#ch: gabriel agreste

[dearmayura]

# the parents are fighting!!

[kasienda]

Opening Line Patterns

thanks for the tag @ladyofthenoodle!

Rules: List the first line of your last 10 posted fics and see if there's a pattern. I'm not going to link each individual fic, but here's my Ao3 if something catches your fancy! :)

From most to least recent:

Rena Rouge: Secret Keeper - Ch 4 Chat Noir was earlier than Ladybug. That was hardly unusual. What was unusual was that he was dreading her arrival.

The Untold Story of DJWiFi - Ch 9 Alya’s biggest complaint about being tied up in a giant spider’s web was that she couldn’t film the whole akuma encounter.

Bend the World Around It - Ch 3 They don’t talk about their names and identities. He doesn’t ask and she doesn’t want to talk about it anyway. It’ll just make them both sad.

Not Part of the Plan - Ch 12 She wakes up next to Adrien. He looks as gorgeous as ever and more than anything she wants to throw herself at him and have her way with him.

Celebrity Status - Ch 7 I can’t believe Ladybug dropped someone! 

Miraculous Reveal #15 - Rings True I figured out who Monarch is. He’s Gabriel Agreste. Meet me at the Agreste Mansion.

Right Behind You - Ch 13 Nino adjusted the headphones over his ears, and hit play again, listening to the track he had so far.

Yin and Yang - Ch 5 Adrien’s room was something out of a child’s fantasy.

Spin the Bottle Nathaniel’s family home is not as large or ostentatious as the Agreste family manor, but that only means Adrien feels more at ease.

Aftermath - Ch 5 After their unplanned disaster sleepover, Marinette and Adrien fell strictly back into their routine.

Well, in 6/10 the first line seems to serve to establish where the character is more than anything else. Nothing too fancy about those.

And in 5/10 (with some definite overlap with the previous six) there's something in there to quickly establish the character's mood/mental space.

In 2/10 it's a line of text! I think this is interesting in that it's similar to starting with a line of dialogue, which is very easy for me, but I've mostly trained myself out of that. Mostly! Haha! But apparently I can still find ways to cheat. I'm actually shocked that none of these are an ACTUAL line of dialogue. I'm sure that it will happen again.

I don't usually put a lot of energy into the opening line. I more try to get into a character's head and that often takes more than one line and I usually find the rhythm later. The first line is helpful for getting in that mood though and getting words to flow!

No pressure tags to: @asukiess @bbutterflies @bittersweetresilience @jennagrinsoverml @blur0se

[mochinek0]

Daminette December 2022: 15-Side Effects Ch.11

FIRST / PREVIOUS

Tom and Sabine were so proud of their daughter and her mate. They were so excited about being grandparents that they placed pictures of the family in the bakery. Adrien had been completely unprepared to see the pictures.

Alya had told them, excitedly, about Marinette becoming pupped, but he never thought it was true. He thought it had been a tactic for keeping her away from him. Alya had told them both about moving her schedule around. Honestly, he thought they had switched schools. Even Damian hadn't been on campus.

Adrien staggered into his home, still reeling from the fact it hadn't been a lie.

"Adrien, what is it?" Natalie questioned.

"Father told me stay away from Marinette when she became a Beta." he began.

"I remember." Natalie declared, "There was also a rumor of her being mated months later."

"Damian Wayne, another Alpha, mated her." Adrien spoke, "I thought Alya had been lying or was helping them keep us apart but it wasn't."

"What wasn't a lie?" she asked.

"Marinette has pups with that Alpha." Adrien spoke, shocking Natalie, "There's pictures in the bakery."

Nathalie quickly turned and told Gabriel. Quickly, Gabriel was on his feet and leading Adrien to the car.

"Where are we going?" Adrien questioned.

"To the Waynes." he growled, "Obviously, they don't know better."

The moment Alfred opened the door, Gabriel barged his way inside. Adrien quickly apologized for his father's attitude and chased after him. Alfred smiled, as he closed the door. The Agreste has entered the wrong house.

Gabriel was quick to enter the living space and instantly started smelling the scent of an Omega, rolling off in waves. He looked around the room and saw Marinette holding not one but two pups.

'Adrien wasn't lying.'

He growled in distaste. Damian was quick to pull a blade and growl back. Adrien took a step back, in shock. He had never seen anyone, let alone his age, stand up and challenge his father.

"Why are you here?" Bruce demanded, stepping near his son.

"I had to see the abominations for myself." Gabriel declared.

Damian was instantly in front of him, with a blade to his throat.

"Call my pups that again and the next move I make will be ending your pitiful existence." Damian roared.

Bruce sighed as Gabriel stood still.

"Damian, stay near your mate and pups. Marinette is still healing and needs you near her, at all times." Bruce spoke.

Damian pressed the blade to Gabriel's throat, just enough to nick him and walked back to Marinette's side.

"Mr. Agreste, you weren't invited and as you can see, unwanted." Bruce declared.

"The law-" Gabriel began to shout.

"Ah, yes." Bruce spoke, "The law we only learned about after Marinette gave birth. I don't see how this concerns you. It's not your son that is mated to my daughter-in-law."

"What do you mean 'only learned about'?" Gabriel questioned.

"We learned that 'your law' is more of a European law. Neither my family, my son's mother's family not her parents have taught them any such law. I never learned the 'law', as you call it, because my parents were murdered when I was a child. No one told me anything. Perhaps, people thought I knew it or they never cared about it in the first place. I have no problem with it. My son is happy; Marinette has been good for him. As you can tell, Damian is violent and has been since he was a child."

"You should have beat it out of him." Gabriel sneered. "My mother and Grandfather raised me. Mother never told Father about me and Grandfather demanded the perfect Alpha." Damian explained.

Bruce chuckled, "This is Damian tame. He was worse as a child. He would have killed your without a thought, let alone say anything to you. Consider what just happened a warning. When I spoke to my son, after the mating, it was the calmest I have ever seen him."

Adrien looked between Marinette and the two pups in her arms. It was still shocking to smell Omega wafting off of her. He could see how happy she was, looking up at her overprotective mate. Damian Wayne also looked at them with a fond look.

"How did you curb the violence?" the fashion designer questioned.

"Damian was trained with kill or be killed ingrained into him." Bruce explained, "I had to teach him restraint. I don't tolerate murder and he knows that. The rule has been no murder as long as he lives under my roof. Though, I fear that won't last long. He has his mate and pups now. He no longer has to listen to me. He will choose where to live, either here or elsewhere. If he choose the manor. The rule stands. I know full well, should anything happen to the pups, the rule will be broken. Although, I don't know who will be the first to break it."

"Marinette would never-" Adrien began to shout.

"Omegas die everyday for their pups to live." Bruce stated, "Who is to say she wouldn't sacrifice another for her pups. We still don't fully understand what has changed for her with her new status. She is still experiencing new things daily that she never knew before." "Why are you here in the first place?" Damian questioned, "You have no reason to be concerned. My mate agreed to my order of never being around you again. That extended to your father as well."

"I beg your pardon?" Gabriel inquired.

"My first order to my mate was to never get near Agreste. When I stated that, I meant the whole family." he explained, "Do you have a problem with my choice, Habibiti?"

"No, Alpha; I don't. I know you are protecting us." Marinette smiled, "Adrien showed me we weren't friends when I presented to a Beta. Being an Omega now changes nothing. I already told our mutual friends to keep us seperated when we go out. I told them that we might possibly be able to do a group outting, but only if you were there."

"That would be acceptable, as long as we can take the pups." Damian answered.

Marinette chirped in appreciation and nuzzled her head against him. Gabriel watched as the girl he told his son to stay away from acted like a natural born Omega. He glanced his son's way and saw the pain in his eyes. Adrien had tried to fight him about staying away from her. He hadn't even wanted to hear about her becoming a pack mate and it seemed it costed his son greatly.

