#Mylene x Ivan | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

goggles-mcgee · 2 years

Text

A Little Birdy Told Me 17

Beginning

Last Chapter Next Chapter

Ivan was never the smartest guy, he knew that, but what he lacked in brain he thought he more than made up in heart. That’s what his Mama always said and surprisingly that is what his former friend Marinette would also say to him when he was having a bad day. Contrary to popular belief, he and Mylène were not the perfect couple, they had their fights, they annoyed one another on occasion, they even took jokes too far. More often than he would care to admit it was because he put his foot in his mouth and said something stupid, or didn’t think things through and they would end up in a misunderstanding, but his mothers’ and Marinette were always there to help him cool down and think things through whenever he needed them. Before this whole Lila thing he used to be able to just call up Marinette whenever he needed help or just whenever he wanted to talk with her.

She was his person and he liked to think he was hers, she would vent about her frustrations with Alya and the Girl Group, she would lament her failures and by failures Ivan meant little mistakes that Marinette was overthinking but that was okay, he knew she couldn’t help it. That was something he didn’t like that the girls and some of the guys in class teased her about, her tendency to spiral, they acted like it was just one of her quirks or it wasn’t a big deal. It was no secret that Marinette had anxiety, but he didn’t know if the others knew she had to take medication for it, but then even if they didn’t they still shouldn’t tease her for something she can’t control. Ivan had even said as much to said girl, he would never forget the smile she gave him as she told him he was a loyal friend.

Loyal. The memory made his stomach tie into a knot. No, he was not loyal, not at all, he was a coward, he was weak and he had tricked himself into believing he was strong. He didn’t know when it happened, but at some point Ivan got it in his head that if he just kept Mylène happy no matter what, everything would be okay. It didn’t matter if she didn’t want to go to a concert with him because she would rather they go and protest some issue she was passionate about (never you mind the fact that passion seemed to change every month or so), it didn’t matter that he couldn’t play some of his favorite songs around her because she thought they were too scary (she only listened to one verse), and it didn’t matter that she never wanted to hang out at his parent’s house (the décor was too intense she said). He couldn’t really remember when it started exactly but he knew it was after Lila returned from her trip or whatever.

Apparently Mylène had gone to the girl and expressed her concern to the Italian about how often they fight, which he thought was a small amount but apparently his girlfriend didn’t agree and it had begun to make her question their relationship. Ivan had been heartbroken and desperate and when Lila gave him the advice to just make sure Mylène was always happy he took to it like a duck to water. He liked Mylène a lot, she was the first girl he ever actually considered confessing too. He had crushes, but with Mylène it was just different. The crush didn’t fade away like the others, no, in fact it grew day by day to the point he just had to tell her how he felt. She was important to him and oh so special, and well, he’s a teenage boy and this is his first relationship, of course he didn’t want it to end. So he took Lila’s advice and it was like he could think of nothing else but Mylène.

Then time passed, his bottled emotions grew and he was finally able to take a step back when his older sister was home from university and pulled him aside for a talk. She noticed how different he had been and that’s when it hit him. He had always been proud to be him, sure he had insecurities, what teenager didn’t? But he loved rock and metal music, he loved horror films, his favorite color was black, and yeah he wore eyeliner. All that stuff made him happy and he believed it was what made him, well him. The point was, he had been raised to be proud of who you are, no matter if what you are going through is a phase or not (he fondly remembered his sister’s pastel phase, and so did his parents) because ultimately even that is you. It is just you trying to find what you are most comfortable in and in some cases broadening your tastes. It was that talk with his sister that made him realize he had not been himself in a long time, and that really upset him.

He decided he needed to take a step back from everything and really take a moment for himself so he could reflect and just think. He maybe, sort of, forgot that the trip to Gotham had been coming up but it honestly was a blessing in disguise because it gave him time away from Mylène. Which was sad that he thought of that as a plus, but he needed time away from her because it was his time with her that had been what had changed him and not for the better. So yes, he was more than content to use this education trip as his own personal getaway from everything, even if it was only when they were back at the hotel since Mylène decided that this trip had to be some romantic thing for them. Ivan had already tried to tell her that this trip was an educational one and they should treat it as such and not mess around, more so because they were specifically in one of the most crime ridden cities in the world.

Apparently what he said had been ‘totally mean’ and ‘inconsiderate’ so Mylène was giving him the silent treatment until he apologized. Another bonus, only if she remembered she was ignoring him, because sometimes she would be talking to the girls and come over and hang on his arm the way Lila did to Adrien and it took a lot out of him not to pry her fingers off him. He remained polite though, his mothers’ did not raise a rude son, they always made sure he was polite because they knew people would always judge their family for their looks and choices. His Mum said politeness was a weapon and he truly believed her. So he made sure to always be polite when he reminded Mylène about the silent treatment and why he didn’t believe he had to apologize and maybe they both needed to think about it. The boys were surprisingly on his side, especially Nino. What was a big shock to Ivan was that even Juleka, not one for talking Juleka, had even stood up for him and taken his side.

Distantly he hoped he hadn’t caused any problems for her and Rose. He really liked his bandmates but he was closer to Juleka he would admit. They both were people of few words and were more comfortable being in the background even if they were proud of who they were. He and Juleka could sit there in silence for hours without it going awkward because they both knew they were hanging out even if they didn’t say anything, they just appreciated each other’s presence. Nowadays though, the two hadn’t been able to just hang out with each other like they used to and Ivan hated to point the finger without proof but he blamed Lila. Everything changed after her lengthy return after her first day in the class. Ivan hadn’t noticed at first, he was admittedly not the most observant, but by the time he noticed it felt like there was nothing he could do.

No. The feeling was true but he knew he could have done something, he could have stood up for Marinette when he finally saw just how horrible the class was being, he could have broken up with Mylène when he first noticed her change or even sat done with her and her dad and talked over with both of them how the girl had been changing and not for the good, he could have spoken up for Nino and Juleka when he noticed they had become the Italian’s latest “projects.” Everyone in the class that had sided with Lila had been changing, and it had not been for the better, not at all. That had become all the more clear when he had heard Alya say they had to teach Marinette a lesson. It was the way she said it, there was so much anger behind it and she said it out in the lobby of Wayne Tower with a bravado that told him she didn’t expect them to get in trouble. The sad truth was they wouldn’t, not with the blatant favoritism Mme Bustier gave Lila.

That was all Ivan could think of throughout the rest of the tour, then the hostage situation had happened and everything happened all at once and much too fast and it had been utterly, devastatingly overwhelming. His heart had still been racing by the time they had made it back to the hotel and even then he didn’t remember getting back on the bus, he didn’t even remember getting out of the lobby. It had taken a much needed bath and a long time of blasting music from his headphones as he laid on his bed before he finally felt himself come back into focus enough to realize they had left Marinette behind. They had left a classmate behind in a fucking hostage situation, and it made his stomach drop so harshly he thought for a brief moment that gravity had ripped it out of him. It made him rush to the bathroom to puke up whatever he had eaten for lunch because for the life of him he could not remember.

