#im..very grateful for Adrien Agreste
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If I could, like, hold a thought long enough to put it into words that would be really great
I would also like someone to inject the entire Mandarin language into my brain
I'm having adrinette fanfic ideas but am so horribly unable to write down any of them arghhhg
#i blame my adhd#and daydreaming omg#im sure i could write fanfiction if i really really forced myself#it would just take sooooo long#and i cant think for long enough to fully understand even my own ideas so it'd be such a wreck#I've got my silly little drawings though#im grateful im good at that at least!#but imagine how fun it would be!!!#actually its very likely that what im thinking of has already probably been written đ§#i don't really know *how* to look for fanfictions???#y'know that phrase that goes âi wasn't born yesterdayâ or something like that?#well i might have been born yesterday because I know nothing about anything hahaha đ¶#anywayssss#adrinette my beloved#adrinette#adrienette#miraculous ladybug#adrien agreste#marinette dupain cheng#love square
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idk if im late but 129 and ladrien!
Don't worry, you are definitely not late, I am still taking prompts!
So funny story with this one, I went to figure out which song 129 was, and it ended up being Noah Kahan's Stick Season, which I really love, but also is potentially very angsty. And after already writing Ladrien angst, I really wanted to write something lighter
So I turned this option into a wildcard, and after using the random number generation to find a different playlist and song number, I got... Stick Season again kasfdskljgsdkljsd
I told myself that if I got it a third time than I should probably just bite the bullet and do it, but I did not get it a third time
So now... here is Ladrien with Leave a tender moment alone by Billy Joel!
This drabble is fluff with some light mutual pining, hope you enjoy!
ao3 link
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Even Though I'm in Love Sometimes, I Get So Afraid
With the gentle caress of moonlight dancing across the surface of the soft features of her lovely face, Adrien couldnât help but feel his heart get stuck in his throat.Â
He couldnât quite remember how he had gotten here, sitting at night, on a park bench, next to the love of his life, the revered and perfect Ladybug.
He could only remember how his evening began. Sneaking out of his bedroom window in a desperate attempt to escape the oppressive isolation of his house.Â
Regardless of how he had gotten there, regardless of how she had shown up, regardless of how he had convinced her to stay and sit with him, the entire moment still felt like a blur, and he was only grateful of the warmth of her presence beside him and of the opportunity to spend time with her.
The silence that stretched between them, felt wrong and unnatural. The space that surrounded them was inexplicably charged, and he felt as though something needed to be said, or else whatever fragile thing resided in this moment would break.
The only problem was, his mind was completely absent of any and all thought of what to say to her.Â
If he were Chat Noir, dressed in the liberating masquerade of his costume, what to say would be easy. He would level her a carefully thought up pun or joke and watch as she received it with either a wrinkled nose or a tinkling laugh.Â
Of course, the trouble with this was that he was not Chat Noir. He was Adrien Agreste. Model. Perfect son. Person who is definitely not Chat Noir and therefore should not be acting like him.
Still, the urge to make conversation and to make said conversation light, dogged him. And before he could think too much about it, he was clearing his throat and opening his mouth to speak.Â
âUm.. so anything you were hoping to spot while in the park tonight?â He asked, poking lightly a spot on her shoulder.
For a long moment she said nothing, only blinked at him owlishly, with her mouth slightly open in surprise.Â
Adrienâs stomach fluttered anxiously. He had ruined things. He was sitting here with her, actually getting to spend some time with his lady, and he just had to go and put his foot in his mouth and mess everything up.Â
She was going to think he was weird. She was going to walk away in disgust. She was going to hate him. Worse yet, she was going to find out his identity, then reject him again, and then follow the aforementioned steps.
She would never speak to him again, all because of a stupid, mindless joke.Â
The internal spiraling going on in Adrienâs mind, was disrupted by the calming sound of sweet giggling.Â
A warm, balm-like sensation coursed through Adrienâs blood as he registered Ladybugâs laughter and the fact that she hadnât been bothered by his joke.Â
He let out a soft chuckle of relief that fell in tandem with her lingering laugh.
âWell you see, I actually came here because of youââ She started and then abruptly cut herself off, seeming to realize what she had said. Her eyes rounded comically and her face turned a shade not at all dissimilar from her mask.
â--not that I was stalking you or anything. IâI was just finishing off patrol, when I saw you sitting here, and you looked alone and I thought that maybe you could use some company. Of course, that was really presumptuous of me, and maybe I invaded your private time, and I-I-I Iâm sorry, I can just leave you alone.â
She made a slight move to get up, but Adrien was not quite ready for her to go yet. He placed a hand on both her arms, with just enough pressure for her not to miss it, but light enough for her to easily walk away if she wanted to.
âI-Iâm sorry Adrien.â She said, her eyes failing to meet his and her cheeks still remaining a heated red.
Adrien was confused at her reaction. Had he given some indication that he wanted her to go? Did something happen that he had missed?
No sooner did the confusion come, than did a clarifying thought.
Wait, was she nervous too?
The reassuring, bright smile that he gave her, was surely colored in his current giddiness and relief.Â
âLadybug, please stay. I am honored that you chose to join me, and I am really grateful that you noticed me sitting here. Honestly, I had a pretty rough day and I needed to get out of the house, but just you being here and sitting with me has made me feel better in more ways than you know. Thank you.â He gave her the last thank you with a squeeze of her hands.
Ladybugâs answering tender smile was worth the slithering anxiety he had faced when speaking openly to her.Â
âIâm glad I was able to help. You know, I donât really have anywhere to be right now. If youâd like, we can just sit here together until youâre feeling better. Does that sound like a good idea?â
âThat sounds perfect.âÂ
Adrien leaned back onto the bench and soaked in the feeling of belonging and togetherness that only she ever really made him feel.Â
For the first time that night, Adrien no longer felt the pressure to speak. He could just leave things alone and enjoy the moment together.
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Thank you so much for the ask! <3
Request a lovesquare side and a number from my playlist for a drabble!
#sorry this took so long#i was watching a movie tonight#and got distracted lol#oh well#better late than never#miraculous ladybug#mlb#miraculous#ml#adrien agreste#ladybug#ladrien#mutual pining#fluff#drabble#my drabbles#asks#anon#my asks#drabble-dee-do#my writing
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hi!! first of all your work is AMAZING im like inlove with it, if u take this request im so grateful tysm đ©·đ©· is it too much to ask for a adrienette marinette lee adrien ler? also sorry if this is too much but can u like maybe make it the scene where its them playing video games at marinettes room? if u remember that one scene đ
Thanksss, I hope you like it đ
Cheat

Lee: Marinette Dupan-cheng
Ler: Adrien Agreste
â€ïžđ§Ąđđđ©”đđâ€ïžđ§Ąđđđ©”đđâ€ïžđ§Ą
Ships: Adrienette (Adrien x Marinette)
Warnings: This is a tickle fic, if you donât like it, just scroll down
This fanfic is originally in Portuguese, my English is translated using an automatic translator, if there are any big errors you can tell me so I can fix them
â€ïžđ§Ąđđđ©”đđâ€ïžđ§Ąđđđ©”đđâ€ïžđ§Ą
Marinette and Adrien had been playing video games in her room all afternoon.
The boy's ability to lose was impressive.
âYou just lose, huh?â Marinette laughed
âYouâre better than me at everything!â
Game over, Marinette won again
"Oh no"
"Oh yes!" She celebrated with a strange dance âanother victory!â
âIf it depends on the two of us, you will win the video game competition aloneâ
âIf itâs up to you, weâll both lose.â
Adrien stuck his tongue out at her and she laughed.