TAG LIST: @maribat-calendar-events @animeweebgirl @a-star-with-a-human-name @meme991001 @vixen-uchiha @abrx2002 @alysrose-starchild @fandom-trapped-03 @dood-space @moonlightstar64 @saltymiraculer @marveldcedits20 @09shell-sea09 @icerosecrystal @animegirlweeb @insane-fangirl-of-everything @blueblossombliss @nickristus-dreamer @megawhitleycalderonpaganus

[sariahsue]

Let Me Count the Ways

Chapter Fourteen - Missed You

[Ch 1] [Ch 2] [Ch 3] [Ch 4] [Ch 5] [Ch 6] [Ch 7] [Ch 8] [Ch 9] [Ch 10] [Ch 11] [Ch 12] [Ch 13]

Sunday mornings were some of Adrien's favorites, mostly because it meant he could easily slip out of the house. Try as hard as he might, Gabriel Agreste could only bully so many tutors and photographers to work early on a Sunday, so Adrien's schedule was usually free and the house was often quiet. No one was looking as Chat Noir stretched to his full height on Adrien's windowsill and cleared the mansion's high fence in once graceful leap.

Morning runs were a common thing for him, but today there was a bit more purpose behind it. The Ladyblog was reporting that Ladybug was out. And okay, he saw her a lot, but he missed her. How could he pass up an opportunity to "bump into her"?

In only a few minutes, he strolled through the park toward their statue. Ladybug sat there, staring at their stone faces, tapping her lips and lost in thought. His steps stuttered to a halt at the sight. Images bubbled up in his mind. His fingers at her lips, tracing their shape, only to replace them with his mouth.

He shook himself and kept moving.

"Ladybug! Fancy bumping into you here!" he called when he was close enough.

She jumped, and her eyes found him, only to flick back to the statue of him immediately.

Something was wrong. She grinned at the statue like it would answer her, her hands stiffly in her lap, her face tinged pink.

"Oh, Chat Noir!" she answered belatedly. "I kissed– MISSED you! How have you been?"

Chat Noir moved into her line of sight and she glanced away again. "Fine," he said. They'd only been separated for 10 hours and he'd been sleeping most of the time, and she probably knew that. The question made no sense.

Plus, why was she out here already? Everyone knew Ladybug wasn't a morning person, and they'd been out late last night. Had she been feeling lonely and unwanted at home? What about her friends? Had they told her they'd all found better things to do than spend time with her today?

Movement in the corner caught his attention, and he turned to watch the skyline. Branches swayed in the breeze, but nothing else seemed out of place.

"Good," Ladybug said. "That's good. I'm glad." She gave him a thumbs up while staring at a spot just next to his head.

"I wanted to ask you before, but when are we planning on meeting next time?" Truly, it had slipped his mind after he'd made an awkward fool of himself last night. But if she was feeling unwanted, then he wanted to give her something to look forward to. He would always want to spend time with her, even if it wasn't the way she wanted to spend time with him.

Ladybug's pink-dusted cheeks darkened at his question. "I hadn't actually thought that far ahead."

He laughed. "You? Not have a plan?"

"What was that?" Ladybug sat up straight, scanning the area in front of her.

He thought he saw something too, another flicker of movement like before. Closer this time. "I don't know." Everything seemed normal now.

"A big bird?" Ladybug asked, sitting back.

"Probably. Hey," he said, hoping to regain her attention. "Why don't you pick? Name a time and a place, and I'll be there."

Ladybug shyly caught his eye with half a smile. "Okay, sounds perfect."

"I think you mean purr-fect." 

"No, I definitely didn't."

Behind their statue, a building disappeared. And then the screams started.

---

Tag list: @clawsout83 @trippingovermyfeet @tbehartoo @yoonjae20 @random-cartoon-fangirl @jasvalka 

[airi-p4]

Guarded and protected - Epilogue

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

Chapter 1 | Ch 2 | Ch 3 | Ch 4 | Ch 5 | Ch 6 | Epilogue

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

Summary:

Marinette forces Luka to become the new Guardian of the Miraculous after confessing her mutual feelings to him. Seeing her healthier with her memories erased, Luka decides to keep his distance so she doesn't get involved with the Miraculous again.

Tw: Amnesia, Angst with a happy Ending

AO3

_____________________________

Chapter 7 : Epilogue

One week later, Gabriel Agreste was under arrest and all the Miraculous returned to the Guardian's—Luka's—pirate treasure chest-shaped Miraculous Box. With their heroic mission accomplished and peace back to Paris at last, Su-Han took the box back to the temple of the Miraculous and the new couple lived happily ever after, creating new memories with the certainty they could overcome anything together.

Always together.

Fin

[verfound]

FIC: Coffee Shop Soundtrack: 9/11 (MLB; Luka)

Notes: Continuing immediately on Saturday.

Ch 1 | Ch 2 | Ch 3 | Ch 4 | Ch 5 | Ch 6 | Ch 7 | Ch 8

Coffee Shop Soundtrack

Chapter Nine: That Saturday Kept Getting Worse

With the show over, the gathered audience slowly began filtering out of the concert hall.  The design students and models were still preoccupied backstage with changing, packing up, and meeting the various industry heads and university advisors that had been invited.  Potential contacts, future mentors and leaders in their field…networking, essentially.  The big names out in force to scoop up Paris’s promising rising talent before their competitors could sink their claws in and nab them first.  That thought was only reinforced when Luka saw Gabriel Agreste disappear backstage to speak with the design students.  With his father gone and his status as the Face of Agreste currently unneeded, Adrien was free to make his way over to them to say hello, but he had barely had a chance to greet Tom and Sabine – let alone ask Luka how things had worked out, and Luka could tell from the way his eyes kept darting to him (to his hands) that he had questions – before Gabriel was gathering him up with a curt nod and an unsettling look towards Luka.  Luka would have said it was disapproval (he was sure someone like Gabriel Agreste viewed his earlier antics in poor taste), but there was some deeper suspicion in that look that set Luka’s teeth on edge.

…it was probably just because he, like most of the people who knew Adrien personally and had interacted with the industry icon, hated his guts.  He was sure Gabriel was well aware of that fact.

Once they were gone, and Tom and Sabine had been distracted by another set of parents they knew, Alya approached him.

“Hey,” she said, her voice low.  He looked up from where he was sitting on a chair back, his arms resting on his knees and his hands fidgeting between them.  He was absently picking at the polish on his thumb as he scanned the thinning crowd, but his attention turned to her when she stopped awkwardly by his side.  She was looking at her feet, a hand rubbing along her arm.  “I just wanted to apologize.  I’m so sorry.  I didn’t…I was so focused on getting you here.  I didn’t even stop to look.  See who else might’ve been there.”

In all fairness, Luka wondered if he should have expected her to immediately recognize Andrew, even if she had stopped to look.  She had only seen him the one time, after all.

[uptoolateart]

Where We Find Ourselves Again - Ch 19

PREVIEW:

Lila stared at herself in the vanity mirror, in what she’d designated her dressing room – a converted storeroom in a warehouse basement she’d rented for the occasion.

Being down here brought back memories – of another basement in another time. When she was fourteen years old, following Adrien and Marinette down to the old school basement and eavesdropping on a very interesting conversation.

A pity she hadn’t picked up every word, from her hiding spot. But she’d heard enough – enough to know Gabriel Agreste was doing things he shouldn’t. Things that could land him in prison.

And when Lila had confronted Marinette about it – when she’d offered an alliance – Marinette had turned her down, like she was…was…above her somehow.

Just like Gabriel.

To make her humiliation more complete, Marinette was Ladybug – smug, self-congratulating Ladybug. And Adrien was Cat Noir. All of them had been laughing at her for years.

Well, they wouldn’t laugh anymore.

Marinette will regret not taking up my offer.

When I’m done with her, she’ll regret being born.

Read at Ao3

[kleenex-tissues]

Yours Truly (5)

AO3 version here

Ch. 5: Ravings of a Mad Man

Every single day when Damian returned to his room at the end of his leisure time, a new email was waiting for him. He really should have deleted the email address after he deigned not to fall for his brothers’ scheme, but something stopped him whenever he hovered over the button. So, instead, he made a habit to open the account, delete the email from Marinette, and continue on as he had. It had become a routine for him, a regular part of his activity list.

