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justrandomfanfictionskh · 1 year

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We should Have Stayed in Gotham ch3

(Almost every Maribat fic I read has the akuma class going to Gotham. But tell me which is more likely, a class touring the city of crime, or a class touring the city of lights? So here it is, the Daminette fic that only I asked for, where Gotham goes to Paris, and the poor students have to grapple with the fact that they have competition for the most dangerous city in the world. I wonder what will happen?)

ao3 Beginning Previous

The moment Damian had learned that he had a roommate, he knew that he would have trouble sleeping. Granted, the Gotham High student, Will, was quiet and unobtrusive, so at first Damian thought that it wouldn’t be too much of a sacrifice to share a room with him (but only if he kept a knife under his pillow). However, after seeing the giant baby trying to eat the Eiffel Tower all thoughts of sleep were quickly thrown away in favor of hours upon hours of research while his roommate slept.

So it should have come as no surprise to anyone, that Damian walked up to the Louvre with bags under his eyes and a scowl to curdle milk. He sipped his hotel coffee in distaste as his peers gave him a wide berth, as they waited for their French guides. Yet despite his exhaustion, and the distance of his peers, he was able to overhear their conversations and gauge their intentions for the rest of the trip.

“You can’t be serious!” Kathryn was yelling, “After what we saw yesterday you’re not freaking out? I’m freaking out! We almost died!”

“You live three blocks away from Crime Alley!” A Gotham High student who was on the “Parisian’s are overreacting” side exclaimed. “You almost die every day!”

“Yeah,” Kathryn said, “From muggers and henchmen. You know, people I can kick in the family jewels. Not magic giant babies! I can’t kick magic giant babies! And if you had bothered too even read the survival guide, you would know that that particular akuma happens like, a lot!”

“But it doesn’t matter!” Chad cried, “I mean their hero has a magic reset button, so…”

“Ok,” Alice said sardonically, all of the "Who cares" Gothamites were now firmly on the "It's a big deal" side, “So you’re suicidal. Great.”

“I’m not—”

“Students!” Mr. Robinson, their chaperone and French teacher, called. “Our liaison class is here, so be on our best behavior!”

Damian took a swig of his coffee as they moved towards the glass pyramid in the center of the courtyard. He was tired, and he did not want to deal with whichever idiotic child they pared him up with, but he needed to know more. He had been researching all night, but he still didn’t know why the Justice League hadn’t been called in yet. And considering how many akumas had almost ended the world, he had a feeling that they should definitely know about this.

But there was one more thing that was bugging him unceasingly, Hawkmoth. His motivation was clear, he wanted a wish, but he didn’t know the reason behind that motivation. And his strategy was baffling. Just from reading the blogs, it looked like Hawkmoth’s plan was to akumatize as many different people as possible and then hope one of them would be able to defeat Ladybug and Chat Noir. It was ridiculous, idiotic, and completely ineffectual…And yet Ladybug had not been able to catch him. It made no sense. From the videos it was clear that even when Ladybug had been at her least skilled, she had always been competent and efficient. Now two years later, she had experience, training, and competent and effective team members. So why hadn’t she eliminated the threat?

His thoughts were aggravatingly interrupted when they reached the chattering group of teenagers in front of the pyramid. When they saw the Gothamites, the Parisians instantly quieted and lined up with plastered smiles, and bright, scanning eyes. It was…disturbing and pulled all of the Gothamites up short and had them frowning and scanning for any hidden dangers. It was almost comical, the line of bright, colorful Parisians facing off of the dark, scowling Gothamites. Damian just sipped his coffee and began memorizing the faces. He paused when he was the small group of people not joining the lineup.

Marinette Dupain-Cheng, Sabrina Raincomprix, and Chloe Bourgeois, and two other girls stood on the opposite side of the line from the teachers and little apart from their class despite the fact that two of their members were the class leaders. Marinette was sipping on a large cup, but her small welcoming smile seemed a hundred times more genuine than the toothy grins of her classmates. Sabrina was standing beside her, and she seemed to be fidgeting with excitement as she waited for the teachers to finish talking. Chloe was the only one who was not smiling, instead she was completely consumed with her phone and only huffing when her friends spoke to her. Damian couldn’t get a good idea of the other two girls, as one of them was hidden behind Marinette, and the other was…roller blading around the courtyard completely ignoring everyone.

Eventually, Mlle. Mendeliev cleared her thought as she began handing out papers to her class, with the Gotham teachers mirroring her with Damian and his peers. “Now,” she said sternly yet not harshly in English, “It has come to our attention that you all were caught up in the akuma attack yesterday. That is good, perhaps now you will take this threat seriously, and do everything in your power to avoid creating or becoming akumatized.”

“That being said,” Mlle. Bustier said quickly with a pointed look at her coworker, “We are glad none of you were harmed, and hope that it never happens again!”

“Hm,” Mendeliev said before snapping her attention to both classes commanding their attention like a general surveying their troops. “You have each been paired up according to those whom we have deemed least likely to cause akumas. French students will speak in English. English students will speak in French. Complete your work sheets by the end of the day to receive full marks. There will be no switching!”

Damian noticed her sharp eyes falling on a girl dressed in an awful shade of orange, with sausages disguised as hair framing her face. Said girl just smiled innocently, before her eyes fell on him, and he groaned. The sudden flash of predatory glee that she had eyed him with made his skin crawl. He wanted nothing to do with that girl, but he knew her type far too well. She was like his mother, desperate for power and willing to do anything to get it. At that moment Damian was the most powerful person there, and she knew it.

He prepared himself for an aggravating and unsatisfactory morning as he waited for the opportunist to corner whoever he had been partnered with him and “convince” them to switch partners despite the teacher’s mandate. Needless to say, he was surprised when the person who had extracted themselves from the mass of congregating students to find him, was not the sausage girl, but Marinette Dupain-Cheng.

Her smile when she saw him was so bright and genuine, it had Damian squinting his eyes in suspicion as she moved toward him. But she maintained a respective distance and spoke formally in English as she said, “Hello, I’m Marinette. You must be Damian.”

“I am,” Damian said in perfect French straightening as he looked at his work sheet for the first time. Sure enough, Marinette’s name was right beside his at the top of the page. “Although, I should warn you that this exercise will not be very beneficial for me. As you can see, I am already quiet fluent in your language.”

Damian expected the girl to become annoyed or aggravated at his briskness, but apparently dealing with an emotional terrorist everyday gave her a higher tolerance for his behaviors than the majority of his peers. She just tilted her head with a cocked eyebrow and said in Mandarin,

“I understand. If I’m being honest, I’m in the same boat. As I am fluent in more languages than I’ll probably ever use.”

Damian raised his eyebrows in surprised, but he couldn’t help the smirk playing on his lips as he slipped into Arabic saying, “Well, that is unfortunate. But if you do not think you will use them, then why learn?”

“I plan to travel,” Marinette said in perfect Hindi. “I plan to go into fashion, and I wish to be able to reach as many people as possible. What about you? Why do you know so many languages?”

“I am expected to take over my father’s business,” Damian said in Russian. “It is an international company and possibly intergalactic if the treaty with Mars and Tameran goes through.”

“I hope it does!” Marinette said in Spanish, “I believe that intergalactic relations will improve international ones, as we will have to be united in order to effectively interact with the greater galaxy.”

“Interesting,” Damian said in Africans, “Not everyone has such an optimistic view of human nature.”

Marinette said something in Greek, and Damian winced. Her smile grew in victory as she found perhaps the only Earth language he had yet to fully master, but Damian would not be quelled. So, before she could capitalize on her victory, he switched to German and said, “Unfortunately I have yet to master Greek. It seems you have the advantage of me.”

Damian’s smirk returned as Marinette winced. But her smile remained as she said in perfect Japanese, “My German is almost non-existent. So I guess that makes us even unless…”

“I speak Japanese,” Damian said in the same language. “Perhaps this enterprise, will not be as fruitless as I thought. If you are willing to assist me in Greek, then you might even be an adequate companion.”

The moment the words left his lips, Damian knew that he had probably offended her, which would have been awful. She seemed to be the only person here who wasn’t a complete imbecile, and brushing up on his Greek was the only way this exercise wouldn’t be a waste of time. But instead Marinette just laughed bright and clear, and said,

“Adequate. That’s a new one, but I’ll take it. You know you remind me of Chloe, she doesn’t complement…well anyone.”

“Considering she is your friend; I will assume you meant the comparison to also be complementary.”

Marinette shrugged with a mischievous glint in her eyes. “Why don’t you meet her first, and then you can decide if it’s a compliment?”

Damian nodded in appreciation and a little wariness before they were interrupted by a shrill voice crying, “Marinette!”

The unwavering class president wavered, which sent a shrill line of tension through Damian. He scanned the crowd for the person responsible for causing such a steadfast presence to flinch and found an overly excitable girl with round glasses running up to them with a too bright smile. Damian recognized the Gotham Academy student following her as one of the students who had retained very little of the French lessons, and could barely introduce herself in the language. This newcomer must have been under the impression that all of the Gotham students had a similar level of incompetence because she began to speak in rapid-fire French as if Damian couldn’t understand a word she was saying.

“Marinette,” the newcomer said, “You have to switch partners with Lila. She’s desperate.”

Marinette took a deep breath as if she was actively steeling herself against something unpleasant and said, “Alya, that’s not going to happen. Mlle. Mendeliev, and Sabrina spent hours on these partners so that there would be as few akumas as possible.”

“But Lila—”

“Is a liar!”

“I know! But seriously Marinette, Adrien’s right. It’s not like she does any harm saying she save Jagged’s cat. No body actually believes her. Besides she has a disease! She can’t help it!”

“Yeah!” Marinette said perhaps a little snappishly, “A disease she is doing nothing to cure, and all you're doing is enabling her!”

“What?! I am not enabling her! I am trying to help a fellow student who is suffering from a mental illness, and trying to prevent akumas! Which you used to care about. Honestly Marinette, it’s almost as if you want this conference to be ruined. I think you’ve been spending too much time with Chloe.”

“Well, at least Chloe is trying to make amends! What does Lila do whenever she causes an akuma?”

Alya shook her head in disappointment, as if Marinette was the blind one here. “She’s just trying to get her Miraculous back. That girl couldn’t be genuinely kind even if she was hit by a personality reversal akuma. Just switch partners with Lila! It will be best for the whole class.”

“But not best for me,” Damian said in French with as much sternness as he could master. He did not miss the suppressed vindictive smirk from Marinette as Alya stared at him in shock. But Damian simply tilted his chin to the interloper with as much distain he could manage. “Now what ‘illness’ does this Lila claim to have that we must cater to her every whim.”

“She’s a compulsive liar,” Marinette said hiding her satisfaction under a lecturing tone, and a gentle smile. “To quote her words exactly, ‘It’s a disease and I can’t help it. So please be kind. I don’t intentionally want to hurt anyone, but there’s something wrong with me, and I need help!’”

Damian growled in distaste. He assumed that Lila was the girl with the sausages for hair. She had obviously seen the situation in Paris and decided to use it to her advantage. Whether she actually had a mental illness or not, was clearly not the issue, because she was using it to convince her class to cater to her ever whim. “Do everything I say or else I will call a supervillain to curse us all," she was basically saying, "But don’t blame me, I’m sick and can’t help it.” It was something his mother would do and immediately put bad taste in his mouth.

“Alya,” he said giving her the full weight of his “Ice Prince” persona. He took no small amount of satisfaction from her almost fearful reaction. “I can guarantee, that if I was to be paired with this Lie-la, then I will be akumatized within five minutes of our meeting. And if you ask any of my peers, I think you will find that me being akumatized is the last thing you want. So please return to your…friend, and tell her that under no circumstances will I take any partner other than Marinette. Now leave us alone, you aren’t wanted here.”

Alya turned to the other girl with a sort of desperate pleading, but Marinette just sighed and said gently, “I’m sorry Alya. But after that speech, I think we can all agree that it’s for the best.”

Alya shook her head in disappointment, and there was nothing but pure disappointment in her voice when she said, “And to think you used to be our ‘Everyday Ladybug.’ Now…now your just selfish.” She spun and marched off before they could respond.

Damian glanced at Marinette and froze. She looked as if she had just been stabbed. The words had meant nothing to Damian, but they had clearly meant everything to her. But before Damian could offer his support, Marinette closed her eyes and began taking deep breaths. An expression of complete and total calm passed over her. It was as if every negative emotion the confrontation had caused was melting away through her figure tips.

When she opened her eyes, she turned back to Damian with her gentle smile. But there was now a new sense of exhaustion in her clear blue bell eyes that said this was not the first time her “friends” had hurt her, and it would not be the last.

In that moment, Damian came to some very important conclusions about this Marinette. One, she was strong. She lived in a city under constant siege, and she still stood tall and genuine, with a smile that breathed kindness and compassion with every laugh and word. And two, these people did not deserve her. It was obvious that they were sheep, from the way a large group of them gathered around Lila and were now pandering to her to stop her from lashing out. They had traded a kind and gentle leader, for a mountain of fool’s gold. Pretty to look at but ultimately useless. And they had done it with their eyes open. It would have been better if they had fallen for her lies.

“I’m sorry about that,” Marinette said in English with what Damian assumed was her signature cheerfulness, just as he addressed people with his signature superiority, “Things…well, let’s just say that the akumas have caused a lot of damage, not all of it physical. Make’s it hard to know how to…interact with people, and behave rationally. I hope you understand.”

Damian nodded as he said, “I can not say that I understand completely. But I can say that I know what you mean. I have some experience with liars and manipulators, and I can see how this situation could be very beneficial to them. However, if you’re classmates had any form of actual intelligence then they would not pander to that girl the way that they do. So, I cannot garner too much sympathy for them.”

A light returned to Marinette’s eyes as he said this, as if he had amused her instead of insulting the people she probably knew and trusted far more than him. “Ok, I have to keep you and Chloe apart. It’s the only way, I’m going to be able to prevent actual murder from happening!”

“Hm,” Damian said, his smirk returning. Perhaps a little brighter than he intended, but still too small to communicate any actual pleasure. “Now I must insist on meeting her. Perhaps we can cull the herd and bring some intelligence back into this city.”

Marinette laughed, and Damian thought it sounded like bells. But they were interrupted when the red haired girl on rollerblades zoomed up to them with a worried expression. “Hey Mari,” she said gently, “I saw you talking to Alya. Are you ok?”

“Yeah, thanks Alix,” Marinette said her smile brightening even more at her friend. “All good here. But where’s your partner?

"Oh, she’s over there!” Alix gestured to the side and Damian saw Kathryn leaning against a statue while she played with her phone. “I’m so glad her French is better than my English. But if you’re ok, then I’ve got to go. I promised to get her my extra blades from my dad’s office. We’re going to have so much fun!”

“I am already regretting the fact that you two were paired together,” Marinette said with a fond shake of her head. But Alix just laughed and raced off. Kathryn running beside her through what appeared to be an employee’s entrance to the Louvre.

“Her dad’s the curator,” Marinette explained. “She’s been racing through there since she was five. They’ll be fine as long as they don’t break anything important.”

Damian nodded, as the teachers called the students to order. It was time for the first activity to begin. A Louvre scavenger hunt, which will end with lunch and then a "getting to know you party" back at the school. “I hope you know you’re artifacts as well as you know languages," he said openly studying her compitence.

A playful smile spread across Marinette’s face, as if she had some great hidden secret that she was daring him to discover. “Oh, don’t worry,” she said, “As long as luck’s on my side, we can’t possibly fail. Our biggest competition will be Alix.”

“Because of her father?”

“Sure,” Marinette said still with that playful smile brightening her face, “Let’s go with that.”

@night-ngale @annastasha @ev-cupcake @hammalammadamdam @laydeekrayzee @itsemmylie @when-no-wings-do-broomsticks

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abyssal-ali · 5 months

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'tis the damn season

Pairing: Luka Couffaine x Marinette Dupain-Cheng

Rating: T | Ao3 | Masterlist

WC: 3.8k

A/N: For my wonderful Twinsie @wildbookcat 💜 Beta'd by @sneksnacc

Tiny flakes of powdery snow danced through the air, carried around by the whims of the wind. Luka envied their carelessness. Somehow, he had ended up at the Charles de Gaulle International Airport, waiting for his high school ex-girlfriend, who was also his little sister’s best friend, and thus someone he couldn’t avoid.

It wasn’t even that he was still heartbroken about the end of their ill-fated relationship (lie), or that they had ended on bad terms (was both parties being broken-hearted and depressed for the next several months ‘bad terms’?), the issue was that he didn’t know how Marinette was going to react.

They were now both adults, had a collective handful of ended relationships under their belts, and were mature enough to look past that summer, right?

Another gust of wind blew through the man-made wind tunnel–aka the main doors exiting the airport–and caused a shiver to go down Luka’s back. He was still affected by his reptilian Miraculous, though he’d returned it after Hawkmoth had been defeated seven years ago. He wondered how Marinette would deal with the snow and chill when she arrived, since she was even more attuned to her Miraculous than he had been, and she continued to wield the gems occasionally. Ladybugs didn’t like the cold either.

The doors slid open, another batch of travellers entering the snowy grey afternoon with a shiver.

A pink pom-pom caught his eye, and Luka stepped out of the car to wave at its owner.

“Marinette!”

Her head turned to him, surprise overtaking her features, before being replaced by a smile. “Luka!”

Her cheeks were already flushing pink, matching her coat and hat, Luka noticed when she stepped back from la bise. He picked up her suitcase, slung her bag over his arm, and motioned towards his blue VW Golf.

“Your parents were busy with the holiday rush, so they asked me to come get you when I was over there saying hi yesterday,” Luka explained, getting into the driver’s seat once he’d stored her things in the hatch.

“Couldn’t stay away from their pain au chocolat, huh?” Marinette teased him easily.

Luka exhaled soundlessly as he pulled away. Maybe this would go okay, after all.

“You know it. So, how long are you here for?”

Marinette settled back in her seat. “I’m not actually sure. I want something new, but old…no, familiar, at the same time.”

Luka hummed. “I hope you find it.”

“Thanks. So, why are you here? It’s been a while since either of us were in Paris,” she commented, blowing hot air on the window and doodling hearts and smiles with her fingertip.

“I thought it was time. Haven’t seen Ma and Juleka in a while, and I have friends here I wanted to catch up with. I’m currently on a break from producing, so I figured now was as good a time as any.”

“Right,” Marinette agreed. “It’s nice to see you again.”

And now the awkwardness was seeping through the car.

“You too; it’s been awhile,” he said softly. “I’m always happy to see you.”

