#protective adrien agreste
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It's Not My Job
I had written and had this story finished back in August of last year, but just never got around to posting it. I revisited it again yesterday and decided to just go ahead and post it. It's crossed posted to my AO3 if if you would prefer reading it there, here's the link: https://archiveofourown.org/works/54107548. (Also, fair warning, this fic is 10K words long. I didn't feel like dividing it up into different chapters so here it is in its entirely.
Summary: After becoming too stressed out from her class rep duties, Marinette talks to the other class reps about the work she’s been doing, hoping for some help. In a few moments, she discovers that none of the work she’s been assigned to do is what she should be doing as class rep. And when she goes to Miss Bustier only for her teacher to threaten her, her friends and family finally decide that enough is enough and take the issue to the higher ups.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Marinette was on her last legs. The swell of akumas over the past month was bad enough, but the extra work that came with it just made her life so much harder. On top of her regular school work and make-up work from missed classes, she had to handle her class rep duties as well. She had to be an example, help her classmates when Chloe acted up, check essays and homework, and do her other general class rep tasks.
Not only that, but she had to hatch out a whole plan for the class trip. Not just a general idea but the specifics of where they would stay, the exact activities they would do, how they would get there and travel around, and so on. She also had to plan out the fundraising activities, and had to do enough of them otherwise she would have to put in the rest of the money herself. Chloe had no issues with that in the past, but she was also rich. Marinette couldn’t exactly use her parent’s credit card to get it all situated.
Alya, by her sense of duty as both her friend and class deputy, tried helping her out but for some reason wasn’t allowed. She could help instruct people once the plans were made, but she couldn’t be a part of the planning process. Otherwise, according to Miss Bustier, the plans would have to be redone completely. The blogger had suggested working on it together secretly, but Marinette was hesitant. She didn’t want to risk Miss Bustier finding out and for her to demand that the plans had to be redone. So for now, the bluenette was working on her own.
Everyone in class had noticed the toll the extra work was doing on her. She barely made it to class on time and was always the last to leave. Her bookbag was stuffed with papers with notes and plans. She always had her shoulders slumped, like she had the weight of the world on her shoulders, and her eye bags were barely being covered by her makeup. She never smiled unless Miss Bustier told her to be a better example, in which case she would stitch on a mechanical smile similar to that of Adrien’s model smile.
The model, for his part, was freaking out over the fact that the sweetest and most happy girl in class (besides Rose, who is just a sparkling ball of pink, glittery sunshine) was struggling. He went so far as to get her coffee order from Alya and made sure to bring one in daily, as well as leave a thermos of heavily sugared black tea on her desk after lunch. The fact that Marinette wasn’t reacting to Adrien’s actions with anything more than a thank you, with no stuttering or blush in sight, proved how tired she really was.
Marinette’s sole goal was to catch up with all of this work as fast as she could, otherwise she would get behind again and be stuck in this loop forever. So when she was asked to attend a lunch out with the other class reps, she hesitated. She didn’t really have time to do much of anything. Even patrols had been cut down, something her partner had insisted on when she almost fell off a building when she zoned out mid jump. Still, maybe they could help her.
Miss Bustier had said that planning the class trip and all that was only the job of the class rep, so her getting advice from the other class reps shouldn’t be against the rules. So Marinette found herself that Friday walking to the cafe where Aurora said to meet. Once she got there, the weather girl waved her over to an open chair next to her.
As she walked over, she looked at the group. Marinette knew who most of the class reps were, but never got the chance to talk to any of them. Some were in the art club with her, but they tended not to discuss class rep duties there.
“Sorry I’m late.” The bluenette apologized, sliding into the empty chair. “I had to show Miss Bustier my progress for the class trip.”
There was silence, and then.
“What do you mean?”
“You know, my plans for the class trip. I’ve narrowed it down to a place and found a hotel that we could stay at, but I still need to figure out travel plans and the exact activities.” Marinette looked at the confused faces around her. Then a thought came to mind. “Am I late on this too?! Miss Bustier only brought it up to me at the end of last month, so I thought that I had plenty of time still but-”
“No it’s not that.” Kimberly said, cutting Marinette off from her panic. “It’s just that… class reps don’t plan out their class trips.”
Marinette blinked at the news. She had been class rep for the past two years. The first year, she didn’t have to be as in depth with the class trip. She proposed a general trip idea, fundraising ideas, and helped coordinate the fundraisers, but this year Miss Bustier said that class reps had to be more hands-on with the trip. The teacher had even given her a packet on the new rules.
“What do you mean? Yes they do. It’s in the newest handbook.”
“What handbook?”
Marinette dug in her book bag before pulling out the packet and handing it to Claude. He flipped through the pages, scanning them while a few other class reps looked over his shoulders. As he read, his frown deepened.
“This isn’t right. The handbook has been updated last year, but not in this way. It actually had deputies taking on more of the load to help lessen the stress of class reps, as well as a newly added duty to help plan out relaxation days throughout the year to try and lessen the chance of akumas during testing weeks. Where did you get this from?”
“Miss Bustier gave it to me and explained it all. She did say how class reps were now responsible for helping to lower the class’s stress.”
All of the class reps looked at each other, before Aurora finally spoke up.
“Marinette… I don’t know why Miss Bustier gave this to you, but it isn’t right. I don’t have the handbook on me right now but there is one in Ms. Meedeveli’s classroom that I can show you once we get back to the school.”
Marinette paused, before nodding and thanking the weather girl. Slowly the conservation changed to something else, but the bluenette’s mind couldn’t stop from drifting. Why would Miss Bustier give her the wrong packet? Maybe the school had made this version and then changed it, but didn’t inform the teacher of the change. Marinette did become class rep for the first time last year, so it is possible that Miss Bustier went and asked for the newest handbook early so that she could have it at the start of her role.
The pigtailed girl was finally able to relax. That had to be it. Miss Bustier thought that this was the correct version and just didn’t know. Once she gets the new copy, they can figure out how planning for the school trip should really go.
After lunch she walked back to school with all of the reps, and then split off from the group as she followed Aurora to Ms. Meedeveli’s room. The science teacher was already in the room, working on writing something on the board for the lesson later on.
“Good afternoon, Ms. Meedeveli. Do you have a copy of the class rep handbook?”
“Good afternoon to you too, and yes I do. It’s over on the wall next to the classroom rules.”
“Do you think Marinette can borrow it for the afternoon? There was a bit of a mix-up with the handbook in her homeroom.”
The teacher stiffened at that, and Marinette was worried that she would say no. Instead, once the woman realized the bluenette’s eyes on her, she shook her head.
“Go ahead. And feel free to keep it in your homeroom, Marinette. I can pick up another copy later. Just let me know if you need anything else.”
Once Aurora handed her a packet, a by far smaller one than the previous one, Marinette nodded.
“Thank you so much, Ms. Meedeveli. I’ll see you later in class.”
She gave her thanks to the blonde as well before walking out of the room, looking over the packet. She was in such a rush that she didn’t notice the usually strict teacher give her a look of pity.
As Marinette read through the packet, she felt less and less stressed already. It was definitely much different than the one she was given, and would absolutely help her catch up on all her other activities. Without having to plan the class trip, she would have so much more freetime. All she would have to do is tell Miss Bustier of the mix up and then she’ll be good.
She decided to wait until after school though, since class was about to start and she didn’t want to be the reason they had more makeup work. However, once class was over and she talked to Miss Bustier, she got a rude surprise.
“What do you mean this packet is wrong? I got this from Ms. Meedeveli’s room. All the other class reps said that the handbook you gave me was the wrong one.”
“Yes, the other class reps have a different handbook, but you need to follow the one I gave you. You’re my star student, Marinette. You can handle more work.”
“I can’t though.” Marinette nearly cried, before composing herself. “I’m really struggling with just homework with all the akumas interrupting class time. And the handbook you gave me said that Alya can’t even help me with all of these extra duties. I’m gonna fall behind at this rate.”
“Now Marinette, that would be your own fault. You need to manage your time better. Also you do need to help prevent akumas. That thing in the other handbook we can include in ours. I want you to plan a destressing activity for the class to do by the end of next week. We can do a different one every week to keep things different.”
Upon hearing that more work was being put onto her, she opened her mouth to refuse before being silenced.
“I really wouldn’t want to have a talk with your parents about you becoming a problem to our classroom, so make sure to keep up your good job as class rep okay?”
Miss Bustier was… threatening her? The bluenette was so shocked that she could only nod, numbly leaving the classroom. As soon as she turned the corner, she bumped into Alya.
“Oh. Hi, Alya.”
“Marinette… did Miss Bustier really say that?”
It was then that Marinette realized how shaken up her friend was.
“What do you mean?”
“She really-” Alya started, before looking at the direction to the classroom door in contemplation. It seemed like she made a decision, as she pulled Marinette away.
“We’re telling your parents. I can’t believe she said that to you.”
The bluenette got a sense of dread with Alya’s suggestion, realizing that Alya had heard some if not all of the conversation she just had. The reminder of Miss Bustier’s earlier threat rang in her mind.
“No. Miss Bustier-”
“She’s forcing you to do more work. Quite frankly, I was about to ‘accidentally’ hide some of the work I’ve been doing for the class trip in with your notes so that you’d actually be able to get some sleep. But now? I can’t just sit by and let this happen to my best friend.”
“But my parents won’t believe me.”
“Don’t you have both packets? Show that to your parents. Besides, it's the entire class’s words against Miss Bustier. Your parents will believe us.”
Marinette still didn’t like the sound of it. She’d never gone against her teacher before. But Alya was hard to stop once she got an idea in her head, so the bluenette was dragged to the bakery.
Her mom was handling the counter, and was finishing up checking out a customer. Once they left, she finally noticed them.
“Good afternoon girls. Feel free to take a pastry on your way up.”
“Actually Mlle. Cheng, we need to speak to you about something.”
“What is it?”
Alya nudged Marinette forward, but when it was clear that she wasn’t going to talk, Alya took charge. She grabbed the two different class rep handbooks, walking forward and giving them to the women.
“Miss Bustier has been forcing Marinette to take on more work as class rep. When Marinette asked her about it, she threatened to call you two up and tell you that she’s causing issues.”
Sabine blinked at Alya’s words, before her confusion was swapped for a blank stare. Her eyes shifted from the packets in her hands to her daughter.
“Marinette, is this true?”
“We-Well I mean, I’m sure Miss Bustier didn’t really mean-”
“Marinette. Please tell me the truth.”
Yep. Her mom was definitely mad at her. She sighed and decided to just take the bullet.
“It’s true, but I-”
“What has she been making you do?”
Marinette flinched at the anger sounding clearly in her mother’s tone. She looked down at her hands. Alya kept a hand on her shoulder to try and calm her. When it was clear that the bluenette had no intention of speaking, the blogger took over.
“She’s been forced to plan the whole class trip by herself. Where we’re going, the hotel we’re staying in, activities we’re doing, the exact travel plans, fundraising, all of that. I wasn’t even allowed to do any of the planning process with her.”
“Anything else?”
“I had to help with grading some things.” Marinette finally added, sighing in defeat. “I also had to help when Chloe acted up.” She leaned back into Alya’s touch, causing the redhead to wrap her arm around her and give her a tight squeeze.
Sabine looked between the two girls and then back at the packets in her hands. She frowned in thought at the clear size difference between the two.
“I’d take it that this is the real one?” She asked, holding up the smaller packet.
“That’s the one that the other class reps use. I got it from Ms. Meedevelei this afternoon.”
“I’m gonna look these over during my break. That will be in… thirty minutes. For now I think you two should grab a treat and relax upstairs. Would you two be okay staying here in case I need to ask you something else?”
The two girls nodded, grabbing a pastry and heading back and up to the apartment. Marinette fiddled with the hem of her jacket, thinking about what had just happened. Alya sighed and pulled her towards the chaise.
“Don’t worry, let your parents handle this.”
“But what if I get in trouble in school? Miss Bustier could do to Principal Damcoles and say that I’m not cooperating and-”
“And then everyone will tell him off if he tries to punish you. Miss Bustier threatened you. That’s a whole other thing to consider, above her dumping a bunch of work onto you and making you do it by yourself.” Alya scowled. “I don’t understand that part. Why did she not want me to help with anything?”
Marinette didn’t have an answer to that. If Miss Bustier truly wanted her to do all of these things, then having Alya help her would have made life so much easier. Why not let someone else who was willing to help take some work off her shoulders do it? The redhead shrugged and reached in her bookbag.
