#the bandages are from their t shots btw if you care.

[ourobororos]

hair care

[shadyteacup]

POV: An anime only bsd fanfic writer is desperate to write sm for her beloved handcuffed boi so she doesn’t give two shits about the manga storyline and claims bandaged furrball as her husband

It’s a short one shot btw, lmao

Dazai Osamu x fem!Reader

“He’s not a criminal, Ango.”, your low voice indicated how calmly frustrated you were.

Ango sighed, and pondered over what to tell you. He was glad that this conversation was happening over the phone and not in person, as he wouldn’t have been able to find the right reasons to give you for Dazais arrest.

Hell, he didn’t even know how you got to know about it.

“Listen, I’m trying everything in my power to help him.”

Ango crumpled a useless paper on his desk and aimed it at the dustbin at the right corner.

“Just give me some time, and I’ll sort this out.”

He wondered why you even cared so much, considering that he had only recently gotten to know that you and Dazai were a thing. But knowing his former colleague, you were probably nothing major. Dazai isn’t known for his loyalty, neither is he ever interested in long term relationships. You had probably found Angos number through Dazais phone, which he ironically leaves unattended quite frequently, in spite of being a detective himself.

“And what are you going to do during this time?”

Ango released his paper ball, but alas, it didn’t land in the bin.

“I’m going to find out which body demanded his arrest and how they got the proofs they needed. In fact, I’m on my way to the metro station as we speak.”

Ango crumpled another stray paper, and raised it over his head to set his aim.

“I’ll call you back when I have more information. How does that sound?”

Just as he was going to release the ball, you said, “Slightly to the left, and it’ll go right in.”

Ango stumbled out of his chair, immediately turning around to frantically search for anybody in the buildings outside his window.

“What?”, he decided that playing dumb would get him more time.

You laughed, shaking your head at the frantic movements of the bespectacled man.

“You won’t be able to find me, dove.”

Ango reached for his gun, which he had hidden from view under his desk.

You cut the call.

“Don’t worry, you won’t be harmed.”, you said, aiming your own gun at his back.

“But if I don’t get any names soon, I might just pull this trigger.”

Ango turned around slowly, his hands above his head, as he watched you walk out of the shadows of his office.

“Just who are you?!”

You smiled, “Y/N”

“Yes, I know your name. But how did you get in here?! And just why do you care so much about Dazai?!”

You smirked.

“If his wife didn’t care about him, who would?.”

Tag list:

@anarchy-black-cat @707xn @evalynanne @b-i-t-t-i-e-s @kuraxmasha @syynnaaah @roserosie05 @mikasa-stan-account @alittlesimp @greenshirtimagines @paradise-creator @kiyokoxd @ranposlover @the-foreigner @sakikoshi@h3xa413a @sukunas-cult-leader @ilOvedaydreaming @del1111 @craftypeachmoneyhound @notquitehereorthere @mikasa-stan-account @kenmasbbygrl @alphaofdarkness @duhsies @cees-sims @the-foreigner @uglapuglamuglafugla @sugarandsoft @jadegreenimmortality @flanelsantito @shiny84244 @one-hell-of-otaku-is-here@missrown @requiem626k @sukunas-cult-leader @ilovedaydreaming @roserosie05 @mikasa-stan @ukiyoo0430 @boineko @missrown @munakara @dazaiaiko @ravenina14

[strawberry-seed28]

Prompt: Ghosts

Honestly this was supposed to be for G/t October but my beta was busy at the time, so here’s the story anyways.

Quick thank you to my bestie Ms Mouse for helping me edit in place of Soldier Blade, plus she put up with my bullshit lol.

(This is an au where Sylvia is dead btw)

Tw: Some description of a dead body, ghosts, & swearing. If there’s more please let me know

================================

Ghosts

In most situations, Ostreatus wouldn’t panic. While he did get shocked or scared sometimes, panicking was usually frowned upon in his book. Panicking led to overthinking, which led to bad decisions, & so on. The best option was to not panic & keep a sound head. Though, he couldn’t lie that he felt terror. He was trained well, as any scout or scavenger was but usually they didn’t prepare for the situation he was currently in. Johnny, his sparrow companion, was attacked by the local hawks who decided that they were a meal. They were stranded, far from any known scouting camps, & injured.

    “Fuck..” Ostreatus mumbled, breathing in shakily. He wrapped the last of his gauze around Johnny's wing. The gashes had only stopped bleeding due to the messily applied bandages & stitches. He wasn’t the greatest at medical care, & it didn’t help that his head was pounding from the fall. With a huff, he sat down, pressing his palms against his eyes to try & silence the inevitable pounding migraine that was about to occur.

    Johnny chirped tiredly, head turned to the borrower. Ostreatus hummed in response, leaning his head against the bird. They sat there for a moment, taking a second just to rest before the grueling journey they would have to face. The sounds of the forest were comforting, & the borrower could pick out the various bird calls. However, their moment of respite could only last so long. 

The sound of something stomping through the woods, & Ostreatus instantly shot up, terror flooding his veins. Footsteps. Ones too large to be considered anything other than the nightmarish being borrowers grew up learning to fear. Humans. Scrambling from his seat against Johnny, who was also trembling with fear, Ostreatus looked in the direction the noises were coming from

Frantically, he searched for something to take cover with. His eyes darted to the large maple leaf, one that would hopefully cover both he & Johnny. He snatched it up from its place on the forest floor, & sprinted back to the bird. He covered the bird, & the sparrow chirped in response. Ostreatus hid partially behind, the skullcap mushroom on his head remaining visible. The footsteps reigned closer & closer, until they stopped near the leaf they were hiding behind. He peaked out, & had to bite his tongue so as to not scream at the sight of them.

High above, the titan-like figure stood still, their empty eyes looking dead ahead. Around them, the temperature dropped, & the borrower had to fight the urge to shiver; from both the cold & their unearthly appearance. Curly black hair fell past their shoulders & onto the long, pale robes they wore. However,  a strange, red stain tainted the otherwise spotless gown, & it seeped from a large gash, not unlike the ones he’d receive when scouting. The bloody stain dripped sluggishly, yet disappeared once it hit the muddy ground. Ostreatus watched it fall with bated breath, eyes flicking from Johnny to the figure back & forth.  For once, he was thankful for the large brown mushroom disguising him.

They scanned the landscape, their deep brown skin looking translucent in the sunlight. Nothing seemed to catch the titans interest, so they continued on their way, not making a sound. Both Ostreatus & Johnny both stood stock still, not wanting to move until the temperature returned to the warmth they were accustomed to. As soon as the temperature rose, the borrower released a sigh of relief, though the feeling of fear from the ordeal left him feeling on edge.    

Hours later, when he managed to make his way back to the colony, he relayed his findings, only to find out that what he’d seen didn’t match up with what humans truly looked like. As he laid in his bed, staring at the moon, he could only wonder; what the hell had he seen?

================================ One Final thank you to @aaytaro-gt for the prompts! Also the words are yellow because tumblr doesn’t like it when I copy things from my docs-

[lovemesomerobobois]

Ik you got a lot of mtmte op just now, but can we have him protecting his s/o or something? Post war would be interesting, maybe some rouge con snuck into their room or something?? Idk. Lovely writing btw!!

Sorry this took so long!! A week passed and I was like, oops I missed the asks! 

Optimus x Gender Neutral bot, rated T for language, minor violence and uhhhhh very very little possible mpreg? yeah, sorry

this kept getting longer and longer xD ENJOY!

Peace is frail in the best of times. After eons of systemic formism and violently manifested unrest and rage, no one expected anything but conflict. No matter how hard anyone tried, hatred and division persisted. 

Optimus battled with the shame of being glad that he and his conjunx avoided the worst of the danger this new Cybertron had to offer. During council meetings, when reports focused on cross faction violence and the murders of innocents, he longed to serve as an officer, to command justice in the law, but what law was there left to uphold? Even before the war, justice was a fever dream.That he ever believed in it seemed foolish now.

Standing in the hall outside his apartment, Optimus thought of this as he stared at the crumbled latch dangling from the door. He listened for some reason to enter. His conjunx was covering a double shift at the nursery downtown, so he took comfort in knowing nobody was home when the break-in took place. There was nothing particularly valuable in the apartment, but Optimus grimaced when glass shattered somewhere within. 

