#mlrarepair2018

[seasonofthegeek]

Rarepair March, Day 8: Stuck

Today’s prompt was requested for Felix and Marinette by @this-was-a-terrible-idea and is heavily inspired by @edorazzi‘s art from the Twin AU. :D

“Well, this is rather unfortunate,” Felix grimaced, pressing his back against the wall of the small utility cupboard. He could hear Chat Noir shoot off a ridiculous string of puns outside and rolled his eyes heavenward. “As if being stuck wasn’t punishment enough.”

“Just my luck,” Marinette groaned, trying to keep distance between them. Her ballet flat slipped against something slick and she was suddenly sliding, eyes wide as Felix caught her knee before she could jam it somewhere unfortunate.

“Please be careful.”

“Sorry,” she winced, trying to straighten to no avail. She stood awkwardly on one leg, attempting to keep her balance by pressing her back against the wall while Felix still held her leg up, fingers wrapped around her calf. 

“Can you lower it?” he asked, fingers loosening.

Marinette began to try to shift her position and slid further, Felix catching her knee in time once more. “Uh...”

“Nevermind,” he sighed. “Hopefully we won’t be in here much longer.”

They fell quiet, listening to Ladybug and Chat Noir battle the akuma in the classroom outside their small cupboard. “Sounds like a tough one,” Marinette murmured.

Felix frowned. “Hawkmoth has stepped up his game lately, it seems.”

“You’ve never been akumatized, have you?”

Felix cleared his throat. “You haven’t either.”

Marinette ducked her head. “Guess we’re luckier than we thought.”

“I’m sure that’s it.”

Something heavy hit the cupboard and suddenly Marinette was slipping further, Felix along with her this time, until they were a tangled heap on the cupboard floor. Marinette felt her cheeks redden at their closeness and was thankful for the lack of light. She inhaled deeply, a pleasant scent filling her nose when she suddenly realized it was coming from the young man tangled around her. “Adrien’s really awesome,” she blurted, feeling the need to firmly establish her feelings. 

“If you say so,” Felix replied, tone dry although he couldn’t deny the way his heartbeat had quickened at feeling so much of her warmth around him. 

The door was suddenly wrenched open and Ladybug and Chat Noir beamed down at them. 

“You certainly have a knack for trouble, Princess,” Chat Noir teased, offering Marinette a hand up. “This guy wasn’t giving you any trouble, was he?”

Marinette looked back at Felix, cheeks warming as she gave him a small smile. “He was a perfect gentleman.”

Felix cleared his throat, looking away as Ladybug helped him to his feet.

Buy me a coffee?

[purrincess-chat]

RPM Day 14: BrOTP

Have some short MariKim with some hinted Kimax~ I’m hoping to catch up over the next few days, but we shall see.

Read on AO3

Day 14: BrOTP

“Now, watch your left and throw a bomb up onto that ledge then use your splashdown,” Marinette instructed over Kim’s shoulder as he focused on the TV, tongue stuck out in concentration. “Good, now duck around that corner and climb up the wall.”

“Dammit!” Kim swore as an enemy took him out. “This is hopeless. I’m never going to be as good as you.”

“Well, of course you aren’t. That’s not why we’re doing this,” Marinette said with a teasing lilt, patting his shoulder. “I’m just trying to help you get good enough to impress Max.”

“Yeah, but Max is incredible, and you’re the only person who’s ever beat him.” Kim swiveled in his chair with a pout.

“Some people are just naturally more inclined for stuff like this. You can score way more points than me and Max in basketball, and I wipe the floor with both of you when it comes to video games,” She explained with a shrug. “Look, you’re Max’s best friend, so I doubt you’ll even need to beat him to get him to notice you.”

“It’s not about getting him to notice me. I want him to be so amazed by how awesome I am that he agrees to be my date to my family reunion coming up…” He traced circles with his finger on the arm of his chair, and Marinette smiled empathetically.

“Kim, Max loves you. I know it, and he loves you even if you aren’t showing off.” She placed a hand on his shoulder. “Just ask him. I’m sure he’ll say yes.”

“You really think so?” Kim cocked a brow.

“Of course!” She beamed.

“Cause last time you told me to go for it, I got brutally rejected and turned into a-”

“Okay, but this time I know who you’re confessing to, so I’m 100% sure,” She cut him off, pinching the bridge of her nose. “You’ve got this. Don’t hold back.”

“Thanks, Marinette,” Kim said with a smile, wrapping an arm around her. “You’re a good friend.”

“Aww, Kim.” Marinette leaned her head against his shoulder with a giggle. “Now, gimme the controller so I can wreck these guys.”

“Do it.”

[perditaalottachocolate-blog]

@seasonofthegeek wrote this wonderful Alyanette drabble for @mlrarepairmarch and I just couldn’t get the image out of my head. Thank you, ♡ Season ♡! 

Bonus: girls without the hoodies

[jattendschaton]

Date Night

I’m on spring break now, so I’m actually getting some writing done for rarepair march :)

If you happen to have any rarepair suggestions for drabbles, please shoot me an ask and I’ll see what I can do. I’d love to write your suggestions!

Alyanette: Date Night

“I’ve ruined it. I’ve ruined everything,” Marinette groaned into her hands, phone balanced between her ear and shoulder as her teeth dug into her bottom lip.

She heard a breathy laugh on the other end of the call followed by the fast taps of nails on a keyboard and she bit down harder.

“Babe, it’s totally fine,” Alya said while finishing up her final email for the night. “We can do this some other time, don’t worry about it.”

“I feel awful, Al. We made the reservation weeks ago and now I’ve completely ruined date night with this stupid project,” Marinette grumbled, releasing her lip and sticking her thumb in her mouth to stop it from bleeding where she had pricked it with a needle.

Alya blew a piece of air away from her face and swiveled in her chair. “It’s not stupid and you know it. Let’s look at this objectively. You’ve been running yourself ragged for months for this kind of opportunity. It’s great that they’re finally giving you more responsibilities at work. We can always reschedule the reservation, no sweat.”

Marinette groused under her breath and Alya couldn’t help but think about how cute she probably looked. Alya knew the face well: brow furrowed, nose scrunched, freckles standing out strong against slightly reddened cheeks, mouth pursed like she’d just eaten a lemon.

“You’re gonna give yourself wrinkles if you keep doing that,” Alya teased.

The hesitation was enough to confirm Alya’s suspicions.

“…my face is neutral…” Marinette said quietly after a beat of silence.

“Are you sure about that?”

“…yes…”

“And you wouldn’t lie to me. Right?” Alya asked, sweetness dripping off her voice. “Our relationship is stronger than that?”

“I hate you,” Marinette huffed.

Alya clucked her tongue knowingly. “You love me.”

“Whatever helps you sleep at night.”

“You could help me sleep at night,” Alya said coyly.

“Ooh,” Marinette perked. “I like the sound of that. Explain.”

“How about this,” Alya leaned forward, resting her elbow on her knee as she tucked the cuff of her pant leg into a short, brown boot. “You call me when you’re almost done with the piece you’re working on. I’ll head over to your place with a couple of movies and we’ll just have a nice night in.” Alya grabbed her jacket off the back of her chair and shrugged it on. “We can stay up late, cuddle on the couch, eat those pastries burning a hole in your cabinet--yes, I know about those, I can’t believe you thought you could hide them from me--and maybe do a facemask or something. We can just relax together for the night and sleep in late tomorrow morning. How does that sound?”

Marinette’s sigh was filled with longing. “That sounds wonderful.”

Alya picked up her purse and tugged it onto her shoulder, turning off the computer as she passed by. “Great. I have some leftovers I can bring over and heat up in your oven. You have popcorn, right?”

“Of course,” Marinette scoffed.

“Then I’ll see you in a few hours. I love you.”

“I love you more.”

Alya was happy to note the change in Marinette’s tone from the start of their conversation.

“Agree to disagree.”

Marinette’s loose hair fell across her forehead as she stared down at Alya, cheek resting on her fist, elbow digging into the couch cushion. The redhead’s hair was splayed across the pillow, fanning her face and delicately curling around her neck. It looked like a peaceful fire, passionate yet careful in its destruction.

The credits of their second movie rolled across the screen and Marinette reached over Alya’s body to grab the remote and shut it off.

“God,” Alya groaned, rubbing her eye with the heel of her palm. “What time is it?”

Marinette smiled at her girlfriend and rubbed her thumb along Alya’s cheek. “Too late.”

