Author's Note

*rises from her grave* I still live! Sorry for not updating here for so long (again) and the only thing I can say is the same as last time: I forgot. Sorry about that. After finding requests for more in my inbox this morning I thought that uploading the missing 24 chapters would be a good use of how to start the day. c:

So prepare for a flood of new chapters and thus over 100k new words to read!

"And it's just completely crazy, you know? Last week everything was still normal and now we get attacked by magic supervillains!"

Adrien hummed as he let Marinette rant and instead wordlessly took the next flower pot she gave him. There had been a storm warning with strong wind gusts and Marinette did not want to take any risks. That meant that her plants had to somehow get from the balcony down to her room.

"And then there's Alya who likes to go towards danger instead of running away from it!" She groaned. "And the stupid misunderstandings and crazy theories she keeps making up about you and Félix."

Adrien placed the lavender plant down on the floor and climbed back up the ladder. It was just the two of them as Félix—after lots of convincing and bribing—was at a photoshoot in Adrien's stead.

He had thought about what his brother and Plagg said the previous day and therefore had come to the conclusion that proving he didn't want to cause any harm to Marinette would be the best approach. Even though he didn't know where Tikki was at that moment, he could tell that she was somewhere in the room and that she was not pleased. Most likely because he had managed to breach the barrier she had conjured up to keep Marinette safe from the fair folk.

When he had first arrived at the bakery, it had been a little problematic to get in. It was like someone had taken the feeling of warmth and safety that usually surrounded him in this place and turned it on its head. He had suddenly been hit with the strong sense of not belonging. The constant whispers of the universe that told him that he was on the wrong side of the sky when he was out in daytime were easy to ignore by now. This feeling was like that, just amplified by a thousand at least.

But the weak spot of every barrier was an anchor. He was uncharacteristically lucky to have Marinette as such an anchor point. Even more so since he realised what he really felt for her. Hopefully Tikki could forgive him for just breaching her barrier with this trick.

"What are today's theories?" Adrien asked. He was equal parts amused and displeased at Alya's animosity. On the one hand, some of her conclusions were hilarious. On the other hand, however, she did her best to keep Marinette away from him and he didn't much appreciate that.

"That Chloé paid you to be nice to me and therefore fool me into thinking that you like me."

Yikes, that dug out some unpleasant memories.

"Now I get why you two are getting along so well: You both have the same theories," Adrien said as he reluctantly accepted the flower pot with the rosemary plant in it. He both loved and hated that thing.

"That was over a year ago!" Marinette protested with a pout.

"Still one of the conclusions you jumped to and you weren't shy of throwing it in my face back then," he said with a grin. While it wasn't the most pleasant memory, it was still quite nostalgic to think about it.

"I'm sorry about that, I just—"

"Hey, we're past that at this point. No need to apologize. I was kinda weird back then after all, wasn't I?"

Marinette snorted. "Past tense?"

Adrien set the rosemary plant down with a relieved sigh before climbing back up.

"I'd like to think that I have learned to be a normal teenager since then. Or are you implying that you weren't a good enough teacher?"

Marinette laughed in return. "There's no way to get the crazy out of you KitKat. Unless you want to try an exorcism with your anime collection as the sacrifice."

"No, anything but that! I need those to live!"

"Remember what we said about Tamaki Suoh?"

Adrien jumped up on the balcony and took the planter with the roses. He held it out to Marinette.

"What's your point?"

She fondly rolled her eyes. "Exactly that," she said as she took the planter.

"Marinette?" Sabine's voice suddenly came from downstairs.

"Yeah?"

"Can you help out in the bakery for a bit? We just got a large order of macaroons for tomorrow."

"Say no more," Marinette said as she sat down the planter at the edge of the skylight and jumped down on her bed before taking the planter again and carrying it down the stairs.

"Do you want to help too?" She asked Adrien even though she probably already knew his answer.

"Nah, I'd just ruin the order. Go help your parents and I'll carry the rest of your plants inside," he said which was rewarded with a smile.