Fuck, he was exhausted. Worn to his wits’ end, he debated turning around and going to visit his partner while they worked. He would call Prowl to come take a look, but the situation didn’t merit much energy. 

He was halfway down the hall when a piercing cry spilled from the apartment. Going rigid, he whipped around, quickly equipping his blaster, and retraced his steps. Without hesitation, Optimus kicked the door and it swung on its creaky hinge and banged against the wall. The living room was trashed, flipped furniture, broken vases, but Optimus wasn’t expecting the glowing crystals or the blue energon flower petals scattered among the debris. He was taken aback only for a second before he spotted blotts of fresh energon on the floor. He followed a trail to the bedroom, all the while muffled cries and words swarmed him. 

He heard pleaded stops, and snarled fuck yous and then a sickening thud, a fist connecting with something solid. Optimus shouldered passed the door and burst in, overcoming the first stranger and knocking him into the wall. A second mech turned on him, knife in hand, and he ducked a swing and swiped the attacker’s legs out from under him. A cursory glance was sent towards the berth, where his conjunx was sprawled, invents coming and going with a rasping sound, but they were alive. 

The first stranger lunged for Optimus and clawed at the back of his neck as if trying to rip out his spinal cord. Optimus reared back and landed heavy on the ground, the mech pinned between his bulk and the floor. The other was struggling to his pedes, so Optimus shot out his kneecaps and rolled off the other, now wheezing, mech. He grabbed the mech’s shoulder pauldron and flipped him over, swiftly cuffing him. As unnecessary as Starscream said it was, Optimus always kept a pair in his subspace. 

He left the first stranger to restrain the second, who was groaning and cursing, clutching his bleeding knee but doing no good. 

Optimus glowered down at him, pressed the muzzle of his blaster against his helm and barked, “What did you do to them?”

The mech snorted. “Your skank would be fine if they’d listened to us.”

“Who are you,” Optimus growled. His trigger finger ached and he could care less about this piece of trash, but if he killed someone, even in defense, it could seriously hamper political delegations with the remaining Decepticon loyalists and the rogues taking refuge in the city. He tried again, “You have two minutes to explain before I blow your brain module all over the floor!”

“Fuck you, Autobot scum. You think you own the planet? You think you have any right to make decisions for the rest of us?” He spat on Optimus’ pedes. “No, you don’t know what the fuck you’re doing, and we’re here to remind you that we all die. We all bleed.”

____

Prowl shook his helm when Optimus recounted the conversation. Jazz and a few other officers already dragged the rogues off, and a medic was checking on his conjunx. The two mechs stood in the hall to avoid the mess of the apartment as they spoke. 

“I’ve seen better assassination attempts from blind mechs,” Prowl grumbled. “Regardless, we’re going to have to relocate you two. There are a handful of flats West from here, should work.”

Optimus wrung his servos together, glancing inside. “Thank you.”

For a moment, there was silence. It raked over Optimus’ nerves and left him jittery and unstable. The medic still hadn’t come out. Prowl patted him on the shoulder and headed out, and Optimus continued to fret while he waited for the all-clear. 

Finally, he was allowed inside. His conjunx was propped up against the headboard, their wounds bandaged and their gaze lazy. Optimus thanked the medic and closed the door before hurrying over to the berth. His partner blinked slow as their optics brightened and they gave him a listless smile. 

“Optimus. . . Are you alright?”

Optimus climbed onto the berth and curled into them. “Yes, yes I’m fine,” he muttered. A servo on his chin forced him to look up. 

They smiled again and kissed the top of his helm. “I wanted to surprise you.”

He looked at them, confused, until they whispered two words that made him feel like he was dreaming, like all this was surreal. 

“I’m carrying, sweetspark,” they said. “The sparkling is safe, and so am I. I love you, Optimus. I could never do anything but love you, my darling.”

Optimus buried his face in their side and wept. Tears of joy, exhaustion, fear, everything poured out of him but he felt no shame in his tears. Here, in his conjunx’s arms, he was safe and appreciated and happy. He trembled with his sobs while they pet his helm and soothed his fears and his anxiety. They hushed him and chased away the dark clouds that fogged his mind. 

Optimus would die for his conjunx, and they would do the same in an instant. Perhaps that made their relationship volatile, but peace was never an option.

[leroyzboots]

Fantasy AU Chapter Seven: I Have Very Poor Taste In Friends

The light mist of morning air awoke May Walker from her sleep. As she sat up, she realized she was in her own bed for once and a stupid, dopey grin spread across her face. Anxiously rubbing the bandage over her eye, she pulled on her hoodie and gazed out the window. Her brother had already awoken and was lugging large scraps of metal across the yard, throwing them atop the other pile. May secretly admired her brothers strength, as she was never that strong, no matter what form she took. Stepping out, she strolled over to where he was working. Noticing her, Jay flashed her a warm smile, the dark circles under his eyes almost gone. But there was still a worried look in them. “Hey May, you feeling better?” He walked over to the small garden where there mother kept flowers, mostly lavender. May was uneasy and cautious, as she was allergic to lavender, but there was no need. They were all dead and blackened, wilted as though they had died from the inside out. “Mom and Dad aren’t really out of town, are they?” May knew in the way Jay’s shoulders slumped that they were gone. “They went to look for you and never came back,” Jay muttered under his breath. May felt a wave of guilt wash over her, but she shook her head. “There are others like us we need to find,” she stated decidedly. “Anyone could be this way. Skylar, the principal, that one kid with black hair and green streak.” Jay gave May an uncertian look. “You mean the one who keeps yammering about the wind?” May groaned, thinking to herself that Jay was never gonna take her seriously again. “Tell you what,” Jay said suddenly. “I’ll go to school and see what I can find, but you stay here, alright?” May nodded virgorously, her smile returning. “I’ll be back faster than I can talk.”

Jay didn’t come back the next morning. May clung to her knees, worry had seeped its way into her already, festering in the darkest parts. A loud bang sent a pang through her stomach. Carefully opening the door, she stepped outside, praying it was only Jay or Zane. A long black wing shot out at the speed of light and lifted her up by her neck. Through the blur in her eye, she could make out the face of the very boy they had discussed earlier, but different. Long black wings dripped from his back like ink, and deep green armour covered his body. “Well done, Lloyd,” a voice called that sent utter fear through May’s body. Out slunk Nya, her full siren form in all its glory. The fins jutted from her ears, her lower half turned into a blue tail that curled around her body. “If it isn’’t good old Carrots.” Nya grinnned brightly, that usual touch of insanity stronger than usual. “If it isn’t the mythic I’ve been searching for.” May struggled to breathe, but managed to squeeze out a sentence. “What’s a mythic?” Nya cackled at this. “You are my dear. Thousands of years ago, us hybrids wanted only to belong. But you didn’t want us to. You locked our powers away and left us to die and become Dark Ones.” Nya leaned in close to May’s face, a small laugh creeping its way into her voice. “But not anymore.” A large ball of white light shot past Nya, hitting Lloyd square in the chest, his wing retracting in pain. May fell to the ground hard, gasping for breath. Her attention turned to  the direction of the light, and there stood the nindroid, his frame slimming and his bird-like fairy wings unfolded gracefully. Nya drew her tail back, as though to strike, and out of sheer instinct, May thrust her hands out, a long strand of the same white light shooting from nowhere. It wrapped around the siren, and she screamed and tugged at it, burning its way into her skin. May's centaur body unfolded beneath her, and stared at her hands in shock. "May!" The thick black haired boy called to her from across the junkyard, beckoning her to run. May hesitated, but the look in Nya's eyes showed no mercy. Letting go, May ran as fast as her hooves could carry her, the loud thump of the Dark One hitting the ground fading quickly.

