I am imagining Chat noir just getting quieter and more emotionless with each akuma battle. He is doing his job and it isnt impacting his work. If anything he might actually be MORE efficient. But it just feels off to Ladybug. So Ladybug is the one trying to banter to try and get chat noir to react.
"Ladybug, we should focus on taking down the akuma."
"Okay..."
And they take the akuma down. They fist bump and Ladybug offers to get ice cream with him.
"My ring is beeping and I didnt have time to stock up on cheese. Maybe next time."
"Right... See you for patrol later?"
But chat noir was gone before she finished asking.
Marinette is concerned and is worried if chat noir is okay. Alya decides to do her friend a favor and investigate.
Chat noir is going from building to building one day and Alya decides she will go and find out whats going on.
So she uses her powers to make herself look like Ladybug.
And she asks chat noir whats wrong.
Chat noir tells her he is fine. But Ladybug (Rena) pushes and Chat noir decides that he has had enough and he unloads.
He talks about carapace and Rena Rouge knowing eachother's identities. How she can just assign Rena Rouge in charge of plans. How he feels less like a partner and more like a subordinate.
"I guess I just feel like its only a matter of time before you replace me."
Ladybug (Rena) feels for the cat hero. She had been so caught up with Ladybug and learning about being a hero. And Ladybug had been so caught up with guardian stuff, the only one that really wasnt aware of things was chat noir.
He takes a breath.
"You know, saying it out loud does make it sound ridiculous."
Ladybug (Rena) decides to capitalize on it. Assuring the cat that she would never replace him. That they are Ladybug AND Chat noir. And that she misses her partners' smile and cheesy puns. (words Marinette told Alya)
Chat noir smiles and says that he is Feel-line better now. And he hugs her.
"Thanks Bugaboo I really am glad you talked to me."
After releasing the hug, he sees that he was not hugging Ladybug, but a purple fox.
"Rena Rouge?"
"Rena Furtive." Alya corrects.
And chat noir felt as if his worst fears had been realized.
And this was the final straw.
"You know what Rena. Can you give something to Ladybug for me?"
Rena watched as Chat noir took off his ring. Her eyes wide as she saw that chat noir was Adrien Agreste.
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He didn’t actually think, the first time he jumped in front of Ladybug to save her.
He didn't really think the last time either.
Sacrifice is woven into Adrien's skin. It wasn't a poor sense of self worth, or him being suicidal. It was just him knowing what mattered, and what didn't.
As long as she was breathing, he was too.
(Plagg watched him, in the way only the Kwami of Destruction could, with the unending knowledge of a creature that knew Death, and was helpless to stop it.)
Words: 933
Character: Adrien Agreste
Rating: T
Warnings: Talks of death, Talks of human sacrifice, Adrien's terrible past, an ambiguous ending
Author's note: Self-sacrifice and Chat Noir are toxic besties, the prompt was too perfect to pass up. I hope this disjointed mess of scenes satisfies your angsty needs.
He didn’t actually think, the first time he jumped in front of Ladybug to save her.
She held him tight and whispered, “What were you thinking?” and he couldn’t really say, Well, I wasn’t. So he laughed it off instead.
There was something inherently wrong with that, he supposed. Plagg mentioned it, in between bites of cheese and caring in the strange, impassive way that only the Kwami of Destruction could care. He mentioned that there should be more thinking involved, when you give yourself up for a partner you barely know.
“What if she can’t bring you back?”
Adrien shrugged, completely unbothered, “I know she will.”
The unwavering faith scared Ladybug, but it made complete sense to him.
“You need to take care of yourself too, Chat,” Ladybug would always say, eyebrows drawn into a frown, “I don’t want to keep losing you.”
“I’m sorry,” he would always reply, “But someone needs to buy us time so you can figure out the Lucky Charm,” he would smile, all teeth, “You never fail me, My Lady. How can I fail you?”
Us. He always used us. We. Team. Together.
For as long as she’s breathing, he was too.
—
Sacrifice was woven into the very fabric of Adrien’s skin from the moment he could walk. Maybe even before then. He was a good boy, Mother assured him, and good boys would give up some of their free time to model for his Father’s brand new company. Offer up his social life in exchange for posing in front of a camera. Sacrifice some food to look fit.
