Chapter Nine: Cupid.

Most people think of cupids when they think of Valentine's Day. Though perhaps not quite like this.

Sunday 9th February 2020. 2.30 p.m. Adrien's room.

It had been a stupidly long morning for Adrien.

An early morning for fittings, styling and lighting tests, then an extra-long fencing class, followed by another round of fittings. He'd barely had time to eat even though that too had been meticulously scheduled for him.

He was free for the rest of the day now until dinner with his father, which Adrien assumed meant he would be eating alone again, but Nathalie had given him a long list of 'suggestions' as to how to occupy his time. Chinese practice, homework, and extra reading assignment. No doubt he would be quizzed later, tomorrow at the latest, to make sure he had done as suggested.

Adrien groaned as he entered his room. All he wanted was a nice long shower to soothe his aching muscles and then to have a nap. He would probably get around to doing those suggestions but right now he just wanted to rest.

Well, actually, what he really wanted was to suit up and go to see his wonderful girlfriend. They could curl up in her room, away from the rest of the world, and have plenty of kisses and cuddles. Marinette had been texting him all morning to keep his spirits up but she had gone silent a couple of hours ago. He was a little worried about that but he figured she must have got caught up with something. Sabrina's sleepover had been last night, and a roaring success by all accounts, so perhaps she was doing something with the girls.

Or perhaps she was coming to see him? Right now?

Adrien could only watch in stunned surprise as his red-clad girlfriend zipped through his open window and collapsed, face-first, on his sofa with a long, drawn-out groan. She sounded even worse than he felt.

He crossed the room to sit next to her, wincing when he saw she was radiating frustration. "Long day bugaboo?"

"I want to punch Rose."

Her voice was slightly muffled by the sofa cushions and for a moment he thought he had misunderstood her. But no, she had actually said she wanted to punch Rose. One of the sweetest people he had ever met. "What the hell happened today?"

Ladybug sighed and twisted her head slightly so she wasn't talking to the fabric. "Have you heard of the Kissing Cupid?"

"...no."

"Neither had I until today. I'm pretty sure Rose made it up."

That did sound exactly like something that Rose would make up if it didn't already exist. He slipped his hand into Ladybug's hair, noticing that one of her ribbons was missing white the other was loose and that her hair was slightly damp. She gave a happy hum as he started massaging the tension away. "So because she made up a Kissing Cupid - and I have no idea what that is - that makes you want to punch her?"

"Nope. It's what she did with it that makes me want to punch her."

"Which is?"

"The Kissing Cupid is like mistletoe - apparently. Couples have to kiss when they're near the Kissing Cupid, and it has to be the Kissing Cupid, not just any old cupid."

Adrien wondered just what the difference was but then decided not to ask. She was way too wound up by all this Kissing Cupid stuff. He could guess what had happened though. "I take it Rose decided to spread the love for Valentine's Day like she did with mistletoe at Christmas?"

"Right in one, hot stuff." Adrien was so glad that she was still face-down on the sofa so she wouldn't see how red that nickname made him. Ladybug sighed again. "We helped her cut out a load of paper cupids this morning before we left Sabrina's house and from her texts it all seemed like it was going okay. People were taking them, couples were happy, Rose was happy and so Juleka was happy too. But then she decided she needed a real Kissing Cupid too."

Adrien facepalmed. "Please don't tell me she dressed up as one."

"Not her."

"Juleka?"

"Nope."

"Alix?"

Ladybug finally lifted her head up off the sofa and scowled at him. "Do you really think that Alix would play a Kissing Cupid for Valentine's Day?"

Adrien could only think of one reason why she would, but even then it was a long-shot. "If it meant she could punch someone, then yeah she would."

"Oh, she punched someone alright." Ladybug grumbled. She shifted around a bit so she could rest her head on his lap, giving another happy hum when he resumed his scalp massage. "She nailed the Kissing Cupid right in his nose."

"Who was it?"

"Who else would do something that ridiculous?"

"Kim?"

"Ding, ding, ding, we have a winner!"

"Kim?" Adrien really hoped that he had been hearing things. It couldn't have been Kim!

"Yep, Kim." Ladybug huffed. "Hence my punching Rose plan, which I'm still very tempted to do, believe me, since she was the one who thought it would be brilliant to have Dark Cupid himself dress up as a gigantic cupid, complete with wings and a bow and arrow, and go around the city to spread the love."

"Oh my god."

Adrien covered his face with his free hand, almost tempted to join in on her punching-Rose plan. This was quite possibly the worst thing she could have done right now, in the middle of a city that was freaking out at the thought of another romance-themed akuma, she gets the very first one to cosplay as a cupid and go around pretending to shoot people with arrows?

