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fragileizywriting · 3 years

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bad day blues

pairing: Luka / Marinette (Viperion / Multimouse) word count: 10,418 chapter: 1/1 rating: E summary: “How is it that I can sling myself across rooftops for years, day and night, but I can’t even walk in a straight line once I’m out of my suit and end up spraining an ankle?” “Don’t be so hard on yourself, Mousey. That’s not good for you.” “I wish I wasn’t such a klutz.” “You’re not.” Luka kisses the top of her head as a punctuation to his words. “You just had a bad day, that’s all.” “One of the worsts in a while,” Marinette nods into his shirt. “Luka? Could you make it better for me?” He laughs. “And you call me the insatiable one, little mouse.” Her eyes sparkle. “Who was the one that jumped me when I was going to go shower after my pool trip with my friends? One look at me in a towel and suddenly my boyfriend’s hands are all on me— sounds pretty insatiable, if you ask me.” AO3 | Start Here To Read The Whole 'Out of The Closet' Series! | Previous Fic in Series | Next Fic in Series

Here's some more Lukanette! Don't worry, there's plenty more incoming, too. This series is so wonderful to write, I'm having so much fun!!! Especially since Luka is my favorite character 🥺

Enjoy <3

She’s having a bad day.

Like, a really bad day.

There is that whole cake ordering business that her parents live off of, that she helps out with. She’s rolled so much fondant out that her arms hurt, and they’re barely attached to her body when she’s rushing out of the door to get to her class when the second bad part of the day happens.

She spills coffee all over herself.

Well, it isn’t her coffee. Her dad’s been getting into the habit of walking around the bakery and the pantry with his mug she got for him for his birthday, a delicate piece of ceramic that is absolutely dwarfed by her father’s large hands. She’d knocked into him while scarfing down some breakfast of her own, where she’d tried to get bits and pieces of it into her mouth while rolling out fondant for that particular eight-tiered cake that is surely going to be the death of her that she still has to pipe and decorate when she gets back from class.

Her blouse is stained, and it’s warm. It doesn’t seep far into her shirt, because her dad presses his apron right on the stain to soak up as much moisture as possible, but she yelps anyway out of sheer instinct.

“Are you okay, sweetheart?”

“I’m fine! I’m so sorry for making you spill your coffee, baba. Are you okay?” She waves him off with a little smile. These things happen, it’s okay. Besides, smelling like coffee isn’t the end of the world. It isn’t the smell of a particularly expensive perfume, but she can hardly say no to smelling like coffee when she’s lived at a bakery for the entirety of her life.

“I ran into you, sweetheart, not the other way around,” Her dad shakes his head. “Go change your shirt while I get you some packed food to take with you to school for you and Mullo.”

“Thank you! I’ll be right back.” She kisses him on the cheek, making sure to stay clear away from his mug. She rushes up the stairs, trying her best not to accidentally tear her skirt, but isn’t as delicate to her blouse as she could be. The side rips open. She squeaks while getting it off. “Oh, no! I just bought this!”

“Oh! Is everything okay?” Mullo peeks out from the little cubby Marinette’s made into her own little room.

“Yeah— I’m okay! These things happen, don’t worry. I’m just going to change my shirt into something better and then we can head out, okay?” She snaps open a drawer, tossing her soiled top into the laundry bin near her desk. She’s not opposed to wearing other shirts with this particular skirt, but… she really likes wearing that peter pan collar. This is fine. A normal button-up will go fine with the skirt, even though now she looks a lot more formal than she wants to be.

It’s a good thing her bra is nude-colored. She’s already in a rush as it is.

She hasn’t learned a single thing since school was at a walking distance, clearly, because she’s rushing to get to the metro, running back down the stairs, tugging her backpack over her shoulder with Mullo zipping into the pocket of her skirt, and kissing her dad goodbye and thanking him for the food— all the while trying her best to go over the list of things she needed to do before heading off to class.

Feed Mullo, though the little mouse can definitely go scavenging for blueberries whenever she wants. And yet… Mullo starts to whisper that she’s hungry the moment Marinette makes it down the stairs of the metro and goes pawing for her metrocard. She’s grateful that she’s placed a small container of fresh blueberries inside her backpack, with even a portion of small chocolate chips in the screw-top compartment of the container, just for the little mouse— and the small kwami is giggling and back to being happy before Marinette can even blink.

She looks for her metrocard. It’s on the inside of her phone case, which is good, so she’s able to go through the ticket booth with no problem— thank goodness. She doesn’t need another stressor for the day— but she needs to make sure she repays the bill for her monthly pass before the next month arrives so that she isn’t late trying to pay for it the day of, and hopefully she can remember this thought for long enough to write it into her agenda so she doesn’t forget during the week.

Oh, gooseberries. Hopefully she’s not late.

She checks the time on her phone once she’s safely situated inside a subway car, only to look at the turned-off screen with a confused noise. She tries turning on her phone but blinks with so much confusion when the black screen refuses to light.

Wasn’t one of the things on her list to make sure that her phone was charged last night?

What in the world happened to her phone battery?

She tries to think about it, pinning down that the only real reason it would be out of battery would be if Mullo wanted to use it to watch videos or listen to music while Marinette was asleep.

She makes sure to unzip her bag, peering down at the little mouse kwami with inquisitive eyes, trying to understand why her only communication device isn’t charged, speaking in a hushed voice to not alert anyone in the subway car with her. “Lolo, did you watch videos last night?”

Mullo is asleep. At least she remembered to put the lid back onto the container, which is some good news. Marinette can’t feel too upset, looking at the little creature. It’s a good thing she packed her bag and made sure to grab her portable charger— it’s not often that Mullo gets in the habit of overusing Marinette’s phone— but she’s always prepared, just in case. Mullo likes texting Sass, too, though all their texts look like gibberish to her and Luka whenever they try to reread it.

She opens the front pocket zipper with the cute little mouse charm attached to the handle and freezes.

This isn’t her school backpack.

She’s not sure how it didn’t dawn on her before, but this isn’t the right backpack at all.

The only thing it has is a plastic bag with her swimsuit she’d used during the weekend— it’s not exactly dry, given that it’s been in the baggy for at least four days since she’d come back from the pool with her friends. That’s strange— she’s not one to just drop her bag off to the side and not put away her stuff— so, what gives? She chews on her nail while she thinks about what could’ve possibly distracted her from hanging up her swimsuit and letting it dry, and stopped her from putting away this particular backpack, and squeaks to herself when she remembers.

Oh. Right. That’s right.

Viperion had shown up in her room just as she was going to go take a shower— having completed patrol on his own because he wanted her to have fun with friends and go swimming— and since her boyfriend is somehow allergic to learning how to swim, he’d happily shoved her out of the house with the pretense of keeping Paris safe while she relaxes for once in her life— no wonder she’d been so distracted and completely forgot about the backpack.

He’s so insatiable, nowadays, wanting to spend so much time with her that it’s completely pointless to try to keep clothes on around him. He’d taken one good look at her while she was making her way to her bathroom tucked into her towel and had decided to wash her himself— joining her in the shower without even taking his suit off.

She knows that their hexleather is water-resistant— but she didn’t know that it’s enough to keep water from completely entering his suit.

He’d cleaned her inside and out— pressed her up against the bathroom tiles, hopeful that she would keep quiet, as Viperion slicked two fingers inside of her.

The hexagonal grooves on their suits had never been something she’d even considered until now— it was obsession at first touch, in all honesty.

Her back is filled with love bites and possessive teeth marks that make her toes curl in her shoes when she thinks about it more, or remembers it whenever she brushes up against her shoulders. Not to mention she feels a comfortable full-body ache when he finally slips away to go home— she’d spent the rest of that afternoon in bed, curled up, dreaming of the day the two of them can always wake up next to each other.

She shifts in her seat, feeling damp and uncomfortable. She misses him already.

But all of that means… her school backpack is still at home. And she’s carrying nothing except her wet swimsuit, instead of her agenda and planner and notebooks and sketchbooks and pens.

Oh, sugarcubes.

It’s fine, though. These things happen. Sometimes no matter how much she plans and prepares, the universe sometimes throws her for a loop, and that’s okay. A good planner knows how to plan for things going wrong— even if she doesn’t want it to happen in the first place.

In all honesty, this is probably not what Luka meant when he said to let things flow and don’t let things bother her, but it is kind of hard to stop her tendencies to want to plan for the worse.

Okay, so how does she fix this?

She has a lecture that starts in about twenty minutes that she can technically skip out on and go back home to grab her things, assuming she switches subways at the next stop. Since she’ll be late, she might as well change out of her clothes, too, into something much more suited for her. She doesn’t like wearing button-downs— especially since, oh, gooseberries, it looks like she’s missed out on about three buttons and gotten her neckline skewed. There’s no point in even fixing it, as long as she’s able to tuck her miraculous back underneath her shirt without someone seeing it.

What else does she need to do?

Well, she definitely needs to make sure she gets the right backpack the next time she slips through the door. Make sure to bring another container of blueberries, too— she never knows when there’ll be another Akuma, and of all things to not be worried about, this is something she’ll never stop.

Everything will be okay. No worries. The lecture wasn’t that important, she’s sure of it.

The moment she makes that same thought, the subway car slows to a crawl. The lights in the car flicker, and she looks around to the other passengers, hopeful to see anyone who has any idea of what’s going on.

Everyone looks nonchalant. They probably assume it’s an Akuma, at this point.

“We are having technical difficulties,” The subway car emits a tinny, metallic little noise from the speakers near the doors. “Please stay calm and wait while we fix it.”

Marinette groans. Okay, maybe she’ll be late for a lot more than just her first class. This is fine. Things happen. Things like this just happen— she just needs to relax about it. At least it’s not an Akuma— and it’s not like she can be blamed for the subway being stuck.

There’s just nothing to entertain her, though. No pencil, no pen, no paper to doodle and keep her occupied. No phone to listen to music or keep her busy. Just her, the plastic bag with her swimsuit in it, a sleeping kwami, her breakfast, and half a container of chocolate chips. She might as well start eating now, since there’s nothing else to do— eat and think about her boyfriend’s pretty blue eyes.

-*-

She has— well, had— a pop quiz in her missed lecture.

Worth twenty percent of her grade.

She stumbles into the classroom after everyone’s starting to clear out, looking for the professor and her continuously bored glare she gives to the class on the regular. “Uhm, excuse me— sorry, I didn’t attend class today because of the metro—”

“You can’t make it up.” Her professor says, collecting a thick stack of paper into her briefcase. The only professor she’s ever met to actually use a genuine briefcase— it makes her look more like a lawyer and less like an introduction to fashion history professor.

“Make it up?” Marinette blinks, confused. “Make up— make up what, exactly? I wasn’t in class.”

“The quiz. Twenty percent of the grade, of course, because no one in class was answering my questions today for some reason.” Because Marinette’s the one who usually answers for everyone, of course. No one stepped in, probably, because they were most likely too comfortable with her answers to actually come up with one of their own. “You missed out on the quiz. You can’t make it up.”

“Oh.” That’s fine. Things happen. Sometimes the universe just throws curveballs— her grade in this class won’t suffer. “Uhm. Is— is that all I missed?”

Her professor gives her a good look. There’s something in her dull, tired eyes, like she registers who Marinette is in the class— and what she brings to the lecture hall. “I’m going to give you the homework, even though I technically shouldn’t. You’re a good student— you’ve never been late to class— and definitely never missed an entire lecture. And today, without your questions, it was completely and totally quiet.”

“Oh.” She repeats. “Th— uhm. Thank you.”

She pulls out another stack of papers, handing her a stapled group of paper from the top. It looks ridiculously thick— as in— maliciously thick. Maybe at least thirty pages. “Here’s the homework. Make sure to finish it by next class.”

One week to finish the assignment. No problem. She can do that.

“Of course,” Marinette breathes, slightly overwhelmed, looking over the title of the assignment. She has no idea where to begin— the lecture today must’ve been all about it. Maybe she can find one of her classmates and ask about it? Although, she’s never really made a friend here before… “Thank you very much.”

“Don’t make it a habit to skip,” The professor calls out to her as she leaves through the door.

“Understood,” Marinette mutters under her breath. The strap of her kitten heels breaks when she runs her foot too close along the doorframe as she leaves behind her. She trips, falling into her second person with a coffee today, spilling all over her shirt again. This time, it’s cold— it’s an iced latte, of course, and ice cubes fall down her collar and into her shirt, and pain blistering up her ankle.

She tries to walk it off, she really does, but it ultimately just collapses back onto the floor the moment she tries to put pressure on it. Mullo comes out of hiding when she makes sure that there’s no one around, asking if Marinette’s okay— and all she can do is just smile at the little kwami, trying her best not to wince.

Today just isn’t her day, is it?

-*-

By the time an Akuma actually comes around, and tries to do damage in the city of Paris, Multimouse is running on fumes from how close she is to breaking down.

She’s weaved and dodged most of the attacks, relying on her rope to get out of the way. Her ankle doesn’t hurt as much when in the suit, of course, because the magical properties of the miraculous make it so that they focus on the fight first than anything else. She can put her weight on it, which is the good news— and that’s enough for her to walk and run and jump rope when she needs to.

Seeing Viperion is such a blessing. She hasn’t been able to text him much all day, aside from the vague ‘good morning’ text she sent when she finally managed to get her phone to turn on— she’s been too busy to respond to all of the texts he’s sent throughout the day.

Hopefully, she can talk to him after the fight is over. She needs a little bit of downtime.

But she can’t exactly focus on how thankful she is to see him when she’s in the middle of weaseling out of the Akumas grabby hands. She tucks and weaves, snaps her rope out like a whip when she needs to, and does her best to roll out of the way of the Akuma that falls into their trap using the Liberty that sends him spiraling across the city with it. Viperion is nearly on the other side of the city taking care of the sentimonster when she feels her ankle start to blister in pain again, indicating that she’s putting far too much stress on the ankle for even magic to make it stop hurting.

By the time they’ve got the Akuma purified, the sentimonster dealt with, and the victim is in safe care with the social worker from the workforce that’s been assigned to assist people who have just been Akumatized— Multimouse can barely stand up. She chooses, instead, to keep sitting down on the lip of the sidewalk between a couple of parked cars, her legs spread out in front of her, trying her best to seem like she’s just out of breath. She keeps her right boot completely straight, hopeful to not put any more strain on her ankle, but lets her left boot sag against the asphalted road, and tries her hardest not to hide her face in her hands.

Viperion makes his way back to her after he’s done talking to the social worker.

“Mousey?”

“Hi, Vai,” She speaks into her gloves. Some battles are just too difficult for her to focus on, and trying to keep herself from doing something just isn’t worth the effort anymore. “That was a tough one, huh?”

He sits down next to her, shoulder to shoulder. There’s probably not enough space for him in between the cars, since his shoulders are wide, but he makes the effort anyway. Besides, if it’s truly that bothersome, all he has to do is give a gentle push to the car next to him— the miraculous suits give them extra strength, after all— but even without the suit, he’d probably be able to push it forward. “I missed you.”

“I missed you too,” She leans into him. “I missed you so much.”

“You didn’t text me today like you usually do,” He murmurs into her hair. He’s a thick wall of heat right next to her, and she’s so thankful for him like usual. “Everything okay?”

