#alya's pro-whoever marinette wants

[zoe-oneesama]

Why Alya is again thinking Marinnete like Adrien?

(i mean is not like she doesnt kind of, but Marinette didn't tell Alya but she did explicitly say she likes Chat)

Alya started everything as a staunch AdrienxMarinette shipper, even when Marinette was saying she had no feelings for Adrien as far back as "Stormy Weather". It's only being told directly in "Dark Cupid" that Marinette likes Chat Noir that she drops it, but thats 2.5 seasons of her holding onto Adrienette.

Now she's catching Marinette making eyes at Adrien, and being caught out in public as his "girlfriend". SHE doesn't know that Marinette is looking at Adrien because she's putting together that he's Chat Noir, Alya just sees Marinette switching to Adrien, who Alya originally shipped her with.

Her OTP is setting sail as far as she's concerned. Once a shipper, always a shipper.

[theanxiouscupcake]

mlb fandom on instagram grates on my nerves so bad with their shitty takes and idk how to block the bad bits.

(will there ever be an end to this rage!?)

takes i’ve seen so far:

kagami deserves adrien more than marinette does (i’m not saying marinette deserves him more or anything, but on what grounds can you say kagami deserves him more??)

marinette’s crush is obsessive. (hate to break it to you but so is chat/adrien’s on ladybug...)

marinette deserves the isolation, her crush on adrien was creepy anyway (what le fuck, nothing excuses bullying, why do some people think marinette’s feelings for adrien are reason enough for her to be getting bullied or isolated!?)

adrien is spineless (he isn’t spineless he is a misinformed kid with a really shitty and abusive parent who has lead him to believe and constantly reaffirmed that confrontation doesn’t lead to anything good through his own actions. AND HE’S ONLY 15 FOR FUCKS SAKE)

marinette isn’t being a good friend to kagami. (EXCUSE ME? if anything i’d argue in the reverse because while it’s not wrong to try and date someone your friend is crushing on ( i mean i wouldn’t do it ever, because that shit hurts), there are better ways. i really didn’t like that she talked to ladybug about it but not to marinette. she should’ve talked to marinette, not seeking permission, of course not. but just talked about it. especially after the whole thing on the bridge. marinette isn’t a bad friend just for being hurt that the guy she has a crush on is on a date with someone else.)

kagami is being petty. (no? she’s just a kid who doesn’t do friendships and yeah, i do think she wasn’t being a very good friend to marinette (and not because she’s trying to date adrien, ok? people can date whoever the fuck they want) maybe she shouldn’t be upset that adrien wasn’t ready to kiss her, but they’re all kids man. yeah she should’ve been more... sensitive??? to marinette’s feelings, but it wasn’t her being petty, she doesn’t do friendships, she didn’t know better, ok.)

chat is harassing ladybug. (no he isn’t. chat is emulating anime which was his only exposure. he’s just a dumbass. yes he’s thrown a tantrum about his feelings not being reciprocated, but ladybug keeps him in line, and she clearly enjoys their banter and takes him down a notch whenever he goes overboard.) in conclusion, here’s one for the essay no one asked for:

all characters are flawed, literally none of them are perfect. not even adrien. neither marinette. nor alya, nino, kagami. that’s one of the things that makes the show so fun. they’re all dumbasses.

its ok to dislike characters, but when you do, keep out of the content related to said characters and don’t shit on content creators who do like them. 

some of my opinions, i know are conflicted and it is what it is. (yes, i like kagami’s character. no i don’t like adrigami. i also don’t like the whole deal with kagami-marinette right now, because in my honest opinion, if the writers wanted to have chat and marinette move on from their crushes, it shouldn’t have been to someone else, i am just not a fan of the idea that you just gotta have a crush on someone if not x person. it would’ve been better if they kept their romantic feelings aside to be a better friend to each without someone else entering the picture, be it for luka or marinette. *tells self to shut up because that’s another essay*)

ship and let ship. stay on your own ships if you don’t like someone else’s, no need to pro-actively try to sink their ship. (like. i’m not a fan of adrigami (for soooo many reasons, maybe i’ll do another essay no one asked for at some point), but its fine if you are, just don’t come onto my adrinette or lukanette content to start saying shit.) 

they’re just kids. 

but for real, if someone can tell me how i can get rid of the annoying ones on insta from my explore page, i’d be glad. [ blocking doesn’t work, i’m tryna get rid of a specific type of content, ya know? ]

[whimsicallyconfusedforlife]

My cranky ML rant.