“S’never too late.”

“I love how soft your skin is,” Marinette said, finger pads tapping the curve of her girlfriend’s jaw.

Alya smirked. “The beauty of facemasks.”

“The beauty of your face,” Marinette countered.

“Why don’t you abandon your post up there, snuggle your face down here,” Alya patted the spot where her neck met her shoulder “and we can get some sleep.”

“An intriguing idea, but then who will chart out this lovely territory?” Marinette’s pointer finger traced Alya’s warm bottom lip. “Your lips are so smooth and pretty. I could stare at them forever.”

Marinette slowly outlined Alya’s mouth, following the delicate curves with fine precision. When her finger dragged over the seam, Alya puckered her lips in a soft kiss, gently nipping at the pad and earning a breathy giggle from her girlfriend.

“I think they’re my favorite,” Marinette said with a final tap against them.

“What a coincidence, that’s my favorite part of you too.”

“Oh really?” Marinette lifted a brow skeptically.

“Mhmm. And if you come here, I’ll prove it to you.”

Marinette leaned down until she could feel Alya’s breath ghosting over her mouth.

“Here?” She asked cheekily.

Alya’s eyes darkened and voice dropped. “Mmm, maybe a bit closer.”

Marinette moved a centimeter farther down. “Here?”

A noise of frustration bubbled up from the back of Alya’s throat. “My girlfriend’s so mean to me,” she grumbled.

Marinette hummed disapprovingly and a hand grabbed the nape of her neck to pull her down.

Their lips touched softly, pillowing against each other as the sensitive skin tingled from the contact. Heated puffs of breath spilled into the space between their bodies and wisps of Marinette’s hair tickled Alya’s cheeks and chin.

Marinette pulled away, tracing her nose lightly along Alya’s and breathing in deeply. “Hm. I don’t think I’m totally convinced,” she murmured contemplatively.

Alya smiled. “I guess I’ve got some work to do, then,” she said, leaning up to capture her lips once again.

[secretagentspydetectiveninja]

@mlrarepairmarch day 12: first kiss

Kim can’t get a date so he makes out with a pillow instead

I swear I draw good stuff sometimes

[whatarubberchicken]

Day 3: Kwami Swap

@mlrarepairmarch

I had way too much fun with this one. I think I’m gonna rate it a “T” for safety. There are some suggestive comments, but nothing too bad. Also, some spoilers for season 2.

Pairing: Adrien/Alya (Alyadrien) or Rena/Chat (what are we calling this one? Chatna? Rechat? Team Toe Beans?)

“REEEEENAAAAAA!!”

…was the only warning she got before she was glomped from behind by an overgrown cat. Laughing, she twisted and struggled to get out of his death grip, while he continued to nuzzle her and purr as loudly as he could. She supposed she should be used to it by now. She’d been greeted by him the same way ever since Ladybug had given her the Miraculous back, this time to keep.

“I was worried you’d changed your mind!” he said, finally disentangling himself from her.

Rena laughed again. “And miss the chance to see you out of costume? Never!”

“Ah, ah, ah,” Chat tsked. “No reveals. That’s the deal.”

“WHAT??” she gaped at him. “Then how are we gonna do this, kitty cat?”

Chat grinned at her and made a twirling motion with his finger, indicating he wanted her to turn around. She pouted.

“Really? REALLY??” she whined.

“Really,” he confirmed. “Unless you want Ladybug after both our tails for putting our security at risk.”

“Point made,” Rena sighed, turning around. Still, she grinned. It wasn’t like an opportunity like this came around every day, after all! “You ready, tomcat?” Chat came up behind her and turned as well, so they were back-to-back.

“Remember, it’s just for a few minutes—”

“—just to see what it feels like,” Rena finished. “I got it, I got it.”

She heard him chuckle. “Oh, I’m also curious to see what you look like with claws, foxy lady,” Chat said.

“You keep talking like that and I’ll show you right now,” she teased right back. He snickered.

“On three, then?”

“Yeah!”

“One…”

“Two…”

“Three!!”

They both released their transformation. True to her word, Alya refused to turn around and look at him, feeling Chat’s comforting presence still up against her back. She heard Trixx giggle at her as she reached up and removed the chain around her neck.

“You still okay with this, Plagg?” she heard a soft voice say behind her.

“As long as I get that extra cheese you promised me, I really don’t care,” replied a much higher voice.

Alya looked at her own kwami. “You’re good too?”

“Ha! I endorse this kind of thing!!” Trixx giggled.

“Ok, the ring’s in my left hand,” Chat said. Alya quickly put the necklace in her own left hand, and they swapped Miraculouses at the same time.

“The transformation phrase is, ‘claws out.’ Yikes, how do you hide this thing?” Chat asked, obviously putting on the necklace.

“Mad skills,” Alya snickered as she slipped the Cat Ring onto her own finger. A tiny, black kwami appeared in front of her. She gasped, her jaw dropping in delight—

“I am the living incarnation of destruction,” the cat kwami deadpanned. “So, your first words had better not be—”

“YOU’RE SO CUTE!!!”

“—yeah, that,” Plagg said, rolling his eyes. “Well, come on, let’s get on with it. I know you don’t have any cheese for me,” he sighed.

“Rena, I think I wanna keep your kwami. He’s nicer than mine,” Chat called.

“Fine, but you get to explain things to our fearless leader!”

“Eh, hard pass. What’s the transformation phrase again?”

“Let’s pounce!”

“Are you serious??”

“Hey, don’t mock my kwami!” she mock-scolded. “He’s gonna be dressing you in a moment!”

Trixx snickered evilly behind her.

Alya grinned at Plagg. “Make it good and I’ll bring extra cheese for you next patrol.”

The kwami raised an eyebrow at her and smirked. “I think I’m gonna like you, kid.”

“That’s the spirit!” she said, jovially, unable to hide her eagerness anymore. “Ready, kitty cat?”

Chat snorted. “Isn’t that my line now?” She could almost hear the smirk in his tone.

“Plagg, claws out!” Alya cried.

“Trixx, let’s pounce!” Chat called out behind her.

Alya had often likened Trixx’s magic to a warm wind rippling through her. Soft and mischievous, but with a lingering sense of utter doom if riled up.

The Black Cat Miraculous was nothing like that.

Now, black lightning shot through her veins, just short of being painful, and she could literally feel herself being encased in the armor she’d seen so many times. It was a powerful, heady feeling—she was pretty sure she could do anything but fly!

Damn. No wonder why Trixx called the Ladybug and Cat Miraculouses the most powerful of all. She felt invincible!!

“I’m beginning to see why you take so many stupid risks,” Alya commented, looking down at herself. “They don’t seem so stupid all of a sudden!”

Ooo, she looked good, if she did say so herself! Somehow, the lines of the outfit had been cut to hug her curves better, her tail-belt definitely looked more feminine than Chat’s had been, and her steel-toed boots were now knee high (and super sexy!). Best of all, the top of her zipper now ended in the middle of her chest, allowing just a hint of cleavage, but still enough coverage to be tasteful! She approved.

She reached up and grinned. Her hair was still down, and flowed around her new kitty ears easily. And apparently, her bell had been transferred to a choker around her neck. So cute!! She felt both powerful and sexy.

“Hey, Chat, I need you to take a picture of—” her voice trailed off as she turned around.

Oh. My lord.

The blond looked good in her colors. Like, damn good. Trixx had mimicked his old costume on the collar and boots, but had tossed his hair into his eyes in a roguish fashion. The tail had a straighter, more masculine cut to it; it almost looked like a cummerbund. Like he was the perfect combination of gentleman and rogue. (Which actually described Chat to a “T,” now that she thought about it.) And his black gloves cut off at the wrist—

Gloves that suddenly flew up to cover his mouth as his eyes went wide.

“Chat?” she asked. “What’s wrong??” She looked down at herself as he continued to stare at her. “Is something wrong with my outfit?”

“No,” he squeaked, before clearing his throat. “You-you look fine. …like, really fine. I just, uh, had the sudden urge to scream at you for some reason.”

Alya smirked at him. If he hadn’t bothered to do some research on foxes before they attempted this, well, she wasn’t going to enlighten him. Yet. As it was, she was feeling the urge to rub up against him herself.

“See something you like, handsome?” she purred, sauntering towards him and giving him a turn.

Chat gulped. “Y-yeah… um, you look…. Oh, Plagg, you are getting so much cheese,” he muttered under his breath. “Just…. Damn.”

