#lycorogue fanfic
It’s Plagg Appreciation Day again!
Holy smokes, I’m alive!!! And… I… *checks notes* WROTE something!?
Lord bless Plagg. This cat motivates me out of writing funks like no other. Especially since I felt guilty about missing the last Plagg Appreciation Day (Aug 13, 2021), I knew I HAD to write something for today. Of course, I had NO CLUE what to write until about 5pm today. So… *whew* Crunch time, amirite?
This is one of my shortest Miraculous Ladybug fics, but it’s done and complete and posted before midnight. So… win?
You can stay here to read my latest story, or you can find it on these other sites:
Cataclysm the Doubt
Summary: Barely three hours into becoming a new father, Adrien is not handling the life change very well. It’s a good thing Plagg is right there to get the twenty-something’s head on right. Being able to cataclysm physical things is certainly easier, but sometimes a metaphorical cataclysm is the best option.
Rating: General Audience
Word Count: 1728
Status:Completed one-shot
“Adrien?” Plagg poked his head out from behind Adrien’s cover shirt and looked up at his owner.
The twenty-three-year-old had been wandering the halls of the maternity ward for nearly thirty minutes. Despite Marinette’s room having a private toilet, Adrien marched to the public restrooms by the elevators on the opposite side of the floor. He didn’t use them. He simply splashed water on his face and combed his blonde hair out of his bloodshot eyes. He then checked all five vending machines scattered on the floor; never finding what he wanted in any of them. Then it was back to the restrooms to mindlessly scrub his hands.
Each time Adrien passed Marinette’s room, he paused, but then continued on his wanderings.
“Adrien, you okay?”
“Yeah, Plagg.” Adrien was good at hiding his true feelings. Scary good. He had years to practice. Even so, Plagg could tell that the chipper joy in Adrien’s voice wasn’t really how he felt.
Not sensing any other eyes on them, Plagg drifted up to Adrien’s eye level. “Seriously,” he said, “How are you doing? You haven’t been back in that room for over twenty minutes.”
“It hasn’t been that long.” Adrien checked his watch. It had been twenty-eight minutes since Marinette fell asleep and he rushed out of that small room.
“Adrien.”
“Come on, Plagg, this isn’t safe. Hide.”
“Adrien.” Plagg spread his arms and legs out as far as they’d go, trying to block his owner from walking any further.
“I’m a father now, Plagg. Marinette and I are parents. Why wouldn’t I be fine? This is the happiest day in my life.”
“But?”
“I don’t-”
“But!” Plagg insisted.
Adrien scooped Plagg into his shirt and rushed into the darkened empty room nearby. After checking that there were no nurses coming by to catch him, Adrien quietly closed the door and let Plagg out.
“I don’t know what you want me to say, Plagg. I’m happy. I truly am.”
“I’ve known you for a decade. I can smell an overripe curd of bleu cheese a mile away, and, boy, are you covered in it. Spill.”
“Plagg, I-”
“Spill!”
“I’m scared! Okay?” Adrien yelled, only to realize how loud he was after one in the morning in a hospital wing filled with new mothers. His eyes widened as he clamped his hands over his mouth.
“The brave Chat Noir is afraid? Of what?”
“What do you mean, ‘of what’?” Adrien hissed. “Of being a father. I- I don’t know if I can do this, Plagg. I thought I could do anything if I was with m'lady, but fatherhood?” Adrien shook his head and hung it in his hands. Finding the guest chair in the room, he slumped hard into it.
Plagg huffed out a sympathetic sigh. “This is about your own father, isn’t it?”
“I mean, yeah? How could it not? I don’t want to be like him!”
“And you’re not.”
“Notnow, but how do I know I won’t be like him? How do I know my father wasn’t like me before- well, before he had me? I can’t- I can’t do that to Emma. I can’t be him to Emma.”
“And you won’t.”
“How do you know?”
“Because you’re afraid of that. Because you’re here with me terrified that you’ll become your father. Because you are already thinking about your daughter and how you don’t want her to have your childhood. Adrien, you are not your father. I promise you.”
Tears streamed down both of Adrien’s cheeks. His eyes were unapologetically puffy. “I can’t fail her.”
“You won’t.”
“But-”
“You. Won’t.” Plagg placed a flippered paw on Adrien’s nose to help ground him. “I won’t let you. Marinette certainly won’t let you. Sugarcube is a little too lenient for her own good, so she probably will let you, but then growl miserably at you until you learn your lesson.”
Adrien gargled a chuckle through his tears.
