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gamma-squad · 4 years ago

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The Ultimate Gamma Squad Fic Rec List

From Angst to Fluff to Reveals, fanfiction will make you cry :D

Adrinette

Double Blind Date - Alya knows Ladybug and Chat Noir's identities, and now that they're finally in the same city at the same time, she is determined to get them to meet.

The Bravery of Adrien Agreste - adrien ends up living on the streets for a while, it's extremely well written and has also adrien marrying marinette to emancipate from his father. There's also a sequel, the Bravery of Marinette Dupain-Cheng, which the author is currently writing.

Lovelace - Convinced that he's unlovable, Adrien is quickly thrown for a loop when Marinette confesses her love for him out of the blue. An akumatization and reveal later, he changes his mind about being unlovable.

The Bravery of Marinette Dupain-Cheng - After the defeat of Hawkmoth, Adrien and Marinette are strangers to each other, but somehow… married? - Sequel to The Bravery of Adrien Agreste

Soulmate Survey - A brand new dating app hits the scene, giving you a percentage of how well you match with someone else. And it is taking the world, and certain teenagers, by storm.

Cats are Colorblind! - Reverse Crush AU - Ladynoir/Adrinette - Adrien is blind but he can... feel Marinette’s features? Which happen to be the same ones as Ladybugs (Reveal)

have the stars blotted out in a brilliant morse code - Fluffy Adrinette moments and reveal? beautiful

Strength - Crack/Fluff oneshot with a reveal

Marry That Girl - Adrien finds Marinette’s plans for their wedding and just falls

League of Losers - Slightly Different Superhero AU with crack angst and fluff

You, Me & A Little Bit of the Future - future ladynoir asks adrinette to babysit and everythings cute

Practice Makes Purr-fect - Adrinette/Ladynoir + Reveal and kisses (all you need in life <3)

wish you were here - demon au, adrien is just really confused

The Moving Statue - AKDJSSD - Adrinette + Reveal

Operation Mega-Sleepover - Adrinette Sleepover Shenanigans

Butt Dial - Marinette butt dials Adrien and all his plans for a normal afternoon jumped out the window (Reveal)

The Wedding Plans of Marinette Dupain-Cheng - Adrien finds Marinette’s wedding guest list for their future wedding and he’s like ‘WHERE AM I?’ (boy you’re the groom)

Plagg Meets Marinette

i hope that fate will forgive us (for tempting the sea) - mermaid royalty au and arranged marriages - Felix x Bridgette and Adrinette - also the author is v nice <33

The Player and the Princess - Childhood friends turned enemies turned lovers <3

take me back- By marvelousmsmol

By Design - By marvelousmsmol (Still going!)

Graine de toi - By komorebirei (Still going? I’m not sure)

Smoulder - By midnightstarlightwrites (this is adorable and full of ships! Also, finished 36/36).

Lucky Us - By PrincessKitty1 (Sigh, it’s too cute! Finished 30/30).

Facades - AU with dark!Adrien. Has even a short sequel (lovesquare but mainly centered around the two main ships)

Kiss shy - By emsylcatac (This is a great one-shot!)

i don't have a latte but give me a shot - By marvelousmsmol (The one-shot, i wish was a series).

Under Lock and Key - By EdenDaphne, Maerynn (the antics! Finish 10/10)

The Woman With Blue Eyes - By ghostgirl19 (One-shot!)

Friends By Day, Enemies By Night - By Dristi5683 (This is 49/49, there’s also marichat and angst ladynoir)

A Bride for the Prince - by ChocoluckChipz (Totally_lucky) and TheNovelArtist

Penumbra - Adrienette hurt comfort, rated M for serious topics like implied noncon as a minor

keep me in your thoughts - adrienette soulmate au

Passionfruit- Adrienette soulmate au series with 3 parts

a chat in disneyland - pretty self explanatory, chat noir antics and slightly traumatized workers, everythings great

Finding Diamonds in the Rough - A prince escaping the confines of his castle. A girl who saves a naive visitor. The connection built between these two of different worlds. Welcome to another Arabian night.

Out of Your Hair - Adrien wants to support Kitty Section during their first large concert in the park, but dad says no. So of course there’s only one way this can go

Infatuation - Adrinette childhood enemies to ‘I hate you but i seriously want to kiss you’

Blindsided - Adrinette/Ladynoir - Ladybug gets hit by an akuma and goes blind but hey! Adrien/Chat Noir is literally the most amazing person ever and that helps (Reveal)

Just a Friendly Game Night - The four teenagers arrange a game night at Marinette’s house. What could go wrong

Just Best Friends - The sequel to ‘Just a Friendly Game Night’ where the teenagers deal with what went wrong

We’ve Got It Covered - Marinette needs to create a concept album cover design for Jagged Stone, but when she can’t get anything, the stress builds…

Le Prix du Silence - this is in French, by Etoile-lead-Sama, but it's so worth google translating! Especially her inverted umbrella scene where Marinette gives the umbrella back to Adrien because she wants to rid her feelings for him and in that moment he realises that he's in love with her… *heartbreak* but it's all wonderful and her slow burn is exceptional

Shop, Bake, Eat... - Crack, mature humor and content

Having a Ball - Adrien and Marinette attend a Victorian ball without recognizing each other.

In Which Adrien Agreste Butt Dials Ladybug - Based on NY Special, what if Adrien kept the remote to the cat toy in his back pocket?

The Jacket - Marinette gives a black jacket to Adrien and he thinks she's figured him out.

Stuck In A Bakery (With You) - during the pandemic, Adrien gets stuck in the bakery with Marinette and family.

MariChat:

Chat Got Your Back - Lila I don’t like you and neither does Chat

Burgundy and Blush - Marinette needs a date for the dance, and Chat Noir is happy to help. But can the two teens in denial make it through the night without catching feelings?

The Trouble With Kissing Boys - When an akuma handcuffs Chat Noir and Marinette together, true feelings are revealed… but only to get the cuffs off. Really

double jeu - An injured Chat Noir leads to a frantic Marinette and frequent midnight visits neither of them had expected to get used to.

Lace or Leather - Sequel to Burgundy and Blush

Stand-In Journalist - MariChat being besties

spark - marichat dating app shenanigans

Forget-Me-Not - Marinette looses her memories a little bit (unfinished)

Jealousy - Onesided reveal and then it turns into a love confession and a reveal

When Duty and Desire Meet - By EdenDaphne, midnightstarlightwrites. (Still going! Its so romantic, the yellow rose hits me the most)

Selfless - By ghostgirl19 ( I wish this fic was still going but it’s not! It’s discontinued!! T~T)

The Cat, the Bell, and the Wardrobe (Malfunction) - ChocoluckChipz (Totally_lucky), Eizabet, KryallaOrchid, Maerynn, midnightstarlightwrites. (I know the embracement... It’s also a one-shot!)

The Wingman Visits - By NiuNiu. (This is completed with 16/16 and rated mature!).

I Won’t Hold You Back - THE BEST PROM FIC YOU’LL EVER READ. Adrien invites Mari to prom. In which Adrien Awkward Awkward Awkward Athanase Agreste makes an appearance.

A Gamer’s Pride - No miraculous but they’re video game partners and they hate each other but they like each other and HHHHHHHH

Diamonds never leave you... men do! - Marinette the cop and Chat Noir the criminal (they’re dating <3)

Kiss and Dash - It starts of when Marinette kisses Adrien on a dare and runs off but it really spirals out of control when Chat Noir takes revenge with his own kiss and dash. Do all people kiss the same way? Adrienette/Marichat/Ladynoir/Ladrien. - I THINK I ASCENDED WHILE READING THE FIRST CHAPTER

No Longer Running From - After an Akuma attack, Marinette runs off in order to avoid Chat Noir, but she didn’t count on him being so willing to come after her.

Chat Blanc - Chat Blanc fights with reveals and Adrien being a good person even when akumatized

Worries - Chat is very concerned for the well-being of Marinette who he has noticed, decides to run into akuma battles in a very much not safe way

Rooftop Tears and Gentle Hugs [Vent] - Marinette goes mute for a week, and everybody is worried. It seems only a concerned Chat is the one to finally reach her.

Tendencies - (series) lots of good writing starting out as marichat and then a reveal

Just Chatting - Chat crashes onto Marinette's balcony and continues to visit. Marinette finds herself impulsively getting closer to him, and then everything goes to shit.

Reves de Noir et Blanc - LISTEN. MARICHAT HURT/COMFORT AFTER A NIGHTMARE MAKES ME FEEL CERTAIN THINGS

Physical Touch - Chat Noir, my amazing child, is touch starved. Marinette is happy to help with some cuddles

It’s Okay to Cry - THE SUMMARY ALONE GOT ME FEELING SOME STUFF LET MARINETTE SHOW EMOTION - Marinette feels the burden of not letting her negative emotions show, since Ladybug cannot let herself be akumatized, no matter what. A cat is there to let her vent.

heartstrings - HHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA - they frggin kiss and its dramatic and teenage drama and romace

Crushed - Stuck under a collapsed building together, Chat Noir and Marinette have a heart to heart. (Reveal)

Every Heartbeat: A Marichat May 2021 Story: - Reeling from a brutally difficult day, Marinette finds her life becomes amazingly complicated after impulsively inviting Chat Noir to spend the evening with her. But when the suave feline begins to weave his way into her heart, she realizes rather quickly just how conflicted her feelings for her partner truly are.

A Roll of the Dice - AVERT YOUR EYES INNOCENT CHILDREN - mature (obviously) Alya gives Marinette an adult dice set and at night time, Chat Noir dares her to use it.

tell me something i don’t know - the infamous marichat soulmate au by the beloved carpisuns

Trading (Momentary) Burdens - UM. YOU HAD ON RIGHT?? I AM SAD??- Ladybug gets hurt mid-fight and Chat has to turn into Misterbug to save her

Miraculous Dupont - Marinette finds herself attacked by Chat Blanc, an akuma at the orders of Hawkmoth. But before the akuma can do any damage, she's saved by Chat Noir, a superhero who is fighting the akumas. Chat Noir senses something in her and takes her to the magical school he attends, Miraculous Dupont, where Master Fu, the head teacher, agrees that she has potential to be a Miraculous holder. So Marinette is thrown into a world of hidden identities, akuma fights and mysteries and ends up by discovering that this whole world wasn't that unknown to her to start with, that the boy behind the mask, of whom she desperately falls in love, wasn't a stranger from her too, and it's all connected to two lucky charms, a seal and a mysterious magical potion she (and her friends) should never have been exposed to...

Tyger, Tyger, Burning Bright - chat noir gives the tiger miraculous to marinette. I love her concept of the tiger miraculous, so cool!

Terror on La Seine - Villains weren't supposed to help when there are others in need. But can Hawk Moth truly stand aside and do nothing? Especially when a young woman he knows personally is in danger? TW: implied trafficking

Madness Within - If you want slowburn, feral Chat Noir and dark themes this is a great place to start and I’m super excited for what’s to come. Very highly recommend

you came to me with gold and i mended the pieces - Adrien gets into a really ugly argument with his father, and as a result the poor boy gets a slap right across the face. In a daze, he runs away from home, transforms, and decides to seek comfort in a really close friend of his.

I’ll Be Your (Wing)Man - When Chat Noir finds Marinette sighing over her failed love life, he decides to help her get the boy of her dreams. Nothing can go wrong here. Absolutely nothing.

The Tendencies Series - HIGHLY RECOMMEND and will sure to keep you busy for a while

LadyNoir:

A Summer Treat - LadyNoir Icecream date in Shanghai and lovestruck adrien

TKO - LadyNoir workouts and they KISS

Doctor, Doctor, Give me The News (Your Lips Is The Only Cure I Could Use) - Plagg’s sick, Adrien’s in love, Shit Happens™

Of Yellows, Pinks and Blues - New York Special LadyNoir but with ROSES

Long Live - LadyNoir based on the song <3

Letters of Lovers - LadyNoir writing down all their feelings on letters BUT THEN AT THE END THEY READ IT + Reveal

A Bad Dream - Ladybug tells Chat about a ‘dream’ where he was Chat Blanc (spoiler alert: it wasn’t a dream)

The Bug and Cat Show - ADKLJSASD READ THIS

You’re My Sight - Adrien is blind but with the miraculous, he can see and this is very much a wonderful thing to happen to him. One day he tells Ladybug.

United - OMFG - ladynoir established relationship (+Reveal)

a nine-year-old - i havent met anyone that hasn’t read this fic but still (im still sorry emsy, i believed you were 9 with my entire heart 😭)

Death By Ladybug - Flirty Ladybug and Flustered Chat Noir

Chat Noir’s White French Man Hitlist For Feminist Purposes - (THIS HAS A PODFIC NOW)

Liquid Luck - LadyNoir Banter + Reveal

Symphony - Adrinette/LadyNoir + Reveal (with the best ending ever omg)

The Miraculous Tweets of @luckylady and @chatnoir - Internet Shenanigans

Problems - ladynoir fluff

Only a beat a cat can hear - Ladybug tells Chat when he finds out about her blindness that she scared about him leaving her. He’s having none of this self deprecating stuff and reassures her that he loves her a lot and nothing changes that.

M’Lady - THEIR LAST DAYS AS SUPERHEROES :’’’’))) (Reveal)

It was just a cheek kiss! - Ladybug slowly falling for Chat and them finally getting together (my friends thought I was getting murdered when I readthis. So many screams)

Discordant Sonata - EdenDaphne (Still going!)

like poles of a magnet - By maketea (8/8! It's finished!)

From the Ashes - By MiniMinou (Finish! Btw this is angst and mature rated)

Ladybug and Chat Noir's Guide to the Rooftops of Paris - PipTheMagnificent (One-shot!)

in the dead of night, your eyes so green - this ones by miraculouslycool so you know its good

Day 7: Interview - Chat Noir being cute with kids

Misunderstanding - LadyNoir Identity Shenanigans <3

Not Kitten Around, Badylug - the road to reveal, integrating parts of S4, all in mobile texts. Sweet, funny. The kind of pick-me up you need after an angsty ep.

Two Seconds - perfect for a light morning read.

i think it’s time i told you (im a fan of your universe) - LadyNoir (AND THEY GET MARRIED)

It’s Not PDA If You’re Just Friends - They’re just friends! Friends can kiss each others shoulders and spin each other around, right?

I Guess That Makes Us Even - Chat Noir dying = REALLY SAD LADYBUG AND COMFORT - its by buggchat so you already know its simply superior

Red Strings and Markers - Soulmate AU my beloved

little kitty on the rood, wearing his lady’s boxers - Adrien in Ladybug boxers, Marinette in the pool with her pjamas, Adrien uses his one braincell and realizes some pretty shocking things (Reveal)

dont let me die alone - okay so you may get a lil sad but you know

Return to Base - LadyNoir laser tag baby, Adrienette laser tag with LadyNoir dynamic, reveal

The Ladyblog Comment Section - they like to annoy alya in the comments. and flirt. but they dont realize the last part yet

Irreplaceable - Adrien is insecure. Marinette doesn't let anyone talk bad about her partner.

Where are you Chat Noir? - As the final battle unfolds to their defeat, Hawkmoth and Mayura use plan b and withdraw in a 'Sentiworld', a parallel reality created with an Amok. What's worse, they drag Chat Noir with them. What's even worse, Ladybug can't say goodbye, or I love you. Guilty and desperate, what will she be ready to sacrifice to get her partner back? (Rated R for mature content)

Kitty Chat Kisses - Give Chat more kisses please, this was so sweet and cute and sad and just...someone give Chat some hugs and kisses and tell him he did a good job

i’ll marry you - Chat Noir talks to his sleepy girlfriend about their future.

Upon the Eiffel Tower, They Reveal it All. - Chat Noir spots Ladybug heading towards the Eiffel tower without telling him, and when he checks on her, finds out more than he thought he would.

Two Hundred and Fifty Four - aspik angst :’)

Ladrien:

bang bang - KISSES

whose woods these are (I think I know) - FIRST OF ALL, its a cinderella au and its MAGNIFICENT - Four years after his future turns to cinders, Adrien is a servant in the house he was meant to inherit. Disowned by his father and abused by his stepmother, his days are filled with drudgery until he meets a masked huntress in the forest behind his father's chateau.As his friendship with Ladybug turns to first love, he dreams of a future spent at her side.Then, on the eve of the Princess's masquerade, he meets his guardian—and is granted a wish.

The Tell-Tale Kiss - Adrien gets discouraged when Ladybug turns down Paris’ favorite cat every time. But what if Paris’ favorite model asks her?

The Cat and His Daffodils - I adore Hanahaki AU’s and this was one was really good and wonderfully angsty.

Post/One Sided Reveal:

Serendipitous Fate - With Hawkmoth growing stronger, Chat Noir and Ladybug need to practice. And get teammates. And grow stronger together. Which means learning each other’s identity, no matter the risks. Unfinished, but worth it. Also, there is some smut near the end, but the author warns the reader on the exact chapter and it is very skippable

switch it up - Adrien uses the Ladybug miraculous and everyone simps even harder

Remember That Time When... - Marinette is ready to enjoy her wedding anniversary with her wondrful husband. Except when she wakes up, she’s not going to be able to celebrate her anniversary. In fact, she’s seventeen again.

Divide By Infinity - Post-Reveal Adrinette being adorable and looking at LadyNoir moments

Bad Day - Adrien finds out Marinette’s Ladybug on the toilet and everything just does downhill from there

Get Agrekt - Post Reveal + Drunk Adrien my beloved

Under The Stars - PROPOSAL

Do You Hear That, Love? - Post-Reveal angst and babies

Side Effects of Paw-esome Merch: Model Chokes on Air - Post Reveal Marinette making my poor boy adrien consciously try not to die by wearing Chat Noir merch

Serotonin Boosts - ADRIEN LOVES HIS GIRLFRIEND OKAY?

When the Wedding Bells Toll - Post Reveal Adrinette pretend to date to get free food at a wedding (ha ha guess who fell in love againnnn)

All You Had to Do Was Stay - first of all, OOF - Marinette and Adrien reveal their identities and he panics and Marinette, three years later, sees him again for Alya’s wedding with the urge to both kiss him and punch him in the face

Adrinette April Day 23: Sunset - CUTE FLUFFY PEOPLE (its by sketchy-panda)

Forget-Me-Not - written way before oblivio but basically, oblivio

The Wall Between Us - Lukanette, Adrigami, Alya finding out, lovesquare reveal, Adrien finding out Gabe is Hawkmoth, then theres Adrinette being in love and MarcNath walking in them making out. Its a whole vibe. Two Seconds was written in response to this :D

Mari Me - CHRISTMAS PROPOSALS AND CHILDREN ARE BEAUTIFUL OKAY?

Trolling Alya - After Adrien and Marinette reveal their identities to each other, instead of going right into dating, they agree to just be friends and take their time. Alya is not having it.

The Biological Imperative - excellent explicit story with an interesting concept about tikki being able to freeze the power of all miraculouses in her box in case of marinette's pregnancy. Adrienette of course.

The Closest Thing to Love - god i love a good fake dating story - post reveal Aged Up - adrien decides that the best way to gain independence from his dad was to get married. To who you ask? Of course its his lady, Marinette Dupain Cheng. Nothing could go wrong! They’re just friends after all.

Not A Ship But Hella good Stories

Papa Bear - In which Tom is the one to figure out Adrien’s home life is putting him in danger and helps Adrien escape.

Nooroo Uses a Swear Word - He really, really does. But he has a very good reason, so... let's hear him out, shall we? Crackfic, one-shot.

Move to Safety - Sort of a longer take on the ‘ Adrien runs away and seeks shelter with the Dupain-Chengs’. Involves the final battle and Adrien knowing Gabe is Hawkmoth.

I Know, Kid - Plagg has a very important conversation with his holder when they return home after defeating Guiltrip.

Chat Noir is My Science Teacher - When Mattheu Magan witnesses his chemistry teacher, Adrien Dupain-Cheng, transform into his favorite superhero Chat Noir, he becomes the Monkey Miraculous holder Monkid, going on adventures and learning what it means to be a hero alongside under his new meow-ntor. (OC, Adventure, Aged-up - Yall ive only known Mattheu for like, a month BUT I LOVE HIM WITH ALL MY HEART)

Won’t Tell a Soul - Nino finds out that Marinette is Ladybug and keeps the secret. Kind of.

Motherfucking Superheroes - Directly following the events of the season 3 finale, Alya Cesaire decides to create a groupchat with all the known Miraculous holders, which sets off an investigation into Ladybug’s identity. (Crack, Groupchat/Text fic)

My Boy - Gabriel creates a sentimonster copy of himself to free himself from unimportant matters, but he didn’t expect it to become more human than himself. (Angst, Mentions of torture)

The Malicious Pavilin - Evil gay Emilie is a whole ass mood

Never Sing At Home - Based on that ‘hey, bad news and good news. Bad news, Hawkmoth knows my identity, good news, I know his!’ prompt on tumblr

Bite off more than you can chew and you’ll choke - Lila gets exposed fics my beloved

ouef, ouch, owie - Chat and Rena plan some Aspik-related shenanigans to cover up Chat’s secret identity when Ladybug decides to have all the Miraculous heroes train together. (Crack)

What the Cat Dragged In - MCU Crossover

the last day on earth - Chat Blanc angst is top-tier

Air Miraculous - Miraculous but with Basketball and Shoes

how the strings intertwine - MDC Fic - UNFINISHED BUT AMAZING

Nine Lives - Hurt/Comfort, Adrien Centric

In Good Hands - in which Ladybug tells Chat Noir about her new confidant and Chat chooses his own.

How Nino Waged War with Gabriel Agreste - By ChocolateXMyMouth (Still going!)

The Inappropriate Touching Talk - this is another pure crack. Gabriel finds out that Adrien "touches inappropriately" Marinette and decides to have "the talk" (or rather have someone else have the talk with him)

Broken - Cop AU with lots of angst :D

Informant - miracuclass group chat au with identity shenanigans

Lucky Fox Paradox - Marinette gives succeeds in giving Alya the ladybug miraculous. And regrets it. Enter, the fox miraculous.

“I have plan” - based on the ‘Ladybug joins the fight as multimous and she and rena rouge won’t let adrien leave to transform and its just crack’

Sting - Chat Noir mysteriously vanished, and as much as Ladybug hates it, she can’t do her job alone. Which is why she decides to give Adrien to bee miraculous until her partner returns!

Accidental Dates - The four friends make a group chat to plan game nights. Some people tend to take it further

Leave for Mendeleiev - Marinette is in Mendeleiev’s class instead of Bustier’s, meaning new friends and different relationships

Ridiculous, Utterly Ridiculous - rejected one time too many, Chat Noir ends in tears on someone's balcony. No, not Marinette's. Chloé's. And no, it doesn't end with an adrikloe (or how it's called). Chloé actually ends up being a good friend (*insert ohhhh of surprise*)

I’ll Handle This - Adrien accepts a deal with Plagg for the black kwami to resolve his problems. And Plagg succeeds.

let’s get covered in flames and play some games with the smoke - 1920s enemies to lovers soulmates au that makes me want to jump off a building in a good way

Ruffled - Harry Potter AU

Passionfruit - Adrienette soulmate au series with 3 parts

Repetition - One day adrien stumbles upon hawkmoth’s lair. In response, Gabe wipes his memory and is done with it. until it happens again, and again, and again…

Bite Me. - Vampire!Alya one-shot. Really good world-building in this one chapter alone!

“I have a plan.” - Really funny one-shot where Marinette’s idea of going in as Multimouse doesn’t exactly pan out how she wanted it to.

Back to Us - After a reveal so shocking it rocks the core of Paris itself, the villain Hawk Moth is finally defeated...at a great personal cost to heroes Ladybug and Chat Noir. With the city safe, they go their separate ways, returning to the lives they were forced to put on hold since receiving their Miraculous.

Free Falling - Fantastic story with amazing and well written themes that I really just adored reading. Beautifully written and wonderful plot/story

Other Ships (outside of Love Square):

The Worst and Best Thing - GabeNath, drama and angst with a happy ending

Operation Lovebirds - DJWifi - Alya and Nino try and get Adrien and Marinette together, and get more than they thought they would

Phase Eight - Sequel to Operaton Lovebirds - Three years after the failure of Operation Lovebirds, Alya and Nino’s relationship is tested when Alya comes across a startling secret.

Cola Date - DJWifi - When Alya finds herself on a date with the wrong guy she searches for unconventional help to get her out of this. Luckily, the cute waiter doesn't mind to help her out with a favor.

Soundless - Lukadrien - Luka has the Ladybug Miraculous and can pretty much tell who’s Chat Noir

Hotdogs and Icecream - Lukagami - Luka and Kagami hanging out while Adrinette are being in love during the NY Special

#gamma squad #fic rec list #admin: inimoo and thesquipproject #we worked our asses off on this adkljsds

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mc-lukanette · 4 years ago

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*crawls over completely exhausted* No Canon Lukanette... Need fluff... maybe salt too...

Luka gave Marinette's parents a smile as he waited for Marinette to come downstairs, though to say he was concerned was an understatement. He and Marinette hadn't been dating for long, but he knew something was wrong due to her song singing even more stress-filled notes than usual. He wanted to talk to her about it, but also wanted her to open up to him herself when she was ready.

Wanting to focus on smiling for her when she came down, Luka shook off the thought and stared up at Marinette's trap door. Seeing that she hadn't come down yet - understandable given that she had no idea he was there - he pulled out his phone and navigated to her contact. However, just before he could tap on it, there was an abrupt, loud, and unusual noise coming from Marinette's room, followed by the sound of Marinette yelping and presumably hitting the floor.

Luka gasped. “Marinette!”

Not even thinking, he hurried upstairs, phone clutched tightly in his hand as he pushed the trap door up and let himself in.

Over a dozen tiny kwami were speeding around her room, each with distinct voices and one of whom he recognized as Sass. He'd initially thought that the Liberty was chaos, and it was, but there was something different about fifteen little melodies all moving around simultaneously and wreaking havoc. They hadn't even seemed to notice that he was there.

There was also a ladybug-patterned ellipsoid lying on the table in the middle of it all, though Luka's eyes fixated mostly on Marinette lying there on the floor, now staring at him with wide eyes as he took in the whole situation.

"L-luka!" she greeted, voice forced. "W-what a surprise! I mean, you must be surprised at my toy collection! See, there's—there’s this magnetism thing going on that lets them seem like they're flying and—"

She was cut off as one of the kwami accidentally dropped something to the floor, making her flinch from the loud noise. Even the sound all around the room was overwhelming, the little beings ignoring Marinette’s panic in favor of playing with her things.

That's when the tears started, subtly at first until Marinette let out a whimper.

Ignoring all the revelations he just went through, Luka hurried to Marinette's side, helping her up and checking her for injuries. "Marinette, are you okay—"

"You know!" she cut in, running her fingers anxiously through her hair. "You're not supposed to know!"

He took a breath, recognizing that he was going to have to deal with these revelations now. "It's okay. I promise, I'd never—"

"No, it's not okay!" she argued, throwing her hands out. "I've been guardian for just a few days and this—this isn't—! I already—and now the kwami are out—!" She slumped and dropped her gaze to the floor, ashamed. "I'm a bad guardian. I'm a bad girlfriend. I couldn't protect you from knowing!"

"Marinette, you're not a bad girlfriend. You—" He paused, something occurring to him. "Protect me...?"

He hadn't been Viperion for long, but Luka remembered the importance given to secret identities. He understood that it was a form of protecting oneself and one's loved ones, meaning that a permanent hero like Ladybug needed to keep hers a secret the most.

"Is..." His stomach twisted in knots as he remembered all the dates she'd had to either miss or postpone. He bent down, trying to look at her face, and when he still couldn't, he gently cupped her face and encouraged her to make eye contact with him. "Is that why—"

"Yes! That's why I have to keep cutting our dates short, and not being there for you, and not going on patrols with Chat, and why I haven't had time to take those stupid Adrien pictures down! I can't do anything right!"

At some point, the volume of her voice had finally drawn the attention of the kwami, who all stared at her like children watching their parent having a breakdown and feeling awkward about it. Luka paid them no mind, his heart breaking as he processed all the information Marinette was telling him while all he could do was pull her into a hug and just hold her.

"I'm sorry I found out like this," he admitted, running his hand up and down along her back. "I'm glad that I know but I would've wanted you to share that secret with me instead."

