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rosie-b · 11 months

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The Mer-Human Race

(9139 words)

Bringing her hand closer to his lips, Adrien tried to plant a kiss on it, but Marinette pulled away before his lips could touch her. “Save it for your girlfriend,” she said teasingly. “Or do you still not have one yet?” Adrien smirked and crossed his arms. “It’s a girl,” he said. “And I know her in real life. That’s all you get. Now, let’s get back to planning, shall we? We have a mermaid to beat.”

You can read the full story on AO3 with this link or on Tumblr below!

Marinette had always wanted to be the captain of one of Dupont’s ships.

It was a port town, and she’d grown up watching sailors set out on and return from voyages across the ocean. She’d heard their tales of far-off lands when they stopped in her family’s bakery for something familiar and fresh to eat after weeks of voyaging, and wanted to see the exciting places they visited for herself, one day.

And she knew that she would be an excellent captain! She was already an outstanding sailor,, though the ships she sailed on never left France’s waters, and they only transported goods from town to coastal town.

Adrien agreed that Marinette would be “the best captain Dupont’s ever had,” though she didn’t expect anything less from her best childhood friend. Alya was equally as supportive, without the dramatics, and Nino said that he’d sign up to be on her ship in a flash.

As a matter of fact, nearly everyone in Dupont already knew that Marinette was the best sailor they had to offer, so the unfairly high minimum age requirement for ship captains was the only real obstacle blocking her path. She could wait for a few more years to become a captain, of course, but she would rather not, when there was no good reason for her to have to.

Still, every single one of her professionally drafted requests for an exception to the town council was turned down.

A different girl might have given up.

But Marinette had a plan, one that depended on her town’s unique history and traditions.

You see, in addition to having a bustling port and a booming economy, Dupont was also one of only a few towns in France with a mer city nearby. For hundreds of years, the Mer-Human treaty had guaranteed peaceful relations between the two races, and over time, a number of holidays and traditions specific to Dupont and to the mers’ city of François rose up, two of which Marinette was particularly interested in.

One was the upcoming Mer-Human race, held once a year when the water temperature was deemed warm enough by the mers. They would send a challenger with the date of the race, and one human from Dupont would volunteer to take the mer’s challenge. They would race in conditions as equal as possible over a section of water near the coast; the mer swimming naturally, without enhancements, and the human sailing a small boat, called a melusinette, which had been developed over the years specifically for this race. The winner could ask for anything they wanted from the loser, from a meal or a piece of jewelry to something less substantial, as long as their request was reasonable. Marinette had never accepted a mer’s challenge before, but she was determined to this year, and she already knew what she would ask for as her prize.

It was another tradition in Dupont, a town with many hopeful sailors and ships’ captains, that any citizen who was sponsored by a mer would be given whatever position on a ship they requested. After all, who could judge a person’s skill on the seas better than a mer, whose entire life was spent in the ocean? If Marinette could just get a mer to sponsor her request, she was sure an exception would be made for her, so that she could become the captain of a ship.

Unfortunately, she didn’t know any mers, Marinette complained as she explained her plan to her circle of friends as they sat in her room above her parents’ bakery.

Alya crossed her arms.

“So instead of trying to make friends with one — which you could have done at any point before now — you’re going to challenge one, instead, and hope that you win the race?”

Marinette shrugged. “I know I’ll win that race, Alya. I’m the best sailor in Dupont, and I’ve trained on the melusinette before. It’s not that hard to pilot, especially since it’s simpler than most of the boats we trained on to join the Coccinelle. Besides, I won’t be doing the challenging. I just have to ready to take the mers’ challenge before anyone else does.”

“That’s easier said than done,” Adrien pointed out. “No one knows when the challenger will arrive, although with how warm the days are getting, it should be sometime within the next few weeks. But more importantly, no one knows where they’ll arrive, either. Dupont has a lot of beaches the mer could visit.”

“Besides, isn’t there a better way to do this? We’ve guessed that Chloe’s influence kept the mayor from letting the council take your previous requests, but couldn’t you find a way to go around him? There’s got to be something in a dusty old law book somewhere. Dupont has a lot of old rules; I’m sure you can find something,” Nino said.

Marinette frowned. “I already searched the library’s physical and digital collection multiple times, Nino. There’s nothing! The rule about age, itself, is new enough that nothing from the distant past can help us. Although, there was one handwritten book from the 1400s that I couldn’t read, so I might be missing something. But I don’t think it was about sailing or mer-human relations,” she said with a shrug. “Winning the race is my last option, other than just waiting for two years, eight months, and nine days to turn twenty-one! If this doesn’t work, fine. But I have to at least try!”

Marinette crossed her ankles and leaned forward in her chair, her wide eyes pleading with her friends to understand.

Adrien was the first to crack.

“I think it might work,” he said. “As long as the mer challenger isn’t too much older and stronger than you. Or if they’ve been training on the course already— you’ve been too busy sailing to do that yourself.”

“Yeah,” Nino agreed, “It’s really lucky that we’re off for the whole month, or you’d risk losing your chance of accepting the challenge, anyway.”

“I’m not off,” Adrien interrupted.

Nino whacked him in the head with his cap. “Well, excuse me, bakery boy, I was talking to the sailors in the room!”

Adrien chuckled as he grabbed the cap away from Nino. “Yeah, it’s too bad Père never let me sign up to learn how to sail with you guys.”

“Learn how to sail? My dude, he never even let you learn how to swim! What kind of father does that? I mean, I guess he’s from Paris, so he’s weird like the rest of the landlubbers, but still. He needs to loosen up,” Nino said.

