#my dude you have CLASS tomorrow can you please do a LESSON PLAN at least | Explore Tumblr posts and blogs

sariahsue · 4 years ago

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Rivals Are Always One “Make Me” Away From Kissing

Tossing the controller onto the desk, Adrien reached for Marinette’s waist and slid her into his lap. She came willingly, looping her arms around his neck and weaving her fingers into his hair. (An Adrinette no powers video game AU - 10,000 words)

Adrien had to admit that he was a little bit of a nerd. Here he was, fifteen minutes early for school, in an outfit his personal assistant picked out for him, and looking over his homework alone in the hallway instead of talking with classmates or hanging out in the sunny courtyard like everyone else was doing.

A gust of cool air rushed in through an open doorway and ruffled his hair, making him sigh. It was no wonder he was still single.

The whisper of his name on the wind caught his attention.

"Nino?" Adrien called. The hallway was deserted, so he stuffed his homework into his backpack and stepped closer to the open doorway to investigate. The back of Nino's red cap came into view. He was sitting on the front steps, brushing shoulders with Alya.

"You have too much faith in my bro," Nino said.

Adrien stopped walking forward as his heart sank to the floor. Nino didn't believe in him about something?

"I'm giving Marinette one week, tops," Alya said.

"It's going to take him at least a month," Nino countered.

"You willing to bet on that?" she asked, standing.

"Yeah, I am."

Alya stuck out her hand, then pulled him up as they shook on it.

It was only when they started to turn to come into the building that Adrien realized he shouldn't have been eavesdropping while standing in the dead center of an empty hallway. There was nothing to hide him from the surprised eyes of his friends.

Alya was the first to recover, her expression quickly slipping to suspicion. "How much of that did you hear?" she asked, hands on her hips.

"Nothing!" he said, hands up. "I didn't-"

"Did you hear the news?" Nino cut in.

"N-no? What are you talking about?"

"The Olympic Committee voted."

"About?" Adrien asked. He tried to forget… whatever they'd been talking about.

"eGames are in for Paris 2024!"

"Seriously?" Adrien asked. "I thought they voted against that last month."

Nino ignored the comment and held out a hand for a high-five, but it was more like a middle five, limp and unenthusiastic. Nino glanced toward Alya, and they shared a smile.

"I bet I could get us tickets easy," Adrien said, pulling Nino's attention away from his girlfriend. "Want to come-"

Nino snapped back to attention, eyes gleaming. "You should sign up for the team."

"I should what?" Adrien asked, bewildered by his friend's sudden change in tone. "Thanks for the vote of confidence, but I'm not that good."

"No really, dude." Nino grabbed his arm. "I think you could do it." He threw an arm around Adrien's shoulder, turned him around and marched him deeper into the school.

"No thanks?" Adrien let himself be steered into a crowded hallway, Alya stalking behind them, her eyes burning into his back. "I'd need more practice than I have time for. Some of those gamers-"

"All you need-" Nino guided them around a group of upperclassmen. "-is a partner to practice with."

What was going on? Adrien knew he was kind of sheltered and maybe a little socially awkward, but he knew Nino well enough at this point that he could tell he was trying to set something up. "I get it. You want an excuse to play on my system every day. But you know my father-"

"Oh, no way, man. I'm not good enough." They stepped through a pair of double doors and out into the morning sunshine of the courtyard. Students laughed and yelled at each other. Others lounged on the stairs going up to the second floor. Nino's hand on his shoulder tightened and they stopped moving. "But maybe there's someone-"

"Yeah," Alya cut in. She shoved her way in between them and pointed to the middle of the courtyard, toward a tight cluster of students. "I bet Marinette would want to practice with you."

Adrien followed the line of Alya's finger. Marinette's dark hair and bright smile peeked out from the center of the group. As usual, she was surrounded by admirers, all of whom were laughing at something she had just said. His stomach clenched, though he wasn't sure why.

"You're kidding, right? She's one of the most popular girls in school."

"Did you miss the memo, sunshine?" Alya said. "You're pretty popular yourself."

"And the four of us hang out together all the time," Nino said. "I'm sure she would love to spend some time with just you."

"I don't even think I want to be in the Olympics," Adrien said, turning away from Marinette and glancing at his other friends. There was definitely something going on. Nino and Alya traded sideways glances and wiggling eyebrows, communicating something Adrien couldn't figure out.

"You really should ask Marinette to practice with you, dude," Nino said.

"No, I don't think-"

"Come on, Agreste." Alya stepped up into his space. Not that he could ever tell Nino this, but his girlfriend could be scary when she wanted to be. She was somehow towering over him, even though he could have sworn a few seconds ago that he was taller than she was. "You want a gold medal, don't you?"

"No?"

"Yes, you do. Now go ask Marinette."

"This isn't even about the Olympics, is it?"

Alya nudged him through the open door and into the light. Adrien blinked, disoriented by the sudden movement and the direction his morning had taken.

"Get moving," Alya insisted.

"Okay, okay! I'll ask her!" he said. His plan to skirt around Marinette's knot of students and escape to the other edge of the courtyard was shot down when his friends' footsteps crunched behind him. They weren't going to let him get away.

Feeling their eyes on him, Adrien weaved his way through the students that filled the yard, hoping the bell would ring and give him an excuse to abandon his quest. What was really happening here?

Guys and girls alike were leaning over Marinette's shoulder, and as he got closer he could tell the laughter was due to something on the sketch pad she was holding. Her smile and the light hitting her hair just right made her glow. Her eyes sparkled.

And Adrien stopped moving.

There was no way he could approach her with this many people around. What was he going to say, anyway? Hey, I think our friends are terrible and plotting something against me, and I'm going to regret asking later, but will you please play video games with me? It sounded stupid even in his head.

A single, sharp fingernail between his shoulder blades reminded him that he had no choice in the matter, so he stepped forward, excusing himself through the crowd of Marinette's admirers, until he was close enough to grab her elbow and borrow her attention.

"A-a-adrien?" she asked, stuttering when her bright eyes found his. "How you- uh, what?"

"Can we play video games later?" Ugh. This was even worse out loud than it had been in his head. "Um, the Olympics are coming up later. And we should practice." Yes, that was an eloquent explanation. Very smooth.

Marinette's eyes went wide in a doe-eyed stare, like she couldn't believe he'd ask her such a thing. "Oh." Her voice shook. "Th-tho nank you. No thank you! I don't-" She glanced behind him, over his shoulder. "I mean, yes! I would love to!" She stared at his feet and pushed a strand of hair behind her ear nervously.

Adrien glanced quickly behind him. Nino and Alya were standing a little way away, looking far too innocent. Alya examined her fingernails. Nino was gazing all around the courtyard, not fixing on any one point, his face blank. So they were bullying Marinette into it, too? Whatever they were planning, he wasn't going to let them make her uncomfortable.

"You don't have to," he told her quickly, and her head snapped back up to his. "I mean, it's probably a stupid idea. If you don't want to, I understand. It's kind of a weird idea. And I think the Olympics are dumb and, I mean, you probably like them, so-"

"No," she said quickly, mercifully cutting him off. She reached out to grab his arm, but pulled back just before her fingers brushed his skin. It was close enough to raise goosebumps.

"I do want to practice with you," Marinette said.

He raised a questioning eyebrow at her.

"Really," she said, putting enough force into it that she sounded almost convincing.

"Okay," he said, skeptical. She must have so many friends and demands on her attention. She was really going to make time for one-on-one time for him? "I have a free two hours before my piano lessons tomorrow. I'll ask if you can come over."

"I'm free then!"

After her initial hesitation, he was surprised to hear her so excited. What was really going on? "Then, that's good, I guess. Sounds... good. Great."

"Great," she echoed.

The bell rang. Relieved, Adrien walked off through the shuffling crowd, pushing through sharp elbows and heavy backpacks and toward Nino and Alya, who were muttering to each other, their heads close together, and not paying him any attention.

Alya was whispering as he approached. He only caught a soft, "They're going to be-" before she noticed him and walked off.

"Bro, please make me lose." Nino adjusted the headphones around his neck.

"You want to lose? What, a bet?"

"Can't say," Nino said. "It's important, though. You've got a month."

If Adrien was confused before, he was stumped now. The only thing he was sure of was that this had nothing to do with the Committee vote or video games. Was Marinette in on it or was she his fellow victim?

Now that he didn't need the bell to save him from anything, it happily rang the beginning of class. Dozens of shoes shuffled down the hallways. Friends called out to each other. Adrien trailed far behind Marinette on his way to their class. Her pigtails bounced to her enthusiastic step.

What was really happening?

***

A week later, Adrien didn't really care what the motivation behind the practice sessions had been. He was having too much fun. In a stunning display of paternal affection, Gabriel had allowed Adrien to set up regular video gaming sessions with Marinette. Or Nathalie had put it into his schedule and not mentioned it to his father. Probably the second one, though he liked to pretend.

Today, they were up in his room, being washed in the music of Mario Kart that they were playing on his gigantic television. Adrien sat up straight on the couch, toes digging into the plush carpet, and pouring his focus onto the screen, but Marinette was draped across the furniture, one foot dragging on the floor, the other accidentally poking his knee whenever one of them leaned into a turn.

In the past few days, a remarkable change had come over Marinette. Instead of being anxious and fidgety whenever they ran into each other at school, the hours of being together had forced her to grow relaxed around him. It was amazing to see the side of her that everyone else so admired shining out of her when she was with him, instead of it being trapped under her awkward stutter like it used to be. He loved this.

As he rounded the final turn, Marinette on his tail, he squeezed the controller even harder, though his character was already going at top speed. A squirt of black ink blocked out his half of the screen.

"No!" he yelled, trying to negotiate the curve while blind. "I forgot you had that one! I thought you were out!"

Marinette didn't leave her position on the couch until she'd crossed the finish line. When she did, she jumped up and crowed her victory. "I beat you again! Admit it! You're going to cry yourself to sleep tonight because I creamed you so bad!"

Adrien wiped away a fake tear with her controller and was rewarded with one of Marinette's soft giggles. The sound was infectious, and soon his laughter joined hers. This was the way a lot of their games ended. Win or lose, they were both happy, just because they enjoyed each other's company.

Adrien's suspicions had melted away over the past few days. Nino and Alya were dating, and they wanted their best friends to spend time together. That must have been it. He had to admit, he loved the idea.

And he loved that she was comfortable enough with him to be the person he saw her be with other people, bold and funny and expressive, somehow kind and fierce at the same time, ready to compliment him or trash talk him at a moment's notice. It kept him on his toes.

While the question of why it had taken her so long to warm up to him nagged at him, it wasn't enough to keep him from acknowledging that he was much happier when she was around.

"So what do you want to play next?" Marinette slid off the couch and pulled out his collection of games.

"Shovel of Hope," he said quickly.

"I usually pick that one," she said, turning to direct a questioning eyebrow his way.

"It is. And I want you to be happy, so we can play your favorites twice in a row."

A slack look of shock was replaced quickly by Marinette's shy smile, and Adrien's heart flipped.

He'd always known she had a nice smile. So why did it seem like a new revelation just now?

***

If Adrien's observation about their first week together was how much he liked Marinette, then observation about the second week was how much his game had improved.

Marinette's skill on most games was just a little higher than his own, so playing against her was always a challenge, and teaming up with her was always instructive. Of course, her teasing continually spurred him on.

Today they were in her room playing Zombie Fighter 2, which he'd never even heard of before. And it showed. After seven rounds, he had failed to land a single hit on Marinette's character. He went down in a shower of sparks.

"KO'd again! I can't believe it!" Adrien tossed his controller into his lap. He noticed every time his left knee brushed her right as they sat cross-legged on her chaise.

"Your skills are improving, young grasshopper," Marinette said.

"How is losing improving?"

"You lasted a whole ten seconds longer than last time. You're learning how to run away."

Adrien socked her in the face with a pink pillow. He'd been in her room a handful of times now and he still couldn't get over how pink everything was. Walls, curtains, blankets, even furniture. It suited her, though.

Marinette stood up and stretched. A small strip of skin peeked out where her shirt rode up. "We should head downstairs. Your driver will be here soon."

"No." Adrien averted his gaze quickly. "Let's play one more!" The warmth of Marinette's room wasn't something he looked forward to leaving, not when his own sterile, empty room was the only thing waiting to welcome him home.

"I was hoping you'd say that," she said. "Can't get enough of me, or can't get enough of being pounded into the ground, I wonder?"

"Jury's out."

"Ouch! Why do I keep you around, again?" she asked.

"Must be because I'm so cute." Adrien selected his character, and the screen lit up with another round.

"Must be." Marinette ruffled his hair.

Adrien sat up a little straighter. Was it the praise? Or was it her touch? When she took her hand away, it was to fix his grip on the controller.

"You're never going to win like that. Your fingers aren't spread out enough. Like this." She adjusted each finger individually, pushing and poking and smoothing each one into place until they curved just so.

Her hands radiated warmth. But not just that. It felt like... kindness? Caring? How was he getting that from just the feel of her fingertips against his wrists, directing him to relax the sudden tension in his arms?

By the time she pulled away and they started playing, Adrien's hands were shaking. He pulled them deeper into his lap, so she wouldn't see the tremors.

What was happening? And why did he feel like Marinette touching him again was going to make him feel better? Whatever it was, it wasn't helping him win.

"That'll teach me to compliment you," Marinette said after cutting down his avatar with ease. "That was awful. What happened?"

"Just tired, I guess," Adrien said, putting his controller between them and flapping his hands, like they were sweaty or cramping or something else normal.

"Tired, huh? I can play better than that in my sleep! So what's the real reason?"

"Tired. That's really the reason."

"Tired of getting beat, maybe."

"Oh, lay off."

"Make me."

He needed something to do with the nervous energy in his hands, and Marinette was asking for it. When he poked her side, she made the most adorable squeal he'd ever heard, and he had to do it again. The tickle fight that ensued was nothing short of inevitable. She tried to reach for the pillow on the floor to defend herself with, but he took the opportunity to poke her side and she tumbled off the chaise and pulled him with her. It wasn't enough to stop him.

"I surrender!" Marinette gasped after only a few seconds. "You win!"

"You admit I'm better at something than you?"

"No, your arms are just longer, like a monkey's." She laughed even before she felt his retaliation tickle for the jibe.

As their laughter subsided, Adrien felt lighter. He hadn't had fun with a friend like this in he couldn't remember how long. His father always made him feel foolish for finding something mildly amusing. Somehow, Marinette made falling off his seat liberating instead of embarrassing. He loved that about her.

Sprawled out as they were, it took Adrien a few seconds before he noticed where his hand was resting. Right on Marinette's soft stomach. She was smiling up the ceiling, not seeming to notice or care that he was touching her. It felt nice.

But it was probably weird. He was being weird.

So why was he not moving?

His hand moved up and down with her breathing, rhythmic and calming. Would she stop him if he slid his fingers along the fabric and felt the texture of her shirt?

He kept his hands still until she sighed deeply, and then he guiltily removed it.

***

It had been the best month of Adrien's life, and he owed it all to the girl who was walking toward him. The school courtyard was packed with students going home for the day. Backpacks hung off shoulders. People shouted to each other. Heads bobbed up and down as they tried to find their friends in the crowd.

Marinette's small build made it difficult for her to push her way through the crowd, but shoved backpacks and used her elbows and finally reached him. He was touched by the effort that she made to be near him.

"Nino and Alya coming?" he asked.

"Over there," she said, nodding toward the couple. "You ready to head out? My dad promised croissants for all of us today, and I'm very done with school right now."

It wasn't easy to pick out their friends in the mass of students, but he finally found them by the stairs, heads together like they were whispering despite the noise.

"What are they talking about?"

Marinette sighed. "The, uh, that bet." She looked sideways at him, like she was hoping he'd say something about it.

"Oh," Adrien said, racking his brain for scraps of memory. "Nino won, right? He said it was going to take over a month." For someone who won a bet, he didn't look very happy about it. The two looked over at him at the same time and frowned. Well, Nino frowned. Alya glowered.

"Technically, Alya's got until the end of the day but... yeah." Her voice became very quiet. Small and sad. "Nino's going to win."

"I never learned what that was about," he said, hoping she would provide an answer to the mystery.

Marinette just shook her head and started fidgeting with her purse strap to avoid looking at him. "L-let's wait for them," she stammered.

That wasn't a good sign. He didn't want to push her into her old habit of not being able to hold a conversation with him, so he didn't ask again. "Sure, we can wait," he said, taking a step to the side to give her some space. "It looks like they're on their way over already."

Nino and Alya approached with fake smiles plastered on their faces, like nothing had happened. Neither greeted Adrien or Marinette when they reached them, just kept walking toward the doors. The crowd thickened the closer to the door they got. Students pushed to get out of the building, and Adrien quickly lost sight of Nino and Alya somewhere ahead of him. He and Marinette squeezed through the doors and finally made it out onto the stairs.

"Oh no!" Marinette pulled at her hair as they started down the stairs.

"What?" Adrien asked, shuffling behind a red backpack that was going much slower than it needed to.

"Nothing, nothing. I just broke an elastic again." Keeping one fist in her hair to hold the pigtail in place, she fished in her purse for another one. Their pace became a crawl as she searched.

"Just wear it down," Adrien suggested.

"I'll look stupid," she said, giving up the search in favor of digging in her pockets.

"Come on, you'll look fine," he said, trying to convince her so they could catch back up to the others. He could see them waiting by the crosswalk, backs to them. "I've never seen your hair down before."

Marinette half turned to him, looking at him out of the corner of her eye. "All right," she finally said, letting it fall and taking out the other side to match. She brushed it out with her fingers as they finished walking down the stairs.

She looked nice like that. Really nice. A piece of him thought he should probably tell her that, so she wouldn't feel self-conscious. The rest of him was just glad Alya and Nino weren't looking at them, so they couldn't see him gaping at Marinette like a vulture.

That was when his hands started trembling. The nervous energy was back, urging him to reach out and touch her. Maybe tuck that stray strand of hair behind her ear and let his fingers linger by her cheek, his fingertips graze her jaw. But he didn't want her to pull away again, so he clenched his fists and tried to remind himself that there was no reason for him to be acting this weird around her.

"I feel like everyone is staring at me," she said after only a few seconds.

Well, I don't know about everyone. At least one person is. He cleared his throat and forced himself to look away. Students started breaking away from the main group, escaping down the sidewalk toward their homes. Nino and Alya had finally noticed their approach.

"My hair must look stupid. I knew it!" She threw her hands on top of her head, a combination of covering herself and patting it down to lie smooth.

"They're only staring because you're so beautiful."

Adrien and Marinette stopped and stared at each other. Alya and Nino stared at the pair of them. A light turned green and cars streamed past, the wind they created making Marinette's hair dance.

Marinette looked as surprised at his words as he felt. But it was true. He'd never thought about it before, but she was probably the prettiest person he'd ever met. Inside and out.

When the initial shock wore off after three seconds, Marinette hunched her shoulders. "Oh, w-w-well, y-you th-thank."

Panic settled over him as she stuttered. He'd messed up somehow. She was nervous. He'd made her uncomfortable. He was weird and made her feel weird, and he'd messed everything up. She was upset.

He opened his mouth to apologize – he had no idea how to apologize for giving an honest compliment but he knew he had to try – but the look on her face froze his tongue to the roof of his mouth. Shock and disbelief, warring with curiosity. But they were all replaced with the familiar crinkle in her eyes that meant a challenge was sure to follow.

"So your true feelings come out at last," she said in delight. "Sorry, but I can't get involved with my sparring partner, so don't ask."

"What-"

"No, no. Your begging won't work on me!" She pushed him away with one hand flat against his chest.

Could she feel his heart beating through his shirt? She must have been able to. The whirlwind shift in her attitude was making him nervous.

He looked at Nino and Alya for help at this sudden change. They were both open-mouthed.

That was when it clicked. She was just teasing him again. Or more likely daring him. He knew her well enough to know that tone when he heard it, the same when she offered a bonus challenge round. That compliment had been sincere, but he knew how to play along.

"Oh please, Marinette," he said, falling to his knees. "Your grace and beauty surpass all." The words were so easy to say. Too easy. "Make me the happiest boy in school and go out with me?" He clasped his hands and unleashed the most pitiful expression he knew how to make, not sure if he was even acting.

Marinette flipped her loose hair over her shoulder. "I could never give my heart to my most bitter rival."

"Noooo!" He threw his arms around her waist, pressing his face into her stomach. He heard more than felt her laughter, but inside he ached. Ached as she ran her fingers through his hair and down the back of his neck and then because she pulled her hand away. Ached because it felt so good to be close to her and then because he was letting her go as he stood back up. It was all he could do not to let the ache show through his fake smile as he continued the "joke."

Nino had his face in hands. "I hate both of you," he mumbled through his fingers. "So, so much."

Alya had already given up on them. She was halfway to the bakery.

"That's unfair," Marinette said, shifting her backpack and not looking at Adrien like he wished she would. "This is completely Adrien's fault."

"Mine?" he said, trying to sound scandalized instead of bitterly disappointed. "You're the one who won't go out with me."

She opened her mouth to respond, only to pause when she saw his face. He tried to school his expression, hide the new emotions pulsing through his blood, replace it with a smirk and a wink.

It must have worked because Marinette tapped his nose and said, "Sorry, Adrien. You'll have to ask me again some other time. I'm too busy being single at the moment."

The words cut deeper than they had any right to.

Nino grumbled something and turned away. Across the street, Alya shouted, "Are you two done being stupid yet?"

It seemed like Marinette was the only one who was truly happy after the joke, though he thought he saw something else flash across her face as she looked away. He wanted to pretend that it was longing or maybe regret, but he knew that couldn't be true. Marinette considered him just a friend. They had only been joking.

No, she had been joking. Everything he'd said was real. Why hadn't he realized it sooner?

His compliments, all the praise, asking her out, every single word of it had been real.

The ache settled deep into his heart.

***

The next morning, Adrien arrived at school a few minutes earlier than he normally would have, heart pounding and exhausted as he walked through the front doors. The exhaustion was caused by barely sleeping at all last night, instead being consumed with thoughts of Marinette, her confidence, her hair, her laughter, her quiet beauty, her kindness, and how much he wanted to touch her and spend time with her.

It hadn't even been 24 hours since he'd realized he was in love with her, but it spread through him like an wildfire, burning him up from the inside out, reaching through every part of him and carving out new places for thoughts of Marinette to inhabit, driving him to do something, anything so he could be with her.

His pounding heart was caused by that last bit, the knowledge that he now needed to act. His plan was simple, but he ran through it again anyway as he waited by her locker. As casually as he could, he was going to ask her out. But not on a date. Not yet. If she didn't like him that way (the "if" killed him; he knew she didn't), he wasn't going to mess up his chance by playing his hand too soon. He repeated his line over and over again. "I was just wondering if you'd like to do something other than video games with me some time?"

It was simple. It was normal friend stuff. He leaned against her locker, the cool metal soothing the voice that said she was going to say no, that he was an idiot for even asking her. After joking around yesterday, it was clear that she only thought of him as her weird gaming nerd friend. Why would she want to do other things with him?

But he had to try anyway. If she said yes, it would be a step in the right direction. He would be able to spend more time with her.

Though he tried not to, Adrien watched every person who entered the hallway, waiting for her. His heart leaped to his throat every time he saw black hair, and it crashed back down to his feet every time it wasn't hers.

If she said no, well, he would accept his place as just her gaming buddy, even though it would break his heart. And he could always pretend that their practice sessions were dates, right? Besides, he'd known her for over a year and he'd been okay with being only friends that entire time. It would probably be simple to find his way back to that easy, uncomplicated friendship.

He slipped a little farther down the cold locker door. His argument was very unconvincing, and he swallowed back the tightness in his throat at the idea.

Black hair bobbed into view, and this time it was Marinette's face underneath it. Blue eyes flashing. Smiling broadly at someone who wasn't him.

Excitement and terror washed through him. Her laughter echoed down the hall ahead of her, and he basked in the sound and sight of her. Would he even be able to speak by the time she finally saw him?

Marinette hadn't noticed him yet. She was talking with someone else, and Adrien's eyes flicked to her companion.

Nathaniel was laughing too, then laughing harder at something else Marinette said. Without hesitation, he put an arm around her shoulders and pulled her in for a side hug. Marinette looked content as they walked ever closer to her locker, and that's when Adrien finally accepted the truth.

She was going to say no.

And he couldn't accept just being friends.

With only seconds to make up his mind before she saw him, Adrien did the only thing he could think of.

He ran away.

***

Today's practice was taking place cross-legged on his floor, staring up at his giant television. Marinette sat with him, a six-inch gap separating them, but she looked over at him from time to time, concerned at his silence.

Over the past week, Adrien hadn't given up hope completely, though he knew he should have. Marinette didn't like him that way and was way out of his league. The knowledge didn't stop him from agonizing over the perfect thing to say that would get her to change her mind, or at least give him a chance.

In the end, he had waited too long.

Though he was trying to act like everything was fine, the jealousy ripping through him was affecting his mood, his game, even his face, and had been chewing him up all afternoon. For the millionth time, he tried smoothing out his scowl. He'd already given up trying to shake life back into his numb hands.

B, up, duck, A. Button smashing when he knew he wasn't fast enough. Finally watching as his avatar felt defeated to the mat. Again. He took a shaky breath.

"Okay, what is going on?" Marinette asked, placing her controller carefully down in front of her, lining it up perfectly parallel to her knees. "You're making a lot of rookie mistakes. It isn't like you."

"Oh, just tired," Adrien said, making a show of stretching and lolling back.

"You told me this morning you'd slept really well last night," she said flatly.

"Oh." Right. He'd said that. Shoot. "Tired... from school."

"Okay... What was so-"

Adrien started a new round, forcing Marinette to scramble for her controller and cut off her interrogation.

It was only going to buy him time. If Marinette thought someone was upset, he knew she wasn't going to let it rest until she'd helped them feel better. It was one of many, many things that he loved about her. But he also knew he'd be better off bringing it up before she did, so he could steer the conversation.

They played for a few minutes in silence while Adrien's character was annihilated and he organized his thoughts. "So..." he finally asked, and he was pleased to hear his voice sounding almost normal, not tense like he felt. "What did Nathaniel want to talk to you privately about earlier?"

Adrien knew. She probably knew that he knew.

Nathaniel had asked her out. Adrien had been too slow, and now she was someone else's girlfriend. Could she read the agony on his face underneath the mask of disinterest?

"Oh, Nathaniel asked me for a date." How could she be so calm about the thing that was causing him to die inside? Sensing his distress, his avatar also keeled over and died. Round sixteen ended in defeat.

"Oh? That's..." He gulped. What question would just a friend ask? "When's the big-" He forced the word out. "-date?" That had sounded awful. The words and his delivery.

"I turned him down," she said casually, and just as casually she slaughtered his character again.

The next round began as Adrien blurted out a thrilled, "Really?!"

Marinette's character killed itself by jumping off the edge as she dropped her controller and turned to stare at him.

Adrien cleared his throat. "Really? Too bad for him, I guess." I'm cool about this, Marinette. Not interested in you or your love life at all. His unasked question hung over them: Why did she turn Nathaniel down? He couldn't bring himself to ask.

She continued to stare, considering him, then turned away with a smile she couldn't quite hold in. "I've wiped the floor with you for the past eighteen levels. You want to go again, or are you ready to admit your defeat?”

"And let you rub it in for the rest of our lives? I don't think so."

"I promise not to if you agree to do my homework for the rest of the year."

"I would absolutely love to never do that ever. Bring on level nineteen."

"Oh, that's what I was hoping you would say." Her glance was sly, and Adrien felt a challenge coming on.

Their characters were whirls of pixels, but this time he had no problem keeping up. She'd turned Nathaniel down! Adrien was back on form, matching Marinette stroke for stroke, about to pull out his first win since-

"I bet you were wondering why I said no." Marinette's avatar slipped a punch over his slack fists, knocking him down to half health with one blow. "It's because I already like someone else." With one more kick, she finished him off.

Adrien gripped his controller, not seeing the screen or even her as the next level started playing. Of course she already liked someone. Someone as loving as Marinette would have someone she loved. He'd never even had a chance, even before he'd wanted one. He was an idiot for not realizing.

"Complete devastation!" Marinette said. She meant his character, but she could have been talking about the boy sitting next to her. Both were crumbling to the ground.

The practice session ended early that day. Marinette sent him several questioning looks over the next hour that he stubbornly ignored, and he was glad she didn't push him. He wasn't sure he'd be able to stand her sympathy.

Like the gentleman he was, Adrien walked her to his bedroom door. Even with the awkward tension lingering in the air, he wanted her to stay a little longer. Maybe sensing that, or maybe just still hoping to cheer him up, Marinette hesitated in front of the closed doorway.

Adrien opened his mouth to speak, but when he realized he had no idea what it was he wanted to say, he shut it again slowly. Marinette waited patiently, playing with the hem of her shirt. What could he tell her? Nothing that would help his situation. Nothing that would change her mind about whatever wonderful guy she had her eye on. Nothing that would make her consider her dork of a gaming partner.

Marinette smiled up at him. After the miserable company he'd been all afternoon, she still felt like smiling at him? He almost blurted all his feelings out anyway.

"Well..." she said. "I should go."

Pushing herself up on her toes so she could reach and putting her hands on his shoulders for balance, Marinette placed an unexpected kiss on his cheek, just next to his mouth.

Adrien closed his eyes at the tender touch, heart melting.

I could turn my head, he thought as her lips lingered. I could wrap my arms around her and never let go. The scene was vivid in his mind, her hands slipping from his shoulders to his chest, fingertips tracing the stripes across his shirt. Whispers of how much she loved him. Him pulling Marinette close, her wanting him to.

But it wasn't real. She wouldn't like that, he reminded himself, so he kept still. His hands gripped his jeans to keep them from seeking her out.

When she pulled away a few seconds later, her look was intense. Despite her announced intention to leave, she hesitated. Waiting for something. For him to say something?

The words were right there on the tip of his tongue. Confess! He could do it!

He could, but he shouldn't. She'd just admitted to liking someone else. How disrespectful of her confession would telling her now be? Adrien didn't want to lose her.

"See you tomorrow?" he said, pulling the door open for her.

She frowned, not like she was angry. Like she'd been disappointed. Without another word, she slipped through the door and padded down the wide atrium stairs. He didn't take his eyes off her the whole time, but she didn't turn around to see it. From his spot so far away, he heard the front door click softly behind her.

He stayed put long after she'd gone, replaying the kiss in his mind, what her soft lips felt like, the tingle he'd felt as she'd rested her hands on his shoulders to steady herself, the heat of having her body so close to his.

Had it been all his imagination, telling him what he wanted, or had her kiss really been that close to his mouth? It had felt like she'd almost touched his lips she'd been so close.

The memory was still fresh on his skin, and he outlined the spot hesitantly, then with awe as his finger brushed the corner of his mouth. It wasn't his imagination. She really had.

Maybe... maybe he had misunderstood. Hope bubbled up inside him. She liked someone else, someone other than Nathaniel. He wasn't Nathaniel. What if she'd meant him?

