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nani-lahiffe · 6 years

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Fast Fox and Her Slowpoke

Rena Rouge flirts a lot, and Carapace does not like it.

Also find it on ao3 here

“Hi, Slowpoke.”

Ever since Chat Noir and Ladybug decided that they needed more full-time heroes, Nino thought it was the best and worst time of his life. Best because who doesn’t want to be a superhero, especially since the miraculous comes with his very own pocket-sized friend. Worst because he has to deal with Rena Rouge for a living now.

“Hey, dude,” Carapace laughs nervously. “What brings you to this side of town?” All he wanted was one patrol night in peace, but instead he has to go through another torturous night.

Rena Rouge slowly looks up and down his body, and in a seductive voice she says, “I’ve already checked my side of town, and I heard this one has a much better view.” She winks at him.

Carapace bites the inside of his cheek to prevent himself from responding harshly. He has even gone to Ladybug and Chat Noir to try and get some advice on how to get her to stop flirting with him. Ladybug facepalmed and murmured something along the lines of, “Of course she knows,” before giggling and saying that she was going to handle the situation. That was weeks ago, and Rena is still at it. If he didn’t promise Chat that he would behave and keep up camaraderie within the group, he would have kicked Rena off a roof a long time ago.

“I have a girlfriend.” He ends up saying for the twentieth time to her with a deadpan expression.

Rena leaps up on a chimney, sits cross-legged, and looks down on him. “So I’ve heard, but how amazing can she really be when she’s not a superhero like me?”

Carapace’s body stiffens, and he really has to think about controlling his breathing so he doesn’t start cussing her out. He calms down a bit before talking in a harden voice, “You don’t know her like I do, and quite honestly, she deserves a miraculous much more than you. She is so brave even when she is face-to-face with an akuma, and when she is scared she doesn’t let that fear consume her. I can’t even count the amount of times that she has helped out Ladybug and Chat Noir.” At this point Carapace starts pacing and flailing his hands around to articulate. “She is also innovative and ambitious that she will meet all the goals that she has set for her career by the time she hits 30! And caring! She is so caring, and not only to me but to her whole family. She will give up everything in her life if it means that her family can be happy. Which makes her so good with kids, and I can’t wait to have little dudes and dudettes running around especially since she will be the best mother ever. Oh! She is also so funny that one time we- “

The sound of sniffling cuts him off. Carapace looks over to Rena and sees tears running down her face. His eyes widen, and he starts internally panicking. Oh my Wayzz, I didn’t think she actually liked me that much. Oh no I made her cry and now she is heartbroken. How do I even deal with other people’s emotions?!?

He tentatively approaches where she was sitting. “Uh… Sorry for, um, breaking your heart I think. Do you want to talk about it?” Even saying that made Carapace cringe, because who would seriously want to talk to the dude that destroyed their self-esteem?

Rena wipes her eyes and jumps down to where Carapace is, looks him in the eyes and says, “I think you are going to be a great father one day too, Nino.”

“Oh thanks! I mean, I’m not the best with children, babies especially, but I guess I could…” He stares off into the distant skyline of Paris as realization starts slowly trickling in. Rena called him Nino, which is a name she is definitely not supposed to know. “How – I – What?”

“It was so obvious, Nino. You have this weird compulsion of calling everyone ‘dude’.” Rena giggles as she closes Carapace’s mouth. Rena’s eyes begin to get watery again, and in a soft voice she says, “I love you, Nino, and with that speech back there I honestly now know how much you love me too. Our kids will be so lucky to have you as a father.”

For the second time in their conversation Carapace felt blindsided. He looked at the girl in front of him and no longer saw Rena Rouge, but his sweet and frustrating girlfriend, Alya. Everything began to make sense. Alya never got mad when he suddenly became busy and had to go on less dates. She even said that since the emergence of new heroes she was occupied with the Ladyblog, which he now knows is a huge lie. Carapace now also understands how Rena knew what his boundaries were. She never touched him, always knew the perfect way to tease him, and always calmed down the flirting when he reached his limit. He never knew how she knew how to stop exactly when he was about to blow up, but it feels like he got new glasses with how many clues he can see.

“You are a cruel girlfriend, and I hope I still have the receipt so I can return you. Were you testing me this whole time?!” Carapace still had a dumbfounded expression.

“I was waiting for you to figure it out. It took you long enough, Slowpoke! Did you even pick up when I would tell you the exact same pickup line as me and as Rena?” She crosses her arms and gives him a radiant smile.

“I just though you both found it on Twitter and found it funny! How did you even figure me out?”

“I knew the first time you got your miraculous and saved me,” said Rena way too proud of herself.

