#this could’ve been a whole post but I wasn’t confident enough in my coherence to properly format it. so tags you get

[ozcarma]

Does anyone else feel like the incinerator gun chair room from Zero Time Dilemma would have better fit C Team instead of D Team

[gabriel-agreste-has-no-rights]

Rating: T

Summary: From cleaning up their city, to strengthening their partnership, to untangling their love lives—New York has taught Ladybug and Chat Noir that they can get through anything together.  Well, everything except automatic doors.  (New York special reveal fic)

Word Count:  6722

XXX

Marinette had gotten back from New York three days ago, but it wasn’t until she saw Chat Noir that she really came home.

He’d arrived early to the meeting spot—a rooftop where someone had planted a pot of blue forget-me-nots—and he hummed under his breath while perching at the roof’s edge.

“Little kitty on a roof... all alone without his lady…” 

She thought she’d overcome the stutter in her heart when she heard that tune.  But that was before she’d almost lost her partner again.

“Not alone anymore,” she said, plopping down next to him and bumping his shoulder.

He didn’t bump back.  That was weird.

“Kitty?”  She leaned forward, trying to get a better look at his face.  The mask made it difficult to tell, but she was pretty sure his green eyes were rimmed with red.  “Are you alright?”

He shrugged too quickly.  “It’s nothing.  I’m really glad to see you again, LB.”

“Which is why you haven’t looked at me this whole time.”

Finally, he met her eyes, and she gasped.  He’d definitely been crying.  A lot.  What had… what had happened?  Was it just seeing the city for the first time since they’d been back?  Mayor Bourgeois had done a surprisingly good job of organizing the cleanup, but there was still a long way to go.  That was the reason they’d come out on patrol tonight, so surely he’d expected the damage.

Could he still be upset about everything that had happened between them?  No.  He knew she’d forgiven him.

Still, she squeezed his hand just in case.

“Chat.  You know you can always tell me the truth.”

His eyes went wide, and then fresh tears welled in them.

“I—right.  I promised I’d never hide the truth from you again.”  He wiped his eyes with the heel of his free hand.  “I’ve just been stupid.  Even more stupid, if that’s possible.”

“You’re not stupid,” she said.  Stupidly.  She didn’t know what would help, but surely she could come up with something more comforting than that.  “You’re the brave, amazing, irreplaceable Chat Noir.”

He snorted.  “My girlfriend thinks I’m replaceable.”

The world screeched to a halt.  The moon could’ve fallen from the sky, and she wouldn’t have noticed.

“You have a girlfriend?”

Chat Noir winced.  Oops.  She probably shouldn’t have shouted right by his ear.

“I had a girlfriend.  For almost a month.”

“And you didn’t tell me?”

His brow scrunched under his mask.  “I didn’t want you to think I was trying to make you jealous.  And… I didn’t tell anyone, actually.  It kind of had to be secret in case my father…” He shook his head.  “Sorry.  I don’t want to get too close to my identity.  Which is another reason I didn’t tell you.”

Of course.  There was no good reason for him to tell her.

She still felt like she should’ve known.

“I’m sorry.  You had every right to keep your personal life private.”  She rubbed her thumb over the back of his hand.  “And I’m sorry about your girlfriend, too.  She clearly doesn’t know who she’s missing out on.”

He looked up from where he’d been staring at their hands.  “I—uh-um-hhhh-yeah.”

She made a noise somewhere between an eep and a cough, jerking her hand back so quickly she almost fell backwards.

“I—I mean, anyone would be lucky to date you—no!  Um, you’re a catch?”  Oh, that was even worse!  What was wrong with her?  “You—you know what I mean!”  

His head tilted.  “I, um. Do I?”

She dropped her head in her hands.  She didn’t even know what she meant.  She was still in love with Adrien.  The last thing she wanted to do was give Chat false hope.

“Sorry,” she groaned.  “Lately I can’t get two words out without making a mess of things.”

“Join the club.”  He snorted.

“I might not be much help, but… do you want to talk about it?”

“You—you’d let me?”

“You did say you weren’t going to hide things from me anymore.”  She smiled, bumping his shoulder.

This time, he bumped her back.  “I guess I did.”

He paused, seeming to gather his thoughts.  The sounds of traffic drifted up from below to fill the gap.  Funny how even the traffic felt more like home in Paris.

“It was my fault, as usual,” he murmured.  “I didn’t tell her I was leaving Paris, either.”

“You didn’t?”  It made sense that he wouldn’t want to hurt his partner, but why would he hide from someone in his civilian life?

“Like I said.  Stupid.”  He shook his head.

“Not stupid enough to break up with you over.”  She frowned.  “Not if she really loved you.”

That probably wasn’t the most tactful thing to say, either.  She hoped Chat’s girlfriend loved him.  He’d always been so full of love, it was difficult to imagine him with someone who wouldn’t return it.

“It… wasn’t just that.”  He took a deep breath.  “Promise you won’t hate me?”

That question didn’t reassure her, but she still knew her answer.

“You’re my best friend, kitty.  I could never hate you.”

The tension drained from his shoulders.

“Right.  I should know that by now.  It’s just hard to remember, when I’m so scared and stupid and—I think I might have accidentally cheated on her.”

Marinette blinked.  Chat?  Cheating?  The boy who would rather turn Marinette down in front of her Marichat-shipping papa than hide his feelings for Ladybug?

“What did you do?”  

His ears drooped.  He looked so limp without the over-the-top confidence that normally filled him. 

“I danced with another girl.  And hugged her a lot.  I thought it was as friends but then my other friend posted some pictures of us to Instagram, because she didn’t know that I was dating K—my girlfriend, and it looked way worse than it was and my girlfriend thinks I’m in love with this other girl and I… the worst and best thing is she might be right.”

Wow.  That was.  There was a lot to unpack there.

“You’re… in love with… two people?”  Neither of which are me?

No.  Bad Marinette.  This wasn’t about her; this was about Chat Noir.  Besides, she wanted him to move on!

“I don’t know.  All I know is that I never wanted to hurt either of them, and I feel awful.”

...Was this about her?  The sentiment definitely hit too close to home.  

“It stinks, doesn’t it.” She sighed.

“More than Plagg’s cheese.”

That got a smile out of her.  “I wish I knew how to help, but the truth is, I’ve never had any luck with love either.”

Chat’s brow furrowed.  “But what about the boy you…?”

Her throat clogged.  Memories flashed through her mind—her and Adrien dancing in the sky, tumbling through doorways, accidental touches and soft smiles and words she’d said too late. 

“This isn’t about me,” she said, banishing those thoughts.“We’re working on your love life tonight.”

Unraveling hers would probably require an intervention from Bunnyx.  Or a Lucky Charm.  Why hadn’t she thought of that before?

Because Tikki would kill me, probably.

“I don’t think there’s much to work on,” he muttered.  “I blew it with my girlfriend.  And what if I do try to ask out the other girl, but I just make the same mistakes again?”

Marinette smiled and placed her hand over his arm.  “You always learn from your mistakes, kitty.  And you’re always thinking of other people first.  If you just learn how to be honest with everyone—including yourself—I don’t think you’ll have a problem.”  

Wow.  Three whole coherent sentences.  That was miraculous.

“Heh.  And you said you didn’t have any love advice.”

“Well… I guess I can give it, but I can’t take it.”  She grimaced.  If only she’d been honest with Adrien…

But it wasn’t over.  She knew how much he meant to her, and she knew what she stood to lose.  Somehow, she’d find a way to tell him.

He bumped her shoulder.  “Come on, bug.  Spill the tea.”

She blinked before bursting out laughing.  “Spill the tea?”

“What?  That’s what you say when you want your friends to tell you some juicy secrets, right?”

“Ew.  Please never call my secrets juicy.  They’re more like… tangled up yarn, so knotted even I barely know what’s happening anymore.”

He winked.  “I’m a cat.  Playing with yarn is what I do best.”

She bit her lip.  He’d opened up to her.  By her own logic—that of no unnecessary secrets—she should return the favor.  But could she really do that to him, knowing how long he’d pined after her?

It doesn’t matter.  He’s in love with someone else now.  Maybe even two someone elses.

The thought was still so bizarre, she could hardly comprehend it.  Clearly he’d been serious about the yellow rose.  He’d moved on, and she… well, she was still where she’d started.  Chasing after Adrien, falling farther and farther behind.

“Maybe another night,” she said.  A coward’s retreat.

He gave her a long look before nodding.  “Alright.”

She let out a breath of relief.  Another night.  He was an outside perspective.  She would tell him later, if only because he might give clearer advice.

She stood and dusted off her legs, even though there was no dirt there.

“Vacation’s over.  We’ve got some cleaning up to do.”

XXX

“Hey.  It’s okay.”  She squeezed Chat’s hand when he paused in front of their statue.  Or, well, what was left of it.  Senti-Robostus had snapped the bronze Ladybug off, then tossed her into the front of a nearby convenience store.  The statue of Chat Noir looked lonely without her perched on top.

“This isn’t one we can fix, is it.”  His voice was sandpaper-rough.

“No.  I don’t think so,” she admitted.  “But it’s okay.  I never really liked that statue anyway.”  

