#sir wipe that grin from your face before nathalie does it for you

[escaping-thoughts-reviews]

Oh, honey, it’s not just your face. Wait until you see the customization feature...

As for you ‘Gabe’, that is still Adrien’s likeness and if he doesn’t feel comfortable with strangers having access to his image, you should respect it!

[thr-333]

Drastic Measures- Part 11

@daminette-december2019-2020

~Snow globe~

Gabriel: Nathalie why haven't you canceled my card?! Nathalie: oh were you going to use that to pay my pay rise for moving to a different continent or to pay my last 6 years of overtime? Gabriel: Nathalie- Nathalie: You’re welcome to do it yourself sir. Gabriel:....... I can’t do anything without you can I? Nathalie: No you cant and make sure to remember that next pay day.

Ao3

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“So why are we here?” Damian asks getting dragged around the mall by the two.

“Because if we’re decorating the pet stores we need inspiration,” Marinette holds him by his elbow in case he tries to escape again, “And Adrien's having fun,”

“Why don’t we just hire someone for that?”

“I haven't found a good babysitter yet,” Marinette smiles as she knows Damian glares at her, “The style of the store is the most important thing, it’s what people interact with the most and a representation of our company,”

“Tt,” Marinette smiles knowing she won. 

They follow Adrien into an incredibly overpriced knick-knacks store, exactly what they’re looking for. She jots down notes in her book looking at the glasswork on the figurines or the beautifully painted porcelain.

“I think every store should have the same color coordination for each section,” Marinette suggests writing down a potential palette based on the plates she was looking at, “So people always know where to find something no matter the store,”

“How many people do you think are going to multiple stores?” Damian scoffs.

“We will be, besides its a decorative thing, a bit of paint on the wall or shelf, hm maybe each section should have a range of shades to keep it from being too samey,”

“I take it you’re in charge of this part now?”

“Guess so,” Marinette hums looking over the shelves for more inspiration, Adrien looking over a large glass sculpture that she may have to talk him out of buying, “So did you talk to Adrien?”

“Oh no,” Damian catches her attention, “He talked I was expected to listen,”

“So you make any decisions?” She spots a little china doll on a high shelf.

“I’m not going to run away if that’s what you’re asking,” Damian reaches over her grabbing the doll before she knocks over shelves trying to jump up and reach it.

“But If you were-”

“I’m not,” Damian hands the doll over.

“But if you were,” He gives her a withered glare, “Where would you go?”

“… Somewhere I can paint I suppose,” He says after some consideration.

“That's a start!” Marinette exclaims, almost dropping the doll.

“I can paint anywhere,” Damian catches it before she can.

“Ah,” They go back to pursuing the shelves, Damian taking it upon himself to hold the delicate decorations for some reason.

“... Where would you go?” He asks eventually, Marinette tries to keep the smile to herself as to not scare him off.

“I used to think I’d like to go somewhere with lots of snow,”

“Is that so?” Damian hums consideringly.

“Yeah but then I came here and realized the cold sucks,” Marinette's jaw actually drops as Damian laughs, not a snort or a scoff and actual chuckle! “Hollll- did you just laugh?! Did I just get you to laugh!? Are there cameras around?! Do you think they’ll let me keep the footage?!”

“Calm down,” Damian places a hand on her head to stop her bouncing,  “Besides I think your friend is about to make a ludicrous purchase,”

“Adrien!” Marinette snaps as he tries to pay for a glass sculpture twice his size, “Can it fit on the back of a motorcycle?!”

“.... no,” Adrien hangs his head like a toddler being told off.

“Then put it down!” Marinette chides dragging him away from the sculpture and out of the store. She already had to fit three on them on hers. Damian is lagging behind, Marinette resigns herself to having to drag them both through the mall like children when he finally catches up.

“Here take this,” She startles a snow globe in a clear box being pressed into her hands, “Now you can look at the snow without getting cold,”

“That's so nice,” She bites down on the follow-up question of where the hell is Damian and what did you do with him.

“No, it’s bribery,” Ah there he is, “Don’t tell anyone I laughed,”

“So you admit you laughed,” Marinette smirks, letting Adrien go look at different stores.

“Besides,” Damian sharply changes the topic, “If you want to see the snow so badly just stay inside a cabin or something,”

“Well maybe you can come with me,” Marinette hums looking at the snowflakes fall over a winter forest, two little people by a campfire, “I bet it would be beautiful to paint,”

“Maybe so,” Damian agrees before giving her a side look, “Also you’re a horrible influence,”

“Who me? It’s not like I gave you the idea to run away,” He had come to her with that all on his own.

“No you didn’t,” Damian easily agrees, walking along with Marinette.

“Well if you’re still in the rebellion mood why don’t you join the pink hair squad?”

“I am not dying my hair pink,” Damian rolls his eyes.

“Just a little bit?” Marinette steps in front of him walking backward.

“No,” Damian brushes past her, Marinette lets him go ahead.

“Adrien I just had the best idea,” Marinette turns to her side where Adrien is not. Marinette looks behind her spotting Adrien in the crowd- getting picked up and carried away by a stranger! “ADRIEN!”

Damian hears her shout bolting forward. Grabbing a baton he apparently had the whole time. 

“Damian, watch out! They might have feelings!” Damian actually stops in his tracks, turning back to glare at her.

“...”

“...”

“Hey guys,” Adrien speaks up, “I’m kind of being kidnapped,”

“Right!” Marinette wipes the grin off her face, punching the kidnapper right on the jaw. He drops Adrien who lands on his feet, “Do I need a child leash for you young man?”

“Please don’t my Father had one of those for me,” Adrien brushes himself off as the kidnapped stumbles to the ground.

“Weren’t you never allowed out of the house?” Marinette asks as Damian steps forward to pull the kidnapper's arms behind their back.

“Exactly,”

“Not that this isn't riveting,” Damian says in the most bored tone, turning to the kidnapped, “Who hired you?”

“Garbeil Agreste sent me to fetch his son,”

“Yeah, here we call that kidnapping,” Adrien snarks back, “Great can’t the guy just leave me alone? What's his problem it’s like-”

“Nope!” Damian drops the kidnapper walking away, “Not today! Not again!”

“... well that's just rude,” Adrien huffs as someone calls the police.

“Don’t worry,” Marinette smiles, “As I was trying to tell you I have a plan,”

 ---

 “MARINETTE!”

“Hm wonder what that could be about,” Marinette flips the page, continuing to read peacefully while seated for breakfast with the rest of the Waynes.

“Dupain-Cheng I know you are responsible for this,” Damian leans over her, still in a towel and dripping wet, oh and with pink hair that bits kinda important.

“You did this to him?” Jason laughs, not so subtly taking pictures with glee.

“Relax it’s temporary dye,” Marinette grabs Damain’s shoulder before he can jump over the table and dismember Jason.

“How temporary?” Damian demands, Marinette just turns to a new page with no drips of water on it.

“Just wash it a few more times and it will come right out,” Damian huffs again stalking out of the room, all eyes on her.

“... I can’t believe you survived that,” Tim says with awe, “Actually even Damians not stupid enough to risk that,”

She’ll ask what he means later.

 ---

 “Temporary Dupain-cheng?” Damian glares at her, still very much pink and still very much angry.

“Alright maybe not,” Marinette tries to suppress a giggle, “It looks good tho,”

“Dupain-cheng you will fix this and you will fix this now,” She’s not lying he does look good and she does blush.

“Well, we could go to the hairdresser-”

“No,” Damian snaps, crossing his arms like it's final.

“Do you trust me to dye your hair myself?”

“Absolutely not,” at least not after this.

“Then you’re stuck like that,” Marinette shrugs, Damian groans sinking into the seat behind him.

“This is all your fault Dupain-cheng,”

“Ha, how long are you going to call me that?” Damian leans forward fixing her with a venomous glare.

“Forever,”

 ---

 “Hey Robin- are you wearing a swimming cap under your hood?” Ladybug cuts herself off trying to take off his hood.

“It’s a lightweight head protector,” Robin grabs her wrist, but Ladybug is stronger.

“Yeah no,” Ladybug pushes his hood off, “It’s a swimming cap, what is killer croc up to something?”

“You’re hilarious,” Robin scoffs looking away as if there isn’t a real smile tugging at his mouth.

“Well I can’t let Chat take all the glory,” Ladybug shrugs coming to sit next to him in what has become their usual spot, “So what's the deal? Gasp did you lose a dare?”

“Did you just say gasp?” Robin asks incredulously, “And no it’s not a dare it’s a rather unfortunate prank,”

“Oh please please tell me they did the same to Batman, Please,” Ladybug his holding both his shoulders, Robin completely turned towards her as she looks at him desperately.

“........ yes,”

 ---

 “Marinette,”

“Yes Bruc-” Marinette chokes then tries to choke down her laugh.

“I feel you may have gotten carried away, I would like to remind you-” 

“So sorry to interrupt,” Marinette interrupts, “But that wasn't me,”

“Are you sure?” Bruce is studying her.

“Yeah I only messed with Damian's  bathroom,” Marinette turns completely towards him, “Were you using Damian's bathroom?”

“No,”

“Then it wasn't me,” Marinette shrugs turning away.

“Then who did it?”

“A true mystery,”

 ---

 “So you’re sure you want me to do this,” Marinette asks again, the dye in one hand Damian sitting in front of her.