They really had left Marinette back there to an uncertain fate and Ivan had never been more grateful that he was the odd boy out with his own room considering Nathaniel had fallen ill before the trip. So no one was around when he broke down, he cried, he sobbed, he muffled his screams into his mountain of pillows and even then it hadn’t felt like enough. The grief he felt, the anger, the guilt, it was all too much and the string that had been precariously holding him together before the start of the trip snapped. He needed…well he wasn’t entirely sure what he needed, he knew what he wanted and that was to make sure Marinette was okay. He wanted the old Mylène back. He wanted Kitty Section together again and rehearsing and just planning out new performances. He wanted to be able to write songs with Rose once more without fear of her taking them to Lila for her “expert opinion.” Ivan wanted to hang out with a friend group that didn’t just stand around and listen to one person’s stories or opinions without getting to share their own.

Yes, Ivan wanted a lot of things.

But first he had to get his nausea under control.

So with great reluctance he pushed himself out of bed and walked out of his room determined to go downstairs to the lobby in hopes the restaurant was still open, if it wasn’t then he would try and find a vending machine, and if that all failed he would ask an employee to go into the bar section of the hotel for him. He needed sparkling water or something with ginger in it, or even peppermint tea. Though he loathed the stuff, his Mama always told him those were the best for nausea. It was after their curfew but…well they didn’t exactly have a teacher or chaperone around to enforce said curfew and it's not like Mme Bustier actually did anything if she caught you outside your room, or so Alya and Lila had said after they told everyone they had to go to the lobby after curfew the first night because Lila absolutely needed something, something dumb he was sure. The girls said the most they got was a gentle admonishment and made to promise they wouldn’t do it again.

Yeah Ivan could see why Caline Bustier was being investigated and honestly he wished it had happened sooner. If it had, maybe Marinette wouldn’t have had to plan and prepare the trip for them all and do her best to make sure they were safe. You know, like the teacher should have done. Oh Ivan knew it was Marinette who had won them the trip and not Lila who had claimed it so. He had been so grateful to the pig-tailed girl, he had never left Europe before and he had been so excited to have the opportunity to do so. But that had been a childish dream, or that’s how it felt anyhow, because as soon as they got the trip started Caline Bustier continued to fail as a teacher. Once upon a time, Ivan would have claimed the woman was his favorite teacher but after all the shit she let slide and he had been witness to that shattered. Caline Bustier fell from her self made high-horse throne and Ivan didn’t care.

He was glad that Mlle Mendeleiv would be her replacement for the trip, no matter what others said about the teacher, Ivan respected her no nonsense attitude when it came to rules and safety in her classroom and lab. He knew they would be in good hands, along with whatever chaperones would be coming. It was those thoughts that renewed a bit of hope in him that things would look up, a little voice in his head reassured him that things would get better. It suspiciously sounded like Marinette. Ivan huffed at that and willed the ache in his chest to go away as he reached the lobby and was about to head to the restaurant to see if it was open when he saw a familiar person sitting on one of the chairs in the lobby’s lounge.

“Alya?”

Said girl jumped in her seat before turning her head and wiping her face, Ivan pretended not to notice. “Ivan. Hey.”

Ivan looked at someone he had once considered a friend, not a particularly close one, but a friend nonetheless and decided they needed to talk and just be there for one another. Even if both weren’t exactly that close. So he sat on the seat next to her, his quest for a carbonated drink or ginger one put on hold. “I’m not going to ask how you’re doing because that would be pretty dumb, but it is the polite thing to do. So how are you feeling, Alya?”

“I…” At first it looked like she was going to lie or laugh him off but after a minute the girl’s face scrunched up tight before it seemed like all the fight had left her as she sagged into the seat. “Not the best I admit.”

“Me too.”

“I just…I didn’t think. When we left, my mind was on Lila and I didn’t think…”

“Didn’t think of Marinette.” He didn’t pose it as a question because he knew.

Alya looked like she was about to snap at him for even speaking the ‘forbidden name’, but she merely bit her lip and nodded. “We left but I didn’t…I knew we left Marinette there. And before you yell or lecture me or whatever, I know, I know that’s bad. The police had a grand ol’ time letting me know that. It’s just…I really didn’t think Ivan. I didn’t think she would…”

Ivan had to take a deep breath, but he did get what she was trying to say. “You didn’t think she would get hurt. Or taken off the trip. But Alya, before you yell at me, what did you think would happen? Honestly? Because from where I have been sitting and seeing, you haven’t cared what happened to Marinette the moment this trip started.”

He held his hand up when it looked like she was about to argue. “Alya. You asked me not to yell, I asked you the same, please. Look. You and Lila and Rose and…and Mylène have all been making this trip hell for her. Like it or not but Lila tried to leave her back in Paris. You may not believe that but that’s how it came across. You guys talked Bustier into leaving the hotel early our first official day to tour and you guys didn’t care that we left her here. You didn’t care when her friends argued or worried. You guys didn’t care. I should have spoken up. I know I should have when I noticed what you guys were doing. That’s my fault. But…but I don’t think I believe you when you say you didn’t think she would get hurt or be hurt.”

It was quiet. The silence grew and grew and it was wrapped around them both like hands pressed to their throats. Tears were gathered in both sets of eyes but they had yet to fall. “We left her behind in a hostage situation. She had a gun to her head Alya…we had no way of knowing if she was okay and we left and I hate myself for letting us leave.”

Both were crying. “Ivan…I…”

“You’re a good person Alya. But…you…you’re not acting like yourself anymore. You may jump into things without thinking, be a bit short tempered, but you always strived for information. For proof. For justice. This? This isn’t justice. When you…When you suggested teaching Marinette a lesson in the lobby…it sounded like you were suggesting…” Ivan never spoke this much but he wanted Alya to listen. He wanted her to see exactly what was wrong, or at the very least plant a seed of doubt of some kind.

Alya gasped and covered her mouth with her hand, she was unbelievably pale. “Ivan…please, please tell me you didn’t think I was suggesting…Mon Dieu…beating Marinette up!”

Ivan shrugged half-heartedly. “That’s what it sounded like but I know you’re not like that.”

“Ivan, I swear that’s not what I meant!” Alya denied. “I just…I was so mad at her because of what she did to Lila, but I didn’t mean hurting her. I swear it. I meant like…getting even. Playing pranks or something. Calling her parents! But never, never would I mean hurting her! I…look, we may not be friends any more but that doesn’t mean I want her to be hurt or to hurt her.”

“I want to believe that, and I think you want to believe that too. I think you need to take a step back from everything and just think about what’s happened. Not just here, back in Paris too.” He advised.

Alya licked her lips before looking him in the eyes sharply. “Like you did? Like with Mylène?”

“That’s!...Yeah…Yeah like me. Like that. It’s been an experience…Mylène has changed and so have I and I’m not convinced either change was for the better. So I took a step back. I had hoped she would understand and I’ve been trying to give her space…” He admitted.

A voice, a familiar heart-breaking voice, cut off whatever Alya was going to say next and it had Ivan stiffen in his seat. “Ivan? Why are you down here with Alya? Alone?”

Mylène.

