when i was a kid i used to respond to the "glass half full/half empty" question by asking how the liquid in the glass got there in the first place. nobody ever gave me a chance to explain my reasoning so i'm doing it now
if you have a glass and it has some liquid in it, up to the halfway line, whether it is empty or full depends on what happened before the question was asked. if you started with a full glass and poured half out until only half remained, the glass is half empty, because if you continued pouring it would be fully empty. however, if you started with an empty glass and poured liquid from another container into the glass up to the halfway line, the glass is half full because if you continued pouring it would be all the way full. logical, no?
i was 13 years old when somebody finally told me it was supposed to be some kind of optimism/pessimism thing. i always thought it was a riddle that nobody let me solve
Okay but that actually goes really well with the metaphor. How did you get to where you are right now? Have things gotten better or worse? Does it seem like the trend is continuing?
Nobody's really an optimist or pessimist all the time, your outlook depends on the situation and how you arrived there.
OP I need you to understand you were not wrong. You are smart. Please please please understand that fact and I hope that you still keep your thinking style. There's just simply not enough people on this planet who can look at a question like this and think "well obviously you're only asking half the question". You're right and I hope you keep it up
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Writing ADHD characters, an incomplete guide by a person with ADHD
So, if you want to write a character with Attention Deficit Hyperactive Disorder, it doesn’t matter if it’s an original character in your new story, or if you’re writing PJO fanfiction, there’s some things you need to know:
•Soda, sugar, coffee, they don’t make us MORE hyper, they actually help us calm down. A lot of people with ADHD self-medicate with coffee and soda on a daily basis when they don’t have access to actual treatment
•Our brains have two settings: hyperfocus and complete lack of attention. If your character is seriously worried about something, or if they like what they’re doing, it’s very likely they’re not going to stop. At all. I have once spent two entire days researching a topic, without moving from my computer, until I had to. Because I peed myself. I was fifteen. Hyperfocus is a serious problem, even if it’s sometimes useful. Don’t treat it as a superpower, please.
•On the same note, your character probably cannot spend too much time or energy on something they don’t like. As in, sometimes five uninterrupted minutes of reading are harder to achieve than three hours of writing, simply because the reading is not fun.
•We fidget. A lot. Your character probably repeats a movement over and over and over and over again, or they might always be doing something with their hands. You can make it something useful, but it is not necessarily common (Leo Valdez, from HOO, is a good example of useful fidgeting, with the things he builds. Annabeth Chase, on the other hand, tends to fidget with her necklace, a completely non-useful movement that is repeated several times, enough to be mentioned)
•Crazy energetic moments of inspiration happen. They usually don’t last. And people can’t really follow along with what we’re doing. The results, in my experience, are 50/50 on total garbage or amazingly good.
•Conversations, especially between several people with ADHD, can really easily go from point A to point G without going anywhere in the middle. Our brains tend to make different connections.
•Memory. Our memory is shitty and weird, most of the time. Same as our focus, it usually is either perfect or not there at all. I have lost countless hours to my own brain, chasing my thoughts.
•Planning is hard. Proof reading is hard. Finishing things once the original boost of focus is gone is almost impossible. I’m sorry this is so short, but it was a spur of the moment decision.
Feel free to ask me questions. I’ll probably love to explain things to you.
And please. To all fanfic writers. Stop making the characters go more hyper when they drink coffee. Seriously, one coffee makes me focus, two make me productive. Three make me take a nap.
ADHD meds decrease appetite. sometimes the decrease is to none. usually it means a snickers ad type thing with a friend, “youre being a douche, eat something”
people who have ADHD do not get high on ADHD meds. that’s not how it works.
interrupting our own thoughts. usually not ‘squirrel!!’, instead it’s more along the lines of “yeah, so yesterday - hey remind me to do my government homework later - anyway yesterday I watched this thing and - oh shit i forgot to do the thing - anyway, this thing, that mysteries at the museum show, and they were talking about - oh! arthur told me to remind you that you owe him $5 - they were talking about…”. Occasionally it’s (after explaining how reasonable satanism is) “This week on I didn’t know I’m a satanist - there’s geese!” (I saw geese)
it’s not that we get distracted easily. it’s that we cannot direct focus. you could put me in a room with literally just my assignment and a pencil, and I would start playing with the pencil. or the paper. or my hands.
ADHD, while the “h” is always a part of the name, does not always mean hyperactivity. there’s “hyperactive” and “inattentive” and “combined”
y’know in the Sims when your sim is going somewhere and you cancel their action? That.
sometimes you get 3 songs running through your head at the same time. sometimes your brain repeats 1 line over and over and over and over. sometimes these happen at the same time.
in general, easy tasks = 2 or more at once. difficult tasks = 2 or fewer at once (the second usually being listening to music). however, difficult tasks also = working on one at a time, but having like 9 going.
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To start at the beginning, chapter 1 is here on AO3 or here on tumblr
Summary: Generally what happened in this alternate universe during the next decade or so, and a glimpse of Luka and Marinette's wedding.
...
Five years have now passed after Marinette had moved on from Adrien and discovered his identity, only to keep it to herself for much of that time, and they were still fighting Hawkmoth.
Hawkmoth was still somewhat active after all. Instead of attacks being a day apart, it could be weeks between attacks, but they had grown more dangerous than ever. Mayura would only appear every few months, and that was when they needed the full team.
Over half of the Miraculous now had permanent holders now, and having them just come to the battles ended them faster, something that they needed to do so that they wouldn’t be missing from their adult lives for long.
It was almost ironic looking back, because less than a month after Ladybug’s and Chat Noir’s one-time date five years ago, Adrien Agreste asked out Marinette Dupain-Cheng.
What he hadn’t known at the time, was that she had asked Luka Couffaine to be her boyfriend just two weeks prior.
Adrien really did have the worst luck, after a brief period of sadness and jealousy, he found a way to be happy for them, having realized that he had idolized Ladybug for too long and that missing his opportunity with Marinette was probably a consequence of that.
Marinette and Luka themselves dated since then and while they started out slowly, they became more serious about each other over time.
Luka of course became a backup guitarist to Jagged Stone for the start of his career, eventually becoming the opening act for him as Marinette started her own online boutique. On their fifth anniversary of their highly negotiated first date, not that anyone but they knew that, Luka proposed to her.
Their friends were happy for them.
Including a long-suffering Adrien, who was now really good friends with both of them.
Kim had gone on to a career as an Olympic Swimmer, just like his long-term girlfriend Ondine.
Alix shockingly became a historian and not so shockingly, a part time street artist.
Max built his own gaming empire with the help of Markov.
It almost seemed like everyone had moved on happily in their lives.
Life hadn’t been easy for everyone though.
Rumor was that even Lila found a profession that suited her back in Italy, she became a lawyer with aspirations to become a politician. There were rumors of some sort of scandal involving her now and then, but everyone had come to expect that. Thankfully, it all happened far from Paris and no one really cared when she was arrested for falsifying documents of her qualifications or whatever.
Most of her classmates were not surprised at all.
Kagami eventually had to move back to Japan, her mother had decided that it was time that she settle down and she gave her a choice between three perspective Japanese businessmen’s sons. At first Kagami didn’t want to do it, but after mutually deciding that Adrien was just a friend, after he never seemed to open up after losing the girl he loved so long ago, whom Kagami assumed was Marinette at first but now wasn't' so sure, Kagami thought that she didn’t have a choice. So, she gave each of the three guys a chance and finally found someone who could be more than just a friend with when she met the third guy. They were planning on getting married in a few months after they got to know each other better and Marinette was going to make her the wedding dress.
Chloe herself dated several different people, but just couldn’t find someone acceptable to her standards and followed her Mother to New York to find herself there. Her father joined them after he lost an election to be the Mayor.
Alya and Nino had been married for well over a year, but had been saddened by the fact that while they had been trying to have children, they just found out that they were infertile and Alya was unable to have children. They eventually decided to foster and then adopt once they were ready.
Adrien of course had gone on to be a supermodel and would leave Paris from time to time, entrusting Plagg to Viperion while he was out of town, and vice versa for the snake miraculous. They had been pleased to find out that some of the miraculous could be used together at the same time when necessary, but never for more than a brief period since it was draining on the wielder.
While Adrien’s life was lavish, he still couldn’t find someone that came close to his heart like Ladybug, Marinette or even Kagami had. He accepted that Marinette was now with Luka and he tried to be happy for his friends and not kick himself for his bad timing, which he had to do with Ladybug and Marinette and their boyfriends, err, fiancés, too.
Adrien sadly had allowed his father and Nathalie to arrange his dates for functions for the most part, but that was business, his life was still happier up on the rooftops when he ran patrol with his heroic friends. It was hard, but there was a part of him that felt like he would forever be alone.
…
Eventually, Chat Noir was surprised when Ladybug offered him an invitation to her wedding.
“I think it’s time Chat.” Marinette told Adrien, “this is an invitation to my wedding, and I’d like you to be there, knowing who I am, but I won’t force you to go if you don’t think it’s safe or if you’re not ready. I-I’ve finally decided that I want you to decide if you want to know who I am.”
Chat Noir remembered when she had told him three years prior that she knew who he was and had known for a long time already, but didn’t think that it was safe yet for her to tell him who she was. Ladybug hadn’t told him that she knew at first because she didn’t want to upset him and she felt certain that they wouldn’t have worked out.
Adrien felt like a heel that she may have been right to not trust him at the time with that fact.
Chat Noir still didn’t know why they wouldn't have worked out, but he trusted her now above all else and he knew that he still had a lot of growing up to do from when she found out, so he had no ill feelings about the matter.
He remembered how supportive she had been when he was seriously trying to give Kagami a chance to win him over, but it didn’t feel right and eventually they had mutually decided to separate.
Adrien appreciated that Ladybug gave him this chance to decide for himself and the opportunity to say no as he looked at the proffered enveloped.
So, Adrien had understood and apologized to her, for making her feel like he wouldn’t understand before and surprisingly, he did. It wasn’t a secret to him that she had begun dating Viperion’s secret identity either, and he was okay with that, now.
It reminded him how he had gotten annoyed when Marinette and Luka started dating just as he had finally begun to move on from Ladybug.
Adrien had never had a chance with Marinette, but Adrien had grown to understand that was his own fault now, he had focused on Ladybug for far too long and never even tried to ask her out or realize that Marinette deserved the world, just like Ladybug did.
He was fairly certain that if he had asked her out immediately after Lila’s exposed lies and her eventual move to another school, that maybe, just maybe, they would have had a chance. That is if he could give up on Ladybug and apologize profusely for his blindness, but he was a stubborn cat and that fact came back to haunt him.
Luka though, he was the smart one. He had waited until Marinette was ready and let her choose him, just as Adrien began to let go of Ladybug.
Adrien knew that he shouldn’t be jealous of the pair, but he was. They had a bit of a rough patch over that, the three of them that is, and he knew it was mostly his fault, but they worked through it and were good friends now. They even double dated a couple of times after Adrien found a girl that he was willing to date more than once, but he never took a girl out more than three times besides Kagami and he never had a steady girlfriend other than Kagami, because none of them could compare to a certain blue haired girl. Either side of her, not that he knew that.
As he looked at the invitation envelope that Ladybug was offering him, he finally realized that they’d all grown up and he would be an adult about this, make the Ladybug decision etc.
Which was why Chat Noir sighed as he pushed the invitation back towards Ladybug, “Milady, while I am honored that you would invite me, it’s enough for this cat to know that you’re happy.”
…
Eight months later, Kagami Ito and her husband greeted Adrien at Marinette and Luka’s wedding reception.
All of their friends were there.
Alya and Nino had the happy news that they’d been accepted as foster parents and now had twins, a set of fraternal twins to foster, a boy and a girl. A boy and a girl that Alya’s twin sisters were now watching while they attended the wedding, after their parents loaded them up with ice cream. Pay back was fun.
The garden that Luka and Marinette had rented for the reception was gorgeous.
Jagged and Penny came, after finding sitters of their own of course for their two kids and Fang, who was now too big to travel from their large estate, much to Jagged’s disappointment.
Still, the wedded pair greeted everyone and then they started the party, dancing the night away.
Luka insisted on taking a break to play a few songs with Jagged, since he wasn’t much of a natural ball room dancer, and passed his wife off to their good friend Adrien for a song as the two rockers tuned their guitars.
It was a long song during which Marinette thanked Adrien for coming, “thanks for coming Adrien, but you know what, I’ve changed my mind.”
Adrien looked at her quizzically, breaking out of his daydream that this party could have been for them if he hadn’t been so blind. Slightly uncomfortable about dancing with his gorgeous friend and for having such jealous thoughts, he allowed his Chat side out to tease her, “changed your mind about what Marinette? I mean, you’ve already signed the marriage certificate and had the Mayor marry you, right? It’s a little late to change your mind i think, and what would we tell Luka!”
She laughed, “you goof! But part of that’s true.” She glanced over at her husband, who just smiled and nodded at her knowingly to encourage her, “but I don’t regret marrying Luka, we’re good together and love each other.”
“Oh. Well, I could have told you that.” Adrien chuckled, “so it’s not about that though huh? Care to enlighten me?”
Marinette giggled and smiled up at him, “I just decided that after all,” she stood on her tip toes and whispered to him, “it wouldn’t have felt right if one of my best friends wasn’t here Kitty.”
Adrien’s mouth opened just so as that clue made him blink back his surprise once more as everything came together and he finally knew that he was holding his Lady in his arms, who wasn’t his anymore. She was Luka’s.
He swallowed and looked away from her as he tried to recover from the shock.
Adrien was quiet as they swayed to the song that was only half way through. Marinette gave him a minute to process, but she was getting nervous.
“Chaton, please say something.” She whispered.
“I’m, I’m putting the pieces together My Lady, just give me a moment.” He quietly pleaded.
She nodded, understanding how hard it was to comprehend. She only had a few years to paste together when she found out, but he had almost three times that amount of time to add Marinette to Ladybug to get Buginette, where the two people became one in his eyes.
It pained Adrien to admit it, but it made sense. Luka had always been there for her, for Marinette.
While he had only really been there for Ladybug, who while she was a part of Marinette, she wasn't the whole woman before him and never was.
Adrien sighed before he whispered as he pulled her closer to hug her as they danced, “tell me one thing My Lady.”
“Anything.” She whispered back.
“Are you Happy?”
He felt her relax as she nodded, “yes, yes I am.”
Adrien sighed once more contentedly, “then that’s all that I can ask.”
…
Of course, Marinette and Luka welcomed their first child two years later.
Strangely, after a bad storm took out all of the power in Paris for three days, Hawkmoth retired. He had a notice delivered to one of the team’s well-known meet-up places fifteen years after his reign of terror began that he would hide away his miraculous, unwilling to totally give it up. No one knew who he was or where the Butterfly or Peacock miraculous went, or at least that’s how it seemed.
Gabriel and Nathalie moved out of the mansion to a new mansion and were married quietly a few months later, much to Adrien’s pleasure. The old one was refurbished, had a basement and attic added and finally was sold as there were too many ghosts living there for either of the Agreste men to keep it.
Marinette and Luka would grow and be happy together, with their soon to be four children.
Adrien was a doting if sometimes absent Uncle to their children as well as Alya and Nino’s three. He did have a company to run after all now that he no longer modeled after his father began to turn the company over to him. He also would visit Kagami and her husband when in Japan, acting the part of uncle to their two children as well.
Everyone on the miraculous team would patrol once or twice a month, just to keep in shape and to reassure the citizens of Paris that they were still there, but it was an unspoken rule that the miraculous stayed in Paris, so when people left on vacation or moved, they would be left behind.
