#its angsty agreste hours

[bigfatbreak]

This is my private life I have no friends to fear I've got no problems, no cross to bear If you can find me Come and get me out of here

[miraculouscontent]

walks-the-ages submitted:

I just read your fantastic commentary on the one "Marinette salt" post that thinks misandry is real lol, and I wanted to point out: they claim Marienette is a mary sue for having good grades, but we literally never see her GET good grades as a narrative reward for her hard work, we only ever see her finally sleeping for a few hours (if not minutes) on top of her books in her room or in class at school, because she literally has no time to do basic things like SLEEP between her hero duties, her schoolwork, helping her parents with the Bakery, and any other responsibilities she has.

We are only told she has good grades when she's being punished for cheating-- with the implication being that if Ms. Bustier thinks she cheated on THIS test, after Marinette gets expelled, what's to stop the school from going in and saying she cheated on all of the other tests, and wiping her good grades retroactively, literally ruining her entire school career?

Meanwhile, Adrien "My Dad's So Controlling" Agreste" has been shown multiple times in canon being told to go study by Gabriel or Nathalie and what does he do? Puts on some recorded music and hops out the window to have fun as Chat Noir.

It's firmly established in Mr. Pigeon 72 that Adrien spends HOURS upon HOURS every! Single! Day! Running around Paris as Chat noir completely outside of battle, mooching off of people, most notably Chloe's hotel, where he visits as Chat Noir often enough that he has "a usual" order, which ISNT Camembert, firmly cementing the fact that he goes there to goof off and have fun or throw pity parties, that he's ordering food and drink for himself while he's waltzing around at all hours, not because the hotel is used to him having to transform back there in an emergency.

Adrien is never shown to study except for the one scene where his grades are established, and even then his studying is to help Lila, and he'd clearly rather be out on the town than be at home doing school work.

Adrien's LOWEST grade is an A-. Which implies that literally all of his other grades are all perfect A's, or even more than 100% if he's doing extra credit questions on tests.

But we never see him study, we never see him lose sleep over homework, we never see him stress over class, and we never see him do anything to earn those grades-- we only ever see him *constantly* skipping out on practice and study sessions by leaving the house as canonically established for HOURS at a time EVERY SINGLE DAY to go around town having fun as Chat Noir...

And he still tries to make excuses when he's late for battles, or when he misses battles completely, despite not ONCE ever being stuck in an actual obligation he physically can't get away from, depsite his "overbearing, over controlling father" that the show insists means Adrien has no free time.... And then they go and show us that Adrien literally has more free time than Marinette does.

Yes, Gabriel is an emotionally abusive piece of crap, (and no, Adrien stans who might be reading this, you can't say Gabriel is physically abusive, he's literally not and you're only saying that because you don't think emotional abuse is "bad" enough on its own, so you desperately try to say Adriens so sad and angty because his father hits him or starves him, newsflash, emotional abuse is real and damaging, and by insisting it's not "bad" enough abuse for your angsty headcanons/excuses for Adrien's behavior just tells real victims of emotional abuse that you don't think they had it "that bad"), but Adrien has been shown over and over and over again that he's got all the free time in the world, that he's never stuck at home, that he spends hours each day at Chloe's hotel, that he's going around and goofing off all over Paris, ALL while completely blowing off his friends when they make plans with him, despite him proving over and over again that he's more than capable of sneaking out of the house, and if he actually cared about his friends, he could sneak out of the house as Chat Noir and hang out at his friend's houses without worrying about fans stalking him and revealing he's away from home to Gabriel via media reports.

If Adrien actually cared about his "friends" he would have went out to have ice cream with Alya, Nino, and Marinette in Glaciator instead of blowing them off to arrange a date for someone who told him no-- and then have the GALL to insult Marienette and her """friends""" because she hung out with them like to promised to, EVEN THOUGH HES THE ONE THAT BLEW OFF THEIR PLANS! Adrien was meant to be there with them, hanging out and getting ice cream! But did he? Nope! He didn't even ask Gabriel if he could go, we didn't hear any request for permission or the answer on screen, Adrien just told his friends he couldn't make it......... And then snuck out of the house to spend who knows how many hours (and how much $$$? Or did he steal/mooch those flowers and candles? Wouldn't put it past him) putting together a romantic dinner he's already been told "no" to.

But yeah, if people want to use "perfect grades" as an example of characters being Mary Sues or Gary Stues... Adrien's literally right there as the perfect example, literally never working for his grades, only having them handed to him to show how "smart" he is.

omg YES, THANK YOU

I wanted to go more in-depth on it but the post was long enough as it was. You hit every remaining nail right on the head.

Literally the biggest moment I could think of referencing Marinette’s grades is “Ladybug” where it’s used to expel her as if they blamed her for studying too hard and Lila used that to her advantage.

Whenever Adrien is moping around or being prevented from going anywhere (like him not keeping up with piano), it’s always wow he’s so sad and this is so unfair, but when Marinette is overworked and overburdened because she has so much to keep up with, she’s blamed and is making whatever mistake that episode.

We at least see Marinette studying (sometimes even having Tikki help/quiz her), we at least see Marinette working on her fashion (even in Adrien-heavy episodes like “The Puppeteer 2″), we at least see her trying to do all of these things even if she’s supposedly “““too good at them.”““

In fact, I’d take it a step further and say that her being good at things ends up being bad for her. Her being good at gaming ended up not only being for her “mistake” in “Gamer,” but it’s revealed in two separate episodes (”Gamer 2.0″ and “Rocketear”) that Marinette is so overtasked that she can’t even enjoy gaming with her own father.

(Also, another “fun” bit for the “wouldn’t put it past Adrien to steal those flowers/candles” thing is that Adrien does in fact steal a rose in “Frozer” after they save the paragliding guy so he can give it to Ladybug.)

[f0xfordcomma]

Hello!! Happy FFWF!! Is there anything in particular that you find hard to write? Are there any WIPs that you've just absolutely given up on cause you think it'll go nowhere?? (would you share a bit of it? :D)

Croisty! Happy ffw tuesday (which tbh is earlier than I thought I'd be able to do these, so be proud of me lol)

I wish I had more to go off of in my writing portfolio to answer this question, but I think the thing I have the hardest time writing/ have avoided writing in my wips is just unfettered angst or like horror/ violence. Like character death? Gore? Fight scenes? (ooooh baby I SUCK at fight scenes) all of /that/ is just not really my forte as a writer. Don't get me wrong, I am not opposed to hurting my characters, but hurt/comfort is more where its at for me. You've read my stuff, so you know how emotionally driven a lot of my writing is. I think I would have a hard time writing more graphic/ heartbreaking/ violent *stuff* in my style. Idk, it would probably be a good thing for me to practice.... but.... I don't wanna (hands on hips) sooooo I'm not planning to really do anything quite like that anytime soon.

As far as abandoned wips go, I've got plentyyyy (or just verrrrrrry dusty wips that are not quite abandoned but are sitting very patiently on the shelf waiting for me to have the time to get back to them) Violent/ angsty/ deathy/ fighty abandoned wips though? Not so much.

But for you, mon petit croissant, have a bit of a miraculous ladybug reveal fic that I wrote one night after having a little ~ouid~ and convincing my husband to put on a sheet face mask with me that I now have no intention of finishing (oops, rip me).

okaaaaayyy so this is actually pretty dang long lol but I'm going to share the whole thing with you because I just re-read it for the first time in months and its pretty funny ~if you ask me~ so anyway... under the cut <3

NIGHT OFF

Okay, so maybe it wasn’t a totally crazy idea to take a night off.

Besides, Shadowmoth’s akumatizations had slowed down considerably in the past few months, and he rarely ever sent out two akumas in one day. The battle that she and Chat had fought that morning was brutal, but they’d come out victorious against HoneyBadger. Still, the fight had left her exhausted and wound up. Shadowmoth was planning something, she was sure of it. She just couldn’t, for the life of her, figure out what it was.

Ladybug was stressed.

Add to that, the fact that end-of-term exams were starting up next week and she’d not had nearly enough time during dead week to actually cram. Something about black butterflies and cranky kwamis and a cheeky cat (who, in recent weeks, had been considerably less cheeky.) Not to mention, she had been receiving an awful lot of memes, seemingly without preamble, from Paris’ favorite male model. Nino thought it was hilarious. Alya thought it was suspicious. Marinette thought it was confusing.

Marinette was stressed.

All of it was stressful.

*

Alya knew when her best friend was stressed. She could usually gauge the amount of Marinette’s exasperation by the frequency with which her bangs went flying from her face, propelled by a huff and a heavy sigh. Right now, Marinette’s bangs were a mess.

“Okay, girl. You need a night off.”

