#Marinette has to babysit her husband

[fanbliss]

Phantom Luck Cafe

Danny and Marinette, a recently married couple open a cafe/ restaurant in the DC dimension in Gotham city around crime alley to help the dead and give good luck to the living. They serve things for both living and dead as well as magical beings, some of the dishes are recipes lost in time in different languages and with Marinette and Danny combined they make a coffee recipe that's better than any other coffee to ever exist. The first of the batfam to discover the place was redhood then red Robin and the bat was the last. They suspected something was off with the couple and only when Constantine comes into the Cafe for help that they get there answer.

[uptoolateart]

‘Strike Back’ … what an incredible episode, for the emotional / psychological aspects even more than the story direction. My head has been full of thoughts about it ever since, and I have to mind-dump here.

…where to start!

The Helping Hand

I want to begin by talking about the helping hand Cat Noir offers Ladybug at the end.

As Ladybug says just before he reaches out to her, she has tried to do it all on her own, all season. We have seen the lies she has had to tell throughout the show, to protect her identity. We saw how this prevented her from having a normal teenage life, including dating Luka or (potentially) Adrien. We saw it nearly destroy her friendships. Becoming Guardian was a huge responsibility dumped on her shoulders without her consent (just as both she and Adrien were chosen to hold the miraculous without consent), and she just had to role with it…largely alone.

Yes, there was Alya, but it really wasn’t the same – and I’ll talk about this in a separate post. Yes, Ladybug has a team, but she’s in charge of them all. She isn’t on the same level as them. They’re like the fun aunt comes in to babysit but then hands the baby back for you to do all the serious stuff. They get the fun, and you get the 3am feeds and inexplicable tears (the baby’s…and your own!)

The others in the team take their orders from Ladybug, have their fun, and hand back the miraculous at the end of the job. They don’t have to look after the kwamis (when Marinette goes away for a weekend, she even tells Alya to remember to feed them, just like they’re children). They don’t push aside their lives for the sake of the city. They don’t have to decide how to defeat the bad guys. They don’t have the responsibility of fixing everything in the end.

Cat Noir can even die and Ladybug is expected to bring him back. As we saw in ‘Lies’ at the start of the season, this was one more thing pushing her towards the edge. In a way, his absolute faith in her was one more burden – and I get this. The second someone says to me, ‘You’ll know this – you know everything,’ before asking me something, I have that inner moment of panic when I feel certain I will let them down.

I am a mother of two, run a household (with the help of my husband), and a large part of my day job involves managing a large team. I regularly relate to Ladybug’s breakdown moments. We all have times when we feel like we carry the weight of the world on our shoulders, and this is shown through Ladybug having literal responsibility for the city.

It’s a common scenario: we get laden with responsibilities and obligations towards everyone and we find it hard to say no or ask for help. I see it all the time. No one wants to feel like they’re letting others down. Saying, ‘I can’t deal with this right now,’ is felt to be a sign that we’re unable to cope with our role. In Ladybug’s case, it doesn’t help that she has a Grand Master of the days of yore hanging over her shoulder, watching her in the background and passing judgments over her competency. But like Ladybug, we’re probably perfectly competent. We just can’t be expected to carry it all on our own.

Sometimes I forget this. I feel like it’s all on me, and then I remember there are people around me who want to help me, if only I’d let them know I need that help.

No one is perfect. No one knows everything and no one can do everything. When Ladybug collapsed at the end of the season, finally releasing everything she was carrying all that time…that was her saying, ‘I have no peers. There is no one to share this with me. No one else has to do what I have to do. I’ve tried to keep a smile on my face for the sake of the team, because no one likes to see their leader crumble – but I just can’t do it anymore.’

She finally acknowledges what we all were seeing – that she had pushed Cat Noir away again and again, every time he tried to help. She states that every time he tried to lend a helping hand, she wouldn’t take it. And what does Cat Noir do? Puts out his hand again – it is a literal helping hand. This time, she takes it. She accepts that she can’t do it all on her own and she allows him to pick her back up onto her feet. It is a literal, physical gesture, but it is symbolic of all the rest.

The best thing about it is that Cat doesn’t pretend to be in the same position as her. He knows he isn’t, after wearing the ladybug miraculous in ‘Reflekdoll’. He doesn’t patronise Ladybug. He simply holds her, assures her that she has someone to offload to, and promises to stand by her side through whatever she has to do. The weight is still on her shoulders – but now she sees that there is someone there to listen to her.

This is all about vulnerability. Even as Adrien, he tells Ladybug that if she’s going to trust him just one time, let it be this time. It’s said with a degree of frustration, the implication being that she hasn’t let him in for four seasons and he needs her to put her faith in him, for a change. We don’t like showing vulnerability because we fear it makes us look weak. But we’re stronger when we learn to acknowledge our limitations and turn to others to lend us their own personal strengths.

We all need someone we can share that vulnerability with. We need someone we can open up to. What we’ve seen season after season is that Ladybug struggles to open up. Even as Marinette, this is her battle – she can’t share her feelings with Adrien. She fears not being good enough, in all aspects of her life. At the end of ‘Strike Back’, at last we see her shell crack and her depths start to be revealed.

Balance

Equally, what we see in this scene is balance. In previous episodes, such as ‘Cat Blanc’, Ladybug referred to him as ‘my prince’, as though he were a fairy tale character (again, a subject for a further post!). The implication is that he is a sort of saviour, and we saw in ‘Weredad’ that he struggled to fulfil the terms of this role. Marinette didn’t need saving – she saved herself. In ‘Gabriel Agreste’, Adrien was depicted as the princess in need of saving by Marinette, but I don’t believe this to be the case, either. I’ve said before that Adrien needs to save himself, or he will just be one more burden on Marinette’s shoulders.

At the end of ‘Strike Back’, we saw a new confident Adrien / Cat Noir, becoming secure in who he is, after the identity exploration in ‘Kuro Neko’. In that episode, when he reached out his hand to her, he did the knight in shining armour thing, and Ladybug realised it was all wrong. She didn’t really want that, no matter how good the fantasy seemed in her head. In ‘Strike Back’, he doesn’t attempt to rescue her. Instead, he reminds her that she is strong and she is not alone. He says just the right things to enable her to get back on her feet, so that she can get back to being who she is and remember her own power.

This is why, when she asks if they will defeat Hawk Moth together, he firmly states that it will be her, the best superhero there is, and him by her side as her ‘loyal partner’. He’s not a member of her team. He’s her equal, there to support her wherever possible. I don’t think he could have made this speech, particularly with that degree of conviction, at the start of the season – but now he knows his place, and he’s ready to make it known to her too.

Ladybug was in a state fit to be akumatised, and Adrien / Cat Noir calmed her. I love that it shows us that goodness is strength, not weakness. Adrien is not a pushover. He’s learned that he doesn't need to play pretend at being the hero and give us dramatics; he just needs to stand strong in his natural compassion and let all of that shine.

Seeing Beneath the Mask

At the start of ‘Strike Back’, Cat asks if she’s willing to take the risk of seeing who he is beneath his mask. I see this as a metaphor, and by the end of the episode, she has taken that risk.

When the thunder strikes, we all know that’s a sign that Ladybug is finally seeing Cat differently. It’s not just romance – it’s respect. She looks astonished, as she realises that, just as she said in ‘Glaciator 2.0’ that she had misjudged him as Adrien, she misjudged Cat too and is now daring to see who he truly is, beneath all the fun and jokes he wears as a mask.

Why is this a risk? Because she remembers what Cat Blanc said – that it was their love that caused the end of the world. She has kept him at bay all this time because she knows the potential dangers of developing feelings for him. But now she is allowing that shell to crack, too.

Blessings in Disguise

Notably, Bunnyx didn’t sweep in to change it. In a way, what Felix has done has led directly to this shift in the relationship between Ladybug and Cat Noir. In other words, Bunnyx isn’t interfering because this disaster is exactly what is supposed to happen.

Similarly, in ‘Glaciator 2.0’ we saw that Ladybug’s rejection of Cat Noir led Adrien to the revelation that he refused to wallow in misery and get stuck, the way his father had. The painful experience helped him change and grow.

These moments highlight that in life, sometimes the direst situations can turn out to be exactly what we needed to grow and reach our full potential, once we’re out the other side.

Forgiveness

This brings us nicely onto the subject of forgiveness. All of us make mistakes – it’s part of the learning process. It’s part of being human! And it’s okay. When Ladybug forgives Alya ‘Strike Back’, it’s foreshadowing of the forgiveness she needs to give herself. When she struggles to do this, Cat steps in to offer her what she denies herself.

For four seasons, we have heard people described as ‘perfect’ – Adrien, the sentimonster Ladybug, the Adrien statue, Cat Walker…. But people aren’t perfect, and this is Cat’s moment to make sure Ladybug knows it, and knows that it’s okay. He doesn’t want the sentimonster Ladybug – he wants the real Ladybug, who sometimes makes mistakes. (Gabriel claims she ‘never makes mistakes’, but we see that she makes them all the time). Similarly, Ladybug realised she didn’t want perfect Cat Walker – she wants the Cat Noir who sometimes irritates her.

So, to sum up…

They are both growing up, and a big part of growth is learning to accept our mistakes, acknowledge them, and move on. It’s only a problem if you keep repeating the same mistakes, time and time again – but that only happens if you don’t acknowledge them first.

The last two minutes of this episode were one of my favourite moments in the show to date. It was the sort of scene I want to share round with everyone I know who struggles to juggle all the different responsibilities in their lives. We often say we wear different ‘hats’ and become like different people in different settings (e.g. home versus work). Ladybug does this through her two identities, and I think just about all of us can relate to it, in some capacity. Yes, the Shadowmoth / Felix story was exciting, but that moment between Ladybug and Adrien / Cat Noir stole the show and has to go down as one of the most moving scenes in cartoon history.

Looking forward to the new, wiser Ladybug and Cat Noir in season 5…matured like fine cheese!

[arty-shadow-morningstar]

Graveyard Siblings (3)

Some for revenge and some sibling bonding.

[Masterlist]

(Part 1)(Part 2)

-------

Adrien was next to be visited. Plagg woke him up from his sleep.

-------

“Kit, wake up. I want camembert.”

“Plagg, silence. You are not getting any cheese if you do that.”

“Sorry, Adrien but you are not my ‘master’ anymore.”

“Plagg? Why are you here? Where’s the ring?”

“The ring is as far away as possible and kept safely away. I am here because someone wants to talk to you.”

“Who?”

A cloaked, hooded figure stepped out of the shadows to his room.

“Kitty. My Chaton. Did you miss me?” A sweet, familiar but yet so terrifying voice came from the figure.

She pulled down the hood to reveal Ladybug with a wicked-looking black mask with white lenses.

“What am I talking about? You do miss me. Your Bugaboo. Too bad I don’t feel the same, Adrien.”

Lightning flashed and it started to rain. The mask was gone, revealing his dead classmate, Marinette with chilling red eyes. The pigtails grew longer and curved upwards, giving the illusion of her having horns. Twin blades flashed and she leaped towards him. (Damian gave them to her with some lessons in exchange for spending time with, babysitting, the kwamis.)

Adrien scrambled away from the bed in the nick of time. A sword impaling the spot where he just was.

“Plagg, help. Where is the ring? I need to transform.”

“Sorry, kitten. I am not telling you. Even if you did have the ring, it’s not going to be much help.”

“Kitty, stay still. Then, we can be together. Just like you wanted.”

Adrien continued to dodge.

“What do you mean?” He all but screamed at Plagg.

“Pigtails, here, is a vengeful spirit. She’s not going to stop until she is satisfied. How about asking her what she wants?”

“Ladybug, what do you want?”

“What I wanted was a partner I could rely on, someone I can trust with my life, someone who wouldn’t stab me in the back for his own selfish gain. I wanted a friend who would have my back and not tell me to keep quiet at the price of my mental health and my relationships with people I care about. WAS THAT TOO MUCH TO ASK?!”

She managed to get a cut on his left cheek.

Soon, he was on the ground, bleeding out on the round.

“Tell Hawkmoth that he better watch out. Because-” lightning struck and Plagg and Ladybug had disappeared, “his downfall is coming.” Her voice echoed through his room.

Adrien laid bleeding until Natalie opened the door after hearing a crash from the room and came to check on him. As she called an ambulance for Adrien, she wondered if it wasn’t too late to ask for redemption and be spared from Ladybug’s wrath for her part in her murder.

Adrien had the word ‘TRAITOR’ carved into his back. Forever reminding him of his crimes.

--------

He wasn’t in school for a week after the incident. They all were told that Adrien had an accident while fencing.

Gabriel was a little panicking now.

He hired an exorcist, (John Constantine got a hefty amount and did a few flashy magic tricks to appease Gabriel but he didn’t lift the curse Maria put on the place. She is not someone to be on the bad side of and he thinks that he can’t lift it even if he wanted to.)

Emilie gets a little sus at Gabriel when he brought this strange man with a British accent into their home after their son got attacked in his own room with security tighter than Fort Knox.

She doesn’t buy that ‘accident’ bullshit that her husband, son and even Natalie tries to sell her. She thinks it is connected to what happened while she was in a coma.

-----

Adrien has a curse too.

(Credit to @raeuberprinzessin for giving me an idea)

He couldn’t act like the ‘Perfect Adrien’ in public anymore. Acting more like Chat Noir at first then, later a spoiled brat. His friends thought that he was finally rebelling against his father and encouraged it a lot.

Adrien started criticizing other people, strangers at first then to the people working on the photoshoots to his fans to his other school mates, people in his class and his friends. (The curse planted ideas into his head about what he should say and he said them all without thinking about the effect it has on other people)

People started avoiding him not liking his attitude and his comments about how they should behave and change something about them because he doesn’t like it that way and guilt-tripping them when he doesn’t get his way. Even Nino started to distance himself after he saw how Adrien talked to a fan.

The public thought it was a phase but as he got progressively worse, people started despising him. Adrien doesn’t realize this of course so far, happy that his father let him get away with ‘ruining the Agreste image.’ (Gabriel was worried about a potential vengeful ghost and making sure his wife didn't know about his stint as a supervillain. There was also the fact that the Afterlife made more sales than him again and managed to get on the cover of Vogue when he should have, dammit.) He was finally able to say what he wanted to without repercussions. Until he realized when Nino and everyone else cancelled for a hangout for the third time that week that he was slowly losing his friends.

He panics and tries to fix the situation. He didn’t want to be alone again.

He talks to Nino about it and to his horror, he couldn’t stop himself from saying many things that were a little hurtful. (Second part. The moment he realizes he is going to be alone. He is going to find out that yes, lies can hurt people. He is going to see it happen firsthand.)

Nino moved seats and told Adrien that their friendship was on hold until he apologized.

Soon, nearly every time his mouth opened, lies and insults about his friends or their embarrassing secrets came spilling out. Everyone hated him now and Mme. Bustier tried to give him a reprimand about his behaviour, which when he tried to defend himself, he found himself unable to speak.

He managed to explain to his father what caused his unpopularity by writing what happened to him. Unfortunately due to his poor behaviour before the second part of the curse was activated, his fan base was dwindling and people didn’t like him anymore so there was a hit on the Gabriel brand.

He no longer has to do modeling, clearing his schedule. But no one would spend time with him.

The best solution he could do with his predicament was to keep quiet and endure the loneliness and the glares of his classmates at school. Adrien was relegated to the back and nearly everyone avoided him. He was now a social pariah.

Even Lila avoided him because of her own curse which made Adrien turn into one of her previous victims. (She also didn’t ponder why Marinette rarely appears compared to the others.)

If Adrien felt a tiny bit remorseful or guilty for making Marinette keep quiet or betraying Ladybug, he can gain a little control over what he says.

The curse can be broken if he apologizes to Maria herself or to her grave.

------

The first few months, while Marinette adapted to living with the Waynes, Jason stayed over at Wayne Manor because having Maria living with him at his apartment wasn’t a good idea and he had no clue how to take care of a teenage girl.

On paper she is adopted by Bruce because Jason can’t. (Some CPS reasons.)

Making Jason a little more salty towards Bruce. “I found her first. I called dibs.”

Brought Maria to meet the other Outlaws and they adopted her too. “Hey, guys. She’s my sister first.”

Jason was the one to teach her how to shoot a gun because he was ‘the most capable’ of teaching her.

The first few months were a little tense with Marinette not fully trusting them and the same with the rest of the Batfam.

Jason warmed her up a bit to him by telling a little of why he took her here.

He was also the one to book them flight to Paris with Bruce’s credit card so she can tell her friends that she wasn’t dead in person.

They bonded more after stopping some nefarious plot in Paris while they were there. Let’s say Gentleman Ghost and something involving the catacombs in Paris. (I watched some Batman: Brave and the Bold for childhood nostalgia.)

Kwamis were animal-shaped and they were interesting creatures to be around. And very very curious.

There was a stressful day for Maria when all the Kwamis decided to play hide and seek. Damian somehow got roped into helping her as the only available person in the Manor and he will deny that he enjoyed it.

