Season 2 redraw of the kiss heard around the world! I remember freaking out in this moment. Im pretty sure my jaw dropped. Little did we know what more was in store for us :)
Summary: Adrien knows he’s forbidden to bite anyone expect for his mate, but, in an emergency, he ends up drinking Marinette’s blood…and realizing that his feelings for her haven’t been platonic in a long time. Now, if only he could convince her that his love is real and not the result of their intimate feeding session.
“Put me down!” Marinette demanded indignantly as Adrien ran up the stairs to the library with her in his arms. “We agreed that you only got to carry me like a damsel in distress that one time.”
“No,” Adrien patiently corrected. “We agreed that I got to carry you when there was an emergency. I think this qualifies.”
“I think I could run faster than you can carry me,” she grumbled as he kicked open the door to the library and screamed, “Akuma in Madame Bustier’s class!”
He dodged the resulting stampede of students and made his way to the stacks in the back.
“You can put me down now,” Marinette growled when they came to a stop.
“Nope,” Adrien responded, letting the “p” go with a pop as he surveyed their surroundings for witnesses. “Plagg, transform me.”
She was struck speechless for a moment as she marveled at him.
Chat Noir gave her a patented Adrien wink. “Like what you see, Princess?”
She immediately schooled her expression into a disapproving frown. “No. Now, leave me here and go do your job, Alley Cat.”
He rolled his eyes. “My only job right now is protecting you.”
Before she could protest, he extended his baton, launching them out of the library window and up onto the rooftop.
“Your job is to protect Paris!” she snapped when her stomach had settled back in its proper place.
“Well, I can’t very well do that until I know you’re safe,” he argued, beginning to lose patience with her stubbornness.
“I’m not defenceless, you know,” she shot back at him. “I don’t appreciate you treating me like I’m incompetent because I’ve got news for you: I’ve survived a hell of a lot of akuma attacks without you carrying me around like an infant.”
He slowed to a stop on a roof a few blocks away from the school and gently set her down.
She was about to continue her tirade about her autonomy when the distraught look on his face took the wind out of her sails.
“I’m really sorry. I didn’t mean to make you feel that way,” he insisted. “That’s not what I think of you. Like, at all.”
She blinked in surprise at his vehemence coupled with the desperation with which he was trying to convince her.
“Marinette, I respect you so much,” he stressed. “Trust me. I know how capable you are. I mean, I can’t count how many times I’ve seen you defend yourself and others—both with your words and whatever jerry-rigged weapon you could get your hands on. There’s a reason I nicknamed you our ‘Everyday Ladybug’. I never meant to make you feel like I thought you needed me to protect you.”
She pursed her lips, looking away as she thought about how much she did need him as her partner. “…Then, what’s all this about?”
He averted his gaze, rubbing at the back of his neck. “I think I’m just kind of freaking out, honestly. It’s my fault that Lila is after you, and if she hurt you because of me…”
He shuddered and tentatively looked up at her.
“I need you to be safe so I can focus, Marinette,” he confessed, stepping forward and taking her hands in his. “Please let me take you to the Mansion. You’ll be safe there. Even if she does realize you’re there, the Mansion can go into lockdown, and she won’t be able to get you.”
Marinette winced even as she gave his hands a squeeze. “Minou…listen. I know your brain is making you think you’re in love with me because I gave you my blood, but you need to fight it. You can’t be preoccupied with me while you’re supposed to be fighting akumas.”
His ears drooped, and his tail curled self-consciously around his left calf. “I’m sorry that my feelings are inconvenient for you, but I think I’m done fighting them. I don’t want to live in denial anymore, even if you can never feel the same way about me.”
She pulled her hands out of his so she could cover her face with them as she groaned. “Adrien, it’s not like that at all. You have no idea how much I want—”
An explosion back at the school cut her off, and both of their faces blanched.
“You need to go. Now,” she urged.
“But—”
“—No buts. Paris has to come first, Chat Noir,” she insisted with an intent frown, hoping he would come to his senses.
Instead, he wilted further. “My head knows you’re right. It is my job to fight the akuma and save the day. It’s hard, though, when my heart is screaming at me to put you first.”
She bit the inside of her cheek, trying to ignore the screams in the distance. “…Adrien, do you love me?”
He nodded fervently. “Of course I do.”
She stepped in, looping her arms around his neck.