“I can’t believe this. I’m so punishing you for the torture that I have had to endure these past weeks. You are so lucky that I love you so much.” He scoops her up into the biggest hug. He has never felt so happy knowing that he can share such an important part of his life with her. Also date nights are going to be so much more fun and romantic when they have the ability to reach the highest points of Paris.

BONUS:

“Ladybug! Ladybug! You will not believe what I just saw!” Chat Noir runs towards her with a surprised look on his face.

“What did you see this time, Chat?” She says in a bored tone. It might be another one of his overreactions.

“I am pretty sure that Carapace is cheating on his girlfriend. I just witnessed him and Rena making out! Should I threaten Carapace about how being disloyal is a crime, or should I also threaten Rena because she already knew that he was dating someone else?!” He makes grand gestures with his hands, including pretending to strangle an imaginary Carapace.

Ladybug was wondering when Rena was going to finally confess since poor Carapace had no clue as to how to handle the situation of someone actually liking him. “Kitty, you don’t need to worry about that. Rena has known his identity for a while and was playing a prank on him. I guess she finally told him. She is actually his real-life girlfriend.”

Chat lets out the biggest scream, “Alya is Rena Rouge?!”

Ladybug at that moment knew that she messed up.

#my writing #nino lahiffe #carapace #alya cesaire #rena rouge #ladybug #chat noir #miraculous ladybug

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freedom-shamrock · 7 years

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A Little Secret - Chapter 9

Also on AO3

Chp 1 Chp 2 Chp 3 Chp 4 Chp 5 Chp 6 Chp 7 Chp 8 Chp 9 Chp 10 Chp 11

Amazing art created by @soundofez pg 1 pg 2 pg 3

Unsure What to do With all Ten Fingers

Adrien wondered how Marinette always managed to seem so calm when Chat Noir stopped by out of the blue. It wasn't like his visits were scheduled. Maybe it had something to do with the fact that her parents were aware of his stops and had encouraged the friendship. Actually. That probably had a lot to do with it. He could drop in to visit any of them, as Adrien or Chat, and they welcomed him as family. There was no pressure and no obvious stress.

The same definitely could not be said for Ladybug's visits to Adrien's house. Despite the fact that no one ever came into his room unannounced, there were plenty of places to hide, and the mansion was essentially empty, he was constantly paranoid that someone would come in and find him sharing a bowl of popcorn while watching Cardcaptor Sakura with the superhero.

"Relax kid," Plagg said, hovering over the hastily assembled blanket fort that shielded the couch and wall mounted television. "The only people in the house are you and your bodyguard. The chef left half an hour ago. Your boss and minder aren't due back for a week." Over the summer, the tiny black cat had given Adrien's father and Nathalie nicknames consistent with how they treated his charge. Adrien had quickly given up on trying to get him to use their names. After all, Plagg had an excellent understanding of the relationships involved.

"I know," Adrien said, flopping onto his bed. "The logic is all on your side, which I've gotta say is a weirdly swapped situation. But I just… can't help it."

Plagg nuzzled Adrien's neck. "It'll get easier with practice. I promise."

Adrien sighed. "It's been two and a half months, Plagg." Ladybug had been visiting once a week, on pre-scheduled evenings, ever since Adrien had been confunded by an angry Harry Potter fan. "I don't think it's gotten any easier." He looked around his room. "But it's probably because I'm inviting her into this place." He waved his hand at his room, large enough to contain most of Marinette's family apartment. "Marinette welcomes me to her home . It's just… different."

"You're not wrong," Plagg agreed. "If it helps any, I'll hang out in the hallway, and I'll disrupt the electricity, briefly this time, if someone's coming."

Adrien rubbed the kwami behind the ears. "Thanks Plagg. I'll have extra cheese for you later."

For once, Plagg's timing was perfect. The moment he phased through the bedroom wall, there was a tap at the window.

Adrien scurried over and let in his guest and best friend. "Hi!" He waved up to her, then held out a hand to help her down. "I'm glad you were able to make it."

She smiled, and suddenly his room didn't feel nearly so cold and empty. "I would have texted if something came up."

He nodded. "I know," he said quickly, wanting to correct her misperception before it could take hold. "It's just… it sometimes doesn't feel real that we do this. Not until you're here. And I just realized that makes me sound like I have problems with the difference between reality and fantasy, and ohmygod I'm going to shut up." He covered his mouth with one hand.

Her giggle made him so happy. He loved that sound. "Are you okay with me being here?"

"Yes," he said quickly, worried she'd leave, and no irrational fear was worth that.