“Everything is— it’s fine— I’m sorry. I forgot to charge my phone last night, and Mullo was watching videos while I slept, so my phone just went kaput.” She smiles in her hands when he makes a noise meaning that he understands exactly what she means. “I only got to text you when my phone was back on. I’m just tired, really. I’m not having a good day.”

The road is going to be populated soon with whatever foot traffic it usually has, now that the Akuma’s been taken care of. They need to probably get up to higher ground before the people of Paris come out to ask for autographs or selfies— and, okay.

She wants to give everyone the best treatment possible, of course, but she’s in absolutely no condition to do that like this. Definitely not like this.

It’ll be better for everyone’s comfort if she doesn’t stay around to listen to what people have to say about the fight— she’s Paris’s sweetheart, she knows, but if anyone says anything remotely negative in her direction, she’s pretty sure she’ll start crying.

Not to mention that if she hears anything bad about Viperion, she’ll start crying while beating civilians off with a ten-foot pole. She’s not in the mood at all to continue behaving like the sweet little Parisian Princess today— she can’t do it.

“Are you stressed out?”

“Yes. Very much. Ironically, the Akuma was my break from stress. Imagine that?”

He laughs. It’s a loving noise, usually, but there seems to be an edge to it this time. “Do you want me to help you with that? I think I saw an alley over there. Let me help you relax.”

She steams red behind her gloves. Oh, she knows exactly what he means— and, well, the answer is always yes. “Yes— but maybe not here. People are going to show up, soon, and I’m already in pain as it is—”

Viperion looks at her. She can tell because her face starts to prickle underneath her gloves. “Pain?”

She takes a deep breath, looking up at him. His hair is starting to curl around his neck, it’s so lovingly him that she can’t help but comb her fingers into his hair and smooth it back. The confusion on his face morphs into contentment as she takes her time brushing his bangs back, getting a good look at what the top of his domino mask looks like. “Nothing’s wrong— things are fine. Everything is fine. Sometimes things happen, and we can’t control all of it.”

Liquid golden eyes look back at her when she’s done petting through his hair and, he— he smiles at her. Really smiles at her— he knows that she’s trying to repeat the quotes and virtues that he usually says to himself. His smile makes his domino mask crinkle, the scales on his hexleather shimmering turquoise and green, and it’s not exactly a front when she smiles back at him. “That’s true. Sometimes things happen that we can’t control, even if we really try, but sometimes we can fix whatever is hurting us. So what really happened, Mousey?”

“Just a bad day,” She uses her left foot to brush against his, taking her hands back from his hair to follow the scale pattern on his chest. The muscles underneath are no illusion— he’s truly that filled out. She likes physical contact with him, just as much as he loves physical contact with her— and she finds a certain kind of sweetness in the way he leans just slightly into her touch as she traces his collarbone. “I’m not kidding— I’ve been having a really bad day.”

“The Akuma didn’t help all that much, huh?”

She cups his cheeks with her palms. She can’t feel him, because her fingers are covered in protective hexleather, but it means all the same to her when she presses their foreheads together, smooshing their bangs against one another. “I don’t know about that. I’m getting to see you, after all— I love being able to see you, Vai.”

His eyes twinkle as he laughs, giving her a kiss. “Stand up for me? I want to check if you’re missing any body parts.”

“What? I’m not missing anything.” She finds herself laughing at the strange request. “See? Look: I have my two arms, my two legs. Tail is still here, and so is my miraculous.”

“I don’t know about that,” His face is oddly serious, even as she continues to giggle. “Wiggle your fingers for me so I know they’re still there.”

“Vai,” She makes a face as she laughs. When he implores her, she rolls her eyes, twiddling her fingers in the air. “Told you.”

“All ten fingers?”

“I think so,” She breaks into a grin. What is this man on about?

“Let’s see.” He takes her hands in his, bringing every single finger up to his mouth so he can count them with a kiss. “One. Two.”

“Oh my gooseberries. Vai,” She giggles hard enough for her shoulders to shake.

“Don’t make me lose count, Mousey, this is important. Three, four—”

“How did I get so lucky to have you?”

“I think it’s the other way around, honestly. Five, six— how did I get so lucky to have you?”

“By treating me like this,” She can’t help but bite her lip when he makes it past seven and eight. “By treating me so sweetly.”

“Sue me, little mouse. I like treating my girlfriend well. Nine, and ten.” At the tenth finger, he kisses where her fingernail would be, then her knuckle, then the back of her hand. He kisses up her arm, too, all the way up to her shoulder as she snorts and giggles, until he tilts his head and kisses her against the jaw, finally completing his quest and kisses her softly on the lips— she melts. He keeps the kiss soft, though— and if her ankle wasn’t rolled, she’d honestly climb into his lap for more than just something so chaste. She deserves it, after this horrible day— and he always makes her feel loved and comforted. “I think your hands are okay.”

“You think so?” She feels a little dopey from the kiss.

“Move your feet, too, so I can figure out if your legs are still attached.”

She moves her left foot only, letting her right boot rest. Instead, she pulls up her right leg, hoping to look like she’s just switching up her sitting position, but that’s enough for Viperion to break eye contact with her and look at her knee. “See?”

But he’s smarter than that. “Ah, there it is. So you did injure yourself during the fight?”

“No. I— uhm— no. Not during the fight.” She’s not lying, but her smile dies down as a quiet contemplation morphs on his face. “It’s— I’m fine, Vai, honestly, I’m okay. My ankle will be fine after some ice, I’m sure—”

“Oh, Mousey.” He looks hurt for her, immediately swiveling in his seat to look her over. He grabs gently for both of her legs, lifting them up to place in his lap, and gently starts to move her foot at the ankle back and forth.

The first leg is the good one, so she barely even reacts— let alone blinks— to him swiveling her ankle around and testing the elasticity. But her bad ankle— oh— it’s enough to make her start to squirm.

His eyebrows pinch when she continuously flinches, her half-sentient tail batting against the asphalt behind her as she tries her hardest not to cry out in pain. He supports the back of her ankle with his palm, and doesn’t let her foot rotate when he puts her leg back in his lap. “When did this happen, baby girl?”

“It happened at school,” She hides her face back into her gloves. “Just the cherry on top, honestly. I fell and twisted my foot. I thought I was okay, but— I can’t walk in my civilian form.”

“School? And you fought the Akuma while injured? Oh, Mousey— I’m so sorry, I wouldn’t have let you stay alone with the Akuma if I had known. What else happened? Tell me what’s wrong.” She feels the gentle pressure of his thumb against her calf, even through the hexleather. “Maybe I can help you. I sure want to try, at least.”

Why is he so gentle with her? Why is Viperion always so sweet and soft to her— kind and loyal?

She knows why— there is the whole ‘they’re dating’ part of the answer— but honestly, how did it get this way? When did Viperion become the boy she fights crime with, day or night, live or die— to the man who snags her just before her showers, who makes it a habit to make her toes curl every time he sees her, who is happiest when she cuddles and routinely hides in his bed with? How in the world has she gotten this lucky?

How? How did she get so lucky to have a man so conditioned to care about her?

Why did he ever fall in love with someone like her— someone who needs everything to be in its place or else she has a nervous breakdown? Someone that loses her demeanor when there’s even a slightest mistake, because everything needs to be perfect or it’s not worth doing at all and— and— why would he even stay with someone like her like this? Why? She’s completely the opposite of him— so— why does he stay and deal with someone so completely different than him in every single aspect?

The thought is enough to make her cry— and— oh— that’s it, really. That’s what makes her push over the edge and start hiccuping into her hands, tears falling down her cheeks. “Oh—”

“Mousey, it’s okay. Shh. Your ankle will get fixed up in no time, okay? We can fix this.”

“I’m sorry,” She says, more to herself than anything else, gesturing to her leg before hiding back in her hands. She sags against him so easily when he pulls her onto his lap. “I’m sorry— I’m so sorry, Vai. It’s not just— just the ankle— I’m just—”

“I know.”

“And— such a bad day—”

“Breathe, Mousey,” He traces circles against her back.

She gasps for breaths between sobs. “And I just— I really did try to not let it get to me— I really tried—”

“You did very good. You are doing very good.”

“It really hurts, Vai, I’ve never rolled my foot before, it’s so painful— and I know I’m going to be in more pain when I’m out of the suit. I’m so exhausted, Vai— today has been so difficult.”

“Tell me what happened.”

Where does she begin? “So much coffee on my shirt, I smell like an espresso machine—”

He listens to her ramblings, even if they don’t make any sense without the full context. He’s gentle when he shifts her even closer, making sure that her foot doesn’t hit up against the car next to them, tucking her in next to his collarbone and letting her cry it all out. His chest is so warm against her. “Everything’s going to be fine.”

“And then the subway— and I don’t have more blueberries for Lolo right now because she ate them all already, even after I went back home and refilled her cup—”

“We can get more in my house, it’s okay. All the blueberries Mullo could want.”

“And I was also stuck in the subway for two full hours with just a swimsuit—”

“You went on the subway with only a swimsuit on?” He makes a face. “That doesn’t sound right.”

“In my bag,” She explains, even if it doesn’t make much sense, sniffling around her gloves. “I mean— I picked up the wrong backpack— the wrong bag— before leaving the house and it was just my swimsuit in there— the subway got stuck and I thought it was because of an Akuma so I was just—”

“Take a breath, Mousey.”

She sucks in a breath, trying to fill her lungs in all the way, before the inevitable fresh wave of tears that she continues to border on. “And I— I couldn’t— even text you. I couldn’t, because my battery was out— and I was underground— and— oh, sugarcubes, I was so bored— I just kept coming up with more and more ways to sneak off the train without being seen because there was nothing else to do and I ended up overthinking everything.”

Everything. All of it. Every single thing. If she’s doing well in school— if what she’s trying to get a degree in is even worth it— if she’s wasting her time not focusing on defeating Hawkmoth— if Viperion even finds her necessary in fights. After all, most of what she does is just a distraction for him to get close and defeat the Akuma— but there’s not really a genuine need for her since all he has to do is move his ouroboros miraculous over to the side and turn back time and do whatever needs to be done, right?

“I thought about how you’re so much better without me during Akuma battles— I thought how much of a klutz I am— I thought about how I always have these nervous breaks whenever something goes wrong and you always just deal with them and I wish I could just stop worrying about every little thing without making it into a thing— and— and—”

Gentle hands make it to her wrist, and she looks up, sniffling and biting her lip. Viperion’s smile looks soft on his face as he wipes away her tears— golden eyes looking at her like she’s the most important thing in the world. He kisses her forehead, her cheeks— her nose, too— all in favor of getting a smile back onto her face. “None of that is true, okay? There’s no need to overthink about any of it anymore. You’re okay, you’re here— exactly where I need you to be. You are the entire reason why Paris is safe every day— I’m just here to keep you company, in all honesty. You’re the most amazing woman I’ve ever known, little mouse, and I absolutely cannot do any of this without you.”

Amazing woman? Has he met his own mother before? “But— what about your family—”

“I’m aware of what I’ve said,” He smiles. “I don’t deal with your problems, we deal with our problems. You getting worked up about something is something we both work on together— I’m not going to let you suffer alone when you’re nervous about something.”

She blinks slowly at him, her lashes damp and full of tears, only being able to offer him a watery and a heartful: “Oh.”

He nods, encouraging her to smile back. “Everything’s going to be fine, just like it always is, okay? You’re not a klutz. You’re doing great. Everything is going to be fine.”

“But—”

“Breathe, Mousey. It’s okay. You’re okay.”

She looks at him in the eyes, her breath slowing down, looking around them to see just how empty the street is. It’s an unpopulated street to begin with, so there are only a couple of shops at the corners, nowhere near them where they sit in between the cars, catching their breath from the battle. “I’m— I’m going to be okay. I am okay.”

“You’re okay.” He nods, smiling gently, taking her hands in his.

“I’m— I’m fine.” She takes another breath. She still feels watery, still feels like a wet sponge, but it’s a little easier to breathe. “Sometimes days just don’t go my way, no matter how much I plan for it.”

“Good, good— but you’re forgetting the second half of that.”

“The second half?”

“For every day that it happens, whenever your days don’t go right, I’ll be right here for you to cry on because you and I have always been a team.” He kisses her bangs, smoothing his gloves at the back of her head, behind the buns in her hair. “As much as I don’t like seeing you cry, baby girl, I know that I’d rather see that, than have you bottle it up inside.”

She sniffles, giving him a little smile when he pulls away to gauge her reaction. “Thank you, Vai.”

“I love you.” He kisses her on the lips again.

“I love you, too.” She ducks her head as a blush stains her cheeks underneath her domino mask. “Oh, I’m— I’m sorry.”

“For what?”

“For crying on you and turning this into a mess.”

“My girlfriend seeking out comfort from me— what a scandal, little mouse,” He teases with a flash of his fangs. “How dare my Mousey want reassurance from me.”

She has the reflex to giggle, even though there’s a bit of tears still trying to make its way down her face. “It’s probably not what you had in mind for today, huh?”

“All I had was work today,” He wipes at her cheek again. “The Akuma is always unpredictable, but it’s not like your parents don’t know why I have to leave the register when our phones start to ding with the Akuma notification, right? And I’m always thinking of you, so, in a way this is sort of what I had in mind.”

She kisses him. It’s not as quick as it should be— it definitely isn’t as innocent as it has to be, given that they’re in public and they haven’t technically told the public yet that Viperion and Multimouse are more than just a duo, not to even mention that they’re a lot, lot more than a duo now, if her wandering hands are any indication— but she breaks away just before she has the urge to shift her position on him, laughing softly when he narrows his eyes at her. “We should— uhm— probably go back, right? Your mom is probably calling your phone right now, asking why in heaven’s name you picked the Liberty for the trap location— Alya will be here any moment now to ask things for the Ladyblog.”

“Hmm? What did you say? I was too busy living in the moment of hearing you laugh again. Such a sweet melody.” He looks back up to her from looking at her ankle. She has no idea what’s going on in that head of his— and it bothers her, because she so desperately wants to know, even as he gives her a wink and a smile.

She’s so thankful for this man. So ridiculously thankful.

She bites her lip to stop herself from smiling harder. “We need to go. Out of here. And I need a favor.”

“I’ll do whatever you need, Mousey. What is it?”

“I need you to marry me.”

His eyes widen, completely caught off guard. “What?”

“I mean— I mean carry—” She gasps, hiding her hands behind her mouth. “Oh gooseberries— I’m so sorry. Sorry! I meant carry, I promise! Slip of the tongue, oh sugarcubes— I’m so sorry— that’s not what I meant at all.”

“Breathe, Mousey, come on.” He snorts so hard that he has to hide his face behind his hands, shoulders shaking in mirth. “Obviously I’ll carry you. That’s without question— I’m not letting you walk like that. Come on, let’s get you back home.”

-*-

Marinette’s finally sleeping by the time he’s back into her room.

They’ve wrapped and bandaged her foot, kept it elevated and out of the way for her. She sleeps soundly, even as he struggles with her trap door to not make any noise. He’s not good at being quiet when he really tries— the universe is always out to get him whenever he tries to do something quietly. Or maybe he just gets too self-aware of himself.

“How’s she doing, Sass?”

“She’s been sleeping for the whole time since you brought her home,” The little kwami answers just as softly. There’s a couple of doll-sized lounge chairs on her nightstand, as well as a small little dining table with a couple of cushioned seats— it looks like a playset, in all honesty, but they’re the perfect size for the two kwamis to sit and eat away at their food.