“I guess it doesn’t matter right now. I know your mom said to relax, but I also know you can’t do physics for the life of you so let me help you out while I can.”
The bluenette felt tears prick up at the offer of receiving help, but she quickly wiped those away before her friend could notice. They were so distracted with the work that they didn’t hear the muffled shouts from below.
“That woman did what?!”
“She threatened our daughter. All because Marinette asked her why the manual she was given as class rep was different from every other class reps’ handbook.”
The two adults were hard to anger. Their life was full of simple joys, being able to live peaceful lives despite running a business and being in a time when a magical terrorist was in their city. But let it not be said that they could never get angry. Because right now, the only other thought in their minds besides concern for their daughter was the anger towards the girl’s teacher.
“I want to talk to Miss Bustier today. I know that Alya can be dramatic sometimes, but Marinette would never lie. Especially with something like this.”
“We can close the bakery. I want to be there as well.”
Sabine thought about it for a moment before shaking her head.
“No. I’m just gonna do a phone call for now. Besides, we can’t just close the bakery today. I’ll update you once I’m done talking to her.”
She thought that it would be a fifteen minute phone call max. Just her asking to confirm things and then asking for them to be changed to how they should be. She didn’t expect Miss Bustier to try and defend herself. Yes, Marinette was a bright kid and an excellent student, but that didn’t mean that she should be doing the work of her teacher. The more she tried to defend her daughter, the more the teacher defended her own actions. Sabine ended the call more frustrated than before, and she decided to instead talk to Mr. Damocles. Because surely he would be able to correct the teacher? After all, what Ms. Bustier was doing was an abuse of her power.
Alas, Sabine ended her night early. Both adults saw it best to just close the bakery early. Heaven forbid if that principal or teacher decided to pay them a visit. The cup of chamomile tea was not helping her to calm down in the slightest, and her husband paced around as he ranted. The woman herself, while not outwardly expressing her thoughts, did silently stew on the issue.
How dare those people do this to her child. It wasn’t a big deal? It absolutely was. Neither parent had missed the way Marinette was getting more sluggish and tired. It was part of the reason why they had stopped making her work in the bakery as of late. All that extra work was affecting her studies and normal life, and neither of those adults cared? It was an outrage! But who else could she turn to?
It was then that an idea struck her. Sabine grinned, leaving her half finished tea on the table and walking off.
“Calling them back is not going to do anything. I think we need to go in person and demand that they stop this.”
“Oh, I’m not calling them. I have a better idea.”
If those two wouldn’t listen to her, then she would have to get someone who would make them see the error of their ways. Sabine sat down at the computer, typing out a very detailed email before sending it off. She continued to check her inbox throughout the weekend, waiting for a response, but there wasn’t one. Not until Sunday afternoon.
Dear Madame Cheng,
We have reviewed your complaints regarding Madame Bustier and Mister Damocles, and have officially filed for an investigation to take place. We will begin the investigation starting tomorrow, Monday XX/XXXX, and will inform you of any updates as well as the results. If you are worried about any misaction towards your daughter by Madame Bustier because of this investigation, please let us know. We will be happy to make arrangements for her to be situated in a different homeroom both during and after the course of this investigation.
We ask that you and your husband be available during some point this week for a meeting to discuss the problem more in depth. We will try our best to be courteous and inform you ahead of time when we will be paying you a visit. If you have anything urgent to report before our meeting, please do not hesitate to reach out either through email or using the phone number listed below. We promise you that your concerns will be taken seriously, and the investigation will not end until a solution is made.
Jon Garnier, Dupont School Board Member
Sabine smiled at the email once she finished reading it. It was done. With the school board involved, Miss Bustier would be forced to take off the workload from her daughter. She sent a response email to him, thanking him and informing him that he could come to the bakery at any time and she would be sure to be available to talk to him.
There were some other things, some very concerning things, that Alya had filled her and Tom in on Friday before the girl went home, but Sabine didn’t add those in. As awful as they were, they could wait to be discussed once she was face to face with someone.
Marinette was told that things were being handled, but the girl still seemed worried. She was given a choice to switch homerooms temporarily or even just stay home for a day or two, but she rejected both. Not only was Marinette behind on classwork, but she still needed to continue her class rep duties, even if her parents didn’t seem happy when she said that. Reluctantly, her parents sent her off to school on Monday.
Alya made sure to pick her up, trying to offer her support and then try to distract her with little success. It was very clear to anyone that Marinette had not gotten any rest, despite the reassurance from her parents and Alya. She was told not to do any of the class rep work and instead just relax and focus on her other school work, but she wasn’t able to feel calm. Her anxiety at what would happen now that her parents had talked to Miss Bustier and Mr. Damcoles kept her from sleeping. So she worked on not just all the extra class work, but also her guardian work. Tikki was not happy with her, but there was only so much that the kwami could do to stop her.
The two girls slowed down a bit as they approached their friends by the steps. Both boys eyed the bluenette with great concern with one of them being… a bit more dramatic about it.
“Marientte! What happened? Why do you look more tired now?”
The blond fretted, handing the cup of coffee he had to Nino to hold as he examined the girl, holding onto her face with one hand as he lightly touched the bags until her eyes with his finger.
“I couldn’t sleep.”
“Couldn’t sleep? You look more tired than I do when I have a night and morning shoot back to back. Maybe you should go home and rest for the day?”
“I can’t. I’m already behind on all my work. Besides, as class president it’s my duty to show up.”
The pigtailed girl couldn’t say it with as much conviction as she once might have, due to how much energy that would have taken. Even talking was just wearing her out. How she would be able to handle Chole’s inevitable fits, she didn’t know, or really care about right now. None of the trio were happy to hear that, and even the students who fluttered around looked at the girl with a mix of concern and pity.
Adrien had always wanted to be able to have a straight conversation with the budding designer. One where she wouldn’t be so flustered that she would have to run off. But if she would have to be like this for him to get that? He would have never wished for it. For now he turned and took the coffee cup back from Nino to hand it to the girl.
“Here you go. If you refuse to go home then at least have this.”
The small smile she gave him was genuine, and Adrien only wished that it had come at a time when she wasn’t so tired.
“Thank you. I need to get some things done before class starts.” Before anyone could stop her, Marinette started her walk up the stairs. Alya was immediately on her trail.
“She’s wearing herself out. I want to be able to help her more but…” The blond murmured, wishing that he knew what was happening to her. He knew that she was stressed out, but surely there had to be something else he could do besides keeping her caffeinated. Nino patted his shoulder, still looking at where the girls disappeared off to.
“You’re doing what you can. Besides, Alya’s figured things out.”
“Figured what out? Marinette is still… like that.”
“She didn’t tell you? With the way Alya went off in the group chat and then to me, I thought for sure you would have known.”
Alya did what? Adrien had been on his phone, and he hadn’t noticed any messages coming in at all. Checking his texts, the last message from the class chat had been someone commenting on Marinette’s behavior, but it was just a message of concern from Rose. Nothing from Alya. Nino looked over his shoulder and let out an oh.
“You must not have been added to the chat. Here, let me do that real quick.”
In a few seconds, a request to join a group chat came in. Clicking accept, he quickly scrolled to the top of the conversation before pausing. He blinked once, twice, then screamed.
“She did WHAT to Marinette?!”
“Yeah, it happened on Friday. Alya overheard it and went to Marinette’s parents. They-” Nino went on, but Adrien drowned him out.
He couldn’t believe it. He knew that Marinette was stressed out about her class rep position and he saw how Miss Bustier treated Marinette sometimes, but this? That woman just decided to threaten her? A growl sounded out, and it barely registered in his mind that it came from him.
“That’s it. I don’t care what I have to do, I’m-”
“Adrien.” Nino said, grabbing onto his shoulders and snapping him out of his thoughts. “You need to calm down. Trust me, everyone is upset about this, but you can’t get akumatized.”
He tried to calm himself, but it was hard. This whole time this was happening without him knowing. He was a failure to his princess, his everyday Ladybug. Did his partner have something like this happening in her life and he was failing her too? He knew that she was more tired lately, due to having more work in her civilian life on top of guardian work but she didn’t give specifics. He had tried offering to do some of the guardian work too, but she had declined citing how it would be too dangerous to do it in the open and they had nowhere private to go. Maybe he should have pushed more?
“Dude, calm down.” He instructed again, once again jostling him from his thoughts. “Alya already told Marinette’s parents. They have things covered.”
The question of “how” popped into his mind, but before he could voice it he spotted two adults walking up the steps. Adults who he did not recognize, but felt like they held an air of authority to them.
“Trust me,” Nino said, and it was then that the blonde noticed his friend’s knowing look. “They have things covered.”
Adrien knew that there was something else to Nino’s words, but decided against asking exactly what. For now he would simply keep a closer eye on both Marinette and Miss Bustier. No one would be allowed to hurt his princess on his watch.
Inside the school, whispers had already begun. There had already been some talk about the bluenette before. With her being one of the only two people in the akuma class who hasn’t gotten akumatized yet, they figured that the noticeable stress she was under would due her in.
But now the whispers were revolving around the reason for the two adults who entered the building. A man and a woman, both dressed in business attire and wearing the same stern expression. They came in to get answers, and they would get just that.
Walking straight to Mr. Damocles' office, they gave a sharp knock before letting themselves in. The man, for his part, seemed confused by someone bursting into his office. His confusion quickly turned to concern as he recognized the people standing before him.
“We’re here from the school board. There’s been a recent complaint filed and we will be investigating it.” The woman’s tone left no room for an argument. “I’ll be discussing this issue with you while Mr. Garnier does an observation in one of your classrooms. Depending on what happens, we may have to pull some students out of class to ask them a few questions.”
Mr. Damocles only had enough time to realize what the recent complaint was before the man walked out. The woman sat down in the chair across his desk, setting a file in front of him.
“So, tell me about your response to the mistreatment of one Miss Marinette Dupain Cheng?”
There would be no use lying. As required with all staff members, their school issued phones recorded every phone call that took place on them. It was meant to protect them if a parent tries to deny something that they said over the call, but in this case it would be used against him. He cleared his throat, trying to figure out a way to save himself. He remembered that last time these people came in they said that then was his final warning, but surely he would be fine. He was an excellent principal, and this issue wasn’t big enough for him to be fired, surely. So he began his defense.
~~~~~~~~~~
Mr. Gariner walked through the hallway, trusting that Mrs. Monet would be able to handle things. She was slightly biased in this case, as she had a soft spot for the victims in cases like this, but she was a professional above all else so she should be able to prove well into finding out exactly what Mr. Damocles’ thoughts were.
Truthfully, they should have done an investigation at this school sooner. They had seen the news reports about the students in this class, but since Hawkmoth was a new thing they had waited. He took his victims by using their emotions against them, and since uncontrolled emotions tended to run higher among adolescents they didn’t push investigating directly as their top priority.
They had simply decided to send an email and request that something was done within the classrooms to allow for some form of relaxation or meditation to be done. That had gotten accepted without any issues, and they foolishly had allowed their attention to relax from the school. But now they noticed the repeated pattern of akumas forming from one specific class, and something had to be done.
Even without Madame Cheng’s email, they would have been investigating Miss Bustier and her class anyways. Of course, what was said in that email worried them. From what it sounded like, it seemed like Miss Bustier was fostering her work onto a student. That would be bad enough, but threatening said student to continue doing the work was an extra layer that they would have to address.
For now he tried to clear his thoughts, knocking once on the classroom door before walking in. The students were all whispering to themselves, but stopped once they saw his presence. He simply ignored them, turning to the confused teacher.
“My apologies for interrupting your classroom, Madame. The school board sent me to do your regular classroom observation.” It wasn’t true, but it would at least help to make her not mask her true behavior as much. That didn’t mean she wouldn’t be showing off her real behavior though. She seemed a bit flustered, but nodded nonetheless. “I’ll just be sitting in the back. Please just go on with your lessons as you normally would.”
Without another word, he walked up the stairs and took a seat in the very back. The woman eyed him wearily, but called the class to attention anyways. Throughout the morning, he noticed all the students at some point or another looking back at him.
The one that caught his attention though was one blonde student in the front. Not because he was looking at him, but because he was turning around to look at another student. Marinette Dupain Cheng, he had to presume. He did see her photo when looking into her file, but even without that he could tell that she was the student whose parents had made the complaint. The amount of papers that were on her desk, as well as how the other students occasionally looked over to her in concern was enough of an indicator.
