#sorry nino I filled up the page

[zoe-oneesama]

I got gifted a second-hand iPad so I’m testing a bunch of drawing apps so I can make some progress on my projects during my work breaks! Here’s some Angelic Layer AU warm up sketches I did using iBisPaint X! I like it, it’s pretty similar to what I use in Photoshop. I think if I just get more comfortable with the pen sensitivity than this could work.

[natedogx15]

Miraculous Descendent Chapter 33: A Contest

Previous Chapter

Currently, Miss Bustier and her class are in their classroom. However, instead of having a lesson, the group finds themselves with a special guest. Said guest is Mr. Damocles, who is announcing an event coming up tomorrow that catches Marinette and Adrien's attention.

"Tomorrow, the school will host an event for young fashion designers. You only have one day to work on your fashion piece. The fashion piece must be your own design. Tomorrow afternoon after classes, your presentation will be judged by none other than the great fashion designer Gabriel Agreste, the father of our very own student Adrien Agreste." Mr. Damocles announces to the class.

As he tells the class who will be judging the contest, he has a large image of Gabriel Agreste appear on the class board. Nino gives an embarrassed Adrien a smirk and thumbs up while Marinette looks excited at the prospect of having Gabriel Agreste judge her designs. Chloe is smirking while having similar thoughts to Marinette.

"And now, to announce this event's theme." Mr. Damocles states as Gabriel's slide vanishes.

There is a slight pause, with the sound of a drum roll filling the room before the next slide reveals a derby hat.

"The theme is derby hats!" Mr. Damocles announces before the drum roll is replaced with a car horn, causing Mr. Damocles to jump slightly before pulling out his phone with an annoyed expression.

"Oh dang it, I thought I had arranged this properly beforehand." Mr. Damocles mutters as he looks at the sound app he's been using to make the drum roll and car horn sound.

Some of the class snicker at the principal's fumble while Marinette looks at the theme uncertainly. Chloe also reacts badly to this theme if her slightly twitching eye is any indication. The two designers look at each other, and when their eyes meet, Chloe glares at her and gives her a thumbs down. Marinette's eyes narrow back at Chloe for this.

After class, Marinette quickly sits on a bench in the courtyard to go over her her designs. Despite her challenging glare earlier, Marinette is uncertain if she has anything resembling a derby hat design.

"Derby hat, derby hat, derby hat, derby hat...! How do I not have any derby hat designs? I have top hats, caps, and even two-horned hats! If you need a beret, then come to me. A sombrero? No problemo, because I began experimenting with that last month. However, I have nothing on a derby hat." Marinette groans as she runs through her pages for anything she can use.

As she does this, Nate looks over her shoulder while leaning forward on the back of the bench.

"You have so many designs in there. I'm surprised you don't have any for a derby hat." Nate tells her as he watches her skim through her designs.

Marinette gives him a light glare for that.

"Not helping." She tells him in annoyance, and Nate shrugs.

"Sorry, but look on the bright side. You have a full day to come up with a design. I've seen you be able to make ten full designs in an hour. This shouldn't be too hard for you." Nate compliments her to try and lift her spirits.

Marinette takes a few seconds to calm down and think about Nate's words before nodding in agreement.

"Yeah, yeah, you're right, Nate. This shouldn't be a problem for me. I've spent my entire life designing things. I can handle coming up with a derby hat in a day." Marinette agrees with Nate with a determined smile.

As the two are talking, Nino and Adrien walk up to them, with Nino waving toward them.

"Hey, Dude and Dudette. So, you guys excited about the contest?" Nino casually asks them with a grin

Nate grins towards his fencing classmate and their friend before motioning towards Marinette with his head.

"She is, but I'm not all that interested in it. Fashion has never really been my thing." Nate tells the two as they join him and Marinette.

"I hear that, Dude. I'm terrible at anything related to fashion. Which is funny when you remember my best friend here is the son of the most famous fashion designer in Paris." Nino tells him with a grin as he motions toward Adrien.

Adrien rubs the back of his head at Nino's words.

"To tell you the truth, I don't actually know a lot about fashion. Growing up, my parents didn't really show any interest in teaching me anything about their professions, like fashion or acting. I know how to pick out matching clothes and some designing techniques, but nothing past that." Adrien explains to the three.

"That's more than me. I don't know any techniques." Nate tells him with a shrug.

"Yeah, Dude. It's awesome that you know a few things. Maybe you should enter the contest with Marinette." Nino suggests to him with a grin.

"Oh, I can't do that. If I were picked, it would look like I won through nepotism since my father's judging the contest." Adrien tells his friend.

"Huh, for someone who hasn't been outside much before, you sure know about business," Nate tells him when he hears Adrien say that.

"I've had quite a few tutors. One was a business tutor, and they taught me a few things." Adrien explains to him, causing Nate to nod in understanding.

"Makes sense." He tells Adrien.

Adrien peaks at Marinette's designs, and his eyes widen in amazement before he smiles at Marinette.

"Wow, these designs are amazing, Marinette. You have a real chance of winning if your derby hat looks anything like one of these." Adrien compliments Marinette's designs, causing the girl to grin at him happily.

"Thank you, Adrien. That means a lot." Marinette tells him.

Adrien blushes slightly at this and rubs the back of his head nervously. Nino sees this and smiles. However, unknown to the group, they were being watched from across the courtyard by a pair of narrowed eyes.

Chloe watches the group of four as they happily chat with a calculating expression on her face. Her attention is specifically on Marinette and her sketchbook while holding her own sketchbook. With a huff, Chloe closed her book and headed toward the exit, passing by Alya, whose been glued to her phone more than usual lately.

"Wonder what her problem's been lately." Chloe absentmindedly thinks to herself as she passes by Alya.

After leaving the school, she walks down a few blocks until she reaches her father's bakery. When she enters, she's met with her father's smiling face.

"Welcome home, Sweetie. How was school today?" André asks his daughter with a smile.

Chloe smiles sweetly when she sees her father and immediately goes past the counter to hug him.

"Hi, dad. School wasn't that interesting today, but they did make an incredible announcement during class. There'll be a design contest after school tomorrow, and Gabriel Agreste will be judging it." Chloe excitedly tells her father as she looks up at him from her hug.

"That's wonderful, My Little One. Do you already have an idea in mind?" André asks his daughter in excitement.

"The theme is derby hats. I don't think I've ever designed a derby hat, but it shouldn't be a problem. I don't have any competition at school. Fashion runs through my blood, after all." Chloe confidently tells her father as she lets go of the hug.

André smiles at his daughter. It looks somewhat strained from her words, though.

"Well then, good luck, My Little One. I'll bring you some snacks later. So you have something to eat while you work." André promises his daughter.

"Thank you, dad. Well, I'm off to work." Chloe tells him as she quickly runs up to her room, never seeing the slightly sad look André is giving her.

When Chloe enters her room, she darts toward her work desk and sets her sketchbook on a blank page.

"Alright, time to get to work. There's no way I'm going to let Cheng-Dupain win this contest. My family needs this more." Chloe tells herself as she picks up a pencil and begins sketching in her sketchbook.

Marinette is currently drawing something inside of her sketchbook. However, unlike Chloe, she's not drawing inside her room and has instead picked to go outside for this. Marinette is on some stairs with a frontline view of the Eiffel Tower and happily working in her sketchbook.

Well, happily is not quite the right word. She seems pretty stressed as she sketches some designs for her derby hat.

"Gah, nothing is calling to me," Marinette screams as she pulls out another paper and crumbles it up before throwing it away.

"I'm sure you're overthinking this a little, Marinette." Tikki tries to tell her partner from inside the little bag on Marinette's waist where she's hiding.

"You don't understand, Tikki. If I impress Gabriel Agreste, then it will be a huge step toward my dream of being a fashion designer." Marinette tells the Kwami as she sketches another design.

This last sketch was of a flower blowing in the wind with some petals falling off it. Marinette looks at it for a minute and smiles slightly.

"I kind of like this design. I think I'll keep it as a maybe."  Marinette says as she looks at it.

Her attention is taken away from her designs by the sounds of pigeons. She looks up to see a large flock of pigeons surrounding a man as he feeds them bread crumbs from a paper bag.

They're a tall man with a rather long facial structure. They have light skin, brown eyes, and slicked-back brownish-blond hair under a grey fedora with a black band.

The man wore a grey suit over a dark green plaid vest over a white shirt with a large teal bowtie wrapped around his neck. Matching his suit jacket, the man also wears dark grey pants and brown slip-on shoes.

The man has a content look as he throws food to the numerous pigeons with one hand while holding an orange bird caller in the other.

"Well, happy day, happy day! Splendid is the afternoon day. Ah, Edgar, you fancy one. Fantastic, dazzling performance." The man happily says as he feeds the pigeons.

However, Marinette sees Sabrina's father, Roger, walking towards the man with hands clasped behind his back and an annoyed expression on his face.

"Scram, you winged rats!" Roger shouts at the pigeons, causing them to fly away.

Roger then looks toward the now nervous man with an irritated expression as he takes the bag from them.

"How many times have we told you, Mr. Ramier? You are not allowed to FEED THE PIGEONS!" Roger angrily shouts at the man as he points towards a sign that says don't feed the pigeons.

"The rules state it's strictly forbidden. If everyone feeds them, they'll leave their waste everywhere and on everyone. You have to leave." Roger tells the man in anger while motioning for him to go.

"But, who will feed my poor pigeons if I'm not around?" Mr. Xavier pleads to Roger with a worried expression.

Roger rubs his temples at the man's question before glaring at him.

"Mr. Ramier, you are banned from every park in Paris because of your behavior. Every parkkeeper has been given a picture of your face with instructions not to let you stay because of your behavior. This is the second time I've caught you feeding the pigeons anyway. This is my last warning to you to stop feeding them. If I catch you doing this a third time, I'll have no choice but to arrest you. Now leave." Roger orders the man.

"But-" Mr. Xavier starts to beg before Roger loses his temper.

"Leave!" Roger shouts at the man.

Mr. Xavier quickly stands up and sadly leaves, with Roger watching him go. Marinette gives the man a look of pity as he leaves.

"Poor man, I feel sorry for him." She mutters.

Tikki had her head peeked out of the bag to watch the interaction between the man and Roger. After hearing Marinette's words, she quickly smiles at them.

"I'll never get over how strange some humans can be with your obsessions. The man could have been a pigeon himself with the way he acted. All that's missing are the feathers." Tikki tells her partner.

However, Tikki's words seemed to have given Marinette an idea for a design.

"Hmm, a feather. That could make for a good design. Nice job, Tikki." Marinette tells her Kwami.

Tikki smiles at her partner brightly.

"Happy to help," Tikki tells her.

Marinette begins drawing in her sketchbook with newfound determination as a spark of creativity hits her. Hours seem to fly by as she works, and she notices the sun starting to go down. She quickly returns home and begins designing her derby hat from one of the designs she sketched.

At the same time, Chloe is working on her derby hat with a tired but focused expression. She hears a knock on the trap door leading up to her room and says.

"Come in."

André opens the trap door and quickly shows his daughter a plate of cookies.

"I brought you some snacks, Chloe. How are the designs coming?" André asks his daughter.

Chloe smiles at André as he shows him how her design is coming. So far, it's a large black derby hat with multiple yellow lines wrapping around it.

"It's going great so far. I only have to add some stitching and flowers, and it should be done before I go to bed." Chloe tells her father with a grin as she sets the hat back on her workstation.

André sets the plate of cookies on his daughter's workstation but ensures it's not in her way while she works. As he looks at his daughter working, he can't help but smile at her, albeit sadly.

"Don't stay up too long, Chloe. You'll need your beauty sleep to look presentable to Gabriel Agreste." André tells his daughter.

It wasn't in the tone of someone who doesn't want to miss out on the chance of having a connection with a celebrity, though. It was more like a father not wanting their daughter to lose sleep.

Chloe looks towards her dad with a smile and says.

"Don't worry, dad. I'll head to bed and get some rest." Chloe tells her dad to dampen his worries.

André nods and smiles at his daughter before giving her a goodbye hug and leaving the room. Chloe watches him go and stares at the closed trap door for a few seconds before turning around and giving the hat a determined glare.

"I can do this," Chloe tells herself.

Inside her hotel room, Marinette is working on her derby hat. So far, the design is one of a simple black derby hat. However, Marinette has plans for how to design it. As she's working, she hears a knock on her door.

"Come in!" Marinette shouts from her workstation to make sure they hear her.

She was expecting Nate or her mom. However, the door reveals Tom Dupain entering the room with a tired smile.

"Hi, Marinette. I wanted to come and check up on you since we haven't been able to talk in a while." Tom tells his stepdaughter.

"Oh, you shouldn't worry too much, Tom. I know you're busy because of all the chaos Hawkmoth has caused. You don't have to push yourself." Marinette tells her stepfather with worried eyes.

Tom quickly smiles and waves her off.

"You don't have to worry either. It's part of the job, after all. Although, I'll admit that I was hoping I wouldn't have to deal with supervillains during my time in the office. It's going to make getting re-elected difficult. I'm still getting backlash for the Akuma attack on Happy Relationships Day." Tom says that last part with a bit of a tired sigh.

Marinette winches slightly at that, giving her stepfather a look of pity.

"I thought it was a good idea. At least they're happy with the Akuma shelters." Marinette tells him with a slight, awkward smile.

The shelters she's talking about are buildings Tom had constructed for people to hide in during the Akuma attacks. They're made of durable substances and contain supplies like food in water in case the attacks are long-term. The public loved them because they helped lower civilian casualties during the Akuma attacks.

Tom smiles at that and nods.

"Yes. Luckily, they've been one of my more effective plans against Hawkmoth's attacks. But enough about me, how are you doing?" Tom asks his stepdaughter.

Marinette smiles at Tom and says.

"It's going fine. The school just announced a fashion design contest with Gabriel Agreste as a judge." Marinette excitedly tells him as she shows him her derby hat.

"That's great. Do you think they'll like it?" Tom asks her.

Marinette's happy and excited expression turns into one of worry and uncertainty when Tom asks that.

"I'm not sure," Marinette tells him as she looks at the ground.

Tom sees her uncertainty and leans forward from where he's sitting on the bed in her room.

"Would you like some advice from someone who constantly has to deal with the judgemental stares of others?" Tom asks her.

Marinette looks at Tom with an uncertain expression still on her face before hesitantly nodding.

"An important thing to remember when it comes to being judged is to remain confident. You need to be able to take criticism while knowing what criticism you shouldn't take." Tom tells her.

"This is Paris's greatest fashion designer, though. So, I think I'll need to take his criticism." Marinette lightly jokes to Tom.

Tom smiles at Marinette when she says that.

"Yes, it probably will. However, remember to remain confident in your skill despite what he says to you. If he doesn't like your work, all it means is that you have room to improve. That's it." Tom tells Marinette calmly.

Marinette goes over Tom's words before smiling at him thankfully.

"I will, thanks, Tom." Marinette thanks him for his advice.

Tom smiles at Marinette.

"Of course. Don't hesitate to come to me if you need any more advice. When I married your mom, I also became one of your guardians. So, I'll help you if you ever need it." Tom tells her with a smile.

Marinette smiles somewhat awkwardly at Tom's offer but thanks him anyway.

"I'll keep it in mind then. Thank you."

Tom smiles before getting up and leaving the room.

Next Chapter

[starfall-spirit]

She's in Love With the Boy

Summary: One photograph can change a duo’s whole dynamic. When Marinette's Adrien shrine is replaced with friendly photos as well as a selfie she took with Cat Noir one night a few weeks ago, even our blind boy Adrien is a little suspicious about that.

Chapter II: Love & War

Adrien’s POV:

“Check this out!” Nino said his head popped through the entrance to Marinette’s room. 

“I could if you’d move it already,” I quipped back, a few steps lower than him. With my path clear I followed him up, Tom's food tray in hand. "Hello, ladies." I whistled at the picture wall. "Nice, Marinette. You've got everybody up here."

"Thanks." She gave a little smile. "Yeah, I got a bunch of stuff printed a few days ago and decided to work a little collage here." 

“Cool,” I said. “Maybe you could email us some if you have them backed up somewhere?”

”Of course. Hey, I’ve got a little setup on the balcony so we can eat and start our project. Come on up,” she invited us.

More pictures of our friends, mostly the girls, were to be found over her bed. Marinette,” Nino said teasingly. “A number one fan of the heroes, are you? Or just the bug and cat?”

She blushed as he pointed out the picture. “W-well, were all sort of fans, right? I mean, you know I’ve made dolls for my babysitting gigs and Alya’s got her action figures.”

Except this wasn’t a news clipping or internet download. It wasn’t an obvious selfie, but I wouldn’t forget that first night, settled together on the Arc de Triomphe after Monarch—Shadow Moth renamed—had claimed the majority of the miraculous.

You couldn’t see the red rimming in her eyes in that photo on top of the legendary monument, but I remembered every detail from that night. Her every look towards me had changed. I didn’t dare hope she was in love with me, but in a snap we were a team again. The two of us against the world. I heard the pastry tray clang to the floor and was brought back to the present moment.

My three friends were frozen and I realized I must have said the words aloud. Nino once again paused halfway through the skylight, the girls staring up from below. I was looking at Rena Rouge, Carapace, and...

”M’lady.” She stumbled back, not seeming upset by my identity, but nervous at what knowing the truth could mean for us. “All this time,” I whispered. I climbed back down, Alya taking my place and heading outside with Nino to give the two of us a bit of space to talk. “Marinette, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to blurt it like that. It was wrong of me. I was just shocked, seeing a private picture there.”

”I was stupid. I couldn’t imagine any of my friends were you. I just wanted one thing somewhere I could see it everyday. We can’t have anything, can we?” I frowned. “Well, since you know anyways...” She took my hand as Tikki and Fluff silently joined us from the other corner of the room. Guiding me over to her desk space she opened her sewing box to show a tidy box of thread spools generally organized in the order of the rainbow. Her hand hovered over the green and yellow section. “As we get the miraculous back I want you to have the code in case I’m not around for some reason. Or if you ever need to grab another.”

After she pushed down four buttons slowly so I could memorize them the box opened further, revealing the spotted miracle box and a book. “Marinette, you don’t need to prove your trust in me.”

”Even so, I prioritized Alya as my successor because she wasn’t active when I told her. That needs to change. I already discussed it with her and I was going to bring it up when we met tonight. Not come clean entirely, but tell you she could guide you to the box, should something happen to me.”

I really hated when she talked like that. ”What about this?”

She grimaced as I ran my finger down the spine of what looked to be a scrapbook. She silently nodded for me to take it out as our friends entered the room again. Pictures and sketched in quotes littered each page. “I plan to fill a whole lot more of those.”

”Ah, a baker’s dozen, then.”

She swatted my shoulder, trying to hid a grin. “That was awful. I’m trying to be serious and you always—” Her voice broke. “Please don’t let me forget, Adrien.”

So that’s what this was about. Her memories. I slid the book back into the box, stepping away so Alya could close it. “Come here.” She wrapped her arms around my middle. “You’ll be old and grey by the time you pass that box on, m’lady. And I have no doubt whoever you choose will be close enough to you that you’ll still have all of the kwamis around. Maybe it’ll be your own kid you train. Everything will work out just fine, I promise.”

”Alright, you two,” Nino cut in. “Maybe we push this to tomorrow?”

I nodded, moving towards the chaise after our friends had gone and my partner released me. “Kitty.”

My little nick name was barely audible. “Yes?”

”I don’t know how exactly you feel about me after everything, but...” I waited in silence, unwilling to sway her in what she needed to express, only daring to hope this amazing girl could love me back. “I’m sorry I built that wall between us. Not as a guardian, but as your partner. As your friend. When I sensed... other feelings, I was scared. I didn't want to change the team. I didn't want to have another layer of temptation for either of us to expose our identities. If one of us is captured it could be a very dangerous situation. Adrien, there are only three miraculous in our keeping. If this slips and someone learns where to look I don't know what will happen. I don't want my family involved and that's the first move someone will make if they need the box opened."

"I'll wait."

"What?"

"I told myself I could let you go in time if you didn't love me. But if you do then I'll wait. We can date as civilians now and never as heroes. We can be friends in both forms if you need that sense of security. All I need from you is your honestly and faith. The rest we'll find in time."

"Even if I'm admitting I love you?"

"I will always wait for you, Marinette. If I'm young and wild or six feet down, I'll wait for you."