Adrien frowned as he handed Nino’s cap back to him. “He was always stricter than he needed to be,” he agreed. “It sucked watching you all get to go on boating trips as kids while he kept me at home.”

“Well, you’re over eighteen now,” Alya pointed out. “You could just learn from one of us! We’d all be happy to teach you.”

Marinette nodded vigorously. “Yeah! I’d be happy to help kick off your overdue teenage rebellion,” she offered. “And if he tries to kick you out because of it, my parents would just adopt you.”

Adrien laughed. “I don’t think that’s necessary. Besides, I’d hate to be your brother,” he said, his eyes glinting mischievously. “That’s the absolute worst thing I can imagine.”

Marinette gasped and jumped out of her chair. “You take that back! Alya, help me,” she said as she tried to get revenge on Adrien by tickling him. He twisted and leaned back in his chair, hiding the parts of his body Marinette knew were the most ticklish.

Alya laughed as she watched them, and Nino looked on in mild interest. They were used to seeing their friends fight by now, but it never lost its entertainment value.

“No, I think I might record this, instead,” Alya joked as Marinette struggled to hold Adrien down while she resorted to messing up his hair. “You can rewatch it when you’re feeling lonely at sea, missing Adrien.”

“Yeah, she cried almost every night on the first trip because she missed you so much, dude,” Nino supplied helpfully. “It hasn’t gotten much better since then. She’s always staring forlornly at your pictures on her phone.”

Marinette whirled on her friends. “I am not!” she protested with blazing cheeks.

Behind her, Adrien slowly straightened up, running his hands through his hair in an attempt to calm it into its usual shape.

“Aww, you miss me when you’re gone, Buginette?” he teased. His smirk slowly softened into a smile as he watched Marinette’s pout grow. “I miss you, too,” he admitted, his voice tender as he spoke. A gentle blush covered his cheeks, too, but Nino and Alya knew Marinette would never notice.

“Oh,” she said softly. She smiled back at Adrien. “I guess I’ll have to forgive you, then. It’s no fun to feud with you, anyway. You mean a lot to me; we’re best friends for a reason!”

“I would hardly call that feuding,” Nino remarked as Adrien’s smile momentarily slipped off his face.

“Yeah, if that was feuding, an all-out war must consist of you guys only having one long conversation a day. Maybe that’s why you hate sailing on long trips so much, Marinette,” Alya said.

Marinette sniffed. “That’s not it, Alya. I love long voyages. I wish I had more of them! I just don’t see why Adrien can’t come, too. We could stow him away in our luggage next time.”

Adrien scoffed. “My father would find out about it before your ship left the docks. I love him, but he needs to be less protective. Taking baby steps, getting a job here and signing up for online classes at a university I like, is getting exhausting. But I can’t just leave him. It would feel wrong.”

Marinette frowned sympathetically. “You’ll always have me in your corner, Adrien. Whenever you’re ready for a bigger step, I’ll be right by your side. You know I can speak up to your father for you, if you need it.”

Adrien reached out and squeezed Marinette’s hand with a smile. “Thank you, Marinette,” he said. “You and your parents have already done a lot for me, and I hate to ask for anything more—”

“—But you will if you need to,” Marinette said firmly as she squeezed his hand back.

Adrien’s eyes softened as he looked up at Marinette.

“I will,” he agreed. “Thank you.”

Bringing her hand closer to his lips, he tried to plant a kiss on it, but Marinette pulled away before his lips could touch her.

“Save it for your girlfriend,” she said teasingly. “Or do you still not have one yet?”

Adrien frowned as he let go of her hand. “It’s not like Chloe isn’t trying, but that’s one fish I know is rotten. Besides, I have my eye on someone else.”

“And you still won’t tell me who they are,” Marinette complained, throwing her hands up dramatically. “What kind of friend am I if you can’t trust me with your crushes? Come on, we used to design wedding dresses together. You can give me at least a hint,” she pleaded.

Adrien smirked and crossed his arms.

“It’s a girl,” he said. “And I know her in real life. That’s all you get. Now, let’s get back to planning, shall we? We have a mermaid to beat.”

“Or a merman,” Alya cut in.

Adrien waved his hand. “Same thing. Now, there are five main beaches near town, and we’ll have to watch all of them if we want to be the first to see the mer swim up. Here’s what we’ll do…”

__*__*__*__*__

Five days later, Marinette was shivering on Star Beach, watching waves crash on the shore’s tall rocks and smooth sand as clouds obscured the normally bright night sky. It was colder than she’d expected, but the day had been warm while it lasted, and Adrien had said not to give up hope of seeing a mer near shore.

They’d already seen several, but none of them were wearing the traditional robe of the challenger, a black garment with gold embroidery. It had been a gift from the dauphin, once, and was repaired (or replaced) every decade or so, so that it remained in good shape. It was only worn once a year, for the announcement of the challenge, though a second gift, a black tunic of similar weave, was worn during the race. The human contender would also wear a tunic during the challenge, made of a tough red cloth woven by the mers.

Marinette was only a little concerned that it wouldn’t fit her. She knew how to sew, so she could always make some adjustments, if necessary. But the tunic was old, made during a time when people were smaller on average, and not much had been done to change it since it was first woven. It should fit her just fine, she reflected as she kicked off her sandals and buried her toes in the sand.

She didn’t see why Adrien had insisted they all stay out so late today. They hadn’t missed anything by going to bed earlier the last few days they’d waited. All the other beach-watchers had gone home.

Marinette glanced at a few tide pools as she walked closer to the ocean. A few more minutes and she was going home. She would text the others that this was a dumb idea and try again in the morning.

