#brucinette

Dickinette:

Often a Villain x Hero romance, usually Black Cat Marinette and Nightwing.

A good trope to be sure, but I think we should spice it up more.

Vampire Dick Truthers (you know who you are) have a point with their Vampire Dick and Mari fics. Why not make Dick the villain in Mari's Rogue Gallery???

Overall a great trope, especially if you really delve into their characters: both are 'sunshine' characters who fight everyday to be the nice, kind heroes everyone thinks they are and expects them to be, even though it's the hardest route to take.

Jasonette:

(I'm biased as it's my #1 Maribat ship, but I'll try not to go on too long >.<)

Villain x Hero? Hero x Hero? Amazing, outstanding. What about Villain x Villain? I myself would love to see more Rogue Jason and Rogue Mari fics.

Any AU is amazing. I admit to having a fondness for Mob Boss Jason, partly because he is one in canon, at least for a while, and because I'm addicted to dark/mafia romance novels. Lieutenant Mari? Yes, please. Rival Mob Boss Mari? Heck yeah! Bat-affiliate Mari? Gimme. Please.

The amount of character exploration you could do if you wrote a romance where they actually stayed together, looking at you, DC is intriguing. Would Jason change for someone he loved? Would he give up crime lording? Would Mari accept him anyways but then they'd have to deal with one half running from the law/vigilantes and the other half being on the vigilantes' side?

Also, soft Jason. Nerding out over books and music and fashion and appreciating the fine things in life and meeting this cute fashion designer with a penchant to listen to Jagged Stone-

So many AU opportunities!! Bakery AU! Mafia AU! Coffee Shop AU! Meetcute at the Museum AU!...

Okay I'll move on now:(

Timari:

LISTEN

This ship IS THE DEFINITION OF THE CEO X SECRETARY TROPE!

I need more, I don't care if it's overused

Also, rival hackers or geniuses.

OR COFFEE SHOP AU

They're both coffee monsters, it's perfect

No I don't care that there are two dozen coffee shop Timari AUs, give me more.

Daminette:

ACADEMIC RIVALS TO LOVERS

Or just rivals to lovers is fine too

YOU REALLY THINK THESE TWO 'MUST BE THE TOP IN CLASS' WOULDN'T BE FIGHTING OVER GRADES AND THEN PAIRED UP ON AN ASSIGNMENT BECAUSE THEY'RE TOO INTENSE TO WORK WITH ANYONE ELSE AND THEN THEY HAVE TO WORK TOGETHER AT ALL TIMES LEST THE OTHER SABOTAGE THEIR PROJECT AND THEN THEY FALL IN LOVE-

anyways

I'm not even into HP but I want a Hogwarts AU with these two-

or any dark academia rivals to lovers au

Roynette:

Enemies or Rivals to Lovers

It's just a simple misunderstanding, as all large rifts start off with.

There's a translation issue or an eavesdropping that is taken out of context

(they're both idiots your honour)

But then something happens and they have to work together or they're made to talk and they realize it's all just a misunderstanding

And then they're like... " while we're clearing the air...so uh, I kinda have a crush on you'

"no way, me too!!"

And Mari meets Lian (or maybe that's what starts this, Jason and Mari are hanging out babysitting Lian and Roy comes to pick Lian up and they start talking and and and-)

And Mari loves Lian immediately of course, who wouldn't?

And so Roy likes her more because she likes Lian so automatically she's not as bad as he thought, and Lian really likes her too

And then they fall in love and Jason and Lian are the master matchmakers behind the scenes

You can pry OTP Jason & Lian setting up Roynette out of my cold dead hands

Konette:

I haven't seen or read a ton of Konette, but they usually meet at the Titans

Friends to Lovers 100%

They're both quiet and new and feeling out the dynamics

so they're often pushed together on purpose or by accident because the others are just so loud and chaotic

And then they become BFFs and are less inclined to join the others' chaos and so spend more time together, and so the cycle continues

And then one day something happens

Kon is Kryptonian and Mari had the Miraculous, they're usually the least-damaged members, but something happens, there's Kryptonite or magic or Something and one or both gets hurt.

The other jumps in front of them to take the blow because they can't let the other get hurt

"Why did you do that?!"

"I couldn't let you get hurt. You need to save our teammates."

