This isn't really a romance story, but a cute idea I had earlier today. Marinette has had some close calls between being Ladybug and her normal life. This one is probably the closest yet. Please enjoy!
Marinette gingerly folded her newest creation and placed it carefully in a rectangular cardboard box. It was a Ladybug themed hoodie that she had spent many long hours working on. She had to sew each little spot on one by one. There were small details like the sweatshirt's strings that had taken lots of practice attempts to master. It had been a challenge to say the least, but Marinette was willing to do anything for her best friend. The hoodie was a present for Alya's birthday. What better gift to get Paris's biggest Ladybug enthusiast than a Ladybug themed gift?
Marinette smiled as she wrapped the box with red and black spotted wrapping paper. She tried to fold the corners neatly and taped the sides shut. Then, she wrapped black ribbon around the box and Tikki offered her tiny finger to help Marinette tie the bow. Once that was finished, Marinette grabbed a red marker and the handmade card she had prepared yesterday.
I hope your birthday is absolutely miraculous!
Love Marinette
Marinette closed the card and placed it in an envelope. Tikki volunteered to lick it shut and after the letter was sealed, Marinette tucked it underneath the bow.
"All done!" Marinette smiled, looking at Tikki with a satisfied grin.
"Alya will love it!" Tikki exclaimed, flying in a loop through the air. She was just as excited as Marinette to see Alya's reaction to the gift. It would put her over the moon. Marinette wondered if once Alya put it on, would she ever take it off again?
Marinette glanced at her phone clock and said, "Alya's party starts in half an hour. I'd better get ready and clean up especially since Adrien is going to be there."
"Marinette..." Tikki said, dragging out the syllables in her name. Marinette rolled her eyes and laughed. "I'm kidding, Tikki," Marinette replied. "Today is Alya's special day. Adrien can wait until tomorrow. By the way, do you think this shirt looks too formal?"
Marinette held up a white blouse on a hanger. Tikki studied it for a minute and shook her head. "This is Alya's party," Tikki advised. "I think what you normally wear is best."
"I think you're right," Marinette happily agreed. She grabbed her signature outfit, which she had proudly designed all by herself. "Sometimes simple is best!"
After Marinette had changed and washed her face, she grabbed the present and her handbag, prepared to leave. Tikki flew into the purse with a couple cookies that Marinette had put in there as a thank you for helping out with Alya's present. Marinette ran downstairs where her parents were working in the bakery.
"Mama, Papa, I'm leaving now. I'll be back soon," Marinette said, heading towards the door.
"Tell Alya we said happy birthday," her mother smiled.
"And tell her she's always welcome to stop by for a free treat if she wants one," her father added. Marinette nodded, promising to let Alya know. Her parents absolutely adored Alya probably because she always complimented their pastries. Alya might have been the bakery's biggest fan.
Marinette walked to Alya's house with a skip in her step. She was excited to celebrate Alya's birthday. It was her first birthday they would share together as best friends. Not to mention, the entire class would be there. Well, Chloe wouldn't be there of course. She hadn't been invited in the first place. When Chloe heard about Alya's party, she insisted that she had better and more important things to do anyways.
Marinette arrived at Alya's door and knocked. The door swung open to reveal an excited Alya. "You're here!" Alya shouted, immediately giving Marinette a big hug. She almost knocked the poor girl over in the process. "Come on in!" Alya gestured as she took the present from Marinette's hand.
Alya lead Marinette through her home and into the dining room where there was a table of presents. One was wrapped neatly with very official looking wrapping. That was probably Adrien's present. Another one was hastily wrapped with the corners of whatever was inside sticking out. That was probably Nino's.
Alya set the present on the table and grabbed Marinette's hand. "Everyone is outside," she explained. ""My mom made us some sick snacks too. You should try one!" Alya winked and Marinette became very excited. Mrs. Cesaire's cooking was incredible. It was no wonder she was the head chef at Le Grand Paris.
