#ch: plagg

[dailymlgifs]

[sariahsue]

Wherefore Art Thou My(stery) Lady

When a failed attempt to let Chat Noir down easy ends with Ladybug learning his name, she does what any lovesick teenager would do: teases him mercilessly. Ch 1

Chapter Two

Plagg wasn't very encouraging when Adrien flopped onto the bed after patrol. 

“What do you think?” Adrien asked him as he handed over a wedge of cheese.

“Eh,” Plagg said through a full mouth. One crumb escaped and bounced onto the carpet. “She'll probably say something about it the next time you see her. Nothing you can do about it until then.”

“That was helpful,” he said as sarcastically as he could.

“You're very welcome! I'm glad you finally appreciate all I do for you.”

Adrien climbed into bed, still fully dressed, and pulled the blankets over his head. Plagg's reaction was a good sign, right? If Ladybug was about to turn him down again, Plagg would try to comfort him, so that meant her reaction had been a good thing? Right? Or maybe Plagg didn't know either. Adrien buried his head beneath his pillow and tried, unsuccessfully, to get some sleep.

He tossed and turned as bright moonlight poured in through his windows. He was too restless to sleep. Not knowing was driving him crazy. Twice he got up, determined to at least run another patrol if he was going to be awake anyway. But Plagg hid both times, so there was nothing he could do except crawl back under his covers and wait for the sleep that wouldn't come. 

When he got out his phone to check the time, Plagg grumbled loudly about the light from where he was perched on Adrien's pillow and threatened to hide again. Two hours. He'd been home for two hours already. What was Ladybug doing? Was she sleeping peacefully? Was she planning how she was going to let him down easily? 

He was about to put the phone away when he got a text message from an unfamiliar number. 

??? – I can't believe this! It's so obvious!

That sounded like the middle of someone’s conversation.

Adrien – I think you have the wrong number. ??? – Sorry, Adrien. I hope I'm not waking you up, but I really have to talk to you.

Okay, so it was the right number. This was hopefully someone he knew. But why didn't he have their phone number if they had his?

Adrien – Okay... Who is this? What's obvious? ??? – That you're Adrien! I can't believe I didn't see it before!  ??? – Or should I say Ch--

His heart flipped. Someone knew his secret. They were going to blackmail him, and he was the perfect target. 

??? – Wait. Are you alone? There's no one reading over your shoulder, right? Adrien – Who is this? ??? – Wait.  ??? – Don't you have me in your contacts already? Adrien – Noooo?

“Plagg,” he hissed. Plagg didn’t respond, still fast asleep. His mind was racing. He should know who this was, which was a good sign. And they didn’t want to leak his identity, at least not immediately. That– that was also a good sign, right? His hands were sweaty on his phone from clutching it so hard.

Adrien – Who are you? ??? – Wow.  ??? – I had to psych myself up all night for this stupid text.  ??? – And I didn't even manage to give you my secret identity like I'd planned on.

There was a gasp, and it took him a second to realize it was his. Secret identity? It couldn't be.

??? – That's what happens when I take the coward's way! I could have just come over. ??? – But I had it all planned out. You’d know I knew who you were, and my real name would be right there in your contacts, and I wouldn’t have to confess anything to your face.  ??? – It was going to be great, Adrien!

Another three dots appeared. She wasn’t done talking to him yet.

??? – I probably kept you up worrying. I'm sorry. I should have said something immediately. ??? – I'm probably not making sense right now either. Sorry.

The messages flashed across the screen at an impressive speed. Adrien didn't even try to answer them. Was that really Ladybug? It had to be. And she knew who he was, which meant that he'd really been the “other” boy after all. The dread he’d felt all night was replaced with tingling anticipation.

He had to check. 

Adrien – My Lady? ??? – Hey, Kitty. ??? – ❤️

“Plagg!” he yelled. That got the kwami’s attention.

“Seriously, kid? I'm trying to sleep!”

“Look! Look look look! She loves me!” He thrust the phone in the kwami's face, but Plagg howled and flew off, yelling something about teenagers and idiots.

Adrien – I love you! So who are you really?!

He added a name to her contact while he waited for her response. The despair that had been pressing on him for days had completely evaporated in seconds. He wasn't even tired anymore. He was the boy!

Before she was able to type a response, he’d changed her contact name. Her response left him baffled.

My Lady – … My Lady – …

He stared at the two ellipses. Maybe… he shouldn’t have asked her for her name so quickly. Was she too nervous to tell him? Did she not want to at all?

Adrien – What’s wrong? My Lady – You don't know who I am yet. Hmmm... Adrien – Ladybug? My Lady – There are possibilities now. Adrien – Yeah, like the possibility of me asking you out. Probability, 100%. What do you say? My Lady – I was talking about the possibility of me teasing you. Probability, 200%.  My Lady – Also, yes. I would love to! Adrien – Really?!

He wasn't entirely sure he was awake at this point. It seemed much more likely that he'd fallen asleep and was having a very strange dream in which Ladybug was admitting her feelings for him. (It wouldn't have been the first time he'd had one, but they’d never involved texting before.)

The rest of the house was dark and quiet, but his phone screen lit up again.

My Lady – Really! But– Adrien – !!! My Lady – You have to guess who I am first. Adrien – That's not fair! My Lady – :p  My Lady – I'm someone you know from school. There's your only hint. Good night! My Lady – And for the record, I love you too.

She didn't text again. (If this wasn’t a dream and that message was still on his phone in the morning, he was going to print it out and frame it.)

He read through the whole conversation once again. There was one hint that she hadn't realized she'd given him. They were close enough to have each other's phone numbers, and close enough that she was surprised he didn't have hers. He was supposed to have it already. 

She was so much closer than he'd ever realized. 

Ch 3

---

Author’s note: It is important for you to know that I started this story years and years ago. Like, season one or two is when I had the idea. She got the phone number from Alya, but we didn’t see her talking on the phone with Adrien until after I started writing. So she had his number but he didn’t have hers!

@mlbigbang

[kleenex-tissues]

Yours Truly (21)

Read on AO3 here

Ch. 21 - Stop the Clock

“Do you Parisian heroes make a habit of getting impaled, or is that just you?”

Marinette wanted to go back to sleep, but a burning pain in her leg and throat kept her mind from drifting off. She almost hadn’t heard the sly remark above her because of it. Almost. Most of her nervous system was currently failing her, but she managed to groan out, “No’ usually, bu’ firs’ for every’fing.”

