one. misplaced blame

.

i can't tell you how piercingly and endlessly i think about you

.

.

.

ADRIEN COULD KISS ALYA. HONESTLY, if it didn't ruin his chances with Marinette, he would've gotten down on one knee the moment he saw what the blogger had been able to accomplish.

When he'd been told this morning that he would have to do another photoshoot at the start of his weekend, Adrien shouldered it like any child who's been modelling since he was seven years old and was desperate for his father's love and affection. It clashed with his plans with Nino, so rather regretfully, Adrien had to wave those plans goodbye with a very apologetic text.

Adrien doesn't know how it got back to Alya, but within a mere week of knowing the girl, he doubts even Hawkmoth could stop her once she puts her mind to something. Like figuring out within a day that Adrien had a crush on her best friend.

As soon as Marinette stepped into the park, all of Adrien's senses were on high alert. The photographer had to snap at him multiple times to gain the attention of Adrien's wandering eyes but how could they not whenever he caught the wind of Marinette's sweet giggle, the shine of her ink-black hair in the sun, the heartstopping glance of that breathtaking smile?

Honestly, it's all Marinette's fault.

And it's Marinette's fault when Adrien sneaks a glance again, catching Marinette's eye this time and he nearly topples off the fountain ledge he's been artfully lounging on and only waves back on the politeness grained into him, causing the photographer to let out a frightfully-animalistic growl as he snaps his fingers sharply, rerouting Adrien's attention back to him.

It doesn't help that there's boredom cloying at his eyelids, hooding them over his verdant irises. No matter how many photoshoots Adrien does, they'll never stop being repetitive. It's when the photographer snaps a picture of Adrien in the middle of a yawn that he finally snaps.

Adrien does have to applaud the photographer. Even one of his father's more professional photographers would've snapped a lot sooner.

"No, no, no!" the man sighs, clapping a hand over his eyes like it could erase the image of Adrien's simple boredom, "The boy has eaten too much spaghetti! We need some more energy. We need some romance. We need . . . a girl!"

That wakes Adrien up.

Please, please, please let it be Marinette, Adrien prays silently with a fervour even the Pope couldn't match. Never let it be said that Adrien wasn't an absolute slut when it came to Marinette.

But maybe God's holding a grudge about Adrien sprinting about in a skintight catsuit because before Adrien can get a word in edgewise, the photographer's bolting towards an innocent Alya, lounging against a nearby tree. "You! I need an extra!"

"Who? Me?" Adrien's trying to get Alya's attention as subtly as possible ( at least without flapping his arms about like a crazy person ) while simultaneously trying to convey that she should really get Marinette over here as quickly as possible.

"Si!" The photographer replies with glee, "To pose with M. Adrien!"

For a brief moment, Alya's hazel eyes duck to Adrien and maybe she's a mind reader, or Adrien's just that desperate, because judging by the downright evil grin that flits over her face for a mere moment, she's gotten the gist.

( Adrien will do a thousand interviews for Alya's Ladyblog. A million. )

Alya leaps to her feet. "You don't want me! I'm, uh, having an allergic reaction to this apple!" Alya slings said apple away from her, speaking past her tongue. The photographer's really too stunned to question it. "I know just the person you need! Hold that thought!"

Like a guardian angel, Alya sprints across the park, racing towards Marinette at the carousel, climbing onto one of the horses with a small girl in tow. Adrien can't stop himself from bouncing on the balls of his feet, craning his neck to see the conversation he can't hear.

He eyes Marinette's hesitant face, heart hammering in his chest, shoving his hands into the pockets of his jeans to disguise the clamminess shining brightly on his palms. It's probably only ten seconds, but it feels like an age before Marinette's eyes ( bluebells and jewels and late mornings ) roll playfully, sliding off the horse and allowing Alya to take her place.

Marinette's blinding smile as she jogs towards Adrien nearly knocks him flat on his arse. It feels like every step Marinette takes towards him is one step closer to the future they'll inevitably share together, but the heavenly dream is ruptured by a blast of ice-cold wind.

