#brucinette

[mysticprofessoralienhumanoid]

Jason: Okay, let's go over this again. What do we do when something goes wrong?

Duke: We try to fix it before Marinette and/or Alfred get back.

Jason: And if that doesn't work?

Steph: We blame Bruce.

Jason: Good.

#maribat #marinette x batfam #daminette #jasonette #dickinette #dukette #cassinette #timinette #brucinette #maribat incorrect quotes #dc x mlb #mlb x dc

[marauderundercover]

us against the world (pt 2)

Prev

“Miss Dupain-Cheng?” Mr. Weston calls. Marinette sits up straight, wincing slightly. She totally hadn’t been falling asleep in the middle of history class. American history was so…interesting. Why ever would she fall asleep? 

“Um, yes sir?” She says uncertainly. 

“I have a note for you from the office.” He says, holding a sticky note up. Marinette feels a wave of cold wash over her. Why would the office have a note for her? Was she in trouble? Did something happen to Penny or Jagged? Swallowing thickly, Marinette walks to the front and takes the note from him, hands shaking as she sits back at her seat. Opening the note slowly, her shoulders relax as she reads it. The last two weeks at Gotham Academy had been pretty average. And if she was being honest, she was kind of constantly waiting for the other shoe to drop. Luckily, the note wasn’t that. 

Ms. Rolling called. She’s stuck in traffic and Mr. Stone’s plane has been delayed. Miss Dupain-Cheng is to catch a bus home.

“Are you okay?” Bruce asks quietly, his voice barely audible. Marinette gives him a small smile before sliding the sticky note towards him with a short shrug. His face twitches into a frown briefly, before he flips the note over and scribbles something on the back. 

You live in Bristol, right? 

Marinette nods, and Bruce scribbles again. 

Would you like a ride home?

“Mr. Wayne and Miss Dupain-Cheng, need I remind you that the weekend does not start for another three minutes. Until that bell rings, I expect you all to be paying attention. This is something that you will need in the future.” Mr. Weston insists. Marinette feels her eyebrow twitch, but she stays quiet. She wasn’t exactly sure how the dates of the American revolution would help her in the future as the Guardian or a fashion designer. Or anything, really. But that wasn’t a conversation she wanted to have right before the bell rings on a Friday. 

“Sorry, sir.” Marinette says, silently hoping that Bruce will stay quiet. His lips press into a thin line and she can practically feel the outburst boiling just under the surface. Before he can say anything though, the bell rings and Marinette lets out a sigh of relief. Bruce rolls his eyes, shoving his books into his bag and raising an eyebrow at her. 

“Well? Would you like a ride home?” He asks again. Marinette frowns. 

“I wouldn’t want to be a bother-” She tries to say, but Bruce shakes his head. 

“It’s fine. Besides, Alfred would have my head if he knew I was going to make my friend take the bus all the way to Bristol.” He says. Marinette’s mouth twitches up into a grin. 

“Friends?” She asks, a hopeful spark in her chest. Bruce’s eyes widen slightly before he nods slowly. 

“I- er- yes. Yes we are.” He says. Marinette’s grin turns into a full smile. 

“Awesome. Well, friend, let’s get going.” She says, slinging her bag onto her shoulder. Bruce huffs, but it’s the closest thing she’s heard to a laugh from him in the two weeks she’s known him, so she accepts it without complaint. Following him outside, he opens the backseat of a very nice car and sticks his head in. 

“Afternoon Alfred. Would it be alright if we drove Marinette home today? She lives in Bristol as well.” He says. The man in the front seat turns and gives her a small smile. 

“Of course, Master Bruce.” He says simply. Bruce climbs into the backseat, sliding all the way over so that Marinette can also slide in. Shutting the door, Marinette smiles at Alfred. 

“Thank you for the ride home, sir.” She says. 

“Well of course, Miss Marinette. Where is it we’re taking you?” He asks. Marinette rattles off the address and Bruce raises an eyebrow. “Well, it appears you live in the manor on the immediate right of Wayne Manor.” Alfred says. Marinette’s eyes widen as she turns to Bruce. 

“I can’t believe we’re neighbors.” She says. Bruce nods. 

“Lucky for you, I guess. If you ever need a ride to or from school, you could join us instead of taking the bus.” He offers. Marinette tries not to laugh at the mention of luck. Despite everything she had feared, it seemed that Gotham was better luck than Paris ever was. 

---

“-until the day you learn how to start a normal conversation, I will have to be right there to fix the messes you make.” Bruce sighs, shaking his head at Harvey. Marinette raises an eyebrow, arms crossed as she leans against her locker as she catches the last part of their conversation. 

“Let me guess, Carissa Livingston again?” She asks, grinning. Bruce nods solemnly as Harvey just groans. 

“I don’t know how we always end up going down a weird rabbit hole every time I try to talk to her.” He says. 

“It’s likely attributed to the fact that you continuously find increasingly random ways to start conversations with her.” Bruce says. Marinette snorts, and Bruce tilts his head. “Now that I think about it, you do that with every girl besides Marinette.” Marinette turns to Harvey, raising an eyebrow as he flushes pink. 

“I’m hurt, Harv, really, I am.” She teases. “Why don’t I get the fun, bizarre topics?”

“Oh- uh- well, Bruce-”

“Thank you, Harvey. Come on, Marinette. Alfred should be waiting for us.” Bruce interrupts, quickening his pace as he herds her towards the door. Marinette laughs, shaking her head as she turns back to wave at Harvey. 

“Sorry Harv! See you Monday!” She calls over her shoulder. She loved being friends with Harvey and Bruce. It was easy. It didn’t hurt. 

“Mr. Stone and Ms. Rolling will be gone until later tonight, right?” Bruce asks as they walk out the door. Marinette nods. 

“I tried to convince them that it would be fine if they just stayed at a hotel and come home tomorrow instead, but Penny insists that I shouldn’t stay home alone overnight.” She explains. Bruce’s eyebrows scrunch together and he frowns, obviously thinking hard. 

“Do you want to come have dinner with me and Alfred? We can drive you home after. That way you don’t have to eat alone.” He suggests. Marinette grins. 

“Are you sure that would be okay with Alfred?” She asks. Bruce nods, opening the car door and scooting over so she can climb in too. 

“Alfred, could Marinette have dinner with us tonight?” He asks. 

“Of course, Master Bruce. Miss Marinette, you are always welcome, my dear.” Alfred says, and Marinette can’t help the warm feeling in her chest. She’d only been in Gotham for a few months, but it was already home. 

Tag list:  @stainedglassm  @laydeekrayzee @doll246 @queenz-z @deathssilentapproach-blog @literaryhiraeth @unoriginalmess @crazylittlemunchkin @buttercupsbitch @toodaloo-kangaroo @kking13   @babylovebug18 @bookwalmartav @maybeanalien0-0

#maribat #maribat marinette dupain cheng #maribat bruce wayne #brucinette #maribat friends to lovers #maribat harvey dent #maribat alfred pennyworth #maribat fic

[seacashew]

I haven’t really been active lately (other than the odd repost) but I just had an absolutely fantastic idea while reading Her boys.

Marinette is Bruce’s assistant, and one day she just walks into the cave while they’re having a meeting. Just kind of strolls in there like she’s been there before. And just hands Bruce some documents and tells him about a meeting he has in the morning. Then just leaves. Nothing else, everyone is just flabbergasted and watching her with surprise.

#maribat #mlb x dc #writing prompt #maybe? #idk what I’m doing here #i might just write this #brucinette #or something else?

[soulmate-game]

Work burned me out, middle management positions are draining. What was supposed to be an angsty oneshot is now… yeah I’m continuing it. Not a full series, just a two-parter… hopefully.

Edit: I DON’T KNOW WHAT THE FUCK THIS CLUSTERFUCK OF AN EMOTIONAL ROLLER COASTER IS, but BUCKLE IN BECAUSE IT PROBABLY DOESN’T PASS SAFETY REGULATIONS! HOOOOO BOY

Part 1

—*—*—*—*—*

“…” she stared at the being in front of her, face frighteningly blank. Next to her, Bruce fidgeted.

“I’m not going anywhere, so you either gotta learn to love me real quick or get lost quicker,” the child snarked from where he was sitting upside-down on the bat computer chair. “And don’t call me Richard, my name’s Dick.”

“I don’t remember you working with a fetus, Batman,” Marinette slowly drawled, emphasizing the vigilante’s name despite none of the three of them being suited up. Dick shot up with a cry of indignation.

“I am not a fetus! I’m fifteen! I’ve been Robin since I was twelve!”

“Nope,” Marinette countered, unmoved. “I started out as Ladybug when I was twelve, and I was never as small as you,” she blatantly lied. Dick was already taller than her, which wasn’t much of an achievement considering that she was five-foot-one-inch tall. “You are six years old, tops.”