She was met with a chuckle, and she tried smiling back. She wasn’t sure if she succeeded. Her eyes fluttered open to a blurry world, a black and blue blob staring down at her, and she wondered if this was a pain-induced hallucination. At least the voice speaking to her was nice. Maybe it was an angel?

“Ladybug, I’m so glad you’re okay!”

Adrien?  No, probably Chat Noir. Not that that distinction mattered anymore. It had only been a matter of time until she found out his identity. If not on the field, she would have had to know as Guardian eventually anyway. She just wished it could have been under better circumstances.

When Marinette tried to mumble his name back at him, he quieted her. “No, don’t talk! You’re really hurt right now, and you have to stay as still as possible.”

Staying still sounded nice. She could do that.

“Listen, I know Tikki is slowing the blood loss, but I need her. Someone has to cleanse the akuma and use the miraculous cure. I'll give you Plagg. We just have to do this quickly.” He was stumbling over his words in his panic. “I’m so sorry I let this happen, M’Lady.”

In any other circumstance, she’d hesitate, not wanting to reveal their identities to anyone else. She still wasn’t sure if the black and blue blob was a real person or not, really, but their situation was dire. This would be an issue for her to deal with when she was more coherent. Tikki would understand, she was sure of that at least.

“Spo’s off.”

As soon as the red flash of light disappeared, Marinette began screaming. The pain was too much too soon. It hurt, and she heard Adrien sobbing out apologies as he removed her earrings. He grabbed her hand and despite both of their shaking, managed to slip his ring onto her finger.

Someone held her head down, and she heard another voice whispering, “Mari, it’ll be okay. I won’t leave you, I promise.”

The voice sounded familiar, but she knew there was no way Damian was in Paris with her right now. She listened to it anyway, and thanked the universe for sending her such a comforting gift in her final moments.

“Your partner said you need to call for 'Plagg.' Can you do that?”

A gloved hand was rubbing her cheek, and she leaned into it. She tried nodding, but ultimately gave up in favor of mumbling, “Claws ou’.”

The green light that encased her seemed to ease some of the pain. It had become much more manageable, and she tried to pull her focus onto the hands holding her face to distract herself. She needed to focus on anything but the cold metal in her upper thigh and her scratchy throat.

The hands came loose from her face for a moment, and she tried to follow before they quickly returned, bare this time. They were warm. She leaned into them as best she could.

One hand rubbed soothing circles on Marinette’s cheek, and the other moved up to stroke her hair. She barely felt the tears dripping onto her forehead.

Finally, the world was righted again, and she felt the ladybugs swarming her body before she saw them. It wasn’t very often that she had the chance to feel the miraculous cure from this side, but it felt like nothing in the world had ever made sense before that moment. She felt like she was home.

Marinette began to properly stir, blinking away the blurriness that had clouded her vision. The night was bright with Parisian lights, just like it should have been. She began to that she might have imagined the last however many hours, but her fears were assuaged when she held up a black gloved hand before her eyes. This wasn’t the Ladybug suit, and that certainly wasn’t Chat Noir looking down at her.

Holding her were two men she had only ever seen in the news — Nightwing and Robin. Where had Damian gone? 

The hands still performing ministrations on her head belonged to Robin, and judging by the sopping wet hair Nightwing sported, they were who had pulled her from the Seine.

She blinked up at them before Robin pressed a desperate kiss to her forehead, tears still streaming down his cheeks.

Wait, why was Robin kissing her?

What had happened when she was passed out?

—

Damian had never felt such righteous fury before in his life, not even when his father had gone missing or all the times Ra’s had beat him senseless on the sparring mat. He had arrested many monsters and let them live, but he knew he could never grant such a mercy to the man who had done this to Marinette. This pure soul deserved everything life had to offer, and he would gladly give it to her, which meant destroying Hawkmoth.

He hadn’t had the chance to think better of it before he began pressing a hurried kiss to her forehead; he just needed to feel that she was still there, from his fingertips to his lips. It was rather embarrassing that Dick had been the one to witness it, as well. He wouldn’t say anything of it now, but Damian knew he was never going to live this down.

Yet right now, nothing else mattered. His Mari was safe, her beautiful heart beating in tandem with his. Everything about her was beautiful. Her delicate face, lithe hands, and soft hair felt almost too good to be true. He could live a thousand lifetimes repenting, and he still would never truly deserve her.

Part of him was glad that she had changed suits because the black leather highlighted the deep blush painting her skin. The red spandex would have distracted too much from it. 

Marinette let loose a nervous laugh. “Uh, what did I miss?”

Damian never let his eyes linger from her own, but he could feel the shit-eating grin dancing across his brother’s face. He chose, very pointedly, to ignore it.

“I took too long to get here,” he whispered to her. “I wish you had been able to inform me of this foul bastard tormenting your city. I would have had his head on a platter for you in a heartbeat.”

Dick chimed in, “Wow, kid. You sure know how to woo ‘em.”

Marinette’s face somehow became impossibly redder, and the skin was burning underneath his hands. She tried to sink into herself, but the tight leather suit left little room to hide. The faux cat ears were definitely not helping her.

Before she had the chance to question the vigilante’s familiarity with her, her partner came rushing towards them. He now donned a red and black polka dotted suit similar to the one she had worn earlier. The accessories they had swapped seemed to be the cause of it, but they could discuss this later. Maybe when they hadn’t just watched Marinette thrash around in agony.

The ladybug hero fell onto his knees and threw his body around her, crying into her shoulder, “Thank Kwamis, you’re alright! I don’t think I could have lived with myself if anything had happened to you.”

Marinette pulled a hand up to gently pet her partner’s hair, a soft smile gracing her now less-red face. He buried his face further into the crook of her neck, and she brought her other hand to rub along his back. Damian felt his heart drop at the exchange.

“It’s alright, Minou.” She let out a dry laugh. “Now you know how I feel every time you throw yourself head first into danger.”

Damian was overcome with a sudden possessiveness. He knew who this other boy was. He was Adrien, the boy who had broken Marinette's heart, and the one she still called her best friend. Damian believed that perhaps she was far too forgiving. He would never let anything bad happen to her again.

