She pursed her lips. We'll see about that.

---

Ladybug was lounging on the top of Wayne Tower as the vigilantes finished up catching the remaining inmates. She used the time to fully wrap her head around her discovery. Damian. Robin. One by one, she also pieced together the identities of the others. It was so stupidly obvious all this time.

She heard a familiar zip of the grappling gun. It wasn't Red Hood who she expected to check on her but it was Robin.

"The Rogues are secured. There are rumors that the Joker orchestrated the entire thing but he wasn't around during the attacks," Robin reported. "The injured civilians are being rushed to the hospitals. No deaths."

Ladybug didn't break her gaze at the horizon. "That's good."

". . . Ladybug?"

"Yeah?"

He sat next to her. "The people in Paris . . . did they get used to these kinds of incidents as well? When Hawkmoth was active?"

"With an akuma attack nearly every week, yes you can say we had no choice but to get used to it."

"Was there a lot of animosity towards Parisians after the truth got out?"

"Only a little." She looked down at her hands. "Mostly we receive pity. The press made it clear how the akumas affected everyone's lives."

"My girlfriend . . . came from Paris too. I always wonder what it was like but I never wanted to pry."

Damian . . . She bit her lip. She had been dodgy about the topic, but she should know better than to withhold her feelings about it. Damn it, this will be so awkward when he finally finds out.

"You're worried about her safety," she said.

Robin nodded. "I wonder if she feels afraid during Rogue attacks. Or just living in Gotham. I never want to find out that she was in a dangerous situation and I wasn't there to . . ."

"You don't have to worry. If she's from Paris, then she's strong. Everyone in my city had been on the edge of death one way or another. Our instincts were sharpened. We can block out our fears and emotions." Ladybug looked up at him. "I'm sure she can handle danger."

"But it's different here. There's no magic to bring things back to normal. It's permanent." He pinched the bridge of his nose. "I won't know what to do if something happens to her because of me."

"I think . . . you should ask her first---"

"I should break it off with her."

"What?!"

Ladybug nearly slapped a hand over her mouth. I said that too quickly. Thankfully, Robin didn't seem to notice anything.

"I've been thinking a lot," he continued. "I can't bring myself to tell her about this. About me. The mere fact of her knowing puts a target on her back."

Dear kwamis, please keep me from pushing my boyfriend off this rooftop before gets the chance to find out about me.

"Wait." She began slowly. "Don't you think she deserves to know before you try to make that decision for her?"

"What am I supposed to do?" His eyebrows furrowed. "I . . . I expect her to react badly. I've learned from today that I should keep her from getting involved any further. It's either I drag her into this dangerous life or I keep hurting her with my lies."

"You shouldn't start assuming things without trying first. I'm sure she trusts you and she'll come to understand everything in time. There's always a compromise." Her lips spoke the words before she could think. "You're not doing any good by cutting yourself off all of a sudden."

"If I end it now, she can eventually move on and stay safe. Nevermind how I feel," he argued, "I can let her go and she'll be safe."

"When I told you about how Parisians are strong, that's not what I meant." Tears pricked the back of her eyes as she raised her voice. "She can stay in a relationship with you and keep herself safe because she's strong. Can't you trust her as much as she trusts you?"

"I can't risk it. She's important to me."

"If she is, then talk to her. If you don't give her a chance to decide, you're not any better than your father or brothers."

"How would you even know how she feels?"

Ladybug's face contorted into a sharp glare. "I just know. I know better than anyone, Damian."

Anger morphed into shock as he stared at her. ". . . What did you just call me?"

She made a quick sweep of the area to make sure that they were in a blind spot. Then, she wasted no time standing up on the ledge, shuffling until the balls of her foot touched the edge. Then,  "I'm not defenseless, merde. And I really wanted to wait until the end of the day but . . . Tikki, détransformation."

Marinette watched Robin's face go through a storm of emotions. His jaw hung slack and his fists uncurled while he stood up to look at her.

". . . Marinette?" he breathed out.

She gently touched his cheeks with both hands, peeling off his mask to reveal his glistening eyes. "I can't believe you wanted to break up with me."

"Marinette . . ." He pulled them both away from the ledge and held her, mumbling 'I'm sorry' over and over again. His head was buried on her neck, with his hands pressed against her back.

"You. It's you," said Damian. "Of course it's you."

"It's me." She rubbed down his back. "For record, I only found out because---"

"Because I told you what happened."

She chuckled. "Yeah."

"I'm sorry. I'm really sorry, habibti." He pulled away a little to touch her cheek. "I was going to make a stupid decision."

"Are you upset that I kept this from you?"

