This is my longest chapter yet. I had a lot of fun writing this. Hope you enjoy! Leave a review and puns!
"Look at this sweetie." Tom gestured to his wife. The two of them were at the cashier, enjoying the quiet time between the rush hours.
Tom held out a photo of a tiny 4-year-old Marinette. She looked upset, her face scrunched up and eyes watery. She was in a leotard and her hair was in a tight bun. Her tiny hand clutched tightly around Sabine's.
"Marinette's first gymnastics lesson." Sabine whispered, nostalgia washing over her.
Marinette had been begging to go for lessons as soon as she saw a cartoon on tv and Tom and Sabine finally relented after her birthday. But now that she was in front of the frankly intimidating looking academy, Marinette was scared and shy and had refused to climb the large flight of stairs to the academy.
Eventually, Tom had to carry Marinette into the dance studio, like a giant standing amongst other teeny tiny 4-year-olds. It was there that she met a fellow terrified boy with dark skin and big amber eyes. The Lahiffe parents standing at the side, amused. Watching over their son, the Dupain-Cheng pair went up to them and struck up a conversation.
Nino and Marinette became fast friends. Both of them doing the exercises together. Nino and Marinette quickly became buddies. The two took gymnastics lessons for a couple of years before deciding that it really wasn't their thing.
Marinette preferred to draw the costumes and pretty performance leotards in crayons all over her walls. Nino started getting into other genres of music. The two remained fast friends but ultimately lost the closeness that they once shared.
Sabine and Tom flipped through the various photo albums they kept of their daughter. Sabine's pregnancy had been a difficult one, almost miscarrying Marinette on two different occasions.
But little Marinette had always been a fighter.
She had been born 3 weeks early, smaller than anticipated. But healthy lungs letting out loud cries as she was delivered safely. Tom and Sabine agreed that even though they had wanted a large family, the fact that they had almost lost Marinette twice had been too stressful and the doctors had advised that if the couple tried again, it wasn't just the baby that would be at risk.
Marinette was raised with tender love and care, her parents doting on her like the precious bundle she had always been in their eyes. They watched their daughter slowly growing, a splitting image of Sabine but with Tom's cheery disposition.
Including his penchant for stuttering and illogical rambling.
And a fire burning deep in her that was entirely Marinette. They had chosen her name well. Marinette rose to all the challenges that she faced. Even before her birth. Tom and Sabine couldn't be prouder.
When they had realized that their baby girl was leaping and swinging her way through Paris with a magic yo-yo, with only a spotted costume and a bright black and red mask for protection, they had worried.
Well, worrying was an understatement. Tom had been terrified out of his mind. That was his baby girl. His bundle of joy. The perfect combination of him and his wife.
Sabine had her own worries but Marinette had taken up the identity of Ladybug without telling them, Sabine had no way of stopping her.
Marinette was old enough to make her own decisions. Old enough to take up her own responsibilities. However, Tom just couldn't stop worrying. He would pace the floor of their bedroom, news playing in the background while Sabine scrolled the Ladyblog for updates.
Sabine was worried for their daughter but Tom could never shake off the uncertainty and fear he felt every time Marinette disappeared and Ladybug would appear at the scene to save the day.
They were the same person.
The same fire.
The same confidence.
The same bright twinkle in her eyes when presented with a problem.
The same fight and ability to rise to any challenge.
There was no mistaking the two. Tom and Sabine could recognize their daughter a mile away, spotted costume and all.
She was going to get herself killed.
But a month passed, then two months. When six months passed and Tom finally stopped flinching when he heard his daughter landing on their rooftop. Until the heavy uncertain landings became silent with practiced ease. Tom and Sabine would never stop worrying over their only child but at least now they could breathe easy knowing that she knew what she was doing.
Then she started getting visits from Chat Noir, not that Tom had ever seen the cat on his daughter's balcony. But who else would swing around Paris in the dead of night? Tom hadn't been too happy with some strange boy visiting his precious daughter in the middle of the night. But Chat Noir was also his daughter's partner.
He wasn't blind, he knew how much the boy risked to keep his daughter safe during battle. There were enough videos on the Ladyblog where Chat had taken a hit for Ladybug. Tom reluctantly allowed it with a scowl that had made Sabine laugh.