Ok, I’m closer to 50 than 15, so I ought to know better than to get hooked on a kids show, but the writers sucked me in, they got me with the lovesquare and now after Love Eater I just feel cheated. I’m so completely pro- the love square, I don’t need any lukanette or Adrimi fans in here trying to change my mind ok, because it wont happen. I just want some fellow love square fans to commiserate with me here now..

I’m happy for the Luka and Kagami fans who are pleased with the ep. but I still need to get out all of my feelings, so this is just my feelings. If you disagree, cool, move along... I feel the lukanette bit at the end of the ep wasn’t specifically because it was Luka. I could see marinette breaking down like that with Alya or Nino, or even Jagged stone really. Poor girl, so much pressure.

This really demonstrates to me that the secret identity situation isn’t working for Marinette, it’s not helping her cope with everything. It hurt because Cat noir could have been there for her, having to carry all that load is too, even if she is strong enough to weird 12 Miraculous at a time. And I realise it’s an intentional cliffhanger and I’m reacting the way the writers want me too, which annoys me as well..

I like Kagami and I don’t hate Luka like I used to do, but wow. Kagami, Adrien has said he wasn’t changing his target but you are getting pushy, you don’t even know how he feels. I don’t know if he will kiss her back, we didn’t see that. And I’m so frustrated with Adrien. So passive you will end up married to Kagami and still not free to be you. The last ep you were up there defending marinette from Lila and now you aren’t even concerned she just left?

At least at the start of the ep we saw Luka finally acting like a normal teenage boy, rather than wise, perfect boyfriend material. He really needs to learn how to communicate without music. Let’s just stop marinette on her way somewhere to serenade her lamely... such a teenager it was funny.

And thanks writers, I had hope your building up the lovesquare for three seasons meant something, but I guess it’s another fake out. There is more to the story post reveal. It’s not happily ever after, there are new dynamics to explore, defeating Hawkmoth, whoever that ends up being after miracle queen is done. But don’t tell me they belong together, they are made for each other and not actually let them be there for each other...it’s cruel and my empathic heart can’t deal!

I can see them half heartedly getting involved with Luka and Kagami and then dumping them when they realise their hearts belong elsewhere. The fans will just love Adrien and Marinette for that! I think a reversal of the love square would have a better way to go. And I know lots of people say that they need to grow before they get together, but everyone is fine with Alya & Nino, Ivan & Mylene, Rose & Juleka etc etc being together now....I’m not a fan of the whole being with someone else to help you grow to be ready for your true love. My best personal growth has come from inside me, on my own, not from someone else (except having children!)

Oh that’s enough of my cliffhanger tantrum I think. I’m sure everything will change when we finally see the second part of the finale, or else nothing at all will..oh and geez Hawkmoth, didn’t you say one episode ago you didn’t want Nathalie using the peacock again, and yet hello Mayura! Did she do anything other than spy? And I guess master fu is now in the dead wife garden being held captive? Gabriel I hope Emilie comes back and divorces your arse! And I don’t think there were any chat Blanc or Felix spoilers that I could see...

[whenimgoodandready]

🎶It’s fun to stay at the Y.M.C.A! It’s fun to stay at the Y.M.C.A!🎶 Lol! Despite Disco being dead, we just can’t help but resurrect it from the grave cuz it’s just so.........so..........🌸✌🏻✨groovy✨✌🏻🌸. No matter the generation, 80’s, 90’s, 2000’s or even the 2010’s it’s always fun to celebrate the decade that made dancing feel good and hip. So let’s party!

