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xxbabydragonxx · 2 years

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"Little Wanderer"

Ch. 1: The Beginning

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Summary:V finds out about your "Little" secret and takes care of you.

Very self-indulgent. I've been playing Devil May Cry 5 again and decided to write this! 1000% Sfw! Diapers are mentioned but it's just a comfort item!

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This was originally posted on my ao3 page! Feel free to check my bio for a link to it!

You’ve been traveling with the crew for a long time, even becoming an official member. You trusted these guys with your life, but even so you kept your little secret to yourself. Deep down you knew it wasn’t bad, it was actually healthy. I mean everyone needed a way to cope with the whole killing demons, saving the world thing and being a little was yours. You even had a few supplies that you were fortunate to get from an abandoned store during your time in Redgrave. You hid this little bag in your room back at the DMC headquarters. It was a tad difficult to be little knowing that demons could pop out at any time.

Today on the other hand was perfect for a little day. Dante and Nero were out on a mission, Nico was back in Redgrave with Kyrie, and V was out to a bookshop which means he would be there for hours. Everything was right and you proceeded to get your little bag out from your back closet. You excitedly pulled out your little things; a black paci, a dragon plushie appropriately named Dragon, coloring books, crayons, a baby bottle with dragons on it, some of your favorite little movies, and one other thing that you’ve been wanting to try for a while. You bought the pack of diapers on an impulse. You went out shopping for some things for the crew and stumbled upon them at the store. They were just too cute to pass up, I mean they had little animals on them and paw prints. So you bought them and sneakily brought the pack back to your room.

You were not so sure about trying them due to worrying that you may get a call, so you decide to wait a bit. You got dressed into your little outfit which is just a onesie with some cute shortalls on top. You clipped your paci to your shortalls and grabbed your bottle and went downstairs to fill it up with some apple juice. As you went down the stairs you were humming and singing the Paw Patrol theme rather loudly and jumping and skipping your way to the kitchen. As you hopped and skipped about to your little song, you didn’t notice that someone came back and you happened to bump into them on your way to the kitchen. A startled scream escaped your mouth when the impact was made.

You looked up to see who you bumped into and it was none other than the mysterious V. Your cheeks flushed a bright crimson as you began to stammer out an explanation only to be interrupted by a finger on your lips and a soft “Shhh” from V.

"Shhh. It’s alright little one, I’m not going to tell anyone about this precious side of yours.”

At that you couldn’t hold on much longer and you started to cry. As if on cue, V picked you up into his arms and started to bounce you on his hip while softly rubbing your back. He did this until your crying calmed down. Still in his arms he looked at you and asked “Do you feel better now my dear?” You just gave him a simple nod and a small smile formed on his lips. “I wouldn’t want to leave you in such a state alone, would you allow me to do the honor of taking care of you?” You were surprised at his offer and really it was all a dream come true but at the same time you didn’t want to bother him. You thought about it for a while and you just gave him a simple nod. You were just so tired emotionally from the crying and the events that happened prior.

V readjusted you on his hip and carried you upstairs to your room. He set you down onto your bed and then he sat down next to you. “Tell me little wanderer, what is it that you like to do?” You were embarrassed and shy and really you didn’t want to speak. You just averted his gaze and started to play with your paci that was clipped on your clothes. “Would you mind if I look through your box of little things?” You gave him a simple nod and you got the box of things from your closet and brought it to him. “Thank you for bringing it to me” with that he gave you a small pat on your head that made your cheeks turn bright red. You got back on the bed and laid down away from V as he went through your things. You could hear him hum to himself as he pulled out things and your eyes went wide as you heard the telltale sign of crinkling that he pulled out the pack of diapers.

You stayed quiet and still, thinking that if he couldn’t hear or “see” you, you would be invisible to him. I think he realized your plan because he said “Little one I know you’re there” and with that you let out a huge breath of air that you were holding in.

“You have quite the collection and I’m certainly impressed. Though I must ask if you would like to wear one of these, I’m certain you’re not wearing one since the package isn’t open.”

You stayed in your same spot and just shook your head no. “Little one it is nothing to be embarrassed about” he put his hand on your head and began to pet you. “You’re a baby and babies need diapers. So please don’t feel any shame.” You turned red again and tried to cover your face. “Ah-ah, don’t cover your beautiful face from me baby. Please tell me what you would like. You deserve a break at the least.” You mustered up all the strength you had just to say “You pick” You regressed rather deeply and that in turn took a toll on your vocabulary. Thankfully V understood. “Ah, so you would like me to decide our activities for the day?” You gave him a quiet “mhm”, which he then proceeded to turn you on your back and now you were looking at him directly.

He gave you a warm smile and said “Well first let’s put one of these on you” he gestured to the package of diapers. You looked away as he grabbed the supplies from the box and to your surprise he handed you Dragon.

“What’s your friend’s name? I’m quite curious”

“Dragon” you said quietly

“Ah what a lovely and suiting name”

He then proceeded to unbutton your shortalls. “Please let me know if you’re uncomfortable in any way” he gave you another one of his soft smiles as he brought your paci to your lips in which you shyly accepted. He chuckled and continued to unbutton your onesie and began to open the pack of diapers. V got one out and placed it next to you. He then removed your underwear and placed the diaper under you. He then sprinkled a generous amount of powder and taped the diaper up.

“See, now that wasn’t so bad Little one.”

He began to dress you again and when he was finished he picked you up. “You did so well during your first change. I’m quite proud of you.” You were rather ecstatic from hearing those words of praise. V must have noticed, “You should be pleased, you made quite a big step today and I do believe that deserves a treat!”. He took you down to the kitchen with you in his arms and made way to the small but full pantry.

#agere little #ageredips #padded agere #age regression #fandom agere #sfw agre #sfw babyre #sfw cglre #sfw diaper wearing #x little!reader #agere

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strelles-universe · 2 years

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Cats of ThunderClan: Fernpaw

Name: Fernpaw

Other Names: N/A

Meaning: Long furred

Age: 14 moons (Book 5 - Ch. 5)

Identity: Cisgender Molly - She/Her

Orientation: Bisexual

Rank: Apprentice - Sitter

Former Rank(s): N/A

A long furred dark gray spotted molly with pale blue eyes and a timid and disarming smile. Her paws are darker than the rest of her body and her pelt is extremely soft. She’s closest to her brother Ashpaw though she loves her other siblings dearly as well.

Fernpaw has never intended to go far from the nursery - she enjoys spending time around younger kits and prefers speculating names and assisting monarchs to hunting and patrolling. She’s done her best to memorize each of the prefixes and their meaning and became even more dead set on her pathway after witnessing and assisting with her mentor’s kitting. For a while, Fernpaw was passed between miscellaneous warriors while her mentor was looking after her very young kits and properly recovering from kitting. She received most of her general warrior training (hunting, border patrols, combat) from other warriors and returned to the nursery to learn the intricacies of rearing young kits. Fernpaw honestly thought this was a great compromise and it reassured her that she would be a very good Sitter.

It was a difficult time for her, standing between Ashpaw and Elderpaw while they quarreled with their adoptive brother as the source of the animosity. Even when the two brothers made up over the mangled body of Cloudywing, she still remembered stressing as she alternated between which brother she snuggled with and tried to comfort each night. The wounds Cloudywing received instilled a deep fear within her for open-combat and dogs though she tries to put on a brave face. She was further shaken by the murder of her mentor at the paws of Tigerstar - her own mate.

After surviving the relay incident and realizing how close of a cat her mother had, Fernpaw is struggling to re-ground herself in reality; taking Speckledtail’s more critical and sharp words without thinking.

Mentor(s): Goldenflower (deceased), Speckledtail

Apprentice(s): N/A

Parents: Brindleface (mother), Whitestar (father)

Sweetparent(s):

Auncle(s): Volewhisker (uncle)

Sibling(s): Ashpaw (brother), Elderpaw (brother), Cloudywing (adoptive brother)

Nephling(s): N/A

Cousin(s): Graystripe, Sorrelkit, Sootkit, Rainkit, Daisykit (deceased), Vinekit (deceased)

Mate(s): N/A

Crush(es): N/A

OoC Friends: Galepaw

Kit(s): N/A

#fernkit #the cats of strelles #picture to be added #allegiances with references #strelles fernpaw #strelles stormborn #strelles stormborn profiles #strelles stormborn cadets #strelles stormborn sitters #strelles the greenwood empire

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jingabitch · 5 years

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Armed to the Fangs ch.5

Summary: You grew up in the Hunter’s Guild, understanding that it is your sacred duty as a hunter to protect humanity from the vampires that lurk in the dark, draining the life from anyone unlucky enough to be caught. While making the rounds one night, you encounter Taehyung, a fabled born vampire - not that you know that when he tries to entice you into a dark alley. Next thing you know, you’re kidnapped and taken to their home, where you realise that all of them somehow crave your blood and seem to know more about your past than you do. Finding out about where you came from might be the key to setting humanity free.

Pairing: eventual ot7 x reader; some jimin x reader and namjoon x reader here

Warnings: some description of violence, angst, pining, maybe eventual smut (haven’t decided) but not for a looooong time, slow burn (really the slowest of burns), injeolmi being adorable asf as always, joon loves his plants

Word count: 3.7k

A/N: this is coming a little earlier than I had planned but also I was tired of sitting on it, so here you go! Big thank you to my betas @re-sugance and @jminacious for reading this beforehand and making sure it was okay <3

Series index

You stayed cooped up in your room with only Injeolmi for company for the next few weeks. When it became clear that you were not going to leave your quarters to even look for food, the boys arranged to take turns bringing you meals, like they had when you were a captive. To you, though, there was no difference between then and now, except for how luxurious your surroundings were.

Injeolmi, of course, was ecstatic about this turn of events. He’d never gotten so much attention in his short life before, and having you around for constant cuddles and playtime was the best thing his furry little self could imagine.

When you woke up on this particular morning, you hadn’t expected anything to be different. You’d eaten the meals they provided – which were still delicious, and you figured at some point you might as well try to find the chef to compliment him – you were stuck here indefinitely eating the meals he’d prepared for you, after all. You texted back and forth with Jennie and some other hunters you were friends with for a while, since they were just getting in from their rounds, but then they went to sleep and you had nothing to do.

At around noon, you heard a knock on the door and figuring it was probably your lunch, you opened it.

What you found on the other side made you blink in surprise. The littlest vampire, Jimin, was standing in your doorway, but instead of a tray of food, he instead held a giant box that almost dwarfed his frame.

“Uhhh…” you hesitated, unsure of what to say or do.

“Hi!” he chirped cheerfully, giving you a massive grin. His eye smile was contagious, and you found yourself smiling back at him hesitantly. “I got your cat a scratch tower!” he continued, bouncing the box in his hold a little. “Can I come in and put it down?”

Unable to turn him away, you ended up just standing aside to let him into your apartment. He entered, put the box down in the middle of the living room, then stood up, his hands on his hips. You stood by the door, wondering if he was going to leave now, but when a moment passed and he still hadn’t moved, you sighed and shut it. “Would you like to help me set it up?” you offered half-heartedly. It wasn’t really a question, because you could tell that was exactly why he’d bought it, and he was clearly not leaving without doing that.

He grinned at you excitedly as he accepted though, and you rolled your eyes, although perhaps with a little less heat than one could have hoped. Injeolmi was your baby, after all. He really knew what he was doing, approaching you with a gift for your cat.

“All right, I’ll go get something to open the box with,” you told him, starting to turn away.

“No need,” he piped up. “I brought a penknife,” he explained when you turned back to look at him inquisitively, pulling it out of his back pocket.

“Of course you did,” you murmured, but came to sit beside him anyway as he knelt to cut open the tape holding the two flaps of the box together. Injeolmi was no doubt still hidden in your bedroom, wary of a stranger invading his space.

“So how old is he?” Jimin asked as he moved the flaps out of the way and pushed them down so they would stay that way.

“Two years,” you answered perfunctorily as you pulled out the instruction sheet sitting on top of a bunch of cardboard and foam packaging. Sneaking a glance at him, you saw his expression as he tried desperately to think of a way to continue the conversation, and feeling a little sorry for him (although you had no clue why, since he was a vampire who probably just wanted you to lower your guard before he ate you) you added, “I found him on the streets during one of my patrols.”

“O-oh,” Jimin was surprised to hear you continuing the conversation, but recovered quickly. “That must have been quite a story.”

Thinking about the night you’d found Injeolmi never failed to cheer you up. “It was,” you said, reading the instructions. You didn’t notice the small, contented smile that had stolen over your face, but Jimin did when he looked over after hearing the change in your tone. You were breathtakingly beautiful when you smiled, and he wanted to see it again and again.

“I’d love to hear it,” he said, instead of telling you how he felt, determinedly focusing on unpacking the parts to the scratch tower he’d bought so that you wouldn’t see the flush that had taken over his face.

Because Injeolmi had been a secret back at the Guild, chances to talk about your baby had been few and far between, so you leapt at the opportunity to now. “He belonged to a man who had recently turned,” you started. “I chased him all the way back to his house and found that he had drained his entire family.” That part was always difficult to talk about, because no matter how many times you saw the drained, pale, limp corpses, they never failed to make bile rise up your throat. Worse yet, in that particular home, there had been pictures scattered all over the place of a happy, loving family. The father – who was now a mindless, starving, murderous vampire – had, in the pictures, worn such a jovial smile and the love that he’d had for his wife and children shone through his eyes.

All of that love, love you’d never experienced for yourself but wanted so badly, gone because he’d been bitten. You swallowed hard and continued your story. “Injeolmi was still a kitten then, I think they must have just gotten him, he was so little. After I put the vampire out of his misery, I heard Injeolmi crying.”

The story so far was turning out to be quite dark, and Jimin almost regretted asking.

“I found him hidden under the couch. He was so little back then, I could still hold him in my hands. I had to raid their belongings to find the cat food and all of that – he looked so skinny and hungry, like he hadn’t eaten anything for days. Then I just waited with him until the vet opened and I could get him checked out.

“Then, you know, I snuck him into the Guild and that’s how he became my baby,” you concluded. The both of you had continued unpacking while you were telling the story, so now you were staring at all the pieces and the nails laid out together on the floor. From the picture on the instruction sheet, you had a feeling that he’d gotten a way larger and more elaborate one than one cat really needed so he could spend a longer time in here talking to you.

Somehow, this scheme touched your heart.

The conversation flowed easily – you could tell that he really was trying to avoid talking about anything that might set you off or draw attention to his vampiric nature – and by the time the cat tower had been constructed, taking up almost a whole wall in your living room, you’d loosened up around him a great deal. He regaled you with funny stories about his brothers, including a particularly bizarre one involving Taehyung, Jungkook and Seokjin (apparently the oldest one) during the latter’s birthday that had you wheezing on the floor.

To thank him for buying the cat tower for Injeolmi, you lured the cat out of your bedroom, where he was sulking, with some of his favourite treats. You only had to tear open the sachet of Churu before he was sprinting out of the bedroom to you.

Snickering at how predictable your cat was, you handed Jimin the packet to let him feed Injeolmi. He looked at you with huge eyes, as if disbelieving that you’d actually be so kind, and you raised a brow at him. Injeolmi, for his part, was impatiently trying to get at the snack in your hand.

Finally, Jimin took it from your hand and held it out for the cat, squeezing lightly so the paste would come out on top. Injeolmi happily lapped up the tuna-flavoured snack, placing one paw on Jimin’s hand to hold it closer to him, and Jimin looked like he was falling in love.

When the Churu was all gone, you weren’t sure who was more disappointed, Jimin or the cat, and you rolled your eyes lightly as the vampire looked at you pleadingly while Injeolmi sat back, licking his lips clean. “No,” you told Jimin. “He can’t have more than one.”

With a sigh, Jimin got up and threw the empty packet in the bin. “Thank you for letting me play with him,” he said as he started making his way to the door. You got up and followed him.

“No problem,” you replied, and were surprised to find that you truly meant it. “Thank you for the cat tower.”

He smiled at you so widely his eyes seemed to disappear. “It was my pleasure,” he told you. “And…” he added right before you were about to shut the door. You opened it back up and leaned against the door frame, raising a brow at him. “If you ever want to take Injeolmi on an adventure, we have really nice gardens on the property. It’s cold outside right now, I’m sure he’ll like it. Norwegian forest cats like the cold.”

You bit your lip to keep from smiling. “I’ll think about it,” you said noncommittally, but from the way he grinned at you as you closed the door, he knew just as well as you did that it was a done deal.

Jimin left your room and skipped right over to Taehyung’s. It was the middle of the day, which meant most of them were sleeping – save, of course, Jin, who made it a point to prepare your meals for you. It was really cute, even if it meant he wasn’t getting enough sleep and was grouchy all night when they were actually up and about. No one really minded, though. Jin really did love to cook, and it had been so long since he’d gotten the opportunity to, since vampires didn’t eat food.

Slipping into the cool darkness of his brother’s room, Jimin made his way unerringly to the bed where Taehyung was warmly ensconced. With his enhanced night vision, he didn’t need much light to tell where he was going, after all. He threw himself down onto the mattress, right on top of his brother, who grunted in surprise.

“Jimin-ah… what the fuck are you doing?” he groaned in his sleep-raspy voice, pushing weakly at his brother’s body. Since he was barely awake, he couldn’t muster up the strength to get him off, and gave up after a second, sinking back into the mattress and starting to go back to sleep.

Jimin, who wasn’t having any of that today, wriggled around on top of Taehyung so that he couldn’t fall back asleep. “Taehyungie,” he whined, unbearably excited and needing someone to squeal to about all the progress he’d made with you. And your cat! That fluffy, spoilt baby had his whole heart now.

When it looked like Taehyung was determined to continue ignoring him, Jimin decided that more drastic measures had been taken, and stuck the hand that Injeolmi had touched under his brother’s nose.

A second later, Taehyung’s eyes had fully opened. Alert now, his gaze snapped to Jimin’s, who was now smirking at him smugly. “Is that…” he trailed off.

“Yup.”

“You – what – how?”

“You snooze, you lose,” Jimin informed his brother. Abruptly infuriated, Taehyung pushed himself up from the bed so hard that Jimin, who was still lying on top of him, fell to the mattress with a yelp. As the two started roughhousing, they didn’t notice Jungkook, who was in the room next to Taehyung, slipping in.

“Guys, it’s the middle of the day,” he whined, yawning.

The two other vampires broke apart slightly guiltily. “Sorry, Kookie,” Taehyung apologized.