Their daughter being Ladybug hadn't stopped them from loving her any less. They saw first hand how she placed herself for the people of Paris. They could not be more proud. If they had noticed her unexplainable absence, they kept it quiet.
They tried their best to give their daughter an alibi anytime there was an Akuma attack during school hours. Gave her the chance to sleep in after coming back late from patrol.
She was their daughter. They would do anything to support her. The made sure there were always cookies in the kitchen after they realized that their supply depleted considerably after Ladybug saved the day. They kept some cheese bread on standby after Chat Noir started visiting. They kept the first aid kit fully stocked, above and beyond what a normal kit would hold.
Their daughter may have felt like she couldn't turn to her parents for help, in a frankly foolish attempt at keeping them safe, but they would help her in any way that they could.
"She's gotten so big now." Tom whispered. Tracing the image of his tiny daughter in her tiny graduation cap. Graduating from kindergarten had been a very emotional event for Marinette. She was devastated at the thought of being separated from her friends. Marinette had taken a particular liking to a girl even smaller than her, Rose, who had big blue eyes and pale blonde hair.
It seemed that Marinette would shed tears more often than not, but she got over those feelings of sadness quickly enough when Rose promised to be her friend for always and always.
Now Rose was in the same school as both Marinette and Nino in Lycée.
Time seemed to fly past, it felt like it was only yesterday Marinette was telling her parents about her pen-pal project. Like it was only last week when she fell off her bike and scraped her knee and lost a tooth. Hadn't it been last month, when she waddled into the living room with a big toothless grin and cookie in hand? Two months since she was just placed in his hands, barely the size of his forearm. A tuft of dark hair, red-faced, chubby cheeks, and pouty lips.
He loved the two girls in his life so much. They were his entire world.
Sabine placed a hand over her husband's. Linking their arms together, resting her head against his chest. She loved her family and there was nothing that she wouldn't do to protect them.
The bell to the entrance rang and the couple was startled out of their reverie. Bustling back to work, the couple smiled to each other. Sabine greeting their customer with a smile. Marinette couldn't tell them about her activities but they would make sure that there was a home that she could return to.
Said daughter was having the time of her life. There was a new ride at the waterpark, it was like a zip line where you had to hold on to and dismount by letting go of a metal bar. Diving into a deep pool of water below. The queue wasn't as long as the other rides.
Not many people were brave enough to experience an almost 3-floor free fall into the frigid waters below, Alya being one of them. Marinette was practically vibrating in excitement, shifting in place as she waited for her turn.
She and Adrien were proving to be the masters of the game. Leaping through the streets of Paris was great practice for this particular attraction. Not that either of them knew that.
Alya had been first, being scared was never her thing. She swallowed her nervousness and screamed her entire way down. Letting go of the handlebar, her legs straight out under her, she landed with a loud splash.
Marinette had looked on with eager eyes, body almost buzzing. Felix hadn't wanted to join them stating that he had zero ability to do any tricks and stayed behind to take care of their belongings.
The group had rented a couple of lockers to keep their bags, so Felix only had to take care of their seats (as well as Nino's and Alya's glasses). They left their towels haphazardly on the free to use lounge chairs that had been strategically placed throughout the park.
Felix had an excellent view of the dismount pool, watching the tiny speck that was Marinette probably 3 to 4 floors above ground. He could sense her bouncing from excitement from his comfortable position in the shade.
Tikki was curled up in Marinette's towel, hidden from view by Felix. The tiny god watching her charge with large eyes. You could feel the tiny thing staring at her charge with concern.
Felix noticed the tiny being's concern. Patting it gently with his free hand, he reassured it with a gentle smile.
"Marinette will be ok." Tikki blinked big eyes at Felix and gave him a wide smile, nodding in agreement.
After Nino had whooped as he zipped down the line and cannonballed into the pool with a splash bigger than Alya's, Felix could see Adrien preparing himself. His brother rubbed his hands together in anticipation. Waiting for the bar to be recalled back to the top of the tower like building that he and Marinette were at.
Felix watched as Adrien tried to gesture for Marinette to go first. Marinette had shaken her head, pigtails bouncing as she held her hands up in defense. Adrien tilted his head to the side, Marinette crossed her arms. Ah, his brother had challenged Marinette.