Adrien can only stare at the carousel, now ensconced in a dome of ice, the light bouncing off of the fragmented frost in searing rays.

It takes a moment for everyone to register what's happened, but in the next, they're moving, a hurricane of havoc as they flee from the akuma.

Adrien's gaze flutters over the havoc, attempting to pinpoint Marinette, even though she was nowhere near the radius of the dome. And he finds her, his eyes rooting her out with ease. She's sprinting for the trees, likely hoping to recover any lost belongings she'd left behind.

Adrien's tempted to call out to her, to tell her to run, but as long as she stays out of the way of the akuma, there's really nothing Adrien can do. With a resigned sigh, the model shoots for the mound of belongings they'd left nearby, resting in the shade of the abnormally hot September day.

Diving for his bag, Adrien tears open the flap, expecting to find his gluttonous kwami either munching away at the camembert he'd put in or sleeping it off. It's empty and Adrien's starting to get the feeling that he should be getting used to this. Plagg looks cute, but that's the only cute thing about him. "Plagg! Plagg?"

"I'm not here, I'm sleeping," his kwami replies in a sing-song tone, obviously delighting in Adrien's frustration. Luckily, in the short week since Adrien's first met Plagg, he's uncovered Plagg's mortal weakness. Holding up a slice of camembert, it only takes a mere heartbeat before Plagg's zipping in front of Adrien, snatching the cheese from Adrien's fingertips with more strength than anyone of Plagg's miniature size should have.

Noticing Adrien's smug face, Plagg sniffs, "For your information, I can smell camembert in my sleep. It's only one of my many talents."

Like swallowing a whole wheel of camembert whole. "Great. But there's no time to talk cheese. Plagg, claws out!"

Plagg's enraged squeal will haunt Adrien's very pleasant dreams.

.

.

.

THE DAY HAD STARTED OUT . . . fine, Marinette supposes. Manon, as adorable as she is, is undeniably draining, now more so than ever with Marinette's added responsibilities as Ladybug as well as her late nights conspiring on how to confess to Chat Noir.

As the day progressed and Alya swooped in like a guardian angel and managed to calm Manon down in a way Marinette never could, the day was starting to perk up a little. Meeting Adrien in the park was a bonus too, even if his photographer was being a bit snappish with him.

Marinette was excited to join in on the photoshoot, she won't lie, even though she really aspires to be behind the camera instead of in front of it. Ever since the misunderstanding between her and Adrien had been cleared up, she'd been dying to look after the sunshine boy as reparations.

Even if he was a bit of a flirt.

The flirting made Marinette laugh; Adrien was far too pure and innocent for Marinette to consider it to be anything more than a joke and like Adrien said that stormy night, he didn't have any friends ( apart from Chloe, ugh ). Marinette was willing to give him some wriggle room to help him settle in and if that way was some harmless flirting, she wasn't gonna complain.

But Marinette's day had taken a drastic turn for the worse when an akuma struck, encasing Alya and Manon in frigid ice. As soon as Marinette realised what was happening, she'd raced for a bench tucked away behind trees and transformed immediately.

It's not the first time she's transformed, but it still feels just as new, as exciting, as invigorating.

( Okay – maybe some of it's just about seeing Chat Noir again. )

Marinette – Ladybug – shakes off the thought, vaulting from her hiding spot into the open, bolting for the ice-encased carousel.

"Oh, why did I leave Manon?" Ladybug frets, guilt charring a hole in her stomach, "I should have never done that!" Spotting Alya inside the dome, practically wearing Manon as a coat, some of the guilt-laced acid in her stomach dies away. "No. Alya's right. She's in good hands. I must trust her."

Ladybug cups her hands around her mouth, yelling out, "I'll get you out of there!"

With Alya's confirming nod, Ladybug tosses her yoyo at the dome and the wire wraps around it with ease. "Let's wire-cut this icy cake!"