Occasionally there would be instances when the heroes would be needed, but in the end, Paris was safe and everyone was happy, and most importantly life went on… because it never ends.
Notes ( okay that last line is an altered version of a line from the movie “The Last Unicorn,” I don’t think I quoted it perfectly, but it was inspired by it.)
This story just naturally turned into a Lukanette story and a re-balancing of the team dynamics.
I honestly think that at the end of Season 3, when this story was written (not including the later episodes), Luka is the healthier and more mature guy that Marinette really needs in her life, not that she knows that in canon, but she's growing up too and has a lot to learn still, as does Adrien, so who know what will happen. I hope that Season 4 will be better than season three.
It's been fun to write this. Thanks everyone for reading!
There is an angsty alternate sequel to this called To Cry Again . As a writer, I understand that there are some people that like angst and are totally into the Adrienette ship. It is more of the theorized version of how Adrienette is endgame, it's sad and angsty especially for Luka fans, sorry about that, I really do like him, but I couldn't help myself to write the angsty angsty ending
To start at the beginning, chapter 1 is here on AO3 or here on tumblr
Summary: Has Chat Noir accidentally given away his identity?If so... what will Marinette's reaction be and what will she do about it?
...
Ladybug had noticed that Chat Noir was sheepishly rubbing the back of his neck and grinning at her in a VERY familiar way…
Oh no… she thought.
Marinette blinked in shock as he tried to deny what he had done, researching what would be the best LadyNoir date with his friends and her! Which only solidified it as her memories came back to haunt her.
How many akumas did I attract because he didn’t see ME, Marinette me?
I’m on a date with HIM! With ADRIEN!
Wait, the girl he loves isn’t Kagami! It’s me!
Then her heart ached as she automatically added sullenly, Ladybug me.
He loves Ladybug, not Marinette, not like THAT, and… and well, most of me is Marinette.
Right? She wondered.
Is this why Luka wanted me to come? To let me see that my friend Chat Noir is none other than the boy I once had a crush on and that I had fooled myself into falling for the less genuine side of him?
Marinette knew for a fact that Luka knew Chat’s identity by now after all, but she quickly decided, no, no Luka’s not like that.
Chat Noir was still blathering on, trying to explain why he wouldn’t actually poll people about what kind of date they’d go on.
“H-how silly would that be right? Ha ha?” He laughed weakly.
Luka’s right though, Adrien and Chat are stubborn, and they’d, no, he’d need this.
She sighed as she watched him prattle on.
I guess, I guess I needed it too.
We’re friends and partners. I don’t want to mess either of those up. She reminded herself.
I wonder, should I tell him that I figured out his identity?
“Milady?” Chat Noir quirked his head and asked gently, “are you still with me?”
She chuckled half-heartedly and tried to give him a comforting smile. To do so was easier than she thought it would be. “You know I am Kitty, always.”
“Would, would you like to sit and watch the city for a while? With me?” He asked her nervously as he spun the end of his tail with his hand.
Marinette nodded, this was Chat and also her friend Adrien, whether he knew that or nor. She had already grown used to leaning on and using Adrien as a pillow when their group of friends got together for a movie when Luka or Kagami wasn’t there. If Kagami was there, she conceded to Kagami. If Luka was there, she’d sit beside him.
Adrien had been growing closer to Kagami too, and Marinette knew that she loved Adrien, but Adrien being Chat Noir and in love with her spotted self was probably what was stopping him from moving on with her friend Kagami.
Marinette shook her head a little, this is so messed up!
I can’t believe I let Adrien, I mean, Chat Noir lay down and use my lap as a pillow, like I do with Luka and he never thought it was more than what friends just do.
Poor Kagami.
I’ll have to have a talk with him.
He’s been my Kitty all along, Marinette thought about how she had been playing with his hair when he was tired of late, but, that’s just what they did, as friends. It’s something that she’d been doing with Luka too, even though Luka isn’t as much of a tactile person. The nice thing was that Luka enjoyed it, from her, and then he would sit up and offer to rub her shoulders afterward.
I’ve probably complained one time too many that being Ladybug is hard on my shoulders. Marinette thought wistfully. Luka’s just so sweet to think about doing that.
Ironically, Adrien had noticed their habit eventually and had started to do the same, since that was what friends did in his mind, although he was always happier and a bit loopy after she played with his hair.
Huh, I guess the cat transfers over, I guess.
Ladybug had slowly scooted over to her Kitty’s side by now and sat beside him after they turned around to gaze upon their city.
She heard him swallow as he not so subtly stretched his arms and then tried to hide the fact that he was going to try to lay his arm across her shoulders.
Rolling her eyes without him seeing, since she’d been closer to him than this in their civilian form, she decided to tease him, “you can do better than that you know.”
“M-Milady?” He asked her hesitantly as he was about to pull away his arm, “I-I’m sorry if I crossed any…”
She shook her head as she grabbed his wrist with her hand, “no. I’m fine with you hugging me or holding me Chat, tonight that is. I mean, this… this is a date and it’s not like either of us are seeing anyone else.” She swallowed and looked away briefly as she cuddled up to him. “Just, don’t get used to it, o-okay?”
“I, I wouldn’t dare to dream of that My Lady.” He whispered in awe.
Why does he have to be like that? So…so smitten? Still, I bet he does dream about this later.
She could easily sense his surprise as she leaned into him and helped him wrap his arm around her, taking his other hand in her own, allowing him to hold her close. Then she tucked herself into his side a bit more comfortably, her head on his shoulder.
“I bet you can’t help it sometimes.” She teased.
She heard Chat Noir, no, Adrien, take a deep breath before releasing it, as if admitting to it but unable to respond.
“C-comfortable?” She asked him worriedly.
I wonder if I broke him?
Chat Noir sighed and brought one of her hands up to his lips to kiss it before hugging her once more as he shocked her when he almost huskily replied, “yes. I, I must a-paw-logize though, because I can’t help thinking that this… that this is a dream for me, My Lady.” Then he bravely turned his head just so to give her a gentle kiss on her temple.
“Ch-Chat.” She lightly scolded.
He sighed, “I, I know. Please,” he pleaded as he tightened his grip on her, “please just let me have this.”
She didn’t know how to respond to that as she leaned into him as she hugged him back gently, “oh, umm, okay.”
He nuzzled the top of her head lightly and Chat began to purr contentedly.
They both looked over their city, wrapped up in each other’s arms.
Eventually, Marinette looked up to see that Chat, no, Adrien, had his eyes closed, living in the moment when his Lady was his, as her thoughts assaulted her mind faster than free cookies in her classroom disappeared. With one of the biggest decisions she would ever have to make was now weighing her down as she let him enjoy this ‘purr-fect’ moment.
Should I tell him?
I mean, this is nice, but do I want to risk our friendship?
He… he doesn’t feel anything like that for me. For Marinette me, that is, after all.
A reveal or letting him know that I know who he is would change everything.
Tikki would say that his not knowing who I am is, well, it is probably one of our greatest safeguards.
Marinette pouted, he’s always getting hit or controlled by Hawkmoth’s minions too because he always rushes in.
It would be twice as dangerous as it is now if I tell him who I am too and then he’d probably be twice as reckless. I know he looks after Marinette as Chat, but, but just as a friend.
Her heart ached.
I know he treasures his friends, and I treasure his friendship, now.
Besides, if he truly loved me, wouldn’t he have seen me?
She blinked again as she realized that Adrien had called her their Everyday Ladybug before, and that was probably the biggest compliment that he could give anyone because it came from Chat Noir too.
It would be so easy to tell him though, wouldn’t it? He would be so happy.
It could make things more dangerous though, for everyone.
He’d want to date me, Marinette me too if he knew.
Wasn’t that what I had always wanted, once upon a time?
What do I want now though? We all know now that was a fantasy after all...
Do I want to risk this reality for my first crush, which I think I’m over now, finally, or for his on Ladybug?
She couldn’t help the tears threatening to fall, and she wished she had a free hand to wipe them away.
I can’t let him see me crying! She scolded herself. Focus Marinette!
Then she realized something that overrode where her mind would have gone as she asked herself, WAIT! What, what about Luka?
Luka loves me even if I’m Ladybug.
Adrien, I-I’m almost afraid to think it, but I’m worried that Adrien would love Marinette just because Marinette is Ladybug.
Chat did turn Marinette down after all and in a way, so did Adrien.
I’d never know if he loved Marinette for Marinette or just because of the earrings I wear with my spots…
Why isn’t that reassuring?
She bit her lip with worry, briefly of course as she tried not to cry, and she was thankful that he didn’t seem to notice her warring thoughts.
I-I want to tell him, simply because I don’t want to lie to him.
He’s my partner! My friend!
Not telling him is a lie of omission, a white lie true, but still a-a lie.
Master Fu and Tikki probably wouldn’t like it if I told him.
It is my decision though.
Is the truth worth endangering Paris or our families even more even if it’s only by a few more degrees just to clear my guilty conscience so that I could tell him?
I’ve worked so hard on our friendship too, I, I don’t want to ruin that either.
She took a breath and released it.
Can I do this? She asked herself.
Should I?
She surprised herself when the resounding answer was, I-I can’t.
I can’t tell him.
Marinette just couldn’t do it. She couldn’t risk Adrien or Paris for Adrien or even for Chat Noir.
He, he doesn’t love all of me anyway. Not like I want to be loved and it wouldn’t feel right to just tell him who I am only to reject him again because he doesn’t love all of me.
Telling him would hurt him, and I don’t want to hurt him.
I do love him in a way, more so now, but, but that’s why I have to do this, and, I-I think I’m finally ready.
Marinette took another breath and exhaled, knowing that she had to make the tough choice and while difficult, it wasn’t as hard as she once thought not being with Adrien Agreste would be.
I could win him over with just two words, but that’s not how I want to be loved, because he loves Ladybug the same way that I used to ‘love’ Adrien, before all of this that is.
It truly may have been all that she ever wanted, once upon a time, but it was only a fantasy.
It’s strange how dreams sometimes change, she mused.
I’m in Adrien’s arms, and with only a few words I’d always have him at my side.
Seriously though, is this where I belong or want to be anymore?
After all, Adrien loves Ladybug like I loved him, and here he is, trying to let me see what being with him would be like without breaking his word with me, with Ladybug.
He’s finally growing up, she realized, but so am I.
…
Meanwhile, Chat Noir, Adrien, had been quietly chatting up a storm, completely oblivious to her deduction of his secret identity.
After about ten minutes, although it seemed like less to Chat Noir, Ladybug sighed and squeezed his hand as she finally interrupted his reverie and leaned back a little to address him. “Chat, while I’ll admit that it, that this, was fun, this,” she then waved from herself to him and back again as she frowned and concluded, “this won’t work. We can’t date as superheroes.”
He gave her a sad look as if to ask ‘why not?’ But for once, he didn’t argue, he listened.
“I mean, who knows how long until we defeat Hawkmoth and Mayura? It could be ages until we’ve defeated them, plus what if they found out? They’d use us against each other more than they already do!”
Chat Noir looked down and sighed, releasing her hand, before looking back up at her, “I have to ask. Are you sure about that My Lady? It could also make us stronger as a team too, we wouldn’t know until we tried.”
She swallowed, “I know that you feel that way Kitty, but this date was a long shot from the very beginning. Revealing ourselves to each other could be very risky and there is no going back from it. I don’t know how we could have a serious relationship without removing our masks eventually either and I… I don’t trust myself to not want to do so before it’s safe if I let myself get too close to you. You… you are an amazing partner Chaton, and I don’t want to hurt you or lose your friendship since you’re my friend above all and, I-I don’t want to lead you on.”
…
Chat Noir’s shoulders slumped, “I hate to admit it, but I thought that you might say that, but I also know that you’re worth waiting for Milady, so please, let me ask this once more, just for some closure if anything.”
Chat Noir took a deep breath and tried to remember what Viperion had been trying to teach him these past few weeks as he waved his hand a little as if to brush off the importance of this conversation, “because if you say no, it’s okay, because above all, I want you to be happy Milady.”
She nodded and waited, her heart pounding, while a small part of it plead with her not to do it, not to do this.
Not to push aside his feelings.
Not to hide how much she truly cared for him, as a friend and how she could see how they could build something together eventually if she could only over look that at one time, he loved Ladybug more than Marinette or anyone else really just because he loved Ladybug with all his heart.
She did not want to lie and not tell him that she knew him, not to him, not to both of him, and that knowledge only made her decision more final.
Not knowing her internal struggle, Chat Noir took a deep breath before exhaling as he said, “are you sure Bugaboo? I’m willing to wait as long as it takes, but please, I don’t want you to feel guilty about doing what you think is best for you either. I want you to be happy and if dating as superheroes or secretly as superheroes or whatever you’d be willing to try is out, if nothing else is a possibility, then I want you to do what will let you be truly happy.”
Then he gave her a hopeful but small smile, as if he was waiting for judgement to come down from on high.
Ladybug frowned slightly and finally wiped a stray tear away, “I’m sure Chat, it’s not that you’re not worth it, far from it! You’re a wonderful guy with a questionable sense of humor…”
“Hey!”
She chuckled and she was finally able to smile just a little, “but it’s kind of endearing. Oh Kitty, I’m really sorry. The last thing I want to do is hurt you.”
Chat Noir shook his head and waved it off, “you’re not. You’re doing what I want you to do, which is to do what is best for you and for Paris and frankly,” he wiggled his eyebrows teasingly, “it’s really a turn on!”
“CHAT!” She nudged him with her elbow and he laughed.
“It’s okay though. I was kind of expecting this to happen.” Chat Noir admitted softly, “at least we can say that we gave it a shot and hopefully had some fun.”
She nodded to confirm that was true as he went on almost resolutely, “but, we found that we work best as partners and also, hopefully, as friends?” He looked at her as if looking for an answer.
“Of course!” She confirmed before she twiddled her fingers Marinette style as she asked carefully, “you’re not, mad?”
Chat Noir, no, Adrien, rolled his eyes, “mad? No, a little sad and disappointed maybe, but I’ll get over it. It just might take some time.”
...
Marinette knew that he was probably downplaying his feelings by kilometres, like she had once, but she understood why he did. He loved her that much.
And I love you too, she told him mentally, just not that way. I-I can't.
“If-if there is anything that I can do, to help I mean, please let me know.” She commented sadly.
He gave her a sad smile, one that he’d used in so many advertisements so many times before.
She could sense that he was hiding his true pain from her behind that model smile, she’d have to have Viperion call him to talk with him about it later. It honestly didn’t surprise her how well they got along. Luka was so mellow and Adrien was always on the look out for a new friend.
I guess their friendship was inevitable. Adrien really doesn’t have many people that are there for him after all, does he? Now he has two in Luka and Viperion.
She shook her head, forcing herself to focus.
“Oh, Kitty.” She held her hand to her chest and sighed, in a way it was like letting him go once more, but this time, it felt like they would be okay. She’d, no, they’d, be okay.
“Hey! It’s alright.” Chat Noir quickly reassured her and patted her shoulder just like she knew Adrien would, “I’ll be okay, maybe someday things will change, but until then, just promise me one thing Bugaboo.”
“Yes?”
He gazed at her lovingly, before giving her a wink, “be happy.”
To start at the beginning, chapter 1 is here on AO3 or here on tumblr
Summary: Time jump. A few months later and team Miraculous are defeating akumatized victims faster than ever.Still, there is that question that no one had been addressing, is Marinette, err, Ladybug, ready to start dating?
...
Ladybug and Chat Noir and their new team had made some adjustments over the next few months...