Marinette and Alya went out to the backyard where music was playing and people were dancing. Marinette spotted all her friends having a good time. Some were casually chatting while others, like Nino, were trying to "bust a move". Marinette's eyes traveled to Adrien who was watching his best friend attempt to dance. The blonde boy was laughing so hard his sides might burst. Perhaps Nino should stick to DJ-ing and not dancing.
"Let's go dance too!" Alya smiled, dragging Marinette over to the boys. "Hi," Adrien waved as they came over. Marinette waved back in a triumphant moment of success.
"Alya, this party is rad!" Nino exclaimed. Alya laughed and said, "I know. It's pretty buggin', isn't it?"
"Buggin'?" Marinette snorted. "Did you come up with that all on your own?"
"Nope," Alya grinned as she crossed her arms. "Adrien did." Marinette raised an eyebrow as she looked over at Adrien. He sheepishly shrugged and a faint blush appeared on his cheeks. Luckily, nobody else noticed.
"What are we standing around here for?" Marinette giggled. "Let's start dancing!"
The group danced for a while, moving in and out of idle conversation. They wandered over to the snack table and nibbled on the food which blew Adrien and Nino out the water. They claimed that they didn't know food could taste this good. It seemed the saying that the "closest way to man's heart is through his stomach" was definitely true.
Marinette talked with some of her other classmates who were just as excited to celebrate Alya's birthday. Rose was overly enthusiastic about the present she had bought which she said was "the cutest thing in existence." Nathanael mentioned that he had drawn Alya some Ladybug fanart. Kim and Alix were having a dance-off and Max was the judge. Sabrina was dancing with Mylene on the dance floor. Everyone was having a great time and the party had only just gotten started.
While dancing semi-close to Adrien, Marinette felt her phone buzz in her pocket. She pulled it out and saw a news alert for what seemed like an akuma attack. Marinette didn't seem to notice Adrien doing the same thing. She unlocked her phone and quickly scanned through the update. Apparently, something was going on in downtown Paris which meant that Ladybug was required on the scene ASAP. The problem was Marinette needed to be at Alya's birthday party.
"I'll just slip away really quick and be back before anyone notices I'm gone," Marinette thought as she quietly headed towards the backyard fence to make her escape. Alya noticed Marinette beginning to leave and ran up to her.
"And where do you think you're going?" Alya frowned. Marinette rubbed the back of her neck and stammered, "W-well you see... the thing is that... I have something I need to do real quick. I'll be back in a split second. You won't even notice I'm gone. Promise!"
Alya pouted and said, "You're always doing this. I can let it slide during school, but it's my birthday, girl! Can't you spare some time for me or is what you need to do more important?" Alya had a hurt expression and she couldn't maintain eye contact with Marinette.
Marinette felt crushed. She had a good reason for leaving, but she couldn't tell Alya. She knew that to her friend, she must seem inconsistent and flighty. Due to being Ladybug, she would leave in the middle of class and not return until school was finished. Alya never questioned her to much, trying to respect Marinette's privacy. Ditching her birthday party though was too much.
"Alya, I'm really sorry. I just need..."
"Just GO! I don't care anyways!" Alya shouted. She turned away and stormed back to the party, not wanting to say another word to Marinette. Marinette wanted to reach out and say something, but Paris needed her help right now. She would have to come up with some way to get Alya to forgive her later.
While Alya and Marinette had been fighting, Adrien had casually slipped out through the house's back door. He told Nino that he needed to do something for his father, but would be back within an hour. Nino told him not to sweat it since Alya wouldn't mind. Nino, like Alya, had learned to deal with his best friend's random and mysterious absences. He always attributed them to Adrien's crazy workload.
Marinette left Alya's house and hid in an alley where Tikki came out of her purse. "What am I going to do, Tikki?" Marinette moaned as she leaned against the alley's brick wall. "Alya is really upset, but I can't blame her. I must seem like a terrible friend."