“Dupain-Cheng I swear-”

“Ah, if I help you, you have to stop calling me that,” She tells him, pulling the black dye away for extra effect.

“I only call you that because of what you did,” Damian glares at her reflection in the mirror, “If you want to get back in my good graces then do this,”

“Alright, you’re sure you don’t want to keep a little pink?”

“Marinette,”

“Alright, alright,” Marinette ruffles his hair while she can get away with it, “I did like your pink hair,”

“It got in the way of...” He trails off.

“Way of what?”

“Nothing,” Marinette drops it, the topic not the dye.

“Well Damian,” She spreads the dye through his hair, “Welcome to your first step of rebellion,”

Little did either realize how true that was.

--------

no tag list :P

[auspicious-lilana]

Two Cats, One Heart (Chat Noir x Reader)

Summary: Y/n Ross and Adrian Agreste are childhood best friends, they've been through thick and thin, including losing their mom, and dad. Since then Y/n's mom made her live with Adrian at his mansion and forever leaving her life. Watch as their lives Change as they become the new heroes of Paris alongside Ladybug and see how Romance sprouts between the two models.

Part 1  

{Y/n' POV}

Adrian and I were running down the street of our house trying to get to school on time. Why are we running to school in a rush when we could just take our personal driver? You may ask? Well, we aren't really allowed to attend school, so we snuck out of the mansion together with all our supplies and bags. We saw the School entrance and smiled at each other before starting to slow down and walk-in. "Adrien, Y/n, please reconsider! You know what your father and godfather want!" "This is what we wanna do!" Adrian said as I nodded and continued walking before we saw an old man lying on the road reaching for his crane. Adrian and I looked at each other and nodded before we took both sides of the old man and helped him up as I picked up his crane and gave it to him. "Thank you, young man and women" we smiled back at the old man before turning back to Natalie. "We just wanna go to school like everybody else. What's so wrong with that? " I said sadly. "Please don't tell my father about this" Adrian said as we sadly walked into the car and drove back to the Mansion we were imprisoned in. Unknown to us the old man we helped before stood in front of the mansion as we went in for our homeschool class, with two boxes that would change our entire lives. Adrian and I were in the middle of Natalie's history lesson as we listened to while we were still bummed out about the whole not going to school thing. "Who was the first president of the 5th French Republic?" "Everyone thinks it was de Gaulle, " Adrian started bored. "but it was actually René Coty before the first elections" I finished off for him. "excellent Adrian, Y/n"  I sighed as I saw my godfather aka Adrian's dad Mr.Agreste come in. "Give me a minute, would you, Nathalie?" Natalie nodded at Mr.Agreste. "yes, sir" Natalie left leaving Adrian and me with Mr.Agreste. "You are both NOT going to school. I already told you two"  Adrian and I stood up in protest. "but father/Sir!" "Everything you both need is right here where I can keep an eye on you two. I will not have you both outside in that dangerous world." "It's not dangerous, father. We're always stuck in here with nothing but each other and sometimes we can't even see each other. Why can't we go on and live life just like everybody else?" " Adrian said. "Because you are not like everyone else! You are my son and goddaughter! Continue."  Mr.Agreste left as Natalie came back. "We can leave it there if you have-" before she could finish Adrian and I ran back to our rooms, as tears rolled down my cheeks" "It isn't fair!" I yelled at myself as soon as I shut my door and threw myself on the couch. "why can't we live our lives as teens?" I wiped my tears before I turned on the TV not noticing the box right in front of me on the desk. "As incredible as it seems, it's been confirmed that Paris is indeed being attacked by a supervillain. The police have been struggling to keep the situation under control" I gasped at the news. "Super Villain?" After a second I noticed a strange black box on the desk in front of me. "huh? What's this doing here?" I opened the box as a grey light came out of it making me look away and drop the box to shield my eyes. "hey!" I looked at where the greeting came from to see...a grey floating fox?!?

I was about to scream before it flew quickly at me and covered my mouth. " Don't freak out! Please! I have had enough of new holders screaming whenever seeing me for the first time!" I nodded and grabbed the little grey fox and moved it away from my face. "so, are you like a genie? Do you grant wishes? Or are you just some small animal trapped in a-" I looked at the box to see a silver bracelet with a silver paw print in the middle. "really pretty bracelet." "I met him once, so what if he grants wishes, big bore. I'm way better than that guy" I looked at the little fox shook. "a genie... Exists?!" "so your surprised that exists but not questioning mines? Wow, I'm totally not offended" I chuckled nervously while I scratched the back of my neck sheepishly. "Sorry, it's just I read a lot of fairy tales of Genies, I never knew it really did it existed" "yeah yeah, whatever. Anyways the names Alpha" "I'm-" "Y/n, I know" "How did you know-" "I'm your kwami, of course, I would know your name" "What's a kwami?" I sat back down as Alpha stood floating in front of me. "A kwami is an ancient creature that grants the holder a special power, yours is the power of balance, you balance the power of destruction and creation, making sure there aren't too much of either of them." "what can I do, specifically?" "well, you wield a staff that can split into two like the ring miraculous and can take form into any weapon you like, except you have a different special ability called moon wolf when you say the word you can go invisible for 30 seconds only." "cool!" "but! There's a downside." "bad downside or is it not that bad?" I nervously said scared I might get severely ill or maybe I might get super tired every transformation. " it's not that bad, it's just you got five minutes until you detransform after using your special ability" "oh...thats not that bad I guess" I picked up the box and took out the silver bracelet and placed it on.

"So how does this work?"

"This is your miraculous, the grey fox miraculous. Using this would change you in to your superhero outfit complete with a mask and all that pizazz"

"Cool, how do I do that?"

"Just say, "Alpha, Tails out" then bam superhero"

"Okay, Alpha!-" Alpha covered my mouth again.

"Wait! before you do that, you need a hero name"

"right, but what should I name for myself"

"how about Lady Fox, like the last holder?"

"Lady Fox? I like the sound of that"

"Okay, now you can transform"

"Great! Alpha! Tails Out!" After I transformed I looked at my body mirror in awe.

"Now to test it out" I opened my window and looked around to see if anyone's watching before I hopped off and started jump building to building. I then saw a girl in a ladybug patterned suit as well as a boy in a black leather suit, both of them in masks. tied up in a yoyo string. I smirked as I stealthy walked over to them. "I'm guessing you two are my new teammates? they looked at me surprised. the red suit girl seemed nervous while the boy looked at me excited.  

"can you help us, g-get untied?" the girl asked. I nodded and pulled the tip of the string letting them free as they fell down. The cat boy came up to me and kissed my hand to which I blushed before I hid it and took back my hand.

"Thanks, umm"

"Lady Fox, you?"

"Chat Noir, at your service M'lady"  he bowed. So he's a flirty gentleman, I'll have to watch my back with him.

"I'm Ma... err... Mar... uhh..." The red suit girl pulled on her yoyo before it landed on Chat's head making me giggle as she looked at him apologetically.  " Madly Clumsy. I'm so clumsy."

"No sweat, clumsy girl. We're learning the ropes too." I nodded to Chat's reply.

"We can't be perfect at anything first try, right?" The ground began to tremble as we saw a building fall from afar. Chat and I nodded as we used out staffs to get up the building nearby from the ground.

" Hey! Where are you two going?"

"To save Paris, right?" I yelled back before Chat and I continued running. When we got to the source of the noise we saw the stone monster chasing a guy before the guy tripped. Chat extended his staff stopping the stone monster from reaching the guy. I used my staff to land next to the guy.

"Come on" I grabbed his arm and helped him up as I swung him to safety.

"Who are you?" He asked before I winked at him with a grin.

"Lady Fox" Before any more could be said I swung away to join to battle to see stone heart throw a net at a brown-haired girl who seemed to be recording. I gasped as I threw my staff to stop it from hurting her. "Are you okay, miss?" She nodded as she gaped at me in awe. but I soon got grabbed by the stone monster as did Chat as we got squished together. I looked at him with a blush creeping up as he grinned at me awkwardly before we looked away trying to move less so as not to get closer together. Ladybug soon came and used her yoyo to throw Stone monster down getting us freed.

"Animal cruelty? How shameful!"  I grinned at Ladybug's reply as I stood next to her next to a net. "Sorry it took so long, Cat Noir, Lady Fox" I nodded and smiled.

" It's cool, Wonderbug. Now, let's kick his rocky behind!" I sighed and grabbed Chat's tail.

"Hold on, kitty. Didn't you just see? he gets bigger and stronger with every attack."

"Lady Fox is right Chat Noir. We have to do something different"  

"Different how?" Chat asked as he rubbed his tail.

" Uhhh... I don't know." I thought about a plan while Chat noir decided to get cocky.

"Okay then. Let's use our powers. Cataclysm! Apparently I destroy whatever I touch."

"Chat wait-" I tried to stop him before he touched the net. great, that was his last shot. didn't he listen to his kawami? You only get one shot or time to use special powers.

"Cool. It's just you and me now! Time to rumble, soon-to-be rubble!" I face palmed as I sighed.

"Cat Noir! Wait!" Chat Noir either didn't hear or ignored Ladybug as he leaped and touched the stone monster, thinking he could still use his powers. Seems he finally realized that as he kept touching the stone monster.

"Uh-oh. I guess I only get one shot to use my power." Chat Noir smiled sheepishly before Stone Monster threw him back at us as I quickly got out of the way as he landed on the net.

