#Sabine is settling in so well here!! She adores the rest of the family and can't wait to go exploring in the garden!

[satans-knitwear]

It's hard work being this cute 😴

[rere-the-writer]

Title- Mikaelsons and a baby

A part two to this ask

Part three

Part four - coming soon

Pairings: Poly!Mikaelson x Pregnant!Reader

Warnings: Fluff, Soft!Mikaelsons, Just a little bit of angst, Klaus and Kol threating people

You sat with Rebekah trying to distract yourself from not worrying about Davina as lately the young witch hadn't been feeling well lately. You looked up seeing Hayley leaving with Sophie and thought nothing of it.

"Hey Beka?"

"Yes, beautiful?" Rebekah questioned looking over at you seeing that you were knitting you fourth scarf.

"Is Davina okay? Marcel was asking about her earlier." You asked Rebekah watching drop her book worry came across her face.

"Also it is probably nothing but I over heard Sophie talking to Nik about completing the Harvest." You answered Rebekah startled when she suddenly stood up.

"I need to find Elijah." Rebekah said leaving making you worry as it was never good if Elijah needed to know and decided to find Kol since you were still mad at Klaus when learned what he did to Davina.

"Kol? What are you doing?" You asked him finding him in your bedroom trying do something.

"Putting the crib together." Kol said smiling up at you as you giggled seeing that it was looking more like a hot mess than a crib.

"Babe, that doesn't look like a crib." You giggle sitting next to Kol as he placed his hand on your baby bump.

"Well right now it doesn't but it will be."

"Need any hel......" You were cut off when the room shook and Kol quickly grabbed you protecting you as things fell from the wall.

"What was that?"

"Davina. She can't control all that magic she has." Kol says walking out of the room with you following worried as you mothered the girl as Kol would tease. You followed Kol but paused seeing Hayley with Elijah and as much as you knew to follow Kol. You were curious what they were talking about.

"Elijah, I have something to tell you." You heard Hayley say as you peeked around the corner knowing Elijah most likely knew that you were there.

"What is it Hayley?"

"Sophie called asking for a favor and at first I thought it was about the baby as Sophie promised me that she would help break the curse," Hayley says as she walked ahead of Elijah as he narrowed his eyes, "that Marcel put on my people for information. I didn't think nothing of it but Davina started doing those pictures of Celeste."

"Hayley, what did you do? It have better not put Y/N and the baby in danger." Elijah said walking up to the werewolf as you swallowed a bad feeling settled in the pit of your stomach.

"Sophie wanted to find Celeste's remains so I asked Y/N and went though your journals to find out where you buried her the told Sophie," Hayley tells Elijah sounding hurt as you felt sick and guilty as Elijah told you in confidence, "I know it was snoopy and I should have just asked you."

"Celeste wanted to be left in peace. When a witch's remains are consecrated, that power fuels the rest of their community." Elijah tells Hayley hurt lacing his voice while guilt ate away at you. Hayley looked down feeling terrible as Elijah walked up to her.

"She did not want to be found, she made me promise to make sure she couldn't. Not only did you violated my privacy but you have broken my promise to her."

"I thought they were just bones Elijah."

"If you truly believed that, why didn't you ask me where to find her instead of using Y/N and looked though my journals." Elijah said walking pass Hayley going to chase after you hearing you walking off.

"Baby, Y/N. Wait a minute." Elijah says gently grabbing your arm and cupped your cheek wiping away your tears.

"Why are you upset?"

"Because I helped Hayley break your promise. I know how much they mean to you." You tell Elijah as he smiled softly pulling you into a hug.

"You are too sweet baby. I am not mad at you for you couldn't have known her little plan."

"But still Elijah." You mumble against his chest as Elijah kissed your head when you hugged him. It wasn't hard to see Elijah was angry at Hayley as Kol and Rebekah could tell but Klaus wasn't surprised as you finally forgave him and told him everything.

"Elijah can we talk?"

"Just on my out." Elijah said holding your hand taking you with him for the day as Klaus followed teasing Elijah.

"You don't have to be here. You also didn't need to bring Y/N, it'll take Sophie some time to prepare the consecration."

"I have nothing but time and Y/N needs time out of the Abattoir. I owe Celeste this much." Elijah says watching you stand at the grave flowers in hand as you told Elijah you wanted to pay respects to the dead witch.

"Care to elaborate?" Sabine asked walking up to Elijah as he looked at her then back at you with a soft look in his eyes.

"Ever experience something so profoundly wonderful that when it was taken from you. Your life felt unbearable?"

"Yeah I've felt that. I have scars to prove it." Sabine says noticing how Elijah watched you as if you were the only woman in the world.

"I believe when you love someone like I had Celeste, they leave you uniquely vulnerable. Y/N has the power to hurt me like no other."

"You really love that woman don't you?" Sabine asked looking at you also as Elijah took out a handkerchief.

"I do." Elijah says walking up to noticing a tear rolling down your cheek wiping it away. Learning that Marcel took Davina to protect her from the Harvest left a hollowed feeling in your chest.

"You okay there?" You heard Sabine ask as you left at the Abattoir as the family went looking for Davina and Marcel.

"Yeah.....I....just...it's nothing."

"You can tell me." Sabine says sitting next to you as you sighed rubbing your bump.

"I feel bad for Elijah. I understand Hayley wants to help her people but it made Elijah break his promise to Celeste."

"You knew were she was buried."

"Yeah....I asked wanting to pay respects to the woman that got to love Elijah before me."

"You are adorably dumb."

"So Nik and Kol tells me." You tell her with a bright smile as Sabine could see what the Mikaelsons saw in you. You had a softness to you that drew people in, that made them comfortable.

"Where is Hayley?"

"Hanging out with her wolves." You answered Sabine watching her pull out a pendant of some kind.

"Wanna know the sex of the baby?" Sabine asked you watching you light up nodding.

"We found Davina." Kol says sitting next to you seeing you playing a card game with Sabine. You paused looking at Kol as that hollow feeling returned.

"Oh." You said in a quiet voice which Kol picked up something was wrong with you and made a note to ask you later about it. Rain poured as you stood next to Kol with Elijah holding an umbrella over you as you all watch Sophie complete the Harvest.

"It didn't work." Hayley whispered as the witches didn't wake up as the rain stopped. You bit your lip tears falling seeing Sophie cry over her dead niece.

"Shhh darling. It's okay." Kol muttered softly hugging you as you cried Elijah felt his heart break hearing your sons.

"Rebekah, you and Kol take Y/N home while Niklaus and I take care of this."

"Come babe. We'll get you and get some tea." Rebekah says as you nodded walking with her and Kol.

Bad juju is what your grandmother would say when ever you would get a hollow feeling. For the last few days witch bad juju was running a muck as Klaus and Rebekah was missing while Kol had to save Hayley and a wolf you learned named Jackson.

"Baby?" Elijah questioned finding you sitting in Klaus's art studio dress in one of Klaus's shirts as non of Rebekah's clothes couldn't fit you anymore.

"I miss them 'Lijah." You tell him as he sits next to you kissing your head.

"We'll find them baby." Elijah tells you as you nodded. It was weird to you hanging around Hayley as you had been noticing how she would look at Elijah. You hadn't noticed until Celeste pointed it out after you learned she was controlling your new witch friend.

"You're a lot cuter than what Hayley told me about you." You heard Jackson say making your cheeks warm up looking up at the werewolf.

"Well I could say something nice about you but Hayley barely said a word about you."

"So why are you out here with Hayley?" Jackson asked sitting next to you.

"Hayley's idea. She told Elijah that it would be safer for me until they find Nik and Beka."

"I see. What are you having?"

"A girl." You tell him with a smile as you two talked.

"You let Hayley take my unborn child and Queen out in a swamp."

"Firstly it's a bayou Niklaus and second it was to keep her safe from Celeste." Elijah tells Klaus helping Rebekah over a log while Kol was ahead with Klaus. After a long night in a graveyard airing out centuries of problems, the Originals were inching to have you near them again.

"She is going to upset that Sabine is dead." Rebekah said knowing that you grew close to the witch

"Yes, we should tell her later." Elijah says as Hayley met up with them to which Klaus and Kol noticed right away that Hayley moved next to Elijah.

"Hayley have you and the wolves been taking care of Y/N?" Klaus questioned there was a dangerous under tone to Klaus's voice. Hayley looped her arm around Elijah's nodding as Elijah raised an eyebrow but pushed it aside.

When they reached the wolf pack, they heard your sweet laugh and saw you standing in front of what looked like a work bench. Jackson stood behind you gently holding your hands showing you how to drill.

"Hayley who is that touching my wife." Rebekah asked lowly as Hayley looked at her seeing the blonde vampire glaring. Hayley looked at the other three jumping when she heard them growling also glaring.

"That's Jackson. Y/N and him has been getting close."

"You have told him who she belongs to yes?"

"I though her being pregnant was a clear enough sign." Hayley told Klaus not caring for his glare. Rebekah got your attention easily something her and the boys was always proud of.

"Beka!" You cried moving from Jackson throwing yourself into her arms as she held you. Hayley walked up with boys seeing you peppered Rebekah with kisses.

"Nik! You're okay!" You squealed happily giving the hybrid the same treatment as Jackson watched happy for you.

"Oh guys meet Jackson, Hayley's fiancee." You said smiling making the Originals blink confused while Hayley stared at you. While they weren't looking you gave Hayley a mischievous smirk knowing just what you were doing surprising the wolf.

"Fiancee?"

"Yeah. Some old wolf thing." Hayley answered Elijah waving her dismissively while you put on the most innocent look getting Elijah's attention. Both Klaus and Kol knew what you were doing while Elijah had no clue.

"Eli don't you think that maybe we can help Jackson move closer to Hayley or maybe help set up a cabin. So that Jackson isn't away from fiancee?"

Klaus and Kol was smirking as Rebekah stood next to quietly laughing behind her hand. They knew when you were jealous as you would get mischievous and since Hayley seemly liked Elijah, you were going to nip it in the bud.

"You're right baby. Hayley you should be getting to know Jackson and getting the pack together if you want them at faction meetings."

"Right.....Elijah or everything is fine just the way it is."

"But Hayley, 'Lijah right. If you want wolves in on the meetings it best you and Jackson unite the wolves." You tell her pressing closer to Elijah who smiled at you unaware of what you did.

"I'll even help little wolf." Klaus said throwing gas on the fire while Jackson smiled also unaware of what little plan you did.

"Okay." Hayley said sighing as you grinned feeling Elijah kissing your head telling Jackson that they needed to get you home.

"You little minx." Klaus teased sitting on the couch pulling you into his lap.

"I don't know what you are talking about." You tell him faking innocence as Kol joined you both laying his head on your belly listening to the baby.

"Don't worry darling it's our little secret." Kol tells you smiling kissing your belly as you just hummed relaxing enjoying the peace and quiet while it lasted.

[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! 

[taliaquinn]

Why Me!? Chapter 12

Mass Panic immediately ensued following the texts.

Rose couldn’t help but tear up at the thought that she won't be wearing the beautiful new dress she designed with Marinette. Alya was panicking because she knew how much Marinette's MDC dresses cost. Yes, she stalked her website, but only to trash talk it with Lila, Lila even told her how some of those designs were her idea and Marinette stole them.  

Adrien decided to try and call his ex-classmates but was shocked to find that he was blocked . He decided to try calling Marinette but was even more shocked to find that the line was disconnected.

Alya finally had enough of the chaos and decided to try and get control of the room again. She blew a shrill whistle “EVERYONE QUIET, Look we lost only a few people, most of them bullies, we don't  need them together we can handle this”

No one would admit the queasy feeling they got at the pit of there stomachs. They knew Marinette might've been a bully but she was an excellent president.

Gotham Airfield                                                                                          Gotham City, U.S.A                                                                                            7 a.m

Marinette stirred and was shocked to find that her parents were up and getting there carry on luggage. Quickly glancing out her window she was shocked to find that they  Landed in Gotham. Eep. Quickly gathering her art supplies she followed her parents down the steps.

Suddenly she heard a squeal “Oh my gosh she’s so adorablleeeee,  Bruce are you sure this is your kid?”, she looked up to see a blonde girl jumping up and down while clinging to another boys arm.

Mr.Wayne seemed to have a look of eternal suffering etched on his face. “Yes Stephanie I'm sure, How’d you even know we were going to be here ?”

“Tim told me” The guy she was clinging to slightly grimaced while side-eyeing Mr.Wayne who was giving him a glare.

“Of course”

‘MARIBUGGGG” Dick quickly ran towards the steps and scooped her up and twirled Marinette around. Marinette couldn’t help but clutch to her supplies for fear of dropping them while giggling.

“Hi Dick,really happy to finally be here” She hugged him back, while he put her back down. Suddenly Dick was abruptly shoved away

“My Turn” Suddenly Marinette was engulfed in by a blonde tornado.

“Steph you’re suffocating her let her goooo”  The guy Tim said as he was approaching them.

“But shes to adoranble~” the blonde said, still holding Marinette captive. Why was it always the Blondes who tried to kill her?

Oblivious to her plight her parents went on ahead and greeted Bruce and Dick who had to stumble back to Bruce's side after being viciously shoved.

“Bruce I want to say a huge thank you, We can’t wait to get Marinette situated and head back to Paris,” Sabine said making sure to quickly shake his hand and giving Dick a quick hug.

“Ha, I swear all three of us eventually dozed off on the flight,” Tom said while moving to do the same.

After a few more seconds Stephanie finally released Marinette.  

“Oh gosh, you’re too adorable for words~ My name is Steph” Wait did Bruce have a second daughter? Marinette thought he only had one other daughter, Cassandra?

“Are you another one of Bruce's kids?”

“What!? Oh gosh,you’ve only been here for a few minutes and you already recognize that Bruce has an adopting problem, pfft luckily I am not one of those poor suckers. I am just here to eternally annoy them plus I’m besties with Cass, Bruce’s other daughter” Stephanie explained.

She quickly pulled Tim towards them. “This is one of those poor suckers, Marinette this is Tim Drake, He’s constantly sleep-deprived and suffers from severe caffeine addiction”

“It's not severe”

“Yet”

Marinette couldn’t help but snort. Being a Fashion designer/superhero/ highschooler, Marinette has learned how to make a dang good pot of coffee. Also how to tell if she’s hallucinating or not from lack of sleep. Seriously there was this one incident where she was seeing hamsters take over the school's library, there was also that one time where she saw a mob of pigeons chase a man, but that turned out to be pigeon man who got akumatized again.

“A fellow addict, nice to meet you,” Marinette said.

Stephanie suddenly started looking at two before seemingly coming to a startling revelation

“ OH GOD, THERE'S TWO COFFEE ADDICTS NOW!!!” She yelped. She suddenly scurried away in a desperate attempt to call Alfred and warn him about the new incoming addict.

Dick glanced down and noticed that Marinette dropped a few of her pens and markers. He knelt to pick them up quickly he handed them to Marinette.

“You like to draw?” He asked giving her another quick hug

“Yeppers I mainly focus on designing outfits and  making  them as well, where’d you think your jackets came from?”

“ No way, I thought you bought them!!! I love mines and I know for a fact Bruce loves his.”

“Well yeah I make a lot of my clothes, I have a website where I sell some of the clothing, I also do commissions” suddenly Dick was once again shoved away.

“MDC!!” Tim exclaimed

Marinette jumped back a few steps before suddenly realizing that he was a fan.  

“M.D.C are your initials, I knew I recognized the Jacket from somewhere”

“Yep based off another Jacket I sold on My website, except some of the detailing is different”

“You’ve gotten recognition from Audrey Bourgeois and Gabriel Agreste,” Tim gawked. Dick was busy grumbling complaints “What is it with you two and shoving me”.

Marinette quickly went over to help him up. She quickly got one of her suitcases and opened it up pulling out a few articles of clothing. Quickly she handed Tim his jacket, and since she wasn't aware of Stephanie's existence she settled with Handing her a Trench Coat since it was cold.

Stephanie immediately shed her current coat and shoved it at Tim to hold. She put on the trenchcoat and admired the embroidered birds around the sleeves.

“Oh my gosh, you have such a good eye”

Stephanie immediately shed her current coat and shoved it at Tim to hold. She put on the trenchcoat and admired the embroidered birds around the sleeves.

“Well duh kinda necessary” Marinette teased

“Wait you didn’t bring any of your supplies?” Dick responded, noticing that Marinette didn’t bring Big enough suitcases to carry some of the bigger sewings and designing supplies.

“Well, we had to kinda leave in a rush so…. I didn't have enough time to pack some of the bigger supplies”

“I have an idea! We can go around Gotham and buy some of the supplies!” Dick suggested.

“Maybe on the weekend Dick, We gotta take her to the manor and let her and the Dupain-Chengs meet the rest of the family,” Bruce noted joining them. Honestly, though Bruce was more worried about a certain butler ripping him a new one for taking so long to introduce him to his newest granddaughter.

