#dont mind the lines its my little pocket sketchbook i use at work
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And so it shall be done <3 @luluyamofficial
#my art#traditional art#REAL TALK DRAWING THIS SORT OF THING IS MY FAVORITE#I knew I Simply Had To#dont mind the lines its my little pocket sketchbook i use at work#there are so many ways to interpret the prompt of holding hands and leaning on each other#which means theres so much more potential... so many compositions and ideas floating around in my brain..#i might clean this up digitally at a point- my pink construction lines are irking me JUST a tad
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ask your destiny to dance [17] {Roger Taylor}
[masterpost]
It takes Roger exactly two weeks to realise he doesnât know Ash nearly as well as he thought he did. Thereâs a lot to glean about a person from their room, and what they say, but not everything, not even close to everything.
âSo I guess youâre working tomorrow?â Roger asks, leaning against the bar as Ash polishes a glass. It comes as a surprise when she makes a face, shaking her head. âWeâre going on a pub crawl, if you wanna come along then.âÂ
Ash takes her time before answering, hanging up the glass and pulling another from the rack before she finally speaks.
âI canât, Iâm busy, sorry.â And she sounds... uncomfortable about it. Rogerâs never known her to be uncomfortable about anything that didnât relate to her home life, and she can see the moment he jumps to that conclusion. âIâm going to Paris in the afternoon,â she says quickly, and Rogerâs taken aback, âI donât get home until late; train times, you know?âÂ
âA day trip to Paris?â He asks, and Maureen leans over to Ash with a small smile.
âIs that where you go on those Saturdays? Thatâs cute, Ash, little routine trips to France.â She flicks Ash with the end of her tea towel, to which Ash smiles despite herself, blushing and flicking Maureen back.
âOi, Iâm just going to Paris, nothing cute about it. Iâm allowed to have hobbies, you know.â She argued back, and Maureen snickered, smiling fondly at the ginger before she tucked her tea towel into her back pocket and went back to cutting lime wedges. âIâm going to The Louvre.â Ash explained to Roger, cheeks still faintly pink.
âThe Louvre?â There was a surprise in his voice that Ash had expected, and when she looks up at him, she still seems a bit defensive.
âThereâs free entry once per month; first Saturday at six.â She pauses, and when his expression brightens, hers falls and she feels like sheâs said too much.
âDo you go every month?â He sounds delighted at the prospect, and Ash wants to defend herself, but then he says, âyou shouldnât be catching the train so late, itâs dark even at six, love, you must get home at like midnight; just let me drive you.â
âRog, you donât need to do that,â but her grin is more relieved than anything else, the tension leaving her shoulders as she goes back to her work, âyou guys are going out tomorrow, and besides, itâs not like Iâve never done it before.âÂ
âI can get on the piss with them any time; this only happens once a month.â And the way his words make Ash smile, quietly pleased, heâs already pretty sure itâs going to be worth it.
Things between them have been... weird. Good weird, sure, but that doesnât make them less weird. They havenât really had time for an actual date yet, they just sort of show up at each otherâs homes and watch TV and make out whenever they donât have work or rehearsals of a night. Itâs been good, itâs felt safe.Â
When Ash sits on the curb outside of her dorm, she feels nervous more than anything else. Itâs not a feeling sheâs used to; sheâs never been nervous around Roger before; it takes her probably too long to realise how much she wants this to go well. When he shows up, just after midday, heâs beaming from the second hand station wagon that heâd gotten since recording the album. Thereâs a map in the passenger seat.
âIâve driven there before, but not for a while, youâre going to have to direct me.â He advises as she buckles her seat belt, putting her sketchbook and thermos by her feet and unfolding the map.
Itâs a long drive, just over five hours, and Ash is nervous for about three of them, which is only compounded by getting lost twice, and eventually Roger pulls over.
âYouâve been tense since I showed up; whatâs wrong?â He asks, and Ash sighs heavily, picking up her thermos and pouring herself a small cup of tea.
âI donât exactly go blabbing about the fact that I make semi-frequent trips to Paris, alright?â Ash admits, and she takes a sip of her drink, looking out through the windshield. Rogerâs not sure what that means, how to respond, and after a minute, she adds, âFreddie doesnât even really know.â And she finishes the tea, putting the thermos back, and Rogerâs still quiet. When she finally looks at him, his expression is fondly amused.
âYouâve made me feel all special.â Itâs far too genuine to be a joke, and Ash lets herself smile back, rolling her eyes at him.
âDonât let it go to your head.â She warned, and Rogerâs smile sharpened as he pulled back onto the road.