The girl sat huddled in the far corner of Cole's home, her knees shaking violently. The spiky haired lampad stepped cautiously into the room, the others filed in suit. "Are you alright?" Kai asked, not stepping too closley to May. "My brother is gone, and I've been running for a week now because your psycho of a sister is hunting me down." May stood on her feet, glaring the three down. "I am not ok." Cole almost snarled. "Don't come at us like that," he retorted, shoving the others out of the way. "We're doing all we can to help." May laughed out loud, hints of insanity touching her voice, as she pressed on, taking more steps with every word. "You were a great help, watching and doing nothing." May could see Kai's hands curl into fists, she was touching nerves. And she didn't care. "Where were you?" She added, snapping at the goblin. "I had to take care of my dad," he protested, but May laughed again. "Oh yes, your dad. Another asshole who did nothing." The tension was so thick you could cut it with a knife, as the three hybrids stood glaring each other down and Zane watched in anticipation. "At least you had a home and a family who loved you," Kai spat angrily, his temper getting the better of him. "So it's my fault now?" May shreiked indignantly, her arms flailing wildly. And Kai snapped. "Everything is your fault!" He screamed, shoving May hard. "Nya's hunting you because you pissed her off, and now we have nowhere to go she won't find us, and I can't even go home!" The girl stood silent for a while, her blood racing and her face red. "I'm beggining to think," she muttered lowly;"That I have very poor taste in friends." She shoved past them, heading for the door. "Where are you going?" "Anywhere but here."

The night grew cold fast as May tumbled through the dark alleyways. She needed to find her brother, but she had no place to start. Her knees grew weak and they buckled. She expected to hit the ground, but arms had wrapped around her. She gazed up into the face of a tan girl with grey hair and green eyes. She spoke with a British accent, and seemed very young. "Are you all right?" She asked worriedly. "What's your name?" "May," The centaur said unsteadily. The other girl smiled brightly. "My name is Angela."

Hi guys! Still kinda dead, but here's an extra long chapter for you while I come back. Btw, this is only book one, and I've planned out the rest of the story. Hope you enjoy and March of the Oni- I mEan - Merry Christmas!

[rosezure]

Overbearing - Peter Parker

Anon requested:  hellloooo~! since you’re taking prompts, would you consider writing maybe something peter parker centric like maybe him getting hurt on a mission and trying to brush it off and the avengers being too overbearing? something that ends up being fluffy? maybe? pretty please? thank you so much! (btw i was reading the avengers baby thing which was so good! cutos!)

A/N: I hope you guys like it! This is my first time writing for Peter Parker so please tell me what you think about it!

Warnings: Some swearing, mentions of injury and wounds.

I DO NOT OWN ANYTHING MARVEL RELATED.

____________________________________________________________

Peter Parker was not someone to back down from a fight easily. Sure he could be awkward and shy, but when it came to doing the right thing, he faced it all bravely and fought until his very last ounce of strength. That was why he became an Avenger in the first place. So it didn’t come as a surprise when he pushed Natasha out of the way of a swarm of bullets that had been coming her way during a mission.

Fortunately, he was able to dodge most of the bullets with ease, thanks to his superhuman agility. However, he was grazed by two bullets; one on his right bicep and the other on his left side. Of course, he’d get better in no time at all so there was no real reason to worry.

But tell that to the rest of the team.

As soon as he was hit, they quickly finished up the mission in record time and carried him-  which was completely unnecessary in his opinion -to the jet. Once they were back at the base, he was carried- again, totally unnecessary -to the medical ward and even Dr. Cho was excessively worried. He was patched up and told to rest for a few days.

Of course, Peter ignored the exaggerated indication and was found in the training room exactly five hours later, having already started to feel better. He was practicing target shooting with the new web-shooters he and Tony had worked on a few weeks prior to the mission. He alternated his hands to shoot, asking FRIDAY to move the targets at superhuman speed. Ever so often he’d wince when he used his injured arm, but he tried his best to ignore the sting.

“What exactly do you think you’re doing, young man?” Tony’s loud question ricocheted off the walls of the large gym. Peter rolled his eyes but turned to his mentor nonetheless.

He shrugged. “I’m training.”

Tony rolled his eyes and walked closer. “I can see that, smart-ass. I want to know why you aren’t in bed resting like Dr. Cho told you to.” He demanded.

Peter smirked. “Then you should have started with that question, Mr. Stark.” He turned back around and continued shooting. Tony let out an exasperated sigh.

“Alright. FRIDAY, stop the simulation!” He commanded the AI. Peter began to protest but Tony held a finger up, signaling for to let him finish.

“You,” He pointed his finger at him. “Are going to your room to rest up. Doctor’s orders. Come on.” He said, beginning to guide Peter out of the gym and ordering FRIDAY to lock it and stop Peter from coming in.

This treatment went on for a few more days. Each time Peter was doing anything that involved even the smallest amount of physical strength, one of the team members quickly scooped him up (sometimes literally) and took him back to his floor. Maybe telling Aunt May that he was working on a summer project with Tony Stark wasn’t as cool as he initially thought.

Even the Winter Soldier himself was partaking in this madness!

Peter was making himself a sandwich a day ago and Bucky walked in. The super soldier immediately threw the young Avenger over his shoulder and carefully sat him down on the living room couch, promising to finish the sandwich.

Peter had had enough.

He was going to do something about this. “FRIDAY, call the Avengers down here, please?”

Shortly after they had all arrived, each wearing a different version of a worried expression. All at once, they began shooting questions.

“Are you okay?”

“Are you hurt?”

“Do you need to change the bandages?”

“Did the wounds get infected?”

“I think they got infected. Dammit, we shouldn’t have let him change the bandages alone!”

“Are you hungry and need help making another sandwich?” Bucky’s question caused everyone to look at him in shock. Since when did the Winter Soldier offer to make other people’s sandwiches?

Peter shook his head. “The answer to all of those is no.” He motioned for them to take a seat.

Steve and Nat sat on either side of him on the couch. Bucky and Sam took the armchairs on the left while Rhodey and Tony took the ones on the right. On the other couch, that was positioned so it was half facing the TV screen and half facing the middle couch, Thor, Vision and Wanda sat.

Natasha rested her hand affectionately on Peter’s knee. “You know you can tell us anything, right?” She smiled encouragingly.

Peter abruptly stood up, startling them. “That!” He exclaimed gesturing to their concerned faces. “I can’t take it anymore!” He threw his hands up in frustration.

Steve stood up slowly. “Peter, if you’re not okay, you should tell us.”

Peter tripped over his words. “I don’t- I’m not- You all are- And it’s really pissing me off-”

Wanda smiled in sympathy. “Just spit it out, Peter. We can take it.”

Peter took a deep breath and began. “You guys are becoming overbearing.” The Avengers were stunned into silence, which prompted Peter to continue. “Ever since that mission where I was grazed, I repeat, grazed by two bullets, you guys have been treating me like glass. And yeah, I get it. I am the youngest on the team, but I can take a hit same as all of you!” He finished, sighing sadly.

Sam smirked at Steve, Tony, and Nat. “I told you all he was gonna be pissed.” He declared, crossing his arms smugly. Bucky grinned beside him and nodded in agreement.

Rhodes shot them a pointed look and cleared his throat. “What Sam means is that we all knew you weren’t going to like being treated like expensive glass. But those three,” He pointed at the culprits. “Insisted you needed to be taken care of.”

Vision floated up. “Yes. Even I believed their actions were a tad bit overdone. You are, after all, very capable of handling your own wounds and injuries.”

Wanda laughed. “I could sense your anger every time one of us was forced,” She looked pointedly at the three momma bears. “To act like paranoid parents.”

Tony scoffed.”We weren’t that bad.”

Bucky raised his eyebrows. “Yes. Yes, you were.” You deadpanned.

Steve chuckled sheepishly, stuffing his hands in his pockets. “I guess we did go a little overboard.” Everyone turned to Nat.

She merely rolled her eyes. “Fine. We exaggerated! We’re sorry.” She admitted.

Steve spoke up again. “We only wanted to help, Peter. Like I said the first time we met, you’ve got heart. We were just scared to lose you.” He confessed, wrapping an arm around Peter’s shoulders.

Peter awkwardly shifted under their warm gazes. “T-Th-Thanks, guys.”

They all awed and Sam yelled, “GROUP HUG!”

Nat went to Peter’s other side wrapped her arms around his middle, careful to avoid his wound. Wanda snaked her arms around Steve, Vision did the same to her. Rhodey placed his hand around Tony who in turn did the same to Nat. Sam followed suit, closing the circle. Bucky crossed his arms and smiled, happy he had avoided being sucked into the vortex of fluffy emotions.

Unfortunately for him, Sam noticed. Of course, he noticed.

Sam looked behind him towards Bucky and smirked. “Come join us, Frosty.” He commanded, yanking Bucky’s human flesh and pulled him into the large group hug.

