#ive stayed away from playlists because i feel like music taste is so subjective and personal

[strideofpride]

i swam for a while, til i drowned: a rufus/lily pre-series playlist

the beginning: 1. get it right the first time - billy joel "got to meet that girl somehow" 2. brass in pocket - the pretenders "cause i gonna make you see, there's nobody else here, no one like me" 3. good old fashioned lover boy - queen "i can serenade and gently play on your heart strings” 4. dance with me - orleans "night is calling, and i am falling” 5. moondance - van morrison "and i know how much you want me, that you can't hide" 6. feel like making love - roberta flack "that's the time i feel like making dreams come true” 7. wonderful tonight - eric clapton "i feel wonderful because i see the love light in your eyes” falling hard: 8. northern sky - nick drake "i never felt magic crazy as this" 9. baby i love your way - peter frampton "i wanna be with you night and day” 10. more today than yesterday - spiral staircase "every day's a new day in love with you" 11. peg - steely dan "and when you smile for the camera i know i'll love you better” 12. can’t take my eyes off of you - frankie valli "but if you feel like i feel, please let me know that it's real" 13. your song - elton john "my gift is my song and this one's for you” desperation: 14. here, there, and everywhere - the beatles "watching her eyes, and hoping i’m always there" 15. diamond girl - seals & croft "how could i shine without you, when it's about you that i am?" 16. i'd have you anytime - george harrison "let me into your heart” 17. make it with you - bread “i really think that we could make it, girl" disappearing act: 18. sweet talkin woman - elo "it's so sad if that's the way it's over" 19. and she was - talking heads "no time to think about what she's done and she was” 20. she’s not there - the zombies "please don't bother tryin' to find her" 21. if you leave me now - chicago "how could we end it all this way?” the end: 22. fast car - tracy chapman "i had a feeling i could be someone" 23. rosanna - toto "i didn't know you were looking for more than i could ever be" 24. until you come back to me - aretha franklin "why did you have to decide you had to set me free?" 25. silver springs - fleetwood mac “i know i could have loved you but you would not let me”

[dakotacrisis]

Sweeter Than Ice Cream

(Spoilers for those that have not seen Glaciator yet. You have been warned.)

The potential Marichat fluff if the akuma hadn’t reared it’s deliciously creamy head. This episode killed me and I needed to write an AU where Chat Noir and Marinette got to stay on the balcony immediately. Enjoy!

Marinette clung tightly onto Chat Noir as he bound them off to some location. It mustn't have been far as he put her down again almost immediately.

After the disaster that was the failed ice cream triple date with her friends Marinette could use some cheering up. She just didn’t think it would be coming from Chat of all people. She felt bad hearing that he had feelings for her superhero persona and that he had prepared something for her. She adored Chat Noir as a partner and as a friend but her heart laid somewhere else. She couldn’t live with herself if she played with his feelings. Next time she saw him as Ladybug she would be sure to apologize...and tell him the truth.

“Just one small second. All good, you can open your eyes.” Chat instructed.

“Whoa, Chat Noir, it’s really beautiful.” she gazed around the beautiful scene he had set. Roses, warm candlelight, cushions and a little basket hidden in the corner. He had done all this for her? Her reverie was cut short when she noticed him sulking against the railing. “I am so sorry.”

“For what? It’s not your fault.” There was definitely a bit of sharp edge to his words.

“It is! No! Well, I mean. I’m sorry for you because you prepared all this and she didn’t come.” Smooth Marinette. Remember that you aren’t Ladybug right now!

“She warned me, but I still wanted to believe… I wanted her to come.” the way he spoke broke her heart in two. He really put a lot of effort into this night and she didn’t think twice about it.

“Maybe she had a good reason for not coming? Like… she hit a snag.” she leaned on the railing next to him.

“I know you’re saying that to cheer me up.”

“Yeah… I mean no! Well…” she sighed and laid a hand over top of his, “It’s her loss. You prepared something beautiful and I’m sure that if she had known you had went to all this trouble she would have come in a heartbeat.”