One of his hands moved to push Adrien off of her, the other still tenderly holding her face. The other boy was caught off guard by the sudden movement, and Marinette’s eyebrows jumped in shock.

“Bug off, Minou, ” Damian growled at him. His hand returned to rubbing her hair back. “She’s mine.”

He felt a sudden smack against the back of his head.

“For fuck’s sake, Damian. I taught you to act better than that,” Dick chided him. Damian swung his head around to meet his brother’s menacing gaze with his own.

“So much for secret identities, Grayson.”

Dick rolled his eyes. “Like she wasn’t gonna find out anyway. What, with your little kiss and confession.”

Heat rose in Damian’s face. Whether it was in anger or embarrassment, he couldn’t say, but suddenly he was tackling Dick back into the river. It wasn’t a ‘confession,’ okay? It was simply a truth she should be aware of. Damian Wayne didn’t do ‘confessions.’

They hit the water in a tangle of limbs and spandex, and Damian swore he could hear Marinette laughing as he submerged into the water. He was overcome with the thought that maybe, it wasn’t so bad to open up his heart to someone. After all, nothing in this world could possibly be sweeter than her voice. 

A kick to the jaw reminded Damian why he had tackled Dick into the Seine in the first place. He was so going to kill him.

[maridotnet]

CHAPTER TWO: The Curse

(I went back and named ch. 1 The Bargain, fyi.) hello i’m back!!!! very excited about this new chapter, which will take longer than the last one because I’m MOVING HOUSES IN A FEW DAYS! nevertheless the saga continues, with plagg being a little menace......

Prev | Next Chapter 1

[mostmagical]

Fic Summary: After finally moving into his very first apartment per Ladybug’s suggestion, Adrien discovers something no movie or TV show could have ever prepared him for: someone else’s hamster. Marinette was so excited to have her first pet. If only it would stop escaping! At least now there’s an excuse to talk to the new neighbor. (Adrinette Never Met AU!)

Read Ch. 12 on Ao3

“No, no, no,” Adrien’s panicked voice kept repeating. “This can’t be happening. It can’t.” “What?” Plagg tried to get Adrien’s attention again, but to no avail. The kid just kept digging his hands into his pockets, frantically pulling them back out with only traces of lint to show for it. “Adrien,” Plagg tried, this time firmer, “what?” “My– My ring,” Adrien finally said, breathless as he ran a hand through his hair. “Your ring. It’s not here. I don’t have it.” Plagg gasped before he could stop himself. This was not great. In fact, it was quite bad. But right now, Adrien was far more important to him. He had to calm his kid down before he could worry about the destruction of the universe as they knew it. He sent a quick apology to Tikki in his mind. “Hey,” he said calmly, floating out of his place in Adrien’s shirt pocket to come face-to-face with his holder instead, “it’s okay.” “No, it’s not,” Adrien replied petulantly.

Or start from Chapter 1 here

[gideonfromthecrypt]

Son of Plagg Ch.4

link here

Finally finished this one! whoa, took me a while. no worries, gonna also share the complete version of Kagami n her dad in another post.

[currentlyscreamingfornoreason]

Kagami: Man, I really got myself a CAT-ch of a girl-FUR-end! Can things get PAW-sibly any more PURR-fect?

Marinette: ???

Plagg: Laying it a little too hard there, Catsanova…

Kagami:

[imthepunchlord]

Copycat Ch 17: A Royal Occasion

Ao3

If Felix was Chat Sith as Marinette suspects, she now really wonders what his and Plagg’s dynamic is like. First day with Plagg, Marinette has found that he is like having an actual cat. Mostly, Plagg sticks to himself, naps much of the day, and explores.  It was actually easy to forget he was there. Unlike Tikki who always hovered close in her peripheral vision, he was good at giving her space and did his own thing.  But when he wanted attention, he made sure he had attention.  When Marinette was sketching, and Plagg wanted her to focus on him, he plopped himself down in the middle of the page and told her he was hungry.  When Marinette was working on homework, she jumped when she felt fuzz around her neck, and Plagg was pacing around her shoulders, rubbing his body about and didn’t settle until her finger was stroking his head.  And sometimes he kept her on her toes by messing with her yarn and thread.  Marinette found herself torn between endearment, amusement, and annoyance. Plagg was her guest though, and it was her job to care for the kwami as best she could.  Not that Tikki approved or liked it. 

[uptoolateart]

A Whole New World - Ch 4

ML Aladdin AU for @mlbigbang 2023 :)

PREVIEW:

Gabriel stormed through the palace corridors, Adrien’s look of defiance still vivid in his head, making his hands curl into fists.

That damned boy, determined to do as he pleased – to have ideas of his own. Staring after those doves, like he meant to fly away too someday. Why couldn’t he just fall in line like everyone else in the palace did?

He turned a corner, letting out a growl. ‘I don’t know where he gets it from.’

Plagg peered out of his robe. ‘Really? You don’t see where he inherited his stubborn streak from? You who insist on chasing a dream I keep telling you is totally impossible and stupid?’

Gabriel’s eyes narrowed at him, his anger changing targets. ‘Again – did I ask?’

‘As I’ve told you –’

‘Silence!’

He stormed through the palace, back to the throne room, where he dropped into his golden seat, roaring and slamming his fists on the arms.

It felt good, so he did it again, roaring louder and hitting the throne harder. This did not feel good. In fact, it hurt. A whimper escaped his mouth before he could stop it.

Plagg flew out, smirking as he settled back on his cheese platter at the side.

Read at Ao3

[aalissy]

Just Friends

Eep sorry this chapter is soo late!! I was superrr busy today. Anywho, I hope you like this chapter! Not sure if I’ve ever written post-reveal pre-relationsip for Ladrien before but boy oh boy it sure was fun hehehe.

AO3

It was official.

Adrien Agreste was melting. Honestly, it was a wonder that it had happened before. Especially now that he knew that the two people that he had completely and utterly fallen for were one and the same.

Marinette was Ladybug and honestly finding that out had been the happiest day of his life. Nothing would ever... could ever compare.

It had been an accident at the time. He had dove into the locker room and mere seconds later had transformed back into Adrien. Giving Plagg his cheese to give him time to recuperate after the akuma attack, he was about to duck out when someone else crashed into the room.

Ladybug’s wide eyes greeted him mere seconds before pink light enveloped her. Adrien didn’t even have time to think about closing his eyes before she detransformed into Marinette.