“Go on.” Plagg nodded towards the door. “Go back to your room, kiss your wife, and hold your daughter.”
With a nod, Adrien got up and slowly unlatched the door. After checking that the coast was clear, he slid back out into the hall. He moved to walk back to the restrooms to freshen up, but Plagg tugged the inside of Adrien’s shirt in the opposite direction: towards Marinette’s room. Another nod. Adrien had delayed enough, and no one seemed to be awake to see his red tear-streaked face anyway. Not that it mattered. Lots of stressed new fathers probably looked exactly the same way.
Adrien opened the maternity suite door painfully slow to try to not wake Marinette. She was gently snoring away, still exhausted from the thirty-one hours of labor, let alone the ten hours she had already been up before the contractions started. Aside from a few naps here and there, she had been awake for nearly two straight days. Adrien guessed he probably was awake for just as long.
In the bassinet on the far side of the bed, Emma was fussing slightly. She didn’t seem fully awake or in need of food, but she was softly whimpering; testing out her voice. Clicking the door closed behind him, Adrien glided over to his daughter. Hearing Emma do anything but happy coos was already breaking his heart.
Tikki poked her head out from the little bed Marinette had tucked in her purse; knowing the kwami wouldn’t be able to sleep next to her like normal.
“Adrien?” she gently called out.
Plagg held up an arm and shook his head. This was his owner. He’d handle it.
“Shhh. Shhh, it’s okay,” Adrien whispered as he knelt beside the bassinet so Emma could see him.
“Pick her up,” Plagg whispered.
Standing again, Adrien gingerly scooped his daughter into his arms. He mentally replayed through all the training both the nurse and Marinette went over when he first held his little girl. Head properly cradled in the crook of his arm; neck supported. Body pressed against his chest until he was fully upright to make sure he firmly had her. Blanket tightly swaddled against her to make her feel warm and safe. Stomach towards his chest so she can better snuggle into him.
She still chirped out little whimpers, but they quickly became fewer and farther between.
“Shhh. It’s okay, Emma. I’ve got you. I’ve got you. Dad-” Adrien choked on the knot in his throat as his eyes glossed over with tears. “Daddy’s here.”
“Yeah,” Plagg smoothed down some stray hair on Emma’s head. “Yeah, he’s always going to be here, kid.”
Adrien pulled Emma close to kiss her temple before cradling her against his chest again. She gargled some coos finally, and fell asleep.
“I’m still so scared, Plagg.”
“I know. Most parents are.”
“How are you so sure I’ll be good at this?”
“How quickly were you able to get the hang of being a superhero? Or having friends? Or being with Marinette? Or living away from your father? You adapt quickly and learn faster. You have a good heart. One of the kindest I’ve ever known. You love fully and deeply.”
“But what if that’s the problem? What if something happens to Marinette?” He looked over at his sleeping wife, and the tears spilled over once more. “How do I know I won’t do the same thing my father did? Marinette’s my everything.”
“Is she? I know she was as of two hours ago. But is she still everything? Look at your girl again.”
Adrien glanced down at the tiny person sleeping in his arms, and he instantly knew. “Her too. Both of them. They’re both my whole world.”
“Kwamis don’t have parents, and we’ll never have children. We don’t know that bond, but we still know love. I can sense yours. Would you let anything bad happen to Emma?”
“Never. Not if I have the power to stop it. I’d die before letting her get hurt.”
“Well, let’s not get too dramatic here. She is going to get hurt. That’s just life, but you get my point.” Plagg poked Adrien in the chest by his heart. “That is how I know that you have nothing to worry about. You’ll never become your father because you still have half your world in your arms right now.”
“Do you think my father loved me this much once?”
“I’d like to think so, but considering everything I’ve seen, it’s hard to believe. Which is stupid. Because how could anyone know you and not love you so intensely? You even wore me down.”
Adrien silently chuckled and leaned his head towards Plagg. Taking the cue, Plagg gently head butted Adrien in the side of the forehead.
“Thanks, Plagg. I love you, buddy.”
“Yeah, yeah. I do too.”
“Do what?” Adrien teased.
“Love ya too. Now, can we get some sleep? Or some camembert? Or both? I can’t handle this much sappiness.” Plagg shook the serious tone off of himself before drifting over to join Tikki in Marinette’s purse.
“Yeah, I guess sleep is good.” Adrien gingerly laid Emma back into the bassinet, stroked the soft fuzz of her hair, and gave her one last kiss on the forehead. He then grabbed the blanket the hospital had draped on the push-back recliner for him to sleep in. Tucking himself in, he glanced once more at the two most important ladies in his life. With the smallest of smiles, he dried the tears off his cheeks and let himself drift off.