He looked up finally giving her a small smile. “You’re very sweet.” he glanced back at the picnic, “What do you say we enjoy this dinner then? It’d be a shame for it all to go to waste.”

“Oh...I uh…”

“Plus, it’d be a chance for me to get to know you a little more.” He gestured for her to sit.

“I’d like that.” she sat down on the cushions and watched as Chat laid out a little picnic of a baguette, cheese and crackers, chocolate covered strawberries and a bottle of sparkling lemonade.

“I know it’s not much but I had to get stuff I could just buy at the store.” he shrugged.

“It’s wonderful.” Marinette broke off a piece of the baguette, “You gonna join me?”

Chat Noir sat down and uncapped the sparkling lemonade filling two glasses and handing one to Marinette. “To unrequited love.”

“Here, here,” she clinked her glass against his with a chuckle.

“So, you never really said, what’s put you in such a dower mood tonight?” he asked.

“Well, a couple of friends and I had this outing planned and things didn’t go as expected. I had a bit of an overreaction and ruined the entire evening. They said they understood and I apologized but it still hurts.” She didn’t want to bring up Adrien right now.

“I’m sorry to hear that.” Chat swirled his lemonade around in his glass, “Let’s talk about something happier, yeah?”

“Yeah. But, what?”

“Well, how about you tell me something about yourself? Like, what music do you like to listen to?” he suggested.

“Well a little this and that, but my favorite artist by far is Jagged Stone.”

“Jagged Stone? I love his music! Rock and Rip is my favorite song.” Chat’s eyes lit up with glee. “That guitar riff that opens it--”

“That riff brings me new life! Every time I hear it I feel like I could burst through the roof and start flying.”

“It is great for pumping you up for the day. Another one of his songs that I adore is one of his slower songs, Chasing the Morning. It’s really different from his usual sound but it is still amazing.”

“You like that song too?” Marinette stared at him wide-eyed, “A lot of people dismiss it because it seemed such a deviation from his signature sound. I thought it was very refreshing and established that Jagged not only knew kickbutt rock and roll but romantic serenade as well.”

“That’s what I say! My one friend hates that song and I just don’t get it. How could anyone hate it? The piano alone is more than beautiful sounding.”

“Some people are just cursed with bad taste. Like, XY fans. Now there is some bland and repetitive music if I ever heard any.”

“Tell me about it. The guy himself rubs me the wrong way. The cover art for his albums looks like something out of a perfume ad.”

“Unlike Jagged’s, whose Rock Giant album cover I got to design.” Marinette puffed proudly.

“I heard. You’re really talented.” Chat smiled wider at her. “All this talk makes me wish I had some music playing.”

“I can handle that.” Marinette pulled out her phone and clicked on her favorite playlist.

They continued the night talking about their interests. Chat couldn’t say a whole lot about his activities outside of being a superhero but it was still nice to get to know the little things about him. Like how his favorite color was blue, he preferred strawberries to cherries, his favorite video game was Mecha Strike IV, he despised cauliflower unless it was drowned in cheese, and that his favorite subject in school was science.

Chat and her had scooted closer so she had her legs stretched out on his lap. “Okay, I got another one.” Chat poured out the last of the lemonade into their cups, “What do you want to be when you grow up?”

“That’s easy. I want to be a famous fashion designer and start my own clothing brand.”

“You must be super talented.”

“Not to toot my own horn but I have done some incredible work. I love designing not only clothes but accessories as well. My friend Alya is actually helping me start a fashion blog where I can showcase all the stuff I create.” She bit into the last chocolate covered strawberry. “What about you? Do you have any plans for the future that you can tell me?”

“Me? Well…” he looked down disheartened, “I haven’t thought about my future much, actually. There’s what I know my family wants me to do but I never really gave much thought as to what I wanted. I wouldn’t even know where to start.”

“Well it should be something you love, something you’re passionate about. What do you love to do?”

