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rosie-b · 10 months

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Tough Luck, Tender Love

Written for @ladrienjune days 17 & 20, Bad Luck & Passionate Declaration, 5756 words

A bead of sweat rolled down Marinette’s forehead as she stood frozen in front of Adrien, who still hadn’t spoken a word. She raised an arm to wipe it away quickly as her heart stuttered out an unfamiliar rhythm, and a red and black design came into view.

She froze. She’d put on her usual outfit today, but she was very obviously not wearing it now. The black spots on her red sleeve and glove could only mean one thing: Marinette Dupain-Cheng hadn’t confessed her love to Adrien — Ladybug had.

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After this, nothing will be the same, Marinette thought as she bit out the last words of her confession and winced as she prepared herself for rejection.

Adrien stared silently at her, his mouth hanging open, as whispers swirled around them like the first winds of a storm.

Marinette bit her lip. She always knew that asking Adrien out at school was a mistake, but it wasn’t supposed to cause such an uproar! Everyone at François-Dupont seemed to know about her crush on Adrien except for the boy himself, so why did it seem as though everyone had just received the shock of their lives?

Within seconds, people started nudging each other and exchanging money. They were probably trying to be discreet, but that was impossible when nearly everyone had a bet to settle. Some people were pumping their arms in victory; most were shaking their heads in disappointment; even Ms. Bustier had a discontent frown on her face.

--*--*--*--*--

To be fair, Marinette hadn’t had much — or any — luck in confessing to Adrien so far, which was something that Rose had repeated multiple times during the intervention she was holding in the park near their school.

But maybe it was just fate! Maybe she and Adrien were destined to be star-crosses lovers, like Romeo and Juliet, or the cowherd and the weaver girl. She could love Adrien, but only from afar, as the universe confined her to saving Paris as Ladybug and sacrificing her only chance at love until Hawk Moth was finally defeated.

I can’t tell them that, though, or I’d lose my secret identity, Marinette realized. She nervously chewed on her lip as the girls continued urging her to either take up their new, foolproof plan and confess to Adrien or give up on him once and for all.

“—And the best part is, all you have to do is sign this card! We’ll put it on Adrien’s desk for you, and that way no one else can claim to have written it themselves or steal it before he has the chance to see it. Foolproof! Right, Juleka?”

Rose nudged her girlfriend, who nodded her head and muttered something that sounded like a yes.

“We all agree! Don’t you see, Marinette? This is your best chance yet. If this doesn’t work, then nothing will.” Mylene folded her arms and set her face determinedly.

Alya sighed and pushed up her glasses.

“I know why you don’t feel like doing this, girl,” she said softly, her gaze darting to the purse Tikki was hiding in and returning to Marinette’s shimmering eyes. “But I do think this might work. There’s no reason for Adrien to turn you down now that he and Kagami aren’t dating anymore, and he’s started smiling at you more often. That’s a great sign, girl!”

“Alya, I can’t date anyone while I’m you-know-who,” Marinette whispered. “It would be too dangerous. Besides, I barely have time for my school responsibilities! How would I have enough time to date Adrien on top of everything else?”

“Are you really still hesitating?” Rose cried in exasperation. She had had enough of Marinette’s indecision, and since she was certain that Adrien returned her emotions, she was determined to put an end to her friend’s struggles once and for all. “Just give us your answer, Marinette!”

Straightening, Marinette turned away from Alya to look at her gathered friends, who were sitting on the park benches and grass, looking at her in confusion and impatience. Alix checked her watch and popped her bubblegum as she looked at Marinette.

She sighed.

“It isn’t that I don’t appreciate your plan, girls,” she said slowly. “I just don’t think dating Adrien is a good idea anymore. It isn’t that I don’t love him, because I do! But...” She rubbed her arm and puffed out a sigh. “I don’t think I’m the best person for him. He deserves someone who can be there for him all the time, and you know that girl is not me. I’m flaky, remember?”

Mylene sighed. “That’s true, but that doesn’t mean he can’t love you, or that you don’t love him! Your emotions speak louder than you think they do, Marinette. Trust yourself!”

“Yeah!” Alix said, holding back a knowing smirk.

Rose headbanged her way through an agreeing nod. “You’ve done so much to help us, Marinette. Now, it’s finally your turn to let us help you!”

Juleka mumbled in agreement, even brushing her bangs back to give Marinette an encouraging smile.

“You can do it, girl,” Alya said, putting her hand on Marinette’s shoulder and turning her around so that she had to look at her. “You don’t have to, but I want you to know that you can . Put us out of our misery, huh? I want to go on a date without worrying that you’ll never go on one with your ‘Buttercup.’”

“Please don’t remind me of that name,” Marinette muttered through a strained smile as a blush covered her cheeks. She dropped her head down and pulled Alya’s arms off her shoulders.

The group watched her expectantly as she turned to face them all.

“Fine,” she said in a confident voice. “How about a compromise? I promise to try to confess to Adrien on my own before the end of the school day tomorrow. If it doesn’t work, then I’ll take your plan. And if that doesn’t work—”

“It will work!” Rose declared ecstatically. “I’m so happy for you, Marinette!”

She hopped up from the bench and threw her arms around Marinette. The other girls quickly followed suit, forming a giant group hug around a beet-faced Marinette.

“Thanks, girls,” she said in an embarrassed voice. She awkwardly patted their arms as they continued to hug her. “I’ll handle it from here.”

__*__*__*__*__

It was bad luck. That was the only explanation for what happened next.

Marinette had been planning to confess to Adrien with a fresh bag of chouquettes, drizzled with a chocolate heart design by Tom, after lunch ended. She would catch up to Adrien just as he was walking back into school, and that way she wouldn’t have any time to chicken out of her confession.

Of course, an akuma had to strike just as Marinette finished scarfing down her grated carrots and was getting ready to dash over to the bakery to pick up the chouquettes. There was a new sentimonster to defeat, and so the akuma took twice as long as it should have. By the time it was over, it was time for Ms. Mendeleiev’s class to finish. Marinette would have to hurry if she wanted to catch Adrien before he walked back over to Ms. Bustier’s class.

And hurry, she did. Focused on nothing but speed, she didn’t notice that her yo-yo never vanished as she replaced it at her hip. Usually, she’d be detransformed by now, but she’d had to quickly recharge and help the former akuma victim after purifying the akuma. Chat Noir had had to rush back to school, muttering an excuse about attendance and his crappy father’s punishment system.

So, Ladybug had stayed behind to help the former akuma victim, who’d had some bad luck of his own. He had suffered a broken leg before his akumatization and had no one to help him to the hospital, into the ambulance she’d called and then headed back to the school.

She found Adrien just in time, skidding into the hallway as he stepped out of Ms. Mendeleiev’s room beside Nino.

“Adrien! I have to talk to you!”

Marinette knew she probably looked like a madwoman, her hair frizzy and falling out of her pigtails. She licked her lips and quickly tightened her ribbons. That should help her appearance at least a little.

Adrien’s mouth fell open as he watched Ladybug shift nervously on her feet, clasping her hands tight and breathing deeply to shake off her nerves.

“Wha...?” He couldn’t manage to finish his question.

Nino, who looked similarly confused, gently closed Adrien’s mouth and back away, whispering a quick assurance as he left.

“A-Adrien, I...”

Ladybug closed her eyes. No! She would not give in to fear this time. If Chat Noir was brave enough to take her rejection, she could be brave enough to take Adrien’s. At least then she would know his answer.

She opened her eyes and looked into Adrien’s green ones with a determined huff. A camera flash went off to the side, but she ignored it.

“When I first met you, I misjudged you,” she began.

Adrien’s jaw dropped down even lower this time.

“I thought you were conceited and superficial. But then, I got to know you. I saw who you really were deep down—someone sweet, sincere, and generous. Since then, there's something I've been wanting to tell you. But every time I try, it's like my brain suddenly freezes. But now, I think I'm ready.”

One of the younger students hollered across the hall. Ladybug ignored whatever he said and kept her gaze steady as she finished her declaration.

“Adrien.” The boy’s eyes widened as she said his name again, and he stared at her like he was hanging on to every word from her lips. She took a deep breath and prepared herself for the painful ending to this surreal moment.

“I love you.”

Immediately, the whispers and camera flashes that Marinette had been blocking out rushed into her ears. She caught sight of people laughing, exchanging money, gawking at her as they spoke with their friends. Down the hall, Ms. Bustier waited for her last students with a frown.

Adrien still hadn’t spoken.

Marinette reached up to wipe the sweat off her brow, and that’s when the depth of her bad luck hit her.

Really, what superhero would be reckless enough to publicly confess their love to a civilian, especially a famous one?

There was no way this would end well.

“Sorry!” Marinette rushed to salvage the burning ruins of her confession. “I don’t—I’m sorry—I—”

“I love you, too,” Adrien said, his eyes full of wonder.

Ladybug licked her lips. “What?”

“When you see Marinette again,” Adrien continued, keeping his eyes fixed on Ladybug’s, “Tell her that I love her, too. You were delivering her message for her, weren’t you?”

Icy shock mixed with guilty relief flooded Marinette.

“Yes,” she breathed. “Yes, the confession was from Marinette. Because she loves you, but I don’t love you! That would be ridiculous!”

“Utterly,” Chloe muttered from behind Adrien. Ms. Bustier directed her back into the classroom. She rolled her eyes as she left.

“So, you’ll tell her, then,” Adrien was saying, and Marinette snapped her gaze back to his.

“Yes! Absolutely! She’ll be thrilled,” she said with an awkward laugh. Then she shot finger guns at him. Another camera flash went off, and she cringed.

“Perfect,” Adrien said, holding the ‘r’ just a second too long. “And tell her I’m sorry that she had to go home sick. I’ll visit her after school, and we can talk about it more then, okay?”

Ladybug nodded, unsure whether to swallow down the hope she felt or let it grow. “Okay,” she whispered.

But her eyes narrowed as she continued gazing up at Adrien. He seemed like he’d figured out more from her speech than she’d thought. How did he know it was Marinette’s confession? Had someone told him?

It had to be Chat Noir. But why would he tell Adrien?

And who else had he told?

Ladybug felt a stab of betrayal.

“No,” she told Adrien, clenching her fist and ignoring the wild pounding of her heart. “I’ll come visit you after school. I mean, if Marinette is sick—”

That was another thing. Adrien had provided her with the perfect cover for her tardiness, but how had he known to do that?

If he knew, then Ladybug might as well personally deliver her Miraculous to Hawk Moth.