Marinette placed one hand on a jutted hip and raised an arm to gesture the waiting handlebar. Adrien took a step back before giving her finger guns. Marinette rolled her eyes and crossed her arms.
Adrien flushed red, probably from seeing Marinette's boobs being pressed together so deliciously. Felix frowned. No. There was no need to be jealous. Adrien had yet to realize his feelings for the dark-haired girl.
As long as Felix played his cards right, Adrien wouldn't be the one walking home with Marinette on his arm.
As Adrien was about to climb up to catch the bar, Alya came panting up to them, having run up the stairs in an adrenaline-fueled rush. The girls high fived and Marinette congratulated her friend for her brave attempt.
Adrien felt a sudden urge to show off. So he turned his back to the pool, eyes locking with Marinette's as he used his considerable strength as an undercover superhero and pushed off of the platform. With the momentum he had created, eyes never leaving Marinette's he managed to do a flip in mid-air before tucking his body into a tight cannonball.
Marinette's jaw dropped as she stared after her blond friend. That was a good attempt. But Marinette knew she could do better.
When he resurfaced, he saw that Nino had joined the girls at the top. Pushing his wet hair from his face, he looked up towards the tower. Wanting to see Marinette's reaction.
He could hear his best friend hollering and cheer from the top of the tower, Alya joined him just as loud. His eyes searched for Marinette who was already waiting at the platform, waiting for the bar and she gave him a smirk.
Nobody challenged Marinette without being seriously owned.
Taking a slight running start, Marinette sailed through the air with practiced ease. Releasing the bar she did a front flip, coming out of the flip she straightened her legs and arms hugging herself.
Was she going to do a belly-flop?
Marinette, ever the gymnast, held herself at a perfect L shape, legs almost parallel to the water for a moment before she used her core muscles to position herself into a perfect swan dive.
Creating the smallest splash the group had seen. Adrien watched as she swam through the water with an almost fluid grace, coming up for air only when she had made her way to him. Adrien absently noted Alya's excited screaming over Nino's loud laughs.
Pushing her bangs away from her face, bright blue eyes twinkling and cheeks red from adrenaline. Adrien's breath got caught in his throat as those blue blue eyes stared right at him.
"I think you owe me lunch, M Agreste." Marinette laughed breathlessly. Adrien could only nod, mouth agape.
The moment was broken when Alya cannonballed into the water behind them. Gasping for air the redhead swam towards her friends. "OH MY GOD, MARI THAT WAS AMAZING!" Alya yelled as she finally reached her best friend.
Adrien took a step back as Marinette was tackled by Hurricane Alya. Who was already trying to talk Marinette's ear off.
The three were at the slightly more shallow part of the pool. Marinette's toes barely touched the bottom, so when Alya threw her weight at her friend, Marinette immediately went under, pulling Alya down with her.
Adrien watched as the two struggled in the water. The two resurfaced just as Nino failed through the air with a battle cry, doing a flip before belly flopping into the water with a painful smack. Alya and Adrien winced at the sound while Marinette was still trying to get air into her lungs.
Luckily, Nino recovered quickly as he swam over to his friends. Laughing as he pulled Marinette towards him into a noogie. "You little scamp, why didn't you tell me you still did gymnastics!" Ignoring Marinette's yelling.
"That was when we were four, Nino!" Marinette argued weakly. Trying to push the larger boy off of her. The group went for a couple more rounds, each time doing a trick more daring than the last. Marinette was unanimously voted the champion of the little competition between her and Adrien.
Felix watched the four of them from his seat, his chest clutching painfully. He knew he wasn't very athletic, thus his aversion to the attraction. But he couldn't help but look at the group with longing.
Tikki placed a paw on Felix's thigh, giving him a gentle smile. Making her way into Felix's pocket when the group started to make their way back to the chairs, to keep hidden. Marinette looked beautiful, cheeks flushing and smile bright. She only had eyes for Felix as she resolutely made her way towards him.
She sat next to him, body still dripping wet. He took the towel that was in his arms and passed it to her. It was his, her own was draped over the lounge chair next to them. He watched as Adrien's eyebrow twitched at the subtle claim of "she's mine" that his brother had shown.
