Hi again and welcome back to the FANDOM-sphere! For this week’s fanfic recommendation, we're doing something a little different and recommending a fic on tumblr, this fic is written by the amazing gale-of-the-nomads and although I’m not entirely caught up, I have loved every bit of it so far. Soulmate Survey by @gale-of-the-nomads is currently at 17 parts and counting.
If you enjoy seeing your otp using dating apps to lead them to their true love, then you need to check this out.
Since I don’t think there is an official summary that has been posted yet, I’ll do my best to give a brief one.
Unofficial Summary: When a new dating app becomes popular due to its accuracy, everyone in school signs up – including Adrien and Marinette. And when they get matched as 100% compatible, things are sure to get interesting.
If you haven’t checked out the story yet, follow this link to a master post to read all the available parts and be sure to like, reblog, and comment to let gale know how much you enjoyed it!
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a friend of mine said she's never read anything worthwhile written in first-person-present, so i took it upon myself to have a stab at it. >:3
this is really contextual and left intentionally ambiguous, hopefully that doesn't suck the enjoyment out of it lmao. this is a part in darius's story i've had in my head for ages. it's during RRG wherein he kills scribe haylen, and nearly dies himself from bloodloss but I CUT SHORT OF THAT haha. he has multiple PTSD flashbacks of his past tribe leaders, who are the cause of nearly all the trauma he's experienced in his life.
UH ENJOY!?
Inside my armor, the atmosphere tastes like hot salt. Painfully, through the cavity of its mechanical chest, I draw back my arm and jam it through the small space to reach the Psycho apparatus poised at my neck. The chemical dives into me; in minutes the back of my skull swims with tar. The folds of my brain simmer until they hiss with steam and it comes from my throat in bursts. The animal that sleeps within me unfurls.
So bloated with fever, the steel becomes a prison. A trap of wires, useless sensors and hugging walls beat my skin as my body panics, until the release understands and sets me free. Wet and birthed I spill out but the thundering world burns my back and it bites me it bites me it bites me.
When the animal was always awake and my throat was always loud, He told me war was easy. We could transcend humanity, He said to me with glorious certainty -- and knowing only the thrill of seeing another sun was where the purpose of our sentience lay. To embrace the hunt, to sheer the malleable flesh from our God-given bone weapons, to haul the true mantle of the Apex Predator upon ourselves: This absolved us of our empathetic coil.
Something like a man, shoulders busy with dangling bones that cackled, He would approach my trembling and lift me. His fist full of my hair and my ears full of His voice, He shouted out the fear. Howling misquoted old world biology textbooks in beast tones until I was so heavy with the words that my thoughts fell out. The one eye He had left bulged from the shadow of His mask when He spoke as if lit from within. It struck my memory so horribly that I can only imagine it at the center of His maw, His teeth gnashing around it like a stained crown.
"Kill, Consume, Rise again!" He would chant, and the others would echo Him in discordant bellowing. "Banish the ego! Fly free from the servitude of the fellow man! Maintain the Order, Praise the Jaws of the Beast God!"
Alone in the night, with His mangled form pressed to mine, in confidence He said that war was easy. War was easy because I was only a dog, and dogs don't conceive of precious things.
The throaty moan of energy weapon discharge eats the skin off my back. Air bends cold against the pounding white heat pushing me to my knees, seizing my spine, forcing my voice. Gunshot, and someone familiar calls out to me, asks if I'm okay. Hands come at me but the chemical hauls me up better than they can. It nurses me, suckles the burning from the wound like a weeping teet. My eyes go, but my feet run.
Consciousness comes again in another room. I left my gun in the armor. There's guns around me; the dead have no need of them but neither do I. The only weapons I need are right here. Right here inside. Two Hundred and Six.