“—If she’s sick, then you’d better not visit her, or you might catch whatever she has. I’ll deliver your message to her and keep being your go-between for the day. Is— is that okay?” she finished nervously.

Her excuse didn’t make sense. If Adrien didn’t know who she was, he would just suggest he and Marinette talk over the phone, something way more normal and far less complicated than communicating through Paris’ busiest hero.

But Adrien only nodded, stars in his eyes, and Ladybug’s heart sank.

“I’ll be waiting by the window for you, m— Ladybug.”

Yeah, he knew. But he looked so excited to see her again that Ladybug almost didn’t care. It was hard to remember that her world was crumbling when the boy of her dreams was gazing at her like she’d granted his every wish by just existing.

“All right, if you’re done delivering Marinette’s message, you can leave now, Miss Ladybug,” Ms. Mendeleiev’s nasal voice called out.

The superhero jumped and whirled around. “Oh! Sorry! Yes, good students don’t hold up class time. Er, good heroes! Heroes like me,” she said, giggling nervously as she walked into the wall.

Adrien caught her as she fell. She practically leapt out of his arms.

“Byedrien! Bye, Adrien! And Ms. Mendeleiev! And the other students who I definitely do not know! ” Ladybug pushed the nearest door open and scurried through it.

It led to the bathroom, but that was okay. She was very experienced in escaping from bathroom windows.

And there were definitely no pictures of Ladybug entering the men’s room being posted right now. Nope! Those thoughts could wait for another time. Marinette had finally confessed to Adrien!

And it had only cost her secret identity.

Was it bad luck, she pondered, or had its opposite led to her passionate confession?

__*__*__*__*__

After she managed to convince her mother that she really was sick (of school, at least), Marinette sat in her room, watching the video of her confession play in a loop on the news. Apparently, superheroes confessing to supermodels on behalf of other, normal girls was headline material in Paris.

It was amazing that Marinette hadn’t noticed what she was doing, that she hadn’t felt her suit on her fingers and known before she opened her mouth. It was also amazing that Adrien, although he had figured out her secret identity, had protected it instead of sharing it with anyone.

It gave her hope when she shouldn’t be able to feel any.

Well, she had to feel some hope now that she knew Adrien loved her, too! It was the best outcome of a love confession she’d dared to dream of (almost, after the one where they got married and moved to the beach with their cute, fuzzy hamsters).

He’d really said that he loved her! She hadn’t dreamed it up, Marinette marveled as she watched the video for the fifteenth time. As soon as it ended, she went to hit the replay button again, but Tikki landed on the mouse and blocked her from clicking it.

“Marinette, don’t you think this is a bit excessive? School has been over for almost half an hour now. Shouldn’t you go visit Adrien like you said you would?”

Tikki had seemed very excited by the prospect of her visit, though Marinette could not fathom the reason why. After all, she’d just lost her secret identity to the same person who’d found it out before in a doomed timeline that led to her poor kitty being akumatized.

Oh, right, Marinette remembered. That was the real reason she was watching these videos. She needed something to distract herself from the sense of impending doom she’d been feeling.

“Well, the Gorilla could be late to pick Adrien up,” she said to Tikki, offering her weak excuse with a wide grin that was probably less reassuring than she’d hoped. “I don’t want to be caught by M. Agreste if he’s the only one at the mansion now.”

Tikki quirked her brow.

“You need to talk to him, Marinette! How else will you know if he figured out your secret identity or not?”

Marinette sighed. “I already know he did! He even knew I’d panic about it and made up an excuse for me to go home instead of staying at school!”

“He was also the first to suggest that you talk more after school! Which means that he’s probably in his room now, waiting by the window for the girl he loves to come say hello! But instead of doing that, you’re watching a scratchy recording taken on a phone for the umpteenth time! Marinette, when I picked you to be my holder, I thought you’d be much braver than this.”

Oh, Tikki could play dirty when she wanted to. The other kwamis snickered to themselves as they watched their Guardian splutter her excuse as she evaded the only true course of action.

“I can be brave! But right now I’m being cautious, which is another heroic quality I should have! After all, the whole ‘leap before you look’ is Chat’s thing, not mine!”

Tikki giggled. “Well, leaping before you look sounds an awful lot like what you did earlier today, Marinette. The two of you are more alike than you might think! Now,” she said, moving off the mouse and clicking the power button on the computer, “Get off that chair and go visit Adrien! If you still haven’t transformed in one minute, then I might murder you before Alya gets the chance to.”

Tikki’s eyes glittered playfully as Marinette glanced at her discarded phone, which was still blowing up with ignored notifications from her reporter friend and what seemed to be half of Paris.

Marinette swallowed. “I guess anything’s better than that. Tikki, spots on!”

Throwing open the trap door, Ladybug flung her yo-yo around a distant building and took off towards Adrien’s house, swallowing the butterflies in her stomach back down.

Why, oh why had she confessed to Adrien as Ladybug? Why hadn’t she just taken the girls’ idea and signed a card as Marinette, or would her awful luck have ruined that plan, too?

Would she have signed the card as Ladybug? Or worse, would she have asked for more constipation medicine instead of drawing a heart by her name?

Why do some people think ladybugs are lucky? Marinette wondered as she deftly avoided crashing into Adrien’s window. If I was lucky, I would have never fallen in love!

Ladybug straightened up on the windowsill and looked into Adrien’s room. He probably wasn’t home yet, because Tikki had been exaggerating about the time and oh no he was looking right at her!!!

Ladybug did a panicked dance that looked a bit like she was Vogue-ing and fell off the windowsill.

She landed in a tree.

“Ow,” she commented blankly while internally slapping herself. The fall had been so short that it hadn’t hurt!

But Adrien didn’t know that. Clapping his hands to his cheeks, he gaped at Ladybug in horror.

There’s the reaction I was expecting earlier, Ladybug thought drearily as Adrien threw open the window and started climbing down the wall to help her out of the tree.

“Ladybug! Are you okay? I am so sorry; I didn’t mean to scare you like that! I thought I told you I’d be by the window earlier!”

He reached out for the branch that Ladybug had landed on, but just barely couldn’t reach it without coming in danger of losing his grip on the wall.

Ladybug’s eyes widened.

“Adrien, be careful! You’re going to fall!”

Adrien shook her worries off. “It’ll be fine, my lady, I’ve done this a million ti—!”

He grabbed onto the end of the branch and let go of the wall as he started speaking, but the branch was not as strong as he’d given it credit for. Unable to support his full weight, it cracked off from the rest of the branch and fell, dragging the model down with it.

“Adrien!” Two voices cried out in harmonized horror.

Ladybug jumped up and tossed her yo-yo to catch Adrien as a black blur zoomed out of his window and dropped down after him.

The yo-yo string wrapped around Adrien’s waist while Ladybug’s brain short-circuited as she registered both the reason the black blur’s voice was familiar and the nickname Adrien had just used for her. Unable to handle the surprise of finding out her partner’s identity, she fell off her perch for the second time that day.

Plagg moved out of the way as she tumbled past him, and milliseconds later, she wound up tangled upside down in the yo-yo string with Adrien about a meter and a half above the ground. Luckily, Plagg hurriedly wrapped the end of the string around a thicker branch, which brought their progress to an abrupt and jarring halt before they could come to a crash landing.

“Ugh,” Adrien groaned, and Ladybug nearly shivered out of her skin.

“I am not a cat!” she snapped, and Adrien twisted around to look at her. The yo-yo string spun around accordingly, intensifying the queasy feeling in Marinette’s stomach.

“I beg your pardon?”

Why had Ladybug ever opened up her mouth? She should have known only gibberish would come out! Still panicking, she did it again without thinking.

“It’s pawdon! And you’re not getting any until we get out of this tree!”

Adrien blinked. It probably would have been adorable if Ladybug hadn’t been looking at them upside down while she got spun in dizzying circles by her own weapon.

“My lady, I really am sorry about the reveal, but I was so scared when you got hurt! And I can’t think straight when the girl that I love is in danger!”

He pulled out his best pout while Plagg sat on top of the yo-yo string tied around the branch and stared wide-eyed at him.

“Transform, you rollot-headed cheese curd! Transform and destroy the string!” he cried impatiently.

“But then we’ll fall,” Adrien pointed out, and Ladybug craned her neck upwards in the direction Plagg’s voice had come from.

“Why don’t you just untie the string, Plagg? That would be a lot easier!”

“Yeah, I thought you hated transforming!” Adrien called.

Plagg flew down and landed on the string tying Ladybug and Adrien together.

“You’d still fall if I untied the string, you solid slices of Swiss! Only Adrien wouldn’t be protected from it, because he wouldn’t be wearing a suit!”

“But it’s only a meter drop,” Adrien protested. “I’ll be fine!”

Ladybug jerked, swinging the string in a sideways motion. “Do you want to get hurt? Take Plagg’s advice!” If you really are Chat Noir, she added silently.

Adrien stared up at Ladybug for a moment. “Whatever the lady wishes. Plagg, claws out!”

Good, we’re at this part of the dream. Shouldn’t I wake up now? Ladybug asked herself.

But that must not always be the way dreams worked, because there was that one time after Oblivio when she’d dreamed that Adrien turned into Chat Noir and then he’d kissed her and she—

As she was still thinking, the string disintegrated around Ladybug and she and Chat Noir fell to the ground in a tangled heap.

“Your foot is covering my eye,” Ladybug complained. Chat Noir moved it immediately.

“Sorry,” he apologized as he moved Ladybug’s heels off his chest and stood up. Offering Ladybug a hand, he pulled her to her feet. She nearly fell over again, and he steadied her with a hand.

“I really am sorry,” he repeated as Ladybug carefully stretched out her arms, which had been pinned to her sides by the string.

“It was my fault, I should have remembered you’d be at the window,” she said sheepishly. “And, as for the identity reveal? I wouldn’t have figured it out if it weren’t for Plagg.”

Adrien detransformed and frowned at his kwami.

“I’m entirely innocent,” Plagg said, crossing his arms. “I am also starving. I need cheese!” He looked pleadingly at Adrien.

“I don’t think now is a good time for cheese, Plagg, but if you need some, you know where it is.”

With a cheeky wink at Ladybug, Plagg zoomed off to Adrien’s room before she could say a word.

“All this because of a poorly executed confession,” she grumbled, scuffing the dirt under the tree.

Adrien tilted his head. “Poorly executed? My lady, I thought I’d died and gone to heaven because I was so happy! Your delivery was perfect. If it wasn’t for the fact that you were Ladybug at the time, it would have been purrfect!”