Dick let out an almost inhuman screech of complaint. Even as he rambled on angrily about how wrong she was, Marinette only nodded as if he proved her right about something.

“That was a good squawk though. Definitely a birdie.”

It took another twenty minutes before Dick ran off to tell on Marinette to Alfred, giving her and Bruce some alone time. With which she used to whirl to him and immediately hiss in equal parts fury and worry;

“Please tell me he wasn’t—“

“The timeline is gone,” Bruce reminded her, bracing her by putting both his hands on her shoulders. “He doesn’t remember.”

“Still!”

He let out such a heavy sigh that he seemed to deflate with it, his dark circles growing more pronounced.

“He wasn’t supposed to be,” he admitted softly. “When he turned sixteen, last time, I allowed him to form his own team of teen heroes. Supervised from afar by myself of course, not that they knew that. I had given them the order to stay back and guard their city, but they disobeyed me and snuck onto the battlefield anyway.”

Marinette rubbed at her temples, nodding. “Teenagers have a habit of doing that. This time around, can we ask Bunnyx to supervise them? She has all the energy of a teenager, so she’ll fit in, but the maturity of someone trusted to guard all the timelines.”

Bruce paused, thinking of what little he knew of the pastel rabbit themed hero, and then reluctantly nodded. “That… might be for the best. And giving them more opportunities to train with…” he hummed, hand on his chin. “I might actually change things up, in that case. Instead of jumping to put teens on their own in a tower, the old Justice League headquarters is more protected. And if we started with the ‘sidekicks’,” he gave very purposeful air quotes, “of other Leaguers, it would create a better support system than letting teenagers run around with… really, not enough regulation.”

“Gotta love hindsight,” Marinette agreed with a nod. “The whole teenagers by themselves thing only worked for my team because we were overly traumatized and each saw different apocalypses before we turned sixteen. Bunnyx could fix them herself back then, but still.”

“Best to do better by the new generation,” Bruce agreed with her unspoken statement. “I can still put that old team together again when they’re older, support their development elsewhere in the meantime.”

“Oh, and now that we’re done on that topic,” Marinette snapped her fingers before pointing to the staircase that Dick had disappeared up. “He’s going to make my life a living hell, isn’t he?”

Bruce groaned, offering her a lopsided grimace of apology. “He’s a menace,” he agreed. “He’s scared away any woman I’ve brought to the house, even though most of them are completely platonic. I have to make the press believe the whole playboy thing somehow, and inviting my friends over to chat is the easiest way to do so without breaking hearts for real. Dick hasn’t caught on yet,” Bruce rubbed his forehead. “His antics to scare away Selina Kyle are legendary already, and she’s sapphic. She couldn’t be attracted to me if I was the last man on earth.”

“Could have fooled me,” Marinette teased, suddenly impish. “She’s catwoman, isn’t she?”

Bruce narrowed his eyes, saying only: “Chat Noir. Year one.”

It was Marinette’s turn to grimace. “Point taken. But in my defense, he took way too long to realize he’s gay and watched too much anime at the time.”

Bruce let out one of his unfairly charming chuckles, changing position so that his arm was around her shoulders and pulling her to his side. She fit there surprisingly well, for someone almost half his size. She leaned into him, and the both just soaked in the comfort of one another for a long moment.

“You know,” Bruce started for a while. “If you want to stay in Gotham, we can make you another alter ego so that you don’t accidentally lure Shadow Moth here. Tell that fox of yours to make it seem like you’re in Paris and take some of the weight off of your shoulders for a change. Blackmail Constantine into charming some jars to keep the butterflies in until you can purify them.”

“Hmmm.” She closed her eyes. “Ladybird sounds nice. Fits with the bird thing that Robin has going for him.”

Bruce laughed. “That’ll really annoy him,” he warned, amused. Marinette’s close-eyed smile was pure mischief.

“That’s the whole point. I’m not letting a fetus win against me, bat-boy.”

—*—*—*—*—*

Marinette wasn’t speaking to Bunnyx. Bruce didn’t know what they had said to one another, but he could guess it had to do with Jason.

With his baby, who he just buried. The boy Marinette had thought of a son ever since he first brought him home. She had even smoothed things over between Dick and Jason, which he had considered nothing short of a miracle at the time.

But that miracle was nowhere to be seen now, with Marinette every bit as despondent next to him as he was. He wanted to be angry with her, he did, but he couldn’t. He had seen her blow up at Bunnyx, seen her try to hold her status as Grand Guardian over the bunny holder.

Bunnyx had simply said that she wouldn’t answer to Ladybug until after the grief passed then, and ran away into her burrow.

“Is this the payment?” He heard her whisper, her voice hoarse and broken. “For the do-over? We passed the old timeline. We took down Shadow Moth. Is this the price?” Tears dripped down her face silently, she didn’t seem to notice them. “Was I not a good enough mother? Should I—“ she stopped herself, shaking her head. He didn’t ask what she was about to say. Maybe he should have.

—*—*—*—*—*

Tim was great. He was too much like Marinette at times, which made Bruce’s chest ache, but he was a great Robin. A great son. His experience with Marinette proved priceless when it came to helping curb Tim’s overworking habits and caffeine addiction.

But not even Tim could find where Marinette had disappeared to, even with his detective skills surpassing Bruce’s already.

Tim was the first son of his that didn’t get to grow up with Marinette at all.

—*—*—*—*—*

“It’s fine, Baobei,” she whispered, stepping to the side. Behind her was the waterfall that hid the tunnel to the Batcave. “He’s not the one to blame. He did his best, even now he’s doing his best.”

“Then why does—“

“Because other people need him, and he has too big of a heart to turn them away,” her mouth tilted a little, smile lopsided and sad. “Timothy didn’t replace you. He just forced Bruce to live again. Bruce didn’t kill Joker, because he didn’t want to taint another child with the sight of murder.”

“And you?” The voice was dark, deadly, gruff. Older, and yet… so achingly familiar. She smiled at him again, soft and sad and… proud.

“I don’t have one,” she lied. She had tried, tried so hard. Bruce had gotten in her way first, and then the very same desire to not taint more children with the image of death.

But her baby needed a scapegoat, and she was willing to throw herself on the fire for him.

“That’s why it’s fine,” she repeated. “If this is what you want. Just, please. Let it end with me.”

This time, Marinette made sure she had the Time miraculous safely in her pocket. Nobody would interfere with this.

The bullet sent her into the flow of the waterfall, red flowing behind her like the carpet she used to walk down with Bruce whenever she released a new collection. She felt no regret as she closed her eyes and fell.

—*—*—*—*—*

The shot hadn’t been fatal. Red Hood might have been mad with Pit Rage, but his fondness for his only true mother figure was ever present. He simply wanted to see if she was serious about taking that shot.

His regret was immediate when she didn’t even try to dodge. The bullet had only grazed her shoulder, but she didn’t seem to notice that. She had been so ready to die— to let him kill her— that she had passed out before hitting the water. He dragged her to the Batcave, knowing he had a lot to answer for.

Bruce wished he could have found her sooner, found both of them sooner. But at least they were back.

—*—*—*—*—*

“… I mean,” she rocked on her heels. “You are growing a bit old for Robin…”

Tim glared at her, not appreciating the insight.

“Bruce is stuck in the timestream, and you aren’t doing a thing about it. I don’t hold your opinion very highly right now,” he snipped back. She snorted, glancing away.

As if that little stunt to “kill Batman” could ever fool her. She’d been there for the real thing, thanks, she could spot a fake a mile away. “He’s got Bunnyx going to find him. She owes me big time, let her do the heavy lifting for a change.”

“How many years have you held that grudge?” Barbara asked, eyebrows raised as she wheeled herself towards the bat computer. “Even Jason thinks you should have let it go by now.”

Marinette scoffed at the exact same time as a certain someone tutted next to her, making them look for a moment like a perfect pair.

Crossed arms, a scoff, annoyed glare? If a DNA test hadn’t already proven otherwise, they might have thought Damian was hers.

“Fetuses don’t get to judge me,” was her only argument before she turned on her heel and walked away.

“I am not a fetus! Lady Marinette, I am ten years old!”

—*—*—*—*—*

Bonus:

Jason was curled up around Marinette, despite being told numerous times not to crowd her on the med-bay bed. He argued that he shot her, so he gets to nurse her back to health.

Did she use her blood, tainted by years of use of the Ladybug, to purify his pit madness? Yes. Had he figured that out yet? Nope.

“Love you, Mom,” he murmured in his sleep. Marinette, who had been awake for about an hour already, smiled to herself.

“Love you, Baobei.”