Then the hurt one faints or passes out and the other confesses and thinks they can't hear them

They get back to the Tower safely and get treated and wake up and then they see the other

"Did you say you loved me, when I was passed out?"

"You heard that? Uh...yeah, I love you."

"I love you too!"

They silenced their voices as there was a commotion across the room. The crowd was entering and everyone was clamoring for a chance to mingle. This was their opportunity to sneak in without anyone seeing them. Moving quickly, they joined the crowd and no one even noticed them. The crowd was packed too tight for them to see much beyond those near them, but they were not particularly concerned. They were just here so Alya could continue writing about what happened at the ball. The reactions of others were far more important and they would do well to stay away from the guests who wanted attention. There would be too much scrutiny for their ruse to survive.

The conversation was exhausting, if she were honest. She would be content to sit back and admire all the clothing of the rich and powerful people here. She could embellish her dresses as much as she wanted but she could never hope to afford such luxurious fabrics. The fact that she had managed to get ahold of the fabric for this dress was a fluke. Lady Kagami was supposed to go but she was using the opportunity to sneak away. It was why she had commissioned Marinette to make the dress and she had put in a good word for Nino to join the minstrels. She wanted to become a knight but her mother was pushing for her to get married into a good family. The rumor was that the Duke would be returning to find a wife so Lady Tsurugi was determined for her daughter to meet him.

Even with the mask, Marinette felt fully exposed every time someone raised an eyebrow at her response. She didn’t know enough about what she was supposed to say to know what she was even doing wrong. All the conversation to her felt forced but it seemed to be so easy for everyone else. She felt like everyone was watching her because her bright red gown was out of place while the other ladies were all in muted colors that fit nicely with the deep colors the men wore. She stuck out by her attire and her behavior so she moved towards a hallway to escape notice. There was a garden with a paved path and flowers all around. The candles lit a pathway and she followed it, breathing in the fragrant aroma. She had always wanted to visit this garden but it was off limits to her.

She was alone for several minutes before a voice interrupted her thoughts. She turned suddenly, panicking at the intrusion. She had heard no footsteps but before her was a man all in black. His mask stuck out from his face bringing his eyes into focus but surrounded by sharp points like the wings of a bat. It was so different from her soft mask that laid against her face. The red of the mask matched her dress and the black lace pattern on the edge matched the lace that formed the ladybug spots across the dress. The delicate gauzy material that formed split cape wings from her shoulders was also used to make a hair piece that formed antennae above her head. The look was finished with long black gloves that nearly touched the loose off the shoulder sleeves.

“I didn’t expect to find anyone else out here,” his voice was soft and deep.

“Oh,” she said, stepping back. She hadn’t expected him to be so tall. “I could leave. I just needed a moment alone and it was so lovely.”

“It seems that a ladybug is in the natural spot surrounded by flowers.”

“I suppose that is true, but the night gives way for the right of bats to have territory.”

“That is also true. If we both have the right then I suppose we both may stay here.”

She stepped away and sat on a nearby bench.

“I appreciate that. I enjoy the quiet here.”

It could have been awkward. Maybe even should have been but it was nice. Marinette slipped out her design book and started drawing based on what she could remember of the clothing she had seen. She rarely had the opportunity to see such fine attire. She may see regular day clothes for the nobility but tonight they were in their finery to outdo each other and it was magnificent. She continued for quite some time, forgetting that she wasn’t alone until the batman spoke again.

“You have some skill with that. You must have had a good teacher to learn drawing so well.”

He was watching her closely. She wondered how long he had been watching her. She didn’t know if he was sincere. Insincerity as a slight was second nature to many of the nobility but his eyes didn’t seem to hold contempt as she was accustomed to.

“I was not trained to draw. I just found I enjoy doing it,” she said.

He sat on the bench next to her and reached out his hand, silently requesting to see what she had drawn. She passed it over and he flipped through the pages for a few minutes before handing it back to her. She tried not to suck in her breath as their fingers brushed together.

“I was trained for many years and that is a far better skill than I ever managed.”

They went silent again for a few moments. She didn’t know if it was considered rude to remain silent. Perhaps she was expected to present a conversation topic for them but she had no thoughts on it. She enjoyed sitting in silence without having to work to think of the right thing to say. She may have outed herself by saying nothing though because after their brief pause, he cleared his throat. She looked over apprehensively, expecting him to get angry and have her dragged out of the party for masquerading as a noble.