Ladybug pursed her lips. “You made that joke before,” she said, wagging a finger at him. “I can’t believe I didn’t get it! I can’t believe I didn’t notice you were Chat Noir,” she groaned, covering her face in embarrassment.

Adrien laughed and delicately peeled her fingers apart so he could peer into her eyes.

“I can’t believe I didn’t notice you were Marinette,” he said in a voice so sweet it made her heart skip a beat. “But I guess that’s the way the Miraculous work, isn’t it? Or else we would have figured it out on the first day.”

Ladybug giggled as she lowered her hands from her face. “We really should have,” she said. “But I guess I was too busy falling under your spell, instead.”

Adrien blushed. “You— really?” he squeaked.

Ladybug smiled as she reached up to ruffle his hair. He leaned into her touch the way he always did.

“Yes, really,” she said softly. “Weren’t you listening to my confession? It’s always been you, Adrien,” she said, tapping his cheek with one finger. “I fell for you the moment you gave me your umbrella and showed me who you truly are.”

Adrien grabbed her hand and held it to his cheek, gazing into her eyes with a look so tender it made her want to melt.

“I fell for you on the first day, too,” he breathed. “You were so scared, but so courageous! You stood up to Hawk Moth and gave hope to all of Paris. I’ve never met anyone so brave.”

Turning his face, he pressed a kiss to the inside of her palm, and Ladybug gasped as a blush took over her face.

“I said to myself back then that I’d love whoever you were under that mask. And I was right,” he said, tracing its edges with a smile.

Marinette looked at him in wonder. “You do? Even though I’m the worst Guardian ever? A-and even when I can’t talk right to you most of the time?”

“Even then,” Adrien assured, pressing a kiss to the tip of her nose and smiling when her blush got even darker. “For the record, I think you’re a wonderful Guardian. And I think your stuttering is quite adorable.”

Surrendering her face as a total loss to the flames licking at it, Marinette dropped her head onto Adrien’s shoulder.

“You’re abhorrable,” she said into his shirt. Holding up a finger, she took a breath and tried again. “Adorable! I think you’re adorable, too. And now that we’re finally out of that tree, I think I know how you can earn my pardon.”

Wrapping his arms around her, Adrien hummed quietly. “What is it?”

“Take me on a date. Next Saturday, in the park, after your piano recital. I’ll bring the pastries,” Marinette said as she returned his hug.

“I’ll bring the flowers,” Adrien said happily.

Marinette felt her heart swell as he kissed her hair and held her closer to him.

“I’m so happy it’s you,” he whispered into her ear.

“Me, too,” she confided. “I’m so happy. I don’t think Chat Noir could be anyone else.”

A camera flash went off in her eyes as she lifted her head.

Ladybug pushed herself away from Adrien and spun him around so he could see the problem.

“Alya!” she gasped. “What are you doing here?”

“You weren’t returning any of my calls, girl,” she said, putting a hand on her hip. “All you did was send one text panicking about how Adrien knows who you are now. Listen, all of Paris knows that you were planning to visit Adrien after school. You guys are lucky it’s just me who showed up. I was expecting there to be at least a dozen camera crews here already.”

“Hold on a minute,” Adrien said, scrunching his eyebrows. “Do you know?”

Alya hesitated, her gaze wandering from Adrien back to Ladybug.

“She does,” Ladybug said, wrapping her arms around herself. “Alya knows. I’m so sorry, but I had to tell someone!”

“Ma—Ladybug was basically having a panic attack when she told me,” Alya said, defending her friend to Adrien. “It only happened because she needed the support, and she couldn’t see another way. She hadn’t been planning to reveal her identity to me, or you for that matter.”

“Trust me, I know she wasn’t,” Adrien said. “I only figured out who she was because of a weird coincidence, actually.”

“Oh? And here I thought it was obvious,” Alya commented. “We’re lucky you covered for our girl, or all of Paris would have figured it out from that confession. Which you had better have accepted, by the way, or I will have Chat Noir cataclysm you for me.”

“Oh-h, you will?” Adrien asked in a strangled voice.

Ladybug laughed nervously. “Well, we won’t be needing that, Alya! He said yes.”

“Good,” Alya said, folding her arms with a smile. “I’m so proud of you, girl! You finally faced your fears and confessed to Adrien. And see where it got you!”

Ladybug grinned at her friend, but as Plagg reappeared behind Alya’s head and zipped back into Adrien’s pocket while she wasn’t looking, she remembered something important.

“Actually, Alya... there’s another reason that threatening Adrien with Chat Noir wouldn’t work. Right, Adrien?” She looked up at him imploringly, hoping that he got the message. You don’t have to tell her, but we need to think of something to say!

Adrien cleared his throat. “Oh, yeah! Are you sure it’s okay for her to know that, though?”

Marinette shrugged. Telling Alya would be simpler than trying not to act like she was in love with Chat Noir or coming up with some explanation of her sudden turn to polyromanticism. It also carried a large danger with it, but she’d proved herself to be capable of handling it before.

Alya was frowning as she looked between Adrien and Ladybug.

“What’s going on, Marinette?” she asked quietly.

Adrien twisted the silver ring on his finger. “I’m Chat Noir,” he said, watching Alya’s reaction closely.

She blinked twice, then adjusted her glasses as she peered at him. Plagg peeked out from Adrien’s shirt pocket, and her jaw fell open.

“Oh, wow,” she breathed. “You really are him! I totally called it!”

“What?”

Ladybug flushed. “You put a filter on a photo of him one time as a joke, Alya. That does not count as calling it.”

Alya grinned. “Was it a joke? Or was it my awesome reporter skills coming in handy? Because I seem to remember you being the one who thought it was a joke.”

Adrien smirked at Alya. “But you didn’t guess who Ladybug was, right? I did,” he bragged. “Back during Kwamibuster. Of course, my lady was clever enough to cover her tracks, but I knew there was a reason Multimouse looked so cute!”

Ladybug let out a squeak, which made Alya smile.

“You didn’t tell me about using the Mouse! I bet you looked adorable,” Alya said, and Adrien nodded his agreement.

“You should have been there! It was the most impressive thing I’ve ever seen.”

“It wasn’t that impressive,” Ladybug said, wishing the fire in her cheeks would cool down. “I just did what I had to do.”

“She’s so humble, too,” Adrien said, looking at her with a smile. “My heart never stood a chance.”

Ladybug spluttered and hid her face in her hands as Alya laughed good-naturedly.

“Well, since you’re safe from the paparazzi, I think I’ll leave you two alone now so you can keep talking. You should probably keep an eye open, though. Oh, and if you ever want to formally announce your relationship as Ladybug and Chat Noir? You know where to find me,” she said with a wink.

“Thank you, Alya,” Adrien said politely. “We’ll think about it later, once we figure all the details out.”

“I wouldn’t expect anything else. All right, then, Alya out!”

With a cheeky salute, she turned and walked toward the wall around the mansion, which she scaled with an ease that would have sparked the opposite feeling in M. Agreste had he been there to see it.

“Alya was right about the press, you know,” Adrien said casually as Ladybug watched the spot Alya had disappeared from. “If you want, we could go somewhere else to talk. There’d be less of a chance of causing a scandal.”

“I think you mean causing another scandal,” Ladybug sighed. “You’re both right, of course, a press intrusion is the last thing we need right now. Still, it could always be worse! I might have messed up my confession, but I was lucky enough to have— well, you. You’ve always got my back, kitty.”

“You and me against the world,” Adrien said in agreement. “I think I got lucky, too. Until recently, dating you seemed like an unattainable dream. And yet, here we are,” he said, lifting her hand for a kiss. “I finally get to be with the love of my life.”

Ladybug couldn’t stop a smile from blooming on her face as she gazed back at Adrien warmly.

“And I, mine,” she said, her breath tangling with his as she moved closer. “I love you, Adrien Agreste.”

He didn’t need to say anything back as he leaned closer and wrapped her in his arms.

The kiss said more than enough.

#ladrienjune2023 #ml fanfic #ladrien #rosie-b writing #identity reveal #miraculous ladybug #takes place after in season 4 after gang of secrets and glaciator 2 #the ending tried sooo hard to turn into marichat but i managed to keep it ladrien

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aalissy · 10 months

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Reckless

This chapter was really fun to write hehe! It’s post-reveal, pre-relationship which is my faveeee and it’s got a little identity reveal too <3. I hope you guys like it as much as I do haha.

AO3

“What were you thinking!?” Ladybug practically screeched as she swooped in through Adrien’s open window.

He jumped, blinking over at her in surprise. But then his own fists clenched together as a brush of his own anger hit him.

What had he been thinking? He had been trying to save her life!

It had been a while now since they had revealed their identities. Adrien had always thought that it would be accidental. That he’d suddenly stumble upon his lady detransforming in the same alleyway that he chose. Or that she’d see him leap into or out of Adrien Agreste’s window one day.

But that wasn’t what happened.

The moon and the stars twinkled alongside the Eiffel Tower as they rested at their spot. It was quiet and comfortable until Ladybug sucked in a deep breath, turning to him with a serious, almost earnest look in her eyes. “I think we need to reveal our identities.”

Chat spluttered, his eyes widening with surprise. “What?”

He was dreaming. Surely he must be dreaming, right? Ladybug would never ask him for his identity unprompted. It just wasn’t her.

But when she slowly nodded her head, he knew that she was being completely serious. All of his breath escaped him in a woosh at just the thought.

“This is important, mon Chaton. I think we can be stronger if we reveal our identities. There have been times when I’ve wanted to contact you in the middle of akuma attacks and I’m sure there’ve been times when you wanted to find me.”

A frown creased his brow as he listened to her ramble. He knew what this was about. Knew the real reason as to why Ladybug thought they needed to reveal their identities.

Chat placed his hands on her shoulders, squeezing them gently. “Ladybug, if you’re doing this because of what happened with Monarch and the kwamis...”

Her shoulders stiffened, an open mouth gaping up at him. “I thought you’d be happy about this.” Ladybug hissed as she ripped herself away from him, glaring at the rooftop’s floor. “How many times have you asked me to reveal and now that I finally want to, you don’t?”

Chat’s lips twitched downwards as he slowly drew his hands back to his side. “It’s not that I don’t want to, m’lady. I do. Of course, I do.”

“Then why won’t you?” She turned back around, lower lip wobbling. His heart cracked at the sight.

He blew out a harsh breath, scratching the back of his neck. “Because I’m afraid that you’re doing this under the misguided belief that I don’t trust you. But I do. I trust you. I will always trust you.”