#maribat #mlb x dc #ml x dc #dc x mlb #dc x miraculous #platonic jasonette #platonic daminette #platonic timari #platonic dickinette #brucinette #idk what this is #enjoy anyway

[jayphoenic]

Maribat Masterlist 2

The Supreme Masterlist by @icerosecrystal

Masterlist by @neakco

Maribat Series Masterlist by @jinx-jade

Batman Rec Fic by @lurkinglurkerwholurks

Masterlist by @arty-shadow-morningstar

#maribat recommendations #maribat fanfic #maribat au #maribat fics #ml x dc #dc x mlb #mlb x dc #mlb x batman #mlb x batfamily #daminette #jasonette #shutterbug #timinette #timari #dickinette #brucinette #dcxml #mlxdc #maribat dick grayson #maribat #maribat damian wayne #maribat damian al ghul #maribat jason todd #maribat bruce wayne #maribat tim drake #maribat batfam #maribat batman #maribat red hood #maribat nightwing #maribat red robin

[artxyra]

The Forgotten Marriage - WIP

This story will either sit on my computer and never to be finished or be rewritten into a different idea in the future. IDK. Either way, here’s the second part of a Brucinette one-shot that I was working on before stopping. 

They all waited impatiently for their mysterious guest. Alfred had gone to answer the door. There wasn’t even a doorbell ring.

Despite his father’s paranoia, Damian couldn’t find anything on a person named Callahan. He searched through all their databases. He even inquired the help of Tim.

It was no secret that they were all on edge.

When Alfred returns, a man in a brown trench coat holding a briefcase stands behind him.

“Mr. Callahan is here to shed some light on the situation regarding Master Bruce’s disappearance. Unfortunately, even some things are out of my hands, and this is one of them. Let enjoy dinner while it’s still hot and save the questions for after.”

Dinner was silent with small talk here and there. The family of detectives hung onto every word the man said. Trying to figure out his plan.

Alfred clears the table, leaving the detectives with their prey. Callahan clears his throat and lifts the briefcase onto the table. “As Alfred mentioned when I’d first arrived, the name’s Callahan, and I’m one of Bruce’s lawyers.”

Damian glowers at the man, slamming his hand down.  “I know all of father’s lawyers, but your name has never come up. Who are you, really, Callahan?”

Callahan smirks, “I’m someone that worked with Bruce long before any of your arrivals to the family.” The briefcase clicks open.

Kate, who asked to join dinner as support, spent the time analyzing the lawyer. Callahan, why did that name sound so familiar? She ran years of memories trying to piece it together. Her gasp is covered by a feign cough into her fist.

Callahan sends her a curt nod before proceeding to take out a folder.

“For anyone who doesn’t know, there is a Mrs. Bruce Wayne,” Callahan announces, revealing a marriage certificate. Dick is the first to take the certificate into his hands. He doesn’t say a word, noticing the year dating back almost two decades.

The document seemed so foreign.

“A-and it’s not Selina?” Dick hasn’t let go of the document when Tim asks Callahan the question. Yet the uncertainty of the question made it all too real.

“Ms. Kyle is not one of my cases regarding Mr. Wayne. Though, Mr. Wayne did call me to draw up some papers if they were to pursue a serious relationship such as marriage.”

“Divorce papers?” Callahan chuckles and shifts through papers. By now, everyone had viewed the marriage certificate.

“They are on everything except paper.” He pulls out an unsigned divorce document dated a few years later after the marriage certificate.

A lot of things can happen in a span of a few years. Dread fills Damian. Was being the only blood child a lie?

Dick sees the torment in Damian, and asks, “Did they have any children?” If they did, the child would have been around Tim’s age.

Callahan shakes his head. “I’m unsure. When they filed the divorce initially, there no mention of children. Mrs. Cheng and I are not in contact with each other unless it’s to discuss Mr. Wayne and their marriage.”

“She doesn’t go by Wayne?” Damian perks up. Maybe all his fears were for nothing.

“Heavens no, Mrs. Cheng wants nothing to do with the name. Their marriage was not that out of love but out of necessity. Think it of as a business transaction. They wanted their legacy to be protective.”

“This is a take it to my grave kind of secret, isn’t it?” Jason looks up, the divorce and marriage certificate both in his hands.

“In a way, yes. Mr. Wayne hoped that you all would have been of age, or that he would have remarried by this time. Unfortunately, none of those are at play.”

“Who else knows?” That was one of many million-dollar questions for tonight.

Callahan takes another breath, eyeing a folder labeled “NDAs.”

“Once again, I am unsure. I only have NDAs for those not in their inner circle.” Callahan takes the folder into his grasp.

“Then why tell us?” Jason demands, slamming the papers down on the table with no care of their importance.

“Hmm, Mr. Wayne’s will, of course.”

“Fuck his will; Bruce should be the one telling us about this stuff like the man he is.” Jason was fuming. The weight of this hidden truth finally set in.

“Jason,” Dick murmurs, looking at his youngest brother. “Yelling at Callahan is going to get us nowhere.” Jason scoffs.

“You know I’m right. Imagine the life we could have had.” None of the Wayne kids could have refuted that. Since the whole Bruce is married came up, they all wonder what their lives could have been. Would some of them even be here?

Callahan clears his throat. “The W.E. board has elected Mrs. Cheng to continue running the business until Mr. Drake, here has come of age.” He pauses. “That’s if you wish to continue being the co-CEO.”

Tim doesn’t answer the lawyer. He couldn’t. Stephanie rests her hand against Tim’s arm, sending him a small smile. Instead of speaking, he sends the lawyer an acknowledging nod, hoping no one else would have noticed.

Setting down her glass of water, Cass puts out, “She’s coming here, isn’t she?”

“You’ll be correct, Miss Cassandra.” Alfred appears. “Mr. Callahan, please state what is in the will.”

Callahan nods and begins to read a section of the will aloud. “If I, Bruce Thomas Wayne, were to go without contact after ninety days then my wife, Marinette Dupain-Cheng Wayne, will take control of all my assets until I am declared officially deceased…”

Callahan stops after reading. “Mr. Wayne always had a knack for overly preparing. The reason, I am here is because no-one had been in contact with Mr. Wayne in over ninety days.”

“But there that been times when Bruce did go MIA for over ninety days, but what makes this one so different?” Dick points out.

“That will be where I come in, Master Richard. You are correct that this is not the first time as I’m always aware. However, I personally had no contact with him nor has Ms. Cheng or any of you. I was skeptical at first to bring Mr. Callahan here to enact his will, but the Wayne Enterprise board forced my hand.”

“The broad? What does the broad have to do with this?” Tim asks, remembering the unopened business emails.

“The Bruce sabbatical plan backfired. They were already planning on hiring a new CEO; Mr. Fox declined the idea, and legally Ms. Cheng was the next person in line. They had called her to which she called me for answers.” Oh. That was not the news the family wanted to hear.

They all fumble to say the right words. Some got up and left the table completely. This was out of their hands, and it was practically too late to find any loopholes.

“Dinner was wonderful as always, Alfred. I’m sorry that it ended the way it did.” Callahan states at the main door. Alfred shakes his head and reassures the lawyer.

“It’ll be nice to have a woman’s touch in here.” Kate states from behind the butler. “Why didn’t you mention Terry. They have a right to know, especially the kid.”

“Terrence has no interest in knowing his father legacy. Him and Master Bruce had a fallout the last time they spoke. He looks up to Mr. Couffaine as a father figure.” Kate and Callahan shake their heads. They know what’s coming.

The three bid their farewells. Yet, Alfred remains deep in thought.

#maribat #ml x dc #mlb x dc #mlb x batman #artxyra's wips #brucinette #artxyra recyclables

[queenkaiju]

Gamble

Maribat March - Prompt 9

-

"Relax, you're too tense." Bruce chided her softly in her ear. Marinette huffed and dug her nails into his arm. "How am I supposed to relax? We're walking into a drug deal, surrounded by this guy's men!" She hissed back, eyeing the casino doors as they drew closer. "Because I'll handle the talking. All you have to do is sit pretty. Promise." He whispered back, the hand on the small of her back comforting. He turned toward the bouncer, giving him a lecherous grin. "Hey. Matches Malone. I'm here to meet with Giuliani."

Marinette swallowed nervously, plastering a fake bimbo-y smile on her face, hoping to look the part of hired hottie. The burly man glanced at his clip board then back to 'Matches', before unclipping the little velvet rope that led to the V.I.P. section. Bruce sauntered through like he owned the place, playing the part of cocky criminal well, while she clung to him desperately, trying not to tug her dress down to cover her ass or topple over in her sky-high heels. 

The crime boss and Bruce exchanged a few words she didn't understand. Code, Bruce had said. It was actually Jason who taught him it. Marinette didn't really want to think about her 19-year-old soon-to-be stepson knowing underground lingo. There was a difference between knowing he was the Red Hood, and actually seeing it. In fact, he was supposed to be there that night, but broke his leg on patrol the night before, so Matches was going in his stead. Marinette was there because no one would frisk the arm-candy for wires.