Sass looks like he’s finished with his eggs, which is good to see. Mullo is still working on her blueberries, chewing through each one almost anxiously as the two kwamis watch Marinette rest. He’s never known just how many blueberries is enough for Mullo, so he’d grabbed a heavy container full of it and put it in a small basket to keep her entertained.

“Is her foot going to be okay?” Mullo squeaks out.

“She’ll be fine,” Luka sits on the floor to be at eye level with the kwamis. He takes a couple of berries in his hands to snack on in order to have something to do. “She’s never hurt her ankle before, so it’ll heal up fast. Master Fu wrapped it up for her, after all— her uncle wouldn’t lie, would he?”

Both kwamis nod in agreement.

“I feel like this is all my fault,” The little mouse makes a face. “I should’ve helped her today, I shouldn’t have been quiet the entire time. Maybe things wouldn’t have gotten this bad. Maybe I could’ve told her she was taking the wrong bag— or maybe I could’ve remembered to plug in her phone. I fell asleep watching videos on mermaid history, I’m pretty sure— I don’t think the videos were worth her twisting her foot.”

Sometimes kwami and holder are really alike, huh? Even the face that Mullo makes is so reminiscent of Marinette, it’s incredible— he tries his best not to smile lovingly but can’t help himself. “It isn’t your fault at all, Mullo. There’s no point in thinking about what you should’ve done— all of it has already happened. It’s okay.”

“She’s never gotten injured like this before for as long as I’ve known her— and you said earlier that she hasn’t torn any muscles since I was given to Luka. Her ankle will heal before you know it.” Sass is quick to pet his friend’s arm. “But until then, she definitely won’t be able to act should an Akuma arrive.”

The room goes silent again as the three of them settle back into what they were doing. Sass is curled up, of course, enjoying the luxury of the little doll chair that is stuffed to the brim with cotton and sewn expertly shut. The dollhouse furniture looks well-loved, though— he’s under the assumption that Marinette most likely bought second-hand miniature sets for Mullo to play house in when she had first been given the mouse miraculous. There’s no dollhouse in sight around anymore, but the bookcase near Marinette’s bed still has two cubbies empty in favor of a little curtain pulled open to reveal two fake little rooms.

There’s a little closet rack full of little clothes. There are hats lined up against the bookshelf wall with two slits on the sides to make space for Mullo’s ears. There’s a doll bed with a blanket and a cushion— there’s a couch and potted plants all made out of felted material in order to decorate the space. A rug, too, underneath all the furniture.

All of these little trinkets and toys, so loved and cared for by a young girl and the love she has for her mouse— now something cherished by a young woman. “You know, I’ve always wanted to ask— how long have you two known her?”

“The Cheng family has always kept the miraculouses safe,” Mullo bites into another blueberry. “We’ve been passed down for generations.”

“Well, usually. Master Fu is the guardian right now, but he’s making sure that Marinette is the next guardian.”

“I know that, yes— but I meant Marinette specifically. How long have you two known Marinette?” He turns to her, wondering if she’s in any pain. The inflammatories must be working well in her system because there’s nothing on her face that indicates that her foot’s been wrapped and bandaged to stay still.

“We’ve known her ever since she was little. About eight years old, maybe? All of the kwamis loved playing house with her— the little princess was always so sweet and lovable. Growing up an only child was really lonely for her, so we played with her whenever we could.” The dollhouse furniture makes a lot more sense now. “You name it, we played it. Hide and seek, dollhouse, tea time, dress up— princess and the knight, too.”

Of course Marinette would’ve made them little clothes, how could she have resisted? The idea is adorable.

“Kaalki would frequently run away from Master Fu’s place in order to come play with her. Who could blame him? I for one loved it when it was tea time. Princess always made deviled eggs, just for me.” Sass slips his eyes shut to sleep. He always gets tired after eating his share of eggs following an Akuma attack— Luka’s thankful he works at a bakery, where eggs are plenty.

Sass is out like a light.

Mullo giggles to herself, holding a giant blueberry between her two paws, turning to him in her little chair, speaking as quietly as possible. Marinette may be asleep for longer, but Sass’s hearing is always so sensitive— they don’t want to wake either of them up. “I just ended up being the lucky one that got to stay with her. All of the other kwamis were really upset when they heard that I was her permanent friend— especially Kaalki. They all loved playing with her. We’re sure that Plagg and Tikki will love her, once we find them again.”

So much history between Marinette and the kwamis. No wonder Sass was so happy when they’d finally revealed their identities to one another. “Hey, Mullo— how come she didn’t tell me about her ankle?”

“She didn’t want to worry you.” Mullo replies in her soft, tiny voice. “You both needed to focus on the Akuma first.”

But in the end, she’d hurt herself. What he wouldn’t give to second-chance her ankle back to normal— but it’s been hours, not minutes, since it happened.

He takes his time eating the handful he’s picked from Mullo’s basket. The blueberry is sweet in his mouth, and tasteful, and something quiet to do while he looks at Marinette’s sleeping form. She’s working herself too hard, isn’t she? Trying to keep up with all the things at university— and trying to keep up with everything at home— and definitely trying to keep up with Akumas on top of it all. They haven’t technically even been on dates together, if that’s something she even wants, because her life is so full. It’s commendable, but watching the girl of his dreams get pulled in all different directions makes him understand entirely why a multitasking miraculous is the perfect one for her.

“You should rest, Luka. It’s getting really late.”

“I don’t know if I should— I don’t want to accidentally wake her up.”

“She’ll be more upset if she wakes up and you’re not in bed with her,” Mullo argues. He smiles, because he can’t help the humor at the sincerity of her words. “You should join her.”

He’d have to take off his jeans, and go pawing for one of his shirts she’s stolen from his room in order to not get flour all over her bed, but it’s doable. Her parents already know he’s up here, after all— he’s said he was going to check up on her once his shift ended. Her parents had let him go without barely any warning gaze— in fact, Mrs. Cheng had implored him to spend the night and make sure Marinette didn’t attempt to run off, in case another Akuma were to pop up.

They trust that he’s a good person and will actually stop her from leaving the house. And he doesn’t want to disappoint.

The last thing he wants to do is go back home and listen to the absolute earful he’ll be getting from his mom about using the Liberty as bait, so he’s going to camp out in Marinette’s room after sending about a billion and one heart emojis to Juleka, hoping she’ll try to keep their mom out of trouble.

Maybe it’d been a bad idea to tell his family about his identity— just his family in general. It’s safer this way, now that his family knows, so there won’t be any nasty revelations down the line and his family won’t turn into Akumas (and if he has to fight Reflekta or Captain Hardrock any more times in his life, he’s going to quit) but now there’s the added bonus of his mom knows why he disappears all the time.

So.

Heart emojis sent to Juleka it is.

“And what about you? Won’t you be going to bed?”

“I’m still hungry, so I need to dip downstairs and get some more food, if that’s okay. Or, better yet— do you want me to take Sass downstairs with me when I go?”

He raises a brow. Surely she doesn’t mean to imply… “She’s— Marinette— come on, Mullo. She’s injured.”

“I’m not sure she needs her ankle for that!”

This doesn’t top the weirdest conversation he’s ever had, but this is definitely up there. “And she’s asleep— I’m not comfortable with the idea.”

“She’ll wake up soon. You should ask her then, obviously.”

“Mullo.”

“You’re two aren’t our first holders, you know, we’ve done this so many times before.” Mullo giggles behind a paw. “So, do you want privacy? If you don’t, I’ll stay right here. Mari likes to tell us that we’re as scary as actual dolls, sometimes, with our beady little eyes.”

No one has to tell him that. He learned the hard way when he’d woken up the first time with Sass looking straight at him. Beady little eyes indeed— it’d scared him shitless and almost caused him to scream at a bleary five in the morning. Sass is a terrifying little creature when he wants to be.

“Maybe it’s a good idea to give us a bit of time.” He tries not to blush when Mullo tilts her head in acknowledgment. “I don’t think she wants anything except sleep, but, who knows.”

“We’ll give you all the time you two need,” The little mouse nods. She grabs Sass’s sleeping form by a paw, taking one last bite out of the remaining blueberry, before the two of them phase through the floorboards down below. Sometimes kwamis are weird little creatures with all of their powers, honestly— he’s gotten used to Sass appearing out of thin air in his attempts to scare him, but it’s always so concerning to see it happen without that context.

He lifts himself up from the floor, peeling open some of her drawers in search of one of his shirts. She’d taken his pleading to heart, and now has a steady collection of his clothes starting to grow and multiply in her closet— he’s running out of his own clothes, honestly, but he can’t say no when she smiles at him like she always does before squirreling away a new shirt into her bag when she wants to keep a piece of him with her.

He should probably take some of these shirts home with him, though. If the point was for her to smell like him, well, he should probably make it happen.

He folds his shirt and jeans. Marinette doesn’t have piles of clothes everywhere unlike him, so he makes the executive decision to stack his clothes on her desk chair. By the time he’s going back up the ladder over to her bed, Marinette’s shifted onto her side, facing him— she wakes up the moment he tries to shimmy his way under the covers with her.

“Oh. Hi.”

“Hi.” She has pieces of her hair catching in her eyelashes— he brushes it away, shifting closer to her. Her entire bed smells of faint traces of lavender, what a nice scent. “How are you feeling, Mousey?”

“A lot better,” She’s quick to smile, even as she’s groggy from sleep. Adorable. “Probably because of the amount of pain killers I’m on right now, though.”

He laughs. “Master Fu told me you don’t usually take painkillers. You must just completely relax under it, then, since your body isn’t used to it.”

“I don’t think I tore anything, did I?”

“No, I don’t think so. Your uncle said you’re fine, after all, but you should just stay out of commission for this week until you can put weight on that foot again.”

She looks so disappointed. “Where’s Lolo?”

“Downstairs. She’s probably eating through your entire pantry at the moment.”

“And Sass?”

“Went with her. Mullo took him to give us privacy. Are you okay?”

He should’ve known better than to relax his guard around her. The moment he’s completely at ease in bed, she grabs for him, pulling him so close to her that they’re perfect puzzle pieces. “How is it that I can sling myself across rooftops for years, day and night, but I can’t even walk in a straight line once I’m out of my suit?”

“Don’t be so hard on yourself, Mousey. That’s not good for you.”

“I wish I wasn’t such a klutz.”

“You’re not.” He kisses the top of her head as a punctuation of his words. “You just had a bad day, that’s all.”

“One of the worsts in a while,” She nods into his— hers?— shirt. “Luka? Could you make it better for me?”

He laughs. “And you call me the insatiable one, little mouse.”

Her eyes sparkle. “Who was the one that jumped me when I was going to go shower after my pool trip with my friends? One look at me in a towel and suddenly my boyfriend’s hands are all on me— sounds pretty insatiable, if you ask me.”

How can she blame him? She has such soft and delicate skin. Everywhere.

He loves touching and feeling her up whenever she lets him and asks him to. Not to even mention her ass— god— he could write so many songs just about it— he likes biting her everywhere he can, and he’s sure he’d done exactly that while sneaking his way into her shower box. Marinette always takes to bruising really well when it comes to him teething at her, she blossoms into hickies whenever he has his mouth on her. Not to even mention just how excited and turned on she was when he’d finally fingered her to completion.

“I don’t believe you were complaining, were you? Besides, I was just giving my girlfriend what she likes the most.”

She snorts and giggles. “And what is that?”

“Word is around here that she really likes Viperion. Has lots of fantasies about him— and, hey, I’m a pretty understanding guy. If my girlfriend wants to call out his name instead of mine, I get it.” He loves it when she laughs this hard— it’s always so much better to hear her laugh than it is to hear her stay quiet and in her thoughts. “It’s a good thing he likes helping out, too. The guy’s taken a real liking to my girlfriend, even though I’ve heard that him and Multimouse are a thing.”

“You say that like it’s a bad thing.” She smiles against his mouth. She’s feeling a lot better now, he can tell, because her hands disappear under his— seriously, hers?— shirt, teasing all of the skin available to her. Her fingers are ticklish against his chest and abs— she’s just as handsy as he is, most of the time.

“Insatiable,” He kisses her before pulling down the covers.

Her sleepshirt is soft and stretchy in his hands, and it’s easy to pull it up enough so he can kiss her stomach and hip at the waistband of her panties. He’s careful with her leg, of course— he doesn’t want to move it, just to make sure the wraps on her ankle don’t come undone by accident. He helps her out of her underwear slowly and gently, pulling the cute panties off so he can get her completely bare.

Such cute underwear. But then again, he’s always a little biased to anything green or blue— and the mint green color is adorable on her pale skin. The cut is cute, too— he doesn’t know enough about women’s underwear styles, but these are a lot cuter on her than he’d imagined. They rest just at her hip, with a pretty little scalloped edge that is just a smidge too Marinette for him to reasonably handle.

But he likes her better naked, of course.

“You’re already this wet?”

“Don’t tease, Luka.” Her hands disappear under her shirt. He doesn’t get to exactly see what she does underneath with her fingers, but it doesn’t take much brainpower to recognize the arching of her back like she always gets whenever he’s pinching at her nipples.

He follows the line she’s made with her body with an appreciating gaze, kissing up and down her thigh so slowly that she makes a frustrated noise. “Awh, don’t be like that, Mousey. Tell me why you’ve soaked through your underwear, I’m curious.”

She groans. “I thought of you the entire time I was in that stupid subway.”

Oh, did she? “No wonder you’ve been so tense today.”

She makes eye contact with him after a little flinch and a little exhale— she must’ve pinched herself just enough to make it count. “I was thinking about what you did to me in the shower. You’re such a glutton, Vai.”

He grins at her. Oh, he loves it when she calls him that. “I’m not so sure about that.”

And gives her what she needs.

He takes his time licking between her legs, even though she’s wet enough that it wouldn’t take much effort at all to slip his fingers into her. He likes this part, personally, even to the point where he shifts his hips down into the mattress to alleviate some of the pressure building at the base of his spine, starting to get desperate himself. It’s always so satisfying to go down on her— the noises she makes are always so attractive, and he loves making her come without much regard to himself. Marinette isn’t loud when she vocalizes her likes and dislikes, but not because she doesn’t want to be— she always hides her mouth behind her hands— and it always feels like a contest.

Today is no exception.

Her ribs heave under her shirt as he licks and licks, swirling his tongue at the place she loves the most. Her sighs are soft and sweet, even as he pulls her good leg up and over his shoulder, burying his face into her cunt as she makes a noise halfway between an exhale and a laugh.

“Who’s the glutton now?”

He makes a humming noise, not exactly interested in answering her question— he’s more in favor of showing. He’s glad to help, after all— pulling noise after noise from her when he licks his way into her, digging his tongue in as far as he can possibly reach. Her hips lift, using his shoulder as an anchor, and she moans— but still, again, it’s so soft and nearly quiet like she doesn’t want anyone to know what they’re up to. Always so considerate of others.

Cute.

By the time he’s got two fingers dipping into her, she’s wound up tight already. He can tell by the way she twitches, how she bites the fleshy part of her thumb— and how she bites harder when he uses his free hand to cup her ass and give her a squeeze. Soft. Soft soft soft.

God, so deliciously soft.