A shaky inhale came from Ladybug and Chat was surprised to see the beginnings of tears forming in her eyes. Feeling panicked, he looked away from her and rushed out, “And I don’t want you to regret this afterward. I-I don’t know what I’d do if you regretted this.”

A cautious, soft hand wrapped around his wrist, bringing his gaze back to hers. A small smile had formed on Ladybug’s lips. “I’m not going to regret this, Chaton. Regardless of what you think, I have given this a lot of thought. I honestly think that this will make us work better as a team.”

She gulped, the smile fading as she continued, “I think I was trying too hard to be Master Fu. He spent so much time alone, doing everything by himself, that I thought I had to do the same things. But, Chat, I think that was the reason why I lost all of the kwamis. I was so focused on doing everything myself that I forgot about the partner I already have. A partner that I can rely on whenever I need help. The partner that I should have been relying on since the very beginning.”

A lump had formed in Chat’s throat at Ladybug’s words. That was the most beautiful speech he had ever heard. If he hadn’t already been in love with her, he definitely would have fallen right then and there. As it was, he was surprised that he was still standing and hadn’t collapsed into a lovestruck heap at her feet.

There was a long stretch of silence as he struggled to form words, struck speechless. When Ladybug eventually shifted on her feet anxiously, Chat managed to say one word. “Ok.”

“You’ll do it?” she asked hopefully. He gave her a nod and she sucked in a deep breath. “Then on we’ll do it on three. 1... 2... 3.”

At the end of her countdown, the two of them closed their eyes, calling for their detransformation.

“Claws in.”

“Spots off.”

When Adrien cracked open an eye, he felt his heart stutter in his chest. It was Marinette. Of course, it was Marinette. His eyes flicked from her dark pigtails to her widened sapphire eyes as she gaped over at him, obviously coming to terms with his own identity. How had he never noticed their similarities before?

But you did, a small part of his brain reminded him. He had called her his everyday Ladybug, after all. And how many times had he admired her bravery and kindness? Too many to count.

Butterflies fluttered to life in his stomach as he remembered the brief kiss that they had shared at the Grevin Museum. Even just that small press of her lips against his had made him feel things. Things he had only ever felt for Ladybug before and now he knew why.

All at once, the two rushed towards each other at the same time, wrapping the other up in a tight hug. They both breathed out the other’s name in wonder. Because wow, this was finally happening.

Adrien could have stayed up there all night, holding Marinette in his arms under the moonlit sky. But neither of them could stay forever. When a loud yawn left her, he knew it was time to go home.

When Adrien got back to the manor, though, it was difficult to fall asleep with the giddiness that was buzzing in him. He knew Ladybug’s identity. Knew that she was Marinette. The very same girl that sat behind him in class.

She was right. Their partnership grew even stronger after that day. They were both able to help the other get out of class during akuma attacks. On weekends they texted each other in case they hadn’t shown up yet. Their fighting was even more in synch now too. Like they could read exactly what the other needed.

Even outside of akuma attacks, their relationship strengthened. Secret grins and looks were exchanged during class. They both snuck to the other’s house whenever they had free time.

But, occasionally, very rarely, they had arguments like they did now. Adrien had pushed her out of the way during the latest fight, taking the akuma’s blast himself. It had hurt but it hadn’t stopped them from defeating the villain together. He had thought that would be the end of it but it seemed like Ladybug had other ideas.

She was pacing back and forth on his bedroom floor, grumbling angrily to herself.

“I was trying to protect you,” Adrien shouted, his fists clenching tighter.

Her eyes narrowed as she whipped back around to him. Ladybug stalked closer, practically blazing with fury and he couldn’t stop his heart from quickening its pace in his chest.

She poked him harshly and he blinked down at the finger. “And that’s the issue, Adrien. You got hurt!”

“But you were safe.”

And that’s all that mattered. He bit down harshly on his tongue, somehow managing to keep from saying those words. He didn’t need to burden her with his feelings. He already knew that she was in love with someone else, after all.

Ladybug groaned with frustration, throwing her hands up in the air. “How could you be so... so reckless?”

“I was fine, Ladybug. Nothing bad happened to me. It barely even hurt.”

“But what if, one day, it does? What am I supposed to do then? What if my miraculous ladybugs don’t work? Have you thought about that?”

Adrien couldn’t stop giving a small scoff. Now she was just being ridiculous. Her lips pursed at the noise. Obviously, she didn’t think so.

“You don’t even care.” She left him, resuming her pacing as she tore a hand through her hair angrily. “Don’t you understand? Adrien, I couldn’t bear to see you hurt! Because I lov—”

Ladybug's lips clamped shut as her cheeks turned a wonderful shade of red. His anger completely evaporated as he blinked at her. What? What did she just say? Surely he misheard her.

“L-Ladybug,” Adrien stuttered out her name.

“N-nevermind.” She waved a hand in the air, practically racing over to his window. “I-I have to go now.”

“Wait!” he shouted, jogging after her to keep her from leaving. He wasn’t about to let her go. Not after that realization. Not when he might be the person that Ladybug loves.

“Did... did you mean that? D-do you... love me, that is?” Adrien asked, gazing down at her as he gnawed at his lower lip. He held his breath, crossing his fingers in the hopes that she did.

Ladybug looked down, swallowing a lump in her throat. “M-maybe,” she squeaked out.

He inhaled in a sharp gasp. She loved him. Which meant that he didn’t have to hold back anymore.

Taking her hands in his, Adrien drew them up to his mouth and brushed a small kiss against them. Ladybug’s head whipped up as she stared at him with widened eyes.

“Good,” he murmured, “Because I love you too. And I never want to see you get hurt either.”

“You love me?” Her lower lip wobbled.

Adrien was only able to give out a simple nod when her hands were cupping the back of his head, tugging him down to her. Their lips crashed against each other as they collided in a passionate kiss. A sigh escaped him as he wrapped his arms around her waist, pulling her in even closer.

Shivers raced up and down as Ladybug tilted her head, deepening the kiss. This was it. This was what he had been waiting for. The most wonderful thing that could have happened to him. He couldn’t believe his luck.

#ladrienjune2023 #ladrienjune #ladrien #ladynoir #adrinette #adrienette #love square #post reveal pre relationship #post reveal #pre relationship #reveal #identity reveal #ml fic #fic #fanfic #miraculous #miraculous ladybug #ml #mlb

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mysticraven20 · 10 months

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Level 16: Eye of the Storm

“Shhhhh!” The hand began to rotate in circles as she closed her eyes and took deep breaths, soaking in the sound of his voice. This was happening far too often at the moment.

“Thanks,” she said, turning and falling into her saviour’s arms, eyes still firmly closed as he placed her delicately onto his knee.

“Always.”

Artwork by the incredible @verabraun-art

A Masked Game - Ladrien June/LadyNoir July

#adrienette #marinettedupaincheng #adrienagreste #ladynoir #chatnoir #miraculous #ladybugandcatnoir #ladybug #ladybugandchatnoir #fanfiction #ladynoir july #ladrienjune2023 #ladrien #crime #murder mystery #emotional #who’s Adrien’s wife? mystery 2023

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nedjsmlfavs · 11 months

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The comedic potential of Ladrien is woefully underexplored in this fandom and I wanted to do something lighthearted to get back into writing, so:

Villainous Matchmaking

When Chat Noir is tragically unable to attend an event with Ladybug, the mayor calls in a favor from a designer ‘friend’. Now she’s attending in style, on the arm of the hottest male model in Paris. Which would be fine if it weren’t for one, tiny issue: Paris’ favorite domestic terrorist now knows how Ladybug feels about his son. This leads him to his greatest plan yet, using Ladybug’s extremely obvious crush on Adrien Agreste to akumatize Chat Noir.

A Ladrien/“platonic” Ladynoir fic written for @ladrienjune 2023.

Rating T Status: In-progress

I'm not following the word prompts, but I am gonna try to post every one to two days until it's done. I'll make another post when that happens.

#ladrienjune2023 #ladrien #my writing

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unhitches-similes · 11 months

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Miraculous Fic: Reassurances

I wanted to do a little something in honor of @ladrienjune since it's going on, but my brain is also still kinda stuck on my BFF Swap + Reverse Crush AU. So, here's something that IS by definition Ladrien, but the dynamic's a bit different because, well, reverse lovesquare.

Anyhow, enough of me. Please enjoy the story!

~*~

Summary: Adrien wasn’t expecting to find Ladybug outside his house looking for all the world like she’d been carrying the world on her shoulders and somehow dropped it.

Notes: AU Season 1, Best Friend Swap + Reverse Lovesquare

Dialogue Prompt – "It's nothing, I'm just tired." Ladrien June Prompt – 5. Just Friends

~*~

Read on Ao3

~*~

Adrien was pacing around his room as he talked on the phone with his best friend. (His best friend! He was still growing used to the idea, even though Alya often pointed out that they’d already been friends even before going to school together.) His constant movement had more to do with excess energy than any sort of discontent.

The blond was just walking across the cushions of his sofa when movement outside his windows caught his attention. It was hard to see in the dark with his ordinary human vision, and it went by quickly, but Adrien could have sworn he had just seen…

No. They’d just fought an akuma earlier that day, surely there wasn’t another one already? If there was, Alya probably would have been one of the first to know – she kept track of such things – and definitely would have said something rather than continuing her thorough breakdown of the latest battle fought by the United Heroez. But why else would Ladybug be out at this hour?

“Alya, I’ll have to call you back,” Adrien interrupted.

“What? No,” Alya protested. “I was just getting to the best part!”

“I know, but later, okay? I’ve got to do something real quick.”

“Fine, but if you don’t call back soon, I can’t promise I won’t spam you with text messages.”

“I’d expect nothing less.”

Disconnecting the call, Adrien slid the phone into his pocket before bounding over to his windows, trying to see if he could spot (ha!) Ladybug in the darkness. “Plagg, did you see anything?”

The teen turned around when the kwami gave no response. Plagg was sprawled on his back on the bed, in a cheese coma, no doubt. Repressing a sigh, Adrien jogged over to grab the sleepy kwami and slip him into a pocket.

Poking his head out his bedroom door, he glanced both ways before stepping out into the hall. It wouldn’t do for Nathalie or his father to see him sneaking outside the house late at night, even if he wasn’t planning on going far. (Nevermind that he did so all the time as Chat Noir. This situation was different.)