College Francis Dupont                                                                            Paris, France                                                                                                  8:30 a.m

People walking into Bustiers Class couldn’t help but be disconcerted at all the empty seats the next day. They all decided to sit on the right, some glancing at the empty seats on the left.

Lila finally walked in and with the flip of her hair, she strolled straight and made sure to take a seat next to Alya. Right in Marinette's old seat. It was odd seeing someone else sit there. Eventually Madame Bustier walked in and only took a momentary pause upon seeing the small class size.

Adrien slowly walked in and lightly jumped at the new class size. He took his usual seat next to Nino. However, it wasn’t too long before he felt a tap on his shoulder. Both he and Nino turned to face Alya and Lila.

“Hey, Adrien you mind switching seats with me? I wanna sit to Nino” Alya announced. Adrien, however, didn't miss Nino’s slight grimace. However, Lilas's look of pure hopefulness was the thing that made Adrien slightly grimace as well.

Regardless of how Adrien felt he knew he had to say yes.

“Sure”

Meanwhile in Mendelievs….

“I call dibs on sitting next to Kagami!!!” Chloe loudly exclaimed and made a mad dash towards the empty seat next to Kagami.

Nathaniel immediately moved to sit next to Marc. Sabrina sat next to Juleka. Ivan decided to sit next to Max. At first, it was a slight adjustment getting used to Mendelievs class, she taught and had control over her class. No way was she going to permit and outburst or arguments when she taught. However, she did permit them to talk whenever she was done teaching.

“Marinette just quit ?” Probed Aurore. She was furious at the fact that Marinette was essentially driven to quitting.

“Yup” Chloe responded popping the p, “But now she’s staying with Family in Gotham for a bit, she even texted to mention how she might transfer schools and stay in the states”

“B-but sweet Marinette in Gotham, don’t they have like a gajillion crazy villains? At least the Akumas’ damage in Paris can be reversed and they're only temporary” Aurore mentioned

“Marinette is tough, plus she’ll be away from this crazy school” Nathaniel offered while finishing up a sketch for his and Marcs’ comic

“Plus Marinette said she’ll call us once she’s comfy and everything” Chloe finished.

“Poor Marinette”

Wayne Manor                                                                                                Gotham City, USA                                                                                          9:00 a.m

Marinette knew Mr.Wayne was rich but holy cow, he makes both the Agreste and Bourgeious fortune look like pennies. She never understood how rich he was.Seriously he has a fleet of luxury vehicles in his garage. The inside of the manor looks photo-ready, AND all of his kids have gone to a 30k a year school. Thank God she was going to a Normal School.

Mr.Wayne made sure to take Maman and Papa to a luxury hotel suite to get them settled before bringing them back to the Manor. She quickly said goodbye and gave them big kisses on their cheeks.

Marinette was occupied still gaping at the giant Chandelier when suddenly she was face-to-face with two teenagers.

Dick immediately noticed that there was an awkward staring contest going on and moved in to ease the awkwardness.

“Marinette this is Cassandra shes the fourth oldest,” Dick said while introducing the two. Marinette was occupied gaping at Cassandra. She was so pretty. Cassandra took a quick step forward before quickly putting her hand on Marinette's shoulder.

“Cass” She gently chided.

Marinette only slightly stumbled before yanking out a sweater from her duffle bag and practically shoving it at her. Sue her she was intimidated and impressed.

“Me?” Cass was surprised. She took the sweater but couldn’t help but hold it close to her. It was so soft. Marinette made it for her, and she didn’t know her!!! Cass couldn’t help the grin that was overtaking her face. She made sure to get closer to take a long glance at Marinette who was giving a cynical Jason his own sweater, along with gloves.  Nervous. jittery. uncomfortable.  

“Huh, you are most definitely too sweet for this family" Jason couldn't help but coo at the sight of the petite blue-eyed girl.

"I'm Jason Todd,  technically dead and black sheep of the family. Whenever you get tired or pissed at Bruce, trust me that is a guarantee, feel free to crash at my place.” He piped. While shrugging off his leather jacket and putting on his new turtleneck sweater. Holy crap was it soft.

Technically Dead? What in the world!? Are they choosing to ignore that!?  Marinette was so confused. Seriously first off Cass has the biggest grin on her face and seems to be studying Marinette, Jason Todd just admitted he’s still technically dead!? Are all siblings this confusing? She’ll have to ask Luka. Seeing as he seems to be the only one in their friend group who has a sibling.

Taking a glance around the entrance. Marinette noticed that she suddenly had older siblings and even a  younger one. One week was all it took. Marinette took a glance at Cass she mirrored her grin. She realized one thing.

THIS FAMILY IS INSANE!!!

And now she's a part of them. Crap.

Tag list:

@another-fan-of-anotherplan @damianette-is-life @amayakans @parallelparabox @miukiiu @valeks-princess @toodaloo-kangaroo @vixen-uchiha @thezestywalru @dreamykitty25 @souleateralicestein @thestressmademedoit

A/N:

I hope that all of you lovely peeps are staying healthy and safe. Please enjoy todays chapter. Feel free to reblog and leave a note <3.

[violetmuses]

Union || Epilogue

Dedications: We've reached the final chapter! Thanks so much for reading as always. @kestiscroft @cazzyimagines @stylesthesunflower

=====

2024

Tracee Wilson

“When you are a mother, you are never really alone in your thoughts. A mother always has to think twice, once for herself and once for her child.” - Sophia Loren

“Sam!”

His footsteps almost tumbled down the hallway within seconds of me yelling from this bathroom. I’d stood in front of our mirror, but my hand trembled as I waited, almost dropping the test-stick by now.

As soon as the bathroom door swung open and I recognized his face, I allowed myself to smile.

“I’m...I’m pregnant.” I laughed, letting my eyes close and face downward as he took that test-stick off the sink.

“I’m so happy.” He whispered, gently hugging me as we stood in the mirror.

Despite what happened with Sharon one year ago, we moved on and allowed marriage to be our priority until Sam’s Captain American title kicked back into gear.

“Me too, Baby.” I kissed his cheek as we pulled away from each other, still taking in our circumstances.

“I’ll be here every step of the way. Don’t worry.” Sam held my hand, showing off that famously crooked but adorable smile.

“Thank you.” I’d felt extremely grateful for him, even as we stood in this slightly cramped bathroom together. Bucky, Sarah, AJ and Cass still shared the space with us of course, regardless of fitting bedrooms in the house too.

“Well, let’s go tell everyone.” Sam winked.

“Oh, no!” I chuckled, teasing my husband while holding my heart for just a second before we left the bathroom together.

________

“Are you serious?” Sarah’s eyes widened in the middle of breakfast and she clanked her forks onto an almost empty plate.

“That’s great!” AJ yelled, beaming towards Sam and I seconds later. Even Cass wouldn’t stop smiling by this point, either.

“Should we go ahead and start shopping for a crib, Sam?” Facing Sam and me, Bucky chimed in after drinking from his coffee cup.

“Thanks, but slow up, man. Tracee pregnancy hasn’t even reached the first trimester and we don’t even know our baby’s gender yet.” Sam answered, holding out his hand towards Bucky.

“Fine, I’ll settle down.” Bucky then rolled his eyes and scoffed, which prompted everyone to laugh at the table.

_____

“What?!”

We booted up this video chat with Torres later that day and my eardrum nearly bled as he shouted with joy on the phone.

“Yep. I just hope that you don’t mind possibly babysitting in the future.” Sam held the phone as I ate this spoonful of yogurt. We sat out on the pier together and just beamed all over again.

“Of course not. Anything for you two. Might have to child-proof my place in a few months, but it’s all right.” Torres laughed, glancing around his own messy living room during our call.

“Thanks for the support, man. We’ll keep you posted.” Sam said goodbye to Torres before hanging up and smiled, facing me not long afterwards.

“Now what? It’s not like I call my people next.” It was true. I was born an only child and my parents were long gone by now, watching over me from heaven. Most of the other family members weren’t close enough to visit, living their own lives, too.

Even our wedding ceremony had consisted of Sam’s family and the Delacroix community, leaving my personal end of kinfolk sparse. Few of my own relatives were fans of the Avengers, honestly, but I just didn’t care anymore..

“You’ve got us.” Sam draped his arm around my shoulder, reassuring me.

“Fair enough.” I sighed, watching as glorious orange and pink shades of one breathtaking sunset fell over this long horizon of the pier.

_______

“It’s a girl!”

Our princess, Maya Sabine Wilson, was born just a few days before Thanksgiving. We left the hospital after three days of checkups and last-minute reviews. Sam pulled up a chair every time, quietly fussing with far too many doctors all the while.

Now, Maya had turned three months old, carried around the house by Bucky and fascinated by his metal arm.

“Uh-oh, who’s stinky now?” I switched with Bucky to hold Maya and was in the middle of changing my daughter’s diaper when Sam lifted his cell phone near me.

I’ll answer it.” Sam told me before picking up that call. I nodded in silence, watching as I fastened the diaper in place and let Maya wiggle her small legs.

“Up we go.” I smiled, setting up a pacifier into Maya’s mouth and carrying her on my left hip again. Her growing head of dark hair soon fell onto my shoulder, but she faced Sam with loving brown eyes that reminded me of him.

“Hello?” Sam picked up, questioning whoever contacted us.

“Hi, Sam.” A woman answered Sam on the other line.

“Sharon, how did you get this number?” Sam lowered his voice to avoid frightening me as I held Maya.

“I have ways.” Sharon remained mysterious on the phone.

“What do you want now?” Sam kept whispering back to Sharon at this point. I completely understood.

“This call isn’t about me. Just know that someone else is looking for Tracee at this point.” Sharon cleared her throat on the other line.

“Hang up.” I mouthed to Sam. Enough was enough. We couldn’t spend the rest of our lives running, especially since Maya had been born.

“Sharon, if you tell me that Zemo has escaped The Raft again...” Sam trailed off his threat for Sharon, but still wouldn’t listen to me.

Instead of answering with the truth like a good person, Sharon only hung up on Sam moments later.

***

Post-Credits Scene

“What do you want now, Agent Carter?” Zemo turned off the flat-screen television soon after picking this phone call.

“Don’t give me that attitude, Zemo. We’ve got more shit to worry about.” Sharon snipped on the other line while speaking.

“I am disappointed.” Zemo said, scoffed as he paced back and forth in the hotel suite, once again freed from crutches of The Raft.

“Why?” Sharon almost laughed, but stopped herself.

“Because now you’re plotting revenge against her family. I planned revenge for my family.” Zemo furrowed his brow, clearly puzzled.

“It doesn’t matter. Valentina won’t help out and calling anyone else would leave me exposed. Are you going to finish the job or not?” Sharon lowered her voice, giving one final ultimatum.

“No.” Zemo ended this call and tossed that phone onto his bed, no longer caring Sharon Carter wallowed through her own dreaded concept of evil.

Despite his third chance of freedom, Zemo would never allow innocent people to suffer again.

[twilightofthe]

(Reposting the entire ask cuz it won’t show up in the fuckin’ tags and I need attention tf)

(Sorry anon, @duchess-of-mandalore ur prompt is here now lol)

So I see great minds think alike! And dawww thank you, this is such a sweet ship to write for, I have so much fun whenever I get the opportunity!

Since two people asked for the same thing, I sat on these prompts for a hot minute so I could come up with the best one!  It is Very Blatantly Anastasia-inspired but I love that movie so much so ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ (holy shit this is the longest one yet whOOPS I am not joking this is like a full fic size lol I might put it on ao3)

Obitine 10 - Childhood best friends AU: Which one was super obviously in love with the other the whole time? Who was oblivious until they were older?

This is a universe in which Obi Wan’s family didn’t give him to the Jedi as a baby.  They’re still not very well off at all, but maybe this time they try instead to seek better fortunes for the whole family, so off they go into the galaxy for a new life, and after a few years end up on Mandalore as refugees in Sundari.

At this point and time, let’s say the Duchess on the throne is Satine’s grandmother, and through a series of good fortune, Obi Wan’s family gets a gig where they can deliver things from the docks to the royal palace.  Obi Wan’s about eight by this time, so as the eldest, he’s to go with his father to help with the deliveries when necessary.  He’s got Special Gifts, though-- sometimes things break when he’s upset, he knows how to make some heavy things float if he thinks about it hard enough, and when other people are really excited or sad or something, Obi Wan can feel that too --and his parents have both stressed to keep that part of himself quiet on a place like Mandalore, here they only know Jedi can do those tricks, and the Jedi and Mandalore are enemies, so Obi Wan must be very careful, especially around the palace.

They’re running busy with extra deliveries for a celebration for the Duchess’s granddaughter who is coming to stay with her, when Obi Wan slips up for the first time in his life.  He’s struggling to push a heavier crate out of the speeder while his father goes around to talk to one of the palace staff, when the repulsors levitating it fail.  The crate is clearly marked fragile and Obi Wan knows they’ll get less money if they break something, and he doesn’t even mean to do it, he just thinks, and his hand is jerking out to raise the crate high over his head and has it settling gently down with the rest.

A gasp behind him has him whirling around and realizing he’s been caught.  It’s another kid around his age, long blonde hair done up in twin buns and flowing down in pigtails (Sailor Moon, I am breaking story to stress that baby Satine had Sailor Moon hair because it’s adorable and I must say it).  Wide blue eyes are staring back at him, and he feels a chill run down his spine as he’s asked how he just did it.

He starts talking, quickly, please don’t tell anyone, he promises he’s not dangerous, not a Jedi, he’s just helping his father--

Satine cuts the strange boy off.  When she had decided to run to hide from her tutors today, a child her age who could do magic tricks was not what she was expecting to find.  This seems much more fun than Mandalorian history.  She had never really minded the Mean Scary Jedi from the stories, much to her parents’ chagrin, and their powers had seemed interesting, so she says that she won’t tell anyone about his tricks-- as long as he teaches her how to do that.

She has to comfort him again when his face crumples and he protests that he doesn’t know how, and she changes to promise him she won’t tell as long as he agrees to play with her.  This is the first boy she’s met who isn’t one of her parents’ snobby friends’ kids she has to be nice to, or one of her annoying cousins who like to hurt when they playfight like Pre; she’s always wanted a friend before and this one doesn’t even seem to know who she is since he hasn’t started with all the bowing and the “milady-ing” that everyone else around her does.  

He seems much happier at this arrangement, or at least really doesn’t want her to tattle on him, so he promises he’ll be right back, he just needs to ask his father if he can play.  Something makes him pause, turning and asking her who she is, exactly.  Satine falters, realizing that if the boy knows she’s Lady Kryze of Kalevala, he might be too afraid to play.

Obi Wan is amused when the girl replies her name is Sabine, and her grandmother works in the palace, because of course that’s her name.  The folk heroine S’Tiin or S’Biin, depending on who you ask, is such a famous story around here, it seems like everyone on Mandalore wants to name their eldest daughters Satine or Sabine-- even the Duchess’s granddaughter is named Satine.  Her dress is very fine, a deep, pretty green, and Obi Wan asks if her grandmother works making dresses.  Sabine hesitates and says that no, but her grandmother is in charge of bossing the tailors around, so she can get nice things.  Obi Wan nods, figuring her grandmother is some staff overseer like the bossy men at the docks that tell his parents where to bring things.

Sabine asks him his name, and Obi Wan tells her, only for her to wrinkle her nose and ask if she can call him something else; he doesn’t look like an Obi Wan.  Bemused, he asks her what he looks like.  She says he looks like a Ben.  Obi Wan has never had a friend before, so he shrugs and says sure, she can call him Ben.  Sabine beams.  He likes making her smile.

She asks him if he can do cartwheels.  He can, and demonstrates them for her.  She smiles wider, and he really likes making her smile.  She asks if he can teach her how.

They practice cartwheels and handstands and chasing each other throughout the crates, until Sabine sees palace guards coming out and hisses for him to hide under one of the crates with her.  He asks why, and she pauses for a moment before saying that they don’t like the palace kids going outside unsupervised.  After this, Obi Wan is getting ready to meet his father again, and she grabs his hand, asks him if he’ll come back to play with her again.

Obi Wan really likes having a friend.  He tells her the truth, that his family makes the deliveries about once a week.  He promises to meet her again then.

Satine hasn’t felt so free, hasn’t had a true friend in forever.  She is unrepentant when she is caught and scolded for running off by the adults, and makes sure to be extra good in her lessons so she can wait for the next week to sneak off and meet Ben to play again.  She feels guilty for lying to him about her and her grandmother, but she doesn’t want things to be weird between them, and people often are weird around the Duchess’s granddaughter.

They meet to play once a week for about a year; Obi Wan telling Sabine about his family’s adventures around the galaxy and how he wishes they weren’t so poor, and Satine tells Ben in the vaguest terms of why she was sent away from her family because her home was not safe, how her little sister is somewhere else entirely, how she misses them.  Both become one of the most important people in the other’s life in a very, very short time.