A/N: WELP! *claps hands* I hope you guys loved it, especially the anon that asked it. I’m not sure if I attended to what you requested but hopefully, this is okay. This is my first time writing for Peter Parker, so if you have any tips for characterization or just want to tell me where I went wrong, send me a message or something!

[saintbalor-blog]

“ STAY THE HELL AWAY

“

REQUEST: Imagine for Patrick where he is invited over to Victors for the first time, but keeps being shut out since he is too weird for them. And then he stumbled upon Victor's sister in the kitchen who had just accidentally cut herself and he actually helps her after being a bit creepy of course. And later on, Vic stumbles upon them and assumes he hurt her but they defend each other in front of him. (I'm in love with your writing btw, you're doing amazing!)

Sighing in frustration at his friend’s dull reactions to his usual eccentric antics and snarky comments, Patrick stood up from his spot on Victor’s bed and stalked out of the bedroom in search of better company. For his first time being over at Victor’s house, it was far more boring that he thought it’d be with them constantly shutting him out because they claimed he was ‘too much’ sometimes. They just weren’t cutting it for him right now, he needed some entertainment and he needed it soon before he lost his mind.

Striding through the dimly lit hallway of the Criss household and into the empty living room, Patrick’s eyebrows rose in amusement when he heard familiar light humming travel from the kitchen. The corners of his mouth tugged themselves into his infamous leer when he caught sight of the back of Y/N’s figure, sneakily heading towards the entrance of the kitchen while his gaze traveled from her the way her t-shirt hugged her curves to the way her pajama shorts exposed 3/4’s of her legs to him. Running his tongue over his lips at the sight, the humming growing louder with each step he took.

Cold fingers snaking across her exposed hipbones under her shirt and the unfamiliar feeling of someone breathing down her neck as they whispered a childish ‘BOO!’ in her ear startled her more than Patrick had anticipated. The feeling of her smaller body firmly pressing against his when she jumped was enjoyable but seeing the knife she was wielding to cut strawberries cut her hand was the icing on the cake.

“Shit.” Y/N softly cursed under her breath, dropping the knife on the counter and using her uninjured hand to hold onto the one that was spilling blood from the side, completely disregarding the teen’s hold on her. “Fuck you, Patrick.” She spat, recognizing him from the previous but few times she has accompanied her brother and his gang to places.

“I’d much rather fuck you especially in this outfit.” Patrick mumbled against her neck, moving her hair to the opposite side as he placed his head on her shoulder and glanced down at the crimson liquid staining her the skin of her palm. “I’ve done worse.” He bragged, the feeling of his fingertips circling around her hip helping her in relaxing into his touch, her anger diminishing with each invisible circle his fingers ghosted in her skin.

His attempt at impressing her earned a small smile on her part and a shake of her head at his words. Spinning under his hold to face him, her back leaned against the counter of the kitchen and his hands moved to the counter so she was trapped underneath him.

“Shut the hell up and help me clean this.” Y/N poked his chest with her pointer finger on the hand that lacked a cut, shooting him a jokingly angry face and nodding down at her bloodied hands.

The smile on her face never faltering as she looked up at him and took in his facial features up close, her attraction towards him never bothering to shield itself which is one of the main reasons Victor never allowed her to spend more time around Patrick and them — knowing what the Hockstetter boy was capable of if he ever found out his sister thought of him in that way. But now, Victor wasn’t here and Y/N saw that as the perfect opportunity to take advantage of the situation.

“Oh, feisty, I see.” Patrick complimented, cutting the space between them in half as he moved a step closer, his hips pushing against hers and his hungry gaze falling on her. This, this was the entertainment he craved when he stepped foot into the home for the first time and now she was playing along perfectly.

“Only for you.” Y/F/N Criss teased, the blood leaking through her cut-free hand’s finger momentarily leaving her mind as Patrick gained her full attention, the lack of space between them tempting her to make a move she’d regret — the way he was looking at her not helping her reasoning one bit.

Smirking, he placed one hand on her side and guided her up onto the counter, helping them see eye to eye due to the height difference they shared. Gazing down at her pink stained lips, he moved his hands to her exposed thighs and let his thumbs rub her inner thighs, his eyes never escaping hers.

“Let me take care of it.” Given the position they were in and the way his voice projected those words with a double meaning lingering behind them, it was no wonder Y/N thought he meant something else but he quickly explained himself. “I’ll bandage it up for you to show you how sincerely sorry I am.”

Removing his hands from her, he reached up to the cupboard beside her head where they hid a first-aid kit, searching through it for the essentials while she curiously watched him. Fishing out a gauze and alcohol wipes, he took her injured hand in his, the blood staining his own skin now. A few hisses escaped her lips and flinches escaped her body as he cleaned up her cut in a hurry, messily wrapping the gauze around her palm before pushing the kit and trash to the side.

“There. Better now, crybaby?” Patrick ran his fingers over the gauze, his work, giving it a little squeeze before letting her hand drop to her lap.

“Better.” Y/N happily nodded, lacing her hands together in her lap and sitting up straighter when she felt him placed a large hand on her smaller back.

Y/N’s eyes hesitantly followed his free hand as she watched him idly run his fingers over the shiny handle of the knife that lay culprit to her cut, her body tensing under his hand when she saw him curl his fingers around the handle and pick up the knife. Twirling the rather large kitchen knife in front of her, a little too close for her liking, he offered her another smile; one she didn’t happily take in as she had the other one.

“Let me give you another one so I can have a good excuse to stay out here with you, yeah?” Patrick placed the tip of the atop of her unscathed hand, the sharp metal tip pressing against her skin far too hard yet she felt frozen in place as she anticipated his every move.

“Watch it, Patrick.” Y/N’s voice slightly trembled, though, it was enough for Patrick to notice her fear towards him at the moment. He had the upper hand again, having her right where he wanted and under his control by simply using a kitchen tool.

Luckily for her, not wanting to spoil Patrick’s fun on her account, Henry Bowers has stepped out of Victor’s room for a soda when he stumbled across the scene.

“What the hell, Hockstetter?” Henry questioned his friend from his spot at the kitchen’s entrance, his voice loud enough to draw Victor out of his room and check out what was happening.

“What happened?” Victor called from the hallway, afraid of Henry’s answer since he knew his sister was still in the house and the Hockstetter boy was just running loose in his home. “What the fuck did you do to her, asshole?” Victor, usually not one for hostility, snapped when he saw his sister under Patrick’s hold and a sharp knife in his hand, two things that didn’t show a good scene.

“Relax, we were just messing around.” Patrick dropped the knife into the sink with a clank, helping Y/N in relaxing as the pair looked over at Victor, unaware of how bad the scene at hand looked to the protective older brother.

“Threatening my sister isn’t funny —“

“Vic, calm down.” Y/N weakly defended, shaking her head at him before looking up at Patrick and using her hand to motion to the space between them for emphasis. “We were just talking.” Unaware that she was using her bandaged hand for her hand motion, she fueled Victor’s frustration even more.

“Then why is there a big band-aid on your hand, that wasn’t there before he came around!” He glanced over at Henry for advice, unsure of how exactly he was supposed to deal with the situation but was met with a silent shrug.

“I accidentally cut myself and he helped me clean it up.” Y/N rolled her Y/E/C eyes at her sibling, purposely leaving out juicy details that she knew would just infuriate her brother even more. “God, you can be so over dramatic sometimes.”

“Yeah, Vic. Quit being so over dramatic and treating your sister like a kid. She’s a big girl who knows what she’s doing and who she’s doing.” Patrick teased, aware that the comment was only going to push Victor’s buttons even more.

“Patrick.” Y/N warned, slapping him in the chest with her hand before turning back to her brother.

“Hockstetter, come on.” Henry finally spoke up, breaking the tense silence between the trio and motioning for Patrick to follow him back to the room. “Vic needed to talk to his sister about something anyways.” He lied, getting the brunette to finally leave the sister alone and follow him back to the room.

“I told you I don’t like you around him.” Victor said once Patrick and Henry were out of ear shot, leaning against the door frame with his arms crossed around his chest. “You need to be so careful around him, Y/N.” Victor helplessly adder, knowing that his warning would only make his sister pursue the matter more.

“Okay, dad.” Y/N slid off the kitchen counter and placed the first-aid kit back in its place before looking back at Vic with annoyed expression on her soft face.