"I'm sure you'll figure out something," Tikki said, trying to console the girl. "But right now, you have a job to do."
"Yeah, you're right. Maybe Ladybug will be able to think of something. Spots on!"
Just a few miles away, Hawk Moth's latest masterpiece was wreaking havoc in the streets. The akuma was dressed in a short black dress that went down to her knees. Her hair was purple and cut short. A flower crown was wrapped around her head. Her figure was petite and silvery wings emerged from her back. A dark purple butterfly shaped mask was cloaked over her eyes which were a stunning hazel. A green pendant hung around her neck.
"I'm the Pixie!" She smiled as she flew through the streets. She waved her hands through the air and golden, glittering dust emerged, falling onto innocent Parisians. The people that were covered in dust suddenly found themselves drawn to the person nearest to them like magnets. Their bodies mashed next to each other and once they were together, they found that they couldn't separate themselves.
"Isn't everything so much nicer when we all get along?" the Pixie giggled. "It makes my job so much easier!"
"Not so fast!"
Ladybug appeared out of nowhere, swinging her yo-yo around. She had on her signature confident grin and was prepared to kick butt and quick. She needed to get back to Alya's party as fast as she could.
"I think everyone here is done with your magic tricks," Ladybug said, taking a step forward. "Besides, everyone knows that glitter makes a mess!"
She threw her yo-yo at the akuma and it wrapped tightly around her. The woman screeched and tried to struggle free. Ladybug smirked and pulled the akuma close. This one would be wrapped up easily.
"What's buggin', my lady?" A sudden voice said from behind Ladybug. She jumped back with a startled cry and accidentally released her yo-yo, letting the string go slack. That instant, the akuma broke free of its wirey prison and flew high into the sky.
"Chat..." Ladybug fumed angrily as she turned to face an embarrassed black cat. "Hey..." Chat Noir said slowly. "Did I come at a bad time?"
"What do you think?"
"I think you might need some help fighting Tinkerbell here." Chat Noir pointed at the Pixie who had turned her back to Ladybug and Chat Noir. She began to flap her wings rapidly, creating a forceful rush of wind.
The gust of wind hit the superheroes, knocking them far backwards. Chat Noir landed on top of Ladybug which seemed to be a common occurence. He gave her a wink and she jumped up, knocking him to the ground.
"Now isn't the time for your games," Ladybug sighed. "I need to be someplace else right now."
"As do I, so let's start catching some fairies, eh?" Chat Noir smiled as he cracked his knuckles. He pulled his baton from his belt and extended it. He charged at the Pixie and swung his staff, something that rarely ever seemed to work out yet was still the silly kitty's go-to plan of attack. Chat Noir didn't seem to be fond of the "look before you leap" strategy.
The Pixie watched Chat Noir come at her and raised her hands. Golden dust engulfed the staff, ripping it out of Chat Noir's hands. The Pixie snapped her fingers and the baton glided through the air to her hands. She cocked her head to the side and smiled. "Never underestimate the power of pixie dust," she laughed.
Chat Noir quickly backed away and hid behind Ladybug. "So it looks like we'll be needing another plan to get this little imp under control, right, LB?"
Ladybug looked at him with an irritated glance, but couldn't stay mad at him for long. Chat Noir had the type of bubbly personality that made people smile. Not to mention, he had an adorable face that reminded Ladybug of a cute kitten.
"Good thing I always have a Plan B," Ladybug smirked as she threw her yo-yo up. "Lucky Charm!"
A red and black spotted leaf blower fell into Ladybug's hands. The weight of it surprised her and she almost dropped it. "A leaf blower?" She thought with a confused pout. "Why can't it ever be anything normal?"
"Are we going to blow her away?" Chat Noir said, pointing at the leaf blower. "You know my lady, you blow me away everytime I lay my eyes on you."