“Right back at you, tiger,” she giggled, tapping him on the nose. His smile brightened and he turned to look at himself again.

“Yeah, this is pretty cool,” he admitted. He grabbed his own tail and stroked it. “Ooo, fluffy!”

“Fluffy is good,” Alya admitted. “But there’s something to be said for a bit of slink, no?” she added, twirling her own, much thinner tail.

Chat licked his lips.

“Something wrong, handsome?” she purred, slipping her arms around his neck. Up close, she could see the way his blonde hair was tipped in white. Mmm, that looked good. To her delight, he didn’t pull back, and didn’t look uncomfortable. Well, except for the way his eyes continued to dart down to her lips. Teasingly, she licked them.

“H-have I ever told you I have a thing for powerful women?” he asked shakily.

“The black leather’s really doing it for you, huh?” she laughed.

“Y-yeah, I—oh, screw it.” He leaned down and fastened his lips on hers, one arm going around her waist while the other hand buried itself in her hair. Alya responded eagerly, winding herself around him and purring. She’d been wanting this for so long.

Still, they had a time limit. If Ladybug happened to transform tonight and catch them, she was gonna be pissed at the apparent breach of the rules. So, reluctantly, Alya pulled herself away from the heat of his lips.

“C’mon,” she breathed. “You still gotta teach me how to handle your baton.”

“You—,” Chat groaned, pulling her back in for another kiss… or three, “you’re trying to kill me.”

“Don’t tell me you don’t wanna teach me how to push your buttons.”

“Oh, I’m looking forward to hitting the right note with you,” Chat smirked, regaining some his swagger as he pulled out the flute. Alya snickered at him and pulled away to examine her own new weapon. But she was still close enough to hear him say:

“Sooo much cheese, Plagg.”

WaRC.

[blikdelie]

Rarepair March, Day 23: Sleepover

Oh, I've finally gotten here. Get some Felinette kisses! :)

Takes place after Reveal (day 22)

------

Marinette tiptoed through the dark living room towards the kitchen and was quite surprised to see a blond boy sitting at the table.

“Felix?” she pried. “Why aren't you sleeping?”

The boy turned to her, startled.

“Oh, Marinette, hello,” he greeted. “I... don't want to sleep.”

The girl gave him a flat stare.

“It's one in the morning and I don't believe you,” she retorted.

Felix mumbled something under his breath, looking away.

“Sorry? I didn't get that.”

“I said, it's inappropriate to sleep in a girl's house!” He snapped, turning to her with his face red.

Marinette stared at him in amusement.

“Really? It doesn't bother Adrien though,” she nodded to the blond model, snoring on the sofa ten meters away from them

“He doesn't see it that way,” Felix raised a hand to his nape to smooth his hair awkwardly.

Marinette hid her smile. She understood that Felix was really nervous, but - God - was she going to have fun with this.

“So,” she drawled, “what could happen?”

Felix's eyes snapped to hers.

“What do you mean?” he asked warily.

“Well, you say that it's inappropriate to sleep in a girl's house. So what inappropriate could happen if you did?”

She slid into the chair next to him, leaning on her palm, her face inching closer to him.

Felix turned bright red, “I… um… ah…”

“You know I like you, Felix,” she whispered. “But you haven't said anything about your own feelings yet. So, what can happen?”

The boy glanced at her lips, before returning to her eyes, more confident now. She was an inch away. So close.

A sudden wave of boldness washed over him. Felix raised his hand to her chin and leaned in, capturing her lips in a soft kiss. He pulled back a moment later, observing her with half-lidded eyes.

Marinette hummed in appreciation.

“Well, if this is the worst case scenario, then I'm not scared at all. Are you?”

She glanced up at him with a slight smirk. Felix grinned in response and leaned in again.

------

Previous part | Next part

Written for @mlrarepairmarch

In @edorazzi 's Twin AU

Cross-posted on Ao3.

[mlrarepairmonth]

The End of Rare Pair March

Today is the final day of this glorious month, but it’s not over yet, so feel free to continue submitting works for me to reblog until tomorrow morning. I wanted to thank everyone for participating, so shout out to @blikdelie and @seasonofthegeek for completing a drabble for every prompt! You guys are amazing! Special thanks as well to @perditaalottachocolate-blog @whatarubberchicken @mmmdraws @queenkubdel @jattendschaton for your participation! Flooding the fandom with rare pairs is what this event is all about, so thank you to everyone who participated no matter how big or small the contribution!

If you are looking for a new challenge to take on, @adrinetteapril begins tomorrow! I am also hosting that one, so if you participate, I will see you there, and I hope to see you all next March for some more rare pairs! :)

[eternallyexhaustedmom]

Rare Pair March Day 5

@mlrarepairmarch

“Wow.” Nathaniel gazed at Marinette. 

She looked stunning. Her hair was a beautiful shade of dark blue, with red ribbons in it. Her dress was black, with an Eiffel tower cut in the back that perfectly accentuated her shoulders. It came down just above her knees, and on her feet were red wedges. Man, if this wasn’t perfection, he didn’t know what was. 

Marinette blushes. “Is it too much? I can go change, or...?” 

“No, you’re perfect. I mean, its perfect. I mean, let's go.” He stutters. 

They go to Andre’s little stand to get ice cream. 

“Oh look at the beautiful couple! Perfect! I have just the right flavors for you!” 

Andre dips into the cart. “Strawberry red for the hair, blue raspberry for her eyes, and black cherry for the black jackets.” 

They walk along the Champs-Elysees with their ice cream, enjoying the sunset on their way to the theatre, where they watch their favorite play, La Petit Prince. 

[ladynoirist]

remember this? here’s the full color version

@mlrarepairmarch

[seasonofthegeek]

Rarepair March, Day 12: First Kiss

Today’s prompt was requested for Chloe and Nathaniel by the amazing @auroralynne.

“Well,” Choe sniffed, pulling her elegant shawl tighter around her shoulders. “I hope you enjoyed yourself tonight, Red. Not just anyone could’ve gotten you into this event tonight, you know.”

“I know,” Nathaniel nodded. “One item you can cross of your list.”

Chloe paused in fussing with her shawl, face paling. “Interesting phrase to use.”

“I guess it is,” he shrugged and held out his hand. “Well, thank you for bringing me. I was able to give out a few business cards to people looking for artwork so hopefully something will come of it.”

Chloe pursed her lips for a moment. “You saw my list,” she accused.

“Your list app sent a reminder to your phone when you went to the restroom. It was sitting on the table and I saw it. I wasn’t snooping or anything.” He gave her a gentle smile. “I kinda liked that you called the list your ‘Redemption Arc’. Much better than ‘Things to do so people don’t hate me anymore’.”

She crossed her arms. “You’re making fun of me.”

“I promise I’m not. I think it’s awesome that you’re trying to make amends.” He scrubbed the toe of his dress shoe against the sidewalk and could feel Chloe’s silent judgement at the action. “It makes me feel a little better anyway, knowing why you really invited me here.”

Chloe frowned. “What’s that mean?”

“I don’t know. It was a little out of nowhere, right? I haven’t seen you in a couple of years and we weren’t exactly friends in school.”

“Yeah,” she sighed. “I had you or Ivan down for tonight and honestly, I thought you would look better in a suit. I knew there would be people here willing to pay for art too.” She grimaced. “I guess it was still kinda selfish to pick you just because of the suit thing though.”

“I don’t know. I actually enjoyed myself tonight. I don’t think Ivan would have so much. Besides, you may want to think of something not date-oriented for him since he’s about to be a married man and all.”

Chloe blinked. “Oh, I had no idea. I guess I haven’t really kept up with anyone.”

Nathaniel smiled. “Yeah, he and Mylene are getting married this spring. I’m taking photos and Nino is doing the videography. They’ve got a lot of friends doing stuff for the wedding. It should be fun.”

“That sounds really nice.”

“It will be.”

Chloe shifted anxiously. “Am I the only one not around anymore?”

“No. Alix travels a lot with Jalil now and Rose and Juleka have been in London for a while but they’re coming back for the wedding. Haven’t heard back from Alix yet though.” He tapped his chin thoughtfully. “I think Kim and Max are going to be moving soon because of a grant Max just got through the university he teaches at but I’m a little fuzzy on the details.”

Chloe made a noncommittal noise.

“Am I allowed to ask who all is on your redemption list?”

She laughed bitterly. “It might be easier to ask who isn’t.”