âI just want one more rematchâ Adrien asked
"Of course"
The game started again and as always Marinette played with Ladybug's robot and Adrien with Cat Noir's.
Adrien really played very badly, so it was easy to beat him, even so Marinette played very well
The game already started with her winning, and the tables were never reversed.
Marinette laughed a little
âI think youâre going to lose againâ
âI wonât!â
Adrien decided to steal, knowing the girl he knew her weaknesses
He dropped the controller and simply started tickling her, making her let go of the controller and the game stopped.
With one hand Adrien pressed her belly and with the other he moved the controller so he could make movements with his character.
âADRIEHEHEHEHEHENâ she exclaimed, trying to free herself from the boy's quick hands, to no avail.
âI said I would win no matter what!â
Adrien's character managed to win and the game was finally announced, Cat Noir's victory
âAh-ha! I won! Did you saw it? Did you doubt that I could win?â He told her, without stopping the tickling and now putting the hand that was busy playing along
Marinette jumped out of her chair and managed to free herself from the attack.
"You cheated!" She exclaimed
"Me?! How dare you make a statement like that without proof, come back here!â
Adrien threatened to come back with the tickles, which made Marinette run around the room in circles with the boy following until they both fell to the floor.
Adrien pressed her belly again (mainly because he knew it was the worst spot) and used another hand to tickle her feet a little too.
âSTOHOHOP THAHAHAHAHATâ
Adrien thought her smile was very, very beautiful.
"Why? I like to see you laughâ he moved a little closer, making Marinette blush more
âAHAHADRIEHEHEHENâ
He laughed âokay, okayâ and released his hands
Marinette took a breath and breathed again, she patted his arm âyou donât know how to loseâ
âItâs because I always lose!â
They both laughed
âYouâre just really badâ
Adrien helped her get up
âBlĂ©â he stuck his tongue out at her
Marinette laughed
âYour smile is beautifulâ he said to her smiling
Marinette blushed âthank you, Adrienâ
âOne more round?â
âSurely, prepared to lose?â
âIf I lose Iâll have to use my tickle gun again~â
"Is not fair! Iâm the one whoâs going to tickle you!â
The two laughed and played a few more games, the laughter filled the room and made everything more lively, they had a beautiful relationship
â€ïžđ§Ąđđđ©”đđâ€ïžđ§Ąđđđ©”đđâ€ïžđ§Ą
Thanks đđ
#tickle fic#miraculous tickling#miraculous ladybug tickle#miraculous tickle#lee!marinette#ler!adrien
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Adrien Agreste is no joke the only character Iâve found that shows how fucked up you can get from an abuser who never lays a hand on you and is trying to protect you and honestly Iâm no longer surprised by how much I wound up fixating on him.
#abuse cw#thinking about your abusers is always fun#like usually i wind up projecting on physical abuse victims#and then feelin kinda funky and guilty bc its Obviously So Much Worse#I never feared for my safety after all#no one ever laid a hand on me#why am i projecting on someone like Seto Kaiba#the closest i had before this was Elsa okay its not as common as you might think#epilepsy tag#that..that played into it#the isolated part at least#the emotional abuse just sorta...happened#im fine#im..very grateful for Adrien Agreste#like also i like that hes not like an angry person notbc theres anythin wrong with that but bc im not anymore#and its easier to relate to him cause of that#hes just a good boi okay im love him
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âWhere are you, you little pest?â
Sting, Chapter 15
Happy very belated birthday @kryallaorchid! The moment i read this scene i wanted to make an animatic for it. Itâs so well done i love the contrast between it and what happened previous with Adrien.
I now itâs a little bit rushed in the end. I kind of overdue myself since i wanted to draw actions scenes. I kind of played with the camera a lot. I also wanted to paint it more but my photoshop stopped cooperating
Again im sorry for being so late! Hope you like it!
#miraculous ladybug#gabriel agreste#bee miraculous#deedee#adrien agreste#sting#ml fic#kryallaorchid#happy birthday!#i think you were the first person in the fandom i talked too#im very grateful for that#you are such a good person and you mean a lot to the fandom#you are a great friend#i know this is not much but i wanted to give you something#my art#pictures arts#my animation#animatic#the hop is so bad xD i need to practice that
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you reap what you sow
prompt from @mialuvscats : i hope this meets your expectations ! im sorry this took so long, i tried uploading it from my phone but it glitched and i could only get my hands on the computer todayÂ
iâd like to say that i think if sabine and mari are there, damian and talia willl be relatively looser and not as uptight . mari and sabine are cold but loving and sunshiney. they keep talia and damian in check, essentially. which is why i wrote them in to be loose and free but able to be openly happy when they want to be, even if they are only happy around each other.
with sabine here i also thinkt hat talia will be slightly easier on damian, which also ties to the fact that he will not be as cold and uptight.
talia will be a good mother in this fic bc i want her to be and itll be ooc but its okay its my fic anyway
and the timeline is kinda messed up and all over the place sorry
that aside, have fun reading and i hope you enjoy!
--
talia and sabine are best friends, and before most of the class joins francois, marinette ruled the school after coming to paris with sabine. mari and damian are betrothed and the two are best friends. they can be icy one minute and sunshiney the next, although the sunshiney part is more mari than damian.
maybe the waynes come to paris, bc if theyre in gotham the others wont really know if the queen is back, and theyre kinda unsure why marinette is being timid and very unlike her ice queen demeanor she sometimes uses. mari is closest to jason in terms of batfam because firstly maybe she cleanses jason of the lazarus pit after helping damian using tikki's creation magic to counteract plagg's destruction one. since the waynes are here theres no point in mari hiding her queen status anymore and queue lila reveal
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Talia al Ghul and Sabine Cheng were an unlikely combination, but worked perfectly well.
The two women were extremely close. Sabine was almost as deadly as Talia, but she made up for it with her devious mindset. She was the one who steered Talia away from doing anything wrong --well more wrong than usual-- and the one who was assigned to dish out punishments to usurpers.
The two could read each other like open books, and hence, when both Talia and Sabine became pregnant, Talia one month before Sabine, the two knew immediately.
They had debated whether or not to have their kids be betrothed, and eventually decided to let their children make the final call when their kids were old enough to understand.
Nine months later, Marinette and Damian were born. In the League infirmary, an hour after the two were cleaned and left there to rest while their mothers did the same, the two had already grown rather close.
Their baby cribs were next to each other, and somehow they were staring at each other through the walls of the crib, and were making small grabby hands to the other.
When Talia and Sabine were sufficiently rested and came to pick up their children, they were slightly shocked, yet gratified by their children. Sabine smiled and draped an arm around Taliaâs shoulder, smiling lazily.
âI guess theyâll be as close as their mothers, non?âÂ
Talia smirked, and the two walked forwards, lifting their respective children in their arms and walking to their quarters.
-
The two mothers did not regret it. Their kids were enamoured with each other, practically joined at the hip.
By the time Marinette and Damian were 5, they had a very extensive vocabulary, since they had learned to speak Arabic, French and English. They were also extremely smart and skilled with weapons.Â
Marinette was extremely adept at using a yoyo. It seemed weird, I know. But when the League was stormed when she was 3, she had taken out 4 men with her yoyo alone. Since then, she had been teaching herself how to use the yoyo effectively.
Damian preferred to use a katana. He looked much scarier than Marinette, even if the two were the same age. He had found a natural talent in using blades, knives, katanas and daggers included.
