#marinette is a mysterious rose giver

[lady-charinette]

A Thief in Blue Marichat

Originally posted on FFnet: https://www.fanfiction.net/s/12746973/45/A-Smitten-Kitten-A-Lovestruck-Princess

Prompt: He was a thief clad in black, she was a mystery shrouded by darkness. He left golden bells for the ones he stole from and she left blue roses for those with a burdened heart. Thievery was his profession, hers was comforting the troubled souls of the city. A mix of LadyNoirish, Marichatish

Rated: K+

Inspiration: Magic Kaito (Kaito Kid Series)

A Thief in Blue

The blue rose was her sign, a golden bell was his.

Leaping across rooftops and buildings unnoticed and melting into the shadows was his usual modus operandi, but her, she came and go as she pleased, she could perform the most spectacular show and vanish within the protection of the shadows in the next second.

But he wasn't worried about a rival, not in the least.

He had opted to sit back and watch her, and he knew she was aware of his guarded gaze on her at all times.

It seemed Chat Noir the Feline Thief would take a temporary break from his heists in order to watch the mysterious yet beautiful newcomer in action.

And oh did she offer him a show.

She rarely stole, when she did, it were mostly blue and red jewels, but interestingly enough she returned those she stole that held a great sentimental value to the owner, with a single blue rose and a letter attached to the returned stolen object, sometimes with the words, "Those kept close to the heart are safe from thieving fingers,"

Until today, he thought it was a nod to him, thieving was his profession after all, for her it was more of a hobby next to her own profession.

She wasn't a magician per se, nor was she any sort of performer in the traditional sense. The fact that, at several instances, she could even outsmart him, proved she was more versatile in areas nobody would expect from a person mostly gifting blue roses to people in need, particularly saddened, heartbroken individuals.

How she found those people, he had no idea, purrhaps she had a sixth sense for sad people as he had for cat-themed jewels and artifacts.

Word spread fast of the mysterious 'Phantom Lady' gifting saddened people a single blue rose, sometimes accompanied by comforting but equally mysterious words.

Chat Noir didn't quite know what to think of that, he was a thief, a professional one and a cat at that, having someone steal his thunder with questionable motives made him stand on guard.

And one night, after a particularly successful heist of retrieving a famed 'cat eye' golden jewel, he encountered her on a roof.

It looked like she had been waiting for him, if her relaxed stance and expectant gaze was anything to go by.

The moonlight illuminated her dark blue hair, and it gave her even more of a mysterious appearance.

She smiled and he grinned, "Waiting for meow, m'lady?" he bowed, it would be an atrocity not to in such ethereal presence.

She tilted her head in acknowledgement and adjusted the mask covering her real identity, red with black spots, "A little birdie told me the great Chat Noir's heart seems to be in turmoil," if he had suspected she had been a magician before, he was slightly more sure of it now, as she produced a blue rose from nowhere within her hand, a simple turn of her wrist.

She twirled it gracefully between two fingers, looking at it with a saddened gaze.

Chat Noir grew defensive, like a cat bowing its back, "Oh? Purrhaps your informant was wrong," Chat Noir smirked cockily, lazily swinging his belt tail in front of him, "I'm feeling pawsitively purrfect tonight, m'lady," he grinned, all sharp feline teeth.

Her eyes shot to him and his breath briefly caught in his throat from how blue they were, just like the rose in her hand, "Are you, chaton?" she slowly stood from her perch but made no move closer to him, sensing his guarded disposition, her gaze fell to the pouch strapped to his waist with his latest heist, "That jewel is a family heirloom, it belongs to a little girl, gifted from her mother who died shortly due to a murder from Hawkmoth's gang,"

Ahh, Hawkmoth, a famed name indeed, still, Chat Noir's gaze turned into slits, "You expect me to return it? Like you said, the girl is young, I doubt any piece of jewelry holds any semblance of meaning to her in her age," he touched the pouch with the tips of his claws, a warning, "Besides, finders keepers, right?" fangs caught the moonlight but that didn't deter the lady shrouded in mystery in front of him.

"And I thought the famous thief Chat Noir only steals jewels and artifacts and not broken pieces of a girl's heart," she started walking towards him, her gait slow and relaxed, obviously trying not to look like a threat.

He didn't think she had any concealed weapons, after all, in all her appearances she never operated with any weapons nor used violence.

Except… "And I thought Blue Rose only gifts roses to saddened people instead of punching them?" her lips curved into a small smile and she laughed, his ears pointed upwards, it was a lovely sound.

"I believe I had apawlagized for that, minou. I simply won't allow for violence, especially against those that are defenseless," she held the rose out toward him, her arm outstretched, a good armlengths away from him, granting him his space, "Now would you allow me to glance at your heart?"

Her blue eyes stared into his, soothing, calming, comforting and he allowed a low chuckle to escape him before he expertly and swiftly materialized right behind her, taking the single blue rose from her grasp.

His voice close to her ear seemed to surprise her, if only slightly, "Only if you allow meow to yours, m'lady," with the wind, he was gone and in place of her signature blue rose was a deep red one, from where, she didn't know, but it was real and when she brought it close to her nose to sniff it, it smelled…comforting.

The little bell attached to its stem produced a short, melodious bell sound when she jiggled it and she had to smile.

She glanced up at the moon, shaking her head, "What a troublesome kitty…"

It was the next night after the return of one of his heists that he spotted the letter hanging off a roof he frequently vaulted over with his staff. The letter was red with black spots, one he remembered the Blue Rose, in rare instances leaving.

He retracted his baton and broke the string from which the letter was tied to. When he opened the piece of paper, a single blue rose fell from it's confines and he picked it up mid-fall before it could hit the ground.

He had to snicker at the letter's contents.

Dearest chaton,

You looked a bit distracted during your heist today, was it because of our meeting last night?

You appear confident and cocky, but your eyes hold a deep sadness. The Blue Rose may be the one to offer solace and comfort in times of sadness, but I'm sure lady luck could prove more successful in healing the sadness in your heart.

A lucky charm for your future escapades.

