#Adrien Agreste needed to die

[verfound]

Any thoughts on the Season 5 finale?

I stopped watching during S4 😂 I've only seen a handful of episodes from S4, and I definitely haven't seen the S5 finale. I'm debating if I even want to, mostly because what I've heard feels like a fever dream. 😂

From what I've heard/seen, it's all bullshit. 🙃

[ebiartics]

The special ahhhhh how am I supposed to sleep???? I need more time to process…

[janaikam]

Hey I need someone to please edit careless whisper over cat noir nearly dying in the awakening movie

[thechatsmeouch]

say that perhaps…. someone was writing a fanfic where there could be a throuple…… would you vote for the throuple or no :3

[vanillajunmyeon]

honestly not to sound pathetic but so dangerous to see a *** *** on a dating app and losing my mind over this bc reasons i will not mention and i just need to say it a little don't pay attention to me

[wisteriasymphony]

he should also get no sleep either i think. not like he has a dad around to enforce bedtimes anymore

constant internal thought process

[bklily]

I keep getting spiraled on the motives of Gabriel writing that letter and his final moments. He obviously wrote it after the whole alliance ring shtick began, after he was hit by the cataclysm. My immediate thought is that he wrote it right before he shipped Adrien off to London, since it was inside a photo album inside a box for furniture to be moved, which implies it was when they were moving away his things.

I can only imagine that he wrote that as a "If everything goes to shit this is my back up plan' which is fair tbh. Maybe his plan wouldn't work 100% and the cataclysm would get to him before he could revive Emilie. Since he accounts for Nathalie also still being in the picture I imagine he didn't think she'd die so... Fast? Suddenly? Maybe he thought she would still be weak and frail and sick but alive to guide Adrien after he found the letter.

So far this is all well and good but now when it comes to his final scene with Maribug and him asking for her to not Adrien know the villain that he was, I'm of two minds about it. The first one is that, somewhere deep deep down in his rotten pathetic weak little heart, he really meant it and hoped Adrien wouldn't find the letter and he'd get to die and be with Emilie in the afterlife. Which is. A fair interpretation but you'd need to pay me a lot of money to believe Gabriel Agreste has any actual remorse for what he did lmao.

My second interpretation is that he wanted to have his cake and eat it too. It's not that he 100% wanted to control the narrative of how Adrien found out his misdeeds (though I think that's a valid interpretation), but in my head he just thought like-

"hey, I have an emergency plan in place with that letter right? Might as well go out faking a sacrifice and guilt trip this 14 year old girl, gaslight my son's memories and later down the line if he finds that letter, my chances of him actually bringing me back are way higher! Win win!"

In other words it wasn't a selfless sacrifice (obviously) but more so a, "I'll do this good deed so I might get something better in return later down the line" deal. Which I think fits his overall character narrative imo.

[wisteriasymphony]

I have no evidence for it but I know in my heart that somehow Adrien's princess dress in Gabriel Agreste is connected to Emilie. I fucking know it's meant to look like one of his mom's dresses or something like that. I will die on the hill that it's all connected to him being the last vestige of her somehow. Her successor, her perfect copy, whatever. No I'm not untying you from the chair you need to sit down and listen to me goddamnit, we are having a discussion—

[ponytailzuko]

Replacement goldfish AU looking baller, but I gotta ask: will Athanase/Adrien Jr/ Lil A/ Yung Drien know about the black cat miraculous? Are we going to get Chat Nuit or something? Chat Noir 2? Also Nathalie getting to process the trauma of the everything AND deal with becoming a mother-surrogate for a kid who is way more immediate and constant, and who might not even remember you distinctly? The timeline is ambiguous, but it's very likely that lil guy only remembers her in terms of "That indiana jones woman who went on trips with my parents a lot" rather than "fixture of my household", which has to be even more fun for the both of them.

the au was made before s4-s5 ever came out, and i have NO idea what's happening in season 6 since i haven't watched it, so please keep this in mind while i answer to the best of my ability. my answers might not match up with canon anymore.

adrien jr is aware of chat noir because he gets brought back in the middle of mayhem when gabriel just made the wish and marinette & adrien are obviously freaking out. i can go into that more but tldr: he needs an explanation on why it is 6 years in the future, why everything has changed, and how he was possibly cloned. i imagine he finds out eventually just because its so fucking complicated it would be harder to keep it a secret.

DOES adrien jr become chat noir? i imagine plagg might let adrien jr use him once or twice, but more in a "im keeping my holders little brother safe" and less anything permanent. i actually kind of imagined adrien jr getting the butterfly since it allows his 11 year old self to stay safe and help his big brother without adrien sr having a stroke. also because adrien jr is coping with his dad being dead.

when i made the au, i had no idea how the agreste storyline would conclude. in my thoughts, i had emilie as the big bad that would be brought back. i had gabriel and nathalie both die for adrien jr and emilie to come back. this doesn't have to be the case or anything, ill have to think about it, but the version where nathalie is still alive and has to deal with two little guys in the house with mental illness when she also feels like she cant replace their mother would... be the dynamic ever?

when i made emilie the big bad, i had made adrien sr 17 specifically because he would be in his last year of lycee and about to turn 18. and he would deal a lot with being parentified and if hes the one in charge of raising this kid or not since he would start to realize his mother wasn't as ideal as he remembered in his (implanted) memories. i'm not sure if i'll keep this or not, but that was my original intention back post-season 3. :)

[that-one-fandom-girl]

Why would I want to? I’m convinced with all the time-travel and London things in the upcoming special that there’ll be a Ladrien interaction

Y'know why Adrien wasn't in the s5 finale?? Bc if he saw bugnoire, he would've passed out.