“Hey Mylène.”

Ivan tiredly watched as his girlfriend looked between him and Alya with a frown on her face, her hands on her hips and one foot tapping the floor impatiently. It would have brought him some amusement-she looked like a cartoon character-but he knew if he laughed it wouldn’t be appreciated. “You didn’t answer my question. Lila says-”

“Mylène.” Alya cut in as she stared at her friend in confusion and something else that Ivan could not identify but he was grateful that Mylène’s attention was not on him. “He…He wasn’t feeling well. I just wanted to see if he was alright.”

It wasn’t a complete lie, but it wasn’t the full truth but Ivan appreciated it all the same. “Yeah. I’m actually going to head to bed. Night girls.”

Without hearing their replies the boy got up and made his way to the elevators. He wasn’t one for many words, he didn’t really enjoy talking but this was one conversation he knew he would have to have many times over. For Marinette he would do it. For his friends he would do it. For himself…he would do it. So once he was on his level, Ivan squared his shoulders and passed his own room only to stop at another and knock. Once the door opened he stared down at a former friend, one he missed. He knew from experience that people found him intimidating given his size and his apparent ‘resting bitch face’ but Max just glared up at him with all his anger and determination. It made Ivan smile despite the situation.

“Can we talk please?”

_______________________

Swanky Hank @iamsadlynotkingofahill

Guess who got fired! UnU

#imeanfair #butitsucks #butfair #imeanididgiveoutprivateinfo

Ello @nahimjustaworm Retweeted

That’s rough buddy

Swanky Hank @iamsadlynotkingofahill

Guess who got fired! UnU

#imeanfair #butitsucks #butfair #imeanididgiveoutprivateinfo

Next Chapter

TAGS: @kurogaya913 @xxmadamjinxx @chez-pezeater @northernbluetongue @sonif50 @drama-queen-supreme @tinybrie @vixen-uchiha @unabashedbookworm @mochinek0 @vivilakitty @mindfulmagics @yin-390 @melicmusicmagic @iglowinggemma28 @worlds-tiniest-spook-pastry @interobanginyourmom @hunter-shyreen @ginamarie1512 @silvergold-swirl @heldtogetherbysafetypins @luciferge @lunar-wolf-warrior @housekitty711 @kae690 @themcclan @zazzlejazzle @shadowberrybinch @slytherinqueen2432 @huntressofthenight0516 @etheralentity @eliza-bich @creator-josie @sassy-spocko @mortally-strange-candy @driftingmoonlitpetals @fiendsangelical @minotaurlord9 @spicybelladonna @slytherinhquinn @i-like-fairytail-and-stuff @rikku052 @domena151 @qs-queued-tall-tales @my-name-is-michell @tamoni112 @crazylittlemunchkin @resignedcatservant @lamestplaceontheinternet @shamefullove @hypnosharkrebeldreamer @poshplumcot @schrodingers25 @this-is-vander @mariae2900 @st0rmy-w1th1n @imspectralboiii @sinfulfoxbeast @slytherin-batbitch @elspethshadow @nataladriana9 @violatiger8 @paradoxal-occurance @a-fan-of-art @only-lonely-stars-twinkle @cupcakeandkisses @marcy-senpai @doggiediva13 @palvine-of-the-alvins @zeldagatha @redscarlet95 @graduatedmelon @tinyterror333 @echpr @two-faced-biatch @silvia7272 @hufflejournals @queenmj10 @risingmoonyue @sweet-coconut-water @sturchling @corabeth11 @elliecake5 @vgirl-10123 @uwuteamleader @fanficaddict4ever @virgil-is-a-cutie @mintychaewon @whomthefyck @miukiiu @trainflavor @a-star-with-a-human-name @fandom-trapped-03 @sayuricorner @aestheticnpoetic @kawaiigiantjudgefish @motherly-type @sunkenshipsanddreams @tbehartoo @dagnysdawn @nanakeid @clumsy-owl-4178 @purplesundaze @rowanrouge @captainartsypants @animegirlweeb @novicevoice @chaosace-e @hauntedwintersweets @emootaku-666 @athena452 @lunammoon @risingmoonyue @pirats-pizzacanninibles @ellenlovepl @zestyzealot @agirlwithhercrazydreams @maribat-is-lifeblood @immafangirl @insane-fangirl-of-everything @kittydemon9000 @make-the-stars-stay @prudencerika @fantasiame @liquid-luck-00 @theymakeupfairies @alysrose-starchild @trippingovermyfeet @solangelo252 @ichigorose @ihavehomeworkbutistillhere @ultimatetornshipper @miraculous-trinity-leo @jayjayspixiepop @mercenaryangel @weirdo-with-no-beardo @lovelyautumnsunflower @varianscarlet @kking13 @bygge00 @i-am-creator28 @missanalysis @miyatalksshit @snowymarvel1205 @alcoholic-barney @echpr @ev-cupcake

78 notes · View notes

purplerose244 · 1 year

Text

Special delivery

Here we go again! Another wonderful @mlsecretsanta! Thank you for hosting this beautiful event every year! 💕

This year my present is for @gyroshrike! I hope you had a wonderful Christmas, and I wish you the best New Year! I really had fun with this fic so I hope you enjoy it, in full Christmas spirit! 🎄🎄

The link to the AO3 posted fic is here!

Summary: Adrien just wants to see his friends and spend time with his girlfriend on Christmas, Marinette just wants to have fun at the party and see her boyfriend on Christmas. When it looks like the merry day will be filled with nothing but disappointment, how about the local heroes do what they do best and intervene to save the day?

Could Chat Noir truly hope for some luck on this fine day?

To be fair, Christmas had to be the unluckiest celebration for him – second only to his birthday, or his friends’ birthdays, or just general parties… maybe he should had stopped partying in general. So, if all of his physics lessons were worth it and if something could go wrong it will, it had to happen today. With that being said, this is not what he had expected after learning that his father had somehow caught a cold in this specific period and completely disappeared from the radars, pretending like he had been somehow present in the house before. That had felt like a weird kind of déjà-vu, somehow there was no way to normally celebrate with father on this specific day. When Nathalie had even dared to ask Adrien to stay at home in case his conditions improved enough for a small party, there had been absolutely no doubt in his mind that some air needed to be taken.

Yes he did leave a message this time, yes he did make sure someone got his back making sure no one panicked – Gorilla was the best –, he didn’t want a repeat of last time. Besides, he just wanted to run around a bit, maybe lick a bit of snow, let it out over the fact that he had turned down his friends’ party in the vague hope of a normal Christmas and he was once again disappointed.

He would have expected an akuma coming his way, honestly. He would have not blamed Hawk Moth even – alright that wasn’t true he wasn’t that desperate.

Yet apparently, he hadn’t been the target.

“I am Prizencer!” The reindeer-looking akuma raised up his horns, that shined like the snow covering the city of Paris. “Christmas is a stressful occasion where you have to spend and save money and feel uncomfortable! I’ll make sure nothing of this tedious festivity remains!” Rays of lights started to hit all over and, in a blink, decorations of holly and stars were gone. Along with the people and the building those decorations were near to.