Everything changes the night of the Grand Ball.  Obi Wan tells Sabine excitedly over sandwiches she smuggled out of the kitchens that his family were offered extra money by the palace to help on the inside and serve the many guests that will be arriving from all over the galaxy.  She replies that she will be at the ball too, and her parents will be visiting and she’s excited to see him, though he feels she’s acting a bit funny over the whole thing.  Sabine assures him she’s not, and offers to teach him a waltz step.  She’s elegant and graceful and very pretty; sometimes it feels like he’s friends with a fancy princess, not another servant girl.

Satine is a little worried now that Ben will be upset she lied to him, as he will definitely figure out she’s third in line for the throne at the party.  Her parents are coming in from Kalevala, even if Bo Katan will not be there-- a shame, Satine misses her, and they will all be standing by her grandmother as royal family members.  Still, she feels that maybe it will be okay; Ben is her friend!  She’ll show her grandmother that he knows how to dance, and maybe her grandmother will let her marry him when she’s older-- Satine has not told Ben that she plans to marry him one day, but that’s alright, she has time to win him over.

The night of the ball, Obi Wan messes with his carefully brushed hair and fidgets in the slightly too big serving clothes handed to him and his parents by palace staff as they arrive and change and prepare to set things up.  He looks around for Sabine, but he doesn’t see her amongst the servants.  This disappoints him, he was hoping to introduce her to his parents.  He thinks they’ll like her a lot.  He hopes maybe her family will like him too.  Satine dresses in her prettiest sky blue dress with a matching opal tiara and braids her hair into a crown over her head; maybe tonight Ben will see her and call her pretty.

The party is in full swing and Obi Wan is a little worried; he still hasn’t found Sabine yet, so he’s been sticking to his mother’s side and serving food to sentients and species he’s never seen before.  The royal family has yet to appear, but Ben’s more worried that Sabine is sick; did something happen to her?

Satine stands in formation outside the hall with her parents and her grandmother and her other aunts and uncles and cousins.  They raise their heads high, the doors open, they begin their procession through the room as the musical fanfare swells--

And shots are firing and transparisteel is exploding in showers as the all-windows ballroom is broken into from all sides by masked figures with jetpacks and a rain of blasters.  Satine has exactly one second to see her father turn, reaching for his concealed sidearm, before he is shot and topples.  Her mother’s scream sounds in her ears, but the woman is already drawing her own blaster to cover her grandmother and her grandmother is shoving Satine down under the newly made corpse and telling her to play dead until the whole thing is over.  It still smells like her father.  She doesn’t move a muscle as more blasterfire and screams echo around the room, and then the body above her is shaking with what seems to be more shots, and is being lifted off of her, and Satine doesn’t have time to raise a hand and cry out before her wrist is being seized and a masked figure holding-- holding a sword made of glowing black light?  Is that the Dark--? is grabbing her and towing her out of the room.  She sees far too many dead bodies amongst the smoke.  She recognizes all of her family members amongst them.

Obi Wan and his mother had avoided the first round of attackers by hiding under a table, but as soon as they made a break for it to frantically search for his father, his mother goes down.  Horrified, he tries to kneel next to her, but she looks him in the eye, and breathes out to find his father, run, take the service tunnels they took to get in here.  Obi Wan knows how to deal with heartbreak even in this life, so, dying along with her, he lets go of her hand, forces himself to turn away and make a run for the tunnels.  Along the way, he trips over his father.  He’s not moving either.  

Obi Wan Does Not Think About It besides a cruel sense of relief, that knowing his wife had died likely would have killed his father anyway.  He keeps running, is small and fast and can avoid the masked soldiers in the darkness as the power fails, and is almost to the end of the tunnel, when he hears a familiar voice crying out.

Sabine.

Picking up speed, he bursts out of the tunnel to see his friend in a fine but bloody dress struggling in the grip of a masked figure with the strangest sword Obi Wan has ever seen.  The figure resists even as she kicks him in the shin, and while Obi Wan is running, he will not get there fast enough as the figure picks her up and begins to lift off in a jetpack.

Sabine’s eyes meet his, he can hear her screaming his nickname.

He doesn’t think.

He feels the power surging in his gut and reaches out in fright towards the figure flying away, not focused on anything more than for fate or someone to please not take Sabine away too.

The figure’s jetpack sparks, sputters, stops working, spiraling down to one of the platforms in a crash.  Obi Wan watches in horror as Sabine is flung out of their arms and skids across the platform to a stop, their fancy black sword vanishing back into its hilt and sliding in the same direction as her.  The armored figure themself is not as lucky, tumbling over the side of the platform in the other direction and plummeting down at least ten stories for their jetpack to explode upon impact at the bottom.

Obi Wan tears over to Sabine, who is laying very, very still, a large, bloody lump on her forehead.  Obi Wan is about to break down because no, not her too, but he can see the fluttering of her chest moving, and he can smell the palace beginning to burn behind him, and he does not hesitate in scooping her up and throwing her over his shoulder-- like they would do when they roughhoused, except now she is not shrieking in laughter and beating on his back for him to put her down --and last minute pocketing the hilt of the strange sword.  He sees a nearby speederbike and gently settles her in front of it and tears off, saltwater streaming down his own face.  

He’s never driven before, but he knows the way after a year of deliveries, and he takes them straight home to his family’s tiny apartment by the docks, locks the door, and drags Sabine under his parents’ bed to hide with him like the children they both are.  No matter what he does, she will not wake up.  While sirens wail outside, and the radio he leaves on reports everyone at the palace dead including the entire royal family, and the new leadership run by what is being called the Death Watch Junta, he lets himself cry, for her, for his family, for her own, for everything.

Sabine wakes up a full day later.

She doesn’t remember a thing.

Obi Wan is horrified.

She just remembers fuzziness and faint flashes of memory, of cold older figures, of a warm sunny room, painted wings on a canvas, the name Ben and bright silvery eyes that stare back at her now.  The boy tells her her name is Sabine, she lives in Sundari, Mandalore, and-- here he stutters --she is an orphan, like him.  Their families had all attended a party at the palace, where Sabine lived, but then bad people attacked, and they were the only ones to escape.

Sabine nods, this all lining up in her empty brain.  She has no true connection to these people who raised her, and yet, she cries for their loss anyway.  The boy says his name is--

Ben, she cuts him off, connecting the one name in her memories to the boy in front of her.

Obi Wan hesitates, about to tell her his real name, the one his parents gave him-- his parents who are dead and gone.  He nods, yes, he says, you called me that.  Ben Kenobi.  

Sabine asks if she has a last name.  Ben hesitates, says no, she never gave him one.  She cocks her head pensively, analyzing him.  Could I use yours?

He flushes, knowing only married men give women staying with them, their wives, their names, or they take the woman’s.  But still, it’s not like he has any other family now.

He agrees.

Two days later, using some credits stashed in Ben’s parents’ safe for emergencies, Ben and Sabine Kenobi make their way off Mandalore as workers on a cargo freighter.  Sundari holds too many bad memories for Ben, and the taunting of memories out of reach for Sabine.

Ben remembers Sabine’s distraught face, feels the hilt of the strange blacklight sword stuffed down the side of his pantleg, remembers how he couldn’t protect her, how she has no memory because of him.  How she still trusts him anyway.  

He will not let anything happen to her again.

And thus they live for the next decade, literally living hand to mouth and not having a single clue what the next day will bring.

Sabine remembers a grandmother, remembers her having fiery red hair and a stern voice, her mother’s eyes were blue like hers, remembers odd strands of music and lilies in a garden.  She remembers the story told to her of the Darksaber, which she doesn’t have a clue why someone holding it would be after her like Ben tells her.  She agrees he should hold onto it though, because from the little she remembers, it was never good news for Mandalore, and since Ben has Jedi powers, it’s best he keeps it for their defence.

Defence and safety is a slight issue for them.  Sabine is brilliant and great at coming up with plans for how two young kids can find money and food in a galaxy that only seems to benefit the uberwealthy, and Ben has his magic that lets him lie easily, float things out of pockets, sense danger.  But she always feels guilty after, and throws a fit every time one of their schemes results in someone getting hurt.  Ben rarely uses the Darksaber except to scare people, and it’s not like they’ve killed anyone, but she wouldn’t speak to him for three days after he knocked out a man by collapsing an old roof on him.  A man who was about to stab you with a fucking vibroblade, Sab, come on.

Someone taught Sabine how to shoot though, so they compromise by having her carry around a blaster set on stun, and a blaster Ben promises he’ll keep on stun, and then breaks it whenever there’s danger, and Sabine is upset again.  But he can’t help it.  She’s his family, and family looks out for each other.  Plus, she comes up with the plans and she knows how to cook, which he’s never figured out without her insulting it.  He should bring something to the table.

She doesn’t know why she’s like this, but she just feels this anger every time people have to resort to violence, because that’s what the galaxy has reverted to, that the Republic’s laws are so poor, that people need to hurt each other to survive.  Things have to be better than that.

She feels like there’s more in life for her.

But she doesn’t know what, and running free by Ben’s side as they steal from rich bastards and give back to people needy even when they go hungry themselves more often than not, when they find ships and hop from world to world, experiencing culture after culture, it gives her a sense of purpose, and she knows he agrees with her, that people need help, and if no one’s going to stick up for them, Ben and Sabine will.

He trains with the Darksaber, picks up books on swordfighting, watches old holos about the Jedi when he can.  Sabine watches him, watches the way his calculating eyes follow the motions, how his body moves when he practices.  He’s handsome, and she cannot tell him that, because he’s all she has, but that’s okay, she’ll grow out of it.  It’s just a crush.

Puberty is awkward and horrifying and hellish for the both of them, but they’ve lived side by side for too long for it to be a serious issue.  But it is embarrassing, very embarrassing.  Sabine does enjoy her three years of being the taller one though, and even when Ben finally passes her again, it’s only an inch and less than that when she’s wearing heeled boots.

Ben starts having to use both his powers and the Darksaber when their schemes get more complicated and them deeper into trouble with local authorities.  He’s rough, untrained, but he has his own style, even if they have to flee near immediately afterwards because rumors of Jedi start flying around.  They can’t have the Jedi know about them.  They’ll take away Ben because he’s like them and leave Sabine alone.

They nearly die multiple times.

They fight so bad they split up twice, though each time, no more than a day or two goes by before the one who packed their bags and stormed off “forever” is trudging back, apology on their tongue, only to find the other on their way to apologize as well and beg them to stay.

They visit Mandalore once, when they are fifteen.  It is a completely different place than how Ben remembers it, and to Sabine it doesn’t glow like memories that return do.  It’s wrong.  The ruling junta controls everything, everyone.  Everything is bleak and grey, and they try to do the job there as quickly as possible.  Sabine notices a lot of girls with her name, and the rarer ones named Satine; though, a local tells her when she expresses confusion at their question of what clan she’s from, the name Satine is dying out much quicker than its counterpart.

She is told a story of the warrior of old, S’Tiin/S’Biin that she remembers being told long, long ago, and how girls are named in her honor.

But then she and Ben are told of the Duchess Satine, the newer folk hero.

Sabine’s seen the name graffitied on various walls around the galaxy, there’s a Mandalorian bounty hunter phrase that talks of Duchess Satine’s luck being with them, but she’s never known what it meant until now.

Years ago, there was an old Duchess who ruled Mandalore fairly.  Her reign came to an end when the Death Watch stormed the palace and burned it and killed the Duchess and the entire royal family.  Sabine feels the dread in her gut, knows how her own lost family died that night, how she doesn’t even remember if she was with them when it happened, how Ben still wakes up screaming sometimes from the deaths of his own parents playing in his head, smoke and bodies sometimes haunting her own dreams.

But, the local whispers, rumors say that one body from the royal family was not accounted for: Lady Satine Kryze, the Duchess’s second youngest grandchild.  The body of the young girl was never found, though the government insists that she too is dead.  Dissidents and those who are unsatisfied with the Death Watch Junta’s rule pray otherwise, stake their faith that the young Satine escaped somehow, and is alive and thriving somewhere safe.

That now, as the only member of the royal family left, Satine Kryze will return to Sundari one day, overthrow the Death Watch and restore the throne, take her rightful place as the Duchess Satine of Mandalore and free them all.

Naming a child Satine now will earn you government attention you do not want, but people still have faith.  It’s all they have left.

Ben thinks the story is admirable, though he’s always been open and curious, willing to give things the benefit of the doubt.  Sabine personally finds it a tad ridiculous, and makes her even more furious at this “government” that mistreats its people so much they cling to dead children’s ghosts as prophesied saviors.  Ben never pulls out the Darksaber on Mandalore.  They leave soon after.

Ben and Satine as they grow up discover emotions like love, lust, want.  Neither can remember who first started making eyes at someone they saw on the street, who paid attention to someone who wasn’t the other, but that too causes fights.  The blowout when Ben almost lets Sabine get caught by an angry guard because he was talking to a pretty shopgirl, and then has the audacity to follow Sabine and brood from a distance when a pretty girl asks her to lunch because he doesn’t trust the other girl’s judgement.

They know the other has just grown more beautiful with age, and the painful temptation of how they can be so close, but so, completely, utterly forbidden, and besides, they don’t like me like that.

There are first kisses that aren’t with each other and brief flings with sentients on planets they aren’t on for more than a week.  They talk about love and families, but decide they’re both too young for that, and both feel a relief they won’t admit when the other agrees.

Everything changes once more ten years after Ben dragged Sabine away from the smoking Sundari palace and she woke up with nothing but faint ghosts in her mind.

They’re on a fairly backwater mudhole, trying to scope out a new ride off the planet after helping feed a colony of sick minorities oppressed by the local government, when Ben tenses up next to her and his hand slips around her hip in that way she knows is only protective, but wishes was more.  Sabine turns to see the blue eyes of a man watching her under a heavy brown robe and hood.

She murmurs in Ben’s ear, should they take an opportunity on this one?  Sabine may hate violence, but her and Ben have both found out by now that there are people all over the galaxy who may look a little too close at pretty young children, and the ones who act on those urges, they’ve discovered that neither feels much remorse when they lure them into the other’s stun gun and rob them.

Ben tenses, he’s always despised it when Sabine does this, is worried she’ll get hurt-- fuck it, he doesn’t like seeing her smile coyly at these bastards, beseechingly like she wants them, has to watch them undress her with their eyes, he wants to vomit or stab something or both, but he can’t make decisions for her, though hells know she gives him enough shit when he’s the one doing the luring, though he can’t imagine why.  It’s not like she feels anything for him.  She probably just doesn’t like that he’s being violent.

But his Special Sense goes off with a ringing when he looks at the tall man with the beard staring closely at Sabine, and his gut has rarely steered him wrong before, even if he’s furious with its betrayal by agreeing with Sabine that she should lure this man.

Said luring kind of backfires when it turns out that the vibes Ben was getting off of the robed man was him being a fucking Jedi who quite easily avoids Sabine’s stunning attempts and is now holding his bright green laser sword up to protect himself from Ben who has the Darksaber lit and is fully prepared to get his ass kicked but come on, this is not fair.  It’s especially not fair that the other man is smiling triumphantly.

Sabine feels sick.  The Jedi have found Ben and he’s going to leave her alone.

Ben snarls that he’s not going anywhere with the man, pressing himself to Sabine’s side.  This was his own fault for getting them caught

The man blinks, says he does not want anything with Ben.  He would much like to speak with the Duchess, gesturing to Sabine.

Ben and Sabine stare at him like he’s lost his mind.

The man clarifies, gesturing to Sabine again, asking if she is not in fact Satine Kryze?  

The Lost Duchess?

Sabine feels a high pitched laugh leave her throat, Ben snapping back that no she is not, but the Jedi just sighs, extinguishes his blade, and sits on the floor.  He’s still in front of their only exit because they were foolish enough to lure him into a room with one door.

He introduces himself as Jedi Master Qui Gon Jinn, and says that he has spent the last two weeks following sightings of a black lightsaber very similar to the legendary blade that was wielded by the Mand’alors of old in the past in the possession of a young woman who appears to be the same age as Mandalore’s lost ducal heir.

Ben murmurs to Sabine that this man cannot be stable right now, feeling all the guilt at his own obsession with using his powers like a Jedi when a Jedi he is not and getting them in deep trouble.  Sabine is developing a massive headache, like some of the cotton fog that’s been stuffed tight in her mind for ten years is finally starting to dissipate, but at a rate that it’s just slow and painful.

She asks Jinn scathingly, do the Jedi chase after all silly fairytales now?

Jinn shakes his head with a patronizing smile.  No, he says.  But the Death Watch Junta do.

He watches as both of them tense at the names of those who wiped out their families.  He explains gently, that the Jedi and the Republic have had an eye on Mandalore as a recognized state sponsor of terrorism, and how new reports of them making threats against worlds with the description of the young woman and the lightsaber are making the worlds nervous enough to call the Jedi for help.  The Jedi have figured it would be best to locate the targets the Death Watch are after, if only to keep the worlds the Death Watch would raze to the ground to find them safe.