"You seem kind of… nervous. Is everything all right?"

He nodded and gestured to the blanket fort. "Yeah. Peachy. It was just a long day. Intense photo shoot. Minor diva moments. Interns breaking down in tears. The usual."

"That sounds exhausting," she said, cringing before ducking into the tent. "Oooh. Nice place you have here." She flopped happily onto the pillows.

"I thought it would be more cozy," he said, shrugging as he settled in with her. He already felt better and he wondered how much of that was just being around her. Plagg had mentioned something about past Ladybugs and their ability to soothe and calm others.

"Now back to your ghastly day with all the drama," she suggested.

"We don't have to," he started, but she was shaking her head.

"This is what friends do," she reminded him. "Vent a bit. Decompress. Then we can set it aside to fully enjoy the movie."

She knew him so well; it was really nice. "Not all fashion houses are like this," he said. "But my father's… it tends to run pretty high strung. A lot like my father, actually." He took a seat beside her. "I would never recommend a friend of mine seek an internship at Gabriel."

Ladybug stared intently at him for a moment. "Really?"

He nodded. "Interns are treated as disposable commodities." It was something he'd recognized as problematic even when he was homeschooled and friendless. "But because there are so many people who think that completing an internship at Gabriel will give them a leg up, there are always others to take their place. It's completely fucked up." He'd tried to get his father to see what that could do to the company's reputation, since that was pretty much the only thing he cared about. "My father is warped enough that he thinks it makes the company seem more attractive. It's not just the standards of beauty that are unattainable, it's everything about the company and its designs."

"Wow." Ladybug sighed. "That's disgusting."

"Yeah." He pulled a piece of paper out of his pocket. "I've got this friend named Marinette who's an amazing designer even though she's entirely self-taught. She's thinking about internships, and I know she's always wanted to study with my father, but… interns don't get to do that at Gabriel. Even the really good ones. And so many of them leave the industry completely after their time with us." He snorted. His father considered it weeding out the chaff, those who didn't have what it took.

"Yikes. It must be pretty horrible if it makes people give up their artistic dreams." She looked horrified.

"I would never want one of my friends to work there in any capacity." Marinette had what it took to land a spot, and she had the talent and skill to make it in the business, but he couldn't stand the idea of her enduring Gabriel's standard abuse, of her getting jaded and bitter.

"Even if it meant you got to see them at work?" she asked.

Adrien shook his head. "I absolutely don't want anyone I know picking up a job at Gabriel because of me." He shrugged. "I'm planning on bailing at my earliest opportunity." Plagg was the only one who knew about that plan, and he'd encouraged it.

Ladybug stared at him in wide-eyed shock. "You… you're leaving modeling?" her words came out in a raspy whisper.

"Can't imagine me as anything other than a model?" he teased.

"Oh. No, that's not it at all," she assured him, one hand reaching out to land lightly on his shoulder. "You're brilliant. I can imagine you doing all sorts of things."

He felt his sly Chat grin on his face. "Really?" He drew the word out and leaned forward, suggestively arching his eyebrows.

"Not those kinds of things!" she squeaked.

He chuckled, thinking and hoping the pink in her cheeks told a different story. "Seriously, though," he went on before he could dig himself into too deep a hole. "I'm not leaving modeling entirely, at least not at first. It's not like I hate it. It makes good money, and I'm decent at it."

"Decent?!" she demanded. "That's like saying Chat and I are okay at defeating akuma."

He grinned, but continued his train of thought. "But modeling isn't a realistic life career, so I need to work out a plan for when I no longer have the look companies are aiming for." He shrugged. "I don't want to model for Gabriel anymore, and I want control over my schedule."

Ladybug nodded. "That all sounds fair, and probably past time." He'd shown her his crazy schedule when they first started trying to arrange times for her to stop by. "Have you decided what that plan will include?"

"Decided, not really, but I've obsessed over the possibilities," he admitted. His dream of freedom was relatively near, and he'd spent many of his free hours and breaks between activities thinking about his options and identifying what he really wanted in his life. A lot of his dreams were long range hopes for a warm family environment. Some were vague and nebulous because he'd had so little opportunity to explore his own interests. The few that were specific and detailed were too personal to share just yet, even with Plagg.

"If you need anything, you know you can ask your friends, right?" she asked.

He nodded. "My friends are amazing, and I hope I'm half as good to them as they are to me."

"You are," she insisted.

He unfolded the paper he'd pulled out earlier. "I'm making a list for Marinette." He flattened it on the table. "These are fashion houses that have good reputations for how they treat their interns, staff, and models."