What if he did have a chance after all?

***

Adrien wanted to be absolutely sure. Getting his hopes up again, or listening to Marinette's rejection, would be too painful. He was going to make sure he was the one, so he spent the next week looking for clues that he was the lucky boy she'd set her sights on.

And clues were everywhere.

They were mostly little things, like the way her face would light up when he came around a corner, or how she leaned into his touch when he dared to brush her bangs out of her eyes, or how she didn't scoot away if he sat down close to her.

Four days later, in the middle of a hard level, he experimentally touched his hand to her knee, keeping the pressure as light as he could, in case it wasn't wanted. She scooted closer, like she wanted to make it easier for him to do it again.

Marinette knew about his strict diet and would often bring him goodies, leftovers from the bakery. The following day, she'd brought him ones she'd made herself "with love." That's what she said. The big L word. A small part of him told him to calm down. She could have meant that she loved him as a friend. Most of him excitedly took it as an obvious hint.

Overall, his second favorite hint of her feelings was how she glowed under his compliments.

"These pastries are the best things I've ever tasted! Could you teach me to make them?" Marinette stumbled over her words for the next five minutes.

"Forget competing in the Olympics," he said two days later. "You could be the team coach. You're amazing!" She blushed for the rest of the day.

The best hint, the one that left him reeling, was becoming a common occurrence: she talked to him. Lately, their practice sessions would be filled with long stretches when they chatted about everything and nothing, controllers abandoned.

Today, she lounged on his couch, and he sat on the floor by her head. She'd asked him about his day, and he'd listened to hers, though she admitted herself that it was boring. She'd asked him about his day, then about his dreams for the future.

The honest curiosity she had for his answers, the fact that she even cared, left him leaning the couch for support. Marinette was on her back and smiled up at him as the movement brought him closer.

The conversation hit a lull when he ran out of things to say. Instead of feeling awkward, it was peaceful, and she closed her eyes and sighed.

What a perfect time to test her feelings for him again. Before he could think better of it, he ran his fingers through her hair. Her reaction was immediate. Her whole body relaxed, her smile widening. When she opened her eyes to look up at him, they were soft, maybe even loving.

But the "maybe" was still too daunting, and he pulled his hand back and looked away.

He needed to tell her how he felt. He liked her too much not to. He wanted her to look at him like that all the time. So why was he pulling out the controllers again to avoid her? Was it really better to wait and see what happened? Or should he just lay his heart bare right now?

He settled on the couch next to her, Marinette bending her knees to give him room without moving from her spot. Was she still giving him that loving look? Or had it turned into a frown because he was being a coward? He hunched forward under the weight of all his questions, resting his forearms on his knees.

"I bet I could beat you in my sleep," Marinette said. Her voice sounded normal, so he dared to look at her. Her face was mischievous as she stretched out with an exaggerated sigh, throwing her legs across his lap and pinning his arms down. "Care to bet against me?"

"Um, move. I need those arms."

"Make me."

Two more hints: the ease with which she touched him, and the way she seemed to save her most dazzling smiles just for him.

"Make you?" Massive crush or not, Adrien was not about to pass up a challenge. "I'll make you."

Marinette settled deeper into the cushions, pressing down onto his arms. It was the best trap he'd even been in, and he couldn't reach much to help him, just the coffee table in front of them. Leftover snacks littered the table, along with a half-filled glass of water. He slid it off the edge of the couch as Marinette squirmed to keep him in place.

With his limited movement, he couldn't lift the cup very high, so he mimed pouring it over her shins. She shrieked and kicked him in her scramble to get out of the way, and the glass spun out of his hand, splashing water all over him before landing on the floor. It soaked into his shirt and dripped through his hair.

"I'm sorry!" Marinette jumped up immediately, flapping her arms around her head so fast they blurred. "I'm so, so sorry. I shouldn't have-"

"It's fine," he assured her while rivulets of water tickled his down scalp. "It wasn't that much water."

She groaned at the lie. "I'll go get you a towel."

Before he could protest, she ran toward the bathroom door. Adrien followed her, dripping. "It was my fault. Please don't-"

A fluffy towel muffled his words as she threw it over his head and started rubbing it into his hair. "Marinette," he mumbled. "You don't have t-" The pace of her hands became less frantic as she moved from the crown of his head, moving down to dry the back.

"Sorry," she whispered. Her tempo became even slower as she worked the sides of his heads, rubbing gently so she wouldn't hurt his ears. Plans to "accidentally" get himself soaked on a weekly basis were already starting to form in his mind. He wasn't sure if it was the attention she was paying him or her rhythmic pace as she stroked circles around his ears, but every muscle in his body seemed to be melting.

"Is that any better?" she asked. Her hands stilled, but she didn't remove the towel from his face. Her breathing was quick and shallow.

Adrien lifted up the edge to reveal Marinette's panicked face. What did she think? That he was going to hate her because of some water? He wasn't a cat.

Her eyes searched his, looking for anger or rejection or who knew what, and he gently grabbed her face with both hands to bring her back to reality. And as an excuse to act out at least the beginning of every fantasy he had about kissing her. With the way she was looking at him, he could even pretend that they were about to come true.

"It's fine," he said, rubbing a thumb across her cheek. "I'm all dry now." A cold spot was soaking through at his shoulder, but he ignored it.

After a few more seconds of wide-eyed staring, Marinette slid the towel off his head and looped it behind his neck, holding onto both ends and giving no indication that she wanted him to remove his hands. So he didn't.

Another clue. It finally was enough. He knew.

Leaning in slowly, so she would have time to change her mind, he looked at her lips, then raised an eyebrow in question. Marinette used the towel to pull him closer to her, closing her eyes. A rush of heat swooped in his stomach when he felt her body brush against him. Her breath fanned his face as he inched closer. They hovered, anticipation building, noses brushing, lips quivering, until he tilted his head and finally closed his eyes.

Without warning, the door swung open. "Adrien."

Marinette and Adrien jumped apart, the towel falling on the floor.

Nathalie walked in, staring at her tablet and almost ignoring the teenagers she was speaking to. She hadn't noticed anything. "Your piano teacher is here. Ms. Dupain-Cheng's ride is waiting downstairs." Without another word, or even looking around the room for them, she left, leaving the door open after her.

"Um," Adrien said. Cursing the interruption, he bent to pick up the towel. When he straightened he reached out for Marinette's hand, but she was already across the room, picking up her things and not looking at him, her face glowing red.

She snuck him a peek once as she was putting her shoes back on, but when she saw him staring at her, she looked down again. Probably because he was gaping at her like an idiot.

Marinette finally walked back over to him, eyeing the wet spot on his shoulder. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have-

"Want a hug?" he asked, offering his arms. "It's nice and cold."

She chuckled as she leaned into him, resting her cheek against his. "Thanks for having me over." Her breath blew his hair, tickling him. "And for letting me beat you."

"Oh, yes," he said. The hug didn't feel cold at all. It was warming him up from head to toe. "I lost on purpose, just for you." How was he supposed to just let her walk out his door, when all he wanted to do was hold her and never move from this spot again? "Because your happiness is so important to me."

As she pulled away and stepped back, he grabbed her hand, and then just as quickly let it go, unsure how to recreate the mood that had so quickly evaporated.

They waited, neither moving, Adrien hoping for at least another goodbye kiss like she'd given him last week. Without warning her expression crumpled, and she walked through the door without saying goodbye at all.

She'd been waiting, he realized as soon as she was gone. She'd been waiting for a goodbye kiss, too.

Adrien ran to the window in time to watch her walk down the front steps. He followed her with his eyes as she slid into the car. When she turned to pull the door closed behind her, she paused, looking straight at him. He waved, but she shut it without returning the gesture.

"Tomorrow," he vowed. It was Saturday, and they had another practice in the morning. The first words out of his mouth were going to be his confession.

He just needed to figure out what to say.

***

Saturday mornings used to mean stifling isolation. There was no school to look forward to. His tutors often had the day off, and if there wasn't a photoshoot, he was likely to be confined to his room. Another benefit of having Marinette in his life was that he was no longer alone on the oppressive weekends.

"You're smart, and kind, and funny." Adrien muttered to himself in the back seat, his driver occasionally looking at him with concern through the rearview mirror. He'd been rehearsing multiple versions of his speech since last night. It was only a few minutes until he saw her, and he still hadn't decided what to say. Should he just blurt it out? "Marinette, I love you." Or should he build up to it? "I've loved spending time with you, and you're my best friend, and lately you've become more than that." He tested them both out. They were both fine, so why did they both sound so... wrong?

Maybe he wasn't being specific enough. Anyone could tell her she was great. So what should he say about her specifically? This only led him back to all the other lists of rehearsed lines he'd come up with in the last 12 hours, her confidence, her infectious joy, her compassion...

The car pulled up to the curb, and Adrien stepped out, knees a little wobbly with anxiety. He was going to have to just wing it. Say what felt right in the moment. Which was a terrifying idea, but now he had no choice.

The bell tinkled and the smell of fresh bread and chocolate chip cookies filled his nose as soon as he pushed open the bakery door. Sabine and Tom turned to him with wide smiles.

"She's already waiting for you," Sabine said, waving him through the door to their upstairs apartment. "Have fun!"

His footsteps seemed to echo through the small hallway. Hesitating only a second, he knocked on the door that led into her living room, and waited, heart pounding.

Marinette, I have something to tell you. Marinette, I love you. Marinette, before we start to play, can we talk? He'd promised himself. The first words out of his mouth would be his confession. Don't mess it up, Adrien. Just tell her you love her.

The door was yanked inward so fast that it hit the wall. Adrien jumped. "M-marinette. I lo-"

"I've got a new idea! Come here!" She reached through the doorway and clamped down on his wrist, then turned and towed him through the living room and up her stairs. A woman on a mission.

He had no idea what that mission was, or what really was happening, so his imagination started supplying possibilities. She got a new game? She needed to show him her newest art project? He tripped on the top step when he thought that maybe she was dragging him up to her room because she couldn't wait to kiss him.

He imagined her snapping the trapdoor shut, with the pink curtains closed and her room dimly lit by filtered light. She would let go of his hand, then turn around to face him, before slowly stepping into his space. She'd slide her hands up his shirt, stopping at the collar, grabbing fistfuls to pull herself closer. And closer. Their faces were millimeters apart. He could count the lashes of her half-closed eyes. He reached for her eagerly, wrapping both arms around her waist, pulling her closer, her stomach flush against him.

"I love you," she whispered. "You're the only one for me." Her lips parted slightly as her eyes slid shut.

Marinette's voice was suddenly bright and cheery. "Pick your favorite button!"

Adrien's daydream popped.

Sunlight flooded her room through uncovered windows. Her trapdoor was still open, as her parents had always requested, and she waited for an answer expectantly, bouncing on her toes and not looking smitten in the slightest.

"Uh, what?"

"Buttons," she repeated. "Which one's your favorite?"

She'd dragged him upstairs for sewing help. He cleared his throat and smoothed out the collar of his shirt, which hadn't been rumpled by her hands.

"I've never thought about it," he said, keeping the disappointment out of his voice. "Flat buttons are probably the easiest to sew with, but Father says shank buttons are almost as easy, and I think they look... What?"

Marinette was laughing at him. "No, your favorite controller button, you goof." She waved one in front of his face. The A button had been taped down. Taking it in both hands again, she mimed playing an intense round. Enthusiasm bubbled off of her. He had no idea what this was about, but he was already on board with whatever it was. (Even if it wasn't kissing.)

"I'm confused." And also in love with you.

It was too late for his confession to be the first thing out of his mouth. His fingers itched to touch her, but she was too excited to let him interrupt.

"See, we're getting too good. We need a new way to push ourselves, so I thought, give ourselves a handicap." She pointed at the incapacitated button. "And go head-to-head. What do you think?"

"I think that's amazing."

As soon as the moment passed, he'd realized what a perfect opportunity he'd missed. Marinette was scrambling across her room to tape down the B on his controller. "You're," he whispered, too quiet for her to hear. "I think you're amazing."

"Catch!" The controller flew, and he caught it deftly. Marinette flopped onto the chaise, leaning sideways against the cushioned back, leaving enough room for him to sit at the end, if he didn't mind her feet poking his thigh, which he definitely did not.

The computer monitor flickered as Marinette scrolled through the settings. Adrien leaned forward as the round began, trying to ignore the way her toes jabbed him when he got a hit on her. It didn't happen very often. The handicap was almost impossible to play with. Marinette won every round easily. At the end of the fourth round, she covered a fake yawn and stretched lazily, and he finally realized something important.

"You practiced this beforehand, you dirty cheater!"

Marinette laughed wickedly as his character was knocked out again.

"You're almost as good as I am now, young grasshopper. I've got to maintain my superiority somehow!"

"We both know that isn't true." He swiped for her hands, but she was too fast, moving the controller out of his reach. "Give yourself a second handicap."

"Make me," she said, her feet pushing against him to press herself further into the back of the chaise.

"Give it."

"No."

He leaned over her legs and into her space, but she kept the controller away from him, grinning wildly. Feigning defeat, Adrien leaned back. When Marinette lowered it into her lap, he pounced forward, but she was still too quick, lifting both hands behind her head, hiding it out of sight.

"Hand it over!"

"No!"

He reached, and she leaned back farther, one elbow poking his cheek. Pushing into her, he strained to get the controller, and she arched underneath him to keep it away.

His arms were longer than hers. He should have been able to get it. His fingers found her wrists, and he slid them up to find her fingers.

A warm breath on his cheek made him stop. He was face-to-face with Marinette. He was nearly lying on top of her, pressing her into the chaise. They were both breathing hard, though they'd barely moved. One of her pigtails was loose.

"It's not fair," he said, mouth dry. "You need to make it even."

She lifted her head, until her face filled his vision and their noses touched. "Make me." Her lips brushed his with each word.

He kissed her.

Every longing moment, every loving thought he'd ever had about her poured through him into his kiss. Again and again his lips found hers. Somewhere, a controller clattered to the floor, and then her hands were on him, in his hair, splayed against his neck, pulling him closer, and he kissed her harder, caressing her face, pulling out her loose pigtail so he could feel her soft hair between his fingers.

Kissing a line from the corner of her mouth to ear and back, he asked, "Have I sufficiently dazed you?"

She hummed dreamily in response.

Kissing just below her ear, he asked, "Think you can play like this?"

A whisper. "No."

Taking his time, he worked his way back across her cheek, making sure to kiss every inch until he reached the corner of her lips, but he stopped just shy of them, gently kissing her nose instead. "Good."

Somehow, he managed to pull himself off of her. Marinette clutched at his shirt, trying to get him to come back, but he circled the chaise and retrieved her controller, holding it out to her. He loved the way her fingers hovered over her mouth as her eyes wandered up his arm. When her eyes reached his lips, her fingers pressed down hard, like it was the only way she could stop herself from kissing him again.

"Up for another round?" he asked, pointing a thumb over his shoulder to the computer screen.

"Yes, but not of that." She scowled. Half of her hair was loose around her shoulder.

"Let me win this game and you have a deal."

"Never."

"Poor, Marinette," he said, settling down next to her and clicking Start. "No more kisses for you."

Ten seconds into the round and Adrien already knew his plan was going to end badly. His hands were shaking. Marinette's character wobbled. Every time he licked his lips, he could still taste her.

And she had realized that if she rubbed her toes against his hip, he would jump and look over at her. The first time she did it, he was unsure if it had been on purpose, but the second, he turned to find a sly smile waiting for him. This girl was going to drive him crazy.

"I don't think much of your tactics," she said a minute later, as her character finished him off. It had taken three times longer than normal because they were both awful. "You're clearly just as dazed as I am."

"Not nearly enough," he said. Tossing the controller onto the desk, he reached for her waist and slid her into his lap. She came willingly, looping her arms around his neck and weaving her fingers into his hair.

One of his hands stayed at her waist, the other reached up and pulled her other pigtail loose. "You really do look good like this," he breathed.

"You love me," she giggled. "Admit it."

He leaned forward, forehead resting on hers, eyes locked. "Make me."

"Oh, believe me-" Marinette's voice was a low whisper, and Adrien felt a thrill. "I will."

***

Author’s note: This might just be my new favorite thing I’ve ever written. :) I wrote this in response to a poll I took a zillion years ago. It’s finally here! Thank you @ours-polaires, @khanofallorcs and @actuallycannotflirt for beta’ing this one! I know it was long, and I truly appreciate the help!

@tbehartoo

#adrinette #adrienette #ml #miraculous #miraculous ladybug #no miraculous au

593 notes · View notes

mizunetzu · 4 years ago

Note

Hi!! Can I make a request were the reader is Aiwaza's children and they had behaved bad or anything like that and Shouta made they stayed on his class as punishment, were he can keep an eye on them (like sitting on his desk doing homework), but 1A doesn't know that the reader are Aiwaza's kid and the reader flirt whit someone in 1A (can be anyone that you want) an then they discover the truth. Sorry if it's confuse and for my bad english!!

It’s alright!! English is a hard language lmaooo

——————

Platonic! Aizawas kid meets 1-A

⚠️warnings - no relationship, platonic

Pronouns - genderneutral, they/them

——————

Boom.

“Ah, shit” the person cursed, as they eyed the now shattered 8 dollar lamp on the ground, the light flickering on and off until it fizzled out. Shinsou snickered and looked up from the couch.

“Dads gonna kill you,”

“Shut up, dude-help me-“

The door to the bedroom opened, making (y/n) and Shinsou flinch. Aizawa stepped out menacingly, with his hair floating past his ears. The red glow of his eyes shut up Shinsou and (y/n) quickly, permitting him to speak.

“Who-“

“Before you say anything, (y/n) did it.”

“SHINSOU YOU SIDE FUCKER YOU-“

“LANGUAGE!” Aizawa butt in, eyes flashing a brighter shade of red, before fading out to black. He rubbed his temple harshly. “Okay, I’m not mad, but this is the third time I had to replace that lamp, (y/n).”

“But-I-“

“And don’t say it’s because of your quirk, that you ‘can’t help it’. I’m helping you and Shinsou transfer out of General studies, you should have your quick under control by now.” (Y/n) opened their mouth to speak, but closed it silently.

“Tomorrow, you’re doing your work in my class. I’m having your teacher send the work into my class in advance so you can do the work on my desk.”

“Wait-but Madam movement-sensei would never let you do that!”

Aizawa pulled out his phone from the back pocket of his neko sweatpants, holding it up to show a string of emails from the 1-C teacher herself.

“Actually, we’ve been discussing it for a while. You’ve been lacking in participation in your class, but it seems like you know your subjects and pass them easily. Therefore, you’ll be spending time in my classroom where I can make sure you aren’t cheating or anything.”

Shinsou stifled a snicker in between his sleeves, earning a side glare from (y/n). “But-I’m not cheating!”

“Then there should be no problem, then.”

——————

(Y/n) grumbled angrily as they walked side by side their unofficial brother, Shinsou. “Dude, it’s just one day in another class-how hard can it be?”

“Have you seen the mess of the hero department? I don’t wanna be a part of that! Not yet at least!” (Y/n) piped up, louder than they meant to. A girl with pink skin, and a boy with yellow hair, perked their ears up. “I can’t believe I’m leaving General Studies for this...” (y/n) rubbed at their temples, a trait they picked up from Aizawa, while the two eavesdroppers looked at eachother.

“K-Kaminari...are you thinking what I’m thinking?” The girl said, grabbing onto the boys shoulders and shaking him around. The boy ‘Kaminari’ smirked and cupped his chin.

“I think I do, my dear friend~”

They chuckled and sped their way to their class, ready to spill their guts out. They passed the person in question as they walked, sending (y/n) a subtle wink and thumbs up before turning a corner.

“Huh.” Shinsou huffed. “Well-this is my stop.” He turned to (y/n) and slapped the door leading to 1-C. (Y/n) puffed out their cheeks. “Have fun playing heroes with 1-A, (N/n)”

“Yeah right. I’m just doing work there. I’ll be back before you miss me~” (y/n) made a kissy face before turning on their heel and walking past 1-C.

——————

“Guys guys guys!” Mina burst through the door, slamming her hands down on the podium at the front of the class. Kaminari jogged up behind her and crossed his arms. Iida stood up abruptly and made his way towards the two students.

“Ashido-kun, please refrain from running in the hallways-“

“WE MAY OR MAY NOT HAVE A NEW STUDENT!”

The class went silent. Even Iida stopped in his tracks. “How...how’d you find out?!” Kirishima mused. Just as Mina opened her mouth, the door opened and everyone scrambled to their seats. In entered Aizawa, holding his clipboard full of morning announcements for home room.

Aizawa glanced around the classroom, before settling down infront of his podium. “Morning. So, we’re gonna have someone join us today. I expect you all to not be a distraction to them or your fellow classmates.”

Whispers and excited smiles broke out subtly between the class. Mina leaned back in her chair, facing Asui and whispering “the new kid~!!”

Aizawas eyes flashed a ruby red, quieting down the class. “Alright. (Y/n), you may step in.”

The door slid open once more, as a pair of feet stepped into the class. The person gave a very reserved greeting, before stepping off to the corner of the classroom, near bakugo.

“That’s (y/n). Anyway, I need to step out for a bit, Mic is on sick leave and I need to run the lesson plan to the substitute English teacher.”

Aizawa tiredly trudged to the door, before looking back. “I expect you to be on your best behavior, (y/n).”

Once the door slid closed, some of the students scrambled out of their seats to greet the newcomer. “Hi (y/n)! I’m Mina Ashido!”

“Hi..?”

“What’s you’re full name? I found it sort of odd that Aizawa-sensei only addressed you as (y/n), kero-kero. Is that your last name or first name?” A girl with green hair piped up. “I’m tsuyu asui, by the way. Call me tsu.”

“Well, hi,” (y/n) leaned against the wall as people swarmed over them. “It’s just (y/n). It’s nothing important, really.”

The students gathered around them decided not push it, instead asking icebreaker questions like “what’s your favorite food?” Or “what’s your quirk, (y/n)-San?”

Footsteps grew outside of the classroom, causing everyone to scurry back to their seats like mice. (Y/n) stood there, dumbfounded, as Aizawa returned, holding what seems to be a lesson plan, and a chair.

“I got you a chair, you can sit in the corner there.” He walked up to where (y/n) was standing, and placed the chair beside them.

“That’s all, be nice to the sub or you’ll have to face to me.”

“Yes, Aizawa sensei!”

——————

The day ended pretty quickly, (y/n) grumbling quietly in the corner, doing their work, while the teachers filed in and out, teaching them their respective subjects.

The students talked amongst themselves, talking about what they want to eat after school or just straight up leaving. (Y/n) stood up from their chair and stretched, a yawn escaping their throat. They rubbed at their eyes while scanning the rowdy classroom. Their eyes landed on a blond boy, and a girl with a pinkish skin tone. Hm. They were both kinda cute. Might as well shoot their shot, they thought.

They walked up to the two, who was having a very animated conversation. They stopped, mid sentence, when (y/n) put their arms around the both of them.

“Heyyyy, you two are kinda cute~ Sorry, I kind forgot so-what’s your names?”

The blond boy blushed heavily, attempting to regain his composure but failing, while the pink girl smiled widely. She wrestled her way out of (y/n’s) arm and stood in front of them. The blond boy shook off (y/n’s) arm aswell, when the girl with horn patted at her chest.

“I’m Mina! That’s Kaminari, and we would LOVE to get to know our new classmate!”

(Y/n) grin contorted into an expression of confusion. “New...classmate?” They cocked their head to the side.

“Well-yea! You are in our class, after all..?” The boy, Kaminari, piped up.

“Whaddya mean? I’m in general studies. I’m only here because my stupid dad wanted to watch me work.”

Nearby ears started to perk up. Dad? Kaminari and Mina held semi shocked, semi confused expressions. A boy with greenish black hair whipped his head up from his hunched position from his desk, wobbled out from his chair and speedwalked over to (y/n).

“U-uhm! I couldn’t help but overhear-sorry by the way-but, It’s been on my mind for this whole time-“

“What is it?” (Y/n) swooped in before the boy started to drown in his stutters and ramblings. The boy cleared his throat and scratched at the back of his head.

“Are you related to Ai-“

The door slid open, revealing Aizawa, with Shinsou trailing behind him.

“(Y/n)-there you are. Stop causing my class trouble and let’s go home. You still need to drop off your work to the general studies classroom.”

“Okay dad, hold on though. this guy said he wanted to ask me something.”

When (y/n) turned back around, everyone’s mouth was agape. Especially Mina and Kaminari, who looked like they’ve seen a ghost. The green haired boy opened his mouth to say something, but then closed it again.

“A-are you-“

“ARE YOU AIZAWA-SENSEIS KID?!”

Kaminari finished Minas sentence, tangling his fingers into his blond hair. (Y/n), and Aizawa, nodded, like it was the most obvious thing in the world. The frog girl, Tsuyu, if (y/n) remembered correctly, brought a finger to her chin.

“What’s your full name?”

“Aizawa (y/n).”

The girl seemed content with her answer, and sunk back in her seat. Aizawa tapped on (y/n’s) shoulder, and gestured towards the door. (Y/n) waved goodbye to the class, mouthing a ‘call me’ to Mina and Kaminari, and walked out the door. The whole class sat in silence, before Mina cried out glumly.

“Ehhh?! So we don’t have a new classmate, do we?!”

——————

#class 1 a x reader #bnha x male reader #bnha x reader #bnha x y/n #mha x male reader #mha x reader #mha x y/n #mha denki #mha mina #bnha denki #bnha mina #mr aizawa #shoto aizawa #bnha fanfiction #boku no hero academia #my hero academia

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kalaluchi · 4 years ago

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chapter 05: Jagged Stone

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Marinette was confused.

How could two people go from comfortable banter to awkward silence in a span of two days? She’d heard of going from 0 to 100 real quick, but she’d never thought it’d happen to her.

More accurately -- to her and Adrien.

She stared at the back of his head, wondering where she’d gone wrong, as Mme. Bustier droned on with her lesson.

Marinette had really thought she’d finally gotten over the shy-awkward-start phase after the whole movie “date” last Friday. (She still wasn’t sure if that had been meant as an actual date, or as a chill friend hangout. And frankly, she was too scared to ask.)

But then the weekend came and they’d barely talked. (Though she’d been secretly hoping for a random good morning from him or something -- even just once.) She’d been busy baking and cramming assignments and random projects, and just like that the weekend was over.

It was now Monday, and she was sad to think all her efforts to become closer had gone down the drain. They’d exchanged greetings as she made her way to her seat that morning, but it was now 2 periods after lunch, and he hadn’t spoken to her at all. There weren’t even any of the corny memes he used to send when they were both bored in class.

Not that he’d been ignoring her, though. It just seemed like… he’d forgotten about her or had nothing more to say to her.

She probably could have reached out herself… but every time she was about to approach him, she felt like she was walking on eggshells. One wrong step, one wrong word, and something would crack.

She groaned, painfully aware that she was probably overthinking things too much. She checked her phone for the 10th time that period -- no new messages.

Marinette let out a sigh.

One apparently much louder than she’d intended.

“Anything to share with the class, Marinette?” Mme. Bustier’s voice broke through her thoughts.

She bit her lip, her ears red. “No, Mme. Bustier. Sorry,” she murmured, embarrassed.

She thought it was absolutely worth it though, because just then Adrien offered her a small smile in sympathy before turning back to face the front. So there was hope for them yet.

She sat back in her seat, deep in thought again. On impulse, she leaned forward and tapped Adrien’s shoulder while Mme. Bustier was facing the blackboard.

“Do you, uh, can I borrow a pen?” Marinette whispered in his ear.

If she didn’t know any better, she would’ve thought Adrien was blushing slightly from the sudden interaction. “Here you go,” he replied in the same quiet voice.

Her fingers tingled when they brushed his during the exchange, but she thanked him anyway. She really had no intention of using the pen (she’d never leave home without her beloved pencil case, with all the colorful pens and markers, please) so she decided to wait until class ended to return it and use it as an excuse to start a conversation.

Brilliant! This must be what Alya feels when she comes up with one of her schemes.

An hour later, as Adrien began packing his bag to go home, Marinette tapped him on the shoulder nervously. Her brilliant-a-period-ago plan was starting to not feel brilliant at all.

Nevertheless, she held out the pen to him, smiling. “Thanks for lending me this a while ago. You’re a lifesaver.”

He chuckled easily. “No problem. You looked like you needed some life-saving,” he joked.

Marinette couldn’t help but scoff at that. “I can save myself, thanks,” she muttered, in a tone sharper than she intended.

“Of course,” the blond backtracked hastily. “I didn’t mean to assume, I just--”

“Is… that a Jagged wallpaper?” Marinette asked suddenly, immediately forgetting the earlier offense.

“Uh, yeah. You listen to Jagged Stone?”

“Listen to Jagged? Get out, I practically breathe Jagged! Wow, I can’t believe he didn’t come up once in our conversations…”

“Well, I… didn’t really peg you to be a Jagged girl, honestly. No offense, though, I really don’t know why it didn’t occur to me. I mean, now it seems obvious. You’re nearly as cool as him.”

“Shut up,” Marinette laughed, waving away the compliment. “No one is as cool as Jagged. And it’s okay, I didn’t peg you to be a Jagged fan either.”

“You’re kidding. How could I not? A great singer, and a great player too. Piano, guitar, you name it! Heck, I bet he could even play, like, a lyre or something.”

Marinette scrunched her nose and raised an eyebrow. “A liar and a player at once? Can’t say that’s exactly my type. I’ve met too many of those, thanks.”

Red spots bloomed in Adrien’s cheeks as he sputtered, “No, I’m not-- that’s not what I--”

“I’m joking,” she interrupted, honestly surprised at his reaction. So annoyingly endearing.

“Oh.” Adrien sighed in relief, as Marinette bit back a smile.

There was an awkward pause as she thought of what else to add.

She had just opened her mouth when Adrien blurted, “There’s actually a Jagged show tomorrow.”

“Yeah, part of the Jagged Worldwide tour, right? I’ve got my room all set up with 3 flavors of popcorn to eat while I stream it.”

“Actually,” Adrien said somewhat nervously, “I may or may not have an extra ticket to the show, thanks to the Agreste brand and all.”

“Get out,” Marinette deadpanned, in shock.

(Adrien noted that that was the second time she’d said that in the last five minutes, and chuckled internally. How cute.)

“So, you wanna go?”

There it was again. That… awkward is-this-a-friend-thing situation. Marinette’s conscience told her no, don’t fall for his trap! He definitely only sees you as a friend, you’ll just get hurt if you hope for more! Which, true… but then again. This was Jagged. How could she say no?

“I’m in.” She beamed, bouncing on the soles of her feet. Even though the concert was on a school night, she was fairly sure her parents would let her go once they found out it was another ‘date’ with Adrien.

“Hey, Nino! Marinette said she’s game to come with us to the concert tomorrow,” Adrien called over his shoulder at his best friend.

