#marichat shenanigans

[ebiartics]

"Is this some kind of publicity stunt?" one official muttered, adjusting his glasses.

"Who keeps pulling these tricks? We have a serious schedule to stick to!"

Chat Noir, perched on a nearby lamppost, observed his pièce de résistance proudly before being rudely tangled up by his lovely partner's yoyo and subsequently pulled down to the cobblestone ground with a grunt.

Said lovely partner had a not-so-lovely look on her face, "Chat Noir! What have you done this time?" she facepalmed her forehead, scolding him like he did this everyday. Which— to be fair, he had been for the past three weeks.

"Just a little pre-Olympic fun, m'lady," Chat Noir grinned, unbothered by her exasperation. "I thought the Paris games could use a new mascot since they won't use me!"

“More like you’re salty they dropped you for Adrien Agreste.” Ladybug sighed, "but seriously, Chat Noir— you're the reason we're all going to be forced to use QR codes to access this area soon. Stop trying to scare off the entire committee! You're worst than #JeChieDansLaSeineLe23Juin planning to poop in the seine!"

"You better not give me any more ideas, LB" he smirked, "or I might just join in on that one, too"

"Chat!"

In celebration of the Paris Olympics, I had this idea but I also have a test tomorrow I gotta study for. So, stay tuned: A Seine-sational Prank-a-thon and Cat-tastrophic start to the Olympics coming to you on my Ao3 tomorrow night! (hopefully with art, too)

[fandomofone]

Just had a flash of a Marichat scene I want to see drawn and/or in a fic, leaving it here so I don't forget.

The scene: Marinette and Chat sneak down to the bakery late at night, like way past when a boy should be in the house, to find some tasty day old treats and Tom catches them in the act. (Actually maybe it would be hilarious if they did it more than once and Sabine already caught them at it on a different occasion?) In my head, this is post-Weredad so that should factor into reactions.

The next day, or later in the week maybe, Adrien finds himself alone with Tom, or Marinette's parents somehow, and all he can think about is trying not to die by the hand of a ginormous baker who happens to be his crush/gf's dad. Maybe he gets weird around Marinette about it? Maybe she starts to get suspicious? Maybe there's some kind of identity reveal hiding in here? Maybe one or both of Marinette's parents even already know Adrien is Chat?

Idk I'm making it up as I go along. If anyone wants to give it a crack, I'd love to see what you come up with!

Update: I made it about an hour before I cracked open a new Word document and started typing furiously. 🤷 Which is honestly probably some kind of record.

[mysticraven20]

I’m excited to announce that this year I have once again taken part in the @mlbigbang

‘The Situationship’ will begin releasing on Friday 5th January (my birthday 🥳) as a special celebration. Then chapters will follow on a Sunday.

This year I have been paired up with the incredibly talented @peonyfanart and Miraculouslyshellie and I cannot wait to share the artwork for the fic! I am completely overwhelmed by what I’ve seen so far and I cannot thank you both enough for choosing this fic to work on 💗

Also, a huge thank you to my beta @uptoolateart for being magnificent and such a wonderful support, and also Lorena for reading through for inconsistencies in the story line.

Be prepared for 32 chapters of shenanigans, chaos and fun — with a twist

The Situationship

Synopsis: What if ‘the one’ split into two…?

Marinette Dupain-Cheng, Lady Luck herself, has finally fallen on her feet after years of playing catch-up. Her boss, Mary Humphries of The House of Humphries, has invited her to be first assistant at an important meeting in London with none other than Gabriel.

But with bad luck seemingly always knocking on her door, she needs to make sure she doesn’t ruin this opportunity — which is easier said than done.

When she mistakes handsome, geeky looking Adrien Agreste as Gabriel’s personal assistant, suddenly she seems to have magicked up some luck.

They could not be more different in personality, yet after surviving a rather interesting Akuma together, a strange and exciting friendship begins… It’s just a shame one person doesn’t agree.

Someone who happens to be his ‘other half’.

Except:

Absent-mindedly, she reached out and grabbed her Chat Noir plushy, holding it tightly against her chest and feeling the bubbling emotion edge to break free. She didn’t want to leave him, not when she’d just figured it all out, when she’d figured out what she wanted them to be. It wasn’t just Paris she was unwilling to let go of — it was her partner too.

They’d been dating for just over three months, and what a blissful three months they’d had! But now it was all prematurely ending. They’d known this would happen. They’d known when they decided to give it a try that there was an expiration date looming over them. Both understood that their lives were about to take drastic changes in direction – but they’d decided to do it anyway, to finally give in to their overwhelming feelings — even if it had a short shelf life.

And now, the inevitable was happening and she hated it. More than anyone could ever imagine.

Alya stood from her position, making her way around the back of Marinette and wrapping her arms around her neck, her chin perched protectively on her shoulder. “I’m sorry,” she whispered.

Marinette nodded in response, aware the bubbling had finally broken free, spilling over and making a great escape down her cheeks. Alya knew the heartbreak she experienced every time she thought of leaving her partner. It felt like a divorce. Like a bereavement.

Every time Marinette thought of saying goodbye to her partner it was as though her heart had been ripped out. Nothing more than a confetti of complicated and complex emotions.

“I just… I…” She broke down, tears falling as she buried her face in her hands and grieved the loss of the most important thing in her life.

The sobs continued late into the darkness of night, as she and Chat Noir said their final goodbyes. Their hands were joined tightly together as they sat under the moonlight.

They were spending their last remaining hours together on their rooftop — exactly where they should be, spending hours talking into the darkness of night, reminiscing and conversing about nothing and everything – Chat Noir being his usual fun self even through the heartache he easily displayed on his sleeve. He was an open book to her, an encyclopaedia of all that was good and sweet in this world. No one would ever come close to him, and she understood that. No one was Chat Noir.

“You’re my true love,” he said. “And, as in the fairytales, true love will always prevail — because it's strong, and we’re strong. Stronger together.”

Marinette didn’t know where he was going, or what he was doing, but the pain of having to say a final farewell hurt more than anything she had done before, both giving in to one more night of passion before reluctantly leaving in the early hours of the morning.

Later that day, he left Paris.

Three weeks later, she did too.

[im-trying-my-best-yall]

hiiiiiiiii welcome to my bullshit!!

in my decade-ish of obsessively regularly consuming fanfic and fanart and drawing my OWN fanart and all the other fanwork... I have never written fanfiction.

I've never been a great writer but the brainrot has consumed me and my need for specific fanfic has become so intense and has gotten way too specific and now nothing is enough anymore

so here i am😌✨💕 this account is just me spewing out shit that appeals to the bugs in my brain

the pieces of media you'll probably catch me writing for on here include but are not limited to....

~Harry Potter

-Miraculous Ladybug

-Boku No Hero Academia

-Haikyuu!!

I WILL NOT WRITE X READER FOR MINOR CHARACTERS!! I WILL ONLY WRITE X READER FOR ADULT CHARACTERS OR CHARACTERS WITH A CANON TIMESKIP DESIGN AND WILL ONLY WRITE FOR THEM IN THE CONTEXT OF THEM BEING AN ADULT!! im saying this now as a boundary so pls dont ask. proshippers, creeps, bigots, etc. pls dont interact

[er0dedc0pper]

Poor Marinette deserves to have a medical weed card, Y’know for her anxiety and ptsd. And we deserve to see Chat Noir babysit a stoned Marinette.

And they deserve to rob her parents bakery at 2 am, like yes girl eat all those pastries! You deserve it!🐞

[inimoo]

me when the love square flips instead of becoming a stupidly elaborate somehow polyamarous relationship with only two people: 😪😪😓😱😱😟😔😣😖🧎🏽‍♀️🧎🏽‍♀️

[lycorogue]

Latest Story: Is He Loved? Is He Happy?

Holy crow! It’s been *checks notes* about HALF A YEAR since I last published anything!?! Ah, writer’s block is such a glorious thing /s

In which case, I’d really like to thank this dumb, stupid, annoying show (affectionate) for always granting me inspiration to help drag my ass back into writing. Aside from the obviously ominous ending, “Transmission” was actually a fairly happy-ended episode.

So, naturally, I had to throw a bunch of angst and Love Square shenanigans at the damn thing!

Summary: Marinette seemingly has everything she’s ever wanted. She’s again a normal girl with a normal life, and she has Adrien. However, the fact that Chat Noir - HER Chat Noir - wasn’t at the latest akuma attack is all she can think about. She never dreamed that she would lose him so entirely, and now she’s haunted by two major questions: Is he loved? Is he happy?

Rating: Everyone

Word Count: 3552

Status: completed one-shot

**SPOILER ALERT: This story is based on the season 5 episode  "Transmission (The Kwamis' Choice - Part 1)"**

Continue reading below, or find this story over on AO3, on FFN, or on DA.

Is He Loved? Is He Happy?

Marinette snuggled into Adrien. The smell of his cologne, the warmth of his body, the movement of his chest as he breathed, the weight of his arm around her shoulders, the delicate way his fingers brushed against her elbow; it was all more comforting than she could imagine. The rest of the world could fall away, and she'd be content in that exact spot.