[eightofpents]

incoherent werepapas thoughts below the cut.

this Fucking episode.

First of all what a great fucking Gorilla episode. Everyone else go home this is about him now.

I love him so much. I Need more of Nathalie and Le Gorille please please please

I hate tom's new face a lot for some reason. And Adrien's portuguese va.

I think it's a symptom of very mid subtitles but I hope Gina really does call Adrien a princess.

They've upgraded to 2 hamsters!

oh my god "Give me Nathalie."

headcanon confirmed: they're living in the Graham de Vanily's house. I'm sure Gabriel Hated that :)

It's one thing to turn into your father. It's another to turn into your father in law.

I would die for Gabriel's mother. I would kill for Emilie's.

Living in sin, 50 years, still goin' strong <3

So there's, like, alcohol in the cheese, right? I assume if I was the type of person who knew what the hell food that's supposed to be I would know this.

FINALLY MAGICAL GIRL TRANSFORMATION SEQUENCE the new earring thing is so cooool. the sparkles the wingssss

Why does she make Wolf Grassette so beefy.

Someone pointed out the fan lucky charm from the trailer, calling Felix to mind. It's also preceded by Master Fu's (apparently very heavy?) teapot. I have no idea if they're intentional?

Marinette tries real hard to get Grandma to give up the akuma, so if Felix Did do something with the amok, she's not in on it.

Five feet apart cause they're not gay.

MY MAN! HE'S SUCH AN ASSHOLE. I LOVE HIM

Baby Nathalie! She's not wearing her glasses? Her hair is redder here but her eye shadow is back, ie, one is stylistic, one is Nathalie. I can't tell if her lipstick is meant to be pink or red, but her nails are light again. Also no earrings.

Why's the fucking funeral portrait up already.

They moved the stairs in Adrien's room for some reason. Someday I'm gonna have something concrete and/or erudite to say about the layout of this house and then you'll all get to see how obsessed I am with it.

On that topic. I believe we don't get to see the stairs over the new elevator. (Stupid lamp in the way :/) And Adrien goes the long way around. So I wonder if they, did something there?

Also finally a (real) look at the Agreste's bedroom!

They don't get a fireplace for some reason! (More fuel for my Nathalie's-in-the-master-bedroom-actually thoughts :] ) (It could be on a different wall, sure, but it belongs on that one.)

And why'd they do this to the doors?? That line should Not reach the top it looks dumb. They changed the double doors a little too but those look fine. (Great, actually.)

OH ALSO bullshit Emilie's getting around that house in a wheelchair its a fucking death trap.

[insufferableprotagonistpoll]

Please note that a character currently needs at least 3 submissions to make it into the Insufferable Love Interest poll

That said:

Has 3 Submissions or more:

Beck Oliver - Victorious

Bella Swan - Twilight

Brambleclaw - Warrior Cats

Claudio - Much Ado About Nothing

Cullen Rutherford - Dragon Age Inquisition

Four - Divergent

Jace Herondale - Shadowhunters

James Hurley - Twin Peaks

Madarame - Slow Damage

Mako - Avatar

Panini - Chowder

Riley Finn - Buffy the Vampire Slayer

Riri - Romantic Killer

Solas - Dragon Age

Taichi Mashima - Chihayafuru

Tsutomu Yamaguchi - Gokinjo Monogatari

Has 2 Submissions:

Amy Rose - Sonic the Hedgehog

Curtis - Voltron Legendary Defender

Daoming Si - Meteor Garden

Dimitri Alexandre Blaidydd - Fire Emblem Three Houses

Edmund Bertram - Mansfield Park

Jake McKenzie - Choices: Endless Summer

Kyosuke Kamijou - Puella Magi Madoka Magica

Logan Echolls - Veronica Mars

Luka Couffaine - Miraculous Tales of Ladybug and Chat Noir

Martin - W.I.T.C.H.