“I’m serious, you have no idea what he’s done” was Vic’s final warning to his rebellious sister before he stepped out of the kitchen, his hands balled up into small fists from annoyance as he headed back to his room, unsure if he was ready to face Patrick too.

“You’re acting like he murdered someone.” Y/N ironically called after him, feeling her own share of annoyance towards her sibling before returning to cutting her remaining strawberries; not forgetting the way Patrick’s hands felt on her.

[purrincess-chat]

Lady du Coeur CH16

*dusts off cobwebs* Hey, I’m still writing this btw. It’s been a while. Hope you’re not too upset with me. I’m very meh about this chapter, but it’s necessary, and I planned it, and it gets the ball rolling for other stuff and things, so...here ya go.

Also, Happy Birthday to this fic! Today marks the day I posted the first chapter on FF!

FF | AO3

Volpina’s Return

“Ugh!” A frustrated growl sounded behind Adrien, and he heard the familiar zip of Ladybug’s yoyo followed by the tap of her feet hitting the floor.

“I take it your reconnaissance mission went well,” He called with a smirk, spinning around in his chair as she detransformed.

“Don’t test me, I’m pissed off enough to actually hit you,” She snarled through clenched teeth. “I just spent the last hour talking to the police about this stupid imposter situation.”

“Yeah, she’s really been after your image lately. Crashing birthday parties, helping thieves escape, graffiti on national monuments…You’re on someone’s hit list.” Adrien tapped his chin.

“I swear when I find out who’s behind this I’m going to feed them their own ass-”

“Whoa there, Yeager. Let’s dial back the bloodthirst for the titans and think about this.” He held up defensive hands.

“Did you just reference anime at me?” Her eyes narrowed, and he rubbed the back of his neck guiltily. “I need to hit something.”

“I’ve got you covered,” He said, holding up a finger before taking her hand and leading her down to the gym where a punching bag hung from the ceiling. Adrien opened the closet and rolled out the dummy he practiced on during his karate lessons. “Go nuts.”

Her hands clenched into fists at her sides, and as she reared back to strike, Adrien stepped forward with an apologetic wince. “What?” She huffed.

“No, nothing, just, tiny tip…thumb on the outside of your fist, or you will break it,” He advised, gently pulling her thumb out before stepping aside and letting her loose.

He watched in horror with Tikki as she punched and kicked the sac unceasingly while Plagg looked on with a wide grin. Slowly, he backed out of the room, careful not to disturb her, and returned a few minutes later with a thermos of water. She stayed at it for a while, pounding her fists into the material until sweat poured from her face and her shoulders shook with the exertion it took to breathe.

“You should drink,” He offered gently, extending her the thermos which she snatched immediately. Sweat dripped down her cheeks as she gulped down the ice cold water then sat back on the mat. Her breaths were still labored as she surveyed her bloody, shaking knuckles.

“I should have given you gloves,” He said, examining them. “I didn’t realize you were gonna go all out like that. I’ll go get something to wrap them with.”

“Thanks,” She panted, taking another swig of her drink. He returned a moment later from the closet with a first-aid kit and knelt beside her once more. She surrendered her hands, watching intently as he worked.

“Feeling any better?” Adrien asked, spraying an anti-septic on the wounds. Marinette winced and pulled back with a hiss, but quickly surrendered them once more. 

“No,” She grumbled, glaring in the other direction as he began to wrap a cloth bandage around her knuckles.

“Can’t say I blame you,” He remarked. “I’m even a little angry for you.”

“I just wish we could catch her,” She sighed, leaning back once he finished.

“I know. Me too.” He brushed a strand of her hair from her face, and she leaned into his touch.

“Will you do something for me to take my mind off of things?” She asked after a moment, and he felt his heart skip a whole beat.

“Uh, y-yeah! Anything!” He replied eagerly.

“Teach me how to fight,” She requested, and he breathed a silent sigh of relief.

“You know how to fight already,” He chuckled pointedly.

“I know how to fight as Ladybug, but Marinette could use some pointers.” She shrugged. “You do all kinds of stuff as Adrien, fencing, martial arts, sports…I can barely walk across flat surfaces without falling.”

“Alright, if that’s what you want…” He stood up and headed over to the closet again, sifting through some of his gi. “You could probably fit in one of my old ones.”

“Are you making fun of my height?” She folded her arms over her chest as he held up a top to compare size.

“I would never.” He shook his head, laying the shirt over her shoulder and riffling through the pants.

“You’re lucky I like you,” She said, glaring playfully as he sized up a pair of pants for her.

“It’s what I count on for survival every time I crack a joke.” He winked, stepping out and pulling the door shut while she changed.

“Adrien!” She called after a couple minutes, peaking out as he fastened his belt.

“What?” He cocked a brow.

“How do I tie the belt?” She stepped out with her robe undone, exposing her bare stomach and hot pink sports bra, and Adrien felt his face go three shades darker.

“You just, um,” He cleared his throat and adjusted the top to cover her properly before tying the belt securely around her waist.

“It’s still too big,” She whined, holding up the sleeves that extended well passed her hands. “Can I just take it off-”

“No!” He said quickly, and she gave him a look. “It’s disrespectful, Mari.”

“Okay…” She gave him an inquisitive look as she rolled her sleeves up to her elbows.

“So, what do you wanna learn?”

“Teach me how to kick butt!” She punched the air enthusiastically, and he suppressed an eye roll.

“Karate is only to be used for self-defense, ya know,” He lectured, but she was too busy throwing fake punches and kicks.

“I’ll be defending myself when I kick this fox’s butt,” She said determinedly.

“Okay.” He pinched the bridge of his nose briefly before deflecting her hands and pulling her into a headlock. She squealed in protest, but he kept his hold loose.

“The first rule of karate is to clear your mind. Relax and focus.”

“I am focused,” She grunted, attempting to break free, but he tightened his grip.

“Purge all selfish and evil thoughts,” He murmured soothingly as she continued to wiggle and kick against his shins.

“Okay, fine, teach me how to fight!” She ordered, but he held on, wrapping his free arm around her waist and lifting her up. “Adrien!”

“You must be calm and humble in order t- oof!” Mari kicked her legs up causing Adrien to rock forward to counter her weight which gave her footing enough to throw him over her shoulders. He landed square on his back with a gasp, and Mari sat on his stomach and pinned him to the mat.

“Can your clear mind do that?” She beamed, and Adrien took a deep breath.

“Fine,” He wheezed. “You wanna spar? Let’s spar.” He pulled the loose fabric from her gi over her head and rolled her to the side while she struggled, pining her arms down as soon as she broke free.

“That’s cheating!” She growled accusingly, blue eyes narrowing into a glare.

“You don’t wanna follow the rules, so neither will I.” He grinned tauntingly, and her lips pursed in thought.

“Well, if that’s how we’re gonna play…” She hiked up her knee, and in a split second, Adrien guessed her plan and dodged just in time to divert her knee to his inner thigh instead of the target she was aiming for.

“No!” He gasped, and Marinette shoved him over when he became off balanced. “That was dirty and low!”

“I thought that’s what we were playing.” She smirked, and his eyes narrowed.

“It’s on,” He declared, losing all of his confidence when she tore the gi from her torso and tossed it aside. His cheeks, as well as another region, burned, and he averted his gaze quickly. “What are you doing?”

“It’s hot in that thing, and it restricts my movement,” She said, fanning herself.

“I’m not going to fight you naked,” He scoffed, turning to the side.

“I’m not naked! I have a bra on, you wimp.”

“Put your gi back on!”

“No,” She grunted, pacing toward him. “Man up and fight me.”

“You’re being cruel.”

“How is this any different from the bikini models in your photoshoot? I’m more covered than they are!” She held out her arms in exasperation.

“That’s different,” He mumbled.

“How?”

“Because I don’t feel anything when I see them!” He shot back.

“Why do you have to bring your dick into this?” She slapped her palm to her forehead.

“I can’t help that I’m attracted to you!”

“Ugh!” She threw her head back with a groan. “You’re such a baby. What am I gonna do with you?”

“Don’t pretend like I didn’t catch you ogling over my swim shoot a couple weeks ago,” He said pointedly.

“I thought we agreed to never speak of it again.” Her eyes narrowed into slits.

“I made no such promise. You’re a pervert.” He smirked, but it was short-lived as she tackled him to the ground a second later.