And a blue rose for your thoughts kitty.

Yours truly,

Ladybug.

His eyebrow rose, so she had a different name other than Blue Rose? He had to confess, if she wasn't lying, he had never met her 'Ladybug' persona before.

He was confused about what lucky charm she was talking about, until for the first time since he picked up the letter it seemed, he felt a bulky kind of object strapped to its backside.

Turning the piece of paper, Chat Noir's eyes widened slightly.

It was a bracelet of some sorts. It looked creative, blue, green, red and yellow cubes and round shapes attached with a string.

He smirked when he spotted a small ladybug figurine made of stone attached at the end, ladybugs were usually known for their good luck.

Shaking his head, Chat Noir pocketed the 'good luck charm' and twirled the blue rose in between his fingers, taking in its beauty.

A blue rose symbolizes mystery, just like the origin of its mysterious color, it signifies the enigmatic, a mystery that cannot be fully unraveled.

It also symbolizes unattainability.

A person gifted with a blue rose usually is considered the subject of speculation, shrouded in mystery, an enigma, an unsolvable puzzle.

He smirked, taking a whiff of the flower.

It smelled like her.

His next heist was a close call.

A ridiculously brave, or stupid, civilian got tangled into it and, since he was no murderer he had a duty as a gentleman thief to save her.

How she got into the security system, he didn't know, why she punched one of the guards who tried to shoot him? He didn't know that either, all he knew was he wasn't about to allow a beautiful young lady who risked her life for him to be buried beneath a pile of falling rubble.

Many of the awe-stricken citizens below them gazed upon the familiar black figure of Chat Noir, carrying a civilian woman in his arms.

The thief was known to be a charmer certainly, but never had he gotten too close to any of the female populace before, keeping his banter playful and superficial.

But when the woman in his arms, covered slightly by scratches, gazed up at him with a knowing little smile, his breath got caught in his throat. The same reaction he had with the Blue Rose, or Ladybug.

Her eyes were blue too, he even thought it was the same shade.

"Thank you for saving me, chaton," his ears moved at the sound of the distantly familiar nickname.

"You're purrfectly welcome, purrincess," he landed safely in a secluded area of a park nearby, away from prying eyes as he carefully set her down.

He only moved a respectable distance away once he was sure she could stand on her own, his frown directed at the visible scratches she sustained during the short scuffle with the guards, "A civilian shouldn't attempt to protect a thief you know,"

Her gaze was calm, soothing, as if she hadn't participated in a life-threatening situation, but there was a certain fire behind that veil of calmness that…intrigued him, "I'm sorry Chat Noir, but I couldn't just let Paris' most respected thief get hurt in a unfair matchup,"

He smirked and twirled his belt tail around, "Oh? Most respected? Aren't you affuraid, princess?" he stepped a step closer, fangs sharp.

She didn't seem intimidated in the least, she met his gaze with a challenging one of her own, "With your half-backed puns? Not one bit, kitty," she giggled at the caught off guard expression on his face.

He crossed his arms, a newfound interest in his green eyes, "What's your name princess?"

She smiled at him, "Will you stop calling me princess if I tell you my name?"

He cocked his head to the side and pretended to think, a small smirk growing on his lips, "Purrhaps."

She crossed her arms as well, "Then my name is of no importance since you won't use it."

He rose an eyebrow, a feisty one, "Mysterious, are we?"

She winked, "Purrhaps," she giggled at his slightly peeved expression, "Come stop by the Dupain-Cheng bakery if you want to know my name, kitty."

He grinned, all teeth, "I thought I smelled cinnamon on you princess," he bowed at the waist, an excited grin gracing his handsome features, "Very well purrincess, until our paths croissant again,"

He gave her a two fingered salute and a Cheshire grin before disappearing into the night.

She smiled to herself, holding the little bell he had deftly attached to the loose thread of her jacket in her hand, shaking it to produce the same melodious sound she had heard before from their meeting at the rooftop.

Her voice was soft when she spoke, "Looks like Marinette the civilian took a whisk Ladybug never would…" she closed her hand around the bell, before turning and heading toward home, "Until we meet again, chaton," she smiled as she expertly disappeared within the protection of the shadows.

The next day, there was a card and a golden bell on the little girl's window sill, the same girl from which the cat-eyed jewel was stolen from, a memento from her deceased mother.

The card read, in neat cursive handwriting,

"I may be a thief, but I don't steal impurrtant things held dear to the heart. Keep this safe from any prying paws, little lady.

From your friendly feline thief,

Chat Noir."

The bottom of the letter had a cutely drawn paw print and the little girl smiled and giggled, happily nuzzling the returned jewel, holding it close to her chest, while she gently jiggled the little golden bell.

The sound it made caused the girl to laugh.

It sounded like a cat's bell-collar.

Thank you kindly for reading. :3

[purrincess-chat]

A Telling Proposal

The event is over, so I can officially post this here now. Just some good old LadyNoir/Adrinette fluff which if you were paying attention to this blog in February, I did talk about LadyNoir a lot so when I abandoned my original idea, this was the one that hit me next, and with everything going on with my grandma (who died 2 days before I published this originally) I just wanted something light, easy, and fun. 

Read on AO3

“I have a proposal for you.”

Ladybug’s eyes narrowed on her partner as he leaned against his staff to be level with her face. There was a smugness in his expression that told her she wasn’t going to like what came next, so it shouldn’t have come as a surprise to him when she sighed and said, “No, I will not marry you.”

“Ha-ha, that’s…not what I was going to ask,” he said, averting his gaze briefly before flashing her one of those boyish grins. “This time.” She rolled her eyes and waved an arm for him to continue. “Well, you and I can’t know anything about each other…”

“Correct,” she said with a nod, crossing her arms over her chest.

“So, I’ve been thinking…We can’t even do stuff like celebrate each other’s birthdays, so what if we picked a day and designated it as our birthday-day?” He said, beaming when she didn’t immediately shoot him down.

“You want to pick a random day to celebrate both of our birthdays?” She asked for clarification, mask raising to one side.

“Yes.” He nodded.