The little upsetting scene of all the merry decorations of the city disappearing had been going for a solid thirty-second lapse, and it wasn’t like he didn’t want to jump in it and save the day. In all honesty, Chat was simply a bit taken back.

Sure it was horrible, sure it was frustrating, but… that was his reasoning?

“Festivity stress? Really?” He rotated his staff, just to have something to do with his hands while contemplating. “I’m not saying it’s not valid, but-”

“Not worth interrupting a day of shopping and Christmas activities?” Chat Noir touched the side of his nose. As usual his lady was on point. “Although the fact that we both have stuff to do and we’re frustrated by this is a point in his favour. The poor guy might’ve stayed up all night finishing the present for his one and only, only to realize the kind of stitch he made is tight and not very tight and wondered for an hour if take it as it is or accept the fact that perfection doesn’t exist and the world is flawed and cruel…” She blinked, closing her mouth for a second. “… just a hypothesis.”

Chat giggled. Confident Ladybug was impossibly charming, yet when the genuine girl that he knew was there came out of the mask every once in a while, it made him want to know her even more. Of course, this was not permitted, although he felt a little more peaceful about it ever since the both of them got committed and serenely told each other.

Was he still starstruck by her every move? Yes, of course, but who wasn’t in Paris – aside from Hawk Moth and being a villain was no excuse anyway.

“That went personal pretty quick, milady. Is Christmas affecting you as well?”

“Well, it did until yesterday evening, then I had a bit of a wakeup call.” She sighed and oh, who had dared making her feel even slightly unhappy? “I was hoping to spend time with my boyfriend today, but apparently that won’t be possible. I knew it was a possibility, it just sucks you know? You were expecting some special time but you kinda have to adapt.” Ouch, alright, murder tendencies at bay. Too relatable to talk bad about. “I guess I’ll give him the present after festivities, although I hope I get to see him eventually.” They had talked about their relationships before, on a very vague account.

It sounded like a long-distance, even, from how complicated it seemed to be seeing each other.

“… is it food? The present I mean.” Ladybug arched an eyebrow, Chat Noir raised his hands in surrender – yep Prizencer was still wreaking havoc, whatever, it was gossip time. “Hey, just saying, if you need someone to make sure not to waste good holiday food I’m down!”

“That’s more of a pig thing and less of a cat, you know.”

“Alright, I’m kidding! I’m feeling you, I’m also probably not gonna see my girlfriend today. There were complications at my house, you know.” A romantic like him not having a special Christmas kiss now that he was finally with Marinette, it was absolutely outrageous. “I’ll have to be satisfied with her Merry Christmas message from this morning…” There had been so many hearts in that single text – Adrien had answered with double the amount.

Ladybug looked at him and smiled sadly. On one side, bonding over tragedy was a bit melancholic. On the other, having each other’s backs for this too? Awesome.

“Same here. To think I was so excited for it too, and there are so many parties all over the city!”

“Oh yeah, I heard Kitty Section is holding a concert in one too? Over the Seine?”

“Yes, that one! Oh, it was so beautifully prepared, captain Anarka really never do things by halves!” All of his classmates were certainly going to be there. Except him. Woo was him. “Mm… it’s not far from here, you know? How about we get this over with, then go have a peak? Maybe your girlfriend is over there, but no name calling of course!”

Bless her bless her bless her bless her-

“That’s a great idea!” Whoops, how did half the city disappear already? Did they really stop to talk that long now? “Uhm, maybe you should…?”

“Maybe I should. Lucky Charm!” In a wonder of ladybugs and sparkles, a red and black dotted Easter egg appeared. “Oh, yeah, I guess he wouldn’t care to hit stuff about other holidays… what a sad egg though, not even a bow?” It was quite plain, yes.

Chat Noir couldn’t help himself.

“Not as sad as the Agreste mansion, that’s for sure.” Ack, that wasn’t supposed to come out. Too late, his lady’s eyes were already on him. Alright, no need to panic, he did slip up before and he could play it cool. “Nothing, it’s just that I’ve passed nearby while coming here. The place is pretty alright, but there’s no one in there celebrating or doing anything.” To be honest he would have liked to see even just Gorilla or Nathalie enjoy themselves, like having a coffee and some buche de Noel in the kitchen. But no, anyone and everyone in that house had to only serve Gabriel Agreste.

Ladybug didn’t seem satisfied with the answer, and for a terrifying second Adrien feared she didn’t believe his carelessness. Then he saw worry in her eyes.

“But aren’t Gabriel Agreste and his son celebrating?”

Ah, right, she was the most compassionate girl in the world. Silly cat, rookie mistake.

“Huh, I think I saw Mr. Agreste in bed? He looked sick so maybe that’s why there wasn’t anything going on.” She was speechless. In retrospect, perhaps it was shocking from an outsider knowing that such a wealthy family was spending Christmas in bed – and in pain in his own case, but that was personal. “Uhm, maybe they’ll be more active on Boxing Day? Let’s just focus on the akuma.”

“Oh, Adrien…”

“What did you say?”

“I said prepare Cataclysm and wait for my signal, I’ll get his attention through the Lucky Charm and use it as a decoy. The akuma is probably in the wallet between his horns.”

“You most certainly did not say that, but you’re the boss!” That confidence meant that things were going to be taken care of quickly at least. Besides, Chat was almost one hundred percent sure she was an Adrien Agreste fan so that was probably where the fuss came from. In a couple of jumps he was behind the akuma, hand out. “Cataclysm!” It went pretty fast from there, it looked like the lady was suddenly quite in a hurry. She straight up threw the egg in Prizencer’s face, who was double confused from the attack and the anachronistic present, so he had all the time to jump on his back and free the akuma. The guy came back as a very sweaty waiter man pretty quickly.

“No more evil, bye butterfly, yadda yadda! Miraculous Ladybug!” Alright now she was very clearly eager to leave. “Sorry kitty, I know I was the one to propose the concert, but I realized I need to do something really important!” Oh. So much for the enthusiasm.

That was on himself though, believing in a good Christmas? Really?

“That’s okay. What do you have to do, if you don’t mind me asking?”

“I gotta talk to someone. Then I have to pick up someone else, maybe… I’m putting it together as I go!” She extended her fist and he, of course, hit back. “Pound it and Merry Christmas, Chat!”

Aaand she was gone – limping a little, wait maybe that was his imagination. That was quick, it looked like finding a new purpose on this day had done wonders to her mood. Chat wasn’t quite sure what had changed and if it had to do with that quick talk about the Agrestes – talking about himself in third person was never not going to be weird –, but at least she had something to do.

Unlike himself. Well, aside from bringing home whoever this waiter was.

“Hello sir, how about I get you back home?”

“Oh, thanks Chat Noir! I’m really sorry about this!” He looked genuinely distressed, like he needed to vent – therapists in Paris were all getting their specialization in akuma PTSD, right? “I’ve been working nonstop at the ‘Lost Navigator’, the famous restaurant, and the stress made me lose it!”