"I was knitting at home when I heard the screams, and people were screaming, so I transformed straight away." Ladybug sighed, running a tired hand over her face. He didn't blame her. If he'd heard screaming like that he would have immediately transformed too. "I have spent the last two hours chasing a half naked Kim around the city, in the drizzle, trying to protect him from terrified citizens who think he's a Valentine's akuma - because to them, of course he is, because why else would someone go round in winter dressed like that, the temperature has barely scraped double digits all day yet he's there half naked - and everyone is on edge because we're all expecting another romance akuma any second now. That heartbroken one from yesterday doesn't count because we have plenty of those. So naturally they were in an attack-first-and-don't-ask-questions kind of mood and poor Kim could barely run fast enough. He got nailed with some tomatoes and almost got hit in the head by a tin of beans too. We ended up near Alix's house and while I was distracted trying to keep everyone else away from him, he had the bright idea to take shelter with Alix."

Adrien groaned in sympathy. His poor Lady, having to deal with all that. "And that's when she punched him, right?"

Ladybug nodded. "Out like a light. He's going to have a hell of a headache when he wakes up."

"It sounds like you have one right now." Ladybug just grunted in agreement. Adrien winced. His poor Lady. He slipped his arms under her, scooping her up and twisting so that they were both lay down on his sofa with him underneath her and her on top of him like a Ladybug blanket. "Good thing I know the purr-fect cure for that."

The second he started purring Ladybug melted against him. Adrien ran his hands up and down her back, feeling the tension melt out of her, glad that she was finally resting after that mess. She nuzzled against him in thanks and he chuckled.

"Good kitty," she murmured drowsily, right on the verge of sleep. Adrien let himself relax too. A nap with his girlfriend was just what he wanted after all. She tensed then and lifted her head enough to look at him. "Wait, I'm not supposed to be here. You're supposed to be alone."

"Unless you are needed for something elsewhere, you're going to stay here and rest with me, Lovebug. No one will be here for a few hours at least." Adrien smiled and bent down to kiss her nose. "I haven't seen my girlfriend all day, and I'm going to be seriously deprived of your company over the next week, so stay and cuddle."

Plagg suddenly appeared on the back of the sofa, grinning down at them. "I've got a stash of cookies in my hidden home, you know. And my Sweet responsible bug won't let either of you two be late for anything so relax and take five."

Ladybug chuckled and reached out to scratch Plagg behind an ear. "Since it's you, and you asked so nicely. Spots off!"

Tikki was freed with a whoop of delight and Plagg tackled her out of the air and whisked her away to his home. Adrien wove his fingers through Marinette hair and pulled her to him for a proper hello kiss. She settled against him with a happy sigh when they broke apart. "Rest now, Princess." Adrien started his purr up and closed his eyes, letting himself bask in the moment and enjoy holding Marinette to him. They were both very likely to fall asleep, but they had their kwami to wake them before they were needed anywhere.

Author's notes: The alternate title to this chapter is Aishoka attempts to write Ladrien. I sure hope it's okay.

Rose covered the school in mistletoe in All I Want For Christmas chapter 16. Plagg's hidden home is a nod to my Kwami Houses series, in which Plagg gets a purr-fectly suited home in Plagg's Mansion.

As always, I have not yet seen all of season 2 and none of season 3 of Miraculous Ladybug so consider this and AU if it disagrees with canon. But I will be catching up soon!

Replies to reviews:

SirDudeman28 - I think this is more common in Europe than the rest of the world, but yes, many students get a holiday somewhere in February. I looked up the Paris 2019/2020 school year online to use for this story. They break up on Saturday 8th February for their two week long Winter Holiday and return to school on Monday 24th February. Here in the UK we also have a holiday in February. My son finishes school for one week on Friday 14th and returns on Monday 24th, but my nieces and nephews finish on Friday 21st and return on Monday 2nd March.

SahloFolina25913 - I'm glad you like this story and I'm sorry to hear that you're not going to have the Valentine's Day you want this year. I hope that it will still be a nice day for you though and I'm sending a virtual hug your way.

yellow 14 - Marinette is probably resigned to the heart-attacks that Alya will give her by charging into danger. It probably won't stop her grousing about it though. Glad you liked it. Hope the weather is good where you are.

calerose - phew, glad you're all ok. That is quite a mish-mash of weather patterns. Glad you liked the Chloe redemption, there will be a little more of this to come.

CrystalKaouri - tbh, I don't think there's anyone in this fandom who doesn't want to strangle Gabriel. This is a fluff fic so they'll be getting a happy ending to this story, I can guarantee that. I'm glad you liked it and that you were willing to read it when you don't usually do things like this for Valentine's. I hope that your day on the 14th will be a good one however you wish to spend it and I'm sending a virtual hug your way.