Nathaniel nodded. “Well, you can definitely cross me off. We’re good.”

“Really?”

“Tonight was fun,” he shrugged. “And if I made some connections from it, even better, but if not, I still had a good time.”

Chloe ducked her head. “I’m glad.”

“Are Alya and Nino on your list?”

“Yeah.”

“What about Marinette and Adrien?”

Chloe frowned. “I think we’re good. I mean, Adrien was always fine but we had a long talk when they started dating and I’ve met them for coffee a couple of times. I don’t know that Marinette and I will ever be best friends but we’re friendly at least now.”

Nathaniel grinned. “Then if you aren’t busy, maybe you would want to come with us tomorrow? Nino’s spinning at some one-day festival thing and he got us wristbands. He gave me an extra one for a date.” He froze. “Not that it has to be a date, of course, but you could cross two more names off your list and maybe have some fun too.”

Chloe tugged at her shawl. “Isn’t there someone else you would rather take?”

Nathaniel tilted his head, looking at her. “Nope.”

She worried her bottom lip but nodded. “Okay.”

He shot her a relieved smile. “Cool. I can pick you up tomorrow around noon if that works.”

“Sounds good,” Chloe replied, nervous butterflies taking up residence in her stomach.

Nathaniel rocked on his heels. “Tomorrow then.”

“Tomorrow,” she echoed.

Going slowly to gauge her reaction, he leaned in for a kiss. Chloe froze as his lips lightly touched hers, her eyes wide as he pulled away.

Nathaniel turned bright red and cleared his throat, stepping away. “Uh, see you tomorrow,” he called, turning on his heels.

Chloe turned back to the waiting towncar, unable to wipe the dopey grin off her face. She still had a lot of names on her redemption list but this was one hell of a start.

Buy me a coffee?

[purrincess-chat]

RPM Day 10: Competitive

I’m hopefully in the clear now, so I’m gonna try to catch up on RPM. Here’s some MariKim/DupainChien/LadyKim(Kimbug idk) Dedicating this one to @queenkubdel because this ship is one of her faves as of late.

Read on AO3

Day 10: Competitive

“So, how much can you lift?” Kim asked, crossing his arms over his chest and pressing his lips into a firm line.

Ladybug met his gaze head-on, unwavering, breaking eye contact only briefly to nod at the bus parked on the curb. “I can lift that.”

“Prove it,” Kim said, and Ladybug rolled her jaw a little before nodding in acceptance.

“Fine.” She shrugged.

“Fine.” Kim echoed, and they held each other’s gaze for a few more seconds before Ladybug moved into place, stretching her arms above her head and rolling her shoulders a little.

She rubbed her hands together before cupping them under the bus and lifting. The bus tilted as she pulled up, rocking precariously on one side until she set it back down gently, and Kim offered a small clap.

“Impressive.” He nodded approvingly.

“Thanks.” She dusted her hands off and paced back over to him.

“How fast can you make it to the Eiffel Tower from here?” He asked, and she turned to gage the distance, pursing her lips.

“2 minutes tops.” Kim seemed to weigh her answer for a moment before coming to a decision.

“Challenge accepted.”

“What?” Ladybug’s mask furrowed in confusion.

“I’m gonna beat your time. We’ll race to see who gets there the fastest,” He said boldly, squaring his shoulders.

“You can’t be serious,” She scoffed, but the look in his eyes said otherwise. “Alright. You’re on.”

           “Wait.” She stopped on Kim’s command, cocking a curious brow as a sly grin spread across his face. “Let’s make this more interesting.”

“I’m sorry?” She tilted her head to the side, eyes narrowing skeptically.

“Let’s make a bet.”

“You’re asking a superhero to gamble?” She chided with an amused smirk, cocking her hip to the side and shaking her head with a tsk.

“Not with money,” Kim said, shaking his head.

“Then what do you want to bet?” He tapped his chin a moment with a crooked grin.

“If I win then you have to be my girlfriend for a week,” He stated, crossing his arms over his chest. “And if you win-”

“If I win then you have to do my homework for a week,” She decided, and Kim’s eyes narrowed. “Being a superhero takes up a lot of time, and I’d like to get some sleep.”

“Fine. Deal.” They shook on it and moved into position. “Ready?”

“On your mark…”

“Get set…”

“Go!” They said in unison before taking off, Kim on foot while Ladybug tossed her yoyo and tugged the slack.

“See you at the Eiffel Tower, slow poke!” She called as she shot off. When Kim finally made it, Ladybug was leaned against the base casually, and she slid open her yoyo with an impressed nod. “Five minutes and thirty-eight seconds. Not bad for a civilian.”

“I want a rematch,” He demanded, placing his hands on his knees as he gasped for air.

“No way. I won, so you have to do my homework for the rest of the week,” She said, shaking her head firmly.

“I want a rematch,” He repeated, and Ladybug detected a hint of desperation in his tone that reflected in his expression.

Pursing her lips in thought, she fastened her yoyo back to her hip and smiled. “Tell you what. If you do my homework for the rest of the week, then I’ll let you take me to dinner tomorrow night.”

“No way, Dupain-Cheng.” He shook his head, and she glanced around nervously at the mention of her civilian name. “I’m gonna beat you and earn my reward.”

“Kim, you don’t have to work so hard to get me to go out with you. You could just ask,” She said pointedly, and Kim flashed her a grin.

“Where’s the fun in that?” He said with a laugh, and Ladybug sighed in mock-exasperation.

“Fine. I bet I can do more push-ups than you,” She declared, and Kim straightened up, that challenging twinkle returning to his eyes.

“You’re on.”

[perditaalottachocolate-blog]

Tininette

ML Rare Pair March 2018, Pair: Marinette x Nino, Day 20: Married/Living Together, for the wonderful @seasonofthegeek

AO3 / fanfiction.net

(Other days: 6 | 8 | 20 | 24 | 27 |)

This is also Part 4 of my Ninette series, but it can be read as a stand-alone piece. Previous parts: 1 | 2 | 3 |

‘It has started, master,’ Wayzz announced as soon as Nino and Adrien entered the Lahiffe’s apartment. Marinette was sleeping on the sofa, as comfortable as she could get with the huge nine-months-in belly.

‘What?!’ Nino whisper-yelled at him, casting a panicked look to her still figure. ‘But she’s asleep!’

‘The contractions are weak and far apart for now,’ Tikki pipped in.

‘Wait,’ Adrien raised a hand before Nino could splutter some more. ‘How do you guys know that?’

‘It’s a kwami thing,’ Wayzz shrugged.

‘Plagg?’ the blond raised a brow as Plagg flew from his pocket. ‘Why didn’t you tell me?’

‘Do I need to remind you, that Amélie didn’t know you had me when Adele was born?’ the black kwami sent him a blank look. ‘Besides, I helped with Antoine, didn’t I?’

‘Guys, before you make this into a full blow row,’ Tikki interjected, ‘may I interest you in Nino’s state?’ she pointed towards the soon-to-be-father, who blanched and was currently hyperventilating next to them.

‘Nino?’ Adrien turned to him. ‘You’re okay?’

‘I’m going to be a father!’ Nino whisper-yelled again. ‘This is really happening!’

Adrien and Wayzz exchanged worried looks.

‘Wait, you’ve been talking non stop about it for the last 8 months and you’re having a freak out NOW?’ the blond shook his head in disbelief.

‘Says the man who actually passed out the first time,’ Plagg chuckled right into his ear. ‘You think we don’t remember Marinette drove Amélie to the hospital, while Nino waited for you to come around? You barely made it in time for Adele!’ The little cat snorted at Adrien’s pout.

His chosen glared at him. ‘You little-’

‘You guys are aware I was sleeping here, right?’ Marinette’s drowsy voice came from the sofa. ‘Like this was literally the last peaceful, uninterrupted nap I would get in months, and you just had to wake me?’ she huffed turning to face them.

‘Sorry,’ Adrien and Plagg said in unison, bashfully inspecting the floor.

Nino was at his wife’s side in one giant leap. ‘How are you feeling? Are you in pain? Do you want me to take your bag?’

‘I’m fine,’ she smiled gently. ‘You need to calm down, hon. There’s still time. Maybe we could cuddle and watch something?’

Her husband gave her a horrified look. ‘You want to watch something NOW? We’re having a baby!’ he resumed his whisper-yelling. ‘Oh my god, we are having a baby!’ he flailed his hands, eyes searching widely over the room.