His hands automatically went to her waist.
“Okay.” She took a steadying breath. “Well, the best way for you to prove it is to trust me when I say I can keep myself safe.”
He looked away, struggling against his kneejerk reaction to scoop her up and get her out of harm’s way.
“I need you to leave me here and go defeat Lila. Can you do that for me?” she coaxed.
“Marinette…” he tried to argue.
“Didn’t you tell me this morning in the boiler room that you’d do anything for me?” she pressed.
He winced, mentally kicking himself for his thoughtless promise.
“Well, I want you to go fight an akuma for me,” she wheedled, reaching up to play with his hair. “Can you do that, Chaton?”
He blew out a sigh, dropping his head to her shoulder. “Yes, Princess. One defeated akuma, coming right up.”
“Good boy,” she purred, leaning in to give his neck a little nip right above the collar of his suit.
He sucked in a sharp breath, sparks shooting through his veins as he held back a moan. “You wreck me, you know that?”
She pulled back with a sad smile, giving him a pat on the cheek.
She wasn’t ready to tell him that the feeling was mutual.
“Go, Chaton. And stay safe.”
He nodded and dropped her off on the street level so that she could flee if the fight came her way.
With a heavy heart, he went into battle.
Chat Noir was a mess.
Thank goodness Ladybug was there to combine his tail, the basketball hoop in the school courtyard, and a car tire to take down the akuma and return things to rights.
“You okay over there, Chaton?” she called out to him as she made her way over for their customary fist bump.
He opened his mouth to assure his partner that everything was fine, but he couldn’t make the words come out.
Out of nowhere, his emotions caught up to him, and tears began to bead in the corners of his eyes.
“Oh, Minou,” she cooed, coming over to cup his face in her hand. “What’s wrong? Are you okay?”
He shook his head. “Sorry. There’s just a lot going on. Could we meet up in fifteen and talk? There’s something I’ve been meaning to tell you.”
She nodded, lowering her hand to his shoulder and giving it a squeeze. “I’ll see you then.”
He took off to find a safe place to detransform and feed Plagg, and he ended up in Marinette’s room. He collapsed on her bed and buried his face in her cat body pillow while he waited for his kwami to recharge.
Her normally soothing scent made him want to cry, but he held it together.
He was just about to transform back when he got a text from the girl in his heart and on his mind: “Just wanted to let you know I’m safe. Thank you for protecting me. You did a good job, and I’m so, so proud of you.”
A bittersweet smile stretched across his lips. “She knows how to push all of my buttons, doesn’t she?”
“Not that she knows she’s doing it,” Plagg grumbled.
With a sigh, Adrien called on his transformation and headed for the roof of Notre Dame where Ladybug was already waiting.
“Everything alright?” she cautiously inquired, head tipping curiously to the side.
He shook his head, taking a seat beside her. “I should have told you right away, but someone found out my identity.”
Her mouth rounded into a small “o”.
“I’m sorry,” he sighed. “It was an emergency, and I had to detransform in front of someone. It was my fault for getting into a bad situation like that, but I didn’t have a choice about revealing my identity.” He took a steadying breath and blew it out. “…I understand if you need to take my ring away.”
She gave a squeak of alarm. “Well, now, hold on a minute.”
She put her hands up in protest. “I mean, do you know this person? Are they trustworthy?”
“Oh, absolutely,” he assured without having to consider it. “I trust her completely, and she cares about me a lot, so I know she’d do everything in her power to keep me safe.”
She pretended to consider this for a moment. “…Then…I don’t think there’s a problem. At least, not a big enough problem where we need to consider finding a new holder for Plagg. I mean, don’t go letting more people find out, but…it sounds like this is okay.”
He was struck dumb for a moment before he found the composure to respond.
“Of course. I won’t let this happen again,” he assured with a wink, trying to hold in how thrilled he was. “…You’re taking this a lot better than I thought you would.”
She shrugged, avoiding his gaze. “Maybe I’ve mellowed with age.”
He rolled his eyes. “Because you’re so old at seventeen.”
She gave his arm a slap. “Hush, you. Somedays, I feel ancient.”
“Mood,” he sighed.
There was a beat where they gazed out at the city thoughtfully before she asked, “…Was that all you needed to talk to me about? You seemed really upset earlier.”