âToo late.â But he reaches over to rest his hand on her knee as she opens the map up again, and her heart grows warm, her anxiety easing. They turn up the radio for the rest of the trip; Ash hums along to the songs she only knows the tune of without too much hassle, yet somehow canât seem to actually sing a note to save her life. She finishes butchering Eltonâs Crocodile Rock at the top of her lungs, and Rogerâs sides hurt from laughing, and sheâs grinning in a way that means she knows exactly how terrible she is and how much it amuses Roger.
âI have other skills.â She says dismissively, grinning with her nose in the air as the radio host announces another song, and instead of answering, Roger sings along to the radio like heâd written the melody himself. âShowoff.â Ash laughed, and Rogerâs eyes crease as he grins.
âI donât have other skills, I gotta make use of this one.â He replied, lightly, and Ashâs expression softened.
âOh shut it, youâve got at least two other skills, probably.â She played along with his joke, watching him as he sings along to the rock song blaring from the radio, and itâs relaxed and easy, and she finds herself wondering why sheâd been so worried just a few hours before.Â
They hit Paris at a quarter to six, and grab some fast food before heading to the gallery. Thereâs people everywhere, and the line isnât exactly short to get in, more than a few of them are uni students like them, looking to get in for free, and Ash says hi to a few; the fact that she goes here enough to know other people who do this regularly to is still something that baffles Roger a little. Heâs worried sheâs getting nervous again when she takes his hand - theyâre not the sort of people who hold hands - but when he looks at her, her eyes are shinning and bright as she looks up at the building; sheâs excited.Â
Ash goes quiet in the gallery, looking around with wide-eyed reverence at the works around them. They move past the entrance slowly; Ash gazes at the works with their plaques memorised, while Roger reads them, fingers laced with hers.Â
âOh, hello.â Voice reverential, Ash greets a statue at the end of the hall like an old friend, and introduces Roger as such. âThis is the Venus de Milo, sheâs almost two thousand years old, god, look at that marble work, imagine how sharp it would have looked back then,â and then itâs like sheâs opened a floodgate, and sheâs tugging him along, rambling along the way about each piece they pass, little facts not on the plaques, things she can cite from the top of her head. Above everything, sheâs passionate, pulling out of his grip to clutch her hands to her chest and looking up at headless sculpture of what Roger thinks is an angel, and what Ash clarifies to be The Winged Victory of Samothrace.
âIsnât she beautiful?â Ashâs moon-eyed gaze was focused on the statueâs marble garments, but Rogerâs only got eyes for her. When he doesnât answer, she looks to him, catches the way heâs smiling at her, and she feels her cheeks heat up. âWhat?â
âYou really love this stuff, donât you?â Itâs a sincere question, and itâs as if he can see her responses flit through her mind, sarcastic, dismissive, an eye roll, flippant, she passes them all, takes a moment to really look at him, taking her time to breathe in the whole situation before responding.
âMore than anything.â Itâs a sincere answer, and it catches him off-guard. Ash is many things, but unapologetically enthusiastic is not one Rogerâs familiar with.
Turning on her heel, Ash leads further in to the gallery, but itâs finally hits him how much this means to her, this place, these works, bringing him here. Theyâd been together for barely a fortnight, but they both know itâs felt so much longer than that; sheâd taken a gamble, bringing him, he has no doubt sheâd have left him in London if she didnât want him to come along, and something tightens in his chest.Â
He doesnât dwell on it, he takes it in stride well enough, peppering her with questions along the way that she seems thrilled to answer. Tucking her arm into his, they make their way through the building, the babbling turning to banter easily as Roger provides his own commentary on each piece as they pass, which serves to make Ash laugh.
They get to a small painting on the top floor with a border that looks bigger than the picture itself, and Ash has gotten quiet again.Â
âWhoâs this?â Roger asks, the two of them stepping close to get a closer look.
âThe Lacemaker.â Ash sounds a little awed, and when he looks down at her, Roger sees how fondly sheâs smiling at the little painting. âSheâs my favourite.âÂ
ââcourse she is, sheâs like you.â Roger answers easily, and Ash makes a face, laughing a little self consciously.
âNo sheâs not, shut up.â She doesnât sound like she believes him, a bit of a laugh in her words, but sheâs resting her head against Rogerâs shoulder and he wraps an arm around her.
âSame focus.â Roger muses, and when Ash looks to him, surprise and confusion on her face, he just grins. âWhen you sew, youâve got the same look on your face, same focus.â He explains, and thereâs something in Ashâs awed expression that he canât place, and she pulls away from him too fast for him to really identify it.