“I didn’t realize you were so compassionate, Plagg,” Tikki sincerely praised.
“For him? Anything, Sugarcube.”
Tikki groaned at the pet name, and curled back onto her bed. Plagg looked over at the other little bed Marinette had hidden in her purse for him, but decided against it. He drifted back over to Adrien and snuggled under the blanket with him. Out of all the holders, Plagg still firmly believed Adrien was the best one he’s ever had. Fourteen or hundred-fourteen, Plagg decided he would always be there to remind Adrien of that fact.
————————————————————————-
*A/N: Whoo boy. I’ve been in… shall we say… A Mood™ lately. Mostly with me coming to terms that my husband and I might not actually ever become parents. So, naturally, I decide to write about Adrienette becoming new parents. Yes. I did make myself sob as I wrote this. Yes. I did have to stop a few times because I literally couldn’t see my screen anymore. Yes. I am better now. Yay, the cathartic nature of writing.
*ahem*
Anyhoooo… I meant to include something in the story about Adrien learning how to parent from Tom and Sabine, but I just couldn’t find a way of doing so organically. It always felt like shoehorned dialogue, so it had to be cut. Please know that the sentiment is there though, and Marinette will probably reassure Adrien of that once she wakes up.
Did you enjoy this? Check out my other Plagg Appreciation Day stories.
Breaking Monotony
Summary:Plagg’s days are all starting to feel exactly the same. As he goes through yet another school day with Adrien, he wonders if he can do something to start shaking up the status quo. At the same time, though, he reflects on how great it is that his life is fairly predictable.
Forever in Darkness
Summary: Plagg has always been in darkness. It had become all he knew. Then he got a ray of sunshine, and it helped save him. There was a reason he believes Adrien is the best Chat Noir ever.
The Truest of Friends
Summary: It’s the second day of the new school year, which also means it’s been a year since Stoneheart first attacked Paris. Adrien wonders how he could best celebrate the anniversary of becoming Chat Noir, and how to properly showcase how much he cares for someone very special in his life.
I Need Him Back
Summary: **SPOILERS: NY Special**
Marinette has no clue what to do without her Chat Noir. All she wants is for her partner back. Plagg is just as distraught without his holder, but maybe he can find a way to get the ring back to Adrien. The trick is doing so without revealing who Chat Noir was to Marinette.
Alternatively, I JUST started up a series (I still don’t quite understand the collections set-up) on AO3 that will also house all of my Plagg Appreciation Day stories.
The next Friday 13th isn’t until January 2023. Good lord, PLEASE let me back into any semblance of a regular writing routine by then! Anyway, who wants to join me in showing Plagg some love? Did you post any Plagg appreciation today? Please send me a tag! I’d love to see what you did. :D
@discoveringmiraculouswriters
You can all thank (blame?) @mostlovedgirl-writes for this one. I don’t know what it is about this woman’s writing (or the comments section on her stories), but they have been my greatest well of inspiration lately.
So thank you, MLG! This story is dedicated to you. (Also, go read MLG’s latest Finding Yourself in the Details, which inspired this story)
Summary:They say that falling in love is like a clap of thunder: sudden and dramatic and obvious. No one mentions that it can also be like rolling thunder: so slowly continuous it’s hard to remember when it even started.
Rating:Everyone
Word Count: 4737
Status:completed one-shot
**NOTE:This story does not contain any season 5 spoilers. This blog, and this author’s writing, will always be free of any Season 5 bible leaks.**
Continue reading below, or find this story over onAO3,onFFN, or onDA.
Rolling Thunder
“You’re still here?” Marinette toweled off her hair as she walked into her kitchen. It was fortunate that she had the foresight to throw on shorts and a spaghetti top before coming out of the bathroom.
“What? You don’t like eating?” Adrien gestured towards one of the kitchen-island stools before finishing up his plating. “I was so close to getting the timing right this time, too.”
“You were here to help me,” Marinette protested as she draped her towel over the back of the stool and took her seat. “I should be treating you with dinner or something. Not the other way around.”
“Marinette, you know I love you and all, but, while you can bake, cooking is definitely not your forte.”
Marinette blushed slightly. Adrien meant platonic love, but it didn’t prevent those age-old chills from running through her.
“That’s what delivery is for.”
Adrien placed her dinner on the counter in front of her, and his plate next to her, taking a minute to absorb what she said. “I just spent pretty much my entire Saturday combing through your finances – another thing you’re not the best at; hate to say – so I know that you definitely can’t afford to just buy takeaways like that.”