I hide behind a crate, the only quiet I can find. The wound on my back is a strange crackling mass and my muscles rebel. Hands have gone off. They come back with another drug. I shake as it arrives at my lips. The putrid taste of it swells in my mouth -- suck it into my lungs. I wait. The world slows down. When I rise the soft parts of me begin to constrict and disappear, the animal chews through me, splits from my teeth and the acid burns all the way up but it unfolds around me and I am covered in barbs now. The inside-out weapon that lives in me like a symbiotic other bristles at the world; armor better than the steel trap.
A Brotherhood man enters the room. I lift the crate and barge forward, crushing it, crushing him. He is screaming as the wood splinters through his fatigues. I keep pushing until his chest collapses and the scream isn't there anymore.
Painted wood and shattered tile pave the way to the stairs. They lead to the roof, I think. The better parts of me grind against the bed of my skull, begging reprieve of the viscous death smell, guiding me up. The steps seem to thrust out from the corridor to meet my feet. Someone hears the thunder and appears at the landing; she tries to shoot, beats her empty gun in panic, and flees. The animal roars and I give chase.
I am so aware.
Her laser pistol clatters at my feet, catching my ankle and altering my stride. Massive screaming eyes flash up while her hands yank the revolver from one of the Good ones. Language squeals and buckles from her as she stumbles backward onto her heels and retreats the short distance to the wall. I keep coming.
She checks the barrel, aims. She's so young. Strands of hair had escaped the clutches of her hood, falling across a once soft face now shattered by the impact of her mortality. Trying to protect it, she squeezes and the gun blinds us both. It eats through my shoulder fiber by bone by fiber. My hand slaps my hip and flails uselessly behind me but I keep coming.
It's okay, because I have one more.
Her head produces a loud crack against the wall when my heavy paw finds her throat. Elbow nearly caves with the force. Saliva and pink heat slam forward from the inside of her face. The gun disappears as her clutching climbs my arm, pulling the sleeve. She doesn't belong here. She's so young.
When the animal was always awake and I was young too, I found my hand like this. His gore stained under my nails, dyed my skin the wrong colour, climbed into my nose and wouldn't go. Beneath me, Her hair reeked of the fighting and She smiled. Someone pounded at me, struck at my head but I couldn't stop.
The Brotherhood girl rains her regrets over my wrist, lost in my eyes that are lost somewhere else. Her neck is warm and it throbs, "Fhhh-- Find him--... You can hhehhh-- ...Help him... P-paladin Danse-- He's--"
There was a time when I was kept. They held me close to Their breast but far from Their mercy. They merged above me and with me and filled me with the animal day by day by day by day until I killed and I killed so much I killed Them too. He never knew I would, but She did. There was a time when I broke free, and She let me do it.
The adrenaline keeps me lucid, keeps me raw. The young, beautiful throat that doesn't belong bends against my hand. It resists, trembling before a silent pop bursts up through my palm and the assembly of her neck collapses into her spinal column. My fingers flatten against the wall.
She has a voice, she has a life, she has a purpose. I consume it.
Hi everyone, and welcome back to the FANDOM-sphere for our #shipitthursday! For this week, our ship we wanted to talk about is the beautiful Julerose ship. Julerose is the ship for Juleka Couffaine and Rose Lavillant. This ship is especially sweet because Rose and Juleka are also best friends who have been shown to care about each other immensely.
We've seen the two of them support each other. First, in Princess Fragrance, when Rose shared her crush on Prince Ali. Juleka listened as she gushed about him and was ready with a tissue for Rose when the blonde got emotional. Not only that, but when rewatching that scene, I saw that Juleka watches Rose with what might possibly be the softest look seen in this show yet. We've also seen Rose support Juleka when, in Reflekta, Juleka dealt with her picture curse. Rose is there to try and comfort her friend and then there again to share in the pictures they take together at the park.
These girls support each other in more than just their personal life dreams and problems. They are in the band Kitty Section together. We also see that they spend time together writing songs for the band to perform.
One of the best moments we've been given as fans, comes from Zombizou, when we see an infected (but unknowing) Rose sitting with Juleka and being comforted. The way Juleka wraps her in her arms and tries to make sure she is okay is adorable. And made all the more exciting when Rose infects her by kissing her lips.