It always reminded her of Copycat, who had turned out to be a total creep.  The Ladyblog had had to ban Theo’s accounts from the discussion boards too many times for comfort.

“...We should get moving again, then,” Chat said, but neither of them did.  They remained standing in place, still linked by their hands.

They’d been shifting rubble for hours, using their enhanced strength and even their powers.  Each time Marinette fed Tikki and transformed, she felt more exhausted than the last.  But Chat had to feel even worse.  His Cataclysm was the most useful for clearing chunks of broken walls, while her Lucky Charm was less reliable when not facing a concrete enemy.  The one score had been a bag of cement mix to fill in a busted sidewalk.

“We can’t fix everything in one night,” she said.  “We can patrol again tomorrow.  Or maybe the night after.”  She had a feeling she’d be too sore to move in the morning, enhanced strength or not.

“Easy for you to say,” he muttered.  “It’s not your fault that everything’s broken.”

She stared at him, stunned.  “Chat.  This is just as much my fault as it is yours.”

“But—”

“No buts.”  She pressed a finger to his lips.  “Paris is our city.  Not yours.  Not mine.  Ours.”

He didn’t argue, but his gaze still remained fixed on the ground.

“I could have stayed.  I could have downloaded an akuma alert app.  There are so many things I could’ve done differently, it could eat me alive,” she admitted, her voice trembling.  “I don’t want that to happen to you.”

“It’s so hard,” he whispered.

She dropped her hand from his lips.  “I know.  But we’ll get through it together.”

He was silent for a moment before nodding.  “You’re right.  You and me against the world… or in this case, you and me against a bunch of crushed buildings.”

She smiled.  It might not be a glamorous part of the job, but they would do their part to make it up to their city.

She raised her fist, and he bumped her knuckles gently.

“I’ll let you know when I’m free for next patrol,” he said, a little more life returning to his voice.  “Probably the day after tomorrow.  My family’s been on edge lately, with… well, you know.”

He nodded towards the broken statue.

“Right.  I’ll keep an eye on Plagg, then.”

Chat chuckled.  “Plagg” was what she’d named the little cat toy that he had the remote for.

This time, she looked forward to hearing the toy’s tiny mew.

XXX

It turned out to be three days before they could meet for patrol again.

“Soooo.”  Chat walked backwards in front of her, grinning in a way that was somehow both obnoxious and adorable.  “It’s another night.”

Oh.  She should’ve known he wouldn’t let that go so easily, especially now that he seemed to be in a better mood.  Had he asked out the other girl he liked?  Or did he patch things up with his girlfriend?  Or maybe he did neither, and he just knew how to move on.

“Technically, it’s not night yet.”  She pointed to the sun that sat low over the skyline.  “Also, there’s a—”

He tripped over a crack in the sidewalk, then toppled backwards against a No Parking sign.  The metal clanged like a gong where his head hit it.

“—pole behind you.”  She giggled.  

He pouted, rubbing the back of his head.  “No Parking?  Why would anyone even try to park here?”

They’d arrived at the worst scene of damage: in front of the Eiffel Tower.  There wasn’t even a road left to park on.  Most of the chasm had been filled in by now, but there were construction crews repairing the pipes and electrical wiring that had been uprooted.  

Of course, the workers had gone home for the evening already.  Marinette and Chat would have to be careful not to get in the way of their unfinished work.  Luckily, there was still plenty of rubble to move, and they’d come prepared with their powerups tonight.

“I’ve got two sets of ears, my lady.  That makes me twice as amazing of a listener.”  He swiveled the leather ears on top of his hair.  When had he learned how to control that?

“Why don’t you save the interrogation for after patrol?”

“It’s not an interrogation!  You accepted my yellow rose, which means we are friends for time and all eternity.  And friends can ask each other about important things in their lives.  Like their crushes.”

“I regret ever bringing that up.”  She pulled the purple macaron from her yo-yo and tossed it into her mouth.  At least she couldn’t say anything incriminating while she was chewing.

The power shocked over her, leaving her magenta space suit in its wake.  A grin tugged at her lips.  She’d never get tired of that.

“It can’t be that bad.”  Chat unzipped a pocket and dug out a purple slice of camembert.  He made a face before chewing it.  “Not as bad as this nasty cheese, anyway.”

He transformed too, plasma-like wings sprouting from his back.

“You know, I can make you the powerup macarons, too.  That way you only have to use the cheese if you’re giving it to Plagg.”

“Wait, really?”  His eyes widened.  “Why didn’t you say that weeks ago?”

“Because it’s too fun to watch you make that face.”  She smirked and flicked his glowing bell.  “But I’m willing to pass up on that in exchange for you leaving my love life alone.”

He sighed.  “If that’s really what you want.”

He looked surprisingly dejected.  Was it just because she was keeping secrets?

“I’m surprised you want to know about… Him,” she said quietly.  “I don’t want to make you feel worse.”

“You don’t have to worry about me, my lady.  I haven’t figured out exactly what I feel for my friend yet, but your advice has helped me start.  I just want to help you in return.”

He smiled behind his helmet.  He meant it.  Somehow, despite all the times she’d turned him down, he just wanted her to feel better.

“Alright,” she relented.

“I swear, I—wait, what?”

“I said alright.”  She chuckled.  “Though I’m a little curious how you planned to convince me.”

He blushed.  “I was going to swear on my honor as your friend that I would take your not-juicy secrets to my grave.”

“Thanks for the thought.  Now come help me with this chunk of cement, and I’ll ‘spill the tea.’”

XXX

It was surprisingly hard not to spill too much tea.  As they flew pieces of rubble out to space, she told him everything she could without jeopardizing her identity.  A few unspecific details, vague confession plans, even that there was another boy in love with her.  Though that seemed less relevant now that she realized she couldn’t quench her feelings for Adrien.

“Wow.  Can you imagine being dense enough not to realize Ladybug is in love with you?”  He sighed wistfully.  Maybe he hadn’t completely given up on her then.

“He’s not dense.”  She grunted as she shoved the chunk of road with her shoulder, finally sending it floating off out of the atmosphere.  “He’s sheltered.  And I don’t always send the clearest signals.”

“I guess helping set him up with a different girl would be a mixed message.”  He winced.  Without giving names, she’d explained the whole double-date fiasco.  He’d been polite enough to stifle his laughter.

“I told you my love life was tangled.  I don’t know that there’s anything you can do to help, but thanks for listening anyway.”

She adjusted her wings, slowing the flare from her jet pack.

“Wait.”  He grabbed her hand before she could begin her descent towards earth. 

She stopped, barely daring to breathe.  Had he changed his mind?  Did he still want to be a thread in her knotted love life after all?

“You told me to be honest with myself,” he continued, his voice soft but sure.  “It sounds like you’ve already done that—so be honest with him, too.”

Oh.  She grimaced.  Of course he’d use her own advice against her.  

“It’s not that easy.”

“I know.  But if you never tell him how you feel, you’re not giving him the chance to swoon at how amazing you are.”

He mimed falling backwards, literally head over heels.  He turned a full 360 degrees in midair before grinning back at her.

“You’re such a dork.”  She shook her head fondly.  “You’re right, though.  That’s what everyone else has told me too.  I can’t keep backing down, not if I want anything to change between us.”

Despite imagining a thousand scenarios where they were married with three kids, Marinette found herself unable to picture herself actually asking Adrien out.  It felt as far away as an alternate universe.

“I can help you out, if you want,” he said cheerily.  “Just put your communicator in your ear, and I’ll feed you all the best pickup lines in real time.”

She laughed.  “Thanks, but I think my awkward stuttering will still be better than that.”

“You’re right.  You should give yourself some credit.  You did call me a catch, after all.”  He winked.

“Chat!”  She punched his arm.  “I was just trying to cheer you up!”

“Uh-huh.  Suuure.”

He was just messing with her.  He wouldn’t be trying to help her with Adrien if he still had a crush on her, would he?  Even after all this time, it was still difficult to tell when he was actually flirting, and when he was just engaging in friendly banter.

...When she thought of it that way, it was less surprising that his ex-girlfriend had misjudged his actions too.

“What about you?”  She asked as they floated back towards earth.  “Do you have any updates on your love situation?”

“Sort of.”  He sighed.  “My girlfriend is clear about her feelings.  She’s given me too many second chances already, and my uncertainty has hurt her.  I can’t expect her to keep waiting while I try to figure out what I want.”

“That’s fair.”  Marinette nodded.  “I’m glad she can be so honest with you, even if it hurts.  She must trust you a lot.”

If only she could have that kind of trust in Adrien.  She… she could, couldn’t she?  Their friendship wouldn’t be destroyed after one tiny declaration of love.  Not after everything he’d said about her in New York.

Right?

“She’s never been afraid to speak her mind.  It’s one thing I really admire about her.”  Chat smiled wistfully.  “I hope that she finds someone who’s better to her than I was.”

“Chat…”

“No, my lady.  She deserves someone who’s as decisive as she is.  Someone who can love her the way she loved me.”

That sounded almost familiar.  Hadn’t Marinette had that same thought about Chat Noir?

“Yeah,” she murmured.  “Yeah, I guess she does.”