They sat down at one of the various card tables, discussing the details of the deal Marinette assumed. Bruce was involved in the conversation but kept a hand on her knee the whole time. She appreciated it with the way Giuliani's goons were staring at her.

The deal went smoothly, Bruce managing to be charming even when playing 'shady criminal', easily swaying Giuliani. It helped that he had no problem betting large amounts of money. Marinette played her part well enough, blowing on dice and doing her best to look completely unaware of what was going on.

She was finally able to breathe as soon as they left the large building, out into the crisp Gotham night air. Bruce wrapped his arms around her, pulling her close. "You did great, sweetheart." He murmured into her hair. Marinette let out a deep breath, melting into his embrace. "Really?"

He chuckled and pressed a kiss to the crown of her head. "Yep. Thanks to you, tonight's gamble paid off, and Jason is going to have to come to Family Game Night this week."

She laughed, remembering the bet they made. "Well, since it's mission accomplished, can we get back home? I'm going to break an ankle if I wear these heels much longer."

Bruce smiled, opening the passenger car door for her. "Of course. Let's go home."

#batman fanfiction #miraculous fanfiction #mlb x dc #maribat #maribat march 2024 #brucinette #bruce wayne #marinette dupain cheng #jason and bruce have a deal #bruce lets him be a crime lord #if he comes to family game night #it's perfect

[badwolften]

So here’s a random Brucinette centric maribat piece I did... There is some very begrudging soulmate vibes here. Maybe giving some hades and persephone-esque vibes... Hope you guys enjoy! Also dropping a random link to the Holy Miraculous, Batman discord for anyone who wants to join our little maribat family.https://discord.gg/YzgcCdkACH 

#maribat #brucinette #soulmate au #HMB discord

[liquid-luck-00]

Finding Family 5

Finale

Ao3 *** Part 1 *** Part 2 *** Part 3 *** Part 4 *** Finale

Did it take me forever to get around to finishing this, yes!

~~~~~~~~~~

The moment Marinette opened a portal they understood the question a lot better. One second they were standing in an extra room in the mansion far away from the gala. The next, they are standing on a rooftop, in the early morning, and they can see the Eiffel tower. Meaning that he, Dick, and Tim are trying to figure out what’s going on.

"About time you guys got here Cerise, who are these three?" A young woman in black and gold was waiting on the roof top.

"Long story extremely short, Amber they the bats from Gotham and before you say anything, Hood works with them so we can trust them. They also have experience with the League." Marinette, Cerise, answered holding up a hand to stop the question before it was asked.

"Perfect, so Krait and Tatsuya were patrolling Notre Dame. And like always they were settled in one of the towers, but that's also when they saw the league go into the cathedral."

"Any idea what they want?" Red Hood asked.

"No Krait said he would be in contact soon, but it’s been a while."

"What do you mean when you say a while, how long are you talking about." Tim voiced, knowing that time is of the essence wherever the league is involved.

"Three minutes." Amber answered, causing the bats to stare back dumbfounded.

"He should’ve come back by now, and knowing Tatsuya, she would’ve charged." Cerise mused.

"Wait you’re worried about three minutes." Dick voiced the collective bafflement. "Thirty minutes would be cause for alarm not three."

"For a person who can rewind time three minutes is quite a long time without contact." Shadow, Damian, clarified while rolling his eyes, at the obvious information.

"Well, I have a plan." Cerise interjected before any of them, Amber specifically, could ask questions. "Shadow, Hood, Bats with me. Amber take Robin, Nightwing, and Saphirus to make a perimeter."

"You got it." Amber pulled his son's away along with Alfred, but this wasn't his City, so he had to trust her, if only for Jason.

---

They moved quickly and easily, as they moved through the city getting ever closer to the Cathedral. She has to assume it was a trap with how easy it was, but she and her little group made their way deeper in.

"The information saying the miraculous were active again is true it seems." The man speaking was at the end of the aisle. Eyes she's only met once before studied her. Eyes she hasn't forgotten, even years later.

"To what do we owe the displeasure of this meeting, Demon?" She quirked a brow under the mask, while her voice remained a stoic mask.

"I want you to take me to the Yīng Táo of the house of Cheng." Came his brief response, never once suspecting who he is speaking to.

"Why would I do that?" She asked never dropping her mask.

"She has stolen something of mine." When no one said anything he continued. "She has stolen the Prince of Shadows, my grandson, from me." Her mask finally slipped as she started laughing.

"Her sons are not, have never been, and never will be your property." With each tense she flicked up a finger to emphasize her point.

"He is my blood, my heir, my..." She didn't let him finish.

With a flick of her wrist, she threw an escrima stick at him. He easily dodged it but that wasn't it’s purpose. As it passed him it turned back into a yo-yo with the other end still in her hand. She caught him with it and throwing the second, ensnaring him even further in the magical cords. She moved forwards, her little Yīn Yǐng on her heels.

"The blood of the covent is thicker than the water of the womb." She heard her little one speak up beside her. Her expression softened knowing the courage it took him to speak back to his grandfather. If it wasn't for the man's next words she would have cooed.

"You insulant child!" The man spat, still tied on the floor. "You dare lecture me."

"That's enough from you." She sent an electric shock through the wires, so the man collapsed on the ground unconscious.

Not a second later various assassins fell from the rafters in various states of consciousness, paralysis, and some were even frozen.

"How many times, Krait?" She asked, already suspecting the answer.

"Just once." She could practically see Luka's grin through the mask. "I had to see that again."

"You had us worried!" Chloe pushed him off balance, a small laugh laced her voice.

"How do you feel Dal Sghaier?"

Jason knelt in front of his littlest brother.

"You and Mama, and the pack, and the kwamii are my family." By the end Damian's transformation fell as he hugged Jason tighter and tighter. At this point all three of them dropped their transformations and held each other on the floor of the cathedral.

They stayed like that until they heard the tell tale sounds of high heels on stone floors. Resulting in everyone turning to watch the new arrival.

"For the record I tried to stop him."

"And we could all tell you that would be a hopeless endeavor, Tahlia." She responded to the newest arrival, who stopped between the pack and the bats.

"I know." The woman came up to their little family. The bats looked ready for a fight. While the pack stood back, almost casually. "As your birth mother I can't say I approve. But..." Tahlia started, her expression softening as she spoke. "But as someone who wants the best for you. I know you found your place. Wouldn't you agree, Beloved?"

"I don’t see how my input would affect your decision." Bruce voiced; his two boys looked as if they were still waiting for the woman to attack them.

"I suppose it’s only logical." Tahlia said in response. "He however is our child."

Softer so that only Marinette could hear she whispered in her ear, so sincerely that Mari could finally smile since arriving in Paris. "Take care of them for me, both of them."

"Of course." She smiled at the woman but turned into a smirk. "Just tell your father if he ever tries to harm or touch any of my family. Bats over there won't ever find his body." The assassin smiled, chuckling at her response.

"I'll hold you to that." With that the woman took her leave, leaving several of them with more questions than answers. But also, two less demons in the room.

Mari quickly turned back into Cerise, and with Kaalki's help opened several portals to drop the assassins back in Nanda Parbat. And she then opened another door to the room where they had all left from in Wayne manor.

They were gone for maybe twenty minutes at the most, that however seemed to be more than enough time for the reporters to start their newest gossip on the tabloids.

Bruce Wayne’s mysterious meeting with designer Mira at gala, ended up being the trending headline the next day.

So did most believe they had a fling and now she was bringing in their child into it. They did. Because anyone with a pair of eyes and a brain cell can tell, Mira's child looks suspiciously a lot like Bruce Wayne. Did both she and Bruce try to explain it. Also yes, but that didn't go too well. The tabloids went on and on, so they also decided to roll with it for fun more than anything. Later speculation revealed their original explanation which was believed more by the people of Gotham. And that only re-enforced exactly why both of them prefer to stay out of that light.

---

A few months later he and Marinette we’re happily dating, sure it turns out her youngest ended up being his biological son. Was he still a bit paranoid and decided to do a DNA test. Yes. Did either of them judge him for it. No.

But now as he sits here watching all of his children on a lazy Sunday morning, he finally felt whole in a long time.

For the first time in a long time he was truly happy, and he knows it started a long time ago, when he first met that girl in a small village in Tibet. He would have never expected his life to turn out the way it did.

He never expected to become a vigilante.

Much less a father.

Or to even find someone he truly loved to call his own.

This is his life now, but he wouldn’t change anything, because this is the family that he found and built. It’s his, it might be little, majorly crazy, and broken ninety-nine percent of the time, but it’s his.

Family is not always just the one you are born into. But also, the ones you choose to stand by, protect, and love.

And he’s glad he found this one.

Fin

~~~~~~~~~~

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#maribat #dc x miraculous #dc x mlb #mlb x dc #miraculous x dc #brucinette #mominette #ml marinette #damian wayne #jason todd #tim drake #dick grayson #bruce wayne #alfred pennyworth

[abyssal-ali]

Maribat Ships and My Vibe Explanations

These are based on the most popular tropes and scenarios I've seen particularly for a specific ship, but some are my own vision:) Moodboards I made for each ship, which are partially inspired by the below thoughts, are linked in the ship name.

