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purrincess-chat · 2 years

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Under the Moth’s Wing (Not-so-Enemies AU) CH4: Bubbler

This chapter gets angsty at the end oops. Nino is the goodest boy in this AU, I swear. Next week will be the last chapter for a while. I will be uploading this story in 5 chapter chunks, so whenever I have the next 5 chapters ready, I’ll start uploading again every Wednesday. I’ve broken this story into smaller arcs that span about 4-5 chapters at a time. This first arc that will wrap up next week is what I call “The Friendship Arc.” Adrien’s sole objective in these first five chapters is to integrate into society and make friends. I’ll see you guys next week with chapter 5 aka Gamer ;)

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Chapter 4

Adrien shot up in bed, a grin stretching his cheeks. A couple weeks had passed since he started attending public school, and while the first few days got off to a rocky start, he was finally starting to settle in. More of his classmates talked to him, and he got picked first for basketball in PE. Of course, it was Nino that picked him, but from what he’d gathered, getting picked first was a big deal!

Marinette and Alya still didn’t pay attention to him, but at least they didn’t glare at him anymore. It was progress, albeit minor, but not even that was going to get him down because today was-

“Happy Birthday, Adrien,” Nathalie said when she entered his room. “Your father has requested to see you in his office.”

Adrien kicked his blanket off and rushed downstairs, biting back a grin. Every year he asked his father to have a birthday party, and he always said no, but this year was different. He and his father were closer than ever. Adrien had a good feeling as he walked through the doors of his father’s office.

“Good morning, Father. You wanted to see me?” Adrien clasped his hands behind his back, veins pumping with excitement.

“Yes, I need you to be on the lookout for a potential candidate for my akumas today. These past two weeks have been nothing but failures. We need someone whose emotions are strong,” he said.

“Oh.” Adrien slumped.

Another day, another briefing. It was true, the last several akumas his father created were all lame. Honestly, they peaked with Stoneheart, though his father could only blame himself for following the rock monster up with a deranged pigeon man. He even akumatized a little girl having a tantrum over some dolls. Surprisingly, their efforts were thwarted more easily than they thought by Ladybug — she filled everyone in Paris with too much hope. Among other things in Adrien’s case, but now wasn’t the time for daydreams. He had party plans.

“Father?” Adrien squeezed his hands into tight fists.

“What is it, Adrien?” his father asked without looking up from his tablet.

“Well, I was just thinking since today is my birthday…”

“Ah, yes.” His father nodded, stooping to retrieve a gray giftbox. “I got you a gift to celebrate.”

“Really?” Adrien perked up as Nathalie carried it over to him. Usually his mother bought all the gifts, but perhaps his father was stepping up in her absence.

Tearing through the delicate wrapping, Adrien pulled the lid to find an assortment of pens, paper clips, safety pins, and post-it notes. He stared down at his “gift” in silence, wondering if it was a joke, but seeing as his father had no sense of humor, it was unfortunately real.

“Uh, thanks, Father.” Adrien closed the lid, biting his lip hard.

“Don’t forget our plans today. With any luck, we may have your mother home for dinner,” his father said.

Adrien returned to his room with a sigh. He should have known better than to expect arcade machines and flat screen TVs from his dad, but a box full of office supplies? What was he thinking, hoping he could have a real party? His father would never change.

He hadn’t thought about it before, but as he packed his father’s gifts into his schoolbag, realization dawned on him: It was his first birthday without his mom. Usually, she’d wake him up singing happy birthday with a big slice of cake and a candle. They’d eat it together in bed before she gave him a big gift. Last year, she got him a basketball hoop and scoreboard. She made him help plant roses in the garden all afternoon just so he wouldn’t catch them installing it…

He missed her. His father’s methods made his skin crawl, but it would have been nice to have her home for dinner, like he said.

“Adrien! Are you ready to go to school?” Nathalie called from the doorway.

He pressed his lips together and zipped his bag closed.

“Yeah.”

***

“Morning, dude!” Nino extended a fist when Adrien met him at the base of the stairs outside the school. They exchanged the secret handshake they’d made up — Nino’s idea.

“Hey, Nino,” Adrien replied, lacking his normal enthusiasm.

“Why so down today? You’re usually stoked to come to school.” Nino tilted his head to the side.

“Happy Birthday, Adrikins!” Chloe sprang from the steps into his arms, shoving Nino out of the way and planting kisses on Adrien’s cheeks. “I ordered you a present, but those stupid delivery guys are taking forever to get it here.”

“Thanks, Chlo.” Adrien unlatched her arms from around his neck.

“Yo, it’s your bday? Why didn’t you tell me, dude?” Nino punched his arm.