His heart was racing as he gaped at her. Because wow. Suddenly everything made so much more sense now. Why he had gotten tingles for the brief second Marinette had kissed him at the Grévin Museum. Why he always wanted to be near her. Why his heart pounded whenever she giggled or laughed or even smiled at something he said.

How had it taken him so long to notice?

Whilst Adrien was still experiencing the high of euphoria, though, he noticed that Marinette’s breaths were coming shorter and shorter. She was panicked. Completely and utterly terrified. He had to say something. Had to reassure her that everything was going to be alright.

Clearing his throat, he took a cautious step toward her. “Marinette, are you okay?”

She shook her head, clenching her eyes tightly shut. Adrien took another step towards her, noticing Tikki glancing between the two nervously. Slowly, he reached out, touching her hand softly. When she didn’t pull back, he took it and gave a quick squeeze. 

“It’s going to be alright, Marinette. We’ll get through this... together. Just like we always have. You and me against the world, remember?” 

Her eyes slowly peered open, confusion swirling in them. He simply grinned at her until recognition mixed with uncertainty in her expression. “Ch-Chat?”

Intertwining their fingers, his grin got even larger. “Hey, bugaboo.”

In the next second, Adrien got an armful of Marinette as she threw herself at him. She wrapped her arms around his neck, burying her head in his shoulder. This must be what heaven was like because he couldn’t imagine anything sweeter. Closing his eyes, he hugged her back, inhaling the wonderful aroma of vanilla and strawberries.

Adrien could have stayed just like that. With Marinette cuddled tightly to his chest and his nose buried in the scent of her hair, he could have stayed there for an eternity.  

The sound of the bell was a brutal reminder of why they even had the opportunity of revealing their identities. It was time for class which unfortunately meant he’d have to part from her arms.

Reluctantly, he pulled back, already mourning the feel of her warm arms around him. Marinette’s eyes simply sparkled as she grinned up at him. 

“Later,” she murmured. “We’ll talk later.”

Talk later they did. In fact, it was difficult to get them to stop talking now. They grew even closer because of the reveal, sending each other secret looks and smiles during class. 

Some days Adrien snuck over to her house as Chat Noir and other days Marinette snuck over as Ladybug. 

They were at his house at the moment. They were stretched out across his white sofa. His head was in Ladybug’s lap as something played on TV. He wasn’t paying attention though. The only thing Adrien was listening for were her soft breaths and chuckles at the show. Every so often, she’d swipe a hand over his hair causing his eyes to flutter shut.

He loved her. Every single giggle set his heart aflutter. He was practically bursting at the seams to tell her. To declare just how overjoyed he was about the fact that he had fallen in love with her twice.  

But Adrien couldn’t... not anymore. Not now that it had the potential to ruin any closeness that they had garnered. 

No. They were just friends. And that’s all they’d ever be.

Honestly, though, that’s all he needed. Ladybug was amazing and he’d rather have her in his life than not at all. 

Adrien couldn’t stop himself from shuddering at the thought. Yep. Friendship was just fine for him. Besides, he already knew that she was in love with someone else. 

A thought caused a furrow to form between his brows. He peered up at Ladybug some of the curiosity fading as he saw her bright smile. It wasn’t enough to keep him from asking the question though. “Is the guy you’re in love with and Buttercup the same person?”

Adrien watched as Ladybug slowly tensed. Her shoulders stiffened as she glanced down at him. Her blue eyes were wide, filled with... fear? Just as soon as he saw the emotion, though, she flicked her gaze away. “Where did that thought come from?” She chuckled almost nervously, waving a gloved hand in the air.

He shrugged, shifting slightly in her lap as he tried to push down the bitterness. It was almost definitely the same person.

“Just curious is all.”

“Oh, um well...,” Ladybug trailed off before looking back down at him. Her eyes were soft. Softer than he had ever seen them before. “Yes, yes, he is,” she whispered.

There was something loving about her tone and this time Adrien couldn’t clamp down on the wave of jealousy. Her declaration had been beautiful. Whoever it was was so lucky, and he didn’t even know. 

Adrien crossed his arms, scoffing quietly. This time it was Ladybug’s turn to frown and how was it possible for her to do that and still look so adorable? That little wrinkle in her mask was so cute. It was hard for him to remain jealous.

“I-Is something wrong, Adrien?” she asked, sounding worried again.

Immediately, he blinked, shaking his head. He couldn’t let her feel bad! Not for his own sour feelings.

“No, not at all! I was just thinking.”

“Thinking about what?” Ladybug murmured, brushing some of his hair away from his face.

Don’t do it! Don’t do it!

Adrien’s thoughts begged him to stop but he couldn’t stop himself from blurting out, “I just think it’s kind of stupid.”

Her lips parted and she looked astounded and a little bit hurt. Quickly, he rushed to clarify, “I-I mean because of how oblivious this guy is! Obviously not because of you. You’re amazing. I’m just mad that he doesn’t reciprocate your feelings!”

The hurt left Ladybug’s face, leaving traces of what seemed to be amusement glimmering in her sapphire eyes. But why was she amused?

“I’m not so sure he even knows.” She giggled softly.

Adrien frowned. Surely Ladybug should’ve been upset by this notion but instead, it seemed like her amusement simply grew. A hint of mischief teased across her smile as it grew.

Either way, he sat up, gesturing wildly as he scoffed again. “Well, then that’s even more ridiculous! If it were me you lo—”

He clamped his mouth shut. Ladybug’s eyes had widened to the point of saucers. He was sure his own mirrored hers. What had he been thinking? Now he was going to get rejected again.

And what if—now that she knew—she left? What if she decided that she was done with their meet-ups and silly talks and glances at school and left him? Adrien bit down sharply on the tip of his tongue, ignoring the pain. He was doomed. All because he couldn’t keep his jealousy to himself.

“Y-you’d what?” she whispered, her voice sounding choked.

He clenched his eyes shut. How could he fix this? Chuckling nervously, he scratched the back of his neck as he tried to brush off his slip-up. “Can’t we just forget it? I shouldn’t have even brought it up in the first place.”

“Adrien.” The word sounded so important—so vastly important that he simply had to turn his head to hers, connecting their gazes. Ladybug’s eyes were so intense that he found himself holding his breath. “P-please... what would you do?”