There were no major issues that had popped up, but there were a few times when he noticed Miss Bustier looking at Marinette. The first came when another student (Chloe Bourgeois, he remembered her from numerous reports before) made an insult to the girl. Instead of calling the student out, Miss Bustier looked over to Marinette and waited. When nothing happened, she opened her mouth before looking back at him and closing it again. Whatever she was going to say was instead replaced with her continuing the lesson as if nothing had happened.
There were a few other times, when she mentioned the graded homework and a quiz and she looked over to the girl, only to quickly say that she would be passing them back tomorrow. He caught her looking back at him then too. It happened several other times, one notable one being when she mentioned the class’s end of the year trip. The way Marinette’s body stiffened when the teacher commented that all plans would be finished and presented on Friday was noticeable to everyone but the teacher.
Another thing he noticed was the same blonde boy from before making to stand up, only for his desk mate to pull him back down and shake his head. It was easy enough to tell why he did that when they both looked back at him. He didn’t know if it was out of fear that they would be punished or if they were hoping he would do something.
He was going to do something, of course, Mr. Gariner would never allow for this kind of treatment to continue past today, but he was required to wait until the students left before talking to Miss Bustier directly about these issues. Of course, that didn’t mean that he wasn’t doing anything right now.
A few quick emails and texts got sent out and exchanged. Another member of the school board would be coming to help with asking the students and other teachers some questions regarding both Miss Bustier and Mr. Damocles. The principal had been warned not even a few months ago that he needed to have better control on his students and staff members.
Those issues had all stemmed from one Miss Bourgeois who had caused issues and hurt students all while never facing any consequences. He was warned to not let a student get out of trouble by threatening to call her father. He was even told that if the mayor tried to actually follow through on the threats his daughter made, that he would be abusing his power and would be kicked out of his position.
They hadn’t received any complaints since then, but it was a wonder if students had been making them and they never got received. That thought was also troubling. Not all people would consider turning to the school board for issues, not at first anyways. Contacting the teacher or principal was what families were encouraged to do. The issue needed to first be, or at least, attempted to be, dealt with at the school level before going up to the school board after all.
It was meant to stop unneeded cases from clogging up and stopping them from being able to work on more pressing issues, but it could be possible that people didn’t bother trying to contact them. It could be that they were promised that everything would be settled, or even that the school board wouldn’t be able to help out anyways. Another thought was that they could have been threatened as well. If Miss Bustier made a threat to her one student without a second thought, was it possible that other students were coerced into keeping quiet?
Once the bell rang for lunch, all the students were packing up and Miss Bustier said one final thing.
“Marinette, please stay behind for a few minutes.”
Those words caused everyone in the class to stop what they were doing and look between the two. The tension was noticeable, and Mr. Gariner decided to settle things. Walking down the steps and towards the front, he addressed the teacher, not even having to raise his voice to be heard by the rest of the students in the pressing silence.
“Actually, Miss Bustier, I need to discuss some things with you.” When she opened her mouth to refute, he pressed on. “You can discuss whatever it is with your student later on.”
Seeing how he wasn’t going to budge, Miss Bustier nodded. Marinette quickly walked out, the rest of the students following right behind her. Closing the door after the last student walked out he waited a few moments just to make sure that no one else was going to come in before turning to address the teacher.
“Please take a seat. This will be a long discussion.”
~~~~~~~~~~
Marinette was freaking out. Not only did she not get the chance to hand Miss Bustier the homework and quizzes she helped to grade and would be getting in trouble for that, but she also would need to finalize everything for the class trip before Friday. Even with all the work she did over the weekend, she still wasn’t close to done.
She hadn’t been able to book anything since she wasn’t an adult, and even if she could bug her parents to help she wouldn’t be able to since they wouldn’t be going on the trip and whoever booked things had to be in attendance.
That left the only choice being Miss Bustier. She debated sending her an email, but Tikki had actually been able to stop her from doing that, unplugging the computer and causing enough commotion that her parents came up and brought her downstairs to get away from the work laid out on her desk. Her hope was to ask the teacher before class but then she didn’t come into class until the start time. And she wasn’t able to meet with Miss Bustier during lunch since then the man from the school board needed to talk to her, so she would have to put it off until after school.
Right now Alya was dragging her off outside the school and towards her house. She didn’t register the conversation that Nino and Adrien were having behind them. It was when she almost stumbled and felt arms wrapping around her body to keep her upright, while she could see Alya bending down to pick up her dropped items, that she realized they were outside the bakery’s doors.
“Okay. You’re eating lunch and then you’re gonna relax. Maybe you should take a nap too.”
“Adrien?” She tried to turn to look at him, but his arms pulling her back to be flushed with his chest prevented her from being able to do more than glance at him from the corner of her vision.
“You need to let her go dude. Unless you want to carry her inside.”
There was a pause, and it seemed for a second like he was actually going to do it. As he was adjusting his arms, Alya stopped him.
“Let’s just let Marinette walk. We’re here anyway.”
Adrien did let her go enough for her to walk forward, but kept his hand ghosting her back. The four walked in and headed up into the main part of the house. Marinette was sat down on the couch, held down by Adrien when she tried to grab the papers Alya was still holding.
“I need to work on the rest of the arrangements for the class trip.”
“Nope. That’s not your job.” Alya said, leaving no room for argument. Before Marinette could try though, the blogger walked out of the room with Nino in tow.
“Everything will be okay.” She turned and blinked at Adrien, who was still holding her. “I won’t let Miss Bustier hurt you again. I promise.”
“What do you-”
“I heard about Miss Bustier threatening you. I don’t care how I do it, I promise you I won’t let her get away with that.”
Marinette turned to better face him. Half of her brain was trying to mentally arrange things for the class trip while the other half was too tired to fully comprehend what all was happening. It still hadn’t even processed the fact that Adrien was going to carry her earlier. Before she could even attempt to understand what he was telling her now and how he knew, Alya and Nino walked back in with a bunch of food.
“You’re going to eat then you’re gonna take a nap until lunch is over.”
“But I need to get back to school before lunch is over.” If she was lucky, Miss Bustier would be done talking to the man from the school board. Then she could try and get things figured out in time for Friday.
“Eat. Then sleep.”
Alya pushed the plate of food onto her lap. Deciding that she could just sneak out after she got done eating, Marinette began to eat the sandwich Alya had made. During the whole time they ate, their eyes kept drifting back to Marinette. As soon as she was done eating and made to stand, they acted.
Marinette’s brain was able to conjure up the question of if all her friends were physic or if they had discussed this plan in front of her and she just didn’t realize it, because they all acted in sync. Nino grabbed her plate and cup from her hands, moving out of the way while Adrien pulled her down to lay on the couch. Alya threw a blanket over her body and adjusted it as a pillow got placed under her head.
“Nap time.”
“But-”
“You will be stuck here until the end of lunch either way. You might as well just sleep.”
Marinette let out a huff, making to move only for a hand to press her down. She looked up at Adrien’s face as he loomed over her.
“I will lay on you if you try to resist Marinette.”
That reminded her of Chat Noir. Even though he had canceled group patrols, and he took over her solo ones, she had decided to go out for one last weekend. She couldn’t help herself. She was anxious and just wanted to go out for a little bit. Still, once he realized she was out and hadn’t slept at all, he ran off before returning with a pillow and blankets. Somehow she ended up wrapped up in what she could only refer to as a blanket burrito with a pillow under her head and Chat Noir laying on top of her. She had fallen asleep to the sound of his purring.
Of course there was no way that Adrien would do that. But he did. As soon as she tried to sit up again, he laid his chest on top of her’s. He was still kneeling on the ground, so it wasn’t all of his body on top of her, but it was enough weight that it kept her from moving.
“Sleep.” He said, turning his head to look at her. His breathing began to slow, and her body mimicked it without thinking. Soon she was out like a light. He didn’t want to move, but slowly lifted himself off her.
“How did you do that?” Nino asked, his voice in a whisper to keep the girl asleep.
“I read that if you are with someone you both subconsciously match your breathing to theirs.”
He didn’t say it, but he had specifically looked it up on the off chance that he would have to help Ladybug fall asleep without being transformed. His purring only happened in suit, after all. Before anything else could be said, Madame Cheng walked into the room. Adrien quickly leaned back, hoping that she didn’t notice him laying on top of her daughter. She opened her mouth to speak, but the three teens shushed her and waved her off. The woman smiled to see her daughter asleep, but the expression slowly dropped.
“You three are wanted downstairs.”
“For what?”
Adrien resisted the urge to lay back down on top of Marinette and hold onto her. She was finally sleeping, and he wasn’t about to let her have any chance of waking up from her nap too soon.
“There’s someone from the school board who is interviewing the students in your class. She was interviewing me and Tom, but when I mentioned the four of you being here she said she wanted to interview you all now.”
“At the same time?”
“No. Tom and I went separately, so I imagine it would be the same for you three.”
“You two go down. I’ll wait here until one of you gets done.”
Even if Adrien wasn’t the one to watch over Marinette the whole time, he could at least make sure she stayed asleep while Alya and Nino got interviewed. They nodded, and soon Adrien was left alone. He waited a few seconds before laying his head back onto the girl’s chest, smiling as he closed his eyes.
“Oh Plagg, I don’t know what you’re talking about. Marinette is just a very good friend.”
Adrien let out a huff before looking up and glaring at his kwami. He really didn’t want to argue today, so he tried to close his eyes and ignore the god.
“If you think that will stop me, kid, you’re wrong. I-” Whatever Plagg was about to say was cut off. Adrien opened his eyes and looked up, to see him sporting a look of worry. Slowly lifting his head off Marinette’s chest and turned to look off where the kwami was starring. Nothing was there.
“Is something wrong?” He asked, turning back around. What Adrien did not realize was that Tikki was floating right behind him, giving Plagg her signature death glare.
My bug has had no rest at all. Her eyes said. If you stop her from being able to sleep because you’re too busy teasing your kitten and wake her up then I won’t hesitate to end you.
“Nothing.” Plagg said out loud, not wanting to unleash Tikki’s wrath. He was concerned for her bug too, which was why he was trying to get his oblivious holder to realize his feelings so that she would be cared for on both sides of the mask. Of course, he could do that later when he wasn’t at risk of being destroyed.
Confused, but deciding not to question it, Adrien laid his head back down and shut his eyes, falling asleep to the sounds of her gentle breaths.
~~~~~~~~~~
The first thing that Marinette noticed when she woke up, was the voices drifting into the room. She sat up and looked around, confused as to what she was doing in her living room. She turned around and looked over the couch in time to see her papa coming into the room with another woman.
“I guess she woke up.” Her papa said, before addressing her. “Marinette, this is Mrs. Blanchet. She’s from the school board and is here to ask you some questions.”
Marinette was immediately confused and also worried. She noticed the woman’s professional attire and immediately went to smooth out her messy hair. Mrs. Blanchet didn’t seem to care though, as she walked over and took a seat on the chair across from the couch, not once giving any judgemental looks.
“Sorry about my appearance.” Marinette muttered.
“It’s quite alright. I’ve heard from your friends that you haven’t been able to rest, so it’s good that you got some sleep at least.”
She had spoken to her friends? The questions continued to build up. She knew that there was a man from the school board who was speaking to Miss Bustier, but that didn’t explain why there was this woman here and why she would speak to her friends. The answer finally snapped into place with the next thing she said.
“So, Ms. Dupain Cheng, please tell me about your experience with Mlle. Bustier. And please, be honest.”
~~~~~~~~~~~
“Is she okay?”
“Relax, dude, her parents are with her.”
“But she should have been done by now.”
The trio had long finished their interviews with Mrs. Blanchet and were sent back to school. Miss Bustier wasn’t in class, but a sub was brought in to cover for her. Mr. Fournier was allowing them to work quietly together on the assignment, or really was just letting them have some time to discuss what was going on.
He knew that there would be whispering and notes being passed anyways, so it was better to simply let them go ahead with it so they could not feel so anxious about things. Besides, a few students were still out doing their interviews. It wouldn’t be fair to teach with several students missing due to the investigation.
“Should we call her?”
“Adrien, she is fine. We asked her parents to call us if something bad happens, remember?”
