#ladrien fanfiction

[ladynoirfanao3]

Omg so excited for this Shadrien kiss commission from the amazing @danismilek from my fic “Dawning Light!” 🥰😍

Link to fic below (had to change to show entire fic because Tumblr is weird about not showing it right in the link preview 😭)! Fic is rated E for just a couple scenes and only has one chapter left to post! Snippet below as well 😁

Shadybug stalked across the room and stopped in front of him, her glare returning as she looked up into his eyes. “You need someone watching out for you. You're too damn good.” Her hand reached up and fisted his shirt at his collar and for a second, Adrien wondered if she was going to throw him across the room. Instead she yanked him down, her lips meeting his in a searing kiss.

[xhanisai]

AO3 - CHAPTER ONE

CHAPTER TWO

CHAPTER THREE - SOON

Summary -

Bittersweetly, he wished that he was normal.

That he could just say what was on his mind and converse with everyone around with ease and not be treated as if he was made of glass that was ready to shatter at any moment. That he could laugh properly whenever Ladybug made one of her silly faces at an annoying Akuma and be able to tell her to her face how much he truly loved her.

That he would do anything for her.

Until then, he wouldn’t let anything stop him from expressing himself and treating his loved ones the way he wanted to treat them to the best of his abilities.

(The shock and anguish upon the disappearance of his beloved mother was so strong, it took away Adrien's ability to speak at ten-years-old. As if losing his means to communicate wasn't bad enough, he became practically invisible to his father after that event. Ultimately, Adrien believed he was broken and would only cause pain to anyone who came close but that all changed when he found the Miraculous of Destruction in his room and met Plagg, Nino, Alya, Marinette and...Ladybug. Soon he began to see the light again.)

(Or, the mute! Adrien fic I've been yapping about for ages lol).

[beatrice1979a]

Speechless Changes - CH 6-1

by @justmywritingstuff

tumblr - read in AO3 for @ladrienjune

Pose credit: @adorkastock for this pose

== CH 1 -

“Oh, you asshole.” She says with a glare. “Of course, it’s MY fucking turn.”

He winks at her and she rolls her eyes.

“What can I say, Bug-a-babe?” Adrien says. “Someone’s gotta carry the team.”

She narrows her eyes at him and scowls. “Ugh, do you have to make the same pun every fucking time I do this?

[...] She bends down and picks up Adrien in a bridal carry, which as always, he enjoys way too much in her opinion. [...]

She doesn’t know why he likes to be carried so much, but his expression afterwards is always super cute and it’s an excuse to have him in her arms, so she’s okay with it.

[miraculousfanworks]

Writing Prompt: "Miraculous the Musical!"

No, not really.

The latest akuma causes everyone in Paris to loudly sing their inner thoughts with perfect chreography.

Highlights caught on video includes Ladybug singing about how much she loves Adrien (to the surprise of exactly one person), Chat Noir singing about how no one can order him around anymore since he is a cat and gives no fucks as well as a duet between Purple Tigress an Pigella about their sinful attraction to each other despite already having a significant other.

Prompt by: divineballad

[yuribeamed]

monbisou's mlb fic rec!! mlb fics recced by monbisou(me)!!

okay let’s get crackin!!

There’s Something About Marinette by ThoughtWarfare

im telling you this fic is so funny and honestly kind of the reason i got pulled back into ml fandom after thinking i’d finally moved on with my life. ever since i read this, marinette x ladybug has been my otp.

Girls Talk Boys by LNC

the core four and adrienette being oh so charming. to be honest, i would recommend everything and anything by LNC, this just happens to be my most recent read.

golden (like daylight) by okayanna

in my mind everyone has already read this because it’s so perfect and classic and lovely. also, well written! adrien is so well characterized. what else can i say. ummm 10/10.

Who Kissed Dupain-Cheng by Ridiculosity

sometimes i think about the marichat dynamic in this fic. actually, who am i kidding. i think about it all the time. constantly. i’m obsessed with the marichat dynamic in this fic.

Friends by meeble

short and sweet and deadly. god i love adrienette.

final girl by picayunewrites

could i do a fic rec and not mention final girl? could any honest marichat lover stay silent in the face of the work that is final girl? i recommend this. i recommend it so so hard.

comfort food by Reiaji

marinette cooks for adrien. marinette teaches adrien how to cook. marinette loves adrien. she loves him.

Trying to Get Bi by breeelis

adrien is ladybugs celebrity crush. is he your celebrity crush chat noir?

bon voyage by gentlefist

set more recently in canon! adrien and marinette are dating! they are dating one another! “dang it!” says chat noir.

Mr Perfect Disguise by caprisuns(marimbles)

ladybug wearing a very big floppy hat. adrien agreste wearing slides. romance!

baker “enemies” comic by buggachat

okay, you’re on tumblr, you’re a ml fan. i’m sure you’ve read or at least heard about buggachats comic. i think my favorite thing about buggachat is their portrayal of the core four. or maybe it’s their adrien? maybe it’s their ladynoir. i love buggachat so much.

oeuf ouch owie by miraculousumflower (ominousunflower)

hahahahahahahahahaha:):))

daydream by a_miiraculer and clairelutra

marinette and adrien are so so into eachother. also, he’s figuring out who ladybug is.

But All I’m Seeing Is You by chealseababylove

for a while i was like, “idk man i’m not sure i’m a ladrien type of guy” but that was before i read but all i’m seeing is you by chelseababylove.

The Dating App by leadernovaandthemacabre

chat noir and marinette. marinette and chat noir. they text eachother and analyze eachother from different angles. ps! a lot of sexy talk! for those who are opposed!

for the record by peachcitt

adrien and marinette set the dating record straight! as friends!!!! prpr

telepathy by thelibraryloser

sometimes you just want a good reveal fic. this one is really good.

A Partir De

something i’ve noticed in ladrien fics so far? a lot of very silly disguises. i’m talking extremely silly.