“Still-”
“Nope,” Adrien said as he held up his hand. He then filled their glasses with some celebratory wine (that he must have smuggled in at some point because Marinette certainly didn’t recognize it) and plopped down beside her at the counter. “I’m getting you on the straight-and-narrow, Miss Dupain-Cheng. Starting tomorrow, I’m giving you cooking lessons every Sunday so you can actually make yourself a proper meal. You can thank me with dinner after I’ve shown you how to not burn this kitchen down in the process.”
“You’re just inviting yourself over to my place now? Like making yourself at home, huh?”
“First of all, why are you acting like I don’t do so already? Secondly, are you saying you don’t want me over to give you cooking lessons?”
“When did I say that?” Marinette tried to hide her smile. She failed, causing Adrien to blush slightly this time.
The past year had been so weird for Marinette. She was maddeningly in love with this man a decade ago, to the point where she could barely complete a coherent sentence in front of him. There were a few ‘maybe we can actually be a couple’ moments throughout their teenage years, but nothing truly came of it. A bit heartbroken, the two fell out of touch after graduating from lycée. Adrien had his work cut out for him as he tried to make a name for himself without any of his father’s assistance. Marinette was terribly impressed and proud of him, and would occasionally say so on Adrien’s socials, but the two just couldn’t seem to find a time where they were both free to meet up.
Little did they know that they still spent at least one night a week together as Ladybug and Chat Noir.
It was when Marinette was at her lowest point (at least, in her adult life) that Adrien drifted back to her. She was about to break, and being over-caffeinated probably didn’t help matters. Her hair was in a disheveled messy bun – long strands attempting to escape the elastic – at the nape of her neck because it was too long, she didn’t have time to get it cut, and she couldn’t bother to do anything decent with it anymore. She was researching other career paths; other universities she could maybe transfer to. She had debated being something other than a fashion designer before, maybe she’d be happier if she did walk away. Then a voice Marinette had barely heard in three years – but remembered perfectly – called out to her. Marinette was frantic as she tried to do anything with her hair to look presentable, but Adrien didn’t care. He told her it looked cute and gave her a warm, welcoming hug. He then asked what she was up to. Despite trying to put on a brave face in front of him, Marinette quickly folded when Adrien chanced upon her laptop screen.
Adrien was Adrien, and told Marinette that she clearly knew what was best for her, but he looked like she had just punted his pet across the room. When Marinette probed, Adrien admitted that he thought it was a major loss to the world that she wanted to give up on fashion. He told her how clothes could mean so much to so many: a gift as simple as a scarf could be a heartwarming show of love; a shirt or dress or pair of pants could be the only way someone has to express themselves; a hat could help someone feel confident; fashion could tell the world 'this is who I truly am inside’ in a way no one could fully say with words. He knew that Marinette understood this about fashion, and it would be a shame if the trials of a painful internship managed to silence such a great voice.
Marinette nearly cried as Adrien rekindled her love for fashion (and maybe for him in the process). Giving Adrien a huge hug, she agreed to stick with it. Nervous that he pushed her in a direction she was only sticking to because people expected it of her, Adrien made a point of routinely meeting up with Marinette in that same coffee shop. After a month of twice-weekly coffee meet-ups, Adrien had memorized Marinette’s order, and brought it to her daily the final month of school. She teased him about avoiding going home, unaware that, in part, he was doing precisely that. He tried, but with his busy schedule, he never managed to make friends as good as the ones he had in lycée. With Alya and Nino living in Ibiza to help jump-start Nino’s career, it was hard on Adrien. He was lonely, and it was nice to be able to reconnect with Marinette. She welcomed the company, as well as the free model to test her designs on.
While Marinette’s parents threw her a massive party to celebrate graduating ESMOD, and Alya and Nino came home to spend a solid week celebrating with her as well, Adrien wanted to do something special for her, too. That was the first time Adrien cooked her dinner. It had surprised her, considering he had grown up with a personal chef. Apparently, he put in the effort to learn from those chefs whenever he could find the time to sneak away from his duties. He was big on being self-sufficient, and learning how to feed himself was top priority.
The summer after Marinette graduated, Adrien spent nearly every weekend with her, talking about the boutique she was opening: locations, advertising, setting up vendors, getting deals on the equipment, and, of course, offering to model for her. Those boutique-talk meet-ups usually rolled into dinner and a movie. Sometimes Adrien would take Marinette out. Most of the time, he’d cook for her. Then they’d snuggle together on her couch and bring a movie up on some streaming service (most of which Adrien had subscriptions for and gave Marinette the password).