“Luka,” She whispers, trying her absolute hardest to stay quiet as he curls his fingers into her. Her free hand makes it to his hair, brushing it back so sweetly— she’s more cuddly this way, than an actual sexual deviant, like she’s desperate for reassurance. “Please please please?”

He loves it when she starts to beg for more and asks for more physical touch whenever he makes a home between her legs.

“Easy, Mousinette. Take a breath,” He kisses her thighs, liking the way how her thighs get sticky and messy with it. She sucks in a breath at his suggestion, looking at him with her hazy, pretty eyes. “You’re almost there, aren’t you?”

“Yes—” She cuts herself off with a particular sigh that makes him piston his fingers more into her. She reaches down with the hand that was in his hair, gesturing for his hand underneath her to join her. “Could you— oh— please—”

“There you go. That’s it. Come whenever you want, baby girl.” He intertwines his fingers and clasps hands with hers, giving her one last swirl and flattening of his tongue, before he feels her start to come on his fingers.

“Luka—” He doesn’t let up once he recognizes the exhale, or the squirming— especially not when he feels the attractive fluttering of her walls. She squeezes and squeezes, milking his fingers desperately.

He can deal with his erection later. For now, he slowly eases his fingers out of her, and kisses her thigh again when she complains about the loss of his hand between her legs. “How are you feeling, Mousey? Better?”

“Always am when I’m with you. Sex or no sex.” And— oh— if he wasn’t so desperately hard in his boxers, he’d fall in love with her on the spot all over again. She’s always so honest with him— it’s always such a shock, even when he knows that’s just how her personality is. He watches her eyelids struggle to keep open, even as she raises her hands up in an attempt to coerce him to bed— barely clothed, with a sleep shirt that covers nothing except her chest and her shoulders at this point. “Come cuddle? ‘M tired. I want my boyfriend.”

“Probably not a good idea. I’m going to end up dry humping you— I’m so fucking horny.”

“Vai…” It’s so heartbreakingly cute that she tries to be stern even while falling asleep. “Cursing.”

“Sorry,” He laughs, gesturing to himself even though she’s not really looking at him. “I’ll be right back. I should probably go take care of my di— uhm, I mean, this— in your bathroom, and wash my hands too.”

Her face unpinches. “But what about cuddling?”

“I will after I clean you up,” He kisses the lines of her abs— pulling her shirt down enough to get comfortable. “If you fall asleep can I still towel you off? You know I don’t like it when you’re left messy.”

“Always take good care of me.” She mumbles, completely oblivious to the way he hides his steaming face behind his hands. She nods a confirmation, patting the spot next to her. “And then after cleaning come cuddle. Please.”

By the time he’s made himself orgasm while thinking of her, and washed his hands clean of her, and made sure that she’s no longer sticky between the legs— Marinette is still bravely putting up a fight with sleep. He helps her put on some new underwear, making sure that she doesn’t move her ankle as much when he does it— but he’s completely caught by surprise when she pulls him in for a hug— and, honestly— he should know better by now.

He loves it, though.

So much.

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iamdunn · 3 years

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Miraculous Flash Forward part 9: A New Dynamic

A Miraculous Fan-Fic

Written by

AJ Dunn

Adrien couldn’t wait to get back home and start making preparations. The trip to Paris hadn’t gone as badly as he was afraid it would. In fact, maybe he and Marinette could put their past behind them finally and start a life together. He had agreed to stay for the wedding since Marinette had gone through the trouble of making his Tux for him, and Nino wouldn’t have let him leave, he would have released Alya on him and that was frightening enough considering she had Trixx to back her up. Plus, Luka had Sass and he really didn’t need that kind of drama in his life. Honestly, he was happy he went. Even Nino saved a place for him after 5 years, in this case, the place of best man.

“I will.” She had said. The memory of her words played in his mind as they swayed around the dance floor. She had agreed to be his roommate in Shanghai. She swore she didn’t want him to leave her and that she truly did love him. Plus, losing her roommate meant she was looking for a new one. He was certain though that his studio condo wasn’t going to be sufficient for them. She would need her own room and considering how flustered he made her, he would need a private room so she didn’t lose herself whenever he walked around without a shirt on.

“Yeah, no more hanging out in the seating area in nothing but a towel,” Plagg said to him as they prepared to leave for the airport.

“Who knows, I might occasionally forget and well…”

“You’ll be quickly reminded when she walks through the walls to get away from you.” Plagg laughed. Adrien laughed too imagining her overdramatic reactions. Adrien’s phone rang.

“Are you sure about this Adrien?” Felix said. He had told his cousin he would need to upgrade his suite and asked for him to get him in touch with the management company.

“Absolutely,” Adrien smiled. “I wouldn’t want her getting a cheap apartment, that neighborhood is bad news, besides, she still doesn’t speak Mandarin and I can’t have her getting lost here again can I? OH, and I am going to tell her about us.” His words came out so quickly he hoped his cousin would agree and not snap at him.

“Do you trust her that much?” Felix sounded shocked. “Having her move in with you is one thing, but this affects us both.”

“Yes, I do. Besides, if this is going to work, her and I can’t have secrets between us.”

“It’s a shame she didn’t have a twin sister.” Felix scoffed.

“What?” Adrien teased.

“Nothing, never mind… shut up.” Felix snorted. “I’ll send them a message to call you.” He hung up.

The flight back was a sleepless one as Adrien reeled over the idea that Marinette was coming to live with him. This will change everything. He tried to sleep but, listening to music, even tried doing some reading. Sleep didn’t come until he was back home in his own bed. He wasn’t sure how long he had been asleep when his phone rang.

“Mr. Graham De Vanily?” the voice came over. “Ah, Mr. Graham De Vanily called and said you wanted to renegotiate your lease.” Adrien refrained from laughing.

“Adrien please.” he laughed, “And my cousin, he’s just Felix.” It is still funny when people see them together, and they have the same last name, but then call each other cousins. A thing that had always been fun. “Yes, I want a larger unit.”

“I’m afraid the only unit we have available larger than the one you are in, is our 3 bedroom two bath unit at the opposite end of your floor.”

“That’s perfect.” He refrained from using his cattish terminology with such a business call. Although the excitement in him wanted to so badly.

“Fine, I shall send the paperwork over immediately, I assume you want to make the transition before the end of the month? As that is when your lease is due to renew.”

“Yes of course.”

“Please get the paperwork back to us promptly.” A ding came through his phone the second he hung up. It was an email from the property management containing the digital documents that he needed to Esign and return. He made haste to finish the paperwork before heading out to see Cheng Sifu and check on the temple. The sky was clear as Adrien made his way home from Cheng Sifu’s restaurant with a sack of leftovers and a few grocery items he had bought on the way. By grocery items that meant cheese for Plagg. While Camembert wasn’t available here, Manchego had become his replacement.

They leaped from rooftop to rooftop not worried about remaining unseen as he had before the reunion. It felt freeing to just be himself and not hide anymore. His students already called him Laoshi Mao, though they didn’t know why it wasn’t Laushi Adrien. Well, Mao sounded a lot better. He slipped through the balcony door and wondered what their new apartment would look like. He was sure all of the units on this floor had a balcony. His phone ran just as he entered the apartment and before he transformed. It was a video call.

“Hello M’Lady,” he answered in his most cattish tone. She giggled then began swatting away at some unseen thing, most likely the Kwami’s.

“They’re all excited to be moving and they have been trying to pack for me.” She giggled again.

“Well, I am Pawsitively feeling clawssome about it too, M'Lady.”

“You dork.” She laughed. “Detransform and feed Plagg.” She said playfully.

“As you wish.” he let his transformation go as Plagg darted into the bag and began tearing at the plastic wrapper. “Hold on, this guy… “ he set the phone down and tried to wrestle the package from the nearly rabid creature. “Hold on, let me open the package at least, you’re going to kill yourself.” Marinette laughed at the ordeal. It was certainly going to be interesting having so many Kwami’s around.

Adrien reached over, picking up the phone again as Plagg stole away the now open package. “You’d think I starve him.”

“So, how was your day?” she said in a melodic tune.

“It would have been better if you were already here.” He said holding up a clear plastic container containing remnants of the Crab stew which had become one of his favorite dishes. The container had Cheng’s restaurant label on it.

“Did you tell him?” Her face went into a look of concern.

“I’ll have you know I am a cat of my word,” he said nonchalantly.

“Adrien?”

“Of course not.” A look of relief as she wanted to surprise him. She even insisted that her mother and father keep their tongue too. Threatening not to write or call for a week if they did. They were so happy for her to be moving to Shanghai, not to mention in with Adrien. Their faces lit up as they began discussing nicknames for grandkids. Adrien found the whole conversation unnerving at first but when he saw the looks on their faces, the pure joy, he felt grateful they were such wonderful people.

He still hadn’t talked to Emelie despite her condition improving. Amalie maintained the radio silence as well after Felix had threatened to cut her out of his life completely if she didn’t give Adrien space. Though, Adrien hadn’t told Marinette about all of that mess yet. He was afraid it would scare her off and he wanted her to enjoy her time here before bombing her with it.

Weeks had gone by as Adrien packed up his studio and shuffled all of his stuff into the new apartment. The Apartment opened up into the foyers, with a partial wall separating it from the living room. The kitchen to the right just like his old apartment had a counter divider with two bar stools on the living room side. The marble decor was the same as his old unit, taking into mind the carpeting in the living room stopped before the bar stools. The coat closet next to the front door was slightly deeper like a mini walk-in. There was a small dining table situated by the windowed wall in the kitchen. It was twice the size of his last kitchen.

He found the stairs to the loft in the same place however instead of an open bedroom area there were four doors. One was a bathroom and the other three bedrooms. The master bedroom, being nearly the size of his last unit, had its own bathroom with a walk-in shower and jet stream tub. The second and third bathrooms were on either side of the bathroom. Adrien decided to move his stuff into the smaller of the two rooms closest to the stairs so that Marinette could have the main room with her own bathroom.

It only took him a week to clean out the old unit and clean it even though professional cleaners would be in to clean it properly. The unit was unfurnished but the furniture from the old unit was bought by Amelie so he had a few bell boys help him move it into the new unit. He had only to buy a bed for Marinette before she got there. He had Sabine pick out some furniture online and he ordered it.

The two weeks flew by faster as he spent more time at the temple tutoring the youth. As well as his daily chores there.

A video call with Marinette came in very early in the morning, though it wasn’t that early where she was at. She had just arrived at the airport with her parents who were seeing her off. Her bags were checked and she was standing in front of the windows overlooking the runway.

“I can’t wait to see you, Princess.” He said enthusiastically as he lay in his bed. He tried to not let her see he was in bed or that he didn’t have a shirt on, she’d be a mess and end up missing her flight.

“Did I wake you?” She looked guilty

“I wouldn’t have missed this call for anything Princess, you better get on that plane you let me down now.” he winked at her.

“Don’t worry, that was her boarding call. We are putting her on the plane right now,” Tom said. Adrien chuckled as they hung up the phone.

“I’m just surprised you love birds are going to be in separate rooms.” Plagg teased. “How long is that going to last?”

“Hey, you have your own room now, what are you harassing me for?” Adrien teased him.

“Actually that is going to be Marinette’s sewing room, right?” Plagg had a point.

“I mean, when she gets here, you can start staying in the miracle box with the others.”

“Too cramped. I need to stretch my legs and be free.” Plagg folded his arms behind his head as he hovered over the bed. Adrien copied him as he lay in his bed. His phone ran again, this time it was Felix.

“I’ll be coming to Shanghai today, I am at the airport now.” He sounded rushed.

“To what do I owe the pleasure of this visit?” Adrien asked. It meant he would be on the same plane with Marinette. His stomach balled up.

“A last minute showing of some new designs and they can’t seem to be able to agree on one.” Felix said something to the boarding clerk. “I need you to attend with me.”

“I have classes, I can’t cancel them, plus I am now tutoring some of my students.” Adrien complained. It made things worse that he wouldn’t be able to spend time with Marinette.

“I’m sure we can arrange the viewing for after your classes or before. What time is your fist class and last class….” He paused. “You know what, we can discuss that when I get there.” his voice had changed from rushed to pleasant and happy. Damn, did he see Marinette, is he sitting with her? Adrien’s anxiety tightened on his chest as he laid back against his pillow.

After a long and nerve wracking day, Adrien stood at the airport waiting for both his cousin and his...friend? He hadn’t bothered to change his clothes after he finished at the temple, so he was still dressed in his yi-fu. He decided to wait near the baggage claim so he could help grab her luggage. Felix would likely have one bag and it was probably a carry on. Adrien saw her bags first and grabbed up. She had a lot as he had expected, they were pink with darker pink polka dots, no surprise there. As he finished loading them on a luggage cart he heard Felix’s voice.

“Are you serious Marinette, that would be great.” Felix sounded excited, a tone he didn’t use very often. Adrien could feel the heat in his face as he tried to compose himself before turning around to greet them.

“Adrien.” Marinette exclaimed as he turned around to catch her as she leaped into his arms. He spun her around holding her tightly and making a big show of it. “Look who found me on the plane, he wants me to come with you two to the fashion showing this afternoon.” Adrien feigned a smile. While Marinette was the fashion expert between the three of them, he wasn’t sure if his cousin’s intentions were pure, or if he was competition.

“So, I hope you got that sare bedroom made up for me…” Felix leaned in to whisper. “Brother.” Adrien’s face burned even more now, said spare bedroom was right next to her room and well, was empty.

“Sure, if you don’t mind sleeping on the floor.” Adrien laughed as they loaded up in the car. Felix pulled out his phone and made a call.

“I need a spare bed set up in the Graham De Vanily room, you’ll know which room.” Adrien was amazed at how resourceful his cousin was. This is why he is the primary controlling party for the company. The ride back to the apartment in the Taxi was cramped with Marinette wedged between Adrien and Felix. Adrien, being clearly larger than his twin, though not too much. Marinette let out a loud yawn so Adrien threw his arm over her shoulder and pulled her head into his chest casting a possessive glance to Felix, who simply smirked back to him.

The Bus boys carried her bags to the suite.

“I don’t know about you two, but I am famished.’ Felix said, “Shall we step out for dinner?”

“That sounds great, we should go to Thousand Delights?” Adrien smiled at her excitement.

“Are you okay to go, Marinette,” Adrien asked “You were nearly falling asleep in the plane, you might need a nap.”

“Nonsense. She’s fine.” Felix swooped a hand over her shoulder and led her back to the curb. “Shall I call a driver to come get us, less cramped than a taxi.” Competition is then. Adrien scowled.

“If my accommodations aren’t sufficient for you, COUSIN,” Adrien slid his arm around her waist tugging her to his side and out of Felix’s hands. “You are welcome to make your own. Felix’s smile was one of mischief as he let his arm fall from her shoulders. Her face froze in a ‘what just happened’ expression. A few minutes later a mini black limo arrived and the driver moved quickly to open the door.

“Lady’s first.” Felix insisted then slid in after her. Adrien ran to the other side to let himself in next to her. Once again, Marinette was trapped between the two, though Adrien focuses on the fact, she would be staying with him when Felix returned to Paris.

“Where’s your ring?” Adrien finally asked, having noticed his hand free of it when his arm was around Marinette.

“I uh, Amalie,” he choked. “They want yours as well to get them refinished or something.” Adrien slipped the ring off his finger and handed it to Felix.

