#mlsecretsanta 2k18

[gbellatheartist]

My @mlsecretsanta gift for @jess-riley! Hope you like it!

[ming85]

Collab with highspeedearth, read the fic here!!! The FLUFFIEST of domestic fluff, Mari and Plagg scheming together, Adrien being a living muppet, all that good stuff.

My @mlsecretsanta​ gift for @maddilk​ ! I researched ‘kids getting kittens for christmas’ youtube videos for this, I cried, can highly recommend. 

Happy holidays fandom! Thank you for all the lovely art, fic, gifs, laughs and good times again this year.

[alazic02]

ML Secret Santa gift for @artgraveyard!

Apologies for the late gift but I hope your holiday season was nice and that 2019 treats you well!

Hosted by @mlsecretsanta

Artwork ©: alazic02 | buy me a ko-fi

Do not repost.

[miraculousstorytelling]

Ladybug’s Kitchen

Happy belated holidays, @noblechaton​! I hope you had a wonderful start to your new year, and I hope you enjoy this gift for the @mlsecretsanta​ exchange!

This assignment was a joke. Alya knew it, and the utterly ridiculous editor who assigned it to her knew it, too. She grumbled the entire walk to her desk and half-slammed a notebook onto her desk for good measure.

"Whoa. Is everything okay?"

She rolled her eyes. "Chloe just told me my next assignment is finding out who this stupid food blogger is. Just because her dad practically owns the school, doesn't mean-"

"Doesn't mean she should be able to run the paper like some kind of dictator," Nino finished for her. "I know."

"It's a fluff piece!" Alya hissed, glaring in the direction of Chloe's small office, built just for her when she decided to take over the school newspaper. "She doesn't even care about this. She just wants to be in charge something!"

"Then, let her." He shrugged. "Do your own stuff on the side if you want. She won't care."

"I care! And so should you! This is why journalism is dying!"

"Really?" he didn't need to give her more than a look to point out just how ridiculous she sounded.

"Okay, so it's not the only reason," she said, still annoyed but at least now she'd let out some of her frustration. Finally, she slumped back into her chair and pulled out her phone. "Have you ever even heard of Ladybug's Kitchen?"

"Now, you have to be careful when you pipe in the filling. If you overfill it, you're going to have some messy macarons. And it's harder than you think to clean chocolate filling out of the carpet. Not that I've done that..." She laughed a bit at her own joke, which was oddly endearing in Alya's opinion. "Just a little swirl like this, and you'll have the perfect treat for your family or your friends or even just yourself if you've had a long week."

"Are you still watching that?" Nino peeked over Alya's shoulder. "It's been hours."

"I'm doing research," she answered, despite the blank notebook beside her. "She doesn't ever show her face."

"Yeah, that's kind of her thing."

"I noticed." She paused the video. "You can see her apron, and sometimes, you can see her hair, but that's as close as I can get. I'm just looking for clues."

Nino reached over to scroll down the page. "How many videos does she have anyway?"

She swatted his hand away. "Hey, don't make me lose my place. She's been doing this for years, and I'm watching all of them. She had to leave a clue somewhere."

"Seriously?" he chuckled. "What happened to this just being a fluff piece?"

She blushed. "I'm a serious journalist, okay? I take every assignment seriously."

"Half of your last fluff piece was filler text. You just put your questions in and all of the mayor's answers were just lorem ipsum whatever."

"What, you don't think our mayor speaks Latin?" she smirked.

"Okay, Mademoiselle Serious Journalist. Have fun with your crepes." He stuffed his laptop into his bag and waved. "I'm off to fail a chemistry test."

"Good luck!" she called after him. "And they're macarons, not crepes! Maybe if you don't fail, I'll buy you some so you can learn the difference."

"Seriously, one point away from failing really shouldn't earn you anything, especially not the best macarons in Paris," Alya grumbled as they waited in line.

"Hey, you said if I didn't fail, you'd buy me some."

"I also said maybe."

"Next!" the woman behind the counter called with a smile brighter than sunshine.

Alya paused for a moment, just staring at her until Nino pushed her forward, and she nearly stumbled into the counter. "Uh, hey!" Alya straightened and smiled back. "A dozen macarons and um..." she scanned over the available pastries. "Do you have any crepes?"

She smiled. "Sure! What flavor did you want for the macarons?"

"What flavors do you have? Like vanilla or chocolate...?"

She produced a list from behind the counter and handed it to Alya. "We definitely have a lot more than those. You can pick up to six different flavors when you buy a dozen. Why don't you take a minute to decide, and I'll get your crepes started, okay?"

"Yeah, sure."

"Dude, you're blushing," Nino murmured once she'd stepped out of earshot. "And you're staring."

"Shut up!" Alya glared at him and shoved the list into his chest. "One more word, and I'm getting nothing but apricot."

"Rude, using a man's allergies against him," Nino said under his breath as he scanned the list that spanned both the front and back of the page. "She wasn't kidding. There's tons of flavors here. I didn't even know some of these existed."

"Let me see." Alya held up the list so she could read the back. "Wow, I've never even heard of pomegranate macarons."

"Do you still need a minute?" Alya hadn't even noticed the woman had returned from the back. "I know there's a lot to choose from."

"Uh, maybe," Alya said, glancing over and trying not to stare this time.

"I can recommend a few." She stepped out from behind the counter to stand beside them, and Alya could feel soft heat spreading over her cheeks. "The cheesecake and the strawberry are really popular, but my favorites are the green tea and the honey and lavender."

"Those sound great," Alya answered quickly, releasing the list so Nino could look it over some more and Alya could look anywhere else. "I'll get those two, and he can decide the rest." How was it possible for someone to actually smell this good? Was it just because she worked in a bakery? Maybe it was just the bakery.

"Perfect! And what about the crepes?"

Alya wasn't exactly new to the idea of flirting with women she found attractive. Some would even say she was good at it, but right now, she couldn't even speak. This wasn't like her. Sure, she'd felt flustered and tongue-tied before, but that was back when she was a teenager and still new at all of this. She shouldn't have trouble answering a simple question just because this woman was exceptionally pretty.

"Chocolate sounds good," Nino said from behind Alya, handing over the list as he did, "And we'll get cheesecake, strawberry, cappuccino, and orange."

"Coming right up." She looked back at Alya. "And could I get your name? For, um, for the order?"

And maybe it was Alya's imagination, but did she just trip over her words? "Alya. And you?"

"Marinette," she darted back behind the counter. "It'll be ready in just a minute."

"Huh," Nino said, watching her leave. "Was she blushing?"

"God, I hope so," Alya murmured.

"You know..." Nino spoke between bites. "If you buy these every time I don't fail a test, I might pass chemistry."

"Yeah, I so didn't sign up for that." Alya reached for another one while the latest video from Ladybug's Kitchen loaded. "If you want to pass, buy them yourself."

"But, if you do, you get to see Marinette again."