Today, he made to do the same thing, but he hesitated before sending the usual email into his trash. Perhaps it was because he had such a quiet few days, or maybe he had finally inherited some of his family’s insanity, but he did not hit the ‘delete’ icon right away.

The last few patrols had been maddeningly quiet, as if every criminal in Gotham had decided to go on a joint holiday. Even Jason, for all his theatrical arrogance, had been docile, opting to leave his eye-sore of a helmet hidden away.

On top of this, not only had his schoolwork been mindlessly easy, his brothers and sister had vacated the house for various operations, leaving only him, his father, and Alfred, their loyal butler, to fill the space. It should have pleased him to have such a peaceful environment, but Damian was a creature built for excitement – chasing villains, busting drug deals, deterring gang violence. The silence was starting to annoy him.

And this email was beginning to become bothersome too.

He shouldn’t be hesitating, this isn’t like him. He is content with his circumstances. He has no desire to disrupt his peaceful day with an email sure to irritate him further.

So why exactly was he opening it?

To: d.w.redbird@xxxxx.net From: maridesigns@xxxxx.net Subject: Things to look forward to!!

Hello again, Redbird

I have fully accepted at this point that you will probably never respond to me, but I still need to practice my English. So, today I will tell you all about the things I have in my upcoming calendar.

It’s the end of September now, which means the annual Paris Young Designers Contest submission goes live in just two days. Of course, as I do every year, I will be submitting my own fashion line concepts that I have been working on since last year’s ended.

The best part? If I win, my line will be featured in a runway show hosted by Gabriel Agreste, the biggest designer in the city. Everyone who is anyone in the fashion world will be there to scout the winner. If I win this, I could be working for some of the most well-known designers all over the world. I wouldn’t even need to go to University. It would be straight into the industry!

Obviously, that’s just a pipe dream for me. A ton of people apply every year, plus this is like my third time sending in a submission. If I haven’t gotten it yet, I’m not sure I will now. Alas, my dear friend, Alya, is forcing me to send one in.

See, she told my parents I was gonna join the competition (which I was definitely debating doing despite the book of design concepts sitting on my desk) and they got so excited about it, that how could I possibly disappoint them? So now, here I am, trying to put together a cohesive line to submit within the next eight days.

And next week, my parents have a gig to cater a major event for the mayor, so after submitting my line, I will be thrown straight into the kitchen to bake and decorate as many cupcakes as I possibly can before time runs out.

I also have this huge test for my chemistry class next week, but I don’t know if I’ll have enough time to study. Maybe I can get Adrien to help me? He’s a science whiz, I swear. I don’t know how I passed any science classes before I met him.

Are you any good with stoichiometry? I would definitely appreciate some help. You know, if you ever reply.

Anyways, I hope you look forward to my next email!

Au Revoir, Mari

This was stupid. Why did Damian open the email? Why did he read it all? And why is he now going through his deleted emails and reading every single one that Marinette had sent him?

Most of it was nothing more than idle chatter and rambling. She talked incessantly about her friends – Alya mostly, her schoolwork, her parents’ bakery, the commissions she was currently working on, and numerous other useless anecdotes about her days.

Damian read each one twice.

He must be going crazy, letting something as silly as this take up so much of his time. Maybe he was just that bored. As soon as the criminals of Gotham began to roam the streets again and life returned to normal, this would have no further importance, Damian was sure of it. He was just bored. Yes, bored beyond rational thought.

This small break in his sanity was also surely what was causing Damian Wayne, for the first time in his life, to respond to Marinette Dupain-Cheng.

To: maridesigns@xxxxx.net From: d.w.redbird@xxxxx.net Subject: re: Things to look forward to!!

Marinette,

I hope you will not continue to refer to me as ‘redbird,’ given that it is a moronic screen name my brothers wrote in my stead. I would prefer Damian from here on out.

I have not heard of the ‘Paris Young Designers Contest’ nor of this Gabriel Agreste, so it surely cannot be as life-altering as you state. You should continue your application to University for good measure.

I have heard that Gotham University holds one of the most prestigious fashion designing programs, but I have not experienced it to know. Perhaps, it can be added to your list.

Congratulations are to be awarded to your parents for being held in such high regard by the mayor of Paris, but I hope they should hire more workers to assist in preparing such a large event.

I am well-versed in all areas of science, but I do not have the time to teach you. Attached is a link to a great video on stoichiometry. It will not cure you of your inability to master the subject, but it will be an adequate beginning.

Sincerely, Damian

–

Later that evening, Damian and his father began their nightly patrol under the moniker of the vigilantes of Gotham, Batman and his loyal partner, Robin.

The title of ‘Robin’ had been tossed around for years, going through Dick, Jason, Tim, and even their family friend, Stephanie Brown. Each had filled the position sufficiently, but none were a match for him. Damian prided himself on being the ideal Robin. He was, after all, Batman’s only biological son, the one and only heir to both the mantle of Batman and the Wayne legacy.

Duty had driven him to his father’s home, but the suit became his very essence and his reason to not return to the den of assassin’s where he was raised. This was his new home, standing on the rooftops beside his hero and protecting the people of Gotham. This is what he was created for.

His ego pushed him to shoot his grapple gun across the four-lane road onto the next roof, despite brushing mere centimeters above a moving semi-truck. This was child’s play for him, but he supposed it did bring him a feeling of triumph whenever he landed perfectly on the roof he had aimed for.

While Damian riskily swung above the city at high speeds, his father merely leapt onto the next roof in his route, silently staking out the alleyways. Where Batman was careful, Robin was assertive. They were compliments of each other, working perfectly in tandem.

They prowled the night, and after three hours, the only crime that surfaced was a petty mugging attempt that the victim had thwarted on their own. All Batman and Robin had to do was bring the mugger to the police station along with the victim’s report. It took a total of eight minutes and thirty-four seconds to complete, Damian had kept count.

Peace once more filled the moonlit night, and the two returned to watching the city from the top of Wayne Enterprises. The silence that strained between them made Damian’s hands twitch. His mouth shot open without him thinking, “Do you think they’re planning something? The rogues, I mean. They’ve never been this tame before.”

His father turned to look at him. His mask covered the majority of his facial features, obscuring Damian’s ability to read how he was feeling, but after living with the man for seven years, he had been able to pick up on the subtle movements of his mouth to make his feelings more clear.

Bruce was thinking. Uncertain and curious, but calm. He tried never to let emotion get the best of him, so his body constantly radiated stoicism.

“I’m not sure, son. My job is to bring peace, so I would love nothing more than to revel in the tranquility of Gotham.” Bruce paused, in a way that seemed less like he was gathering his thoughts and more like he was drawing attention to the next line. He had always had that innate dramatism to the way he spoke. “But this feels off. If they’re planning something, it’s big.”

Damian pondered his father’s words. This wasn’t good, especially with his siblings' absence. While the two were capable of holding their own in a fight, Damian still reluctantly wished for the extended family to return for the comfort of his father. Fighting a battle with only two men was impossible, no matter how strong they were.

Bruce spoke again, his voice faint in the night, “Maybe we should go home and think about this. You’ve got school in the morning, so let’s call it a night.”

Damian nodded, and they headed towards the alley where the batmobile lay in wait. When Tim returned the following night, they could begin discussing further. Until then, there was an unspoken tension running down their backs. Something was waiting, for better or for worse.

[arcadiasfiction]

Can the Son of a Villainess Ever Be Happy? Ch 1

~This is an alternate universe fanfic where Adrien's deceased mom was the notorious villain, Mayura. The pressure from her unsavory legacy pushes Adrien to make his Miraculous hero debut as his alter-alter-ego, Cat Walker, until he realizes he doesn't have to be perfect to be a competent hero.