Rubbing his eyes, Jungkook came over and lay down between his brothers. “What were you guys fighting about anyway?”

Instead of responding verbally, Jimin repeated his earlier action, waving his hand under his brother’s nose.

“Wow,” Jungkook responded, awed. “Is that Y/n’s cat?” he asked, almost wriggling in his excitement.

“Mhm,” Jimin confirmed.

“You got to play with him?” Jungkook questioned, wide-eyed.

Jimin just looked pleased with himself.

“How?” Jungkook repeated his hyung’s earlier question, but with so much enthusiasm that Jimin couldn’t help but spill the beans. How could he deny the maknae anything when he looked at him with stars in his eyes like that, almost as if he couldn’t believe how brilliant his brother was?

“I bought the largest, most ridiculously elaborate cat tower I could find online and assembled it together with her,” he divulged, grinning triumphantly as he explained his masterplan.

Both his brothers gasped, and he could hear the cogs turning in their heads. “No, you can’t also get cat towers,” he deadpanned, knowing that if he didn’t, they would do exactly the same thing.

“Why not?” Taehyung sulked.

“Because she has one cat and his cat tower already takes up one entire wall of her living room,” Jimin explained, snickering. “Find your own thing,” he snapped.

“You’re such a mean brother,” Taehyung whined.

Jimin shrugged. “You had a head start, bro,” he pointed out. “You were the one who found her.” He could barely keep a straight face as he pointed it out, waiting for the inevitable explosion.

“She hates me because of that!” Taehyung fairly yelled, frowning even harder now.

“Well, you tried to drain her,” Jungkook pointed out reasonably. “You can’t possibly expect her to be rolling out the red carpet for you.”

Taehyung flipped over onto his stomach and screamed into his pillow in frustration, flailing a little. “You come into my room, wake me up in the middle of the day -” he muttered angrily.

Ignoring his continued ranting, Jimin grinned at Jungkook. “Do you want to hear about Y/n and her cat?” he offered the maknae.

Predictably, Taehyung fell silent. Irritated as he might be with his brothers, he did want to listen. Jimin, knowing that he had the undivided attention of the other two vampires in the room, launched into a spectacular and almost certainly exaggerated tale of his time with you today, while his audience lapped up every word.

He left out the part about the gardens outside, because he knew that if he didn’t, all of them would be camped out in the gardens until you decided to show up, which would be extremely strange and probably scare you back into your room for good. Sometimes, his brothers were really too much.

As it turned out, he didn’t need to wait long at all. The next morning, after rising at six am (what? A lifetime habit of waking up before the sun rose for training, or going to bed in the early morning after a night of patrolling, made it difficult to keep to a normal sleep schedule), you pulled your coat and boots on over your pajamas and got ready to go out.

“Come here, baby,” you called Injeolmi, opening the door. He’d never been allowed to leave your room back at the Guild since pets were ‘a sign of weakness’, according to Master Bang, but now that you were here, you could do whatever you wanted. And what you wanted was to give your Norwegian forest cat a taste of what winter air was like. You were sure he’d love it; you’d spent many hours looking at videos of his brethren enjoying the cold air and snow.

He just cocked his head at you, slightly confused. “Come on,” you repeated, kneeling. He ran to you automatically, and you gathered him up in your arms, before leaving your room and shutting the door after you.

“You’re a chubby little chonk, aren’t you, baby boy?” you told him as you wandered down the hallway. He didn’t respond, but looked up at you, and you took that as confirmation that he was, in fact, paying attention to you, and continued talking to him as you tried to figure out how to get to the gardens. Maybe you should have asked Jimin for help, but that ship had sailed now, and it couldn’t be that hard to find an exit to this freaking mansion.

Finding a small spiral staircase at the end of the hallway, you made your way down, pleasantly surprised to find yourself in what appeared to be servants’ quarters. “There has to be some sort of exit here, right?” you mumbled to yourself, readjusting your grip on Injeolmi.

Finally, after some lost wandering (and serious consideration to breaking a window or something just to get out of the building) you found some sliding glass doors that opened to the gardens. The moment you pushed it open, Injeolmi chattered happily at the new sensation of the cold air rushing through his fur, and you smiled at him bemusedly as you bent over to put him on the ground.

Excited now, he ran off to explore some bushes, and you followed at a more sedate pace, keeping an eye on him to make sure he didn’t hurt himself. The sun was starting to rise now, since you’d taken so long to find your way out of the maze-like halls of the mansion, and you had to admit that the garden really was pretty, bathed in the pink and orange glow of the sunrise.

Based on what you knew about vampires, they were incredibly sensitive to even the faintest sunlight, so you expected to be alone this morning. It was why you hadn’t bothered arming yourself before you left your room, something you regretted immensely when you rounded a corner and saw the tall vampire crouched before a giant rose bush.

Namjoon could hear you the moment you opened the sliding doors, of course, but didn’t want to confront you or make you feel uncomfortable by announcing his presence prematurely, so he’d continued his gardening. Plus, of course, he was used to having this time to be alone with his precious plants, and he figured if you didn’t cross paths with him today… well, there’d be other opportunities.

As he looked over at you, however, he wondered if that had been a miscalculation. You looked at him like you’d seen a ghost, your eyes almost bugging out of your head as you gaped at him. Really, not the most attractive expression, but he still thought you were immensely adorable, and in different circumstances he might have come over to kiss your cheek.

“Good morning,” he greeted, standing up and brushing soil off his pants.

“Yes, good morning,” you murmured in response, collecting yourself, though you were still frowning. He ached to smooth that crease in your brow.

You were abruptly feeling very vulnerable standing in front of a vampire without any of your weapons, so you fiddled with the sleeve of your puffy jacket, your gaze sliding over to where Injeolmi was still sniffing curiously at some bushes. Really, you thought, his lack of reaction to the vampire standing in front of him was very out of character, considering how wary he’d been of Jimin yesterday.

The silence stretched out awkwardly, until Namjoon finally couldn’t take it anymore and asked, “What brings you out here this early?”

You shrugged. “I wanted to let Injeolmi explore,” you explained, your eyes drifting back over to your cat, who was having the time of his little life, really.

“Right…” Namjoon responded, not really knowing how to carry on the conversation.

“Jimin told me about the gardens yesterday,” you explained, unexpectedly throwing him a bone.

“Yeah?” he asked, looking pleased. The gardens were his pride and joy – he’d need to thank Jimin later for sending him this unexpected gift.

“Yeah, he wasn’t exaggerating, too. The gardens are really pretty,” you said, looking around.

Namjoon’s chest puffed up – he couldn’t help it. “Thank you,” he said.

Your gaze shot back to his. “You did all this?” you asked, gesturing at the garden in general.

He nodded proudly, looking around. It really was spectacular, he thought, looking at the various plants, bushes and trees he’d cultivated and pruned. Different parts of the garden had different themes – this was a rose garden, like they had in Victorian movies in the West, and in another corner there was a Japanese-inspired Zen garden, and in yet another part, a small replica of the gardens at the Forbidden City in China and so on.

He took you on a tour of the gardens, showing you as much as he could before the sun grew too strong and he had to retire. You were suitably impressed by his work, something that made him feel warm and fuzzy inside. You collected your cat, who’d decided to take a nap on a patch of grass, and he walked you back to your room since you confessed that you were likely to get lost again attempting to return.

“Namjoon-ssi?” you said as you walked side by side quietly.

“Hmm?”

“I think it’s really impressive that you managed to cultivate such a massive and diverse garden,” you complimented him.

He flushed, ducking his head at the praise. “It was nothing. I’ve had a very long time to do it,” he brushed aside your compliment, looking embarrassed.

“Still,” you persisted. “It really is something.”

“Thank you, sweetheart,” he said, the term of endearment rolling off his tongue as smoothly as water.

You blinked at him, wondering if you’d heard him correctly. Then again, he was a lot older than you, right? Maybe it was just one of those things, you shrugged off.

“Have a good rest,” you bade him goodbye at your door. He nodded and smiled as you returned to your room to wash Injeolmi’s paws, waiting for you to shut the door behind you before he leapt around in excitement, punching the air with his fist.

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captainmeowvelwrites · 4 years

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You Times Two (Ch.6)

Pairing: Marinette/Ladybug | Adrien/Chat Noir Words: 4502 Summary: Ladybug knew this was necessary. She was the Guardian. He had the Cat Miraculous. But when his suit evaporated in a glow of pale green, she sure hadn’t expected him to have something far more precious: her heart. Cross-posted: AO3 and FFN

Chapters: 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | ...

Recap: Previously, on You Times Two… Our infuriating bean's gone and done it now. He asked Kagami out. And our favourite superheroine, bless her heart, decided pursuing Luka isn't such a selfish idea, despite Mr Whisker's recent unveiling as Mr Hotstuff. But of course, the calm waves of clarity lasted for all of two seconds, when light-hearted Ladynoir dove down to ow-my-heart Ladrien. Our boy hasn't gotten his lady. And our bug's still without her kitty. But at least they had cake, and that's what truly matters. What will Sunshine Boy do with his lady's kind words? And how will our silly bug fare after that little moment they shared? Read on, my fellow Miraculers, and purrhaps you'll find out.

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Chapter Six

Adrien dove onto his bed, the springs squeaking beneath his weight. He felt five degrees warmer, like his joy was some tangible thing, its warmth spreading through his veins, right to his fingertips.

He whirled onto his back and gazed at the high ceiling, all too aware of the grin that filled his face. He'd bet all nine of his lives it'd been there for most of patrol, given the way his cheeks ached.

And boy, did he welcome the sensation.

It meant he wasn't dreaming.

Hadn't been dreaming.

Not when she'd cracked those purrfect puns.

Not when she'd said all those wonderful things.

Not when she'd accepted him, all of him.

If somehow he was dreaming, then clichés be damned, he never wanted to wake up.

Adrien drummed his fingers against the silk sheets of his bed. As terrible as it sounded, he almost hoped for an akuma, for a way to unleash all this energy, for a chance to see her again.

For a chance to be seen again.

Not as Adrien Agreste, the well-mannered model.

Not as Chat Noir, the boisterous superhero.

Just as him.

Loud chomps echoed off the marble tiles of his bathroom, where Plagg, of course, had taken up residence in a basket of dirty laundry.

"You're such a pig, Plagg," he called, rolling his eyes. "Are we not even gonna talk about what happened tonight?" Because, geez, he needed to get this out of his system.

Plagg's tiny head popped out from a sea of clothes. "You wanna talk about tonight? You mean"—mirth coated his every word—"how you're keeping your options open, Mr Heartbreaker?"

Adrien lurched upright on his bed. "I – What?" His hands twisted around his sheets. "No way, Plagg." His voice sounded drier than two-week-old toast. "I'm… I have a date with Kagami tomorrow. I've ordered roses, booked a nice rooftop – way harder than you'd think, by the way. It's all planned out!"

Plagg drifted over, half a wheel of Camembert clasped between his paws. "Oh please," he groaned, plonking his tiny butt on the mattress. "You just spent ten minutes smiling at the ceiling."

Adrien tensed, guilt writhing in his chest. "I – I wasn't—"

"This ain't my first rodeo, kid." He downed the rest of his cheese, and garbled, "I know a lovestruck kitty when I see one."

Adrien twisted his arms across his chest, a line forming between his brows. He was well aware that, just as there'd been other Ladybugs, there'd been other Chat Noirs. He didn't know much more than that, his main source of information being the Ladyblog. Plagg had never been the sentimental sort, after all.

Still, Plagg's words clung to his mind. Was he referring to a previous time he'd pined over Ladybug? Or perhaps a former black cat?

Adrien looked at his kwami, who'd since retrieved another wheel of Camembert from his minifridge. "Plagg, is this normal?"

Plagg looked up from his spot on the bed. "Huh?" He bit a big chunk of cheese off the wheel. "Whataya talking about?"

Adrien chewed the inside of his cheek. "Is it normal for Ladybug and Cat Miraculous Holders to… have… love dramas, I guess?"

Plagg shrugged. "Ehh. It happens." He stretched across the bed, not unlike an actual cat, and dragged out a yawn. "It's not that surprising, really. Yin and yang. Opposites attract. That kinda stuff."

Adrien's eyes sunk to his sheets, and he absently smoothed any creases in sight.

Yin and yang…

When it came to relationships, Adrien had no basis for comparison. Still, he was familiar with the concept. If he wasn't, his Chinese tutor – a middle-aged man with a rather impressive moustache – would probably berate him to no end. The man often threw tidbits of Chinese history and culture into their one-on-one lessons.

Adrien gripped his chin, eyes drifting to the ceiling.

Come to think of it, Master Fu had mentioned the concept too, when he'd visited that Syren akuma.

"Tell me, Adrien"—a smile slid across the Guardian's thin lips—"are you familiar with yin and yang?"

Adrien gazed at the container in his palms, filled with a rainbow of assorted cheeses. "I, uhh… Of course, Master." He looked up from the box, meeting Master Fu's gaze. "But… why do you ask?"

Master Fu reached for Adrien's hand, and grazed a wrinkled thumb across the surface of his ring. "One cannot exist without the other." His tone, like his face, turned solemn. "Always remember that."

One cannot exist without the other…

Was that to say he and Ladybug were like yin and yang?

Push and pull?

Two halves of a whole?

He supposed that wasn't exactly inaccurate.

Ladybug creates, she takes the lead, and she's almost always careful.

Chat Noir destroys, he follows, and at times, he's reckless.

And of course, the comparisons flowed deeper still.

Adrien threw his legs over the side of the bed, elbows propped on his knees. "Opposites attract," he breathed to himself.

Plagg peered up from the cheese in his lap. "What was that?" he managed through a generous mouthful.

Adrien shook his head. "Never mind." His shoulders slumped.

Ladybug didn't share his feelings. If opposites really did attract, shouldn't that be the case?

He frowned, taunted by words his kwami had uttered just minutes ago. As much as he hated to admit it, Plagg was right. He was still gushing over Ladybug—but what was the point?

Yes, she was undoubtedly amazing.

Yes, she was one of his dearest friends.

Yes, she'd said all those lovely things to him.

But none of that changed the way she felt about him, nor how she felt about that unnamed boy.

And it didn't change the fact he had a date with Kagami tomorrow.

Adrien pursed his lips. With thoughts like these running rampant in his mind, was it really so wise to be pursuing Kagami?

He hoisted himself off the bed, a strained sigh escaping his lips. "Plagg?"

"What's up, kid?" the kwami called, still lazing on the bed.

Adrien's hands curled into fists as he marched toward his open window. "I just – I need to think, that's all."

Plagg groaned, sagging into the mattress. "Don't tell me we're going out again?"

"You and I both know I think a lot better out there than I do in here." He held up his hand, his ring gleaming in the overhead lights. "Plagg, claws out!" In a flash of pale green, leather slid up Adrien's body—and instantly, he felt lighter, freer, himself.

His tail billowed behind him as he leaped into the window frame, and scanned the shimmering cityscape. A waxing moon hung above, its milky glow dimmed by the shadows of wandering clouds. And past the high, brick wall ahead, steel lampposts illuminated a quiet street, no spectators in sight.

With no destination in mind, Chat Noir vaulted off his window and into the Parisian night.

---

The drone of late-night traffic coated the cool, evening air, as Marinette spritzed her potted plants and hummed a merry tune. She'd been grinning like a goof since downing cake with her kitty. And boy, had it been nice – wonderful, in fact – to just chill out, crack puns, and discuss mundane things.

His favourite meal was sausages with mashed potatoes, something his mother had often cooked before personal chefs came into the picture.

His favourite video game, to her surprise, wasn't Ultimate Mecha Strike III, but Mario Kart 8 Deluxe. And he'd claimed Rainbow Roads was his favourite track, to which she'd of course questioned his sanity.

As for his favourite subject, that spot went to Physics. He'd even considered making a career out of it (when she'd asked about his modelling, he'd merely said that wasn't where his passions lay).

He'd described his favourite colour as bluebell, specifically. And in the moments that followed, as Chat Noir had gazed into her eyes, her heart had transformed into a dancing candlewick, melting beneath the warmth of that… utterly breath-taking smile.

With a wistful sigh, Marinette crossed her arms atop her balcony railing, spray bottle still clutched between her fingers. Fortunately, he'd left her to ask most of the questions. Her identity was still a secret and tonight, he'd seemed more or less okay with that.

She knew that wouldn't last. Her kitty was stubborn, something she was painfully aware of, and it was only a matter of time until talk of her identity resurfaced. After all, Chat had made a fair point. What if something happened to her?

At that, memories of a fragmented moon flashed through her mind. What if she revealed her identity and something happened to him?

And what of Kagami? Adrien was clearly pursuing a relationship with her. Would unveiling herself as Ladybug come between that? Kagami was her friend, and as much as Marinette cared for Adrien, derailing what he had with Kagami wasn't really what she wanted.

No, she just wanted harmony.

And for Adrien to be happy.

Even if it wasn't with her.

Marinette heaved a sigh, slumping a little against the railing. Right now, she felt like the walking definition of "indecisive". With so many unknowns, how could she possibly make the right choice? What if she failed again and—

"Hello," came a hesitant murmur.

With a squeak, Marinette leaped back at record speed, juggling the spray bottle as though entangled in a game of hot potato. Once she had a steady grip on its handle, she lurched the plastic head toward the owner of that voice, finger on the trigger.

Green cat-eyes stared back at her, a flinch twisting the face of their owner.

She lowered her weapon, tension leaving her shoulders. "Chat Noir?"

He was perched on all fours atop a copper chimney cap. "Sorry, Marinette." He dropped to the balcony railing, just an arm's length away. "I didn't—"

"—mean to frighten me?" She offered a smile, one he returned in kind. "If I didn't know any better, I'd think you were doing this on purpose."

He chuckled. "This cat's not one for preying on mice. Promise." The slightest smirk he wore had her anticipating one of his infamous jests. "Speaking of which, that was quite the high-pitched squeak you did there." His smirk widened. "Purrhaps I should call you Marimouse from now on?"

She rolled her eyes. "It was one freak-out." Granted, her kitty had borne witness to a great many of her freak-outs… but he didn't know she knew that.

He snickered. "Well, I was also inspired by how you're Multimouse."

"Was Multimouse."

A faint chuckle was the only answer Chat gave her. With perfect poise, he seated himself atop the balcony railing, one leg drawn to his chest, the other dangling over the edge. He seemed to be getting comfortable. Did he plan to stay a while?

Marinette's mind drifted months into the past, and her smile grew. To think, it had been Adrien who'd dropped by her balcony that night. Adrien who'd gone out of his way to cheer her up. Adrien who'd confided in her about his love troubles.