He shook his head, kissing her head. "I can't and I don't have the right to be. I was keeping my secret from you as well."

"Come on, let's go home first. Then we can talk about . . . everything."

---

Ladybug swung into the night with a weight lifted off her chest. She and Damian had a long talk about their identities and relationship. They'd both agreed not to tell the other heroes until they were ready to. For her, it was better that they kept their secrets between themselves first and slowly ease into revealing the truth to her friends and his family.

She breathed in the breeze. Robin wasn't anywhere to be seen, but a group of vigilantes were. Nightwing. Hood. RR. What are they doing there?

The three immediately fell into a hush when she landed next to them.

"Hey, LB," Red Robin greeted.

She put her hands on her hips. "What are you doing?"

The brothers shared a look before Red Hood spoke. "Robin told you about his girlfriend, right?"

"Yeah . . ." she trailed off, dragging the syllable.

"We think something's up with her," said Nightwing.

"I'm sorry?"

"Sketchy stuff," Red Robin explained, shifting on his feet. "Well, we can't tell you who she is---secret identities and all---but she's from Paris. She's friends with Hawkmoth's kid."

Ladybug scoffed. "Adrien? He's not like Hawkmoth. I know him personally and he had nothing to do with that man's crimes. Trust me."

"Hmm, yeah but she's also close with the mayor's daughter. That one who also sided with Hawkmoth."

"You mean Chloe Bourgeois? She's proven that she's changed." And unbeknownst to the public, she was a hero again, this time under another alias.

"But she's so secretive. There's definitely something going on with her." Nightwing rubbed his chin. Ladybug wanted to bang her head in the nearest wall or groan to the heavens.

"What's wrong with being secretive? Aren't you guys the same?" she narrowed her eyes.

"That's not the main cause of our suspicion," said Red Hood.

"We weren't convinced about her reason for moving to Gotham, so we dug around," Red Robin continued, "She said something about more career opportunities but that's just a cover. We found classified files on superheroes in her apartment, including info on Justice League members. I bet she already knows about Robin's identity."

"You snooped in her apartment?!"

"It was an investigation," Nightwing snorted.

Her eye twitched. A secret had never felt so difficult to conceal. "I can't believe you'd break the privacy of a civilian just because you had baseless assumptions."

Red Robin winced. "Uhh . . . if you put it that way . . ."

She crossed her arms. "No, I know what this is really about. You're being overprotective of Robin; you can't accept that he now has a significant other and you think he's being naive about his choices. You think he's going to get hurt badly." She paused for effect. "Because you don't want him to repeat the same mistakes as you all did."

The look on their masked faces told her that she had hit the target better than any therapist they might have encountered.

Red Hood was first to deny. "We're not protective of the brat. We're trying to eliminate a potential danger."

"His harmless civilian girlfriend?"

"Think about it, LB. Why would she have sensitive files on the heroes?" Red Robin asked. "You can't deny that that's suspicious."

I don't know, maybe because she's a hero herself?!

Ladybug sighed heavily. Damian is really going to kill them when he finds out. "Does Batman know about this?"

"Nope, but we'll tell him when we gather enough evidence," Nightwing answered. "We're just trying to get Oracle to crack into her laptop. The security on it  is so heavy, it's insane."

Why is it a curse that I asked Max to protect my laptop? There are files on the Miraculi in there!

She discreetly took her yoyo and put it on the recording function. "Let me get this straight. So you're all investigating and prying into the life of Robin's girlfriend without the knowledge of Batman even at the cost of your identities and everyone's safety?"

"We're not risking anyone's safety---"

"It's more of research but---"

She pursed her lips. "And you broke into her apartment, went through her things and currently you're trying to hack into her personal computer?"

"Regular vigilante work---"

"Good, we're on the same page then." She smiled widely. Sinisterly. "Tikki, détransformation."

Pale. Pale faces were all she could see as the three vigilantes were engulfed in utter shock. Marinette held her smile, clasping her hands together behind her back. I can't wait to see how they try to make it up to me. Mon dieu! I'm going to mess with them. 

And as a cherry on top, Robin arrived at the scene, immediately putting her behind him when he saw that she was in civilian form. He directed an accusatory glare at his brothers. "What is going on here?!"

[person25]

for some reason, every time i get back into dc and/or miraculous i always end up here:

[aliensunflower-fics]

Man, Adrien's just wants everyone to be happy, and because he goes on the wrong way, he gets a raw deal.

Will he ever get a break in your fics?