Leading into the winter season, Marinette was bogged down with work as she rushed to get her first fashion line ready for mass production. She didn’t have time to take the weekends off anymore. Concerned for their daughter, but also incapable of really taking time off from their own seven-day-a-week business, Tom and Sabine routinely sent Adrien over to Marinette’s new loft above her boutique with a box of goodies to make sure she had breakfast. Likewise, Adrien would stay late and sneak into Marinette’s apartment to make her dinner and bring it down to her studio to make sure she ate.
By the time the winter line officially launched, Adrien had spent more nights passed out on the chaise lounge in the corner of Marinette’s studio than in his own bed. Feeling guilty about keeping him so long and so frequently, Marinette began finishing her days with some baking to help decompress and a way to make thank-you treats for Adrien. She’d wake him up with some of her own baked goods before sending him on his way and finally crashing for a few hours before it was time to get back to work.
Then came another celebratory party hosted by her parents for the brand launch. Another week-long hang-out with Alya and Nino. Another quiet, intimate dinner with Adrien so Marinette could slow down and truly appreciate what she had accomplished.
Marinette couldn’t rest, though. She instantly jumped into designing the spring line-up, and the summer one. She researched for fall, and took notes on what did and did not work with her winter line so she was prepared for the next year. Those late-night hang-outs with Adrien were frequently filled with him giving her over-the-shirt massages and pots upon pots of chamomile tea to try to help soothe her. Likewise, when movie nights returned, Marinette didn’t register how her fingers easily found their way into Adrien’s hair to massage his scalp as he sat on the floor in front of her.
Adrien was, of course, welcomed as a family member for Christmas and New Year’s. Likewise, Adrien convinced Marinette to take a day off now and again, especially when he needed a date for various work events or a coworker’s wedding. Marinette had forgotten how good of a dancer Adrien was. Adrien forgot how Marinette could make even the boring feel magical.
One particularly sleepy morning, as Adrien headed out for the day, the two leaned in for their traditional la bise. An exhausted Marinette went to kiss the right cheek first, despite them always starting with the left cheek. In her fumbling, the two ended up pecking on the lips. They laughed it off nervously, but, later that day, Adrien teased that Marinette forgot his lips when she greeted him with another la bise. The next morning, while again exhausted, Marinette teased that it was Adrien that forgot the lips in their la bise. That was all it took for it to be their thing: kiss on the left cheek, kiss on the right, peck on the lips.
Months later, they no longer had the first two components of a la bise. Instead, they simply greeted each other and wished each other farewell with a quick peck on the lips. Likewise, it wasn’t uncommon for Adrien to simply run his hand up and down Marinette’s back to help soothe and center her, or for Marinette to rest her head on Adrien’s shoulder. Movie nights in the early spring, when it was still a touch chilly, was typically spent cuddled together under the same double-size throw blanket. A few months back, Adrien started curling up on the couch with his head on Marinette’s lap so she could go back to playing with his hair.
Over the past year, Marinette and Adrien were seemingly inseparable. If Adrien wasn’t at work, the two were together. The only other reprieves were the moments that Ladybug and Chat Noir were still needed. Even so, Marinette and Adrien were together despite them not realizing it.
Back when Marinette was a teen, she would have self-combusted at the mere thought of Adrien being so intimate with her, let alone the other way around. Likewise, Adrien always felt a bit awkward when Kagami used to be so affectionate with him, but it felt natural to be that way with Marinette.
The past year was an odd one for Marinette, but it was equally odd for Adrien. He had grown up isolated. Even when he finally joined a decent-sized social circle during his teen years, he was kept at arm’s length because of his father. Most nights Adrien secretly prayed for a need of Chat Noir so he could spend time with Ladybug. Plagg was great company, and Adrien would never take his kwami and best friend for granted, but human connection felt different.
He was isolated once again after graduating from lycée, with Plagg and Ladybug being his life preservers; his true tethers to society. Running into Marinette was the cliched breath of fresh air, and her parents welcoming him as one of their own was a joy he forgot he could experience. The playfulness Marinette had grown to have around him reminded him of how he was with Ladybug. It was freeing to just be goofy with her and have her tease him back.
He still hadn’t figured out the proper boundaries between flirting and playfulness, so when he teased Marinette about the peck on the lips, he didn’t expect her to follow through with the request. Likewise, he wasn’t sure what compelled him to respond in kind when it was her turn to tease him. Their greeting and farewell just felt natural now. It was a far cry from the girl who could barely speak without stuttering around him, or the boy who blushed simply because he grabbed the same game controller she did.