Peter Griffin - Family Guy

Pucca - Pucca

Rise Kujikawa - Persona 4

Sheldon Cooper - Big Bang Theory

Takumi Ichinose - Nana

Has 1 Submission:

Adrien Agreste - Miraculous Ladybug

Ann Shiraishi - Project SEKAI

Arthur Dimmesdale - The Scarlet Letter

Aubrin "Brin" Crownsilver - Brimstone Angels

Augustus Waters - The Fault In Our Stars

Azura - Fire Emblem Fates

Belle French - Once Upon A Time

Blane McDonagh - Pretty in Pink

Cersei Lannister - Game Of Thrones

Claire Dunlap - The Bear

Dahl Peredur - Brimstone Angels

Daisy Buchanan - The Great Gatsby

David - Uglies

Deathbringer - Wings of Fire

Edgar Linton - Wuthering Heights

Felicity Smoak - Arrow

Felix Fathom - Miraculous Ladybug

Finleap - Warrior Cats

Fitz - Keepers of the Lost City

Fiyero - Wicked Musical

Iris West - Flash

Jade - Victorious

Keiji Oda - Oishii Kankei

Kennedy - Buffy the Vampire Slayer

Kirishima Touka - Tokyo Ghoul

Max Jägerman - Nerdy Prudes Must Die

Mink - Dramatical Murder

Nightheart - Warrior Cats

Ochaco Uraraka - My Hero Academia

Peeta Mellark - The Hunger Games

Raggedstar - Warrior Cats

Raoul de Chaligny - The Phantom of the Opera

Relena Peacecraft - Gundam Wing

Ren Tsuruga - Skip Beat

Robert Chase - House MD

Robin Hood - Once Upon A Time

Romeo Montague - Romeo and Juliet

Shuichi Tsukamoto - Hibike Euphonium

Taeju Yeo - Low Tide in Twilight

Tamlin - A Court of Thorns and Roses

Taylor Kelly - 9-1-1

The Canker Sisters - Ed, Edd, and Eddy

Tom Paris - Star Trek: Voyager

Available for Resubmission:

Catra - She-ra and the Princesses of Power

Edward Cullen - Twilight

Haida - Aggretsuko

Jacob Black - Twilight

Mamoru Chiba - Sailor Moon

Riven - Winx Club

Sumia - Fire Emblem Awakening

Not available for Resubmission:

Christian Grey - Shades of Grey

Crowfeather - Warrior Cats

Ezra Fitz - Pretty Little Liars Show

Hinata Hyuga - Naruto

Kylo Ren - Star Wars

Meliodas - The Seven Deadly Sins

Sasuke - Naruto

Sky of Eraklyon - Winx Club

Ted Mosby - How I Met Your Mother

[ijustliketoreadstuff]

Lets talk about the London special trailer

Disney channel France released the trailer for the London special, lets dive in and see what's happening. I know TF1 also released another trailer but I want the majority of the special to be a surprise, so I'm just going to analyze one. I'm gonna try to piece together what parts of the trailer are in order, the first being of course Ladybug traveling to London with a very sad look on her face. The London special takes place in the season 5 finale, right after Monarch used the miraculous to make a wish , so of course she feels very troubled on account of that she just witnessed a lot of dark secrets unfold within the Agreste family, during her battle against Monarch at the Agreste mansion.

To top it all off, she even watched in horror as Gabriel chose to die to bring back Nathalie who we saw healthy and alive at the end of the season 5 finale, sitting alongside Amelie.

At this point in the London trailer, Ladybug is aware that Adrien needs to know his father is dead, but this reality will of course be very difficult for Ladybug to say and for Adrien to hear, since he has essentially now lost both his parents. Worst of all, Ladybug knows she cannot comfort Adrien as his girlfriend while she is still Ladybug, and must refrain from showing him too much emotion otherwise she will risk exposing her true identity.

Unfortunately, Adrien was just one part of the aftermath she has to confront, she also has to deal with the public who will of course find out on their own that Monarch is gone from his inactivity alone and will be needing some kind of answer to prevent them from trying to dig on their own about what really went on between Ladybug and Monarch's fight, especially once the entire world finds out that Gabriel Agreste had also gone missing the day Ladybug faced Monarch.

Marinette knows she cannot tell the public Gabriel was Monarch because the consequences from that truth alone would very quickly turn into a violent backlash against Adrien, who had no fault in his fathers choice to be the villain of Paris. She alone is fully aware there are people out there who will not listen to reason as many are already willing to turn against her alone, spreading misinformation and unnecessary hate about her ("Reunion").

Although many people close to Adrien know he would never try to harm anyone the way his father did, the pain and trauma Gabriel inflicted on so many citizens when he was Monarch, will of course leave some people more than willing to find someone to blame for his actions, and the closest to attack will be Adrien if they ever learn of Monarchs identity.

Gabriel left a great burden to Marinette when he asked her not to let Adrien find out he was Monarch, and as much as Marinette hated being asked to carry such a burden, Gabriel knew he left her no other choice, he knew Marinette's love for Adrien could be used to his advantage and force her to keep his identity a secret if she ever wanted to spare Adrien of the pain and consequences that would follow after he was gone.

Next we have what we can easily conclude is the antagonist of the special, this ghost looking person. I'm gonna go out on a limb and say this is not Lila despite seeing them in Lila's hideout, the reason being is because at the end of the season 5 finale, we saw Lila in her lair caught by surprise as a bright light suddenly appeared behind her, whatever that light was must have been from this ghost person who did something to Lila.