XXX

“What’s on the agenda today?”  Chat asked brightly when he arrived at their rooftop.  “Restoring the Arc de Triumph?  Planting more grass in the park?”

“No.”  Marinette fidgeted with her hands.  She’d rehearsed how to ask this a thousand times in the past few days, but she still felt stupid.  “I actually, er… I wanted to take you up on that offer.”

His ears perked up.  “You’re going to let me cut your hair?”

“No, not that offer.”  She smacked her forehead.  She’d forgotten he’d mentioned that when she’d complained about how her pigtails stuck out of her space helmet.  “The one you said?  About the communicators, and helping me, with um, Him…?”

Chat’s jaw dropped.  It would have made a great photo, if she’d gotten out her bugphone in time.

“You’re actually going to use my pickup lines?”

“No!  Those are still awful.”  Except the one about her being the lady of his dreams, but he didn’t need to know how soft that had made her.  “In fact, I don’t actually want us to use our communicators at all.”

He blinked.  “So, you want to take me up on my offer, but you don’t want me to do a single thing I offered.  Makes perfect sense.”

“Ugh.  Sorry, I’m so bad at this.”  She should just pretend she was explaining a plan to Alya.  Or maybe that she was coming up with a solution to her Lucky Charm.  That was never so awkward, right?  

“I want you to use this,” she clarified, pulling the toy cat out of her yo-yo.  “I always chicken out before I tell him how I feel.  I was thinking, if I felt like you were there… I might be a little braver.”

He still looked stunned, but a smile slowly crept across his face.

“So I can be your wingman?”

“...Sort of, I guess?  All you need to do is push the button when I inevitably start to panic.” 

His head tilted.  “But how will I know when you’re trying to talk to him?  You need a Plagg, too.”

“You’re one step ahead, kitty.  I was thinking we could go pick one up before patrol.  Since you’ll be keeping it, you should get to choose what kind of buzzer you want.”

He beamed at that.  “Brilliant as usual, my lady.”

Whew.  She’d worried he would think it was stupid.

“Come on.”  She unhooked her yo-yo from her waist.  “The store I bought Plagg at was set to reopen today.  If we’re quick, we can get there before they close for the night.”

He kept pace with her as they swung and leapt towards the west side of the city.  The novelty shop had been in the path of destruction, but by now most of the buildings were functional again.  

The repairs had restored Chat Noir’s good humor, too.  Either that or he’d sorted out his own romances.  Curious as she was, she found herself too nervous to ask.

I’m asking out Adrien.  It doesn’t matter if Chat Noir gets a girlfriend.  Him having a girlfriend hadn’t changed things between them before, after all.  He’d always be her partner.  Always.

She dropped down in front of the store— 

—and felt her soul leave her body.

“Nooooo,” she groaned, gaping at the brand new, shiny, automatic doors.

Chat Noir landed beside her and strapped his staff to his back.

“What’s wrong, my lady?  Are they all out of—” He blinked at the doors, too.  “Oh.”

Oh?  Was her fear of automatic doors that obvious?  Okay, fear was a strong word, but there was no way she could get into the store with her dignity intact.  She’d embarrassed herself in front of Chat plenty of times, but it was still light out, and too many civilians were on the street.

“I, just, uh—feel a draft coming out of this store! Maybe another place sells the same kind of toys?”  She grinned uncomfortably.  

It wasn’t likely.  They were marketed towards people in long-distance relationships. She’d been lucky to notice the beeper toys when she was looking for design inspirations in this out-of-the-way shop.

“Maybe.  Do you know where?  Most stores will be closing pretty soon.”

She sighed.  That had been such a flimsy excuse, she was surprised he’d even bought it.  

“No, it’s fine.  You just—might want to go in without me.”  She tapped her fingers together.  “They, um, have some toy spiders in there that are reeeeeally scary.”

“Oh, no!”  He replied too dramatically.  “I’m, uh, afraid of spiders too!”

“...Are you making fun of me?”

He grinned nervously.  “Why would you think that?”

“Because I know you’re not afraid of spiders.  You picked one up and moved it the other day because you didn’t want to kill it.”  It had been really cute, even if she’d originally screamed for him to squish it.

“Crud, I forgot about that,” he said under his breath.

They were drawing stares by now, standing in the glow of the shop’s windows without stepping inside.  One little kid waved at them, and Chat waved back.

“It doesn’t matter.”  She shook her head.  “We’re going in this shop, and we’re getting you a beeper toy, and we’re not going to be stopped by some stupid automatic doors.”

“Automatic—wait, you can’t get through automatic doors either?”  

She didn’t answer.  She was busy slamming into the glass.

“Ow,” she muttered with her nose squished against the door.  Which still.  Didn’t.  Open.

Behind her, Chat Noir started to laugh.

“Shut up,” she said, but it probably didn’t have much effect when muffled by the glass.

“Sorry, sorry!”  He rushed to help her as she peeled herself off.  “It’s just, this happens all the time to me and my good friend.  I thought I was going to be the one smushed like a bug on a windshield.”

“There’s only one bug here,” she said, brushing off the front of her suit.  “And she’s going to get through those stupid doors if it’s the last thing she does.”

“My lady—”

Frustrated, she banged her fists against the glass— 

—and shattered it into a million pieces.

Sirens blared.  She yelped, jumping back towards Chat.  

This was it.  Her life was over.  She was going to go to jail and lose her miraculous all because she’d used super-strength on a stupid door!

“Uh-oh.”  Chat gulped.

“M-miraculous ladybug!”  She yelled on reflex, though she didn’t have a Lucky Charm.  Could a Lucky Charm even fix this?  A villain hadn’t done the damage at all, unless she counted as a villain, because she’d just committed vandalism, and oh no the owner was coming towards them and— 

“Ladybug!  Chat Noir!”  The man with the white mustache looked more concerned than angry.  That was… that was good, right?  “Did an akuma come through here?  Do I need to evacuate?  There’s no one else in the store right now.  I don’t think anyone realized I’ve reopened.”

She blinked.  Would it be alright to lie, just this once?  To avoid being arrested, losing her miraculous, and letting Paris fall to Hawkmoth?

“No, no, there’s nothing to worry about,” Chat answered for her, holding up his hands.  

Meanwhile, the shopkeeper pressed a button on the wall, turning off the alarm.  If only her pounding heart could be quieted so easily.

“It was an accident,” Chat continued.  “It’s my fault.”

...Wait, what?

“I was trying to hold open the door for my lady, as all good gentlecats do.  But my powers of destruction and automatic doors don’t get along.”  He smiled ruefully, then produced a wad of euros from his pocket.  The shopkeeper looked as shocked as Marinette was. “I hope this will be enough to cover the damage.  And I’m very sorry.  You have a lovely shop.”

The shopkeeper’s glasses slid down his nose.  He pushed them back up, still not moving to accept the money.  “Chat Noir... this is far too much.”

“Consider it a tip.”  He winked.

A tip of… she couldn’t count every bill in his palm, but she swore that was at least three hundred euros. Where did he get that kind of money?  Did he have some kind of superhero donation drive she didn’t know about?

“Please, at least buy something,” the owner insisted.  “If there’s no akuma, then I assume you were coming to make a purchase?  Or was it a return?  Was the item you purchased not to your liking, Ladybug?”

“N-no, it was perfect!”  She said quickly.  Her heart still hadn’t stopped pounding.  He remembered her.  What was his name again?  She should be better at remembering citizens’ names.  “I—we—um, wanted another one, actually.”

“A matched set.”  Chat grinned.  “Would that be alright?”

“Of course.”  He looked relieved.  “Right this way.”

Chat stepped through the broken door frame—which opened just in time to trip him.  Marinette tried to catch him by his tail, but his weight dragged her down too.  They both ended up sprawled among the broken glass.

“Oww…” He groaned against the tile floor.

She picked a shard out of her cheek.  “Why does this keep happening to me?”  

The shopkeeper blinked down at them.  “On second thought, I’ll bring my options out to you.”

That was probably for the best.  While he left, she and Chat untangled their limbs and helped each other up.

“Sorry.”  He grimaced.  “I didn’t mean for my bad luck to rub off on you.”

“Bad luck?”  She tried to brush some glass out of her suit, but it just ended up sticking in her hand.  “If anyone’s unlucky, it’s me.  This kind of thing happens to me all the time.”

“My lady, you haven’t been this clumsy since the day we met.  And I know for a fact that automatic doors hate me.”

“They hate me more.  I couldn’t get through them once in New York.”

“Me either.”

She blinked up at him.  Glass shards were still scattered in his hair, reflecting the shop’s bright lights.  Yes, she could picture him being this unlucky—but could they really both be unlucky in the same exact way?

“I fell in a tangled mess with my crush, and then the doors kept smacking into us.  I’m pretty sure my ribs are still bruised from it.”  There was no way his luck was worse than that.

Pink flushed across his cheeks.  “Uh… me too?”

She snorted.  “It’s not a competition, Chat.  You don’t have to make up stuff to prove you have worse luck than me.”

“I’m not making anything up.”  He took a step forward and brushed a piece of glass from her bangs.  “Did you say that happened to you and… and your crush?”