*Party Crasher-Remember “Gigantitan”, the episode where it was mostly girl orientated cuz its main focus was all about Marinette and her girl squad trying to make Adrienette happen with a zany elaborate scheme, well now it’s Adriens turn to have himself a guy episode in which I like to call a “Bros Day Out”! Nino plans it out since Gabriel is “out of town” and has a few of his male friends to accompany him and bribe his bodyguard (with action figures) to give Adrien some well deserved free time from his busy schedule. That’s nice, except he made them all lie to the girl squad by making up excuses to why they can’t help them plant trees. Look, it’s wrong to lie, but who hasn’t lied in this show already!? We got two major heroes who make up excuses to why they’re always late and disappear, a part-time supervillain dad with questionable morals that makes himself look “busy” with his lies and a girl that officially went to the dark side who does it on a daily basis! ¯\_( ಠ_ಠ)_/¯ .

Anyways, word spreads like wildfire where almost every guy in the show and I mean EVERY GUY IN THE SHOW! Arrive and party like it’s 1970! Speaking of the 70’s, there’s a parody of The Village People as well as their hit song, “Y.M.C.A”! Lol! So while the biggest sausagefest in Paris, France was goin’ on, Marinette got suspicious as to why all the guys suddenly bailed out on her and her squad and went undercover to find out (poorly) disguised as “Marino”. Well, every sausagefest needs at least one “taco” at a party, huh? (Badum-tish🥁).

The party was great, except Maxes robot friend, Markov, hacked into the sound system to pump up the volume and make it loud enough to practically topple the Eiffel Tower and it also caused the underground lair in the Agreste mansion, where Adrien’s mother, Emilie, was in her comatose state, to lose its electricity and black out thus cutting off her life support glass coffin! Don! Don! Don! Gabe was there and he was freaking out! He transformed into Hawk Moth to fix this, but unfortunately for him, there’s more joy in his house than the Happiest Place on Earth! Wait just a minute! Looks like we’re short one guest in the park. Wayhem! Adrien’s #1 fan! (“Gorizilla”). The bodyguard was too distracted with his “bribe” to notice him outside and let him in leaving the poor guy heartbroken. Bingo! Hawk Moth, you can save your wife now!

Miraculers, meet the most fearsome supervillain Hawk Moth has ever created, Party Crasher! Don! Don!-(record scratch. Takes a good look at Party Crasher and sees how ridiculous, UTTERLY ridiculous he looks. Hysterically laughs) XD! Seriously!? He looks like a Disco Dan-esque weirdo! Disco balls for hands, a pink afro and a mustache! What’s his power? Making people Boogey Oogey Oogey ‘til they just can’t boogey no more!? Oh boy! (wipes a tear). Okay, okay, okay, so he crashes the party and his powers are actually capturing whatever he touches with his disco ball hands trapped inside of ‘em and analyzing the heroes next moves before they happen. Nothing Ladybug and Cat Noir can’t-(Ladybug gets captured). HOLY SH*T! LADYBUG GOT CAPTURED! LADYBUG GOT CAPTURED! LADYBUG GOT F**KING CAPTURED! DO YOU KNOW WHAT THIS MEANS!? IT MEANS NOW WE DON’T HAVE ANY ONE TO PURIFY THE AKUMA! DON! DON! DON!

Master Fu was at the party so he recruited Nino, Luka and Max as Carapace, Viperion and Pegasus (respectively) and WAIT! When did Luka and Max get miraculouses!? Oh I get it, we’re goin’ this again.........POORLY SCHEDULED EPISODE ORDERS! F**k whoever’s in charge of that! :P. I’ll deal with this later, anyways, it’s now up to them and Cat Noir to save Ladybug and from their powers (along with Viperions power:second chance and Pegasuses power:transportation), I’m sure they’ll save Lady-(they all get captured by Party Crasher)😳. Ah! C’mon! First Ladybug, now the superdudes! Who’s gonna save the day now!? Alya’s not there and Chloe’s retired, so I guess, we’re doomed!

In a desperate attempt, Master Fu finds out that Kim was one of the few guests that was still at the party (unaware of the danger) and gives him the monkey miraculous! Ladies and gentlemen, I present to you the holder of said miraculous, Lê Chiê’n Kim a.k.a. King Monkey! (trumpets sound). Huh, the monkey miraculous went to Kim.........I was still kinda undecided on which one he’d get, but it’s canon he gets that one. His Kwami is a monkey like being named Xuppu, his miraculous a headband crown, his weapon a staff and his power is “Uproar” in which he conjures up a random object to throw it at the person he’s aiming at and it makes their powers malfunction. Don’t worry Fu, you made a good choice. He helped save the day.