Strangers in the Bright Lights by poodles

poodles you cook my metaphorical noodles. also, this fic is wondrous.

and that’s it!! for now!!! more coming soon i suspect but then again, who knows?

[monpetitchattriste]

Panic attacks in paradise

Chapter 2

“Well…what I mean is that she might feel that way. I wouldn’t know cause I am not her. Just from the pictures on The ladyblog, it looks like she could possibly have feelings for you. I guess what I am trying to say is you should just talk to her about it.”  “But if I ask her in person, she will most likely run away.” He ran a hand through his hair, a gesture of frustration.  “Text her.” “Text her? I am not going to confess my feelings to her over text. She deserves more than that.”  “That’s not what I mean. Text her, as in try and get to know her more. You only see her a few times a week, most of which are battles. How well do you actually know her? By texting, you can get to know her without risking her identity. Plus, people tend to be more open in text.”

[piesafterdark]

Summary:

Ladybug dies taking down Monarch. Or does she? After five years, Chat Noir vehemently disagrees with her "presumed dead" status; her body was never found, after all.

As he begins to unravel this mystery, Marinette Dupain-Cheng reappears. So does a new butterfly-themed supervillain.

Excerpt:

“But if you don’t show up,” Ladybug says from atop the railing as she prepares to fly away, twisting to see him, “I won’t wait. I will do it alone.”

"Then I won't be late."

She didn't say anything afterwards, maybe she sensed what the future would bring, maybe she was just tired of him.

All Chat Noir knows is that in the blink of an eye she was gone.

And when tomorrow started, she was dead.

[cameforthecat]

I am frankly appawlled that this doesnt have a thousand notes and comments, so I must try and do something about it!!

Summary:

She watches his chest move with his breath, and then he cups his hands around his mouth, leaning farther out over the barricade.

“Ladybug,” he shouts, his voice high and clear over the rest of the noise of the stadium, like her ears are zeroed into the soundwaves from his throat. “I swear you are heaven-sent!”

Marinette can’t help it. She laughs.

or

a pop punk sensation moments from an identity reveal who is for some reason contracted to be a soldier of heaven partners up with paris’s golden it-boy by pure chance. they’ve got lives to save, music to make, and also they’re desperately in love with each other. for ladrien june 2023<3

This is Ladrien but LB knows who Chat is the whole time (she recruits him!) She asks him to team up with her as a punk rock musical duo, but actually they end up teaming up to start bar fights (with demons) and cross-dress (for demon-fighting purposes) and have truly transcendental experiences together (that only sometimes involve demons) (sometimes, its just each other)

And adrien dies. A lot.

Yall have GOT to read it!

@peachcitt I hope you don't mind this unsolicited fic boost, you deserve more love!

[miabrown007]

Adrien Agreste: rich, lonely, freshly aware of the fact that he's expected to take over not a fashion, but a drug empire. Marinette Dupain-Cheng: broke, angry, freshly aware of the fact that bringing down drug empires is a blast. But where would she be without her team, Alya and Nino, and her very good friend, Luka? Not to mention the team’s newest addition, the kind, the funny, the ultra charming Chat Noir. If Marinette likes him, that’s alright, though. It isn’t like she’s dating Adrien Agreste for real. It’s all just part of her ten-step plan to make the Agrestes meet their demise.

with illustration from @art-the-f-up in the chapter!

many many thanks to @ladyofthenoodle and @khanofallorcs for beta-reading! <3

Chapter 1 - Eyes Wide Shut (3,835 words, 1/32 chapters)

Adrien Agreste is at a standstill, perched up way above ground, and he hates every second of it.

Like a marionette waiting for its next command, his arms dangle by his elbows, prim and proper. He has no idea for how long he has to exist like this—because letting him know about decisions affecting his own life feels like a revolutionary concept no one has ever considered—but he knows he is getting tired. If only he knew how to cut his strings; but it's impossible when he barely sees them.

Even if he could, the question remains, what would he do after?

"Raise this arm a little higher, dear." Violet nudges him.

Adrien complies. The more seamlessly he follows the instructions, the sooner he's done with any task. He knows. It doesn't make him hate the process less, though.

He doesn't even know exactly why they are taking his measurements for this particular outfit. The black lounge suit had been an item for the 'dystopian fashion collection', a failure so spectacular in its Gallup poll that the project had been shut down before the first concepts were presented to the wider staff.

But Adrien has gotten over the need to ask questions. He endures the tape-measure’s dance around him silently, and doesn't mention that it's probably overkill to be wearing the black face mask that goes with the suit. Truth be told, it's quite cute with the white whiskers. It's something Adrien can imagine taking a liking to—were it not for the inherent design flaw of making breathing impossible.

All things considered, the collection's downfall isn't such a wonder. It'd have been hard to find any sane person willingly submitting themselves to wearing these masks, bar something devastatingly convincing, like a global pandemic, occurring. Paired with the inbuilt ‘bonus’ of preventing recognition by even your closest friends, Adrien is of the opinion the design never stood a chance.

Of course, haute couture has never been about functionality. Designer items sell by the brand name. This is why the lack of recognition surrounding the purple butterfly used to puzzle Adrien. After all—according to everyone he’s ever talked to—his father is a great and successful businessman. So, he figured, there's a lot he couldn’t know about running a financially successful business, and thus the origins of the Agreste wealth.

Money had never been more than a mere concept to him. His family had always had it. And with money had come the business trips his father had taken twice a month, as well as the myriad of staff around the mansion Adrien had grown up in. It had been just their way of living—cold rooms, deep frowns, and deeper curtsies—and so he’d never stopped to consider: where has all the money been coming from?

In hindsight, it should have been evident.

And Adrien could have seen it— Adrien should have seen it. His only excuse for this blind spot is his very nature: being his father’s son, born more than raised. But even that thin line of defence crumbles under the significance of the issue.