Ladybug glanced down at the paper and froze, her mouth dropped open into an adorable O of surprise. A red fingertip hovered over an e-mail address. "Are these…" Her voice was reverent.

"Those are my contacts, most work in talent acquisition, and they've offered to look at her portfolio." It wasn't a tiny list, and he was very much aware that the details were not publicly available. He'd used his well-honed schmoozing skills in talking up the staff he ran into during various fashion events.

"How long have you been working on this?" she asked, wonder clear in her voice.

"Oh… a while, I guess." He shrugged. "Probably since April. That's when I realized I needed to get Mari some options other than Gabriel, while I was still in favor."

"You think that'll change?" she asked. "That people won't want you when you… um… go rogue?"

He grinned. It was such perfect phrasing. "Hard to say. Some won't care, even if my father makes a scene and throws bad publicity my way." He rolled his eyes. "Some would probably prefer it if things get really ugly, so they can claim to have poached me from their rival."

"You've transposed your numbers," Chat said gently, tapping the scratch paper where Ladybug was working through a physics problem on refraction.

"Hmmm… oh… yeah," she said groggily, striking out the mistake and rewriting the problem.

"Why are you so tired tonight, Bug?" he asked, catching the edge of the blanket that tried to slip off her shoulder. Snuggle studies had somehow ended up being part of their post- workout routine, so they were huddled together under a blanket on the floor of the dojo they'd been using all winter. Late February saw some warmer temperatures, but it wasn't nearly enough for his partner.

"Designing," she muttered. Then, as if realizing this version of her wasn't supposed to be telling this version of him about her personal life, she scrambled to cover. "Uh… you know, planning how I want my gap year to go. Figuring out what I need to do, to be where I need to, at the end."

"I can completely relate," he admitted, hoping to ease her mind. He'd been doing a lot of planning and researching as well. "I'm hoping to make a lot of changes during my gap year, and… they're taking more time to work out than I expected."

She leaned into him, her face pressing into his ribs, and hummed.

"But, you know you don't have to do it all now, right?" he asked. "That's part of what the gap year is for. Figuring things out." He pushed her paper out of the way before straightening up and scooping her into the nest made by his folded legs.

"Yeah," she agreed. "But I'm a planner, you know that. I feel better if I have some idea or road map, even if it's going to change."

He adjusted the blanket to make sure she was fully covered. "I know." It was part of what made her such a great hero and them such a perfect team. She planned in advance, while he did it on the fly, and she was flexible enough to modify as needed. "But maybe you should just put down the basics for your plan now, and figure out the details after Final Bac." It was surprisingly sound advice from Plagg when he'd been stressing out over it. Though to be fair, his kwami had been much more helpful to his personal plights in the last eight months.

She snorted. "Tikki told me something a lot like that too."

"I get that you have big plans, L.B." He tightened his hold on her for a moment. "I really do. And yeah, there are things you'll need to do to get there, but you can't do it all at once. You'll burn yourself out. And where would that leave me?"

She let out a little laugh. "Fine. I'll try to balance things better."

"That's all I can ask, Bug," he said. "But it will cut down on my worrying." He looked at her homework. She still had a few problems to go, but she had time tomorrow. "How about we call it a night, and you go straight to bed. You've said you have afternoon science, so you can hit those problems during your break."

"Okay," she agreed, making no move to get up.

"You want me to take you home?" He felt oddly breathless. Knowing who she was, without confirmation, was one thing. A full-on reveal was something else.

She shook her head against his side, instantly snuffing out the brushfire in his brain. "Can't tell you who I am; you know that."

"It's not safe," he said, unsure if it really mattered at this point.

She nodded. "But I want to." It was the first time she'd frankly admitted that to him.

"You… you do?" he asked, warmth of happiness suffusing him.

"Course I do," she insisted, hugging him tightly. "You are my most favorite person, ever."

"You're mine, too," he said softly.

"And as soon as it's safe, we're doing a whole reveal hand hanging out, and everything," she promised. "Sound okay?"

He let out a sigh. "Sounds purrfect."

"Great. Now, two minute power snuggle before I have to go out in the cold." She tugged the blanket over her head before wrapping her arms around him in her cocoon.

He chuckled and pulled out his baton to set an alarm. He wasn't as tired, but falling asleep seemed very possible given his current comfort level and the happy buzz filtering through his head.

Chapter Title - "Not knowing how to do anything with all ten of your fingers" is a French idiom for being or feeling completely useless.

Huge thanks to @soundofez and my betas: Karnival and @chatbug-jk

#Miraculous Ladybug #Miraculous Big Bang #fanfic #my writing #soundofez #A Little Secret

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