It was the only way they were able to get Adrien to leave the bakery. Even telling him that his father would be upset to find him skipping out on class didn’t get him moving. The two bespeckled teens tried to keep Adrien distracted with the worksheet they were giving, but his eyes kept snapping to the door each time it opened.
More students returned, none of them being Marinette, and Adrien was at the point of considering if he could run out of the room and to the bakery without being pulled back by Nino. So far the only three students out of the room were the bluenette, Chloe, and Sabrina.
But then Sabrina came back, and quietly explained to Mr. Fournier that Chloe wouldn’t be returning to class today. Adrien assumed that it was because Chloe didn’t want to bother returning to class, but if he was paying attention he might have noticed Sabrina’s wide eyes and flustered tone. As if she was just exposed to some harsh truth and still trying to comprehend it.
By the time the door came open again, Adrien was standing up to run to the bakery. As soon as he spotted the familiar pigtails, he got in front of the girl and hugged her as quickly as he could.
“Is everything okay? Are you feeling a bit better now?”
Marinette, for her part, did get enough rest to comprehend some things. Not enough for her to be flustered around Adrien yet, but enough to realize how he got to her so quickly.
“Did you just… jump over your desk?”
“Dude.” Nino muttered, head in his hands.
“Um… no?” It was more of a question, because Adrien truly didn’t know if he did that or not.
“Please sit down. I need to make an announcement to the class.”
It was then that Adrien realized that Marinette wasn’t walking in alone. Behind her was another woman, one who he hadn’t seen before. It also registered in his mind that if he really did jump over a desk, not only did this woman see it but the rest of the class also did. He quietly went back to his seat, but not before making sure Marinette got seated in hers.
“My name is Mrs. Monet and I am a member of the school board. As you know, we have been asking you questions regarding your teacher and your time here at Francoise Dupont. The school board doesn’t like to make rushed decisions, but we feel like this decision will be best for the students and other members of this school’s safety.” She took a pause before continuing. “Miss Bustier will no longer be your teacher.”
Before, if someone were to say that to the class, they would all be devastated and demand answers. However they had seen how she’s been to Marinette over the past couple weeks. Not just that, but once they heard about her threatening Marinette a lot of the love and respect they felt towards the teacher was burned out. Mrs. Monet had been expecting them not to be upset, and continued on with her speech.
“I am sure you might be confused as to what is happening, but I assure you that the school board makes all of its decisions with the school’s wellbeing in mind. We will be ensuring that this choice doesn’t harmfully impact your education. Mr. Fournier will be taking over as your sub for the rest of the school year. I do ask you to please be patient with getting answers to the questions that I’m sure all of you have.
“We cannot give out full details of an investigation without permission from several people, and that only can happen after the investigation is fully finished. Of course, if you do have questions you need answered you may contact me and any of the other two school board members who you’ve seen today with the emails we’ve provided you. We will be happy to answer your questions if we are able to.
“It is also decided that since the decision to remove Miss Bustier as a teacher here is affecting multiple classes, that tomorrow will be an optional school day. Students may come in to work on school work or just hang out. However you will be required to come within the first hour of school and stay the whole day if you do wish to come here. It is to ensure all of your safety. Your parents have already been notified and told that they will receive a call just to confirm that you aren’t coming to school. If you have any more questions regarding that, you can ask Mr. Fournier for more details.
“Another change that is taking place is that your principal is also being removed.” This caused whispers of confusion to sprout up, but they quickly died down when the woman raised her hand. “We unfortunately cannot say much about this other than he was breaking some rules and had to be terminated. An official announcement regarding that will be made once the investigation is finished. I wish you all a good rest of your day, and if you have anything else you need to ask or have to tell us please reach out to any of the members you have seen today.”
With that, Mrs. Monet walked out and allowed the class to finally speak what was on everyone’s mind.
“This is my fault.”
Well, clearly one student didn’t share the same thoughts as everyone else. All eyes immediately turned towards Marinette, who looked very upset at the current news. Which didn’t make sense given what had happened to her just last week.
“Marinette, no it’s not.”
“But, Miss Bustier-”
“Did you ask to have all that work dumped on you? To be threatened?” Adrien said, eye flashing with rage. A pat from within his pocket, unknown to anyone else in class, reminded him to take a deep breath and calm down.
“But what about the class trip? I still needed to get things booked.”
“Don’t worry, Miss Dupain Cheng. As your current homeroom teacher, I’ll be handling things. Everything will be fine. As for you, I think that it would be a good idea for you to take a break being class representative so that you can focus on your school work and your other activities. Your class deputy can take over for a few weeks, and can appoint someone to help her temporarily as well.”
In the back of her mind, Marinette knew that what the man was saying was supposed to lift a burden off her shoulders. After all, she had been wanting a break for weeks now. But right now it felt like all the work she had done up to this point was all for nothing.
“But, what about the plans I’ve already made? All that was left was to book things and get them approved?”
Mr. Fournier paused in consideration. It would be wrong to use work that a child was forced to do, but it was clear that it could cause the bluenette more distress if all of her work was for not.
“See me on Wednesday. I’ll have to reach out to the school board to ensure that it is okay, but if you wish we can take your plans and implement them without you having to do all of the work. For now you all can just finish up on the worksheet I gave you and then have quiet conversations. If you need anything feel free to ask.”
Alya handed Marinetted a worksheet but less for the reason of working on it and more just so she wouldn’t forget about grabbing one later. Right now she wanted to check in on her.
“Miss Bustier had this coming to her.” Alya didn’t let Marinette try and defend that woman. “She was the one who purposely dumped her work onto you. Not just that, but she refused to let anyone else help you out. Then she decided to threaten you whenever you were politely trying to figure out the truth. Whatever happens to her is on her.”
Adrien and Nino nodded, and the rest of the class would have agreed but were pretending that they weren’t eavesdropping to try and give her some privacy. Marinette didn’t seem so sure, and the rest of the class all came to the silent collective decision that they would make sure Marinette wasn’t hurt from this.
~~~~~~~~~~
Before the end of the week they found out that Chloe got expelled. Turns out all the threats she gave to both staff and students alike was enough to seal her fate. Her father tried to fight it, but there wasn’t a lot that could be done with all the evidence. In fact, he was too busy trying to save himself from being exposed of him abusing his power at the school to worry about abusing it even more.
Another two weeks passed before they found out why Mr. Damocles was fired. Besides just ignoring Chloe’s behavior and Miss Bustier’s abuse, he had also been stealing the school’s money. Turns out the pay of being a principal alone couldn’t afford him all the comic books and fancy gadgets he wanted to become The Owl.
It took a few weeks for Marinette to feel okay about things. Tikki adamantly went through, relaying out what responsibility meant for her to ensure that Marinette would take care of herself. Adrien, Alya, and Nino all distracted her when she got doubt that it was her fault more than Miss Bustier’s, and all made sure that she got plenty of rest.
With all the rest she was getting she was finally able to go on patrols again with Chat’s approval. That still didn’t mean that he didn’t wrap her up in a blanket and make her take a nap instead of patrolling some days, but Marinette found that falling asleep to his purrs made her feel more relaxed so she was okay with it.
It was two months after the whole debacle, when Marinette was made to nap before a study session with her three friends only to wake up to the purring coming from a different blonde boy, that she realized something else. A quick freak out, the two hiding in the bathroom whilst Alya and Nino looked at each other confused from their spots in the living room, and Adrien decided that he really wasn’t going to let Marinette go. Like, literally.
“Adrien.”
“No.”
Marinette sighed, deciding to just lean back into him. He immediately burrowed his face into the crook of her neck, and it was only due to her slowly slipping out her exhausted mindstate and being able to be calm around him during that time that she wasn’t a completely flustered mess. Oh, she was still blushing hardcore, but at least she wasn’t squealing like a kettle.
Alya and Nino could only stare at the two, who had emerged from the bathroom with Adrien carrying Marinette before the blond sat her down between his legs. After a few moments, Alya was able to speak.
“So… are you two dating now or?”
“Engaged, actually.”
“I don’t remember you proposing.”
“I would say married, but just because we act like a married couple doesn’t mean that we are legally married yet.”
“We’re fourteen.”
“... I can wait.”
#miraculous fanfiction#miraculous ladybug fanfic#mlb marinette#marinette dupain cheng#Ms. Bustier Salt#mlb salt#Alya sugar#protective adrien agreste
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Vampire!Adrien Adrienette: Bite Me: Chapter Three
For @miraculousfanworks Monster May 2022.
Summary: Adrien knows he’s forbidden to bite anyone expect for his mate, but, in an emergency, he ends up drinking Marinette’s blood…and realizing that his feelings for her haven’t been platonic in a long time. Now, if only he could convince her that his love is real and not the result of their intimate feeding session.
Read it on AO3: Bite Me: Chapter Three
Nino arched an eyebrow at Adrien the next morning before class. “You waiting for someone, Mec? You keep looking at the door whenever someone comes in.”
Adrien fidgeted in his seat, letting his anxiety get the best of him. “Marinette’s running late today.”
“What else is new?” Alya chuckled fondly from the row behind. “Did you want to see her for something, Sunshine?”
He took a deep breath and tried to stop squirming, but it was a losing battle. “I just need to know that she’s okay.”
Alya and Nino exchanged intrigued glances at this development.
“Why wouldn’t she be?” Alya cautiously inquired.
Adrien shrugged, avoiding her gaze so that she wouldn’t see the guilt dripping off of him. “I was talking to her last night, and she was feeling a little under the weather, so I’m just kind of concerned.”
With a fond smile, Nino reached out and rested a hand on Adrien’s shoulder. “Hey, it’s okay, mon pote. I’m sure it was nothing serious, and she’s probably running late because she overslept again. I know it’s hard, but try not to worry, okay?”
Adrien inhaled slowly and nodded, giving his best friend an anemic smile. “Yeah. You’re probably right. I’m just stressing for nothing.”
Alya and Nino both nodded encouragingly.
“There you go, Mec.” Nino gave Adrien’s shoulder a pat before withdrawing his hand.
Just then, Marinette burst into the classroom in a whirlwind.
Her complexion was a little waxy, and her hair was tossed up in a sloppy bun. She didn’t look like she was quite on top of her game.
“I’m here!” she gasped, nearly tripping over her own feet as she stumbled towards her desk.
Adrien’s heart plummeted as a wave of self-hatred crashed into him, and his brain began to rail against him for not being able to control himself and for hurting Marinette.
“Hey, Bestie,” Alya greeted, rolling her eyes affectionately at her mess of a best friend. “You look like crap. Not feeling well today?”
“What?!” Marinette squeaked, casting a nervous glance at Adrien. “No! I’m totally fine. I just overslept, so I got ready in a rush,” she insisted, setting her things down.
Alya easily shrugged it off. “If you say so. Cute scarf, by the way.”
Adrien winced as Marinette self-consciously touched the strip of fabric hiding the marks that his fangs had left behind.
“Uh…thanks.” Marinette gave an uneasy chuckle. “I was just thinking the other day that I should wear scarves more. I mean, they’re super in right now, so I pulled out my collection this morning.”
“You’re totally rocking it, ma pote,” Nino assured, giving Marinette a thumbs up.
Adrien nodded, timidly adding, “You look really cute today.”
Her pale cheeks regained a bit of life in them at his compliment, and Marinette gave him a shy smile. “Thank you. You guys are too sweet.”
She went to sit but stumbled, suddenly losing her balance.
Alya gasped as Marinette’s hands shot out to catch herself.
Adrien was out of his seat and steadying her in seconds as their classmates all chattered their concern at once.
Marinette grimaced as her vision cleared and she realized what a fright she’d given everyone.
“I’m okay, guys,” she insisted, shooting everyone reassuring looks. “I just felt a little lightheaded all of the sudden.”
The rest of the class was mostly appeased by this declaration. They kept an eye on her but slowly went back to their own seats and side conversations.
Alya and Nino remained unconvinced while Adrien was practically beside himself in a well-concealed panic.
Marinette caught the turmoil in his eyes and increased the effort she was putting into her smile as she rested her hands on his biceps.
“Really, I’m fine. I promise,” she soothed.
He shook his head, internally cursing himself for what he had done. “No, you’re not.”
“Adrien,” she sighed, beginning to roll her eyes when her legs abruptly gave out on her. “Oh!”
Everyone was on their feet in alarm again as Adrien caught Marinette with a yelp.