Juleka and Rose are one of my favorite ships because they are constantly trying to take care of each other and protect one another. This ship has a way of making me happy just when I think over all of their moments in the show.
To finish off, we wanted to share with you some adorable fanart we have found of these two:
• This super cute doodle of Julerose together by @min-xie
And if you are looking for more Julerose content, check out @julerosejuly2019 and enjoy what they’ve put together there!
Thanks for visiting the FANDOM-sphere! We'll see you tomorrow for our fanfiction Friday piece – the Epilogue of our fic Carried Away. We'll also be uploading the second episode of our podcast, so be on the look out!
So for the month of august, Emery and I will (instead of our usual posts) be participating in AU Yeah August!
Here is day 1: bed sharing prompt written by Emery (PaperAndInk). We will also be getting these up onto ao3 when we have the chance. Please be advised each day will be a separate one-shot and this series will cover a variety of ships/characters. (@auyeahaugust )
Enjoy!
1. Bed Sharing
by @emerywrites
Ships: Gabriel/Nathalie
It had been three days since Nathalie and Gabriel had become fugitives. Their miraculouses had been confiscated as soon as Ladybug and Chat Noir managed to subdue them. The shock on the heroes’ faces had been a sight to behold. Chat Noir had looked ill when he laid eyes on them. Nathalie and Gabriel had fled.
Gabriel had barely spoken to her past figuring out their next move. It was a constant struggle to stay one step ahead of the authorities. It was terrifying to think that with one misstep they could be on their way to prison. Gabriel’s money and status could only do so much for him and Nathalie would not have either of those luxuries.
They currently found themselves at a motel where all they had available was a single bed. Nathalie showered and changed first. Not even the hot water and steam from the shower could wash away the stress of being on the run. She put on scratchy pajama shorts and a too large t-shirt. They hadn’t had much time for shopping, nor did they have much available money. All of Gabriel’s assets had been frozen and all Nathalie had was what her brother had offered her before he had asked them to leave his house and never contact him again.
Nathalie sat on the edge of the bed as she waited for Gabriel to exit the bathroom. She thought about where they could go from there. They would have to leave the country. Every path had its obstacles. Gabriel had to have some idea of where they could go. But why was he holding back? Maybe he was in shock. He was still working through the loss of having to suddenly leave everything he’d known behind. Nathalie understood. It was difficult for her also. She truly cared for Emilie and Adrien. She was also leaving her own family behind.
It was twenty minutes before she heard the shower turn off and another fifteen before Gabriel finally came out. By the time he appeared, she had been beginning to worry about him.
He had on sweat pants and a t-shirt that came from the same package as the one she was wearing. He looked very unlike Gabriel Agreste. His hair was messy and unstyled, wearing clothing that came out of a plastic package, and his eyes lacked the piercing confidence that they had previously contained. He looked… lost.
“I… can sleep on the floor,” he offered.
Nathalie shook her head. “We can share the bed. There’s no reason why either of us should be uncomfortable.”
Gabriel hesitantly rounded the bed to the opposite side as Nathalie moved under the covers. He sat down and began placing the two extra pillows between them.
“You don’t need to do that.”
He ignored her and finished before turning off the lamp on his bedside table and sliding under the covers. He rolled onto his side, facing away from her. The walls he put between them felt more and more insurmountable with each day that passed. Nathalie reached over to touch his arm, but thought better of it and retreated. She rolled onto her side, away from him and turned off her own lamp with a click. How was she supposed to breach the boundaries he had built up?
“What’s our next move?” she asked as she took off her glasses and placed them on the bedside table. She heard his own glasses clatter as he did the same.
There was a long silence. She was beginning to think that she was being ignored when he hoarsely bit out, “I don’t know.”
“Well,” She swallowed hard and licked her lips. “What was your plan for if Ladybug and Chat Noir won?”
“I never had one,” he admitted. “I never planned for failure.” He spit out the word venomously. The force of it made her flinch.