His voice came out as a squeak.  But—if he was being serious— 

How many French kids had been in New York last week?  And more importantly, how many had been repeatedly squished between automatic doors? 

No.  There’s no way.  She was the girl who couldn’t even get through automatic doors—she was not this lucky.

“No, you couldn’t be her.”  His face fell.  “She wouldn’t even sit next to me on the plane.  There’s no way she has a crush on me.” 

Her mouth hung open.

“Adrien?”  Her shout was tinged with panic.  She was lucky that the street had cleared out, probably because the citizens thought their heroes were investigating an akuma. 

His wide eyes snapped back to hers.  

“M-Marinette?”

“Oh my gosh.  You’re—you’re really Adrien.  Adrien Agreste.”  The love of her life.  Who couldn’t even believe she liked him!

She wanted to shatter like the automatic door.  Maybe then she could avoid the horrible, soul-crushing embarrassment of admitting her feelings after committing accidental vandalism.

“And that’s… okay?”  His voice was barely a whisper.

“Okay?” Her grin must have looked manic, which probably didn’t reassure him.  She tried to force a normal expression.

...What was normal again?

He swallowed and rubbed the back of his neck—only to grimace and pull out another glass shard.  

“Sorry.  I—you didn’t want to know, and—” His expression turned to horror.  “Do I have to give up my miraculous now?”  

“What?  No!”  She clasped her hands over his before he could even think of removing his ring.  “Adrien—you’re the only Chat Noir for me.  I’m thrilled it’s you.”

“Really?”  His ears perked up.  “But I thought… I’m confused.  You said you were stuck in the automatic doors with your crush… but that was…?”

She smiled as tears pricked her eyes. 

“You.”  

After all this time, it was him.  Adrien was her partner.  

And she could trust her partner.

She rested her hand on his cheek, careful not to press any pieces of glass deeper into his skin.  “It’s always been you.”

The corners of his eyes crinkled, filling with water that spilled over onto his mask.

“Even when I thought I was moving on from you, I guess I was falling right back.”  He chuckled and wiped his eyes.  Then he rested his hand over hers.  His ring was a spot of cold against her fingers.

“This would only happen to us.”  She laughed too.  “And here I wanted your help to confess to, well, you.”

“That would’ve been awkward.”  He grinned.  “If we didn’t realize each others’ identities now, we would’ve then.”

She snorted.  “I wouldn’t give us that much credit.  We’ve both been stupider than that before.”

“Fair enough.  All this time, Ladybug was in love with me!”  

“You do realize that means you called yourself dense, right?”

He smacked his forehead, then winced.  “Ow.  I’d like to contest that, but I think I just proved it.”

She held back a laugh.  “As long as you don’t tease me for taking two years to confess to you, I’ll call it even.”

“Two years?”  He blinked.  “You’ve had a crush on me for that long?”

She shrugged sheepishly.  “I did say it’s always been you.”

His expression melted into something so soft, she could hardly stand it.  So it was a relief when he pulled her into an even softer—if glass-filled—hug.

“It was you, too.  Marinette you,” he murmured by her ear.  “It took me too long to realize it, but I always knew there was something special about you.”

Her heart soared at that, even higher than when they’d been dancing in the sky.  It all made sense now.  Alya had posted those photos on Instagram.  Neither of them had known Adrien had a girlfriend—Kagami, probably.  Hopefully she wouldn’t end her friendship with Marinette over this.  They were supposed to have their weekly orange juice tomorrow; Marinette would make sure to be honest with her, too.

But right now, that could wait.  All she wanted to do was feel the warmth of Adrien’s arms—Chat Noir’s arms.

“It was Chat Noir you, too,” she admitted.  “I didn’t want to let you go.  I think I took your love for granted, even when I was in love with ‘Adrien.’”

She felt his arms tighten when she said love.

“Considering you were torn between me and me, I think I can forgive that.”  He chuckled.  “Actually, I could do more than forgive you.  I could kiss you right now.”

Tingles shot through her.  Was she ready for that?  She’d hardly been able to imagine this moment—and she’d definitely never imagined it like this.  Covered in glass, Chat’s claws gently cupping her shoulderblade.

Somehow, it still blew all of her fantasies out of the water.   

“I could let you,” she softly replied.

He pulled back just enough to rest his forehead against hers.  “Really?  I mean… I can still hardly believe this is happening.  I can still hardly believe you’re Marinette.”

She frowned.  “Why?  Because I’m so clumsy?”

“No, because you’re so—” he waved a hand, searching for the word.  “Perfect isn’t the right word.  You’re endearing, and smart, and brave enough to stand up to my father.  You can crush me at video games, and you can forgive me even when I don’t deserve it.”

“Adrien—”

“I left you.”  

In that moment, something shifted in her mind.  She knew he was Adrien, but finally, she could hear it in his voice.

“I left you twice.  As Adrien and as Chat Noir.  How can you still want me?”

She took his face in both hands.  Never again, not for one second, would she let this boy feel like he wasn’t wanted.

“How could I not want you, Adrien?”

He broke, the tears flowing freely.  They glimmered off the bits of glass still stuck to his face.  She wished she could clear both of those away, that she could stop him from hurting.

“See?  This is why I can hardly believe it.  I’m not supposed to be this lucky.”

“Me either.  But I’m tired of worrying about what we’re supposed to be.”  She smiled.  “I love you, kitty.  And if you plan on collecting that kiss—”

He did.  Somehow he was both clumsy and careful, probably because he was dodging the bits of glass still stuck to her face. Not that she minded.  It was him, and it was her—Adrien and Marinette, Ladybug and Chat Noir.

Though it should’ve been the last thing on her mind, she couldn't help thinking that both of Alya’s ships had sailed tonight.

She was just about to deepen this kiss when Adrien pulled back.

“What?”  she asked.  Had she been that bad of a kisser?

But no, he was looking at the shopkeeper.  Who had his arms full of animal toys, and a face red enough to blend in with her suit.

“Oh—ah—sorry to interrupt.”  He cleared his throat.  “Did you still want…?”  

Her face flushed too.  She didn’t think it was possible to be any more embarrassed after breaking the man’s doors, but she hadn’t thought it was possible to kiss Adrien without spontaneously combusting, either.

“I don’t suppose we need one now, do we?”  She glanced at Adrien sheepishly.

“That doesn’t mean I don’t want one.”  He inspected the boxes in the man’s arms.

“If afraid we’re out of Ladybug toys.  They’re our hottest selling item right now.  I even looked in the back to be sure none were hiding there.”

Adrien grinned, and she remembered why she never would’ve guessed his identity.  That toothy smile was all Chat.

“That’s okay.  I know the next best thing.”

XXX

“I hope you know that I’m never going to press the button,” Marinette said when they returned to their rooftop.

“What?  And I thought you loved me.”  Adrien put a hand over his chest in dramatic offense.

“You obviously don’t love me if you thought the best toy to represent me was a cow.”

“Cows are so cute though!”  He held up the black-and-white cow beeper toy, which he’d already named Stompp.  “And she has spots, just like you!”

Cows might not be cute, but Adrien certainly was.  And he knew she couldn’t resist his pleading kitty eyes.

She sighed and pressed the button.

“Moo!” Chat mimicked the toy.  “See?  Moo and mew!  They even sound alike.  What noise would a ladybug have made, anyway?”

“It would probably just call you a dork.”  She smirked.

“Or it might tell me it loves me.”  He wiggled his eyebrows.

“Or,” she took his hand, “you could just be happy with your real girlfriend telling you she loves you.”

His smile was soft and warm, enfolding her like a blanket.

“I think I can live with that.”

[lumiolivier]

The Good Old Days Chapter Thirteen:  Checking In on a Friend

A/N:  We, as a society, have evolved past the need for April Fools jokes.  Everything I tell you today is 100% genuine.  I pinky promise.  Even with my other pinky and my pinky toes.  But if you get near my pinky toes, I might stab a bitch.  Anyway, so!  For the sake of streamlining everything all nice and neat like, the Good Old Days is moving!  To Thursdays!  Why?  Because it’s when I post For the Family anyway.  Yay!  Branding!  Anyway, here.  Have this chapter, you nerds.  Love you x

ICYMI: Chapter Twelve:  What Happened to Your Face? 

Wow…The Scarlotti estate looks a lot different in the daylight.  And when I’m not here with Vanessa and Veronica.  And Veronica’s drooling on herself because of…I didn’t even catch the guy’s name.  Oh, well. He knows better now.  At least I think he does.  I sure as hell hope he does for his sake.  If he doesn’t, he knows where we are.  He can come back to the Narrows for round two.  As long as he doesn’t fuck with Veronica again.  But something tells me it’s not often a cab shows up to the front doors of this place.  I would’ve taken the Old Man’s town car, but this was something I needed to do.  He didn’t need to get involved.  

 When I walked up to the front door, I got nauseous. Was it the memories from last night coming back to haunt me?  No.  I mean, it could have been, but I doubt it. It’s the gut feeling that I knew I didn’t belong here.  This was beyond me.  This was high-class beyond high-class.  This was somewhere that the toilet seats could be eaten off of.  Where if I walked in the front door out of nowhere, I’d be mistaken as the house staff instantly.  Not that I’m knocking the house staff.  It’s helped keep a roof over our heads for the last however many years Mama’s been doing it.  I had no room to talk shit.  But at the same time, I knew damn well I didn’t belong here.

