Now the plot progresses! Hoe you enjoyed yesterdays crack, here's some fluff with a side of stubborn idiot.
Quick shout out to the guest reviewer_
Adrinetteshipper- I'm so glad you're enjoying my stories. It always makes me happy to hear that. ^_^ To answer your question about how I write, the answer is read a lot and write a lot. When you read something you like, ask yourself what was it that made you like it and try to copy that. I take a lot of inspiration from Shannon Hale, Gail Carson Levine, and Tamora Pierce (and obviously Miraculous Ladybug). Finding a friend who can help you edit really helps too, though that can take a lot of courage to let someone else read your work, so I understand if that's intimidating. Like with everything else, the more you do it, the better you get at it. The hardest thing, even for published authors, is seeing it through to the end. So persevere! You got this!
I do not own anything Miraculous Ladybug.
The akuma was gone and dealt with. Chat Noir gave a hasty fist bump to Ladybug before booking it back to the closet Marinette had dumped him in. He got there and released his transformation to find himself still in his penguin suit and was worried he'd have to explain why the Miraculous Cure had fixed everything but him, when a belated wash of ladybugs engulfed him and his original suit returned.
Just in time too, because Marinette came barreling into the room shortly after and grabbed him by the shoulders. "Are you okay?"
Excuse me? "I'm fine. I didn't run around playing keep away with an akuma."
She scowled. "Someone had to protect your dumb self. At least I didn't jump in front of an akuma attack." She punched him in the arm. "Which you didn't even know the effects of. Anything could have happened to you!"
"I wasn't just going to stand by and do nothing," he argued. Man, his arm stung, though he guessed he shouldn't be surprised since she'd just displayed how freakishly strong she was by hauling him around like some damsel in distress.
"You should have cleared out so there would be less casualties for Ladybug and Chat Noir to deal with. Leave it to the professionals."
"I-" He grit his teeth together to stop himself from finishing the sentence of 'I am the professionals.' He'd gone this far without revealing his identity and he wasn't going to let a shouting match be his downfall. He took a deep breath and frowned at her. "That's pretty hypocritical coming from you. You should have just left me there and gone somewhere safe. I don't need you to protect me."
Marinette crossed her arms and snorted. "You're an idiot. Do you think I'd watch the love of my life take a hit like that and not come running? I don't think so!"
Adrien's brain screeched to a halt, all anger shocked out of him. "What did you just say?"
Marinette turned bright red and suddenly lost the ability to maintain eye contact. "I don't think so."
"No, before that."
"You're an idiot."
He gave a huff of frustration. "No, there was a middle part."
"Did you think I'd just watch you take a hit like that and not come running?"
"Pretty sure those weren't your exact words."
They stared each other down in a battle of wills before both blurting at the same time, "I like you!"
Adrien practically wilted in relief, slumping forward to rest his head on her shoulder. "Oh thank goodness, I'm not too late."
Marinette's hand came up to pat his head. "I'm sorry, what?"
He nuzzled into her neck, drawing strength from her sweet, cinnamon-y smell, and the fact that she didn't push him away. "When you confessed to me, it made me realize that I like you too, but you said you didn't have a crush on me anymore, so I thought I was too late to realize my feelings and you had already moved on."
Her hand began to gently card through his hair. "I never said I stopped liking you. I said I realized that you needed friends more than fans. When I was just trying to get you to notice me, I kind of acted like a spaz."
"You always act like a spaz," he said with a quiet chuckle.
She gave him a light smack upside the head. "Rude."
He pulled back so he could look her in the eye. "It's cute. I think you're cute, and while we're being honest here, I'd like to let you know that I find you unbearably adorable whenever you wear those cat ears. It just makes me want to. . ." He trailed off, eyes lowering to her lips.
Marinette stepped in close, tilting her head up. "Want to what?"
Slowly, giving her plenty of time to back out, his hand came up to cradle the back of her head. He lowered his head. She did not pull back, in fact, just before he reached her she stood up on tiptoe to meet him.
They weren't quite centered, but he found that the imperfection of it did not take from the joy. It was the most magical moment of his life. This was coming from the guy with a floating black cat who granted him superpowers, so he knew a thing or two about magic.
A small chuckle escaped him and Marinette pulled back, breaking the kiss. "Something funny?"
He shook his head, arms coming to wrap around her and pull her close once more. "More just shocked that this is actually happening. I was kind of preparing myself to live the rest of my life in the friendzone and then you just go and blow my mind."
She smiled before coming in to rest her head on his shoulder, her breath tickling his neck and sending shivers down his spine. "I get what you mean. I'm afraid to pinch myself, because I think I'll wake up."
Well he couldn't have that. He reached up and pinched her arm.
"Ouch! What was that for?" she asked as she gave his arm a whack.
"To prove you're not dreaming. I'm definitely for real kissing you right now."
She blushed, but didn't back down this time. "Well, you're not kissing me right now."
Adrien tutted, leaning down once more. "We can't have that, now can we?"
And we all shout- "ABOUT FREAKING TIME!" Bet you thought I was going to make you wait until the very last day for them to get together? Well fear not, because these two dumb children have finally confessed, but don't worry, we still have a few days left in the month for me to cause drama for them. 3:)