The rest of the world was Alya's problem now. Marinette hated passing the burden over to her, but she always knew Alya would make a fantastic Ladybug. She was glad Tikki thought so too. Plus, this would mean that she could still see Tikki on occasion, and she would be able to support the new Ladybug. Alya had also worn the mantle before, as well as been a superhero before that. She had her own brand of training, and she deserved the honor of being Ladybug now.

Alya also worked well with Chat Noir; as Scarabella, Rena Rouge, and even as her civilian self. They'd be a great pair, and she would make sure he still had a caring friend.

Chat Noir.

Marinette had no clue why he wasn't there to fight against Bibou, and it worried her a little. The female Chat Noir that took his place was amazing, and seemed to be on the same page as Scarabella; Marinette was grateful for that. However, it still concerned her that he wasn't there.

The last time she saw him he seemed to be alright. Sure, their hearts were broken, but they had shared a giggle and his voice seemed chipper enough. Then again, she was the one who giggled, and she was sure her voice sounded chipper as well. Yet, she then spent the next day wallowing in bed. What if the same was true about him? What if she had broken him again, but as Marinette this time instead of Ladybug? He felt so guilty about her nearly becoming akumatized, and about their kiss.

Marinette's eyes sprung open. What was she doing? She had kissed Chat Noir only two nights ago, and now she's dating Adrien? She shoved herself off of Adrien's chest.

"Marinette? Are you okay?" Adrien's voice was so gentle and warm. He had no clue how much more it hurt Marinette.

Eyes welling up, she shook her head no.

What if the new Chat Noir wasn't temporary, like when Alya first became Scarabella? Or when she was Chat Noir because she couldn't find or otherwise wear her earrings? What if this was like Catwalker? Did Marinette break Chat Noir to the point that he gave up his ring again? Her heartbreak over Chat Noir was so bad Tikki took back the earrings. What if Plagg had done the same thing, and couldn't find whomever Catwalker was in time to fight Bibou? What if, when she said goodbye to Chat Noir two nights ago, that was literally the last time she'd ever see him? She had some comfort in knowing she could still watch him via news reports, but now?

Standing up, Marinette retreated from Adrien, still shaking her head and clenching her chest to stop herself from crying.

"Marinette? Did I do something wrong? Are you mad at me about something?"

She sobbed and whipped her head side to side, violently telling him no.

"What happened? Please tell me. I want to help you."

"You can't," she squeaked.

"I'm sorry. I went too fast. I shouldn't have-"

"You did nothing wrong." Marinette choked down her sobs, but the tears finally spilled down her cheeks.

Adrien's face scrunched in concern and confusion. "I don't understand."

"I'm the one who is wrong. I'm sorry, Adrien. I'm so, so sorry."

"About what? What did you do? I don't get it."

Marinette quickly wiped her tears away and tried again to swallow the knot in her throat. "I shouldn't be with you."

"Why not? Do you not love me?"

Marinette flinched. "It's-" She took a deep breath to steady her voice, and let it back out in a shaky sigh. "Complicated."

"I'm surprisingly good with 'complicated', actually." Adrien gave her a sad little smile. "We don't have to do this though if you don't want to."

"No! No, I-"

Adrien gathered up his things and headed towards Marinette's bedroom door. "It's okay. I promise. I never wanted to push you into anything. Like I said before, I'm your friend before anything else. So, I'm here for you if you want to talk, but you don't have to. I just want you to be happy. That's all."

"Adrien."

"I'll see you in school tomorrow, Marinette."

"Adrien, wait!" She charged for him and grabbed his wrist.

He stared at it, then at her. Blushing, she released him and took a step back.

"I-" She couldn't look at him. She tucked her arms against her chest, and she looked past her shoulder. "I have wanted this – you and me – for a long time. A very long time. You do make me happy." She ventured a glance his way, and almost instantly melted at the soft look he gave her. He was always so delicate with her. Ironically, it nearly broke her that moment.

He said nothing. He didn't push. He didn't dismiss. He didn't pry. He waited patiently to see if there was more she wanted to tell him. And there was. There was so much more.

"There's someone else," she blurted. She hated this. She had already broken Chat Noir's heart so many times because she was in love with Adrien, and now she had to do the same to Adrien because she was in love with Chat Noir? She was cursed! She had to be!

"Someone-?"

"I told you. It's complicated! It will never work with him. He said so himself. I need to give him up, and I'm trying. I really am. I just-" She let out another shaky sigh. "And now you're in love with me? All these months and when I- with someone else- and now you-?" She let out a guttural yell.

Adrien was frozen at her bedroom door. Despite everything she had told him, he still gave her that same soft look with that gentle smile and heart-eyes. The look that Marinette now knew meant, "I love you so much."

"I told you I make a mess of things! I'm a walking disaster! Especially around you! I'm cursed! I warned you that I'm not allowed to be in love! No one is allowed to love me! I can't!" She dropped to her knees and buried her face.

"Hey!" Adrien dropped to the floor in front of her. "No. You need to stop. You do deserve love. Everyone does, but especially you. All you do is show your love for everyone else."

"I didn't show you."

"Hmm?"

"Months. I've felt- I was- Even now, I can't even say it! But I've felt it. I've felt it so much! And every time I tried to tell you it ended in disaster! So I tried to hide it. Because of my feelings, I was never a good friend to you."

"You're wrong!" Adrien's conviction startled Marinette into looking at him. "You and Nino have both been the best friends I could have ever asked for! You've done so much for me. More than I think I could ever tell you, actually. Whenever I've lost hope, you've always been a light for me to find it again."

"I-I have?"

"Mmhmm." He held out his hand and waited. Cautiously, Marinette rested her hand on top of his. He instantly closed his fingers around hers and gingerly massaged her knuckles with his thumb. "You are not a disaster. Things aren't as bad as you think they are. You may not be able to tell me you love me, for whatever reason, but you have shown it. I have felt loved and seen every time I'm around you."

"Adrien."

"I'm sorry this other guy hurt you by telling you that you two can't be together, but that doesn't mean you don't deserve love."

"I shouldn't have put this on you. It's not fair. I never wanted to hurt you too. I'm sorry." Marinette pulled her hand out of Adrien's and scooted away from him.

"You didn't hurt me."

"But-"

Adrien shook his head. "You confided in me. You trusted me enough to tell me. That means a lot to me, Marinette. I also get it now. Knowing why you are acting the way you are hurts me way less than wondering. So, thank you."

"I do want us to be together."

"I do too."

"But-"

"The other guy?"

Marinette nodded. "I'm sorry. I just- Alya tried to warn me that it would end in disaster. I'm just worried about him now. It's not right that I'm with you while worrying about him."

"Didn't he turn you away?"

"He did. Sorta. That's also a bit complicated."

"Even after that, you’re still worried about him?"

She nodded. "There was something preventing him from being with me. He seemed just as hurt that we couldn't be together and-" She looked up at Adrien. "And why am I telling you all of this? You don't want to hear about me and some other guy! What am I doing?"

"No, no. Please. I want to know this."

"No, you-"

"I promise I do. Adrien 'friend first' Agreste-" He pointed to himself. "Remember?"

Marinette looked towards her circular window. It was open, showing off the Notre-Dame. Standing, she walked over to the window, gazing wistfully out of it. She glanced back towards Adrien, who gave her a nod. She turned back to the window.

"When he told me goodbye that night, it almost seemed hopeful. But now? I don't think I'll ever get a chance to see him again." Marinette's voice cracked, so she cleared her throat. "I guess it's for the best. He and Alya were right. It wasn't a good idea for me to be with him. If I never see him again, maybe I can close that chapter and move on." She looked back over to Adrien, who was standing on the other side of her chaise lounge. "But I never really got closure. I'll never know if he's alright. If he's in pain. If he has friends that can be there for him. If he realizes that he's so deeply loved." She stole another quick glance in the direction she last saw Chat Noir, and sent as many good, loving vibes she could muster towards that part of Paris. Hoping he'd receive them.

"If he knows that Marinette Dupain-Cheng loves him, then he knows he's deeply loved."

Marinette laughed at the irony of Adrien's statement.

"That's the reason we couldn't be together. He didn't believe I was truly in love with him. He thought I was misreading my feelings for him. I mean, I'm here with you just over a day after he broke my heart, so I guess he might have been right." Facing her window again, Marinette plopped down on her chaise. "It sure felt like love though. I'd do anything to protect him. To see him smile. To hear him laugh. The times I could see him became the best parts of my day. He could make me laugh like no one else could. I always felt so safe around him. I was a better version of myself with him."

Adrien sat on the other side of the chaise, facing the opposite direction. "That's how I feel about you."

Marinette turned towards him with a start. Adrien played with the base of his right ring finger as he stared at his hands.

"For what it’s worth, I love the version of you that you are now. I can’t imagine a ‘better version’. I'd do anything for you, just as you are, Marinette Dupain-Cheng."

She took his right hand in hers and squeezed it. "That was my problem. I thought I'd also do anything for you, Adrien, but every attempt ended in disaster. And I'm causing one more by holding onto this flame for someone else."