"I-I'm sor—"

"Please don't apologize, Marinette," he gently begged. "I hate hearing songs with meanings I don't agree with. You don't have anything to feel sorry for. If I had the ladybug earrings instead, I would've had to do the same thing as you, and you wouldn't have asked me to apologize, would you?"

She looked up at him, expression pained and full of so many burdens that he couldn't believe he hadn't seen before. He brushed her fringe aside and rested his palm against her forehead, concerned about how pale she seemed and worried that she'd stress herself to a cold.

She leaned into his touch, then further until he was forced to move his hand away. She buried her face in his chest, surprising him as she hugged him tightly. Her song turned from the harsh wail of an electric guitar to the mellow tones of an acoustic, and he sighed in a mixture of relief and happiness.

"...Luka," she murmured, lightly clutching whatever fabric she could reach. "The movie. We'll miss it at this rate."

He hummed, half in response to what she said and half in content. "You're so much more important than the movie."

His heart skipped a beat when she actually giggled, her grip on him loosening and the hug turning to something she did because she wanted to, not for comfort. "More important than Jagged Stone?"

He chuckled, burying his face into her hair as he returned the hug. "Always. Even my idol can't compete with my muse."

She leaned further into him, her melody picking up hints off a bell chiming happily. She almost knocked him over from how much of her weight she was putting on him, but he didn't protest and even enjoyed it; it meant she was trusting him with her secrets instead of shouldering the weight herself.

"I know I couldn't have known," he began, "but I'm sorry that our dates took up your time. I never wanted to cause you any stress."

"But I wanted to!" she insisted, jolting up to look at him. "It's just—it's been a lot, and—"

He placed two fingers against her lips before she could start rambling. "Marinette, I don't need to go on normal dates to have fun with you."

She blinked, waiting for him to move his fingers before asking, "Y-you don't?"

He smiled. "Of course not. I can hang out here while you work, while you do important stuff."

With a small, amused snort, she pulled away from him and wiped any stray tears away. "You're 'important stuff.'"

He grinned like the love-struck fool that he was, then shrugged. "Well, I'll still be here anyway then, right?"

"That's true." She paused, glancing off to the side in consideration, then looked back at him as she asked, "in that case... would you help me with something?"

"Anything," he answered immediately.

She pointed, his gaze drawn to her wall full of Adrien pictures. "Like I said, I haven't had the time, and... I've been wanting to remodel forever."

He was more than happy to help, and there was a selfish part of him that considered it far better than any movie they could've seen.

—————

It took a bit more time than either of them anticipated to take down all of the images, but between the two of them, it wasn't a hard job. The biggest time-waster during the whole thing was Marinette's rambling, but Luka welcomed it wholeheartedly.

Due to not watching much TV, he honestly hadn't heard about what'd happened when Jagged Stone had been at the bakery and the camera crew had invaded Marinette's privacy, and he couldn't believe how much mental stress she must've gone through. After all, even though he and Juleka shared a room, there was still a divider for when they needed their privacy, so he wasn't unaware about how personal it was to have one's room recorded without their consent, even if nothing embarrassing got caught on camera.

It seemed cruel to know that Paris' supposedly lucky superhero was perhaps one of the unluckiest people he'd ever known.

Almost on cue, just when the last picture was down and Marinette was debating on what to do with them, her phone went off with a ringtone that sounded very much like danger. Looking over, there was a butterfly symbol flashing on the screen and Marinette's expression faltered at the sight of it.

"Akuma alert," she said flatly, with a pout that would've been cute had he not known what it meant. She hesitated, eyes flicking from him to her phone. "Um... look, I... I have to—"

"Go," he interrupted with a reassuring smile. "I'm not going anywhere, and I'll be here when you're done."

"But—" She frowned and glared at her phone, clearly knowing that she had to leave but not wanting to.

"I mean it, Marinette. It's okay."

She looked at him like she'd never heard those words from anyone else before, eyes vulnerable but fond. She gave him a nod, a brief smile flickering across her face before she turned away and rushed to the stairs. She shouted for her transformation on the way out and Luka watched as her clothes shifted into her ladybug-patterned bodysuit.

When she was completely gone, Luka felt a sudden unsteadiness and leaned against the table for support. It wasn't that he was shocked exactly to hear that Marinette was Ladybug, but he was still overloaded nonetheless.

As his hand rested on the table, he felt the heel of his palm brush something and looked down to see the pile of Adrien pictures next to him. It sent another rush through his body at the reminder that she'd asked him to help her take them down. He was dating her, sure, but he wasn't foolish enough to think that there were no lingering feelings for Adrien. He knew where she stood and he was okay letting her test the waters with him, as she did have feelings for him and who was he to complain if his crush wanted to date him? Besides, he couldn't help wanting to see if maybe it would truly make their bond stronger.

Looking at the wall now, clear of anything but the pink paint, he knew this was real and ended up wishing he'd brought his guitar.

Then, remembering the akuma alert on Marinette's phone, Luka pulled out his own and began to search, eventually finding what she already had: a direct link to watch streams and updates on whatever akuma or sentimonster shenanigans were going on. He knew well enough that he would only give himself anxiety from it, but he wanted to watch his girlfriend in action as a form of support.

Gosh, Ladybug was his girlfriend.

He took a deep breath to steady himself as he watched the footage, his eyes locked to the screen and only shifting when he felt various figures drawing close. He looked up to see that the kwami had all gathered around him, watching the screen closely.

"So..." the pig-looking kwami began, fiddling with their own paws like they knew they were being awkward. "Have you ever wanted to be a hero?"

There was a hiss off to the side, Sass cutting in with, "He already has me."

Luka wasn't feeling up to smile at that, debating with himself before sighing. "Marinette works really hard, and her song is full of sour notes right now," he said. Stepping away and heading for the chaise lounge, he sat down and added, "I hope you can figure out how to rewrite them."

The kwami all exchanged looks, some confused by the metaphor and others who perhaps understood but didn't know how to follow up on it. Luka didn't give them his attention, focusing on the akuma battle playing on his phone.

As he'd expected, it made him a little nervous actually seeing Ladybug in action due to now knowing it was his girlfriend fighting out there. He believed in her abilities and mentally cheered her on, but he just kept remembering all the akuma he'd known about and how stressful it had to have been.

Off to the side, some of the kwami joined forces to help pick up some of the items they'd previously dropped on the floor. It was only after Marinette's room looked as it did before that they properly joined Luka to watch the battle with him.

It was a start.

—————

The battle between Ladybug and the akuma (and Chat Noir was there he supposed) seemed to be getting into its final verse when Luka heard the sound of the trap door being grabbed and clicked open, making him jump. He was only able to whisper a, "Hide," so the kwami could act before Sabine peered inside the room and took a curious look around.

Apparently, they all thought that huddling against his back was a great hiding spot, and he could only smile sheepishly at Sabine while attempting to ignore the weird feeling.

"You're still here?" Sabine asked. "I thought you were going somewhere, and..." She raised a brow, looking around once more. "Where's Marinette?"

"Ah," Luka began, his mind rushing for an excuse, "we actually decided to have our date here instead. Marinette just went up to her balcony to grab something."

It didn't feel good to lie, though he also felt a sense of accomplishment in protecting Marinette's secret. Was this what Marinette dealt with all the time; having to lie to people even if she didn't want to?

Sabine glanced up briefly to where the balcony was, then back to him, slightly confused but rolling with it. "Alright. Do you two need anything?"

"No, ma'am. Thank you though," he replied, hoping it didn't sound forced.

Thankfully, Sabine nodded and left without asking any further questions, the kwami emerging and clinging to Luka while they peered at the now-closed trap door. Luka breathed a sigh of relief, then went back to watching the akuma battle on his phone.

The rest of the fight took a couple minutes, and all that was left to do afterward was wait for Ladybug to return. Once again, Luka wished he had his guitar, making a mental note to get all of his feelings out when he got home, as typical music apps just didn't do anything for him.

An expected "thump" eventually came from the balcony, and the kwami drifting away from Luka as Ladybug descended and landed on her bed. She saw Luka staring at her and initially flinched, but it was clearly a reflex from people seeing her as Ladybug where she shouldn't be, and she hurried down to meet with him afterward. Luka hopped to his feet, not hesitating to meet her halfway and envelop her in a hug, earning a squeak out of her.

"L-luka?"

"Sorry," he murmured. "Just... I got to think about everything you must've gone through without m—" He choked off, suddenly embarrassed, then corrected, "—someone to help you."

She blinked, then giggled and hugged him back. "You're my boyfriend. You're apologizing for hugging me and being worried about sounding selfish?" She nestled her face against his shoulder and he blushed at how warm she was. "Don't. I like it when you're a little selfish, Luka. It grounds me; makes me feel like you're not totally out of my league."

Luka scoffed, nuzzling his head against hers. "You're in a league all your own. I'm literally dating a superhero."

"Trust me, it's not as cool as it sounds."

"I disagree. I think you're really cool."

She blushed profusely. "H-hey..."

He chuckled. "By the way, your mom came to check up on us."

Ladybug gasped, then pulled back, eyes wide and concerned. She was clearly about to apologize, so he cut her off before she could.

"I told her that we were having our date here and that you were getting something from the balcony. Everything's alright."

Her shoulders eased. She let out a sigh of relief as her head fell back against his shoulder. "Thank you."

He hummed contently, resting his hand along her back and keeping it there. Then, realizing when Sabine came up earlier and might do it again, he reminded her, "You're still Ladybug."

"Huh? ...Oh!" she said, though with less panic than normal and unwilling to recoil from the happy spot she was in.

He heard the whisper of her de-transformation phrase and winced as the light engulfed her, slowly turning her back into Marinette. He felt the spandex under his hand turn into fabric and Marinette's breath against his skin as she exhaled.

A kwami that Luka deduced was Marinette's flew a small distance away, eyeing Luka warily and semi-critically. Luka didn't blame her - he wasn't supposed to know - but he also knew that it was far too late to change anything now, and there was no way he was going to abandon Marinette or pretend he knew nothing. He imagined that the kwami knew that too.

"...I'm Tikki," the kwami greeted finally. "It's nice to meet you officially, Luka."

Luka gave her a nod in return, then stiffened somewhat as Marinette squeezed him tighter, burying her face further against him like she truly cherished him.

"It's still a lot," she whispered. "Is it okay if you hug me a little longer?"

"Of course." Though, he paused for a moment before adding, "Would it be more comfortable for you if we move to your chaise?"

"Hm?" She pulled away just enough to look down and realize that they were still awkwardly standing at the bottom of the steps to her bed. "Oh! Yeah, I mean—I didn't even—"

"Hey." He tenderly cupped her cheek, offering a smile. "I didn't complain, did I?"

She looked briefly surprised, making him wonder just how much she'd had to apologize in the past. They slowly made their way over to the chaise lounge, Luka settling down and opening his arms for her so she could settle onto his lap and snuggle against him. He leaned back against the chaise, throwing his legs across the length of it, then wrapped an arm around Marinette to make her feel secure.

"This is nice. It's... um—" She peeked up at him, then grinned shyly. "—melodic? Is that what you'd call it?"

He couldn't stop himself from snorting.

Marinette blushed in embarrassment. "H-hey! I'm trying, okay?"

"I know." He took a strand of her hair in his hand and stroked it. "You always try, and I love that about you."

She let out a series of whines at that, but doesn't protest the compliment either. She nestled against his chest, keeping her face turned away enough to still talk to him without her voice being muffled.

"I just... want to know more about you, Luka," she told him. "You're so sweet and I felt awful having to ditch you. Didn't it bother you?"

He gave a one-armed shrug. "You were busy. I unders—"

"Luka."

He stopped, meeting her firm gaze and knowing that he wasn't getting out of this easily. He sighed, admitting, "...Yeah, it bothered me, but it wasn't because of you or that I didn't trust you. I... see—my dad..." He rubbed the back of his neck, realizing that he'd never told anyone this story before. "I never knew who he was. I asked my mom so many times, but she never gave me an answer. Whenever you had to leave and lie to me, I..."

"Oh." She raised herself up more to meet him closer to eye level. "I'm so sorry—wait—sorry, you told me not to apologize—Sorry! I did it agai—ACK!"

He laughed, feeling warm and delighted by how much she cared about him and wanted him to feel secure in their relationship. He squeezed her shoulder in reassurance, wanting to nuzzle her for how cute she was being and just barely able to hold himself back.

"Don't worry about it. I'm glad you were looking out for me, but you deserve someone to look out for you too."

She pouted a bit at the heartfelt comment, then smiled and raised her hand to settle on his along her shoulder.

He hummed, pausing purposefully for effect before asking, "...So, what does the great guardian Marinette want to do now?"

"Oh my gosh, Luka."

He grinned, happy to compliment her until she was completely red. "How about the brave and heroic Ladybug then?"

"Luka."

He reached up to caress her cheek with his thumb. "But, if you ask me, I like the kind, sincere civilian Marinette best."

"LUKA!"

—————

The rest of their "date" passed by smoothly, Marinette's parents having left them alone so as to not interrupt anything. Marinette had idly brought up the idea that the movie might still be playing - just at a different time than they planned on going - but Luka brushed off the idea and insisted that he was happy there and didn't need to go on a "real" date with her to have fun, opting to leave it up to her.

And... yeah, neither of them were willing to leave their current position and exchange it for having to sit in different seats at a theater with other people around. They opted to just stare at the ceiling and talk, the kwami having respectfully retreated to Marinette's bed to give them privacy.

Talks of their past meetings and when she left to become Ladybug soon turned into a game of finishing Jagged Stone lyrics. Luka, either by being the bigger fan or just having an easier time remembering them, ended up winning in the end, though he couldn't have expected Marinette to follow up by immediately leaving his lap. He'd held back a whine at the sudden lack of warmth and wondered if maybe she'd been teasing him with some sort of punishment by going away.

But then she'd returned with a tiny pink gift box, and inside was a guitar pick necklace signed by Jagged Stone himself.

"He came into the bakery the other day and I had him sign it for you," she explained. Taking it out to fully present it to him, she asked, "Do...do you like it?"

"I love it, Marinette," he replied immediately, reaching out to feel the guitar pick and properly appreciate it. "I can have this?"

She smiled in response, holding the necklace out in a gesture that made his heart skip a beat, realizing that she was offering to put it on him herself. He leaned close, feeling the light brush of her fingers against his neck as she slipped it onto him. He silently hoped that it was durable because he was absolutely never taking it off.

Marinette's hands lingered on the string even when the necklace was fully on, Luka meeting her gaze to see that she was looking at him with all the love he'd ever dreamed of her offering him. He didn't say a word and neither did she, but with a light tug on his necklace, he was pulled towards her into a kiss. It was definitely too deep for their first but also so nice that neither of them cared, and not even the Ladybug revelation could outmatch his surprise at being so readily smooched.

Luka reached for the hand grabbing his necklace, Marinette letting go of it so they could thread their fingers together. His song was going crazy as she leaned forward, clearly wanting more from him and him being wonderfully helpless to resist her. He breathed her in, his other hand finding its place on her side. Her own hand rose up so her fingers could settle against the back of his neck, and he couldn't bring himself to be embarrassed by the sound he made when she started playing with his hair.

She didn't even pull away when their kiss broke, merely pressing her forehead to his while they each caught their breath. Despite the boldness she'd just displayed, she somehow couldn't maintain eye contact and ended up looking elsewhere while all he could do was stare at her in a daze.

"S-sor—" She paused, remembering again that he told her not to apologize. "I-I mean, I'm... not sorry? I—ah—remembered you saying that music is simpler than words, so I just—I thought that maybe I shouldn't ask you with words and just... play it instead?" Luka could feel the heat radiating from her blush as she hurriedly added, "Um... is that okay?"

He answered her with another kiss.

#type: story #story: oneshot #Flower Arrangement Shipping #episode: Truth #other: ml spoilers #((I may or may not have made that ending scene a little more passionate than it would be otherwise))#((out of pure spite.))#((You're welcome.))#Pro LukaMari #Lukanette

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edendaphne · 4 years ago

Text

“Discordant Sonata” Chapter 18

>>Click here to read on Ao3<<

>>Click here to read on Wattpad<<

——-

CHAPTER 18: AFFETUOSO

Music glossary:

Affetuoso: to perform with passion and emotion

**Chapter illustration by @corgi-likes-chat **

----

(Mood Music: “Christofori’s Dream” - David Lanz)

Adrien’s eyelids fluttered open, a sleepy smile still present on his face. He breathed out a long, contented sigh, stretching his limbs out wide enough that they poked out of the bedcovers. He couldn’t remember the last time he’d slept so well.

Last night, after Marinette awoke him from his most harrowing night terror to date, he’d fallen back asleep and something remarkable happened: for the second time in years, he’d actually had a pleasant dream. The only other time he hadn’t suffered from his usual nightmares ever since becoming Chat Noir was on the first night that he’d arrived at the Dupain-Cheng residence.

He tried to think back, wondering what might have caused this, not just last night, but back on that first day Marinette had brought him home. What did these two occurrences have in common?

His mouth quirked to the side and his brow furrowed, deep in thought, trying to remember. He wasn’t exactly in the best frame of mind when he’d arrived a couple of months back, given all that had happened when he ran away from his father; so it was no surprise that his memory of that night was hazy at best. Nevertheless, he hoped to find a correlation; if there was one, maybe he could figure out how to repeat it.

His thoughts were interrupted by a gentle hand sliding across his midsection. Disturbed by his movements, a smaller body rolled toward him, settling comfortably on his chest and breathing out a drowsy sigh.

He looked down and there she was: sweet, lovely Marinette; one of the dearest and most important people in his life. The raven-haired girl stirred, letting out a small whine; Adrien stilled, subconsciously holding his breath, not wanting to wake her and accidentally reveal his identity.

This became much harder when she reached around him, her fingers lightly skimming across his rib cage. His muscles tensed and he bit back a laugh; why did he have to be so darn ticklish?!

He readjusted himself, trying to shuffle out from underneath her; but she clinged to him like an overgrown barnacle, even in her unconscious state. I guess she’s a cuddler, he thought, and he couldn’t help but smile about how well that suited her.

It was still pretty dark in the room, as the sun hadn’t risen yet. He glanced over at the wall clock; he still had about an hour and a half before he had to report to work at the bakery, so he didn’t have to rush to get ready. Relieved, he sagged back down onto his pillow. He could relax for a little longer, he supposed.

Deciding to check his notifications while Marinette slept, he gingerly reached towards his nightstand to grab his phone, careful not to disturb her. He’d deactivated all his social media accounts since running away from home, so there weren’t very many notifications; there was a school-related email and a couple of late night funny memes from Nino.

Adrien checked the Ladyblog next. No news about any akumas this morning, thankfully. However, there were a few blurry snapshots of the previous night’s attack. He scrolled down for a bit, then stopped, his eyes popping open as he focused his attention on a particular photo.

He couldn’t suppress the lovestruck sigh that escaped his lips when he stared at a picture of Ladybug. His Lady was breathtaking, her eyes so ethereal, her smile utterly resplendent. She was indescribably beautiful, both inside and out and there was absolutely nothing he would change about her. He was hopelessly smitten, no doubt about it.

A few months ago, he would have berated himself for feeling this way about his mortal enemy. But his entire life had been turned upside down since then, and he wholeheartedly embraced this unexpected development.

The next photo was taken after the akuma was purified and the Miraculous Cure had set everything back to where it should be. Ladybug had seen that Alya was about to snap a photo, so she grabbed Chat and turned him around to face the camera, wrapping her arm around his shoulders. She grinned widely, and did a peace sign with her free hand. So cute.

He glanced over to his own face and instinctively grimaced. He was winking at the camera with a goofy, cheerful salute, not bothering to channel the suave, sophisticated mannerisms of a proper model that he’d incurred over the years. God, I’m so cringy, he thought.

Nevertheless, he saved the picture onto his phone. It was the first photo of them together like this, as opposed to impersonal ones taken by the media from afar, or during press releases and interviews.

It had only been posted a few hours ago, but already it had thousands of likes and comments. He didn’t dare look through those, however. Not since he first discovered the kinds of things people wrote about Chat Noir, both before and after his change in alliances. It was better to avoid those, lest he ruin his day reading about how much some people still hated him.

But he remembered Marinette’s words from the night before. She was right; he had to have hope, and believe that things would slowly get better. Attitude was everything.

Speaking of Marinette…

He looked down at his roommate once again. By this point, she’d slinked and climbed almost entirely on top of him, utilizing him like a mattress. His eyebrows scrunched together, and he wondered how in the world he’d be able to slip out of bed undetected.

All the stealth-based videogames I’ve ever played have prepared me for this moment. I got this!! he thought, hyping himself up.

Taking a deep breath in, he rolled over to his side, managing to slide Marinette’s ragdoll-like form back onto the mattress. She made a small noise and he froze, electricity crawling up the back of his neck. A few tense moments passed, and her stirring subsided, her breathing becoming slow and even once again. He exhaled, just now realizing he’d been holding his breath.

Freedom!! Adrien celebrated as he stood, stretching his arms high over his head, taking care not to hit the ceiling lights. His skin felt grimy with dried sweat from the night before; a shower was exactly what he needed right now. He tiptoed over to get a change of clothes from the dresser, giving the occasional glance towards the bed to make sure Marinette was still asleep.

As he made his way to the bathroom, he stopped by her side, a warm smile spreading across his face. He bent over and gave the top of her head a small kiss. Where would he be without her and her family? She and Sabine especially went out of their way to help him feel at home, to make him feel like he belonged, instead of treating him like a nuisance, or like some freeloader just taking up space. He loved them all so much; he vowed to himself to make it up to them someday.

He pulled the bedcovers up to Marinette’s shoulders so she wouldn’t miss the extra warmth too much, then made his way to the bathroom to start the day.

Marinette stirred, enveloped in softness and a familiar scent of spice and fresh rain. Eyes still closed, she extended her arm, reaching for the oversized cat pillow on her bed that she always liked to cuddle.

Her searching hand found something soft. Aha! She brought it closer, snuggling it tight, then began to get comfortable again. But then, her pillow started poking her cheek, over and over and over. The pillow’s poking only intensified when she tried squeezing it even harder. How rude!

Wait... what?

A single eyelid groggily slid open, meeting a small pair of eyes of a distinctive shade of green. A rather frazzled-looking Plagg stared back, his expression unamused from being squished between her and the pillow she was hugging.

“Sorry, Plagg,” she slurred sleepily as she pulled away to give him some space. “What are you doing here?”

He crossed his little arms, raising a brow. “I live here, remember?”

“But why are you in my room–– oh, wait…” she stopped, the memory of last night starting to rush back to her. This wasn’t her room; it was Chat’s. She’d slept in his room last night. And the bed she was lying in was his bed. These were his blankets and pillows, and they carried his scent. Heat rose to her face and a multitude of imaginary butterflies swarmed in her stomach as she realized that she’d actually spent the night with him, albeit under less than ideal circumstances.

And then a second realization dawned on her: Chat Noir was gone.

She sat up with a start, her head whipping back and forth to search for him. As she was about to panic, she heard the shower running in the en suite bathroom, punctuated by some cheerful humming. With a heavy, relieved sigh, she laid back down, careful not to squish the tiny cat god next to her.

“By the way, Little Bug,” Plagg murmured, meekly rubbing the back of his head. “Thanks for helping my kid last night.”

“Oh, of course, Plagg!” she replied. “I’m always happy to help however I can.”

He gave her a melancholy smile. “I just wish there was more I could’ve done. I tried waking him up myself, but he couldn’t hear me at all, no matter how hard I tried.” He sighed, twisting his mouth into a pained frown. “He doesn’t deserve this. He's already gone through so much.”

“Plagg, no, it’s okay! You did your best, and I’m sure Chat knows that too. I’m just glad I was able to get through to him. It was lucky that I happened to be downstairs at that time. Chat couldn’t ask for a better friend than you.”

Plagg grinned widely at her. “I always knew I liked you,” he remarked, scooting closer and nuzzling into her.

Marinette smiled back, returning the hug and kissing the top of his head, followed by providing him with some gentle scratches behind the ears. He let out a small, contented purr as he leaned into her hand.

After a few moments of hesitation, Plagg spoke again, “Little Bug, there’s... something else you need to know.”

They pulled apart, and Marinette eyed him with trepidation. “What is it?”

“It was too dark, so you didn’t see it, but–” he said with a grim tone in his voice, “–I need to let you know what really happened last night.”

“Huh?” Marinette’s eyebrows furrowed together in confusion. “What do you mean? I know he said his night terrors aren’t usually this bad, but was there something else?”

A dark look flickered on Plagg’s face. “Hawkmoth tried to akumatize him last night.”

Marinette felt like she’d been dropped into a vat of ice water. “W- WHAT?!” she sputtered. “B-but how is that possible?! Akumatized?? He was asleep! Hawkmoth can’t akumatize people who are unconscious!!” She paused, pondering the possibility. “Right…?”

“It’s tricky, but not impossible,” Plagg replied. “Hawkmoth knows about Chat Noir’s nightmares, so he must’ve sensed his opportunity and finally taken it last night.”

Marinette brought a hand to her temple in disbelief.

Plagg continued, “I don’t know why he decided to try it now, instead of when he first ran away. And what if–” he gulped, and his voice quavered slightly as he continued, unable to conceal his fear, “What if he tries it again? What if he tries it every night?”

“No… he wouldn’t… he can’t!!” Marinette cried, staring at the bathroom door, her mind racing a million miles a minute. She clenched her fists as she tried not to give into the feelings of dismay and anxiety that were clawing away at her. “Plagg… What do we do?! Hawkmoth’s patterns seem to be getting more erratic and desperate recently. Is he under some kind of deadline? Why is he doing this??”

“I can think of a couple of reasons,” Tikki answered from across the room.

Marinette practically leaped off the bed in surprise due to Tikki’s abrupt entrance. “Tikki!” she exclaimed.

The brightly colored kwami hovered towards them and elaborated, “Firstly, as Chat grows older, his powers will continue to get stronger, as will yours, so you’ll be more difficult for Hawkmoth to defeat as time goes on. Secondly, I think the effects of misusing the butterfly miraculous must be catching up to him as well. His desperation suggests that maybe he thinks he’s running out of time.”

“Out of time? What do you mean?” Marinette asked, confused.

Plagg sighed. “It’s his health,” he answered. "He wasn’t doing very well even before we left. Slowly but steadily, it’s been getting worse for a while.” He turned to face Tikki. “You think Hawkmoth believes that he’s gonna… you know... soon?”

Tikki shrugged in response, her expression blank.

“Oh… I see,” Marinette said, her voice almost a whisper.

Her mind raced, a torrent of emotions crashing into her simultaneously, like a rowboat in a tempest, slamming into a cliffside without respite.

She wasn’t sure how to feel about this new information. Her chest felt tight, like it did when she wanted to cry. Should she feel happy or sad that her mortal enemy was getting sicker and sicker, to the point where his life was potentially in danger? Was it okay to feel–dare she say it– relieved?

What was she supposed to think? As a hero, was it more important to be merciful, or was it more important to be just? Her heart felt like it was being pulled in two completely opposite directions. Despite hating the man with every fiber of her being, part of her thought that maybe dying was too extreme a punishment. And yet, at the same time, the hurt, embittered part of herself thought that maybe dying would be too easy, like he was getting let off the hook instead of being forced to acknowledge his wrongs and feel remorse for the horrible things he’d done.

For years, she’d dreamed about the day when Hawkmoth would be defeated and his miraculous confiscated. It was supposed to be a happy time, full of rejoicing and excitement. But she’d never considered the possibility that Hawkmoth would be defeated by an entirely different force, one that she had no say in how or when it happened. It didn’t feel fair. She hated feeling this powerless.

Her thoughts were interrupted by a brief tug at her sleeve. She looked down at Tikki, who motioned towards the bathroom with a small nod. It was then that she noticed the noise–or rather– the absence of it, which could only mean one thing: Chat Noir had finished his shower, and he’d be coming out of the bathroom any minute now.

“I think that’s our cue to leave,” Tikki whispered.

Marinette nodded. She turned to Plagg and whispered, “We’ll talk more later. I’ll call Master Fu later today and see if he has any advice.”

“M’kay. See ya,” he replied with a small wave. “Bye, Sugarcube.”

Tikki looked back and gave him a reassuring smile, then followed Marinette out the door.