“Don’t push me, Agreste,” She cooed in his ear when she pinned him face down on the mat.

“But it’s so fun to push you. It’s kind of what we do,” He mumbled, voice distorted from the force with which she had him pinned.

“Fine, but don’t blame me when you get hurt.”

Adrien managed to shake her off, but she retaliated quicker than he did, charging at him again the moment he got up. He caught her easily and lifted her feet from the ground. To counter, she wrapped her legs around his waist and flipped backwards, forcing him to roll over her.

They sparred like that for a while, wrestling each other to the ground, breaking free, rolling around as their grunts and yelps filled the room. It all came to an end when Adrien got Marinette in a tight headlock, and no matter how many times she kicked his shins, he wasn’t letting go.

“Give up yet?” He asked as she gasped for air.

“No!” She coughed.

“Tap out, and I’ll stop.”

“No!” Within a minute, he felt her body go limp, and he let go and held her up until she came to a moment later. She surged forward, clutching her gut and coughing raggedly.

“Seriously?” He panted. “Why didn’t you tap o-”

She flew at him once more, and he held up his hands to defend himself which proved to be a big mistake as he found himself clutching her left breast which he quickly released with an embarrassed squawk, making himself easy prey for her to roll over and pin securely face-down on the mat with a firm grip on his hair and left leg which she pulled toward her. His pained squeaks echoed through the room, and she smirked.

“Mari! My leg doesn’t bend that way!” He squealed.

“Tap out then,” She chuckled, and he slapped the ground twice without hesitation. He breathed a sigh of relief when she let go and rolled him over to sit on his stomach.

“I win.” She beamed.

“You’re insane,” He panted, leaning his head back and spreading his arms out. He could feel the sweat trickling down his back through his gi as he caught his breath.

“And you’re afraid of boobs,” She shot back playfully, wiping sweat from her lip.

“I’m not afraid of boobs!” He groaned.

“Just my boobs.”

“No!” He sighed. “Just…those feelings don’t really have a place between us right now.”

She sobered and let her gaze drop to his chest where she fiddled with his gi. It was an expression he’d learned to pick out on her quickly because it was the same face she wore every time it got brought up. Guilt. He patted her leg and offered up a smile.

“Don’t beat yourself up. I just don’t want to pressure you,” He said softly.

“Maybe if…” She started, biting her lip. “If things calm down. If we can catch the fox…then maybe we can try again.”

“Okay.” Adrien nodded, and she climbed off of him and pulled him up.

“Thanks for letting me beat you up,” She said, offering up a small smile.

“Any time, Bug.” He wrapped an arm around her waist as they walked. “Just don’t tell anyone you beat me because I panicked about grabbing your boob.”

“I make no promises.”

Chloe

Out of all the drama that she’d left behind when deciding to change herself for the better, there was one thing in particular that had never quite mended properly but instead remained a poorly stitched wound that occasionally flared up when things got heated. Of course, she should have expected as much as it was the person she’d been closest to, and therefore, the victim of a majority of Chloe’s less-than-polite mannerisms. But as Chloe sat at a small café, swirling her latte with a coffee stirrer awaiting her arrival, she couldn’t help but reflect on all the good times they shared and wondered if things could ever be that way again.

She was talking about Sabrina. Her ex-best friend who went to therapy to help cope with years of enduring Chloe’s crap. It was doing wonders for her. She was becoming less of a push-over, and even branching out and making friends of her own. Turns out people had more sympathy for the misguided best friend than they did for the terror reigning over her. In a way, Chloe was happy for her because Sabrina was one wrong she regretted most. And she missed her.

“Ahem.” At the sound of a throat clearing, Chloe turned to see the small ginger standing with her hands clasped in front of her, lips pursed in a hesitant pout. “Hello, Chloe.”

“Hey, Sabrina.” Chloe winced under her accusing glare. “Would you like to sit? I’ll buy you a coffee.”

“With what money?” Sabrina scoffed, but she sat down anyways. “What do you want?”

Chloe sighed and pinched the bridge of her nose. Of course she’d be skeptical as to why Chloe asked her to meet here. It’s not like they’d exactly talked much in the last 6 months, and when they had spoken it was always less than cordial. Sabrina still carried a grudge, and Chloe’s apology had been half-hearted at best when Marinette forced her to make her rounds. Maybe because Sabrina’s betrayal had angered her the most, and at the time, she wasn’t quite over it herself, not that she ever admitted it to anyone out loud. Things were different now. She was different.

“I just wanted to see how you were doing,” Chloe started calmly, taking a sip of her coffee to give her hands something to do.

“Better now that I’ve removed a toxic person from my life,” She countered with a haughty smirk. This was going about as well as Chloe expected.

“I’m happy to hear that,” She said with the politest smile she could muster. Holding her tongue was one thing she hated about being nice, but she’d already ripped into Sabrina enough over the years, so she supposed this was well-deserved. Sabrina pursed her lips and leaned forward with a critical glare.

“Why did you invite me here today, Chloe? Was there something you wanted?” She demanded, and Chloe let out a breath.

“Yeah, actually. I wanted to apologize. Again. But properly this time,” She admitted, rubbing the back of her neck, a nervous tick she’d picked up from Adrien it seemed. “You and I used to be so close, and I took you for granted. Something I didn’t realize until you left, and I was left to scrape up the pieces on my own. You really did a lot for me, and I just wanted to thank you for putting up with me for so long. I don’t blame you for leaving me.” She let out another breath and met Sabrina’s gaze head-on. “I’m really sorry for how I treated you, and I understand if you’re still angry. I just wanted you to know that I regret using you the way I did, and I’m trying to be better now. So…”

Sabrina eyed her a little dumbstruck, and Chloe drummed her fingers on the table and cleared her throat. She gulped down the last of her coffee and stood up awkwardly.

“So, that’s all I wanted to say. I guess I’ll see you around,” She said. Sabrina remained quiet, eyes trained on her hands laced together on the table, so Chloe slung her purse over one shoulder and moved to leave without another word.

“You weren’t bad all the time,” Sabrina spoke up after Chloe made it a few steps. “Sometimes things were kinda nice.”

She turned back to see a small smile on Sabrina’s lips, one that echoed on her own before Sabrina glanced back at her hands. Chloe took that as her cue to leave, and as she put more distance between her and the café, she felt more weight lifting from her shoulders. Another burden she could finally shake off and move past. One less regret she had to worry over at night. She felt Hunni wiggling her way out of Chloe’s coat collar and heard her tiny gasp as she drank in fresh air.

“That took guts, kiddo. I’m proud of you,” She praised, a rare, but meaningful gesture coming from her, and Chloe felt a wide grin stretch across her face as she surged forward with a spring in her step.

“Me too.”

Marinette

“So, how are things going with you and Adrien?” Alya asked with a smirk later that evening as they worked on homework, and Marinette leaned back, pinching the bridge of her nose.

“They’re fine. Friendly,” She replied shortly.

“Boo, you’re no fun,” Alya teased, nudging her with her elbow. “I wish you’d tell me what’s going on in that brain of yours.”

“It’s-”

“Complicated. I know. You say that every time, but I fail to see a valid reason why you changed your mind all of a sudden,” Alya cut her off. “I think there’s something you’re not telling me.”

“And as my best friend, you should know that if there is something that I’m keeping from you, I have a very good reason to. I know you and Nino are just trying to be supportive of Adrien, and I get it. You did the same thing for me, but right now, there’s just a lot I have to figure out on my own,” Mari chided.

“Okay.” Alya held up defensive hands, and they resumed working for a minute until she spoke again. “It’s not just for Adrien, you know. Nino and I see the way you both look at each other, how you work together, and we just think that you two could be happy together if you’d just give it a try.”

“I know.” Marinette twirled her pencil between her fingers absentmindedly. “There’s just a lot going on in my head right now.”

“I know everyone’s kind of reinventing themselves right now, and it’s confusing. Nino and I just want you guys to know that we’ve got your back, and we want you to be happy. We’re your friends.” She offered up a small smile that Marinette eventually returned.

“Thanks, Alya,” She murmured, leaning forward to hug her neck. “I know I’m frustrating everyone and hurting Adrien more than he lets on.”

“He does come to us to mope,” Alya admitted, rubbing the back of her neck. “But he always respects your decisions even if he doesn’t understand them. That boy is something else.”