Dipping her toe in the water, Marinette sighed. She’d been excited when they’d begun their watch for the mer challenger, but she was getting bored of it now. Nothing big ever happened, although Nino got a mild sunburn, his first, on day three.

A wave broke on the rocks, leaving a large, black shape behind as it receded.

Marinette glanced over at it.

The black shape spluttered and moved, spreading out its tailfin for balance as it tried not to fall off the rock.

“This is harder than I thought,” the merman gasped. “Do you have any idea how hard it was to catch your attention?”

Marinette blinked.

“Maybe you shouldn’t have dressed in all black on a starless night, then,” she retorted.

The merman cautiously slid off the rock into the ocean on the next big wave.

“Well, I was busy all day,” he said, moving his dripping wet bangs out of his eyes and blinking them open at her. “This was the only chance I got to come here. Besides, I had to convince the mer-council first, which was not easy. Luckily, I’m friends with their current president.”

Marinette waded into the water, wondering whether this was real or just a scene her mind had made up. It certainly didn’t seem like something she’d thought would happen, even while she made plan after plan to talk to the mer when she finally saw them.

A wave moved the merman closer to the rock he’d landed on before, and he reached out to it for support.

“Have you figured out why I’m here yet, or is it too dark for you to see the gold in my robe?” he asked in a funny voice. “If I swam all this way for nothing, I’ll be pi— upset. It’s still pretty cold,” he marveled. “I thought it would be warmer than this.”

Marinette’s brow wrinkled. “You’re telling me that you’re the mer challenger? You just fell onto a rock; are you sure you can even swim?”

The mer spluttered and lashed his black tail, swimming closer to Marinette, who was nearly waist deep in the water now.

“I can swim better than you can,” he insisted. “Faster, too. But if you don’t believe me, go ahead and race me now, swimming,” he said as he held up a charm bracelet made of seashells, proof for the council that a challenger had really come. “We’ll see who gets their prize then.”

Marinette smirked. “Awfully sure that I’m a challenger, aren’t you? I know you are, at least,” she said, fingering the charm in her hand.

The clouds had moved again, leaving some moonlight to shine down on the merman and the now unmistakeable black robe he wore. The gold threads shone in the light, and as Marinette looked closer at it, she noticed that his tail, too, was not just black. Metallic green scales glinted under the more numerous black ones, almost like glitter.

She’d never known mers could have such beautiful tails.

“Like what you see?” the merman asked, lifting his tail so she could see it better.

Marinette flushed and shoved it back under the water.

“That’s none of your business,” she huffed, though her excuse made no sense even to her own ears. “You came to issue a challenge, so go ahead and do it or I’ll head home. There’s no point staying out late for no reason, freezing my legs off in the ocean.”

A wave splashed the mer’s hair into his face, and he had to push it back again, looking up at her with startled green eyes.

“Oh! Right. Well, it’s colder than I thought in here, so let’s maybe have the race in a week and a half, on Saturday at ten in the morning.”

Marinette nodded. “Sounds good to me.”

The merman grinned. “Great!” A moment passed by before he cleared his throat and asked, “So, are you accepting the challenge, or are you just here to pass on the message to someone who will?”

Marinette slapped her hands to her cheeks. “Yes! I do, I mean I will! I am accepting your challenge! Saturday at ten!”

“And not this one, the next one,” the mer repeated.

“Got it! Thanks!” Marinette squeaked. Remembering that she also needed to provide proof of her challenge, she reached into her pocket and drew out her own handmade charm, plastic beads made on land. “Here. Proof!”

The merman took the bracelet from her and examined it in the moonlight. “It’s beautiful! Okay, I’ll see you at the challenge,” the merman said, flashing a smile at her.

Woah, was he about to leave? Marinette reached out imploringly to him. “Wait! I don’t even know your name! What do I tell the council?”

Bobbing out of the water, the merman smirked. “Tell them Chat Noir is challenging you. Maybe you can find out my real name after you win. If you win,” he corrected himself.

Marinette quirked a brow at him. “For someone who was so feisty earlier, you seem pretty content with the idea of getting beaten. You’re not going to go easy on me, are you?”

Chat Noir gasped. “I would never! After all, we both have a prize that we’re fighting for, right?”

Marinette pursed her lips. “I know I do. Care to tell me what yours is?”

Grinning, Chat Noir crossed his arms over his chest. “I think I’ll keep it a secret for now. Although seeing how pretty my challenger is, I’m tempted to ask for a kiss from your lips,” he teased.

Marinette flushed. “T-that’s not the most uneaseable request I’ve heard,” she said, and then shook her head. “No, I mean unseasonable. Teaseable. Oh!” She clenched her fists at her side. The ocean immediately splashed them. “It doesn’t matter what you ask for, because I’m going to win anyway.”

Chat Noir’s eyes glinted as he backed away from her. “We’ll see about that,” he said with a grin. “Good luck, human. I’ll see you next Saturday!”

“Bye!” Marinette’s hand shot up as she waved. “I’ll see you then. And my name is Marinette! Marinette Dupain-Cheng!” She backed towards the beach, nearly falling down when a wave knocked her off balance.

Chat Noir raised a webbed hand and waved back at her.

“It was nice to meet you, Marinette Dupain-Cheng!” he called. He ducked under a wave and was gone from her sight.

Marinette stood shivering on the beach for a while before she headed off to report the challenge and its date to the council.

__*__*__*__*__

In the daylight, Chat Noir looked awfully familiar.

It was too bad Adrien was sick and couldn’t make it to the race, or Marinette was sure he’d help her figure out who her handsome challenger was. She must have seen him before, on the short journey to François the Coccinelle had taken, maybe, or by the docks of Dupont.