‘Easy, tiger,’ Adrien stepped in and put a hand on Nino’s shoulder. ‘You need to calm down or you’ll be no use to Nettie, once interesting things begin.’ He cast a glance at Marinette over his back. ‘Maybe I’ll stick around and drive you to the hospital in case he’s, you know,’ he shrugged.

‘Thanks, Ade, we’ll be fine,’ Marinette blew him a kiss. ‘Ooooh, I felt this one,’ she breathed out. ‘I guess I should start counting them and you, love, go and pack my bag.’

***

‘Nino Lahiffe,’ Marinette growled through puffs and huffs of the after-contraction relax, ‘I swear, if you look at me with those puppy eyes once more and say “I’m sorry”, I’m going to kick your sorry butt out of here!’

‘I’m sor-’ Nino started automatically and stopped himself when Marinette sent him a warning glare. Instead he chose to pout. ‘Okay, I’m going to shut up as per your wish,’ he sulked. ‘if you obviously don’t care that I care it hurts so much.’

His wife chuckled humorlessly. ‘For the love of god! Someone would think you’re hurting more than me,’ she snorted through her pants. ‘Like labour pains weren’t enough, I need to put up with your whining tooOOO- ‘ she raised a finger. ‘Hold on, here comes another one.’ Her face twisted as she steadied her breathing through the strike of pain, while Nino started trying to keep the puppy eyes and compassionate frowns to himself. He helplessly rubbed circles over her back trying not to think about how her features stiffened.

‘I still don’t understand why you’re so stubborn and won’t take an epidural,’ he commented when Marinette visibly relaxed.

Something flashed in her eyes and she motioned him closer. ‘I’ll let you onto a little secret,’ she whispered in a low voice. ‘I’m... scared of needles.’

Nino laughed. He laughed and laughed almost hysterically, until he collapsed into a cackling pile on the floor next to the water pool Marinette was kneeling in. She looked at him with a mix of disdain and amusement, glad that she finally broke through his stressed facade.

A nurse poked her head inside their room. She spotted him on the floor, still giggling like a madman. ‘Have you been playing with nitrous?’ she sent him an unimpressed look.

‘No ma'am!’ Nino choked out, clearly out of breath. I’m sor-’ he swallowed the rest of the word, with a gulp of air, his eyes flashing to Marinette for a moment. ‘It’s just that... my dear wife...,’ he wheezed, ‘...a certified designer and seamstress… is scared… of needles!’ Cue another boat of hysterical laughter that got a sincere smile from the nurse.

***

‘Nino, you’re crying,’ Marinette whispered softly.

‘I am a bit,’ he wiped the tears away before they could fall onto the pink bundle deposited in his arms. ‘I can’t help it!’ he sobbed. ‘She’s so beautiful, Nettie. She’s the most wonderful thing I’ve seen in my entire life!’

‘Stop it, or I’ll cry too!’ she warned, feeling the moisture already accumulating in the corner of her eyes.

‘Be my guest,’ he chuckled, strengthening his hold on the pink blanket. ‘Oh, I don’t think I’ll be able to give her back now.’

‘She will get hungry,’ Marinette warned. ‘You might want to give her to me then.’

‘Okay,’ he amended, ‘but until then I am not letting go!’ he warned going back to simply looking at the newborn in his arms. ‘A little bit of me, and a little bit of you. She’s a miracle.’

‘She really is,’ his wife echoed, her lip trembling.

‘So precious, and so tiny,’ Nino cooed. ‘Tininette!’

‘We are not naming her that!’

[jattendschaton]

Stuck

If you happen to have any rarepair suggestions for drabbles, please shoot me an ask and I’ll see what I can do. I’d love to write your suggestions!

Adrimax: Stuck

Chat Noir cursed himself as he looked at the far away ground, noting with annoyance the exact spot his baton had fallen. Its silvery surface caught the moonlight and reflected back at him almost mockingly. He swallowed a groan.

He’d gotten himself stuck in a tree.

He could jump down and hope he didn’t break his ankle, but the distance was too high for him to be completely unscathed, and his father was growing suspicious of all his new scrapes and bruises.

The tree’s branches were concentrated towards the top, leaving the middle and bottom bare. Without his baton, he’d have no way of ensuring his safety.

Just as he was wondering how long he could stay hidden from the public to think of a plan, he heard the crunch of a branch underneath a foot and his head snapped up.

“Chat Noir?” Max Kanté questioned, head tilted and eyes wide.

“That’s my name, don’t wear it out,” he said, trying to sound carefree and in control, but he knew it fell flat. His heart was already racing and he could feel sweat forming on the back of his neck.

Max quickly looked to his left and right, clearly trying to find a reasonable explanation for why one of Paris’ superheroes was lazing in a tree, no akuma in sight. “Why are you up there?” Chat Noir was silent for a moment, desperately trying to think through his reasoning, but his brain felt like mush. Did he have a reason for climbing the tree? How had he gotten there? How long had he been up there? He could barely even remember his name.  “...I don’t want to tell you,” he settled on.

Max looked taken aback for a moment, but quickly regained his composure. “That leads me to assume it was an embarrassing reason.” Chat tipped his nose into the air indignantly. “Or maybe it was some superhero business and I can’t tell you.” “Ah, but you said you did not want to tell me, not that you were unable to tell me.”

Chat shook his head, shaking the branch he was curled around as well. “Well, maybe I misspoke.” Max hummed. “But what would have caused you to misspeak?” Chat couldn’t even come up with a reason other than the truth. “I could be nervous.” “That seems unlikely as you’ve given roughly three press conferences a week for the past two-and-a-half years and have never shown any signs of nerves,” Max contradicted. “Public speaking isn’t the only thing that makes people nervous.” “Well what else could it be?” Max twisted his head, looking all around the park. “You are stuck in a tree and the only witness present is me. What about this situation could make you nervous?” Chat Noir was silent, letting the wind flutter through his bangs and taking a deep breath of the crisp air, drinking in the courage the moment provided him. “Maybe it’s you specifically that makes me nervous.” Max stared at Chat Noir for several moments, eyes narrowing and darting all over the superhero’s face, searching. “Unfortunately, I do not understand what you mean. How could I possibly make you nervous?” Chat signed, resting his forehead against the branch. “Could you just help me down?” Max cleared his throat, blinking rapidly. “Yes, of course.”

“Thank you.” “On one condition.” He stepped forward, tilting his head back farther to maintain eye contact. Chat made a high-pitched noise of exasperation. “Are you seriously turning this into a bargaining tool?”

“I don’t believe you are in peak position to turn down a negotiation, Chat Noir.”

Chat studied him for a moment, hoping he seemed calm and collected as he desperately fought to catch his racing heart. “Fair point. What is it?” “I will help you down, so long as you tell me how I make you nervous.” Chat groaned, tugging on a chunk of hair. “You’re not gonna let this go, are you?” “My mothers do say I have difficulty admitting defeat.” He shrugged his shoulders in what looked like a practiced move. “I’m not one to quit.” “And your curiosity knows no bounds,” Chat laughed humorlessly. Max’s lips quirked up at the side. “I wouldn’t go that far, but if that helps you understand it, sure. I have an unquenchable thirst for knowledge.” Chat lifted an eyebrow, tail flicking against the tree. “Quite the poet.” Max rocked on his heels. “Only when I’m feeling very confident.” “And why are you so confident now?” Max paused, pursing his lips as he thought. “I’m excited to discover how I somehow had some effect on a superhero.” He pulled off his glasses and took out a microfiber cloth from his back pocket to clean them while he talked. “And I am also pleased to help someone who has saved the lives of so many people. Particularly those I care about most.” Chat Noir’s cheeks darkened in a blush he prayed the night covered. “I guess that’s a good enough reason.” “Thank you.”

They stared at each other for too long to be considered polite, growing somewhat lost in the situation.

Chat was the first to regain his senses, coughing and spluttering apologies at his intense behavior. “I’m just going to get a ladder,” he waved off the superhero’s concerns. “They keep the school open late on Thursdays, I am positive I can get one easily.” “Thanks,” Chat said, rubbing the back of his neck. Max checked his watch. “I can leave and return in less than eight minutes at this time of night.” He turned on his heel and sped out of sight.

“Okay…I’ll just be here...,” Chat’s voice faded out “hanging around…” he cringed at how lame he sounded, hoping the other boy was already too far away to hear him.