Viperion and Pegasus were almost instantly permanent back up heroes. Of course, they only came to the akuma battles when they were contacted by either Ladybug or Chat Noir.
They also only patrolled at night and when it was dark, just to get a feel for the city and to hide their permanent status of holding their own miraculous from Hawkmoth for as long as possible. Thus far, only the main team knew that they could possibly carry their miraculous with them.
Chloe and Kagami were brought on almost immediately as the go to back up part time wielders as well. The team came up with a way to contact them through secret phones as well and to be met up with by Ladybug or occasionally Chat Noir with the help of Pegasus to deliver their Miraculous to avoid any traps that might have been set up by Hawkmoth. Having Pegasus around and the use of the secret phones worked remarkably well for that.
Eventually, Rena Rouge and Carapace were trusted part timers again as well. Carapace was granted the use of the Turtle miraculous first and two weeks later Rena Rouge was called upon after being benched for six weeks. (After severe changes to how the Ladyblog was run, several retractions and apologies, and several interviews that gave false information that was removed, of course.)
The team was growing stronger and the battles were also shorter, which really helped out Adrien and Marinette with their personal lives as well.
Marinette being Marinette of course forgave all of her friends eventually, but it took time. The trust took a little longer, but she gave it once more when she was ready to.
It was a nice bonus that Marinette’s friendship with Adrien grew stronger than ever.
Unfortunately for Adrien, well, he found himself feeling guilty about being far more attracted to his really good friend than he was comfortable with, especially since he still felt devoted to his Lady and it seemed like she and Luka were growing closer. He felt both guilt and jealousy, but he couldn’t explain why.
Adrien was almost to the point when he thought that he should ask Ladybug about it, or maybe even Viperion, after all, he found that the older boy was pretty good about advice and he had forgiven him for being so close to the girl that they both loved. Not that Ladybug was dating either of them after two months, but even Chat Noir began to feel like the passage of time was important somehow.
Viperion himself had also gone above and beyond in trying to make sure that everything ran smoothly between himself, Chat Noir and Ladybug. Ladybug tried to be more trusting and kinder with Chat Noir, asking his opinion and such and only hid from him what the Guardian insisted that she should hide from him. Chat Noir in turn learned to pun and flirt less during the main battle, but tried to respect her boundaries as well.
Viperion avoided flirting with Ladybug in front of Chat Noir after the first couple of weeks as well once the team noticed that that was a thing that seemed to come to the snake naturally, not that he did it very it often. He obviously still cared for her and he still was able to get her to blush a bit faster than the cat, which made teamwork difficult between all of them, thus the need for them both to tone down the flirting competitions with their Lady and respect Ladybug’s right to choose her own suitor. As a result, the team had been working better than ever .
Still, as time grew closer for Marinette to finish her self-imposed abstinence from dating or allowing herself to fall for someone, Luka knew that they needed to have a conversation about the Cat.
…
“My sweet Melody,” Viperion hesitantly asked Ladybug on one of their few patrol nights together, without Chat having joined them yet that is, “can I ask you a favor?”
Smiling and thankful for the darkness of night and her mask to hide her blush, Marinette replied, “yes, my hot-blooded reptile?”
Viperion blushed and his heart pounded as she slid up next to him, taking his breath away. Which happened every time she used her new nick name for him that she had come up with all on her own a couple of weeks ago that she only used when they were in private like this after all.
He cleared his throat as her flirtatious behavior made something come alive in his heart song as he thought, Marinette is successfully driving me insane.
She had been trying to weaken his wish to give her some time to herself after giving up on Adrien after all, and he knew that she was probably ready to move on for real now, it had been more than enough time after all. Still, they were hesitant to cross that bridge.
Viperion couldn’t help thinking, my Melody is a persistent one. I’ll give her that.
Luka sighed and then brushed a stray hair out of her face for her as he struggled to suggest perhaps the craziest idea that he’d ever had, but he needed to put it out there. “Ladybug, I think there is something important that needs to be done before we can even consider dating.”
“Oh, Ladybug is it now?” She stepped back and put her hands on her hips authoritatively as she addressed him, “sounds like this is a professional conversation.”
He nodded, “in a way, it is. I think…” he took a breath finding it harder to say than he thought it would be, “I-I think that you need to give the Cat a chance.”
“WHAT?!” She looked at him in surprise and shock before she managed to reply as she weakly pointed from him to herself, “but… but I thought that y-you and… and I?”
Then she began to frown, obviously feeling a bit rejected.
Oh, Ma-Ma-Marinette I didn’t mean to hurt you!
He immediately held out his hands to placate her, “wait, no, please don’t think like that my Melody. I’m not denying that I want to date you, as myself, and I will take you out, I promise you that.”
She finally calmed down and he swallowed before telling her, “after you’ve given him a chance, that is, if you’ll still have me....”
“But, but, why?!” She demanded but then sighed and closed in on herself as she hugged herself as she added quietly, “I thought that you liked me.”
Luka drew her close and hugged her before he kissed the top of her head, wishing that he’d never caused her to doubt his love. “Don’t take this the wrong way, please.” He tried to reassure her as he rubbed her arm reassuringly, still surprised at how easily touch came to them when they were suited up, “I care about you My Melody, more than you know. I just think that it would be good for you both to have some closure like this. You’ll never know if you don’t give him a chance for him to show you both why it either will or won’t work like this.”
She shook her head, “how can I date him if I can’t even know who he is though? Have you thought of that? And what about us?”
Viperion nodded as he looked pained as he patted her shoulder as he admitted, “I do want to explore what there could be between us. I-I understand, in theory anyway, why you can’t date Chat Noir as Ladybug, but I really don’t think that he does and well, I also think that it would be good for you both to at least make an attempt. For the team and for your partnership. It’s another thing that you need to wrap up before you move on without considering him. That way, there is closure there, for both of you.”
…
Ladybug looked up at him as she wondered, how does he know that I’ve been fighting an attraction to Chat?
Ladybug pouted and drew closer to Viperion to hug him briefly as she whispered, “while I like Chat Noir as a friend and partner Viperion,” she took a breath before admitting, “I don’t see how it would work. I mean, I know he’s kind of attractive in his own way, but it… it just can’t work with the need to keep our identities secret from each other. I can’t risk everyone for a what if or even when there is a reveal.”
She stepped away from him as she explained again, “this is a dangerous job Viperion and I have to work closely with Chat, I don’t see how I could do it if… if I had more than friendly feelings for him.”
Then she swallowed, “it’s hard enough working with you, but at least I know who you are and I can separate our two lives and focus on the battle when we fight together. That’s not possible with Chat.”
“Still, I think for your partnership to keep working, he would appreciate the gesture.” Viperion nodded as he thoughtfully added, “I know that it’s not the same as with us Ladybug, but like I said, I don’t think that Chat Noir knows or understands that.”
It’s tempting though, Ladybug thought as she took another step away from Viperion, putting a respectable distance between them for a moment. Not that I’ll admit to it.
Landing silently nearby, having overheard the last part of their conversation Chat Noir asked teasingly, “that Chat knows what pray tell? Speaking badly about me behind my back purr-haps Viperion?”
Ladybug scoffed softly, “like he’d ever do that Chaton.”
Chat Noir nodded, “Purr-cisely. Our Lady ought to know that I was just teasing you by now, but seriously, what’s up? What don’t I know?”
Ladybug rolled her eyes and held one hand up to her head as if she was developing a headache as she waved at Viperion as she forced herself to admit, “he’s trying to convince me to let you take me out on a date.”
Heaven help me.
“REALLY?” Chat Noir brightened with glee, before calming down and coughing once, “I mean, really? Sounds great! How’s next Saturday?”
Ladybug gave Viperion the evil eye, and thus the negotiations began…
…
Eventually, despite it being difficult for him, Viperion negotiated some terms between Chat Noir and Ladybug over the course of three patrols. Viperion had to privately promise a date between Luka and Marinette the next weekend after her date with the Cat for a whole Saturday if she’d just go and see what it might be like to date the cat.
They came up with four main rules or terms.
The date with Chat would not last longer than half a day.
Handholding only, and especially no kisses on the lips.
No revealing of identities.
Have an open mind.
Most of them were Ladybug’s conditions of course, Chat’s was only that she come and give him a chance, which was the last condition basically.
Ladybug went, reluctantly, especially after the bribery.
Chat Noir was a bit, shall we say eager and enthusiastic about it, much to her surprise.
They were exceptionally lucky that no akumas showed up for their date, but that meant that it had to be just that, a date.
The black cat made it a somewhat public and over the top date... at first. She was shocked at all the thought that he put into it, the end result being almost four dates rolled up into one.
They started with a lavish boat ride and lunch on a floating restaurant along the Seine with a small orchestra playing in the back ground. Ladybug was almost overwhelmed when she found out that Chat had somehow rented out the whole floating restaurant on their private boat tour as they ate their four-star rated meal. The paparazzi when they returned to shore was easy enough to avoid thanks to his baton, but still, it was a bit unnerving.
After lunch, they donned very poor disguises to catch the afternoon matinee, where they shared a popcorn together, and then they took a walk in one of the lesser known public gardens together. Then they finished their date with a small picnic on the top of the Eiffel tower.
Ladybug had to admit that she was impressed, but confused afterwards.
…
As they were finishing their dessert under a full moon on a picnic blanket laid out on the top of the Eiffel Tower, Ladybug had to ask her Kitty, “Chat, while I appreciate all of the effort that you put into this, uh, date? I have to admit that I’m kind of confused. I mean, why did you pick the fancy boat ride and orchestra to start with?”
Chat Noir put down his plate, setting it aside so he could scoot closer to her and take her hand. “Ladybug, Milady, I know that you don’t want to reveal our identities, but I wanted you to know that I’m not exactly a poor alley cat.” She was about to protest this little bit of information but he held up his other hand to stop her.
“My Lady, someday, when we finally discover each other’s identities, you’ll understand. I know the media was buzzing about us while we were there on deck on that boat, but frankly, I get a dose of that kind of attention everyday in my daily life.” He looked sad all of a sudden.
“Chat, I thought we said we wouldn’t reveal ourselves…” She lightly scolded him anyway.
Chat Noir shook his head, “I’m not. I would feel like I was lying to you if I didn’t tell you about some of the major aspects of my life, or to have at least shown you or have warned you about it somehow. I know I don’t live a normal life. It’s a bit much, well, stifling sometimes.”
He cleared his throat, “Chat Noir is more of the real me. I don’t have to hide my personality or be the perfect, well, whatever.”
He waved his hand, “so instead of telling you who I am, I showed you a bit of what my life is like today. It may seem like a glamorous life, but it’s pretty lonely and I have to be careful of what I’m saying or doing at all times just so that I don’t ruin the image of my family or my,” he coughs, “my parents’ business. I didn’t think that it would be fair of me to court you without you knowing that.”
Chat Noir then patted her hand to reassure her, “I know that civilian me is not as free as you know the Chat side of me is and frankly, it’s not the best life if you ask me. Being Chat Noir allows me to be free from that restrictive lifestyle, but when I uh, become myself, it’s still waiting there for me. Waiting for me to try to hide parts of myself from the world, not just the heroic identity we both have and well, I can’t escape it, no matter how much I try. Not completely anyway.”
She nodded, “oh.”
She’d never really thought about it, but if Chat was as wealthy as Adrien, it would make sense if he had a similar lifestyle as a civilian. She never thought much about how restrictive it was, but she had to give her Kitty some credit because Chat had a good point.
So she had to admit, “honestly, I kind of suspected that you were, well, wealthy.”
He snickered, “you could say that.”
“Well, I hope you know that doesn’t matter to me.” She tried to reassure him.
“I know you well enough My Lady that it wouldn’t, but still, I thought that it might be a good thing to warn you about. I haven’t met many girls that are genuinely interested in the real me, but only in my name and what I represent. It’s exhausting not knowing who to fully trust.”
“Well, I appreciate you telling me, although that’s honestly not an issue for me.”
“I kind of thought it wouldn’t be, but still, I wanted to give you a glimpse into that world.”
“Oh, well, thank you?” Ladybug looked away for a moment before she nodded to herself as she bit her lip for a moment before she hesitantly asked, “what about the rest?”
Her Kitty gave her one of his crooked smiles, “well, the reason why the matinee was low key was because the most fun that I’ve ever had was with a friend when we kind of did the same thing.” He looked away as he nervously rubbed the back of his neck, as a slight blush peeking out from underneath his mask, “we didn’t get to see all of it, well, most of the movie anyway because of an akuma attack, but I thought that you might enjoy it too.”
Ladybug blinked at him as she pondered, this sounds kind of familiar…
She tried to ignore her suspicions as she tried not to think about it as she tried to move on, “SOooo, explain to me where a picnic on the top of the Eiffel tower comes in.”
“Well, we are superheroes and I thought that it might be romantic?” Chat Noir told her with a shrug.
“Uh, huh. What did you do, take out a poll with your friends about what would be more romantic?” She asked him with a raised eyebrow jokingly as she thought about how Adrien had been asking their friends what kind of romantic date Ladybug and Chat Noir would have if they went on a date together, as if the idea was stressing him out somehow...
Don’t go there Marinette…
Alya of course had turned it into a poll on the Ladyblog and surprisingly, here they were using the top pick, something that Alya had only shared with her, Nino and a certain someone else. The official results would be announced tomorrow in one of Alya’s articles.
That’s when she noticed that Chat Noir was sheepishly rubbing the back of his neck and grinned at her in a VERY familiar way…
Her mental processes betrayed her as she thought as she came to the logical conclusion, OH NO…
------
Dun Dun Dun! Sorry about the delayed update, I had a really bad cold and forgot to update tumblr. I hope to have the last two chapters up soon.
To start at the beginning, chapter 1 is here on AO3 or here on tumblr
Summary: Lila wants to sneak away and come up with a plan, but the class will not have it as they process everything that they've already heard and then some...
Lila looked around nervously as the other students crowded around her. Alya, Nino, Rose, Kim and a few others surrounded her as they watched Marinette interact with Jagged Stone and Penny the way that Lila had previously been saying that she was helping them with their wedding plans, which didn’t sound real at all right now, obviously.
Their classmates were still taking in the information that Chloe of all people confirmed that Lila didn’t know Jagged Stone or his crocodile Fang, not Kang, and according to Jagged not only did he not know Lila, but Fang wasn’t a rescue that she found in Australia, but from a farm of some kind.
Plus, there was the bomb that Marinette admitted to, that she considered Adrien as ‘just a friend’ and the one from Adrien that he was NOT secretly dating Lila, like Lila had suggested.
Their classmates whispered to each other as they tried to understand it all as they waited for the answer to Rose’s text to her friend Prince Ali asking if he knew Lila.
Meanwhile, they couldn’t help themselves as they listened in on Marinette’s conversation with the visiting celebrity and his fiancé as they ignored the crowd and Lila. Honestly, it was as if Marinette didn’t care about Lila or the situation at all.
“Well Marinette, back to business. Do you think that you could make something for Fang for the wedding and maybe for us too? We want him to be our ring bearer.” Penny asked Marinette nicely.
Marinette looked thoughtful as she glanced at Fang, “actually, I think a whole tuxedo wouldn’t be quite right, I mean as Jagged says he’s really Rock and Roll the way he is.”
Jagged grinned, “well, you got that right but if we’re getting dressed up, it wouldn’t be right to leave out Fang.”