Nathalie rolled over to look at him. His back was still facing her, the pillows still in place. It somehow surprised her that he’d never thought about what to do should they fail. But that was his constant short-coming: overconfidence. He put everything he had into everything he did. Most of the time it paid off… Not this time.
She let out a slow breath. It hurt to not reach out to him. Slowly-- ever so slowly-- she reached over the pillows once again. Her fingertips lightly brushed his upper arm covered by the sleeve of the t-shirt.
“Gabriel…”
“I’ve lost everything,” he said simply. “My wife, my son, my miraculous, my business, my home… Ladybug and Chat Noir have taken all of it from me. I have nothing left.”
Nathalie found herself at a loss. What was there to say? How could she possibly make him feel better after losing so much? Then she heard it, a sob. It was a signal that the dam was breaking. He couldn’t hold in his grief any longer.
She tossed aside the pillows between them and wrapped her arms around his chest. He was shaking with the force of each desperate sob and whimper. Nathalie clung to him tighter, as if she could physically hold him together and keep him from breaking.
“What is the point of going on… when I have nothing left?” he asked.
“Gabriel, no. You have me. You will always have me.”
He didn’t reply.
Eventually, the sobs dissipated. His breathing evened out. Gabriel fell asleep.
Nathalie didn’t let go. She held on, praying that he would find the strength to continue on. And if he couldn’t, if he had no hope left within him, then she would have to have enough strength for the both of them. She buried her face in his shoulder and held back the tears that burned behind her eyes.
“I love you, Gabriel. I will fight for you until the end and beyond… no matter what.”
The next morning, they moved on, staying one step ahead.
Here's day 2 of our AU Yeah August series. This one was also written by Emery. @auyeahaugust
Enjoy!
2. Convention
by @emerywrites
Ships: Marc/Nathaniel
Author's note: For this AU the characters are aged up to about 19, and Marc and Nathaniel did not attend school together.
It was loud, hectic, and crowded. More people than Marc had ever expected had shown up for the first ever Ladybug and Chat Noir convention. He suspected that it had to do with all of the rumors that the super heroes themselves were going to make an appearance.
He admired Ladybug and Chat Noir as much as any Parisian, but they weren’t the reason he scraped together enough money for a ticket and forced himself out of his comfort zone to attend the convention. It was a certain artist who posted his fan art of Paris’s heroes on a blog. As soon as Marc had seen that Nathaniel was going to be selling his artwork at the convention, he knew he had to be there. He desperately wanted to meet the artist who had inspired him so much in the past year. But now as he stood nearby watching people walking by and admiring the art at the booths, doubts swirled within him, clouding his mind.
Was it creepy that he was attending specifically to meet Nathaniel? Would his favorite artist think him a stalker? Marc wanted to run. His eyes darted to the nearest exit and he took a step in that direction. A laugh turned his attention back to Nathaniel’s booth. The red-head was laughing at something a girl visiting his booth had said. His stomach fluttered at the sound. Marc shifted his weight from one foot to the other. He just had to work up the courage. Nathaniel didn’t have to know he was there only to meet him.
The minutes ticked by as Marc tried to make himself go over. Just as he took a step, a rather boisterous group of teens ran up to Nathaniel’s booth. Marc let out a shaky sigh. And, as if the artist could here it over his fans and the rest of the convention, Nathaniel looked up and his gaze shifted to Marc.
Marc bolted. He didn’t know why, maybe he was afraid Nathaniel would be able to tell just from looking at him what his motivations for coming to the convention were, or maybe he was just afraid of nothing… like he always was.
He got outside and felt himself deflate. His shoulders hunched as he wrapped his arms around himself. Other convention goers strolled past in their Ladybug and Chat Noir cosplay and holding their merch that they had purchased, completely unaware of the fool he’d just made of himself.
Marc pulled out his cell phone and called his friend. She drove for a rideshare app and he hoped that she would spare a few minutes to come pick him up to save him from any further humiliation.
“What’s up, Marc?” Alix greeted when she answered.
