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p-artsypants · 3 years

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The Ghost of Smokey Joe (3)

Lullaby of the Leaves

Ao3 | FF.net

Marinette laid on her bed. Her bed that she would have to vacate soon so Alya and Nino could live in domestic bliss in peace.

Besides, she didn’t want to overhear their nightly trysts.

She still had some time, though. If only cheaper apartments were available.

Then again, she could just move back in with her parents. They lived close enough to the Agreste mansion that it wouldn’t be a bad idea. But going from independence to living back home? Could she bear it?

“Hmm,” Tikki stated, munching on a cookie.

“What?”

“I was just thinking…”

“About?”

“There hasn’t been an Akuma attack in a week.”

Marinette gasped as she sat up. “You’re right! With all this drama at work and with Adrien, I hadn’t even noticed! Wow. Can you imagine how much more stressful this week would have been if there was even one?”

“Guess you lucked out! Maybe Hawkmoth also caught cancer-strep-pneumonia-bronchitis!”

“Oh come on Tikki, that’s not funny!”

“I just think you need to grill him some more. He’s hiding something.”

“Obviously.” Marinette checked the time. 10 minutes until her Thursday night patrol. “I could always ask Chat. He’s good for bouncing ideas off of.”

“Be careful,” Tikki warned.

“I’ll be as vague as humanly possible.” Then she transformed, and left through the window.

Rustling of the leaves used to be my lullaby

Days so long ago when I was a tot, so high

And now that I have grown

I've found myself alone

Oh how Marinette missed the convenience of her parents rooftop hatch. This window worked, and it thankfully had a fire escape to step out onto, but man, it was a tight squeeze. With a little effort, she heaved herself through the alley-facing window and out into the night. Her next apartment was going to have a nice sized, inconspicuous window for Ladybug to go to work through.

She swung out into Paris, the fall air caressing her face. It was September, and the leaves were just barely starting to turn. School was back in session, and soon, the streets would be emptier. Since it was Paris, it would never be completely empty, but not having to wade through throngs of sweaty tourists would really make life easier. Especially when she was running late to work.

And while it was only September, and that day had seen plenty of people out and about as always, the night had an edge. The shadows seemed darker, the twinkling lights somehow dimmer, and the voices of nighthawks muffled by wind and doors.

These were all thoughts that Ladybug had as she started her patrol. Maybe she should have been thinking about how to tell Chat about what was going on with Adrien.

‘Hey, I have a friend that’s been ghosting me all week, and when I talked to him today, he was really weird. I think he’s hiding something, but I don’t know how to ask. I might have done something to make him mad, but he insists that I did nothing wrong. What should I do?’

Yes, this would work. Vague, and something someone would have written to an advice column.

Cradle me where summer skies can watch me with a million eyes

Oh, sing me to sleep

Lullaby of the leaves

She stopped on the rooftop of Notre Dame. Since the fire, the cathedral had been completely devoid of people at night. There weren't even any candles in the windows.

Just large black holes in the roof, ready to swallow her whole if she got too close.

Chat wasn’t here. For the first time in what felt like forever, he hadn’t beaten her to patrol. He once had told her that patrol was his favorite, as it gave him freedom to get out of the house. So he was always early, normally being out for a while before patrol. So he should be here, somewhere.

“Chat?” She called into the night.

There was no response.

Well, she was early. She’d give him some time, and then call him.

So she waited. Minutes ticked on slowly, like she was moving through water. Unease gnawed at her mind, the silence and his absence so loud it was hard to think.

Chat was larger than life, fun and flirty and everything this night was turning out not to be. Was she that lonely? That desperate for his company?

“Hey Bugaboo, I’m either busy or not transformed. I’ll get back to you when I can!” His voicemail echoed in the night.

“Did you forget we had patrol?” She asked the machine. “I’ll start without you. Just catch up when you can. I want to pick your brain about something, anyways.”