“What? No, I’m fine! Really! Plus, I can’t really afford to take a night off right now, Alya… I don’t know what Shadowmoth ha—”

“Yeah, no. I’m stopping you right there. For the next twenty-four hours, this space is a Ladybug-talk free zone,” she gestured vaguely around her bedroom, which was scattered with printouts and pictures that Marinette had brought over to work on nailing down Hawkmoth’s possible location using Alya’s beloved akuma-map. “I know, I know. It pains me more than it pains you, truly. But I’m doing this for you. Tonight: you, me, drinks, distractions. You are taking a night off.”

“But Alya! What if—”

“Hush, you know that’s incredibly unlikely. And, in the event of this IF you are so set on, you know that cat boy and I will have your back. Even drunk ladybugs can purify akumas when they have the clawed crusaders on their side.”

“I can’t believe you gave in to his silly nickname.”

“It is a badass nickname and you are just jealous that we bonded.”

“I’m not jealous. I’m annoyed.”

“Mhmm… keep telling yourself that, girl. Now, back to the matter at hand: what kind of drunk do you want to get tonight? Classy or trashy? I still have that peach stuff from last month, but if we are thinking classy I might need to call in the reserves to get us some decent wine.”

“You won’t need to call in anybody, Al, because I am definitely not getting drunk tonight.”

“Night off, Marinette. Drunkenness is a prerequisite.”

“Can’t we just watch movies or something? I really don’t know if that’s too good of an idea…”

“Girl, we watch movies every night. This is a night off. Don’t think I don’t see you stressing all throughout movie night every week, anyway. You need to take your mind off Ladybug,” she gestured at the mess that had consumed her bedroom. “And get your mind back on Marinette. Superhero or no, you’re still a teenage girl who is supposed to be enjoying the last few months of college.”

Marinette pouted.

“Stop pouting. You know you deserve to have normal girl fun.”

“But Alya I—”

“No buts.” An unnervingly devious look crossed Alya’s face. “Unless it is your butt in that pair of skinny jeans that you and I both know you-know-who loves. Boys will be here in twenty. Get to it, girl.”

Marinette just gaped at her. She didn’t even notice that Alya had grabbed her phone, but alas, there was the tell-tale ping.

Alya Cesaire → Akuma class OGs chat

Alya: anyone down for a little last minute get together—my door is open and my bar is stocked

Nino: HELL YEAH babe!

NL: got a new mix i’ve been meaning to show you… so entertainments on me fam!

Alix: This thing got an itinerary or just drunkenness for drunkenness sake?

Alya: the latter, natch.

Alix: Sick! Count me in.

Kim: same!

Rose: Do you need us to bring anything?

Alya: anything you feel like sharing

Alya: otherwise, just yourselves!

Alya: Agreste~you better bring us some of that expensive shit that i know your pops keeps somewhere in that castle of yours

Alya: no fancy wine, no admittance

Alya: the rest of you peasants just bring wtvr

Adrien: uhhhhhhhhhh

Adrien: ALYA

Adrien: dang it! You know I feel obligated to steal wine from my dad’s cellar now

Adrien: do you know how scary my dad is!!!??

Nino: DUDEEEE

Nino: DO IT you wont!

Adrien: shuddup Nino

Marinette: Adrien you totally don’t have to! Alya is just being **extra** Alya today

Alya: i plan a night off for this girl

Alya: and this is the thanks i get??????

Alya: can ya’ll believe this?

Alya: ridiculous

Zoe: UTTERLY RIDICULOUS

Adrien: utterly ridic

Adrien: dangit

Zoe: lol first! sorry adrien

Marinette: ugh ty I guess Als xxxxx

Alya: awe she DOES care, youre welcome babe!

Alya: so sunshine… about that wine?

Adrien: yeah yeah yeah

Adrien: use my people pleasing against me why dontcha

Alya: gladly <3

“Alya, stop bullying Adrien.”

“No way, girl. Giving that boy a task is the only way to ensure he shows up. Speaking of which… butt, jeans, go, now!”

The doorbell rang. Nino had perfected the quickest route to Alya’s house from every part of Paris years ago. Yes, he was whipped; and yes, he was proud of it.

“ALYA! I have to clean all of this up and I have to go home to get those jeans that you’re so dead set on and…”

“No you don’t. Kaalki?”

“Right here, Ms. Rouge.”

“YOU USED VOYAGE TO BRING ME JEANS?”

“No way girl! Don’t be silly. Kaalki and Roaar just volunteered to be my errand kwamis.”

“You guys do realize that I am the guardian, right?”

“Of course, that’s why we worked so hard to get everything that you need for tonight.”

“I—you… wait is this my good bra? How did you—”

“Us kwamis pay attention, Marinette.” Tikki cuddled up to her cheek.

“Et tu, Tikki?”

The ladybug kwami just giggled and made her way to the pile of papers scattered across Alya’s bed, starting to organize them back into neat stacks.

“Night. Off.” Alya punctuated each word with a shove and a smack on the bum, directing Marinette toward the bathroom and shutting her in to get ready while she got the door for Nino.

[gryffindorcls]

When The Dust Settles

Happy Birthday to my amazing friend, @lalunaoscura​!  I love you, and I am so happy that you are a part of my fandom family!  I hope you had an amazing day, and I hope you enjoy this angsty fluff with a little bit of hurt/comfort thrown in!

---

AO3

FanFiction

---

Marinette’s eyes flicked open. She groggily reached for her ringing phone and tapped the screen.

“Hello,” she answered, her voice a scratchy whisper.

“GIRL,” Alya yelled on the other line, “I have been trying to call you for the past twenty minutes!”

Pulling the phone away from her face, Marinette checked the time. “That’s because it’s one in the morning. I was asleep, and I didn’t hear the phone.”

Loud, incessant knocking sounded from the apartment below, causing Marinette to shake off her covers, climb down the ladder, and open the hatch on her floor. She rubbed the sleep from her eyes as the lights in her living room flicked on and her parents rushed to the door.

“MARINETTE!” her friend screamed on the other line, “Are you still there? Please don’t go back to sleep. This is really important.”

She once again put the phone against her ear. “Sorry! Someone was knocking on my door.”

“Yeah, that’s probably Mr. Agreste.”

“What?”

“Mr. Agreste has been knocking on all of our doors over the past hour. Apparently, he went to the hotel first. Then, he went to Nino’s house, and then he came to mine. I guess he finally made it to your place.”

“Why would Mr. Agreste send Nathalie out to knock on all our doors in the middle of the night?”

“He didn’t send Nathalie. Well, she’s with him, but he was there, too. In person.”

“That doesn’t make any sense.”

“Marinette, I know you just woke up, but I need you to not freak out. Adrien is missing, and Mr. Agreste seems really distressed about it. He’s been to all our houses asking if any of us have seen Adrien. I don’t think this is like the time he ran away on Christmas two years ago. This feels different.”

“But Adrien wouldn’t just disappear without…”

“Without telling you where he was going. I know.”

“Something must really be wrong. He might be hurt or in trouble. Alya, this isn’t like him!”

A sense of dread flooded Marinette’s brain as she strained to hear the conversation happening below. The sound of muffled voices beneath her floorboards and the thought of Adrien alone in the cold brought tears to her eyes.

Frantic thoughts raced around her brain. “Why didn’t he come to me? He’s my kitty. We’re partners. We’re supposed to trust each other!”

One year ago, Marinette accidentally learned that Adrien was Chat Noir. It happened when he came to patrol while having an emotional breakdown. She remembers holding him close while he told her about the amazing girl who sat behind him in class. Earlier that day, he’d realized that he’d fallen in love with her, and when he went to tell her, he saw the girl at a cafe with another boy. He’d thought that he was too late.

When he uttered the name “Marinette” under his breath between sobs, she knew immediately who was beneath the mask. At the time, the memory of seeing her partner as Chat Blanc had been fresh in her mind, and she knew that an Akumatized Chat Noir would bring the world to its untimely demise. Without hesitation, she called him by his civilian name, allowed her transformation to melt away, and did her best to calm the boy who wept in her arms.

Even to this day, she can still recall the anguished cries and rushed apologies that came from his mouth before she’d been able to tell him that she wasn’t dating Luka. After trying to move on from her crush on Adrien, she’d thought about trying to date Luka, but she quickly discovered that the love she felt for the musician was not romantic.

That night, Chat’s sorrow quickly turned to joy when he’d learned that she and Luka had been meeting as two friends in the cafe earlier that day. He then detransformed and professed his love for her. Marinette’s heart yearned to say yes and give into his declaration, but Chat Blanc’s words rang in her ears like church bells on a clear summer day.

“It was our love that did this to the world, my lady.”

With great difficulty, she explained to Adrien what she had seen when Bunnyx whisked her away to the bleak nightmarish future in which he’d been Akumatized. When she was finished, Marinette told him that she loved him, but she also told him that they had to wait until Hawkmoth’s defeat before they could finally be together as a couple. To her surprise, Adrien agreed, and to her delight, he vowed to never leave her side.