She drummed her fingers, considering it a moment before shrugging. “Alright. What day?”

“How about this Saturday? We can get each other gifts, have cake, watch the lights, talk.” He shrugged. “Anything we want. It’s our birthday.”

“Okay, sounds fun,” she said, lips curling into a smile.

“Wait, really?” His ears stood up straight in surprise.

“Yeah, I think it’s a good idea. I’ve thought about asking when your birthday is before, but I didn’t want to learn anything that could give away your identity,” she said, turning to face him fully. “I’ve wanted to get you a gift for a while, but we’ve never had the time.” A smile tugged on his lips, and she averted her gaze, cheeks burning. “It’s not a big deal. You’re my friend, so of course I’d want to get you a birthday gift.”

“Right,” Chat said, though his expression was far too smug for her liking. “So, Saturday then?”

She pursed her lips, contemplating it a moment, and nodded. “Saturday.”

***

Adrien stared out the window of his town car with a pensive frown. When he’d suggested their joint birthday, he hadn’t actually expected her to be so receptive to it, and he had to admit, he was caught a little off guard. Sure, he was excited that she’d approved the idea, but that left him with a bigger problem: he didn’t know what to get her as a gift.

Normally, he could think of a thousand romantic ideas, but this time he was coming up empty. Should he buy her a gift? Or make her a gift like he did for Marinette? Should he write her a poem? Or maybe get her a gag gift? No, that would be lame. What did Ladybug even like?

His chest clenched.

What did Ladybug like? He didn’t really know. Video games? What type of perfume did she wear normally? Did she like makeup? This was worse than he thought. All this time he thought he knew Ladybug, but the truth remained that she really kept a lot of things about herself hidden. The curse of secret identities.

Maybe he should just keep his gift general and pick something that any girl would like. After all, Ladybug made it clear that this was strictly a platonic endeavor. But what did girls like from boys that are just friends? Especially boys that you care about deeply who would risk their life for you but in a totally platonic way? He needed advice.

But from who? Chloe? No. She’d probably grill him about why he was getting a gift for someone other than her. Alya might just grill him in general. He needed someone he could trust. Someone like…

Marinette!

Black pigtails bounced up the stairs as the car rolled to a stop, and Adrien hopped out, racing to catch up to her. Marinette was the perfect person to ask. She was like a master gift-giver.

“Hey, Marinette!” He placed a hand on her shoulder, and she nearly jumped out of her skin. “Oops, my bad. Guess I should have warned you.” He rubbed the back of his neck. “I need a favor.”

“A favor? For why? I mean- why? What’s up?” She asked, blinking several times.

“Well, I have a…friend, and I want to get her a gift for her birthday, but I don’t really know what to get her. You’re really good at giving gifts, so what do you think I should get her?” He asked, and she relaxed, a smile curling on her lips that helped ease some of Adrien’s own nerves. Marinette had a way of doing that.

“Oh. Well, what does she like?” His shoulders tensed at that.

“Uh, well, I don’t really know,” he said with a wince. “I was hoping you could give me some advice on some stuff girls like in general?”

“Hmm, who is she?” Marinette asked, but at his hesitance she added, “Or who is she to you?”

“She’s just…a friend. A good friend. Someone that I kind of hope to be more than friends with some day,” he said, cheeks warming, and he cleared his throat. “I want to get her something that she’ll love, but I don’t really know what that is.”

“Is it Kagami?” Marinette asked, and Adrien blinked, wondering how she could have come to that conclusion. Then again, he remembered not too long ago asking for Marinette’s help taking Kagami on a date, so he conceded that it was a fair assumption for her to make.

“No. It’s not Kagami,” he said which seemed to perplex her more, and he knew he had to be careful with his words. “It’s for someone I work with. You don’t know her.”

“Okay,” she said slowly, pursing her lips. “Well, whenever I give someone a gift, I make sure that it’s personal to that individual. Like for Alya I made her a new case for her phone and for Rose I knit some pink mittens.”

Well, there went his general idea.

“Do you think I should make her something?” His eyes widened, and Marinette held up reassuring hands when he blanched.

“It doesn’t have to be hand-made, but it should be something from your heart that you know she will like,” she said, but it didn’t help. “Tell you what. Why don’t we go shopping after school? I’ll help you pick something out.”

“Thanks, Marinette. You’re a life saver,” he said, pressing his palms together in an expression of gratitude.

He had to admit that having Marinette’s assistance did calm a lot of his nerves about the situation. With her helping, he was bound to find the perfect gift for Ladybug. Plus it meant he got to spend more time with Marinette which was always a win in his book.

“So, where do you think we should start?” He asked as Gorilla strolled slowly up the street. “Should I buy her clothes?”

“Do you know her size?” Marinette asked, and he pursed his lips, conceding her point. She paused outside the jewelry store and pointed inside. “You want this gift to tell your feelings for her, right? So, come pick out something that makes you think of her.”

“Well…” He rubbed the back of his neck. “I guess, I mean, she only sees me as a friend, so do you really think I should buy her something like that?”

“You want to be more than friends someday, right?” Marinette asked, and his cheeks warmed. “Follow your heart.”

It was solid advice considering his head was a frantic mess, but what did his heart want? To get her something she’d love. Something that conveyed how much he cared about her. Something that would make her think about him whenever she saw it.

Marinette was browsing bracelets when he approached her, and she straightened, giving him an encouraging smile as he held up a golden heart-shaped locket. The front was encrusted with a ruby that reminded him of her suit, and Marinette’s eyes lit up when she saw it.

“Adrien, it’s beautiful. She’ll love it,” she said, clasping her hands over her chest.

“Are you sure? It’s not too much?” He asked, but she placed a reassuring hand on his shoulder.

“It’s perfect, and if it’s what your heart picked out then there’s no way she won’t like it,” she said with a confidence he tried to grasp for himself.

He took a deep breath, glancing down at the locket once more and nodding. “Okay. You’re right. It’ll be perfect.” He smiled back up at her. “Thanks again for your help. I was feeling really lost about all of this.”