He was drawn to her. To the hope in her voice and the something that was flickering across her face. Slowly, ever so slowly, he scooted closer to her. He had to try.

“I’d... I’d,” Adrien trailed off, biting his lip as worry overwhelmed him. He glanced down as nerves churned in his stomach. What if he was wrong and the hope was actually panic? Before he could spiral any further, though, a hand gently rested on top of his. 

Blinking back up at her, he saw the soft, sweet smile on Ladybug’s lips. She nodded her head as if to say it was okay and that was all the reassurance he needed. 

“I’d tell you that when I first heard that beautiful confession to Buttercup at the end of our trip to the movies I was suddenly struck by two different emotions. Awe and envy.”

Ladybug tilted her head in confusion. “Envy?”

He nodded, his heart pounding. “It was the most beautiful thing I’ve ever heard, Ladybug. And, at the time, I was confused by the sudden pain in my chest I got just from knowing that confession was for someone else.”

She gasped. “Even then?”

“Even then.”

All at once, he was wrapped around Ladybug as she threw herself at him. Her lips found his in a desperate kiss. It took a great deal of effort, but Adrien had to know the truth. 

Just barely managing to pull himself away from her, his eyes flicked between hers, searching for any sign that she was lying to him. “A-are you serious? Buttercup’s me?” 

“Always has been.” A wobbly smile was on her face as she sniffled.

Adrien felt dizzy, struck by the fact that he was the idiot the whole time. Even still, that didn’t stop him from being the one to surge forward this time as he connected their lips once more. 

How could he ever have been content with just being friends? Ladybug’s lips were sweeter than he had ever dreamed them to be. He could spend the rest of his life kissing her. And, suddenly, he fully planned on doing that. Was marriage too soon to propose while they were still in school?

He’d ask her later. Right now, he was too busy nibbling on the bottom of her lip as she moved even closer to him. There’d be time for serious discussions later. Right now, Adrien just wanted to kiss his future wife.

[dailymlgifs]

[sariahsue]

Wherefore Art Thou My(stery) Lady

When a failed attempt to let Chat Noir down easy ends with Ladybug learning his name, she does what any lovesick teenager would do: teases him mercilessly. Ch 1 Ch 2 Ch 3 Ch 4 Ch 5

Chapter Six

Two hours later, Adrien swept his phone off his pillow, certain for sure that this time he’d really heard it buzzing with an incoming message from Ladybug. There was still no message, and he flopped back onto the bed, despairing, one arm falling over his face. 

It was evening, and long shadows were slowly stretching across his floor. Still, he couldn’t bring himself enough to care enough to get up and turn the light on. Maybe he should bribe Plagg to do it for him. Or he could just wallow in darkness some more. It was a metaphor for his life. Always being in the dark about Ladybug’s true name.

He’d taken Marinette’s advice and worded his questions perfectly. His Lady would have no way to know that he was fishing for hints. And yet, it had been 20 minutes, and she still hadn’t gotten back to him. Just left him on read.

As much as he tried to convince himself that she had gotten busy, or taken a sudden nap, or been called to help wash the dinner dishes, a part of him knew that he’d been discovered. Maybe she was mad at him, and this was the silent treatment. Want more information? Well, here’s none! How do you like that, Kitten?

Something knocked against his window. Adrien flopped his face to the side, only to bolt upright on the bed and fling himself toward the window when he saw who was there waiting for him, one hand hanging from her yoyo string, the other in a tight fist, holding something. Her expression was steely.

“Nice try,” she said as she dropped onto his floor, “but you were being too obvious.” Her light tone was at odds with the seriousness in her face. She retracted and hooked the yoyo around her waist, then put both hands behind her back. 

“It was worth a shot,” he said with an apologetic smile.

“Let’s see if you still think it was worth it when I’m done with you. Pick a hand.” 

“Uh.” He still wasn’t sure if he was in trouble or not. He pointed to the hand that had been holding the yoyo, the one he hoped was still empty.

She brought it forward, stretching out her fingers to show an empty palm, then took a step forward until they were nose to nose, and cupped his cheek with her hand. 

“O-other one?” he asked, tripping over his own breath. He didn’t watch her movements, only stared at her face, her intense look, as she brought her hand forward and rested it on his other cheek. She hadn’t been holding anything.

“This,” she said, “is revenge. Remember, you’re not allowed to kiss me.” And she guided his face down to her level. His skin tingled where her fingertips pressed against him, turning his face so she could kiss her way across his forehead and up to his hairline, then again back down, between his eyes, the bridge of his nose, the tip. 

Her lips traced their way across his face, around his mouth twice, down the center of his throat. 

Not wanting to hinder the movement of her mouth over him, he didn’t cup her face the way he wanted to. Instead, his hands found their way to her waist, and he rubbed his thumbs in small circles over her hip bones in time with his breathing, trying to keep himself from panting under her onslaught.

“How is this revenge?” he asked. His voice was a wheeze, and he cleared his throat, ready to try again, but Ladybug was kissing her way back up his jaw, below his ear. His circling thumbs slowed, and his breathing completely stopped, when she pressed his earlobe in between her lips, held it there for just a second, before turning away, tracing her nose across his cheekbone, doubling back to follow the same path with a line of kisses. 

“Don’t–” he gasped out. Swallowed. Remembered to breathe. Tried again. “Don’t you hate this? That I can’t kiss you back?” He definitely did.

Ladybug growled in annoyance, pulling the neck of his shirt down so she could place an open-mouthed kiss on his shoulder, but her grumbling ruined the effect, and the brush of air tickled. In spite of himself, Adrien laughed. 

He swallowed it when she stepped backward. Not far enough to escape his arms, but far enough that her mouth couldn’t reach him. “Maybe I’m not very good at this kissing thing yet,” she said. “I’m still new at it.”

“No,” he said, dropping his arms and stepping back. “You’re very good at kissing.” He needed the distance from her before his face literally caught fire or he melted through the floor. (Or he did something stupid, like break her rule and kiss her back.) “Would you like to know how good at kissing I am? Because I’ve never done it before but I bet I’m phenomenal.”

She smiled and tilted her head. “Yes, I would very much like to find out about that, so you better figure me out quickly.”

“Ugh, I just wanna kiss my girlfriend.” 

Ladybug, who’d been stepping closer, froze. Adrien felt his face going red. They’d only talked about it over text, what their relationship really was. Hearing it out in the open like that was different.