"And you only have five minutes before you transform back. Didn't your kwami explain anything to you?"

"I guess I was a little excited about my new life."  

"Well, up to me. Lucky Charm!" A suit appeared in Ladybug's hands.

"Superpower?"

" My kwami told me I have to break the object where the whatchama-call-it... er, the Akuma is hiding."  

"Well, he's made entirely out of stone." Chat's right, he is entirely out of stone, I looked closely before noticing something. but his right hand is always shut. earlier when he took me, he avoided holding me and chat in the same hand, and held us both in his left hand. in fact he's been keeping his left hand to himself the entire time, like a Russian doll.

"His right hand, it's still closed. He never opens it. It's like the Russian dolls. The object isn't on him, it's hidden in his fist!" I exclaimed Ladybug caught on and nodded.

"Lady Fox is right"

"So what's your plan?" Chat asked. I smiled and stepped back for Ladybug to do her thing.

"This." Ladybug grabbed the hose under hoe and tied it to the suit. I looked at her as I soon realized what she was going to do and I nodded as she smiled. I turned my staff into a rope as I used to grab around Chat's legs.

"Don't resist. Trust me." I spun and around and threw chat into the stone monster.

"THIS GIRL'S CRAZY!"  Ladybug then ran.

"Catch me if you can!" Ladybug jumped making stone monster drop the item to grab ladybug. "Lady Fox! Now!" I nodded as I used my power.

"Moon Wolf!" I turned invisible so that the stone monster won't be able to try to touch me as I grabbed the item, making it look for it confused as I turned on the tap filling up the suit Ladybug had. letting Ladybug go. Once I was sure she was free, I threw the stone on the groundbreaking it. As we both watched it fly away as the stone monster changed back into a boy, making Chat fall.

"This girl is awesome, Crazy awesome" The broken stone pieces I had in my hand changed back into a paper as I smiled and walked the boy. Chat walked up to me and Ladybug.

"You two were in incredible, Lady Fox, and Miss uh bug lady, you did it!" I shook my head.

"No, We did it"

"Pound it!" We all said with a smile as Chat's ring and my bracelet began to beep.

"You two should get going. Our identities must remain secret."

"Farewell, m'lady. Let's do this again soon, okay?" Chat and I began to run, in the same direction home?

"Um, you live near here?"  I said as we made it to my home.

"Uh yeah" Why isn't he moving, doesn't he have to get home.

"um, shouldn't you get home?"

"What about you? I want to make sure you get home alright"

"No need, I-" My bracelet began to beep making me get nervous. I looked around before I thought out an idea. "Bye!" I ran all the way behind the mansion as I heard his footsteps leave. Strange how we ended up in the same place. I looked to make sure if he was gone before I ran back to my window as I heard my door knock as I changed back. I quickly hid Alpha who seemed tired as I sat on the couch casually.

"Come in!" I saw Adrian as I looked at him surprised. he never really came in my room before, after we became models we rarely have time for each other as we did when we were kids, it was like we were purposely being split apart. "Adrian?"

"Hey, Y/n. Long time since I came in here huh?" Adrian smiled as he laughed a bit making me grin.

"Yeah, I missed seeing you a lot. It's like we've grown apart"

"And now I want us to be together"

"What do you mean?"

"I missed you, and I need my best friend again" I smiled as I patted a spot on the couch for him to sit which he did.

"I missed you too, blondie" Adrian chuckled.

"It feels nice to see you call me that again" I smiled teasingly.

"oh you do? pancake?"

"Okay, now I think you're getting a bit carried away with the nicknames"  

"How so? Goldie locks?"

"Y/n...." We looked at each other before we both ended up laughing. "This time, nobody is ever going to separte us, not even my father"

"Pinky promise?" I stook out my pinky as he chuckled as he locked his pinky with mine.

"Pinky promise"

"Well, we can start with a sleepover later?" Adrian nodded.

"I'll go get my things" I smiled as he walked out. Alpha came out and tired walked over to me.

"Yyyyy/nnnnn!" He whined as I rolled my eyes.

"Yes?"

"I want brownies"

"I'll get my chef to bring some" I called in a chef with the com installed in my room as he brought the brownies quickly. I thanked him as I closed the door and gave him the brownies as requested. "Happy?"

"Very" I rolled my eyes as I turned on the TV.

"These victims transformed into stone beings are still like statues. The police are perplexed to what will happen to them. Will they come back to life or be frozen in time forever?

I looked at the TV confused. More stone beings? I thought we defeated it.

"Hey Alpha, I thought we were finished with that guy, why is it still going?"

"Did you capture the Akuma?" He said as he munched on a brownie.

" What's capturing the Akuma got to do with the other stone beings?"

"An Akuma can multiply, that's why it must be captured. If the boy's emotions become negative again, then the Akuma will turn him back into Stoneheart! He'll control all the stone beings and bring them to life to serve as his army!"

"Is there anything I can do about it"

"Well usually Ladybug has to do it, but you can too. You can use your staff as a net and catch all of them. but sadly you can't this time. It's all up to Ladybug."

"I can only come in when it's out of hand huh, well i hope Ladybug is up for it too"

"Me too Y/n, Me too"

(A/n: End of part one of Origins! I hope all my miraculous fans like this chapter!)

[gryffindorcls]

Please Tell Me I’m Awake Right Now

(Part 10)

Gabriel Agreste does not consider himself a total monster.  Does he terrorize Paris on a near daily basis to steal jewelry from a couple of teenagers?  Technically, yes.  Does he feel that his actions are wrong?  No, definitely not.  To him, he is simply a man who would do anything to make his family complete again. 

He recognizes that he is not the most affectionate father he could be, but he still loves his son.  Gabriel simply likes the feeling of being in control.  That’s why he started his own company.  That’s why he raised Adrien the way he did.  That’s why he’s completely okay with akumatizing unsuspecting victims for his own personal gain.

Emilie’s illness thrust his life into chaos.  He made a promise to bring her back, and becoming Hawkmoth had been his only way to take control of the situation.  

When he was notified of the existence of a picture with Adrien and the Dupain-Cheng girl together, he felt some of his control slip away.  His son was an emotional boy whose feelings ran deep.  He knew first hand how quickly his son formed attachments and how unpredictable he became when those attachments were threatened.   

While his son was typically obedient, polite, and refined, Adrien had recently developed a penchant for rebelling against orders.  A girl would make this a thousand times worse.  Gabriel knew that he had to find a way to regain control of this situation. 

Gabriel looked at the Instagram photo a second time.  The girl looked familiar.  He then remembered that this was the girl who won a hat contest at some point.  Apparently, she wanted to be a designer.  Adrien could have done worse.

He sighed and massaged his temples with the tips of his fingers.  He needed a plan.  

“If only there was a way to make this benefit our family professionally,” Gabriel noted mentally. 

There was a knock at his office door. 

“Yes,” he called across the room. 

Nathalie came in and stood at attention in the entranceway. 

“Sir,” she began, “the photographer from today’s photo shoot is here.”

“Good.  Thank you, Nathalie.  Please send him in.”

She didn’t turn to leave. 

“Is there something else?” Gabriel asked raising an eyebrow. 

“Yes, sir,” she said with the faintest hint of hesitation, “Mademoiselle Noelle Dusseau is also here.  She would like to speak to you, as well.”

“Fine.  Send them both in.”

Gabriel watched the door as his employees walked into the room. 

“Monsieur Agreste,” Noelle exclaimed loudly, sauntering up to the edge of his desk, “we need to have a conversation about Marinette Dupain-Cheng.”

***

When the car pulled through the gates of the Agreste Mansion, Adrien’s heart quickened.  He thanked his driver and walked towards Nathalie who was standing on the steps awaiting his arrival.  His mouth went dry. 

“Good evening, Adrien,” she greeted him cooly, “Instead of meeting in his office, your father will be joining you for dinner.  He’s waiting for you in the dining hall.”

“Thank you, Nathalie,” he responded without meeting her eyes. 

As Adrien walked up the stairs, Nathalie reached out, touched his shoulder, and gave him a faint, yet comforting smile.  

“Maybe everything is okay, after all!” Adrien thought to himself. 

He continued through the foyer and into the dining hall.  Gabriel sat silently at the other end of the table.  He was looking at the contents of a manila envelope, and his eyes did not move to look up as his son entered the room. 

“Hello, father,” Adrien said politely. 

“Please take a seat, son,” Gabriel greeted without emotion.  

Adrien took his seat at the opposite end of the table and moved his napkin to his lap.  

The two sat in an uncomfortable silence for several minutes before Gabriel spoke.  “Today, I not only had Mademoiselle Dusseau in my office but the photographer from the shoot, as well.  They both came in to talk to me about a certain Mademoiselle Dupain-Cheng who made quite an impression.”

“I’m sorry, father.  It’s my fault.  I was distracted during the photo shoot, and Noelle was there... and I…” Adrien’s father held up a hand, cutting him off. 

Gabriel held up a stack of photographs.  “Adrien, I received the proofs from today’s shoot, and it is the best work I’ve seen from you in over a year.”

“Oh?”  Adrien cast his father a worried look. 

“You look youthful, poised, and…” Gabriel uncharacteristically sighed, “you look happy, son.”

Adrien’s brain felt a rush of emotions before settling on confusion. “I…uhm...thank…you?”