That fact was ironic and sweet in equal measure.

Or maybe one part ironic, two parts sweet?

One part ironic, three parts sweet?

Or—

No, if she didn't stop now, she probably never would.

Marinette pressed her lips together, if only to bite back a laugh.

"So," Chat started, "it's a little late to be watering plants, isn't it?"

She didn't miss the slight, playful lilt in his voice. In fact, it had her lips quirking up at the corners. She set the bottle down on a weather-worn table and gripped her hips. "It's a little late to be scaring the pants off of unsuspecting girls, isn't it?"

He gave her a once-over, then flashed a smirk. "Speaking of which, nice pyjamas."

Marinette tensed, stealing a glance at her sleepwear. Of course, she'd reached for the dark blue ones with silhouettes of yellow cats. She jutted her nose into the air. "Just so you know, I got these before you came along."

"So, you like cats, huh?" His smirk stretched with his next words, "Cat say I blame you." He winked.

She groaned despite the grin that had slapped itself on her face. "What're you even doing here, Chat Noir?" With folded arms, she leaned against the railing and looked up at him. "Don't you have, like, more important things to do?"

Chat shrugged. "Nah. Not really." He stared skyward, any amusement now gone from his face. "I had some stuff on my mind and…" His eyes sunk to his leather-clad lap, a sigh sliding through his lips. "Let's just say, this cat hates being locked up with his thoughts."

Thoughts?

What thoughts?

Had Ladybug not reassured him as much as she'd believed?

Such questions lingered near the fringes of her mind, but prying answers out of him wasn't her place. Or rather, it wasn't Marinette's place.

"So," she drawled instead, "is this becoming, like… a regular thing? Late night visits to my balcony?"

Chat straightened where he sat. "Sorry." He reached for his staff, tucked above his tail. "I – I can—"

"No!" Marinette gripped his wrist before he could draw his staff, and he blinked down at her. "I didn't mean it like that. Really."

His eyes left hers, trailing the length of her arm to fall on her hand, still around his wrist.

Suddenly, she was all too aware of the wild hammering in her chest. Clearing her throat, she pulled that hand to her side, heat prickling her ears. "You're always welcome here, Chat Noir."

Chat smiled, resettling in his makeshift seat atop the railing. "Thanks, Marinette." He gazed at her, a familiar softness in his smile; one that slowly made its way to his eyes. "You're pretty great, y'know that?"

Marinette stared into those eyes—green, green, green—as vibrant as early spring. "So you are," she breathed, then shot ramrod straight. "I – I mean, so are you. I mean, it's – uh – the least I can do for – um – one of Paris' superheroes." She giggled, as strained as it was, and he gave a little chuckle in turn.

As a soothing silence washed over them, Marinette was reminded of the quiet, comforting lulls that often took place on their patrols, and her lips quirked up of their own accord. She glanced at her partner to find his sight set on some unseen thing. Whatever he was watching, the distance in his eyes showed he wasn't truly seeing it. Did being here, on her balcony, somehow help him to think?

She supposed that made sense. Being up here certainly helped whenever she had something on her mind.

"So," Marinette drawled, "did you, uhh… wanna talk about what's bothering you?"

He continued to stare into the distance. "It's… kinda complicated."

"Oh. Um – Fair enough." She managed a smile. "It's your private business and that's totally fine."

"No, it's not like that." He looked at her, his fingers laced around the steel fencing on which he sat. "It's just… kinda hard to explain, is all."

"Well, I've got time if you wanna give it a try." His eyes dropped, and hers followed the path they took. Only then did she realise her hand was atop his own, as though her inner-Ladybug had taken over, hoping to comfort her partner. She pulled it to her chest, red flushing her cheeks. "That is, uhh – maybe everything will make a little more sense – you know – if you put it into words?" She cleared her throat. "I mean, doing that helps me sometimes."

Chat bit his lower lip, something she shouldn’t have found so darn adorable during their current conversation. "I just… I guess, uhh…" He looked away, shrinking into his shoulders. "After what happened with Weredad, I… don't wanna make you uncomfortable with my"—he mumbled his next words—"love problems."

Marinette stilled. "Wait," she blurted out, "you're upset about love stuff?"

But wasn't he pursuing Kagami?

Oh no. Had her advice failed?

Wouldn't be the first time…

Or the second…

Or the—

"Sorry." He stooped his head low, his blond bangs skimming his mask. "Love stuff's probably all I ever seem to talk about, huh?"

"No, it's fine," she insisted, with a frantic wave of her hands. "Really. I mean, love is, umm… complicated like that."

"Yeah, tell me about it."

Marinette caught herself reaching for his hand again; the moment she realised, she reached for one of her pigtails instead. "And, umm – forget about Weredad. I'm totally past that. Promise." She re-propped her arms atop the railing, if only to stop herself from reaching for him again. "If you wanna talk, I'm all ears!"

Chat pursed his lips, his eyes travelling across the darkened sky, where stars glittered like soft flicks from a paintbrush. "Well, you see"—he spared a glance her way—"I'm kinda seeing this girl. She's smart, brave, really pretty. Strong-minded too." The makings of a smirk tugged at his lips. "Actually, she's a lot like Ladybug." He huffed with amusement. "Is that bad?" A rhetorical question, it seemed, as he gave her no time to even dwell on it. "We're not official yet, but she thinks we are and… well…" That tiny smirk vanished. Instead, his shoulders sagged in time with his tail.

Marinette's brows gathered. After more than a year of akuma-fighting alongside her kitty, reading his body language was usually kitten's play. Now was no exception. "It almost seems like�� you don't want to be official?"

His cat-ears drooped. "I don't know. I mean, I thought I did, but… you know how I feel about Ladybug."

A gasp lodged itself in her throat.

Oh no. This was about this evening, wasn't it?

It had to be.

But God, he'd just been so terribly down on himself and she'd needed to put a stop to it. Confusing him hadn't been her intention. Quite the opposite!

Chat's sigh thrust her from those thoughts. "I know she's in love with someone else. She has every right to be. It's just… hard, y'know?" This time, when he huffed, she got the sense it was from self-frustration more than anything else. "I keep thinking I'm getting over her”—he threw a hand through his mussed locks—"but then I see her at patrol and suddenly, it's like I'm falling for her all over again."

Marinette stared at her partner, a sharp pang in her heart.

She hated how true those same words rang for her; hated how she couldn't just tell him; hated how fiercely she wanted to.

But damn it, she couldn't. Not like this, for personal gain.

Yes, she returned his feelings – understatement of the century – and sure, revealing her identity and announcing her ginormous crush could fix Adrien's entire dilemma—but unveiling herself over something like this? That wasn't a guardian thing to do at all.

No, she'd just be cracking open a heaping silo of worms, and making more mistakes was something she just could not risk!

Once again, Chat continued, completely unaware of the frantic turn her thoughts had taken. "The second I saw Ladybug tonight, everything else just… melted away. It always does." His words were tender, brimming with affection, yet there was this heart-jerking ache about them. "She said such wonderful things to me, about me. I thought I was gonna explode."

Marinette pursed her lips—partly to hide the way they quivered, partly to stifle a strangled cry of – of what, exactly?

Joy?

Guilt?

Frustration?

Or perhaps desperation?

Was this what he'd meant about exploding?

"She—" Chat's voice cracked. "She even told me I was enough. No. More than enough." A ghost of a smile eased across his lips. "I don't think anyone's told me that since…" He chuckled, though it was harrowingly hollow. "Well, it's, uhh... been a long time."

Marinette was sure his grip on the railing had tightened. And was it a trick of the light or was he tearing up? He looked her way and the moment their eyes met, she had her answer. Just when she'd thought he couldn't tug her heartstrings any harder, the shaky smile he revealed proved her horribly wrong.

God, she hated this! All the lies and the secrets. The tiptoeing and half-truths.

It just wasn't fair. None of it.

Not on him.

Not on her.

They were a team.

How could they be their best with something so suffocating in the way?

Tears glossed her vision and suddenly, Chat Noir was no more than a flurry of shapes and colours. She looked away, avoiding his gaze, and smeared tears from her eyes with the back of a trembling hand.

“Oh no…”

Marinette heard faint steps upon wood. He must’ve swept from the railing to his feet.

“Did – Did I do that?" His hands eased onto her bare shoulders, their warmth radiating through her skin despite the leather gloves. "Marinette, I'm so sorry!"

How?

Just… Just how?

How was he so kind and selfless and utterly beautiful?

How could he suffer so silently, yet still find the strength to give others so much of himself?

Had she been transformed, she might've tackled her kitty in a fervid embrace. Her fingers twitched, yearning to pull him close, to comfort him as much as he did her, to give something of herself for once.

Instead, her jaw clamped in place as she fought back a guttural sob, and threw him the most convincing smile she could muster. "No, no," Marinette insisted, rubbing her reddening eyes. "It's not you. I'm just – Uh. The wind's a bit cold, that's all." She pointed up, as though the wind was some tangible thing. "It just – um – made my eyes sting. You know how those pesky breezes can be on your peepers!"

Chat rushed his hands up and down her bare arms. "I'm so sorry, Marinette." He scanned her balcony, as though hoping for a blanket to appear from thin air. "This suit sort of acts like a wind-protector, so I—"

"It's okay, Chat," said Marinette, a smile painting her lips. "I'll just consider this an excuse to have hot chocolate before bed."

He stilled at those words, and that soft smile was back—so Adrien, so Chat Noir, so him. "Well, when you put it like that." His smile spread. "Anyway, I should probably be going." His hands slid from her shoulders, one withdrawing his staff. "That hot chocolate of yours won't brew itself." He winked, and on light feet, took two steps toward the far end of her balcony.

"Chat Noir!"

Marinette grabbed his hand, and he stilled instantly, those green eyes watching her from over one shoulder. She pursed her lips, staring at her bare feet. "Umm… About this love stuff…" Warmth spread up her fingers, and she realised she hadn't released his hand. Her eyes reunited with his, pink grazing her cheeks, and she pulled her hand to her chest. "This – uh – might come as a surprise"—her insides writhed at the agonising truth of her next words—"but believe me, I know just how you feel."

Shock dusted his eyes. "You… You do?"

Marinette nodded, the movement slow and rather stiff. "So there are these two really smart, really kind, really cute guys – both amazing in their own special ways – and, well"—warmth crept across her face—"I really care about both of them, but I guess… deciding between them is like pulling teeth – worse than that, even." Her lips quaked. "It's just hard," she whispered, her brows furrowing. "Really hard."

Chat faced her completely, another smile gracing his full lips. "They're really lucky, you know"—her heart picked up the pace, throbbing madly in her eardrums—"to have a girl as amazing as you caring so much about them."

Had…

Had Adrien just said…

Marinette pinched her wrist, and the fleeting pain that brought with it had her choking back a squeal. "I – Uh —" Her mouth opened and closed as though she'd been born a goldfish. "Tha – Thank you," she eventually stammered, before sucking in a slow breath.

If she didn't keep her cool, she might do something stupid.

Like shatter his eardrums with a squeal.

Or call him Adrien.

Maybe kiss him.

No no no no.

That train of thought needed to stop pronto!

What… were they talking about again?

Remembrance flashed in her eyes. "But, uhh – about those girls." Her fingers drummed against her clothed thighs, the silk material smooth against her skin. "Those girls being – um – Ladybug and – uh – unnamed, mystery girl." She cleared her throat. "I'm sure they both care a lot about you, but at the end of the day, you've gotta do what's right for you." Her smile came easily, something she was immensely grateful for. "So, Chat, I say go for the girl that makes you happy."

He closed the gap between them, and Marinette hoped he wouldn't notice the goosebumps that blanketed her skin. If he did, she was totally blaming the wind again.

Of course, his hands found their way back to her shoulders. "Thank you, Marinette." He gazed into her eyes, and she wondered how a stare could possibly be so soft and intense at once. "You've helped me far more than you'll probably ever know."

Oh, the irony. It only powered the smile that lined her lips. "It was the least I could do," she said, echoing words he'd spoken all those months ago. By the look in his eyes, Chat seemed to understand.

He took two soundless steps back, extending his staff. "All right. I should probably scat before you get hypopurrmia."

Marinette snorted. "I think that second pun might've been pawshing it." She held her thumb and index finger parallel to each other and added, "Just a litter bit."

Chat stuck out his tongue. Like, actually stuck out his tongue. And Marinette wasn't sure if she'd ever seen him do that—in or out of the mask. "Thanks, Marimouse"—he showed a smirk and a two-fingered salute—"for being such a pawsome furend."

Why did she get the feeling he'd made those last two puns just to tease her?

He leaped onto the balcony railing, beaming when he glanced back at her. "Have a great evening, okay?" With a chuckle, he rubbed the nape of his neck. "And enjoy that hot chocolate!"

"Enjoy your evening too," she said with a wave. "And don't be a stranger, okay?"

With a nod and another of his classic, heart-warming smiles, Chat Noir leaped off the railing. The whir of his stick slowly faded, and Marinette watched as that unmistakable silhouette jumped from building to building, the light of nearby lampposts bouncing off his leather suit.

Only once he'd disappeared into the night did Tikki emerge, floating up to her face to nuzzle her cheek. With one finger, Marinette rubbed her kwami's tiny head. "Thanks, Tikki." She stared after her kitty and heaved a lengthy sigh. "What am I gonna do?"

#ml fic #miraculous ladybug #you times two #adrinette #marichat #ladynoir #ladrien

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frostedpuffs · 7 years

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A Simple Suggestion - Ch.5

A Simple Suggestion Summary: Breaks from patrol often allow time for Ladybug and Chat Noir to talk and be themselves. But when a silly joke starts to seem all that…well, not silly, the two find themselves considering something neither of them had ever before: moving in together. The tricky part is still keeping their identities a secret. Rated: T+ Pairing(s): Ladybug/Chat Noir, Adrien/Marinette

Chapter 5 - A Deal Word count: 6,192 Also read on: ao3

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Finding out that the beautiful apartment she'd had her hopes set on had been taken was disappointing, to say the least.

With a sigh, Marinette flopped down onto her bed and frowned deeply into her pillow. She couldn't believe it. She and Chat had been so ready to move, and they had been sure that apartment had been the one for them...but they had acted too late.

Someone else—whoever that person, or people, may be—had beaten them to the punch.

She and Chat Noir really should have sealed the deal sooner. While they both were still so new to the whole apartment-hunting business, Marinette really hadn't expected their apartment to go to soon.

(Well, it wasn't "theirs." It never really had been.)

Chat Noir had done his best to comfort her. She was still sad, though. It really had been perfect.

The apartment was large with a homey feel, had a beautiful garden terrace and two bedrooms big enough to keep her sewing supplies and a queen-sized bed, as well as being in a safe location with a view overlooking the Seine. All of those were nice qualities, of course, but her favorite attribute of the apartment was its spacious living room with floor-to-ceiling windows. She could imagine herself sitting on the couch, sketching and listening to her favorite music as sunlight streamed in like golden wisps of warmth onto the hardwood floor...

She daydreamed about it extensively. What it would be like to live there, to wake up in the morning and open the burgundy curtains to a view of the sunrise over the city. She would make a pot of coffee for her and Chat Noir. Maybe she'd even pick up breakfast at her parent's bakery and bring it home for them to share because they made the best pastries. Perhaps she'd do some yoga in the living room—there was certainly enough space—and after she could take a shower in one of the two pristine bathrooms before spending the day relaxing on the terrace.

Continue reading on ao3 or under the cut! ↓

Marinette's heart sunk as she remembered that she wouldn't be able to live those fantasies in that perfect apartment. It was gone; taken; occupied. Not theirs. A whimper of disappointment rose in her throat and slipped from her lips before she could suppress it.

(Marinette wouldn't admit it to Chat Noir, but she had cried on the way home. Just a little bit.)

"I'm so mad," she muttered to nobody in particular. "How could we be so—so stupid?"

"What do you mean?" Flitting over to rest on her shoulder, Tikki's tiny mouth turned downward, paw stroking the top of Marinette's head. Her indigo eyes softened at the sight of her Ladybug in distress.

Marinette turned on her back to stare at the ceiling. "The apartment. The one that was so perfect. We should have just taken it the moment we saw it. Now somebody else owns it and… and I'm still here!"

"Marinette, it's okay," Tikki told her. "You and Chat Noir will find another place just as special. And, if it doesn't seem special at first, you two can make it that way."

"You're sweet, Tikki."

"Besides," Tikki continued. "Wasn't that apartment over budget? I know you weren't happy with the idea of Chat Noir paying more per month than you."

Marinette hummed in thought, chewing on her bottom lip as she mulled over her reply. "You're right," she said. "I'd forgotten about that. I would have ended up feeling so guilty."

Even if Chat Noir insisted that he didn't mind paying more, Marinette did. She didn't want to live in a place where he fronted most of the money. She'd feel like a freeloader.

"It was farther away from your parents' house, too." With a stretch of her legs, Tikki curled up into a ball on Marinette's pillow and nestled into a more comfortable position. "I know it was beautiful, Marinette, but I think it was a good thing you didn't get that one. In the end, things would have been harder for you."

Tikki had a point. Although the apartment had seemingly been the best choice, perhaps, Marinette thought, she had been blinded by its appearance. The rent was horrendously expensive compared to her monthly earnings, and the distance between her work and back would have been difficult due to the fact that she was yet to own a car, and using Ladybug as a transportation method wasn't something she liked to do often.

Besides, she didn't want to rush into things. She and Chat still had a lot to figure out, and signing a lease on the first apartment they came across was a little risky. There would be others, and Marinette definitely wanted to have the opportunity to tour and look around them before they made a final decision. How she and Chat Noir would do that, she wasn't sure yet, but…

Well, they'd find a way. They always did.

"Thanks for the advice, Tikki," Marinette said, tickling under her companion's chin. Tikki giggled in response.

With a smile on her face that was much more relaxed than it had been an hour prior, Marinette sat up and stretched her arms high above her head. It was late; after she and Chat had discovered their apartment was occupied, patrol had resumed. It went on for a lot longer than Marinette had expected, but she blamed the bad news for her sluggish behavior. Now, it was nearing midnight, and she had an eight A.M. class in the morning.

(She wanted to be annoyed at Chat Noir for being so nice and fun to spend time with, but she couldn't find the will to be. He made her feel like she never wanted their patrols to end.)