Even if it hurts when I don’t.

Her gaze darted down to her mittenless hands, fidgeting with her short, buffed nails. Luka could see the calluses from being constantly pricked on the pads of her fingers; a thin red scrape on the side of her hand likely came from brushing against a pincushion the wrong way.

The snowflakes had gradually become larger and more frequent, so Luka turned on the wipers.

“So, I saw you snagged the honour of designing Clara’s outfit for the Grammys next year,” he commented to break the silence.

Usually, he was fine with silence, especially around Marinette, who often needed it, but right now he was acting very unlike himself. Coming back to Paris had stirred up all these old feelings and actions, and he cursed it in his mind.

“Yeah. I’m hoping coming back here will provide some inspiration. I want to pay homage to her roots,” Marinette explained. “We could go for a drive around all our old haunts, maybe. Oh, but you’ll probably be busy, sorry. I can drive around.”

“I’m not that busy.” He blurted the words before he thought. “You still don’t have a license, right? I don’t mind being your chauffeur.”

The snowflakes appeared to have come from Marinette’s sparkling eyes. “Thank you, Luka!” She watched him drive in silence for a while. “You haven’t really changed, even though you’re famous.”

He flicked a glance at her, slowing down for a red light. “You think so?”

She nodded. “You look older now, because you are, obviously, and your image-controlling people have changed your appearance somewhat, but at your core you’re still the same Luka I know from seven years ago.”

The light turned green, and Luka wondered if it was a sign for one delusional second before he pressed the gas again.

“Is that a compliment or not, Mari?” he asked, settling for a teasing inquisition instead.

‘It’s a good thing!” she insisted. “Okay, you’ve matured, but your essence is the same. You’re like…like a nice red wine! Aging improves a good thing!”

“Oh, so you’re calling me old now?”

Mari sputtered. “That’s not what I said at all! And men say women take things too seriously! Pfft!”

Luka couldn’t hold back his laugh as Marinette crossed her arms, her puffy jacket turning her into a cocoon of pink.

“I know what you meant, Mari; thank you for the compliment.”

She sniffed at the traces of humour in his penitent tone, but uncurled her arms.

“There’s the bakery. We should just have missed the closing rush,” Luka glanced at the clock on the dashboard. “Have a good time, Marinette.”

“Thank you, you too! Oh, you can text me when you want to go for a drive. I still use the same number.”

“0-474-152-772?”

A wave of pink coated her cheeks. “You still remember it?”

I stare at it for a good half hour every week debating calling you or not. Of course I know it; it’s seared into my memory.

“Yep. I kept my old number too.” He popped the trunk and lifted her bags out.

“0-516-352-772?”

“Yep. Say hi to your parents for me!”

He placed her bags just inside the door, and then beat a hasty retreat. Why do you still remember my number?

~~~

How could she forget his number, when it spelled out her name?

Marinette sighed, waved goodbye at Luka’s car, then shut the door, ready to greet her parents.

“Maman! Papa! Guess who’s home!”

“Marinette! Sweetie, you made it!” Once the overwhelming hugs and bises had been exchanged, her parents looked curiously at the empty space behind her. “Luka got you here safely?” asked Sabine.

Mari nodded. “He was waiting for me at the airport; he asked me to say hi to you for him. He said you were busy with the holiday rush.”

Tom agreed. “We were sorry to miss picking you up, but our seasonal helper was sick, so we weren’t able to close and get you after all. Luka coming by and being free was fortunate.”

“It was nice to catch up with him,” Mari agreed. “I’ll just bring my bags up to my room and then we can catch up while we make dinner?”

“That sounds good,” agreed Sabine. Tom brought the luggage up, then left Mari to settle in after one more hug.

Looking around her room, Mari smiled at the remembrance of all the memories she had made in the pink space. Pictures clothespinned to her wall of fairy lights danced in the breeze as she twirled, releasing a deep breath and closing her eyes at the peace of being home again.

She could feel the ideas coming for Clara’s outfits.

It was a brilliant idea to come back to Paris.

~~~

It was a horrible idea to come back to Paris.

Why had he said yes to picking Marinette up?

Why had he said yes to driving Marinette around?

Why had he answered her text as soon as she sent it, at 2:08 am?

Why had he showed up at her door at 7:30 am, why had he let Tom drag him to the kitchen and feed him pastries (okay, that one was self-explanatory), why had he lingered and chatted, why why why.

The answer to all his questions was sitting in the passenger seat of the car he was borrowing from a friend, looking devastatingly beautiful and chattering away about how things had changed since she had left, a year before he had, and contrasting it to Los Angeles.

If he’d wanted to hear about her failed relationships after she defeated Hawkmoth, broke up with him, and moved away, he would have asked.

Luka was well aware that he was sulking, but he didn’t care at this moment. They were driving by College Francois Dupont, and the memories of that time weren’t the most pleasant.

“Ooh, I have an idea! Can you park here? I want to walk around for a bit.”

Luka dutifully pulled over, parking in an empty space between the school and the Methodist church down the block.

Marinette strolled around the quiet street, the fluffy flakes floating down muffling her footsteps and muttered monologue.

She returned to him eventually, scribbling away at her sketchbook.

Luka’s hand raised before he realised what he was doing.

“Luka? What are you doing?”

He blinked down at her, his hand frozen as she glanced up at him from under her bangs.

“You, um, snow-”

Why was he making this awkward? Biting the bullet, he gently brushed the accumulated snow off the top of Marinette’s ponytail.

She flashed him a smile and climbed back into her seat.

“Where to next, Mari?”

~~~

“So, any plans for your break?” Mari clutched a mug of cocoa in her hands, careful not to drop it over the edge of her balcony on the head of some unsuspecting passersby out admiring the lights.

Luka leaned his back against the balcony, blowing on his own mug. “I haven’t made anything firm yet, but I expect my schedule will fill up rather quickly.”

Mari hummed. “I guess I should book our hangouts while you’ve still got room for me then, Mr. Hot-Demand.”

“I’ll always have room for you, Mari.”

She smiled at him before turning back to the cityscape. “I’ve missed this view.”

The real view nudged her shoulder. “Old memories coming back, huh? I’m glad you’re able to miss it, Mar.”

“Did you miss it?” She turned on her back to be companionably side-to-side with him.

“The city? Not so much. The people in it? Yeah, I missed them a lot.”

She nodded in understanding. “Did you miss the people who weren’t in it, too?”

He sipped his cocoa. “Everyday.”

~~~

Marinette opened her eyes, breathing deeply. There was nothing like a full ten hours of sleep in your childhood room, warm and cozy under blankets as the snow drifted by the window hypnotizingly, your secret love snuggled up beside you-

Oh yeah, she’d made Luka stay the night, saying it was too cold to walk back home as her excuse to have him sleep here. Her fingers brushed a teal lock back from his forehead as she took in his peaceful features. Honestly, they weren’t much different from his usual everyday expressions. She envied his calm, never being able to stay still for long.

Luka shifted, blinking sleepily at her, a sleepy smile curving his lips. “Morning, Mari.”

His arm raised to trace a feather-light path down her cheek to cup her neck and pull her towards him.

She let him guide her closer, her breath catching in her throat.

“Mari, if you’re up, could you help out at the register for a bit?” called Sabine through the door.

Luka jerked away and Mari rolled out of bed with a thump. “Be there in a minute, Maman!”

“Are you okay?” he peeked over the edge of her mattress.

“Just fine,” she rubbed her behind. Luckily, the duvet had cushioned her fall.

“Er, sorry about that,” Luka ran his fingers through his messy locks.

“It’s fine,” she shrugged off the hurt, grabbing a pair of jeans and a flower-embroidered sweater off the back of her chaise. “Want me to save you anything for breakfast when I go down?”

“A quince pastry would be nice.”

“Got it. See you!” She fled down the stairs to the secondary powder room to change and twist her hair into a braid. Ready to suppress the feelings stoked by Luka’s earlier actions, she washed her hands and prepared to face the public.

Luka wandered downstairs a while later, looking neat and as if he hadn’t slept in her bed and almost greeted her with a kiss before they were interrupted and then ignored it.

She could feel Sabine and Tom pause in their work as they took in the situation and incorrectly interpreted it.

“Oh, I thought we missed you leaving last night, Luka,” smiled Sabine. “Are you-”

“Here’s your pastry,” interrupted Marinette, thrusting the napkin-wrapped goods into Luka’s hand. “You’re lucky I saved you the last one.”

“Er, lucky, yeah. About that. Can I talk to you? Later, I guess, when you’re not busy,” he cast a glance at the blatantly listening bakers.

“Sure. We can go for another drive in about an hour? Around one?”

“Sounds good, I’ll see you then. Bye, Tom, Sabine.” With a wave, he ducked out the door, leaving a bill in Marinette’s now-empty hands for the pastry.

She turned to her parents. “It’s not what it looks like. It was late and cold and I didn’t want him walking home in the snow-”

“Mhm,” Sabine raised a knowing brow. “Would you like to talk about it?”

Marinette shook her head. “Not yet.”

~~~

Luka shook his head, sending accumulated flurries flying off his hair. He’d had the most lovely dream, waking up to Marinette cosying up to him in his bed, smiling at him lovingly. Except it hadn’t been a dream, and he’d almost kissed her.

He was not going to go down the path they’d travelled in school, with the secrets and barriers between them. She still didn’t know he knew she was Ladybug and the Guardian, and she hadn’t told him. He wasn’t going to lie to himself; it hurt a little.

Realistically, he knew there were several reasons why she wouldn’t bring it up (not the least of which because she didn’t want to dredge up those traumas again) but emotionally, he was simply hurt by her still not trusting him with her identity even though she’d entrusted Sass and literal timelines to him.

Still, his therapist in the States had done him good.

He was going to tell Marinette he knew on their drive this afternoon, get everything off his chest, and then leave it in her hands while he returned to LA and broke his heart over her for the last time. Yep, sounded like a good plan.

~~~

Marinette climbed into the car. Luka closed her door, crossed the front, and slid into the driver’s seat.

“Where to?”

“I thought maybe we could just drive around this time, unless there’s somewhere you wanted to go?”

“No, that sounds fine.” He took a sip from the mocha she had supplied them with, humming appreciatively. “This is perfect; thanks, Mari.”

“You’re welcome.”

He started the car and pulled away.

They drove in silence for a while, occasionally pointing out some place they and their friends had adventures at.

Luka pointed at the tip of the Eiffel Tower. “That thing was destroyed more times than I can count.”

She made an agreeing noise, thinking back to some of the battles the Tower had seen.

“Marinette, I need to talk about something with you.”

She nodded, looking at the un-Luka-like tension in his body language. “Okay.”

“I was Viperion, on the Miraculous team. I reset so many timelines. It was impossible not to know who my allies were, with all the mishaps occurring. I’ve known you were Ladybug for years.”

She stilled, breathing stuttering as old trauma resurfaced. Someone knew she was Ladybug, something bad happened.

Reminding herself that Hawkmoth was gone, she wasn’t Ladybug anymore, and she was safe, she regulated her breathing and thoughts.

“I knew you were Ladybug when we were dating, and that your identity was why you were so hesitant to open up. I thought now would be a good time to tell you that you don’t have to keep that secret alone anymore.”

“Luka, I-”

“It’s okay, Mari. I didn’t hold it against you. After all, we were all kids. Just thought I could even the score before I leave, since we both know each other’s secret,” he muttered.

“I- you-” she stuttered, falling silent as her thoughts whirled.

“I’m flying out tomorrow afternoon,” he broke the silence after a few minutes. “Don’t worry, I haven’t told another soul and I never will. But, if you ever want to talk about it…you have my number.”

She nodded, still processing. “Thank you, Luka. For- well, everything. I’m sorry for what I put you through.”

He gave her a smile meant to be reassuring and forgiving, but she knew it was fake. “Have a happy new year, Marinette.”

Strangely feeling like she’d been broken up with, she closed the car door and walked into the bakery, where her parents met her.

“Everything okay, sweetie?”

She shook her head. “I think I need to take you up on your offer to talk about it.”

~~~

Luka packed his suitcase methodically, thoughts with one person miles away.

He wasn’t quite sure what he’d expected when he’d told her he knew.

Maybe for her to ask him out again since they had no secrets between them anymore? Okay, that was his wildest dream, but he supposed she hadn’t changed that much, still taking her time to process things. Not that he blamed her–having a magical emotional terrorist attacking your city didn’t exactly inspire impulsive actions regarding your feelings.

His therapist had told him that there were seasons in one’s life, and sometimes people were only meant to be with you for a season, like a flower. Others were like trees, there no matter the weather. He wanted her to be a tree, but maybe she was only a flower. Whatever she was, he’d always remember the beauty of her blooms and the sweetness of her perfume.

“‘Tis the damn season,” he mumbled, slinging his guitar case over his back and picking up his suitcase.

He’d left her with a reminder of his phone number. Hoping she’d call him one day, he drove to the airport. He only realised he’d chosen the route that took him by the bakery as he passed it, peering in the window to catch a glimpse of Marinette working the register.

~~~

Marinette wasn’t having a good day. She’d taken forever to fall asleep, tossing and turning as she stewed over Luka and her parents’ advice.

They’d understandably been surprised by her explanation of the inner workings of her and Luka’s short-lived relationship, but provided some valuable outside-perspective commentary.

After a fitful sleep, she’d been working the register while her parents worked on a rush-order of pastries, her mind consumed by thoughts of Luka.

“Here’s your change, ma’am. Have a happy new year!” Handing the coins over, she wiped her hands on her apron and tidied up the counter space.

Clean up complete, she ran upstairs to change into jeans, boots with Ladybug pom-poms, a turtleneck, and her favourite Viperion hoodie she’d worn thin.

She tossed a quick goodbye over her shoulder to her parents and ran out the door, waving her hand at an approaching taxi.

“International airport, please,” she huffed, buckling her belt.

“Hope you’re not late for your flight, mademoiselle. The snow is slowing traffic,” said the driver.

Marinette clasped her hands to stop her nervous fidgeting, calling on all of Tikki’s luck that she’d arrive before Luka’s flight left.

~~~ Luka wasn’t having a good day. He’d slept off and on, was leaving his first love behind, and now he couldn’t even do that because of the sudden snowstorm. All flights were postponed or cancelled for the time being.

So far his flight was only cancelled, so he found a comfortable piece of carpet to claim and began strumming an imaginary guitar while he waited for updates.

Snippets of lyrics floated through his brain as he composed a piece containing his feelings in the moment.

“I won’t ask you to wait…if you don’t ask me to stay…” He hummed softly.

The sound of running feet made him look up, curious who thought they were late for a flight that wasn’t taking off.

“Marinette?” “Luka?”

She paused in front of him, catching her breath.

“Why are you here?” he asked cautiously, getting to his feet.

“To see you,” she panted. “Didn’t want you to go.”

His heart picked up pace as if he’d been the one running through the airport. “Really?” “Really. I want you. I have for years. Is there any way you can stay?” she asked softly.

“I’ll stay any way I can if you ask, Ma-ma-marinette,” he grinned. “I love you. I never stopped.”

She tiptoed to be face-to-face with him. “I love you too,” she whispered in his ear before greeting him with a soft kiss. It felt like home and the beginning of everything and the end of everything and the past and future all wrapped up into one amazing kiss in the present.

He cupped her face in his hands, resting his forehead on hers.

~~~

Luka drove them back to the bakery, keeping her hand entwined with his. They stepped into the entry, stomping snow off their boots. Sabine and Tom greeted them as if it was an everyday occurrence, though Marinette saw the happy spark in their eyes.

“Just in time for the party!” boomed Tom. “Dinner is ready; let’s sit!”

After a festive new year’s eve dinner and delicious buche, Luka and Marinette carried their flutes of champagne up to Marinette’s balcony to watch the firecrackers and revellers beneath them.

Chanting filled the air, little sparks in the distance showing where firecrackers had been set off.

“10! 9!” The countdown to the new year had begun.

“My new year’s resolution is to have the woman I love become my girlfriend. Will you be my girlfriend?” Luka asked.

“4!”

Marinette nodded vigorously. “Yes!”

“3! 2! 1!”

Horns sounded, firecrackers popped, and hollers filled the air, but Marinette and Luka heard none of it, too wrapped up in each other.

“Joyeuse annee, Luka.”

“Bonne annee, Marinette.”

#ali writes #Lukanette #Fic #Marinette dupain cheng x Luka Couffaine

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aloneatpeace · 6 months

Text

Bullet Train

Chapter 2

Ladybug walked through the car full of momong mascots and lights decorated hands secured around the briefcase. He was talking with maria through the ear piece he looks back to make sure no one was following him.

“Hey I know you stole something of mine” ladybugs whole body freeze at the sentence, he curses softly maria on another end was also slightly alarmed “I am talking to you” he was expecting someone pointing a gun at him. When he turns, he realized that the person wasn’t even telling him but to one of the momonga mascot.

You and the mascot exchange some words the next thing he sees that you tackling the mascot with war cry and starts to punch it in its face cursing in both English and Japanese.

Ladybug run towards the both you, lifting you off the mascot.

“Clam down. What’s wrong?” he asks

“This mascot stole my laptop” you hiss at the mascot as it gets up.

He raises an eyebrow at the statement, the mascot gesture to calm down as it walks away you lunch towards it but ladybug prevent you from doing so

“Now how do you know this is the same one who stole it” ladybug look down at you,

“Because that’s my laptop last location is right here” you thrust your phone screen at his face where the blinking light indicate indeed your device is here.

The mascot came back with your laptop you snatch it back with a glare hard at the mascot as it slowly back away.

“You alright now?” ladybug asks

You let out a breath calming yourself “yes” finally looking at the man as you recognize him on your way to the train.

“Hey, it’s you?”

Ladybug raise an eyebrow at you as Mariya questions him about what happening “I don’t know you and I’m pretty good at remembering face.”

“Oh, we never meet. I just saw you just while ago remember a guy bump into you” he let out a small hum as you continue “yeah, I saw your key and ticket feel. I was going to put it the lost and found” you dug your hands in your pocket and give him his belonging. “here”

Ladybug smiles “there is nice people here indeed. Thank you”

You shrug “well its nice meet you, I’ll be leaving now. have a good day” ladybug waves as you walk away.

While you walk you get a message from the informer saying the white death son who has been kidnapped now rescued by the same people who done the Bolivia job leaving behind 17 dead bodies.

Huh why did the white asked the twins though didn’t they just killed his men. This people are crazy, bat shit crazy.

as you walk back to your place, one of the momonga mascot crash into you. instantly you pull your lap towards your chest.