Alya hated how quickly her cheeks reddened at just the mention of her name. She'd nearly dropped the bag twice when their order had come out, and Marinette had been painfully sweet about it. "Who says I need to buy anything for you to see her again? My mom's been asking me to pick up some better bread. Apparently, she works at the best place in Paris."

"If it wasn't for me, you wouldn't even know she existed." He snatched one of the macarons from her pile. "You owe me."

She slapped his hand away. "Nice try. If we get married, maybe I'll send you a box from our honeymoon."

He shrugged. "I'll take what I can get." He looked over at her screen. "Any clues yet?"

"Nope." She sighed and clicked play. "And I've gone through all of them twice."

"Twice?" His brows raised. "But, you said she has tons of videos."

"I take my job seriously, okay?"

"Maybe you just have a thing for bakers," he teased.

"Yeah, like you've got a thing for models?" she smirked. "Or did you think I missed that perfume ad you've been staring at?"

It was nice to see Nino blush for a change. "That's research. Chloe needs a model for the front page."

"Sure..." she chuckled, grabbing one of his cheesecake macarons. "You keep telling yourself that."

As annoying as it was to admit Nino was right, maybe she really did have a thing for bakers. She'd been watching for hours now, and Alya was beginning to suspect she had a crush on a voice that she couldn't identify. Ladybug was cheerful and encouraging, and she had the worst sense of humor, but Alya chuckled at it anyway. She was humble, too, showing her failures right along with her successes.

"Everyone burns cookies every once in a while. And that's okay. It's not a great feeling, I know. The first time I burnt my cookies, I cried. I mean, I was seven, so of course I cried," Ladybug chuckled at the memory, holding up a blackened cookie. "My dad found me, and he told me that mistakes just means you're trying something new. Or, in my case, it means I got too invested in a tea party with my stuffed animals.

"So, just keep trying. And make sure you set a timer!" Ladybug waved at the camera. "Hopefully, I'll have something a bit more appetizing for you tomorrow! Thanks for watching, and I hope you all had better luck than I did making this!"

"Are you still going through her videos?" Nino dropped down beside her. "I thought you saw all of them like a million times."

"Yeah, I did." Alya took the coffee from his hand and drained it. "I'm not getting anything. And everyone says the same thing. They know she's in Paris, but that's about as close as they can get."

"They?" Nino took the cup back and frowned down at it once he realized it was empty. "Now you owe me coffee and macarons."

"In your dreams. And, yes, they. I'm not the only one looking for her." She smirked. "There's boards and websites trying to figure it out, and she visits sometimes to say hello."

"Nice." He nudged her side. "So, if everyone's trying to figure this out, maybe it's more than just a fluff piece, huh?"

He actually flinched at the look she sent his way. "Just because Chloe got lucky, and this is actually interesting doesn't mean she gave me a good assignment. She thought this was fluff, and she wants to waste my time."

"Whoa, hey, I'm not arguing with you. Just saying. It's a good piece."

"It will be if I can figure out who she is," Alya mumbled, scrolling through the notes she'd made for any sort of connection she might have missed.

She might never have figured it out at all if not for one little mistake.

Ladybug had just posted up a video, and Alya had started watching the second it was available.

"It took me a little while to come up with an idea for this video. I feel like I've kind of shared everything I know how to make with you guys, so you'll need to send in some new recipes for me to try." She shuffled through some pages beside her as she spoke. "But, then, I was inspired by a customer that came in the other day. They were looking at macarons and couldn't pick a flavor.

"I mean, I can't blame them. All the flavors are amazing. So, I offered some suggestions, and they went with my two favorite flavors. And that got me thinking, maybe I could try out a new recipe based on their order. You can find the full recipe under the video, but I'll go ahead and walk you through it. Hopefully it's better than my cookies from last week!"

Alya scanned every frame while Ladybug spoke, looking for even the hint of a reflection or some sort of personal item that might give her a clue.

"So, first, we'll gather our ingredients. Some of them are a little unusual, so feel free to come back and bake with me later on if you need to go get anything."

Nothing. Even when it looked like she might catch a glimpse, the image was blurred or distorted, or even in one case, replaced with a tiny stock photo of a ladybug. Whoever edited her videos was thorough.

"So, some of you might be wondering why I'm making a recipe based on a customer. It's not something I do every day, you know." She measured out flour as she spoke. "But, well, I have to be honest with you guys, this customer was just really, really gorgeous. And I really wanted to ask for their number or try and flirt or anything, but I just kept chickening out. I'm sure at least one of you knows that feeling."

Alya frowned. She knew it a bit too well. She'd tried to work up the nerve to ask Marinette for coffee or lunch or anything, but she hadn't even walked by the bakery since the day she and Nino went. She could use the excuse that she was busy working, but it really was just that. An excuse.

"And, anyway, they came in with someone, so maybe it's a good thing I didn't. But, I just wanted to try my luck. And if they ever come back, maybe I will. I know I always tell all of you to take chances, but I have to admit, sometimes I'm scared to try something new. You've all been brave enough to bake with me, so let's all try to take chances outside the kitchen, too! Even if it means embarrassing ourselves in front of someone we like."

Alya rolled her eyes. She had to, since it really was a bit on the cheesy side, but it was just like Ladybug to say something like that, and it hit a bit too close to home for Alya's liking.

"So, here we are! Honey and lavender crepes! Let's see how they taste." She pulled out a fork and cut off a piece to eat. "Oh, that's even better than I thought! I hope yours all turned out great, too! Tune in on Thursday for part two! We'll be making green tea crepes with our own handmade whipped cream on top!"

"Wait..." Alya frowned. "No way..."

It had to be a coincidence. Just because that happened to be her order and she happened to be with someone when she made the order and she also happened to go there a few days ago... It didn't mean anything.

Alya started the video over again, this time scrutinizing each frame. Her heart was racing, but she was still trying to convince herself that it was all in her head. It was just too convenient. Like something out of Hollywood or a cheesy made-for-TV holiday movie.

But then she saw it.

There, in the middle of the papers Ladybug looked through was the recipe she'd written down. Anyone else might not have recognized the significance, and Alya might not have even seen if it if she wasn't so desperate for evidence.

There it was. The title, clear as day: "Crepes for Alya". The recipe was for her.

And that meant Ladybug was actually Marinette.

And that meant Marinette was interested.

Alya arrived at the bakery moments before it was time to close, a little out of breath and hoping she wasn't somehow wrong.

"Welcome!" Marinette greeted her when she walked through the door. "What can I get y-"

Oh, that was definitely a blush. Alya grinned, all confidence now that Marinette was the one visibly flustered. "Hey, Marinette! I actually had a question for you."

"Sure!" Marinette relaxed a little. "It's, um, good to see you again, Alya!"

Great, now she was blushing, too. "Yeah, you, too." But, she had the upper hand here, and she had to find out the truth. "Do you do any special orders? You know, stuff that's off the menu?" she asked, her smile just a bit playful.

"Maybe." Marinette leaned in a little, her voice dropping just enough that Alya could tell she was starting to realize Alya was flirting. "What did you have in mind?"