“I don’t know what Amalie and Emelie want with them, but they have no meaning to me.” Adrien turned to the window.

“Ooookay.” Marinette’s voice broke through the awkwardness. “Amalie? Emelie? Not mother?”

“It’s a long story.” Felix said, patting her knee.

“Well, tell me tonight, when we get back?” Marinette’s voice was so sweet. Adrien was glad didn’t didn’t stumble over her words like she did when they were younger, now he could have a real conversation with her and actually know the true intentions of her words.

“We will have plenty of time to talk about that Marinette,’ Adrien smiled at her as he put his arm around her shoulders again, “But let’s just have some fun first,” He kissed her forehead, casting a glance to Felix. The thought of telling her made his stomach clench and he could tell it was difficult for Felix too. Not exactly something that comes up in casual conversation.

Cheng Sifu was excited to see him, but his confusion over the “Cousin” kept him constantly glancing back and forth between them. Felix and Adrien smiled at him, then they both laughed.

“Cheng Sifu, we get that all of the time, our mothers are identical twins as well.” Adrien didn’t mean to add that, but it was too late.

“What he means is, we share the Graham De Vanily twin genes.” Felix to the rescue, casting a scowl at Adrien. “Which means.” smiling at Marinette, “When we have children, our wives will bear us twins.” Adrien caught the wink in his eye.

“Well, I don’t think we need to worry about you having any children any time soon Felix,” Adrien leaned back in his seat as his empty bowl sat in front of him. He wrapped an arm around Marinette, “You have to have a girlfriend first.” He gave Marinette a gentle squeeze and a smile.

“Oh.” Felix said, putting his napkin down on the table. “And you do? I thought she was just a friend?”

“Yeah, she is.” Adrien smiled at her. “A girlfriend.” He placed a quick kiss on her startled lips. Making a show of it before Felix could question if he even had a chance. Adrien knew Marinette had loved him since day one, even though she only knew the facade his father created, but he loved her for her.

“I see.” Felix’s tone seemed to have a playful melody to it. “I’m happy to hear that.” Cheng Sifu began to play his happiest of songs on his accordion.

“I always knew the two of you would be together someday.” A joyful tear fell down his cheek.

#miraculous fandom #miraculous chat noir #ladynoir #adrienette #miraculous ladybug #marichat #miraculous world #felix graham de vanily #Adrien Graham De Vanily #miraculous fanfic

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beholdme · 3 years

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All the Many Shades of Gerry - Chapter 18

Chapters: 18/19

Fandom: The Magnus Archives (Podcast)

Rating: Teen And Up Audiences

Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply

Relationships: Martin Blackwood/Gerard Keay/Jonathan “Jon” Sims | The Archivist, Martin Blackwood/Gerard Keay, Martin Blackwood/Jonathan “Jon” Sims | The Archivist, Gerard Keay/Jonathan “Jon” Sims | The Archivist

Characters: Martin Blackwood, Jonathan “Jon” Sims | The Archivist, Gerard Keay, Tim Stoker (The Magnus Archives), Sasha James, Gertrude Robinson, Elias Bouchard

Additional Tags: Alternate Universe, Library AU, Librarian Jon, Artist Gerry, Trans Male Character, Trans Martin Blackwood, Canon Asexual Character, Asexual Jonathan “Jon” Sims | The Archivist, Ace Subtype - Sex Positive, Polyamory, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, Romantic Fluff, Falling In Love, Boys in Skirts, Kissing, Demisexual Gerard Keay, Minor Character Death, Past Character Death, Canon-Typical Child Neglect, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, Flirting, Minor Jonathan “Jon” Sims | The Archivist/Tim Stoker, Adventures in Hair Dying, Happy Ending, Banter, Gerry has a lot of sass, Gerard Keay is Morticia Adams, Jon is a very grumpy Librarian, Martin adores them anyway.

Summary: In which Gerry is a kaleidoscope and Jon and Martin can’t help falling in love with him.

He happens to love them back.

Find it on Ao3

[1] [2] [3] [4] [5] [6] [7] [8] [9] [10] [11] [12] [13] [14] [15] [16] [17]

They cook, they feed him, they chat away about inane things. Their presence soothes Martin and their voices fill him with the warmth sucked away by his unexpected encounter.

Gerry helps him make tea after dinner, and they all sit at the table together, even the cats sleeping nearby, cuddled up into one big, grey and black fluff ball.

"I think," Martin begins, voice croaky, "That I would like to tell you now."

"We're ready to listen if you're ready to tell us." Jon offers softly. Gerry reaches over to take one of his hands, turning it over to kiss the palm sweetly.

Martin talks, voice quiet and even.

"In the beginning, it was just a normal relationship. Except for the fact that he was almost twenty years older than me, and about a million times richer. I didn't know that at first, of course. He was just a middle-aged man I met in a gay bar, who didn't seem to mind that I was trans. I felt secure in our relationship, if not exactly nurtured or adored. I had never felt very secure before, and it seemed like enough, you know?

"He took me out, brought me a few things in the beginning. He was very dominant, sexually, but I was a lot less sure of my own preferences back then and I thought it was fine. He never even blinked at my trashy flat or cheap clothes, and I didn't even realise just how much money he had for a long time. Maybe I just can't really comprehend that much money, even now.

"When I was twenty-two, my mother died, and…" He huffs out a shaky, emotional laugh. "Well, I was a real mess. I lost my job, and almost my flat. Peter started paying for things, my rent, clothes, meals. He said that I needed somewhere to live and had to eat and look presentable, and it was his pleasure to provide those things for me. It made me feel a bit gross, but I struggled to find another job, and so I accepted it."

Martin hesitates here, before continuing. "The problem started when I wasn't interested in sex one night."

"He forced you?" Gerry interrupts to ask dangerously, threat explicit in his quiet words. His eyes seem to glow faintly in the growing dark of the room, as the sun sets. He wishes, more than ever, that he had helped Jon kick the shit out of Peter Lukas, instead of stopping him.

Martin sighs, eyes pressed tight closed for a second. "Not exactly. He simply pointed out that he paid for me to exist. So I made myself interested."

Gerry's hands tighten into fists and he moves them under the table where Martin can't see them anymore. Jon suddenly looks very pale. They share a look, neither able to see much difference between 'forcing' and what sounds a lot like financial abuse to them.

Martin pulls his legs up to his chest, curling around them as he goes on. "Our relationship became a lot more transactional after that night. I disengaged whatever feelings I had left for him and simply drew all my emotions down deep into myself. I wasn't ashamed to be getting paid for sex, but I felt like I had lost my own consent in the matter. Peter honestly seemed like he had gotten exactly what he wanted. Money was nothing to him, and he had someone to take out on his arm or shag whenever he wanted, without the work of a real relationship, or the complications of unfortunate attachments.

"So, if I needed something, I told him. He set a date, took me out, fucked me. He gave me however much I needed."

Martin shrugs, looking down at his hands. "I honestly hated it. Not because of the prostitution itself, sex has always been very nurturing for me, and I sometimes caught the idea that it was only another way to care for people, and being paid for that is perfectly fine, if you're doing it for the right reasons. The real issue was Peter himself. He had this way of making me feel… bereft and hollow, even before the money came into it."

A few tears track down his face, although his face remains rather blank, in a numb way. It's only as he admits the next words that his voice breaks and the heartbreak works its way out again.

"I was very foolish. Looking back, I can see that I was still a child in a lot of ways. I put myself into a situation that damaged me, but I accept the consequences of those actions, both then and now. I- I-"

"Martin," Jon whispers, warm love clear in his voice. It's nothing but an offer of support, one that he desperately needs right now.

He presses his eyes shut, forcing away the stutter and the lump of tears. "I knew I wasn't going to be able to get out of it, even if I got a crap, minimum wage job that I was qualified for. So I started applying for any work that was available. I made every application exactly what they wanted, and I hoped for the best. When Elias offered me the job at Magnus, I took it happily. Since then I found out that Peter knows him, and probably arranged the job for me, but at the time I had no idea. Looking back, I know that it's a miracle that I got out of it at all. Peter could have chosen to make my life a living hell. Instead, he accepted the several firm rejections I offered him.

"He promised me that we weren't done, that I would be back, but he left me alone. I was done. I moved on with my life, even if I had to lie to do it." Martin sighs, shakes out his shoulders, the most difficult part over now.

"I had always planned to be open about it with my next relationships, but they were so fleeting that it never even came up. By the time I fell for Jon, it had become a secret, one I was loathed to dig up for a relationship I was convinced wouldn't last. I thought to myself, 'Why ruin something that makes me happy?' I assumed it would fall apart anyway, and it was easier to allow it to be in the past.

"But I am sorry. I'm sorry that I never told you. I'm sorry you had to find out from him. I'm sorry that we've been together for more than a year and we basically live together, and I've put you in this position. I love you both, very very much."

"When did you eventually decide that our relationship was going to last?" Jon queries, genuine curiosity in his voice.

There's a beat of hazy silence at the abrupt change in tone and topic.

"Oh, ah-" Martin stumbles over his words, unsure how blatantly honest to be. He chooses the real truth, no matter how unfortunate. "The day that I got Luna was the first time I really accepted that you both loved me."

Jon simply raises an eyebrow, completely unconcerned. "What about you, Gerry?"

"With you," Gerry responds easily, "at the hospital in Morden, when I was so panicked that I couldn't decide if I wanted to kill you or handcuff us together for the rest of our lives. With Martin-"

He breaks off with a laugh, colouring slightly. "It was the day we dyed my hair purple."

"The first time we had sex?" Martin asks, surprised at such a hedonistic answer.

He laughs again, more confidently this time. "No, actually, although that was spectacular. It was afterwards, when you braided my hair for the first time. That was the first time anyone had ever braided my hair. It made me feel so… So honoured. Like I was the most precious thing to you."

"Gerry, you are the most precious thing to me. You both are." Martin whispers, tears creeping back into his voice.

"Good, because the feeling is mutual, and we desperately need you around to keep us in line," Jon tells him, voice unusually firm and confident.

"What about you?" Martin remembers to ask him, at risk of floating away in his post confession haze. "When did you know?"

"With Gerry, it was when we were teenagers. I kissed him for the first time, and he laughed at me. I just knew he was my soulmate." Jon rolls his eyes at this, but his voice is full of blatant affection. "With you, Martin, it was- Well, to be quite honest with you, there was no one special moment. It was a million tiny moments, all of them special and perfect to me. Every cup of tea, every frown while you were writing poetry, glasses pushed haphazardly up into your lovely hair. The easy, glorious look on your face the day you met Gerry for the first time, as if you weren't even capable of not falling in love with him, just as I hadn't been. It was especially the days that I would come out of the library and find you waiting for me after work. This weight of total surety would fill my chest and leave me gasping, needing you."

Jon sighs, his own eyes a little bright. "I suppose it was really the night you kissed me in the rain, and every soft moment since then has only affirmed the way I knew you were it for me."

Jon smiles at Martin so beatifically that he forgets to breathe for a moment.

"We love you too, Martin," Gerry tells him, reaching out to grasp a hand. Jon takes the other. "And we wouldn't want you any other way."

***

The next morning, Martin wakes to find Jon eyeing his phone intently. Gerry is asleep on his other side, and he feels warmly cocooned between them. Gentle cloudy light fills the space, encouraging the comfortable cozy atmosphere of their bed.

"What's wrong, love?" Martin asks sleepily, snuggling into his side.

"I got-" Jon pauses, utterly flummoxed. "I got paid a bonus."

"What?" Equally perplexed, Martin takes his phone, squinting as he tries to read the screen.

The banking app is open, and there is indeed a deposit there, Jon's normal salary amount, but on completely the wrong date.

In the purpose box, it simply reads 'Entertainment Value'.

"You don't think," Jon starts, hesitant, "that Elias paid me…"

"For hitting Peter Lukas?" Martin finishes, "His own husband."

They blink at each other, bewildered.

"Does that seem… slightly cursed, to you?" Jon whispers as if Elias might hear him. Even worse if Elias could hear them, and would probably enjoy being accused of having a cursed relationship.

"Yes, completely cursed. What is up with those two?" Martin looks as if he's smelled something bad.

"We absolutely cannot spend this money, right?" Jon asks. "Lest we are cursed with their relationship dysfunction."

"Correct," Martin responds firmly, shuddering. "Can we donate it to the animal shelter?"

"I think that's a wonderful idea." Jon's relief at this resolution is palpable.

He does it straight away, as if even having the money in his bank account might ruin their lives.

They let out a simultaneous sigh as the transfer goes through.

"That is wild," Martin mutters as he snuggles back down.

Jon tosses his phone away, no longer interested in it. Instead, he wraps his arms around Martin, burying his nose in his lover's hair. It smells of bergamot and tea leaves and the ocean in winter, just like Martin himself, and Jon luxuriates in the moment.

"I love you, Martin K. Blackwood." He whispers into the soft air.

"Even if I don't actually have a middle name?" Martin whispers back.

"Especially because of that." Jon chuckles.

They lay together, the gentle moments of the morning flowing around them. Later, they get up and shower together. They drink tea in front of the big windows in the living space. Martin reads a book from Gerry's shelves, his own books still packed, and Jon wanders off to play his piano where it is randomly set up, right in the middle of Gerry's typical painting area.

Gerry himself appears downstairs, still sleepy and bleary-eyed. He curls up with his head in Martin's lap, listening to Jon fill the flat with gentle music.

It's the soft sort of moment that each of them had been wishing for all their lives, full of love, and family, and a home of their very own.

#the magnus archives #jonathan sims #martin blackwood #gerry keay #jongerrymartin #fic #also on ao3

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sassyduckqueen · 3 years

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Miraculous: Rise of Anatis 34

Holy crap, I'm alive haha Ok, so this was suppose to be out for Halloween... sadly I didn't make it due to lack of inspiration and overthinking. Thank you, brain. Anyway, here's the latest chapter of ROA! So a quick warning before you read this. There is mentions of physical and emotional abuse and a scene of verbal abuse and hints of violent towards a minor so I am issuing out a trigger warning. I have tried to make it bearable to read but it is there never the less. Also this chapter is the first chapter that has a different lucky charm to the OG and also no Evil Lady Noir or Anatis. That isn't their nightmares. Hope you guys enjoy this chapter :D

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Chapter 34: Sandboy

Luka hummed to himself lightly as he watched the latest video on the Ladyblog. Alya had done a compilation on the best cat memes on the internet that had featured Lady Noir. He laughed gently as he watched it, wiping his eye a little. His partner was crazy but he wouldn't change her for the world. He loved how he could rely on her and how she always had his back. He chuckled again before he looked at Tikki, frowning as he noticed she looked sad. He paused the video and sat up, gently look at her.

"Tikki, is everything ok?" He asked as he noticed her song. It was full of sad notes and seemed melodramatic. Not at all her usual tune. She let out a little sigh, looking at him. "What's wrong? Are you sick again?"

"No, Luka," She mumbled, sitting up and looking at him. "I'm not ill,"

"You're sad," He mumbled, gently scoping her into his hands. "Wanna talk about it?"

"It's the Kwami Nooroo's transmission tonight..." She sighed, looking sadly. Nooroo. Luka frowned as he recognized the name. Why did that seem so familiar? His eyes widen as he realized it was the name of Hawkmoth's kwami.