She crossed her arms. “Well, that’s your problem, not mine. Until then, you need to make it up to me.”

“How?” 

“Compliment me.”

---

“I thought for sure that was going to work.” Adrien said. Marinette had made her idea sound so foolproof. As much as he hated to admit it, he didn't think there was a way for him to figure it out without more. 

“My poor Kitten,” Ladybug said. Adrien was lying on his back on his couch, his Lady in his arms. One gloved hand had snuck under his shirt, and he was sliding one finger up and down her spine. It would take a long, long time for him to get used to this.

“Can I have another hint?” he said. “I feel like I'm missing something, but I don't know what it is.”

“One more hint,” she said. “But that's it.”

“Okay, what is it?”

“Your hint is that I've already given you a hint today.”

“You did?”

“A pretty heavy-handed one, actually. I was surprised you didn't… cat-ch it.” She cocked her head, resting her chin on his chest to look at him, one eyebrow quirked upward. 

She was so beautiful, and it was so unfair that he wasn't allowed to kiss her just because he couldn't guess her name.

“Wait, did I talk to you today?” 

“Purr-haps.”

That really narrowed it down. Who did he talk to today?

Ladybug snuggled closer to him, sliding her hand along his stomach. “Please figure it out soon, Adrien. I want you to kiss me.” 

He could have asked her to change the rule again. He almost did. He could have asked her to explain what he’d done to deserve her onslaught when she’d arrived. Retribution for asking about the assembly didn’t make sense. He’d been much more direct just now and she hadn’t minded, just surrendered one without a second thought. But what else could it have been? What had he done to upset her?

He almost asked.

But Ladybug turned, humming into his neck, her lips vibrating against his skin, before peppering him with feather-light kisses. 

And he kept his mouth shut.

--- 

That night, laid stretched on on his stomach under his sheets, he flipped through his contacts like Nino had suggested. The screen was blindingly bright, but he didn’t have the energy to change it. He just scrolled up and down, up and down. 

Whose number should he have had that he didn't? He already knew he had everyone in class. Plus everyone from work, not that it mattered. None of his coworkers went to school with him. 

He'd gone through the lists of the other homeroom classes in his grade. There wasn't anyone in there he felt comfortable giving his number to who didn’t already have it. Then through the other grades. He’d come up empty on each pass through the entire student body. Desperation started to flood him again. 

Maybe he should just text Marinette and beg for another idea. She’d seemed eager to help him out that morning. She’d probably laugh at him, but there were worse fates than Marinette’s laughter. 

Yeah, he should ask her. He couldn’t remember her phone number, or even the last time he'd texted her, so he started scrolling through his contacts with a purpose.

“Nathalie, Nino, Max,” he muttered, reading down the list. “My Lady, Mylene.”

He smiled at Ladybug’s entry. As much as he loved the pet name placeholder, it would be nice to have her real name there instead. He could imagine accidentally hitting Mylene's name and starting a conversation. That would be… interesting.

Distracted by the thought of trying to explain to Mylene why he’d sent her a bunch of heart-eyed cat emojis in the middle of the night, he didn’t immediately realize that Marinette's name wasn't there with the other M’s. 

He hadn't set it to “Princess,” had he? That would have been embarrassing (and not to mention potentially secret-revealing) if anyone had gotten ahold of his phone. But there was no contact for Princess. There wasn't even one for “Purr-incess.” His breathing became uneven as he searched his entire contact list. He didn’t have any other nicknames for her. He ran through the whole list again anyway. 

He didn't have her number.

Anywhere.

And he definitely should have had it.

Marinette was about the right height. She liked video games. Her hair was the same style, but that wasn't saying much. Lots of girls wore their hair in pigtails these days. His Lady was quite the trendsetter. 

Marinette was confident and creative. And he had talked to her today. Had she given him a hint when she’d spoken to him? He couldn't put his finger on anything odd that she had said.

Could it be that civilian Ladybug got flustered and tongue-tied whenever she talked to him? But that would mean that Marinette had had a crush on him since his second day at school. That... would explain a lot actually.

Could Marinette be Ladybug? 

Marinette was always ready to defend anyone that Chloe or another bully was pushing around, just like he'd expect from Ladybug. She definitely wasn't a morning person. There were just too many coincidences.

She was simultaneously silk and steel. Sweet vanilla and fiery pepper. She was cool under pressure and ready with a cheer for your successes or a shoulder to cry on. 

Adrien wasn’t even sure which girl he was referring to anymore. They were already blending into one person. 

Marinette’s eyes... he couldn't remember what they looked like. 

“Hey, Plagg?”

The kwami grunted with a start. “I was having the cheese dream again, Adrien. This better be good.”

“What color are Marinette's eyes?”

“The princess?” Plagg stretched out, back arched, just like a real cat. “How should I know? I have to stay hidden all day.”

Adrien's gaze narrowed.

“Is Ladybug or isn't Ladybug really Marinette?”

“Maybe.”

“You know the answer.”

“Yes.”

“And now you're being deliberately unhelpful.”

“Yes.”

Adrien turned his phone screen off with a click and sent the entire room into darkness. “I bet Ladybug's kwami is nicer than you are.”

“Hmm,” Plagg said sleepily. “Debatable. Why don't you just text Ladybug about it?” He curled back up into a little ball, almost invisible in the darkness, and started snoring immediately. 

Marinette. That would explain why she'd been so eager to help him that morning. Marinette. Had he really been in love with Marinette this whole time? Marinette, who was so willing to help out those around her, with her ready smile and fierce love for anyone lucky enough to be near her?

He really hoped so.

Chapter 6

---

Author's note: One chapter to go!

Tag: @eclipsesmoonshine14, @delectablycoolscientist, @mlbigbang

[arcadiasfiction]

Can the Son of a Villainess Ever Be Happy? Ch 1 Pt 2

~This is an alternate universe fanfic where Adrien's deceased mom was the notorious villain, Mayura.

---

"Claws off! I'm exhausted!"

Adrien landed in his room and threw himself on his bed.

Plagg busied himself with a piece of Camembert that he had stashed under the bed. Adrien scrunched his nose at the smell of the cheese and rubbed his hands over his face.

"Today's akuma wasn't the most powerful one we've faced, but it was crazy hard trying to out-think him. My brain is burned out."