Brucinette:

Boss x Secretary trope or Socialite meets Other Socialite and Both Discover each other is Less Shallow than they Thought

Alternatively,

Hero x Villain Love story.

Look, we all know Bruce has a bad track record with his Rogues and also Love in general

Black Cat Mari is the most popular, probably, but I think we should see more Villain/ Morally Grey Mari with other Miraculi

Not my favourite ship but it can be fun

Particularly when we add Dad Bruce and Mari gets to adopt the Batkids and be a Cool MomTM.

Dickinette:

Often a Villain x Hero romance, usually Black Cat Marinette and Nightwing.

A good trope to be sure, but I think we should spice it up more.

Vampire Dick Truthers (you know who you are) have a point with their Vampire Dick and Mari fics. Why not make Dick the villain in Mari's Rogue Gallery???

Overall a great trope, especially if you really delve into their characters: both are 'sunshine' characters who fight everyday to be the nice, kind heroes everyone thinks they are and expects them to be, even though it's the hardest route to take.

Jasonette:

(I'm biased as it's my #1 Maribat ship, but I'll try not to go on too long >.<)

Villain x Hero? Hero x Hero? Amazing, outstanding. What about Villain x Villain? I myself would love to see more Rogue Jason and Rogue Mari fics.

Any AU is amazing. I admit to having a fondness for Mob Boss Jason, partly because he is one in canon, at least for a while, and because I'm addicted to dark/mafia romance novels. Lieutenant Mari? Yes, please. Rival Mob Boss Mari? Heck yeah! Bat-affiliate Mari? Gimme. Please.

The amount of character exploration you could do if you wrote a romance where they actually stayed together, looking at you, DC is intriguing. Would Jason change for someone he loved? Would he give up crime lording? Would Mari accept him anyways but then they'd have to deal with one half running from the law/vigilantes and the other half being on the vigilantes' side?

Also, soft Jason. Nerding out over books and music and fashion and appreciating the fine things in life and meeting this cute fashion designer with a penchant to listen to Jagged Stone-

So many AU opportunities!! Bakery AU! Mafia AU! Coffee Shop AU! Meetcute at the Museum AU!...

Okay I'll move on now:(

Timari:

LISTEN

This ship IS THE DEFINITION OF THE CEO X SECRETARY TROPE!

I need more, I don't care if it's overused

Also, rival hackers or geniuses.

OR COFFEE SHOP AU

They're both coffee monsters, it's perfect

No I don't care that there are two dozen coffee shop Timari AUs, give me more.

Daminette:

ACADEMIC RIVALS TO LOVERS

Or just rivals to lovers is fine too

YOU REALLY THINK THESE TWO 'MUST BE THE TOP IN CLASS' WOULDN'T BE FIGHTING OVER GRADES AND THEN PAIRED UP ON AN ASSIGNMENT BECAUSE THEY'RE TOO INTENSE TO WORK WITH ANYONE ELSE AND THEN THEY HAVE TO WORK TOGETHER AT ALL TIMES LEST THE OTHER SABOTAGE THEIR PROJECT AND THEN THEY FALL IN LOVE-

anyways

I'm not even into HP but I want a Hogwarts AU with these two-

or any dark academia rivals to lovers au

Roynette:

Enemies or Rivals to Lovers

It's just a simple misunderstanding, as all large rifts start off with.

There's a translation issue or an eavesdropping that is taken out of context

(they're both idiots your honour)

But then something happens and they have to work together or they're made to talk and they realize it's all just a misunderstanding

And then they're like... " while we're clearing the air...so uh, I kinda have a crush on you'

"no way, me too!!"

And Mari meets Lian (or maybe that's what starts this, Jason and Mari are hanging out babysitting Lian and Roy comes to pick Lian up and they start talking and and and-)

And Mari loves Lian immediately of course, who wouldn't?

And so Roy likes her more because she likes Lian so automatically she's not as bad as he thought, and Lian really likes her too

And then they fall in love and Jason and Lian are the master matchmakers behind the scenes

You can pry OTP Jason & Lian setting up Roynette out of my cold dead hands

Konette:

I haven't seen or read a ton of Konette, but they usually meet at the Titans

Friends to Lovers 100%

They're both quiet and new and feeling out the dynamics

so they're often pushed together on purpose or by accident because the others are just so loud and chaotic

And then they become BFFs and are less inclined to join the others' chaos and so spend more time together, and so the cycle continues

And then one day something happens

Kon is Kryptonian and Mari had the Miraculous, they're usually the least-damaged members, but something happens, there's Kryptonite or magic or Something and one or both gets hurt.

The other jumps in front of them to take the blow because they can't let the other get hurt

"Why did you do that?!"

"I couldn't let you get hurt. You need to save our teammates."

Then the hurt one faints or passes out and the other confesses and thinks they can't hear them

They get back to the Tower safely and get treated and wake up and then they see the other

"Did you say you loved me, when I was passed out?"

"You heard that? Uh...yeah, I love you."

"I love you too!"

I haven't read much of any of the other ships to get a good feel on them, so I'm stopping here:)

#Hcs #DCxMLB #jasonette #dickinette #brucinette #daminette #timari #konette #roynette #TTT2023 #team: rare flair #team: java junkies #team: book design #team: spandex flex #team: pretty punk

[mysticprofessoralienhumanoid]

Batman: And that concludes our battle plan.

Batman: Alright, Marinette, you're up.

Ladybird, walking to the front of the group: Now let's see how much you guys were paying attention!

*kahoot music starts*

#jason: jesus Christ let me just fucking kashoot myself- #he is SO DONE #maribat #dc x mlb #mlb x dc #maribat incorrect quotes #marinette x batfam #jasonette #dickinettte #daminette #maridami #timari #timinette #dukette #brucinette #(i guess but I don't see it tbh)

[marauderundercover]

pieces fall right into place

Background here

“Mama! Monster!” Marinette immediately leaps off of the couch and rushes to her daughter’s room, heart pounding in her chest. Bursting into the dark room, Marinette immediately flips the overhead light on, scanning the room for any intruders. 

“Where’d the monster go, baby?” Marinette asks softly, scooping her daughter into her arms. Eléonore sniffles before pointing towards the closet. Now most people, when asking a two-year old about the monster they saw, would reassure the toddler that there was no monster. And that the closet was empty. But Marinette wasn’t stupid. She’d been friends with John Constantine for years, after all. Instead of going towards the closet, Marinette slowly backs out of the room. There was the chance, obviously, that there wasn’t actually a monster. That her daughter had merely had a bad dream because of all of the boxes that were stacked in her room. But Marinette wasn’t stupid. And she wasn’t going to take any chances. The second she’s out of the room, she rushes to the closet that John had warded for her when she first moved in almost five years ago. Ella cuddles closer as Marinette steps into the closet, crouching to avoid hitting her head on the shelves. Sitting with her back pressed against the back of the closet, Marinette takes a second to take in a shaky breath before pulling out her phone. 

“‘Ello.” The familiar voice says, and Marinette’s relieved that he actually sounds calm for once. There’d been several times in the past where she’d called and literally heard the wails of the damned in the background. 

“Eléonore saw a monster in her room.” Marinette says, skipping straight to the point. 

“What did it look like?” John asks, and Marinette scoffs. 

“I didn’t stick around to look, John. I was a little busy making sure our daughter was safe.” She points out. 

“Right. Can you ask Ella what color it was? She’s pretty good at colors.” John says. Marinette gently pushes the baby hairs out of her daughter’s face. 

“Hey bébé, dad has a question about the monster.” Marinette says softly. Ella immediately sits up, a huge grin spread across her face. Marinette smiles, despite the situation, and presses the speaker button. 

“Hi daddy!” Ella says. 

“Hello love, mama says you saw a monster.” John says, his voice immediately far softer than it had been when he was talking to Marinette. Ella nods. 

“Scary monster.” She affirms. 

“I know, sweetheart. Can you tell me what color it was? I’m on my way to help.” He says, and Marinette feels her shoulders slump in relief. When it came to magic or supernatural problems that came about, she was glad that she’d always been able to call John. Their friendship (and yes, despite their daughter it would only ever be platonic between them) had been one of her first outside of the original Miraculous team. Ever since stepping out of Paris and into the world as a whole, she’d had John to rely on. Even if he could be a complete ass at times. Marinette vaguely listens to Ella and John, only really focusing when John calls her name. Glancing down at their daughter, she realizes that she’d fallen asleep.