“His middle name is Perfection.” They shared a laugh at that.

“I’m not trying to push you into anything you don’t want, M. But I see it in your eyes when you look at him. You still love him, I know you do.” Alya leaned against her fist, and Marinette bit her lip, tapping her pencil on her textbook.

“Sometimes,” She relented. “Other times, I’m not sure.”

“That’s love for you. Sometimes they’re the sweetest things on the planet, other times you wanna ring their neck,” Alya chuckled. “There’s a balance.”

“How do you and Nino do it? You two argue a lot.” Marinette winced.

“When you love each other, you forgive each other. We always either work things out, or we agree to disagree. And there are plenty of times where we get along really well, mostly we just like to tease each other and play devil’s advocate. It actually brings us closer together,” She explained, placing a hand on Marinette’s shoulder. “I think you and Adrien could stand to have a little heart-to-heart about everything. It might help clear your head.”

“Maybe. We talk about it a little, but I know he keeps his true feelings from me because he doesn’t want to push me.” Marinette slumped a little, and Alya rubbed her arm comfortingly.

“Well, definitely don’t rush into anything you’re not okay with, but do communicate how you feel with him. I’m sure there’s ins and outs that Nino and I don’t know about, so talk about them with him, okay?” She brushed Marinette’s nose.

“Okay.” Marinette nodded obediently.

“Promise?”

“Promise.”

-      -     -

“Okay, so we need to talk strategy if we’re going to take down this fox. I’ve been studying her patterns over the past several weeks, and I think I have an idea about how we can catch her,” She started in their dream meeting that night. Chloe and Adrien both leaned forward a little bit, listening intently. “She’s been hitting up all of Paris’s pride and joys, the Louvre, the Grand Palais, Notre Dame, always vanishing just when the authorities rush in so she can destroy my pride in the eyes of the people, but our conversation about Hawkmoth a couple months ago got me thinking. We suspect that Hawkmoth must have a limited range based on the area akumas tend to pop up in, so I imagine that this fox is limited in how far it can send a doppelganger away from the source.”

“Meaning?” Adrien cocked a brow.

“For each of the events, the real deal isn’t that far away,” Chloe stated, tapping her chin in thought.

“Exactly.”

“Okay, so how does that help us?” Adrien crossed his arms over his chest.

“We’ve been letting her surprise us which never leaves us enough time to sort out a plan before the fake disappears. So what if we got one step ahead?” She proposed.

“How exactly do we do that?”

“I’ve got a few ideas…We know she’s hitting up landmarks that are important to Paris, each one more sacred to the citizens than the last, so if we can predict which one she’s going to hit up next, we can stage a trap for her. Up until now, we all rush in to try and stop her, but it hasn’t gotten us very far. If we’re smart about it, we can locate the real fox during her next exposition and corner her,” She explained, and Adrien pursed his lips skeptically, so she continued with a huff, “Instead of all rushing in at once, I suggest we send in one of us, preferably me since I’m the one she has beef with, while the other two watch from a distance for any sign of the source. We don’t know the exact range of her powers, and maybe she doesn’t know yet either. We can only hope that she stays close by during the event, if nothing more than to watch us fail.”

“So while you engage the fake, we hunt down the real deal, and then-?”

“Herd her like a sheep. We’ll obviously have to set up a route to keep her on leading up to our trap. It’s going to take a lot of planning, and our first priority should be figuring out her hit list,” Marinette said, appeasing Adrien enough for the time being. “What do you think Chloe? You’ve been quiet.”

“I’m thinking,” She murmured, waving them away. “You said she targets landmarks, but I don’t recall the Eiffel Tower being hit yet.”

“No, I think she’s waiting for the opportune moment to strike so that it has the most impact on me,” Marinette affirmed. “It’s only a matter of time before something happens there, I suppose, but we need a more precise estimation.”

“What if we already have one?” Chloe offered, a sly smile curling on her lips, and both Adrien and Marinette gave her a confused frown. “She wants each event to be as public as possible right?”

“Yeah, I assume.”

“So, when’s the next time most of Paris will be gathered at the Eiffel Tower?” Chloe rolled her eyes as if it should be obvious when they still looked perplexed. “There’s a Jagged Stone concert in a week. It’s the perfect opportunity for her to strike. Paris loves Jagged and the Eiffel Tower, put those two together in one place, and it’s the perfect opportunity to shame you.”

“You think she’d go after Jagged?” Adrien’s eyebrows raised.

“I wouldn’t put it past her, no,” Chloe said, and Marinette tapped her chin.

“Alright. We can set up a route on our patrols tomorrow. If she does show up at the concert, we’ll be ready for her, and if she doesn’t…”

“Then we still get a free Jagged Stone concert!” Adrien whooped.

“The mission should be our primary focus, but yes, we can still enjoy the concert, I guess,” Marinette sighed, pinching the bridge of her nose as Adrien pumped his fist in the air excitedly. The scene around them began to crack and splinter, a sign that their time was up. “Good meeting tonight. We’ll meet for patrol tomorrow evening and work out more details.”

“We should come up with an outro for these things like Team Miraculous Out! Or- or-”

Marinette gently pushed them both away before he could finish and blinked open her eyes, a wide yawn stretching across her face as she sat up. They were making headway, she supposed, and she only hoped that they were right to assume the fox would target the concert. It was about time they put a stop to things and put that fox in its place. She picked the wrong bug to mess with, and Marinette wasn’t going to stop until the fox Miraculous was safely returned to Master Fu.

-     -     -

The night buzzed with the sounds of a roaring crowd at the base of the Eiffel Tower as Jagged Stone prepared to take the stage. Strategically spread around the event were Paris’s beloved superheroes, hidden in the shadows as they each scanned the area for suspicious activity. In her ear, Ladybug could hear Chat humming one of Jagged’s songs, and she let out a sigh.

“Chat, focus,” She ordered in a hushed tone, and the humming ceased followed by a quick apology. “Keep an eye out for where the doppelganger originates and remember your routes.”

“Yeah, yeah, we know the drill,” Queen Bee said, and Ladybug could picture her eye roll.

“You’ve only been going over it all week,” Chat added pointedly.

“Sorry, I just really want to end this tonight. It’s bad enough we have Hawkmoth using his Miraculous improperly. We don’t need any more Miraculouses under evil command,” She said, squeezing her yoyo anxiously.

“Chill, Worrybug. Kittycat and I are professionals. Worry about your own mission.”

“I know…” She took a deep breath. “I trust you two.”

Loud squeals of excitement from below indicated that the show had begun and soon the air filled with the sound of electric guitar. A few seconds into the song, Chat resumed singing along, and Ladybug groaned.

“I can multi-task,” He sang in rhythm with the song.

“No, I’m with Ladybug on this one. Leave the singing to Jagged Stone, Chat,” Queen Bee scolded teasingly, and Chat sucked in a loud gasp.

“I am a great singer!” He defended as something caught Ladybug’s eye.

“Movement in the rooftops!” Ladybug blurted. “To the north!”

“On it!” Chat called through the coms.

Down below Jagged was in the middle of his guitar solo when the crowd started cheering louder as the ganger made her appearance. Right where she needed to be.

“I’m going in,” Ladybug announced, readying her yoyo.

“I’ve got eyes on the fox! She’s headed west,” Chat called.

“I’ll flank left,” Queen Bee responded. Everything was going according to plan, and Ladybug landed on the stage next to Jagged with a challenging glare.

“Am I seeing double all of a sudden?” He gaped, shifting behind her.

“You’ve been impersonating me for too long! We know exactly what you are, fox!” She shouted over the noise, and the ganger offered a crooked smile. “You hide behind your illusions, but why don’t you just face me?”

-      -     -

Chat Noir and Queen Bee followed the fox closely, leading her right into their trap just as planned. Just a few more blocks until they would reach the end and corner her in, hopefully swiping the Miraculous in the process. As they neared their destination, the fox glanced back, casting them a wry smile as she jumped right into their trap. The two heroes landed as the fox eyed the tall brick wall between her and freedom, but she seemed to accept her fate as she made no attempts to scale it.

“We’ve got you cornered, so don’t even think about running. Just hand over your Miraculous, and no one has to get hurt,” Chat ordered, though Queen Bee’s eyes narrowed into suspicious slits.