Seven-and-a-half minutes later, Max was in front of the tree with an extendable ladder. “I would have been quicker, but the maintenance worker had queries.” “Gee, isn’t it so annoying when people ask you a bunch of questions,” Chat asked sarcastically. Max smiled. “Point taken.”

He pulled out the legs of the ladder, tightening various pieces to make sure it could bear weight, and settled is beneath the branch Chat Noir was perched atop. When the superhero just sat there staring at him, Max questioned him. “So this is it...” Chat said in response. “You’re just going to let me climb down? I mean, I could grab my baton and run. Without ever fulfilling my end of the deal.” Max shook his head in confusion. “Are you trying to convince me not to trust you?”

“No, that’s not it…” Chat searched for the right words, but came up empty. “I suppose I could…” Max trailed off, eyes fluttering away from the superhero’s face. Chat leaned forward unintentionally. “Could what?”

“I could climb up the ladder. Sit at the top so you are unable to climb down until you tell me.” His gaze collided with Chat Noir’s, shocking them both. “Do you want me to do that?”

“Maybe you need to do that,” Chat confirmed. “Who knows what I’d do otherwise.” “Who knows what you’d do.” Max repeated absently, his mind fifty steps ahead of him. He shook his head, trying to clear it, and quickly climbed up the ladder, stopping when they were eye-to-eye. “So...” Chat said. “How could I possibly make you nervous, Chat Noir,” Max asked softly. Chat turned his face away from his classmate, fighting the urge to drop from the tree and run from the scene like a madman. “How could I not?” he said, cursing his voice for wavering. “You’re intelligent and kind and fiercely supportive. You’re always looking to help others, always trying to teach something new.” Chat looked at him again, the momentum of his words carrying him through. “I’ve even seen you go out of your way to learn about something you’d never had an interest in before, just because one of your friends liked it and you wanted them to succeed.” Chat sighed. “And it doesn’t hurt that you’re attractive too.” Max blinked at him three times in silence before remembering how to speak. “Are you...are you implying that you are interested in me?” his voice cracked. “Romantically?” He cleared his throat. “Romantically interested in me?”

“I’m not implying, I’m flat out saying it.” Chat swung his legs and took a deep breath. “I, Chat Noir, am interested in you, Max Kanté. In a...uh...romantical... um...sense.” Max was quiet for a moment, eyes darting between Chat’s earnest eyes and the gloved hand that somehow ended up linked with his own. “I’m wholly uncertain as to how this would work,” he started. “How does one date a superhero?” “Does that mean you...you’re interested in me as well?” Chat asked hesitantly.

Max looked at Chat incredulously for a moment before diving forward and throwing his free hand around the other boy’s neck and pulling him in for a kiss. “Does that answer your question?” he asked when he pulled back.

Chat’s eyes took a moment to slowly open, but when they did, they twinkled with mischief. “Not completely,” Max smiled, pulling Chat forwards and kissing him until he understood.

[secretagentspydetectiveninja]

Fresh Start - chapter 4

Haha hopefully I’ll get this thing finished before the end of @mlrarepairmarch ... Anyway another chapter of Marinette being a useless disaster and super in love with Kim, because I ship it

AO3 | 1 | 2 | 3

Marinette and Kim returned to her house after school that day to finish off their project. It probably wouldn’t take too much longer, thankfully. Marinette was not sure how much more of Kim’s presence she could take – maybe if she could just get away from him a while, things would go back to normal? Until then, she would just have to deal with his ridiculous flirty attitude and keep reminding herself that they were friends, and none of it meant anything…

It really, really didn’t help when he took off his hoodie again, this time without prompting, and dunked it right on her head. “I thought you might like this, don’t think I didn’t notice you blushing last time, Cupcake…”

Oh, curse this stupid heatwave, and curse that stupid nickname and stupid hoodie! Marinette lifted the hoodie up slightly to see him lounging on the chair with his arms behind his head, smirking at her. She quickly threw the hoodie back at him.

“I wasn’t blushing!” she insisted. “My cheeks were red because I was hot, obviously.”

He winked at her. “Sure.”

Ugh, there was no point trying to fool him. They had known each other for so long, it was easy to tell what was blushing and what wasn’t. The thought made her blush again – yikes, that was not good. She quickly turned aside and slammed her homework books on the table. “Enough messing around, let’s just get on with this.”

Kim, however, had ceased to pay attention and was looking at something on his phone. “Hey look, Alya’s just sent all the photos from today to the class chat! These are great, I look amazing in all of them…”

Marinette rolled her eyes – of course he would be admiring himself, wouldn’t he? She checked her own phone to see that Alya had indeed sent them all plenty of photos from today’s celebration, most of them just of the classmates themselves, since Miss Bustier had been trying to keep their lesson on track the whole time and didn’t seem to care that it was her own birthday.

Wait… what was this?

“Kim,” Marinette began, willing herself not to burst into laughter, “is it me or are you doing that bunny-ears thing to me in every single photo here?”

“Yep!” Kim leaned across and poked her on the nose. “I’ll never stop.”

“It’s been like 10 years since you started doing that!”

“Well yeah, it’s kinda like a friendship meme for us, isn’t it?”

Friendship meme…

Marinette ignored the odd pang deep in her chest at hearing the word “friendship”. Of course they were close friends. It didn’t need to be anything else, obviously. That would be ridiculous…

“Come on then, let’s do our work,” she said firmly. At least when absorbed in the project, her mind wouldn’t be tempted to wander, would it?

They were soon finished with the work. Hopefully they would get a good mark on it – both of them had actually tried hard. Marinette was adamant to make up for all the homework she missed and bad grades she got thanks to her duties as Ladybug, and luckily Kim had been putting in the same effort.

And now he would leave, and she would have some peace of mind again…

“So Cupcake,” he said, getting up from the chair, “when are you next inviting me over? I mean, I need some excuse to take off my hoodie in front of a pretty girl, right?”

…pretty girl?

Marinette dropped her open pencil case. Red in the face, she crouched down to scoop up all the fallen stationery, very stubbornly refusing to look at Kim. She wanted to say something back to him, something to wipe that stupid grin off his face, but her mind just had to be blank! And it was all his fault!

Finally she just grabbed his hoodie and thrust it back at him, intending to say, “JUST PUT YOUR DAMN HOODIE BACK ON, KIM,” but ending up spluttering too much to be intelligible. At least he got the message. She still refused to look directly at him as he wore the hoodie, tried hard not to listen as he said something else that was probably stupid and self-centred as always, and ignored the heat in her face as he kissed her cheek and left.

Phew…

Rational thought was beginning to return to her brain, at long last, slowly trickling in like a welcome drop of water to a parched desert. Yes… yes, maybe she was being a flustered idiot. But she had to remind herself that Kim probably just treated all girls like this, the annoying player that he was. For starters, he had a crush on Chloé, he’d literally been akumatized over it.

And if he thought Marinette was pretty…

Well yeah, he was absolutely right! It was true, and he had good taste (except for Chloé), fair enough. Plus, beauty didn’t matter as much as Marinette being a superhero and saving the city constantly, something that Kim would never know. He was just being an idiot, as always, an idiot who always thought he was the best at everything, and thought he was all charismatic, and hot, and thought he could get everyone to like him even though he was so reckless and stupid and… charming…

“Tikki, spots on,” she whispered, her patience with herself at an end.

Leaping over the rooftops as Ladybug did nothing to calm her brain down. She tried so hard to focus on the wind in her face, the sounds of Parisians going about their lives, anything! But all she could think about was some stupid boy, and it was killing her.

She almost tripped off the rooftop when she spotted said boy ambling down to the bus stop below her, kicking loose pebbles out of the way absent-mindedly. And before she could even think for a second, she had thrown out her yoyo and dropped down in front of him Spider-man style – oh why had she done that…

“Hi Kim, what’s up?” she said. At least being in this superhero suit seemed to give her brain the false confidence that it needed to speak without going into the old oh-shoot-it’s-Adrien mode.

Kim looked startled for a second, but then smiled at her. “Hi Ladybug!”

Well, he certainly didn’t treat Ladybug the same way he treated Marinette. The guy was acting like a total fanboy now – that goofy awestruck grin, bouncing on his toes in excitement of seeing his hero right in front of him.

“I hope you’re not challenging any more panthers, are you?” She wanted to smack herself in the head as soon as she’d said it. Was bringing up the panther incident really a good idea around this kid? Luckily Kim didn’t mind.

“Haha, no, I was just hanging out with a close friend and doing homework and stuff,” he said. “I haven’t even been back to the zoo since that one time.”