Gabriel slipped the pictures back into the envelope before continuing, “I apologize if I ever made it seem like I didn’t care about your happiness.  Everything I have done is for you...for us.”

The emphasis on his last statement made Adrien feel as if there was a greater meaning to his father’s words.  Gabriel was always secretive, so he pushed the thought from his mind.  He needed to focus on convincing his father to approve of his relationship with Marinette. 

Gabriel spoke again.  “You have so much of your mother in you that sometimes I forget about the traits that you inherited from me.”

“What do you mean, father?” Adrien asked hesitantly. 

“The Agreste men seem to be cut from the same cloth when it comes to protecting the ones we love.”

“We are?”

“It appears that you care for Mademoiselle Dupain-Cheng quite a bit.  She also managed to impress both today’s photographer and Noelle in the short time she was with you on set.  First, Noelle informed me that she was a talented young designer.  Then, the photographer begged me to invite her to another shoot.”

“Wow...really?”

“As you know tomorrow you are required to attend the Investor’s Gala for the Gabriel brand.  In the morning, you will bring Mademoiselle Dupain-Cheng here to pick out a formal dress from my summer collection.  She will then accompany you to the event.”

Adrien was floored. “Thank you, father!  I will let her know.”

Gabriel peered at his son over the top of his glasses. “However, understand this...the only reason she has been given this opportunity is because of Noelle's recommendation.  I agreed with her assessment of your girlfriend’s skills.  Mademoiselle Dupain-Cheng is young, but she has potential.  She must continue to uphold herself with decorum if you wish for this relationship between the two of you to continue.”

“Yes, father.”

“I expect you to make smart choices, as well.  This is not to get in the way of any of your obligations or scheduled activities.  You are to maintain a positive public persona, and there can be no scandals.  Do I make myself clear?”

Adrien looked down at his dinner plate.  “Yes, father.  I understand.”

“Good.”  Gabriel nodded his head and began to eat his dinner. 

“Father?” Adrien asked tentatively. 

Gabriel looked up from his food, put down his fork, and motioned for him to continue. 

Adrien gulped.  “I know you usually don’t approve of me having friends over, but do you think it would be okay if Marinette came over more than just tomorrow morning?”

His father pursed his lips and waited a moment before responding.  “Before I can answer that, I would like the opportunity to speak to her first.  Invite her over for brunch tomorrow, as well.  We can eat together before she looks at dresses.”

Adrien couldn’t believe what he was hearing, and he only had one question on his mind.  “What is happening right now?”

***

Chat Noir used his baton to jump across Paris at top speed.  He was eager to reach his destination.  His Princess was waiting for him.

He gently touched down on the familiar balcony and was greeted by an outpouring of golden light shining through the windowed hatch.  It was an inviting beacon that provided a warm contrast against the chill of the dark Parisian night.

Chat eagerly tapped against the glass.  Shortly after, a hand pressed against the pane and pushed up the hatch.  Marinette’s head popped up through the opening.

“Oh, look,” Marinette commented sarcastically, “it’s a cat.  Hmmm...should I let him come inside?”

“Well,” Chat said, leaning in towards Marinette’s face, “a certain blond model relayed a message to this cat earlier today.  Apparently, it was from a beautiful princess who lived here.  I’m here with my response.”

Marinette broke out in a fit of hysterical laughter.

He looked confused.  “What?”

She wiped away a stray tear that had fallen.  “My mental image of Adrien relaying my message to Chat Noir is of you kissing yourself in the mirror.  Knowing you and your ridiculousness, I wouldn't put it past you.”

“And by ridiculousness you mean paw-someness, right?”

Marinette lovingly touched his cheek.  “My sweet, amazing dork.  Get your cute butt in here.”

“Oh, so you think my butt is cu…”  Chat was cut off by Marinette grabbing him and yanking him through the hatch.  He plopped onto her bed with a soft thud.

“Come here, Chaton.”  She grabbed his bell and tugged him closer.  He shot her a lovesick grin, and Mariette pressed her lips on his.  His claws carefully raked through her hair as they deepened the kiss.  Her arms eventually wrapped around his torso.

“You know,” he said breathlessly as he pulled away from her face, “I’m dating Ladybug now.  I don’t know if she would appreciate me making out with a beautiful princess...even if that princess is you.”

Marinette pressed her lips together and hummed. “That’s okay.  Something tells me she won’t mind.  Besides, I’m dating Adrien Agreste.  Actually, I was expecting him tonight.  Have you seen him anywhere?”

Chat detransformed, letting the electric green light envelop his body until a smiling Adrien was left in his stead.  Plagg quickly zipped away to go be with Tikki.

“There he is,” Marinette mused. 

Adrien leaned in further.  “Here I am.”

Their lips locked for a second time.  They kissed until their need for air overpowered their desire for closeness.  The pair continued holding each other while Adrien proceeded to pepper his girlfriend’s face with a dozen tiny pecks, rendering her into a fit of giggles. 

“Your laugh is like a symphony,” he whispered into her ear. 

“You, Adrien Agreste, are a flirt,” she said while lightly pushing on the top of his nose, “I thought Chat Noir was bad, but you have exceeded my expectations.”

“You love it.”

“I love you.  All of you...cheesy jokes and all.”

He rested his forehead on hers.  “God, I love you so much.”

Marinette closed her eyes and sighed happily.

“Also,” Adrien wiggled his eyebrows, “it’s good to know you like my ‘cute butt’.”

She moved away and smacked his arm in feigned annoyance. 

“Hey!” he exclaimed, raising his hands in surrender, “Your words, not mine!”

Marinette gave him a quick peck on the lips. “Hush now.” 

“Your wish is my command, my lady.”

“Now, how did the conversation with your dad go?”

Adrien perked up and took her hands in his.  “Oh, yeah!  Uhm...it was...interesting.”

“Okay,” Marinette met his eyes, “what does that mean?”

“Well, it seems that you really made an impression on Noelle today.”

“Oh, no…”

“No, no, no!  It’s not a bad thing.  It’s actually...surprisingly...a really, really good thing.  Turns out that my father respects Noelle’s professional opinion, and she wants to work with you.”

“She does?  But the Gabriel internship program is only open to university students.”

“Yes, but apparently you have inspired Noelle to reach out to younger students who are interested in design.  I have no idea what it would entail, but she likes you.”

“Wow.”

“Look, as much of a butt-nugget my father tends to be sometimes, he takes great pride in his professional persona.  So, if he can find something that makes him look good as a designer, then he’s usually on board with it.  He respects talent and demands the best.  He’s a nightmare, but he knows how to boost people’s careers when he feels they deserve it.  However, it’s strange.  I haven’t seen him like this since my mom...well...you know.  He typically holes himself up in his office and shuts out the world.  It’s honestly refreshing to see him take an interest in something new.”

“That’s incredible, Adrien, but...did you just call Gabriel Agreste a butt-nugget?”

Plagg flew over from across the room and hovered next to his chosen.  “Trust me, bug.  He’s being kind with that designation.  You should hear what we call him at home.  My personal favorite one is…”

Adrien cut him off.  “AND that’s enough of that.  Thank you, Plagg.”

“If you give me the cheese in your pocket, I’ll go away.”

“Ugh...fine.”

Adrien tossed the camembert to his Kwami who happily snatched it out of the air and unceremoniously shoved the entire piece into his mouth.  Plagg then cackled and flew back to his hiding place. 

“Anyway,” Adrien continued, “you know that stuffy dinner thing I have to go to tomorrow?  Well, you’ve been invited to be my date for it.  Only if you agree, of course!  No pressure if you don’t want to, but the offer is there.”

Her breath hitched, and she stared blankly at her boyfriend. 

“Marinette?” Adrien asked worriedly. 

“Oh. My. God.  I’ve been invited to the Gabriel Summer Investor’s Gala!  Are you kidding me?!” she exclaimed while running her fingers frantically through her hair. 

“It’s okay if you don’t want to go.”

“Don’t want to go?  You’re joking, right?  Do you know what kind of opportunity this is?  It’s a dream come true!  Ohmygod!  What am I going to wear?  I have nothing appropriate for something like that!”

“If you decide to come, my father will be taking care of that.”

“What do you mean?”

“As a model for the company, I will be expected to wear a piece from this summer’s formal collection.  If you accompany me, he would like us to be a matching pair.  He wants you to come over and pick something out tomorrow morning.”

“I get to wear a Gabriel original?”

Adrien scratched the back of his neck.  “Yeah.”

Marinette launched into a hug.  “Oh my God!  Thank you!  Thank you!  Thank you!”

Plagg chimed in from an undisclosed location in the room.  “But wait there’s more!”

Adrien growled.  “Plagg!”

Marinette moved her hands back to hair.  “There’s more?” 

“Yeah,” Adrien cleared his throat, “uhm...my dad wants to get to know you better, so he has requested that the three of us eat brunch together before you look at dresses.”

“What is happening right now?” she whispered. 

Adrien laughed.  “That’s exactly what I thought when he told me!”

Marinette grabbed his shoulders. “This is incredible.  I think I’m going to pass out, no...that’s too dramatic.  I’ll be fine.  No, I won’t.  I have so many feelings right now!  Gabriel Agreste may not be a great father, but I still look up to him as a designer.  What if I mess up?  What if I trip and ruin something?  Then he’ll hate me.”

He took her hands and soothingly stroked her knuckles with his thumbs.  “It’s okay, Marinette.  I’ll be with you the whole time.  Also, you’re Ladybug.  You are one of the strongest, most confident people I know.  You’re amazing.”