Marinette was the Rain to Damianâs Fire.Â
She was the only one who could calm Damian down when he was mad, mad.
But make no mistake, Marinette could switch personalities in a heartbeat. She was one of the Leagueâs most skilled interrogators at the age of 5.
After all, who would suspect a pigtailed 5 year old in pink to be scary?
Damian much preferred his stoic and icy attitude. The only people he ever let loose around was Marinette, Sabine, and Talia.
Talia and Sabine loved the children to an almost deadly extent, and the four were extremely overprotective of each other.
Marinette had taken to magic as well. She had been trained by many people in the League about sensing magic. Damian did not have the patience for magic and rituals.Â
Marinette knew Damian was more of a âattack first ask questions laterâ type of fighter, a stark contrast to Marinetteâs âi will curse you and you will suffer in agonising pain for the rest of your lifeâ preferred type of fighting.
Sheâd never really liked getting her hands dirty, hence the magic. Killing people with magic was so much cleaner.
Sabine and Marinette had to leave for Paris when she was 9. For what, she wasnât sure, but regardless of the distance, she and Damian constantly traded calls and letters. They would never go even a day without contact.
They were staying with one of Sabineâs old friends. His name was Tom Dupain, and he was an old wrestler and had worked with the League before. He and Sabine pretended to be married and Marinetteâs name had hence became Marinette Dupain Cheng.
Damian and Talia stayed at the League, although all of them knew that Damian was to meet his birth father when he turned 10.
Marinette adapted her icy demeanor in Paris, never wanting anyone to get as close as she was with Damian.Â
A few hours in, walking around Paris, she had met an elderly man in a red Hawaiian shirt, emitting the aura of magic. She had confronted him, and eventually, he opened up to her about the Miraculous. Tikki, the Ladybug kwami, and Plagg, the Black Cat kwami had taken a liking to her.
Marinette was apparently something called a True User, a reincarnation of the first Ladybug miraculous wielder. Plagg just rather liked the aura of death and chaos she apparently gave off, from the League.
She and the other Kwamis also had a rather amicable relationship, and sheâd go to the ends of the Earth for the tiny gods, and vice versa.
The elderly man, named Fu, had also started to train her into becoming the new Guardian of the Miraculous.
Before, Marinette had been planning on laying low and not drawing atention to herself, but once she had beaten up two upperclassmen for bullying her classmate and somewhat accquaintance Nino, she had been fiercely regarded by both the students and faculty.Â
As a result, she eventually grew close to Nino, and his friends, Kim, Alix and Chloe. She only ever let down her icy demeanour around them, showing the bright and bubbly girl persona she kept hidden. She wasnât as close to them as she was to Damian, but they were all still quite close friends.Â
It wasnât long after that Marinette became the queen of her school, at the tender age of 10, earning her title as the Ladybug. Or, as Chloe liked to put it, the Lady, because she was lucky enough to âget a friend like herâ.
Marinette didnât protest. She rather liked Ladybugs, and besides, it was ironic and it reminded her a little of Damian, who sometimes liked to call her his Maribug. Because she was sometimes a pest, he deadpanned. Marinette had whacked him with a pillow.Â
Everyone in the school feared the Ladybug. No one knew anything of her past. She was a mystery, an enigma that no one could solve. When new students came in after Marinette turned 14, everyone was slightly shocked to see their Lady change.
She was much more bubbly and approachable. Word had spread around that Marinette, the Lady, was trying a clean slate for the new kids. After all, not everyone should fear her.
Probably.
School eventually returned to what it was like before Marinette became the Lady, although she did still rule the school, she did it much more subtly, with more restraint and secrecy.
One of the new kids, Alya, had taken a liking to her. Marinette did not like her very much, she was loud and clingy and drew a lot of unwanted attention.Â
Marinette and her old crew, who had playfully called themselves her Consorts before the name stuck, had split up temporarily, to cover more ground and spread their branches.
Chloe was to pretend to be Marinetteâs bully, Kim and Alix rivals, and Nino a shy recluse. They had had a good laugh about it beforehand, before watching Moana, because Kim wanted to compare the size of his muscles to Mauiâs.
None of them had accounted for Adrien Agreste, who had tried to get the gum off Marinetteâs seat like the naive, sheltered boy he was. Marinette had admittedly gotten mad at him for screwing up a perfectly good plan, before ramping up her ice persona to like, a 2/10, to get the newbies off her scent and scare Adrien away.
It hadnât worked, because the boy was apparently as stubborn as he was naive. But besides that, Alya had been really grating on Marinetteâs nerves, especially since she was convinced that Marinette had a crush on the model. It was not true, of course.Â
Honestly, Marinette thought dryly, as Alya dragged her all over the place to.. somewhere, she wasnât even sure anymore. But frankly, she didnât particularly care. Honestly, the only boy sheâd probably ever have a crush on would be Damian.
Not that sheâd ever admit it.
-
When Marinette and Damian turned 10, she and Sabine had taken a plane to Gotham to meet up with Damian.
Damian had not been having a good time. He was very much unwanted here, that was clear.Â
Grayson seemed to be the only one trying to interact with him. His father, had been trying his best to stay out of Damianâs way, which he reciprocated. Todd was flat out ignoring him and Drake just seemed to be busy all the time.
After all, who would want to interact with a grumpy 10 year old assassin?
He missed Marinette.
It was the day Todd finally tried to open up to Damian, that Marinette had arrived. No one had told him that she was finally meeting him again for the first time in a year. Sabine had left Marinette to figure out where Damian was on her own. She was more than capable of it.
With a quick scrying spell, she found him, and Kaalki opened a portal headed in the direction of Wayne Manor.
Meanwhile, Damian just appreciated the fact that Todd was finally extending an olive branch. He was lonely.
It hurt seeing his father care for everyone in the manor apart from him.
He had been walking along the gardens in the manor. Todd had joined him.
âListen, I know itâs hard to feel accepted here. Sometimes, I do.â Jason gazed wistfully at the sky above him.
Damian was unsure of where the ex-Robin was getting at, so he just kept quiet. It wasnât as if Damian didnât know who Jason Todd was. Before he had come to the manor with Talia, he had read the Waynesâ files. In addition, Damian had known of Jason while he was affiliated with the League. They had never talked, or interacted, but he had known of the elder boy.Â
âI just, uh, wanted you to know that if you ever need anything, you can come to me.â He finished lamely, running a hand in his hair.
Damian opened his mouth, then closed it, hesitating. âThank you, Ja--Todd. I will.â He settled on saying dryly.
Jason visibly relaxed and cracked a miniscule smile. There was a sudden âswooshâ sound, and both Jason and Damian turned around, bodies automatically going on the defensive.
Stumbling out of Alfredâs rose bushes, trodding on a few accidentally, was Marinette.
âAngel!â Damian exclaimed, moving forwards to help her forwards.
She brushed her shoulders off, looking around before freezing, staring at something behind him.
âJay?â
âPixie?â He asked, sounding incredulous.
Marinette rushed forward and wrapped him in a tight embrace. Jason laughed and hugged her back, chuckling.
Damian quashed down the bubbling feeling of rage in the pit of his stomach and settled for casting a frosty glance in their direction. Not that they noticed, since they were too busy embracing each other, Damian thought scornfully.
The two pulled apart after too long in Damianâs opinion, laughing.
âAngel? How do you know Todd?â Damian asked coldly, ever so protective.
If Jason noticed the sudden reversion to his surname instead of his first, he didnât say anything.