Adrien looked around as he quietly exited through a side door. Whatever he thought he’d seen had appeared to be moving in this direction. Who was he kidding, though? Even if he had seen Ladybug and she had gone by his house, why would she still be nearby? He would have had better luck finding whatever or whoever it was as Chat Noir.

Just as he was about to give up the search and head back inside, he heard a muffled sound from the other side of the wall. Hurrying over to the nearest gate, he took a moment to disable the security on it. Honestly, his father needed to be a little less predictable with his security codes. Adrien then stepped out onto the sidewalk, moving cautiously towards where he thought he heard the sound.

There! Tucked between a shrub and a burnt out streetlight, back against the stone wall and knees folded against her chest was Ladybug, spots only just discernible in the darkness. She seemed so… small, just then. Adrien wasn’t sure what exactly he had been expecting, but it certainly wasn’t to find his partner outside his house looking for all the world like she’d been carrying the world on her shoulders and somehow dropped it.

“Ladybug?” Adrien said softly.

The girl startled, eyes wide with alarm as she looked up at him, before relaxing again a moment later. “Oh, um, hi,” she responded, false cheer in her tone, her hands raising to swipe quickly beneath both eyes before resting atop her knees. “It’s Adrien, right? Shouldn’t you be at home?”

“You’re outside my house.” Adrien gestured to the structure behind her.

“Your house?” Ladybug echoed, turning her head as though to look and getting a face full of shrubbery for her trouble. (Adrien resisted the urge to laugh at the adorable look of consternation that passed over her features.) She raised to her feet and moved away from the wall to actually get a glimpse of the so-called ‘house’ in question. “Gosh, I’m sorry. I guess I must not have been paying attention to where I was going. I didn’t mean to disturb anyone.”

“No, you aren’t bothering me or anything. I just thought I saw something go past my window and came to investigate,” he assured her.

Her blue eyes turned back to him and even in the muted light of the moon, even behind her mask, they appeared red-rimmed and puffy. Like she’d been crying. The idea made Adrien’s stomach churn uncomfortably.

“If you’re sure…” said Ladybug.

“Absolutely.”

It was interesting talking to her this way, as Adrien. She always seemed so flustered around him when he was Chat. He always wished she could just talk to him the way he saw her talk to other people. He still wasn’t sure what he’d done to make her so uncomfortable around him and the times he’d tried to ask only seemed to make it worse.

“Well, I guess I should probably get going,” she announced. “You really should get back inside. It’s probably not very safe to be wandering around outside without shoes.”

Adrien glanced down to find that he was, in fact, only wearing socks. He looked back up quickly as she drew her yoyo from her hip. “No, wait!”

She blinked back at him in surprise. “Did you need something?”

“No! I mean, yes - that is,” Adrien silently berated himself as he tried to put his thoughts into coherent order. “I just… Are you okay?”

Because that was really the crux of the matter, wasn’t it? It was late at night and his partner, a girl he liked to think of as his friend, was alone and crying. And he couldn’t think of a reason why. Sure, the fight with the akuma had gone a little sideways at the start, but they had won, in the end. Everything had been fixed, hadn’t it?

“It’s nothing, I’m just tired,” she told him. She was wearing a camera-smile. Adrien could tell. He had a few of his own.

He was going to just leave it be. He should just leave it be. It wasn’t his business. Nonetheless, despite his intentions, he still blurted out, “You weren’t crying just now?”

Ladybug drew in a sharp breath, shooting him a stricken look. She looked ready to cry again and Adrien could just kick himself. Why did he have to open his big mouth? She could only just hold a conversation with his alter-ego; why would she want to talk to him as Adrien about whatever was upsetting her?

“I…” Ladybug began, expression crumpling and shoulders sagging in a way Adrien just hated to see in someone he already admired. “It’s just—”

She let out a hiccuping breath, visibly trying to fight it back only to have it be followed by another. A high-pitched sound of distress emerged then, her hand raising too slowly to properly muffle it. And then, much to Adrien’s own alarm, it was as though a dam had broken and the words and tears seemed to spill out of her.

“Everything went wrong today! At home and school, and – and then with the akuma, I made like a dozen different mistakes. I made a complete idiot of myself in front of my partner. Again. And my best friend is mad at me because I broke a promise and I can’t even explain why. It has been th-the worst day ever and now I’m just dumping all my problems on you and you don’t even know me. I must be the worst Ladybug tha—”

“Whoa – hey, I-I’m sure that’s not true!” Adrien cut in, his hands fluttering uselessly in the air between them. “You’re an awesome Ladybug! So awesome my best friend spends all her free time doing a blog about you! Have you seen it? It’s called the Ladyblog and if you haven’t visited it, you totally should! There’s a whole section just for people to leave notes to let you know how much they appreciate you and what you do. I mean, it’s for you and Chat Noir both, but you’re a team, right? Chat Noir couldn’t do what he does without you.”

His partner was staring at him again, the moonlight catching her features in a sort of melancholy relief. The sobs that had been wracking her slight frame had quieted, perhaps in surprise at his rather wordy and impassioned interjection, although tears still trickled down her face.

Hesitating just a moment, Adrien reached out to put a hand on Ladybug’s shoulder, giving a reassuring squeeze when she didn’t flinch or pull away. “You had a bad day,” he told her, “that doesn’t mean you’re a bad person or that you aren’t good at what you do. Everyone has off days and everyone makes mistakes.

“You are a good Ladybug,” Adrien asserted, trying to put all of his certainty into the words, “Paris is lucky to have you.”

Ladybug let out another sob and for a split second Adrien was afraid he had said something wrong before she crashed against him, arms going around his waist as she buried her face in his chest. The boy returned the embrace, pressing his cheek against the top of her head and making reassuring noises the way Alya did when she comforted one of her sisters.

They stood there for a moment, Adrien rubbing a hand soothingly along Ladybug’s back. Part of him wanted to ask what she’d meant when she said she’d made an idiot of herself in front of him, but of course, Ladybug didn’t know he was also Chat Noir. He wished once more that she’d been less adamant about keeping their identities a secret. Maybe then there’d be some better way for him to help her. Maybe she wouldn’t be so flustered around Chat if she knew he was just Adrien beneath the mask. Nonetheless, it was obvious he’d have to do something to encourage her more the next time they were both in costume.

“Thanks,” Ladybug finally said, stepping away from him. Her hands brushed over her cheeks again and she was mostly back to the Ladybug the city had come to know. “And sorry for crying all over you.”

“It’s fine. I’m glad to help,” he told her.

She gifted him a smile – a real one, this time – and something about the expression seemed so familiar. “You’re sweet. Who would have known the boy whose face is all over Paris would be such a sweetheart?”

A blush rose to his face unbidden and Adrien scratched the back of his head. “Yeah, well, who’d think Ladybug would tease someone she just met?” he countered with a small grin. Her laughter rang through the air before she leaned up to press a kiss to his cheek.

“Thank you, Adrien.”

“Anytime.”

She turned to leave again and Adrien reached out to put a hand on her arm to delay her departure.

“I mean it, Ladybug,” he told her. “Anytime you need a friend, you know where to find me.”

“I’ll remember that.” She smiled softly and then she was gone, leaving him alone on the sidewalk. As Adrien turned to go back inside, his phone in his pocket started to vibrate with a series of rapid-fire texts. Right on cue.

Pulling his phone out as he went back inside, Adrien hoped that Ladybug would be okay. He also hoped that one day, he’d be able to have a conversation with her as Chat Noir without feeling like he was stressing her out. (He would, but it wouldn’t be for some time yet.)

He nearly got caught heading back to his room. Alya had sent him a meme that made him burst out laughing.

~*~

End.

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wehadabondingmoment · 10 months

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“Second Chance,” he sobbed almost incomprehensibly, and yet, time remained stagnant and Ladybug stayed dead.

‘This isn't supposed to happen! I should be able to reverse it, why isn't anything happening?’

Or: I saw Representation and needed Ladybug to break out her bf (It's just his nightmare, she isn't actually dead). Oh, and it's a kwami swap!!

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wackus-bonkus-maximus · 11 months

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i know i'm late for the @ladrienjune prompt 7 "injured" but my contribution is finally here!

this is my first ladrien fic ever 💞 i know the standards i high but i hope i did these two justice.

summary:

Ladybug attempts to visit her husband in the hospital - if only she wouldn't keep being kicked out by security.

excerpt:

“Surely you can make an exception,” Ladybug said exasperatedly, ignoring the staff’s stunned looks. “Since I’m the one who brought him in.” “We haven’t managed to contact his wife,” Wayhem explained. “As his next of kin, she would need to approve any additional visitors.” “Why don’t you just ask him?” “M. Dupain-Cheng is…” Wayhem trailed off, ignoring the way Ladybug drummed her fingers on the counter. “He’s unfit to make any type of legal decision just now. Trust me, I know him very well. He would want to see his wife first.” I’m his wife! Ladybug wanted to yell. Unfortunately, she had no way of proving that unless she walked out, detransformed, and walked back in. A no-problem situation, granted, for a Miraculous Holder wearing hospital-visit worthy clothing underneath. But they had been celebrating Adrien’s birthday. Alone. And she’d been wearing his gift.

#ladrien #ladrien june #code blue #miraculous fanfic #ml fanfic #fluff #humor #slight crack #just all around silliness #and a whole circus starring ladybug #ladrienjune2023

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imultimouse · 10 months

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Hi guys! I wrote a little hurt/comfort one-shot for Ladrien June!! Please check it out and lmk what you think!👇

https://archiveofourown.org/works/48092911

#miraculoustalesofladybugandcatnoir #miraculous #miraculous ladybug #miraculous ladybug fanfiction #ladrienjune2023 #ladrien june #ladrien #adrien #adrien agreste #adrien x ladybug #ladybug #ladybug and chat noir #plagg #adribug #hurt/comfort #mlb fanfic

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coffeebanana · 11 months

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Summary

If a little dancing can help Ladybug de-stress, Adrien doesn't mind if she doesn't know all the steps.

Written for the @ladrienjune prompt "slow dance." Posted early because I have no self-control 😂.

Read on Ao3 or under the cut!

...

At the sound of Ladybug crashing into something—the foosball table, as it turned out—Adrien set down his pen and swivelled around in his desk chair, watching as she rubbed her hip and returned to pacing around his room. She'd shown up twenty minutes ago, insisting she didn't want to distract him from finishing his homework once she'd realized he was working on it, and had then started wandering around like she might implode if she stopped.

He'd let her be for a while—experience told him that sometimes she just needed to get something out of her system. But at this point, he doubted whatever was bothering her was something she'd manage to walk off.