He had tried telling himself that he’d always been trained to drop the questions and follow orders. To look the other way when business papers get signed. To leave banalities be, like the way his mother vanished one day when he was eleven. To turn up the music when the arguments get too loud and pots of cranberry sauce splashed on the tiles. He had tried to convince himself that when he’d started to study the company’s records—instead of studying architecture, like he’d wanted to—they’d all looked oh-so-very-orderly, so really, he couldn’t have known. He had tried, but…

In the end, the argument of ‘how was he supposed to know the family business he’s been preparing to take over is not a fashion empire, but a drug cartel?’ falls flat on its face.

Eyes wide shut don’t turn the lights any less red.

[read the whole chapter on AO3]

[iamsosmaug]

Miraculous Fic Recs

Recently I've been complaining a lot on the internet how sucky the recent seasons of ML have been, and how much better the old fanfics are; I'm going to prove my point by sharing my tried-and-true rec list. Here we go.

Back To Us - Written in 2017, so some things are inaccurate. Basically Marinette, as Ladybug, kills Gabriel Agreste on accident by pushing him off the Eiffel Tower and Adrien moves to Milan. Seven years later Marinette is a rising fashion designer, her long-lost partner comes back seven years later but hot, and a new Hawkmoth shows up on the very day Adrien comes back. Suspicious. INCLUDES: Antihero!Chat. Alternate superhero names for Alya, Nino + there are only seven miraculouses which honestly I like a lot better than Ladybug just busting another one out whenever she feels like it. At one point, it was the longest fic in the fandom but now it's not even close. 446k. Requires an Ao3 account to read.

Second Chances- Again, written fairly early in the fandom. Adrien is a single dad and Alya volunteers Marinette to be his daughter's nanny - the premise sounds like it could turn out really weird but I promise it's not. Adorable adorable. INCLUDES: Past ChloexAdrien and MarinettexNathanael, and Adrien never went to school. Reverse best friends (Alya + Adrien, Mari + Nino). 105k.

Whose Woods These Are (I Think I Know) - Ladrien Cinderella AU. Super well-written in a kind of fairytale style. I honestly love this fic. 105k.

Spotty Connections - Adrienette texting fic (no miraculous AU, but does incorporate LadyNoir). Tikki & Plagg are M&A's cats. One of my favorites ever. 66k.

Film It - Adrien is a youtuber! Soon all of Twitter ships #adrienette. INCLUDES: Gabriel Agreste's A+ Parenting. Endgame Adrienette. Superheroes exist, but LB & CN aren't a huge part of this. Also worthy of note: #thatfoursome and a decent amount of Twitter formatting. This has pretty much everything I want in an Adrienette fic. 56k.

Chasing The C/h/atwalk - Project Runway AU. Marinette is a designer and Adrien... is her model. Shenanigans ensue. INCLUDES: Some LadyNoir, mostly after the identity reveal. #MarinetteInDenial. 100k. I love this fic.

Lucky Us - No Miraculous email AU. See Spotty Connections: LadyNoir incorporated without the actual superheroes. Fluff with a tiny bit of angst but still happy ending. 136k.

Secret Santa - fluff. Pure fluff; classic in the fandom. A bit cheesy and very outdated but very nice. Time for a reread. It has a sequel called New Year's Ball. 52k.

Être Majeur - horror, AU, fairly short, creepy and strange but really well-written. 24k. M for horror elements.

La Pucelle Et La Coccinelle - Absolute favorite. Explores Joan of Arc (Jeanne d'Arc in this story) with the Ladybug Miraculous. INCLUDES: Actual historical references, lore for the miraculouses, and a flashforward to the future at the end with Marinette. 38k. I have it printed out, I love it so much.

Pray For the Children You Lost Along the Way - Silent Hill AU (Emilie Anderson from the arcade game is Adrien's mom). It has been on hiatus since 2019, but is still worth a read because so many things tie together in a satisfying way. 86k. Rated M b/c of Silent Hill-type things.

Under Lock and Key - Huge classic also published on Wattpad. Author/artist collab with Maerynn & EdenDaphne - Maerynn passed away while the fic was being written and ED finished it. Very nice art by ED. I view this fic as the quintessential 2017 era Adrienette fic. Very sweet and fluffy. 34k.

Tripped at Fencing - Gabriel hits Adrien. INCLUDES: Gabriel Agreste's A+ Parenting. Accidental identity reveal (Marinette finds out first). Only 5k but a classic.

The Butterfly and Her Brother series (Generations Past and Future) - written c. 2016. Gabriel is NOT Hawkmoth; Gabriel is not a villian in the least so technically OOC. First couple are set in the 1990s, then a couple in ~2016 and the latest in like 2044. I haven't read the last one in the series but WHATHGAWAATG (Europe gets taken over), featuring the next gen of Agrestes, is really good as well. Many things are outdated/false as this was written based off of s1, but I honestly like this interpretation of the Miraculous much better than how the show does it. Mama Agreste's name is Adele (again, s1) and I quite like her character. I freaking LOVE this series. I have it downloaded to my phone and I reread it when I'm feeling sad. 340k in total, but the longest work in the series is about 166k. SO many kudos.

a fight that you were born to lose - "Adrien finds out that Gabriel is Hawkmoth, and Gabriel gets to bring his long-waited plan into action." TW abuse, emotional manipulation, forced dieting. Gabriel Agreste's A+ Parenting. Fairly short for how well-rounded it is - 17k.

An Impromptu Proposal - what it says on the tin. Reverse love square kinda: Ladynoir requited love bc Adrien never went to school. Includes identity reveal and Hawkmoth!Lila takedown. 33k.

On The Prowl - Criminal CN. Also on ffn.net. Good story and TOTALLY a classic, but also uses 'ravenette' and 'sapphire orbs' unironically. The writing is okay if a little melodramatic. 53k.

Chat Noir's White French Man Hit List For Feminist Purposes - pretty much what it says on the tin. Sentimonster!Adrien. 7.8k.

i think it's time i told you (i'm a fan of your universe) - ladynoir proposal. v v nice. Just 5k. Smidge of angst.