âOh, he came to Paris with Lia once and I cleansed him of the Lazarus pit madness, like I did with you.â She replied.
âWhat are you doing here?â Jason asked. Damian had forgotten about that.
âVisiting, of course!â She winked. âNow, letâs give your old man a good scare.â She pecked Damian on the cheek before vanishing. (Thanks, Trixx.)
Jason and Damian looked to each other. âDid you know she could do that?â Jason questioned. Damian shook his head before pausing.
âWait.. how did she get into the manor?âÂ
The only response was the faint echo of a laugh.
-
It was time for dinner anyway, and only Damian, Jason, and Alfred knew of Marinetteâs presence. Marinette had voluntary evelaed herself to the elderly butler after noticing his aura.Â
It was Miraculous tainted. If Marinette could guess, he had been either one of Duusuâs, Sassâs, or Noorooâs.
When the butler had retired to the kitchen alone, Marinette had unraveled Trixxâs magic veiling her and waved at the butler.
To hi credit, he didnât so much as bat an eye before his eyes widened as he took her in. Marinette cut to the chase.
âWho was your kwami?â Alfred had surveyed her for a second before seemingly trusting her. Â
âDuusu.â He answered.
Marinette smiled. âIâm Tikkiâs.â From her perch in Marinetteâs left pigtail, the red Kwami pried open the folds of her hair, waving once at Alfred before sinking back into the recesses of the bluenetteâs locks.
Alfred blinked. Once. Twice. âIâm presuming youâre staying for dinner?â
Marinette beamed. âIâm gonna scare the big bat.â Alfred nodded, accepting this. Marinette clapped her hands and she disappeared again. Alfred shook his head, smiling faintly.
Conveniently, it was one of the times where everyone was there. Dick, Jason, Tim, and Damian. Rare these days, what with Dick in Bludhaven, Tim at WE, and Jason off being Jason.
Bruce was currently on his way back from WE, although it would take around half an hour. He had told everyone to start eating first. Perfect.Â
After Marinetteâs encounter with Alfred, she had reappeared in Damianâs room, where she and Damian caught up. Just like old times.
She had disappeared again once she left the room, and Damian wasnât entirely sure where she went.
Alfred set the the table as per normal, which Damian and Jason noticed right away. They looked to Alfred, who merely winked before stepping back into the kitchen and laying out the food.
There was a screech of a chair as Marinette, disguised as Bruce (Trixx in her right pigtail and Tikki in the left) sat down. Dick looked startled.Â
âI thought you wouldnât be back till later!â Dick exclaimed.
Mari-Bruce shrugged. âFaster than Iâd expected.â She answered, securing the veil of Trixxâs magic around her vocal chords, making her voice sound exactly like Bruceâs.
Jason inched away slightly from Bruce, though she pretended not to notice.
Alfred nodded at her as he reentered the room.
Everyone dug in, occasionally talking. It had been about 25 minutes before the sound of the door opening could be heard. Damian and Jasonâs head shot up, thinking it was Marinette.
Mari-Bruce smirked. Showtime.
Bruce entered the room, not noticing Mari at first. Until the batboys gaped at him. He looked confused. What--?
Mari-Bruce was a pretty great actress. âWho are you?â She thundered, internally laughing.
âWho are you? Iâm Bruce Wayne.â He answered, looking befuddled and frustrated.
âImpostor.â Mari-Bruce accused.Â
Bruce spluttered. âNo! Iâm the real Bruce!âÂ
Mari-Bruce scoffed. âThatâs what an impostor would say.â
Damian and Jason seemed to figure it out, although they probably werenât sure which Bruce was the real one yet.
Tim rubbed his eyes. âAm I seeing double, or?âÂ
Bruce said, âAsk me something the real Bruce would know.â
Dick looked torn, but did as requested. âWho murdered your parents?â
âJoe Chill.â They both said at the same time. Mari-Bruce and Bruce winced, selling the act.
âWhenâs my birthday?â Tim asked.Â
âJuly 17th.â Both Bruces answered.
Tim looked surprised. âYou actually know my birthday?â
âNo shit, Tim.â Mari-Bruce said, rolling their eyes. She rather wanted to proceed to the next part of her plan.Â
âWould I say that to you, Tim?â Bruce asked slightly desperately.Â
âMaybe?âÂ
Bruce facepalmed. In the confusion, Mari took the chance to slink into the shadows where she rewrapped Trixxâs invisible magic around her.
Only Damian noticed. He smirked. âWhere did he go?â He asked, placing a hand on the hilt of his katana for emphasis. He didnât see Marinette smile at him.
Everyone looked panicked. âSearch the manor.â Bruce ordered.
Jason still looked slightly skeptical but did as he said. Damian drew his katanas and tilted it in the direction he was going.
Amongst everyone, Bruce was the most attacked. While Jason and Damian paired off, Tim and Dick did as well, ("Donât go alone!â Was Bruceâs admonished cry), Bruce had gone alone.Â
If she were being honest, Marinette had always had a grudge against the billionaire. He hadnât saved his son, he had tried to kill his son, even though he had a no killing rule --which Marinette thought was plain stupid--, and he had left Damian to suffer at the hands of Raâs Al Ghul.
Talia could only do so much to save her son.
Yes, Marinette was aware that Bruce hadnât know Damian existed, but now he was still treating Damian as if he didnât exist. Marinette knew how much Damian craved affection, even if he never admitted it.
Yes, maybe Bruce was getting better, but maybe she could.. spur the process.
So Marinette retaliated in one of the many ways she knew how.
Messing with them.
So when the Waynes regrouped in the dining room, Jason, Damian, Dick and Tim came back unharmed, and Jason had been filled in by Damian of his suspicions. But Bruce?Â
He came back covered in honey and feathers, drenched with water and covered in pink slime.Â
âWhy is he going after me?â Bruce had questioned in that annoying voice of his, after looking over his spotless sons.
Jason shrugged. âMaybe he doesnât like you. God knows heâs not the only one.âÂ
Bruce looked slightly hurt but Jason didnât seem to care in the slightest.
âMaybe this person is infatuated with you and is vying for your attention.â Damian deadpanned dryly. Marinette had smacked him on the back of his head, still invisible.
But the damage had been done.
Bruce snapped his fingers and âaha!â-ed at Damian. âThat must be it!â Bruce crowed.
âAre you that narcissistic, you arrogant plebeian?â Marinetteâs normally cheery voice was dry and dripping with distaste as she unwrapped her magic.
Bruce, Dick and Tim immediately went on the defensive, shifting into a battle stance. Marinette only scoffed.
âIf I wanted to harm you, I would have already done so.â Marinette waved a hand in their direction dismissively.
Dick looked confused. âYouâre like, ten.â He pointed out.
Damian glared. âI am ten as well, Grayson.âÂ
Tim butted in. âAre we not going to acknowledge the fact that this tiny ten year old broke into the manor unnoticed?âÂ
That brought everyone to their senses.
They were suddenly surprised by Marinette running at Jason, full speed. They expected him to duck or whip out a weapon, but all he did was stand still as she flipped in midair to land on his shoulders.
To their utter shock, Jason grinned, even as she fisted her hands in his hair for a better grip.
Damian only smiled fondly at his Angel. She was as short as he remembered, Damian noted.Â
He missed her. More than anything.
Marinette beamed, and slid off Jasonâs shoulders.
âWhy did you attack me?â Bruce asked. âIsnât it obvious, fool?â Marinette revamped her icy demeanor and glared at the civilian Batman. âI despise you.â
Bruce looked very affronted. But Mariinette ignored him, even as he continued talking and made her way over to Damian.