Plagg hovered towards the windowsill while he waited for his charge, plopping down with a heavy sigh. He leaned against the window, taking in the many colors of the dawn sky, which looked almost too bright and vibrant for his liking. How dare the heavens look so beautiful while he felt so miserable inside? The day hadn’t even really started, and yet the only thing he wanted to do was to just crawl back into bed. He dearly hoped that the heavy, uneasy feeling in his gut would go away soon.

(A short while later)

Work at the bakery had been lively and hectic today; so much so that Chat Noir had to be reminded when his shift was over and that he needed to head to school. He gave Sabine a parting hug, the latter thanking him for his hard work and giving him some encouraging words as she helped dust the flour off his suit and hair.

Chat retrieved his cloak from a coat hanger by the door and stepped into the stairwell that led to the living quarters, so that he could retrieve his school supplies and exit through Marinette’s balcony trap door as he normally did. That was definitely one of the plus sides of working in the kitchen while transformed; he could wear his school outfit underneath and not require a change of clothes or a shower when he was through. He could merely detransform and be good as new.

As he ascended up the stairs, he heard a familiar deep voice call out to him from below. Chat froze, then turned around, trying to keep his nerves under control.

“Could I speak with you for a minute?” Tom asked.

Uh-oh.

“O-of course, Mr. Dupain,” Chat replied, trying to keep his voice even despite his nerves.

Tom’s face was mostly neutral, but his body was rigid and there was a hint of gloom in his eyes. Chat did his best not to cringe as he stood in front of the much taller man who, despite not being a superhero, looked like he could toss him clear to the Eiffel Tower if he felt like it. To prevent himself from fidgeting, Chat finally opted to stick his hands inside his pockets.

“What is it, sir? D-did I do something wrong?” he asked. “I was running a bit late, so I apologize if I didn’t put something back in the right spot. O-or did I mess up an order?? I’m sorry, I can go back and fix… whatever it is!”

“No, everything’s fine; it’s something else,” he answered, and Chat felt the stiffness in his shoulders ease a tiny bit.

However, it came back full force when Tom didn’t say anything else. Chat’s heartbeat sped up as they stood face to face in silence, unsure of the route this conversation was about to take.

What else could he be in trouble for? Did he find out Marinette had fallen asleep in his bedroom yesterday? Oh no… Did Tom think he and Marinette had… done something unseemly together last night?! Was he getting kicked out of the house?? His mind raced and his chest thumped, and he prepared himself to beg on his knees for forgiveness if need be.

A few agonizingly long and awkward seconds later, Tom spoke again, “Chat Noir… I wanted to apologize to you.”

“Oh, I see. Wait… WHAT?!?” Chat felt like someone had yanked the carpet out from underneath him. “Apologize?? What for?”

Tom lifted his arm to rub the back of his head, his entire posture taut as a bowstring. “We didn’t really get off on the right foot, you and I. You’ve been nothing but cordial and polite, and all I’ve done since you arrived is give you the cold shoulder, and for that I’m truly sorry. I wanted to clear the air and start over, if that’s okay with you.”

“Mr. Dupain! N-no, please, it’s okay!” Chat sputtered, his hands waving frantically. “I totally understand why you would have reservations about me living here, o-or even interacting with you guys at all! They’re totally justified concerns! I mean, up until a few months ago, I was still working with Hawkmoth; so the fact that you even allowed me into your home at all is incredibly kind of you! I’ve never felt any ill will towards you, I swear! You were just doing what any good father would––” he trailed off, trying to keep the melancholy out of his voice, “–would do.”

Tom winced and sighed heavily, crossing his arms. “That’s exactly my point, though. It may have been justified at first, but that was back then . I tolerated you for the sake of my wife and daughter, but I was always suspicious. I should’ve given you a chance instead of just judging you for no reason, especially after all this time. So I wanted to try to make it up to you.”

It was then that Tom brought something shiny out of his shirt pocket. It was an adorable little keychain shaped like a croissant. But wait… no, it wasn’t just a keychain, Chat realized. There was a key dangling on the end. A house key. Tom handed it over, doing his best to try to conceal a timid smile.

Chat gaped at him, reeling from what was happening. “I… I don’t know what to say. That is so generous of you! Thank you, Mr. Dupain,” he replied meekly, staring into his hands at the key. HIS key.

He felt the man’s large hand pat him on the shoulder and Chat looked up, meeting his soft, forest green eyes. “Please, call me Tom.”

Chat had to consciously fight the urge to let his jaw drop. If he wasn’t dreaming last night with Ladybug’s revelation, he was surely dreaming now. “Y-yes, sir! Uhh, Mr. Tom, sir. Uhh, I mean…” he stammered, still not recovered from having been gobsmacked out of nowhere.

The older man gave out a hearty laugh. “Just Tom. And please, if there’s anything you need, just say the word. Even if it’s just someone to lend an ear. You’ve got a good heart despite the bad hand that’s been dealt to you, and you have so much potential. We’re happy to have you in our family, even if you’re only here temporarily. Just know you’ll always have a home here with us.”

Chat’s heart swelled with affection, so full that it felt like it might burst, and his eyesight became blurry with unshed tears. He threw his arms around the giant man in front of him, someone who he never thought would fully accept him, squeezing hard.

“Thank you, Tom! Thank you so much, I’m just–” he let out a shuddering sigh then continued, voice cracking, “–thank you.”

Tom squeezed back firmly, giving him an affectionate pat. Failing to hide a sniffle, he then added, “I should let you get going, I don’t wanna make you late for school.” The pair pulled apart, and Tom ruffled Chat’s hair. “Be safe out there, kiddo.”

After saying their goodbyes, Chat bounded up the stairs, practically floating with glee. He’d missed this feeling; the feeling of being part of a family. As he emerged onto the rooftop balcony, he took a deep breath of the crisp autumn air, his heart full of excitement and hope.

He arrived at the school in high spirits and a huge grin on his face. He detransformed in a discreet location and practically skipped to the school’s entrance; then he entered the campus, carefree, joyful, and blissfully unaware of the dark eyes that followed him inside.

#Miraculous Ladybug #Enemies AU #Marinette Dupain Cheng #Adrien Agreste #Chat Noir #Ladybug #Ladynoir #enemies to lovers #fanfiction #Discordant Sonata #ML AU #aged up #Eden writes #art by others #Fanfic art

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fandomlit · 4 years ago

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make you mine (luka couffaine x reader)

summary luka goes out with his sister and her friends to an open mic night at a new restaurant. his curiosity is peaked when alya mentions that a new girl, who is supposedly american and gorgeous, will be playing with her band.

gif cred belongs to @ouiladybug

“luka!”

the boy looked to see that his younger sister was standing in his doorway, rose by her side. “need something?” he asked.

“we’re going out with a bunch of friends to an open mic night at the new restaurant in town,” juleka explained. “a bunch of amateur bands are playing; i thought you might wanna go.”

he considered. “yeah. that sounds cool.” rose cheered as luka placed his guitar down and followed them out of his room.

it was a warm summer night in paris. the street lights created a dim cast upon the sunset, and a cool breeze swept through the air to cut through the usual humidity found in the city. as they approached the new restaurant, they marveled at the sight of the outdoor dining space; it was fluorescent with fairy lights against polished wood, small tables scattered before a small stage that already had a band performing a slow ballad. nino waved them over to their table when he spotted their small group.

they all greeted luka kindly as he approached. “it’s good to see you all again,” he chuckled.

“hey, luka!” alya greeted. luka took the seat next to the girl.

“hey there, alya,” he spoke casually, taking the menu she offered him. “where’s marinette?”

alya hummed. “about twenty feet away.” he looked over to see that marinette sat at table alone with adrien, blushing while the blonde boy seemed less than bothered. “we told them there weren’t enough seats for us all.”

“smart move,” luka laughed, holding out a fist. alya bumped it with a grin.

“when is y/n’s band playing?” rose asked the table.

“oh!” nino presented a small flyer from his pocket. “we’ve still got this one and the one after. but no worries! we have plenty of appetizers to pass the time.” they all laughed.

“who’s y/n?” luka asked alya.

“you haven’t met her yet?” alya inquired with a knowing smirk. luka shook his head. “she just moved here from america a little bit ago.. i think you’ll like her. she sings, she’s super friendly.. also, like, drop dead gorgeous..” luka raised his eyebrows as the waiter approached for drink orders.

when the next band stepped up, luka stood, “im gonna head to the bathroom real quick.”

“you better hurry!” alya called as he began to walk away. “y/n’s on next.” she shot him a wink before he disappeared inside of the resturaunt.

as expected on an opening night, the place was crowded. there was line waiting for him when he approached the bathroom. sighing, he pulled out his phone and prayed he made it back in time for the mysterious new girl’s band.

when he finally escaped the crowded men’s room, he barely heard a muffled voice announce, “and next to the stage, parisian state of mind!” he heard familiar voices erupt into cheers and quickened his pace as music began to play.

it took him a minute to weave through the crowds of people, waiters, and tables, and he prayed he hadn’t missed too much of the performance. he managed to step back outside and into view of the stage as the chorus broke, “put your hand in mine..”

his breath was knocked out of his chest. in the center of the stage, strumming at a gorgeous electric guitar, was a girl who exceeded his very definition of beauty. she was grinning at the crowd with pride and confidence, her h/c hair falling around her every which way and perfectly so. her skin gleamed under the dim lights of the atmosphere, and no woman had ever looked more perfect to him than she did as she sang, “you know that i won’t stop until i make you mine, until i make you mine!”

he stood there for the rest of that song; watching how your body shifted with the chord progression and how you sang lyrics perfectly and honestly into the microphone. your e/c eyes absolutely gleamed in the night, and he didn’t dare tear his eyes away from a second.

when that song ended and everyone burst into cheers and applause, luka finally made his way back to his seat.

“thanks, everyone,” you laughed into the microphone. “as said before, we’re parisian state of mind, and we may be amateurs, but we can still hope to give you a good time. this next song is gonna be just as energetic as the last, so get ready.” small cheers rose up before you spoke, “this is not another song about love by hollywood ending.” your drummer counted off, and you began, “let it out..”

“so?” alya asked once luka had sat. “impressive, right?”

he nodded, turning to alya with a smile. “she’s pretty good.”

alya nudged his shoulder with her own as she teased, “come on, i saw you ogling at her from the side.. you think she’s cute.”

“and talented,” he admitted. “her voice is..”

“angelic?” alya offered.

“stunning?” rose swooned.

“show stopping?” kim offered.

luka let out a laugh at all the eyes on him. “yeah. all of those.”

they turned back to your performance. “i hate your touch, i hate your mouth, i can’t take every single word that falls out!” you belted easily. “but you’re all that i’ve been dreaming of. this is not another song about love!”

luka watched as adrien grabbed marinette by the hand and lead her to small dance floor amongst the tables. they joined the small crowd already there. he watched as marinette stared anxiously at the blonde boy who had dragged her out, but then he spoke something and she seemed to lighten up. luka smiled at the scene.

“im glad that doesn’t bother you anymore,” alya commented, nudging luka with her elbow again.

the boy shrugged. “we all deserve to be with people who wanna be with us. im over it.”

“amen, brother,” nino spoke, taking alya’s hand. “let’s go help them out; their moves are lacking.”

“let’s go,” alya laughed.

luka looked back to you as you bounced around the stage with your guitar. your eyes swept the crowd, and his heart stopped the moment they met with his. “i need your touch. i have no doubt, i want your love until it all runs out..” you sent him a wink before the beat dropped again and you were once again lost in the music. “’cause you’re all that i’ve been dreaming of! is this just another song about love? i need your voice, i need your lips. i need you bad, i wanna steal your kiss!”

luka grinned uncontrollably to himself as you finished the song. the small crowd went wild again as you waved out to them. “thanks, guys, you’re amazing! we’re parisian state of mind!” you handed your guitar off and hopped down from the stage, headed to the table where your friends were returning.

“y/n, that was amazing!” rose gushed.

“seriously, your voice is killer,” kim grinned. your friends voiced their agreements as you giggled.

“thanks, guys,” you grinned. “im just glad you all could come!”

“we wouldn’t miss it for the world,” alya smiled. your eyes gazed over luka again, and you took the empty seat across from him with a grin. “y/n, this is luka. he’s juleka’s older brother.”

“ohh,” you hummed. “i totally see it.”

he smiled. “you were amazing up there. your voice is wonderful.”

“thank you,” you spoke quietly, taking a moment to gaze into his electrifying eyes.

breaking the sweet tension, alya spoke, “you know, y/n, luka plays guitar, too.”

you tilted your head curiously, placing your chin in your palm as you leaned closer to the older boy. “oh, really? how’d you learn?”

“i grew up with it,” he shrugged. “music’s always been something i’ve been surrounded by, so i know a few instruments.”

“that’s cool,” you grinned. “a jack of most trades?”

he smiled. “some could say.”

the rest of that night was spent talking and flirting back and forth, sharing musical stories and enlightening each other about america and france. and at the end of that night, as luka walked home with juleka, he found himself humming a familiar melody.

“you know that i won’t stop until i make you mine..”

#miraculous ladybug #miraculous ladybug x reader #miraculous ladybug fanfic #luka couffaine #luka #luka x reader #luke couffaine x reader #luka fanfic #luka couffaine fanfic

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justcourttee · 4 years ago

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Hi I love your fics and maribat. Tall Girl (Netflix) reminds me a lot about Timari. So maybe to something with that. (With Mari thinking that Tim's confessions were all jokes and wanting Ardien who was roped into dating lila and it's the class making fun of mari.)

Oh goodness, this took ages and I both apologize and hope it's what you were looking for! 24 pages and over ten thousand words! For reference, that's 20% of my first multi-part Maribat piece!

Average

In a world where everyone is looking for extraordinary, how do you survive when you’re just average?

I’ve spent my whole life mulling over the thought, trying to find a way to be extraordinary, trying to find a way to be noticed, and constantly failing.

It wasn’t like it was from a lack of effort, I really did give my all to everything I tried, it was just, there was always someone better.

Specifically, one insufferable bitch named Lila Rossi.

Now I know what you’re thinking, ‘Marinette, it’s not fair to call Lila a bitch just because she was better than you,’ and if it were a normal rivalry, I could agree with you. But you simply don’t know Lila Rossi.

Lila has been a thorn in my side since we met on the soccer field at just ten years old. I accidentally bumped into her sending us both tumbling to the ground and she took that personally. Slapping my hand away, she bawled the worst fake tears I had seen in my ten short years until the coach benched me. Can you imagine the embarrassment of being benched in elementary school soccer?

Ever since that day, anytime we were placed together it always ended in disaster, especially for me.

Now, as much as I would love to on about how awful the sausage-haired brat is, I’m sure that’s not what you came here for. So let me break it down for you. If you are looking for your typical girl meets boy, they fall in love and live happily after, you should scroll now. It’s only fair to warn you. After all, I don’t want you to be disappointed when we reach the ending. I’ll give you a second.

Still here?

Well, hold on tight. Because the story I am about to tell you isn’t much to just anyone, but it’s everything to me and my average life.

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

It all started on a Tuesday in August when he arrived.

Adrien Agreste.

“Class, I want you to welcome our exchange student, Adrien Agreste! He’s here all the way from Paris, France, and will be finishing the year with us. Adrien, why don’t you tell the class something about yourself?”

I couldn’t even focus on the words that escaped from his precious lips. His voice was so silky, like softened butter on one of Papa’s fresh muffins. Everything about him screamed perfect from his thoughtfully placed hair to his shining green eyes. He was simply-

“-Earth to Mari! You could at least try to hide your drool.”

My eyes snapped shut as I took a deep breath.

“Tim, I am not drooling. And you know I hate it when you whisper in my ear! It tickles!”

Tim rolled his eyes as he sat backward, his eyes narrowing to where Adrien stood in the front of the room, a pristine white smile earning giggles from every female in the class.

“I don’t like him. Something seems off about him. He’s too-too-”

“Perfect?” I chuckled to myself as the heat rose to Tim’s cheeks, his eyebrows settling into their usual aggravated pose. “I don’t know what has your panties in such a twist Wayne, but shouldn’t we try to get to know him first? I think he seems nice.”

Tim huffed under his breath, his cheeks filling with air. It was hard for me to contain my giggles as he mumbled to himself, his pout deepening.

Tim Drake-Wayne. He is my absolute, undeniable, unshakeable best friend. We met back when my parents decided to drag me halfway across the world for a change of pace. I was in the fifth grade when a young irritable boy with a coffee addiction wandered into the bakery alone, demanding a double shot of espresso to deal with the day.

After several visits, we became closer and closer until we were inseparable. Tim’s been through a lot. He was emotionally abused by his parents, forced to mature too quickly. We had just entered the eighth grade when those same parents died and he was adopted by the town’s billionaire, Bruce Wayne. I was sure I would never see him again, but after much convincing (bugging), Bruce decided public school was best for Tim so that he wouldn’t be isolated again.

I adore Tim with my whole heart, really, but there is one thing he does that I absolutely despise.

“After school today, let me take you to the new coffee shop that just opened! It’ll be just like a date.” His wink only strengthened my urge to knock him flat.

“First of all, quit joking about my lack of a love life. I don’t need a pity date from you. Second, how do you switch so easily from grueling to jokes? Don’t you get whiplash or something?”

It’s a daily occurrence. I mention someone I like or that someone is cute and immediately Tim jokes about how it would just be easier if I dated him instead. It’s the only thing he does that has ever truly gotten on my nerves.

My gaze returned to the front of the classroom where Adrien had settled into his new seat. Even the back of his head had every hair perfectly placed. How did he even begin to manage that? I wasn’t sure how long I had stared, but before I knew it the bell had sounded and I was whisked away by Tim before I could even say hi.

The same pattern repeated itself every day for weeks.

Every time I would work up the courage to say something to him, Tim drug me away as fast as he could manage. Although, I can’t place the entire blame on Tim. There was one other factor, one factor worse than Tim.

Lila Rossi.

As student body president, she vowed that it was her duty to show Adrien around the school and around town. I spent every night scrolling through dozens of snapchats and instagram stories filled with her hanging off of his arm.

Even if I could escape Tim’s grasps, there was no way she would let me get in a ten-foot radius of him.

At least, that was what I thought. There was one time during the day that Adrien had a moment to himself. Fifth period when the music room was abandoned and most took off for their internships or club activities.

I discovered him by accident, truly. My club had let out early for the day and while most people would take off to head home or to one of Gotham’s more popular afternoon hangouts, I wanted to wait for Tim.

It was never my plan to corner him, but as I flung open the music room’s door without a second thought, my eyes met startled green and my heart dropped to my stomach.

“I’m so sorry! Usually, the music room is empty right now and I thought I could find some peace, and I didn’t know you were in here and oh my god I’m such a dork.”

I slapped my hand over my mouth before I could spiral any further, his widening eyes sending my heart deeper. This was it. I finally had a chance to introduce myself and I wasted it. If there was any way I could just slink away, crawl into a six-foot hole, and simply wither away in misery, I would take it without hesitation.

“I’m so sorry, I’ll just head out no-” I could feel the heat rising to my face as the most precious sound I ever had the pleasure of experiencing erupted from him. His laugh could literally cure cancer, I was sure of it.

“No, no, you’re fine! Marinette, right?” He knew my name? Adrien Agreste, the most perfect man in the world, no, in the universe, knew who I was?

I could barely find the strength to nod, the heat in my cheeks becoming unbearable. He offered a sheepish smile, rubbing the back of his neck in such a gentle and shy manner. It was too effective. There was no way I wasn’t going to pass out before Tim got out of his AV club.

“I’m sorry, I also didn’t realize that anyone used this room besides me. I’ve spent the past few weeks in here while everyone was in their clubs.”

“You didn’t want to join anything?” Was my voice always this high? I couldn’t remember. To be honest, I was still in a daze from his precious laugh.

“It wasn’t that! It’s just, there’s nothing here that really interests me. I prefer classical things, like the piano and musicals and French theater. Nothing that interests normal kids our age.”

French theater? I knew some from the days I spent with my Grandfather in Paris. He was a sucker for classical things as well.

“I don’t think that those are weird interests. I mean, I prefer to design as my hobby, but I’ve spent quite a few hours watching French musicals with my papy. I am very knowledgable if I do say so myself.”

Adrien’s smile was blinding as he slid over on the piano bench, offering the spot beside him. My heart had finally returned to normal, but just one small motion had sent it into a flurry as it desperately tried to escape my chest.

“Let’s make a bet Marinette.” I found myself nodding before he even finished his sentence, his infectious smile starting to pull a smile of my own. “If you can guess the song and musical, you can ask for anything you want from me.”

“And if I get it wrong?” I was so sure the air was thinner beside him, the glint in his eyes drawing my breath away.

“Then I can ask you for anything I want, deal?” I hesitated for a moment, unable to comprehend that he would even want anything from me to begin with, but seconds later my head began to move, my breathing scarce.

I closed my eyes as his fingers hit the first notes, a beautiful melody following. The song was so familiar, so simple, but it was so hard to focus with him so close by. All too soon, the echoes of the final note rang through the room until a deafening silence settled atop of it.

“So, any guesses?”

I rolled my bottom lip between my teeth, a name settling in the forefront of my mind.

“It’s definitely Sur Deux Notes, but for some reason, I can’t remember the musical”

My eyes flickered open as I resisted the urge to jolt backward. His face was mere centimeters away, everything about him urging me to lean forward, to give in.

“A true tragedy Miss Marinette,” a finger popped up to bop my nose before he slid off the bench, offering his hand to help me stand. “You got it half right! It’s from the musical Les Chansons d'Amour. Which means-”

His pauce was dramatic as I stood, his grip on my hand loose.

“I win! Therefore, I get to ask you for anything correct? That was the deal?” His smirk was so playful, it almost felt dangerous. “So, Ma Dame, what are your plans this weekend?”

“Nothing!” That was definitely too quick, do I look desperate? Honestly, if it meant staring at that smile for a second more, I found myself caring less and less.

“Then, how about I help you refresh your musical knowledge? I believe I can get ahold of a copy of the original Les Chansons d’Amour by Saturday.”

This was a date, right? I wasn’t dreaming, the red throbbing spot on my arm pretty much guaranteed it. Somewhere along the line, I must have nodded, and as he gently released my hand turning to grab his bag, all the warmth left with him. Already, I found myself longing for his touch again.

“I hate to ask, but can you meet me at Wayne Manor? I’m sure Mounseir Bruce would allow me to borrow a car, but I am not quite comfortable asking him for something like that.”

“Sure-” I felt the gears turning in my head until the final one clicked into place. “I’m sorry, did you say Wayne Manor? As in Bruce Thomas Wayne? Gotham’s Favorite Billionaire?”

“Ah yes,” his hand moved to the back of his neck, a sheepish smile replacing his confident one from moments before. “It’s a bit embarrassing, but he was the only one my father would let me stay with. I couldn’t even apply for housing because he already had it set up. Does that make you feel awkward?”

“Oh no, of course not! I’m well acquainted with the Waynes! In fact, there is one that I forgot I was supposed to meet today. Can I give you my number really quick?”

As I handed him his phone and we bid goodbye, I couldn’t even begin to relish in the high I was feeling. No. The only thing I could focus on was how to murder one little Wayne boy.

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

“Marinette, c’mon! It’s not that serious. So what if I didn’t tell you that Adrien was staying here?”

I tapped my pencil against my forehead, trying to ignore the pestering fly beside me.

The minute I had stepped out of the music room a couple of days before, I encountered two of the biggest thorns in my life. Tim paling at the sight of my rage and one insufferable bitch wearing the ugliest scowl. He ran from me then, he ignored my texts and calls, and I’m assuming once Adrien mentioned our date to Bruce, he decided there was no more avoiding it.

“Besides, he sounds pretty cheap if he’s making you meet him at Bruce’s house. Watching musicals? Like with your grandfather? Is he ancient or something?”

I gritted my teeth, trying to maintain the silence. There were so many things I wanted to say to him at the moment, but seeing him squirm was the best revenge. Tim loved silence unless it was purposely directed at him. His brothers taught me that years ago.

The bell sounded through the room and I quickly darted out before he could attempt another backhanded apology.

These were the days that I missed my Paris friends. Besides Tim, I was utterly alone. I mean, I technically could hang out with Tim’s siblings, but then I’d still have to see him. There was one person that lived outside the Wayne household, yet I wasn’t sure if I was ready to cross that line yet.

I walked home alone again.

Realistically speaking, I needed to at least work up the patience to face him before Saturday. It was almost a guarantee that he would be there. It wasn’t like he would go out on the weekends. But with only two days just seemed too soon.

I had barely walked into the bakery when my mother excitedly waved me down the landline in hand.

“Marinette! A boy from your school is on the line!”

I raised an eyebrow as I accepted the phone, waving her off. There was only one boy that knew the landline number and that was Tim, but if he were on the phone, she would’ve said so.

“Hello?”

The silence was deafening. For a moment, I was sure they had hung up and was about to follow suit when a soft voice sent chills down my spine.

“Marinette? It’s Adrien. I hope I’m not bothering you.”

My breath caught in my throat. Did he ask Tim for my number? But he has my cell? It didn’t matter how he got it or why he was using it, I just needed to respond.

“No-” I cleared my throat trying to find my real voice because it certainly wasn’t how I just spoke. “No, it’s not a bother at all.”

“Great, so, I heard from Lila that there was a homecoming dance coming up. I haven’t been to one before, but I was wondering if I could go with you?”

“Of course I would love-” My heart sank before I could finish my sentence. Laughter cut me off, two distinct laughs that I could pick out from anywhere. “Don’t you ever get tired Lila!”

“Oh my god, you were so excited huh? Pretty pathetic that you think he would fall for you after one conversation Mari dear.”

I didn’t even know how to respond. She wasn’t wrong. We shared one song and haven’t even gone on one date yet, why would I even believe this for one moment?

“Yo Mari, what’s good xinh đẹp?” I felt my hand rising to massage my temples before I could even find the strength to respond.

“Kim, were you trying to call her beautiful, or do you just suck that much at your grandmother’s native language?”

Muffled arguing continued for a few minutes, a few too many for me to question why I still hadn’t hung up. There was a concerning shriek before silence followed.

“I’m surprised you’re still here dumbinette, do you like being degraded by me?” Her laughter sounded like nails on a chalkboard and I could feel the tightness in my chest rising to my throat. “I just wanted to call to make one thing clear. Stay away from Adrien Agreste. I set my sights on him the minute he walked through those doors back in August and I don’t want you to think for even a second in that pitiful brain of yours that you even have a chance, okay?”

I wanted to argue, I wanted to rub it in her face that I had a date this Saturday, one I didn’t have to force upon him like she had the past few weeks. But the tightness had settled, crushing my windpipes. My hand inched down from my temple to my eyes where they were met with a warm wet tear.

“Mmkay, that was all babe! See you at school, hugs and kisses! Mwah!”

The phone stayed pressed to my ear for too long, the dial tone mocking my existence.

It was just two more days till my date, but I felt less confident as the days passed. A single thought passed through my mind, but I quickly dismissed it. No matter how I felt, I couldn’t cave in and call Tim. Yeah, that’s right, I was still mad at him. But was I really?

I was so sure that I was pissed beyond belief when I had to hear from Adrien that he was staying with him, but that wasn’t something that was completely out of my mind. Tim had done worse things than withhold information about someone I thought was cute.

Slowly, I lowered the phone, my fingers absentmindedly dialing his number, pausing as my finger lingered over call.

No, not tonight. I cleared out the screen before dropping it on the bakery counter, waving off my mother’s concerned look. Nobody could ruin the fact that I had a date on Saturday. Not even my own self-destructive tendencies. Adrien asked me out. He asked me out. That was a fact and no matter what Lila or Tim thought or did, it couldn’t shake that undeniable fact.

There were two days. Plenty of enough time to finish the dress I had been fiddling with the past two weeks. I will show up to this date with my head held high and my hopes higher

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

“Oh! Marinette what a fun surprise! You look beautiful!”

I inhaled sharply, ignoring the urge to smack the grin right off of Tim’s face.

“Timothy. Is Adrien home?” His smile faltered for a moment as he stepped out of the way, inviting me inside.

“Is this your new project? You were working on it for so long. It looks stunning!” He stumbled over his meaningless compliments as he led me to the entertainment room, my silence too much for him to bear.

“You don’t have to escort me, Timothy. I have been here a million and one times.”

I reached past Tim to open the doors, ignoring the fact that he refused to move. There was a strong temptation to just slam the door a little harder so that it would reach his nose, but a set of startling green eyes eased the feeling.