Sheâs pretty sure she loves him.
Itâs fucking terrifying.
She canât look at him, stepping out of his grip as she feels tears well in her eyes as her emotions overwhelm her, not that itâs an uncommon occurrence, Ash has never set foot in an art gallery and not cried, but Roger didnât need to know that. Sheâd really been doing well today, too. Usually she gets lost in the scope and detail of The Wedding at Cana, or even comes to obsess over the little details of The Lacemaker, but sheâs also usually alone and can get away with it.Â
âThatâs- Rog, thatâs really sweet of you to say.â And he can hear in her voice that sheâs trying not to believe him, that she canât let herself believe him. And when she turns back, sheâs wiping at her eyes, and he wants to try and comfort her, but sheâs already walking past him briskly, leading to the next painting.
âThereâs something Iâve... well, Iâve always wanted to try here.â He hears her say, voice firm as if sheâs trying to move quickly past whatever the moment sheâd just had was. She leads not to the painting, but to one of the weirdly low, backless sofas that are scattered around for people to view the paintings from. This oneâs empty; Ash looks around for security, and seeing none, steps up onto it.Â
âAnd whatâs that?â He asks with a smirk, the sofa giving her only about two inches of height on him. He doesnât ask why sheâd almost started crying, and for that sheâs thankful. Instead, his hands come to rest on her hips, and heâs smiling at her in that way that sets her heart aflutter.
âDonât ruin this.â She warns very quietly, amused smile on her lips, and Roger quirks an eyebrow.
âRuin what?â He asks, shooting for innocent, a million different things running through his mind that could make her smile, but would definitely ruin the moment; he bites his tongue.Â
Ash cups his face in her hands, and she canât help but laugh as she leans in to kiss him. It starts sweet and tender, her lips soft against his, but he wraps his arms around her, pulling her close and deepening the kiss. Thereâs people moving around them, most ignoring them, some stare, but neither of them seem to care. She tastes mostly like the tea sheâd sculled in the car when theyâd arrived, and sheâs got a hand in his hair when he presses kisses from her jaw, trailing down her neck, and she laughs, a little giddy. He pulls back, if only to see her bright eyed and blushing.Â
âLetâs go home.â She says softly, and Rogerâs never agreed to something so quickly, his heart elated to see Ash giggling and mischievous as they backtrack through the gallery, knowing that he and the art were the things that made her smile like that.Â
âI didnât ruin it.â He sounds a little smug when he says it as they walk through the streets of Paris back to his car, and Ash glances at him out of the corner of her eye, snorting.
âI could see you holding yourself back from a one-liner about pinning masterpieces to walls or something like that; I appreciate your discretion.â She tells him, deadpan, and Roger gives her a self-satisfied grin.
âIt certainly wasnât easy.â He agrees, but she still reaches out and takes his hand. When they get to his car, he goes to head around to the driverâs side, but she pulls him back for a moment, pressing a kiss to his lips. After a moment, heâs got a hand on her hips, pressing her against the side of the car, and she sighs against his lips, her arms around his neck. Her legs slide open easily as she pulls him closer, letting him slide a knee between her thighs.
âChrist,â Roger breaks away from the kiss, murmuring the word against her neck as her nails graze his scalp.
âThank you for today.â She whispers softly, and he can hear the smile in her words. He presses a kiss to her shoulder.
âAny time, love.â He steps back from her, enough to see her fond smile, and to give one in return, before he heads around to the driverâs side and they both get in the car.
Itâs well past midnight by the time they get back, and Ash follows Roger up to his flat with a yawn, flinching as the door opens and Brian, Freddie, and John all greet them with a cheer, obviously taking a pit stop in the middle of their pub crawl.
âI was starting to sober up; the walk between the last pub and the next is directly smack bang in the middle of here.â Freddie claims with a surprising amount of confidence considering his words make no sense.
âNo- this place is on the way to the next pub.â John corrects, and Ash has to giggle at the sight and sound of a drunk John Deacon. It never fails to amuse her, heâs surprisingly confident and well spoken.
âYes! Deaky is right! You two can join us!â Freddie brandishes and subsequently spills on Brian, whoâs sitting beside him.
âGo if you want, Iâm knackered.â Ash yawns, giving Rogerâs shoulder a nudge, moving past him to his room.
âActually, I think Iâm right, Iâve been driving for a while,â Roger says, making to follow Ash, only to hear Freddie boo loudly, and John call out after them.