She walked over, hugging me tight. With a shaking breath she pressed a kiss to my cheek. "Thank you, kitty."

~~~~~

Two years later they looked over the city of love. Paris was so beautiful at night, even broken by Monarch's war. Their city needed some patching up. Rebuilding. Too many funerals to count. Short of a few required legal matters, Adrien Agreste had washed his hands of his father and cousin. Mercifully-unbelievably-it was over. The fighting was over. They had won. They shared the first mutual kiss they could both say they remembered. Yes, their city needed healed, but from that moment forward Marinette Dupain-Cheng and Adrien Agreste lived happily ever after.

Tikki looked on with a sigh of contentment. "Like every other holder of mine," she told her fellow kwamis. "She's in love with the boy."

Previous

[ladybugout-au]

Dear. GOD. After seeing Furious Fu, I would honestly love to see LBO!Marinette just chewing out Su-Han for all his canon-to-fic BULLSHIT. Like, I know you’ve already got a plan to incorporate Feast into LBO, which I’m super excited for, so this asshole showing up with all his nonsense after the new Team Miraculous is set, hell maybe even after they’ve already retrieved the Butterfly and the Peacock, and watching Marinette (and possibly Fu since he has the memories to stand up for himself) tear this dude a new one would really be the cherry on top of an already awesome fic. Sorry to rant in your inbox lol but the new episode just made me so. ANGRY.

In the lounge room of the Liberty, everyone jumped as they heard a noise from up above deck, as if something heavy had fallen or been dropped. Marinette briefly pulled away from Luka’s hold, staring up at the ceiling and wondering aloud, “What was that?”

“I don’t know,” Juleka admitted, exchanging concerned looks with Rose.

“That definitely wasn’t Mom,” Luka noted with a tilt of his head.

Pounding footsteps followed, making it clear that a person had clearly gotten on the houseboat without the gangplank being there.

Nino jolted on alert, turning to Duusu with a hushed whisper. “Hide!”

“All of you,” Kagami began, standing up and looking around vaguely at every kwami. “get out of sight.”

The kwami, breaking out of their trance after the brief scare, scattered in every direction to find their own individual hiding places, some choosing to hide with their respective holder and others preferring to hide behind or inside objects. Ivan went into his usual protective mode, wrapping an arm around Mylene while she clung to him.

Marinette stood up, rushing over to the table and picking up the Miracle Box to stow it away. She looked around, then dashed for the microwave and stored the box inside.

She shut the door just in time for the intruder to descend from the staircase: an old man, dressed in Chinese garb and carrying a strange mystical-looking staff. He had a stern expression, his brows knitted together as he scanned the room like none of them were even there. He raised his staff, his gaze eventually locking on the microwave the Marinette was standing near.

Without a word, he pushed Marinette aside, earning an offended, “Excuse me—hey!” from her as he grabbed the microwave door and tugged it. When that did little more than jostle the microwave itself, he tried blindly tampering with the buttons to no avail.

Marinette slapped his wrist away, standing with all her pride as guardian as she asked, “What do you think you’re doing?!”

He glared at her in response. “Young lady, I demand you open your magical sealing chamber and return what’s rightfully mine!”

She blanked, the words catching her completely off-guard. This guy thought their microwave was a magical sealing chamber?

In response, Marinette gave a brief glance to the others, who were all looking back at her with equally puzzled expressions, any tension from before completely gone.

An unspoken question echoed throughout the room: Is he for real?

Before Marinette could ask any further, Tikki emerged from her hiding spot, flying over and explaining, “Marinette, I know who this is! This is great master Su-Han, the guardian of the Miracle Box!”

Marinette raised a brow skeptically. “But I’m the guardian?”

“He was responsible for the box before the incident that Master Fu caused,” she corrected.

Su-Han looked down at Marinette condescendingly. “So you are the current holder of the box.”

“That’s right,” she confirmed unapologetically. She gave a side-glance to Luka and the others, seeing that they were prepared to stand up and fight for her, but she gave a subtle gesture to let them know that it wasn’t necessary. Resolving to deal with Su-Han herself, she faced him again. “How did you find us?”

He held out his staff, the jewel on it mere centimeters from her face. “Guardian scepters are equipped with compasses that can find their Miracle Box at any given time.”

“In case you lose it?” Marinette blurted out, but didn’t apologize or try to take it back.

“Insolent!” Su-Han gasped. “You are not even a proper guardian. I can tell that this box hasn’t even been properly passed down to you!”

“Because Master Fu gave it to me,” she explained, “and we agreed that he should keep his memories.”

“Fu?” Su-Han echoed. “You mean Wang Fu? Chicken legs?”

Is this guy five? Marinette wondered.

Orikko popped out from their hiding place, waving a paw at Su-Han as if in warning. “I take offense to that!”

Su-Han glared at Orikko at the comment, and Orikko quickly ducked back down. Turning his attention back to Marinette, he continued, “Wang Fu is a student who wasn’t even able to fast for a day, nor do a thousand finger-pushups. He was never a rightful guardian, and he failed to fulfill the hope we’d seen in him.”

“Master Fu may have made mistakes, but he’s done his best to make up for all of them!” she argued. “He protected the box for over one hundred years and it’s because of his choices that our team was able to defeat Hawk Moth!”

“Team?” Su-Han asked, his face scrunching up as if he were piecing something together.

“Yes!”

Marinette gestured to her boyfriend and friends for emphasis. Luka, Ivan, Kagami, and Juleka stood while Rose and Nino pinched and stretched their shirts to show off their respective miraculouses.

“Children?” Su-Han gaped. Glaring at Marinette, as if she had personally given out the miraculouses herself, he declared, “Children are never meant to hold miraculouses, especially from the first and most powerful Miracle Box! Kwami are extremely powerful, cosmic creatures!”

A voice piped up from across the room. “Y-you say that, but—!”

Marinette and Su-Han turned to look at Nooroo, who had peeked out from behind Rose’s shoulder. He breathed up, seeming to gain some confidence, then floated out to the center of the room.

“They saved me and Duusu from the hands of evil! We would still be in Gabriel’s clutches if not for them!”

“What?” Su-Han asked. Just when Marinette thought they might be getting somewhere, he turned back to her and accused, “The peacock and butterfly were lost?!”

“Fu lost them when he was escaping the temple,” Marinette explained, a mixture between unphased and annoyed at the man’s outbursts, “but we got them back and everything’s okay now.”

Luka chimed in from his place near the couch, “Marinette has been an incredible leader, as both Ladybug and the guardian.”

She smiled at him in thanks, but Su-Han was clearly focused on anything but the positives.

“Ladybug? You’re even wearing a miraculous?! Guardians aren’t meant to hold miraculouses!” he said, throwing his arms out for effect.

“What—why?” she asked, genuinely confused.

Instead of answering her, Su-Han pulled out a book, shoving it pointedly towards her with the cover facing downwards in his palm. “Let me remind you of a few important rules you’ve violated.” He flipped through a few pages, then pointed at one of them. “Rule fourteen: Kwami must not live outside of the box.” He flipped through a few more. “Rule fifty-two: Guardians must never lose a miraculous. “He flipped to a page near the end. “Rule one hundred and thirty-three: Guardians must never, under any circumstances, wear a miraculous.”

“Master Fu wore a miraculous,” she argued, having never heard of any such rule from him.

“And that proves exactly what I’m talking about!” Su-Han retorted. “Neither you nor Fu are capable guardians because neither of you have respected the rules of the order!”

“...”

When Marinette initially imagined the Order of the Guardians and the people who ran it, this was not what she’d pictured. She had pictured zen and calm, not belligerent and immovable. She was reminded vaguely of her grandfather when she first met him, and that wasn’t a good thing.

She tossed another gaze at everyone, who gave her the same look and nod in response: let him have it.

“Young lady, I’ll repeat myself once,” Su-Han warned. “Return the Miracle Box and the miraculouses to me before--”

Marinette grabbed the book out of his hand, shut it with a satisfying “clap,” then set it back in his hand. “No.“

“What did you say?” he asked, aghast that she would speak to him that way.

“I said no.” Marinette advanced on him, the sheer force of her presence making him take a step back. “Now let me remind you about everything you must’ve missed this whole time.”

She raised a finger at him, raising additional fingers as she went on. “One: You intruded on my boyfriend’s house without any sort of permission. If you’d actually called out to us, we might’ve actually been willing to come out and listen to what you had to say. Two: You wouldn’t have even been able to be here in the first place if not for me using Miraculous Ladybug after our team took down Feast, which you weren’t able to do. Three: We aren’t children, we’re teenagers, and the fact that you can’t tell the difference or bother learning what technology is shows that I shouldn’t trust you with the Miracle Box even if you had a right to it. Four: You didn’t bother to listen and blamed me for losing miraculouses when it was you and your order who didn’t keep an eye on a poor boy who didn’t want to be there. Five, last but not least: I say the kwami are allowed out of the Miracle Box because I am the guardian. You and your order have been gone for over one hundred years and you can’t go making demands after I brought you back. You told me rules I didn’t even know about and didn’t explain why you have those rules in the first place. The kwami are my friends and they have feelings and I’m not going to shut them in a box because you told me to.”

Silence filled the room, no one saying a word and Su-Han’s face contorting between shock and outrage.

Marinette took a step back, standing at the ready and gesturing to herself. “So if you want the Miracle Box, you’re going to have to go through us first.”

She tossed a look at her team, all of them doing a synchronized, confrontational motion to face Su-Han.

“Tikki!”

“Plagg!”

“Wayzz!”

“Pollen!”

“Trixx!”

“Nooroo!”

“Duusu!”

They then shouted in unison, “Transform me!”

Several individual flashes meshed together, overtaking the room and then fading to leave several heroes behind, their weapons equipped for battle.

Su-Han looked amongst them, a flicker in his eyes that hinted that he knew he would be outmatched, but also wasn’t willing to admit it. He retreated a few steps back, hands out to show that he was prepared to defend himself.

It was at that moment that Ladybug heard and noticed movement from behind him, realization striking and a smile overtaking her face. Pulling back from her fighting pose, she placed a hand on her hip and stated confidently, “Captain Anarka will escort you out.”

He looked confused, and he was only able to let out a, “What—?” before a hand clamped down on his shoulder.

Su-Han wasn’t even able to turn around before he was pulled backward, a jewelry-adorned fist decking him in the face and sending him flying into the staircase. His scepter fell to the floor and he could only gape at the woman standing there, cracking her knuckles while he was sprawled out on the stairs with all air having been knocked out of him.

“A trespasser on my ship, eh?” Anarka asked, a grin on her face but her eyes glinting with malice. “I don’t take kindly to ship rats who threaten my crew and think they’re too good to walk the plank.”

Su-Han hurried to get up, only for Anarka to grab him by his shirt and haul him up the stairs, a rapid shuffling noise following as Ladybug went over and shut the door.

A few seconds passed and the atmosphere shifted to peace, everyone mutually releasing their transformations and relaxing. Marinette smiled reassuringly at everyone, letting them know that things were okay, but then jumped as she heard a resounding, “Marinette!”

The kwami all emerged from their hiding places, Marinette having no time to react as they all charged at her, their tiny bodies clinging affectionately to whatever they could grab of her.

“You’re amazing!”

“Thank you so much!”

“You stood up for us!”

“You’re the best guardian ever!”

Marinette gasped, finding it hard to move without disturbing any of them. Trying hard not to laugh, she protested, “Aha—hey! Stop, you’re all tickling me!”

She blushed, looking over at her teammates who were only staring at her with pride, which just made the pink on her cheeks turn red. “This is so embarrassing!”

Once the kwami had their fill of thanking her, they finally obeyed and flew away, each giving her smiles of approval. She covered her face with a hand, waiting for the shyness to die down, then noticed the guardian scepter out of the corner of her eye, still lying on the ground.

She approached, touching the scepter at first to make sure it was safe, then properly picking it up and letting it stand next to her. She tapped the gem on top, eyeing the compass that Su-Han had been talking to her about, then followed its direction back to the microwave. She walked over, opening it up, then took out the Miracle Box and held it in her free hand.

Looking back and forth between the two clearly ancient objects, she couldn’t help chuckling. “They don’t really suit me.”

Her friends giggled in response, Luka in particular shooting her a warm smile and approaching. One of his hands went to the scepter and the other went to rest on the Miracle Box.

“I think you make them work, actually,” he replied.

Marinette beamed at him, thoroughly warmed by the compliment. It didn’t feel like that long ago when her support was lacking and defeating Hawk Moth seemed like a pipe dream.

Now, holding the Miracle Box and scepter in her hands, she didn’t know why she’d ever doubted herself.

“Yeah, maybe you’re right.” Then, looking at the Su-Han-less room, she gave a shrug and walked back with Luka to the couch. “So, where were we?”

[symphonic-scream]

Band nerd au

As a band kid that grew into a "music major", in quotations cause I'm pausing school until pandemic ends, I will actually make this a thing. Don't tempt me like. I have an outline of a boarding school au that I could merge into a performing arts school/band school thing.

But I am taking this opportunity to give my very official, one hundred percent factual, list of what instrument each one would play in a concert band style thing

Marinette: she's a flute. Generic. Very middle ground. Wouldn't want to play solos but she has a very light tone. However, she likes to play loud and proud, very trumpet style

Adrien: oboe. Total oboe. Started on Clarinet, wanted to stay clarinet, but he was totally pressured to fill the empty chair since he was the best clarinet

Alya: this girl is a tenor sax. Tenor all the way. If you think otherwise you're clearly wrong and should reconsider your life. She's the tenor that you know is in jazz band. She doesn't have to say it she plays a note and you know

Nino: he's a percussionist. Plays like, timpani, or any of the aux PERC played with sticks. Wood block, temple blocks, the whole bit. He also wears sunglasses so much and the band director is so tired of reminding him he can't wear them indoors

Luka: since there's no strings, homeboy plays the bass clarinet. Everyone kinda overlooks him but like, his parts are what make everything sound so good, with the lower harmonies and bass support. He quietly sits behind the clarinets, does his thing, flawlessly. You rarely hear his tone break if it's not a reed problem

Kagami: french horn. French. Horn. If anyone mentions that their part sucks she just coughs and gestures to her whole page of offbeats. But her tone? She's a champ at the high notes, crystal clear and light, but then you get her on those lower tones? Oh man. Strong, a force to be reckoned with

Juleka: piccolo. She's usually trying to get a like, second or third flute part, but her pitches are so delicate and clear that she gets handed the piccolo part every time. Really does like, lyrical music super well

Rose: Tuba. TUBA TUBA. TUBA. she's a tuba. Okay just, trust me. She has the lungs to really hold those long, long notes, really adds so much tone and texture, never too overpowering though. But, she goes off the hook when she gets accented notes and big loud sections

Nathaniel: mallet percussion. He considers himself to be like. The king of the band room. Reading notes without having to use his lungs? He's a big asshole about it too. But he misses cues a lot more than you'd think

Alix: I'm, on the fence. But my gut says trombone. Nearly perfect pitch, she's the one that tunes for a little too long. Can hold a tone like no tomorrow, but she can master the bell tone. Mute master. Somehow always has her mutes in on time, but you never see her move

Kim: this is a trumpet. He's a trumpet! Improv king, he has no clue what he's doing theory wise but his solos sound so good? It's his musical instinct. Awful at counting long rests though. Will not come in on time. He does his best to quiet down when he's not the melody, wants to give everyone their chance to shine

Max: clarinet. Basic. I'm sorry but like. He's been playing the same instrument since he was a child he's just. It's clarinet energy. Sometimes a little too loud, so you always know when the clarinet comes in. But he's very technically and theoretically on point, he's a theory man

Mylene: aux percussion. Wind chimes, triangle, maracas. Whip crack. Very shy at first, nervous about missing cues, but after a chance to practice, she's always on point. Her specialty is a perfectly built suspended cymbal roll

Ivan: drums. He plays them on kit, so he does bass and snare at once. He will loudly apologize when he messed up. His favourite thing to do are rolls, complicated rhythms take him time to get down

Sabrina: here me out on this one, she's a bari sax. Bari sax players are either the classic Band Boy, or they're the coolest girl you've ever met. She's the middle ground. Started on alto, didn't vibe, and moved to fill the bari spot and hasn't moved since

Chloe: alto sax, believe it or not. But not jazz. Not at first. She acts like she only likes more technical or classical pieces, but once she plays something like, Can't Stop the Beat, it's over. Sometimes squeaks, gets all huffy when she does, plays like she has something to prove

Okay. There are the like. Individual ones. Now for the rest of the characters I use more often, so instruments double up starting here. But they're all different vibes

Lila: she's an alto sax, but actually she plays Soprano sax, but since there's never parts, she'll take an alto. Whenever she messes up a fingering she mentions that it's cause it's not her home instrument and like. Okay girl sure. Please play your part

Ondine: she's a baritone horn player, but she does play trumpet in like. Jazz. Will argue that the baritone is better than the Euphonium, and she's right- prefers the lower harmony when on trumpet

Marc: we've got another flute. The classic, shy little flute player that surprises everyone by playing the part right the first time. Master sight reader. Started as a piano player, but he prefers playing in ensemble

Aurore: she is totally a clarinet. But not in the way Max is. She's like, in the goofy sidekick song, they use a lot of clarinet, it's also a feature of a lot of say, Jewish music? Sounds weird to phrase it that way but it is.

And if you've gotten this far and you're a band kid past or present, you may be thinking "but scream, you forgot an instrument! You forgot! You big dumb idiot where is this last instrument?!"

And don't you worry. I didn't forget. I was saving this for last. On purpose. Here it is.

Wayhem: bassoon. He's a double Reed. Will never shut up about the fact that he and Adrien are like "our own mini section!! Double reeds are different guys it's its own thing" and he's wrong. Gets flustered when his notes change too much too fast

AND THERE YOU HAVE IT

if you disagree you're wrong, I'm right, this is true. And correct. But you can argue (or agree) with me all you want. Also if you want more of this like. Let me know I loved this

[dakotacrisis]

Adrien’s Sick Day

(This dumb idea would not let me sleep. Adrien gets sick but refuses to miss school so chugs a bottle of Nyquil but starts crashing when he gets to school. Shoots back an energy drink to keep awake. Disassociates so hard he comes to with a new fencing trophy and a girlfriend.)

---

Adrien was sick. He never got sick easy but he was sicker than a dog today. His temperature was through the roof and the only medicine in the house was a bottle of Nyquil.

“Sounds like an easy day in.” Plagg said. “Chug it down and let’s get back to bed.”

Adrien shook his head. “I wanna go to school.”

“School?” Plagg rested on top of his head, “Kid, do you really want to attempt class today?”

“I have already missed normal human interaction for the first fifteen years of my life. I am not missing another day!” Adrien chugged down the Nyquil. “Let’s go!”

Despite Plagg’s protests to stay inside Adrien collected his bag and headed to school. He was doing well up until he stepped inside and the medicine really started kicking in. Right...the medicine wasn’t the non-drowsy kind.

“Hey dude,” Nino clapped him on the back to which Adrien almost fell face first into floor. “Dang, what’s wrong with you?”

“Fever. Medicine. Sleepy. Not missing class.” Adrien rubbed the sleep from his eyes. “Got any coffee?”

“I have this.” Nino pulled out an energy drink from his bag. “You can have it if you really want it but I think you should just go home.”

“No, I’m fine. Hand it over.” Adrien took the drink and walked with Nino into class.

In the blink of an eye Adrien was no longer in class but back home in his room holding a half empty cup of boba. “What the...” Adrien looked around. “How did I...”

The sun was further down in the sky so it must be later. Oh god, where did he put his phone? On his desk was a new fencing trophy he didn’t remember earning. Hanging off the trophy’s miniature epee was the lucky charm Marinette had lent him.

This was strange. He checked the clock on his computer and was surprised to see that it was five in the evening. What had happened all day? He couldn’t remember a thing.

The sound of his phone ringing with a notification caught his attention. He rummaged around in his bag and pulled it out. The background on his phone had changed too. Instead of the picture of him and Nino it was him in his fencing uniform holding a trophy in one hand and his other arm wrapped around Marinette who was kissing his cheek.

Okay. What the heck happened today?

He went to his contacts and hit Nino’s number. Hopefully he could shed some light on this situation.

“Hey bro, what’s up?” Nino shouted over the roar of a crowd in the background, “You change your mind and want to come out to the party?”

“Party?” Adrien asked. “What party?”

“Well I guess it is turning more into a festival. I know Marinette said you should go home and rest but you sound a lot better. We’re currently out under the Eiffel Tower if you wanna stop by.”

“What festival? What’s going on?” Adrien couldn’t make heads or tails of what he was saying. He was fairly certain there wasn’t any parties or holidays today.

“Sorry dude, I can’t hear you.” Nino shouted over the noise, “Eiffel Tower! Come out! Have some fun!”

He hung up and Adrien was back at square one but with even more questions. Maybe there were some clues in his phone. He checked his pictures and saw that there were more pictures he had taken today. The picture he had set as his background was there. There was a group shot with the guys who held Adrien up on their shoulders. Those were taken around four.

Adrien checked his calendar and saw that he did have a fencing tournament today at three. So that’s where he must have been for that hour. And he ended up placing first while zonked out on cold medicine. Adrien wasn’t sure what to make of that. Either his opponents weren’t that great or he is just an amazing fencer when he’s blacked out. Neither sat right with him.

That’s still leaves the seven hours from school and the hour between when he won the tournament and when he got home. Wait! Plagg! Plagg was by his side the entire time! He’d know!

“Plagg!” Adrien called, “Plagg! Where are you?”

“Ugh, you said I could relax.” Plagg’s voice came from the cheese cabinet. Adrien opened it and saw Plagg nesting atop a large wheel of camembert. “Haven’t we done enough today?”

“Plagg, I don’t remember what happened today. You have to fill me in.”

“Seriously?” PLagg laughed, “You don’t remember a thing?”

“No! And it’s creeping me out!” Adrien pulled him out of the cabinet. “Please tell me what I did.”

“Well I don’t really know.”

“How do you not know? You hide in my bag all day!”

“I sleep in your bag all day. I only woke up for the akuma.”

“Akuma? When was there an akuma?”

“A bunch of akumas. We had another Scarlet Akuma pandemic going on before you ran off to go fencing. You and Ladybug were really struggling for a while there until your doppelgangers showed up. Something happened after the akumas got purified but I was tired and bored at that point and stopped paying attention.”

“No! Plagg, I need to know what happened! And what do you mean by doppelgangers?”

“Oh right, bunny girl brought future you and Ladybug back in time to help with the akumas.”

“My future self! Future Ladybug?!” Adrien was going to throw himself off a building. He had completely missed meeting his future self and seeing what Ladybug looked like grown up. She could have only gotten more beautiful.

“Yeah, it was trippy.” Plagg said. “That’s all I remember though. After you transformed back you had to go to fencing and I stayed in your locker resting.”

“So you don’t know anything else? Not even about this?” Adrien showed him the picture of Marinette kissing him.

“Awe, finally got that girlfriend of yours I see. But no. No idea.”

“You’re awfully helpful.” Adrien sighed. He needed answers. He wasn’t gonna be able to focus until he filled in the blanks from today. He got online and started combing through the footage from the akuma attack. Plagg wasn’t kidding. This was the most akumas Adrien had ever seen. It looked as if half of Paris had been infected.

Him, Ladybug, and some of the other heroes were fighting against them but losing ground fast. A shining portal opened up and...holy crap. It really was his future self walking alongside a grown up Ladybug. Bunnix also joined them. The footage sped by as the heroes, future and present fought side by side. Adrien had always thought that he and Ladybug were a well oiled machine but seeing their future counterparts fight made them look like fish flopping on a deck. It was as if they were thinking about each other’s moves five steps ahead.

There was an eruption of white butterflies as the akumas were purified. The people cheered. Future Chat grabbed Future Ladybug and spun her in the air in victory. And then...oh…present Ladybug grabbed present Chat and kissed him. Seriously?! Another kiss he couldn’t remember!

“PLAGG!” Adrien shouted, “YOU SAID NOTHING ELSE HAPPENED!”

“Nothing did!” Plagg shouted back.