"Hawkmoth's kwami?" He asked, getting a nod of her.

"Yes... he's celebrating his 3500th cycle today... all by himself," She sighed, looking down. Luka frowned as he wasn't how to cheer her up.

"Tikki, I promise we'll free him one day I promise," He whispered, making her look at him.

"Well, there may be a faster solution," She mumbled, making him raise an eyebrow. "You see Kwamis are able to communicate with their kind on their cycle or as you call it birthday but we won't get another opportunity for a long time. See a kwami's cycle lasts several hundred of years,"

"So you could find out where he is?" Luka asked with a hopeful look in his eyes before he frowned and looked at her. "But how would you do that?"

"The kwamis must gather in the miracle box at a specific time,"

"That's great," Luka grinned. "When is that time?"

"Tonight..." She mumbled, looking down. Luka frowned a little. "I'm sorry I didn't tell you sooner but Master Fu didn't want us to leave our owners' side. He said we have to be able to transform straight away if an akuma turns up,"

"While he has a point, this is a once in a life time opportunity," Luka mumbled before he looked at Tikki. "I think you should go. If you can contact Nooroo then maybe he can give us his location and in turn maybe we can rescue him and defeat Hawkmoth,"

"Really? I can go?" She gasped, causing him to nod before she flew at him, hugging herself against his chest. "Oh, thank you, Luka! I won't let you down,"

"I know, Tikki," He smiled as she pulled away before she flew out and grabbed one of his highlighters. "Tell the kwamis I say hi,"

"I will," She grinned. "Sweet dreams, Luka,"

"Have a good time, Tikki,"

~Meanwhile at Marinette's~

"Oh, boy! I am exhausted!!" Plagg gasped, pretending to yawn as Marinette worked on her latest project. "I'm gonna head to bed!!"

"Ok, Plagg, have sweet dreams," She replied as she grabbed some more material. He smirked and placed a sock that resembled him into his little bed that Marinette had made him. A tiny part of him felt a little bad that he was going off but he had a plan with Wayzz and Tikki plus they needed to contact Nooroo. If he could be contacted then they could learn Hawkmoth's real identity. The good outweighed the evil. With his mind reassured, he flew up through the sky light and out into the night, carrying a piece of cheese with him. He flew as quickly as he could to where Tikki said she would meet him and smiled a little bit to himself when he saw her. She was sat staring up at the sky while holding a yellow highlighter. He flew over to her and grinned.

"Hey, sugar cube!" He smirked, making her look at him.

"Uh, I've already told you not to call me that," She declared, glaring at him. "Do you ever hear me calling you stinky sock?"

"Noo... but you should," He grinned, making her frown. "Cause that would be delightful, Sugar Cube,"

She huffed and flew off, making him follow her as they headed to Master Fu's.

"Sooo... what lies did you tell your owner to sneak out tonight?" He asked, grinning at her. Tikki rolled her eyes and looked at him.

"Actually, I told him the honest truth," She declared, making him make a thoughtful look.

"Oh... maybe I should try that some day and see what it's like," He suggested before throwing the chuck of cheese up and swallowing it whole. Tikki gasped and glared at him.

"Plagg! You should have saved some for the others," She scolded as he grinned at her.

"True but I was so grossed out by your kindness that it made me really hungry," He explained, looking at her but she rolled her eyes before looking ahead as they flew. She let out a little sigh, making Plagg look at her. "Something wrong, Sugarcube?"

"It's nothing..." She sighed, frowning a little. "I... I just hope we can get in contact with Nooroo,"

"So do I," He admitted, feeling his eyes fill up with tears. He really missed Nooroo. He sniffed a little, getting Tikki's attention.

"Are you crying?" She asked, causing him to look at her.

"Who? Me? Of course not," He gasped, shaking his head to get rid of his tears. "Are you kidding?! Come on... let's race! The last one there won't get any cheese!!"

With that, he rushed off, causing Tikki to smile and follow them. It didn't get them long before they arrived. They flew over to the door and Tikki gently knocked on it before Plagg opened the door and flew in.

"Hey Wayzz!" He declared, getting Wayzz attention. "How's it going?!"

"Ssh!! You'll wake up master," He gasped, pointing to Master Fu who was snorting and had a magazine over his face. Wayzz turned to them and gestured for them to follow him. They flew over to where the phonograph was before Tikki and Plagg turn to Wayzz. "If you mange to contact Nooroo, wish him a happy 3500 cycles for me,"

"We sure will, Wayzz," Tikki declared before Plagg and her flew into the cylinder and towards the miracle box. They entered into the little pocket world that existed within the miracle box and floated down towards a collection of odd objects.

"Hi everybody!" Plagg declared, looking around. "We're here!!"

As soon as he said that, the Kwamis peeked out from the objects and floated over, happy to see the two other kwamis.

"Tikki, Plagg!!" Ziggy, the goat Kwami, gasped as she floated over, along with the others. "You came!"

The other kwamis cheered and surrounded them as Plagg and Tikki smiled.

"With you two here, we'll be able to get in contact with Nooroo for sure," She declared, causing the rest of the kwamis to cheer again. Pollen floated over and smiled sweetly at them.

"Good day to you, noble kwamis of creation and destruction," She declared but before she could finish her greeting, Daizzi, the pig kwami, floated over excitedly.

"Oooh!! What did you bring? What did you bring?" He asked, clearly excited as the rest of the kwamis floated over, clearly interested as well. Plagg stepped forward and cleared his throat.

"Brothers and sisters living within the world of the miracle box... on this special day, I brought you some delicious cheese!" He declared, getting impressed cheers before he pouted and looked sorrowful. "Unfortunately, I had to sacrifice it on the way here to feed a poor, starving kitten!!"

He placed his paw on his forehead for dramatic effect, causing the rest of the kwamis to coo and aww at his 'noble' sacrifice.

"Aww, that's just so cute," Ziggy declared as Tikki shook her head.

"What about you, Tikki?!" Daizzi asked excitedly. Tikki smiled and turned to them.

"From my owner's home, I bring you this," She stated, looking at the highlighter. The kwamis grabbed the pen of her and began to examine it with Roarr declaring it as a paintbrush. Even if that wasn't correct. Tikki smiled as Sass floated over to her and Plagg before clearly her voice, getting the attention of the other kwamis. "My owner also sends his greetings,"

"Really?" Daizzi asked, surprised as Pollen smiled.

"Tell my prince that I return his greeting," She smiled, bowing. Plagg snorted but Tikki smiled as Xuppa, the monkey kwami, floated over to a Walkman that was set up like a DJ booth.

"Let's get this party started!!" He declared, pressing the button to start playing some songs. Instantly, the other kwamis began to dance and cheer, clearly enjoying themselves as Sass turned to Tikki and Plagg.

"Your owners were wise to give you permission to come," He declared, making Tikki nod.

"Yes, Sass. Lu-" She suddenly burped little red bubbles, making her gasp as Plagg laughed.

"Your owner," Sass grinned, knowing she meant Luka as Plagg teased her.

"You forgot about the magic spell," He chuckled. "We can't say our owner's name to each other, remember?"

"Yes!" Tikki grinned before turning back to Plagg. "My owner is the best Ladybug I've ever served. He's very creative and compassionate,"

"Yes, he seemed that way when I met him," Sass nodded, smiling. "In fact, I sense that he would make an excellent snake. It takes a lot of skill to be able to use the snake miraculous and the ladybug miraculous at the same time,"

"Yes, Red Mumba was a very powerful merge," Tikki nodded. "And Plagg helped too,"

"Of course," Sass nodded, smiling at Plagg before he looked back at Plagg. "When you return to your owner, send my regards to him,"

"Of course, Sass," Tikki nodded, getting a smile of the snake.

"Now back to the matter at hand," He stated, smiling. "We are very fortunate that the guardian also agreed to this, otherwise we may not get another chance to try and find Nooroo,"

"Yes! Which reminds me... Tikki, shall we dance?" Plagg grinned. "We need to properly celebrate our friend Nooroo after all,"

With that, he grabbed Tikki and joined the other kwamis in dancing.

~Meanwhile at Marinette's~

"Hmmm... Adrien..." Marinette muttered in her sleep, smiling to herself as she dreamt. She turned to her side. "We'll have a house... but... Luka... hmm... Luka... we'll have a cat... hmm forget the cat... cats and boats don't go well together...but Adrien... hmm..."

"Marinette..." Adrien's voice made her jolt awake as she looked around but she didn't see anything yet somehow her room feel strange and eerie.

"What- what's going on?" She gasped as she sat up. She could hear the sound of footsteps, moving towards her bed. She felt frightened and unsure as she heard someone climb towards her before a hand suddenly grabbed her railing and Adrien pulled himself up. Only he didn't look like Adrien. She frowned. It did look like him but something was wrong. However, she could put her finger on it as he smiled at her. "Adrien?"

"Do you want to know my secret, Marinette?" He drew out her name, sending shivers down her spine and making her shake her head as she cupped her face. He twisted his head to the side in an unnatural manner. "I'm in love with a girl and her name is Chloe!!"

Marinette let out a scream and threw her covers over him but a dark chuckle made her look towards the rest of her room. Sat on the chaise was Luka but like Adrien, there was something wrong about him. He had a nasty smirk on his lips. A sneer that reminded her of Lila to a certain degree. He stood up and glared up at her.

"Pathetic," He snarled, shocking her. "You're a stupid, clumsy girl who has zero talent. Do you really think I actually like you? I'm only friends with you because it works in my favor. The only thing you're good for is to help me become famous and once I've done that... well, then there's no use for you anymore... is there, Marinette?"

He dragged out her name too as he walked over in a slow and menacing way. The fake Adrien grabbed her leg, causing her to scream before she shoved him back down and used him to jump up to her sky light before climbing out of it and closing it.

"That was definitely not the real Luka or Adrien," She muttered, frowning deeply as she backed away from the skylight. She heard screams, making her look over her balcony and seeing a lot of Parisians running around from things such as T-Rexs or sentient cars. She frowned deeply before she noticed something in the sky. She looked up and saw it was a little boy on some sort of cloud. She frowned to herself as she noticed he blended in with the night sky and his cloud seemed to be dusting everyone with some sort of sand. He had to be an akuma.

"The Sandboy just checked in," He declared, confirming her theory. "Now nightmares can begin,"

"He must be bringing nightmares to life," She muttered as she heard her skylight open.

"One day, Chloe and I are going to have a house together and we're have a hamster together called Marinetteee!!" The nightmare Adrien called out, dragging her name out again. She rushed over but nightmare Luka suddenly grabbed her wrist.

"Marinette!" He snarled, roughly grabbing her. "You're nothing to me. I hate your designs, I hate the color pink and I hate you!"

"And you're not real," She gasped, kicking him in the face. She knocked him back into Adrien and closed the skylight again before holding out her hand. "Plagg! Claws out!!"

She closed her eyes, expecting to transform but opened them when nothing happened before gasping as the skylight was pushed open again, knocking her back. This time, Nightmare Luka climbed out, followed by Nightmare Adrien. Both glared down at her as she stared up at them.

"How pathetic," Nightmare Luka growled. "You're the worst superhero ever,"

"Marinetteeee!!" Nightmare Adrien shook as he screeched her name. She got up and backed away from them. She needed to wake up Plagg. "The prettiest and smartest one of all is Chloeeee!"

"Agree to disagree," She declared as both nightmares dived at her but she dodged both and jumped through her skylight, closing it behind her. She slid down the rail near her bed before landing on the floor and rushing over to Plagg's bed. She gasped as she found a sock version Plagg in place of the real one, meaning Plagg had sneaked off. She frowned as she wondered why but she would have to ask him when she found him. She grabbed her slippers as she heard her the sound of the nightmares trying to open her skylight and slipped them on before opening her trap door and sneaking downstairs. She carefully slid past the kitchen as her father would be up, preparing stuff for the bakery. She carefully slipped outside the side door and ran as fast as she could down the street, making her way to Master Fu's. He would know what to do and hopefully Anatis would arrive soon.

~At Luka's Place~

"No..." Luka muttered as he turned in his bed. His face was scrunched up and he seemed distressed. He gripped his cover in his fist as he frowned. "I'm not... I'm not useless..."

He gasped as he turned again but this time, some of Sandboy's sand sprinkled down on him, causing him to jolt awake. Sweat dripped down his brow as he breathed in before he shook his head and got up. He wondered over to the kitchen and filled up a cup of water, taking a gulp before he pinched his nose and let out a sigh.

"It was just a bad dream..." He mumbled, taking another gulp but he felt like someone was watching him. He turned around and dropped his glass, smashing it as he stared at the figure sat on the sofa. It turned his head to him and stood up, making him step back in fear. "N-No... y-you left... M-Mum kicked you out..."

"Luka," He growled, stepping into the light. "Is that anyway to talk to your father?"

Luka didn't say a thing. Instead, he just bolted out of there and ran back to his room, slamming the door shut and locking it. He could heard footsteps coming towards his room, causing him to feel more panicked. He grabbed his guitar and used it to barricade the door the same way he did when Captain Hardrock appeared. He turned to his porthole as the man began to bang on his door violently. He went to open it but jumped back in surprise as bars appeared across it, trapping him inside the boat with a monster of a man he never wanted to see again. Panic settle in as he stepped back but he took a deep breathe as he would be able to escape as Anatis or at least fight his father that way. He closed his eyes and swiped his earrings.

"Tikki! Spots on!!" He declared but nothing happened. Then he remembered why. He had given Tikki permission to go to the Miracle Box. He was unable to transform without her, meaning he was alone and trapped. A violent thud made him jump and step back.

"Luka, come out of there right now!" His father scolded, making him want to curl up. "I'm not mad. I just want to talk,"

"N-no..." He gasped, sinking down onto his knees and curling up. "Y-You lie... you said you weren't mad and that you just wanted to talk but..."

He couldn't bring to finish the sentence as tears filled his eyes. He jumped again as his father violently knocked on the door, causing the guitar to slip. Luka gasped and rushed over, pushing it back in place. He looked around and his luck vision kicked in, highly his bed and desk. He dragged his bed to the door, using it to block it then did the same with his desk. His luck vision also lit up his spare bike chain. He used it secure the door even more as his father pounded on it. He stepped back until his back hit the wall and slid down it as he curled up.

"You can't hide in there forever, you little brat!" His father screamed through the door, making him cover his ears. "You're trapped in here with me forever!!"

~Back to the Miracle Box~

Tikki grinned as she danced with Plagg and Pollen. Sass was happily watching from the sideline but she wasn't surprise. He wasn't much of a party kwami. That was definitely more Xuppa's area. She grinned as the cycle symbol lined up and stopped moving, meaning it was time to try and contact Nooroo. Sass cleared his throat and held up his arms.

"My friends, the time has come!" He declared, causing all of the kwamis to get into their places. Tikki stood next to Plagg, who gave her a little nod before they both paid attention to Sass. "Fellow Kwamis, tonight as you know, we have a special opportunity to create a connection with Nooroo but we must put our voices together in order to achieve this. Kwamis! Sing!!"

Following Sass's order, all of the kwamis began to sing, placing their hope to contact their lost friend into their voices as they did. They hoped that if they were able to reach him, they could find out where he is, which then lead them to know where Hawkmoth was. Anatis and Lady Noir would take it from there and finally be able to end his reign of terror on Paris and free their friend. Once that was done, Tikki, Plagg and Nooroo could finally come home. They may even be able to find Duusu as well or they could hope at least.