“It grows late,” he said, “I find myself in danger of breaking a promise.”

“Please, don’t let me hold you up. I am fine here on my own.”

“I prefer being here. I also found the party a little too much for me. But I made a promise to dance tonight and there is only one young lady I wish to dance with.”

Marinette stood and faced him, leaving her small book on the bench.

“If you remember anything about her, I could try to locate her for you,” she was definitely showing her deference here at trying to meet the needs of a noble.

“I would like that very much,” he said. He stood as well. “She was the most beautiful woman at the party but I don’t think you will find her in there anymore.”

He took a step towards her, bringing an arm up to her elbow. She could feel the heat from his fingertips through her long gloves. His thumb brushed against the lace at the top.

“Everyone in the room noticed her beauty and they were buzzing with envy. Her smile was sweet and her eyes were bright blue.”

“I will look around. It is good you were able to see the eyes since everyone was in a mask. Do you remember any other details about her or her clothing?”

“Her dress,” he paused, stepping even closer. She looked up at him and he was looking down at her with something in his eyes that she couldn’t place. He leaned closer before he whispered, “it was the most lovely shade of red.”

She was dazed when he whispered near her ear. She could feel her cheeks heat up at the movement of his face near her. She had never been so close to a man she wasn’t related to. She was flooded with feelings she didn’t recognize even before she registered what he had said. Her mouth froze into an oh and her eyes were wide. She was not only wearing red, but she had been the only person in attendance wearing red. His hand slid from her elbow down to take her hand in his. He positioned his feet and placed his other hand at her waist.

She moved stiffly into the formal dancing position. She had learned as a child but it was mostly play for her. She had not had actual instruction or any expectation of learning the steps. It was just for fun as the children of the servants liked to pretend they were suddenly swept away into the court. She enjoyed dancing but she had always done far more on her own than as the partner of someone who knew the steps. She didn’t even realize she was looking down at her feet to make sure she didn’t step on his until he used his hand to tilt her head up.

“Just follow me. I’ll steer you. Close your eyes if it helps.”

She closed her eyes and she could hear the music in the distance. She leaned slightly closer and followed his movement. She was lost in the feeling. He started speaking, telling her about his childhood and his hopes for the future. She felt like she was swimming or still dancing but he had stopped and was watching her. There was nothing she could say about her childhood or her plans of the future that would not give her away. Her childhood had been vastly different and her plans for the future were more modest than anything that he would expect.

“It is customary to remove the mask at some point in the evening,” he said as he reached for his own. “I hope you will be happy with the man you find behind it.”

He removed his mask before she comprehended what was happening. His blue eyes watched hers and his black hair fell down over his forehead. She was stunned. He was possibly the most attractive man she had ever seen and she knew that for a fact because she had seen him before. Her parents worked as bakers in the kitchens here. She would often help them and she knew him as he grew up. Not personally, definitely not. The baker’s daughter was only suited to be friends with the children of the chef and the maids. She would never have played with Bruce Wayne, the son of the Duke. Not the son anymore. His parents had died when he was a child leaving him with the title. He had left not long after for schooling only to return now.

She stumbled backwards, falling over in her hurry. She didn’t look back as he called out to her. She pushed herself up off the ground and ran, holding her skirts up to help her get away. He was chasing after her but she turned off onto a darker pathway and made her way to the back entrance where her parents were probably already asleep. They would probably have expected her to sleep over with Alya, knowing that they had a tendency to stay up giggling far too late for the wake time of their parents. Some days they would both have to work early with their parents but they did allow them the occasional freedom to sleep late.

She was quiet as she carefully removed the dress. She hoped that the fall had not damaged it. It had been expensive and she expected that Lady Kagami might need it returned to her one day. She put on her nightgown and crawled onto her pallet to sleep. She didn’t sleep though. She laid awake for hours thinking. The whispers around the house were that the Duke had to return to be married. He would lose his land and titles if he didn’t settle down and marry. The expectation was that all the marriageable ladies would be in attendance at the ball and he would pick one lucky lady to be his duchess.