“Probably because he didn’t want to pretend to enjoy gifts from you poor losers after seeing my amazing gift,” Chloe said.

“Chloe.” Adrien shot her a warning look, and she turned away with a huff.

“Fine, let the peasants give you cheap gifts, but don’t be mad at me when they all pale in comparison.” She sauntered back up the stairs, ponytail flipping over one shoulder.

“I know you guys are tight, but she’s the worst.” Nino shook his head. “But still, you should have told me your bday was coming up. We’ve got to throw you a big bash! I can DJ, and we can invite Marinette and Alya to get some good vibes going between you guys.”

“Thanks, but I’m not having a party.” Adrien sighed as they made their way up the stairs.

“What? Why not?”

“It’s my father. He barely even lets me out of the house. I doubt he’ll let me invite friends over. I think he’s allergic to joy.” Adrien shoved his hands in his pockets.

“Oh, come on. He can’t be that bad,” Nino said.

Adrien looked him in the eye. “He got me office supplies as a gift.”

“Ouch.” Nino winced. “Okay, so your pops is uptight, but he just needs someone with the right vibes to ask him. Let me talk to him today, and I’m sure I can convince him to change his mind.”

“He won’t, but I appreciate the sentiment.” Adrien smiled. “Really, thanks, Nino.”

“Have some faith, my dude. And get your dancing shoes for tonight.” Nino draped an arm over his shoulders.

“I don’t think I have dancing shoes. Should I buy some?”

“I swear, I’m gonna write you a cool kid dictionary.” Nino groaned.

“You’d do that?”

“Ugh.” Nino shook his head, a gesture Adrien was starting to recognize every time he said something lame. Something told him he wouldn’t be getting that dictionary.

“Yo, party at Adrien’s house this afternoon!” Nino called to their classmates as they passed through the locker room.

“Whoa, wait a minute. You haven’t even talked to my dad yet, and besides, he’s gonna say no,” Adrien said.

“Relax, dude. Parents love me. I’ll convince your pops, no sweat.” Nino ruffled his hair. “It’s about time you got out more. Then the idea of a cool kid dictionary won’t be so exciting to you.”

“But it would be so helpful!” Adrien said.

Nino placed his hands on Adrien’s shoulders. “That’s what worries me. You need to hang with more kids your age, so help me spread the party buzz!”

“But-”

“Come on, don’t you want to have your first party?” Nino asked.

“Well, yeah, but my father isn’t a reasonable person. I just don’t think we’ll be able to convince him.” Adrien lowered his gaze.

“You mean you’ll be unable to convince him without my help.” Nino corrected. “Get hyped, dude. We’re throwing you a party today. There’s no way my bud is gonna miss his own bday.”

Adrien did want a party. Plus, he knew his father’s secret, and he did want Adrien to deliver him someone to akumatize. A party was the perfect way to deliver a lot of potential akumas…

A smile curled on Adrien’s lips. “Okay, yeah. Let’s do it. Thanks, Nino.”

“That’s the spirit.” Nino patted his shoulder. “Spread the word. Tonight’s gonna be sick.”

“Sick means good, right?”

“Yes.” Nino rolled his eyes, spinning Adrien around. “Now, go tell people that.”

The electric giddiness he’d felt that morning returned as he relayed Nino’s party plans to his schoolmates in the locker room. Everyone seemed just as excited as he did, which only added to his enthusiasm. He was finally throwing a party! They still had to convince his father, but Adrien could get anything he wanted out of his father if he said it was for the mission. Besides, Nino sounded so confident.

Rounding the corner to the next row of lockers, Adrien stopped short, breath catching in his throat. Marinette and Alya stood by their lockers, backs turned to him. Nino did recommend inviting them, but Adrien wasn’t sure he had the guts. Would they even want to come? Probably not. But if he didn’t invite them, would they get mad at him and ruin the small steps toward friendship they’d already taken? Forget the cool kid dictionary, Adrien needed a whole textbook on friendship.

Their conversation slowed to a stop when Adrien approached, and Alya quirked a brow at him. Taking a deep breath, he squared his shoulders.

“Um, I don’t know if you’ve heard, but today is my birthday,” he said.

“No, we haven’t heard,” Alya said.

“Oh, well, uh, Nino is kind of planning to throw me a party this afternoon, and it probably won’t happen because I’m pretty sure my father is going to say no, but if it does happen, you two can come. If you want!” Nailed it.

Alya and Marinette exchanged looks, and Marinette turned to him.

“I don’t think we’ll be able to-”

“We’ll be there,” Alya said.

“What?” Adrien and Marinette said in unison.

“I said we’ll be there.” Alya winked at Marinette, linking their arms together. “See you later, birthday boy.”