He was grateful for it. When Mother passed away, he knew he needed to take care of Father before himself. When an Akuma attacked, he knew he had to set his homework aside.
When Ladybug was in danger, he knew where Chat Noir stood.
It wasn’t that Adrien had a low sense of self-worth or that he was suicidal. No, he just knew what was important to him, and what was not.
Father was important to him. His friends were important to him. Ladybug was important to him.
He was not.
—
In history class, they learned about human sacrifice in ancient cultures. A gruesome topic, censored for the sake of the children and glossed over for the sake of more academic subjects like agriculture and economy.
“Why would people do something like that?” Nino asked, disgusted and rightfully so.
Adrien kept his mouth shut, even as that night he dug deep into research. He felt empathetic, of course. It was a terrible thing, to kill your fellow human for the sake of a god you did not know.
But things always looked worse from the outside.
Adrien thought he might understand the appeal. There was something alluring about living - and dying - for something bigger than the world. Something comforting in knowing that your death meant more, that your death could be the reason why others live, that your death meant that you could be with your god. He knew they were wrong, but that didn’t stop him from understanding.
In these societies, sacrifice was celebrated. Not overlooked and underappreciated, not met with horror and hurt, not -
Plagg watched him with gleaming green eyes, otherworldly and contemplative.
“Am I crazy?” Adrien asked.
Breezily, Plagg replied, “Humans tend to be,” and then, as an afterthought, “I suppose now I know what I chose you.”
“You chose me? I thought Master Fu - “
Plagg laughed, a sharp sound, “Master Fu has as much say in choosing a Wielder and humans have in choosing when Death comes for them.”
Adrien shrugged, uncaring.
—
Adrien didn’t have a childhood dream. Or if he did, he couldn’t really remember.
Luka - Viperion, really - knew something he didn’t. Something from a different time, a different life.
“You can be whatever you want to be, Adrien,” Luka said, almost forceful.
“I’m not sure what I want,” Adrien admitted quietly, hand going to his chest where he could feel the pounding against his chest.
—
Ladybug was quiet, the night before their last Akuma. An uneasy quiet, one that she couldn’t shake off.
“I’m worried,” she admitted.
“Hi worried, I’m - “
“Chat.”
“Yes, that’s what I was about to say.”
She shook her head, serious. “I’m worried about you. You’re getting … reckless.”
I worry, and hadn’t Adrien heard that so many times by now. In Nino’s sideways looks and Chloe’s frequent texts and the Gorilla’s slow, deliberate signs.
“I am not,” Adrien pouted good naturedly, “I swear.”
Plagg sat at the back of his mind, a heavy presence tonight.
—
“You’re a good kit,” Plagg said, paw resting on his cheek, “She doesn’t deserve you. None of them do.”
Adrien rolled his eyes, “Okay, what’s gotten into you now?”
“Kwamis are helpless creatures,” Plagg said ambiguously. He came to Adrien, resting his forehead on the teen’s, “But you’re a good kit, Adrien. Don’t forget that.”
“Okay …?”
Plagg smiled, all lips and no teeth.
—
“I’m not sure what I want.”
“I’m sure it will come to you, with time,” Luka had smiled, that day, “We all grow out of our childhood dreams anyway. Listen to the music in your heart.”
But like his piano lessons, he knew that the tune he played was dictated by someone else. It always had been.
See, self-sacrifice was woven into Adrien’s skin. Since before he would walk.
—
The night before the last Akuma, Ladybug had been worried.
Adrien hadn’t been.
For as long as she was breathing, he was too.
—
He didn’t actually think, the last time he jumped in front of Ladybug to save her.
Luka knows. Adrien is upset. Luka gives Adrien the support he needs (and some hugs he needs too).
Rating:
General Audiences
Relationship:
Adrien Agreste | Chat Noir & Luka Couffaine
Tags: (not all of them are mentioned here)
Emotional Hurt/Comfort
Hurt/Comfort
Luka Couffaine Knows
Post-Episode: s04 Exauceur | Wishmaker
Post-Episode: s04 Larme Ultime | Rocketear
Friendship
Chapters: 2/2
(This was just posted yesterday, so I guess we can wait for the part 2 for a while)
This fic is amazing, n exactly what I need after all those episodes...