âWhereâd you guys go?â He asks, and Roger answers over his shoulder.
âArt gallery.â He answers, and he hears Ash snort from his bedroom.
âThatâs... Rog, thatâs surprisingly cute, didnât know you had it in you.â Brian smiles at him, and Roger feels a little patronised by the pride in his flatmateâs voice. He flips Brian off, along with the rest of them, since John was grinning like the cat who got the cream and Freddie looked like he was three seconds away from actually âaweâing.Â
âDid you kids have fun?â Freddie calls, sounding nothing so much like his own mother, wearing a shiteating grin, which only got wider as Roger told him to piss off, slamming the door once he got into his room.Â
Ash was standing by his bed, pulling off the shorts sheâd been wearing all day, already wearing one of his shirts. Roger can hear the others on the other side of the door already laughing and talking about something else, all three of them trying to convince themselves to get up and move on to the next pub. She gives him an amused smile and Roger just rolls his eyes at his friendsâ whole situation.
They donât speak, though Ashâs yawn triggers one in Roger, and when heâs stripped down to his boxers, sheâs waiting for him beneath the covers. When he kisses her, itâs a thank you for the day, and she hums a soft, contented noise against his lips. Theyâre too tired to even fool around, and Ash wraps her arm around him as he turns to lay on his side, pressing her chest to his back, pressing a kiss to his shoulder blade before they fall asleep.
the ususal suspects: @deakydickfanpage @hollyissuchahoe @laueecakee @smittyjaws @crystalshines2909 @i-am-sarah @legendsaresooftenwarnings @2ptonpt @benhardy24-7 @maiilovely @mickey-yr-a-goner @butter-times @heyyouitskay @tired-eyes-fairy-lights @yepimthatperson @missieluvsmurder @ironqueen98 @ceruleanrainblues @banhbao329 @fantasticchaoticwho @ko-kitty @seven-seas-of-hi @mimisfangirlfantasy @aadjuric @rogmobile @cardybenhardy @snacfu @perriwiinkle @the-strange-fan-girl @finite-incantatem-7 @tapetayloe @florencewelchismybiggod
#roger taylor#roger taylor imagine#roger taylor x oc#bohemian rhapsody#borhap#bo rhap#borhap imagine#bohemian rhapsody imagine#queen#freddie mercury#brian may#john deacon#ask your destiny to dance fic#the angry lizard writes
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prince of cats
chapter five:Â to smooth that rough touch with a tender kiss
on ao3 || on ffnet 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5Â
hey everyone, how was your week!
posting wise, we've passed the halfway point of what i currently have written (i have through ch9 written at the moment). i'll hopefully write most of the rest of the fic in august, just at the moment my productivity writing wise is down because i've been drawing a lot and listening to taz!
enjoy!
From: the Most Beautiful To: fashion goddess    just letting u kno that i hate my boyfriend
From: fashion goddess To: the Most Beautiful    Thats a lie and you know it    Whats he making you do
From: the Most Beautiful To: fashion goddess    >:(    hes making us go out to dinner with his moms
From: fashion goddess To: the Most Beautiful    Oh THIS dinner
From: the Most Beautiful To: fashion goddess    yup
From: fashion goddess To: the Most Beautiful    First of all I talked to Nino about it last time you brought it up and its just a normal dinner    His moms just want to spend time with you two From: the Most Beautiful To: fashion goddess    ur sure From: fashion goddess To: the Most Beautiful    Absolutely    Alya you love Ninos moms    Theyve basically adopted you
From: the Most Beautiful To: fashion goddess    ur right    im just tired    ninos really excited so i was worried im missing something or am gonna be surprised by something
From: fashion goddess To: the Most Beautiful    As far as I can tell its just a normal dinner    No surprises just Nino being Nino    And the answer is to take a nap when you get home from work    Did you not sleep much last night?