Damian is the little brother she always wanted and she is more tolerable compared to his brothers. There is also the fact that she trusts him with the kwamis and deep down, he feels super-honoured. (I just love older sister!Mari)

Tim and her being insomniac/coffee buddies. There has been many many interventions to stop this.

I get that Marinette is this selfless person and loves making people happy but she has siblings now and them eating the stuff she made for herself to enjoy, should get on her nerves after a while.

She makes a box with booby-traps in which she puts in her cookies and food.

There are many different layers of traps because this is the Batfam and each of them is non-lethal and more ridiculous.

Okay, I once read a fic about Marinette making a bear-trap style box to hide the Miracle Box so this box is also like that but kept for food. (Traps and Sneaks by quicksilversquared)

Someone (I vote a hungry Dick or Jason, maybe a suspicious Bruce) made a mistake of putting their hand into the box and the first trap activated.

Screams filled the house.

Everyone came down including Marinette.

Bruce asked, “Who did this?”

“It was me.”

“Why?”

“They kept eating the cookies.”

“There are other ways to stop them from doing that you know like a ‘Do Not Touch’ sign not a death trap box.”

“They are non-lethal.”

Bruce locked it away but Tim later stole it to tweak it and store his coffee. ------ (Part 4)

[fridayfirefly]

Two Birds [Part One]

Read Two Birds on AO3

Masterlist [All Works]

Masterlist [Two Birds Series]

Written for Maribat March Day 14 - Dead

Nine-year-old Marinette Dupain-Cheng peeked around the legs of her Grandma Gina to look up at the circus tent. Framed by the setting sun, it looked grand and magnificent, but Marinette still would rather have stayed at home. "We'll be staying here?"

"Not inside the circus tent, silly. There are trailers around back that the performers sleep in. That's where we'll be staying."

Marinette scuffed her shoes against the ground, watching the dust kick up. "Why couldn't we just stay at home?"

"We have to experience new things, Marinette - that's what makes life worth living when you're old like me."

"I don't want to try new things and I don't want to stay with strangers. I just want to stay at home."

"It's only three days, sweetheart. Just trust me. You'll have fun."

Marinette pouted but nodded anyway. "Fine." Marinette loved her Grandma Gina, who brought her gifts from all around the world and told her stories of her travels. However, Marinette didn't like when her parents made Gina babysit. Gina refused to babysit Marinette at home and instead took Marinette on her travels with her. Marinette didn't like traveling, especially when it meant she had to stay with strangers. She much preferred her own bed to the bed of a stranger.

"Gina Dupain!" exclaimed a smiling man, walking out of the circus tent.

"Walter Haly! How are things in the circus business?"

"Worse without you, my lovely Gina. Please tell me you'll perform while you're staying with us."

Gina smiled but shook her head. "I'm too old for the trapeze, Walter. But maybe I can convince this little one to try it out." Gina pushed Marinette out in front of her.

"Oh! Who is this?"

"My granddaughter, Marinette."

Haly knelt down to get to Marinette's height. "How old are you, Marinette?"

Marinette stared down at her shoes, scuffed up brown with dust. "I'm nine years old."

"Do you want to try out the trapeze?"

Marinette vigorously shook her head. "I'm scared of heights."

"Well, we'll see about that. A lot can change in three days." Haly got up and led Marinette and Grandma Gina around behind the tent to the trailers.

Marinette knew that if her mother was there, she would be scolded for being rude, but she couldn't help it. She didn't want to stay at the circus. She wanted to stay in her room, play Ultra Mecha Strike with Kim, and sneak cookies from the bakery when Gina wasn't looking.

Haly pointed to a baby-blue colored trailer. "Gina, you'll be staying on Clarise's couch - you remember Clarise, right."

Grandma Gina nodded. "Clarise was the redhead, right? The sword-swallower?"

"That's the one. Now, her couch only has room for one, so Marinette will be staying with the Graysons. They have a son - Richard - who's her age." Haly pointed out a trailer painted with green and yellow stripes.

Marinette grabbed onto Gina's hand. "I want to stay with you, Grandma Gina."

Gina shook her head. "You have to stay with the Graysons. But don't worry sweetheart, you'll have a lot of fun."

Marinette sighed and dragged her feet as she walked to the trailer. Of all the weekend that her parents left town to go to a pastry exhibition, it had to be the weekend that the circus that Grandma Gina once performed at was in town. Marinette knocked twice on the door and waited for it to open. A pretty woman with dark hair and kind eyes opened up the door and started speaking in perfect French. "Oh, hello! You must be little Marinette."

"Yes ma'am," Marinette mumbled.

"Come inside sweetheart." The woman led Marinette into the trailer. It was cramped and messy, but obviously well-loved. The walls were painted periwinkle and the curtains covering the window were orange with blue butterflies. "You don't have to call me ma'am, it makes me feel old. I'm Mary, and this is my husband John."

John was sitting on the couch, mending a tear in a crimson red leotard. "Hello, Marinette. Welcome to Haly's Circus."

"Hi."

Mary started leading Marinette to a door. "This is our son Dick's room, where you'll be sleeping. We set up an air mattress on the floor. You can drop your backpack off in there. Dick will be showing you tomorrow, keeping you out of trouble."

"Okay."

Dick was sitting on the bed when Marinette walked into the room, reading a comic book. Marinette waved shyly, "Hello, I'm Marinette."

"I'm Dick, Dick Grayson."

"Which comic book is that?" asked Marinette, leaning forward to get a good look at the title.

"It's an American comic book about this superhero named Ant-Man. He can shrink super small or grow super huge. He's really cool."

"Could I read it?" asked Marinette.

"Sure. I even have the first one on my bookshelf. I have comic books for nearly all of the Marvel superheroes."  As Marinette read, Dick explained the backstories of all of his favorite superheroes and why he owned so many of the comics. "I want to be a superhero someday. If I were a superhero, I would want to be able to fly for real, not just on the trapeze.

Just then, Marinette noticed a poster up on the wall. Visit Haly's Circus to watch the amazing Flying Grayson trapeze family. On the poster were three silhouettes of trapeze artists. "That's you on the poster, isn't it?"

"Yep. I've been doing trapeze since I was seven, and I'm ten now, so that's three whole years. I only got to start performing last month, though." Dick hopped off of his bed and sat down on the air mattress, facing Marinette. "While you're here, are you gonna learn how to do trapeze?"

Marinette shook her head. "I can't. It's too scary."

"But trapeze isn't even scary," protested Dick.

"Maybe not for you, but you do it all the time. I've never done it before and I'm scared of heights."

"Hmm. How about, if you try out the trapeze, I'll do something that scares me, too."

"What would you do?"

Dick stopped to think it over, his face scrunched up in a way that Marinette found both cute and worrisome, given that he was thinking over ways to get her to face her greatest fear of all time. "I know! If you learn trapeze, I'll learn to swim."

"No way! Swimming is way easier than trapeze."

"Not for me!" said Dick indignantly. "I've never been able to swim. But I'll learn how if you learn how to do trapeze."

"I don't know..." Dick was so enthusiastic about the plan that Marinette wanted to say yes, yet there was a lingering fear that held her back.

"Trust me, Marinette. In three days you'll be flying like a bird, and I'll be swimming like a fish."

"Oh, alright. I'll try it."

"Great! Now, I still have a question for you: if you could have any power, what would it be."

"Invisibility," decided Marinette, "That way when I'm late to school, I can slip into the classroom without my teacher noticing."

"Good choice. Now it's your turn to ask a question."

Dick and Marinette stayed up late that night, reading comics and asking each other questions. By morning, Marinette knew that Dick's favorite color was blue, his favorite cookie was chocolate with chocolate chips, his favorite comic book hero was Hawkeye (because he doesn't have any powers, but still manages to be a superhero), and his favorite circus animal performer was Zitka the Elephant. Dick was nine months older than Marinette, his birthday being October 2nd as opposed to her July 28th birthday.

"It's time to teach you how to do trapeze!" announced Dick as soon as breakfast was over.

"We offered to watch over you today while Gina catches up with her friends," explained Mary. "Now, I know that you're afraid of heights, and I'm not going to force you to do anything that you don't want, but I think it would be a good experience to try trapeze. I promise you, it's completely safe."

"I'll try it."

Dick grinned. "We made a deal last night. If Marinette learns how to do trapeze then I have to learn how to swim."

John raised one eyebrow. "I thought that you swore off swimming for as long as you live."

"I changed my mind. Marinette has to learn how to do trapeze."

Mary and John were both smiling as they exchanged a look. Mary cleared her throat, then said, "Alright. Marinette, I'll get you a leotard, and then you can get dressed."

Given that they were approximately the same size, Dick would be partnered up with Marinette to guide her through the trapeze while she was in the air. Dick and John went ahead to get Dick in position before Marinette started. However, by the time Mary and Marinette got to the circus tent, Marinette was having second thoughts. While her new white leotard was cute, the thought of plummeting to her death while attempting to do trapeze was much less cute. "I'm not so sure about this."

"Marinette, I promise that there is no way you can get hurt. We'll have you strapped into a harness the whole time."

Marinette looked up at Mary, "You promise?"

As she looked up at Mary, the one thing that Marinette's anxious brain noticed was that the older woman had very trustworthy eyes. "Yes, I promise."

Marinette took a deep breath. "Then I want to learn how to do trapeze."

Mary smiled. "Good. Now, the first thing we need to do is get you into your harness. It will be connected to lunge lines to keep you safe in case you fall off the ladder. Then you'll climb the ladder to the top, and we'll attach you to more safety lines. At any point, no matter what happens, you'll be safe if you fall."

Mary helped Marinette into the harness, re-explaining everything as she went along. "Once you get to the top of the ladder, John will guide you through. Dick will be on the other side, mirroring everything you do, and showing you what to do next if you need help. Got it?"

"Yep. Got it." Now, all Marinette had to do was climb the ladder - the extremely tall, extremely scary ladder.

Mary put her hand on Marinette's shoulder. "You can do this, sweetheart. There will be things in life that you're scared of, and sometimes the only way to move forward is to face those fears."

Marinette smiled up at Mary. "Thank you." She got up onto the first rung of the ladder, then the second, then the third, making sure to look up at her destination instead of down at the ground.

"Good job," said John, as Marinette climbed up onto the platform next to him. "Now I'm just going to clip you into the safety lines and unclip you from the lunge lines. There's a specific set of commands that will tell you when to go. Dick is catching you, so he'll say 'Listo' when he's built up enough height in his swing. You then will say 'Listo' when you grab hold of the fly bar. Dick will tell you 'Ready' when you need to prepare to jump, and 'Hep' is the command to jump. When you get to the peak of your swing, Dick will yell "Hep" again. That's your signal to let go of the bar. Dick will grab your hands with his, and swing you back over to the other platform, where Mary will be there to help you back onto the platform. Are you ready?"

Marinette nodded, gazing at the trapeze setup with determination. "I'm ready."

Marinette watched Dick as he took off, holding his fly bar. As he swung, he transitioned from being upright, holding the bar with his hands, to being upside down, holding the bar under his knees, his hands free to catch her. "Listo!" Dick called out.

Marinette grabbed onto the fly bar. "Listo!"

"Ready!"

Marinette bent her knees and took a deep breath.

"Hep!"

Marinette jumped off the platform, swinging on the fly bar as the wind whipped in her face. It was exhilarating. Her fear of heights was the last thing on her mind as she watched the colors of the circus tent fly by. Marinette suddenly understood what Dick meant, when he told her that he wished to be able to fly. She felt incredible, and she never wanted the feeling to end.

"Hep!" Dick called again as he swung closer and closer to her.

Marinette let go. At the same instant, Dick's hands clasped around hers, and she was swinging with him.

"How does it feel?" asked Dick.

"Amazing!" Marinette cheered as they swung back to Dick's platform.

Mary was there to grab Marinette out of Dick's grasp, pulling her firmly onto the platform. Dick flipped himself upright and did a backflip up onto the platform. "Ta-da! How did I do as my first time as a catcher?"

"The both of you did very well. You were an excellent catcher, Dick, and you were a natural flyer, Marinette. I can see the two of you being able to pull off some exceptional stunts someday, if you were to continue trapeze, Marinette."

"I want to. I really do."

Marinette was eager to get back onto the trapeze as soon as possible, but Mary insisted that they stop for lunch first. As they walked out of the circus tent, Marinette pulled Dick aside and whisper-shouted, "That was your first time as a catcher and you didn't think to tell me?"

Dick shrugged, a mischievous smile spreading on his face. "I thought it would make you more nervous."

Marinette spluttered, "You- you-"

"Dick?" suggested Dick with a straight face.

The pair burst into instantaneous laughter, so hard they were gasping for breath as they made their way back to the Grayson's trailer.

------

The next three days passed in a blur. Every morning, Dick and Marinette would start their day on the trapeze. Dick guided Marinette through more and more advanced maneuvers, working as a team to accomplish amazing feats. Every minute they spent together up on the trapeze, Marinette could feel the connection between them growing. After a few hours up on the trapeze, Marinette and Dick would get down, get lunch, and explore the campsite. Marinette got to meet Zitka the Elephant and her calf, Nadia, both of whom were rescued from a roadside petting zoo in Texas and given to Haly after they were deemed too domesticated to be released back into the wild.

Marinette and Dick would get back on the trapeze in the afternoon until Mary and John called them for supper. Then, the circus would perform. Marinette would watch The Flying Graysons perform, amazed by how effortless they made it look. After the performance, Marinette would shower Dick with praise as they walked back to the trailer. Dick pretended that he wasn't flattered, but Marinette could see how much it meant to him, to hear it from her. Though they hadn't known each other for very long at all, there was instant platonic chemistry between the two of them.

Grandma Gina made herself scarce over the weekend, spending most of her time with her old friends from her circus days. However, she always made sure to stop in to watch Marinette on the trapeze, taking pictures to show Tom and Sabine when the couple returned to Paris.

The weekend felt like it lasted both three years and three minutes at the same time; nevertheless, Sunday night still came, and Marinette had to say goodbye.

"I'll just run away with the circus," said Marinette, sitting on the air mattress, staring at her fully packed backpack. "Mary and John would take me in."

Dick shook his head. "They would never allow it, no matter how good you are at trapeze."

Marinette sighed. "I'm really going to miss you."

Dick sighed as well, leaning his head against Marinette's. "This really sucks." After a moment of silently commiserating their terrible fortune, Dick suddenly jumped up. "I know! We can send letters to each other to keep in touch. And I can send you comic books when you need new ones to read."

"But the circus moves around constantly. Where will I send the letters to?"

"I have the schedule of everywhere that we'll be for the next six months. You'll just have to send the letters so that they reach the right destination at the right time."

"That means I can still talk to you!"

And suddenly, goodbye was a lot easier to bear.

------

Haly's Circus performed in Paris twice a year - once in January and once in July - meaning that Marinette and Dick had very little time to spend together in person. However, they did write to each other. Dick would send postcards from all the places he visited and Marinette invested in good stationery to write her letters on. Dick would mail over American comic books, carefully folded and stuffed into envelopes. Marinette would send back handmade patches for Dick to sew onto his leotard. They would write about all the details of their lives that they never mentioned to anyone else. Dick told Marinette that sometimes he wished that he could have had a normal childhood all in one place, but then he would think about all the people and places he would have never met and regret ever wanting anything else. Marinette told Dick that sometimes she worried that no matter how hard she worked to be interesting and funny and worthwhile, she would never be enough for the people around her.

Worried that she would forget how to do trapeze during the six months before Haly's circus returned, Marinette convinced her parents to let her attend the one gymnastics studio in Paris that offered trapeze. They were reluctant at first, worried that Marinette could get hurt, but after a thorough overview of the safety precautions, they finally relented. It was a thirty-minute metro ride, but it was worth it when she got up on the trapeze. Marinette quickly became friends with the other students her age at the studio. Alan, Allegra, and Claude were all two years older than her and lived on the other side of Paris, but they still made time to hang out with Marinette both inside and outside of the studio.

As Marinette grew more and more skilled at trapeze, she decided to try some similar sports. She split her free time between the studio, where she worked on developing her skills at trapeze, gymnastics, and aerial silks, and home, where she worked on designing and creating clothes. It was ambitious for a ten-year-old, but Marinette was determined. She loved trapeze and loved making her own clothes, and she loved those two things equally. She could never give one up, and could barely bring herself to prioritize one over the other when her free time grew scarce.

Marinette had her purpose in life: chasing the feeling of flying as far as it could go and creating things out of nothing but her own imagination. She had all the friends she could ever need, but most important to her was Dick, who, despite their distance, seemed closer to her than anyone else.

------

It was a Thursday, the day that Marinette's world ended. It was sunny and unusually warm for October. For Marinette, the day started off entirely normally. She went to school, ate lunch with Kim and Alix, went to the trapeze studio after school to work on a new trapeze routine, got hot cocoa with Alan, Allegra, and Claude afterward, then went home.