"That's why you should think more about cheese.”

There was a knock on the door, and Plagg hid himself. Adrien sat up.

"Come in."

Adrien's father cracked open the door and peeked in.

"I'm not interrupting your studying, am I?"

"Uh--No, Dad." Adrien glanced around, hoping there were no signs of his outing. "I'm just taking a break.”

"Good. You need to do that more often." Gabriel sat on the bed next to him.

"And so do you."

Adrien had no clue if his dad ever took a vacation from creating designs for his self-named luxury fashion brand, Gabriel.

Even after marrying Nathalie, he insisted on postponing their honeymoon until next year, after he finished his latest collection. Nathalie, being Nathalie, insisted that a honeymoon was unnecessary and that she would be happy with assisting him as always.

Sometimes, Adrien wasn't sure what to think of those two.

Gabriel ruffled a hand through Adrien's summer blond hair. "I need to get better. I've been teaching you bad habits."

"I think you might be too late."

Gabriel wanted to enjoy Adrien's banter, but he could only think of the gravity of their situation. "Nathalie and I saw the news about the akuma attack today, and we wanted to check on you."

Adrien's heart grew warm at the words. The loss of Adrien's mom was very tough on his dad, and he struggled to let her go. But now, he was gracefully moving on. Having Nathalie as part of the family seemed like the most natural thing. 

Adrien gripped his knees, rubbing circles into the fabric of his jeans.

"Night Moth has already stolen the Butterfly and Peacock Miraculous that belonged to Mom. I'm not letting him have her ring too.” 

Gabriel placed a hand on his shoulder. "The ring. Do you have it secured?"

Adrien paused for a moment, not sure of how much he should say. He spoke slowly.

"It's under Cat Walker's care." 

Saying the name of his alter ego in front of his dad felt strange. Adrien looked up into his father's blue eyes. 

"Is it ok that I put the ring under the watch of someone else for a little while?"

Gabriel gazed into the distance and nodded. "That's a smart move on your part. Next time anyone asks, we can simply say that we don't have it. And Cat Walker is a steely young man. Anyone who wishes to take the ring from him will be in for a tough time.

Nathalie and I have been discussing your schedule, and we feel that right now, you need some space. I've cut back on your modeling gigs. As far as Chinese class, fencing, rock climbing and parkour training, that is up to you. But we would prefer it if you took a break."

Adrien sighed. He really didn't want to cut back on anything. Not being out there taking action in some form made him feel like he was falling behind. Behind on what? He wasn't quite sure.

"Okay. I'll take a break from everything else but fencing."

Gabriel gave Adrien a firm pat on the back.

"Will do. With an itinerary like that, are you sure you aren't planning on becoming an action film actor?“

“No way, Dad,” said Adrien with a laugh.

"Just making sure. You know I'll support you with whatever you want to do. Remember, you do not have to handle things alone."

Gabriel had spent so much time obsessing over fixing the broken Peacock Miraculous, alone. But then Nathalie came along and helped him to not only repair the priceless magical broach, but to see that the most precious things were already in front of him.

"Trying to handle everything alone nearly destroyed me. I do not want that for you."

Adrien understood. His voice came out softly.

"Yes, sir."

Gabriel crossed his arms and exhaled.

”And Adrien, I'm sorry I wasn't able to help your mother.”

He felt it was impossible to apologize enough. He couldn't imagine what it must be like for Adrien to face every day knowing that his mom, despite having a career as a gifted actress, became Mayura, one of the worst villains Paris had ever seen. Gabriel wanted to give Adrien something so much better than this.

“Dad, don't blame yourself. You did the best you could.”

Gabriel sighed.

"Regardless of what happens Adrien, keep in mind that your mother's mistakes are not yours.”

He looked into his son's soft emerald eyes. He was so much like her, and that worried him a little.

"I'll try to remember that.”

---

Next is Chapter 2: The Start of a Crush

Marinette rolled over in bed, hugging her pink cat pillow. All night, her brain kept playing on repeat the glint in Cat Walker's eyes as he glanced back at her over his shoulder. As she mentally rewound the image again, she let out an exasperated sigh and pulled another pillow over her face…

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

Click here to read my much shorter fanfic, Chat Text

[kasienda]

Celebrity Status: Ch 3 - A Most Welcome Guest

Chapters: 1 | 2 | 3 | 4

Read on Ao3

Chapter 3: A Most Welcome Guest

Ladybug was in his room! 

There wasn’t an akuma or anything. She was standing on the opposite of his foosball table, and they were playing. 

Playing an actual game together. Just hanging out. 

He needed to pinch himself because many times had he dreamed of this? 

Maybe not exactly this. But something like this!

She took a shot, and he didn’t bother to attempt to block it. The goal went in, and the excitement on her face from scoring a point was more than worth it. 

He dropped the ball back in the center of the table and he took a lazy shot. She intercepted it, and shot it back towards her goal. She was pretty good at the game. He never would have guessed. 

“What’s it like being famous?” she asked. 

He risked a glance up. Her lips were pursed unhappily. Had something happened that Chat Noir had missed? 

“I imagine you know,” he hazarded. 

“But what’s it like for you?” 

He shrugged. "There are some nice perks,” he said, gesturing to the room. “And sometimes my word seems to have a lot of weight.” Not that his father let him use it very often. “But the actual experience of being recognized is not something I enjoy. I get constant love confessions from people who don't even know me.” 

She nodded in agreement. He wasn’t surprised. Chat Noir received that kind of attention too. 

“Then people randomly want to take selfies, which I never used to mind, but then there's an assumption that we are friends."

“Oh my god! Exactly! I hate the selfies! And if you say no, they make you feel like a total jerk!” 

“I don’t know, I’ve seen you glowing when you’re in a picture with children.” 

She blushed. “It’s different with children. The worship is different.” 

“That would make sense.” 

She frowned. “Your fans don’t tend to be that young, do they?” 

He shrugged, not wanting to lie. She wasn’t wrong. Adrien Agreste’s fans didn’t tend to be that young, but Chat Noir had a ton of young children who looked up to him.

She scored another goal. And he plopped the ball back into play. 

“It’s not all bad though, is it?” he asked, unable to look at her. He knew that he enjoyed being Chat Noir more than she enjoyed being Ladybug, but was there anything about it that she liked at all? Maybe that was the real reason she held him at a distance. 