She hauled herself out of bed with an apology to Tikki for stirring her. Changing into a pair of pajamas and speeding through her nightly routine of teeth brushing and face washing, Marinette slipped right back under her duvet just as the clock struck twelve, the comfort of her bed familiar and welcoming. As she nuzzled her face into her pillow, she sighed. Tomorrow was another day.

"I hope we find something that'll be nice to live in," Marinette said, thinking out loud.

Tikki lifted her head from Marinette's pillow and smiled encouragingly. "Wasn't there a smaller apartment? I remember there being another that was your second choice."

With an intense yawn that made the corners of Marinette's eyes prick with tears, she nodded in recollection, eyes widening and heart skipping a beat from excitement. "Right!" she exclaimed. "I'd forgotten about that, Tikki. It was small, but… nice. There was definitely enough room for the both of us if we squeezed. Only one bathroom, though…"

"You can take turns," Tikki offered.

"The kitchen was super tiny," Marinette continued. "But that's okay because Chat's told me before that he has no idea how to cook, so I'll really be the only one using it on a daily basis. It didn't have a washer or dryer, but I think there's a laundromat around the corner…"

Tikki's voice became quieter as she began to drift off to sleep. "That's good, Marinette."

"...it did seem really cozy. Comfortable, almost."

"So you like it?"

After a moment of deliberation, Marinette nodded. "Yeah," she said, fluffing up one of her pillows and turning onto her side, head resting on her forearm. "Yeah. It's only twelve minutes away, too, and in a nice part of town right next to a park. I could take walks there. It's close to my work, too, and rent would be cheaper." A grin split her face as she closed her eyes, images of a small apartment adorned by homey decorations and warm lighting filling her head. "I'm sure it'll be just fine."

Tikki mumbled a sleepy reply, but Marinette didn't quite catch it. She was too busy fidgeting with excitement, because tomorrow—tomorrow, she would tell Chat Noir about the other apartment, and they'd make it theirs if he was willing.

Theirs. The word echoed in her head over and over again.

They would own their own place. A home where she could live with the one person she trusted more than anyone else in the world. They could stay up late watching movies on weekends, eat ice cream straight from the tub, or play their favorite video games together. They could even build blanket forts or- or make dinner together as best friends. Heck, they could even sit in their pajamas all day without a care in the world. It would be like a never-ending sleepover with Chat Noir.

Part of Marinette was nervous about being around him nearly twenty-four-seven when they didn't know each other's identities, but she urged herself not to worry so much. She trusted Chat Noir, after all, and he'd never purposefully infringe on her privacy. Things would be okay. They were close friends; everything would work out just fine.

As she felt herself slipping into peaceful dreams, Marinette was positively beaming.

It was a rough day.

Nearly missing her first class that morning because her alarm hadn't gone off, Marinette had sat through her classes unable to focus due to thoughts of her and Chat Noir's apartment on the mind. She'd completely blanked during a quiz, found her stomach rumbling loudly during a lecture because she'd forgotten to eat, and had accidentally left her notes on the history of fashion at home when they were absolutely necessary for the day's assignment.

It was safe to say her morning had started out unpleasant, but she was determined not to let it get to her. Thoughts of meeting up with her partner later that night to tell him about her findings urged her to keep moving through the day with her head held high.

Marinette gave a brief glance at her phone to check the time as she walked down the street. It was one in the afternoon, past the usual time she ate lunch. With the added hunger from a breakfast forgotten, her stomach was growling up a hungry storm, and she couldn't wait to step inside the downstairs of the bakery to get a whiff of fresh bread and make some food for herself before she had to rush off to work.

The air was starting to get warmer. Marinette relished in the ability to wear skirts again after such a cold winter, and she was thankful the chilly weather had subsided for the season. Smiling up at the sunshine, she took in a long, deep breath and sighed, enjoying the way the rays of light warmed her skin. It was a beautiful day, really—the clouds were so puffy and white that Marinette wanted to transform just to get closer to them. If she tried hard enough, maybe she could even touch one.

The sky was so blue today. So blue and bright and dotted with white clouds. One in particular caught her eye and she grinned up at it, thinking it looked exactly like a ca—

"Woah!"

Stumbling into a broad chest, Marinette's arms flailed and her legs wobbled before she fell back towards the sidewalk. Blurs of light from staring at the sky filled her vision, and as an arm connected with the small of her back, she was left feeling weightless and dazed.

Had she tripped over something…?

"You might want to watch where you're going," a cheerful voice laughed, obvious mirth in the stranger's tone. "You're going to hurt yourself like that, Marinette."

Blinking to rid the circles from her gaze, Marinette swiveled her head up to stare at the figure as he brought her to her feet. It took her a moment to come to terms with where she was and who she was talking to, and as her eyes adjusted to the sight of tall, blond and handsome, her heart practically leaped out of her chest.

It was Adrien. Adrien Agreste; the boy she hadn't seen since Christmas and hadn't spoken to since their slightly-drunken conversation by the punch bowl.

"Adrien?" she asked, unable to suppress the surprise in her voice. Oh, god, she probably looked like the same old maladroit girl she was back in collége and lycée, staring at the sky and bumping right into him without a shred of awareness. Her cheeks reddened just from the sheer embarrassment of the situation.

Adrien beamed at her, his smile as bright as the sun that had temporarily blinded her. "Hey, Marinette. Long time no see, huh?"

His hand was still on her bicep. The contact felt nicer than she'd liked to admit.

(The small, touch-starved part of her didn't want him to ever let go.)

After a moment of staring Marinette figured it would be polite of her to answer, so she offered her hand in a wave. "Adrien! H-hi- hey! It's been forever! What are…" Oh god, she thought, his eyes are even greener than I remember. "...what are you doing on this side of town?"

It was odd for Adrien to be so close to the bakery. He was usually in different parts of the city during the day, sometimes even out of it completely for his modeling—that's what Nino said, anyways—so… what was he doing here?

Adrien went to play with the hairs on the nape of his neck. It was a tell-tale old habit of his that Marinette had picked up on years ago. "Ah, well," he said with a high-pitched laugh. "I was actually on my way to see you. You see, I have a silly favor to ask."

Marinette blinked. "A favor?"

What kind of favor would Adrien possibly need from her? They hadn't even spoken in five months. The only way she'd kept up with what he was doing was through Nino!

Somewhere deep inside of her, Marinette wanted to be annoyed that he just turned up out of nowhere to ask her for something, but he was just too damn cute to turn away. Besides, Adrien was the sweetest person she'd ever met in her life, and he'd never asked her for a favor before. If he was coming to her after they hadn't spoken in what felt like forever, well, it had to be something important, right?

Adrien opened his mouth to speak but promptly closed it as Marinette's stomach let out a plea for food. The sound had her blush deepening to a crimson, and she self-consciously placed a hand on her belly. It didn't seem to phase Adrien, though—he simply smiled and pointed a thumb towards the bakery doors. "You want to go inside?"

Marinette hadn't even noticed she'd made it home. With a nod, she led him around to the back door that led up to the apartment rather than taking him through the front. "Let's go this way. My parents would probably attack you with love and free pastries if they saw you."

Adrien laughed, and it was a gorgeous sound. "Is that such a bad thing?"

"Yes." Fishing her keys out of her pocket and unlocking the door, Marinette threw him a smile over her shoulder. "They'd fatten you up until you're rolling out the door and down the street. Too much of a good thing, you know?" The door opened, and Marinette found herself feeling light on her feet as Adrien held it for her. He was still such a gentleman after all the years they had known each other.

"Aw, there's no harm in that," Adrien countered, shutting the door behind him and following her up the stairs. "I could stand to gain a little pastry weight."

Your dad would kill you though, she thought bitterly. Just for that, she'd take out some cookies for him to eat upstairs. Maybe shove some in a bag for him to slip home for later.

"I'll sneak you some," Marinette said with a grin. "On the house."

Adrien touched a hand to his chest as they made it upstairs, his lips twitching into a grin. "How sweet."

Marinette paused in the middle of the doorway to look over her shoulder with a cocked brow. "Adrien, was that a pun?"

Adrien merely smirked, a chuckle causing his voice to waver as he said, "Maybe."

Marinette gave a playful roll of her eyes in response.

Things were quiet as she made her lunch. Adrien sat on the couch with one of his legs propped over the other, leisurely fiddling with his phone while Marinette did what she needed. She only had an hour before she had to leave for work, and she was thankful she could at least spend time with an old friend while she ate. Usually, she sat alone upstairs while her parents worked down below, passing the time by watching YouTube videos or chatting with Tikki. Adrien visiting was a nice way to mix things up—even if it was a tad awkward.

"So…" Marinette said as she sat next to him on the couch, a little farther away than what she would normally consider a friendly distance. "You had a favor to ask?"

Adrien looked up from his phone and pocketed it, hand retreating to the back of his neck as his eyes averted her own. It was like a switch had been flicked—he'd gone from relaxing on her couch in one moment to an anxious teenager the next. Marinette crossed her legs and placed a hand on her elbow (a habit she'd never grown out of), cocking her head to the side as she watched her friend mull over something that was obviously eating at him. It was like he was afraid to say whatever was on his mind; as if she would get upset at him or something like that.

"Adrien?" she asked after a silence that had been a little too long to be comfortable. "You okay?"

"Yeah," he said, but it was an obvious lie by the way his voice cracked. He cleared his throat before continuing. "I'm okay. I'm sorry, I just realized how rude of me it is to pop back into your life after not speaking to you for a while only to ask something from you. I didn't even think about that until now." His shoulders wilted and he looked positively deflated as Marinette gazed over him.

The sight caused her to want to reach out to him, and her fingers twitched from anticipated contact, but she refrained. He was right—it was a tad rude of him to do so, especially after they hadn't seen each other in months, but it was clear that hadn't been his intention. He was in need of something; whatever it was, Marinette wanted to help him. So what if it had been five months? They were still friends whether or not they were close anymore. She'd be willing to do anything for him so long as it was within reason.

Shaking her head, Marinette laid her hands on her lap to keep them from touching him. "Nonsense," she said. "It's okay, Adrien. It's nice to see you again and I don't mind giving you help if you need it. What is it?"

He was quiet. His eyes flickered to meet hers for a fleeting moment before they glanced away again, and he stuffed his hands in the pockets of his white hoodie in a motion that seemed self-conscious. Resting both feet on the floor, Adrien murmured, "I kind of messed up, and said something I shouldn't have, and now I'm in trouble."

Marinette's eyes widened and her voice caught in her throat. "Wh-what? Trouble?"

Adrien shook his head. "No, that's not right. I'm sorry, I worded that wrong." Leaning forward, he clasped his hands together and tapped his thumbs against themselves, thinking. "So, I'm moving out in a few weeks, right? And I go to tell my dad about it last night. The only problem is I'm moving out with someone I can't let him know about, so I sort of told him I was living with a friend of mine that he knows and likes. Which is good and all, because he believed it, but… Now he wants to meet her. But he can't do that because… Well." He squinted in thought, eyes pausing on her own. "Well, she has her reasons."

All Marinette could offer him was a confused stare. What on Earth was he talking about?

Seeming to catch on to her perplexity, Adrien sighed. "To put it simply, I'm moving out with a person my dad can't meet. So… I need someone to help me convince him I'm moving in with someone he can trust."

A bubble of anxiety began to stir within Marinette's chest. She was beginning to get a vague idea of where this was going and wasn't entirely sure how she felt about the whole idea just yet. "I'm sorry," she said, voice soft. "I don't want to sound rude, Adrien, but what does this have to do with me?"

Adrien visibly cringed. "About that," he said, shoulders hunching. "I… I panicked. I panicked and spat out the first name that came to my mind when my father asked who my roommate was going to be, and I…" As if to hide his face, he buried his face in his hands and groaned. "I said I was moving in with you. But I'm obviously not, so I-"

Marinette's eyes widened to the size of a dinner plate. "With me?" She felt speechless. While flattered she was the first person he thought of, her tongue fumbled to form words and her mind was reeling with the thought of how ironic this whole situation was. Adrien was moving out with someone his father couldn't meet, and she was doing the exact same thing—moving in with her partner whose identity had to remain a secret. It certainly made the whole "meeting the parents" thing difficult. Living with Chat Noir was something she'd been looking forward to, but she hadn't exactly thought out how she'd allow her parents to meet her roommate (if they would at all.)

"I know, I'm sorry," Adrien said, deflated. "I really screwed up and I understand if you're mad at me. I'm really sorry for coming over here, actually." Sitting up, Adrien combed his fingers through his hair and shot a quick glance at the door—a sign Marinette could interpret as his desire to leave. "It was so stupid of me to turn up here to ask this of you, and I'm really realizing that the more I talk about this. Fuck, Mari, I'm sorry-"

Marinette had missed that nickname.

As Adrien rambled on about how sorry he was, Marinette contemplated the idea. It wasn't a bad one, per se, just something she hadn't expected. She wasn't sure who the girl Adrien was moving out with was or why she needed to be kept a secret from his dad, but that wasn't any of her business. Truthfully, if she played along with Adrien's plan, it might end up working out in her favor as well. Surely if she pretended to be Adrien's roommate for the sake of his father, he could do the same for her?

"Adrien," she said, scooting closer to lay a hand on his arm. "Relax. It's not a big deal."

Adrien's viridian eyes sparkled with relief. "It's not?"

"No," Marinette laughed. It was kind of silly, actually. "Don't beat yourself up over it. It is a little crappy that you just sprung this on me out of nowhere, but I don't mind helping you out. Actually, I'm kind of in a similar situation. I'm also moving out soon."

"Yeah, I'm sorry about that," Adrien winced. But at the mention of her moving out, he perked up and asked, "Wait… Really? You excited?"

Marinette nodded. "Mhm." She crossed her legs and leaned back into the cushions of her couch, eyes resting comfortably on the ceiling. "Believe it or not, the person I'm moving out with is someone I have to keep secret from my parents, too. Not because they'd get mad or anything, but… Well, he has his reasons."

Adrien laughed as she tossed him a wink.

"Anyways," she continued. "I can't stand liars or being one myself, but I'll make you a deal: I'll convince your dad that I'm the person you're moving out with if you pretend to be the person that I'm moving out with. So then there'll be no questions and both our parents will think we're living together when we're really not. Sound good?"

Adrien merely nodded, taken aback by her response.

While the thought of lying to her parents (or anyone, really) was absolutely grating, Marinette knew she didn't really have much of a choice when her identity was at stake. Revealing herself to her parents was against the rules and incredibly dangerous; it wasn't worth getting upset over a little white lie when putting her parents jeopardy was far worse of an outcome.

"So?" Marinette held out a hand, pink-painted nails contrasting against Adrien's tanned skin. "We have a deal?"

"Yes!" Adrien exclaimed, his voice high-pitched and eyes bright. He grasped her hand firmly and gave it a shake so forceful that Marinette's whole arm was taken into the movement. "Yes, oh my goodness, thank you so much, Marinette. I promise I'll pay you back somehow. Y-you want to go to lunch or have me cover your rent for a month or something?"

"There's no need for that," Marinette said, lips curling upward into a smile. "You're already paying me back by telling a lie for me."

Adrien's grin reached his eyes, and the dimples on his cheeks became prominent as he teased, "Now there's a thought. Marinette Dupain-Cheng, telling a lie?"

Her expression flattened at his joke and she wanted to look displeased, but she couldn't find it within herself to suppress the grin that stretched across her face. "Keep making cracks like that, Agreste, and the deal's off."

"You'd do that to me?" he asked in mock offense. "But we're friends, Marinette. That hurts."

"Yeah, yeah." Marinette waved him off with a giggle—that was probably full of a little too much delight—and stood from her spot on the couch to sit at the dinner table, where her lunch sat on a plate. "So, when am I convincing your dad that I'm your new roommate?"

Adrien joined her at the table, sitting backwards on one of the chairs. "Not sure just yet. I'll probably have Nathalie set up a night where we can have dinner and allow you guys to get acquainted. It might not be for a while yet, but I'll try to get him to free up some time soon. I'm trying to get out as quickly as I can."

"In a big hurry?" Marinette asked. She took a bite of her food and her mood was immediately improved just from the taste alone; she hadn't realized how hungry she was until now.

"Sort of."

She swallowed her food before asking, "Why's that?"

Adrien offered a shrug, his expression hardening. "Ol' Père isn't any more fun to live with than he was when I was a kid. Guess I'm just so excited to finally have my own place with someone I love rather than spend my days alone at the manor."

With someone he- he loves?

That thought took Marinette by surprise. Though, she supposed it shouldn't have. Adrien was twenty, devilishly handsome with the soul of an angel—it was no shocker that he was in a relationship. She wanted to be jealous and a small part of her was, but she had to remind herself that she had no reason to be. Adrien deserved someone who made him happy. She would find someone someday who made her happy, too.

"It's nice that you're moving in with someone you care about," Marinette said, resting her sandwich back on the plate. "I'm excited that I finally get to move out too. Even though I've always loved living with my parents, they're so nosey! It's one of the reasons why I'm glad I'm getting my own place, especially with someone I trust more than anybody. It's a nice feeling, knowing you can live with somebody and not worry. A safe feeling."

Adrien nodded, voice breathy. "Yeah, I know what you mean. The girl I'm moving in with, she's like… My everything. And I'm so happy we're going to share a place together. It's all I've ever wanted, really." His cheeks heated to a light shade of red, and the corners of his eyes crinkled from how wide his smile grew. He was so happy, so excited; the joy to be living with someone he loved was clear on his face.

Marinette felt the joy radiating from him. It made her smile stretch across her face. All his life Adrien had done things for others without question, and now he was finally doing something for himself. His girlfriend—at least, that's who Marinette assumed she was—sounded like she made his life a wonderful experience, and he appeared absolutely radiant in that moment. Marinette's heart warmed at the thought of how much happier Adrien must be.

While she was a little sad they hadn't kept up with each other, she was glad they were getting to talk and catch up now. It was so nice just to hear his voice again.

"I'm glad you and your girlfriend get to have a place together," Marinette said sweetly. "It must be such a great feeling to be able to look forward to waking up next to the person you love every day. I'm so happy for you, Adrien."

Adrien let out a soft laugh. "Oh," he said, gaze lowering to the table as his cheeks became crimson. "That's sweet of you, Marinette, but we're not dating. Just really good friends. Thank you though."

"Oh!" Marinette blinked in surprise. Huh, funny… With the way he talked about her, it was like they'd been in love for years. Unless…

"Ohhhh," she said slyly, the truth dawning on her. "You like her, though."

