Just a ramdom thought I had.
Not sure if I'll make it into more, but the concept is there! Let me know if you like it!
Maybe I'll do more in depth :)
Enjoy!
LB
Xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxooxoxox
Ladybug has been fighting the akumas Hawkmoth sends out for 2 years now. And on occasion - no, not every time- chat noir shows up to thwart her efforts.
It almost seems like when he can be bothered to show up, he does. And ladybug can't understand what the hell is his deal.
One time, ladybug was fighting the akuma when it suddenly went off on a tangent. It was like the akuma didn't have any negative emotions anymore. It had just been an akumatized kid, who decided they wanted to go play.
Chat had stood there in the middle of the battle and screamed out his frustration. "Oh come on?! What the hell are you doing?"
It had been easy to find the akuma and purify it after that. But chat had NOT been happy about it! And had took off, seething in anger.
A few weeks later, ladybug had been fighting yet another akuma. This one was a teenager, at least. Mad at the world for giving his dad cancer or something.
Ladybug couldn't always keep up with the reasons.
Chat had decided to show up - only his second time in as many weeks. He would yell at the akuma, telling it where to go, trying to make a plan with it to defeat her and take her miraculous.
She didn't give them a chance to finish. She quickly defeated the pair, and purified the akuma.
Chat had glared at her, and bit out a not child friendly word, before taking off.
A couple months after that was when chat made his next appearance. And much like the other times, he was easily frustrated with the akuma. This time, though, he started yelling about Hawkmoths choice in akumas.
The akuma itself had seemed a little dazed by this turn of events, and had quickly passed ladybug his infected armband for her to cleanse. He had been mad about some shitty call at a sports event. He didn't need this shit.
Chat had lunged at ladybug.
Neither of them had used their powers, and so werent in any danger of transforming back yet. He took that advantage.
Pouncing at her, he immediately put ladybug on the defensive. She was quick to counter, but it was a close call. She finally manages to slip away from him when he flung her a good distance away, slamming her against a car.
She had quickly rolled under it and took off.
Chat was waiting for ladybug a few days later when she went out on patrol.
She had landed on a roof, deciding which direction to go next, when he sprung out from the shadows. Ladybug had dodged, and came up in a fighting stance.
Chat, hewever, simply stood there, leaning on his baton like a crutch. "come not LB, wouldn't you rather this just be over? You can give me your miraculous, and when Hawkmoth is done with it, I'll even give it back to you."
"that's so generous of you. Why didn't I ask if that was possible before?!" she mocked him.
"no need to be catty. I was simply putting it out there."
"well thanks but no thanks." and she had quickly taken off. Chat was definately the better fighter of the two!
Some weeks later, Chat seemed to be lying in wait for her when she showed up for the akuma attack. No sooner had she touched down to assess the situation, and he attacked from behind.
She almost didn't make it out of that fight. As it was, she had to slink off after a particularly vicious beat down from Chat and grab Rena and Carapace.
With their help, that managed to purify the akuma, but it was close.
Chat didn't stick around to chat.
Chat didn't show up for almost 3 months. But the akumas seemed to be more focused in their tasks than usual. They sought out their initial target for their rage, and then beeline for ladybugs miraculous.
No destruction in their wake. No being mad when they couldn't find said target immediately. Just a methodical search, followed by revenge. Then at and out in the open, very clearly an akuma, and wait for ladybug to show up with her miraculous.
Sometimes the city didn't know their was an akuma until much, MUCH later! And while it was nice to have no trail of destruction, it was still frustrating! One particular time, it was 2 hours before anyone noticed.
And with no mass panic, it was harder and harder to slip away and transform.
Perhaps that was the goal as well. Find out who still disappears despite no exacuations. All ladybug could do was roll with the punches.
Marinette had been dating her classmate Adrien for the last 6 months. And it was everything she had ever hoped it would be!
Picnics in the park. Leisurely strolls throughout Paris. Dates at the zoo. Double dates with Alya and Nino. Holding hands at school. Sneaking off to little corners to make out. Cuddling in her room. Or his.
Sometimes she still thought that she was dreaming. He was so dreamy!
And romantic! And sweet and loving and kind and amazing! Like always!
In the beginning, in the mass hysteria of akuma attacks, Adrien always disappeared. Marinette hadn't thought anything of it, since it worked to her advantage. But now with no terror and destruction, it was hard to get away from her attentive boyfriend when she needed to become ladybug.