Over the past year, Adrien had been true to his word. Whether it was at school, at her house, in the park, or on patrol, they spent every possible moment together. Outside the masks, they had become inseparable, and inside the masks, they had become unstoppable. Although they could not fully act upon their feelings for each other, Marinette could sense Adrien’s unconditional love through every word he said and each action he performed. For a year, their closeness had been enough because it came with the hope of a brighter tomorrow.

Alya’s worried tone broke Marinette out of her reverie. “What’s happening on your end?”

She ran her fingers through her hair as she strained to hear the conversation between her parents and Mr. Agreste. “I’m not sure, but they’re still talking. They haven’t said anything to me yet.”

“So, you really don’t know where he is?”

“No, I don’t.”

“Nino and I are going out to search for him. Let us know if you want to meet up.”

“Okay.” Marinette choked back a sob. “Thanks for letting me know.”

“Oh, girl, please don’t cry,” Alya soothed, “We’ll find him. He’s alright. We’ll get him back to you in no time.”

“Yeah.”

“We will.”

“Thanks. I need to go now.”

“Marinette?”

“Yes?”

“You need to take care of yourself, as well. You know that right? Adrien wouldn’t want you to get hurt or sick.”

Tears began to flow freely down her cheeks. “I love him, Alya.”

Her friend sighed. “I know. We’ll get him back so you can tell him that in person. Okay?”

“Okay.”

“I’ll call you if we find anything.”

“Thanks.”

“Bye, Marinette. Please take care.”

“I will. Bye, Alya.”

Marinette pressed the ‘end call’ button on her phone and climbed down the ladder into the room below. She stood on the landing and sniffled, causing the adults to turn their attention towards her. Sabine rushed to her side and pulled her into a tight embrace.

“Is it true?” she croaked, “Is he missing?”

“Yes, Miss Dupain-Cheng,” Mr. Agreste replied, “My son seems to have run away. I’m trying to get to the bottom of it.”

Her blood began to boil at the thought of all the times Gabriel hadn’t paid attention to his son. When she and Adrien became closer after the reveal, her partner divulged all the details of his personal life. He told her everything.

Throughout the past year, Marinette had spent many nights feeling horrified by Adrien’s stories. She always knew that Mr. Agreste was not exactly the warmest person, but she never thought that he could be so neglectful and manipulative. She was ashamed that she had ever considered the man her “idol”, for she now knew that Gabriel was nothing more than a sorry excuse for a father and an all-around terrible human being.

Right now, something in her gut told her that his son’s disappearance was all Mr. Agreste’s fault. It had been the first time Adrien ran away, so why would this situation be any different?

She met Gabriel’s gaze. “It must be serious if you’re out looking for him.”

“Marinette,” her mother scolded, pulling away from the hug.

“I’m just surprised. I didn’t mean to be rude.” Sabine shot her a stern look, and Marinette released an audible sigh. “I’m sorry, sir.”

“Miss Dupain-Cheng,” Gabriel said, pressing his glasses against the bridge of his nose, “I can assure you that the safety of my son is my priority.”

Marinette looked down. “Of course, sir.”

“You don’t believe me.”

“No, sir, I do. I know you love him.”

“And I know you love him, as well. Probably, just as much as he loves you.”

Flurried thoughts flew through her brain as nervousness settled in her gut. “He can’t know that we’re in love. No one knows. We never said anything. Alya is the first person I told.”

She swallowed against a dry throat. “He’s a wonderful friend.”

“I was once a teenager who found love. I know how much you two care for each other, and I know that he talks to you. His safety is paramount, so, please, if you hear anything, come to my office. I’ll be expecting you.” Mr. Agreste turned on his heel, walked towards the door, and paused before crossing the threshold. “I trust you’ll make the right choice, Miss Dupain-Cheng. Goodnight.”

With Nathalie trailing behind him, Gabriel walked out the door and disappeared into the hallway. As Marinette watched his departure, more tears threatened to fall.

“Oh, Marinette,” Sabine said with outstretched arms, “Come here.”

She happily re-entered her mother’s embrace. “What if something happened to him?”

“He’s going to be okay.”

“I’m still worried.”

“And you have every right to feel that way.”

She pulled away from her mother. “I think I need some alone time.”

Sabine smiled and brushed a stray hair away from Marinette’s face. “Okay, sweetie. We’ll be right here if you need us.”

Marinette nodded, ascended the stairs, and closed the hatch behind her. She pressed her hands against her eyes, sunk to the floor, and cried.

“Adrien will turn up,” Tikki said, landing on her shoulder, “He’s tough, and he has Plagg. He may not show it all the time, but Plagg really cares about his holder. He would never let anything happen to him.”

“I can’t explain it.” Marinette wiped her eyes with the back of her hand. “I just know something is wrong. I have this feeling. My chaton would never leave without telling me where he was going. He’d never just leave me.”

“I know, but you need to calm your thoughts. We can’t risk having you get Akumatized.”

“I can’t wait until Hawkmoth is gone. Living in a world where being human turns you into a monster is a nightmare. That pile of trash wins every time someone is told that they can’t get angry or sad.”

“One day this will all be over.”

“That day can’t come soon enough. I would like to feel upset without the risk of being Akumatized. Wait!”

“Yes?”

“I don’t want to say it.”

“But it might be true.”

“I know, but if Adrien gets Akumatized as Chat Noir, then it’s all over. You, me, Paris...everything. And if it was just Adrien who had been Akumatized, then Plagg would have come here to tell us, and we haven’t seen him all night.”

“And you know that Adrien probably transformed before he left home.”

“I just hope we’re not too late.” Marinette looked up at her Kwami. “Tikki, we have to go find him.”

The tiny red being nodded. “Just say the words.”

“TIKKI, SPOTS ON!”

Once transformed, Ladybug climbed up the ladder, hopped onto her bed, and leaped through the windowed hatch that led her balcony. She unsheathed her yo-yo and opened her communicator.

After tapping a few buttons, she waited for the call to connect. “Come on, kitty. Please pick-up.”

“I’m right here, my lady,” a small, familiar voice said next to her.

She whipped her head around and searched until her eyes landed on her partner hiding amongst the shadows. “Chat Noir?”

“Yes.”

“Are you okay?”

“No.”

Ladybug rushed to his side and pulled him close. “What are you doing out here?”

“I’m trying to not get Akumatized,” he mumbled into her neck.

“What?”

“You told me how bad it was when you had to fight Chat Blanc. I came here to keep myself calm. I don’t want you to have to fight me.”

“Everyone has been worried sick!”

“I can’t go home.” Chat’s entire body drooped in her arms.

She pressed her cheek against his. “It’s freezing out here. I know the suits protect us, but you can’t be comfortable. Why are you sitting alone in the cold?”

“Because just knowing that you’re close by brings me peace. You’re my rock, my world, my everything.” His chest heaved. “Even though my life is falling apart, you’re this constant force that keeps me from breaking. If I focus on you, then everything will be okay in the end.”

“But why didn’t you come inside? You’re always welcome in my room.”

“I know, but I wanted you to have one last peaceful sleep before everything changed. You deserve that.”

“What are you talking about? Also, you know that my best nights are the ones where I fall asleep next to you.”

“I’m sorry, my lady. I’m just struggling a little bit right now.”

“Don’t struggle alone. Come inside, and let me hold you. Then, when you’re ready to talk, I will be here to listen.”

Ladybug pulled Chat to his feet, and he followed her without protest. Once inside, he collapsed onto her bed, and she tugged a blanket over both of them.

She detransformed, pulled him close, wrapped her arms around him, and allowed Chat to rest his head against her chest. “You should give Plagg a break.”

“Plagg, claws in,” he mumbled, letting the blinding green light of his detransformation fill the room.

His Kwami zipped into view. “It’s bad, pigtails. It’s really bad this time. This is probably one of the worst things that could have happened.”

Marinette looked at the trembling boy in her arms. “Is he going to be okay?”

“One day, yes. Tonight, no. He’s not going to be okay for a while.”

“Is he hurt?”

“Physically he’s fine, but emotionally...he’s going to need you.”

“Adrien, you know I’ll always be here for you. No matter what happens, I will never leave your side. You made me that promise once, and you stayed true to your word. Now, it’s my turn to return the favor.”

He nodded. “I did that because I love you.”

Her heart skipped a beat. “I love you, too, Adrien. I always have.”

“And he was the reason we couldn’t be together.”

“Who? Hawkmoth?”

“Yeah. Stupid Hawkmoth. Guess that’s all going to change now...well, if you’ll still let me date you, that is. You might hate me when this is all over.”

“Adrien, I could never hate you. I lo...wait. Are you upset with Hawkmoth?”

“Oh, we’re upset with Hawkmoth, alright,” Plagg growled, “Just say the word, kid, and I’ll take care of it.”

“Plagg, no,” Adrien whimpered, “We need to do it the right way...whatever that is.”

Marinette’s heart started to race. “Hold on. Does that mean you know who Hawkmoth is?”

“Please,” he pleaded, “I just need a few more minutes where things are the same between us. Please.”