Alya approached the counter, close enough that anyone else wouldn't overhear. "Well, I was thinking of some honey and lavender crepes. Maybe green tea, too, but I don't know. Do I have to wait till Thursday for those?"

The color drained from Marinette's face. "What? I mean... I don't think I've heard of anything like that, but I um, I could look that up or..."

Alya grinned. "Really? And here I thought you made the recipe for a really, really gorgeous customer just like me."

"What? No!" Marinette realized her mistake in an instant. "I mean, not no. You are really, really gorgeous, but I didn't make a recipe for you. I don't know what you're talking about."

Alya pulled out her phone to show the video, paused right at the moment where the recipe's title showed on the screen. "You know, if you wanted my number, all you had to do was ask."

Marinette stared at it, clearly stuggling to think up some explanation. Finally, she looked back at Alya. "You're not going to... tell everyone, are you?"

Even if she wanted to, Alya knew she never would. "Not a chance. I'm way more interested in dating you than making you famous."

"Thank you." Marinette grinned, and Alya couldn't help but smile back. "I really-" Then, her eyes widened. "Wait, did you say you want a date?"

Alya laughed. "Yeah. Is that a yes?"

"Hold on." She ran over to the back. "I need to leave early! Mom, can you take over?"

"Sure!" A voice answered from the back. "Is everything okay?"

"Yep, just gotta go! Bye!" Marinette tore off the apron. "I'll be five minutes. I just need to freshen up."

She was gone before Alya could clarify that exactly meant tonight, but maybe it was better that way. Who was she to argue? The more time with Marinette, the better. She pulled out her phone while she waited, a slow smirk spreading over her lips. Besides, her deadline was tonight, and the only thing that could make a date with Marinette even sweeter was turning her phone on silent and ignoring irate calls from Chloe during said date.

"Ready to go?" Marinette asked, somewhat out of breath.

Alya looked up, briefly mesmerized by Marinette's quick transformation. She'd somehow managed to pull her hair up into a perfect updo, put on a hint of makeup, and change into a gorgeous pink dress in just moments, which left Alya was simultaneously jealous, impressed, and completely smitten. "Absolutely."

[artgraveyard]

hi @galaxiuu i’m your terrible secret santa

i thought i put this in queue but i guess i’m a dumbass

sorry its like a month late at this point

@mlsecretsanta

[missdeearts]

So my gift receiver for the @mlsecretsanta dropped out but i’m still posting this as a gift to the fandom! Hope you all like it <3

Happy Holidays Everyone!

[megatraven]

New Year

My piece for the @mlsecretsanta exchange, some alyanette (specifically renanette) fluff for @a-legit-wren! I hope you like this okay! O: I was gonna do art with it, but ran out of time ;o;; I hope you’ve had a nice holiday! <3

AO3

As Paris lay sleeping underneath a neat blanket of snow, fireworks long since passed, a heroine of the city was free to settle in on her favorite rooftop for the rest of her patrol.

Her breathing came easily, the warmth of it making it visible in the cool air. She shivered, just a bit, and leaned back against a chimney, watching over the building’s edge to see her favorite person, still awake and brimming with energy as she danced around her room, fabrics nearly flying at the speed of her work.

It would have been comical, if Rena Rouge weren’t so smitten with everything her friend did. Where others might scoff or be critical of how late she was up, Rena could only bring herself to smile at the sight- she’d known Marinette far too long to know this was a norm for the designer. A cute, kind of ridiculous norm.

Rena’s fox ears twitched, and her gaze zeroed in on Marinette tripping over a trail of fabric dangling from her arms and falling into a basket of laundry she hadn’t yet folded.

Laughter bubbled to the hero’s lips, and despite the distance between her and Marinette, the other girl seemed to look up at it, her eyes looking out through the window to spy Rena across the way. She looked surprised, at first, but when Rena waved, a smile spread across her face, and she shoved her clothes down to help herself up.

She disappeared for a moment, but soon resurfaced from the hatch in her balcony, hands cupping to her face. “Rena Rouge! Hi! Why don’t you come over?” she called out, and gestured for the hero to join her. Without waiting for an answer, she disappeared back into her room, the hatch left open.

Really, Rena would have to be stupid to decline the offer. So that’s how she found herself climbing down into Marinette’s room, careful not to get snow all over the bed that met her the moment she came in.

Curiously, Marinette was gone again, but the rummaging coming from below gave way to her location.

Hopping over the bed’s railing and falling to the floor, Rena peered over at Marinette, who was busy tossing aside a bunch of little knickknacks that Rena recognized as gifts Marinette had received from Christmas. 

Finally, she pulled out a slightly-crumpled gift, still wrapped in the pretty pink paper that she’d used for Alya’s gift. (And by that, she meant only Alya’s- the paper she’d used for all their other classmates had been hero-themed.)

“Ah ha!” she announced, standing up triumphantly with the gift held out to Rena. “I haven’t had a chance to give you this yet, so I’m really glad I caught you!”

“Oh! Um, I... didn’t bring anything for you,” Rena replied, a little flustered. She shifted her weight from one foot to the other and grinned sheepishly.

Sure, she worked with Marinette a couple of times here and there, when she was the target of an akuma or got caught in the middle of a battle. And, sure, they hung out on the rare occasion neither could sleep.

But did that qualify them as friends? Like, on the level that they got each other gifts? Rena was already biased on that front, being Marinette’s best friend out of costume, but when she was Rena Rouge, she’d tried to keep things professional.

(Maybe checking up on Marinette after the new year had passed was a little less than professional, so sue her.)

“That’s alright! I wasn’t expecting anything in return, really. I just wanted to get you something to show how much I appreciate you.” Marinette beamed at her, and pushed the gift into her hands, in the way that was so very Marinette.

“Thanks so much,” she said, although she felt a little bit guilty. It didn’t seem fair for Alya to get another gift from Marinette- one she was sure her friend had handmade, just like her other gifts.

With gentle hands, her claws pulled the wrapping paper away, revealing spots of orange under its surface. When it’s all torn off, Rena is met with a scarf and hat.

The hat is a softer orange than the bold orange that makes up her costume, and is in the style of a beanie. Little fox ears poke up from the fold of the hat, and a little fox face is sewn into it.

The scarf, on the other hand, is long and flowing, its orange turning into white at the ends. She’s certain that when she puts it on, it’ll look just like twin fox tails coming from her.

They’re both soft, and it’s obvious that a lot of care went into these. She’s so entranced by the kindness of her best friend, that she almost misses the way Marinette’s looking at her- like she was the world. It made her heart flutter in her chest and stole her breath away.

She vaguely wondered if Marinette ever looked at Alya like that.

“Thank you, Marinette. They’re... they’re perfect. I love them, I- I don’t know what to say.” And, truthfully, she didn’t. There weren’t enough words to express her gratitude, her reverence.

“I’m glad you like them,” she said, ever so sweet. Her smile made Rena’s actual tail sway back and forth. “I figure it probably gets cold out there, even for you guys, right?” There was a flash of something in her eyes that told Rena she already knew the answer, but how she could know was a mystery.