It started off innocently enough.
Alya texting her when she finally found out, and saying she was on her way to go check it out.
That first time, Alya said she needed her help. So Marinette apologized, showing Adrien the text. He had understood. Said they could catch up after.
Afterwards, Alya had wondered where she had gone too and why she hadn't shown up, but Marinette was able to brush that off with ease, saying she couldn't find her! To which Alya believed, since she had moved positions at least a half dozen times! And because it was a live stream, she couldn't message Marinette to tell her.
And the next few had followed suit! Alya would text, and Marinette would take off. Not that she was always with Adrien. And when she wasn't, she could use the same excuse.
But then, even Alya stopped going to film. "What's the point? There's no destruction. No terror. Most of. The time they are up so high I can't even film. Or they take off faster than I can follow. And it's over by the time I get there. I'm way bummed, but what else can I do? I can't keep cancelling plans just to get nothing. "
It got harder after that.
Her parents needed help in the bakery.
She had a commission to finish.
She left her sewing machine on.
Was that Jagged Stone?!
She was sure everyone thought she was a spaz, but whatever! There was more important stuff to deal with.
Then came the suspicion.
Adrien messaging her to see where she was. Why she hadn't shown up for their date. Why she was late for class. Why her parents said they hadn't needed her help at all when he called and asked for her.
Marinette was sweating bullets when he asked her that last one as he greeted her for school one morning.
"I - uh... u-um." she hadn't known what to say! What COULD she say?!
And what was with all the checking up on her anyway?! She was a grown woman! Teenager!
She tried to be annoyed by that. But it made a bit of sense. Enough that she stopped trying to be mad that he was questioning her about it.
She'd just tell him "I'm sorry" and hang her head.
He would always wrap his arms around her and say "it's fine. I just worry about you. I love you and don't want you hurt."
The first few times he said he loved her, she had squeeled inside and done a happy dance.
And stuttered out "what?! I - uh - y-you... Love me?"
"with all my heart Marinette."
After awhile though, it almost seemed like he was using that to guilt trip her.
Then one day, Adrien messaged her and asked her over to his place to hang out.
Part of her was ecstatic!
The other part was leery.
But she went anyway. Natalie had immediately answered the door, and directed her to Gabriel's office, of all places! Had he finally noticed her designs from all his completions?! Had Adrien tried to put in a good word for her?!
She internally fangirled, letting only a wide grin show on her face.
The minute she entered the room though, she knew it was none of those things.
Gabriel stood unsmiling in front of his wife's portrait, with Adrien, unsmiling at his side.
"Hello, Marinette." Gabriel greeted. "I am glad you could finally join us. We have been searching for ladybug for quite some time now."
"What?!? That's crazy! I'm not ladybug!" she winced at the obvious false tone in her voice.
She wasn't the best liar.
"Come now. No need to be coy about it. You put up a good fight. We're just better." and 2 small kwamis had floated out from in their pockets to rest beside their heads.
"no way" she had choked out. This couldn't be happening! But it was! The proof was right in front of her!
Adrien whispered something in his gates ear, to which Gabriel nodded. "come, my dear. We only need your miraculous for one measly little wish. Then you can have it right back."
"don't you know if you make a wish, there must be balance?! If you wish for a life, someone else will die! If you wish for a fortune, someone will lose theirs! " she cried.
"I am aware, yes," Adrien had stated. "that is why Father is here. He will take my mother's place."
Gabriel had turned, aghast, and stated at his Son. "no, you didn't say that was what was to happen!"
"don't you love me father?! Wouldn't you do anything for your only son?"
"of course I do Adrien! But I thought we'd all be together!"
"I am sorry father. This is your penance for what happened to mother. Accept it with grace. Or I will have to simply kill you and use ladybug instead. Rather than killing her first to get her miraculous. "
Gabriel had hung his head, "of course, my son."
In their preoccupation, Marinette had fled from the room as fast and as quiet as she could, transforming in the foyer. Then she quickly swung off, going nowhere and everywhere at once.
Finally, landing by the Seine, she detransformed. Gasping for air, she wandered the river awhile before collapsing.
With her eyes shut, she leaned against the wall trying to organize her thoughts. A hand hesitantly touched her arm, and her eyes flew open to stare into Lukas clear blue eyes.
He was clearly worried as he stared down at her. "What's wrong Marinette? Do you need help?"
"not anymore!"