“Hey, could you, maybe come get me. This whole meeting Nathaniel thing isn’t working out. I’m just embarrassing myself here. I’ll pay you if you want. I just… I need to leave.”
“What? Why? What happened? Was he a jerk to you or something?” She sounded as if she was about to come out there just to beat up Nathaniel.
“No!” That would be quite the headline: “Small, Angry Rideshare Driver Murders Up And Coming Artist”. “Please, he would just think I was pathetic if he met me. I’d rather not put myself through that.”
Alix sighed. “Look, man, you are a cool guy. He would be so lucky meet you. I’m sure you guys would hit it off if you just gave him a chance… gave yourself a chance. Nath is a great guy. I think he’d really like you.”
Marc frowned in confusion. “You talk like you know him.”
“We went to school together. We lost touch after we graduated. I text him sometimes pretending to be the ghost of the goldfish he killed when he was seven.”
“You know him!” Marc shouted into the phone, attracting the attention of those around him. He blushed and turned away, speaking lower. “Why didn’t you tell me before?”
“Because I wanted you to do this on your own. Go talk to him. If he turns out to be a jerk now, call me back and I’ll come get you. Deal?”
Marc didn’t see what other choice he had. “Fine.”
After hanging up with Alix, Marc procrastinated going back to Nathaniel’s booth. He walked around, bought a hand-made Chat Noir plush, watched the costume contest, checked out some other booths, saw some cosplayers putting on a show, and even sat on a bench to contemplate his life choices for a while.
Finally, he made his way back to Nathaniel’s booth… just in time to see him packing up. His work must have been pretty popular. There were a few other artists who were throwing Nathaniel dirty looks as he put away the one print he still had left.
Marc wanted to kick himself. He had wasted the opportunity he had to meet someone so special. He buried his face in his hands. Now, he had to call Alix and admit that he had screwed up.
“Excuse me.”
Marc lifted his head to see… Nathaniel.
His heart leapt into his throat and he would have run if his feet hadn’t felt like they were glued to the floor. How was Nathaniel there, standing in front of him, talking to him?
“Y-yes?”
“I saw you earlier. You were watching my booth for a while.”
Marc blushed and nodded.
Nathaniel let the silence stretch for a moment as if he was waiting for Marc to say more. When he didn’t, Nathaniel continued. “If you want a print, I still have one left.” He pulled out an art piece from his portfolio case and handed it to him. “Free of charge.”
It was a drawing in a night setting of Ladybug sitting on the ledge of a roof, looking contemplative. It was beautiful. He wondered what Ladybug would think if she had gotten to see it. To him, it was a masterpiece.
Nathaniel rocked back on his heels and chewed his bottom lip. “Do you like it?”
Marc’s eyes flicked up to the artist then back down to the drawing. He wouldn’t be able to speak if his eyes were on Nathaniel. “I love it. The way you did her eyes is amazing. I can see the reflection of the stars sparkling.”
He let his gaze drift back up to see Nathaniel looking away and only just turning back to him. “You’re very talented,” Marc managed to breathe out.
“Do you want to get dinner?” Nathaniel blurted. “Together, I mean. Or drinks? Or coffee would be great to.” He rubbed the back of his neck nervously as he waited for an answer.
Marc’s mouth went dry. How was it possible, that Nathaniel was asking him out? He gripped the Chat Noir plush in his hand and tried to keep his voice steady. “I’d like that. Any of those… Any of those would be nice.” The look of surprise on Nathaniel’s face threw him. Marc couldn’t imagine why he would be expected to reject someone like Nathaniel.
Marc made a split-second decision, refusing to allow himself to second guess it. He shoved the Chat Noir plush in his pocket and grabbed Nathaniel’s hand. “Let’s go.”
Earlier…
“One second,” Nathaniel said to the convention goers admiring his artwork. He took a few steps away and answered his ringing cell phone. He glanced at the caller ID and sighed as he answered. “Hi, Alix.”
“Okay, Nath, I sent him back in. All you have to do is turn on the charm and not screw it up.”