Marinette smiled momentarily before a look of sheer panic overtook her features. 

She scrambled off her bed, down the ladder, and over to her closet.  “What am I going to wear to brunch?!”

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Thank you to everyone who has been reading and following this story.  You are all wonderful!

Also, thank you to those who have left comments and asks.  They make my heart feel full, and it fuels my passion to keep writing!

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AO3

Fanfiction.net

[quicksilversquared]

Eurovision Fever

When May rolled around in Paris, that could only mean one thing: it was time for Eurovision.

Add together (most of) the class, one song contest, and one food-laden watching party, and you get a night full of fun, singing, and dancing.....and maybe even a certain caterwauling cat adding in a bit of unexpected fun.

(yes, I know Eurovision was ages ago. This got lost in my drafts. Whoops.)

(FF.net) (AO3)

The season of sequins, fireworks, tacky outfits, and occasionally questionable singing was upon them. Snack were prepped, friends and classmates were invited over to watch together, and couches were dragged around TVs.

Yes, it was time for Eurovision.

"Oh, I never watch that nonsense," Chloe sniffed when Alya (rather grudgingly) extended the invitation to her and Sabrina. "The 'fashion'- ugh. It hurts my eyes. And even if I did watch it, why would I want to crowd around a tiny little TV in your family's minuscule apartment when I could watch it at my daddy's hotel?" With that she flounced off, dragging a somewhat reluctant Sabrina along behind her.

"We didn't want you anyway," Alya grumbled, crossing off Chloe and Sabrina's names in her notebook. "All right, we've asked everyone. Out of the entire class, eight people are coming. Sabrina and Chloe aren't, of course. Nathaniel said he was watching with his own family, Ivan and Mylène are watching with Mylène's family, and Kim wasn't interested. But everyone else is coming." A devious grin lit up Alya's face and she elbowed Marinette's side teasingly. "Adrien will be there this time. His father- well, Nathalie, at any rate- gave him permission to come for the entire thing."

Marinette's eyes blew wide open. "The whole thing?" She couldn't believe it. She, Alya, and Nino had tried inviting Adrien to watch the Eurovision semifinals with them, but he had been kept busy for the entire evening with a photoshoot followed by piano lessons. She had kind of assumed that the same thing would probably happen with the finals as well.

Alya bounced up and down in excitement. "Uh-huh! And he's even coming over early to help set up, so you have to come over then as well."

"I'll try to get up early so I can get all of the baking done in time to come over early," Marinette promised.

Alya sniggered as they headed from the locker room towards the stairs up to their classroom. "Before noon, you mean?"

Marinette couldn't help giggling as well. "Something like that."

"Will you really need all of that time?" Alya wanted to know. "I know our party starts an hour before the contest does, but isn't that plenty of time?"

"The yeast for the bread takes two hours to rise, and then proofing is almost another hour," Marinette pointed out as they climbed up the stairs. "And then there's the cupcakes, which need to cool first before I can frost them. And then not everything cooks at the same temperature, and if I put in too much then it affects the evenness of the baking-"

"All right, all right, I get it," Alya said with a laugh. "You're making a lot and baking is complicated. My mom is helping me prep stuff for tomorrow tonight and then my dad is helping me cook everything before people arrive."

"We're going to have so much food," Marinette commented as they entered the classroom. "I'm bringing stuff, you're making things, Rose and Juleka are bringing something..."

"I think the others are also bringing stuff, but not a lot," Alya said. "Crackers and cheese and sparkling juice and whatnot."

"We're all going to be passed out in food comas by the end of the night," Marinette groaned. Still, she grinned. "It sounds like it's gonna be a ton of fun."

   Marinette had just packed the last of the cookies into the last box when her phone chimed. She dusted the crumbs off of her hands and quickly rinsed them before reaching over to see what Alya was texting her this time. Her friend had been sending her updates all afternoon on the state of the preparations.

Adrien asked if there was any other way he could help get ready, read the text. And I figured that you might appreciate a lift, so he's showing up at your place in 30 minutes. You're welcome!

Marinette squeaked.

"What does it say, Marinette?" Tikki asked from where she sat on the counter, serving as 'quality control' (aka taste-testing everything). Her mouth was smudged with chocolate and sugar, and cookie (and cupcake) crumbs surrounded her.

"Adrien is coming over here to help me bring stuff over to Alya's!" Marinette gasped, tugging on her pigtails anxiously. "Oh gosh, and I still have to do all of the dishes, and change clothes so I'm not covered in flour, and-"

"Breathe, Marinette," Tikki advised before Marinette could get too far into her Adrien-induced freak-out. "All of the cupcakes and cookies and bread are all ready, and you already did most of the dishes. Just finish those up, and then you'll have plenty of time to get ready."

"But maybe I should get dressed first-"

"And then you might splash water on your shirt," Tikki pointed out, polishing off the scattered crumbs that surrounded her. "I'll start wiping down the counters."

The next few minutes were a flurry of activity. Marinette washed the few dishes she had left and dried them. Tikki pushed a damp rag around the counter, wiping up the thin dusting of flour that had accumulated there. Eight minutes and forty-one seconds after Marinette got the text, the kitchen was back in order.

"I don't have flour in my hair, do I?" Marinette asked anxiously as she put the last dish away. "I don't have time for a shower!"

"Not in your hair," Tikki said as she followed Marinette up the stairs to her room. "There's a smear on your face, though."

"Ooh! I couldn't face Adrien like that!" Marinette dashed right back down the stairs and into the bathroom to wet a washcloth and hastily wipe the streaks of flour off of her face. "That would be so embarrassing!"

Tikki was of the opinion that Adrien would probably find it cute, but she wasn't about to say that. Knowing Marinette, she would probably freak out, spend a few minutes squealing in glee at the thought of Adrien finding her cute, and then spend another few minutes pondering the idea of reapplying the flour smudges.

Twenty minutes later, Marinette had just finished the final touches on her outfit. She had wanted to be comfortable, of course- there was no point in getting all dolled up when they were pretty much just going to be sitting on the couch for three and a half hours- but with Adrien there, she definitely wanted to look cute. She paired a cute top with an embroidered skort and combed her hair, then added a few sparkly hairpins for that Eurovision flair. She was adjusting one of the pins in her hair when there was a knock on the door below.

"Oh! Adrien's here!" Marinette gasped, and then she wasted several precious seconds spinning in place, desperately searching the room for anything she might have forgotten. She was only broken out of her panic-induced reverie by Tikki flying right into her face.

"You look lovely, now go let Adrien in," the kwami demanded. "He'll wonder what's going on if you don't."

"Right!" Marinette gasped, and then she nearly tripped down the stairs in her haste. She took several quick deep breaths (which sounded much closer to hyperventilating) before pasting on a smile and opening the door. Adrien was waiting there with a wide grin on his face and the Gorilla standing behind him.

"Hi, Marinette!" Adrien greeted her cheerfully. He sniffed and his grin grew wider. "It smells amazing in here! You look great, by the way."

"T-thank you," Marinette managed. Then she remembered her manners and why he had come. "You look nice as well. Uh, the treats are all ready to go. Would you like to come in?"

Adrien nodded eagerly and followed her inside. His bodyguard grunted and followed his charge. Adrien's eyes grew wide as they took in the boxes of cookies and cupcakes and bags of bread. "Wow, Marinette. This looks amazing!"

"Would you like to try a couple before we leave?" Marinette asked quickly, remembering a comment she had seen once or twice about the way to a man's heart being through his stomach. Then, to be polite, she addressed Adrien's bodyguard. "And would you like something, sir?"

She got eager nods from both Adrien and his bodyguard, so Marinette opened a couple boxes and let them sample. Everything had turned out well- Tikki had made sure of that- but that didn't stop Marinette from being nervous as she waited for a response.

"This is amazing, Marinette," Adrien exclaimed as he swallowed his first bite. "Wow. Wow, okay, I'm gonna have to wait on the other side of the room until those boxes are closed again, 'cause otherwise there won't be any left for the rest of the group." His bodyguard made a noise of agreement.

"That's good to hear," Marinette said with a smile as she closed up the boxes again. She gave herself a mental pat on the back for not stuttering. She had been getting better and better towards the end of the year, but to say that she was over her Adrien-induced debilitation would be an overstatement. "Are you looking forward to Eurovision?"

Adrien was practically bouncing in place. "Yes! I've watched before, of course, but never with friends. I've looked up all of the lyrics to the songs so we can sing along, and I watched the semifinals a couple days ago- Nino recorded them for me- and I can't wait to see the final. Some of the performances are so weird."

Marinette couldn't help but laugh. "Yeah, that's...kind of Eurovision's trademark. Weird performances."

"Yeah, but have they gotten even weirder in recent years? I don't remember them being quite so glittery before."

   The conversation on the level of glitteriness of past Eurovision contests carried them all the way to Alya's apartment. Adrien's bodyguard escorted them into the building and up the stairs, then headed back down to the car with a gifted cupcake. Adrien and Marinette only realized after he was gone that, with the addition of the boxes the bodyguard had been carrying and the additional bags that Adrien had brought, they had no free hands with which to actually open the apartment door.

Whoops.