"Yet again, you're wrong, Marinette. This isn't a disaster. Not for me." He squeezed her hand back. "You said this recently happened, right? Him breaking your heart? You need time to heal. I get that. I can wait. It still means the world to me that you could tell me all of this."

Adrien stood up, Marinette's hand still in his. As she twisted around to keep eye contact with him, he leaned down and kissed the top of her head. "Everything will be alright. We can take things slow. We don't have to be together. I just need to know that you know I'm here for you. That there are so many people here for you." He knelt down to be at eye level with her again. "You are never alone. You can come to me for anything. You can tell me anything. I won't judge you. Can you trust me on that?"

Marinette nodded. "Thank you."

"I'll see you tomorrow then?"

Marinette nodded again.

Adrien gave another sad little smile and shook his head. "That other guy doesn't deserve so much of your love, but he's sure lucky he has it."

Shocked, Marinette bit back, "The other guy deserves more than my love, and I hope he finds it."

With a cockeyed grin, Adrien shook his head. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have said anything."

"Adrien, no. I-"

He held up a hand to stop her. "I'm fine. As long as you're okay, I'll be too."

"I did like what we had the past couple of days. It truly was all I ever wanted. I just-"

"Need to sort things out?"

Marinette nodded.

"I have you as my friend. That's all I need in life. All the rest is-" He looked dreamily at her, "an amazing bonus."

Marinette blushed as she looked away.

"I'll catch you tomorrow, Marinette."

"See you tomorrow." She gave him a sweet smile that she hoped conveyed how much she truly did love him, even if she couldn't say so yet. It was all still too much.

* * *

The next day, they were fairly low-key. They were still always beside each other whenever possible, and gave sweet looks to each other, but they didn't hold hands like they had the day before. Marinette didn't lean her head on his shoulder. Adrien didn't try to pass her love notes. The duo tried to ignore the confused looks from their classmates.

"What on earth happened?" Alya chased after Marinette as she headed home.

"What do you mean?"

"You and Adrien! You were finally together, weren't you?" She pulled Marinette close so she could whisper in her ear. "Wasn't that why Tikki brought the earrings to me?"

"I never asked Tikki to give them to you."

"I know that."

"And you know I'm here for you if you need me to. I can teach you all that I learned and-"

"Yeah, I know. I know. You sent me that long list the first time, remember? That's not the point! I thought you were giving up being you-know-who so you and Adrien could finally be together. What gives?"

"It's complicated."

"And why do I have my own Chat Noir?"

Marinette flinched, then stepped away from Alya. "I don't know. You'll have to ask Tikki or Plagg about that."

"Wait. Is the complication Chat Noir?"

Marinette walked faster.

"Hey! Wait!" Alya chased after Marinette, greeting Tom and Sabine as she followed her best friend up to her bedroom.

"Alya, please."

Alya closed Marinette's bedroom door and whipped around. "You really did love him, didn't you?"

"Alya."

"So, now that Adrien is in love with you- Chat Noir really is the complication, huh?"

Marinette flopped onto her chaise and stared at her ceiling. "I have no clue what to do! And I can't even have you check in on him to make sure he's alright because there's this new Chat Noir for some reason! Tikki! Why is there another Chat Noir?"

Tikki slowly drifted out of Alya's belt pouch. "I'm sorry, Marinette. I can't fully say. I can only tell you that Plagg thought it was for his own good. The burden was weighing on Chat Noir just as much as it was on you. We thought it was time to pass the torch to a new team."

"Was I the burden? Am I why he gave it up?"

"No, Marinette! It was for a lot of reasons, just like with you. It was so he could live a normal civilian life."

"And then I took that life from Alya."

"No way!" Alya pulled Marinette off her chaise. "Tikki asked, and I said yes because I knew it would help you out. And I have fun being a superhero. Plus, I knew I would have the world's best backup!"

"But-"

"I'm good." Alya pulled Marinette into a hug.

"Do you know if Chat Noir's okay then? Where he is?"

"Sorry, girl. Tikki can't tell me, and I don't know where Plagg is to ask him."

"I can tell you that he's doing well," Tikki added. "Plagg and I talked it over when we chose our new holders."

"Is he loved? Is he happy? Does he have support? Does he have his friends? Is he laughing? Smiling?"

Tikki shook her head. "I can't say any more. You don't have to worry about him, though. He's okay. He's loved."

Marinette deflated a touch; tension releasing her. "That's good."

"Come here." Alya pulled Marinette in for another hug, and Tikki joined in. It was only a little more than a day, but Marinette already missed Tikki's hugs.

"Okay, but, for real, did you get a chance to watch me work as Scarabella this time? How'd I do?"

Marinette chuckled. The three of them talked about Scarabella and the new female Chat Noir. Marinette gave Alya some more tips. Alya talked about her concerns with keeping Scarabella secret from Nino, and Marinette reminded Alya how she believed she had kept Rena Rouge secret from her best friend. They talked for hours until Sabine called up that dinner was ready. Alya graciously declined the offer to stay and eat, and pulled Marinette in for one last hug before heading out the door.

Marinette was pretty sure she felt Tikki's arms secretly wrap against her hip in one last hug as well.

* * *

As Marinette climbed into bed, she stared through her skylight and thought of Chat Noir. He knew who she was. He knew where she lived. He was now free of being a superhero as well. He was free to love her back, if only he knew that she truly did know and love him. He could come to her. If he really wanted to, that is.

As much as Marinette hated it, the ball was in his court. There was no way for her to find him again now. She'd give him two weeks. If he didn't come to her by then, she'd give him up and hope that Adrien would still want to be with her.

She groaned in frustration because even that plan wouldn't work. Even if he did want to be with her and remembered where she lived, it wasn't like he could simply come up to her and say, "Hello. I was Chat Noir. We kissed by the Statue of Liberty on Île aux Cygnes." How could they ever be together now?

"I've lost him. I truly lost him." She sobbed into her pillow. All those times he wanted them to tell each other who they were, and she denied him. Grand-Master Su-Han wanted her to know who Chat Noir was, and she defied him. She had so many chances to know who he was so she could now track him down and be with him, and she gave them up.

And now she didn't even have Tikki.

She brushed her ears. Feeling her empty ear lobes had become a new tick of hers since she gave up being Ladybug. Being a superhero was too much, but not being one was starting to feel heavier.

"This means you can be in love with Adrien."

Tikki's voice rang in her head. The reason the burden of Ladybug was taken off of her shoulders was, among other things, to free her so she could love. She was wasting Tikki's and Alya's gifts to her by wallowing over Chat Noir.

"You don't have to worry about him, though. He's okay. He's loved."

"Good." Marinette wiped her eyes and scooped up her phone. She had kissed Chat Noir three times. Once to save him from Dark Cupid. Once when she couldn't remember. Once as Marinette. She'd have to treasure that last one as her farewell kiss as well.

The phone only rang twice before it was picked up.

"Adrien? Hi. I- I was wondering when you'd be free to go see a movie together."

Marinette had already known heartbreak, but now she also knew the pain of missed opportunities. She was given the gift to love freely, and she wasn't going to waste it. Her heart would always have a spot for Chat Noir in it, but it was time to re-open the part once filled by Adrien.

.

**A/N: I have no clue where this story came from. I just know that, while watching the episode, I was confused as to why NO ONE commented on there being a new Ladybug AND a new Chat Noir (aside from Adrien mentioning something in passing). I then had this little, teeny-tiny scene in my head of Marinette confessing to Adrien that her “first kiss” was actually with Chat Noir (a scene that never actually made it to this version). The rest of this angst just exploded from there. I also wasn’t intending on having the scene with Alya or that closing scene of Marinette calling Adrien to set up a date, but the characters all decide to do their own things, and all I can do is follow where they lead me. 🤷‍♀️ Originally, I was going to have Adrien leave Marinette a note as Chat Noir to explain that he’s okay and that she should move on, but I couldn’t figure out how he would get the note to her without some long, convoluted thing which involved Alya anyway. So... just go to the source and ask Tikki. Right? Besides, the plan I had Adrien come up with would have required days/a week to set up. Considering Gabriel seemingly figured out who Scarabella and Kitty Noire are, I doubted Adrienette had that long before getting their respective Miraculous back. Anyway, thank you so much for reading! Love ya! 💖

**Please let me know if you want me to tag you on any of my writing updates**

@discoveringmiraculouswriters

[madlyclumsy]

i have a BANGER of a fic half-planned but zero motivation to actually write

[lixxen]

In some universe, Danny and Tucker have a meet-cute and fall in love automatically.

Danny runs into Tucker at full speed and knocks everything out of Tucker's arms at school while running away from Dash. The two fumble for a moment, looking at each other and going "oh my god he's so pretty" before Danny snaps out of it and runs away. Sam is cursing up a storm and helping Tucker up (this is how Sam and Tucker become friends before Danny meets them)

This is also a Nobody Knows universe so there's identity shenanigans. The three become friends and Tucker thinks he has a crush on two separate guys who are trying to date him seemingly. He has no idea it's the same dude.