“Back away you, filthy thief” the mascot hastily run away you mutter a curse under your breath. You don’t see lemon or tangerine but the guy opposite is leaning towards the window. As you go to set down you get a glimpse of the guys back at where leagues are kept. They seem to be having a serious conversation you put the laptop back patiently wait for your destination.

The twins came back tangerine let out a delighted hum at the sight of you. “Hello love, thought we lost you for quick moment”

You shake your head “nope. I found what I was looking for”

Tangerine sits beside you as lemon take seat next to the guy “care to enlighten us?”

“One of the mascots stole my laptop when we bump into earlier”

Tangerine raises his eyebrow at this “how did you know it’s the same one love?”

“Same thing happened yesterday but they didn’t come this close”

Lemon glance at your bag “seems like you got something worth in it”

“Yep. Seems like he really knocked out” you point to wards the man sleeping beside lemon changing the subject quirkily.

“Huh……. well, he has to get up now” lemon shook him making him turn and a gasp leave your mouth as the man eyes wide open, blood poring out of his eyes.

The twins curse, standing from their seat they inspect the guy as you sit there stunned at the turns of events.

“First his wife, now his son. That’s a lot of white deaths” lemon say making tangerine give a look at his statement and sigh.

“The white’s son?” you whisper in disbelief making the two male curses again for quick minute they forget about you “who are you people?” you slowly stand but tangerine was already blocking your way “wait……you’re the twins!” you yell making the passengers turns to you especially a lady with a glasses glare at you

Tangerine slowly walks towards you making your press your self against the glass as there is no way where to go “sorry love, as much as I enjoy hearing you gotta shut up now”

“ARE YO...” tangerine clasp his hands over your mouth and you feel something poking on your stomach and your eyes widen at the gun.

“We are going to have a chat. Lemon handle this” he said nodding at the body and start to walk you both to secluded area.

Once he makes sure no one can listen he let go off you and put away his gun “sorry about that love. Shouldn’t you be used to dead bodies. We both know you didn’t kill the white’s son but did you see anyone suspicious?”

“Are you seriously asking me this question? I didn’t even know you’re the twins! How am I suppose to know who killed him!” you throw your hands in the air in frustration.

He glances at the side before sighing “Here is what’s going to happen, we both go back to the seat. You won’t be going anywhere until we sort it out”

You look at him in confusion “what? I’m not staying here. I don’t what’s happening here something tell me if I stay here, I’ll might end up dead”

Tangerine slowly walks towards making you gulp and move backwards to create distance that until he corners you against the window, he looks directly in your eyes “I can either knock you out or you can sit there as I say. Choose wisely I don’t want to ruin that pretty face of yours”

You stay silent eyes trained on him heart beating out your chest at the close proximality. He tilts his head at you “we like the second one doesn’t we love” you reluctantly nod.

He backs up and take your hands in his with tight yet gentle grip and walk back to lemon, he sits you in your seat turning to lemon “we’ll make a brief stop at shin-Yokohama” seeing the weird glasses on the dead body he shoots a questioning look at lemon.

“they’re them momonga glasses” lemon says as it’s the most obvious thing

“The fuck is a momonga?” he hisses

“Comes on after Thomas every Thursday”

“Thomas the tank engine?” you look at lemon with an unimpressed look

“yeah”

“Please don’t fucking start. It good he looks asleep that’s enough” lemon stands up and fixes tangerine suit “we gotta make sure he doesn’t step a foot off this train. You see the case deal with whoever has it”

“All right, how dol do that? Talk to him or, like, talk to him?” lemon shifts in his foot adding flipping his jacket

Tangerine gives him a blank look “I don’t know’ why don’t you tell him about the story about how Gorden met Percy and how Percy’s now bleeding from his fucking eye sockets” he aggrievedly stresses the last word; you almost look worried for lemon. “don’t mind my language love, and sorry about this” he said before taking a sip tag and cuffing your hand to the seat and you mouth falls in disbelief and glares at him as he leaves.

Lemon turns to you “he means kill him. You stay right here I will be right back”

With that lemon also leave, you sit there for a second before hurriedly taking your phone and snap a picture of the dead white’s son, before taking your stuff and run out there. Surely you can’t get out now but you have to wait till next stop without getting caught.

Lemon got back when you left the station you who was still siting Infront of dead body sigh lemon turns to you “you need some water?”

“No. I want to leave. Why am I even here, lemon?” you lean against your seat looking at him

“Well love, I can’t do that. And tangerine would probably cuss me out if let you go” he answers

“Why, I don’t have anything valuable or know who killed him” you whine lemon open your laptop that has the files about the white death “oh come on”

“Besides, I think he likes you” he said causally you turns to at him with an unimpressed look on your face “what? You should be dead by now, but you’re not and that’s count”

“Thank you?”

lemon take out his phone and reads the text when a guy sits on across him, it’s the guy from earlier.

“Hi. There’s a gun under this table “he starts but lemon cut him off

“Shh… there is a lady here” he points at you the guy turns to you his eyes lift up in recognition “and this is the quite car gotta use your small inside voice in here, son.”

Ladybug sees the sip tie his eyes narrowing at lemon before returning to you “are you being held against your will?” you nod at him

“Shh…inside voices” lemon interpret

“There is gun under the table” ladybug whispers now you look at his hands only see them empty.

“I can’t really hear what you saying”

“There is gun…” he firmly starts only to cut off when a lady in the front to shush them

Lemon chuckles “I’m just fuckin’ with you mate.”

The guy tilts his head nods “it’s been a long time since Johannesburg”

Unbothered lemon looks at the guy “yeah. Who the fuck are you?”

The guy smile at lemon “really. You don’t remember me?”

“You look like every white homeless white male I’ve ever seen”

“Okey. Well, I have something I believe you’re looking …really you don’t remember me?” the guy removes his glasses as if try to make lemon recognize him

You sigh as you watch them seems like you won’t be going getting out of here anytime soon

“I remember Johannesburg, but I don’t remember you.”

“You shot me”

“I shoot lot of people.”

“You shot me twice”

“Well, you also have a shoot able face. I know you’re the black framed glasses. The cheeky fucker who took our briefcase.”

“Yes. Yes, I am.” He answers honestly leaning back on his seat

“You know. I’ve done a lot of personal work since Johannesburg. I’ve forgiven, I’ve moved on. I’ve learned that with any potential conflict there an opportunity for growth a path to a peaceful outcome. It was then I look into the mirror and you know what? Buddy, I didn’t like what I saw.”

You yawn quietly as you watch them you thought he might just kill Lemon and maybe hopefully let you go but you are not really sure about that. You tune out what their conversation you glance at the dead body and next thing you know that they’re fighting with each other.

“Oh my god” you gasp when they come crashing to your side and Lemon pull out the gun aiming at the guy making him grab the front of the gun pointing it away.

“No no not my laptop” you whisper yell when the guy hit lemon with your laptop.

“I am saving us here” ladybug replies “let me find something to cut the tie” he stands looking around

“There is small knife in my bag” you looking at your bag on that sit abandoned at tangerine seat. Ladybug search the bag take out small pocket knife and help you out the restrains. You rub your wrists and step out your seat.

“Jesus did you kill him?” you poke at lemon turning to the male who mixing up a powder like substance to the water that lemon had “what is that?”

“One he is not dead and this is something to keep me from getting shoot and extensionally keep you alive as well” he shakes it and put it down.

“We need to go before tangerine comes” you take your laptop and phone hastily that guy hide away the gun you took out your phone and take a couple of photos of the white son carefully not leaving your fingerprint.

Ladybug throws a confused glance at you as you do. Finally deeming you have enough straightening you see him observing you “what?”

“You seem oddly clam about the situation” he states but that seems to snap something in you as he sees you glare at him.

“Clam do you even know what’s going on here? That the white death’s son. Dead. died. the white death. And I don’t know who did it or why was he even here or of all people I made friends with psychotic twins and I don’t even who you are and what’s your deal with them. All I know that something crazy shit going on here and if we don’t leave soon, we all die. Do you understand me?” you yell at him the end making an old lady passenger with glass to turns to you and shush you. “Fuck off lady” you walk out carrying your thing and leave.

Ladybug apologize to the lady and starts to follow you but you were gone, walking past serval cars you murmur a soft sorry when you bump into a girl as you upload everything to your small portable USB drive. You find one of first class as you wait patiently for everything to upload as you do you hear the sound of the grunts coming from the restroom making you frown slowly cursing you stand up.

Yuichi cruse silently when the combination he put in wrong grunting he tries another one when suddenly the door opens making him aim the gun at the intruder.

“shit” you mutter when you saw the guy crouched down pointing a gun at you.

#bullet train x you #bullet train x reader #tangerine x you #tangerine x reader #ladybug #lemon #the prince #white death #bullet train fanfic #tangerine #aaron taylor johnson #aaron tyler x reader #tangerine and lemon

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aalissy · 1 year

Text

Sick Day

Once again a tiny bit of Ladynoir has snuck into my Adrienette April haha. I hope you guys like it! It does contain spoilers from s5 up until Derision so please watch those first! Lemme know what you think!

AO3

Ladybug and Chat Noir had “sick days”. That wasn’t to say that they ever took them during akuma attacks. No, they were always ready to protect the people of Paris. But, every so often, on quiet nights, instead of patrolling, they would just sit and talk.

It was nice. It gave both superheroes a chance to relax and erase some of their worries. And, honestly, she needed it now more than ever with the rise of Monarch.

Ladybug landed softly onto the rooftop just across from the Eiffel Tower, a smile stretching across her face as Chat turned to look at her. The sun was just beginning to set, casting a beautiful, golden glow on the city.

“Can we take a ‘sick day’ today, m’lady?” he asked practically as soon as she had landed. His wide, green eyes were eager as he begged her to consider his proposal.

Giggling, she sat down next to her partner, ruffling his hair. “Sure, mon Chaton. We haven’t had one in a while.”

The two superheroes gave a sigh of relief, cuddling even closer together. Ladybug’s head rested gently on Chat’s shoulder, watching the sunset as they enjoyed the simple comfort of each other’s presence.

It was lovely. The ache in her heart slowly ebbed away as the stress of the last week disappeared. Tonight, she could just be. No worries about responsibilities or duties. Just a simple, peaceful quiet with her best friend.

So, when Ladybug returned home and detransformed, she fell asleep quickly for the first time in a while. Honestly, Marinette wished that more days could be like that in her civilian life. A day where she didn’t have to worry about school or anything else.

But, life goes on. Her alarm rang early that morning and Marinette was grateful that she finally got enough rest to wake up on time for once.

And so, pulling on her clothes, she happily made her way to school. Excited to greet her friends and especially Adrien. Marinette was still unsure about what exactly their relationship was.

She wanted to be his girlfriend. More than anything she wanted to hold his hand, kiss his lips, and go on dates. But, she was still scared. Ridiculous worries that this was somehow still a prank designed by Chloé floated around her thoughts.

Her head knew that this wasn’t the case. That Adrien, as sweet and wonderful as he always was, ended his relationship with Chloé the second he found out about what Kim did. But, her heart was still afraid. Afraid of falling and finding out that she was wrong.

But, either way, Marinette was going to take it slow. She loved Adrien and she knew that one day she’d have the strength to work through her worries and finally tell him. She was just glad he was willing to wait for her.

Arriving at school, she was about to enter when she felt a hand gently grab hers. Squeaking in surprise, it gradually faded away when Marinette looked up and saw Adrien’s smiling face. She grinned back, wrapping him up in a tight hug.

“Adrien!”

He hugged her just as tightly back, lifting her so that her feet were just above the ground. “Marinette! I missed you so much!”

She giggled, feeling her cheeks warm as he put her back down on the ground. “You saw me yesterday!”

“And that was simply too long to be without my Marinette! Can’t you just stay with me the whole day?”

Her face turned even redder at his words, butterflies fluttering in her chest. Did he know how sweet he was?

Adrien glanced down at his phone before a sneaky, mischievous expression appeared on his face. “We’ve got some time before class. Do you want to relax for a bit first?”

Shyly, she nodded, letting him lead her over to a shaded area as he tugged on the hand he was still holding. As soon as Marinette sat down, Adrien instantly cuddled into her lap, sighing with contentment. She hummed too, wrapping her arms around him as she enjoyed the comfort of the moment.

Right now, there was no fear. No anxiety. It was just them. And it felt right.

The wind gently blew around them and Marinette cuddled closer with a shiver, enjoying the warmth Adrien provided. Her eyes began to droop and she curled one of her hands through his hair, playing with the strands she had wanted to run her fingers through so desperately for years. It was just as fun as she had imagined.

Adrien seemed to enjoy it too. An almost pleased rumble seemed to be coming from him.

Marinette smiled, wishing that every day could be just like this. Honestly, that sick day with Chat had done wonders for her mental health. Because right now there was no panic or anxiety.

Breaking their bubble of peace, though, was the sound of her phone chirping out a simple melody. Marinette winced. That was her second alarm. That was her get up and get ready for class now or you’re going to be late, alarm.

With quick, nimble fingers, she shut off the distracting, loud noise. She moved to stand up but Adrien didn’t budge. In fact, he nuzzled even closer into her lap with a noise of protest.

She chuckled softly, scratching her hand through his hair one last time before nudging his shoulder. “Come on, Adrien. It’s time to get up. We’re going to be late for class otherwise.”

“Don’t wanna,” he mumbled, turning his head into her leg as he rolled over onto his side. “Am comfy.”

Marinette had to clap a hand to her mouth to stop herself from cooing at him. How did she never notice how goofy and dorky Adrien was? He was just so silly and adorable.

She almost didn’t have the heart to move but then she glanced at the time and winced once more. They really needed to get up. Shifting slightly, she said, “Usually you’re dying to go to class. What’s wrong?”

He rolled back onto his back, his emerald eyes gleaming up at her playfully. “I want to spend more time with you.”

Pink dusted her cheeks at those words as the butterflies came roaring back. He was really going to kill her at this rate.

“Come on, Marinette,” Adrien whined. “Can’t we just take a sick day today?”

Her lips parted as her heart practically dropped in her chest. She had heard those exact words so many times before. Her mind flashed straight back to last night. Those same words coming out of a different boy’s mouth.

Two different boys... right? Not the same boy with the same tousled blonde hair and the same piercing green eyes... right?!

Okay, the panic was coming back now. Blinking harshly, Marinette scooted away, jostling Adrien from her lap as her back collided with the tree.

He sat up with a frown, looking at her worriedly. “Marinette?”

She shook her head quickly, memories racing through her thoughts at a breakneck pace. She had seen Adrien and Chat Noir at the same time. Hadn’t she?

“I-I’m sorry... I was only joking. We can go back to class now, Marinette. I promise we won’t be late.”

Adrien’s eyes were round and concerned, looking at her as though he was afraid she might break.

Sucking in a stuttering breath, Marinette slowly began to steel herself. Maybe it was just a coincidence. Maybe she only thought she heard him say sick day. Maybe it was something Adrien said all the time with someone else.

“I d-don’t... where did you hear those words?” she demanded, her heart thundering in her ears.

His frown deepened and he tilted his head with confusion. “What words?”

“T-the ones you said before... a-about taking a sick day.”

Adrien stiffened, his eyes darting away from her face before he quickly relaxed, shrugging casually. “I’m not too sure. I, uh, use it with a friend sometimes... I think. I don’t know. It’s a pretty common phrase, isn’t it?”

He looked over at her and now he looked suspicious of her. Oh my god, it really was him. Adrien was her Chat Noir. How could it have taken her this long to notice?

Marinette wrestled with her feelings. On the one hand, she was overjoyed at the idea that she might have finally found her kitten. On the other, she was overwhelmed with panic.

Hesitantly, she decided to test him once again. “Don’t you think someone might notice if we take too many sick days?”

“I don’t know,” Adrien replied quickly, “It depends on how many sick days we’ve already had before. Wouldn’t this be our first one?”

“Would it?”

The two of them stared into the other’s eyes. Neither of them wanting to be the one to say what they were both thinking.

Adrien broke first. “M’lady?” he whispered almost inaudibly, the word practically falling from his lips.

The giddiness won. Throwing her arms around him, Marinette moved closer and buried her head in his neck. “Mon minou! It is you!”

He stood up quickly, twirling her around in his arms. She squealed, tightening her grip around him.

After a while, Adrien put her back down, searching her eyes beseechingly. “I love you. So, so much! And I am willing to wait a million years for you if I have to. Because, Marinette, my bugaboo, it has only ever been you for me. No one else. Only you.”

Her eyes watered as she blinked back tears of happiness. It was time.

“I-I love you too, Adrien. And it’s only been you for me too, you know. Even when I thought I moved on to Chat, it was because I saw you staring back at me.”

He kissed her, picking her up once more as he pressed his lips against hers desperately. It was so similar and yet so different from the kisses that they had shared before. Because this time... this time they didn’t have to worry about identities or secrets. It was just them.

When Adrien finally pulled back, there was a clear gleam in his eyes. “I suppose now I don’t have to pretend to be jealous about that kiss you shared with Chat Noir.”

Marinette giggled, rolling her eyes. Shoving his chest lightly, she said, “Shut up, you dork. We’re going to be late for class.”

“Aw, but m’lady, I thought we were gonna take another sick day.”

“We already had one last night. We can’t afford to take another.”

“Ahh, you’re right. Paris might start to get suspicious.”

Marinette glanced at Adrien from the corner of her eye before reaching down and taking his hand in hers. He squeezed it tightly as they both made their way into the school, the bell for class ringing in their ears. Yep, they were definitely late.

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sofiaispunk · 1 year

Text

The Space Cowboy and his Ladybug - CHAPTER 3

Javier Peña x reader

Summary: You find your old diary in your childhood home and are confronted with the ghosts of your past.

Words: 2,7K

Warnings: angst, trust issues, violence, mentions of past domestic abuse (mentally and physically), insecurity, references to suicide attempt, smut (in later chapter), TRAUMA, throwbacks

On Moday, a particular humid day in Laredo, you decided to throw on your grey matching gym set and start decluttering your old childhood home. As you were cleaning out one of the closets in the old house, you stumbled upon an old dusty box. You carefully took it out and placed it on the floor. As you opened it, you found something that sent shivers down your spine – your old diary.

It was a brown leather-bound book that you used to carry everywhere with you during your teenage years. You carefully opened the book and the familiar smell of the old pages filled your nostrils. As you started to read through the entries, it felt like you was transported back in time.