 Well…Here goes nothing.

 I grabbed the solid bronze knocker on the door and smacked it against the door a few times.  Granted, the house had a doorbell, but if Veronica was taking a nap, she didn’t need that going through her head.  Some Alfred Pennyworth looking mother fucker answered the door.  Please have an accent.  If you don’t, I’ll be so horribly disappointed in Saturday morning cartoons for lying to me.  I knew I had one, but I needed one that was more pronounced than mine.  

 “Can I…” the butler looked me over in disgust. Surprise, surprise.  I’m just happy he had an incredibly uppity British accent.  Thanks, Saturday morning cartoons.  I knew you’d never let me down, “Can I help you, sir?  Whatever it is you’re selling, I can assure you that the Scarlotti family is not interested.”

 “I’m not selling anything.” I told him, “I’m looking for Veronica.”

 “Oh,” Alfred held his composure.  Like a screen door in a hurricane, but he hung in there, “Mistress Veronica isn’t feeling well this morning.”

 “Please,” I wasn’t one to normally beg, but given the circumstances, pride went out the window, “I just want to make sure she’s doing ok.”

 “She will be,” he kept a tight lip, “Please see yourself…”

 “Frankie?” There was a welcomed voice.  There was something I needed to hear.

 “Hi, Vanessa,” I couldn’t wipe the smile off my face if I wanted to.  What can I say?  She’s got me hooked.

 “As I was saying,” Alfred (if that even is his real name.  I didn’t care enough to ask.), “Mistress Veronica isn’t feeling…”

 “He’s ok,” Vanessa brushed him off, letting me inside.  Oh, I like her.  She knows what she wants.  And it just so happens to be me, “What are you doing here?”

 “I came to check in on Veronica,” I took her hand, “How’s she feeling?”

 “She’s better,” she reported, “Considering how bad she was last night.  But she’ll be ok.”

 “That’s good,” I let out a quiet sigh of relief, “Do you think I could see her?”

 “Of course,” Vanessa got a little misty eyed. I don’t think she was expecting to see me today, let alone at her own front door.

 “But Mistress Vanessa…” I’m really starting to hate her butler, “Mistress Veronica shouldn’t be having visitors today. She’s not well.”

 “He’s ok,” Vanessa vouched for me, “He’s a friend. He’s ok.  Don’t worry.  I’ll go take him upstairs myself.”

 “Yes, Mistress,” he gave her a quick bow and let us go.

 “Sorry about that,” she led me up the stairs. It’s weird walking up these stairs and not having Veronica nearly asleep in my arms.  This was better.  This was definitely better, “Mr. Pearson is kind of overbearing.  He always has been since I was little.  As Veronica and Violet came along, he’s only gotten worse.”

 “Must be rough,” I teased her a bit.

 “It’s its own kind of hell,” Vanessa shrugged, “But I suppose it’s better than having no one care.”

 “Way to be the optimist, Vanessa,” I applauded, “That’s the spirit.”

 “Shut up,” she giggled, “I know.  I don’t mean to sound pretentious.  It comes with the territory.  And it makes my mother proud.”

 “I didn’t say anything.”

 “You didn’t have to,” she went up to Veronica’s door.  Was it this covered in neon paint when we were here last night?  I don’t remember it.  Then again, I had more on my plate that night.  Gently, Vanessa knocked on the door, cracking it a little, “Veronica? You awake, sweetie?”

 “Yeah,” Veronica’s voice sounded strained and tired, but it’s better than not hearing it at all, “I’m awake.  What’s up?”

 “You got a visitor,” Vanessa smiled, “Is that ok?”

 “Who the hell is coming to see me?” Veronica wondered.

 I stuck my head in the door, “Hi, Veronica.”

 “Twitchy!” Veronica didn’t even hesitate.  She jumped out of bed, throwing her arms around my neck, “Bad idea, but fuck it.”

 “Why bad idea?” I worried.

 “Because I may need to go throw up…” Veronica gagged a couple times, “Nope…Hold on.”

 Sure as shit, she took off toward the bathroom and made noises that should not come out of a human being, yet they came out of Veronica.  Poor kid. She didn’t deserve last night. Asshole didn’t deserve her attention. I didn’t want to put Vanessa through that phone call.  But it happened.  It’s not like we can go back and change it.  It’s not like I could’ve done something to keep Veronica from puking her brains out today.  At least she’s in high spirits.  

 “You feel better?” I hoped.

 “Yeah,” Veronica ran some Gatorade through her mouth and spat it down the sink, “I’ll be fine.  It’s been like this all morning.  The butlers think I’m sick.”

 “You were poisoned last night, Veronica,” I reminded her, “That’s definitely a kind of sick.”

 “No, no, no,” Veronica crawled back into her bed, “They think I got the flu or some shit like that.”

 “Yeah,” Vanessa winced, “We know better than to trust the butlers.  They’re fucking narcs.”

 “The butlers,” Veronica rolled her eyes, “The maids. Violet, if we’re not careful.”

 “You’re not wrong,” Vanessa sat at the edge of the bed.

 “That’s what you vented to me for, right?” I figured, sitting on the other side.

 “Yeah…” Vanessa’s cheeks turned a light shade of pink. Oh, shit, she’s cute.

 “Really?” Veronica smirked, turning her attention toward her sister, “You’ve already spilled your guts to this guy, Ness? Shit must be getting serious already.”

 “I never said that,” Vanessa glared a hole through me.  And I think I might have fucked up a little here, “By the way, Frankie, have you met my little sister Veronica?  She’s an asshole and likes to poke her nose in my relationships.”

 “So, keep her away from my brothers,” I figured, “Got it.”

 “I told him what you said about him the night you met, too,” Veronica grinned.

 “Dammit, Veronica!” Vanessa snapped, “I tell you certain things in confidence!”

 “Don’t be mean to me,” Veronica whined, “I’m sick.”

 “No,” Vanessa’s anger only got worse, “I told you last night before you went out, don’t go out alone.  Stay out of the clubs for the night.  At least wait until my philosophy class is over.  But you didn’t listen.  Now that you’re awake and coherent, I can get pissed at you.”

 “Hold on, Vanessa,” I wasn’t sure if it was my place to step in here, but I had a feeling I needed to or it was going to turn to bloodshed, “I’m not exactly agreeing with the whole, be nice to her because she’s sick, thing, but how was she supposed to know some asshole would score in the Bronx just to drop it in her drink?  She didn’t ask for that.  She just wanted to go dance and have a good time, right, Veronica?”

 “Right,” Veronica looked at me strange, “How do you know where he got his shit from?”

 “Let’s just say,” I pulled Veronica into my side, “Everything was taken care of last night.  And everything’s going to be ok.”

 “What do you mean?” Veronica looked up at me, getting a better view of what happened last night.

 “It was taken care of,” I repeated.

 “Frankie…” Vanessa got nervous, “What happened last night? After you left here, where did you go?”

 “Can I speak to you privately for a second?” I put Veronica down in her bed and tucked her back in.  I pressed a gentle kiss on the top of her head and whispered in her ear, “Trust me.  Everything’s going to be ok.  He got what he deserved.”

“Thank you, Frankie,” Veronica’s voice broke. She knew.  That’s all that mattered.  Now, to take on Vanessa.

 She and I stepped outside Veronica’s room and she dragged me down to the room next door.  This one wasn’t quite as colorful as Veronica’s.  More polished, less punk rock.  Vanessa sat me down on the bed, my hands in hers, “Frankie, we’ve been honest with each other since the first night we met.  I’d like it to stay that way.  Where were you last night after you left here?  And don’t say you went straight home because your face does not say you went straight home.”

 “You really want to know?” I was hoping to keep Vanessa out of the…business end of my life.

 “Please.”

 “I found the guy that drugged Veronica,” I came clean, “I brought him to the Narrows in Brooklyn and I beat the fuck out of him.  Look, I wasn’t going to let him get away with what he did.  That just went against my own moral code.  She didn’t need that last night.  You didn’t need to get that phone call.  I just…I couldn’t.  I’m just happy the Old Man let me take care of him instead of someone else.  And I get why you’d be mad at me.  We probably should’ve just turned him in, let it process through the system, and…”

 “Frankie,” Vanessa cut me off, throwing herself into my shoulder.  My still…Relatively sore…shoulder, “Why would you ever think for a second that I’d be mad at you for that?  For taking care of something that probably would’ve sat for months in the system?  No.  We didn’t have that kind of time.  Nobody deserves to go through what Veronica did. If you were looking to score brownie points with me, that would’ve been the best way.  Granted, I’m a little pissed, but mostly because you could’ve gotten hurt.  You did get hurt.”

 “Yeah…” I winced, “Just a little, though.  I’ve gotten into worse scraps than that.  He just happened to get lucky and get a couple good swings on him.  Not to be that cliché, but you really should see the other guy.  He got his ass handed to him.  But yeah.  He kind of fucked my face up, but it’ll heal.”