“Sweet! See you there, my dude! I’ll pass the news on to Alya.” He gave a last wave before leaving.

Ah. So definitely not a date. At least she was aware.

Unless… a double date? Marinette groaned inwardly. Why did things have to be so complicated? She could almost feel the headache she was going to get from all this. (Especially now knowing that Alya would be involved.)

Marinette had never seen so many people in her life.

If she thought her bakery’s end-of-the-month sales were insanely crowded, that was nothing compared to the mass of people at the concert grounds, tightly packed and eagerly awaiting the arrival of their favorite singer.

As usual, something went wrong right off the bat. Their little group of four had gathered outside the grounds at 4:30pm sharp, but it hadn’t even been five minutes since they’d entered and already Alya and Nino were nowhere to be seen.

Marinette panicked immediately, obviously, frantically searching for the telltale brown-red-tipped hair of her best friend.

Adrien calmed her down immediately, saying that the lovebirds probably wanted to ‘spend some alone time together.’

Had Marinette been in a normal state of mind, she might’ve noticed that this practically reeked of another of Alya’s schemes. As it is, she simply allowed herself to be led by the blond-haired boy.

“Let’s go this way so we’re closer to the stage,” Adrien said gently, steering her one way. “Here, you can… hold my hand so we don’t get separated,” he added softly, taking her hand in his.

Soft. She was surprised to find that his hands were smooth and uncalloused. Well… she didn’t know what she had expected, but she thought they were absolutely fine as they were.

They finally made their way to the front as the singer stepped onto the stage to an eruption of cheers. She had to bite back a pout as Adrien dropped her hand to clap his own. She was about to suggest they link hands for the entirety of the concert, but all thoughts disappeared once the music started playing. She let herself get lost in the song, letting go of all her fears and doubts just this once, dancing to the tune, jumping to the beat.

A few minutes in, Adrien leaned in close. “I love this song,” he said, speaking directly into her ear to be heard over the crowd’s screams.

“Me too!” she shouted in reply, hoping in her heart it were actually words of endearment he’d said.

Once the first five songs ended, Jagged Stone stepped up to the mic, and a quiet hush spread through the crowd, waiting with bated breath for what he would say.

“I just want to thank everyone here for coming,” he started, pausing when the crowd roared their approval. He laughed heartily. “Never in my life would I imagine I’d be getting crowds like this, especially right here in Paris. Not many people know this, but I didn’t always like the name Jagged Stone. I mean, as is, it’s really nothing, right? It is what it is: a stone that is jagged. That means cut different from the rest, sort of sharp around the edges, prone to hurting others. Who would want that, right? Growing up, I was told I’d probably amount to nothing, so maybe I should choose a safer, more secure path. But then-- and here’s the key-- I grew up. And look where I am now.”

Marinette whooped along with the other concert goers, wanting her support to be evident.

“See, that’s the thing,”Jagged continued, on a roll. “These things take time. I came to love the name Jagged Stone. Because over the years, stones that are jagged smoothen around the edges. They become toned, weathered. They become the kind of precious stone you see being used in jewelry, maybe. Suddenly they’re something beautiful, valuable. Meaningful. Are they different from what they were before? Of course. But are they still themselves? Absolutely. Was that greatness there all along, right from the start? Without a doubt.

So to everyone out there: don’t rush it. Everything moves at its own pace. You may seem sharp around the edges, but that’s just how we are. Other people might not know how to approach those edges, afraid of getting hurt. But give it time. The ride will smoothen out. I want you to remember that there is already something valuable in each of you, even at this very moment. It’ll just take time for you to get used to that something, to hone it into the best version of you.

And speaking of time, I’d like to thank you all for the time you’ve given to be here! With that I’ll be performing my last song of the concert, my brand new single: Miraculous!”

“That. Was. Amazing.”

Ten minutes later, Adrien and Marinette had navigated their way out of the thick of the crowd, and were making their way to the meet-up spot as previously discussed.

“Definitely,” Marinette agreed, taking a bite of the cotton candy she’d bought. “That speech before the last song? That was my favorite part.”

“Really? He played six songs and not one of them classifies as your favorite part?”

“Oh, be quiet,” Marinette scoffed, shoving his shoulder lightly. “Stop judging. It just… hit close to home, I guess.”

“Oh… Well, uh, I don’t really know any of the context, but you do know you’re pretty amazing, right? As you are right now.”

Marinette took another bite to hide the blush spreading across her cheeks. “Thanks,” she said meekly, unsure of how else to respond.

“There you are!” a voice called. Marinette suddenly found herself enveloped in a tight hug. “I can’t believe we got separated right at the start! Nino here wouldn’t even let me go look for you because we’d found a great spot, he said.”

“Hey!” her boyfriend protested. “You were the one who said let the two lov-- oof, did you have to step on me foot?”

“Oops, accident,” Alya said lightly. “So anyway, how did you two find the concert?”

“It was fun,” Marinette replied softly, wrapping her arms around her best friend’s waist.

“Yeah? Something interesting happen?”

Marinette laughed. “No, I guess not. It was just… I don’t know, it seemed pretty--”

“-- miraculous,” Adrien finished, and they all had to agree.

As they headed back, Marinette reflected that maybe it wasn’t so bad she’d been treading on eggshells just the other day. Maybe her relationship with Adrien was just like what Jagged had said in his speech. At the moment rough at the edges, either party cautious of how to proceed in fear of hurting the other or getting hurt. And that was okay.

Because eventually, it would smoothen out.

And eventually, maybe, just maybe, it would bloom into something beautiful-- something hopefully more than friendship.

All they really needed was time.

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#adrinette april 2021 #adrinette #miraculous ladybug #idk what im doing sorry #ml #mlb #mlbcn #adrien agreste #marinette dupain cheng #adrienette #mlb fics #adrinetteapril2021 #day 5: jagged stone #jagged stone

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zelenacat · 4 years ago

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When We Were Young- Chapter 16- An Obitine Story

Saturday came too quickly for the Duchess, she had now clue how she was going to tell her children she was pregnant again. She was thirty five now, dear God, what if something went wrong?

A knock scraped the door, “Lady Mother?”

“Come in, Tristan.”

Her second son wasn’t surprised to see all the shades drawn in the Duchess’ personal parlor, still, he seemed on edge.

“Is everything alright, Lady Mother?” he asked.

“Quite,” Satine swallowed, “I just have something important to tell you all.”

Tristan nodded and took a cookie from a plate of them. Tyra entered five minutes later.

“I’m on a discovery day,” she explained, “basically I’m supposed to look inside myself with the force.”

“And naturally,” Tristan began, “you’re here instead.”

“Naturally.” Tyra agreed.

Korkie and Mara came in together, happily chatting about Korkie’s schoolwork. However, when Satine got up and locked the door, they quieted down.

“I’m very nervous to tell you all this,” the Duchess began, wringing her hands, “but it does affect us all.”

Korkie stood and helped his mother to the couch. Satine waited till he was seated again to continue.

“No one can know about this,” she began, “just like no one can know about your parentage.”

Tristan and Tyra looked at each other. Mara’s brow furrowed.

“Lady Mother,” Korkie piped up, “it’s alright, you can tell us.”

“You’re getting twin sisters,” Satine said shakily, “and I was never able to tell your father about you.”

The shock settled in.

“Lady Mother,” Tyra began, “Father is in the Outer Rim, is that right?”

“Yes.”

Tyra’s face saddened, “There are rumors that the Council predicts he will be there for almost a year.”

The Duchess straightened, “I hadn't heard that.”

“It’s just a rumor,” Tyra frowned deeper, “but we never know with the war.”

Satine leaned back in her chair, “Ah, yes, war.”

“Is there any way we can help you conceal this?” Mara asked.

“We’ll see whether or not they’re force sensitive,” the Duchess announced, “but likely they will have to be split up.”

“One to the Temple and one-”

“I don’t know.” Satine interjected.

“Congratulations, Lady Mother,” Tristan smiled, reaching over, “I’m excited to meet my sisters.”

“So am I,” the Duchess smiled sadly, “thank you for your support, Tristan.”

Everyone turned to Korkie.

“So our father continues his trend of leaving you with children even though he’s a Jedi.” spat the Duke of Sundari.

“Korkie!” Tyra warned.

“You know what,” Korkie stood, “no, why does he do this?”

“Korkie,” Trsiatn began, “calm down.”

“The holonet portrays him as some hero,” Korkie crossed his arms, “yet he leaves you pregnant every time without a second thought!”

“Korkyrach Kryze,” Satine snapped, “I won’t hear anymore of this!”

Korkie didn’t move.

“Don’t raise your eyebrow at me, young man,” the Duchess warned, “your father is certainly a hero, he just doesn’t know he’s a father.”

“Some intuitive Jedi he turned out to be.” Korkie snapped.

“Korkyrach-”

“I’m happy for you, Lady Mother,” the Duke of Sundari continued, “I really am, I just don’t see why you defend him!”

Satine swallowed, “I love your father, Korkie, and as soon as it’s safe to reach him I will contact and tell him.”

“I don’t want to meet him.” Mara frowned.

“I’ve only seen him in passing,” Tyra piped up, “but he seems nice.”

Mara turned, “How can a man who doesn’t care about the mother of his children be nice?”

“He doesn’t know.” Tristan offered.

“Still,” Korkie added, “if he loved Lady Mother enough to marry her-”

“We’re not married.”

All eyes turned to the Duchess.

“I lied to him, I was the one who kept him in the dark,” tears welled in Satine’s eyes “if anyone is to be blamed for our fractured family it’s me.”

Korkie shook his head, “I can’t believe that, Lady Mother.”

“You needed to protect us.” Mara added.

“It’s true,” Tyra seconded, “the Jedi Council would’ve likely expelled our father, or at least had us killed.”

Tristan reached out to the Duchess, “You can’t blame yourself, Lady Mother, this is what life has thrown at you.”

“Thank you, children, for your support,” Satine swallowed, eyeing Korkie, “we will not speak of this again until we have plans.”

Tyra stood and kissed her mother’s cheek.

“Take care, Lady Mother.”

Mara came next, following Tyra’s example.

“I wish you well, Lady Mother.”

Tristan embraced his mother.

“Congratulations, Lady Mother.”

Korkie kissed his mother’s hand.

“I’m sorry, Lady Mother.”

“Don’t be,” Satine replied, “there’s so many secrets floating around.”

“I hope you won’t keep anymore from us.” Korkie replied.

“I don’t intend to.” Satine promised.

Ahsoka arrived the following Monday.

“My lady, if I may,” Almec began, “what do the Jedi know of our ways? Do we really want them meddling with our children's education?”

“Surely there is nothing to fear from exposing them to new ideas,” Satine smiled as memories came to her, “Prime Minister.”

“Duchess Satine.”

Anakin kissed Satine’s hand, playing the party of Jedi Master of Almec.

“Master Skywalker, so good to see you again,” Satine turned to Ahsoka as if she didn’t know her, “this is your Padawan, I assume.”

“Yes, m’lady, may I present, Ahsoka Tano.”

Ahsoka’s grin threatened to barge out of her calm face, “Duchess, Prime Minister.”

Satine gave some welcome thanks about the peace keepers of tomorrow, and how important it was that they be instructed correctly. To which, Master Skywalker awkwardly replied that he had to return to battle, but that Ahsoka had the full confidence of the council.

“Cadets: Korkie, Amis, Lagos,” Prime Minister Almec summoned, “come greet the Jedi.”

“Woah,” Amis pointed, “is that a real lightsaber?”

“Amis-”

“Dude,” Korkie gestured, “she’s a Padawan.”

“Right.”

The Prime Minister was horrified.

“Padawan Tano,” Satine began, “may I introduce Cadet Korkie, my nephew.”

The children shook hands, failing to hide their glee.

“Excuse me sir,” a clone popped up, “but it is time to depart.”

Almec held out his hand, “Please, Padawan Tano, no off-worlders may carry weapons on Mandalore.”

“Perhaps your Master should take your weapon.” Satine suggested.

After a quick second, Ahsoka passed her lightsaber to Anakin.

“Welcome to Mandalore, Padawan Tano.” the Prime Minister smiled.

On their way to the Royal Academy of Government, Amis and Lagos pestered Ahsoka with questions about the Jedi Order. Satine was disappointed to note that Korkie was faking his disinterest poorly.

“Enough of this talk children,” Almec waved his hand, “you are the future leaders of Mandalore, you have nothing to do with the Jedi.”

Korkie turned to Ahsoka, who raised an eyebrow.

“Don’t you agree, Padawan Tano.” the Prime Minister asked.

“I think sympathy is an important attribute for any leader,” Ahsoka began, “be they Mandalorian or Jedi.”

Almec nodded politely, clearly displeased.

Apparently, Ahsoka’s lesson went well, Korkie told his mother all about it after the class. Except, Korkie came to see her the following afternoon with his friends.

“There’s no food shortage,” Korkie began, “we found stores of food at the government port.”

Satine raised an eyebrow, “How do you know this?”

“That doesn’t matter.”

“I beg to differ.” Satine argued.

As a cadet explained about the secret recording they’d managed to capture, the Duchess’s mind whirled.

Korkie himself, Satine noticed, was angry.

“We have to find the one responsible.” he stated energetically.

The Duchess put her hand on her son’s arm, “This is a serious matter, I agree, but the source of this evil may be more than you cadets can handle.”

“People can be very deceiving,” Satine continued, walking towards the door, “you don’t want to get yourselves into trouble.”

Korkie scoffed, “But, Auntie, don’t you see, you can’t ignore this!”

“I won’t, trust me,” Satine stroked Korkie’s head, “but for your safety you must let me handle this. Now run along, all of you. There will be time to save the world when you’re a bit older.”

Satine went straight to Almec, who seemed very worried indeed.

“No, Almec,” the Duchess straightened, “this must be addressed immediately! Children and corruption never mix well, do you know what this means for the system?”

They came the next day when Satine was in her office. She turned to find the secret service facing her, the prime minister’s personal guards. Suddenly, everything became clear.

“Don’t,” Satine held up her hands to keep them away from her stomach, “I will go willingly.”

She couldn’t help but despair, Almec was a traitor and a wise politician, he would ruin all the good work she had done for the past seventeen years. Not only that, but they would soon realize her condition, and it would be all over.

The next friendly face she saw was Ahsoka, “I’m getting you out of here.”

Satine nearly cried, “Ahsoka, no, it’s a trap!”

The Padawan was shocked.

“I see you’ve found the Duchess, youngling,” Almec smiled, “you may stop your playacting now Sergeant.”

The guards stood at attention, “Prime Minister, sir!”

“Using a Jedi mind trick was a very poor decision,” the Prime Minister continued, “my guards have been trained against such archaic magic. And now you have revealed yourself as a conspirator. Set for stun!”

Satine winced as Ahsoka was hit with a stun ray.

“You little fool,” Almec goaded.”

A guard handed the Prime Minister a holopad and pen.

“Sign it,” Satine looked up to face Almec, “sign it and confess to your treasonous ways.”

The Duchess growled, “There is only one traitor to Mandalore here, Prime Minister, and that’s you! You control the black market, you have betrayed the public trust, and you used your office to accumulate wealth and power! It’s shameful!”

Almec actually laughed, “You’re idealism is inspiring, Satine, but honestly, I established the black market for the people.”

“That’s absurd!” Ahsoka shouted, eyes flashing.

Satine realized in that moment that Korkie must’ve told her about the secret, and it pained the Duchess to know that Ahsoka would die trying to save her if necessary.

While Almec gave his “humanitarian” excuses about the black market, Satine grumbled at him.

“My patience has run thin, Duchess, Sergeant, put the shock collar on her!”

Ahsoka’s eyes went wide.

“No, no wait,” she begged, “the Jedi Council won’t-”

“The Jedi Council has no authority on Mandalore,” the Prime Minister spat, “who cares what they think?”

The shock came, if Satine’s hands weren’t bound, she would’ve cradled her stomach. Fortunately, the shocks were centered around her neck, but the Duchess knew her whole body would suffer.

“I would rather die,” Satine gasped, “then sign your confession!”

“That can be arranged.” Almec grinned.

“You’re wasting your time,” Ahsoka growled, “you’ll-”

“Bring me those traitorous Cadets!” the Prime Minister barked, ignoring Ahsoka.

“No,” tears welled in Satine’s eyes, “you can’t they’re just children!”

Almec laughed.

“I’m afraid your nephew will have to suffer needlessly,” Almec announced as the children arrived, “put the shock collar on Cadet Korkie.”

Satine watched helplessly as her son’s face contorted in fear, but he did not step backward. Ahsoka however, wouldn't have this. The Duchess watched impressed as the Padawan knocked down three guards by herself, allowing Korkie and his friends to overpower their guards, even with their hands tied. After a quick skirmish with the stun gun, Ahsoka was able to get the shock collar on Almec.

“Stop fighting!” he yelled.

His thugs looked at one another.

“Send for my personal guards.”

After the guards arrived, Satine had the great pleasure of locking Almec up herself, but she would not, however, let that pride get to her.

“You must know by now,” Satine turned to Ahsoka, “that I did not bring you here just to teach. I knew something was amiss, but I didn’t know who I could trust. Luckily, I made the right choice in Padme, a friend of the Senator’s was bound to be useful, especially a Jedi.”

“I never doubted you, Duchess.” Ahsoka smiled.

“Neither did we.” said Korkie, going in for a hug.

On the way out, Satine insisted that Korkie and his friends be escorted back to the academy.

“But-”

“Listen to me, son,” Satine leaned in close, “my ladies will help me, I’ll let you know if anything has changed.”

“Of course,” Korkie paused, “Lady Aunt.”

Satine kissed Korkie’s head before they left.

“Momdalore,” Ahsoka began, “Padme said that my mission was especially important, but I didn’t realize-”

“It’s alright,” Satine put a hand on Ahsoka's shoulder, “you got us out of there.”

“So, so,” Ahsoka’s eyes went wide, “you’re really-”

Satine hushed her, “My ladies will accompany me to the medical ward, I would like you to stand guard at the door.”

Ahsoka grinned so wide Satine thought she was liable to burst.

“I’d be honored.” the Padawan nodded.

Khaami and Parna were very fussy when the Duchess returned.

“Oh, Satine,” Parna cried, “we thought Death Watch got you!”

The Duchess shook her head, “Never.”

Khaami lowered her voice, “We’re glad you all are safe.”

“They gave me a shock collar,” Satine whispered back, “accompany me to the medical ward.”

The nurse on call asked if she should send for the doctor.

“No, thank you,” Satine smiled politely, “I’d just like my vitals checked, it’s been a frightening couple of days.”

When the nurse left to prepare, Khaami and Parna went in search of an old sonogram machine. The most modern ones were as large as holo screens, but the one Khaami found was likely one that belonged to Satine’s mother. This one was about ¼ the size.

“I used one like this,” Khaami whispered, pouring gel on Satine’s stomach, “I can remember how to work it.”

Parna kept on guard for the nurse, who was at the end of the hall quietly humming to herself. Satine watched as the machine blinked on, and after a while, Khaami found them.

“How long?” Khaami asked.

Satine thought back, eyes on the screen, “About eleven weeks, almost a first trimester.”

“They’re beautiful, Satine,” Khaami smiled, “two healthy little girls.”

The Duchess once again found tears in her eyes.

“Six children?” Khaami whispered in awe.

“I know.”

Khaami began turning off the machine just as they heard Parna’s voice.

“Oh, excise me, nurse,” she laughed, “the Duchess would just like some water.”

Satine pulled down her shirt without wiping the gel away. Khaami hid the machine under the medical bed.

“You ready, Your Grace?” asked the nurse.

Satine amiled, “Yes, thank you.”

After a moment, the nurse frowned.

“Your heart rate is a little high.”

“Nerves, Your Grace?” Khaami suggested.

“Yes,” Satine nodded, “I don’t think I’m quite over the whole ordeal.”

The nurse smiled sympathetically, “Perhaps a night’s rest then?”

“Yes.”

Satine sat up and swung her legs over.

“Your Grace,” the nurse swallowed, “if you are in need of any other medical assistance, please do ask.”

The Duchess understood her immediately, it was nearly impossible to fool a doctor after all, “Thank you.”

Upstairs in her room, Satine showered after bidding good night to Ahsoka. As she dried her hair, Satine’s thoughts unconsciously wandered to Obi-Wan. God, she missed him. Then, as if the universe knew what she was thinking, Satine’s comm beeped. Puling her nightgown over her head, Satine rushed to the table.

“Obi-Wan?” she asked quietly in utter disbelief.

“I was wounded, but I’m alright now.”

Satine began to shake, hearing her Jedi’s voice had put her into shock. The Duchess collapsed into a chair.

“Satine?”

“I,” she quivered, “I, are you alright?”

“Yes,” Obi-Wan replied, “I just heard about what happened.”

“I’m alright too.” Satine smiled sadly.

An uncomfortable pause followed, only ending when both Satine and Obi-Wan spoke at the same time.

“I love you.”

“I just wanted,” Satine paused, “you love me?”

“Yes, my darling, I do.”

The Duchess burst into tears.

“Satine-”

“I’m glad you feel that way,” Satine breathed, “because-”

“General Kenobi?”

The comm flicked off. Satine cried a little more. Obi-Wan was still embarrassed about their relationship, he was a Jedi after all, their poster boy.

“Satine,” Obi-Wan’s warm voice cooled, “Satine, did I upset you?”

“I don’t know what to do.” the Duchess gasped.

“I’ll be back soon.”

“But you don’t want anyone to know about us.”

Obi-Wan sighed, “I’d get in trouble, so would you.”

“I understand,” Satine forced the words out of her mouth, “you may leave me if you wish.”

There came a moment of silence, and Satine’s heart dropped.

“Satine-”

“Ben,” the Duchess sniffed, “what am I going to do?”

The Jedi’s voice softened, “What’s wrong, my darling?”

“I have a problem-”

“Do the people know?”

“No,” Satine swallowed, “but I could get in a lot of trouble.”

Obi-Wan understood immediately, “Who made you do what you did?”

Satine was quiet.

“Because if you’re being blackmailed-”

“It’s medical.” the Duchess blurted.

“Satine?”

“Ben-”

“General Kenobi?”

“Not now, Cody!” Obi-Wan shouted.

Satine flinched at his ferocity, she imagined so did the clone.

“Sorry, General.”

The Duchess heard a door close.

“How badly were you hurt?” Satine questioned suddenly.

“Not terribly.”

Satine snorted, “I don’t believe that.”

Obi-Wan sighed, “I’ll be out of fighting for at least two months.”

“Obi!”

“I’m fine, really, Satine, I-”

The Duchess yawned, “I’m too tired to be lied to, Ben, and I need sleep, but know you can call me whenever.”

The Jedi’s voice turned gooey, “Sleep well, my love.”

Satine blew a kiss at Obi-Wan’s blue figure, he winked back. The Duchess was so tired she completely forgot to feel guilty for concealing the truth from her Jedi.

In the morning, after arriving on the platform and putting her son at ease, Satine watched as Korkie and Ahsoka joked around.

“It was an honor to serve with a Jedi Knight.” Korkie winked.

“It was my privilege,” Ahsoka retorted, “to be your teacher.”

Just then, Master Skywalker descended onto the platform, looking mildly amused yet concerned,

“I hope this assignment wasn’t too boring for you.” he said loudly.

Ahsoka shrugged, “Well, it had its moments.”

“Oh,” Anakin clutched his chest, “like the part where you enlisted untrained children to help you overthrow a corrupt government?”

“Yeah,” Ahsoka turned back,”that was a highlight.”

“We had fun!” Korkie shouted.

Anakin snorted, “And would Your Royal Highness accompany Ahsoka on a mission like that again?”

The Duke of Sundari almost answered, but then his mother cut him off.

“You better not be planning to take my Korkie anywhere, Master Skywalker.” she raised an eyebrow.

Anakin bowed, grinning like a fool, “I would never disobey any order from you, Duchess.”

Satine clicked her tongue, “That’s good to hear, do tell my favorite Senator she’s an angel for sending Ahsoka.”

Anakin smiled like a young loverboy should, possibly something about her choice of words, “I will.”

Satine turned as the ship sped off, ordering the children back to their studies.

“Yes, Your Grace.” Wrapping an arm around Korkie Satine walked to the speeders waiting for them.

“No more sneaking into government warehouses.” the Duchess commanded, shooting a look at her son.

“Never again, Lady Aunt.” Korkie bowed.

“Study hard.” Satine waved.

Back at the palace, Satine summoned the nurse from the night before to her quarters. She could tell the woman was nervous, her curtsy was quick.

“Your Grace.”

“Tell me your hypothesis,” Satine leaned back, “tell me why you think I was in the med ward last night.”

The nurse straightened, gathering her courage, “I found an old ultrasound machine under your bed.”

“Which means?”

“You’re expecting.”

Parna and Khaami looked at one another.

“The image saved,” the nurse continued, “and your twin girls are healthy.”

“No one can know.” Parna crossed her arms cooly.

“I won’t tell,” the nurse vowed, “I’ve seen what women do to get out of these predicaments.”

“That won’t be the case here,” Satine assured her, “the only others who are aware of my condition are my head guards and my ladies.”

The nurse nodded.

“Do tell us your name.” Khaami added.

“Hera,” the nurse smiled, “there was an ancient goddess who my mother revered.”

The Duchess grinned, “The goddess of childbirth, how fitting.”

“I’d love to be of more help,” Hera continued, “especially with your second ultrasound.”

“Second?” Parna frowned.

“It’s recommended you get two,” Hera explained, “your second should be about the five month mark.”

“I’m exactly eleven weeks.” Satine told her.

“Then we should have some time,” Hera smiled kindly, “I’m sure this must be hard with your duties.”

Satine huffed in agreement. Parna’s comm flashed.

“Your personal advisors are waiting in the throne room with the ruling council,” she told her lady, “they wish to discuss the upcoming elections.”

“Ah,” the Duchess stood, “I must go, thank you for your time, Hera.”

“Please look for me if your Grace requires anything.” the nurse curtsied.

The ruling council were keen to hear Satine’s personal recollection of recent events, and once she told them, they revealed that Almec’s friends weren’t happy with his arrest.

“A public statement was made this morning by his deputy,” Countess Bralor frowned, “who claims to be innocent of any crimes.”

“It is good that elections are in a month,” Governor Eldar stated, “as the new Governor of Concordia, I was hoping to make an official request that you attend the swearing in ceremonies of the winners.”

“But we are unsure,” continued one of Satine’s advisors, “it could be portrayed that you had a hand in Almec’s downfall.”

“He destroyed himself.” the Duchess responded coldly.

The counselors looked at one another.

“Perhaps if you were to do an interview, Your Grace,” Countess Bralor suggested, “and share your experiences with the public, perhaps they might appreciate what you went through.”

Satine hated interviews, they made her feel exposed.

“How about a press conference.” the Duchess suggested.

It was scheduled for later that day. Satine made sure to wear one of her corseted gowns. On one side sat her personal advisors, the ruling council was on the other, and behind her stood Parna and Khaami.

“I am before you today to discuss our former Prime Minister’s fall from grace,” Satine announced, “I know many of you are as shocked as I was to discover the truth, and I am here to answer any questions you have on the subject.”

One reporter raised her hand.

“What was the Prime Minister’s reasoning for doing what he did?”

“In his mind,” Satine began, “the black market and food shortage were assets to Mandalore because it funneled money into the government while keeping the citizens innocent of their knowledge as to where their money was going. It was essentially a tax on the most needy in our system.”

Another reporter raised his hand.

“The former Prime Minister blamed you for these crimes,” he asked, “why do you think that was the case.”

“He needed a scapegoat,” Satine replied, “and he knew I would not rest until my government was free of corruption. Almec put a shock collar on my person and attempted to do so kn my nephew, who is a minor. Three other Cadets were jailed because of their efforts to inform me.”

There was some muttering about the shock collar, and the jailed children, before Satine continued.

“The former Prime Minister did not act alone, we know it was not possible for him to do so,” the Duchess straightened, “therefore, the new efforts to capture corrupt criminals in government positions will be doubled. You may expect many more revelations in the coming weeks.”

With that, Satine left. Dramatic as she liked to be, the Duchess knew she had made enemies that day. Corrupt officials who vowed never to lose their wealth. Well, if they gained it through improper ways, then they would.

Within a week, they had a new Prime Minister and Deputy Prime Minister, a new liaison to the Republic Senate, and the first liaison to the Sepereatist Senate.

#satine kryze #Duchess Satine #satine x obiwan #obiwan #obi wan kenobi #obitine #korkie kenobi #korkie kryze #areyallstillhere?

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p-artsypants · 5 years ago

Text

Perfect, No Matter What

In which Gabriel sets the bar even lower for himself, a reveal happens because of pain medication, and the new guardian actually goes to Chloé for advice.

At least Adrien gets some kisses out of it.

I’ve been watching ‘Botched’ while I work remotely and it took me to dangerous places.

Ao3 | FF.net

—

You know the phrase, ‘beauty is pain’? Well, some people knew that better than others.

Especially Adrien Agreste.

Diets, rigorous exercise, intense skin care routine including microdermabrasion, UV treatment, and teeth whitening.

Perfection.

And he hated it.

At this point in his life, he feared that his slew of doctors thought he was horribly vain.

Really, he was just the victim of a highly critical father.

On a Friday, Adrien prepared for school as usual. He dressed casually, lightly styled his hair, and ate breakfast.

As he came back down the stairs after grabbing his bag, his father was waiting for him.

“Father?”

“Just here to see you off to school.”

That was new, and concerning, to say the least. “Oh…thanks?”

“Hmm,” Gabriel hummed, stepping into his personal space. Without another word, he hooked his thumb around Adrien’s chin, manipulating his head in different directions.

“What?”

“Hush.”

Adrien just waited in fear as his father examined him, turning his face this way and that, and a look of displeasure was growing on his face, stronger and stronger.

Finally, blessedly, he pulled away. “That will be all. Get off to school.”

“Uh…okay.”

With confusion and paranoia, Adrien went to school.

—

The day continued on as normal. No akumas, no unnecessary drama, easy homework, nothing to stress about.

And nothing to bring Adrien’s attention away from his father’s strange behavior this morning.

The class before lunch, his paranoia picked up when Nathalie interrupted the lesson.

“Pardon the intrusion, Adrien has a doctor’s appointment, and will be out for the rest of the day.”

This was news to him, and he could only gape.

“Come on Adrien, get your stuff. Is one of your friends willing to take notes?”

“Marinette will!” Alya volunteered.

“Y-yeah! Of course I will!”

“See to it that you drop it off at the mansion after school.”

“I have fencing after school, we have a tournament tomorrow.” Adrien pointed out, while still shoveling his books into his bag.

“I’m afraid you won’t be participating in the tournament, or any other weekend activities.”

“What? Why?”

“I’ll explain in the car, please now, hurry.”

Adrien did as told, not before casting a fearful look to his friends.

—

Marinette couldn’t stop thinking about Adrien.

Not that it was any different than usual, but that look on his face…

It was haunting.