“LADYBUG KISSED ME! THAT’S NOT NOTHING TO ME!”

“How is this any different then the other times she kissed you and you forgot?”

“Y’know what--!”

“Can’t hear you. Napping.” Plagg started snoring loudly.

Adrien sighed. He turned his attention back to the screen.

There was only more cheering as the two kissed. Wait. So he kissed Ladybug and Ladybug kissed him back and they both remember so why had Marinette been kissing him in his fencing picture? Once again, more questions.

The future miraculous holders went back through the portal. His present self and Ladybug waved to the crowd then vaulted out of frame. According to the akuma report online that was from 12:40 to 2:55. Another two hours accounted for. Yet it was the minutes in between that seemed to hold all the answers.

Adrien grabbed his school bag and dumped it out looking for more answers. There had to be something else. All of it looked pretty normal. Books, homework assignments, a couple empty containers of camembert, and a few loose papers. He picked up one and saw it was an excerpt of a script. A Midsummer Night’s Dream? What was this doing in his bag? They were supposed to start their Shakespeare period in literature class so it wasn’t so out of place.

The assignment was to recreate a scene from one of Shakespeare’s plays. At the top of the page was Adrien’s name as well as Marinette’s. He guessed they must have gotten partnered up. Maybe he should try calling her to figure out what was going on.

He picked up his phone and searched for Marinette’s contact, her name in his phone had been changed to Girlfriend with a bunch of sparkly hearts around it. So apparently she was his girlfriend now, according to his phone at least. He called her but the call went to voicemail. Okay, maybe Alya knows. He called her next and was relieved when she answered.

“Hey lover boy!” Alya was shouting over the same crowd as Nino had been, “Nino said you called. Feeling better already?”

“Alya, you have to tell me what I did today.”

“What?”

“What did I do while I was at school? I can’t remember.”

“How do you not remember?”

“I was zonked out on cold medicine! I don’t even know how I got home let alone how I won a fencing trophy and got a girlfriend in the past few hours.”

“Wow. Just...wow. I knew you were kinda loopy today but I figured you’d remember confessing to Marinette. Girl was over the moon.”

The memories tickled right in the back of Adrien’s brain but he just couldn’t get to them. They had been washed away in a tidal wave of medicine and energy drink. He needed answers. He needed to talk to Marinette. “Are you all still by the Eiffel Tower?” Adrien asked.

“Yeah, you coming out?”

“Yeah. I’ll be there in a few.” Adrien hung up and grabbed his coat. He felt much better physically than he had that morning which was nice. The walk to the Eiffel Tower gave him plenty of time to think about what it was he was missing. There was a significant piece of the puzzle missing, the one piece that would make the rest of the day make sense. If only he could figure out what it was!

He found his friends and everyone cheered when they saw him and pulled him into their circle. Standing with Alya was Marinette. Face alight with a smile and laughing. She turned when she felt Adrien’s eyes on her and her smile grew.

“Hey, I thought I told you to go home and rest. Or was it that you didn’t want to miss out on all the fun?” She grabbed his hands, “I suppose I’ll let it go this time seeing as how today was very taxing and we could do with some fun after that Scarlet Moth fiasco.”

“Yeah, about that,” Adrien said, “Can we talk somewhere a little quieter?”

“Sure,” She pulled on his hands as she led him away from the group. Their classmates whistled and teased as the couple left. When they were far enough away from the noise and people Marinette spoke to him, “What is it you want to talk about?”

“Right um…” Adrien felt heat climbing up his neck, “So I was kinda really sick this morning and I took a bunch of drowsy cold-medicine that I tried to counteract with an energy drink and now I don’t remember anything that happened today. Nothing whatsoever.”

Marinette stared at him, her wide, unblinking baby blue eyes piercing through his skull. “Are you joking?”

“No. I swear I am not. I’ve put together some of what happened but there are some things that I don’t understand like how um, you know, how you and I…” He looked down at his feet, mortified that he had to have this conversation with her. He felt like he was breaking her heart or something.

“You dumb kitty.” Marinette bonked the top of his head, “That explains a lot actually. I’ve always known you to be kinda spacey but today was something else. How is it that when you’re out of it you can still function as a human being?”

“Marinette?” Adrien looked up at her, “What did you call me?”

Marinette sighed and motioned for him to sit down on the bench. “Alright, so this morning when class started…”

*Earlier that day*

“Did that help at all?” Nino asked Adrien as they sat down for class.

“I guess we’ll see,” Adrien almost missed his seat when he went to sit down, “So far it is a rousing success!”

“I really think you should just go home, dude.” Nino shook his head. “I think the caffeine just made this worse.”

“Nah!” Adrien corrected himself and slid himself into his seat, “I am fine! Look how fine I am! I am super fine!”

“Sure are.” Nino snickered, he couldn’t help it. His best friend was essentially high as a kite right now.

Everyone took their seats as Ms. Bustier began the lesson. “For this unit we will be focusing on William Shakespeare. I figured we’d start off with something fun so I want everyone to get into pairs or small groups and perform a scene from any Shakespeare play you would like. Group up and figure out what you’re performing in class today. Go over your lines and we’ll do the actual performances tomorrow. Try not to do really long ones. Have fun!”

Immediately everyone around the room started pairing off. “Hey Adrien,” Alya grabbed his attention, “How’s about you and Marinette team up? You would make a wonderful Romeo and Juliet.”

“But I wanted us to do Romeo and Juliet, babe.” Nino pouted.

“That’s fine, Alya. You two can have Romeo and Juliet.” Marinette told her, her face tinted a cute pink. “Adrien and I can do something else.”

“Hernia!” Adrien shouted, “You can be Hernia and I’ll be Lightsaber!”

“What?” The other three teenagers stared at him. “What are you talking about?”

“You know, that play, the one with the donkey head?” Adrien mimicked large donkey ears on his head.

“Oh! I got it!” Marinette said, “A Midsummer Night’s Dream. You want us to be Hermia and Lysander.”

“Yeah! Those two!” Adrien nodded, “Hernia and Lightsaber.”

“Adrien, sweetie,” Alya looked at him with an amused smile, “Their names are Hermia and Lysander. Not Hernia and Lightsaber.”

“Got it. Got it.” Adrien continued nodding so hard he looked like a bobblehead. “We can be them.”

“Alright, I’ll find us a scene to do.” Marinette started looking for a good scene. They eventually agreed to do the opening scene when Hermia and Lysander plan to runaway together. Marinette was being super giggly through the reading which made Adrien start laughing which made her giggle more until they were in a perpetual loop of laughter.

When class ended everyone got up to move onto the next class. Nino and Alya went on ahead leaving Marinette and Adrien alone still chuckling over their inability to be serious during their scene.

“It may be the fact that I was laughing through the whole thing but I have to confess that I have no idea what Lysander was saying.” Adrien squinted at the text before shoving it in his bag. “Did you?”

“It’s pretty simple actually,” Marinette said, “The couple are lamenting that none of Hermia’s choices that she was given from Theseus let her be with Lysander. Lysander though figures that they don’t have to follow their rules and talks Hermia into leaving Athens with him and getting married where the Athenian laws don’t apply.”

“I wish I could do that.” Adrien sighed.

“Do what?”

“Runaway with the love of my life. I have this whole plan with an island and a hamster but I know you’d never go with me.” He slumped, looking utterly defeated. “Why don’t you wanna go with me?”

“Love--love--love--love of your what? Runaway? Me and you? To an island? With hamsters!” Marinette was stammering as she tried to piece together what it was Adrien had just confessed to her. Was this really happening?

“Oh wait,” Adrien frowned, “I meant my lady.”

“Huh?”

“Ladybug is so pretty…” Adrien murmured dreamily, “She’s so awesome but she only sees me as a tomcat which--just--boo! I love her! Why doesn’t she see that?  My spotty lady! Buggy boo! I love her spots and her eyes and her pigtails…”

His green eyes turned to Marinette and batted a hand against Marinette’s hair. “Just like your pigtails.” He muttered, “You remind me a lot of Ladybug. You can be my Maribug!”

Tomcat? In love with Ladybug? No...there was no way. Surely someone like Adrien couldn’t also be her dorky partner in crime fighting.

“Hey Adrien,” Marinette smiled nervously, “Why do you think that Ladybug thinks you’re a tomcat?”

“Because I am a cat!” He stated proudly. Then his expression soured. “Or as Ladybug says, I’m a bad kitty that needs to stop flirting with her cause they’re working and she likes someone else. It’s sad that she likes someone else. I wish she could like me…”

Yep. Definitely Chat Noir. Although Marinette had never called him a bad kitty before. Chastised him for flirting an inappropriate moments? Yes. But she never berated him. She’d have to have a talk to him later as Ladybug.

WAIT! Chat Noir is Adrien! Adrien is Chat Noir! The love of her life is also her partner! Holy crap! Holy crap! Holy! Crap! Calm down, Marinette! More important things to focus on right now!

She looked over at Adrien who was still pouting like a sad little kitten. She put an arm around his shoulders. “Well I got some good news for you, kitty. I know who Ladybug is really in love with.”

“Really?!” Adrien looked at her with stars in her eyes, “Who? I’m gonna whoop their butt if they mistreat her!”

“Ladybug has a crush on Adrien Agreste.”

“Boo! He sucks!”

“Dummy, Adrien is you. Ladybug likes you.”

“Oh...SHE DOES?!” He nearly screamed and Marinette clamped a hand over his mouth. He moved his head away from her, gaping at the information. “How do you know that?”

“Because that’s who I have a crush on.” Marinette’s cheeks felt entirely too warm. When she looked at Adrien there was absolutely nothing going on behind those big green eyes of his.

“Adrien?” She waved a hand in front of his face? “Goodness, you silly kitty, you are really out of it, huh? Give it a moment. It’ll come to you.”

Marinette started counting in her head. She got to one hundred and seventeen before Adrien finally perked up like a meerkat. “Ladybug?!” He pointed at her.

“There it is.” She ruffled his hair, “I’m guessing you’re happy?”

“I--I--”

BANG!

*Present*

“Then that’s when Scarlet Moth and all the other akumas hit and we went to got fight them. Our future selves showed up to help kick some butt. We kissed. Then we went back to school so you could get to your fencing tournament. You won. You looked pretty tired so I walked you home after but you insisted we stop for boba first so we kinda went on an impromptu boba date. Got you home then I came out to celebrate with everyone about today’s akuma win.” Marinette finished, “Did that fill you in well enough?”

“So you are…”

“Yep.”

“And you like me?”

“Also yep.”

“And I somehow managed to do all this while disassociating to the point of amnesia?”

“Apparently so.”

“I am never mixing Nyquil and Red Bull again.”

“Turned out okay in the end though, right?” Marinette flashed him a bright smile.

As all the information settled within him Adrien smiled back and kissed her. She squeaked for a second not expecting it but eagerly kissed him back. “I’ll take that as a yes.” She giggled. She stood up and pulled him to his feet. “Come on, kitty, let’s go have some fun.”

*The next day*

“Hey bugaboo,” Adrien entered her room holding a hot cup of tea, “Sorry for getting you sick. Probably wasn’t a good idea to have kissed you so many times while I had a cold.”

Marinette blew her nose. “Worth it.”

[goldenlaurelleaveswrites]

The Weight of the Mask

Animan

Hey everyone! I know it's been a hot minute since I updated this! For those of you that follow me here on Tumblr, you'll know that back in December I said I would be putting this on a brief hiatus. Well, that hiatus was only supposed to be for December, while I worked on all my Christmas fics. But obviously, it ended up being a little longer than anticipated 😅. I'm sorry for the long wait and thank you so much for your patience.

I am at a very busy time in my life right now because I'm trying to switch careers and there's a lot of work I have to put into that. So updates won't be as frequent as they once were. But that being said, I promise this isn't going to be abandoned! I intend to see this (and all my other fics for that matter) through to the end.

Also, a big shoutout to everyone on the discord server for peer pressuring me to finish writing this chapter (don't worry, I asked them to!) I couldn't have done it without you guys! 💖

The Weight of the Mask (AO3)  

____________________________________________________

Acrid smoke poured out of the peacock brooch, burning his throat and eyes as he stumbled back. Over the sound of his own hacking coughs, he heard his kwami mutter something. He didn’t know what it was, but he had no doubt it was some jab at his inability to fix the brooch. 

“Silence, Nooroo,” he managed between coughs. “Open a window.”

Once the dark smoke had cleared, he could see the kwami hovering dejectedly beside the computer monitor. Refusing to meet his eyes. 

“Why did it not work?” he demanded, glaring at the kwami. But it just stared back silently. Icy anger began to fill his veins before he remembered the command he had given his kwami. “Speak, and answer me.”

“I do not know, master. The guardians did not permit us to-“

“I know,” he snapped. “But you must know something of the things that contain your powers. Something of what is written in this book.”

“No, master, I do not. None of us do.”

The kwami wilted under his glare. With a sigh, he turned his attention away from the cowering kwami and back to the grimoire. He had translated the pages that described the process for repairing a broken miraculous down to the letter. 

He was a stickler for the details; they were where the devil hid. 

But it hadn’t worked. He spared a glance at the still smouldering brooch; he had followed the instructions exactly, even the more ridiculous ones. But then… perhaps that was the problem. 

He scanned his notes, eyes flicking back the original text at every question mark he had written in his notepad. At first, he had thought it was just the nature of magic; to call on the bizarre to fix that which was miraculous. But the more he looked…  

His teeth ached with the tension of his clenched jaw. 

How could he have been so foolish? It was not enough that the grimoire was written in an old, almost extinct dialect. It was written in code as well. 

He took in a deep breath to calm himself. He would crack the code. He would finish what he had started.

But for now… He turned abruptly to face the portrait that hung in his office and pressed the hidden buttons. 

“Master?” 

He ignored the kwami, save for a gesture for it to follow him into the elevator. The past days had been consumed with work on the brooch. It was high time he drew the heroes out into the open again. 

The code would be much easier to crack if he had their kwamis to lead him to the guardian. 

                                                                ***

Kim bounced on the balls of his feet as he waited for the rest of the gang to arrive. Alya had managed to score them discount tickets because of her dad, and he was eager to make good use of the beautiful day. 

He cast a look around at the rest of the group; Max was standing beside him, using the zoo map to plot the route they would take. Alya was showing Nino something on her phone- probably her new blog about the heroes. It was pretty cool to have a blog about him! Even if no one knew he was one of the heroes. 

Ivan and Mylène were explaining their latest environmental project to Rose, Juleka, and Nathaniel. Every once in a while, as they nodded along, Juleka and Nathaniel would cast glances to where Luka and Marinette stood a little ways off, deep in conversation about something. It was…odd. They looked like they were trying not to get caught looking at the two, and they didn’t really seem to be listening to Mylène and Ivan. 

But before he could point out their weird behaviour and ask Max what he thought it was about, Alix arrived. All thoughts of the weird looks Juleka and Nathaniel were shooting Luka and Marinette left his mind. Replaced with ideas of how they could kill time until Adrien arrived. 

“Hey, Alix! Do you want to-“

“No. No racing,” Alya said before he could even finish. Her hands were on her hips, and she was giving him the same look he had seen her give her baby sisters when they acted up. “The zoo is no place for monkeying around.” 

“What makes you think I was going to suggest a race?” Alya, and the others who had dropped their conversations at Alix’s arrival, all gave him exasperated looks. All except Marinette and Luka. They were still chatting away as if they hadn’t even noticed. “Fine,” he groaned. “But racing isn’t ‘monkeying around.’” He mumbled.

“Yes, it is. Especially when it’s one of your dares. Besides, my dad is already…”

Monkeying around. 

He knew he should be listening to Alya; based on the look on her face, it wasn’t good. But her words had struck a thought, and he couldn’t help but wonder… could Xuppu talk to monkeys? 

Xuppu was a monkey… kinda. Why wouldn’t he be able to talk to monkeys? And if Xuppu could talk to monkeys, that meant he could talk to the monkeys! Indirectly. Xuppu would have to translate. But still. And what if…

Could he talk to monkeys if he was transformed? 

When he was King Monkey, he had Xuppu’s power! Would that include his monkey-talking-to abilities? He couldn’t see a reason why it wouldn’t. He was bouncing on the balls of his feet again. But this time it wasn’t from impatience. Well, not entirely. 

It would be so freaking cool to talk to monkeys! But he couldn’t exactly let Xuppu out with the others around. And he couldn’t transform with them around either-

“…not enough foot traffic…” 

Foot traffic. Feet. Racing. Going fast. Getting ahead of himself.

Crap.

He hadn’t actually asked Xuppu! Max was always telling him to find things out directly from the source and to not make assumptions. 

He cast a surreptitious glance around. The rest of the group had gathered around Alya, listening intently to what she was saying. Even Luka and Marinette had seemed to notice the rest of them and joined them. They were all completely focused on Alya, whose face was downturned. That was weird. They were supposed to be having a fun day out. And all of them looked like they had just lost a race. 

But he would ask about it later. 

Right now, he had to ask Xuppu. And to do that he couldn’t have anyone paying attention to him. Or at least, not close attention. As long as no one was watching him closely, he could make it look like he was tying his shoe or something while he asked Xuppu...  

But before he could edge towards the edge of the huddle they had formed, Ivan spoke. “That sucks,” he mumbled. Ivan’s comment was met by a chorus of agreements. 

“Yeah- oh!” Alya’s face was suddenly a lot brighter, and he could have sworn he saw her gaze flicker over to Marinette. “Adrien’s here!” 

“Hey, everyone!” Adrien waved at the group as he made his way over. “Are we good to go?”

“Hey, dude!” Nino bumped fists with Adrien.

“Hey man!” he offered his own fist for a greeting fist bump, which Adrien returned. “Let’s go!” he was itching to see the monkeys. “Max, where’s our first stop?”

                                                               ***

“Huh, sixty miles an hour? That’s all?” He squinted at the sign, and sure enough, that was what it said. “I thought panthers were a lot faster than that.” He watched as the panther lounged in the long grass in its enclosure, moving at a total speed of zero miles per hour. It didn’t look like it would be going that fast anytime soon.

“You’re thinking of cheetahs. They can reach speeds of eighty miles per hour.”

“Oh.” He squinted, tilting his head to the side. “They’re not that exciting looking…” he mumbled as the panther raised its head to look at the food dish Alya’s dad had just put in the enclosure. “But check out the size of the piece of meat it’s eating!” It was giant! 

“It’s the typical diet for a feline of that size. As for their appearance-“

“Panthers are beautiful cats.” Alya’s father’s voice was hard, and he was frowning at him from inside the enclosure. “And Bagheera here is an excellent example.” 

“But they don’t have any stripes or spots!”

“Actually, panthers do have the rosette markings typical of leopards and jaguars. They are simply difficult to distinguish due to their dark fur.”

“You should listen to Max, Kim. He knows an awful lot.”

He shrugged as he looked at the panther, then turned his gaze expectantly at Max. Max gave him a long look, sighed, and then rolled his eyes. “'Black panther' is a colloquial term that refers to large felines classified to the Panthera genus. It is most frequently applied to leopards and jaguars with black coats, which is why they have the rosette markings, even if they are sometimes difficult to distinguish. Their colouring comes from differing expressions of alleles, in jaguars…”

He squinted at the panther again as Max explained something about the alleles and recessive and dominant traits. All of which he had learned in lycée biology class. And then promptly forgotten, apparently. The panther was now lazily picking at its meal, blinking slowly at Alya’s dad.  

“… however, it is recessive in leopards, meaning they are rarer in occurrence. And this panther, Bagheera, I believe you said?” Alya’s father nodded. “What makes Bagheera even more unique is the entirely black coat, which is exceedingly rare. Which makes it a shame that the zoo is replacing them with…” Max trailed off, looking questioningly at Alya’s dad. 

The zoo was replacing the panthers? That sucked. Sure they weren’t his favourites, but they were still neat. 

“Japanese macaques.” Mr. Césaire's hands were in fists, and he was glowering. “The directors think they’ll bring in more traffic. Just because they’re more active doesn’t mean…”

“They’re a kind of monkey,” Max whispered to him.  

“I love monkeys! They’re so cute, and they’re always doing cool stuff like swinging from trees! Speaking of,” he looked over his shoulder at the rest of the gang. They were a few enclosures back, taking pictures of the red pandas. “let’s go check out the spider monkeys!” 

“But the others-“

“Hey, guys!” He shouted, waving over to the group. “Max and I are going ahead to the monkey exhibit!” 

“A zoo isn’t any place for shouting!”

“Sorry M. Césaire!” Without a backward glance towards the exhibit, he made his way toward the spider monkeys. 

                                                               ***

How interesting. He had felt this man’s stress and despair grow over the past week. The thought of being separated from his beloved panther, his favourite animal to care for, had gnawed away at Otis Césaire. But it hadn’t been enough to akumatize him. 

But now, anger had joined the mix. Anger at seeing how easily dismissed the panthers were. And that delicious anger was the final straw that tipped the scales into his favour. 

He held out his hand, and a butterfly alighted upon it. Once he had charged it with his magic, he set it out into the world to find its target. 

There was so much potential with an animal lover. Especially one with a deep understanding of the more… deadly species. 

Otis Césaire, or rather, the akuma he would become, would succeed where Mr. Pigeon had failed. 

                                                               ***

He didn’t need to look down at his pocket to know Xuppu was giving him the look. The ‘you are a complete and total nitwit’ look, to be precise. He could practically feel the kwami’s eyes on him. And it wasn’t like he was in a position to argue.

He sure felt like a nitwit. 

He was supposed to be a hero. He was supposed to stop akumas, not cause them. And he had sure landed himself in a mess with this one.

People screamed as they ran in every direction, trying to get away, but they didn’t have to. The akuma was dead set on him, and unfortunately, Max as well. 

The worst part was that he couldn’t even go and hide somewhere to transform! The only reason the akuma hadn’t snapped Max in half yet, was that he was dragging him along. And the only reason the akuma had it out for Max was because of him!

He was a nitwit.

Hopefully, the others would be ok. The last he had seen of them, they were scattering in all directions to get away from the akuma. Well… most of them. He had seen Alya trying to take a picture on her phone, a look of horror on her face, before she had darted away.

Max was slowing down beside him. He could hear his best friend’s wheezing as he panted for breath. But he didn’t let go of him. He had gotten Max into this mess; he would get him out. 

Somehow. 

Tightening his grip on Max’s arm, he picked up the pace. His own lungs were burning, and his legs were screaming in protest. But a quick glance over his shoulder was enough motivation to push through. 

The akuma was hot on their heels. In the form of a panther. 

Panthers were suddenly much more impressive.  

He needed to find a place to hide Max so he could leave to transform. 

He needed to-

A whooshing sound followed closely by a thud, and a pained yowl broke him out of his racing thoughts. But before he could risk a glance behind to see what the source of the sound had been, Max’s arm was wrenched out of his grasp. 

He tried to stop. But his momentum sent him skidding forwards. And then something wrapped around his waist and jerked him up into the air. 

The next thing he knew, he was being carried across the tops of the enclosures. He could see Max, being carried by Chat Noir, a few feet away.

“You guys hold them off while we get these two someplace safe!” Multimouse called over her shoulder before she looked at him, a reassuring smile on her face and a glint in her eyes. It was the same glint in her eyes she had had when she thought up that birdseed trick. “Don’t worry, we’ll get you two somewhere safe.” 

“Uhhh… yeah. Thanks.” He looked back over her shoulder. Carapace was trying to wrestle his shield out of the akuma's jaws as Rena and Viperion dodged swiping claws. 

It felt weird. Being rescued and carried to safety as a civilian. She was his teammate. He should be helping her! To say nothing of how weird it felt to be carried by Multimouse- he knew she had enhanced strength. It was just a weird feeling being carried by someone who he had an entire foot of height on. 

“Come on, Chat, I know a good place to hide these two.” 

                                                               ***

He had not expected the safe place Multimouse had mentioned to be the Dupain-Cheng bakery. Of all the places she could have chosen, she just had to pick the place where two of the most protective people in Paris, excluding his own parents, lived. There was no way he would be able to sneak out and transform…

“…and the smell of the bakery should cover their scents,” Multimouse explained to a confused-looking Chat. She turned back towards him, Max, and Mari’s parents. “Thank you again for agreeing to hide them.”

“Of course! We know these two; they’re friends of our daughter. Now you two should run upstairs. And stay out of sight of the windows!”