âDamibear!â Marinette sang, as if she hadnât seen him less than an hour ago.
The Waynes looked as if they expected Damian to attack her just for calling him that. They were not expecting him to grin and say, âAngel.â
Mari jumped on his back, and Damian merely repositioned himself accordingly, used to this from all her previous piggybacks.
âOkay so Jason and Damian helped her get into the manor.â Tim deduced, only to notice Jason and Damian shaking their heads.
âAll by herself.â Damian and Jason chorused. Marinette made bunny ears on top of Damianâs head.
She kissed Damianâs forehead lovingly, replying to his âi am older than youâ with a âyeah by like a weekâ, and looked to his family.Â
She winked.
Then disappeared.
There was silence, and then, âWait, we didnât even get her name!â From Dick.
Damian and Jason were interrogated that night, and they refused to tell them anything related to Marinette.
Marinette smiled from where she had hidden in the shadows, and made her way back to Damianâs room. She curled up in Damianâs bed, drifting into sleep. She was almost asleep when Damian returned.
And when Damian pressed his lips to her forehead and whispered, âGoodnight, Angelâ, a smile made her way onto her lips.
By the time Damian had slipped into bed with her, her head leaning comfortably on his chest, she had fallen asleep.
-
When the two turned 15, Talia and Sabine sat them down and told them about the betrothal. Damian had been visiting with Talia.
It had been almost two months since Lila had turned her classmates against her, not that she cared, of course. She still had her Consorts after all.
âMarinette, Damian, weâd like to tell you something. An offer? Of sorts. Iâm relatively sure you will accept, however.âÂ
Talia smiled as Marinette dragged a grumpy Damian over to them by the head, beaming brightly.
âOh come on, Mian! Donât be such a grumpy banana.â Marinette reprimanded the older boy who was rubbing the sleep from her eyes.
The boy only smiled lazily, and ran another hand through his best friendâs hair, the girl making a small noise of protest. âThats what you get for calling me a noodle, Angel.â (if you didnât know miĂ n means noodle in chinese)
Sabine cleared her throat but looked at the two with amusement clear in her eyes.
They straightened. âSorry, maman,â Mari muttered.
âNow, before you two were born, Sabine and I had an agreement. We are perfectly fine with this and the implications of it, so it is up to you to whether to accept or not.â Talia got straight to the point.
The two children looked to each other curiously before turning back to their parents. Damian nodded in acknowledgment and Sabine picked up where Talia left off.
âHow do you feel about each other?â Sabine asked, watching the two closely for their reactions.
âIf thatâs your way of asking us if weâre okay to be siblings, since you and Lia are dating, Maman--â Marinette started but was quickly interrupted by a barely noticeably flushed Talia.
âNo, not that, and we arenât dating, Nette.â Talia aimed a playful glare at the girl, who grinned and blew a raspberry at her.
âHow would you and Damian like to be betrothed?â Sabine asked, smiling at her friend and daughter fondly.
Marinette spluttered and Damian coughed.Â
Talia and Sabine burst out into laughter.
After the adults got their laughter under control and after a few glares from their kids, Damian spoke up.
âMarinette is my best friend. If I had to be betrothed to anyone, Iâm glad itâs her.â Damian looked away and Marinette coughed awkwardly into her elbow.
âYou misunderstand us. You donât have to be betrothed. The choice is yours.â
Damian felt slightly attacked. He really did like Marinette, and the betrothal was an easy excuse to ask her out (even if he was a 15 year old). He didnât know if Marinette felt the same way, and he didnât want to impose that on her, so he kept quiet.
Marinette, who was looking deep in thought, answered.
âCan I talk to Damian for a while, privately?â
Damian, despite his better judgement, winced. This was probably the first time in a really long time that Marinette called him by his full name. It was normally Dami, Damibear to annoy him, or some other weird nickname like Mr Grumpy Banana this morning.
Regardless, the bluenette hadnât called him âDamianâ for a very long time. Two years, maybe.
She walked out of the room, Damian trailing slightly behind, before stopping a few feet outside the room.
Marinette slid down onto the floor, her back pressed against it and head in her hands. Damian frowned. He didnât want his best friend looking so.. dejected. He ignored the slight pang of hurt that the thought of being with him could get this kind of reaction out of her.
He sat down next to her, wrapping an arm around her shoulder like he always did when any of them felt upset. He was happy to feel her lean into his side like she always did.Â
She turned her head and buried it in Damianâs side, breathing in his comforting scent of paints and nature. He tightened his hold on her ever so slightly and she almost burst into tears.
It wasnât that she was opposed to being in an engagement with Damian, it was just that she didnât particularly want to be with anyone or love anyone, especially after her father died and Damianâs father abandoned him.
Her mother and aunt didnât show it, but they were sad about their fathers. She had heard Talia interacting with her âbelovedâ before, and it almost always ended up in tears or frustration. (Not that Mari blamed her, Bruce was kind of an asshole.)
She felt Damianâs chin press into her scalp and a hint of a smile grazed her lips. But this was Damian. Damian who was her best friend. Damian who supported her no matter what. Damian who comforted her and was there for her whenever she needed it.
Damian would never hurt her. And she was determined never to hurt him, ever, if she could help it.
She looked up and smiled at Damian. The smile he loved so much, the smile she always had on whenever she saw him, the smile that would unconsciously fly to her lips whenever she heard his voice.
Maybe it was then that Marinette shouldâve known that she loved her best friend, but then again, she was only fifteen. She didnât know what love was. But she would. Very soon.
âWe accept.â Damian told Sabine and Talia when they reentered the room.
âWe thought you would.â Talia replied.
-
When Marinette turned 16, her last year at Francois Dupont, six months since sheâd made Lilaâs time a living hell with her Ladybug (both in suit and in school), and fashion clients connections, the Waynes had visited.
Turns out, Damian and Jason got caught trying to sneak onto the Wayne private jet but instead of stopping them, they insisted they came along too, having pieced together that Damian and Jason were going to visit the mysterious tiny girl they couldnât find the name of.
So they had no choice.
And os that leads to now, with the Waynes standing in the courtyard, elicting a growing crowd as they waited for Marinette, looking the part of scary rich people that can end your life without a problem.
Damian suddenly started running, and he hugged a girl. No one could see who the girl was because her head was buried in Damianâs chest and his body was shielding hers.
Not many people in the courtyard was surprised when they pulled away and standing there was Marinette Dupain-Cheng. After all, she was one of the most successful students in class that didnât get fame from famous relatives. No, al her fame was hers alone.
In fact, the only people surprised were Marinetteâs class, not-so-fondly referred to as the Akuma Class. Her Consorts were the only one who knew of her betrothed, Damian. Other than that, Marinette had never been willing to share.Â
When Marinette saw the other Waynes however, after hugging Jason, she rolled her eyes. Bruce, Dick and Tim stalked forwards, looking every inch the scary billionaires they were.
It was broken by Dick hugging the girl and gushing over how cool she was. Tim smiled at her and she had smiled back. Marinette flipped Bruce the bird.
âWhy are you... so sunny? You definitely werenât like that when you threatened us in Gotham. You were such an ice queen.â Tim mentioned, failing to keep the amusement out of his tone.
âWhat do you mean? Marinetteâs always been like that, even if she is a bitch now. Thereâs no way she can be cold.â Alya remarked snidely.
Alix and Chloe stalked forward, raising thier fists threatningly. But Marinette only laughed coldly.