It was the 31st of October, the day that Marinette learned of the deaths of Mary and John Grayson. Mary, with her kind eyes, and John, with his crooked smile, were gone forever. Dick was an orphan.

Marinette was only eleven years old, the day that she learned the details of their deaths. They were on the trapeze, performing the closing act of the Gotham show. Dick was up on the platform, too young for the stunt they were performing. The ropes were cut halfway through. John reached out to catch Mary, going through the motions of a trick they had performed so often it would have felt as natural as breathing for them. John caught Mary. John's ropes snapped. They both plummeted, clipped the edge of the safety nets, going too fast, hitting the ground too hard, dead before the ambulances got there. Marinette couldn't help but picture the bodies of mangled birds that died when they hit the window too hard. Marinette pictured broken bones and broken hearts and in her grief, the only person she wanted was Dick. As much as she was hurting, she knew his grief overwhelmed her. Marinette needed to comfort him. Marinette knew her friend needed her.

Yet, no matter how hard Marinette tried (and she tried so hard, because it was the only thing that gave her any relief from the burning pain in her chest) she couldn't get in touch with Dick. Haly told her that Dick was taken in by Gotham's CPS, and they refused to provide any information about him to the circus. Although the circus was his second home, Gotham refused to return Dick. Haly's Circus was deemed an unfit home. Dick would never be returned.

Every day for months Marinette called Gotham's CPS and begged for any information about her lost friend. She pleaded with them that all she wanted to do was be able to send him a letter. But each time, she was refused.

Three months passed, and by the end of those three months, Marinette felt like her heart had been drained out of her. She had lost Mary and John Grayson, who had taught her not only trapeze but how to overcome fear and be brave. She lost Dick too, but in a different way. There was no way to get in contact with Dick again, and Marinette knew that couldn't spend her whole life mourning the friendship she had lost. She knew that she had to accept it and move on. Still, Marinette never stopped missing him.

Marinette could never quite forget Dick. She remembered him every time she got up on the trapeze, every time she made a new patch that she couldn't send to him, every time she sampled a new pastry for the bakery that she knew he would have loved, every time something big happened and her first instinct was to send a letter about it to him.

Five years without him and Dick still lingered on the edge of her mind. Five years without him and Marinette knew that she would never be at peace until she saw him again.

[kawaiichibiart]

No one asked for it, but I'm providing it anyways pt.2

Miraculous Kwami/Role Swap AU Trivia/Fun Facts

Amelie

• She is older than Emilie by 5 minutes.

• She took in Adrien a year after Emilie passed away. And rather than move him to London, she and Felix moved to Paris.

• Honestly, she never liked Gabriel.

° Nathalie on the other hand...

• She won't admit it, but she is a little bit gay.

° She thinks women are pretty, sue her. Prior to her relationship with her deceased husband, she had a girlfriend.

Emilie

• She dyed her hair once so no one would mistake her for Amelie.

° Let it be known, she wanted to become a brunette, but she decided to dye her hair while under the influence, so she ended up with bright blue hair instead. No one knows how, as she had been set on a nice, rich, brown.

• She had two wills. One she gave to her lawyers, the other to her sister. It was there that she stated she wanted any children she had to be taken care of by her sister.

° Yeah, as much as she loved Gabriel, she did not trust him with any of her children. She wanted her child(ren) to have a happy life. To be able to enjoy themselves and not be worked hard. So, when Adrien was born, she swore to give him to best life she could, even if it meant giving him a new home. There was a small, very small, part of her that wanted Gabriel to fight her on this, to say Adrien was just as much his son as he was hers, but he didn't.

• She also had a thing for Nathalie.

Nathalie

• "I don't get paid enough for this shit" is her life motto.

• She knew both Graham de Vanily sisters had a thing for her, so she teased them a bit. It was all in fun, besides, she had a thing for women in suits.

° She honestly has no preference in terms of gender, so long as you look good in a suit.

• Honorary Aunt Nathalie babysitting a trio of blonds and one baker's daughter at least once a month.

° Her favorite place to babysit them was definitely the Dupain-Cheng's bakery. Marinette's parents always offered a few baked goods for her and the kids, giving her a small bag that she could take home.

Gabriel

• This man did not even hesitate to give his son to his sister-in-law. Practically shoved the boy right at her.

• He still makes his son work for him though. Like, once or twice. Every few months. He tried to make it a full time thing, but Amelie wouldn't have it.

° He says it's for the brand. People liked Adrien. They wanted to see more of him. Jokes on them and Gabe, half of those pics are of Felix.

• This man is still Hawkmoth. He just no longer has a child to worry about discovering his secret.

• He and Nathalie live together in separate parts of the mansion. Since Nathalie works for him, and he works from home, it was a compromise.

° And it might just be because Gabe ALSO has a thing for Nathalie. He just won't admit it. Ever.

The Gorilla

• No one knows his actual name. He's been called Simon, Jean, Claude, etc.

• He works for Amelie after quitting his job at Gabriel's.

° Yes, Gabe was mad. Yes, Amelie rubbed it in his face. The two don't like each other, and the Gorilla knows this. He also just thinks Amelie is the better employer.

• He'd help Nathalie babysit, usually watching over Adrien or Marinette.

• For a man who doesn't speak, he tells the best stories. The kids always enjoy the Gorilla's stories, as it's the only time he will speak.

[justcourttee]

Daminette Marinette accidental pregnancy reveal in front of the whole family

Love it. Daminette is golden. Hope you like it! @speedybakeryneckzipper

Uhm Surprise?

Marinette felt herself spiraling.

She sat in her apartment bathroom, her head buried into her hands in disbelief. They had finally done it. She was finally pregnant. Oh God, Damian was going to be so happy. Eight long months of trying and failing and here she was, sitting in a damp towel, tears of joy pouring down her face.

“Angel? Are you almost finished getting ready? You know how unreasonable Grayson gets when we are late for this cursed family night.”

Marinette wiped the tears from her face, standing as quietly as she could. The problem with marrying a former assassin was that he could always detect the slightest problems with his stupid hearing.

“I’m honestly just finishing up drying off. It’ll take another 15 at least to get dressed and put on some basic makeup.”

The pause on the other side of the door sent a shiver of fear through her spine. Maybe she hadn’t kept her voice level enough, maybe he could hear her excited undertones, maybe-

“Alright my love, but just know, you are risking the wrath of little Grayson as well.”

Marinette rolled her eyes at his nickname for Dick and Barbara’s child. He had only ever called his niece by name once, other than that, it was always little Grayson, or the spawn of satan. (Honestly though, from the stories they had told Marinette, maybe making him babysit the child was Dick’s revenge for Damian’s own childhood.)

She waited until she was sure he was no longer at the door before she released the quietest squeal she could manage. Maybe she would tell him after family night. After all, they were in every right to celebrate this victory together. . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Stepping out of the portal, Marinette didn’t even have the chance to detransform before she lost her stomach in Alfred’s shrubbery. Immediately, Damian was by her side, a wary look on his face as he did his best to hold back her hair from the assault.

“Are you alright angel? Portaling has never had that effect on you before.”

Marinette nodded as she wiped her mouth with the back of her hand, calling off the transformation.

‘So no portalling for the next few months. Noted.’

Pulling out a can of mints, Marinette swallowed three of them before breathing out a sigh of relief. Giving an okay to Damian, he pushed open the door, offering his arm for her to take.

“About damn time!”

Marinette sidestepped at the last second as Jason tackled Damian to the ground, putting him into a headlock as he ruffled her husband’s hair.

“You two lovebirds realize that you left me in an insufferable situation right? There’s like three kids and that’s not even counting Dickie bird.”

A vague ‘hey’ echoed through the hallways followed by laughter. Marinette shook her head as she tapped out for Damian, helping him up from the ground.

“So what Miraculous did you bring tonight Mari? I’m so ready for another spar.”

“I, uh, forgot. Yup.”

Jason narrowed his eyes at her.

“You guys didn’t drive up so that means you at least have Kaalki with you.”

“I do, but-”

“Great! We’ll practice my dodging later on.”

Jason slung his arms around the couple as he led them into the living room where several more faces sat, eagerly awaiting their arrival.

“And the last to the party, for the seventh week in a row, Mr. and Mrs. Damian Wayne! And the crowd goes wild!” Tim cupped his hands over his mouth as he exhaled loudly.

Before Damian could raise his fist, Marinette reached over, plucking the fresh bread from Tim’s plate, sending him a wink.

“We’re going for a new record.”

“I’ll say, you guys don’t even have kids yet. I can’t imagine how late you’ll be when you have a third one to dress Marinette.”

Damian grumbled under his breath as Marinette bit her lip hard, avoiding looking Tim in the eyes.

“What, no comeback? You’re slacking tonight Mari.”

Jason settled into the couch, gently kicking Tim in the back of the head in the process. For a second, all eyes were on her. She felt her face flush as she tried her best to hide behind Damian.

“She’s not feeling good tonight, but she came to make Grayson happy. Now leave her be or face my wrath.”

Tim and Jason let out a simultaneous ‘ooo’ before bursting into fits of laughter. Marinette saw Damian’s first begin to curl, but before he could completely close them, she forced her hand in between, intertwining their fingers. Instantly he relaxed as he leaned down to place a small kiss on her forehead.

“Who’s ready to party?” Two more faces joined the party as Stephanie and Barbara wondered in, each carrying a respective bottle of wine. “Brucie put the kids to bed, Dick is reading them a story, and we need to pregame before they come to stop us.”

“You seriously are going to pregame with wine?”

Jason raised his eyebrow at the two girls before shaking his head in disappointment.

“I thought I taught you both better than that.”

The pop of the cork made Marinette’s stomach flip. The smell was so potent. Had wine always smelt like this? She felt herself starting to gag as she tried to shove Tim’s slice of bread down before anything could come up.

“Hey! Marinette’s cheating! She’s eating bread before drinking.” Stephanie reached over in a playful manner, swatting at the piece of bread.

Marinette took a step back, but it was too quick of a movement as she felt all the blood rush to her head. Two sets of arms darted out as Stephanie and Damian caught her before she could hit the ground.

“Angel are you okay? You’re beginning to worry me.”

She couldn’t trust herself to speak so instead she nodded, holding up the half-eaten bread.

“Dude,” Stephanie slapped the back of Damian’s head, earning a growl from the man. “Why aren’t you feeding this tiny woman. If she passes out from lack of calories again, I’m sticking Cass on your ass.”

Jason snickered, earning a smack on the back of his head courtesy of Barbara.

“Well, well, well. Look who finally showed up. They finally showed up Bruce! Can you believe your eyes?”

Bruce shook his head as Dick raced forward, encasing Marinette in a bone-crushing hug.

“Dick, not so hard, please.”

She didn’t mean to let the distress slip into her voice, but it was too late. Dick pulled back, his eyes narrowed in concern as he assessed her face. He opened his mouth and Marinette knew it was over. She braced herself for the words that were about to slip out but alas, nothing came. Instead, Barbara pulled him away, handing him a glass of wine and offering one to her.

“Oh, uhm, no thank you. I’m not feeling so good today.”

“Oh, c’mon Mari! Drink with us!”

A chorus of ‘yeah’s’ and ‘drink up’ rang through the room as they waited for her to accept the glass. Gently she took the drink from Barbara’s hands with a small smile. But it wasn't enough, they all stared at her, waiting for her to take the first sip. Nervously, she raised the glass to her lips, the smell overpowering her senses. The wine rose up to the edge of the glass as she tilted it back. It was so close to her lips, so close-

“I can’t!”

Jason stepped forward, crossing his arms as he narrowed in on the girl.

“Why not?”

“Because!”

“Because why? It’s just wine.”

“Because I’m pregnant!” Instantly she slapped her hand over her mouth as her eyes widened. The room fell deadly silent, all eyes on her and Damian.

“Angel? Did you just say you’re pregnant?” She felt him gather her hand, gently tugging her so that she faced his hopeful face. She shrugged her shoulders as a sheepish smile tugged at her lips.

“Uhm, surprise?”

Damian pulled her into his chest as the group cheered behind them.

“Not wanting to spar, the portal sickness, the fainting, no wine? God, I’m so stupid.”

Marinette pulled back with a giggle as she placed a small kiss on the tear rolling down his cheek.

“No, way. Brucie, you’re going to be a grandpa, and Damian’s having a kid, big night huh?”

Jason nudged his side as Bruce pulled the couple into a hug, tears of his own falling.

“You know what this means Steph?” Jason nodded as Stephanie squatted by the bar pulling out a green bottle.

“I’m one step ahead of you. Champagne to celebrate the miracle baby of Demon Spawn and a literal Angel!”

Another chorus of cheers rang through the room as Damian rested his head on Marinette’s forehead.

“I’m going to be a dad?” his voice was quiet and lulling, his love-drunk face filling Marinette with so much warmth.

“I wanted to tell you later, away from the crazy. I should’ve known better.”

His laughter was short and loud, drawing curious looks from the rest of the room.

“I love you so much, Marinette Wayne.”

“And I love you so much more Damian Wayne.”

His face inched closer to hers as she closed her eyes waiting for a kiss that never came.

“So about that sparring?”

Marinette cracked open one eye to see Jason standing where Damian once had, her husband sprawled out on the ground, struggling to lift his brother’s foot off his chest

“Do you think demon spawn could wield the miraculous? Nine months is such a drag to go on without magical training.”

“Todd if you do not remove your foot from your chest I will chop it off and shove it down your throat!”

“Yeesh.” Jason shook his head before raising an eyebrow at Marinette. “You sure you want to have a kid with this dude?”

Marinette laughed as she watched her husband finally push Jason off sending him flying backward. Reaching down, she helped him up once more, a smile tearing across her face.

“Absolutely.”

@damianette-is-life @rebecarojas07 @ash-amg

[cornholio4]

All This After a Monkey Tries to Steal Marinette’s Purse

@nobodyfamousposts

I decided that I want to take on the fandom specific plot of Alya passing off babysitting to Marinette when she wasn't supposed to with her getting paid for it. I think this is between salt and bashing so let me know what you think of this plot idea. The best one of this plot idea that I had ever read was the Babysitting Fisaco by quicksilversquared.

Marinette Dupain-Cheng had been taken by surprise where seemingly at the last minute yet again for who knows how many countless times, Alya had dropped by asking Marinette to babysit her sisters Etta and Ella. She had wanted to do some designing for the free day from school that they had that day but Alya said that it was an emergency as she had super big plans with Nino and well she just couldn't say no.

Her experience with the two mini 'Sapotis' and babysitting Manon at home made her well aware that she wouldn't be able to get any designing done if they stayed at home so she offered to take them to the zoo. Good thing that she had some coupons that she had been meaning to use for quite some time. They seemed excited about that and they went to the zoo, not long after entering she was too busy keeping an eye on them both that she wasn't able to notice something while passing by the monkey exhibit's cage door that was opened to feed them.

A monkey's arm got out and grabbed Marinette's purse and she yelled as she tried to grab it back, "Stop it Lupin, go back into your cage!" said a large man helping Marinette get the monkey off her purse. She was surprised to see Alya's dad Otis Cesaire there and remembered that he worked as a zookeeper. "Nice seeing you Marinette and sorry about Lupin, we call him that as he is always trying to grab things out of the cage bars. He is someone that needs special attention to." Otis explained with a smile with Marinette getting the name, she had done costumes for the school's drama department for a play based on Arsene Lupin before.

Ella and Etta were excited and went up hugging their dad's legs but Otis was stunned, Marinette guessed that they were excited to see their dad at work. "What are you two doing here? You are supposed to be at home with Alya." He exclaimed and went to look to Marinette silently asking for an explanation.

Marinette was nervous and told him "Alya asked me to fill in for her as she had another date with Nino, don't worry it's no trouble at all like all the other times." Marinette was wondering if something was wrong when Otis became very unhappy.

"All the other times? How many times has she got you to babysit and what compensation have you been given?" Otis asked and Marinette said that it was just a favour for a best friend and she had been doing it for Alya for about 2 months. Marinette gulped when he looked even unhappy and was surprised when he gave her a key. "This is my house key, could you please take the twins home when you are done here and wait for Alya and or myself to get home." Otis told her and Marinette gave a nod as she went off with the twins.

Alya Cesaire had been having a nice time with Nino on their date using the babysitting money for the twins; a part of her did feel bad for waiting until the last minute to tell Marinette but Alya had a big schedule with Nino planned. She also had plans with the money and besides Marinette didn't mind and she would be doing nice things for her. She and Nino met up with Adrien and they would put in subtle hints towards the blonde to get him interested in Marinette so they could start double dating together.

Two power couples in the class, it was perfect.

She got a call on her phone seeing that it was from her dad and knew what she would say if her parents called while she was supposed to be babysitting, "Hi Dad, anything up?" Alya asked getting her answer ready if he asks about how it was with the twins home.

"Just wanted to talk to you about work here, would you believe I had to stop Lupin from stealing a purse of a girl." Otis told her and Alya knew about the stories of the thieving monkey. "It was a good thing that I was able to react, I don't think your friend Marinette would have been very happy to have her purse stolen." Otis continued on and Alya laughed that she bet before pausing...