The look of complete horror and loss. To be fair, if she had received the same news he had, she probably would have been blindsided as well.

The reaction at the house when she brought his homework wasn’t insightful either. Just like every time she brought something for him, the camera came out, the drawer opened, and that was it. No communication, no nothing.

“I don’t know Tikki, should I text him? Or would that be weird? Does he know I have his number?”

“Marinette, I’m sure he’d love to get a text from you. Just ask him if he got the notes.”

“Great idea! Simple! I can’t butcher it!” She took out her phone and read aloud as she typed. “Hey Adrien…it’s Marinette. Alya gave me your number…did you get the homework? Let me know if anything is unclear, or if you need anything else.”

“Good!”

“Would a heart be too much?”

“It might be a comfort for him? Sending him love in his isolation.”

“Okay. Heart. And send!” She hit the button and nearly threw her phone in anxiety.

Then she waited.

And waited.

An hour or so passed as she tapped her foot with tense energy.

“Whatever he was pulled for is probably still going on. I wouldn’t worry about it, Marinette. Adrien isn't the type to leave someone on read.”

Taking a calming breath, Marinette nodded in agreement. “You’re right, I’ll just suck it up! I might hear from him tonight.”

So she spent the day doing homework, and a bit of various projects to stay busy.

Nearing patrol time, Plagg showed up on her desk, spooking her. “Hey pigtails.”

“Ah! Plagg! What are you doing here? Shouldn’t you be with Chat? It’s almost time for patrol.”

“Nah, not for him!”

“This is joint patrol. It’s Friday night.”

“Yeah, well I’m here to let you know that he won’t be joining you tonight, and I left him because I knew he was going to try to transform, and he’s in no shape to!”

“Is he sick? Injured?”

“Injured.” Plagg confirmed. “Not dire, and he’s already been treated…though there was no reason to be hurt in the first place.” He muttered that last part to himself.

“Is he okay?”

The little cat shrugged. “Eh, probably. Little trauma never hurt anyone. It’s over now.”

“What happened?”

“That, I can’t tell you. Though I’m sure you’ll see it eventually. I’d just prefer to let this play out naturally and see what happens.”

“You really are chaotic, aren’t you?”

He beamed. “Only the most chaotic. Well, I’m here to join you, so you aren’t patrolling alone. That way he’ll be happy, and you’ll be happy that he’s not out with an injury.”

“That’s bizarrely considerate of you.” She snorted.

“I know, aren’t I the best?”

She scratched him between the ears. “The best. Now let’s go!”

—

Monday morning finally came. Marinette had finally received a response from Adrien on Saturday, which was just ‘yes I did, thank you!’ with a little heart as well.

It melted her a little.

But Adrien didn’t elaborate any more. It was complete radio silence from him, both to her, and to Nino, who had also tried to reach out.

But now it was Monday, and hopefully he would be here.

“Chloe,” Nino asked. “Did you hear anything from Adrien this weekend?”

“No!” She exasperated. “I called him like nine times, and not once did he answer! Nathalie said he was sleeping when I called her. And Gabriel didn’t answer either. It was ridiculous, utterly ridiculous!”

“He confirmed that he got my notes, but didn’t say anything else to me.” Marinette added. “I’m kinda worried.”

“Me too. He should be here by now.”

Luckily, the tension didn’t last long, as Adrien’s extremely tired voice spoke from the doorway. “Hi guys…”

Record scratch.

He looked hideous.

Both eyes were black, with huge purple swollen bags on each cheek. It was swollen so bad, his eyes were half shut. A thick bandage rested on the top of his nose, and over the nostrils, leaving just the little pink tip poking out.

“Dude!”

“Hey…” He couldn’t even smile, and looked to be in a lot of pain. He shuffled to his seat and sat down.

“What happened bro? You look like you got hit by a bus!”

“You really shouldn’t even be here.” Alya added. “That looks really bad.”

“My dad didn’t want me to come, but I begged him. I already missed half of Friday. I didn’t want to fall behind.”

“Yeah, but like, what happened?”

Adrien hesitated a moment, and then admitted, “I ran into a wall.”

Chloe scoffed, glaring at him with an absolutely disgusted look on her face. “Sure, right.”

“You broke your nose?”

“Yeah, really badly. Doctor got me all fixed up though. I’ll be fine!”

Marinette wasn’t convinced, however. It was weird that he had been pulled out of school for some sudden weekend event, only to show up on Monday with a broken nose.

Unless Adrien, in a desperate move to get out of the weekend plans, ran headfirst into a wall, which was admittedly kind of funny.

Or something more sinister was going on instead.

Nino and Alya continued to badger him about it, but Adrien just reassured them that he was fine.

But Marinette took notice of the bandage on the inside of his right ear too. How does one damage an ear when running headlong into a wall?

Marinette’s phone buzzed, a message from Chloe, of all people.

Chloe: I can see that look on your face. Adrien is lying. I want you to get the truth out of him.

That was surprising!

Marinette: What? Why me?

Chloe: Because if this is what I think it is, he’ll never admit it to me. And I need to know if I need to be disappointed in him or Gabriel.

Marinette: What are you talking about? And why me?

Chloe: It’s not my place to say, okay? You’re the class rep, and his friend. You’re good at coaxing people to open up. Do this for me and I’ll buy you some fabric or something. Don’t make me beg.

Marinette considered it. Seeing Adrien look like this quieted that part in her brain that just shouted ‘Adrien Adrien Adrien!’ And brought out ‘He’s hurt, he’s vulnerable, protect him!’

Marinette: You don’t need to buy me anything. I’ll try to talk to him, for his sake. I won’t mention you at all.

Chloe: Good. Let me know the details, alright? I’m very concerned.

Marinette: Obviously, if you’re asking for my help.

Chloe: Don’t get used to it.

Marinette: I won’t. :)

Turns out, Marinette didn’t even need to plan out how she was going to approach Adrien. He made it easy for her. At lunch, he approached her.

“Hey Marinette, can I talk to you for a sec?” His voice was nasally and groggy.

“Sure thing!” She chirped, leading him to a quiet corner. Her blood pressure spiked. Did he find out that Chloe had talked to her? Was he about to tell her to mind her own business??

“I have a really big favor to ask, and you can say no, but I just thought...”

“Whatever you need,” she laid a hand on his arm. “Just say the word.” Okay, maybe she was coming on too strong, but that nose…

He kind of smiled, though it looked painful. “Sorry, I’m not supposed to smile.”

“Gotcha. We’re serious here.” She steeled her mouth into a neutral grimace.

“I begged my dad to let me come back to school, but I didn’t realize how tired the...pain meds were making me. Do you think your parents would mind if I crashed on your couch until the end of the day? You’re just so close to school and—“

“I understand completely!” She smiled at him, only to make that neutral face a minute later. “I mean, yes. I’m sure it’ll be okay with them. You okay to come now?”

“Yeah, my chef sent me with some soup in a thermos.”

“Alright, then let’s go.”

Over at the bakery, which was blessedly not busy for lunchtime, Sabine noticed Adrien and gasped.

“Oh honey! What happened?!”

He winced. “I Uh...I ran into a wall.”

“He’s already been to the doctor.” Marinette clarified. “He was just wondering if he could nap on the couch for a few hours. The painkillers are making him groggy.”

Tom came into the room at his wife’s exclamation. “I bet it’s hard to sleep with that too.”

“Yes, exactly.” Adrien breathed.

“Of course you can nap upstairs. You’re always welcome whenever!”

“Thank you. I really appreciate it.”

“You might be better off in Marinette’s room so we don’t disturb you.”

“Is that okay with you, Marinette?” He asked.

“Oh! Yes! Of course! Wherever you want! Umm I’ll show you upstairs!” And she gestured him onward.

In her room, Adrien looked around as he sat his bag down. “You still have the pictures of me.” He said fondly.

She had forgotten about them in her worry. “Oh! Yep! I like to look at them for inspiration, and to support you, you know?”

He walked over to her wall and stopped to look at one. “And...if I didn’t look like this anymore? Would you still like them? Like me?”

What an odd thing to wonder. “Of course. Are you worried that you’re going to look different now because you broke your nose?”

He was quiet for a moment, then admitted. “Yeah.”

“Don’t worry, Adrien. I’m sure it’ll heal just fine.”

“Yeah, I trust you.”

She awkwardly patted her hands against her thighs. “So...you can use my bed, or you can just use the chaise...”

“Can I steal that big cat pillow? I’m supposed to sleep sitting up.”

“Oh yes! Of course!” She scrambled up to grab it for him. “Anything else I can get you? Where’s your soup? I’ll warm it up for you.”

He gave her that warm and tender smile that made her heart swell. “You’re the best, Marinette.” He took out the thermos from his bag. “Could I also have some water? I’m going to take some more drugs.”

She giggled, “sure thing. I’ll be back in a sec.”

She took the soup downstairs and poured it into a bowl, then popped it in the microwave. Then she got a glass of water and a bag of frozen peas and went back upstairs.

Adrien was reclining on the chaise with his head back, resting.

“Here’s your water,” she announced, sitting by his side.

“Ugh, thank you. My face is killing me.”

She snickered at him. “There’s a mean joke here, but I won’t say it.”

“You’re not supposed to make me laugh, remember?”

“Oh right, sorry.”

He took the water and popped a few pills. “Fair warning, this medicine makes me a wee loopy, so...”

“Well, I’ll be going back after lunch, so you probably won’t embarrass yourself too badly.”

“Mmm, I trust you won’t tell anyone if I confess my undying love for fried chicken.”

“Your secrets are safe with me.”

The microwave dinged and she excused herself to get it. The bowl was too hot to take out, or even hold to eat out of. So she took the time to make a sandwich for her own lunch, and grabbed an extra slice of fresh bread for Adrien.

Returning upstairs, Adrien was reclined again, with the frozen peas on his face.

“Soups on.”

“Feed me...” he begged weakly.

She almost dropped the tray she was carrying. “What? I mean, are you sure? I uh...”

He made a grabby hand toward her. “Soup soup...”

“Oh,” she breathed out. “The medicine kicked in fast.”

“Me want soooooup.” He moaned, absolutely miserable.

Seeing him so vulnerable and slightly childish was so sad.

And kinda cute.

“Okay, I’ve got it, but you have to sit up first. I don’t want you to spill on yourself.”

He moaned and groaned as he shimmied up. “Otay?”

Marinette giggled, “Otay.” She set the tray on his lap. “I’m not used to high Adrien.”

“Hi Marinette.”

She giggled again, “no, I meant you’re being goofy.”

“H-yuck.”

She shook her head. “Eat your soup, Adrien.”

“Yes mom.” He slowly spooned up his soup. He was quiet as he did so, looking like he was focusing hard on it. His eyes blinked slowly, like he was going to fall asleep at any second. Finally, he pulled away a half empty bowl and held it out to her.

“You done?”

He nodded.

“Okay.” She placed the bowl on the tray and stood. “Let’s get you a blanket.”

His eyes closed as he settled back down.

She grabbed a fuzzy blanket from her bed and draped it over him, which he immediately snuggled into.

“Alright, you rest as long as you need to. I’ll rush back here at the end of school to wake you up.”

He took her hand. “Mari?”

“Hmm?”

“I didn’t run into a wall.” He confessed in a whisper, tears gathering in his eyes.

Immediately, she sat by his side and grasped his hand. “What happened?”

“I got a nose job.”

Her jaw dropped. She never imagined Adrien as a vain person, so unless this was for his health, it kind of changed her entire perception of him.

“I didn’t want to.” A tear streaked down his cheek. “My dad made me. He pulled me out of school and took me to the doctor. They said my cartilage was shattered, probably from all the hits I take as Chat Noir…”

“They said that?” Her mouth was dry.

“They don’t know I’m Chat…no one does. You won’t tell, right Mari? Fried chicken?”

She nodded fervently. “Of course Adrien. My lips are sealed.”

He nodded slowly, starting to relax more. “They had to rebuild my nose. They took cartilage from my rib, and skin from my ear. It hurts all over.”

“Even with the medication?”

“I’ll never be good enough.” Another tear rolled down his cheek. “Not for him, not for her…no one.”

Marinette was torn between the fear of him remembering and forgetting what she was about to do. Nonetheless, she cupped his very bruised cheek. “Adrien. Even if your nose fell right off your face, I…I love you. I think you’re perfect.”

“Yeah?”

“Yeah. Remember when we first met? When I yelled at you over the gum?”

“Dumb gum…”

“Yeah, I thought you were just like Chloe. Just a spoiled, pretty, rich kid.”

“But I am, I’m such a brat.” He nuzzled his face gently into her hand.

“No you’re not. It was never your looks that made me like you. It was your kindness. Okay?”

He slowly blinked at her. “My face hurts.”

Very gently, she leaned in and kissed the very tip of his nose. “All better.”

“Mari lucky kiss. Just like lucky charm.” His eyes fell closed. “Don’t tell anyone about nose job, ‘kay? Dad’s not bad, he’s just grieving…”

Marinette gave a long exhale. Being distant and withdrawn from society? Grieving. Forcing his son to get a nose job at 15? Insane.

There was just a lot in this conversation that was too much to unpack in the first place.

File the whole ‘Adrien is Chat Noir’ thing away to freak out about later.

“I promised, I won’t tell a soul.” Except Chloe, because it seemed like she had guessed it already.

“Night night…” He mumbled, letting the drugs pass him into the world of slumber.

She petted his head. “Night kitty.”

He didn’t say anything else after that, so she safely assumed he finally fell asleep.

With the calmness that only comes to someone in shock, Marinette collected the dishes and took them downstairs, placing them in the sink.

Plagg and Tikki quietly followed behind, watching her with concern.

When the dishes were safe, she slowly turned around, spotting them floating there, gazing at her.

“I…” She began. “Where to start?”

“Well, for one thing,” Plagg began. “He hasn’t been that talkative to anyone else all weekend, so he must really trust you.”

“A nose job! A freaking—plastic surgery! He’s 15! What the hell—who does that!? To their kid!”

“Oh good,” said Plagg. “She’s not freaking out about the other thing yet.”

“I mean, if it was a medical thing, like a deviated septum or something, I’d understand, but it didn’t seem like that all! Was it like that? Is he just delusional? Tell me he’s delusional, Plagg.”

“Well…he is delusional. But his dad said his nose was developing an ‘unsightly hump’ to it.”

“A hump! A HUMP!!? What if this surgery is botched!? What then, Gabriel!?” She gasped and grabbed Plagg. “PLAGG!”

“Yes?”

“YOU’RE HERE!”

“Yes?”

“HE REALLY IS CHAT NOIR!?”

“Shout a little louder, I don’t think they heard you in Los Angeles.”

“Ohmygodohmygodohmygod—“

Tikki flew up in front of her face. “Marinette, you’re the guardian now. You had to find out eventually.”

“Yeah, but not while he’s high on painkillers! He’s already had his nose ripped away from him! He didn’t need to lose his identity too!”

Plagg phased out of her hands. “Why don’t you take a nice calming breath.”

“I AM CALM!”

“Yeah, I like to scream when I’m calm too.”

She sunk to the floor, hyperventilating.

“What’s the big deal anyway?” Plagg asked, lounging on her thigh.

“What’s the big deal? What’s the big deal!?”

“Repeating my question is not an answer.”

“The ‘big deal’ is that Chat Noir and Adrien are the same person! The love of my life, and my partner! The same!”

“So this is a happy freak out?”

“No! Yes! I don’t know!” She slapped her hands over her face. “I’m confused.”

“Obviously.”

“Okay Plagg, lay off. This is a lot of information to deal with.” Tikki pacified. “It’s a good thing, Marinette. You know, it might be a good idea if he knows who you are. Once he feels better though.”

“I think my brain is about to explode.”

“Join the club. Man, you got a set of pipes.”

Marinette took a shaky breath. “Okay, okay, I’m calm. I’m cool! Just…I’ll worry about Chat Noir later. What should I do about Adrien?”

“Stutter like a moron?”

“Plagg, seriously, stop.”

“Killjoy.”

“What about Adrien?” Tikki urged.

“Should I call the police or something? Is it legal for a 15 year old to get a nose job?”

Plagg got up and started to float around the kitchen. “It is for the right price.”

“Chloe wanted to know who she was supposed to be disappointed with. Should I tell her? Do you think she would know what to do?”

“You really want to ask Chloe for advice?”

“This is so out of the realm of what I know!” She threw her hands up. “I know superhero and Miraculous stuff, and designing and fashion, and you know, normal teenage stuff! I don’t know anything about the legal ramifications about illegal nose jobs on minors!”

Tikki patted her hand. “I think you should talk it over with Chloe. I know you’re pretty disappointed in her because of Miracle Queen, but Adrien is really her only friend. She might be respectful of him. Either way, someone needs to know about it. It’s not okay.”

Marinette nodded. “Yeah, I suppose she is the best to talk to right now.” She winced. “I can’t believe I’m going to Chloe.”

“I’ll stay behind with Adrien,” Plagg assured. “Not that I’d want to be anywhere else.”

“I wouldn’t want you to be anywhere else either. Thankfully my parents are home. I’m sure they’ll check on him periodically.”

“Then all that’s left to do is to go back to school and act like you only got one piece of life changing information instead of two.” Tikki grinned.

“And who’s better at fibbing than me?” Marinette put her hands on her hips.

“Ummm, everyone else in the world? Is that a trick question?”

Marinette groaned. “Just get in the bag.”

—

Back at school, as soon as she walked in the door, Marinette was grabbed by the wrist and yanked off into a solitary corner. She had expected to be shanghaied by Chloe, but not quite so violently.

“Soooo?” She asked, once they were alone. “Where’s Adrien? I saw you guys leaving together!”

“Relax,” Marinette hushed. “He needed a place to lie down for a while and didn’t want to go home. Also, he didn’t want to go far.”

Chloe pursed her lips. “I suppose that makes sense. So? Did you get it out of him?”

“Look Chloe, he did tell me what happened, but he asked me not to tell anyone. So I will not confirm that his father made him get a nose job.”

Chloe grunted, balling up her fists. “That piece of—“ a string of swears came out of her mouth that were completely unladylike. “Alright, what are we going to do?”

“I was hoping you had something in mind. I’m not sure what we even can do.”

“I know Gabriel will weasel his way out of it if we go to the authorities. And even if we did, Adrien would hate us for getting his father in trouble.”

“Yeah...” Marinette sighed. “Is it Stockholm syndrome?”

“What?”

“When you’re locked up for so long you start to care for your warden instead of waiting to leave? Or else Gabriel is secretly affectionate and we never see it.”

“He changed a lot. He used to be...at least a little warmer. Gentler. But I’d never call him a good dad.”

Marinette frowned. “I...have an idea. It’s not a good idea. In fact, it’s a really really bad idea.”

“Let me hear it.”

“What if...” she scrunched her lips. “We’d have to convince Adrien, but what if we botched the surgery?”

Chloe’s eyes widened. “What do you mean?”

“Like...we fiddled with the recovery, and made it look like the surgeon did a bad job? Then the surgeon who operated on a minor would get in trouble, and Gabriel would be forced to recognize that his meddling ruined Adrien’s nose.”

Chloe grimaced. “That’s pretty devious, even for you Dupain-Cheng.”

“It’s all I got at this very second.”

“Isn’t that dangerous too?”

“Look, I said it was a bad idea.”

“But...”

“But...?”

“It would get Adrikins out of modeling for a little while. At least until it heals. Then Gabriel will be forced to shell out more to get it properly fixed...”

“Forget it, this is a bad idea.”

“No no,” Chloe insisted, a malicious smile in her face that only came with her dastardly ideas. “This could work. You mention it to Adrien. Caution all the dangers and what not, but if you plant that seed in his head...we can go from there.”

“Why don’t you do it?”

“Because I’m not supposed to know about the nose job, duh!”

She had a point.

“Now let’s get to class before anyone thinks we’re friends or something.”

—

After school, Marinette rushed out of the building to get to Adrien before his driver came.

But it was no use, the Gorilla was already waiting in front of the school.

Dare she even attempt to sneak Adrien back over? Or should she just let the man in on the secret?

Believing that honesty was the best policy, Marinette approached the sedan and knocked on the window.

The gorilla rolled it down, giving her a patient look.

“Hi! Um, Adrien is at my house.” She pointed to the bakery. “At lunch, he got drowsy from the painkillers and asked if he could nap on my couch. I don’t think he wanted to go home—“

But the bodyguard understood, and beckoned her on, then started the car.

Marinette hurried back to the bakery. Inside, she greeted her mother with a kiss.

“I checked on him an hour ago,” said Sabine. “He was still sleeping.”

“Thanks Maman!” She called as she was already halfway up the stairs.

In the apartment, a little voice in her head reminded her gently, “Adrien is Chat Noir,” as she started up the stairs to her room.

She did a u-turn and came back down. “Oh I’m not ready...” she lamented.

“You don’t have to be right now,” Tikki provided. “You just have to wake him up so he goes home.”

“Yeah, yeah okay. I can...how am I supposed to wake him up?”

“With a kiss?” Tikki batted her eyes, mocking her.

“What! No! No I can’t!” She covered her red face. “I’ll just—shake him!”

And she trudged up the stairs.

Seeing sleeping Adrien, however, melted her heart. He was propped up, though slightly leaning towards the trap door. At some point during his nap, he (or Plagg) had snagged the Ladybug plush from the box in the corner, and he was now cuddling it. His mouth was open to breathe and he snored ever so gently.

He was precious.

Pushing away all hesitation, Marinette stepped forward and swept the bangs from his forehead. His eyes twitched at the touch, though he continued to sleep.

Daintily, she pressed a kiss to his forehead, lingering for just a moment.

“Wakey wakey, my Prince.” She said fondly.

Adrien’s face screwed up, and then he moaned in pain from moving his nose. “Huh?”

“Adrien?”

“My Lady?”

“It’s Marinette.”

He opened his eyes, blinking rapidly to focus them. “Oh…Marinette?”

“Good morning, Sleeping Beauty.”

“How long was I out?”

“Well, schools over. So about three hours.”

He shut his eyes. “It feels like it was only 15 minutes.”

“Well, I explained everything to your driver and he’s waiting outside. You can go home and go back to sleep.”

He opened his eyes again, and looked at her. “Not gonna lie, I really liked sleeping here. It was…warmer. Cozier.”

“Well, if you decide to try to go to school again tomorrow, you can nap here again…or anytime you’d like to. If you need to. You’re welcome whenever, that is.”

He sat up and stretched, his shirt riding up and revealing his tummy.

She did not look.

(Yes she did.)

“Hmm…I think I’ll try out your bed next.”

Her eyes blew wide. “Wh-what?”

“This was comfortable, don’t get me wrong. But the bed would probably be better.” Then his sleepy words finally clicked into place. “For a nap! By myself! But the chaise is fine! I should be lucky you let me over here at all! It’s the drugs!”

Seeing him flustered was new, but very fun. She smiled at him. “I know what you meant. I was just…not expecting it is all.”

“Right, so…”

“So…”

“I should probably get going…”

“Right. Don’t want to make your driver wait.”

“Right…” He rubbed his hands together, then fidgeted with his ring. “Listen, Marinette?”

“Yes Adrien?”

“Um…about earlier…when I told you I was Chat Noir?”

“You remember that? I thought you were completely strung out on meds.”

“I mean, I was, a little. It’s a little fuzzy, but still…can you keep that a secret?”

“What, that you said it in your pain med haze? Of course.”

“No I mean—“ He bit his lip, looking at her earnestly.

“Wait, are you really—?” She had given him an out, and he hadn’t taken it. He could still back track though!

“Marinette, I…” He closed his eyes, his brow furrowing in thought. Finally, he opened them again, tears gathering at the corners. He whispered, “Lying to you would just hurt worse. I can’t, not to you. I’m sick of lying. I’m sick of secrets. Please don’t tell…please don’t tell…”

“I won’t,” she assured. “I won’t.” Marinette rested a hand on his forehead, worried that he might be getting a fever by how vulnerable he was speaking.

He felt fine, but pressed his head into her hand, seeking out contact.

“I’m scared.” He whispered.

“Of what?”

“Of him…my father.” He drew a shaky breath. “I’ve been meaning to tell Ladybug…but I know how protective she is of our secret identities. She’s right, of course…but…”

“You should tell her anyway. Make her listen. If she cares about you, she will.” She hadn’t even noticed she was still touching his head until he leaned away. She lowered her hand, only for him to grasp both of hers.

“Thank you, everyday Ladybug. I owe you big time.”

She shrugged. “Just talk to Ladybug, and we’ll call it even.”

“Okay,” he smiled weakly and pulled her into a hug.

It was strong and firm, even a little painful with how tight he hugged her. A hug that drew strength, that was trying to savor a feeling.

That they both hoped would last.

“I’ll see you later, okay?” He asked when he finally pulled away.

“Sure. You know where I live. I’ll leave the trap door unlocked.”

He breathed a relieved sigh. “Just having the option is the best news I’ve gotten all day.” He stood. “I really do have to go now though. He’ll get suspicious. I’m not going to practice after all.”

“Go, I don’t want you to get in trouble. And make sure to talk to Ladybug at patrol tonight!”

“I will!” He assured, hooking his bag over his shoulder. “Thanks a ton, Marinette!”

It was only after he left that Marinette realized he had never told her he had patrol tonight.

Maybe he wouldn’t notice.

—

Marinette had the volume on her phone turned up all day. She didn’t want to miss anything from Adrien. Whether it was him noticing her slip up, or just needing someone to talk to.

She supposed, now that she knew how mischievous he could be, he might just drop in from the trap door.

But given the pain and exhaustion from his nose, he might not be so willing to transform.

After she had dinner, but still a few hours before patrol, her phone dinged.

She swiped it up.

Adrien: I was thinking about it all day. I’m really happy that you know my secret. Secrets are funner between two people. :3

Marinette: You mean three right? You’re going to tell Ladybug, right?

Adrien: Of course. I will tonight. But for right now, it’s just you and me. Adrienette secret.

Marinette: Are you high on meds again?

Adrien: No. I took some more after I came home, and then took another nap. Nathalie woke me for dinner. I think I’m going to stay awake and do some homework/look over your notes before patrol

Adrien: Why did you ask if I was high?

Marinette: I just thought you were being goofy

Adrien: That's my secret cap. I’m always goofy.

Marinette: XD

Marinette: hey does Kagami know?

Adrien: That I’m goofy?

Marinette: Lol no that you’re cat boy

She doubted it, since it had taken him getting high to admit it at all. But she did wonder where he drew the line. Chat was always more relaxed when it came to Identities. Did he want to tell Kagami? Should she tell him about Ryuko?

Adrien: no, why would she?

Marinette: she’s your girlfriend?

Adrien started and stopped typing a few times, the little bubbles popping up over and over.

Finally, he just called her.

Which was just great. She wanted to stutter like a moron today. She had missed not doing so earlier! “Adrien?”

“Hey, hi, sorry, umm...it's kinda complicated. So I didn’t want to text it out.”

“Oh, sure. I understand.”

“Are you busy?”

“No. Just sketching.”

“Do you mind if I rant a little?”

“My ears are yours.” What a weird thing to say. He was going to hang up now.

Or giggle, that was fine too. “So...Kagami and I never actually started dating. She thought we did, and when I said we weren��t she got really mad and we argued about semantics…She said I was leading her on, and I said I was just being nice, and she said I was being a people pleaser and fake…I said she was jumping to conclusions. She said it was implicit permission and I said I needed to give explicit permission…”

Marinette winced. “Yikes.”

“Yeah, um, don’t tell her I said this, but I’m pretty glad it didn’t work out.”

“Really?” She dared not to hope.

“Yeah. We both had expectations that the other couldn’t meet. I wanted someone who was willing to just listen to my problems and show me affection. Kagami grabs the bull by the horns and she’s not a hugger. She wanted me to solve her problems with her mom and to be an escape…but with my dad, it was the same exact problem.”

“Oh, I see what you mean. That is hard.”

“And also…being with her was…really boring.”

“Boring? Kagami?”

“We have the same life experiences. Allowed to watch the same movies, read the same books. There was nothing to add. We’re too alike.”

“Huh.”

“And truth be told…” he winced, hesitating, but then admitted, “I’m still desperately in love with Ladybug.”

Desperately. Desperately!

“I know she doesn’t feel the same way about me. So I tried to move on. I know it’s not healthy to date someone else to get over someone, but Kagami was just so…insistent. And I don’t know, it made me feel awkward.” He sighed. “I’m really tired of girls fighting for attention, when the one girl I want brushes me off.”

Marinette clenched her fists.

I have messed this all up.

Oblivious to her pain, he continued. “I wanted to give Kagami a chance because she’s my friend and she’s nice. Every other girl who’s wanted me has just wanted ‘Adrien, teen idol’ not ‘Adrien the boy with thoughts and feelings’. They just talk at me, and cling to me. Like Lila…and Chloe, unfortunately.”

“You deserve someone who listens to you.” She assured, swallowing her sorrows.

“That’s why I like hanging out with Ladybug. She’s so cool and kind! But we have some really deep conversations. As Chat Noir, I’m not ‘Adrien, teen idol.’ I’m just me. She sees me as an equal. She’s my best friend, Marinette. I can just talk to her, you know?”

“Yeah.” She whispered.

“I—I’m sorry.” He suddenly cut himself off. “It’s pretty unfair to you to hear my woes about my love life.”

“No, it’s okay. I promised to be a pair of ears to listen.”

“I know but…earlier today…” He paused. “Didn’t you say you loved me?”

Bad. Bad. Awkward. Oops oops. Abort!

“I—I did.”

“Did you mean it like…?”

“Like however hopes the most.”

“Uh huh. Please be honest with me, Marinette. Please.”

How to play this? He had just gotten over a rant about girls fawning over him. Wouldn’t it be awful to lump herself in with them?

Especially since she hadn’t revealed herself yet. What if she doomed herself now, and then later doomed Ladybug?

“I…I love you. Adrien. I enjoy spending time with you. I love your laugh, and my day is brighter with you in it. You’re my favorite person. It doesn’t have to be romantic. I just want you in my life.”

Marinette held her breath before a pleasant hum came from his side of the phone.

“Then I think…I love you too.”

She tried not to scream.

But she did mime the action to Tikki, who responded in kind.

“Would you still love me with my old janky nose?” The question was sad, but his tone was light.

“Your nose was perfect! I think your old man just needs new glasses!”

“No way, if he gets new glasses, he’ll just find something else to fix. ‘These cheekbones aren’t sharp enough! Nathalie, bring me the cheese grater!’”

“Nooo! Stay away from Adrien’s cherubic cheeks!”

“Cherubic?!”

“Like a newborn baby!”

His wonderful sunshine laughter burst from the speaker before it broke off in a moan. “Ughh you’re not supposed to make me laugh!”

“Oh, sorry. I forgot.”

“You just like to see me suffer.”

“Absolutely not, Adrien. You’re baby.”

“You heard it from her, folks. I’m baby.”

“And don’t forget it.”

They talked for a while longer before Adrien relented to do his homework.

“Are you going to try to come to school again tomorrow?”