Adrien blinked a few times, a smile spreading across his lips. “Awesome! See you there.”

It worked! They wanted to come. Adrien was no expert, but that had to be good news. Who knew? With the luck he was having, his father might say yes to a party after all. And even if he didn’t, it was already one of the best birthdays he’d ever had. Sure, he didn’t get a fancy gift, though the thought of whatever Chloe bought him both worried and intrigued him, but he had friends now. Friends that wanted to celebrate with him. He’d take that over a basketball hoop any day.

Nino rode home with him that afternoon, and Adrien’s good mood plummeted with each passing block. The idea of convincing his father was nice in theory, but in actuality…

“This was a bad idea.” Adrien hugged his knees to his chest as Gorilla pulled into the front gate.

“Relax, dude. I got this.” Nino nudged him, but Adrien felt far from encouraged.

Nathalie’s eyes narrowed when they entered, the first crack in their plan. Adrien’s shoulders curled.

“Your father didn’t give you permission to bring a friend home.” She looked Nino up and down. “I’ll have to ask you to leave.”

Nino shot Adrien a wink and cleared his throat. “I’m sorry to barge in unannounced, but I was hoping to speak to M. Agreste regarding Adrien’s birthday party.”

“M. Agreste is very busy. Besides, Adrien isn’t having a party,” Nathalie said.

“Yeah, but that’s the problem!” Nino blurted. He paused to regain his composure and continued, “I understand it’s an inconvenience, but is there any way you could make an exception?”

Nathalie flicked her gaze to Adrien.

“Please, Nathalie? I’m sure my father will find that this will suit his plans today.” Adrien pressed his palms together.

Nathalie pushed her glasses up with a sigh and beckoned them to follow her. Nino glanced around the tall ceilings and sparkling tile floor in awe, but when they entered his father’s studio, he straightened his hat.

“What is the meaning of this?” his father asked.

“Remember what we talked about this morning, Father?” Adrien said. “I think what my friend has to say will be of interest to you.”

“Go on.” His father narrowed his eyes.

“Well, du- er, sir! Adrien has never had a birthday party, and that’s so messed up! He does all of the modeling stuff for you and makes good grades. Don’t you think it’s about time he had a real party for his bday?” Nino asked.

“No.”

“But it’s all he wants! It doesn’t have to be anything crazy, just some pals from school. Please, du- sir!” Nino pressed his palms together.

His father stroked his chin in thought, and Adrien shot him a pleading look for good measure. A small smile tugged on the corner of his father’s lips, a rarity Adrien had only ever heard stories of.

“You’re right, Adrien. This is of interest to me,” he said. “I’m now concerned that you’ve been given too much freedom. Your so-called friends are a bad influence, and I never want any of them to set foot in this house again. Do you understand?”

“But-”

“Nathalie, see this young boy out and make sure Adrien returns to his room.” His father dismissed them with a wave of his hand.

“But that’s so unfair, dude!” Nino pleaded.

“M. Agreste has a lot of work to do. It’s time for you to leave.” Nathalie gestured to the door.

Nino flashed Adrien a panicked look, those golden eyes wide with fear as Nathalie and Gorilla flanked him through the foyer, ensuring he made it out the door.

“Great work, Adrien. I can already feel his negative emotions.” His father turned toward the portrait where the buttons for the secret elevator were concealed.

Adrien’s heart dropped. He had intended for the party guests to supply a victim for his father’s akuma, but his father thought he was delivering Nino! He’d unknowingly lead the best friend he had right into a trap.

“Nino!” He took off after him, catching the door before Gorilla could close it. “Nino, I’m really sorry.”

“You were right, dude. Your old man is impossible!” Nino threw his hands up with a huff.

Adrien lowered his head with a sigh. “I know. Thanks anyway, Nino.”

“Adrien.” Nathalie’s voice was a warning behind him.

“I’ll see you at school.” Adrien waved, but Nino was already stalking up the driveway.

His eyes burned hot when he shut the door to his bedroom and flopped onto his bed. How could he have been so stupid? Of course his father wasn’t going to let him have a party! Now Nino was probably going to get akumatized, and he wouldn’t even get to see Ladybug because he was stuck inside. He rolled onto his stomach, burying his face in a pillow with a sigh. So much for the best birthday ever.

An alert beeped on his phone, reminding him to do his homework. Great. He didn’t even have time to sulk. Not that it would matter because Nino was bound to be akumatized in a few minutes, so he’d have to go support his father in the lair anyway. Not even the sweetness of Ladybug’s angelic face could overcome the sour taste from getting his best friend akumatized on accident. He and his father really needed to work out a system of hand signals.