Marinette was there...

Oh no...

"Imagine my surprise when I found your sisters with her, the same sisters that you were supposed to be babysitting tonight. Plus Marinette telling me that you were out on a date with Nino and funny enough, it sounded like she was getting no compensation for doing your paid babysitting duties for two months!" Otis said yelling near the end and Alya started panicking.

"Dad, I can explain..." Alya replied while trying to think of an explanation that sounded somewhat believable.

"I sent Marinette to our house to wait for either of us, I want you home within half an hour to take over for the babysitting duties that you were supposed to be doing anyway! I will try and be home shortly to have a talk with you!" Otis told him sternly and Alya looked down sadly having to tell Nino and Adrien that she has to get home with them looking concerned.

Otis managed to take a break so he could get home and have a talk with his nervous looking daughter; Marinette was still there with Alya having explained to her that she didn't actually ask her parents if it was alright to have Marinette babysit for her. Otis got out his wallet giving Marinette 50 Euros for her service with her saying that he doesn't have to but he insisted. Marinette went home and Alya tried to defend herself but her excuses were weak.

She ended up grounding with her not allowed to film anything for her blogs and she would be babysitting for free with him checking up with video chat to make sure that she was at home with them. Plus she could expect her allowance to be garnished until she paid back for all the times she got paid for work she pawned off to Marinette. Otis had called his wife Marlena and she share din her husband's upset with Alya.

At the next school day, things were uneasy between Marinette and Alya with Marinette having explained what had happened to Nino. He looked torn but had to tell his unhappy girlfriend that he can't be on her side this time. Adrien tried to help clear the tension and tell Marinette it was a misunderstanding but it seemed that she would not relent on this.

Marinette got home after school and it seemed that her parents were with her with being unhappy with Alya; they got the story from Alya's parents who called to tell them and to call them if they ever see Alya coming over to drop the twins and to check to make sure that had gotten permission. Not that it would be likely from now on...

Marinette wondered how all this resulted from a monkey trying to steal her purse.

[rosesgonerogue]

How to be a Dad 101

Chapter Four - Villain AU

Jasonette July Day Five

Masterlist

“Marinette, Alya is here!” Sabine called up the stairs.

“Thanks Maman, I’ll see you later!” Marinette called back, launching herself down. Sure enough, her best friend was waiting for her at the bakery’s front door. “Nino isn’t with you?”

“He’s helping Chris get all of the kids settled, the sucker,” Alya said, though Marinette couldn’t tell which Lahiffe boy was being called the sucker.

“Are we sure that Chris can handle all the kids at once?” Marinette asked, admittedly nervous.

“No,” Alya said matter-of-factly. “But Nora is going to drop in on then to make sure everything is okay.”

“But are you sure? I just feel bad, you know Jules has been biting. Maybe I should—”

“If you were going to finish that sentence with ‘stay with the kids,’ I will strangle you, Marinette. I love you girl, but it has been three months since I’ve gone somewhere and not taken a diaper bag with me, and I know it’s been way longer than that for you. Give me tonight.”

“Okay, okay, I get it, Alya,” Marinette said, holding up her hands. “I will leave things in Chris’s questionable hands.”

Alya softened a bit. “Look, I get it. Next time we’ll try to plan for a day when Manon is available, she’s really good with the kids.

“Deal. So have we heard if everyone is going to make it tonight?”

“Almost everyone. Adrien and Kagami might be a little late? Rose has a fundraiser she has to be at tonight, but other than that I think we’re a go.”

“Wow, it’s been a long time since we’ve all been together like this,” Marinette said. “It’ll almost feel like old times.”

“It sounds like Max is finally letting us meet his wife. I think Kim has a running bet on whether or not she’s a robot.”

“Kim is still on that? He’s probably just jealous that Max beat him to getting married even though he hasn’t known Camille very long.”

“Hold up girl, you know Max’s wife’s name?” Alya demanded. “Spill.”

“It was nothing much, I only know her because I made her wedding dress,” Marinette said, pausing at the sidewalk corner. “Do we go left or right?”

“Right. But how did you not tell me this?” Alya demanded.

“Even though we’re school friends, I still have to maintain a certain level of professionality. I can’t go tell Paris’s most promising reporter about one of the world’s most promising computer programmers personal life. Besides, Max really wanted to surprise everyone,” Marinette said, smirking. “The dress was one of my finest creations yet.”

“Fine, I suppose I can’t compromise one of the world’s most promising young designers,” Alya huffed. “But she has good taste? This gets more mysterious by the moment.”

“So who picked the place this time? I know we’re trusting Chris with the kids, but you know how Kim gets when we go to his bar, and I don’t know if I trust Chris to watch them all night because we got a little tipsy or something.”

“Well, it is at Kim’s bar, but don’t worry, he’ll be too distracted by Max, so we won’t even be tempted by all of the free alcohol. Besides, you always seem like such a pro at resisting temptation.”

Getting to Kim’s bar didn’t take long, even on foot. Once there, a good portion of their high school class yelled greetings from the back of the bar.

“Alya, Marinette! Good to see you, but where’s Nino?” Kim asked, opening the door for them.

“He’s helping Chris get the kids situated, he’ll be here soon,” Alya said, hugging the muscular man. “Is Max here yet? I hear we get to meet the wife.”

“Yeah, she’s way out of his league,” Kim said, jabbing a thumb towards the corner of the bar.

As much as Marinette had complained, she couldn’t help but smile upon coming into the bar. Kim had fallen into the role of bartender easily, amusing his patrons with tales of akumas and the Miraculous team – although tales of King Monkey were definitely the most popular. It was a clean, warm space, decorated with murals and framed newspaper clippings about any akuma incidents involving their class.

“You must’ve been desperate if Chris is babysitting,” Adrien said, sidling up next to her. “Manon was busy?”

“She had a study group,” Marinette said, bumping his shoulder with hers. While she considered Alya her best friend, Adrien still was, and always would be her partner, the black cat to her ladybug. He knew her mind in ways that no one else ever could. “You caught me. So what do you think of Max’s wife? I think she’s absolutely adorable.”

“Marinette, you knew about Max’s wedding?” someone yelled, positively betrayed.

“I think it’s time for s to join the others, but for the record I completely agree with you.” Adrien offered her an arm to escort her to the rest of the group. “By the way, Kagami says hello.”

“How is pregnancy treating your lovely wife?”

“Oh, the normal. The cravings, the irrational anger, average pregnancy-type things. The last time I mentioned you she nearly skewered me with a fire poker and told me that if I spoke about any other woman that way she would kill me where I stood. After that she cried for a few minutes because she missed you.”

“It sounds like I need to pay her a visit,” Marinette said brightly.

“So we’re just ignoring the part where my life was in danger, typical. I should have known that you would side with her,” Adrien pouted.

“You can complain to me when you’ve been pregnant,” Marinette said, patting his cheek.

“I’d like to think I’m a fairly decent husband, so I would say I’m allowed to be a little offended by threats of homicide.”

“No, that’s just pregnancy,” Nino said, his version of a grand entrance. “The more violent they are means you’re taking good care of them.”

By this point they’d gotten to the larger group, and Max’s wife, Camille, a sweet, auburn-haired woman, brightened. “Marinette, it’s lovely to see you again!”

“Wait, you really did know about this too, Marinette?!” Kim demanded.

“Client confidentiality, Kim,” Marinette said with a wicked smile. “Rose can’t make it, so everyone is officially here, Camille.”

“Oh, perfect,” she said, clapping her hands. “Max and I have an announcement to make!”

“Don’t tell me you’re already having a kid!” Alix groaned. “All of you are making it even more sucky to be single right now.”

“We came to invite you to our wedding,” Max said, pushing up his glasses.

“Excuse me, what?” Chloe asked.

“What we did before was just a little ceremony in England for Camille’s parents. Did you guys really think I could get married without all of you?”

There were a few beats of silence before chaos erupted. Kim had Max in a headlock while at least three of the girls were asking Camille about wedding plans. Nearby Alix was still sulking about being single.

When everyone settled down, Mylene said, “We’re getting old, aren’t we?”

“I’m going to die alone,” Alix lamented.

“We’re still in our twenties,” Marinette reminded her. “We’ve got time.”

“But if you’re still single how do any of the rest of us stand a chance?” she demanded.

“Oh yeah. Sometimes I forget that Marinette is still single because of the whole…” he waved his hand, indicating things he couldn’t put words to, “… situation.”

“Exactly!” Alix spat. “She’s perfect, she makes a perfect mother, and she’s handling everything better alone than any of us can with a significant other! I’m doomed!”

“But Marinette is still looking, just like you, Alix,” Mylene pointed out. “She just did things a little out of order.”

“And I’m not perfect, I promise you,” Marinette said with the weariness that could only be a product of parenthood.

“Is Jules still in a biting phase?” Sabrina asked.

“Unfortunately yes,” Alya said with that same weariness.

“Since we’re on the topic, what was the baby daddy even like?” Kim asked. “We haven’t heard much about him, and from what little I’ve heard, I can’t help but picture him as one of those old cartoon villains twirling his mustache and preying on young girls.”

“Villain works. Although I would have called him a lying, scheming—” Adrien cut off, glancing at the young parents he was situated between, Marinette in particular was known for body-checking people if they used any sort of questionable language regardless of if there was a child present, “-scheming meanie pants,” he finished lamely.

“It’s okay, Adrien, this is a safe zone,” Alya said, patting his shoulder. “You can tell them that Jason is a bastard.”

Nathaniel inhaled sharply, choking on his drink. “Wow… I just… What would you say about him, Marinette?”

“I wouldn’t call him that,” Marinette said, ignoring Alya and Adrien’s protests. “Really, I had no misconceptions about the way things were. We never gave each other our numbers, or even our last names. Something bigger than both of us brought us together, and I don’t regret it. If I’m lucky, maybe it will bring us together once more.”

The class fell silent until Alix groaned once more, burying her head in her arms. “I’M GOING TO DIE ALONE!”

Taglist: 

@jasonette-july-2k20 @ira-sairain @myazael @pawsitivelymiraculous @nik-nak-3 @dast218 @queen-of-the-trash-planet-tm  @vixen-uchiha @momothefemur @toodaloo-kangaroo

Note: 

I thought this chapter would barely meet the word limit I’ve set for myself, but that was not a problem. If you want to be tagged, or if I forgot to tag you, just leave a comment below. Also just leave a comment below regardless, I’ve been helping my family move all week and I need something to keep me sane. In all reality, though, I write like this mainly to improve my skills as well as get feedback on them, so I appreciate any comment you send my way. 

This story is also really different from what I normally write. Despite the premise, it’s WAY more slice of life than I’ve ever done long-term like this, so I especially want to hear your reactions on this! 

[cass-y0inks]

Adopted Marinette

This was an idea that I asked @virgil-is-a-cutie and I was a bit hesitant about how I wanted to do about this but a couple of others contributed with their ideas and It kind of build up my confidence so here we are. I do plan on posting more on this but I don’t have like an actual schedule because now my school has been giving out more projects which means more homework but I can make time. Sorry I’m rambling a lot, let’s get started. FYI these are just ideas some might change.

Tom and Sabine

First off, Tom and Sabine had always wanted kids of their own it was their only wish ever since they had gotten married. There was just one problem, having kids was a big risk to Sabine so Tom was hesitant at first when she asked about having a child but eventually he gave in. Sabine had been so hopeful that everything would be alright. But when she went to the doctor to check on the baby, the doctor had told her that if she chose to give birth to her baby she wouldn’t last long after that. Tom was not with her, it was a very busy day at the bakery so he couldn’t go with her. She had to make the choice right then and there, or else it would probably be to late. Not for a second did Sabine think that she was going to give up her child, it had only been a couple of months maybe 4-5 but that was enough to make her dream about her baby. When Sabine went home after the appointment the only thing she told Tom was that they were going to have a little girl.

Of course Tom was very excited, he was going to have a little girl! It was their dream come true. They had a baby shower, planned out the nursery, and in the end chose the name Marinette Dupain-Cheng. But during the remaining months Sabine felt much guilt, she was keeping a big secret from her own husband! But it was too late to turn back, her daughter’s birth date was estimated to be during the last week of October and the beginning of November, which was only a couple of days away.

Marinette was born on the 3of November. It had been a very painful hours for Sabine, but she managed to pull through, the only thing in her mind was the image of her daughter growing up to be a loving and caring person. When she hooded her daughter for the first time it made her feel complete, and even thought she knew she only had a few hours left she still had enough strength to tell Tom how much she loved him and their new daughter. Sabine died with Marinette in her arms and Tom holding her hand.

After that, Tom felt so hollow, his wife, his light, was gone and he couldn’t do anything about it. He did keep Marinette her some time but it took him so much to even look at her in the eyes, her blue-gray eyes, she looked so much like her mama. It pained him. He knew he wasn’t in the right mentality state to take care of a baby, it wouldn’t do ether of them any good. So when she was a few weeks old, he took her to an orphanage at Gotham. Even though it was cruel to say he thought it would be best if they never saw each other, so he took her there.

And that was it for him. At least for now.

Batfam, papa Dick.

Marinette was maybe 4 weeks old when Tom left her at the orphanage in Gotham. They treated her with much care and loved the little sunbeam that had somehow landed in Gotham. A couple of weeks before her first birthday there was an attack, human traffickers to be exact. They were there to take the young ones away to do unspeakable things, horrible things. One of them had taken baby Marinette and was holding her in their arms as they put the other kids in trucks.

About 4 min after they arrived the building was surrounded by copse and of course, Batman, Nightwing, Red Hood, and Red Robin. A few moments later only about 5 of the attackers remained, one of them having baby Marinette in their arms. They all spit up and Nightwing went for the one that held her. After what seemed hours the traffickers were arrested and Nightwing was rocking, and singing to the baby in his arms.

When he holded her in his arms it felt like he held a precious treasure. Her eyes, her blue-gray eyes, they held so much hope and dreams and love, her smile looked like it could light up even the darkness of days, her delicate hair slowly flowing at the tamed wind of the night, and her small laugh was like the most beautiful melody he ever heard. But eventually he had to let her go.

When he went to sleep that night he thought about him holding her again, himself singing to her, her calling her...papa. But his family was going to think he was crazy, adopting a baby at 19! He was going to push those thoughts in back into his head as possible but he remembered her laugh.

You know, he did know how to take care of others, he read books, he had babysitted before, and he did take care of his brothers sometimes.

On Marinette’s first birthday, she became Marinette Greyson.

This is the first part of some of the ideas that I want to try out for this AU. I’m already working on the second part, I may post it today later on or tomorrow, Bye!!

Tag list and people who have been a big help:

@virgil-is-a-cutie @caffeinetheory @witchsblackfox @kawaiigiantjudgefish @theatreandcomicfreak @a-|123-123|-universe

[spartanxhunterx]

Home Support (part 2)

Tags: @elmokingkong, @kuroko26, @votederpycausemufins.

Chloe grumbled as she walked out of the schools doors, the latest Akuma attack was a little too close for comfort for the school, so they were let out again.

Chloe knew that the school would be closed until the ending of the day and she wouldn't be able get picked up until after the Akuma was defeated. She's wished that she could help, really she did, but she had already put herself at too much risk to Hawkmoth.

In an effort to get away from her classmates she made her way to the one place she knew they wouldn't be able to follow. 

The Dupain-Cheng's Bakery.

The bell rang above her as she entered and she found the bakery to be surprisingly empty, it was just her, Marinette's parents and the one customer who was already paying for their order.

 "Enjoy and stay safe out there."

 Her eyes flicked to the sheet of paper tapped to the window, a list of all her classmates under the notice that anyone on the list was banned. She was glad that she couldn't see her name but she knew better than to overstep the line that had been drawn before her.

naturally she moved to the side as the customer moved for the door and she stepped forwards, quickly catching Sabine's attention.

 "Ah, Chloe, what can I do for you? Croissants? Macaroons? Tarts perhaps?"

 " No thank you Mrs. Cheng, I was just wondering if I could stick around until the Akuma is dealt with. My driver can't come to get me until it's dealt with. "

 "Of course." Sabine moved to the front of the shop, flipping the open sign to closed . There wouldn't be anyone just walking around anyway. "Why don't you come upstairs? Get comfy, it might be a while."

 She opened her mouth to protest, not wanting to intrude on their home but she also didn't want to be rude. Chances were she would probably be more trusted under their gaze over being left to her own devices down in the bakery.

 "Very well." She followed Sabine up the stairs and into the Dupain-Cheng household. Being mindful to remove her shoes at the entrance when Sabine pointed out the rule.

She greeted Tom with a somewhat nervous smile before sitting stiffly on the couch, as far away from the large man as she could. It didn't take long for Sabine to take her seat beside her husband and the three of them Sat watching the TV, it was only then that Chloe realised they had the news on where a live stream of the Akuma battle was being broadcasted.

Poor August had been re-akumatised into gigantitan, again. He must have been upset by something, which wasn't surprising since he was just a toddler. That was something that annoyed Chloe, the way how Hawkmoth had no problem using actual toddlers to do his dirty work.