~Streets of Paris~

Marinette ran as fast as she could, dodging other people and their nightmares. It was completely chaos. A bin man was been chased by wheelie bins and a woman was been chased by a crocodile that wasn't Fang but to be honest, she couldn't be certain about that one. Office Roger attempted to try and control the situation, only to run away with swat as their cars turned on them. Marinette frowned deeply as she looked around. Anatis still hadn't turned up, which was unlike him. She could only hope that he was ok and that he wasn't trapped by one of these nightmares.

"The Sandboy just checked in. Now Nightmares can begin," Sandboy sang as she noticed him up in the sky, making her frown even more. Anatis really should be here by now.

"Marinetteee, I'm in love with Chloeeee!!" Nightmare Adrien declared as him and Nightmare Luka caught up to her. She looked back at them and frowned as they moved towards her.

"Marinette, I hate you!!" Nightmare Luka growled, causing her to shake her head and run off. She took a sharp turn and made her way up the street, keeping her out for Anatis and the rest of the nightmares.

~The Miracle Box~

The kwamis kept singing but they had yet to reach Nooroo. Plagg looked over at Tikki, who looked just as worried as he was. He nodded and she flew over to Sass, who was singing as well. Plagg followed over as Sass looked to them.

"He's not gonna make it, Sass," Tikki gasped, making the snake frown but he couldn't disagree. They down a few kwamis.

"We're missing a few kwamis," He explained, frowning. "We need the peafowl... we've not heard from her for some time now,"

"What if we brought Wayzz in?" Plagg asked, causing Sass to look at him before he pointed at him.

"We won't have another opportunity to contact Nooroo until his next birthday," Sass mumbled, weighting up the idea before he nodded. "Go get him!"

Plagg nodded and flew out of the miracle box, heading into Master Fu's room. Master Fu was still asleep and Wayzz was standing guard. He flew over to him, making him look at him.

"Is there a problem, Plagg?" He asked, making the kwami nod.

"We can't contact Nooroo. We're not strong enough but if you were to join us, we think we could do it," Plagg grinned but Wayzz shook his head.

"No, I have to stay here and kept guard," He gasped, even though he wanted to see if he could contact him. "I'm sorry, Plagg,"

"But this could be our only chance to find Nooroo and Hawkmoth," Plagg pleaded, making Wayzz look to his master. He was still asleep and it didn't look like he would wake up anytime soon. He turned back to Plagg and grinned.

"Ok, let's do it!" He declared before the two of them flew back into the miracle box. They flew down to the other kwamis and Wayzz took his place before everyone began to sing again. This time, it worked, causing the symbol in the middle to glow blue before sending a beam of light out into the world.

~Master Fu's Place~

Marinette carefully sneaked in and looked around as she was unsure. This was the first time she had come to Master Fu as Marinette and she was nervous. She wasn't sure if he would recognize her but she hoped that he would. After all, he was the one who gave her the black cat miraculous and she had just been Marinette that day. Of course, that didn't stop her overthinking. She was also wondering if Anatis had come here too. Had he lost Tikki and that's why he hadn't turned up yet? Or was he trapped in a nightmare and unable to transform? She frowned deeply as she moved across the room but before she could do anything, Sandboy's sand was sprinkled over Master Fu. She rushed over and shook him.

"Master Fu, wake up!" She gasped, causing him to jolt awake. He looked at her and blinked.

"Lady Noir?" He gasped, surprised. "What are you doing here? And why are you in your civilian form?"

"There's an akuma-" She began to explain but was interrupted.

"Fu!" A female voice called out, making both Master Fu and Marinette jump as three ghostly monk appeared. "We are the ghosts of the Order of the Miraculous! You caused our downfall and lost two miraculous!!"

"It was not my fault!" He gasped as Marinette moved her arm protectively in front of him. "I did not do it on purpose!"

"Yes, you did! It was your fault! Your fault!" The monks declared, making him shake before he hid behind a stool, clearly afraid.

"Lady Noir! You need to transform!" He gasped as she grabbed a pillow and tried to shoo away the ghosts, only for the pillow to go through them.

"I can't, Master Fu!" She gasped. "That's why I came here. Plagg has disappeared and Anatis hasn't turned up yet!"

"What?!" Master Fu gasped. "Wayzz! Wayzz!!"

The little turtle kwami didn't appear, making him worry. Wayzz would never leave his side and the only place he would go would be the miracle box. He realized that that must be where Plagg and Wayzz were and if those two were inside, chances are Tikki was too, which explained why Anatis hadn't turned up yet. Like Marinette, Luka was unable to transform because Tikki wasn't there. He jumped as his door was kicked down, making Marinette let out a scream as Nightmare Adrien broke through the door.

"I'm in love with a girl and her name is Chloe!!" He shouted as Master Fu gasped. The door was fully kicked in by Nightmare Luka, who looked angry before he tried to attack Marinette.

"This is disastrous!" Master Fu gasped as Marinette dodged Nightmare Luka's attack. "Marinette, Plagg, Tikki and Wayzz must be in the miracle box,"

"Ok, can't we open it and drag them out?!" She gasped, causing him to shake his head.

"There's no way to communicate with them while they are in the miracle box, even if we open it," He stated, making her frown as she fell from Nightmare Adrien grabbing her ankle.

"I'm in love with Chloe!!"

"And I hate you, Marinette! I always have!!"

~The Miracle Box~

"Nooroo, Nooroo, Nooroo!!" The Kwamis chanted as they continued to make their connection but to their surprise, a man let out a yell causing them to gasp.

What is that?!

"That's not Nooroo!" Tikki declared as she felt an intense sense of darkness and evil, along with the rest of the kwamis. There was only one person who could give off that aura.

"That's Hawkmoth!" Plagg confirmed, making the other kwamis gasp.

"Keep singing!" Stompp declared, looking at the rest of the kwamis. "We must find try to find out where he is hiding!"

Aha! It's me who's going to find you, Little Kwamis! And I will make you my slaves! Just like Nooroo!!

The beam turned a dark purple and in the orb that created it, Hawkmoth's symbol appeared, sending powerful waves of energy through the miracle box, causing the Kwamis to scream in pain and fear.

"His will is so powerful," Fluff declared as Barkk pushed themselves up and looked at the others.

"We must cut off all communication!" She declared with a worried look. "Hawkmoth is trying to track us down!"

She stood up and placed her paws together before swiping the outwards. The rest of the kwamis did the same action, causing the beam of light to disappear and cutting off Hawkmoth's connection. Plagg and Tikki let out a gasp of relief but Wayzz gasped as the other kwamis checked on each other, making sure everyone was ok.

"Hey, wait!" He stated, making them all look at him. "The reason why we can't talk to Nooroo is because he's powering Hawkmoth right now, which means Hawkmoth has probably akumatized someone right now!!"

"And since Plagg and Tikki are with us..." Ziggy mumbled, frowning.

"Anatis and Lady Noir can't transform," Kaalki gasped, finishing off the sentence, causing all of the kwamis to gasp in horror before she turned to Tikki, Plagg and Wayzz. "Go and find your owners straight away!!"

Tikki, Plagg and Wayzz didn't need telling twice. They flew up and out of the miracle box, entering Master Fu's department. The scene that greeted them was insane. Marinette was trying to fight off an enraged Luka while a deranged Adrien kept on mumbling something about flowers and Chloe. Master Fu, on the other hand, was trying to fight off some ghostly looking monks, causing Tikki to gasp at the carnage.

"Hey, is that your owner?" Plagg asked but Tikki shook her head.

"No... Pwah! No, he would never been so horrible or violent towards her!" She gasped as the strange version slammed his hand against the wall and told Marinette that he hated her and that he wished he had never met her. "He would never treat anyone that way but I better go find him! I just hope he's doing ok!!"

With that, she flew off through the window and towards the Seine. Plagg and Wayzz flew over to Marinette and Master Fu, causing Marinette to push back Nightmare Luka and cup Plagg in her hand.

"Oh! Plagg! You're ok!" She gasped, clearly worried about him before she looked at him with tears in her eyes. "Why did you leave?"

"I'm sorry, Marinette," He gasped, looking down. "We just wanted to try and find Nooroo,"

"We should have warned you, Master," Wayzz added in.

"We'll talk about it later!" Master Fu gasped as Nightmare Luka got back up. "Marinette! Transform!!"

"Yes, Master!" She declared, holding out her hand. "Plagg! Claws out!!"

She transformed into Lady Noir and grinned towards the Nightmare version of Luka.

"Time to give you a real cat fight!" She grinned before attacking him and throwing him into one of Master Fu's cupboard. She grabbed the Nightmare Adrien and threw him in there as well, throwing him into Nightmare Luka who just went to get up before slamming the door shut and locked it before summoning her cataclysm and tapping the door knob. It rusted and broke, trapping them inside the cupboard. She turned to the ghosts and cracked her knuckles as she smirked, making them wail and disappear.

"Alright, Master Fu. I bet go and find the akuma," She stated, getting a nod of him. "The ghosts will probably come back when I'm gone but please remember. They're just bad dreams,"

"I shall try, Lady Noir," He nodded as she moved over to the window and jumped out into the night.

~Meanwhile~

Tikki flew as fast as she could through the city. She had figured out by now that the akumas power to bring nightmares to life but that didn't help. She was now extremely worried about Luka and what nightmare he faced. She sped up and looked around before noticing the akuma following her. It appeared to be a little boy but he growled when he realized she had seen him.

"Sandboy just checked in!" He growled, using his pillow to fire at her. She dodged all of the hits. "Now Nightmares can begin!!"

"I don't need to know what my nightmare is," She declared, diving down into a subway and flying towards an oncoming train. Sandboy had to move out of the way to not be hit but she used the chance to disappear through the wall and fly to the Seine. She quickly looked around and let out a little sigh when she saw she wasn't been followed. She headed to the liberty and flew into Luka's room, gasping as she saw him curled up in the corner of his room, covering his ears with his hands. Prison bars were blocking the porthole and his bed and draws had been moved to block the door, along with his guitar but to her horror, the door was moving as someone violently banged on it, screaming horrifying words that were directed at Luka. She rushed over to him and gently touched his knee, making him look at her. His eyes were red, like he had been crying and she could see tear stains on his cheeks. "Luka, I'm so sorry. It didn't work and I shouldn't have left you,"

"Tikki," He croaked, gently picking her up as he smiled at her. "I'm g-glad you're back..."

"Are you ok?" She asked, gently placing her hand on his cheek. He closed his eyes and gave her a weak smile.

"I'm ok now you're back," He mumbled, wiping his eyes. "Let's transform,"

She nodded and he swiped his earrings.

"Tikki! Spots on!!" He declared, transforming into Anatis, just as the door finally gave in but before the nightmare version of his father could do anything, he threw his yoyo and wrapped it around him. The nightmare version struggled to break free as Anatis yanked his yoyo, causing him to spin towards an open cupboard. He slammed the door shut and used a chair to trap him inside before running up to the surface and jump onto the street before throwing his yoyo up and swinging through the city. He landed on a roof next to Lady Noir, who was looking around. "Any ideas on the akuma, kitten?"

"He's calling himself Sandboy and his power is to make your worst nightmares come to life," She declared, making him nod. She looked at him and noticed his eyes were still a bit red from crying. "You ok?"

"Yeah, I'm ok," He smiled, trying to reassure her. "Now where is his akuma?"

"I think it's in the pillow," She declared, making him nod before the two of them dived up and began to take on Sandboy. However, he was really fast and began to attack them, trying to hit them with his evil sand. Anatis managed to dodge it but Lady Noir gasped as she got hit. She tried to jump up but slipped over, making her gasp at the loss of her powers. Sandboy tried to grab her miraculous but she dived out of the way. However, she then slipped off the building, gripping on the edge to stop herself from fall. However, that didn't last long as her grip weakened and she let go, yelling out as she fell. Anatis dived after her and caught her before she land. He landed on the ground, holding her in a bridal style before smiling at her. However, Sandboy used the chance to sprinkle him with his sand. Anatis gently put Lady Noir down and spun his yoyo to create a shield.

"Stay behind me, Kitten," He declared as Sandboy smirked.

"H-How do you still have your powers?" She gasped.

"Losing my powers isn't my nightmare," He stated, making her gasp in surprise. "They are,"

"What?" She gasped before he blocked a beam directed at her. To her surprise, Reflekta jumped down and grinned evilly at them. "Reflekta?! But-"

"Not just Reflekta, Scally wag!" Captain Hardrock declared as she jumped down and pointed her sword at them. "Liberty! Capture them!"

Anatis grabbed Lady Noir and jumped out of the way of Captain Hardrock's chains, landing on a roof but before either of them could do anything, Princess Fragrance began to shoot at them, causing them to run as Reflekta and Captain Hardrock jumped onto the roof.

"The akumas are your nightmares?!" Lady Noir gasped as Anatis grabbed her and jumped across to another building and hid behind a wall. "All of them?!"

"Not all of them," He mumbled, keeping an eye out. "Just four of them,"

"Four?!" She gasped, looking as well. "I only count three,"

"Make that four, Kitty Cat!" A harsh voice declared, making them look towards it. Lady Noir gasped in surprise as she saw Princess Justice stood on one of the roofs, pointing her blade at them. "I shall make you tell the truth!"

She dived at her but to her surprise, Anatis grabbed her baton and blocked her sword knocking her back as Lady Noir stood on her feet. The two of them were surrounded by the five akumas, causing Sandboy to smirk.

"Give me your miraculous!" He declared as Anatis looked around in his luck vision. Princess Justice and Princess Fragrance were the most dangerous so they would need to take care of them first then the Captain and Reflekta. He grabbed Lady Noir and ducked out of the way as Reflekta fired at him, causing her beam to hit Princess Fragrance turning her into a copy. Princess Justice charged at him but he blocked her sword and grabbed her scale, throwing her into Captain Hardrock before causing Reflekta to fire at him. He used his yoyo to block it as Princess Justice got up. Just as she was able to swing at him, he ducked allowing another one of Reflekta's beams hit her and turn her into a copy.

"Liberty! Seize them!!" Captain Hardrock cried, causing Anatis to push Lady Noir out of the way and grab the chain, coming towards them. He then grabbed Reflekta as she was firing her beams and changed her path, causing her to fire at Captain Hardrock. He then threw her into the rest of the clones and redirected the chain towards them, trapping them together before scoping up Lady Noir and jump to another roof.

"Keep a look out," He smiled before throwing up his yoyo. "Lucky Charm!"

The magical ladybugs conjured a pair of scissors, causing him to look around as Sandboy charged at him. Lady Noir pushed him out the way and grinned.

"So a pair of scissors eh?" She asked as he looked around. The pillow lit up, followed by the scissors. "You got a plan right?"

"Yep," He stated, taking off the blade off the scissors before handing it to her. She rose an eyebrow as he moved her. "I need you hold your arm up like this and don't move,"

"Uh... ok..." She nodded before he took off and ran, jumping off the building towards Sandboy who gasped as he didn't expect Anatis to do that. Anatis grabbed him and threw his yoyo, wrapping it around a flag pole behind Lady Noir. He used it to pull himself and Sandboy towards her, causing his pillow cloud to be ripped by the blade. Anatis let go of him and landed on the roof before picking up Lady Noir and jumping down to the ground with her as Sandboy's pillow released his nightmare sand, causing him to spin out of control until it emptied. Once that happened, he began to fall back down to earth but Anatis caught him and placed him down as the pillow landed next to him. The akuma flew out and Anatis captured it with his yoyo before releasing the purified creature. Lady Noir handed him the blade, which he threw up into the sky.