---

Chapter 1: Keeping Up Appearances 

Cat Walker couldn't stop himself from marveling at Ladybug's lithe frame as she leaped into the sky. She threw her yo-yo, tying up the akumatized victim and yanking him off his feet.

She pinned the akuma, aka "The Grandmaster," to the pavement, putting a boot to his chest. He squirmed under the pressure of her foot.

"We don't have to do this, Ladybug. Just give me you and Cat Walker's Miraculous and Mayura's ring that's in the possession of the Agrestes, and I may let you win."

She rolled her eyes. It's amazing how akumas think they can just talk their way into getting anything they want. "Tell Night Moth he can keep his laundry list of demands. Cat Walker, do your thing!"

"You got it, Ladybug!" Cat Walker refocused. He leaped from the light post where he was perched and landed next to the akumatized victim. He removed the ivory crown that the akuma wore.

"Cataclysm!" The crown disintegrated in his gloved hands, releasing a purplish black butterfly.

Ladybug caught the butterfly with her yo-yo and purified it. Then she threw her Lucky Charm, a ladybug themed chessboard, into the air. A stream of magical ladybugs swept through and restored things to normal.

The akuma was revealed to be an older man. They asked him if he was okay, and he confessed that he had lost his temper after losing a game of chess in the park. He shook his head.

"I don't know what came over me."

Ladybug patted his shoulder sympathetically. 

"It's okay, Mr. Laurent. That's why we're here to keep everyone safe. Here, take this charm."

She handed him a ladybug shaped charm that materialized out of her yo-yo.

"Keep this on you. It’lll protect you from getting re-akumatized."

He thanked them both again and went on his way.

Ladybug turned to Cat Walker with frustration. "You heard the villain's demands, right?"

He let out a sigh. "Yeah. Gabriel made a public statement saying that Night Moth's singling out his family for Mayura's ring is delusional. But, it hasn't stopped him."

Ladybug bit her lower lip. "The Agreste family has a lot of resources, and they've been able to stay safe so far, but I'm still worried about them."

Cat Walker lightly touched her arm. "They're going to be okay. I told you I'll look after them."

Her eyes went wide and her cheeks flushed a deeper pink. "I know you're captivating--I mean competent. Competent. I know you're fully competent, Kitty."

She grinned sweetly after saying his nickname, and he couldn't hold back a closed lipped smile that made his eyes twinkle.

Cat Walker patted her head with a gloved hand. He loved the silkiness of her night sky hair. Both of their Miraculous beeped. They were going to transform back soon.

He pulled out his baton and shot a narrow look at Ladybug over his shoulder. "Well, spending time with you has been captivating. Goodbye, Ladybug."

Ladybug's mouth dropped. "Are you--are you teasing me?"

The left corner of his lips twitched.

"I never tease."

Ladybug nodded slowly and smirked at him. "Right."

With that he extended his baton and bounded away.

---

Next is Chapter 1 : Keeping Up Appearances--Part 2 

Click here for the next chapter and archive of this story.

Click here to read my much shorter fanfic, Chat Text

[writingscraps]

Criss Crossing Pink

ao3 | ff.net

ship: Adrien x Marinette

rating: T 

summary:

Marinette Dupain-Chen was pregnant, she just hadn’t told anyone, yet.  

They’ve had pregnancy scares before, but that’s all they were: scares. The tests always came back negative. This one wasn’t like those times.  

Marinette Dupain-Chen was pregnant, she just hadn’t told anyone, yet.  

Adrien Agreste sat at the foot of his bed, the large bed he had shared with Marinette for the past year – well, 11 months, two weeks, and five days, but who was counting the days until their move-in anniversary?  

The young couple had been dating past a year now, and fresh into their relationship Adrien had been shipped to the states for a modeling campaign that was very important and would help elevate the Agreste name gracefully by association. Having meant, the young man didn’t have a choice but to leave at his father demand; although, he was allowed to come back during the weekends.  

Long-distance dating right of the bat with Adrien Agreste had not been the way Marinette had foreseen her dating life to begin; not with the person she had been infatuated with since they were in high school. But alas, it was.  

And so, each weekend the blond man would fly back into town and unpack inside the small apartment Marinette had been sharing with Alya. Unintentionally kicking Alya out, because as she declared, she didn’t want to hear all the sex they were going to have considering he couldn’t get some throughout the week. And although Alya’s teasing was just that, teasing, she wasn’t wrong.  

As soon as Adrien texted his girlfriend that he was boarding the plane back to Paris, Alya was already packing her overnight bag to stay at Nino’s.  

Marinette used to prep a “welcome back” meal to enjoy with the young Agreste, but a few weeks into their routine, she found ordering takeout was more of an ideal solution to Adrien’s neglect towards the meal because all he wanted to do was as soon as he walked through her door was relish on the young woman instead. His luggage was usually slumped and abandoned by the door to be needed much later.  

Three months in, and Adrein was free. The modeling campaign had been a success, and although he was offered various extending deals that his father was expecting him to take, Adrien declined as he just wanted to be with his girlfriend for more than two days in a row.  

Once Alya moved out of the apartment, Adrien moved right in. The conversation about moving in was almost nonexistent, as all Adrien said when he walked in for the last time as just a guest carrying only a duffle bag was, “I’m home.” And then he just never went away. Marinette didn’t mind – at all – and came to accept that she was now living with a boy. Her boyfriend.

It was great – life was great. He took the modeling gigs his father expected him to do, while Marinette was a full-time intern with the reputable company that was Gabriel after graduating top of her class to a prestigious fashion institute that sent Mr. Agreste an impeccable recommendation letter on her behalf; a very impressive recommendation letter that gave him no option but to hire his son’s very-talented girlfriend on the spot.  

And, young Adrien was no kiss-and-tell, but his sex life was amazing. Of course, the couple was exclusive, and most of the time they didn’t bother with other kinds of contraceptive thanks to Marinette being on the pill. He had considered that to be safe enough. Which apparently had not been, considering he was now holding the positive pregnancy test he had shamelessly fished from their bathroom’s wastebasket.  

They’ve had pregnancy scares before, but that’s all they were: scares. The tests always came back negative. This one wasn’t like those times.  

He held onto the peed stick, pondering about the situation as he looked at the foggy positive symbol staring back at him. He wasn’t worried coming from a financial standpoint, but Marinette had just landed her dream job.  

Still, his cheek twitched a lopsided smirk, his mind running wild for just a second too long as he imaged a pregnant Marinette. He laughed out loud thinking about how moody she probably was going to be, considering the mood swings she already had in her day-to-day life when her designs and projects weren’t coming along as coherently as she needed them to be. And Adrien didn’t know much about pregnant women, but he did know about their weird food cravings. Marinette didn’t already have unusual tastes in foods, so what was he supposed to do if she was wanting a pickle in the middle of the night. He knew pickles weren’t weird foods, but he just couldn't think of anything more random than pickles in the middle of the night.  

Adrien smirked, coming to the conclusion that Marinette would look adorable as a pregnant woman.  

Plagg flew into the bedroom carrying a usual piece of camembert cheese, and upon seeing his Kwami it was like a ton of bricks fell on him. What about Ladybug? Marinette couldn’t be pregnant and be Ladybug at the same time. Right? No, of course, not!  

Adrien stood up quickly, stuffing the stick inside his jean’s pocket, feeling like he needed to do something. How was she feeling? Was she upset? Was that why she hadn't told him about it? He didn’t want the initial hurt of that thought to bother him; he recognized that although this situation did involve him completely, he needed to consider how Marinette felt.  

Would he love to have a child with Marinette? Absolutely. But were they ready? Would she be willing to release the duty of Ladybug until necessary? And if not, what then? The blond man looked at his miraculous ring, thinking about her, and another ton of bricks fell through the sky right atop him.  

A ring!  

He wasn’t even married to her, and she’s already pregnant?  

His father was going to murder him.  

He was going to marry her – yup. It wouldn’t solve everything, but it’ll do something. And besides, it wouldn’t have been the first time Adrien thought about wanting to marry Marinette. Sure, they’d dated over a year, lived for almost one, but he was willing to commit the rest of his life to her had she asked him to. He worshiped the ground she walked on, and didn’t care to admit how whipped he knew he was.  