“Yeah. I know I can crash at your place again, so I’ll try to make it through the morning classes.”

“Good. Then I’ll see you tomorrow.”

“Bye Marinette, love you.”

“I love you too.”

And he hung up.

And Marinette fell off her chair with a scream. “Tikki! He loves me! He loves me! Both of me! He’s desperately in love with Ladybug! And he wants Marinette in his life! He loves me!!!”

“And you’re going to return the favor tonight during patrol?”

“Can I?”

“It’s up to you. There’s always the threat of secret identity mishaps, but personally, I think you’ll be stronger together if you reveal yourself. He obviously needs you. Especially if things like this nose job are going to become a recurring problem.”

“God, I hope not.”

“So what are you going to do about it?”

“Besides revealing myself? I don’t know. I still have that awful idea that Chloe and I had. I just worry about how deep that problem could become.”

“Well, you’ve got a little time before patrol starts.”

“Yeah, I guess I’ll brainstorm.”

—

Despite her best efforts, the only other options included calling in an adult. And if Gabriel was deranged enough to force a nose job on Adrien, then he would surely blame him for getting busted.

Maybe talking with Adrien would prove fruitful.

And with that, she left to meet with him.

Chat Noir, that is.

She arrived first. The high rooftop offered a full view of nighttime in Paris in all its splendor, without being visible to civilians.

A perfect meeting place if she said so herself.

The minutes ticked on, and Adrien was still AWOL. Was he that nervous? Or maybe he fell asleep. Or maybe his nose was hurting too much?

Would Plagg know where to find her?

She took out her yo-yo and flipped open the screen, his paw print appearing on the grid. He was transformed and out and about. She watched as the paw print bounced around from block to block. He was not heading towards her. What was he doing?

It took a while, but eventually he started making his way towards her. This gave her a few minutes to get her story straight.

Then he arrived, holding onto the top of the staff and riding it to the roof like an elevator.

“Evening my lady,” he greeted, lacking any flirtatious tone and scarily neutral. “Sorry I’m late...I needed to clear my head.”

“Hey kitty. How are you feeling?”

“Um...I’ve been better...” the mask formed over the bandages, but did nothing to hide the shape or the bandages over his nostrils.

“Broke your nose?”

“...yeah, something like that.”

She waited. Normally Ladybug would jump right into patrol, but she knew they had to talk. She was just trying to give him the right moment. “Do you...want to talk about it?”

He gripped his arm and looked away from her. He was still out of arm's reach and only felt farther as the time stretched on.

“I...something happened. And I need to tell you but...I don’t want you to be disappointed with me.”

She sat, leaning her back against the lip of the roof. “I could never be disappointed in you kitty. Let’s talk.”

He didn’t look so sure, but sat next to her regardless. He pulled up his legs and rested his forearms on his knees.

She waited.

“I um...I messed up. I told someone my identity.”

She kept her face neutral, allowing him to continue.

“I was really scared and in pain...she let me nap at her house and she made me feel safe. I had some pain meds, but I let it slip that I was Chat Noir. Later, she gave me an out, saying she assumed I was just loopy from the meds but I couldn’t deny it. I had to tell her the truth. She’s one of my best friends, and she’s so trustworthy! I’m so sorry Ladybug...I just...it just came out...” He trembled as a tear rolled down his cheek. “I don’t regret it. But...I know I have to give up my ring. I’m...I’m so sorry.” He covered his face with his hand. “I wanted to be there for you while you were the guardian, but I already blew it. I’m such a mess...”

Ladybug wrapped an arm around him and pulled him into a side hug. “Chat, I’m not going to take your ring. You’re still my partner, and I want no one else.”

Chat shuddered and began to cry in earnest, letting out all that he was trying to conceal.

Ladybug tried not to cry too. After all, there was more talking to be had. She rubbed his back and across his shoulders.

“Marinette told me everything.” She whispered.

Chat’s eyes blew wide as he whipped his head to look at her. “No...no no she promised...she promised she wouldn’t tell!”

“Shh, hey hey, it’s okay.”

“No! She gave me her word she wouldn’t tell! I told her everything! I trusted her!” The absolute betrayal in his voice broke her, and she found her eyes stinging with tears.

“Chat...she told me it was an accident. She begged me not to take your Miraculous away. She said you needed me. You needed a friend. She was concerned, Chat. She loves you.”

He hiccuped and sobbed.

“She told me about your injury, and that you don’t feel safe at home. She told me that you’re still in love with me...and she said she couldn’t ask for a more perfect partner.”

His haggard breathing stuttered at that. “W-what?”

“She said your puns are hilarious, just ill timed. Your fighting skills are second to none. And that despite all that you go through everyday, Adrien, that you still continue to be an encouraging anchor to her. And most importantly, as the guardian, she says she can not pick a better Chat Noir.”

He swallowed harshly. “My...my lady?”

“Yes kitty.”

“Marinette?”

She nodded. “I didn’t break my promise. Mums the word.”

The next moment, Ladybug was on her back, as Chat had thrown himself at her, his arms tightly wound around her. “My lady!” He sobbed. “My beautiful lady!”

Ladybug just patted his head and pressed a warm kiss to his forehead. “Yes kitty. I’m here. I’m here and you’re safe. I’ll keep you safe.”

“I knew it was you.” He breathed. He leaned away to look down at her, affection pouring from his eyes. “I don’t know how, but my heart knew. You wonderful girl. I wouldn’t want anyone else.”

“Chat...”

“I love you, Marinette. You’re everything I ever wanted.”

Her face burned as a few happy tears leaked out. “I love you so much Adrien...but...”

“But?” He asked, voice small.

“Don’t put me on a pedestal. I’m not perfect.”

He scoffed. “No one is. But you’re perfect to me.”

She smiled sadly. “I meant, there’s something else we need to talk about.”

“What? I get to stay Chat Noir, you love me, you’re the most amazing, kindest, sweetest, trustworthy girl—“

“I kept my mouth shut about nearly all your secrets. All but one.”

He furrowed his eyes. “Wait what? To who? Tikki? She doesn’t count!”

“No, not Tikki.” Ladybug pushed off the ground so they could sit and talk again. “Listen. Chloe cornered me when I came back to school. She already had a hunch, but...I confirmed the truth about your nose.”

Chat didn’t respond, just stared at her.

“I’m sorry. I know that was the thing you specifically told me not to tell about, but...it’s just not right, Adrien. This is wrong. Like, really really wrong.”

He frowned at her slightly and turned away. “I kind of figured Chloe had me figured out. She’s seen her mom get enough rhinoplasties to know what it looks like.” He scratched the back of his head. “But like...just because you’re not used to it doesn’t mean it’s wrong. My dad is just a little more critical of me. That’s our normal.”

“No no no no no! Bad kitty!” She grabbed his hand tightly. “Never ever, for any reason, is it okay for an adult to force their child to have elective surgery. You said you were scared earlier! Don’t try to justify that behavior!”

“Well...it’s not great, but he’s my dad and he’s grieving...”

“Adrien Arthur Alphonso Andrew Absolon Athanese Agreste, you know better than that.”

Chat gawked at her.

She held his cheeks in her hands and forced him to look at her. “This stopped being a grieving process. It’s abuse.”

“...I just didn’t want to have an abusive father.”

“No one does, kitty cat.” She whispered, rubbing her thumb over his cheek, careful not to bump his nose. “But justifying his behavior isn’t going to help. It’s just going to make it worse.”

“I don’t know what to do.”

Ladybug screwed up her lips. “Chloe and I...may have come up with a horrible idea. I wanted to talk to you about it to workshop it.”

��Okay. I’m listening.”

She bit her lip and answered haltingly. “We could...purposefully...botch your nose.”

He narrowed his eyes. “Botch my nose...? Why would we do that?”

“If your bandages come off and your nose is ‘worse’ than it was before, your dad will take it out on a doctor that was willing to operate on a minor, and your dad will have to realize it was his fault this happened.”

“You don’t think he’d suspect me of tampering with it?”

“Would he? Knowing that it’s your nose on your face that you’d have to live with?”

“I don’t know...”

“Like I said, it’s a terrible, awful idea. A huge risk. But it’s all I got right now.”

Chat frowned, bringing his hand to his chin. As he considered this, his brows twitched and his lips screwed up. Then, his whole face relaxed and a smile slowly overtook it. “The surgeon said it would take a few weeks for it to heal on the surface, but a year or two to heal on the inside before it would be safe to operate on it again. If it’s botched…I could get out of modeling for at least a year.”

“Is that what you want?”

“To not have to miss class for photoshoots? To not wake up early, or have my free days taken? To have to say no to hangouts? To not have a rigid diet? To not have my flaws pointed out by my father, makeup artists, and photographers? Gee, how will I survive?”

She smiled a little at that. “I can’t emphasize how dangerous messing with this is. You could have breathing problems, headaches…”

“With my crippling anxiety and self-doubt, I already have breathing problems.”

It probably meant it as a joke, since he said it so casually. But there was just so much weight to it that he couldn’t be lying.

“Adrien, do you need to see a therapist?”

“Eh, probably.”

“Did you see any therapists after your mom disappeared?”

“No, father said it wasn’t anyone’s business what happened to our family.”

“Christ on a motorbike…okay, once your nose gets revealed, I want you to act as traumatized as you can and demand that you see a therapist. I really think it’d be good for you. Does that sound fair?”

“Yeah…I think you’re right. It might be weird though…”

“Sure. But I just want you to be happy, okay?” She rested a hand on his cheek. “I’m asking you to do this not because it’s what I want. I’m asking you to put your mental health first.”

He shimmied over so he could hold her, and rest his head on her chest. “I believe you. I love you.”

“I love you too, Adrien.” She whispered, her lips caressing his forehead. “Oh should I say, ‘other boy’?”

He looked up at her. “Really? Me?”

“Since the moment you gave me your umbrella.”

“Aw Bugaboo! That was the day I fell in love with you too!”

For a long time, they stayed just like that. Embraced, safe, content, and basking in the affection they’d been denying for so long. Broken hearts mending, battered souls finding reprieve.

“So,” Chat began. “How are we going to bust my nose?”

“Wait, you’re serious?”

“Unfortunately, it makes a lot of sense.” He pulled away from her, begrudgingly, and stood. “I’ll stand here, and you go to the other end, and then just chuck your yo-yo at my face as hard as you can.”

“I can’t do that!”

“It’ll be fine, my lady.”

“No it won’t! There’s no way to control it! What if I cave your nose in completely!?”

“You won’t. I have silicone braces in the nostrils. If you shatter the cartilage, it should stay in place. The doctor took cartilage from my rib and rebuilt my nose. We need to break that.”

“Or just dislodge it.” She suggested. “Wait, I’ll try for a clean snap in the middle.”

“You can try,” he chuckled.

Ladybug hopped to her feet and took her place a good twenty feet away.

“I’m going to close my eyes. Don’t tell me when you’re throwing it so I won’t flinch.”

“Okay!”

Then silence.

He waited with bated breath, flexing his fingers.

Then there was a whistle and he turned his face reflexively, taking the impact to the side of his nose.

CRUNCH

And he hit the ground.

“Chat!” Ladybug rushed over to him.

He gave her a weak thumbs up.

“I’m so sorry! That looked so painful!”

“You held back.” He teased.

“Because I didn’t want to kill you! I know it was my idea, but that was terrible!”

The bandages under his nose were nearly soaked with blood already. “It didn’t hurt that badly…”

“Let’s take you home and redress your nose. Okay kitty?”

“Only if you do it for me, My Lady.”

“What do I look like, a nurse?”

“No, but you are the one that broke my nose.”

“Oh great. Now you’re going to lord that over me?”

“Always, my darling bug.”

—

Back at Adrien’s room, he dropped his transformation and turned to look at Ladybug.

“What’s with that look?”

“I just…it’s one thing to hear it, and another to see it.” She also dropped her mask.

“Oh…I see what you mean. Despite the pain in my nose, I’m just…really happy to see it’s you.”

Smiling gently, Marinette took his hand and guided him into the bathroom. “I’d say we’re pretty lucky.”

“Well, I hit the jackpot.” He joked. “I think you just got the consolation prize.”

“Nonsense. You’re the perfect trophy husband.” She reached up and gently removed the tape holding the bandage in place, and then eased it off.

Adrien watched her reaction, his heartbeat quickening when her eyes widened in horror and her jaw dropped.

“Is it bad?”

She nodded. “Can you breathe okay?”

“It’s hard with the splints, but it doesn’t feel any different from before.”

“Okay. Well, that’s...good? Um..go ahead and look.”

Adrien turned to face the mirror, and tears sprang to his eyes. His face, his nose, what he was familiar with, was wrong. The bridge was broken, and very visibly bent like a parenthesis mark. No doubt about it, the surgery was botched.

But he wasn’t expecting to be so startled by it.

Marinette’s arms wrapped around him from behind. “It’s okay kitty. It’s alright.”

Adrien nodded, his nose throbbing. “I should probably redress it.”

“Do you want help?”

“It’s alright my lady, I’ve been doing this all weekend.”

Very gently, she turned his face toward her. Then she kissed the corner of his lips to avoid bumping his nose. “Roman statue, Pinocchio, Jimmy Durante, no matter what your nose looks like, it’s perfect to me, and to Nino and Chloe and all of your friends. Because it’s yours.”

He embraced her, leaning his cheek on top of her head. “Thank you, Marinette. That means a lot to me.”

“Of course kitty. Anything for you.”

There was no talk of what came next for them. Adrien redressed his wounds and took some pain medication. Then Marinette tucked him into bed before transforming and going home to sleep herself.

—

The bruising was even worse the next day. He looked like he got stung by a bee, he was so swollen.

“Dude...” Nino whistled lowly.

But Adrien ignored him in favor of Marinette’s shoulder. He snuck up from behind and dropped his chin on her, embracing her around the waist at the same time.

“Oh! Adrien!” She squeaked, unprepared for the hug. “How do you feel today?”

“Like Ladybug hit me with her yo-yo.”

Marinette chuckled despite herself. “I’m sure she’d never do a thing like that. She’s far too nice, and I think she has a crush on you.”

“That’s good,” stated Nino, eavesdropping. “Adrien’s got a mongo crush on her too.”

“Hugh Mongo?”

“Hugmongus Dungous.”

Alya was alert the second Adrien dropped his chin on Marinette. “Okay, well for someone crushing on Ladybug and dating Kagami, you’re certainly chummy with Marinette.”

“Kagami and I aren’t dating. We never did. And Ladybug is better off with Chat Noir.”

Marinette patted his hands in mock consolation.

“That still doesn’t explain why you’ve decided to use Marinette as a pillow.”

“She let me crash on her couch yesterday at lunch. After she left, I found her diary and read the whole thing. I found out all about her gigantic crush on me.”

Nino let out a violent sigh of relief. “You mean we don’t have to hide it anymore?! Finally!! Dude, it was getting so embarrassing!”

“Completely unbearable!” Agreed Alya. “Did you see the calendar?”

“Calendar?”

“Alya...” Marinette warned, her face turning red.

“Yeah! She has your whole schedule written out! It’s adorable!” Then she added under her breath, “and borderline creepy.”

Adrien hummed and hugged Marinette a little tighter. “That’s nice. You’ll have to share that with me. I’m so bad at time management.”

Chloe had been listening for a while as well, but decided that this was a good time to interrupt. “Adrikins? Can I borrow Marinette for a moment please?” Her voice was so sickeningly sweet, as if she were asking daddy for a pony.

Adrien sighed and released Marinette. “Be nice,” he warned.

“Of course!” She beamed, before grabbing Marinette’s wrist and hauling her off to a corner of the courtyard again. “You two are awfully close this morning! What gives?”

“Well...last night he called me and we had a good talk. Then I told him of the idea we had. He wasn’t thrilled initially, but the more he thought about it, the more he came around. He eventually agreed.”

“And then?”

“And then I went to sit on my balcony, and saw Ladybug and Chat Noir patrolling. So I flagged them down and told them the whole sad story. As Adrien told me, they showed up at his house and Ladybug broke his nose with her yo-yo.”

Chloe screwed up her face. “Ladybug, Huh?”

It was obvious she was still having some reservations of the hero ever since Miracle Queen. Maybe Marinette shouldn’t have mentioned Ladybug in the first place.

“Did she mention me at all?” Chloé asked.

“I said you and I came up with the idea to botch Adrien’s surgery. She kind of laughed and said we were crazy, but she respected how much we both cared for Adrien.”

“She didn’t say she was disappointed with me?”

“No, should she?” After all, Marinette wasn’t supposed to know about Miracle Queen.

Chloe was quiet then shrugged. “Maybe. Not your business though.”

“That’s fair.” Marinette amended.

“So she broke his nose?”

“Yeah. But she said we’re not allowed to tell people she’s responsible for it. Adrien doesn’t even want people to know it was a nose job.”

“Here’s a bit of inside information from the world of the rich and famous. No one ever wants people to know they’ve gotten a rhinoplasty. If they have surgery, they disappear until it’s healed. Then they emerge and all the rich and famous friends so “oh wow, did you get a haircut?” But never, never, is it talked about with men. You see?”

“Huh. So if anyone notices he has a crooked nose?”

“Gabriel will probably make up a story about him being in an accident, to drive up the tragedy.”

“He’s a real piece of work.”

“That is something we can agree on.”

—

Adrien stayed until lunch again, before going to crash on Marinette’s bed. The next day was much the same, and the day after that. By Friday, the swelling had gone down significantly.

“I’m not going to have to crash at your place today, My Lady.” Adrien said by way of greeting.

“Oh, do you feel better now?”

“No, I have an appointment at lunch. One week post op. Fingers crossed.”

“Let me know how it goes, okay?”

“Absolutely!”

And so at lunch, he pressed a kiss to her cheek and left with his driver.

It was less than an hour later when her phone buzzed with a message from Adrien.

Adrien: going in. I’m about to destroy this man’s whole career

She burst out laughing, startling Alya and Nino who were eating lunch with her at her house.

About 15 minutes after that, her phone dinged again.

Adrien: where are you?

Marinette: At my house. Lunch is almost over. Why?

Adrien: we’re going to a different doctor and I need an ‘emotional support friend’ with me. Can we pick you up?

Marinette: Absolutely! I’ll be right down!

Marinette explained the situation to her parents, Alya, and Nino, and prepared to meet the sedan outside the bakery.

The car pulled up and she wasted no time getting inside and sliding right in beside Adrien.

“I apologize for asking you along on such short notice, Miss Dupain-Cheng.” Said Gabriel from the passenger seat. “The reveal of Adrien’s nose was understandably quite upsetting to him. It appears the doctor who did the first corrective surgery did so poorly, and Adrien’s nose is ruined. We will be going to a new doctor to see what our options are. He’s requested someone come along to comfort him. I don’t blame him, I’m extremely upset myself.”

Marinette turned her attention to Adrien, seeing his eyes red from tears. He may have gotten actually emotional, or just from watching his father get angry.

“I understand, Mr. Agreste. It’s really no problem. I want the best for Adrien.”

“You’re an artist with a keen eye. His nose is clearly crooked, right? That foolish quack had the audacity to say that it was fine! Swelling he said!”

Marinette turned Adrien’s face toward her to get a better look.

His nose was even worse, if that was possible. It might have been swelling, but no doubt about it, the bridge was pointing left.

“It’s...it’s a little off...” she said sheepishly.

Boy, she did a number on him.

Adrien simply took her hand and squeezed.

Soon they arrived at the new doctor’s office. A plastic surgeon, specializing in rhinoplasty. The office was emasculate, marble flooring, chandeliers, it looked more like a hotel than a doctor's office.

Gabriel strode right up to the front desk. “Gabriel Agreste. I called a little bit ago about an emergency consultation with Dr. Nosestiff for my son.”

Adrien and Marinette looked at each other. Nosestiff? There’s no way that was a real person.

“Of course. He was able to squeeze you in. He’ll be with you in a moment. Please take a seat.”

They sat down in the empty waiting room, Gabriel tapping his foot impatiently.

“I hope that the other doctor loses his license.” Said Gabriel, to no one in particular. “It was supposed to be a simple surgery. That’s what he promised. I paid 100,000 euros for my son to look like a boxer. Unbelievable.”

Adrien had not yet let go of Marinette’s hand, and he trembled at his father’s anger.

Marinette rubbed a hand down his arm soothingly. “It’s going to be alright.” She whispered.

“Alright? Alright?!” Gabriel barked at her. “No it’s not alright! Adrien’s future as a model is ruined! That’s not alright! And all because—“ he stopped and hung his head.

All because of me. Is what he didn’t say.

“Agreste?” Called the nurse.

The group was led back to an examination room where two doctors were waiting. Adrien was urged into a chair.

“Hello, I’m Doctor Nosestiff, and yes, that is my real name.” He shook everyone’s hands. “This is my colleague Dr. Zasio.”

“Gabriel Agreste. This is my son Adrien, and his friend Marinette.”

“From what I heard on the phone, Adrien has had...an accident?”

“As you can see,” Gabriel gestured to his face. “The doctor was supposed to be performing a rhinoplasty, but instead decided to turn my son into a rhino!”

Adrien turned his face from side to side.

“Yes, that is a severe complication. He still has a lot of bruising and swelling, did you just come from the other doctor?”

“The one week follow up, yes.”

“What doctor did you go to? Was it a plastic surgeon?”

“Yes, a cosmetic surgeon.”

“Well, a cosmetic surgeon and plastic surgeon are not the same thing. Cosmetics can do lip fillers, Botox, and rhinoplasties, but they should not be doing septoplasties, which obviously happened to Adrien. Rhinoplasty is surface level. Nostrils and the tip. But a septoplasty deals with the septum and the bridge. That doctor shouldn’t have even touched Adrien’s bridge.”

“He said his cartilage had been shattered and that it needed to be rebuilt.”

“Again, not in his area of expertise. Adrien, did you have some sort of face trauma?”

“Uh—“ Adrien started, but Gabriel interrupted.

“No. It must have happened when he was born. Adrien hasn’t even been in any situations where he could get hit in the face.”

The doctor frowned at this.

Dr. Zasio spoke up. “What was the goal of the first surgery? Surely you didn’t know about the shattered cartilage?”

“Adrien developed a bump on his nose that was unsightly and uneven. Here’s a photo from his last photoshoot.” He handed over his phone.

The doctors both stared at it in shock. “Oh my god!” Exclaimed Dr. Nosestiff.

“See? It’s quite distracting—“

“That’s a perfect nose! Absolutely gorgeous! People would pay millions of euros for this nose! Why on Earth did you want to change it?”

“I uh…” Started Adrien, yet again, Gabriel interrupted.

“This bump, right here.” He pointed to the screen.

Dr. Nosestiff pinched his own nose and frowned at Gabriel. “Look Mr. Agreste. I’m going to have to ask you to sit in the waiting room.”

“Excuse me?”

“It's obvious that you’re upset about this, rightfully so. But I need to speak to Adrien, and you haven’t let him have a word edgewise. I think you might be a little hysterical right now.”

No, that’s just how he always is, Adrien thought.

Gabriel balled up his fists and jutted out his jaw, the impending explosion gaining pressure. But instead he huffed and raised his chin. “Fine. I will go wait out in the lobby.” He snapped, and walked out.

Dr. Nosestiff exhaled once he left. “Wow.”

Adrien and Marinette exhaled too.

“So what’s really going on?” asked Dr. Zasio. “I’ve seen your ads. They’re everywhere. I’ve had patients bring in your picture asking for your nose. What gives man?”

Adrien swallowed. “I didn’t want surgery. I liked my nose. I didn’t know there was anything wrong with it.”

The two doctors sighed dejectedly. “Disgusting. your father put you up to this?”

“Yes.” He confessed, sheepishly.

“What did the doctor say to you at your consultation? Did he ask what you thought?”

“I never talked to the doctor before the surgery. I was pulled out of class without warning, driven to the operating room, and put to sleep. When I woke up, my face was totally swollen, and the nurse said I was ‘all better.’”

“Yeah, all better,” scoffed Dr. Zasio. “Who was this doctor? Picasso? No one should operate on a minor unless it’s an emergency. You weren’t having any difficulty breathing, were you?”

“No.”

“Thought so. Well, he messed you up real good.”

“Um,” Marinette spoke up for the first time. “There’s something else you should know.”

They both looked at her, listening.

“Adrien confessed to me what happened, and we…well, I had…a really terrible idea.”

“Which was…?”

“I’m the one that screwed up his nose. I hit him. We purposefully botched the surgery to make Gabriel feel guilty.”

Dr. Zasio buried his face in his hands as Dr. Nosestiff just stared.

After a long beat of silence, Dr. Zasio finally just chuckled. “I mean…I guess you accomplished your goal? Waste his money, and make him live with the fact that his risk put Adrien in jeopardy. Honestly, it’s better that you did that this time instead of seven surgeries down the line when he starts to look like a ken doll.”

“What you did was extremely stupid and risky.” Scolded Dr. Nosestiff. “But, it was clever. This isn’t the first time a narcissistic parent has forced cosmetic surgery on a child. But I have a feeling it will be the last for Adrien.”

Adrien smiled a little at that.

“Now, let’s talk about fixing that nose. How’s your breathing?”

“It doesn’t feel any worse than before.”

Dr. Nosestiff tilted his chin up and shined a line in his nasal cavity. He poked and prodded with a long q-tip. Then he gently felt the bridge of his nose.

Adrien winced.

“That hurt?”

“Yeah.”

“Still broken, of course. I’m actually optimistic about this. The skin of your nose is thick, so breaking the cartilage and resetting it should solve most of the problems. If the other doctor had to reconstruct it, that probably means he took out all the old cartilage to begin with. Now, the golden question: Are you planning on continuing whatever activity it is that shattered the cartilage in the first place?”

Adrien and Marinette shared a look.

“I kind of have too.”

“Okay. Well, try to be a little more careful?”

“I’ve been telling him that for a while.” Teased Marinette.

Adrien just fondly rolled his eyes.

“Now for the news that’s going to make your dad really mad. I don’t operate on minors without due cause. Since you can breathe fine, I don’t see a need to get you in here as soon as possible. How old are you?”

“I just turned sixteen.”

“Perfect. In two years, come back, and we’ll fix this. I’ll tell your father too. You need to fully heal before any more surgery happens. If anyone goes digging in there, the risky for a horrible, life threatening complication goes up. Gabriel Agreste will just have to deal with having an attractive son with a slightly bent nose, over having a son with no nose.”

Gabriel was brought back into the examination room to hear all this himself while Marinette and Adrien waited in the lobby.

Adrien just sat with a fond smile on his face. “You know what? I’m also okay with a slightly crooked nose.”

“I think it’s cute.”

“I think you’re cute.”

She stuck her tongue out at him. “Hey, I was thinking…next weekend, if you’re feeling better, do you want to go on a date with me? Maybe get some ice cream?”

“Oh my lady, I’d love to…but I have to check my schedule. I might have a photoshoot—JUST KIDDING I’M FREE!”

#miraculous ladybug #adrien agreste #marinette dupain cheng #adrinette #ladynoir #chat noir #ladybug #gabriel agreste #identity reveal

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hortensemitchell · 3 years ago

Text

Love Science: Chapter 5

Logan believed that he could solve anything through the power of science, even something as complicated as love. James is set on teaching him that love can’t be summed up in experiments and charts.

The two of them might just learn that there is more to love than they realize.

Rating: T

Pairing: Logan Mitchell/James Diamond

Word Count: 2305

“It’s really not that bad Carlos.” Kendall said, leaning against the bathroom stalls. “No one will even notice.” He paused for a moment, looking him over again. “Probably.”

Logan kept his head down as he ran some paper towels under the cool water, attempting some medical aid with the limited supplies in the school bathroom. Under the bright fluorescent lights he was finally able to get a good look at Carlos’ face, and well, Kendall wasn’t being entirely truthful.

His eye was swollen shut, a dark bruise already starting to set in. And his lip seemed to be split open across the top. Carlos would wince in pain every time he spoke, but that hardly stopped the smaller boy.

He isn’t even sure what had happened in the time he had separated from the two. He couldn’t always be with the other boys because of the advanced classes he took. That didn’t keep him from being roped into their shenanigans though.

One minute he was listening intently to his teacher's lecture on the symbolism in ‘Animal Farm’ and the next Kendall was at the door claiming Logan was needed in the principal's office. He knew Kendall though, and wasn’t all that surprised when he grabbed him by the wrist, dragging him the opposite direction of the office.

Carlos was sitting on the counter of the bathroom, hand held over his eye and Logan had instantly gotten to work. It was second nature to him, fixing their injuries. He didn’t even bother asking how they happened anymore before coming to their aid.

“Give it to me straight Doc, am I gonna live?”

Logan rolled his eyes at the other boy’s melodramatics, though he couldn’t fight the smile tugging on the corners of his mouth. “You’ll live at least, but you’ll have a pretty nasty black eye for a couple days. How’d you get this anyways?”

Carlos sat up taller where he was perched on the edge of the counter, chest puffed out in pride. “Well you’ll be proud to know that I happened to get a date for the dance. James isn’t the only ladies man after all.”

Logan heard Kendall snort from over his shoulder, “Yeah and how many of James’ ‘ladies’ leave him with a black eye?”

“She was excited, you can’t blame her for that. Besides, you're just jealous that I have a totally awesome date and you don’t.” Carlos looked over at Kendall sticking his tongue out, and Logan shook his head. Sometimes it was hard to believe he was the same age as them.

Logan clasped his hand on Carlos’ shoulder and gave it a congratulatory squeeze momentarily distracting him from Kendall’s teasing. “Just try and wear your helmet around her okay? I can’t keep missing class to patch you up.”

He heard the bathroom door swing open, and all three of them looked over to see James rushing into the room. “I got your text, sorry it took me so long, Mrs.Bigler was not in a friendly mood today. Can you believe that she told me that- Wait. Dude, what happened to your eye?”

“Kendall! You told me that no one would notice!”

Kendall raised his hands in mock surrender, “ I did say probably.”

James came closer to the pair at the sink, examining the damage. “How can anyone not notice, can you even see?” Logan elbowed James in the ribs sharply to get him to stop talking.

“It’s not that bad,” Logan gave James a pointed glare, “And it should at least fade a little in time for the dance.”

The mention of the dance seemed to have Carlos perk up again, springing himself off the counter, injury completely forgotten. “Speaking of the dance, Jenny said yes to going with me. So you wanna help me get some clothes for the dance after school? And probably one of those flower things that girls like?”

Logan felt James tense up beside him. James was supposed to be helping Logan after school, and he felt himself deflate a little. Tutoring him would be a chore, and he doubted James would pass up the opportunity to go to the mall for him. He tried to shake off the feeling though, it’s not like he wanted to go to the stupid dance anyways.

“How about tomorrow night? I have to go to Logan’s to work on algebra homework.”

Kendall raised an eyebrow, examining the taller boy. “Since when do you pass up the opportunity to go shopping for tutoring of all things?”