“I’m f-fine!” she insisted in a shaky voice as she gripped Adrien’s arms for support.
“I’m taking you home to rest,” Adrien announced in a tone that brooked no argument.
He eased Marinette down into her seat, letting Alya supervise her as he quickly gathered both of their things.
“Adrien,” Marinette sighed in a feeble attempt at protest.
Alya rubbed a gentle circle on Marinette’s back as she clicked her tongue. “Honey, let him take you home. You really don’t look good.”
“I’m fine,” Marinette repeated in a whimper as tears of frustration trickled down her cheeks.
“You need some help, Mec?” Nino offered, but Adrien shook his head.
“I’m stronger than I look,” he assured. “Thanks, though.”
Once Adrien was loaded up, he swept Marinette into a bridal carry in one fluid motion, earning a squeak from Marinette and impressed whispers from their classmates.
“Oh my God. Adrien, put me down,” Marinette groaned as she looped her arms around his neck and tried not to squirm as he carried her out of the classroom.
“You just almost passed out twice,” he replied through clenched teeth. “Like hell I’m letting you walk down the stairs and across the street on your own.”
Her rebuttal of “I made it all the way to the classroom on my own” died in her throat.
Cowed, Marinette buried her face in his neck. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to make you angry.”
“I’m not mad at you,” he sighed as he carried her down the steps. “…I’m mad at me.”
“Why?” she inquired, totally mystified.
“Because this is all my fault,” he muttered ruefully.
“Adrien, no,” she cooed, giving his neck a nuzzle. “Please don’t blame yourself. This is my fault.”
“Forgive me if I don’t believe that,” he sulked, making his way across the courtyard.
She lifted her head and scanned their surroundings for witnesses. “Look. I’m feeling lightheaded because I didn’t eat anything after last night, not because you bit me.”
He blinked quizzically. “You didn’t eat breakfast?”
Sheepishly, she averted her eyes. “I kind of slept through my alarm and didn’t grab anything on the way out the door. So, this is my fault because I didn’t take care of myself.”
He gazed at her thoughtfully as he descended the front steps and crossed the street to the bakery.
He pursed his lips. “…Then…I’ll take care of you.”
Her eyes widened as a rosy stain lit up her cheeks. “Y-You’ll what?”
“I’ll take care of you,” he repeated, heading for the side door. “I’ll make you something to eat to help you regain your strength.”
She blinked in surprise. “You can cook?”
He winced, face pinking. “I mean…it can’t be that hard. Between me, Plagg, and the internet, I think we can figure out how to make you some scrambled eggs or something.”
Marinette tried not to laugh in his face as she thought, “They’re going to burn the house down.”
She took a deep breath and rested her head on his shoulder once more as he carried her up to the apartment. “I’m really sorry, Adrien. I should have been more careful. I’m sorry for scaring you and making you feel like you did something wrong. I promise I’ll do better next time.”
“Next time?” He balked, taken aback. “Marinette, there can’t be a ‘next time’. I did do something wrong.”
“No,” she stressed. “You didn’t.”
With a sigh of frustration, she opened her mouth and bit him on the neck, making him yelp and almost trip on the stairs.
“There,” she announced imperiously. “Now, we’re even, so you can stop beating yourself up about it already.”
His heart fluttered as his brain tried to catch up. It was too busy cataloguing the feeling of her teeth on him and spinning various scenarios in which she would pin him down and bite him again.
“I don’t mind,” Marinette whispered, yanking him back into the present. “Like I said last night, there may come a time where you don’t have a choice and you need to feed again. Paris is counting on you, so you need to take care of yourself.”
She took a deep breath before quietly confessing, “I want to take care of you.”
His heart did a backflip, and a dozen butterflies took off in his stomach.
A pleasant shiver ran all the way from his head to his pelvis as he realized how much the girl in his arms meant to him.
Like he’d confessed the night before, she was special to him…but now he was finally realizing just how special.
He wasn’t sure how long he had felt this way, but he knew for certain now what these feelings were.
He was in love with her.
Adrien loved Marinette Dupain-Cheng.
He swallowed hard as he gently set her down on the couch. “Stay here while I make you some food, Princess. Don’t move, okay?”
Marinette rolled her eyes and blew out a sigh. “Chaton, you don’t need to baby me. I’m fine. Seriously.”
“I can’t help it,” he chuckled, pressing a quick kiss to her temple. “I don’t know. This is probably going to sound weird, but, I feel like I have some kind of bond with you after last night. Feeding from humans is taboo unless it’s with your mate, so…I don’t know if what we did changed some of the wiring in my brain, but…I’m feeling super protective of you.”
She gulped, her whole face flushing as panic flooded her features. “You what?”
Wincing, he pulled back and slowly backed away towards the kitchen. “Sorry if I’m making things awkward. I just don’t want to lie to you, especially if you’re so adamant about helping me in the future. I don’t want to take advantage of your kindness.”
She shook her head, slowly catching up with the conversation. “Adrien, you’re fine. I mean, it’s not your fault that your brain is making you feel that way. It’s not awkward, and you’re not taking advantage. I—”
“—Marinette?” he tentatively cut her off in a small voice.
She blinked, head tipping to the side. “Yes?”
He swallowed hard. “I think…”
He took a breath and tried again, knowing he couldn’t keep his feelings a secret. “Marinette…I’m in love with you.”
She stared at him for a moment as he tried not to tremble in fear of losing her.
She looked like she wanted to say something but then thought better of it.
She exhaled slowly and shook her head. “I think maybe drinking my blood had some unintended side effects.”
His face fell.
“I think it’s making you feel things you don’t actually feel,” she informed him with a smile filled with bottomless sadness.
He opened his mouth to protest, to tell her that his feelings were true, but she held up a hand.
“Let’s just wait to talk about this until later. Please,” she entreated so earnestly that it was impossible to not give in to her every wish. “Who knows? Maybe the effects will wear off and we won’t need to talk about it after all.”
His heart sank, and his shoulders slumped as he nodded in resignation, glumly turning to the kitchen.
His thoughts were a vicious loop of self-rebuke, inadequacy, and rejection.
Marinette bit her lip, feeling guilty as she watched him sluggishly move around in a distracted hunt for ingredients and utensils.
“…Adrien?” she called gently.
He languidly lifted his head. “Hm?”
“Come here, Chaton.” She gave him a tender smile and beckoned him over.
Tentatively, he approached, crouching beside her.
“Thank you for being honest with me,” she whispered sincerely, reaching out and giving him a scratch behind the ears.
His eyes fluttered closed, and he melted into her touch.
A soft purr began to rumble in his chest, making her giggle.
“That was really brave of you, and I appreciate you telling me.”
He forced one eye open to gauge her expression as he asked, “So, we’re okay?”
She nodded. “Adrien, you are so, so important to me, and I can’t tell you how much I care about you.”
“Okay.” He breathed a sigh of relief, letting his eyes slipped closed again as the tension left his body.
A moment later, he jerked back to awareness, realizing that he still needed to make her breakfast.
“Silly kitty,” she chuckled, leaning back into the couch cushions with an adoring look on her face.
After consulting Google, Adrien determined that the best thing to eat after “donating” blood was an omelet chocked full of veggies, meat, and cheese.
Plagg offered what little support he could, but Marinette ended up backseat cooking for the most part.
The results were, thankfully, edible, and she ate the whole thing accompanied by a glass of orange juice as Adrien hovered over her in worry, periodically asking how she was doing.
“As much as I appreciate you, I’m not an invalid, and if you offer to feed me, I’ll bite you,” she warned with a growl.
He gulped, face going bright red as his mind wandered into the gutter.
“I’d like that,” he admitted before he could determine that it was a bad idea to voice such thoughts.
Marinette almost choked. “Y-You mean me biting you?”
He looked away, nodding sheepishly as his skin took on the hue of a boiled lobster. “Sorry. That’s really weird, isn’t it? I didn’t mean to make things—”
He was abruptly cut off as a furiously blushing Marinette grabbed his hand and brought it up to her lips, giving the inside of his wrist a little nip.
Adrien’s brain crashed.
“S-Sorry!” she spluttered. “I didn’t—Was that weird? I wasn’t thinking. I just didn’t want you to feel weird. I—”
“—Marry me,” he whimpered, twisting his hand around to thread his fingers through hers.
“Break it up,” Plagg groaned with a massive eyeroll. “Your teenage hormones are making me sick. You’re too young to be getting married and having kittens. Maybe try dating first, yeah?”
The teens broke apart with identical squawks and rhubarb-red faces.
“Sorry!” they shouted in tandem.
When they saw that the other was equally flustered, their panic subsided, and they exchanged shy smiles and nervous laughs.
Marinette gave Adrien’s hand a squeeze, and he squeezed back before disentangling his fingers from hers.
“Thanks, Princess.” He leaned in and gave the side of her head a kiss. “I appreciate you.”
“I appreciate you too,” she whispered as her grin turned affectionate.
“Go ahead and finish your omelet,” he urged, getting to his feet and heading back to the kitchen. “I’ll clean up in here.”
After the omelet and orange juice were consumed and the kitchen was passably clean, Adrien carried Marinette upstairs to her loft.
“Don’t get used to this,” she threatened. “Today is the only day you’re allowed to haul me around like some damsel in distress.”
He rolled his eyes as he slipped off his shoes and settled down beside her on the bed. “Don’t worry. I know that my Princess saves herself. I’ll try to reserve my bouts of overprotectiveness for emergencies only.”
She nodded her approval. “Good kitty.”
He had to stop himself from replying, “your kitty”.
“So, do you want to take a nap, or should we watch a movie?” he asked instead.
She gave him a puzzled look. “You’re not going back to class?”
He shook his head. “I wouldn’t be able to concentrate. My protective instincts are off the charts right now.”
With a fond sigh, she shook her head. “I guess we can snuggle and watch a movie until your protective instincts chill the hell out. You said the other day that Encanto was good, and I haven’t seen it yet.”
Adrien needed no additional prompting to go and fetch Marinette’s laptop. He was more than ready to snuggle with the girl he loved and have a Disney movie marathon.
#Adrinette#Adrienette#Miraculous Ladybug#Adrien Agreste#Marinette Dupain-Cheng#Miraculous Ladybug Fanfiction#Vampire!Adrien#Fluff#Protective Adrien Agreste#Feelings Realization#Pining#Mutual Pining#Cuddling & Snuggling#Mikau's Writings#Bite Me
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obviously. he should've guessed.
bonus:
#ml#miraculous ladybug#miraculous#felix graham de vanily#felix fathom#kagami tsurugi#adrien agreste#feligami#my art#ml spoilers#miraculous ladybug spoilers#ml s5 spoilers#miraculous ladybug season 5 spoilers#ml emotion#emotion spoilers#ml protection#protection spoilers#i don't normally color my comics but i discovered that coloring this way specifically is. really fun. so
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i think marinette is worse at resting when she's sick but adrien is worse at sitting things out if he's injured. i have no explanation, these are just the vibes
#ml#marinette dupain cheng#adrien agreste#okay i lied i do have justifications#adrien probably just. would love being taken care of if he's sick#it's maybe something his mom used to do but not ENOUGH#and marinette would absolutely spoil him#but marinette is all I AM FINE IT IS JUST A COLD I AM FINE meanwhile she nearly falls off a rooftop in a dizzy spell#but adrien hate being kept away from ppl he loves. hates not being able to protect them. and an injury is more long-term and isolating#meanwhile...idk marinette feels to me like an injurt would leave her more defeated. she'd feel like she failed somehow#like she is SUPPOSED to be ladybug she is SUPPOSED to keep herself together to keep the city safe#so i think that would take a lot of her energy she'd be frustrated about it yes but also sort of...admit defeat#adrien would find ways to cheer her up though 🥺
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Émilie Agreste purposefully giving Adrien an allergy to feathers to make sure her son would never be able to use the peacock miraculous in the future
#miraculous ladybug#emilie agreste#adrien agreste#I'm never quite sure what I think about emilie as a parent#but clearly she was aware of gabriel's obsessive tendencies#and maybe she didnt want him to be able to force adrien#(his son who he can literally control to do anything)#to wield the peacock miraculous#hard to do much miraculous-ing when you're sneezing every two seconds !#she trusted her husband so little she had to magically prevent him from using his son (in this specific way)#((obviously gabriel has lots of other ways of controlling his son))#(((but this one particular way—the way that emilie is most familiar with and the way that was ultimately going to kill her—#he cant have that way. she will protect adrien at least from this. at least from what killed her)))#that or it was just for the bit#who knows
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Find someone who looks at you like the love square looks at each other, for real
#they need to stop doing this or I will EXPLODE#no but seriously#i can’t do any of my work properly because of these dorks#stupid in love#miraculous ladybug#miraculous#ml#ml spoilers#ml s5 spoilers#ml protection#protection spoilers#ml emotion#emotion spoilers#ml revelation#revelation spoilers#love square#adrien agreste#marinette dupain cheng#ladybug#chat noir#adrienette#ladynoir#marichat#ladrien
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#miraculous ladybug#mledit#adrien agreste#marinette dupain-cheng#adrienette#ml#ml 5.16#gifs#*#ml spoilers#ml protection
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I love the idea that everything (positive) that Lila lies about somehow comes true for Marinette.