“Oh, I know, I was just thinking about making him a sparkly tuxedo coat with twin tails and a matching top hat. Oh, and I could make it so we could tie the rings to the top of the hat so he could carry them for you!” Marinette looked excited by the idea as she pet a happy Fang’s head, “you’ll be the best ring bearer, won’t you Fang?”
“Marinette!” Jagged Stone exclaimed as he surprised her when he picked her up and swung her around as Penny laughed, “that is such an awesome idea! Can you do that for us?”
“Sure Jagged, now please put me down.” She squeaked as she smiled up at him before he put her down.
“That’s Uncle Jagged to you Miss!” He wagged a finger at her and she laughed along with him and Penny.
“And soon I’ll be your Aunt!” Penny grinned.
“I’m looking forward to it.” Marinette answered, which was when the five-minute bell rang, “but we’ll have to talk about it after school.”
“You’re on Marinette love!” Jagged grinned as he led Penny back to the limo, Fang happily walking ahead of them, a bit loopy from all the pets, “see you later Marinette!”
“I’ll call you to set up an appointment for measurements!” Penny called out.
“I look forward to it.” Marinette told them brightly. “Bye Jagged! Bye Penny and Fang!” Marinette waved goodbye to them as they got in the limo and waved from the vehicle as they drove off, just as Rose’s phone chimed.
Rose read the response to her text and gasped, “Lila! You lied about knowing Prince Ali too!”
“What?!” More than once classmate exclaimed.
“I, I can h-hardly believe it!” Rose squeaked as Alix took her phone.
Alix frowned as she read the text herself, “hey! It says it right here, he doesn’t know a Lila Rossi and he’s never partnered or worked with an Italian Ambassador’s daughter on anything!”
Everyone gasped as Nino asked as he looked at Lila, who was pouting a bit, “Dude, what else have you lied about?”
“Oh, uh, you know celebrities they can’t tell people who they’re really close to…” Lila tried to explain as she started to pretend to cry, “I-I mean, I’m s-sure Prince Ali is just t-trying to protect me!”
“Try again Lila,” Chloe pointed out. “Even Jagged Stone, the musician that you claimed htat sung your praises repeatedly didn’t recognize you just now or even admit to knowing you. He’s probably unable to keep a secret for as long as you claim to have known him, like his engagement announcement that lasted, what? A week as a secret, tops? That’s saying a lot about a guy that willingly adopts Dupain-Cheng.”
“Thanks?” Marinette wasn’t sure if that was a compliment or not.
“Plus, she wasn’t dating Adrien, unless he’s lying about that.” Kim pointed out.
Adrien shook his head almost violently in denial as he stayed away from Lila.
“I’m not. Not only do I NOT like her like that, but I don’t think I’m allowed to date anyway.” Adrien pointed out, before he quietly added, “besides, there’s uh, that other girl that I like anyway.”
“But… but… but,” Lila stammered, fairly certain that her lies were finally being exposed, “I can explain.” She turned to Adrien and pleaded as she grabbed his arm again, “you can tell them about us, they’re your friends, they can keep our secret!”
Adrien frowned, “we have no secret because we’ve never gone out Lila. Stop trying to lie about it, I have never dated anyone! Unofficially or officially.”
Lila wiped her eyes and stomped her foot, “if you just give me a minute everyone I can explain!”
“No, you can’t. You’ve told so many lies, why would anyone with half a brain cell believe you now?” Chloe sneered as she flipped her hair over her shoulder dramatically, “not that I believed any of them in the first place. Come along Sabrina.” Then she waltzed away with Sabrina following right behind her.
“Coming Chloe!” Sabrina answered as they left the main group.
Alya gasped as something finally sank in and then she screeched at Lila, “WAIT! That TOTALLY means that you DON’T know Ladybug!” She pulled out her phone, and glared at Lila as she pointed a finger at her. “If I didn’t have to get started with cleaning all of this up, I’d deal with YOU RIGHT NOW!”
Alya took a deep breath as she clutched her phone like a lifeline and looked at Marinette, “I am SO SOOO sorry Gurl and I want to give you a better apology later, but I gotta get out of here before I do something STUPID that might land me in jail.” She glared at Lila again who shrinked away from her, because even Lila realized that you do not cross Alya.
Then Alya marched away from them as she started typing furiously while mumbling, “I have to delete those stupid interviews, write SO many apologies and retractions! Oh my gosh, and Ladybug! What must she think? UGH!”
Nino shook his head at Lila, “dude, not cool.” Then he glanced at Marinette, “Dudette, I’m totally sorry too and I’d apologize more, but I think I need to be on Alya watch.”
Marinette nodded, understanding how horrible this was for Alya and glad that she had her boyfriend there for her.
Nino then added, “just don’t forget, we are so talking more about this later Dudette.” Then he ran after Alya.
“So not cool.” Kim shook his head at Lila as he shouldered his bag. He then took a breath and pouted a little as he turned to Marinette as he said, “I’m sorry Marinette, I haven’t been a very good friend lately, I know I don’t really deserve it, but could you forgive me? Please?”
Marinette smiled at the jock as she replied, “sure Kim.”
He nodded, “thanks!” Then he headed inside too, followed by the rest of the class as they also apologized to Marinette on their way in. Which finally left behind Adrien, Marinette and Lila.
“You did this!” Lila pointed at Marinette with a growl as she finally quit trying to grab Adrien again now that her audience was gone. She was sporting a glare and a twitching eye as she realized that her spell over the class had been broken.
“I did what? Allowed the truth to be known? It was going to happen eventually.” Marinette shrugged, “so I send Jagged an interesting little video. All I had to do is to have a talk with him Monday night to be ready to get it.”
She didn’t need to mention that she sent the video minutes before he showed up. Marinette had insisted that he shouldn’t show up at all until she had some actual proof of Lila lying and the lies about Fang were certainly enough for Jagged to come running.
Marinette looked at Lila, “you’re the one that lied about someone special to me.” Then she glanced at Adrien, “and about Adrien too, this is all on you Lila.”
“I’ll get you back.” Lila swore.
“How?” Marinette tilted her head and raised an eyebrow at her, “and why? What horrible thing have I done to you Lila besides not believe you and let my friends know that they can’t trust you? It’s not like I threatened to take everything and everyone you hold dear away from you, that’s not my style. It’s yours.”
Lila growled loudly, “and I meant it too!” Then she raised her hand to slap Marinette, who only stood there to take it.
Adrien though, quickly stepped up and blocked her from hitting Marinette. “That’s enough Lila. You were warned not to lie and now you’re going to have to live with the consequences of your lies falling apart. Leave my friend alone.”
Lila huffed, “as if you’d do anything about it. I could ruin both of your lives and do it with a smile.”
“That sounds like a threat to me.” Marinette stated and glanced at Adrien, “did that sound like a threat to you?”
“Yeah, too bad we don’t have it on tape.” Adrien commented sadly.
“Who said we didn’t?” Marinette’s eyes twinkled as she gave him a wry grin, “my phone has been recording everything since Jagged arrived.”
Lila screamed and stomped away, “I’ll get you Marinette Dupain-Cheng, if it’s the last thing I do!”
Marinette and Adrien watched her stomp away, as Adrien sighed. “Well, someone should call Ladybug, she’ll probably be akumatized before class starts.”
“You know, I think that’s okay, Chat Noir and Ladybug can handle it.” Marinette shrugged, “I’m just glad that it’s not me. Besides, Ladybug already knew that Lila was a pot that was getting ready to boil over any day now. Sooner is better than later if you ask me. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I have to run and, uh, pick up something that I forgot at home, yeah.”
“Sure, I’ve uh, gotta hit the locker room.” Adrien replied as they both darted away to transform for the inevitable akuma battle.
As Marinette darted back home as a purple butterfly was released from Hawkmoth’s lair, only to fly in the direction of a certain Italian girl…
…
After the battle with Lila’s newest akumatized version, Ladybug and Chat Noir pounded their fists together, “pound it!”
Lila of course screamed at them, accused them for ruining her life and was about to stomp off to go home on her own, after they politely declined giving her a ride due to the rumors that could surface if they were seen together.
“After all, I would hate to risk your safety if just helping you home made it look like we were friends, which would be very dangerous and I’d never endanger my friends by telling them who I am or even by spending time with them while I wore my mask.” Ladybug loudly announced just as Nadia the local reporter showed up, but before they started taping. Ladybug shrugged as she added, “besides my Kitty here anyway.”
Chat Noir grinned at Ladybug’s comment. Lila growled and left them angrily.
“Whoa! Care to comment on your best friend’s most recent temper tantrum?” Nadia asked Ladybug.
“I’m afraid that I don’t know that girl, aside from all the times that we’ve had to save her from Hawkmoth’s influence.” Ladybug rolled her eyes as she added with a slight mutter, “you’d think she enjoys it.”
Chat Noir cleared his throat, “I’m afraid Ladybug and I have to scat as well Nadia.” Then he nodded to the north, indicating that’s where he wanted to go and Ladybug nodded that she understood.
Then they left together, only to stop on a nearby roof.
“My Lady, can we uh, talk?” Chat Noir asked her hesitantly since it was the first time that they had met after what had happened the other night, after Ladybug had cried herself out.
Ladybug nodded, “of course, I just can’t right now Kitty, but maybe later, like tonight on patrol?”
Her earrings beeped for the second time to emphasize how much time she had to get back home.
“Oh, uh, sure. How’s 9:00pm? I could bring something to share for dessert.” He offered flirtatiously.
Ladybug sighed, “Chat, I know we need to talk about what happened and we will, but it would really help if you pulled back on the big romantic gestures right now, please?”
“No big romantic gestures, got it!” He confirmed with a grin.
“I mean it Chat, I need a break from all of that, but we’ll talk about it later. I’ll take care of the snacks; I’ll tell Viperion and maybe Pegasus about the meeting?”
“What? They, I mean he’s still got his Miraculous?!” Chat Noir exclaimed.
Ladybug nodded, “it’s one of the things that we need to talk about.”
“Milady.” He looked at her sadly, with his ears and tail drooping at the news. “I, I kind of wanted it to just be us.”
She looked down, sad for some reason. “Look, Viperion, he’s uh, he’s been a really good friend and I think that it would help if he joined us this time, is that okay?” She looked up at him with those gorgeous eyes that he just could not deny.
Her earrings beeped for the third time.
Chat Noir sighed, “as you wish my Lady.” *(author’s note, can I really not write a story without this phrase anymore? I guess not. It’s a quote from the movie The Princess Bride. It literally means ‘I Love You.’ I’ll let you decide if he knows that meaning though.)
“Th-Thank you. I-I’ll see if he can make it,” Ladybug tried again, nervous and blushing now for some reason. “I’m sorry, but I g-gotta go now Chat…” her earrings chimed again, “bug out!”
A disappointed Chat Noir made his way back to the school, not really knowing why he had mixed feelings about spending time with his Lady and their new team members that evening. Still, he wouldn’t miss any time that she would give him for the world, even if he had to share it.
To start at the beginning, chapter 1 is here on AO3 or here on tumblr
Summary: Marinette didn't have to wait very long for Lila to make the wrong claim...
Wednesday morning and Marinette was found on the front steps of the school again, with a slight blush and a smile on her face as she was typing away on her phone, saying good morning to Luka once more.
Adrien was shortly delivered by his bodyguard to the school and he joined up with Nino and Alya, who were of course standing by Lila’s side listening to her newest tale, based upon the newest newsworthy item. If only she knew that she was poking the bear… or in this case, by extension, the crocodile’s best friend.
While she tried for half a second, Marinette discovered that it was too hard not to ignore the chattering and gossip that was loudly being passed along around her, but she listened in anyway. Pressing record on her phone just in case.
Good for her… not good for the resident liar.
“Of course, I knew that they were going to get together, I introduced them after all, after saving his kitten that he had to give away because of his allergies.” Lila loudly proclaimed, repeating a former lie. “I mean I was the one who found a baby alligator in Australia a couple years ago that I knew he’d love, that’s how he got Kang.”
“Oooo!” Rose cooed, “weren’t you afraid of him?”
“Of course, not silly. Kang was only like ten centimeters long and abandoned by his mother. I knew Jagged would love him! Penny too. I’ve even helped them plan the wedding. I’ve passed on Gabriel’s personal number so that he could help them design their outfits of course.”
“What’s Lila talking about now?” Adrien asked Nino.
“Dude, haven’t you heard the news, Jagged Stone is marrying Penny!”
Adrien looked over at Marinette who had stopped the recording and was now forwarding it to a certain friend with a small grin on her face. She was shaking her head like she just couldn’t believe her luck.
“Marinette?” He asked in a questioning tone.
She looked up at him and answered, “Adrien.”
“Are you going to, uh? You know?”
Marinette only grinned wider at him with a glimmer in her eye.
“Oh yes, Marinette, what do you think about the news?!” Lila squealed. “I know you’ve met Jagged, but he really LOVES me!”
Marinette shrugged and got up, collecting herself as she calmly replied, “oh, I guess that’s nice? Although I will admit that I heard about the wedding a couple days ago though and I’m very happy for them.”
“Dude! You knew!” Nino exclaimed.
Alya shook her head, “no way! You would totally have told me.”
“Jagged and Penny didn’t want to have that information leak just yet.” Marinette offered with a shrug, “they just got engaged after all, besides they knew they couldn’t keep it a secret forever but they wanted to keep it to themselves while they could, so I didn’t tell anyone.”
“Gurl, I can’t believe you!” Alya looked on at her in shock, “I can totally keep a secret!”
“Sorry Alya, I know how to keep a secret, it wasn’t my secret to tell and they’re practically family. They came by and told us about everything Monday night, when they came to set up their taste testing for their wedding cake.”
“Just because I know him so well, you don’t have to lie and try to steal the spotlight Marinette!” Lila teared up, irritated that she had lost her adoring crowd’s attention, “I can’t believe you’d do that!” Then she ironically started up with the crocodile tears.
“I’m really not trying to steal anyone’s spotlight Lila.” Marinette pointed out with a raised eyebrow. “I really know Jagged that well and my parents ARE making his cake.”
“Yeah, she even had him over at her bakery once.” Adrien quietly supplied with a smile.
“Uh, yeah.” Alya looked confused, not quite sure what side to take, as if there were sides as she offered, “she even designed one of his album covers.”
“Of course, she did, I didn’t want Marinette to keep feeling bad about herself so I suggested that they give her a shot at that!” Lila offered.
“Umm, I think that was Jagged’s idea.” Marinette answered, “and I know I’m a good designer. I don’t feel bad about myself at all in that respect. Jagged thought of me because I had already made his Eiffel Tower sunglasses at that point.”
“Oh, you wouldn’t know that I suggested to him to call you up again! I told him not to use my name, I didn’t want you to think you were being chosen for the job out of pity.” Lila offered.
Marinette just blinked at that.
“That was so cool of you Lila!” Rose praised.
“Yeah, well, it was a really good thing for Marinette’s career.” Alya joined in, “you should seriously bake her some cookies or something Marinette.”
“I don’t think I could if I wanted to, remember Lila’s nut allergy?” Marinette parried. “Not that I was going to do that.”
Chloe had arrived a few minutes earlier, and just snorted as she tossed her hair. “Of course not, that would be ridiculous, utterly ridiculous.”
Lila gave Chloe a look since Chloe usually overlooked her lies and avoided her, “are you saying that I don’t know Jagged?”
“Silly me, of course not. He only stays at my father’s hotel and I’ve never seen you there visiting him.” Chloe mentioned off hand as she inspected her nails, “honestly, I think I know him better than you, and there is only one person here, unfortunately, that knows him better than Moi, and she’s not you Lie-la. It’s Dupain-Cheng. She actually comes to visit Fang, you know, his crocodile? Usually when he has a show or something and he has to leave it behind. Dupain-Cheng is one of the few that that beast will listen to and crazy enough to get near it willingly.”