So Wayhem has become so obsessed with Adrien that he even dyed his hair like him! Okaaaaaaay, creepy fanboy there, but Hey, it’s common in real life too. As great as it is that he’s become friends with Adrien since his debut, it was sad he couldn’t get into the party and even before that, wasn’t even allowed in after what he did saving his life from his akumatized bodyguard and even unintentionally erasing Hawk Moths mind that Adrien and Cat Noir “aren’t” the same person. Nino’s plan to give Adrien a party with the guys had its pros and cons though; Pro:Making Adrien have a good time, Con:Lying to the girls about it when they promised to help save the environment. Why couldn’t they just tell ‘em they wanted to have some guy time? Gabriel was secretly at home and not “on a business trip” so that he can harvest his akuma butterflies! That’s how he gets them!? He actually grows them!? I thought they just appeared from magic with his miraculous!? Okay, weird. When Marinette got suspicious and went to investigate using her detective skills, I was glad she was doing this to get to the bottom of something on the whole dishonesty thing from the guys (she hates liars), I mean, sure she also got tempted to go to the “Guys Only” party just to see Adrien, but she went there first to uncover the truth. That black out almost killed Emilie! For reals! If that were to have happened, the sh*t would’ve hit the fan and Gabe/Hawk Moth would’ve had a bigger reason to get the miraculouses. Close call! I take back what I said about Party Crasher, he seriously almost sent the real miraculouses to Hawk Moth! (eat your heart out Dark Owl). He first only made a villain to bring the power back to save Emilie, but then he was all like, “Eh, might as well wait for those heroes to show up and really save my wife”. I don’t blame him, he practically had a heart attack! HE WAS FORCED TO SLOWLY WATCH HER DIE! A first ever in the show was that Ladybug, who has the most important job of all, was captured! Not Cat Noir, Ladybug! This emergency called for Carapace along with Viperion and Pegasus. This is clearly out of order cuz Cat remembers them and I know that Max will get the horse miraculous in “Startrain” (which is later) and Luka gets the snake miraculous in “God-knows-which”, but I won’t waste my trumpeters time until it’s their proper given superhero hour for me to get the full intell! Despite the rescue attempt, all the guy heroes unfortunately got captured too. Whomp! Whomp! Whomp! The one that really deserves an intro in their new superhero life is sports fan Kim! During the party, he saved Master Fu from falling thus earning him his respect. So I guess the protocol for getting a miraculous directly from Fu is just to save his old a** from falling. XD! By the by, Marinette was concerned on why he was at the party since in this episode, Hawk Moth found out about his identity (which I assume is in the later ep, “Feast” even though it’s already after that in this case), but I guess he couldn’t resist the whole “Bros before Hoes” jamboree (shrugs). Fu, watch yourself, you’re in enemy territory! I never thought Kim would have the monkey miraculous though. I always thought he’d either get the goat or the dog one, but come to think of it, monkeys are playful and chaotic which fits Kim’s fun-loving and recklessness along with the miraculouses power. Plus, monkeys are known to be wise creatures and this’ll help him learn to mature. Congrats Kim! You’ve finally got your wish to fight along side Ladybug and Cat Noir! (“Syren”). Y.M.C.A. saves the day and in the end, all that mattered was Adriens happiness. As we all know, Adrien has to live up to his strict fathers high expectations and be the “picture of perfection” and he can’t be badly influenced by others which is why he barely has friends over or even have fun :(. That’s why Nino did all this “Pre Bachelor Party” thing and after he and Marinette apologized for their dishonesty, it was for the sake of Adrien. Let the guy be happy!

[ao3bronte]

Ml Fluff Month

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Read it on A03

Sommeil - Chapter 1 Finally Alone

Art by: @shaniartist

tu peux mentir à qui tu veux / tu souris trop pour être heureux

“And...done!”