He laid back on the roof, resting the back of his wrist on his forehead. “I’m kind of a mess recently. You see, she found out something else about me too, and she’s surprisingly fine with it. Like, really fine with it.”
Ladybug arched an eyebrow. “Should she not be fine with it?”
He pursed his lips. “…I don’t know. My kneejerk reaction a week ago would have been ‘of course she shouldn’t be fine with it. I’m literally a freak. How could anyone be fine with this?’ …but she’s said some stuff to me that’s really made me think and challenge those preconceived notions.”
He swallowed. “Now, I’m starting to think…maybe I’m not the monster I thought I was after all.”
“Chat Noir,” Ladybug chastised sternly. “Of course you’re not a monster!”
He winced, giving her a sheepish smile.
She huffed in frustration, shaking her head. “…So, you’re having a hard time because she’s shaken up your worldview?”
“Partially.” He looked away, cheeks beginning to flame red as he forced himself to keep going. “Mostly, I’m a mess because I…um…we…we did something that you’re only supposed to do with a romantic partner.”
She forced herself to keep her face neutral so as not to give herself away.
“Oh?” she inquired, but the syllable cracked.
He covered his face with his hands. “We basically had sex.”
“What?!” she screeched.
“I know!” he groaned, dragging his hands down his face. “It was an accident, but I really wanted to, and she seemed into it, so now we’ve got this weird friends-with-benefits thing going on.”
“Oh?” she repeated hoarsely as her brain screamed. “That’s…nice.”
“No, it’s not,” he groaned but then seemed to reconsider. “Well, I mean…okay. It’s nice when we snuggle and she hugs me and gives me little nips on the neck.”
He shook his head, trying to get back on task. “But that’s not the point. The point is, after we did that, I realized that I’m in love with her.”
“And that’s a problem?” she pressed.
“No,” he insisted, sitting back up to face her. “It’s wonderful—she’swonderful. Of all the people I could have fallen for, she’s the kindest, sweetest, most thoughtful… I’ll have you know that my taste in women is impeccable. She’s honestly out of my league.”
“Is she out of your league if she’s already slept with you?” Ladybug challenged.
Face a florid red, Chat looked away. “She did it because she’s selfless like that. I was a mess, and she compassionately sacrificed herself because she felt sorry for me and wanted to help.”
She cocked a skeptical eyebrow. “I mean, I’d hardly consider you a pity lay. …So, what’s the problem?”
He covered his face with his hands again. “She thinks I’m delusional and that I only think I’m in love with her because of what we did.”
Her eyebrow climbed higher. “And you think she’s wrong.”
“Iknow she’s wrong,” he insisted, dropping his hands and looking her pointedly in the eye. “I didn’t develop feelings for her afterwards. I discovered what the feelings I already had for her were. I’ve been in love with her for years. I just didn’t know that that’s what it was.”
Her mouth dropped open, and she gaped at him in shock. “You’re in love with her…for real?”
He nodded desperately. “She seriously is the best person, Ladybug. She’s wicked clever and funny and kind and brave. She always has time for others, no matter how busy she is. She’s always helping people and standing up for people who can’t stand up for themselves.”
A soft smile worked its way onto his face as he continued. “She makes me feel safe, and she genuinely cares about me. She always listens to me whine and makes me feel like my feelings matter. She makes me feel like not so much of a weirdo. …She makes me a better person because she believes in me and shows me how to be better by her example.”
His grin turned sad as he met her gaze again. “For the longest time, I thought she was the best friend I’d ever had…and I don’t think I was necessarily wrong. She is my best friend, but she’s something else too. She’s the person I want to be worthy of. She’s the person I want to spend my life with.”
Ladybug gave a soft gasp as the weight of his words sank in and left her feeling dizzy.
He looked away with a sigh. “It really hurts that she keeps telling me it’s all in my head. She’s so adamant that it’s not real that it’s kind of obvious that she doesn’t want me to have these kinds of feelings for her.
“And that’s okay,” he sniffled as tears caught up to him once more. “It’s okay. She doesn’t have to love me back. I mean, I’m used to that, but…I just want her to know that what I feel is real. If she could just say ‘thank you, but I don’t feel that way for you’, that would be fine. I just want her to stop telling me that my love for her isn’t valid.”
“Oh my gosh,” Ladybug breathed, mind awhirl. “Chaton, I am sosorry. I didn’t mean…”
She bit her lip, quickly coming to a decision. “Come with me. Please. There’s something I need to show you. It’s really, really important.”