She did a lap, trying not to think about her missing partner, and focusing on the world below her.

The world that seemed empty no matter where she went.

Sure, there were people out and about, but there wasn’t life in them. They might as well be cardboard cutouts dancing in the wind.

Where was Chat Noir?

Cover me with Heaven's blue

And let me dream a dream or two

Oh, sing me to sleep

Lullaby of the leaves

An hour passed before she called him again.

“Hey Bugaboo, I’m either busy or not transformed. I’ll get back to you when I can!”

She didn’t bother leaving a voicemail this time.

What was it with cute blond boys ghosting her all of a sudden?

She finished patrol on her own, seeing nothing of interest. Not even a pickpocket.

Then she passed by the Agreste mansion.

Adrien was usually out when she did her rounds. Sometimes his light was on, sometimes not. But just passing by his room made her feel better, even if he wasn’t there.

He was tonight.

The lights were out, and the only way to see him was some outside illumination from the streetlights.

He was standing in front of those huge windows, just watching the world.

As she passed, she stopped on the edge of the wall, and smiled at him.

He looked right at her, she was certain.

She waved.

He didn’t.

I'm breezing along, along with the breeze

I'm hearing a song, a song through the trees

Ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh

That pine melody caressing the shore

Familiar to me

I've heard it before

Ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh

He held his phone in his hand, and it lit up in that moment, illuminating his face from below.

Adrien was always sweet. Even as he got older, his boyish charm remained. He was hot, he was cute, and maybe even a little sexy.

But in that moment, with the blue light casting harsh shadows on his face, he looked downright scary.

Eyes plunged into darkness, and a mouth set into a thick line.

The screen went dark, and Adrien faded into a silhouette.

Ladybug swallowed, and took up her yo-yo, calling Chat just one last time for the night.

“Hey Bugaboo, I’m either busy or not transformed. I’ll get back to you when I can!”

The beep was so loud. She was aware of the hanging silence, waiting for her to speak, to relay her message.

“Chat, I…I finished my patrol. Everything is good, and fine. I guess. Got weird vibes tonight. So if you could call me, and just let me know you’re okay, I’d appreciate it. I’m not even mad that you missed patrol. You’d have a good reason. Just…get back to me. Okay?”

The whole time she talked, she kept her eyes on Adrien.

He never moved. Not even a shift in his stance, he just stood and watched her.

Like a predator waiting for their prey.

Never did Ladybug fear him. Never any reason too. So why tonight?

That's heaven

Don't I feel it in my soul

And don't I know I've reached my goal

Oh, sing me to sleep

Lullaby of the leaves

“I’m being paranoid.” She said aloud.

And she really hoped that was it.

#the ghost of Smokey Joe #miraculous #miraculous ladybug #ml #ladybug #chat noir #marinette dupain cheng #adrien agreste #fanfiction

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ilovemygaydad · 5 years

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Friends in Dark Places [ch 15]

pairing: moxiety, logince, background eventual remile, background eventual remy/emile/deceit

WARNINGS: mentioned panic attack, mentioned depressive episode, depression, anxiety, verbal arguments, insults, kissing, PDA, self hatred, internalized homophobia, mentioned PTSD, food mentions, eating, swearing, anger, yelling, fighting, misunderstandings, crying, possibly something else

tag list: @hufflepuffgirl01 @cocobearthe4th @cas-is-a-hunter@band-be-boss-blog @theunoriginaldaisy

a/n: jsyk, it’s totally okay to ask for a modified chapter if you need it or if i need to add tags! i get it, and it’s no problem for me to quick edit a chapter or whatever :) also, feel free to send requests or questions that you have!

first - previous - next - companions

consider buying me a coffee (please)

Mrs. Shea called Patton down about an hour before dinner. Although he’d expected this conversation, the whole depressive-spiral only made things more stressful.

“So what happened last night, honey?” She took a sip of her tea.