âYou wanna see cold, Cesaire?â Marinette snarled, dropping all acts of being nice.Â
The Lady was back. Publicly.
The silence was interrupted by Rose, who asked, "But Lila, don't you know the Waynes?"
Said Lila had been trying to slink away unnoticed, but when her name was mentioned, all attention diverted back to her, effectively keeping her in place. Her pale face and scared eyes were enough to tell that she had indeed been lying.Â
Yells and screams broke out across the courtyard as the Akuma Class berated Lila for lying to them all this while. Until, Marinette interrupted, face set in a ice cold, stony positionÂ
"Okay, blame her for lying." She started. "But why did you believe her?"Â
The Akuma Class drew a blank and didn't respond. Partially because they didn't know what to say, and partially because Marinette's mere presence was overwhelmingly intimidating. Marinette sighed and pressed on.Â
"Everything the Liar has said can be found faulty by a simple internet search." It was true, and the class knew it. When no one replied, Marinette shook her head sardonically. "You reap what you sow."Â
She turned to her betrothed. In an instant, her icy mood was gone, replaced with the sunshiney-ness the Akuma Class had grown used to.Â
"C'mon, Dami!" She gave him a quick peck on the lips, hoisting herself up on Damian's back. Damian grasped her legs tightly, as she continued to be piggybacked by him.Â
"Onward!" She cried out dramatically, pointing to the school exit.Â
Damian only rolled his eyes fondly at his beloved, steering themselves out, her Consorts and his family behind them.Â
None of them looked back.Â
If they did, they would've seen the expressions of disbelief and regret etched onto every one of her old classmates' faces.Â
Not that they would care.
-
5k words yay
also uh yeah again, sorry this took so long, i kept hitting a mental block while writing this and it didnt manage to upload from my phone for no good reason :(Â
but anyway its up now, i hope u find this acceptable! :)
#maribat#mari is raised by the league#talia is actl a good parent in this fic bc i can#sabine is a queen as always#marinette is a godess#she is an icy queen#yes ik i spelled goddess wrong#mlb x dc#dc x mlb#ml x dc#dc x ml#betrothed#daminette#okay i think im done#i dont really know what else to tag
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Misconceptions, Miscommunication, and Misinformation Pt51
Inspired by @ozmavâ Maribat AU
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The next day started out well enough. Gabriel insisted on getting to the show early so he could try to find the mystery designer before anyone else had a chance to recruit them. Damian was grateful for the extra time but he knew Gabriel wouldnât be successful no matter how early he got there. Hopefully Marinette didnât give him an outright no and piss him off enough to come back home. He trusted her to be smarter than that but he still wanted to get this over with.
âOracle is the security system down?â Sheâd sent him a comm along with all the equipment because, apparently, he couldnât be trusted to do this himself. Sheâd given him some nonsense about dead spots but he was fairly certain they just expected him to screw up the placements.
âYep, sensors are off and the security video is being looped, youâre good to go.â He took a deep breath before leaving his room just to calm his mind. He didnât want his annoyance at his overprotective family affecting his work. He padded silently down the hall to Gabrielâs office more out of habit than necessity. He was the only one in the house as far as he knew, but caution is what kept him alive.
Entering the office he was again struck by Agresteâs need to overpower everyone else in the room, even when he wasnât there. It was a sign of a large ego that had been trampled on regularly. That explained a lot actually.
He went around the room placing and activating the devices knowing that Oracle was watching his through the security cameras. She didnât correct him once which he took an inordinate amount of pride in. Maybe theyâd learn to trust him.
âThatâs all of them, are you getting all the feeds?â He stood in the center of the room to see if he could spot the devices, when he was certain nothing would be noticed he moved to other parts of the room and repeated the process. He was confident no one would notice heâd been here.
âYes, theyâre all active and weâve got complete coverage. Iâm already picking up one or two rooms in the house that shouldnât be there. Hopefully he accesses them from this room, if not Iâll send you more devices to place in other parts of the house.â Damian snorted.
âThe man lives in this room. If thereâs an access point itâs here.â He had no doubt about that, mainly because almost all the locks in the house had been removed. This was the only room that guaranteed complete privacy. âIf weâre done I have other things to attend to.â
âGot a hot date?â He could hear the mocking laughter in her tone and forced himself not to react until after he left the study.
âJust because you lot make decisions with your hormones doesnât mean we all do.â Most of his siblings seemed to think he was interested in Ladybug. He didnât know why but heâd rather they focus attention on the hero than delve into his civilian life. It was bad enough with just Marinette making assumptions about his feelings.
âEasy baby bird. You wonât be so high and mighty when you meet the right person.â Damian just rolled his eyes as he shut off the comm. He was hoping to get to the fashion show before the big reveal. If he knew Marinette she had a speech prepared and it was sure to ruffle feathers.
When he arrived there was still an air of anticipation. He didnât see Marinette anywhere but he did see Chloe and Luka standing together. That was less than optimal. In the other direction he saw Gabriel, Nathalie, and Adrien. He stood there far too long trying to figure out which would be worse. Adrien and Luka spotted him at the same time and started walking towards him. He actually had to remind himself that he was a vigilante so that he didnât just turn and run out the door.
âDamian! I thought you werenât interested in fashion. If you wanted to come you should have said something.â Damian scowled at the accusatory note in Adrienâs tone. Before he could respond, Luka made it to them.
âDamian, we werenât sure you were going to make it. Mari will be happy youâre here.â The soft look in the other boys eyes did strange things to his insides, and suddenly putting Adrien in his place didnât seem quite as important. At least until he opened his mouth again.
âYouâre not seriously here to see them are you? After what Mariâs mother did to the class itâs obvious sheâs just vindictive and petty. And if heâs still hanging out with her I'm sure heâs no better. You shouldnât be seen with people like them.â Damian didnât even realize heâd cocked his fist back to punch the entitled brat until Luka grabbed his wrist. His glare was returned with a sympathetic look.
âHeâs not worth it Hibou. Letâs not ruin this day for Mari. Sheâs worked so hard to be here.â He continued to glare at Luka waiting for the other boy to back down but he didnât. Finally Damian huffed out an annoyed breath
âFine. I suggest you stay away from me after today Agreste. No one insults the people I tolerate and gets away with it. You get a pass today because I have better things to do but next time it wonât matter.â He turned and walked to where he had seen Chloe while Adrien sputtered behind him. Damian would have to remember to call his father and tell him he might be getting kicked out of his current placement. He didnât realize Luka had used a nickname for him until they were halfway across the room. âWhy did you call me that?â
âIt seemed appropriate.â Lukaâs thoughtful expression assured Damian that he hadnât been making fun of him. âYouâre nocturnal, protective of your home and âpeople you tolerateâ. You move silently when you need to and strike swiftly.â One of Lukaâs hands moved to brush where Damian had one of his concealed knives. âAnd you have very sharp talons.â
Damian felt himself blush. They way Luka said it, it was more than a compliment and he didnât know how to react to that. Heâd been avoiding the boy all week to try and figure things out without the distraction of his presence. He hadnât made any progress and it was driving him insane. No one had prepared him for this and he wanted to yell at both of his parents for the oversight in his education.
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With Time: Chapter 38 - Itâs Not Defamation If Itâs True
Authorâs Note:Â Who's ready for Gabriel getting his comeuppance?!?!?!
Settle down children, excitement and righteous fury is no excuse to forget your manners. Now get your snacks and get comfortable.
I hope you enjoy!