He quirked an eyebrow in confusion but obediently assented. “Lead the way.”
She stood on shaky legs and yoyoed her way across the Seine, back to the bakery.
“Ladybug…why are we here?” Chat asked warily as they landed on Marinette’s balcony.
“I’ll tell you when we get inside,” she assured with a weak smile, looking like she was going to pass out.
They dropped down into Marinette’s loft, and Ladybug collapsed onto the bed.
“I’m so sorry,” she insisted, barely holding back tears. “I’m so, so sorry.”
Before he could ask why she was apologizing, she whispered, “Detransformation”, and everything became a little clearer and a little more confusing all at the same time.
He dropped his own transformation and covered his face with a groan. “I can’t believe I told you we had sex.”
She burst into hysterical laughter. “That’s what you’re focusing on?”
“It’s better than fixating on how I just bared my heart to you about how in love with you I am and how you’re going to reject me and never be my friend again because I’m a clingy, needy freak!”
She pushed herself up and took his hands in hers, fixing him with a stern look. “Adrien, you are none of those things. Didn’t I tell you last week? You’re an amazing person. You’re incredibly sweet and kind, even to the people who don’t deserve it. Youmakeme a better person by showing me how it’s done,” she stressed.
He blinked at her, completely perplexed. “You really think that?”
She nodded vigorously. “Adrien Agreste, you really are the full package—the brains, the looks, and the personality. You’re the one who’s out of myleague.”
A raging blush and a tentative smile quickly took over his face. “I… Thank you for saying that.”
“I’m not just saying that,” she insisted. “Adrien…I love you.”
He blinked, not comprehending. “You… What?”
She swallowed and tried again. “I’m sorry for all the times I turned you down, all the times I hurt you. I never meant to hurt you, Chaton. I love you.”
He continued to stare at her. “I don’t understand. Where is this coming from?”
Her face coloured as she looked down at their hands. “From my heart. I’ve loved you for a very, very long time, Adrien…ever since you were kind to me when I’d been a judgmental jerk…ever since you gave me an explanation I didn’t deserve.”
She forced herself to meet his awed gaze. “I’ve loved you since the day we met and you gave me your umbrella.”
His mouth dropped open. “You’re serious? You’re not just saying that because you’re enthralled by me because I bit you?”
She shook her head. “No. Adrien, I really, truly love you.”
“But what about that other boy?” he pressed. “Ladybug always said there was a boy she loved.”
“Adrien, that was you,” she gently informed. “You were the other boy, and I was so blindly loyal to you that I didn’t allow myself to acknowledge my growing romantic feelings for Chat Noir…maybe like how you didn’t let yourself think of Marinette romantically because of your feelings for Ladybug?”
He swallowed hard as her words hit him straight in the chest. “But you…this past week, when I told you I loved you, you were so adamant that you didn’t want to talk about it and that you didn’t think my feelings were real.”
Tears welled in his eyes yet again. “If you loved me, why would you do that?”
She winced, mentally kicking herself. “I was trying to protect myself. I didn’t want to get my hopes up in case it wore off after a while. I have spent literal years dreaming that you’d notice me as more than a friend, and I didn’t want to risk getting hurt when you inevitably realized you’d been mistaken.”
“Oh, Marinette,” he breathed, pulling her into his arms and guiding her down onto the bed on top of him. “My poor Princess. …I’m sorry.”
“Me too,” she whispered into his neck, giving it a penitent nip.
Her heart fluttered when he started to purr.
“Well.” He swallowed, voice thick. “It sounds like we’ve both hurt and been hurt by one another. I don’t know about you, but I’m bad at holding a grudge. Do you think we could try to forgive one another and move on? I know I, for one, am tired of being miserable. I’d sort of like to be happy in love now.”
She lifted her head, stroking his hair as she gazed down at him. “Yeah?”
He nodded.
She gulped. “M-Me too.”
Tentatively, she leaned in and brushed her lips against his.
She was just about to pull back when he enthusiastically began to return the pressure.
Her fingers tightened in his hair, prompting a happy rumble in his chest.
There were a number of false starts and much giddy laughter before they finally found their rhythm, trading little sucks and nips.