Chat Noir smirked at Marinette as she scrutinized him, his cat-like pupils flashing.

“Considering my offered prize again?”

Marinette blinked. To her left, a team of sailors slowly brought out the melusinette, set it in the water by the dock, and began to unfurl its small sail.

“Your kiss? I have much better things to consider than that. I’m not desperate, merman.”

“I never said you were, human,” Chat Noir returned. “But meowch, it’s good to know you think that’s the only reason a person would kiss me.”

Marinette snorted. “If all your jokes are that bad, then it’s probably the case,” she said with a smirk.

The mayor stepped up behind her.

“Miss Dupain-Cheng, the race will be starting in a few minutes. You should get into your boat,” he said politely.

Clapping her hands together, Marinette smiled nervously. “Right! Can’t win the race if I don’t sail in it,” she chuckled.

Mayor Bourgeois stood stiffly, watching Marinette climb into the melusinette and grab the oar.

“Miss Dupain-Cheng, we may have had to deny you the position of captain before, but Dupont is proud to call you one of our most promising young sailors. It is fitting that you are the one to represent us in this year’s race, and we wish you the best of luck.”

Marinette turned in the boat to smile and nod her thanks to the mayor. “Thank you, sir. I promise to do my best.”

Mayor Bourgeois cleared his throat. “Excellent.”

He checked his watch and walked over to stand in front of the microphone set up for him. A crowd of humans stood a meter away, and just past the dock where Marinette and Chat Noir were getting ready, a group of mers were similarly waiting for the official start of the race.

“Mers and humans,” the mayor began to announce, as Marinette and Chat Noir took their starting positions. “The annual race between our towns is about to begin!”

To the side of the crowd of humans, Gabriel Agreste stood with a frown on his face. He squinted at Chat Noir, who caught his gaze and shot back a careless grin.

“I’d like to thank everyone who made this possible,” the mayor continued. “Jade Turtle of François for his work setting this year’s course, and Gabriel Agreste of Dupont for the finishing touches to our contestants’ tunics. To this year’s councils, thank you all, especially the mer’s president, Mayura.”

A mermaid with a dark blue tail and black hair raised her hand in acknowledgement, looking over the crowd of humans, who were politely applauding. Her gaze seemed to linger when it found Adrien’s father, who continued to frown at Chat Noir.

“To those of you who are guests here, come to see this year’s race, you are in for a treat. Mayura and Pegasus, also of François, have worked to create an intelligent robot, who will follow the race through air and sea and provide live footage as the race progresses. You can watch it on your phone by scanning the QR code on the pamphlets handed out earlier.

“Our contestants have a two kilometer-long race ahead of them, beginning here and ending at the finish line by West Beach. It’s the one furthest west of town, for those of you who don’t know,” the mayor said, prompting a few laughs from the crowd.

Mayor Bourgeois turned to Marinette and Chat Noir.

“Contestants, are you ready?”

Marinette her oar a bit tighter and nodded. Chat Noir grinned and gave the mayor a thumb’s up.

“On your marks. Get set. Go!”

The merman had the advantage at the start, as always in this race, ducking under the water and pulling ahead of Marinette, who pushed off the dock and began to paddle the melusinette out to sea. It was slow going at first, and Markov, the robot Pegasus and Mayura had crafted, seemed to agree as it zipped off to record Chat Noir’s progress, instead.

But once they got to the open sea and the boat’s sail caught the wind, Marinette would have the advantage. The melusinette wasn’t a very fast boat, nor could it go far out on the ocean, but with the wind at her back, Marinette could count on catching up to Chat Noir in ten minutes or less.

And sure enough, she did, almost sooner than she was expecting. As the wind billowed the sail out, Marinette tucked the oar under her seat and focused on steering.

Green, black, and red buoys marked the racecourse, and beyond them, mers and boats full of humans observed from a safe distance. Chat Noir’s scales sparkled in the sun as he swam beside the melusinette, ducking below the water and resurfacing occasionally for air.

Marinette looked over the edge at him curiously. The melusinette was running smoothly now, cutting through the medium-sized waves with ease, and before long, she would overtake the merman.

He seemed to be flagging. Normally a mer’s lead would hold for longer than this.

The next time Chat Noir came up for air, Marinette called to him, “You’re not giving up already, are you? We’ve still got most of the race to finish!”

She shouldn’t care about an easy win, but Marinette wanted a fair challenge to make this more fun. Besides, what if the merman was injured? She’d have to stop the race and get help for him.

Chat Noir waved nonchalantly.

“Don’t worry about me,” he said. “This is the slow bit for me. I’ve got to conserve energy, just like a runner in cross-country. I’m expecting you to pull ahead, so don’t feel bad about it.”

Marinette squinted. “I guess that makes sense. But don’t fall too far behind, or I’ll start to suspect you’re trying to throw the race. A bit strange, for the one who issued the challenge.”

Chat Noir grinned, his pupils thinning. “Maybe I’ve got a plan,” he said. “Just wait and see, human. I’ll catch up to you by the end.”

“If you say so,” Marinette said. Chat Noir was sounding cocky again. At least he wasn’t trying to lose, like she’d worried before. “We’ll see who wins… but I still think it will be me.”

Moving the tiller before she could sail off course, Marinette finally pulled ahead as Chat Noir went below the surface again, a dark shadow beside her boat.

The crowds along the course thinned, either staying behind to watch the race on their screens or taking a shortcut to West Beach, where the victor would be announced. Over the next kilometer or so, the only company Marinette would have was Chat Noir, who’d be busy swimming, and Markov, who couldn’t talk, as far as Marinette knew.

It was just her, the sea, and the sun.