“Yeah, it gets pretty chilly. The suits protect us from the brunt of the cold, but we still feel some of it,” Rena answered, glancing back down to the gifts in her hands.

Not only were they made so carefully and with heart, but there was thought put into them too. Which didn’t surprise Rena, really, but it did make her gain even more appreciation for her friend. And, maybe, she fell a little more in love with her just then.

“Then I’m glad I made what I did! You’ll wear them, wont you?”

“Of course! I’ll be putting them on the moment I leave!”

Marinette clapped her hands together before throwing her arms around Rena. “Great! I’m so excited to see you use them, you’ll look amazing, A-” She cut herself off with an obviously fake cough and pulled back. “You’ll look amazing, Rena.”

It may have been a trick of the light, but Rena swore Marinette was blushing when she pulled away. The thought set her own cheeks ablaze, and she awkwardly rubbed her arm and looked around the room.

“So, uh, what’re you working on?” she asked, eyes settling on the project Marinette had on her mannequin.

“Oh! It’s a surprise for my best friend.” Marinette walked over to the mannequin and lifted the fabric in a few places. She looked over at Rena Rouge and gave her a knowing look. “What do you think? She’ll love it, yeah?”

The moment it left Marinette’s mouth that this was supposed to be a surprise for her- Alya her- Rena wanted to look away. It’d make her feel terrible already knowing about it. But, try as she might, she couldn’t come up with an excuse to look away that wouldn’t be rude or an obvious lie. And as much as she wished she could let Marinette in on her secret, she would never betray Ladybug’s trust in her.

So, she took the dress in in all its glory, and was stunned into silence.

She may not know much about sewing and design, despite being the best friend to a fashion designer in the making, but she knew the dress before her had to have taken so much work. (She briefly recalls how often Marinette’s been coming to class with bandages on her fingers- not for lack of care, but that’s just what happened when she got in the zone a little too much.)

Rena swallowed down a lump forming in her throat and managed a response. “Y-yeah, she’s gonna love it. I mean, how couldn’t someone love this? It’s gorgeous and- and so lovely!” Before she could stop herself, she blurted out, “What’s the occasion?”

At this, Marinette’s smile grew wider, and Rena felt her heart actually skip a beat. She let the fabric fall through her fingers and approached Rena, perhaps a little closer than was friendly.

“Oh, it’s very special. See, you know how Hawk Moth was defeated like... what was it, a couple months ago now?” Marinette asked. Obviously they both knew the answer- it was impossible to live in Paris and not know how it all happened, and when.

“Yeah, that’s about right.” Rena had no idea where this was headed.

“Well... I’ve been talking with someone, and he finally agreed to something I’ve been trying to convince him of for ages. And since Hawk Moth’s gone, he was finally open to listening. Anyways...” She looked back at the dress for a moment before turning back to the hero and grabbing her hands. Oh yeah, she was definitely blushing now. “I thought it’d be nice if the best friend and hopefully-girlfriend of Ladybug wore her color. It’s kinda like a secret statement to the world,” she said, starting to ramble now, but Rena was caught on the sentence before that.

Best friend of Ladybug? Girlfriend of ladybug? Wearing her color... red? The dress? Her? Alya? Which would make Marinette...

“Ladybug?”

Marinette stopped in her rambling and had the gall to look sheepish. “Surprise?”

Rena didn’t even respond right away, instead enveloping Marinette in a great hug that lifted her from the ground, and spun her around, laughter bubbling up from her.

When she finally settled down, and Marinette was pressed lightly against her chest, Rena was struck with something: the realization she had something to give to Marinette after all.

With barely a moment of hesitation, she looked into her best friends face and, ever so tenderly, with the love and affection she’s held onto for so long, she kissed Marinette.

Soft, sweet, and perfect. A balm to soothe what was bound to be a whirlwind of emotion when came the time for them to really settle down and unpack all their superhero baggage.

But that was for later. For now, they were content to explore the love they shared at long last.

[purplerose244]

Our Reasons

Pairing: Nathaniel x Marc

Summary: After the last akuma attack Marc has ignored Nathaniel the all week. Now, during the Christmas party at their school, the artist wants to make things right. He can’t lose him

Words: 2013

Read it on the AO3

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That was Marinette’s plan, one hundred percent. Or Alix’. Or both, honestly. The former because of her undying passion for their destined collaboration – like she didn’t already have things planned with someone else –, the latter… an occasion to leave him alone to deal with an awkward situation, consequentially facing his problems? The roller-skater’s kind of fun.

And here he was, locked outside the school during the Christmas party, with no other company apart from some malfunctioning Christmas lights, a stray dog sniffing his way in front of the building and him.

Marc didn’t look happier for the situation, nervously rubbing his hands together. He still wore his typical fingerless gloves, even if the tips were completely red. His nose was stuffed into a fluffy green scarf, and it did not come out during the last five minutes spent in silence. He looked as uncomfortable as he was back when Nathaniel first meet him. Were they really all over again?

The stairs were cold. There wasn’t snow at least. Just what were the girls thinking? Make them froze to death just to make things right?

Was he really that hopeless?

“Hey… maybe we should talk about it.” Nathaniel faked a cough.

Marc shrugged, not looking up. His eyes were so lucid, hard to tell if for cold or the situation. Nathaniel was really glad his superhero counterpart didn’t have that eye color, or even trying to emulate that on his notebook would be impossible.

Alix knew better than anyone how stubborn he was on the matter, she had one of his street painting made of nothing but shades of green. No one even close to Marc’s. A challenge that costed her too much painting for losing it. She pouted for the entire week, getting herself together only under the promise to never bring up the matter ever again. She really couldn’t see it like Nathaniel could.

A car passed in front of the school, lights getting bigger then smaller as they got away.

“You have something to say?” Marc’s almost whispered voice was hurt and husky. Just how much he thought about it? All week? It’s been a week after all. Staring at the calendar every day gave him the assurance of it.

The Christmas party was continuing inside, the music was loud. Nino was probably having the time of his life. All of their friends, and they were out, in the cold. Alone. It was surprising how little he felt the unluckiness of it.

Nathaniel scratched the back of his head. Something to say. Maybe, but the right thing to say? No way to know it for sure. He didn’t want to make it worse than how it already was. What was really the problem? He just knew that, after the last akuma attack, Marc had ignored him like he suddenly disappeared from the world.

And it hurt. So bad.

Nathaniel cleared his voice.

“I guess. I mean, I know you’re upset. I get it, that akuma was huge, it basically destroyed the city. Trust me, I had my thinking about it too. But we’re both fine, we can get through it… right?” He smiled nervously, turning at him.

And Marc was finally looking back. Disbelief. His lips were slightly parted. He opened his mouth, then closed it. He shook his head. His eyes hardened, but he was fidgeting with his frozen fingers. It was probably painful.

“For a comic.”

Nathaniel blinked.

“What…?”