We don't know who this ghost person is yet, but they know Marinette is Ladybug, knowing exactly where she lives and that her earrings are the ladybug miraculous despite the jewels being in camouflage. In addition to taking the earrings, they also took all the other miraculous that were reconfigured into rings, what they plan to do with all that power, we still wont know until the special releases.

Regardless, whatever this person is doing, it's something that was not meant to happen in the timeline as we can see that their actions have alerted Bunnyx, who very quickly pulls Marinette into the burrow not long after Marinette realizes her earrings and the other miraculous were taken.

In the burrow, Bunnyx and Marinette watch as the various timelines in the time stream are turning black and disappearing, of course they will need to handle whatever it is that messed up the river of time in the first place, but what caused it? If the time stream could be affected by an anomaly such as Ladybug writing her real name on her gift to Adrien back in "Cat Blanc", then this could mean someone out there did something, something small, that they were not supposed to.

Unfortunately, without her earrings, Marinette can't do much against whoever took the miraculous and is now messing up the timestream, she needs the ladybug earrings. The only way she can use them while they are missing, is by borrowing them from another point in time when she wasn't using them. It's not the first time she had to borrow a miraculous from another point in time, they asked Fu from the past to let them borrow the dog miraculous in "Evolution". The only point in Marinette's life when she wasn't wearing the earrings to use in case of an emergency was in "Origins" when she wasn't ready to take on the responsibility of a hero, and that's exactly where we see her travel to in the London trailer. Back in "Origins" Marinette left the earrings in her drawer for the rest of the day, a perfect time for future Marinette to take them temporarily without alerting anyone or causing any damage to the timeline.

Well that just about covers everything in the trailer, now to wait for the official release, see you all in therapy!

[theerurishipper]

Welcome to me watching the Paris special, this time with commentary! I watched the special and wrote down everything here as I watched it and forgot to post it cause I'm a dumbass. Also, this is long asf, in fact, it's so long that I had to make a Part 2.

Okay here goes!

Ah, the Gabriel version of the theme. This really took me by surprise. It's fire tho.

Straight into the action, I like it.

Max and Markov aren't different people in this?

That's some entrance from Shady and Claw, really ups the stakes. Makes you wonder why Nino tried to fight them with a nerf gun.

Ubiquity is so pretty.

I might be the only one who liked the Gabe scene we got.

Feeling some nostalgia for the candy cane cosplay ngl.

And we get a good scene with Adrien and Plagg. I liked the advice Plagg gave about how not all destruction is bad. Neat.

Some Alya and Marinette. Marinette is going through some tough times and is in need of support, and Tikki takes this opportunity to escape from her and steal macaroons. No hate tho, you do you Tikki.

Though she does react to the people of Paris cheering for Ladybug. That was sweet.

Alya turns into Ubiquity, and then we get... Betterfly.

Betterfly? Seriously? Coulda just gone with Hesperia.

"I'm not sure there's anything to hope for from Ladybug." My poor baby!

Love the look of absolute confusion on Alya's face.

Hesperia's confusion about his evil counterpart is really funny ngl.

SHADYBUG

"There, you can have your boyfriend back~" love the delivery on that line lmao.

But also, CLAW NOIR

Not her just stealing his belt immediately.

Marinette hates Adrien Agreste. This truly is the reverse world.

But also, I love Claw Noir pretending to be his own fan to impress Shadybug.

Claw Noir sure does love using that Cataclysm.

For someone who just woke up to see her friend gone and a hole in the wall, Alya collected herself pretty damn quick. I would be freaking the fuck out in her position. Just another reason she's the best.

RIP Alya's phone. Gabe really did a number on you.

Shadybug makes a butterfly tracker, proving that she ain't no Gabe.

Hesperia is befuddled by our world, Part 2.

It's always gotta be the Eiffel Tower, doesn't it.

Claw Noir's pulling a Chat Blanc?? Hello??

Hesperia (I'm not gonna call him Betterfly) is apparently a gentleman. It's almost disturbing after 5 seasons of Gabe being the worst piece of shit to grace our screens.

I guess no matter the universe and moral alignment, it's Gabriel's fate to get beaten up by teenagers.

Not Tikki loredumping about parallel universes right now lmao

Times like this remind me that Tikki is, for all intents and purposes, a god.

"You'd die before I could ever explain all this to you," is actually a pretty valid (and disturbingly hilarious) justification for not having bothered to bring any of this up before.

The Supreme is someone I'd like to learn more about. I've narrowed the suspects down to either Fu or Su-Han. Watch it be Lila instead if we ever get that info.

I feel like the info about the timers is something we should have gotten way, way earlier. Like, a few seasons ago.

Ladybug's triumphant entrance!

"Whatever, pest." Queen.

I love Claw Noir's staff.

Shadybug took no prisoners at all.

CHAT NOIR

Destruction vibes, and right after that incident too.

Claw Noir is unhinged.

Claw Noir just fucking cataclysmed himself??? Guess Adrien is always gonna be self-destructive in every universe huh?

Welp, looks like Chat Noir is officially re-traumatized.