When Logan glanced over he swore he could see James cheeks flushed with embarrassment, but as quick as the expression crossed his face, it left. It was kind of scary how quickly James could put on a show, and it got Logan wondering if he ever did that around him too.

James shifted the weight of his backpack on his shoulder, eyes meeting Kendall’s analyzing look. “You know my mother, if I don’t pass my test with at least a C, there’s no way she’ll let me go to the dance.”

The answer seemed to please Kendall for a moment, as he nodded. Logan felt momentarily grateful for James’ quick thinking because it would be mortifying for the other two to know what they were really doing.

They wouldn’t really care, he knew that much. Minus some teasing, he doubts the other two would think much about it. But still, his lessons in love were something he would like to keep to just the two of them.

The shrill bell pierced the air reminding the group of boys that they still had half a day’s worth of classes to get through. Carlos and Kendall shuffled out of the door quickly, realizing they had left their bags in their last period, and Logan moved to follow behind them. He only made it a couple of steps before he felt a harsh tug on his bag almost pulling him off balance.

He stumbled backwards a couple steps before coming in contact with something solid. He turned around in place to find himself inches away from James. The other boy had a huge grin plastered across his face, and Logan could see an almost evil glint in his eye. It was the same look he would see on Kendall’s face as he concocted yet another scheme, and Logan instantly felt dread build in the pit of his stomach.

There was no use fighting it though, he’d learned from years of being their friend. He sighed in resignation, “Alright, what’s the plan?”

“I’m glad you asked, I figured now was the perfect time to start step one of your training.” James set his bag on the counter beside him and began ruffling through it. When he pulled a tube of hair gel and his lucky comb from the bag, Logan finally understood what step one was. He made a move to exit the bathroom, but was stopped by James hand gripping his bag strap, holding him in place.

“What do you think is the first step to getting someone’s attention?” James looked at him expectantly and Logan racked his brain for an answer.

That question had brought him back to the very same struggles he had yesterday at Kendall’s house. Whatever it is that James did to make the girls fall at his feet, he just didn’t know. At least with Kendall, he could say that girls liked his easy going, down to Earth charm. And any girl that met Carlos, knew they’d be in for a crazy time. There just wasn’t a good answer for James though, and Logan hated not having an answer.

James had stepped out of Logan’s space, and watched him as he thought over his answer. Under his watchful eye, Logan began to feel uncomfortable and turned to the bathroom mirror to avoid his gaze. “I don’t know James, a good opener?”

He could see in the reflection James shake his head slightly, “Step one is getting them to look at you. Why do you think I spend so much time fixing my hair and deciding what to wear everyday? It takes effort to look this good, but it’s well worth it.” He stepped behind Logan, meeting his eyes in the mirror. “And today I’m gonna use that effort on you.”

Logan couldn’t help the snort that escaped him at James’ words. All the Cuda Man Spray and hair gel in the world couldn’t make up for the fact that he was a nerd. And when he stood next to James? Well it was almost unfair.

James was breathtaking, Logan wasn’t afraid to admit what was true. He had a natural glow about him, and he managed a healthy tan all year round despite the cold Minnesota winters. And when he smiled, his whole face lit up in a way the genius couldn’t really describe. When he stared at them, side by side, it wasn’t hard to compare himself to everything he was not.

“Let’s face it James, no one's gonna look at me when you’re in the room.”

James' face fell, and an unreadable expression crossed his features. His voice was barely above a whisper now, and Logan had to strain to hear it over the sounds of people walking to class in the hallways. He’d almost completely forgotten the school bell had rang.

“You don’t have to be me for someone to like you Logan.”

“Yeah, sure I don’t. That’s why there's a mile long line of girls just hoping I’ll give them the time of day. I’m a scrawny, pale, nerd who can barely string together a sentence in front of a pretty girl.” He shifted his head to the side, no longer interested in looking at his reflection. “ I appreciate that you want to help, but-”

He felt James’ hands on his shoulders, gently turning him around. Again he was only inches away from the other boy, a fact that made him nervous.Though James wasn’t making eye contact with him which made the situation a little more bearable as he stayed still under James grip, waiting for him to break the silence.

When he finally met Logan’s eyes though, there was a deep sadness in them that had him wanting to backtrack on all of the things he had said. He could play dress up for James, pretend that all his effort wasn’t in vain. Anything to keep him from looking at Logan the way he was now.

“Do you-” He took a quick breath in an attempt to steady his shaking voice. “Do you really think that low of yourself Logan?”

Now would be the time to pull back, pretend that it wasn’t a big deal to him. He didn’t really trust his words right now, afraid he’d keep spilling his guts if he opened his mouth. Instead he gave a small nod, hoping that the other boy would drop the conversation right there.

He wasn’t expecting the harsh tug pulling him tightly into the other boys’ arms. James had crouched down slightly, burying his face in Logan’s neck, his body tense like he would sprint away at a moment's notice.

Logan knew exactly how he felt, overwhelmed with the close contact. Still he didn’t try to break free from the hold, instead tangling his fingers in the fabric of James t-shirt, holding him close. He didn’t know how long they stayed like that, seconds, minutes, maybe an hour before James finally spoke again.

“I know it might not mean much coming from me. But I promise you I’m not just saying this as your best friend. You aren’t some pathetic nerd Logan. I wasn’t kidding about all the things I said yesterday, you are more than you give yourself credit for. And if some girls don’t realize it, that’s their loss.”

Logan felt grateful that James still had his face buried in his neck. That meant he couldn’t see the flush across his cheeks and how teary eyed he had gotten from the kind words. He couldn’t really find the words to speak and instead wrapped his arms around James hugging him tightly.

Behind him, Logan heard the bathroom door slam open and wasn’t surprised when he felt James launch back from their embrace. The student didn’t even look twice at the pair before turning on his heel and heading back out. The heavy mood in the room though had left with him, and Logan didn’t really know what to do now.

James preoccupied himself with gathering the hair supplies that had been long forgotten on the counter before zipping up his bag and turning his attention back on Logan. “So, I’ll be over at four?”

He was giving Logan an out, if he didn’t want to do this anymore all he had to say was no. But Logan found himself nodding. Even if he felt the plan was pointless, it obviously meant something to James and he never wanted to see that look of sadness on his face again.

James smiled at his agreement, knocking him on the shoulder as he made his exit from the bathroom and just like that Logan was alone.

Being left with his thoughts seemed to be a very bad idea, as he could clearly still remember the feel of James’ arms wrapped tightly around him. They were all affectionate with each other, sure, but something felt different about that hug, and he didn’t want to think about it.

Instead he rushed out of the bathroom, heading off to make it to the very tail end of his third period class. Hoping a little calculus would distract him from thinking about what happened in the bathroom and the tutoring session later.

Across the school, James headed to his chemistry class, hoping for the same exact thing.

#my writing #Big Time Rush #James Diamond #Logan Mitchell #Carlos Garcia #Kendall Knight #Jogan

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eerythingisshaka · 5 years ago

Text

PTA II

[Trevante Rhodes x Reader]

Word Count: 2.4k

Angsty Fluff

Part 1

Looking at your desk, you wonder how it’s gotten even more junky since working from home. A rainbow of notebooks and sticky pads scatter its surface with reminders and past lesson plans that beg for organization. You pick them up in clusters, doing a vague clean up as you check the clock on your computer to see you have ten minutes until showtime. Your kids will be logging in for their Zoom classroom to begin.

You’re starting a new chapter on the Civil War today and although you knew it like the back of your hand, you freaked out at the moment, not able to find your presentation in any of the appropriate desktop folders. Unfortunately your virtual desktop was every bit as messy as your physical one. Clicking through the dated lesson plans, you finally find what you are looking for, opening it to prepare for sharing as your breakfast sandwich dings in the microwave. You meander through the obstacle course of your living room to grab your meal to go, almost burning your hand from its fresh heat as you sit back down, just in time to start off the lesson.

“Good Morning class! Happy Monday!”

“Good Morning!” They all say in scattered succession, your greeting back.

You dig right into the lesson at hand with dates, names, places, and all that is in between. The kids were assigned a chapter before the weekend to prepare for discussion and luckily most of them seemed to have at least skimmed the topic beforehand.

“Ok guys, now we have a few more minutes before I have to assign this week’s project, so does anyone have any questions?”

One young man, Nemour raised his hand. “Yes, do you think, um, like could this happen again, do you think?”

You couldn’t hold back the gag on your face from the insightful question. “That’s a good question. And I know it really fits with some things that are talked about in politics today. I won’t say that it never is going to happen, but I also will not scare you into thinking that it will. Civil Wars are happening today in countries all over so it is not a subject that is new or forgotten. But use the events that lead up to it and think about what we do that could avoid the conflict or what are tells that signify that war is imminent. Thank you for that question Nemour because it segues us into this week’s project…”

Displeasure washed across several of your students’ faces but you have been blind to that behavior for years now so you began the rundown: three page essay on any aspect of the Civil War they may choose.

“You may email me and we can discuss your idea and if it is a topic that can fill three pages. I want a citation page, credible sources. See me if you need a review on what a credible source is. I will see you again tomorrow guys. Be safe!”

The blips of each person signing off is your background noise as you put aside your notes once more, dropping your pen in the process.

You pick it up and hear something in the background of Nemour’s video.

“Nemour?” You call out the student’s name but they must’ve forgotten to sign off. You begin to hang up yourself, when someone comes into frame.

“Nemour, I told you to clean up your room before school started so I could get this laundry done, damn!”

You recognize the shirtless man strutting with a laundry basket under his arm as Trevante Rhodes, Nemour’s dad. You had a run in with him before that left you more than flustered but you stuck to your morals to ensure nothing came of it. Luckily, Nemour’s been doing well and no one has messed with his things, so any teacher-parent meetings are only the ones required by the school.

“Ahh ah ahh ah ah AHHHHH! Caught up in the rapture of love…” He sang out loud, setting the basket on a table to free his shoulders up for some bopping.

You can’t look away and didn’t dare end the session as the show was just getting started. Trevante rolls his shoulders, pumping his fists victoriously in rhythm with the song. You take a bite of your breakfast sandwich covertly appreciating the show.

“I love you here by me/ You let me love fly free…”

He spins around quickly on his toes ending on a pose before the next verse. His body is an artist’s dream with each flex he made. You could tell before that he is a fit man but nothing beats seeing the evidence unadulterated. His thick torso kept steady by his deep abs, kiny hair peppered across his chest for flavor. And those arms, what can be said about these family style, thick cuts-

“Ms (Y/N)?” You snap out of your inner study and forget you are in full view of him seeing you. Hanging up abruptly flashed through as an option but it made no sense now you were caught.

You shuffle some papers as he takes out his AirPods and comes closer to the camera. “That is you!”

You look up in feigned surprise, coughing up your previous bite of sandwich. “Oh, Mr. Rhodes! Did Nemour forget to sign off. Oh well, I was just going to-”

“Nemour!” Trevante yells out. The soft patter of feet become louder.

“Yeah?” he asks.

“Your teacher is waiting on you, whatchu doin?”

“No no! I wasn’t waiting!” You say fervently.

Nemour peeks over his dad’s arm. “Hi Ms (Y/N). Did you need me?”

You smile disingenuously. “No, I was just about to sign off. Just don’t forget that project, ok?”

“Yes ma’am.” He runs out the room as his dad calls out.

“Talk to me about this project when I’m done talking to your teacher!” Trevante takes a seat, looking pleased with the predicament. You are mortified, sitting your your head in your hands.

“So...how you been? You look well.” Trevante says with an enthused smile.

You look to him and return a tight one. “Thanks. I can’t say I’ve done much of anything but good to know I don’t look worse since our last talk.”

Trevante leans forward with his chin in his hand and you try not to imagine sinking your teeth into it. “Please, you’re blessed to not need much. Natural beauty.”

You take in the compliment with an inhale. “Sure, thanks,” you say, noticing a spot of jelly landed on your chest, probably after that last bite. You rub you chest to get the tiny stain out.

“Wow, that looks damn good,” Trevante says when you’re done.

You hold a hand to your chest, gasping in outrage. “Mr. Rhodes! I really don’t take kindly to forward comments referring to my body!”

Trevante purses his lips together, resting his chin on his fist. “I...meant that sandwich. I can see it below there.”

Your mouth hangs open staring from the sandwich to the meal in front of you. “I am...so sorry...”

“Don’t worry about it. Hey, how was your date?” he asks quickly with a forgiving look.

You think of his question with confusion before you realize that you had brought up meeting someone on Valentines Day after the meeting with him last time.

“You remember that?” You ask, slightly impressed.

He nods. “Of course. I’m that kind of person, receptive to information and it sticks. That’s why Nemour so good at school, gets it from Daddy.”

“Good to know. But the date didn’t go as well as I hoped it would…”

Trevante cocks his head to the side inquisitive. “Huh. Where’d y’all go?”

You roll your eyes automatically. “He told me to meet him up at this mom and pop diner, which I’m not stuck up! If the food is good, I’m practically down for anything!”

“Ok, ok, so what was the problem?”

“He knew the family that owned the place, so his meal was free. We ordered like a late night breakfast thing and it wasn’t good. My food was both bland and overseasoned and the eggs I asked for were runny when I wanted a hard scramble.”

“Oh no,” he shakes his head.

“And in the end, even though his meal was paid, I had to pay for mine because he’s ‘in between things right now’. Then I had to give him a ride home and he offered his bed to me since his mama was asleep on some Xanax.”

Trevante rears his head back covering his mouth with his fist during his hoot-and-holler. “I’m sorry, I don’t mean to laugh, but that was pretty damn bad.”

You laugh graciously. “I know, but he was cute and I swear he seemed to have more potential than most other guys on the apps so maybe it was just a bad day?”

“You are giving these playas too much credit! And apps? Shoot, you could pull any ole dude off the street on a Tuesday just taking out the trash.”

“Mr. Rhodes-”

“Trevante works. Sometime Tre, sometimes Te but hold the Mr. Rhodes for me, please.”

“Fine, but only on here, I can’t call parents by their first names in public, it’s just too formal for me.”

Trevante gets a sneaky grin on his face, scratching his beard stealthily. “So, you want to talk to me on here more often?”

Your jaw drops, aghast. “Mr… Trevante, I never said that. You’re always putting words in my mouth.”

He shrugs. “I’m sorry. It’s just so pretty, I can’t help but wanna hear it say things I wanna hear.”

You twist in your chair, barely composing yourself with his sly talk. “Wow! You never quit!”

“I will when you do!”

You face each other in a standoff over each other’s screen. He was slowly tearing down your walls as much as you tried to reinforce them with professionalism.

“Ok,” you say.

“What’s ok?”

You sit forward, building up the nerve. “IF we were to discuss things outside of schoolwork and your son, how would that go?”

Trevante rubs his hands together. “Well, first-”

You put a finger up. “Remember that I have a busy schedule with assignments and we are in quarantine so no way we could be in the same room or eat out.”

Trevante looks off into space, thinking. “Ok, so when do you usually turn down for the night?”

“For bed? Probably ten if I am lucky.”

He nods, rubbing his chin philosophically. “What are you having for dinner?”

“...probably this pasta thing I picked up at the store…” you say reluctantly.

Trevante claps his hands together. “That’s it! Ok, I gotta go but let’s talk later, aight?”

Before you could question him further, he hangs up the video call. You sat there pondering what just happened. Trevante is pretty straightforward with you but that ended on an unusual note. And then you began to think back to his smile and body and laugh and compliments, making your head curl toward your lap with giddiness.

“God he is so fine.”

Later that evening you are laid across your couch in full snuggy mode: bonnet on, pimple cream where needed, tshirt and titties freeballing. You set your reheated pasta meal down to cool and look through your emails one more time before calling it a night. You have more than one concerned parent who will message you at ungodly hours about why Timmy and Jane aren’t getting an A+ average and their stress allows you to sleep peacefully as you’re reminded how unbothered you are since students make the grades, not you.

As usual, there is one new unread message to check out and of all people it is Nemour’s dad. No subject line, but the body of the email asking you to log on to video call him.

This was sent almost an hour ago, so you feel pretty secure that he is not on and let your curiosity lead you to the app.

Not long after, you get an invitation from Trevante.

“Hey!” he says, smiling wide (this time with a shirt on) after you accept. You begin to smile back but catch a glimpse of you in video and feel instant regret.

“What’s wrong?” he asks, slurping some spaghetti up.

“I forgot what I looked like, I should’ve waited to talk in the morning,” you say apologetically.

Trevante waves a hand at you. “Don’t worry about all that. You getting ready to wind down, right?”

You pick up your dinner and show him on camera. “Pasta and all.”

“Great, so the date is on! How was your day since we last spoke?” he asks, slurping more spaghetti and taking a bite out of some garlic bread.

You scoff, poking at your penne. “So this is why you didn’t answer me? This is your plan for a date?”

He holds his hands out humbly. “A brotha gotta try. You so busy and remember we are in a quarantine so I can’t have you coming here with those beautiful germs of yours.”

“Wow, sure ok. Throw it back at me. Got it.”

You take a bite of your pasta as ladylike as possible, giving a rundown of your day which wasn’t much to take note of as Trevante noisily slurps his spaghetti making you laugh.

“What’s up?” he asks, wiping his mouth.

“I...well your meal looks better than mine. At least you make it look better.”

He licks his lips before smiling, lighting your spirit as you smirk into your food.

“What can I say, I get down in the kitchen when I can. I wasn’t bout to heat up some frozen mess and call that a meal, you know? I gotta eat real food!”

You drop your fork. “Ok, Mr. Anita Baker! I know when I’ve been disrespected!”

Trevante gets nervous having offended you. “Wait wait! My bad, ok?”

You point at him with all authority. “My food is my business.”

“No problem, I’ll hold back, but not too much on Anita. And maybe I’ll order you some DoorDash or something next time.”

“If,” you warn.

Trevante gives you a playful face. “If not, I’ll just tell Nemour to quit doing his homework and we can conference about it.”

“Oh bye, he’s too smart for that!”

Trevante laughs. “You probably right. Look, I don’t mean to push, but I’m glad you made time to see me here tonight.”

His eyes look at you genuinely pleased and you feel that familiar giddiness creeping up.

“I’m glad you invited me. Just this little bit is better than my last date, so points to you.”

Trevante stares at you contently. “You know if we were outside, this is when we’d kiss.”

You look up to the ceiling. “Here you go!”

“I felt the moment! Don’t lie!”

You look at him defiantly. “Too bad we won’t know until that time comes.”

He wags a finger at you. “See? You keep thinking these are conversation ending phrases, but you baiting me. So there’s a next time ahead of us! Hit me up for a Netflix Party and Chill.”

“Good night, Te,” you say exasperatedly.

“Have a good day at school tomorrow.”

You hang up first and sail backward, laying across your couch feeling like you ran a marathon. This could all still be forgotten. You aren’t too deep to deny him. He called this a date but come on, did it count? You sit up to poke at the remnants of your meal and think about his lips slurping up the spaghetti hungrily. And the kiss that would have sent you to bed happily.

Part 3

Masterlist

Tag

@chaneajoyyy

#trevante rhodes fic #shakafic

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mar04isdead · 4 years ago

Text

Freaks But Family

Chapter 1 Chapter 2

Chapter 3: Screwing things up a lesson by Favion Freeman

If the title does not tell you what is about to happen, then I can't help you. The reason you are back here my friend, is because you want to find out how Favion messed everything up with Maria. If you want to find out how she punches him to the brink of unconsciousness, you will want to stick around.

"Babe, murder was not on todays agenda. That's on Tuesday, wait until tomorrow." Rose gently lowers Maria's arm which was controlling some plants that are choking Liberator.

Maria whines, "Honey please, better him than anyone else." she tries to lift her arm up again.

Rose shakes her head, "Let him go, we have to go anyways."

"Fine," Maria releases the plants.

Oddly enough, it's the middle of the day after school. Maria and Rose had to do a quick heist, but someone had to try and bust them.

"Dude, you are real bad at your job, whatever it is your job is." Rose leans on Maria who opens a portal.

Maria pushes Rose into the portal before jumping in herself. They end up back in the sewers and start laughing.

"That was funny, how did he know that we would be there after school?" Rose asks Maria.

Maria shakes her head and takes off her goggles, "I have no idea. But I find it weird how he didn't put up a fight."

"Babe, what's that on your neck." Rose taps the back of Maria's neck, on it is a little black dot that was never there.

"What is it? Rose what is it?" Maria questions with urgency.

Maria can feel Rose messing with the dot, but nothing happens. Rose tries to pull the dot off, but it doesn't come off.

"Hey, mind giving us some electricity. Maybe you can burn it off." Rose takes a few steps back and hides behind one of the curtains.

"Sure, just give me a sec." Maria shakes her head a few times before taking a deep breath and focusing on what she wants to happen.

Rose pokes out from the curtain, "Maria, are you even trying?"

Maria nods violently, "Yeah, I'm trying. You know how I can just visualize what I want from my abilities and it happens?" Rose nods. "Well I can't do that anymore. The vision is blurry, not even there. And you know how this stuff works."

"Can't see it, can't do it." Rose comes out from the curtain and opens her arms for Maria. "C'mere." Maria runs into her arms. "It's okay, we'll just ask Esme about this. Maybe she can do something."

Favion returns to his headquarters to report to Dr. Gomez.

"It's on Madness, couldn't get Thorn, but then again Thorn isn't a threat." Favion removes his mask to let himself breath.

Dr. Gomez, a petite Mexican woman with long dark hair, piercing grey eyes, dark golden skin, and her usual attire of a lab coat, black scrubs, and white tennis shoes. She has a weird tattoo on the back of her neck, but Favion has only ever seen it once.

"Good, I would have preferred if you could get both but that's fine." Dr. Gomez writes something on her clipboard. "You're off for the rest of the day, you have to meet with that tutor of your, right?"

"Umm... yeah, but I can stay and skip if you need me to do patrol." Favion gestures to his mask.

"No, I am in charge of a serious operation. I can not risk having a sophomore, who is failing a math class, be our hero." Dr. Gomez slams her clipboard down on a nearby table. "Get that grade up before I get a replacement. That friend Maria of yours, she did gymnastics for years and she's the top of your class, I wouldn't mind having her on the team." She gives Favion a wicked grin. "Am I understood?" She asks through her pearly teeth.

"Yes, ma'am." Favion nods and leaves the room with a harsh smile.

Favion goes to get changed and calls Maria.

"How do you have my number?" Maria growls through the phone.

Favion sighs, "Can we meet up in about ten minutes at the park? I'm having trouble with the homework and I need help."

Yelling comes from Maria's side, "Okay, but I can't stay long. I have somewhere else to be after."

"That's fine, where do you have to go if you don't mind me asking?" Favion finishes changing.

Maria chuckles, "A date, with my girlfriend. I am currently getting my things so if you aren't at the park in the next nine minutes I will kill you." And Maria hangs up.

Maria is just sitting on a picnic table on her phone while Favion tries to do some work by himself.

"What was the formula again?" Favion asks, staring blankly at his paper.

Maria sighs, "Negative b plus or minus the square root of b square minus four a c over two a. A lot to memorize I know but it's on the final."

Favion sighs and finishes solving his problem, "That's all of them. Can you check on them?" He offers the paper to Maria.

Maria nods and takes the paper from him, and takes out her sheet with the correct answers. She checks the paper over with a red pen, she checks it for a good three minutes, the pen only touching the paper once. She gives him the final grade before handing the paper back to Favion.

"That's it, you just missed one. Can't blame you, factoring is a pain." Maria puts her things away. "I have to go now, I don't want to be late."

"Hey can I at least tell you something real quick?" He asks, wringing his hands.

Maria looks at her phone, "You have one minute."

"Okay," Favion starts to quicken his speech. "We were ten when you left me, but back then I had very strong feelings, and I still do. I never had the chance to tell you, and when I saw you with Rose I still thought I wouldn't be able to tell you, much less stand a chance. But I want to tell you now, or I might never get the chance again." Favion buries his face in his hands and mumbles loud enough for Maria to hear, "I love you, I always have and I always will."

Maria stares at him wide eyed. Her mouth agape and her face pale, "Dude, I don't know... what to say!" Maria exhales and lets out a shaky giggle.

"Well, then don't say anything." Favion puts his hands on her shoulders. "I know you still feel something. I've known you for ten years, that's more than your own family."

"Immanuel, Kayla, and Alyssa have known me for ten years too! That doesn't really make you special." Maria gets herself away from Favion.

Favion smiles, "Well it's more than that girlfriend of yours."

That's when Maria loses it, Favion doesn't see her fist coming towards his face. When Maria has punched him, he stumbles back into the table. He can see black spots in his vision and everything is blurry.

"I'm a lesbian, back in the day, I only ever liked girls. Now I'm with Rose, and I'm happy with her." Maria growls, "I have to go, don't you ever try to bring this up again." She glares at him before walking away.

Rose holds onto Maria's waist to keep Maria from falling over. Maria has her hands over her eyes and her goggles are on the top of her head while both of them are walking on the edge of a building. Both are in their disguises and it's early in the evening when they never strike, so people won't suspect them.

"I am getting the feeling you don't trust me here." Rose kisses Maria's cheek.

Maria chuckles, "I kind of don't trust you, but at the same time I do."

They keep walking for a while, they jump a few times to go from building to building. When they arrive at the spot Rose wants, Rose fully wraps her arms around Maria.

"Open your eyes, and please don't kill me." Rose takes Maria's hands away from her eyes and puts her goggles on over her eyes. "What do you think?"

It's the sycamore tree, the one from when Maria was a kid. At this time in the evening, one would barely be able to make out the outline, but now hanging from its branches are fairy lights that sway in the breeze. A blanket is on the grass at the bottom of the tree, in the center is a basket, pillows, and some candles.

"Awwww, babe! I love it!" Maria turns around and plants kisses all over Rose's face. "How long have you been planning this?" Maria gives a kiss on Rose's lips.

Rose smiles into the kiss, "You like it?"

Maria nods and puts her forehead against Rose's, "I love it, I love you. Thank you."

"I know today isn't our anniversary, but it's the day we first met. Six years ago today you became my first friend." Rose hides her face in the crook of Maria's neck. "You're so tiny."

Maria shakes her head with a smile, "I'm only shorter by five inches."

Rose chuckles, "Sure you are, want to head down?"

Maria nods, she has the shadows swallow them. It's dark for a second and then they both appear at the tree. Maria sits them both down.

"I know you have to drink blood today, so I packed you some cat blood. The twins did this voluntarily. So drink up and then you can have some tamales." Rose gives Maria a bottle of blood.

Maria smiles and looks at Rose, "Did you make them yourself or did you ask one of my cousins for help?"

"I made them, Sam has a video!" Rose hands Maria a tamale. "On the agenda tonight, Esme said you needed to work a bit more on your shadow abilities and what a better way than to do a puppet show?"

Maria starts to laugh, "I'm dating a child!" she tries to hide her laugh.

Rose gets lost in Maria's smile, "Yeah, but this child loves you."

"I've been here all night, I have finals in the morning. Where are they?" Favion shouts at no one in particular while sitting on the edge of a building.

For two days, Madness and Thorn have not shown up. Usually their heists are on Wednesday's and Thursday's. But they haven't shown up or done anything, there have been reports across town. But Favion has never been able to make it in time no matter what he tries, he has had to put another chip on Madness and Thorn this time.

"Favion, it's getting late. I'm calling it, they aren't going to show up." Dr. Gomez talks to Favion through his ear piece. "You got school in the morning kid, don't want to fail those finals now do you?"

"No, I don't. Night, ma'am." Favion takes out his ear piece and chucks it as far as he can.

He stands up and jumps from building to building. He kicks anything he can see on the roofs and throws any rocks he can see. He's about to head back home when he hears laughter from below, he looks over the edge of the roof he is currently on. It's his old friends, and Rose.

Rose is holding Maria close by the waist, Maria has her head resting on Rose's shoulder. Immanuel has an arm around Alyssa and is holding hands with Kayla. All of them are laughing, they don't seem to care about what is happening around them.

He badly wants to go down there and talk to them, but not as Liberator or the current Favion, as the old Favion. The one who would race his friends across the woods to make it to the cliff, the one who supported Maria in what ever stupid decision she made, the one who would braid Alyssa's hair when she was sad, the one who would play fight with Immanuel, the one who helped Kayla bake, he wanted to be that old Favion.

"I'm never getting that chance, why hope?" He wonders to himself.

He sighs and stands up, turning in for the night.

The whole school is in panic in the morning, people drinking coffee like it's their life source, reading over notes, looking at flash cards, memorizing formulas, and trying to sleep. It's finals, and the whole school is taking them. But there is one group of people who is not worrying.

"Think we pulled it off?" Immanuel hands all the girls a bag of Skittles.

Maria tears her pack open and eats half of it. She nods and Rose pats her head, "Yeah, we got rid of all of it."

Kayla puts a hand up, "Bell just rung, wait for it."

"Students, due to unfortunate events, the finals are cancelled. We will be returning to our regular class schedule."

The whole school erupts into cheers. Some people even throw their study materials away.

"We did good!" Alyssa cheers.

The group of friends all hug and laugh. When the bell rings again, like the rest of the school they head to their classes. And not much happens in their classes, because of finals having a last minute change teachers don't have anything planned.

People keep making theories as to why finals have been cancelled, but no one is complaining. Having finals in October is way too early for them.

"Like who the hell has finals during October, they should be in December. We have things to do later on." Immanuel takes a Skittle from both his girlfriends and pops them in his mouth.

Maria nods, "The parade is in a week, good thing it's before Halloween. We might just have to bring you three for patrol."

"Nope, we will totally need you guys. We are going to be at the parade with our flag, we're gonna need y'all with yours." Rose ruffles Maria's hair.

"What's the plan for Halloween?" Kayla asks.

Maria shakes her head, "Me and my cousins are doing our trip to tierra de los muertos. So if you could take Rose away that would be great for us."

Rose shrugs, "Don't you have that cousin who's birthday is Halloween?"

"Yeah, so I need all of you to go to Snellville and drop something off for her." Maria pushes Rose off of her.

Rose frowns, "Is this the same cousin who last saw you years ago?"

Maria nods, "That same one, Melissa. It might be hard to get to her but trust me, she's okay."

The bell rings and the friends collect their things and head for their last class.

"Any signs of Liberator?" Rose scans the skyline of the city.

The group of friends are in Atlanta, participating in the annual coming out parade. For years it would just be Maria and Rose, before they were dating they would raise a rainbow flag and support the people below them. Now, they raise their flag and share a kiss. Usually police are supposed to protect the people at the parade, but people from the churches have begun to get more violent. It just gave Maria and Rose more reason to help people.

Kayla shakes her head, "Nope, how do you two handle being up this high?"

"Practice." Maria leans on Rose, looking down at the balloons, floats, and colors.

"Hey, the crowd's coming this way!" Immanuel shouts.

Kayla goes with her partners and they get the flag that they brought. Rose and Maria climb onto the flag pole near them and start to put the flag up. Just as the parade is passing by, the people see on the flag pole a rainbow flag and Kayla, Alyssa, and Immanuel with their polyamory flag.