Sabine and Ben look at each other in horror.  Death Watch is after them?  Ben instantly hands over the sword to Jinn, says he can have that, he and Sabine will be fine on their own, they’ll leave the world and go somewhere they won’t be found.

Jinn shakes his head, says that they need to come with him, Death Watch intends to take Sabine back to Mandalore and publicly kill her.  It doesn’t matter if she’s truly the Duchess or not, they want to break the branches of resistance who view the Duchess as a symbol of hope.

With that, Sabine passes out, voices flooding her head, memories, castles, palaces, eyes, a throne, swarming through her brain.

She can’t be the Lost Duchess.  She can’t.  She would have--

What, remembered it?

Ben suspects foul play on Jinn’s part the second Sabine drops, and if he wasn’t so eager to take the opening and stun the Jedi, grab Sabine over his shoulder, and bolt, he would have known this wasn’t Jinn’s fault as he was surprised enough by her faint to let his guard down.

In his hurry, Ben leaves the Darksaber on the ground where he had tried to give it to Jinn.

He did not realize just how far ahead Jinn was of these Death Watch hunters, however, as not two hours later he’s ambushed, wakes up in a sewage ditch to very bruised everything and Jinn prodding him awake, and-- and Sabine is gone, he lost her.  He failed.

Jinn is shaking him out of his panic, making him a deal that if they come with him afterwards, Jinn will help him rescue Sabine-- and, help Ben learn how to properly use a lightsaber, he adds, holding the Darksaber back out to him.

Sabine wakes up alone and in chains in a dark room on a ship she’s not familiar with.  A helmeted man sits in front of her, asks her who she is, where she came from.  Sabine-- at the encouragement of his blaster to her foot, tells him the whole truth, which is that she has no fucking clue what they want with her.  She’s not the Duchess, literally every other girl on Mandalore is named Sabine or Satine, she’s an orphan, but so are half of the other kids in the galaxy, and she left ten years ago because the occupation was not proving safe or financially beneficial to a street kid like her.

For the first time in her life, her mind feels like she is lying when she tells the story.

As he and Qui Gon track down the ship that took her, Ben is kicking himself.  As a kid, when he met the richly dressed girl by the storage entrance to do cartwheels, he always felt there was something she wasn’t telling him.  Always felt like he was visiting to see nobility, not another servant girl.  A girl whose grandmother commanded servants, like the Duchess of all people was supposed to do.  A girl who was being taken away by someone wielding the weapon that symbolized the ruler of the people, that had to have been taken off of the dead body of the Duchess.

And Sabine had woken up with no clue who she was, and Ben could have quite possibly fed her an entire life’s worth of lies.

Sabine’s answers do not impress her captors.  She braces for torture, and that seems to be what’s on the menu for the next time she gets visitors, as the man growls over his shoulder as he leaves threats of what might happen if she proves so uncooperative again.

Her mind spins again.  Could she be?  Is she really?

But why would Ben lie to her?

He wouldn’t.  He couldn’t.  Sabine has known Ben long enough to know how he lies.  He was an emotional wreck who had lost his whole family after she had first woken up.  He couldn’t have lied to her then to save his life, certainly not to that extent.

No, Ben genuinely believed his tale of Sabine Nobody the servant girl, Sabine knows this with all her heart.

That means Sabine cannot be Satine Kryze then.

But she could?

Ugh.  Her fucking head hurts and she is utterly fucking confused.

Hmm.  One would think she certainly swears far too much to be a fancy duchess.

Ben and Qui Gon Jinn find and board the ship Sabine is on.  As they board, Ben’s anger and fury and worry is washed over by a placid cloud.  He scowls at Jinn, who comments on how powerful he is.  Says he would have made an excellent Jedi.

Something doesn’t feel right hearing that from a Jedi himself.  Ben grips the Darksaber tightly, says that no, he is a Mandalorian.  That’s who took him in.  That’s what Sabine is.  Ben stays with Sabine.  End of story.

Says Jinn with a sad smile, You’re quite right.

They storm the ship as it enters hyperspace, they avoid guards by the skin of their teeth, Ben wants so, so badly to give into that dark voice inside him that’s snarling to tear, to destroy, to kill.  But Sabine doesn’t like violence.  Insists that the sword must be for defence.  That’s what they do, the two of them, they defend people.  Ben slashes and disables, but he does not kill.

They find Sabine in a cell and as soon as they open the door, they realize their sabers will not work against the metal of the chains, but Jinn waves a hand and they unlock on their own.

Ben sees the lost look in her eyes vanish at the sight of him, feels such warmthwarmthwarmth, oh gods above, he could have lost her--

Ben kisses her.

She stiffens for a second.

Holy shit.  Ben is kissing her.

She kisses him back before he can back off and change his mind.

I’m so sorry, he murmurs to her.  For so many things... he’s thinking.

Don’t be... she swears, knowing absolutely none of this was his fault, that he’s stood by her when no one else did.  Don’t be.

Things go haywire and Jinn is shot in the shoulder and they have to make the breathtakingly imbecilic decision of all piling into an escape pod and launching it while in hyperspace.  They nearly burn up tearing out of it and all of them black out from the g-force (this is Not any of their days for staying conscious for too long, it seems).

They wake up and Sabine and Ben are still holding hands and Jinn calls her Duchess again, and Sabine tenses, but Ben strokes her hand, admits miserably that he thinks she might be, that she might have been keeping something from him as children and he had never known what, but--

Sabine hushes him with another kiss.  If so, she says, that was her own fault, not his.  He couldn’t have known.  

But not there’s no way to-- Ben starts, but Jinn interrupts by saying that actually there might be.  He may be no mind healer, but the Jedi have a talent for going into someone’s mind and convincing it to do their will.

Both Sabine and Ben tense, recalling clearly all the times Ben has talked his way out of impossible situations, said things people never should have believed, but they did.

It is quite possible, Jinn says, that he can coax those memories in her mind back out.  He feels them pulsing beneath in her brain, it’s not even that severe a case of memory loss at all, there was just no incentive to trigger their release.

Ben is about to protest, Sabine can tell, so she interrupts him to accept Jinn’s offer.  She’ll be alright, she promises Ben.  She will.  She needs to do this, and he knows she does.

His grey eyes are stormy with worry, but she knows he knows he’s right.

Jinn waves his fingers over Sabine’s face, she feels herself falling asleep once more.

She remembers.

Her life comes back to her: Mother, Father, Bo, Grandmother, Kalevala, the Sundari palace, being raised by tutors before escaping for the freedom of a mysterious delivery boy who taught her to do cartwheels, lying to him to pretend she was normal.

The night of the ball, her blue dress, the tiara that fell off as she was shoved under her father’s body, Ben’s pale face as the armored figure with the black sword started to carry her away, falling, falling--

I’m Satine Kryze.

I am the Duchess of Mandalore.

Gods, help me.

She awakens.  Her cheeks feel wet with tears.  She meets Ben’s gaze, and she just nods.

He knows from the second she opened her eyes.  He squeezes her hand, tells her, she was screaming.  He almost fought Jinn, who assured him painful memories are often agitating.

She nods and he knows.

He doesn’t think he can call her by her true name just yet, but--

He’s crying too, begging her forgiveness, he would have told her if he had known, this is his fault--

She cuts him off, promises him it wasn’t.  I was scared, she gasps, scared you wouldn’t want to befriend a royal.  I was going to tell you at the ball, I swear it, but--

It wouldn’t have mattered, he declares, kissing the tears off her cheeks.  I would have followed you everywhere, even then.  I still will.  I don’t care who you are to other people.  To me, you’re everything.  It doesn’t matter, Sab.

Gods, she loves him.

She tells him so.

He says it back.

And now that she has that assurance...

Okay now don’t be upset, she tells in that way he knows means one of her more outlandish and dangerous plans.  But what if, what if she tried to be the duchess the Mandalorian people are looking for?

Qui Gon Jinn makes a muffled choking noise off to their right.

His eyebrows raise.  But he doesn’t laugh.  She is infinitely relieved he does not laugh at her.

Inside him, something clicks.  He always did feel like he was visiting royalty.  And he meant it when he said he’d follow her anywhere.

But he can’t help but ask: does she have any idea how to run a planet, honestly?

Sabine Kenobi has lived with the lowest of society for ten years, seen things Satine Kryze would never have come close to being exposed to outside her crystal towers.  Sabine Kenobi knows the cracks in the system.  They’ve kept her up at night, with that feeling that she was always supposed to be doing more with her life.

That purpose she was always searching for.

She looks Ben-- Obi Wan, he said once that his name was Obi Wan.  Maybe we should get used to using the names we left behind... --directly in the eye, and asks him: would he be willing to stay by her side as she figured it out?  She warns the process would likely be trial and error.

He meets her gaze and smiles that cocky smile of his she’s always wanted to kiss off his face.  She can do that now, she realizes giddily.  He tells her, absolutely.

She does kiss that smile off her face.

A cough sounds behind them and they separate, turning to look at Qui Gon Jinn, whose face seems torn between amused, intrigue, and likely wishing the Jedi had chosen someone else to find a missing girl and a black lightsaber.

Right.  

Sabine Kenobi, Satine Kryze claps her hands, addresses Jinn.  It seems that the three of them are to be fugitives for a while, she points out.  How, exactly, does one go about starting a peaceful revolution?

[dandelionflower]

@mcheang I want a Felix episode AU, where Felix is taken with Marinette but doesn’t really try to go out of his way to see her. And then he meets her cousin

[Send me Felinette prompts!]

......

Marinette Dupain-Cheng, famous child designer.

Her mother was a famed model and her father a gentle baker. It was no surprise that with that encouraging environment surrounded by beautiful clothes that Marinette’s fashion sense bloomed. Her brand, Cheng, skyrocketed when she was barely ten years old.

When Marinette turned thirteen, her father, Tom Dupain, disappeared. Her mother became a recluse and Marinette took it upon herself to heal her broken family.

Her mother was taken to therapy and soon rejoined the modeling world, becoming the sole model for Marinette’s new line, Dupain.

Marinette was a legend, she was graceful, responsible and humble even in the face of success.

And she had been sitting in front of Felix in class for most of the school year.

Felix had to admit, he had had a little crush on Marinette ever since she offered him her umbrella after her first day of school, and the first day Felix became Crimson Spot.

He kept his distance, but there were still times where he found himself abandoning logic to hang out with her, but not to the extent that he could be.

But Marinette’s job as a famous designer did take a toll on her, as she put so much pressure on herself to learn languages, play piano and guitar and be a generally well-rounded human being. It caused her to have to skip some friendly outings.

Today was one of those days.

The whole class had met up to discuss ways to lighten Marinette’s mood on the anniversary of the day her father disappeared.

“What if we sent her videos?” Felix suggested. “Telling her how happy we are to be friends with her.”

“Great idea dude!” Nino elbowed him. “Why don’t you go first?”

A shock of fear ran through him as he snatched the tablet from Nino’s hand. “Why don’t I just record them for now?”

Nino gave him a look, but allowed it and moved on.

—

Gina Dupain stared down at her granddaughter, sitting next to her daughter-in-law, both of them looking at the statue of her son, singing the little kitten song he had taught them before they left.

She had so desperately wanted to tell them, console themselves with the information that he would return, just as soon as she got the miraculous from those pesky heroes.

She was the ‘villain’ Lady Violet and her darling son was resting under her families home, comatose, because of the peacock miraculous.

She wanted to tell them, to ask them to help her, but she just couldn’t.

Gina walked down the stairs and sat next to them, wrapping her arms around the only family she had left.

The doorbell rang and and they all jolted from their song and they walked to the door just as it opened, revealing a large shadow.

“Papa?” Marinette whispered, stepping forwards.

The figure walked forwards just a little more, revealing him to be Sabine’s brother, Wang.

He stepped aside to reveal a petite girl with deep blue hair tied in a high ponytail.

“Bridgette!” Marinette smiled and launched herself at her cousin. “It’s been so long.”

“It certainly has.” Sabine grabbed her brother by the arm and began chatting with him in Mandarin, a language the whole family was fluent in, thanks to Marinette. “Remember when those two would dress up like each other and you ended up taking Marinette home?”

He chuckled. “I was so easily fooled.”

After Bridgette had successfully detangled herself from her cousin, she glanced at Gina, more specifically, the necklace Gina was wearing.

Gina caught her glance and casually tucked the necklace into her shirt.

“So, sister, I don’t mean to pry, but would you consider giving me the family rings?”

“Of course, Tom’s is somewhere upstairs. Marinette, take Bridgette upstairs and help her get settled.” The four of them went upstairs and Gina was left alone, staring at the ring on her necklace.

That girl better be worth an akuma.

—

Bridgette scrolled on her phone absentmindedly, as Marinette chattered on about who knows what.

“I’m just so glad you’re here!”

“Yeah... so am I. Anyway, can I take a shower? I feel like I’ve been on that plane forever.”

“Yeah, no problem.”

Bridgette stood up and began walking to the room she gestured to, before she got an idea. She turned slightly, wrapping her arms around Marinette and slipping her phone from her pocket into Bridgette’s.

“Thanks for being here for me, Mari.”

She heard a soft hum and Marinette hugged her back.

“Anytime.”

Once the shower was turned on, Bridgette slid to the floor and started going through Marinette’s phone.

“A superhero crush? Seriously?”

Just as she was about to go onto social media, the phone buzzed with a video message.

“Hey, girl.” A girl in a plaid shirt waved at the camera. “I know you’re probably having a bad time right now, but-“

“Boring.” She deleted it.

“Markov and I have done the research an jokes are statistically proven to improve your mood by ninety-seven percent. So, knock knock?”

“Lame.” She snorted.

“You’re so sweet and kind and considerate and-“

“Wow. Original.”

“Marinette. I know you’re likely going through something right now, and I want to let you know that I’m here for you, because... I adore you. I have for quite some time, ever since you gave me your umbrella that day at school.”

“Pathetic.”

After the last video had been deleted, she leaned her head back against the wall.

So the little princess has some good friends... not for long.

“Hey Bridgette?” Marinette spike through the door. “I’ve got some stuff in the oven downstairs, mind if I leave you here to go get it?”

“No problem, but do you have any extra clothes I could borrow?”

“Sure thing, I’ve got some in my closet. Take whatever you want.”

She heard the door close and turned off the shower.

First, a little more snooping.

She checked the drawers, computer, and a really smelly cabinet.

“Yuck.” She threw the awful thing on the bed and pushed a pillow on it.

Finally, she opened a drawer and found the biggest stash of hair ties in the world.

Good, now she could put her hair in those insufferable pigtails.

She opened the closet and chose a navy jacket and neatly cuffed jean shorts, along with a white t-shirt.

She pulled out the phone and pressed record, a smile on her face.

—

“I hope you’re happy, Tikki. Because I am never doing anything again.”

She giggled, floating over his head. “Don’t be so dramatic! I’m sure Marinette will appreciate the confession.”

“During the time she is most vulnerable, another thing to think about is the last thing she needs.”

“Well...” His phone buzzed before she could answer.

“Marinette answered.” He remarked, walking up to the rest of his friends.

“...It only served to make me feel worse! I hate all of you!”

“I can’t look at this.” Alya passed the tablet to Nino.

“How could she say that about us?” Rose whimpered. “I thought we were her friends.”

“Marinette said all of that? Impossible.”

“She did.” Juleka shook her head.

The girl who made sure she was at every rehearsal, every practice, everything she was asked to go to?

“Nino, I really think-“ he was cut off when a cloud of violet attacked his three classmates, transforming them into their former akumatized selves.

“He’s not ‘Nino’ anymore.” Reflecta spoke, transforming Alya into a carbon copy of her.

“I’m Bubbler now.” He swung the tablet-shaped wand in the air, deadly bubbles pouring out.

“One of the three Punishers!” Princess Fragrance remarked with glee, a familiar toxic cloud pouring from her gun.

Felix gulped in a breath of air, barely muttering “Spots on” as he dove into the water.

It can’t be an akuma, maybe a sentimonster?

He threw his yo-yo out, swinging after the three punishers, hoping to save the true Marinette and get some answers.

—

“I made cookies!” Marinette sang, opening her door with the tray. “It’s been so long, I can’t remember what your favorite is, so I went with an old classic; chocolate chip!”

She stopped dead in her tracks as she saw Bridgette rocket off of her office chair, hair in pigtails.

“Whatcha doing, Bridge?”

“Well...”

“Marinette!” Her mother barged in. “Akumas, get the both of you to the bunker!”

“Too late.” Reflekta walked in, accompanied by Bubbler and Princess Fragrance.

“Dude, which one’s the real Mari?” Bubbler whispered.

Marinette glanced at Bridgette. She needed to transform before anyone got hurt.