“No worries, it’s understandable.” He took out the baton, sighing a little. Going to the party with Ladybug would have been fun. Perhaps he could still go have a peak on his own, or even joined in, but what if someone questioned his presence with so many people around? Wondering how did he appear out of nowhere? “Hold onto me and relax, I’ll get you back in no time.” Or maybe he was a bit resigned at spending this day on his own. Why would this even change after all? “Hang in there sir, I’m sure your luck will change… Christmas is just hard work for some people, huh.”

***

Could Ladybug truly hope for some luck on this fine day?

Now, she was a designer and one extremely creative person, so hands down themed festivities were her absolute favourites. Yet whenever something so happened to be very important to her, and whenever her entire being started to be focused on that event and that one only, life tended to be quite funny with her.

Funny, as to say that if life was fiction and someone was looking from above, seeing her trip in the only trait without snow on her way back home would have been pretty hilarious to see – huh, what a wild concept. For her, of course, a sprained foot wasn’t particularly amusing, but hey it was Christmas! Better work hard to make sure she had all presents ready for it. Wait her boyfriend had declined the invite to the party so she wasn’t going to see him? She had sobbed maniacally all over Tikki the last night but hey it was Christmas! Better focus on the party even without her favourite blondie. Wait her sprain was so bad she couldn’t walk and she didn’t want to make others worry about her so she had decided not to come at all? She was angry and couldn’t even stress walk but hey it was Christmas! Better make happy thoughts and look over photos of Adrien to calm down.

Wait, her boyfriend apparently got disappointed by his father for the umpteenth time and was not going to be celebrating like he had said? She had added another reason why Gabriel Agreste wasn’t going to be invited to their future wedding but hey it was Christmas!

… oh enough Christmas, her buttercup needed her!

After a quick pause to de-transform – Tikki looked so conflicted between supporting her but worrying about her injury, she deserved more cookies for later – she was charged and ready for action. The little detour all the way to the Seine had been necessary solely to check if having Adrien around was going to be a problem with the amount of people, but somehow the Liberty was a sturdy as ever, even with a quarter of Paris’ population on it – laws weren’t allowed on board, so perhaps even science was banned. From above Ladybug had seen Alya, Nino, Nathaniel, Mylene, Ivan, basically the entire class aside from the ones that shall not be named – she wanted to be nice on Christmas, not seething. It looked so fun, she really wished she could just stop there.

Unfortunately, every movement and step reminded her of her sprain, even in full Ladybug costume. It had softened but it still hurt, she would have not forced it if it hadn’t been for the akuma. She didn’t want people to worry about her and look at her as the usual clumsy Mari, besides she wasn’t going to be able to stand up anyway so there was no point.

Even if it hurt, even if it made her sad, it was no reason not to power through and give someone else a bit of a bounce back from last year’s Christmas.

It took a bit longer to get to the Agreste mansion than usual, pushing her foot more and more. Just like Chat had said, not like she had not trusted him for a second: the place looked great, from the windows lots of very expensive decorations could be seen. Yet no party, no dinner, no happiness around. It looked even lonelier than the first time Marinette had seen it, it was like all the hope had been pushed on the outside so it couldn’t get in.

To give credit to Mr. Agreste he was, in fact, in his room. He didn’t look particularly unwell but perhaps she wanted to judge him with all of her strength – no one she knew was going to blame her for it. No matter anyway, she certainly wasn’t here for him.

She just had to circle the house a bit to look over that specific window. Oh, he was laying onto the bed so miserably, moving his lips as to talk to someone – maybe he had headphones?

Ladybug smiled a little, knocking. Adrien gasped.

“Ladybug?!” His voice arrived to her a bit muffled. He hurried to open the window, a bit smile on his face. Ah, this was already better. “What, I don’t, what are you doing here?” Yes by dating Adrien she had learned about her boy’s old little crush on her superhero persona. Yes it was impossibly adorable seeing him so gushy about her, while still giving her plenty of room.

She thought for a moment, imagining herself as the most passionate person she knew – Chat Noir, easy choice – and pulling on her best playful side.

“Oh-oh-oh, Merry Christmas! I’ve come to deliver a very special present today!”

Adrien blinked. Yeah that was probably a bit out of there for her.

“A present for me? Oh, you didn’t have to come all this way! You must be busy.”

Ladybug grinned. This was fun, she could understand why Chat liked to mess around so much.

“Oh, there seems to be a bit of a misunderstanding! I have no present for you!” She acted fast before he could even think of making a disappointed face. She sprinted and scooped him up between her arms. “Because you’re the present!” Oh she had been wishing to do this for so long now and there was no way to do that without the costume’s super strength. This moment was going to be highlighted inside her journal – ‘Dear diary, today I held up Adrien like a prince on a Christmas day, I think I exhausted half my life goals in one day so I’ll sleep for a week’.

Her boyfriend was red, blushing didn’t even begin to describe how he was. He had a natural light complexion and right now it brightened his cheeks beautifully. It took such an effort not to kiss him right about now – the poor guy probably would have straight up fainted.

“I’m- uh- huh- what?!”

He wasn’t making it easy on her to hold back smooching.

“I heard from a friend of mine that you’re not spending a good Christmas. Well then, I believe there are several people that cannot wait to see you today, so I’m bringing you to them.”

Finally lucidity in his eyes. Adrien parted his lips in wonder.

“Wait, really? You saw my friends?”

“They’re at the Liberty. If they had known about you being on your own, I’m sure they would have tried to break into the place and as a superhero I can’t have that on Christmas day!” Alright now Chat Noir was really rubbing onto her, better not freak her boy out. “You don’t have to be alone, especially not today. If you’re okay with it, let me take you there.” She really didn’t want to leave him here, in a cold room, with no one to celebrate with.

“Of course I’m in! Thank you so much!” Look at him brightening up like the sun, seriously what kind of unbreakable stone was Gabriel Agreste’s heart made of? “Just, uhm… could you give me a second?” He patted her awkwardly and she – regretfully – let him back to the ground. He sprinted towards the door, leaving her alone for a couple of minutes. After that he was back, panting and smiling. “Sorry! I had to warn Gorilla, since last Christmas me disappearing was a bit of an event.” Ah, yes, when she freaked out and accused a random civilian – Adrien had to stop being involved with akumas, it was better for her heart. “I’m ready now!” He looked at her expectantly.

Oh. Ladybug smirked a little. He loved being scooped as much as she loved doing it, huh?

“Well then, let’s not waste any more time!” She quickly grabbed him between her arms once again, feeling that thrill in the stomach – like, you know, the excitement of being alive for this exact moment. “Hold on tight, I promise not to let you fall. Trust me.”

“Always.”

He needed not to talk for the rest of the travel, because that gave her weak knees and you couldn’t have that while jumping from one building to the other.

The Seine wasn’t too far from the residence and the Liberty was docked pretty close as well, so it didn’t take her nearly as much time as usual to get into the designated place – yes, not all akumas spawned conveniently outside of her own school and yes, Paris wasn’t little. The only problem was that annoying foot that was still bothering her, giving her a reminder every once in a while, of how flipping clumsy she still was despite being a superhero for over a year now. For the life of her though she wasn’t going to make a fool of herself right now, especially not by dropping the most requested teen model of Paris. Sure it had been established by Adrien that he found her adorable nonetheless, but she wanted to be cool at least with the suit. At least. Please.