The woman of his dream was going to have his baby and he was going to marry her, and then fuck her brains out again. It wasn’t like she could get pregnant twice. Right?  

Adrien heard a slam coming from the living room, and he walked out to see Marinette carrying two stacked boxes as she walked toward her crafts room – Alya's old room. She was speaking under her breath as she walked, and without thinking he startled her by instantly reaching for the boxes and taking them away.  

“You should have called me; I could have carried these for you!” Adrien said almost anxiously, now walking away from her and taking them the said boxes to the craft room himself, leaving a baffled Marinette staring at him.  

She scoffed teasingly, not genuinely upset at his sudden action but rather confused, calling to him, “Adrien, I’m perfectly capable of carrying a couple boxes of fabric up two flights of stairs.”  

Her boyfriend came back out, walking towards her to take her hand and gently pulled her into a kiss. She couldn’t help but peck him back, smiling suspiciously, although not minding the lip-action. She chuckled, kissing him a few times before trying to push herself away. To no avail, Adrien’s arms were quicker than her as they wrapped around her lower back to pull her back in.  

“What’s the matter with you?” She finally asked, because although this was usually how handsy Adrien could get, even she recognized that it seemed that it was out of nowhere.  

“Can’t I just kiss my girlfriend?”  

“I mean you can.”  

He laughed at her dubious demeanor, pulling her in to kiss her face senseless. His lips smacked her lips and nose and cheekbones and ear and eventually traveled down towards her jawline just before reaching the lobe of her ear where his teeth clanked against her miraculous.  

“Okay,” she laughed along, her arms wrapped against the nape of his neck, her legs wobbly like gelatin but very much enjoying the way his lips skimmed certain areas against her skin, “there’s definitely something going on. What’s up, buttercup?”  

Adrien led them towards the living room’s sofa, dragging her body down with his, eagerly tangling his long limbs around her body. She smelled sweet, and sweaty, but her vanilla scent was triumph. “Can’t you imagine being like this forever?”  

“Uh, yes?”  

“You know, for someone in love,” Adrien tsked, “you sound kind of unsure.”  

“I’m not unsure about us, just...iffy –”

“Iffy?” He was appalled.  

"Yes, iffy! What’s with the romancing, Agreste?”  

Marinette was wrapped in Adrien’s arms, her chest tightly pressed against his chest as he was beginning to rest his chin at the crook of her neck, the puff of his nostrils tickling against her skin. It felt nice. Her smile was small, and contained, but the way he held onto her never stopped making her feel wanted.  

“Marry me,” He finally said quietly into her skin. His voice was hoarse, almost raspy against said skin as his lips brushed ever so slightly against her as she remained silent for a second too long. It sent shivers down her spine.  

The idea of marrying Adrien Agreste had been simmering at the back of her mind since she could remember. But hearing him utter those words was an out-of-body experience. She felt the corners of her mouth tugging into a wide smile, her throat itching to giggle out loud like such a teenager.  

Yet, all she could mutter quietly was, “That’s seriously how you’re going to propose?”  

“Is that a ‘yes’?”  

“Where’s my ring?” She continued to tease instead, tugging herself away, but was proved like many other times that her strength was still no match compared to his.  

“I knew you were just interested in my money,” he joked, rubbing his chin against her, merry to be as he was. Engulfed by what it was to be in Marinette’s arms.  

“Yes, me and my small apartment just want you for the riches you’ll soon inherit, Mr. Agreste.” And just as she said it, her nose wrinkled disgustingly at the sound of saying Mr. Agreste, considering that was her boss’ name, and of course, her boyfriend’s father’s name.  

And all Adrien could do was laugh hysterically at the vey absurd statement that came out of Marinette’s cherry-tasting lips. The lips he kissed again and again.  

She gave into his giddy pestering, although it wasn’t pestering at all. She loved kissing him back just as much, and it never ceased to amaze her just how active he was. Of course, she was aware of his very strict diet that consisted of not only healthy eating but exercising. And although she was Ladybug she definitely didn’t exercise just as much; she considered carrying two boxes full of fabric up two flights of stairs the exercise of the day. Sometimes she found herself having to catch a second breath just to keep up.  

continue reading in my ao3 or ff.net account

[dearmayura]

😮🫂

[tbehartoo]

Black Plague Ch. 5

Only three years late. Sorry 😞

Black Plague was flying along the streets of Paris. Her sweet rat babies had done well at laying down frame threads and radials with their trails. Now all she had to do was connect them all in her capture spiral and her trap would be set. Of course Hawkmoth thought this was a web to catch a Bug not a net for the Moth, but what he doesn't know won't be his worry for long.

She felt a small tugging on one string, but it was quickly removed. The akuma was quick to reassure her current employer that once the trap was done, no Miraculous holder that even brushed her strings would be able to move so much as their little finger. That tug he felt was only a pesky wasp that almost got caught, but was too easily pulled from the string. Obviously her strings needed strengthening.

She requested more power to her trap and the man foolishly acquiesced. He seemed to forget that he too wore a Miraculous, and that if he were to somehow come near her lines, he would be bundled up in her cocoon as tightly as any bee or bug.

The reassurance the Ladybug wouldn't be able to get away from her once she was done lulled the man back into his joyful triumphing. She let the connection drop as she concentrated on the center of her spiral. Pulling more power from Hawkmoth allowed her to thicken and connect the rat trails even faster,

And now that he's connected I'll know the instant he moves anywhere in the city. She hastily hid the thought and concentrated on finding the anchor for her web.

Her spiral tightened around a very familiar building. It should be surprising, really it should, but as she gazed at the Agreste mansion, Black Plague found she couldn't muster up the energy to be surprised.

She quickly dismissed any of the staff of the mansion as being Hawkmoth. Monsieur Agreste was too controlling to allow anyone to do such a thing in his own home. Even the chauffeur and the personal assistant would have been sacked in an instant without the elder Agreste's permission. The man was not likely to allow domestic terrorism from any of his employees. 

And it's not like she'd ever think Adrien Agreste would help Hawkmoth to hurt Paris. She'd seen him too many times helping, protecting, and guarding civilians and heroes alike during akuma attacks to think he'd ever side with Hawkmoth. She knew Ladybug had rescued him from too many situations where he was more concerned with her success over his own safety. Yes she could say with certainty that he was No Hawkmoth sympathizer. 

But Gabriel Agreste? That was another matter altogether. His need to control, to order, and hold sway over those closest to him from the newest intern to his own son, is enough to make Black Plague suspect him of at least helping Hawkmoth, if he wasn’t the villain himself.

The akuma circled the mansion slowly, looking for an easy entrance into the building. Seeing nothing easily accessible as she returned to the front gate, she raised her arms high and sent out a call to her minions. 

"Come to me, friends!"

For a brief moment every sound in the city stopped. Again she called the black rats for their help. And waited for half a breath.

The patter of hundreds of feet moving in her direction brought a small smile to her face. Her children were such obedient and helpful creatures. Truly, they were her finest creation.

The chant inside her mind of "For Ladybug!" grew louder and louder as more of her sweeties gathered round. A veritable wave of red-spotted black fur swirled round her in but a moment.

She raised a hand, and the creatures stilled. Each face looking on adoringly as they waited to hear how they could help their hero.

"We're here to show Ladybug how much she's needed," Black Plague's voice clearly carried across the mob.

Needed echoed back to her.

"Right now we are setting the bait for our trap. Ladybug will have to come back if she wants to save her good friend Adrien."

Save her friend they echoed.

"Form up please. We need the entire street covered. We must ensure that no Miraculous user can cross this boundary without triggering our trap."

Our trap!

Immediately the rats formed rows behind the akuma stretching from one side of the street to the other. Even the sidewalks were crammed full of the enormous rats. They were densely packed together, anyone watching from above would be hard pressed to find so much as a centimeter of free space between them. 

