#MaribatOctRP21

[ms-starflower]

Maribat Rare Pairs — Day 7 — Soulmate AU

@maribat-october-rarepairs

Okay people, have this little fluffy Roynette piece to make up for yesterday's angst.

Sorry, tho, but it's a short one. Spook-tober sucked up all of my creativity for today.

Also, you wouldn’t believe how hard coming up with the right sentence for Marinette’s words was. And then I had to come up with a response! I swear I’m never taking soulmate fic for granted, how do people even get soulmark that creative?!

~~~~~~~~~~~~

Marinette had spent all of her adulthood wondering what kind of situation would bring her soulmate to say her words.

They were not mean, or weird. Well, alright, they were maybe a bit weird, now that she was an adult. But what really got her wondering was the fact that they made no sense.

“What the hell? When did B adopt another one?” was etched on her left upper arm.

Marinette was someone that would easily think of the worst case scenario, and make it even worse. So, of course, when she first understood her words, she thought her parents were going to throw her out of their house because she wasn’t good enough.

It took a while for her parents to convince her that they would never do something like that, but they did it.

So, then, Marinette thought that they would probably not have a choice in the matter. If they died, she would be sent away and adopted. She didn’t want her parents to die!

She never told her parents about her theory, too afraid to declenche some sort of self-fulfilling prophecy, like in the movies.

Middle school had been The Worst. And that certainly didn’t help when Hawkmoth, in his infinite generosity, decided to add his own category in Marinette’s ‘how my parents could DIE’ list.

But then they defeated Hawkmoth, and graduated, and turned eighteen. And her parents were alive.

Marinette had never felt so lost in her life.

She was eighteen, even if something happened to her parents, she wouldn’t be adopted. So what? Did she misinterpreted her words? How could that even be misinterpreted?

Her words made no sense.

She spent a lot of her time thinking about it but, ultimately, she never even came close to the way her first meeting with her soulmate would go.

The day started normally, she was in Gotham for a couple of days, brought here by her commision for the Waynes. It was the final fitting, so it was more informal than their previous interaction. It helped that all of the kids had somehow become sorta-friends with her.

Even the little gremlin that was the youngest, though he didn’t admit it. She knew her brownies would win him over.

It all happened toward the end of the fitting. She was standing in the middle of the living room, back to the door, looking over her notes and waiting for Cassandra, who was changing from her dress in the other room.

She heard the door open behind her, but didn’t really pay attention until she heard a voice that wasn’t Cassandra’s.

“Hey, Jay, I need your help with—” She turned around, surprised because she had never seen the man all the time she had been here the last few months. The man, a tall and good looking redhead, paused when he saw her. Only to re-open her mouth and completely rock her entire world. “What the hell? When did B adopt another one?”

The Waynes all, except for Damian who only rolled his eyes, burst in various levels of laughter. Completely oblivious to the internal crisis that Marinette was undergoing. Because what. She had spent so much of her teenage angst agonizing over her parents “unavoidable” death, imagining the worst way she would be adopted (sometimes through kidnapping) only for that to happen?!

All that time, it was just because her soulmates would mistake her for one of Bruce Wayne’s kids. Why?!

“Don’t be stupid, she is—” Jason started, only to be interrupted by Marinette scream of frustation. Everyone in the room, even Cassadra who just entered, were looking at her like she was crazy now.

But, oh boy, how she didn’t care.

“Holy shit!” She screeched, pointing her finger rudely at him. “I spent all of my teenage years thinking my parents were going to die because of you!”

The man’s eyes widened with surprise, before his lips stretched in a big grin.

“I always wondered what I would say to bring out this reaction,” he told her, still grinning like a fool before taking a couple steps toward her. “But, yeah, that’s fair. Sorry ‘bout that. I’m Roy.”

And, really, Marinette wanted to stay mad at him a little longer. There had been so much angst in her teenage years, so much catastrophizing. But he was looking at her like she was the best thing happening to him ever, and his grin was so bright and pretty. She really couldn’t bring herself to.

“Marinette,” she told him, grabbing the hand he was giving her to shake with a smile. They both ignored the gaggle of Wayne kids asking for explanations in the background, only looking at each other.

[marauderundercover]

The Strings that Bind Us: Ch. 13

Day 13: Friday the 13th

AO3

Prev

“We have to stay until Saturday evening.” Dick insists, making Bruce pinch the bridge of his nose. 

“Dick-” He starts but he cuts him off. 

“B, have you even checked the calendar for Friday?” Dick asks. Marinette raises an eyebrow. Why did the date determine when they could fly home? Bruce sighs and pulls up his calendar, huffing before nodding at Dick. 

“Okay, late flight on Saturday it is.” Bruce says simply. 

“What’s wrong with Friday?” Marinette asks from her spot on the couch. She was tucked into Bruce’s side with Damian on her other side. She had a set of knitting needles and a skein of yarn on her lap, working furiously on a sweater. 

“You’re not serious, are you?” Dick asks with a raised eyebrow. She rolls her eyes 

“If I wasn’t serious, I would have said ‘haha’.” Marinette says with a huff. 

“M, it’s Friday the 13th.” Bruce says. 

“And that means?” She says, eyebrows furrowed. 

“It’s a superstition, Ma. These two babies are just too scared to fly with the ‘bad luck’.” Jason says, finally glancing up from his book. 

“Thank you, Jay. And you two are ridiculous. A singular day cannot have more bad luck just because of the date.” Marinette says. 

“You say that now, just wait til you’ve lived in Gotham for a few years.” Dick mumbles with a pout. 

“Have you told your family that we’re coming?” Bruce asks suddenly, and Marinette pales. Mon dieu, she knew she’d forgotten something. 

“I’ll be right back.” She says, gently shifting Damian to lean against Bruce. She practically runs out of the room, grabbing her phone on the way to the kitchen. Leaning against the counter, she dials the familiar number.

“So you finally remembered your Maman?” Her mother’s voice is teasing, but she can hear the slight exasperation in it. She winces. 

“Bonjour, Maman.” Marinette says nervously. 

“Don’t ‘maman’ me, young lady. You haven’t called in over a month! Just vague texts about the bakery or your cafe. Those are not the kinds of messages you send your parents, those are the messages you send distant friends.” Her mother complains with a huff. Marinette was once again glad that Hawkmoth had been defeated. Otherwise, she was sure her mother’s annoyance would be high enough to be akumatized. 

“I’m sorry, Maman. I just- do you remember when I told you I’d met someone?” She tests the waters, realizing that although she’d talked about Bruce on occasion, she’d never told her maman how serious she was about him. 

“From last October? Or have you met someone new and it slipped your mind to tell me?” She asks, her tone teasing instead of bitter. 

“Yes, from October. I- We’re going to come visit for the anniversary of Hawkmoth’s defeat.” Marinette says, her nerves skyrocketing as there’s nothing but silence on the other end. “Maman?”

“Marinette?” Her papa’s confused voice comes through and she winces. 

“Hello, Papa. Is Maman mad at me?” She asks, the tension in her shoulders dissolving as he laughs. 

“Of course not, mon chou. She told me she was going to get some recipes, but she didn’t say what for. Care to fill me in?” He asks and she smiles. 

“Do you remember me talking about Bruce?” She asks. “We’re flying in for the anniversary of Hawkmoth’s defeat. I told him that it was something of a holiday in Paris and he suggested flying home.” She adds. 

“He sounds smart.” Her papa says, and she can hear the teasing smile in his tone. 

“He is, Papa. And he’s kind, and loving. I never imagined I’d find the love of my life in the crime capital of the world.” She laughs, her face heating up with a blush as arms wrap around her waist. She tilts her head and raises an eyebrow at Bruce, who just smiles down at her. 

“Well we can’t wait to meet him! And see you again, of course.” He says. 

“Oh, um, also, we’re bringing the boys.” She blurts, biting her lip nervously as she expects his silence to rival her Maman’s. 

“Sabine! Start the cookies! We have grandkids!” He shouts instead, and she has to jerk the phone away from her ear to keep from going deaf. Bruce snorts and she glares at him, waiting for the screaming and cheering to die down before bringing the phone back to her ear. 

“Marinette Dupain-Cheng! How could you not tell us sooner? What day are you flying in?” Her mother demands, clearly in planning mode now. She glances at Bruce, raising an eyebrow. 

‘Late Wednesday.’ He mouths and she nods. 

“We’ll be in Paris late on Wednesday.” She says. 

“Then I expect you to bring your entire family here for breakfast on Thursday. The bakery will be closed for the holiday anyway.” Her maman insists. 