"That's sweet," Ladybug said, obviously not listening. Her eyes scanned the area, looking for something to do with the gosh darned leaf blower.
"Pixie dust... Chat Noir... the akuma... Wait, I got it!"
"Chat Noir, run around behind her. I'll keep her distracted!" Ladybug commanded. Chat Noir's eyes lit up. For once, he didn't have to be the distraction. He winked at his lady and then sprinted towards the akuma, sliding underneath her. She looked down at him and looked prepared to attack when Ladybug called her name.
"Hey Pixie!" Ladybug shouted. "Aren't ladybugs and fairies supposed to be friends? Don't you think you should treat me a little nicer?"
"I want everyone to get along, but I'm afraid that I have something different in mind for you!" The Pixie smiled back. Her fingers began to dance in the air and more pixie dust emerged. It was headed straight towards Ladybug.
Ladybug spied Chat Noir hiding behind the Pixie. He flashed her a quick thumbs up, prepared to see Ladybug's plan in action. With a smug grin, Ladybug watched the pixie dust fly at her and turned the leaf blower on at full power.
A huge burst of air came out of the leaf blower and pushed the pixie dust back. It came flying back at the Pixie, coating her and the unlucky black cat behind her in it. Instantly, the magic took effect and the Pixie and Chat Noir came flying towards each other. Their bodies connected and just like that, they were stuck. Neither of them were able to move. Everything went according to plan.
Ladybug approached the two and watched the Pixie struggle to escape. Her own magic was too powerful though. There wasn't much she could do. Chat Noir, on the other hand, looked unamused.
"Is this what you planned the entire time?" He asked. Ladybug rubbed his head and he let out a quiet purr. "Of course, kitty," she smiled. "It's good to know I can always count on you."
Chat Noir's heart did a little leap at her compliment. It was his job to always be there for her. He took great pride in it even if it meant sometimes being stuck to crazy forest spirits.
Ladybug leaned over the Pixie and pulled the green pendant from her neck. "I'll be borrowing this," she explained. She dropped the pendant on the ground and stepped on it, crushing it into tiny pieces. A black butterfly came out and and Ladybug quickly snapped it up with her yo-yo.
The yo-yo reopened and a white butterfly came flying out. "Bye-bye, pretty butterfly!" Ladybug waved as it flew up towards the blue sky.
The Pixie's magic quickly disappeared and people were able to detach from their partners. Chat Noir felt his bonds loosen. He quickly stood up and grabbed back his baton which was lying nearby on the ground.
There was a purple smoke that surrounded the once akuma and it revealed a familiar figure. Ladybug recognized her as Jagged Stone's manager, Penny. The woman was very sweet and Ladybug wondered what someone had done to make her upset. It probably had something to do with Jagged Stone's annoying producer. That guy was the ultimate jerk.
"Where am I?" Penny said, looking around. Chat Noir walked over to Ladybug and offered her his fist.
"Pound it!"
One of the dots on Ladybug's earrings flashed and made a beeping sound. "It looks like it's time for me to dash out!" Ladybug exclaimed. It wasn't a moment too soon either. If she was gone from the party any longer, Alya would be furious. Even an apology wouldn't do any good.
"It was a pleasure to see you, my lady," Chat Noir graciously bowed. Being with Ladybug was always a special treat. He couldn't think of a better place to be. Well, there was one currently. It was at Alya's birthday party which he was currently skipping. "I should head back soon otherwise Nino will start asking questions," Chat Noir thought.
"Pleasure to see me..." Ladybug whispered to herself. "That's it! Chat Noir, you're a genius!"
"I know," Chat Noir smiled slyly, having no clue what Ladybug was talking about. Still, he would accept the praise.
"See you soon, kitty!" Ladybug playfully winked before swinging away on her yo-yo. Chat Noir smiled and then extended his staff and hopped away.
Ladybug ran into an alley and quickly detransformed. Tikki came out of the earrings and hovered in front of Marinette.