“Open your mouth and let me stick my tongue in,” Marinette finally demanded in frustration after they’d been kissing for several minutes and Adrien had remained woefully ignorant of her attempts to gain entrance.
A cherry blossom blush spread all the way from his neck to his ears as he blinked at her in surprise. “Isn’t that moving kind of fast?”
She rolled her eyes. “According to you, we’ve already had sex.”
He gave a startled meep and averted his eyes, blush growing in depth. “That was the only thing I could say that made sense without telling Ladybug I was a vampire! I’m not…I’m not actually ready for that kind of thing.”
“Aww,” Marinette cooed, affectionately nuzzling his jaw. “That’s really cute that you want to take things slow. I thought guys were all sort of pushy about that kind of thing.”
“None of the guys I know…that I know of,” Adrien muttered self-consciously. “I’m a little sheltered.”
“It’s okay,” she assured, giving his cheek a peck. “I like you just the way you are. …So, wanna go back to kissing?”
“Okay,” he agreed, feeling a weight lift off of him. “Thanks for understanding.”
“Of course. …Just let me know whenever you’re ready for more because I can’t wait to get my tongue in your mouth,” she confessed, suddenly not scared to be forward with him.
His cheeks went pink all over again. “Do you think that’s a good idea? You’ll probably cut yourself on my fangs.”
“Oooooh, I look forward to it,” she chuckled.
He let out a startled laugh. “You little minx. You’re just trying to trick me into sinking my fangs into you, aren’t you?”
“Guilty,” she admitted, diving in for another kiss.
“I’m going to have to keep an eye on you,” he snickered. “You’re much too clever for me.”
“I thought you liked my cleverness.” She hummed.
“I turn to goo when you’re clever, Marinette,” he confessed.
“Good to know,” she replied with a predatory smirk that left him with no doubt that he was in trouble.
Summary: Adrien knows he’s forbidden to bite anyone expect for his mate, but, in an emergency, he ends up drinking Marinette’s blood…and realizing that his feelings for her haven’t been platonic in a long time. Now, if only he could convince her that his love is real and not the result of their intimate feeding session.
About a week later, Adrien was shocked to find Marinette waiting for him by his locker a good twenty minutes before the start of class.
He quirked an eyebrow. “Who are you, and what have you done with my Princess?”
She rolled her eyes. “I set, like, five alarms. You should be grateful.”
He hummed in interest. “Oh, yeah? I mean, I guess I already thank the universe every day I get to see your beautiful face, but…is there something specific I should be grateful for today?”
She had to avert her gaze as she struggled to contain her rapidly spreading blush.
She cleared her throat and pushed a rogue bang back out of her face. “I…uh… Wow. It’s really hard to sentence when you say things like that.”
“—No!” She waved her hands wildly, almost hitting herself in the face as she assured, “It’s fine! I don’t… I just…”
She took a deep breath and sighed it out. “Sorry. Just…grab your stuff for class and come with me?”
Nodding, he obediently did as bid, stowing the things he’d brought home for assignments and grabbing the texts and notebooks he needed for class.
Still blushing, Marinette began to lead the way to the boiler room where they were unlikely to be disturbed.
Adrien’s shoulders slumped as he followed her, making him resemble a kicked puppy. “…I’m sorry if I made you uncomfortable.” He tried to apologize again.
Marinette gave a start. “What?! No. Adrien, you’re seriously fine. There’s nothing to be sorry for.”
“You’re not just saying that to be nice?” he pressed. “Because I know I’m kind of a lot when I love someone. Please let me know if the flirting starts to annoy you.”
She blew out a sigh and turned to take his hand as she guided him through the door off the courtyard, down into the bowels of the school.
“Chaton, I promise you that it’s fine. You’re not annoying me or making me uncomfortable or anything.”
He pursed his lips. “If you’re sure. Because I’m kind of a compulsive flirt, and I know I used to get on Ladybug’s nerves all the time, so I want to try to have more situational awareness with you.”
Marinette came to a sudden halt and slowly turned to gawk at Adrien in horror. “Oh my gosh. You’re Chat Noir.”
He blinked at her, his head tipping to the side. “Yes? You’ve known that for almost a week now.”
She shook her head, quietly shrieking, “Clearly, I shoved that to the back of my mind so that I could process the fact that Adrien Agreste is a vampire and thinks he’s in love with me and likes snuggling in my bed!”
His surprise quickly turned to confusion. “O…kay?”