But he had revealed himself to Marinette and she was not a lady. She fell into a fitful sleep just as the day was dawning. It was far too soon when she woke up to voices. Not just her parents' voices. She splashed water on her face and pulled her dress over her head. She could hear footsteps coming and even if her parents allowed her the day to sleep late, it would not be acceptable for anyone else to find her this way. She slid on her shoes and tucked her hair into a scarf covering her hair. The dress she tucked into the pillow so it wouldn’t be discovered by her parents. She slid her hand into the pocket to find her notebook to discover it wasn’t there.

She suddenly realized where she had left it just as the door opened. Her mother looked around and motioned for her to follow. Her parents looked serious and she immediately realized why. Sitting at their table was the butler from upstairs, sipping tea. He watched Marinette as she walked out but he continued making casual conversation with her father. Her mother was pretending everything was fine but Marinette could tell that she was nervous. She tended to love having guests. She would bring out a tray of cakes and tea and sit but now she was moving more slowly and shaking slightly.

Marinette took the tray for her and placed it on the table.

“That won’t be necessary,” Mr Pennyworth said. He was still watching her for any reaction. “We will be leaving.”

He stood and walked to the door and the three of them stayed in their places.

“If you would all follow me,” he said.

Marinette kept her face neutral as she felt her parents turn to look at her. This wasn’t fair to them. She would have to find a way to keep them out of trouble for her mistakes. Hopefully Alya and Lady Kagami had been spared any connection to her being there and her parents could convincingly say they were completely unaware and it would sound right because it was true. It took several minutes walking through the corridors and up several flights of stairs before they arrived in the library.

There was tea laid out and Mr Pennyworth motioned for them to sit. He handed out cups of tea and offered cakes that they had prepared themselves but were far fancier than they had in their own apartment. Her father was stoic and held his mug out but her mother immediately put hers on the table, unable to hold it steady. Marinette took a hesitant sip. She had just woken up and expected she would need the tea to fortify her.

“Do you perhaps recognize this?”

Mr Pennyworth took her drawing book and put it before them on the table. Of course they recognized it. They had proudly given it to her on her last birthday. It had been a very expensive gift but they wanted to encourage her in her love of the fashions as they were able. They probably regretted it now. They certainly would not be proud when they heard about what she had done.

“That belongs to my daughter,” her father said. She knew to let him speak first or risk insulting everyone by speaking out of turn. “She takes it with her everywhere. I am certain if she lost it. it was an honest mistake.”

“Oh Papa,” she said in a small voice. “I’m so sorry.”

She paused before taking a breath and looking up.

“Please, my parents would never have allowed me to go where I wasn’t allowed. They had no idea. Don’t punish them for my transgressions.”

He walked right in front of her and her parents watched her horrified as he listed them out in front of them.

“You do admit that you snuck into the masquerade ball last night,” she nodded. “You wandered into the garden where you are not allowed to be.” She nodded again. “You danced and conversed with a gentleman knowing that he had now knowledge of your lack of rank.”

She looked at her parents' faces to see the horror and disappointment at her behavior.

“It is all true,” she said. “I did everything you said and all without my parent’s knowing. If they had known, they would have done whatever it took to stop me, including turning me in for my own protection.”

“You believe she is the same one, sir?”

The butler had turned to address the Duke as he entered the library as silently as he had the garden last night.

“I am certain it is her,” he said.

The room was still for a beat until Mr Pennyworth turned back and addressed her parents.

“I am sure you know that this is very serious,” he paused as they nodded. Marinette looked down and tried to keep the hot tears from slipping down her face. “The Duke has returned as many have likely speculated to seek a marriage. This has become complicated because after last night he says he will marry no one,” he paused dramatically and fixed his eyes on them and then pointed at Marinette, “except her.”

Her parents both tried to talk at once but Marinette couldn’t get over her shock until the Duke came over to her and knelt down.

“I know we just met, but I felt more comfortable with you in a few hours than I have with anyone in my life. Would you do me the honor of marrying me?”

“I am not a noble, what business would I have marrying a Duke?”

“If you want to say no, say that but if you want to say yes, I swear to you I will make it happen.”

“I want to say yes,” she looked beside her at her parents and they were nodding in agreement.

“Then, we shall be married.”

He pulled her up to stand in front of him and lightly kissed her cheek. Then he pulled a ring out of his jacket.

“This was my mother’s.”