“I…”

“Please. I need this. About two hours ago, my life was ruined. Please, Marinette. Can we just be us for a little while?” His voice began to crack while he spoke, “I promise I’ll tell you everything. I just need a few minutes.”

Marinette’s heart broke at the sound of his voice. “Oh, chaton, come here.”

“Thank you, my lady. I-I promise I’ll…”

“I know...shhh. Take your time. I’ll be here when you’re ready.”

As she held him, Marinette ran her fingers through Adrien’s soft golden locks. Her shirt quickly became damp from her partner’s quiet tears. When he shivered, she squeezed him even tighter.

“I’m sorry,” he whispered.

She rested her chin on the top of his head. “Why are you sorry? You didn’t do anything wrong.”

“I made you worry. I can tell you’ve been crying. I should have called you, but I thought I was making the right choice. Then again, I don’t know what’s right or wrong anymore.”

“I don’t want to push you before you’re ready, but I really need to know. Who is Hawkmoth?”

“He’s a monster.”

“I know, but who is he?”

“Why don’t you ask the man who I call ‘father’?”

Marinette’s blood froze upon hearing his implication. “I...what? No, you couldn’t possibly mean...he...that’s...I...”

Adrien sat up and held his legs against his chest. “Do you remember when Lila stole the Grimoire, and you were trying to figure out why my family had it? What if I told you that you should have listened to your instincts?”

“Your dad is Hawkmoth? How? Why? Are you sure?”

“Yes.”

“He was just here looking for you. Hawkmoth was inside my house?”

He scoffed. “My father was probably just making sure that I didn’t tell anyone his secret.”

Marinette did her best to control her breathing. “But how did you find out? Was it an accident?”

“No, he brought me into his office. He said that it was time for me to join him and that he wanted to tell me everything.”

“But why is terrorizing Paris?”

“He’s told me that he wants our family to be complete again. I think he wants to use our Miraculouses to find my mom.”

“And it’s really him?”

“Yup. I saw the Butterfly Miraculous, and I met Nooroo. He even showed me how to get into his lair.”

“You saw his lair?”

“No, I left before he had the chance to finish explaining. I ran back to my room, transformed, and came here.”

“Oh my God…”

“Marinette, I feel so lost.” He began to cry again. “How am I supposed to live in that house knowing that monster is sleeping right down the hall?”

She paused for a moment before taking his hand and looking him in the eyes. “You don’t.”

“What do you mean ‘I don’t’? I’m his son. As much as I would like to, I can’t just stay here forever.”

“Adrien, you seem to be forgetting that we are Ladybug and Chat Noir. If there is anyone in this city who can take care of this problem, it’s us.”

He pulled his hands away and hugged himself. “You mean you want us to fight him? I don’t know if I can do that.”

She nodded. “If it comes to fighting, then, unfortunately, yes. He has to be stopped.”

“I don’t want to fight my dad.”

“I know, but we can try and talk to him first. Maybe if he knows the truth, he’ll be willing to work with us. Now that we know what he wants, we could help him come up with a better solution to find your mom. You’re his son, and he loves you.”

“I know he loves me, but I don’t think my dad is exactly stable right now. When he sat me down, he kept talking about changing the past and erasing mistakes. I think he wants to mess with time. He thinks that he can do anything right now because when he changes the timeline, everything will be different. Paris will have never had a Hawkmoth, and none of us will remember any of this.”

“He wants to change history?” Visions of Bunnyx begging for help and Chat dressed in white invaded her thoughts. “Time is a very delicate thing.”

Adrien looked down. “From what you’ve told me, I know. I’ve had a few hours to think about this. You said that when I was Akumatized in the other timeline, I told you that everything went wrong when Hawkmoth found out. I’m starting to think that he figured out who I was and Akumatized me anyway. That means that he doesn't care what he does.”

“We still have to try.”

“How do we know it’ll be different this time? I can’t get Akumatized.”

Marinette paused and allowed her mind to run through a dozen different scenarios. Her eyes scanned the room as she desperately searched for a solution. Her gaze eventually landed on the Miracle Box.

She reached out, lifted his chin with her index finger, and smiled. “It’ll be different because this time we’ll have help.”

“What do you mean?” he asked.

“When I fought Chat Blanc, I didn’t see any of the other holders when I found the underwater statues. That means that we probably fought him alone.”

“What does that mean for us now?”

“We need to distribute the Miraculouses to the other holders tonight. We will tell our allies to gather on top of the Arc de Triomphe before dawn and wait for our signal. Tomorrow morning, we will infiltrate Hawkmoth’s lair and have Pegese transport the other holders to our location. Once that’s done, we will confront your father.”

“But how will we get into his lair without getting caught on the security cameras first? My dad has his office bugged, and I’m sure we want the element of surprise on our side.”

“Didn’t Max give you a program that could pause the image on the security cameras? He gave you that flash drive after you had that disastrous impromptu party two years ago?”

Adrien smacked his forehead. “You’re right! He did. But how are we going to make sure that my dad goes down into his lair? People don’t get Akumatized every day. It’s only when he feels a really powerful emotion. He ignores the smaller ones.”

Marinette closed her eyes and took a deep breath. “I can guarantee that there are going to be at least a half a dozen people who are going to be mad enough to get Akumatized, and they’ll all be waiting on top of the Arc de Triomphe tomorrow morning.”

“What?”

“All of those people are our friends. You don’t know all of their identities yet, but they all know Adrien Agreste. Trust me, when they find out that your dad is Hawkmoth, they will be livid.”

“Are they really going to be mad enough for my dad to want to send out a butterfly?”

“Yes.”

“We have to do this, don’t we?”

“Yes.”

“I’m scared,” he whispered.

“I know,” she replied, “So am I, but we won’t be alone. We can do this.”

“I trust you, my lady.”

Marinette climbed down the ladder, crossed her room, and grabbed the Miracle Box. When she returned to her bed, she handed Adrien several boxes, asked him to transform, wrote down her plan in his communicator, and sent him off to deliver his half of the Miraculouses.

Once Tikki was fed, Marinette transformed, grabbed the rest of the Miraculouses, hopped onto her balcony, and swung off into the night. One by one, she delivered each box to its respective holder and carefully explained her plan. She told each person that she would be sending Pegese a set of coordinates. He was to then look up the location, wait five minutes, and then transport the heroes into Hawkmoth’s lair.

After two hours, she finally returned to her balcony. Unfortunately, the task took longer than she’d expected because Nino and Alya had still been running around the city looking for Adrien. When she detransformed, the bright pink light illuminated the tiny space, revealing a hunched figure sitting in the shadows.

“I knew you’d be back before me. Sorry, I should have called. Wait...why are you waiting outside?” Marinette pulled her partner to his feet.

“You weren’t home,” he mumbled.

“You’re not even transformed! It’s cold out here, Adrien!”

“I don’t feel it.”

“You and I both know that isn’t true.”

He sighed and walked away from her. “I detransformed so I could feed Plagg. I haven’t fed him all day, and he’s been surprisingly quiet about it. I was just waiting for you to come back so I could say goodnight.”

Marinette crossed her arms. “Excuse me?”

“What?”

“You are not going home.”

“We have to sleep. I can barely walk straight anymore.”

“You’re sleeping here.”

His body straightened. “You...you still want to be near me? My father is a monster.”

“But you’re not.” She moved towards him and took his hand. “You’re my chaton, and I...I love you.”

He squeezed her hand. “I love you, too, my lady. More than anything.”

“Then follow me.”

“Always.”

She dragged him through the hatch and onto her bed. Marinette once again wrapped the two of them underneath her blanket and held him close.

“Marinette?” His voice sounded small.

She rubbed small circles on his back. “Yes?”

“Thank you.”

“I will never leave you, Adrien.”

They didn’t speak again for the rest of the night. The only sound that Marinette could hear was the steady thumping of Adrien’s heart as she snuggled further into his chest. She eventually fell into a light, restless sleep.

She awoke to the sound of her alarm piercing through the silence. The world was still dark, but the anticipation of what was to come made her feel unnaturally awake.

Adrien sat up and groaned. Seeing the puffiness around his eyes made Marinette reach out, place her hands on his cheeks, and place a gentle kiss on his forehead.

“We need to go,” she said, pushing the hair away from his eyes.

He took a shaky breath. “Lead the way.”

The duo transformed and climbed onto the balcony. In the distance, a brilliant sunrise was starting to take over the sky.

Ladybug and Chat Noir bounded across the rooftops until they reached the Agreste mansion. Once there, they slipped through Adrien’s bedroom window and got to work. While Chat began activating Max’s program, Ladybug sent a message to Rena Rouge. When she received confirmation that all the holders were assembled on top of the Arc de Triomphe, she turned to Chat.

“Are you almost finished?” she asked.

“Yeah. Luckily, he made this pretty user-friendly. I just need another minute.” He clicked a few more things on his screen and got up from his desk chair. “Okay, we’re all set.”