“I-” She pauses. Her mother was an immovable force, there was no way she could change her mind. “Yes, maman.” 

“Good. We love you, sweetheart.” Her maman says, her voice filled with love. Marinette smiles. 

“Love you too, Maman. See you Thursday.”

“See you then.” Her maman says before hanging up. Marinette looks at her phone for a minute before groaning and turning, hiding herself in Bruce’s chest. He tightens his hold on her, but he shakes lightly with laughter. 

“What’s wrong, love?” He asks. 

“They’re going to go overboard.” She mumbles into his chest. 

“How so?”

“They’ve always wanted grandchildren, and one of the ways they show love is food. The boys aren’t even going to be able to walk by the time we leave.” She says with a sigh, leaning back and glancing up at his face. He smiles and leans down, giving her a soft kiss.

“I think the boys will love this. Are you okay with it? Or-” He pauses, looking unsure. “Did I push you into something you didn’t want to do?” She shakes her head rapidly. 

“No, no of course not.” She denies. “I <i>want<i> my parents to be part of this side of my life. I’m just...scared.” 

“Of?”

“Messing this up.” She says quietly. He lets out a breath before pulling her back into a crushing hug. 

“You are not going to mess this up. If anything, I’m going to be the one to mess this up.” Bruce says and she pulls back to frown at him. 

“How about, instead of you guys trying to argue over who’s gonna mess it up, you just admit you love each other too much to let it get messed up.” Dick says, strolling into the kitchen with his arms crossed and a knowing smile on his face. Marinette’s frown falls into an easy smile. 

“I’m fine with that.” She says, looking back at her boyfriend. Bruce’s face stretches into a loving smile and he nods. 

“Me too.” 

---

“Damian, sweetheart, Plagg has to stay in the hotel.” Marinette says for the hundredth time. 

“But why?” Damian asks...again. 

“Cause M said so.” Dick says, butting in. Damian frowns. 

“But he’s family.” Damian says, bringing in a new argument. 

“My parents don’t know Plagg, sweetheart. They- they don’t know about the kwamis.” She admits, heart clenching. Damian frowns, but nods. 

“Okay then.” He says, tilting his head as he looks at her. “Hug?” He asks, and her heart melts as he holds out his arms. Sure, he didn’t love hugs as much as she did, but he was always good at reading people. More so than any other three year old she’d ever met. She wraps him up in a hug, feeling her stress from talking about the kwamis falling away. 

“Jason is finally dressed in something other than pajamas. Everyone ready?” Bruce asks, walking into the room. Marinette glances up at him and nods. She starts to let go of Damian, but he tightens his hold. She readjusts her hold, standing up. 

“Am I carrying you to the bakery?” She asks with a laugh. Damian simply nods. 

“Why, on vacation, do we have to get up so early?” Jason complains, rubbing his eyes as he walks into the room. 

“Technically, you’re on vacation til next school year anyway Little Wing.” Dick points out, ruffling Jason’s hair. Jason scowls and shoves him away. 

“Boys.” Marinette says, both of them straightening almost immediately. 

“Sorry mom.”

“Sorry, M.” 

“Come on, we were meant to be there five minutes ago.” Bruce says, voice tense as he guides everyone out of the room. Marinette adjusts Damian on her hip and raises an eyebrow at the look on her boyfriend’s face. 

“Are you nervous?” She asks. Bruce frowns and she gasps. “You are nervous!” 

“This is a big deal.” Bruce counters, still frowning. 

“Bruce, mon coeur, they’re going to love you. If only because I love you and you love me. And that’s all that matters to them.” She reassures him, reaching over and squeezing his hand. 

“Gee, feeling the love.” Jason says, rolling his eyes. Marinette snorts. 

“Maman and Papa will love all of you boys, no matter what. I’m sure they’d trade me for you in a heartbeat.” She says. She pauses as they stop in front of the bakery, the place where she grew up. She glances around at her little family, the one she hadn’t expected but would now run through hell to save. 

“Let’s do this.”

Next

Tag list: @maribat-october-rarepairs @ashbrea381writings @jayjayspixiepop @toodaloo-kangaroo @galla02006 @ritacrow-blog @liquid-luck-00 @corporeal-terrestrial @crazylittlemunchkin @tazanna-blythe

Permanent tag list: @stainedglassm @kittenmywaythrulife @laydeekrayzee @doll246 @queenz-z @deathssilentapproach-blog @literaryhiraeth @unoriginalmess @kking13

[liquid-luck-00]

Costume Swap

I don’t think I’ve seen a Billy Batson x Marinette and I’ve had the idea for a while

Halloween party costume swap

Masks / Capes

@maribat-october-rarepairs

[ultimatetornshipper]

Maribat oct rarepairs - day 11

@maribat-october-rarepairs

Day 11- oct 11 - witches’ brew

“It’s the third day he’s missed it, if he doesn’t see it this time, I’m pointing it out,” Nino said, amusement lacing his every word as he wiped down the counter.

Mari laughed, “No, Nino! It’s funnier if he notices it himself,”

“Guys c’mon I’m sure he’ll notice this time, he was just tired is all,” Kim insisted, defending his crush, hiding his own laughter as he cleaned the coffee maker.

“Kim, he’s always tired,” Marinette rolled her eyes, walking over to the front door to turn the sign around, only to find Tim already standing on the other side, wearing yesterday’s suit.

She opened the door for him and he stumbled into the cafe. He slowly made his way over to the counter and Kim already started preparing his usual.

Kim had to hide his laughter as he heard Nino mumble, “Speak of the devil,”

“Your usual?” Kim asked, giving the black head a dazzling smile. Tim nodded and said something incoherent that Kim took as a yes. He fully expected Tim to stumble to his usual table but instead he kept standing there, squinting at their October - menu.

“Am I hallucinating or is that my order on there?” he said quietly, pointing to their halloween special that read, ‘witches’ brew’ with Tim’s order written beneath it.

Before Kim could reply Nino stepped in, “Yeah it was Kim’s idea since your one of our regulars, the college students love it,”

Tim turned red and Kim had to hide his pleased smile as he carried his drink over to him. He wrote his number on a napkin.

“In case you think of any other blends we could add to the menu,” Kim said, winking at the now beet red Tim as he handed him the napkin.

“O- okay,” Tim said weakly, eyes wide as he slowly walked out of the shop.

They all burst out into laughter as soon as the man was out of earshot. Mari slapped his arm, “You ass, it’s to early for you to be hitting on him, the poor guy won’t be able to look you in the eye for a week,”

“It’ll be worth it if he texts me,” Kim said with a dopey smile on his face.

“You’re not even dating and he already has you whipped,” Nino laughed heartily.

Kim found himself not minding whether he was whipped, not if it meant he’d get to hold Tim in his arms.

[bunathebunny]

Chapters: 1/1 Fandom: Miraculous Ladybug, Batman - All Media Types, Maribat - Fandom Rating: Not Rated Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings Relationships: Marinette Dupain-Cheng | Ladybug/Talia al Ghul Characters: Marinette Dupain-Cheng | Ladybug, Talia al Ghul Additional Tags: MaribatOctRP21, MariBat Series: Part 54 of 2021, Part 78 of maribat Summary:

She goes down. As quick as an arrow, Talia follows.

For Maribat October Rarepair 2021 - Vampire AU

@maribat-october-rarepairs

[maribat-newsletter]

Maribat Events Announcement

‘Tis the season to be spooky! Muahahaha! Muahahaha!

For this spooktacular month, the Maribat Community has quite a few events going on. Let’s see what is going on. 

First, the Maribat? Get In! Server is celebrating its first anniversary. Join the server and participate in the anniversary event from October 1st to October 5th! Also, watch this stunning video brought to you by @queen-o-leen​​.  

Next, we have the Maribat Rare Pairs October 2021 event. Ships that are not common* are fair game. Make sure to visit (or tag, if you’re participating) the #MaribatOctRP21 on both Tumblr & AO3. For those on AO3, visit the MaribatOctRarePair21 collection to check out the stories.

*Common meaning - Daminette, Timinette, Dickinette, Jasonette, etc.

And finally, the Spook-tober Maribat Month event going on as well. For this event, all relationships are a go, and the theme is Halloween. Join the talented creators by visiting the tag #MaribatHalloween21 on Tumblr & AO3, or visit the MaribatOctober2021 collection for this year’s creations.

Both the Maribat Rare Pairs October 2021 and Spook-tober -Maribat Month events are brought to you by @maribat-october-rarepairs​. 

Have a haunt-tastic reading/writing/drawing! 

[ms-starflower]

Maribat Rare Pairs — Day 2 — Don’t leave

@maribat-october-rarepairs

Alright guys, I literally just thought that one up but I like it. It was harder to write tho, because my brain kept going back to the angst route but I really didn’t want to write angst (mainly because I'm’ not sure I will be good at it).

I don’t know why I keep writing meet-cute for the Rare Pairs, but here I am. With another meet-cute. I wanted to write with someone else than Marinette this time, but she wasn’t having it so we have two rare pairs for this one.

I kind of don’t want to spoil the pairs so uh, if you really wanna know, look at the tags?