I was craving post Rocketear fics a lot (n read all of them), but after Wishmaker was aired I needed someone to acknowledge ROCKETEAR AND WISHMAKER n put it into a fic. And I finally found one!!
I definitely recommend this one to y'all, but if u hv not seen Wishmaker or Rocketear, I suggest you watch them first!
Any fic recs like this from ure side will be deeply appreciated :D
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Luka: Hey Marinette. You look exhausted. (Knows she just fought an akuma)
Marinette: Me? Oh I'm fine. (Just finished fighting an akuma and clearly lying)
Luka: You know, if there is anything you want to talk about, you totally can tell me.
(Marinette looks like she is about to dismiss it but stops herself)
Marinette: Anything?
Luka: (Takes her hand) Anything.
Marinette: (eyes go wide) Okay. There is something I want to tell you... for a while now. But it might change things if I say it. And with how everything went down...
Luka: (Thinks he knows what she is going to say) Dont worry marinette. Just say whats in your heart.
Marinette: (Smiles and moves her hand away) Alright. So here goes.
Luka: (Thinking) Is she going to tell me she is Ladybug
Marinette: (Takes a deep breath) I really think you should wear fake Eye lashes. I keep seeing your eyes and keep worrying they will get infected. I have talked about it with your sister and she agrees I know a few brands you can use...
Luka: (Internally "Hello darkness my old friend" plays)
Luka gets called to be viperion again to fight an akuma. And sure enough they defeat the akuma but he screws up and lets slip her identity in front of her just as he was handing his miraculous back to her. (Not exactly being the best at lying) he tried to cover up that it was a slip up but Ladybug wasnt buying it.
He covered his mouth. But Marinette/Ladybug was not fooled.
"You knew." She mouthed, her voice barely audible.
Luka had seen Marinette upset, but this look in her eyes was something different.
He looked down.
"Yes. I knew" He confessed.
Ladybug was clutching her yo-yo. The grip looked liked it could crush the signature weapon of the heroine.
"When we fought wishmaker." She stated. She figured it out quickly.
"No one else..."
"You lied to me!" Ladybug shouted.
The musician tried to speak up but stopped as she continued.
"I trusted you to protect my identity and you lied about knowing." Ladybug spoke. "You lied right to my face!"
Luka felt his stomach crinkle every time she said that word.
"I chose you because I thought i could trust you, that if something did go wrong you would tell me! But you broke my trust!" Ladybug stated with her eyes welling up. This was such a betrayal to her. Luka didnt need to listen to her heart to understand that. He knew that he failed her.
"You dont know how much this secret meant... You dont know how dangerous it is..."
"Thats why I didnt mention it."
Ladybug looked at him.
"I could see how stressed you were! You are just a stressed teenager! I didnt want you freaking out over nothing. I said your secret was safe and it is! So is Chat noir's!" Luka answered back. "Yes I hated lying to you but it is what you needed."
Ladybug's earrings blinked and her transformation undone. Marinette's expression changed.... She was even madder.
"You dont know anything of what I need."
Luka matched her gaze.
"Maybe if you let me in earlier we could have..."
Marinette's eyes went wide.
"Are you serious right now?!"
Luka realized too late that now was not the time to talk about their failed relationship.
"I didnt..."
"No no, lets talk about THAT right now." Marinette anger was rising.
Her Kwami tried to intervene.
"Marinette... maybe this isn't the best topic to talk about."
"No, lets get this out of the way now. Lets air it all out." Marinette said as she shoved a macaroon into her kwami's hands for her to eat.
Luka was not prepared for the words to come.
"Our relationship was a mess."
"Yes because of..."
"Not because of the ladybug stuff."
Luka blinked at that. He was not expecting that.
"Oh sure me being Ladybug did cause me run out on our dates, hide that secret from you which resulted in your akumatization and our split. But even if it didnt, we wouldnt have stayed together that much longer."
"What makes you so sure?"
"Luka, I called you adrien on a phone call. I had forgotten about our movie date, Twice! I forgot you and Juleka shared a birthday until Alya changed plans from going to a movie with her to a party on the boat."