“You’re sure you remember how to get into your dad’s lair?”

“That entire conversation has been burned into my mind. He showed me what to press on the painting and everything. I can get us in.”

Chat Noir walked towards his bedroom door and beckoned for Ladybug to follow. Silently, they walked down the stairs and into his father’s empty office. They padded across the room and stood before the towering portrait of Mrs. Agreste.

Ladybug watched in awe as Chat pressed in three tiles until an audible clink and hiss could be heard from the ground beneath them. She grabbed his hand as they slowly descended into the depths of the house.

A long clear tube lowered them into a cavernous room filled with trees and vaulted paths. When the elevator door opened, they tentatively stepped onto the metal bridge.

She scanned her surroundings “I can’t believe this was beneath your house the entire time.”

“Neither can I,” he scoffed.

“This must stretch across the street. How much property does your father own?”

“Too much apparently.”

Ladybug unsheathed her yo-yo, opened her communicator, and sent the lair’s coordinates to Pegase. “Alright, our fellow holders are about to learn Hawkmoth’s identity, so it’s only a matter of time before your dad makes his way down here.”

He nodded. “Okay.”

“We shouldn’t be out in the open when he comes down. Do you see any place for us to hide so we can catch him off guard?”

Chat looked around and pointed to something protruding from the ground in the distance. “Will that work?”

“Good eye, kitty. Let’s go.”

They carefully made their way across the expanse until they were confronted by the large metal canister that lay illuminated in the middle of a root system.

Chat circled the ornate cylinder. “My dad is so weird. What is this thing, and what does it have to do with him being Hawkmoth?”

“I have no idea.” Ladybug ran her hand over the gold filigree.

“Honestly, none of this makes sense. How is any of this supposed to help him find my mom? I have so many questions.”

“And you will have the chance to ask them when this is all over.”

“I hope so because…”

Chat was cut off by the sound of metal sliding and locking into place. His eyes widened when they landed on the cannister’s contents.

He slowly sunk to the ground, clutching his chest as an anguished howl passed over his lips.

“It’s her,” he wailed, “This is what he wanted to show me. She isn’t lost. She was here the whole time, and she’s gone!”

Ladybug got onto her knees, snaked her arms around her partner, and held him as sobs violently racked his body. “I’m so sorry.”

“I’m losing everyone today. I’m losing my father. My mother is already gone.”

“You never know. It looks like she may just be asleep. We could go to the Temple of the Guardians, and we could…”

“NO! It doesn’t matter because when today is over, I will have no one. I will be alone.” He dropped his voice to a pained whisper before continuing. “When this is over, I won’t have a family anymore.”

Ladybug’s head snapped towards him. “What did you just say?”

“My mother is asleep in a metal coffin. My father has been terrorizing Paris for the past two years. When this is over, I’m going to have no one left.”

Hurt flooded her chest as she pulled away from their embrace. “How dare you say that?”

“It’s true!”

“No, it’s not!”

“I WILL BE ALONE!”

“YOU WILL HAVE ME!”

They fell into a tense silence as her final words reverberated throughout the room. Her chest heaved as the lingering echoes of their altercation died in the cavernous space. Hot tears ran down her cheeks while she searched for the next thing to say.

“You will have me,” she said quietly, once again pulling him into her arms, “Does my love mean nothing to you?”

He wept into her shoulder. “But everyone always leaves...no matter how much they love me.”

“I won’t. I will do everything in my power to stay right next to you. I meant it when I said I would never leave you.”

“That’s only if I can keep you safe.”

“We will keep each other safe. We are a team, chaton.”

“But what if we’re separated?”

“Then we will find a way back to each other, just like we always do. We will always be together.”

“We’re not together. He kept us apart.”

She shook her head. “No, we’ve always been together. You’ve always been my other half. We just had to wait a little while to show our love to the rest of the world.”

He rested his forehead against hers. “But we didn’t even express our feelings when we were alone. There was never an opportunity to show you how much I love you.”

“You showed me your love by staying by my side.”

“Fear was always standing in our way. It kept us apart.”

“No, it kept us hidden. It kept us safe.”

“I don’t want to hide anymore, my lady.”

“We don’t have to, mon minou.”

He choked back a sob. “We don’t.”

She pulled away and placed a hand on his cheek. “When the dust settles--when this fight is over--we will be together. We will be free to love each other. Are things going to get harder before they get easier? Yes, but I will be with you every step of the way. Adrien, we are going to have the most amazing life together. We’re going to go on dates. We’re going to be stupidly in love. And one day, we’re both going to be a mess at our wedding. Alya and Nino are going to take videos of it and tease us with them for the rest of our lives. Then, when we have kids, we’ll gross them out by kissing each other in the kitchen while we cook dinner. We will finally have the chance to just be us.”

“You want to marry me?”

“One day, yeah.”

“And you want to have kids?”

“Three.”

He laughed through his tears. “Do they have names?”

She nodded. “Emma, Hugo, and Louis.”

“I love them already.”

“I love you, and you’re going to be an amazing father one day.”

“I didn’t exactly have the best example.”

“But he doesn’t have your heart.”

“No, but you do. My heart is, was, and forever shall be yours.”

Ladybug’s breath hitched. “Kiss me, my prince.”

His lips brushed against hers. “As you wish, my lady.”

Not wanting to wait any longer, she crashed her lips onto his. Her hands moved to the back of his head while his arms encircled her waist.

Like getting caught in the surge of a powerful wave, she was overcome by the passion he poured into the kiss; nonetheless, she found herself immediately addicted to his taste. She yielded under his touch and allowed herself to sink further into his embrace. Ladybug became putty in his arms when his hand pressed against her back, erasing the remaining space that separated them.

Years of longing and desperation melted away leaving nothing but the pure, radiating love they felt for each other. This moment was theirs, and nothing could take it away from them. While uncertainty still shrouded their future, she knew that they would always be able to find refuge in each other.

She was his other half.

He completed her.

Their hearts beat as one.

The whirring of the elevator forced them apart. Missing the warmth of his proximity, Ladybug huffed in frustration.

Chat chuckled. “When this is over, I’d like to do that again.”

She placed her hand on his cheek and allowed him to lean into her touch. “You can do that again anytime you want, kitty.”

Begrudgingly, Ladybug rose to her feet. Chat followed suit and grabbed her hand. They both unsheathed their weapons.

She squeezed his hand. “Are you ready for this, chaton?”

He took a deep breath. “As long as I’m with you, my lady.”

“It’s you and me against the world, remember?”

“Then, I’m ready.”

“I love you.”

“I love you, too.”

Just as the elevator came to a halt, Pegase’s portal sent a rush of fresh air into the room. A confident smirk tugged at the corners of Ladybug’s lips as Gabriel Agreste stepped into his lair.

“Hello, Hawkmoth,” she said, narrowing her eyes, “We’ve been expecting you.”

[miraculousbelladonna]

Not Today

Here is the super dark angsty sad thing I wrote on the plane back to America! Born from this prompt I found while scrolling for angst prompts.

There’s a LOT of pain and angst. Hurt with only the teeniest tiniest bit of comfort.

Summary: “You’re in too deep this time.” Ladybug runs a hand over her face, voice shaky. “You’re not going to make it out of this one, Chat.”

“Well,” he manages with a dry laugh. “We always knew it would happen, didn’t we? And let’s be honest, Bug, we both knew it would be me.”

“Yes,” she sighs, eyes glistening with tears as she runs a hand over his hair. “But not today. Not like this. Never like this.”

CW: blood, graphic descriptions of violence, major character death

Let me know if I missed anything else that you guys think should be mentioned. I’m sorry in advance for the pain you’re about to endure.

Hawkmoth’s cane pierces Chat’s chest like a spear, and when he pulls it out it makes a wet, squelching crunch sound, a sound no human body should ever make.

A gaping hole is left behind, in which blood and muscle and splintered bone can be seen, and Chat goes down, hard. He’s on the floor, bleeding, gasping for air, and he doesn’t get up, he can’t, and Ladybug sees red.

This is it.

She throws her yo-yo and it lands unintentionally around Hawkmoth’s neck. (That’s the excuse she gives when someone asks. But she knows her yo-yo never misses its target. She knew she wanted to hurt him as much as he had hurt Chat. More, even. She wanted him to suffer.) She pulls it taut. He falls to his knees. She pulls it tighter still. Tighter.

He falls on his back, flailing. Clawing at his neck. Face turning red and purple with lack of oxygen. She pulls it tighter. She isn’t Marinette. She isn’t Ladybug. She is someone else. She is something else. She is the last line of defense, she’s the only one standing between this man and the city of Paris, the world. She is going to kill this man if it’s the last thing she does. After five minutes without oxygen, brain cells start to die. She can kill him without spilling a drop of his blood, which is much much kinder than he deserves. She pulls the yo-yo even tighter.