From: the Most Beautiful To: fashion goddess    nah i was working on a project    until like 3 cause i hate myself    nino had to drag me to bed
From: fashion goddess To: the Most Beautiful    Thank god for Nino
From: the Most Beautiful To: fashion goddess    yeah he haaated me last night    speaking of cute boys tho
From: fashion goddess To: the Most Beautiful    Alya oh my god
From: the Most Beautiful To: fashion goddess    im sorry uve been friends w adrien for how long now??    3 weeks??? more than a month?? literal years!?!!?!??!?!    u talk about him all the time when r we gonna meet him
From: fashion goddess To: the Most Beautiful    Eventually!!!!!    I promise I just dont want you scaring him away
From: the Most Beautiful To: fashion goddess    nino and i r great we dont scare ppl
From: fashion goddess To: the Most Beautiful    uh huh
From: the Most Beautiful To: fashion goddess    shut up    also get me his last name
⌠⌠âŚ
Marinette puts down her sketch book. âLetâs go to the store.â
Adrien looks up from his laptop in surprise. âWhat?â
Sheâs gotten used to weekends with Adrien. He doesnât expect her to look nice or even all that presentable, and she doesnât expect him to, they just sit on the couch or in the kitchen and do their own thing. Adrien usually works, because he literally never stops working, and Marinette designs. She forces him to watch her favorite shows with her, even if it means that she has to explain to him who every single character is and the entire plot. In return, heâs managed to get her to watch some of his favorite movies. He randomly shows up throughout the week if he needs something from her kitchen because he always seems to be short something. Marinette is genuinely considering giving him a key to her apartment. Even if itâs just so he can steal from her fridge and cabinets.
âThe store.â She pulls her hair up into a messy bun and grabs her purse off the back of her chair.
Adrien stares at her like sheâs grown another head.
âYou donât have to come if you donât want, but if you need anything, you should.â She gestures toward the door.
âWhat do you need?â he asks, apparently having found his voice.
âFabric,â she says, ticking things off on her fingers, âsome thread, ribbon, watercolor paper, brush markers if they have any, and pizza.â
He laughs and runs his hands through his hair. âI do like pizza.â
Marinette picks up her keys. âSo are you coming? Because if you arenât I should probably kick you out.â
âWhat?â Adrien asks as he stands. âYou donât trust me?â
âYou might steal my Jagged Stone poster,â she says with a shrug of her shoulder.
âFair enough.â He pulls on his coat. âShow me the way.â
⌠⌠âŚ
Marinette opts to walk to most of the stores. She asks Adrien if he minds and he just shakes his head and pulls his phone out of his pocket, sending a few quick texts as they make their way down the stairs and out of the apartment building.
âWhere are we going exactly?â Adrien asks, pulling the door open.
âFabric store first,â Marinette says, stuffing her phone into her purse.
He raises an eyebrow. âDonât you have fabric at work?â
âYes, but youâre missing the pointâ turn here. I donât have fabric at home. At work, I do stuff for the head designer and my boss. I have much more creative freedom when Iâm at home.â
âHuh.â Adrien flips his phone over in his hand. âInteresting. I know nothing about fashion soâŚâ
Marinette smiles. âI sort of figured.â
He shrugs. âI donât know much about how any sort of normal jobs work. Iâve got it relatively easy.â
âWorking from your apartment and living off of take out?â she asks innocently.
Adrien rolls his eyes. âYes exactly.â
Marinette elbows him lightly. âYouâre very lucky you have me to teach you how to bake.â
Itâs a nice day, not too hot and not too cold, without too many people walking around the streets. She finds herself wishing that she had more free time to spend outside, that she still had a balcony like she did when she was growing up. She misses having time to herself, where she could garden and sit outside and sew. Itâs too nice to be stuck inside all the time.
Adrien accuses her of taking the long way and she doesnât defend herself.
She holds the door open for Adrien when they get to the store, letting the far too cold airconditioning billow out onto the sidewalk.
Adrien wanders around in a sort of daze as Marinette pulls out her sketchbook and meticulously looks for the exact shade of blue that she needs.
âYou needed ribbon?â Adrien asks, suddenly popping out of nowhere.
Marinette squeaks and jumps back with a start, dropping her sketchbook in surprise.
âSorry about that,â he says sheepishly before bending over to pick up her sketchbook. He hands it back to her, rubbing the back of his neck. âDidnât mean to frighten you.â
She takes a few deep breaths before taking the sketchbook from him. âItâs fine, you just surprised me. Easy to do when Iâm concentrating.â
âWhat are you looking for?â Adrien asks, leaning closer, tilting his head to look at the page she has her sketchbook flipped open to.
âA blue,â Marinette murmurs, pointing to a swatch of fabric she stole from work and taped onto the page. âI mean obviously I have a type of fabric in my mind, Iâm just really desperate for this shade of blue becauseââ WellâŚshe doesnât actually have a reason. Sheâs just attached. And thatâs silly.
Adrien hums to himself. âOkay,â he says after a moment. And then he vanishes into another aisle. Â
Marinette stares at the space he was occupying for a long moment before shrugging and moving on. She decides sheâll find the blue later and starts looking for white lining. She pulls a bolt from the shelf, feeling the fabric between her fingers. Itâs a little heavier than she would like, but if she canât find anything else, she can make it work.