Dear diary, 15th October 1974

I can't believe how irritating it is to watch those girls flirting with Javier. I mean, I don't have feelings for him or anything, but it's just so obvious and annoying. Like, can't they see how he's just playing along with them? Ugh, it makes me want to scream.

And today in school, he was laughing and chatting with that new girl, Lorraine or something. Stupid name, right? I don't know why it bothers me so much, but it does. I guess it's just because he's my friend, and I don't want him to get hurt by these girls who are obviously just using him for attention.

But whatever, it's not like it's any of my business. I'll just keep my distance and focus on my own life. Maybe I'll even try to find someone to flirt with too.

Anyway, I have to go now. Homework to do and all that. Until next time, diary.

You are sitting on the ground, flipping through the pages. Some pages are stuck together and the ink is smudged or faded through the years.

Dear diary, 21st October 1974

It’s me again. I can't believe Javier forgot to pick me up from school today. He said he was going to take me to the arcade, but he never showed up. I waited for him for an hour and then walked home alone. I'm so mad at him right now!

To make things worse, I saw him at the new burger place with Lorraine. They were laughing and having a good time, while I was sitting in the school yard feeling completely forgotten. It's not fair. I thought I was his best friend, but now he's spending all his time with her.

Lorraine is pretty and popular, and all the guys seem to like her. I don't understand what's so great about her. Why does Javier want to be friends with her instead of me? I know I'm not the prettiest or the most popular girl in school, but I thought we had a special bond. He is my best friend not hers. Anyways I will never forgive him. I will go over to Chucho’s and tell him that I don’t want to be his friend anymore. Done and over.

See you in a bit diary.

You starred down at the pages. You remember the day as if it was yesterday. You were banging on the old farm house relentlessy.

“Hola mija, what’s wrong?” Chucho opened the door, concern clearly laced in his features. “Is Javier here?” you pushed right through him, not quiet too concerned how rude your being and looking around to find Javier. Javier was sitting on the couch, watching some cartoon and eating his favorite cereal, captn crunch. “JAVIER, where were you?” you stalked over at him, looming over his sitting figure.

As you were venting your frustration to Javier, he seemed more annoyed than apologetic. It was as if he didn't understand why you were so upset about being left alone for so long.

"Come on, bug" he said, rolling his eyes. "It was just a burger with Lorraine. I didn't think you'd care that much."

"Just a burger?" you repeated, your voice raising in anger. "You promised to pick me up, and you ditched me for some girl you barely even know."

He looked at you like you were being unreasonable, and that just made you even more angrier. You hated feeling like a child in front of him, like he couldn't take your emotions seriously.

"It's not like I did it on purpose," he said defensively. "Things just got carried away, and I lost track of time." He continue slurping on his cereal.

"That's not the point," you snapped back. "You made me feel like I wasn't important enough to remember. And now you're acting like it's not a big deal."

He opened his mouth to respond, but you cut him off and stormed off with no where to go. You didn’t feel like going home, knowing that your father was probably back home from work. But you sure as hell wouldn’t going to keep staying listening to Javier’s bullshit excuse any longer.

Dear Diary, 1st December 1974

Today was supposed to be a fun day out with Javier and his girlfriend Lorraine, but it ended up being a the most horrible experience of my life. avi insisted that I come with them. I think to make up for the fact that he has neglected me lately. We were shopping in the mall when Lorraine made a snarky comment about my outfit, and then started giggling with her friends. I tried to ignore it and just went along with the day, but it's really been bothering me.

Later, when we were alone, I tried to tell Javier about it, but he didn't seem to take me seriously. He just brushed it off and said that Lorraine was probably just joking. But I know what I heard and saw, and it really hurt my feelings.

It's not the first time I've felt like Lorraine doesn't like me. She always seems to be making snide comments or giving me dirty looks, and I can't help but wonder if Javier notices it too. But every time I try to talk to him about it, he just tells me I'm being paranoid or oversensitive.

I don't know what to do. I really care about Javier, but I don't want to be around Lorraine if she's just going to make me feel bad all the time. And it hurts that Javier doesn't seem to believe me or understand how I'm feeling. I think I will talk to him tomorrow about it again. What better way to confront him than our weekly movie night, right? We are watching Titanic, yayyy

bye bye diary.

You and Javier were sitting on the couch at Javier's house, watching a movie together. However, the tension between you was palpable, and you had been ignoring each other for a while.

"I'm telling you, Javier, Lorraine doesn't like me," you said, frustration clear in your voice.

"I think you're being a little dramatic, don't you?" Javier replied, rolling his eyes. "I mean, why wouldn't she like you? You're great."

"I don't know, maybe because she knows we used to be close and she's jealous," you said, crossing your arms.

"I highly doubt that," Javier said, shaking his head. "You're making a big deal out of nothing."

"Well, I'm sorry if I don't trust your new girlfriend," you said, your voice rising.

"Look, I understand that you're feeling insecure, but you don't have to take it out on me or Lorraine," Javier said, his tone turning sharp.

"I'm not taking anything out on you! I just don't want to be around Lorraine if she doesn't like me," you said, feeling your anger boiling over.

"You know what? Fine. If you can't handle being around my girlfriend, then maybe we shouldn't hang out anymore! You are being childish," Javier said, standing up from the couch.

You felt hurt and betrayed by Javier's words, and tears prickled at the corners of your eyes. "Fine," you said, your voice barely above a whisper.

Javier stormed out of the room, leaving you alone on the couch. You sat there for a few moments, feeling lost and alone, before finally gathering your things and leaving the house without looking back.

Skipping through these pages you felt your heart breaking all over again. You felt bad for your teenage self and relived everything again. You realized that despite all the years that had passed, some things never really change. The fear, the pain, and the longing - it was all still there, buried deep within you. No amount of time in the big city could change you, no matter how much you tried to be someone else, these memories were a part of you. You obviously knew what kind of heartbreak was hidden in those pages but for some reason you couldn’t tear your eyes away.

Dear diary, 2nd March 1975

I am going to the barn today to see the horses. I need to escape from everything that's been going on in my life. I feel so lost and alone right now. Javier hasn't spoken to me since the fight we had, and I don't know if we can ever go back to the way things were.

It hurts so much to see him with Lorraine. I can't help but feel jealous of her. She has everything I don't have - his attention, his love, he even gave her his favourite sweater .It's like I never mattered to him at all. I know I shouldn't feel this way, but I can't help it.

Being around the horses helps me forget about everything else. They're so beautiful and majestic, and they don't judge me for being a mess. They just want to be loved and taken care of.Kinda like me. I feel calm when I am around them.

I wish I could just stay here forever and forget about everything else.

See you soon, diary!

You finished writing your diary entry and rushed down the stairs eager to spend some time with the horses. But when you got downstairs, you found your dad already back from work and drinking beer at the kitchen table.

"Where do you think you're going?" he asked, eyeing you suspiciously.

"To the farm," you said flatly, trying to hide your excitement.

"You're not going anywhere," he slurred. "You're staying here with me."

"But I promised Mr. Pena that I would help him with the horses," you pleaded.

"I don't care about Mr. Pena," he snapped. "You're staying here with me."

You knew you had to get out of there. You couldn't stay trapped in that house with your drunken dad any longer. So you made a run for it, grabbing your backpack on the way out. You were almost out the door when you felt a sharp tug on your hair that made you fall down and cry out in pain. Your dad was standing over you, eyes bloodshot with rage.

“ Why don’t you listen to me, you pathetic little girl?” he spat. “You. Are. Staying. Here. With. Me.” You felt a sharp kick to your stomach after each word. Breathlessly you could just nod, not trusting your own voice. You wouldn’t cry again. You were strong. So you crawled over to door and slid up the door so you could stand properly, away from his heavy boots. “Yes, father. I’m staying.” You said mechanically, while clutching your stomach and right rip.

As you made your way up you couldn’t help but feel helpless and alone. And quietly wonder if there’s any way out for you.

The next day you knew your dad was at work, so you got dressed and headed straight out. You rushed out, eager to finally spend your day on the farm with the horses. Your safe space. Y ou put on your old denim jeans and a faded red t-shirt, knowing that you needed something comfortable and practical for the work ahead. The air was cool and fresh as you stepped outside, and you could smell the sweet scent of freshly cut hay in the distance. All your pain and sorrows from the precious day almost forgotten.

You made your way to the stables, where Chucho was already busy tending to the horses. The sound of their neighs filled the air, and you could feel the excitement building inside me. As you approached, Chucho turned to greet me with a warm smile.

"Good morning, mi hija, I missed you yesterday. Where have you been?" Chucho asked.

“Ah well you know me.. I was out with someone and forgot the time?” you answered unsure, feeling like he could see right through your lies.

“So we're ditching this old man for a hot date, are we?” he laughed at his own joke. "Ready for a day with the horses?"

You nodded, feeling the familiar thrill of anticipation. Chucho handed you a brush, and you began grooming the horses together. The soft bristles of the brush felt soothing against your skin as you worked, and you took your time, enjoying the peace and quiet of the farm.

As you finished grooming, Chucho led the horses outside, and you followed behind, taking in the beauty of the farm. The sun was just beginning to rise, casting a warm golden glow over the fields. The horses trotted playfully beside you, their hooves kicking up dust with each step.

The rest of the day was spent working with the horses, feeding them, cleaning their stalls, and tending to their needs. You couldn’t help but feel a sense of purpose and fulfillment as you worked, knowing that you was helping to care for these magnificent creatures.

As the day drew to a close, Chucho and you sat outside the stables, watching the sunset. The sky was ablaze with shades of orange and pink, and the air was still warm from the heat of the day. Chucho was nursing his beer while you drank your favourite strawberry soda, he knew you loved since you were a little girl.

You took a deep breath, feeling grateful for the peace and tranquility of the farm. It was a welcome escape from the chaos and turmoil of your life. For a moment, you allowed yourself to forget about the pain of your right rips and hurt that Javier caused you by ignoring you, and simply enjoy the beauty of the moment.

As you looked out over the fields, you knew that you had found a safe haven at Chucho's farm, a place where you could heal and find peace. And for that, you were truly forever grateful.

"Hey, qué pasa?" he asked, using the Spanish phrase for "what's up?"

“Oh nothing. Just thinking of something.” You gave him a weak smile, which wasn’t too convincing.

He took a big sip from his beer and looked at you with concern. "Is it about Javier?"

You simply shrugged your shoulder not wanting to look him in the eyes. You knew he could read every thought, every emotion by simply looking at you.

Chucho put a comforting hand on your shoulder. "Listen, Javi cares about you, okay? He's just going through some stuff with Lorraine right now. But he'll come around. He always does."

You wiped away a tear and sniffled. "I hope you're right. It just hurts to be replaced."

Chucho gave you a sympathetic smile. "You haven't been replaced, mija. You're still an important part of Javi's life. And you always will be. He's just lost right now, and he's making some bad choices."

You nodded slowly, taking in Chucho's words. He was always so kind and understanding, and it was one of the reasons you felt comfortable opening up to him. In a way he was your only fatherfigure. "But what if he never comes around?" you asked, your eyes filling with tears. "What if he really does choose Lorraine over me and our friendship?"

Chucho sighed. "I can guarantee you that he won't ever do that, I believe in Javi. He's been through a lot lately, and he's just trying to find his way. But deep down, he knows how much you mean to him. You've been there for him since the beginning, and he won't forget that."

You let out a deep breath and leaned your head against his shoulder. "Thanks, Chucho. But I think this time you are wrong."

“I’m never wrong, mija. Javi is an idiot but he loves you more than you know.” He wrapped his arm around you and you sat in silence for a few minutes, watching the sun set over the fields. The only sounds were the chirping of crickets and the occasional neighing of the horses in the distance.

You closed the diary, wiped away your tears and took a deep breath continuing to clean out the closet. You knew what memories were written on the last pages and you weren’t ready to uncover and relive them just yet.

Part 4

#javier pena narcos #javier pena fanfiction #javier pena angst #aesthetic #narcos #javi #javier pena fic #javier pena fluff #javier pena x reader #narcos fanfiction #pedro pascal

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celestiall0tus · 9 months

Text

Miraculous AU - Chapter 8 - Rendezvous

Beginning || Previous || Next

10:30 PM rolled around. Chat Noir made his way to the Eiffel Tower to meet with Ladybug. He landed atop the tower he saw her. Her back was to him as she sat on the railing. He strolled up behind her and leaned against the railing. Her eyes were on the city. They looked faraway with a light to them.

“Evening, Little Lady.”

Ladybug gasped. “Oh! Evening, Kitty. Glad to see you made it.”

Chat hopped onto the railing and sat beside Ladybug. “Hope I didn’t keep you waiting. I’ve had some… changes outside this life.”

“Is everything alright?”

“I suppose it could be worse. My father just seems to be losing it. He’s assigned a personal nanny to me.”

“Are you a troublesome little kitten at home?”

“Despite my appearance, I am a perfect gentleman.”

“I dunno, you look like quite the scoundrel to me.”

“How dare. Appearances can be so deceiving after all.”

“Oh yeah? So, which appearance is the real you?”

Chat scratched the back of his head. “That’s a good question.”

“What do you mean?”

“Well, everything about my life is perfectly planned. What I wear, what I do, what I say, everything. Up until yesterday, I don’t feel like I’ve actually been alive.”

“That’s awful. How do you even function like that?”

“I don’t know. As long as I could remember, its always been this way. I’ve always felt, I don’t know. Perhaps like a prop. A doll, maybe? I just kinda roll with it. Doing what Father wants. I enjoyed it at first because he paid attention to me. Now, I don’t know. Especially if he’s just going to have the woman who basically raised me be my personal nanny.”

“He doesn’t sound like a very good man.”

“He’s still my father. It’s just, I don’t want to stay cooped up in that place. I want to be free.”

“And that’s why you’re here, hitting your rebellious phase?”

“Is that what this is called?”

“I’d say so. We all hit it at some point, Kitty.”

“You’re telling me someone like you went through a rebellious phase?”

“I’m out here with a scoundrel like you, aren’t I?”

“You may say I’m the scoundrel, but I’m starting to think you’re the scoundrel here.”

Ladybug smirked. She grabbed Chat’s arm and pulled him off the railing. She threw him upwards while she used her yo-yo to pull herself to the nearest streetlight and perched atop it. He used his staff and extended it so he could slide down it. Once on the ground, he looked up her. Her eyes shone with mirth that matched her playful grin.

“Catch this bug if you can, Kitty!” Ladybug called out. She quickly swung off into the city.

Chat grinned as he took off after Ladybug. He leapt onto the rooftops and gave chase while she glided through the air. He smirked and leapt between buildings. He attempted to catch her midair, but she twirled and flipped out of his reach. He watched and waited for a perfect moment. She flicked her wrist and the yo-yo returned to her. She reared her arm back to throw it, he jumped, and snatched her out of the air. They both laughed as he landed on a rooftop. He held her tight in his arms.

“I caught the Ladybug!”

“No fair! Let me go!”

“I don’t know. What if you fly away again?”

“Oh, there’s no ‘what if,’ I would fly away.”

“Then no can do, Lady. Consider this payback for throwing me off the Eiffel Tower.”

“Aww, you gonna hold a grudge over that.”

“Maybe, though I might be purr-suaded to forgive you if you purr-haps tell me why you did it.”

Ladybug giggled and made a gagging noise. “Awful, just awful.”

“You can’t tell me you don’t love it, Bugaboo.”

Ladybug blushed and laughed. “I just might. Just like you enjoyed our little chase, didn’t you?”

“I… I guess I did. Yeah, I did. It was fun.”

“Good. That was my intention.”

“But, why?”

Ladybug sighed and pushed out of his arms. She took a few steps forward and stared up at the moon. “Because I want to enjoy these little moments while I can. To fully live this dream before it becomes the harsh reality.”

“What do you mean?”

“We have been given an incredible opportunity. One I would have only ever encountered in my waking dreams. But with this power comes the reality of what we will become. We will be defenders for the people of this city and carry the greatest of burdens. Our opponent has already struck once, and he will strike again and probably soon.”

“What makes you think that?”

“We have a team going already, Chat. Our number one fan was chosen to be a holder. She is the wolf, Louve Grise. Today we did a run through the city because her power of Clairvoyance allows her to look into, well, the spirit world. This allows her to see butterflies her kwami calls Whispers.”

“What are those? Are they like Akumas?”

“No. These are what allows the butterfly to feed on people’s desires and darkening their hearts. She saw a lot of people with butterflies, but a fair amount of people that were in stage three, the infested stage. Those in this stage are ready to be transformed.”

“How is that possible? It’s only been two days.”

“Because human hearts possess the darkest shadows. Far darker than any beast. Much like how your father controls you, these shadows can control individuals. It can rule every aspect of their lives until they are nothing but it. It’s why I’m terrified of what’s to come. Some may walk into this, unaware and unprepared, but there will be some that will embrace this power and become the monsters they believe they are. So, even if just for a little while, I want to enjoy this dream.”

“Then let’s enjoy this dream together.”

“Then come catch this bug.”

Ladybug threw her yo-yo and flew off. Chat smirked and gave chase.

The hour hit midnight. Juleka slipped out of her room and down the hall. She took a moment to peek into Luka’s room. She let out a silent sigh when she saw him peacefully asleep. She closed the door and headed to top deck. She froze when she laughter nearby. She hid and looked around. She saw Ladybug swing from the lights with Chat in pursuit. She watched as Chat pounced and caught Ladybug in the air but caused them to plummet into the water below. Ladybug emerged first, laughing, but when Chat did, he let out a girly screech.

“No! River water is bad for the hair and skin!”

Ladybug roared with laughter. “You pull off a girl’s scream better than I ever could.”

Chat splashed Ladybug. “Take that back!”

Ladybug threw her yo-yo, and it caught on a street post. “Only if you catch me, Kitty!”

Ladybug pulled the string and was pulled from the water. Chat tried to grab her but missed her by a hair. He catapulted out of the water using his staff, then chased after her.

Juleka stepped out from her hiding spot as she watched them vanish. She smiled and sighed; it was heartwarming to see Marinette having fun so easily. She sighed, then heard footsteps behind her. She turned and saw Alya approach as Louve Grise.

“Looks like they’re getting along quite well. Wouldn’t you agree?” Louve asked.

“A little too well. How long before they start dating?”

“I give it a month. You?”

“I’ll double that.”

“You’re on.”

“Anyway, thank you for coming.”

Louve nodded. “Fang, let’s rest.”

Fang appeared from the bracelet and transformed Louve. Alya took a seat at the sitting area. She motioned for Juleka to join as she got situated.

Juleka took a seat across from Alya. “I have questions.”