She could understand the disgruntled workers, dumped girlfriends, betrayed friends and other wronged adults but kids... Baby's? It was too far.

on screen she could see Ladybug swinging around, keeping Gigati- August's attention on herself, making the toddler walk into more open areas. Worst of all she could see Chat Noir just sitting back, fiddling with his baton as if it held the secrets of the universe.

He had gotten a lot less involved lately, choosing to sit back while ladybug did all the work. If she still had Pollen she would be out there helping Ladybug herself but she couldn't, as it would put her family in danger again.

She could see Chat leap over to ladybug, speak to her in what was clearly a flirting manner then leap away after the heroine responded.

The blonde couldn't stop the scoff from coming out of her mouth nor could she stop the words from tumbling from her lips. "I swear if I was out there still I would have stung his ass already."

Sabine gave a humored chuckle, who was on her phone prematurely sending Marinette texts about the situation at home. She wouldn't see them until she Dr-transformed but she knew her daughter wouldn't risk coming home in fear of anyone finding out her identity.

Or worse, Chat Noir finding out about her identity.

"For that," Sabine started, side-eyeing Chloe. "I think that you make... Had been, a good hero. "

"Hardly," She sputtered out, feeling her checks darken under the praise. "I revealed my identity immediately and put people in danger just to be a hero. "

"At least you recognise your mistakes, unlike someone."

" The ally cat definitely needs to learn what no means. "

-

It took another ten minutes for Ladybug to calm down August enough to take the Akuma away from him. Mainly with the help of her lucky charm, which was, oddly enough, a giant teddy bear.

The camera crew had a lovely shot of Ladybug/ Marinette cradling the toddler in her arms while she waited for his mother to collect him. She wasn't far, she had learned to stick semi-close to the action to collect her son after he would be freed from Hawkmoths control.

Sabine and Tom couldn't help but think that, in many many years time, Marinette would be a great mother.

A minute later, ladybug had swung away from the scene and just barely three minutes later Marinette clambered through the door, slightly out of breath, clutching her bag to her chest.

"I... Ran... As... Fast... As... I...could."

Chloe didn't comment on her out of breath state, she herself had ran from plenty of Akuma in the past and she wasn't going to berate the girl for doing the same.

"Sit down and take a moment to breath dear, you look exhausted." Sabine was quick to get up to fetch her daughter a drink of water as Marinette flopped down next to Chloe.

Though not close enough that you could make the mistake of thinking they were actually friends.

 "Hey Chloe... What are you doing here?"

 "I was hiding from the Akuma, your parents were nice enough to let me wait up here."

"Speaking of which," Sabine spoke as she walked back around the couch, giving Marinette and Chloe a glass of water. "Perhaps now would be a good time to tell your driver to pick you up?"

"Oh, right." Chloe fished her phone out of her bag, being sure the sent a text to her driver that she could now be picked up and where she was, drinking from her glass as she did so.

The blonde knew she was pushing boundaries, being in a place that was deemed safe for Marinette. A place where she didn't have to worry or be anxious, unlike before.

She had a nagging feeling in her gut that she was forgetting something, something to do with school.

"Oh, right." The words pulled everyone else's attention to her as she sat up straight. Somewhat tense.

"Something wrong?"

" Just... I'm going to be blunt here. " Chloe didn't wait for any sort of reply, she had learnt long ago that it was easier to ask for forgiveness than permission. "Lila's been Gaslighting the class, spreading rumors and making everyone doubt there old relationship with Marinette."

Chloe could see Marinette cringe and she knew she was poking some raw wounds.

"Alya's been on a triad about 'figuring out the real Marinette.'" Chloe used her free hand to create quotation marks. "So she may come bug you soon, Lila's also spread lies about Marinette bullying her via text, which is utterly ridiculous since she's changed her number."

" actually, " The bluenette wrung her hands together in front of her chest. "If I did have her number I would be able to but nothing would stop her from blocking me, I've only got family on my phone at the moment. "

Chloe sighed and brought her hand up to pinch her nose. "No wonder she managed to get traction on that claim, cause no-one is able to dispute it." The blonde shook her head. " she's probably got a second phone and is doing it to herself. "

"Wouldn't surprise me. But why? She's got what she wanted, I left and she's got Adrien and the class. Why continue?"

" Attention Marinette, she wants attention and fame. So she had to fake your life to get it. "

"You design for Jagged stone, Know Clara Nightingale, babysit Manon for Nadja, your uncle is a world famous chef and because of that, she was threatened by you. Cause while she has to lie about those things you don't need to, you live the superior life and she hates those who upscale her. "

"Thanks Chloe."

The blonde huffed and puffed out her chest while she pretended to examine her nails. "Don't get the wrong idea, I wasn't complimenting you, I was stating facts."

 "wouldn't even dream of it. "

Their mutual conversation was cut short as Chloe's phone buzzed in her hand, telling her the car was waiting outside. She stood, passing her glass off to Sabine who reached out for it, picked up her bag and made a slow walk for the door.

"Thank you for letting me stay Ms. Cheng." Chloe made a move to open the door but quickly turned around back to Marinette before swiping her phone from her hand as she was using it.

"Hey, what are you doing?"

" simple, " Chloe didn't even look up as she tapped away at the screen. "Putting my number in your phone and giving yours to me, I'll text you if I learn anything about what Lila is planning." After Chloe's own phone buzzed again she returned the phone to Marinette's hands.

" I would suggest speaking to someone about a possible lawsuit for slander and defamation of character, just so you know your options at least. "

With that Chloe sauntered out of the Dupain-Cheng household, leaving all of them in a stunned silence.

It was Tikki, who poked her head out of Marinette's jacket, who broke the silence. "Well, she's certainly changed."

" Am I friends with Chloe now? " When she received no answer she let out a shaky breath. "Why do I feel like this is worse then Lila targeting me? "

-

Turns out it was Chloe who broke their mutual silence first, which Marinette Supposed had been expected honestly. Much like the blonde girl had said, she had given paragraphs of information of the lies Lila had been telling the class.

Some were repeats, some contradicted older stories while others where straight up manipulative. Where Lila would twist everyone's perspective until Marinette was seen as the bad guy and their own minds couldn't see the difference between truth or lie.

As Chloe had said, Gaslighting.

Marinette had thanked her the first time and then shared the information with her parents, her mother had actually taken Chloe's advice to speak to someone about the actions the could be taken... Legally.

Chloe had a lot of illegal ideas, all of which Marinette had shut down. Never let it be said that Chloe wasn't a chaotic force, cause she could be worse than a hurricane.

Marinette wasn't sure who had broken the silent agreement to only message when it regarded Lila's plots or their own legal actions but at some point the two of them started to just message each other over the trivial things that happened each day.

Chloe vented about her mother, Marinette complained about her designs being wrong. Chloe actually gave her own opinion on her designs that really got Marinette out of her funk and Marinette made suggestions on how to deal with Chloe's mother.

before long Marinette actually looked forward to receiving messages from Chloe, it was a nice normality that existed within the chaos of her life as ladybug.

She was surprised when she learnt that Chloe was undergoing therapy and had been since her time as miracle queen. She was trying to make herself better, be better really. She wasn't going to point out that it was too late to be queen Bee, she didn't want to crush the girls drive to improve herself.

-

It would be days later when the fight against Hawkmoth would take a violent shift.

Sabine and Tom were watching the live feed of the Akuma battle, worried for their daughter. They never liked that she had to out and fight, it was made worse after Marinette had brought Chats behaviour to the light.

They never thought that the nice hero could be anything less then great but his whiny, childlike, borderline harassing behaviour made them re-evaluate their stance on the hero. It wasn't good.

The parents watched, worried, as they saw their daughter struggle against the Akuma. Someone who was literally covered in flames from head to toe and was sprouting about having been 'burnt' by everyone. They couldn't tell if it was meant to be metaphorical or literal.

They watched as they saw Ladybug being thrown through a billboard where, mid-fall, she transitioned into a flip and used her yo-yo to swing away. Getting closer and closer to the seine, bringing the Akuma closer to water.

Her journey was cut short by a wall of flames that shot up twenty feet into the air, forcing Ladybug, their daughter, to divert away from the scorching heat.

"There has to be something we can do." Tom's voice came out stern, yet pleading, as if an answer would drop into his lap out of nowhere.

"I know but there's nothing we can do, we're not like Marinette, we don't have superpowers. "

"No we don't..." His eyes seemed to light up, before they glanced over to the hatch that lead to Marinette's room. "But I know where to get some."

His wife followed his eyes before realisation dawned onto her. "You don't mean... But Marinette said to never touch them. "

The large French man rested his hands into his wife's shoulders. "I know but I would rather go behind her back then have to treat her wounds later... Or worse."

Sabine seemed to contemplate his words with a frown, she did not want to go behind her daughter's back. Not after they had all created such strong bonds of trust, more so than most parents have with their children. Superhero or not.

but she didn't want to sit on the sidelines either, she wanted- no needed to be involved. Needed to help.

She didn't say anything as the two of them ascended up to their daughters room, she watched as her husband pulled out the unique locked case that housed the miraculous Box.

Marinette had yet to make something that rivaled the phonograph in terms of secrecy so, for now, it was locked up in a sturdy suitcase. It didn't take Much for Tom to grab the spare keys and open it. Revealing the round, ladybug themed box.

It's new look, as Marinette had said, as its old look was compromised after Hawkmoth had seen it.

"Are you sure about this? Really sure?" The two adults looked at each other from where they were kneeling over the box.

Tom looked to his wife, determination in his eyes. "Absolutely."

[2manyfandoms2count]

ML NYC Special

Basically an illustrated stream of consciousness as I watch the Special (spoilers ahead)

Intro: *starts*

Me: 

(Also chills, literal chills, but I can’t find the GIF)

MR RAMIER HAS BEEN AKUMATISED FOR THE 51ST TIME AND IS GOING TO SPACE I’M-

Wait, “In space, no one can hear you coo”? Ramier, darling, it’s not the way you think, I don’t think you want that for your pigeons...

Space suits! Very cool, I hope we see more of them!

-

Ooh the rose scene, Chat is so sweet, they DO have a perfect partnership (I love that he researched the flower language but gets confused about the meanings) 

LADYBUG GIVES CHAT NOIR A SOFT LOOK I REPEAT LADYBUG GIVES CHAT NOIR A SOFT LOOK LADYNOIR IS ADVANCING

Chaton I love you but you sort of killed the ASJGDFL moment with that joke (although I do agree with you, you do deserve flowers)

-

a SOCK show?! Wtf 😂

Awww Mrs Bustier is pregnant, good for her!!

Now, now class, I know Mrs Bustier seems nicer than Mrs Mendeleiv but come on that kind of reaction is mean, you should know better (I really hope she won’t get akumatised)

“You’re our sock Washington” I’m cackling Marinette is so extra

I love that we’re seeing them interact as a class and as friends, THEY HEARD US 

Marinette, for someone who’s trying to convince people he’s just a friend, you sure talk about drowning in his beautiful green eyes a lot...

-

OMG SHE ACTUALLY DID IT SHE LEAD THE ANTI GABE REVOLUTION

She looks so angry I’m dying

“You’re a good friend.” Gabriel DO NOT encourage your son by quoting him PLEASE

Oh no Nathalie is so injured that she can’t leave her bed?? But they fixed the Miraculous? (Also is that actually her room or... GabeNath confirmed? 👀 I mean, he’s just casually in her room while she’s in her PJs, that’s not very professional is it now)

-

Aw soft Adrigami moment (yes I also ship them, sue me, he’s soft for her LOOK AT HIS FACE it’s cute)

-

ANOTHER LADYNOIR MOMENT and another Chat being an actual cat, we are blessed (adorable communication mechanism btw, not to mention excellent fanfiction fodder 👀)

-

Bodyguard gets airsick YES BODYGUARD CHARACTER DEVELOPMENT

Plagg: Relaaaax, see any supervillains in the house? Oh boy if only you knew

I love their little bonding moment!! We are getting a lot of stuff the fandom asked for, thanks

-

Luka= MVP you can’t change my mind (I love that it’s implied that they’re good friends, and possibly more if Marinette lets go of Adrien)

THE WAY ADRIEN LOOKS AT HER WHEN SHE GETS ON THE BUS LITTLE CUTIE

-

RED HAIRED EXTRA IS GOING TO NYC, I REPEAT, RED HAIRED EXTRA IS GOING TO NYC (is Banana Man babysitting August?)

I love Alya, she’s just the embodiement of the fandom she ships it so hard

“I’ll go sit next to my husband” that’s one heck of a slip up Marinette... 

Marinette is so tiny, look at how huge the seat looks compared to her (I apologise this is a terrible screenshot but hey)

-

Oh the romantic activities in NYC, this is basically fanart I love it

That’s one giant popcorn pot you’ve got there Mr Damocles, a little extra if you ask me

Aw they’re all sleeping next to one another it’s adorable!! JULEROSE ARE SHARING A SEAT IT’S SO LOVELY

“It’s beautiful, isn’t it?” He’s looking at her, bye I love this trope and am 100% sure I saw this go around before, Big Brain Fandom

Adrienette hug alert! I love that he’s the one initiating it as well (Alya’s right when she says they’re a little embarrassing though, Marinette, love please stop commenting on Adrien’s cologne)

[a-marlene-s]

Gotham Nine-Nine: Marinette’s first thoughts on G99

A collab myself and @ladylucina28 have created. Right now, I am in charge of posting headcanons until it is my time to write some of the story. We have no self control.

Gotham Nine Nine CH 1

Gotham Nine Nine CH 2

Gotham Nine Nine CH 3

Background

Ranks

Dick: Very sweet and nice. He’s very friendly and so easy to be around with and seems to be an effective lieutenant. He is married to Kori, the two have two young children. They heavily dot on them. Maybe offer to babysit? Bring ginger snaps.

Update: I think he was ordered to keep an eye on me.

Jason: Flirt. Hothead. He tried to take my entire box of donuts. His red jacket is horrendous. A crime to Fashion! Tea. He needs tea.

Update: Keep journal away from Jason.

Update 2: Destroy his jacket.

Update 3: Don’t die.

Update 4: Make sure he eats healthily because that many energy drinks should have killed him already.

Update 5: Destroy every energy drink this place has.

Tim: I don’t know whether to be worried for how much coffee he drinks or to be impressed. I have to make sure to bring in some donuts. He seems to like my parent’s donuts.

Update: Try to get him to drink something other than coffee.

Update 2: I think… he hasn’t eaten breakfast… or dinner last night.

Update: 3: Remember to give him pastries and coffee when I see him. Make sure to get him to eat.

Damian: Reminds me of Kagami, it is rather eerily so might I add. I saw him polishing a sword, perhaps he does tournaments like her? Very stoic. The fact that he doesn’t care he is polishing said sword in front of everyone makes him look unapproachable… bring him cookies. Double Chunk cookies.

Update: I have to set a meeting between him and Tikki. He likes animals.

Barbara: She is so cool collected. Be sure to bring donuts.

Update: Responsible sergeant and talk to her about work. Talking to Jason about work is too much of a hassle as he keeps trying to take my food.

Stephanie: Very confidant and friendly. Reminds me of Alya some of my old friends. Be sure to bring some pastries for her. Maybe mini-cakes?

Kori: Lovely and very animated. Talks a lot about her husband, children, and her uncle’s gym. Bring her something heartier to eat.

Update: She likes to drink mustard right out of the bottle.

Update 2: Don’t ever eat anything she makes.

Update 3: Make outfits for her kids.

Gordon: Reminds me a lot of Fu… He needs sweets.

Update: He’s stressed. Tea or hot chocolate.

Update 2: Both. Both sounds good for him.

[whitetigerdemoness]

Taking a break from Marc and Nathaniel to see how the Agrestes are holding up. They'll be back next chapter!

The more massive a star, the shorter its lifespan. A very massive star may live only tens of millions of years, while a cool dwarf will shine on for billions of years. At an age of about 4.5 billion years, our Sun is considered middle-aged

Master Post

Ladybug mentally groaned as she swung around the corner to see the press outside of the Agreste mansion gates. While this was to be expected, it would be nice if they could give the family more than an hour or so to grieve before swarming. Landing on the pillars supporting the front gates she surveyed the crowd, who became excited at her appearance, thinking she should go ahead and get this out of the way before Adrien or Emile had to deal with them. Standing at the head of the crowd preaching to the cameras was...sigh.

“Mr. Berger. Shouldn’t you be in post processing still from your court verdict?” Ladybug asked from her perch on the gate. No way she was going down to their level to get clawed at.

“Ladybug.” Sneered Berger. “Back from setting up your next plot? Or were you just paying off your latest actors?” The Office of Akuma Affairs (OAA for short) stubbornly claimed that all akuma attacks were done by paid actors, paid for by the city’s heroes as publicity stunts. They also ardently ignored the fact that their own leader had been akumatized at one point, something Berger himself denied ever happening.