“Do you want to talk about it?” he asked.

She jumped at the sound of his voice, almost crashing into the sofa as well. And under other circumstances, Adrien might have smiled. He loved every side of this girl who’d long ago stolen his heart. Her inability to walk straight was no exception.

(“Besides,” she would say if he teased her about it, “what kind of bisexual would I be if I walked straight?”

And Adrien would follow up with some joke about how he should stop walking in runway shows if that was a qualification for being bi.)

But today didn't feel like the time for jokes.

“W-what?” she said.

He shrugged, following her lead when she glanced away—he didn’t want her to feel overwhelmed. But he missed having her in his line of sight—even when he’d been finishing up his math problems he’d been able to see her reflection on his darkened computer screen. So he quickly shifted his eyes back to her, smiling when he noticed she was watching too.

“Whatever’s on your mind.”

Her eyes widened. “I didn’t say…”

“I know. I could just…tell.”

“Ugh.” She made a face as she slumped down on the couch’s armrest, falling back against the cushions a second later. “I’m the worst company today, aren’t I? Sorry. I can go if I’m too much of a distraction.”

“No!” Adrien shouted, loud enough that Ladybug sprung back to a sitting position, bracing herself on the back of the couch. He smiled sheepishly. “Sorry. Didn’t mean to shout, I just...well, I don't want you to go. I love it when you visit, and I’m almost done with my homework anyways. It just seems like…maybe you’re upset about something?”

Ladybug stood, fiddling with her hands as she slowly made her way towards him. She stopped beside him, and for a second he—foolishly—hoped she might sit in his lap. Instead she leaned against the edge of his desk, tracing a finger over the numbers and variables he'd inked into the page.

"I'm not...upset, exactly," she said. "More like...stressed. But it's no big deal." She shrugged. "Just life stuff."

She sent him a somber smile—the kind that had I'm trying to tell you I'm fine—totally FINE! But actually I'm coming apart at the seams HAHAHA written all over it. Adrien knew it well. But he hated seeing it on someone he loved.

"Is there any way I could help?" he asked.

"I mean, if you could take down Shadow Moth, that would be great."

"No problem!" He smiled. "Be right back."

Committed to the bit, Adrien was steps away from his bathroom when a giggle cut him off. "Are you hiding him in the shower or something?"

"Psssh. No! I was trying to fake a dramatic exit."

"Through the bathroom? Were you going to jump out the window? Slide down the drain?"

"Actually, there's a secret passageway behind the mirror."

"Wait. Really?"

He laughed. "No. But good to know you believe me so easily."

"Pfft. That was the last time, Agreste."

"Uh-huh..."

Still grinning, Adrien made his way back to the desk. When he got there, he rolled the chair away in favour of leaning against the desk beside her. He wasn't bold enough to sit so close that their hands would brush, but he was rewarded anyways when Ladybug leaned her head against his shoulder. Adrien’s heart skipped a beat. Or ten.

He wanted to say something else, but he didn't dare disturb the moment.

"I just have so much to do," she said. "But it's all stuff I have to wait for. Like, I'm organizing an event for my class at school, but nobody's getting back to me about what they can bring. And I promised my parents I'd help them install some new shelves, but the order keeps getting delayed. And then there's Hawk Moth, who could strike at any time. And like...the only things I could probably get started on are a few projects for school. Except those aren't due for at least a few more days, so I can't seem to make myself actually start them, and so I keep just playing things over and over in my head, trying to figure out what activity I'm going to slot in when, but there's no good answer, and ugh. I have fifteen kwamis in my room, including one I could use to see the future, but then, like, that might" —her next words were encased in bunny ears— "mess up the timeline."

She sighed, hands slumping back to her sides. "Which really means that none of the superpowers at my disposal are actually helpful, and it's just...I feel like I'm never going to get anything done, which is stupid, I know, but..."

She finished by standing up—Adrien immediately missed her warmth at his side—and throwing her hands up in frustration while she made some indecipherable noise. Then her eyes locked on his and widened, like she'd only just remembered he was there.

"I don't think it's stupid," he said gently. "I think...it's amazing you do all that and still manage to be as wonderful as you are."

His words seemed to have the opposite effect as intended, making her shoulders slump. "But I'm not wonderful. I snapped at my best friend today, and at my cru—uuuh...at my other friend." She started pacing again. "And now I'm dumping all my problems on you, and you probably think I'm crazy, and you'll never invite me back here, and..."

She listed a few more things Adrien couldn't quite make sense of—something about kids and hamsters?—but he didn't think the words were really for him anymore. Unable to watch her keep spiraling, he stood and walked over, stopping her mid-sentence by setting his hands on her shoulders.

"Hey," he said. "I'm sure everything will turn out okay."

Her gaze dropped to her feet. "Maybe..."

"Definitely."

She only sighed in response.

Adrien debated his next words carefully. Part of him wondered if he was secretly being selfish considering his next question—the idea was definitely thrilling to him. But if he were in her position, he was pretty sure it was what he would want someone to ask, even if he weren't in love with that someone. And he probably didn't have much to lose.

"Would you like a hug?"

Her eyes shot back up to his, gleaming with some emotion that sent a thrill through him. Then she nodded, and Adrien wasted no time in wrapping his arms around her.

Of course she fit well there—he'd hugged her enough as Chat Noir to know that. But he wasn't expecting the way she practically melted into his embrace, or the way his heart rate skyrocketed when her breath ruffled his T-shirt. She smelled of something sweet and floral—he'd ask her what shampoo she used if that weren't so creepy. And even the way the ends of her pigtail brushed against his arm when she turned her head was a tiny bit of ecstasy he was certain he'd remember for the rest of his life.

But the hug wasn't about him

"Do you feel better?" he asked maybe a minute later, rubbing a hand down her back. She didn't answer, so he pulled back and searched her expression. "Ladybug?"

Her face crumpled. "No. I still can't stop thinking about everything. And you're being so nice, which must make me awful, and—"

"It doesn't," he assured her. "You're still incredible."

That time, his compliment earned him a tiny smile.

"Maybe you just need a better distraction," he said, before he had to watch that smile fade. "We could...play some mecha strike?"

She shrugged, shaking her hands at her sides. "I feel too...jittery to sit down."

"Ah. Okay. I guess that means a movie's out of the question."

"Sorry."

"It's okay, I promise. We'll figure something out." Adrien bit his lip, looking around the room. So much stuff, but none of it was useful. Then an idea popped into his head that tugged a smile onto his face. "We could...dance?"

Ladybug laughed. "I can't even walk without running into something, and you want me to move other parts of my body at the same time?"

"So, we'll slow dance then. No way you mess that up."

She snorted. "No, but I can totally hurt you when I step on your feet twelve thousand times."

"Twelve thousand? That would actually be impressive."

She laughed again, then sobered. "But do you really...do you want to dance with me?"

Suddenly nervous, Adrien resisted the urge to scratch the back of his neck. Instead he reached out his left hand, trying to project confidence despite the flutters that rippled through him when he noticed her cheeks redden. "It would be my honour."

Taking a deep breath, Ladybug reached for his hand. Adrien followed up by taking a half-step closer and hesitantly settling his free hand on her waist. After that, she seemed at a loss with what to do with her other arm, but she slowly bent her elbow and placed a hand on his chest. Instinct—from lessons he'd taken years ago—told him she should technically put her hand a little higher, but he pushed those feelings aside, trying his best to focus on nothing but her.

That wasn't exactly hard when her eyes found his.

"S-see?" he said, a little breathless. "You're already a pro."

She bit her lip, unable to conceal her smile. "We're not even moving yet."

"Well, that's not so hard either." He took a small step back. "Just one step after the other."

"One after the other," she repeated in a whisper, lowering her gaze as she followed his first step.

They went on like that for a while, in small slow steps, eventually building up some semblance of rhythm. Ladybug started humming some song at some point—one with 4/4 timing that didn't at all work for the waltz he'd been counting in his head. But somehow that made the moment even more perfect, like how when she finally stopped paying so much attention to each step, she giggled every time she stumbled into him.

She was finally smiling, and nothing else mattered

"Thank you," she whispered against his chest when they got tired of actual dancing and ended up swaying slowly behind by the window. "I feel better now."

Lost in the moment, Adrien didn't even think before bending down to kiss her head. "Me too, my lady."

...

Thanks for reading!! 💜

#miraculous ladybug #ladrien #ladrienjune2023 #coffeebanana fics #fluff #adrien agreste #ladybug #long post

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ladrienjune · 1 year

Photo

Happy Ladrien Wednesday! We’re so happy to announce another year of Ladrien June!

Major thank you to @akumatizedcamembert for making the calendar again this year! Please show Ine lots of love!

A few general rules:

1. Please keep submissions centered around Ladrien. There are other events for the remaining 3 sides of the love square.

2. No salt/discourse/character or ship bashing of any kind

3. NSFW is allowed but please tag and put under a read more

4. Both prompt-specific and general Ladrien submissions will be accepted. Anything in the spirit of Ladrien!

5. S5 spoilers are allowed for any officially aired episodes. No leaks!

Be sure to @ mention this blog and use the tag #ladrienjune2023 to have your submissions reblogged! If you have any questions, feel free to send an ask or reach out to @purrincess-chat or @cheklmn

We look forward to seeing everyone’s submissions and appreciating our blushing babies with you!

Prompts typed out under the cut:

1. Gossip

2. Photostash

3. Stop and Stare

4. Flirting

5. Just Friends

6. Jealousy

7. Injured

8. Spotlight

9. Running Away

10. Slow Dance

11. Stay

12. Midnight

13. Rendezvous

14. Adoring Fans

15. Missing in Action

16. Liplocked

17. Bad Luck

18. Panic Attack

19. Reckless

20. Passionate Declaration

21. Morning

22. Safe

23. Twin Rings

24. Akuma

25. Goodbye Kiss

26. Holding Hands

27. Autograph

28. Sacrifice

29. Love Notes

30. Sweet Nothings

#ladrien #ladrien june #miraculous ladybug #ladybug #adrien agreste #calendar

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rosie-b · 11 months

Text

home is where the fight is

(2778 words)

Written for @ladrienjune Day 7: Injured

Nadja Chamack’s voice greeted Adrien as he sat up straight, wiping his clammy hands on his pants and ignoring the black kwami floating by his shoulder.

“—shocked to see our heroine fall in battle today, taking a direct hit from the akuma just as she detransformed. Parisians are torn between blaming Hawk Moth and Cat Walker for their roles in this tragedy, which ultimately revealed the civilian identity of Ladybug, Marinette Dupain-Cheng.”