“It is I! The cruel Marinette!” She cackled, relishing in the concerned and confused look on Bridgette’s face. “You’ll never take me alive!” She dashed out of the door.

Once she had made it into a secure hallway, Plagg flew out of her pocket.

“So, I know you’re against using cataclysm on a person but...”

“No, Plagg.”

“She smushed my cheese!”

“I’ll get you more cheese, now come on, claws out.”

She felt the familiar magic leather clothe her and jumped out a window, eyes landing on the familiar red bug in the distance.

—

Felix swung into the room, grabbing Marinette and swinging her out and onto the roof of the nearest hotel.

“What happened?”

“I don’t know!” Her eyes were wide and innocent; Felix felt his composure slipping.

“Well, if you don’t have any information, just stay here and hide; I’ll deal with the akuma.”

He turned to leave.

“Wait! Crimson Spot!” She grabbed his arm and Felix swallowed.

“Yes?”

She started walking and Felix stepped backwards in an attempt to preserve personal space.

“How ‘bout a little extra courage?” His back bumped against the wall and he stood, frozen, as he watched the girl he had adored from afar lean closer.

“That won’t be necessary.” He tried to gently push her away, but she persisted, her lips mere millimeters from his.

Something within him burned red and snapped. He crouched low and swept his right foot in a circle, knocking her to the ground.

“You’re either an imposter or a sentimonster, because Marinette certainly understands that no means no.”

“That’s Bridgette,” Catastropheline landed gently on her toes, not making eye contact with Crimson. “Marinette’s cousin. I ran into her and she told about the... situation.”

She glanced at Bridgette, who was backing away ever so slightly.

“It must be difficult keeping what few friends you have with you acting like that, huh?”

“If she’s not a sentimonster, then we need to stop wasting time and find the akuma.” He threw his yo-yo into the air and a small can of whipped cream fell into his hand.

“As always, Tikki.” He groaned.

“Cataclysm.” Darkness collected over Catastropheline’s palm just as three thumps sounded around them.

“I wouldn’t if I was you, kitty.” Refleckta had her brooch aimed at the dark clothed hero’s heart.

“I usually prefer my servants to wear pink,“Princess Fragrance twirled her gun around, “but I suppose red would do.”

“And if that’s not enough, I’ll send you both on a one way flight to the sun if you so much as move.”

“Crimson.” His partner spoke from beside him. “Do you have a plan?”

Before he could deliver the depressing answer, a shout turned them both to Bubbler, who was clutching his hand with Bridgette in front of them, holding the tablet.

“Good! Bridgette, break the wand now! Then this torture can be over.”

“Oh, I don’t want it to be over. I’m just switching the roles.” She smirked before she held up the rectangular wand. “Lady Violet! Are you listening? I can help you; all I need in return is a certain piece of jewelry.”

“Get the miraculous first, and I’ll consider it.” Bubbler growled, holding out his hand for the wand.

She grinned wider. “With pleasure.”

She tossed the wand to Bubbler and started running towards the superhero pair.

“Feline, batter up.” Was all he said as he launched his can into the air.

Even without the use of her ring-bearing hand, she swung her baton effortlessly, slamming it into the can.

It fell just ahead of Bridgette’s feet, and she stepped on it haphazardly, tripping and sending it into Bubbler’s face.

The wand flew through the air and started its decent to the pavement.

“Crimson! Go!”

“What about-“ He glanced at the imposter who had stood up and was moving towards him, only to see a metal baton slam into her abdomen.

He took in the two Punishers struggling in the pool and dashed to the side of the building, jumping off.

He landed directly on top of the bubble wand and heard the reassuring snap of broken plastic.

He purified the akuma swiftly and launched the battered can of whipped cream that had landed beside the wand, into the air with a shout of “Miraculous Ladybug.”

He swung back up as the cure swept the streets and landed beside Catastrophiline, who was helping Rose out the door.

“Pound it?”

She grinned and attempted to step over to him but ended up tripping over her own baton and, in a series of impressive acrobatics, landing on her face in front of Crimson Spot.

He chuckled and held out his hand. “I’d just begun to think you’d grown out of that.”

“Well, old habits hie dard, I mean, die hard.” She sprung to her feet with a sheepish grin, twirling the leather straps holding her pigtails in place.

They pressed their fists together and left, a screaming Bridgette still on the roof.

—

“... I just want you to know, Mari, that I am so sorry. I just... I was jealous that my father named his famed Celestial soup after you, and not me.” Bridgette, back in her own clothes looked down.

“What are you talking about?” Wang looked down at his daughter. “I’ve named so many of my dishes after you. My Angelic stew, to name one.”

“What?” She looked up at him with tears in her eyes. “I thought...”

“If every dish I wanted to name after you was called ‘Bridgette,’ people would get confused.” He explained, pulling her into his arms. “If only I had noticed, I could have explained.”

“It’s okay, Papa. I overreacted.” She spared another glance at her father, then turned to her extended family.

“I hope you can find it in your hearts to forgive me, after all the strife I caused.”

Marinette was the first to hug her, whispering a soft apology.

Sabine joined next, until it was just Gina standing beside the group hug with a hand on Bridgette’s shoulder.

She felt a slight tug and was pulled deep into the hug. The tension seemed to melt from her body and Gina allowed herself to feel content.

Bridgette was the first to pull out of the embrace.

“Thank you all, for forgiving me so quickly.”

“Of course.” Marinette grinned.

“You’re welcome back anytime.” Sabine added. “And, brother, I’ll call you if I ever find Tom’s ring.”

“I’d appreciate it.”

The two entered a black vehicle and drove off, Bridgette still waving through the window.

—

“Hey guys! I’m really sorry, but I wasn’t able to see your videos. It really warms my heart that you were thinking of me today, though. I want you to know that I love you. All of you.”

Marinette’s beaming face filled the screen as Felix watched the video again and again.

“She’s so considerate.” He sighed.

“Yeah, considering all that just happened with her cousin.” Tikki remarked. “It’s too bad she didn’t see your confession, though.”

“It’s probably all for the best. However, that Bridgette girl may prove to be an issue.”

“Yeah, working with Hawkmoth and his akumas all on her own, it’s kind of scary. I wonder what could be worth that?”

—

“It’s truly a pity that Sabine couldn’t find the second ring.” Wang sat down next to Bridgette, allowing her a window seat on the train.

“You mean this one?” Bridgette pulled a chain from her pocket and displayed the ring adorning it.

“Yes, Bridgette, that’s it!” He stared at the ring, transfixed for a moment, before hugging his daughter. “My little magician, always saving the day at the last minute.”

Bridgette smiled and, as her father turned to slip the ring in with its partner, turned to the window, her innocent features twisting into a cruel smirk.

It really was a shame their trip was cut so short. She could have had a lot of fun in Paris.

[knitting-fairy-marinette]

Noël blanc

♫ I'm dreaming of a white Christmas Just like the ones I used to know ♫ ❅

        “Merry Christmas, Marinette!” Adrien walked into the Dupain-Cheng bakery and was instantly greeted by his girlfriend jumping into his arms.

        “Merry Christmas, Adrien!” Marinette beamed with a smile.

        “Merry Christmas, Son.” Tom gave him a bone crushing hug before being pulled down by Sabine.

        “Merry Christmas, Dear.” Sabine chuckled softly, before gently patting the few snowflakes out of his hair. A gesture he greatly appreciated.

        “Come along now, Son! We’ve just finished preparing dinner, best to eat it while it’s hot.” Tom motioned for him to follow up the stairs.

        “I- I helped make de-dessert.” Marinette’s face flushed. “I- I hope you like it.”

        Adrien smiled as he tilted her chin upward. “I love anything you make.” He whispered before his lips neared her ear. “Buginette.” He could see the tips of her ears redden after being grazed by his breath.

        He suddenly burst out laughing, wondering if her face could get any redder.

        “Chaton!” Marinette gasped at the teasing before stomping her foot and rolling her eyes. Her gaze softened as soon as he took her hand in his and placed a soft kiss on her knuckles.

        “Come along now, Milady.” He grinned as together, they made their way up the steps.

❅

        Any dinner with the Dupain-Cheng family was unbelievably warm and Adrien knew it wasn’t just because of all the ovens that’d been running. It took a lot to convince his father to let him spend this evening away from home, but it was technically Christmas Eve and saying that he just wanted to just be with his girlfriend during this time was something his father’s money just couldn’t buy.

        Dessert was the most adorably sweet bûche de Noël which he could tell was completely decorated by his lady love.

        “Thanks for dinner, it was delicious.” Adrien smiled as they began clearing the table. He made an attempt to help out, but Tom stopped him.

        “I’m glad you enjoyed it, Son, but run along now. I’m sure my daughter can’t wait for presents.”

        “Come on, Adrien!” Marinette received a large thermos and container of cookies from Sabine before insisting he follow her up to her room.

        As soon as she’d closed the door to her room, their kwamis flew out, Tikki giggling her greetings. “Merry Christmas!”

        “Finally!” Plagg screamed. “Is it time to open presents?”

        “Plagg!” Adrien rolled his eyes. “Christmas is not about presents! It’s about spending time with…” His gaze sudden shifted over to his girlfriend. “The one that I love.”

        Marinette’s eyes brimmed with tears that Adrien quickly kissed away. “Adrien… I love you.” She whispered before kissing his lips.

        “I love you too, Marinette.” He smiled as he lifted her up in the air to give her a twirl.

        “Ahem…” Tikki coughed before they could begin making out. “I believe we were going to start the giving of gifts.”

        “Oh… right…” Marinette laughed nervously as she opened her desk drawer, producing two neatly wrapped presents.

        “This one is from me and Tikki, Plagg.” Marinette hummed as she and Tikki presented a little round wheel, wrapped in red and secured with a green ribbon.

        Adrien chucked under his breath, biting his tongue in order not to spoil the surprise. There was no way that wasn’t a wheel of cheese.

        “Aw thanks Marinette, Sugarcube!” Plagg excitedly tore at the wrapping. “Some camembert cheese ordered from Normandy?! Kid, she’s such a keeper!” Plagg sniffed before grabbing on to Tikki. “Sugarcube! We got you something too!”

        Plagg looked over to Adrien who then pulled out what looked like the tiniest possible jewelry box Marinette had ever seen.

        Tikki placed a hand to her cheek, surprised that they had thought to get her anything. “T-Thank you!” She smiled before opening it up. It was a single small hoop earring and absolutely gorgeous. It was rose gold with glittering white and red crystals.

        “Plagg picked it out, he spotted it at a jewelry stand while we were walking through a Christmas market.” Adrien smiled. “Apparently it was all by its lonesome.”

        “A-And I thought it’d work out nice as a necklace for you, Sugarcube…” Was Plagg… blushing?

        Oh... Plagg!” Tikki pulled him into a hug and dragged him away from their owners’ view so she could kiss him senseless.

        “Guess it’s our turn now.” Marinette laughed.

        “Open mine first.” Adrien requested as he presented her with a small box wrapped in shiny ladybug themed paper and gold ribbon.

        She skeptically looked at it, wondering if he secretly broke the Christmas budget they’d agreed on. After tugging at the ribbon and carefully peeling off the wrapping, she gasped. Oh, he totally didn’t listen to the budget, did he?

        She opened the limited-edition Lucky Ladybug compact and gazed at her reflection in the mirror. “Adrien!”

        “I didn’t break the budget!” He exclaimed. Adrien nervously rubbed the back of his neck. “Not technically… I was around the day they were shooting the promo shots and… asked if I could have it after they were finished…” He gave the cutest kitty-cat eyes he could muster. “So the only thing I technically had to pay for was to get it engraved.”

        Marinette couldn’t bring herself to scold him, not on Christmas, and definitely not while he was making that face. She closed the compact and turned it over, wanting to see what sort of message he’d gotten engraved.

        “You and me… against the world.” She whispered the words before a smile bloomed on her face. “Oh Chaton… I love it…” She leapt into his arms, hugging him as tight as she could. “But why a mirror?” She questioned.

        “I thought it could be another lucky charm.” Adrien spoke softly as he tucked a lock of hair behind her ear.

        “Of course, another lucky charm mirror, courtesy of Mr. Bug.” Marinette stuck her tongue out in a teasing manner.

        Adrien reddened from not only embarrassment, but at how cute his girlfriend’s expression was. “Well, I was hoping that every time you used it… it would remind you to see what I saw.” He cupped her cheek, making her shudder at his cool touch. “The most amazing girl in the world.”

        “I- I…” Marinette’s face flushed red as she hid her face behind her gift for him. “Ah… now there’s no way my gift can compare.”

        Adrien let out a laugh as he took the green-red spotted package and began to unwrap it. “I told you, Princess, I love anything that you make-“ He quieted at the sight of the pair of light blue mittens the exact shade as the scarf he’d received on his birthday. “Marinette!” He gasped in awe as he slipped on the hand knit mittens; they were a perfect fit and the warmest thing he’d ever worn. He then glanced at the palm area to see the faintest bit of green yarn form a cat’s paw. “THESE. ARE. AMAZING!”

        “Does this- Does this mean you like them?” She stuttered in embarrassment.

        “It means I love you, Marinette.” He smiled, reiterating his initial confession.

        The two shared a few kisses before deciding to take a quick stroll through Paris. And by quick stroll, they mean transforming themselves into Ladybug and Chat Noir in order to run across rooftops, feel the cold night air, and settle themselves into a comfortable position on the Eiffel Tower where they could gaze down at the City of Lights below, sipping hot cocoa and eating cookies.

        The two were glad that there wasn’t another akumatized Santa Claws to deal with. Hawkmoth had given them quite a lovely winter vacation this year.

        As Chat Noir rest his chin on Ladybug’s shoulder, he began to nuzzle against her neck.

        “Chat! That tickles!” Ladybug laughed as she jokingly pushed his face away.

        “But you’re so warm!” He cuddled her closer, causing her to relax into his embrace. After a few minutes, Chat Noir let a little yawn, much to his embarrassment. “Sorry Buginette, guess it’s been a long day.”

        “It’s okay, Kitty, for Christmas you can use your lady’s lap as a pillow.” She grinned as she grabbed his bell and pulled him downward.

        “But I don’t want to fall asleep yet!” Chat whined a little like a child wanting to stay up and see Santa.

        “Just take a little cat nap…” She smiled as she booped his nose.

        “Marinette… I hope we can spend every Christmas together from now on…” Chat murmured sleeply.

        “We will, Kitty. As long as we’re together, you’ll never have to spend the holidays alone!” She ran her fingers through his blond locks. “Now, close your eyes and go to sleep.” She bent down to kiss his brow. “I promise, that when you wake up, it’ll be Christmas and I’ll still be here, right by your side.”

The snow began to fall, making promise of a White Christmas. Ladybug began to hum a Christmas melody, helping him relax. As his eyes became heavy, he could make out the faintest bit of the carol.

♫May your days be merry and bright And may all your Christmases be white♫

        His Lady’s soft smile was the last thing he remembered seeing before darkness overtook him.

❅

        Chat fluttered his eyes open, the cold winds nearly freezing the tears that had stained his cheeks. He then gazed down at the city that lay in ruins that were now covered with a thick blanket of snow. Everything was so desolate and white. Chat had woken up, all alone, without his lady. That wasn’t anything new though; after all, he’d been in solitude for months now. He dropped his gaze downward at the body of water that’d frozen over.

       “I know you didn’t mean to break your promise, Milady, but…” His lips quivered as he tried to stop himself from crying for what he thought felt like the thousandth time. “Is it too much for Chat Blanc to wish for a Christmas miracle?”

[fae-magic]

Where Fire Sleeps...

How long had it been? She asked herself silently, staring at the fire that crackled in the hearth, happy and inviting. In her hands was craddled a cup of hot chocolate, a blanket wrapped around her lap while his large shirt hung off one shoulder, laying over pale skin loose and comfortable. Her hair was a tumult of freshly washed curls, still damp from the bath, the color challenging the very flames she watched.

It’d been weeks since she’d stayed in her cottage, visiting once and gathering a few things, but now she lived here. It had been months since her visit home to the Steppe. Two? Or was it three now? She couldn’t really recall, time had lost meaning, like an overused phrase, it just didn’t sound or feel the same any more. Nothing did. She woke up deliciously sore but rested, the conflicting states owed in part to the man she lived with now. The voice she once heard was long gone, a distant memory. Tunga, the Xalea whom had plagued her for years, who’d prompted her to do terrible things and even convinced her to try to kill her own family, was dead now, one of his horns adoring her wall, a trophy her verdant gaze drifted to. His heart, what was left of it after she raged and nearly mashed it completely to a pulp, was in a jar. Life was oddly calm.

