Wrote this for the Love-Square AU/Prompt challenge.
Ladrien Prompt:
- Ladybug is the secret joke-writer for the popular late-night comedy show host Adrien who can't come up with a real joke (aka not a pun) to save his life -
Marinette watched Late Night with Adrien religiously. She'd done so even before he started accepting jokes from outside sources, not that he would admit it. Before, he'd just stuck to his awful puns and somehow hadn't been taken off of the air.
"You know, it's amazing, in English a double negative makes a positive, but in some languages a double negative is still negative. However, there aren't any languages where a double positive makes a negative." Adrien said on the tv screen with a chuckle.
Marinette groaned. Not only had he not said the joke correctly, he hadn't even included the punchline. It was times like this where she wondered if she should have even started to help him at all. She was thankful that at least he wasn't following up the botched joke with a pun.
"And there are even some areas where a positive and a negative work together to form a negative like someone saying, 'yeah, no.'" He said awkwardly.
"Why didn't you just stick to what I wrote?" Marinette asked the tv screen, almost wondering if he had forgotten the joke altogether. It wasn't the first time he'd gotten one of her jokes wrong. Every time he did, she would get so annoyed she wanted to go down to the studio and chew him out. Of course, she didn't because she didn't want him to know who Ladybug really was.
"Which is also, surprisingly an English term." Adrien said with a chuckle.
"Yeah, right." Marinette said, frustrated. "Just say 'yeah, right'"
"In fact, it might lead some to say that English is a bad language. However…" he paused before he switched to speaking in English, "it can be understood through tough, thorough thought, though." He said before chuckling. Marinette just stared at her tv in frustration.
"Seriously?!" She exclaimed before pulling up her computer and furiously writing an email.
Adrien,
Why couldn't you just say the joke as I'd written it? Instead, you just stumbled through random nonsense until you got to not-my punchline. It entirely ruined the joke!
-Ladybug
She sighed, frustrated as the bit ended. He had never actually finished her joke. At least not properly. She didn't have to wait long before her computer chimed, indicating she'd received an email.
Dearest Ladybug,
I tried and tried to figure out how to make the joke work, but without another person to bounce it off of it just didn't flow. Perhaps, you could remove the mask? Come in for a segment?
Yours,
Adrien
Marinette felt her stomach clench. He hadn't been subtle over the last few weeks as he tried to convince her to meet him. First it had been him casually asking her to meet him for coffee to go over the most recent jokes she'd sent him. He said it was so that he could get the pacing right, but Marinette resisted. She had never been able to actually talk to him face-to-face. Even when they had been in school together, she could only haphazardly string random words together.
She brushed off his invitations every time he gave them. Now, he had progressed to asking her to be on the show with him.
Adrien,
You know I can't do that. I don't live close by. I just watch online.
-Ladybug
She sent the message and received a response almost immediately. She knew she had made a mistake before she even opened the email. The episodes of Adrien's show didn't air online until the day after they were shot live. She shouldn't have been able to see his show if she really wasn't within the network area. She took a deep breath as she opened the email.
My Lady,
You wouldn't have known that I didn't say your joke correctly yet if you only watched online. You have to be close by because this show only airs live on local channels. If you need, I can have my driver pick you up regardless of where you are. That way, you can tell me how your jokes are to be said when I'm on air. To make sure I say them correctly. :)
Yours,
Adrien
Marinette frowned. This was not how she wanted to spend her Friday night. No, she wanted to spend it sewing different designs for work. Instead, she found herself getting frazzled as she tried to figure out what to say to Adrien.
Adrien,
I think it would be best to keep things strictly online between us. Even if I am in the viewing area, I don't think we should meet. Even if it is to discuss the jokes. We should keep things as professional as possible. To include you not calling me "your" Lady.
-Ladybug
She hesitated with her mouse over the send button. Part of her wanted to take him up on the offer. However, she knew that if she did, the illusion would be shattered. She would only forever be Marinette, the girl who couldn't say a full sentence to him, not Ladybug, the mysterious online helper. As Ladybug, she could actually talk to him even though he now only seemed to want to talk about meeting her. She pushed the button after her brief hesitance. The response was quick. It was like he was reading her mind.
M'Lady,
I don't mean to make you uncomfortable. I just want to meet you to go over the jokes. Maybe over dinner and drinks? We can have it be a professional meeting?
Yours Always,
Adrien
Did he really think that was going to work? She responded quickly, her fingers flying over the keyboard.
Adrien,
I still don't think it would be a good idea. It would be good for us to just continue communicating over email.
-Ladybug
She took a deep breath, not knowing what he would respond with. She knew that it would likely be something cheesy. It always was when she directly turned him down.
M'Lady,
This song and dance is always fun, but it would be far more fun to actually dance with you and sweep you off your feet.
Yours,
Adrien
Marinette shook her head and quickly typed a response.
Adrien,
That is the exact opposite of professionalism. I am going to log off. I'll send you more jokes in the morning.
-Ladybug
She sighed, knowing that he would respond quickly and that she would read it before going to sleep. It was something that was happening with more and more frequency. She almost thought he was messing up the jokes on purpose.
M'Lady,
Goodnight my fair lady. Perhaps in the morning, you will change your mind and we could get some quiche. Let me know at any time. I am at your beck and call, M'Lady.
Yours,
Adrien
And there it was. However, Marinette refused to answer. She wouldn't email him again until morning when he would likely ask, again, if she was sure she didn't want to get quiche with him. At which time, she would again rebuff him. He was right, it was a fun song and dance and would be so long as she remained anonymous...behind her mask.