I want y'all to remember that this boy went through the whole special with a cataclysm wound on his person and did not falter once. Mad respect.

Chat Noir got tossed. Chat Blanc call back number 2.

Obsessed with the way Bryce Papenbrook pronounces "cockroach."

Finally, a villain who actually gets rid of the Lucky Charm. Hawkie, take notes.

"Who the cat are you?"

So Shadybug can create whatever Lucky Charm she wants, huh?

Someone's been listening to the fandom.

Not the time freezing lmfao

I don't like that Gabe is turning Adrien into an angel, even if this is a good version. Anyway, Chat Blanc call back 3.

"Kitty catty" "Later loser!" I love her.

Of course, not all bugs can fly.

He moved out of the way.

I fucking love Claw Noir so much you guys, he's so funny.

Well, he tried. Shadybug's just better than him ig.

Hesperia stores his butterfly in his cane. So it's just our Gabe that tries to keep multiple butterflies, I guess.

I think they should kiss.

So they're doing this in hopes that The Supreme spares them? Interesting, and pretty sad.

They're so scared of the Akuma lmfao

If I was Alya, I'd have given myself away by now. Actually, I wouldn't have had the presence of mind to even hide.

Guess the counterparts are from some dystopian world ruled by The Supreme. It tracks with the look we got at it in the opening.

"In order to get something I wanted." We saw the Peacock Miraculous in the opening too, and also Emilie died. So I guess Adrien is a Sentimonster in the other reality too. Damn it.

I guess this Gabe realized his mistake instead of descending into madness like ours.

She just broke Marinette's box like it was nothing. So much for that.

Claw Noir lounges around playing with dolls and mocks Shadybug for being lazy while she does all the work and he lazes around. Have I mentioned yet that I love him?

Also I am glad they stayed true to Adrien's character and had him play with dolls.

The whole part about Chat Noir... be still my Ladynoir heart.

Love how they incorporated the webisodes into this. About time those had relevance.

Shadybug really "hates" Claw Noir.

Marinette's having doubts, my poor baby girl.

Shadybug and Claw Noir have power, but not their strength. That's a really good line.

She's reading the diary and crying... baby.

This is such a touching scene. I don't say that lightly, but it really is.

SHE FOUND THE WISH

Marinette really wrote down every single world ending secret in this one poorly protected diary huh.

She literally took him down in 2 seconds. Bruh.

IDENTITY REVEAL! THIS IS NOT A DRILL, I REPEAT, THIS IS NOT A DRILL

Shadybug managed to achieve in 2 seconds what Marinette and Adrien have not achieved after 5 seasons of Love Square drama which I admittedly enjoy but that's not the point.

Those strange... marks? Cracks? Scars?

Blots off... I'm dying y'all.

Reverse Love Square? Hello??? HELLO???

She literally just beat his ass, tied him up and took his Miraculous and this is his reaction once he realizes who she is.

He's down so bad.

They should have played Careless Whisper here.

CUTIE PIE, MY SON

The Supreme is such a fucking asshole, he gagged the Kwamis.

Emonette wants our Marinette's life? She doesn't know the half of what she's getting into.

The Supreme got to the wish somehow? What the fuck?

"Reality is The Supreme." I don't know who this guy is, but he is DELULU.

This shot... masterfully done. My poor baby girl.

These kids are not okay. My poor sweet babies.

Daggers out. Seriously, stop it, you two.

He's trying to comfort her. They're just... I'm in pain. I'm so sad for them y'all.

Gabe in his prototype Monarch outfit.

Good thing (for him at least) he had the Ox, or else this would be his second cataclysm of the day.

Ladybug and Chat Noir are back in action, baby.

I'm sorry, I would not be able to say Betterfly unironically without bursting into laughter.

AFTER 5 SEASONS, WE FINALLY GET TO SEE CHAT NOIR'S NIGHT VISION AGAIN

Not that they needed it lmao

Alya coming in clutch with the recording. Queen.

LADYNOIR LADYNOIR LADYNOIR

It's so so so nice to see Ladynoir on screen again after Season 5 killed it.

Hit the word limit, so continued here.

[drtwit]

Miraculous Ladybug - Miraculous Menaces AU: Ya Gotta Be Pigeon'ing me!

Miraculous Menaces AU

Chapter Summary:

Marinette has a good day. Lila has a bad one. A bank robbery goes wrong, and the fight for the mouse miraculous goes even worse.

https://archiveofourown.org/works/58557754/chapters/171970429

An AU where Chat becomes Hawkmoth's partner in crime. "I'm Adrien Agreste. I thought I was a normal boy with a normal life, but my father has a secret that I must protect at all cost, because it just might save my family's future." At first, Adrien thought that the day he found out that his father was the supervillain terrorizing the people of Paris was the worst day of his life, but in retrospect, it might have been the one change needed to save his family. Because it was also the day that both of them realized that, when they don't need to be Adrien and Gabriel Agreste, they're both goofier than they realized. Follow the adventures of Hawkmoth, Chat Noir, and their reluctant assistant who doesn't get paid enough, Nathalie, as they try to navigate life as a supervillain family. And pray for Ladybug's, and her new partner's, sanity as she suffers their antics.