“Sorry, what?” Marinette asks. John huffs. 

“I’ve gotta get off the line, but I’m almost at your apartment. Call your fiance, would ya? No need to have him panic if Oracle spots me in the area. And tell him to stay clear til I’ve checked out the area.” He says. Marinette agrees and hangs up before quickly dialing Bruce. 

“Hello darling. Everything alright? I thought you said you were going to bed early tonight.” Bruce says, the worry obvious in his voice. 

“Ella saw a monster in her room. John’s on his way to check it out for us.” Marinette says with a sigh. 

“What? Are you both okay? Do I need to come over? I can be there in less than five minutes.” He rambles. 

“We’re fine. We’re in a safe place, mon amour, I promise. John said not to come over until he’s checked it out.” She says. Bruce grumbles lowly, and Marinette suppresses a snort. Bruce and John were definitely…reluctant to interact as much as they did. John was more okay with it, simply because of the fact that he knew it annoyed Bruce. But for Marinette, it was important to her that the three of them worked together and got along, for Eléonore. Even though they’d been working at it for two years, it was still hard at times. But they made it work. 

“Perhaps you should come stay here tonight.” Bruce offered, and Marinette couldn’t help but smile. 

“Trying to get us to move in quicker?” She teases. 

“I just- I worry about you. Both of you.” He says, his voice serious. 

“I know, love. I just- the wards on the closet-” She starts, but Bruce cuts her off. 

“About that-” He starts. “I actually asked Constantine to add some wards to the Manor.” He says. Marinette blinks in shock. Bruce, who was notorious for not accepting help, had reached out to someone he wasn’t a huge fan of. 

“What?” Marinette asks, her voice barely above a whisper. 

“He told me once that he has more enemies than I do. Enemies that aren’t deterred by the security I already have on the Manor. I thought…I needed to make sure that you and Ella would be safe. Constantine agreed, obviously.” He explains. Marinette feels warmth flood her chest. 

“I love you.” She says, grinning softly, and she’s almost able to tune out the sounds of the fight outside of the small closet. Obviously life wasn’t going to be easy. She’d known that from the moment she saw the two lines on the test. But she knew it would all work out in the end. 

Tag list: @maribat-calendar-events

#maribat #maribat marinette dupain cheng #maribat bruce wayne #brucinette #brucinette2022 #maribat dark dec 2022 #maribatdarkdec2022 #maribat john constantine #maribat mominette #platonic constanette

[boldlyanxious]

Duke and Dash

Accidental Cinderella au

Masterlist

"This is a terrible idea, Alya. We are going to be caught,” Marinette whispered urgently.

Alya turned and looked at her, reaching out she lifted Marinette so her back was straight and lifted her head from under her chin.

“No one will notice the difference. I have to be here if I am to keep up my paper. Everyone who reads me wants to know everything that is happening at the masquerade.”

“But what if we are discovered? What will happen to our parents or to Nino?” Marinette fretted. “How did you even convince him to sneak us in? He just got the job as the minstrel. Surely he will be suspected first.”

Alya’s eyes danced as she responded, “I was able to persuade him.”

“I’m sure you were. I bet there would be a scandal if anyone knew how persuasive you were.”

They silenced their voices as there was a commotion across the room. The crowd was entering and everyone was clamoring for a chance to mingle. This was their opportunity to sneak in without anyone seeing them. Moving quickly, they joined the crowd and no one even noticed them. The crowd was packed too tight for them to see much beyond those near them, but they were not particularly concerned. They were just here so Alya could continue writing about what happened at the ball. The reactions of others were far more important and they would do well to stay away from the guests who wanted attention. There would be too much scrutiny for their ruse to survive.

The conversation was exhausting, if she were honest. She would be content to sit back and admire all the clothing of the rich and powerful people here. She could embellish her dresses as much as she wanted but she could never hope to afford such luxurious fabrics. The fact that she had managed to get ahold of the fabric for this dress was a fluke. Lady Kagami was supposed to go but she was using the opportunity to sneak away. It was why she had commissioned Marinette to make the dress and she had put in a good word for Nino to join the minstrels. She wanted to become a knight but her mother was pushing for her to get married into a good family. The rumor was that the Duke would be returning to find a wife so Lady Tsurugi was determined for her daughter to meet him.

Even with the mask, Marinette felt fully exposed every time someone raised an eyebrow at her response. She didn’t know enough about what she was supposed to say to know what she was even doing wrong. All the conversation to her felt forced but it seemed to be so easy for everyone else. She felt like everyone was watching her because her bright red gown was out of place while the other ladies were all in muted colors that fit nicely with the deep colors the men wore. She stuck out by her attire and her behavior so she moved towards a hallway to escape notice. There was a garden with a paved path and flowers all around. The candles lit a pathway and she followed it, breathing in the fragrant aroma. She had always wanted to visit this garden but it was off limits to her.

She was alone for several minutes before a voice interrupted her thoughts. She turned suddenly, panicking at the intrusion. She had heard no footsteps but before her was a man all in black. His mask stuck out from his face bringing his eyes into focus but surrounded by sharp points like the wings of a bat. It was so different from her soft mask that laid against her face. The red of the mask matched her dress and the black lace pattern on the edge matched the lace that formed the ladybug spots across the dress. The delicate gauzy material that formed split cape wings from her shoulders was also used to make a hair piece that formed antennae above her head. The look was finished with long black gloves that nearly touched the loose off the shoulder sleeves.

“I didn’t expect to find anyone else out here,” his voice was soft and deep.

“Oh,” she said, stepping back. She hadn’t expected him to be so tall. “I could leave. I just needed a moment alone and it was so lovely.”

“It seems that a ladybug is in the natural spot surrounded by flowers.”

“I suppose that is true, but the night gives way for the right of bats to have territory.”

“That is also true. If we both have the right then I suppose we both may stay here.”

She stepped away and sat on a nearby bench.

“I appreciate that. I enjoy the quiet here.”

It could have been awkward. Maybe even should have been but it was nice. Marinette slipped out her design book and started drawing based on what she could remember of the clothing she had seen. She rarely had the opportunity to see such fine attire. She may see regular day clothes for the nobility but tonight they were in their finery to outdo each other and it was magnificent. She continued for quite some time, forgetting that she wasn’t alone until the batman spoke again.

“You have some skill with that. You must have had a good teacher to learn drawing so well.”

He was watching her closely. She wondered how long he had been watching her. She didn’t know if he was sincere. Insincerity as a slight was second nature to many of the nobility but his eyes didn’t seem to hold contempt as she was accustomed to.

“I was not trained to draw. I just found I enjoy doing it,” she said.

He sat on the bench next to her and reached out his hand, silently requesting to see what she had drawn. She passed it over and he flipped through the pages for a few minutes before handing it back to her. She tried not to suck in her breath as their fingers brushed together.

“I was trained for many years and that is a far better skill than I ever managed.”

They went silent again for a few moments. She didn’t know if it was considered rude to remain silent. Perhaps she was expected to present a conversation topic for them but she had no thoughts on it. She enjoyed sitting in silence without having to work to think of the right thing to say. She may have outed herself by saying nothing though because after their brief pause, he cleared his throat. She looked over apprehensively, expecting him to get angry and have her dragged out of the party for masquerading as a noble.

“It grows late,” he said, “I find myself in danger of breaking a promise.”

“Please, don’t let me hold you up. I am fine here on my own.”

“I prefer being here. I also found the party a little too much for me. But I made a promise to dance tonight and there is only one young lady I wish to dance with.”

Marinette stood and faced him, leaving her small book on the bench.

“If you remember anything about her, I could try to locate her for you,” she was definitely showing her deference here at trying to meet the needs of a noble.

“I would like that very much,” he said. He stood as well. “She was the most beautiful woman at the party but I don’t think you will find her in there anymore.”

He took a step towards her, bringing an arm up to her elbow. She could feel the heat from his fingertips through her long gloves. His thumb brushed against the lace at the top.

“Everyone in the room noticed her beauty and they were buzzing with envy. Her smile was sweet and her eyes were bright blue.”

“I will look around. It is good you were able to see the eyes since everyone was in a mask. Do you remember any other details about her or her clothing?”

“Her dress,” he paused, stepping even closer. She looked up at him and he was looking down at her with something in his eyes that she couldn’t place. He leaned closer before he whispered, “it was the most lovely shade of red.”

She was dazed when he whispered near her ear. She could feel her cheeks heat up at the movement of his face near her. She had never been so close to a man she wasn’t related to. She was flooded with feelings she didn’t recognize even before she registered what he had said. Her mouth froze into an oh and her eyes were wide. She was not only wearing red, but she had been the only person in attendance wearing red. His hand slid from her elbow down to take her hand in his. He positioned his feet and placed his other hand at her waist.