Lila lies about having connections to the queen of England? Suddenly, Marinette is getting regular commissions from the queen herself and forms quite the acquaintance-ship w the royal family.
Lila "is practically family" to an Italian mafia? Marinettes grandmother has quite an eccentric background, and through her, Marinette somehow manages to get a local Italian Mafia to pseudo-adopt her. (Only because she refused to actually be adopted, much to their disappointment)
Lila "went on tour" with Jagged Stone? Guess who wants his favorite designer to accompany him for his U.S. tour during the summer?
Oh, Lila says she acted in a movie for Graham de Vanily Films? Guess who ends up accidentally staring in a Graham de Vanily film?
I just want all the positive things that Lila lies about to happen to Marinette, who is sufficiently surprised every time (you'd think she'd be used to it by now), meanwhile, in the background, Lila gets progressively more pissed.
And the worst part? Every time she tries to upstage Marinette with something even bigger and grander than Marrinettes' own accomplishments? No matter how ridiculous, Marinette somehow ends up stumbling upon That. Exact. Opportunity.
It's incredibly frustrating.
You could say Marinette has some miraculous luck, despite how adamantly Tikki denies any involvement in these increasingly ridiculous turns of events.
All in all; Lila is frustrated, Marinette is frustrated, and Tikki is very amused (as are Adrien and Plagg, who watch this shit-show from the background).
#miraculous ladybug#miraculous#mlb#marinette dupain cheng#adrien agreste#ladybug#chat noir#lila rossi#tikki#plagg#tikki and plagg#tikki blames marinettes luck on her finding a face up penny on the ground two months ago#marinette thinks tikki is full of shit#tikki knows shes full of shit#this is tikkis way of protecting her lil' bug#adrien catches onto the patten and encourages lilas more ridiculous lies#adrien asks lila about her relations to american superheroes just to see how the fuck fates gonna pull that shit off#then their class wins a month long trip to gotham and/or New York#adrien thinks its funny#marinette wants to smack adrien across the head everytime she sees him talking to lila#because she just knows hes asking her about something thats gonna flip her life around for the hundreth fucking time#Marinette is so done#she wants out of this hell hole#tikki says no#all luck au
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Hello there.
[Slides elegantly into the tags]
Do you ever think about Emotion?
Of course you do. How could you not. But do you ever think about this exchange specifically:
“You’re not Adrien!”
Because Adrien is sweet, and forgiving, and kind. In fact, kindness is his defining quality — Marinette herself made sure of it:
“I’ll never tell another boy I love him before I know everything about him! Whether he’s kind or not, thoughtful, what he does outside of school and with who… I’ll know everything.”
But.
Do you ever think about Adrien’s development in S4 and especially S5?
Overtime, he has grown resentful of a system that exploits him relentlessly.
Of the people he gave countless chances to, only to be let down over and over again.
Of the web of lies and half-truths he constantly finds himself tangled into. A web that is only growing bigger, stickier, and trickier to escape.
And the Senticousins. Do you ever think about them?
Do you ever think about how they are each other’s reflection, identical and opposites all at once?
“When you bring a living being into this world, you have a responsibility towards them. Your duty is to protect them, love them, help them discover the true meaning of their existence. To deprive them of that… is monstruous.”
“To have a child is to help them blossom, to grow, to find themselves and to be free!”
Do you ever think about their opposite character arcs in S5 — one learning mercy and trust, the other developing a rage so strong it could destroy the world?
Do you ever think that if Felix can now have this exchange with his mum, and mean it:
“They’re all monsters!”
“Not all of them.”
Then there’s nothing stopping Adrien from saying this:
“Look closer, Marinette. They’re the monsters.”
#AND I LOVE HIM FOR IT 💚🐈⬛#To be clear I don’t necessarily think he’d mean it. He probably wouldn’t.#But if he did who could blame him? He has so much to deal with#He’s a child being protected by children and all of them are trapped in this world the adults poisoned for them#Felix and him really aren’t that different. He could be plagued by these feelings too. I have no doubt he’d heal from them down the line#But I would LOVE him to use the world “monster(s)” in S6 (PLEASE NOT AGAINST FELIX THOMAS LOOK AT ME LOOK AT ME THOMAS —)#It would be such a beautiful callback to Emotion and a great illustration of how much his grief is changing him#And how it could take over like it did with Gabriel if he’s not careful. Thank you for coming to my DUUSU Talk#miraculous ladybug#adrien agreste#chat noir#antichat#felix graham de vanily#argos#senticousins#marinette dupain cheng#adrinette#kagami tsurugi#feligami#amelie graham de vanily#mlb spoilers#mlb emotion#random ramblings
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Protection alternative scene
Selective memory is great
Commissions | Buy me a coffee?
#mlb#ml#miraculous ladybug#marichat#ml protection#marinette x chat noir#marinette dupain cheng#chat noir#ladybug#adrien agreste#art#fanart#comic#siddraws
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Pls he was so mad when he called Marinette "mediocre"
#gabriel agreste#miraculous#miraculous ladybug#adrien agreste#marinette dupain cheng#mlb season 5#adrinette#adrienette#mlb s5 spoilers#ml protection
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A Nudge in the Right Direction
Summary: What if Adrien's high road advice wasn't the only way he helped Marinette? Sure he could wait for Lila to expose herself, but that didn't mean that he couldn't help speed up the process.
(Cross Posted on Ao3)
“Just take the high road and ignore her, Marinette. Lila will lie herself into a corner soon enough.”
Marinette looked at him, like she wanted to speak out but held herself back. Instead curling in slightly before nodding. Adrien worked to keep his perfect model smile on his lips even as he wanted to frown.
“And if she does anything else to you, like with trying to frame you or anything at all, let me know okay?”
She nodded again, biting her lip this time. He nearly narrowed his eyes at her action but refrained. She waved goodbye before walking away. Once she was out of sight, Adrien dropped his smile and frowned.
“Something happened.”
“Really? I never would have guessed.”
Plagg’s sarcasm was not needed, so Adrien grabbed some cheese and held it out for the kwami to take. He held it in his nubs, but didn’t eat it. Instead Plagg looked at him expectantly.
“You’re not really gonna keep quiet about this, right? Lila only confronts people when no one else is around. She could easily save herself given how stupid the class has been so far.”
Adrien let out a dark chuckle, something the kwami only just started to get used to hearing as of late.
“Oh, she’ll expose herself eventually. But that doesn’t mean I can’t help along the way.”
Plagg gave him a look over, shrugged, swallowed the Camebert whole, before responding.
“Sometimes I worry that you and your cousin switched.”
Adrien sighed at the reminder of his family member. He and Felix had a strange relationship. With Felix’s dad dead, and Adrien’s own father not helping the already tense situation, he really couldn’t blame his cousin for acting out. Did he think what his cousin did was wrong? Yes. And Adrien will be keeping an eye out to ensure that his cousin had no chance of doing anything like that again in the future.
“Don’t compare me to him. At least I’m not taking my frustrations out on others.”
“The sculptor.” Plagg sing sung.
“I was being a hypocrite.”
“And you flirting with Ladybug?”
“To be fair I was both way too over excited and also didn’t know how normal crushes should be expressed. Plus I’ve toned it down. I can’t stop completely though or else she’ll think something is up. Remember when I actually listened to her and stopped calling her bugaboo? She brought baked goods and hot chocolate to patrol every day and continuously apologized to me. I tried to tell her that I was just listening to her but she still thought that I was mad at her.”
“Ladybugs,” Plagg sighed, “they’ll take on the weight of the world and refuse to let anyone else share the load if my black cats don’t stop them.”
Adrien heard his phone dinged, letting him know that his bodyguard was waiting to pick him up, so he began to leave the school.
“I’m trying to do it slowly with her. But I think dealing with Lila will help both her and Marinette. I would ask Alya to see what actually happened, but since she fully believes Lila I don’t want her blaming and attacking Marinette.”
Whenever Marinette first called out Lila, Alya had been switching between giving Marinette the cold shoulder or insisting that she needed to get over her jealousy. He didn’t understand why Alya would think that Marinette was jealous of Lila of all people, but he couldn’t exactly ask her when he was expected to be nice to Lila. And nice he would be.
He smiled as he thought about his plan. It could backfire, but he was smart enough to know when to be careful. And the only person who could ruin it for him was Lila, and she would have to expose herself first. And if she tries to drag him down with her? Well, she would already be established as a liar by then anyways.
He opened the limo door and sat down, looking out the window as his bodyguard began to drive off to his next photoshoot. Adrien smiled to himself. Yes. Who would think that he, sweet sunshine boy of Paris, could be capable of ruining someone’s life?
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
First step of his plan: figure out how to use Lila’s newest modeling gig to his advantage. Adrien honestly had no idea why his father decided to take on Lila as a model, but it was clear that she wasn’t the best at it. Okay she was straight up awful at it. She was too focused on hanging on him to actually listen to Vincent, and his photographer was getting frustrated.
As easy as it would be to just continue down this path until he would eventually get akumatized, Adrien didn’t want that for the man. He was the one of the few photographers that Adrien enjoyed working with. And even if Vincent wasn’t his favorite, he shouldn’t just sit back and let someone get akumatized.
So Adrien did what most people would expect him to do: he mediated .
“I just think that if Lila got more training then shoots would be quicker. If father is planning on keeping Lila on as a model, it would be best to improve her modeling now rather than later. I’m sure Lila will be fine going to a couple lessons a week to help gain those skills.”
He kept a small smile on his face as he looked at Nathalie. He knew that she probably didn’t like Lila all that much, considering the stunt that the girl pulled that caused both her and his bodyguard to get in trouble, so if Nathalie decided to increase Lila’s workload a bit extra then so be it.
“I’ll bring the suggestion up to your father. I believe that there was already some consideration to prepare her for doing interviews for when the photos from her sessions get released.”
Adrien mentally made a note to check when the photos would get released. Lila gaining more public attention, especially in the beauty world, would only aid him.
“Thank you, Nathalie. I should go practice piano before my fencing practice. The last shoot ran into my usual practice time.”
Nathalie nodded as she tapped something into her tablet, and Adrien made his way to his room. Usually, unless he had a performance coming up, he just put on piano music on his phone and did something else, but he needed to stay in Nathalie's and his father’s good graces. No one could get suspicious of him, otherwise he would get locked down again.
So he played. Starting with warm ups, then transitioning into some classical pieces while occasionally shifting into music from Kitty Section. He never got to go to performances, but Luka had given him all of the piano sheet music just in case. Luckily he was working on more traditional music when Nathalie knocked on the door.
“I spoke to your father.” She said as she walked into the room. “And he agreed with your idea to give Lila extra lessons. And since some of the recent photo sessions have been running into your other activities, you will not be helping Miss Rossi in these lessons. Your current activities are taking top priority. I will be sending her the plans later today once they are made.”
“Thank you Nathalie. And I can always give Lila quick tips while on set when needed.”
Nathalie nodded before making her way out of the room. Once the door was shut, Adrien smirked. Depending on how much trouble Lila is during those lessons, and how much Nathalie wants to be spiteful, this could keep her plenty distracted. It would also give her something to brag about at school, which will hopefully keep her attention away from Marinette.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Two weeks after the lessons got implemented, Adrien could tell that they were happening. To the untrained eye Lila looked perfectly normal. But on closer inspection, you could see the smudges where her concealer and setting powder were not applied properly to her eye bags. And the only lessons being done were on how to model, they haven’t even gotten to all the interview stuff yet.