Marinette smiled as she shifted her weight in the boat, swinging the sail around to better catch the changing wind. She imagined the finish line, the rope stretched out from cliff to cliff above her head as she kept the sail steady or rowed if she needed to. The winds would die down and her momentum would slow down as she reached shore, so she needed to build a strong lead during this section of the race, because once Chat Noir switched into his final sprint, he’d be going faster than her.

Marinette enjoyed the calm seas for a while, almost able to relax with her lead built and knowing that she’d likely maintain it.

No offense to Chat Noir, but she’d seen many a faster mer in her life.

Seagulls called above her head, and a cloud moved in front of and then past the sun, followed by another puffy white cloud. An airplane soared by, and Markov splashed into the water to mark Chat Noir’s progress.

That was all the excitement there’d be for a while.

Marinette sat back in her seat.

Alya and Nino would be waiting by the docks to welcome her, win or lose. Alya would probably have a noisemaker in her hand, or one of the small flags with the Dupain-Cheng symbol on them Marinette had made a few weeks ago for the bakery. Maybe she’d have both, and hand the noisemaker to Nino while she waved the flag excitedly and they cheered for their friend.

Adrien was probably watching the race on TV at home.

Marinette couldn’t believe he’d gotten sick. He’d been so excited for this race, pumping Marinette up and encouraging her whenever she didn’t seem as excited as the rest of her friends. When Chloe had come to the bakery and tried to scoff at Marinette’s place in the challenge, he’d shoved a day-old croissant in her mouth and shown her out the door.

He’d blushed and stuttered when Marinette kissed his cheek as thanks.

She smiled at the memory. He really was the sweetest best friend she had.

The current changed under the melusinette, and Marinette held on to the tiller, straining to keep the boat on course. The winds blew hard, and a few waves crashed over the boat, draining over the sides after making a small puddle over Marinette’s feet. She fought with the ocean for nearly ten minutes, but soon, the seas calmed again.

She frowned.

The weather was supposed to be excellent today; that’s why it had been one of the possible dates picked out by the mer council, who knew the sea’s temper best.

Behind her, Chat Noir splashed in and out of the waves, going faster than he had before. The strong current might still be affecting him, Marinette thought, and she glanced behind to check on him.

There was a jellyfish bloom in the water by him.

It hadn’t been there earlier in the day, or someone surely would have reported it, unless it was missed in the excitement before the race. The jellyfish must have been there, just meters under the surface, while she was fighting the current, but she was too busy to notice them, she realized. She could have warned Chat Noir if she’d been more observant.

Marinette’s heart raced as she watched Chat Noir try to avoid the jellyfish, who swam mindlessly through the water, moving their stinging arms without a care.

The wind blew hard again, and the sail tugged the melusinette against one of the buoys. Marinette quickly moved to correct the ship’s direction and get away from the buoy.

A cry sounded from behind her. Chat Noir had been stung.

And again, as he faltered in the water, trying to evade more jellyfish and swim through the pain. Marinette reached out for the rope holding the sail in place. If Chat Noir was hurt too badly, he’d need her help to get out of the bloom.

His motions were jerky now, his face twisted in pain.

Marinette swung the boat around, pushing jellyfish aside with the oar as she neared Chat Noir.

“Grab onto the boat!” she called. Another jellyfish stung him, and he reared back. Fighting to swim, he struggled to reach the melusinette. Marinette grabbed his arm and pulled him close, heaving to lift him on top of the boat.

Chat Noir gasped for breath as she swung the boat around again, carefully piloting it out of the bloom and back on course.

She was silent until she was sure they’d made it through safely.

“I’m so sorry I didn’t see them, Chat Noir,” she apologized.

Making sure the sail was secure, she settled down beside the merman, laying a hand on his arm. He looked up into her eyes mournfully, wincing as his tail spasmed. Lines of red welts were growing under his scales, and Marinette was glad his tunic had prevented him from worse stings on his torso.

“How bad is it?” she asked, preparing herself for the answer.

Chat Noir lowered his head onto the boat. “It’s bad,” he said softly. “I’ve never even gotten stung before, so I don’t know how serious it is. My stomach’s not feeling good, my tail’s gone numb. And I think I have a headache,” he admitted.

Marinette’s lips thinned.

“You took a lot of bad stings, Chaton,” she said, keeping her voice low. “And I didn’t bring much that can help us. I have a water bottle and a couple pills of tylenol. You should take the pills with some of the water, and drink the rest slowly. We need to rinse the stingers out of your tail. Are you feeling strong enough to swim again?”

Chat Noir gingerly lifted his tail a few centimeters. “I don’t know that I’m race-ready, if that’s what you mean,” he said. “I don’t know. I might need help.”

“You definitely need help,” Marinette said. “Luckily, there’s only a bit of the race left. We’ve stayed on course; we’ll be near shore soon. Once we get there, you need a doctor.” She found and opened the packet of tylenol she’d brought, handing them to Chat Noir, who rolled over on his side and swallowed them with water from the bottle she offered him.

“Thank you,” he murmured in a low voice. “I’m sorry I messed up. I should have known the jellyfish wouldn’t move for me, or at least swum around them. I guess I was too tired to swim fast enough for that, though.”

Marinette gently pushed his bangs out of the way and looked directly in his eyes.

“It wasn’t your fault,” she said. “We were both focusing on the race, and if you getting stung is anyone’s fault it’s mine. I can’t believe I let it happen!”

She let out a deep breath and clenched her fists. Chat Noir’s eyes shone as he looked up at her, still weak from the stings.

“Okay. You might not be able to swim yet, but you can hold on to the boat, right? You only have a couple stings on your arms. So, I’ll slow the boat down, and we’re going to move your tail back into the water. Once the stingers are out, you’ll start to feel a bit better. Ready?”