Her eyes went wide as she whispered, “Oh my gosh. You’re in love with Ladybug.”
He winced and then held up his hands defensively. “I mean, okay. Yeah. I think a part of me will always love Ladybug. It’s a little hard to totally forget your first crush, but…I just want you to know that the feelings I still have for her don’t diminish what I feel for you, Marinette.”
She shook her head, holding up her hands to stop him from saying more as she struggled to process. “That’s not what I meant. Even if your feelings for me were real and not a side effect of drinking my blood,”
Adrien’s heart cracked a little bit more at her ardent denial of his feelings. It was starting to become clear that she didn’t wanthim to have feelings for her and that she was desperately hoping that they would go away if she repelled them enough.
“…there would be nothing wrong with you having feelings for Ladybug too,” Marinette continued, oblivious to Adrien’s hurt. “I was just thinking—I just realized…Ladybug rejected you.”
Adrien looked away. “Yeah. It turns out that people who actually know me pretty well don’t find me to be an attractive romantic prospect.”
Marinette winced, mentally kicking herself for being so blinded by her crush on Adrien that she hadn’t noticed her amazing partner.
“I’m so sorry, Adrien,” she whispered, hanging her head in shame. “I’m sorry that she hurt you. If I could go back and make her see what an incredible person she was turning down, I’d do it in a heartbeat.”
He gave a sullen shrug, still not meeting her gaze.
“I’m sorry, Chaton,” she repeated, gently wrapping him up in a hug. “I’m sorry she broke your heart when she should have treasured it.”
He slowly inhaled her sweet, strawberries-and-oatmeal scent, and it was hard to be sad. He pushed aside his woes and concentrated on the warmth of her in his arms.
“Thanks, Marinette,” he whispered into her hair, giving it a nuzzle. “It means a lot that you care.”
“I care about you more than you know,” she sighed, squeezing him a little tighter.
They stayed like that, content in their embrace, for almost a good minute before Marinette remembered why they’d come to the boiler room in the first place.
She slowly released her hold on him and slipped her hand into his with a smile, tugging him further into the room. “I wanted to show you something.”
She fished in her bag and pulled out a small, cylindrical object about the length of her pointer finger and the width of her thumb.
He cocked an eyebrow. “What is it?”
“It’s a lancet device,” she explained. “I saw it while running an errand at the pharmacy this weekend, and I thought it might be good.”
His eyebrow only arched higher. “What’s a…lancet device?”
She popped the cap off, showing him the tiny needle within the device. “It’s used for getting blood samples. People with diabetes use it to prick their fingers so they can check their blood sugar.”
She pulled down the little lever on the side of the contraption, and he watched as the needle retracted. She pushed the button, and the needle sprang forward with a click.
He gave a start at the unexpected sound but quickly relaxed at the symphony that was her chuckling. “…So, what use do you have with it? Last time I checked, you’re not diabetic.”
She turned her dazzling grin on him as she recapped the device. “Since you’re so opposed to biting me again, I thought this could be a safe way for me to periodically give you snacks to keep your strength up.”
His jaw dropped, and a strangely warm feeling burbled up in his stomach. “You… For me?”
She nodded.
“That’s brilliant,” he chuckled, carding a hand through his hair. “But, doesn’t that hurt?”
She shook her head. “I tried it at home to make sure I could handle it, and it’s not that bad. I mean, it stings when it pricks, but the pain doesn’t even last a full second.”
“You are the most thoughtful person ever,” he cooed, absolutely melting at the fact that she would do something so selfless for him. “But are you sure it’s not going to hurt your hands? Won’t it make it hard to work on designs?”
She waved away his concerns. “I jab myself with pins all the time, and this is a much smaller needle. It doesn’t hurt nearly as much, and I can’t even tell where I poked myself. See?”
She held up her left ring finger.
He squinted at it, carefully scrutinizing, but he couldn’t make out the wound. “…Okay. But are you sure about this?”
She smacked him on the arm. “Shut up and drink my blood already, Dumb Cat.”
He burst out laughing. “Well, when you put it that way…do you want to give it a try?”
She nodded, prepping the lancet device and pressing it up against her finger. She pressed the button and then gave her finger a squeeze, producing a shiny red droplet that made Adrien’s mouth water.
She laughed—a bell-like sound—as she held her finger out to him. “You’re looking at it like Nino’s steak last week.”