 “It will,” she kissed my cheek, “It’s still a cute face, though.”

 “Mama said the same thing,” I chuckled a bit. Then, I remembered the promise I made to Mama.  I wasn’t promising results, but it’d be worth a shot, “Speaking of Mama…She kind of wants to meet you.”

 “How does she know about me?” Vanessa wondered.

 “César sold me out,” I gnawed on the inside of my cheek, “And she wanted to know why I would’ve thrown myself into that kind of fire for just some random girl I met in a club on a run for the Old Man…And I had to explain who Veronica was.  So…Needless to say, she kind of wants to meet you both, but I get it if you don’t want to yet.”

 “Quit preparing yourself for no,” she smiled, “I’d be happy to meet her.  Veronica, on the other hand, is staying home for a while.  Her ass is grounded.”

 “You have that kind of power?”

 “It’s not like anyone else uses it,” Vanessa rolled her eyes, “Someone has to actually raise the children here.”

 “Isn’t that what your parents are supposed to do?” I asked.

 “Mom’s always busy,” she explained, “Dad’s her lapdog. Their marriage is practically a sham. It’s sad.  So, one of us had to step up.  Why not me?  They have no clue about Veronica going out the way she does.  They don’t know about Violet throwing up at the sight of one of her report cards because god forbid she was a disappointment.  They don’t know about half the shit that’s gone on with us.  But that’s ok.  I understand. She has a company and a legacy on her shoulders.”

 “Oh, Vanessa,” I threw my arms around her, “Mama’s going to love you.  I promise.”

 “She’s never met me,” Vanessa thought, “How can you be so sure?”

 “Just…Trust me.” Anyone who knew Mama knew she was a sucker for those abandoned.  And she can smell it from a mile away.  It’s her superpower.  It’s almost scary.  And I have a feeling these two are going to get on like a house fire.

 “So,” she curled into me, “Tonight?  Is that ok for you?”

 “Tonight?” I wasn’t expecting it to be so soon. Mama might be pissed.  She didn’t have time to prepare anything.  But we could manage.  I had no doubt in my mind.

 “I think we should go out tonight,” Vanessa went on, “I mean…It’d be a good way for me to say thank you for last night. I don’t think I could’ve gotten through that without you, Frankie.  Really, I don’t.  I mean, it wasn’t the first time I’ve dealt with Veronica like that, but…Fuck, that shit gets hard after a while.”

 “Shh…” I comforted her in the best way I could, “It’s over with.  She’s alright.  We just saw her.”

 “She’s never been roofied before,” her voice broke. Oh, yeah.  Mama’s going to eat you alive, “She’s had a few hits of E that went sideways and I’ve had to take care of her through bad trips, but…Roofies are new.”

 “And the asshole that did it bled on the floor of a warehouse in the Narrows last night,” I kissed her forehead, “Hopefully, it’ll be the last we hear of him.”

 Vanessa pulled herself together.  Just a little, “Eight o’clock.”

 “Eight o’clock,” I nodded, “I’ll see you tonight. Ok?”

 “Ok.” I put her down on the bed, but she grabbed the bottom of my shirt, “Where are you going?”

 “I need to get home,” I took her hand, “Don’t get me wrong, Vanessa.  I’d love to stick around just a little while longer…”

 “Then, do it,” she begged, “Don’t go yet.”

 “I mean…” I thought it over.  This might be a longshot and/or a disaster, but it’s worth a try, right?  God, I hope so, “Unless you wanted to come with me.”

 “Someone needs to watch Veronica,” Vanessa winced, “But…Eight o’clock.”

 “Promise,” I gave her one little kiss, “I’ll see you tonight.”

 “That’s the plan.” I got a smile out of her. That’s all I could ask for. Before I left, I peeked my head in Veronica’s bedroom.  Sleeping like a baby.  Good…Take care of yourself, kid.  

 Now, I had to lower the boom on Mama that I was bringing Vanessa home tonight.  And an entire cab ride back to Brooklyn to think about it.  It could go one of two ways.  Either I’m going to get beaten within an inch of my life with her shoe or she’s going to be ecstatic.  Fingers crossed for the second one.

[chaotic-noceur]

regarding pragma.

read it here

Dear @softpedropascal

wow this took so much longer than I thought it would whoops.

So, first off- HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!! I hope you have the bestest day ever cuz you deserve it!

I’m incapable of forming coherent thoughts so um...here’s a cumulative post of my running commentary because my binge reading plans got disrupted so this seemed... neater? Idk. anyways, here you go. 

Part 1

No matter how many meetings and mediations you two went through, he still found a reason to keep dragging this out.

I read this as ‘meetings and meditations’ and was very confused for a sec 😂

That hat. You got him that hat. He still wore it?

omg u gave the hat a backstory. adkgadflhg 😍

He was tempted. God, was he tempted, but he shook his head and stood up straight. 

This just. Yes. We love a respectful man. 

I love all the little hints that you’re dropping about the reader and Frankie’s backstory. 

⫷⫸ ⫷⫸ ⫷⫸

Part 2

He told himself long ago that be would never forgive her for what she did,

WHAT DID I DO OMG.

“Can’t you, I dunno, sign for him?” he asked.

😂😂Frankie. Sweetheart. Who do you take me for? I can’t forge someone’s signature. I don’t have the skills for that. 

There was a reason he didn’t say goodbye. He was afraid to. He was afraid that if he said them again, he would have to go another five years without seeing her. Or has it been longer?

mY hEaRt

Pope and and Frankie’s ENTIRE interaction. 😍 I love that he can see right through Frankie’s bs, loves him anyways but will give it to him straight. 

He was too busy thinking about how if he had gotten his shit together, he could be living here with her, taking walks to his favorite lake every day.

asdfgadfkglhdf!!! Boo it ain’t all your fault 😢 (or is it 😏)

It’s funny how the simplest touch can cause the most complex feelings—feelings that he had sworn he buried deep inside of him somewhere. It was a complicated thing trying to be angry at her because in that moment all was forgotten and forgiven.

the DEPTH. in these sentences. oml. I’m so ready to learn about this complicated backstory.  

⫷⫸ ⫷⫸ ⫷⫸

Part 3

“I can make him sign ‘em,” he offered.

YES. I love a low key threatening boi.

“Yeah, until you decided I wasn’t good enough,” 

“Did you want to show me what I could have had with you if I wasn’t such a fuck up.” He sighed and put his hands on his hips.

AFGHSKF OMG MY HEART.

“I’m trailing water and mud all over the place but just remember that I saved your life before getting mad, okay?” 

“Nothing. Just like saying your name.”

ahhhh these are precious!!  

⫷⫸ ⫷⫸ ⫷⫸

Part 4

“Yeah. People do that right? Day dates?” He honestly wasn’t sure. Dates weren’t his forte.

🥺 someone help him. He’s so cute omg. 

“We might’ve made out a little too,” he mumbled.

aksfhksdfg look at him turning into a flustered boy!!!

“No. I just…stopped looking up,”

Babes. Idk if the double meaning was intentional but like. Wow. That hit hard. 

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Part 5

and has a name like ‘Bill’ or ‘Tom’.”

oop. We love a subtle Redfly dig 😂

!!!! IDK WHAT TO BLOCKQUOTE BUT OMG FRANKIE BEING PROTECTIVE. THE READERS BACKSTORY. FRANKIE KISSING AT THE PAST BRUISES. ANGRY FRANKIE OMG. 😭

I’m sorry there’s probably some more amazing stuff after that but t’was not a good ace day so i skipped the smut

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Part 6

You hid your body from him at first and when he moved your hands, you covered your face. Then he told you to never hide from him—he would always think you were beautiful

🥺🥺 this is so soft omg

sorry skipped the smut but im sure it was beautiful

“I’m not going anywhere.” You moved his arms so you could kneel in front of him. “I’m staying.”

*incoherent screaming*

“You can ask me for anything. I would give up everything I for you.”

The whole ending scene was AMAZING okay but this. This line right here. Big hurt omg. He knows the weight of what he’s saying. He knows how hard the road to recovery is and how many things are gonna try push him off that path. But he says it anyways. And it really really shows just how much she means to him. Brava! 

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Part 7

lmao I really need to start reading the warnings 😂

She was never going to be sad longer than necessary if he had anything to do about it.

WHERE CAN I GET A FRANKIE OML 😭

“That no matter where we were, when we look up, we’re looking at the same moon.” He looked at her though she was still looking up. “That always kept me going, you know?”

THE SOFT. AHHHHHH

The moonlight seemed to shine directly on her and make her glow like some ethereal being. She was an angel. She had to be. The stars twinkled above them but he had his own right here right now.

eXcUsE mE. wHo gAvE yOu tHe rIgHt tO wRiTe sOmEtHIng tHiS bEAuTiFul

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Part 8

“Stop ruining my romantic moment, please.

HAHAHAH I LOVE!