“Bug.” She hears Chat calling for her, and it sounds like he’s far away, and it brings her back to herself. She is Ladybug. As much as she wants to, she cannot kill this man. She snatches the brooch off of Hawkmoth. She pulls her yo-yo back.

It’s Gabriel Agreste.

She reminds herself that she is Ladybug. She cannot kill this man. So, she punches him in the face with enough force to knock him out.

She runs to Chat, pulls him up so he’s laying on her lap, calls for her lucky charm and casts the miraculous cure.

The miraculous cure doesn’t work.

Her stomach drops. Her heart crawls up and lodges itself in her throat. This is it.

“You’re in too deep this time.” Ladybug runs a hand over her face, voice shaky. “You’re not going to make it out of this one, Chat.”

“Well,” he manages with a dry laugh. “We always knew it would happen, didn’t we? And let’s be honest, Bug, we both knew it would be me.”

“Yes,” she sighs, eyes glistening with tears as she runs a hand over his hair. “But not today. Not like this. Never like this.”

“Oh, Bug. I love you. I’m sorry I’ll be leaving you alone, but you know this isn’t your fault.” He puts his hand on her face from where he’s laying in her lap. It’s so cold all of a sudden, and he knows it’s just the blood loss, but it also feels like the inevitable, like death itself crawling up on him.

“It was always going to happen this way, but it wasn’t you. It was Hawkmoth. You didn’t do this to me. You didn’t kill me. You saved me. You saved me so many times, in so many ways, and you couldn’t this time, but it is not your fault. It’s ok. You did your best, that's all I could ever ask of you. And there’s nowhere else I’d rather be than here. You know that.”

He doesn’t have the strength to hold his hand up anymore. It falls to his side as she holds him and cries. His miraculous is beeping, and they both know once the transformation falls, the magic protecting him will disappear, and he will die.

“Bug. I’m not gonna lie to you. I’m - I’m scared. Tell me something good. Something true.”

“The best and truest thing I know is that I love you, Chaton. You are the best person in my life. My partner, my friend, my confidante, my rock. I love you so much. You are so loved. You will be missed. You will be mourned.”

He lets his eyes slip shut for the last time as he whispers, “I know. I know that now. Thank you.”

She kisses him on the forehead.

His miraculous beeps one final time. The transformation drops. She is holding Adrien Agreste’s dead body in her arms.

The scream that comes out of her reverberates through the entire city, amplified by the magic released by the death of a holder whilst wearing their miraculous. It’s a sound so profoundly human in its rage, its pain, its grief, it gives everyone who hears it chills.

She screams. She screams until her throat tears and she’s spitting blood, and then she keeps screaming. She screams until her vocal chords give up on her. She screams until she physically cannot anymore, and then she cries. It feels like it’s been hours, days, years, but she looks up and realizes it’s only been seconds. She’s in so much pain it felt like time had frozen around her.

The paramedics are waiting to take Adriens body, to take him away from her, and before she realizes what she’s doing she’s up and running down the street with him in her arms, her partner, her first love, her best friend on both sides of the mask, Adrien.

There’s another ambulance at the other end of the street with more paramedics crowded around it, and she’s trapped, trying to figure out how to get out of there without harming Adrien’s body, but then a firefighter comes up to her.

It’s a firefighter she knows. It’s one she trusts. She freezes. He approaches her slowly with his arms out, and he takes Adrien from her. She’s holding herself so tight, her entire body feels like an elastic band about to snap, and the firefighter sees it. He reassures her.

“We’ll take good care of him.”

The paramedics clustered around the ambulance rush in towards the firefighter with a stretcher, bags, cuffs, tubes, machines, so many things, things she couldn’t identify if she were paid to, and everyone is yelling something and there’s just so much blood.

How can one person have so much blood? She read somewhere that the average human body has more than 4 liters of blood in it, but she didn’t realize it was so much. Adrien looks so small, so pale, lifeless, and as someone yells that they can’t find a pulse she’s reminded that he is. Adrien Agreste - Chat Noir - is dead.

She collapses onto the cement and wails as best as her broken throat can manage. She barely manages to make a sound, just a wounded animalistic whine, and it hurts like hell, but she thinks that it’s fitting. It’s fitting that her body is hurting as much as her heart is right now. It’s only fair, especially now that Chat, Adrien, isn’t alive to feel anything anymore, and her hands are still wet with his blood.

Someone picks her up and puts her in the back of the ambulance Adrien is in. She immediately reaches for his hand, the one wearing the miraculous, which is now silver and cold and dimly she thinks, it’s just as dead as Adrien is. It digs into her hand because of how hard she’s holding his.

She’s still crying, still so distraught, still holding Adrien’s hand so tight that her knuckles are white, and the beeping doesn’t register to her.

Her transformation drops. But the beeping continues.

In the next moment everyone is cheering, screaming, the ambulance is shaking with the force of the paramedics jumping in excitement.

It’s the heart monitor.

It’s the heart monitor.

Adrien’s hand twitches in hers.

He’s alive.

He’s alive.

Her voice is wrecked and thick with blood and tears as she leans in close and whispers in his ear, “Not today.”

[buggaberry]

my miraculous fic recs

These are a bunch of fics that I personally really love and highly recommend giving a read! Most of these are probably gonna end up being angsty, I’ll try my best to put some fluffy ones too, but I will put potential trigger warnings and the sort as needed. Some of them are gonna be old, others new, but I think this’ll be fun in case you’re looking for something to read!!

                ─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───

whose woods these are (I think I know.) by Reiaji

(Rated T)

Pairings: Ladrien

Cinderella AU, Adrien winds up as a servant in his own home after his mother passes away, he meets a masked huntress in the woods and finds happiness for the first time in a long while. This is such a beautifully written piece, the writing is phenomenal, and the lore is everything. If you haven’t read this already I highly suggest reading this! (Incomplete) //Implied/Referenced Child Abuse//

Chasing the C/h/atwalk. by Inkkerfuffle ( @runningoutofink )

(Rated T)

Pairings: Adrienette

Project Runway AU anyone? Marinette competes in the show and she happens to come across a certain familiar model’s face~ I absolutely adore this fic, it’s the cutest thing ever. (Complete)

Breathe by artisticFlutter

(Rated T)

Pairings: Lovesquare

“While assisting the public during an akuma attack as Chat Noir, Adrien is unknowingly exposed to a deadly disease making one final stand in Paris. He struggles to stay above it, to keep fighting, but he finds it harder to breathe every day.”

This fic is supposed to be a crossover fic with the Trauma Series, which I’m not familiar with, but I love this so much. It absolutely hurts, but it’s written so well and I go back for this one a lot. (Complete) // Graphic Depictions of Illness // Blood // Surgery //

Lucky Us by PrincessKitty1 ( @geek-fashionista )

(Rated T)

Pairings: Lovesquare

They’re aged up in this AU! Marinette finds her life not going quite as planned, she’s stuck working at her parent’s bakery. Ladybug and Chat Noir are aliases for their emails and they’re pen-pals. Adrien starts coming to the bakery after hours. Slow burning ensues. This fic is  s o f t , it owns my heart and it’s asdfhk everything. (Complete)

Ruffled by imthepunchlord ( @imthepunchlord )

(Rated G)

Pairings: Adrienette

This is a Harry Potter AU! Although it doesn’t have any relation to the plot of Harry Potter, it takes place in the same universe. They attend the French wizarding school Beauxbatons, Adrien struggles to fit into the pureblood society because he’s secretly half human and half Veela, a witch catches his eye and hehe slow burn. (Complete)

Pray For the Children You Lost Along the Way by LunarDaydreams

(Rated M)

Pairings: Lovesquare

Silent Hill AU, I’ve never played the game before, nor do I know any of its context, but this fic?? Is so good?? Ladybug, Chat Noir, and Hawkmoth end up stranded in a strange town, Agreste family drama, creepy monsters in the fog, and the town seemingly transfixed on hurting Chat Noir. Ladybug and Chat Noir try their best to stay together and escape. Lots of hurt/comfort. If you’re into horror, this one’s for you. (Incomplete) // Graphic Depictions of Violence // Trauma // Psychological Horror // Horror // Minor Character Death // Temporary Character Death // Silent Hill-Typical Warnings // References to Suicide and Depression //

Phantasmagoria and Late to the Jabberwocky by Mikauzoran                       ( @mikauzoran )

(Rated T)

Pairings: Lukadrien / Lukadrienette

These are both a part of her Springtime in Wonderland series and it’s so wonderful. The writing is absolutely amazing, Phantasmagoria takes place on the anniversary of Adrien’s mother’s disappearance, he rebels and goes to the bar where he runs into Luka playing with his band. They grow closer together, and lots of flirting ensues. Late to the Jabberwocky takes place after the events of Phantasmagoria so I can’t say much about it without spoiling the other so ur just gonna have to go read it :P (Incomplete) // Mentions of Alcohol // References to Depression // Family Issues //

Out of the Rain by ominousunflower ( @ominousunflower​ )