“About being famous? Can’t think of any perks. I don’t know how you put up with it.” 

It’s not like he had ever been offered a choice. 

“What about being Ladybug? Any perks there?” 

She scored another goal that he still didn’t try to block. 

She was silent so long, he was certain that she wouldn’t answer and he feared it meant that she hated all of it. 

“It feels good to make a difference,” she said, and the knot in his stomach eased a notch. “And the akuma battles can feel awesome in a weird way. Like when cornered and under pressure, I’m able to figure a way out. I didn’t know I could do that before I became Ladybug.” 

“You’re absolutely amazing under fire.”

Her gaze locked onto the table, but her cheeks turned pink. 

“That’s kind of you to say.” 

“I’m not just saying it. The way you figure out a lucky charm? I think you’re absolutely brilliant.”

“Th-thank you.” She shifted awkwardly from one foot to another. 

He turned his attention back to the game. 

“So does that make it worth it?” he asked. 

“Sometimes,” she admitted. “It feels really good to be Ladybug, to help others. But it also screws up my normal everyday life a lot.”

“I’m sorry. I imagine that’s hard.” 

“You have no idea.” 

He smiled. He probably had more of an idea than she realized.

But then again, maybe he didn’t. Being Chat Noir had always been a net positive for him.

“I wish I could meet the civilian everyday you,” he told her.

She smiled at him. “I don’t know. You might be disappointed. She’s just a regular girl. You probably wouldn’t even notice her.” 

He didn’t believe that for a second. Plagg insisted he wouldn’t be able to recognize her. That she could be sitting right next to him and his brain wouldn’t be able to make the connection. That’s how the magic worked. But Adrien didn’t think that would mean he wouldn’t notice her. 

She was Ladybug. She was brilliant. It would be impossible not to notice her. If he ever met her, he was certain he would think she was amazing even if he didn’t know she was also Ladybug! 

"Do you think that Ladybug is not the real you?"

"It's not so much that Ladybug isn't me. Ladybug is not all of me, but she's definitely a big part. But no one really knows Ladybug well enough to actually know even that part of me. Because I'm famous and a hero, people project a lot of what they expect to see."

"What about Chat Noir?"

She smiled at his name and that did weird things to his gut. “He probably knows Ladybug better than anyone, but there’s still so much I can’t tell Chat Noir.” 

“But you can tell me?” he wondered aloud because he couldn’t believe how much she was telling him here. 

She shook her head, smiling at him. “I can’t tell you either.” 

"I'm sorry,” he said.

Her eyebrows furrowed under her mask. "For?"

"I was probably one of those people that saw what I expected to see. And really, I should know better because I hate it when people do that to me."

She took another shot, but this one he blocked easily, he passed it to his middle row, then to the row nearest the goal, and made an awesome goal. 

Her hands dropped from her handles, and she stared at him clearly horrified.

“Oh my god! You’ve been letting me win!” 

And she was livid. Like the akuma had erased Chat Noir from existence level of pissed.

She was never going to want to come back. 

“I’m sorry! It’s just… I’ve had a lot of time to practice, but if I always win, no one wants to play anymore.” 

She stared at him for a moment. He had ruined it, hadn’t he? What had he been thinking? She was competitive. He knew that from the rare occasions they hung out as partners. And she went toe to toe with Hawkmoth on a daily basis. Of course she didn’t want him to go easy on her. 

But then she softened, and he could breathe. She slid the ball into its slot and it rolled back onto the table. 

“We’re starting over,” she declared. “And you better play for real this time.” 

He grinned. “As the lady wishes!” 

He thoroughly routed her. But she scored two goals (to his twelve) legitimately on him. 

“Just you wait, Agreste. I’m going to practice and you won’t see it coming.” 

Did that mean she would come back?

“I can’t wait,” he said.

“This was really nice, Adrien. Thank you for being an oasis in the desert.” 

She was the light in the darkness. 

“I should probably be heading out. I’m already in enough trouble as it is.”

Right! She had said she was grounded. 

He wished she didn’t have to go. 

“Know that you’re welcome back anytime,” he said. “Whether you need to hide from reporters or complain about overzealous fans.” 

“Thank you. I will remember that.” 

He hoped so. He really really wanted her to come back. 

…

[chronicallylatetotheparty]

Float Like A Butterfly... Ch. 9: The Calm Before the Storm

Summary: Adrien has never been more vulnerable. Paradoxically, Adrien has never felt more free.

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

Plagg gazed down at the two sleeping boys. Adrien's expression peaceful. Curled up as he was next to Nino, who had an arm drapped over him.

Pollen removed Nino's glasses and set them next to the bed. "Eldest brother." She bobbed in midair with a silent tease.

He waved this away. While Plagg loved being appreciated his mind was on other things. "Has he been eating? Going to school? His dad hasn't been an ass has he? I'll-"

"Plagg." Pollen laid a hand on his shoulder with a fond smile. "Adrien is a kind king. He has been improving slowly. I wasn't there for the worst of it but your holder is climbing out of whatever trap he was in."

Fur he didn't realized was bristling smoothed back down. Ears perking up a bit. "He's a stubborn kid," Plagg said proudly. "... Thanks for taking care of him."

"I always watch over my monarchs," Pollen smiled. "How are the others?"

"Trixx is jealous you get to spend so much time outside."

Pollen muffled a giggle. "Yes, I imagine they would be."

"Everyone else is just relieved your holder isn't negative. Wayzz had to keep Fu from panicking when he found out about Aristos," Plagg chuckled.

Pollen nodded. "Always worrying so. Ever since the temple."

"Yeah..." Plagg flicked his tail. "Did he say...?"

"He told Nino. Adrien hasn't spoken about it since. I don't think my king likes speaking ill of the Guardian in my presence."

Plagg made a noncommittal noise. Master Fu protected the Miracle Box for almost two centuries. But unlike Wayzz, Plagg spent most of that time in said box. Meanwhile he spent every waking moment -and sleeping moment- of the past year by Adrien's side. Yet...

Adrien said nothing because he didn't want to make Pollen and Plagg choose.

The warm feeling Plagg usually associated with Camembert spread from the tip of his tail to the top of his ears. Plagg's eyes softening as he draped a blanket over the sleeping boys.

"Always thinking of others..."

(Continued on AO3)

[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.