“Any time. We’re friends, aren’t we?” She said, lowering her gaze to her shoes and clasping her hands behind her back. “Well, good luck with your gift. Let me know how it goes, okay?”

“I will,” he said as she moved for the door. “Marinette?”

“Yeah?” She paused in the threshold, turning back to face him and tilting her head to the side.

“I’m really glad to have an amazing friend like you,” he said, and something flashed on her face that he couldn’t quite read. She seemed sad almost, but just as quickly as it came, she covered it up with a smile.

“Yeah, me too.”

***

Ladybug stared out across the rooftops, twirling the ribbon of her gift around one finger. She hadn’t been able to focus ever since she helped Adrien pick out a gift for his mystery girl. Alya was joking about having her admitted for being such a space cadet, but she couldn’t help it. Adrien was going to give that locket to some beautiful model then they were going to get married, have beautiful model babies and move to private island then Marinette would never see him again. She’d die all alone with her fifty cats and a hamster named-

“Ladybug?” Chat waved his hand in front of her face, and she blinked.

“How long have you been calling my name?” She asked with a wince.

“I dunno. 15-20 seconds?” He shrugged, and her stomach did a little flip. “You okay?”

“Yeah, sorry. I had a…long week,” she said, rubbing the back of her neck. “Lots of homework. Hawkmoth making akumas every day. Juggling a double life. You know how it is.” She gestured around to the streamers she’d hung up between chimneys. “Plus, I set all this up for us.”

“You really liked this birthday idea,” he said, sounding a bit too smug as he leaned down into her face, so she flicked his bell.

“Everyone likes birthdays. Anyone who doesn’t like birthdays is a monster,” she said pointedly. “But I will admit, it was kind of fun decorating our cake.”

“Oh? M’lady baked me a birthday cake? I’m honored.” He waggled his eyebrows, and she shoved his shoulder with a laugh.

“Just a small one,” she said.

“And it’s not burnt?” He asked, mask lifting to one side, and her jaw dropped.

“I’m a very good baker, thank you very much!” She crossed her arms over her chest as his shoulders shook with laughter. “Fine. Don’t eat any of it then.”

“Wait, no! I want it. I’m really happy,” he said, holding up apologetic hands.

Ladybug rolled her eyes and paced over to retrieve the cake from the white unmarked box sitting on an orange crate. She had to go to two different stores to find a box that wouldn’t give her away, and explaining to her dad why he couldn’t see the cake she was baking was a whole other situation in and of itself. She just hoped that Chat Noir wouldn’t be too suspicious of her. Maybe she should have added too much vanilla to the frosting. Curse her years of bakery experience!

“Whoa,” Chat gasped when she pulled the cake from the box. She’d drawn their faces in the frosting, and the lettering was perfect if she did say so herself. A little too perfect, actually. “You made this yourself?”

“Everyone has hobbies, chaton,” she said as nonchalantly as possible, and fortunately, he seemed to accept it.

“Oh, can I light the candles?” He asked, bouncing like a kid who really should not be trusted with matches.

“Just don’t burn the building down. I don’t think the business below will appreciate it,” she said, offering him the box and doing her best not to laugh when he stuck his tongue out as he passed the flame over each wick.

“Ready?” He grinned, the flickering light casting shadows across his face as they started to sing.

When the song finished, they blew out the candles in unison, and Chat flashed her his signature boyish grin.

“Joyeux anniversaire, m’lady,” he said, lifting her hand to his lips.

“Joyeux anniversaire, Chat Noir,” Ladybug replied. “Cake first or presents?”

“I’m dying to try your cooking,” he said, bouncing on his heels. “But I think I want to give you my gift first.”

“Okay,” Ladybug said with a smile, retrieving her gift and holding it out to him.

“Oh, I wonder what m’lady got me,” Chat said, shaking the neatly wrapped box before carefully ripping the bow. He removed a hand-knit black beanie with cat ears and turned it over in his hands with a grin. “Wow, did you make this too?”

“I- watched a tutorial. I’m not great at knitting, but I think it’s best if a gift comes from the heart,” she said, rubbing the back of her neck.

“This looks so well made. I think you’ve uncovered a hidden talent, m’lady,” he said, pulling the hat over his ears. “Maybe next time you can knit me a blanket, and we can snuggle.”

Ladybug let out a breathy laugh as he leaned into her face and waggled his brows, pushing his nose away. “Dare I ask what you got me?”

Chat retrieved a small square box wrapped in red paper from his belt and held it out to her with a cheeky grin. She turned it over in her hands, the contents inside rattling, and shrugged, tearing away the paper. When she lifted the lid, her jaw dropped but snapped shut again as her stomach jumped up to her throat. Inside was a small golden locket embezzled with a ruby. The same locket she’d helped Adrien pick out two days ago. Which meant that either this locket was popular, or-

“Do you like it?” He asked, looking up at her through his lashes.

She knew that look all too well. It was the same shy, wanting-to-be-accepted look she’d seen Adrien give so many times. She had that look on posters on her wall. She’d always known Chat’s smile was a little too perfect to be normal. Now she knew why.

“It’s-” Your identity.

Granted, it wasn’t his fault. After all, what were the odds? It wasn’t like he’d done it on purpose. He just wanted to make sure she liked whatever he got her, so he asked a friend for advice. He didn’t know that she was that very same friend he was buying said gift for! Oh, and Adrien had been so worried about getting the perfect gift…

“It’s beautiful, chaton. Thank you,” she said finally, trailing her fingers over the jewel.

He breathed a sigh of relief, but Ladybug tensed more with each passing second. Adrien was Chat Noir. Adrien the-love-of-her-life Agreste was Chat Noir. Which meant she was in love with Chat Noir.

This wasn’t happening. Should she tell him? No. Well…maybe? What if he wasn’t really Adrien, and it was all a coincidence? It could be a coincidence, right? Then if she told him how she knew, he’d know her identity. Her head was spinning.

“Do you want me to help you put it on?” He asked, his voice more subdued and timid than she was used to, and when she flicked her gaze back to him, he looked every bit Adrien with one hand cupping the back of his neck.