Her brothers, all eight of them, were so happy to see her as if what she’d done had never happened. Grams was the same as always. Her father took to Moltv well, but her mother... her mother was still a work in progress. She hated Moltv for what he was, for what she’d seen that he could be, but most of all, she projected her own self loathing onto him. It had even come to blows during their visit, between Sabine and her mother. A soft sigh passed her lips and filled the otherwise still room, save for that fire that danced for her. Moltv was the first person in Eorzea that had found out that Sabine was not all Xaela. She was, in fact, part Highlander. Her mother was half after Grams was found by a trio of bandits and left for dead. She’d bore a daughter, whom she’d raised on her own and treated just like she would have any other child that would have been conceived in love, and not the violent way Saran had been. But that was in the past, and Sabine’s mother couldn’t let go of her hatred for what she was, for how she’d come to be and the blood that mingled with her’s that kept her from truly being fully Au Ra. But Sabine’s father had never mentioned, he’d never cared, it seemed. He loved his wife, they had nine children together and they lived now with many grandchildren surrounding them, and more on the way as their sons’ wives bore them children. These thoughts danced through Sabine’s head as she stared ahead, following the flow and drift of the embers that escaped through the chimney.

She’d been to visit a Roe woman, recommended by her dear friend Ahtun. A nice lady. Sabine reached over to the coffee table, picking up the vial that held a purple substance within it. She swirled it slowly, contemplating it’s meaning. She hadn’t told anyone about her visit to Moon, not even Grams. She would, though, in time, when she was ready. There were so many changes, and she wasn’t ready to deal with this as well, not yet. She needed to get her head together, and that had proven oddly difficult to do since its no longer crowded with that dark presence.

Her gaze returned to the fire, another sigh chasing away the stillness for a fleeting moment, she was tired now. Soon her feet would carry her across the bear rug in front of the fire, down the stairs and through the door to the large bed she shared with a man she’d confessed deep feelings for, a fact that still caused her a little flutter of panic, but she shook it away. Soon she would lay down in their bed, he wasn’t here now, he was off doing something. She never asked, she knew he’d be home, she knew he wouldn’t smell of another, or dodge her gaze while stumbling over a lie. She knew he wouldn’t return and regard her with boredom. So she never asked where he went, because she trusted him.

She trusted him.

The thought was scary. It sent a shiver down her spine and she could have thought she would die before a man had her trust again. But here she was, rising from the couch, rinsing out her cup and setting it in the sink to wash in the morning, draping the blanket over the back of the couch and softly padding her way down the stairs, reaching up to tuck her hair behind her horn as she reached the bottom of the stair case. She opened the door to the room that was saturated with his presence; his clothes, his shoes, his scent. Him. He was everywhere here and she’d grown so use to it that she slept terribly if without something of his. It was a terrible addiction and one she hadn’t openly told him of, but he was a bright man, she had little doubt he knew and found it amusing. She crawled into bed, turning down his side for when he returned home. She’d left a lantern on for him as well, she always did. Laying her head down, she smiled softly into the dim room and closed her eyes.

Where did fire sleep when it slept? In the ashes of what had fueled it for so long. So too did the little Xaela. In the wake of so many years of turmoil and feeling alone, she slept in the warm ashes that had settled around her as the raging inferno of pain and destruction settled to a warm fire in a hearth waiting for the man she loved.

[freedom-shamrock]

The Chat Righting Reflex - Chapter Three

Also on AO3 Chp 1 - Kitty’s New Home    Chp 2 - Taking Care of Business Chp 3 - Hugs and Kisses   Chp 4 - A Well-Fed Chat Chp 5 - Chat in the Night    Chp 6 - Here With You Chp 7 - The Adventures of Mr. Stainless and the Muffin Maiden Chp 8 - New Normal          Chp 9 - Caretaker Kitty Chp 10 - More Normal      Chp 11 - Everyday Miracles Chp 12 - Family by Design     Chp 13 - Contented Chat

This is also the @miraculousfluffmonth  prompt #3- Summer Love

Hugs and Kisses

"You didn't have to walk us all the way out, son," Tom said, standing before the apartment building's front door.

Adrien shrugged, smiling up at the man who still had a couple inches on him.  "I wanted to."

Sabine ran her hand from his shoulder to his elbow.  "Just remember that you get to decide what dictates proper manners now.  You're in a new place, with new rules."

Adrien nodded.  "Yes, Mama Sabine."  He leaned down to hug her.  "I also wanted to thank you.  For everything."  He'd no sooner than straightened up when he found himself wrapped in the bigger man's arms.

"We're happy to be here for the everything, son," Tom said.  "And it's important to us that you understand that we mean everything, and that you believe us when we say it."

"I do."  Adrien took a small step back.  "Even when I was still trying to be two different people to you, you were kind and supportive.  Telling you who I was, was one of the best decisions I've ever made."

Sabine reached up and patted his cheek.  "I'm glad you've been able to open up to us."

The past six weeks had been amazing.  He didn't just have his sweet girlfriend and crime fighting partner supporting him, caring for him, but he'd somehow gotten her parents as well.  He'd known them for years, but revealing his identity had changed their relationships in ways he had never imagined possible.  Tom's heart-to-heart talks while teaching him how to do laundry and dishes, showed more love than he'd gotten from his father in the last ten years combined.  Sabine's cooking lessons and life advice filled the huge mom-shaped hole in his heart.

"I can't even explain how much you two mean to me," Adrien said.  "I just don't have the words, in any language.  But I need you to understand that I appreciate all of it."  He flashed them a rueful smile.  "I used to desperately want to make Gabriel proud of me.  I don't care what he thinks now, but I know some part of that old drive has awoken recently, and it's you two I want to make proud."

"Then let me assure you," Tom said, laying a huge hand on Adrien's shoulder.  "We are very proud of you."

"And nothing would make us prouder, than to see you happy," Sabine added.

Adrien returned to his apartment, once again marveling at those words, his apartment.  He was exhausted, but wasn't sure if he'd ever been happier.  Marinette had dimmed the lighting, letting him see his place clearly, but in a cozy soothing way.

"Hey, Kitty," she said, looking up from the list she was making.  While he'd been seeing her parents out, she'd changed into an adorable pajama set.  Soft black fabric with green paw prints, obviously crafted by her into short shorts and a short-sleeve shirt with four buttons up the front.

He smiled at her.  "You're adorable, Princess."

She beamed at him, pushing aside her paper to cross the room.  "I made these because Chat Noir is my very favorite superhero.  He's sweet and sexy, and deserves all the good things."

He laughed, letting her take his hands.  "When did you even have time to make these."  He brushed her sleeve with a thumb and almost melted at the softness.  "I mean, you made curtains and a comforter, too."

Marinette shrugged.  "Stolen minutes here and there."  She popped up on her toes to kiss his cheek.  "Yours are waiting in the bathroom with your toothbrush."

Just when he was sure he couldn't possibly get any happier, Marinette nudged him a little farther.  "You made some for me?"

She giggled.  "Go change.  We need to get started on those cuddles."

He woke a little warmer than was comfortable, but everything else was perfect.  He could smell Marinette, thanks to his amped up senses, and that was always soothing.  The fan blowing morning air over his bed provided a lovely white noise.  The source of heat was his girlfriend, actually.  He was half overlapping her, his head resting on her upper chest while her fingers did magical things to his scalp.  He realized then, that he was purring.

"Hmmm," he breathed, wrapping his arms around her.  "This is nice."

"It is," she agreed, letting one hand down to make circles on his shoulders and upper back.

"Is it okay that someday, maybe not too far in the future, I want to wake up like this every day?" he asked, wondering if he was moving too fast or becoming too clingy.  Those were worries he'd discussed with his therapist once he and Marinette became official, even before he told her who he was under the mask.

Her hands kept working despite the kiss she planted on his forehead.  "That's a good life goal.  Very attainable."

He giggled.  "I love you."

"Perfect," she said.  "Because I love you, too."  She continued to pet him for a while, in the comfortable quiet of coming fully awake.  "My parents left us breakfast," she eventually said.  "They wanted to be sure we had something here since it's unlikely we'll be able to stop by their place.  But they wanted you to know that you have an open invitation to breakfast and dinner anytime."

"Your parents are amazing," he said, slowly rolling off Marinette to sit up.  He looked around his room with its bare walls and superhero curtains.  "I like my new room."

"Are you going to decorate, do you think?" she asked, shoving her pillows around to sit up as well.

He nodded.  "Yeah.  But probably slowly."  He knew he wanted pictures of his friends and the people he cared about.  "I need to figure out what my style is."

"That's a great idea," Marinette agreed.  "It's better to wait and make sure your place suits you."

He chuckled.  "Is it weird that it already does?  At least a little?"

"Nope."  Marinette leaned in and kissed his cheek.  "And trust me, I know all about weirdness."  She stretched.  "So what's on the plan for today?"

He smiled, delighted to get to pick his own schedule and plans.  "I need to get a new phone.  That's probably the most important thing.  And some basic groceries to get me, or us, through until we get my kitchen set up."

"Do you want to work on the kitchen at all today?" she asked.

He leaned into her space, brushing his nose against hers.  "Nope.  I want to save a big chunk of my day to spend with my super incredible girlfriend.  I'm hoping she'll go to lunch with me.  Maybe have a romantic walk somewhere.  Just doing things together that we haven't been able to do before."

"So you're ready to go public with your relationship status?" she asked, tilting her head to the side.

"Oh, I've been ready for ages," he admitted.  "It just wasn't a good idea until now.  I've no doubt there will be complications and drama next week when Gabriel gets back in town, and I'd like to distract myself from that inevitable mess.  I also thought it would be really nice to just embrace our freedom as recent graduates together, maybe explore some parts of Paris that have been off limits to me my whole life."

"Oooh."  She was so dang cute as she wriggled in glee.  "I love it."

"I kind of want to make sure I keep the fun stuff at the top of my list this whole week, while still getting one or two important things done a day," he explained.  "In addition to being a really positive start to my new life, it'll help me fight off the emotional suck of Gabriel Agreste when I finally have to talk to him again."

Moving with a swiftness that he'd come to expect, Marinette was suddenly in his lap, hugging him.  "That's a great idea.  You're brilliant, do you know that?"  She didn't even give him time to answer.  "And if there's anything I can do to help, things I can set up or get, or even if you need a little time to yourself, you just tell me, okay?  I want to support you, but I don't want to take over your life now that you have control of it."

Her words sparked a sudden joy in him, and he pulled her close for a kiss.  He'd planned on something tender and lingering, but her eager response and  grip on his hair made it something far more intense.  His hand strayed down her back to settle on her fabulous ass, apparently spurring her to press herself more fully against him.  He gasped, involuntarily breaking the kiss.  Marinette took that as an opportunity to relocate her lips to his neck.

After nearly two months together, he was no stranger to hot and heavy makeouts with his girlfriend.  Her physical affection reflected the passion and enthusiasm she threw into anything that she loved, and it was fantastic to be on the receiving end when she decided to take charge.  Planting a foot and a hand on his mattress, he flipped them, grinning down at her when she froze in surprise.  He caressed her cheek lightly, watching for any hint that she wasn't okay with any of this.

"Oh," she whispered, mischief glinting in her eyes.  "Is that the way it's going to be?"

"Yeah.  For right now, anyway, and if you're okay with it."  She was so pretty from this vantage point, and  he really hoped she wasn't uncomfortable.

"I think I could get used to it… some of the time anyway," she teased.

"Ugh!  Could you two get any more gross?" Plagg whined, startling Adrien up onto his knees.

"Stop it Plagg!" Tikki chastised zipping in to grab hold of the black kwami's tail.  She met Adrien's eyes as she dragged him out of the room.  "I'm so sorry. I was looking for Marinette's phone. Don't mind us. We're going to go in the living room to play Candy Crush."

"Please keep the moaning to a sensible level," Plagg added before muttering, "Stupid rutting humans."

Below him, Marinette started to giggle.  Shaking his head, Adrien flopped down next to her.   "Maybe we can revisit this later after my embarrassingly rude kwami has gorged on cheese."

"It's a plan," she agreed.

This got away from me a little bit, but it's summer, and there's love, so I'll call it a good fit.

There are a few Fluff August prompts that fit what I'd like to do in this story, so those are going to happen as I can fit them in, so Dumpster Dad won’t show up until he has to.

Tagging:  @the-wheel-comes-full-circle

[nekojitachan]

hi. after reading and rereading Armies and RP I just can't stop wanting this. a scene or two starring the amazing gossip network that is the Hatfords' Bodyguards XD (seriously awesome job there. go you! :D )

Okay, I know this is something that’s come up before in comments, but since I got this now… :)

This week is still a bit on the crazy side, but I was determined to get a prompt out! I’m still hoping for another before Sunday. Anyway, here’s some Armies/Hatfords’ bodyguards sitting around drinking and gossiping and plotting. I hope it turned out all right, it really has been a long week.

Uhm… yeah, Armies so some slight mention of not very nice stuff? And ALLY.

*******

Bren checked his phone and rolled his eyes upon seeing the raisedeyebrow emoji message from Davis; there were days when he wondered if the manwas enjoying a second childhood or something. Maybe he’d snapped after allthose years of watching over Stuart? Hmm, something to consider… but foranother time, since he’d finally reached the pub, with Billy and several othersgiving him a nod or wave in greeting once he stepped inside, and a table inparticular calling out to him.

“About damn time you got here,” Davis grumbled asBren pulled out a chair to sit next to him. “Asya give you grief about anight out?”

“Nah, just ran late taking care of a few things down inPiccadilly Circus and then dropped something off at those two’s on the way here.”

Liz perked up at that and paused in pouring him a glass ofwhisky. “Eh? Everything all right?” Sitting next to her as always,Liliya nodded in curiosity; they wore dark blue jumpers tonight, though Liz’swas form-fitting and Liliya’s loose and plush-looking. Davis wore a Chelseajersey, which was asking for a fight if he wasn’t so well-liked by everyone inthe pub (maybe he wanted one was once he left), and Nadav a plain light greybutton down with jeans. Since Bren had come straight from work, he took off hiscoat and undid a few buttons of the dark blue shirt and rolled up his sleeveswhile he answered the question. “They’re fine - well, as fine asever,” he added with a grin. “Still a bit tired so Ram didn’t feellike cooking tonight, which is why the hooligan wanted me to get some take-awayfor them.”

“You mean Andrewdidn’t want Abram to cook and told you to bring something,” Liliyacorrected him with one of her knowing smiles. “He’s so good toAbram.”

“Yeah, he is,” Liz agreed as she held the glass ofwhisky just out of Bren’s reach. “And you know the fee.”

“Harpy,” Bren muttered as everyone huddled closeraround the table while he pulled out his phone. “I was gettin’ toit.”

“Sure you were.” Davis tapped the scarred surfaceof the table until Bren set down the device with one of the pictures of thecats from his most recent ‘babysitting’ job displayed on it. “Ah, look atthose darlings.” That one had been of Sir and King caught napping togetheron the loveseat.

“This is a good one.” Bren smiled as he showed theone of them perched on top of the fridge, peering into the freezer with Kingleaning down to bat at the pints of ice cream - it had been when he’d restockedAndrew’s precious supply before their 'parents’ had returned home.

“Ha! King’s taking her life in her paws there, isn’tshe?” Nadav shook his head and motioned for Bren to show the rest, whichwere various photos of the cats playing or sleeping.

“This one’s brill.” Bren was rather proud of it,especially since he’d not only gotten it but managed to leave in one pieceafterward; Andrew and Abram had returned from their latest trip very late lastnight, with Sir draped over Andrew’s left shoulder and King held cradled in asleepy Abram’s arms as he leaned in to give his tired husband a kiss.

While Liliya made an affectionate noise, the rest of thepeople gathered around the table grinned over the image and Davis patted Brenon the shoulder. “Jamie’s gonna love it,” Liz proclaimed. “Youalready sent it to her, yeah? This is what she was smiling about earlier, Ibet.”

Bren nodded as he held out his hand for his owed drink.“Yeah. That got me and Asya a nice dinner out, it did.” He chuckledbefore he tossed back the shot.

Nadav shook his head as he motioned for Liz to hand over thebottle, which he used to refill everyone’s glasses before his own. “It’snot fair - you get chances likethat-”

“And deal with a certain American hooligan and Ram whenhe’s in a stabby mood,” Bren reminded the man, which Nadav acknowledgewith a wince.

“-true, while I deal with Ally.” That time, it was the rest of the table which winced.“I mean, he’s not all bad, it’sjust that no one wants pictures of him picking out a new suit or hanging out ata game or trying to get a date.” He slumped down in his chair while hedrank his whisky. “I spent three hours the other night listening to himdebate if he should give guys a try. Threehours.” Liz groaned upon hearing that and buried her face in her handswhile Liliya appeared stunned and Davis outright laughed - for himself, Brenwondered if he could somehow be on holiday when 'his’ troublemakers ran intoAlly next. “He’s somehow gotten it into his daft head that if Abram can beso happy with a guy that maybe heshould give it a try.”

“Bloody hell, that’s… oh yeah, that’s fucked up,”Davis said before pouring everyone another round. “Can’t wait to tellStuart about it.”