“Nathaniel, you risked your life for a comic book! That is not okay, no matter how much you pretend it is!” Marc shivered. “I just… do you have any idea how scared I was when you did that? I get it, it’s our work, but if it wasn’t for Ladybug and Chat Noir you wouldn’t be here! And you still think you did nothing wrong, this is why I’m angry!” He went silent, his face was incredibly red, his eyes reflecting the Christmas lights.

Nathaniel felt the world disappear. Oh. Oh yeah.

He ran towards it. While everybody was escaping from that giant thing, he went straight towards it. Because of a comic.

The akuma was just a middle-age woman that couldn’t get over the Christmas shopping stress apparently – he got the information from Alya afterward, it was good material for their comic series. A giant ant busy accumulating all the stuff she could find inside her, getting bigger and bigger, to the point she was devastating the city just by walking in.

When it happened, they were hanging out in the city. Even if neither of them was a never-ending source of Christmas spirit, they loved getting inspired just by the feeling of it. The invisible atmosphere and warm of the holiday.

It was something they had in common. Just another thing they had in common.

Then, the attack.

“I’m… I’m sorry.”. Nathaniel lowered his head.

The writer sniffed, hiding more of his face in the scarf. He closed his eyes.

“You put yourself in danger like that, without saying a word. Do you have any idea how scared I was when I lost you in the crowd? The entire city was crumbling, a-and I was f-frozen on the spot with n-no idea of what to d-do…” His shoulders were trembling. In his usual closed pose, he looked way smaller than how he really was.

Nathaniel felt a painful press in his chest. Slowly he reached for his hands, bringing them together into his gloved ones. He didn’t look up, concentrating on those iced tips.

“I-I didn’t mean to make you this worried.”

Marc shook his head. Tears immediately fell.

“What was the point? We can make thousands of comics together, one less one more, it doesn’t matter! But we won’t if something happens to you! What if Ladybug didn’t grab you in time?? What if you got hurt, of worse?! I don’t want that!! I don’t wanna be alone now that I have you!!” He gasped, like he got scared of his own raised tone. “S-sorry, I… forget that, I-I didn’t want to put it onto you.” His shoulders were shivering terribly.

Nathaniel felt his entire body aching. He needed to do something. Anything. So he let go of his hands and hugged him around the shoulders. His heartbeat was getting faster, he could hear it in his head, right near another really loud one. He closed his eyes, hoping that it wasn’t too much, that even if Marc was angry and shaking like a leaf it didn’t mean every bond between them was lost.

He felt a wave of relief when the writer reached for his back, leaning his chin so close to Nathaniel’s neck. He could feel those black hair tickling his ear, and the scarf slightly brushing his skin. It sent a wave of warm all over him.

Nathaniel smiled.

“You’re too nice.”

The cutest squeak followed.

“W-what?! I’m just…”

“For real. What are you doing with someone like me?” Marc definitely wanted to protest, but maybe his low tone made him quiet. “It came to my mind at some point. It was all because of Marinette that we ended up working together, otherwise we wouldn’t even know each other. If it wasn’t for our shared interests… for a comic…” Nathaniel swallowed, his throat was getting dry. He breathed, a white cloud came out of his mouth.

The writer moved his head a little, accidentally brushing his lips onto his neck. His bones melted all together, so he instinctively closed his eyes.

“What are you saying?” Marc’s voice got low and intense.

Nathaniel swallowed. After knowing him they spent so much time together. Being alone an entire week had gave space to unpleasant thoughts.

“I gave you a hard time accusing you when we met. I turned you into an akuma. And now I even made you so angry you ignored me. You, with all the people! The only reason I can be around you is my work, and that’s us! That’s the only reason why we are together!” Nathaniel hold Marc closer, his arms shaking. “So… when I realized I dropped the comic, I panicked. I thought that you were going to hate me for losing it, that you would’ve realized that there is no other reason we see each other so frequently. I didn’t want to lose you. And now that I say it it’s really stupid, you’re not like that.” He sighed. “I’m sorry for worrying you. I really am.” Nathaniel tried to break to hug, too ashamed and sorry for himself to keep the contact.

He never had a reason for drawing. It was his everything, hobby, passion, ambition, a part of him like an eye or a leg. Now it brought him someone special, in a way that made his heart shaking for fear and happiness. He couldn’t lose it.

Marc suddenly took his hands instead. His eyes weren’t gloomy anymore, just vivid, bright. His cheeks were completely red.

“You’re right. There’s no other reason.”

It felt like a slap. Nathaniel lowered his eyes.

“Y-yeah. I guess it’s just a fact, eheh.” Marc was still staring intensely at him. “What?”

The writer swallowed. He slowly moved closer, keeping eye contact even if his eyelids were shaking. The Christmas lights reflected in his green lakes.

“But I want other reasons.”

“Huh?”

Marc smiled, the world lightened up.

“I love seeing you and working together on our comics, it feels like I’m accomplishing something amazing. Like putting together pieces that are naturally meant to be close. But… b-but it’s not just that.” He looked at his hands. “Even when I didn’t know you I was into your art, it spoke to me, inspiring me to get better at what I do too. And I admire you for having so many good friends, something I always have a hard time finding. A-also, the thing about getting inspired by the city, I’m glad it’s not silly since you do that too! And, a-and…” He bit his lip, his entire face was the equivalent of a Christmas light now.

Nathaniel found himself in awe, unable to say a think, fearing he would stop talking. But he did, Marc looked stuck on his own words. The artist slid some more, brushing their hips together.

“Marc?”

“I… I think you’re really handsome. I-I know, it’s shallow! But I thought about it since I first met you, it’s what I really think!” He breathed out, sending hot air on their hands. “I’ll never get tired of working with you, I’m sure. But I want more reasons to see you, to hang out and talk… o-or whatever you wanna do, really!” Marc swallowed hard, shily spying the other’s reaction. “What… do you think about it?”

His cheeks and nose were completely red, his lips tense. His pupils kept moving, like he didn’t know where to look on his face. And the green. No grass, no mint, no pistachio. Even saying green oceans would be reductive.

Nathaniel felt himself on fire, from the frozen stairs he was sitting on to his fingers intertwined with Marc’s. His mind went blank. Is this really happening? A wave of excitement made him shiver. Did he really ask that? His face burnt. Is this going to happen? He locked eyes with the shy, terrified guy in front of him, so close he didn’t realize he was.

The artist reached for his cheek, making him squeak. No looking back. No useless thoughts in between. He leaned and kissed him on those red, cold and cracked lips. Marc’s hand gave him a hard, surprised squeeze, only to relax right after in a dreamy sound. It felt like flying with no body or worries. The winter wasn’t on them anymore. Another car passed through, the light barely touched them. The Christmas lights turned off for just a moment.

When Nathaniel found himself enough to step back, he looked right into Marc’s half lidden eyes, lips parted and still slightly humid. He smiled, and the writer mimicked him.

“I would like that.”