“So,” Adrien said with a stretch as Marinette cleaned up their empty dinner plates, “what do we want to watch tonight?”
“Dealer’s choice. Consider it a thank you for today,” Marinette held up the empty plates, “and for dinner.”
“I’m thinking comedy tonight then. I can’t go through another tragedy after seeing your bookkeeping.”
Marinette threw a dry dish rag at Adrien. “Ha. Ha. Go start something up before I throw you out of my loft.”
“You wouldn’t dare.”
“Okay, how about 'before I decide to never make passion fruit macarons for you again’?”
“Oof!” Adrien pretended he was shot in the chest, spinning himself off of the stool. “You wound me, dear maiden!”
“Go!” Marinette laughed as she pointed to the couch in her open-plan apartment.
Adrien melodramatically made his way to the living room, still nursing his fictitious wound before collapsing over the back of the couch.
“You break it, you buy it,” Marinette called over without turning from the sink.
“I’m pretty sure I was the one who bought it in the first place anyway,” Adrien said.
“Hey! You can’t lord that over me! I paid you back for that loan!”
“Yeah, okay.” Adrien brought up one of his streaming subscriptions and scrolled through the options. None of the traditional comedies were really speaking to him, but he kept gravitating to a RomCom. With a shrug, he started it up.
Marinette plopped beside him on the couch with a bowl of chocolate-dipped chouquettes. Her shoulder-length hair was now pulled up into a messy bun on the top of her head, exposing her collarbone and upper back. Almost out of reflex, Adrien dragged the back of his nails across the bare skin, sending chills through Marinette.
“Chouquette?” Marinette offered.
Adrien reached into the bowl with his left hand, his right still tickling Marinette’s neck and shoulders.
“I’m surprised I’m not pushing a hundred kilos, the way you spoil me.” Adrien leaned his head back against the sofa and dropped the chouquette into his mouth. His right hand never stopped moving.
“Oh!” Marinette popped back off the couch with a squeak. “This will be a bit rich. Let me get us some milk too.” She passed the bowl over to Adrien and scurried into her kitchen, releasing a shaking exhale once she was behind him.
“Everything good?”
“Mmhmm!” Glasses of milk in hand, and chills down her back subsided, Marinette returned, offering a glass to Adrien.
His hands now preoccupied with the glass and the treats, the two got back to snuggling and started up the movie.
About halfway through, their treats were gone and the empty dishes were shifted to the floor to get out of the way. Adrien had his feet up on the ottoman, and Marinette was curled up against his side. She fully appreciated the high-quality cotton tee Adrien wore. Not only as a fashion designer and seamstress herself, but also because of how cozy it was to snuggle. Same was surprisingly true for the casual-fit jeans he still wore on his days off. Somehow, Adrien always managed to pick the perfect clothes to practically beg for cuddles. He was like a human teddy bear.
Marinette contently hummed as she wiggled further into Adrien’s side and tugged his arm tighter around her like a blanket. “I don’t think I tell you enough that I love how you smell. I can’t peg the cologne though.”
“I only wear cologne to work.” Adrien stared at the raven hair tucked against his shoulder, his eyes half-lidded.
“Oh?” Marinette squeaked as she attempted to keep her voice even. “You still smell nice. Must be your soap or laundry detergent then.”
“Must be.” Adrien bit his lip. His whole body vibrated at a low enough calibration that Marinette didn’t seem to notice despite Adrien being acutely aware. Resting his head atop hers, he gave it a little nuzzle and subtle inhale. “You smell nice as well, by the way. I’ve always loved your shampoo scent.”
Marinette giggled. “Lavender and mint?”
“Yeah. Sounds like one of Andre’s magical Lover’s Ice Cream combinations.” He took some playful gummy bites of Marinette’s bun. “Om nom nom nom.”
Squealing, Marinette struggled to wiggle her way back out of Adrien’s bear hug. “Adrien! Hey! Stop that! I’ll have to take another shower to get your drool out of my hair!”
“This is clearly a scoop of ice cream right here. Om nom nom.” Adrien continued to monotonously chant as he pretended to eat more of her hair.
“Adrien! Stop it!” Marinette laughed as she finally managed to shove him off of her. “Great. How terrible does my hair look now?” She patted the top of her head and discovered lumps of hair tugged out of the scrunchy. Shaking her head at Adrien, she quickly took her hair down, combed her fingers through it, and then effortlessly threw it back up into the messy bun. “There. Better?”