The tips of his ears darkening, Adrien tried to scoff but whatever noise came out sounded weak and unconvincing. "Wha- no! No, I don't… I meant love as in, like, friendship-"

She gave him a flat stare, and Adrien submitted.

"Okay, okay, you got me," he sighed, holding his hands up in defeat. "But she doesn't know and I don't think I'll ever work up the guts to tell her."

"Why not?" With how dopey his smile got whenever he mentioned her, Marinette was sure there was no way in hell he would be able to keep that information private for long.

Clicking his teeth, Adrien shrugged, offering nothing more than a shake of his head.

"Adrien…" Marinette rested her cheek on her palm, smile knowing. Oh man, she didn't even need an answer. She could clearly remember how tongue-tied she used to get around him back in lycée when she was head-over-heels for his kind soul. "If you really love her, you gotta tell her."

Well, now you're just being a hypocrite, she thought to herself. Here she was giving Adrien advice she had never followed herself. For a brief second she wondered what things would have been like if she had confessed, but there was no use dwelling on the what-ifs. She didn't like him like that anymore, and that was okay.

Adrien gave another shake of his head. "Mm, I would, but… She doesn't like me that way."

"No?" Marinette asked. "How can you tell?"

"Well, we joke a lot," Adrien said. "I'm pretty sure I've dug myself a hole of 'flirting so much she thinks I'm joking' so deep that it's impossible for me to climb out of it at this point."

"You? Flirting?" Marinette laughed at the thought. She didn't think she'd ever seen Adrien flirt a day in her life. "I don't think I believe you, Adrien."

Adrien raised a brow with a quirk of the corner of his lips. "Well you see, Marinette, I'm very different around her. She knows me like nobody else."

Marinette could say the same for herself about Chat Noir. While she didn't love him romantically, she did love him as a best friend, and the way she acted around him was unlike the way she acted around anyone else. She was excited to live in the same space as him and to share her life with him—the most she could behind a mask, anyways.

"I understand that," Marinette said. "I'm like that with the guy I'm going to be living with. It's nice to have someone you can completely be yourself around."

Nodding, Adrien gazed at her with a warm smile on his face, and Marinette was about to offer to get him the pastries she'd promised when his phone buzzed.

"Shoot," he said as he read over whatever text was sent his way. "I'm sorry Mari, but I've gotta run. Got to meet a photographer in thirty minutes. I'll give you a call when I can get my dad to come for a dinner, though."

As he stood from his seat, Marinette nodded, standing with him. "Sounds good. You still have my number?"

With a quick flip through his contacts, Adrien held his phone up for her to see. "Yep. What nights are you usually free?"

"I always have Fridays off," she said. "Except for late Friday nights, because I usually meet Ch-" She clapped a hand to her mouth. Fuck, don't tell him you meet Chat Noir for patrols, stupid! "...meet up with a friend to hang out."

If Adrien noticed her slip-up, he didn't mention it. "Alright. I'll schedule it for one of the upcoming Fridays then." His phone buzzed once more and he glared down at it before shoving it in his pocket. "I'll see you around?"

"Definitely. Keep in touch, okay? I-" Marinette's face softened as she glanced away, pink dusting the edges of her cheeks. "I've missed you."

There was a pause. Adrien turned, irides glowing like a ray of sunshine and dimples showing as his grin grew three times its previous size. He stood still for a moment, and Marinette was sure he was going to return the sentiment before walking out, but instead he reached out and-

-and he hugged her.

He hugged her and it felt so nice that Marinette wanted to bury herself within his warmth. With his arms around her back and his body leaning forward because he was nearly a foot taller than her at this point, she swore that she'd never felt so light in her life. Clouds—she was on clouds. He smelled like heaven and she was on clouds.

(She wasn't sure why she was feeling so weird just from being hugged by him. Weird in a good way, but still weird.

She didn't like him like that anymore. She'd stopped ages ago when they drifted apart…

She didn't. She didn't, she didn't, she…

Oh, who was she kidding.)

As Adrien pulled away from the hug, he flashed her one of his smiles that she had grown to love so much over the years and patted her shoulder, his large hand encompassing it completely. Marinette's legs felt like jello.

"I'll text you, okay?" he said, turning the knob on the door. "I promise I'll do better at keeping in contact this time. We're going to need to if we're both helping each other out in this sticky situation."

Marinette nodded, letting out a faint, "Yeah."

"It was good to see you again, Mari." With a final squeeze of her hand, Adrien turned and walked out the door, calling over his shoulder, "I'll see you later!"

"Yeah," Marinette breathed. Her feet were glued to the floor.

Yeah.

When she watched him walk down the street from the upstairs window, she kicked herself for forgetting to give him the pastries she'd promised.

Marinette went to work that night feeling weightless and distracted. She had picked up a shift from her coworker at the local fabric shop she'd come to adore over the years, and was thankful it wasn't a long one—only five hours—so she could immediately transform the moment she clocked out.

She wasn't feeling like herself. Growing up with ADHD made her used to dealing with constant distraction, and by now she wasn't phased by the inability to focus at times, but this… This was different. This was very, very different.

She sorted fabric at a slow pace, hummed to herself as she cleaned the bathrooms (forgetting where she was in the middle of the task), and even managed to snag herself when she was cutting a strip of wool for a customer. She didn't notice the pain, though, and the blood that dripped from her fingertips was lazily cleaned ten minutes after the initial incision.

Her boss asked if everything was alright, and Marinette wasn't sure what to say. She didn't even know the answer to that question herself.

Alya had always told her that she fell in love too easily.

She had never expected herself to fall back in love just as quickly, though.

#ladynoir #adrinette #adrienette #ml fic #miraculous ladybug #my writing #my writings #miraculous #a simple suggestion #asimp #text post

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owlways-and-forever · 6 years

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A/N: Alright, another chapter, naturally later than I intended to post it. The good news is that the next (and final) chapter of this installment is already partially written and oh boy is it a whopper. Strap in for the feels guys, you won't want to miss this (though you might hate me for it afterward). Anyway, I hope you like this chapter! See you all next time!

*IMPORTANT: You may have noticed that the title of the story has been changed, and that’s because I’ve decided to break this story into pieces, since it’s already pretty long, and I want to avoid having one long, 100+ chapter, 1,000,000 word leviathan that takes 10 years to finish. I will absolutely be continuing the story, I’ve just decided to split it into four different “books”. And even though they’ll all be continuous parts of the larger Better Together ‘verse, they should be pretty much readable as standalone pieces too. So hooray to that! As for this particular “book”, there will 4 more chapters before I conclude and begin the next one. That’s all I’ve got to say right now! Go check out @thosemarauderboys where you can find some awesome edits that @ginnyweasiee has been making for this story!

PLEASE GO CHECK OUT THE BLOG FOR THIS UNIVERSE @thosemarauderboys. You can find fancasts of the characters (including OCs) to see what I imagine them looking like, plus fun facts about them, and I’m trying to update with like, images and stuff as well.

Read the previous chapters at the links below, on ff.net, or ao3.

Ch 1, Ch 2, Ch 3, Ch 4, Ch 5, Ch 6, Ch 7, Ch 8, Ch 9, Ch 10, Ch 11,Ch 12, Ch 13, Ch 14, Ch 15, Ch 16, Ch 17, Ch 18, Ch 19, Ch 20, Ch 21, Ch 22, Ch 23, Ch 24, Ch 25

Chapter 26: A Matter of Blood

To some surprise, the game for the Quidditch Cup ended up being between Hufflepuff, known for their technical skill and advanced moves executed flawlessly by senior players, and Slytherin, known for dirty playing and an uncanny ability to injure the star players on the opposing team. Almost everyone but the Slytherins were supporting Hufflepuff, and the stands were a sea of gold.

James, Sirius, Remus and Peter had wormed their way into the Hufflepuff section of the stands, so as to be in the thick of everything, and found themselves sitting next to some of the Hufflepuff first years. Remus was with to Georgiana Laurent, smiling and chatting quietly to each other, seemingly oblivious to the excited hordes surrounding them and paying hardly any attention at all to the game that was unfolding. Peter stood behind them with Gavin O'Neill, the two of them asking lots of questions and trying to understand what was going on, to varying degrees of success. Sirius and James found the company of Adrian Wells, who seemed to be as enthusiastic about quidditch as the two of them, despite having grown up in a muggle family. He didn't know all the nuance of the rules, but he cheered and taunted enthusiastically, and more than once reduced the other boys to fits of laughter.

It was a dirty game, as predicted, with Hufflepuff racking up the goals and Slytherin causing injuries left and right. When Caius Nott sent a bludger in the direction of Foxtrin Flint, catching him squarely in the stomach and knocking him clean off his broom, there was a roar of displeasure from the stands, and Madam Hooch blew her whistle sharply. They could practically hear her reprimanding Nott, and everyone seemed convinced he would be sent off, but it did not happen.

"Are you bloody insane?!" Adrian yelled, motioning to where Foxtrin was being helped off the pitch. "He'll have broken ribs from that wanker!"

Partha Patel put away the penalty shot with no difficulty, which only seemed to further incense the Slytherin team. Dolohov, the Keeper and Captain, called all the Slytherin players over, and seemed to encourage them to violence as he punched his fist into his hand. They were only down by 50 points, catching the snitch would win it for them, but Evan Rosier, the Seeker, seemed to be arguing with Dolohov that it couldn't be done. It earned him a slap to the head, and his cheeks darkened with rage. The huddle broke and the players soared in separate directions, ready to resume play.

The game grew increasingly filthy. Bilius Weasley was playing with a deep cut on his forehead that seemed to pour blood into his eyes, and his red hair was stained even darker crimson along his ears. Vortigurn Warwick was sent off when he tried to bite Tristan Downing, and Thracius Geary was given the same punishment when he sent a bludger hurtling towards Madam Hooch.

Rain had started to fall when Rosier suddenly began hurtling towards the Hufflepuff section of the stands. The snitch hung in the air about ten feet in front and above the stands, and for a moment it seemed as though Rosier was going to snatch a victory for Slytherin. But then Amarantha Cavendish saw his move, and had been patrolling the pitch closer to the Hufflepuff end than him, and she sped in the direction of the stands as well. It would be close, neck and neck, and the chants from all around to encourage Cavendish grew deafening. As Rosier stretched out his hand in front of him, Cavendish took advantage of his balance being thrown off, bowling into him and sending him sprawling off path. She course-corrected quickly and grabbed the snitch in her fingers, holding it up triumphantly as Madam Hooch blew the whistle. Rosier, however, had gone careening into the Hufflepuff sections, landing squarely in the midst of the students, who supported him begrudgingly. Caius Nott and Meirchion McCrae were heading toward them to collect Rosier, anger written clearly across their faces.

"Get your filthy hands off me, mudblood," Rosier sneered at Gavin, who was supporting his shoulder with some trepidation.

"What did you say?" Adrian and Sirius hissed simultaneously, pushing past Remus, Georgiana and Peter. Sirius looked like he was about to punch Rosier, and James grabbed his wrist in case he needed to be held back.

"I told the vile little creature to keep its grubby paws off of me," he spat, locking his steel grey eyes on Sirius. "And the same goes for you, blood traitor."

"I wouldn't touch you for all the gold in Gringotts," Sirius answered with a snide grin. "I wouldn't want to catch whatever disease you clearly have."

"How something as pathetic as you came from the likes of the Black Family I'll never understand," Rosier goaded. "I'm surprised mummy dearest hasn't had you disowned yet."

"You shut your mouth," Sirius snarled, his grin turning downward and his teeth bared in a look that was almost feral.

"Sirius, leave it," Remus urged quietly, placing his hand on his friend's arm.

"Good idea, listen to your little pet."

Sirius let out a growl and launched himself at Evan Rosier, wrenching his arm from James' grasp and clawing at Rosier's face. He pulled his arm back and punched the startled Rosier in the face, his fist connecting with bone with a sickening crunch. Evan recovered quickly though, and turned the tables of the fight, using his size to his advantage as he began to pummel Sirius. James and Adrian were quick to join in, but before either could land more than a few punches Meirchion McCrae and Caius Nott appeared, pulling the much smaller boys away and holding them fast. Nott was holding Adrian and twisted his arms so violently behind his back James could hear both shoulders pop as Adrian tried not to scream in pain. James thrashed and tried to kick Meirchion in the shins, but the older boy was much stronger and one quick punch to the kidneys had James doubled over.

"Excuse me!" Professor Sprout hollered, puffing out her chest as she pushed through the crowd of students watching the fight. "You will desist NOW."

The echoing command in her voice rang through James' mind and he saw Sirius and Evan pull away from each other, almost as though an invisible force were peeling them apart. Caius Nott and Meirchion McCrae dropped the two boys in the grasp simultaneously. Professor Sprout's eyes roved over all of them, taking everything in.

"Mr. Potter, please take Adrian here up to the Hospital Wing," she said, her voice softening a touch as she instructed them. James and Adrian began to walk away, but they were slow enough to hear the rest of her words. "Mr. McCrae, Mr. Nott, you will both lose ten points for your house – we do not pick on those who are smaller than us. Mr. Rosier and Mr. Black, you will both lose 50 points for your houses for fighting, and you will have a fortnight's worth of detentions. The first of which you will serve in my office, now."

"So how bad was detention?" Remus asked when Sirius pushed through the portrait hole and collapsed on the floor next to their table.

"It was just boring," he groaned, dragging his hands across his face. "She lectured us about fighting and how we should all just love each other regardless of our Houses or blood status. As if I could ever love one of those foul minded Slytherin purists," he spat.

"Sirius, he called you a blood traitor..." Remus said quietly, looking at Sirius with wide eyes.

"My family is like them, you know that, they believe in all that nonsense," Sirius answered with a wave of his hand, but his eyes closed to hide a flicker of pain.

"It's not so bad, they've been calling my family that for ages," James said, trying to make his best friend feel better.

"Yeah, but it's your whole family," Sirius whispered, almost too quietly for the other boys to hear.

It was quiet for a few moments as the four boys absorbed the words, their young minds beginning to understand just how heavily differences in blood status weighed upon the wizarding world, and how it affected each of them.

"Thank you," Peter said after a few moments, breaking the silence.

"For what?" Sirius asked, his brow furrowing.

"For fighting," Peter answered. "I'm not muggleborn, but I might as well be. My magic isn't strong, I didn't even know there was such a thing as magic until Professor Sniders came with my letter. Sometimes I think I don't belong here, or in this world. And you fought for Gavin, and Adrian, and Georgiana and maybe even a little bit for me too. You're brave, Sirius, you stand up to those people because they're wrong and you know it. You're a true Gryffindor."

"Peter that's... quite touching," Sirius said, looking sincere for a moment before the corners of his mouth twitched up into a smile. "Did you want a good snog as well or just pretty words?" He reached up and grabbed Peter's wrist and pulled him down to the floor.

They wrestled and James and Remus jumped on top, a pile of giggling boys with wiggling fingers reaching out to tickle each other, seeking out screeches of laughter that drew dirty looks from the other Gryffindors who were trying to study.

#hp ff #hp fic #marauders #marauders ff #marauders fic #hp #btmt #gen writes

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callmeakumatized · 7 years

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My Girlfriend’s Boyfriend - Ch. 5

((Imma tired so I’ll put in links to Ao3, FF.net, and the previous chapter later. :) ))

Chat Noir was late for the "patrol" that he had invited Ladybug to that night. When he arrived at the meeting place at the banks of the Seine (there was a specific bench there that held a special memory), he wasn't even able to wipe the smile off his face long enough to look remotely guilty about his lack of punctuality. Instead, as soon as Ladybug laid eyes on his bounding form, he literally pounced on her in happiness.

"Cha – !"

Ladybug's cry was smothered by a certain superhero who was equal parts loving, over-eager, and over-zealous to prove himself the alpha male to his counterpart. Counterpart, here, meaning his own alter-ego. This girl had kissed Adrien Agreste, and Chat Noir was determined to make her forget all about him.

When their lips touched, Chat didn't even bother being soft with her. One hand firmly but gently held her at the base of her neck, one hand wrapped securely around her waist. He pulled her close, trying to maintain his composure when he was trying so hard not to melt into the aggressive atmosphere he had created between them. The contact was vital. He needed this reassurance. He needed to be able to know that she was his, as much as she would let him. He only pulled away when he felt her fingers lace into his hair; he wouldn't recover from that, and he still needed to take her to their little surprise.

Leaning his forehead on hers, he breathed out a laugh.

"Geez, kitty…" Ladybug panted lightly. "It hadn't been that long, has it?"

"Long enough," Chat answered her, equally cryptic in his reply as she had been in her question.

"You didn't call me to our secret spot just for this, though, did you?"

"If I did, would you really mind?"

Ladybug only offered a coy smile, eyebrow raised. Chat grinned in return.

"C'mon, M'lady," Chat said, whipping from his spot and pulling her along with him. "I have a surprise." She yelped when he swung her in close to him and vaulted up with his baton in one fluid motion.

The city lights blazed in whirring swirls and patterns around them. For all the stars they were missing due to the Parisian air, Chat really couldn't be disappointed. Paris legendarily held a certain charm; through the ages that charm hadn't left. Instead, it had only evolved, and Chat loved more and more each day he had with his own Lady Luck in the City of Love.

The minutes lengthened – the right spot hadn't been easy to fight – but the trip ended when Chat's baton hit the top of a large, triangular-shaped apartment complex. The landing with his lady was gentler than how they had traveled, Chat gingerly pawing the ground with his boots first before staring into Ladybug's eyes as he gently lowered her the rest of the way. She exhaled loudly, and the fact that she had been holding her breath made Chat a little giddy inside. He watched her for a moment more, the yellowy lights of the Palais Garnier Opera House glistening behind her, lighting up her face just enough that his night vision was not needed.

He had wanted to be on the roof of the Opera House itself, but the sharp edges across the surface made it nearly impossible to execute his plan to one-up, well, himself.

"What?" Ladybug said at last, a hand reaching up to her face in a gesture that was both bashful and adorable.

"Do you know how tempting it is to kiss you just, well, all the time?"

Ladybug giggled. "I may have some sort of idea, chaton, but I literally cannot say that I completely understand the desire."

Chat palmed the sides of her face and pulled her forehead to his own as before, chuckling.

"It's a shame, really," he whispered back playfully. "You're missing out. Maybe I'll have to don some spots one day so you can see how attractive you are."

"So, it's the spots, then?" Ladybug replied, pushing his hands from her face, an arch look crossing her features. "And here I thought you just liked me for my body."

"A plus, to be sure, but really…it's the spots that do me in."