“Virgil had a panic attack, obviously. I think that after the first slow song, the abrupt shift in volume overloaded his brain, and he just needed to get out. He fled pretty soon after, so I went to go calm him down. And then, um…” Patton paused. He was hesitant to share the next part.

“Go on, Pat. Everything you say is completely confidential.”

“Then Virgil kissed me.” Patton’s voice was barely a whisper. The embarrassed heat in his cheeks was nearly unbearable.

“Did you kiss him back? Oh my gosh, is he a good kisser?” Mrs. Shea pressed, a giddy smile on her face.

“Mom!”

“At least tell me tell me that you didn’t leave him hanging.” She wiggled her eyebrows jokingly.

“Mother!”

“Alright, alright,” her voice returned to being serious. “And what about this morning? It’s so unlike you to lock yourself up like that, honey.”

Patton bit his lip. “I overthought things. I got it in my head that I wasn’t good enough for Virgil, so I holed myself away because then I wouldn’t have to deal with it. But then Logan forced me to talk with Virgil, and we had a really good heart-to-heart and ended up making things official.”

There were a few beats of silence. “So did you kiss him?”

“Yes, mom! I kissed my boyfriend!” Patton exploded, running a hand through his hair.

“I’m glad that--unlike Roman and Logan--you two finally got your shit together so I won’t have to deal with your ridiculous heart eyes anymore.” Patton choked on his tea, and Mrs. Shea just shook her head in amused irritation. “Those two are just insufferable! Like, can you imagine crushing that hard on someone without realizing that it was requited? Clueless morons.”

“What?” Patton sharply coughed, trying hard to get a handle on his incident.

“Oh, don’t tell me you can’t see it, too! They never stop staring at each other; it’s disgusting.” She took a gentile sip of her tea, as if she hadn’t said a word.

“No, no! I have; trust me. I didn’t realize that you noticed. God, and you don’t even have to hang out with them! Roman constantly flirts with Logan, but Lo’s so clueless he doesn’t understand. But, of course, when Logan tries to compliment Roman, Roman takes it as Logan trying to learn slang terms. It’s literal torture!” Patton sighed, leaning forward on his hands. It had been a long time since he’d had a nice chat with his mom, and he had missed it.

“Please, Pat. I’m begging you. Play matchmaker for them. They’ll never get there themselves,” Mrs. Shea said with an air of actual worry in her voice. Roman and Logan were like her sons, and she couldn’t stand the thought of them ending up with someone else and, worse, unhappy.

“I will, mom.”

---

“Patton… I know that look, and I don’t like it. What are you planning?” Virgil’s voice was cautious as he caught up with his boyfriend after dinner. Patton had practically leapt from the table; his signature plotting face securely in place.

“Mom gave me an idea,” Patton said simply, rounding the corner and climbing the stairs.

“No shit. I gathered that much, but what is that idea?” He was beginning to get anxious. He didn’t like surprises in the slightest, and this was certainly a surprise.

“It’s about Logan and Roman. After mom and I talked, we realized we needed to do something about them.” Patton swung open his bedroom door and made a beeline for his desk. He grabbed out a notebook and a few pencils before swiveling his second chair around to face Virgil on the bed.

“What do we need to—Oh! Oh my god, no way! That makes so much sense.” The pieces clicked together neatly in Virgil’s mind. He’d seen the little glances and hidden blushing, but he had never taken any notice to them. It made so much sense.

“Exactly! They’re absolutely clueless, so we need to help them figure it out.” Patton titled the page. How to Get Two Idiots Together. Virgil thought that it fit quite well.

“Alright, what do you suppose?”

A sly smile grew on Patton’s face. “Well…”

---

By Monday afternoon, all of the blocks had perfectly fallen into place. The group would first go to the diner before heading to the park. It would be perfect.

Logan picked Virgil and Patton up at five o’clock sharp. Roman was only slightly done up; he had a neutral brown smokey eye and deep purple lipstick. He looked wonderful, and Virgil caught Logan glancing at Roman every so often under the cover of checking for traffic. It was odd seeing Logan actively checking someone out, but he couldn’t help but think that it was pretty adorable.