“Gorgeous,” Adrien said earnestly.
Marinette blushed. “Come on now. I’m sure it’s not-”
“Marinette?”
“Hmm?”
Adrien stared at her for far too long, his mouth slowly slipping open in awe.
“You want something, Adrien?”
“No. Nothing. I mean, I just-” He settled back into the couch with his arm up for her to snuggle under. “I promise I won’t eat your hair anymore.”
“You better not!” Marinette giggled as she booped Adrien on the nose. Satisfied with herself, she worked her way back against his side and found her favorite spot to rest her head on his shoulder. Lazily reaching up for his wrist, she pulled his arm back down and around her so they could finish the movie.
“Marinette?”
“Hmm?”
“Can I-? Would you mind if-? I was hoping-?”
Marinette unfolded herself from against Adrien and scrunched her eyebrows at him.
“Adrien, are you okay? It’s not like you to, ya know, stammer. That’s-” she giggled, “that’s kinda my thing.”
They both laughed, the tension already easing again.
“You’re wonderful. You know that, right?” Adrien greeted Marinette with one of his soft smiles that always melted her.
“Yeah? I mean, of course I am,” she said as she tucked a non-existent loose strand of hair behind her ear.
“Marinette?”
“Hmm?”
“May I kiss you?”
Marinette’s eyes widened and her mouth went slack.
“I mean, I know we already kiss, but that’s not what I mean. I mean, can I-”
Marinette grabbed the sides of his face and held him still as she crashed into him. A couple of seconds later, Adrien’s arms snaked around her, truly feeling her as his right hand made its way to her hairline. Cradling her head, Adrien re-angled it to better taste her mouth. Their lips flowed in a dance they never officially had before, but they fell in sync instantly. Marinette let her hands slide from the sides of his face and into his hair, getting tangled in it as she held him against her.
It was too brief, but they still broke away with a gasp.
“I was going to kiss you,” Adrien playfully whined.
“Too bad,” Marinette panted. “I’ve wanted to do that since we were thirteen, so I get to go first.”
Adrien huffed out a sigh as he pulled away from her slightly. “Th-thirteen? The- the whole time we’ve known each other?”
Marinette’s face burned, and she clapped her hands against her mouth. Her eyes widened in horror as she shook her head in disbelief.
“Adrien, wait. No. I can explain.” She started flailing her hands out in front of her as if their frantic movements could be a shield against his judgment.
Adrien stared out in the middle distance, his eyes rapidly scanning the air, and a wistful smile slowly growing.
“Adrien, seriously, it’s not that big of a deal. We don’t have to be weird or anything. I’m sorry I said anything. I just-”
Adrien caught her hands and pressed them against his chest. “So, Buttercup was me? This whole time?”
Marinette slumped as she nodded. A second later, she bolted upright, “Wait! How do you know that code name?”
It was Adrien’s turn to jump. Fussing with his hair, he looked past Marinette’s shoulder and to the empty corner. “I, uh, must have heard Alya? She must have used it?”
“Used it when?” Marinette was practically crawling onto Adrien, her face up in his. He nervously arched his neck to pull his own face away from her best he could. “How long ago? Did you know I had a thing for 'Buttercup’ for years? Was this recent? Is she still using that stupid code name? Who was she talking to? Was it Nino? I knew she told him!”
“Wait.Nino knew that you had a thing for me? Since when?”
“That’s what I’m trying to find out!” Marinette flung her hands up as she scooted back off of Adrien’s lap. “I promise you, it’s not as bad as it all sounded, I swear.”
“Bad? No!” Adrien again snatched Marinette’s left hand out of the air and gently stroked it with his thumb. “No, it was all really sweet. A little over-the-top at first, but you seemed to have really seen 'Buttercup’ for who he was. And still loved him. I was,” Adrien shrugged, “I dunno, I was a little envious?”
“Envious?”
“Yeah. This amazing girl with this even more amazing heart just loved this guy so fully, and I guess I just wished that was me. That someone as awesome as Marinette Dupain-Cheng could love me that deeply. To find out it was me?” He started laughing. “It seems so obvious now! Who else would you have thought was conceded and a jerk when you first met him, only to fall for him once you gave him a chance to get to know him? I mean, that’s essentially the day we met, right? Oh my god! That was essentially the day we met! The- the stammering after I gave you my umbrella? Since then? You’ve loved me since then?”