“Obviously he doesn’t want to talk to me.” He glanced back at those standing at his booth. They didn’t seem too bothered that he was on the phone. “Are you sure that he likes more than just my art?”
“Of course I’m sure, stupid,” she said flatly. Then she continued more patiently. “I’m not the kind to play matchmaker, Nath. You know that. So, can’t you just trust that if I’m making this much effort that I must seriously think you guys would be good for each other?”
He shook his head to himself. She was right. Alix normally didn’t care about his love life. This Marc guy had to be something special if she was practically begging him to give him a chance. “Fine. I’ll try.”
“Great! And don’t sound so put out. You said yourself when I sent you his picture that you think he’s hot.”
Nathaniel gave a huff of air that was a suppressed laugh. “Okay, okay. I have to get back to selling my art. I have to pay for food somehow.”
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Welcome back to the FANDOM-sphere! This week we are back on track to air episode 3 of our podcast this Friday! For now, we'll be discussing our Character of the Week- Ivan Bruel. Ivan is Miraculous’ gentle giant. He is a bit intimidating and loves loud music, but he’s got a soft side to him as well. He’s Mylene's boyfriend as well as the drummer for Kitty Section. Ivan is an underrated character who once Emery and I started talking about him, we realized there are so many things about him that we love.
Let’s take a moment to talk about some of Ivan’s most memorable moments so far:
• Stoneheart – in the origins episodes we see Ivan is the first person in Paris to become akumatized. He’s akumatized due to his crush on Mylene and some teasing from Kim. As we see him grow in the series, he seems to become a character who works hard to keep his emotions in control.
• Horrificator – this is the first time we really see Ivan's soft side. It tends to come out around Mylene most. Here we see him comfort Mylene when she is scared during their filming and try to encourage her by giving her one of his pins.
• Pixelator – during this episode we get to see that Ivan interacts well with his classmates. While working at Chloe’s hotel, Ivan and Alix can be seen having a pillow fight in one of the rooms.
• Captain Hardrock – although Ivan’s role in this episode is small, it is the first time we see that he plays in a band.
Spoilers for Season 3 below:
• Party Crasher – in this episode, we see that Ivan is not a good liar. He is only able to tell a story when Nino hands him a script.
Overall, Ivan is one of the purest characters in this show. He can be hotheaded but works hard to maintain control of his emotions. We’ve seen his character develop as the show goes on and he seems to be one of the most consistent characters. He is kind to everyone, gentle with Mylene, and just an all-around awesome guy. Here’s hoping we get some more Ivan in future episodes!
Thanks for joining us for our Character of the Week here at the FANDOM-sphere!
Welcome back to the FANDOM-sphere! For this week's fanfic recommendation, we bring to you a fic focused on the Nathaniel/Marc ship. The Art of Jealousy is a 13k+ word fanfic by Akira_of_the_Twilight (@akira-of-the-twilight ) . And is a must read for any Marc/Nathaniel shipper.
This story gives us some of the best things for a fic of this type. Mutual pining? Check. Miscommunications that cause all kinds of confusion? Check. A perfect balance of angst and fluff? Check. The best ending ever? Check!
This fic gave us all the best excitement and feels for one of our favorite ships. If you haven’t read this one yet, please check out the summary below and follow the link to enjoy this amazing story!
Summary: “That’s great, right?” Marc’s head swiveled between Luka and Nathaniel. “You two can work together.” He hugged his elbow. “All three of us can make a comic book together.”
Nathaniel slapped his pencil down. With agile movements, he slammed his sketchbook shut and gathered up his pencil, book, and satchel.
“Nathaniel?” Marc’s voice came out a squeak.
“What happened to just you and me?” Nathaniel stormed off.
“Wait, Nathaniel, I-” A chair screeched across the floor. Marc yelped. A thump then a grunt.
Nathaniel spun.
Marc lay on the floor, his foot entangled with the chair’s leg, and Luka bent over him. Marc lifted his head. His attention landed on Nathaniel.