"I'm sure we can get it open," Adrien said, shifting the bags on his arms a bit, then frowned and tried to stick the box in his hands under his arm. He had to shift it back to his hands a second later as the box threatened to crumple. "How on earth were you planning to get all of this stuff over here by yourself? I mean, I know some of it is mine, but..."

"My parents were going to help," Marinette said, keeping an eye on the box Adrien was trying to shuffle around. She really didn't want it falling, since that would mean that the cupcakes' frosting would get ruined. "They wanted be to thank you for picking me up, actually. They ended up not having to rush clean-up in the bakery."

"Anytime," Adrien said, pausing in his bag-shuffling to throw a grin over his shoulder at her. "Any time you need a lift, feel free to call me."

Marinette resisted a squeal. Adrien wanted her to call him? Granted, it would be for a completely and totally platonic favor, but still. Before she could thank Adrien, a thought struck her and she frowned. "Hey, Adrien?"

Adrien glanced back at her as he tried to turn the door handle with his elbow. "Yeah?"

"What's your bodyguard's name? I just realized that I've never asked." It was rude of her, really. She had met the man before, when he did her family the favor of driving her great-uncle to the Grand Paris for the cooking contest and when he ran errands to the bakery. He had even driven their group of friends around once or twice, and she had completely forgotten to ever ask before.

Adrien cringed. "Well..."

Marinette blinked, puzzled. "What?"

"I...might not know his real name?" At Marinette's incredulous look, he cringed again. "No one ever told me! And he never says anything, so I just call him the Gorilla."

"The Gorilla?"

"Yeah, because he's built kind of like a gorilla and when we went to the zoo when I was younger, he spent forever at the gorilla cages watching them." Adrien shrugged, looking sheepish. "And he never talks anyway, so it's never really mattered."

Before Marinette could respond, the apartment door flew open. Alya stood there, beaming. "I thought I heard you guys! Come in, come in. Wow, you guys really brought a lot of food."

"Most of it is from Marinette," Adrien said as they piled into the apartment. "I have, what? One bag? Two?"

"Three," Marinette corrected, smiling at Nino as he helped her unload the boxes in her arms onto the table. "The one with the sparking juice, that giant bag with all of the chips, and the duffel bag."

"Anyone up for a group exercise session tomorrow?" Nino joked as he put a box of cupcakes on the table. "I'm gonna gain a ton from all of this stuff."

"Rose and Juleka are bringing fruit and veggies and dip," Alya said as she unloaded Adrien's bags of chips onto the table. "Some healthy stuff. Adrien, what's in that last bag?"

"Something for later," Adrien said with a mysterious smile, nudging the small duffel bag away under a side table near one of the couches. "So, what all do we need to do to prepare?"

"Don't think for a second that I don't notice you trying to change the subject," Alya warned, but she let it drop. "I'm going all-out. We have streamers and lights and some cool lamps and this mini disco ball thing that Nino brought, plus we have to move the couches around so they all have a good view of the TV, and I want the bean-bag chairs brought from my room."

"Is the rest of your family joining us?" Marinette asked as she arranged her boxes so they were placed a little less precariously.

Alya shrugged. "Maybe for the first part? I don't know. My sisters won't stay up for the voting, that's for sure, and my parents both have to get up early for their jobs, so I don't think they'll stay up super-late either."

"So we should keep it down towards the end," Adrien guessed. "...maybe it's a good thing that Kim didn't want to come. If he and Alix were both here, we'd never get them to keep it down."

Alya paused on her way down the hallway and frowned. "No, I think we should be fine. My parents have earplugs and a white noise machine, and they probably won't go to bed until the votes are being tallied. Besides, our next door neighbors have a Eurovision party every year, and I can promise you that they are way louder than we're gonna be." She shrugged and then her gaze caught on the wall clock. Alya's eyes widened. "We have to get to work! Nino, come help me with the bean bag chairs. Marinette, you remember where we had the couches for the semifinals, right? C'mon, let's go, go, go!"

   The tables were groaning under the weight of the food and drink loaded on them. Everyone had definitely overdone it on the amount that they brought.

"We're all going to be stuffed messes by the time this is over," Alix laughed as she snatched a couple cookies from the table. "This is enough to feed an army."

"That would depend on the size of the army," Max corrected as he straightened the platter of fruit that he had brought. "But yes, this amount of food is quite excessive when the number of people present is considered."

"Did anyone bring bags for leftovers?" Nino joked. "Because I think we're gonna need them."

"I love the decorations!" Rose enthused, inspecting the purple and blue tinfoil streamers twisting from the middle of the ceiling to the wall. "You guys really went all-out, didn't you?"

"My sisters just had their birthday party last week, so that's where some of the stuff came from," Alya admitted as Rose glanced at the lights they had hung on the walls. "And then there's some Christmas lights, and Nino brought some stuff over too. I wanted it to be fun."

"I'm already having fun and we haven't even started," Adrien said cheerfully. He had really thrown himself into the decorating. "The ceremony starts in twenty minutes, right?"

"Fifteen, Agreste, don't you know how to tell time?" Alix teased before Max could chime in with an exact, down-to-the-second correction. "Or is your fancy-pants watch wrong?"

It didn't take the group long to settle on the couches with full plates of food. Alix and Adrien's plates were nearly identical, with cookies and fruit piled on precariously. Somehow (Marinette suspected intervention a la Alya), Adrien and Marinette ended up sitting side-by-side on one of the couches. With Juleka also sharing the couch, there was little enough space on the couch that Adrien's leg was pressed up against Marinette's.

She was going to explode, and Eurovision hadn't even started yet.

"Ooh! Goodies!"

The entire group spun around at the voice. The front door had just opened and Alya's parents were coming in, with Alya's twin sisters on their heels. The little girls' eyes had lit up as soon as they spotted the piles of cookies and treats.

"Those are for the big kids, Etta," Mrs. Césaire said, steering the girls away from the table. "We can get you guys a treat from the treat jar later, okay?"

"Oh, there's plenty to share," Alya said as both of her sisters pouted. "We'll get sick if we eat all of it ourselves."

"Okay, then, two treats each because it's Eurovision night, and then go say thank you to Alya and her friends," Mrs. Césaire amended as Etta and Ella cheered. "...and no, Etta, you cannot have two cupcakes. I meant two cookies."

"Awww," Etta muttered, putting the cupcakes back. "But muuuuuum..."

"You would get sick if you ate all of that sugar," Mrs. Césaire insisted. "If you want, you can have one cupcake and nothing else."

Etta grabbed a cupcake and gleefully retreated to the pile of pillows on the floor in front of the couches to eat it. Ella followed her with the two largest cookies she could find. Mrs. Césaire sighed and rolled her eyes but smiled fondly before picking a cookie for herself out of the pile and pulling over a chair from the dining room table so she could join the group in front of the TV. Her husband joined her a second later with a cookie of his own.

"Is it just me, or is there more glitter and sparkle this year than before?" Mr. Césaire asked as the spotlights illuminated the arena, pack with hundreds of cheering fans waving flags and signs. "Look at that! The songs haven't even started yet and it's already insane."

"Papa doesn't like Eurovision," Alya said in a stage whisper. Mr. Césaire made a face at her and her sisters both giggled. Mrs. Césaire hid a smile behind her cookie.

"It's not that I don't like it, it's just that I don't understand how popular it is," Mr. Césaire grumbled. "And some of the songs- ugh! They're the very worst aspects of pop music all shoved together."

"He got one of last year's songs stuck in his head and couldn't stop singing it for weeks," Mrs. Césaire stage-whispered out of the corner of her mouth, making all of the kids giggle. "He was even singing it as he cleaned out cages at the zoo."

They quieted down as the announcer started talking and introducing the contestants. Already some rather interesting outfits were coming out. Marinette had pulled out her sketchpad and was absently doodling as she watched a woman twirling around in the tackiest ball gown that she had ever seen.

"Redesigning the outfits, Marinette?" Adrien asked as he craned his neck to watch. "That looks nice already."

Marinette blushed at the praise. "Y-yeah. I mean, some of them have nice ideas. I like imagining what I would do if I was in their designer's place."

"So if you had to create the same effect?" Adrien looked interested. "I can't wait to see what you come up with!"

"She already did a couple during the semifinals," Alya said. "Much better than the originals. And then there were a couple things she designed that were inspired by the outfits on stage."

Adrien perked up. "Can I see?"

As Marinette showed off her designs to Adrien, the hosts introduced the contest and the French announcer started translating over top of their voices. The result, as always, was a little muddled, but it was a necessary evil so that everyone could understand.

Alya turned up the volume as the previous year's winner bounded onto stage to kick the ceremony off. Fireworks exploded over the stage as the beat dropped and the crowd cheered. Alya and Alix both started singing along, joined quickly by Rose. Juleka mumbled along. After a moment's pause, Adrien started singing along as well, quieter than the others. Through the apartment walls, they could hear Alya's next-door neighbors. Just as promised, they were loud enough to hear over the music, but since they were singing along to the same song, it just added to the party atmosphere.

"I loved that song," Alya said as the song drew to an end and the hosts went back to introducing the rest of the contest. "I don't really know if I like any of the ones this year quite as well."

"I think they just have to grow on you a bit," Nino said as he settled back onto the couch and rescued a cookie that had slid rather precariously while he was rocking out. "You've been listening to that one almost all year, of course you'll favor it."

"What position is France in?" Mrs. Césaire as the first performer started warbling out a slow ballad. "And are we likely to win?"