The Ladyblog Comment Section - what it says on the tin. 27k. Hilarity and crack.

spark - Tinder AU. Lots of Marichat. Angst with a happy ending. 49k. Slow burn w/ eventual identity reveal.

all dressed up and nowhere to go - No Miraculouses modern royalty AU - human Tikki and Plagg. Mostly DJWifi but a mild amount of adrienette and a smidge of chlogami. Includes arranged marriage Adrien x Alya but they don't end up together. "Twenty-five-year-old Marinette is a wedding dress designer, business blooming in her trusty shop, Ladybug Bridal. When the engagement of Prince Adrien Agreste and Ancient Princess Alya Césaire is announced, all she expects is an influx of work. What she gets instead is... a bit different." 35k.

tangled ribbons - Ao3. ballet/dance AU (no miraculous). Adrienette with some DJWifi and human Tikki & Plagg. "Marinette is a small studio dancer who wins a scholarship to a summer long ballet intensive. Adrien is a famous ballet dancer who would rather be at home than at said intensive. The end of the summer will bring about a showcase that could make Marinette's career, if she can ignore Chloé and focus on something other than Adrien." 82k. The slowest of burns.

Where timing is kind to us - Ao3. marichat discusses quantum physics. 4.3k. This is a beautiful one-shot with a one-sided reveal.

[ladynoirfanao3]

Commissioned art from isidorathollandercorrea (check them out on insta!). This is a scene from my Shadybug/regular Adrien fic Dawning Light on AO3!

Fic is now complete!! Rated E, mind the tags!

[xhanisai]

Sleepy Cat

AO3

Pairing - All sides of the square

Prompt - 'Sleepy Cat'

Summary -

Marinette didn't know when it began or even how it all started. In fact, if anyone asked about anything regarding it, she'd come up blank because every time it did happen, she would internally crash and reboot in a non-stop cycle like a broken computer.

After all, what would anybody else do when the prettiest, warmest and sweetest blond boys in their lives use them as a makeshift pillow?

That's right.

Boys.

One Adrien Agreste and one Chat Noir.

~(x)~

.

.

.

 Marinette didn't know when it began or even how it all started. In fact, if anyone asked about anything regarding it, she'd come up blank because every time it did happen, she would internally crash and reboot in a non-stop cycle like a broken computer. After all, what would anybody else do when the prettiest, warmest and sweetest blond boys in their lives use them as a makeshift pillow? That's right. Boys. One Adrien Agreste and one Chat Noir. One second Marinette, as Ladybug, would be fiddling with her yoyo after patrol either playing games or scrolling the internet and the next thing she knows, Chat Noir is fast asleep on her shoulder. Snoring his cute little snores and perfect long lashes fanning over his too-pretty cheekbones (that she sometimes wanted to bite for no good reason). And as if that wasn't enough, when she was sewing away on her machine as Marinette for her fashion projects or working on the umpteenth birthday present for the love of her life, in her humble abode, suddenly Chat Noir is asleep on her lap. His body on the floor and head on her thighs! She had no idea how he got in! Then somehow, the second she drops her guard and returns to her work, he disappears without her noticing! But of course, since fate loves to torture her, this wasn't just it. At school? During breaks or lunchtimes or even in the middle of group assignments for class? What do you know, Adrien Agreste is slumped against her whilst completely lost in his dreams! His head on her thighs and his arms around her waist like a clingy boyfriend who couldn’t go on for a second without having some form of physical contact. And the cherry on top???? When she saved Adrien as Ladybug? He fell asleep in her arms as she carried him away bridal style with his arms around her neck and his face pressed into her chest. Marinette was being tortured!!!

 .

"Mec...? Hey, you gotta let Marinette go. Come on." Nino gently tried to rouse Adrien awake, feeling pity for the flustered girl who looked ready to pass out from the excessive physical touch from the boy she was determined to marry and have at least three children with. In actuality, Nino was genuinely worried that she was going to stop breathing any second from now with how she couldn’t make out a sound and the way her complexion only reddened further and further. Alas, it was no use. Adrien simply cuddled into Marinette even more with a grunt, his face hidden in her stomach so that all that peeked out was his fluffy hair and his arms tightening around her waist like a stubborn vice. "Adrieeeeeeeen?" Nino tried again, shaking Adrien's shoulder even harder but it was still useless. "Nooo...my Marinette...mine..." Were the first coherent (yet pitiful) words the blond groaned in his sleep after more shaking from his best friend. Nino sent a defeated look to the panicking Marinette and then shrugged his shoulders. He tried. "Well, since you want to marry him and he seems very into the idea of having you too…maybe more enthusiastically than we all anticipated…just use this as training in getting used to his affections," He sent a strained smile at the gaping girl and then walked away, ignoring how she reached out an arm and croaked out his name. She could have sworn he walked off even faster the more she directed her pleading eyes at him. "...I'm so doomed." Marinette finally muttered out loud to herself whilst Adrien snuggled into her even further.

 Had she been paying attention, she would have noted that he was purring.

.

.

.

~(x)~

[mysticraven20]

From ‘A Masked Game’ Chapter 13

Adrien began to shake his head and move away. Ladybug needed him to listen. The more powerful Lila got the greater this threat became and she was sure it would kill everything they’d built. Not just for herself as Ladybug, but for Marinette too. The guilt was eating her alive. She just couldn’t do this anymore.

“Can you remember the night you came to see me? The night you called him a hero. That was enough, Ladybug. I don’t need to know anything else. I don’t want to know anything else.”

Ladybug sniffed, her emotions finding it hard to keep at bay when everything was telling her she needed to be honest, to tell him.

“Adrien –”

“Ladybug, I am begging you! I don’t want to hear it. I’m happy, I don’t want anything to ruin it, and knowing that my father actually was a fully fledged asshole is not going to help me.” He placed his hands back in his pockets. “I’ve got to go.”

“Please, Adrien, I need to —” The look in his eyes told her to stop talking. So, she did. “Don’t walk home by yourself, it’s late. It’s dangerous.”

He smiled at her, and her heart flipped at the lopsided smile she adored more than life itself.

“I’ll be fine. I promise.”