(Rated T)

Pairings: Lukadrien

This one gives me big owies, it hurts like no tomorrow, but I’m hooked on this. This made me tear up because it just hurts that much. Ladybug is killed in battle against Hawkmoth, this deals with the aftermath, Adrien struggles to cope with it. He has to give up being Chat Noir, and his friends try to help him keep it together. Things get worse when he finds himself with a new responsibility he’s not sure he can handle. The author puts warnings at the beginning of each chapter, because it’s pretty heavy. But this really is one of my favorite fics right now. (Incomplete) // Major Character Death // Grieving // Loss // Isolation // Depression // Eating Disorder // Panic Attacks // Thoughts about Dying // Emotional Self-Harm // Mentions of Vomiting //

A Werecat in London by ThornQueen ( @i-am-thornqueen ​ )

(Rated M)

Pairings: Lovesquare

I am a sucker for werewolf -or in this case, werecat- AUs. They’re aged up, Chat Noir has to deal with the consequences of an akuma while on a business trip in London. This is an older fic and it hasn’t been updated in a while, but what’s there is absolutely worth reading. The writing is amazing. (Incomplete) // Mentions of Nudity // Discussions of Sex (not explicitly) //

Back to Us by DarkReyna16 ( @insanitysscribblings ​ )

(Rated M)

Pairings: Lovesquare

Hawkmoth is defeated, but it costs Ladybug and Chat Noir’s friendship. They go their separate ways only to meet up again seven years later, the citizens of Paris are lashing out, and tensions are as high as ever. What could go wrong? This is like enemies to lovers, except they were friends before they were enemies, and it is the ultimate slow burn. (Complete) // Minor Character Death //

Truth and Consequences by siderealSandman( @siderealscribblings ​)

(Rated M)

Pairings: Lovesquare, Lukagami, Nino/Alya/Chloé, Mentions of Lukanette and Adrigami

Marinette discovers Hawkmoth’s identity and she makes a deal with him. Chaos ensues. This really dives into the shows dynamics and almost dissects the lovesquare. It makes u wanna cry and go whYY my poor heart, but you have to keep reading because you wanna know what happens next. (Incomplete) // Major Character Death //

You Don’t Know Me by Ferisae ( @ferisae ​ )

(Rated T)

Pairings: Lovesquare

This was like my first favorite fanfic, it’s written so amazingly, and it’s an older one as well that hasn’t been updated but it owns my heARt. Ladybug suffers from a near-fatal accident and Adrien struggles to keep it together. He has to try and protect Paris while falling apart emotionally and physically. (Incomplete) // Hospitals // Blood // Illness //

Cry of the Siren by SKayLanphear ( @skaylanphear )

(Rated M)

Pairings: Lovesquare, DJWifi

This is so pretty agh, I daydream about this fic. Marinette is a pirate captain, Adrien is a mermaid and finds himself caught with arranged marriage, he leaves his home and gets stranded on human shores after being injured. I love this so much, I love pirates and mermaids, and the society that was built is so amazing and ga h. (Incomplete) // Nudity // Mental Health Issues //

Love Has No Barriers by Scribbling Mama ( @scribblingmama )

(Rated T)

Pairings: Adrienette

Adrien suffers from a rare immunodeficiency disorder which leaves him stuck behind plastic and isolated from the outside world. He’s childhood friends with Marinette, and he wants nothing more than to leave his bubble and confess his feelings for her. This fic was so sad, but so soft, I adore this to bits. (Complete) // Illness // Hospitals // Surgery //

The Two of Us by AnabielVriskaMars

(Rated T)

Pairings: Adrienette

Because this list needs more fluff! They’re in college and Marinette is struggling financially, Adrien offers to marry her until she’s stable again. Totally not romantic or anything… unless??? (Complete)

There’s definitely more, but for now these are all the ones I can name that I really really love. Happy reading!! ♡

[thesarcasticramen]

Down Came the Rain (and Washed the Black Cat Out)

Sequel to Rain Rain Go Away (Come Again Another Day)

“What’s wrong my little sunshine?” his mother asked as Adrien padded towards her chair in the Master’s bedroom where she sat. With tears falling and lips quivering, he climbed unto her lap.

A flash of lightning and the rolling of thunder jolted the four-year old and he snuggled closer to Emilie. “I’m scared,” he wept.

His mother fixed the blanket and wrapped it around them both as she hushed him. She rocked him back and forth and hummed a melody that she would sing whenever he was in distress.

Soon, Adrien was being lulled by the calming heartbeat of his mother. There was a kiss on his forehead that engulfed him in so much warmth and content. “It’s alright to be afraid, young one. I will always be here.” And he believed her.

—

There was a storm inside of Chat Noir raging more than the one he was caught in. Running a hand through his sodden hair, he closed his eyes and gripped the railing in disdain. Chat Noir knew he had a flair for theatrics and from a different point of view, he probably looked like an angsty hero in a noir (pun, unintended) film under the gloomy weather. Most of the time, he would scramble to escape but now, he was filled with so much emotion he couldn’t bring himself to care. He stayed hunched over the terrace for what seemed to be hours until he realized that the water stopped trickling down on him.

“You’re gonna get sick if you don’t stop trying to imitate those emo protagonists in films you know,” somebody stated. Chat Noir was dumbstruck to find out that he unconsciously relocated himself down the streets next to a lamppost. What he was more surprised to see was Marinette standing next to his crouched form, her umbrella pinched at the crook of her neck to prevent it from dropping as she held out a long green cargo jacket—no doubt, it was hers judging by her thin layer of clothes—above his head.

“Princess, what—” He didn’t get the chance to finish that thought when she unceremoniously dropped the coat on him, concealing his face with the hood. When he managed to poke his head out of the article of clothing, he saw how she clutched her umbrella properly and held the paper bags in her other hand. She ruffled his hair with a smile. “See you around chaton.”

Then she walked away and disappeared into the rain.

—

The pitter-patter of the rain against the roof was what roused him. The smell of bread, soup, and Marinette’s detergent invaded his nostrils and he stirred on a toasty bed. Gone was the rain dripping onto his face and the hardness of the concrete his sore limbs were lying on earlier. Something cold was pressed against his burning forehead and he was being bundled under the covers tighter. His hearing was the last to come to him. The person speaking sounded as if she was out of the water while he was deep under it.

“…idiot. Coming all the way here when he’s in the worst shape. I am so gonna kill him when he wakes up,” the angelic voice murmured, obviously distraught.

Blinking the fuzzy sight away, he was greeted by an agitated Marinette fussing over him at the edge of the bed. She was still in her pajamas and was pressing the cloth she had placed over his forehead. She stopped when their eyes met. His heart automatically hammered and he was filled with jubilance. Her shoulders slumped in relief before her eyes glazed over with annoyance. “Marine—”

“Not a word you darn cat,” she sharply ordered, glaring at him intensely.

Chat Noir zipped his lips up and sniffled. He forgot how scary Marinette can actually be. He watched her sigh and massage her temple as if to prevent herself from yelling at him.

“You are gonna be the death of me.”

Guiltily, Chat dragged his eyes downward. He knew what he did was irrational and impulsive. He should’ve listened to Plagg and stayed home. His kwami will most definitely strangle him the moment he detransforms. But he knew he couldn’t stand to be detained in that house a second longer.

“I’m sorry princess,” Chat rasped and broke into a fit of coughs.

“Yeah? Well you should be," an all-too familiar voice piped up. Chat Noir choked and stared at his kwami floating above Marinette’s shoulder mirroring the same expression of the girl next to him in horror. He looked down on his clothes and saw that he was in the same black jacket he wore before he transformed meaning he wasn’t Chat Noir right now but Adrien Agreste. Holy sh— That’s it. He was doomed. He was absolutely utterly screwed. Ladybug is gonna annihilate him but Marinette will probably do it first.

“What were you thinking?!” Marinette berated. “What you pulled off was dangerous! You could’ve—" she looked away then closed her eyes, crossing her arms as if to protect herself from the terrifying idea that keeps foraying into her mind. "What if I wasn’t the one who found you, huh? What if it was Hawkmoth or anybody at all who wouldn’t hesitate to let you be in harm’s way?" Marinette opened her eyes and trained them on him. Chat Noir cowered under her. "For God’s sake Chat Noir! You’re not just putting your identity and life in jeopardy but also your family’s! What has gotten into you?!”

Adrien could only bite his lower lip in remorse. Marinette was right. What he did was all the levels and degrees of stupid. He doesn’t deserve to bear the miraculous. Now Plagg will leave him to find a more worthy holder and he would lose his only chance to freedom. Now Marinette knows he was Adrien and she will never want to have any affiliation with him ever again and—Wait, she didn’t call him Adrien. She called him Chat Noir. He touched the skin around his eyes where his mask resided and found that he still wore one, not his real leather one but a homemade felt mask. His golden locks were also hidden under the hood of his jacket.