Marinette clicks submit on her online quiz and slaps her laptop closed, leaning back in her office chair with a satisfied smirk. She's been absolutely killing this course on 18th century European fashion and her latest quiz marks just further confirmed her suspicious that she's basically a full-on expert. Mantuas and petticoats? Easy. Brocaded silk and riding jackets? Child's play. Hoop skirts and embroidery? A cinch.

A cinch, get it?

Man, she's been spending waaaaay too much time with Chat Noir.

Well, as Ladybug anyway. The akuma’s were few and far between lately but she and Chat Noir still spent at least a few night a week together, prowling the streets for criminals and the like. They usually convened on a Thursday evening at the Eiffel Tower but they'd had to switch it to Wednesday this week to accommodate for Chat’s busy civilian schedule; she still hadn’t figured out his identity but he was frank in his explanation that he was constantly busy with his job, often putting in seventy or so hours a week.

Marinette kind of hates it.

Not because it takes him away from akuma attacks or anything; he almost always finds a way to get out of whatever he’s doing to come and help nail the monster of the week and he’s always keen to do his very best, fighting at the top of his game. He parries and strikes and flips like the best of them with a smile on his face and a joke on his tongue but when all is said and done…

Chat just isn't quite Chat anymore.

At first she'd just chalked it up to getting older. They’re eighteen now and a lot had changed between them, all things considered. They’re older and wiser and more in sync than ever, to the point where they pretty much embody the yin and yang of their symbols to a tee, which always thrills Master Fu to no end. On her side of things, Marinette is proud to say that she’s become more focused now, having lost a lot of that nervousness she'd been plagued with as a kid. Being at the top of her university class certainly helped her confidence, especially considering her scholarship to the fashion institute she was now studying at; most of her peers took a year off to figure out what they were going to do with their lives but Marinette had always known exactly what she wanted to be since she was eight. Fashion design was her calling and nothing, not even Le Papillon , was going to stop her from reaching her goals.

But where Marinette had grown strong and confident, Chat had grown a little more...demure, for lack of a better word. He’s quieter and more intense, which isn't necessarily a bad thing, but the almost preoccupied way he tends to go about things now still doesn't quite sit well with her. He used to be vivacious and wild and full of life! He was a carpe diem kind of guy, a glass half full kind of guy!

Now he’s just...flat.

She'd noticed the bags beneath his eyes even with the mask over his skin and had asked occasionally how he was feeling and it was always the same response. ‘I'm fine,’ he'd say, ‘I just didn't sleep much,’ he'd say, ‘I'm just such a party animal,’ he’d say. She'd always let it slide in the past because she's his partner and friend, not his mother, but it’s kind of getting to the point where something has to be done.

He yawns too often to be sleeping properly.

He smiles too much to be happy.

She'd asked Alya about it once, under the guise that this person was a friend of hers at the Institute. Alya had said point blank that her friend was probably not getting enough sleep because he's being overworked and feeling maybe even a little depressed. Seventy hours a week and a full time student on top of that? Alya had told her to reach out if he seemed to be struggling and Marinette has decided to do just that.

Packing up her laptop, she checks her saved Snapchat conversation with Alya and studies the symptoms from the link she'd sent her. Lack of sleep and fatigue is a big part of what she’s been noticing about him and she's resolved to come up with a solution as soon as possible. The one she has in mind is ballsy and, quite frankly, a little dangerous but the pros outweigh the cons as far as she’s concerned. She needs to make sure Chat’s okay and healthy and happy and back to his old cheerful self…

Even if it means spoiling her identity.

~

“Hey Chaton,” Ladybug lands with a near imperceptible thump beside her partner on the wrought iron lattice of the Eiffel Tower and immediately scoops him into a side hug. It's weird and kind of out of character for her, but she'd been adamant in her Snaps to him that they needed to talk and she could practically smell the worry coming off of him in waves, “How are you feeling?”

Chat is stiff in her embrace, “Ummm...good? Why are you hugging me? What did I do?”

“I'm hugging you because you looked like you could use one,” Ladybug replies, revelling when he finally sinks into her touch, “And because I'm about to call you out on your bullshit.”