“Mr. Berger, please. The Agreste family would like some peace to grieve before you start throwing conspiracy theories at them again.” Behind the man, the crowded had gone silent, cameras and reporters eagerly watching the exchange.

“Conspiracy theories? I think you mean exposing the truth. After all, are we supposed to believe that little stunt earlier was real? That some woman just, what, walked into a maximum security prison with an elaborate costume on and killed two prisoners without anyone noticing?” Berger folded his arms smugly, looking condescending.

Turning to the cameras, Ladybug addressed the press “We’re still uncertain to the extent of what happened at the prison today. Any information will go through the police before it reaches my team.”

“Ladybug!” A reporter cut in “What do you have to say about this new Hawkmoth?”

Berger opened his mouth to giver his own two cents but Ladybug cut him off “The appearance of this new Hawkmoth is as shocking to us as it is to you. I know that her more….aggressive approach has frightened many of you but I promise that my team and I will-”

“Aggressive?!” Berger interjected. “She beheaded two people on public television! Think of how many children were watching, now permanently traumatized by what they saw! When are you people going to take real responsibility for these attacks and how they affect the public?” The man screamed, waving his hands theatrically. Ladybug squared her shoulders to fire back at him, when the doors of the mansion swung open.

Emile Agreste, Dusuu zipping around her head in concern, stepped onto the walk and made her way to the gate. She looked pale and drawn, grim. Samson followed a step behind her, looking just as grim but more intimidating. Ladybug jumped down from the gate to meet her.

“Mrs. Agreste-” Emile held up a hand for silence as she continued to approach the gate.

“You ask when we will take responsibility for how Hawkmoth has affected this city? Mr. Berger, I have tried to do nothing but ever since my revival. I thought that as Paon, I could give back to the city where my husband has taken so much. And in thanks, that city has taken my husband from me. From my son.”

“This city hasn’t done anything to you-” Emile cut the man off.

“This city.” She said firmly “Has done nothing but hound and harass my family for MONTHS.  We are only two weeks into this month and already I have had to call the police to deal with armed trespassers on my property twelve times. Twelve Mr. Berger. Last month it was more than sixty times. You and your group especially have hounded me, my son, and anyone even vaguely connected to us for months . I fear for his safety Mr. Berger. I may be a superhero but I am a mother first. Ladybug,” She said grimly, turning to face the heroine, “My public connection to you and the miraculous has brought nothing but ruin to my family. I thank you for all your support, but I am here and now resigning from my role as the holder of the Peacock Miraculous.” Emile unpinned the brooch from her shirt and placed it into the hands of a stunned Ladybug.

“I think it would be better if me or my son were never seen with you again, Ladybug .” Emile stressed. With that she turned her back on the now calmoring reporters and returned to her home. The muffled ‘thud’ of the doors closing echoed in Ladybug’s head as she stared at the miraculous in her hand.

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Ladybug might have been banned from the Agreste mansion, but Marinette hoped she had read Emilie’s tone correctly that her civilian self was still welcome. Swinging a few blocks away, she had found an out of the way sewer entrance and detransformed. Emilie had thought it wise to keep the subterranean room she had been held in secret from the public, as it provided another entrance into the house that was easy to exploit. When superhero fans and hate groups alike had promptly proceeded to spend nearly every waking (and some they should have been sleeping) hour harassing the Agrestes after Gabriel’s arrest and Emilie coming out to the public as Paon, that turned out to be a wise decision. The secret entrance was an easy way for those in the know to drop by without being harassed by fans or the media. People like Adrien’s girlfriend. Or his boyfriend.

Approaching the secure door that led into the Agreste property, Marinette spotted Luka pacing nervously in front of it.

“Luka!” She said, jogging the last few steps.

“Marinette. Hey.” He said, looking uncertain. Warning flags immediately went off. Luka was almost never indecisive.

“What’s wrong?” Marinette asked, taking his hands.

“Shouldn’t I be asking you that?” He chuckled slightly. “Or at least if you’re okay. I saw...well, I think all of Paris did.”

“So you rushed over to see Adrien?”

“Without a thought. Now I’m having second ones. What if he wants to be alone right now? I mean, his father just died and I saw that circus outside the gates. He probably just wants some quiet right now.” Luka stroked the back of Marinette’s hand with his thumb, thinking.

“We left him with Chloe, he’s probably not getting much quiet right now anyway.” Tiki giggled slightly, flying out of Marinette’s purse where she had been consoling a dejected Dusu. The blue kwami trailed after her, his usual zip subdued.

“Hey Tiki...and Dusu? What’s he doing with you, Marinette?” Luke questioned.

“You said you saw the media outside. Guessing you didn’t stay around long enough to hear me, Ladybug, address them.” Luka shook his head, looking worried. Marinette continued on with a sigh. “That idiot Berger was there stirring the pot, and I guess the broadcast was live because near the end Emilie came out and gave him a piece of her mind. Then she publicly resigned as Paon.” She laid her head against Luka’s chest as he hugged her, feeling some of her stress melt away. Some of it.

“Hey. You, me, Adrien. Spa day.” Luka murmured into her hair, stroking her back. Marinette laughed dryly.

“I think we’ll have to invite Marc and Nathaniel this time. They’ve got a bigger headache to deal with than me for once. Though he’s kind of my headache too…” Luka gave her a quizzical look. “Penknight is back. In the akuma battle Paon tried to make a Sentimonster ally and got him instead.”  When Luka’s face scrunched up in distaste, Marinette had to laugh.

“Oh come on. He’s not that bad.” She giggled, feeling even more stress flow away. Luka was good at that.

“Penknight is that bad. If he’s the same as he was last time, someone needs to put him over their knee and spank him, and not in a sexy way.” Luka grumbled. Marinette held her stomach, trying to fight the giggles at that mental image.

“He is a bit of a brat, isn’t he?” She said, trying to control her breathing.

“Say that after you have to babysit him for twelve hours straight. His devotion to Marc was adorable, but he treated everyone else like un-favored playmates that kept trying to steal his favorite toy. Speaking of babysitting, please tell me someone is watching him right now?” Luka said, looking like he hoped that person wouldn’t end up being him.

“Marc, and technically Nathaniel, are keeping an eye on him. We had some...words, to put it lightly that made me think. Marc has his amok and can wrangle him if he gets unruly. Hopefully. Why did I leave him alone again?” Marinette groaned into her hands.

“Because Adrien and Emilie need you right now.” Tiki gently reminded her. “They’ll be happy to see you both, I’m sure.”

“I don’t want to see her.” Marinette almost didn’t hear Dusu, he spoke so low.

“Dusu?” She asked.

“Things got hard and she just abandoned me. I don’t want to see her. I don’t want to see anyone.” Dusu sniffled as Tiki lay a comforting paw on him. “My wielders all either end up dead or wishing they were, and I’m so tired of losing people. I just want to rest.” He cried, full out bawling by the end. Marinette gathered him up in her hands and hugged him to her chest as best she could. Luka layed a comforting hand over hers as the little kwami cried.

“You don’t have to see her if you don’t want to Dusu. I can leave your miraculous downstairs if you like, and when we get home I’ll put you straight in the miracle box so you can see the other kwami.” Marinette soothed.

“I think I’d like that. We’ve all been separated for so long, and I just want to rest.” Dusu sniffled.

“Well...the sooner we go in, the sooner you can go home.” Luka inhaled, keying in the code to open the door. Marinette followed him inside, leaving her purse with the peacock miraculous and Dusu hanging near the elevator. Tiki decided to stay with him and watch the miraculous. Bracing for more tears, Marinette and Luka headed upstairs.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Chloe thought she was being remarkably patient, for her, but that didn’t mean she wasn’t relieved to see Marinette and dumpster boy when they came up. At Emilie’s urging, they were all in the sitting room. Emilie and Marinette exchanged a tense stare, before the older woman nodded subtly and the younger woman flew at Adrien with a hug. Luka followed at a more sedate pace. Emilie had turned off the TV after she had come back inside, and Chloe thought that was for the best. Her heart ached for Adrien and his mother, Emilie had honestly been more of a mother to her than her own over the years, but Chloe had always been bad at the touchy feely part. She tended to react to people being upset by putting her back up and lashing out, and she knew that isn’t what either of them needed right now. She had done her very best to be silent up until now, but that time was over.

“So what’s the plan?” Chloe asked, interjecting over the whispered conversation between the trio.

“Plan?” Marinette asked, looking stupid as usual. Chloe still had trouble believing she was actually Ladybug.

“Yes, plan! That new Hawkmoth- Hawk bitch just declared war. You cannot let that go unanswered. Miraculous holders are NOT to be messed with, and the new kid on the block needs to learn that.” Chloe said firmly.

She had spent years watching her father handle political rivals and no matter what people thought, she HAD learned a thing or two. If someone made a threat and you rolled over, you were as good as done for. She stared firmly at the trio across from her so her eyes didn’t stray to Emilie. The younger blond absolutely thought the elder was making a huge mistake giving up her miraculous, especially when Chloe herself had had to fight tooth and nail every step of the way just to hold hers for more than a moment. She hoped that once Emilie had had some time to think, she would realize what a mistake she had made in giving away her power. If this new Hawkmoth was dead set on attacking them, someone without a miraculous would be as good as defenseless against her.

“Chloe, there’s nothing we can do at this point. All we can do is wait for her next akuma and go from there. Not that that matters. We won't defeat her for several years, if ever.” Adrien said glumly.

“What do you mean?” Emilie asked, zeroing in on how certain he sounded.

“A hero from the future visited us once. Bunnix. Hawkmoth was still active in her time, and that was at least three years from now. I thought maybe history had changed somehow when we...defeated Father, but of course it can’t be that easy.” Adrien delivered in a monotone, resting his head on Luka’s chest while Marinette stroked his hair.

“Who knows, kid? The future isn’t as set in stone as people like to believe. If you’ve ever heard Fluff go off an a tangent, which I do NOT recommend by the way, you’d hear about how something as tiny as deciding to wear a green sock instead of a blue sock can spawn hundreds of different alternate realities that can be so alike you wouldn’t notice if you accidentally fell into one, or so different the world has ended or something. Just because of socks!” Plagg cried buzzing around in distress. “Cheese is so much more simple than time!”

“Plagg is right. I told you about the future Bunnix took me to with Chat Blanc. The only thing I changed here to prevent that was not signing my name on your present.” Marinette chimed in. “We haven’t heard from Bunnix in quite some time. We have no way of knowing if her future is going to be ours anymore. Heck, if we really wanted to be sure I could just never give her her miraculous.”

“Wouldn’t work baby bug. Miraculous are funny like that. Fu shoulda told you some of this stuff, but every generation that we’re active in, the miraculous inevitably find their way to the best person to wield them.” Plagg shook his head, crossing his arms.

“What about me?” Chloe asked. “I found my miraculous by accident.”

“There are no accidents when the miraculous are involved. It’s why they’re miraculous and not just...magic rocks.” Plagg said.

“No coincidences...like the first Sentimonster Paon made when akuma attacks started again being Penknight, and not just one of the blob looking ones?” Luka asked thoughtfully. Plagg shrugged.

“That would be more Dusu’s department, but from what I hear? One’s that can pass for people and think for themselves are really rare. I’m shocked you’ve seen two of them in one lifetime.” Plagg said.

“Two?” Emilie asked. “And you have both had dealings with time travel? When was all this?” She asked, looking overwhelmed.

“Nathalie made a Ladybug sentimonster when she was still Mayura. She killed her though by removing her amok.” Marinette said, looking sad.

“As for time travel, short term Luka probably has the most experience. It’s what the snake miraculous does, sends you back in time five minutes. The rabbit can go as far as the wielder wants though.” Adrien explained while Emilie rubbed her temples.

“Why haven’t I ever heard of any of this?” She asked.

“Honestly mom? You never asked. We went through tons of crazy stuff before you were revived due to akumas.”

“And you’re going to go through all that again?” Emilie asked, a stubborn look forming on her face.

“Adrien is the best cat for the job, and if you take it away from him you might be dooming all of Paris.” Plagg cut in, uncharacteristically serious.

“...We may have to do that anyway.” Marinette said softly. “Too many people know our identities. I don’t want to just dump this job on someone else but…” She sighed.

“But nothing! Our friends won't tell anyone!” Adrien argued.

“And if they get akumatized?” Marinette calmly shot back. There was a stretch of uncomfortable silence.

“Oh for heaven's sake! You’re both over thinking this! Plagg JUST said there were no coincidences with the Miraculous. It’s fate or something right?” The destruction kwami made an ‘eh’ motion, and Chloe ploughed on. “If you’re still meant to be Ladybug and Chatnoir no one will find out who you are. The miraculous won’t let them.”

“Chloe it’s not that simple-”

“Could be.” Plagg said, lazily floating on his back. “or you could just erase everyone’s memories of you being Ladybug and Chatnoir.”

“What?!” The entire room, except Samson who was silently watching the exchange, shouted.

“Yesh, don’t yell! My ears are delicate.” Plagg simpered. “The miraculous cure works by fixing what YOU think is wrong.” he waved a paw at Marinette “So if you think it’s wrong for your friends to know your secret identities, they won't. Wouldn’t be the first time you brain blasted them with the cure. Heck, you’ve blasted yourself a few times.” Marinette looked conflicted.

“It can’t be that easy, and is that even morally sound? Altering their memories without their permission?” She worried.

“You should do it.” Emilie said. “Erase my memory too. It’s safer if no one knows but you two.” Emilie’s eyes strayed to Luka.

“I understand.” He told her, over Adrien and Marinette’s protests. “I knew both your identities from the first day you gave me the snake miraculous, but I was also never akumatized again. If this is the best way to keep you both safe…” He trailed off.

“No.” Marinette said firmly. “I won’t lie to my partner, either of you, ever again. Master Fu forced Adrien and I to hide our identities for so long, and it caused so many problems between us...I won’t do that to you, Luka.” Adrien echoed her thoughts.

“But you should do it to me, and your friends.” Emilie cut in.

“Ugh. Utterly ridiculous that I have to let you mess with my head. But,” Chloe sighed dramatically “Anything for Adrikins. Just know that I am not responsible for any schemes I come up with to break you up with him after I forget you’re Ladybug.”

Marinette and Adrien exchanged looks, having a silent conversation. In the end Marinette hung her head and sighed.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------

“Damn Ladybugs.” Penknight growled, swatting at the magical swarm as they tried to approach where he, Marc, and Nathaniel were stiffly sitting on the Anciel’s couch halfway across the city. Sitting across from them in the lounge chair was their biggest obstacle yet: Marc’s overprotective, older sister.

[crazyrandomfucker]

Adrien Augreste: Kitty

"Dude, you've gotta calm down" said Nino putting a hand on his shoulder.

"But what if something goes wrong Nino? I wouldn't know what to do!" said Adrien as he began once more to walk up and down in the hall.

"Man, you seriously need to chill" said Alen. "The same goes for you Mar".

"I've never been an uncle before! I don't know what to do! It's not my fault!" said Marin.

"Good grief, get a hold you two!" said Cleón. "Thank kwamis that the girls aren't here because you're being ridiculous, seriously ridiculous".

"Says the one who spent nine hours yesterday to research about babies" pointed Sebastián. "You can't precisely tell them that Honey".

"Oh but I agree with our so loved Honey bun" said Alen teasing the newly wed couple.

"Shut it Césaire, you still haven't told us what does the fox say" replied Cleón.

"Everybody, please, let's calm down a bit" said Nino trying calm the rest.

"But I can't be there for her! I'm her brother for Tekke's sake!" said Marin.

"And I'm her husband! You can't be there if I'm not!" replied Adrien.

"Does anyone remember that she specifically told us, the boys, to leave the room?" pointed Sebastián.

"But what if something happens to her? Or to the baby? Or worse!" panicked the former model.

"The girls are with her, don't worry about that" remembered him Nino.

"But why can the kwamis be there but not us? Some of them are also boys!" complained Marin as he realized that fact.

"They are also all powerful beings with some milenias of experience" pointed Alen.

"Bro, Mar-man, you two have to chill down a bit seriously" said Nino.

"Easy to say when it's not your wife who is about to give birth! What if she has already given birth?! I can't stand this uncertainity!" said Adrien freaking out.

"Calm down tiger, she is giving birth right now" said Plagg as he and the other male kwamis phased through the door.

"How is she? Is she doing well?" asked Adrien worried.

"Yes, I can feel that she and the baby are perfectly fine. Well, apart from the pain of giving birth, everything is good" informed Pellet.

"Why are you here now little dudes?" asked Nino.

"Marinette asked us to leave the room as well. She seemed worried that you would probably cause a ruckus" explained Wayzz.

"Wait, where's Tekke?" asked Marin.

"He's inside, Marinette asked him to stay. Probably because he's the kwami of creation. Maybe because ladybugs are supposed to represent good luck" said Plague as she phased through the door.

"Is that why you're here?" asked Cleón.

"Nah, I was done with the drama" said Plague nonchallantly.

"Then you probably won't like it here either. I didn't knew they were such drama queens" said Trixx laughing.