Her wish seemed to be granted, as they managed to land nearby the party with no casualties. The Liberty was covered in holly and Christmas lights all over, it was shaking by the sheer power of the music playing onto the bridge and it looked like tonight no police officer was going to make a fuss about it – mostly because Officer Roger was right there dancing like there was no tomorrow.

Almost as soon as Adrien made his way towards the Liberty, Nino caught sight of him and went to tackle him on sight.

“Dude, you’re here! Awesome!” He tilted his head, noticing his entourage. “And you’re with Ladybug! Double awesome!” As that one affirmation had caught the attentions of other people, Nino looked around. “And you got no bodyguard or Nathalie around! Triple awesome!”

Adrien beamed – heart be still.

“Stuff happened, but never mind that, you don’t need another motive to hate on my dad.”

“Whaaat, no way!… My list of reasons can always get longer!” This was why Nino was the best. He pointed at the party with a thumb. “Come on, let’s party!”

“Yes, right away!” Adrien turned to her, smiling. “Thank you so much Ladybug, you don’t know how much this means for me! It’s the best Christmas present you could’ve given me!” Oh, did he know how easy he made it all worth it? How fast it was for her to thank the stars for being here, just to have one of his smiles? If he did, man he was taking advantage of it. “Alright, I’m ready! I can’t wait to see Marinette, is she wearing something awesome as usual?” Oh, did he also know how much she was affected by all of his words? Nino was making a face as well. “… what?”

“Sorry Adrien, Mari isn’t here.” Whoa, when did Alya arrive? And when did she start taking pictures of her? And why she was questioning her after knowing her journalist impulses for so long? “Girl gave me no explanation. Not like she has to, I know she sprained her foot.” What?!

“What?!” Good thing Adrien’s shout covered hers. Seriously her best friend was too good of a journalist in the weirdest of situations. “Is she okay?? Why didn’t she say anything?”

Alya made a sad smile.

“The usual, not wanting to worry people. But since she can’t walk there’s no helping.”

“… maybe.” Adrien blinked a little, giving a quick look to his hand. “Uhm, thanks again Ladybug! But I gotta go to the bathroom really quick, sorry!” With the same speed witnessed before the boy was gone, almost leaving a cartoonish puff of smoke behind. That was unusual, although Marinette knew how random that boy could be.

Too bad she couldn’t see him more than this for tonight.

“Have a good party tonight, everyone! Be safe!”

“Whaaat, I was gonna ask you for a Christmas interview!”

“Maybe next time, Alya! Bug out!” With that she was back into the sky, going for the quickest route to bring her back to her bed, a cup of chocolate and a bunch of cat videos. Not the Christmas night of her dreams, but it was going to have to do… unfortunately. She sighed, aiming at her house with the eyes. “Awesome Christmas Marinette, Awesome Christmas.”

***

Could Adrien truly hope for some luck on this fine day?

Despite being universally known as an extremely oblivious person – it took Chloe, Lila, Kagami, Marinette, Marinette and Marinette for him to realize it –, there were times when he was quite aware of the situations. Not many times, he could admit that, but after being disappointed over and over by people he didn’t even need to name, one tended to develop a certain acknowledgement. Maybe it was sad how he was mostly conscious only over how life liked to give him a cookie as a prize, then hit him with an empty box. One little peak of happiness, only for that one door to slam violently in his face.

He had no idea how seeing Ladybug and being carried bridal style over Paris on Christmas could had ignited that annoying pattern, yet the moment Adrien heard about his favourite designer being literally grounded in her house, even that idyllic dream meant nothing anymore. Of course it was never this easy, of course something bad had to happen. It was Christmas after all.

Except you know what? There was no way he was sitting this one out, whining and waiting like he didn’t have the power to change things. If he could have his favourite hero pay a visit in this special day, there was no reason why Mari couldn’t have the same treatment.

… well alright, the reason was that Adrien had forgotten to ask Ladybug for help, since he really wanted to get Marinette himself. Hopefully she was going to be okay with the cat.

The Liberty was literally vibrating with music, Kitty Section was playing at full volume and as much as Adrien couldn’t wait to put into practice what he and a certain someone had been working on, it was going to have to wait. He ran through the people, dodging Nathaniel sneakily making a sketch of Marc while he wasn’t there – was this how it felt to look at obliviousness from outside, whoa – and almost bumping into Ivan.

“Adrien, you’re here!” It was rare to see Ivan so brightened up, perhaps it had something to do with the big colourful sweater he was wearing – ‘On the naughty list’, which meant that by the law of matching sweaters Mylene was ‘On the nice list’, which was to be expected. “We thought you weren’t going to make it, Marc was freaking out! Ready for the plan?”

Right, that, absolutely.

Not before Marinette though.

“Yes but in a minute! I really need to get to the bathroom!” He almost jumped two steps, then turned around. “Random question, are there windows in this ship’s bathroom?”

Ivan blinked.

“Huh, I think so?”

“Perfect! Thanks!” There had to be less conspicuous ways to get to a secluded place with an opening to pretend to be busy without anyone disturbing him. Tonight there was no time for bright ideas anyway, he was a kitty on a mission – also Ladybug was in charge of the brain cell anyway. “Ah, there we go!” The bathroom was empty and, luckily, with a pretty accessible window. He hurriedly locked the door behind him, took a deep breath, then opened the porthole. All the time for Plagg to come out and smirk at him. “… what?”

“Running away from home without a second thought, Ladybug contributing with your escape, and now you’re being all mischievous at a party! Finally some action!” Right, this kwami was the embodiment of the devil on his shoulder. “Too bad you’re getting suspicious for a cheesier reason than Camembert, but as a Christmas present, I’ll avoid puking.”

Adrien rolled his eyes, snickering.

“Wow, thanks. I’ll have to wrap another form of cheese for you to put under the tree.” It was half ironic half true, and Plagg was already drooling. “But that comes later! For now, Plagg, claws out!”

There he went. The change was always pretty dramatic, it was like a rush of excitement that made his entire body stronger. It was amazing every time, but he was too focused on the goal to care right about now. He had already taken a good look at how beautiful everything was tonight, he was a hopeless romantic and despite how much Christmas felt like a bit of a depressive holiday, it was a view coming out of his most vivid dreams.

They weren’t worth it without her though.

Marinette’s house was a bit of a strategic point, not only because it had a nice view over the park and was a pretty high standpoint, but because the Tom and Sabine Boulangerie Patisserie had to be a magnet, especially on such a special day. Of course it was closed at this hour, which was a bit of a pity, but it wasn’t like he could had gotten in without gathering lots of attention on himself – one would think he was tired of people being all over him in both lives… that one would have been right. It was still so beautiful, a little place of sweet magic, just for how deeply loving was the family living under this roof.