Preview:

She dropped a thick duffle bag at his feet with a loud thump, whistling to herself as she did so, “Geez, what do you have in here? It’s heavy.”

Now, it was Larry’s turn to feel overwhelmed. Lucky Liver Larry was no guilty Glynda or nothing, he was a hardcore, ride-or-die hard ass, with nerves of steel. It’s just that, if the kid opened that duffle bag, she might get the wrong idea. She’ll look at all that green and wonder ‘Hey, why would someone as cool and obviously rich as Larry have all his money in cash? Shouldn’t he store some of this in the bank?’.

And when you lived as full a life as old Larry, you knew that, when little girls start asking questions, everything’s gonna come out. Because they’re devious little gremlins. Besides, this was one of those super saint dudes, he wouldn’t want to corrupt Paris’ sweetheart by showing her all that moolah. She might start getting the itch to steal!

“It’s dirt,” he said with the profound confidence of a man who didn’t just say those exact words. “For holes and stuff.”

“Right…” she seemed to buy it just fine, but then again she was also talking into her yoyo, “Volly, tell me you have eyes on the mouse miraculous?”

A pause as her eyes narrowed.

“What do you mean Chat’s trying to eat it?”

[lady-de-mon-coeur]

Behind those eyes

AO3 link

Words: 2,828

Summary:

Toxinelle. Ladybug. Fancybug. Cockroach.

No matter what her name was. The main thing was that behind these names and masks, there was the baker girl. His secret longtime crush. The only person who he cared for after his mother had died.

Maybe she was willing to give him a bit of her time?

Toxinelle. Ladybug. Fancybug. Cockroach.

No matter what her name was. The main thing was that behind these names and masks, there was the baker girl. His secret longtime crush. She's always been there.

The only girl in the entire world who could bring a beaming smile to the face and a vibrant pink blush to the pale cheeks of the famous Adrien Agreste.

The only girl who could make the obnoxious dumbass Griffe Noire act softly and gently.

The only person who he cared for after his mother had died.

And now she was holding his hand so dearly, lacing their fingers together, as if they just got married, gently guiding him through the portal, back to their world.

But she didn’t let go of his hand once they'd arrived in their universe. As if she really cared for him.

Could it be just wishful thinking? Maybe she forgot she was still holding his hand.

Or could it be that she actually enjoyed holding his hand?

His — Fleabag’s —hand! A hand of a person she had seemed to absolutely despise just a few hours ago.

But recently she'd started using every chance she got to casually touch him, as in, patting his cheek playfully when he started fooling around to impress her with his silly puns (he certainly won't wash his face where he touched him ever again), or invading his personal space to tell him with the most flirty look he'd ever seen on anyone that he needed to change his outfit – she's done it so naturally as if it was the most normal thing to do, as if they've been in love since forever and were now discussing where to go on their honeymoon.

She didn't get mad when he said the new superhero name she chose for herself was lame — so unlike the way she'd usually treated him when he'd said something really dumb.

She'd even laughed that silvery, jolly, good-natured kind of laughter he'd never heard before upon seeing him in his new outfit, making his heart flutter at the realization that it was him who made his badass not-to-be-messed-with partner make this celestial sound.

Should he try his luck? Adrien kept asking himself, looking at their connected hands.

====

They've known each other for quite a while now, but that doesn't mean they've always gotten along well.

====

There, in another universe, when she casually dropped her transformation in front of him, revealing her true identity, he couldn’t help but gasp.

What a beautiful sight!

Could he really be so lucky? He, the embodiment of bad luck?

He blinked, but the amazing girl didn't vanish. She was still there.

She was just as beautiful and sad and lonely as he'd assumed her to be by watching her day by day through the bakery window.

(He'd been dying to talk to her for so long, to know the reason behind her sadness. Now the realization hit him like a truck: his beloved baker girl was doomed to die soon, just like himself).

And she was so distraught, poor thing. She cried and sobbed, making Adrien's heart bleed for her.

There was no one in the whole world there for her, besides him. He must comfort her at all costs. There was no way he would leave her to cry her beautiful eyes out. (Although they were red right now. But he knew that behind these blood-red irises, they still were clear summer blue.)

So Adrien extended his hand hesitantly and put it on her shoulder, hoping to convey through this ever so light touch how much he loved her.

More than anything in the world, he would love to hug her, but he wasn't sure she would let him. A simple touch might do for now.

She made a quick move with her shoulder, as if waving away an annoying fly, and he had to retract his hand.

Of course, he should have known. What else did he expect?

Too much he'd done for her to be resentful, after all.

He didn't catch her when she'd fallen from the sky earlier that night. Then he tried to steal her miraculous for the umpteenth time.

He'd been making fun of her and calling her names such as lame and a cockroach on a daily basis.

Who on earth would have believed that his compassion was genuine this time?

And then they had no more time to linger on her identity and his feelings for her.