He wanted more reasons too.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Hello everybody! Here’s my piece for the Miraculous Ladybug Secret Santa! So brilliantly late ^^”

This is for you, @findmeinthevoid, I’m really sorry I didn’t post it earlier! But I was just a tiny bit four hours away from home :P Hopefully you enjoyed your Christmas as much as the end of the year! Happy Holidays! ^ ^

Between your ships I went for a cute Nathaniel x Marc a little fluffy with some angst, because you asked for it and also because I think these two works well because they had to deal with a pretty hard start. Also Alix is super cool and I couldn’t avoid adding some bro moments <3

Well, this is it! I really hope you liked this! ^ ^

Thanks a lot @mlsecretsanta for hosting this event, I had a lot of fun! Happy holidays to you, as well as everyone else!

See ya!! ;)

[ao3bronte]

Well, it appears I never was gifted back a Secret Santa for the @mlsecretsanta exchange! Boo!

[beebundt]

merry christmas @alazic02!!! surprise surprise, im ur secret santa for the @mlsecretsanta here to deliver all the goodies u wish for so lemme just toss this one at ya! sorry for being so late, hope you have a great year and happy holidays!!! 

edit: the french is butchered because i do not know french unfortunately, i tried my best to search for what i could! thank you for the suggestions, they really help! sorry again.

[twindoodle]

@the-bored-bookworm I am your secret santa for the @mlsecretsanta gift exchange! 

I was beyond excited that I got you for this exchange. Like, what are the odds I get a mutual?? I hope you have great holidays!!!

[globerjk]

A MIRACULOUS STORY HAPPENING AROUND CHRISTMAS

A gift for @chelseaapproved in the 2k18 Secret Santa Exchange @mlsecretsanta. This is only the second chapter but this story will continue. Here´s the link to the first one.

Happy Holidays, I hope you enjoy

CHAPTER 2

Face flushing, utterly embarrassed and clinging to just 30 inches of fabric for dear life, Adrien Agreste let out a less than masculine shirk.

“La-la-ladybug!?”

His high pitched yell was the only sound disrupting the otherwise quiet night.  

She opened her mouth, closed it and then opened it again continuing the motion several times as she froze in shock but took the time to look him up and down before collecting herself.  Finally turning around and covering her reddening face in her hands, all she could do was join him in his screech with her eyes tightly shut.

“Sorry, sorry, sorry…. Ohh my goodness Adrien, I’m so so so sorry… Ohh God, that did not just happen… I saw nothing, NOTHING! I swear!!!”

Why was this his life?

Given that this was his private suite, he was tempted to leave the bathroom totally nude.  It was almost midnight and the heater was providing the most enjoyable atmosphere to do so; at the very last second right after opening the door and without looking into the bedroom, he took a towel to put around his waist with the only purpose to get Plagg to shut up.

He wasn’t expecting anyone anyway, let alone his superhero partner to be showing up unannounced; but since the Kwami was getting in his nerves, loudly complaining about his new found liking for nudity he made the good –and very last second- call of covering himself up.

It wasn’t a kink or anything like that but just a silly thing that made him feel independent after so many years of living a controlled life in the Agreste’s household; similar to having sweets for dinner, over sleeping on the weekends or not always matching his socks.

And to think he felt exposed to his Lady when he dropped his transformation just hours ago, talk about averting catastrophic events, final destination style.  There was no Camembert big enough to show his gratitude to his annoying companion.

Maybe if he invested in a cheese factory, maybe.

After the initial shock, he grabbed the first pair of pajamas pants and weathered t-shirt available and put them on at light speed.  Placing himself in front of Ladybug, he touched her shoulder to let her know that it was ok to look at him.

They found themselves staring into each other’s eyes with matching red faces before he gestured her to sit with him on the couch.

“You know?” She finally broke the first uncomfortable silence since the beginning of their partnership.

“I don’t, but go ahead” he shrugged, still not meeting her gaze.

“Must you joke? At a time like this?” she smiled and finally began to relax, looking at him as her face tuned down to a pretty pink shade.

"Well, now that you´ve learned who I am, can you really blame me?” his smile contradicting the sadness in his voice.

“No, I suppose I can’t” she smiled fondly “actually, I makes a lot of sense” her tone was soft as she leaned over to place her head in his shoulder and her hand into his. “I came here to apologize, Adrien. It was petty of me to leave without even telling you how I felt with the turn of events and you deserve so much more than that” She took a deep breath and let it out before continuing “I signed up for Christmas fun with my partner not to get my circuits fried.”

“Sorry My Lady” he kept his gaze also blushing slightly.

“You have nothing to be sorry for” she squeezed his hand “maybe just for surprising me and stealing my thunder”

“What do you mean ´your thunder´?”

She scratched her head with her free hand, annoyed at how inaccurate she sounded “What I´m trying to say is that I was thinking, I AM thinking, about telling you who’s behind my mask, you just beat me to it, I guess" She shrugged.

“Really? Wow!” Adrien shifted making her move her head so they were facing each other.

“Not right now tough, soon. I’m wasn’t quite ready yet and I won´t let your reveal make me fell pressure. Besides…” she was cautious but he took her other hand, now holding both to encouraged her to continue.

“Now that I know who you are, I’m more convince that I need to wait”

“Why?!” He was louder than necessary, hurt and concern evident in the way he let go of her hands.

“Please don’t get the wrong idea. I love that you told me, I do” She hurried to reassure him and interlaced their fingers again “Adrien you had to deal with the identity of Hawkmoth all by yourself? I can’t even begin to imagine what you must have felt, discovering that your own father… and his goal being… “she stopped for a second to breath and then forced herself to continue “I wasn’t there for you and I´m supposed to be your best friend. when you revealed your identity, all I could see was a friend that I let down”

Tears were covering her eyes and his were starting to match. Little sobs slipping away unauthorized from her.

“Don’t worry Bug. My friends have me covered, also my annoying Kwami” he tried to lighten the mood “plus, my father and I are seeking professional help. We are going to therapy, together and apart and I’m actually moving back with him for the holidays” He placed their hands on his chest to try to convince her that it was all going better, she didn’t need to worry about him.

“Why are you consoling me when I’m here to comfort you? I wasn’t there for you as Ladybug and I wasn’t there as myself either, and there´s no one else to blame but myself. Hawkmoth was out of business; what real reason did I have to keep my identity from you? I can only assume what you felt after my poor reaction tonight and I´m so sorry for that. You must think I´m a horrible person, I felt such guilt that I couldn´t face you. I needed to think of a way to make it up to you, I still have to figured it out… But I promise that I will” She was crying so hard that it was breaking his heart.

“You don’t need to My Lady” His tone still calm, reassuring.

“I do, Chat, I do.  Because I was half there for my partner Chat, who was as surprised as me but unaffected on a personal way and I was… I mean, I’m sure your friends were there for you as Adrien but I Know you could begin to explain to them the magnitude of your situation.  What did you even tell them? That you were going through some difficulties with your father?” Breathing deeper was helping her get out of her chest what she wanted Adrien to understand. She knew that she was breaking some sort of record with this amount of rambling, but she wanted it all out.