Adrien steps out from around the corner. âWould this work?â he asks, holding out a bolt of blue fabric.
Marinette blinks and takes it from him, running her fingers over the satin-like fabric. âThis isâŚthis is perfect, actually.â
He shrugs and puts his hands in his pockets. âI have a lot of experience with lots of types of fabrics.â He ignores the confused look Marinette gives him. She has questions, but mostly sheâs just glad she doesnât have to rethink the entire color scheme of this outfit.
Adrien watches over her shoulder as she chooses ribbon and nods as she rambles on about what sheâs making. He doesnât look like he understands what sheâs saying to him, but heâs listening and thatâs enough.
Marinette estimates how much fabric she needs and Adrien hums to himself as they get the fabric cut and check out.
âWhat did you think?â Marinette asks as he pushes the door open for her.
Adrien blinks in the bright sunlight and glances down the street before looking back to Marinette. âIt was nice,â he says. âOverwhelming, but strangely calming.â
Marinette laughs. âThat sounds about right.â
âWhere to next?â Adrien asks with a tilt of his head.
⌠⌠âŚ
âKnow anything about art?â Marinette asks as she pulls open the door to the art store.
âHardly,â Adrien says with a crooked smile. âI donât know anything about most creative things. I know music and thatâs kind of where my creative talents end.â
âMusic?â Marinette asks. Heâs never mentioned anything about music before, though he hasnât mentioned many hobbies or talents in general.
âPiano,â he specifies. âTook lessons for years, my parents insisted.â
Marinette leads him toward the markers and paints. âSo you must be pretty good, huh?â
âEh.â He shrugs. âNowhere as good as my father would like me to be, but Iâm passable.â
She rolls her eyes. âSo that means youâre fantastic.â
âIt really doesnât,â Adrien says with a laugh. âBut thanks for your faith in me.â
Marinette studies the brush markers, trying to decide what brand to get and how much money sheâs willing to shell out today. Adrien amuses himself by uncapping some of the markers and trying out the testing markers while she Googles reviews on the internet. Heâs flipping through an anatomy book when she decides on a set of markers and moves on to paper. Sheâs running low.
Marinette wanders further down the aisle where the sketchbooks and papers are. She feels someoneâs eyes on her, but when she looks up, she sees a worker at the entrance. Marinette picks up a pack of watercolor paper and hums to herself. She still isnât sure if she likes this paper, but she has very few options she can afford.
Adrien holds up a copic marker. âWhy is this seven euros?â
She blinks at him. âBecause it is?â
He squints at it. âItâs just a marker?â
âItâs a copic marker,â she says, like that will explain everything. Judging by the expression on his face, it doesnât help at all. Marinette takes the marker from him and puts it back with the others. âItâs alcohol based and fancy, thatâs why itâs expensive.â
Adrien looks at the case of copics in wonder. âWhy would you spend so much on a marker?â
âI donât know,â Marinette says. Adrien raises his eyebrows and she just shrugs. âI donât usually use them. I donât need nice markers and I donât exactly have a lot of money to be spending on things I donât need.â
âFair enough,â he murmurs. He narrows his eyes at the copic. âThat better be one magical marker if Iâm paying seven euros for it.â
Marinette snorts. âLucky for you, youâre not.â
Adrien gives her a lopsided smile. âYeah, thatâs true. Iâm no Picasso. I think the best I can do is a stick figure.â
She elbows him lightly. âIâm sure you draw beautiful stick figures.â
Adrien laughs and for that moment, Marinetteâs world gets a little brighter and her heart starts to sing.
⌠⌠âŚ
âHave you ever had pizza here?â Marinette asks as her and Adrien wait in line to order.
âMostly I just get whatever will deliver,â he admits.
âYou donât leave the apartment much, do you?â she teases.
Adrien rubs the back of his neck. âI donât usually need to.â
âDo you know what you want or do you just want the same as me?â
âLetâs go with the latter.â
Marinette orders her usual and pays before Adrien can offer, rejecting it when it does come. âMy treat,â she says with a smile.
They sit in a booth by the window with their pizza and bags.
âCareful, itâs hotââ Marinette warns, just as Adrien burns his tongue.
âAhhhhââ He sticks his tongue out and makes a pained expression.
She hides her smile behind her slice, but Adrien catches it and glares at her. She just shrugs. âI tried to warn you.â As she picks up her slice, someone catches her eye.