~~~~~~~~~~~~

“Don’t leave,” Adrien said desperately, looking at her pleadingly. “Don’t leave me alone, please.”

“I need to go, Adrien,” she told him softly, trying to get him to understand. “You know why.”

“But I need you, I can’t do it alone!”

“It’s better like that,” she said firmly, trying to get his hand off of her arm. “For the both of us.”

“No, you don’t understand, Marinette. You need to stay with me, you can’t leave me.”

“Adrien,” she sighed, only to be interrupted by a voice from behind them.

“Hey, man, I think the lady made it clear that she doesn't want to stay. So, why don’t you let her go,” a man around their age said, making both of them turn toward him with surprise.

Adrien blinked, looking between his hand around Marinette’s arm and the man that just interrupted them. He blinked again, once, before his eyes widened and he let go of her like she burned.

“Oh my god, oh my god, oh my god! See!” He whispered loudly to Marinette. “This! This is why I need you there! I’m going to do something stupid and ridiculise myself! Oh my god! This is horrible, Marinette! How can I do that without you? I can’t, that’s how!”

“Alright, chaton, why don’t you calm down for a minute? Panicked spiraling is my thing, don’t you go steal it,” she told Adrien, patting his shoulder comfortingly, before turning toward the man. “I’m sorry, Monsieur, thank you for the assistance but there had been a little misunderstanding.”

“Little,” Adrien hissed. “I sounded like an abusive boyfriend just now, Marinette!”

“Uh,” the stranger started, looking between them with confusion. “You guys aren’t breaking up?”

“Oh my god, non! This guy is like my dumbass little brother,” she said with a smile that Adrien recognized as Marinette’s ‘this person is very attractive, how do I think again?’ smile.

“I’m older than you,” he told her, but was swiftly ignored by Marinette and the stranger. “And I’m not a dumbass.”

“He doesn't want me to leave him because he is a coward who can’t bring himself to talk to his crush,” Marinette said, elbowing Adrien pointedly.

“Ahem, hello pot, meet kettle,” Adrien sniped at her. “Remind me how long it took you to tell me about your crush on me?”

“Don’t you bring that up,” Marinette said, pointing a finger in his face. “It was in middle school. And you were a really, really oblivious sunshine child, Adrien.”

“Anyway,” Adrien said, rolling his eyes, before turning back toward the stranger and extending his hand. “I’m Adrien, by the way, and this is Marinette.”

“I’m Duke,” he said, grabbing his hand and shaking it. “Sorry for the… You know?” He added with a vague movement of the hand.

“Nah, that’s cool man. It’s great to know there are people that would have helped, if I was an abusive boyfriend.”

“Yeah,” Duke said with a chuckle, looking back toward Marinette and rubbing the back of his neck. “So… I, uh, I have a table with my brother over there, if you wanna join until you get the courage to approach your crush?”

“Oh my god,” Adrien whimpered when he looked where Duke was pointing with his thumb. It made Marinette, who was still kinda lost in Duke’s eyes, look over.

“Oh my god!” She squealed, putting both hands on her mouth. “That’s fucking fate, Adrien! You have to talk to him today!”

“Wait, hold on,” Duke said, a disbelieving look on his face, looking between them and his brother’s table. The table where Adrien's three months long coffee shop’s crush was sitting. “Your crush, it’s my brother?”

“Yes,” Marinette exclaimed excitedly, silently clapping her hands together, her usual nervousness with people she found attractive forgotten just to make Adrien’s life more difficult. “He spent the last three months coming here every day, just for a chance to stare at him and try to talk to him. Without success, obviously, that’s why I came with him today.”

“Marinette,” Adrien whispered to her pointedly. “Let’s not say that to his brother.”

“Hey, that’s cool,” Duke laughed, putting his hands in his jean’s pockets. “Well, since I was so rude and interrupted Marinette’s pep talk session, why don’t I make up for it by introducing you?”

“Yes, please,” Marinette said quickly, grabbing Adrien’s arm before he could evade her.

“No, no, no,” Adrien muttered under his breath with panic, but was ignored by the both of them and dragged against his will toward the table.

“Hey, Tim! Let me introduce you to a couple of friends,” Duke said with a smile when they got to the table, making his crush, Tim, look up at them.

“Hey, hi,” he said, with a cute little confused smile. “I’m Tim.”

Oh boy, Adrien was fucked.

[marauderundercover]

The Strings that Bind Us: Chapter One

AO3

Marinette Dupain Cheng was tired. She’d fought the same villain for fifteen years. She’d been a hero longer than she’d been just Marinette. It was exhausting. And she was ready for a break. Two years after unmasking Hawkmoth, Paris was finally healed enough for her to move on. To leave.

Which was why she was currently putting fairy lights and pumpkins on the balcony of her new apartment in Gotham. It was quiet, and lonely, but at least she didn’t have the weight of a city on her back anymore. She hums as she places the last pumpkin. Perfect. Glancing across the city, she lets out a sigh. Here she was, in an entirely new city, no connections and no one to talk to when she needed to just talk. But it was worth it, the memories of everything in Paris still too fresh. It still hurt too much. Deciding it’s not too early to go to sleep, she walks back inside. She’s just closed the door when a loud crash from outside has her tensing. She peeks behind the curtain, frowning at the figure on her balcony. She opens the door.

“Uh, hello.” She greets the strangely dressed man. If what she’d read had been correct, this was Batman. Gotham’s resident hero, or vigilante as the papers called him. He probably wasn’t here to fight her, but you can never be too careful.

“My apologies.” He says, his voice gruff. Her eyes narrow at the way he favors his left side.

“Would you like a cup of coffee?” She asks suddenly, her face instantly heating up as the words tumble out without her permission.

“I’m not-” He starts, but she shakes her head.

“I insist. You are out trying to protect citizens, are you not? The least I can do is offer you a coffee.” She says, turning and walking back inside. She doesn’t turn to see if he follows, but she does hear footsteps behind her. She figures he could walk silently, if he really wanted to. After all, even though he’d been around for eight or so years, few had ever seen Batman. She hums, moving around the kitchen and starting up her small coffee pot and grabbing a few of the leftover pastries from earlier. Placing the pastries on a plate, she pulls down two cups before turning to the vigilante in her kitchen.

“How do you take your coffee?” She asks, and she swears his lips twitch slightly.

“Just black.” He says, and she grins.

“Thank goodness. One of my friends in Paris refuses to drink coffee unless it’s half cream and sugar.” She says, trying to keep the conversation light. After all, what do you say to a random vigilante? It was different when Chat Noir, or Adrien, visited her back in collège. He didn’t start doing that until after she’d helped with Evillustrator, which helped it to not be awkward. Like it currently was with her and Batman. God, why did she even invite him in? She turns and almost sighs in relief when she sees the coffee is done. Quickly filling up both cups, she passes one to Batman and then pushes the plate of pastries towards him.

“I own the cafe downstairs.” She says as an explanation when she sees his lips purse. He nods and grabs a croissant, taking a hesitant bite out of it.

“Thank you.” He says, and she just smiles. She may not want to be a hero again, but maybe it would be okay to be friends with a hero again.

---

The bell over the door notifying her of another customer makes Marinette stick her head out from the back.

“Hello! Welcome to La Petite Tasse, I’ll be with you in just a minute.” She calls, not catching the response before she’s back in the kitchen, pulling a fresh batch of croissants out of the oven. She slides the tray onto the cooling rack before tugging off the oven mitts and rushing out to the front.

“I am so sorry about that, most of my workers are also students so they have class right now. What can I get you?” She rambles, freezing when she looks up into the most attractive blue eyes she’s ever seen. The man just smiles at her, and she swears her knees go weak.

“That’s fine. Could I have... a large black coffee and a croissant?” The man asks, glancing up at the menu before looking back at her. She nods and smiles, cursing the way her cheeks heat up. Sure, this was quite literally the most attractive man she’d ever seen in person, but she was not going to fall for a pretty face. Nope. Totally not. She turns and grabs a cup, filling it up before rushing to the back to grab one of the fresh croissants. After all, they were better warm.

“That’ll be three dollars and twenty seven cents.” She says, passing the man his order. He grins and passes her a twenty.

“Keep the change.” He says with a grin before he turns and walks out. She blinks, slightly confused, but takes the change and puts it into the tip jar. That was weird, she thinks, but she doesn’t think too much into it. It’s not like she’d ever see him again.

---

She had been wrong, and she was completely okay with it. The man came in almost every day for two weeks before she worked up the courage to introduce herself and ask his name. He’d seemed shocked, but had introduced himself as Bruce. And after two weeks, she was happy to say that Gotham had started to feel a little lighter, that she was a little happier in this dark city. The bell above the door chimes, but she keeps working on filling the macarons since Mack was manning the counter.

“Listen kid, open the register and I won’t shoot your fucking brains out.” A voice says. Oh hell no. She drops the piping back and picks up her rolling pin. Peeking out, she breathes a sigh of relief when she sees it’s only one guy, not an entire group. She tosses her rolling pin lightly before catching it, familiarizing herself with it as a projectile before she actually uses it. She watches as Mack’s hands shake, obviously panicked. Letting out a steadying breath, Marinette aims and manages to hit the man in the head with the rolling pin. He drops instantly, the gun clattering to the floor. She rushes out and grabs a couple zip ties from under the counter, walking over and cuffing the man’s hands behind his back before dragging him towards the handrail and attaching him to it. She glares at the man before she remembers Mack and gasps. She rushes over, frantically checking over the girl to make sure she’s okay.

“Mama M, I’m fine. I promise.” She says, though her voice shakes. Marinette breathes a sigh of relief before crushing the girl in a hug.

“I am so sorry, Mack, so, so sorry.” She apologizes, holding the girl close. She can feel the girl shake slightly, her shirt getting wet as the girl cries. Marinette just coos softly, whispering reassuring words to her. She barely hears the bell signaling a customer ring.

“What the hell happened?” A familiar voice asks. She glances over at Bruce and grimaces.

“Attempted robbery. Would you mind calling the police?” She asks, nodding towards the landline. He blinks, standing frozen as he stares at the tied up man in the corner. “Bruce!” She calls, his attention snapping to her. She nods towards the phone again and he nods, walking over to make the call.

---

After the police take their statements, Marinette sends Mack home with the tips from the day, despite the girl’s protests.