He set to work on their maths problems, figuring they’d be easy enough to knock out before his akuma duties. Things were still quiet after maths, so he moved onto physics. After an hour, he crept out into the empty halls, finding the house silent. Maybe his father hadn’t akumatized Nino after all?

“Nathalie?” Adrien’s voice echoed through the foyer.

They must have been in his father’s lair. He pushed open the door to his father’s studio, nearly jumping out of his skin at the red and blue figure standing just inside.

“Hey, dude!” Golden eyes glinted behind a blue and red mask. “I was just about to come get you. You ready to party?”

Adrien blinked. “Nino?”

“Yeah, dude!” He draped an arm over Adrien’s shoulders. “Well, technically it’s Bubbler now, but don’t worry. I still know how to hang.”

Bubbler extended a fist, and the two exchanged their secret handshake.

“See? Still me, now come on. My best bud isn’t going to spend his bday inside,” he said.

“As validating as it is to hear that I’m your best friend, my father said no, remember?” Adrien said.

“Well, I did come in here to give your pops another talking to.” Bubbler reached back to pat the large bubble wand in the container on his back. “But he wasn’t here, so I sent his assistant and that beefy dude to time out.” He pointed to the window where Gorilla and Nathalie were floating outside in large green bubbles. “Either way, dude. I’ve bubbled like all the adults in this city, so let’s go have some bday fun!”

Adrien eyed the portrait of his mother. His father would want him to help the akuma defeat Ladybug, and if Bubbler wanted to throw him a party, then…

“Okay, let’s do it.” Adrien grinned.

Bubbler pumped a fist, leading Adrien to the front door. All of their classmates cheered when they walked into the courtyard, party banners and tables of food lining the driveway. Adrien could barely contain his grin.

“Happy Birthday, dude.” Bubbler patted Adrien’s shoulder. “Now, let’s get this party started!”

Bubbler had pulled out all the stops. There were lights, confetti, music, dancing, cake, all of their friends and classmates. It was the party of Adrien’s dreams. Sure, his best friend was akumatized, but it guaranteed that Ladybug would show up sooner or later. In a weird way, it was the best birthday ever, and Adrien was starting to learn what Nino meant by putting on his dancing shoes.

Somewhere in the middle of dancing with Rose and Juleka, Adrien spotted Marinette walking through the front gates. She had come after all! Should he go talk to her? It would be polite to welcome her to his party, right? Were cool kids polite? What would Nino say? That cool kid dictionary would have come in handy.

Stay calm.

He was overthinking it. She and Alya were both over by the snack table, and the fact that they were both at his party meant that they liked him a little bit. He was confident. No second-guessing. Just the start of two new friendships. He could do this.

“Hey.” He waved. Their conversation petered out when he approached, but he didn’t let that faze him. “Are you two enjoying the party?”

“Uh, yeah,” Alya said. “Totally awesome.”

“Yeah.” Marinette sipped her drink, side eyeing Bubbler. “You’re not concerned at all that Nino has been akumatized?”

Adrien rubbed the back of his neck. “Well, I am, but Nino just really wanted to throw me a birthday party. Besides, Ladybug will show up to save us sooner or later.”

“Rumor has it you got to work with her when Mr. Pigeon attacked. Care to talk about it?” Alya pulled out her phone.

“If by work with, you mean acted as bait, then spent the whole night draped over a humidifier, then yeah. I worked with Ladybug.” Adrien shrugged.

“Wow, what a scoop, Alya.” Marinette smirked.

Alya tucked her phone back into her pocket with a pout. “Can I use your bathroom?”

“Uh, yeah, it’s inside up the stairs to the right.” Adrien instructed.

Alya quirked a brow at Marinette and scurried off, leaving the two of them alone. The perfect chance to talk to Marinette without anyone looming and finally make friends!

“So, uh, how are you liking the party so far?” he asked.

“I just got here.” She shrugged, swirling her drink.

“Right.” Adrien nodded, shoving his hands into his pockets. He read somewhere that it made people more at ease. “Do you want to dance, or we could just stay here and talk if you want.”

“Actually, I think I’m gonna join Alya in the bathroom.” Marinette gestured over her shoulder with her thumb.

“You don’t want to hang out with me because I’m friends with Chloe, right?” Adrien sighed. “Look, I know she’s awful, but I didn’t know she was like that until I started coming to school. She and I were friends as kids, but we’re not even that close anymore.”

As if on cue, Chloe materialized beside him, latching onto his neck.

“Ugh, get lost, Dupain-Cheng. It’s Adrikin’s birthday, and he doesn’t need to waste it talking to a loser like you,” she said.

Marinette rolled her eyes. “Yeah, you two are totally distant.” She set her drink on the table and stalked off.