She moved stiffly into the formal dancing position. She had learned as a child but it was mostly play for her. She had not had actual instruction or any expectation of learning the steps. It was just for fun as the children of the servants liked to pretend they were suddenly swept away into the court. She enjoyed dancing but she had always done far more on her own than as the partner of someone who knew the steps. She didn’t even realize she was looking down at her feet to make sure she didn’t step on his until he used his hand to tilt her head up.

“Just follow me. I’ll steer you. Close your eyes if it helps.”

She closed her eyes and she could hear the music in the distance. She leaned slightly closer and followed his movement. She was lost in the feeling. He started speaking, telling her about his childhood and his hopes for the future. She felt like she was swimming or still dancing but he had stopped and was watching her. There was nothing she could say about her childhood or her plans of the future that would not give her away. Her childhood had been vastly different and her plans for the future were more modest than anything that he would expect.

“It is customary to remove the mask at some point in the evening,” he said as he reached for his own. “I hope you will be happy with the man you find behind it.”

He removed his mask before she comprehended what was happening. His blue eyes watched hers and his black hair fell down over his forehead. She was stunned. He was possibly the most attractive man she had ever seen and she knew that for a fact because she had seen him before. Her parents worked as bakers in the kitchens here. She would often help them and she knew him as he grew up. Not personally, definitely not. The baker’s daughter was only suited to be friends with the children of the chef and the maids. She would never have played with Bruce Wayne, the son of the Duke. Not the son anymore. His parents had died when he was a child leaving him with the title. He had left not long after for schooling only to return now.

She stumbled backwards, falling over in her hurry. She didn’t look back as he called out to her. She pushed herself up off the ground and ran, holding her skirts up to help her get away. He was chasing after her but she turned off onto a darker pathway and made her way to the back entrance where her parents were probably already asleep. They would probably have expected her to sleep over with Alya, knowing that they had a tendency to stay up giggling far too late for the wake time of their parents. Some days they would both have to work early with their parents but they did allow them the occasional freedom to sleep late.

She was quiet as she carefully removed the dress. She hoped that the fall had not damaged it. It had been expensive and she expected that Lady Kagami might need it returned to her one day. She put on her nightgown and crawled onto her pallet to sleep. She didn’t sleep though. She laid awake for hours thinking. The whispers around the house were that the Duke had to return to be married. He would lose his land and titles if he didn’t settle down and marry. The expectation was that all the marriageable ladies would be in attendance at the ball and he would pick one lucky lady to be his duchess.

But he had revealed himself to Marinette and she was not a lady. She fell into a fitful sleep just as the day was dawning. It was far too soon when she woke up to voices. Not just her parents' voices. She splashed water on her face and pulled her dress over her head. She could hear footsteps coming and even if her parents allowed her the day to sleep late, it would not be acceptable for anyone else to find her this way. She slid on her shoes and tucked her hair into a scarf covering her hair. The dress she tucked into the pillow so it wouldn’t be discovered by her parents. She slid her hand into the pocket to find her notebook to discover it wasn’t there.

She suddenly realized where she had left it just as the door opened. Her mother looked around and motioned for her to follow. Her parents looked serious and she immediately realized why. Sitting at their table was the butler from upstairs, sipping tea. He watched Marinette as she walked out but he continued making casual conversation with her father. Her mother was pretending everything was fine but Marinette could tell that she was nervous. She tended to love having guests. She would bring out a tray of cakes and tea and sit but now she was moving more slowly and shaking slightly.

Marinette took the tray for her and placed it on the table.

“That won’t be necessary,” Mr Pennyworth said. He was still watching her for any reaction. “We will be leaving.”

He stood and walked to the door and the three of them stayed in their places.

“If you would all follow me,” he said.

Marinette kept her face neutral as she felt her parents turn to look at her. This wasn’t fair to them. She would have to find a way to keep them out of trouble for her mistakes. Hopefully Alya and Lady Kagami had been spared any connection to her being there and her parents could convincingly say they were completely unaware and it would sound right because it was true. It took several minutes walking through the corridors and up several flights of stairs before they arrived in the library.

There was tea laid out and Mr Pennyworth motioned for them to sit. He handed out cups of tea and offered cakes that they had prepared themselves but were far fancier than they had in their own apartment. Her father was stoic and held his mug out but her mother immediately put hers on the table, unable to hold it steady. Marinette took a hesitant sip. She had just woken up and expected she would need the tea to fortify her.

“Do you perhaps recognize this?”

Mr Pennyworth took her drawing book and put it before them on the table. Of course they recognized it. They had proudly given it to her on her last birthday. It had been a very expensive gift but they wanted to encourage her in her love of the fashions as they were able. They probably regretted it now. They certainly would not be proud when they heard about what she had done.

“That belongs to my daughter,” her father said. She knew to let him speak first or risk insulting everyone by speaking out of turn. “She takes it with her everywhere. I am certain if she lost it. it was an honest mistake.”

“Oh Papa,” she said in a small voice. “I’m so sorry.”

She paused before taking a breath and looking up.

“Please, my parents would never have allowed me to go where I wasn’t allowed. They had no idea. Don’t punish them for my transgressions.”

He walked right in front of her and her parents watched her horrified as he listed them out in front of them.

“You do admit that you snuck into the masquerade ball last night,” she nodded. “You wandered into the garden where you are not allowed to be.” She nodded again. “You danced and conversed with a gentleman knowing that he had now knowledge of your lack of rank.”

She looked at her parents' faces to see the horror and disappointment at her behavior.

“It is all true,” she said. “I did everything you said and all without my parent’s knowing. If they had known, they would have done whatever it took to stop me, including turning me in for my own protection.”

“You believe she is the same one, sir?”

The butler had turned to address the Duke as he entered the library as silently as he had the garden last night.

“I am certain it is her,” he said.

The room was still for a beat until Mr Pennyworth turned back and addressed her parents.

“I am sure you know that this is very serious,” he paused as they nodded. Marinette looked down and tried to keep the hot tears from slipping down her face. “The Duke has returned as many have likely speculated to seek a marriage. This has become complicated because after last night he says he will marry no one,” he paused dramatically and fixed his eyes on them and then pointed at Marinette, “except her.”

Her parents both tried to talk at once but Marinette couldn’t get over her shock until the Duke came over to her and knelt down.

“I know we just met, but I felt more comfortable with you in a few hours than I have with anyone in my life. Would you do me the honor of marrying me?”

“I am not a noble, what business would I have marrying a Duke?”

“If you want to say no, say that but if you want to say yes, I swear to you I will make it happen.”

“I want to say yes,” she looked beside her at her parents and they were nodding in agreement.

“Then, we shall be married.”

He pulled her up to stand in front of him and lightly kissed her cheek. Then he pulled a ring out of his jacket.

“This was my mother’s.”

She looked down at it. There were glittering stones set in it, but all she noticed was the engraved ladybug design.

#brucinette #maribat #boldlyanxious #Cinderella brucinette #historical maribal #mgi civil war 3

[soulmate-game]

It was over. For real this time, it was done. Pink hair, darker with matted blood, splayed out on the broken gravel. The white and blue that usually cloaked the mysterious Bunnyx was stripped away, Miraculous lost in the battle.

They had known. He had known. Shadow Moth.

He had known when she would pop out of her burrow, and surprised the normally all-knowing hero. Viperion had fallen long earlier, the only reason Bunnyx had even been forced to get involved.

They lost. It was all lost.

Dust clogged the air, stagnant without any wind to send it anywhere. Suspended, in the lacking gravity that came from the battle. It hadn’t been Chat Blanc, and yet the moon was still naught but shards in a darkened sky.

There was no going back. She couldn’t find any of the Miraculous that could turn back time. Her earrings were still in, but Tikki was silent. Silent and still, where the Kwamii lay in her palms.

Plagg was awake, but despondent. He hadn’t said a word since Adrien’s heart stopped, since the transformation was ripped away from him. She wasn’t sure if he would ever speak again, the way he was looking at Tikki’s fragile, limp form.

And, as she once again was left staring at her own glass eyes and mangled body below her, she wasn’t sure it mattered. Shadow Moth— Gabriel— was dead. But so was everyone else. So was she.

The League had tried— in a fit of desperation, she had called them in. Called them to their deaths alongside her and her team. Only one remained standing, only one life still burning amongst the wreckage.

“… I’m sorry,” he whispered in the stagnant air. He was not without his own injuries, beat and bleeding to within an inch of his life. An inch that nobody else had left, but one that would still fizzle out without a hospital to tend to him.

“Maybe it’s the hallucinations that come with my concussion, or my lack of blood, but… I feel you there,” he continued his soliloquy, staring up at the rubble that once was the moon. “If I could still move, I’d grab the earrings and the ring. Constantine mentioned them before we headed over.”

She tilted her head at him, ripping her gaze from her own corpse. From what she could tell, she was the only ghost here. May as well give him the respect of hearing his last words.