Mme. Cheng was already ushering them towards the staircase that led up to the apartment when Multimouse stopped them. 

“Wait,” she looked at him thoughtfully, then held out her hand. “Give me your hoodie.”

“What?”

“Mousey, if you’re cold, you can always borrow one of my jackets-“

“It’s for his scent. The akuma is a panther; they can track animals by smell. The bakery should cover their scents while they’re here, but it wouldn’t hurt to throw the akuma off even more.” She gestured for the hoodie again. 

“Oh. Right. I still think…” he peeled off his hoodie and handed it to Multimouse as Chat continued. He had to hold back a laugh when she put it on. She was practically drowning in it. “…one of my hoodies.” 

Multimouse and Chat’s weapons beeped with the chime he knew meant a message from one of their teammates. He should have been transformed and helping them by now. It was driving him up the wall- and he couldn’t even ask what the message said because he was a civilian right now, and that would be weird. 

But based on the way Multimouse’s eyes widened, he had to assume it wasn’t good. 

Multimouse typed something, then turned to Chat. “You go meet the others. I’ll catch up with you guys.”

“What? Where are you going?” 

“To lay some false trails.” She made her way towards the door before turning back to smile at him. “Don’t worry, everything will be ok.” Then she bolted out the door and shrunk in a wave of pink light. 

                                                               ***

“What do you mean he can shape-shift?” 

“Didn’t you read the message, dude?” 

“No.” He had been with Multimouse. There had been no need for him to read the message too. “Where are you guys?”

“Still at the zoo,” he heard something crash on Carapace’s end, followed closely by Rena’s voice. 

“Viperion! Watch out!”

“The animals are outta control, dude. You’d better book it back here. We still haven’t heard from Pegasus or King Monkey.”

“I’ll keep an eye out for them.” He hung up and changed directions to head towards the zoo. 

As he drew closer, he could see animals out in the streets, having escaped from the others. Cars stood abandoned in the streets, and more than a few had crashed. 

He heard the sounds of chaos before the zoo even came into the view. The mix of screams and animals calls was hard on his sensitive ears. And the smell of the smoke billowing up from overturned food carts burned his nostrils.

 But it seemed people had caught on pretty quick that the safest place to be with all the animals out and about was in the animal enclosures themselves. As he raced through the zoo, avoiding animals at every turn, he caught sight of some of his friends in various enclosures. He didn’t see everyone who had been with him. But they had probably just been separated in the madness. 

Finally, he found Carapace, Rena, and Viperion huddled together on the roof of the penguin enclosure, hidden from sight under the massive air conditioning unit. 

“I see animal control hasn’t shown up yet,” he hunched to duck under the cover. “So, what’s the plan?”

“Controlling these animals is a no-go,” Rena sighed as she massaged her temples. “There’s too many of them, and da- the akuma, he called himself Animan, his powers made them… angrier. The zookeepers haven’t been able to help much.” 

“And if I try to contain them, it’ll only last five minutes. And then I’m a sitting duck.” 

“Well then, why don’t we just go and fight him head-on? Then he can’t make the animals angry. Problem solved.” It seemed like an easy and obvious solution to him. 

“Because-“

“We just wait for Multimouse to get back, and then we go and find him and take him down. There’s still five of us and only one of him. It’s not like he has pigeon minions.” 

“It isn’t that simple-“

“And where is she anyway?” he asked, cutting Viperion off. “She should be back by now.”

“I’m right here.” She slipped into view, sidling between Viperion and the wall, still wearing Kim’s hoodie. His jaw tightened at the smile the two shared as the rest of the team greeted her. Why did she always stand beside Viperion during team meetings? And why did it always feel like there was more to their smiles than just a smile?

He strode through the loose circle to stand beside her, draping his arm over her shoulders. “Good. Now that you’re here Mousey, we can go fight the akuma-“

“We can’t go in without a plan,” she said flatly as she shrugged his arm off of her. 

“What? Why not?” 

“If you want to jump head-first into a fight with a t-rex, be my guest.” 

He blanched. “He can turn into a t-rex?” 

“That’s what I was trying to tell you,” Viperion sighed. “If he can shift between something as small as a mouse and as big as a t-rex, we need to have some kind of strategy. And we need to be careful when going around looking for him. Right now, we’re harder to track because of all the other zoo smells. Once we’re out in the open…”

“I have this!” Multimouse held up a can of air freshener. He barely had time to register what it was before she blasted him with a few sprays. “This should help cover our smell.”

“Hmmm, I don’t know if I need it, Mousey. I always smell as fresh as an ocean breeze.” He winked at her, but she just ignored him in favour of dousing the others with the air freshener. 

His stomach began to churn at the way she giggled as Viperion scrunched up his face, bracing himself for the air freshener. But he bit back a frown.  

No. She just didn’t realize- didn’t see what was right in front of her. After all, he hadn’t confessed to her yet. And they hadn’t had an opportunity to spend any real time alone together. Just the two of them. 

But that was easy enough to fix. He just had to make her see. 

                                                               ***

Carapace and Rena were both panting for breath beside him. Carapace’s arm was shaking from the strain of maintaining the shield around the akuma. 

His eyes flickered to where Multimouse and Viperion stood, on the opposite side of the trapped akuma. They were still beside each other. How did they always end up beside each other? Why did she never stand next to him? 

Viperion raised his hand, waving to get their attention before pointing over to a bus. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Carapace nod in understanding. He didn’t know what Viperion was planning. But he was going to get in on the action. Maybe then Multimouse would pay attention to him. 

He darted forward, following hot on Viperion’s tail as he made his way towards the abandoned bus. 

“What are we going to do with a bus?” 

“We still need to tire the akuma out some more. The shell-ter Carapace has going on right now is still pretty big. If we can force him into the bus-“

“How are we supposed to get the akuma into the bus?” 

“Like that,” Viperion said, jerking a thumb towards the bus. It had been empty a minute ago. But suddenly, Kim and Max were standing in it, peeking out of one of the windows in terror. 

“What…” he glanced back over his shoulder. There was no sign of Rena Rouge or Multimouse. It was Just Carapace. And the akuma. Who was looking at him and Viperion- no. It was looking at Max and Kim. 

Suddenly, Carapace’s shell-ter dissolved. And Animan, now in the form of an elephant, was rampaging towards them. 

Carapace was racing after the akuma, but he was no match for the speed of an elephant. Especially one that could turn into a cheetah. 

“Wait for my signal,” Viperion muttered under his breath, grabbing at his arm when he tried to race forward. 

Who had put him in charge? 

Viperion ignored his disgruntled look, his eyes solely focused on the approaching akuma as he dropped into a fighting stance. “Steady…” Viperion muttered. “…and,” the akuma was almost on top of them. He wasn’t going to wait any longer. 

He launched himself at the akuma, staff raised and ready to strike. But Animan wasn’t as tired as he had thought he was. The akuma shifted from a cheetah into a polar bear in time to swat him to the side. 

He heard Viperion shout. He looked back in time to see Viperion roll out of the way of a swiping paw, with its claws extended. The akuma seemed to deliberate, for a moment, between slicing Viperion to ribbons or going into the bus to pursue Kim and Max. Its fury won out. 

Animan shifted back into his panther form and stalked through the doors of the bus. 

“Now!” 

He jumped at the sound of Multimouse’s voice. He hadn’t seen her anywhere. But all of the sudden, she was crouching on top of the bus. And she was… holding something down against it? He blinked in confusion, trying to figure out what she was doing. 

A flash of orange caught the corner of his eye. Rena had appeared out of nowhere and was holding the back emergency exit doors closed. Carapace was holding the second set of doors, halfway along the length of the bus, closed. And Viperion was holding the front set closed. 

He was readying himself to jump onto the top of the bus, to get a closer look at what she was doing up there—holding the emergency exit closed, maybe—when Carapace’s voice broke the air “Dudes! It’s working, look!”

He peered through the bus windows. Rena’s illusion of Kim and Max had disappeared. Leaving an enraged and exhausted Animan trapped in the bus. Alone. He watched as the akuma shifted from a panther to a gorilla. Animan slammed himself against the doors. But with them being held shut by the others, he couldn’t get them open. 

Animan slumped to the floor in the middle of the bus. Panting in exhaustion. He was a sitting duck. Well, gorilla. 

Now was his chance to impress Multimouse. “Catac-“ 

He was interrupted by the roar of the akuma and the shrieking sound of metal and glass being ripped apart. He and the others scrambled back as the bus was torn apart by the akuma. Animan had shifted himself into his t-rex form. Effectively destroying the bus. 

He scrambled back further, almost knocking Viperion over when he bowled into him. Viperion’s face was drawn in a tight line, and his eyes were scanning the wreckage, and the emerging dinosaur, as if looking for- the realization struck him like a blow to the chest. “Where’s Multimouse?” 

“I don’t-“

“Dudes, run!” Carapace barrelled past them, followed closely by Rena. Animan was glaring at them, already lumbering in their direction.

He didn’t need to be told twice. He was hot on their heels. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw the flash of teal that mean Viperion was also following suit. But there was still no sign of Multimouse. Where was she? He caught a glance at Viperion’s face; his brows were furrowed and his mouth was a tight line. He seemed worried too. 

Animan was definitely tired, but he was still fast. What with him having the stride length of a t-rex. His lungs were beginning to burn when Rena cursed. 

“I only have a minute left!” 

“Same,” Carapace heaved through ragged breaths. 

Viperion nodded to them. “Go, we’ll distract him.” Who had put him in charge?

“This way!” Without thinking, he veered off to the left, leaving Viperion with no choice but to follow. They raced through the streets until they came to a dead end. 

They were trapped. 

Or at least, they would be if not for his baton. 

He pulled his weapon out and was about to catapult himself onto the rooftops—Viperion would find a way to follow, they had enhanced agility after all—when a furious roar, followed by a crash ripped through the air. He whipped around, lowering himself into a fighting stance. But he froze when he saw the sight in front of him. 

Animan, still in t-rex from, was sprawled out on the ground, panting for breath. Its arms were pinned under it, and… he stood up and craned his neck to the side. There was something pink wrapped around its legs and tail, binding them so it couldn’t get up or use its tail to balance. 

“Hey guys, sorry it took me so long to catch up!” He whirled towards the sound of her voice. She had appeared out of nowhere and was standing next to Viperion. Again. 

“Glad to see you’re alright Mouse,” Viperion murmured. He didn’t miss the way he put his hand on her shoulder. 

“What took you?” He brushed past Viperion to plant himself beside Multimouse. “You almost missed all the action!”

“I figured it would be easier to do that,” she gestured towards Animan, who had resorted to roaring in pathetic indignation, “if I had the element of surprise.” She frowned as she looked at the akuma. “He won’t stay tired for long, do either of you see where the akuma could be.”

“It was on his bracelet,” Viperion said, stepping towards the akuma as if to get a closer look.

“Don’t worry, Mousey, I’m sure I can flip him so we can get it off his arm-“

“It’s not on his arm,” Viperion groaned. “Look.” He followed Viperion’s pointing finger to…

“Its mouth?” he cried. But there it was. Wrapped around one of its teeth. “How are we supposed to get it from there?” That was going to be impossible. There was no way they could get it from the akuma’s mouth without losing an arm. And he wasn’t going to-

“What are you thinking, Mouse?” He jumped at Viperion’s quiet voice. But Viperion ignored him, his gaze trained on Multimouse. Of course. He glanced to where she was, but her eyes were darting around. As if looking for something. 

A flash of… something sparked in her eyes, and she was off, scurrying towards an abandoned tow truck. A minute later, she was back, carrying-

“What are we going to do with a carjack?” 

But she ignored him, looking instead to Viperion. “Have you used Second Chance yet?” When he shook his head, she smiled. “Good,” she muttered, almost to herself, “Start it now.” Once Viperion had obliged, she nodded, a determined look in her eyes. “Give me three minutes, and if this doesn’t work, reset.” 

Without another word, she took off, racing towards the akuma head-on. Ghostly purple flashed in front of Animan's eyes, and its gaze narrowed in on Multimouse. But she didn’t stop. Instead, she threw herself towards it. And disappeared into its open maw.

“No!” He flung himself forward. He would destroy Animan. “Catacl-“

“No!” Viperion grabbed him by the arms, hauling him back. 

“What are you doing? He just ate Multimouse-“

“She said to wait.” 

How could he not care? That monster had just killed her and he- “Reset the timer!”

“No.”

“No? What do you mean no?” He tried to pull himself out of Viperion’s grip, to throw him off of him. Viperion grunted as he landed an elbow to his stomach, but he still didn’t let go.“How can you just-“

“Trust her.” Viperion’s voice was tight and laced with anger and impatience. 

“How can you just-“

What sounded like a hoarse squeak, coming from the direction of the akuma, cut his words off. He pulled his attention away from Viperion to look at the akuma. Its eyes were wide, and its mouth was opening. Slowly. And… incrementally? 

Viperion’s grip on him went slack, and suddenly his teammate was pushing past him, striding towards the akuma. He had to hurry to catch up. When they were only a few meters away, Multimouse slid out of the akuma’s half-open mouth, clutching the bracelet.

“That,” she said, straightening up to look at them, “was disgusting. Don’t ever let me do that again.” 

“I’m not planning on it,” Viperion laughed as he hugged her, despite the fact that she was covered in-

“Dudes. Is that dino spit?” 

He shoved down the uncomfortable feeling that had begun to churn in his stomach the second Viperion stepped towards Multimouse. Turning, he found Carapace and Rena standing a few feet behind him, staring at the three of them. 

“Yeah,” Multimouse, said, wrinkling her nose as she tried to wipe some of it away. “I’m going to need a long shower after this. But at least we got the akuma,” she added with a smile. 

“That’s great,” Rena sighed, relief heavy in her voice. “Let’s break it and get this over with.”

Multimouse moved to break the bracelet but hesitated. “Who’s going to purify the akuma? We should decide beforehand so…” she trailed off, suddenly looking timid. It was a cute look on her. “We don’t want it to get away while we’re trying to decide,” she finished quietly. 

It was probably a good idea. But he was not going to be the one to do it. Memories of Multimouse’s sunken eyes, dull with exhaustion, and sluggish movements flashed through his mind. Nope. There was no way he was going to purify it. He wanted to go out for a joy run tonight, after the stuffy company party his father was forcing him to attend. He wasn’t going to give that up. 

He looked expectantly at Rena and Carapace, but neither of them seemed excited to offer themselves up either. 

Multimouse sighed, “I guess I’ll-“

“I’ve got it,” Viperion said quietly. The uncomfortable churning was back in his stomach at the way Viperion’s face softened when he looked at Multimouse. The way Viperion’s hands brushed hers as he took the bracelet from her made it even worse. But the worst part was the small smile she gave him. 

Maybe he should have-

Viperion snapped the bracelet as if it was nothing. A black butterfly fluttered up, but before it could get out of reach, Viperion was already in motion. “Purify.” Viperion’s lyre began to glow with a gentle white light, the same as Multimouse’s jump rope had glowed when she purified all the akumas from Mr. Pigeon. He watched as the butterfly turned from black to white as it passed between the strings of Viperion’s lyre. 

“Restore." The light from his lyre spread out, rippling through the air like a wave. Warmth washed over him as the light passed over him, healing the bruises from battle. Some of the light gathered around Animan and the cracked pavement under him, while the rest washed past them in a wave. 

Rena bolted past him, with a shout that she would attend to the akuma victim. That was fine, that left him more time to-

He watched as Viperion staggered, and then stumbled. Only to be caught by Multimouse, who steadied him with a gentle smile. Then she said something too quietly for him to hear, even with his enhanced hearing. 

“Good job, dude.” Carapace clapped him on the shoulder, his broad grin tinged with relief. “That was a pretty wicked one.”

“Yeah,” he agreed, as the churning in his stomach wrapped itself around his insides like twisted tentacles. 

                                                               ***

“Master?” he ignored the kwami’s trembling voice and the way it flinched as he strode past it. Out of the corner of his eye, he could see it trailing behind him as he made his way to the elevator to his office. 

Once at his desk, he pulled out the nondescript black leather notebook he kept stored in the false bottom of a locked drawer. Flipping to a fresh page, he dated it and began to take down notes. 

“Master…” the kwami had settled itself near his computer monitor, half-hidden behind it. “Are you alright? I know after the last akuma-“

“On the contrary,” he mused, as he continued to write down his observations, “every defeat is a victory in and of itself. Let them think they are winning. With every battle, I learn more about them. And what will eventually lead to their downfall.” 

____________________________________________________

The reference I used for Max's panther lecture.

https://www.britannica.com/animal/black-panther-mammal

[aalissy]

AU

Day 1 of Adrienette April is here!! Yayay, I’m sooo excited for this month. I love my babies! Especially now that we’re going to get more episodes. I hope you guys like this lil chapter <3

AO3

“I’m just saying Marinette, he’s a really good guy once you actually give him a chance,” Alya rolled her eyes at her best friend after she had just finished her latest rant against Adrien.

“And I think you’re insane for actually giving him the time of day,” Marinette rolled her eyes right back. She crossed her arms in front of her chest as she and Alya strolled closer towards their school, “Adrien Agreste is a jerk and that’s all he’ll ever be.”

Her friend snickered at her, “I can’t believe you’re still hung up about the gum situation.”

“He never even apologized for that Alya!” Marinette shook her head furiously as she clenched her eyes shut tight, “Plus he’s friends with Chloé! He’s worthy of never being my friend just for that!”

Alya let out another quiet laugh, pausing on the first step of the school when she caught sight of blonde hair bounding out of his limo with a cheerful wave. She bit her lip to contain her smile and leaned over to hiss in Marinette’s ear, “Don’t look now but I think sunshine is coming towards us.”

“No!” she gasped in horror, her eyes popping open before looking at her best friend with absolute misery as she whimpered a quiet, “Hide me.”

“No can do,” Alya chuckled, waving back at Adrien as he approached them.

Marinette grimaced before shuffling backward slightly, intending to hide herself as best she could behind her best friend as the model approached them. She groaned to herself as she looked at those gleaming, emerald green eyes.

“Hey Alya!” he gave her a bright, beaming smile before turning to the girl hiding slightly behind her with a more neutral expression. Adrien gave a quick nod before murmuring, “Marinette.”

She gave a small, sarcastic smile back, “Adrien. Whatever did we do to deserve your presence?”

His lips twitched slightly, a faint look of amusement dancing in his eyes, “Nothing but being your usual, smart, charming selves.”

Marinette’s brow furrowed a bit at that. Unease ate away at her slightly as she was unused to receiving compliments from Adrien. Turning away from him, she looked out over the bustling, Parisian streets in an attempt to hide the small blush she was sure was blooming across her cheeks. 

There was a small lull in the conversation as the three of them stood in slightly awkward silence. Luckily, Alya cleared her throat and Adrien quickly snapped his gaze over to her and away from the girl standing next to her. With a knowing smirk, she asked, “So why did you come over here, then, Adrien? If not just to come over and say hi to our usual, charming, smart selves?”

“Oh,” he said with a sheepish smile, rubbing the back of his neck, “I actually wanted to ask if you had the notes to yesterday morning’s lecture. I couldn’t make it because I was in a photo shoot.” 

A small scoff came from Marinette’s lips as both Adrien and Alya turned to look at her. Her gaze was still focused on the street below them and Alya pursed her lips as a mischievous look entered her gaze, “You know who else missed the lecture yesterday?” She nudged her best friend with a sly grin before looking back at Adrien, “You two weren’t together, were you?”

“What?!” Adrien and Marinette shouted at the same time, both of their gazes snapping to Alya. 

“I’m only saying,” she shrugged her shoulders casually, “You two seem to miss the exact same lessons at the exact same time.”

Marinette’s mouth dropped open in both shock and offense. Was Alya still trying to get her to like Adrien? Because that ship had sailed a long time ago. Besides, the only reason that she missed that class was because there was an akuma attack. A tiny, dreamy smile tugged at her lips as her mind drifted towards the boy she actually wanted to spend time with. Her partner, Chat Noir. 

There was no time to think about that now, though. Shaking her head furiously, she glanced at Adrien who was surprisingly staring at her with what seemed like a pink flush across his cheeks. Feeling her own face get hot, Marinette dragged her gaze away from the pair of dazzling, green eyes to her friend. She cleared her throat as she began to ramble, “No, no, no! You know why I was gone! I’m always late to class, b-because I wake up too late.”

“Uh-huh,” Alya dragged the word out, her hazel eyes glimmering mischievously, “I’m sure.”

“S-so, um, do you mind sharing the notes with me?” Adrien jumped back into the conversation, scratching the back of his neck as he avoided both of the girl’s curious gazes.

Alya nodded her head, before gesturing inside the school so that they made it to class before the final bell rang. She dug around her backpack for a moment before pulling out her notebook. As they began crossing the main hall of the school, she turned to Adrien with one raised eyebrow, “Why didn’t you just ask Nino for the notes? You two are still sitting together, right?”

Panic filled his eyes as his gaze quickly darted back towards Marinette who was walking slightly behind them with a small pout. This didn’t go unnoticed by Alya whose eyebrow rose slightly higher at the glance. Adrien’s gaze quickly returned to her, however, a sheepish smile on his lips as he spoke quietly, “Yeah, we are. I just saw you and Marinette first so I figured I’d ask you guys before Nino. Plus, I can never read his handwriting.”

Alya chuckled back at him before flipping through her notes to find the right page, “Yeah, neither can I,” she said amusedly before handing him the book cheerfully.

“Thanks!” Adrien chirped, shooting one last quick look back at Marinette before rushing off to their first class.

Alya watched him go fondly before slowing down slightly to match her pace with her best friend. Quickly, the pout left Marinette’s face as she beamed over at her, “I thought he’d never leave.”

“Girl you’re seriously crazy. That boy is obviously just trying to get you to like him,” she shook her head with a roll of her eyes.

Marinette scrunched her nose up, “And I think you’re seriously crazy. Adrien and I are never going to be friends. I don’t know why you keep trying to set us up.”

Alya sighed frustratedly. Sometimes her best friend could be a little too blind. Anyone with eyes would know that the only reason Adrien even came to them in the first place was so that he could have a chance to talk with Marinette. The boy had one of the highest grades in their class, there was no way he needed her notes.

“Anyway,” Marinette continued, ignoring Alya’s helpless sigh as she bounced slightly on her toes, “Can we talk about the recent photos you added onto the Ladyblog?”

Alya gave a fond chuckle as Marinette began ranting about how good Chat Noir looked in the latest pictures she uploaded. They had just slid into their seats as her best friend began to gush about how perfect his hair looked. Marinette’s tirade got cut short as Adrien spun around in his seat, his jaw dropping open in surprise, “You like Chat Noir?!”

“Were you eavesdropping?!” She shot him an offended look, her eyes narrowed with fiery hatred.

Adrien flushed quickly, his eyes widening. He ducked his head down and then murmured quietly, “Sorry, I-I couldn’t help but overhear.” Slowly though he lifted his head back up to stare at her with a look of determination, “But you do like Chat Noir then?”

Marinette bristled, “Of course I do! Who wouldn’t?”

A smile of wonder seemed to dance across Adrien’s lips as he gazed up at her, “Well, I just thought that he wouldn’t be your type.”

Her mouth flapped open and close quickly, her face slowly turning the shade of a tomato, “I-I d-don’t like him like that,” she murmured quietly, tapping her fingers together nervously.

“Yes you do,” Alya chortled, “You bring him up every chance you get.”

“Shut up! No I don’t! He’s just my favorite superhero, ok?” Marinette hissed, shoving the girl sitting next to her as her face turned an even darker shade of red. 

Curiously, Adrien’s face also turned a light shade of pink as his smile grew even wider. He then chirped rather cheerfully up at them, “Well, I’m glad he’s your favorite Marinette. Ladybug’s my favorite, like the most of Paris.”

At that, Marinette’s head quickly whipped back towards him from where she had previously been glaring at her best friend, her mouth falling open, “You like Ladybug?!”

His smile turned into a small smirk as he repeated her words back to her, “Of course I do. Who wouldn’t?”

A small giggle fell from Marinette’s lips before she quickly cut it off, looking almost as though she was shocked at herself. She recovered fast, however, turning back to him with mischief dancing in her eyes, “Well, I just thought she wouldn’t be your type.”