Alya nodded as she unwrapped a bundle that contained biscuits with small jars of jam. “I know. I imagine they’re about Luka, aren’t they?”

“Do you know what’s wrong with him? He’s still kinda the same except his feelings for Marinette again.”

“So, to put as simply as I can, Luka is semi-infested with these butterflies that Fang calls Whispers. They’re used by the holder of the butterfly to create minions. The version of Whispers that is used feeds on dark desires, the shadows of our hearts.”

“But how is Luka’s old crush on Marinette a dark desire? Or even a shadow of his heart? How is it even coming back? I know he was over it.”

Alya handed Fang half of a biscuit with jam on top. “Did he ever tell her? Did he ever share it with anyone but you? Did he ever truly let go?”

Juleka was silent.

Alya grabbed a biscuit for herself. “Then you know as well as I what happens when you lock things away, let it fester beneath the surface until it can drown you.”

“But it’s been roughly two years. I know he’s been happy with Marinette as a friend. He wouldn’t have it any other way.”

“Does he really though?”

“Does this mean he’s going to become a monster? Like that Stoneheart thing?”

Alya handed her biscuit to Fang. “There’s a chance.”

“Not him, please. There’s got to be a way to save him from himself.”

“He’s on track to stage three, meaning he’ll be at the butterfly holder’s whim. Once he’s fully there, there’s no way we can actually help him.”

“No way at all?”

“Not without the assistance of the snake,” Fang said.

“Well, where’s the snake?” Juleka asked.

“See, the snake is a very powerful and dangerous kwami to you mortals. Not quite like the ladybug and the black cat, but that’s neither here nor there. But what is important is the snake has been very hesitant to bind to a human again after, uh, a certain incident.”

“What was the incident?” Juleka asked.

“I believe your kind calls it the ‘Black Death.’ Nasty bit that was. The ladybug and black cat had their work cut out for them back then.”

“Wait, the snake was responsible for that?” Alya asked.

Fang nodded. “His holder at the time was a little on the morally corrupted scale, so the snake’s power twisted from healing into diseases.”

Alya and Juleka shared a quick glance, then looked at Fang.

“Yeah, wasn’t pleasant. But! But the snake does trust me and the mouse. With me active, the mouse is likely to pick a holder. Once she chooses her holder, the snake will make his choice.”

“Why is it like that?” Alya asked.

“See, the snake doesn’t have a pair. Like how Ladybug has Chat Noir or how my pair is the owl. The snake is much like the butterfly and peacock where they don’t have an opposite. As such, they don’t have another kwami to balance their powers. It’s why the snake doesn’t trust humans and relies on us to find suitable holders before he considers one. When he does, he tends to rely on the mouse to keep him safe.”

“Why the mouse and not someone else?” Alya asked.

“Because the mouse is strong. Your kind may seem them as nothing but prey, but she’s a powerful kwami. After all, as scary as intuition can be with the capability to hunt prey that cannot hide from us, the ability to warp perception is just as terrifying.”

“Warp perception? I almost wish the mouse found me first,” Alya teased.

Fang snorted. “I’m sure Marinette will be thankful it didn’t.”

“So, how long will that take?” Juleka asked.

“Don’t know. I can’t speak for the mouse, but I can promise this. With the ladybug and black cat active, there will be many more kwamis coming. After all, if those two are active, it’s usually a big deal and lots of fun for us. You’ve also got me active, so the mouse should follow before too long. The snake is the only concern.”

“So, there’s no way to save Luka then?”

“C’mon, Juleka, he’s not beyond hope. Besides, Luka is strong. I’m sure he’ll be just fine.”

Juleka looked down. She gritted her teeth and balled her first. She slammed them down on the table, upsetting the bundle Alya had. “But he shouldn’t always have to be, should he? He’s always strong, always fine, even when he isn’t. Now I’m going to lose him to himself because some bastard with fucking magic powers. How is that fucking fair?”

Alya and Fang stared at Juleka with shocked expressions.

Tears feel from Juleka’s eyes as she crumbled to the floor. “This is all my fault. I’m going to lose my twin, my brother, all because of me.”

Alya moved beside Juleka, putting an arm around her. “This isn’t your fault, Jul.”

“But it is. I’ve always been the weak one, Alya. The shy and timid one, always afraid of her own shadow. The one quick to cower behind others. Because of me, Luka had to be the strong one, always ready to protect me. He shoulders both our burdens just to keep me safe. How is that not my fault?”

“Juleka, you might have been like that once, but you aren’t the same person you once were. Sure, you have your moments, we all do, but those moments don’t define who we are now. We may not be able to pull Luka away from the ledge he’s at completely, but you can be there for him. This will be your turn and chance to protect Luka.”

“But what if he does transform? I can’t protect him at that point. I don’t even know if I can protect myself if that happens.”

“But you’re not alone. Luka may shoulder all your two’s burdens alone, but you aren’t alone. Know that if Luka does fall victim to an Akuma, Ladybug and I will do what we can to save him at that point. You can count on it.”

Juleka gave Alya a small smile. “Thank you.”

Alya hugged Juleka. “Stay strong. If anything changes, please reach out, ok?”

“I will. Will you if you learn anything else?”

“You know it. Now, I hate to leave, but I’ve got to get home.”

“Ok. Thank you for the warning.”

“We’re friends, girl. I won’t leave you in the dark. Fang, let’s hunt.”

Fang vanished into the bracelet and transformed Alya into Louve Grise. She wrapped up her bundle and with a wave good-bye, ran off into the night.

Juleka lingered as Louve vanished. Alya was right. It was her turn to protect Luka. Butterflies or no, he needed her, and she save him. She had to. He was her twin, her other half. She would not lose him to anyone.

A white mouse watched Juleka. The fire and determination in her face sent chills through the mouse. The quiet fury and resolve piqued its interest. It watched as she disappeared into the boat home before it shed its physical body and entered the Unseen.

The mouse followed Juleka. She stopped on her way and checked on Luka. It looked into Luka’s room and saw his muddied aura. The beautiful green marred by hideous, negative colors as the butterflies worked to darken him further. Whispers plagued him, even as he slept, infecting his dreams. It believed he could be a fit for the snake, but he’d never be accepted. Despite the snake’s abilities, he may not dare take such a risk. It might be for the best to find the next best person, and yet.

The mouse looked at the photo on Luka’s nightstand. They knew the holders of the wolf and the ladybug. It trusted the wolf and its judgement, but the ladybug was invaluable. It wasn’t sure if they knew the cat’s holder, but just knowing the ladybug meant they had the cat. The snake may not completely agree, but what safer place than with the greatest of them?

The mouse moved into Juleka’s room. It waited in the Unseen until she fell into a deep sleep. It emerged from the Unseen as a mouse kwami. It moved to her jewelry box that was filled with a variety of jewels. It carefully pushed them aside to create a small, empty space. It placed a paw down and a silver pendent necklace appeared. It buried it under the other jewelry and closed the box. It looked at Juleka as its being vanished into the pendant.

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tsuki-chibi · 10 months

Text

Ladynoir July 2023 Day 19: Viligante

Read all the entries on AO3

It was early when Ladybug arrived at the spot where she and Chat had agreed to meet, so she wasn’t surprised to find that she’d beaten him there. She set down the bag she’d brought with her and then sat down beside it on the grass, leaning back against the trunk of a conveniently placed tree.

She sat there for a moment, eyes shut, before she reached for her bag. It only took her a few seconds to dig out the newspaper. The article on the front page made her hands shake. Even though she knew that she shouldn’t be reading it, she couldn’t help herself. She greedily devoured every single nasty, mean-spirited, cruel, short-sighted word.

She was so involved with the article that she didn’t even notice Chat had arrived until a black, clawed hand pulled the newspaper down. Ladybug blinked into Chat’s exasperated face.

“Why are you reading that?” he asked her. “It upsets you to see what they write about us.”

“Because I need to know,” Ladybug said, gently pulling the newspaper away from him. She folded it up, her heart thumping hard against her ribs, and tucked it back into her bag. She’d read it again later, in the privacy of her own room with only Tikki for company, where she could cry and yell all she liked.

“But you’re better off not knowing,” Chat said.

“I know. But I still need to know. I drive myself crazy thinking about what they could be writing if I don’t know,” Ladybug said. She knew that it made no sense, but that was just how it was.

Chat sighed. “Here.” He procured a tray that held two drinks and held one out to Ladybug. She took the cup and sipped from it, sighing as the taste of coffee rolled over her tongue. Five or six more of these was exactly what she needed to make it through today, but one was a good start.

“Thanks. I brought pastries,” she said, digging the box out. They were the day-old pastries that hadn’t sold yesterday, so she was free to take as many as she liked. She’d stuffed the box to the brim, even including some cheese croissants for Chat to take for Plagg.

Chat took a plain croissant and took a huge bite of it. Ladybug smiled at the sight of his stuffed cheeks, but just as quickly her smile faded. When she looked at Chat, she saw a hero. She saw someone who had tried their hardest to protect Paris from day one, no matter what the personal cost. And make no mistake, Chat had suffered a lot during their quest to stop Hawkmoth.

She didn’t see a vigilante at all.

So why did those writers keep saying that they were?

“You’re ruminating again,” Chat said, grabbing another croissant. “LB, let it go.”

“I can’t let it go! We’re not vigilantes! It’s insulting that they think we are!” Ladybug said, nearly sloshing her coffee all over the place as she gestured frantically.

“It’s not that they think we are,” Chat said calmly. “They want attention. This is an easy way to get it. I see this sometimes in my – in my day job.”

Ladybug eyed him, wondering what he’d been about to say before he amended it. But of course, she couldn’t ask. So she waited for him to explain.

“People will say stuff to be edgy and get publicity. It doesn’t really matter if they believe what they’re saying, or if it’s even true. All that matters is getting the response they want. And right now, it’s working,” Chat told her, nodding towards the newspaper. “Most of Paris is up in arms about this. Whether they agree or disagree, everyone’s talking about it. Alya’s even mentioned it on the Ladyblog.”

“I know,” Ladybug said with a small smile. Alya’s outraged write-up in their defence had been legendary. She had it bookmarked on her computer so she could back to it whenever she started feeling bad.

“It’ll blow over,” Chat said kindly. “This kind of thing always does. Just give it some time, okay?” He reached out and put a hand on her arm, squeezing lightly. “Everyone who matters knows exactly just how much of a hero you are.”

“How much of a hero we both are,” Ladybug corrected him, and Chat smiled.

#miraculous ladybug #ladybug #chat noir #pre-reveal #miraculous ficlet #my fics #ladynoirjuly2023

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passionfruitbowls · 1 year

Text

a shoulder to lean on

After the shocking discovery of Hawkmoth’s true identity, only one person can offer Adrien the support he needs.

rated: t | pairing(s): ladrien with a dash of ladynoir | word count: 1.4k

read on ao3

—————

When Adrien regains consciousness, and once the incessant ringing in his ears has died down, the first thing he hears is sirens. The sound is muffled thanks to the closed doors of the ambulance he’s currently sitting in, but he still wishes that they would stop. He glances around the room, then tries to breathe in and out slowly, desperate to take his mind off everything that’s happened in the past few hours.

This time yesterday he’d been sitting on a rooftop with Ladybug by his side - something he normally loved doing, since neither of them had anywhere else to be and it gave them a rare moment of peace. They could talk about how their day had been (provided that they didn’t say anything too revealing), comfort each other if they needed some support and do all kinds of silly things together. Tickle fights, ranking every Gabriel Agreste design by ugliness (his idea), seeing who could get to the Eiffel Tower the quickest (Ladybug’s idea - she won by a long shot too, but he didn't mind). Sometimes it was the only thing that kept Adrien going, particularly on those days when his schedule was jam packed and his time with his school friends had been cut short. The days when he never saw his father at all.

Adrien lets out a quiet, bitter chuckle, fighting back tears. His stomach churns as he thinks about what Gabriel had actually been doing all those times he claimed he was busy with work: he was waiting, alone, in a dimly lit lair for someone to have a stroke of bad luck, or lose their temper, or become upset, someone worthy of being akumatized. All that suffering, just so he could change the past and bring back his wife with little regard for what she actually wanted or what Adrien, their son, wanted.

How many close calls had there been? Could Adrien have put an end to all of this sooner if he hadn’t been so caught up in his own problems, if he had watched his father more closely, hung back for a few more seconds when listening in on his conversations behind closed doors? The guilt and the what-ifs continue to eat away at Adrien until the world around him ceases to exist. He feels alone, stranded. The only thing that’s familiar is Plagg, who sits quietly on Adrien’s shoulder, unsure of what to say.

Suddenly they hear someone opening the back door of the ambulance; Adrien flinches, clutches the blanket that’s been draped over his shoulders and stares down at the floor. He can’t bring himself to look whoever it is in the eye. It’s probably a police officer, and they’re bound to have questions for him. The mystery person slams the door shut, making Adrien jump, and hurries over to where he’s sitting. He starts to feel faint, so he closes his eyes in the hope that he won’t pass out again.

“Adrien…are you okay?”

He gasps softly - he knows that voice, he would recognise it anywhere.

Sure enough, when Adrien has the confidence to open his eyes he sees Ladybug kneeling in front of him, with a look of concern on her face.

Realising that he hasn’t answered her question, Adrien nods slowly before reaching out and gently taking her hand in his.

“I think…yeah, I think I’m feeling a little bit better.” He says, his voice hoarse from crying. A part of him wishes that his answer could be Yes, now that you’re here, but this doesn’t feel like the time to be affectionate. Ladybug probably won’t want anything to do with him after today anyway.

For a minute or two they’re both quiet, until eventually Ladybug decides to sit down next to him, nodding in Plagg’s direction to let him know that he can stay. Adrien spends what feels like an eternity searching for the right thing to say to her, but all he can come up with is a quiet, shaky laugh.

Glancing over at Ladybug, he notices that the worried expression on her face hasn’t gone away, and that she never seems to take her eyes off him. She carefully observes every little movement he makes, as if she wants to say or do something but just can’t, while twirling a strand of her hair between her fingers. She must be nervous, Adrien figures, and he doesn’t blame her. Who wouldn’t be nervous sitting alone in a vehicle with the son of a terrorist?

To his surprise, she’s the one who breaks the silence.

“So…what’s going to happen now?”

The tremor in Ladybug’s voice tells Adrien everything he needs to know: she’s just as afraid and unsure as he is, so he gives her an honest answer.

“I have no idea.”

She sighs, then squeezes his hand a little tighter. He doesn’t want things to become awkward again, and the instinct to try and be humorous gets the better of him.

“The media sure are a t-tough crowd, huh? They’ve been gathering outside the mansion all night…”

Adrien’s voice trails off as he thinks back to the moment when he first stepped outside. He was transformed then, with Ladybug by his side, and although they both smiled and waved at the flashing cameras, on the inside he was distraught. His life was falling apart and none of these people cared. The worst part? He couldn’t even ask someone for help, couldn’t reveal his identity without dooming himself to a lifetime of angry glares, sympathetic looks and whispers behind his back, because who in their right mind would listen to the son of a terrorist?

Suddenly Adrien’s memory takes him back even further, to the moment when he first saw his mother in the crypt beneath the mansion. She looked serene and unsettling at the same time, a porcelain doll in a glass container. Defeating Gabriel (it hurts now, calling him Father) had already taken its toll, so the sight of his mother broke him. Adrien remembers the way he fell to his knees, his sobs racking his body, and how Ladybug quietly held him in her arms, never questioning and never scolding.

“Adrien, you’re crying. What is it?”

The sound of her voice brings him back to the present, and he’s suddenly very aware of the tears in his eyes.

“Nothing, I’ve n-never been better…”

There’s no point in arguing, though, since Ladybug is already brushing his hair out of his eyes and reassuring him.

“Shhh, hey, listen… it’s not your fault, Chaton, none of this is. I’m here…”

Her voice is barely a whisper, yet it feels like Adrien’s heart, his mind, his entire body has been set alight because of it. He’s always felt this peculiar sensation when he’s with Ladybug, and right now he wouldn’t trade it, or her, for the world. Casting any doubts out of his mind, he pulls her in for a hug and gently wraps his arms around her. He hears her gasp in surprise, but she quickly reciprocates it.

For a few minutes they stay like that, slowly rocking back and forth as Adrien’s breathing evens out. When they finally break apart, Ladybug goes one step further, planting a kiss on Adrien’s forehead. He can’t help but smile at the blush which then forms on her cheeks.

“I…I want you- I mean, I want to see you again soon!” Ladybug stammers, clasping her hands together.

Adrien’s eyes widen, and he nods slowly while watching Ladybug get up from her seat.

“Okay…how soon?”

She stops and thinks for a moment, then snaps her fingers like she’s just had the best idea ever.

“New Year’s Eve!”

“Whereabouts?”

“Uhh- the, uhhh…Eiffel Tower! You know, our usual spot?”

“Well yes, but-”

“Sounds great! In that case, it’s settled!”

“Ladybug…” Adrien begins, placing a hand on her shoulder, “why exactly do you want us to meet there?”

Ladybug stares at him for a moment, and just when he starts to worry that he’s gone too far, she smiles with a familiar gleam in her eye. It tells Adrien that she’s got a plan, and that it’s bound to be a good one.

“I want to tell you who I am.” She says, cupping his cheeks one last time and giving him a second kiss on his nose.

A sudden knock on the ambulance door and someone calling Ladybug’s name interrupts them, but Adrien doesn’t mind (mostly). He smiles at her one last time before she waves goodbye and steps outside - a different, happier smile than the feeble one he’d given her when she first came in. There are still a lot of things that he needs to deal with, but now Adrien can do it with a renewed sense of hope and love.

#well would you look at that i somehow managed to write one more fic this year!!#and ofc it’s ladrien i feel like they’re kind of my brand at this point #miraculous ladybug #ml fanfic #miraculous ladybug fanfic #ml leak free #ladrien #ladybug #adrien agreste #pfb writes

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disorganizedkitten · 25 days

Text

A Study In Friendship Chapter 3

Miraculous Ladybug | 2019 | 1,788 | Ao3 | Prev | Masterlist | Next

Bobbing Along

“Homework is a report on how Charley's view of crime was influenced by what we're given by way of his backstory, and how Nancy's death changed those views, followed by a few paragraphs on how much it can affect someone's views and beliefs once it pertains to them personally.”

The class made various noises of understanding, movement rippling through the room as the students packed up their bags and started conversations up again.

“Alright, where are we meeting for lunch?”

“Cafeteria!”

“Marinette's house!”

“Library!”