"We're not that bad" complained the boys.

"Ugh, foxy's right, I'm leaving" said Plague and phased again through the door.

The hall fell into silence. Adrien and Mari had already been married for a whole year now, and that baby was like a treasure for them. Despite how unusual was to be an only child, they weren't expecting twins like it was normal, but they were very happy and excieted to the new addition to the family. And let's face it, their friends and siblings were also excited for the baby. They already had like twenty babysitting offers and Adrienne was likely to stole their child in a regular basis. Eventhough, noone knew the gender of the baby as the couple had decided it to be a surprise for eveyone, including themselves. Though, the kwamis were awfully close to Mari's belly and they probably had phased at least once to see the baby.

With each minute that passed, the boys grew more nervous in the silent hall. The kwamis, used to expierence this kind of things, were smiling at the sight of their distressed holders, who were no longer the young teenagers they had first met, but they sometimes still acted like they were fifteen again, specially when they all were together like this. But they couldn't help it, after all, even the kwamis acted as if they hadn't changed after all those millenias when they were together.

Some minutes laters, the doctors finally came out of the room with a gentle smile on their faces, as if they had just seen something precious. They told the boys that they had to wait a bit more until the nurses finished cleaning and checking up the baby before they were told to enter, but the kwamis entered the room regardless, filled with curiosity. Minutes later, the nurses came, told the boys that they could enter and warned them not to stress the baby or Mari too much. Once the nurses were gone, the boys looked at each other nervously and entered the room.

"Hello" said Adrien awkwardly as he knocked on the door.

"Come in sunshine, you have to see this cute, adorable, precious little cinnamom roll" said Alya as she opened the door.

Inside the room, the girls were surrounding Mari and oogling and fawning over the baby Mari was holding in her arms. Marinette looked a bit tired, but aside from that, she looked as radiant and beautyful as always. The boys quietly approached to get a better view of the baby and Adrien sat in a chair next to Mari, smiling as he finally accepted the fact that he was now a parent. He leaned and kiss Marinette's forehead, gazing at her and their baby with a lovefull gaze.

"Hey there Buggaboo. Are you alright?" asked Adrien now calmer than before.

"Everything's okay mon minou. Do you want to know your kitty?" asked MRinette as she passed the baby to him.

Adrien held the baby carefully, as if it was made of glass. "Wow... This is..."

"Miraculous. Isn't it Chaton?" said Marinette with a smile.

"Yeah" said Adrien, not looking away from the baby.

"Congrats man, you're officially a father. Now you can make dad jokes for real" teased Alen.

"Please don't encourage him" begged Marin. "He's been doing them for years already" said the bugboy, making everybody laugh.

"Now I need to know. Is it a boy, or a girl?" asked Cleón.

"It's a boy" answered Nina. "The most precious boy I've evere seen".

"Have you thought a name for him already?" asked Nino.

"I could very much answer that one" said Alya with pride.

"Mari has had the name since Lyceé, but I also love the name" said Adrien. "Isn't it, our little Hugo?"

"You realize how much are we going to spoil him right?" said Alya.

"I wouldn't expect anything else Alya" said Mari laughing.

"I'm going to bake him so many treats" said Adrienne.

"I'll make sure she doesn't end up overfeeding him" assured Marin.

"Very well, I think it's time now" said Chloe, getting curious looks. "It's time to let them some privacy and rest. They surely have to talk, or at least, open all the baby's presents".

" I totally forgot about those" said Adrien.

"We'll leave for today then, but tomorrow we're so going to kidnap little Hugo" said Nina.

Everybody left the room and Adrie looked at Mari smiling. She gave him a smile and told him to give her the baby and open the presents for their kitten. Their friends have been very thoughtful when choosing the presents. Most of them were things like baby bottles, plushies for the baby, baby toys, stuff they would need, ... But Adrien burst into laughs when he saw Nino's and Alya's present. They had given them a full set of cat-themed baby clothes, including a onesie that had a hoodie with cat ears in it. He laughed, thinking that indeed, Hugo was their kitten, their so loved kitty.

[ladybub]

The next chapter is here! I got on a roll last night, I wanted to get the next chapter out ASAP so that we could get that sweet, sweet action going.

Enjoy!

Chapters: 2/? Fandom: Miraculous Ladybug Rating: Mature Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply Relationships: Adrien Agreste | Chat Noir/Marinette Dupain-Cheng | Ladybug, Alya Césaire/Nino Lahiffe Characters: Adrien Agreste | Chat Noir, Marinette Dupain-Cheng | Ladybug, Sabine Cheng, Tom Dupain, Chloé Bourgeois, Alya Césaire, Nino Lahiffe, Lila Rossi, Gabriel Agreste | Papillon | Hawk Moth, Nathalie Sancoeur Additional Tags: Overboard AU, Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - No Miraculous, Angst with a Happy Ending, Angst, Fluff, Fake Marriage, I have literally got nothing planned, i am winging this, most likely smut Summary:

Overboard AU. Marinette Dupain-Cheng hasn't had the best of luck in her life, not only has her husband Luka passed away tragically three years ago, she's one failed test away from losing her scholarship, and also already lost her job at the cafe. With three children to take care of, she doesn't have the time to dawdle and needs to find another job, or a miracle, stat! Meanwhile, on his own personal yacht, Adrien Agreste - the heir to the Gabriel fashion line - hasn't a care in the world and women on his arms at all times. He's living the life of a Bachelor with no problems whatsoever, other than the hangovers he gets the morning after. However both their luck changes after a chance meeting, and when the son of the rich designer has an accident which causes him to lose his memory...

So... Marinette didn't end up with a job at the end of the day.

It seemed word got out about a clumsy waitress that was rumoured to have recently broken over half the mugs in the Le Blanc café - her old workplace - in one fell swoop, and had gotten fired. So when Marinette rocked up, resume in hand, it seemed that the managers were all too eager to turn her away, saying that they had no positions available and that they were very sorry - no matter how much she insisted.

She knew her luck was bad, but come on! She figured she wasn't going to get a job straight away, but she couldn't believe not one place would give her any hopeful indication that she had a chance. Even the ones that did take her resume didn't seem like they were interested. She felt the fuzz of anxiety in her mind, as her fear of losing the apartment loomed overhead.

Marinette shook her head and slapped her cheeks. She didn't have time to dwell on that right now, she had to get on the game! She opened the van door; she had just parked near the dock, right next to the hugest yacht she'd ever seen. Like, seriously, this thing was practically a cruise ship. It had multiple rooms and levels, and was absolutely spotless. She already knew that they had a kitchen on board, a fully-functional chef's kitchen nonetheless! More staff ran around on the board, and there were people on the deck, setting up for the party. It looked like it would be a long night.

She started packing the containers in the van onto a collapsible trolley that was tucked in the back. It wasn't even dusk yet and they needed to have everything ready by 9pm. She was so happy that her parents had opened the store to catering. Since they got the extra business, Tom and Sabine had extra time on their hands. They had taken a small step back now that they were older and the business was pretty self sufficient. They loved to babysit their grandchildren regularly for Marinette, and she was so happy that they were so involved in the kids lives, but mostly happy that they could take the time to enjoy themselves.

Marinette immediately felt out of place when she took a step onto the boat, just to her right was a giant spa! As she continued through the yacht, she walked past exquisitely décored rooms, each with their own ensuite. When she reached the kitchen, it was brilliantly polished and sparkling. As if it was brand new and untouched.

She finished depositing all the containers of food into the kitchen and already had completed the preparation, so all that was left was to stick them in the oven when the client wanted the appetisers shared around, and she was currently waiting for the first batch to come out. All the cold appetisers were plated and ready to go.

Marinette sat and watched the other staff scamper around in the meantime. She knew at 9pm, Tikki - the other server who was rostered for the night - would arrive, but that wasn't for ages away. She knew no one else here.

It seemed like the client wasn't here either, since no one bothered to greet her when she arrived. She couldn't help but feel curious about the many rooms in the boat, and quickly checked to see if anyone was paying any attention to her. Nope, coast seemed clear. It couldn't hurt to have a quick look around the yacht, right? She wasn't a thief, she just wanted to have a peek at exactly how big it was.

It was huge.

There was one kitchen, with in-built pantry the size of a room, two bathrooms - one with a bathtub, three master bedrooms and the forth one had its own balcony over the first floor. The fourth bedroom was the one she was in now, and it seemed to belong to someone, considering all the blankets were mussed up and there was more personal decorations around the room.

She quickly called Alya, she just had to know where she was. It didn't take long for Alya to answer.

"Hey Marinette, what's up?"

Marinette held in her giddiness, "Alya, you won't believe where I am right now. I'm doing a catering job for the bakery, and the place we're serving is a freakin' 5-star mini cruise ship!" She walked into the en suite, and eyed off a bottle of Gabriel cologne on the bathroom bench. Look's like the client is a guy... She thought.

"Really?! Who is hosting the party?" Alya asked excitedly, "Someone famous you think?"

Marinette quickly popped Alya onto speaker as she opened her emails, "Hmm, let's see... A guy named Adrien Agreste..." Her mind went blank, as it stuttered over the last name. "Wait, as in Gabriel Agreste's son?!" Marinette almost shouted.

Alya gasped on the other side of the phone, "You've got to be kidding me! Model for the Gabriel fashion line, mega hottie, Adrien Agreste?" Marinette knew the exact face Alya was pulling right now, and she was already dreading her next words. "Get in girl! This could make your career if you manage to get a contact with Adrien. Plus, have you seen him?" Alya made a noise that Marinette didn't want to put too much thought into.

"No way, Alya. I mean, you know that I used to have photos of him in Collège... But that was just a... Celebrity crush on a 14 year old boy. I haven't really been paying attention to social media, so I have no clue what he looks like now. Besides, I don't want to use some poor guy. I want to achieve success on my own merit."

"Mari, if you saw him you might change your mind." Alya encouraged, "You HAVE to open up Instagram right now, his handle is-"

"Do you mind keeping it down?" The voice came from the bed. Alya went silent and Marinette's blood went cold. No way.

Marinette's turned around, words of apology on her lips but then froze. It was like she was watching a magazine shoot in real life - on the bed was Adrien Agreste, sex hair from sleeping, and completely naked. Luckily (or, unluckily, depending who you asked) the sheet covered the important parts, but as he stood up, unbothered by her presence, and she got a full glimpse of his ass.

Notably, she noticed that on his left cheek, there was a cute little paw print, with the words 'Chat Noir' written below it.

Her face went beet red and she quickly looked away, she finally spluttered the words that she meant to say before. "I'm so sorry, I had no clue anyone was here. I was just looking around but I-It was rude of me to intrude, I'll leave now." She quickly turned to leave, hoping that if she walked off fast enough, he'd not notice her face and she could not die of embarrassment.

Before she'd managed to get out the door she heard his reply, and paused. "Don't worry about it, I'm not shy." Said Adrien, wrapping the sheet around him, and gave her a charming smile. "I mean, the world has seen most of it anyway." He shrugged, moving past her and into the walk-in wardrobe. As he dropped the sheet behind him onto the floor again, he gave Marinette a wink before walking out of view to get dressed.

After Marinette started thinking straight again, she began for the door once more. "Still I'll get out of your hair." Right as she reached the door, she saw Adrien's blonde head pop out of the wardrobe.

"Oh, wait!" He called, causing Marinette's heart to skip a beat. He walked out the wardrobe, buttoning up his perfectly pressed white shirt. "While you're here, do you mind getting me a..." He pursed his lips in thought, "A bloody mary. Yes."

Marinette's brain froze. Again. But this time, it wasn't because she was getting lost in his emerald eyes. "O-Oh, sorry, I'm not a bartender, I'm one of the servers of the catering company you hired, Tom and Sabine Boulangerie Patisserie. We're here to serve the appetizers."

Adrien looked at her for a long moment. Shit. So much for leaving before he saw you properly. Marinette scolded herself. She then felt her skin prickle as his eyes dragged over her body. She suddenly felt self conscious. "Is there something on my uniform?" She looked to check.

"No, no. You're fine, it's just..." Adrien let out an over dramatic sigh, "You're a bit flat, princess. I prefer my girls with bigger breasts, what a shame, since your face so cute." Adrien gave her a very fiendish smile. "But still, I wouldn't mind if you crawled into my bed at the end of the night." He winked at her.

Marinette felt herself flush in embarrassment, but also felt like she had a bucket of ice water dump on her head. That was no way to talk to someone! Who did he think he was? "I-I have to go. To serve the food." She bit out. "You'll have to get your own drink." She stormed off.

Marinette reached the kitchen and opened the oven to peek inside. She closed the oven door, making a new timer for the next 5 minutes. She was barely containing the growing anger inside. If she wasn't representing her parent's bakery, she would've clocked the guy. Well, probably not. But she wish she could! Right in his smug face, maybe break his nose. Okay, that's excessive. She sighed, frustration now mingling with a bit of sadness. At least now she'd be able to distract herself with serving, and she'll just ignore him. She'll treat him like any customer, and the moment that the kitchen closes, she's out of here!

She groaned. Except that she had to come back in the morning and collect all the equipment. She couldn't be packing away everything and transporting it into the van so late at night. Guess she'll just have to take it as it comes, she didn't want to let her parents down.

Finally, right as the timer went off, Tikki arrived in the kitchen, a cute little ladybug pin on her apron.

"Tikki! Just on time, as always." Marinette was relieved to have someone else with her now. "I love your haircut! Short hair looks really cute on you."

Tikki touched the short red locks on her head, "You think? I was worried it'd look weird, but..." Her smile shined brightly. "I really love it! My head feels so light."

"Its super adorable." Marinette began filling the trays with the first round of appetisers, and set the first tray on Tikki's open hands. "Now we're just serving in the open areas," Marinette instructed, "I'll be keeping an eye on the ovens and get the new trays ready as they are needed. When you want a break, let me know."

"Got it, ma'am!" Tikki smiled playfully, before shooting an excited eye beyond Marinette and towards the music, which had just begun blazing throughout the yacht. "I can't believe that we're here, I feel like I'm on one of those party boats for celebrities."

"Well, considering the host, it pretty much is..." Marinette laughed weakly, she really didn't want to ruin Tikki's fun by being a wet blanket, but she knew she should tell her what happened the moment before. "Our client is Adrien Agreste, and unfortunately the only nice thing about him is his face." She scowled.

"Adrien Agreste?!" Tikki exclaimed, "Wait." Her excitement turned into a look of concern. "What happened? Did you meet him or something?"

Marinette sighed as she finished preparing the remaining trays and walked out the kitchen with Tikki, "He called me flat, and then invited me to his bed! I've head of negging but," She huffed, "he really seemed like he didn't care about hurting my feelings at all. Trust me, avoid him if you can. Adrien is a entitled brat."

Tikki gave Marinette a pitying look, "I'm so sorry, Marinette. You didn't deserve it, but," Tikki stopped and smiled at two guests who took a few quiches of her tray, "What do you expect? I mean, he's had beautiful girls throwing themselves at him all his life, and people sucking up to him for his wealth. He probably has some sort of God-complex."

"Ugh, you're probably right." Marinette's nose crinkled up, but she gave Tikki a reassuring smile, "I won't let it get to me, don't worry. I have bigger problems to think about."

Tikki reached up to Marinette and pinched her cheek, "That's my girl!"

It was an exhausting night, but Marinette was glad it was finally over. Lucky for her, Adrien was distracted the rest of the night and seemed to forget about her existence entirely - which, she admitted made her bristle slightly. What happened was so insignificant to him that he didn't even notice when she served him multiple times, whilst she had anger coursing through her the entire night every time she looked at him.

She parked the van in the same spot she had last time, and unpacked the trolley from the back. She'll be in and out, before anyone knew she was there. She brought along a cap this time which she pulled far down her face and wheeled the trolley up onto the deck and into the kitchen with no issues.

Just has she finished putting the last container into the van, the trays were the last things she needed to get. She sneaked onto the yacht one last time, and was just ready to leave the kitchen after collecting the trays when she heard the sound of two set of feet coming down the hall. She quickly ducked behind the wall, not wanting to be seen.

"Adrien, this has been going long enough. I won't tolerate any more of your abhorrent behaviour." A pang of familiarity hit Marinette. This voice, no, it couldn't be...

"Or what, Dad?" Adrien's voice spat out, "You'll cut me off? Your heir?" Marinette heard Adrien scoff, and she could tell that they both moved into one of the spare bedrooms just outside the kitchen. Adrien's words confirmed her suspicions, right in the room across from her had to be Gabriel Agreste. The same Gabriel who hasn't been seen out in public in years - and here he was, on Adrien's yacht.

"Perhaps I will!" Gabriel snapped, and Adrien seemed to go silent for a while, probably shocked to hear his father raise his normally reserved voice. "I will not have some brainless, alcoholic bachelor as the face of Gabriel. If you don't fix up your act soon, son..." A pause. "You won't be an Agreste anymore."