“Wait! Rewind! How do you know all that? About me thinking 'Buttercup’ was conceded at first and us getting off on the wrong foot? There’s no way Alya would ever say anything like that!”
“Uh, what? I dunno. It was years ago. Maybe I just-”
Marinette was staring at the silver ring on Adrien’s right hand. The hand holding hers. Adrien quickly dropped her hand and scooted back from her. He tucked his right hand under his knee, but Marinette still stared as if she could see through his leg.
“Marinette?”
“Shortly after you and Kagami had broken up, she had told me that I needed to practice my love confession to you so that I could be brave enough to actually follow through with it.”
“Wait,Kagamiknew you were in love with me? And she was rooting for us to get together?”
“She had suggested that I try out the confession on someone I definitely would never fall in love with and who definitely would never fall in love with me.”
“Wait.”
“I was stumped at first, but then I saw Chat Noir running around on the rooftops across the way from my house.”
“Marinette, I can explain.”
“Chat Noir was in love with Ladybug, and I was already in love with you. So I figured this was exactly what Kagami suggested.”
“Marinette, please stop.”
“I had Chat Noir pose as you, but I couldn’t let Chat Noir know I was in love with Adrien Agreste! He didn’t know me. He’d think it was some stupid celebrity crush. So I used the code name 'Buttercup’ as I gave an honest love confession.”
“Marinette!” He grabbed her shoulders to try to ground her; shake her out of that memory. She continued to stare at his right hand.
“That was the only time that I admitted that I almost hated 'Buttercup’ when we first met, but fell for him the moment he allowed himself to be vulnerable in front of me.” Marinette’s eyes slowly followed Adrien’s quaking arm, finally meeting his eyes.
“Marinette, please.” Adrien was shaking; violently so. “I’m sorry. I never meant to deceive you. I can explain, I swear.”
“Kitty?” Marinette caressed his cheek; eyes filled with tears. “How did I not know it was you this whole time?”
“Wh-what did you call me?”
Marinette leaned into Adrien’s right ear and whispered, “You know, I always secretly loved that you called me m'lady,” before kissing his cheek. Pulling away, she stroked his chin with her thumb, and gently re-closed his mouth. “I’m sorry, too. I never meant to hurt you so much. I never meant to deceive you either.” Angling her head up so her voice would echo, Marinette called out, “Plagg, you can come out now!”
“About time!” Plagg phased out of Adrien’s messenger bag hanging on Marinette’s kitchen island bar stool. “You two are exhausting! You do realize that, right?”
Adrien’s eyes scanned every inch of Marinette’s face, making her nervously giggle.
“I found you?”
“Mmhmm.”
“It’s really you?”
“Mmhmm.” Marinette tucked a hand behind her ear to better show off the earrings she had always worn the entire time they had known each other.
“How did I not realize it was you?” Adrien excitedly shouted.
“That’s what I just said about you!”
“Okay, but I get to kiss you first this time. Those are your rules, right?”
Marinette giggled in agreement as Adrien’s arms again snaked around her and pulled her in for another deep kiss.
Tikki popped out of her hiding spot in the loft’s exposed rafters. “Come on, Plagg, let’s give these two lovebirds the room.”
“Gladly!”
The two kwamis phased through Marinette’s bedroom door. The two humans on the couch didn’t seem to notice. They were too busy exploring each other.
“I-” Marinette gasped, “I guess I didn’t really know you as well as I thought if I thought you and Chat Noir were two different people.”
“Well,” Adrien panted alongside Marinette, “now that you know?”
“I love you all the more, you goof.”
Marinette burst into more squeals and giggles as Adrien began nibbling on her neck and shoulder, exploring her with kisses. In kind, she traced every inch of him with her fingers.
They were perfectly platonic friends less than an hour ago, and now they were exploring each other like long-time lovers. There was nothing awkward about the new level of intimacy, because it also didn’t quite feel new to them. They fumbled a bit at first, but quickly fell into an unspoken rhythm; perfectly in sync. Just as they were that first day they became superheroes. Just like that first moment under the umbrella. Just like when they first became friends. Just like when they first fell in love.
[END]
**A/N:This went in a completely different direction than I originally intended (please see my comment on MLG’s story to know how this story SHOULD have ended). I just can’t keep these two apart though. They’re so stupidly in love. So, I may try tackling this story again in the future. Really fill out that “in the past year” overview bits instead of handwaving over it, and giving this story the ending I had originally intended. We’ll see if I can keep this writing momentum going long enough for that (especially when I have about a dozen other WIPs that need to be finished).
**Please let me know if you want me to tag you on any of my writing updates**