“I don’t get it,” Liz said, obviously still a bitgobsmacked by the whole thing. “Jamie and Ram are both really smart, sowhat happened with Ally? I mean, who thinkssomething like that?”

Bren gave Nadav a sympathetic look. “You know what? Stabby’snot so bad. I’ll stick with stabby.” He’d gotten rather good over theyears at predicting and dealing with Abram’s and Andrew’s bad moods, after all,not that they happened very often these days. Being married seemed to settlethe two of them down - that and working for MI6 kept them plenty busy.

That and they were all bark and no bite – well, with familyand friends, that was. With family and friends who didn’t betray them. Brenmight have to stock up on the Baileys, tea and sweets, and he wasn’t aboveholding a cat to ensure that the knives stayed put away, but Abram and Andrewwould never turn on anyone who hadn’t betrayed them, and it was the same witheveryone else at the table and their own ‘jobs’.

Well, Nadav might be in a spot of trouble, but Ally wasgetting there.

“So Abram and Andrew are doing well, yes?” Liliya asked asshe picked up Bren’s phone and tapped away on it, most likely sending thepicture of the two troublemakers to her own (Bren trusted her and so didn’tbreak her fingers. That and Liz would break his neck for doing such a thing,so…).

“A bit tired, especially Ram, which means I’d leave themalone for another day or two.” Bren shot Davis a grin at that comment, whichprompted the older enforcer to groan and pour himself a double-shot of whisky.

“Wonderful. Stuart’s only kept away so far because theirflight got in so late last night, but he’s planning on stopping by tomorrow.”He seemed to think of something as he swallowed the smooth liquor. “Maybe I canpretend that I forgot something in the car? Andrew’ll make it quick, I’m sure.”

“I’m gonna pretend I never heard that,” Liz drawled while Liliyagiggled and Nadav appeared to be fascinated with his phone. “And come on, it’sso adorable, watching Stuart fuss over Ram!”

“And then Andrew does that freaky narrow eye thing afterlike two minutes of it, and Stuart gets all jealous when Andrew settles Ramwith just a look or a touch, and then the two of them start arguing and Ramgoes on about tiles for some damn reason and… they’re gonna give me an ulcer,”Davis said in a plaintive manner. “How am I gonna enjoy my curries if I have anulcer?”

“There, there,” Liliya murmured as she reached over to givehis arm a quick pat. “Stuart would be much better about things if he had hisown lover. What happened to the woman he was dating? Uhm….”

“Sabine’s new assistant, Claudia,” Liz answered for her.“Yeah, what happened?”

Davis grimaced and reached for the rapidly dwindling supplyof whisky to top off everyone’s glasses, while Nadav motioned to Billy foranother bottle. “Yeah, her. They broke up about a fortnight ago, she wasn’t toohappy with him traveling all over the place – same old, same old.”

“Ah. That’s probably what had Jamie upset.” Liz draped herleft arm over Liliya’s shoulders and hugged her wife closer. “Might also be whyher and Sean are talking some more about making it official. When you thinkabout it, there’s not too many others our age who do what we do who have suchsteady relationships that I think it’s hitting the two of them not tounderappreciate their own.”

Nadav huffed at that. “That and Will and Miriam would beecstatic about Jamie finally tying the knot, considering how happy they wereabout Ram settling down.” He seemed to think about something then groaned. “Fuckme, I don’t want to be stuck with Ally if he has kids. Ally’s kids. They’ll reassign me, right? I mean, this isn’t somesort of punishment? You’d tell me, right?”He sounded ready to cry, of all things.

Davis laughed while he pounded the poor guy on the back.“You think some woman is ever gonna let that nitwit knock ‘em up?” He spoke theharsh words with affection, but they were still… well, harsh.

They were still the truth, too.

Nadav looked over at Liz and Liliya as if to get a woman’sopinion on things, and sagged in relief when they shook their heads. “If by some chance one does, they’re keepingthe kid and getting the money wired into their account so they don’t have todeal with Ally, but no one’s gonna chance messing with the family like that andno one’s going to be able to deal with him long enough to procreate with thesorry bastard.”

“Thank god,” Nadav sighed, and perked up when Jared, Billy’snephew, arrived with the new bottle.

“Makes one wonder what they say about us, eh?” Davis said ashe nudged Bren in the side.

“That you’re ugly as sin and dumb as a rock.” Liz smirked asshe opened the bottle while Liliya asked Jared for a pitcher of water andtwo platters of fish and chips. Everyone else was quick to order food too, asure sign that they were settling in for the night.

“Abram say where they were this time?” Nadav asked after hefinished his latest shot.

Bren shook his head. “No, so more hush-hush stuff. He did bring back some nice bottles ofvodka that I’m to take to Jamie’s main office later this week, so….”

Liz glared at her empty shot glass but didn’t refill it justyet. “That bastard’s working him too hard. Why haven’t we taken Lloyd out yet?”

“Something about Will saying ‘no’ and ‘government agency’and ‘let Andrew drive him crazy’,blah blah blah,” Davis griped. “I hear Stuart whinging about it all the time.”

“Talking about ulcers,” Nadav mumbled as he texted someone.

“Nah, he’s always good after some quality time with thegrandcats,” Davis said with a straight face. “Cup of tea with Ram out by thefish pond, does the dangling cat toy thing for about ten minutes… swear I brokea bloke by showing him a minute of a video of it, once – Stuart was taking acall while the guy was all tied up and bleeding out. Thought he’d lost hismarbles and started babbling right off.” He smiled as he propped his chin up onhis left hand. “Fun stuff.”

“You ain’t right,” Bren told his friend.

“And you are?”

“Eh, we’re not talking about me,” he shot back, while Lizseemed to be considering something. “What?”

“Think I could get footage of Andrew playing the cats?” At everyone’s incredulous stares, sheshrugged. “It’s gotta happen, right? And just think of playing that when you’ve got some poor sodhanging there all cut up.”

The table was quiet while everyone did.

Huh, it had possibilities.

“Maybe Jason could bug their house?” Then Nadav blanched andseemed to think better of that while the rest of them shook their heads – Bren hardenough to make his neck ache. “The living room? Maybe just the living room?”

“We’d have to offer him some pretty damn good incentive,he’s always real squirrely whenever Andrew’s brought up,” Liz reminded him. “Somenew tech, if anything good comes in.” That was directed at Davis, since Stuartoften got first crack at the imported stuff.

Davis tapped his fingers against the table for a couple ofseconds before he nodded. “I’ll have to think up something to tell Stuart, butyeah, should be doable. At the least, it’ll make his year to be able to teaseAndrew about it, if he ever finds out what we did.”

Bren could see the plan blowing up in their faces so manyways… but he had to admit, it could be worth it. “Eh, who wants to grow old?”

“I’m pretty sure Ram won’t let Andrew torture us,” Liz saidwith a half-smile. “He’d argue for our deaths to be quick.”

Nadav grinned at that. “I won’t have to deal with Allyanymore! I’m definitely in!”

They had another shot each to ‘seal’ the agreement, andtossed around some ideas once the fish arrived. Bren didn’t know they’d evermake it work (Jason was too smart, for starters), but it made for one of theirbetter get-togethers.

He had a wonderful girlfriend, a comfortable flat and a jobhe liked (other than the occasional prick shooting at him). Yeah, it was roughon the wardrobe and the hours a bitch at times, but most of the people heworked with were loyal and had his back, and the pay was great – he wouldn’tfind that in some boring ‘normal’ job.

“No, seriously, I’m willing to take the risk,” Nadavinsisted as he waved a chip in Davis’ face. “He tried to make a Molotov cocktailthe other day with a bottle of seltzer water. Seltzer! There was a bloody bottle of vodka right there and he grabbed the seltzer!”

“Uhm… isn’t there a saying about it’s the thought thatcounts?” Liliya offered while Liz appeared torn between laughing and crying, ofall things.

“Just tell me if this is some sort of punishment,” the poorguy pleaded. “I can take it.”

“It really is a promotion,” Davis tried to assure him. “Really.”

Ah yeah, so much better than some stupid office orconstruction job, Bren thought as he poured himself another shot.

*******

Again, hope it wasn’t too bad. New pov and all, but I had fun.

Poor Ally, still no respect…

And yes yes, definitely Raven’s Partner 17 this Sunday. Have to look it over once more and then send it off!

[artisticflutter]

Home For Christmas - ML Secret Santa

Gosh, I hope my recipient hasn’t thought they were left out. Today is my posting day and guess what? @nyxavalon! Iiii am your Secret Santa! And I’ve whipped up a story for you! Hope you enjoy~

Rating: G Genre: Angst, Fluff, Friendship, Hurt/Comfort Pairing(s): None (sort of) Summary: Christmas has come once again... after the battle between Miraculous has ended. (Identities Revealed) Warning: There are some Season Two spoilers so proceed at your own risk.

“Yeah… Yeah, I’m okay, Chlò.”

He remembers it was just a few years ago…

“I’m sure you could still fly out here and join us.”

How lively the manor could be with him, his mother and father, and the staff.

“No, it’s really okay! It’s not just going to be me, I promise.”

When his mother disappeared, his father still got a tree, but he didn’t join in on the decorating like before.

“If you say so. Ugh, looks like I have to go. Daddy wanted to try scuba diving… I’ll make sure to send you a photo.”

And now…

“Haha, I’ll be looking forward to it. Talk to you later, Chlò.”

Adrien hung up after her hurried ‘Later!’ and lowered his cell phone.

The Manor was dark and cold and empty. He had sent the staff home to spend their Christmas with their families, it was only fair. His right ring finger, once commonly adoring a silver ring, was bare. His time – no, their time being heroes had come to an end and Miraculous had gone with it.

Hawkmoth was…

His father was…

… The point was he’d never have to see that man again. After everything, after the intentional manipulation and neglect, it would be much too soon. It was their victory, but maybe it could have waited.

Nothing but his footsteps echoed as he walked up the stairs and down the hall, pristine white walls bathed in twilight’s fallen night and the fainter, colorful hues from twinkling fairy lights decorating other abodes near. It would be about this time a certain little black cat god would whine for Camembert or suggest they go out, but there was nothing. Subconsciously, he rubbed his finger and the smooth skin left pale by the ring he wore for years.

Nothing…

In his bedroom, he stood before the window panels and stared outside. It was really beautiful, seeing the quiet snowfall with the few stars that managed to shine through Paris’s light pollution. He could look beyond the gate and see beyond his walls a warm and still awake city that exemplified all the brightness and love it was known for. It was not a city he could join from his own prison, as self-imposed as it was.

He should have known.

How could he have not known his father was the villain?

Considering how frequent he had been absent and probably just waiting to akumatize someone. All those times when there wouldn’t be a show for months, there really was no excuse… and at some point, he had figured out he was Chat Noir. That man had known and still fought them – fought him, tempted him to join his side – to bring his mother back. His mother whom he’d lied about being missing because missing implied being able to be found alive or dead. She was gone and never coming back, and honestly, that was something he had excepted where his father had refused.

But that was the power of love, wasn’t it?

It could drive even the sanest man insane and become an obsession, couldn’t it? It was frightening… how much it made his – made Gabriel not care anymore.

Eyes falling, Adrien breathed slowly.

In and out, hoping it would lessen the aching, but the winking lights and faintest lull of Christmas music soon overpowered by the Notre Dame’s bells. He counted the echoing chimes and felt his heart sink further and further, the cold sweeping over his shoulders like a cowl he couldn’t remove. It latched onto his neck and covered his head, squeezing itself over his shoulders to fasten around his body. He wanted it off, but he also understood he deserved it.

“… Merry Christmas,” he whispered, wanting to say ‘Claws out!’ and dash along the rooftops again. No one would be looking for him – no one would pretend to be concerned about his whereabouts. The city could forgive him for the sins of his father, but people did not. Forehead pressing against the glass, he bit his lip.

He wanted to be forgotten and for everything to be over; he didn’t want to be alone and he couldn’t take it anymore.

Eyes snapping open at the jarring ring of the Manor’s doorbell, Adrien stepped away from the glass and half-turned to his bedroom door, one eyebrow raised. Blinking, he didn’t proceed to answering the call until the second, the third, and finally, the fourth ring forced him to walk back. Whoever came calling tonight was persistent, but it was also Christmas. He could see what they wanted and perhaps give them what they want; and if it was him, that was fine.

The intercom connected to the doorbell was in Gabriel’s old office, the room stripped bare of possessions he refused to keep and gladly gave to the police as evidence. Any actual designer work on the computer had been returned to him via chip which he hadn’t bothered keeping either. Marinette might’ve been sore at his father’s actions, but his designs were still begrudgingly admirable. Approaching the lone intercom still affixed to the barren desk, Adrien tapped the button to turn it on and answer.

“Hello…?”

Hopefully, he managed to keep his tone curious.

“Adrien Ascil Agreste! You better open this door right now! It’s freezing!”

“… Alya?”

“Ugh, I can’t feel my arms. Dude, open the door…”

“Wait, what? Nino, what are you both--?”

“Adrien, you forgot to actually lock the gate.”

“Marinette? U-Uh, gimme a sec…!”

Bewildered at why they were on his doorstep, he literally jogged from the office and to the front door, pulling it open. He quickly moved aside as the three charged inside followed by others: their parents and siblings, friends from school and their families, and then other friends from around Paris. He winced as the lights were turned on, the previous silence concussed by voices, crinkling paper, and bells. Cold fled from the heat spreading into the corners and the numb scent with it as various smells of pine, roast, and sweets filled the foyer.

Adrien’s head snapped around, wide eyes still trying to process what was occurring until a hand gently pressed against his shoulder… followed by a clap to his back and another shoulder bumping his unoccupied one. Marinette, Nino, and Alya stood around him, watching the Manor become besieged by festivities. A tree was being erected in the corner by the Gorilla and Tom, Manon, Etta, and Ella eagerly standing aside to help decorate with Rose, Ali, and Juleka. Sabine and Marlena walked with Wang, Fred, and Nadja towards the dining room with plates of food, Mylène and Ivan assisting. Nino’s cousin Chris, their teacher Caline Bustier, and even Jagged Stone and Penny, and he still didn’t understand.

“What’s…?”

“It’s Christmas, of course,” Alya said, her lip quirked and eyebrow raised. “What did you think we were going to do? Not be here?”

“… Yes?” Adrien meekly answered, almost flinching at the looks all three of them gave him next. “I mean, if anything, you would’ve spent Christmas at home with your families while I just… I don’t know. Why should I celebrate when my father terrorized Paris? I let him get away with--”

“Dude, that was your dad,” Nino cut him off, his brows furrowed. “And no one blames you for his actions. Perfect poster boy Adrien? No one could see you cooperating with him.”

“Well, that…” Marinette started before leaning a little closer. “And Ladybug may have put in a word that she was positive on her Miraculous that Adrien wasn’t involved with any of Hawkmoth’s actions.”

“You did?”

He stumbled as the small young woman bumped him, making him stagger into Nino. Eyes wide, he watched hers roll. “Of course. I mean, I couldn’t tell people that Adrien was my partner fighting against Hawkmoth, but I think it’s enough that the superheroine that’s been protecting Paris for a while has an idea on who’s really involved.”

“There are some skeptics,” Alya chimed in, shaking her head with an exaggerated sigh. “Ladybug has a crush on Adrien, Ladybug letting him off because he’s handsome, stupid nonsense like that…”

“This city doesn’t know their superheroes as well as they think,” Nino scoffed. “If they knew what Ladybug had thought about her partner on the first day of school…”

“N-Nino…!”

Adrien heard them laughing, but he still didn’t understand. He didn’t deserve any of this. He didn’t deserve any of them.

“Adrien…?”

He blinked, noticing that the three were standing before him and the activities around them had settled down. They weren’t alone in the room, but everyone else was now talking quietly amongst themselves. Marinette, Alya, and Nino seemed to be watching him and he wondered if he was supposed to say something. However, Marinette started before he could decide.

“We know you probably blame yourself for all this – for not being able to see that it was your father, but you know we understand,” she spoke softly, pulling a small box out of her pocket. It looked familiar. “Parents aren’t supposed to be the bad guys after all, even if they want to do everything they can for their children. You’ve sacrificed more than any of us to bring peace back to Paris, so much that it meant being alone for Christmas when you don’t deserve that.”

“Yeah, man. It’s not fair that you get the raw end of the deal,” Nino added and Alya had a coy grin on her face.

“Which is why we… may have spoken to someone before today about, I don’t know, maybe patrolling for one more evening or for the next few years,” she hummed, but Adrien wasn’t even looking at her as she spoke because his eyes were glued to the box Marinette was holding. Its dark mahogany and the familiar intricate Chinese painted detail sealed within lacquer finish on top shined even in the dim light, and he felt his eyes sting as the box opened to reveal the ring resting within the red velvet interior. His eyes rising, he noticed Marinette’s earrings, Nino’s bracelet, and watched Alya draw out her necklace from her shirt collar. Blue, green, and violet eyes of three small kwami appeared as each watched from their hiding places: Marinette’s collar, Nino’s headphones, and Alya’s pocket.