“Marinette! Oh mon Dieu, Tim was supposed to let me know when the doorbell rang so that I could greet you. I’m so sorry, I swear I really am a proper gentleman.”

“It’s okay Adrien! Really! I should’ve texted you that I arrived. I’m just so used to letting myself in.”

His smile was full of relief as it sent my heart into a flurry. Was it really possible to sit close to this man without combusting?

“Please, join me! I just figured out how to set everything up.”

Adrien motioned to the seat beside him and as I slid into the couch, I was fully aware of his arm resting behind my head. It felt nearly impossible to focus on the movie in this position. As he pressed play, my eyes glanced between him and the screen, unsure which was more deserving of my attention.

“So my friends, what are we watching?” Adrien’s arm flinched, his elbow knocking the back of my head as we both jumped from the couch.

“Tim, what are you doing here? I thought you weren’t a fan of French musicals?”

Adrien was putting it nicely, something I could admire him for since my thoughts were definitely straying to a much more violent response. Tim took a handful of popcorn, shoving it into his mouth as he slipped into the spot I had been sitting moments before.

“I usually don’t, but I figured I should get to know you both a little better and your culture of course. Don’t mind me, you won’t hear another peep.” He mockingly zipped his lips closed, his sickeningly sweet smile not quite reaching his devilish eyes.

Adrien glanced at me as if he were unsure to argue or not. I suppose he decided it wasn’t quite was worth it as he moved to sit back down, his smile shaky.

With as much might as I could muster, I shimmied in between the two guys, putting as much distance between Tim and me as I could. I felt his glare burning holes into the side of my head, but there was no way I was going to let him ruin my perfect first date with the perfect guy.

Adrien restarted the movie and for exactly five minutes, Tim kept his promise.

“Can we at least turn on the subtitles? My french is a little rusty.”

I gritted my teeth as Adrien nodded, the screen changing to fit in the white words.

“God that’s tiny, is there any way to make them larger?”

“Uhm, I’m not very sure? It took a while to figure out the controls.” A fist shot past my face, spreading in wait. Adrien looked wary as he placed the remote into Tim’s outstretched hand.

“This should do.” What was once manageable small words were now purple and taking up a third of the screen. I could feel Adrien tense up beside me, but he refused to argue.

We continued on like this for the duration of the movie. Tim would find something new to complain about making our date feel less and less romantic and more like amicable divorcees taking their child out.

“Wow, what a beautiful movie!” Tim dabbed at nonexistent tears, his smile irritating me half to death. “What’s next guys?”

“I, uhm, actually have to head back. After all, I told Maman I wouldn’t be out late.”

“Let me walk you home!” The silence was deafening as both boys traded glances with one another, daring the other to speak again.

“Enough Tim! This was my date tonight with Adrien, not you! Quit acting like some jealous boyfriend!” Both sets of eyes turned toward me, one set glowing, the other dull.

Tim closed his slack jaw before he gathered his trash, mumbling under his breath as he left.

I took a minute, watching the door to ensure he wouldn’t turn back with some dumb retort like he always did, but instead, it remained shut. I felt a gentle touch on my shoulder, urging me forward.

“I’ll walk you home Marinette.” I managed a nod as I let Adrien lead me out of the room and out of the manor.

We walked in silence for a while, his gentle touch both calming and warm in the cool October air.

“Marinette, I’m sorry. That wasn’t exactly how I planned for our first date to go. I’m not sure what was up with Tim.”

My laugh was curt as I slowed my pace, the bakery coming into view far too quickly.

“Tim is just lonely. I know that, yet I’ve been ignoring him some time for petty reasons. He just,” I paused, steps away from the windows to avoid any unwanted audiences, “he just can take the jokes too far sometimes and I can’t handle that.”

Adrien nodded as if he sort of understood what I meant, his eyes glancing to the building beside us.

“Is this your house? Do you live above the bakery?”

“Uh, yeah. There’s an apartment above with a side entrance. So I suppose, this would be my stop.” His chuckle echoed as he moved his hand from my back to brushing against my own hanging hand.

“Well, it certainly wasn’t how I imagined it would go, but can I at least end it how I planned?”

My heart was certainly ready to burst as he gently turned me until our noses were mere centimeters apart. He seemed to be waiting, his lips parted ever so slightly. This was my chance, and yet I was too mesmerized by how close he was. Could I at least nod?

Perhaps I did. The confirmation he waited for set him in motion as he closed to the slight distance between us. His lips were warm and soft and I felt as if I could melt into the sidewalk, as happy as could be.

It almost felt life ending when he finally pulled back, his smile sending my head spinning.

“I’ll see you Monday, Marinette. Goodnight.” He lifted my hand, placing a small peck against my knuckles before releasing it, turning to leave me dumbfounded in front of my own house. My eyes trailed after him, only allowing me to step toward my own home once he was just out of sight.

There was literally nothing that could ruin the high that I was on during that very moment. If only I had known what was waiting for me as I turned the knob.

“Welcome home hunny! Look who decided to stop by to see you!”

The color drained from my face as the snarky smile set off every alarm in my mind.

“Long time, no see Dupain-Cheng. I thought the first thing you would do when I got here was come and see me, but I guess that was too much to hope for now wasn’t it.”

“Chloe, you know you’ve been busy, so why are you acting like it’s all my fault?”

Her heavy, dramatic sigh reminded me exactly why I hadn’t reached out. Chloe is one my best friends besides Tim, but she can be a bit much sometimes. Imagine being so average that even when you stand next to a pillar, you make the pillar look more outstanding. Got that picture? Now imagine little old average me standing next to a three times Miss Junior World Wide pageant winner.

See? A bit much for my mental health to hang out in public with her.

“C’mon now, you know that’s not the only thing stopping you from calling. Your mother told me you had a date tonight. You finally give that Wayne boy a chance?”

I rolled my eyes as I slid into the chair across from her, the weight of the night finally hitting.

“You and I both know he’s just messing with me, mocking me if you will.” Chloe shared a look with my mother, both sighing. I knew what they were thinking, but they didn’t know Tim. He was always like that, always will be. “Besides, there was a transfer student. From Paris to be exact.”

I knew I had captured her attention as she leaned forward, her fingers intertwining before resting on the table.

“Maybe you know him. From what I gathered, he and his family are Paris elites. Adrien Agreste-”

“Mhmm, girl, drop him now.”

I paused as I waited to see if she would elaborate, but instead, she just sat back in her chair as if already bored with the conversation.

“Why should I? He’s so handsome and so sweet and we both share similarities. He’s so perfect Chloe.”

“Yeah, no.” She glanced over her pristine nails as if looking for a crack in the polish to punish. “He is a daddy’s boy and you are not his father’s type. His father will insist he marry someone that would be good for business and I’m sorry but you’re not that Marinette.”

“Marriage?” I could feel myself burning red at the implication. “We only went on one date, Chloe!”

“And it should stay that way. Trust me, he and his family are nothing but trouble for you. You should ask out Tim instead.”

“Are you done?” Chloe sighed before nodding, letting her hand fall to hit the table with an exaggerated smack. “I know that he is out of my league. Trust me, for someone so perfect like him, he needs perfect to match. In fact, I was planning on calling you soon anyway, but since you’re here..”

I trailed off, waiting for her to draw her own conclusion.

“Marinette, nobody is perfect. Stop putting him on a pedestal before you hurt yourself.”

If I weren’t mistaken, I would almost think she was concerned for me, but that just wasn’t Chloe’s style.

“So can you do it or not?”

Her sigh was long and drawn out, ending in a slight nod.

“Let’s get to it. We have a lot of work to do before Monday rolls around.”

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

You know, I had always wondered how Lila felt walking into school every day knowing that every set of eyes was pinned to her.

Now I knew.

It was revolting. How could she walk so confidently knowing that everyone was gaping at her, certainly waiting for her to mess up? At least, that’s how it felt as people didn’t even bother to hide their broken necks as I whisked past them.

It would be a lie if I didn’t disclose that I practically dove into the safety of my homeroom before I fell into a full-blown panic attack.

“Marinette?” I stiffened as I peaked up at the boy standing in front of my desk. It had been two whole days and Tim hadn’t even messaged me, yet here he was, his mouth hanging as low as everyone else’s. “Are you wearing make-up?”

I nodded as he slipped into his usual seat, his expression shifting from surprise to one of suspicion.

“This has Chloe’s handiwork all over it. Did she stop your house or something this morning?”

“She’s staying for the next couple of weeks to avoid that shady hotel on fifth that her mom booked for her.”

Tim nodded with understanding, but not another word was spoken. It almost felt like a dagger to my heart. Where was the Tim I knew with the backhanded compliments and joke dates? Surely if a makeover couldn’t get a reaction from him, what was I expecting from Adrien?

I let out a sigh as I fell forward, my forehead resting on the cool desk. Where was Adrien anyways? He was always ten minutes early for every class. This was so unlike him.

“Oh my god! There you are Mariboo!” A shiver traveled down my spine jolting me up in my seat. There was only one person with an annoying shrill in their voice that could outmatch Chloe’s.

“Lila? You’re not even in this class. What do you want?”

Her laugh felt like listening to a cat using the blackboard as its new scratching post. I couldn’t help but flinch as she placed a perfectly manicured hand on my shoulder.

“You’re so mean Mariboo! I was coming to make sure that we were still on for lunch today! Adrikins had a photoshoot this morning but he wanted to invite all of us to eat with him on his break!”

Her enthusiasm was sickening.

“But Lila, you don’t like me-”

“Don’t like you? Babe! What is with you today? If my boyfriend asks me to bring you to lunch then that’s all I need to confirm our sisterhood.” Boyfriend. Boyfriend. I couldn’t be bothered to hide my shock as Lila’s fake smile shifted to show her more sinister and true smirk. “Yeah, Boyfriend. We went to dinner last night and he asked me there! So romantic huh? Anyways, I trust I’ll see you later then huh? Okay then! Hugs and Kisses, byee!!”

My eyes narrowed as they shifted to where Tim sat beside me, feigning ignorant to the interaction. Was this his retaliation for what I had blurted out on Saturday? I only called it how I saw it and it was Tim’s fault for pushing me that far! He was being childish at this point.

“Do you think she’s lying about Adrien asking her out?” The silence was deafening as Tim slowly lowered his forehead to the desk, his eyes shut tightly as if trying to imagine he was anywhere else than right beside me. Regardless, I tried to continue. “It has to be a lie, right? I mean Adrien said he liked me, not her! We even kissed.”

Tim’s body stiffened beside me. Of course, that would get a rise out of him, he was always overprotective about those kinds of things. Alas, my excitement was dulled as he returned to his relaxed state once more, his silence continued.

Whatever. I don’t need Tim. I can figure this out for myself. All I had to do was wait till lunch.

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

“Oh my! You actually came! How exciting.” Lila’s smile was dripping with false elation, a hint of thrill dancing in her eyes as if she couldn’t wait for the drama to unfold in front of her. “Aidrikins, look who it is!”

Adrien wouldn’t even meet my eyes, his arm dangling lifelessly from Lila’s shoulders. If I had to guess, he wanted to be anywhere else at that moment. The thought leaked its way into a small smile.

“Why don’t you take a seat Mariboo? I have someone who wanted to talk to you. Someone who loved your little-” she paused, her nose scrunching up as she searched for the right word,”-transformation?”

I didn’t even have time to question her before I was thrown off balance, an arm forcing me into the chair at the table.

“‘Sup girl? You’re looking fine today.” Instant dread flooded my soul as I was squeezed into a damp t-shirt that I could only assume was sweat-drenched. “You don’t mind if I slide in beside you eh?”

“Kim-Get. Your. Arm. Off. Me. Now.”

“Woah, woah, c’mon little lady. Don’t be like that! You know I’ve always had a soft spot for you Marinette.”

Lila’s smile was infuriating as she watched as Kim pushed me into the open seat, his arm heavy on my shoulders.

“What is the meaning of this Lila?” Her eyes feigned innocence as she cocked her head to the side, her fingers tapping the table.

“Whatever do you mean Marinette? I’m just trying to help you get over your heart break now that Adrikins has chosen me to be his girlfriend. You know the old saying; ‘the best way to get over one is to get under another’.”

I could barely stand to let her finish before I pushed Kim away, taking off ducking so that he couldn’t reach out again. Why did I think for even a second that this would turn out okay? Did I expect Adrien to wrap me up in his warm arms and tell me she was just a joke? How stupid of me.

“Marinette?” I slowed down long enough to catch Tim’s worried gaze, the strength in my legs finally giving out as I slumped to the ground. “Marinette! What happened?”

I tried to speak, but I couldn’t seem to find my voice. I reached up absentmindely to where the warmth in my cheeks sat, recoiling at the dampness I found. Had I started crying? When did that happen?

“Here, take this.” I didn’t even bother to look up as the weight of Tim’s jacket slipped over my shoulders. He gently helped me to my feet, pulling me toward the door that led to the courtyard, a bench in view. “Can you make it to our spot?”

My voice still seemed to fail me, a nod was all I could manage. It was enough for Tim who seemed to understand. The moment the back of my knees hit the cool wood, I buckled. Tim crouched in front of me, reaching out hesitantly to brush some of the leftover tears lingering on my cheek.

“Is this because of Adrien?” The air left my lungs, my body going rigid. “This is what I was worried about Mari. He seems perfect, but the jerk was torn between you or popularity. Anyone who can’t see the right choice there isn’t deserving of you.”

“Torn between me and popularity?” My voice was hoarse, it sounded unfamiliar.

“Yeah. He had the audacity to ask for my advice as to whether or not it was worth it to date you or have friends. Can you believe that? As if Lila’s little group will still want him after his newness has worn off.”

“And what did you tell him?” Tim stiffened as he shifted his eyes away from mine. “Tim, what was your advice to him?”

“He told me to drop you because you only saw your old life in me and that you weren’t as invested in this as I was.” My body felt as stiff as Tim’s looked as we both glanced to where he stood, breathless and red, his own eyes tinging pink as if he were holding back tears himself.

“Stop.” Tim’s voice was a whisper, his hand retracting from where it had been resting on my cheek. Adrien took a step forward, holding his head higher as he looked down on the two of us.

“He told me that you always had short-lived crushes and that you longed for your old life often. So much so that when I showed up, you were more fascinated by what I could offer over who I was.”

“That’s not what I said-”

“It’s exactly what you told me! So imagine my surprise when she showed up at lunch today looking like I had pulled the rug out from under her feet. Marinette, this isn’t what I meant to happen. I like you, alot. And if you like me too, I’d want to give this a shot, truly.”

My brain felt as if it were short-circuiting. Tim had done many things in the past to thwart my crushes but he’d never put me in a situation that would hurt me. Never. Yet, when my eyes met Adrien’s, something sincere stirred, pulling at my heart.

“Tim?” His eyes shifted to mine, tears brimming at the edge threatening to spill at any moment. Was this really the face of a selfish man sabotaging me? “I want to hear it from you, Tim. What was your advice to Adrien?”

“Marinette, I already told you-” Adrien fell silent at the sight of my palm, urging him to stop. It wasn’t a lack of trust in him, it was the fact that I felt too much trust for Tim. I just knew he couldn’t, he wouldn’t, he-

“That’s more or less what I told him,” he was barely audible but I heard every word clearly as they pierced my chest. “But Marinette, I couldn’t watch him string you along anymore. You don’t know the conversations he has at night with Lila, you don’t know-”

I couldn’t imagine the face I was making right now. I couldn’t even begin to fathom a face to make in the first place. Nothing out of Tim’s mouth was making sense. Adrien was telling the truth? Tim really said that about me?

“Marinette, please listen-” my hand moved before I could think, smacking Tim’s as it attempted to rest itself back on my cheek.

“Tim.” He seemed to understand as he stood, taking a step back from where I sat. “Tim, just,-I-”

I didn’t even know what to say. Why did it hurt so bad? What was this gut-wrenching feeling? It wasn’t like this was the first time Tim had sabotaged a crush. But wasn’t it the first that he had gone this far? The first he had said such awful things to me? Right?

“I think you should leave Wayne.” There was a tense moment where the air stood still and the two boys in front of me stared each other down, daring the other to speak again. It was Tim who would inevitably give in, stepping back toward the school building without a glance back. And for some reason, that hurt most of all.

His face, what face was he making right now as he walked away? It’s the only thing I can think about, it’s monopolizing my thoughts. Tim, Tim, Tim-

“Hey, hey, don’t cry. It’s okay.” Adrien pulled me forward until I was pressed into his chest, the dampness of my cheeks finally hitting. When did the tears start? Why did they start? “Marinette, I don’t know what Tim has said about me, but I really do have feelings for you. I never once faltered when it came to that. Is there any way you could give me a second chance?”

His heart was pounding. Was he nervous? I could hear the words coming out of his mouth, but I couldn’t process the meaning behind them. Was he asking me out?

“A second chance? Aren’t you dating Lila?”

“I am, but I’m not. I-I don’t care for her as I do you. It was just that Tim told me you weren’t interested and she has been asking me for weeks now. I’m sorry. I know this doesn’t look good on my part, but I swear Marinette. If you tell me right now that you will accept my request, then I’ll leave her. It’s you that I want Marinette. So what do you say?”

“I-I don’t know what to say. I mean, Adrien it was one date. Are you sure you want to throw away your relationship on one date?”

Adrien pulled back, his eyes shining as elegantly as the first time I saw them.

“I’m sure Marinette. I would be willing to bet anything on you.” Hesitantly, he reached forward, wiping the tear stains from my face, his hand remaining on my cheek. “May I?”

I couldn’t process just what he was asking, my mind still boggled with thoughts of Tim retreating. I could feel my face being pulled forward ever so slowly, his nose nearly tickling my own. Was this okay? Was it okay to allow him to steal yet another kiss? Was Tim right? Did I truly care about Adrien or was he just another crush? He paused, his lips mere centimeters from mine.

“Is this okay Marinette?”

No, Tim was wrong. Adrien was wonderful and caring and I actually liked him. This was something I decided for myself regardless of Tim’s opinions. It was my turn to close the distance between us. His lips were soft and delicate, almost hesitant as he returned the kiss. As he pulled away, my head felt dazed. It was different from the melting sensation I had felt before. This one was gentle, like a promise sealed between the two of us. It was comforting.

"Come with me Saturday,” my voice felt foreign as it slipped out of my mouth, unsure of where this surge of courage came from. “My friend has a fashion show and while it’s not the most exciting thing in the world, I’m sure it would be much better with you there.”

“If it’s with you, I’m sure it will be a blast. I’d love to come, Marinette.”

There was a pause as I registered his words in my head.

“So, like a date..right?”

Adrien’s laugh bellowed through the courtyard as he stood, offering his hand to help me stand as well.

“Exactly like a date.” He pulled my hand forward until his lips brushed over my knuckles, his warmth lingering even after he released his grip. “Now, if you’ll excuse me. I need to take care of a certain someone before I can officially call you mine.”

Adrien offered a small wave before turning to jog back inside.

I remained standing, my eyes following his retreating figure. He left through the same door that Tim had, reminding me once again, that I also had someone I should take care of. But was that the case? Tim never explained himself, just upped and left after Adrien suggested he should.

It wasn’t that I couldn’t trust Adrien and what he said, it just felt wrong to watch Tim leave me, to leave my side without a word.

Maybe we both just needed some space. After all, I had no idea what I would do, what I would say if I saw him right now. I would just wait until after Saturday, after my date, after a perfect night out.

Yeah, that would be the best time.

I reached into my pocket, my fingers already dialing before my phone was even in view.

“What do you want Dupain-Cheng? Aren’t you still in class?”

“Well, hello to you too Chloe. I’m doing fine thanks for asking.” There was a deep sigh that resonated through my phone as if she was deciding if I were worth her time. Supposing I was, she clicked her tongue waiting for me to continue. “Adrien agreed to come with me to that show you’re walking in on Saturday.”

“And why would he do that?”

“I would like to assume it’s because he likes me and wants to spend time with me, but that’s just a guess. Who knows for sure?”

Chloe tsked and the line went dead before I could even say another word. I couldn’t help the smile that tugged at my lips. At least the one thing I could count on was for Chloe to remain constant.

Never mind anything else that occurred, the only thing I had to concentrate on was my date. Forget Tim, forget Lila. I had a perfect date on Saturday and that was the only thing that mattered.

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

“So, enjoying your backstage luxury? Honestly, you’re drooling as if you haven’t eaten in days looking at all these up-and-coming designers.”

I unconsciously wiped the drool that had seeped at the corner of my mouth as I turned in circles taking in the landscape. It wasn’t much. A bunch of thrown-together counter space and curtain dividers, but the hope and exhaustion on everyone’s face as their hard work finally came to light was what made it so fascinating for me..

“I can’t help it, Chloe. I know I told Adrien that it wouldn’t be that exciting, but to be honest, it’s so gratifying watching them. Maybe I’ll take my hobby seriously and find myself here one day. You’ll wear my designs, right Chloe?”

“Mm, you’ll have to prove to me that your designs are worth my time.” She stuck out her tongue, her eyes taunting me to retaliate. “Besides, I know this is all just a deflection Dupain-Cheng. You’re avoiding the original question I asked when you first got here.”

My body stiffened slightly as I shifted my gaze to a nearby model having their make-up fixed. Anywhere but Chloe was a good place to look seeing as the burning sensation in my skull indicated that she was most likely throwing her killer glare in my direction.

“I told you, Chloe, he said he would meet me here and he just hasn’t texted me yet.”

“That sounds like a load of bullshit to me, but whateves.” It was odd that he hadn’t called me or even shot a single text. We were supposed to meet up an hour ago but after thirty minutes of waiting and three missed calls from Chloe, I decided I would wait inside for him to contact me. “The show will be starting soon so you should try and find a decent seat. Maybe lover boy can find the guts to show up before I walk.”

I nodded before edging my way to the curtain separating the audience from the models. Peeking through, my eyes scanned for a certain blonde but alas, he still wasn’t here. I excused myself to the nearest row with two seats left, placing my purse and jacket into the empty one in hopes Adrien would fill it soon.

Out of the corner of my eye, I watched as the announcer jumped on stage, his enthusiastic voice failing to capture my full attention. When Chloe would ask me later if I liked the show, I couldn’t even begin to tell her what she modeled. My thoughts were elsewhere, wondering just why he never even read a single text.

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

I got my answer just hours after returning from Chloe’s show. In reality, I hadn’t moved from my bed, not particularly sad, just mentally exhausted. It was only after I had finally decided to brush it off as a dead battery or some freak accident, I received a text from someone I never imagined.

“Hey xinh đẹp, I know I’m probably the last person you want to hear from, but I just couldn’t let this slide.”

Kim had attached a video, nearly a minute long. My heart jumped as I saw the screen frozen on Adrien’s face surrounded by dozens of people, Lila hanging right off of his arm. Was this why he was late? Did he go to break up with Lila? It would explain why he couldn’t answer me.

With a shaky breath, I pressed play, my heart threatening to drop at any moment.

“The fuck is this?”

“Tim?” His name almost sounded foreign in my mouth. What was Tim doing at Lila’s party?

“Leave it be Wayne.”

“Yeah Timmyboo, just leave it be.” Lila giggled as she brought Adrien’s face to hers, leaving small sloppy kisses all over his face. It almost made me sick to my stomach. That looked nothing close to breaking up.

“You told her that you were leaving this bitch! You lied to Marinette.”

“Oh c’mon Tim. Marinette’s nice and all, but her crush on me was overbearing and what was it going to give me in return? Huh?”

“She would’ve given you the world if you asked! How can you not realize that? When Marinette loves someone, she does it with her whole heart. If I had your chance, you bet your life I would never waste it like this!”

Tim… was serious. All those times, he was serious. I can’t believe I thought it was a joke when Tim was constantly pouring his heart out to me.

“Like she would ever give you a chance Wayne. Not after you made it so easy for me to get her to hate you. I’ll let her know eventually, but in reality, she has nothing. Especially compared to Lila. It’s like father always said, relationships are only good for what they can offer yo-”

Adrien never got to finish his sentence as Tim’s fist connected with his face. I could hear Kim let out a string of cusses as the video cut out. There was nothing I could do as I stared at my phone, still processing what I had seen, what I had heard. I stared until the screen blackened and all that was left was my own shocked expression.

For some reason, it didn’t hurt that bad hearing Adrien’s words. Somewhere deep inside of me must have realized that fascination with someone from where I grew up way outshined the actual connection I had made up.

“Tim,” He tried to protect me. It wasn’t just some jealous ulterior motive; Tim just didn’t want to see me hurt. And speaking of Tim, “my God, I have to find Tim!”

I pushed off my bed, racing down the stairs and out the front of the bakery. Maman glanced sideways at me as I zipped past, but she did nothing to stop me, a seemingly knowing smile plastered on her face. I’m sure I’ll deal with her teasing later, but that wasn’t the important thing at the moment.

No, the only thing that mattered was finding-

“Marinette?” My feet planted themselves, my arms involuntarily shooting out to balance myself. Before I had even turned, my heart was already jumping in my throat. “Marinette, where are you going?”

I couldn’t stop myself as I stumbled forward, my steps clumsy as I made my way to where he stood.

“Marinette? I-oof” I threw myself into Tim, my arms tightening around him in fear that if I let go, he would somehow slip away from me. He hesitated for a moment before I felt his own arms wrap themselves around me.

We stood there as seconds passed, neither speaking, just simply holding on for dear life.

“I love you.” His heart raced, reacting to my words much the same as my own. “I’m sorry for everything Tim. I’m sorry it took me this long to realize you never once were joking about your feelings for me. I’m sorry that I let a stupid boy come between me and my best friend. But most of all, I’m sorry that I never had the courage to say it sooner. I love you, Tim.”

All too quickly he pulled back, his hand rushing to his face in an attempt to cover the spreading red.

“You-ou-you-you can’t just spring that on me! I didn’t have any time to prepare. And you took away my big moment! You have no idea the demons that I literally fought to finally work up the courage to come confess! Marinette!”

I felt the giggle bubbling up as Tim attempted to compose himself, the blush ever-burning as it moved to brush against his neck.

“I guess I should add that to my apology speech too huh?”

“Yes! You should! I want a formal apology later for ruining something that I have been planning for since we were kids.”

“And what about now?” Tim cocked his head as I took a small step forward in an attempt to close the space between us. “If that’s what you want for later, what do you want for now?”

I could practically see the wheels turning in Tim’s head as he tentatively reached out, grasping my face as lightly as he could with both hands. Time seemed to stop as he pulled me forward, his breath quick and uneven, much like my racing heart.

“I want to kiss the woman I love, but only if she wants me to.”

“What a coincidence, I also was thinking that I would love to kiss the man in front of me.”

We both moved forward, our lips and teeth colliding at the same time.

“Ow!” Tim released one hand as he covered his mouth. There was a moment of silence before we both erupted, our laughter mingling as it filled the night air. “Somehow, that felt exactly like us.”

I could only nod as my laughter faded out, an ear-splitting smile taking its place.

“It’s okay though because now we can try again any time.”

Tim smiled as he leaned forward once more. “Good, because I would love to try again right now.”

His lips were soft and his kiss was gentle and described in a single word; perfect. When he pulled back, his forehead rested against my own, his heart practically jumping through his shirt.

“Is this real?”

“It is.”

I shared his sentiment. It didn’t feel real that after all this time, after everything that had happened, we had finally found our way back to each other.

I’m sorry if this wasn’t the happy ending you were waiting for. After all, I did warn you that it wasn’t your typical girl meets boy.

In the end, I never quite figured out my question; how do you survive in an extraordinary world when you’re only average? After everything, I still don’t have anything definite, but I suspect that it becomes infinitely easier when you fall in love with your best friend.

As I met Tim’s eyes in our last moments alone that night, the only thought occupying my mind was that never again would I ever let him go.

I found the person that makes my average life extraordinary and he’s always been right by my side.

“Never leave Tim, okay?” I could feel the warmth from his smile before it even appeared.

“You’re only stuck with me for the rest of your life and any time after that.”

I reached forward, intertwining our fingers, relishing in the perfect fit. This was everything I had been searching for and now it was quite literally in my grasps.

This, well this was only the beginning of our story, but that’s a tale for another time, right?

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#timinette #tall girl au #maribat

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sariahsue · 4 years ago

Text

Footsteps

Marinette’s about to get married to her soulmate, a man she’s never met before. Too bad she meets that cute groomsman in the hallway first. Rated G. 4,000 words.