Okay, Adrien surely was completely gone for this girl, but he knew more people than would have wanted only good things for Marinette than people looking for her downfall – name-calling was not necessary – so he didn’t really blame himself. Now, if he knew this gorgeous, smart, clumsy, dreamer of a girlfriend, she was definitely on top of the rooftop despite the cold.

Ah-ha. She was also sitting down, even though her standard position was leaning onto the railings, which meant Alya was right and her foot was pretty bad. She was also pouting, which was an immense waste on such a beautiful face.

Time to turn that frown upside down.

Luckily, it so happened to be one of his specialities.

“Well well well!” She somehow managed to jump from sitting all the way to the ground. Seriously, how could he not have heart eyes for her? “Good evening princess, come here often?”

“Chat, what…?! You…!” She slowly tried to get up again and he felt a bit guilty for scaring her so much, so he hurried to help her up. “You don’t get to appear out of nowhere with such a lame opening line! What are you doing here, my parents’ shop is closed!” Was it really so obvious to think he was here solely to get some treats? On second thought yes it was. “And I don’t have any saved in my room this time, so you won’t find anything to eat.”

“Why do I feel like a stray cat anytime I come here?”

“I don’t know, why do you?” Now she was grinning, crossing her arms. “I’m glad to see you though, being on my own wasn’t how I wanted to celebrate… uhm, Merry Christmas.” How dare she being anything other than ecstatic, that was not going to stand.

Chat Noir took out his staff, playing around with it as his usual.

“Merry Christmas to you too, but I’m afraid this isn’t a pleasure trip. I’m currently on an extremely serious mission, in order to prevent the arrival of new akumas in the city!” She was more worried than expected at the prospect, a little more than he would have thought considering that he was joking around. “I recently learned that a certain person couldn’t attend a certain party, therefore so many of her friends are very disappointed not to be able to have fun with her.” He smirked when her face changed. “We wouldn’t want people to turn evil because they couldn’t see their favourite designer, right? Think of the field trip Hawk Moth could have!”

Maybe he was kidding around, maybe it wasn’t that weird of a reasoning considering that several akumas had been born because of something Marinette related – of course, he really couldn’t talk.

Marinette blinked, then she smiled shily.

“I didn’t want people to worry about me.”

“I’m afraid that is officially mission failed, but we can still turn it all around! How about I escort you tonight? It will be my little present for you!” He totally stole that one from Ladybug but honestly how to blame him, that was totally his style and she totally stole it from him. “Don’t worry, flying with Chat Noir Air is the smoothest and funniest experience of all, you’ll see!” As long as there weren’t gigantic gorillas running rampant over Paris, that was.

“Oh Chat, you don’t have to!” Mari shrugged a little, despite her smiled getting wider. “I’m fine, I can see my friends and my boyfriend another day… I guess.” Ah, she could be more convincing than this, their class representative. That was a good sign, she wanted to come.

Chat smiled at her, letting just a bit of Adrien out.

“But your boyfriend wants to see you today.” She immediately gaped at him. “The blonde one, right? I peaked at the party, he was looking everywhere for you.”

“He was?” She blushed, her eyes lightening up. “Oh, Adrien…”

It took everything inside of him not to kiss her right now. Instead, he extended his hand.

“If I were him, I would want you to hurry up and reach me as soon as possible. I promise you, the party at the Liberty is exceptional, you’ll love it.” She was still hesitant, he sighed. “You’re always helping others out, how about tonight you let others take care of you? Don’t think about how the others will feel, just this time.” He wanted her to have a great night. He wanted the both of them to have a great night together. She deserved it for always being everyone’s rock. He hoped he deserved it for giving a hand at keeping Paris safe.

When she grabbed his hand at last, he felt like his night was already so much better.

Ladybug was much more graceful at going from one roof to the other, but from how Marinette would cheer for every little jump and turnaround he felt like he was doing a fairly good job. Carrying a princess all the way to a Christmas party was obviously amazing, and the fact that he wasn’t doing it to run away from an akuma even more incredible.

Maybe Mari was feeling the same from how at ease she seemed to be, and how elated she was when they arrived at the party. It took nothing for Alya to take sight of her best friend and going for the hug, making sure to be careful of her foot.

“You silly, hide something like this again and I’ll spoil you to death!”

“You can make better threats than this, Alya.” Marinette laugh, the whole night shook. She turned to him. “Thank you so much, Chat Noir.” He really wanted to hold her. Grab her hand. Kiss her.

He didn’t. Not now. He bowed instead.

“My pleasure. Have an enchanting night, princess.”

He needed to change first.

***

Could Marinette truly hope for some luck on this fine day?

So far, it was going quite incredibly. Maybe it was her superhero nature, but helping out others was already a thrill of itself, so knowing that bringing Adrien to the party had been the highlight of his night had been already such a wonderful moment of the day – also just, seeing him, but that felt like a given at this point. Not enough to make her stop whining about her misfortune, and how freaking swollen was her foot at this point, and how her parents were out on a Christmas dinner thinking she was out with her friends making her feel awful for lying, and how her friends knew she was injured and were worried, and how her butt hurt from sitting, and how-

It turned out that seeing her partner, even without her suit and something menacing approaching, was better than any other medicine – although yes she did take something for the pain, she wasn’t dumb. And like every day ever since they had started to save Paris, he surprised her, giving her a chance at turning this day all around.

At times like these Marinette was sorry that she could never love Chat Noir, the way he used to love her. She was sure that he would have treated her well, they would have had lots of fun, and they would have taken care of each other. Those thoughts were always filled with what ifs.

In her life, though, it could only be Adrien.

At the end, she was happy he had moved on, and she was happy her dream had come true… so why in the name of the Miraculous Ladybug couldn’t she enjoy the moment?!

Marinette was currently resting her chin over her hands, while her elbows were over her knees. She was watching everyone dancing around, standing up over their completely fine feet, having the time of their lives. While she had been forced onto this chair by her friends, with nothing but a glass of soda as a refreshment and giving some unenthusiastic sips as entertainment. The situation had been protracted for some time now, it was seriously getting on her nerves. There had been no one to talk to, nothing to have fun with, and no buttercup in sight.

What was going on, exactly?

“Hey Marinette.” To be clear, she was happy to see Nathaniel, very much so even. With that being said, his wasn’t the voice that she had been looking for. If only she could just stand up. “So, random question, do you have any idea why your Adrien was intercepted by my Marc to go who knows where? They’ve been away for some time now.”

Alright, she could interrupt her current bad mood in favour of her favourite activity: being nosy about his friends’ love stories. She grinned immediately.

“Your Marc, huh?”

“My- as in my partner, as in work! We have the comic book, remember!” There was nothing more endearing than a redhead getting red, it was truly a sight she was happy to be here for. Now if her boyfriend could just magically appear before her, that would have been even better. “I’m not saying something’s going on, but also he was really tense tonight, more than usual. Now Adrien comes out of nowhere, and suddenly he looks relieved? What’s happening?”

Well that was odd. Marinette shrugged.

“Beats me, I have no idea.” As she said that though, from the stage there was movement. A swift idea came into mind the moment Kitty Section, complete with blonde pianist, appeared. With an extra keyboard. “What if…?”