"Right because of..."
"I know Adrien's fifth names day."
Luka stopped.
"I could tell you Adrien's schedule for the next week down to the hour."
Marinette calmed down a bit.
"I know because I wanted to know as much as I could about him. I wanted to understand him better then anyone else. I never tried to do that for you. I dont think I ever could."
The words hung in the air for a moment. Luka was reeling from them before getting hit again.
"So me telling you may have delayed the inevitable, out of a sense of devotion, duty, loyalty maybe. But we both know who had my heart. Either you would have broken up with me because I wasnt willing to move on or I would have done it out of guilt. And if that did happen, I would have had solace knowing that you wouldnt have shared my identity out of anger."
The blue haired guitarist understood, the tone of her heart and her words were in complete harmony as she said that.
"But now I have no idea what to think of you!"
Luka felt that comment stab him in the back.
"Marinette..."
"You violated my trust. You destroyed any good memories I had of you! How can I know what you said was true? You claim to value the truth so much yet you lied to my face!"
Each word was another slash at his heart.
"I will find a new snake hero, someone I can trust. Good bye Luka." She turned away and started walking away.
Luka tried to reach out to her.
"Please Marinette... I am sorry."
Marinette stopped. She turned around, looking at him with an ice cold glare.
"If you ever cared about me, dont ever speak to me again and dont every get akumatized."
Luka watched as Marinette transformed and left him on the roof. Alone to process the exchange.
An Archive of Our Own, a project of the
Organization for Transformative Works
No More Second Chances: Antihero Adrien WIP
Summary: Adrien was back in Paris and of all the heroes he seemed to be angriest at Luka.
----------------------
"Finally alone," Adrien sneered, claws slashing the air Luka just vacated.
"Adrien-" Luka brought up his battle fan to block another strike. Sliding back with the force of Adrien's blow.
"What is with all of you and using names in uniform?" Adrien snapped, bolas lashing behind him like a tail. Crouching, Adrien swept Luka's legs out from under him.
Breath leaving Luka's lungs with an oof as he fell. Eyes widening, Luka rolled out of the way as Adrien brought down his foot in a high kick. Concrete cracking under the blow. Luka scrambling to his feet and bounding out of kicking range.
"Slippery little snake," Adrien growled, leaping onto the rooftops after Luka. Claws digging into stone as he ran on all fours.
"You're the one with the Snake Miraculous!" Luka called back as he raced over tiles and chimneys. Trying to lose his pursuer.
Adrien snagged a satellite dish and hurled it like a frisbee. "You're lucky I promised Sass he wouldn't have to fight you!"
"Woah, woah, woah!" Luka cried out as he stepped on Adrien's projectile and slide off the edge of the roof. Breaking glass and twisting metal accentuating his crash onto a parked car. "... Ow."
"Not that it could be going much worse for you," Adrien smirked, landing in a crouch.
"Wait!" Luka groaned, stumbling to his feet and leaning against his metal impact cushion. "Let's just, ow, talk this out."
Adrien's pupils narrowed into slits, tail freezing and cat ears standing on end. Nostrils flaring as Adrien rose to his full hight. "Oh, now you want to talk? Yes, let's just do that!"
Luka's eyes widened as he looked up at Adrien's stony expression. A chill running down his spine. "You seemed open to speaking with the others."
Claws blurring towards Luka, he barely deflected Adrien's strike in time. "For someone who's supposedly observant you can be fucking dense, ya know that?"
"First I've heard of it." Luka lunged with his fan but Adrien sidestepped him, grabbed his arm, and flipped Luka into a body throw.
Adrien stared down at him with those slitted eyes, pinning Luka in place. Chest rising and falling as Adrien's breath came too fast. "I was drowning," he started.
Slowly, Luka pulled a feather from his fan. Heart hammering in his chest.
Adrien's hand slammed beside Luka's head as he leaned over the sprawled hero.
Luka flinching at the movement. Eyes trained on Adrien's other hand as the curled metal claws hovered just above Luka's Miraculous.
"Alone. Lost. Desperate for someone, anyone, to talk to about all the bullshit that was going on!" Adrien's voice rose as his eyes started to water.