“I- yes. Sorry, I just…I’ve never gotten something like this before,” she admitted, turning around as Chat draped the necklace over her head. “It’s really beautiful.”

“I gotta confess. I was really nervous about buying you a gift. It made me realize how little I know about you,” he said, fastening the clasp. “I asked a good friend of mine for help because I wanted everything to be perfect.” She turned to face him, his eyes warm and soft. “You mean the world to me, Ladybug, and I wanted you to know that.”

“Chat, I-”

“I know. You love someone else,” he said, lowering his gaze to his shoes. “I envy him every day, and I hope he realizes how lucky he is.”

Ladybug searched his expression as he smiled down at her, her heart hammering in her chest. Adrien was in love with her. She’d been rejecting him for months. Oh, how she just wanted to fall of that roof, but true to form, she panicked and hugged him to hide her face before it could betray her.

“You mean the world to me too, you know,” she said, nuzzling into his shoulder. “You’re my best friend.”

“I know,” he sighed, leaning into her embrace. “And you have no idea how happy that makes me.” He pulled away, his signature playful smirk returning.  “But if you loved me back, I’d buy you pretty necklaces all the time. As many as you wanted.”

She flicked his bell with a laugh. If only he knew. And he could know. She could tell him. Should she? She didn’t know. Adrien was Chat Noir.

“Thank you for indulging me tonight. I’ll cherish your gift forever,” he said, lifting her hand to his lips, and she hated how hot her cheeks got when he pressed a soft kiss to her fingers.

“This is fun. We’ll have to do it again next year,” she said, biting her lip.

“Happy Birthday, Ladybug.”

“Yeah. Happy Birthday, chaton.”

***

“What am I gonna do, Tikki?” Marinette flopped onto her bed and buried her face into her pillow. “I’m not supposed to know Adrien is Chat Noir.”

“Well, there isn’t much you can do to take it back now,” Tikki said pointedly, and Marinette let out a groan.

“Do you think I should take his Miraculous?” She lifted her head, eyebrows knit together in a worried frown.

“Do you think you should?”

“Well…” She sat up and moved the pillow to her lap, picking at loose threads. “It’s the rule, but…I can’t imagine being Ladybug without Chat Noir. Putting aside the fact that he’s the boy I love, Chat Noir is my friend, my partner. I trust him.”

“You are the guardian now, Marinette, so knowing his identity isn’t a bad thing,” Tikki said, floating over to sit on the pillow. “And you two work so well together.”

“Yeah, but what if I get flustered around him now that I know he’s really Adrien? What if I get distracted, or try to kiss him, or-” She covered her face with her hands. “I don’t want him to stop being Chat Noir, but now I can’t stop thinking about his identity and how he’s the boy that I…you know. I mean, should I tell him I know? I should tell him, right?”

“If you think it’s a good ide-”

“But what if I tell him and then he wants to know my identity? I mean, it would only be fair since I know his. And if I tell him my identity, what if he gets distracted. Well, more distracted than usual,” she said, clutching fistfuls of her hair. “What if he comes to visit my balcony as Chat Noir because he’s in love with me and then Hawkmoth sees him then Hawkmoth will know I’m the guardian, and he’ll get the Miracle Box, Paris will be doomed, and I’ll be the worst Ladybug in the history of Ladybug!”

“Marinette,” Tikki chided as her chosen fell back onto the mattress. “You always think too much. I’m sure everything will be fine no matter what you decide to do. You said it yourself that Chat Noir is your friend and you trust him, and you know that Adrien is a good guy too. Trust yourself to make the right decision.”

“Yeah, but what if I mess up? What if…I get it wrong again?” She flicked her gaze over to her hidden compartment that housed the Miracle Box.

“Then you’ll definitely want Chat Noir to have your back, right?” Tikki said, and Marinette gave her a small smile.

“Yeah. Definitely,” she said, taking a deep breath. “Thanks, Tikki. I’ll sleep on it and make a decision in the morning.”

“That’s a great idea,” Tikki said, flitting over to her spot as Marinette turned out the light and laid down. “Good night, Marinette. I know you’ll make the right choice.”

“Yeah…” Marinette hummed, picking at the golden locket around her neck.

It’s what she was hoping.

***

The following Monday, Marinette climbed the stairs of the school slower than usual. She’d made up her mind, but she couldn’t help questioning whether or not it was the right choice. Adrien deserved to know that his identity was compromised, and telling him her own identity felt fair. But was she telling him because of her feelings for him or because she actually felt like it was the right decision? That fact was yet to be determined. She just hoped she could find the words.

A mop of blond hair was hunched over a locker, shuffling through a silver shoulder bag, and Marinette took a deep breath. She could do this. It was just Chat Noir. She talked to him all the time. He was her best friend. He was going to be ecstatic to finally learn her identity. This was for the good of their partnership. She hoped.

“Adrien?” She called, her voice timid and unsure, and she flinched as he turned over his shoulder.

“Marinette!” A smile broke over his lips. “Thanks so much for your help the other day. My friend liked the gift.”

“Oh, that’s awesome!” She said, feigning enthusiasm. “Actually, I was hoping to talk to you about that. Do you have a minute?”

“Sure, what’s up?” He asked, those green eyes calm and unassuming. He didn’t have a care in the world unlike the quiet storm brewing inside Marinette.

“Um, it’s kind of private. Can we talk somewhere else?” She said, glancing around the other students filing in and out of the locker room. Adrien seemed confused but didn’t question it as he followed Marinette to a secluded corner of the courtyard.

“What’s up?” He asked, and she took a deep breath.

“Okay, I know this is going to be a big shock, so please don’t freak out, but…I know you’re Chat Noir,” she said, and Adrien’s eyebrows raised.

“What? You think I’m Chat Noir?” He scoffed, shifting his weight. “I mean, I’m flattered, but-”

His voice trailed off when Marinette pulled the locket from inside her shirt, and she curled her shoulders with a sigh.

“I’m so sorry. I had no idea who you were buying it for. If I had known it was going to give away your identity, I never would have agreed to help,” she said. “But what were the odds?”