There were simultaneous snorts from all of the teens. "They're up second," Nino said. He didn't look happy about it. "And they've entered a ballad again. Somehow no one has figured out that those don't win."

"And historically, second place in the lineup has never produced a win," Max added.

"Eww, a ballad," Ella and Etta chorused, and then they wrinkled their noses. "What's a ballad?"

"Like this," Alya explained, gesturing to the TV screen. "Slow. Boring. They'll maybe get a couple points from the music judge people, but not really from voters."

"They're good for bathroom breaks," Adrien added, extracting himself from the couch. He glanced over at Mr. and Mrs. Césaire. "Uh-"

"Down the hall on the left. It's the door without a name and with plenty of stickers." Mrs. Césaire rose halfway out of her chair and pointed. "You'll see it. "

"Thank you." Adrien rounded the couch to head to the bathroom, grabbing the bag he had stashed away earlier before continuing on his way with a grin. Marinette's eyes followed him for a moment before snapping back to the TV. She didn't want to come off as a creeper, after all. It would be weird to watch Adrien as he headed to the bathroom.

The first ballad dragged on for several minutes more before coming to a merciful end. They all let out simultaneous sighs of relief.

"I don't understand how some of these songs make it through," Nino said with a groan. "Like, they have to be selected by their country first, then make it through the semis before they get here. You would think that a better song would crop up at some point."

"I'm going to guess that established groups don't bother," Mr. Césaire pointed out as France's postcard played. "Is it against the rules to have a, y'know, really well known artist play for your country?"

The teens shrugged.

"It would make sense, so that people are voting for the music and not their favorite performers with a subpar song," Nino said. "But then where's the cut off for success?"

"I've never heard of most of the groups before, so maybe the cutoff is pretty obscure," Alix said. She ignored the start of France's song and kept talking. "And if they get famous because of Eurovision, that probably doesn't count. Because I've heard of people coming and back and performing for a couple years in a row."

"I like this ballad," Rose commented as the French entry swung into a sappy chorus. "It's sweet."

"It's slow," Alix and the twins complained in near-unison.

"Statistically speaking, slow songs are less likely to win the contest," Max said from where he had been silently observing the proceedings. "And songs sung in the country's native language rather than in English are also at a disadvantage in the voting."

"What's statistically most likely to win?" Alix asked, half-joking and half actually curious. "Glitter and fireworks?"

"Energetic, catchy songs quite often do well in the rankings," Max said, "Although the statistics may be thrown off by the sheer number of songs fitting that description that are in the contest. If there's enough of them, then of course they're going to make up a large proportion of the wins."

"Of course, of course," Alix said in a scarily accurate imitation of Kim's usual response to Max's statistics. "Anything else?"

"Songs that stir people's hearts," Max decided after a moment. "But they usually are a little too fast to be ballads, and they rely heavily on strong voices."

"This is boring," Etta complained as the singer warbled out another note. "Why is everyone so excited about this? This song sucks."

"Etta!" Mrs. Césaire scolded. "That's not very nice."

"But it does stink," Ella chimed in. She yawned. "I thought the songs were supposed to be fun! Where are the fireworks?"

"Soon," Alya promised as France's performance drew to a close. "I think the next one is supposed to be pretty flashy."

"Glitter!" the twins cheered. Their parents both hid smiles.

"Uh, where did Adrien go?" Nino asked as the next act was introduced. He frowned at the still-empty spot next to Marinette. "He didn't get a phone call from his father or something, did he?"

Marinette was about to reassure Nino that no, Adrien had just gone to the bathroom when she was cut off by a blast of music from the TV and two voices belting out the opening line of the song. Adrien slid into the room with a grin on his face as he sang along, sliding through the dance moves along with the performer on screen as he spun around the couch. He was outfitted in a sequined jacket and pants that was just as tacky as the performer's, and somehow he had gotten several colored clip-in hair extensions attached and in place. Etta and Ella's mouths dropped open and their eyes went wide. Mr. and Mrs. Césaire muffled laughs behind their hands.

"Oh my god, Adrien," Nino gasped through his laughter. "Dude."

"Work it, Agreste!" Alix whooped as Adrien strutted and spun. He was really working the model, with ridiculous hair flips and exaggerated dance moves. Marinette's eyes were huge and were glued on Adrien as he spun around and struck a pose. Adrien was grinning at the attention and he kept going for the entire song, much to the delight to all of his friends and the twins. He ended with a ridiculous pose, and the whole group burst into cheers. The twins clapped wildly.

"Dude, you are so ridiculously extra sometimes," Nino laughed as Adrien bowed and sat back down on the couch. "That was great."

"Thank you, thank you," Adrien said grandly as he bit into a strawberry. "...I practiced a lot."

"That was highly unexpected," Max said. He consulted his phone. "I would have predicted that there would been only a 5% chance of Adrien doing that, max."

"I was gonna suggest a dance-along later, but I don't think anything can stand up to that," Alix said with a snort. Her shoulders were still shaking with repressed laughter.

"I was gonna suggest a sing-along," Nino added, "but yeah, I don't think we could come anywhere close."

"It would still be fun!" Rose exclaimed. "We should still do it. I'm not as good of a singer as Adrien, but I still like singing." Juleka mumbled an agreement.

Marinette didn't say anything. She was still stuck on the image of her crush posing with his hand on his stuck-out hip, gazing over his shoulder with a positively dreamy expression on his face. Tacky outfit aside, he had been the picture of a teenage dream. He had practically been glowing as he danced, lit up with excitement as he sang and danced and goofed off like a proper teenager.

Adrien was still breathing a little harder than usual as the next country's postcard played. He had hoped that his friends would be amused, of course, but he had still been nervous that they might judge him for doing something so...undignified. Goofy. Not very in line with the image of Adrien Agreste, straight-laced son. But they were absolutely delighted.

(Adrien couldn't lie- Marinette's wide-eyed wtf expression when he first burst into the room was quite possibly one of the funniest faces she had ever made.)

It was just luck that Adrien's favorite routine of the night was third on the list, after two songs that he really hadn't minded missing. He had had adequate time to get prepared in the bathroom, shucking his normal jeans and shirt for the insanely sparkly pants and top he had found at the thrift store. He had taken a moment to review the lyrics (thank goodness he had taken English lessons for several years, because that was the language that the song was in and it would not have been an easy task to remember the words without knowing what they meant at all), done a few practice shimmies, and then prowled back out to the living room just in time for the start of the song, all while fighting back the nerves in his stomach. He hadn't been expecting the extra presence of Alya's parents.

Now he was wishing that he had pulled together another routine to do. It would have been really fun.

The next few songs went by without too much excitement. Etta and Ella, inspired by Adrien's dance, pranced around to one of the more energetic songs, big grins on their faces. They tried to imitate the dancers on screen for the first minute before giving up and just improvising their way through the song.

"Okay, our turn," Alix announced as the next song came on. "Max! Up, up."

Max looked alarmed. "I- what?"

Alix only grinned and bounced up, setting her mostly empty plate aside. She yanked Max out of his seat, trying to get him to dance. He didn't look entirely comfortable. Adrien wasn't certain if it was just the dancing, or if it was the fact that Alix and Max (and Etta and Ella) were the only ones dancing while the rest of them just watched. Nino seemed to come to the same conclusion as Adrien at the same time, and so he pulled Alya out into the middle of the room to join the dance. Adrien turned to Marinette and tugged at her arm, hoping she would be willing to dance with him. It took a second, but then she was following Adrien into the middle of the room. Adrien grinned and started dancing with his friend. She was a little awkward, but considering that he couldn't dance unless he had a routine that he had copied, so was he. Things got a little squished as Rose and Juleka joined the rest of the group, but it only made things more fun.

"This is awesome," Adrien said with a grin as the music picked up. "Are you having fun?"

Marinette nodded. There was a slight pink tinge to her cheeks, but that could easily be attributed to excitement or the light from the Christmas lights hanging above them. "Yeah! It's definitely more fun with friends."

Adrien nodded and grinned in agreement. If he were listening alone again, there would be no dancing, no singing, no treats. He would have to try to get Nathalie to block off the Eurovision semifinals and finals next year so he could get to do this again. It would be too much to hope that he could host his friends- his father wouldn't approve of the gathering, and the Gorilla would no doubt hover and inadvertently put a damper on all of the fun- but visiting his friends' places was plenty fun.

The song ended and they all cheered as they returned to their seats. Adrien caught sight of Alya shooting Marinette a double thumbs-up for some reason as they sat down, but he ignored it as probably nothing important. He scooted over so he was pressed up against the armrest, letting Marinette have a little more room. Even though all of them were pretty small, the couch wasn't made to hold three teens and still have elbow room to spare. Even though he and Marinette had gotten a lot more comfortable around each other as the school year went on, Adrien didn't want to press things by being in Marinette's personal space bubble too much.

"It's a good thing that we saw these performances in the semi-finals," Alix said with a snort as she bounced back up to go refill her plate. "Since we sort of haven't been watching them so much and all."

"Eh, dancing is more fun," Nino said, grinning as he joined her. "And really, don't we all already know what we're voting for?"

"I don't," Rose piped up. On the TV, the next postcard played. "I mean, I have a couple favorites, but I missed a few songs because I was in the bathroom suring the semifinals."

The rest of the performances went by in a flash. Nino warbled along to the first thirty seconds of the Ukrainian song before he cracked up too much to continue, Etta and Ella rocked out to the UK entry, and they all got up to dance along to the very last song.