***

Marinette bunched the white lace of her train into her fists and walked faster, eyes searching the empty marble hallway. Just keep walking. She could get through today. One foot in front of the other.

All she needed was some fresh air. She thought a building as enormous as this one would have at least one window that she could open. Instead, sunlight streamed through vaulted arches taller than the bakery she'd lived in her whole life, mocking her.

Marinette poked her head around a corner into a side hallway, saw nothing but closed doors, expensive paintings (that couldn't be an actual van Gogh, right?), and a plush white rug, and walked past.

All she needed was a few quick breaths, a little bit of air to cool off her flushed face, and a few minutes away from her hovering family and bridesmaids so she could pull herself together. And then she would get right back.

How big was this building? Each hallway she looked down offered a new way to get lost, with smaller hallways coming off of the side hallways and as many doors as there had been guests and staff just an hour ago. She gripped her train harder. Staff that had disappeared to the banquet hall to set up for the reception. Guests that were nowhere in sight because they were being seated in the chapel right now.

A door snapped shut somewhere behind her, and she whirled around, her heart in her mouth at having been caught, but no one was there. Her eyes traced crystal vases on marble tables only put there to break up the vast space the building contained. Nothing moved. And nothing looked familiar.

Can I even find my way back now?

It was a problem she would have to deal with later. She didn't have the capacity for one more thing to go wrong right now, so she marched forward to continue her quest.

Her heels click-clicked as she walked across the polished floor, and she could have sworn she heard the door closing once again.

The shoes were going to give her away. With shaking fingers, she reached down and unstrapped them. They swung from her hands as she kept going.

Just a few days ago, Marinette had been so excited to finally meet her soulmate and get married. Why had the feeling deserted her today?

She knew the answer. All week it had been building, but now that the day was here, the swirling anxiety that had been simmering below the surface of her joy just couldn't be ignored any longer.

Most people gave themselves a few weeks or at least a few days after meeting their soulmate to get married, but her husband-to-be, Adrien, had insisted on being "traditional." No seeing each other until the wedding. She hadn't even talked to him on the phone yet. They would fall in love at first sight, as she walked down the aisle. If she'd met him before, maybe right now she wouldn't be so-

Marinette bumped into a glass-topped side table, sending the empty crystal vase on top tilting dangerously. Dropping her train, she managed to grab it before anything smashed. She stood there, frozen, listening, waiting to see if anyone would scold her, but no one was around. With a whispered "Sorry!" at the vase, she put it back in its place and kept searching through the maze of hallways.

It must have cost a fortune to rent this humongous mansion for the day. A new worry stuck in her throat. I'm not going to be able to fit in with my husband's family, am I? Adrien would love her completely. That's just how it worked. But what if her in-laws hated her because her parents weren't rich too?

Her panic spiral was halted by the sight of a familiar blue rug pattern in one of the side hallways. Marinette made her way over, window quest forgotten, and she tripped over her dress the whole way there.

The long, white walls were filled with paintings of fruit and flowers, like the ones she used to make in art class (but with lighting skills so good it made her want to cry), and no… she hadn't been down this way before. Even as upset as she was, the artist in her would have remembered.

Marinette took a few seconds too long to glare at an apple, and by the time she heard the whispering, it was far too late for her to hide.

"Sneaking," a male voice whispered.

Marinette turned toward the voice. Had someone seen her? Did someone know she was roaming the building alone? She saw no one. And she saw nowhere she could quickly hide.

A few feet in front of her, the hallway turned a corner and continued out of sight. Some of the hallways had been like that, leading to more corridors and rooms that she hadn't bothered to explore. The footsteps came closer.

"Sneaking around the corner."

If she held very still, maybe he wouldn't notice? She walked backwards and pressed into the white wall, the fabric of her dress rustling loudly with every step, every breath she took.

His shoes squeaked as a hunched figure came into view.

"I'm not sneaking!" Marinette blurted out as soon as she saw him.

He jerked up straight.

She noticed three things instantly. He was blond. He was holding his hands around his eyes, like binoculars or a mask, and he was in the nicest tuxedo she had ever seen.

The man was also quite a bit taller than her, but he still jumped back in alarm when he saw her, and finally lowered his hands. Brilliant green eyes went from shocked to soft and warm and inviting.

"S-sorry," he finally said. "I was the one sneaking around. No worries."

"Oh," Marinette said, heart beating in her throat. "Right. I wasn't sneaking."

He smiled, and Marinette was glad she was already leaning against a wall. He had to be the single most beautiful human being she'd ever met her in life.

"Um, nice to meet you?" he said. When he held out a hand to shake, she quickly took it. His hand was soft and gentle and warm. No ring on either hand that she could see. Gorgeous and single!

Guilt swept through her, making her drop his hand. Here she was, getting married in literally a few minutes and ogling someone else. But he was still smiling at her. No, she had to stop thinking like a single woman. But he was so pretty.

"Of course. So, uh," He looked down at her dress. "You must be the bride, huh? Marinette? Nice to meet you."

Sweat prickled on the back of her neck. Judging by his outfit, she'd just been caught by a member of the groom's wedding party, a groomsman or a family member. Would he tell her future husband that she was out here getting cold feet? Not that it wasn't true, but she didn't want her soulmate to know about it.

"And you are?" she asked, hoping to divert attention away from herself. "One of the wedding party, right?"

"Yeah," he whispered and reached for her hand again. "I am. I was out here looking for you. I'm A-"

She shrank back. No matter how much she wanted to, she shouldn't be thinking about him this way. She was getting married to someone else.

The man dropped his hand quickly, eyes roaming her face, like he was looking for what he had done wrong. When he couldn't find anything, he ran his fingers through his hair and stammered out an apology. Marinette watched each lock fall back into place, the light catching each strand and making him glow.

"I'm-" he tried again, a blush rising in his cheeks. "Ni- W-winston."

"Winston?" Marinette couldn't help but laugh a little. That was the least French-sounding name she'd ever heard.

"Winston the groomsman," he said, not looking at her. "Yes, old family name. My father's name, and his father's name, and I think I have an old uncle. Because we're British way back there somewhere on my mother's side-"

"Nice to meet you, 'Winston.'" It was apparent he was nervous, and she didn't want him to feel uncomfortable, so she changed the subject. "What are you doing out here? You were looking for me?"

"Um." He looked around the hallway for inspiration, and Marinette immediately regretted her question as she watched his discomfort grow.

"I- He- The groom wanted to meet you before the wedding," Winston confessed.

"He did?"

"Yeah, he wanted to break tradition and see you, but Fa- his father is stifling stick in the mud."

"Yeah?" The knowledge was somehow both comforting and unsettling. She and her future husband had both wanted to meet first, but her father-in-law… she wasn't going to fit in.

"Yeah," he breathed. "He can't wait to meet you. But he couldn't get away, so I thought I'd come out here. And, wow, he's going to love you. You're amazing."

Marinette flushed at the compliment. "Isn't that how it's supposed to work? Love and first sight and everything?"

"Sure," Winston said, "but you know what I mean."

In the distance, an organ started playing softly, but Marinette barely heard it. This man would go through all that trouble for a friend of his? He was so kind, and she was going gooey under his intense gaze.

"What are you doing out here?" he asked quietly.

Just like that, the glow was gone. Would he believe the truth, that she was just hoping for some fresh air? He might be sympathetic. But he might not be. Who would feel sorry for a bride on her wedding day?

"I was�� looking for the bathroom and got super lost." She adjusted her skirt with one hand to give herself something to do and then laughed nervously. "This place is such a maze."

Winston didn't answer right away. He studied the train of her dress, mouth a thin line of disappointment. Her shoes dangled from her loose fingers as she waited, and she adjusted her grip.

"You don't have to get married today, you know," he said. "You can call it off."

Marinette squirmed at how perceptive he was - or maybe she was just obvious - and pushed her hair out of her eyes. When it fell back into place, Winston reached out to tuck it behind her ear but stopped himself. His hand hung there awkwardly between them until he let it slowly fall.

"It's okay to be nervous," he said. "I know lots of people who didn't go through with their weddings. Loads."

Marinette smiled at the lie, grateful he was trying in spite of everything, though she was still a little worried he was going to tell Adrien about this conversation, or that word would somehow get to her future in-laws. She wasn't sure which would have been worse, giving her in-laws ammunition or disappointing Adrien.

"No, I really did get lost," she said. "I didn't mean to get all the way over here." And to make it sound convincing, she added, "Do you know the way back?"

"I can walk you." Adrien stood up straight, his smile returning.

"Oh, you don't have to," Marinette said quickly. There might still be a chance for her to find a window and that breath of fresh air she'd been hoping for.

"I insist." Winston held out an arm for her, and like the idiot she was, she eagerly took it. His free hand settled over hers, and they began to walk.

Her heels swung from her other hand, and without their added inches, the difference in their height was ludicrous. But Winston didn't comment on it, just matched her pace without making her feel rushed.

Together, they left the small hallway and stepped back into the still deserted main hallway. Sunlight poured through the windows, reflecting off the gleaming floors and sparkling crystal chandeliers high above. Winston's hand on hers was comforting, and he was so sweet to help her, but now there was no chance for her to get away.

Feebly, she said, "I think I recognize this part now. You can get back."

"Oh, they won't miss me," Winston said. "I'll make sure you get back safe. Is there anything else you need?"

Marinette sighed. As kind as he was handsome, and she hoped he never removed his hand from hers. Why did he have to be so nice and gentle?

After several more turns, she really did start to recognize things. How had she wandered so far? Her family must have been worried by now.

Marinette didn't bother to escape from him again, and Winston didn't let go of her, even when they stopped in front of the bride's room with its white and blank, gleaming, bronze plaque.

"I can't wait to see you coming down the aisle in a few minutes," Winston said. He lowered his arm, and her hand slipped away from his sleeve. She felt the loss of his touch immediately. "I mean, if you still want to," he added quickly.

"I'll be fine," she squeaked. "Thanks."

"Okay," he said, waving goodbye without moving away. "Great. See you."

Yup. He was definitely the most adorable, sweet, and beautiful man she'd ever met. "Why couldn't I be marrying this guy?"

Winston took a step back. "What?"

Huh? She'd said that out loud? She'd said that out loud!

Fumbling for the handle behind her, Marinette said a hasty goodbye and launched herself through the door and slammed it shut without looking at his expression. What was she supposed to do now?

"Girl, where have you been?"

In seconds, Alya, Sabine, and Tom were gathered around her. Marinette leaned her back against the cool door, wondering if Winston was still staring at the spot where she'd been standing.

"Are you all right?" her father asked.

"Just needed some fresh air," Marinette said, staring at their shoes. "Then I got lost. Have you seen this place?"

"Marinette," Sabine said, lifting her daughter's chin with one soft hand. "You can tell us the truth."

The tension in Marinette's body all came out in a rush. Her shoulders slumped, and she slid down the door two inches.

Tom brought over a chair, and Marinette tried to sit down, only to find that her dress was caught in the door. What else could go wrong today? Without peeking into the hallway, she opened the door and removed her train - to her relief, it didn't look like she'd ripped it - and then collapsed into the chair.

"It's okay to be nervous," Sabine said.

Marinette nodded, though that wasn't the entire problem anymore. She was supposed to be marrying a friend of "Winston's" in a few minutes, maybe his best friend or even his brother. He would be standing there, witnessing her marriage, knowing what she'd just said. How was she supposed to show her face out there now?

Her parents and Alya doted on her, trying to put her fears at ease, but it was only making everything worse. She couldn't ignore her anxiety while everyone was talking about it. They flitted around the small room, fetching her water, guiding her to sit down in front of the triple mirror vanity, offering to brush her hair out. "That always calmed you down when you were little," Sabine said.

Marinette nodded.

"If it makes you feel better," Tom said, "I'm sure he's just as nervous as you are. I was nervous, too."

"Everyone expects you to be a little anxious." Sabine picked up the bristle brush while Marinette avoided looking at herself in the mirror. "You're marrying someone without ever having met him. That's terrifying. But you're going to be okay."

Marinette nodded again, dumbly. They waited for her to say something, respond with her usual cheerful attitude, and when she didn't, Alya jumped in.

"Sabine, didn't you get married and move to France at the same time?"

All four of them knew the story. Marinette had grown up hearing it, had loved hearing her parents' own love story.

"I found out my soulmate's name two days after my twenty second birthday," she said. Marinette could almost mouth the words along with her mother, they were so familiar. "I couldn't believe he was so far away. I started teaching myself French almost immediately, but the first time we got on the phone to speak to each other, all I could say was hello!"

A tug on Marinette's scalp told her that Sabine had found a small knot. She set the brush down and started to pick at it with her fingers.

"I moved away from home to a strange country, and was learning a new language, and was nervous about meeting my soulmate, but as soon as I saw him, it didn't matter," Sabine said. "You're going to be fine. As soon as you see him, you'll love him, and everything will be okay."

"I know all that," Marinette said. "But I'm scared now!" Not to mention distracted by "Winston," and the crushing guilt that reminded her she shouldn't be.

"Well," her father cut in. "What do you want to do about it, Marinette? Do you feel like we should wait a little bit?"

"Yeah," Alya added. "We can tell them there's something wrong with your dress or whatever if you need a few more minutes."

"I'm sure Adrien would understand," Sabine said. "He seemed very kind when we talked to him."

A few more minutes sounded wonderful, a chance to collect herself, do delay the inevitable. Or a chance for her anxiety to get worse. She took a deep breath. "No, let's just get this over with."

"Very convincing." Alya picked her clutch up off the vanity and started fishing around inside it. "You sound so pumped. Let me just text Adrien." Alya pulled out her phone.

"No," Marinette said, covering the phone with one hand. Her fake nails clicked on the screen.

"Waiting's not going to make it easier. I don't need any more time to worry. It's like you said, when I see him, everything will be fine. So let's just so see him. I want to see him."

"All right." Alya dropped her phone onto the table and grabbed the eye shadow. "Come here, then."

Marinette sat as still as she could while Sabine finished her hair and Alya did her makeup and Tom hovered around, asking what he should do to make her feel more comfortable. When they didn't give him any ideas, he started telling funny stories from Marinette's baby days.

Marinette only half listened, making sure to smile when someone else laughed. Maybe Winston had asked "What?" because he hadn't heard what she'd said. She had said it quietly, after all. That was logical.

Eventually, Tom had to leave the room to check on how things were progressing. Marinette missed his voice and his stories. The silence was too easy for her anxious mind to fill.

If she could just make it a few more minutes, if she could just make it to the altar, then she'd fall in love with her soulmate at first sight and everything would be great. No more worrying. No more wondering.

The final piece of her outfit, her veil, was laid out neatly on the flower-print sofa, waiting for her. When Alya declared her face perfect and Sabine could find no hair out of place, Marinette strapped her heels back on and stood, knees shaking, and retrieved her veil. She seemed like another woman in the mirror as she watched herself put it on.

Marinette did want to meet Adrien. She did. A few days ago, she'd felt excited. Just his name was enough to put a smile on her face. Her parents had met him, and she'd devoured every detail of him they could give her. Elation had bubbled through her chest as she had designed her wedding dress. It had taken weeks to finish simply because she was having so much fun designing it that she hadn't wanted to stop. If she could remember what it had felt like then, maybe she could recreate the feelings now.

The door creaked as it opened, and Tom walked back in. "It's time," he said, extending his arm for her.

Marinette plastered a smile onto her trembling lips and leaned on his arm to compensate for the weakness in her knees. No one else needed to know about her struggle, least of all Adrien.

The walk down the hallway to the chapel didn't take as long as Marinette thought that it should have. The organ music was too loud, but still not loud enough to drown out the breathing and whispers of a room full of hundreds of people, everyone who was ever important to her, and more that she would get to know well in her lifetime as Adrien's wife.

The processional song began to play, and Marinette walked in, staring at the pink petals on the carpet in front of her. Pews creaked and fabric rustled as everyone stood for her. And she kept her face down.

Don't make eye contact with the groomsmen. You're getting married to Adrien, so don't look for adorable "Winston."

Marinette forced her face up, searching out the people she knew. For her bridesmaids and Alya, her mother in the front row. Her school friends throughout the year, aunts and uncles who had flown from all over the world. A few held tissues, some waved at her. They were all smiling.

Everyone was smiling except for her.

She should be looking at her new husband - her soulmate - for the first time. He was probably looking at her. Had he already fallen for her? Was he wondering why she wasn't looking at him?

That curiosity was nothing compared to how much she wanted to look for the man she'd met in the hallway. There was something seriously wrong about that. It went beyond the guilt that she felt. It was a strangeness in the situation that she didn't have time to think about.

The line of petals thinned and disappeared halfway to the altar, and the organ music swelled.

The temptation was too great. Marinette raised her eyes, looking at the groomsmen first, looking for the friend that shouldn't have liked as much as she did. Because she was marrying someone else, she reminded herself as she quickly scanned their faces. And because she had only known him for about two minutes. What was wrong with her?

Her gaze skimmed them all twice, three times, but Winston wasn't there. Her footsteps stuttered to a halt before taking a big step to match her father's long stride. The hand holding her bouquet started to sweat.

Could he not bear to watch her marrying someone else? No, that was ridiculous. He didn't feel the same way. He wasn't feeling torn like she was.

He had definitely been part of the wedding party. He'd said so. So who was he?

The carpet ended, and Marinette heels clicked on marble as realization clicked into place. He was part of the wedding party, but not one of the groomsmen, so that must have meant…

For the first time that day, her heart pounded from something other than anxiety.

Marinette held her head high and looked for him. And she found him. "Winston." It had been a ridiculous name anyway. Adrien suited him much better.

Adrien smiled broadly at her. That wonderful smile she first saw out in the hallway was now a hundred times brighter, focused solely on her. He had snuck out to see her, had so gently guided her back when she was lost, had made sure she was comfortable, and offered to call off the wedding.

No wonder she had liked him so much. Love at first sight, just like everyone said.

He reached out a hand for her as she took the last few steps to the altar. Marinette slid her fingers into his, and they fit perfectly.

"Hi, Winston," Marinette whispered as she nestled herself into his side. "Could the groom not get away again? Are you getting married for him too?"

"I said the groom was going to love you," he said. "And I was right."

The last notes of the organ faded away, and a hush settled over their friends and family. This was it. They stepped together up to the altar. The first step of their lives together.

***

Author's note: Merry Christmas! You're getting something completely un-Christmasy. Huge thank you to @ours-polaires, @khanofallorcs, @vivalasaturn, and @noirshitsuji for reading over my outline of this and making sure everything made sense!

#ml #miraculous #miraculous ladybug #adrinette #adrienette #arranged marriage au #soulmate au #incorrect quotes

334 notes · View notes

localcultivator · 4 years ago

Note

K k so prompt mari is already in a relationship with Damian shes happy hes happy its adorable but dun dun dun Adrien finds out she's ladybug and tries to win her over it doesn't work but most of the class are rooting for him. Chloe is not she thinks he should respect that Marinette is happy with someone else and move on

Oh dear sweet anon, i have returned from war and I bring you this one shot, FINALLY FINISHED. it’s long, sorry. but pls enjoy.

Marinette wanted to believe that today was going to be a good day.

She had woken up early and was able to eat a full breakfast with her family, she was able to enjoy her walk to school and Damian was about to start his year abroad in Paris living with her family and going to school with her.

Marinette had made plans to pick Damian up from the airport the next day, so she was walking on air.

And then she got to school.

Things had been... strained since Adrien and Marinette had revealed their identities to each other. Hawkmoth had been defeated and as the guardian, Marinette felt like it was time for her to know just exactly who her partner was.

Finding out that it was Adrien seemed great at first! Someone she was already close to outside of the mask was also her partner in justice and had helped her save Paris many times.

It only took Adrien 2 minutes to show Marinette that he didn’t feel the same as her.

“My Lady! We can finally be together! Now that I know that My Lady is Marinette, I’m gonna sweep you off your feet! You’ll see, we were meant to be together. “

Marinette had tried to explain to Adrien multiple times that she wasn’t interested in him and that she was in a loving committed relationship with her boyfriend of 6 months, Damian, but Adrien wouldn’t take no for an answer.

Marinette was hoping that with Damian transferring in, Adrien would finally get the hint that Marinette wasn’t interested.

She arrived at her classroom, noticing that strangely the class seemed mostly full, like everyone had tried to get there early that day. It was... unsettling.

As she walked to her seat, she noticed the bouquet of flowers, both of them.

The first was kind of tacky, a dozen red roses with a big sparkly pink ribbon around them. It seemed to have shed glitter all over her desk and Marinette sighed to herself, thinking about the tedious cleanup she would have to endure from such a messy ribbon.

The second however, was beautiful. An arrangement of white lilies, daisies and Marinette’s favorite flower, yellow marguerites. Sometimes known as Paris Daisies, Marinette had fallen in love with the simple beauty of the flowers. Only one person knew that these flowers meant to her, and that same person also knew Marinette had a small love for the language of flowers.

White Lilies for My Love is Pure.

Daisies for I Love You Truly

Yellow Marguerites for I Come Soon.

She picked up the simple bouquet and smelled them, enjoying the soft scents and smiled to herself. Marinette looked around for Damian’s standard note but couldn’t find one, only seeing the note attached to the glitter bomb mess the other arrangement was.

“Hey Girl, did you see the flowers Adrien got you? He must really like you to have gotten you roses!” Alya said, sliding up to Marinette who had yet to acknowledge the other flowers on her desk.

“Alya, I’ve told you, I’m only interested in one guy, and it’s the guy that got me these flowers, knowing to even include my favorite in the arrangement. Those roses are beautiful, but you know I hate glitter, and pink isn’t even my favorite color. It’s green, has been for a while.” Marinette chimed back, picking up the roses finally to get them off her desk. The glitter shimmered in the light, leaving an even dusting on the note the flowers were on top of.

Marinette wasted no time in disposing the flowers, not paying attention to the note, nor her classes reaction to her throwing the flowers away

She started to begin the laborious process of cleaning her desk off when Ms. Bustier came in, drawing the class's attention.

“Class, Today we will be welcoming an exchange student from America. He will be with us for the next year to learn French culture and to learn alongside us! Please welcome in Damian Wayne from Gotham''

A boy entered the room, tall and handsome. He had dark hair, almost black and tan skin. His eyes were green, not unlike Adrien’s, however his held an air of mystery and a look of mischief.

No one noticed Marinette freezing, stopping the cleaning of her desk at the announcement of the new student, but everyone noticed her practically flying out of her desk to hug him.

“Damian! You said you weren’t coming until tomorrow! What are you doing here? You didn’t even tell me you were going to be coming. Were you the one to leave flowers on my desk?” Marinette rattled off her questions, still in the boy’s arms.

Her words were a mix of french and english, only a few people getting the full scope of what Marinette was saying to Damian. Chloe, who knew english due to her mother, Alya who had learned english reading articles by Lois Lane and Clark Kent, and Adrien who knew it for business.

“Angel, slow down, you’re speaking in both languages again. I wanted to surprise you so your parents and I planned for me to arrive this morning instead of tomorrow night. I did leave the bouquet, did you get the note with them? It was supposed to tell you to meet me at the Principal’s office, but I assume you were late again?” Damian looked at Marinette like she hung the moon, and more than a few of their classmates were wondering just who this boy was. And why was he calling Marinette Angel?

“Ya Amar, I didn’t get a note with my flowers this time. What do you mean you left a note?”

Adrien took this moment to ask the question on everyone’s mind, “My Lady, who is this guy, and why is he calling you Angel?”

Marinette turned away from Damian, fully pulling out of his embrace. “This is Damian, my boyfriend. We’ve been dating for 8 months, so I’d hope he would have some cute nickname for me. I told you guys multiple times about him, but all of you never seemed to believe me. Damian started to get frustrated at your advances Adrien, so he’s decided to spend a year abroad here!”

To say that the class was in shock was saying it lightly. Many of the students had just assumed that this boyfriend of hers was to make Adrien jealous. The only ones who had seemed to believe her were Chloe, Juleka and Luka. All three had met Damian previously to this, whether in person like Chloe or over a video call like the Couffaines. Alya’s face turned bright red while Adrien had gone pale, like he’d seen a ghost.

“Ugh this is ridiculous. I can’t believe none of you believed Mari when she said she had a boyfriend! Anyway, Wayne, you better treat Mari right while you’re here or I’m calling Jon.” Chloe exclaimed to the class, wanting everyone to stop staring at her friend like some kind of freakshow.

Damian just nodded his head in acknowledgment and started to pull Mari towards her desk. He noticed the glitter still on the desk and his eyes narrowed. “ Angel, do you need help cleaning off all of this glitter? It seems quite excessive.” His tone was cold, even as he had a gentle smile on his face directed at Marinette.

“I hope that people in this class will be respectful of My and Marinette’s relationship. I’m quite committed to her, and would be happy to prove that to anyone who doubts my feelings for her, or hers for me.”

The tension in the classroom was almost visible, some students with looks of shame and shock, other’s with small pleased smiles. The only one who hadn’t seemed to react yet was Adrien, still stuck in his shock over his lady actually being in a relationship. He finally seemed to acknowledge the world around him with Damian’s words but you could see the light in his eyes had dimmed significantly.

Damian looked pleased, and as he helped Marinette clean off her desk for the day, he had a feeling no one would doubt his angel any more.

#damian wayne #marinette dupain cheng #maribat #marinette x damian #maridami #fanfic #mlb fanfic #mlb x dc #one shot #fanfic one shot #fanfiction

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mochegato · 4 years ago

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Nannyette

Chapter 1 Chapter 2

Chapter 3 – Lions and Robins and Ladybugs, Oh My

“The lions! This is where the lions are! I love the lions. I love their hair. It goes out everywhere. I wanna make my hair look like a lion.” Mar’i babbled loudly and happily as she pulled Marinette towards the lion exhibit. “Do you think we’ll see them? I hope we see them. They’re my favorite.”

“I thought the otters were your favorite?” Marinette commented with a smile. Almost every animal they’d seen had been Mar’i’s ‘favorite’ so far. They were enjoying a rare warm day and decided to celebrate by visiting the Gotham City Zoo before the next cold front blew through that night.

“I LOVE otters. They’re so cute and fluffy! But I love lions too. They’re my favorite favorite.” She rattled off, still pulling Marinette with her.

They had just made it to the Plexiglas enclosure for viewing the lions when they heard screaming. Marinette automatically picked up Mar’i and held her close. She turned toward the door and said loudly, “I wish someone would investigate and see what is going on for me,” hoping Tikki would pick up on the hint. She then turned back to Mar’i. “Let’s stay hidden in here until we figure out what is going on.”

They waited there for a few minutes observing people running scared and looking over their shoulders in both directions, almost like they were all running from something. Soon, Marinette saw Tikki flying back to her. She nodded subtly to Tikki and brushed Mar’i’s hair out of her face. “Hey, sweetie, do you see any lions or are they hiding too?” When Mar’i turned to the enclosure, Marinette leaned away, trying to put as much space as she could between Mar’i and Tikki, without letting go of Mar’i.

Tikki flew to Marinette’s ear and whispered quietly enough for Mar’i not to hear her. “It’s some guy wearing a black mask. He has a bunch of henchmen working their way through the zoo. They are working in teams to gather people. There are two teams headed this way from opposite sides.”

“Damn it,” Marinette mumbled under her breath. “Why does everyone try to kill us?” They were in the worst part of the zoo for this. They were in a section that had Plexiglas enclosures on either side of the walkways. There was no place to hide. No getting off the path to hide Mar’i. No sneaking into an enclosure to hide Mar’i. And with them approaching from both sides, there was no outrunning them. Marinette looked around her in a panic, frantically looking for anything she could use. She could turn into Ladybug but that was a last resort, a Mar’i-is-about-to-get-hurt-resort.

She glanced out of the observation room and stopped. The lemur observation room was directly across the walkway. The rooms were really tall, to ensure that the lemurs couldn’t jump over them. So tall, nobody could climb up there from the pathway. So tall, nobody could see the rooves from the pathway. “You have to fly.” She told Mar’i suddenly. “I need you to fly up on the lemur roof and lay on it. Stay on the roof and away from the edges. Do not move from the roof. Do not stand. Do not do anything but lay in the middle until you hear your Dad’s voice. Do you understand me? We’ll wait until nobody is looking. Now, if we could just get someone to mess with the cameras on this section….”