... Okay I have gotten 1 to many asks like this even though if you check my pinned post you would see all my fics with tags a fair few of which include Adrienette or even just cool friends Adrien and Mari but to make your life even easier HERE I will link every single fic I have written (to this date) in which there is 0 Adrien salt ENJOY:

Alya Salt Prompt: Views (Alya Salt / Prompt / Mild Lila Salt )

Ladybug Is Addicted to Pastries ( Fluff / Comedy Short )

Corruption: A Prompt ( Light Adrinette / Lila Salt / Prompt)

Marinette Changes Schools: Funny Prompt ( Adrienette / Kagaminette / Felinette / Fluff / Comedy / Lila Salt)

A Sinister Sneaky Lila Prompt (Marinette Harem / Lila Salt / Prompt )

The Liar Trap: Lila Salt Prompt (Comedy / Lila Salt / Hints of Kagaminette )

Marinette The Perfect Daughter In-Law (Marinette Harem / Fluff / Comedy)

‘Akumatized’ Marinette: Funny Prompt (Marinette Harem / Fluff / Comedy / Lila Salt )

The Interview (Comedy /Gabriel Salt / Nathalie Salt / Lila Salt / BAMF Marinette)

The Interview Part 2: Live Broadcast ( Comedy / Gabriel Salt / Nathalie Salt / Lila Salt / BAMF Marinette / Hints of Daminette / Gay Adrien / AdriJon )

Jealousy & Honesty: Sugary Prompt (Innocent Lila AU / Marinette Is Insecure but Sweet / Marinette Talks to Her Mom / Prompt)

Who Framed Marinette Dupain Cheng (Comedy / Marinette Harem / Fluff / Class Sugar)

[feyres-divorce-lawyer]

*claps and rubs hands together* alright you miscreants, behold! epic literature provided by moi

~ You Might Be King Of Half The World, But You’ll Not Own Me As Well by WickedTheRedHorse (a literal masterpiece, i’m being so serious rn. when i say i only ship fanon darklina, this is what i mean)

~ the reports associated with my existence have been significantly misconstrued by davidstennant (multi-media fics aren’t usually my jam, but this, this is good jam. exquisite jam. would gladly slather it over some challa bread and feast) [note: hasn’t been updated since may last year]

~ Liar’s Waltz (based on the poll) by @sunlightsage (first rhysta fic i ever read🤌🏾🤌🏾)

~ House of Mirrors by ae_neon (love a widow whose husband died under mysterious circumstances — @ae-neon)

~ Burial Rites in Crepuscular Hours by Existential_Teatime (badass alina rights, badass alina wrongs, when she makes the darkling question his intelligence>>>)

~ #8024 by SimplyAnotherWriter (marinette in arkham. that’s it)

~ The Journey to You by Thisishowitbegins (responsible for my resolute belief that timinette is the superior maribat ship, can’t believe this the author’s debut fic) [note: updates may be long as author grew incredibly busy]

~ Feylin Oneshots by Bookish_Gal (let’s be honest here, it’s by @bookishfeylin, need i say more. if you haven’t read it, what are you doing? alexander and adora live on my heart. also dragon tamlin, like hello???)

~ A Court of Frost and Embers by Midnight_Wishes (i made a whole, 6 minute long tiktok abt this on my first acc (that got banned because that clock app is so damn sensitive) really took my feycien obsession from brainworm to brainrot. the absolute longing and devastating angst because lucien knows feyre needs to break the curse yet falls for her anyway, but feyre doesn’t know so she just thinks lucien’s avoiding her for no reason. crushes my heart in the best way. and their calanmai scene, whew) [edit: @goforth-ladymidnight is the author’s tumblr)

~ heaven can’t help me now by disarmed (completed, perfect, there aren’t enough feycien infidelity fics out there)

~ The Girl and the Wolf by MythNinesevenine (miss janet dreams that she was as good at writing as @longsightmyth, DREAMS, i said)

~ A Court of Family Secrets and A Court of Flames and Shadows by flamesandshadows (feyre not going back to rhys after she finds out, nesta not going on that stupid hike, feycien friendship revival, eris and elain sibling relationship, elucien, azris, feyre ruling hewn city. literally all i could ask for)

~ Riddles in the Dark by flamesandshadows (feyre never gets sa’d utm. that’s it)

~ Sacrifice by flamesandshadows (rhys doesn’t get his powers back in acowar)

~ Reputation by flamesandshadows (nyx learns that his family isn’t as innocent as he grew up believing, especially his father. my favorite part, he goes absolute ape shit and deadass almost kills rhysand when he finds out what happened utm)

~ The Great Ikea Game by IcedAquarius (have you ever played hide and seek in ikea with your brothers and then you meet a girl that helps you with god-like magic because she’s bored? well that happens to damian wayne) [first work in an incomplete series but this work itself is completed]