Chat’s eyes bug out of his head and Ladybug holds him tighter to keep him from escaping her clutches, “What?”

“You haven't been sleeping well and this is my concerned face,” Ladybug rests her chin on his shoulder with a pout, “You're yawning and you have bags under your eyes all the time. You're always tired and I want to know why.”

“I'm fine,” Chat immediately deflects and nearly opens his mouth to say more when Ladybug gives him the look .

“You can lie to whoever you want but you can't lie to me,” Ladybug insists, “You're my best friend. I know you like the back of my hand. I know your tells, your signs, your body language—”

“—you don't know my name.”

“No, but I know just about everything else about you. We've been partners since we were fourteen, that's practically a quarter of our lives Chat. Powerwise, I'm literally your other half.”

“Technically you are,” he mutters, his ring catching the moonlight as he wiggles it, “But like I said, I'm fine. I just need some fresh air and a good run around the city.”

“A good nap you mean,” Ladybug chides him, tapping his nose, “Look, I'd strap you down to my bed and make you sleep if I could—”

“—strap me down? Ladybug, I didn't realise you were so kinky.”

“You know what I mean,” Ladybug rolls her eyes and grimaces, “Ugh, you are such a boy .”

Chat’s jaw drops dramatically, “Really? I had no idea.”

“Ugh…” Ladybug recoils, flicking him on the shoulder for good measure, “That's it, no more hugs for you.”

“But M’Lady—”

“Nope, you're gross.”

“And you are an angel.”

“Tomcat.”

“Light of my life.”

“Mangy stray.”

“My sun and stars.”

“Stoooop,” Ladybug turns to face him properly and crosses her arms across her chest, “But in all seriousness Chat, you need to get some rest. I'm worried about you.”

“And I'm serious when I say that I'm fine,” Chat pipes back, mirroring her movements, “Now can we go on that run now? I bet I can beat you to La Grande Paris —”

“You know, I don't even know why I bother,” Ladybug grumbles with a huff and Chat immediately slumps at her tone, “Look, if you won't listen to me, then I'm sending you to someone else.”

“But—”

“It's my turn to talk and you're going to listen,” she sticks her finger in his face and he nods meekly, “I have a friend who has the world's best bedtime tea. It'll knock you out cold for hours after just one cup, I promise.”

“A friend? But uh...wouldn't that compromise our identities?”

“I know her as Ladybug,” she replies easily, having practised this conversation in the mirror already, “And so do you. Her name is Marinette Dupain-Cheng and you're going to her house tonight and having a cup of her magic tea.”

“But—"

“No buts,” Ladybug interrupts, raising her palm, “She's probably already brewing it as we speak. She’s expecting you at 23:00 sharp.”

“Wait, Ladybug—"

“Trust me, she's a good friend of mine. She'll be able to help you out.”

Chat looks uncertain, “Are you sure I won't be intruding?”

“Not a chance,” Ladybug assures him, “She's looking forward to it! She's really loves helping others. Besides, she's a big fan of yours too.”

“She...she is?”

“Oh yes,” Ladybug affirms and it isn't a lie, “She even bought a Chat Noir mug just for you."

“Really?” Chat whispers and Ladybug can't help but smile at the blush that spreads across his cheeks. Chat’s always been a sucker for compliments and Ladybug plans to exploit it, “She did?”

“Yup, so what are you waiting for?” Ladybug hops to her feet and unfastens her yoyo from her belt, revving it up, “You've got ten minutes to get your butt over there for the best bedtime tea of your life. Don't be late!”

~

Ladybug swings and swoops as fast as she possibly can towards her home and detransforms just as she lands on her rooftop deck, hurriedly opening her trap door. She slips inside and checks her appearance in the mirror quickly before plugging in the kettle she'd borrowed from the kitchen and opening the tin of her mother's special chrysanthemum and chamomile blend. Wafting the herbal scent towards her nose, Marinette thinks back to all of the nights her maman had brewed the herbal infusion for her before a test at school and hopes it might conk him out the same way it did for her.

knock knock knock

Marinette startles and nearly drops the container of loose leaf on the floor before setting it down and turning back towards her sleeping platform. Scurrying up the ladder, Marinette can't help but enjoy the nervous flutter in her chest at the prospect of doing something good for her very best friend.