Chapter Summary:Â Gabriel underestimates the power of teenagers who care for their friend.
Edit: Whoops! I didn't check my comments in the doc! Strong language warning! "fucking"
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Marinette knows itâs spring because she wakes up easily. Itâs always easier to wake up during spring, and, given her energy, it can be harder to rest.
She suspects Tikki is already up, enjoying the sun on the balcony. At the thought, the girl scrambles to get ready so she can enjoy the weather.
Sheâs done in record time, grabbing her phone as she joins Tikki.
 Kid Mime: good morning my faithful fair funny fast fancy festive fizzy funky friends
 Melodie: âFizzyâ?
 Kid Mime: i ran out of f adjectives
 Felix: You already had seven without that one.
 The Mom Friend: i think you did great
The Mom Friend 10/10 wood read again
 Kid Mime: yay!!
 Patisserie Princess: hiiiiii!!!!!!!
 Kid Mime: wats this????
Kid Mime: mari up??
 Melodie: With time to text too!
 Patisserie Princess: yep
Patisserie Princess: its spring!!!!!
 The Mom Friend: any of ur flowers blooming yet
 Patisserie Princess: not yet
Patisserie Princess: but soon. i can feel it
 Felix: That will certainly be exciting.
 Patisserie Princess: it will be!!!!!!!
Patisserie Princess: (âáŽââż)
Patisserie Princess: k im heading out now!!!!!!!
 Kid Mime: byeeeeeeee!!!!!!
 Melodie: See you soon!
âAlright, letâs go, Tikki!â Marinette hops up from her chair, giving Tikki a moment to hide in her purse before hurrying downstairs. She shouts goodbye to her parents as she heads to school.
Itâs so sunny, and sheâs smiling wide. Today is a good day.
She arrives at school in what must be record time. She spots Allan and Claude walking into the building together and joins them.
âHi!!!â Marinette chirps.
âHey, âNette. Good to see you so early,â Allan greets her.
Claude throws their arms in the air. âMarinette! Our sunshine has arrived!!â
âAdrien is our sunshine,â she corrects.
âHmm.â Claude pretends to think this over. âThis is a conundrum.â
âYouâre a star,â Allan suggests.
âYes!! Perfect!â
âYou guys are stars too!!â Marinette smiles.
Claude strikes a DramaticPoseâą. âWell, of course Iâm a star!â
Allan and Marinette clap appropriately. A few nearby students join in. Claude bows several times.
âThank you, thank you!â
Marinette throws a flower at him. âBravo!â
Claude gasps, clutching the flower to his chest. âThe fair maiden has chosen me! I have been awarded a flower from our fair lady!â
Marinette curtsies. ââTis no trouble to me, my knight.â
âShall I escort you and your companion to your court?â
âIt would be very kind of you sir, I am expecting company from neighboring kingdoms.â
âThen we shall depart at once!â
With Allan and Marinette snickering, Claude leads the pair to the library where Felix and Allegra are calmly sitting at a table.
âHer royal highness, Our Star has arrived! Her meeting place is quieter than the courtyard, so we shall withhold the fanfare! Trumpets on standby!â
The librarian shoots him a grateful look, and Marinette can hear Allegra and Felix sigh in unison at Claudeâs antics. Allegra shuts her book and turns. Allan and Marinette are both struggling to muffle their laughter. Claude has a flower behind his ear and leads the two to the table.
âGreetings fair lady Allegra and lord Felix of kingdoms Coudriet and Voclain! I am delighted to inform you that we have been blessed with the presence of Mademoiselle Dupain-Cheng and Monsieur Poirot!â
Allegra and Felix clap quietly.
âSo what brought this on?â Felix queries.
âMarinette gave me a flower!â Claude chirps.
âYou look great, Claude. Very cute.â Allegra smiles.
âThanks! Iâm gorgeous!â Claude pretends to flip his hair.
âOh for sure,â Allan agrees. âModel material over here.â
---
The group is on their way out of school when Marinette gets a call. They slow down so she can talk and walk easier.
âHello?â
They hear shouting on the other end.
âWell, Iâm not opposed, but werenât we-â
The person on the other end interrupts her.
âHe is? Well- What do you mean heâs at school?!â
She pauses.
âSince yesterday? Excuse me, but he wasnât also working?! Ohhh, heâs a dead man,â she growls. âDoes he think-?!â
A sharp retort from the other end.
âIt was rhetorical, and you didnât let me finish.â Marinette rolls her eyes.
More talking on the other end, then the call ends.
ââJust get over here nowââ Marinette mimics, then deadpans, âThanks for the suggestion, I was planning on touring France first.â
âWhatâs going on?â Claude asks.
Marinette wrinkles her nose, frowning. âThat was Chloe, she says weâre doing it now.â
âLike, now? Werenât we going to like⊠finalize things?â Allan asks.
âOh heck yeah! Finally! That man is going down!â Allegra cheers.
âWhat happened?â Felix frowns.
Claude looks concerned. âIs Adrien okay?â
âNo. Heâs been crazy sick since yesterday, and Gabriel is making him go about as usual because heâs trying to get as much stuff out as he can to recover from all the backlash recently. Weâre stopping by Dupont to bring him to the bakery, then weâre going to call in some favors a little earlier than anticipated.â
âI wish I could punch him. I wish I could punch him multiple times,â Allegra mutters.
---
Marinette leads them up the stairs of Dupont, and though sheâs been attending a different school for the majority of the year, everyone there knows to stay out of her way with that look in her eyes.
Sheâs on the warpath.
At the library, she finds Chloe and Sabrina, with a very tired Adrien who is sleeping on his textbook.
Heâs pale, and his face is flushed. He looks shaky and weak, and Marinetteâs heart sinks at her kitty in such a state. She goes up to him, crouching beside his chair and running her fingers through his hair.
His eyes open and he squints at her through his half-open lids, his eyes glazed over.
âHi.â
âHey,â she whispers. âWant to go home?â
He nods, barely with her, and she runs her fingers through his hair a little more. His eyes slip closed again. She can hear her friends talking behind her, but that doesnât matter at the moment. Heâs purring, but itâs very quiet, and if she didnât know better, sheâd pass it off as just weird breathing from being so sick.
Keeping one hand in his hair, she stands and turns to her friends. âWeâre taking him home now, then we can start finishing this.â
They nod, and Allan speaks up, âWho can carry him?â
Marinette just picks him up, which they all accept as an answer. She frowns. âHe shouldnât be this light.â
âFucking Gabriel,â Allegra and Chloe mutter.
As she carries him outside, she sees Nino give her a relieved smile. He and Adrien may not hang out much anymore, but he still cares about the model.
When they arrive in the designerâs room, Marinette places him gently on the chaise, settling a blanket over him and sitting in front of him.
Chloe pulls down the sheet from Marinetteâs ceiling. Itâs covered in various sticky notes and lists. Thereâs phone numbers scattered about, with lines connecting them to other places. A checklist occupies the corner, with various things marked off, all are connected to some other part of the organized mess.
Itâs impressive it all fits.
âFelix, Chloe, if either of you need to step out to speak with the lawyers, then go ahead. Sabrina-â
The other girl smiles, waving her off. âIâm already looking it over.â
âGreat, thank you,â Marinette nods.
âI can call about the apartment,â Allegra volunteers.
âGood idea. Then I guess-â
Claude puts a hand on her shoulder. âMari, itâs okay. We know what to do, you can just take care of Adrien right now.â
She sighs, smiling gratefully, and nodding, turning to Adrien. She tunes out the rest of the room, eyes only for her partner. She sees worried green eyes peering out from his overshirt, and waves at the Kwami subtly. The God simply nods at her and burrows closer to his Chosen.