The crowd starts to cheer, the cheering gets louder as Rose and Maria kiss and Immanuel and Kayla kiss Alyssa's cheeks. When the couples separate, they notice something in the distance.

Maria starts to laugh, "Guess who decided to join us!" she points to where Liberator is running towards them.

"There is a crowd of people below us, we can blend in easily. Mind giving us a few minutes to change babe?" Rose asks Maria.

Maria nods and closes her eyes. The world around her stops as she opens her eyes, she smiles and lightly tugs on Rose's arm. Rose stumbles forward and Maria tugs on the rest of her friends.

"Three minutes, I didn't get much sleep." Maria points to the watch on her right wrist.

Everyone quickly changes back into their normal clothes and then jump through one of Maria's portals. They run through the crowd, helping Maria to not touch people. Once their time is up, Maria does a two fingered hand signal.

Times starts up again and they are lost in the crowd. They can see Liberator on the building they were on. They all smile and keep walking with the crowd, but they keep their eyes on Favion. Eventually when he comes down to join the parade, but instead of celebrating with others, he grabs some police and they start to ask people questions.

Maria slides her hand into Rose's, "He does know we know his identity, right?"

Rose looks to where Maria is looking, she starts laughing out of nowhere. "He just changed form 'hero'," she uses finger quotes. "To regular teenager right in public, he does know that was a bad decision?" Rose walks around Maria, hugging her from behind and rest her chin on Maria's head.

Maria notices, "Aww, is someone jealous?" She turns herself around so that she's looking up at her girlfriend.

"You can't prove that?" Rose plants a kiss on Maria's forehead. "You can prove how much I love you." She glares behind Maria, "And the asshole is heading this way."

"Why don't you like him?" Maria lightly punches Rose's shoulder.

Rose frowns, "Oh, I don't know, probably because he had a crush on you when you were younger and he still has a crush on you."

Maria smiles, "Don't worry, to quote a favorite character of yours, 'I love you means you're never ever ever getting rid of me.'"

From behind them someone clears their throat, the two of them turn around and see Favion.

"Sorry if I'm interrupting something, but I'm on guard here with my uncle and his unit. Saw you guys and wanted to say hi." Favion smiles as he walks over to them. "Where are the others?"

Rose points off to the side, "They ran off over there when they saw some people giving away candy." It's not a lie, those three really left when someone was handing out candy.

"Well," Favion fidgets with his hands. "What are all of you doing here?"

"We're here for the parade. But then we saw that Liberator guy, and we might just leave because of him." Maria leans on Rose.

Favion frowns, "Why, he's just here to protect people."

Maria shakes her head, "He's on their side." She points to the protesters. "We can't trust someone like that." She then points to the flagpole, "Those five however, we can trust." She takes Rose by the hand and drags her into the crowd, away from Favion.

Maria is training with her staff again, trying to get a control on her new abilities. The only knowledge Maria has on her abilities, is her great-grandmother's notebook. Her great-grandmother was the only person in their recorded history, before her death she wasn't able to record her shadow and death abilities.

She also made formulas, formulas that are able to contain Maria's abilities to help her control them and keep them safe. But her great-grandmother, Lucia, was able to begin the final formula. Ever since Esme, Immanuel, Alyssa, and Kayla have been working together to finish it.

"Fuck!" Maria shouts when her powers have her in a wall. She over calculated how much power she would need to break a few plates with some shadows.

"Babe, you okay?" Rose tries to reach Maria to help her from behind one of Maria's barriers.

Maria shakes her head and waves her off, "I'm fine, Rose. It's just a dent, I'll just shift to use my other limbs."

"Not the smartest plan," Esme says from beside Rose. "We don't know how shifting might affect these abilities."

Maria cracks her neck, "That's why we are doing these experiments, right?" she balls her hands into fist and arches her back as her limbs start to grow in. "Fuck, ow that hurt, more than usual." Mara winces and rubs her right shoulder.

Esme frowns, "Try not to strain yourself. I know you want answers, we all do, but please be careful."

Maria waves her off too and starts to focus on the shadows around her. She pulls them towards her and they start to swirl around her, they start to form into spheres at her hands and her extra limbs. She forces herself to bring all the shadows together to focus on one spot.

"Hey, Maria, you might want to stop. Something's happening." Esme taps on the barrier, but Maria doesn't listen.

Maria shakes her head and keeps focusing on the shadows, the strength of the shadows starts to push her back and she tries to dig her heels into the ground to push forward.

"Maria, we mean it. Stop, you're starting to hurt yourself!" Rose shouts through the barrier. Rose goes to hit on the barrier, but her hand goes through, the barrier is gone.

"She too focused on the shadows," Esme mutters with worry.

They both notice how Maria's arms are starting to get covered in black veins, they crawl up her arms and to her chest.

Esme gasps and rushes to a cabinet and grabs the black dot that they took off Maria a while back. Esme puts her hand in a puppeteer motion and makes the dot float, and she shoots it aiming at Maria's neck. Once it lands on her neck, the shadows start to back away and go back to their corners. Maria instantly grabs at her head, trying to stop her raging migraine.

Rose walks up to Maria and kneels down beside her, "Hey, are you okay? I know that took a lot out of you." Rose keeps trying to get Maria to respond but she hears Maria start to make small snores. "Aww, she's sleeping." Rose smiles up at Esme.

Esme shakes her head, "It ain't cute, she drained herself. That was not safe of her to do, I had to use that chip thing."

Rose picks Maria up bridal style and starts to rock her, "She's like a baby!" Rose gasps with excitement.

"Get her to her bunk, she's had a long week. I'll start to clean things up and then I have to work on everyone else's abilities." Esme takes a taser from her back pocket and shoots it at the dot at Maria's neck. The shock jolts Maria awake.

"Holly fuck!" Maria shakes her head.

"Hey, it's okay I'm here." Rose soothes Maria, putting her back to sleep. "I'll just go upstairs and put her to bed." Rose turns around and heads up the stairs with Maria in her arms.

"I'm sorry about him, no one else is home." Maria adjusts the toddler on her hips while talking to Favion.

Maria has to tutor Favion again, but she also has to take care of Mike. She's been the only one that's been able to keep his ability under control.

Favion shakes his head, "It's no problem, Alijah needs a play friend. Mom and dad are downstairs so I'm taking care of her."

Maria smiles and sets her cousin down, "Esta bien, vas a jugar con una niña. Pero con cuidado, eh."

"Just let me get her." Favion rushes down the hall to his sister's room. He comes back a moment later with a one year old Alijah on his hip. "Here she is, how is he when it comes to pulling hair?" he gestures to all the braids in his sister's hair.

"He should be fine, he does pull hair but in the end it depends. It has to be colorful hair," Maria points to her own hair. "I learned that the hard way."

"Okay, well they can play in the living room while we do work. Most of Alijah's toys are there anyways." Favion walks over and sets his sister down and watches as she goes to her toy bin in the corner.

Maria pushes Mike forward a bit, "He's a bit shy, doesn't like strangers but it's okay he'll warm up to her."

Mike stares at Alijah for a minute before grabbing a toy and handing it to her.

"Remember when we used to be like that?" Favion crosses his arms and smiles.

Maria frowns, "You mean before you became an asshole?"

Favion looks at the kids playing before pulling Maria into the hallway, "Okay, look, I don't know what the others told you but it is not true. I mean yeah I stopped talking to them because I was sad, I was sad that you left! So if anything that was all your fault." He points an accusing finger at her.

Maria growls and puts her arm to Favions throat, pinning him against the wall. "They sent me away, we found Mike on our doorstep, they were all abandoned, why we don't know. I didn't want to leave, they gave me no choice." She puts more pressure on his neck, making his face go red. "You choose to stop talking to them, you choose to play with people's feelings, and you choose to ruin people’s lives." Maria let's him go.

Favion's hand goes to his neck, he rubs it when he feels how sore it is. Maria glares at him before going back to the kids with a smile.

"Let's get your work done, me and this little man have other places to be." Maria sits on the couch and pulls her binder out of her bag.

"I swear to the gods, if he stops us one more time I am cutting his face off!" Maria screams as soon as she enters the sewers.

Kayla wheels over to Maria in her chair, "Did he try to stop you while saving another kid?"

"Yeah, babe I'm gonna help you cut his face off." Rose sits down on a nearby chair, Maria sitting in her lap. "How, how can he not see that those kids are being abused? Two more patrols and we are done, why does he feel the need to make our job so hard?"

"It's the FBI like they do proper background checks on families." Immanuel tosses Rose and Maria water bottles.

Maria downs all of her water in a second, "Do you guys think you can go with us next time? We just need a diversion, I'll make as many portals as needed, just please we need the help."

Rose looks at Maria in shock, "Yeah, if she's begging for help, you know she means it."

"I'll punch him in the nose for you!" Alyssa shouts from behind a curtain.

Maria smiles, "I like it, anyone else want to inflict pain on our old friend?"

Immanuel raises his hand, "I'll cut his tongue off!"

"Kayla, can you top that?" Rose points at Kayla with excitement.

Kayla smirks, "I'll stab him in the crotch."

"Ding ding ding, we have a winner!" Maria cheers.

The group laughs and smiles, not the first time they place bets on what happens to Favion.

"Does he even know it's us yet, does he know we know?" Alyssa asks, throwing the curtain to the side.

"Goggles are dirty again, sweetie." Kayla gestures to Alyssa's face.

"Oh, thanks." Alyssa cleans her goggles.

Rose groans, "This dude is dense, the amount of hints and he still doesn't know. How did you all put up with him?"

"We don't know." the others reply with disappointment.

"Hey, Maria, have y'all decided on an animal for Mike yet?" Alyssa wonders putting her tools away.

Maria nods, "Yeah we have an idea, but we have until late May. But the animal we have in mind, it's gonna be kind of hard to find."

Rose raises an eyebrow, "This is the first I'm hearing about it, which one were y'all thinking?"

"Not your concern, like I said, the animal we have in mind is hard to find." Maria crosses her legs with a smug smile.

Favion sits on a table while looking at a video that Dr. Gomez is making him watch. She put a camera in his mask without telling him and she's been making him watch all his encounters with Madness and Thorn. He's been pausing it at times when he thinks he has solved their identities.

"That ring..." Favion pauses the video again and zooms onto the ring in Madness' hand. "She uses that for portals. I take that away, she can't make any more portals, but what kind of tech is that?" He wonders to himself.

He keeps the video playing, then Madness makes the ring into a staff. He notices how she pushes a button to make it into a staff, and the blades at the end are also hollow. There is some sort of blue smoke in the blades, and when she uses the blades on him, he's electrocuted.

"I see you're doing your research, against your will I'll add." Favion's uncle mumbles from behind him.

Favion smiles at his uncle, "Believe it or not this stuff is actually helpful. Now I know where all those abilities of hers come from, that staff." He shows his uncle what he saw. "If I get that away from her, EMP preferably, she's vulnerable and I'll be able to deal with her."

"What about her telekinesis and that shape shifting thing she can do?" Damion looks closer at the video.

Favion smiles, "I can handle those by myself. I just need that EMP, I can take things from there."

Damion nods, "Alright, I'll talk to Gomez about it. I heard your school postponed finals, you better be bringing that grade up in the meantime."

"The thing is, no one knows why they were postponed. They didn't really tell us anything other than the test went missing and the system went down." Favion turns off the video, "Finals are during December now."

Damion smiles, "And how are things going with Maria, have you wooed her yet?"

"No, she's... dating someone already." Favion doesn't really know who to tell his uncle that one of his old girl best friends from childhood, is a lesbian, and has a girlfriend, knowing his uncle that wouldn't be good.

Damion frowns, "Well in the end as long as you respect her wishes, that makes you the better man."

"I'll be fine, trust me, I'll be okay. I know I haven't gone out in a while but I can handle myself. I have all these abilities, I need to learn my limits eventually." Maria adjusts her goggles before opening a portal. "Just remember that Mike needs to be in bed by eight. Esme, Sam, Liam, and Clarisse are getting home from work late. Don't give the twins sugar, Nico and Angle are still fighting over the new toys, and Imelda has to take her meds before bed. And," Maria points to her girlfriend. "Don't let that one near anything."

Rose gives Maria an offended look, "Shouldn't I be left in charge?"

"No!" Both Maria and Yallesia respond.

Rose takes a step back, "Okay, I'm just going to go lay down on my bunk. Try not to die out there, babe." She waves at Maria before walking up the stairs from the basement to get to the house.

"Don't worry, nothing will burn down while y'all are gone." Yallesia reassures Maria.

Maria smiles and jumps through the portal, landing her on a rooftop near downtown. She scans the city when she finds a bank that is on her list. She smiles and stops time, she heads down and looks around the bank once she is inside. Armed guards in front of a large vault.

"Let's see what's inside of this thing." Maria opens a portal to her side and jumps through, she's inside the vault.

She starts to stumble a bit and her head starts to hurt, "We need to speed this up." she tells herself.

She opens a portal again, but doesn't jump through. She looks over all the money and smirks, her hands go out in a puppeteering motion, and she feels a familiar tug in her stomach. She focuses on having the stacks of money do what she wants, she has them float through the air and through the portal. When she has most of the money through, she feels a migraine coming on. She drops everything she is doing, closes the portal, does her two finger signal, and watches and hears as time starts to pick up again.

The alarms in the vault start to go off, probably because they sensed her moving. She pulls a risky move and runs into a dark corner, she appears back on the roof. She trips over herself and lands harshly. She moans in pain while she struggles to get up. She pushes her pain down as she watches the police start to arrive at the bank, she lightly chuckles as they try to find who broke in.

"There you are." someone states from behind her.

Instantly Maria turns around very quickly, her leg out, kicking the person in the gut. The person groans and Maria can see their shadow, doubled over holding their stomach. It's Liberator, and he has something in his hand. Maria takes her ring off of her back and pushes the button turning it into her staff.

Liberator straightens, "Kind of knew you were going to use that thing." He aims the object in his hand at Maria, "Which is why I came prepared." He pushes a button on the object and Maria sees something in waves coming towards her.

Once the waves hit her, she doesn't feel anything, but she can feel something wrong with her staff. She quickly realizes what has happened and she laughs.

"An EMP, really, that's nothing." she smiles.

Liberator glares, "The only thing you have to help you is that telekinesis of yours, and we both know you wouldn't shapeshift when you're defenseless. You have no way out because without that," He points to the staff in her hand. "You can't make your portals."

Maria shakes her head, "I beg to differ."

Liberator, while confused, doesn't see what Maria does with her hands. Her hands are cupped and start to do small circular motions, the ground around them starts to shake. The sound of pipes bursting rings though the abandoned building they are on. The windows start to break and water starts to pour out of the building, Maria starts to move her arms in circular motions gathering all the water in a bubble. Liberator looks at the bubble in shock, Maria winks, twitches her hands forward causing all the water to shoot at Liberator.

"Guess he didn't see that coming." Maria shrugs when she looks over the side of the building where Liberator fell. "Oh well, time for me to go home." She let's the shadows around engulf her, her head hurts terribly, once she opens her eyes she collapses.

When she wakes up again, it's the middle of the night. She sits up, her back aching, and she realizes she must have shifted while asleep because she can feel her extra limbs. She's just in sweatpants and some fuzzy socks. She looks around, she's on the bunk she shares with Rose, in the room they share with the other girls. The night light in the corner makes the soft green walls a yellow tint. She rubs her eyes before getting out of bed, she climbs down from the bunk. She grabs around the nightstand for her glasses before finding them and putting them on.

She slowly walks to the kitchen, her socked feet padding against the hardwood floor, and her extra limbs tight around her as to not knock anything over. She heads to the fridge to get a bag of blood, she knows she really shouldn't be having one but her head hurts too much, plus it works better than aspirin. She takes a seat at the kitchen counter, tears the bag open, and starts to drink.

"You really shouldn't be drinking that." A pair of arms wraps around her shoulders and a chin rests on her head. "It's the middle of the night, you're gonna be hyper." Rose warns.

Maria finishes the bag, "Ugh, yeah I know. But it was Sam's blood, so it's not the tastiest but it's all I got left. Plus I had a major headache." Maria sets the bag aside and rubs her forehead.

Rose kisses her cheek, "Try putting these things away, I know it hurts but it's got to be killing your back."

Maria nods, she takes hold of one of Rose's hands, and starts to arch her back. She tightly squeezes Rose's hand out of pain as the limbs go back under her scales and skin. She tries to hold back a scream as she starts to sweat.

She hits her fist against the counter, "That hurt more than usual, holy shit."

Rose rubs her back, "Hey, what happened out there?" she wonders.

Maria sighs, "I guess I held time for too long. And he used a EMP, couldn't use my staff so I couldn't limit my abilities. I shadow jumped like twice and used my water abilities to throw him off the building. I'm glad there's no school tomorrow."

"Yeah, you could use a break. Plus you promised to do my hair." Rose smiles.

Maria laughs, "Yeah, I already have an idea what to do."

Rose frowns, "I just realized that Favion literally left you defenseless and could have killed you."

"Oh yeah, next time, he's dead." Maria smiles.

Favion throws the EMP device on the ground, "What the fuck?" He shouts at Dr. Gomez. "She still had abilities, she controlled gallons of water as if it were nothing! Why didn't you tell me?"

"You didn't ask, and I didn't know! When I studied her, she showed no other signs of other abilities!" Dr. Gomez shouts back.

Favion catches himself before saying anything, "Okay, okay, we're going to act like adults about this."

"That's going to be really hard for you." Dr. Gomez goes back to writing on her clipboard.

"Gonna pretend that wasn't said, now let's continue. So, she showed no signs of any other abilities. But now we know that she has that telekinesis, shape shifting, and control over water. It's a start, can you use that information to help me?" Favion explains it like he's talking to a child.

Dr. Gomez sighs, "Yes, I can use that for something. I also managed to find some pictures of Madness and Thorn from when they were children in the facility. They're badly damaged, but I'm sure you and your uncle can figure something out. I'll give them to you in the morning." She turns around and walks away, but before she does she calls over her shoulder. "Go home, you have the day off tomorrow."

Favion waits for Gomez to leave before flipping over a nearby table. He hits his fist against his head repeatedly while muttering random things. He looks at the computer and thinks things through, after a while he decides to throw all logic out the window and do a quick search. He types in Maria's name. Once her file pops up, he looks into family. He only finds her cousins, no mom, no dad, no uncles, no aunts, no grandparents. Just her cousins.

"I can't even ask her about this, I can't I'll be risking a a lot. I can't risk more." Favion closes his eyes and starts to cry.

#Freaks But Family #Original Work #Fantasy Story

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apex-academy · 4 years ago

Text

Chapter 5: Caring Is a Hazard to Your Health (#17)

After a thrilling lecture and practice session, I’m released. Last chance to sweep the refreshments tables before the competition starts. Not sure how much I should trust the drinks at this party, but we’re only allowed to kill two people at a time, so. Wouldn’t be a good play to poison it. And drugging wouldn’t be any smarter. Don’t think anyone here would do that, anyway...

I chug a little lemonade and head back to the folding chairs. Apparently this game lets eight people play at once, so the gap between the seats and the screen is a wild tangle of crossed controller wires.

“All right!! Is everyone ready to go?”

After a few confirmations at various levels of enthusiasm, Aidan starts hitting buttons on his own controller.

“Okay! For the sake of those not used to the game, everyone please choose unique characters so we’ll have less trouble keeping track of who’s who!”

“I call Fox.”

Don’t know who that is, so sure.

By the time he’s brought up the selection screen and I’ve figured out which of eight tiny cursors is mine, someone’s already claimed the guy I practiced with, so I just drag the pointer around for a while. End up picking some knight-looking guy. Why not. As Aidan has so succinctly explained, there are plenty of differences, but I’m not interested in analyzing fifty characters just to play.

We have to wait a bit for Ichiriki to settle on a princess and Aidan to actually manage to select the guy he claimed—who does, in fact look like a fox, shocking—and then there’s some scene selection thing, I don’t know. Aidan takes care of it.

After a brief countdown from a deep voice that barely gives me time to figure out which tiny cluster of pixels is mine, the match begins.

“Wait, I’m an orb?”

Guess I should know how to manage those, but. Not what I thought I was getting. Okay. Well. It’s not like most of the others have any idea what they’re doing. Even Aidan is just spamming one attack.

“Oh, I see now!”

“You claimed this form because it uses a gun, yes?”

Though that was clearly aimed at Aidan, Mahavir drops his controller.

“What did you say?!”

“Hey, hey, hey!! Settle down! We’re just playing a game here!”

“And I did not invite you to this to be rude, Miss Tsunyasha!”

“Were you expecting her not to be?”

“Well.”

“I state my judgment whenever I please, whelp.”

“—!”

“Yes, you’ve made that abundantly clear, thank you! Please return to the game!”

“Hmph. I do not follow demands, foolish creature.”

“It was clearly a request!!”

“...”

“Very well, I shall humor you just this once.”

“Do not get used to it.”

She settles back down and presses several buttons before realizing the game has been paused. With a final little “hmph,” Aidan hits a button and everything starts moving again.

And I do mean everything. Throwing eight players in with a bunch of different moves in a large area sure is something. We’ve got some pink-haired something beating people up with trees—from the cackling, I’m guessing that one’s Kanagi. The blue guy Mahavir was practicing with earlier is beating the crap out of some blue-haired anime girl, Ichiriki’s princess is throwing... turnips or something?—and apparently I also have bat wings, so. That’s nice, I guess. And then there’s some little pink thing that keeps wandering around and alternating between flinging itself off the edge of the stage and destroying everyone. And then there’s what I assume is the result of Kaichi finding a character in a swimsuit, though instead of fighting Kaichi’s just making him wriggle around and repeatedly say something too accented for me to decipher.

“Would you like to actually play the game, Mister Riseiin?”

“I got a guy and ’m hitting buttons. ‘m playing just fine, brah.”

“That...”

I watch as the blue-haired anime girl descends to start hacking the crap out of Kaichi’s guy. Kaichi just laughs and goes back to the wriggling thing the first chance he gets. His character is summarily thrown off the screen by the spinning pink thing.

You’re a genius radiologist and this is how you live your life. Okay.

I wasn’t paying attention to how many lives we have in this thing, but I’m pretty sure all of us are losing more wandering off the edges than actually fighting. It’s still an experience, I’ll give it that.

I survive to the final three before Kanagi kills my guy with a freaking axe.

“Thanks.”

At least she takes down Ichiriki’s after that. As the announce booms out a “GAME!”, she throws her controller to the floor.

“HECK yeah!”

“Please refrain from casually destroying the equipment.”

“What do I win?!”

“Y’ didn’t ask that first, brah?”

“Listen, dude, there are a lotta flashing lights in here and I got distracted.”

“Fair.”

“Well, first of all, we’re going to have more matches than just this one.”

“Mmm-kay. And then...”

“Oh, oh! Is it dorayaki?!”

Are you serious.

Aidan pauses and looks to Yuki.

“...Is it?”

“Hummmm...? Sure...”

Kanagi fist-pumps.

“I WILL TOTALLY DESTROY ALL OF YOU! KEKEKEKEN!”

Can’t you just ask for dorayaki at this point? Whatever.

“At any rate, good game, everyone! We’ll start the second round...”

“...”

“Aiiidaaaaan? You ‘kay?”

“Er, yes, excuse me.”

“We’ll start the second round shortly. Ah...” He looks to the game screen like he’s lost his place in a book. “You’re free to pick the same characters if you like, or you can switch! Still no doubles of a character, though.”

“And Miss Yuukei will still... be playing...”

“Er, so she could still block out competitors from advancing. The winners of the next three rounds will progress to the semifinals!”

Seems like a lot of playing, but I guess the matches aren’t that long. At least he’s not trying to announce them.

Though I’m not sure he’d be able to right now.

“Hummm... Are you sure you’re feeling okay, Aidan...? Do you need to go to bed early...?”

“I most certainly do not!”

“I, uh, just need a drink, I think.”

“I can bring a lemonade over...”

“If you would?”

He sets up for the next round so we can start picking out characters while that’s being taken care of. I guess I could try to steal Kanagi’s guy? Not feeling that cutthroat today. I’ll just be boring and stick with the... knight... blob. With wings. Yeah. It doesn’t look like most of us are switching, anyway.

Kaichi sure isn’t.

The next round takes place on a different stage that’s only slightly harder to keep walking off the edge of. But then half of it gets swallowed up by some kind of acid or something, so I wouldn’t call it better. I make it to second place but still lose to the pink thing, which is apparently Yuki’s. Next round.

Ichiriki wins that one, and then at the last chance, I somehow manage to make it in.

“Hmph.”

“Well, I hope you mortals are satisfied with your little imaginary battles in imaginary realms.”

“Right back at you.”

“I am, thank you!!”

“...”

Is she jealous? We’ll never know.

“All right! We’ll take a brief break before the next round.”

“I believe there’s plenty of popcorn left, so don’t be stingy with it!”

Chairs creak and controllers thump as we twist ourselves free from our gaming stances. Don’t know that I want more popcorn, but I could go for a drink. Didn’t keep an eye on my cup, so I grab a new one. Just water this time.

As I’m putting the pitcher back down, Yuki approaches.

“Did you want water?”

“Oh, I’m all right... Thank you.”

I step away from the drinks regardless.

“Hummmm... Is now a good time to ask...?”

What is this, an attempt to distract me from the game? She doesn’t seem the type. Also wouldn’t be much point in winning a prize she has to make herself.

“Might as well go ahead.”

“Okay...”

“I just wanted to know... if you still wanted lessons?”

“Less...?”

“...”

“Cooking lessons.”

“Umm-humm...”

“...........”

“I’m sure I could use them, but I don’t think I’d be able to focus.”

“Too busy thinking about the empty space beside me.”

“...........”

The silence doesn’t stretch out as long as it could before I hear slow footsteps.

“If I may?”

I would startle if I felt enough energy, but all I do is turn a little. Guess if I want a private conversation, I should get a little farther away from the punch bowl.

“Ah, Mahavir. Sorry.”

“It’s quite all right.”

“After all, I’m the one who seems to be eavesdropping here...”

“That’s okay...”

“But, ah...”

“If it would help, I may be interested in lessons as well?”

“But your cooking is already good...”

“Thank you? But I’m not used to working with the relatively few spices available here, and I could always stand to learn something.”

“Of course, there’s no need to hold formal lessons on my account. But I would be willing, if that works out well for you.”

“I wouldn’t be opposed to private lessons, anyway...”

Are you serious.

“Um, thanks, Mahavir. I think that would really help.”

“Should we, uh, start tomorrow, then?”

Yuki nods.

“That would pose no issue to me.”

“Cool...”

I might not sound properly enthused, but I feel like this needs to stay a multiple-student class. Will Mahavir being there really help? I don’t know. Don’t think I’ll know until we get there. If it doesn’t, I can try to tough it out.

Maybe get someone else to enroll in the meantime.

Before we can make any more plans, a voice rings out over the din.

“Everyone!”

“The tournament will be resuming shortly! Those of us who have been eliminated are free to cheer on our friends or play one of the other games in here.”

“Preferably one that isn’t being used for a table.”

Well, Kanagi’s still in the running, so he probably doesn’t have to specify. Can’t hurt, though.

“I guess we should get back then, hummmm...”

“Yeah.”

“Best of luck.”

I nod and drink what water I can before heading for the game console. Time to keep the party going, I guess.

[BACK] [NEXT]

#apexplot #apex5 #fangan

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alj4890 · 5 years ago

Text

Crack Fic Request

(Psych! X Choices: The Royal Romance) as requested by @krsnlove 😂

A/N WARNING This is pure crack. I am combing two of my all time favorites: Psych and The Royal Romance cast of characters. If you haven't ever watched Psych about a fake psychic detective, please...do so. You have no idea the laughter that is missing from your life. If you are a fan of delicious flavor, then read on.

I have no idea who to tag other than my other fellow Psych lover, @hopelessromantic1352

Masterlist

History? What About Her Story?

"My love, have you seen the book you gave me on our wedding day?" Liam walked along the shelves of the palace library, searching each brown leather spine.

"No. I don't believe I have seen it since the reception." Riley set her book down and began to help him search. "Did you allow someone to borrow it?"

"No." He frowned and called for Bastien. A search was conducted with no results.

"It has to be somewhere in here." She muttered.

Maxwell and Drake joined them, bringing Hana and Olivia. After much discussion, Maxwell offered to call in a favor.

"I know a guy who is able to solve these type of mysteries." He pulled his phone out and scrolled through his contacts.

____________________

Santa Barbara, California

"Chief, the psychic realm is buzzing with gossip and a little ethereal bird told me to stop by." Shawn announced, bursting in on a meeting between Chief Vick, Head Detective Carlton Lassiter, and Detective Juliet O'Hara.

"Mr. Spencer, I don't know what birds are whispering in your ear but they need to remind you not to interrupt a meeting." She said in a frustrated tone.

"Sorry Chief, but when they tweet, I must answer. Usually with hashtags. Right, Gus?" Shawn turned to his best friend and partner.

"It's true Chief. He uses an unusual amount of hashtags." Gus added.

"Dude! You know my Twitter followers need to be in the know. I can't just offer a thought without a dozen or so carefully phrased hashtags to explain it's significance." Shawn reached over for Juliet's doughnut and was immediately batted away.

"Jules! Sharing is caring." He reminded her.

"If there are doughnuts, we need to be made aware of their location." Gus searched the room and looked out toward the main room of the police station.

"Enough!" Carlton yelled. "Spencer, you and Gusster go find a doughnut and leave."

"Come on, Lassie. Don't you want to break bread with us. Or a doughnut as the case might be while we discuss the next step in our investigation?" Shawn tried to secretly slide Juliette's doughnut his way, earning another slap.

"I would rather go to a hot yoga class with McNabb." Carlton uttered in a deadpan voice.

"Well, I for one am ready to find this Corduroy antique." Shawn said sitting down and propping his feet up on the table.

"Cordonian." Gus corrected.

"I've heard it both ways." Shawn quickly repsonded.

"Shawn you didn't even know it was a country." Gus added.

"Gus, I can't help that the psychic tweets didn't give a geography lesson with the message. There's only a limited number of characters allowed." Shawn argued.

"Gentlemen!" Chief Vick interrupted. She stared pointedly at Shawn until he took his feet off the conference table. "Due to the international attention you and Lassister and O'Hara have gained with past investigations, the King and Queen of Cordonia have asked the four of you to come help find out what happened to one of the king’s prized possessions. The mayor insists you go to show how Santa Barbara is keeping up international relations."

"The tweets never lie." Shawn said, a smile lighting up his face. "What type of clothing should we pack?"

"It's in the Mediterranean." Juliet told him.

"So, snowsuit?" Shawn asked.

"Be ready to leave first thing tomorrow morning. King Liam is sending his private plane for you." Vick flicked her hands for them to leave.

__________________

"Gus, I was meant for this lifestyle. Private planes. Servants. Ruling over a small country. Adored by my people." Shawn reclined in the Corinthian leather chair as the plane flew over the Atlantic.