Theyâre watching her and Adrien out of the corner of their eye. They make eye contact with her and quickly go back to whatever they were doing on their phone. Adrien hisses in pain, bringing Marinetteâs attention back to their table. âThat was a mistake.â
Marinette opens her mouth to reply. The strange feeling of someoneâs eyes on her passes through her and makes her freeze up and she looks back to the person who was watching them. Theyâre packing up their things and heading out the door.
âWhat is it?â Adrien asks.
Marinette shakes her head. âSorry, I thought I saw someone I knew. I was wrong.â
He raises his eyebrows. âBeen there, done that. Iâve walked up to people thinking I knew them before. I did not.â She winces. âIt was incredibly embarrassing.â
âI can imagine,â she says, taking a careful bite of her pizza.
Adrien eyes her. âAm I going to burn my face off this time?â
Marinette snorts and lowers her slice. âI think youâre okay now.â
âIf I die, my blood is on your hands,â he says seriously.
She rolls her eyes. âPizza isnât going to kill you, I promise.â Â
⌠⌠âŚ
Adrien trails behind Marinette on the stairs, writing a quick email and carrying one of her bags.
âCome in for a minute?â Marinette asks as she pulls out her keys.
âHm?â Adrien asks. He glances up from his phone. âOh! Oh yeah, sure. I left my laptop on your table, anyway.â
She shakes her head as she unlocks her apartment. âYou have to have more of your stuff at my apartment than your own.â
âItâs called minimalism,â Adrien says seriously.
Marinette frowns as the door swings open. She glances over her shoulder to Adrien. âI didnât leave the TV on, did I?â
Adrien shakes his head. âWe didnât have itââ
âHey!â Alya shouts from the couch.
ââonâŚâ He trails off and hangs back by the door.
Marinette rolls her eyes. âDonât worry, itâs one of my friends. Trust me, I regret letting her have a key to this place,â she stage whispers. She shuts the door once Adrien has stepped inside after a bit of hesitation. She leaves her bags on the table before joining Alya, and apparently Nino, in front of the TV.
Nino pauses whatever show theyâre watching and returns to the Netflix home screen.
Marinette crosses her arms and leans over the back of the couch. âWhy are you in my house?â
âApartment,â Nino corrects lightly.
Adrien snorts from where heâs standing awkwardly in the kitchen. He puts Marinetteâs bags down on the counter and closes his laptop before holding it to his chest.
âIâve got a present,â Alya sings, holding up a box.
Marinette rolls her eyes. âIs this payment for breaking and entering?â
âItâs not breaking if you have the key,â Nino points out. He continues to flip through Netflix. âCanât argue the entering though.â
Alya smiles brightly at Adrien, but Marinette doesnât miss the way Alyaâs eyes sweep over him, taking in as many details as she can. âHey, stranger!â
Adrien lifts a hand awkwardly, still hanging back by the door.
Nino leans back and nods at Adrien. âYo, join the party.â
âI shouldââ Adrien gestures to the door.
Alya jumps up from the couch and hops of the back. She grabs Marinetteâs arm as she breezes by, dragging her over to Adrien.
âAlya,â Marinette hisses, attempting to dig her heels into the ground as Alya pulls her along.
âIâm Alya!â she announces, holding out her hand to Adrien. âMarinetteâs best friend.â
Adrien hesitates for a long moment before he shakes Alyaâs hand. âAdrien. MarinetteâsâŚâ his gaze slides to Marinette before snapping back to Alya. âHer neighbor.â
Marinette tries to keep her blush from burning too brightly.
Alya shakes his hand eagerly. âGreat to meet you!â
âNino!â he shouts from the couch. âBut I was working all day and Iâm tired so sorry, dude, Iâm staying put.â Â
âItâs fine,â Adrien promises. âI really should be getting back. Plagg needs to be fed.â
Marinette nods and pulls away from Alya. âYeah, of course! Let me justâ Iâll show you out.â Alya puts the box into Marinetteâs hands winks. Marinette gives her a little shove toward the couch as Adrien pulls open the door.
âYou didnât have to show me out,â Adrien insists as Marinette quickly closes the door once theyâre in the hallway. She leans against it so Alya canât look out the peephole. âIâm sure I wonât get lost on the way home.â He gives her a small smile.
âI wanted the chance to apologize forâŚthem.â Marinette waves at the door behind her. âMostly Alya, but both of them. They can be a lot.â
âThey seem nice,â Adrien says, and Marinette still canât read him well enough to know if heâs being sincere or not. âWhat did they get you?â He gestures to the box Marinette is awkwardly holding.