“Sweetheart, you were just held at gunpoint. I’m not gonna let you stay here. Go home, eat some junk food and watch something funny. I’ll see you on Monday.” Marinette says, giving the girl another quick hug before watching her leave. She turns to Bruce, who had been kind enough to stay, and winces. “You’re not gonna get in trouble with your boss, are you?” She asks. He just grins.

“I was actually off today, don’t worry about me.” He says, his smile falling as he looks her over. “Are you okay?” He asks. She lets out a shaky breath before nodding.

“Yeah, yeah. I was more worried about Mack, honestly. I was in the back, but I couldn’t just stay there. Not knowing she was in danger.” She says, her arms wrapped around herself as she tries to stay calm. It was the first time she’d had an actual gun aimed at someone she cares about.

“You were quite the hero today.” He says softly, and she snorts, shaking her head.

“No, Bruce, I wasn’t. I did what anyone else would’ve done.” She says, waving him off dismissively.

“Only you would actually believe that there are still people good enough to act like that.” He says softly. She blushes and clears her throat.

“Well, did you want your regular?” She asks, moving to go back behind the counter. He frowns.

“Mari, you aren’t seriously going to open the cafe back up today, are you?” He asks and she frowns.

“Why wouldn’t I?” She asks.

“Because your store was just attacked!” He exclaims, and she snorts.

“If my parent’s bakery in Paris closed every time there was an attack, they would’ve gone out of business.” She says flippantly. He frowns, and she worries she’s said something wrong, when his face suddenly twists back up into a smile.

“Spend the day with me.” He says and she blinks in surprise.

“What?”

“I had set out to ask you on a date when I came in today, but the whole attempted robbery stopped me. I know you want to just get back to work, but what if you spent the day with me instead?” He offers. She stares at him, wide eyed, before a wide smile forms on her face.

“I thought you’d never ask.” She says. It’d be fine to have the cafe closed for a day.

Next

Event tag list: @maribat-october-rarepairs

Permanent tag list: @stainedglassm​ @kittenmywaythrulife @laydeekrayzee @doll246 @queenz-z @deathssilentapproach-blog @literaryhiraeth @unoriginalmess

[liquid-luck-00]

999 Happy Haunts

Wally x Mari

What to do at a party than to dance

@maribat-october-rarepairs

The background is a stock photo from the Haunted Mansion

[ultimatetornshipper]

Maribat oct rare pairs - day 20

@maribat-october-rarepairs

Day 20 - oct 20 - kiss the girl

“Say something!” Chloe groaned, throwing a punch towards Batgirl.

The black-haired girl smirked, “No,”

Chloe was so taken aback by her speaking, for the first time, she missed the next punch the girl threw her way. The fist hitting her face was quite the wake-up call.

She and Batgirl wrestled on the floor, and Chloe groaned, “UGH why does my nemesis need to be the biggest dick?!”

Batgirl pinned her hands above her head and they were so close Chloe could feel her breathes on her face. The girl’s short hair tickled her cheeks and Chloe’s poor gay heart could barely take it.

Batgirl smirked, “Gotcha,”

“Chatty today, aren’t we?” Chloe spat, desperately trying to suppress the blush that was fighting its way up her cheeks.

~Ah, kiss the girl

Kiss the girl

There you see her

Sitting across the way

She don’t got a lot to say

But there’s something about her

And you don’t know why

But you’re dying to try

You wanna kiss the girl~

Chloe’s head shot up to the building across from them where Spoiler and Ladybug stood, the former holding a boombox above her head while the other held a megaphone.

“C’mon I can feel the sexual tension from here,” Ladybug announced loudly through the megaphone.

Oh, she was going to kill Marinette.

[bunathebunny]

Chapters: 1/1 Fandom: Miraculous Ladybug, Batman - All Media Types, Maribat - Fandom Rating: Teen And Up Audiences Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings Relationships: Marinette Dupain-Cheng | Ladybug/Rose Wilson Characters: Marinette Dupain-Cheng | Ladybug, Rose Wilson, Minor Characters, Duusu (Mentioned) Additional Tags: MariBat, Alternate Universe, Werewolves, MaribatOctRP21 Series: Part 55 of 2021, Part 79 of maribat Summary:

Marinette walks into the black market with a goal in mind.

For Maribat October Rarepair 2021 - Werewolf

@maribat-october-rarepairs

[ms-starflower]

Maribat Rare Pairs — Day 1 Candy (Substitution)

@maribat-october-rarepairs

Second prompt for the day! This one is for the Maribat Rare Pairs, and it’s a Roynette (because there aren't enough of them, and Lian is a cute kid, okay?)

For this one I have context! So: Mari and Roy totally know each other already, but it’s under their hero identities. Roy totally crush on Ladybug (but who doesn’t, tho? you can’t hate her, she is a cutie) and that’s how Lian knows about her. Because, fundamentally, Ladybug is a French heroine and, let’s be honest, American kids won’t care about foreign heroes when they have so much at home already.

I'm sorry it’s so short, tho, but I didn't have any ideas for more.

Anyway, let’s start.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

For Marinette’s defence, she really hadn’t anticipated how many kids actually did the trick-or-treat thing here, and it was her first American Halloween. She hadn’t wanted to disappoint children, she didn’t do it on purpose, she had brought candy.

Just, not enough to last her the night. Or, really, an hour.

She was new to Star City, most of her things were still in boxes, and didn’t have friends here that could have told her how much exactly she would need. Worst, she would have run out of candy in half an hour if one of her designers hadn’t talked about it, and how much she brought each years, this morning.

But, really, it wasn't her fault, American were crazy about Halloween!

Back when she still lived in Paris, she would get four, maybe five groups of children knocking at her door. And those were the most busy years! She hadn’t anticipated for children to be at her door asking for candy every five minutes.

And it broke her heart every time she had to tell she didn’t have any left. She gave homemade cookies, made in a rush this afternoon, to the first few ones, but even those had run out.

Now, the children were starting to get more and more spaced out, and Marinette had finally started to let herself relax slightly. Still, spread out didn’t mean inexistant, and she winced when she heard a soft but excited knock at her door. Soft and excited meant that the child was young, and they were the worst to disappoint.

“Hey, I’m sorry but I don’t have any candy left,” she started, only to blink when she saw the little girl on her front step. “Oh mon dieu, you are so cute!”

“Thank you miss!” The little, dressed head to toes in a Ladybug costume, told her with a smile. “I’m dressed as—”

“Ladybug! I know,” she told her with a smile, crouching to be on eye level with her.

“You know her?! The girl in school said that nobody knew her!” The girl told her with widened eyes, looking at her with something like awe in her gaze. Marinette only laughed.

“Well, you see, I’m new in the city, but I grew up in Paris. I actually talked to her a couple of times, you know?”

“You did? How is she really? I think she is awesome!”

“She is cool, I guess. But I think you’re cooler,” Marinette said with a smile.

“No way, she is a superhero! Even dad thinks she is awesome!” The girl exclaimed, making the man with her, her dad, laugh.

“Oh my god, I’m so sorry,” Marinette started, standing up. “I didn’t mean to ignore you! I’m really sorry, that was so rude of me!”

“It’s fine, Lian is pretty cute in her costume,” he told her with a dazzling smile, ruffling his daughter’s hair, despite them being in pigtails. “I’m Roy, by the way.”

“Marinette,” she smiled, finally taking him in. And, oh boy, was he a cute one too. “Are you Lian’s Chat Noir?”

Roy was dressed in a black t-shirt, a black leather jacket, and black jeans. The final touch was the cute little cat ears headband on top of his head. He chuckled, rubbing the back of his neck, a cute little blush dusting his cheeks.

“Um, yeah, we couldn’t have a Ladybug without her Chat Noir, right?”

“Yeah,” she said softly, getting lost just a little bit in his eyes. Before suddenly remembering that she didn’t have any candy left. “Oh god, I’m so sorry, but I don’t have any candy left! But…” She added when she got an idea. “If you can wait just a minute, I have something I can give you!”

She turned around before either could say anything, walking toward her living room where she knew the box she was looking for was. It took her a couple of minutes to localize, but she finally got back to the door holding two jewelry boxes, a red one and a black one.

“Here, for the best Ladybug I saw tonight,” she told Lian, giving her the boxes. The girl took them and opened the red one first.

“It’s Ladybug’s earrings!” Lian exclaimed, eyes wide, showing them to her father.

“And Chat Noir’s ring. Not the real ones, of course, but I used to sell them back in Paris and I have some left so… It’s not candy, but I hope it's okay.”

“Thank you! It’s awesome!” The girl squealed before hugging Marinette’s legs. Her father looked down at her with a fond smile.

“Thanks, you didn’t have to,” he told her slowly, looking at her with a smile.

“It’s, um, it’s okay, I wanted to. She makes a fantastic Ladybug,” she said, hoping that her blush wasn’t overly noticeable. Roy laughed softly, and Marinette’s heart decided that it was the perfect moment to dysfunction.

“Well, Lian, it’s time to go. Tell bye to Marinette,” Roy said, after a second and an eternity spent staring at each other.

“Bye Marinette! Can we come back to see you soon?” She asked with an innocent smile, and Marinette would have brought it if it wasn’t the exact same overly innocent smile Adrien often gives her after he messes up.

“Yeah,” she choked out, swallowing the lump in her throat. “Of course you can! Bye Lian! Bye Roy!”

And then, because she hadn’t messed up enough in her conversation with a pretty boy, she slammed the door in their face.

.