====

But now things were different.

They were alone now, sitting on the rooftop, freshly recruited for the Resistance, discussing their next meeting.

And they had all the time in the world.

Maybe she was willing to give him a bit of this time?

So when she started heading in the direction of her home (it was thrilling to finally know where she lived), humming cheerfully, she was held back.

“Ladybug, wait!” Adrien called, capturing her hand. Oh, it definitely will take time to get used to her new name. Of course it'd be great to call her by her civilian name, but there was a little problem: he didn't know it.

She stopped humming abruptly and directed a questioning gaze at him. She didn't make a move to free her hand from his grasp, and Adrien was immensely thankful for it. He needed to feel her touch.

Once their eyes met, Adrien suddenly got that strange sensation he'd already dealt with before, when they were in that goodie-two-shoes’ room in another universe: as if his face was catching fire.

How does he say that? Where does he even start?

Because the harsh reality was that he, Adrien Agreste, a famous model, and also Griffe Noire, a formerly universally feared and dreaded villain of Paris, was just an awkward teenager, and observing his crush through the limo window was basically the only experience with girls he'd ever had.

He shifted from one foot to the other as if there were a hot stove instead of the rooftop beneath their feet.

“What do you think about me?”

Ladybug puckered up her kissable lips (which for once were strawberry pink, without dark red lipstick on them), simultaneously scrunching up her freckled little nosie, as if pondering her response, and Adrien's heart melted at the sight.

“Well, I think you're cute,” she said after a moment's thought, and Adrien couldn’t help but notice that her voice was now more soft and high-pitched than before.

It was not bad, was it? It was an impressive progress, especially coming from a person who until this night had seemed to hate him to his core.

However, he wanted more. He wanted to be her entire world. Her whole universe.

“Is this all?”

“What else do you want to know?” she asked nonchalantly, but Adrien could still see two pink-coloured spots on her cheeks.

“Willyoumarryme?” he blurted out in a single puff of air.

Seeing Toxi’s incredibly blue (at last! at long last they were summer blue and not the murderous colour of blood) eyes grow as big as full moons was a breathtaking sight which was rewarding in and by itself. But it also affected him like a cold shower.

“I mean, would you like to go out with me?” he corrected himself hastily, scratching his neck nervously.

(Say ‘yes’! Please say ‘yes’!)

She scrutinized him for a long moment, as if she saw him for the first time.

“Are you asking me out or what?” she finally asked incredulously.

“Yes, I… Yes. Do you agree?” he managed to say, his voice slightly trembling.

“Why would you suddenly need me so much?”

“Because I lo… I like you. I really do.” He decided to tell the truth.

“You don't even know me outside of being Toxinelle,” she retorted.

“Of course, I do,” Adrien blurted out impulsively and regretted it immediately.

“Oh, you know, it's… it's complicated,” he muttered, squirming under Bug's quizzical stare like a deer caught in the headlights.

(She didn't need to know that she'd been watched by a secret and very smitten admirer who at some point had thought of conveying a letter to her via his bodyguard, but had too much trouble getting his feelings down on paper.)

She looked away and shook her head slowly.

“Just drop it, Fleabag. If you really know me, then you probably also know that I'm completely worthless”.

Excuse me, what?

He's been admiring her from afar for months, but despite the distance between them, he also knew for sure that she was the most fantastic girl. How could she—she, who was his idol, his dream come true—say something that mean and unfair about herself, was beyond him.

“Please don't ever say something like this!” he pleaded fiercely. “You're the coolest girl I know.” Not that he'd encountered many girls, but this didn't make his baker girl any less amazing.

“Haven't you told me a billion times before that I'm lame… in each and every universe?” Ladybug whispered, pressing her clenched fists to her face, and Adrien suddenly recognized, much to his horror, the same miserable expression he'd already seen on her when she'd told him there was no way for them to save themselves unless they found the butterfly miraculous.

Ouch!

Adrien had heard before that words can kill. Now he had to learn it the hard way.

That was cruel.

But that was also true. He wouldn't even begin to deny it.

He knew he deserved to have his own mean words be thrown back in his face. But it still hurt.

Was there anything he could do to revert the time? Undo the damage he has done? Heal her bruised heart?

“I was an idiot,” he stuttered after a rather long and awkward silence. “I'm so sorry, Bug. I know I don't deserve your forgiveness. You don't owe me anything. But I want you to know, I never really meant it. I was bitter after my mother's death, and I… I guess I just wanted others to feel at least a tiny fraction of the pain I was going through. So I was saying mean things to everyone around me. I felt oddly satisfied to see people hurt and upset. I was just a self-absorbed asshole, Bug.”

She listened to his short speech in silence. Then she finally looked up, a sad smile curling her lips.