"Well, now the fun part's over," Nino said mournfully, settling back onto the couch and laying his arm over the back. "Bugger."

"There's still the interval performance," Marinette pointed out. "That's...sometimes good."

"Real convincing argument there, Marinette," Nino snarked as the rest of the group giggled.

"There have been a couple really snooze-worthy performances," Marinette defended herself. "I mean, they're pretty good most of the time."

"There have been a couple years where they just have really slow songs," Adrien agreed. "Which I don't understand. Surely they know that the audience wants energy at this time of the night?"

"Maybe they don't want people to get too distracted from voting," Rose suggested.

"Maybe they should be more concerned about making sure that people don't fall asleep instead of voting," Alix suggested right back.

"Are we still talking about the interval act?" Alya asked, raising an eyebrow. "I thought that referred to the stuff after voting closed and before country points came in."

They all puzzled over that for a moment.

"Either way, fun songs during both times is best," Alya decided. "...but I don't think we're gonna get it, at least not during the voting period. Look at that staging."

They looked. It didn't look promising.

"It's highly possible that the hosts didn't want to upstage this year's performers until after all of the votes are in," Max chimed in. He had his phone in hand, no doubt in the middle of trying to calculate the probability of each song winning. "An energetic song could induce dancing instead of voting, which would not be desirable."

Alix looked like she was about to comment on that when the song started. It was the previous year's singer again, back with a song that wasn't quite as dull as the staging would suggest.

"This isn't bad," Adrien commented as he voted for his favorite. The choice was a no-brainer, really- his favorite song of the evening was the one he had initially danced along to. A glance to the side told him that Marinette had a very similar taste in music. "I mean, it looks like people there are singing along."

"Makes sense; the singer is pretty popular over there," Alya said as she edged around her sisters to head for the snacks. "I think I recognize this song, but I couldn't sing along to it at all."

"The people next door clearly recognize it," Adrien said with a snicker. They could hear the neighbors belting out the lyrics. Some were better singers than others. "I mean, it sounds like they're probably getting most of the words right."

"Oops, I think someone just messed up," Nino sniggered as there was a pause in the song and someone kept singing for a moment longer. An outcry from the others stopped the soloist before he could sing for too long. "Wow, just how much d'you think they've had to drink?"

"They're just naturally like this," Alya's mother informed Nino with a long-suffering sigh. "We've met them before and believe me, they don't need any help at all to get this rowdy."

"They're fun!" Etta piped up with a grin. "I like them! I wanna be just like them when I grow up!"

Her parents both groaned.

   The interval act was full of glitter, racing drum beats, and energy, just as it was meant to be. It was an amazing act, and one that felt rather like a finale. Because then the lights faded, the dancers and singers vanished behind the stage again, and it was time for the countries to call in their votes.

"Who wants to bet that our call is gonna be from in front of the Eiffel Tower again?" Nino asked with a yawn. "They've only done it, what? Every year?"

"They need to mix it up," Alix agreed as the first country called in. "Wouldn't it be funny if Ladybug and Chat Noir swung through the frame during France's call? That would make things more interesting."

Alya perked up. "D'you think there's gonna be a Eurovision akuma? That would be so cool!"

Both Adrien and Marinette hid their groans. Neither of them particularly wanted to leave the party to go fight a spangly singing akuma turning Paris into a tacky disco ball.

"Given past experience with game shows and their tendencies to produce akuma, I would calculate the probability of a Eurovision akuma at 87%," Max said, tapping away at the calculator on his phone. "Possibly 88%."

"But those akumas were all people on the show who lost," Adrien pointed out. "Not people watching the show on TV. There's less investment for people that are just watching, and all of the performers are several countries away. They aren't going to get akumatized."

He hoped not, at least. It certainly had never happened before.

Max looked alarmed and then went back to frantically tapping out numbers. "Of course, of course! That definitely influences the numbers. So with that in mind, I would calculate the probability of an akuma at 22%."

Marinette frowned. "It's not even lower? Why?"

"I decided to take into account the akumas that pop up when someone's favorite sports team loses since the situation is closest to what we have now," Max explained, pushing his glasses up his nose. "There's most likely always someone upset at the end of a game, but Hawkmoth has not always taken advantage of the opportunity."

"Probably because there's only so many iterations on a theme that he can do before he runs out of ideas," Nino pointed out. He turned to Alya. "Have you ever looked at that kind of thing on the Ladyblog? The frequency of similarly-themed akumas over time?"

Alya shook her head. "That would be interesting, though. Maybe I'll do that once the school year is over."

"I can help with the analysis," Max volunteered. "It would be interesting."

"Well, I certainly hope that there isn't an akuma tonight," Mrs. Césaire said firmly. "Ladybug and Chat Noir probably would appreciate a break from fighting akumas. If they're watching Eurovision, they probably don't want to get interrupted any more than any of you would."

"I think that an akuma would be more interesting than this," Etta said loudly as another country called in. The caller was taking their sweet time with announcing the points and since the younger girls didn't know any English (and the French announcer wasn't translating the small talk), they were understandably bored. "Is there gonna be more glitter?"

"Not for a while," Mr. Césaire said.

The twins blinked up at their father. "How long is a while?" Ella wanted to know. "Five minutes? Ten minutes?"

"An hour, about," Mr. Césaire answered, making both twins whine. "Maybe more. And then they'll play the winning song one more time and then it's all over until next year."

"And the song that wins might not be one of the ones you liked a lot," Mrs. Césaire added. "See, the one winning right now is the one you said was stupid."

The twins exchanged a glance and then turned identical pouts on their parents. "That's boring! We don't wanna watch that!"

"That's fine. It's nearly your bedtime anyway. Say good-night to Alya's friends." Mrs. Césaire got up and started ushering the girls out of the room. "And we do have this recording, so you two can listen to the winning song tomorrow if you want."

"Good night!" the twins chorused, and then they were off, racing each other down the hallway to their room. Mrs. Césaire followed them, with Mr. Césaire not far behind. They turned to wave to the group, and all of the teens waved back.

"Now back to the votes," Nino said with a sigh, leaning back on the couch. "...at least we still have loads of treats. I'm gonna need some serious sugar to get through this."

"It is a bit boring, isn't it?" Adrien couldn't remember much of the voting from other years, which probably meant that he just turned the program off after the intermission show and went to bed. His parents had probably made him go to bed before the voting finished, so there was no point in listening to any of it. Based on what he was seeing so far, he really hadn't missed out on much.

"Just a bit, yeah." Nino was already over by the table of snacks, piling treats on his plate. Apparently he was quite serious about eating a lot of sugar to get through the voting. Adrien briefly considered what his father would say if he ate the same amount that Nino clearly was planning to, and then he decided that he didn't care. If he was going to be at a Eurovision party, he wanted the full experience. If that meant nearly making himself sick on sugar, then so be it.

...okay, maybe he wouldn't go that far. Getting sick was no fun and it was hard to hide from Nathalie. But he would eat far more sugar than his father would approve of, and he would enjoy every bite.

Just like he would enjoy every last minute of this party.

   Chat Noir adjusted the bag on his back before peering out from behind the chimney. He could see Ladybug up on the Eiffel Tower, no doubt waiting for him to show up, but he still had a few minutes yet before he could really be considered late. He ducked back behind the chimney, dropping the bag to the roof and crouching to dig through it to pull out the glittery outfit he had packed.

Eurovision might be over, but Chat Noir wanted to repeat his song and dance routine for his Lady. He was paw-sitive that her expression would be just as funny as the one on Marinette's face when he first burst out singing at the party. He had been nervous about the idea when he first came up with it, because he had already done the routine for his friends and what if someone saw Chat Noir doing it too and posted it on the Internet, but then his favorite song had won the contest and everybody was singing it. Adrien had even heard Kim humming the tune under his breath the previous day at school. It wouldn't be at all out of place at all for one of Paris' superheroes to be mimicking the winning entry, so he had bought another ridiculous jacket and downloaded the song onto his baton.

As he poked his head out again, this time with the spangly jacket in place, Chat Noir spotted Alya on the ground below the Eiffel Tower, no doubt waiting for a bit of footage of him and Ladybug on patrol or perhaps hoping for a spontaneous interview. He thanked his past self for having the foresight to get a different outfit than the one he had worn as Adrien to his friends' Eurovision party. He definitely didn't want to be outed as Chat Noir because of a Eurovision outfit, of all things. Plagg would never let him live it down.

With one last check to make sure nothing would snag, Chat Noir vaulted onto the Eiffel Tower and landed smoothly behind Ladybug. Before she really had time to react, he punched play and the music blared out into the night.

He sang. He danced. He shimmied around his partner, who looked torn between laughter and bemusement. He had to modify a few steps, of course- the tower's beams weren't exactly the most optimal setting for a dance performance- but Chat Noir was fairly certain that he had kept the spirit of the performance intact. Judging by Ladybug's laughter, she agreed.

"You're a dork," Ladybug told him, even as Alya whooped and cheered from down below. She was wrestling with her smile, but it was winning. "A grade-A dork."

Chat Noir grinned at her. "But am I at least a Eurovision-worthy dork?"

"Well, I don't know if your caterwauling is quite TV-worthy," Ladybug said, grinning at the way Chat Noir pouted at her in mock offense."But I mean...I suppose the dance maybe wasn't completely terrible."