“I don’t care,” Marinette shrugged, shouldering her backpack. “Sabrina, do you have a preference?”

Sabrina jumped. Hopefully not visibly. They were asking her opinion again. “I’m good with anywhere you guys want to go.” if it was a trick question, that answer was always pleasing.

“But what do you want? ” Nino stressed.

Oh dear. Why was Nino asking her? Why was he still being friendly? This morning in passing was one thing, but still?

Marinette had to be made of pure sunshine magic if becoming friends with her had started the others giving Sabrina chances overnight.

“Can we go to Marinette’s house? I have a packed lunch, but I’ve always wanted to see what’s inside the apartment. It looks adorable! Plus I think there should be-” Sabrina paused when she saw the looks the group were giving her. Were those good looks or bad looks? Crap she must have said the wrong thing. How did she forget about trick questions! They had asked her one exactly one minute ago! Oh she had just invited herself and the others over! Bad move! Backtrack! “But we could also do the the Library? That way we’ll have plenty of resources, and-” Still the looks. What about- “And the cafeteria is noisy, but it’s always an option!”

Alya and Marinette turned away, and Sabrina winced. Why did she let her guard drop? She knew better!

“I’m good with either.”

“I still want to go to Marinette’s, but we will probably be more productive in the library.”

“I’m up for hosting.”

“Then it’s settled!” Adrien cheered. “To the bakery!”

Marinette spun back to look at Sabrina. “Does that work?”

Sabrina nodded. “Yes!”

“Come on!” Marinette reached over, holding out a hand. Sabrina tentatively took it, holding her bag firmly in the other.

Alya slipped around the other side of the desk, grabbing Nino’s hand and dragging him around the desk so she could grab Marinette’s free hand too. “Everybody out!”

Nino wrapped his elbow around Adrien’s, dragging him into the weird caterpillar line too.

Sabrina giggled as they twisted to not slam into the doorframe, and maneuvered down the stairs to the ground floor.

“So how far did you three get yesterday?” Marinette asked, planting her feet before Alya and the boys could try to race the crosswalk.

Sabrina cringed. Her group hadn't gotten anything done. Although, considering yesterday's events, that was pretty understandable. Wasn't it?

“Not.” Alya sighed. “Adrien got called home, I was trying to figure out what happened to the Library Akuma - it waited a few hours and then went after Chloe again - and then it was too late to get anything done. I just wish I knew why they laid low for so long. Don’t most akuma not want to play the waiting game?”

“Maybe Hawkmoth was trying for a new strategy!” Marinette’s answer was quick, and too nervous. Why was she nervous? Moreover, why didn’t Alya know the akuma went after Marinette?! As Marinette’s other best friend shouldn’t she- wait a moment. Had that become their BFF secret?! That would be so cool! Sabrina swallowed her smile, but she couldn’t stop the growing euphoria. Of course, it was possible she was reading things wrong, but at least for now she could be happy about it.

She knew the rules to secrets. Kind of.

The light turned green, and the caterpillar group was off again. Through the bakery doors, over to the counter to be greeted by Marinette’s parents. Mme. Cheng was shorter than Marinette, but M. Dupain towered over everyone. If Sabrina hadn’t met them before, she would be probably be intimidated. Then they went behind the counter and up the stairs to the actual apartment. The caterpillar group split as they went through the last doorway.

Best way to travel.

“Alright, do we want to be working from my bedroom or here?”

“Here!” Three voices answered.

“Here,” Sabrina tacked on. While she would love to see Marinette’s bedroom, she was not going to invite herself, and she wanted to explore the main floor for a little bit.

“Alright!”

The other four picked seats, Alya, Nino and Adrien on the floor, while Marinette collapsed onto the couch. “Now: particle physics!! Sabrina, where do you want to sit?”

Sabrina made an 'I don't care’ noise in her throat, moving to sit on the floor beside Marinette.

“What did we decide on as our outline type?” Nino asked, his voice muffled by being in his bag.

Sabrina snorted at the distortion, before quickly schooling herself.

“I don't know, bubble boy. One of us wrote it down somewhere, didn't we? Also, you left your pens clipped to my notebook, if that's what you're looking for.”

“Yes! Thank you Alya!”

“What's your favorite type of report structure?” Marinette asked, pulling Sabrina's attention away from the second group.

“Oh! Slideshows or collages mostly!” Sabrina answered happily. Mixing pictures with text was fun.

****

They had given up on studying an hour in, after getting a good amount done, and started eating lunch. Or, Sabrina and Adrien were eating lunch, Nino was pretending to be asleep, and Marinette and Alya were fencing with carrots.

Sabrina had not known this was a thing.

“En garde!” Marinette threw her hand out, tapping Alya’s wrist with the carrot.

“You say that at the start of fight, not with every third attack,” Adrien muttered around a mouthful. Neither girl paid attention.

The brunette gasped, yanking her hand back. “You dare attack me? Foul knave, I will smite thee back!”

“I don’t think that’s proper olden grammer,” Nino huffed, now laying on the couch.

“Grammar smammar, I’m fighting for my food!”

“You need grammar to fight internet trolls!” Marinette reminded with a scoff. “But you need to watch closer if you want to fight me!” she twisted her wrist, and plunged the carrot into Alya’s stomach.

“Nooooo!!” Alya flopped onto her back, holding the carrot Marinette had poked her with against her tummy like the hilt of a knife. “Betrayal! Killed by my best friend! Tell my sisters… I love them.”

Marinette snorted, pulling the carrot out of Alya's fingers and biting into it. “Oh dear. Looks like I'll have to destroy the evidence.”

Alya made a rasping noise, lifting off the ground slightly before dropping again.

Sabrina watched the two mess around, unsure if she should be jealous or not. Alya had been friends with Marinette for longer, of course they were more comfortable together! And Marinette had to split her time between the four of them somehow.

It was fun, hanging with the group, but it was weird to be neither the focus nor completely forgotten about. Changes.

“A lot to adjust to in a day?” Adrien asked, nudging her with his shoulder. Sabrina jumped at the contact, but nodded. That was a good way to put it.

“A little bit. But I'm really happy to be here!” she assured him quickly, just in case he went looking for subtext.

“It is a really different environment than hanging with Chloe,” Adrien agreed. “I think they love you already though.”

Sabrina snorted. “I think only my Dad loves me. But if they'll put up with me, and if I can keep being best friends with Marinette, that should be fine. Better than fine.”

“Yeah. Marinette's a really good friend.”

“The best.”

Not jealous, Sabrina decided. No, she was content. Happy even. She didn't want this to ever end.

As though she had jinxed it by hoping, a shrill ringing started to echo through the house. Sabrina might have screamed, she definitely jumped and covered her ears.

“Marinette!” Alya called over the din. Why would Marinette be able to help? This sounded like a headache-inducing akuma!

Or one of those alarm tones no one used because they valued their sanity.

“Got it!” Marinette called, and the sound stopped.

“Did you hook it up to the entire house's sound system?” Nino asked, rubbing his ears. Sabrina followed suit, trying to figure out exactly why that happened.

“Pretty close actually,” Marinette admitted. “Well, let's clean up so we can get back in time.”

Between the five of them it only took a few minutes to gather everything up, and then they were ready to head back to school.

“That was some work done,” Marinette smiled, closing the door behind the group. Sabrina was second to last, with the other three leading the way out.

“Yeah. If we're able to get that much done every day, we'll have it completely done by two days before the due date.”

“Is that a plan you're okay with?”

“Of course!” Sabrina assured her. “We're doing it together. I don't care how many times we meet, as long as it's done on time and I'm not doing it alone.”

“If you're sure. Same time tomorrow then?”

“I'd love that!” Sabrina agreed. “Are we still hanging out this afternoon too?”

Marinette shrugged. “I don’t see why not, as long as you still want to. Barring an akuma attack, of course; if another one attacks you should head home, where it’s safer.”

“You got involved in one last night!”

“Exactly why you should stay away.” Marinette said again. “Unless you have to help, but I would feel a lot better if I knew you were safe too. Alya gives me enough heart attacks on her own.”

“I think avoiding akuma should be basic common sense, shouldn’t it?” Sabrina said it to be reassuring, but realized a moment later she just insulted Alya and Marinette. Backtrack! “Not that Alya doesn’t have common sense!”

“She just wants to keep the Ladyblog going. Most of the time she’s a good reporter though, and it is good to see footage and reports of Akuma.”

“That’s why my blog is the best,” Alya winked, holding the classroom door open for the two of them.

Sabrina almost moved to her original seat, but remembered mid-step that she was sitting by Ivan now. Right. She turned down the aisle, and slid into her new seat.

Ivan wasn’t here yet, but he probably would be soon. In the meantime, maybe she could talk to Marinette more! Or-?

“Hey Sabrina!” Rose leaned over the aisle. “When’s your next free period?”

#miraculous ladybug #sabrina raincomprix #old writing #Jaymeow writes #Crossposting spam #Red's The Color Of Your Heart #A Study in Friendship #ASiF #rose lavillant #friendship

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lady-de-mon-coeur · 2 years

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Close to me

This is a short drabble based on Chat Blanc that I wrote yesterday. It's my first fic ever, and I'm really nervous. I didn't intend to write it, I just did it. Hope you'll like it.

A special thank you to @samsimisauser and @ariadsishereagain for proofreading and help with the title. Your help is invaluable! Hopefully the title I finally chose fits the story.

Your comment are appreciated.

"Or because Ladybug and Marinette are the same person!"

Adrien knew he was right.

There was no other explanation for Ladybug's appearance in his room, bringing him a gift from Marinette. There was no other explanation for a sudden warmth flooding his chest every time he saw Marinette.

He loved that girl, but he wasn't betraying Ladybug.

It's just that these two girls were the same. And this realization was freeing him from the guilt he felt when he was thinking of Marinette.

Now he had no more reasons to deny his feelings for Marinette.

Happy tears came to his eyes, blurring his vision, his chest swelling with unbridled joy he hadn't felt for so long.

It was a dream come true.

He never really imagined this day would come, he was only hoping and dreaming that maybe someday his lady would reciprocate his feelings, that she would let him know her identity.

But now that it finally happened, he didn't know how to handle it. He felt like he could faint.

Plagg tried to reason with him, but it was no use.

He loved Ladybug and wanted to be with her.

Nothing was going to stop them from getting together, now that he knew that she wanted the same. The secret identities rule and all the problems he could cause by breaking it seemed so laughable compared to the happiness he had waiting for him, that he couldn't care less about it.

Adrien put the beret on, He wasn't going to ever take it off. Not when he would be with her at least. It was a gift his lady made for him with her own hands. He could imagine her sitting late at night embroidering little hearts on it, and the mere thought that she was thinking about him while doing it made his heart soar.

When he arrived at Trocadero, he immediately saw her.

There she was sitting, surrounded by the girls, laughing and chattering cheerfully, a sandwich in her hand.

Her hair was down for once, fluttering and shining in the sunlight when she moved her head.

She was so beautiful.

He couldn't take his eyes off her.

"Marinette".

The girls suddenly went quiet.

Marinette slowly turned her head and looked at him with wide eyes.

She didn't expect him to come, not so soon at least.

"There's something I have to tell you".

Her friends grabbed her by the elbows and pushed her towards him.

She would have fallen if she didn't place her hands on his chest, but she hastily took them away as if she was burnt.

She smiled awkwardly,looking up at him, and he found himself hypnotized by her gaze.

He felt the sudden need to run his hand through her midnight black hair.

"I've realized…"

She was looking at him, surprised and confused, an adorable blush on her cheeks, her mouth slightly agape, her eyes wide open.

It was so unlike his lady to get flustered around him like that.

Oh no, I must've scared her.

"Don't be scared, my lady"

, he said inwardly, though he knew she couldn't hear him.

"It's me, your Chaton".

Trying not to get lost in her eyes, he turned away his gaze, trying to recall all the things he was going to tell her.

"I've realized that you're not just a friend to me.

I’ve always felt like you were more than that. And now I know why."

And he meant it.

He always knew that Marinette was special to him, and today's revelation put everything in place.

He took her hand gently.

He always has been touch starved.

But now, knowing that his lady was so close to him, made him crave skin contact even more.

To realize that he finally found her and would never let her go.

Her hand was so tiny and warm and it shivered slightly.

He was so happy to finally be able to hold his lady's hand without a glove on it.

"Does that… does this mean that you… you like the beret?"

she said shyly, not daring to look him in the eyes, blushing furiously.

Adrien couldn't help smiling.

She was so adorable when she blushed like that. He fell for her even deeper now that he knew that his cute and clumsy friend Marinette was his lady.

"It means that I love you, Marinette", he murmured.

He was dying to close the gap between them and finally press a kiss on those rosy lips, that were slightly parted in surprise.

If she only believed him.

If she only let him do it.

Trying his luck, he leaned in until his face was only inches away from hers, awaiting her reaction, praying inwardly for her approval.

A soft smile appeared on her face, brightening up her incredibly blue eyes.

There was no mistake, she wanted it too.

Suddenly the whole world around them disappeared into a haze filled with pink bubbles.

There were no girls, no sun-drenched Trocadero.

Everything was gone, only the two of them stayed.

Cheerful noises were coming from the girls, but he didn't hear them.

All he cared about right now was Marinette, the warmth of her lips, her hand now squeezing his, and his hand on her waist.

Her scent, her excited heartbeat.

Nothing mattered to him, except her.

He was going to be happy from now on, and no one could take it away from him.

#ml fanfiction #ml fics #chat blanc #adrinette #fluff

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empressofthesunwriter · 2 years

Text

Kick the cat out of the bag!

Warning: If you like Adrien Agreste/Chat Noir you should turn back because I'm salty at this boy and the creators of this show and I won't hold back.

If you feel the same, enjoy with me this trip down the salty road.

Chapter 3: The first entry: The Nightingale doesn't sing

Author Note: Hi, guys, I finished this chapter early than I thought, and I was like: “Well, why not just publish it?”. So here we are. Also, I want to state that this is a rare case, normally my schedule is very hectic and messy, so don’t expect to have every three days a chapter. My goal is to do an upload once a week. Also after I counted the votes you all seemed to like Kickat so the blog is now called that and I changed it the previous chapter. The name Kickat came from my dear reader DSpaceZ from AO3 so all credits to them! Thank you for the amazing name friend. Also if you have time check their own salt story about Adrien/Chat! I promise you it’s fantastic! With that, I wish you happy reading! :D

"So are you ready for this?", asked Luka holding your phone in his hands.

You nodded, sitting comfortably on your desk chair, and took a deep breath to calm your nerves.

It was afternoon, after school, and after your nightly discussion.

It was time to get started on the Kickat -Blog. You would be lying if you said you weren't nervous.

Would anyone even take note of your guy's blog with the Ladyblog being so famous and so full of LadyNoir? You could only hope that there were still some people left with critical thinking skills and would realize what you and Luka had.

You needed a lot of people on your side to fulfill your goal.

With a last little prayer that anything would turn out in your guy's favour, you gave Luka the signal to start recording. He gave you a thumbs-up in return and you started to talk.

"Hello all citizens of Paris.", you started with a greeting. "You don't know me or me you, but we all live in this beautiful city together. My name is [Y/N] [L/N] or you can call me Harmony. Behind the camera is my best friend Luka Couffaine. We will not hide, because we’re not scared. You can talk and write to us without a problem because we know the truth is on our side. Which truth do you ask? Well, yesterday I saw, took pictures, and recorded something and showed it to my partner which broke not only my trust and faith in one of our heroes his too. The hero in question is Chat Noir. Yes, you heard right, Chat Noir. We will post the photos with the time stamps and the video after this one, so you can see for yourself what kind of hero he is. Spoiler-Alert: he isn't one and we all have to help Ladybug to get a partner that she deserves. But we will leave you first to the proofs."

Luka stopped the recording. Then he sits down beside you on your desk chair. You already were turned around to face your computer and took wordless from him your phone. You upload the photos and both videos to your newly created blog and let out a shuddering breath.

There you have done it.

Now you had to wait.

Alya Cèsaire could say for herself that she was the most informed, most up-to-date on anything Ladybug and Chat Noir-related.

Not only because she was nearly always there when an Akuma battle took place, no, but she also had dozens or so alerts installed on any social media platform if some lucky civilian took a great video or photo of Paris superhero couple.

She always gave them credits of course when she posted them under her Ladyblog.

Sometimes she had a feeling people battle against each other to have a place in her blog. Well, it was the most famous and the most popular! And also the only one, but she ignored this little detail. So the moment you created your blog and posted the photos and videos she was one of the first to see it, thanks to her alerts.

Since she had nothing better to do than to wait for Marinette to change into the Ladybug costume so her friend could play the role in Clara Nightingales’ music video, she turned to Alix, Juleka, Rose, and Mylène and waved her phone around.

“Hey, guy’s I got a new scoop. Want to watch it with me, while we wait for Marinette?”

“Oh, what is it about?”, asked Rose eager and moved beside her.

The other girls followed her lead and looked at Alya phone screen.

“It’s from a new blog.”, started Alya. “It’s called Kickat. Mmh, that’s a bit of a strange name.”

“Sounds like someone is angry at Chat Noir if you ask me.”, said Alix interested.

“Why would anybody be angry at Chat Noir?”, asked Mylène confused. He was such a good hero!

Rose and Alya nodded, meanwhile Juleka stared at the thumbnail and recognize your face.

“That’s [Y/N].”, she mumbled to herself.

The other girls looked at her surprised.

“You know the chick?”, asked Alya to clarify.

“She is my brother’s best friend.”

“And?”, came it from Alix. She had a feeling that there was more.

“Well, [Y/N] hates injustice and any kind of hate against people that exist. One time a guy hit on me and before Luka or I could say to shove it, [Y/N] just straight up punched him in the face and told him she would castrate him if he doesn’t leave me alone. She broke his chin and he needed two new teeth’s.”, told them Juleka and you could see in her eyes the deep respect she holds for you.

Alix lets out a whistle and grins. She liked people who weren’t afraid to act to help someone even with a fist.

Alya, Rose, and Mylène had big eyes. You were sure a person not to mess with, this was clear.

“Okay, she smashes the faces of pervy sexually harassing guys, which is awesome.”, said Alya. This was a good point in her book. “But why are you telling us this?”

Juleka looked serious into Alya’s eyes.

“If she named her blog Kickat and it was under one of your alerts, then Chat Noir did something horrifying.”

Needlessly to say that shocked the other girls.

“Why is no one responding to the blog?”, you asked Luka nervous.