Black Plague stepped forward and the black mass surged after her leaving in their wake a thick, black, inky line. The only sound was the click of hundreds of claws against the pavement and an occasional squeak. 

Each step taken to the cadence of For Ladybug!

Tag list:

@graduatedmelon, @elspethshadow, @digitalmagpie, @dragons-exist-you-dont, @fleur-de-jasmin-fdj, 

[rosie-b]

Shelltering Others

Ch. 8: Turtley Heroic (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7)

You can read the whole chapter under the cut, or use the links above to read on AO3!

Summary: With Plagg to help him out, Nino opens up the last clue. What happens when he figures out that Adrien is Chat Noir?

This is the last chapter! I hope you enjoy it <3

Plagg watched cautiously as Nino, his eyes closed, pulled the last hint out of the brown bag. He rubbed it between his fingers and frowned slightly, tilting his head to the left as he considered what the hint might be. 

It felt smaller than he’d expected, and it was cool to the touch, like plastic. It was also squishy, like a tube of toothpaste might be, but the clue wasn’t the right shape or size to be a tube of toothpaste— it felt was closer to the shape of a ketchup packet. 

Nino’s stomach twisted. There was no way this clue was what he was beginning to suspect it was, he told himself, and took a deep breath. Squeezing the little packet in his hand one more time, Nino slowly opened up his fingers to reveal the last clue.  

It was a single blue packet of mayonnaise, the type one might find in a school’s cafeteria. 

Nino stared at the little packet, remembering the first meeting of the Resistance.

“Comrade Mayo,” he whispered, and Plagg jerked at the sound, his tail lashing once.  

It didn’t make sense. Everything about this clue screamed that Adrien was Chat Noir, but the two boys were so different! Nino had seen them side by side before... right? Yes, Nino thought, he had! Gorizilla proved that they were separate people, when Adrien had helped Chat Noir and Ladybug defeat his akumatized bodyguard! 

While he was wearing a face-hiding helmet! Nino’s brain happily interrupted. 

“Gah!” Nino cried, hitting his head with a fist. 

Plagg cleared his throat, twitching one of his ears. “Have you figured it out yet?” His lime green eyes bored into Nino, probing for the right response. 

Looking at the little kwami, Nino swallowed and brushed a finger over the packet in his hand. “I’m working on it,” he responded in a strained voice. “I think I know, but it just doesn’t make sense yet.” 

Adrien loved Marinette, but Chat Noir was in love with Ladybug.  

No, he was in love with Marinette now, like he said in the letter! And he’d seemed to play the role of a love-sick hero pretty well during the last akuma attack, when he’d carried Marinette away from danger. 

Adrien had only just realized that he was in love with Marinette, too. And before that, Nino remembered, he’d seemed infatuated with Ladybug.  

Nino inhaled sharply. The other hints , he thought, what are the other hints?  

Adrien and Chat Noir both liked passionfruit macarons.  

Adrien knew how to unfold the letter; Chat Noir knew how to fold it. Chat had perfect handwriting because Gabriel made him practice it for years until it was as neat as a professional’s calligraphy! He knew about the Incident because he’d been there the day it happened; he didn’t like the Alliance rings because it was his own image being used without permission by thousands of people across the city. 

Adrien Agreste was Chat Noir. 

Looking back and forth between the mayo packet and the impatient kwami hovering next to him, Nino found himself blinking back tears. 

“I know,” he said in a choked voice. “Can I talk to him?” 

Plagg nodded once and flew off to get his holder. Adrien , Nino thought. 

Adrien, my best friend, is Chat Noir. Adrien is the one I complained to about Chat; I called Chat Noir annoying to his face, I didn’t listen when he tried to tell me there was nothing between him and Alya, and then I got akumatized and attacked him! He was there for all of it, but he couldn’t tell me anything because of his secret identity!  

Nino’s breaths were fast and shallow. Tiny specks of grey danced at the edges of his vision, and Nino distantly realized that he might be panicking. 

A grating squeak from the window had Nino whipping his head around to see what was happening. Already transformed and coming in through the window, Chat Noir froze halfway into the room, his eyes taking in Nino’s red eyes and heaving chest. 

“Adrien,” Nino said, or rather mouthed, because his voice wasn’t cooperating today. A tear dripped from Nino’s eyes as his vision blurred. 

Adrien crawled the rest of the way into the room and rushed over to Nino. 

“Are you okay?” he asked, concerned. His hands hovered over Nino’s shoulders, like he was unsure if it was alright to give him a hug or not. 

Shaking his head slightly, Nino choked on another breath. 

“I —” he stuttered, trying to force his questions into audible words. As he looked at Adrien’s worried, and maybe a little hurt, expression, Nino gave up on the effort of speaking. Stuffing the mayo back in its bag and dropping it, Nino wrapped his arms around Chat Noir and hugged him tightly. 

Adrien seemed a bit surprised at first, but soon he returned the gesture and practically wilted against Nino, hugging him even tighter than he ever had as Adrien. 

Super strength, Nino thought, and squeezed his friend a bit tighter. “I am so, so sorry, dude,” Nino managed to say in a thick voice. 

Chat Noir pulled back slightly from the hug. “Whatever for?” he asked, his voice close to Nino’s ear. 

Nino shuddered and tightened his grasp on Adrien. “For hurting you,” he said regretfully. “For— for calling you annoying, and saying Ladybug didn’t like you. Everyone likes you, dude,” Nino said sniffling and rubbing the tip of his nose with the back of his hand. “You’re one of the best people I know, and you’re funny, and kind, and generous, and sincere, and not at all annoying, Adrien! I never meant any of it, I-I was being stubborn and letting my fears win. I thought a shadow from the light was a piece of mold and didn’t bother to check before taking a knife to it,” Nino sobbed, remembering what Plagg had said to him. “I let myself get akumatized over a baseless fear, and I can’t be sorry enough.” 

Chat Noir huffed out something akin to a laugh. “You’ve barely met Plagg and he’s already rubbed off on you,” he noted. 

Then he gently pushed himself away from Nino, placing both his hands on his friend’s shoulders. “Nino,” Adrien said seriously, “I know you didn’t mean it, now. I was really hurt by what you said, and that you wouldn’t even listen to your best friend before assuming what really happened. But that’s in the past; your actions have always been louder than any words you could have yelled at me.” 

Nino flinched, tearfully looking into Chat’s eyes. “I’m not much of a friend,” he sniffed. “I keep hurting you, by accident ! I hurt you by becoming Rocketear, and not believing you that your dad could change at all, and then not noticing that the rings were making you uncomfortable. I didn’t even want to be your confidant at first,” Nino hiccupped. 

Chat Noir wiped a tear off Nino’s cheek, careful not to let his claws touch Nino’s skin. “It’s okay,” he said. “I’ve had to be good at hiding stuff like that, Nino. I didn’t expect you to notice that I was uncomfortable with the rings; I didn’t want you to,” he admitted. “I know we haven’t been as close recently as we used to be, but... you’re my best friend, Nino. Well, along with Ladybug. I don’t hold any of what you’ve said or done against you. You would never have hurt me on purpose, right?” 

Nino nodded, a fierce look in his eyes. “Never,” he swore. 

A tender look entered Chat Noir’s expression. “Then let’s forget the past,” he said. “We’re not going to let miscommunications or secrets come between us again. The cat’s out of the bag, now, anyway,” Adrien said cheerily, holding up the dropped bag with the mayo packet inside. 

Nino rolled his eyes in amusement. “Dude,” he said. “If you’re going to start punning all the time now, you should at least start making jokes about more than just cats. It’s going to get old.” 

Chat Noir’s eyes glittered. “How do you know? Maybe I’m just the master of all cat puns.” 

“No one’s doubting that,” Nino laughed. He looked at Chat for a moment, taking in his friend’s appearance.  

“You look good,” he said. “Happier, too. Being Chat Noir is kind of like an escape for you, isn’t it? You can get out of that mansion and just be free to be yourself for a while.” 