At that, both of them laughed together, their eyes sparkling with mischief and almost a look of knowing. As Alya watched them, she shook her head at herself. Those two were made for each other, even if they didn’t know it yet.

[hanaasbananas]

Crush

Summary: In Glaciator, while comisserating over their broken hearts, Marinette lets slip the identity of the person she has a crush on. Consequently, Adrien finds himself wondering if Marinette is really 'just a friend' after all. Inspired by the song Taare Gin

AO3

It feels so nice since this happened, my heart feels as though it is a child again.

“You’ve  had your heart broken too?”

“Yep.”

Chat studied Marinette’s profile beside him. With the moonlight reflecting off her hair, she looked positively ethereal, and it was hard to believe that anyone would be stupid enough to break her heart.

“For what it’s worth,” he nudged her gently “I’m sorry you had your heart broken.”

Marinette sighed “thanks, but it’s okay. Adrien can’t control when his dad will decide he can’t do something, so I really should have expected that he wouldn’t make it. I was just disappointed.”

Chat jerked, turning fully to face her. “Adrien?” His mind raced, trying to see if there was any other Adrien she might have been talking about, but how many Adrien’s with strict fathers could Marinette know?

Marinette hummed noncommittally. “Oh, yeah Adrien’s a friend of mine. I’ve had this total crush on him since the beginning of the year. He doesn’t know though-I can barely get out a sentence in front of him.” She groaned, dropping her head “I don’t know why I’m so upset about today-chances are I probably wouldn’t have even talked to him properly anyway.”

She looked so forlorn standing there, Chat felt a pang of guilt at being the one to cause it. Father hadn’t forbidden him, but he’d blown off solid plans with his friends-blown off Marinette- for a date with Ladybug that she didn’t even show up to.

Karma really hit hard.

Thinking for a long moment, Chat made a decision, getting down from the railing and offering Marinette his hand. “Come with me.”

***

“I’m an idiot,” Adrien groaned, dropping his transformation and falling face first onto his bed.

“Really? That’s news to me,” Plagg snarked “what did you do this time?”

Flipping over onto his back, Adrien considered confiding in his kwami-Plagg could be surprisingly insightful sometimes-but with the mood he seemed to be in, it would probably be better to just stare at the ceiling. “Marinette has a crush on me.”

“Which one is that again?”

“Don’t act like you don’t know everyone in my class, Plagg.”

Plagg sniffed disdainfully “I have an image to keep up, you know.”

“Image?” Adrien snorted, looking over at where Plagg had set up blocks of cheese on his desk and was in the process of eating them like he was Pacman. “What image? A cheese loving gremlin? No-one sees you anyway!”

“A being of darkness who cares not for petty mortal issues.”

“He cares about Pacman though.” Adrien grinned, dodging the piece of cheese Plagg threw at his face. “Alright, alright I’ll leave you alone! It’s getting late anyway.”

Despite the late hour, Adrien struggled to sleep, replaying the events of the night over and over again. Strangely, though he’d looked forward to surprising her, Ladybug’s rejection hadn’t stung as much as he expected it to. What did surprise him however, was how his mind kept straying to Marinette instead.

He’d always held a special fondness for her, but had chalked it up to the fact that she was one of his first friends at school, but what if it was something else? Adrien couldn’t deny that his first instinct hadn’t been to reject her gently, rather, he’d felt something stir inside him when Marinette had told him about her crush; a pleasant warmth filling his chest at the idea of Marinette-talented, kind, sweet Marinette loving him.

It almost felt too good to be true.

***

“Hey Marinette!” Adrien called out, waving and making his way across to Marinette as he spotted her coming down the stairs.

He realised his mistake seconds later, wincing when Marinette’s head snapped up, her mouth forming a small ‘o’ of surprise and she stared at him, not noticing how her hand fell from the railing until her foot slipped out from underneath her.

It would have been quite the nasty fall, had Adrien not rushed forward to catch her, his arms coming around Marinette to steady her. “Got you,” he murmured, unable to hide his smile when her eyes popped open at his voice and he led her carefully down the stairs.

She let go of him when they got to the bottom, following behind him as he went to meet up with Alya and Nino. “We’re all going to get milkshakes at that new place that opened,” he asked. “Do you wanna come too?”

“Uh…”

Knowing what he did now-that Marinette had a crush on him-Adrien could have kicked himself for being so oblivious.

It had been a week now since he’d found out, and he had discovered that Marinette wasn’t exactly the most subtle person in the world. In fact it was quite the opposite.

He actually found it quite endearing; the way she blushed bright red whenever he spoke to her, stumbling over her words, and in class he’d even felt her eyes boring into him from where she sat behind him in class, punctuated occasionally by dreamy sighs.

Adrien found that he quite liked the feeling of being the object of her affections, and he’d started making more of an effort to hang out with her, if only to see the adorable blush that painted her cheeks.

“I can’t,” Marinette wrung her hands together, avoiding his gaze. “I’m belping at the hakery.” her eyes widened “helping at the bakery! I’m helping maman and papa at the bakery.”

Adrien shrugged, swallowing his disappointment. “Okay. Maybe next time?”

“Totally!” she nodded her head jerkily, spinning on her heel and catching herself without stopping when she tripped, and hurrying away.

“What was that about?” Adrien turned to see Alya and Nino watching them in bemusement.

Alya wiggled her eyebrows suggestively “you’re suddenly getting very buddy buddy with Marinette...is there anything you want to share with the class?”

“Not really.” Adrien sighed. “I just want to get her to be more comfortable around me.”

“Uh huh,” Alya used her best journalist voice on him and Adrien sent her a quizzical look. “Why, because you wanna ask her out on a date?”

“Maybe,” he replied absentmindedly, not noticing the gleeful expression that took over Alya’s face at his admission, distracted by the Gorilla who had pulled up the curb outside the school. “Hey do you wanna take the car to the milkshake place or should we walk?”

***

“I think I have a crush,” Chat said out loud. Beside him, Ladybug turned to him, an amused glint in her eye.

"Really”

He smirked “you jealous, bugaboo?”

“Ha!” she scoffed “in your dreams! ”

“Not anymore,” he muttered. Chat had expected things to be awkward after his ill fated ‘date’ with Ladybug, but thankfully, in the month since she’d rejected him, their partnership had only seemed to strengthen. This was due in most part to the fact that they were now on the same page about where they stood as partners-and friends.

It was for this reason then, that he’d bought the subject up at the end of patrol when they simply sat together and talked.

Ladybug’s eyebrows rose high on her forehead. “Wow, it must really be serious then, huh?”

“You have no idea,” he groaned “ever since I found out she has a crush on me, she’s all I think about. And talk about-according to Plagg.”

It had been a slow process, getting closer to Marinette, but the rewards were certainly worth the effort. He could actually hold a conversation with her now, though nine times out of ten Marinette still blushed the entire time. It was adorable.

Chat sighed. “She’s just so amazing. I knew that before since we’ve been friends for a while, but I’ve been talking to her more and I can’t get over the fact that she likes me. She could do so much better, you know?”

“Hey, don’t put yourself down like that! I happen to know for a fact that you’re a pretty amazing guy-anyone would be lucky to have you.”

“Heh, thanks bugaboo,” he smiled softly “enough about me-what’s going on with your guy? Any progress?”

At the mention of her crush, Ladybug blushed, ducking her head shyly. “Actually...we’ve been hanging out a lot recently-I think he’s gonna ask me out.”

“Aw that’s great!” The thought of Ladybug seeing someone else no longer caused a pang of jealousy in his heart, in fact, “I’m happy for you.” he said genuinely.

“I am too,” Ladybug paused. “Happy for you-I mean.” She clarified “I’m happy for you too.”

“Yeah, I think I got that.”

“Shut up ” she nudged him playfully. “You know, you should ask your girl out too. I bet she’d say yes.”

Chat thought about Marinette, the way her eyes crinkled when she laughed; how she got a deep crease in between her brows whenever she concentrated that he had to resist the urge to smooth out; how her hair fell in dark waves around her face whenever she let it down and the way she’d stuttered and blushed after he’d said he liked it that way. How he’d planned at least thirty dates for them already, ready for every occasion, and had only realised what a goner he was after date number twenty three.

“Yeah,” he murmured, looking across the city skyline in the direction he knew Marinette lived. “I think I will”

[kasienda]

The Five Minute Adventures of Snake Noir: Ch 4 - A Thank You

Chapter 1: I Want It To Be You

Chapter 2: Best Friends

Chapter 3: Best Laid Plans

Chapter 4: A Thank You

For the most part, Adrien stopped using the snake miraculous. Because now that Nino knew, Adrien wanted him to remember whenever Chat Noir came to visit.

They played video games, listened to music, ate junk food, and talked about their experiences as teenaged superheroes.

In short, everything was amazing. Ladybug had been right. He hadn’t realized how much just the secrecy had been weighing on him until there was a place where he didn’t have to have them.

But Adrien couldn’t help but wonder how things might be different now if he had gone to Marinette that night instead of Nino.

He didn’t regret going to Nino. Nino was his rock. And he didn’t even want to think about a world where Nino didn’t know now.

But Marinette, she had a way of just making people feel warm, and he wanted to know what her brand of comfort would’ve felt like. And she seemed to finally be relaxing around him, and he liked spending time with her.

But he had gone to Nino and now he would never know.

Except he was only too aware that he had access to a power that would let him see exactly how Marinette would react to just about anything he could tell her without any consequences.

But now that he was in a better mental place, he really didn’t want to abuse the privilege of the miraculous. He didn’t want to use it for selfish purposes just to satisfy his curiosity.

And yet, here he was sitting on her balcony transformed as Snake Noir hoping she was home so he could talk to her. And simultaneously praying she wasn’t so he couldn’t fall to the temptation of risking more secrets.

Read on Ao3

“Chat Noir?”

“Good evening, purrincess,” he greeted with a mischievous smile. “How are you this fine evening?”

She shrugged. “I’m well enough. You look different tonight! Your suit get an upgrade?” She asked with a beaming smile.

He stood up and did a model spin to give Marinette the full effect, before turning back to her with another pose and then a second that ended with a roguish grin he had perfected under the light of the camera years ago.

He just wanted her to get a chance to appreciate the suit’s design.

You know, because she was an aspiring fashion designer, obviously.

No other reason.

“Wow!” Her eyes were wide, and currently not on his face, but lost tracing the width of his well defined chest.

He smirked. “This is Snake Noir’s transformation,” he explained. And then her eyes shot back up to his with pink dusting her cheeks.

“ Snake Noir?” she repeated. “What does that mean?”

“I’m wearing two miraculouses like you did when you went up against kwamibuster. Well, like a fraction of what you did that day. Have I ever told you that you were positively amazing that day?”

“A few times, actually,” she said, her cheeks still pink.

God, this was too much fun.

“So what can I do for you?”

“Well, I was hoping I could thank you,” he said.

Her dark eyebrows furrowed. “Thank me? For what?”

“I can’t really tell you.”

“But then…?”

“That’s why I’m wearing the snake,” he explained. “I want to thank you for something, but… it won’t make as much sense without me telling you who I am.”

She hissed in a breath. “You want to tell me who you are?”

He nodded. “But there’s a catch.”

“Isn’t there always?” she asked dryly.

He pointed to the bracelet on his wrist. “This is the snake miraculous. It allows me to redo the same five minutes over and over again. So if you’ll allow it, I can set it, and then explain myself fully without filter so you’ll understand how much I truly appreciate you. But then I will reset it and you won’t remember anything I said.”

“Seems unfair to you,” she commented.

“Seems unfair to me? ” he repeated. “You’re the one who would forget.”

“If you’re willing to go through so much trouble to say whatever it is you want to say to me, it’s obviously important to you and then you’ll have to go on pretending that that conversation never happened.”

“But that’s why we’re talking about it now,” he said. “You’ll know we had the conversation. You just won’t know the details. Are you okay with that?”

“Of course.” She laid a hand on his forearm. “I trust you, kitty.”

He felt the heat in his own cheeks at her smile that seemed to reach past his eyes and into his core, bringing it warmth and comfort.

He activated the snake.

She waited patiently, giving him a soft smile.

And suddenly his words deserted him, and his nerves caught up to him. This was so silly. After all that build up she was going to think he was ridiculous.

“Chat? You okay?”

He offered her a forced smile. “Yes! Totally fine. Just a bit nervous.”

“Nervous? You? I didn’t think that was possible,” she teased.

“Yeah, you don’t know me as well as you think.”

“I actually know you better than you realize.”

He smiled. She always put him at ease. “Marinette, the reason I wanted to tell you this in this way,” he said, gesturing to his suit, “is because I want to thank you for something you’ve done for me as myself.”

Her smile evaporated, and her eyes widened. “You mean, as the boy under the mask?”

He nodded. “But why I’m so grateful won’t really make sense without knowing what I’ve been going through as a hero lately.”

“O-okay,” she stammered.

“Are you nervous?” he teased.

She smacked his arm. “Yes, but so are you! You already said so, so no teasing. And quit stalling! We only have five minutes.”

“For the last few months, Ladybug and I…” he paused and glanced over her railing. “We just… weren’t exactly on the same page about… well, a lot of things.”

“Why do I get the feeling that’s putting it mildly?”

He smiled gently. “Because you’re intuitive and kind.”

“I'm not,” she said, her voice brooking no argument.

He shook his head. “But that’s what I’m here to tell you. You are one of the kindest people I’ve ever met.”

He looked away again. “Anyway, I was feeling really isolated and shut out by Ladybug. And…” he shrugged. “I don’t know… unneeded I guess.”

“I’m sorry,” she whispered.

He glanced back at her startled at how much her voice shook. One look at her eyes, glassy and trembling, and he realized she was on the verge of tears.

“Marinette? You okay?”

“Keep going,” she croaked. “Please.”

“Well, during that time, I was feeling really frustrated and maybe destructive.”

“Destructive?”

“I smashed a chimney,” he admitted.

“What?!”

“It was during a sentimonster attack. Miraculous ladybug fixed it,” he quickly explained.

“But you haven’t… like, hurt yourself?”

He looked away guiltily.

“Kitty?”

“I didn’t mean to. And Ladybug was there to stop me.”

Her arms wrapped around him. He leaned into her hold, and his head was on her shoulder.

“Anyway, what I wanted to say was during that time when things were… not good, you were there filling in the gap. It wasn’t one specific thing or grand gesture. You were just present, making me laugh, making me feel seen, and making me feel like I was… worth knowing.”

“I… I don’t… understand.”

He looked at her then, let himself fall into her swirling confused cerulean blue eyes.

“You were there for me as Adrien.”

Her eyes immediately welled with tears. And her arms tightened around him, and she buried her head in the crook of his neck. Her whole body was shaking in silent quaking sobs.

He squeezed her back. “Marinette? I was trying to say thank you,” he whispered. “I didn’t mean to upset you.”

She shook her head rapidly. “You- you haven’t upset me,” she choked out.

“Then why are you crying?”

“I upset myself!” she yelled into his shoulder.

“Why?”

She pulled back, her furious crying eyes meeting his own unflinchingly. “Because I didn’t know that anything was wrong! I’m your pa- uh... friend, A-Adrien. I didn’t see it! I didn't know that you were hurting! I should have seen it! I should have talked to you. I should have done something!”

He smiled softly, and cradled the side of her face in his gloved hand, careful not to hurt with his claws. “You didn’t need to see it in order to be there for me. That’s what I’m saying. And I just wanted to thank you for that.”

“I’m glad that I was able to be there for you when even Ladybug wasn’t,” she said, the anger and bitterness still clear in her voice.

“Please don’t be mad at Ladybug,” he said.

She pulled completely out of his arms then, her eyes glaring ice daggers. “Why not? She’s the one that cut you out, right? Made you feel… useless and isolated? Did she notice you were hurting?”

He captured both of her hands.

“Marinette, Ladybug has been struggling for a while now. She wasn’t in a position to notice. I’ve tried to be there for her as much as I can, and I’ve had a lot of practice pretending to be okay even when I’m not.”

She turned to him again, her chin suddenly trembling. “You have, haven’t you?” she cried and then looked up at him again, not bothering to wipe away the tears tracking down her face. “Adrien, this isn’t fair. You deserve better. Better from your friends. Better from your partner. Better from your father.”

His miraculous beeped. They both glanced at it.

“Please tell me that you have a confidant! A real one! Not just five minute time loops where no one except you can remember?”

“I do, now. I promise.”

“Nino?” she guessed.

“Nino,” he confirmed.

She nodded. “Good.”

“Marinette, I would tell you. I would let you remember. I trust you that much… but…”

His miraculous was beeping rapidly now.

She smiled and then she kissed his nose. “It’s okay, kitty. The more people that know the more dangerous it is. I get it.”

He hugged her one more time. “I don’t deserve you,” he whispered.

She pulled back just enough to hold both sides of his face in her hand. “You’re wrong. You deserve this and so much more.”

He reached for the bracelet, that was almost a one sustained tone at this point, but he hesitated. “I want you to remember,” he told her.

She smiled softly, and pressed her forehead to his. “I know,” she whispered. Her hand was on his. She squeezed it once, and then she was the one that flicked the switch on the snake miraculous.

Because she was stronger than him.

And the world dissolved, and she was sitting across from him again with her patient smile.

He immediately burst into tears.

Her smile dissolved immediately. “Kitty! What’s wrong? What happened? Did the conversation go that badly?”

He beamed up at her through his tears, and shook his head. “No, Marinette,” he said when he could finally speak again. “It went beautifully well. I… I didn’t want you to forget.”

She smiled. “I’m glad it went well. Maybe you’ll be able to tell me about it someday?”

He nodded. “I hope so. In the meantime, please know that I feel really lucky to have met you and to have you in my life.”

Her smile grew even wider. “Right back atcha, kitty.”

“I can’t stay,” he said. It was a lie. No one would notice that he was gone for another hour, but he wasn’t going to keep it together.

She nodded. “I understand.” And the way that her eyes glistened just a little too bright. He suspected that she truly did.

“You always do,” he said. He pulled her hand to his face, and deposited a slow kiss on her knuckle. “See you around, Princess.”

…

Chapter 5: Unwanted Revelations

[a-fluffer-nutter]

The Fox And The Turtle

A/N - Hey guys, this was such a fun fic to write! This was prompted by a lovely anon who commissioned me on my Kofi! To that wonderful anon, I really hope you enjoy and thank you so much for helping me out a bit, my boyfriend and I used the money to buy a celebratory dinner after we got accepted for an apartment! If anyone else would like their own amazing fic, let me know or head on over to my Kofi and let’s get the process started. 

This is a Miraculous Ladybug fic featuring Nino and Alya. Please Enjoy.

Word Count: 4,034

           The first time was unexpected, an accident really. She never expected to get that close to him, to want to be so close to him.

           Alya Césaire had invited Nino Lahiffe to a nearby café to talk. She had arrived early in the morning, wanting to finish some schoolwork and to get started on a new blog post. There was so much she needed to catch her blog up with, especially with what had happened the week before.

           Lady Wifi.

           She never wanted it to happen, why would she? She idolized Ladybug, most of her blog was dedicated to the hero, but she had been the cause of another fight Ladybug and Chat Noir had to undertake. It all happened because of her.

           The autumn breeze rustled the sleepy trees, sending leaves of orange, red, and yellow floating toward the ground. The air was just beginning to have a chill bite at the bare skin of passersby, but this didn’t faze the people of Paris, most of them thrilled that the summer heat was fading, and autumn was taking over again. Kids had just returned to school, most of the teens excited to spend their weekends at the mall hanging out with their closest friends.

           Nino was on his way to the café to visit Alya. He hadn’t seen much of her that summer, though had followed her online presence closely. It was hard not to, when Alya seemed to run a major blog in basically every topic. In fact, Nino had been browsing online forums about Donkey Kong a few days prior, wanting to prove some sort of point to his younger brother, when he stumbled upon a Donkey Kong fan blog Alya had made a few years before. Sure, she hadn’t touched it in a long time, but the fact that Nino had accidentally found something made by her had made him laugh at the time.

           Humming to himself, Nino danced between small puddles of water that speckled the sidewalk. Staring at his phone, he tried to think of a good playlist for the next school dance. It was that time of year again; the dance wasn’t going to DJ itself.

           “Britney Spears or Lady Gaga?” Nino muttered to himself, staring at the blank note page he just opened on his phone. He may have had Lady Gaga playing in his headphones at the moment, but that didn’t mean Britney Spears wasn’t a favorite of his.

           A church bell chimed in the distance, Nino looking up from his phone in panic.

           “Oh no,” Nino said to himself. He was late to his meeting with Alya. Nearly tripping over a stroller with a screaming toddler inside, Nino jogged toward his destination, still considering what Lady Gaga song would be the best to dance to.

             Alya recoiled as she burnt her tongue again. She had just sat down with her steaming mug, her third pumpkin spiced latte of the day. She might have enjoyed making fun of people who drink pumpkin spice lattes, but they were too good for her to resist.

           “Ow,” She moaned, her tongue sticking out slightly between her plump lips. She had a habit of just rushing into things, being impulsive. From risking it all to get the next big scoop to instantly taking a drink of something she knew would burn her tongue, Alya had a penchant for impulsivity.

           The chime above the door rang, Nino throwing it open with so much force that it startled everyone inside in the café. Giving an embarrassed smile, Nino gave a short wave to the older lady who spilt a bit of coffee down her dress. Looking up from her computer, Alya rolled her eyes at the sight of Nino, though she couldn’t help the smile on her face.

           “Hi Alya,” Nino grinned, pulling off his headphones and slipped them down his neck. “Sorry I’m late, I got distracted.”

           “It’s fine,” Alya replied, waving her hand, motioning for him to sit.

           “Before we start,” Dropping his backpack to the floor, Nino plopped down into his seat, sitting across from Alya. “Do you prefer Britney Spears or Lady Gaga?”

           “You can’t choose between the two of them,” Alya let out a laugh, thinking about her fan blogs she has created for both of them in the past.

           “You’re no help,” Chided Nino, Alya simply replied by sticking out her tongue, still numb from burning it.

           “Anyway, I wanted your help with something,” Alya quickly changed the subject, getting down to business. Nino smiled expectantly, tilting his head ever so slightly. “I need to update my blog about Ladybug, but I don’t really know how to do it.”

           “Oh, I thought this was going to be something important,” Nino laughed, laughing harder when Alya shot him a death glare. He lifted his hands, “I kid, I kid. But how can I help you with your blog? You know more about Ladybug than anyone else I know. Wait, this isn’t about Chloe, is it? If so, I’m not helping you snoop on her more. I don’t want to get into trouble.”

           “Oh no, I’m definitely never snooping on Chloe again, she definitely isn’t Ladybug.”

           “Then, what do you need?” Nino leaned back, glancing up at the drink menu above the front counter. He may have been interested in whatever Alya was talking about, but he was torn between whether to order a strawberry smoothy or a chocolate caramel latte.

           “Lady Wifi,” Nino’s eyes shot down at her words.

           “Why are you asking me about her, you are her,” His voice dropped, glancing around to make sure no one else could hear him.

           “That’s the thing,” Alya looked down at her keyboard, fingers circling the keys. “I don’t remember it at all. I guess that’s good, because I could’ve hurt someone really bad and I would have to live with remembering myself doing that, but I don’t, which is really weird. I just feel bad about battling my idol, like I could have really hurt her! I don’t want to do that, besides, what would I do if I can’t blog about her?”

           “Work on your other eight hundred blogs. Or you know, schoolwork,” Nino rubbed the back of his neck, letting out a short laugh when Alya shot him another glare.

           “Come on, Nino,” She sighed, leaning back in her chair. “Please help me.”

           “Okay, sure thing,” Nino smiled, leaning forward, placing a hand on her knee, giving it a small squeeze. “What do you want to know?”

           Instead of replying, Alya let out a stream of giggles, instinctually scooching back in her chair. Shocked, Nino pulled his hand back, lips parting.

           That was adorable.

           “Don’t tickle me, Nino,” Alya said, rubbing her knee, numbing the area of the ticklish shocks that just jolted through her muscles. “This is serious.”

           “Sorry,” Nino rubbed the back of his neck, embarrassed by the blush he could feel painting his cheeks, crawling up to his ears.