Sorry guys. I don't make the meet-cute secret identity rules.

This reads like a MariChat fanfic

[ladybeug]

do you have any fanfic recs?

YEAH i do!

And also can people put fanfic recs in the comments of this ask?? So we get even more recs. THANKS!

here's some of mine:

Metamorphosis by @peachcitt - Its been a couple years since they defeated hawkmoth, chat noir is gone. I read this earlier this year and it was SO good, just deliciously dramatic, and it destroyed me. but like in a fun way :)

Tell me something I don't know by @marimbles - it's marichat. do you want to have fun? don't lie to me, I know you do. this one is so funny and sweet

Final Girl by @picayunearts - AU where marinette turns down the ladybug role. this one got to me deeply. listen im unlikely to ever tattoo a quote on my body but if i DID im not saying it WOULDNT be from this fic.

As time goes by, by @redundant-lava - its like if casablanca was even MORE dramatic and romantic and also starred your blorbos.

Under Oath by @eoscenes - Gabriel is unmasked and everyone is dealing with the aftermath. This one takes some of the season 4 drama between ladybug and chat noir and gives it a real play-out, I read this one when it was half-finished and just loved it, I haven't caught up but it looks like its finished so i WILL be going back. join me :)

Happy Anniversary Surprises by @ming85 - short and so so so sweet!!

Double Entendre by speaks, I don't know their tumblr - no intro, just go check it out. man I just love this one, so fun and such a good reveal.

Sting by KryallaOrchid, I don't know their tumblr - Adrien loses the cat miraculous and gets ahold of the bee miraculous so he can keep helping - but ladybug is NOT having it with the new partner. an oldie and a romp!! lovesquare identity shenanigans galore. have some fun.

anything @buggachat has written is good, and i've loved so many of @coffeebananas works, so go browse both of those authors.

A bunch of others but i cant list them all so im leaving off here!! Tell your favs in the comments. whats good out there?

[asukiess]

LOVEYBUG AU WEEK: 2/11 - 2/17

if the thought of "singles awareness day" has you feeling some type of way, don't worry--its hit Ladybug, too!

from February 11th to the 17th, feel free to participate in this week I made up! we'll be following all the different conceivable sides of the Loveybug AU Lovesquare; all the shenanigans, the Loveybug cringefailures, and of course: the love.

(BIG SPECIAL SHOUTOUT to @bittersweetresilience for crafting the calendar.)

Sunday, 2/11: Adrinette (Loveybug Edition)

Monday, 2/12: Marichat (Loveybug Edition)

Tuesday, 2/13: Loveydrien

Wednesday, 2/14: LoveyWalker

Thursday, 2/15: LoveyNoir

Friday, 2/16: LoveyWalker Kwami Swap

Saturday. 2/17: LoveyWalker Reveal!

How would Lovey!Marinette react each day at school seeing Adrien? What if Chat Noir or Cat Walker paid Lovey!Marinette a visit? What kind of special treatment does Adrien get from Loveybug? What is the DEAL between Loveybug and Catwalker--dating or is he still hung up on Ladybug's whereabouts? What if LoveyWalker needed to swap kwamis? And what will happen during the fateful reveal?

That's up to you to decide! Or, say screw it and use any of the days as a mere jumping off point and pair her up with someone else! The world is your honeymoon suite bed!

[anna-scribbles]

hey anna! the wait for kwami’s choice part 2 truly is abysmal and it’s so hard to navigate through the tag with all the leaks about, do you have any fic recs to tide us over until gloob puts us out of our misery?

not only do I have fic recs, I also have way too much to do rn and therefore will spend an inordinate amount of time crafting a detailed rec list for you 😘 (we can also just consider this my 2022 ao3 wrapped lol)

goes without saying perhaps, but ANYTHING by @peachcitt is gold and also uniquely devastating, some of my particular favorites being:

metamorphosis - 97k, enemies, sleepovers, you get it. i'm normal

those benevolent stars - 23k, ladrien thief/prince/soulmates au. what more do I even need to say

chat noir's white french man hit list for feminist purposes - 7k, hilarious and devastating, this fic is a child to me

double dare - 32k, ladrien, absolutely everything. cemented my friendship w/ peach bc I had to scream at her everyday abt it

I thought the plane was going down - 11k, attuned to my tastes specifically, adrinette having a History while on airplanes

@carpisuns also puts out banger after banger like it's her dayjob, specializing in understanding the ridiculous nature of the lovesquare to such a degree and also being the funniest person alive. some of my faves from her are:

tell me something I don't know - 120k, the marichat fic EVER, mar's dissertation on lovesquare and guess what she's right

pink - 14k wip, adrien loves marinette, SOFT

two idiots and a hamster (collab with @botherkupo) - 24k, adrinette roommates, makes me cry laugh

@picayunearts is a goddess on earth. she bends word and image flawlessly to her will. recently she has enraptured me with

final girl - 41k, marichat, au where marinette succeeds in giving up her miraculous to alya in origins. INCREDIBLE marinette character study

@rosekasa invented ladynoir and i'm not afraid to say it. check out everything on her ao3 but just note the following

when things were good - 15k wip, breakup fic/post hawkmoth takedown, has been ruining me in a SPECIAL way

new marinette 12k, post-guardianship memory loss marinette, a classic

like poles of a magnet - 12k, enemies au, hurts my feelings

ya'aburnee - 13k, ladynoir, HURTS ME VERY MUCH. I'VE NOT RECOVERED

@buggachat's fics always feel like i'm attending a course on adrien and marinette's true characterizations explained to me by someone with a PhD in lovesquare and I walk away enlightened. she has an incredible gift for storytelling and just Getting It. anyway read

maintaining a professional distance - 43k, ladynoir hotel room shenanigans, god-tier characterization

when you're near 10k, ladynoir dating but adrinette have never met, a classic

@sha-nwa should honestly quit her career and write lovesquare fanfiction for me full time. proof:

the way I loved you - 68k, marichat break up fic, will be cemented into my mind forever

photograph - 1k, sweet adrinette, abby loves making me cry

things WOULD be amiss if I did not mention @officialratprince (carolinaa on ao3) bc their fics derailed my homework schedule on several occasions last semester, though I'll be honest that their fics are not for the faint of heart or those who wish adrien agreste to have a good time. my faves are

I will take it / it can't go wrong series - 3 fics at 16k, 25k, and 39k, adrien's journey through experiencing child abuse and his friends being there for him, culminating in gabriel's court trial

home sick - 14k wip, adrien gets pneumonia and Everything Is Really Bad

other various fics I love for various reasons:

how hawkmoth got his groove back series by @agrestenoir - 2 fics at 3k and 1k, one of my favorite crack fics i read last year. had me crying laughing

1 step forward, 3 steps back by agnes writes - 10k, breaks my heart every time I read it. also makes me legitimately angry at adrien while still keeping him in character which is a feat in and of itself

the last day on earth by reiaji - 10k, chat blanc keeps happening as marinette gets older, I am incapable of not recommending this fic

okay now go forth and don't do your work<3

[mysticraven20]

Happy New Year my lovelies 🥳

‘The Situationship’ release date is growing closer and closer!

Here's more of a sneak peek from myself and @peony_fanart

Prologue:

Marinette sighed as she flicked the small machine light off. She looked to Tikki, needing her kwami’s support now more than ever. “I’m just worried, okay? I’m due to leave Paris in three weeks and I just don’t know if I can! What if something happens when I’m gone? It’s my duty to protect the city, and here I am planning to swan off, halfway around the world, to do whatever I want.”

She felt deflated. She was meant to be excited. Everyone expected her to be excited. But she couldn't be…she just couldn’t.

The Big Bang is upon us!! See you all on 5th January 🩷

@mlbigbang

[babywitchofthesouth-responds]

The Ultimate Miraculous Ladybug Fic Rec List

Ft. 97 of the best Miraculous Ladybug fics (imo) >>>

A Miraculous Square Dance by ChatNoirLuvr

Marinette intends to finally confess her feelings to Adrien, but an Akuma forces it early— while she’s still Ladybug! As exciting as it is to become Adrien’s new celebrity girlfriend, the secrets required of a Ladrian romance make it too unsustainable. Until the heartbreak paves way for a right-old square dance (MariChat!) where they find each other again. At the exact right time.

Tell Me Why You Love Me by linnieluna

Now 22 and working full-time, Marinette and Adrien seem to be getting busier and busier, which means fewer opportunities to keep track of akumas and show up on time. With the idea of using a messaging app to communicate with each other without revealing their identities, their lives immediately grew to be easier... until it wasn't.

Can I Date You(r Character) by midnightstarlightwrites *

When Adrien's character falls in love with Marinette's, they decided to date in-game. What could go wrong?

[Note: this one seems discontinued but I loved it so much]

As Soon As I Belong by crazykotyara

Marinette likes Adrien. Adrien would prefer if she liked Chat Noir. That leads to an absolute mess of a relationship, which includes a weird game of Truth or Dare, identity shenanigans, and Adrien, figuring out some really important stuff.