“I love being a superhero but this isn’t exactly a paying job and it’s not like I’m going to be a hero forever.” he muttered.

“We can work with that.” Marinette assured him, “You like helping people right? Maybe there’s something there.”

“Now that you mention it, I would like to do something where I work with kids. Maybe a counselor or something?”

“There you go. You could become a teacher, go to medical school and become a pediatrician, or maybe even a nanny.”

“I think I would prefer being called doctor instead of nanny.” he laughed. “That is something to think about.”

“Whatever you choose just make sure it’s what you want to do.” she told him. Marinette’s phone beeped indicating it was almost dead. “Oh wow, it’s already that late?”

“Hm?” Chat checked the time on his baton, “Geez, I didn’t realize it was so late. We should be getting you home.” he helped her to her feet.

“What about all of this?” Marinette gestured to the balcony.

“Don’t worry, I’ll clean it up after I drop you off.”

“Don’t be ridiculous,” she picked up the picnic basket, “I’m right across the street, I’d feel bad knowing you’re up here cleaning up everything on your own. Besides, it’ll go faster with both of helping.”

“Thanks. You pack up the picnic and I’ll start on the candles.” Chat looked relieved that he wouldn’t be cleaning up on his own.

Marinette folded the blanket and put it in the bottom of the basket followed by the dishes and leftovers from the picnic. Chat Noir would have to take care of the cushions.

“A little...a lot...madly…” Marinette heard Chat whisper as he blew out the candles.

“Chat? What are you doing?”

“I uh…” he turned around holding one of the candles. Even with the mask she could see the pink flushing his cheeks. “Just blowing out the candles.”

“You were doing the love me, love me not, game. Weren’t you?” she smirked as she took the candle, “Why do you look so sad?”

“Because it landed on not.” he frowned at the flickering flame.

“No it didn’t.” Marinette said earning a confused look from Chat. “What? You did it wrong. It goes a little, a lot, passionately, madly, not at all. So technically this one should be madly.” she blew out the candle.

“Madly…” Chat whispered almost in awe. Their eyes met and neither could tear their gaze away. “Marinette, I…”

“Yes?” she could feel her heart pounding in her chest. Why was she nervous all of the sudden?

“I…” Chat took a deep breath and looked away, “I wanted to thank you for helping me clean up again. It was very nice of you.”

“Oh…” Marinette swallowed back her disappointment. Why had she gotten so worked up? What else would she have expected him to say? “It was no problem.”

“Come on, I should be getting you home for your beauty sleep.” he scooped her up with ease and bound back towards her house setting her down on her own balcony gently. “Goodnight.”

“Chat, wait!” she grabbed his tail keeping him from leaving, “I know it may not count for much but I had a great time tonight. I’m actually kinda glad Ladybug didn’t show up.”

Chat Noir smiled back at her shyly, “If we’re being honest...me too. I had a wonderful time tonight. Maybe we could do this again sometime?”

“I’d love that.” And she really meant it.

“Here,” he handed her a rose, “Till next time.”

She reached out and took the flower, her hand lightly grazing his own. Before she could chicken out she stood up on her toes and left a small kiss on his cheek. “Till next time.” She mumbled trying in vain to hide her blushing face behind the equally as red flower.

Chat Noir stood there for a moment trying to comprehend what had just happened. His mouth open and closed trying to find a response.

Stupid! Stupid! Why did you do that? You just made this so much more uncomfortable! Marinette chastised herself. The trapdoor was right behind her, maybe she could drop down to her bed and hide under the covers.

Before she could execute her escape plan she felt a pair of hands grasp her shoulders and was pulled forward until her face was a mere hair away from Chat’s. He left a lasting kiss on her forehead before pulling away. “Goodnight, Marinette.”

He gave her one last broad smile before jumping from the balcony and disappearing across the rooftops. Marinette rushed to the railing and watched him leave a wistful smile of her own lighting up her blushed face. “Goodnight, Chat Noir.”