Ladybug shook her head, entirely bemused. The expression on her face was one he had seen earlier that day in the darkness of a movie theater, and he felt his lips twitch in an almost irritated manner. He turned before she could notice his own feelings his face was surely betraying at that moment. Clawed fingers fiddled with his little DIY project. He pulled up the lock screen features on his phone, wishing that he had prepped a little more of this with his actual fingers and not the super claws.

While in his kitty crouch, his cat ears twitched at the sound of Ladybug padding her way over to him.

"And did you just say 'don some spots'?" she said in a teasing tone. "Wait…are you secretly an 80-year-old man that just morphs into a hot young cat with the powers of the Miraculous!?"

Though her tone was playful, and Chat laughed aloud at the supposition, the joking question gave him pause. He was reminded, again, of his girlfriend's boyfriend, and the little interlude they had had earlier that day.

Boyfriend? What was Adrien to Marinette? He'd have to ask that later.

…Without the cat ears, of course.

"Chaton?" Ladybug's questioning voice pulled him out of his temporary daze.

"'Hot young cat', huh?" Chat answered hurriedly, trying to get back into his smooth groove. He stood abruptly, causing Ladybug's eyes to shoot straight up to look into his face. He loved doing this to her, catching her off guard. Every minute of every day, she held him tied to her little finger, and he absolutely loved it; but he also loved to throw her off balance every once in a while. Call it a guilty pleasure, but seeing Ladybug not know exactly what to do in every situation, specifically where he was concerned, made him nothing short of happy.

Not in a Marinette to Adrien way, though. Not yet at least…he hadn't really had time to process that.

"Y-Yeah," Ladybug stammered, and Chat grinned at the blush crossing her cheeks on his behalf. Evidence was good that this would play out similarly in their civilian forms then as well. She took a step back from him then, eyeing him from his head to his toes. "Good gall, Chat…you've definitely been eating your Wheaties lately, haven't you?"

Chat merely put one hand on his hip and ghosted his fingers under her chin. "I have no idea what you're talking about."

Ladybug scoffed at this.

"Like cheese you don't. Are you going to tell me why you brought me here? Or are you just going to stand in front of your little box there all night like a creeper?"

"Ooo, such the flatterer, M'Lady." Chat grabbed Ladybug by the shoulders suddenly and whipped her around. With a very Chat-like flourish, he pulled a black blanket off a pile he was sure Ladybug had missed before. Under the cover were a few plush pillows atop a fluffy-looking, open sleeping bag.

"What…?" Ladybug started. Chat finally moved from in front of the small box he had been fiddling with. A light blasted through the darkness. Ladybug blinked a few times before she seemed to adjust to the light. When it seemed to click what was happening, Chat turned on the Bluetooth speaker he had brought along.

"Which pet's address in the finest in Paris? Which pets possess the finest pedigree…"

Playful sketches of kittens danced on the wall of the apartment building where the light was shining, playing along to the classic song. Ladybug gaped for a moment before turning back to him.

"Oh, Chat…"

With a hand on his shoulder for support, Ladybug pushed herself up on her tiptoes and planted a kiss on his cheek. Though he had literally just made-out with her fifteen minutes prior, the brushed contact made the heat come up to his cheeks. He watched Ladybug as she giddily planted herself onto the pile of pillows and pulled the blanket up around her. Chat put down the small speaker and raked a clawed hand through the back of his hair.

There was still more to say, but he wasn't sure how to say it.

Does this blow the date earlier today out of the water?

Agreste wouldn't know how to make his own phone projector screen, would he?

You prefer me to him, right?

Ladybug looked up at him again, he tried to smile as broadly in return.

He settled on a safer question.

"Better than a movie theater, huh?"

Ladybug squinted questioningly at him before giggling and shaking her head.

"Like there was any competition?"

Chat felt a yank on his arm before he was pulled down next to his Lady.

It wasn't exactly the answer he was looking for. In his mind, he replied, Yes, actually, and I want to know that I won big time. But the words still wouldn't come. It was ridiculous, really. He needed to just ask, to just say something. Why couldn't he just say something!?

Ladybug started singing along with the French words and Chat felt himself fall for her a little more.

That was why. She was why.

He loved this girl. And she loved him. But what if…what if she didn't want them to be the same person? The thought seemed crazy as she obviously liked both sides of him…but for as well as Chat knew Ladybug, Marinette Dupain-Cheng was still something of a mystery to him.

(Apparently, part of the reason for this was a big fat crush on him she had harbored for who knows how long.)

And while Chat was constantly able to talk with Ladybug, one can only get so far in conversations when you're trying to maintain secret identities.

Chat could tell anyone that Ladybug had a weak left block but a mean right hook. He could recite her favorite one-liners and playful quips. He knew how many spots were on her costume (87, including the mask) and where they all were located. But he hadn't been able to know her favorite color, or if she prefers lilies to daffodils, or how she likes to eat her croissants in the morning (does she even eat croissants in the morning!? She lives in a bakery…Chat knew he would eat croissants every morning….)

At these thoughts, a deflated sigh passed through Chat's lips. The sound drew the attention of Ladybug.

"What's wrong, minou?"

Chat shook his head and smiled down at her before pulling her closer to him.

"Nothing you can't fix, M'Lady." To dispel any more questions from his girlfriend, Chat nuzzled into Ladybug's cheek until she was laughing and trying to push him away. The resulting wrestling match ended with Chat lying completely on top of Ladybug as she laid on her side, her small frame completely squished under his own wider one. The contact was comfortable, at least for him. While he was mentally continuing to sweep his current problems under the rug, having Ladybug there with him now, being able to touch her in this moment, was bliss.

Without warning, he started to purr.

"Nooooo, Chaaaaat!" Ladybug whined from under him. Chat smiled to himself while she tried to wiggle out from under him again (she really had tried to escape earlier, but it was simply not happening). "Chaaaat, you're like a giant purr generator! I can't even hear the show anymore! Get o – NO STOP LAUGHING YOU'RE MAKING MY FACE SMACK INTO THE GROUND!"

Bliss. However temporary it might prove to be…this was bliss.

#miraculous ladybug #miraculousladybug #ml fanfic #adrienette #ladynoir #chat noir #ladybug #adrien agreste #marinette dupain-cheng #my girlfriend's boyfriend

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ships-and-saints · 7 years

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Pale Skin and Onyx Eyes [14]

~NEW CHAPTER~ 06/04/17

a/n: hellooo! how long has it been?! who's been counting!? i've had the craziest month and finally had some time to sit down and write. i'm hoping to finish this story by the time ToG6 comes out (Tower of Dawn), so i hope you stick with me~ thanks to the readers who checked up on me asking when the next chapter is coming out... well, it's here! and it's jam-packed - the chapter is ~4k words long, even though i cut it in half...! :) i can't wait for you all to get to know Meryllis... without further ado!

[Throne of Glass] [Elide x Lorcan] [W.I.P.] Chapter Word Count: 3261 words

Summary: Set after Empire of Storms, Elide Lochan and Lorcan Salvaterre are traveling with Rowan and Gavriel in search of Queen Aelin. Will Elide ever be able to forgive Lorcan for betraying her and her Queen? Where will they go next?

Part I: The Search - Ch. 1-8 Part II: The Journey - Ch. 9-15 Part III: The Mission - Ch. 16+

Chapters: [ 1 ] [ 2 ] [ 3 ] [ 4 ] [ 5 ] [ 6 ] [ 7 ] [ 8 ] [ 9 ] [ 10 ] [ 11 ] [ 12 ] [ 13 ] [ 14 ] [ 15 ] ... Read it on: [ fanfiction.net ] [ archive of our own ]

Elide

After her impromptu archery lessons, Elide resumed combat training with Lorcan until evening rolled around, and they finally stopped to have dinner. Lorcan spit-roasted several rabbits he had trapped earlier, arranging a sort of miniature feast for their last night in the plains.

He surprised Elide by making a sort of berry paste out of the assorted berries and vegetation he had collected, which turned out to be delicious paired with the juicy rabbit meat. Even the crunchy but palatable plants Elide was sick of eating tasted agreeable tonight.

Lorcan reminded her that this was the last meal they could have so casually, sitting around a fire like they were now. Shuddering, Elide recalled the creatures in Oakwald Forest that were attracted to fires.

After dinner, Elide began packing so that she would be ready to leave when dawn broke. At the bottom of one of her packs, she found a pair of clean clothes – a long, homespun skirt and a cream-colored t-shirt. She quickly changed into them, relishing in the coolness of the clothes as they kissed her sunburned skin.

We're crossing Adarlan's border tomorrow, Elide mused as she continued packing.

She shook her head, recalling just how far she had come. From meeting Manon and the Thirteen and then spending weeks lost in Oakwald's dense woods, to finding Lorcan and traveling with that gods-awful carnival troupe, to sailing to the Stone Marshes and finding the very much alive Queen Aelin with the rest of her court.

All after escaping Morath. And now she was headed back to that dreaded place, where it had all began. No, it had begun with her Uncle. With Vernon.

She tried to shake the gnawing thoughts of her childhood from her mind. Thinking about the past would do no good; she had to think about the future and how she could keep herself from getting caught. So that no other girls will be brought to Morath and forgotten, she reminded herself. That's what she had told Lorcan, too. So that one less girl will not have to go through what I did.

Lorcan came back into the cave with an armful of firewood. He tossed a few logs into the waning fire, which eagerly licked at the newly added logs. Elide watched him, knowing that he noticed her stare. She didn't care, he was always assessing her and correcting her day after day during training, after all. He couldn't blame her for noticing things about him when they were together pretty much all the time.

She cleared her throat, and Lorcan stilled.

"I've been curious," Elide started slowly, "All of the- the other Fae males, they seem to have animal forms… What's your form?"

Lorcan closed his eyes and internally sighed. Honestly, he had been expecting her to ask him for a while… And he did intend to answer. It was just that… it was more advantageous for him to keep his animal form hidden, especially since among the demi-Fae, animal forms were somewhat unexpected due to the sporadic distribution amongst their kind. Simply put, some demi-Fae's had animal forms, and some didn't.

Also, his animalistic side was often overwhelming when he shifted, causing his desire to kill and destroy to take over. But right now, he wasn't angry, or desperate, or commanded to kill anyone viciously…

So before her eyes, he transformed into an enormous, orange-reddish tiger with ancient, golden eyes.

Those golden eyes watched her shocked expression unblinkingly. They were so unlike his usual, onyx eyes, but yet… still Lorcan.

"You– you're a big cat!" Elide's eyes were wide, and she laughed from shock. The tiger's head tilted as if to ask her, what's so funny?

"Well, Gavriel's a mountain lion–" Lorcan's tiger eyes rolled at the mention of Gavriel, which she ignored, "Rowan's a hawk, Fenrys is a… wolf, and you're a tiger. I guess it all makes sense, since you're all predators." She ticked their names off her fingers, and since she didn't know Vaughn or Connall, it made sense that they weren't included. Lorcan approximated a shrug, ruffling his fur slightly.

"I've never seen a tiger before," Elide mused out loud, subconsciously reaching a hand out towards his fur. Lorcan padded over to her on four giant paws, and to her surprise, he leaned into her touch. She marveled at the beautiful orange and black-striped fur. His fur wasn't soft like a domestic cat's, but it wasn't rough or coarse, either. She gently stroked the fur along his neck and chest.

Lorcan's tiger form let out a low, steady groan, like a cat purring. It was soft at first, but gradually the rumbling grew louder. And he seemed slightly embarrassed by it, because his eyes rolled slightly and he huffed air out of his nose.

"It's okay," she said quietly, "You can be yourself around me."

But he knew that already; it was why he had decided to shift in the first place – to show her, to answer her question…

Lorcan's eyes assessed her carefully for a moment before shutting his eyelids, continuing to make rumbling sounds as Elide scratched behind his ear and the soft fur atop his head.

"Good kitty," she joked. Lorcan snorted at that, which blew Elide's skirt up and caused her to shriek.

"Lorcan!" She exclaimed, swatting at him playfully. The tiger lithely rolled his head to avoid her hand, and she could still read the slight amusement in his eyes. She curled up beside him, letting the warmth of his tiger form envelope her. She could feel the steady rise and fall of his chest and hear his powerful breath, and Lorcan's golden eyes slid closed.

She recalled that both Rowan and Gavriel had shifted between their Fae forms without a second thought, but Lorcan hadn't shifted once in all their weeks traveling and searching for Aelin. She wondered why he had never shifted…

He's so guarded, she thought absentmindedly, his mental walls are like a towering, stone fortress…

Elide was still absentmindedly patting his fur, and she smiled at his tiger form, whose eyes were still closed. They sat in companionable silence for a while.

Afterwards, they finished packing their belongings and readying for the next morning. Elide could feel the anticipation and dread building in her stomach, making her magical energy stir restlessly, and she wished they could have just stayed in the cave forever even though she knew that was a silly, errant thought.

After all, Elide Lochan was the Lady of Perranth. She was going to take back what she was owed. She was going to find her Queen. She was going to see Terrasen again. And she would not be afraid.

- x - x - x - x - x - x - x - x - x - x - x - x - x - x - x - x - x - x - x - x - x - x - x -

The next morning, Elide and Lorcan played the part of a wedded couple as they talked their way across Adarlan's border, claiming a story about visiting Lorcan's family in the Fangs as his father had fallen seriously ill and passed away.

Elide had been discrete and demure, but Lorcan sensed the confidence that oozed from her even as she lied through her pretty teeth. She's more confident, he noted. A good thing.

As soon as they passed the border patrol, they stopped by the nearest town to restock on the essentials. Even though they wore dark hooded cloaks, some of the townspeople still gaped at the warrior's hulking figure, although none of them were brave enough to approach them.

After stocking up on food at the marketplace and purchasing other items that snagged Lorcan's gaze, they wandered into a general store. The door jingled and slammed shut behind them, and Elide's eyes adjusted to the lack of sunlight, taking in the musty appearance of the shelves and the dingy lights hanging forlornly above them. At least all of the products on the shelves looked fine, although some of the shelves were sparsely stocked.

Save for the shopkeeper, there was nobody else in the store… Except for someone wearing a hood in the back corner, checking out bottled drinks on a shelf. Elide ducked her head and wandered the few aisles with Lorcan; they weren't looking for any trouble after all, just needed to get in and out of town.

As they approached the counter to pay for the wares in the basket Lorcan was holding, the hooded figure approached them. Elide glanced towards the counter, but the shopkeeper was nowhere in sight. Judging by the heavy smell of tobacco in the shop, he had probably stepped outside for a smoke.

The stranger approached them with a sure, confident gait. A woman. She had a young, pretty face with a smattering of freckles across the bridge of her nose and her high cheekbones. She was of similar height to Elide, and cropped, reddish-brown hair peeked out from her hood and from the collar of her jacket.

"Hey," she said easily, her light, hazel eyes glinting.

Elide paused. "Hey," she replied, scanning the woman. The hazel-eyed woman wore a dark, hooded cape and a long, tan coat underneath. She wore laced sandals, but they were fur-lined. Fur in the summer? Elide's brow furrowed slightly.

The hazel-eyed woman flicked her gaze up and down, as if she were sizing Elide up as well. Then her curious eyes flickered to Lorcan, who coolly met her gaze.

"Can we help you?" Elide kept her voice polite, even-toned.

The woman chucked her chin at them and placed a hand on her hip. "You both from out of town?" She spoke with an accent that Elide had never heard before, but that she vaguely recognized as Northern. That explained the fur-lined sandals, since it was chilly in the North even during the summer.

Elide waited two heartbeats before answering. "The Fangs. We're headed back for a funeral. My father-in-law passed away from a heart attack." She gestured towards Lorcan, who nodded solemnly.

The woman glanced at Lorcan, taking in his hardened features and his towering stance, and then looked back at Elide. A shadow of a smile was on her face.

"So… I'm also headed that way. Mind if I tag along? I heard it's dangerous traveling alone out here." She raised her brows at them, expecting them to agree.

"I don't really think that's a good idea," Lorcan finally spoke. The woman's hazel eyes snapped to his face, and Lorcan stared her down.

"Why not? We're both headed that direction. I'll split from you guys once we get across the Acanthus River. I'll even throw in a couple o' coins for good luck." She winked. "All I'm asking for is some protection while I sleep. Other than that, I'll keep out of your way. How's that sound?"

Elide exchanged glances with Lorcan. Let's hear her out, she said with her eyes. Let me deal with it. Besides, Anneith hadn't set off any alarm bells in her head. In fact, she seemed to… approve of the woman. Did that mean the stranger was honest?

The tension in Lorcan's eyes lessened. Fine.

Elide returned her attention to the woman standing in front of her, and a door swung open somewhere in the back of the store. The shopkeeper, Elide thought.

"What's your name?" Elide asked, straightening her back.

The hazel-eyed woman smiled, crow's feet wrinkling around her eyes. "Meryllis."

"Meryllis," Elide repeated, smiling back, "Nice to meet you, I'm Marion." She looked expectantly at Lorcan.

"Logan," he said gruffly. "Nice to meet you." Elide refrained from rolling her eyes at his obvious displeasure.

"Meet us out front. We'll hear you out after we pay for our stuff." Elide gestured towards the basket.

Meryllis nodded. "Gotcha." She swiped a bottled drink off the shelf and vanished out the front door.

The shopkeeper emerged from a side door, stomping his boots and mumbling to himself. "Sorry 'bout that," he muttered at them, running a hand through his wavy, black hair. He rang them up, and Elide counted out the coins for their purchase.

"Hey, did that other lady wanna buy anything?" he rasped.

"Nope," Elide answered, declining to mention the bottle Meryllis had swiped. She dropped the coins into his large, calloused hand. He nodded and handed back her change. "Thanks."

"Yep." He coughed into his hand and waved at them as they left the shop.

Meryllis was leaning against the side of the store, drinking from the stolen bottle.

"Walk and talk," Elide instructed. Meryllis immediately fell into step alongside Elide. "If anyone asks, you're…" Elide looked her up and down and then at Lorcan. Meryllis looked to be about the same age as her, but she didn't look like she was related to either of them. She sighed. "Well, why don't you tell me why you're here?"

Meryllis smiled grimly, but her face darkened. "Well, if you're trying to think of a good cover story, we probably won't need one." What? Confusion flashed across her face, and even Lorcan seemed to carefully consider her statement. "But that explanation will come with time. I guess I have no choice but to tell the truth if I'm to travel with you guys."

As they walked towards the stable where Lorcan had paid to keep their horses, Meryllis told her story.