Knock Knock by DorothyGale123

After an akuma targets Marinette, a certain cat jumps to her rescue! Unfortunately, he fails to knock before jumping into his classmate's room. Chaos ensues. What follows is an awkward apology, way too many coincidences, and some realizations on both sides that the person they used to think of as a friend might be more than meets the eye. Will these dorks finally realize what's been in front of them the entire time? Will they ever stop being so oblivious? And what happens when you throw a scheming Hawk Moth into the mix?

A dozen roses by IlioneThe3rd

When Marinette finds a pink rose on her desk, she suspects that her secret admirer is Chat Noir. After all, who else would leave a rose just inside a 5th floor window? But why would Chat Noir give roses to a girl he barely knows when he’s supposed to be in love with Ladybug?

As the dust settles by Pengirl91

After Ladybug lost everything and yet her partner stood by her, she realized what she had been trying to lie to herself about for months. She is undoubtedly in love with him. The only problem is that she's terrified of what that could lead to and there's a monumental task ahead of them before it might be safe to act on her feelings for him... more than she already has.

lovers who hesitate by momochai

Marinette is Adrien's Secret Santa and she's got this in the bag. Really!

Perfectly Platonic (Unless...) by frostedpuffs

After accidentally revealing their identities in less than ideal circumstances, Adrien and Marinette must navigate their newfound relationship as both partners and friends. Becoming best friends was a quick process, but when romantic feelings begin to bleed into what's supposed to be a platonic connection, their friendship starts to change in more ways than one. Surely it can't be that hard to hide their feelings from their best friend?

once more, with feeling by zimtlein

When an unfortunate incident causes both her and her sworn enemy to detransform in front of each other, Marinette knows she is screwed. Because even though Chat Noir turns out to be her former polite classmate, it doesn’t mean that he stops being an asshole to her. So it’s no wonder he starts toying with her like the manipulative bastard he is. The only solution? Take his Miraculous and be done with him forever. And never forget that he’s no more than her enemy. Never.

[Note: this one was FANTASTIC]

The Closest Thing to Love by jennagrins

When Gabriel tells Adrien it’s time for him to learn about the brand internationally, Adrien knows he can’t leave Paris - or Marinette. The two concoct a plan to allow Adrien to stay and finally achieve his independence from his father. They’ll just get married. The only problem is...they’re not actually dating. But that won’t cause any issues. After all, they’re just friends, right? What could possibly go wrong?

Unraveling by InkyCoffee

She felt the desire to prattle all but tear at her throat, and clamped her mouth and then her eyes shut tight, willing the babble back, waiting for the blow. A love confession gets rejected, leading to a reveal - and for a while there it feels like everything starts unraveling.

seven is my lucky number by MiaBrown

post-reveal pre-relationship roommates. but is it really pre-relationship if they are fake-dating?

Five Times The Love-Square Watched ‘Solitude’ (And One Time They Didn’t) by MiaBrown

According to Adrien, ‘Solitude’ was a very rare and special movie. Marinette wasn’t so sure about the first, but she was indeed certain about the second. This film was extraordinary, life-changingly so.

don't ask questions you don't wanna know by MiaBrown

Chat Noir’s plan of asking out his classmate, only so the girl could turn him down and offer to be ‘just friends’ instead was ridiculous. Too bad there wasn’t a sensible girl who would have rejected him. Ladybug was so sure of this, she dared to bet on it. And when the next day Adrien Agreste asked the same question from Marinette… Well, she wasn’t trying to prove herself wrong.

Ladybee by SailorChibi

Chloé didn't know what to do when Chat Noir and Marinette showed up on her doorstep. Marinette made Chat the guardian so she's forgotten everything; the Miracle Box is locked and no one knows the combination; and Chat is barely holding it together with the revelation that Marinette is both Ladybug and his soulmate. Time for a Bee to do what she does best: hold the hive together.

lonely girl (you are my world) by etherealme

Marinette is fine with her life. She’s fine with not knowing anything about Chat Noir, and she is completely okay with not doing anything about the growing feelings she has for him. But, when they’re sent on a road trip across continents, it gets harder and harder to avoid the lingering question: are Chat Noir’s feelings as unrequited as she’s led him to believe?

you give me thoughts of a prince and palace by Yilena

As the reclusive princess of her kingdom, Marinette's face isn't known to the public. Posing as a commoner, she runs away with her friend to another country for a holiday and accidentally seduces the prince. AU.

[Note: this one had me hooked on royalty AUs]

The Red Thread by Jheqia

When Marinette kisses Cat Noir during an akuma attack, it creates a connection between them that leads to some interesting... problems.

Soulmate Tropes by ggomo_springtime

An akuma makes soulmate tropes a reality.

Careful Stitches by Ashes555

Marinette still didn't know what happened, but whatever it was turned the moment that should have been her greatest victory into something that might haunt her for the rest of her life. Instead of helping her partner defeat Shadow Moth, she got a note. And then he was gone. Marinette thought that life would be perfect, but it never could be when Chat Noir was missing.

Revelations by Mindell

Dreaming of the day when he would finally discover Ladybug's identity had long been one of Adrien's favourite activities. Would she tell him her secret during a conversation? Would she transform in front of him? Would she reveal her identity once her mission was accomplished, when they would give their miraculous back? But never, never had he dreamed of a shy "I am Ladybug" confessed by one of his classmates, in the middle of their classroom and in front of all the other students.

L'Instant Présent by Yilena

A Marinette with no knowledge of being Ladybug manages to be useless fighting crime for her first time, and carelessly reveals her identity to her oblivious partner when they're alone. AU.

Sewing Sentiments by frostedpuffs

Fed up with her miserable job at a fabric store, Marinette decides it's finally time to quit and move on...until she's tasked with training a new employee whose golden hair and gorgeous green eyes have her feeling a certain way. Torn between leaving her job and staying for Adrien's sake, Marinette decides to stick by his side, enjoying her new co-worker's company far more than she had ever expected.But there's something about him she can't quite place—a certain sadness in his eyes that, despite only knowing him for a short time, has Marinette wondering about his past and what exactly he's running from.

One Thing After Another by SKayLanphear

Marinette notices that, sometimes, Adrien acts a little out of the ordinary--like the time he stood in a cardboard box for no reason, or when he actually hissed at Nino. It's only when she starts to notice the similarities between Adrien and a certain feline that she begins to get suspicious. Basically, Adrien acts like a cat when he probably shouldn't.

[Note: this author write some fantastic stuff and this is one of them]

tell me something i don't know by carpisuns

The odds of having a soulmate are about negative one billion (or something like that). But somehow, like they always have, Marinette and Chat Noir find themselves together. They’re ready to finally tell each other everything, but it turns out that even soulmates have to keep secrets, and they can only be together if they vow never to touch.

Pick-Up and Chase by SKayLanphear

After she accidentally trips into Adrien and apologizes about "falling for him," Marinette learns that he's no match for cheesy pick-up lines--whether they were unintended or not. And while she finds it flattering that he turns into a flustered mess with only a few words, Marinette comes to regret making him uncomfortable. That is, until she learns he's Chat Noir. At which point the phrase "just deserts" becomes a permanent fixture in her everyday plans. A story in which Adrien is flustered, Marinette is smooth as glass at dropping lines, and Chat Noir gets the romance he was always asking for--even if he doesn't quite know how to handle it.

Tents and Cuddly Cats by SKayLanphear

[Note: this one isn't showing up anymore for some reason]

Serendipitous Fate by SKayLanphear

Adrien is excited to reveal his true identity, while Marinette is terrified. But Master Fu says they can't afford to be distant any longer. Chat Noir and Ladybug are meant to work in tandem both in and out of uniform, their strength stemming from the bond created between them. Yet, teenagers are sometimes better at dancing blind than running with wide open eyes, even with the steps laid out before them. Steps in the path of an expanding world. Apart, they'll flounder. But together, they might just stand a chance.

Wish Upon a Star-crossed Love by Aepyceros

Wherein a series of encounters lead to gradual realizations and revelations.

Gabriel gets used to... (Adrien having a Girlfriend) by Mystic_Raven20

Gabriel Agreste… The man; the myth, the legend; the grumpy old man who wouldn’t know love if it kicked him hard and straight up the hiney. Gabriel had a number of issues in his life, but the worst one goes by the name Marinette Dupain-Cheng; his son's girlfriend and the younger Agreste’s self claimed ‘love of his life’. In Gabriel’s eyes Marinette has a mission, and that mission is to take everything the Agreste’s have worked hard for. One thing was for certain, he wasn’t going down without a fight; and if his ship did finally sink he was dragging Marinette down with him.

come sleep with me by treasuredgem

Where Ladybug and Chat Noir try taking as many naps as possible because Hawkmoth doesn't sleep either.

Between a Rock and A Hard Place by P_Artsypants

During a class field trip to a natural cavern, Marinette and Adrien get trapped in an elevator…trapped in a cave. Such close proximity means that secrets don’t stay secrets for long… Can the two escape their iron prison, much less their glass cage of emotions? Or will teenage hormones be their undoing?