“After what you did, I didn’t have enough energy to maintain your transformation. I had no choice kid,” Plagg explained. He and Marinette shared a knowing glance as if sharing a little secret. For a moment, Adrien was afraid that Marinette finally knew who he was but it was...something else he couldn't put his finger on. For now, he was just glad that neither betrayed his trust while he was incapacitated.

“Your girlfriend here—” Marinette sputtered denials and Adrien’s face reddened. Plagg flew in circles around both teens which made Adrien even dizzier. “—was understanding enough to keep your identity under wraps so you have nothing to worry about. I told her all about what I am and how your miraculous works yada yada yada. Oh!" He stopped right in front of Adrien's face, making the boy cross-eyed as the kwami grabbed his nose with its tiny paws. "She also happened to feed me Paris’ best cheese danishes ‘cause they’re all out of cheese apparently. Boo. It’s not as good as camembert but I’ll rate it a nine out of five.”

Marinette giggled, all lividity dissipating away from her stance. “I’ll make sure to tell my papa your feedback then, he’ll be flattered. As for the cheese, we’ll be restocking soon.” Plagg flew to hover in front of her. She leaned and winked at the kwami, “I’ll pack you some danishes later before you guys leave.” Plagg gasped and turned to Adrien. “Kid, I love her already. Plagg approves.” Adrien just shrunk under the covers.

After an argument between kwami and holder that was resolved by Marinette’s bribery, Plagg relented to transform Adrien. His identity was still vulnerable to being exposed the longer he was out of the costume. Without Plagg’s remarks that eased the tension, Marinette was left to nursing a sick Chat Noir in an awkward atmosphere.

She helped him sit up with pillows supporting his back and situated a small table in front of him. Marinette reheated their dinner earlier— her mother’s wanton soup and made tea to help with his cold. Upon his insistence to be left on his own devices, Marinette made a quick trip to the bathroom downstairs to fetch some medicine for him.

Chat Noir tried to stomach the hot broth and noodles but all he wanted was to throw it all up but he was too shy, knowing that Marinette’s mother has gone through a lot of trouble to prepare the meal and Marinette made an effort to serve it to him. He was half way through the soup when he felt the bile rise to his throat and he couldn’t keep it in much longer. Good thing, as if sensing it, Marinette was already back and she took one look at him before promptly shoving a bin for him to empty the contents of his gut as she rubbed soothing circles on his back. He grimaced at the stench and situation.

He was humiliated to say the least, having her be an audience to his state and overstay his welcome but Marinette only tenderly smiled and handed him a glass of water, advising to finish the soup because he needed to eat something first before he could take his medicine. Once his bowl was devoid of the food, he popped the pills in his mouth and washed it down using the tea.

It was thirty minutes past midnight when Chat Noir was once again nestled under the enormous pile of blankets and Marinette was building herself a place to sleep on the chaise below. Chat Noir felt ashamed for occupying her bed after all she did for him but he just watched as she got ready to sleep. “Wake me up if you need anything! Good night,” she called before facing the opposite direction.

Chat Noir didn’t let his eyes stray from her immobile figure for a while. He waited for any signs of movement but there was nothing. Sighing, he focused on the skylight above him as the rain drizzled on the glass pane and his eyelids slowly drooped to a close. Maybe he should try to get some sleep.

“Adrien…your mother…she’s gone.”

“I’m sorry but your father can’t make it today, Adrien.”

“I’m in love with you!” “I’m sorry Chat Noir.”

“He’s nothing but a pathetic excuse for a superhero that mangy alley cat.”

“You’re putting her life in danger. What if Hawkmoth discovers how much you care about her? What if something happens to her because of Chat Noir?”

Chat Noir’s eyes snapped open as the nightmares plagued his mind once again. The patter of the rain was deafening. He immediately sought for comfort as his eyes darted everywhere around the room and once they landed on Marinette, he relaxed. Calm down Adrien. You're at Marinette's home. You're safe. She's safe. You're okay. Everything's fine.

“Marinette, y-you still awake?” he asked. His hopes were not met by a reply. She must be sleeping by now and he didn’t want to disturb her but he also couldn’t bottle it all up anymore. The glass was cracking and the words were pooling in his mouth. He needed an outlet, a release. “I…” he started, clutching at the blankets tighter. “I hate the rain.”

“It’s cold and wet and gray a-and…” he trembled but kept going. “…it brings back a lot of memories you know?” Fiddling his clawed fingers together, he rested the back of his head on the pillow and observed the globules of water that threatened to hit him if it weren’t for the closed window.

He swallowed the lump. “It was raining when my mom left. It was raining when Ladybug rejected me,” he wanted to say but he bit down on his tongue hard enough. He’s never been this honest to anyone before. But now, he had laid his guard down and stripped himself of whatever pride he had left. “It’s just that…everything hurts.”

The tears spill and his voice cracks into a hiccup. “I try to forget about everything. I try not to let the sadness get to me. But all of it is just too much sometimes. There are mornings when I wake up that I can’t find the strength and will to get up anymore and survive another one. I-I feel like the weight is crushing me and I can't— I can’t do anything about it. I’m just so useless and—and worthless. I'm, uhh, a disappointment, a—a failure and…I’m—" He could feel nothing, but he could also feel everything all at once. "Nothing...I'm nothing.”

He drapes his arm over his eyes and he sobs. “Sometimes, I crave for jumping off the top of the Eiffel tower without catching myself, just…" He remembered standing so close to the edge just the other day. It scared him more to realize that he's not afraid of the height or falling, but of the fact that he's not scared at all. "I know it’s wrong but there are instances when I get those terrifying thoughts and I wonder, what if? Nobody would care, right? My father definitely wouldn’t. The world would resume to rotate and revolve without me in it and I won’t have to endure another rainy day in my li—”

Chat Noir broke, finally voicing what his heart was screaming out the most. “I just want to be loved." Chat Noir was pathetic, Adrien thought. "I’m so tired of begging for it again and again, from the people who can’t give it, from my father, from Ladybug. I…” His breaths became controlled and shuddering, the melancholy crawling all over his heart and soul and wedging it in every nerve and vein he had in his body.

God, Chat Noir hated the rain.

He didn’t notice that the edge of the bed dipped and there were hands that were cradling his head. Instinctively, Chat’s arms wove around Marinette’s small and petite frame and pulling her under the covers into an embrace. Her fingers carded through his locks in a coaxing manner while she whispered reassurances in his ear and the tears continued to stream down his cheeks. Neither spoke, Chat buried his face in the crook of her neck and cried and heaved.

He clung to her like a lifeline. He was drowning and her warmth was the only oxygen he had. He needed her and she was more than willing to be there right next to him so he wouldn’t feel alone, so she could help him through this together, so she could walk through hell with him.

Marinette disentangled the knots in his hair and massaged his scalp every time he would flinch at the lightning and thunder. He didn’t know how many hours passed while they were in that position. His ear was lodged against her chest and the steady thrumming of her heart sedated him.

Not long after, Chat Noir drowsily started to blow slackening breaths and he felt sleep creeping up to him, his eyes screwing shut. There were soft lips that pecked his forehead and a gentle voice. “Then it’s time to stop begging from the wrong people. I know I’m not much but I’m not going anywhere. I love you Chat Noir, every beat of my heart belongs to you.”

Chat Noir was floored, awed at the amount of affection her words held. What good did he do to have such a sweet, selfless, and most amazing girl—Marinette to still see the best in him despite all his shortcomings and flaws, to still love him for all the good and bad things he possesses? He was struck by how much she meant to him. Her friendship, her love—her. They were all most prized and precious and he wouldn’t know what to do if he loses any of it. It hurt him to hear her think of herself as “not much” because to him, she will always be more than enough. He loved her, he loved her too much.

Chat Noir’s lips curled into a smile and for the first time in years, his heart was finally free. He whispered something unintelligible and he wasn’t sure if she heard him but she only encased him in a cocoon of her love and protection. “I love you too, princess.”

Tomorrow, they would have to deal with the repercussions of their late night, he would have to face Plagg’s vexation for making him use up all his energy to stay transformed for the rest of the night (and pestering: “What? Had fun cuddling with your girlfriend you clingy and needy kitten?” “Shut up Plagg.”), he would have to face Nathalie’s wrath when she finds his room vacant in the morning. But tonight, he would sleep as the rain carries on outside. For as long as he was sheltered in the arms of the girl he loves, he was home.

Maybe the rain isn’t so bad after all.

***

this wraps up this fanfic. hope you all enjoyed it as much as i did. i love marichat and i felt like they would have such a fun and loving best friend dynamic. the last part was kinda vague so it’s up to you whether the “i love you” bit was romantic or platonic, it can be either. i’m sorry if i was clearly projecting while i wrote adrien’s confession. whoever is experiencing sadness, may it be a simple bad day or depression, don’t be afraid to seek solace from somebody you hold dear and trustworthy and don’t hesitate to find a friend in me. thanks for reading! iloveyouall!