Chat nodded. “It’s less of an escape now, but it’s become part of my identity,” he agreed. “Even with Marinette’s help, I might not have had the courage to stand up to Father if I’d never gotten the ring.” 

“I’m sure you would have found your courage eventually,” Nino said, smiling at his friend. “It’s not the Miraculous that makes us heroes. They just give us the opportunity to let our virtues shine.” 

Chat Noir tilted his head thoughtfully. “That’s a good way of looking at it,” he said, nodding. “Thank you for having faith in me.” 

“Of course! You’re the best person I know, mon pote,” Nino said. Then he hesitated, twitching his fingers as he looked at Chat Noir. “Hey, Adrien,is there a reason why you’re still transformed?” 

Chat Noir blinked. “Oh!” he exclaimed. “Well, I thought maybe I should leave soon, you know, to let you study for the physics quiz tomorrow and all. Besides, Père and I are having dinner soon, and I don’t want him to have Nathalie call another search party to find me when I’m really fine, just visiting a friend as Chat Noir.” 

“Oh.” Nino sounded disappointed, a frown tugging on his lips. “You’re probably right; your dad might have started acting more like a good father, but he’s still too strict to let you out of his sight for too long.” Sighing, Nino absently spun a bracelet around his wrist. 

“Do you think he’ll let you have sleepovers, eventually?” Nino wondered. “Even if they’re just at your house?” 

Chat Noir tilted his head, considering. 

“He might,” he said thoughtfully. “He’s trying to be more lenient now. He’s still super protective, though! But who says we can’t have a sleepover, even now? I’ve got my own Miraculous; Père doesn’t know about that! I could sneak out of the house after dark and come stay with you sometime.” 

Nino’s face lit up. “Dude! That’s so cool! And so rebellious,” Nino laughed. “I never would have thought that you’d go behind your old man’s back like that. But knowing that you’re Chat Noir? I see it.” Nino nodded approvingly.  

Chat Noir grinned, a mischievous glint in his eyes. “Oh, I’m much more daring than you might think, Nino, even as plain, boring Adrien.” 

Nino spluttered. “Plain, boring Adrien?! Dude! You were a teen supermodel, you’re one of the city’s richest people already, you’re a freaking superhero, and that’s not even covering half of what makes you interesting! Don’t ever call my friend boring again, mec, I don’t appreciate it.” 

“Thank you.” Chat’s eyes glittered, his gaze softening. “It means a lot to me, that you’d stand up for me, even to myself. That’s the second or third time you’ve done it now, you know?”  

Nino watched as Chat Noir sniffled, blinking hard a few times. It seemed his friend could use a little more appreciation, a few more reminders that he was wanted, needed, loved far more than he knew. 

“Hey, dude?” Nino stepped closer to Chat Noir, putting one hand on his shoulder. He was tempted to reach up and stroke Adrien’s fluffy blond hair, just behind the cat ears, but he didn’t. Even if he acted like one sometimes, Nino’s friend was not a real cat. 

“Mm?” Adrien prompted quietly. 

“Do you wanna, maybe, come back after dinner for a sleepover? We could keep it low key! I just... I want to talk with you more about all this. Especially after today,” Nino said softly. “I knew you were probably safe with your bodyguard, but then you were limping as Chat Noir. What happened, dude?” 

Chat Noir looked down. “Our car got hit by part of a falling building. The Gorilla managed to get us away from the worst of it, but my leg got bruised when the concrete slammed against the car door. It wasn’t too bad, it just made it harder to move.”  

Chat — Adrien — shrugged, like this injury was nothing to him. It probably was, compared to the hits Chat Noir took, even later that day. Nino swallowed. 

“I’m so glad you’re safe now,” Nino said, his voice quiet but earnest as he wrapped his arms around Adrien in another hug. “You shouldn’t have had to be hurt, at all, but I’m glad you’re better.”  

Stepping back and sucking in a breath, Nino hesitated for a moment before asking again, “I know you have to leave soon, but will you come back? I’ll have the bed ready with extra blankets; we can make a pillow fort and fall asleep at some ungodly hour after playing UMS for a while.” 

Chat’s voice rumbled through Nino’s chest, almost like a purr. “I’ll come,” he promised. “It might take me a while to get away, but I’ll come. I could stop at the Dupain-Chengs' and pick up some cookies? Is that something I’m supposed to do?” 

Nino grinned. “It’s our sleepover, mec, we’re supposed to do whatever we want. And cookies sound great to me,” he said, mouth already watering at the thought of more macarons, or chouquettes... anything the Dupain-Chengs made was delicious. 

“Great! I’ll hurry home, then, and come back with cookies and one hungry little cheese gremlin. You guys have cheese here, right? I’ll bring some camembert, but nothing is ever enough for Plagg.” 

“Sure, we’ve got some Emmentaler in the fridge, plus some fancier stuff Mom likes.” 

Chat breathed out a sigh of relief. “Thanks! I’ll try to make Plagg behave and eat slowly, so he doesn’t blow through your whole stash.” 

As the sun’s light began to turn the clouds outside orange, Chat Noir stood by the window, looking at Nino. 

“So... I guess this is goodbye, then?” Nino asked, feeling a sad twinge in his chest, though he knew his friend would be coming back in a few hours. 

“I suppose it is,” Adrien agreed, “Goodbye for now. I’ll see you soon!” 

Nino’s face softened. “See you soon, mec,” he said, deciding to hug Chat Noir one more time. “Stay safe,” he told him. “If you see an akuma, tell Monarch to try again tomorrow, because your evening is already booked.” 

Chat chuckled, patting Nino on the back. “I’ll certainly try,” he said, “Though I doubt it would do any good.” 

Nino shrugged as he eased out of the embrace. “It’s worth a shot, anyway. Monarch can’t take your Miraculous if you aren’t there to take it from!” 

Chat Noir’s lips twitched. “I suppose not,” he said. “Maybe Ladybug and I should have just taken that approach from the beginning. Just never show up to fights, let Monarch tire himself out with waiting. He might’ve surrendered while he was still just Hawk Moth!” he joked. 

Nino smirked and rolled his eyes. “Yeah, yeah, it’s a dumb idea, I know. You should get going already, before Nathalie figures out that you’re missing. And don’t forget those cookies, all right?” 

Chat Noir smiled teasingly. “I won’t,” he said. “But maybe a certain blue-eyed girl will talk me into staying with her and forgetting you, instead!” 

Nino raised an eyebrow. “Are you talking about Ladybug, then?” 

The two boys shared a laugh before Chat Noir finally left, saluting Nino in his trademark farewell. 

“Goodbye,” Nino whispered, standing at the window and waving as a breeze stirred the curtains while it darted into the room.  

Tonight, Adrien and Nino would have a lot to talk about. But whatever came, Nino knew that they would remain closer than ever, ready to face whatever Monarch threw at them.  

Miraculous or no Miraculous, they were turtle-y heroic.  

[georgi-girl]

Miraculous Team Trope Page

A list of tropes that apply to the Miraculous Team au created by SonicPossible00 on Deviantart.

Adaptational Expansion (when a work expands on the original story it was based on): Unlike the original series, which revels things little by little, The M Team series reveals it's worldbuilding all at once. It also expands on the Miraculous lore and characters' personal lives.

Adaptational Sexuality: At least five characters so far have come out as gay, while in the original series, they were Ambiguously Bi at the most.

Alpha B*^ch: Chloe Bourgeois aka Queen Bee used to be this, but during the Origins volume she resolve to change for the better. That title is later taken up by her mother Audrey and the original character Jeanne Gagne.

An Ice Person (someone with ice powers) : Sabrina Raincomprix aka Louve Gris has ice breath, a reference to wolf howls.

Art Attacker (someone who uses art as a weapon) : Nathanal Katzinburg aka Panda Roux has the power to bring drawings to life, which he uses to make weapons and tools.

Badass Normal (a non-super person whose still a competent fighter): The Parisian Police force are portrayed as this. They protect people from Akuma attack and hold off said Akuma until the Team arrives. Ladybug makes a point of praising them whenever she and her team mates are interviewed.