“Come slow dance with me, Adrikins.” Chloe insisted, preventing him from chasing after Marinette. She stretched up, lips puckered, but Adrien pulled away.

Horrified shrieks saved him from having to evade her advances, and everyone stared at the giant green bubble floating in the air above them. Ivan twisted and fumbled clumsily inside, face blanched in terror.

“If any of you peeps think you can sit this party out, then you can join the adults in the sky, got it?” Bubbler brandished his bubble wand. “Now, dance!”

Whimpering, their classmates complied, and Adrien searched their terrified expressions with a frown. As it turned out, having your best friend turned supervillain throw you a birthday party where everyone was forced to attend didn’t make for a very lighthearted party atmosphere. What was Adrien thinking, letting Bubbler host his party? He should have gone to his father’s lair instead of taking advantage of the situation to get what he wanted. Now everyone was suffering because of him. This was all his fault in more ways than one.

The music screeched to an abrupt halt, and Bubbler turned over his shoulder with a growl.

“Who turned off my mix?”

“Sorry, Bubbler, but the party’s over.” Ladybug snapped her yoyo back to her palm on top of the wall.

Adrien’s classmates cheered her on, much to Bubbler’s annoyance.

“I don’t remember inviting an insect to this party. Only true VIPs are allowed for my boy,” Bubbler said.

It was a tense situation for everyone, but Adrien had to admit, he was touched.

“When you take innocent people hostage, you can always count on me to crash the party.” Ladybug tossed her yoyo, but Bubbler deflected it with his wand.

Classmates dove out of the way as Bubbler and Ladybug sparred, cowering behind the walls of the front porch. Adrien hung back, looking for an opening to assist Bubbler, but he couldn’t help admiring how powerful Ladybug was. The way her muscles moved under her suit with each twist and kick. Why did she have to be so stunning?

“Ah!” Ladybug gasped as a bubble encased her. She kicked the sides, but it was no use — she was trapped.

Bubbler threw his head back with a triumphant laugh. “You should have just been cool, Ladybug, but you’re even lamer than the adults.”

“No, you’re lame if you think a world without adults is better.” She shot back.

“Oh, come on. Adults are the worst. They’re always setting these unfair rules and forcing us to do stuff we don’t want to.” Bubbler had a point.

“Kids need adults! They keep us safe. They love us!” Ladybug said.

Most adults anyway…

“If you love the adults so much, why don’t you join them?” Bubbler said.

The earrings!

“Nino, wait!” Adrien stepped in. “Look, I appreciate you wanting to throw me a birthday party. Really, it’s like the coolest thing anyone’s ever done for me, but I don’t want to force our friends to be here against their will.”

“What, so you’re on her side?” Bubbler grunted.

Their classmates huddled together, hands trembling and eyes wide. Adrien had always wanted a birthday party — he’d always wanted friends — but what kind of friend was he if he forced them all to like him? The truth of the matter was, Adrien didn’t know how to make friends. Alya and Marinette couldn’t stand him. Chloe only liked him because he was rich and famous. All of their other classmates didn’t know what to think of him.

Nino was the only person at school that considered him a true friend, the only person that wanted to throw him a birthday party, and Adrien delivered him on a silver platter for his father to chew up and spit out. This mess was all his fault. He never should have let Nino come. He didn’t need a big party, and he certainly didn’t deserve one. Adrien would have been content with just the two of them, his friend on his birthday.

“I’m not saying I’m on her side, but I’d much rather spend my birthday with my best friend Nino, not the Bubbler.” He retrieved a safety pin from his back pocket and slipped it through the slippery outer layer of Ladybug’s bubble behind his back. Might as well make his father’s gift useful, besides if it earned him a kiss from Ladybug, it really would be the best birthday ever. He held up cautioning hands to Bubbler when he reached for his wand and approached slowly. “I’m really happy that you did all of this for me, but please, Nino. Let all of our friends go.”

Sadness flashed in Bubbler’s eyes, but just as quickly as it came, it vanished. Bubbler clenched his jaw. He brushed past Adrien, sprinting toward Ladybug’s bubble and kicking it into the sky. Her adorable shrieks grew fainter the higher she soared. Bubbler turned back to their classmates and crossed his arms.

“Fine. All you haters can leave if you’re so unhappy, but once I get Ladybug’s earrings, we’re gonna be partying without adults forever.” Bubbler jumped over the wall, chasing after Ladybug’s bubble as their classmates clambered for the gate.

Adrien rushed into his father’s office, nearly colliding with Alya just inside. She hid her phone behind her back and pressed her lips together.

“I wasn’t snooping to find dirt on you!” she said. “Uh, I mean, this isn’t the bathroom?”

There was no time to deal with that.