~ Second Best by stormpill (Second Best Cinematic Universe is an actual collection with 75 works across 15 fandoms, Inspired by Second Best - stormpill is an actual tag. SB was a cultural reset. two sun summoners? genius. fjerdan barbie is the best inside joke i know. this shit was so good y’all, i’m so sad it was deleted)

~ Dragonlight by Anonymous (tgt/asoiaf crossover. alina lands in king’s landing (ha, get it) and ends up in a sacrifice by that mad king dude to bring back dragons, except due to her small science, it works. so now alya’s a dragon mama to six firebreathing cuties. alina and that rhaegar dude (that’s his name right?) marry to protect alina from his father cuz bro is called the mad king for a reason. political intrigue, yum.) [sporadic updates]

Veiled Wings and Shattered Panoramas — A Series by Dragonfly08 (@dragonfly0808 S4 REWRITE IS TOMORROW🥳🥳. best winx rewrite like ever. netflix wishes, WISHES, that they could ever be as good as writing winx as dragonfly is. btw A Withering Pretense is the best rewrite, argue with your mother)

if you don’t read at least one of these, i will cry🙂

[fanfic-recs-01]

Miraculous LadyBug Fics

This is a list of Miraculous Ladybug fics I like on AO3, if you have any recs for me feel free to send me some!

I have a separate list for Marinette Dupain-Cheng/Damian Wayne Fics Here: Part 1 Part 2

Updated 11/2/24

Marinette Dupain-Cheng/Felix Graham De Vanily

Hey, Little Songbird by charlietheepic7 *Finished*

~Really, Felix couldn't believe his cousin sometimes. Marinette was talented, beautiful, kind, and had a crush on Adrien bigger than the mansion, yet Adrien was blind to the treasure right in front of him. "Just a friend," indeed.

Well, if Adrien wasn't going to do anything, it wouldn't matter if Felix... snatched her up?~

Welcome To The Back by Geeeny *Finished*

~Marinette Dupain-Cheng sits alone in the back. Until she doesn't.~

birds of a feather by WithLovePoohBear *Finished*

~When Mme Bustier’s class gets a new student, Marinette might just finally find true friends who love and support her for who she is.

But more accurately, she finds her home.~

Pen Pals by That_Kwami_plagg  *Finished*

~Marinette and Felix have been Pen Pals for two years. She tells him everything. All of the abuse, lies and manipulations. He became her sanctuary, and her his. What happens when Felix moves to France? Can he help her through her struggles, or will he be another victim of Lila?~

Marinette Dupain-Cheng/Tim Drake

Tiny Tim by LeoLeonte *Finished*

~Tim leaned back on the chair. Disrespect was a common occurrence at the meetings he attended but usually people were far more subtle about it.

In which sleep deprivation makes people do, and say stupid things.~

The Contingency by AbyssalGuardian *Finished*

~After Marinette loses the support of her parents she decides that it’s time for her to enact one of her contingency plans and disappear.

Where better to disappear than Gotham?~

coup de foudre (came with a lightning bug) by newdog14 *Finished*

~“So unfortunately I’m being forced to turn in my resignation without having a replacement trained just yet,” Marinette said, looking genuinely regretful.

“Marry me!” Tim blurted out, and Marinette blinked at him in shock~.

Damsel in Distress by Izanae *Finished*

~All Marinette wanted to do was check out the competition.

Instead, she finds herself at the mercy of a Rogue - and a certain Red bird.~

Misc.

No Hesitation by orphan_account *Finished*

~Marinette could never have foreseen just how quickly Lila's plan would work - but now a new school year has begun and she has transferred to a new school that could support her fashion career far better than Dupont ever could.~

Accidentally on Purpose by LadyLiterature

~When Marinette had been chosen to intern with Monsieur Wayne’s PA, she hadn’t been expecting anything special. Sure, the Waynes were an odd breed and generally considered strange, but Marinette hadn’t actually expected to have much contact with them, if any at all.~

Multi-mouse will multi-wreck your shit by Assassinscred, Bloodhungrywolfpack *Finished*

~The whole world is watching the live stream as Multi-mouse's miraculous is ripped from her neck. They are all watching as the girl underneath is revealed. The super hero community, specifically the Bat clan, are stunned as she continues to fight, berating her foe the whole way.

With this new public knowledge, Batman once again reaches out to offer his assistance with the situation. Unlike a few years ago, this time Ladybug accepts.~

Siren Song by MelsCalamity *Unfinished*

~Or the story how Marinette Dupain-Cheng one night randomly woke up in Gotham City and suddenly got adopted by the Gotham City Sirens.~