“This seems too easy,” She murmured as Chat approached.

“Turn around and face us,” He continued with the same business-like tone as before, but the fox remained rooted in place with her back to them. Chat reached out to touch her shoulder and when he did, the girl disappeared in a puff of smoke. He jumped back in alarm, jaw clenching. “She was a fake? But where’s the real one?”

“I knew something seemed off.” Bee tapped her chin in thought. “What if she was just the distraction like Ladybug is for us?”

“A distraction for what?” Chat’s eyebrows knitted together under his mask before it clicked. “Ladybug…We have to get back to the Eiffel Tower! Now!”

-      -     -

In a split second, the ganger was on her which caught her a little off guard, though she recovered quickly. Ladybug spun and kicked her off as crowds of people ran screaming from the area, and Jagged Stone was ushered off the stage by his crew. Her pulse drummed in her ears so loudly that she could barely make out what Chat and Bee were saying amidst all the chaos.

“The fox was the fake!” Chat shouted for what seemed to not be the first time.

“What?” She called, pressing a hand to her ear to drown out some of the noise, but the ganger was back on her almost immediately.

“She was a fake,” Bee repeated as Ladybug tussled with her fake.

“I’m fighting the fake,” She grunted, flipping her over her back.

“No, the fox we chased wasn’t-” The ganger landed a kick to Ladybug’s head, knocking her across the stage and dislodging the coms unit from her ear. Before she had time to recover, she was hit again, but she struck back harder, teeth grinding into each other in frustration as she flung the imposter across the stage. If the fox Chat Noir and Queen Bee chased wasn’t the real one then she must have known they would split up, but how? Why would she send two fakes as if she knew what they were planning? Unless…Her eyes narrowed as her ganger shook off the speakers that had toppled on top of her, and she met Ladybug’s gaze head-on with a twisted smirk.

Unless she was the real fox.

“I don’t want to fight you,” Ladybug tried, deflecting a few of her blows. “Why are you targeting me? What have I done to you?”

Her words bore no weight as the strikes kept coming and coming. It was as if she couldn’t hear her, or maybe she just didn’t care. Ladybug’s fists clenched tighter, and eventually, she struck back a few times, putting some distance between them as the fake jumped back a few feet.

“Ladybug!” Chat growled overhead, staff-coptering his way down before striking the ground just shy of her.

“Chat! Think about which one is the real one first!” Queen Bee scolded, hovering down gracefully to land beside him.

“I’m the real one!” The fake declared with a perfect impression of Ladybug’s voice.

“Don’t listen to her!” Ladybug pleaded. “Ask me something only I would know!”

Chat and Bee exchanged uncertain expressions and tapped their chins in thought.

“Who was the first akuma we ever fought together after getting our Miraculouses?” Chat posed, glancing between them.

“Stoneheart! First day of school, a boy named Ivan got akumatized after being picked on about a girl he liked!” Ladybug blurted quickly, grinning triumphantly when Queen Bee and Chat turned and sprang at the ganger, but she dodged easily, a playful laugh shaking her shoulders.

Queen Bee tossed one of her trompos, circling it around her feet with the string and creating a yellow field within its halo. The fake’s jaw clenched as she touched the glowing light, squealing in pain when she was met with a slight shock.

“Stings, doesn’t it?” Bee smirked proudly as Ladybug stepped forward.

“Who are you?” She demanded, folding her arms over her chest. The fake cocked a hip to the side, that sadistic smile contorting her features.

“I suppose you don’t recognize me like this,” She stated, moving her hands vertically as her flute manifested in a flash of light. She spun it counter clockwise, destroying the illusion in a flash as she did so, and two familiar green eyes met Ladybug’s with a vengeful glare that sent the red-clad heroine stumbling back a few paces.

“Lila?” She gasped, cupping a hand over her mouth in horror.

“Told you, you hadn’t seen the last of me, Ladybug,” She sneered her name. “I got my hands on a real Miraculous, so now I really am Volpina, and you can’t call me a liar anymore!”

“Lila, this isn’t a game! If you mess with me, you put people’s lives at stake!” Ladybug pleaded.

“I am Volpina!” She stomped her foot.

“Not for much longer, you’re not,” Queen Bee said pointedly, but Volpina simply smirked and examined her nails.

“You have nowhere to run, Volpina. Give up and hand us the Miraculous,” Chat demanded.

“True, I don’t have anywhere to run, but you three do,” She chuckled, pointing to the newest akumatized victim landing on the other end of the stage. With a sweep of its big arm, the three heroes were smacked from the stage, and Volpina was set free of her prison. “Tootles! We’ll see each other again soon, okay?”

“Lila!” Ladybug growled as Volpina skipped off into the night. “Go after her!”

The akuma blocked their path, and Ladybug slammed her fist into the ground angrily. She’d gotten away when they’d come so close! Unfortunately for that akuma, some sort of lumberjack, all three heroes were pent up with enough aggravation that he didn’t know what hit him. As the purified white butterfly flapped away, Ladybug slumped with a sigh and covered her face.

“This is all my fault. I thought she’d moved past this, I-I…” She whimpered, hands shaking as they ran through her hair. “This is all my fault.”

“No, hey, Bug,” Chat cooed, pulling her into his arms, but she backed away.

“If I hadn’t been so selfish this never would have happened! This is all my fault; I don’t deserve to be a hero-” The sound of Bee’s hand slapping across her face echoed around the stage, and Ladybug touched the sore spot delicately.

“You messed up. So what? Everyone does. Don’t give us this pity-party bullshit,” She grunted coldly.

“Hey!” Chat stepped between them defensively, but Ladybug pulled him back.

“Thanks, Bee,” She whispered hoarsely.

“So, what do we do now?” Bee asked, folding her arms over her chest.

“I don’t want either one of you going near Lila anymore,” Chat ordered, but Ladybug shook her head.

“No. If we suddenly abandon her, she’ll get suspicious. We need to find a way to get the Miraculous back from her now that we know who she is. It’s an advantage we have against her now,” Ladybug reasoned, cupping her chin. “Ladybug may not be able to reason with her, but maybe Marinette can.”

“No! It’s too dangerous,” Chat snarled, but Ladybug stood her ground.

“Our entire job is dangerous! But we still have to do it. I’m not some defenseless little princess; I can take care of myself,” She countered, meeting his gaze head-on. His lip twitched slightly, but he backed down with a curt nod.

“Fine. Just be careful,” He caved, letting out a heated breath through his nose.

“We’ll regroup tomorrow night at our meeting. I’ll see what I can gather from Lila tomorrow at school,” Ladybug declared, reaching for her yoyo as her earrings began to beep.

“Okay.” Chat and Bee nodded before she turned and shot off with her yoyo. Queen Bee moved to do the same, but Chat caught her arm as she passed.

“Keep an eye on her. You’re in that group too, so watch her back,” He said gruffly.

“We all watch each other’s backs. We’re a team; it’s what we do,” She replied, and Chat pursed his lips and released his grip. “Marinette is capable on her own. She’s the leader for a reason. Trust her, okay?”

“I do trust her. With my life. It’s Volpina I don’t trust,” He growled.

“Lila won’t hurt Marinette.”

“How do you know?” He snapped.

“Just trust me when I say that. I spend a lot of time with Lila too, and I know things about her that you don’t, things that Marinette doesn’t even know,” She said bluntly. “I’m with Ladybug on this. Business as usual is the best course of action for us right now.”

Chat turned away and clutched his staff tightly, so Queen Bee let out a sigh before leaping up into the rooftops.

When Ladybug landed back on her terrace, her transformation dropped as she crawled back through her skylight and fell onto her bed with an exhausted groan. Tikki floated down beside her and sprawled across the pillow. Her mind was spinning with questions and recourse plans, but all of them seemed too brash to use against Lila - Lila her friend. There had to be another way to reclaim the fox without revealing who she was as she had a feeling Lila wouldn’t take too kindly to finding out her good friend was also her mortal enemy.

If only she hadn’t been so jealous, just further proof that her hot-head needed to be kept in check. The guilt she’d faced 8 months ago all came flooding back to her, but she did her best to push it away. Lila continuing to harbor a grudge wasn’t her fault. Like Chloe said, she’d messed up, but she’d already attempted to make peace. Forgiveness was in Lila’s hands now, and she just hoped that a solution to their dilemma would present itself soon.