Before she could stop it, her imagination was throwing all sorts of potential zoo date scenarios at her – okay wow, that was not what she needed to be thinking about right now. It occurred to her that she had no real reason for speaking to Kim as Ladybug, especially since there were no akumas around right now, and he wasn’t causing any trouble, and Chat Noir was the one who went around having casual conversations with civilians, not her!

But the thought of stopping was constricting her throat so oddly. Clearly she really, really wanted to talk to her friend. Spend time with him. All that stuff. Friendly things.

“So how’s life?” she asked quickly. “Any more stupid challenges in general?”

Oh come on, why would Ladybug be interested in asking him something like that…

“Nah, I’ve been trying to be less idiotic lately,” Kim said, seeming somewhat more down-to-earth than usual. “I know it gets me in a lot of danger and trouble and a bunch of akumas have already killed me before, so I don’t want more of that.”

“Yeah, that��s definitely a bad thing!”

“I think I might actually be doing okay these days, though. Thinking before acting and stuff. Or at least… better? Well, sometimes anyway. I keep, uh…” He was looking at the ground, blushing slightly. “…I still keep saying stupid things around this one friend I have and I can’t stop, I hope she’s not annoyed…”

Wait, really? Not only was Kim being humble for once, but he was getting flustered around someone?!

She smiled encouragingly at him, ignoring the voice in her head screaming IT’S ME!!! HE’S TALKING ABOUT ME!!!

“I’m sure you’re doing great!” she said. “And she probably doesn’t find it annoying, I mean, maybe she does, but maybe she finds it cute – well I don’t know, but–”

For god’s sake, why couldn’t she just shut up? She was really digging herself into a hole there.

“I doubt it,” he said, shrugging. “I’ve known her way too long, she knows I’m an idiot, she’d never find it cute, haha…”

Known her too long?? Known her too long???

“Um I’ve GOTTA GO, SEE YOU LATER!” She gave a quick wave and then zoomed right back up to the roof, leaving Kim standing there bewildered.

He couldn’t have been talking about her. No way. Definitely not.

Oh, but he had said it was a girl he was friends with…

Nope. It couldn’t be Marinette. Kim had loads of friends! He was close with Alya, right? Maybe he meant her. Or maybe he counted Chloé as a friend, despite how she treated him, and actually was talking about her. After all, he had already tried asking her out before. Or did “friendly rivalry” count as friends? Because then that could even apply to Alix!

But he had said he’d known the friend for a long time…

That already ruled out almost everyone else in the class. But surely it couldn’t be Marinette! It just couldn’t!

Anyway, even if it was her, it didn’t matter. He was just a friend.

And no matter how many more times she had to keep stubbornly, aggressively telling herself that, she would do it.

“Are you okay, Marinette?” Tikki popped out of her pocket. “You were quiet at dinner…”

“I’m fine,” Marinette replied. “I’m going to bed.”

“Already? It’s so early!”

“Goodnight, Tikki.”

The poor kwami must have been confused, but Marinette did not feel like explaining right now. Or perhaps Tikki was not confused at all, and her multi-generational knowledge gave her a level of insight that Marinette could never hope to achieve. Whatever.

She curled up on her bed, trying to think about kittens and rainbows and nice things, anything to keep her mind distracted as she fell asleep. And maybe tomorrow her brain would actually start working again, and things would be back to the way they used to be…

No such luck. Marinette was no stranger to lucid dreams. She knew perfectly well she was dreaming, and made no move to wake herself up.

Not even when her dream self, sick of flying like she always did, had landed on the ground right in front of someone annoyingly familiar.

Not even when that familiar, gorgeous guy leaned forward with an alluring smile, gently slipped her jacket off her shoulders, slid an arm around her waist, pulled her in closer, ever so slowly.

And she didn’t wake herself up when she looked into those enticing grey eyes of his, or when he leaned in so close that she was sure he was going to kiss her, and she allowed herself to hope that he would, and closed her eyes and waited, only to feel his breath tickling her cheek and then hear his voice in her ear…

“So are you in love with me, Cupcake?”

Cupcake?!

Marinette catapulted awake.

Nope. Nope. Nope. Nope. Nope.

She was NOT just dreaming about kissing Kim. No way. No way!

It was just a dream, it didn’t mean anything–

But it was a lucid dream! A lucid dream! She knew she was dreaming, she could have done anything at any second, and she didn’t, she didn’t do a thing! And oh god, was she sweating?! Well obviously that was because it was summer, and she was warm, and – and –

Oh, for fuck’s sake!

She turned around and just screamed into her pillow.

That… that GUY, honestly… how dare he always just be so smooth and so flirty all the time? And even if he was, she shouldn’t fall for it! Marinette knew how much of an idiot he was! She had always known! There was no way he was charming enough to get her all hot and flustered, there was no way she could find his arrogance and cockiness attractive, when it should be annoying, and this was just so stupid and stereotypical!!

She lay down and tried to go back to sleep, kicking off the covers, far too warm to need them. But was sleep even a good idea? She just kept hearing that stupid voice of his on repeat in her head, and that dream just kept playing over and over, and as much as she tried to fight it off, it wouldn’t leave.

And part of her didn’t even want it to leave…

Oh come on! She had just managed to get over Adrien! Did she really have to go and start pining over some other guy, some guy way more annoying in every possible way? Did she have to be all lovesick and stupid like this? She could fight this! She could definitely, absolutely fight this!

Right?

But every time she remembered the way he called her “Cupcake”, or the way he held her so close in that stupid dream, and how good it felt, and how much she wished she hadn’t woken up and let it all fade away…

Oh, forget it.

Marinette curled up around her pillow and just let herself daydream to hell and back. About grabbing Kim’s stupid face and kissing him senseless, ripping off that stupid hoodie, running a hand over every one of those stupid muscles that hadn’t been there before, ruffling up that stupid hair, listening to him whisper that stupid nickname…

She didn’t know when she fell asleep, where the daydreams stopped and the hopelessly lucid dreams began. It wasn’t like it made much difference anymore. Who even knew how long the night lasted? It was morning before she knew it, a hot sunny Saturday, and she simply lay there in her bed refusing to move.

Fine… there was no point denying it any longer, was there? She had to admit it.

Marinette had a huge crush on Kim.

And it felt so damn good.

“Marinette?” Tikki was tugging on her hair. “It’s almost noon!”

That late already? Time really flew by when she was hypothetically making out with that hot loser, didn’t it?

“I don’t know what to do,” she mumbled. Somehow, intuitively, Tikki already knew what she was talking about. Or at least seemed to.

“Maybe talk to Alya?”

“Oh, but I don’t wanna tell anyone…”

Even before finishing her sentence she recalled how accepting Alya had always been of everything Marinette had told her. If anyone was going to know, it had to be her.

“Alright, fine,” Marinette said, pushing herself up and out of bed. “But just Alya.” She grabbed her phone and sent a quick message telling Alya to come over urgently, then lay back down and waited, feeling too useless to do anything else.

“Marinette! Everything okay?” Alya burst up through the trapdoor and ran over. “What’s the problem? Do I need to fight anyone?”

“No,” Marinette sighed. “Just me.”

“Aw, babe, what did you do this time?”

She planted her face in Alya’s shoulder. “I accidentally have a crush on someone.”

“What? Oh, that’s so awesome! Who is it? Do you need my help?”

“No, no, nothing like that! Please Alya, just… don’t start scheming or anything, not this time. I just wanna get this off my chest, that’s all. I don’t want any help.”

“Alright then, you disaster…” Alya patted her on the head. “So who’s the lucky guy? Or girl?”

Marinette took a deep breath. “Um… it’s Kim…”

Alya, the blessed friend that she was, did not engage in any “told you so!” type taunting. Instead she gave Marinette a hug and said, “Nice! And I promise this time I’ll let you handle things yourself. I know sometimes I can be a bit… intense.”

“Thanks, Alya.”

“No problem. I hope things work out.”

“What do you mean?”

“Oh, I mean, are you gonna make a move?”

Crap – that was something Marinette hadn’t even thought about yet. She could barely even wrap her head around liking the guy, let alone actually doing anything about it.

Well, should she make a move? On the one hand, of course she wanted to! But on the other hand there was no way she could let that arrogant smug fool know that she liked him, or his ego would increase ten-fold and he’d be completely intolerable…

Alya seemed to notice the silence. “Hey, it’s okay, you don’t have to decide yet. You’re barely even over Adrien.”