Bespectacled Cutie: The M Team gives us 4 examples of this: Confident Alya, sweet Sabrina, Nerdy Max and Laidback Nino.

Beware the Nice Ones: Applies to the M Team. They're all sweet kids. But they're also well-trained living weapons who will clobber the heck out of wrongdoers. Also applies to most Akuma victims; otherwise normal people who've been pushed over the edge by one too many a-holes.

Big Brother Instinct (protective siblings): Marinette Dupain-Cheng has this for her friend Manon. Nino Lahiffe has this for his brother Chris. Alya Cesaire has it for her three sisters. And the Couffaine siblings Luka and Juleka have it for each other.

Brainwashed and Crazy: This is the simplest way to describe Akumazation.

Broken Ace (an otherwise successful person who harbors a secret agony) This applies to Adriens' father Gabriel Agreste. He's a rich fashion designer, he's raising a remarkable son, and he's got super loyal employees. But he's also deeply paranoid and in constant morning for his late wife Emilie. If it wasn't for said son and employees supporting him, he might be worse off than in canon.

"BY THE POWER OF GRAYSKULL!" (a battle cry to activate a superhero's transformation, named after He-Man's famous battle cry): To turn into their superhero selves, The team members must say their kwami's name followed by "Transform Moi!" The transformation also fuses them with their kwami and brings out hidden parts of their personality.

Color - Animal Codename: Corbie Noir, Panda Roux, Louve Gris, etcetera.

Costume Porn - SonicPossible gives very detailed descriptions of characters' outfits, especially the hero and akuma costumes.

Creepy Good: Juleka Couffaine aka Corbie Noir looks like a steriotypical goth but is very kind-hearted and life affirming.

Defrosting The Ice Queen (when an cold aloof character becomes friendlier over time) : This is a big part of Chloe's and Kagami's character arcs.

Eldritch Location - The Garden of Ancients is a benevolent example of this, being a bubble universe that runs on Narnia Time, which the heroes use as a training ground.

Epic Speeches: Ladybug often gives these to her teammates right before a big fight. They often contain multiple pop-culture references.

Expy: A new character based on an existing character of a real person. SonicPossible00 has a lot of oc's like this. For example, jerky M Team-hating blogger Amboise Delay is an expy of real-life jerky businessman Donald Trump.

Fanservice: As the series progresses, there are more and more intimant moments between couples. AND BEFORE ANYONE GETS MAD; number 1, nobody has gone past second base, and number 2, the age of consent in France is 15, so everything is legal.

Heart Is a Great Power (when a seemingly useless power ends up saving the day) : Ladybug doesn't have her Lucky Charm in this AU, so her Sixth Sense isn't as flashy as the others' powers. She still figures out genus battle plans with knowledge gained not only from the environment, but from her childhood memories. Likewise Queen Bee was initially disappointed with her "lame" shrinking power, until Sabrina points out it's many benefits.

Karma Houdini (a character who isn't punished for their bad behavior) : Chloe and her mother Audrey are this, which makes their redemption arcs kind of hard to root for. You have to dig deep into your religious teaching to forgive them.

Lonely Rich Kid: Adrien Agreste and Kagami Tsuragi are this. As is Chloe to a lesser extant.

Magical Girls; And Magical Boys. Both this and canon have a lot of Mahou Shoujo elements.

Maniacal Laughter - Almost every villain does this. It's actual surprising when they don't.

Manipulative Bastard: Hawk Moth is this to a T. They way he talks to potential victims is eerily reminesent of a p%&0phile talking to children.

Mentor Mascot: The Kwamis. On top of being cute, these animal spirits have 4000 years' worth of knowledge to impart on their holders.

Meta Humor - References to canon are often made in the form of a joke or hypothetical "what if" discussion, usually to point out differences between the two series.

Mythical Motif - Many of Hawk Moth's akumas are based on mythical of fantastical figures; Ra, Aphrodite, The Leprechaun, Ifrits, etc.

Nice To The Waiter (a high-ranking person treating a server as an equal): Chloe Bourgeois, of all people is this. She frequently reminds her butler Jean to call her Chloe instead of 'Miss Chloe'. Adrien Agreste and rock star Jagged Stone are this too.

No-Holds-Barred Beatdown: The team often combine their powers to deliver this to the Akumas they fight, justified since the best way to deakumatize someone is to knock them unconscious.

Non-Human Mascot: The Kwamis count as this, although neither they nor their holders see them as 'sidekicks'.

Oblivious To Love: Everyone knows about Marinette's and Adrien's secret crushes on each other, except Marinette and Adrien. Then there's Kim Le Chien and Alix Kubdel, who aren't even aware of their own feelings.

Older Than They Look - Master Fu looks 80 at the most, but he's really over 150. Hawk Moth looks middle aged, but is over 200 years old.

Personality Powers (when superpowers match your personality) : Artsy Nathanael can bring drawings to life, goth Juleka can control shadows, big tough Ivan has super strength, timid Mylene has invisibility, Athletes Kim and Alix have giant leaps and super speed respectively.

Power of Teamwork: Combined with the powers of Love and Friendship. The kids plan things out as a team, fight the bad guys as a team, and protect each other as a team.

Protective Kids : All the M Team members are protective of their parents. This is most noticeable in the volume Haute Couture where Chat Noir goes out of his way to protect his dad from the title villain. And in Valentine Lovers where Ladybug does the same with her parents.

Purple is Powerful: There a villainous example in Hawk Moth, who wear all purple, and two heroic examples in Max Kante aka Arachnid and Corbie Noire.

Red is Heroic: Team Leader Ladybug wear all red, as does team member Panda Roux.

Rich B*^ch: Chloe was this before deciding to be a better person. Original Character Jeanne Gagne and her "diamond dogs" still are.

Running Gag (a joke that's repeated throughout a narrative): Aside from the meta humor, there are many scenes of characters spacing out, making a bad pun or 'blushing like a tomato'.

Scenery Porn: Whenever a scene takes place in a certain area of Paris, SP will take a few paragraphs to explain the area's history and significance.

Slasher Smile - Goes with the Maniacal Laughter.

Shipper On Deck (when a character in-universe roots for two characters to get together) : Everyone (even Chloe eventually) ship Adrien and Marinette, and later, they all ship Kim and Alix. Not to mention the team is shipped every every which way by their fans.

Shock and Awe (lightning powers): Hawk Moth has a cattle prod built into his cane, which he uses to torture his lieutenants whenever they fail.

Slinging Shadows (shadow powers): Juleka Couffaine aka Corbie Noir has this power.

Social Darwinist (someone who thinks "Survival of the Fittest" is the same as "Might Makes Right"): Hawk Moth and his lieutenants are this; constantly making speeches about power and the strong ruling the weak.

Stereotype Flip (when a character subverts whatever stereotype is associated with their race, gender, religion, ect.): Chloe and Rose both subvert the Dumb Blonde stereotype, Marinette and Kim, both subvert Asian stereotypes, Max Alya and Nino all subvert Black stereotypes, Miss Caline Bustier subverts the "Teachers are Useless" stereotype, and almost everyone subverts the "Snooty French" stereotype.

Superpowered Evil Side: Being Akumatized is a lot like having a split personality: you black out, go on a magical rampage, and wake up with no memory of what happened.

Taken For Granite (being turned to stone): This version of Hawk Moth spent 200 years as a marble statue before being freed at the beginning of the series.

Vile Villain, Saccharine Show: If it weren't for Hawk Moth, all the teammates would have to worry about is grades, growing up, and romance.

Violently Protective Girlfriend: All the female teammates fight tooth and nail to protect their love interests.

Well-Intentioned Extremist: The villain known as The Collector started out as this. He went downhill very quickly.

World Half-Full (a world with lots of problems but also hopeful): Paris, and the Earth in general, are portrayed as this. Yes, there's a lot of awful, unredeemable people and tragic events, but there's also lots of good people worth protecting.

More tropes to be added as the series progresses.