Marinette leaned into Felix's side, hair still heavy and damp, stray strands had escaped her hair ties, sticking to her neck and face. The group talked excitedly for a moment before moving on to the next ride. It was a two-person ride, you had to sit in a float and go through a series of tunnels and falls, creating amazing splashes.
Marinette waved it off, they had five people and the ride only accommodated two people at a time. Go without her she had said, giving excuses that she had to reapply her sunblock. Her freckles would be more obvious now that she had spent so much time in the sun and she would rather not burn thank you very much.
Tikki settled back into a comfortable spot on Marinette's towel, hiding well in the fluffy folds, protecting the kwami from sight.
Adrien had looked like he was about to say something before he received a pointed look from Felix. Alya offered her sunblock-applying services. Marinette laughed and gratefully accepted her help, "it's gonna take a while for me to do my entire front, Alya, go ahead and you can help me when you're back."
With that, the four of them waved their goodbyes and Marinette started her lotion routine. Having such pale skin was a curse. She could never find makeup light enough to match her shade perfectly. Also, any and all blemishes/blushes/bruises showed strongly against her skin.
It also took twice the amount of work not to end up like a sun-dried tomato whenever she even stepped foot into the sunlight.
She had just finished applying her lotion to her torso and starting on her legs when shadows stretched into her vision. Except it wasn't a silhouette that she recognized. Marinette raised her head and frowned when she saw two unfamiliar faces grinning down at her.
"Are you by yourself, cutie?" One of them asked he was a brunette with equally brown eyes. His friend, a raven-haired guy who was taller, nudged him with a shoulder.
"If you're lonely, you could always join us." The smiled lecherously. Eyes taking Marinette in all her Chat Noir glory. Marinette frowned at his words, she noticed in the corner of her eye as Tikki shifted in her hiding spot, clearly uncomfortable with the presence of the two unknown boys..
"We promise to show you a good time, sweetie." The raven winked. Marinette grimaced.
"No thank you boys, but I'm here with my friends." She crossed her arms. Directing her frown at the two boys.
The boys didn't mean any harm she knew. (Really what harm could they do against Ladybug?) Hopefully, they would take the hint and leave her alone without any fight.
"Oh, you're a feisty one, aren't you. Don't worry babe, we're good company." The brunette smirked. Marinette rolled her eyes.
Marinette stood up, in all her 5'4" glory eyes going from frown to glare.
"Listen here sweetie, I am nobody's babe." She started mockingly. "I am here to have a good time with my friends. I would rather spend the day enjoying myself rather than waste my breath on two uncivilized boys who can't take no for an answer." She took a step forward, glad to see them take a step back.
She continued to invade their personal space, backing them to the edge of a pool without them realizing.
"I work very hard almost every single day, trying to be a good Samaritan, and I will be damned to hell and back if I don't get to enjoy my day off. So either you leave me alone or I'm going to show you, boys, how sweet it is to have your butt kicked all the way to the Seine." One final step made them lose their balance as they ran out of floor to stand on and fell into the pool waiting behind them.
They sputtered their apologies as Marinette crossed her arms and looked down at them with a satisfied smirk. When they finally scampered away, Marinette huffed as she leaned back in her seat. Reclaiming her place in the shade, she reached out for her sunblock when a larger hand beat her to it.
Ready to deliver another verbal beatdown, Marinette's frown was replaced by a smile as she saw Felix smiling gently at her.
"I saw the two of them disturb you, should have known you would have handled it better than I could." Marinette giggled. "Nobody's a match against the great Ladybug." Felix sat at her feet and brought one of them up on to his lap.
Using the sunblock as a lotion, he slowly massaged Marinette's calf, making Marinette tilt her head back with a satisfied moan. "Oh god Chat, don't stop." Settling back against the chair, Marinette closed her eyes as she enjoyed Felix's firm hands working their magic.
The two sat in a comfortable silence as Felix worked his way up Marinette's leg, applying firm pressure to her thigh. She twitched slightly under his hand, but otherwise did nothing to stop him. Felix let go of a breath he hadn't known he had been holding.
Marinette's leg was soft and smooth. Freckled slightly at the top of her outer thigh. The muscles he was massaging was strong and pliant under his skillful fingers. Marinette sighed contentedly as Felix lifted her leg so that he could do the underside. With one arm holding her calf and the other massaging her thigh, Marinette could do nothing but settle into a more comfortable position on the lounge.