Where There's Smoke There's... A Smoker by Talik_Sanis

Marinette is smoking! It's a filthy, dangerous habit that could do terrible things to her, leading to truancy and missed homework assignments, and- and who knows what other horrible fates (certainly not Adrien, as he's too sheltered to even guess) for the dear sweet girl too pure for this world! Adrien Agreste has to save his very good friend from her smoking addiction! Basically, Marinette lies about smoking to cover for her detransformation in an alley. Things go south from there. All the things.

Cobblestone Streets by girlsivebeen

Adrien Agreste just wants to go skateboarding in Paris. All he needs is a disguise right?Marinette Dupain-Cheng can likely spot her partner anywhere, whether he's in a banana suit on a scooter, or attempting to successfully skate over the cobblestone streets of Paris with a motorcycle helmet on his head.

See You See Me by SomberSecrets

Chat Noir had found his new favourite past time-- staring at the pictures of Adrien Agreste on Marinette’s wall… walls. There were a lot of them.

To Know by mildswearingat4am

Cat is a little more observant when he talks to a certain plucky classmate in Evillustrator and sees something he was never supposed to see. Friendship, puns, anxiety, romance, and an even more convoluted love square ensue.

basically, I wish that you loved me by sagansjagger

Adrien and Ladybug have made a mistake. They've been caught by Alya making out and now the rest of the world thinks they're dating, despite their objections on social media. Alya, thinking that Chat and Marinette are devastated by their crushes' apparent relationship, tries to set them up with each other. Marinette and Chat, being the savvy duo that they are, mutually decide that they'll fake date in order to get Alya off their collective backs. This, naturally, blows up in their faces...

Following A New Fel(ix)low In Class by DevoTea

Felix starts going to Francois-Dupont. Marinette is not about to let him back into their school without some explanation though. He is a very suspicious individual, maybe she should follow him around some more. You know, just to make sure that he's not up to making someone akumatised or something.

Felinette Soulmate AU by San_fics

Now it made sense why she behaved so protective of Adrien that day, given the fact that his soulmate had a crush on the model. For some reason Felix didn’t like this idea at all. Shouldn’t there be some rule, forbidding your soulmate to fall for a wrong guy, even if he looked just like you?..

Inky Blue by soarbytheocean

Félix had always gone on a pre-determined path, precise and detailed. A person who had always maintained a stolidly calm surface, the waters of his ocean were never turbulent. So, when he collided with the serene forests of Marinette, the havoc that his ocean went through was hard to describe.

Rhythms and Rainstorms by SultannaMajor

They didn't need to speak to communicate. And that's a fact that she always found amazing. They understood each other in a way that no one else can. They danced around her kitchen like they were born to do it. MariCha

Birthday Surprises by brbcommittingason

Adrien has been seeking solace with Marinette, using her as a way to escape from his daily life. Or at least, that's how it started. As the months continued onwards, he didn't just go there for a source of comfort, but also just to be her friend. He was head over heels, he knew that, and maybe that's why it was so easy for Plagg to convince him to wear a hoodie (a generic one that could have been passed off as a regular black one) that she made him. Chat Noir, him. And Plagg might just be the reason his life is a million times better.

My Sweetest Princess by LadyKae

When the unthinkable happens, we're often left picking up the pieces and trying to move on. No one has learned that lesson harder than Marinette, and Adrien wants to be there with her for every step of the way. When his feelings for Marinette grow stronger, Adrien finds himself holding back for her sake. Join our favorite heroes as they navigate the paths of healing and finding love at the end of a long road.

moonlight epiphany by ohlittlebarchie

Sometimes, you are blinded by sunlight so bright that you’re left stumbling in the dark. And then you miss that the best thing you could ever have was right in front of you all along - come nightfall, you forget that the moon reflects the light of the sun. Maybe Adrien Agreste is the sun. And maybe Chat Noir, suddenly, unexpectedly, crept into her heart like a sliver of moonlight.

Breaking Free (Isn't free) by RachelLyseBrook

Papillon has discovered Chat Noir's secret identity. By sheer luck, Adrien manages to escape the mansion and akumatization, Plagg providing him an out while snatching up something precious to Gabriel Agreste. Adrien crashes onto a familiar balcony and begs Marinette for help, almost revealing his identity in the process. Distraught over her partner's predicament, Marinette swears that Chat won't be alone in this. That she will move heaven and earth to keep him safe. But neither of them realize just how difficult Papillon was going to make this for them.

When Bunnyx Brings a Baby by Druwho

Marinette thought she was up to any challenge. She was Ladybug after all! But when Bunnyx arrives with a baby in her arms asking her to babysit, Marinette quickly learns that Akuma battles are easy compared to taking care of a baby. A baby that seems to know her and for some strange reason... Adrien?

The Five Minute Adventures of Snake Noir by Kasienda

After Ladybug admits to Chat Noir that she told someone her identity, she insists that he do the same. He wants it to be her. She insists it has to be anyone else. He suggests they use the snake. She finds this to be a reasonable compromise. After many heartfelt five minute conversations that Ladybug doesn't remember, she decides he should keep the snake. That way he can always confide in her if he needs to. He also realizes it means he can talk to anyone… for five minutes... on repeat. 

You, Me & A Little Bit of the Future by joonapeach

Marinette expects some disaster on her first outing alone with Adrien. She just doesn't expect that disaster to be her future self passing off a baby for her to take care of with Adrien.

Infinite Us by Leda (Represent)

Ladybug has five minutes left with Chat Noir, and she isn't ready to give them up.

A Major Test of Strength by nemali

There is only one thing in Paris hated as much as the akumas: Ladybug herself. In an effort to help the Savior of Paris, Adrien winds up on the wrong end of an akuma attack — only to find himself stuck reliving the same day. With enough time, anyone can be a hero, and as he continues dying over and over, he is forced to confront the idea that these loops may be just as much of a blessing as they are a curse.

Breaking Free by UpTooLateArt

Marinette has failed as the Guardian. Shadow Moth stole the miraculous, and now it's down to her and Cat Noir to recover them, before it's too late. Just one problem - Cat Noir's father is their sworn enemy...and he's decided it's high time for some father-son bonding. As Adrien is drawn into his father's world, secrets will finally surface - and our beloved heroes will be faced with the biggest decision of their lives.

A Hundred Thursdays by Midnight Musume (Peas)

Marinette is stuck repeating the same day over and over. Her friends (and especially Chat Noir) help her cope.

Spots and Shades by DearLittleRobin

While trying to prevent a bad future, Marinette walks straight into another one. Adrien can't handle any more secrets, but realizes knowing things comes with a price. Time travel is as weird as everyone thought it would be

Revealed in Time by WhitleyMiranda

Marinette is sent 8 years in the future by an akuma. While there she discovers a grown up Chat Noir and more about her future than she could have ever imagined.

Maintaining a Professional Distance by buggachat

Ladybug and Chat Noir receive a hotel room from the city, which they most certainly will not use. After all, that wouldn't be very professional, would it?

Chasing the C/h/atwalk. by Inkkerfuffle

Paris. The city of lights, love and fashion. Follow the progress of Marinette Dupain Cheng as she enters the extremely competitive world of Reality television for a chance to be the winner of Project Runway: France.

Radio Silence by Eevee

When an inexplicable change between Marinette and Adrien brings the two closer than ever, Alya is left on the outside of a secret too confounding to be about cheesemaking or puppy love.

do you think i have forgotten about you by augustrose77

Memory Loss. Told in alternating time lines, one leading up to and one dealing with the aftermath of Marinette relinquishing the Miracle Box and the guardianship. Marinette struggles with her life after losing her memory, though there is a persistent voice that calls to her that always seems just out of reach in her memory.

Chat Noir's White French Man Hit List for Feminist Purposes by peachcitt

adrien agreste who is also chat noir absolutely chugs his respect women juice

Not a Monster at All by book_sandwich

Adrien Agreste overhears a conversation he shouldn't, and a revelation sends him falling onto the terrace of the only person he can trust: his good friend (?) Marinette Dupain-Cheng.

How Marinette Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Ball by TheChatatonicOne

Hidden from the crowds thronging around the busy fairy portal in Paris's town square, a fae gate sits at the edge of the forest, locked, rusty, and full of ancient magic. Marinette thinks that this abandoned gate must not work anymore... but one day, a fairy disguised as a black cat steps through it.

Dearly Despised, (I love you) by snacc_noir

Marinette could go on about why she hated Adrien Agreste—from his unfunny pranks to his ineffable attractiveness—ever since he had the audacity that day with the umbrella. And yet, here she was fake-dating him while in love with a superhero.

Disrespectfully Yours, Marinette Dupain-Cheng by fettuccine (LFA)

Marinette Dupain-Cheng is top of the class. Straight A's, perfect attendance, and editor-in-chief of her university's premiere fashion magazine. Or... she would be top of the class, if it weren't for her academic rival Adrien Agreste. They've been competing for everything since their freshman year of college. If Marinette gets a 99, he gets a 100. If she gets an internship, he gets a better one. Now in their senior year of college, they're ready to fight it out one more time to win student journalist of the year — and the scholarship that comes with it. But when a semester-long project forces them to team up, everything changes. If they want to remain in consideration for the award, they'll have to figure out how to work together. Because in the cutthroat world of academia — and journalism — failure is not an option.