“Bubbler captured Ladybug. They’re heading for the Eiffel Tower,” he said.

“What? Ladybug showed up and I missed it?” Alya raced out the door.

Adrien eyed his mother’s portrait, biting his lip, and followed after her. Alya was strapping on her helmet when Adrien caught up with her by the front gate.

“I’ll go with you,” he said, and when she quirked a skeptical brow at him, he added, “Nino is my best friend. Maybe I can talk some sense into him.”

“Fine.” Alya rolled her eyes and pointed to her bike. “But you’re peddling.”

Adrien considered himself physically fit between his fencing and karate classes, but peddling two people across the Trocadero on a small bike was a lot harder than it sounded. When they made it to the base of the Eiffel Tower, he leaned the bike on the ground, gasping between ragged breaths.

Alya charged straight for the elevator without so much as a thank you, and Adrien hobbled after her. While Adrien was happy for the adventurous birthday to shake things up, he could have done without the exercise.

When the elevator made it to the top, Alya jumped out, pressing record on her camera. Ladybug summoned her Lucky Charm, a pipe wrench, and surveyed the scene with pursed lips. She deflected another bubble with her yoyo that curved straight for Alya.

“Hey!” she gasped as she floated off.

Everything moved in slow motion. Adrien flicked his gaze between Bubbler and Ladybug, thoughts racing. What should he do? Help Ladybug put an end to this birthday nightmare? Or help his friend at the expense of the girl he loved? She still hadn’t figured out what to do with her lucky charm. If he was going to sabotage her, it would have been the perfect opportunity, but his legs wouldn’t move in either direction.

What kind of birthday did he want? One with his mother? Of course he wanted her there, but part of him wished his father had just given him the day off instead. That they were spending the day together, even in her absence. That Nino could have come over just to hang out and play games, even for a little while. Anything other than spending another birthday locked alone in his room with a shiny new toy.

Bubbler might have been the one to throw him a party, but he wasn’t Nino. And Adrien was starting to miss his real friend. His only friend.

Red flashed across the ducts as Ladybug charged for the air pipes and fit her wrench to the bolt perfectly. Her mask narrowed over her eyes when Adrien raced over to help.

“What are you doing here?” she growled.

“Getting my friend back,” he said.

Together they loosened the screw, and Adrien caught the tube as it burst free. He held it steady, blowing bubbles away from Ladybug as she grappled with Bubbler. She hooked her yoyo around his wand, yanking it into her hands and snapping it over her knee. The black butterfly fluttered out, and Nino collapsed to his knees as dark energy washed away from him.

Adrien sat back with a sigh, catching his breath as Ladybug’s magic repaired all of the damage to the city. She approached him, offering a hand to help him up.

“Thank you. I couldn’t have done that without you,” she said. Not even her soft smile was enough to cheer him up.

Adrien shrugged. “I guess this isn’t exactly the birthday I wanted.”

“Bro!” Nino raced to his side, enveloping him in a tight hug. “I’m sorry, dude. I lost my cool and totally wrecked your bday.”

Adrien leaned against his shoulder, squeezing his eyes shut to prevent tears from spilling over. “It’s okay, Nino. It wasn’t your fault.” It was mine.

“Hawkmoth will take advantage of any negative emotion he can find. Don’t be too hard on yourself.” Ladybug patted Nino’s shoulder.

Nino pulled away with a frown, squeezing Adrien’s shoulders. “We’ll have a better party for you next year. Something totally chill with just a few friends and sick beats, and we won’t tell your pops about it, okay?” He extended a fist, and they exchanged their secret handshake.

Adrien smiled. “Thanks for everything, Nino.”

When Ladybug’s earrings beeped, she palmed her yoyo. “I’ll only have time to take one of you home.”

Adrien stepped back, nudging Nino forward. “Take him. I don’t live that far from here.”

“You sure, dude?” Nino asked.

Adrien flicked his gaze to Ladybug, mask furrowed in an expression of concern more beautiful than any statue at the Louvre. Of course he wanted to nuzzle close to her while she carried him over the rooftops, and his father would have insisted he swipe the earrings the moment they landed. But after everything, he was just ready for his birthday to be over.

“Yeah. I’m sure.” He nodded.

Ladybug wrapped an arm around Nino’s waist, but her hands hesitated on her yoyo. “Happy Birthday, Adrien. I’m sorry things didn’t work out.”

Adrien offered her a small smile, an expression she returned before tossing her yoyo and swinging off with Nino. Shoving his hands into his pockets, Adrien headed for the elevator with a sigh.

His father was waiting in the foyer when he made it home, but Adrien wasn’t fazed by the frown darkening his father’s expression. It wasn’t that different from any other day, and Adrien was too numb to care.