“Wait,” Adrien said, blinking a couple times and tilting his head to the side. “Ladybug?”

“Hi, kitty.” She gave a small wave, biting her lip, and she expected him to break down. To panic. To do anything but lift her off her feet and spin her around. “Adrien!”

He twirled in circles, laughing and smiling before abruptly dipping her and touching his forehead to hers. “It’s you!”

“Adrien,” she hissed, giving a nervous glance at the other students in the courtyard, and he pulled her upright again, though his hands never strayed from her waist.

“It’s really been you all along,” he said, a dopey grin, crinkling his eyes. “You’ve been so close to me all this time.”

“Adrien.”

“You’re my bugaboo.”

“Don’t call me that out in the open!” She clamped a hand over his mouth, feeling her cheeks flush under that affectionate green gaze.

“But this makes perfect sense. You’re so smart, and you always look out for others. Of course, you’re Ladybug,” he said, smacking his forehead as if he should have realized sooner. One of his signature impish grins curled on his lips, and Marinette quickly learned just how much Chat Noir there really was in Adrien as he said, “So, what are you doing tomorrow night? Wanna see a movie?”

“Seriously? Just like that you’re in love with Marinette?” She gave him a look.

“Well, yeah.” He shrugged, and she felt her annoyance flaring. 72 hours ago, she would have killed to hear Adrien say he loved her, but now she felt a little offended.

“Why? Just because I’m you-know-who now?” She crossed her arms over her chest, and Adrien seemed to realize her point.

“It’s not like that,” he assured her, green eyes softening and working a sort of voodoo magic over her that she couldn’t quite resist no matter how hard she tried. “The way I see it…Ladybug is you. All of the crazy schemes, the brains, the heroism, the compassion, the kindness, everything about Ladybug that I fell in love with comes from you, Marinette. Because that’s who you are. So, yeah, just like that.”

She had to admit, it was hard to stay mad at someone so cute. Especially when he was looking at her with such fondness and adoration. She’d been trying to ignore her feelings this whole time. To listen to her head instead of her heart, but in a lot of ways, it had been just like that for her too.

All of a sudden, the giant question mark that was Adrien had become so clear to her. He became familiar. Safe. Comfortable. Her partner. Her friend. Her kitty. The boy who had once seemed so out of reach had become so close in the blink of an eye, and now he stood before her less than a meter away, heart open and willing if she would only reach out and grab it.

“I guess I’m free,” she said, pursing her lips, and Adrien’s face lit up.

“Really?” He asked, and she nodded. “Wait, really, really?”

“Yes,” she laughed, and his eyes did that thing again. “Am I going to have to put up with you hitting on me twice as much now?”

“Of course.” He grinned, and she let out a sigh, looking him up and down.

“And what are you going to do if I flirt back one of these days?” She quirked a brow.

“Die of happiness,” he said. “Wait, is that a possibility?”

“Well,” she hummed, biting back a smile. “The boy I was in love with all this time…It was you.”

“Yes!” He exclaimed, and Marinette shushed him into lowering his voice. “This just proves it. You and I are meant to be together. We’re going to be unstoppable. We’ll defeat Hawkmoth, get married, live together in a beautiful cottage with kids and a hamster named-”

Marinette silenced him with a kiss, taking his hands and swinging them back and forth when she pulled away. Adrien let out a dreamy sigh, lips glued into a smile, and at her laugh, he straightened his shoulders.

“Can I ask you something?”

“If it’s to marry you, I think we should at least wait until we’re out of school,” she said, flicking his nose playfully.

“No, that question will come in time.” He waved it away then rubbed the back of his neck. “I was just thinking…This birthday thing made me realize how little I know about Ladybug, and I do know a bit more about Marinette, but not as much as I’d like, so…I want to get to know you, Marinette. I’ve always wanted to.”

“Okay,” she said. “On one condition: I want to get to know Adrien Agreste better too.”

“Deal.” He gave her hands a squeeze, and she bit her lip.

“So, what do you want to know?” She asked, and a smile stretching across his cheeks.

“Everything.”

[quickspinner]

Something Just Like This 4 - Chocolate

Part 1 | Part 3 | Part 5

So everybody’s probably figured out the mystery gift giver here, and I just wanna say, stay with me till the end. There’s gonna be a little messiness along the way and all three of our babies are going to have to confront some of their own issues, but it'll all end in love and friendship. If you’ve read All in the Family, think of that as the end point. They’ll get there, they just all have some stuff to deal with first.

Luka really had to question his sanity as he climbed Marinette’s stairs for the fourth time with a gift from another man. Sure, it was his job, but it was just a temp job, and he could’ve asked for someone else to take over this particular address. The fact that he didn’t want to was probably a warning sign.

The fact that he hadn’t been able to resist texting her even though he was seeing her every day was definitely a warning sign.

Moving on and letting go was an intrinsic and undeniable part of growing up, and one Luka had always accepted. He gave what he had in the moment, and then when the time came, he let go with good will and good thoughts and hopes for everyone’s future happiness. People came into his life for a time and then they continued on their path and he continued on his. It was harder with Marinette, because he had truly loved her, as deeply as he was capable of at the time. But when the band broke up and Juleka’s friends scattered to different lycees and then different universities, he had, after a short struggle made up of infrequent and often unreturned text message conversations, and agreements to meet up “soon” that never resolved into concrete plans, accepted Marinette’s dwindling presence in his life as he had all the others. She had faded to a fond memory, an affectionate, wistful thought. He left her to her path and focused on his, wishing her nothing but happiness and the great things he believed she was destined for.

Seeing her again, so unexpectedly, and so—so vibrant and confident and alive, a far cry from the tired, worn-down girl that had cried on his shoulder so long ago...

Yeah, hi, welcome to Unresolved Feelingsville, population Luka Glutton-for-Punishment Couffaine. 

Luka sighed and knocked on Marinette’s door. This time she looked resigned as she opened the door. Luka offered her the package. This time it was a heart-shaped box of chocolates framed by roses. Better than yesterday by far, but still cliché and expensive as hell. Not that his opinion mattered.