They stepped into the bustling diner about fifteen minutes later, sitting in their normal booth. Patton and Virgil obviously sat on one side, forcing the oblivious duo to the other. Phase one initiated.

For the entire five minutes before they had ordered, Virgil and Patton didn’t take their attention off of each other. They giggled at the other’s jokes, lightly kissed when applicable, and even leaned on each other as a gesture of protection. Roman and Logan were left to their own devices. It took a minute, but the two began a quiet discussion about the couple across from them, careful to make sure the others didn’t hear.

“They are truly disgusting,” Roman grimaced. He was the romantic one of the group, but even that PDA was a tad extra.

“Yes. But I am glad that Patton has found someone to be happy with. See the look in his eyes, Ro? He hasn’t looked like that since he started dating Jason,” Logan pointed out, watching as Virgil quickly pressed a kiss to Patton’s lips.

“Ugh, don’t remind me of that jerk!” Roman groaned. “I agree, though. It’s going to be good for him. Ah, it’s been too long since I’ve had someone like that.”

There was a moment of hesitation before Logan spoke again. “Me as well.”

They sat in silence for half of a second before Emilia walked up to their table. “Oh my goodness! Has Patton found himself someone? He looks absolutely adorable, sweetheart!” A bright pink blush formed on both Patton and Virgil’s cheeks, but Virgil’s became even deeper as she said, “Aren’t you going to say something, honey?”

“I—Uh… I’m…” Virgil sputtered.

Emilia roared with laughter, lightly ruffling the teen’s hair. “I’m kidding. What can I get you?”

They all ordered without incident, but Virgil’s flubbed words weren’t forgotten. “Flustered Virgil is so cute!” Patton squealed, covering his mouth with clenched fists. Virgil pulled his hood over his face and groaned.

“Shut up, Pat,” he muttered from his dismal cavern.

Roman nodded in affirmation.“He’s quite right. But do you know who’s even funnier when they’re caught off guard? Logan! He blushes like mad and ends up just spouting off random scientific factoids,.” He smirked, lightly knocking Logan with his shoulder. The latter blushed fiercely and groaned.

“Roman…” Logan chided gently.

“I’m… sorry!” Roman said between intense bouts of laughter.

“C’mon, kiddo. Let’s not torture Logan.” Patton’s voice was stern, but still loving.

“Fine, fine.” Roman wiped the tears from his eyes and sat back in the booth.

Patton returned his attention to Virgil, reaching his hand under his boyfriend’s hood to gently swipe the hair from his eyes. “You okay, sweetheart?”

Virgil flicked his hood down and nodded. He placed a light kiss on Pat’s cheek to reaffirm that he was, in fact, fine. It was made even better by the fact that Virgil teasingly hovered his face just centimeters from Patton’s with a devilish smirk before pulling away. Patton pouted and turned to look out the window in mock displeasure. Virgil worriedly put his hand on Pat’s shoulder, not quite sure if Patton was joking. Logan and Roman both caught the flash of a smile on Patton’s face before he spun around and kissed Virgil on the nose.

“Absolutely vile,” Roman muttered.

“As if you wouldn’t be doing the same thing if you were in their situation,” Logan retorted with a pointed eyebrow raise. Ro dramatically turned to face his booth partner; their faces ended up just barely apart. A flicker of realization flitted across Roman’s features as soon as he took in how close they were. It was microscopic, unnoticeable to the untrained eye, but Virgil and Patton saw it.

Their satisfaction, however, was cut short by the food arriving. The four friends munched quietly, barely talking at all. Well, except for when Virgil and Roman threw jabs—and often French fries—at each other. When that happened, it was all-out chaos.