Nodding, Chat Noir braced himself, pushing himself back as Marinette shoved his tail firmly but gently off the boat. It landed in the water with a splash, and Chat Noir shivered and closed his eyes as he grabbed onto the side of the boat.

Marinette’s hands hovered over his arms, ready to grab him and hold him up if he needed it. He opened his eyes and smiled weakly at her.

“Thanks, Marinette,” he said in a friendly voice. Marinette was struck once again by its familiarity. “I think I’ve got it from here, as long as I can keep holding on to the boat. You won’t kick me off just so they can see that you’ve won, will you?”

Marinette scrunched up her face. “Of course not,” she said defensively. “I don’t think anyone cares about the race at this point. Markov probably recorded the whole thing, and they’ll have a doctor waiting at the finish line for you with vinegar and whatever else you need. They might make us have a redo, though,” she pondered.

Chat Noir let out a groan. “Oh, no,” he whined, lowering his head to the edge of the boat with a thud. “There’s no way I’m doing this again! You can find someone else to race against and trick into getting stung.”

Marinette’s face fell. “I said I was sorry!” she protested. “I didn’t mean for you to get stung. Please forgive me,” she begged.

Chat Noir looked up at her with a small smile. “I don’t really think there’s anything to forgive. But how could anyone refuse a lady as fair as you?”

Marinette sighed in relief. “Thank you,” she said.

The shadow of the finish line crossed over the boat as it slowed, and Marinette readied the melusinette for docking by preparing the docking lines and fenders.

As soon as she started docking, a green-tailed merman took Chat Noir away for medical assistance. He waved to Marinette as they were separated with a sad smile, and she watched him go as her stomach tied itself in a knot.

While Marinette finished tying the last docking line, the mayor’s loud voice reached Marinette just before he did, assuring her that Chat Noir would be taken care of properly and that she shouldn’t worry about him.

“And you shouldn’t worry about the outcome of the race,” he added confidently as Marinette climbed out onto the dock and the race’s workers took over caring for the melusinette. “Due to the unusual circumstances, a tie has been declared. You and Chat Noir will meet up after he’s healed and decide what your prizes will be. Make sure he knows he can ask for anything at all; the entire town will make sure he gets whatever it is. Nothing like this has ever happened before,” he fretted. “We can’t risk our relationship with our closest allies!”

Marinette nodded absently as Nino and Alya shoved through the thick crowd, pausing when they saw the mayor. Concern was written over both of their faces, but the mayor didn’t seem to notice, intent on talking Marinette’s ear off even more.

She cut him off before he could.

“Thank you, Mayor Bourgeois,” she said abruptly. “I understand our position very well. Now, if you’ll excuse me, my parents and friends are waiting for me. Unless you have something more for me to do right now, I need to get home.”

The mayor cleared his throat. “Ah, I see. Well, in that case, thank you for making the best decisions you could out there today. Chat Noir was lucky to have you as his racing partner. Goodbye, Miss Dupain-Cheng,” he said as Marinette made her way over to Alya and Nino, who gave her sympathetic looks as she turned her face down and hurried off the dock, holding one of their hands in each of her own.

__*__*__*__*__

Adrien had seen the whole thing, apparently. He assured Marinette from under his blankets that she’d done all she could, but she couldn’t let go of the nagging voice in her head that insisted she could have prevented the whole thing.

“Maybe I should have let another, more seasoned sailor take the challenge,” she said as she sat by Adrien’s bed, stroking his hair.

He was still sick, enough that Gabriel hadn’t wanted to let anyone in to see him at all. After a few days, he finally listened to his son and let Marinette, Alya, and Nino visit him, one at a time so that they wouldn’t overly excite Adrien and slow down his healing.

She sighed as Adrien nuzzled against her hand. “Maybe they would have noticed the bloom in time, and Chat Noir would be fine.”

Adrien frowned, his eyes still closed as he enjoyed his friend’s ministrations.

“I doubt they would have seen, either,” he said. “The water got pretty choppy, and it was hard to see the jellyfish even on Markov’s camera. Experience had nothing to do with it.”

Marinette leaned down and brushed a kiss to Adrien’s forehead. It wasn’t particularly warm, so his fever must have broken.

“You might be right.”

Adrien shifted, quickly pulling the covers back over his arms as he turned onto his side.

“I’m always right. Are you feeling less afraid to see him again now?”

Marinette sniffed. “I was never afraid, just nervous. What if he blames me?”

“Did he blame you before?”

Marinette shook her head.

“Then he won’t now. Trust me,” he said with a soft smile.

“Okay,” Marinette said, leaning back in her chair and crossing her arms over her chest.

A few moments passed.

“Do you think he still wants a kiss?” she asked abruptly.

Adrien blinked, and then blinked again as a red flush took over his face.

“What?” he croaked.

Marinette cocked her head. “Didn’t I tell you? He said he was going to ask for a kiss before the race. I wonder if he still wants one,” she said with a shrug. Her own cheeks were growing pink, and she looked away, towards the window in the room.

Adrien sat up, twisting to face Marinette.

“And you thought he was serious? No, wait. Do you want him to kiss you?” he asked in a squeaky voice.

“I don’t know,” Marinete said, fighting to keep her tone nonchalant. “He is kind of hot, don’t you think?”

Adrien squeaked in response.

Marinette turned to look at him. “It wouldn’t be the worst thing in the world, is all I’m saying! But I do think he deserves more than just a kiss after I basically let him get stung.”

“Like what?”