Marin squealed and ripped the cellophane off the box of chocolate immediately and selected one. “I’m still mad at him but wow, I needed this today,” she sighed. 

Luka watched, swallowing hard, as she put the chocolate covered caramel between her perfect, pink lips, and he really shouldn’t have looked at that because he’d spent a lot more time staring at her lips than he should have when they were teenagers, and the last thing he needed was the memory of the little moan she made and the smear of chocolate on her lower lip when she pulled the caramel away. 

“Is he winning you over?” Luka teased, only half-joking, trying to look literally anywhere else but her mouth and failing. 

Marinette gave him a withering look. “Not hardly, but if I have to put up with this, I’ll enjoy it where I can. Nothing is going right today and I deserve chocolate just for putting up with his crap. Which I feel really guilty saying, because he has such sweet intentions, just...really awful timing. And then having to feeling guilty just makes me mad.” She sighed. “Want one?” She popped the rest of the caramel in her mouth, selected another chocolate with her delicate, chocolate-smudged fingers, and offered the box to him.

“I shouldn’t, they’re for you,” Luka said, holding up a hand. “I wouldn’t feel right.”

Marinette pouted and ugh why was he so weak.  Luka shifted his weight nervously, trying to think of an exit strategy before she killed him, and why was he still standing here anyway? “He gave them to me so I get to do what I want with them,” Marinette said. “And I want to share them with you. Pretty sure that’s a dark chocolate orange crème at the bottom,” she song-singed, waving the box at him and raising the chocolate in her hand toward her mouth.

Luka couldn’t watch her put another chocolate between those plump pink lips without spontaneously combusting, so he dropped his eyes to the box and took the chocolate that rested at the point of the heart. “I can’t believe you remember that,” he muttered before he popped it in his mouth.

“I never forget a favorite sweet,” Marinette winked playfully, licking the chocolate off her fingers, apparently oblivious, though he thought he saw a flash of mischief as she glanced up at him. “I can only assume I’m in for this for—“ she checked the date. “At least nine more days. Why don’t you just save me for last tomorrow, and you can stay for dinner after? We’ve still hardly had time to talk and I want to hear how Juleka’s doing.”

It sounded like flimsy excuse even to him but Luka wasn’t about to turn her down. Really, in that moment, he doubted he could have denied her anything.

[miraculousmumma]

Designs on You - Chapter Eleven - Special Delivery

Characters:  Adrien Agreste/Chat Noir, Marinette Dupain-Cheng/Ladybug,  Alya Césaire, Nino Lahiffe, all of the class really, Tom Dupain, Sabine Cheng, Nadja Chamack, Gabriel Agreste, Nathalie Sancoer

Pairings: Adrien/Marinette, Chat Noir/Marinette

Warnings: A little angst, a little fluff, a little swearing, a little kissing, an orchid

Word Count: 25,825 (17 chapters)

Summary:  When Chat Noir comes across Marinette sitting alone in the park sketching late at night, he offers to see her home safely. What starts as a simple conversation between them quickly develops into something more that leaves both sides of their personas confused about their feelings.

Masterlist

By the time school started, Marinette’s heart had just about calmed down.  Hearing Chat refer to her as maybe his girlfriend made everything suddenly really real.  If that was what they were, she couldn’t keep lying to him.  She would have to come clean eventually, and honestly, if not Adrien, Chat was probably the best match for her, as he understood the need for secrecy, among other things.  She just had to make sure this was definitely the right thing before doing anything drastic.

Class was well underway, and besides Chloe continuously checking the time and looking at the door, it was uneventful, until just before eleven.  There was a knock on the door and Chloe gained a smug smile as it opened.  She hadn’t liked all of the attention being on Marinette’s apparent love life, and knew just how to change that.  A delivery man stood in the doorway, holding a bouquet of yellow roses, reading from his screen.

‘Got a couple of deliveries.  This is for a Miss Bourgeois?’

‘Oh, again?’  Chloe said dramatically.  ‘I can barely move for gifts from admirers.’

‘Sign here.’  The delivery man disinterestedly offered her the screen to sign, which she did with a flourish, cooing over the flowers while Mademoiselle Bustier sighed at the interruption.

‘Is that all?’  She asked impatiently.

‘Just one more.’  He tapped on the screen.  ‘One for Dupain Cheng?’

A gasp ran through the class and everyone turned to look at Marinette, who was wide eyed and blushing.  ‘You’re sure it’s for me?’  Marinette asked quietly as he shoved the screen at her to sign.

‘Yup.  Just a second.’  He went back outside the door and came back carrying a silver pot, containing a beautiful yellow orchid with delicate pink speckles at its centre.

‘Whoa, is that what I think it is?’  Rose asked excitedly, as Alya searched around the pot for a card, Marinette looking at the plant before her.

‘It’s an orchid, you can get those anywhere these days.’  Chloe rolled her eyes, not liking the attention being diverted from her yet again.

‘It’s not just any orchid.’  Rose squealed excitedly as she got up to have a closer look.  ‘It’s a Shenzhen Nongke orchid!  They only bloom every four to five years, and can sell for almost two hundred thousand euros!’

‘They can what?’  Marinette gasped, looking at her friend in alarm as Alya finally found the envelope and opened it.

‘See you tonight.  C.’  She read it aloud.

‘Alya!’  She snatched it from her friend and checked what it said.  She had read it word for word.  That stupid, overzealous, overgenerous cat.  ‘It has to be a mistake.’  She muttered.  ‘I’m sure it just looks like that orchid, it can’t be that species, it can’t be.’

‘Label says it is.’  Alya showed her.

‘Good grief.’  She slid down in her seat, her cheeks scarlet and every eye still on her.

‘Okay, class!’  Mademoiselle Bustier called over the chatter.  ‘I will allow you five minutes to get your excitement under control then we will return to the lesson plan!’