“Like I said at the restaurant,” he purred as he gingerly took her wrist. “My body knows what it needs…and that’s you.”
Marinette shivered as he wrapped his tongue around her finger, sucking at it like a suckling kitten.
Her stomach fluttered as he gave a contented sigh.
She swallowed. “Is it good?”
“Very good,” he assured, nuzzling at her wrist.
She hummed contemplatively. “It doesn’t feel as good as when you bit me.”
He choked on a laugh, looking at her with half-lidded eyes. “Oh, yeah? You want me to sink my fangs into you?”
She had to hold in a whimper as memories of his body under hers, his mouth on her neck, flickered to life once more in her brain. “Is it weird if I say yes?”
“No more weird than some of the things I’ve said to you,” he assured, pulling her into his arms.
“Adrien,” she breathed, tipping her head to the side to expose her neck for him.
“Sorry,” he whispered into her hair. “I don’t think right before class is the best idea, and I think we should wait a while before I drink from your neck again. I read online that you’re supposed to wait eight weeks between blood donations to make sure you’ve fully recovered.”
Marinette pulled back to gawk at him, pouting, “What? Noooo. That’s, like, two months!”
He smiled sheepishly. “I’m really sorry, Princess, but I don’t want to take any chances with your health.”
She grumbled under her breath as she rested her head on his shoulder.
“Maybe tonight I can come by and give your finger a prick with my fangs instead,” he offered, trying to appease her.
She blew out a sigh and whined, “I want you to sink your teeth into me. You can’t really do that with a finger. There’s not enough real-estate. Could you maybe bite my arm or my leg or something?”
He bit his bottom lip and replied honestly, “I don’t think I have enough self-control to sink my fangs into you and not drink.”
“Fiiiiine,” she groaned, encircling her arms around him tighter.
Her voice was softer, more affectionate, as she added, “I guess this is good enough.”
He pressed a kiss to the top of her head. “Thank you for understanding. You have to believe me when I say that, if I could, I’d do anything for you, Marinette.”
Her breath hitched.
“…I just don’t trust myself, and I can’t put you at risk,” he admitted regretfully.
“It’s okay,” she assured, turning her head and giving his neck a light peck. “I’m the one being selfish.”
He shrugged, beginning to pet her hair. “I don’t mind. You have no clue how much I wish I could spoil you.”
“…You’re being awfully affectionate,” she noted.
“Being with you makes me feel things,” he confessed.
“Is it because you just drank my blood, so your brain is making you think I’m your mate?” she inquired guardedly.
“I don’t actually know that that’s a real thing,” he reminded as he nuzzled her ear. “Like I said, Maman never really talked much about being a vampire. All I know is that she told me that I couldn’t bite someone other than my husband or wife. I don’t know if that was a rule for me specifically or if it’s something all vampires live by.”
He raised his head to gaze pleadingly into her eyes. “Can’t you just let me be in love with you?”
She froze, eyes going as wide as galaxies.
“Stop overanalyzing everything and just let me feel close to you,” he begged. “Father never allows me to express my emotions, so this isn’t something I get to do often. There’s so much love closed up inside of my heart, Marinette. Please let me let some out.”
All resistance drained from her, and she suddenly didn’t care if his feelings were only the trick of chemicals in his brain.
“Come here, Chaton,” she coaxed, pulling him back into a hug and giving his neck a nip.
He shivered with pleasure, contentedly sinking into her arms.
As the class packed up their things for the lunch break that day, Alya turned to Marinette and chuckled, “I see you’re still on a scarf kick.”
Marinette shrugged. “They’re cute.”
“If I didn’t know any better, I’d think you were trying to hide a hickey,” Alya teased.
Adrien tensed, holding his breath as his mind began to race.
Misinterpreting Adrien’s panic, Nino reached out and rested a hand on his best friend’s back, whispering, “Hey. It’s okay, Mec. Don’t worry.”
He raised his voice as he looked over his shoulder at the girls. “Yeah, but we all know it can’t be a hickey because Marinette isn’t seeing anyone.”
Marinette giggled nervously as her hand flew up to her neck. “Yeah. What Nino said. I mean, why would I have a bite mark on my neck? Ha! Me! With a hickey! Ha! That’s crazy!”
Alya’s eyes narrowed at her friend’s trademark bad acting skills.