“They think our problem is an abusive relationship and in a way that’s the truth”

Simple, no more explanations were needed and his friends where all over him. Chloe even got him a suite on his father’s hotel free of charge and during the first toughest months she, Nino, Alya and even Marinette took turns to stay with him over night.

“I was never alone. I always was at least with one of my friends and always with my Kwami. Remember Plagg? Little black kitty? The power to knock down the Eiffel tower? He’s being an amazing companion as exasperating as he can be”

“I warn you kid, the next time you are about to show your ´ding-dong´ to your Lady, there will be no annoying or exasperating kwami to stop you. You just keep insulting me and you´ll see” Plagg interrupted mockingly, making the two teen blush intently.  They released their hands as if on fire and adverted each other’s gaze.

“Plagggggg!!!!” Adrien hiss at his friend, who just went into the bathroom with a piece of cheese.

Mortified, Adrien inhaled and exhaled sharply before joining their hands once again.  Ladybug took it as a sign to continue, still very red.

"Well, now you have me as well, knowing all of you” She smiled and this time it felt genuine even with her blush and Adrien felt his heart skip a beat.

How wrong would it seem to kiss her now, since the conversation had been so dense? Probably not the best idea, so he stopped himself before leaning closer.

“So tell me, Adrien Chat Noir Agreste, what are this big plans for the holidays you mentioned?” It was good to see her calm, it helped him relax as well.

“Well, our therapist feels like we are ready to try to live together again and I have to admit that I agree.  For as much as I was disappointed and angry, I must confess that I never stopped loving my father.  He came clean to me as Adrien, you Know? Before he gave back the miraculouses” he smiled at her “that help a lot”

“Seriously?” If he could see her eyebrows they surely be up in her hairline.

“Yes, the same day.  He came to my room right before leaving for the massage house.  One hour later, the master was summoning us and the rest as they say, its history” It felt so good to tell her all of this, to finally have her being a part of his life as Adrien.  That’s what he had set out to get when he decided to reveal.  

He still loved her, very much, but he was in peace with the fact that his feelings were unrequired.  Being distracted with the hole ¨Hawkmoth turn out to be daddy¨ issue was at least helpful for this.

*

Ladybug and Adrien felt lighter after the long talk, getting closer on the couch and going from the heavy topics to brighten the mood with jokes till they felt sleep entangle in each other.

The next morning, Marinette was awakening first thanks to a remorseful Tikky.  The Kwami was sorry for not being able to hold the transformation longer but was clever enough to borrow a cookie and tap her holder´s face to get her attention before Adrien could caught her unmask and on her fluffy pajamas.

The pink light wake him but he didn’t get the chance to steal a snick peak of the girl beneath the suit.

“Good Morning beautiful” Ohh good his raspy morning voice, of course! He hurried to clear his throat.

“Morning handsome” Hey, she teased back! “I´m going to go before my parents kill me for not being in my bedroom”

“Big plans for today My Lady?”

“Not really, I´m finishing the last touches of some presents in the morning and a movie marathon with my dad for the afternoon”

“What about le réveillon de Noël?”

“Ohh well… I´m only half French and we actually celebrate tomorrow.  I may be joining a friend with his family though”

“Half French, huh? What about the other half?”

“Another story for another day” She teased “What about you, big moving day right?”

“Yes, I´d say I could use the help but I have the muscle part cover” He even flexed, morning Adrien was not a very articulate Adrien.

“By your bodyguard, I assume” she chuckled, still teasing him.

“Thanks” He frowned

“But seriously, do you need anything or?

“Don’t worry, I have a friend who´s family also celebrates tomorrow.  I was planning on asking her to accompany my father and me to the Midnight mass after the standard French dinner: Seafood and oysters as starters with bread and butter, followed by caviar, foie gras and then lots and lots of traditional Bûche de Noël”

“Looks like your friend is in for a treat, how come she doesn´t celebrate on the 24th?”

“Well, she´s half Chinese, and they celebrate on the 25th this year” He said stretching, he did not sleep well in that couch.

“Hey, what do you know! I´m also half Asian.  Ok-got-to-go-now-bye”

“What!” Adrien was surprised with that little fact about Ladybug.  Not giving him time to process, she simply half hug him and hurried out the window.  

Next part

[mlsecretsanta]

Backup gifts update!

Hello, everyone! We have just sent an email to anyone who is still missing a gift, following up to let them know the status of their backup gift. If you have not yet received a gift and did not receive an email from us, please send us an ask off anon or send us an email, and we will be sure to follow up with you!

Thanks again to everyone who created gifts for our exchange this year! It has been absolutely wonderful to see all of the incredible pieces you all made!

[alazic02]

ML Secret Santa gift for @spookyoeve!

Merry (belated) Christmas and Happy Holidays!!! Many apologies for getting this to you so late!! ;o; School started and I just now had the time to finish it BUT I hope you like it!! May your 2019 be spectacular!!!

Thanks to @mlsecretsanta for hosting!

Artwork ©: alazic02 | buy me a ko-fi

Do not repost.

[chameleongiant]

This was so last minuet ahhh I’m sorryyy TvT. I didn’t forget about you @tina-iie! I was your secret santa for @mlsecretsanta’s gift exchange this year. I was so happy when I saw you liked this pairing because until now I hadn’t actually drawn a complete piece with either of the two in it. And then this amazing scene popped into my head and it all just… it was too perfect. ;>

The initial inspiration of this piece actually came from an event that’s held at my university. Every year the school hangs Christmas lights on nearly, if not all, the tree tops and then on a particular night the public and students are invited to walk the school grounds as the lights begin flickering to life and guiding their path back out of the campus. I’ve actually missed going to it all three years I’ve been there hehe,, buuut they do always keep the lights on on the trees until the end of the year so I don’t really miss seeing them anyway. Being an animation student I tend to stay really on campus sometimes working on school projects in the labs, so getting to see the entire front of the school bathed in a warm orange glow as I walk out into the dead of night is part of why I’ve really grown to love this time of year. It was an especially comforting site to behold during my last semester. I really wanted to share some of it with you too, and what better way to do it then with a bit of foxtunes? ;)

I didn’t include lights in the end for your gift but I think that fuzzy feeling was still conveyed well enough. This was a really enjoyable piece to do. It definitely challenged me and forced me to experiment with brush tools and colors I hadn’t ever tried before. It was all trial and error throughout the entire thing, but it’s been fulfilling. I haven’t drawn this much in the last few months so it’s been great. I really hope this year has treated you well and that you’ve enjoyed this wonderful time of year as much as I have. Merry Christmas and Happy new year! :)

[miracu-ace]

Kind and Clever

Surprise, @lalunaunita , I’m you’re secret Santa! I wrote you some Ninette based on a couple of your headcanons. Enjoy!

@mlsecretsanta

Nino remembers the first time he saw Marinette. When they were both small and both quiet.