Sure she had something to brag about, but it didn’t give her time to hang out after school. He didn’t know if Nathalie knew his friends’ schedules, but Lila’s lessons were all placed during the times when they would meet up. And the more Lila tried to get out of them or reschedule, the longer and more lessons there were.
She was improving slightly. Oh, not in skills. She was still mediocre at best, but she didn’t hang on him as much or try to prolong shoots. She still hung on him, but Adrien guessed that Lila got told that the longer shoots ran on for, the more lessons she would have to do. Either way it saved him more time. Having to catch up on his lessons and homework as Chat Noir was hard enough. He really didn’t need prolonged photoshoots too.
The only downside was that Lila was getting frustrated. Despite her fake smiles and cheerful persona she put on during school, Adrien could see the cracks in her facade. He wouldn’t really care, Lila getting frustrated and snapping out would be a good thing, except that with Adrien paying more attention to her he noticed exactly how Lila was deciding to channel her frustrations.
All it took was Marinette having a slight limp and claiming that she tripped, after Lila had left the classroom beforehand, and her reaction to Adrien asking if Lila did something to clue him in.
He frowned at the bluenette, not bothering to try and coax the truth out of her and instead being direct.
“Marinette, I can tell that she did something to you. I already know that she pushed you, but I would also like to know what she said to you.” Seeing how she seized up, he quickly added, “If you’re comfortable with telling me.”
The pigtailed girl looked out from under her lashes and gave a small shrug.
“I-I’m fine Adrien. Really, it’s… nothing.”
She lasted another ten seconds under the lie, as well as the stare he was giving her, before rubbing her arm and sighing.
“I’m not comfortable with saying it.”
Adrien wanted to push more but refrained. Instead he chose to gently touch her shoulder and try to massage out her tension.
“I’m sorry that she hurt you. I’ll keep a closer eye on her and make sure she doesn’t do anything else. But please do let me know if something else happens, okay?”
The look that Marinette gave him, like she was finally getting a breath of fresh air, made his stomach drop. The fact that a small promise like that made her look like he was gifting her the stars told him that whatever Lila said was bad. And Adrien, despite being a hero, was fully considering the petty way of handling things.
“Thank you, Adrien. I really appreciate it. I promised my parents that I would help out at the bakery, but I’ll see you tomorrow.”
The blonde waved cheerfully as the girl departed. Once out of sight, he put on a devilish look and glanced down at his kwami who had popped out of his bag.
“So, Plagg, you were talking about ways to mess with Lila. Can you run those by me again?”
The crackle the miniature god gave was heard throughout the school, and no one knew that it was the sound of a death sentence.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The next day, Adrien walked into school all smiles. To the untrained eye, he looked perfectly like his normal self. Except, if someone really paid attention, you could see the slight glint in his eyes, as well as how his smile held an edge to it that he was fighting back behind his perfect demeanor.
Marinette was already in the classroom as well, and she walked in with Alya which would be good for later. And later seemed to come sooner than expected. About five minutes after Marinette walked in, Lila walked in. It took all of Adrien’s acting gained over the years to keep a straight face.
Plagg’s little pranks, which he had green lit the day before, were already taking full effect. Lila looked like she went through a storm and just survived. Her hair was a frizzy mess, her makeup was barely hanging on, and her shoulders were tense with obvious stress. If Adrien had any sympathy left for her, he would wish her luck getting put together before someone posts a photo. However any cares he had left to give flew right out the window the moment she decided to go after Marinette.
Adrien had half a mind to take the photo himself. And if it wasn’t for Chloe who snorted a laugh and whispered at Sabrina to post a pic, then he might have too. Instead Adrien played the oblivious boy who was raised to be a gentleman.
“Lila, what happened?”
“It was…”
She drifted off, looking at Marinette and then him. He didn’t give her any glares or anything, merely blinking back. She would have to show her hand first. He wasn’t about to defend Marinette if Lila wasn’t accusing her, she could find an excuse for that. But it seemed like she had second thoughts.
“Nothing. Just a bad hair day.”
Adrien was shocked that she didn’t try to blame Marinette somehow, but didn’t put his guard down. After all, she had taken her frustrations out on the bluenette just the day before. He’d need to keep both girls in his sights, and preferably have Nino or someone else with him. That way Lila can’t twist any narrative.
Through the day, he kept his eye out, and he noticed a lot. He’d been only focused on keeping Lila away from Marinette, and thus usually kept his focus only on the liar. Looking at Marinette showed him things that he didn’t notice before. Like how Marinette no longer had lunch at school, or how she’d leave the group once Lila pops in and brings the attention onto her, or how she was always double checking her bag and where she was walking.
It was all tiny things that he never paid attention to before, but now with context painted a bigger picture. And that made him smile all the more when he checked his phone and noticed the photo that Chloe posted of Lila trending. The caption wasn’t too shabby either, and Adrien had to refrain from liking the post. He took that energy instead and used it to distract the class and make sure that none of them, especially Lila, checked their phones.
So it was only at the end of the day, and when Lila shirked, that the photo was discovered by the rest of the class.
“How dare you post that photo! I demand that you take it down immediately!”
Lila’s outburst surprised the rest of the class, but when Alya glanced at Lila’s phone she immediately defended her.
“Lila’s right Chloe. You can’t just post things like that.”
“Oh, like I haven’t done worse. Maybe don’t have such an awful appearance when showing up to a public place. Besides, me taking it down would do nothing. It’s the internet. Nothing ever goes away. Have fun with that.”
Before anyone else could try to protest, the blond and Sabrina left. It was after they left that the rest of the class started to see the actual post. Adrien, having to act like he cared, moved to “comfort” Lila before pausing at his phone going off. He checked it and felt relieved.
“Hey dude. What’s up?”
He tilted his phone so that Nino could see the message.
“Oh, that seems bad. Are you gonna be okay?”
“I’ll be fine. I’ll see you tomorrow.”
He waved goodbye, happy to see that Marinette had already slipped away from the classroom. Hopefully she was heading straight home. That didn’t mean that Lila couldn’t blame her for something even if she didn’t see Marinette, but at least it stopped her from being able to do something to Marinette directly.
He walked straight outside and to the car. Nathalie was waiting for him inside, a tablet with his dad’s face already cued up.
“Good afternoon father. Is everything alright?”
“Your friend, Chloe, seems to have posted a photo of Lila.”
“People were talking about it at the end of class, but you texted me before I could see it for myself. Is there something wrong with it?”
“Yes, but don’t worry. Don’t comment on the photo, both in person and online. I’ll have things taken care of by tomorrow. For today she won’t be attending the photoshoot. We have another female model coming instead. Do not disappoint me.”
“Of course, father.”
And thank you for the free out. Adrien highly doubted that everything would be taken care of by tomorrow, Chloe would definitely make sure that there’s talk about it for at least a week. But the biggest plus was that he wouldn’t have to deal with her for this shoot, meaning that maybe he could actually work on homework and get to bed on time.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
As predicted, talk of the photo didn’t die down by the next day. In fact, more fuel was added to the fire, courtesy of the one and only Lila Rossi. At the same time that his father had been saying that things were under control, Lila had decided to take matters into her own hands by responding to Chloe’s post.
One thing that’s important to remember is that Lila had only been receiving lessons on how to model, not how to conduct oneself online. As such, she didn’t know when to recognize bad press, and how to respond to it.
Gossip sites, fan girls, and everyone else on the internet loved to tear famous people apart. They criticize them no matter what. As such, people would ignore many of the rumors and insults posted online. Responding would not only show people that you cared, but they could take what the original post said as being true.
Lila responded to Chloe’s post like that of a teenage girl, and as such her attempt to deal with the situation fueled more fires than it put out. It also didn’t help that Lila had used her official model account to respond, which only shared it with more people. The social media team caught what she did and deleted the comment within five minutes of her posting, but the damage was done the second she hit post.
Lila didn’t show up to school the next day, not that much of a surprise. What was a surprise was that Adrien himself still went to school. He had assumed that his father would have put him on lockdown while he figured out what to do with the fires that were burning, after all there were photos of him with Lila at multiple places. But perhaps he thought that if things continued as normal that it would go away. Either way it saved Adrien the trouble of trying to sneak out of the mansion and to school.
All the rest of his classmates, sans Marinette, were already in the classroom with the majority looking at Chloe. The blonde didn’t seem to mind, smugly smiling at her phone. Alya, by far, looked the most put out. She had her tablet out and was furious typing on both that and her phone. Nino was sitting by her, trying to comfort her.
“Alya, what’s wrong?”
“Lila’s lied about everything.” Nino answered. “Some people started sending hate to the Ladyblog for the interviews Lila did.”
“I should have fact checked. Now I’m trying to do damage control.”
Adrien did feel sorry for Alya. When he was planning to take down Lila, he didn’t think that anyone else would be negatively affected. Of course, he didn’t have regrets on Lila getting dragged socially but he should have thought about how that would have affected his classmates. So Adrien decided to try and help out.
“Apologizing and taking down the interviews would be good. And while I don’t know exactly what the comments are saying, I’m guessing they’re saying to fact check right? Next post you do, make sure to include sources. That would probably help fend off those comments, but from my experience some people still like to troll.”
Alya did smile a little at that. Hopefully she’ll be able to learn from this and prevent something worse in the future. Just as the bell rang, Marinette ran into the classroom.
“Sorry I’m late, Miss Bustier. I had to help my parents fill out-”
The excuse immediately got interrupted by the rest of the class springing up and practically tackling the girl in apologies. Marinette seemed confused before realization slowly crossed her face as she picked out her classmates' words as they overlapped one another. Bluebell eyes locked on to green ones, but Adrien didn’t try to approach her. He wanted to speak to her, but the things he wanted to say couldn’t get back to his father.
So it was only four classes later, when Adrien broke off from Nino to exchange books and Marinette managed to sneak away from Alya that he got to talk to her.
“I told you. Her lies would come out eventually.”
Marinette gave him a look that he wasn’t used to. Usually there would be a blush covering her face, her eyes wouldn’t be able to look at him for longer than a moment, and she would be jumpy. While there was a light blush on her cheeks, her posture was perfect and her expression was a bit playful.
“And this all happened on its own? No one did anything to speed this up?”
“No, I don’t think so. I mean, I guess Chloe did the work. After all, she did post that picture which caused things to roll down hill for the better.”
“Adrien, I know that you did more than you let on.” Her expression shifted a little more into what he was used to seeing. “I just wanted to say thank you. You trusted me the whole time, and you kept your promise. Let me know if there’s any way to thank you.”
Seeing as she already knew the truth, he decided to jump on her offer.
“Actually there is one thing. Do you think you could… keep me out of this?”
“What do you mean?”
“Please don’t tell anyone that I was involved in this, both about knowing about Lila’s lies beforehand and me helping to get her exposed. I don’t want to even imagine how mad my father would be if he found out about the latter.”
Marinette opened her mouth, concern clear in her eyes, but she held herself back. It was for the best, honestly. His homelife was no one’s concern.
“Of course. And if you ever need anything, let me know.”
He nodded, although he suspected that he wouldn’t take her up on the offer. Marinette was busy enough already, and her keeping this all a secret was the best thing she could do for him. She looked back one last time before dipping out of the locker room. Plagg emerged moments later.
“Well, looks like you did it kid. The liar’s gone and your princess will be fine.”
“Not yet.”
The kwmai’s smug smile was wiped off, surprised at the statement.
“What do you mean?”
Adrien exchanged his books before walking back to the classroom.
“Just because Lila got exposed doesn’t mean that she won’t hurt Marinette again. I need to make sure that she isn’t in Paris.” A notification on his phone had him pausing in place. Once he looked down at it, he smiled. “And I have a feeling I know exactly how to do that. Plagg, claws out.”
One fast Lila-akuma take down, and a sneaky little live stream from his staff, caused Lila to be outed in a much worse way. He watched as she got dragged off in handcuffs, screaming nonsense about diplomatic immunity. Ladybug stood by him, and although she looked put together on the outside he could tell she was shaken up.
It did make sense though. He didn’t expect Lila to just admit that she’s been working with Hawkmoth willingly to them.
“Don’t worry, Ladybug, the police can handle this.”
“I knew that she hated us… but working with Hawkmoth?”
“She admitted it herself. Besides, she’ll get escorted out of Paris and can’t work with him anymore.”
“That’s not what I’m worried about. What if Hawkmoth has other allies that we don’t even know about?”