Adrien turned off the TV and lowered his head as his vision blurred.

Read the whole fic on AO3 or just below!

Please, not me. Anyone but me.

The words reverberated through Adrien’s head as he scrambled for the remote to his smart windows and clicked on the lowest setting.

Once he’d checked that the windows were completely dark, he dived onto the couch, grabbed a second remote control, and turned on the TV, which was set to the TVi channel. Nadja Chamack’s voice greeted Adrien as he sat up straight, wiping his clammy hands on his pants and ignoring the black kwami floating by his shoulder.

Mme. Chamack bowed her head and paused, not-so-discreetly wiping a tear from her eye.

Adrien knew the rest of this story. He knew the way Marinette had continued to fight, relying on the clues her disappeared Lucky Charm had given her, sending her kwami off to recharge. She’d been able to retransform and defeat the akuma as Ladybug.

Père had ordered him to follow her and head to the Dupain-Cheng bakery. She’d gone to the sewers, instead. The news van had found the trail of blood she’d left behind.

They were trying not to assume the worst, but he could see in Mme. Chamack’s face that she was already giving up hope. In her mind, Cat Walker — Adrien — was responsible for her death.

Adrien turned off the TV and lowered his head as his vision blurred.

Ladybug needed a place to go, and he didn’t think she’d be foolish enough to return to her parents’ home. Hawk Moth knew where she lived now, after all. But it made sense that she’d go to her boyfriend’s house.

Please, not me. Anyone but me.

Feeling trapped by his own actions for once, Adrien set the remotes down and got up to check that his windows were dark on both sides. While he was up, Plagg turned the TV back on. Adrien whirled around in a panic.

“Turn that off! Someone could hear,” he hissed.

Plagg shot him a dubious glare. “Only inside the mansion. Your lady will still think you’re gone for as long as those windows are dark, and in the meantime, we should stay informed about what’s going on out there. Tikki’s chosen just had her identity revealed,” he said, gluing his eyes to the TV screen. “As her boyfriend, I would think you’d be more concerned about Ladybug.”

“Marinette,” Adrien murmured, trying to make the name sound at home on his lips. He shouldn’t have known who Ladybug’s civilian self was at all, but he’d met her once on one of his compulsory missions from Père. Apparently, she was one of his suspects for the girl behind Ladybug’s mask.

Adrien had really hoped his father wasn’t right, but it turned out that he was, in the end.

A small lift to his lips, hardly a smile, briefly appeared as he remembered their first meeting. Marinette had had the feeling someone was watching her, so she called out that she could see them. Adrien had believed her, so he slipped out of his hiding spot and jumped onto her balcony, thanking his luck that Père hadn’t given him any orders for this situation.

He’d startled Marinette so badly that she kicked him in the balls and shoved him off of her balcony. Well, he had deserved it, Adrien reflected. He’d never been more formally introduced to her, nor had he seen her again afterwards, but he remembered the name his father had given him before the ill-fated mission.

Now, Marinette, who was Ladybug (Adrien’s girlfriend!) was somewhere in Paris, alone, with an injury she’d gotten from kwamis only knew where. And there was nothing he could do to help her.

The TV was rambling again, a fuzzy, sticky, static in his brain. He took the remote back from Plagg and clicked the off button. Plagg didn’t complain.

There was a thump downstairs. Adrien’s heart clenched.

Not me. Please, anyone but me.

A bang, this time, followed by a crash. It was coming from the atelier, Adrien knew. He’d heard crashes exactly like that a thousand times before.

“Do you think—” Plagg began. Adrien cut him off.

“No. He would order me down there if there was a fight. Just like with his other orders—” which were keeping him from offering shelter to his secret girlfriend, for fear that he’d only be able to fight her when her silhouette appeared at the window— “We would know.”

Plagg lashed his tail and flattened his ears.

“Some Père,” he spat. “I can’t wait to cataclysm his face off. You know he deserves it,” he said at Adrien’s conflicted expression.

Adrien wrapped his arms around himself as he dropped onto the couch. “I know,” he muttered. “But it’s still hard. All I want is for this nightmare to be over.”

From underneath him, the clicking of a remote control’s button sounded, and in response, the sun slowly began to pour through the tall, wide windows of his room.

Adrien gaped at them in horror, feeling frozen as Plagg dove for the remote, pushing random buttons that only turned on the TV and then changed its channels.

The images on the TV flashed like the scenes in Adrien’s mind, the life of his relationship with Ladybug speeding through his head as he prepared for its end. For what else could a direct order to fight Ladybug bring to it?

So far, Cat Walker had fought in the shadows, staying on the sidelines until expressly ordered to fight, to throw a punch, to dodge hers, to call for a power too deadly to be given to a marionette like he was. It was what had allowed Marinette to win the fight today, and so Gabriel had put an unceremonious end to it with one single command.

The windows were opening.

Ladybug slipped through, a hesitant look on her face as she stood in front of Adrien, who’d just gotten back from an unusual akuma attack.

“Are you okay?” she asked. “I-I mean, I know I cast the cure, so physically, your body is fine— or no! Not like that! But what I mean is,” she said, stepping closer and reaching out to trace a freshly-dry tear track down his cheek, “How are you, really?”

It was the first time anyone had asked Adrien that and genuinely wanted to hear what he had to say. He’d cried, feeling ashamed and guilty and far less than human as she held him in her arms.

She’d made a habit out of visiting him. And slowly, Adrien started to look forward to her visits, and found that he didn’t mind being confined to his room as much anymore. Slowly, he remembered how it felt to smile because he was happy, not because he was told to.

They’d developed a signal; if Adrien’s windows were dark on the outside, he was busy, but otherwise, if he was in his room, Ladybug could drop by for a visit. And after time, as they got used to each other and the secrecy they had to maintain, Ladybug asked if those ‘visits’ of hers could become dates.

Adrien was astonished at how little his father cared about his life outside of akuma attacks, that keeping his new relationship secret could be easy. But it was. He’d never even asked if Adrien was interested in dating anyone.

The windows were open. The sun was going down.

Ladybug could come soon.

Not me, Adrien begged her silently, willing his words to reach across Paris to wherever she was hiding. Please, don’t come to me. Go to anyone else, go anywhere else!

It would be best if she left Paris. It would be best if he could renounce his ring.

Plagg finally turned off the TV. Picking up the other remote, he clicked the button that darkened the outside of the glass, still letting in the late afternoon sun but preventing anyone from seeing into the room.

“Do you want me to get the other side, too?”

Adrien didn’t answer. He was busy staring into the future, at his gloved hand around Ladybug’s neck, an active cataclysm at the ready.

He took a shuddering breath.

Père had said it was possible to break a Miraculous. Glancing down at his ring, he wondered how easy it was.

It didn’t matter. He’d been ordered not to damage the ring anyway.

Plagg clicked a couple more buttons, and the room darkened.

“Come on, kitten,” Plagg coaxed, setting the remote down and zipping over to tug on Adrien’s fingers. “Eat something. Or at least drink some water. This whole stiff as a board thing doesn’t look good on you.”

Letting Plagg lead him there, Adrien staggered into the seat at his desk, where an opened bottle of water sat beside a wedge of camembert. Usually, he hated the smell of the cheese, but today, its sharp stench woke up his brain and grounded him in the moment.

He took a deep breath, letting the fumes flood his mouth, and nearly gagged. It was a good feeling. His stomach rumbled, and Adrien wondered whether he should eat something.

Then a familiar knock sounded on his window, tying his intestines in knots and guaranteeing that he would not be eating anytime soon.

Plagg groaned as he quickly found a place to hide.

“I knew it was the wrong button,” he muttered. “Sorry, kid.”

But Adrien was already past that. He hadn’t planned on it; he’d tried to avoid it, but now Ladybug was here, and he had to fight her, fight her directly, as Père had said.

There had to be a way out, some way for Adrien to evade his father’s order. He’d done it before, found loopholes that allowed him little glimpses of autonomy.

With trembling fingers, he pulled open the window.

“The next time you see her,” Gabriel’s voice echoed in the deadly silence of Adrien’s mind, “Don’t run away, don’t stay in the shadows, don’t do anything that could let her get away. I am your father, and I am ordering you to fight her directly, not holding yourself back, and to try to win. I’m counting on you.”

Big mistake, Adrien thought with a grin as the perfect loophole presented itself.

“If you want to come in, you’ll have to fight me,” he informed Ladybug, who had a white bandage wrapped around her left hand, which was lacking the usual red-and-black spots it sported. She tilted her head in confusion.

“What? Adrien, I don’t have time for this. Hawk Moth, he—”

“He can’t beat me in thumb war, either. I’m undefeated, my lady! I need a real challenge for once. Fight me,” he dared, holding his fist out. A dangerous thrill raced through his body as Ladybug stared at his fist, dumbstruck.

She squinted. “Is this one of your attempts to distract me from my troubles? Because I have seen better, Agreste,” she sniffed, a smirk playing about the corner of her mouth. “There’s no way you’re going to win this one. Bring it on!”

Adrien grinned as his girlfriend took his hand in her right one, making one big fist with two thumbs ready to fight on their own private stage. Adrien made his thumb bow, and she began the song that announced the thumb war’s beginning.

“Un, deux, trois, bras de fer chinois. What a childish chant," Ladybug muttered as Adrien immediately began his attempt to pin her thumb down, not holding anything back.

He stuck out his tongue as he concentrated, and Ladybug smiled bemusedly at his seriousness as she tugged her thumb out from under his and ducked it through her own fist before landing it on top of his. But even her super strength had nothing on Adrien’s dogged persistence. He had to win this, or at least try to.

Once free, his thumb lashed out at hers, landing a glancing blow and scaring it back to the far side of the fist-stage. After a moment, it darted out to the middle, but quickly hurried back to safety.

“That’s cheating, milady,” Adrien muttered as he planned his own strike.

“How is it cheating? This whole thumb war doesn’t even make sense, you know. There should be a table under our elbows.”

“We can always try again after I win,” Adrien said, using the full length of his thumb to reach hers and force its tip to slowly come down.

But it seemed Adrien had overreached, and Ladybug quickly moved to pin his thumb down, instead, using more force to keep it there this time and counting the five seconds it took for her to win.

“Ha! Now who’s undefeated,” she gloated, and slipped in through the window, which was still dark on the inner panes of glass only.

Adrien bowed as she stepped into the room, feeling an ocean of relief wash over him.