           “Anyways,” Alya went on, ignoring Nino’s discomfort, and went on talking about Lady Wifi. Nino answered as many questions as he could, but he couldn’t stop the image of her giggling face from being at the forefront of his thoughts. Nino wanted to see it again but didn’t know when he would have the chance to.

**

                       “Nino!” Alya giggled, attempting to curl into herself.

           The attack had come unexpectedly, but there was not much she could do. Fighting back could give herself away, and it wouldn’t be for another few months that Nino would learn the new truth about her. She let him get away with the attack, though with her new strength, it was much harder to hold back.

           Nino sat over her, his knees straddling her thighs and hips, putting just enough pressure to pin the legs to the bench without crushing her. He sat triumphantly on her thighs, fitting perfectly between the hem of her jeans and her knees, which happened to be exposed that day thanks to the fashionable tears that came with them. He held her wrists together in one hand, surprised by how tiny her wrists were in comparison, he laughed victoriously once he had them pinned to the wooden bench, her hair messily entangled beneath.

           “Something wrong?” Nino teased, his free hand resting on her knee, feeling the short stubbly hair on her skin. Why shave in the winter when nobody was going to see it?

           “What are you doing?” Alya asked, voice trembling. The skin on her legs were coated with anticipatory goosebumps.

           Nino simply responded with a curt grunt and a slight shrug, then proceeded to squeeze the knee cap. Giggles filled her belly, rising to her throat like bubbles blowing in the wind. Alya bit back the laughter, her teeth pressing into her plump bottom lip, ruby lipstick painting a thin layer of gloss onto her teeth. She managed to hold back the laughter for a bit as he focused on squeezing just the kneecap but lost her composure a bit as he slipped his hand through the hole and hooked his fingers beneath her leg and scratched behind her knee.

           “Nino,” Alya squeaked before the vast number of giggly bubbles slipped through her control and turned into one of the most beautiful sounds Nino had ever heard. She squeezed her eyes shut, turning her head away so he couldn’t see her smile as well, though she fought the urge to tug at her arms.

           “Wow, Alya,” Nino cooed, his short nails still scratching at the skin, his fingers moving swiftly as if helping her scratch a persistent itch she couldn’t reach. “If you’re this ticklish here, you must be super ticklish everywhere else too.”

           Letting out a little yelp, Alya continued to giggle as Nino crawled his hands a little further up the leg and lightly traced swirls into the back of her lower thigh.

           Alya decided not to give him the satisfaction of conceding at all, of begging. Ladybug had just given her own Miraculous, which hid beneath her shirt, but she wasn’t afraid at this moment that Nino was going to see it. It would have to take a lot of thrashing for it to make an appearance, and Alya knew that wasn’t going to happen. Speaking of her Miraculous, Trixx was still hiding in her fanny pack, which thankfully was sitting next to her backpack on the ground below the bench. Lucky for Trixx, as he would be crushed by Nino if Alya hadn’t taken the fanny pack off before this all went down.

           “How about here?” Nino let out a small laugh as he quickly reached forward and latched onto her hip bone. Despite it not being that ticklish of a spot, Alya still let out a giggly gasp and a short kick. She dug the heel of her shoes into the bench, giving her something to focus on, grounding her just a bit.

           “Her giggle is adorable,” Nino thought, ecstasy flowing through his bloodstream, her smile and giggle like a drug to him. Though she was hiding her face, he could still see enough of her face to take in the beauty of it all, her lips curled up into a smile bright enough to rival all the stars in the sky.

           Needing more, Nino walked his fingers up just a bit to poke at her sides. Each poke elicited a giggle of a slightly higher pitch led Nino to the conclusion that this spot was a bit better than the last. Curling his fingers into a mimicry of claws, he pressed them into the softer flesh and began to vibrate his hand. This turned out to be a great technique.

           “No!” Alya nearly screamed, the dam finally collapsing and out flowed her wonderfully boisterous laughter. She let out another kick, then dug her heel back into the bench, trying hard to get control again.

           Ticklish shocks resonated through her body, sending surges from her side through her chest and into her throat, which continued to pour out waves of contagious laughter. Despite all this, she still did not tug at all at her arms. This was not satisfactory, not at all, to Nino. He wanted to watch her struggle, to writhe and laugh underneath him, under his ticklish touch. Alya, though, could not let this happen. She was a heroine, after all. A new hero, but still a hero that shouldn’t be taken down by something as silly as tickling. She knew she could fight it until Nino grew bored, she had to.

           “This a good spot?” Nino beamed, tempted to pull his other hand down to do the same to her other side, but thought against it. He won’t let go until she pulls free or begs.

           Nino didn’t know why he was being so sadistic all of a sudden, but he liked it. He liked seeing Alya like this, so flustered, so adorable...no. He didn’t want to admit it yet, he couldn’t like her like that, at least he didn’t think so. But she was so pretty, with eyes that glowed like gold coins and her lips as beautiful as rubies.

           “It tickles,” Alya broke Nino out of his thoughts, bringing out a laugh from him.

           “Well, I hope so,” Nino grinned, fingers stilling briefly before walking up to the base of her ribs.  “That’s kinda the point.”

           Alya let out a squeak as he gently prodded between her bottom two ribs. Nino’s grin spread wider as a devious idea flickered into frame in his mind.

           “Do you know how many ribs the average person has?” Nino asked, mindlessly tapping the same spot between the two ribs over and over, enjoying the small flinch each poke provoked.

           “Twenty-four?” Alya asked after a moment of thinking it over. Something like this should’ve come quickly, but she was a bit distracted at the moment.

           “Yep,” Another poke. “Let’s see if you have twenty-four, too.”

           Without a second to protest if she had wanted, Nino scratched at the lowest rib. Alya let out a breathy giggle, turning her head back so she could see him.

           “One,” Nino said before walking his fingers up to the next one. “Two.”

           “Three,” Alya found herself saying between nearly silent giggles. Nino raised an eyebrow, surprised by her participation. He briefly wondered if she was enjoying it but thought otherwise. Though maybe.

           “Four,” Her giggle became a bit more desperate. “Five.”

           “Six,” Alya startled Nino again, though pressed her face into her arm, hiding from him as much as she could.

           “Seven” Alya cackled, wiggling a bit in anticipation.

           The next three were in her armpit, which is standard anatomy. Alya knew this was going to be hard but tried to hold back as much laughter as she could. Unfortunately for her, it was not much.

           “It tickles!” She squealed, beginning to hysterically laugh as Nino counted the eighth rib. She couldn’t help but toss her head back, laughter pouring from her widely grinning mouth.

           “Nine,” It was hard for Nino to hear himself over her laughter, though he didn’t mind it all that much. That and he knew he wouldn’t be able to count a proper twenty-four. Alya likely didn’t know this fact, or at least Nino hoped so.

           Hands tightly balling into fists, her nails dug into the palms of her hands. It took a lot of effort to not struggle, her armpit being ruthlessly attacked by now, Nino having just announced the tenth rib, but didn’t really seem to be attacking it. Instead, he just scratched all five fingers along the exposed area. Nino was lucky that the day had been unusually warm for the end of autumn, as Alya opted to wear a tank top under a light jean jacket today, which she had taken off earlier into their hangout. This left nothing to protect her sensitive bare skin from his dull, scribbling nails raking up and down this one armpit.

           “Want me to stop?” Nino asked, wanting to see what she would do. She responded by glaring daggers at him, though due to the current situation, these daggers were more like pencils, not very dangerous, but still hurts a little if stabbed by one.

           “Sure,” Was all Alya could say. She wouldn’t beg for him to stop, not wanting to concede. She could take it, but she wouldn’t mind at all if Nino was bored and wanted to stop. This, however, was definitely not the case.

           “That wasn’t very convincing!” Nino let out a laugh as he wore a goofy grin. “If you want me to stop, you have to say, ‘Yes, Nino the Great and Wonderful, please stop tickling me!’”

           “Never,” Alya exclaimed, then let out a shriek as he suddenly attacked her other armpit. The pads of her fingers teased the shaved skin, the sensitivity of this armpit higher than the last thanks to the long anticipation Alya had to endure. She knew it was coming, but still could not brace herself for it.

           “Well, that’s no fun,” Nino pouted, sticking out his lower lip ever so slightly. His fingers stilled for a moment, contemplating his next move. “Hm…how can I make you beg for mercy?”

           “You can’t,” Alya chided, stretching her fingers as she breathed heavily, glad to have fresh air circulating through her lungs once more. “You can’t do anything to make me beg.”

           “Is that a challenge?” Nino sneered, raising an eyebrow. “Alright then, I accept that challenge.”

           Sucking in as much air as she could in anticipation, Alya tightened all her muscles and clenched her fists once again. Her heels dug back into the bench, ready to be a physical support in this endeavor.

           “Hm…” Nino poked the tip of his tongue out, contemplating his next move. Her armpits were a good spot, but she would probably expect that. He could sit on her arms and attack both at once, but that wouldn’t give him any other options for tickling her, except for her neck. Her neck seemed promising, but for some reason, he just felt something was telling him not to, like something in his brain nudging him another way.

           He glanced down at her stomach, a very easy spot for him to reach in this position, and one she couldn’t defend whatsoever even if she tried.

           “Does this tickle?” Nino asked as he reached down as if to tickle her armpit, but then withdrew his hand quickly and went for her belly.

           “Yes!” Alya let out a snort after a shrill scream, her heels pounding against the bench. Nino’s hand teased at the softer skin from her hips to right below her naval, poking at just the right spots to make her cackle and throw her head from side to side. “It tickles so much!”

           Nino was shocked by how toned her stomach was, the faint outline of abs could be felt through her shirt. 

            “Have you been working out?” Nino admired her belly, tracing his fingers over the muscles. “I’m a bit jealous. Maybe we can work out together. But oh well, it sure isn’t stopping you from being super ticklish!”

            “Shut up!”

           “Are you going to beg me to stop?” Nino asked, his nails now skittering over an overly sensitive spot just beneath the left side of her rib cage.

           “Never,” Alya repeated, her hands hurting just a bit from how tight she was straining her fists. It just tickled so much; her belly being one of her worst spots. That and… “No!”

           “Aw, does Alya have a ticklish little belly button?” Nino cooed, single finger wiggling in her belly button like a worm wriggling around on a fishing hook. Alya’s laughter was loud, likely heard by all who resided in Paris. She flailed her legs, not able to steady or ground herself any longer, her heels bashing the wooden boards beneath her. Her hips bounced as she thrashed and turned, trying to get her wrists free without hurting him, but Nino wouldn’t let go. She still knew she could get free, but she didn’t want to use all of her newfound strength, not wanting him to know that she was as strong as a heroine now.

           “It’s so ticklish. It’s so cute!” Nino’s voice was cutesy, adorable, as if he was talking to a puppy. As his index finger swirled around in her navel, his other fingers scratched at her tummy, Alya letting out a howl of ticklish mirth and agony. “How can such a tiny little thing be so ticklish?”

           “Shut up!” Alya let out another snort as she shot her retort.

           “You want me to stop?”

           “I’m not begging.”

           “Fine,” Nino grinned, devious plan forming in his mind. Without any hesitation, Nino let go of Alya’s wrists and thrust his hand down under her arm and began to tickle her armpit at the same time as her belly was being obliterated.

           “Stop!” She finally let out, bringing her arms down, trapping his hand in her armpit.

           “I will only stop if you say the magic words,” Nino laughed, dipping his middle finger into her belly button to help his index finger. Letting out another few snorts, Alya shook her head.

           “No,” Alya repeated over and over, smacking his chest, though not very hard. “Stop.”

           “Nah,” Nino let out a chuckle as he bent over, his fingers on her belly stopping momentarily to lift her shirt up to the bottom of her ribs. Sucking in the deepest of breaths, Nino planted his lips onto the skin around her belly button and blew the largest raspberry he could.

           “Mercy!” Alya tapped her fingers against the bench, tapping out.

           “You’re welcome,” Nino winked, thinking his pun was pretty funny. Alya simply responded with a half assed glare. He pulled his hands and face away from her body and looked over her, his head tilted a bit to the side. “Are you okay?”

           “Yeah,” Alya said as she gasped in more air, her lungs trying to catch up from the lack of oxygen she has had for the last half hour or so, or at least she thinks it was that long. Her current perception of time was definitely a bit messed up. “That was a lot.”

           “Sorry,” Nino let out a sigh, rubbing the back of his neck. He lifted himself off her, standing up next to her. “I guess I went a little overboard.”

           “You think?” Alya smacked him with the back of her hand, finally feeling like she had the strength to sit back up. She rotated around to face him and put her hands on her hips. “I’m going to get you back, Nino. Mark my words.”

           “I’ll remember,” Nino winked, but he didn’t remember for that long.

**

           “You’re so mean!” Nino cackled, his head thrown back, his armpits being tickled by Alya, who was sitting behind him, her legs crossed, wrapped around his torso.

           “This is revenge, Nino,” Alya teased, quickly blowing a raspberry against his neck, eliciting a loud laugh.

           “It tickles so much,” Nino squeaked, wiggling around, but despite being the superhero, Carapace, he is not nearly as strong as Alya. She has been in the game for much longer, which he had just learned and was amazed that she didn’t literally kill him when he last tickled her. He was incredibly fortunate, but here he was, getting the worst punishment of his life.

           “That’s the point, Nino,” Alya grinned, slipped her left hand down and reached forward, grabbing at his knee, and squeezed.

           “Stop!” Nino yelled, his laughter louder than ever. “It tickled too much!”

           “Well, maybe you should have thought about that when you tickled me first.”

           “That was months ago,” Nino wheezed, too ticklish for his own good. While Alya had, quite possibly, the most ticklish belly button in the whole world, Nino was definitely more ticklish overall. Every inch of his body was ticklish, and his knees were quite bad.

           “Well, I like to hold grudges,” Alya gave a villainous laugh, now attacking his ribs and thighs.

           “I give, I give!” Nino let out a snort, unable to take any more tickling. “It’s too ticklish!”

           “Say that I am the best tickler in the world.”

           “Alya is the best tickler in the world,” Nino repeated, though thought about being snide, though thought against it. He really couldn’t take much more.

           “Good,” Alya said, withdrawing her body from his and stretched. “I think we’re pretty even now. Don’t you?”

           “Definitely,” Nino replied, unable to shake the phantom tickles he still felt. “We’re even.”

[coffeecomicsgalore]

With The World On Her Shoulders

Ao3

@marinettemarch

Chapter 22: Sketchbook

Marinette felt sheer relief before realizing she was forgetting something.

“Oh!” She reached into her bag and grabbed the small, tightly wrapped gift, and handed it to Adrien. “I made you something.”

Adrien looked at her in shock before reaching out slowly to take the item. “Marinette. You didn’t have to do that.”

“I know. But I wanted to. I meant it when I said I appreciate your friendship. So, I thought that maybe you might like this.”

Adrien opened the gift to reveal a box filled with tightly wrapped-up notes. When Adrien looked up at her in confusion, she told him to grab one and read it.

Your presence lights up a room.

“When you said that your dad doesn’t appreciate you, or that you’re only a disappointment to your father even when you try your hardest, I realized that you aren’t really told how truly amazing you are. So… whenever you are having a bad day, or feel like you are less than worth it—even though you are worth so much more than you think you are—I want you to take a slip of paper from this box and read it. You’ll always have someone on your side, and you mean a lot to a lot of people, especially me, Nino, and Alya. I just don’t want you to forget that.”

Adrien didn’t know what to say. He pursed his lips as if to hold back a sob, then reached out and wrapped his arms around her to show her his gratitude. She hugged him back fiercely, radiating as much love as she could give him through the embrace, and they stood like that for a few moments until the bell rang.

Adrien pulled away first, wiping his cheek before placing the gift in his bag.

“Thanks, Marinette. That… that means a lot to me.”

“Don’t worry about it.” She smiled and knew it was time to change the subject for his sake. “Come on. Tell me something you love doing in your free time."

They walked into their classroom while having an actual two-way conversation together, talking about one of Adrien’s favorite anime that Marinette had yet to see. He was animatedly talking about the plot of the show without revealing too much, and she asked questions that seemed fitting without the fear of it being spoiled.

She laughed when he tried to mimic one of the characters: a big dopey, yet extremely sweet character who didn’t know this girl liked him until his best friend outright stated it. She said it sounded like someone she knew, and he couldn’t help but wonder out loud who she was talking about.

They looked at each other seriously for one moment before bursting out laughing, with Adrien finally acknowledging how he had no idea until she stated it the day before.

Marinette, surprisingly, wasn’t hurt over the acknowledgment and didn’t question it further in fear of finding out his true feelings. It didn’t matter to her at this moment if he actually returned her feelings, especially given that he knew the meanings of the flowers and chose them specifically for her. She just truly enjoyed hearing his laughter and seeing his carefree nature than trying to justify any of his actions.

It actually felt freeing knowing he knew of her feelings, but she couldn’t deny that the unknown still haunted her heart, even if it was just a tiny bit. But she swallowed that dark thought down to the pit of her stomach where she could digest it later and opted to hear him talk more about his likes and dislikes in the friendly banter they had done over the last ten minutes.

“My, my, my,” Alya said conspiratorially. There was a glint of mischievousness in her eyes as she searched between the two. “Look at you two being all chummy this morning.”

“Ha-ha.” Marinette retorted while making a face at Adrien at the same time, which he laughed in return. “I’m just talking to my very good friend about anime. Is it a crime to have a conversation with someone who shares the same interests as you?”

“Anime? God. You’re a dweeb too?” Alya turned to Adrien and shot him a bemused expression.

“Yup! And now I have someone to share my enthusiasm and maybe even dress up for conventions with.”

Marinette burst out laughing. “And now all I can see you in is a Sailor Moon’s outfit—knee-high stockings, long hair, and all.”

“Don’t tempt me with a good time, Marinette!” Adrien scrunched up his nose in laughter. “I’m a model, remember? I’ve worn some scandalous items—skirts included. I would so wear a Sailor Moon outfit and flaunt myself in a skirt. Oh! Maybe I could commission you for a Mars cosplay!”

“I do not want to see that, dude.” Nino shook his head to rid of the thought.

“Speaking of the upcoming convention…” Marinette laughed out as she pulled out her sketchbook along with her phone. She turned on the device and pulled up the image she saved on her photo album before opening up to a blank page of her sketchbook. “I’ve been meaning to get that costume started for my Homura Akemi cosplay. Have you seen Puella Magi Madoka Magica, Adrien?”

“No, not yet.” He took out his phone, opening up his notes app to write down the name of the series. “But I definitely will as soon as I finish My Love Story.”

“It’s so good.” She began to sketch up the dress, focusing on the pleats and ruffles of the skirt. “And that also means I need to create the shield, too, so I’m going to have to get some foam to create the intricate—”

Spilling across her page was a bottle of water, the entire second half of her book drenched in the cold liquid. Marinette shot up from her chair as quickly as she could, grasping onto her sketchbook to save it from any more spills, but the damage had been done.

Adrien shot up too, quickly trying to find a way to clean up the spill when he noticed who had “tripped” and spilled the water.

“Lila!”

“I’m so sorry Marinette! I didn’t mean to spill the water. It was an accident! I swear.”

Adrien shot her an annoyed glare as Marinette and Alya tried to sop up as much liquid as they could with her sweater. He noticed that she had taken off her blazer, using that as a makeshift rag as Nino left to gather some paper towels.

“Here, Marinette,” Adrien said as he handed her his overshirt, hoping that she would use it to help clean up.

“Oh, it’s okay, Adrien. Thank you. Nino just came back with the paper towels anyways.”

Adrien tossed his shirt on his desk behind him before gathering some of the paper towels to clean up the desk, while Marinette flipped through the sketchbook to see if and how many of her designs were ruined from the water.

Tears pricked her eyes as she noticed some of the ink running on some of her favorite pieces, and she couldn’t help but let out a wet sigh as she tried to keep herself composed.

Adrien noticed her demeanor and looked at the sketchbook, realizing that the ink was now running on many of the notes across the pages. He couldn’t help but see that there was one page in particular that stood out, a familiar design hidden in the seam of a scarf she had created. The note “Adrien” was written across the top of the page, the word almost unreadable with the wet streaks, but he couldn’t help but feel a pang of guilt as he realized something specific about that page.

He kept that thought in the back of his head as he helped her clean up, running a comforting hand up and down her arm as her lower lip trembled in heartache.

[charming-mage]

Opposite Day: Contrary Fairy Gives DuPont High Their Worst Nightmare (Part 1)

Hello everyone! Here’s my take on my prompt, Opposite Day (Or DuPont’s Worst Nightmare). Does anyone even remember I said I would take on this prompt? It’s been such a long time. Ha ha ha. If you want to be added to the taglist, let me know.

If anyone takes on this prompt too, the Akuma or any details in this fic doesn’t have to be the same. Go with your vision as you see fit. I don’t mind. 

A student at Dupont is Akumatized into Contrary Fairy. She has the power to turn people into their “Opposite” self by taking a victim’s major personality traits and switches them with an antonym of it.

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Chapter 1: This is just the beginning

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Mrs. Bustier’s class awaits in eager anticipation for the arrival of Marinette Dupain-Cheng. The only people who haven’t arrived yet is Adrien, Marinette, and Lila. Today is Alya’s birthday and her first friend at Dupont is bringing her a special birthday cake. Even though they’ve had some disagreements about Lila, Marinette is still bringing her a gift. It’s a rough patch, but she knows they’ll get past this bump in the road. Alya privately admits to herself that Marinette gets a bit high strung about Adrien sometimes. In the end, Marinette will get along with Lila like she does with Kagami. 

“Where’s Lila? She’s usually here by now. She promised to tell me about her charity work in Nigeria,” said a concerned Mylene. “Did she have an emergency trip again?”

Alya assures Mylene. “Lila is just running late. She promised to be here today.”

Just as she was mentioned, Lila walks with a nervous look on her face. It quickly changes to a happy smile when she spots Ayla. “Happy Birthday Alya!” Lila quickly jumps Ayla and gives her a strong hug.

“Whoa. You’re really energetic today.” Ayla returns the hug.

“I’m so happy to celebrate with my best friend.”

When Alix grumbles out loud about tricky math problems, Lila excuses herself  to go help her.

Ten minutes later, Marinette walks in with the cake along side.....is that Adrien? Alya thinks the blonde boy in ripped black jeans, black jacket, and a devil horns headband. The classes’ sunshine has become the sunset.

“Good morning Marinette.” Marinette, strangely, ignores her.

Nino asks, shocked, “Dude, you’re finally rebelling against your father?”

“The old man can’t tell me what to do. By the time I’m done today, he won’t stand to have any black in his designs. Not even the buttons.”

“Adrien, count me in.”

Nino grabbed Adrien and they seated themselves in the back of the classroom for a private conversation.

Ayla turns her attention to Marinette, who’s been very chilly to her. Very unlike her. Usually they’d say their good mornings and jump right into gossiping. She has a very bad feeling about this. 

Marinette drops the delicious looking cake into the trashcan next to Mrs. Bustier’s Desk. “Oops,” says a unremorseful Marinette.

Gasps echo in the classroom. Rose asks,” M-Marinette....why would you do that?”

What Marinette says next nearly gives her a heart attack.

“You owe me 500 euros. When you sprung on me to babysit your sisters, they broke my new sewing machine. You’re lucky they didn’t destroy anything else or you would be talking to my celebrity clients’ lawyers.”

“I’m so sorry! I’ll pay you back, I swear. I’ll tell my sisters to be more responsible too.” Ayla is shocked Marinette didn’t say anything yesterday when she came to pick up the twins. It’s become a routine for them. If Alya wants to do anything last minute, she’ll drop off the twins with Marinette. Later, the kids will be picked up and the money dropped off. Marinette is owed a favor as well.