Without another word, Adrien turned on his heel and made his way back towards his home, leaving her alone with nothing but her gut churning thoughts. “He’s going to hate me,” she said, her head coming down to rest on the cool stone of the bridge.

[dragon-creates]

These Hands Of Yours (Let Me Protect Them)

Read on AO3

For @xhanisai after I reblogged this post and immediately came up with this after the S5 finale. I have many thoughts but the main one was mostly “MARINETTE MY GIRL YOU DESERVE SO MUCH BETTER!” but yeah, I decided to base this after the finale because I feel like it fits with that post that she made. I managed to write this with the help of the caffeine from my tea, my remaining will to live and the neuro-spicy brain juice swirling around in my head. Anyways, I hope you enjoy this Akari!

The image of her tears-stained cheeks, red eyes and running nose was something Adrien didn’t think he was going to get out of his head for quite some time. He had comforted both Marinette and Ladybug many times before for different reasons, but this was the first time he comforted the same person on both sides of the mask.

It had started earlier this evening when they were both on patrol, Ladybug had met up with them at their agreed spot on a rooftop. The first sign he noticed something was wrong was how tense she was. Sure, she had her signature sweet smile and adorable sass, but her grin seemed more strained, and her quips were forced rather than seamlessly rolling off her tongue.

When asking her if she was alright, she brushed it off with a nervous laugh and swung away to start patrol. Chat Noir thought about chasing after her, but decided against it, knowing that if he continued to press on about it, the less willing she would be to tell him what was going on. They met up again twenty minutes later, but this time the sass and smile were gone, replaced with a face clouded with gloom and her posture slouched. He asked again if she was sure she was okay, only to be given a single nod before Ladybug attempted to swing away again; key word, attempted. For when she threw the end of her yoyo and prepared to jump, her clumsiness seemed to strike, and she nearly lost her footing. If it hadn’t been for Chat Noir’s quick reflexes and grabbed her wrist to pull her away, there was a definite chance she would’ve been injured.

He asked her one last time if she was okay and something inside her seemed to snap. Her eyes began to water, and her bottom lip trembled before launching herself into his chest and began to sob, strained cries ripping from her throat. Chat immediately scooped her up into his arms and walked over to a chimney, sitting them both down with her in his lap as he stroked her hair.

“I’m s-sorry, I’m so sorry!” she wailed, her tears leaking onto his leather covered shoulders as she buried her face into his neck.

“Shhh,” he buried his claws into her hair, gently taking out her hair ties and began stroking through the soft dark locks to sooth her, “You don’t need to apologize, you didn’t do anything wrong.”

“You don’t understand!” she hiccupped, her small hands gripping the back of his suit as her entire body began to shake with more sobs, “I was stupid, I was really stupid this time Chat!”

Another tremor wracked through her body, causing Chat Noir to start purring, hoping that the vibrations would ease the panic threating to bubble to the surface. The purring seemed to be working, for he felt her trying to even out her breathing, though it seemed that she struggled as she would let out a cry once in a while that just shattered his heart every time he heard it. “Whatever it is, we can get through this together like we always do.”

“Not this time Chat!” she whimpered, “It’s just gonna make things worse if I say it. Everyone’s already so happy I can’t say it.”

“Then don’t say it to everyone,” he took one of her hands, his thumb stroking the top as her face peeled away from her shoulder to look at him, “Just say it to me, and let the rest just follow.”

“I…he…he should hate me!” she sniffled.

“Who?”

“Adrien!” her chest began to heave again as her other hand clawed at her face, “He should hate me for what I did!”

“Adrien Agreste?” Chat Noir inquired, starting to put the pieces together, “If this is about what happened to his father, Gabriel made that choice to help save the city. It’s not your fault, he doesn’t hate you for that.”

While true, a part of him was still grieving the loss of his father, he was glad that in those remaining moments his true self came to light for what he would do for his family. With that information in mind, it was something he could live with. However, it seemed that what he said just made his Lady feel worse as ripped her hand that was held in his to claw at her neck as she cried harder.

“No, no, no!” She began to rock back and forth, red marks were starting to contrast against her pale skin on her jaw, making Chat Noir grab her hands into his own large ones so she wouldn’t cause further damage to herself. “He shouldn’t have died; I shouldn’t have let him die! Then the wish wouldn’t-”

She clamped her mouth shut, praying that Chat Noir didn’t hear that last part. Unfortunately, his enhanced hearing was able to catch those last few words, the boy turning to her slowly. “What do you mean about the wish?” his tone was slow and steady.

“I-I didn’t…that wasn’t what I…t-that’s not what I meant to say-”

“-Ladybug,” she nearly jumped at the sound of his voice, the intensity making her nerves twist again, “What do you mean about the wish?”

He didn’t look or seem angry, but she knew that this was a conversation that he wasn’t going to change. Trying to compose herself as much as she could, she began to explain.

“He-he tricked me,” her own voice seemed to start shaking, “M-Monarch tricked me.” She felt his claws trail up and down her back to try and relieve some of her panic as her stuttering continued. “He tricked me. He tricked me. He tricked me.”

“It’s okay,” he whispered. He thinks he has a bit of an idea now. “Monarch is nothing but evil. He would do anything to get what he wants. Don’t blame yourself for Monarch making Gabriel sacrifice himself, you did all that you could.”

It didn’t seem to make her feel better, her eyes were still wide open and spilling tears as her breathing worsened. She began to shake her head. “Monarch tricked me. Monarch tricked me!” she turned to meet his gaze, “Gabriel was the trick!”

Chat Noir raised a brow in confusion. How was Gabriel the trick? His thoughts were interrupted as Ladybug’s rambles became more frantic.

“Monarch tricked me! Gabriel tricked me. Gabriel tricked me. He tricked me!”

A pit began to form in his stomach. No, no there’s no way. It felt like pieces of a puzzle starting to finally click together. Or to put it more simply, two men – two horrible men – began to mould into one monster. It was only confirmed when Ladybug opened her mouth again.