You were walking around your room in circles and tried to not get crazy. Dear heaven, if your concerns turned true and no one would realize what a piece of shit Adrien was even with the photos and video?

Luka was sitting on your bed and watched you walking around.

“Harmony, give it some time. I needed it too after I saw it. That’s a lot to take in.”, he reminded you.

Suddenly you both heard your computer beep.

There!

Someone had sent your blog a message.

Like an Akuma was after you, you run to your desk chair to sit in and check the message. You blinked, not believing, who messaged you.

“Luka.”, you called him over in trance. “The Ladyblog messaged me.”

“What did she write?”, he asked couriers.

You read for him aloud: “Hi girl, this is Alya from the Ladyblog as you can see. I saw the photos and watched the video. I even have here Juleka with me, who confirms that you wouldn’t play this kind of prank, but I need to ask because I just can’t believe it. Is this real?”

“She is really asking that?”, wonders Luka. “If Jules is with her she should take her word.”

“You forget we are talking also to an avid LadyNoir shipper.”, you reminded him.

Grimly you began to tip in a message to Alya.

Yes, hi Alya from the Ladyblog. I wish this was a prank but it is 100% true. You can even ask my parents who drowned if you are still unsure!

Sorry, Harmony, can I call you that? Anyway sorry, I can’t imagine how you or your parents feel, but if this is true…then Chat Noir is the worst hero ever!

Yes, you can call me Harmony. Alya he is. Please think about it. Have you seen him actually doing his job right? Or is he only making fun and bothering Ladybug with his flirting?

For a few minutes, there weren’t any new messages, you worried that Alya wouldn’t believe you, till you saw a new message.

Girl, me and my friends have a meltdown right here! After you wrote that we checked my Ladyblog and…well, what we saw now, wasn’t a good kind hero, but a sexually harassing bastard who couldn’t careless for us and Paris! My friend Alix is ready to fist fight him and my other friends Rose and Mylène are crying for Ladybug. Juleka seems like she is planning a murder. And I feel sick that I supported LadyNoir at all. Good, I’m the worst journalist ever. It’s like I, we had all the time a blindfold on!

You let out a breath and thanked god. She and her friends saw the truth. With the Ladyblog on your side, you would get all of Paris to see reasons.

I had the same feeling Alya, don’t worry. I just ask you to help get rid of Chat Noir as a hero. He needs to lose his ring and Ladybug needs a better partner.

Don’t worry I will feature your video and photos on my blog and clean it from Chat Noir. But first I need to stop this music video shoot! TTYL!

You blinked surprised.

“Music video shoot?”, you said out loud.

“What is it, [Y/N]?”, wanted to know Luka.

You just pointed at your messages. Luka read them and then nodded.

“Right, I forgot. Jules told me Clara Nightingale is searching today for extras and a Ladybug for her new music video. She is there with her friends to play as extras.”

“Well, sounds like to me that no music video is going to be made.”

As Marinette came out of the closet where she put on the duplication of her superhero suit the last thing she expected to see and hear were people with phones in their hands, who were talking over each other. Some were crying, others shouting and Alya stood grimly beside Clara Nightingale, who gripped Alya’s phone in her hands hard. Adrien, in his Chat Noir costume, seemed also to be confused about what was going on.

“What’s up?”, she asked her other friends.

“Oh, Marinette it’s terrible!”, cried Rose and hugged her tight. Stunned she patted the back of her friend. “Chat Noir is so…so…mean!”

“You mean, he is a number one bastard and sexual abuser.”, corrected Alix with crossed arms and an angry look on her face.

Marinette swore her brain just paused for a second. What was she hearing?

“Look at this Marinette, please.”, sniffled Mylène and hold her phone out to her.

“Yeah, this will clear things up quickly and we can go cat hunting.”, mumble Juleka with a dangerous glimmer in her eyes that Marinette had never seen.

“Juleka!”, shouted Rose.

“Don’t shout at her, she is right. The fucker needs at least a good kick in the nuts for all the shit he did!”, cursed Alix.

Before Marinette could even look at the video Mylène wanted to show her or decipher Alix’s words Clara called out to her.

The singer had given Alya her phone back and Adrien was now standing beside her. He seemed still to be as confused as herself.

“Marinette, please come here, I have to clear something with Adrien and you there.”

So still confused Marinette got up the stage and felt Alya pat her back as she passed her. What was that for?

Clara took Adrien’s and one of her hands and looked at them both sadly.

“I’m sorry you two and to Mister Agreste but I won’t make this video under this new progress.”

“New progress?”, parroted Adrien and Marinette together. If she wasn’t so lost, she would have swooned at how synchro she and Adrien were.

It seemed like the universe didn’t want that she finally understood what was going on because Mayor Bourgeois walked back in with a stack of papers and a smug Chloe by his side.

“I'm sorry. My administrative staff just realized you never submitted permit A38 as stipulated in the circular B65 that one can only get at counter C, third floor of City Hall, which is, alas, closed for renovations until August, which means you don't have a permit to shoot...anywhere in France, including Paris.”, said Mayor Bourgeois and handed Clara the stack of papers.

Clara just looked him straight into the eyes and rhymed: “Don’t worry, Mister Mayor, sir, I was about to go. I would never shoot a video for such an enormous asshole. Chat Noir can go to hell, for all I care. I’m just sorry for Ladybug, the poor dear.”

Nobody couldn’t tell if the Mayor and Chloe were that shocked because Clara didn’t even fight back or because she cursed, but Marinette was sure shocked hearing the normal sweet Clara cursing out her superhero partner.

Even Adrien seemed shocked.

“Miss Clara, what do you mean?”, asked the boy sweetly.

It wasn’t Clara who responded to him, but a woman in line for the extras.

“She means that stunt Chat Noir pulled yesterday or should I say didn’t pull.”

Others talked too.

“I never realized what a lazy bum he was!”

“You mean how we never realized that he abuses Ladybug?! I think that is more important!”

“Hey, I drowned yesterday, and not that it isn’t terrible how he treats Ladybug, but I did die and maybe I didn’t need to die if he was doing his job!”

“He never does his job because he thinks with his dick, Karen!”

“Yeah! God, I feel disgusted that I even shipped LadyNoir!”

“It is disgusting even shipping real people! How come we never realized that?”

“An Akuma?”

“If that is so then Papillion is an even bigger dick than I already thought!”

More and more voices got louder and Marinette felt sick. What was going on? Why was anybody so angry at Chat Noir?

Sure, she was angry at him sometimes too but…no she can’t think about it, she can’t lose her nerves, she has to be careful because of the Akumas.

Don’t think about it.

Don’t think about it!

Please, don’t think about it!

Paris comes first, you last!

Don’t forget that.

Marinette feels how someone, Alya, wraps an arm around her shoulders and leads her down the stage.

“C’mere, girl, we will tell you what happened. But we need you to first get you out of the costume.”

So she followed.

You and Luka stared in awe at the growing number on your blog and how anybody seemed to agree with you.

It was a fantastic feeling!

“It’s working, Luka, it’s really working!”, you said and you both hugged each other happy.

The first entry was a success!

And now the real battle began.

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san-fics · 2 years

Text

Maribat Bloopers

1.3 Maribat x Friends

[Scene: Ladybug and Chat Noir on a night patrol]

Ladybug: Hey, where is everybody?

Chat Noir: Tonight is our patrol night. The whole team is resting. So were there any akumas yesterday?

Ladybug: Oh, ummm... Just a quick easy one. I fought it myself fast and then just calm quiet patrol, just me, little quality time with me. Thanks for giving me some space, Kitty.

Chat Noir: Oh, no problem. (Checks Ladyblog on his stuff screen) Oh, look there are some new articles on Ladyblog (Reads with interest)

Ladybug: Oh, really? I didn't see them yet...

Chat Noir: LB, if uh you were fighting yesterday's akuma alone, how come Ladyblog writes Ladybug and a new amazing hero?

Ladybug: You know what probably happened? Alya sort saw the fight from far and confused one of the akuma minions for a new hero.

Chat Noir: And she sorta made few pictures of you and him fighting against akuma too?

Ladybug: That is an excellent excellent question.

Chat Noir: Milady, what is with you? Who'd you fight that akuma with?

Ladybug: Carapace.

Chat Noir: Really?

Ladybug: Robin.

Chat Noir: What?!

Ladybug: Rena!

Chat Noir: You were fighting them with Robin?!

Ladybug: Look, when it started I was just trying to be nice to him because he was a new hero in town. And then, one thing led to another and, before I knew it, we were... patrolling.

Chat Noir: Oh. Oh my God.

Ladybug: Kitty, wait. We only did it once. It didn't mean anything to me!

Chat Noir: Yeah, right. Sure!

Ladybug: Really, Chat, I was thinking of you the whole time. Look, I'm sorry, all right. I never meant for you to find out!

Chat Noir: Oh, please, you wanted to get caught! (Waves his stuff with a picture from Ladyblog on its screen)

Ladybug: That is not true!

Chat Noir: Oh, so you just sort of happened to let Alya make those pictures?

Ladybug: Did it ever occur to you that I might just be that stupid?

Chat Noir: Ok, Ladybug. I just have to know one thing. Did you... bump fists with him? (Ladybug looks away.) Oh! Ok, ok, ok, I just really, uh, I just really need to not be with you right now. (Leaves.)

Daminette Tag list (ask me to join)

@mochegato

@thepapillonnoir

@snow-leopard-777

@loves-books

@turiankitty

@toodaloo-kangaroo

@readingismyoxygen

@aespades

@starlightshield

@apasponsor

@iloontjeboontje

@ritacrow-blog

@hammalammadamdam

@yuriyuhitsu

@darth-nikeon

@trippingovermyfeet

@adrestar

@maanae

@kittyditzydancer

@imchaotic-dontmindme

@aliveforbatfamilymembers

@roselynfey

@kazuristar

@mimissss-s

@scarlixy

@angelwreckedd

@achaoticmess1

@maribatforever

@hammalammadamdam

@intercoursefluids

@unoriginalmess

@psychicdelusionwerewolf

@literaryhiraeth

@solangelo252

@jayphoenic

@ledalasombra

@alyssadeliv

@prettylittlebutterflie

@wolfy-kat

@uknowninglydead

@the-coffee-fandom

@ev-cupcake

@hauntedhoagiehorsetree

@its-maemain

@starling218

26 notes · View notes

casadefreewill · 2 years

Text

Daily Fics

(Fics I read throughout the day yesterday and enjoyed)

Witch’s Familiar by Kazel_Menra

Marinette is a clumsy witch, with almost no magical power, but has high hopes to one day be a certified stitch witch. Her first step towards her goal is summoning a familiar, but the real question is will she survive the test?

I found Hawkmoth’s plan in this a little confusing, but just going in with the assumption that whatever he’s doing is syphoning a bunch of magic power into himself and making himself stronger works well enough. Pretty much what it says on the tin, a witch familiar au, this time with a splash of childhood friends and magical amnesia.

★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆

metamorphosis by peachcitt ( @peachcitt )

He screams, but the sound is muffled, far away, and Marinette takes a moment to-

Breathe.

Push the memory away.

Accept the fact that she’s alone.

three years after hawkmoth's defeat, marinette is still trying to figure out her version of normal. there's also sleepovers.

CHAPTER 2!!

Marinette goes to class and The Mystery begins to unfold! A new corrupt butterfly user appears and no idea as to how or why!

Here I am in my conspiracist chair like ‘is Adrien the new Hawkmoth? What? No, he wouldn’t, right? There’s no way-and he seemed surprised by the akuma. But . . . politer less demanding male voice? And who else could have gotten close to the miraculous? (He was ‘kind of busy’ could that mean- and the ‘Enemies’ tag-) — it can’t be Felix right- he wouldn’t play Adrien for that long, not to his friends (that would be tagged right? Unless not tagging for spoilers) , but did Chat like die die? She saw him- but miraculous ladybug can bring him back as long as it happened due to a miraculous- it’s probably just trama- but something happened— maybe Marinette went crazy after chat died and revealed his identity and she imagined or sentimonstered ‘Adrien’ into existence!!! (no wait that doesn’t make sense . . .)’

@peachcitt and @anna-scribbles your comments got me paranoid >:|

★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆

More than just a handsome face by 11paruline44 ( @11paruline44 )

Marinette had been preparing for this date—not-a-date for weeks. After all, she'd promised Alya that this time, she was going to do it. She was going to Tell Him™. So, naturally, she could have sworn she'd have thought of every worst-case scenario possible. However, none of these worst-case scenarios included the possibility that he'd have been asked out twice already that day...

Marinette gets convinced that if she’s just another person that asks Adrien out that day she’ll come across as just another fan and a horrible friend to which Adrien replies ‘wtf no, your amazing and you actually know me and we’re good friends! Also yes please I would love to go out with you! (Also also does My Lady have my pictures all over her walls 😏)’ 🐞: 😳😖🤬

★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆

MaRinEttE dESeRvEs bEttEr by miraculuna

Marinette Dupain-Cheng had enough of Adrien acting like a doormat, so she decided to change schools. Everything in her life became so much better from then...

Ok, I gotta admit, I think crack fic salt on salt fics are actually pretty funny. Just the very sarcastic tone most of them have is fun to read. Anyways, adding this to my “salt decompression pile”/stories to read when I really need to just laugh at how absurd salt fics are.

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avrilmaria · 2 years

Text

Happy birthday @purrincess-chat! May you always be the unhinged savage queen you are!

Today the stars aligned to make this the last Ladrien Wednesday before Ladrien June, and because of that, and because you've been in a mood™, my gift for you is 3.4k of Ladrien hurt/comfort with Adrien pov. Hope you like it 😘

The song I recommend to hear while reading this (since is the one I listened nonstop while writing) is Dreamcatcher, Siyeon & Dami - Shadow, especially the slow version.

Also on AO3

The moon above the city

Today is Adrien's birthday. Today is Adrien's happiest day.

Adrien woke the day of his birthday brimming with hope. Yesterday his father and he spent a good time reminiscing about Adrien's mother. It was a coincidence that he found an old music sheet on top of Natalie's desk, that he tried to play said song on his piano and subsequently got caught by Gabriel, explaining in his usual detached way that it was one of Emilie's favorite songs. A miniscule uplift at the corner of his lips, a soft yet distant look in his eyes lost in a happier past; in those scarce minutes Adrien could see the father he remembered before the disappearance of his mother.

"Surely," he thought. "Today father will spend a bit of time with me! He might even give me a gift!" With those thoughts lingering in his mind, he walked towards the dining room with a big smile on his face.

Adrien's wish turned true, for his father was sitting at the end of the long table, waiting for him. Not a second later a plate of food was put in front of them, nothing special and a bit boring in Adrien's opinion. Nathalie bid him good day before returning to her work, Adrien made sure to reply in kindness, perhaps a bit more peppy than usual.

"Good morning, father". A big grin adorned his face.

"You are late, Adrien", said Gabriel, impassive as always. It put a pause on Adrien's good humor for a moment but oh well, that's his father alright, distant as always. "I expect you to behave accordingly for the rest of your schedule"

"Do you remember what day it is today, father?" He asked as soon as he saw Gabriel getting up to return to his studio. His good humor was beginning to crumble, yet a sliver of hope still remained in his heart.

"October 19th, the day of your shooting for the upcoming partnership with that juvenile magazine". Gabriel's exit left a deafening silence inside the huge room. Adrien really should have known better than to hope. His meal felt more miserable than usual.

***

"Happy birthday bro!" Nino shouted as soon as he saw Adrien entering the school, wrapping him in a warm and tight hug.

Nino insisted on giving his gift first. It was a USB titled 'Adrien's anime remix' with a pretty green bow. "I made a mix of your favorite anime songs, only the best for my bro!" Nino showed him a big smile and a thumbs up.

"Hope you like it, birthday boy," said Alya with a devilish grin. Her gift was a small notebook of very few pages that may or may not be a fanfic about him and Ladybug. Adrien, flustered, looked at Alya questioning, her only reply was a wink.

Lastly Marinette gave him a colorful paper bag with a slight tremble and heavy blush. Inside was an oversized black hoodie with his favorite magical girls embroidered all over the garment. Those characters were the protagonists of the last anime they all watched together in Marinette's bedroom, where he confessed how much the story meant to him. "I hope it gives you as much comfort as them. Happy birthday, Adrien."

Adrien briefly hugged each friend for their thoughtful gifts, yet lingered with Marinette's, even though she seemed seconds away from passing out.

"Yes," Adrien thought. "Today is a good day."

***

Today is Adrien's birthday. Today is Adrien's worst day.

It started inocuos enough. Just the usual Hackmoth's villain of the week, highly vindictive in all of his extravagant and poorly designed self. On a positive note, it did give Adrien a respite from his terribly dull photoshoot.

"All the words that you ignore and bury deep inside your mind, I will make you listen, for I am the Phantom Lord!" The villain said, dressed in what could only be described as a phantom of the opera look alike, made unconventional in all the wrong ways. At least the black smoke coming from his hand gave him a mystifying look.

It should have been routine for Adrien, and it was, right until Phantom Lord managed to make him hide before his transformation ran out time. Sneaky thing he was, making Chat Noir waste his cataclysm with all those pesky illusions. Not a good situation, but he managed worse, Adrien told himself, and then Mr dark-and-brooding somehow found him. Now, Adrien is very loved by many, perhaps too much sometimes, but the absolute hatred of this villain towards him felt very uncalled for, he didn't even know him!

Phantom Lord pointed his hand very dramatically towards Adrien, shadows already forming at his fingertips. Adrien was fully ready to run like a gazelle to the nearest secluded spot to transform again into Chat Noir. But then, just like an angel descending from heaven, Ladybug caught Adrien in her strong capable arms mid flight towards the next tall building. Adrien thanked his stars for finding himself flushed to the superheroine's body, clinging to each other so he wouldn't fall. Being a damsel in distress never felt better in Adrien's opinion.

Soon they were to land on top of a rooftop but as soon as they touched it, the whole building disappeared. Completely caught off guard, Ladybug aimed for the closest flat surface, making them stumble on each other with their rough landing.

A black mist slowly surrounded them until everything went dark.

Nothingness all around, no light, no sound. His frantic heartbeat echoed endlessly. Adrien took a shuddering breath, the uneasiness in his chest clawed cold and deep inside his bones. His eyes felt uncomfortably warm, a dark and lonely room came to his mind. He waited with one last breath stuck in his throat, and then they came, the whispers. The voice that spoke was one Adrien knew all too well, accusatory and self-deprecating, his own voice.

Do you really think your stupid sacrifices can save anyone? You're just a hindrance, Ladybug is so tired of your recklessness. Do you even think before jumping into danger? When will you learn?