Hurt, betrayal, confusion, and a silent plea had taken over Marc’s face.
Guilt body slammed into Nathaniel. He tried to ignore it by focusing on his hurt and anger, but his guilt was a crushing weight that couldn’t be shoved aside.
It could be fled from though.
Nathaniel bolted.
Read it on ao3: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15850518
Welcome back to the FANDOM-sphere for another #fanfictionfriday ! This week we are bringing you the final part of our Lukanette fic How to Date a Superhero. If you’d like to read it on ao3 you can follow this (link) if you need to find our earlier parts, follow the tags on this post. Please enjoy and we’ll see you again next week!
Step 5: Win her heart.Â
Ladybug swung up onto a nearby building and opened her yo-yo into a phone to call Chat. She still couldn’t believe that she’d kissed Luka. It had been a spontaneous impulse brought on by how proud she was of Luka for being Ladybug. He was one of the few people she would trust with such a task and he had done it. He protected Paris. If they didn’t have to keep identities a secret she would shout to the world how great Luka was.
Maybe this was how she would get over Adrien?
“Ladybug?” Chat asked cautiously.
The voice hadn’t come from the phone as expected. She whipped around to see her partner standing at the  opposite end of the roof. He hesitantly stepped towards her with hope in his eyes.
She smiled at him. “Hi, Chaton.”
Chat ran forward and hugged her, lifting her off her feet and spinning her once, before setting her down again. “I’m glad you’re okay, m’lady. I wasn’t sure if I could trust that guy you sent.”
Ladybug laughed at the enthusiastic greeting but quickly sobered. “Sorry, about that. The akuma got to me before I could transform. Lu… uh… my friend, was there and I needed to send someone to purify the akuma. I’m glad you guys could work together so well.”
Chat rubbed the back of his neck. “Yeah… we did. Look, Bugaboo, this guy, he said that the two of you had been on a date and that he wants you to be his girlfriend. Is that true?”
“He said that?” Her heart soared at the thought of being Luka’s girlfriend and him being her boyfriend. It was looking more and more like her feelings for Adrien, while not completely gone, were definitely fading. “Yeah, we are on a date at the moment.”
Chat’s expression shifted into a grimace, before settling into something like a kicked puppy, or kitten in this case. “Oh… so he’s the guy you’re in love with.”
She almost corrected him, but swallowed it down. There was no point to it. It would only hurt Chat more to know that her feelings had shifted to someone else and that someone else wasn’t him.
“He is,” she confirmed.
He took a deep breath through his nose. “Great. He seems… nice.”
Ladybug nodded. “He is.” She paused for a moment. She really didn’t want to deal with his jealousy when all she wanted was to be excited about Luka. “Chat, I’m not asking you to be happy about it. And if you need some time-”
He waved off her concerns. “I don’t need time. You’re my friend and I’m happy that you found someone who cares about you as much as I do.”
Chat leaned in and pressed a kiss to her forehead. For a moment she thought that the gesture would bother her, but it felt different than the barely held back romantic affection that usually came from him. She lightly punched him in the arm. “Thanks, partner.”
“Just let him know that if he ever breaks your heart, he’ll have me to deal with.”
Ladybug rolled her eyes but appreciated the intent. He still cared for her. He still wanted to protect her. She was just relieved that she still had her friend and partner. Part of her had been afraid of losing him whenever she finally started getting serious about someone. “I’ll be sure to tell him.”
There was an awkward moment of silence where they just stood looking out over Paris. Except maybe it wasn’t that awkward. It was nice for Ladybug to enjoy Chat’s silent company.
“I said that I didn’t need time,” Chat said so softly she almost missed it. “Because I didn’t want you to think I wanted this to end.” He gestured between them. “But I… it does hurt… to know that you don’t want to be with me the way that I want to be with you.”
“I know.” She reached over and took his hand. “I know. But, know that I’ll always need you and want you by my side. Got it?”
He smiled at her. It was genuine and betrayed the relief he must have felt. “Got it.”
