DISCLAIMER: MIRACULOUS LADYBUG AND ALL OF ITS CHARACTERS BELONG TO ZAGTOON AND THOMAS ASTRUC AND NOT ME. THE PLOT EXCEPT FOR CERTAIN ASPECTS AND CHARACTERS CREATED BY ME BELONG TO ME.
Okay! So to everyone that read my update on my Trials by Nature fanfiction, I previously stated that I was gonna be writing a new Miraculous Ladybug fanfiction (or two) as well as working on Trials by Nature in the background by getting all of my plot bunnies in a row before I start writing and screw up because of tiny details. This concept has been on my mind for quite a while, and I realized that quite a few of this type of AU has been popping up in MLB fanfiction lately. I'm a big fan of this genre and I hope that my spin on it is something that you as my readers will enjoy. Be warned, there are certain aspects included in this story that are from certain TV shows and/or movies. While this usually makes me cringe because of various cliches, there are some that are based off of legends and new ones that I find fascinating and would love to mingle together.
Without further ado, welcome to my newest story:
Tears of Undine
Summary: After a tragic loss, Marinette Dupain-Cheng is having trouble coping after she is forced to move from the busy streets of Paris, to Bora Bora, an island resort. An unfortunate slip and fall into a cave unlocks more than she ever thought possible about her new home, her family, and the sea that binds it all together.
...
The sound of the pilot's voice announcing the plane's landing jolted Marinette awake from her fitful sleep. Instead of waking up to the familiar pink ceiling of the bedroom she grew up in, and the smells from her father's bakery a few floors down, she awoke to cramped seating and the stench of a diaper that sorely needed changing from the child seated behind her. She sighed, her body sinking even deeper into the uncomfortable seat she was allotted for the duration of her trip. Her head turned toward the small window on her right, but she could see nothing but the early morning darkness of the sky and water.
Seeing the light to buckle her seatbelt, she complied, nearly toppling over the tray from her neighbor's meal. She ignored the stink eye she got from the irate man, but mumbled an apology. Evidently, the flight attendants had gotten a bit lazy. While brushing any debris from her clothes, she admired the bracelet on her wrist. It was the first professional piece of jewelry she'd ever made, even capturing the attention of Jagged Stone, who commissioned her for a unique piece for his upcoming music video. She was paid handsomely for the commission, and was later commissioned again for designing the cover for his latest album, making her somewhat of a local celebrity in Paris.
Her father had been thrilled, going so far as to close the bakery early and treat her to her favorite restaurant. He'd supported her love of designing from the very beginning, even using the logo she'd designed for their new bakery window when it was broken during a storm. His fervor for baked goods and family was well known and appreciated in Paris. He was popular, he was kind, the size of his heart outmatched the intimidation of the size of his frame. He was funny, he was her hero, he was the father that any little girl would dream of having.
And now...
He was gone.
Aware that her eyes were watering, she quickly wiped away her tears. Thankfully, if the slight turbulence was any clue, she'd be at her new destination soon enough. Once the plane landed, she slipped her feet into a pair of sandals and grabbed her carry-on bag. She began making her way to the ailse when she heard something fall. Looking behind her, she saw that her locket had fallen and openend. Inside, a picture of her father, herself as an infant, and her mother stared back at her. She'd never known her mother, her having passed away just a few months after she was born. Her father didn't have pictures of her save the one in the locket, claiming that he always saw her in Marinette. Though, she could never miss the flash of pain in the usually jolly man's eyes, and knew that in reality it was probably too painful for him to have reminders of what they both lost.
The sound of someone dropping their bag nearby shook her from her thoughts, and she quickly picked it up and put it back around her neck, reasoning that it'd probably loosened in her sleep. After a moment of making sure nothing else was accidentally left behind, she made her way out of the plane. When she arrived the sun was just beginning to rise, the dark sky gradually lightening with hues of lavender, orange and yellow. Her fingers itched for her sketchbook to start sketching a new design, and she nearly gave into the urge when she heard impatient passengers behind her trying to get around her to exit the gate, carrying the last of her luggage from below. She quickly moved, heading towards the area where she could pick up the rest of her luggage. When she got her suitcase, she quickly headed to the exit where she would be picked up and taken to her aunt's house. As she walked, she thought about the last conversation she had with her uncle, who'd taken her on a boat ride the day before her flight.
"Good morning, ma puce."