"Miraculous Ladybugs!!" He shouted, releasing the cure. It swarmed around Lady Noir, who did some back-flips and spun her baton.

"Yes!!" She grinned before hugging Anatis. "You're the best!"

She let go of him as Sandboy turned back into a little boy with blue hair in blue PJs. He looked around confused and scared so Anatis walked over to him and knelt down in front of him.

"Hey there," He smiled gently. "Wanna tell me what that was about, little friend?"

"Anatis!" The little boy cried out, hugging him. Anatis gently hugged him back. "I watched a movie that was kind of scary then I went to bed but I had a really bad nightmare! I woke up and there was a black butterfly in my room and a weird man spoke right in my face,"

"Hawkmoth... he feed on the negative emotions of a nightmare," Anatis mumbled, looking at Lady Noir as she moved over and crouched down by the little boy.

"I'm not surprised, Annie. Remember he's akumatized a baby before," She mumbled, gently patting the little boy's head in a gentle and calming manner. "But you seem like a brave boy to me so let me let you into a little secret. As scary as they are, nightmares aren't real. They're just bad dreams and as long as you remember that, you can totally kick their butts,"

The little boy giggled before he looked up at the heroes.

"Do you guys have nightmares too?" He asked, playing with his hands.

"Everyone has nightmares but like the cat said, we remember that they're just bad dreams and kick their butts," Anatis smiled as Lady Noir's ring beeped.

"I'm sorry I have to get going. Don't wanna let the cat out of the bag now, do we?" She grinned before waving and jumping off. Anatis turned to the little boy.

"Now why don't we get you home? I'm sure your parents are worried about you," He smiled, gently picking him up. The Little boy nodded and let him know where he lived. "Ok. Now hold on tight ok?"

"Ok!" He grinned before Anatis jumped up in the air and carefully swung through the city. He dropped the boy off, getting a lot of thanks off his parents before he disappeared and headed towards the Seine. He detransformed just as he landed near the Seine, catching Tikki as he walked up to the Liberty, shivering a little as he was in his PJs and had no shoes on. He stopped as he came to the gangplank, causing Tikki to look up at him.

"Luka... it was just a bad dream," She reminded him, making him take a deep breathe and enter the boat house. The lights weren't on and he wasn't sure how he felt about that so he put them on. It was quiet to but that was to be expected. It was nearly 4am and neither Juleka or the captain were on board. Juleka was sleeping over at Rose's and the Captain had crashed at the studio they owned. Luka wasn't surprised by that. She had been working hard on a new song but he kind of wished she was home. He walked through the boathouse and came to the cupboard that he locked the Nightmare inside. Taking a deep breathe, he opened it and let out a sigh when it was empty. He closed the door and slipped into his room. It was back to normal but Luka wasn't sure about sleeping in there tonight so instead he grabbed his blanket and pillow. He made his way to the living room and put on some music before he curled up into the sofa. Tikki gently curled up next to him as he attempted to stay awake. He really didn't want to sleep. "You ok?"

"I need to talk to mum," He mumbled, making her frown. "I need to know if I really am related to him,"

"I understand but you should try and get some rest," She mumbled. "I'll keep guard and chase away any bad dreams,"

".... Thank you, Tikki...."

~Next Day~

"I don't know how to ask her, Tikki," Luka sighed as he sat on the floor of his bedroom. He hadn't really slept last night after the akuma. It was hard to given his nightmare but he wondered if this was the right thing to do. The Captain hated bringing up the past but Luka felt like he had a right to know. He had always suspected that Isaac Farrow wasn't his real father but he couldn't be a hundred percent sure. Tikki flew over to him and gently placed her paw on his knee.

"Just ask her," She stated, making it sound so simple and maybe it was. Most of the time, he was a chilled out person but there were times where he did overthink things and maybe this was one of those moments. He took a deep breathe and got up before holding his hoodie open for Tikki. She flew inside as he walked over to the door and opened it. He walked over to the kitchen where the Captain was and cleared his throat, making her look at him.

"You ok, Lad?" She asked, frowning. "You look like you didn't sleep... did that akuma effect ya last night?"

"Yeah..." He mumbled, looking down. "I saw him..."

She frowned deeply and put the glass down before walking over to him and gently placing her hand on his shoulder, making him look up.

"It wasn't real, Lad," She tried to reassure. "Isaac is gone and he's never coming back. You know that right?"

"I know..." He mumbled, playing with his hands. "But..."

"But what?" She asked as he took out one of his guitar picks and began to fidget with it. "Luka?"

".... is he my father?..." He asked, surprising her. She bit her lip as he frowned. "Mum, please... I need to know... Am I his son?"

For a minute, she was silent and he feared the worst. That he was wrong and he really was that monster's son but then she let out a sigh.

"No, Luka... you're not his son..." She mumbled, looking at him as he stared at her. He was honestly shocked. It was one thing to suspect it but to actually have it confirmed... well he wasn't prepared for it. "Luka? Are you ok? Do you need to sit down?"

"I... if he isn't my father then who is?" He asked, not ready to ask the other questions yet. She let out a sigh and led him to the sofa, causing him to sit down.

"You might find this hard to believe but Jagged is your real father..." She mumbled, looking down. Once again, Luka found himself speechless. He had not expected that.

"A-Are you sure?" He asked, not sure what else to say. She nodded and chuckled.

"I know I'm a free spirit but I haven't been with that many partners, Lad," She grinned before frowning. "I'm sure but I know how it sounds. Me claiming that he's your father but I'm sure, Luka,"

"Is he... Juleka's dad as well?" He asked but she shook his head and began to tell her story. He listened carefully as she explained that she and Jagged once were in a relationship during her days in his band but unfortunately, they got into an extremely heated argument and she quit, leaving the band and the current country they were in. It wasn't until a couple of weeks later that she discovered she was pregnant. However, when she tried to contact Jagged, Bob Roth refused to let her contact him as she had quitted the band. He told her that Jagged had ordered him too but as it turned out, Jagged had no idea she had even tried to contact him. Bob Roth flat out lied to her and Jagged. That enraged Luka a little but he calmed when she placed her hand on his. "Does Jagged know who I am?"

"No... I thought about telling him when he came back into our lives but... I was afraid... I knew that if I told him, I'd have to tell you and part of me didn't want to. As you can tell, Jagged is childish and not exactly a role mode for a father figure..."

"And Isaac was?" He asked but he sounded more hurt then angry. "Mum, why didn't you tell me?"

"I was afraid that you would hate me and since the past is in the past..." She mumbled, looking down. "I'm sorry, Luka. I should have told you sooner..."

"Is that why Isaac hated me so much?" He asked, making her frown. "Did he know?"

"Yes... you were a year old when I met him..." She explained, making him frown. He honestly felt like a lot of his life was a lie. He knew it wasn’t but it felt that way. He stood up and began to walk away. "Luka...”

"I... need to go out and clear my head, Ma..." He muttered, making her frown but before she could give an answer, he bolted out of there as fast as he could. He wasn't surprised that it was raining but he kind of glad. It meant that no one would see his tears. He kept running as fast as he could. Part of him wanted to go and hide like he did at Christmas but a lot of people came out looking for him and he didn't want to become an akuma but he didn't exactly want to go home either. It's not that he was angry with his mum. He wanted to be but he couldn't bring himself to be. He understood but he was hurt. For years, he believed he was related to that monster. For years, he was tormented by him and even years later, he was haunted. It hurt that he was harmed by that monster but it hurt even more when he thought he was his son. But even now, it still hurt. He made a turn and stopped in his tracks as he came face to face with Tom and Sabine boulangerie patisserie. Warmth and kindness practically radiated from it and before he even considered his options, his feet took charge and he walked towards the door. He saw Marinette was at the till and without hesitation, he pushed open the door and walked in.

"Hi, welcome- Luka?!" Marinette gasped as she looked before rushing over to him. "Oh my god, you're soaked. Where's your jacket and umbrella?!"

"I..." He mumbled but he could't hold back the tears anymore. To Marinette's shock, he began to break down but before he could stop himself or apology, she wrapped her arms around him and hugged him.

"It's ok, Luka," She whispered before pulling away and turning to look into the kitchen. "Maman?"

"Is everything ok, sweetie?" Sabine asked as she came back into the store but as soon as she saw Luka, she realized why. She didn't question why he was soaked to the skin or in clear distress. "Why don't you take Luka upstairs and get him some fresh clothes and a nice hot chocolate? I'll look after the till for the rest of the day,"

"Thanks, Maman," She smiled, gently taking his hand and leading him into the apartment. "I have some spare clothes you can wear while we get those dry,"

"A-Are you sure?" He asked, wiping his eyes. "I don't want to be a burden,"

"Luka, you're not a burden," She smiled, facing him. "You're one of the best people I know and you've helped me out with some much so I'm gonna help you out ok? Besides, I make a damn fine hot chocolate,"

"But-"

"No buts, Mister," She grinned, leading him into her room. She grabbed a towel and threw it at him before rummaging through her clothes, pulling out a pair of pants and a shirt. "There's not really your style but they should fit,"

She handed them to him and told him to go get changed in the bathroom before she got changed in her room and headed into the kitchen. She hummed to herself as she began to make the hot chocolate. He came out a few minutes later with the towel and his wet clothes. To her surprise, the outfit fitted him perfectly and even suited him a little but she preferred his rock star look. He sheepishly asked where the dryer was as the phone rang. She pointed to it as she walked over and answered it. He put the clothes in to dry and put the towel in the washing basket before sitting down at the table and playing with his hands.

"Hi Captain... yeah, he's here..." She answered, making him frown and feel guilty. He had just ran off. He looked up as Marinette held the phone out to him. "Your maman wants to talk to you..."

He remained silent before sighing.

"I don't know what to say..." He admitted, looking down. Marinette frowned and put the phone back to her ear.

"Um, sorry, Captain but I don't think he's in any real state to talk right now. Oh, he's not injured... but he does look hurt..." She mumbled, making him frown. "Ok, hang on,"

She looked up again at him.

"She said that she just wants to say sorry," She mumbled, making him nod. She handed the phone to him and he shakily held it to his ear.

"Ma?" He asked in a shaky voice.

"Oh, Luka. I know you said you needed space but I was worried," She gasped, making him frown. "I'm so sorry,"

"I-It's fine..." He mumbled, looking down. "I'm so-sorry for rushing out... I just... I over reacted..."

"No, Lad, you didn't. You need to process it and that's ok," She corrected as he nodded. "I get it, Lad but I just had to make sure you were ok... well, safe would be a better word. You are safe right?"

"Y-yeah... I'm with M-Marinette..." He mumbled as tears threatened to spill again. "C-Can I stay here t-tonight?"

"As long as her parents are fine with it then I'm fine with it," She replied. "And if you want to come home later and not stay over, that's ok too. This boat is your home, Lad. No matter what ok?"

"O-ok..." He mumbled, noticing Marinette disappearing. He frowned a little.

"You know I love you right and while I make bad choices sometimes, I never intended to hurt you right?" She asked, sounding a little insecure. Luka sighed a little.

"I know, Ma," He mumbled. "I love you too,"

"Alright. Well, I'll better get going... I hope we can talk about this and overcome it..." She mumbled more to herself then him.

"Ma, I'm not angry," He stated, causing her to gasp. "And I don't hate you. I know you thought you were doing was for the best and I get that. I just... I don't want to be on the boat right now,"

"I get it, Lad. You don't need to explain," She replied, making him let out a sigh. "I'm glad you don't hate me though,"

"I better get going, Ma," He mumbled, getting a bye of her before they both hung up. He returned the phone to it's rightful place before letting out a sigh. A few minutes later, Marinette walked back in with a bag of sweets. She set them in front of him and placed a hot chocolate next to him before sitting down and sipping her own.

"Maman and Papa are fine with you staying over tonight as long as you sleep in the guest room," She smiled, revealing why she disappeared. He nodded and gave her a weak smile. "So wanna talk about it?"

"I... yeah... but I don't know how..." He admitted, making her take his hand in hers. "I'm normally the one who tells other people that's it's ok... I'm usually the strong one..."

"Hmm... well, I believe you once told me that it was ok for me to tell you anything or nothing and that I could be myself around you..." She mumbled, playing with her hands. His mind flicked back to that day in the park when he found her crying. It had been before he became Anatis or she became Princess Justice. It seemed like a life time away. Tears welled up in his eyes again as she took his hand in hers again. "Well, that goes both ways, Luka. You can also be yourself around me and if you want to tell me, I'll listen and if you don't, that's ok too but please don't bottle it up. I know there's the threat of akumas but I'll trap any I see so they don't won't get to you,"

To her surprise, he began to cry again and covered his eyes with his hands. She frowned gently and got up, gently putting her arm around his shoulders as he cried. She told him to let it out and kept an eye out for butterflies. If she needed to see, she would transform and cataclysm each one to that came near him but as luck would have it, not a single one came for him and gradually he calmed down, wiping his tears away.

"I'm so sorry, Marinette," He hiccuped, making her frown. "I... that akuma that made your nightmares come true... it brought to life a man called Isaac Farrow... he was my ma's ex and for a long time I thought he was my father... he... he didn't like me and I never understood what I did but I thought I was a bad son and that's why he use to hurt me but... I'm... I'm not his son.... that's why I'm upset I guess... my ma lied to me for years about it... I asked her today because I've suspected it for a while but I needed to know once and for all... and she admitted it..."

"Oh, Luka," She mumbled, hugging him. He hugged back. "Do you know who your real dad is?"

He nodded, making her let a sigh of relief but he was grateful when she didn't ask who it was. He wasn't quite ready to tell her or face that himself. He didn't know what to do with that information.

"Luka..." She mumbled, making him look up at her. "What did you mean by hurt you? I remember you said that Christmas reminded you of him leaving and that's why you hated it but..."

He knew what she wanted to ask. She knew that he was a drunk and had destroyed Luka's guitar and basically wreaked the Christmas tree so she was aware that he was at emotionally abusive.

"Yeah..." He mumbled, answering her un-asked question. His voice had gone emotionless as it always did when he talked off his past. "He use to hit me,"

"Oh, Lu... I'm so sorry," She mumbled, gently placing her chin on top of his head as he rested against her, feeling really tired.

"It's not your fault, melody," He mumbled, looking up at her. To his surprise, she gently moved his hair from his face, causing him to blush. "H-he was an asshole and while I'm hurt that the Captain didn't tell me for years, I'm relieved to know that I'm not related to him,"

"That's good to know," She smiled. "You're really strong, Lu,"

He yawned, making her giggle before she pulled away.

"Drink up your hot chocolate. I'll go and sort out the spare room," She mumbled, getting a nod of him. She turned to leave but he called her name. "Yeah?"

"Thank you..." He smiled sheepishly, making her blush a little before she smiled back.

"No worries, Luka," She replied back. "You're my friend and I'm always gonna be here if you need me,"

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Next Chapter: https://ultra-sassyduck.tumblr.com/post/635102501338841088/miraculous-rise-of-anatis-35

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