“I don’t know, half the treasury, maybe! I just feel so bad about it. And I’m seeing him again tonight,” Marinette fretted, tugging her hair, which was hanging free of its pigtails for once.

Adrien stared at her for a moment and threw his head back in a laugh.

“Oh, Marinette, I don’t think he’ll want Dupont’s money,” he chuckled. “Though if you’re right, maybe he’ll ask for two kisses, instead of one.”

“Adrien!” Marinette hissed, red-cheeked.

She ignored the way her heart fluttered in her chest.

But Adrien’s easy attitude about the meeting seemed to help. By the time she had to head to the shore — Chat Noir had suggested the beach where they met through an email, and she’d agreed — Marinette was feeling only a little bit nervous about it.

She had worn her cutest sundress and put on a bit of makeup, though. Not for any particular reason, she insisted to Alya when she asked about it, just to make her feel more confident.

“Confident for what, a kiss?” Nino had asked, and Marinette had tripped over the last stair of the porch.

She straightened out her skirt as she walked to the beach by herself. It was almost sunset, and Chat Noir might be waiting for her by now.

She caught sight of him as she stepped into the sand. He was sunning himself on the rock he’d landed on that first night, wearing a green tunic this time, but he turned and smiled at her when he heard her footsteps.

He had a beautiful smile. She nearly tripped again, looking at it. Marinette caught herself and hurried the rest of the way to the rock, standing by its base, a few meters back from the water. Chat Noir wiggled down it to meet her, stopping when his eyes were level with hers.

“Hi, Marinette,” he said with a grin. His pupils were wide as he took in her outfit, and his smile softened. “You look beautiful.”

Marinette tucked her loose hair behind her ear. “Thank you,” she said shyly. “You don’t look bad, yourself. Your stings are healed?”

Chat Noir nodded. ”Jade Turtle said that it was smart of you to rinse most of the stingers out with sea water. Otherwise it might have been a bit worse,” he said.

“You’re welcome. I’m just glad you’re feeling better! I was scared when I saw how big the jellyfish bloom was, and you in the middle of it.”

Chat Noir winced. “It was pretty terrifying; I’m glad we got through it okay. But if you don’t mind, let’s move on to a more pleasant subject. What do you want for your prize?”

Marinette twisted her hands together. “Well, I have one in mind, but honestly it’s a big request, and I still feel responsible for what happened to you, so it’s fine if you say no way to it! I just have to try, you know, and if it doesn’t work then that’s fine and I’m asking for too much anyway and—” She took a deep breath and let her hands fall beside her. “I was hoping you could sponsor me when they pick the new ship captains in the fall. I’m technically too young to sign up, but I was hoping that with your backing, the council would make an exception for me. Again, I have a backup request!” Marinette said, waving her hands in panic. “You can tell me it’s too much, or that I’m not as good of a sailor as I thought. It’s fine.”

Chat Noir watched her panicking with a fond curve in his lips.

“Marinette. I’d be honored to sponsor you,” he said in a tender voice. “That’s not too much to ask for. The way I see it, you’re the one who saved me back there. You deserve even more than this; and honestly, I think you should have been declared the winner of the race. It was obvious that I was going to lose,” he chuckled. “I’m still not used to my mer form, I guess.”

Marinette, who had been smiling in relief, froze. “Your mer form? You mean, you’re only part mer?”

Chat Noir rubbed the back of his neck and grinned sheepishly. “Is that a problem?”

“No! Nonono, it’s just surprising! You seemed really sure of yourself, and I thought you must be an experienced swimmer because of that. And I guess you’re not,” she said uncertainly. “How did you even get your council to approve you as their challenger?”

“Well, my mother was friends with Mayura,” Chat Noir explained. “She’s almost like a second mother to me. And since she’s the current president, it was hard for them to say no to her, so I really only had to convince one person. It was a great way to make my father mad, so she was all for it,” he grinned.

“I see,” Marinette said with a frown. “So your father is human, your mother was a mermaid, and your father doesn’t like you exploring your mer side? That’s so unfair!”

Chat Noir crossed his arms on the rock and rested his cheek on them. “It isn’t,” he agreed. “But I didn’t even know I was part mer until I was nearly ten. It wasn’t so bad until then, because I didn’t know I could be anything but human.”

Marinette was angry at whoever Chat Noir’s dad was. “I might punch your father if I ever meet him,�� she said, crossing her arms with a huff.

“Please don’t, I need him for college money,” Chat Noir joked. “So… you’re really okay that I’m only part mer? And the council will be, too?”

“Of course,” Marinette said with a nod. “I have a few friends who are part mer, though none of them live near Dupont. And Chloe, our mayor’s daughter, is half mer, though she prefers to spend her days on land, instead of in the ocean. It might mess up her hair, or something,” she said with a roll of her eyes. “As long as you have your council’s backing, which you do, then Dupont’s council will have to listen to you.”

“That’s a relief,” Chat Noir said. “I’m glad your plan still works.”

Marinette nodded. “Me, too. Okay, I’ve called in my prize. What do you want for yours?”

Chat Noir looked at her with a guarded expression from his perch on the boulder. There was a strange look in his eyes, and Marinette felt her cheeks heat up.

“If I said…” he began, and cut himself off with a sigh. He sat up, turning to face the ocean as he thought of what to say.

Marinette waited patiently as a new wave broke on the beach.

“I didn’t really think I would win the race when I volunteered for it, or even tie,” Chat Noir admitted, turning back to face her. “I didn’t have a prize in mind when I challenged you, and I don’t think it’s fair of me to ask for one now. But there is something I’ve wanted for a long time now, something that I’m afraid might be too much. But this might be my only chance, and I’m willing to risk it. Marinette,” he said, almost begged, a pleading look in his eyes, “Will you kiss me? I promise, that’s all I want, but if you don’t, then I can ask for something else. A pastry from your parents’ bakery, or the least favorite seashell that you’ve collected, something small like that. I don’t want to make you uncomfortable. Just, please tell me what you think?”