"Thank you! Be sure to come downstairs when you're done though."

He grinned fondly. She'd never give up trying to get him involved in baking.

"Will do," he said just as she set down the planter and disappeared through the hatch.

Finding excuses to not join activities like baking or anything that involved iron was getting harder and harder. It was a necessary evil to lie to her, which didn't mean that he liked doing it.

Adrien climbed down the ladder with yet another plant and only then realised that he was alone in her room and that the pressuring presence hadn't left yet. His tail nervously lashed back and forth under the glamour as he looked around the room but couldn't see Tikki anywhere. Of course, he wouldn't just randomly spot an ancient deity when they didn't want to be seen.

He bit his lip and glanced to the hatch that led downstairs, tempted to take up Marinette's offer of following her to the bakery's kitchen. But no, he had promised to take care of the plants first and that's what he was going to do.

With growing unease, he climbed back up the ladder to her bed. Only three plants were left and he went through the motions of picking them up and carrying them down into the room almost mechanically.

When he set down the last plant, he was more than ready to flee the room, only to discover that the previously open hatch had been closed and locked. Adrien paled.

"Plagg?" He asked, his voice taking on an almost hysterical note as he panicked.

"You'll eventually get your chance to talk to Tikki about this and I'll even help you, but being impulsive about it will get you sent to Faerie at this rate."

Plagg's words echoed through his mind and he couldn't help but shiver. He didn't want to go to Faerie! He couldn't leave behind everything that was important to him here! He couldn't leave Marinette! Had the room gotten colder or was it just his imagination?

"What?" His kwami eventually replied with a yawn. How had he been sleeping while there was a looming disaster?! Adrien opened his mouth to reply but the words died before he could even form them. What was he supposed to say?

Tikki is here and Marinette is not. I'm scared.

He gulped and sat down on the ground as his legs threatened to give out. It wasn't just the knowledge that Tikki was Danu which made her the royalty of royalty of royalty to the fair folk. It was that this same goddess now thought that he had tried to charm her chosen. He was dead. He was deader than dead!

"Breathe, kid," Plagg said and only then did Adrien noticed that he had indeed not been breathing. He took gulps full of air but the sudden mixture of scents from all the different flowers and herbs confused his senses. Roses and lavender were calming him while rosemary made him feel uneasy. And those were only the ones that directly affected his fae side.

His instincts flared when the magic in the air suddenly thickened. It felt like it threatened to crush him at the slightest provocation. It was terrifying. His cat side told him to flee—the enemy was too mighty—but his human side argued with common sense. This was his opportunity to explain himself and it would probably not get less risky any time soon. Besides, when would he ever get the opportunity to talk with Tikki one on one again?

He forcefully swallowed the frightened butterflies in his stomach and shifted. Might as well lay all his cards on the table and not annoy her with glamours.

Apart from a silent displeased hiss, Plagg didn't say anything. He seemed content to simply watch the situation unfold. Adrien just hoped he'd keep his word and intervene when things started to go south.

"Y-y-your d-divine highness?" Adrien squeaked out, his voice miserably meek. The pressure of the magic got stronger, making his head hurt with the beginnings of a migraine.

"T-T-Tikki? Please, Ijustwanttotalk," he said even quieter than before. To say he was scared was a colossal understatement. He could never have predicted the reply his request received though.

"Who told you that name?" A beyond furious voice yelled in his head and he awkwardly held his paws over his flattened ears, even though that did nothing.

"P-Plagg did," Adrien managed to choke out, hoping it was the right answer. She knew Plagg after all. It only seemed to make Tikki angrier though.

"So, a fae stole the ring after all," the voice in his head hissed and he heard himself whimper. This was exactly what he had wanted to prevent from happening.

"I d-d-didn't steal—"

"Lies!" Tikki yelled in his head, effectively cutting him off. He would like to say that he was surprised, but he honestly wasn't. If Tikki had lost a chosen to the fair folk once, then no doubt something horrible had happened to them. Adrien tried to calm himself with the thought that the goddess just wanted to protect Marinette.