Soon Felix switched legs, once again starting with Marinette's calf. It was then Nino sauntered back to the group. Eyebrow raised at the sight of a completely relaxed Marinette, lying like a puddle of jelly while Felix massaged her leg. It was nothing obscene but Nino still felt like he was interrupting an intimate moment.
Coughing delicately into his fist, Nino announced his presence, breaking the trance that Marinette and Felix seemed to be under. The two blushed at the position they were caught in and Marinette hastily snatched her leg away from Felix's hold. Leaving the boy looking like he was holding onto the air.
"Yo, you guys hungry yet? Adrien and Als are saving us a seat." Nino jerked a thumb towards the general direction of the food courts. Marinette practically jumped out of the chair, ears pink as she gathered the discarded towels. Carefully hiding Tikki in the folds of her own.
Felix stood up after, stretching slightly, rolling his shoulders from the hunched position he had been in previously. Soon enough the three of them made their way to the food courts, flip-flops slapping across the pavement. Felix lingered behind, trying his best to not allow his gaze to linger on Marinette's swaying hips as they walked, Nino and Marinette who were reminiscing about their gymnastics days.
"Remember when you tried to do a forward tumble on the bar? And you fell and broke your tooth?" Nino laughed at the memory of a 5-year-old Marinette sneaking up to climb the balance bar during lunch break. Trying to prove that she could do anything better than a stuck up redhead that strongly reminded them of the Chlo they knew from collège.
Chloe had mellowed out slightly since entering Lycée, it probably helped that the blond was only in less than a handful of classes as the group of friends.
However, before Marinette could do anything, she had slipped and hit her head against the bar. Her front tooth had broken off, her gums bleeding and the broken tooth lying in between them, triggered an onslaught of tears from Marinette and had made a frantic Nino run crying for a coach.
It had been absolutely terrifying at the time, but looking back at it now, the pair of friends could laugh at their younger selves. Felix listening contentedly at any story regarding Marinette in her formative years. Nino seemed like a fountain of information that had been left untapped. Especially from his endearingly foolish younger brother.
"There's probably a photo of a toothless me somewhere in my parent's photo albums." Marinette chuckled. Soon enough the trio met up with Alya and Adrien.
Adrien who looked suspiciously pink around the ears as he tried to not look Marinette in the eye. A hand clasped behind his neck, a clear indication of his nervousness. Felix raised an eyebrow at his brother's behavior.
Marinette took the free seat next to Alya while Nino took his seat opposite of Alya. Felix noted at the back of his mind the same positions they had taken in the bistro last week. Felix was about to slide on to the same bench as Nino and Adrien, both had started to scoot over to make space for him when Alya offered him space next to Marinette.
Marinette glanced at the remaining space on the boys' side of the bench and glad shifted a bit to the side for Felix to join her. She and Alya were less broad compared to Nino and Adrien. It made sense for Felix to join the girls.
Adrien swallowed a lump in his throat as his brother sat next to Marinette, bare arms touching from the close proximity. Marinette sat comfortably between her two best friends.
Felix sighed in relief as he finally got out of the sun, he appreciated the sheltered picnic bench Adrien and Alya had saved for them. Adrien huffed and looked away from Marinette and Felix. Choosing to ignore the closeness between them, especially what it could possibly mean for him to be… Jealous.
His thoughts had returned to his conversation with Alya that had ended just before the three had joined them.
Alya had given him a 'talk', apparently, his subtle reactions towards Marinette and Felix hadn't been subtle at all and Alya had picked it up since the very first day the brothers had been reunited at the front of the school.
"Are you jealous, Adrien?" Alya questioned, raising an eyebrow at her blond friend. Adrien had stared at her wide eyes. "Well, Marinette's my friend. I don't really have any reason to be jealous. Felix is my brother." he shrugged, in an attempt to appear nonchalant.
"Are you jealous that Marinette has a better relationship with your brother compared to you? The two text each other on a daily basis they meet each other practically every other day. Felix practically eats with her family for every meal." Adrien bristled slightly at the memory of seeing his brother leave the Dupain-Cheng household after dinner-time on more than one occasion.