Adrien looked at the ring again, the green paw inviting him, calling to him to pick it up… and he only squinted at the green light that shone as the ring turned silver.

Stretching up with a mighty yawn, Plagg’s whiskers twitched before he opened his eyes.

“That was a nice nap. Hey kid, got any Camembert? You know I’m not transforming you until you gimme some.”

Merry Christmas~!

[feeling-freckled]

Breathtaking in Black (Part 4)

A/N: IT’S FINALLY HERE PEOPLE.  I’m sorry I’ve been dead for over a month but here you go :)  This one is significantly longer than the third chapter I promise so enjoy! 

____________________________________________________

Part 3

Read it on Ao3

Adrien heard the faint sound of a bell as he pushed open the front door to the Dupain-Cheng bakery.  Thousands of wonderful smells mixed together in the air around him as he approached the couple working behind the counter.  

“Good afternoon Mr. and Mrs. Dupain Cheng,” he greated with a wide smile.  Sabine smiled back at him as Tom continued to stack loaves of bread on the shelf just behind her.  

“Good afternoon Adrien!  Are you by any chance here to see Marinette?” she asked with a subtle wink that he almost missed.  Tom stopped stacking suddenly and turned his attention toward their conversation.

“Well actually yes,” Adrien confessed as the couple exchanged a quick smile.  

“I missed school today for some activities that my dad had arranged for me this morning.” Lie.  “A friend of mine texted me and said that Marinette hadn’t shown up after lunch break, and that she was worried she might be sick.” Also a lie.  “So I figured I would stop by and see how she’s feeling if I had the time.” Less of a lie but still not fully true.  This was only his second time ever talking to Marinette’s parents, and here he was lying to their faces.  He hoped to never make a habit of doing such a thing, but what other option did he have?  He just wanted to see her and to know she was alright.  

“Well,” Tom spoke first.  “I believe she said she needed to lie down for a bit.  She seemed pretty exhausted so she may be sleeping.  If you’d like, you can go on up and wait for her in the living room.  I’m sure she won’t be long.”

Adrien’s expression lit up.  “Yes, I don’t mind waiting at all.  If she’s still asleep after a while I’ll head out, but I’d really like to see her if that’s alright.”

“Of course son, head on up,” Tom said.  Adrien nodded, quickly thanked the couple and headed up the stairs to their apartment.  He knocked gently before letting himself in.  Marinette’s main living space was just as he’d remembered it.  It was so cozy and comfortable in comparison to his large, cold mansion.  

On top of that, her house just looked a lot more lived in than his.  Pictures of her family covered the walls and shelves.  Drawings and school projects that Marinette must have done years ago covered the refrigerator.  This must be what having a real family is like Adrien thought to himself as he took a seat on her living room couch.

After a few minutes, Adrien heard movement coming from the door in the ceiling that he knew lead to her room.  He slowly made his way up her stairs and gently knocked on the door.  “One moment Papa!” he heard her call from the other side of the door.

“Actually, it’s Adrien,” he replied.  Marinette’s heart dropped.  Her hair brush fell to the floor as she froze in place.  “What was that?” Adrien called again from her steps.  These boys are trying to kill me she thought as she shook her head and tried to think of a reply.

“Oh, I um.. I brushed my drop.” smooth.  She cringed silently as she forced herself to continue speaking.  “I’ll be down in a minute,” she managed.  Her heart was beating at an incredible rate as she leaned down to pick her brush up off the floor.  

“Okay I’ll wait down here if that’s alright!” he called up before descending her stairs and sitting down on the couch once more.  Marinette turned to face her mirror.  How did he get in my house?  Why is he here?  Why do blonde haired, green eyed boys enjoy giving me heart attacks so often!? She thought as she ran her brush through her hair a couple of times.  She took a deep breath and began getting dressed.

“Wow marinette, you sure are popular recently?” Tikki teased as she hovered above her chosen’s head.  Marinette glared at her as she pulled her pink capri’s up over her hips and fastened the button.  Normally, she would swoon at the idea of Adrien popping over for a casual visit.  However, she was in no condition to even pretend she could be casual around him.  She had been up all night thinking about him and Chat Noir and trying to figure out her feelings.  Just when she gets a moment to rest and clear her head, he shows up unannounced.  

“Tikki this isn’t funny.  What am I going to do?  I can’t just go down there and casually have a conversation with him.  I suck at being casual,” she admitted with a huff.

“Just be yourself Marinette.  He skipped school to come see if you were alright.  Obviously he cares about you.”  Marinette closed her eyes and took a deep breath before putting on a brave smile.  She nodded at her kwami and headed for her door.  She was going to survive this.

Adrien’s ears perked up as he heard the sound of her door opening.  He quickly turned his head to see her smiling back at him as she walked down the steps.  “Well this sure is a surprise” Marinette remarked.  “I could have sworn you were supposed to be in school right about now.”  Adrien smirked and stood up from her couch.

“I could say the same to you,” he added playfully.  She smiled at him and walked past him to sit down on the couch.  Marinette looked up at him and hesitantly patted the seat next to her, inviting him to sit.  Adrien returned her warm smile and settled down beside her.  Marinette took in a deep breath and tried to figure out how much she could tell him without giving away too much.

“To tell you the truth I’m not sick.  I’ve kind of just been stressed out for a couple of days.” Marinette spoke slowly; thinking about each word before she stated it.  Adrien’s expression seemed very worried.  She didn’t want him to be concerned over her personal issues, but at the same time she found his interest to be heart warming.  “It’s not really something you need to worry about Adrien, but thanks for coming to check on me.”

She was wrong.  He had every right to be concerned.  He had made her uncomfortable and stressed to the point where she was skipping school to catch up on sleep.  She had bags under her eyes and was clearly shaking and it was all his fault.  All because he had a bad habit of getting carried away when the suit was on.

“Are you sure you don’t want to talk about it?” he asked.  “You don’t have to tell me everything of course, but it might help to get some of it off of your chest.”  This statement only seemed to stress Marinette out more.  She broke eye contact with him and began tapping her fingers nervously as she tried to piece together sentences in her head.  Adrien waited patiently as she silently scripted everything out.

“Okay well there is this guy who I am really close friends with,” she began.  “He and I have been becoming pretty close recently, but now he wants to tell me this huge secret about himself and I’m worried about how that secret will affect our friendship.”  Adrien hung on every word as she spoke.  “He has been leaving me clues and my head is just a whirlwind of unanswered questions that I’m not even sure I have the right to ask.”

Marinette’s whole body was shaking.  Her fingers nervous tapped against her thigh.  He was so close to her, but now wasn’t the time to turn into a stuttering, blubbering mess.  She suddenly felt her hand stop moving as a warm pressure was gently applied to the back of it.  Adrien was holding her hand.  He took it gently in his in a way that was strangely familiar and began instinctively rubbing small circles against her palm.  Her heart skipped a beat at the gesture, but she allowed herself to calm down slightly as she wrapped her fingers around his palm in order to let him know the gesture was appreciated.

“Basically, I can’t tell why he suddenly feels the need to open up about something so personal to me.  I want to think it’s because he trusts me, but it honestly feels like he’s just toying with my brain.”  

That stung.  Adrien froze and almost dropped her hand completely.  She thought he was toying with her.  She thought he had purposely devised a plan just to stress her out and fill her head with questions.  This was the exact opposite of what he wanted.  He just wanted to be able to share his identity with someone he trusted.  Of course ladybug would have been his first choice, but she had made it very clear that she wanted no part of an identity reveal so he chose the other important girl in his life.  He never meant to hurt her.  Adrien took in a breath and prepared to justify his own actions.

“You said that you considered this guy to be a close friend of yours right?” he began.  Marinette nodded with a small smile that he almost missed.  “If he’s really your friend then I don’t think he would intentionally do anything to make you upset or stressed out.”  Marinette knew he was right, but hearing it out loud still felt better than thinking it.  She turned her eyes back to his and took a moment to absorb his kind expression.  She really did still love him.

“Yeah you’re right” she admitted as she allowed her shoulders to relax and her shaking to slow.  “It’s just, there’s some stuff that I haven’t been completely honest with him about either.”  Adrien’s eyes widened at this.  She had a secret?  He had never once considered the idea that he wasn’t the only one keeping secrets in their friendship.  

“If he’s really your friend, then he wouldn’t pressure you into sharing anything you weren’t prepared to,” Adrien added.  Marinette nodded as the same small smile from before found its way across her face.  She knew everything he was saying was true.  The Chat Noir she had fought beside for the past two years would never force her into revealing her identity and he would never intentionally cause her unnecessary stress.  She had been over thinking things as usual.  

“Thank you Adrien,” she whispered as she beamed back at him.  He felt his face get warm as he watched her smile grow.  She had clearly calmed down. The pink that he had come to adore spread across her cheeks as they continued to smile at each other.  No matter how wonderfully flattering that color was on her, he couldn’t get the picture of her in all black out of his head.  It truly was his new favorite color on her.

Adrien gently shook his head as he felt himself beginning to blush.  His heart was fluttering in his chest.  He really had become fond of Marinette in the few months they had spent getting to know one another.  He felt comfortable and safe around her.  This was a feeling he certainly never felt at his own home.  Maybe that was why he preferred her house so much.

“Well I’ll let you get back to resting.  Wouldn’t want you to miss another day of school just because I kept you up,” he said as he rose from the couch.  Marinette stood up after him and walked him over her to her door.

“Thank you so much for stopping by” she mumbled with a slight bow as she opened the door for him.  Adrien paused for a moment and then took a step toward her.  He wrapped his arms around her waist in a tight embrace and held her close against his chest.  Marinette froze in shock, but then slowly returned his hug.  They held each other in silence for only a few seconds before Adrien reluctantly released her.

“I’ll see you tomorrow,” he declared as he turned toward her door.

“Y-yeah.  See y-you tomorrow,” she stuttered out.  As she watched the door close behind him, she could still feel his arms around her waist.  She definitely still had strong feelings for him.  How could she not?  He was kind, polite, honest and an amazing friend.  Not to mention the fact that he was growing more and more attractive each day.

“That settles it!” Marinette proclaimed as she turned from the door.

“Settles what?” tikki asked as she flew out from her hiding spot in Marinette’s jacket.

“I’ll admit that you may have been right about me developing some feelings for Chat Noir.  Obviously, I have a thing for blondes.” Tikki snickered.  “But my feelings for Adrien are still very strong and I’m not ready to give up on that.  I’ve made up my mind,” Marinette declared.  

Tikki didn’t appear half as convinced as her chosen.  “So you’re just going to give up on your feelings for him because your feelings for Adrien haven’t gone away?” the tiny creature asked puzzled.  

“No of course not, but no matter who Chat ends up being behind that mask, he’s my friend first and that’s a relationship I can’t risk losing,”  Marinette clarified as she began walking back up the stairs to her room.  “Whatever happens after the dance happens, but right now I need to focus on doing what’s best for my mental sanity.  Right now, my mental sanity requires another nap.”

Tikki rolled her eyes but gave her chosen a soft smile.  “Your mental sanity just woke up from a nap,” she reminded Marinette.  

“It would appear that my sanity is easily overwhelmed by the presence of blonde boys with green eyes.” Marinette and Tikki exchanged laughter as Mari closed her trap door beneath her and lied back down on her bed. From now on, she wasn’t going to let herself spend all hours of the day worrying about future events that were out of her control. Adrien was right. Chat was her friend first and that was a bond that could never be broken.

Part 5

[aceofstars16]

Never Alone

After seeing @meldy-arts adorable space fam picture, I just had to write a little something for it! It turned out to be more feelsy than I planned...but I’m still happy with the result! I was going to write from Hera’s perspective or switch it to hers in the middle but I think sticking with Ezra’s POV seemed to work out pretty well?

This takes place after “Princess on Lothal” so, a fic for older episodes! And feels, lots of feels!

Fic below the cut:

Zeb’s snores filled the air as Ezra stared at the ceiling. He knew he should sleep. It had been a long day and his body was exhausted. But he just couldn’t, not now. The mission on Lothal had been a distraction throughout the day, but now there was nothing keeping Ezra from thinking about his parents. His parents who he hadn’t seen in over seven years, and who he would never see again. In his mind, he knew they would’ve been proud of him -even if his message had sparked the flame that had killed them- but that that knowledge didn’t ease the pain in his chest.

The night before, Kanan had been there with Ezra, and his presence had been a comfort, a reminder that Ezra wasn’t alone. But now a loneliness settled over Ezra, and even the knowledge that Zeb was there didn’t ease it.

Pulling his legs close to his chest, Ezra tried to push away the thoughts, tried to focus on the successful mission. They had gotten three new ships that would be vital to the rebellion. It was a step in the right direction. But even as he reminded himself of this, tears formed in his eyes. He hugged his legs tighter, trying to push them away, but the pain only grew. And before he knew it, tears were falling down his face. He tried to suppress a sob, but he couldn’t and soon sobs were wracking his body.

Time was never relevant when it came to tears. Ezra cried until he was empty. Sometimes tears helped, but now he just felt broken, hollow. The loneliness was overwhelming. He couldn’t face it alone. So he carefully climbed off of his bunk. Zeb was on his back, and Ezra knew from experience that waking the Lasat up before he was ready was a bad idea. Besides, right now he knew what he needed.

With his arms hugging his chest, Ezra made his way to Kanan’s room. As the door opened, he saw that Hera was in the room as well. And something about that made Ezra hesitate. Maybe he should let them be, he could try to handle this on his own. Maybe if he focused on Zeb’s snoring he could sleep, or he could find something productive to do. But when he tried to move, his feet seemed stuck to the ground. His mind wanted to go, but his heart needed help. As much as he wanted to be strong enough, he was reminded that he couldn’t do everything by himself. So he stood in the doorway, eyes closed, arms hugging his chest as he tried to force himself to move, to do something.

“Ezra.”

The worry in Kanan’s voice broke Ezra out of his frozen state and he looked up at his master. Through the light of the hallway he could see Kanan’s messy hair – something he wasn’t used to seeing.

“Kanan…I uh…” Ezra tried to say more. He needed to explain himself, but his throat tightened and he hugged himself a little tighter.

The noise must have woken Hera, because she quickly sat up and upon seeing Ezra, the confusion on her face dissipated, only to be replaced by worry.

“Ezra, sweetheart, are you okay?” She asked.

Ezra started to nod, but the emptiness and pain still weighed on his chest and he shook his head. He just wanted to be okay, he wanted the pain to go away, but he knew it never would.

A look passed between Kanan and Hera and they made room on the bed for Ezra, then Hera held out a hand. And that invitation, a simple gesture of kindness and caring, freed Ezra from his frozen state. Tears built up in his eyes once again as he crawled into the bed.

Warmth surrounded him as Kanan pulled the blanket over him. A hand rested on his shoulder and Ezra looked over and saw Hera smiling at him, though there was a sadness hidden underneath it.

“I know it’s hard right now, Ezra, but we are here for you,” she said, brushing a strand of hair out of his face.

Tears blurred Ezra’s vision, but he managed to whisper a thank you. As he closed his eyes, a tear fell from his eyes and he hugged himself again. He wasn’t alone, he shouldn’t cry, but when Kanan’s hand rested on him, he opened his eyes and saw the sorrow in his master’s eyes.

“It’s okay to cry,” Kanan said quietly.

It was meant to comfort him, but Ezra’s chest tightened again and even more tears flowed from his eyes. He hated feeling so weak, so hurt, so lost. He couldn’t face this alone and he pressed his head up against Kanan’s chest, drawing comfort from his master – the closest thing he had to a father now.

“It’s alright, Ezra, it’s okay,” Kanan whispered again and again. And as he cried, Ezra felt Hera’s hand running comfortingly over his head.

The pain of losing his parents was still raw, but Kanan and Hera’s presence gave him strength. It was a small comfort, a reminder that he wasn’t alone. And it made facing the pain just a little bit easier.

Ezra didn’t know when he fell asleep, but as he was pulled from his dreamless sleep, he could tell something was different. Kanan’s hand was still on his arm, a constant reassurance that he wasn’t alone, but Hera’s presence wasn’t as close anymore.

Carefully turning his head, Ezra saw that Sabine was asleep next to him, her back to his. A peaceful smile on her face.

Ezra couldn’t hold back a frown as he burrowed back down into the comfort of the bed. What had caused Sabine to seek comfort too? She always seemed so strong, so put together…but there she was. Clearly something had hurt her enough for her to seek comfort. Ezra had no clue what that could be, he may never know, but for some reason the fact that even Sabine needed comfort gave him a sense of peace. No one was as put together as they seemed on the outside. No one was invincible. That’s why you needed friends to help you, and a family to stick by you no matter what you went through. And Ezra had both. The Ghost crew may not be his real family, but they had been there for him though everything and he knew that they always would be, no matter what.