Later, when she got ready to sleep, her interaction with Roy and Lian playing again in her mind, Marinette couldn’t bring herself to regret not buying enough candy.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I said it in my previous post, but if you didn’t read it: Marinette experience with French Halloween is my personal experience as a French kid that grew up in the region around Paris. The year I had the most kid knock at our door was, like, ten years ago??? And it was like, a group of teenagers not even in costume and my neighbor's kids.

I don’t say it’s the same everywhere and for everyone in France, I’m just saying I would totally forget to buy candy if I ever move to America.

[marauderundercover]

The Strings that Bind Us: Ch. 12

Day 12: Have I ever told you

AO3

Prev

A frightened scream from the next room makes Marinette jump out of her bed and run. Bruce was on patrol, Jason was staying at Dick’s, but Damian- She throws open Damian’s door, her heart clenching at the sight. He was curled into a tiny ball, and even though it was dark she could see the tears on his face- the telltale signs of another nightmare. He glances up at her, but shrinks back, hiding his face in the covers. 

“Damian? Sweetheart, are you okay?” She asks softly. He huffs and turns away from her, but she can still see the way he trembles slightly. Curling up in the armchair next to his bed, Marinette hums a lullaby her maman used to sing to her, softly. Slowly but surely, the trembling stops. 

“Minou?” Marinette says softly. 

“Why doesn’t Mother like me?” Damian’s voice is so soft, she barely catches it. Her breath catches in her throat as a flurry of emotions rushes over her. Sorrow for the boy, anger at his mother. A million thoughts rush through her head as she tries to search for the right answer. What do you say to that? How are you supposed to answer a question like that? 

“I think,” She starts, frowning deeply, thankful that Damian isn’t looking at her. “I think that your mother’s priorities are a little off. But sweetheart, there are so many people who love you. Your brothers love you, Alfred loves you, your dad loves you, I love you.” She says- not quite answering his question. Instead, she was trying to reassure him that people did love him. Cared about him. 

“But Mother-”

“Have I ever told you about the time I got swallowed by a t-rex?” She asks suddenly, wincing at her lack of tact. But even though he acts like a much older child at times, Damian is still only three. And so he immediately sits up and looks at her with wide eyes. 

“You?” He asks, and she nods. He frowns, but scoots to the side of the bed and she immediately takes the silent invitation to sit next to him. He crawls into her lap and she wraps her arms around him, hoping he can feel how much she cares about him. 

“I was thirteen, and a little too confident…”

---

Bruce walks into his room and frowns. Though he hadn’t officially asked Marinette to move in, she stayed at the manor more than her own apartment. Which made the fact that she wasn’t here even stranger. Quickly changing into his pajamas, he walks out to check on Damian. Pushing open Damian’s door, he smiles softly at the sight. He should’ve guessed Marinette was with Damian. Although his son was still weary of him, he adored Marinette. Not that that was a surprise, all of his sons did. 

“Bruce?” Her voice floats over to him, and he grins at her sleepy tone. 

“Just checking on you.” He says, stepping into the room so that he can keep his voice soft. 

“Come, sleep.” She mumbles, moving slightly. He nods, walking in and closing the door. He climbs into bed next to her and wraps his arms around both of them, kissing his girlfriend’s cheek softly. His chest warms as he glances down at his girlfriend and his son, safe and happy. 

---

“Maman, release me.” A tiny voice demands, stirring her from her sleep. Marinette blinks, yelping as she opens her eyes to see bright green eyes right in front of her face. 

“What’s wrong?” A voice mumbles into her hair, and she instantly relaxes. 

“Your son terrified me.” Marinette says simply, laughing at the offended look on Damian’s face. 

“Thought he was ours.” Bruce replies, making her cheeks heat up. 

“Mmm, he’s only yours between the hours of 5 and 7am. Those are the hours that I should not be awake.” Marinette teases, poking Damian’s nose. 

“Maman.” He says again, sighing. Marinette lets him go and he scurries off the bed, rushing to the bathroom. She turns to face Bruce, burrowing herself into his chest. 

“I love you.” She says. 

“And I you.” He says, kissing the top of her head. She tilts her head up, catching his lips in a quick kiss before sitting up and stretching. 

"Since I'm already up, you think the boys will come home for breakfast if I make crepes?" She asks, sliding off the bed. 

"Most likely. Do you want me to ask?" 

"No, I will. Do you want coffee?" She asks, almost to the door. He nods, and as she walks out she hears Damian say:

"Did you know Maman was eaten by a dinosaur?" She rushes to the kitchen before Bruce can ask any questions. 

---

As she'd expected, Damian demands that she tell everyone the dinosaur story at breakfast. Which leads to her telling stories of some of the kinder akumas. Before Hawkmoth started sending out one heavy hitter after another. 

"Wait, so this man turned into a giant ice cream monster? Dick asks, an amused smile on his face. Marinette huffs. 

"Yes! And it wasn't just once, it happened a few times. Laugh it up kiddo, but sentient ice cream is scarier than it sounds." She teases, not missing the way Damian snickers behind his hand. 

“Paris was crazy.” Jason says, shoveling another crepe into his mouth. 

“Oh yeah.” She agrees, memories of tougher akumas assaulting her mind. She blinks hard, pulling herself from her impending spiral before she can let it completely take her over. She was safe here, Hawkmoth was gone and had been for nearly three years. In fact….she thinks back to the calendar on the fridge and her eyes widen as she gasps.

“Are you okay, love?” Bruce asks, reaching over and holding her hand. She nods, her shocked expression falling into an easy smile. 

“I just realized, the anniversary of Hawkmoth’s defeat is coming soon.” She says, almost surprised that she’d forgotten about it. But, then again, her life had been a little crazy lately. 

“Isn’t there a holiday in Paris for that?” Bruce asks, and she nods. “And doesn’t Ladybug usually make an appearance?” He adds. She frowns. 

“Well, yes. But Ladybug also lived in Paris for the first two anniversaries.” She says, gesturing around at the boys. “My home isn’t in Paris anymore.” 

“Geeze Ma, you’re so sappy.” Jason teases before his eyes widen and he freezes slightly. Although she wants to cheer and dance around the room, she doesn’t. Afraid that if she made it a big deal, Jason would stop calling her ‘Ma’ or ‘Mom’ again. 

“I’m allowed to be sappy, mon chou.” Marinette says lightly, rolling her eyes fondly. 

“When is it, exactly?” Bruce asks, a calculating look on his face. 

“Thursday is the actual anniversary and schools will be closed that day. But the parade and gala are scheduled for Friday. Thursday is more of a ‘celebrate with family’ situation.” She explains. Bruce nods, the slight twitch of his brow Marinette’s only hint that he’s planning something. A sudden realization has her dreading whatever her boyfriend is planning. After all, he hadn’t met her parents yet. Or her friends. Merde, she was going to hear it from Adrien if the family made their way to Paris. Bruce stands suddenly, leaning over and kissing her softly. 

“I have some plans to finalize, love. I’ll see you later?” He says, and she nods, smiling softly at him. She watches as he walks away, until Dick snorts. 

“Checking out the ‘butt’s match’ theory in person, M?” He asks with a grin. Marinette’s entire face heats up as she shakes her head rapidly. 

“What? No, no of course not. Why would-” 

“Maman.” Damian says, breaking her from her panicked ramble. 

“Yes, minou?” She says, blinking. 

“Plagg is out of cheese.”

Next

Tag list: @maribat-october-rarepairs @ashbrea381writings @jayjayspixiepop @toodaloo-kangaroo @galla02006 @ritacrow-blog @liquid-luck-00 @corporeal-terrestrial @crazylittlemunchkin @tazanna-blythe

Permanent tag list: @stainedglassm @kittenmywaythrulife @laydeekrayzee @doll246 @queenz-z @deathssilentapproach-blog @literaryhiraeth @unoriginalmess @kking13

[marauderundercover]

The Strings that Bind Us: Ch. 14

AO3

Prev

Marinette stands outside the door of the apartment, staring at the door. 

“Did you forget how to knock?” Jason snarks. She narrows her eyes. 

“No, of course not.” She says, turning her attention back to the door. Jason huffs and knocks the door, forcing her to stop catastrophizing as the door swings open and her Papa stands there, a huge smile on his face. 

“Marinette!” He cheers, wrapping her, and Damian, in a huge hug. She just laughs as he lifts them up, a wide smile on his face. “I missed you so much.” He says, finally setting them down. 

“I missed you too, Papa.” She says, smiling. His eyes quickly dance across the people with her, his smile only growing wider as he steps to the side. 

“Well come in, come in. It’ll be much nicer to talk over breakfast.” He says. As they all walk in, he looks at the boys again, his face incredibly soft and Marinette knows she’s lost him. He’s full on grandpa mode. “You must be Dick and Jason.” He says, looking between the two. 

“Nice to meet you, sir.” Dick says, and her papa laughs. 

“None of that sir nonsense. Call me pépère!” He insists and Marinette sighs.

“Papa-” She starts and he deflates slightly. 

“Or, Tom.” He says, making Marinette feel bad. She struggles for a second, searching for something to say, when Jason speaks up. 

“How ‘bout gramps?” He asks, making her dad’s face light up. 

“I like the sound of that. Now come on, Sabine and I already have everything ready.” Tom says, putting an arm over Jason’s shoulders gently. Dick follows immediately, but Marinette hangs back, glancing at Bruce with a smile. 

“You okay?” She asks softly. He nods. 