Adrien felt like a million years ago at this point. It was impossible to remember what she ever saw in him that she didn’t see in anyone else.

“Alya, please distract me,” she said finally. “I need to get my mind away from… from…”

From how much she wanted Kim, how much she couldn’t wait to hear him call her “Cupcake” again, and give her one of those silly winks…

“Don’t worry, I’ve got your back.” Alya stood up and pulled Marinette up with her. “Let’s go do something fun. Like getting footage for the Ladyblog!”

Marinette couldn’t help grinning. They wouldn’t exactly have a high chance of seeing Ladybug around if Marinette was too busy being with Alya to transform! But hey, maybe they would bump into Chat Noir, or find some other interesting things going on in this giant city, and maybe then Marinette would have regained enough of her common sense to decide what to do.

[whatarubberchicken]

Day 7: Teamwork

@mlrarepairmarch 

Barely made it on time! (I’ve been distracted.) Less romance than interaction for these two, but I wanted to explore this little headcanon of mine a bit. Spoilers, of course, for those still attempting to not watch season 2 until it comes out on Netflix.

Pairing: Carapace/Rena Rouge (I still like Jade Fox for this ship’s name!)

“Is this really necessary, LB?” Rena whined as Ladybug secured the cuff to her wrist.

“Absolutely,” Ladybug replied, stepping back to observe her handiwork, “you two have been at each other’s throats since Day One.”

“He hasn’t been here since Day One!” Rena protested, “but he thinks he can just waltz right in and tell me what to do—!”  

“I made a few suggestions on how you could focus more on the mission,” Carapace argued, also shifting around the cuff uncomfortably. “It’s not my fault you flipped out—”

“Flipped out??”

“You two are only proving my point,” Ladybug said, rolling her eyes. As soon as her Lucky Charm had turned into a set of handcuffs, she’d known exactly what to do. “And I’m not letting you go until you learn how to work together.”

“Oh, c’mon,” Carapace groaned. “Chat, buddy, help a brother out, man!”

“Sorry, Shelly,” Chat grinned down from his perch, “but our fearless leader has spoken.”

“Dude. Uncool. Remember? Bros before—” Carapace quickly cut himself off, catching Ladybug’s unamused glare. Her eyebrow slowly rose, just daring him to finish that statement. “—beautiful, strong, superheroes with our best interests at heart?” he finished weakly.

Rena Rouge snorted. “Nice save, Shelly.”

“I told you, my name is Carapace,” he snapped back at her.

“Whatever you say, ninja turtle boy.”

“Enough!” Ladybug shouted. She rubbed her temples to fend off another headache. “Chat, where’s the akuma?”

“Looks like Road Rage set up camp at the Arc de Triomphe,” Chat called, peering out from the top of the cell tower, where he’d been tracking the villain while Ladybug ‘took care of’ their wayward teammates. “And her speed bump minions are still roaming up and down the Champs-Elysées chasing cars. Lots of accidents.”

“Ok, here’s the plan,” Ladybug said. “Chat, you’re with me against Road Rage.”

“Whoot!”

“Rena, you distract the minions with an illusion of cars they can chase. Try to keep them away from the real civilians.”

“Gotcha!”

“Carapace, you guard her and make sure none of the minions come after her to break the illusion.”

“I think I’d be better off with you and Chat, shielding you guys from the actual akuma,” Carapace grumbled.

“Hey! Are you saying I’m not good enough to defend our beautiful Lady?” Chat cried, bounding down beside Ladybug.

“Well, if it’s a stick vs. a shield—”

“You all have your assignments,” Ladybug barked, grabbing Chat by the bell before he could argue more. “Go!”

They scattered. –Or, Rena and Carapace attempted to scatter, only to be painfully reminded that they were stuck together at the wrist. They glared at each other for a moment, then reluctantly took off in the opposite direction as Chat and Ladybug.

Carapace grit his teeth underneath his hood, barely restraining himself from just suddenly stopping and jerking his hand backwards. Rena Rouge had practically been dragging him the whole way. Even with Miraculous armor, his arm was gonna be sore later.

“Would you slow down??” he huffed at her, finally using his weight to pull her to a stop. “You can see the damn minions from here, just play them a tune and be done with it already!”

“If I do it here, I’ll be too far away to take any of them out if something goes wrong!!” Rena snarled back.

He resisted the urge to strangle her and instead shot her a dry stare. “They are literally bumps of asphalt that move around under the street, trying to chase and flip cars. What are you gonna do? Whack ‘em with your flute??”

“If I have to!!”

Carapace facepalmed. “Why did I get stuck with a stubborn idiot??” he moaned to no-one in particular.

“I am not an idiot!!” Rena growled.

“Then use your brain!!”

The glare she leveled at him could’ve made lesser men cry. But him? Ha. Nino dealt with Alya on a regular basis, and she was ten times scarier than this girl.

As it was, Rena pulled out her flute, still glaring at him. “C’mon,” she said, her voice lower, but still wound tight. “I need to get closer.”

Before Carapace could protest, Rena threw herself off the building, obviously intending to dive down to the street below.

“NO!!” with a shout, Carapace threw himself backwards, scrambling to grab the edge of the roof with his free hand, while jerking his stupid partner back towards the safety of the building.

The result: they both yelped, went flying, and landed in a heap on the side of the road.

“You jerk!” Rena squealed, trying to untangle herself from him. “What’d you do that for??”

“What part of ‘these things have to stay inside the street’ did you miss??” he shouted back.

She gave him a strange look. “We’re not cars, Donatello,” she pointed out. “They won’t come… after….”

She trailed off as they both heard the tell-tale rumbling of one of the minions. Sure enough, they both looked over to see one large bump of asphalt headed straight for them.

“…us.”

Rena and Carapace took off running for the nearest building.

“Your deductive skills could use some work!!” Carapace yelled.

“That offends me on a personal level!!” Rena shouted back.

“Watch it—watch it!” Carapace cried. He stepped in between Rena and their attacker. “SHIELD!” Instantly, his magical forcefield sprang into existence, surrounding them in a protective dome of green. The racing bump bounced off it harmlessly. To Carapace’s dismay, however, it kept coming back for more, bouncing off the shield again and again. He grit his teeth.

“My shield’s not gonna last, foxy! Do it now!!”

In response, his arm was jerked up and he heard the haunting melody of Rena’s flute.

“MIRAGE!” she cried.

Instantly, the street around them seemed to fill up with cars. Carapace blinked and had to remind himself that it was an illusion. But he could see them all so clearly! And he could feel the vibrations under his feet, and almost smell the exhaust…

Wait, were those vibrations real?

“C’mon, Donatello, we gotta go!” Rena said urgently. He gave her a bewildered look and she sighed before explaining. “The more lifelike I make the illusions, the closer I have to be to them. In order to make the ground actually vibrate so the minions could ‘see’ the ‘cars,’ I needed to make the illusion right here! Which means we’re gonna have all of Road Rage’s minions come over here—” she looked around them, “—oh, right about now.”

Carapace didn’t need any more urging. He dropped his forcefield so he could move. “Up on the building! Jump, now!!”

They jumped together, just as three of the speed bump minions crashed into the space they’d just occupied. Asphalt flew everywhere.

They landed in a pile of limbs again (he wasn’t used to just how strong Rena was), but at least they were off the ground and safe.

Carapace flopped onto his back and took a deep breath. Beside him, Rena laid down too. But after a moment, she started giggling.

“Not bad for a stubborn idiot, huh?” she asked lightly, her tone teasing. He turned his head to grin at her.

“Not bad,” he acknowledged. It might not be the amount of teamwork Ladybug ultimately wanted from them, but at least they’d been able to work together! Rena beamed at him and sat up.

“And you were pretty cool there too,” she allowed, “thanks for saving my butt.”

Carapace chuckled and barely—barely caught the butt joke he’d been about to make. He quickly bit his tongue. Crap! What the Hell?! He wasn’t with Alya! He couldn’t flirt with this girl!! He flushed and glanced over at her.

“An-anytime,” he said, suddenly feeling awkward. She noticed his blush and quickly looked away herself.

“We-well, let’s go find the Bug and get ourselves free,” she suggested, tugging him up once more.

Carapace allowed it, scrambling to his feet. Anything to break the new awkward tension between them.

“Knowing Chat, she’s gonna need our help anyways,” he agreed. They took off together.

WaRC

P.S. If you’ve seen Tremors, that’s kinda what I was going for with the minions.