Marinette met Luka outside of the exhibition building. She hugged him and he kissed the top of her head.
“Is everything good between you two?” he asked.
“Yeah. It’s all great.” She really hoped it was. After everything her and Chat had been through together it would be devastating to have their friendship thrown away because she was dating someone else.
Luka took her hand and winked. “Good. I had one last stop I wanted to make before the end of the date.”
Marinette gave his hand an encouraging squeeze. All the apprehension from the beginning of the date was gone. It had been replaced by a calm assurance that she was exactly where she wanted to be. “Let’s go.”
They reached the Pont des Arts and stopped to look out over the Seine. There were other couples there that had stopped to chat or take photos, and passersby who crossed the bridge behind them, yet it felt like they were the only two there. Marinette yawned, feeling the events from earlier catching up with her, but she didn’t want the date to end.
“You amaze me, Marinette,” Luka sighed as he looked over at her.
“What? What do you mean?” she asked, blinking in confusion.
He lowered his voice so as not to be overheard and moved closer to her. “I was Ladybug for one night and that was the most difficult half hour of my life. And there you are, doing that every day. It’s amazing… you’re amazing.”
“Thanks, Luka.” Marinette blushed and looked down. “I’ll admit, at first I didn’t think I could do it. It was terrifying. But now, I couldn’t imagine, not being Ladybug.”
“And I could never imagine a world in which you aren’t either.”
Luka looked pensively at the water. She got the feeling that he had something to say, but needed to find the words. Part of her wanted to say something encouraging but silence seemed like the more prudent way to go at the moment.
He turned to her. “Marinette, I’ve never met anyone like you. You surprise me at every turn. Every time I think I’ve got you figured out, there’s some new discovery, like listening to my favorite song and finding something new to appreciate. I would like to keep discovering who you are and I’d like for you to discover who I am too… but I’d like to do that as an official couple. Can we?”
Marinette felt her answer stick in her throat as she stared at Luka with wide eyes. She wanted to say yes, but it was as if she’d suddenly forgotten how to form words. Something touched her finger and she looked down to see Tikki poking her head out of her purse.  The kwami mouthed something to her that looked like “say yes!” and then nodded her head toward Luka.
She looked back to her date who was now looking at her in confusion. “Can we?” she tried. No that wasn’t right. “I mean, we can! I- we- I’m trying to say yes! I want to be your girlfriend, Luka.”
“I’m glad,” he said as he pulled something from his pocket. It was a tiny black bag. One usually used for jewelry. “I wasn’t really sure what I was going to do with this if you’d said no.”
Luka opened the bag and pulled out a thin chain that held a guitar pick hanging from it. The pick was light pink with a white M on it in looping script.
“It’s beautiful.” Marinette felt her stomach flip at the sight of something so personal. It was so… Luka, but it also felt like her.
“Can I?” he asked as he unclasped the chain.
She nodded and pulled up her hair for him. He reached around behind her and put the necklace on. When he stepped back, she looked down and touched the pick now hanging around her neck with her fingertips. “I love it,” she said as she looked back up at him.
Luka smiled and leaned in to kiss her. She tipped her head slightly to allow him easier access to her lips. They met in a tender kiss that sent sparks through Marinette. It was like fireworks going off in her chest at the sensation of the shared moment.
As they separated, Marinette hoped there would be more moments like that. It didn’t seem possible that there could be anything as wonderful as that kiss. But she had realized that Luka was someone capable of making her unimaginably happy with that one gesture. She didn’t think it would be smart to doubt him.
Luka took her hand and they began their walk back to the metro. Their date was coming to an end. It seemed like a dream that she was going to be waking up from as soon as she reached the apartment above the bakery. Marinette vowed to enjoy the last little moments with Luka before they arrived at her home. She slowed her walking speed and he matched her as he smiled knowingly.
Thank you so much for joining us for How to Date a Superhero. We have enjoyed working on this story and may continue it in the future with a sequel of the Lukadrinette variety. (This is still undecided). Please let us know what you thin of this possible sequel idea.
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