Is that seriously what she was worrying over?
“He does. We know about Mayura, and there might be another person or two that’s helping him in the background. However it doesn’t really matter to us yet. We don’t tell people about magic or the miraculous since it could get back to Hawkmoth anyways, so we don’t have to change anything.”
“But what if people try to say that others are working for Hawkmoth?”
“There would have already been rumors about that. I think the real thing we should be worried about is if Lila’s mom really is an Italian diplomat. If so, then there’s gonna be political trouble.”
Not that it was really an issue, since Adrien did do his research. No one in Lila’s family was a part of the government. Her mother was just someone who worked in a company that opened up a branch in Paris, which was why they traveled. He would have approached things much differently otherwise.
“I didn’t think about that.” Ladybug muttered, flipping open her yoyo and typing something on it. After a minute she flipped it shut. “I don’t see anything on the official Italian embassy site but…”
“Then it should be fine. Lila probably made up what her mom’s job was to make her stories seem legit and get away with more things. The police will clear up any rumors about that later. For now we should get going.”
They had taken turns to recharged earlier, so that Lila wouldn’t be let out of their sight, but they did have to get back to their civilian lives. Not like it mattered much for him. School was over the moment the alert went out, and his father and Nathalie will be too busy with the mess Lila caused to worry about him.
“Yeah. I’ll see you at patrol tomorrow unless another akuma pops up.”
“Sounds good.”
Chat made his way over the rooftops before dropping down and hiding in the alleyway near the school. He detransformed and had a piece of camembert ready.
“Now Marinette’s safe.”
“Is that really the first thing you’re gonna say? There’s nothing else that you think you should be concerned about?”
“You mean with Lila being a willing accomplice of Hawkmoth? Yeah, I mean it’s messed up but it didn’t surprise me. I guess I feel a bit bad for her mom.”
“I’m talking about yourself, kid. Your father decided to take Lila on as a model. You don’t think Lila being outed as an accomplice of a supervillain will come back to bite you in the butt?”
Why was everyone worrying about the wrong things? Adrien’s seen the posts and comments. He’s seen as not just a hot model, but also a victim. Yes, he knew what Lila was doing to him was sexual harrashment and yes, some of his fans knew that as well. If any backlash falls onto the brand because of Lila, then it would fall directly onto his dad.
“I’ll be fine. I can handle anything that happens.”
He’s been doing it all his life, going through the motions and trying to make due while not letting others know what he’s actually thinking. It’s what gets him through the days spent in the mansion, it will get him through the final couple years that he’s trapped there until he turns eighteen.
But Plagg didn’t know all that. Adrien hadn’t found a time or a need to tell his kwami that, so Plagg didn’t know how capable he could truly be.
“You should try accepting help sometimes. I’m sure pigtails wasn’t just talking nonsense when she offered to help you earlier.”
But for as much as Plagg didn’t know about him, he did know a lot of other things. Things that Adrien didn’t like to focus on.
“If anything goes bad, then I’ll reach out to her.”
It was enough to appease the kwami, and Adrien walked out of the alley way and back through the school via the side entrance so that his bodyguard wouldn’t realize that he’d been anywhere else. Once he looped around and got inside the car, he checked his phone.
So far the rumors about Lila being a daughter of a diplomat got squashed, and his father had released a public statement about not knowing all of Lila’s dealings and taking extra precaution for all his employees. There’d probably be more issues to deal with in the future, but for now all was well. All Lila needed was a little helping hand to push her off the cliff that she climbed up herself.
#lila rossi#marinette dupain cheng#adrien agreste#protective adrien agreste#lila gets exposed#lila salt#the high road#miraculous fanfiction#miraculous ladybug fanfic#fanfic
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oh, hey, it’s adrinette
→ day 186
#miraculous ladybug#mledit#miraculousedit#animationedit#adrinette#adrien agreste#marinette dupain cheng#miraculeakless#ml leak free#mine#ep: protection#project: adrinette#ml protection#protection spoilers#ml spoilers
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Daminette December 2023: 17-Bodyguard
Damian had heard the whispers and rumors when he first moved to Paris. Marinette Dupain-Cheng, the baker's daughter and fashion designer had been head over heels for Adrien Agreste, the model. That had been years ago. Some of their friends refused to believe she moved on from her gigantic crush. He had heard the whispers of how she babbled and froze with just a glance. How she had memorized his schedule and planned their future together. He had heard how she had fallen for him with a simple gesture of giving her his umbrella in the rain. The only thing that had ever stopped them from getting together was how blind Adrien was. He never saw Marinette was anything more than a friend and everyone knew it. That might have been true; all of it. Damian knew that Marinette no longer felt like that, if it had ever been true.
From what he observed, Adrien was the one now persuing the baker's daughter. If any of it had been true, Marinette had long moved on. Adrien was constantly trying to get her attention and would search the halls for her. If anything, the roles had reversed. Adrien Agreste now stalked Marinette Dupain-Cheng.
Adrien Agreste was still 'blind' in his book. The model took zero notice how Marinette reacted to being around him. He noticed the subtle flinches when Adrien called her name from down the hall. He noticed the terror in her eyes, before putting a smile on her face to greet a friend.
Damian froze the moment he saw her.
'Marinette? What is she doing here? I thought she couldn't have a pet in the bakery. Why is she in the pet store?'
His eyes followed her as she moved away from the front and towards the middle. She was almost hidden by the shelves.
'Hamsters?'
"Marinette!" Adrien shouted, "Do you like hamsters, too?"
"Uh, sort of." she answered, weakly.
"They're amazing!" he cried back, getting closer to her and the hamsters.
Even from where Damian stood, he could see Marinette's eyes were searching for a way out; an exit. He quickly put down the giant bag of dog food and rushed over.
"There you are Marinette." he spoke, pulling her towards him.
"Damian!" Mari exclaimed, surprised.
"Did you get lost?" he asked, "I apologize for getting so busy."
"You work here?" Adrien asked, "Why?"
"I volunteer." Damian answered, "I donate to several animal charities nd I like to make sure all the equipment is up to date."
"We can go see the puppies on files now." The Wayne heir suggested, "You said you were looking for a guard dog?"
Marinette lit up quickly, realizing Damian was giving her a way out.
"I'm so glad you remembered." she smiled.
"A dog?" Adrien asked, confused, "What about the hamster?"
"Oh." Mari spoke, "Well, I do think hamsters are cute, but with how scattered brain I get, I might forget instantly. I could forget to feed it or accidentally kill it with a giant roll of fabric." causing the model to wince.
"A dog is better." Marinette stated, "Their routine would be my routine."
"But why a guard dog?" he questioned.
"Why do you have a bodyguard?" Damian asked.
"Huh?" confusing the model.
"Guard dogs keep their owners safe." the Wayne heir answered, "They are loyal to a fault and will attack, if necessary." pulling Marinette closer to him.
Marinette blushed at the closeness. She quickly placed a hand on his chest to get his attention.
"We should go look at those files." She suggested, "You mentioned....training and I wan to make sure they are trained before university."
"Of course." Damian replied, leading Marinette to the back room and away from Adrien's prying eyes.
Damian picked up a radio to give the other workers a warning about Agreste. On the security cameras, he watched as the blonde model turned away and walk out the store.
'Seemed Marinette was his only goal here.'
Marinette sighed in relief as Damian placed the radio down.
"Thank you, Damian." Marinette spoke.
He nodded his head in understanding.
"But how did you know?" Mari asked.
"You are uncomfortable with him." Damian stated.
Marinette nodded her head.
"You look scared when you hear him call out your name in school." Damian spoke, "Sometimes, you turn pale. Doesn't seem like he notices."
"I thought no one noticed." Marinette answered, with a smile, "Thank you so much."
Damian chuckled, "Now, would you actually like a guard dog?"
"I would love one," Mari sighed, "but since I still live with my parents-"
"The bakery." The Wayne heir concluded.
She nodded her head and gave a shrug. Damian went over to a drawer and pulled out some files for an adoption event taking place soon. Marinette looked at him confused.
"It would not matter if I brought another dog home. At this point, it's expected. You would just have to wait." Damian stated.
Marinette smiled happily, "Really?"
"Only if you do not mind coing over to bond with your dog." he declared.
Marinette hugged him and quickly felt him flinch.
"Sorry!" she cried, pulling away from him, "Um, I'll just look at these."
Marinette browsed over the files he had handed her. Damian could tell she was seriously considering the guard dog idea. She started by ruling out the smaller dogs, he expected someone like her to own. By the end of her selection, she had five folders left.
"What do you think, Damian?" Mari asked, "Is there any of them I should rule out?"
Damian looked over the folders. There was a Labrador, Golden Retriever, German Shepard, Doberman, and an Akita.
"Two of these would make great pets, but not guard dogs." He spoke, "I believe you should look online and learn more about them before deciding. You need to make sure you can take care of them. I don't just mean their diet and health. There are many people who return animals because they have gotten bored or because they didn't expect how much time they would have to use to train it."
Marinette smiled, "Thank you. I can tell you really care about these animals. I can let you know by the end of the week."
Mari stood up, ready to leave. She bit her lip in hesitation.
"Are you alright?" He questioned.
"Um." She began, "Nevermind. It's stupid."
"What is it?" Damian asked, "You clearly think it is important. Why do you hesitate?"
Marinette blushed, "Do you think, until I get a guard dog- Can you be my guard dog? Bodyguard! I meant bodyguard; not guard dog! At school! Keep Adrien away from me?"
Damian chuckled, "I wouldn't mind at all."
Mari lit up at his response, "Oh! I can bring you breakfast! Are there any pastries you prefer?"
"I prefer savory over sweets." he answered.
"I can make savory tarts for you." She replied.
With a nod, Marinette left the back room and quickly left the store.
'Guard dog, huh?'
Adrien looked around and spotted Marinette already at school. He couldn't wait to see her and talk to her more about hamsters. As he made his way towards her, he watched as she made her way over to Damian. To his surprise, and likely everyone's surprise, Marinette latched onto his arm. Damian didn't seem to mind and led her away.
Damian smirked as Marinette latched onto his arm. He had seen Adrien arrive and watched as Marinette quickly made her way over to him. He hadn't expected the physical contact, but after he initiated it yesterday, she likely expected it. Damian quickly led her away from prying eyes and hushed whispers. As they walked away, he leaned down to her ear.
"Woof." he barked.
He hadn't expected her to squeak, let alone blush. He chuckled as Marinette puffed up her cheeks and let go of his arm. Cheeks still flushed, she hurried into the school. Damian turned back and caught Adrien staring at them in shock. Damian sent a glare his way before following after Marinette.
TAGLIST: @maribat-calendar-events @animeweebgirl@a-star-with-a-human-name@meme991001@vixen-uchiha@abrx2002@alysrose-starchild@fandom-trapped-03@dood-space@moonlightstar64@saltymiraculer@marveldcedits20@09shell-sea09@icerosecrystal@animegirlweeb@insane-fangirl-of-everything@blueblossombliss@nickristus-dreamer@megawhitleycalderonpaganus@missmadwoman@meira-3919@princessdaisysolosyourfaves@blep-23@fangirlingfanatic@darkhinauniverse@ravenr22@im-a-satanic-ritual@ravennm84@bianca-hooks123@a-slytherinish-gryffindor@starling218
#daminette december 2023#daminette#damian wayne#marinette dupain cheng#adrien agreste#adrienette#old crush#new crush#adrien stalking marinette#marinette gives up on adrien#pet shop#damian protects marinette#dog adoption#dog guard#bodyguard#mlb x dc#dc x mlb#moxhinek0
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Kagami suffering more because of her feelings towards Marinette’s than for Adrien
And then Adrien saying to Kagami: “Marinette is not a liar, she is courageous, fearless, generous. And that’s why i love her. And deep down, you know that too”
Like, añlsdkñalsfk just say she is bi and that Kagami likes both of them!!!
#miraculous ladybug#ml spoilers#ml season 5#ml protection#kagami tsurugi#adrien agreste#marinette dupain-cheng
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ok but can we talk about adrien being such bf material
he finds even the most ridiculous sides of her charming, he adjusts to her, he asks for consent, and how protective he is 😭💖
#miraculous#miraculous ladybug#adrien agreste#chat noir#marinette dupain cheng#ladybug#adrienette#mlb spoilers#protection#ml spoilers#ml season 5#marichat#ladynoir#ladrien
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