She didn’t have to wait. Rose was quick to get to the microphone, giving a quick wink to the rest of the band, then to the audience.

“Hey everyone! This is Kitty section! It’s me Rose, and Luka, Juleka, Adrien, Ivan-”

“Go Ivan!! You’re awesome!!”

“Ahah, you don’t have to say it every time we introduce ourselves Mylene, I think you’re breaking Ivan!” The kind giant looked pretty steamy from there in fact, red in face with vapor coming out of his ears – also with a smile going from one ear to the other, yeah he was probably fine. “Anyway, I hope you’re all enjoying the music! We interrupt our usual songs for a special request, one of our friends have a really special message for his special someone! It’s his first performance so please be gentle! Give it up for Marc Anciel!”

It was quite the feeling seeing the shy writer marching all the way to the keyboard, even while looking at absolutely no one but his feet. He gave one terrified look at Adrien, who nodded with a dazzling smile. Then he looked up, right where Nathaniel had been left completely speechless. It would have been too easy teasing him over how he knew right away this was for him.

It became meaningless when Adrien started to play, an accompaniment for Marc that was going for the simplified version of the song.

All I want for Christmas is you.

It was such a corny, extremely obvious choice, and maybe that made it all the sweeter for Marc to be this obvious in his intentions for once. As soon as the song picked up the rhythm, becoming joyful and fast, it felt like the day had reached its brightest moment, the one she had been wanting the entire time. Nathaniel was completely gone, smiling tearful, getting closer to the stage almost unconsciously. The people reached out, humming such a well known and even repetitive song.

Marinette couldn’t move anyway. She was fine with it, for once. She was more than happy to take her time to admire him like this.

Adrien was handsome. It was kind of a given as he was a model and that was his job, but that went beyond that; it felt like moments like these, when he was lightly sweaty and still a bit on edge for running away from home, where the times when he was the most attractive. Adrien was talented. Without taking for granted all the work he did daily through his studies and lessons, there were so many qualities and curiosities of him, some that always came out when least expected – the most recent had been him knowing all types of Camembert for some reason. Adrien was kind. Not when he did the perfect son act to please his father, not when he forgot his own needs to appease his loved ones: when he was mindful of the people around him, and helped them with all of his might.

There was a time when Marinette genuinely thought this boy had absolutely no flaw, and that had been superficial of her. Somehow, the more she got closer now, the more this gorgeous buttercup somehow showed twisted petals and even some annoying horns. The more she found out how every imperfection made him even more perfect.

She didn’t realize the song had ended, yet she felt his eyes going over her. Gone where the times when she used to wonder if he was ever going to see her the way she saw him. There was no hiding the adoration coming from those two emeralds.

Marinette had to close her eyes for a moment, basking into what she had, beating herself up for going into such a bad mood over nothing.

When she opened her eyelids again, he was walking towards her.

“Hey.” He leaned onto her, and kissed her. It made her giggle. “Sorry it took me a while.”

“To get to the party despite probably not being allowed to, to come and say hi since you’ve been busy with helping Marc out, or to kiss me?” Adrien genuinely looked conflicted, it made her laugh even more as he sat on a chair next to her. “That was a wonderful thing you did, I think you guys made Nathaniel and Marc’s night.” Looking how the redhead was hugging his likely now boyfriend, who looked like he just won the Pulitzer Prize, that sounded about right. “It’s been such a night filled with sharing and giving favours… you won’t believe who brought me here tonight.”

Adrien tilted his head, casually holding her hand. He had the delicate skin of a prince, yet the callouses of a fencer, he had fingers of a pianist, yet ruined nails out of stress. She was so happy they had gotten close enough for her to notice it all.

“Someone careful I hope, is your foot okay?”

“It doesn’t hurt as long as I don’t think about it, ouch.” Right, these kinds of jokes weren’t good on her extremely worrywart boyfriend. She smiled. “I’m okay, and you might not believe it, but the knight in shining black cat leather that carried me here can be surprisingly delicate when he puts his mind to it.” It was probably a weird image to be associated with Chat Noir.

Her boyfriend widened his eyes, a bit slowly for being told that the local superhero dragged his girlfriend all the way here. Maybe it was the normality at this point.

“No kidding! The one that brought me here was Ladybug!”

“What?! Are you serious?” Did she sound surprise enough? She had been a superhero for so long and she still had no idea how to confidently keeping up appearances. “What a coincidence, I wonder if they’ve been around specifically on Christmas to look after random civilians like us.” It was pretty incredible though, that after bringing Adrien to the party Chat Noir had been the one to return the favour. It made her smile.

Adrien snickered.

“I wouldn’t call me, heir of the Agreste empire, and you, talented designer and trusted artist of Rockstar Jagged Stone, random citizens.” Was he implying that she was not, in fact, just a normal girl with a normal life? “But yeah, it was really cool of them. Ladybug is simply amazing.”

Marinette grinned, clenching her hold onto his hand.

“Yeah, she’s a pretty cool hero.”

“Not just that! She’s so beautiful, smart, creative and courageous… just like you.” He snickered, leaning his head against her. “I always thought of you as our everyday Ladybug after all.”

Oh, the irony. Perhaps one day, if and when she was going to be able to reveal herself, it was going to be extremely fun seeing his baffled expression at realizing who she had been crushing on for so long – as a matter of fact, the exact same person… with two different outfits. For now, she was just incredibly blessed over the fact that no matter what version of her was in front of his eyes, he had the same devotion for her nonetheless. She wanted to make sure he knew how much it meant for her, she wanted to show it to him every day.

“You’re so sweet. You kinda remind me of Chat Noir instead.” He immediately looked at her with eyebrows raised, she burst into laughter. “In a good way! Chat is incredible, it’s a huge compliment I promise!” She hummed a little. “Just like he does, you always try your best to help others. And you’re so funny too, and endearing… just like him.” She hoped that despite everything, Chat Noir was having the best possible Christmas.

Adrien was frozen for a moment. Then, looking happily content, he nuzzled her hair with his nose, scooting a little closer to her. It was cold outside, but between them it was warm.

“I don’t think I’ve ever heard someone telling me I’m similar to Chat Noir.”

“They should, he’s incredible… you know, I used to have a bit of a weird crush on him.” She giggled, knowing that months ago she would have never been able to admit it. “Like, I knew I liked him, just never as much as I like you. But I appreciate everything he does.” Maybe it was a weird thing to say to her boyfriend, but she didn’t want to hide it.

“Oh.” Adrien froze again, then snickered. “Wow. We’re really perfect for each other.” He kissed her head, making her melt. “I hope Ladybug and Chat Noir are having a great day.”

Marinette smiled, thanking everything that she was right here, right now.

“I hope so too. Merry Christmas, Adrien.”

“Merry Christmas, Marinette.”

#miraculous ladybug #ml fanfiction #fanfiction #fic #marinette dupain cheng #adrien agreste #adrinette #marichat #ladrien #ladynoir #nathaniel kurtzberg #marc anciel #marcaniel #ivan bruel #mylene haprele #ivan x mylene #mlss2k22

15 notes · View notes