I can’t even- Omg. This whole chapter. I have no words

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Part 9

“I can’t,” he said, voice broken. “Please just let me…let me hold you. Let me…”

IDK THE FULL CONTEXT TO THIS (really hating my ace-ness rn cuz this last line is so heartfelt) BUT OMG BROKEN FRANKIE I JUST. ARGHHH

you realized that you were embracing your entire world right then and there. Letting it go would be the hardest thing you’d ever do.

take my heart and crush it why don’t you omg. 😭😍

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Part 10

She was hurt again. And it was his fault again.

I can’t do it. I can’t be alone anymore.

asdfghjk GURL. WHO HURT YOU OMG. LEMME HURT THEM BACK. 

His world spun and he felt like he was falling. He fell and fell into the abyss with no one there to save him as the bag felt like it was burning a hole in his hand. Is it hot? He felt hot. Burning up. Had he finally died and gone to hell? God knows that’s where he belonged.

No. It’s just an overwhelming darkness. Nothing. And that’s what he wanted, right? To feel nothing.

*VERY INCOHERENT SCREAMING* This is beautiful writing omg. The raw emotion in this. Holy hell. 

oml. That transition from pure pain and angst into love just *chefs kiss*. Frankie deserves so much 😭

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Part 11

“It wasn’t supposed to make you cry,”

wHat eLsE wAs iT sUpPoSeD tO dO omg. 

This whole chapter was SO CUTE!!! The way that Frankie just knows things about her. UGH. 

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Part 12

“What if it’s big and pulls me in?!”

MY THOUGHTS EXACTLY OMG

“I don’t wanna die,” he whispered.

His life felt as though it was falling apart all over again and he realized it was because she was the one that held him together and now that he was leaving, everything was one big mess again.

*inaudible screaming*

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Part 13

That ending tho! I love that you gave them their own little thing with the moon. Its so sweet 🥰and the Pope-Frankie friendship moments. *melts*

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Part 14

okay i was gonna blockquote but there was too much to quote This whole chapter felt so raw omg. If you’re pulling from real experience then I’m so sorry you ever had to go through that *pulls you into the biggest hug ever* (assuming you like hugs, if you don’t... i send you an affectionate ‘rubbing my forehead into your shoulder’)

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Part 15

“You could’ve walked in here with your head shaved and I’d still love it…but…please don’t.”

😂 yessss give me the humour in this sad

still haven’t learnt to read the warnings oml 🤦🏻‍♀️

ahhhh the soft reassuring Frankie content!!!!

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Part 16

“Probably because it’s Wednesday,” he said.

“It is?” you asked.

“Yeah. What day did you think it was?”

I FEEL SO ATTACKED OMG. What even is time anymore.

asfadsdfgdhk Its so SOFFTTT. Is this what it’s like to fall in love??😭

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Part 17

hallelujah i’ve finally learnt to read the warnings

ngaww Frankie being all excited and soft 🥺🥺 are they going camping?? are we gonna get Frankie in his element??

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Part 18

I’m as flat as a board back there.

I feel attacked and this wasn’t even directed at me oml 😂😂

tHeY aRe sO iN lOvE oMg 😍

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Part 19

I get it, it’s embarrassing, but I’m not judging you for it.

YES. In this house, we don’t judge people who are struggling to find jobs!

“I wouldn’t say them if you didn’t deserve them. You deserve good things, Frankie. You may not feel like you do but you do. Always.”

He sighed and rubbed your back. “If you say it then it must be true.”

*incoherent screaming* we all deserve good things okay 😭

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Part 20

thank you for the warnings that i’ve finally learnt to read before reading the fic

What if I’m a lost cause? Just some pathetic druggie who can’t get his shit together…mooching off his girl.

NOOO You’re not just some pathetic druggie Frankie😭😭

“Sleepovers? Do I get to paint your nails? Do your hair?”

Our love has aged gracefully kinda like us.

THE SOFT OMG 🥺🥺

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Part 21

“With all due respect, sir, I’m not and have never been an addict. Yeah, I did drugs. Yes, I hurt your daughter and she had to leave, but you know what, we’re together now and nothing’s gonna change that. She’s forgiven me and she loves me and that’s all that matters.”

YAS. I love this change from nervous wreck to confidence! 

This is so happy and soft and sweet oml. My angsty soul doesn’t know how to deal. 😭

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Part 22

Sweet baby jesus. It was soft. And then it was not. And then it was soft again and I just. *incoherent screaming* GURL. 

❖❖❖❖❖

ludus

I’m gonna have a house right on the other side of the lake.

asdfgI I Have Feelings.

GURLLL. This was so innocent!! They’re both so young and cute and asgalsfjghsd. 

❖❖❖❖❖

eros

“Are you running away from something?” she asked, and he bristled. “From me because you love me and don’t know how to say it?”

*incoherent screaming* well shit. you go gurl! you call him on his crap!

I skimmed the smut but like Frankie being a nervous wreck is 🥺

If you wanna see someone else while I’m gone, you can.

*more screaming because OMG if only he knew what that would lead to*

❖❖❖❖❖

ania

O damn. I kinda loved his slow descend into darkness... The fact that the reader still clings on to hope and love and just, damn. I’m lost for words. 

❖❖❖❖❖

coda

... 

...

that’s all my brain feels right now. that was dark, but like. a good dark. It was heart wrenching but beautiful and- “I won’t be able to find you if I’m lost myself,” THIS. I just. *chefs kiss* but also, *ugly sobbing*. 

[flightfoot]

Turning Points Chapter 2

Previous Chapter

(A/N) As per a reader suggestion, I’ve started italicizing dialogue that takes place in the past.

The four of them were transported to the entryway of College Francois-Dupont. Past Marinette and past Alya walking to class together.

Alya grinned. “Oh! I gushed to you about Ladybug! That convinced you of how AWESOME you are and that you should give it another shot, right?”

Marinette chuckled wryly. “Not exactly. You gave it your best shot, though.”

Past Alya handed Past Marinette her phone, showing her the webpage she’d just pulled up. “Ladyblog, bringing you all the latest news about the coolest superhero, Ladybug! How awesome is that?! Check out the number of views since I posted a video!“

Past Marinette looked down. “But why do you trust Ladybug so much? All these stone beings...”

“She's gonna handle them,” Past Alya stated confidently, not an ounce of doubt in her voice.

Alya smiled. “I was right. Even back then I could see it. I KNEW you’d come through.”

Marinette smiled.

Past Marinette wasn’t reassured. “But what if she's not really cut out to be a superhero even though everyone thinks she is?”

Adrien opened his mouth, looking like he was going to launch into another defense of Ladybug, when past Alya did the job for him.

“What are you talking about, girl? Oh, wait.” Past Alya looked at Marinette appraisingly. “I know what this is about. You're scared, but don't be! I've seen it with my own two eyes, girl! Ladybug is a true superheroine! She's going to protect us all! I believe in her.”

Alya chuckled. “Honestly I’d have said something similar even if I’d known you were Ladybug. You may have been scared, but it was obvious to anyone with eyes that you ARE a true superheroine. Seeing you fighting against Stoneheart, assembling a plan on the fly and defeating him with the most random objects, you couldn’t HELP but to believe.”

Nino joined in, “I wasn’t there for that first fight, but seeing the footage... well it was hard to be too scared of the akumas, because I KNEW that you and Chat Noir would come through.”

“Never doubt yourself, Marinette,” Adrien joined in. “You’re the most incredibly crazy awesome person I know. If you’re not cut out for this, then NO ONE is.”

Marinette felt tears spark in her eyes at the praise, but she HAD to counter Adrien’s last point. “Chat Noir would be. He leapt into superheroing without a second thought. Being so impulsive might’ve gotten him into some trouble, but if he HADN’T been so quick, if he’d hesitated, Alya could’ve been hurt. He never stopped trying to fight Stoneheart, he never fled, he just continued fighting. Because he couldn’t let anyone else get hurt. I may’ve thought that I shouldn’t be Ladybug, that I wasn’t GOOD enough to be Ladybug, but I NEVER, not ONCE, doubted that Chat Noir - whoever’s behind the mask - should be - well, CHAT NOIR.”

Adrien stared at her, tears prickling at the corners of his eyes. He made a faint... mewling noise? Marinette didn’t even know humans COULD make that sound. She looked away from him, trying NOT to melt into a puddle at the looks he’d been giving her. She didn’t know how many more memories were left, and she’d need her wits about her when they ended.

“Alya, wouldn't you like to be a superhero and go out and fight monsters and villains?”

Marinette jumped. She’d been so lost in her Adrien-coma, she hadn’t noticed the scenery shift. Not that they’d gone far, past Marinette and past Alya were still walking to class, they’d just skipped forwards a little in time and space.

Alya looked at her. “Waaiit... you were asking me whether I’d want to be Ladybug, right?”

Marinette nodded.

“Totally! I'm not scared of anyone! Why?”

“Oh, no reason...”

The four of them watched as past Marinette surreptitiously slipped the Ladybug Miraculous into Alya’s bag.

“Girl that was SMOOTH. So that’s how you’re able to steal phones so easily! You’re an expert at moving stuff around without being caught,” Alya spoke admiringly.

Marinette chuckled, chagrinned.

Adrien just seemed confused. “Marinette steals phones?”

“Oh- ah- Well - look, we’re entering the classroom now!” Marinette called out, desperately trying to distract the love of her life (and the one-time victim of her phone thievery) from that train of thought.