Lightning and Thunder by The_Rabbit42

While out for an evening run, Chat Noir gets caught in a thunderstorm and struck by lightning. He's fine! He ends up recovering/hanging out with Marinette. What ensues is a night full of conversation and commiseration, arguing and affection.

daydream by a_miiraculer

In which Adrien finds out Ladybug is Marinette, and beats the 'this is fine' dog at his own game.

the wonderful part of the mess that we made by heresie_irisee

They knew. They knew, and there would be no magical reset button for the memories they'd made today. She'd have to see him at school every day, and she'd see the Chat in him, as surely as he'd see the Ladybug in her.

Bakery "Enemies" [COMIC] by buggachat

After the defeat of Gabriel Agreste and the disappearance of the mysterious peacock miraculous user, Marinette is left to try her best as Guardian and pick up the pieces. With the kwamis left in hibernation, no leads on the missing peacock miraculous, and no way to contact her beloved partner, she's left to her wit's end on where to proceed. That is, until the prime suspect of the peacock wielder coincidentally takes up an apprenticeship at her parents' bakery. Adrien Agreste, son of Hawkmoth, has seemingly planted his roots in her home while Marinette was away for an apprenticeship. This could either be a disaster in the making, or the perfect opportunity to retrieve the missing miraculous... either way, it's war. At least, it would be, if the gosh darn villain weren't so sweet!

metamorphosis by peachcitt

Three years after hawkmoth's defeat, marinette is still trying to figure out her version of normal. there's also sleepovers.

[Note: brought me to tears. unrelated but Landing Feet First by Bayside is my unofficial anthem for this fic]

A Royal Thief by meeble

Marinette couldn’t remember the last time she’d had such a bad day. Running late and accidentally dropping her father’s freshly baked bread was one thing, but telling off the prince of the kingdom and subsequently being kidnapped by said prince was something else entirely.

Love Doth Ran Smooth by Dpanda_17

When Nino had told Adrien he’d find love, Adrien didn’t expect to find his true love the next day. And for her to greet him the pleasant way she did.

Trolling Alya by SailorChibi

It was just one of those things that didn't have a simple explanation. As surely as the sun rose in the east, Marinette Dupain-Cheng was going to marry Adrien Agreste. That was a fact that Ladybug knew in her heart, and she knew that Chat knew it too. The unspoken acknowledgement surrounded the two of them like a warm, cozy blanket. There was really no need to rush to dating because that next step was always going to be there; they had all the time in the world. And in the meantime, torturing Alya was really fun.

electrify me, i’m dying to burn by Anonymous

Adrien and Marinette are best friends and partners—they can talk about anything. Even the hypothetical situation in which they’re dating.

cause our hearts are locked forever by SailorChibi

Ladybug and Chat Noir are not okay. Years of fighting akumas have taken a serious toll. The only comfort they have is in each other, and, when the pain of separation becomes too much, Marinette figures out a way to circumvent her promise to not tell Chat who she is.

1 step forward, 3 steps back. by agnes_writes

In which Adrien switches targets to Marinette, and everything goes wrong before it goes right.

Seven Seconds by alvares715

Adrien finds a lost video on his phone.

œuf ouch owie by miraculousunflower (ominousunflower)

Chat Noir enlists Rena Rouge's help to create an Aspik illusion. Absolutely nothing goes wrong.

Stray Chat by Pozolegirl

Adrien wants to be friends with Marinette but...it's hard to be friends with Marinette Dupain-Cheng and not have both parties become a little tongue tied around each other. So Chat Noir attempts to make friends with Marinette with the aid of his mask instead. Following problems at home however, Chat Noir suddenly becomes Marinette's roommate! Now they're both keeping secrets...

Always Welcome Here by gay_english_nerd

Adrien is forced on an extremely repressive diet and it makes heroing much harder. Marinette has lots of food and a very kind heart. What will happen when the meetups become regular? Maybe some... Marichat?

heartstrings by taylortot

one of marinette’s rare unlucky days turns into something treacherous. thanks to a certain cat, the real danger passes, but there are other things to be more afraid of. her heart, for example, might be one of them.

The New Guardian Is... Multimouse? by The_Rabbit42

During the events of Miracle Queen, Master Fu passes on the role of guardian to a surprising successor... Multimouse! Marinette is frustrated, Alya is confused, and Chat Noir is oddly pleased. How will this affect Marinette's friendships and partnership on both sides of her identity? How will this affect Adrien's view of the girls in his life? And how long will they keep it together?

keep me in your thoughts by LilaacStars

Love is messy enough by itself, but it's worse when you don't know if you love your classmate, your superhero partner or the boy that has been talking and dreaming inside your mind since the moment you were born.

Sommeil by Bronte

She'd noticed the bags beneath his eyes even with the mask over his skin and had asked occasionally how he was feeling and it was always the same response. ‘I'm fine,’ he'd say, ‘I just didn't sleep much,’ he'd say, ‘I'm just such a party animal,’ he’d say. She'd always let it slide in the past because she's his partner and friend, not his mother, but it’s kind of getting to the point where something has to be done. He yawns too often to be sleeping properly. He smiles too much to be happy.

Worthy Opponent by Soap_Lady

Felix Graham de Vanily is back! Not to cause trouble, at least not if no one crosses him. After discovering the last script his father ever wrote, he decides to honor his father (and make his directorial debut) by producing the movie. It has everything he likes; adventure, well-rounded teenaged characters, complex villains and witty dialog. The only problem is that it's set in Paris and there's only so much CGI can do. So he, his mother, and his group of friends who call themselves the Quantic Kids head to Paris to cast the rest of the characters. Marinette Dupain-Cheng has just finished her first year of lycee and though Lila is still around, her influence over Marinette's friends has waned, partly because they're on different academic tracks and have drifted a bit. She's not worried about that, she's decided to spend her summer as an intern in Graham Film's Wardrobe Department. It'll be valuable experience and with luck, she'll never even see Felix. Too bad she makes a wrong turn on her first day.

Passionfruit by SailorChibi

Marinette and Adrien are soulmates, and have known that since before they got their miraculous. They can’t not know who the other is. The solution? Keep on hiding the fact that they’re soulmates from even Tikki and Plagg, of course!

when you're near by buggachat

When Ladybug and Chat Noir were together, dancing across rooftops and kissing under the moonlit sky, Ladybug loved her boyfriend. But when the masks fell and all that was left was Marinette, she hated her boyfriend. She hated the lonesome afternoons, the third wheeling, the way his name wasn't in her contacts... She knows their identities are secret for a reason, and she tells herself she'd do anything to protect that— but when Marinette hears Chat Noir's voice coming from the boy sitting behind her in a coffee shop, she can't help but wonder if it's really worth not having him in her life.

Don't Let Me Let You Go by SailorChibi

When Marinette's parents find out and forbid her from continuing as Ladybug, Plagg comes up with what he considers to be the obvious answer.

Fireflies by sevendeadlyseas

When Ladybug and Chat Noir face their deadliest akuma, they both lose more than ever could have expected, and nearly fall apart trying to keep it together. Hawkmoth's identity is revealed and everyone's personal lives go to shit.

Slowly but Surely by San_fics

There was something Freudian in this, but Felix had a weak spot for women like his mother — outwardly soft and gentle, but strong and hard on the inside. And it was exactly the impression Ladybug left him with. Felix was smart enough to put two and two together. Maybe he still needed some proves, that would confirm his suspicions for 100%. Like the proves he needed to make sure Gabriel was Shadow Moth. But Felix used to trust his intuition and logic, so at this moment he was almost sure: the Marinette-girl was Ladybug.

a cat, confronted with the unknown, will respond not with fear, but with curiosity by LordKaladin

Chat Noir finally meets the mysterious Guardian his new teammates all talk about.

48 Hours To Make You Love Me by Mystic_Raven20

When two heroes miss the minibus for their winter get away with the gang they have no other choice but to make their way to the resort by themselves. After avoiding their feelings for years, a freak snow storm makes them reconsider more than just whether to carry on driving. Luckily, they find a quaint little bed and breakfast where suddenly they’re thrown into a situation where their feelings can no longer be held back; but, is it too late? The interference of an elderly couple after an eavesdropping accident helps both Adrien and Marinette come to terms with their feelings and their actions. Through movies, hot chocolates and snuggling to keep warm, Marinette wonders if it’s possible to make Adrien love her again, and more so can she do it by the time they need to leave their little sanctuary?

The Ladybugs and The Bees by BullySquadess

AKA the early-fandom Ladynoir puberty fic that spiraled waaaaay out of proportion.

Remember That Time When... by mostlovedgirl

Twenty-two-year-old Marinette Agreste was looking forward to the anniversary trip she would be taking with her husband Adrien that weekend. Those plans are derailed when she wakes up in her old bedroom... and she’s seventeen again.