“Oh, please, Kang follows me around like a puppy!” Lila laughed and waved Chloe’s information away.
“Uh, Lila, I can’t believe that I’m saying this but Chloe is right. Fang is a crocodile, his name is Fang not Kang and while he’s friendly to almost everyone, he won’t listen to everyone. He’s kind of spoiled that way.” Marinette explained.
Chloe rolled her eyes, “you better believe it. He’s chewed up my shoes before!”
Marinette giggled, “well, did you at least get some more shoes?”
“Eight new pairs.” Chloe proclaimed with a smirk, “and I’ve locked them all away from that beast!”
“Well, it just goes to show he has taste right?” Marinette joked.
“Yeah well, whatever.” Chloe rolled her eyes like her comment didn’t phase her, as she tried to hide her smile.
“Yeah, well, enough about the amphibian.” Lila began as she decided it was time to change subjects, “I can’t wait to tell you all about what Jagged and Penny want me to do for their wedding!”
Just then, a limo came racing down the street and hit the breaks in front of the school so hard the back of the vehicle rose off the ground for just a moment comically. People stepped back and then jumped away from the limo as the door opened and Fang the crocodile spilled out and ran up to Marinette knocking her over and started to lick her happily.
Jagged Stone and Penny Rolling exited the vehicle next and caught up to the happy crocodile. “Aww, Fang really likes you Marinette! I knew I contacted the right girl to help me with my wedding!” Jagged exclaimed.
Penny giggled as Fang finally let a laughing Marinette stand up, “thanks Jagged. I like Fang too!” She leaned down and started to rub Fang’s tummy and then he started to tap his leg like a puppy.
“Hey, that’s Uncle Jagged to you Marinette!” Jagged Stone proclaimed.
Lila was crowded by her fellow students and couldn’t leave. “Hey Jagged!” Rose called out innocently, “do you ever miss your kitten?”
“Kitten?” Jagged gave Rose a questioningly look, “I’ve never owned a kitten, right Penny?”
Penny shook her head, “not that I’m aware of.”
Jagged nodded as he snapped his fingers, “that’s right, I’ve owned Fang here for seven years, he was only about thirty centimeters long when I got him, but the farm I got him from said that he was about a year old and that he wouldn’t get along with any other pets.”
“But your friend Lila said that she saved your kitten and got you your alligator from Australia a few years ago.” Kim offered, “or was she mistaken?”
Jagged Stone looked at the crowd confused, “I have no idea who you are talking about. Fang is a salt water crocodile which is way more rock n roll than any ordinary gator and even I know there are no gators in Australia kid. Besides, I’ve never owned a gator and I don’t know a Lila either.”
“But Mr. Stone! This is Lila!” Rose objected as she pointed at Lila, who was looking for a way to escape. “Don’t you know her?”
Jagged shook his head, “nope. I just came here to meet with my niece.” He grinned at Marinette and began to just ignore everyone else, “I wanted to catch you before school Marinette. You see, I’ve been trying to find someone to design some rock n roll outfits for our wedding and no one will make a suit for Fang! Not even Gabriel Agreste!”
“You contacted Father?” Adrien asked from the edge of the crowd.
“Oh, yeah, you’re his kid.” Jagged frowned at Adrien as he shrinked away from the disapproval in the rocker’s gaze, “you’re the one that my niece USED to like.”
“Jagged!” Marinette and Penny scolded.
“Nope. I’m not having it. Blindness must run in his family,” Jagged put his arm around Marinette supportively as she covered her face with shame, “not only would your old man refuse to make something for my dear Fang, but I can’t believe you didn’t want to go out with this girl! She’s so amazing and talented! Don’t worry Marinette, Uncle Jagged is here for you.” Jagged hugged her close and petted her hair like she was breaking down.
She wasn’t breaking down though, she was embarrassed and a bit mortified.
“Jagged, A-Adrien is just a friend now! I told you that.” Marinette muttered from behind her hands.
The crowd gasped as Alya asked loudly, “you’re over him! Really? NO WAY!”
“Yep.” Marinette took a deep breath as she finally put her hands down escaped Jagged’s grasp and gathered her Ladybug courage before she announced with a wave of her arm. “Adrien Agreste has a new title, just a friend.”
…
Adrien had a confused smile on his face, he was happy about the friend part, but sad and hurt about the ‘just’ part for some reason.
He had a sinking feeling as he thought randomly, wow, karma sucks.
Penny and Jagged whispered amongst themselves as Lila took center stage once more.
Lila smiled to herself as she sidled up next to Adrien and clutched his arm, “I guess that means that Adrien’s available?”
Adrien pulled back from her unconvincingly, “ah, s-sorry Lila, there’s another girl that I like.”
“Dude? Really? I thought you an Lila…” Nino began.
“No way Nino!” Adrien almost shrieked as he looked at his best Bro incredulously.
How could you think that I’m with HER!
“Psft, you don’t know what you want Adrien.” Lila waved the idea off as if his feelings didn’t matter as she gripped his arm painfully again in a possessive way.
Adrien realized that no one seemed to notice this but Marinette who gave him a look which clearly said ‘well, what can you do?’
Lila didn’t notice and went on, “of course I could help you figure out what you want Adrien, I’d be the perfect girlfriend for you.” Then she loudly whispered for the whole crowd to hear, “you know we’re perfect for each other and you don’t have to hide it anymore, Marinette is over you and it won’t hurt her if you start going out with someone better than her, like me.”
Adrien looked shocked and didn’t seem to know what to say. Thankfully, Marinette did.
“Oh, PLEASE Lila,” Marinette stood up from petting Fang again, he was one spoiled croc after all as she announced, “as far as I understand it, Adrien either doesn’t want to be or CAN’T be in a relationship right now." Then she sarcastically adds with a shrug, "so he claims that he likes some girl that doesn’t seem to see him for who he is. I mean, I know it seems like she doesn’t exist because this is the first TIME that we’ve heard about her and while I know it’s odd that we don’t know her, and I have a hard time believing that ANY girl wouldn't jump at the chance to date Adrien at the very least if he's asking. Still, there is one thing that I’m sure of and that the girl that he likes is NOT YOU Lila. Now please, just let go of the poor boy and let him LIVE HIS LIFE!” Marinette demanded.
“But Adrien adores me!” Lila objected with false tears in her eyes, refusing to let go of Adrien.
“Umm, no. He doesn’t. I can’t believe I’m saying this because that means that I’m on the exact SAME side as Dupain-Cheng, but that’s WHY he’s leaning away from you.” Chloe pointed out. “That’s why he makes that face of revolution around you.”
“Even I can see it, and forcing yourself on someone is so not Rock-n-Roll.” Jagged commented as he now hugged Penny to his side.
“You know, they’ve all got a point.” Mylene pointed out. “Adrien has never said that he’s secretly dating Lila to anyone, has he?”
“She actually said that?!” Adrien demanded, and they believed her?
The whole class nodded as Rose chirped up, “she said that you had to keep it private because of your father and because you’re a celebrity.” Then she looked uncertainly at Marinette, as if confused for some reason, “plus, it would, ah, maybe hurt Marinette’s feelings?”
Marinette shook her head, “look, I know he tolerates Lila, but even I’d never believe he’d date her, and why would Adrien care about my feelings like that? We’ve never been more than friends and he’s never found me attractive at all.” She waved it off, “which is totally fine. I’ve finally figured out that he’s not really my type.” She returned to petting Fang as several people gasped for some reason.
That you know of. Adrien looked away bashfully, why does Marinette not know that she’s the most attractive girl in our class? And there it is again, why does her saying that we’re ‘just friends’ sting?
“Ah dude, you’re prettier than you think.” Nino told his girlfriend’s best friend, “besides, we all knew that you liked him, it was so obvious that even we could see it.” Nino bluntly explained to Marinette herself, “that’s why we didn’t say anything to you Dudette.” Which of course meant that he was quickly elbowed by Alya.
“That was a secret!” She hissed as she worriedly looked at Marinette.
Marinette laughed and waved the idea off, “oh, that was so last month guys. One sided crushes will always end like that.”
They… they do? Adrien looked at her worriedly, but what about Ladybug? Does that mean she’ll never love me?
Penny chuckled, “she’s telling the truth guys. There isn’t one poster of this boy left on her walls at home anymore.”
“Really?!” More than one voice exclaimed, the loudest of course was Alya and Adrien.
“Yep.” Marinette happily answered as she finished petting a now groggy Fang.
Adrien looked down at the ground, sad for some reason at her answer as he processed the fact that she truly had had a crush on him and it seemed like she was over it now.
“Wait a minute.” Kim of all people put it together, “Lila’s been telling us all not to tell Marinette that she was secretly dating Adrien…”
There was a flash of uncertainty that crossed Lila’s face, but she just held onto Adrien more.
“She wasn’t!” Adrien defended. “I’d never date her!”
“Never say never.” Lila flirted with him despite Adrien trying to gently pull away from her again. “I mean, I totally understand why you’d want to keep our relationship secret, I’m great with secrets after all my model-boo.”
Adrien’s face wasn’t the only one that cringed at the terrible nickname.
“Yeah, well, Jagged Stone just said that he doesn’t know her either.” Someone else pointed out.
“Totally.” Jagged shot them finger guns. “That girl is so not Rock n Roll!”
Alya folded her arms, “wait, that means at least three things she’s told us isn’t real. She’s not Adrien’s girlfriend…”
“Thank you!” Adrien squirmed under Lila’s grasp until he finally broke away from her.
Alya frowned as she went on thoughtfully as if she was still processing it, “then at least the two other things about Jagged. There was no kitten and she didn’t get him Fang.”
Lila looked around at the now wary crowd, no one wanting to believe it, but things were starting to look bleak for their world traveling, charity driving and well-connected girl, aka, Lila, soon to be, the liar… maybe.
Turns out the crowd needed a little more convincing…
“Rose?” The quiet voice of Juleka asked, “maybe you should ask Prince Ali if he knows her.”
“On it!” Rose brightly answered as she finished a text to her pen pal Prince Ali and sent it off.
Lila almost cringed as she tried to come up with something…
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To start at the beginning, chapter 1 is here on AO3 or here on tumblr
Summary: Marinette is challenged to get Adrien to understand where she is coming from, will they be able to learn how to communicate and will Adrien start to get a clue?
...
Marinette's POV
Marinette had just flippantly said that she’d been nearly akumatized a few times, an understatement really, but what bothered her most was Adrien’s focus on the fact that Marinette knew Ladybug and how to reach her.
“You have her number?” He had asked.
“No, that’s not what I meant.” Marinette shook her head and held the bridge of her nose for a moment as she painfully thought, of course Adrien would focus on the fact that I know Ladybug. Everyone wants to know about Ladybug, completely missing that I AM Ladybug!
“It’s just a phrase Adrien,” she finally explained after taking a breath, “it’s not like I have her literal number that I can call and talk to her in person anytime.”
That would be highly difficult to call myself and have a conversation with, well, myself. Either that or it would be a sign that I’ve gone completely insane, kind of like the way that this boy used to do that to me, ugh the irony.
“Oh.” Adrien looked down, disappointed at her explanation.
Of course, he would be disappointed, he’s a Ladybug fan just like everyone else. It would be horribly ironic if he thought that he was in love with her too, not even Chat Noir knows me well enough to love me truthfully.
Not like Luka anyway, and Luka doesn’t seem to be blinded by the spots thankfully. Wait, since when did I realize that?
Marinette took a breath and exhaled as shook her head to focus as she decided to tell Adrien, “well, I just wanted you to know that’s all that I really wanted to talk to you about today Adrien. You’re still my friend, I know how much you appreciate your friends, but I’m not going to follow you blindly anymore.”
“I never asked you to.” Adrien looked down, disappointed. “I just didn’t want Lila to get akumatized.”
She hesitantly reached out and then patted his shoulder twice before quickly pulling away from him even though it wasn’t easy, “I know Adrien, that’s one of the things that I liked about you, you think about everyone, the trouble is you overlook some people when you do.”
“Oh, thanks.” He gave her a small smile.
“That wasn’t really a compliment Adrien.” Marinette frowned slightly and so did he, with a hint of confusion on his part, “what I mean is that I don’t want my friends or myself to get akumatized either Adrien.”
Adrien shook his head like he didn’t want that either. “I never said that I wanted that.”
Marinette frowned at him a little, “Look, all I’m saying is that it’s not healthy for me to be putting my tormentor above my own mental health. I can’t stop being me and just let bad things happen to protect the person that goes out of their way to make my life miserable. It would be like Ladybug finally catching Hawkmoth then giving him a pat on the back with a lollipop and a severe warning to not do it again and then letting him walk off with his miraculous, only for him to do something even worse than he has been doing the next day.”
“That’s… that’s not the same thing though...” Adrien began as he looked confused.
“Adrien.” Marinette put her hands on her hips in a very Ladybug like fashion before waving one hand, “it is EXACTLY like that. We KNOW that Lila isn’t going to stop lying and Hawkmoth isn’t going to just stop his attacks, unless someone STOPS him. I’ve got to do what I’ve got to do and whether or not you want to support me or walk away, that is up to you, but I’m not going to put up with it anymore. I need to be true to myself, I waved a flag of peace this morning with those macaroons and it’s up to her now.”
Adrien's POV
Wow, she really reminds me of my Lady! Adrien was taken aback at the thought before he shook his head at the idea. No, that… that can’t be right. I’d know her if she was her, wouldn’t I?
Marinette was breathing heavily after her speech and Adrien nodded once to himself before he stood up and smiled at her gently. Stopping himself as he reached out to touch her shoulder as she flinched at that and pulled away slightly. He dropped his hand.
It’s really not going to be the same between us anymore, is it?
Not knowing what else to do, Adrien apologized. “I’m sorry if I wasn’t there for you Marinette, I didn’t know everything, I wish I did.”
He looked away and muttered, “then I could have been there for you more and well,” he hesitated to add it, but he did anyway, “and Lila would never have broken into my house and kissed me.”
Marinette nodded having heard but didn’t seem to be surprised that she made him feel uncomfortable, she seemed surprised at what he said though and uneasy too but she seemed determined to tell him as she relaxed a little. “Well, maybe not. She does tend to get her way though, huh? Knowing her, she would have found a way for that to happen anyway. She’s pretty determined to get her way after all.”
“Yeah, maybe.” He admitted.
Marinette sighed, “look, I’m sorry I didn’t have the courage to speak up about her threats until now. Her kissing you and taking that picture would probably have happened eventually since she’s got her sights on you. This is Lila we’re talking about and I doubt it would have made much of a difference if I had told you sooner.”
He swallowed, “it-it would have, to me. I could have, I don’t know, been more wary of her? I was hoping she was trying to do better, and now to hear this?” He shook his head, “this is messed up huh?”
Marinette frowned, “I know, it’s not what either of us expected, huh?”
“No, it’s not.” He gave her a wry grin. “Can you ever forgive me? We should talk more like this. I guess what I’m saying is that it seems like we haven’t been on each other’s side much huh?”
“Yeah, I mean,” She twiddled her fingers as she thought about it out loud as she looked out the window, “the high road is a nice idea in theory, but it doesn’t work well in real life.”
I think I’m beginning to see that. He thought as he mentally echoed her words.
She’s so pretty, wait, where did that come from?