Then the four of them walked into the classroom, and Marinette almost wished that she’d kept up the phone thievery conversation.

Past Marinette stalked over to Adrien as he knelt over the gum, “Hey! What are you doing?”

Past Adrien panicked, unable to form a coherent sentence at the accusation. Chloe and Sabrina broke into laughter and past Marinette filled in the gaps on her own. “Okay. I get it. Good job, you three. Very funny.”

Past Adrien managed to form whole words finally. “No, no, I was just trying to take this off! “

But it was too late. Chloe’s and Sabrina’s laughter had convinced her. “Oh, really?”

Their continued laughter did NOT help.

Disgusted, past Marinette asked, “You're friends with Chloé, right?”

“Why do people keep saying that?” past Adrien muttered, then took his seat.

Marinette covered her face, ashamed. “I shouldn’t have judged you. I jumped to conclusions and I BARELY listened to what you had to say.”

She looked into his eyes. “I’m sorry, Adrien.”

Adrien blushed, but held himself together long enough to answer. “I don’t blame you. I NEVER blamed you. And after seeing how Chloe treats people, and what happened the day before, I understand why you assumed the worst.”

He winked at her. “Besides, we got there in the end, didn’t we?”

She blushed, melting into a puddle at his gaze. This boy was going to be the death of her.

The world jumped forwards slightly. Marinette almost didn’t notice, since the location didn’t change this time.

Well, except for the classroom suddenly having huge gaping holes in it. That was a bit of a giveaway.

“Come on! Let's follow him!” past Alya called out to past Marinette as she looked at where Stoneheart had gone.

“You have NO sense of self-preservation,” Marinette told the present Alya.

She grinned cheekily. “None!”

“Uh... Oh, no. You go. I'm finding myself a safe place to hide.”

“Girl, you're gonna miss Ladybug in action!”

Marinette rolled her eyes.  Honestly she kind of WISHED Alya had become Ladybug, if only because then she would’ve been able to protect herself full time, and not only when she had the Fox Miraculous.

Past Marinette picked up past Alya’s bag, presenting it to her. “You and Ladybug will both be better off without me.”

Alya’s eyes widened. “Oh. OOOOH. So THAT’S what happened. If I’d taken my bag that day...”

“...Then you would’ve been Ladybug instead of me.”

Alya shook her head. “You were always meant to be Ladybug. I couldn’t improvise the way you do. I couldn’t have done things the way you do.”

Marinette looked at her, conviction in her eyes and her voice. “You couldn’t have done things the way I do. But you would’ve done things the way YOU do. You’d find a way.”

Alya smiled back at her. Ladybug believed in her. Marinette believed in her. But... “Okay, maybe I could’ve been Ladybug. But you’d still be a superhero, one way or another. You can’t honestly believe that you’d just sit by while akumas were running loose? You’d manage to save the day somehow.”

Marinette opened her mouth to try to counter Alya’s point... but couldn’t. She WOULD help out against akumas any way she could.

As Past Marinette ran off, still attempting to give past Alya her bag, the world shifted, this time to the street.

Past Alya was running, trying to catch up with Stoneheart. She dove behind cover and started filming.

Meanwhile, Chat attempted to fend off an army of Stonehearts. He was managing to dodge their attacks, but it didn’t look like something he could keep up. “If you can hear me, Ladybug, I could use a little help!“ he called out anxiously

Marinette winced. “Sorry Chat.”

“It’s okay,” Adrien replied. Marinette stared at him, confused. He quickly realized his mistake and attempted to cover for himself. Which he did. Poorly. “I- I mean, I’m sure he would’ve understood. He doesn’t seem like the type who would’ve held it against you - from the few times I’ve talked to him anyways, it’s not like I know him that well or anything,” he said hastily, giving a nervous laugh.

Marinette looked at him suspiciously for a moment, but seemed to accept his answer. “I still feel bad. He was out here, risking his life without a second thought while I’d just tried to ditch my Miraculous at the first sign of trouble.”

She looked down. “He must’ve thought I’d abandoned him...”

Adrien put a hand on her shoulder, giving her a comforting smile. She gave him a small one back.

Internally Adrien wasn’t NEARLY so calm. (She cares about me she cares about me a LOT she’s worried about what I would’ve thought if she’d disappeared OHMIGOD she could’ve succeeded and I never would’ve had her as a partner again and I’d never have known what’d happened to her what would I have-)

Marinette pulled him into a hug. All thought ceased at that point.

She abruptly let go of him as a car hurtled at past Alya. “NO!”

She let out a sigh of relief as past Chat threw his baton, saving past Alya once again, but at the cost of leaving himself defenseless.

The nearest Stoneheart picked him up while he was defenseless, leaving him to uselessly flail his legs.

Past Marinette dropped Alya’s bag. She stood, stunned, trying to figure out what to do. Alya was trapped, Chat was being carried away, yelling insults all the while, and there she was, stuck with the Ladybug Miraculous and no one to give it to.

Then past Alya cried out-

“Heeeeeelp!”

-and her decision was made.

She took the earrings out of the bag and put them on.

Tikki appeared in a ball of red light.

“I think I need Ladybug!”

“I knew you'd come around!”

Past Marinette nervously told her,  “Well, I'm still not sure I'm up for this, but Alya's in danger. I can't sit back and do nothing!”

She transformed.

Alya came to a realization. “Waaait... you transformed... in the MIDDLE of the STREET... while I was RIGHT THERE?!”

Marinette chuckled. “Yep. Good thing you didn’t look a little to your right.”

Alya face-palmed, groaning.

Adrien focused on a different aspect. “You transformed because you had to help. Because you couldn’t leave others in danger, even though you were scared. Even though you were uncertain. You still stepped up.”

He smiled at her, much like he had a few weeks ago, at the Heroes’ Day picnic. “You’ve always had what it takes to be a true hero. This just gave you the chance to really show it.”

Marinette squeaked.

The scene changing saved her from having to come up with actual words. Which was good, because she’d probably have just stood there and made animal sounds for a bit while she attempted to regain control of her brain.

They stood in the area near the Eiffel Tower, Stoneheart standing on one of its beams. Down on the ground where Marinette, Alya, Nino, and Adrien had materialized, past Ladybug and past Chat Noir were trying to reason with Officer Roger.

Still injured from the LAST time he’d tried to fight off Stoneheart, Roger nonetheless attempted to take charge. “We're clear to attack!“

Ladybug attempted to stop him. “Wait! No, don't attack them! You know it'll only make it worse!“

“I have a new plan, unlike you! Move aside and let the pros do their thing. You've already failed once! “

Alya growled. “Why you-!”

Marinette put a hand on her shoulder, smiling and shaking her head. She pointed towards Chat and Ladybug.

Ladybug turned towards Chat, nervous and unsure. “...He's right, you know. If I had captured Stoneheart's akuma the first time around, none of this would have happened! I knew I wasn't the right one for this job...”

Marinette looked at past Chat, a fond, trusting smile on her face as he told her past self what she needed to hear. “No. He's wrong, because without you, she'd no longer be here. And because without us, they won't make it, and we'll prove that to 'em. Trust me on this. Okay?”

“Okay!”

Marinette turned to Alya. “Chat can be a little goofy at times, but he’s ALWAYS had my back when I needed it. Right then, hearing that I’d already done well? That we’d both work together to prove Roger, and everyone else who doubted us wrong? That’s what I needed. But most of all, he asked me to TRUST him. And I did. I couldn’t let him down.”

Adrien teared up again. Marinette gave him another concerned look, but became distracted. “Does anyone else hear a faint rumbling noise?”

It cut off as quickly as it had started, Adrien looking embarrassed for some reason.

Marinette frowned. That had sounded weirdly familiar for some reason, she just needed to place it...

Their surroundings blurred, derailing Marinette’s train of thought. Something was different this time though. The colors around them blurred and bled around them, swirling together and then turning grey. A soft light glowed around Marinette before jumping to Adrien.

“Wha-” Marinette started shouting.

The surroundings twisted and resolved, this time coalescing into a location Marinette had been in only a handful of times, but wished she’d been able to visit more often.

“Why are we in Adrien’s room?” she asked, perplexed. She’d already started forming a theory, however.

Past Adrien hurtled into the room, throwing himself over the back of the couch and turning on the news.

As the current Adrien came up with the same theory, a smile slowly spread across his face. “I think once the akuma finished showing your turning points, it must’ve transferred to me.”

Marinette nodded. “That’s my theory too.”

She looked at past Adrien, still engrossed by the TV. “Why was this one of your turning points though? Just because this was a supervillain’s first appearance?”

Adrien chuckled, that wide grin still plastered on his face. It changed to a smirk as he watched his past self, seeming to wait for something.

He looked back at Marinette a few seconds later, his smile turning into a smirk. He shook his head.

“No. It’s because you weren’t the only one who became a superhero that day-”

“What’s this doing here?”

“- My Lady.”

Past Adrien popped open the top of the box, unleashing a green, glowing light. It faded to reveal a sleepy, cat-like kwami.

Marinette’s mind broke.

Next Chapter