He opens his arms for a hug, and Marinette steps into it with a small laugh. "I'm too big to be a flea now M. Durand."
"Ah ah, none of that formal talk. We're practically family," he said. She couldn't deny it, Charles Durand had been around since she was in diapers, and one of her father's oldest and trusted friends. He'd been more than gracious to her, giving her a home when her own had become a crime scene.
He sighed, and patted her head. "I just wish that the courts would see it that way, instead of making you come all the way out there to people you don't know...They could have at least let you stay so you could start your terminale year in your old school back home. To uproot your entire life to somewhere far away after that salaud-"
He stopped himself, stepping away from her and running a hand through what remained of his greying red hair, the stress no doubt taking its toll. He let out a deep sigh and crossed his arms, toned from years of hard work as a fisherman. "I just don't see how they could make you move away when you have family right here, willing to take you in. To be forced to move after everything that's happened is like a slap in the face. For God's sake, your father had it in his will! But..."
He sighed again, as he looked towards the horizon. "I guess blood always trumps anyone else's good intentions in family court, no matter how much you try..."
Marientte's heart broke as she watched the man who helped raise her, pretend like he wasn't wiping away tears; Tears that weren't just for losing his best friend, but for also losing the girl he considered one of his own children. He turned to her then, a broken smile on his face.
"You know if you want to come home, all you gotta do is say the word and I'll be here to pick you up. Damn the courts, what matters is that you're happy. I'll be filleted and served with lemon and butter before I leave you somewhere you ain't happy to be. But for your sake, I'm willing to let this go and give you a chance at a clean slate. And hey, its an island! At least you get to swim as much as you want. Fun in the sun sounds nice, hell I might even visit and get myself a tan!"
She giggled, appreciating his efforts to cheer her up. Despite not wanting to leave Paris, there were some upsides. She wouldn't have to see those pitying looks from people anymore. Her tragedy became local news. Unsurprising when her father was so well known and loved in Paris. The man who took her father's life was not one of his fans. In fact, he used to work for her father, but the normally jolly man was forced to dismiss the employee for shirking his duties. It was a good thing too, the man had always creeped her out and he leered at her every chance he got, even hitting on her a few times. He'd been given a lot of chances to improve before he was terminated, but he never took them seriously and continued to be a thorn in her father's business. He begged for his job back but her normally forgiving father refused, stating that his business thrived on trust and that he'd violated that trust.
A few days after that, he'd broken into their home and shot her father dead.
Luckily for her, she'd spent the night sleeping over a friend's house. When the police talked to her, they'd found evidence that he'd broken into her room and gone through her things. She didn't even want to think about what would've happened if she'd actually been there...
The sound of her name shook her from her thoughts, as an arm wrapped around her shoulders.
"Hey Mari you alright?"
Looking up, she met the brown eyes of Louis, Charles' eldest son. Looking for the captain, she spotted him at the wheel, realizing he'd taken over for his son. She smiled and nodded. "Yeah, I'm okay Lou."
The elder boy sighed in relief and brushed the shaggy red hair from his forehead. "Good, I thought yer brain jumped ship instead of you. Had to make sure." He said, his grin covering up any concern he might have had.
She huffed and elbowed him in the side, finding satisfaction when he recoiled and grabbed his side. He gave her a dirty look, though it lacked any anger whatsoever. "I see you still have blades for elbows."
"And you still have caterpillars for eyebrows."
"Hey, ladies love the eyebrows. They can't keep their hands off me."
"Probably because they're having trouble pushing you away."
His jaw dropped before he promptly doubled over in laughter, and she couldn't help but laugh along with him. She would miss this, the playful jabs and sibling rivalry, the feeling of family. She could only hope that where she was going, she could develop the same relationship.
Louis recovered from his laughter and sighed, ruffling her hair. "I'm gonna miss ya girlie. You and yer sharp elbows."
She giggled, but she quieted once she saw the serious look on his face. "Lou?"
"I'm sure Pops already said it, but if you wanna come home..."
"Yeah, I know." Marinette smiled, "I'm gonna miss you guys."
"There's always phones and letters, and you can always come visit. Hell we'll come visit you. Looks like a nice place to do business that's for sure. And while we're there, you can sing the fish to our nets."
"Lou, I'm not that good." She says, a bit self consciously.
"Oh please, yer great girlie. Besides, yer dad's customers always thought so. If uncle Tom didn't make such good food, I'd say they came to see you."