Mar’i nodded at her, a look of fear appearing in her eyes, missing the red blur that flew to the camera pointed to their area. “It will be okay, Mar’i. I promise you that, okay? You lay down on the roof and stay there until you hear your Dad’s… or Tim’s… or your grandfather’s? voice. Okay? I need you to do it now. Do not make any noise no matter what you hear unless it is your Dad’s or Tim’s voice okay?” Mar’i nodded again. “Okay. I love you, sweetie. You’re going to be okay, okay? I’m going to lead them away so they won’t look around here and your Daddy can come get you, okay? And your Dad will come for you in no time.” Marinette gave her a tight hug before holding her out. “Now go.”

Mar’i nodded and floated up to the roof. She backed away from the edge and laid down on the roof, curled in a ball, trying not to cry. As soon as she couldn’t see Mar’i and it looked like she was staying away from the edge, Marinette let out a breath and whispered “Good girl”. She paused to send Dick and Kori a text message letting them know what was going on and where she was having Mar’i hide, before she chose a pathway and started running.

She didn’t get very far before she came across the first set of henchmen. There were unconscious bodies strewn across the path behind them. So, they weren’t taking prisoners, they were just knocking people out… or killing them and robbing them, if the outturned pockets and open purses meant anything.

As soon as they saw her they started laughing. They didn’t expect her to continue running toward them. She motioned to kick their legs out from under the first one. When he bent down with a leer to grab her before she could reach him, Marinette jumped, delivering a flying kick that broke his jaw, knocking him over into the other henchman. She then turned back in the other direction. She needed to get the other set of henchmen away from Mar’i’s hiding spot.

She just got to the lion and lemur enclosures when she saw them. She stopped running and discretely checked to make sure Mar’i couldn’t be seen. She made sure they saw her before turning around and running back toward the henchmen she had just knocked down. As she had hoped the new henchmen started running after her too, away from Mar’i.

She slowed to a stop once she reached the original henchman. She lowered herself into a fighting position, trying to calculate if she could get past him and lead them even further away. There was a chance, slim, but she just needed a little bit of luck to pull it off. Luckily, she knew the embodiment of luck.

Marinette bounced from foot to foot like she was trying to come up with a plan, really she was analyzing the first henchman. When she was ready, she started running toward him. She motioned to sweep his feet again. As she expected, he braced himself for a high attack. Instead, she slid between his legs. As soon as she was on the other side of him, she started running again. She checked over her shoulder to make sure the three were following her. When they started lagging behind, she slowed down and pretended to consider her options, even though there were none. She didn’t want to risk them losing interest and turning back.

After a few seconds, she came to a fork in the path… and more henchmen. It was now five to one and that one hadn’t fought, beyond playful sparring matches with Adrien, in years. She looked around for a way to escape or get past the new henchmen. She could try the same maneuver again but… fuck it. It worked twice, third time’s the charm right? No, wait… that didn’t work in her favor in this instance. Three times lucky? That worked in her favor didn’t it? Sure, that’s what she was going with.

She ran full speed at the henchman on the left, motioning to kick his legs out from under him. He hunched down to block her way and Marinette jumped to go over him again. Unfortunately, the henchman on the right had his partner’s back and grabbed her by the collar of her shirt. Marinette kicked the head of the left henchman since she was already in a position to, knocking him out. She used that leverage to add force to her throat punch to the right henchman.

He dropped her instantly, bringing his hands to his throat. She hit the ground in a crouch and pushed off to start running again but instead saw a blinding light followed immediately by the blurry ground rushing up toward her. She landed roughly on her hands and knees. She tried shaking her head to clear it, but that just made her head hurt more. She pushed back to kneeling as one of the henchmen walked in front of her. He swung a bat around saying something to her that she couldn’t quite make out.

Another henchman walked in front from the other side. He grinned maniacally at her and raised his foot to kick her in the face. Marinette didn’t register his foot approaching until it was a few centimeters from her face. She summoned the last of her strength to twist out of the way and kick up, meeting the most sensitive part she could reach with enough force that it was unlikely he would ever be able to have children. With that energy spent, she collapsed to the ground.

She tried to brace herself for the oncoming beating, but instead heard distant grunts and the distinct sound of punches landing. She wanted to open her eyes but her body was fighting her. When she finally felt someone’s hand meet her, it was gentle and urgent feeling. “Marinette! Marinette, are you okay? Marinette open your eyes! Please!” The voice sounded pleading and familiar.

She finally opened her eyes and saw white. She scrunched her face in confusion. She tried to refocus her eyes and took in the person’s unfamiliar full face. It was a mask she realized as she studied the face longer. It was Red Robin kneeling over her. She tried to look around for Nightwing. “Dick,” she gasped out. “Mar’i.”

“The girl you were babysitting? We know about her. My colleague is looking for her right now.” Red Robin assured her.

Marinette looked up at him, the world starting to settle a bit and make sense again, “Her dad?” she asked quietly. “I told her to only come out for her dad or you or Bruce.”

Red Robin gaped at her. “You…”

“Have a functioning brain cell?” She slurred slightly. “Yes, yes I do. It seems a little slow right now…” She tried to look around to see who was nearby to overhear them and relaxed slightly when she saw they were alone, police having already dragged the henchmen away. “Well maybe I don’t or I wouldn’t have outed myself as knowing just now. But, I normally have a functioning brain.”

“And a concussion.” Red Robin commented dryly.

“Ugh, I hate concussions. They last forever.” She clumsily tried to sit up and turn toward the direction Mar’i was hiding, squinting her eyes to see if she could see him yet.

Tim grabbed her to give her support, cradling her between his knees. “Easy, easy. Try moving slower,” He cautioned her. “I can hear him over the coms,” Red Robin told her quietly. “He has her and she’s safe.” Marinette let out a quiet sigh of relief. “A little scared but safe.”

“Thank God.” Marinette smiled closing her eyes and laying her head on his chest.

“Hey, no. None of that. You have to stay awake for me, okay?” Red Robin’s voice suddenly became strained. “We’re going to get you to a hospital and you can fall asleep there.”

“Liar,” she mumbled. “They won’t let me sleep either, not for a long time.”

Red Robin chuckled lightly. “You’re right. But humor me and talk to me. I like hearing your voice so it’s win/win for me.”

“I like your voice, you should talk to me and I can fall asleep to the sound. Win/win for me.” She retorted.

“Not if you fall into a coma. Come on, let me see your beautiful, blue eyes. I like looking into your eyes.” Red Robin gently begged her.

“You first,” she scoffed. She opened her eyes and shifted her eyes around them, remembering where they were. “Ignore that. Don’t show me right now.”

“Later, I promise.” He assured her, hugging her closer to his chest. He gently brushed her hair out of her face.

She smiled sleepily, still struggling to keep her eyes open. Her eyes popped open wide a few seconds later when she heard Mar’i scream her name. Marinette blinked a few times and turned her head in her direction. “Marinette! No, you got hurt! Marinette! Is this because of me?”

“No! I’m okay, sweetie.” She tried to smile reassuringly. “I just… fell for Red Robin’s good looks again.” Mar’i giggled in her father’s arms.

“Hey, why are you giggling at that?” Red Robin pretended to be upset. “That was a serious comment.” Mar’i giggled even harder. “That’s it, you’re grounded young lady. Go home right now.” Mar’i only laughed harder at that, nearly falling out of her father’s arms.

“You heard him, it’s home for you. Or maybe we can take you to your Grandpa Alfred, huh? Let’s go.” Nightwing said turning her away from Marinette.

“She does that a lot,” Mar’i giggled.

“Does she now?” Dick asked with an amused tone, but his eyes stayed sharp. He gave Red Robin a concerned, questioning look, darting his eyes to Marinette. He only continued walking away with Mar’i after Red Robin nodded to let him know he could handle talking care of Marinette by himself.

“And let’s get you to the ambulance, huh?” Tim gave her a gentle smile as he carefully picked her up to carry her to the ambulance.

He gripped her tighter into his chest when she laid her head on his shoulder and let out a relieved sigh. “She’s safe.” She slurred sleepily. “She’ll be okay.”

“You both will be.” Tim assured her, kissing the top of her head. “As long as you stay awake. Maybe while you are awake you can tell me why you decided to come here without me? I like animals, too.” He pretended to pout. “Enjoyable things to see, delicious food, did I mention the fries here are amazing? Spectacular company... Sounds like a perfect day.”

Marinette giggled into his shoulder then groaned at the pain the vibrations caused in her head. “I’ll make sure to invite you next time.”

“I’ll hold you to that,” he whispered as he handed her off to the EMTs. His fingers itched to keep holding her hand, but it would be dangerous for Red Robin to take too strong of an interest in one particular victim. He had to settle for watching them take care of her in his peripheral vision and praying everything would be okay. He knew, logically, that she would be, but that didn’t stop him from worrying until he could see her brilliant, radiant smile again.

Chapter 4

Tags:

@timari-month-event, @ichigorose @stainedglassm

#Timari January #timari #timinette #maribat #Nannyette #prompt -#Why does everyone try to kill us

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buggachat · 4 years ago

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hi! this is a question i've been asking all my favorite artists lately: how do you draw adrien's hair? any tips/tricks for beginners? thank you!

I’ve gotten asked this before, but I never was comfortable or consistent enough in drawing Adrien’s hair to answer it. I think I’m kind of in a place now where I can at least give it a shot, though!

I’m not perfect at drawing his hair by any means, but his hair is really hard to draw so if this tutorial can help people at least a little bit with The Struggle™ then I’ll try!

Disclaimer: This is not an official tutorial, and I do not claim to be an expert. This is just step by step how I draw his hair, but there is no correct way to do it. Whatever works for you is best!

Here’s a tutorial on how I draw Adrien’s hair (under cut):

So of course, getting a reference is always a good idea. Pull up a reference if you can (and if you’re not too lazy.... which, I get it, because I rarely actually look at references when I know I should).

First thing’s first, draw his head. Find out where his head is. His hair is going to sit on top of it, so it’s good to know where it is.

The easiest part of his hair, and what I always start with, is his little sideburns. Right in front of the ears, very simple to draw, don’t want to forget them, get ‘em out of the way first:

Adrien’s hair parts just a bit through his left (our right) eye. Make a few swooping pieces of his bangs coming off the shorter side. You can simplify it a bit— he has more chunks of hair there than what I actually drew, but I don’t want to stress so much about every individual chunk. Just getting the general shape of it is good enough.

The biggest part of Adrien’s front bangs are these... three, long, swooping pieces of hair. They honestly feel really awkward to draw, but it also really helps the drawing look like Adrien. Sometimes I simplify and only draw 2 of them, but here we’ll bite the bullet and draw all three of these suckers:

Those three pieces don’t cover the rest of his bangs! Make a little swooping line to just imply the rest of his bangs. We don’t have to worry about the details.

This is the part I hate the most. Lay out the shape of the top of Adrien’s hair as it parts on the top of his head. Cry as it looks awkward every time you try to draw it. Redraw it a thousand times as you get it right. It should line up about where his bangs part, too— some swooping shapes, like shown below. The part on his left (our right) will be smaller.

Don’t forget his cute little cowlick!

This part I feel like will vary a lot depending on your personal style. Adrien’s hair is pretty... spiky as you get lower. I personally like to draw it a bit floofier, but it’s up to you. I like to make the corners look a bit softer, generally avoiding super sharp edges if I can. A few round bits too for good measure, I dunno. I kind of just feel it out.

Well, it looks close enough to his hair, right? And you’re sick of drawing it, so it’s time to wrap it up!

Add some color for good measure...

Bam! There’s the boy!

If people find this helpful at all, I could do other angles or characters as well.

#Anonymous #adrien agreste

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kalaluchi · 4 years ago

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chapter 02: Rebellion

previous | next

Alya was going to lose her mind at any second. How did she become best friends with someone so damn stubborn?

“Girl, I’m telling you, there is no way that boy does not have a crush on you. It’s so obvious, please!”

“Alya. One: I think you are crazy. Two: he’s just friendly. Ok?”

It had been a little over a month since Adrien Agreste had joined their class, and yet he seemed to be getting along well with everybody. For Marinette, it had been hate at first sight and then love at second sight.

In her defense, she never intended to fall for him. Not when he was the best friend of her archnemesis-for-who-knows-how-long. Definitely not when he’d put gum on her seat on the first day of class, when he didn’t even know her. So, it made absolute sense for her to snob him back… except.

Except she’d been completely wrong.

It had all been a mix up… and as he’d smiled kindly at her, and she’d stared, really stared, into his eyes for the first time since meeting him… she’d realized she really wouldn’t mind getting lost in them and the way the fading sun turned them the most perfect shade of green.

That was when she’d realized she was in trouble. That was when she’d realized that despite her initial, intense hate for the green-eyed blond-haired boy, she’d fallen quite hard for Adrien Agreste at second glance… even though he was the best friend of her archnemesis-for-who-knows-how-long.

She continued to fall even further when she saw how cute he really was, how kind he was to everyone, how comfortable in his own skin he seemed, how he laughed softly at most anything, and a million other “how's” known only to her heart.

And then they’d started talking.

Of course, she’d always wanted to approach him, but never found the courage to, which was why she resorted to roundabout ways to catch his attention most of the time.

There was that one time she’d learned he loved macarons, so she’d stayed up nearly the whole night just perfecting a batch to bring to school. Then she’d spent the whole day loudly talking about them, waving them around anytime she thought he was looking -- in hopes he’d ask her for one, and they could strike up a convo. But to no avail.

And the time she’d heard that he loved cats, so she’d read about all the different breeds and their origins, even writing notes to remember the important parts. But she’d ended up forgetting to bring the notebook and getting a mind block in school, so that when he asked what her favorite breed of cat was, she’d replied, “Orange.” (She’d wanted to bury herself in a hole for days after that.)

And too many other instances, way more than she could count on her fingers.

Alya had quickly caught on to what her best friend was up to, and was highly against the plan. “Girl, just woman up and go talk to him yourself!” she’d said. “Adrien Agreste is literally the nicest boy I’ve met, and he won’t judge you or anything if you randomly talk to him! And anyway, if he does do that, then he’s not crush-worthy, okay?”

Marinette had seen the sense in her best friend’s statement, but knowing you have to do something and being able to actually do it are two different things. Because Marinette was Marinette Dupain-Cheng, not Alya Césaire, and as much as she’d wanted to talk to him, she just couldn’t bring herself to because she’d been scared, too scared of what he might say.

To her surprise, though, he’d actually reached out to her one day. And the conversation hadn’t stopped, like she’d feared it would. It had gone on for hours which turned into days, and it had felt good, felt right. And for a second, she could almost, almost believe that he could like her, too, despite their awkward beginning. But then she’d stumble over her words, and the fantasy would fade. Because how could he possibly fall for her when he was the most amazing person she’d ever met and she was just Marinette Dupain-Cheng, and there were so many other, better, more interesting people in her school -- in all of Paris for that matter-- that he could fall for? So there was absolutely no way he could like her back, could see her as anything more than a friend.

Right?

Marinette shook her head, clearing it of thoughts. Of course she was right. What could Alya possibly know anyway?

Alya gave Marinette the deadest stare she could muster. “Friendly,” she echoed monotonously. “You know what? I am officially appointing myself as your fairy godmother. And as your fairy godmother it is my duty to prove that Adrien Agreste has a crush on you, Marinette Dupain-Cheng.”

Marinette sighed at her best friend’s antics. “Well, I won’t stop you, but I do still stand by my original statement.”

Alya pursed her lips. “Okay, how ‘bout this: if it turns out I am right, which I am, and Adrien Agreste does have a crush on you, you owe me an entire box of macarons.”

Marinette shrugged. “Fine with me. You do know this is a win-win for me right? If you’re right, it’s a win that my crush likes me back. If I’m right, it’s a win because I don’t have to bake a dozen macarons.”

“Yeah, yeah, I know. But I just want you to be happyyyy~!” Alya singsonged. “So, leave it to me. I gotchu.”

Marinette laughed and rolled her eyes playfully at the wink her best friend gave her. “Okay, then. Work your magic, please.”

“Alya Césaire, Fairy Godmother, at your service!”

The first time Alya had to work her fairy godmother magic, she had to admit it wasn’t the best attempt. But she was still determined to give it her all, and prove her point, no matter what. Her pride as a credible writer depended on it.

(Or so she liked to defend to herself.)

Hence her half-brilliant idea to dress Marinette up for school one day.

There was nothing wrong with her best friend’s style, of course. It was just that it was so… Marinette. Soft and cute, but always hiding her full potential. She just needed a little shaking up, a change in routine, just once.

So there was Marinette, with her hair styled, and dressed in all the clothes she’d been hiding at the back of her closet that Alya had always insisted would suit her. (And they did. Splendidly.)

Alya liked to refer to her plan as half-brilliant -- brilliant because Adrien reacted the exact way she’d hoped, but not brilliant because Marinette reacted the exact way Alya had hoped she wouldn’t.

The moment Marinette walked in the door, Alya noticed Adrien’s head whip around so fast she was afraid he’d gotten whiplash. He grinned shyly as Marinette passed by.

“Morning, Marinette. I haven’t seen you wear that before,” he chuckled lightly, though a faint blush spread across his cheeks. “It really suits you, though. You look very pretty.”

Marinette blinked at that, a little offended at the wording. “Uh. Thanks, I guess?”

Adrien cleared his throat as Marinette started up the stairs to her seat. “Uh, no, I meant, prettier than usual, of course. You’re already naturally pretty, you see.”

Of course, Marinette chose that exact moment to turn beet red and walk into the edge of her desk. “You too,” she wheezed out, doubled over and clutching her stomach.

“I-- sorry? A-are you okay?” Adrien asked, bewildered.

“I said, thank you. And, yes, I’m fine.” Marinette forced a grin as she slid into her seat.

“Well,” Alya said as soon as Adrien sat back down, “what did I tell you? He thinks you’re pretty. He just needed a little push to come out and say it. Boy def has a crush on you.”

“Alya,” Marinette chided, though she was trying to hide how happy the compliment had made her, “what did we say about jumping to conclusions, especially when there’s no diamond solid proof?”

“Don’t,” Alya replied with a sigh.

The second time around, Alya was surprised she didn’t even have to do any work to find something to pick on -- Marinette practically handed her the proof on a silver platter.

It was not unusual for Marinette to come to school late, or with eyebags under her eyes, as Alya knew her best friend had a habit of staying up late the night before and oversleeping. (Seriously, though, with the amount of times this had happened in the past, did the girl have a secret double life or something? It’s not like the school gave enough assignments to lose that much sleep over. Alya was always telling Marinette she really needed to sleep earlier...)

But this time, something seemed different.

Maybe it was the way Marinette was typing furiously on her phone under the table, trying hard not to smile.

Or the way Adrien, with similar eyebags, was doing the same thing.

It could just be a coincidence, though. Alya had to remind herself to take it slow, not jump to conclusions. But still, her best-friend-senses were telling her something was up.

She was just about to bring it up when Marinette turned to her excitedly. “Look at this picture Adrien sent me of his cat. Isn’t he cute? That fluffy black fur and those green eyes, Alya, loooook!”

Alya raised an eyebrow and smiled knowingly. “Wow, you guys chat now? That’s new.”

Marinette bit her lip. “Yeah, but it’s just your usual sending-memes and random-small-talk-about-your-life and i'm-drowning-in-acads-you-too? 4am kind of talks. It’s not the soft here’s-what-i-like-about-you 4am kind of talks, sadly,” she sighed, tapping her phone on her thigh.

“Wait. 4am?”

Marinette smiled sheepishly, and Alya knew her hunch had been correct. “Yeah. I don’t intend for it, obviously, but the past week it’s been like, we start talking, and next thing I know it’s 4am and I’m absolutely doomed because I haven’t started the assignment for Mme. Bustier’s class due at 8:30am.”

Alya laughed. “Okay, Marinette, there is something wrong with that last part, I’ll admit. But nevertheless, I’m so proud of you for holding a convo with the boy of your dreams for that long. And to think that he stays up the same? Damn. I really didn’t peg Adrien as the type to pull all-nighters. I guess there’s only one conclusion…” She trailed off dramatically, grinning at her best friend.

Marinette rolled her eyes. “I know what you’re gonna say, and I’m gonna reply-- it doesn’t mean anything. It’s just two people, talking, getting to know each other.”

“He stayed up. Till 4am. To talk to you.”

“Well… yeah.”

“The past week. An entire week.”

“... yeah.”

“Just for you.”

“You don’t know that. Maybe he was cramming homework,” Marinette argued.

“Girl,” Alya rebutted, “this is Adrien Agreste we’re talking about. When does he ever cram?”

Marinette shrugged. “This past week?”

“Girl, you’re hopeless. You’re lucky I love you. Go back to chatting your dream boy. But please start sleeping earlier.”

“Yes, ma’am.”

The third time was such a dead giveaway Alya felt like she’d been smacked in the head with a huge bag of “HELLO I HAVE A CRUSH ON YOU,” and she could not for the life of her understand why her best friend could not see the truth shaking its butt in their faces.

It happened one morning, when Marinette walked into the classroom wearing the cutest cardigan Alya had ever seen.

“Girl!” she exclaimed once the blue-haired girl was seated. “I love what you’re wearing, it looks so good on you! How come I’ve never seen it before?” The brunette flipped her hair over her shoulder and huffed. “As your best friend, I’m offended you never told me this heavenly piece of clothing existed. I’d have made you wear it every single day if only I knew.”

Marinette bit back a smile. “I know, it’s kinda super cute, right? It’s super comfy, too. Adrien made it for me,” she added shyly.

Alya waggled her eyebrows. “Mm, you mean he had it made for you, right? Must be nice to come from an ultra-known ultra-rich family or something.”

“No, I mean, like, he made it for me… as in he made it himself…”

“Wait, what. One: why. Two: how do you know he made it himself? I mean, girl, no offense to your boy of course. But that’s some high effort shiz to do for someone who is just ‘a friend’” Alya pointed out, using air quotes.

Marinette rolled her eyes playfully. “Okay, one: I know he made it himself because he sent Nino videos of his progress as he was making it, which Nino eventually forwarded to me once I’d gotten the gift--”

(“Nino, that little brat, how dare he not tell me something as important as this,” Alya growled, glaring daggers across the room at her boyfriend.)

“--and two: are you really still doing that? I don't like how you used air quotes because I have absolutely no idea what you mean by them.” Marinette crossed her arms, in denial. “I mean, obviously, yes, Adrien and I are friends and we are doing things friends do, yes that is normal even though he is literally the cutest human being I have ever met but it’s obvious he’ll never feel the same way, so--”

“Marinette, there are heart patterns on the pockets,” Alya deadpanned.

“There are?!” Marinette excitedly began pulling up the cardigan to check. Then she seemed to remember her stand on the matter, and wiped the smile off her face, smoothing out imaginary wrinkles in her clothes. “And if there were, it does not matter, because it obviously does not mean anything. It’s just a cardigan, I think you’re overthinking things,” she said nonchalantly, though her voice was an octave higher than normal.

Alya laughed aloud. “Just a cardigan, Marinette?! He crocheted you a whole freaking cardigan for your birthday! You love cardigans, it’s the most Marinette gift one could give you. Plus,” she continued, holding up a finger when it looked like Marinette was about to protest, “do you know how many days it would’ve taken to make that? And there’s the fact that you guys literally just started talking this month. Come on, you have to admit that means he likes you! Or maybe is just a little interested? Huh, how about it?” Alya nudged her friend, trying to knock some common sense into her.

For a second, it seemed to work. Marinette bit back a smile, took a deep breath, and-- “Maybe he’s just super super super friendly?”

Alya blinked once, twice. “Yeah, ok, I give up. Keep your macarons.”

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#adrinette april 2021 #adrinette #adrinette april #miraculous ladybug #idk what im doing sorry #ml #mlb #mlbcn #adrien agreste #marinette dupain cheng #adrinetteapril2021

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hauntedbythefanficsofmypast · 5 years ago

Text

SuperChat September 1- Meeting/Cute

Masterlist

"You're lucky I love you Mari." Adrien said, leaning down to whisper in his adoptive sister's ear. Marinette snorted softly hiding her mischievous smile behind the champagne flute in her hand. "I hate these parties so much, but a promise is a promise. Everyone shall see your designs, modeled on my beautiful body." He let out a sniffle dabbing at his eyes dramatically. "Oh it's so hard being this beautiful, always taken advantage of even by my sister dearest." Marinette hit his chest gently with her hand as she struggled not to laugh.

Marinette had received an invitation to that Wayne's Charity Gala and knew this would be the perfect time to show off. Convincing Adrien to attend had taken a lot of sweets and bribery of buying him the latest gaming console. However he had agreed to come, so they were together at the Gala wearing Marinette's latest suit and dress combo. One she made sure was her absolute best. Adrien wore a navy blue suit with deep red tie and gold cufflinks. Marinette wore a deep red dress with a V-neckline and coordinating illusion mesh back. She had sewn chiffon on the shoulders and back in the same red that flowed to the ground forming a train. Together they made for a stunning couple and were gathering compliments all night, which amused the both of them greatly. Apparently it was unknown to Gotham high society that Adrien was no longer an Agreste but a Dupain-Cheng.

Adrien grinned at Marinette as she rolled her eyes he held up his champagne flute in a toast gesture to Marinette. "To making your dreams come true. I'm proud of you Princess, only twenty-three and one of the top names in fashion already." They tinked their glasses together and Adrien waited until Marinette took a sip before he spoke again. "Now if only you didn't use me to get there." Marinette turned sharply glaring at him and raised her arm to smack his shoulder. Adrien laughed loudly, moving back quickly only for her bad luck to kick up. He tripped over his own feet, he closed his eyes tensing up ready for the fall. Only for a strong arm to wrap around his waist catching him, the other one catching his champagne flute. Adrien opened his eyes wide in surprise, the first thing he noticed was stunning blue eyes, hidden behind askew glasses. He stared into the man's eyes unable to look away, until the man asked him a question. "I-uh. I'm sorry, I'm afraid I got lost in your eyes. '' Jon blinked down at the blonde in his arms, before snorting and helping Adrien stand up fully. He however did not remove his arm from Adrien's wasit.

"I really wasn't expecting that after saving you from ffalling.Do you use that on everyone that catches you?" Jon asked teasingly, his eyes sparkling. Adrien smirked, taking his champagne flute back from Jon.

"Only on knights with the prettiest eyes I've ever seen, so I've only used it twice." Jon quirked an eyebrow, leaning back slightly. Adrien was quick to note that Jon was a full head taller than him.

"Oh? So who do I have to be jealous of then?" Jon asked, and this caused Adrien to snort softly before taking a sip of his champagne finishing the flute.

"Well that would be my sister-in-everything-that-counts but blood. I still fimd it funny that she had the adoption papers ready before her parents even knew. She thw one that, ya know the very one that pushed me tonight." With that comment Marinette surged forward smacking Adrien in the chest repeatedly, yet descretly enough to not gain attention.

"Adrien Dupain-Cheng!" She whisper yelled, causing Adrien to tense and look at Jon.

"Uh-oh full adopted name." He whispered causing Jon to snort.

"I did not push you and you know that!" Adrien snorted grabbing her wrist gently and squeezing it slightly running his thumb again the back of her hand. "And don't think compliments will get you anywhere Mister! I did not forget what you said before you decided to be a clumsy kitten!" At that comment Adrien blushed slightly looking away as Jon smirked playfully at the nickname. Marinette turned to him smiling brilliant meeting his eyes, the smile and her eyes took his breath away. He could definitely understand that he stood under Marinette when it came to beautiful eyes. Her eyes were a beautiful mix of blue and grey, and if he looked close enough he was positive he'd find stars trapped in them. "Marinette Dupain-Cheng, I'm this idiots sister-in-everything-that-counts but blood." He looked at Adrien then back at Marinette before going back to Adrien.

"I respectful take my spot as second in the pretty eyes category. Your sister-in-everything-that-counts but blood clearly has me beat. She definitely has me beat as most beautiful person as well." He said causing Marinette to blush slightly. "I would love to see who comes out in a contest between her and my practically older brother Dick." Adrien and Marinette looked at him quizzical, but Adrien was the one to voice it.

"Practically older brother?" Both him and Marinette struggled not to smirk as Jon rubbed the back of his head witb his free hand. Marinette noted the his arm was still around Adrien's waist, causing her to narrow her eyes and observe him more. Jon was quick to note the look her was gettimg amd cringed on the inside, it was the look that he had come to see the most. Considering his best friend's entire family was detectives, that look ment that Marinette would probably know all his secrets by the end of the night. Though he calmed himself assured that Marinette would not discover him in one night, thats something only the Batfamily could do.