“It’s disappointing that we lost today. I was really hoping we could get your mother back to celebrate your birthday,” his father said.

“Yeah, Ladybug pretty much already had him beat by the time I got there.” Adrien lied.

His father patted his shoulder. “I’m sorry things didn’t work out the way we wanted, Adrien. We will succeed next time.”

Adrien nodded and paced past him toward the back door. “I’m gonna sit in the garden for a while.”

His father gave a relenting nod and disappeared back into his office. Adrien shoved open the door to the kitchen, riffling through the drawers until he found what he was looking for. He paced down the corridor and out into the garden, the towering walls casting late afternoon shadows over the yard. His mother’s statue was cold against his cheek as Adrien curled up by her feet, resting his face in her lap. Retrieving the candle from his pocket, he struck a match and lit the wick.

“Joyeux anniversaire. Joyeux anniversaire…” Adrien sang, watching the flame dance between his fingers.

He’d ended up alone on his birthday after all. It wasn’t exactly the party he wanted, but he should have expected as much from his father. Even if they saved his mother, Adrien’s father would never be comfortable with his friends — what few he had anyway. At least Nino was okay in the end. The last thing Adrien wanted was to lose him.

He blew out the candle with a sigh, hugging his knees to his chest. Maybe his father would come around some day. Maybe they’d succeed in bringing back his mother. He just wished his next birthday would be better than the last.

#miraculous ladybug #ladrien #adrien agreste #marinette dupain-cheng #ladybug #my writing #under the moth's wing #not so enemies au #simply ladrien au

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sarcasticbambi · 9 months

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Found Souls Chapter I

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Marinette would like to say she never believed in soulmates. She does. But that would be lying, and if there’s one thing she hates the most in the world, it’s liars, so she’s stuck with telling the truth.

She believes in them. She would also like to enjoy the feeling of excitement over the reveal of her soulmate’s wing design on the inside of her own. The feeling of looking for your soulmate and wondering if it’s like in the movies - where you knock into them and you just know it’s them by glancing into their eyes, wondering if the world stops at that moment and it’s just the two of them.

Unfortunately, she was cursed with never experiencing those moments or knowing any of those feelings. Not that Hawkmoth (or Shadow Moth or whatever he’s going by these days) would ever allow for those to last long anyways, he’d probably find a way to ruin it. Not that it’d be the first time.

No, Marinette, was born wingless and thus, soulmateless. And it’s not for being a late bloomer as she’s been her whole life.

She simply and purely doesn’t have them. Anatomically, she doesn’t even have the structure that would allow her to develop her wings at a later time, were she truly just a late bloomer.

Her whole life, from the moment she was born until she turned 18 - when she gave up on trying - she’s been going through tests and exams like fire eating away at the wood.

She was such a special and peculiar case that the doctors were fascinated and couldn't get enough of trying to understand where such a defect came from.

Her parents, poor things, were just worried about how this could affect her day-to-day life. Not having wings in a world where the majority of things function and are accessible through them was hard. Everything in their building - bakery and residency space - was modified so she could have easier access to whatever was necessary.

At some point, she gave up on it. She’s destined to not have a soulmate, and that’s ok. She’ll just have to work harder and look for one without the whole “made for each other” thing. It’s not like she’s going to die without a soulmate.

Now, at 21 years old, she would like to meet Little Her and hug her. Tell her everything would be alright. Although she may not have a soulmate, she got as close as she could without having the universe on her back telling her if she was right or not. Tell her that she was happy with him and loved him with all of her existence, and would forever cherish what she had with him because they found their true love and were happy as they were, soulmateless and all (at least in her case)

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Damian really should avoid having Marinette and Stephanie in the same room. Actually, make it a 100m radius, because the two of them in such close proximity spells disaster, what with her influencing his precious angel and all.

That's what he says every time, but looking out the window now - where he has a view of the garden in the middle floors of Wayne Enterprises building - and he sees the two of them, arms locked with each other’s and a big smile on Marinette’s face, whatever mischief they’re up to this time spelled clearly in her bluebell eyes, he can’t help but smile to himself.

(And postpone the threat for the next time his sister-in-law tries to taint his angel with her troublemaking plots)

Seeing them lying on the grass under the big tree (?) in the middle of the garden, he turns around and returns to his office.

Now, with his beloved out of sight and a bunch of papers in front of him on his desk, he allows his mind to be overtaken by thoughts of her and how much she changed his life since meeting each other on that dreadful and gloomy day.

Flashback time

It was just another morning like any other. He woke up and his clock read 05:30 AM, like always. Getting off bed was as easy as usual, and he got ready for his regular routine.