“Gabriel is…was Monarch,” she gripped his hands as the memory flooded back into her mind, “He started saying these things and I though that maybe, just maybe, there was still some good him. How could I be such an idiot?! To fall for a few nice words and suddenly it’s enough for me to give him Tikki and Plagg!”

Chat wanted to tell her that she wasn’t an idiot, that he understood being manipulated by that man – if you could even call him that at this point – that she did everything that she could in that moment. But at the same time, Monarch was his father! He had spent the last few weeks wondering how he could ever live up to how great his father was in his sacrifice. When in reality, there was no sacrifice, just an act of cowardice and his lady was left to pick up the pieces. He forced himself to repress a disgusted shudder. No wonder she looked like she was about to break down the minute he saw her arrive. 

“How can he look at me like that?!” she asked aloud, the question not being directed to anyone, “Even when I keep lying to him?!”

Chat Noir tucked a loose stray hair behind her ear, “Lying to who? About what?”

“Adrien,” the name alone made his breath hitch, “Every time I see him, he just looks at me as though I handed the world to him by just simply being there, and he doesn’t even know what I’ve been keeping from him!”

Oh, that made sense…wait. Adrien hadn’t seen Ladybug since she gave him his father’s ring. The way she was speaking about him was as if they had seen each other many times before. Did he know her outside of the mask? Could he even be that lucky?

“I don’t know if I can keep doing this,” she continued, “I don’t know if I can handle him looking at me like that whenever we’re at school, or play video games at each other’s houses, I don’t think I can be able to keep it together when he takes me to the little coffee shop down the street that he knows that I adore. He’s done so much for me, cares so much for me and yet I’m doing this to him, and he doesn’t even know what a horrible person I am!”

School…coffee shop…dates…A chill rushes through his veins, realisation seeping in. The girl he was holding in his arms, her hands glued to his in a desperate sign practically begging not to be alone, was someone that he knew far closer to him than any of his friends. Someone who he knew that already had so much on her hands that just got piled on after everything that was said to him. It can’t be.

“I SHOULDN’T BE LADYBUG!”

Was the last thing that tore from Marinette’s throat as her suit disappeared, leaving behind the love of his life in her pyjamas, Tikki nuzzling her cheek to try and calm her as the wave of panic and weeping returned.

He drops everything that was circling in his mind - his father, the wish, his Lady’s identity – and wraps Marinette up in his arms as much as he can, purring and keeping her as warm as he can with his body heat. Her left arm was wrapped round his torso while he kept a hold of her right hand in his own. He takes a look at her ungloved hand, hundreds of little scars leaving their marks on her skin, leaving a mocking reminder of how much she failed that day.

The fact that Monarch…no…the fact that his father was so selfish and vile that he went out of his way to not only emotionally damage, but to go as far as to try to physically damage his Lady just for a wish. Was his own son not enough? Was he that self-centred to ignore his only family left while claiming that he was doing this for his child? How could he use that to justify hurting and manipulating such a sweet and kind person as Marinette?!

“This is my fault,” she whispers, her voice raspy and sounding sore, “This is all my fault. He should hate me, I’m a terrible person and a terrible Ladybug.”

“No,” Chat Noir shook his head, a slight growl escaping with the word.

“I’m really sorry,” she whimpered, “I should’ve told you; you have every right to be angry with me, you’re my partner, you deserve to know.”

Did she…did she think his anger was directed at her? “Oh Mari,” he pressed his lips to her hair, “I have no reason to be angry with you. Never, ever blame yourself for the cruelty of others. You don’t need to apologise for any of Gabriel’s actions.”

He takes her other hand and clasps them in his again, making sure that her attention was focused on him and only him. “Since the moment I met you, you’ve been pressured to put the weight of Paris on your shoulders. From our friends to the other civilians, even yourself, it might not have been said out loud, but you definitely felt them giving you that responsibility. You are so strong; I’ve seen the remarkable things that you have accomplished with your hands. How you’ve protected so many people, to figuring out any lucky charm thrown your way, to even fighting the most feral akumas. But it’s also left its impact on you as well, and eventually, the weight that your hands have carried for so long has started to take effect. It doesn’t make you weak, no, however it is something that you don’t have to do alone. We’re the bug and cat team, we’re meant to share the weight, not take the burden from the other. And know that I know, I’m gonna make sure that you never feel such a weight again, both in and out the suit.”

She tilts her head in confusion before a flash of green made her squint and look away. When she looked back, she gasped, for there in front of her, in his pyjamas and zip-up hoodie, was none other than the boy she swore to protect from all the darkness she held so that he would never be burdened with. “Adrien?”

He pressed a kiss to her hand, “Hi Princess.”

Her eyes filled with tears again, she tried to make sure that Adrien would never find out about this, not at the expense of his happiness and now she managed to screw that up as well.

He was more prepared this time when she let out more apologies, taking off his hoodie, wrapped her up in it and pressed her face to his chest as he tightly embraced her. He purred louder and more even to make sure she was relaxed. “I’m sorry, I’m sorry, I’m so sorry Adrien!” she blubbered out as he rocked them back and forth, “I should’ve told you, but you were finally happy! Finally free with your life and I didn’t want to take that from you!”

“It’s alright, shh, it’s gonna be alright,” he let her continue to sob, his main priority at this point was her and taking care of her, “I’m okay, we’re okay, it’s not your fault.”

A few minutes later, her sobs turned to quiet sniffles. He took another look at her face, his stomach twisting when he saw just how exhausted she was, the guilt had really taken an ugly toll on her. Tikki was still cradled in the crook of her neck, having fallen asleep while soothing her holder. He stood up, holding her in his arms as he called out for his transformation phrase and jumped off the rooftop, making his way back to the bakery.

Once he landed on her balcony, he released his transformation again before going through her trapdoor window and gently placing her onto the bed.

He lifted her upper body he raised her duvet and placed her under it, making sure she was wrapped up safe and warm before joining her under her blankets, wrapping her up in his arms again and resumed his purring. Tikki had woken up and moved from Marinette’s neck to her hair, Plagg joining her as he buried himself in her dark locks and he began to purr as well.