Putting a hand to his forehead, she confirms that he definitely has a fever. She heads to the kitchen, finding the thermometer, and grabbing a glass of water in case he wants it.
Her room is a busy center for the various plans going on, as everyone assigns themselves tasks to complete to get as much done as quickly as they can. The noise level still manages to remain low, as everyone is aware of the model resting.
âHey,â Marinette whispers, brushing Adrienâs hair out of his face. âCan I get your temperature quick?â
He manages a nod.
She frowns at the number displayed. âDefinitely a fever.â
Adrien hums.
âIâd offer you water, but you probably just want to go back to sleep, huh?â
He slow blinks at her, and she smiles softly, returning the look and squeezing his hand quickly while he continues to sleep. She turns around, sitting against the chaise again.
Marinette gets out a laptop, typing furiously as she gets to work as well, emailing the journalists that Nadja had mentioned to her.
 Hello! You seem as though youâre a reputable reporter who can help me out! I hate to see people getting away with terrible things, and given the current state of the Agreste brand, this seems like a good time to bring this to light. Attached to this email, youâll findâŠ
 Greetings! I trust youâll respect my wish to remain anonymous. I understand you specialize in exposĂ©sâŠ
 I have attached some stories to this email that did not receive the attention they should have. I believe that this could be a good time for a journalist such as yourself to bring them back to light, so that this may receive the attention it deservesâŠ
 Iâd like to remain anonymous, but I thought youâd be interestedâŠ
 The Gabriel brand has a history of covering up less than flattering stories, butâŠ
 The designer emails tens of reporters, all about a variety of things that Gabrielâs lawyers had gone to great lengths to keep from reaching the mainstream media. The stories range from everything to the treatment of their workers to claims of art theft, to suspicious movement of money, and more. She contacted people from all over, bloggers, to journalists to news anchors, and more than a few people outside of Paris and even France.
She emailed people mentioned in articles, encouraging them to speak out again. She went to relevant online forums and anonymously mentioned that now would be a good time for the brandâs darker secrets to come to like, if anyone was so inclined, and linked to several other news outlets that would likely take the stories.
She sent a variety of emails to big names in the fashion world, feigning hesitance to purchase from them, given their closeness to someone like Gabriel, who is currently so negatively viewed.
The best part is that all the things sheâd mentioned were already true. She and her friends had spent weeks looking for the stories and the interviews that had been ignored and conveniently âlostâ. They were going to find even more, but even if theyâre doing this early, internet sleuths will be entirely capable of finding it themselves, which will only lead to further waves.
Marinette was sure to ask for anonymity, or even encourage them to not mention her at all. She used different emails and forms of contact, using different styles of writing and, when contacting someone in a different language, she used different levels of fluency in the language. The people she contacted had little to no connections to each other, and she sent a few emails out on various delays.
Even if people suspected one person had been behind all of these reports coming out at once, they wouldnât be able to tie it back to her, if they even thought that a group of teenagers could be responsible in the first place. Not that this is defamation.
No, that would imply that all of this is made up - and itâs all very, very true.
Gabriel doesnât stand a chance.
---
Eventually, the others go home. Marinette had made a call to Nathalie to convince (read: threaten) her into letting Adrien have a sleepover. The woman had the nerve to argue that Adrien âis sick and needs to be under proper careâ.
As if.
His proper care is never in the hands of Nathalie and Gabriel, no, Marinette is more than willing to take care of him.
Heâd slept for most of the day. Even with everyone using her room as a headquarters for both Operation Emancipate Adrien and Operation Gabriel Takedown (itâs just more fun to have names, and it makes it feel a little less sad), heâd been dead to the world. Sheâs eaten dinner, so now she doesnât really have much else to do.
Why not email some more people?
Sheâs in the middle of tracking down an article that could be useful when a hand reaches past her and shuts her laptop.
âMari. Take a break.â
She turns to see a very tired Adrien awake once more, who is attempting to look reprimanding.
âI donât need a break! Iâm just-â
âShhhhh.â He puts a finger over her mouth. âDonât give mâ dumb dad all yâur energy. Do something fun.â
âIâm not giving him all my energy. Iâm just making sure he wonât have anything left to stand on. Heâs gotten away with how heâs treated you for too long!â She argues.
âBy wasting all your enârgy on him. You guys have done plenty, donâ worry. Jusâ... tell me how your gardenâs doinâ.â
Her face lights up at the question, and she excitedly describes to him how she has not one, not two, but three new sprouts, and how this plant is already blooming, and how that plant is doing so much better since she figured out that it wasnât getting as much sun as she thought.
She rambles on and on, and he sinks back against the lounge, watching her happily update him on the state of one of her hobbies.
He loves seeing her smile.
He doesnât realize heâs purring until she gives him a soft smile, just for him, that warms his heart. She starts scratching his head and continues to inform him about how different bugs are actually beneficial to gardens and different natural ways to keep unwanted bugs off plants without harming the plant or the good bugs.
He just lets her talk. His head still hurts, and heâs most certainly still sick, but this? This is nice.
Marinette notices that Adrienâs kitty kisses are beginning to give way to him struggling to keep his eyes open.
âSleepy, Kitty?â
He hums.
âIâll let you sleep.â
He reaches out to her slightly.
âOh, alright. I guess.â
Feigning annoyance, she moves to sit with him on the chaise, hugging him close as he gets comfortable with the new arrangement. With a giant kitten sleeping and purring next to (and partially on) her, it isnât long before she drifts off to sleep herself.
---
Authorâs Note:Â So how was that? We'll be seeing it finally come to a close in chapter 40 (It's literally titled emancipation), but that focuses more on Adrien settling in to his new life.
I finished writing the last chapters last night. I'm still in shock I think, just a bit. I'll probably write a goodbye to this fic (because I'm sappy like that), then I can get started on all the events that I didn't write that I've promised to write for you guys. I know I promised Tikki and Plagg's talk after the reveal, as well as at least two or three other things, and, of course, Alya's (and Nino's) apologies to Adrien. I can't remember which events I promised, so please do let me know. (I think I have a few comments of a me listing them, so I may stalk through the comment section).
I know you all want the results to the survey, so you can find those here! (Another reminder that if you're here early, the link won't be there yet and you'll need to refresh the page đ). I have a survey question that I really like, so after all the chapters I'll give it a one-shot all its own and, yes, it will have a survey that you guys can answer too. The next Dumb Debate will be in chapter 41, in case you were wondering. It's a fun one too.
Another thing to mention now that the story is wrapping up, I've saved scenes that I had to scrap or that went under intense rewrites so for those interested in seeing some deleted scenes, I'll post those the same day as the last chapter (which is an epilogue, and therefore shorter) to give you some extra content then.
Wow, it's weird that we're so close to the end.
Thank you all so much for reading!! Comments and kudos are my lifeblood and I cannot find enough ways to say thank you! Or if you're reading on tumblr, likes and reblogs (or asks, I never really get any) also make my day! Lovely to 'see' you guys and I hope you all have a wonderful day!
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#miraculous ladybug#with time#fanfic#gabriel salt#good friends#marinette dupain cheng#adrien agreste#quantic kids#ml felix#chloe bourgeois#sabrina raincomprix#marinette will end you if you mess with her kitty#gabriel is a terrible parent#sick#poor kitten#just wants to sleep through it
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