"Well my best friend, Damian, I've known him for years and know his brother in turn. Dick is the oldest, he is labeld as the most beautiful, even out of his sisters. Jason and Tim are the ones that represent Gotham the most. Jason represents the streets where you fight to survive while Tim the weathy where you do everything you can to help. Cassandra is the Princess and follows in her father's charitable footsteps. Stephanie isn't adopted in like the others but she is known as the Prankster. Duke isn't adopted in either he is a ward but he is a part of the family, he is known as the most caring and compassionate always donating his time to charity. Damian is the youngest he was known in school to be an Ice Prince, but no one can deny he is his father's son with a sharper edge. He doesn't associate with people that aren't worth his time. Luckily I am worth his time, I wasn't at first!" Jon said with a cheerful laugh, Adrien blushed slightly adding beautiful laugh to Jon's attractiveness meter. Marinette and Adrien made eye contact having a silent conversation together, which reminded Jon of the Batfamily yet again. He glamced across the room at said family standing and laughing together, he could even see a real smile on Bruce's face as he looked at his kids. 'Maybe Bruce's has another kid he doesn't know about. It would fit black hair, blue eyes, and adoptive tendencies, oh Damian would not like to find out he may have a blood sibling.' Marinette gave Jon amd tight yet polite smile once their secret conversation was over.

"Well Jon, I'd love to talk more, but I spotted a dear old friend across the room. You wont mind keeping my brother entertained would you?" Adrien smiled brightly at her words amd turned to look up at him with kitten eyes.

'Why is he so pretty. Why are these too the essence of beauty, it like the were blessed by gods.' Tikki and Plagg shifted uncomfortably in Marinette's purse and shared a look that screamed, who is thinking of us. Jon spared a glance at Marinette's purse, before looking back at Adrien. He was a little confused on why he could hear breathing from her purse, but he pushed it to the back of his head.

"It would be stupid of my not to agree, although I must ask for a short interview efore you both leave for the night. Ah. I never fully introduced myself, Jonathan Kent, I work at the Daily Planet. I'd love to do a piece on M.D. clothing." Marinette and Adrien shared a look before nodding in agreement, and Marinette was off gracefully crossing the floor to Selina Kyle. Although he tensed up at her whisper that he had, at first, assumed was to herself. He was wrong when he realized she was talking to him. In seconds he was terrified of the beautiful women walking away from them. The women that had discovered his secret quicker than anyone before. Of course it would be months of him and Adrien dating until he finally admited how terrified of Marinette he was. Marinette only smirked at him sipping her coffee, as Tikki gave her chosen a proud look from her small chair on the table. However Jon would never give up his spot in their family. He loved Adrien, now he just had to gain the courage to propose to him.

@superchat-september2k20

#superchat #superchat september #miraculous ladybug #miraculous au #miraculous fandom #miraculoustalesofladybugandcatnoir #marinette dupen chang #adrien agreste #jon kent #superman #mlb x dc #ml x dc #dc comics

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andromeda612 · 5 years ago

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Another exposed Lila prompt

Lila outed herself by telling the wrong lie, to the wrong people in front of the wrong witnesses

Before Ladybug (in this timeline the episode never happens) Adrien is in a photo-shoot just because. And if you saw some of my posts you can say that I’m very in love with Marcaniel, so of course I have to put my OTP somehow here.

-So Lila is a narcissist so is obvious she doesn't pay much attention to anything but herself, unless is for her favor (like what would be interesting for her classmates, or if they are being fooled by her) but is not like she makes her research (the Jagged’s kitten for kwami sake), so of curse she knows Nathaniel makes a very famous comic book about Paris heroes with the help of a black haired boy, Marc was his name if she can remember of every time someone talks about them or their stupid comic (ugh is annoying) but she doesn't know that the pretty same boys have a blog named "Creations" but different from their comic in which they sign with their real names, in the blog they use a pseudonym (Pen Magician for Nath and Arc-en-ciel for Marc) despite that everybody that is fan of their comic knows about this 'cause they told this in one of their comics when they first created the blog. (And both their classes know because every one of their friends and classmates read their comic)

The blog is for their original creations, other fanfiction and for commissions (of art, comics, or stories) and a way to interact with their fans. They were already very famous for the comic but the blog is threefold successful, Marc' stories are awesome and Nath's draws too, let's not talk about their combined projects. Also they have lots of commissions, and the fans are very happy to interact a little more with their favorites comic creators. They also caught the attention of people like Jagged Stone and Clara Nightingale (Marinette may or may not had talked about the comic or the blog with them, but once they saw it they loved it) so they are very popular ;)

-So obviously Lila can't help but want to lie about knowing the creators (their official name when talked about both of them) she would be so famous! Maybe she can get Alya to interview her again, the journalist is also a fan.

-So she does, one morning to the art gang (the more excited about the blog) and in front of the rest of the class (who also like said blog), and backfires horrible since every time she talks she just dig her grave even more, like she says that Arc-en-ciel is a cute girl (because is obvious Nathaniel has something for the writer so saying that she could totally set them up would win her some points).

-But is common knowledge that Marc, sweet and patient Marc, HATES when people thinks he is a girl. He is aware of his androgynous factions, but is how he was born is not his fault and he is a boy damn it! Is of the few things that can make him really angry.

-Is also common knowledge that the only thing worse than telling Marc he is a girl, is telling that Marc is a girl in front of his PROTECTIVE BOYFRIEND NATHANIEL, his equally protective best friend Alix, and his too protective cousin Marinette (is a luck that she is late, because otherwise Lila would be in even more trouble).

First red blag

-And everybody knows the comic duo have been dating for MONTHS, they aren’t even subtle about it! Whoever seems them can see how much in love with each other they are! (Is too cute that is almost painful, even Alix cooed at them even if she denies it later)

Second red flag

-Also she would say that Pen Magician is a cool Lycee boy, maybe Arc-en-ciel’s old brother, and that he is totally infatuated with her. (Because an older boy interested in her? Adrien would be so jealous!)

Another red flag

-Nathaniel is their classmate and again he is dating Marc.

And the class is in shock because Lila is lying in their faces! HOLLY SHIT! Marinette was right!! If she is lying about this, what else was a lie?

And then she makes a comment that snap some of them out of their shock (the art gang)

-She says that she is the illustrator’s muse and she actually helped the writer with several of “her” stories, she also came up with the plot of their most popular comics! She actually was the one to encourage them to create the blog in the first place. She even help to make it.

-NOP, they all (the art gang) know that Marc and Nathaniel work TOGETHER and ALONE, if someone gives them an idea they would ask to use it and give credits. They know how much effort and love Marc puts in his stories and Nathaniel in his drawings, they also know the double love and effort they put in their combined projects, the care, passion, the joy and all the hard work they put in their comics and blog to be where they are. And Lila is taking the credit of that!

-They also know that it was their editor who came up with the idea of the blog, and were Alya and Max the ones who help them to create it.

The final flag

-Finally the rest of the class finish to process the shock and confront her. Lila doesn’t know what went wrong. She tried to lie her way out of this but to no avail, nobody believes her anymore, and there is no sympathy, just angry glares and disgust.

-When Marinette finally shows up is to see her classmate staring at their phones, some are frowning, Rose is at the edge of tears, Alix looks ready to hit someone, Nathaniel is sitting with Ivan and Lila is alone and fuming in her seat.

-When the class acknowledge her presence they immediately jump from their seats and apologize to her, for not listened to her and for being harsh to her for a liar.

-She forgives them, after all they were good friends, after Chameleon they never treat her bad and everybody makes mistakes, is not a crime to be fooled and manipulated.

-She ask them how they find out though.

-“Oh, she just told the wrong lie, to the wrong people in front of the wrong witnesses”

And just to know, Lila knows that somehow she was exposed but she can’t tell why she just know it has to do with that damn blog! And the stupid creators, the class won’t tell her anything. “Let the liar make her research for once”

Bonus: since Lila is exposed they eventually find out about her truancy, and she is punished. Also since Adrien still doesn’t know the extent of Lila’s danger is the class who explain him that his high road in real life is actually an awful advice, after he finds out what happened, the class also finds out that he knew, they confront him about it and when he explains his motives they understand that the boy didn’t knew better (Gabriel’s fault probably) and maybe Nino and Alya explain him the reality of the situation, he understands and apologize to Marinette for his bad advice.

Now, you can change the lies she tells about the creators or the blog, you can actually change the thing she lies about, I have this same idea, but instead of lying about the blog she lies about knowing Marc, and the art gang already knows she is a liar. You can add some salt if you want. I don’t know if this count like salt, because she is exposed but since this is before Ladybug she didn't do anything too bad... yet. And as I say in one post before, when I’m writing salt/bashing is focused just in Lila, but is up to you if you want to be more salty.

#miraculous ladybug #miraculous exposing fanfic #lila is exposed #lila rossi #nathaniel kurtzberg #marcaniel #nathaniel x marc #alix kubdel #rose lavillant #juleka couffaine #art gang #lila makes a mistake #class sugar #prompt #exposing lila prompt #the class are good kids #they just made some mistakes #lila not #she is bad

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angelofthequeers · 4 years ago

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I’ll Always Come Back

Rating: G

Summary: No matter what happens, no matter what pulls them apart, Alya and Nino always find their way back to each other.

We're finally able to share our pieces for @thedjwifizine and I had the privilege of being able to participate! Please go check it out and give all the other creators massive love!

1. Welcome home

“Are we sure you’re not one of the planes?” Adrien teases. Nino flushes and forces himself to stop jumping from foot to foot on the rich red carpet, although he finds himself still bouncing on the spot in anticipation.

“Dude, I haven’t seen Alya in like two weeks!” He’s expecting Adrien to tease him again but instead, Adrien just sighs and smiles.

“I know the feeling,” he says. “Two weeks without Marinette is a drag. Not that I don’t like hanging out with you, of course.”

“Thanks, bro,” Nino says dryly. Adrien rolls his eyes and opens his mouth to respond, except that the doors to the airport gate open and the shadows of the first few people off the plane loom against the corridor wall. Their banter is instantly forgotten as both men jitter on the spot and stand on their tiptoes to look out for their girlfriends.

“Did they get off last or something?” Adrien grumbles. “Hey, you think it’d be legal if I sat on your shoulders?”

“Dude, I’d totally sit on yours,” Nino says. “You’re heavy.”

Adrien raises his eyebrows. “Wow. Thanks. And here I thought we had something special.”

Nino maturely ignores his best friend in favour of continuing to search for Alya in the crowd. His heart leaps into his throat at the sight of a familiar reddish-brown bun, just behind a middle-aged white man with greying hair, and then the crowd parts and there she is, like a ray of sunshine.

“Alya!” Nino frantically waves his hands above his head, sparing only a fleeting thought for the people giving him strange looks as they walk past. Alya looks around at the sound of her name, and then she spots him and her face breaks into the most radiant smile that Nino’s ever seen, only making her look even more like a goddess from above.

“Nino!” Alya dodges around a young couple with all the grace of her superhero alter-ego, and Nino eagerly holds his arms open to catch her, but he’s still unprepared for the force that cannons into him and nearly bowls him over into Adrien.

“I missed you so much, babe,” Nino says into Alya’s hair. Alya just laughs and squeezes him tighter.

“Same. I even missed your snoring.”

“Wow. Thanks.” But Nino still holds her tight and relishes in her warm coconut smell, despite her super mean comments just seconds into their reunion.

2. Brainwashed

“Snap out of it!” Rena Rouge yells, despite the futility of trying to break through an akuma’s influence. Carapace just grins at her, but it’s all…wrong. It’s twisted, black-lipped, showing too much teeth, like he’s a shark rather than the turtle hero he’s supposed to be.

Out of the corner of her eye, there’s a flash of red as Ladybug summons a Lucky Charm, but Rena can’t make out what it is and she’s too focused on her brainwashed boyfriend to look away for even a second.

“Dammit!” Ladybug curses and grabs Rena’s arm to yank her out of the way of Gamer’s vivid green beam. “I need Carapace to make this plan work!”

“Well, he’s a little occupied!” Rena dodges one of Dark Cupid’s arrows, but then Carapace dives at her and she’s forced to jump away and duck under him to avoid the next one. It strikes him in the back harmlessly just as Rena swipes his legs out from underneath him, sending him crashing to the ground with a loud wheeze. Before he can bound back into the battle, Rena plants her knee on his chest and pins his wrists to the ground on either side of his head.

“Aww, how cute,” Carapace mocks. “Do you want a mid-battle cuddle, babe?”

“How d’you like that, huh?” Dark Cupid cackles. “Sucks to have your heart broken!”

“And to see your best friend in such pain!” Gamer chimes in. He fires at Chat Noir right as Dark Cupid shoots another arrow, which forces Ladybug to abandon her brainstorming to jump to Chat’s aid. Rena just groans and hangs her head, still keeping Carapace pinned to the ground. If only they had his Shellter – if only she could free him, bring him back –

“True love is a scam!” Dark Cupid howls distantly. With a sharp intake of breath, the most desperate of ideas slams into Rena’s brain and then, before she can second-guess herself and end up incapacitated, she leans down and presses her lips to Carapace’s with a silent plea.

For a moment, nothing happens. The battle between superheroes and akumas rages on in the background, but Rena’s vision has tunnelled to the boy beneath her, staring up at her with such hate in his eyes that’s the complete opposite of everything that Nino Lahiffe is and that she loves about him. And then the black fades from Carapace’s lips – he stares up with clouded, confused eyes, and Rena lets out a choked sob –

“Uh, babe?” Carapace says as she rains kisses all over his face. “Not that I’m complaining, but I don’t think this is the time.”

“You’re an idiot,” Rena splutters. “I hate you. Hurry up and get your lazy butt back into action before I run you through with my flute.”

3. Making up

“I’ll call you back, girl,” Alya says into her phone when the sound of the front door opening reaches her ears. There’s the dim sound of Marinette saying her goodbyes, but all Alya can focus on is the stiff-shouldered silhouette of her boyfriend standing in the living room doorway with a scowl on his face. But two can play the stubborn game, so Alya crosses her arms and glowers right back at him.

Neither of them says anything. The atmosphere thickens, until it’s so stifling that it could be popped with a pin like the massive superhero balloons paraded around Paris every year on Heroes’ Day. Alya toys with the idea of just getting it over with and swallowing her pride and caving first, except for the fact that she’s so not at fault here and why should she have to give in?

Except…it’s awful, this hostile air between them. And Nino had walked out but…he’d also come back. He came back. Just like he always does, whether it’s an argument about stealing the blankets or getting disintegrated by a smoke akuma just hours ago while Rena Rouge had been forced to watch helplessly. And if she has to swallow her pride and poke at this wound so that it can start to heal…is it worth throwing away what she’s got with him, everything they’ve been through together, just to be right?

“I’m sorry,” Alya blurts out just as Nino does. They pause, blink, and then laugh in unison, and Nino’s shoulders slump.

“I was way outta line,” he says. “And I shouldn’t’ve run away. I don’t want to lose you over some dumb argument.”

“I said some things I shouldn’t have as well,” Alya says. She holds out her arms. “Get over here, shellhead. You’re not getting rid of me that easily after everything we’ve been through.”

Nino moves so fast that he seems to materialise on the couch next to Alya, wrapping his arms around her and pulling her close. She hums and buries her nose in the crook of his neck, nuzzling to drink in his sweet smell of cinnamon and vanilla, surrounding herself in the warmth of being cherished and cared for by the most amazing man she’s had the fortune of meeting.

“Not even a whole horde of zombies could keep me from you, babe,” Nino says. Alya laughs softly.

“You’re still an idiot for just sitting there and letting the kissing zombies get you for no reason,” she says. “But I appreciate you staying with me, even if I don’t remember it.”

Nino squeezes her. “Always.”

4. Lost

“Nino!” Alya’s shriek echoes off the dark, glistening walls around her. But there’s no response, so she desperately tries again. “Nino!”

Nothing. She turns a corner and is greeted with an identical dark wall, which seems to have looped behind her and cut off where she’d just come from. Seems to have, because Alya doesn’t even know what’s going on with this constantly shifting maze, unable to even trust her own senses to truthfully inform her of where she is.

“Ladybug! Chat Noir!” Alya pounds on the wall in front of her. “Someone! Anyone!”

“Alya!” echoes faintly in response; so faint that Alya barely makes it out. But it’s there. She takes off running, losing any semblance of spatial awareness as she hurtles down identical dark corridor after dark corridor in this damn akuma maze, because someone (i.e., Jalil) had decided to get akumatised into a Greek minotaur complete with a labyrinth.

“Nino?” she calls.

“Alya!” comes back after a second, much closer than it had been last time. Alya takes a deep breath, closes her eyes for a moment to compose herself, and starts running again. Wherever Nino is in this labyrinth, she’s going to find him, because they haven’t gone through years of both superhero and mundane drama to be separated by a maze.

5. Down the aisle

“Will you settle down?” Adrien hisses. “You’re putting me on edge!”

“You’re always on edge, catboy,” Nino mutters in response, because if Adrien’s gonna act like he doesn’t wake up screaming half the time from the horrors he’s seen as Chat Noir then Nino’s damn well gonna call him out for it. He groans and tugs at his stiff white collar, wishing he could just tear it off already…but no, he can’t do that to Alya. Speaking of Alya, where is she?

“Rude,” Adrien says. “See if I make you my best man.”

“Go on, then,” Nino says. “Give it to Kim. I dare you.”

Adrien pauses, then shudders. “No way. I love Kim – I really do – but Marinette and I want everyone to walk away in one piece.”

“Chloé, then.”

“She’s already leaving super pointed voicemails about breaking gender stereotypes and appointing a best woman instead. I don’t need to encourage that drama.” Adrien pauses. “Why are you even trying to get out of it when I’m here for you?”

Nino rolls his eyes and prepares to fire off a witty retort, except for the fact that the guitarist starts to play the song he’s heard hundreds of times in Alya’s cheesy romance movies and Adrien immediately stands up straight, as does Marinette on the bride’s side. Nino turns and…oh. Oh.

“Oh my god,” he whispers. With the sun behind her to make her glow like an angel from the heavens, Alya glides down the grassy aisle they’ve set up in the Place des Vosges, her pure white dress hugging the curves of her hips and falling in layers of tulle around and behind her. Nino’s never been more grateful to Marinette than he is now for designing Alya’s dress as a wedding gift because…wow. Wow. Words? What?

“Hey,” Alya says softly when she reaches Nino and releases her father’s arm. Nino’s attempt to say anything even remotely intelligent results in a strangled, garbled mess that resembles no human language in existence.

“I can’t marry you,” Nino finally manages to coax himself to say. “You’re way outta my league. Holy –”

Good thing that Alya’s giggle interrupts him, or many children might have learned a very inappropriate lesson that day. He reaches out to thread his fingers through hers, transfixed by the loose curls falling around her face, the light dusting of makeup that frames her eyes and glistens her lips, and he must have managed to say his vows through his hypnosis at some point because the next words he’s able to comprehend are, “You may now kiss the bride,” and he’s never been happier to do as he’s told.

“I love you,” he croaks once he finally manages to pull away from Alya’s divine lips. Alya grins.

“I love you too, dork.”

#miraculous ladybug #aotq fic #djwifi #djwifi zine #alya cesaire #nino lahiffe #adrien agreste #marinette dupain-cheng #i had so much fun writing this #alya and nino are so precious #they deserve all the love

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airi-p4 · 4 years ago

Text

Disconcerto

*Warning: S4 spoilers / theory*

My take on violinist Luka episode. I wanted to write violinist Luka + pianist Adrien as a duet and my fingers slipped. This is almost a full episode and I added too much Lukanette fluff for canon-verse ^^; (No regrets here)

AO3

__________________________________________

It was a peaceful evening at the Liberty when a deep sigh interrupted the sounds of Luka's guitar. Seated next to him, knees slightly touching, Marinette fidgeted in surprise. It was unusual to see him sigh. And it was unusual to see him down as well. But Luka kept playing and, despite not being a music expert, she noticed his music sounded slightly... off? Distant? And she couldn't help but feel curious and worried for her boyfriend's mysterious behavior.

"What's wrong, Luka? You seem down?"

The music immediately stopped as Luka's eyes darted to Marinette's, opened in surprise at her sudden question. She sounded worried, and that made him slightly happy, but also bad for instigating concern on her.

"It's nothing, Marinette. Nothing that should trouble you" he answered, returning to strum the strings of his guitar with his long fingers. He kept playing a little, making a few unusual mistakes Marinette didn’t fail to notice, and that encouraged her to insist.

"Luka. I know you're worried about something. You always listen and help me whenever I need it. Let me do the same for you" she offered.

"Thank you, Marinette." Luka smiled. "But I don't think you can help me. I appreciate your offer, though" he ended, kissing the top of her head. ‘So unfair’ Marinette pouted while he giggled a little.

"Luka!" She finally yelled. "Don't be stubborn and let me help you. I want to know what's worrying you so much. And I want to help you, if I can! I'm your girlfriend. I want you to trust me" she clinged to his arm looking straight into his eyes. "Tell me. Please?"

Luka blushed a little before looking away, unable to keep looking at the beautiful starry eyes that were making him melt. She was too cute. And the way she said she was his girlfriend… Luka’s heart was loudly pouding in happiness in his chest. Not that it showed on the outside, obviously.

"Ok…" he finally agreed, moved by Marinette's support. His answer caused her smile to grow wider in victory before he started his explanation. "You know how I go to a private school that focuses on music, right?" Marinette assented, even if she didn't know much about it. They hadn't been dating long, and Luka was very reserved when it came to himself. She was curious to know more about him. "Well, the thing is that school is very expensive… In truth, the only reason I can afford going there is because of my outstanding scores and the scholarship I keep receiving every year”

“That’s amazing…” Marinette mumbled, causing Luka to stop looking worried and smile instead, only for a second.

“But this year… There's a new violin teacher that never gives me more than a B+. I don't want to sound like I’m bragging, but I think I'm doing just as well, if not better than my classmates who get excellent scores. I don't know if Maestro Pinsart holds any personal grudge against me or my looks or whatever, but I can't seem to get there no matter how hard I try" Luka shrugged again, finishing with another sigh under Marinette's focused stare.

"You play the violin?" Marinette asked, in awe.

"The violin, the guitar, the lyre, the cello… The piano too, even if just a bit”, he smiled.

“I didn’t know that!” Marinette was amazed. She had never heard any of that before.

“That’s for string instruments. I can also play the flute and the drums, for the wind and percussion instrument classes, even if just the basics”

"Wow… That's amazing! How come you never told me before?" she asked, in glowing eyes.

"I like to be reserved about my own stuff" Luka shrugged with a soft smile. "Whenever I tell people about my scholarship most people think I'm just telling them because I’m either arrogant or looking for compliments, which couldn’t be farther than the truth. Their heart songs turn to jealous tunes that twist into fake compliments they feel pressured to make because of it. I hate it. That’s why I prefer to be quiet about it. Many people are envious of the way I can understand music and they can't"

Marinette felt embarrassed and used his shoulder to hide her red face behind. "Oh… I see. It makes sense… Oh... I'm such a bad girlfriend... I should have asked before… I'm sorry"

"Don't be” Luka smiled widely, while his hand moved to carefully grab a flock of her twin-tail’s hair. “You know now. And if there’s anything else you want to know, you can ask me anytime. You’re not like the others, Marinette. I know you’re sincere about your feelings"

“Thank you. I will" she blushed at the compliment and smiled at his widening grin. "But Luka, is there really no way to pass that subject and get your scholarship back? Maybe talk to the teacher…?" Marinette suggested.

"I already did that, Marinette. But his solution seems unattainable" he sighed again with a sad smile.

"So there’s a solution, then! What does it consist of?" Her eyes opened more.

Luka put his guitar aside to welcome Marinette in his arms, where she immediately found comfort. "You see? There's a violin contest for students from 14 to 16 years old in two weeks, Sunday. If I win that contest, the teacher is going to give me a ‘super excellent’ score and, in consequence, I'll be able to get my scholarship back and keep going to my music school" He told her, close to her ear, with his arms finding its natural position around her waist.

"Wow, That’s it then! If it’s you, I’m sure you can win!” she exclaimed, locking fingers with him. “I believe in you” she finished.

“Oh, Marinette!” Luka laughed. “How I wish you were right! But it’s not that easy, sadly” he kissed her temple.

“Why not? Is- Is it that hard to win?" she asked with a mix of a sad and concerned look. Luka had to look away to control the urge to kiss her. She wasn’t ready for being kissed as he wanted yet. It was too early. He needed to be patient.

He left a resigned sigh. "Not hard, Marinette. It's impossible. The best violinists in France will be there to participate. You know I'm more of a guitarist than a violinist. I don't think I can win"

"But-! I’m sure you can do it! You’re amazing and talented!!" Marinette said, and Luka slightly blushed at the compliment.

"Thank you for your faith in me, but there's also another problem,” he continued under his girlfriend’s attentive ears. “I need someone to accompany me at the piano. I don't have any pianist friends at school, and the ones my teacher assigned to me, either refused directly or couldn’t stand my corrections after a day of practice. None of them want to accompany me for the contest " he sighed.

“Oh, no…” Marinette cried. “But then, your scholarship…”

Luka giggled again at her reaction. ‘Gosh, she’s so cute’, he thought, pressing a kiss on the top of her head. “It’s ok. At least I'll be able to go to your school if I fail, so it’s not that bad" he shrugged again, this time playfully.

"You won't fail!" Marinette yelled to Luka's soft smile. Even if the idea of Luka going to her same school enthused her, she didn’t want him to stop pursuing his passion for music- she knew how important it was to him. "If you need a pianist, we'll find a pianist-" she stopped as a realization struck.

Adrien.

Adrien was a pianist. A good one. Maybe he could help Luka? That’s it! Her face lit up. "What about A-" she cut herself again, biting her lip. What if Luka felt bad for her suggesting Adrien? What if he misunderstood it as her still having a crush on him?

Noticing how Marinette froze and lost herself into her thoughts, Luka called for her attention. "Marinette, it's ok, I also considered asking Adrien", he explained and she gasped in consequence.

"How do you know I was-!” She jumped, her bumping under his jaw. ‘Ouch’ He groaned. “Sorry!” she panicked. “It’s just that-! I- I didn't mean it that way!" Deep down, she wasn’t sure about her feelings for Adrien. Feelings that may have or have not completely faded. Either way, she wanted them gone. Or at least for them to stop interfering in her growing affection towards Luka. "I just want to help you… I thought that maybe..." she sounded apologetic.

"I appreciate it, Marinette. Thank you." He showed her his gratitude while squeezing her hand to cheer her up, and raising her chin with the other one so their eyes could lock together. "You see? Adrien is my friend too, and I’m more than aware of how talented he is. I just don't think his father would let him go, that's why I haven't asked him" he explained, making Marinette feel relieved.

“Oh… You’re probably right…” Marinette sadly agreed.

Luka started humming her song at the comfort of their bodies entangled in comfort together, but Marinette was more focused on her thoughts. What could she do to help Luka? Giving up before trying wasn’t like her. It wasn’t like Ladybug either. Hell no. She was going to do something. If Adrien could be the solution, then it was worth the shot. She was going to give it a try! For Luka. For her boyfriend.

“Luka. I'm going to get you a pianist, no matter what! I'm going to convince Adrien and his father!” she informed, under Luka’s surprised face. “Only helping, ok!? Don't think it's because it’s Adrien because it's not! I want you to win that contest and so you can get your scholarship. I don’t want to see you sad… even if I would like to go to the same school as you I think you deserve to follow your dreams..." she ended in a whisper.

"Thank you, Marinette. I appreciate it. I'll count on you, then?" Luka chuckled at her rambles.

Marinette’s face lit up once again. “Leave it to me!” She proclaimed, giving him a quick peck on his cheek. Gosh. He loved it when she did that. He was glad she couldn’t see his uncool and stupid in love face from that angle, because he would be dying of embarrassment otherwise.

“Would you let me listen to your violin, Luka? I really want to listen to you play it,” she asked.

“Of course. Wait a moment until I get it. Some practice will certainly do me good" he moved to his cabin and soon returned with the instrument case on his hands. He took the violin out of the case and checked its tunes. Standing up in front of Marinette, he started playing some classical music. The sounds were much different than those of the guitar, yet his music had Luka’s unique touch in it, she recognized. Marinette couldn't help but melt in his music, her fastening loud heartbeat matching the tempo and the delicate movements he performed with his bow. She felt closer to him as her admiration grew.