Wake up. Training. Sparring. Shower. Eat. And then be driven to school and dropped off at the gates at exactly 07:30 AM.

The whispers while he walks down the hallway were the only disturbance to his routine, and he would like to let it be very clear that he is not appreciating that fact.

While it was normal to have whispers and glances his way because of the Wayne last name, they were different this morning. Most were not even directed at his person at all.

Damian would just like to let it be known that he would like to have a talk with whatever or whoever it was that was causing such an uproar, because if there’s one thing Damian hates, it’s a disturbance to his routine.

If it was back at the League, he’d probably have already cut someone’s head off. But that wouldn’t happen because everyone there knew to respect a routine and their respective roles.

Entering his classroom, Damian tried figuring out the reason for the whispers and his eyes followed those of his classmates to the back of the room, specifically his seat.

At first, he thought it was because the person - a petite girl with midnight blue hair who looked like even the slightest of the winds would blow her over - actually had the audacity and courage of sitting in his place. But then he thought that maybe she just didn’t know who sat there so he’d just put her in place. The nickname “Ice Prince” wasn’t just for show after all.

But then, as he walked closer, he noticed something missing in her figure. Something that was bound to catch everyone’s attention and cause the disturbance that has been affecting the whole school, including his routine.

She didn’t have wings. Which was such a big detail that he was surprised he hadn’t noticed earlier.

Shaking off his shock and the inquiries caused by such an anomaly, he walked over to his seat and stood there glaring at her. She had her head down the entire time, but raised it up when she felt his presence.

Now looking at him, were beautiful azure orbs glazed over with unshed tears - no doubt caused by the attention on her person probably since the moment she stepped foot on school grounds.

Looking down at her as he does to everyone, he expects her to just scramble as everyone does whenever they look at his face.

However, she either is fearless or just plain stupid, because no matter how much he glares at her and scowls, she just won’t budge.

“May I help you?” she says with such a low volume that he’d probably have missed it if it weren’t for his many years of training to be alert.

Tsk’ing, he scowls even harder.

Will I really have to voice it for this idiot to understand?

By now, the whispers have just got louder.

“You are seated in my place.”

Realisation slowly comes to her face and she methodically picks up her things and starts moving.

“I’m sorry, I wasn’t aware it was already taken. Could you point me to an empty seat so that I won’t make the same mistake?” Even the small and gentle smile on her face wasn't enough to hide the tired tone that coated her voice.

Probably exhausted from having to deal with the same thing as he does everyday. Although hers seemed to be for a different reason than his.

“The one in front of mine is currently available”

With a small, barely noticeable bow of her head, she moves around him to sit where he pointed her towards.

“Oh my God! Did you see that?” “Yes I did! Kind of impossible to miss!”

“I thought he’d kill her for certain! I mean, last time someone sat in his place the person almost bawled their eyes out!”

“I know! Do you think he likes her?” “Who? Damian Wayne??? No way! He isn’t known as the Ice Prince for no reason! He simply isn’t capable of love!”

“Maybe he just pitied her? You know, she-”

“I’m certain if you people used half of the brain you use for bavardage in actual studies, your parents wouldn’t be so disgraced by your grades that they have to pay for you scandalmongers to stay enrolled.”

The silence that fell the classroom surprised even the teacher who’d just entered the room. Usually he’d have to order them to sit and shut up, but the silence was such a blessing that he didn’t even bother commenting on it, knowing it would just make it worse. He settled with just starting the class instead.

“Good morning students, I hope you had a good weekend. There's some things we need to address before starting class today. As I’m sure you’ve noticed, we have a new student with us. Mind coming up front to introduce yourself, please?”

The ravenette calmly got up and walked to the front of the room, turning to face the class and, with a slight accent, she introduced herself.

“Hi! My name is Marinette DuPain Cheng. I just recently moved here from Paris. I hope we can get along well!” The glowing smile she graced the class with seemed to hit some people straight to the heart, if their awestruck expression was anything to go by.

That explains the slight accent I guess.

“As you’ve noticed, Marinette here has a condition that has prevented her from developing her wings. I hope you guys will be mature enough to understand that there are obviously some actions that she won’t be able to accomplish and thus will require your assistance. The school is already doing all possible accommodations for this situation, but there are some things we’re bound to be unable to assist, so, as the great students you are, you’ll have to step in.”

No one missed the heavy sarcasm dripping from the teacher’s voice when he said, “The great students”. Everyone and their mothers knew that Gotham Academy’s students were nothing but spoiled brats, so, with the exception of a few students here and there, expecting them to actually help someone else with no sort of reward was plain idiotic.

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#maribat #daminette #damian x marinette #damian wayne #marinette dupain cheng #soulmates #wings au #wingless marinette

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