Of course, he had been Chat Noir at the time, and no, he had not been spying from a nearby rooftop. He also felt absolutely no satisfaction when Marinette falls asleep in his armor covered arms late into the light when the two stayed up to talk and sky gaze.
You couldn't really see the stars in the heart of Paris, but the cloudless skies spanning above them was still a beautiful sight.
"Is that rubbing you the wrong way?" The redhead continued to push. Adrien sucked in a deep breath. He hadn't really thought about it like that.
"I-I don't think it's like that." Adrien averted his eyes. Away from Alya and her difficult questions. Alya pursed her lips, unsatisfied with that answer.
"Adrien, we've been buddies ever since we started school back in Collège Françoise Dupont. We've been in this group the shortest. Marinette is the glue that holds and connects all of us." she squinted at the blond, without her glasses she really had terrible vision.
"If you're not happy that your brother spends more time with Marinette than he does with you, you gotta say it out."
Adrien shook his head.
It wasn't that he wasn't happy that Felix wasn't spending time with Adrien, he wasn't happy that Marinette was more comfortable with Felix rather than him.
"If you're jealous that Felix hogs all of Marinette's attention-" Alya started, catching Adrien's attention forcing bright green eyes to snap towards Alya's face. "I'm gonna have to break it to you straight, pretty boy. You're interested in Marinette." Alya crossed her arms. Adrien cocked his head to the side.
"Of course I am, Marinette is a very interesting person, Alya." Adrien replied with a confused frown. Alya groaned and smacked her head against the table.
"I meant that you like her you doofus." Adrien's cheeks tinted pink at his friend's words. "You like her as in you wanna bring her on a date, you want to romance her under the stars. Follow her around like a love-sick puppy dog."
"I-I-I don't, oh gosh. Alya. W-What?" Alya watched the blond stutter and bring his hand up to rub the back of his neck.
"OH MY GOD," Alya exclaimed, standing up and slamming her hands on to the table. "You totally have a crush on Mari!" She accused, squinting her own green eyes at her friend.
"I do not!" Adrien felt his entire face burning at Alya's words. He loved Ladybug!
Didn't he?
"You say that Adrien, but your face is saying an entirely different thing." Alya crossed her arms and wagged her finger at his face. "I'll prove it to you." She lowered herself back to her seat, smirking at the blond.
"You're going to what? Why? How?" Adrien narrowed his eyes at his friend.
"You'll see, pretty boy. You'll come crying to grande soeur over your new crush in no time." Alya gave Adrien a challenging look. Adrien was about to reply when Alya kicked him under the table and then he heard the distinct footsteps of Nino making his way over to the table.
He could hear Nino's booming laugh and Marinette's giggles in the distance, Adrien's eyes immediately seeking out his friends and brother.
Adrien chanced a quick look back, only to see Alya with a gleam in her eye. Which brought him back to the situation at hand.
Currently, Adrien was seated opposite of Marinette and Felix.
Marinette and Felix who were sharing a meal.
Marinette had said she wasn't really hungry and didn't want to fill herself with food when she was definitely going to go on the more thrilling rides that the group had yet to make their way to. Adrien had persuaded her by reminding her of the meal she had won from their bet.
Marinette took a moment to think about it before turning to Felix. "Do you want to share, Chat?" She had asked, bright blue eyes staring into his brother's blue-grey ones. Adrien stiffened at the innocent question. It reminded him so vividly of the countless number of times that Marinette had brought up a flask of hot chocolate while they stayed up in her balcony, only a warm fleece blanket to shelter them from the cold.
Alya had grabbed her glasses from Nino, thanking her boyfriend with a kiss on the cheek, and was smirking at Adrien with a knowing look in her eye. Nino could only guess at what his girlfriend was up to, and really it was too much of a bother to dissuade her when she had a plan in mind.
So here Adrien was, sitting in front of his brother and Marinette, who were sharing a meal. While practically joined at the hip. There was plenty of space on the bench, they didn't really have to sit next to each other, did they? Adrien inwardly winced at his own thoughts.
Now that Alya had put the word in his head, he realized that the uncomfortable feeling he got whenever Marinette even looked at Felix's direction was jealousy.
Adrien really was turning into a green-eyed monster.
Thank you for reading and I hope you've enjoyed this chapter!
Leave a review and have a happy Monday
I'd love more puns and Akuma ideas!