Marinette was bombarded by hundreds of questions at once, about who her mysterious boyfriend was, how he could afford such expensive flowers, did he go to the school, where did they meet, everything she could have imagined, and even some things she couldn’t.  The only people who didn’t ask anything were Chloe, who was busy seething while glaring at her comparatively cheap bouquet, and Adrien, who just smiled and watched Marinette, hoping she liked the gift.  He knew she liked flowers, her balcony was full of them, and a potted orchid would last a lot longer than a simple bouquet, plus this was almost a one of a kind, certainly the only one like it in Paris, perhaps even the whole of Europe, but she was worth it.

Come lunchtime, speculation of who Marinette’s rich boyfriend could be had spread throughout the entire school, and everywhere she went there were whispers and looks.  Alya tried to keep her distracted, but it was obvious she was distressed by the entire thing.  Mr Damocles had locked the expensive orchid in his office for safekeeping, and at the end of the day took both Marinette and Chloe aside to remind them that such disruption to the school day was unacceptable and any admirers should be warned that it was not appropriate to do so.  Chloe complained she had no control over her many admirers, but would have her father put out a public plea.  Marinette knew it was just another way for Chloe to get attention, but she was so desperate to avoid it that she did her best to ignore it and apologise to their principal that she would try and ensure it didn’t happen again.  Chloe was still going on when Mr Damocles nodded Marinette to leave with her new plant.

She left the office with a sigh, her plant in her hands, and almost walked right into Adrien, who was waiting beside the door.

‘Hey, everything okay?’

‘Oh, hi Adrien.’  She smiled tiredly.  ‘Yeah, it’s alright.  Just a warning to tell C not to disrupt class again.’

‘He’s a pretty flashy gift giver, whoever he is, this mystery man.’

‘He’s a showoff.’  She murmured, but couldn’t help the smile that spread on her face.

Adrien’s heart lifted at her reaction, noting the faint blush in her cheeks.  ‘But you like him, right?’  He tilted his head to one side with a small smile of his own as she shifted her backpack while trying to balance the plant.  ‘Here, let me help.’  He took the pot from her so she could put the bag on her shoulders properly.

‘Thanks.  And yeah, I do like him, a lot, but that seems like kind of an extravagant gift, considering we’ve only really been hanging out since Friday.’

‘Wow, whirlwind romance.’  Adrien grinned.

‘Something like that.’  She said in a hushed tone.

‘Is he, uh, is he moving too fast for you?’  Adrien asked, noticing her suddenly serious expression.

She shook her head quickly.  ‘No, not really, I mean not physically.  He’s really supportive and encouraging when I need it, I like him, but…can you really get a plant that cost hundreds of thousands of euros?’

‘Rose knows her flowers.’  He shrugged.  ‘But I guess maybe it is a little extravagant.’

‘A little?’  She gave him a disbelieving look.  ‘This thing is probably worth more than my house!  I’ll probably get mugged on the way home over a pot plant!’

‘Why don’t you let me give you a ride home?  I have a bodyguard and everything.’  He offered, not having thought that this might put her at risk, and not wanting her to worry.

‘I’m just kidding, I live right across the street, but you get what I mean, right?  It’s a pretty flashy gift.’

‘Did he do something to need to send you flowers?  Something wrong?’

‘Not wrong, he had to cancel getting together last night.  Certainly not enough to warrant this.  I don’t even know what we are.’

Adrien paused as he realised they really weren’t defined.  The kissing, the flowers, the notes, they didn’t solidify what they were, and he didn’t even know what that was, despite knowing what he would like it to be.  It was something they should talk about.

‘You okay?’  Marinette had stopped just ahead of him and was looking at him with concern.

‘Sure, I guess it just surprised me.’  He started walking again.

‘That someone would send such an expensive gift to someone they’re in an undefined relationship with?   Because that surprised me too.’

‘Uh, yeah, that.’  He nodded, walking with her again.  ‘But I’d feel better if you let me give you a ride home, just in case.’

‘Adrien, you know how close the patisserie is, you can wait by your car and watch me walk it, if you really want to.’

‘You let me give you a ride in Monday.’  He argued.

‘Because I didn’t want to argue with Maman and it gave me the chance to give you the waistcoat without an audience.’  She told him.  ‘Really, it’s okay.  Don’t you have some kind of after school lesson to get to?’

‘Uh…what day is it?’  He wrinkled his nose, trying to remember.

‘Wednesday.’  She chuckled.

‘Basketball!’  He snapped his fingers.

She held her hands out for the plant pot, which he handed over.  ‘Get yourself on the court.’

‘I’ll see you home another time, pri…uh, perhaps.’  He caught himself just before slipping up.

‘I’m hoping not to need a bodyguard to walk home again.’  She laughed.

‘Right.’  He rubbed the back of his neck.  ‘So, I guess I’ll see you later?’

‘In the morning.’  She nodded.

‘The morning, yeah.’  He nodded, knowing it would be sooner.

‘Adrien?’

‘Yeah?’

‘Basketball?’  She reminded him.

‘Crap, yes!’  He leapt forward and put his hand on her shoulder, kissing her cheek briefly.  ‘Later!’  And raced off, leaving Marinette stunned for a moment, until a high pitch scream started up behind her.  Turning, she saw Chloe glaring at her as she stomped towards her.

‘Dupain Cheng!’  She screeched, and Marinette began to back up.

‘Chloe, that wasn’t what it looks like!’  She said defensively.

‘First, you one up me with flowers, and now this!’  Chloe spat.  ‘I won’t have it!  You can’t have Adrien as well as some mystery millionaire!’

‘Chloe, I don’t even know what that was!’  Marinette said defensively.

‘Oh my God!’  Chloe gasped as she reached her.  ‘Adrien is your mystery millionaire!’

‘Now you’re just being ridiculous.’  Marinette wrinkled her nose.

‘Don’t call me ridiculous!’  Chloe attempted to poke her, but Marinette quickly stepped back out of reach.

‘Okay, fine, you’re not ridiculous, but the idea is!  It’s not Adrien!’

Chloe growled, evidently unsure what else to say, and eventually just yelped; ‘I hate you!’  And stormed off, leaving Marinette more confused than she was before.