"As you may have guessed, I'm from the North. North of Terrasen." A half-smile appeared on her face as she had confirmed Elide's suspicions. "I come from a small village in the mountain range north of Terrasen, the Tuathian Mountains." Technically, the mountains were still considered part of Terrasen, but for the most part, all of the villages were self-governed as long as they were peaceful.

The Tuathian Mountains? Elide had never been that far North, but she had heard stories about the mountain range from her nursemaid Finnula. Folklore about the Children of the North, but the lore had been nothing but children's bedtime stories for centuries.

From what she recalled, the Children were tiny, only inches tall like the Little Folk, and the legends said that they came from the Great Goddess herself. The Little Folk were made of glass, with jeweled eyes and gold-spun hair. They were shy but attracted to shiny things, even invaluable objects like rocks or fake jewels, so one could potentially trap one… If any even remained. Like the Little Folk, not much was known about them – just that they maintained the land and occasionally came to the help of those who needed it. But they had only ever been seen in the northern parts of Terrasen.

Meryllis continued, "My younger sister… She was born with ice-blue eyes and golden hair, like the color of wheat. My parents were in awe; she didn't look anything like the rest of us even with her pale white skin, and the people in the village whispered that she looked like one of the ancient Children of the North." Meryllis's eyes were guarded as she anticipated Elide's response.

Elide licked her lips to wet them. "I've heard… the folklore, about the Children of the North. My nanny used to tell me all the stories she knew at bedtime, so I know them all by heart. But that's what I've thought, up until now – that they're just bedtime stories."

Meryllis nodded, somewhat gravely. "Well, it's true. The Children of the North haven't been sighted for years now. It hasn't been… centuries, like people say, but…" She lowered her voice and stepped closer to them. "We believe they've gone into hiding. Because of the sickness that has spread across the land here, and they are magical creatures after all…"

Elide could sense the fear underlying Meryllis's words as she waited for Elide to confirm or deny.

"We're from the Fangs." Elide lowered her voice as well, letting a chill frost her words. "And we've noticed. It's true. There's a sickness coming from the mountains… From Morath." Elide smoothed her expression and carefully watched Meryllis's reaction.

A spasm of pain shot across her face, and Elide almost instinctually reached out and asked if she was okay. Instead, she slowed her steps and waited.

"My sister, Beryl…" Meryllis's voice softened. "Even though she's probably not a true… Child of the North, she inherited a beautiful and kind spirit. A free spirit. But she didn't like living out in the mountains, in the forests. She learned to hunt and trap like the rest of us, but she loved reading books and tending to the gardens and animals best."

"My parents loved her and wanted the best for her, but then she got into her head that she wanted to live in a city, learn what life was like outside of our village. She wanted to go out and see the world, see new things other than what she saw every day looking out the window. It's beautiful and peaceful out where we live, but everything is usually covered in snow," she chuckled, shaking her head.

"So one night, she snuck out on her own… I was camping out overnight on the mountain after being caught out by a snowstorm, and by the time I got back, she was already gone. My mom was throwing a fit, and my father said to just let her be, that she was of that age to rebel, but my mother was insistent that we send someone after her."

Meryllis was quiet for a few breaths. Elide could see the stable in the distance.

"I didn't know what to do, but I thought about it while my mom and dad fought. At first, I thought I agreed with my dad. Once Berry realizes how hard life is outside of the village, she'll wanna come home. But then I realized… She's not like me. She's smart and kind, but she's inherently good and the world is bad, at least right now. And going South is almost sure death for our people." Meryllis shuddered slightly.

Elide wondered why. Was it because their bodies were so used to the cold? Or maybe they didn't adapt well to the ways of the city and city life…? So why are you here? Elide wanted to ask, but she had a feeling the answer would come soon.

Meryllis had a faraway look in her eyes, like she was in a memory. "It's not like the time when… I got so angry that I headed North for three days, as far as I could, just to see what was out there. My father warned me that it only got colder once I crossed beyond the forests at the outskirts of the village borders, and that there was nothing waiting out there for me except death. But still, I was angry. And curious. It was balls-gripping cold and scary as gods-damned Hellas himself out there, but I made it back alive! My mom had been scared half to death, shaking and sobbing in happiness, and my father just told me never to do that again or he'd kill me himself." She laughed, and Elide didn't know whether to laugh along or continue listening in mute fascination.

"But anyway, I digress… Like I said, Beryl learned to hunt and trap with the rest of us kids, so she wasn’t useless in the wild. A few weeks ago, she went South, to Terrasen. She wanted to go to Orynth, you know, the city of learning or knowledge or something. I don't know how she heard about it." Meryllis shook her head sadly. "To cut a long sob story short, I found out she was captured in some tavern or inn and taken even farther South. Sounds like they're looking for witches and magic users."

Elide nearly came to a stop. "In Terrasen?" Lorcan reached out and lightly placed his hand on her back.

Witches and magic users? Guilt flooded through her. How many had been taken? Hadn't she promised that no other girls would be taken? Was she doing too little, too late? Elide tried to steady her hammering heart as she continued walking, tried not to let the guilt and anxiety and bewilderment overwhelm her.

"Yeah, Terrasen." Meryllis glanced sidelong at her. "You know something about it?"

She swallowed down her concern and her deepening guilt, and shrugged her shoulders, facing toward the stable. She would have plenty of time to feel guilty later, and it shouldn't have surprised her; her uncle was vicious and ruthless, and he bet that she would eventually return to Terrasen. To reclaim her seat as the rightful Lady of Perranth. "Nope, just seems… odd. Suspicious."

Meryllis narrowed her eyes, but looked forward as well. "Yeah. I agree… Anyway, when Berry left my dad convinced my mom and me to sit tight for at least a day or two. So we did. On the third day, we finally got a note from her, but all it said was that she was fine on her own and not to worry… And then at the end of the week, we got another note saying she finally reached civilization, but that was the last we heard of her. So I set out after we didn't hear from her for another week." She paused to take a sip of water from her canteen. "After traveling down this way, my conclusion is that Berry was taken to Morath. So it's funny that you mentioned the place before. Maybe you can tell me more about it." Her hazel eyes narrowed ever so slightly.

Lorcan tensed beside her, but Elide brushed her hand against his, warning him to relax.

Calmly, Elide asked, "You think your sister is there?"

"Where else would she be?"

Good point. Morath was definitely the evilest place around. And Elide knew what they were taking witches and female magic users for. She repressed the memories to keep the bile from rising in her throat.

They had nearly reached the stables, though… She could stall from revealing anything a bit longer, but she said something that wasn't a lie. "I'll be happy to let you know that you don't want to go there, Meryllis. It's not exactly a nice place for a vacation." Lorcan grunted his agreement.

"I know. But I have to get my sister back. It's not fair, it's just – it's just not fair, this shouldn't have happened, I mean she's only 16… She was simply in the wrong place at the wrong time…" Meryllis trailed off, but Elide wasn't sure if she was still speaking to her or simply muttering to herself.

Lorcan cleared his throat and spoke up. "We're behind schedule, so we'll have to save the chatting for later. For now, we'll ride west. I assume you have a horse of your own?" He directed his question at Meryllis.

Her agitated expression vanished, replaced with a grin. "Fortunately, she's tied up here in this stable as well." Elide honestly couldn't tell if Meryllis was telling the truth or if she was planning to steal a horse when they weren't looking. "I'll go saddle up now."

#pale skin and onyx eyes #PSaOE #elorcan #elorcan fic #elide x lorcan #meryllis OC #beryl OC #rowan whitethorn #aelin galathynius #queen maeve #i am elorcan trash #katnip writes

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luxuriant-starlight · 8 years

Text

I Won’t Say I’m In Love (Ch. 1)

I finally did it kids. I’m finally writing a multi-chapter Miraculous fic. I plan for this to be 15 chapters or so. Here’s Chapter 1.

Words: 1.8k

Summary: Marinette Dupain-Cheng is madly in love with Adrien Agreste who is Chat Noir who is madly in love with Ladybug who is Marinette Dupain-Cheng. After a sudden burst of confidence, the two decide to confess to their individual crushes, and both get rejected. Now Marinette and Chat Noir turn to each other for comfort- but soon realize they may be getting a little TOO close for comfort, and just end up trying to deny it, like the ridiculous losers they are.

This is based on an animatic by @pepper-bottom. This is the post, which you should DEFINITELY check out: http://pepper-bottom.tumblr.com/post/157630245482/this-whole-thing-started-after-i-rewatched#_=_ [AO3] [FFN]

Chapter 1

Adrien was determined.

Like. SERIOUSLY determined.

He’d made up his mind. What he felt for Ladybug had gone on long enough. It had been 3 years already for God’s sake. He’d loved her since he was 15 years old, and he was 10000% convinced he’d love her till the day he’d die.

Which could be any day now, considering his rotten luck.

Adrien had been thinking about doing this for a while. He’d contemplated every scenario in which he’d confess his love. Every possible outcome. He’d even practiced a couple times on the huge Ladybug poster on his bedroom wall (that no one was allowed to see, ever).

Well, a few times.

Maybe 5 or 6. Or 100.

Honestly, he’d lost count.

But that’s beside the point!

The point is that now, Adrien had finally, FINALLY- after months of research and contemplation- cooked up the perfect algorithm to determine what the best possible way to confess to his darling Ladybug was.

Tonight, while on their bi-weekly patrol, Adrien Agreste will finally confess his undying love for His Lady.

Hopefully, some of her good luck’ll rub off on him.

Hopefully. --------- “Are you sure about this, kid?” Plagg asked, munching on a piece of Camembert while Adrien took his phone out of his pocket so he could take it with him after he transformed and slid on his shoes. “What if she rejects you?”

Adrien rolled his eyes and sighed. “A little faith in me would be appreciated.”

“I’m literally the god of bad luck. Forgive me for being a little pessimistic.” Plagg responded, “Plus, I’m thousands of years old. I’ve seen some shit, kid. Just tryna be realistic here.”

Adrien furrowed his brow, slightly pouting, and opened the window. “I’ll deal with it. Now get in the ring.”

Plagg harumphed. “Fine.”

“Plagg! Transforme Moi!”

As soon as the transformation rolled down Adrien’s body, he leapt out the open window, kicking it shut as he bounded off to see his Lady at their rendezvous point. He was a big boy. He knew the risks of what he was about to do.

But...what if she does reject him?

What if-

It’ll be fine, he quickly reassured himself. Ladybug loves you- romantically or otherwise- and that’s all you really need anyways.

Besides, he reasoned. We’re destined for each other.

Leaping over rooftops with practically lightning fast speed, he arrived at the their meeting spot on the roof of Notre Dam in no time. There, his Lady was waiting for him, eyes trained on the starry horizon, seemingly deep in thought.

She was beautiful. Like, stunningly so. Sky blue eyes, ebony hair. A lean and obviously muscular form- yet still soft and almost chubby in certain places. Her beauty was just...captivating. He could spend hours counting every freckle on every inch of her skin- though he was unfortunately restricted to just the skin on her face and neck by that spandex suit she always wore- starting with the spray of them across her cheeks.

He stood and stared for a moment.

No matter how sure he was this morning that he could do this, nothing could’ve possibly prepared him for the way his heart skipped a beat and leapt into his throat. The way his stomach sank. The way his legs seemed to get heavier with every step.

No. His brain screamed. You can do this. You made pie charts.

He forced his heart back down into his chest, and stuck that characteristic smirk back on his face.

I made pie charts. I have an algorithm.

Chat stepped forward, and steadied a shaky hand to place on her shoulder, breaking her concentration and making her whip her head around to look at him.

“My Lady.” He bowed, and kissed her hand.

“Chat!” Ladybug pouted, furrowing her brow. “Where have you been? You’re 30 minutes late.”

Cute. All these years, and she still made his cheeks warm. He praised God- or, err, Kwami?- for the mask on his face. He could’ve melted right there.

The pie charts! His brain nagged.

Right. Instead of melting, he stood straight back up and grinned that Chat-like grin.

“My a-paw-logies, My Lady.” Adrien leaned in closer and raised his eyebrows. “Did I make you miss me?”

Ladybug, in typical Ladybug fashion, simply rolled those baby blue eyes. “This may be fun, but this is also our job. Our responsibility. You know that.”

“‘M sorry. I won’t be late next time.” He told her, sincerely.

She pursed her lips. “It’s okay. Just don’t let it happen again, please, Kitty.”

“Of course, My Lady.” Adrien extended a leather-clad hand, gesturing towards the Parisian skyline. “Shall we?”

She smiled. His heart skipped another beat. “We shall.”

---------

The patrol went as the majority of them do- uneventfully. There was no crime in Paris that night- unless you count a rowdy teenage party they had to crash. After a young woman with a crying baby had complained to the superhero duo about the noise, informing them that she had already knocked on the door three times to ask them to keep it down, they walked over and tried their own hand at the teens.

The look on that kid’s face when he opened the door and saw Ladybug standing there, with her hands on her hips, not amused- with Chat Noir and the young woman with the baby standing behind her- was priceless. Adrien almost wishes Alya had been here to film it.

The boy quickly apologized and lowered the music- much to the gratitude of the young mother.

Aside from that, Paris seemed to be having a chill Friday night- which Adrien was grateful for, because, had an akuma victim appeared, he wouldn’t have the chance to let his Lady know what was on his mind.

By midnight, their patrol was done. He and Ladybug were perched back onto the rooftop of the Notre Dam, just silently enjoying each other’s company, Ladybug leaning on his shoulder, eyes trained on the horizon again.

It should’ve been serene- but Adrien was restless. He’d been anxiously bouncing his legs for the better part of 15 minutes, waiting for the right moment to enact his plan into motion.

He was beginning to have some doubts.

How could he do this? How can he even go about doing this? He can’t just confess to her! She’s Ladybug! She’s smart and funny and brave and sweet and kind and determined and heroic and confident and powerful and-

But you’re Chat Noir! His brain chastised him. And you have those pie charts!

To hell with pie charts! Graphs are not how you win a girl’s affection! Especially not a girl as amazing as Ladybug.

Who was he kidding? What if Plagg was right? What if-

Ladybug sighed, and stood up straight.

“Alright, Chat. What’s up?”

“My Lady?” He turned to her, surprised.

“You’ve been bouncing your leg for leg for 20 minutes now. What has you so restless?” She seemed worried. “You’re usually so happy to spend time together after patrol.”

“It’s nothing.” He assured her.

She didn’t look convinced. “I’m your best friend. You know you can tell me.”

He sighed, standing up before her and taking her hands, pulling her a bit closer. “Ladybug....I…”

“Chat?” She pouted and blinked, batting those long eyelashes at him.

“I...I’ll race you to the Eiffel Tower!” He shouted, grabbing his baton and extending it, already bounding towards the landmark.

Adrien heard her groan and call for him, clearly annoyed, but he just laughed, and kept going. She tried to keep up, swinging across lampposts, but couldn’t beat him after that head start.

He quickly perched on the top of the Tower, standing triumphantly, awaiting Ladybug’s arrival.

“Chat!” She panted. “Why’d you run? Can you please just tell me what’s wrong?”

He sighed, his stomach dropping again. No turning back now.

“My Lady,” Adrien stepped forward and took her hands in his again. “There’s something I have to tell you.”

She looked up at him expectantly, those soft, pink lips parted ever-so-slightly. God, she was NOT helping to still his beating heart right now.

“...Becoming Chat Noir was the best thing that ever happened to me.” Adrien started. “I’m freer, now. You don’t know much about it, but you know I don’t exactly have the...easiest home situation-”

Ladybug gently squeezed his hands, comfortingly.

“But being Chat Noir allows me to do so many of the things that I’d never be allowed to do as Ad- as my civilian self. I fight bad guys. I do good things. I get to run and jump and make friends and...be myself. For the first time in forever.

“But...the best thing about being Chat Noir isn’t the freedom. Or the glory. Or all the food that civilians give me for free. Or all the endless cat puns.”

He chuckled at that. She rolled her eyes, but retained that small smile. He carressed her cheek.

“The best thing about being Chat Noir...is being able to be your partner, Ladybug. You are the best thing that has ever happened to me. I can’t stop thinking about you. And lately...I can’t eat. I can’t sleep. I can’t do...anything. Because…”

“Chat…”

“Because I need you to know. I love you, Ladybug. Like. Really love you.”

Ladybug gasped, softly, and stepped back a bit, releasing her hands from his. She, instead, placed them on herself- one over her open mouth, the other on her chest.

There was a pregnant pause while he let her take it all in.

“All this time...all that flirting…?” She asked, after a moment.

He nodded, earnestly.

She sighed, shakily, tears swelling in her eyes. “Oh, Chat...I...I’m sorry-”

His stomach sank. He stepped back.

“But…my heart already belongs to someone else.”

“Someone...else?”

Oh.

“Yeah…I’m really sorry. If- if things were different. If there wasn’t another guy-”

“No.” Chat responded, shakily. “I get it.”

She placed a gloved hand on his cheek, a tear running down her own. “I’m sorry.”

He pressed himself into her hand, clutching it, but gently returned it to her.

“You can’t help how you feel, I guess.” He laughed, emptily.

“But I’m-”

“Don’t be.” He reassured her, gripping her hand again, and wiping the tear from her soft, freckled cheek. “There’s nothing to be sorry about.”

She looked devastated for him. He felt a twinge of guilt.

“I shouldn’t have...done this.”

“No. It’s okay.”

He turned away, readying his baton. “I should go.”

“...Are we still friends?”

He didn’t look at her. He couldn’t meet her eyes. Not right now.

“Best friends. Always.”

Before she could formulate a response, he was already gone.

And a total idiot.

And once Adrien was sure he was out her eyeshot, he ran. He ran home. He opened his window and, once he was inside, de-transformed, removed his shoes and coat, and dropped himself on his bed.

“Kid…” Plagg started, actually feeling pity for him, for once.

“Don’t.” Adrien responded, numbly.

Plagg placed a tiny, velvet paw on Adrien’s cheek, sympathetically- comforting him the best he knew how.

Adrien sobbed himself to sleep that night.

Yeah. Very angsty right now, but I promise it does get fluffier very soon. I have a whole plan for this fic. I’ll most likely post chapter two within a few days because I’m feeling a very strong urge to write right now. I think maybe it’ll be done within like?? a month or two, give or take.

As always, if you wanna request a one-shot or something, go ahead and shoot a request in my inbox/messages and I’ll get back to you as soon as I can. If you have a question of some sort, the same applies!