“If anything, I was just as much of an asshole, Fleabag, calling you stupid and whatnot,” she confessed, placing her hand on top of his, and this simple touch made his heart skip a beat. “I've been severely bullied for years at school. But coming home didn't bring me any relief, because once there, I got yelled at and mistreated by my parents. So, when the Supreme had given me my miraculous, I used it for revenge. Now, I could fight back. I could stand up to my oppressors. I still had no friends. No one loved me. But at least, no one messed with me. And look where it got me, kitty cat. I nearly died from the side effects of misusing my miraculous. It acquired me zero friends, but nearly killed me. So when it comes to being a jerk, I suppose we're even.”

Adrien's throat tightened as he listened to her bare her soul to him.

Just the thought that someone dared to treat his baker girl in such a cruel way filled him with utmost rage. And just to think that he was one of her bullies not so long ago!

He gave her hand a light squeeze.

“Do you forgive me, Bug?” he asked, his voice hoarse.

She smiled the same broken smile and nodded silently.

“Do you still think I'm cute? After all we've been through together?”

“I do.” This short answer made Adrien's heart do funny little things in his chest. “And you, do you still think I'm cool?” she added, looking away.

“I do,” he echoed.

(Yes, a billion times yes!)

“Then I must suppose we're even,” Ladybug repeated her recent words, this time offering him a genuine and warm smile.

“So, is this a ‘yes’?” Adrien gulped and clarified: “I mean, do you agree to go out with me?”

She watched him intensely in the eyes.

“Do you really want it, kitty cat?” she asked in the same voice someone would ask you if you really want to date a yeti.

“Yes. I really do.”

(Why is it so hard to wrap your head around the possibility that someone might really like you?)

(Oh, wait—)

Bug bit her lip.

“I need some time to think things through,” she finally said, and if Adrien didn't know her well enough, he could've sworn he heard a hint of guilt in her voice.

(Or did she really sound… apologetic?)

His face fell. He just couldn't help it, disappointed as he was.

But there was still hope in her words, wasn't it? Like a beacon of light in the dark.

“May I hug you then?”

“What?” she yelped, her eyes reminding of blue lunar discs once again.

“No need to be scared,” Adrien reassured, raising his hands in front of him. “I promise, I'm not going to steal your miraculous.”

“No, it's not that,” Ladybug explained in a small voice. “I think I just need some time to get used to all this… affection.”

He felt a sudden prickling in his eyes.

Much to his delight, Ladybug started leaning forward hesitantly, so he ventured to take the initiative.

He leaned forward, too, and closed the gap between them by placing his hands on the small of her back.

Adrien could feel her heart flutter like a scared little bird trapped inside of her ribcage.

“I won't let the Supreme do you any harm,” he muttered into her hair.

“I'm not afraid of the Supreme that much,” she confessed in a hoarse voice. “I'm more scared that my life won't change for the better.”

“It's already changed, you know. You already have a friend. You have teammates who are willing to help you the best they can. You might also get a boyfriend if you want to.”

Ladybug flinched slightly and pulled away to look him intently in the eyes, but no word left her lips.

How much Adrien longed for her to scratch him behind his ear or pat his cheek again. Unfortunately, every day is not Sunday.

“I should be heading home, or else I'll get yelled at again,” Ladybug said eventually, unsurprisingly enough, not in the least enthusiastically.

Adrien hated how hollow her voice had sounded when she'd said this. He felt his fists clench by their own will.

“May I visit your bakery?” he asked. “I can talk to your parents.”

“You?” she chuckled. “You barely talk when detransformed.”

Adrien felt another twinge of disappointment.

He just wanted to be useful to her.

He just wanted to protect the girl he loved.

Why is he constantly getting dismissed?

She put her hand on his reassuringly.

“Thank you, kitty cat, but drop it. They've always been like that. I've gotten used to the way they treat me a long time ago.”

He looked at her with sad kitty eyes.

“Please take care of yourself,” he pleaded.

(Although it should be me taking care of you).

She nodded and started turning around to leave.

“And—umm—Toxi, I mean, Ladybug. Just one question, before you go. May I get to know your real name?”

So many sleepless nights were spent by him trying to figure out what magical combination of sounds the beauty from the local bakery might have as a name. What wouldn’t he give to actually know it!

Who would've thought that it'd turn out to be—

“Marinette,” she said, looking down at the roof beneath her feet, as if confessing to a crime.

Adrien couldn’t help but squeal at the sound of that name.

It was anything but common. Beautiful and poetic, even though old-fashioned (Adrien wondered if she was named after her great grandmother), as if tailored specifically for this extraordinary girl.

He heard that name just two seconds ago and couldn’t imagine her being called differently.

He already knew there were many more sleepless nights to come when he'd be lying in his giant bed, savouring her name like a lollipop, saying it out loud again and again.

It'll drive Plagg insane. It'd be the only instance when I might be glad his mouth is gagged (although it won't last long, Hesperia having told us he knows how to help the poor kwamis out of their predicament. I'm probably going to learn a lot about myself once it's done).

====

She'd been long gone, yet Adrien still stood where she'd left him, staring after her, star-struck, and muttering to himself.

Toxinelle. Ladybug. Fancybug. Cockroach. Bug. Marinette. Buguinette.

So many names she had. And he loved all of them.

Because they belonged to the one and only baker girl.