“I didn’t expect your father to be so tall.” He teases, and she grins. 

“He’s not the one you have to worry about.” She says, snorting at the look on his face. “Come on.” She glances down at Damian, frowning at the serious look on his face. 

“Maman?” He says, she hums. “Is he safe?”

“Who, minou?” She asks. 

“Your father. Is he safe?” He asks. Marinette’s eyebrows furrow together as she tries to piece together what he meant. Suddenly, it hits her and her stomach drops. But with the environment he lived in before, she shouldn’t be surprised at the question. 

“Yes, Damian. And so is my maman.” She says, patting his hair gently. He nods before squirming so that she has no choice but to put him down. Walking over to her papa, he pokes his leg, pulling him from his conversation with Jason. 

“Hello, I’m Damian.” He says. Her papa’s face softens as he crouches down to be closer to the boy’s height. 

“Bonjour Damian. It’s very nice to meet you.” He says, his hands twitching as he stops himself from picking the youngest up. Without hesitation, Damian reaches his arms up in a silent question. Grinning, her dad picks him up and carries him to the booster seat they’d found for him.

“Where’s maman?” Marinette asks, frowning as she realizes she was nowhere to be seen. 

“Right here.” The woman in question says, walking back into the room, a large smile on her face. Marinette feels any nerves about the day wash away as she rushes over and lets her mom wrap her in a hug. Marinette pulls back first, stepping back to grab Bruce’s hand and bring him face to face with her mom. 

“Maman, this is Bruce. Bruce, this is my mother.” She says, tightening her grip on his hand. 

“It’s lovely to meet you. Mme. Cheng.” Bruce says with a small smile. 

“Please, call me Sabine. After all, we’re family, non?” She says, grinning. 

“Maman.” Marinette groans, a blush rushing onto her face. 

“Yes, yes, I know. Stop embarrassing you. Come, let’s eat.” She directs. Marinette glances at Bruce, pecking his cheek before tugging him to the table. It was so nice, having her family together. 

---

The knock on the door makes Marinette tense slightly. 

“Were you expecting someone else, Papa?” She asks, her worry taking the back burner as she watches her Papa pause his animated conversation with Jason and Dick to turn to her. 

“What was that?” He asks and she grins, standing up. 

“Nothing, Papa.” She says, leaving Bruce and Damian talking to her Maman. She stops right in front of the door, trying to reach out and see if the person on the other side will give her a bad feeling. Instead, she just feels safe. Confused, she opens the door and barely has time to shriek in surprise before she’s wrapped in a huge hug, her feet leaving the floor. 

“Maman!” “Mom!” “M!” Her boys all yell, their steps thundering as they rush to the door. 

“I’m fine!” She yells in reassurance, letting out a huff as her feet finally reach the ground again. She’s thrown forward slightly by a body colliding into her legs. She turns, smiling reassuringly at Damian. “I’m fine.” She says softly, before turning back to their new guest. 

“It’s been awhile, Bugaboo.” Adrien says, a wide grin on his face. Marinette rolls her eyes, crossing her arms in annoyance. 

“Mmhmm. How did you even find out I was here? I was going to wait and call you later.” She asks, concerned that someone in the city was monitoring her for some reason. 

“A mutual friend.” He says, shrugging and allowing her to catch sight of the ring on his hand. She snorts. Apparently, this is what happens when she leaves Plagg alone for too long. Adrien glances around, his eyes suddenly wide. “Oh shi-” He starts, but stops at her glare. “I didn’t realize you were doing some type of family thing.” 

“It is the anniversary.” She reminds him softly, chest twinging with remorse as his face fills with pain. 

“Who’s this?” Jason asks. Marinette glances at him, taking in his defensive posture and his narrowed eyes. A quick glance at Dick and Bruce shows nearly identical stances. Meanwhile, Damian was attached to her leg. Swooping down and scooping her youngest up, she adjusts him on her hip and he turns his face into a scowl set on Adrien. 

“This is my friend, Adrien. Adrien, this is Bruce, Dick, Jason and Damian.” She says, pointing every one out. 

“Nice to meet you all.” Adrien says with a quick wave and wide smile. Bruce nods, but the boys just continue to look at him warily. She glances back at the table, noticing the encouraging nods from her parents. Resisting the urge to pinch the bridge of her nose in exasperation, she pulls Adrien the rest of the way into the apartment and shuts the door. 

“We were just having breakfast, care to join?” She asks. Adrien hesitates, glancing at the table before nodding slowly. 

“If you’re sure that’s okay.” He says and she nods. 

“Of course. Right, boys?” She says, raising an eyebrow. 

“Right.”

“Sure.”

“Tt.” She grins at her old partner apologetically before leading their group back to the table. Nothing was boring with the Wayne boys. 

---

Bruce stands awkwardly in the kitchen with Adrien and Tom. He glances around, trying to think of something to say. Marinette and Sabine had taken the boys to Marinette’s old balcony to give them a nice view of Paris. Bruce had volunteered to help Tom with the clean up, but Tom had waved him off, instead striking up a conversation with Adrien. 

“So, what are your intentions with Marinette?” Adrien asks suddenly, his arms crossed. Bruce raises an eyebrow. 

“Pardon?” 

“She’s basically my little sister, and I don’t want to see her hurt.” Adrien clarifies. Bruce nods, taking a moment to gather his thoughts. 

“I have no intentions of hurting her.” He starts, and Tom turns around, full attention on him as he continues. “I do intend on spending the rest of my life with her.”

“Did you just confess to wanting to marry Mari?” Adrien asks, eyes wide. Bruce’s own eyes widen as he realizes he meant every word he said. He loved Marinette, he wanted to marry her. Nodding, he blinks in surprise as Tom cheers loudly. 

“What flavor cake?” He asks, pulling ingredients and bowls out of cabinets with a practiced ease. 

“Cake? For what?” Marinette asks, walking into the room with her eyebrows furrowed. Bruce’s eyes widen for a fraction of a second before he schools his features once again. 

“Nothing, love.” He says, pulling her into him. The second she’s wrapped in his arms, she sighs in content. 

“Father loves Maman.” Damian says simply. Bruce turns, noticing his youngest practically hidden behind Tom’s legs. Bruce raises an eyebrow at the almost knowing smirk on his youngest’s face, until it clicks. Damian had heard the entire conversation. 

“Yes, I do.” Bruce says, internally crossing his fingers that his son wouldn’t say anything. It wasn’t time to ask her, not yet.

Next

Tag list: @maribat-october-rarepairs @ashbrea381writings @jayjayspixiepop @toodaloo-kangaroo @galla02006 @ritacrow-blog @liquid-luck-00 @corporeal-terrestrial @crazylittlemunchkin @tazanna-blythe

Permanent tag list: @stainedglassm @kittenmywaythrulife @laydeekrayzee @doll246 @queenz-z @deathssilentapproach-blog @literaryhiraeth @unoriginalmess @kking13

[marauderundercover]

The Strings that Bind Us: Ch. 9

AO3

Prev

Despite the magic suit covering her, Marinette shivers at the slight chill in the air. Or maybe that’s from wearing a Miraculous for the first time in two years. Letting out a shaky breath, she reminds herself what she’s doing it for.

“For Jason.” She whispers under her breath, and that’s all she needs to continue forward. She drops Kaalki’s transformation, leaving herself in her new Ladybug costume. It was different from her costume as a teenager, it was even different from her costume from two years ago.

“Guardian, are you sure about this?” Kaalki asks as they nibble on a sugar cube. Technically, Marinette didn’t have to recharge Kaalki quite yet. But she wanted to be prepared in case she had to make a quick getaway. After all, she was about to infiltrate the League of Assassins.

“There was a balance shift, Kaalki. Not necessarily a world shifting balance, but I felt it. It shifted the balance in those connected to me.” Marinette explains, trying to control her emotions, putting herself back in the mask she wore throughout most of her life in Paris. The woman in complete control of her emotions. The one who never let anything bother her. Kaalki doesn’t say anything else, and Marinette isn’t sure if it’s because they understand or because they think Marinette doesn’t understand. Calling on Kaalki’s transformation, Marinette makes a portal to the coordinates that Tikki had given her. The Lazarus Pits. Blinking at the sickening green color, she slinks into the shadows to hide and watch. If her feeling was correct…

She narrows her eyes as a woman with dark hair walks in, two men carrying something behind her and trailing after the group- a baby. Well, more like a toddler, but Marinette was shocked. They couldn’t be older than three or four. What were they doing in a place like this?

“I understand that neither of you are used to the magic of the Pits, but your concern is unwarranted and frankly insulting. The Pits completely resurrected a boy and he’s already back in fighting condition.” The woman says. Marinette has to swallow hard to try and push the bile back. Could it be? Was it possible? Making a silent promise to come back for the small child, she quietly calls upon a portal just outside of this cave. Wishing she’d thought to bring a Miraculous that had more...stealth, she starts sneaking around the League of Assassins.

---

After a few hours of wandering around, Marinette had to stop and text Bruce. After all, he believed she was in Paris. And she felt awful for not being honest with him. But at the same time, she was terrified. Terrified that even though everything had pointed her here, that she was wrong. That Jason really was gone for good. Just as she begins her search again, she stumbles into a person, immediately cursing under her breath. She glances up and her stomach drops as the world begins to spin. He’d had an insane growth spurt (from the Lazarus Pits, her mind supplied) and he now had a white streak in his hair but those eyes- the green swirls were new- but those eyes-

“Jay.” She breathes out, frowning as he flinches back from her as she reaches towards him. She glances down at her hand- frowning at the gloves. “Spots off.” She mutters, ignoring the glare from Tikki as she reveals her identity in such an unfriendly place.