Less than an hour later, Logan pulled into the gravel parking lot of their favorite park, parking all the way at the end of the nearly empty space. Most families were already back home to have dinner, so they’d pretty much have the place to themselves. Patton excitedly led the group, dragging a less than energetic Virgil to all of the prettiest spots of the park.

“This is the strangest feeling; it's as if I’m a parent who is proud of their child for finding someone they’re happy with,” Logan mused as he walked along the winding paths with Roman. It was near impossible to keep up with Excited Patton—a lesson that Virgil was learning very quickly—and the two decided it be best to save their energy for when they had to carry Tired Patton to the car.

“I feel the same way. Our boy is growing up so fast!” Roman paused for a few steps. “I wish I had something like that—a relationship, I mean.”

Logan flat out laughed at that. Was he fucking kidding? “Roman, you can have literally anyone you want, and all you’d have to do is say ‘go!’”

“It’s not that simple,” Roman mumbled. It really wasn’t. He couldn’t have the one person that he wanted. He wasn’t Logan’s type at all; he was infuriatingly dumb and all over the place, not neat and smart like who Logan wanted.

Not cis, either, and although Logan had been so accepting when he’d come out, it wasn’t like cis gay guys were suddenly going to jump at the chance to date DFAB dudes with PTSD.

“I’m not following. You have everyone drooling over you, yet you can’t have who you want?” Logan’s face grew puzzled, contemplating the evidence.

“You wouldn’t understand.” Roman’s voice sounded dismissive, but he didn’t mean it that way. He was frustrated in himself. He couldn’t own up to his own feelings and tell Logan. No. Of fucking course not.

“What do you mean I wouldn’t understand? I’m not some kindergartener to whom you’re trying to explain basic multiplication! I can figure things out, Roman, even if I’m not great with feelings,” Logan snapped, stopping dead in his tracks. Roman stopped, too, and spun to face his friend.

“Can you, Logan? Because sometimes you’re as perceptive as the dirt on the bottom of your shoe! It’s infuriating that I can’t get my thoughts through to you, of all people!” Roman roughly jabbed at Logan’s chest. He knew he shouldn’t be acting so rashly, but he was far too frustrated and angry to stop himself.

Thoughts swirled around Logan’s mind as he tried to formulate something intelligent to say. How in the world had he fallen for someone as rude as Roman fucking Patrick? He really was an idiot, wasn’t he? It was ridiculous to have thought that he’d be able to get past the prickly sarcasm to see Roman’s caring nature.

A sickening cackle escaped Logan. “That’s rich coming from you! I can’t believe you’d say something like that about your best friend of five years.” He shook his head in anger. “I’m done with this. You three can walk home for all I care.”

It took a few seconds for the fight to register in Roman’s brain, and by then, he had been left staring at Logan’s retreating figure. What the fuck had he done? He slowly turned and began walking down the trail towards Virgil and Patton’s voices. He’d ruined everything.

The moment that Virgil saw Roman’s expression, he started to feel anxious. He hadn’t known the guy for too long, but he could clearly tell that something was up. “Dude, are you okay? Where’s Logan?”

You can’t tell them the truth! They’ll hate you.

“Logan and I had a disagreement, and he got so pissed that he decided to bail.”

Roman looked more upset than he let on, but Virgil didn’t push. He knew what it was like to want to keep some things to himself.

“Well, I suppose we should call someone to pick us up. Roman, do you want my mom to drop you off at home?” Patton asked, already pulling out his phone.

“No, I’m just going to walk home. See you guys tomorrow?”

“Of course,” Virgil agreed, nodding his goodbye.

---

Roman quietly closed his bedroom door, shutting himself off from the world. He slipped into his pajamas and sat lightly on the edge of his bed. The tears ran down his cheeks like tiny raindrops on a car window. He buried his face into his pillow and cried until sleep finally absorbed his consciousness.

(a/n: roman isn’t out as trans to virgil yet, jsyk!)

#sanders sides fic #moxiety #logince #m writes things #virgil sanders #patton sanders #logan sanders #roman sanders

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