Marinette started to sweat as she doubled down on her awkward, too-large grin.
“Oh my God,” Alya whispered, a devilish smirk spreading over her lips. “You do have a hickey!”
“What?! NO!” Marinette yelped as Alya made a grab for the scarf.
“Girl!” Alya giggled. “How could you not tell me? Who have you been necking with?”
Adrien’s guilt got the best of him, and he shot up out of his seat. “It was me! Ibit her.”
His eyes anxiously scanned the room as he waited for an outburst of judgment and rage.
He was sure everyone was about to grab their pitchforks and torches, but his classmates just stared at him, struggling to process.
“Hold the phone,” Alya demanded. “What?”
Adrien looked from one friend to the next, pleading for them to understand. “I was feeling weak, and she was right there. She was so close, and she smelled amazing, and I just…I couldn’t help it.”
With a growl of frustration, Chloé stood to stare Adrien down with her hands on her hips. “Adrien Agreste, we do not bite people! What the hell were you thinking?!”
Adrien shrank, hanging his head at the rebuke. “I’m so sorry, Chlo. Like I said, I was weak, and I wasn’tthinking.”
“Hold on.” Marinette interrupted, gawking at Chloé. “Are you…like him?”
Chloé flipped her ponytail and rolled her eyes. “Please. I am nothing like him. Idon’t go around biting riffraff like you.”
She turned back to Adrien with a disappointed huff. “So, are you two dating now? Really, Adri-chou. You have abysmal taste.”
Adrien flinched, panicking under the class’s expectant gazes and turning to Marinette for help.
Marinette didn’t get the opportunity to respond, however, because, just then, Lila got to her feet and sniffled loudly, drawing everyone’s attention.
“Marinette, how could you?”
Marinette balked. “Me? What did Ido?”
Lila pointed accusingly. “Not two weeks ago, I pulled you aside and told you that Adrien and I secretly had something going on, so it made me really uncomfortable the way you were throwing yourself at him.”
Several jaws dropped, and eyebrows shot up into hairlines at this plot twist.
“What?” Adrien choked at the same time Marinette scoffed, “Excuse me?”
Lila shook her head, large crocodile tears dribbling down her cheeks as she continued. “And then you went behind my back and seduced him away from me anyway. I thought you were a good person, Marinette. How could you?”
A murmur went through the class as they all exchanged uncertain looks, unsure of what to make of this.
Adrien stepped out into the aisle and moved next to Marinette, slipping his hand into hers.
“Lila,” he called gently, hoping to diffuse the situation. “I’m sorry if you misunderstood, but there’s never been anything romantic between us. I don’t know if you felt like there was something there when we modeled together, but that was all acting for me. I’m sorry, but I’m in love with Marinette.”
The class exploded into a flurry of exclamations and questions. Arguments broke out, and money started to exchange hands.
Meanwhile, Lila shrieked, desperate to get everyone’s attention back on her. “Adrien, you know that’s not true! You’re only saying that because she seduced you!”
Lila sent a glare Marinette’s way, threatening, “I’ll never forgive you for this!”
Marinette rolled her eyes and sighed, too tired to deal with any of this. She went back to packing up her things and refused to play Lila’s game.
Adrien opened his mouth, about ready to confess that Marinette didn’t return his feelings, when Alix gasped, pointing up above their heads as she shouted, “Akuma!”
Wholesale panic broke out as everyone scrambled away from Lila.
“We need to get you out of here,” Adrien hissed urgently to Marinette, pulling her out into the aisle and towards the door as the butterfly landed on Lila’s bracelet.
Cries of, “You’ll pay for this, Marinette Dupain-Cheng!” echoed behind them as they fled.
Update to my Miraculous Kwami Swap AU: Mariposa’s New Designs light and dark , and a WIP Animatic of her transformation sequence.
I used Marinette’s concept art for her design, rather than her canon design, bc tbh its pretty cute. As in the Kwami Swap AU I started ages ago, Marinette has the butterfly miraculous, and Nooroo as her Kwami, and transforms into Mariposa, and chooses her champions to fight for her. I’m undecided on the dark or light themes for her design, but either could work. I plan on working on a coloured version of the transformation, however this will take quite a while to make. I hope you guys enjoy anyway, and I plan to have designs of the other heroes, and the main villains, posted soon! ~Fae