She snorted, rolling her eyes and nudging him with her hip. "Yeah right. Besides, right now what I need to be focusing on is school. Its gonna suck having to be the new kid. I grew up with my old classmates."
"Oh, speaking of which." Louis ran to where Marinette's luggage was placed and removed a package that she hadn't previously noticed. When he came back he put it in her arms. "Going away present."
"Lou..." She said, trying desperately to keep the tears from spilling over. It was enough that they'd given her a home and a ride, but a gift was just too much.
"Nope. Its yours, I've washed my hands of it. I can't do anything with it but I know you'll make good use out of it. But don't open it until you get to yer new place. I'll know if you do."
"Are yer eyebrows psychic? Cuz that's the only way I'd believe that."
It wasn't Marinette who'd spoken, but Charles from the wheel, who laughed as his son's face turned red with anger. "You take that back old man! My eyebrows are perfectly fine!"
"Eyebrows like that ain't natural Lou."
"Neither is premature balding but we don't rag on you fer that!"
"Why you little-!"
Their argument was cut off by Marinette's laughter, and all anger was forgotten as they took in the sight of the girl they both loved like family get a momentary relief from her grief. And it made everything worth it.
...
After a tearful goodbye, and plenty of promises to write and keep touch, Marinette watched as the only family she knew waved to her as she boarded the plane to her new home. Checking her watch, she frowned a bit. It was passed the time for someone to pick her up and take her to her aunt's house, Bridgette Cheng.
Marinette couldn't help but be a bit bitter after hearing that she had an aunt in the south of France. Supposedly, Bridgette was her mother's younger sister, and when the matter of custody came up in family court she had put her bid in to take over Marinette's care. Charles had been blindsided, and viciously fought with Bridgette's lawyer, (as for some reason Bridgette couldn't make the trip to Paris herself) over her custody. Charles brought her father's will, which coincided with his wishes that Marinette be taken into Charles' care if something were to happen to him.
Unfortunately, Bridgette's lawyer also had a will from Marinette's mother, Sabine Cheng, that stated that she wished Marinette be raised in Porquerolles. It was revealed that there had been an ongoing court case concerning Marinette's custody since she was 3 years old. She couldn't believe that her father had never told her she had an aunt, nor that he'd been fighting with her to keep Marinette with him. Evidently, Bridgette had been thwarted by the courts since she was her aunt and not one of her parents.
That changed when her father died. Once the issue of her custody came up again, she jumped at the chance to bring Marinette to Porquerolles, with much better results than her previous attempts. Her mother's will had been filed long before her father's had, making his wish for Charles to take care of her null and void. Fortunately for Marinette, that didn't apply to her inheritance, which included all of her father's assets, his recipes, and a sum of 70,000 euros. None of which could be touched until she turned 18.
Her father was always looking out for her, even when he was no longer able to. And as soon as she graduated, she was moving back home. Even if she had to rent out the bakery below, she would fight to keep it.
She sighed, and looked up when a black Ford truck pulled up in front of the exit, the exhaust pipe spewing a bit of foul smoke, and making some people back away from the stench. She really hoped that wasn't her ride, but her hopes where dashed when she a poorly made sign with her name on it in the windshield of the truck. The driver stepped out, revealing a blonde young man in a black tank top with a white over shirt. At least that's what she saw of him anyway, as he had yet to come around the side of the truck. He seemed to be looking for something under his seat. Figuring she should give him a hand, as he was doing her a favor, she went over to the truck.
"Um, excuse me?"
The blonde, startled by her voice shot up in surprise, hitting his head on the steering wheel and letting out a muffled curse.
"Oh! Oh I'm sorry! I didn't mean to scare you!" She said, wincing at the sound of his head colliding with the steering wheel.
"Its okay," he said, his voice rough from pain. He carefully backed up to avoid hitting his head again, but had to dodge an oncoming car from the opposite side of the road since he'd stepped out too far. His hasty movement tangled his legs together and he ended up falling on his back.
Marinette could only watch and cringe. The man was like a car accident. It was terrible, but she just couldn't look away. "Um, are you-"
"I'm okay!" He said, standing with his back toward her. He brushed himself off. "I'm okay, this happens all the time. Just a bit of bad luck."
"Oh, yeah I get that." She said. Quite a bit of bad luck it seemed. She didn't even have the heart to tell him that his clean white shirt had a big oil stain on the back of it, no doubt from his fall.