Alya has to tell her parents what happened. She doesn’t have enough money to pay Marinette. The money saved from side jobs is not enough to cover it in full. Her and the twins were all going to be in trouble, but it’ll be worth it to make it right for Marinette. No more last minute babysitting either. Heck, on top of the babysitting money, she’ll do more favors for Marinette in exchange for scheduled babysitting if her bestie is up for it in the future. 

“Good. I expect the money in my hands soon.” Marinette takes her usual seat next to Ayla. It’s kinda awkward since Marinette refuses to speak to her.

The birthday celebration mood is gone. The class is filled with quiet whispers as no one dared to raise their voice too loud. Marinette’s look of displeasure when Rose once made the mistake to happily squeal a bit too high pitched scares the rest of the class to behave.

It gets worse once Mrs. Bustier comes to start the class session. The teacher announces her presence with an angry door slam. The rest of the time is stressful as everyone did their best to avoid drawing Mrs. Bustier’s ire. Once class ended, everyone left in a hurry. 

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Alya thought the worst was over. She was wrong. Horribly, horribly wrong. This is just the beginning. 

The morning classes’ teachers suddenly became strict. Their usual passiveness replaced with a no nonsense attitude. When brave students asked why the sudden strictness, most of the teachers said something along the lines of orders from up top. Rumors circulated there’s going to a school inspection soon.

Strict teachers like Ms. Mendeleiev are their usual selves. The classes where they sit together is painful. Marinette barely talks to her. And when she does, it’s in a passive aggressive manner. 

 Alya is relived when lunch is finally here. She didn’t think she would have made it until lunch without Lila. Her kind friend did her best to cheer her up. Very helpful with group assignments, ran damage control when Alya messed up a few times in a presentation, and gave her useful tips in physics. This kindness must be what others experienced in Lila’s adventures around the world. No wonder her friend has so many famous friends.

Lila was so kind to carry Alya’s lunch to their table. Her girl even paid for her lunch. Her friend insisted it’s the least she could do to repay Ayla for doing the same.

Alya slumps in her seat. Lila is taken by an excited Mylene to her table. “Hey guys, had a rough day too?”

Groans abound at their table.

Nino sighs. “Did you guys hear? There might be an inspection soon and the teachers want everything in order before they get here.”

Alix rolls her eyes. “Yeah, time to cover up the things that’ll make them look bad.”

Kim pouts. “My history teacher told me to quit my dares. I can do them again on Friday.”

“That’s three days from now,” Juleka says slowly.

They chat a bit. Not much excitement besides Mylene getting upset about something and Lila consoling her.

Aurore and Mireille unexpectedly come to their table.  Aurore places a hand on Alya’s shoulder. The weather girl says with concern, “I know you can’t talk about it, but we just wanted to let you know we both support you.”

Alya looks at them confused. “What are you talking about?”

Mireille pipes up. “Your message on the Ladybug.”

Ayla thinks back to her recent posts. Nothing comes to mind that’ll warrant the concern they’re showing. The latest post is just LadyNoir shipping. The post before that talks about the damage her camera received from dropping it. No way the weather girls would approach her over such a trivial matter.

“Oh dear, you don’t know what were talking about?”  Mireille looks concerned. “Alya, you need to check the Ladyblog.”

Ayla quickly digs through her bag. She’s unable to find her phone. “I can’t find my phone.”

Aurore hands over her phone. “Here, I already have it open.”

Alya gets the second heart attack today.

Dear Ladyblog fans,

I’m sad to say due to legal issues I’m taking down the blog soon. Certain posts contained false information. I’ve already deleted the mentioned posts. I didn’t do my due diligance in fact checking. I should’ve provided sources. For that, I’m so sorry.

- Ladyblogger out (for the final time)

Alya mind-numbingly taps the Ladyblog’s home page. It refreshes to a ‘sorry the website you’re looking for is deleted’ page.

Nino peaks over her shoulder. “Oh god, Alya......” Their reactions gets everyone else huddled over the phone. Gasps ring out.

“Guys, I didn’t write that message. Or take down the Ladyblog.” 

Nathaniel asks, “Then who did?”

Doesn’t take Ayla long to figure it out. “Whoever stole my phone did.” Her phone was already logged into the Ladyblog’s admin page. She puts her heartbreak on hold to solve the mystery. “I need to do some investigating.”

“We’ll help you,” says Aurore. Mireille nods with a look of determination.”

“Me too!”

“Don’t worry! We’ll get justice.”

“I’m with you Alya.”

Alya tears up a bit, touched. “Thanks everyone.”

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They’ve spent half of lunch interviewing students. They have a lead. One girl in Ayla’s last class before lunch said she saw Marinette borrow the mentioned phone. Although the girl didn’t see if Marinette put it back. After some more asking around, Marinette was last seen in the student council room. 

“-and that concludes our council of evil meeting.”

Marinette’s face forms a grimace when she catches sight of them. “What are you doing here?”

Alya is taken aback. “Girl, I know it was super expensive, but I think you’re taking it too far.”

The student council members snicker.

“Oh my god, are these the gullible morons?” This comment opens the floodgate.

“I’m best friends with the tooth fairy. I can tell you all about on your tabloi-I mean credible blog.”

“I’m secretly Rena Rouge. Want an Autograph?”

“I can hook you up with Stan Lee. Even though he’s dead.”

“I’m the president of the United States. I’m doing this council stuff for fun.”

“I’m Adrien’s secret girlfriend. So secret even he doesn’t know.”

“HEY! I’m just here to ask Marinette something.” Alya looks right at Marinette’s blank face. “You’re the last person seen with my phone. Did you see anyone suspicious near it when you were done with it?”

The student council erupts into laughter. Once Marinette stops laughing she answers, “Oh my, you didn’t figure it out yet? I deleted your blog.”

“W-What?” The revelation startles Alya. The everyday Ladybug never made it to the suspect list. Not even the top ten.

Alya mind is well rested now. The pieces are coming together. This morning’s strangeness, Marinette’s hostility increasing throughout the day, and the teachers sudden 180.

“An Akuma got you. All of you.” The Marinette she knows would never be so cruel.

Marinette raises an eyebrow. “No, I just stopped keeping in what’s bothering me. Besides, I didn’t see an Akuma today.” Various student council members pipe in the same. No one else saw an Akuma.

“So either an Akuma snipped all of you or none of you remember.”

“Look tabloid reporter, I would have noticed if Hawkmoth’s latest fashion disaster was here.” Marinette waves them away. “Shoo pests, unlike some people, we have a lot of work to get done. The school dance won’t magically appear itself.”

“Don’t worry Mari,  I’ll get help. You’ll be back to normal soon.”

“Come on guys, we need to let the teachers know an Akuma is here.” 

“Let’s try Ms. Mendeleiev. She seems her usual strict self.”

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“Thanks for following my lead everyone. Glad we don’t have to waste time fending them off if they discovered we already knew about the Akuma.”

“No problem President Marinette.”

“That’s Queen Marinette to you peasants.”

“Yes, your most evilness.”

“Aren’t we going to stop them? They know about the Akuma now?”

“There’s a plan in place. It’s been several hours and no one has ‘seen’ an Akuma running around. Why do you think that is?”

“You think of everything Queen Marinette.”

“Of course I do. One of you tell our ally Contrary Fairy the Akuma class knows now. They may be stupid, but they have been competent help to Ladybug before.”

“Yes, my Queen.”

“Don’t forget to tell her to get Ms. Mendeleiev ASAP. The only competent teacher in this school might believe them.”

“Yes, my Queen.”

“Let’s have some fun before Ladybug spoils it.”

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To be continued in Opposite Day: Contrary Fairy Gives DuPont High Their Worst Nightmare (Part 2)

Chapter 2: There’s No Akuma in Dupont

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Lila will be featured more in part 2.

I sprinkled in some salt tropes. I find it funny they work so well for Chloe 2.0.

@andromeda612 @whatsupwithjinx

[quickspinner]

Hi, I kind of have some questions that I’m curious about. Let’s say ML is getting a reboot and you were a writer hired for the show. 1. What would you change? And which episodes would you remove? 2.How would you have written Luka into season 1? 3. How would have made the interactions between Luka and Marinette work? 4. How would you write Lukanette to be endgame?

I feel like this is an essay question on a final exam! 😆 I’m going to have to be general by necessity here or I’d be writing several pages of thesis for weeks. (edit: and even so it is super long and wordy, so just imagine how bad it could have been) 

1. What would I change?

Honestly, I don’t think I would change a lot of the basic premise. I like the show and I like the characters as a whole, but I would definitely tweak a few things in the storytelling approach. 

a) I would remove some of the restrictions they’ve placed on themselves, such as their commitment to each episode being as stand alone as possible. It’s possible to have continuity and still have an episode format where young kids can jump in at any point and understand what’s going on. You can have character growth and consistent timelines without making it so that anyone who misses an episode is lost, and you can have the occasional two-parter episode if you have a heavy point to make. If this ultimately ends up shifting the target audience a little older, then so be it, although I don’t think it’s especially necessary. I feel like one of the show’s big problems is that they’re trying to tell a story that’s outgrown their framework, and it’s something that should have been planned for from the beginning.

b) I would rework their ‘forumula’ of having Marinette make a mistake and then learn from it. I don’t think there’s anything wrong with the idea of ‘each episode should teach a lesson’ but they’re not committed enough to it, and it’s a mistake to think that just because Marinette is the protagonist, she has to be the one making all the mistakes and learning all the lessons. As a result we end up with Marinette suffering for no good reason and apologizing in situations where she did nothing wrong, and the ‘lesson’ she was meant to learn ends up muddled and confusing. It’s okay if not every episode has a lesson. As a parent I don’t ask that every single moment of my children’s entertainment be educational, just that it not be actively harmful, and the current presentation often is thanks to their determination to blame Marinette and the confusing messaging that results. So, follow through with that lesson formula most of the time, but let the appropriate character learn a lesson, and address it more clearly. 

Gamer 2.0 is a perfect example. The worst thing Marinette did was disregard Max’s feelings about the tournament so that she could play with Adrien, and they could have acknowledged that while also having Max learn the lesson that sometimes you have to learn to lose gracefully, and that just because effort isn’t rewarded the way you wanted it to be, it doesn’t mean it was without value. Or Reflekdoll; both Juleka and Alya had lessons to learn about communicating clearly and paying attention to other people’s feelings respectively. 

c) Expanding from that, I’d have the narrative hold people accountable more equitably across the board. A good 90% of my frustration with Adrien/Chat Noir is that the narrative never holds him accountable for his actions (I’m excluding NY here because I have a whole other essay’s worth of Stuff to say on that, but yes, I will acknowledge that it was at least a minimal step forward towards holding him accountable). What I mean by that is, there is never any doubt that Chloe is behaving badly. There is never any doubt that Lila is not a good person. The narrative makes it clear through their presentations, the other characters’ reactions to them, and the consequences of their actions, that the way they behave is not okay.

Likewise, the narrative never fails to condemn Marinette for her mistakes, often through ridicule and humiliation and sometimes by consequences far out of proportion of her actual mistakes. 

Adrien/Chat is never on the receiving end of that. None of the things he does that we’re all so salty about are ever that bad, certainly no worse than many other characters. However, he’s never held to account for it. There’s never any apology, and rarely any consequences. Copycat is maybe the closest episode to holding Chat accountable, but even so there’s no acknowledgement or apology required for Chat himself. Because, as per point b above, Marinette is the one who makes mistakes and learns lessons and so it’s her mistakes that we focus on. I was utterly shocked in Frozer when he leaned forward and told her to use her lucky charm instead of saying “hey, sorry I ran off and left you to face the villain alone, which might have gotten you seriously hurt if I hadn’t happened along in the nick of time.” It wasn’t fair of him to be upset with Ladybug in Siren when she agreed to do what she could to get Fu to fill him in (and followed through) but there was no apology for that either. He was right to be upset but he was mad at the wrong person, and at the end of the day he got what he wanted without actually having to admit that he did anything wrong or unfair, and that’s frustrating. Glaciator came close, when he graciously accepted Ladybug’s rejection, but there was no change after that to drive it home (and he wasn’t held accountable for lying to his friends to ditch their ice cream plan either). Again, none of these things individually make him a bad person or a horrible character, but it’s grating to see him constantly let off the hook, usually with Marinette having to take responsibility instead.

Not only Chat, but Alya as well, and we’ve actually seen Nino do some apologizing so that’s a positive start. Get past the idea that Marinette is the only one who can make mistakes and learn a lesson; the kids will learn it just as well from someone else. Go watch some 80′s cartoons, geeze, they were masters of the morality-based narrative. 

Let us see Chat (and others) apologize and then (per point a) improve his behavior, maybe getting upset and caught up in his feelings again but this time recognizing that they have a job to do first. Let everybody grow, instead of pounding on Marinette again and again and again. 

d) More time with the side characters. I don’t know how I’d manage it tbh, half an hour is not a lot of time, but I would love to see more of the friendships and especially the art club. Perhaps if the show were less focused on making Marinette the lesson of every episode, there would be more time for the other characters to grow and learn and be explored.

Which episodes would you remove?

I don’t think there are any episodes that I would remove...maybe Party Crasher because that episode was just...weird...but I did like the friendship aspect of it (this is one of those ones where their formula gets muddy and confusing, because...”don’t tell lies and make crappy excuses to your friends” is really what we were supposed to get from that? So, I don’t know if that episode was salvageable. Almost all the other episodes that really give me cringe (hello, Puppeteer 2) contained important moments that could have been delivered in a less upsetting matter if the points above were addressed. Stormy Weather 2 was pretty pointless, but it wouldn’t have been if there had been any actual continuity for a clip show to catch you up on. (while we were chatting today @verfound made a great point though about how Puppeteer 2 could have been used as a clip show as they walked through the wax museum, and I had to agree that would have been much more effective).

2.How would you have written Luka into season 1?

I honestly don’t think I would have? I think he came in at right about the right time. I would have maybe given him a cameo in Reflekta just to set up Captain Hardrock a little more, but other than that, I don’t think it was time for him to come on the scene yet.

3. How would have made the interactions between Luka and Marinette work?

I actually really like how things are now. I would like to see Marinette be more direct and honest with him. Right now, Luka consistently arranges everything so that she never has to admit anything she isn’t ready for. He addresses her feelings without her ever having to bring them up, admit to them, or voice them on her own, and while that’s very kind and I feel like both Luka’s perceptiveness and his kindness and desire to make her comfortable are very central to his character, I would like Marinette tp at some point acknowledge his feelings and her own to his face. Right now their relationship has a level of honesty that I feel like is lacking in most of the others, but it’s mainly due to Luka’s perceptiveness and willingness to be honest himself than it does with anything Marinette’s done, so I’d like to see her exhibit a little more agency there. 

4. How would you write Lukanette to be endgame?

Ooof...I mean, I feel like I addressed some possibilities for that in Finding Harmony and in Second Chance. Marinette has to get over her feelings for Adrien, either by recognizing that she’s just ready to let go (Finding Harmony), dating him and letting the relationship come to a natural end (Second Chance), or confessing her feelings to him and being rejected so that she can get through the heartbreak and move on. The push-and-pull situation the show has her in right now was sustainable for a while, and for seasons one and two it felt like there was some growth there so her constant flailing didn’t seem totally useless. It seemed like she was getting closer to telling him, like she was getting more comfortable with him over time, like there was still the possibility of him liking her back. Up through Despair Bear I was on board with the Adrien is oblivious/in denial of his feelings theory and all was well. 

But as he continued to choose Kagami over Marinette over and over then Marinette’s flailing began to be more pathetic and hopeless, and I became less willing to believe that Adrien had any real feelings for Marinette beyond friendship, and that’s where the ‘Whatever chance there was, I think I missed it’ conversation in Finding Harmony came from. There was a moment where maybe if she had been able to confess they could have been something, but she didn’t, and the moment has passed and now she has to move on.

So yeah, to me there has to be a breaking point of some kind that gives Marinette that push to start making an effort to get over her feelings (Puppeteer 2 would have been the perfect place for it, and I think it was after that episode that I actually started writing Finding Harmony). She’d have to put in effort, it would be hard, and she would do everything she was attempting to do in the NY special and more, and it would take time and support and it would hurt. There’d be Lukanette comfort and support just like there has been up until now, but they wouldn’t date until Marinette reached a point where she really felt free. 

Second Chance was more along the lines of what I expected to actually happen, in that Marinette and Adrien would get together for a while, and then post series there would be a breakup and a reunion with Luka where they rekindle their feelings. 

I haven’t written a fic where Marinette confesses and is rejected because I just don’t want to deal in that kind of pain. But, Miracle Queen is honestly an acceptable substitute, where she sees Adrien’s budding relationship with someone else and resigns herself to it and commits to moving on. I just would want season 4 to pick up at that point, and move her through that difficult time of trying to break all those old habits, trying to find a way to be his friend without indulging in ways that are unhealthy for her (like long tight hugs and sniffing his cologne). I don’t think rushing straight into another relationship is a healthy answer for either Marinette or Luka. This is something Marinette has to work through, and Luka can support her, but she has to do the work herself. 

So that’s my off-the-cuff, didn’t study, winging it exam answer. Hope it satisfies some of your curiosity!

[airi-p4]

Last Chance - Chapter 9 (END)

Chapter 1 | Chapter 2 | Chapter 3 | Chapter 4 | Chapter 5 | Chapter 6 | Chapter 7 | Chapter 8

AO3

HI! I’m very happy to offer you the last chapter of this fic. It’s more like an epilogue, from Adrien’s POV and focused mostly on him and Chloe.

I want to thank you for reading, especially if you read it all until the end.  Thank you very much 💙  And yes, this one may have ended, but I have more fics almost finished waiting for their turn to be posted. Until very soon ;)

_____________________________________________

Adrien’s POV

After Chloé faints due to Alya’s chloroform, I carry her to one side of the room, to where my friends are and we sit there in silence. It’s not like we plan to listen to what Marinette and Luka have to say, but it’s impossible not to hear with all the echoes of the quiet room. I let Chloe rest on my lap. I’m worried about her and her injuries, but I’m also worried about Marinette and Luka, too.

But It seems it’s going well… Finally on the same page.

I’m happy for them, even if it still hurts. Before I can think more, my mind gets automatically called out at a sobbing sound.

Chloe.

“Chloe, are you ok?” I ask her, sofly not to startle her. Alya and Nino gasp.

“Hey! Didn’t you tell me the chloroform lasted for 30 minutes!? Why is she awake already?”

“I don’t know! It worked like that on that movie I saw some weeks ago!”

“Nino! You were supposed to check about it! You have to check the facts!”

“Sorry, Alya, but that’s usually your job so…”

“I can’t believe you… Should I put her to sleep again, Adrien?”

I glance at Chloe before answering Alya’s question. She’s still crying. Only crying.

“No… No need. She’s not going to interfere anymore. She’s accepted their happiness. Just like me…”

Chloe’s sobs continue, almost silently. I can’t help it but feel sympathy for her. Our feelings are the same, aren’t they? One of my hands caresses her hair while the other moves to her hands, which she welcomes and squeezes tightly.

I’m not paying much attention when Luka asks Marinette to wait for him and he approaches where we are.

“Chloe, I know you’re awake”, he says.

Of course he would know. He has a good hearing. Chloe acts like she is asleep, holding her tears deep inside her heart.

“I’m sorry, Chloe. I guess my percentages weren’t wrong”.

Luka waits for an answer that doesn’t come, so he continues.

“Chloe. I need you to give the ring back”

I can feel Chloe’s body jumps a little in surprise, but remains immobile.

“Chloe, don’t make me repeat it”

I would get angry at Luka if it wasn’t for the devastated face he’s making. He clearly doesn’t want to hurt Chloe anymore and I can empathize with that feeling. This is hard for everyone, but it must be done. Even I understand this much.

“Ugh! Take this stupid ring, I don’t need it anymore!”

Chloe quickly uses her sleeve to dry her tears and toss the ring aggressively on the floor. Luka sighs in disappointment.

“Not the Black Cat Miraculous, Chloe, the other ring...”

Oh, the Black Cat Miraculous. I forgot she still had it. Plagg is going to be angry… I make sure to pick up the ring and I put it on before Chloe catches it again. I don’t think she’s planning to use it anymore, but with Chloe... you never know.

“Ugh! Fine! Take this cheap shiny thing! I don’t need it anymore! CHEATER!” she finally gives in with a scream, tossing her engagement ring farther and angrier.

Ah, it seems Chloe’s usual pride is back… This means she’s feeling better... I’m glad.

“Don’t you dare use it to propose to her! You’re better than that” she gives him a final warning before her face hids in by my coat again.

Propose…? Could it be…?

“As if I would do something as low as that…”

Yes, that’s most likely.

“I’m sorry, Chloe. Thank you for everything. I hope you find your happiness…”

Luka’s hands collect the ring and approach Marinette again, who is still waiting. Then, he takes a little box out of his pocket. Of course. That’s what he did in London while I was convincing Master Fu. That was the perfect ring for Marinette. Even I thought that. A beautiful diamond at the center with some pink diamonds surrounding it in a form of a flower- her trademark flower. The diamond had some blue highlights that made it even more perfect.

So he bought it in the end. That’s good.

“Oh my God, Luka! It’s the most beautiful ring I’ve ever seen!” Marinette squealed, accepting it.

"Should I be offended?" Plagg complains, narrowing his green eyes.

"Plagg! Not now!" Tikki scolds him.

“But Sugarcube, just look at those two! I've never seen my kid this hurt before! The blondie too!”

Plagg’s words hold so much truth it hurts. I’m not ok but I have to force myself to be. For Marinette’s happiness. For our partnership too.

“It’s ok, Plagg. Marinette is happy now. I very much prefer her being happy with Luka than devastated and alone. She hasn’t been interested in me for a while. I know my place. I’ll be ok”

“Adrien…”

I pat Plagg’s head as he likes it. I missed my kwami friend… I wish I didn’t have to say goodbye to him anymore… Maybe I could try asking Marinette? I doubt she would agree but why not?

“Chloe, are you ok?”

Chloe is not crying anymore. Instead, she looks up at one of the torches of the room, letting the light pass only through the space in between her fingers.

“I’ve tried to hurt Luka with these hands. I’ve tried to destroy them. I’ve been in the way until fate couldn’t be avoided anymore… I deserve this… I hate it but I accept it. I’ll try to be a better person from now on. I promised Luka… Maybe, if I had been a kind person from the start Luka could have loved me as I love him…”

Chloe doesn’t deserve to be unhappy… but how are we supposed to get on their way when they look so happy? The happiest I’ve ever seen… We must accept their feelings. We had our chance and we have no choice but to move on, giving them our blessings and wishing for their undoubtedly successful happiness...

“Chloe, Luka cares for you. I know he wouldn’t have proposed to you if he didn’t. You’re a good person. Don’t you ever think you’re not extraordinary, because I know you are”

“I know… But at the end I’m the one who’s all alone… Can I really find another love someday, Adrien? Why can’t I be loved?”

Her answer pains me because I feel the same way. Do I deserve this? For forcing my feelings on My Lady until the reveal? I regret that… a lot. Not noticing Marinette when she was in front of me… I guess it was bound to happen…

I hope she can be happy with Luka now...

And Chloe… she keeps crying and I don’t know what to say to make her feel better. I hope it’s ok with just holding her hand for a while… She looks so… fragile. Was she always this beautiful? I feel as if I’m meeting the real her for the first time.

Why is my heart beating faster…?

_____________________________________

After the magic light ritual is officialized, Alya, Nino and Master Fu congratulate Marientte and Luka on their engagement. I’m holding Chloe’s hand, who is hiding her tears behind me. But we stay as mere spectators for the time being. Chloe’s injuries are healed, and Pollen is hugging her cheek. Plagg has returned to me too.