Adrien could feel her body struggling to relax, constantly shifting from trying to letting herself by soothed by the warmth and love she was being given to stiffening back up again as though she didn’t feel as though she were allowed to.

His brows furrow in concentration, forming a plan in his head on just how to help his princess within this moment. He looked at their hands again, having conjoined again while in the midst of her much needed cuddles. He raised her dainty pale hand to his lips, gently pressing them against the tips of her fingers, making her look up at him and pausing her internal dilemma.

“I’m not surprised that you’re Ladybug,” he told her, “I mean, I am a bit shocked at the sudden reveal, but it makes so much sense that you’re her. The kindness with how you treat civilians, the creativity when figuring out any lucky charm thrown at you, not taking any nonsense from anyone – all of that comes from Marinette.”

He presses two more kisses to the back of her hand and laid it on her pillow and started stroking her palm in small circles with his thumb, taking notice that she was focused on the lazy motions and the soothing feeling it gave her. “It comes from everything I’ve seen you do outside of the mask,” he continued, “How you treat our friends and students outside of our class to make sure everyone is happy, coming up with ideas for not only your fashion but with baking, drawing and so many other projects, and you refuse to let others be walked over and stand up for those who aren’t able to do it themselves. All that comes from you! And all those amazing things come from your amazing hands.”

She tried to smile; it wavered a little, but she wanted to show how much his words meant to her. She wanted to believe him, she wanted to believe him so badly! So why wouldn’t the final image of Gabriel leave her mind?! Why did it have to keep reminding her of how much she failed.

She curled in on herself, the brainstorm building up again. Luckily, Adrien seemed to take notice. “But those hands have been hurt way before you became Ladybug, haven’t they?” he asked, making her thoughts pause as she peered up at him through her eyelashes.

“Despite saving the city multiple times, its far from the first time your hands have been used in that way,” he brushed his thumb over a faded scar, one that he noticed from the first time he met Marinette. Back during the hat contest, before everything, when he gently brushed his hand against hers to take her winning hat, he saw it on the top of her hand and was curious as to how it got there, but he didn’t want to pry. Now, after knowing all she went through, he had a bit of an idea on how she received it.

“All those years that you had to defend yourself from Chloe’s ruthlessness to the point you were terrified to go to school, and then Lila trying to do the same to you as well. Not to mention, you always tried to take on everyone’s problems, whether if its Kim and Ivan fighting, or Alix trying to pick a fight with someone, you’ve constantly found solutions to the point that they just keep coming back to you for help,” he continued, “They see you as the only way to fix a problem instead of trying to figure it out themselves. I know that you’re afraid of our friends getting akumatised, but you can’t take on everybody else’s burdens if you’re already being dragged down by your own.”

Marinette whimpered, every word he was saying was ringing so true that it hurt to listen to. Adrien sensed her distress and pressed a few more gentle kisses to her cheeks and forehead; he knew she had to hear this, but he knew that there was already going on in that head of hers for her to finally be confronted with both her greatest strength yet biggest flaw.

“And now knowing that you had to defend yourself from my father, both with and without a miraculous,” a bitter taste formed in his mouth as he remembered how Ladybug tried to fight Hawkmoth after Tikki and Plagg took back their miraculous. His father might not have known it was Marinette at that time, but he did know that the person he was fighting at the time was defenceless and vulnerable to the extreme damage he inflicted. “The fact that he would do that to you, that he tried to go out of his way to hurt you and then proceeded to trick you…...I’m so sorry Marinette. I’m sorry that you’ve kept this to yourself just so you could protect me but,” he looked at the scars on her hands again, the ones that Gabriel left there permanently, “No one was there to protect you from what he did.”

“-But you’ve already protected me for so long!” Marinette injected, the sudden volume startling Adrien a little bit, “You’ve already done so much for me, even when I pushed you away you were always by my side even when I didn’t deserve it. Even after keeping this from, you, how could you still want to be my partner…I don’t deserve this.”

He pressed a finger to her lips; she looked up as their eyes locked with one another, anxious blue met a frustrated green, but not at her. “Don’t ever say that again,” he murmured, his voice low and laced with both hurt and concern, “You deserve so much more than you’ve been given. You barely ask for anything, nothing even, and yet no one can even give you that.” He brought her hands to his chest, right above where she could feel his heart drumming softly, “You are so incredible, so talented, so amazing. And it hurts to watch that being stripped away every day, as Marinette and Ladybug. You think that you need to take on so much more than you already do, that you have to feel this horrible, but you don’t! Ladybug wasn’t meant to be on her own and neither was Marinette. You don’t need to do this alone anymore Princess…please, let me in, let me help you, let me share and protect the world that is threatening to fall out of your hold.”

“I-I-I,” her voice broke a little, the weight of his words was hitting harder than she thought it would, giving her a sense of peace and relief that she hadn’t felt in so long. But she knew that she wouldn’t be able to hold onto it forever, something was going to make him realise that she was a terrible partner, and he would finally realise that. “I can’t. I can’t take your happiness away after you fought so hard for it, I can’t let you be dragged down with me. I should’ve been smarter that day, I could’ve found another way – I could’ve! That way you don’t have to be here now to feel burdened by me!”

“I can assure you that never have, or will, burden me with anything,” he let go of her hands and wrapped both of his arms around her smaller form in a silent promise of never letting her go. “I’m here because I want to be. Gabriel has always found a way to trick others for years, he tricked us both when he first thought he was Hawkmoth, he’s managed to talk his way in and out of situations without anyone batting an eye and he has manipulated me for years into thinking that I was wrong about everything. And the fact that all of Paris believes that he’s some kind of hero while you’re suffering in silence after everything he put you through just proves how much of a monster he is. And I feel sick knowing that I believed that too for a while.”