“Chat Noir!” she exclaims happily as she opens her trap door. Chat’s eyes are wide, his lips slightly parted in surprise, “Come on in! Ladybug let me know you were coming.”

“Yeah?” Chat swallows nervously, his Adam's apple bobbing in his throat, “I uhhh...I don't mean to intrude—"

“No no no,” Marinette waves her hands, beckoning him inside, “It's the least I can do for Paris’ Favourite Hero!”

Chat still hesitates, his pupils strangely slivered, “I think that title belongs to Ladybug.”

“She's Paris’ Favourite Heroine,” Marinette corrects him, grabbing his forearm in an attempt to physically drag him inside, “Paris loves you just as much. And look, they even make mugs in your likeness! I bought you one, come look!”

Marinette flops back onto her bed with a tug of his wrist and he finally slips in through the trapdoor behind her, his expression decidedly unsure. She's never seen him look quite so skittish, but then he's always behaved a little weirdly when she’s given him things, like on his birthday or on their partnerversary.

“Are you sure this is okay?” Chat slides off her mattress and lands on the floor in a silent crouch, “I don't think your parents would be too happy to find a stray cat alone with you in your room.”

“They're bakers so they're usually in bed by 20:30. They get up at 04:30 to start the breads and pastries.”

“Oh,” Chat says simply, still highly hesitant, “I just don't want to be a bother.”

“Chat, you're not bothering me,” Marinette fills the silver infuser with the dried leaves and seals it with a snap, “I'm always happy to help a friend in need, especially when that friend is having a hard time.”

“I'm not having a hard time,” Chat interjects, immediately on the defence, “Ladybug is...she's just really...I don’t know the right word to describe it.”

“Well she wouldn't have asked me to help you if it wasn't important and if it's important to her, then it's important for me,” Marinette plants her hands on her hips and tips her chin proudly, “So sit down and relax. It only takes a few minutes to steep.”

Chat finally acquiesces and lowers himself gingerly on her chaise lounge, staring about her room curiously. Most of the photos of Adrien have been taken down in favour of Vogue spreads and Instagram posts of her favourite design icons, not to mention all the group shots with her friends. Of course, she's still got an entire wall dedicated to Gabriel’s fashion lines which is where she has many of Adrien’s best shoots still pinned to the plaster, “It's been a while since I’ve seen you around.”

“It has,” Marinette pours the hot water into the black and green mug, “When was the last time...was it the akuma at the Fashion Institute back in September?”

“I think so,” Chat replies, tugging his legs up onto the pink cushion and crossing his feet, “That was the one who wanted to turn everyone into a pin cushion right?”

“That was the one! I was lucky you and Ladybug were there to save the day.”

“She got there before I did,” he explains, his shoulders relaxing marginally, “That was definitely one of my least favourite fights ever. I hate needles.”

“You must have a terrible time at the vet,” Marinette snickers behind her hand, loving the look he throws her.

“You've been spending way too much time with Ladybug,” Chat pouts, but there's only humour in his eyes, “How do you know her by the way? She said that you two were friends.”

Marinette knew this would come up, which is why she'd already rehearsed her answer, “She's stopped on my balcony a few times. I always offer her a glass of water and sometimes we talk.”

“Oh,” Chat nods his head, “I've stopped here a few times too.”

“You have,” Marinette fiddles with chain on the infuser, agitating the water, “And you're always welcome to drop by whenever you like. Just don't forget to knock in case I'm sleeping.”

Chat blinks several times, “Really?”

“My door’s always open.”

“Huh,” Chat looks pathetically perplexed and it makes Marinette steam a little. Doesn't anyone else do anything nice for her partner? Besides her anyway, she's always bringing him pastries and slices of cake.

“Alright, tea is ready. You have to drink it black, no cream or sugar,” Marinette explains, lifting the infuser out of the steaming water, “It tastes a little odd but not in a bad way.”

Wrapping her fingers around the handle of the Chat Noir mug, Marinette lifts it from the surface of her desk and gently brings it over to the side table beside her chaise. She turns it so that Chat can get a good look at the porcelain cat ears sticking up from the rim, “It's cute right? My friend Mylène works at a pottery place in Montmartre and she made this for me.”