Marinette sucked in a shocked breath, was he going to disown Adrien? She couldn't believe what she was hearing, and she couldn't hear anything from Adrien either. A long moment passed before she heard someone leaving the room.

"You have one month. The week before the Spring Gala, if you don't come back to the estate with the intention on apologising and becoming an heir worthy of the Agreste name... Don't bother coming back at all."

With that, Gabriel Agreste left the boat. Marinette couldn't help but feel bad for Adrien, she couldn't imagine having that sort of relationship with her father.

She waited a few minutes before peeking out into the hallway, she couldn't hear anyone anymore. Perhaps now was the time to get out of here.

But before she could get away completely, a voice called out.

"Hey! Server girl." Adrien stood at the door to the bedroom, his eyes were red and when he walked up to her, she smelt the distinct scent of alcohol coming from him. "Don't worry, I'm not going to ask you for a drink." He shot her a entertained look as he stumbled a little when he made his way towards her. "Instead, how about some more of those little..." He gestured with his hands, "cheesy, bacon... Egg things. Hm?"

All sense of sympathy Marinette felt was gone as she remembered the night before, but she couldn't bring herself to get angry at him after what she just heard. Not to mention, she was in uniform. Ugh, she hated the hospitality industry sometimes. "Sorry, the contract was only for yesterday evening. Besides, there's no more food and all the equipment is packed away."

Adrien plucked out his wallet and then grabbed a wad of cash, dumping it on the trays she was holding. "Go get me something to eat then. I'm feeling something..." He thought for a moment, "sweet. Maybe fruit? What's in season right now?"

Marinette balked at the money, but still, grabbed the cash and shoved it into Adrien's chest. "I'm not doing anything for you. The contract is over. I'm going home."

Adrien grabbed her arm before she could leave, "Aw, come on. I don't bite." He winked, "Unless you ask."

"Ugh!" Marinette yanked her arm from his grip, "I don't want to spend one more moment with a sleeze like you."

"Me-owch. This girl has claws." Adrien didn't seem perturbed by her comment, "Did I hurt your feelings last night, princess? I was wondering why I didn't see that cute ass of yours in my bed."

Marinette felt the disgust curl in her stomach, "No. I just would never sleep with someone who didn't respect anyone but himself." She turned on her heel to leave, only to feel herself begin to pitch to the side - falling right into the spa!

Or, well, she almost did. Then two muscular arms wrapped around her and stopped her from falling. Marinette became very aware of that fact that she was pulled towards Adrien's bare chest. Did this guy ever have any clothes on?! She couldn't stop the blush that made its way to her cheeks. Adrien was a prick, but, even she had to admit was he fit.

She pushed his arms away hurriedly, "Get off of me!"

"Is that anyway to thank your saviour?" Adrien chuckled, the sound deep and sardonic.

"I don't need your help." Marinette straightened up and smoothed down her clothes. "It's just a little water anyway, I would've been fine."

"Oh, really?"

"Yes, really."

"Alright then..." Then Marinette felt his hands on her again, but this time instead of pulling - he pushed her!

Marinette fell into the jacuzzi with a large splash, the trays clattering to the floor loudly, some of them denting as they fell down the steps beside the jacuzzi, down into the entertainment area below. When she resurfaced, she gasped loudly, "What the fuck! I could have seriously injured myself if I hit my head." She spluttered, and wiped the water from her face, "You really are a dick, you know?" She didn't care anymore, she couldn't hold in the anger.

Her only answer was Adrien's entertained laughter.

So she got out of the jacuzzi, slapping away Adrien's offered hand while he snickered. When she began collecting the trays, she noticed three of them had huge dents in them, making them unusable. Her heart sank. These were her father's favourite silver trays that they saved for the high-class events, like the one last night.

She stomped up to Adrien and waved them around in his face, "You need to pay for the damage on these, look!" She pointed at the dents, "These are custom silver trays that my father ordered for the business! They cost hundreds of dollars, and that's just for one of them!"

Adrien shrugged, "Not my problem, you dropped them."

Marinette seethed, "You pushed me!"

Adrien bent to her level, "What you gonna do, sue me? With what proof?" He laughed as he walked away, "Since you're not going to stay and suck me off, you can leave." He looked into the distance, waving someone over.

"W-What?!" Marinette spluttered, "You can't do that, you- you damaged our property!" Suddenly, the sun that was warming her back disappeared as a large shadow blocked the heat.

"Gorilla, escort her out. If she struggles, just throw her into the Seine." Adrien plastered on the fakest, sweetest smile she'd ever seen. "Bye bye, server girl."

Marinette didn't want to satisfy him with a response. She turned towards the Gorilla, a frown deeply set on her face. "I can see myself out. This isn't the last you'll hear from me."

She left the yacht in a huff, trying to ignore the burn of Adrien's stare on the back of her head.

Oooh, she was going to make him pay her family back, one way or another.

Notes:

Yes. Adrien is a huge dick in the beginning. I promise that he'll get his just desserts, and also that he'll get better.

Chloe and Lila will be back in later chapters, I promise there's more to them than being the bikini girls who hang off him.

I hope this chapter was more entertaining than the last! I really want to get to the good, juicy stuff. It'll come, eventually.

[mikauzoran]

Lukadrien/Lukadrienette Drabble: Nachtmusik Chapter Eleven

A Little Night Music (Eine Kleine Nachtmusik) Chapter Eleven: Dies Irae, Dies Illa

“What were you humming just now?” Marinette inquired through a yawn as she took Hugo from Luka, careful to support the baby’s head. “It seemed to calm him down.”

Luka froze. “…Uh…”

He’d been absentmindedly humming a Gregorian chant, the Dies Irae from the requiem mass. Literally, the title meant “day of wrath”, and the lyrics in Latin described the Day of Judgment: ashes and fire and punishment and despair. Not exactly the most age-appropriate lullaby for their four-month-old.

It was quoted in a lot of classical pieces, though, and, thus, currently stuck in Luka’s head.

Not that he wanted to try to explain any of that to his wife at three in the morning.

“Nothing,” he lied but then immediately repented. “It’s just a little snatch of something the Orchestre is playing at an upcoming concert.”

“Teach it to me?” Marinette requested as she got situated in the rocking chair and held Hugo up to her breast to feed him.

“How about we do Bach’s Little Fugue in G Minor instead?” Luka suggested, coming over to give the side of Marinette’s head a kiss. “He likes that one too. That’s the one Adrien always sings to him…when he’s not singing something from a musical or a video game.”

 Luka hummed softly as he gently bounced Hugo, walking him round and round the island in the middle of the kitchen.

“Why are you humming the Dies Irae?” Adrien finally inquired from where he leaned in the doorway watching.

Luka jumped.

Adrien sprang forward to steady his husband and make sure their eight-month-old son was secure in his sling. “Sorry. Sorry. I am so sorry. I thought you knew I was there. I’m so sorry, Luka.”

“It’s…okay,” Luka struggled to get out, breathing ragged.

“You okay, Sweet Prince?” Adrien peeked down at Hugo to find the baby laughing happily.

“Looks like someone enjoys jump scares,” Luka snorted in amusement, leaning in to rest his forehead against Adrien’s.

“Sorry, Orpheus,” Adrien whispered, hands going up to Luka’s cheeks to gently pull him in for a kiss.

Luka hummed contentedly into Adrien’s lips as they waltzed with his own.

“So why the Dies Irae?” Adrien mumbled, back on task the instant they pulled away.

Luka groaned, bouncing Hugo once more. “Not only is the Orchestre doing Berlioz’s Symphonie Fantastique, but I’m also soloist for Liszt’s Totentanz, so that melody is doubly stuck in my head.”

“My poor baby,” Adrien teased.

Luka rolled his eyes.

“I loooove Totentanz,” Adrien chuckled, catching one of Luka’s hands in his own. “Play it for me?”

“Now?” Luka laughed incredulously, shaking his head at his husband’s capriciousness.

“I mean…we’re up anyway, and Hugo seems to enjoy the Dies Irae, so…why not?” Adrien reasoned. “Besides, why did I go to the trouble of marrying a sexy piano virtuoso if I can’t have songs played live on demand at any hour of the night I want them?”

Luka tried not to grin as he tugged Adrien into the front room where they kept Adrien’s old baby grand piano. “You certainly didn’t marry me for my money or my body. I honestly don’t know what you were thinking.”

“I wasn’t thinking.” Adrien shrugged. “I’m so in love with you, I’m not capable of rational thought.”

Luka snickered. “You weren’t capable of rational thought before you fell in love with me.”

“Rude. See if I make babies with you anymore.” Adrien flicked his husband on the cheek before carefully taking Hugo in his sling from Luka.

“Angel,” Luka cajoled, lifting the lid on the piano keys.

Adrien shook his head as he sat on the piano bench. “Nope. Don’t you ‘Angel’ me. I will not be seduced.”

With a shrug of defeat, Luka sat beside Adrien and began a quick warmup.

“You’re not even trying to seduce me,” Adrien pouted. “What’s the big idea here?”

“I thought you wanted me to serenade you with macabre dance of death music about the black plague,” Luka replied with a smirk.

Adrien’s lower lip jutted forward. “Well, yes…but you could at least kiss me first.”

Luka gladly obliged, and when he pulled back, Adrien looked deliriously happy.

Luka grinned, chuckling at Adrien’s expression.

“What?” Adrien pouted, rocking Hugo from side to side.

“I love your smile.”

Luka could just make out a pastel pink blush on Adrien’s cheeks in the dim lighting.

“I love you,” he added.

“I love you too,” Adrien whispered back, scooting closer on the bench to rest his head on Luka’s shoulder. “It’s good to finally just be together and happy, isn’t it?”

“Mm,” Luka agreed, content to sit there with the man he loved and their child for as long as the moment lasted.

That turned out to be about thirty seconds.

After that, Adrien decided that they’d cuddled enough and that it was time for Luka to play piano. “I’ll go ahead and sing the orchestra parts. You play the piano solo.”

 “My baby!” Adrien cooed, eliciting a happy shriek of laughter and an answering, “Daddy!” from sixteen-month-old Hugo.

Hugo reached out his arms, and it was all Gabriel could do to keep a hold on the squirming toddler.

Adrien took his son, covering him with kisses and nuzzles.

Gabriel grinned, putting a polite hand over his mouth as he chuckled.

Plagg and Nooroo shared an amused look before returning to their posts in Adrien’s left and right shoulders respectively.

“How was he? Did he wake you guys a lot?” Adrien smiled up sheepishly at his father.

“Not too bad,” Gabriel replied judiciously. “A little fussy, and he wanted you three, but Nooroo and Plagg helped a lot as far as his homesickness went. Hugo ate just fine and eventually went to sleep after we laid him down last night. He didn’t disturb us too much. Not unreasonably so for sleeping away from home, anyway. You were much, much worse at his age.”

“Good to know,” Adrien snorted, a bright smile breaking out on his lips as he hugged his child to him, bouncing Hugo slightly. “Thank you so much for doing this. Luka and Marinette are super grateful too.”

Gabriel waved the thanks away. “It was no trouble at all. You know how much we enjoy babysitting. Hugo is a joy to spend time with.”

Adrien’s grin widened. “I’m really, really happy to hear you say so.”

Gabriel shrugged. “Nathalie and I would be glad to watch him whenever you need. Tom and Sabine hog him too much, and I’m uncomfortable with you leaving him alone with Anarka.”

Adrien grimaced. “She’s his grandma too, Dad. Play nice.”

Gabriel gave a petulant scoff. “It’s a wonder that Luka managed to raise himself so well with a mother like that Gaelic witch. She thinks she has more right to Hugo than I do.”

Adrien refrained from commenting that Gabriel himself had been a little slow to embrace Hugo as his grandson in the absence of a genetic link. “Well, she’s wrong. Try to be the bigger person when we have a green-eyed baby, okay? Regardless of biological paternity, all kids of this union belong to all three of us equally, so make sure you treat them all the same. Hugo adores you, and I’m sure it would really hurt if you started giving a hypothetical green-eyed sibling preferential treatment.”

“I would never,” Gabriel snorted in disgust, reaching out to stroke Hugo’s thick, dark hair. “He may not be biologically yours, but he’s one hundred percent your son, Adrien.”

Adrien blinked, taken aback by the certainty in his father’s voice. “Really? What makes you say that?”

Gabriel chuckled. “He has your mannerisms. Sometimes he’ll do something that’s obviously Marinette or patently Luka, but, a lot of times, he’ll make a face, and I can tell he got it from watching and mimicking you.”

“Yeah? Like what?” Adrien pressed, excited by this revelation. He had never really thought that Hugo resembled him even though both Marinette and Luka had commented upon it separately before. Perhaps it was because Adrien couldn’t see himself to have a mental picture to compare his son with, but…

“His pout is a carbon copy of yours,” Gabriel sighed. “He’s got your puppy dog eyes too.”

Adrien’s smile turned pained. “Ah. I see. So all the manipulative ploys, huh?”

Gabriel rolled his eyes. “He has your smile too…and your sweetness with none of your mischief. He’s inherited a lot from you despite the lack of shared genes. Don’t pout so, Adrien.”

“I’m not pouting,” Adrien pouted.

Gabriel gave Adrien an eyeroll encore. “How was your date last night? I trust you three had a nice dinner out?”

Adrien immediately perked up. “It was wonderful. Thank you. It was also nice to be able to get a solid eight hours of sleep without having to get up with Hugo.”

Gabriel assumed an air of nonchalance as he inquired, “Just out of curiosity and not to sound like I’m competing with Anarka, when are you three planning on having a green-eyed child?”

Adrien’s brow scrunched up like gathered fabric folds. “Seriously?”

Gabriel shrugged primly.

“We’re not actively trying, but we stopped actively not trying two or three months ago, so…but it’s not like we’re being intentional about who the biological father is. You and Anarka really need to cut it out.” Adrien shifted Hugo onto his hip with a sigh. “Should I have Luka talk to her?”

“That won’t be necessary,” Gabriel assured sullenly and then abruptly switched topics so as to put an end to the discussion. “By the way, I’ve wondered this for a while, but…why does Hugo hum the Dies Irae? He wanted it as a lullaby last night. It was rather…odd. Not that I’m one to comment on your parenting choices, I suppose.”

Adrien gave a snort as he struggled to stifle a bout of laughter. “That’s Luka’s fault. It’s one of the most quoted musical passages in the repertoire, so it gets stuck in his head a lot, and when he’s tired and up in the middle of the night with Hugo… I think it’s because he didn’t get a lot of traditional lullabies when he was little. Anarka sang him rock and roll, so he doesn’t have the standard classics to fall back on, and he fills in the gap with music he does know.”

Adrien bit his lip. “…Kind of like how you and Maman had crappy parents who didn’t sing standard lullabies to you two, so you didn’t know them to sing them to me, so now I sing musical numbers like All I Ask of You from Phantom of the Opera or video game music like Zelda’s Lullaby from The Legend of Zelda to my own child. I think Marinette’s the only one who really knows traditional lullabies, and half of hers are in Chinese…which she doesn’t speak, so she’s not even sure she’s getting the words right.”

Gabriel frowned. “Can’t you tell?”

Adrien shook his head, bouncing Hugo gently. “They’re not in Mandarin. Sabine’s parents both spoke Mandarin, so that’s what they spoke in the house growing up, but her mother was originally from a different region in China before they moved to France, so the lullabies she sang to Sabine were in a different dialect which I do not speak.”

Gabriel pursed his lips, tempted to ask whether the dialects were similar enough that Adrien could make any of it out, but he remembered Adrien once telling him that most Chinese dialects sounded like completely different languages to him.

“What dialect do Bridgette and Félix speak?” he inquired instead.

Adrien shrugged. “Mandarin. I’d have to ask Sabine about the lyrics…. Well, I should probably get going. The first thing Luka asked me this morning was when I was going to pick up Hugo. I think he’s going through withdrawal,” Adrien chuckled, giving Hugo a nuzzle. “Your Papá misses you.”

“Papá!” Hugo trilled happily.

Adrien turned back to Gabriel. “Thanks again, Dad.”

“Bring him back any time,” Gabriel stressed. “Make sure you ask us before Anarka.”

Adrien shook his head, making a mental note to have Luka talk to the Capitaine about this grandparent rivalry she and Gabriel had going on. “Will do. Thanks, Dad.”

Adrien turned to go, and Gabriel hesitated a beat before calling out, “Adrien?”

“Hm?” Adrien looked back, tipping his head.

“Do you…” Gabriel worried at his bottom lip. “Does it bother you that you’re not familiar with the traditional lullabies?”

Adrien shrugged unconcernedly. “Not really. In a way, it’s more fun to sing anime theme songs and Bach and the Dies Irae. I think it makes Hugo more cultured too, so it’s not a bad thing.”

Gabriel nodded, relieved. “Good. That’s good. Take care, Son.”

Gabriel later stopped to think that his grandson was going to be a very eclectic child with so many varied influences. He wondered if the other children at school would appreciate Hugo’s uniqueness.

Gabriel winced and wondered whether Marinette, Luka, and Adrien would allow Hugo to be homeschooled.