"So!" He said, and then turned around as he continued to talk. "You must be Marinette, right?"
Marinette admitted to herself that she hadn't heard anything else he said after 'So!'. The man was gorgeous. His crown of blonde hair gleamed like spun gold in the mid morning sun. His green eyes were bright and beautiful. His jaw was sculpted by the gods, of that she was absolutely certain. His smile practically blinded her with its brilliance. He was tall, much taller than her, and from what she could see, a body not unlike that of a carved Grecian statue; absolutely flawless. Simply put, everything about him was perfect.
Something moved in front of her face and she realized that it was his hand. "Uh, you okay? You kinda spaced out on me."
She blinked, and felt her face turn hot. No doubt that it was bright red in embarrassment. "U-Um, yeah I'm o-okay! S-So, you're here to t-take me to my a-aunt's house?"
He looked content at her answer, but if he noticed anything wrong because of her sudden stutter he kept it to himself. "Yeah, sorry I was late. I had to make a delivery first. I'm Adrien Agreste." He said, offering his hand for her to shake.
She smiled and shook his hand, her cheeks still a bit warm. "Marinette Dupain-Cheng. Its nice to m-meet you Adrien."
He smiled, and she wasn't sure if the sun had suddenly gotten brighter or if he had suddenly become the sun.
She really regrets not having freshened up in the bathroom before meeting him. At the very least, brushed her teeth and put on some makeup.
"Likewise, I'm just sorry its not on better terms. I'm sorry for your loss."
She nodded and he turned toward her luggage. "Is that everything?"
"Yeah, I'll hel-"
"Nope, I'll do it. You've had quite a journey. It wouldn't be right to let you do any of the heavy lifting." He smiled again, and made his way to her bags like he hadn't just made her heart melt right out of her chest.
He quickly loaded her luggage into the bed of the truck, which she wasn't paying attention to because she absolutely refused to be so thirsty that she'd take joy in watching his muscles flex or blush when he grunted in exertion. She had standards.
"Are you sure I can't help?"
"Absolutely." he said, his voice husky from his heavy lifting. "I wouldn't be a gentleman if I did. Besides, I'm already done." He went to the passenger's side and opened the door for her, a smile on his face. "Ladies first."
Aquafina.
Aqaufina brand water was her standards because shit.
In her (lack of) experience, nobody who was that beautiful was a gentleman at the same time. It was either they were gorgeous and snobby, or they were only polite until they scored, leaving broken hearts everywhere they went. Even women did it, but as Adrien helped her into the truck, she got the feeling that he wasn't the type to use others for his own gain.
"All set?" He asked, the brightness of his smile not dampened by the shadow of the truck as he leaned in to check her over for any discomfort.
"Y-Yeah. Thanks Adrien."
He smiled even wider, and Marinette prayed that he couldn't hear her heartbeat increase, or feel the heat from her cheeks. But as he leaned in closer, she caught a whiff of something foul, and it must've showed on her face because he immediately backed up and rubbed the back of his neck in what she knew was embarrassment, if his red cheeks were any indication.
"Sorry about the smell, that delivery I mentioned was about fifty pounds of Camembert cheese. Warm Camembert cheese thanks to the sun."
She immediately felt bad, and scrambled to make him feel better. "No no it's okay! I understand, you were just doing your job. You shouldn't feel bad. I haven't brushed my teeth since I got on the plane!"
She froze then, her mind finally catching up to her mouth as she realized exactly what she just said.
Well, shit.
Not only did she say he stunk, but she just admitted that she had atrocious morning breath.
If her intention had been to not only offend the Adonis like boy about his smell, but to embarrass herself and destroy whatever chance she ever had to socially and possibly romantically interact with him in the future, she just friggin' NAILED IT.
She heard him laugh, and immediately covered her bright red face in shame, until she felt his very large, very nice hands settle gently on her shoulders.
"Hey hey, don't be like that. I wasn't laughing at you, just the situation. By the way, even if your breath smelled as bad as you say, which it doesn't by the way," He paused to wink at her. "I wouldn't have noticed either way. I've been delivering Camembert in this truck for so long that it overrides any other scent within twenty feet of it. And like you said, I shouldn't feel bad, and neither should you. So," He said, offering his fist for a fistbump. "We shouldn't let small things like smell bring our mood down. From now on, if one of us feels bad, we should try our best to make the other smile. Deal?"