Luka curled his fist over the feather, charging it with his power. Trying to focus despite the lump rising in his throat.
"But you!" Adrien's hand trembled as the anger in his eyes mixed with sorrow. "You saw what was happening!" He rubbed quickly at his eyes. "You could've helped me! Instead you stood by and you watched!" Adrien raised his claws and-
The sentimonster sent Adrien hurtling across the street as it slammed into him. It's domed head towering a full four meters over the ground as it stomped it's three toed feet. Shaking it's blue scales as the sentimonster let out a below from it's thick beak.
Luka took a deep breath as he rose to his feet. Clutching the amok tightly to his chest. Keeping the giant Pachycephalosaurus between himself and Adrien. "Ladybug said no one could know. I didn't- I couldn't fail her. She needed-"
Adrien laughed, slowly peeling himself out of the fractured wall and rolling his arm where the sentimonster headbutted him. Adrien had taken a Cataclysm to the ribs, this was nothing in comparison. "Of course. It's always about her isn't it? What should I expect from someone who never saw me as anything more than 'the other one' ?"
His words stung at Luka like well aimed barbs. The sentimonster whining in tandem to Luka's emotions. "No! It's not like that! I cared about you too! I-
"Liar!" Adrien snapped, flipping a car into the air almost casually.
The dinosaur easily smacking it away from Luka with it's tail. Roaring, the sentimonster lowered it's domed skull and charged.
"If you cared you would have done something instead of waiting for Ladybug to take the easy way out!" Adrien leapt over the sentimonster's attack, the creature tripping as it attempted to twist around and get him. Crashing heavily into the same wall it sent Adrien flying into. Untying his tail in midair Adrien swung the bolas at Luka. Knocking his fan out of his hand instead of the amok.
They crashed to the ground as Adrien barreled into Luka. Wrestling for the amok as they rolled.
Adrien's claws digging into his skin even through the magical protection of his suit.
"If you gave a shit about me you wouldn't have tried to tell that outdated bastard my identity!"
Luka's fist tightening around the amok as he tried to knee Adrien. Heat surging in his chest and burning his throat as it left.
"What did you expect me to do, huh!? He was going to take your Miraculous! What did you want me to do!?"
"I thought you were my friend!"
Luka stilled as Adrien's tears finally fell. Giving Adrien the opening to pin him down. The rage in Adrien's eyes overwhelmed by the sorrow hiding underneath it. Jaw trembling as Adrien tried to rein in his emotions.
"I just... wanted you to be my friend," his voice broke.
The sentimonster roared as it charged.
Adrien's face twisted at the interruption and he whirled on the beast. "Clout!" Bright energy swirled into Adrien's hand, around the Tiger Miraculous. Screaming his rage at the sentimonster Adrien's fist slammed into it's domed head.
Barely having time to cry out as it hurled skyward at an angle. Blasting apart a roof on it's way.
Adrien's chest heaved as he stared after it.
Slowly, Luka got to his feet, still clutching the amok. Any fight left in him blown away by Adrien's honesty. And even if he had any Adrien's punch sent his sentimonster halfway across Paris. His brooch beeped in reminder. And he couldn't make another one. Luka felt... hollowed out. "I'm sorry."
Adrien sucked in his breath as a shudder travelled through his body. Wiping at the remains of his tears, he kept his back to Luka. "Sorry?"
"For-" Luka swallowed, chest tight. "For not being the friend you needed."
Adrien's shoulders hunched as his frame shook. "Th- Thank you. For that. Really." Squaring his shoulders, Adrien turned and looked Luka directly in the eye. Jaw set and red eyes steady. "I wish I could forgive as easily as I used to. But..."
Luka swallowed and gave a single nod, standing straighter. "We'll stop you."
"I'm sure you'll try," Adrien scoffed, turning away. "Oh, right! Sass says hi," he called over his shoulder. Leaping onto the rooftops and disappearing into the cityscape.
Luka watched the Tiger holder go. Looking down he opened his hand to reveal the guitar pick Marinette gave him during their brief, disastrous, romance. Brow furrowing, Luka squeezed his eyes shut and dispelled the amok with a snap of his fingers.
"We'll save you," Luka promised. It was the least he could do.