“Are you ok? I can still destroy the world, if you want me to...” He offers me.

“No, Plagg. No need to do that”

Plagg pouts at my answer and I hold him into my hands.

“Thank you, Plagg. I missed you, my friend”

“Adrien!” Plagg loudly sobs.

I finally take the courage to approach Marinette and Luka, holding Chloe’s hand so she comes too. The new guardians welcome us with a hurt but sincere smile.

“Marinette, Luka. I’m happy for you”, I say.

“Thank you, Adrien”, they say, but their attention is more focused on my childhood friend.

“Chloe I-”

“Oh, no! Don't you dare to apologize, Dupain-Cheng! I'm not pitiful, you hear me!? I'm not being dumped, I'm the one dumping him! He’s utterly ridiculous!”

Chloe is actually heartbroken, but she’s strong enough to put an act like that. She really is something, isn’t she? She surely is fond of her pride. I can see Luka giggle in relief.

“Thanks Chloe, for everything. You are today's hero”

“Thank you, Chloe”, Marinette joins her fiancé.

“Hmph! You're all ridiculous…” she whines. but murmurs something in a low voice later. ‘ Great, now I feel even worse… ’

Is that a blush? Cute. Wait- what? Since when is Chloe cute ?

Before returning to my plane, Marinette and Luka use the rabbit and the snake Miraculous to go somewhere. I’m sure they’ll be back soon, so I focus on Chloe.

“Are you ok, Chloe?”

But she never answers. She just hugs me tightly in need of comfort. A comfort I need as well. Her tears don’t stop as I hug her back.

“It will be ok, Chloe. It will be ok…”

_____________________________________________

  When Marinette and Luka return, they take the Miraculous box with them and we walk to my plane. Marinette and Luka have agreed to let me Plagg stay with me, and it makes me very happy, even if that’s going to be in a few weeks, after figuring out the new guardianship. Before getting on the plane, Master Fu speaks.

“Take care on your trip back to Paris. I'm not going. I'm old and I have some past mistakes to fix. I'll stay at the temple, helping the acolytes to make up for my irresponsibility”

“Oh, just when we had met again... “ Wayzz cries.

“You can come anytime with the horse Miraculous. I'll be happy to see you”

After a collective hug, Marinette speaks again, in regret.

“Sorry for all the trouble I caused you…”

“Don't say that, Marinette. We wouldn't be here if it wasn't for your help. Every one of the team had fulfilled their role perfectly. You chose well your team”, Master Fu smiled proudly at his disciple.

“But I did nothing...?” Nino shrugs, surprising everyone and making Alya laugh.

“Wasn't the chloroform necessary at last? That was your idea. Of course you did your part!”

“Ruuuude!! You're all ridiculous! I'm the one who did the most difficult part! You should be grateful I’m part of the team!!”

“Of course, Chloe. We totally are” Luka smiles at her, his words filled with total honesty.  

The rest of us join him in agreement, surprising Chloe, whose face turns slightly red.

“Ugh. Whatever! Losers...”

She's acting all strong but she's heartbroken inside. So Chloe…

“Thank you for everything Chloe. You're extraordinary, don't let anyone make you believe you aren't” Luka says, patting the top of her head softly, and her gaze lowers to her feet, holding her tears.

“You're ridiculous… if I was that extraordinary you wouldn't be dumping me…”

I can see how Marinette tries to say something, but she’s cut by Chloe before any sound can leave from her mouth.

“Ugh! Let's go back already. My hair is a mess!”

“She'll never change… excuse her, ok?” I smile, conflicted, while my teammates giggle at her reaction. I can see how all of them love her in their own way. I’m glad.

“Of course, Adrien”

Of course Luka would know her well, too. Seeing the happy couple together reminds me I still haven’t congratulated them. I take a deep breath in order to find my determination.

“I want to congratulate you for your engagement. I have no doubt you'll be the happiest couple around. Congratulations”

“Thank you, Adrien”, Luka says, turning his face to Marinette.

“I- I'm sorry Adrien… for hurting you and-”

“It's okay, Marinette. I get it. I'm happy for you”

This is actually painful. But it must be done, right? I wonder if this is how Luka felt for such a long time. I can’t help it but to admire him even more now.

“Have you thought about my advice? About moving on…” he asks me.

“Not really. Who would want to be with me, anyway? Money or looks are the only reasons people come after me. Nobody cares about me as myself”

“What about Chloe? I think she still likes you…”

“Chloe? Are you serious? No offense, Luka, but she's… well, you know”

“She's changed Adrien. You saw it. It's true she's… special in her way… but there's kindness in her heart. And she loves you for who you are, not for your status”

Luka is right. I doubt he would have dated her if he wasn't convinced of her change.

“Are you sure…?”

“Maybe…?”

I don’t know if I should even be considering this. But at least I can be around Chloe as a friend, right? It will probably help both of us.

_____________________________________

“Take care Master! I'll miss you!” Marinette hugs him.

“See you again, Master. Take care of your health”, Luka gives him a handshake, but Master pulls him in a hug he welcomes.

“You too. I'm sure you'll be happy. And now the box is safer under two guardians protection”

We can see Master Fu waving at us when the plane takes off. Sitting next to me is Chloe, who squeezes my arm strongly. I forgot she was afraid of take off and landings. She recovers her calm after the plane stabilizes.

We are seated at the back of the plane. Nino and Alya are sleeping in exhaustion, Marinette and Luka too. No wonder. It’s been a long day- week. It’s quiet on the plane when Chloe breaks the silence.

“Aren’t you mad, Adrien? You love Marinette, don’t you? How can you stay so calm...?”

“Yes, I love Marinette. But I’m not mad. I’ve already resigned a long time ago… I’m happy for her now”

“What about destiny? You were meant to be together… If only-!” her teeth clench.

“No, Chloe. It was never meant to be. Things with Marinette went well only when I followed Luka’s advice. After he left, I tried to figure out things on my own, but I always messed up… I wasn’t fair to Marinette. I was selfish and treated her possessively. But Luka is different. He cares about her needs and wishes. I couldn’t do that. Marinette loved how Luka treated her, not me. She loved my image and Luka’s actions incarnated in me. It was only natural she broke up with me after noticing. Destiny was not meant to be for us. It was Luka from the beginning…”

“That’s ridiculous! Why didn’t you work harder!? Marinette LOVED you! I know she did!”

“Maybe yes, maybe not… What’s the point now? I got to understand Luka’s feelings and he was right all along. I should have cared for Marinette’s happiness over my own. Aren’t you the same, Chloe?”

Chloe lowers her face before giving me an answer, reflection on her feelings and actions.

“I- I was unfair… I used tricks to get closer to him… Lies. Of course he would hate me. I tried to change my heart and become kind like Marinette, but I couldn’t… Luka is good at figuring people out. He could easily tell when I wasn’t being honest. It was so annoying! But then… I had a fight with my mom and I couldn’t hide my sadness… But he didn’t laugh at me for crying like a stupid baby. Instead, he said he liked me better when I was sincere and… ugh… so frustrating...”

“It’s ok, Chloe, cry as much as you want…” “I love him so much, Adrien! What I’m supposed to do now? I can’t force him to go back with me when he looks so happy… If this is karma for all my wrongdoings from my school days then it’s so cruel… I already regretted all of that! Why do I have to suffer all this torture?”

I- I don’t know what to say. I comfort her in silence, but she finds her own answer before I can come up with mine.

“No… I bet I deserve this. I only could approach Luka because I used dirty tricks. I’m a bad girl. I’m evil. That’s why I can’t be loved. Marinette is different. She’s light, radiant. She’s always honest and pure. Just like Luka… I can’t blame him for choosing her over me, it’s only natural”

“What you did is admirable, Chloe. I don’t think you’re evil. You’re just clumsy expressing your feelings. Luka was right: you have changed. I can clearly see the kindness in your heart. You are very strong and honest for letting Luka go despite loving him” I assure her.

It doesn’t feel like she gets my answer as a satisfying one, though.

“As if you are one to talk… And even if that’s the case, how am I supposed to recover from this? What’s going to happen to all the wedding preparations? I really don’t want to cancel those. And I don’t want to explain anything to anyone. I don’t have the strength to do so, not right now…

“Maybe Luka could use that? You know…” I suggest to her.

Chloe looks hurt and angry at me, tears jumping from her eyes when she quickly turns face to look at me.

“NO! I’ll never forgive him if he does! He didn’t choose anything at all, it was just me! Everything is according to my tastes. How can I let him get married in the place that speaks ‘Chloe’ everywhere? I don’t want that. Ridiculous!”

Well. I can understand that. But she put a lot of effort on it, so she must be sad it will go to waste.

“But it’s quite a pity… I know you were really excited about it”

Chloe shrugs.

“I was. And now I can’t ever marry. I’ve already resigned…” she says. Suddenly, her eyes start shining. “Unless…”

I nervously gulp. I know THAT look. “Unless...?

“Adrikins…” she turns to me and holds my hand, her begging puppy eyes fixed on mine. “We are friends, aren’t we?

“Yeah?” I ask, trembling a little while she continues.

“It’s my dream to get married, you know that…”

“Ye- Yes… You used to say that all the time as kids. Why?”

“Would you marry me?”

WHAT? Did I hear it right? Me? Marry Chloe? How can she expect me to say yes after everything that just happened? Is this a joke? I can’t!

“WHAT!? No no! No way! We’re not even dating! Impossible!”

“No, Adrien, that’s not it. I mean a ‘fake wedding’. Just acting, so I can at least enjoy my real wedding once… please, Adrikins! Marry me!”

I- I don’t even know how to feel about this. I’m both happy and disappointed? Her puppy eyes are making it difficult for me to reject her...

“No No NO, Chloe, this is so wrong! Why me? You don’t even love me!”

“I loved you when we were kids and until I stupidly fell for Luka. I don’t have anyone else to ask! Please…!”

What? I blink a few times. Chloe did…?

“You loved me...? Really…?” I ask her, incredulously.

Her face immediately tells me she’s offended by my answer.

“OMG Adrikins, I can’t believe you! I even confessed to you before you dated Marinette! How dense can you be!? You even said: ‘I love you too, Chloe, you’re such a good friend’. Those words still sting me, you know?” she shouts.

I remember that… I- I was really bad at reading people’s feelings, wasn’t I?

“Ah… I thought… I’m so sorry Chloe. I didn’t know you meant- I’m so dumb…”

“See? I demand compensation! If you want me to forgive you, you have to marry me next month. I’m never forgiving you otherwise” she fusses, crossing her arms.

“Whoa, Chloe, don’t need to be so harsh! You know I didn’t want to hurt you!”

“But you did! And I demand an apology for breaking my heart. So help me make my dream come true. Please…?”

Ah, sh*t. Her puppy eyes again… I feel weaker now.

“Hmm… It’s true I feel bad, but a wedding…”

“It’s ok, Adrikins! It’s just a fake wedding, just to make my dream come true. Please… You’re the only one I have left now!”

Her puppy eyes don’t stop staring at me until I lose and agree to help her.

“Ok…” I finally answer, giving in.

And her face illuminates.

“Really!? Are you serious Adrien? Because I really want to celebrate my wedding and I don’t want to keep my hopes up just for you to step down at the last moment”

Has she always been so radiant when she’s happy? Is that me making her this happy? My heart skips a beat.

“It’s only actors, right? For the photos. I’m a model. I can think of it as a favor for my childhood friend. But wait- You don’t expect me to kiss you, do you...?”

“I want you to, yes. Aren’t you an actor as well? It should be easy for you. But I’ll understand if you don’t want to...”

AGAIN. Those hurt puppy eyes… I can’t-!

“O- ok then. I’ll do it. For our friendship...”

“OMG! Thank you so much, Adrikins! I love you” she hugs me.

Was my heart supposed to skip a beat now? Damn it, she’s cute… This is making me happier than I could have ever imagined…

This is bad.

_________________________________

At the end, Marinette and Luka didn't use the Wedding preparations previously set for Luka and Chloe. Instead, they looked for a quiet little church in a rural French area to get married. Who would have thought Master Fu had a license to officialize weddings? The ceremony was held only for them and the kwamis.

I've never seen anyone as happy as them in my whole life. And I'm happy for them too. I heard they are preparing a bigger wedding ceremony with their families and friends in some months too. They’re planning their honeymoon too- a world tour using the Horse Miraculous. I have no doubts nothing can get in their way anymore now. They’ve found their forever.

On the other hand, not wanting to waste or cancel the wedding preparations that cost her so much, Chloe asked me to fake a wedding so at least some of the money spent finds some purpose.

I'm not sure why I agreed, but here I am.

The groom .

With my family members at one of the rows of benches, Chloe's family in the other one. My friends and Chloe's friends are there too. Marinette and Luka as well, happily in love as always. Nino, Alya and their baby... even Jagged Stone and his crocodile are there within the guests.

And then, the official in charge of the wedding.

My body is tense, and before I can react, the wedding march music starts, and Chloe- the bride - appears down the aisle with her father.

Wow! She looks stunning… Has Chloe always been so beautiful? Is it because of the wedding dress? Why is my heart beating so fast? This is a fake wedding! No need to get nervous here!

And Chloe smiles at me and I feel like I'm about to pass out. She's glowing. How? Not any other woman except Marinette has ever made me feel like that. What's wrong with me? This is Chloe! Same Chloe as… damn! She's still glowing. What’s wrong with the lights?

And the priest starts talking.

"Welcome. We've reunited here today to-"

"Chloe… this is still a fake marriage, right...?"

"Of course"

And her answer gives me shivers down my spine. Of course it has to be fake, right? Right?

Is there supposed to be guests in a fake wedding? That priest is an actor, right…?

"Yes, I do" my words came out automatically, without thinking, hypnotised by Chloe’s beauty in front of me.

It’s been a while since I’ve felt butterflies in my stomach. Could I be falling for her...? For Chloe…? She keeps looking even more gorgeous and radiant every second I stare at her. My head is spinning, and I can’t think properly anymore.

"You can kiss the bride"

"Yeah, totally fake…" Chloe smirks and kisses me passionately.

What?

And I can't hold myself for kissing her back. Pressured by the stares of the guests and the feelings Chloe is awaking in me. It feels good…

“Congrats!”, “Congratulations!”, “When is the honeymoon?”, “When can we expect a baby?”

Are these really the questions supposed to be asked during a fake marriage...?

Before I can react, Chloe approaches me again, and kisses me. I’m not sure what makes her kiss me again but I can’t complain. I feel like Chloe is starting to grow on me. She has really changed… hasn’t she?

But I can feel my face become white as a ghost when the priest comes and tells me: “Congrats, I’ll make sure the papers reach the official authorities. I wish you and your wife happiness”

My father is looking disappointed through Nathalie’s tablet, the gorilla is tearing up and Chloe’s mother is praising her daughter, while her father is giving her a thumbs up, crying in happiness for his daughter. And finally, Luka and Marinette are there, looking at me with a sympathetic smile.

I gulp.

MY WIFE…?

What have I done?

THE END

[alexiessan]

Never alone - Chapter Eight - Soulmate AU

AO3

Previous - Here - Next

Master List

It’s kind of funny to write Marinette’s imagination going overboard x)

Hey, anyone ever wrote a Miraculous x Doctor Who cross over? I’ve been bing watching the serie and I’m obsessed with it!

Marinette was tired after this day, but a good tired. Working with Tim was amazing, she has learned so much in just a day and she couldn’t wait for the next.

When seeing everyone on the bus on the way back to the hotel, she was happy to find that her classmates had a good time at Wayne Enterprises. They were all talking about the things they learned and how nice the people they were working with were.

She exchanged a glance with Alya and they fist-bumped, happy that they made a good choice with this trip. They would all mature from this experience.

Arriving at the hotel, despite being tired, the designer also felt restless. She wanted to move, run or something. She wished she could go on a run on the roofs of Gotham as Ladybug but it would be too much risk and possibly compromise her identity.

Maybe Robin would agree to take her on a run on some of the safest roofs.

Marinette was in her room with Alya, reviewing all the notes she had taken while listening to Timothy. She had already filled a few pages of her brand new notebook that she bought back in Paris specifically for this internship.

Looking at the time, she realized that it was almost time for dinner and closed her book. She discreetely took a cookie out of a box and gave it to Tikki. Her eyes landed on the glasses inside, feeling a bit guilty that she kept the Miraculous inactive and that Kaalki couldn’t be with them, but it was safer this way. Hiding one kwami was already a difficult task, but two…

She didn’t want a repeat of Kwami Buster when both Tikki and Plagg were both caught by Mrs. Mendeleiev.

She preferred not to think about that event, Plagg’s presence at her school still unsettled her, despite Chat Noir claiming not knowing what school Françoise Dupont was.

She recognized a lie when she heard one, herself having to make the most ridiculous excuses to cover her superheroing.

But it was better not thinking about it, she wasn’t ready for anything regarding their identities.

And right now, she was hungry.

“Are you ready to go eat Alya? I’m hungry.”

“Yeah, just let me save this on my external drive and we can go!”

She watched as the reporter did just that and started chatting about her day.

“God, Mari, I’m so happy we applied for this program. I’ve learned so much today and it was only the first day. Mrs. Finnigan taught Adrien how to handle the press when they spread false information about him and she told me all about the relations between the public relations teams and the media. I heard from Nino that he has ten pages of notes about copyrights already and it’s not over! He’s already planning to get some of his songs protected!”

“That’s great, Alya!”

The class had an essay to write about their time at Wayne Enterprises when they get back to Paris, and while it should have been a source of complaints from the students, hearing how everyone loved their time there, writing an essay about him shouldn’t be a chore for anyone.

She heard at dinner that some had even started the outline of their essays and the two girls could see how proud Miss Bustier was of her students.

The laughs from the class’ table in the hotel’s restaurant could be heard from the lobby.

His brothers were laughing at his expense and Damian was seconds away from hitting them.

And probably do way more violent things too.

During dinner, Tim related his day with Marinette, smirking at his youngest brother all the while. He was telling them what a sunshine their future sister in law was and how Damian literally ran away from her the moment he saw her in the co-CEO’s office.

And of course, Jason and Dick found it hilarious.

“You spend every night with her as Robin but you can’t handle seeing her as yourself?!”

“Shut up Todd, before I make you regret your words.”

“It’s that he just can’t handle it, Jason! He literally noped out of it!” laughed Tim along with his brothers.

Unfortunately, Tim dodged out of the way of the knife he threw at him.

Maybe he should put something sharp in his shoes when he wasn’t looking. Maybe, then, his brother would just shut up.

The youngest Robin sighed. Siblings were such a drag.

“What the hell is that thing?!”

Robin and Marinette were on the roofs of her hotel for their daily meetings and for once, she was in her pajamas without her contact on. He got used to seeing her with two blue eyes so it was a bit weird to see her with a jade green eye just like his. All that added to his cape that she was wearing, just like every day before, was enough to make the tip of his ears go red.

Damn, she was cute like this.

But it wasn’t what prompted him to react the way he did.

No, what warranted such a response was the tiny red thing that was floating next to her and looking at him with weird big blue eyes and an antenna on its head.

The bluenette laughed.

“This is Tikki. She’s a Kwami and it’s thank to her that I can transform into Ladybug. She’s been- Comment on dit, déjà ? Ah! She’s been granting me my powers ever since I got the Miraculous.”

“It’s very nice to meet you! I’m so glad Marinette found her soulmate!” the… the thing said with a high pitch that hurt his ears.

“So a literal insect is giving you your powers?” he asked, skeptical.

The kwami frowned.

“Hey! Have some respect, would you? I’m not an insect, but a Kwami! I’m basically a god!”

“A… god? This tiny thing?”

Tikki scowled and scoffed.

“I’ll go back to the room, Marinette!”

And without another glance to Robin, she disappeared.

“I think you offended her.”

“Well, excuse me for being skeptical about a tiny thing that looks like an insect being a god.”

Marinette laughed.

“I can’t blame you. When I first met her I called her a blatte-souris. Hm… a croroch-mouse?”

“A cockroach-mouse?”

“Yeah, a cockroach-mouse! Sorry.”

Robin smiled, amused.

“So, yeah. I panicked and all so I wasn’t better than you.”

She clapped her hands.

“Anyway! I was actually hoping that you would accept to take me on a run somewhere, I’m feeling restless.”

“Absolutely not.”

There was a heavy silence as Marinette just looked at him.

“Why not?”

“Do you realize how dangerous it would be? We can’t risk anyone recognizing you! Could you imagine if someone saw Robin and an unmasked girl running around Gotham? The media would have a field day!”

Robin watched as the designer thought about it and could see the moment she agreed with him.

That girl really was an open book, he thought.

“Alright, alright. Then… Maybe you could teach me some basic martial art moves? As you know, I’m basically acting on instincts as Ladybug, but it would help a lot if I actually knew how to fight. Properly. Especially since the Akumas are getting a lot more violent.”

That, he could do.

“Fine. But we’ll need to spar a little so I can assess your skills and see where to go from there.”

The Parisian beamed.

“Alright! I’m ready.”

As she got in a defensive position, the vigilante observed her carefully.

“First of all, don’t make your fist that way. Don’t put your thumb inside, but outside. You could break it upon impact.”

The teenage girl did as he said and he waited a few seconds more before he attacked.

She dodged easily but she didn’t see his next move. Of course, he didn’t put strength in his hit, the goal wasn’t to hurt her but to observe.

She attacked in return but none of her blow hit home.

Two minutes in the sparring and Marinette was on her back, Robin having softly flipped her.

“Again.”

They sparred a few times, each time Marinette lasted a bit longer, but she never lasted more than five minutes.

She was breathing heavily while he barely broke a sweat.

“I’ll be honest with you, it’s a miracle you’re still alive.”

He winced. He hasn’t shown her this side of him yet.

“Tell me something I don’t know.” she scoffed.

Good, she could take it. He was afraid that she would be offended.

He sat next to her as she stayed on the floor, like a starfish.

“We’ll have to start from scratch. I’ll teach you some basic moves but there is only so much I can teach you in less than a week. You really need to take lessons when you get back to Paris, no matter how full your schedule already is.”

Marinette looked at him, giving him a sad smile.

“Yeah, I know. I’ll do it.”

“But you’re not hopeless. You adapt fast.”

“What do you mean?”

“Well, every time we sparred, you would last longer.”

The Eurasian girl laughed.

“I didn’t last more than five minutes!”

“No, but in the first spar, you lasted only two minutes. So it’s progress. It shows that you adapt easily. You’re also aware of your surroundings and know how to use it. If you take this seriously, you’ll progress fast.”

He watched as she was still breathing heavily.

“Come on, give me your phone.”

She did as he asked and he took his own phone out too. He unlocked her phone easily.

“And for the love of God, Marinette, put a password on your phone.”

She smiled sheepishly.

He entered his contact information and send a message to himself from her phone and then saved her contact. He gave her her phone back.

“Here, I entered my number. I’ll send you a training program. You need to build up your strength and your stamina. You can’t afford to be out of breath like that.”

He hoped she wasn’t offended. He only did this because he cared and he didn’t want her to get killed fighting Akumas because she wasn’t strong enough.

The way she smiled at him showed him that she knew that.

“Thank you.” she breathed.

Marinette was like an open book, but Robin knew he wasn’t. He didn’t know how to feel that she could read him so easily. Was he already lowering his guard around her?

He sighed. He knew that the answer was yes. He already was lowering his guard. He did it unconsciously because he wanted things to work with his soulmate.

He didn’t want to be the man his mother wanted him to be. Not anymore.

“We’ll start some training tomorrow. In the meantime, I believe I promised you to show you some of my drawings.”

Marinette beamed as he took a few pieces of paper and she straightened, sitting next to him as he showed her drawings of Titus, Alfred the cat and the batcow.

He smiled as she cooed at them.

When she woke up the next day, Marinette cursed Robin. She was sore at some places that she didn’t know had muscles. She had a headache, but that was probably because she only got two hours of sleep, she and Robin had stayed later than usual, losing themselves in their conversations unaware of the time passing.

Marinette heard a noise next to her.

“Marinette, wake up! Breakfast is in twenty minutes.”

The designer cursed once more in her head. It was the first time since the beginning of the trip that Alya woke up before her. The dark-haired girl panicked for a few seconds, already imagining the reporter seeing her green eye. She could already picture her asking questions about her soulmate, who they were and when it happened. She could already see herself screw up and admitting that Robin was her soulmate and it would be on the Ladyblog and it would spread worldwide and Robin would hate her!

She wanted to scream until her mind cleared. Why was she panicking? Hiding her eye was, actually, really simple.

Marinette got up, rubbing her eyes and feigning a yawn as she made her way to the bathroom.

Nailed it, she thought as she closed the door behind her.

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