I hope you liked it :-)

#ml fanfic #ml #miraculous ladybug #ml fic #my fics #honeyopal #mady writes #chat noir #ladybug #the love square #ladynoir #angst #fluff #fanfiction

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captainmeowvelwrites · 4 years

Text

You Times Two (Ch.3)

Pairing: Marinette/Ladybug | Adrien/Chat Noir Words: 3354 Summary: Ladybug knew this was necessary. She was the Guardian. He had the Cat Miraculous. But when his suit evaporated in a glow of pale green, she sure hadn’t expected him to have something far more precious: her heart. Cross-posted: AO3 and FFN

Chapters: 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | ...

Recap: Previously, on You Times Two… Marinette considered growing a magnificent beard and running away to join the circus. She reflected on the ramifications of Chat Blanc, which honestly, the author is still too upset about to make light of right now. And just to top it all off, Clumsy Girl smacked Golden Boy in the face with a door, then somehow called him Chadrien. Has our favourite gal’s cover been blown? Has her kitty quite literally had some sense smacked into him? And purrhaps most importantly, is his lil’ button nose okay? You can probably hazard a guess, but read on, I say!

---

Chapter Three

Adrien left Marinette in the locker room and stepped out into the morning sun, its warmth bathing his skin.

But the heat of his cheeks had a different source.

As he twisted his ring – something he often did when his brain was abuzz – he glimpsed his reflection in a tinted window, a reminder that his hair was still a bit of mess. He reached for his bangs, his thoughts drifting a minute into the past.

There'd been a light in Marinette's eyes, and a sense of ease about her, when he'd ruffled his hair.

Of course, that had only lasted a second.

And then, like Ladybug, she'd called him Chadrien.

That had to be a coincidence.

Ladybug had fumbled over her words last night, as Marinette often did.

Marinette's eyes were like the sky after a storm, a stunning shade of bluebell, just like Ladybug's. How had he not noticed that before?

His hand fell from his hair to his side, as his lips drew into a resolute line.

No, his suspicions were impossible.

Marinette was Multimouse.

She couldn't be Ladybug too.

His eyes sunk to his shoes as he continued to think of his lady. The reality was, she wasn't his lady. She never had been.

There was a thickness in his throat and a void in his eyes as he wondered—again—if things might've been different, if not for that boy. She'd said she couldn't even imagine a world without him, whoever he was.

And that hurt.

A lot.

To an extent, it had depleted his hope of something ever blooming between them. But more than that, it always made him wonder if she could say the same for him. Could she imagine a world without Chat Noir?

Truly, Adrien didn't know the answer.

His fingernails dug into the flesh of his palms.

This shouldn't matter anymore.

He was dating Kagami.

Well, sort of.

The press had snapped them eating ice cream together. And yes, they'd almost kissed—but they hadn't made things official, despite what the media were saying.

Regardless, everyone thought they were official—including Kagami.

He hated this.

Not because Kagami was basically his girlfriend, but because he'd never imagined this unravelling quite as it had.

He'd imagined a rose-covered rooftop and a candlelit dinner. He'd imagined a passionate declaration and actually asking the girl to be his girlfriend. He'd imagined a night ending in a flurry of hugs and kisses and laughter.

And he'd imagined it all with Ladybug.

He buried his face in his palms, where the dent of his nails still showed.

This wasn't fair on Kagami.

But Ladybug didn't love him back. She never would.

And despite the way he felt about her, to say he didn't care for Kagami was a lie.

Kagami had always been upfront with him. Maybe that's why he'd been so drawn to her. She was assertive, strong-minded and knew exactly what she wanted.

A lot like Ladybug, a part of him whispered.

A very annoying part.

With a huff, Adrien pinched the bridge of his nose. It was still tender from its encounter with a door and for some reason, that made him smile.

Plagg peeked up at him from beneath his white overshirt. "So why'd you have to come out here to wait for your friend?"

Adrien tensed. "Plagg," he whispered, his eyes snapping around the school courtyard, finding it empty. "Hide before someone sees you." He tugged the edge of his white shirt over his kwami's head.

Of course, Plagg squeezed his way back out despite his chosen's protests. "People are blind," he whined. "Not to mention I blend in with your shirt."

Adrien heaved a sigh, yielding to Plagg's question. "I just have a lot on my mind. That's all."

"Like what, hmm?"

"Since when do you care about something that isn't cheese-related?" He was half-joking.

"Oh please," Plagg barked. "I just wanna know what's got you in such a tizz."

Adrien glowered at that and glanced over his shoulder, half-expecting Marinette to barge out of the locker room right that second. When she didn't, he looked down at Plagg. "Marinette: that's who Ladybug reminded me of last night."

Plagg groaned in time with an eye roll. "So what? Marinette's always talking nonsense. Ladybug did for one measly night!"

"But, Plagg," Adrien said, desperation seeping through his words, "this isn't the first time I've suspected she was Ladybug!"

"Have you forgotten about Kwamibuster?" Plagg grimaced. "She was Multimouse. We even saw her and Ladybug side-by-side."

A thought flashed in Adrien's eyes. "Miracle Queen," he announced, and Plagg tipped his head. "Why didn't she show up to collect the Mouse Miraculous?" He cupped his chin, glancing toward the morning sky. "Every other Miraculous Wielder did."

"She isn't a Miraculous Wielder anymore," Plagg said simply. "Ladybug told her as much after she revealed her identity to you. Or maybe she just didn't get stung by those nasty bugs."

His hopes were crushed as quickly as they'd come, and he realised how much he'd been hoping to begin with. Did he want Marinette to be Ladybug? Was that why he kept searching for reasons to suspect her?

He pursed his lips, wrestling with these ruminations and the risks that came with them. His suspicions were circumstantial, if that. And if he ever learned Ladybug's identity, it should be on her terms.

Still, he couldn't help but wonder…

"I… guess you're right, Plagg." The disappointment in his voice was thicker than glue.

"Of course, I'm right!"

Adrien tapped his lips, eyes drifting skyward once more. "And Ladybug did say we don't know each other out of costume." Though she'd also said she wouldn't tell him if they did. "You know who Ladybug is, right? From when we faced Mr Damo—The Dark Owl."

"If you're suggesting what I think you are—"

Adrien shook his head. "You know I'd never betray Ladybug's trust like that."

"Good," Plagg said, throwing his whiskers in the air, "because I couldn't tell you who she is even if I wanted to. Tikki would kill me." His paw emerged from beneath Adrien's white shirt, and he placed a thoughtful claw to his lips. "As for Ladybug's stuttering last night, maybe your identity just… took her off guard? For all you know, she was starstruck! Like that time you took me to the Aligre Market." His green eyes glided upward, glazing over, and he let out a dreamy sigh. "So… much… artisan cheese…"

Adrien gaped—and it took him at least five seconds to form words. "You… You think Ladybug could be a fan of mine?"

"It makes a lot more sense than your stupid theory."

Adrien had never even considered that possibility, but Plagg was right. It did make sense. Maybe that's why she'd freaked out.

"But," Plagg continued, "how should I know if she's a fan of yours? Just ask her at patrol tonight."

Adrien's chest tightened as he pictured that very scenario. "But what if she is a fan and freaks out again like last time?" Worry weighed on his lips. "Or what if she's not and thinks I'm arrogant and—"

The thump of a hand against wood made him jump, and Plagg vanished beneath his shirt.

"Sorry I took so long!"

He turned to find Marinette, her hair a little more frazzled. Her eyes snapped around the courtyard, not meeting his.

Oh no! Had she heard him talking?

Adrien threaded his fingers, his thumbs circling each other. "No – No problem." He swallowed and forced a small smile. "I was just – uhh…"

"Don't worry," Marinette chimed, finally looking his way. Her eyes creased as she smiled. "I stalk—uhh, talk to myself too. All the time. I mean – uhh – some of the time." She cleared her throat. "So I – uhh – guess we're both nosy—I mean crazy."

"Oh, I…" Adrien broke eye contact, glancing between her and the ground. "What did you hear?"

"N-Nothing!" Marinette shrieked, waving her hands back and forth. "Just – uh – mumbling and stuff." She looked away, her fingers drumming against the straps of her backpack. "So, umm…" She nodded towards the nearby stairs. "Class, then?"

Adrien forced a chuckle, only for his voice to crack. And now they were both blushing. "Ri-Right." He squeezed the strap of his shoulder bag with one hand and extended his other toward the stairs. "After you, then."

Marinette took a single step forward and, true to form, somehow tripped over air.

Adrien's hands were on her shoulders in an instant, barring her greeting with the ground. "Are you okay?"

"No—I mean yes!" She peeled his hands from her shoulders and practically jumped back to her full height. "I'm just – uhh – clumsy. Ha ha. I am so clumsy." She flashed an oddly wide grin, her hands flying this way and that as she spoke. "Like, the Queen of Clumsy. Any physical activity whatsoever and I am not your girl. Not by a mile. Heck, I couldn't even run a mile. Because, y'know – I'm so unfit. And clumsy. Did I mention I'm clumsy?" The second she finished her spiel, her eyes shot to her ballerina flats.

Adrien managed a laugh, despite how his brows squished together. "Uhh… Yes, you did mention that." His brows settled, but he continued to smile. "And Marinette, you're not as clumsy as you think you are."

Marinette wiped her palms across her pants. "I'm… I'm not?" she squeaked, peering up at him.

"Well, I've experienced your dancing first-hand, remember?" Adrien slid an arm around her shoulders, showing a supportive smile. "And let's not forget your fencing and ice-skating skills. Try not to sell yourself short, okay?" His arm slipped from her shoulders to rub the nape of his neck, and he laughed lightly. "But maybe do try to be more careful sometimes."

She stared at him with wide eyes. "Uh – Um – Yeah. I'll… try to be more careful."

With that, Adrien extended his hand toward the stairs. "Shall we?"

---

She'd eavesdropped on Adrien and Plagg – but not on purpose!

In fact, she'd been about to shove those pesky doors aside when her name – or rather, Ladybug's name – had given her pause.

She'd only caught bits and pieces, but by the sound of it, Adrien suspected she was Ladybug. And in that moment, Chat Blanc's petrifying face had flashed through her mind. That was all the incentive she'd needed to throw him off her tracks, by deliberately tripping over air and pointing out her lack of physical prowess.

He couldn't know she was Ladybug.

Not yet.

Perhaps not ever.

Marinette quite literally shook that thought to the outskirts of her mind. Now, around Adrien, was not the time and place for it.

Instead, she panted excessively as they scaled the stairs, hoping he'd bought her 'I'm so clumsy and unfit' charade—if she could even call it that. She wasn't unfit, but she was a royal clutz, even if Adrien didn't think so.

When they reached the top of the stairs, Marinette's mind wandered elsewhere. She wasn't late thanks to an akuma, so her secret identity wasn't at risk. Did she even need to make up an excuse?

She could just say she'd slept in.

In fact, that's exactly what she'd done.

On purpose.

To avoid the very boy she was arriving late with.

A groan slipped through her lips—and of course, Adrien heard it.

"Everything okay, Marinette? You sure you're not hurt?"

"Err – Yeah! I'm – I'm fine." Her eyes flew this way and that, as she considered an excuse. "I was just… uh…"

Adrien's eyes were fixed on her and once more, she took in his mussed hair… so reminiscent of Chat Noir.

"I was just wondering what to say to Miss Bustier?"

Adrien smiled, his bangs bobbing with each step he took. "You mean, how do we explain our lateness?" He adjusted the strap of his bag, his ring in full view. "We don't. In my experience, Miss Bustier is fine as long as you apologise and don't disrupt the lesson beyond that. It's Ms Mendeleiev that's a little trickier to deal with."

"Tell me about it," Marinette muttered, only to gasp and go tense. "I mean, uhh… Yeah, I've been crate—late to her class a few times. It's never easy."

They stopped outside their classroom door, Adrien's hand returning to her shoulder. He leaned in close and this time, her unfit charade wasn't the reason her breath hitched.

"Just follow my lead, okay?"

Marinette nodded, unable to hide a slight smile at the irony. Usually, it was him that followed her lead. He just didn't know it.

Adrien offered her an encouraging smile, then eased the classroom door aside. Miss Bustier was seated at her desk, her eyes on them and her hands hovering over the keys on her laptop. Their classmates looked up from their tablets, their eyes flicking between Marinette and Adrien.

Adrien entered first. "Sorry we're late, Miss Bustier." He held the door open and snuck Marinette a supportive wink that made her cheeks burn.

This time, Marinette's stumble was unintentional as she stepped inside, feeling all eyes on her. She didn't know what was worse: the way Chloe and Lila glared daggers at her or the bug-eyed look on Alya's face.

Behind her, Adrien clicked the door shut, and she cleared her throat. "Uhh. Y-Yeah!" Her face scrunched in apology. "Sorry, Miss Bustier"—she itched her cheek—"for interrupting the lesson."

Miss Bustier nodded, showing a gracious smile. "Please take your seats and pull out your tablets. We're starting a pop quiz in a couple of minutes."

Adrien and Marinette nodded in sync, and he gracefully claimed his seat.

Her?

She tripped on the first step, greeted the second with her shin, and crawled the rest of the way. Once she was in her seat, her panic-struck eyes shot to Miss Bustier, only to be met by a knowing smile.

A sigh of relief slipped from Marinette's lips as she placed her backpack on her desk.

That relief was short-lived.

Alya leaned into her personal bubble, rocking a smirk. "Girl," she whispered, her eyes narrow with amusement. "Start. Talking."

Marinette played dumb. "About what?" she whispered back, hunched behind her backpack to avoid Miss Bustier's stare.

Alya rolled her eyes. "Seriously? You and Adrien just showed up to class together. Late. With super messy hair." She raised a brow. "There's gotta be a story there!"

"There's no story, Alya," she said through a sigh.

"Oh, come on." Alya eyed her from behind her tablet, her smirk growing. "Did you two finally make out in the utility closet?"

"ALYA!" Marinette screeched, somehow knocking her bag over the back of her desk. It brushed Adrien's back as it descended toward the wooden floor, meeting it with a dull thud.

"Marinette," said Miss Bustier, looking up from her laptop to send her a stern look, "if you arrive late, I expect you to do it discreetly."

She stooped her head low. "Sorry, Miss Bustier!"

Adrien turned in his chair - his tablet already laid out on his desk - and with a sympathetic smile, he heaved her bag off the floor. She nodded her thanks as he placed it on the desk. Only when he turned back to his tablet did she shoot Alya a glare.

"We both just happened to be late," she quietly growled, "and I kinda forgot to brush my hair, so Adrien messed his up to make me feel better. And to save us interrupting class twice, we decided to show up together." The slightest smirk Alya still showed only had her eyes rolling. "Need I remind you he's dating Kagami?"

That swept the smugness from her face. "All riiiight, I believe you." She watched, her eyes squinting in thought, as Marinette pulled her tablet from her backpack. "But hey, speaking of dating… How're things going with Luka?" Of course, her teasing smile returned; it never did seem to be gone for long. "Maybe it's him you're smooching in a closet, hmm?"

Thoughts of last night swarmed to the forefront of Marinette's mind, and her stomach churned at the reminder of Luka. "I… No! We're just hanging out." She set her backpack on the floor and turned back to her tablet, bringing up their pop quiz with a shaky finger.

Alya turned to her own tablet. "So, does that mean you guys haven't kissed yet?"

Marinette's cheeks flushed pink and she shook her head excessively. "Don't you think I'd tell you if we had?"

Alya lightly elbowed Marinette's side. "When it comes to you, girl, I never know what to think."

Briefly, she chewed on the inside of her cheek. “Okay. Fair point, but trust me, Alya, if I ever get a boyfriend, you'll be the first to know."

---

Usually, sitting behind Adrien was a blessing.

Today, it was a curse.

No matter how hard she tried, Marinette's eyes kept drifting to the boy ahead of her. She studied the curve of his broad shoulders, recalling all the times she'd seen them wrapped in leather. She strained her ears each time he spoke and now it was impossible to unhear her partner. And during last period, when Alya struck up a conversation with him, she caught her eyes travelling the defined arc of his jaw.

Now that she knew he was Chat Noir, she just couldn't unsee it.

"So, Adrien," Alya was saying, leaning over her desk. "You gonna come play Ultimate Mecha Strike III tomorrow?" She glanced between the two boys ahead. "I might also pull out Just Dance if I'm feeling a little bit groovy," she added, shimmying in her seat.

"Yeah, Alya!" Adrien said, his face alight. "I'll definitely be there this time!"

Marinette bolted upright in her seat, horror flashing across her face.

"Good to hear," Alya said beside her.

"Yeah! Would you believe my father said yes for a change?" Adrien tapped his lips, his eyes wandering up to the ceiling. "He's been in a pretty good mood lately… I think." He looked back at Alya, smiling. "Kagami's excited too. And maybe a bit nervous. She hasn't really hung out with more than a couple of friends at a time."

A splash of pity washed over Marinette. It'd been a while since her last orange juice outing with Kagami and she knew those meet-ups meant a lot to her. For a moment, she considered arranging another one.

That thought was quickly crushed by the glaring reminder that sat before her - otherwise known as Adrien Agreste.

Chat Noir.

Kagami's boyfriend.

She pulled her arms across her torso, her eyes sinking to the dented surface of her desk. She was almost certain a catch up with Kagami would end tragically. Heck, it would probably start tragically too—at least while her knowledge of Chat's identity was still fresh.

Adrien and Kagami's relationship had been – still was – extremely hard to swallow. Knowing Kagami's boyfriend was also Chat Noir somehow seemed to make things more complicated. And now that she thought about it, it was no wonder Chat had flirted with Ryuko last week, during their brief fight with Loveater.

Marinette had a feeling she'd continue to be struck by realisations like this for at least a few weeks. Understandable, considering she's been unknowingly crushing on her superhero partner this whole time. She barely bit back a groan at that lovely reminder. It sounded like the punchline of a very bad joke. Or maybe she was the punchline?

"I'm excited for Kagami to be a bigger part of our friend group," Alya was saying, a teasing lilt in her voice as she continued. "Especially now that you two are an item." She elbowed Marinette, prompting a wince. "Isn't that right, girl?"

Rubbing her aching side, Marinette grinned a little too widely at the boys seated below her. At any other time, the red that crept across Adrien's cheeks would've been adorable. Now, it twisted her heart.

"I – Uhh. Yeah." She hoped her smile seemed genuine, at least to Adrien. "I can – I mean, I can't wait!"

#ml fic #miraculous ladybug #you times two #adrinette #marichat #ladynoir #ladrien

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