“Marinette?” Jason says, his voice unsure. A choked sob threatens to break out as she tugs him close to her, holding him tightly, tears flowing freely because he’s alive, his heart is beating, he’s here.

“You’re okay, you’re okay.” She mutters as she clutches him to her. She pulls away and frowns, brushing the tears off his face. “You’re okay.” She says again.

“I thought-” He chokes on his words, his face contorted in pain. “They told me that you guys didn’t care. That I’d already been replaced.” He says and Marinette’s eyes narrow.

“How dare they. You are not replaceable, Jason. Never.” She says, anger rolling over her in waves. She’s almost regretting leaving Plagg at home- wanting nothing more than to destroy this place and these people. Sure, they’d brought her son back, but she didn’t want to even begin to think of why. Because they hadn’t told Bruce, and she knew that they knew him. They didn’t tell him, and they’d been tearing Jason down mentally. And physically, if the blood on his cheek was any indication. Her mind flashes back to the child she’d seen earlier.

“Do you- will you come home with me?” She asks softly, suddenly worried that he wouldn’t want to. He hesitates, but nods in agreement.

“I've been having trouble controlling my anger, since I came back.” He says quietly. She brushes his hair out of his face and gives him a soft smile.

“We’ll figure it out.” She says and he nods, though he looks unsure. She frowns, not wanting to make this about the other kid, but she was worried about them. “Jay, honey, have you seen another kid? Maybe three or four?” She asks, and he nods immediately.

“Yeah, Damian. They’ve stuck us in a spar together before.” He says with a wince.

“He’s a baby!” She exclaims, flinching as her voice comes out far louder than she’d intended.

“Yeah, M, but what are we supposed to do? He’s supposed to be the next leader of this place. I don’t think we can just take him without someone noticing before we’ve had time to escape.” He says, frowning.

“If you can tell me where he is, I can get him after I get you out of here.” She says and he jerks back as if he was slapped.

“Are you crazy? I’m not leaving you alone here.” He says and she sighs, pinching the bridge of her nose.

“Jay, I’ve been a superhero for the majority of my life. I can take care of myself.” She says, but he shakes his head.

“No, M, I’m not leaving you.” He argues.

“Jason, this is not up for discussion. I will not risk your safety.” She says firmly, despite her shaking hands.

“I can take care of myself too, M.” He insists, and she clenches her teeth together to stop herself from yelling at him. The memory of his body- broken and bleeding and cold in her arms- flashes in her mind, making her stomach churn.

“Please, mon chou, just let me take care of this one.” She begs, finally looking him directly in the eyes. He starts to argue, but falters. She can see his argument practically fall away from him as he steps forward and gives her a quick hug.

“Okay. Here’s where you’re gonna go.”

---

“Mother is angry.” Damian insists, his tiny arms crossed as he glares at her with as much force as he can. She’d already had to take his knives from him- he might be young, but he did know where to stab to hurt someone- and she was trying to figure out a way to explain this whole situation to Bruce. From the whole Jason isn’t dead and I wasn’t in Paris but at the League of Assassins, to the whole I kidnapped a tiny assassin child who deserves the chance at a semi-normal childhood.

“I know minou, but please try and eat some dinner.” Marinette says softly, trying (again) to get the child to eat something.

“How about ice cream, kid?” Jason suggests suddenly, making Marinette blink in surprise. The last time she’d looked over at her son, he’d appeared to be sleeping.

“What’s that?” He asks, his face twisted in confusion.

“Well that’s decided. Tikki, Kaalki, we’ll be back. I’m taking the boys for ice cream before we head home.” Marinette declares, immediately reaching to pick up Damian. She stops, extending a hand instead as he flinches back. He looks at it for a moment before his tiny hand is surrounded by hers.

“Can’t believe that worked.” Jason mumbles and she quirks an eyebrow. “I just wanted ice cream.” He admits and a fond smile falls onto her face.

“You could’ve just asked, Jay.” She says and he shrugs non committedly. Glancing between the two boys, she knows she can’t put this off much longer, even if she’s afraid of Bruce’s reaction. Ice cream, and then Gotham.

---

“Bruce?” Marinette calls, stepping into the foyer. She’d kept Jason and Damian hidden in the shadows behind her, unsure of how he would react to Jason. As he walks into her sight, she feels a pressure lift off her chest.

“Hello love, you look better.” He says softly as she wraps her arms around him. She leans up and kisses him gently before pulling back and smiling awkwardly.

“I brought someone, and I need you to not freak out.” She says and he frowns.

“Why would I-” He trails off as Jason and Damian walk out of the shadows. His eyes skim right over Damian, instead locking onto Jason. “Jason?” He says, his voice barely audible.

“Hey, B.” Jason says, his voice scratchy. Bruce starts to reach out for Jason, but stops himself, almost like he’s afraid that it’s just a trick. It hurts, but only because she knows exactly how he feels. Knows that grief can make you see people, especially if you really miss them. Bruce squeezes his eyes shut and turns to Marinette, shaking his head.

“I- what is going on?” He asks, his voice slipping into his Batman voice.

“As the Guardian of the Miraculous, I can feel imbalances in the world. I’m especially good at feeling imbalances that relate directly to my world. Before Jason-” She stops immediately, trying desperately to stop her hands from shaking as she internally spirals. Hands grabbing hers help her to ground herself and she glances at Jason, squeezing his hands back. He was okay. He was here.

“Before everything that happened, I’d had bad feelings. But I wasn’t completely sure what to do about them, didn’t know what it could mean. I just felt off. Two days ago, I woke up feeling like I was drowning. And I don’t know how to explain it, but it felt like Jason needed me. So I talked to Tikki, and she told me about the Lazarus Pits and how she felt that I needed to go to them. I wasn’t in Paris, I was in Tibet. And I found Jason and- merde, I never even introduced you, did I?” She rambles on, shaking her head in clear exasperation before reaching out to Damian. He immediately latches onto her hand and she pulls him forward slightly.

“I’m Damian Al Ghul.” The boy says, a serious expression on his face. Marinette frowns at the way Bruce’ face pales.

“Bruce?” She says softly, concerned at the look of panic that had taken over his face.

“I think that Damian needs to take a DNA test.”

Next

Tag list: @maribat-october-rarepairs @ashbrea381writings @jayjayspixiepop @toodaloo-kangaroo @galla02006 @ritacrow-blog @liquid-luck-00 @corporeal-terrestrial @crazylittlemunchkin

Permanent tag list: @stainedglassm @kittenmywaythrulife @laydeekrayzee @doll246 @queenz-z @deathssilentapproach-blog @literaryhiraeth @unoriginalmess 

[marauderundercover]

The Strings that Bind Us: Ch. 3

 AO3

Prev

Marinette is nervous. It’s worse than any other nerves she’s ever felt. Today was the day she was going to meet Bruce’s sons. They’d been dating for almost two months and even though she’d met Alfred (and often called him to talk and trade recipes), she had yet to meet Bruce’s sons. Mostly because she didn’t want to interrupt their lives. She didn’t want to walk in and meet them and then be gone. Neither of them deserved that. So, she had waited. And now the day was here and she was panicking. She glances around the small grocery store, determined to get the ingredients to make dessert for dinner tonight. Bruce had told her that Dick had an insane sweet tooth, and she didn’t want to bribe the kid, but she really did want him to like her. Bruce had already warned her that Jason was a little less welcoming, but she had hope that the cookies would work on him as well. Grabbing a bag of chocolate chips, she heads over to the frozen section to pick up a few staples.

“I don’t understand why we have to hang out today. I thought you hated us.” A voice says, and she frowns.

“I don’t hate you. And I just wanna warn you, make sure you know that just because she’s here today doesn’t mean she’ll be here tomorrow.” A second voice says. Shaking her head, she moves past, trying hard not to listen to the boys’ conversation as they walk away. It wasn’t her business, after all. She grabs a couple bags of frozen veggies before heading up to the checkout and paying. She leaves the store, taking note of her surroundings as she walks. She looks both ways before crossing the street and heading into the bank. She needed to send some money back home to her parents for the anniversary since she couldn’t be with them in person this year. She’s just about to get to the teller when a loud bang echoes throughout the bank. She whirls around and eyes widen at the man who just entered the building. His suit was interesting, half of it was a solid gray color and the other half was bright and patterned. But that wasn’t what shocked her. What shocked her was the way half his face was completely red and scarred. Well that, and the ten men with guns that walked in behind him. Her eyes dart around the room, searching for anything that may be helpful, when her eyes land on two boys. Both tense as they look at the man, but instead of fear (like everyone else had on their face) the two looked determined.

“Ah, how nice to see the two of you here.” The man says, walking up to the two boys and grabbing the younger one’s wrist tightly. Marinette’s eyes narrow as the boy winces slightly.

“Let him go.” She snaps, storming over and glaring at the man, trying hard to ignore the way the guns were now trained on her.

“Oh and what, you volunteer instead?” He asks, and she scoffs.

“I never said that, now let him go.” She demands, giving the man her worst Ladybug glare. His eyes narrow, but he lets go of the boy and she shifts so that she’s between the two. “Now, why don’t we talk about this like grown ups.” She suggests, crossing her arms.