Marinette went on though, “Adrien, I know it’s pretty sad and unfair, but sometimes people will walk all over you if you let them, or worse since they don’t take the high road too, just to take the fastest way to get their way. Even if it involves walking all over you or hurting others. There are some people that you just can’t avoid and things you’ve just got to do that you don’t want to do it sometimes.” She shrugged, “that’s just the way that life is. Life isn’t fair, it’s not all peaches and cream, sometimes it’s just sour and bitter.”
Adrien sighed, “I think I know that now. Still, I’m glad that you finally felt like you could tell me. I’ll try to be there for you if you need me to be.” Still, he seemed like he couldn’t help but hesitate. “I-I won’t just attack her though.”
That would make it worse, right? Making bad guys suffer never made them good guys after all.
She frowned at that, is she upset? It’s not smart just to attack people though.
“It’s not that I plan to.” She reiterated, “look, I prepare for possibilities when I can, but I won’t make the first move.”
Marinette replied with a raised eyebrow. “I’m surprised that you think that I would just outright attack her.”
Adrien quickly held up his hands defensively, “no, no, that’s not what I meant.”
Marinette shook her head at him as if she was disappointed now.
I don’t like that look, why does it seem familiar?
Marinette folded her arms, “look, I’m giving her an opportunity here. I think she understood that, don’t you?”
Please don’t look at me like that. Adrien found himself pleading, I never wanted to hurt you or disappoint you. Why does it feel like I’ve done both?
Adrien cleared his throat once uneasily, “yeah, I think she wasn’t happy when everyone looked so happy that you were being nice to her.”
“True, with one simple move I was proving that I am not her enemy. No one gets free Dupain-Cheng cookies if they’re not a friend, right? I decided that I should give her a chance since I haven’t been myself. Since that’s what the real me would do.”
“That’s what makes you our Everyday Ladybug.” Adrien praised, his heart aching a little bit.
She really is like my Lady, if only she was, it’s just, I’d recognize her, right?
“Oh please,” Marinette rolled her eyes, blushing slightly as she waved the idea off, “we all know I’m not anything like Ladybug.”
“No, in some ways, you’re better.” Adrien admitted with a small grin although the comment made his heart ache a little more somehow, maybe I’m betraying my Lady by saying that.
Marinette was surprised at the compliment and looked away as he finally decided to ask, “if you don’t mind me asking,” Adrien hesitantly began, “why do you think that you haven’t you been yourself?”
Marinette smiled and shrugged, shaking her head as she exhaled as she glanced at the door like it was time to leave, “I’m just going to say that I was following a fantasy, but now I’m not.” She simply explained as she picked up her bag as she started to walk away, “some dreams don’t come true Adrien and sometimes, it’s better that way.”
“Marinette?” Adrien gave her a questioning look, wondering, is she talking about me? I-I thought she had a crush on me. Why didn’t she mention it?
She waved his question off as she stated his name, “Adrien.”
“Marinette please, be honest with me.” Adrien pleaded with a raised eyebrow, his curiosity almost killing him. I don’t like not knowing if this is about me, if I hurt you somehow.
“I have been. I’ve told you everything that is important just now. I’m getting over a fantasy that by following it, I forgot who I am. So now, well,” she smiled at him, “now I’m remembering who I am. Instead of following the impossible…”
Strange, that hurts. Why?
She went on as she looked away from him, unable to meet his eyes, “look, I’m going to work on me now, by being myself and trying to be a better friend over all, it’s no big deal Adrien.” She smiled sweetly as she tilted her head to look up at him, “it’s called growing up.”
Growing up? You’re one of the most responsible people I know. Is this about you crushing on me? He thought again. I mean, I could have sworn, wait, are you avoiding it because you’re trying to get over it?
His eyes grew wide as he realized that was most likely true, but he was disappointed in himself when he also came to the conclusion, why can’t I ask her that? Why do I feel bad about not being able to return her feelings? Isn’t it better this way???
Then he finally understood something that had changed that was probably important. “Wait, y-you haven’t stuttered once since we s-started talking.” He observed with wide eyes.
And now I’m doing it!
Is… is that because Marinette is getting over me? Why, why does that hurt?
“Yep. See? I’m doing better already.” She told him confidently with that sweet smile of hers that he has been missing for some time now.
It’s good to see you smile again.
Then she surprised him by frankly saying, “so, don’t worry your handsome little head about me. I’ll see you around Adrien.” She waved and smiled at him genuinely from the door, “I hope you enjoy your lunch. Bye.”
Bye? Why does that seem, so… so final? She’s my friend, doesn’t she know how lonely lunch is for me? He wondered as she left and he texted his driver that he was on his way as he thought about it.
Or does that have another meaning?
The thought bothered him as he left the classroom alone, after glancing into his pocket to find Plagg taking yet another nap.
On one hand he was grateful his kwami hadn’t heard the conversation, on the other, it would be nice to talk to someone about it, not that Plagg was good for that kind of thing, since everything came back to cheese somehow.
He turned down the hall only to see Marinette standing outside the cafeteria, looking longingly at the entrance, only to sigh, clutch her bag to herself and then turn to walk towards the entrance of the school to have her lunch at home supposedly. He was going the same way, so he happened to follow her.
She didn’t quite seem like the confident Marinette that he had just talked to, maybe a little reserved, but she still soldiered on, leaving ahead of him as her confidence came back with each step. It was kind of interesting to see.
Then he remembered her telling him goodbye.
Somehow, her goodbye didn’t make him feel better about the situation at all. It felt… it felt, like the end to something, I just wish I knew what it was
To start at the beginning, chapter 1 is here on AO3 or here on tumblr
Summary: Marinette calls a truce and has a talk with Adrien.
...
Marinette woke up extra early the next day after a wonderful night’s sleep after finishing redecorating her walls in her bedroom. She got ready for school humming to herself. She brushed her hair and noticed that it had grown longer. Either she needed to get a hair cut or consider wearing her hair differently.
Tikki woke up, shocked to find her chosen checking out a new style in the mirror. After their unusual and stress-free good morning to each other, Marinette asked Tikki if her pigtails would appear if she was wearing another hairstyle when she transformed.
Tikki smiled and told her, “if you want it to be like that, I could do it for you Marinette. You’re the one who chooses the suit after all.”
“Please do it then Tikki, I don’t want anyone to realize who I am just because I changed my hairstyle.”
Tikki giggled as Marinette brushed her hair back into a high pony tail, tying a slim and short pink scarf around it as an accent.
Marinette then took a look in the mirror and smiled.
“I love your new look.” Tikki praised.
“Thanks, Tikki, so do I. Now I’m going to go and make some macaroons for my class.”
Tikki cheered as Marinette headed down to the kitchen.
…
Finally, at school, Marinette was sitting at her desk with a soft smile on her face as she responded to a text from Luka, wishing her a good day back at school and good luck.
“Ooo,” Lila cooed as Marinette sent her message before she looked up to acknowledge her and then tucked away her phone. Thankfully, with Alya and Nino beside her, Lila would be on her best behavior. “Texting your fake boyfriend?” Lila teased.
Adrien walked in and glanced at the group talking before he took his seat, with a strange yet sad and dejected look on his face.
Marinette only smiled at Lila and shrugged as she answered her, “I don’t have a boyfriend Lila. The guy I was just texting, while coincidentally is a boy and my friend, he recently turned me down for the position to be honest. Not that that is anybody’s business.”
Alya gasped, “Gurl, you asked a guy out and you didn’t tell me?”
Marinette rolled her eyes, “if you hadn’t noticed I’ve been a bit out of it lately? It’s kind of guy related,” Marinette lifted her hand and made a so-so movement. Then she took a breath and sighed as she folded her arms and looked down at her lap, “but I don’t want to talk about it. He actually helped me realize that I need a break from all of that and not to rush into anything. I was following a fantasy before after all, but now I’m not anymore.”
“Really?” Lila smirked at her.
Marinette nodded and after a quick glance at Adrien, one that everyone but him noticed, before she looked away as she vaguely admitted, “let’s just say that I’m not sure if I know how to love properly right now and I’m trying to remember who I am because of that.”
Lila folded her arms and smirked as if she had won their little ‘war.’
Nino looked surprised as he totally got it.
Adrien looked at the ground feeling guilty, while Alya frowned as she told her, “gurl, I know something has been up with you lately, but come on Marinette, you shouldn’t be so hard on yourself.”
Marinette had a small grin on her face as she shook her head, “I’m not being hard on myself Alya, I’m facing reality and frankly, enough about me.” She waved her hand dismissively. “Let’s just say that I wanted to have a fresh start, so I brought macaroons to share. I made your favorite Alya and Nino!”
“Whoa Dudette, thanks!” Nino replied happily as Marinette opened the box and held it out to him as he picked out two orange ones. Alya frowned but nodded as she took two yellow ones.
“I still want to talk to you about it later Gurl.”
“Later is good.” Marinette replied as she let Lila pick a macaron too, “you too Lila, I feel like we got off on the wrong foot.”
Alya smiled, “I’m proud of you gurl.” She praised her like Marinette had just apologized for whatever Lila had been saying that she had been doing to her of late.
Marinette shrugged as Lila schooled her expression and managed to reply, “well, thank you, I guess. Do these have nuts in them? Everyone here knows about it, but I’m highly allergic remember?”
(yes, the author wasn’t aware that typically macarons are made of almond flour in reality at the time of writing, but let’s pretend these aren’t.)
“Hmm, I did remember hearing something about that.” Marinette commented, not that Lila had mentioned it, “and although these don’t have any in them, there may be some cross contamination from the bakery.” Marinette frowned, “it’s a real pity but you shouldn’t eat one if you have allergies to anything Lila. You make a very good point, we just don’t have the set up to separate out things like that. I wouldn’t have been able to control it if I had tried. Maybe you could just give it to your Mom or something? I’m sure someone else would enjoy it since obviously you know better than to risk it, I’m sorry that you’ll have to miss out.” Marinette gave her a small smile as if she truly meant what she said.
“Yeah, I’ll think about that. Thanks.” Lila replied coldly before she walked up to her seat, putting the macaron in her bag, fully intending on eating it herself later.
Marinette smiled as she prepared herself as she turned around to speak to her former crush, “hey Adrien?”
Adrien looked up and turned around, startled that Marinette would even speak to him.
“Yes, Marinette?”
“Would you like a macaron? I made them this morning so they’re fresh. They’re lemon and orange.” She offered him the box. “I didn’t have time to make more than two flavors, and I haven’t made Alya’s or Nino’s favorites in a long time. Besides,” she laughed once lightly, “it’s tough getting the passion fruit ones just right and I didn’t think you’d mind.”
“Um, no, I’m fine. Thank you.” Adrien answered sullenly as he took one of the orange ones. Then Marinette passed the box to Rose who had just come in.
“Thanks Marinette!” Rose said as she passed the box around to all of the other students with a grin.
“Yeah, they’re really good, thank you Marinette!” Nino added, his thanks being echoed by their other classmates.
Alya raised her eyebrow at Marinette wondering why she didn’t make Adrien’s favorite flavor instead and most of all, why wasn’t she stuttering? So, she asked her, “yeah, thanks. Um, Marinette? Is everything okay?”
Marinette nodded as she smiled at her distant friend, “it’s getting better, thanks for asking.”
Marinette then took a steadying breath and looked at Adrien and clearly said with a small smile before looking back at Alya and Nino, “I want to hear about you guys though, how have you been lately? Have you and Nino been on any good dates?”
Adrien seemed to register that something was different, but his soft smile never changed. Although one of his eyebrow’s seemed to raise, showing how strange it was for him to have Marinette address him so easily after avoiding him for the past few weeks.
Alya looked surprised too as Nino answered for them, “Dude, we went to the arcade this weekend, Lila babysat for us and there was this awesome new music game…”
Marinette nodded, Alya looked on in disbelief and followed along as Nino regaled them about this awesome new dance game until their teacher came in and called the class to order.
…
Adrien didn’t know why, but while Marinette seemed to be doing better, things between them still didn’t feel right. It felt wrong somehow as he felt an ache in his chest as he realized that while Marinette would look at him now, it wasn’t the same look that she had for him as before.
Which was why he pondered, this is good for our friendship right? I mean, she’s talking to me now, but, but that means that I don’t have to bring things up with her huh? I’m glad she’s doing better, but still, I don’t understand this feeling. It… it kind of hurts? Maybe? I wish I knew why.
…
After class was over and everyone was packing up to go to lunch, Marinette texted Adrien.
Marinette: Hey, can you spare a few minutes? I just wanted to tell you something.
Adrien turned around and nodded, certain that he was about to hear about her crush and he’d have to turn her down. He couldn’t help but dread it, but it had to be done. He nodded to himself as he thought, once we talk about it, it’ll be all over and we can just be friends again.
Finally, the rest of the class left the room, leaving them alone. “W-what do you need to tell me Marinette?” He asked casually as he rubbed the back of his neck nervously as he thought, like I already don’t know.
Marinette looked thoughtful but then nodded to herself. “Adrien, I’m going to be honest with you. I can’t take the high road anymore. It leads to an emotional cliff for me and I’m tired of throwing myself and my feelings off of it.”
Adrien eloquently responded with a raised eyebrow as he dropped his hand to his lap and only said, “huh?”
“I’m letting you know that I’m going to try to be nice to Lila this once and this once only. BUT, if she decides to lie to me or my friends after this and I can prove that she’s lying, then I will stand up and do so.”
“But… but I thought that we agreed…” Adrien began, but Marinette held up her hand to stop him from interrupting as she went on.
“Adrien, honestly, I don’t like who I’ve become or what has been happening here, I will not roll over and take this lying down. You know that day that you told me to take the high road?” Adrien nodded shocked that she had interrupted him and was now being so forward. “Well, that was the day that she threatened me that she’d take away all of my friends and I was almost akumatized.”
She WHAT?
Adrien looked shocked as she went on, “I didn’t tell you because I had trouble talking to you and I was giving her the benefit of the doubt like you had asked. Well, no more. She declared war on me that day and I doubt you’ve been blind to the fact that she has a tendency to make me look bad with every chance she gets.”
“Marinette, this isn’t like you...” Adrien began. Wait, Lila declared war on you?
“No Adrien. It’s not like you and I am not you. She won’t go after you since to her I’m only in her way, you on the other hand, you’re the key to her success.”
“What?”
Marinette rolled her eyes, “Adrien, let me explain this to you. I’m Marinette, I give the benefit of the doubt until I’m proven wrong and then I’m careful and I stand up and fight when I have to. Lila has proven to me that she isn’t going to change. I’m giving her one more chance because I haven’t been true to myself, so she just got her last free pass and I’m letting you know right now that that is how it’s going to be.” She stood up, “I’m not going to be walked over anymore, not for you or for anyone else.”
“F-for me?” Adrien looked confused.
“Yes, for you. I did as you asked and things have only grown worse around here. Have you noticed that no one asked me to come eat lunch with them? I know you’re used to it since you’re always picked up for lunch, but for me, that’s unusual and it kind of hurts. I held my tongue about Lila, and now even Alya doesn’t reach out to me much, if at all anymore. Unless it’s to ask me to do babysitting for her and Nino. She wasn’t like that before Lila came along.”
“Marinette, wait, Nino and Alya weren’t dating then either, right?”
“Yeah, but being asked to babysit once a week for free when I’m busy enough as it is isn’t fun, especially when Alya thinks I’m a terrible friend for saying I’m too busy and calls on Lila instead.” She took a breath and sighed, “it’s not that I don’t want to help Alya, but I get busy and when I do, I’ve been feeling guilty because Lila tells Alya that good friends come first.”
“Well, they do.”