"Dude, your people would overthrow you within a week." Gus muttered.

"And what a glorious week it would be." Shawn replied.

Gus glanced behind him to where Juliet and Carlton were sleeping. "What did Maxwell tell you?"

"Some brown book filled with the country’s history is missing. The queen presented it as a wedding gift. Who gives their spouse an ancient book as a gift on their wedding night? Do you think there was underwear in it? I bet--"

"Shawn." Gus attempted to reign Shawn's ramblings in.

"Anyway, they can't find it. So it is up to us to find out who took it, why they did, and where it is now."

"Great. Did Maxwell offer any leads?"

Shawn frowned. "No...but how many people actually were in a small palace of a tiny country?"

_________________

Liam and Riley walked with Maxwell down the corridor. "A psychic?" Liam asked again. "I can't believe we invited a psychic detective to assist in this."

Maxwell nodded. "Shawn isn't some run of the mill psychic. He has solved numerous thefts, murders, even stopped a notorious serial killer. I think he will have this book back in your hands by this evening."

They walked into the study and warmly greeted their guests.

"Maxwell!" Shawn walked up and fist bumped him. "How long has it been?"

"Um...I want to say a two months since I was in Canada. The whole book tour being interrupted by Pierre Despereaux's thefts was when we last met." Maxwell explained.

"Thefts?" Riley asked.

"An international art thief, your majesty." Juliet explained, dropping into an awkward curtsy.

"Please, there is no need for any of that." Riley said with a smile. "I'm still not used to it. Every time someone needs a refill on drinks, I hop up to get it."

Juliet laughed and clapped her hands. "Your story is the stuff of dreams. I love how you and King Liam met."

"O'Hara." Carlton muttered.

"Right. Sorry." Juliet straightened up beside him.

"Can you tell us if you have any new staff, possibly seen anyone suspicious around the book?" Carlton asked.

"No, most have been here for years. The ones visiting the palace are nobles and friends that have never caused a problem of this sort." Liam explained.

"Of this sort?" Gus repeated. "So there have been problems?"

Liam shared a loaded glance with Riley. "I recently created a council of both nobles and commoners to help my queen and I rule to the best of our abilities. After the terrorist attacks from the Sons of the Earth, I wanted to try and not allow a situation like that to develop again."

Shawn raised his hand to his head. "I'm sensing that there were a few who did not agree with this."

Riley nodded, eyes wide. "There were some, one in particular, Lord Neville."

"The singer of Tell It Like It Is?" Shawn asked.

"That's Aaron Neville." Gus corrected.

"Right, the quarterback for Green Bay." Shawn asked.

"That's Aaron Rogers!" Gus exclaimed

"Right. Love his neighborhood." Shawn put his hand back to his head. "I'm sensing that Lord Rogers--"

"Neville." Gus whispered.

"That Lord Neville might wish to get back at you. Mayhap even--" he turned to Gus. "Did I use mayhap right?"

"Yes." Gus answered

"Too pretentious?" Shawn furrowed his brow.

"A little bit." Gus shrugged.

"It's this setting. I mean look at this place. Velvet sitting chairs. Who has this? Really, even velvet drapes? Does Elton John visit?" Shawn walked over and lifted the red drape.

"He has..." Liam replied, trying to keep up with Shawn's thought process.

"Is he planning on visiting soon?"

"I--" Liam shrugged. "I don't think so."

"Hmm. To solve this mystery, I am going to need to become one with this palace. I am going to need to eat what you eat. Sit where you sit. Touch what you touch." Shawn winked at Riley, earning a smack to the back of the head from Carlton.

He glared at Shawn before turning to Liam. "Rest assured that O'Hara and I will do all we can to solve this for you."

"If you wouldn't mind, we need to speak to your head of security." Juliet added.

"Of course, right this way." Liam and Riley walked out with the two detectives.

Maxwell grinned. "Alright guys, show me that magic you did in Canada."

"Oh you will see the magic." Shawn promised.

"We got magic for days." Gus added.

"At least for a couple of hours." Shawn corrected. "Maybe an encore card trick or two."

Maxwell chuckled and finger gunned them on his way out. "Great. Let me know if you need anything."

"Magic for days? Really Gus?" Shawn shook his head and left the study.

"What? The man asked for it. What was I supposed to say? Shawn!" Gus ran after him.

__________________

"We start with the list Maxwell gave us of those that are normally in the palace." Shawn explained. "From there, we can easily say Neville did it and we receive some kind of royal award, like a spare chest of jewels or a quick swim in the gold vault."

"Liam is not Scrooge McDuck." Gus reminded him.

"Are you saying he doesn't have a gigantic money vault that he secretly swims in while wearing a bathing suit from the turn of the century?"

"Yes. That's what I'm saying."

"Well, that's disappointing." Shawn muttered.

The pair stopped by an office and knocked. When they opened the door they saw a petite, strikingly beautiful blonde filing some papers. "Who are you?" She asked, eyes narrowing.

"My name is Shawn Spencer and this is my partner, Sir Spinsalot. We have been asked to assist in locating the King's missing book."

Madeleine sat down behind her desk. "And?"

"We were wondering who you suspected." Gus leaned closer. "A lady of your talents of changing the minds of the people should have a few suspects in mind."

A proud smile formed. "When King Liam chose an American waitress as his Queen, there were some that were less enthused with his choice."

Shawn zeroed in on her fingers tensing, the old issues of magazines behind her desk, and the faint tan line on her ring finger. There was also a flyer partially hidden with the word rebound on it. A sticky note had a m and a f with groups of numbers listed. 1728 and 1817 were written down. "I'm sensing that these nobles preferred someone else. They wanted you to be queen."

She momentarily stilled. "Yes they did. After my upbringing as the Countess of Fydella, I was the natural choice as queen."

"I bet they were disappointed when Liam ended your engagement." Gus added.

A hard glint came into her eyes. "I suppose so. Who wouldn't wish for one trained since birth how to run a country and interact with nobles and dignitaries around the world without an entourage to constantly tell her what to do?"

"Good to see you're not bitter." Shawn stood up. "Thank you for your time."

"Do you think she did it?" Gus whispered as they walked down the hall.

"Nah. She has moved on with this new position. Plus it looks like she is getting some type of rebound counseling after being dumped. She's the kind that has to be needed." He explained.

"I think I could need her." Gus grinned, brushing his thumb across his nose.

"I say this with all the love in my heart. Something is wrong with you." Shawn stepped outside.

__________________

"He did it." Shawn nodded toward a man dressed in a demin shirt talking to Juliet.

"What? That's the King's best friend!" Gus exclaimed.

"Doesn't matter. He did it." Shawn persisted. "Only a thief would flirt to distract the investigation."

"He's not flirting. Juliet is." Gus pointed out.

"Man." Shawn shook his head and walked over.

Juliet was smiling. "....I named him Sprinkles because of his dappled coat."

Drake's smirk appeared and he looked up as Shawn and Gus approached. Juliet turned and introduced them.

"Drake, this is Shawn Spencer and Burton Gusster."

He nodded to them. "How's the investigation going? Any leads?"

"It's going." Shawn answered. "I'm not at liberty to reveal any parts."

Drake cocked an eyebrow. "You're not at liberty?"

"That's right, Jack! The psychic's relationship with the visions he is given is precious. Has to be nurtured. It's a circle of trust and it gets upset when I share its secrets with suspiciously handsome dudes that flex their muscles in a barn. Or stable. Is this a stable?" Shawn pulled the door open.

"It's a stable." Gus decided.

Juliet looked up in silent frustration. "Thank you Drake for your time. Guys, I will see you back at the palace." She walked away.

Shawn noticed Drake checking Juliet out and spoke harshly.

"So what do you do here?"

"Er...I do...things." Drake muttered.

"What type of things?" Gus asked.

"I...you couldn't really put a name on it. I do a variety of...stuff." Drake stuttered.

"Is theft of antique cornucopia history--" Shawn began.

"Cordonian." Gus corrected.

"Cordonian history rank as one of your things?" Shawn asked.

Drakes eyes narrowed. "What? Are you actually accusing me of stealing from my best friend?"

"No!" Gus said while Shawn said, "YES!" At the same time.

Drake glared at them and stormed off.

"What's his problem?" Shawn asked.

"Shawn, you just accused the man of stealing. What did you expect?"

"I don't know. Maybe point me toward the most likely suspect. Didn't he seem a little more secretive than one would normally be?" Shawn asked.

"Maybe. Why?" Gus watched Drake walk into a hidden side door.

"I think he's hiding something." Shawn motioned his head in the direction Drake disappeared. "We need to keep an eye on him."

___________________

"There has to be food somewhere in this joint." Shawn muttered.

Gus threw his arm out, stopping Shawn. He took a sniff and turned down a hallway.

"Super sniffer activated. What!" Shawn exclaimed following his friend.

"Do you smell that?" Gus asked, stopping again.

Shawn took a deep breath and let out an exaggerated moan. "It smells like heaven's bakery: one filled with cinnamon, sugar, chocolate, and our third grade teacher Ms. Ferguson wearing that sundress on field day."

Gus closed his eyes in memory. "You know that's right. Every teacher should look like her."

They stepped into the kitchen and watched a lady in a pink dress remove a tray of snickerdoodles from the oven. She brushed her long dark hair back and began to place the cookies on a cooling rack.

"I'm in love." Gus whispered.

Shawn nodded at the vision before them. He walked up to her with a look of wonder on his face. "Excuse me, but are you an angel?"

Hana looked up and giggled sweetly. "I know you! You're the private detectives Maxwell called in." She wiped her hands before holding one out. "I'm Lady Hana Lee."

"My name is Shawn Spencer and the suave gentleman stealing cookies is my partner, The Duke of Earl."

Gus quickly swallowed and gave a slow wave. "Hello."

Hana's grow furrowed. "The Duke of what?"

"Earl. But you can call me Slade." Gus replied with a seductive look.

Hana nodded and motioned toward the counter covered in sweet treats. "Please, help yourself. I tend to overdo it when I bake."

"That is impossible." Gus muttered. He took a bite of a still warm brownie and rolled his eyes in pleasure. "I'm proposing to her tonight." He whispered to Shawn.

"Tonight? I'm proposing marriage this afternoon. She can't be real." Shawn filled a plate with a variety of sweets and sat down. With a mouthful of food and a few moans of pleasure he began to question her. "Lady Hana, have you noticed anyone acting suspicious lately?"

She poured them each a glass of milk and chewed on her bottom lip. "No."

Gus slapped Shawn's hand away from his plate. "Stop playing Shawn!"

"Come on son. You grabbed the last of the macarons! The least you can do is offer one or two."

"Not my fault you took your time with the magic bars." Gus countered.

"They literally have magic in the name. They taste like what I imagine Siegfried and Roy playing with baby tigers feels like." Shawn reached over again and shook his head when slapped. "I can't believe how greedy you're being."

"I don't care." Gus replied in a high pitched voice.

Hana laughed and went over to one of the containers filled with more macarons. She offered it to Shawn and blushed when he exclaimed over her. "I don't care what you say, I can see your wings and halo."

"This is what nice people do Gus, they give." Shawn held up the cookies Hana handed him.

"Suck it Shawn."

"You suck it."

They began to talk quickly over each other and suddenly stopped. Shawn took a drink of milk and focused on Hana. "I'm sensing that you have seen someone you are close to acting odd recently."

Her lips parted in surprise. "Yes, I have. But he couldn't have taken the book! He is much too loyal to ever do something against Liam."

Shawn placed his hand to his head, closed his eyes and slapped Gus for trying to take another brownie. "I'm sensing that the one you are worried about is Drake."

Hana gasped. "Yes! Maxwell told me you were the real thing, but I couldn't believe it."

"I am merely the vessel," he slapped the back of Gus's head for trying again, "that the visions use. Now, would it be too much trouble to find something we can use to carry all of this with us?"

______________

“I don’t like this.” Gus whispered as he crept behind Shawn through the dark palace halls.

“Drake wasn’t in his room. It’s two in the morning. Where is he?” Shawn responded. “I’m telling you, he is up to no good.”

“You’re just jealous that Juliet was flirting with him instead of you.” Gus muttered.

“Please. Me? Jealous? Just because Jules basically giggled like an eighth grade girl over that ridiculously good looking man means--” He held his hand up and stopped Gus. He pointed down another hallway where he could see Drake standing in front of a door.

“What’s he doing?” Gus asked.

Shawn moved in an exaggerated manner to hide behind a suit of armor. He motioned for Gus to follow. He shook his head no. Shawn began to motion faster while Gus silently argued back. They did rock, paper, scissors three times with Gus losing. He snuck over.

Drake looked behind him before knocking in a strange pattern. After a few moments he tried the pattern again, his brow furrowing with the continued silence that followed.

Shawn went to move to another suit of armor, only to end up frozen with a sword to his throat.

“One more move and you and your little friend will be a shish kabob.”

A sultry red head moved out of the shadows and narrowed her green eyes at the pair. “What are you doing here?”

Drake turned around and glared. “It’s those psychic detectives Maxwell called in.”

Olivia kept her sword against Shawn’s throat.

“You would need at least three more.” Shawn suddenly said.

“What are you blabbering about?” Olivia demanded.

“For kabobs.” Shawn continued. “Everyone knows that you can’t just have two things. You need something to make the kebobs pop, like onions, tomatoes, something green. Most add some zucchini yet I think bell peppers add more zing--”

“SILENCE!” Olivia said over his ramblings. “Why are you following Drake?”

“Could you lower the sword?” Gus asked.

She dropped it down. “Now talk before I change my mind.”

“We are searching for the cornstarch--”

“Cordonian!” Gus corrected yet again.

“Cordonian history book.” Shawn finished.

“They think I took it.” Drake folded his muscular arms across his chest.

“Why would Drake steal the book? It is only about nobles and ancient scandals. I think one of the last entries was from 1817.” Olivia noted.

Shawn thought back as his brain flashed to that post it note with that particular year listed. He raised his hand to his temple. “I KNOW WHO STOLE THE BOOK!”

________________

Everyone gathered half asleep in Liam’s study. Shawn stood in the middle of the room. “I’m sure you all wonder why I asked you here.”

“Cut the crap Spencer.” Carlton replied. “We know you have some half cocked theory that will somehow be correct.”

Gus shrugged when Shawn turned to him.

“Really you too?” Shawn asked.

“It’s late Shawn.” Gus countered. “We flew across the country and the Atlantic ocean to get here. I haven’t slept in thirty-six hours. You know how I get without sleep.”

“Gus, don’t be that can of Coke Zero. Bring back the sweetness.” Shawn pleaded.

He turned back to the group. “This missing piece of history isn’t filled with only boring facts. No! I sense that it is filled with the dirty secrets about what goes on in the unknown, deep, dark recesses of this palace.”

“It’s actually pretty bright everywhere.” Maxwell spoke up with a yawn.

Shawn ignored that. “Even though the scandals go back thousands--”

“Hundreds.” Gus whispered.

“Hundreds of years.” Shawn repeated. “They are still ones that some will want to remain in secret.”

“Who wouldn’t want that?” Drake muttered.

“Someone wanted to erase these recorded memories. Someone who has already gone through humiliation. Someone who doesn’t want their name added to their ancestors’ naughty times. Isn’t that right...LADY MADELEINE!”

Madeleine paused yawning. Her eyes widened for a moment. “I beg your pardon!”

“I can see it all now.” Shawn stood over her. “You were already sick of seeing your name in the magazines as the jilted fiancée of the King. When Riley asked you to be her publicist, it was a slap in the face for a Countess and former Queen in training. But you took it, because your family name was on the line. You had to correct your image somehow. What better way than to appear not only fine being pushed aside, but also being magnanimous to the foreign interloper.”

Madeleine stared silently at him as he continued.

“It was going well until Riley decided to present Liam with a rare and very odd wedding gift. Seriously. Naught underwear is what all men want for gifts.” Shawn turned to Riley and Liam. “Back me up on this guys.”

“It’s true.” Drake muttered.

“Drake!” Riley exclaimed.

“No, he’s right, blossom. It is all we want.” Maxwell added.

Riley blushed and turned to Liam. “Were you disappointed?”

Liam shook his head. “Of course not. I love everything you have given me.” He frowned at Shawn, Drake, and Maxwell. “Proceed Mr. Spencer.”

“If only Riley had not found it.” Shawn continued. “You didn’t realize what it had until you flipped through it. Then you saw what your ancestors did. It wasn’t just on your mother’s side in 1728 that your people got into trouble, but also on your father’s side in 1817. After a little bit of research and the help of Olivia’s memory of your father being from England, it seems the former Duke of Karlington was involved in trying to overthrow Queen Charlotte. Couldn’t have that be discovered, could you?”

Madeleine glared at Olivia. “I should have known that a descendant from traitors would make certain to point out other decent noble’s despicable relatives.”

“You took the book and decided to have those pages removed. But how to do it in a way that Liam wouldn’t notice?” Shawn interrupted before Olivia could retaliate. “You needed to have the book taken apart by a specialist and then rebounded. Simple glue apparently wouldn’t do with the old leather. That’s why if we go to your desk we will find a brochure for a book binding place called Rebound.”

Madeleine paled. She stood up and lifted her chin. “Yes, I took it. If I refuse to recognize my ancestors that betrayed their monarchs then no one else should.”

Gus and Shawn shared a fist bump as Liam had Bastien lead Madeleine away.

Once she was gone, Shawn turned his sharp eyes on Drake and Olivia. “I see what the big secret is. I wasn’t sure which John Hughes movie you were. I thought maybe a gender switched Pretty In Pink. But now that you are all together, I see you guys are The Breakfast Club.”

“What?!” Everyone exclaimed.

“Olivia is Molly Ringwald. She’s rich and fallen for the less economically sound tough guy, Judd Nelson or Drake in this instance. Liam is Emilo Estevez. Nice. Popular. Everyone likes him. I guess that means Riley is Ally Sheedy. Hmm. Hana doesn’t really have a character. We could make you the principal but that just seems mean. Maybe the little sister to Anthony Michael Hall...but you’re too sweet for that too. Maxwell...you’re Anthony Michael Hall but way cooler.” Shawn pointed at each one. “And just like in the movie, Molly and Judd are meeting in secret to be together.”

Everyone stared at the duchess and the commoner that were both speechless at their secret being discovered.

“And my work here is done.” Shawn exclaimed, rubbing his hands together. He walked over to the door. “If you will excuse me, I’m going to catch up on that sleep everyone was mentioning earlier.”

_____________

“I am going to miss this country. After Hana refused my offer of marriage, I guess this will only be a fond memory.” Shawn said as he boarded the plane with the others.

“I’m just glad she made us going away bags.” Gus opened his and frowned. “Shawn! Where are my cookies?”

“Hmm? Seems like another mystery.” He held tight to his bag as Gus demanded he either share what he had or return what was stolen. “Man, I didn’t take your cookies.”

“You must be out of your damned mind if you think I believe that.” Gus argued. The best friends began to talk over one another, bringing up the great cupcake incident of fifth grade.

Juliet sighed as she sat down with Carlton. “It’s going to be a long flight.”

Carlton nodded. “Good thing I stole Guster’s bag of baked goods.” He offered a cookie to Juliet. She glanced at Shawn and Gus before biting into a chocolate chip cookie.

#choices the royal romance #psych!#shawn spencer #burton guster #carlton lassiter #juliet o'hara #liam x riley #trr liam #trr maxwell #trr drake #trr hana #trr olivia #crack fic

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lady-charinette · 6 years ago

Text

A Brief Glance - Dinner for Two Marichat Fic (Chapter 9)

A Brief Glance

Flashback to dinner with Gabriel at 6pm

Adrien checked himself one last time, already hearing the clicking of Natalie’s heels hitting the marbled floor of the Agreste mansion, making sure his hair was neatly combed and already ironed shirt sat straight.

The door opened and Natalie greeted him with a curt nod, “Welcome Adrien, your father is already waiting in the dining room.”

Adrien mustered a small smile, “Thanks Natalie.” The woman stepped aside to let him enter and Adrien sighed, taking in the hues of metal and white, “Hey, Natalie…”

“Yes, Adrien?”

“Does a color change fit into father’s schedule?” Natalie was already following Adrien’s line of sight and the normally strict and uptight woman allowed a small but sad smile to grace her lips.

“…I’m afraid not, Adrien.”

Adrien’s small smile still remained, but it was hollow, “I see.”

She cleared her throat, “…I’ll see what I can do without any guarantee. Follow me please.” Adrien stared at her back sympathetically as she led him to the familiar double doors across the hall.

He sometimes felt bad for Natalie, he knew the woman could be strict and uptight, but she had been the one who’d fought for his right to attend public school while he had been a teen. She had warmth, but it was deeply buried underneath a thick layer of professionalism. Adrien admired her, working for so long in such a cold environment and still having that small speck of warmth.

The double doors opened and Natalie excused herself, closing them again once Adrien was inside.

His father was sitting at the end of the long table and Adrien mentally asked himself why he still had such a large table when it was mostly reserved for one person, two occasionally or even four if Natalie and the gorilla, on very rare occasions, joined in.

Still, Adrien sat down beside his father, who was eating soup, Adrien’s own still steaming before him. It had a creamy, pale texture, either mushrooms or something else, “You’re punctual, Adrien.” His father’s words broke the silence like ice and Adrien began eating.

“As I always am, father.” His tone, he noticed, had changed again, into that slightly indifferent one he used whenever he stepped foot into the mansion.

Whenever he talked to his father.

His father hummed but that was the only response to his answer before he changed the subject, “I trust your day went well.”

The answer flowed easily from his lips, as if reciting a report, “I’ve been quite busy. Fencing lessons started in the morning and ended at 3pm, photoshoots with Chloe and Theo at 3:30pm until 5:30pm. Studying follows after dinner.”

Gabriel paused, as if taking in the information, information he knew since he coordinated his schedule, “How are Chloe and Theo doing? I believe they must be very busy with their rising popularities.”

Adrien refrained from making an undignified noise as snorting, he barely reined it in.

Barely.

“Chloe plans to visit her mother in New York for a few fashion events. Theo has modelled for a few Italian companies and got featured in several magazines.” The information that left his mouth barely registered to Adrien, his focus was on the bland soup he was swallowing.

He couldn’t deny enjoying the luxury of first class chefs in the Agreste kitchen, but their food at the restaurant made by Miss Cesaire was by far superior.

“I see.” Gabriel cleared his throat, “I noticed you cancelled a photoshoot scheduled for tomorrow.”

Adrien paused, trying to carefully word his next sentences, “The photoshoot takes place at the same time I have a test in physics, I rescheduled it for the afternoon.”

He could sense his father’s displeasure, he didn’t need to look at his face to know, not that he would read anything from the stone-like surface it seemed to transform into, “So, you still attend university lectures?”

Adrien’s grip on the spoon was a bit too tight, but he wouldn’t allow his emotions to get the better of him, “Yes, since attendance is obligatory.”

“Attendance is required for photoshoots as well.” Ah, that argument.

The young man finished his soup, which was immediately taken by a servant, before they were served their next course, grilled lamb, perfectly smooth mashed potatoes with a mysterious sauce.

Adrien mentally prepared himself for the direction their discussion, if one could call it that, was starting to take, he lifted his gaze from his plate for the first time this evening to look at his father, whose gaze still remained fixed on his food, “Photoshoots can easily be rescheduled, exams in university are difficult if not impossible to reschedule, especially for a single student.”

Gabriel’s brows furrowed slightly, “If you wish I can write a letter to the university and-“

“No.”

The noises of cutlery ceased completely and Gabriel finally lifted his head to look directly at his son. Adrien gathered his growing courage to repeat his answer, “No, thank you father. I already rescheduled the shoot, it’s fine.”

The fashion designer huffed and wiped at his mouth, “Perhaps for you, but I’m the one who needs to explain the reasons behind my son missing events.”

“Shall I do it? I have a computer, I have their e-mail address.”

“Adrien…”

The blond set his napkin next to his still full plate, “It’s not a problem, father. I can write a full page essay on how I prefer to focus on expanding my education in subjects I enjoy and am interested in and that I deeply apologize for the rescheduling of a photoshoot solely relying on my attendance to boost their popularity.”

“Watch your tongue, young man!” the hard edge in his father’s tone reminded Adrien of the rare times he tried arguing against him, mostly unsuccessfully, in his younger days.

But he wasn’t fifteen anymore.

He was an adult.

And he would act like one for once.

With all the gracefulness and practiced calm of a model and an Agreste, Adrien rose from his seat and folded his napkin over his untouched food, “I apologize father, but I lost my appetite. Enjoy your meal.” He nodded once at his furious parent, before he finally left the suffocating, ice cold room.

And left his father sitting alone at the table.

Just like Adrien used to sit alone at that very same table in his youth.

When he opened the doors, Natalie was looking at him in concern, “Adrien-“

“Good night Natalie. Make sure you try the lamb, it’s delicious.” With those words, the young Agreste left the building he used to call home behind in confident strides.

And didn’t look back once.

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

Hearing Nino’s excited voice over the phone while walking towards the club filled Adrien with a sense of fulfillment he hadn’t experienced often, especially after a day like today and the dinner he had.

Nino had been right, it would do him good to go out and relax every once and a while.

Adrien frowned when he thought of the restaurant, feeling bad for going earlier than he usually did. Pierre said it was alright, but it still left a sour aftertaste in his mouth.

Perhaps he could work a few extra hours tomorrow to make up for today, if he was out until ten with Nino and Alya, he could still study for two-three hours until he had to go to sleep.

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

A little while later at the club

“Dude! You came!” Nino’s body migrated towards his best friend immediately upon spotting the blond tuft of hair in the crowd, arms wrapped around the model like a monkey.

In hindsight, he supposed it sounded sad, but being hugged by Nino felt infinitely better than the last time he had been hugged by his father. Adrien returned the hug gladly.

“Ahem, if you boys are done swooning over each-other.” A playful female voice sounded from behind Nino and the two men broke apart.

Nino grinned sheepishly, placing an arm on the shoulder of a stunning dark-skinned woman with auburn hair and glasses, dressed in a stylish dark purple one suit which could pass for a shorter cocktail dress, “Ah, sorry, Adrien meet Alya Cesaire, to-be-worldwide famous reporter, already famous blogger and amazing girlfriend.” He grinned at the blond, “Alya, meet number one model and awkward sunshine boy Adrien Agreste!”

He rose an eyebrow at the ‘awkward’ part, to which Nino chuckled at his friend’s reaction.

Alya smirked at her boyfriend’s description, smoothing down his bowtie, “Thank you Nino.” She turned her attention to Adrien, holding a hand out, “Hi Adrien, welcome to the club!” she smiled brilliantly and Adrien returned the smile full force, shaking her hand.

“Thanks Alya, the pleasure is all mine! It’s nice finally meeting you after hearing all these wonderful things about you from Nino.” He locked gazes with his DJ friend, who rubbed at his head in embarrassment.

Alya crossed her arms, “I surely do hope there were only good things.” She winked, laughing at her boyfriend’s reaction and the two males soon joined in.

They talked and drank for a while, catching up and getting to know each-other. Adrien found out she ran the famous blog he heard about here and there, he was glad to know she was also promoting Nino as a DJ, which helped boost his popularity. Their relationship dynamic also intrigued him, they were playfully bantering and bickering but the soft, loving looks in their eyes were undeniably.

Adrien had to drink and turn his head a few times when he noticed their heads were leaning a bit too close to each-other, but otherwise they were very cool.

He also got to hear Nino letting loose and rapping onstage, he hadn’t heard Nino rap in ages, since Dupont, while good back then, it was nothing like it was now. Now he really did deserve the title of prodigy DJ, even complicated, longer words effortlessly flowed out of his mouth in quick, smooth tones and the lyrics were cleverly put together and sent a powerful message.

He suspected Alya had a hand or at least was a partial inspiration, if the proud look and loud cheering were any indication.

Adrien couldn’t remember the last time he was so loud, he could shout as loud as he wanted, there were always people louder than him here in the crowded club.

It was liberating, being so casual. His green dress shirt was slightly in disarray, the first button open, collar slightly loose, hair a bit messier.

But nobody cared and Adrien reveled in the non-attention he was getting.

He felt free.

Still, Adrien couldn’t shake off the feeling like he was forgetting something.

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

Marinette couldn’t remember the last time she ran in the short heels without tripping, but now she was, at full speed towards the bustling restaurant.

It wasn’t that late, maybe Chat Noir was still there. She wanted to ask him to meet her again tomorrow, maybe the odd feeling she had earlier would go away little by little the more time she spent with him outside the restaurant.

Maybe she was just nervous, he was a good looking man, not quite what she expected, for some reason, she imagined him to have blond hair or at least more on the lighter side.

She sighed, looking left and right for incoming cars as her legs carried her across the street towards the building.

Marinette entered with a huff, panting heavily and muttering apologies when she nearly ran into a few customers on the way to the receptionist desk, which was occupied by the elder butler again.

He offered her a welcoming smile and a polite nod and Marinette returned his gestures, “Good evening! Is there still room for one?” she meekly looked around the full establishment.

Pierre chuckled and grabbed the menu card, “Of course, if you would follow me miss.” He gestured for her to follow and she did without question, feeling relief washing over her when her usual seat was empty.

Thank god.

Marinette felt another wave of relief when she sat down, her tired legs screaming at her to take a rest after the hard day she had.

When Pierre handed her the menu, she wanted to worship the ground he walked on.

While he moved away to get her a glass of water, Marinette scanned the menu, feeing giddy to talk to Chat Noir again.

When Pierre came back with only her glass of water but no black toy, Marinette hesitantly spoke up, “Um…excuse me, but…is…is the cat not available tonight?” she swore she hadn’t seen Chat Noir’s toy anywhere else in the seats.

Not that she’d been looking.

The elder man frowned slightly, hands clasped to his front apologetically, “My apologies but the black cat is not in service for tonight I’m afraid, would you prefer a different one?”

Sadness hit Marinette like a wave, but she forced on a bright smile, “No, no, thank you very much! Um, I’ll take the potato soup and the noodles with chicken and vegetables.” Pierre nodded and bowed briefly before leaving with her order.

Marinette sighed, her tired form slumping back to rest against the cushioning of her seat, staring up at the ceiling.

She was so excited to talk to Chat Noir again! She wanted to know more about art therapy and how it helped people and what his relationship was like with his students!

Another long drawn out sigh left her lips and Marinette tried hard to ignore the ache in her heart.

She felt a bit bad for cancelling the night out Alya had called her for, but she was too tired to go clubbing now anyway, she still needed to work on that paper that was due in two weeks.

Still, it would’ve been nice to eat with the cute green eyes staring at her and the soothing, boyish voice keeping her company with cat puns.

I’m sorry for the short chapter! I hope it’s still okay! Thanks everyone for reading, I hope some people still follow this. :3

#marichat #marichat fic #fanfiction #cross posted on AO3 and FFnet #ml #ml fic #miraculous ladybug #dinner for two fic #marichat au #FINALLY UPDATED #booyah #i'm so sorry its short tho

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