âPastries. Theyâre from my parentsâ bakery,â Marinette says quickly. âTom and Sabineâsâ theyâre my parents. Thatâs me, Marinette Dupain-Cheng, daughter of Tom and Sabine.â She swallows and glances down at her feet. That was a little too much rambling.
âMarinette Dupain-Cheng,â Adrien repeats softly. âYou have a beautiful name.â Heâs smiling when Marinette looks up at him.
She bites her lip. âTh-thank you. What about you, whatâs your last name?â
âKersey,â Adrien says, the corner of his mouth lifting in a small smirk. âAdrien Kersey.â
âA nice name,â Marinette says, running it over in her mind. Alya will kill her if she forgets it, but Marinette is fairly certain itâs burned into her brain forever.
âThanks, my parents chose it,â Adrien jokes. âIâm just stuck with it.â He pushes open his door. âYouâll have to take me to your parentsâ bakery sometime. I bet itâs great.â
âSounds good,â Marinette murmurs as Adrien lifts a hand and disappears into his apartment. When the door clicks shut behind him, she sags against her own door and lets out a sigh.
She really doesnât know how to handle this boy.
Alya and Nino are staring at her when she reenters the apartment. Marinette feels her face burn as she closes and locks the door.
âNot a word,â she says, putting the box from the bakery down on the kitchen counter.
Nino mimes zipping his lips shut.
âNo words?â Alya asks. âAre you sure? Because I have so many words.â
âYeah, heâs hot,â Nino says.
Marinette glares at him. âThanks for not saying anything.â
âAlright, now that we are saying things,â Alya says, twisting around on the couch, âwhere were you? You donât leave the house without us.â
âI leave the house!â Marinette protests.
Nino raises his eyebrows. âTo have fun?â
Marinette turns away to put her keys back.
âOooo,â Alya drawls. âSilent treatment.â
âIt wasnât fun, anyway,â Marinette says. âI had errands to run.â
âThat you decided to run with a cute boy,â Alya points out.
âThat sounds like fun to me,â Nino muses.
Marinette glances over her shoulder at him. âArenât you supposed to be on my side here?â
Alya gives her an offended look. âIâm his girlfriend.â
âIâve known him longer.â
âTouchĂŠ, Dupain-Cheng,â she says, narrowing her eyes.
Marinette sighs. âSpeaking of last namesâŚâ
âYou got it!â Alya shouts, jumping up from the couch. Nino tries to shush her, and she grabs a pillow and covers his face with it. âTell me tell me tell meâ I want to Facebook stalk him.â
Nino pulls the pillow away. âWho uses Facebook anymore?â
Alya turns to Marinette with wide eyes. âIs he secretly a wine mom?â
Marinette stares at her for a long moment. âWhy are we friends.â
Alya throws the pillow across the room.
Marinette bats it away and says, âIf you want Adrienâs last name, maybe you shouldnât be throwing things at me.â
âShe has a point, babe,â Nino agrees.
Alya sticks her tongue out at him before patting the cushion next to her eagerly. âCome on, Mar! Iâve waited a literal month for this.â
âHmâŚâ Marinette taps a finger against her lips. âMaybe I should keep you waiting.â
âMarinette!â
âFine!â She drops down between Alya and the arm of the couch. âHis last name is Kersey.â
Alya yanks her phone out of her pocket and starts typing rapidly.
Nino leans forward to look Marinette in the eye. âHow long do you think sheâs going to be at this?â
âA long time,â Marinette admits.
âWanna see what Disney movies are on Netflix?â he asks, picking the remote back up. âWe put some takeout in your fridge for later tonight.â
âSounds good to me,â Marinette says. âI need to do a lot of nothing before work tomorrow.â
Nino types in Disney and starts scrolling through the results. âAre ZoĂŠ and Dorian still arguing about that thing?â
âIf youâre talking about that jacket thing from a few weeks ago, theyâre over that. If youâre talking about fake leather, they spent like an hour âdebatingâ that on Friday.â
âFake leather,â Nino says in wonder. âWhy were they debating that? I thought this collection was all likeâŚdresses and stuff. Flowy soft things. What does fake leather have to do with that?â
âNothing.â
Nino stops clicking through movies for a second. âI donât understand you people.â
Marinette sighs and sinks against the back of the couch, pulling a pillow to her chest. âNeither do I,â she murmurs.
#adrien agreste#marinette dupain cheng#adrienette#miraculous ladybug#ml fanfic#my fics#proc ml#prince of cats ml#hello
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