Marinette looked off to the side, “look Adrien, sometimes other responsibilities come first and really, it’s Alya’s and Nino’s jobs to babysit their siblings, not their friends. They seem to have forgotten that.”
“But…”
“No buts, I’ll be discussing this later with Alya as well if she asks me again, because if I have anything else I need to get to, that comes first now. They don’t ask you to babysit do they?”
Adrien smiled uneasily as he laughed lightly, “of course not, I wouldn’t know what I’m doing and I’m always so busy.”
She pointed at him like he hit the nail on the head, “exactly!”
Marinette rolled her eyes as Adrien looked at her quizzically before asking, “what do you have to do that’s so important that you can’t put it off for your friends?”
“Adrien, that’s not the point. The point is that I’m being punished for Lila’s lies. Not being available to babysit for free at the drop of a hat does not make me a bad friend just because I can keep the kids alive and out of their hair isn’t fair. No matter what Lila says.”
“Okay, so I can see what you mean about her stepping on you sort of, um, why am I the key to her success?” Adrien asked even more perplexed, “is it because I’m a celebrity?”
“At least you figured that one out. If you weren’t you…”
He smirked a little, “if I weren’t me…”
She took a breath and explained, “if you weren’t Adrien Agreste, a handsome and rich model, the only heir of the wealthy and famous Gabriel Agreste, she wouldn’t be all over you at every chance she gets and trying to make it look like you are together.”
“What! We-we’re not together, I…”
“Like someone else. I know.” Marinette finished for him, somehow stopping herself from wincing, “but that doesn’t stop Lila from making it look like you’re secretly dating. You should ask Nino what she says about your relationship with her.”
Adrien shook his head, “Nino knows I wouldn’t date her!”
“Does he?” Marinette quirked her eyebrow at him, “you only mentioned this girl that you love to me once instead of telling everyone, probably because you are hiding her from your Father. I bet Nino knows just as much or less than I do. That means either she doesn’t return your feelings,” she looked away and muttered, “I can only imagine why, or…”
“But…”
“But nothing Adrien, it looks like you’re hiding a relationship with someone especially this girl that you like and since you haven’t named any names, it could very well be Lila.”
Adrien made a face and shook his head, clearly distressed, “I am not interested in Lila! She’s nothing like the girl that I like!”
She’s not Ladybug or… or an Everyday Ladybug like you. Wow, where did that thought come from?
“Adrien, I know that. You asked out Kagami of all people and if you liked her…” Marinette looked away briefly again, “I can’t see how you’d like Lila like that. They have nothing in common and I know you well enough for that now, I know that you know that Lila is a liar and I can’t see you being with someone like that.”
Adrien nodded and sighed, “thanks.” He looked away and added softly, “the girl I like, she… she’s not Kagami.”
“I kind of guessed that. Probably a girl you work with, right? Not that you have to give me a name or anything.”
“I can’t tell you her name, but you could say that we work together.”
“Alright.” Marinette sighed and rubbed her forehead briefly before she added, “look, I’m just tired of attracting akumas here Adrien.”
“Wait, you’ve attracted more than one?” He asked, shocked at the news.
Marinette rolled her eyes at his surprise, “I practically have Ladybug on speed dial because of it.”
“Wait. You know Ladybug?” He asked with astonishment on his face. “You have her number?”
Which made Adrien wonder, How could I be so lucky?
To start at the beginning, chapter 1 is here on AO3 or here on tumblr
...
“Alright Luka,” Marinette pulled away from him and turned to face him, then she glanced at her kwami, “can we have some time alone please Tikki?”
“I’ll be out on the balcony if you need me Marinette.” Tikki replied as she floated away.
Marinette then focused on Luka, “alright now, what was that all about? I-I would think that you’d want to keep other guys away from me.”
Luka smiled painfully, “you know how I feel about you Marinette, but still, I don’t want to be a rebound for you from uh, that other guy.” He rubbed his elbow nervously with his other hand, “and well, besides him I would think that you might be interested in Chat Noir. I mean, if it weren’t for the fact that you have to be professional as Ladybug with him.” Then he let go of his elbow and shrugged.
Marinette surprised him as she gave him a cute little snort, “and how would that work? Chat and I dating as superheroes? Even if I wanted us to, that’s the craziest thing that I’ve ever heard! I’ve told Alya that thousands of times. Not only could Hawkmoth use us against each other, but how would we get to know each other if we have to hide our civilian sides from each other?”
Luka was surprised, she seemed to have actually thought about dating her partner apparently.
Marinette elbowed him, “Luka, don’t you realize that at most I currently spend about twenty percent of my day as Ladybug during the really bad attacks and that is while the world is falling apart? I was Ladybug for only about four hours on Hero’s Day. As Max would say, how could I date someone with only 20% of myself? It’s illogical.”
Luka nodded, “that would be difficult.”
“Especially since I know that Chat Noir loves that 20% more than the 80% or more of my life that makes up the rest of Marinette Dupain-Cheng. I would wind up second guessing myself all the time, feeling like all of me isn’t enough.” She was shaking her head now. “No, it… it wouldn’t work. Ever.”
Luka nodded as he let out a sigh of relief, “well then, I guess I can honestly say that I did my best to advocate for him. If he ever asks, I can at least tell him that, even if the cat is out of the running then, for now.”
“Or as he’d say, fur-ever.” Marinette pointed out, “ugh, now I’m doing it!”
Luka looked thoughtful despite chuckling, “we’re still young Marinette, there is no need to rush into a relationship. Who knows where we’ll be in a couple of months after all?”
“How’s that?”
“I don’t mean to stir the pot here, but maybe Adrien will change his mind about you by then? What if he gives up on that girl?” Luka asked as he raised an eyebrow questioningly.
Marinette was shaking her head at him with her eyes closed for a moment as she considered it with a small pout on her lips, her eyes wet once more. “No, no, I’m not going to let myself fall into that trap. I don’t want his heart to be broken just so he can be with me. That’s selfish and I still care about him as a friend at the very least. I can’t wish a broken heart on him like that.”
“I’m sorry I mentioned it.” Luka apologized and truly looked sad about it.
“No, don’t be. I want to face it and frankly, just like Chat, A-Adrien has made his feelings about Marinette Dupain-Cheng clear.” Then she boldly added, “so I’m moving on.”
Luka smiled and nodded before he tilted his head and raised an eyebrow at her in that thoughtful way of his as he asked carefully, “are you though?”
“W-what?” Marinette stuttered.
“Well, from what I’ve heard, he doesn’t know how you felt about him, and stop me if I’m wrong, but you’ve been avoiding him and anyone that hangs out with him but you still claim to be his friend, does that sound right to you? Do friends avoid each other like that?”
Marinette hugged herself and looked away, “I, I just needed to accept that he’ll never feel about me the-the way that I felt about him, it’s hard to change your feelings overnight.”
Luka nodded. “I know, I’m just saying that now that you’ve had your chance to cry it out, how are you going to move on and be friends with him and well, everyone else? You need to put some effort into moving on. I haven’t seen you actually be yourself for a while now Marinette. You’re an amazing girl and… and I’ve been worried about you.”
“I… I’m not sure, what you mean exactly. I know I’ve been a bit, off, but what do you think I should do Luka?”
“It doesn’t really matter what I think, but since you asked, I would think that you would work on remembering what makes Marinette the most wonderful girl in Paris.” He put his arm around her shoulders supportively and gave her a small half hug, “maybe take some time for yourself?”
“Yeah, I like that idea.” Marinette considered it, “you know, I can’t say that I’ve liked myself so much while I’ve been crushing so hard over A-… over him. I’ve neglected my projects and even my other friends. I did some embarrassing things too and well, I wasn’t really me. I should be able to talk to the guy that I like, and I really didn’t like his stance on just letting Lila lie and hurt people but I put up with it because I liked him. I became someone that wasn’t me and well, Lila has her claws set in some of my old friends and well, we don’t get along like we used to. That’s kind of my fault in a way, isn’t it?”
“I wouldn’t say that it’s your fault per se, but maybe a consequence of inaction.” Luka nodded, understanding how love made you do things you’d rather not want to do.
Marinette swallowed and looked away, “he-he said that as long as we both knew about it, it didn’t matter, like he would be there for me, but then he wasn’t. I mean, I probably should have told him about Lila’s threats, he might have believed me, but he still seems to like her somehow. He puts up with her antics and seems more worried about upsetting her and her getting akumatized than anyone else and he seems to ignore how her lies hurt people, including me.”
He squeezed her shoulder supportively.
Then Marinette finished softly as she told him, unable to meet his eyes as she admitted, “I also became someone that I didn’t like being, for a boy I mean, and that’s… that’s not right. I want someone to love me for me, not for who they think I should be.”
“Oh Marinette.” Luka sighed as he nodded, remembering when she admitted that Lila had threatened her before but told him not to tell since no one besides him would believe her about it. “He has no idea what he’s missing out on with you.”
Marinette sniffed as she reached out for a hug and he pulled her in securely, “I know, but it’s probably better that way. Thank you for saying all of that though Luka.” She wiped her eyes and then hugged him back for a few minutes.
“It’s only the truth.” He muttered as he stroked her loose hair to comfort her a little more.
After their tender embrace, Marinette pulled back and asked, “so, what are you going to do now as our new reserve hero?”
“Well, I think I’ll ask our residential superheroine for some tips and get to know my kwami. Get the burner phone too, you know? How’s that for a start?”
Marinette giggled, “I like it.”
“And you? What are you going to do Marinette?” He asked her kindly.
She thought about it for a moment before she grinned, “I think I’m going to remember who I am, and maybe bring macaroons to class Monday.” She suggested happily.
“Hmm, makes me wish we were in the same class.”
“I’ll give you some to take home.” Marinette grinned at him, “do you want to practice here while I do some sketching?”
He gave her a sincere smile, “I’d like that.”
…
Luka and Marinette hung out for a couple hours before he excused himself and got ready to go home. She returned his miraculous and Sass happily hid in Luka’s guitar for now.
Marinette unskillfully asked Luka if he might be interested in maybe exploring something more with her after she had walked him to her front door.
Luka gave her a loving look as he responded calmly, “Marinette, while I am sorely tempted, I think that we should just be friends for a while as you make a clean break from you know who.”
“Oh, okay.” Marinette looked away from him as if she’d been rejected again.
“No, I didn’t say that right.” Luka quickly surmised. “It’s not like he’s some evil magical being whose name cannot be named that has resurfaced or something.”
Marinette giggled at the Harry Potter reference as he went on, “what I mean is not now, maybe later, when you’re ready.” Then he winked at her, “if I’m lucky enough.”
“H-how will I know when I’m ready though?”
Luka seemed to consider her question. “Well, only you will know for sure, but I’d think you should give it another six weeks as you mourn and move on. I’ve heard that two months is a good amount of time before trying to move on after a heartbreak, and you’ve already spent what, three weeks dealing with this?”
Marinette swallowed, “almost a month. I probably need that extra time though.” Then she nodded to herself and smirked at him lightly as she came to a decision, “expect to hear from me in six weeks then Luka Couffaine.”
“Not unless you hear from me first.” Luka then laughed adorably, “I hope to be here for you as a friend until then Marinette, but if you need more time, there is no pressure from me. No is okay too, I feel blessed just knowing you. Your Melody is such an inspiration.” He gave her a sweet smile and then a quick hug goodbye, “although I will say that you’re worth the wait.”
She blushed lightly as she told him gratefully, “thank you, Luka.”
“No, thank you.” Luka told her, before shooting her a quick wink and a salute goodbye.
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Summary : Plans are made to deal with Luka's knowledge of who Ladybug and Chat Noir are and another on call hero is decided.
This chapter can be found here on AO3
To start at the beginning, chapter 1 is here on AO3 or here on tumblr
.....
“S-semi permanent heroes?” Marinette stuttered.
“Yes.” Master Fu sounded sure about his decision, “I suppose we could also say on call heroes. They will not come to every fight but if we leave the Snake miraculous with Viperion, he could protect himself if needed and when you need him to join in a battle, you will be able to text his civilian form from your yo-yo instead of having to come running to me.”
Marinette looked astounded but then looked up at a smiling Luka who nodded his head in agreement. “I’m willing to do that. I imagine that would save time, and that way I will have my own back up by having Sass at my side.”
Master Fu shockingly agreed, “I think that would be wise, plus you can also help Marinette or Chat Noir know about the status of their civilian sides if necessary, or fill in as needed since you know who they are.”
“F-Fill in?” Marinette stuttered. “What do you mean?”
“Well, you are getting older and I imagine that there will come a day when you are unable to be available at a certain time. Viperion and you could exchange Miraculous for a short period, or the same could be said of him and Chat Noir. Knowing both of your identities would help with that.”
“Ah, but Chat Noir does not know my identity Master.” Luka pointed out. “In fact, if he found out, it wouldn’t be hard even for him to figure out Marinette’s.”
“Hmm, that would be an issue, but it is possible to trade Miraculous without revealing yourselves. Or you could just borrow the Cat Miraculous as you wield the Snake Miraculous, they are compatible and you can wield them both at once when there is a dire need.”
“Really?” Marinette asked.
“Yes, returning it would be easy, or you could just leave the ring somewhere only Chat Noir would find it. All you would need is a meeting point and a time.”
“It still sounds risky.” Marinette pointed out.
“I agree!” Tikki quickly twittered, “but, I think Master Fu has a point. Overall, it would strengthen our position, so it could be worth the risk.”
“I think it is.” Master Fu stated, “Hawkmoth has been getting more daring and he calls upon the Peacock when he is about to lose. Having a few of the other Miraculous and their holders being available at a moment’s notice would only help us.”
“Yes Master.” Marinette reluctantly agreed. “Who else are you considering? We can’t use the Dragon or the Bee.”
“Ah, but that is where you are wrong my young Ladybug.” Master Fu sounded amused. “Since they wouldn’t have to wait for the miraculous every time, you could choose to place their Miraculous with them, with the strict instructions to only come when called upon and to hide their identities no matter what.”
“Hmm, I think that the uh, Dragon, would have trouble keeping that secret from her p-parents, they watch her closer than A-Adrien’s,” She stumbled over his name and Luka patted her shoulder to comfort her, then gave her shoulder a squeeze. She nodded at him appreciatively. “A-as I was saying, she’s watched closer than his bodyguard watches him.”
“Then the Dragon is out. What about the others?”
“Pegasus is trustworthy.” Marinette concluded, “no one would suspect him and he, he’s been avoiding the situation at school for the most part. I think I’d be willing to give him the opportunity.”
“Is this about Lila?” Luka asked.
“Yeah.” Marinette looked sad, knowing that she practically pointed toward where he could find Max.
“Hmm, I’ve been wondering about her. Juleka and Rose have told me so many unbelievable stories about her, sometimes they don’t seem to believe them themselves, but well, I can’t be sure.” Luka shrugged.
“Yeah, I’ve been having trouble trusting anyone close to Lila lately.” Marinette muttered as she hugged herself. “Even Nino and Alya, they invite her to everything and well, we don’t get along since Lila is always lying and somehow manages to make me look bad most of the time, which is why we don’t get along.”
“I see.” Master Fu observed.
Luka hugged her briefly, “hey, I’m sure that you have your reasons to not like her. You can tell me more about later if you feel like it.”
“Thank you, Luka.” Marinette whispered.
Master Fu cleared his throat, “well, what about Miss Bourgeois then? I’ve noticed that she has been doing better lately and she is a very strong minded individual, she seems to be someone that Hawkmoth would have difficulty controlling.”
Marinette gave his turtle image on her phone a look of confusion, “but, everyone knows that she’s Queen Bee.”