"Are we going back to Alya's party?" She asked.
"Not just yet," Marinette replied. "We're going to stop at the bakery and get you some food. After that, I have a plan."
About half an hour later, Alya was sitting in one of her deck chair sadly. Everyone else was having fun. Nino and Adrien were dancing wildly, but even their awful dancing skills couldn't cheer Alya up. She was still upset that Marinette had left. She became even sadder once she opened Marinette's present and saw the amazing gift she had made.
Out of all the people she wanted to share her birthday with, Alya wanted Marinette to be there the most. Marinette was the closest friend Alya had ever had. On the first day of school, Alya didn't know anyone and was secretly terrified of becoming a loner. But Marinette reached out to her and they instantly became friends. They were inseparable since then except for right now.
Alya's thoughts were interrupted by the gasps of her classmates. They all went silent and had stopped moving.
"What's wrong?" Alya asked, getting up out of her chair. She moved off the deck and looked up to see none other than Ladybug standing on her roof.
Alya let out a fangirly scream. "It's Ladybug! She's at my house!"
Ladybug smiled and jumped down to meet her. "I heard it was your birthday," she said. "Happy Birthday, Alya!" Ladybug gave the girl a big hug and Alya almost passed out from excitement. Was this real life?
"H-How did you know?" Alya stammered, trying to reach for her phone. By now, all her classmates had surrounded them and were equally amazed to see Ladybug. Adrien was by far the most surprised. He was wondering what had caused his lady to come out of the way to visit some girl's birthday party.
"She is the kindest girl in Paris," Adrien thought dreamily. "Maybe she does birthday parties on the weekends."
"Your friend, Marinette, asked me to come," Ladybug explained. "I need her to finish some things up for me which is why she had to leave the party early. She told me you two kind of got in a fight over it and I feel really bad about needing her help and taking her away from your party."
"It's totally fine," Alya replied quickly. "Honestly, I should have known Marinette was planning something crazy like this. I never should have doubted her. This is the best birthday present ever! Can I get a picture?"
"Sure thing," Ladybug smiled. Alya handed Nino the camera and he snapped a picture of her and Ladybug. Alya took back her phone and looked at the picture in awe. She still couldn't believe this was happening.
"Thank you so much for coming," Alya said gratefully.
"It was nothing," Ladybug smiled. "But I think I should get going and you guys should get back to this buggin' party. Happy Birthday again Alya!"
Ladybug jumped onto Alya's roof and dashed away. Everyone ran up to Alya, congratulating her on such an awesome present. They were all so jealous, even Adrien who had just seen Ladybug a minutes prior. He dreamed of a getting a hug like that.
"I need to remember to ask Marinette how she knows Ladybug," Adrien thought to himself. "Maybe she'll be able to get me some more info."
At that moment, Marinette walked in through the backyard fence. All eyes were on her.
"Hey guys..." Marinette waved awkwardly. She wasn't expecting this reaction when she returned. She wanted to quietly slip back in.
"Marinette!" Alya cried as she ran up to her friend. She wrapped her arms around the girl and gave her a hug. "I'm so sorry! I never should have gotten mad! That was the best birthday present ever!"
"You liked it?" Marinette grinned. "I thought you would."
"The sweatshirt is super awesome too! You are like the bestest friend in the entire world. Seriously!"
"I try to be," Marinette winked.
Adrien watched the two friends reconcile with a smile. He knew they could never stay mad at each other for long. They were like him and Nino. They'd probably have a breakdown if they were separated from each other for too long.
Alya pulled out her phone and yelled, "Now that Marinette's back, let's all take a picture."
Mrs. Cesaire came out and took Alya's phone for the picture. Everyone crowded together and put on their best smiles. "On three, everyone say 'Happy Birthday, Alya!', okay?" Mrs. Cesaire requested as she prepared to take the picture.
"One..."
"Two..."
"Three..."
"Happy Birthday, Alya!"