“I should have known I could never beat you,” he said with a smile. “Now, about that injury of yours. Where did it come from? I was sure you’d escaped the fight unscathed.”

Suddenly remembering the battle against the akuma, Ladybug frowned and wrapped her arms around herself.

“But I lost my secret identity,” she said sadly. “By now, I’m sure Hawk Moth knows who I am. Didn’t you see it on the news? This is the only place I could go; everyone else I know knows me as Marinette, even the other heroes!”

Adrien shook his head. “I’m going to pretend I didn’t hear that,” he said as he turned on the lights in the room and adjusted the windows to be fully dark on both sides. “But, yes, I saw the news. You’re in a terrible position now, and the best thing that can happen is for you to figure out Hawk Moth’s and Cat Walker’s identities in turn. Don’t tell me how much progress you’ve made,” he said, debating whether he should call the kitchen and get Ladybug dinner or not. “But I know you’re already on it.”

Ladybug’s lips thinned as she sat on the couch. “I am,” she said slowly. “But it’s hard. There are millions of people in Paris, and it’s impossible for me to choose which one I think Hawk Moth is without some bias.” Her eyes darted over to Adrien and quickly returned to the hands on her lap as a flush covered her cheeks. She toyed with the ends of the white bandage on her hand, and Adrien frowned.

“You still haven’t told me what happened,” he said accusingly. “Do you need a new bandage? How deep is the cut?”

“It’s just a scrape,” she said wearily. “I fell when I was escaping as Marinette after the battle, while Cat Walker was mistakenly headed to my home. Just typical clumsy me,” she said with a laugh, unwrapping the cloth to show Adrien her injury, which really wasn’t that deep.

He blinked at it and crossed his arms. “But the news said you left a trail of blood that led to the sewers. Do you have another injury you’re hiding?”

Ladybug shook her head. “Nope,” she said, wrapping the bandage, which was not pure white, but had little black and pink flowers on it, around her hand. “I don’t know whose blood they found, but it wasn’t mine. I’m a little worried that it might have been from one of the wildebeests that escaped the zoo, though. Jagged Stone likes to let Fang off his leash sometimes, and it’s concerning to think of whose body they’ll find in the sewers.”

Adrien nodded as he tried to understand. So, he hadn’t needed to worry as much as he had?

Well, obviously he and Marinette still had to worry, since Ladybug’s identity was out in the open. But maybe they could relax just a little bit. Maybe he could hide her in his room, since Gabriel never came to visit anymore. Or failing that, in one of the guest rooms. He could order larger meals, and give half of them to her.

They could work together to unmask Hawk Moth. After all, how long could Ladybug, Hawk Moth, and Cat Walker live in the same house before Ladybug— before Marinette, the smartest person Adrien knew, figured it out?

Adrien wet his lips and sat down beside his girlfriend. “I have an offer,” he said, “And it might sound weird, but you have to hear me out, okay? Here it goes…”

#ladrienjune2023 #ladrien #enemies au #senti adrien #ml fanfic #ml au #rosie-b writing

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aalissy · 10 months

Text

Twin Rings

Oof, I’m sorry I missed yesterday!! And that these chapters are so late! I was superr busy all day ;-;. I hope you forgive me <3. Though, both of these chapters are heavy on the hurt/comfort lol.

AO3

Clink. Clink.

The sound of two rings sliding against one another filled his room as Adrien circled them around. The brush of the cold metal hit the tips of his fingers.

These two rings. These two rings were the center of some of his most tragic memories.

In some way, he supposed, he was holding his own life in between his hands. Adrien bit back a choked laugh.

It wasn’t funny. Would never be funny. And yet, right now, a wave of dark amusement had begun to simmer in his chest.

Because now things made so much sense. Why he could never talk back to his father. Why he could never resist his orders when that was all he wanted to do. Why he allowed him to interfere in his relationship with Marinette.

As fast as it had come the humor faded away, leaving anger and rage in its place. Adrien glared darkly at his bedroom floor, blowing out a shaky breath as he tore a hand through his blonde hair aggressively.

“Adrien, are you alright?” Plagg’s voice snapped him out of the haze that had descended upon him.

He glanced up from his spot on the couch, seeing his kwami hovering nearby with concern before darting his gaze away. Right now, he just wanted to be left alone.

Adrien stopped circling the rings, instead choosing to clench them in his hand. He wanted to burn them. Wanted to bury them someplace they’d never be found.

But he couldn’t. Because if they were ever found by anyone else it would have devastating consequences.

God forbid if Chloé or Lila found them. Adrien’s whole body wracked with a shudder at the idea of Lila in possession of one of the rings. Nausea hit him hard, making him suck in air as he started hyperventilating.

No. He couldn’t part with them. Not when it was possible that Lila had the potential to control him with even just the one.

Adrien almost wished that Ladybug had never found out the truth. Had never given them back to him after he had come back from his trip to London once she had defeated Monarch.

But, at the same time, he was infinitely glad that she had done so. Because the idea of them still being in his father’s hands was worse. Especially with what he had made him do. What he could have forced him to do.

And those terrible thoughts were still swirling around in his brain as Adrien tried to come to terms with them. His father was Monarch. Had been the whole time.

The most shocking thing of all was that he wasn’t surprised. His fists clenched even tighter against his thighs, feeling the sting of the rings that were still cradled inside. His cruelty knew no bounds and Adrien was almost happy that Ladybug had figured out the truth and locked him away.

Even still, though, a small part of him protested against the fact that his father was gone. The scary part was that Adrien wasn’t entirely certain whether those were his own feelings or if they were somehow coming from the rings.

He bit down harshly on his lip, drawing blood. And yet, that small sting of pain made him feel better.

He focused on the pain drowning out the thoughts that were screaming at him. Adrien zoned out, losing track of time as he stared vacantly at the blank television screen.

Not even the creak of the window snapped him out of the haze that had descended over him. Nor the padding of quiet footsteps as someone walked over to him.

“How long has he been like this?” a soft, concerned voice murmured.

“To be honest, Ladybug, he’s been like this ever since you defeated Monarch. But it got worse today,” Plagg murmured back.

Ladybug. Of course, it was her. Plagg must have gone to get her at some point when Adrien didn’t respond to his query.

He had told her his identity when she had gifted the rings back to him. A mess of sobs as apologies flooded from his mouth as Adrien tried to explain why he hadn’t been there for her during the final battle. She had held him through all of it.

A rustling sound came from beside him and he was soon blinking into a pair of wide, worried sapphire eyes. Even just the sight of Ladybug had his shoulders releasing some tension.

She reached up, rubbing her gloved thumb over the apple of his cheek. “Adrien? Are you alright?”

It was then when Adrien broke. Finally feeling the weight of the past week’s events hit him, he let out a series of choked sobs. He buried his face in Ladybug’s shoulder, feeling her stiffen with surprise before she quickly clutched him to her.

“I-I can’t.” His voice hitched. He pulled back, gaze searching hers. “Please, Ladybug. You need to take them. B-because I can’t...”

Adrien didn’t finish his sentence, instead choosing to thrust his clenched fist out toward her. She blinked down at it in confusion before he unfurled his palm, revealing the twin rings. Her lips parted with surprise before she glanced back up at him, tears beginning to brim in her eyes.

“Hide them. Destroy them. Burn them. Take them. I don’t care. I-I just don’t want them here anymore.”

Hesitantly, Ladybug shook her head. She curled his fist back up, pushing it back towards him as his heart dropped.

“I can’t, Adrien. The only one who should hold onto these is you. Not me. Not your father. You.” Her lips twitched down as she hung her head sadly.

“But I don’t want them!” he shouted, hurling them across the floor. They clinked against the tiles as they rolled away. The sound grated at Adrien’s ears, reminding him that they existed and this wasn’t all just some big, terrible nightmare.

He brought his knees up to his chest. Burying his face in them, he couldn’t stop the tears from leaking out of the corners of his eyes.

“I’m a monster,” he whispered, his voice filled with pain.

Ladybug sucked in a gasp of indignant air. Soon, she was on the couch next to him, wrapping him in her arms as she tugged him closer to her. She gently stroked his hair as Adrien sank into her warm embrace.

“You are not a monster, Adrien,” her murmur was soft. “You’re one of the most selfless, wonderful people I know.”

He shook his head, moving his head from her grasp as he glanced miserably over to the rings that he had scattered somewhere across his room. “But I—”

“Sh!” Ladybug cut him off, placing a finger neatly on his lips. “I don’t want to hear it. Do you have a heart?”

“What?” The question was so sudden and off-topic that Adrien’s eyebrows rose in bewilderment.

“Do you have a heart?” she asked again, almost impatiently.

It still didn’t make sense the second time. With a frown creasing his brows, Adrien replied, “Of course, I have a—”

She cut him off again, this time with a beautiful, blinding smile. “Then there... you see! You’re not a monster. Monsters don’t have hearts.” Ladybug glanced down shyly before peeking up at him from beneath her lashes. “It’s one of the things I love the most about you, actually. Your heart.”

Adrien blinked. His heart was awash with confusion and unease. Before these past couple of months, he’d have been ecstatic to know that there was something about him that Ladybug loved. To be honest, he’d probably have spilled his feelings out for her right then and there.

But he didn’t feel the same anymore. Not when there was beautiful, wonderful, loveable Marinette who felt the same way he did. Who, even after everything that had happened, still felt the same way.

Adrien shifted, pulling back from her arms. He scratched the back of his neck, chuckling awkwardly. “I-I’m glad that you think so, Ladybug. But I—”

“Tikki, spots off.”

A flash of pink magic had his mouth gaping open. He should have looked away. Should have clenched his eyes shut. After all, she already knew his identity. He couldn’t know hers too.

But, less than a second later, the magic was gone and there sat Marinette, still glancing up at him from between her lashes shyly. A small smile pulled at her lips as she gave a small shrug of her shoulders. “Your heart isn’t the only reason I love you, Adrien.”

He choked out a gasp before tugging her into his chest. She collided against him, her breath whooshing out of her as he clutched her to him desperately. He pressed his face against his hair, inhaling the wonderful aroma of strawberries that floated around him. He brushed a kiss in her hair as love and trust and wonder began to slowly replace some of the dark feelings from before.

This wasn’t the perfect, lovely reveal Adrien had always hoped that it would be but it was theirs. And, at that moment, he realized that he loved her more than he had ever thought possible. Though things weren’t as perfect as he had hoped, he knew that they’d slowly get there. That together, they’d be able to fix some of the broken edges and tears in his heart.

He had been right. They really were made for each other.

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