“I’m sure that we can arrange something.” Master Fu almost sounded like he was chuckling. “It is possible for the suit to be changed, she could use a new name and be given instructions about when and how she could use the Miraculous.”
“I’m not sure if I’m ready for that yet Master.” Marinette told him worriedly. “She can be a bit of a loose cannon. Same for the guy you gave the Monkey Miraculous too, he likes Lila too much and he’s a bit, well, over the top.”
“Very well, think about your options then. It would be a pity to have to find new holders if things cannot be settled between you and the current weilders because of one girl.”
“I know Master, I’m trying to figure out what I can do about all of that.”
Luka smiled at her, knowing that she was trying to come up with a solution.
“Very good Marinette. Now, we have a little time now that Viperion is on the bench as you would say, and the next time you visit me I will give you the Horse Miraculous to give to Pegasus.”
“Sure Master.” Marinette agreed reluctantly, “what should I tell Chat Noir?”
“Your partner may not like it, but I believe that you should still keep your identities safe from each other as long as you can. This way if one of you is compromised, the other will be able to continue the fight. Tell him about the plan to use Viperion or Pegasus as back-up, he should be given a way to contact them as well.”
“I guess I could get a burner phone to keep my identity from him that way,” Luka suggested before he cleared his throat, “although I’m afraid that I don’t agree with that Master. Chat Noir seems to be the kind of person that expects honesty, he doesn’t seem to read between the lines well and if Ladybug chooses to not share identities with him until there is an accidental reveal of some kind with him or without a solid deadline, it would hurt him.” Then he looked meaningfully at Marinette, “you could be hurt too.”
“Psfft,” Marinette blew a raspberry at him and brushed it off. “No matter who he is, he’ll always be my Kitty.”
“I hope you’ll remember that if you ever have an issue with each other, it’s just, umm,” he tapped his chin thoughtfully before asking, “what if he could be something more?” Luka asked her with a sad look in his eye, “I mean, Chat Noir does seem to like you, maybe even love you, as Ladybug I mean.”
Marinette gave a small laugh and waved the idea off, “oh, I think that ship has sailed. Whoever he is, he doesn’t like the Marinette me that way. My own Papa was akumatized when he thought that I, Marinette me I mean, had a crush on Chat and then he came over and told us that he was in love with Ladybug.”
“I was unaware of this.” Master Fu commented.
“Me neither.” Luka added.
“It wasn’t one of my shining moments, he saw Marinette me right after I transformed after a fight and then he mentioned how he saw me a lot after Ladybug left. Thinking that he was about to figure out my identity I… I, uh, kind of told a fib and told him that I loved him.” She tapped her fingers together nervously and avoided Luka’s startled gaze.
“I did it to protect my identity, but then my Papa showed up, overheard me and invited Chat Noir over for brunch the next day.” She took a breath and she continued with, “he came over with a pink rose, ate with us as my Papa wouldn’t let him speak up to say what he came to say, that I was a an awesome girl and all, but he was in love with Ladybug. No matter how many times Ladybug rejects him, he’s still waiting for her.”
Marinette frowned slightly as she rolled her eyes, “I mean, Marinette is a big part of me and he can’t just have Ladybug, which is me, just a part of me. I may be Ladybug, but Ladybug isn’t Marinette. There is more to Marinette than just Ladybug and you’d think that if he really liked me, all of me, then he’d seem just a little bit interested in Marinette and well, that’s just not, well, that’s not how it is.”
She shrugged, “I do love him, but just like a close friend, maybe like the annoying brother I never had. It’s not a romantic love at all, I was too b-blinded by A-Adrien for that at first and now that I know he only loves Ladybug? Well, that’s that.”
“Wow Marinette, that’s…” Luka didn’t seem to know what to say.
“Understandable.” Master Fu finished for him.
“Huh?” Marinette asked.
“Chat Noir cares so much about Ladybug, he cannot allow himself to see any other girls like that.” Master Fu explained. “It’s the same as you felt about a certain someone when all of this began.”
“Oh, it’s a… a blind love then.” She sighed, “but it’s not really. I mean, there must be something about Marinette that he doesn’t like to think about her in that way. Wouldn’t the Ladybug part of me be obvious to someone that really cared about me?” She looked up at Luka meaningfully with wet eyes and he pulled her close again to comfort her silently as she went on, “I mean, it’s not obvious though, not to Chat or anyone else anyway besides… besides Luka.”
“Is that how you found out?” Master Fu asked.
“I-I care a great deal about Marinette Sir.” Luka admitted bashfully, “when I’m around her I hear her heart song, her melody. I’ve been privileged to get to know it better lately as she’s hugn out and worked with my band and that’s probably why when I met Ladybug, her song cried out to me as much as Marinette’s. It was the same symphony.”
“Ah.” Master Fu muttered, “so you are particularly observant.”
“Only in some cases.” Luka answered bashfully, giving Marinette a small grin.
She blushed as she smiled back at him, understanding that he meant when it came to her.
Marinette looked away, “anyway, back to the question, would I ever want to be with Chat Noir? Not that it’s anybody’s business, but it wouldn’t work out, knowing he doesn’t like Marinette me that way, yeah, it wouldn’t work with him at all, knowing how he really feels about Marinette me. Enough to come and say that I’m awesome, but since I’m not Ladybug, I’m not worth his time.”
Luka flinched at that, “he probably didn’t mean it that way.”
She shrugged, “well still, he will probably agree with me when he finds out my identity. He’ll probably move on to some rich heiress like Kagami, he seemed to like her, not that he said anything when he took her home after she was de-akumatized after Oni-chan, but I could read between the lines.”
“It sounds like someone is a little jealous.” Luka smirked a little, finding it funny.
“I was just surprised that he’d rather take care of her before our usual ‘pound it’ after the battle, they’re practically a tradition!”
“Some traditions a meant to be broken Ladybug.” Master Fu commented, “do not hold it against Chat Noir for one forgotten fist bump.”
“I’m not.” She pouted a little as Luka chuckled.
“You so are.” Luka commented.
“Who asked you?” She asked defensively and Luka held up his hands, backing off from the topic and a little bit from her, to give her her space.
She shook her head as she looked up at Luka at the end of her rant, “besides, why would you ask something like that? I mean, why would I want to ‘be’ with Chat Noir someday? That’s just well, I don’t know what to call it, unless you know something I don’t’?” She looked up at Luka imploringly as he leaned back as he bit his lips, unable to meet her eyes and not knowing what to say.
Master Fu came to Luka’s rescue as he cleared his throat and answered, “no matter what Chat Noir wishes, this decision to keep your identities secret from one another is a security measure to protect Paris. Unless there is an accidental reveal, or until Hawkmoth is defeated or you give up your Miraculous by retiring, that is the way that it must be.”
Not to be deterred, Marinette asked again, “Luka? I still want to know, why did you ask that?”
Luka gave a small frown and looked away from her, as he admitted, “well, like I said, somehow last night I figured out who he is and uh, Chat Noir is a good-looking guy, he wasn’t lying about that.”
“I don’t just fall for a pretty face, no matter how it may seem that way.” She gave him a small nudge.
Luka then smirked at Marinette who only rolled her eyes as he went on, “besides, I can’t help but notice that you do seem close to him as Chat Noir, and I think that he’d want someone to object for him about this decision during this discussion.”
“That’s very thoughtful of you.” Tikki told him, “but it’s not your responsibility to be Chat Noir’s caretaker.”
“What do you mean Tikki?” Marinette asked. “I mean, you both should know that I wouldn’t just date anyone just because of their looks.”
“I just mean that, uh, they did a lot of talking last night and while Viperion is very good about discussing things and calming people down, he almost revealed you several times.” Tikki huffed as she tried to change the subject, she wasn’t the best person to talk about Adrien at the moment after all. “Thankfully Chat Noir is a bit focused on you as Ladybug and as such he can’t see you as Marinette, after barely a touch of Miraculous magic that is.”
Luka shook his head, “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to say too much. He’s stubborn and hard to talk to, so I’m sorry about that Marinette, about possibly saying too much. Chat Noir is many things, but he’s not good at reading people and that was purely by accident,” he looked at her kwami, “Tikki was it? I’m sorry if I did anything wrong, I’m new to this.”
Tikki giggled and held out her little paw, “I understand, it’s good to meet you Viperion.”
Luka reached out and shook her paw gently, “good to meet you too, oh and you too Master, I’m Luka by the way.”
“I know. Marinette told me who she was going to entrust the Snake Miraculous to after all.” Master Fu replied, “now, is that all? I’m afraid my co-worker’s will be looking for me soon.”
“Yes, Master. Thank you!” Marinette replied.
“Yes, thank you Master.” Both Tikki and Luka said at the same time, they looked at each other and giggled lightly.
“You’re welcome, and please think about what we discussed and feel better Marinette.”
“I will!”
“Then Goodbye.” At which Master Fu hung up the phone.
ironically I forgot to update the rest of this story to tumblr, I’ll try to finish uploading it over the next week or two lol. Prepare for salt and some Lukanette sweetness...
This chapter can be found here on AO3
To start at the beginning, chapter 1 is here on AO3 or here on tumblr
Summary for chapter 11
Luka has just finished impressing Marinette's parents during brunch and the teenagers are now in her room so that he could play a song for her and to return his Miraculous to her.
Luka also tells her what he has learned about Chat Noir...
“I’m glad you’re feeling better,” Luka had nodded with approval a few minutes later as he began to strum a calming tune with his guitar for Marinette. He played for her for several minutes and Marinette just sighed and listened, clasping her hand to her chest as she relaxed to the melody that he played.
The song came to an end and then Luka began another as he calmly told her, “your partner was worried about you, you know.” He paused before he added, “and so was I.”
She sighed, knowing that she couldn’t avoid this conversation. “I know, and I’m sorry about worrying you both. I’ll have to have a talk with him sometime and apologize.” Marinette sniffed as she remembered last night and imagined how difficult it was for Chat to see her like that. She knew he liked her, but she had always put her crush on Adrien and their duty to Paris first. She may be working on growing past her crush, but she wasn’t sure how that would make her feel about him in the future, but she also knew that was likely a dead end, knowing how he felt about Marinette and how they still had to protect Paris.
Still, she had to ask Luka, “h-how much does he know?”
“Hmm.” Luka hummed as he weighed what to say, certain that Marinette would be able to figure out Chat’s identity if he said too much. He settled with as much of the truth that he could share as he stopped playing and put his guitar down.
Then Luka took off his miraculous and handed it back to her. “I’ve already said goodbye, for now, to Sass I mean.”
Marinette nodded as she put the Snake miraculous in her purse before she began to worry about why Luka was stalling. “Luka?”
“I know.” Luka admitted with a sigh and then went right into it. “Well, to be blunt, Chat Noir wasn’t happy that you asked me to help you instead of him. I did admit that I knew you and who you were. He…he really did not like that.”
She sighed as she answered with a sigh, “I can only imagine.”
“Although I’ll admit that he accepted it eventually once I told him about the Snake’s power and why you needed to have a good cry, and how you didn’t tell me yourself.” He swallowed and nodded to himself as he nervously added, “we uh, had quite the talk. He’s not very observant, or… or careful.”
Marinette laughed, “I could have told you that.”
“Well, that’s the thing.” He gave her a cautious look, “I may have figured out his identity too.”
That was when she shrieked, “WHAT?!”
…
“Wait, wait… wait.” Marinette held out her hands to stop Luka, as if she could stop him from telling her the truth by doing so, “you’re telling me that not only you figured out WHO Chat Noir is but now you know who he is and who I am?”
Luka nodded yes hesitantly, unaccustomed to her freak outs.
“Oh, this is bad, so bad!” Marinette got up and began to pace around the room, “what if Hawkmoth figured out who you are and that you knew! It’d put a target on your back! And… and what about our families? Our parents and Juleka?!”
Tikki flew out and around Marinette’s head, “Marinette! It’ll be alright, we’ll figure something out.”
Luka got up and stopped Marinette from pacing, placing his hands on her shoulders as she began to cry, “look at me Marinette! Please.”
“I really messed up here, I failed you, our parents and, and Paris!” She wiped her eyes as the tears began to flow.
“What? No! Marinette, you did nothing wrong, something like this was bound to happen anyway, secrets aren’t good for teams. This way, if something happened to either of you, I would likely hear about it and at least be able to tell the other one of you about whether or not you’re coming.”
“Yes!” Tikki quickly agreed, “he does have a point and since Hawkmoth doesn’t know who he is and since Viperion rarely helps out, he should be safe!”
“But… but what are we going to do?” Marinette asked in desperation as Luka drew her into a hug to comfort her as she sniffed, “we can’t go back and change things, we don’t have Bunnix around yet after all.”
“Bunnix?” Luka asked.
Tikki explained, “the rabbit kwami, she can help her chosen to travel through time, but only in the most serious of circumstances.”
“Is it really so bad that I know?” Luka asked, “I’ve been doing my best to not get akumatized again.”
Marinette shivered in his arms and he held her tighter. “Is there someone we can talk to about this?” He carefully asked.
“Oh! Yes!” Tikki exclaimed as she went and found Marinette’s phone, nudging Marinette’s arm with it until she took it.
Luka led Marinette over to the chaise and he sat down with her beside him.
Marinette leaned onto his shoulder for support as she swallowed and began to explain, “there’s a Guardian, a Guardian of the Miraculous. He’s kind of hiding from Hawkmoth right now, but I can call him and maybe he can give us some a-advice?”
Luka nodded appreciatively, “please do.”
He watched her enter in her passcode to unlock her phone, then he grinned when he saw that her background picture was of her and Kitty Section, with him at her side. “Love the picture.”
Marinette giggled once, elbowing him slightly before pulling up her contacts and tapped on the Turtle icon for the Guardian.
It rang four times before it was picked up by a near breathless Master Fu, “I’m sorry I couldn’t answer immediately Marinette, I haven’t had to dart into a closet for some privacy in a long time. Did you need something?”
Marinette and Tikki giggled before Tikki spoke, “Master, we have a bit of a problem. Viperion has figured out Marinette’s and Chat Noir’s identities.”
“Has he told her who Chat Noir is?” Master Fu replied.
“I didn’t think that I had the right to do that, especially when I knew that Marinette didn’t want me to reveal her identity to anyone. I just couldn’t help it, if you know what I mean.” Luka told them vaguely.
“Ah, I do understand. Well, that is something to go off of then.” Master Fu replied thoughtfully. “We will need to be more cautious now.”
“How can we do that Master?” Marinette asked. “I know we brought on Viperion to help me feel better and to get through, well, that, and I am feeling better now about that situation already. To- to an extent. Sh-should we call on Bunnix?” Marinette bit her lip before adding, “b-but I’m afraid that things might be worse if we do.”
Master Fu hummed, “well he seems to be a responsible individual and changing the past is not ideal, if something went wrong again, the outcome could be much worse.”
Marinette looked crestfallen, “this is all my fault.”
“No Marinette.” Luka told her, “you needed this. Paris needed this, it’s not your fault that I figured out what I did and I’m not going to tell anyone, I can keep a secret, especially for you.”
Marinette looked up at him and nodded once but then shook her head, “but what if you get akumatized again?”
“Well, you’ve managed to hold off akumas, I’m sure you could teach me a thing or two there.”
“That she could.” You could almost hear Master Fu stroking his beard thoughtfully. “However, she cannot protect you at all times in case your identity or what you know becomes known. I have been considering this for a time, but I think that the situation has made the decision for us.”
“What is that Master?” Marinette asked.
“I think it is time to set up some semi-permanent heroes.”