“She did?” Chat’s gape shifts between her and the mug, “Can I commission her to make me one too?”

“I'll ask her!” Marinette plops down onto the chaise beside him, “But I’m sure she'd be happy to make you one free of charge. Now come on, drink your tea before it gets cold.”

“Oui Madame,” Chat responds with a mock salute and takes the cup of tea into his gloved hands, “It smells funny.”

“So do you, but you don't see me complaining,” Marinette replies instinctively and tried to ignore the shocked expression on Chat’s face. It's something Ladybug would say and she needs to be more careful but...it’s just so easy to be herself when he's around, “What are you waiting for, drink up!”

Chat brings the cup to his lips and blows, a cloudy puff of steam rising from the rim. Finally he takes a sip and makes a face but doesn't argue, taking a long pull shortly after.

“It's not terrible I guess,” Chat mumbles, staring at the deep green infusion, “It still tastes funny though.”

“Like I said, you get used to it,” Marinette replies, crossing one leg over the other, “My Maman is Chinese so she has all sorts of great recipes.”

“Yeah?” Chat mumbles, taking another drink, “You’re lucky.”

“I am,” she points to a framed family photo sitting on her desk, “That’s her there, and my Papa too.”

“Must be nice to have a family.”

Marinette's neck turns so fast it cracks, “What?”

“It’s not important,” he waves his hand dismissively, his eyes half lidded, “But yeah. It’s a beautiful photo.”

“Not important?” Marinette gasps, “ What?! Chat, you can’t just drop that on me and expect that I won’t ask questions! What happened?”

He shrugs, “I dunno. My father is still around but...my mother has been gone for years.”

“Oh Chat,” Marinette’s heart leaps into her throat, “I'm sorry, I didn't know.”

“It's alright,” Chat’s eyes have closed completely now, his chin tipping forward against his chest. His bell sings lightly as he begins to tip, “I just miss her, that's all.”

Marinette places one hand on his shoulder and squeezes the tense muscle there, “I'm so sorry Chat. Is there something I can do?”

Chat simply grunts and Marinette can see her plan is working. She gently pries the nearly empty mug from his fingers and lowers his upper body down onto the raised back of the cushion until he's lying comfortably, his head lolling slightly to one side. Moving soundlessly, Marinette fishes the blanket she'd stowed beneath her chaise for exactly this reason and drapes the soft fabric over his slack body. Releasing the breath she didn’t realise she’d been holding, Marinette turns the main light off and leaves the office lamp on in case he wakes up in the middle of the night and wonders where he is, but Marinette highly doubts he’ll wake up anytime soon; if her Maman’s magic tea has really worked its magic, he won't be waking up for another six hours.

Instinctively, she reaches down and brushes his bangs from his eyes and gasps when he turns his face into her palm and purrs, louder than she's ever heard it. Her knees actually shudder at the intensity of the sound and she considers pulling her hand away except...it's kind of addicting? It's an odd thing to think about but as she cards her fingers through his hair to the sound of the constant purr in his chest, Marinette can hardly convince herself to stop.

It's nearly midnight by the time she wrenches her hands from his head, delighting in the way he's melted like a Chat shaped puddle across the cushions. She's proud of herself; her plan has worked and she didn't even have to be Ladybug to execute it! But now her eyes are sagging and she desperately needs to head to bed in time for her lecture at the Institute in the morning so, chancing one last glance at her gently purring partner, she climbs up onto her bed platform and tucks herself into bed.

Around 03:00, there's a bright flash of green light and the sound of two kwarmis chittering quietly against Chat Noir’s soft snuffles and Marinette realises that the boy she's spent for years fighting alongside is sleeping maskless only a few metres away. It's tempting to peek over the railing and look but…

Marinette rolls back over and closes her eyes with a small smile. Just getting him to sleep is a huge feat unto itself and not looking would mean that he would trust her more which would hopefully mean that he’d keep coming to her for tea. The decision was simple.

Tonight, she'd let sleeping cats lie.

For now.