"Wow. It's amazing…" she mumbled after Luka stopped playing the classical piece of music. In response, the musician played some more, while Marinette set her resolve: it would be a pity if he failed before trying. She was going to convince Adrien to play the piano with Luka no matter what.

__________________

The next day, an akuma attacked early in the morning and made Marinette arrive late at school. "Oh, no! Now I have to wait until classes are over to ask Adrien..." she sighed in defeat in front of the school gates.

From behind her, a voice called. "Marinette!" Her eyes opened big in surprise to find Adrien Agreste running towards her.

"A- Adrien!" She jumped nervously. "Why are you here? Classes have already started! You should be in class!"

"Shouldn’t you be in class too?" Adrien teasingly smirked and Marinette couldn't stop a blush to form on her cheeks.

"A- I- Ahm- I guess, yes..." she started stuttering. Before things turned worse, she shook her head. 'Focus Marinette! For Luka!' she convinced herself under Adrien's innocent look. "I have something to ask you, Adrien"

"Hm? What is it?" He asked.

"Are you free on Sunday in two weeks?" Marinette successfully asked, to her own stupefy. If Alya had been there, she would be jumping in joy for her progress on talking to the blond model.

"Why?" His eyebrow arched in confusion.

"Oh, no! It's not what it seems!" She quickly denied his possible idea of it being a date- even if that was only in her own head. "Luka needs a pianist to accompany him during his violin contest. I was hoping you could help him..." she explained.

"Luka plays the violin?" the blond boy asked and Marinette nodded in confirmation. His face of confusion looked familiar, just like the one she had probably made the day before when she first found out too. "I had no idea. That's impressive" he smiled.

"I know right!? I didn't know either until yesterday," Marinette confessed. "Is there any possibility you could make it…? Please?" Marinette almost begged.

"I should talk to my father first… Or maybe I can ask Kagami to come too, and we can fake it as fencing training and sneak out of it" he playfully smirked.

“Oh… Kagami, of course…” she shoved away her mixed feelings and focused on Luka again. “It would be awesome if you two could make it!” she grinned.

“Sure! I’ll talk to my father and I’ll let you know later. We should go to class now. We’re running late” he signaled at the time on his phone.

“Oh- You’re right. Thank you very much, Adrien! I’ll be very happy if you say yes… I mean Luka will! Luka will be happy! And I will be happy too!!” ‘Argh, not again Marinette…’ “And I bet Kagami will be happy too!” She nervously said very quickly. “Anyway- Let’s go back to class…”

Later that day, at night, Adrien confirmed he would be able to make it for the contest through a message on her phone. She squealed and celebrated happily with Tikki and called Luka to let him know about the good news. “That’s awesome. Thank you, Marinette. I knew you were extraordinary” He told her, and her face flustered in bright red at the compliment. Tikki giggled at her cute reaction. Gosh, she really liked him.

____________________

The next day, when Marinette arrived at the Liberty, she was surprised to see Adrien playing the keyboard, accompanying Luka as he played the violin.

A duet.

The aura wasn’t the same as a grand piano, but it wasn’t like Adrien could easily sneak Luka into his room to practice without his father noticing, and it was enough for a first approach and to harmonize with each other.

Marinette greeted them raising her hand in silence and taking a seat at the sofa to listen to their music. Her eyes darted back and forth between the two boys that held a part of her heart each, completely hypnotized by their mesmerizing performance. Adrien played perfectly, clearly understanding his secondary role, enhancing the alluring sounds of Luka’s violin. The way Luka’s talent displayed made Marinette feel small. ‘He is the extraordinary one… ’ she thought, closing her eyes to get lost in the music. Marinette never knew violin music could be so versatile: soft and heart touching; dynamic, powerful and piercing, all at once. Luka’s skills were certainly outstanding. How could he not be getting excellent scores when he played so well? His music was flawless in Marinette’s biased opinion.

“Wow…” Marinette enthusiastically applauded when their practice ended. Luka lowered his violin and gestured for Adrien to come to his side, which he obeyed with a smile. Side by side, they exchanged a nod and bowed to their only audience: Marinette, who had a big fond smile on her face.

“That was amazing,” Adrien commented. “I have no doubts you’ll win if you can play like this. I’ll do my best so I don’t let you down” Adrien encouraged, extending his hand to Luka.

“Thank you, Adrien,” he took his hand in a confident handshake. “I really appreciate your help. I’ll do my best not to waste your efforts and support. Both of you” Luka commented, looking at both Adrien and Marinette.

“You could never!” Adrien and Marinette replied in unison. The girl blushed and sank her face in her hands, embarrassed, while the two boys shyly laughed at her cute reaction.

“When can you come to practice again?” Luka asked Adrien, but he shoved his head in a negative gesture.

“I don’t think I can tomorrow. But I’ll try to come as soon and as many days as I can, I promise”

“It’s ok. I understand. Thank you for this Adrien, it means a lot” Luka moved to hug Adrien, patting his back in a friendly way. Adrien hugged him back, happily for what seemed a step forward in their friendship. Marientte couldn’t help but squeal a little as a blush formed on her cheeks at the sight.

_____________________________

Sunday.

In what seemed a blink, the day of the contest arrived.

Marinette felt her heart pounding nervously and expectantly as she greeted Juleka, Rose and Kagami, who were saving her a seat knowing she was most likely going to arrive late, as usual. She excused herself to her friends and managed to sneak to the backstage. She wanted to wish Luka and Adrien good luck before the performance, even if, after having heard them play together, she had no doubts they were going to play amazingly on stage. Marinette walked discreetly, knowing she was in a restricted area, avoiding collision with the other musicians who awaited for their turn. Suddenly, she spotted Luka’s blue hair from afar.

“Luka!” Her boyfriend turned at her call, and saw her too, raising his hand to make it easier for her to spot them.

When she reached in front of them, her jaw fell to the floor at what she was seeing: Luka and Adrien were wearing suits, and they looked spectacular. Her temperature rose to what was surely feverish and she felt like passing out because of their handsomeness.

“Hot… I- mean- Here you are! Hello!” she nervously greeted, and the boys smiled.

“Happy to see you, Marinette. You look beautiful” Luka said, and Adrien nodded in agreement.

She did look beautiful. She was wearing a short pink but elegant sleeveless dress with a short white cardigan over her shoulders and a necklace she made with a beautiful turquoise colored shiny stone Luka had given her on their second date. Her hair was tied in a bun and a pink hair flower ornament decorated her hair. She had some makeup on too, which made her cheeks and lips a softer shade of pink than usual.

“Thank you, Luka” she blushed. ‘I’m glad I put effort on my look. Worth it’, she thought. “Both of you look amazing…” She admired them.

First, she looked at Adrien. He was wearing the same outfit he wore the time he modeled with the hat she had designed. It wasn’t a surprise he looked great in it. But then, Marinette’s eyes moved next to analyze her boyfriend. It was her first time seeing him in a suit, and hoped it was the first one of many to come. She couldn’t stop looking at him. The blue-haired boy was wearing a black elegant suit with a dark blue necktie and tiny golden details. He took off his earrings and accessories and got his hair styled for the occasion. He looked so different… But still managed to keep his usual calm aura to surround him. He didn’t look nervous at all despite how important the contest was for him and his future.

“Where did you get your suit, Luka?” Marinette asked.

“Oh, I lent him one,” Adrien explained. “Let’s say I secretly borrowed it for today”

‘You mean you stole it, right?’ Plagg mumbled from inside Adrien’s pocket and the pianist slightly hit his chest as a warning to the Kwami of destruction under Marinette and Luka’s confused looks. “Oh, don’t mind me. It just tickled for a moment”, he nervously excused himself.

Marinette returned to admire Luka. “You look so handsome...” She shyly admitted. “But…” Marinette took a step forward, closer to Luka. She grabbed and untied the messy looking necktie and tied it back correctly, finishing it with pressing the unwanted folds of his chest to make him look impeccable. “Now you’re perfect,” she proudly proclaimed, satisfied with her clean work. She didn’t realize what she had done until she raised her face up and found Luka’s face so close that soon her cheeks were tainted red again. ‘So close! So bold of me! How could I do this!? I feel like his wife now!’ her face flustered. Luka blushed too at their closeness, and neither of them moved for a few long seconds.

“It’s almost our turn, Luka. We should get going” Adrien interrupted, and Marinette felt even more embarrassed.

Luka smiled at her reaction. ‘So cute’ and lowered his head to press a kiss on the top of her hair. “I’ll be going now. Pay attention to us, ok?” he winked before turning to pat Adrien’s back in a ‘let’s go’ gesture.

Marinette nodded once, but immediately stopped Luka by grabbing his arm.

“Wait!”

Luka quickly turned his head towards her and she rested her feet on her tiptoes to kiss her boyfriend on the cheek. “I know you don’t need it but- Good luck” she smiled sincerely. Luka stood still for a second, processing what had just happened until he smiled softly at her.

“Thank you” Luka smiled softly at her under Adrien’s ‘awww’ smile.

“Go for it!” she yelled, pushing the boys backs as they walked to the stage.

Adrien gazed at Luka to see him unusually grinning, and smiled at his happiness. He looked determined- ready to eat the world. ‘I need to do my best too’

Luka felt a rush of emotions. ‘Now I’m ready to channel all this happiness into the song,’ he thought. But most of all, he felt invincible. He was going to win. Not for himself. Not for his teacher. Not for his scores or his scholarship. But for Marinette. And for Adrien too. He was going to show his audience what music meant to him, and what his girlfriend and good friend made him feel. Ah, yes. He was going to give the performance of his life.

____________

Marinette barely made it on time to see the two boys get on the stage as she rushed to carefully sit down next to Kagami, apologizing for her tardiness.

Adrien moved in front of the piano. He positioned the piano stool at his ideal position and strengthened his back and his arms to let his suit's sleeves slide down his arms to impede them from interfering with his playing, and ended his ritual turning the score to the right page.

Next to him, in front of the piano, Luka looked at Adrien, who nodded in a 'whenever you want' meaning, which Luka nodded back with a 'let's do this'.

Luka's eyes were on fire. When the first notes of Adrien's initial solo started, he raised his violin and his bow, straightened his back and searched for Marinette in the audience. He immediately found her, and she felt her body hot at his burning eyes and his loving smile. One second later, he tilted his head to let it rest on the violin and closed his eyes before letting himself merge and flow with the soft music he was producing. From the way he played, it felt like Luka had become music himself, perfectly harmonized with Adrien's soft piano as the classical slow tempo song advanced.

And then, the crescendo.

A sudden change of rhythm impressed the audience with a collective gasp and amazed voices as Luka played like there was no tomorrow. Fast and extremely difficult, according to the expert musician behind Marinette, and perfectly accompanied by Adrien's talented piano, the music reached the enthralled audience, who felt the dramatic sounds over their skins. And when the classical song seemed to have reached its climax, Luka masterfully performed a movement of extreme difficulty to create his own accord arrangement. Nobody could disagree that Luka made the song his own song.

“Your boyfriend is amazing,” Kagami whispered in Marinette’s ear, more than impressed by the boy’s performance.

The half chinese girl blushed at her friend’s comment and felt proud of being Luka’s girlfriend. He was amazing indeed... Such passion and talent, plus his ability to touch people’s hearts with his music… There was something more… Gratitude... Ambition… And LOVE. Love towards her, Marinette realized, when he took a quick glance at her. And all her senses were glued to him: her boyfriend- Luka. His movements were both dynamic and energetic, and precise and delicate. It was perfect both visually and musically, to the point the performance moved her to tears.

And not only her. The audience was hypnotized by Luka's violin and Adrien’s piano. So much that when his music stopped in a dramatic and passionate finishing segment with impeccable control, only silence and Luka’s breath occupied the auditorium for a moment. It took the audience a few seconds to react before standing up for a heart-felt and excitedly massive standing ovation.

Luka was panting out of the effort and sweat was running down his face. The drops of sweat appeared to make him glow under the spotlights and Marinette was fascinated as his gaze moved to lock with hers again. He proudly smiled at her, satisfied of having given it his all and grateful to his girlfriend for having encouraged him to stand where he was at that precise moment. Her hands stopped clapping at that moment and used them to cover her obvious blush instead. It was in that instant when she noticed the tears running down her cheeks. She was touched by his recital.

Amid the acclaim, Luka and Adrien came in front of the stage and bowed to the audience and, then to the judges. Some of them were having real trouble holding back their tears and excitement, despite trying hard not to show it. When the two boys moved backstage, Marinette rushed to go meet them, followed by Kagami.

Soon, the girls encountered Adrien, but he was alone. His eyes glowed when he noticed the girls. "Kagami, Marinette!" He called, running to hug his girlfriend encouraged by the rushes of adrenaline from the performance.

"You were amazing, Adrien" Kagami congratulated her boyfriend with a quick peck on his lips. Adrien giggled and lifted her body. Kagami couldn't help but to smile back at him.

Marinette felt a little awkward at the scene, but somehow, she didn't feel hurt. Not as she would have expected some time ago, at least.

"Adrien" Marinette called. "You were incredible," Marinette proudly stated. "Thank you so much for doing this"

Adrien signaled Kagami to separate from the hug and let him talk to his 'good friend' Marinette.

"Thank you, Marinette. It was fun! Besides, I'm always happy to help my friends” he said, noticing how she was trying to peek behind him. “Oh, I bet you want to talk to Luka, right?" He realized, turning his head to signal her where he was. "He's talking to his teacher now. You know, Maestro Pinsart, that old man with the white crazy hair. I think it will take a long time... He won't stop complimenting how ‘super fantastic’ and ‘majestic’ Luka’s violin was" Adrien giggled.

"Oh… I guess I'll have to wait then…" Marinette sighed, a little disappointed.

"Why don't we go grab something to eat meanwhile?" Kagami suggested. “There’s still time until they announce the winner.”

Adrien's stomach growled. "Now that you mention it, I'm starving" he grinned. "Let's go get something from the cafeteria!" Adrien grabbed Kagami's hand and Marinette's wrist and pulled them like he did that day they escaped together from the Bourgeois’ Wedding Anniversary party. But this time, to his surprise, Marinette refused his hold. Adrien and Kagami blinked and exchanged confused looks.

"Sorry! I would rather wait for Luka here. I really want to congratulate him for his performance" Marinette explained with a subtle blush on her face. The couple exchanged smiles in understanding as they excused themselves and ran hand in hand across the aisle.

Marinette took little curious glances at her boyfriend and his teacher from afar. Maestro Pinsart seemed exalted. His movements were euphoric and he seemed proud of his student as he commented on his performance. ‘Spectacular! Majestic! Estupefantastico!’ were some of the words Marinette could hear him yell from afar. It was amusing to see someone so happy about a violin performance. It was understable after seeing how marvelously Luka had played, though.

Luka was listening to his teacher, but when he looked to the side for a second, he noticed Marinette and gestured for her to join them. Mister Pinsart turned his head to Marinette too, and she squeaked before approaching them.

"Your girlfriend?" The old man asked.

Luka looked at Marinette, and wrapped his arm around her shoulder. "Yes. She's my girlfriend, Marinette. She always brings out the best in me. She's extraordinary"

Marinette blushed once again as Luka’s teacher looked at her. "So she's your muse, huh?” the old man said. “Nice to meet you, Miss. Your boyfriend is the best student I've ever had. I have great expectations for him. I’m happy to meet his source of inspiration"

"Eh? But then… I don't understand. My scores...?" Luka seemed surprised.

"I wanted you to try harder. You have a lot of talent and I know you could do better if you give it your best. And you proved it today. I'm very proud of you, Mr. Couffaine. You're my pride and joy as a teacher" the teacher finally explained his reasons.

"Then… can he get an excellent score now?" Marinette suddenly blurted, and immediately gaped, covering her mouth in regret. “Sorry!”

Instead of feeling offended, Maestro Pinsart laughed and looked at Luka, who was smiling at his girlfriend. "You know my promise, right? Mister Couffaine will get a ‘super excellent’ only if he wins” he told Marinette. Then, he focused on Luka and placed his hand on his shoulder. “It shouldn't be difficult after your outstanding performance"

"Thank you so much, Maestro" Luka blushed, happy for his teacher’s trust.

"Maestro is right, Luka! You were fantastic! I'm sure you'll win, too" Marinette agreed in excitement and Luka smiled softly at her.

"Thank you, Marinette"

"The judges will assemble to discuss the winner as soon as the violinist currently playing finishes," Maestro commented. “Don’t be late for the announcement. See you later”

“Where’s Adrien?” Luka asked.

“He went to the cafeteria with Kagami. Are you hungry? Or thirsty? We can join them, if you want” Marinette asked.

“What do you want to do, Marinette? Are you hungry?”

“I’m not-” she started, but her stomach growled. Marinette sank her embarrassed face in her hands and Luka giggled at her cuteness.

“Let’s go to the cafeteria, then”

Luka offered her his hand and soon, they joined Adrien and Kagami who were happily eating and joking around.

___________________________________

Some minutes before the time of the winner announcement arrived, Luka and Adrien returned to the contestants room to wait for the judges deliberate to end. The list of the finalists was already published and Luka's name was one of the 5 contestants' names that remained.

Marinette was nervously tapping her fingers on her lap, her feet on the floor and he seemed unable to find comfort in her seat. Kagami tried to calm her down, but nothing worked, so she excused herself to the toilet to go get any hint she could.

From behind some curtains, she saw how a man hid something inside a music equipment box near the stage. She looked at his smirk in suspicion, but soon the announcer crossed the door to go to the stage, followed by the 5 contestants and their partners. Luka seemed calm, and it helped Marinette to loosen up as she returned to her seat.

“I’m so nervous!” Juleka said, and Rose held her hand in a reassuring way. “Don’t worry, Juleka. It’s going to be ok, you’ll see”

Marinette had her hands in a praying gesture, wishing for Luka’s name to be inside the envelope the announcer had in his hands. After some words she couldn’t properly hear, the moment of truth arrived.

“And the winner is…” the man started, proceeding to read the name chosen by the judges. Oh, gosh! The suspense was killing her. C’mon say it already! She internally begged. And he finally spoke. “Miss Cresto! Congratulations!”

Silence followed for a few seconds after the revelation. Luka not winning? Nobody could understand why. Not even when they started applauding more because of protocol than anything. It wasn’t fair. It wasn’t honest. Something was fishy. Before Marinette could protest someone else did.

“WHAT!? This is inadmissible!” Maestro Pinsart jumped to the stage. “My student performed the best here, there’s no way he’s not the winner! Are your ears corky!? I bet everyone in this auditoire thinks the same! This is gibberish!”

“Oh, calm down Maestro Pinsart… Everybody’s performance was impressive, just accept the judges decision… it’s never easy for them to choose one winner” the MC attempted to calm the old man.

“NO! This can’t be the result! I can’t accept it!” He was enraged at the judges decision.

“Wait, isn’t that Maestro Pinsart?” someone close to Marinette mentioned.

“Oh no, no way!” exclaimed the woman next to her.

“I thought he retired after what happened that time!” said a third person.

“Me too! I can’t believe he still goes with the name of ‘Maestro’ after everything...” yet another voice added.

“And now he’s doing it again! He just can’t accept defeat, can he?”

“Poor Couffaine boy…”

More and more voices raised as the time passed by and Maestro’s attitude only worsened.

‘What happened for everyone to think so badly of Maestro Pinsart?’ Marinette wondered, and reached her smartphone to look at his name on the internet.

Bingo.

Apparently, Maestro Pinsart had lost in an orchestra conducting contest. He claimed someone manipulated the results, but couldn’t prove it and his reputation was damaged in the process when he punched the winner of that contest: Maestro Cresto. ‘Wait. Maestro Cresto…? Isn’t that the name of the violinist who won? Something is very fishy’

Marinette couldn’t give it more thought when she saw how a black butterfly entered Maestro Pinsart’s wand baton and got akumatized by Shadow Moth. A black cloud of noise surrounded him, and an akuma who called himself Disconcerto appeared before the crowd’s scared eyes.

The akuma soon tried to get Luka under his control, but he managed to dodge the laser beam Disconcerto threw from his wand and successfully fled to hide. Disconcerto’s next target was the winner of the contest, and soon, Paris’ superheroes Ladybug and Chat Noir joined his concert.

The akuma's power was to channel his feelings through his wand into mind controlling magic. Everyone affected by Disconcerto’s powers couldn’t control their bodies and were forced to obey the akuma’s wish, which was revenge by showing people his conductor and teaching abilities and calling out Mister Cresto and his daughter. Soon, the Disconcerto had a whole army of musicians ready to punish the Crestos and fight Paris' superheroes for their Miraculous. The victims under the akuma’s control were forced to play a perfect song with musical instruments he himself provided them, giving them the skills to play them. The music was dangerous too, since it had paralyzing effects on whoever listened to it so the heroes used headphones to cover their ears.

"Lucky charm!" Ladybug called, and two bottles of wine fell into her hands.

"Wine? What are you going to do with that?" Could be read in Chat's lips. Both heroes had soundproof earphones on their ears to protect themselves from being controlled. "Cataclysm!"

Ladybug noticed how Disconcerto’s eyebrows frowned whenever someone missed the beat. ‘Bingo’

Ladybug gazed around with her spotted vision. Her eyes landed first on Luka, who was hiding behind the curtains of the stage, covering his ears and trying to find an opening to convince his teacher to snap out of his akumatization. A smirk formed in Ladybug's mouth.

Luka, his violin, his violin bow, a cable, an amplifier, the curtains, a rope, a spotlight, Chat Noir and finally, the wine bottles and their cork caps.

Ladybug asked Luka to connect his violin to the amplifier and play as loud as possible to distract the akuma and neutralize his powers. As expected, his attention immediately turned to Luka. “Mr. Couffaine! Why are you doing this! I’m your teacher!” he yelled, and Ladybug took the chance to direct the spotlight to his eyes to blind him, creating the perfect opening for Chat Noir to cataclysm the ropes holding the curtains so they fell over the akuma. She then used a cable to tie him and stuff the cork caps into his ears. With the loss of his hearing and tied up as he was, the akuma’s anger peaked and Disconcerto’s wand finally fell into Ladybug's hands. A moment later the akuma was purified and all the damage cured by the magical Ladybugs. Luka immediately ran to help his teacher and thanked the heroes.

"What happened?" the old man asked.

"You were akumatized" Ladybug explained. “It’s over now. Don’t worry”

"Oh, no! It's because I'm a failure as a teacher and I couldn't even make my best student win… I repeated the same mistake from a long time ago..." The teacher cried in regret.

"You could never be a failure, sir. Not when your student is so talented and shows all this admiration towards you" added Chat Noir.

Luka, who was holding him, nodded in agreement. "I would have never tried my best or reached this far if it wasn't for your accurate instructions. It's the first time a teacher can understand and explain music in the language I understand, myself- to some kind of inexplicable spiritual level"

"Mr. Couffaine… You really are my pride and joy. You're the winner for me. And don't worry. Rest assured you have more than an excellent score from me. I hope you continue coming to the school next year" He accepted Luka’s helpful hand to stand up.

"I’ll be honored, Maestro"

"Thank you Ladybug, Chat Noir" Pinsart thanked. “I’m sorry for the inconvenience I caused”

“Not at all, Maestro. What is wrong here isn’t your doing but this” Ladybug took the envelope from the music equipment box close to the stage she had considered suspicious. “This is most likely the real envelope with the real winner. We’ll have to ask Maestro Cresto and his daughter to give us some kind of explanation for their involvement in the matter” Ladybug explained, handing the true envelope to the MC. Everyone gasped and Maestro Cresto’s daughter ran away crying in embarrassment.

That said, the superheroes left the stage and returned to where they were supposed to be: Marinette in her seat next to Kagami and Adrien at the stage, behind Luka.

_________________________________________________

"Well… it seems there was a confusion with the results, as Ladybug pointed out… We verified it after talking to the judges and it seems someone manipulated the envelope and changed its contents. So here’s the real verdict…“ The MC paused dramatically to create expectation as he slowly opened the envelope. Marinette gulped and joined her hands in a prayer. ‘Let Luka win, please! Let Luka win…’ she begged. And the man finally released everybody's tension by reading the name of the winner. “The winner is... Mr. Luka Couffaine, accompanied by Adrien Agreste on the piano! Congratulations!"

Marinette gasped and teared up as her applause resonated with every single one in the concert stadium. From the stage, Luka smiled at Marinette and took the golden violin statue prize. Adrien offered to hold it for him as he grabbed the microphone to give his winning speech.

"Thank you so much! I’m honored to receive this prize. I just want to say that I wouldn't be here today if it wasn't for my friend Adrien and my girlfriend Marinette. And this" he signaled the statue he got as a prize, "would have been impossible to achieve without my teacher's lessons. Thank you, Maestro Pinsart" Luka bowed to his teacher.

Another round of applause followed when the spotlight found Maestro in one of the seats closer to the stage. He blushed and bowed his head in gratitude, crying a little.

"Would you perform again for us?" the presenter asked.

Luka nodded and returned the microphone. He exchanged a glance with Adrien, who understood him without words, and they got ready to perform. Luka took out an electric violin and plugged it into an amplifier Juleka had previously prepared.

“One, two, three… Rock-'n'-roll!”

Nobody expected Luka and Adrien to suddenly play Jagged Stone's music. 'When did they practice for this?' Marinette wondered. It was so intense the audience was losing it. People said that Maestro Pinsart had never been fond of Rock music, but it didn't escape Marinette how he was happily tapping his fingers and moving his head at the rhythm of the song. Marinette grabbed Kagami's hand and encouraged her to dance with her. Then she encouraged Rose and Juleka to do the same and join them. Soon, it seemed more like a rock concert than a classical music contest. And it wasn’t a bad thing, the audience seemed to agree.

When Luka and Adrien finished, they bowed to the audience once again. Statue in Adrien's hands, they got stopped multiple times before they could finally make it to the contestants’ room.

By the time they changed to their usual clothes and exited the auditoire, Kagami had already returned home, and Adrien's curfew was slightly overdue. The blond boy was the first one to come out from backstage to where Marinette was waiting for them, with Adrien’s bodyguard waiting for him in his car parked nearby.

“Marinette!” Adrien called.

"Adrien!” she called back, happy to see her friend. “Congratulations! Thank you so much for this". Out of gratitude, Marinette's body moved on its own to press a thankful kiss to the blond boy's cheek. The boy innocently smiled at her, and it was then when she realized what she had done and panicked.

"See you tomorrow at school" Adrien left, waving at her and entering the car.

"Ye- yes… See you tomorrow!" ‘Argh! What am I doing? I was supposed to be over this crazy phase!’

From behind, someone tapped her shoulder and Marinette jumped, startled by the sudden touch.

"Luka!" She recognized when turning to him, jumping for a hug that left him a little puzzled. "Don't tell me you saw that?" she panicked. Luka nodded with a sympathetic smile, one that reminded her of the one he showed her the day of Felix’s ‘incident’. "It's not what it seems! I'm just grateful and thankful and moved and I don't know how it happened- it's not what you think, you have to trust me!"

Luka chuckled at her rambles. ‘So cute,’ he thought, before holding her closer in a warm embrace. "I trust you from toes to earrings, Marinette. Thank you for encouraging me" he fondly said. Marinette blushed at the contact and showed a surprised confused look. 'Does he know?' Luka could tell she was wondering. He knew her better than herself, he thought.

But the way Marinette got lost into his ocean blue eyes and raised her tip-toes to kiss him tenderly on the lips proved him wrong.

She loved him.

And she wanted to show him how confident she was about that fact. She wanted to tell him she had no doubts anymore. Tell him he was special and that she was thankful for having him in her life.

And Luka understood.

Her loving eyes when her lips parted from his were honest, and Luka couldn't hold himself back, so he cupped her cheek with one hand and finally kissed her like he had always wanted to kiss her, with all his love unleashed- no holding back. And Marinette accepted it. All his love, at the same time she gave him hers. They lost themselves in a long, magical kiss filled with new sensations that melted their insides as if their hearts were fusing together. Mutual love.

"Luka" she called in his breath. "Hm?" He pulled apart a centimeter, just the necessary distance to allow her to speak. "Congratulations for winning the violin contest" she grinned.

"Totally worth the prize" Luka grinned, before leaning in for another kiss.

#long post #my fic #airipyon #airip4 #ml s4 spoilers #violin Luka #ml s4 theory #fic: disconcerto #original akuma #I TRIED OK?

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