She stared at his crooked grin, and then the fist he held out to her and smiled back, gently bumping his fist with hers. "Deal."
"Bien joue." He said, winking at her as he gently closed her door and made his way to the driver's side of the truck, where Marinette promptly remembered the giant oil stain on the back of his shirt. "Wait-!"
The sound of the squish from the oil coming into contact with the old leather seat, was unpleasant, and Adrien hung his head in exasperation as he realized exactly what happened. Remembering his early words, Marinette sheepishly held out her fist. "Bien joue?"
He lifted his head, and laughed, the sound warming her entire being as he straightened in his seat and bumped his fist with hers. "Bien joue."
...
The ride to her aunt Bridgette's home comforting to say the least. At first, the silence between them was awkward, but the more time they spent together, the more confident she became as she began to ask questions about her new home. He spoke about the town and its people, described any landmarks they passed, and even the high school. She noticed his excitement about the school and when she asked, he shared that this was his second year attending. Apparently, he'd been homeschooled most of his life and had finally convinced his overprotective father the year before to allow him attend school.
He got silent after that, a somberness she had become well acquainted with since the loss of her father had taken over his face. However, he quickly returned to his happy demeanor and reminded herself not to ask much about his home life unless he was willing to share.
As they got closer to their destination, she noticed that they were somewhat secluded from most of the population. They weren't too far from the village they'd passed through on their way, which Marinette considered a good thing. She wasn't really extroverted but even she got the need to get out of the house once in a while. Considering the distance, she'd probably have to get up early for school in order to make it on time if she had to walk.
Adrien pulled off of the dirt road they were on and up to a decent sized house near a secluded beach. Waiting in front of the house was a woman, who she assumed was her aunt Bridgette since she looked remarkably similar to the picture of her, and a severe looking blonde man with green eyes. Upon seeing them pull up, Bridgette began wiggling in excitement while simultaneously shaking the exasperated looking man next to her.
She felt a hand on her shoulder and turned in surprise. Adrien immediately withdrew his hand, a sheepish looking on his face. "Sorry about that, didn't mean to spook you."
Marinette sighed, and gave a small smile. "No, its okay. I guess I'm just nervous. I've never known that I even had an aunt before all of this. I don't want to make a bad impression..."
He chuckled, nodding his head towards the excited woman. "I know Bridgette Cheng, I highly doubt that's even possible. She's really excited to meet you, and from what I've heard, she's wanted this for a long time. Its unfortunate that your first meeting came out of a tragedy, but at least you've got family that wants you and loves you despite not knowing you."
She nodded, and despite her apprehension and bitterness, she decided that she shouldn't start off her clean slate with bad feelings. Taking a deep breath and letting it out, she smiled. "Okay. Will you introduce me at least?"
"Of course." He offered his fist, and she eagerly fist bumped him.
Taking another deep breath, Marinette finally exited the truck and smoothed down her dress. It was bad enough that she hadn't been able freshen up, she refused to look even more un-presentable in front of her aunt and the man she was with. She stepped forward and the closer she got, the more excited her aunt became, enough to finally snap as he quickly and brutally whacked her on the head. "Stop being an idiot!"
Marinette felt her hackles rise in anger. She didn't know the man but he'd just assualted her aunt, and despite not knowing her either she wasn't gonna stand for that. She was about to speak when her aunt's hand suddenly shot up, returning an even harsher blow to the back of the man's head. "Dammit Felix! That hurt!"
"Ow! Dammit you idiot! If you'd stop shaking me like a moron I wouldn't have resorted to violence! I can see that she's here I have eyes dammit!"
Bridgette pouted, until she got a look at her niece's face and immediately felt regret. "Oh! Oh don't be alarmed! This is how we always act!"
Marinette's face relaxed, and she sighed somewhat in exasperation and in relief before offering her hand. "Hi, I'm Marinette-"
She was interrupted when instead of a handshake, she was instead engulfed into a warm hug, her aunt's arms trembling as she felt the beginning of sobs starting. "Sweetie, I know exactly who you are," she said, her voice watery from unfallen tears. "And I've missed you so much...Welcome home Marinette."
Unknowingly, Marinette had began to cry, the silent tears rolling down her face. And as she embraced Bridgette back, trembling even harder from the stress of it all, she couldn't help but feel that this island could be home just as much as Paris had been.
...
All aboard the angst train! WOO! WOO!
Don't forget to tell me what you guys think by commenting!
See you guys on the next chapter!