Marinette shuffled in his arms. Ever since she became Ladybug, defeating Hawkmoth was the only goal she knew that she had to complete. She sacrificed everything in order to do that, her hobbies, her love life, even herself to some degree. And yet when the time came, she failed. Part of him just wanted Adrien to scream at her, tell her that she messed up and messed up bad. But seeing him look at her with the utmost love after she thought he would hate her for keeping these secrets and failing to complete the most important task of their lives, even after finding out that Hawkmoth was his father, a part of herself felt as though he were telling the truth about everything he said in that moment.

He let one of his arms fall and clasped her hand again, bringing it to his lips, “You’re not alone anymore Marinette. No matter what the future holds for us, we’re going to go through this together. You didn’t mess up; you didn’t fail, and you deserve to be happy. I’m here now, so please, let me take care of you as you took care of me and everyone else,” he gently pressed his lips to her knuckles as one more promise, “It’s you and me against the world.”

The dams broke once more as Marinette buried her head in his chest, wailing once more as he gripped her tightly with as much protection as he could give her in this moment. He let her cry as much as she needed to, stroking her hair as she got everything else out of her system while whispering and presses comforting kisses to her forehead.

A while passed before her cries turned to whimpers and her whimpers turned into soft, even breathes. Looking down, he saw that she had cried herself to sleep. Judging by the bags under her eyes and how deep she seemed to be in her dreamlike state, this was probably this first time she properly slept since her battle with Hawkmoth.

Her arms were tightly wrapped around him, as though she were begging him to stay – as if he could ever leave her after what happened. With one arm wrapped her waist and the other round the back of her head, he cuddled softly into her, relishing in the soft content noise that left her throat. The kwamis retreated to the other side of the pillows, giving their holders much needed space while close enough in case they needed them.

Before he allowed himself to fall asleep however, internally, Adrien made one more promise to her. I won’t let this happen to you again Marinette, not after this. No matter what, I’ll keep you safe and never let your hands carry that type of weight ever again. Now that I’m free for him, nothing will stop me from protecting you or leaving your side.

Only after making that promise, did he join her in sleep.

(In the morning.

“Plagg, how do you cataclysm a dead person?”

“Adrien I just woke up what the fuck.”)

I am so sorry it took this long! I swear I should’ve gotten it out sooner but it’s here now and I hope you like it! <3

[burntwaffle12]

An Unhinged Team Up ch.8

Updateee after a bit of a break!

Exciting things about this chapter:

We have art for the chapter thanks to @monpetitchattriste

A scene in the chapter is heavily inspired by this post by @asukiess

Thank you both for inspiring me!

Song for this chapter:

[sariahsue]

The Force of Falling (In Love)

Ladybug's got a surprise planned for Adrien. Will it work out the way she fantasizes? (No.) Rated G. 700 words.

How it happened in Ladybug's imagination:

Adrien trudged down the slushy park sidewalk, hands in his pockets, kicking the harder chunks of dirty snow, just to see how far they would roll. It was a lonely Saturday afternoon, and everyone else was too busy for him. He wished someone would come and rescue him, someone he could spend the whole day with, laugh with, but no one else was here. Just the snow banks and the biting wind.

He sighed, pushing his hands deeper into his pockets, hunching against the cold. If only a special someone were here, to make him forget all his worries. Someone heroic and beautiful and smart. Someone who could sweep him off his feet.

Someone who loved him.

But he was the only person in the park. He turned up his coat collar and kept his face to the ground.

Which was really too bad, because he missed the only hint of what was about to happen. A flash of red, arms around him, a deep thud of impact. The force of his fall landed Adrien in the snow bank, Ladybug cradling his head protectively, all hints of cold gone.

"Hello, Monsieur Agreste," she said, drawing back, but not too far. (That wasn't true. Any distance was too far from her.) "I don't know if you saw, but there was a horde of fans sneaking up on you."

They were cocooned inside the snow, completely hidden. Ladybug was here, like an answer to an unspoken prayer. Sunlight filtered through their domed ceiling, low enough that his hair brushed it when he spoke.

"Fans?"

She lay in his arms, right where he'd always wanted her. He didn't know how he'd gotten into this position, not quite sitting, with Ladybug lying on top of him, her face so close to his, but he wasn't about to complain. She was so wonderful and so brave, risking everything daily, sacrificing so much for the city. He couldn't imagine her struggles, and that made him love her more. Love? Yes, it was definitely love.

"Yes," Her voice fell to a whisper, and he thought for a second that they were so connected she must have read his mind. "Fans. I saved you from them. They're right outside. They might hear us."

There had been no one. He was sure of it. "I see," he said, matching her flirty tone. "Thank you for saving me. I'm grateful."

"Of course. Anything for you."

He couldn't stand it anymore.

"I love you," be blurted.

Ladybug gasped at the sudden declaration, and maybe it was too bold, but he couldn't help himself. He wanted to be selfish, just this once. Tomorrow, he would share her with Paris again, but for right now, he wanted her all for himself.

"And wonderful, and so kind, and so smart. You're the most beautiful woman I've ever seen. You are everything I ever wanted and more. I love you." He tightened his hold on her waist, dragging her up until her lips reached his. They kissed and kissed until Adrien thought their snowbank would melt. And then they kissed some more.

---

How it actually happened:

From her hiding place behind a statue, Ladybug watched Adrien trudge through the park. It was a nice day, but too cold for most people, and they had the whole place to themselves. Perfect for the surprise she had planned.

The sidewalk curved toward her, and as soon as he was level with her, she pounced, practiced pickup line on the tip of her tongue. She collided into his side, and they flew in a jumble of limbs, landing face first into the snow. The force of their fall collapsed the snow bank, and she was grateful they were alone in the park, where no one could witness how Adrien had to pull her out from under the snow's crushing weight to rescue her. Ladybug sort of wished he'd left her buried, blind and deaf to what was happening.

He brushed snow off the back of his neck.

"That was so much more romantic in my head," she said, face in her hands.

Adrien turned, wide-eyed, snow still stuck to his gloves. "What?"

"You heard that?!"

A slushy clump dripped off his elbow. Ladybug ran.