Build You Up by CoffeeBanana

After the events of Risk and Strike Back, showing up to school and acting like nothing had changed feels wrong. Adrien doesn't want to be there, listening to the fears and criticisms of his classmates. Worrying about Ladybug. Trying not to let his doubts consume him. But it turns out there's someone else who might want to be there even less than him. And maybe the answer to his problems has been sitting behind him in class all along.

Can't Fool Me by CoffeeBanana

Marinette and Adrien both have the same plan: to impersonate their superhero partner for April Fools' Day. But when they both get a little too into character, well...what could possibly go wrong?

You and Me by 11JJ11

Marinette tries to find ways to let Adrien knows how much she cares, even if their relationship must stay a secret.

Forget me not (because I will) by Bluestpaw

Being a guardian is hard. Forgetting to be one is even harder.

[miraculouslbcnreactions]

May i ask what your feeling of Marichat are? (I apologize if you've answered this before)

I don't think that anyone has asked for my dynamic preferences, but I'm happy to talk about them, just note that this is very much an opinion piece. I'll be doing some critical analysis, but I'm not arguing for any of the following, I'm just telling you why my feelings are what they are.

I don't dislike any side of the love square, but canon Marichat is easily the least interesting to me. It's the one side that I'll probably never touch in my own writing, though I'm happy to read Marichat fics and even have a few favorites that focus on that side of the square.

This semi-aversion isn't because the dynamic is bad. Friends-to-lovers is my bread and butter. It's what I write in most of my original fiction and even in a lot of the fanfiction I've done. But I was drawn to the love square because they're already in love. While I see the appeal of one crush switching, I don't really see the appeal of watching them both fall out of love with each other in order to fall in love again. This is especially true because the "side" that they're falling for is the side that lets them be the least open about their needs.

I'm not a fan of Adrien having to keep his home life a secret from his girlfriend, but he would absolutely have to do that if he started dating Marinette as Chat Noir. He knows that he's friends with Marinette in his civilian life, so he'd need to be extra cautious with his identity around her. That means hiding a lot of things that I want to see him open up about since all of his major struggles come from his civilian side.

That isn't true for Ladynoir, though. Ladybug and Chat Noir have no idea that they know each other in their civilian lives, so being open-but-vague with each other shouldn't be seen as a big risk since they shouldn't be worried that small personal details will reveal their identities. (This is a writing issue in the show, imo. They write Ladybug as absurdly cautious when it doesn't really make sense if she assumes that Chat Noir is a stranger. You can tell that her actions are being driven by the plot not quality characterization.)

Along similar lines, Marinette can't talk to Chat Noir about her Ladybug struggles if she's not Ladybug. That's why I prefer Ladynoir or Ladrien. Ladrien is actually the easiest to write because Marinette is pretty good at opening up to people about issues that don't effect them. I can totally buy her talking to Adrien about her Ladybug fears while being reluctant to share those same fears with Chat Noir because she doesn't want to burden him or look weak. I think you can work around that issue pretty easily by developing Ladynoir into more of a power couple, but Ladrien is the easiest one to work with without having to change anything about the canon setup. While we're on the topic of giving Marinette support, I'll point out that Adrienette often works best in fics that focus on civilian issues like the Lila conflict while playing down Marinette's Ladybug struggles specifically because it lets Adrien feel like a solid supportive boyfriend which he really can't be if she's dealing with Ladybug issues.

The other reason that I love Ladrien is that I am a massive fan of identity shenanigans and Ladrien is the comedy hi-jinks/identity shenanigans ship. While Marichat basically kills the other sides of the love square (more on that in a second), Ladrien enhances them. Marinette gets even more ridiculous around Adrien and the same goes for Chat Noir with Ladybug. Bonus points if Chat Noir knows for some reason - as in Ladybug knows that Chat Noir knows that she's dating someone - so that you can have Chat Noir slowly dying of joy and frustration while his girlfriend gushes about him or just generally talks about her crush. It's very funny. I basically can't write Ladrien without including a ton of Ladynoir moments to really flesh the ridiculousness out.

I don't include a ton of civilian moments, though, because I don't see either Marinette or Adrien being open about the fact that they're dating some mystery person. It's just a completely unnecessary risk for their civilian sides to take, though it is fun to include a few moments of Marinette being a disaster as she remembers that they were kissing less than 24 hours ago. Hero sides having a romantic partner that they have to be vague about make total sense though. (Yet another reason I like Ladrien over Marichat. Adrien is just too good an actor to be an open disaster around his secret girlfriend when they're out in public and her safety is potentially at risk. You need them one-on-one for it to feel in character.)

Meanwhile, Marichat is a friends-to-lovers dynamic, meaning that you have the slow death of the other sides of the square as the current square falls out of love. You don't get the new square dynamics until the new love square is firmly established, so there's just not much to do with the other sides in terms of hi-jinks until the story is almost done.

This is why most Marichat fics don't feature the other sides. It's just Chat Noir and Marinette hanging out on her balcony or in her room. You may eventually get some jealous Ladybug moments or see people commenting on the fact that Marinette is having a much easier time talking to Adrien at school, but that's about it because Marichat means you're starting from scratch. You have to go through the whole falling in love process all over again which take a ton of time and effort, meaning that Marichat fics generally don't have much going on beyond romance. With the other three sides, at least one of them is already in love, so you don't need to do the classic slow burn. This is why Ladynoir, Adrienette, and Ladrien fics are a lot more diverse in their content.

That's probably another reason why I prefer the other three sides. I don't write a lot of pure romance stories. I tend to have some other larger plot driving my narratives because I'm a huge fan of romance bonding a couple as they go through adversity or insanity together which, once again, Marichat doesn't really do. They don't have the ability to knowingly team up pre-reveal. On the other hand, with Ladrien, you can get Adrien involved with the hero stuff on the civilian side since he's a perfect inside man. Ladynoir is involved in the hero intrigue by default and Adrienette is involved with the civilian intrigue by default.

In summary, Marichat is a fine ship, it just lacks all of the things that I love to play with, which is why it gets the fourth spot on my tier list. Ladrien and Ladynoir are basically tied for number one, though I'd give the top spot to Ladrien if I had to pick. Adrienette is in third and Marichat comes in last.

ALL THAT BEING SAID, my absolutely favorite dynamic is a reverse crush setup where Ladybug was always in love with Chat Noir and Adrien was always in love with Marinette. In that context, Marichat is now Ladrien and, therefore, I'm all in. Though, oddly enough, Adrienette is probably my favorite to write in that setup, followed closely by Ladynoir. I just really like torturing Adrien with Marinette's crush, plus it's fun to have their friends more involved in the ways I picture them getting involved (it's a lot more holding back than pushing forward like we get with canon Adrienette. Just picture Alya, Nino, and maybe even Chloè reacting to Adrien's wooing tactics in real time and you'll probably immediately see what I mean.)

Partial-reveal canon Marichat is also a whole different story. I love a good partial reveal fic for any side because I am primarily drawn to the square because of identity shenanigans and partial reveals are identity shenanigan central!

[tasberry]

Marichat, for me at least, was never sinful.

I like them together because it's based around the trope of falling in love with your best friend. Where you get to know a person with all these quirks, all these flaws and complications, and go "Yeah, I love all of those too."

Where someone can annoy or upset you, but you talk it out and still choose each other. You love them at their best, you wanna lift each other up, but there isn't a pedestal because you climbed up together.

Chat Noir isn't Adrien's "true self" he just compartmentalizes. He breaks himself into little peices that he thinks people will like depending on the situation he's in.

When he's transformed he doesn't need to worry about looking foolish or getting chewed out by his father for inappropriate behaviour. It's still him, Chat Noir just gives him the ability to explore how he presents himself in the world.

The same can be said for Marinette as well. In fact, I'd say Marinette is a clearer example on how the true selves idea is painfully missing the point?

Marinette doesn't have the awful family life Adrien has. If she messes up, there isn't any of the disgusting, manipulative, abuse that we see from Gabriel Agreste awaiting her at home. She has a supportive family that encouraged her to be herself even before she got the earrings.

She was much more passive, but Chat Noir and Alya inspired her. They helped her be a better Ladybug, and grow into a more confident Marinette. There's more...persona bleed with Maribug. She doesn't refer to Ladybug as a different person the way Adrichat did. She knows one persona has more social power and she'll utilize it if she feels like she needs to. It's not an identity issue with her the way it was with Adrien.

Up until Adrien started to realize that Chat and Adrien are just..both aspects of him as a person thank you Plagg ily, Chat Noir was more of a character he got to play around with. This is what he thought he was doing anyway. I don't think his actions as Chat are disingenuous in anyway. He just didn't feel safe or accepted enough to let those two parts of himself stop being sectioned off until recently.

TLDR;

This episode was adorable

Marichat and the true selves thing is BS

These two fictional children are going to murder me with these adorable, heartbreaking shenanigans

SEND HELP IM USED TO LONGER ML HIATUSES WHAT IS THIS