Marinette swallowed, her palms growing sweaty. She wiped them off on her skirt and wondered if she was really blushing or if her face just felt hot.

“I think one kiss isn’t too much to ask for,” she said shyly. “Besides, I lied before. You can probably have anyone you want, not just the desperate ones, or me just because of an old tradition.” Marinette fell quiet, afraid that if she talked more, she’d stutter or mess up her words and embarrass herself.

“You’ll kiss me,” Chat Noir breathed, like the words would shatter if he spoke louder. “Really?” He leaned down, closer to Marinette, like he belonged right next to her and couldn’t leave for too long.

Marinette gulped. Her hands were trembling. She hadn’t felt like this in years.

“Really,” she said, and quickly leaned forward to kiss his cheek. “This work?”

Chat Noir flushed pink. “If you want it to,” he said. “But I would prefer something… closer to here,” he said, angling his head so that his breath brushed against her lips.

“Right here,” she murmured, and Chat Noir shivered.

“Yes,” he said, and she surged forward to kiss him. It was a gentle kiss, and she thought it might be Chat Noir’s first from his shy movements, but it was tender and full of quiet passion.

When she pulled away, Chat Noir kept his eyes closed for a moment.

Then he opened them, and they were soft and green and oh so familiar.

His pupils were normal. He’d switched to his human form sometime during the kiss, Marinette realized, and she stared at him.

“Marinette,” Adrien murmured, his cheeks still pink, “I— what is it?”

Her mouth was hanging open.

“Adrien,” she said, and he tilted his head.

“Yes?” Then he gasped. “Oh! Sorry, I was going to tell you before, I promise! I just forgot!”

“This makes absolutely no sense! You’ve been half mer all this time? And your father hid it from you? Oh, this actually sounds exactly like him. You were right in front of me this whole time,” she marveled, grabbing Adrien’s face and tilting it as she looked it over, trying to match the merman to the boy she’d grown up with.

“Surprise?” Adrien laughed nervously. “Are you okay with this, Marinette? Knowing who I am?”

Marinette let go of him and crossed her arms. “I guess! I’m just madder than ever at your father. He didn’t even tell you anything about your mother! How did you find out?”

Adrien rubbed the back of his neck. “Well, I got jealous of you guys being able to swim and go on boats and stuff one day when we were nine, and Father was busy, so I decided to sneak out and teach myself how to swim. I almost drowned at first, because I decided to dive into the ocean like an idiot instead of wading in, but then my mer half kicked in and I transformed. It was a little easier to not drown then, and I worked up to swimming to François, but without Mayura’s help, I probably never would have found out about my heritage. It was a shock, for sure.”

Marinette climbed up on the boulder and sat beside him. “Did you find out what happened to your mother?” she asked hesitantly.

Adrien’s expression soured, but he nodded and answered her. “My mother was a mermaid from a town off England’s coast. My father visited there for inspiration from the mers’ fashion in his designs, and eventually, they met and fell in love. Not unheard of, as you know, but still unusual, and a difficult relationship to maintain. They had a small wedding in the ocean above her town, and before long, I was born. They decided to move to Dupont to raise me, since it’s so close to a mer city that they could see each other more frequently and bring me up knowing about both of my halves, mer and human. Father bought our house and moved first, taking me with him. Mom wanted to stay with her family for a few more days, and then swim here by herself. But she never made it,” he said with a frown. “She died sometime during the journey. And Père never told anyone what happened. He just cut off contact with the mers and raised me by himself. Mayura used to live in my mother’s town with her before moving to François. She’s the one who knows the story best, and even she doesn’t know the full story, though she tried to ask my father what happened. He wouldn’t say,” he said, shrugging hopelessly.

“But now you know,” Marinette said. “You know who you are, and you can make him give you the full story. You deserve to hear it, and if he won’t answer you, then maybe he’ll answer to both of us. I’ll always support you, Adrien.”

A small smile curved his lips. “You and me against the world,” he said, and reached down to take her hand.

Marinette took a shaky breath.

“Soo, I don’t know if now’s a good time, but about that kiss…” she trailed off, looking down at their entwined hands, instead of him.

Adrien smiled and rested his head on her shoulders. The setting sun began to turn the ocean a rich, warm gold in the distance.

“It meant whatever you want it to. I’ve had feelings for you for a long time, and I think you might have some for me. But I’m willing to wait, and I can always take no as an answer. Whatever you want,” he repeated.

Marinette squeezed his hand a bit tighter. “I think I might need some time,” she said. “But I want to try us. Alya’s right, I miss you too much when you’re gone. I need you close to me.”

She could feel Adrien’s smile without needing to see it.

“That sounds perfect to me,” he said.

And it was.

#ml fanfic #ml au #mermaids #mermay #marichat may #marichat #adrinette #lovesquare #reverse crush #identity reveal #rosie-b writing #miraculous ladybug #miraculeakless #ml leak free

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unhitches-similes · 11 months

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Miraculous Fic: Reassurances

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

Anyhow, enough of me. Please enjoy the story!

~*~

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

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

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

~*~

Read on Ao3

~*~

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

“I’d expect nothing less.”

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

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

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

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

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

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

“Ladybug?” Adrien said softly.

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

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

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

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

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

“If you’re sure…” said Ladybug.

“Absolutely.”

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

“Thank you, Adrien.”

“Anytime.”

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

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

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

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

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

~*~

End.

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