Max sat huddled in on himself, tears pooling in his eyes as Kim stood taunting overhead. Kim laughed with Max’s glasses in hand. Suddenly, Marinette wasn’t so quiet or small then, not when she stood up with a smile on her face. She immediately caught everyone’s attention as she moved over to the pair.

With bouncing pigtails, she crouched low and spoke softly to Max until his last sniffle. Then she turned to Kim. There was a genuine grin on her lips as she looked up at him and with her small hand, reached out for Max’s glasses. Just as Kim brought the glasses to her hand, Marinette stepped aside. Leaving Kim with his hand outstretched towards Max. Max recovered first and took the opportunity to reclaim his glasses. After a quick glance to Marinette for reassurance, Max stuck out his hand to meet Kim’s. All it took was an awkward handshake before the two acted as if nothing had happened.

Watching her and her bright blue eyes, Nino realized he wanted to meet her officially. Maybe even become friends with her. Resolute, he took a deep breath and tightly gripped the edge of his shirt. When he finally built up enough courage, Nino approached Marinette from behind.

His hands shook a little as they unwound themselves from the end of his shirt. Slowly, he raised his hand and reached out to her. He grabbed the end of one of her pigtails and clumsily pulled. Too hard. He hadn’t meant to hurt her; he hadn’t realized how hard he had pulled until a sharp ouch left her lips.

The smile disappeared when she turned to look at him. Replaced now with an exaggerated pout as her hands went up to rub the tender spot. Nino froze with an apology stuck in his throat and swallowed hard. Weakly, he waved the offending hand in a halfhearted hello.

Marinette’s eyebrows scrunched together, hands still rubbing her head. Until finally, she raised one hand and tugged his hat down over his face. She hadn’t meant to pull so hard nor let out the giggle that bubbled up her throat. Slowly, Nino raised his head up and tilted his head back up. Marinette waved her hand at him and Nino felt his heart beat faster when she smiled back at him.

He didn’t have enough courage to start up a conversation with her then, but they fell into a rhythm with their simple hellos. Nino was a lot more careful with her pigtails. Even practicing on the curtains at home much to the confusion of his mother and humor of his father.

It wasn’t until a year later when Chloe ended up in a class with them that Nino realized there were people that even Marinette couldn’t handle with her cheery smile. There weren’t enough baked goods in the world to appease Chloe. Marinette’s pigtails became an object of ridicule as Chloe taunted her for looking like a child. Nino watched from the back, too shy to act and a foul taste in his mouth. Marinette went home crying and the next day her pigtails were gone. Replaced instead with a clean bun.

He hadn’t noticed at first. Walking in the door, he had been resolute in his decision to make up for hiding, but he froze when he came up behind Marinette. His hand floating in the empty space where a pigtail should have been. Only Rose noticed while she was in the middle of complimenting Marinette’s new hairstyle. He disappeared before Rose could finish and all Marinette noticed was the cool breeze against her neck. Nino watched from the corner of his eye as he disappeared into the back. She covered her neck with a hand, briefly searching for the cause, but he turned away in time to miss her gaze. Marinette turned back to Rose and smiled at the compliment, but even from a distance, Nino could tell it was forced. He learned to get used to the bitter taste in his mouth.

It wasn’t until several years later that the pigtails make a comeback. It was as if Marinette had been waiting for the year that Chloe would be in a different class and finally gave in when it seemed like it would never happen. There was a moment of shock and Nino wanted nothing more than to approach her. To see if she remembered, but he hung back. Disappearing into the world of music in the back of the class like always. Lowering the bill of his cap to comfort himself just as Chloe walked in.

Suddenly, he was moved to the front of the class with a grumble. Situated by an empty seat and in front of Chloe and Sabrina, perfect. He couldn’t help but notice the pigtails now, off to the side with a new girl. He wanted to be jealous, but he would rather see the old Marinette come out of her shell with the new girl, so he smiled to himself instead.

And then there was Ladybug. There was something about Ladybug. Nino wasn’t sure what exactly it was about her, but she brought back the old Marinette. Even more, than Alya could have. Those bright eyes and smile were back along with her kindness. This time she learned, learned to both be kind and clever.

He nearly jumps when a hand appears in front of him and tugs his hat low. Way too low and he nearly tumbles. His cheeks are red when a giggle fills the air and slowly he lifts the bill back where it should be. Rubbing his ears with a grumble, Nino eyes the perpetrator. And there’s Marinette. She gives him a little wave and moves to rejoin Alya side across the room. He stops her, tugging ever so gently on her pigtail, he can feel his heart skip a beat. Returning the wave, his cheeks are dusted pink. Marinette is smiling when she turns away and Nino feels his heart picking up the pace. So much so, that he wonders if it will beat out of his chest.

Adrien’s shoulder knocks him back into the world. To Nino, he is both the new kid and a new friend. Curious green eyes stare back at him and Nino pulls the bill of his hat back down his face. Anything he can do to hide the growing smile on his lips and miss the knowing look both Adrien and Alya are giving him.

It’s amazing, Nino thinks to himself, watching as Marinette comes back to herself. He wanted to thank Ladybug someday for all she had done. Going so far as to promise himself that he will.

The opportunities came and went. The timing never felt right, especially after Nino became the Bubbler. The guilt was something Adrien couldn’t understand and he hoped Adrien never would. Instead, he found solace in Alya’s assurance, who understood the sentiment after becoming Lady Wifi.

Deep down, Nino feared for the day Marinette might be targeted by a little butterfly. However, another part of him challenged that the new Marinette was untouchable. After all, she was kind and clever now.

Then Anansi happened and Nino was suddenly thrust to the front again. He wasn’t prepared to fight an Akuma, not like Ladybug and Chat Noir were, but he couldn’t sit back when an Akuma was hitting so close to home. Fighting with Chat’s staff in hand, he had known he was outmatched.

And then he had been flung away. Only to be saved by Ladybug of course. She had tried changing his mind, but they both knew he wouldn’t budge. He had waited for her to send him somewhere far off, but instead, she had offered her hand to him with a box resting in her palm.

Nino became Carapace. He became a protector.

Together, Carapace and Ladybug saved Alya and defeated Anansi.

The team-up felt so natural to Nino, he had wondered if it was purely by magic. Wayzz had assured him it was not.

Returning the miraculous to Ladybug had not been easy, but it did make it easier for him to find the courage to thank her. The words came so smoothly over his lips. Thank you for saving Paris. For saving Alya. For saving Marinette.

Her eyebrows scrunched up in confusion. She hadn’t saved Marinette, the bakery girl had been nowhere near danger, of that she assured him.

With red cheeks, Nino explained himself. How her arriving in Paris had brought back the Marinette he admired so much. So lost in his words, Nino missed her cheeks tinting pink. But not her smile or the way her eyes softened. They reminded him of Marinette. They were his favorite after all, first her eyes and then her lips. He also liked her pigtails, a close third.

He hadn’t meant to say them aloud and only stopped when he noticed Ladybug’s face was as red as her suit.

Nino ears burned as Ladybug swung off, earrings beeping in warning.

She’s very lucky to have someone care about her like that.