"I won't believe anything that comes out of a halfling's mouth. You can lie," she continued, her tone seething.

"Stop torturing my chosen, Tikki. The kid just wants to talk to you," Plagg finally intervened. Adrien didn't dare to open his eyes or even breathe a sigh of relief yet.

"Your chosen?" Tikki exclaimed in disbelief. It was the first thing she had said out loud.

"Yeah, the kid might be faerie, but he got my ring the same way as your girl got your earrings."

"But he's a—"

"Halfling, I know. In comparison to quite a few others I've met in the past, he's surprisingly human in his approach. Just give him a chance, will you?"

Adrien heard Tikki huff. "Fine. You get one chance to explain your sins, Cat Sidhe."

He raised his head with a start at being addressed and blinked. All his life he had pictured Danu as a grand concept. She was a goddess even among the deities of the immortal fae and therefore it was only logical for her to be the most beautiful and pure being in the universe. A being that would awe everyone that took as much as a glimpse at her. The small ladybug that floated in front of him with a glare did not really live up to that image. There was no doubt that she really was Danu though. The magic power she had demonstrated so far was enormous.

"Sins?" Adrien squeaked, his tail nervously lashing. He had committed no sins!

"You tried charming my chosen," Tikki declared, her tone threatening and her stare murderous.

"I didn't want to charm her!" Adrien said in a surprisingly steady voice. "I knew she was wearing a rowan berry necklace to deflect charms; I even checked beforehand! This is all just a misunderstanding…I tend to cause those." The last part was mumbled and Adrien looked down, not daring to keep eye contact with Tikki.

"How about spying then? Plagg might have told you my name, but he couldn't possibly have told you where to find me."

Adrien gulped. "About that…" He said and threw Plagg a helpless look. His kwami shrugged. "I…I know Marinette is Ladybug. Plagg said it could have been her lucky charm—one I gave her, not the ones you create—that messed with the magic, but…I could see through the glamour. I know this isn't supposed to happen and I really didn't do it on purpose!"

If her glare was murderous before then now Adrien feared that it was about to reach Medusa-levels of deadly. He half-expected to turn into stone right then and there. He flattened himself as much as he could under Tikki's glare. After all, it wasn't his fault that he was the first halfling to ever use a Miraculous and it also wasn't his fault that the magic of Marinette's lucky charm interfered with the magic of the transformation.

"Why did you give her a charmed object in the first place? What do you want to do with her?"

Tikki was scary. Way scarier than any Court chief or faerie queen could ever aspire to be. Her raw power was enormous and Adrien was again reminded that she had created the fae in the first place. She must have created Tír na nÓg as well, the very thing that threatened his mere existence. She was probably more powerful than the pull of Midsummer and could send him to Faerie with a snap of her fingers. Cowering in fear in front of her was not enough.

"I want her safe," Adrien eventually managed to say with a small voice. "There are dangers out there she doesn't even know about because they're invisible to her, but I can see them. I just want to protect her from them, please. I…I understand why you don't trust me, but I don't want to cause her harm. She…she…" Adrien felt his voice break and a human would have no doubt shed tears by now. He was no human though. "She's very important to me and I'll do anything to keep her safe!"

Tikki was quiet and so was Plagg. Neither of their expressions let on to what they were thinking, but Adrien knew that they were both judging him. He was a halfling, so he could lie. They, especially Tikki, were no doubt looking for the untruth in his words, but there wasn't one to be found.

"Vow it," Tikki eventually said, her tone stern. Adrien looked at her fearfully.

"W-what?"

"Vow that you won't ever cause my chosen any kind of harm. If you break that vow, I'll personally make sure that it will be the last time you'll ever harm someone."

Adrien gulped. While the vow itself didn't require a second thought, he still hesitated upon that threat. Then again, since he would never harm Marinette, there really wasn't anything to be afraid of. Hopefully this would set Tikki a little at ease with him.