“Do you know who I am?” The man practically growls. She raises an eyebrow.

“Non. I haven’t been in Gotham for long.” She admits, trying (and failing) to come up with this man’s name. He was obviously one of Gotham’s villains, if the reaction of everyone else was anything to go by. And the fact that he came with goons instead of by himself made her believe he wasn’t your everyday bank robber.

“Tell you what. Since you decided to take the kid’s place, we’ll let the coin decide your fate. Unmarked side, I let you go and you can go on with your day. I’ll even leave the bank.” The man starts, and her stomach drops. Two Face. That was his name. And he was leaving her fate up to chance. To luck. “Scarred side, I shoot you in the head. Or, if you don’t wanna play, we can let the kid play. Whaddya say?” He asks with a grin. She grits her teeth and hopes that her years with Tikki had left her with enough residual luck to make it through this encounter.

“Go ahead. Let the coin decide.” She says, whirling around and hushing the boys behind her who are objecting suddenly. “Not now.” She hisses, terrified that if they object he’ll move along to them next. She turns back to Two Face and nods, watching as he tosses the coin in the air and catches it. Her heart beats out of her chest as she watches him reveal...the unmarked side.

“Looks like lady luck was on your side today.” He says, and his smile almost appears genuine, which makes her stomach churn. “Pack it up boys, we made a deal.” He says, and all of his goons turn to leave with him. They make it all the way out the door before she hears the sirens pulling up. She frowns. The police here were not great at showing up on time, were they? Her eyes widen when she sees Batman drop down, joining the fight. That’s definitely unusual. Turning away from the chaos outside, she turns to the two boys.

“Are you two okay?” She asks, scanning their faces.

“That was really stupid.” The younger one says, a scowl on his face. She ignores him, instead looking at his already bruising wrist.

“May I?” She asks, holding out a hand. He frowns.

“Let her look, Jason.” The older one says, sighing. She smiles at him in thanks before holding the younger boy’s wrist gently. She pokes softly and turns it, trying to make sure there isn’t a break. She glances at the boy’s face to gauge his reactions.

“I don’t think it’s broken, but you should definitely ice it when you get home.” She says softly. The boy just snorts and rolls his eyes, taking his arm back and frowning at her.

“Why’d you do that?” He asks, and her heart aches at how he looks at her. As if he’s suspicious of her. As if someone helping him has to have an ulterior motive.

“Because I don’t appreciate people picking on children.” Marinette says simply. The boy starts to answer, but is cut off by a gruff voice.

“Ma’am, other witnesses are saying you were targeted by Two Face?” She turns and is unsurprised to see Batman.

“Ah, not quite, sir. He actually went straight for these two. I simply diverted his attention somewhere else.” She says.

“Why?” He asks and she blinks in surprise.

“Um, because they’re children? And they’re innocent. I don’t see that there needs to be any more reason than that.” She says. Batman nods.

“The police want your statement. I’ll take the boys’ statements.” He says and she nods, but hesitates to walk away from them.

“Do you boys have someone who can come pick you up?” She asks, not willing to let them walk home alone after something like that. The oldest nods.

“Yeah, we’re fine. Thank you.” He says with a small smile. She sighs and returns the smile, turning to go talk to the police. If she could get through that situation, surely she could survive meeting Bruce’s sons.

---

Marinette squeals as Bruce lifts her and spins her around, before setting her down and kissing her gently.

“What was that for?” She asks, smiling up at him through her lashes.

“Being you.” He says simply. She snorts and whacks his chest gently, rolling her eyes.

“You’re such a goof.” She teases, turning and immediately heading towards the kitchen.

“Where are you going?” He asks, slipping his hand into hers.

“To say hi to Alfred and set down the cookies.” She says, swinging their hands as she drags him to the kitchen.

“Good evening, Miss Marinette.” Alfred says, a soft smile on his face.

“Evening, Alfred. I brought some cookies for dessert. I hope that’s okay.” She says, letting go of Bruce’s hand to give Alfred a quick hug. The two had grown close in the little time they’d known each other, and Marinette could honestly say that she adored the older man’s company. He was funny, and she often got to hear embarrassing stories about Bruce (not that she’d ever tell him that).

“Mari, just a warning, the boys might be a bit...distant tonight.” Bruce says suddenly, stopping the conversation that she and Alfred were having about his latest attempt at macarons. She frowns.

“Are they okay? Should I leave? We could reschedule, I don’t want to-” She starts to ramble, concerned for the boys. She may not have met them yet, but she’d heard enough stories from Bruce.

“They’re fine, please, stay.” Bruce says, grabbing her hands and turning her so that she faces him. He cups her cheek gently, smiling down at her. “They’re fine, love, I promise.” He says. She lets out a breath she didn’t know she was holding before nodding.

“Did something happen?” She asks. He sighs and lets go of her face, running a hand over his own.

“They were caught up in a Rogue attack downtown.” He says quietly and she gasps.

“Bruce Thomas Wayne!” She scolds, frowning at him. “They were involved in a villain attack and you expect us to just, meet? I doubt either one of them wants to go through the trouble of meeting some completely random person after going through something like that. Mon Dieu Bruce, they may say they’re fine but that has to be emotionally draining.” She says, shaking her head. She pushes the loose strands of hair out of her face, sighing.

“Mari-” He starts, but she shakes her head.

“Bruce, honey, I don’t want to intrude.” She says, standing on her toes to give him a quick kiss. “We can meet on a day when they haven’t been through something traumatic.”

“Well shit. Looks like we’ve already met you little girlfriend B.” A familiar voice says. She whirls around and her eyes widen at the sight of the two boys from the bank standing in the doorway to the kitchen. She glances at Bruce and raises an eyebrow at his tired expression.

“Jason, what have I said about your language?” He asks tiredly. Jason shrugs.

“To not say things like that.” He says, making both Bruce, and the boy that Marinette assumes is Dick, sigh.

“I can still leave.” Marinette offers the boys, ignoring the frown on Bruce’s face.

“To be fair, you went through something traumatic too. Might as well stick around and deal with the trauma together.” Jason snarks. She smiles, though it’s a little forced as she remembers she had almost watched one of Bruce’s sons be shot today. If she hadn’t stepped in….

“It’s nice to meet you in a, er, calmer environment.” She says with a small wave, resisting the urge to lean into Bruce for support. “I’m Marinette Dupain Cheng, but you can call me Marinette. Or Mari, if you want.”

“I’m Richard, but everyone calls me Dick.” Dick greets with a small nod in greeting.

“And I’m Jason, but you knew that.” Jason says, crossing his arms. Marinette just smiles, but this time it isn’t forced. This was going to be interesting.

---

“So, Jason, Bruce tells me that you enjoy reading. Do you have a favorite author?” Marinette asks, trying to keep the conversation going. Both boys were still hesitant, and she wasn’t sure if it was her or the incident from the bank. She hoped it was the latter.

“Not really.” Jason says, hesitating before adding, “I like classics though.” Marinette grins.

“Really? I could never get into them when I was your age, couldn’t sit still long enough.” She says with a laugh. “But in the last couple of years I’ve found myself really enjoying Hugo and Dumas. Oh! And the Brontë sisters.” She adds, eyes lighting up as Jason grins.

“Have you read Hunchback of Notre Dame?” He asks and she laughs.

“They may have thrown me out of Paris if I hadn’t.” She teases. She feels herself relax as she talks to Jason about books, grinning at the boy’s enthusiasm and genuine love for literature. It reminded her of how much she loved designing before she got so caught up in Hawkmoth. She feels someone hold her hand, and she sneaks a glance at Bruce, smiling softly at him and squeezing his hand before turning her attention back to Jason. The rest of dinner flies by, with the conversation mostly being led by her and Jason. Dick is much less talkative. Which contradicts many of the stories Bruce had told about him. Though, many of those stories were from when he was younger. Once it’s time for dessert, Marinette stands to help Alfred clear the dinner plates.

“Miss Marinette, I can bring in the dessert just fine.” Alfred scolds, gesturing for her to sit down. She just grins.

“I know, Alfred, but you already made a lovely dinner. Let me help.” She says, grabbing some of the plates and following him into the kitchen. Once the kitchen door swings shut, she starts clearing the plates and glances at him nervously. “Do you think the boys like me?” She asks, worried.

“I believe young Master Jason does. And although he may not act like it, I do believe Master Dick does as well. He just needs time to be able to show it.” He says, and Marinette feels the tension in her shoulders seep out. She nods, glancing back towards the dining room.

“I really like him, Alfred.” She says quietly, afraid that Bruce or one of the boys would hear her. “I don’t wanna mess this up.” She admits.

“If I may be frank, Miss, Master Bruce has smiled more in the past two months than I’ve seen in years.” Alfred says, and Marinette blushes. She feels her chest warm and she sighs happily.

“I don’t think I’ve smiled this much in years either.” She admits, smiling softly at Alfred before grabbing the cookies and taking them out to the dining room. This was the happiest she’d been since Hawkmoth first started his reign of terror all those years ago, and she was willing to do anything to keep her little slice of heaven.

Next

Tag list: @maribat-october-rarepairs @stainedglassm @kittenmywaythrulife @laydeekrayzee @doll246 @queenz-z @deathssilentapproach-blog @literaryhiraeth @unoriginalmess @ashbrea381writings