"That's a lie, I'm a huge help to Ladybug, she depends on me," he said aloud, hoping it would silence the voice.

What a failure you are. Such a coward. You're useless.

"I don't know what you're talking about." With shaking hands, bathed with his first tear, Adrien covered his ears.

You don't belong out there, Adrien, go back to your room.

Oh, how many times has he heard those same words coming from his own father? So many that his own mind conjured the rest of Gabriel's patronizing words. 'It's dangerous outside, it's safe here inside. I know what's best for you, Adrien, and that's final'.

Yes, go back to your room. Mother is gone because of you.

"That's not true!" He shouted to the void, loud and broken.

Father hates you, it's your fault mother left.

"It's not true." Adrien sat his trembling body on the floor, even though it still felt like nothing.

Ladybug will never love you, she doesn't know you, she doesn't care. Useless, just a pretty face.

"No, I'm Ladybug's partner. She depends on me, Paris depends on me." Adrien brought his knees to his chest.

No one really knows you, nobody cares, no one will ever care, just a pretty face.

Tears resonated in the silence like water drops, a sad raining interrupted by a single pathetic whimper.

You're weak, useless, just a pretty face. It doesn't matter how much you try, nobody cares.

Adrien hid his face in his knees, full of guilt and shame. There was only darkness around him, yet it felt too hard to look at.

It doesn't matter how many skills you learn, you're empty inside, just the shell of a person, just a pretty face.

Adrien covered his head with his arms, making himself smaller. A sobbing little thing he was, nothing new. All those words, things he already told himself many times inside his big and lonely room. No one heard back then, no one will hear him now either.

"I'm a failure, I'm worthless." Words he thought countless times, but that voice, it wasn't Adrien's voice. A high pitch voice, watery and full of fear, is one he only heard a handful of times. He'll recognize that lovely voice anywhere.

"I should give up," the voice said, all too clear, all too broken. Adrien focused on her voice, trying to see where it came from. The fog dissipated just enough for him to see Ladybug, curled and sobbing, not unlike himself.

Adrien crawled to her, through the rising volume of those cruel whispers. When he reached Ladybug, he put his hands on her shoulders, begging for her attention, trying to reach her over her fast panicked breath until her eyes met his. With shaking hands he cupped Ladybug's beautiful face, with a face wet with his own tears he mirrored her, and with a raw and scratchy voice he told her the words he always wished someone would say to him. "You're not alone, I'll always be there for you, let's try together."

Ah, there it is, that spark in Ladybug's gorgeous blue eyes. A gasp left her trembling lips. She looked at Adrien as if finally seeing him and put her hands over his, still shaking, still soft and so very warm on her face.

"Adrien," she called him oh so happily. Ladybug grabbed a fistful of his shirt, tightly, as if he was her most precious anchor inside her sadness. Adrien rested his forehead on hers, and then they breathed with their eyes closed, together and encompassingly. "I can do it."

When the dark mist started to dissipate, they found Phantom Lord waiting close by, he seemed surprised to see them well. Without a second to waste, Ladybug grabbed Adrien between her arms again and fled as fast and far away as possible.

This time they landed softly atop a restaurant's rooftop, only flowers, chairs and tables on sight. As soon as Ladybug deemed Adrien safe, she turned her back with her yo-yo ready, a practiced motion no doubt. Ladybug paused, and then lowered her arm. She turned to look at Adrien intensely, her pretty blue eyes full of raw emotion. She looked at the floor for a moment, her lips forming a small smile. Ladybug took a deep breath as if to gain more courage and then embraced Adrien, tightly.

"Thank you, Adrien," she whispered in his ear, softly, like a precious secret. They left a breath in unison, finding warmth where they only felt cold before. One last squeeze and a parting smile, and then she was gone, golden rays of sun framing her body against the pale blue sky.

Adrien closed his eyes and took a deep breath, willing his mind to remember the heroine's comforting scent. It always reminded him of all kinds of fresh baked bread and sweet filled pastries. Adrien chuckled, thinking that Ladybug must have quite the sweet tooth.

When Adrien opened his eyes again, it was to the feeling of Plagg's paw on his cheek. Indeed, Adrien was not alone, not anymore. "Claws out!" Barely a few seconds later he received a message from Ladybug, asking if he was alright, if the mist got to him, and if he felt good enough to fight, she had a plan waiting for his most devoted partner.

***

It all ended with one of Ladybug's impressive and overcomplicated plans, as always. They fist bumped, she called Miraculous Ladybug and then they parted ways. It was a routine that Chat Noir has done millions of times, and yet he still feels hollow, the whispers lingered inside his mind.

He came back where the fight ended, where Gorilla was waiting for him with the car, ready to take him home. Ladybug was still swarmed by people when he arrived. Their eyes met over the crowd, and for a brief terrifying moment he saw a reflection of himself in her eyes. The uncomfortable warmth returned to his face, suffocating him with every breath.There was a crack on his perfect mask. At that moment Adrien knew that this time, no matter how much he tried to hide his feelings behind a pleasant smile, he couldn't pretend that everything was fine.

He averted his eyes, how shameful that she would see him like this. Ladybug called to him, almost desperately, while she tried to reach him. When the crowd finally noticed Adrien, they swarmed him like vultures with loud voices and invasive questions. He felt numb when Gorilla's muscular arm wrapped around his shoulders, ushering inside the car.

Adrien could feel his bodyguard's worried glances through the rear view mirror for the whole trip back to the mansion. Gorilla accompanied him the entire journey back to his bedroom, his large frame dwarfing Adrien. Once they reached the door, Gorilla put his large hand on Adrien's left shoulder, making him timidly meet the burly man's kind eyes. Then he patted his small shoulder in an attempt to give the boy some comfort. Tears welled in Adrien's eyes again, he buried his face on his muscular chest, hands barely reaching his back. Gorilla returned the hug, hiding Adrien from the world between his big arms, if only for a moment.

***

Adrien sat on his bed, facing the open window. Briefly he wished the sky to not be so clear, but to be dark and unrelenting, to match the storm inside his chest. Instead there he was, quiet and tired in his big lonely room. He looked at the presents his friends gave him, trying desperately to remember that he wasn't alone any more, that there were people that cared for him.

A shadow between the buildings caught Adrien's attention, it was the silhouette of his favorite superheroine getting closer by the second. Ladybug launched herself into his room with poorly concealed urgency, almost stumbling.

"Adrien," she called him, slightly breathless, her beautiful eyes searching his face.

Adrien felt like a deer in headlights, gaping at the frantic way in which she entered his bedroom. "Ladybug! What a surprise to see you! Did you need something?" Adrien tried his best to seem as nonchalant as possible, nothing like the nervous mess he actually felt like.

Ladybug's face softened at seeing his poor performance. "I was worried about you." She pressed softly her knuckle against his reddened lower eyelid, brushing off a cold tear. Her touch was so gentle that Adrien felt like breaking inside all over again.

"I'm fine," he croaked. Ladybug's sad eyes told him how unconvinced she was, still, she didn't comment on it.

"I also have something to tell you," Adrien sighed in relief, grateful for what she left unsaid. "Happy birthday, Adrien."

"Did you come all this way to wish me a happy birthday? I'm touched." Adrien's hands trembled as much as his voice, his heart beating incredibly fast. His crush remembered his birthday! Oh, Adrien could faint from so much happiness after such a tiring day.

Ladybug looked at the floor, a rosy tint adorning her cheeks. "You are important to me, Adrien," she said earnestly. The smile she gave him was shy and full of love. "Is there something you want to do today? I'll be happy to go anywhere with you."

Adrien felt his heart triple in size. A blushing Ladybug in his room? What a dream! But then he remembered what happened inside the black mist, how they clinged to each other, seeking comfort amidst their broken pieces. This time Adrien felt at peace, basking in the warmth of her words.

"Then, would you like to hang out with me on top of the Eiffel Tower tonight? Just the two of us."

***

True to her word, Ladybug picked him up later that day,including several blankets and a basket full of pastries waiting for them at the tower.

Adrien tenderly caressed the front of his new favorite hoodie with a smile. He noticed Ladybug's intense gaze on the garment, so he told her: "My friend Marinette made it for me, she's the best." To which Ladybug responded with a nod and a deep red blush covering her entire face.

A serene moment under a full moon, with only the muted cacophony of the busy Parisian life and a soft, gentle breeze as their companion. Adrien started to shiver, he really didn't think it would be so cold, he usually came as Chat Noir after all. Ladybug put one of the many blankets over his body, then quickly removed her hands as if embarrassed.

"I want to thank you, Adrien, for being there for me today," a sigh pared with a tender smile and a far away look. "And always."

"I only did what anyone would do. After all, who doesn't want to help their favorite hero?" he said with a flirtatious tone.

"No, you don't understand, I," she paused as if conflicted to tell more. "You saw how I was inside Phantom Lord's mist. The truth is, it's not easy being in my position, sometimes the pressure gets to me, sometimes I doubt".

"Ladybug," Adrien interrupted, hand raised to her at hearing her frantic rant to the moon.

"Sometimes I think to myself 'this is it, this is the time I fail', and it eats at me inside every single time." Ladybug looked at him, pleading he would understand. "If it weren't for Chat Noir or you, I don't know what I would do."

"The rest of Paris has your back too, don't they cheer you up too when you're down?" He asked with a gentle tone. As much as Adrien was loving Ladybug's appreciation for him, he needed her to understand she was loved by many people too.

"Yes, of course, but Chat Noir is my partner, he always has my back and you." She laughs softly. "It's like you have a talent for seeing me at my worst. Are you not disappointed when you see me like that? I'm supposed to be Paris' hero, but sometimes I feel like the hero of no one"

"It's tough when people put you on a pedestal," Adrien agreed before grabbing her shoulders, making her see the conviction in his eyes. "I will never be disappointed in you. You're the most amazing person I know, Paris is lucky to have you as its protector."

She left a shuddering breath, the tension leaving her body after her outburst and Adrien's kind words. "And you are the best, Adrien. Paris is also lucky to have you." She smiled at him, big and honest.

Adrien brought his hands to his lap, a deep blush covering his face. "Well, I mean, I kinda understand, a bit, you know, with my job," he stopped after realizing what a stuttering mess he was at the moment.

"Because you're a very famous model for a very famous brand?" Ladybug asked playfully, amused by the flustered boy, even though the red on her face matched his. "You are right though, it's hard when people put you so high and they don't even know you. It's like you stop being a person, like you're only the idea they have of you."

Adrien nodded once before turning to look at her completely. "You know, I'm always surrounded by people but I'm never allowed to get close to anyone." He averted his eyes for a moment, a soft bite to his lower lip and then a whisper. "It's lonely." A heavy sigh left his reddened lips before he looked at her full of determination. "But with you, Ladybug, I feel less alone." His voice quivered but he smiles, big and slightly lopsided, while his eyes are full of unshed tears that shine under the moonlight.

"Adrien," she said softly, with unshed tears of her own.

"When you asked me what I wanted as a gift," Adrien averted his eyes for a moment, bashful and vulnerable. "Well, I just wanted an opportunity to let you see what you mean to me, in my life". He looks back at her, earnest and open, dewy green eyes and a slightly crooked smile.

"You are not alone, Adrien". She wrapped an arm around his shoulders, bringing him closer to her. He rested his head on her shoulder and hid his face on her neck, silently sobbing. "Never again". She vowed to the moon while pressing his small frame to her, using her own body as another blanket to comfort him. Ladybug kissed the top of his head, soft and reverent, full of promises she will make sure to fulfill.

Perhaps one day, together, they will take their broken pieces and make them whole again. For now, they will hold each other tightly under the full moon on a starless night.

#My Writing #Did I hurt my feelings writings this? Maybe

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aalissy · 2 years

Text

Rescue

And here’s part two to yesterday’s chapter! Plz read that one if you haven’t yet! I hope you like both of these lil oneshots. Also, sorry it’s a lil late I started watching True Blood today and it’s sooo good haha.

AO3

Marinette leaned her arms on the balcony, searching the sky for any sign of her Chaton. She had a plan and she was going to execute it today. She needed to if she wanted to keep having a good night’s sleep. With a loud groan and a sigh, she plopped her face down on her crossed arms. This was impossible. How was she meant to just find Chat Noir?

With another groan, she lifted her head back up, ready to go inside and forget that this ever happened when a streak of black caught her eye. Whipping around, Marinette brightened as she saw the man who had completely captivated her thoughts jumping from rooftop to rooftop. How lucky was she? Waving her hands in the air, she called him over, “Chat Noir! Here, kitty, kitty!”

He smiled over at her before plopping down on her balcony. He bowed, sending a wink up at her. “Is my purrincess in need of rescuing?”

She giggled, feeling her cheeks turn a light pink. Shaking her head, she rocked back and forth on her heels. “Nothing like that, Chaton. I was just wondering if you had any time to talk. Is that alright or did you have somewhere that you need to be?”

He looked almost surprised for a second, his lips parting in shock before he closed them. Chat gave his head a quick shake, grinning. “You know I always have time for you, purrincess.”

Marinette rolled her eyes even as her cheeks turned an even darker shade of red. Gesturing for him to follow her, she opened up the trapdoor to her bedroom. “Then after you.”

Chat jumped in, landing on her bed with a soft thud. She waited a second before following after him, summoning up all of her courage. By the time Marinette was on her bed, he had already made his way down her ladder, wandering around her room curiously. He stopped by her sewing machine, tapping her latest unfinished product. “What are you working on?” Chat asked.

“Oh, just a design for a dress,” she said, nervously giggling as a flutter of butterflies came to life in her stomach. She scrambled the rest of the way down her ladder, trying to spit out her question. Come on, Marinette, you can do this! We made that plan for a reason, she thought to herself determinedly.

Walking towards him, Marinette opened her mouth as she planned to blurt out her question when Chat tapped the design again, grinning over at her. “Well, it looks pawsome already! Great job, Marinette!”

The words died on her lips as he smiled softly at her. He was so sweet. It was an unfinished mess. Some of the seams still had raw edges and she wasn’t even sure if she still liked the color she had chosen. “Thank you, Chat,” she murmured, ducking her head down shyly. How was she supposed to ask about his feelings for her if he was this sweet all the time? It wasn’t fair. Her heart clambered in her chest as she felt her hands grow cold and clammy. Could she do this? How was she even supposed to start? “So, did you have something you wanted to ask me?” Chat asked, tilting his head at her curiously.

Instantly, Marinette breathed out a sigh of relief. Thank goodness for Chat Noir. It was like he always knew what she was thinking. Finally bringing her head back up to connect their gazes, she bobbed her head up and down with a wide, awkward smile. “Yes, I do!”

“Well alright then,” he beamed. “I’ll do my best to answer. As long as it’s not personal information about my identity we should be good to go.” Chat leaned back on her desk, crossing his arms across his chest.

Well of course she wasn’t going to ask about that. Revealing identities was one thing she was absolutely determined not to do. Sucking in a deep breath, Marinette rushed out, “What would you do if Ladybug told you today that she had feelings for you?”

A frown quickly took over Chat’s face. Oh. Well, that wasn’t the reaction that she had been hoping for. She had been expecting a lovestruck sigh at just the thought. He wasn’t even smiling. The butterflies quickly crashed down as her heart plummeted to the bottom of her stomach. “What?” Chat asked rather incredulously, uncrossing his arms as he looked over at her.

Hesitantly, Marinette nibbled on her lip. Could she really repeat herself? Quietly, she murmured, “Uh, well, I-I um, asked how you’d feel if Ladybug said she felt the same way that um... you did?”

Chat’s frown deepened and for a brief moment, she just wanted the floor to swallow her up. “Why are you asking?”

Well, she couldn’t exactly tell him that she was asking on behalf of Ladybug, now could she. Honestly, Marinette was just grateful that she hadn’t brought it up as Ladybug. She would have been mortified. Swallowing the large lump that had settled in her throat, she glanced away. Tapping her fingers together anxiously, she muttered, “I don’t know... I was just curious I guess.”

Chat laughed, causing her gaze to snap back over to him. Now he was laughing at the idea? Was it possible to die of embarrassment? Because it certainly felt possible. “Well, you don’t have to be. Ladybug’s made it clear more than enough times that she doesn’t feel that way about me.”

Marinette wanted to say that her feelings had changed but she bit the words back. He’d figure her identity out within seconds if she started talking like that. Before she could say anything, though, Chat continued on. “She’s made it clear to me that there’s another boy. And, besides, I think I should take her advice and start looking at another girl. In fact, I may have already found her...”

He trailed off, leaving her feeling depressed. Of course she was too late. She hoped that this new girl wouldn’t take Chat’s feelings for granted like she had done. Softly, she tried to keep the bitterness out of her and muttered, “Oh.”

“Yeah. I’m just a little nervous, though. This girl’s mentioned she liked me before but I messed it all up because I was still in love with Ladybug. I hope I didn’t miss my chance.” Chat took a step towards her, a gentle grin on his face. Marinette fought the urge to cringe away. Did she really have to hear about his feelings for another girl now? How painful.

Giving him a weak smile that was probably more like a grimace, she tried desperately to be supportive. “Well, I’m sure you didn’t. You’re amazing, kitty. I’m sure she still feels the same.”

His lips parted in what almost looked like surprise before he shook his head. “I’m not sure purrincess, I got her papa akumatized last time when I broke her heart. Do you still think she feels the same?”

Marinette immediately gaped at him, realization slamming into her. Surely he couldn’t mean... With a choked gasp, she murmured, “Oh. Oh... Oh. You don’t... I-I mean...a-are you talking about m-me?”

“Only if you want me to be.” Chat gave her a shy grin, scratching the back of his neck endearingly.

“Yes! Yes, I do!” she shouted. Quickly, she scrambled to come up with a lie to explain herself. “I-I um, I was still, uh... jealous of yours and Ladybug’s relationship which is why I asked. M-my feelings are still here and as real as ever. They never really went away.”

Chat took a few more steps towards her until he was directly in front of her, brushing a stray strand of hair out of her face. “Then, would it be alright if I kissed you?” he whispered.

“Uh-huh,” Marinette squeaked out just before his lips collided with hers. She wrapped her arms around his neck, melting into the kiss she had been dreaming about for ages. It was even better than she had expected. Tilting her head to deepen the kiss, she realized that this was the best ending to her evening. She hadn’t expected this but it was definitely not unwelcome.

#marichatmay2022 #marichatmay #marichat #miraculous #miraculous ladybug #ml #mlb #ml fic #fic #fanfic

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