"I vow it and accept your conditions."

It had taken a lot of effort to keep his voice steady and not stutter. He just hoped that the kwami was a goddess of her word.

Adrien nervously fidgeted on the chair in the corner while Marinette worked on the order of macaroons. Tikki had eventually dismissed him with the suggestion to go downstairs—an offer he hadn't hesitated a second to take. Now the two kwamis were up in Marinette's room and were talking among themselves and he didn't know if he should be nervous or not. Plagg didn't trust him yet either and Tikki was definitely highly sceptical, bordering on hostile, towards him, so there really wasn't a good outcome for him in sight.

Always, no matter if it was as a fair one or as a human, he was judged by his heritage and looks first and foremost. Perhaps that's what it meant for the universe to despise him.

"Adrien?"

He almost jumped out of the chair, that's how wound up he was with nerves. Instead, he just flinched and looked at Marinette. She opened her mouth as if to say something else, but then closed it again and shook her head.

"What is it?" He asked, genuinely curious and hopeful that her question would provide some sort of distraction for him.

Marinette bit her lip and he had to put a conscious effort into not staring at it.

"It's just…you look troubled. Is something wrong?"

Oh, so it had been obvious.

"It's nothing," he automatically deflected with an untrue smile, the kind he used for photoshoots. He should have known that Marinette could see through that in a heartbeat.

"Is it really nothing or is it just something you can't tell me about?"

He sighed. "Would you be mad if I'd say it's the latter? It's something very personal with Fé and I, so I can't really talk about it."

"It's okay, you don't have to," Marinette said with a small smile. "But that's not the only thing, is it? You've been awfully quiet today."

"Guilty as charged, Princess," he said and decided to be vague to at least be able to say something. "I'm worried about the Akuma attacks and when the next one will be."

"Yeah, me too," Marinette replied, her voice suddenly taking on a more sombre tone. He internally cursed himself. That was the worst topic he could have chosen! Now Marinette was worried too.

What was she thinking about all of these new revelations? What did she think about the existence of magic? She was probably scared. Gods, she must be terrified right now. How could she not be? Even he was scared and he had known of magic his whole life!

To have a city that was your home suddenly turn into a magical war zone? That would terrify anyone, even without having to fight said magic. Would she ever be able to go somewhere in Paris again and feel safe? Would he have to watch that warmth and mirth slip out of her gaze slowly as fear would settle in her eyes?

"I'm sure it'll be alright. As long as there are no attacks, we can just continue like before. Maybe we should see it as something like tornados or earthquakes. People who live in affected places still manage to live their lives, so why should this be any different?"

Marinette threw him a wry smile. "You're trying to convince both of us right now, aren't you?"

"It's a lifestyle change, so a little convincing is part of it," Adrien said with a shrug. "I'm just trying to rationalize things so that I'm not panicking like some other people do."

"That's actually a good way to look at it. But…I think after yesterday, a lot of people are relying on Ladybug for that peace. Do you think she'll actually be able to succeed every time like she promised?"

Adrien stared at her for a few seconds as he picked out what the question really was. It was just like Marinette to still have doubts after the fact.

"She's new at this, so I think that there are bound to be a few hiccups for her and Chat Noir, but they'll be fine."

"Why are you so sure?" She asked.

"Because practice makes perfect. It's just like designing for you. Were you able to sew a catwalk-worthy dress on your first try? Of course not. That's just not realistic. Are you able to sew one now? I'd say 'yes'. Just like you got better at designing, Ladybug and Chat Noir will get better at fighting villains."

Marinette smiled. "Th—that's reassuring. And you're clearly biased when it comes to my designs."

"Purrhaps I am, but keep in mind that an actual model wore and loved these designs of yours," he said with a wink.

"That didn't count, KitKat," she said and bopped him on the nose with some frosting. The laugh he drew out of her when he went cross-eyed was the sweetest sound and he was convinced that he would never hear anything more beautiful in his life.