“And I’d wish for a do-over. Nothing perfect, I’ve been disillusioned about getting a happily ever after. But this world deserves better. Longer. You should have had help, we should have insisted on providing more assistance— even from afar. Guidance. Something. And now look where our negligence landed us.”

She would wish, too. If she could still interact with the world. If she wasn’t intangible.

“Bruce,” he rasped. “If you really are there,” he seemed to actually find her then, staring right into her eyes. “There’s nobody for you to tell anymore. But my name is Bruce Wayne. If… if either of us get another chance, find me.”

He faded.

She waited until he was gone, no ghost remaining of him like she did. At least he could have someone by his side at the end.

She sighed, wondering why she was cursed to this lonely end. The wish… even if she could, she couldn’t grab—

A pebble shifted, and she froze.

A moment passed. She stomped down.

The gravel crunched under her foot.

The gravel.

Crunched.

She had never moved so fast in her entire existence.

—*—*—*—*—*

He looked different without a half-burned cowl struggling to hide his chiseled jaw. She watched through the window as he tiredly swept his fingers through his hair.

“Who am I meeting with, again?” He asked his assistant, who didn’t even glance at her clipboard before replying.

“MDC, the French designer who reached out about a partnership,” she recited easily. “The same woman who has been standing outside the door waiting for you to invite her in, because her appointment started five minutes ago.”

His head whipped up, and she couldn’t help but wave at him through the glass. When their eyes met, he jolted as if struck by lightning. His pupils shrunk— whether in fear or memory, she could not tell. What she did know, though, was that he scattered papers across the floor in his rush to stand.

“Y—“ he cut himself off, swallowing thickly and making a show of adjusting his blazer. “Miss MDC? Please come in.”

“Please, call me Marinette,” she insisted, finally stepping around the window and through the open door. After his assistant left and the door was closed, they stood in silence. Marinette had planned— stewed, really— for months about how this meeting would go. She had worked so hard for it, but what if he didn’t believe her? What if…

“You got it,” he whispered, a soft smile stretching across his lips as his eyes overflowed with wonder directed at her. “You got us a do-over.”

That startled a strangled laugh from her. He remembered. What kind of awful curse made him remember when not even Tikki and Plagg did?

“Somehow,” she agreed. “We have a lot to talk about, Bruce Wayne. Maybe even over dinner?”

His responding chuckle was deep and unfairly charming. “Relationships formed from trauma hardly pan out well, but why not? Can’t turn out any worse than the apocalypse.”

—*—*—*—*—*

Oh wow, maybe ao3 crashing affected me more deeply than I thought. Do I have a problem? I might have a problem lol.

#ficlet #one shot #maribat #mlb x dc #ml x dc #dc x mlb #dc x miraculous #platonic jasonette #brucinette #Marinette x Bruce Wayne #aged up Marinette #ao3 crash #this is what happens when Ao3 doesn’t work #I get angsty

[jayphoenic]

Masterlist of Reccomendations

I've compiled all of my posts here for easy access (ﾉ◕ヮ◕)ﾉ*.✧

A Bunch of Masterlists

Miraculous Ladybug

Maribat

DCU

Marvel

My Hero Academia

Harry Potter

Supernatural

Teen Wolf

Hannibal

Katekyo Hitman Reborn

What If (Original) Series

If I can take some of your time for this, I have some fics that I don't remember the title or where I read, but I would very much like to read them again.

Searching For A Fic. Help?

#maribat recommendations #maribat fanfic #maribat au #maribat fics #ml x dc #dc x mlb #mlb x dc #mlb x batman #mlb x batfamily #daminette #jasonette #shutterbug #timinette #timari #dickinette #brucinette #dcxml #mlxdc #miraculous fanfiction #miraculous fanfic #miraculous ladybug #adrien antagonist #lila rossi salt #ml class salt #alya cesaire #alya salt #dc fanfic #dc fic rec #dc fic #batman fanfiction

[maribatz-2k]

Day 4: Baby Girl

Sitting in the middle of the living room of a small apartment sat a man with messy blueish black hair. He was leaning forward restless as he adjusted the camera consistently before being satisfied with the position and held the remote. He was wearing a pair of black jeans and a red button up shirt running he hand through his hair he finally looked to the camera exposing his blue eyes.

"hey baby girl." He starts out. "I know you haven't met me yet, but it's your dad." He paused for a second to breath. "Look, I love you from the moment your mom told me she was pregnant. The moment she showed me those two little pink lines. Every morning I'd kiss you and mom good morning. And every night I'd kiss you both good night." Another pause before he continued. His voice begining to soften.

"Each week your mom would show me photos of how big you might be inside her tummy. Today you're the size of a pear. You're getting so big." The man pauses it. He returns a week later wearing a green Tshirt that says "coffee is power" with a squirrel running on a wheel.

"Hey baby girl, it's daddy." His voice was excited as he speaks. "Mommy told me you began to move around. I didn't believe it until you kicked me in my back one night. You're growing so big already and you're not even here. You and mommy are incredible." He picks u othe camera and walks into a room finding a raven haired woman at a table sewing a plush blanket. She looks up and gives a happy wave then leans up to kiss the man.

"Hey you. We just heard some amazing news. The doctor says you'll be here soon. Daddy can't wait to meet you princess. You're uncles are just as excited that they overwhelm mommy from time to time to feel you move. But that's okay. Mommy is a tough lady, she kicks their ass." A smack was given from behind, landing on the back of his head. The raven haired woman had walked behind him with a pickle in her mouth and the jar in her left hand. "Don't repeat that word. 'ass' is a bad word." Another smack followed by a "Tim!"

"Hey baby..." He began, wearing a black tshirt and his hair was just not even combed. "Mommy isn't doing too well. They said that you will have to come early in order to help you and mommy out. But she's fighting with the doctor. She doesn't want you to come too early so you have a chance to see everyone." His voice was soft as if trying to hide the tears that try to escape. His eyes. Another voice calls out being heard in the recording but unable to understand the sounds.

"Hey baby girl it's mommy." The voice was chipper but also held sadness. She sat on the bed in the hospital, repositioning the camera on the food tray to get a better view. She sat up abit more exposing her baby bump that looks to be no more than 30 weeks. The hospital gown just draped over her body.

"I want you to know I love you so much. You will be a beautiful little girl with so many people to love you. They are all waiting here for you." There was a long shaky breath before she continued. "Mommy won't be able to see you when you come. But if by chance I do, it would make me so happy to know you made it safely. Baby girl, love your daddy with all your heart. Forgive him for a while as he raises you. He'll be learning along with you. Don't forget, it you need help, you always have your family who will be there. And I am always a prayer away to listen." Tears welled in her eyes, trying to contain them. Someone came in and turned the camera off.

The camera turned back on again to the man previously holding a baby wrapped in a pink blanket. The man wasn't too sure if he should be recording but he did it anyways.

"Hey baby girl, mommy got to see you. Let me tell you she gave the most beautiful smile." He adjusted the baby as she begins to grow fussy. She now laid against his shoulder patting her bottom as he bounced her in a tired state. As he "shh" the baby someone else walks in and waves to the camera.

"Hello little Emmy. It's your Uncle Dick. I'm the oldest of your daddy's siblings. I plan to teach you as much gymnastic acts as possible and take you to do so many fun stuff with your cousin Mar'i." He smiled brightly as the camera catches the younger man roll his eyes. Another man walks in just a bit taller than Dick and pluck the baby from the tired one.

"Hey mini pixie. I'm your Uncle Jason. The coolest uncle out of the siblings." He gives the baby a cheesy grin as he lifts her up in the air gently making her giggle. Another man walks in just about as tall as Dick but more leaned out. His eyes were almost a dark green.

"Hey little one. I'm your Uncle Damian. Youngest of the group but the strongest." He winked at the camera showing a side he never has to anyone before. His brothers looked at him with jaws dropped as he moved to take the baby from Jason. The men all step back to circle the tired on, who just looks like he's ready to go to bed and not want to wake up. An elderly man dressed as a butler walks in sending a wave as an older version of Damian walks in with a woman.

"Hello sweet baby girl, I'm Grandma Selina and this is Grandpa Bruce. Besides us is Great Grandpa Alfie. We love you dearly and can't wait to teach and watch you grow to be a wonderful woman we know you will become. Your mommy left us just as quickly as she arrived. But we will always see her in you. If you ever need us we will be there with you even if your daddy just gets annoying." She gives a soft chuckle then moves over and sits next to the tired man, hugging his shoulders to her. Bruce moves to the other side and hugs the young man before reaching for the baby from Damian. It was almost a perfect family portrait moment. The camera turned off with everyone smiling happy smiles with sadness in their eyes.

@maribatserver

#maribat #mlb x dc #ml x dc #timari #brucinette #maribatmarch2023