When Ladybug yanks at the wire, she expects the ice dome to crack and splinter under the force, but all that happens is the wire slipping off the top of the dome, leaving the dome without even a scratch. The superhero's too shocked to realise her yoyo's gonna bounce off her skull until it's too late.

"Or not. Onto Plan B." Ladybug races forwards, pressing her hands against the frigid ice, looking down at a frowning Manon. "Don't worry. Everything's gonna be okay."

"Where is Marinette?" Manon's question is muffled, but Ladybug can make out enough of it that it twists at her hurt. Ladybug crouches down to better look Manon in the eyes: another attempt at comfort.

"She hasn't forgotten about you, Manon."

Manon's golden eyes widen. "How did you know my name?"

"Uh, Marinette told me!" Ladybug giggles shrilly, "She's coming right back, okay?"

Manon nods after a moment's hesitation and Alya ducks down, placing her hands over Manon's shoulders, giving Ladybug the thumbs up. Slightly more relieved, Ladybug makes her exit with a flick of the wrist, soaring in the air and leaving two admiring fans behind.

Her eyes are sharp, seeking out the akuma; instead, she spots a caterwauling Chat Noir sailing through the air. Just the sight of him has Ladybug's heart faltering in her chest and she can feel her tongue becoming heavy in her mouth, weighted down by the raw strength of emotion she feels for him.

Vaulting towards him, no amount of pep-talks could prepare Ladybug to actually meet with Chat Noir again, even if she did have a week to prepare herself. She jogs forwards, blush already rushing to her cheeks as she approaches the sprawled-out Chat Noir.

"I-I thought cats always landed on their feet," she quips, heavy tongue tripping over her words. Ladybug thanks whatever deities exist ( does Tikki count? ) for the confidence imbued in her whenever she wears her mask. If she didn't have that confidence, there's a very high chance Ladybug would be nothing more than a stuttering, bumbling mess of lovesick goo in Chat Noir's presence.

She holds out her hand and nearly faints as Chat takes her hand. The butterflies that zip through her nearly bring her to her knees, but Ladybug staves them off as she pulls Chat to his feet, a giddy smile painted across her features.

"Why, thanks, m'ladybug," the black cat responds and Marinette will squeal about the nickname with Tikki later, "but I had it covered."

His hand slips out of Ladybug's and she could've cried at the loss of the warm, sure weight, but she holds it back. "Well, it didn't look like it me to – I mean! It didn't look like it to me. Yeah, that's what I meant."

Her nervous giggle dies away as the akuma appears, dressed in deep purple and vivid white, umbrella in hand. Her face is creased into something malicious. "We should be expecting lightning storms like, right now!"

She thrusts her umbrella into the air with an evil cackle, lightning coalescing at the tip, bolting into the air. Ladybug gasps at the sight of the clouds merging into one, darkening to a ominous grey as the sun disappears behind them, the clouds rolling out across the sky, thundering threateningly.

A streak of lightning lashes to the ground and it's pure instinct that has Ladybug crashing into Chat, knocking him clear of the hit. The pair go rolling across the road, victim to Ladybug's superstrength that she still needs to get a grip on.

The sight of Chat above her is all her teenage dreams come true and if the damn akuma hadn't been there, Ladybug would've been perfectly content to remain here for as long as she could. The truth of it blazes across her cheeks and widens her eyes, her jaw unhinging slightly.

( It's not her fault how her brain short circuits. )

Chat doesn't seem to be as affected, eyes pinned on the approaching akuma. His belt-tail lashes in agitation and he leaps to his feet. "You've just won yourself a catfight."

Ladybug somehow manages to scramble to her feet on trembling legs that feel little more than jelly, watching on as Chat charges. The akuma takes on a smug smirk. "Black ice."

Ice coats the ground beneath Ladybug like a second skin, crawling under her feet in a way that makes her shiver. Wisely, she doesn't move. Falling flat on her arse isn't something she's looking forward to.

A blast of harsh, frigid wind whips against Ladybug, pushing her back. In front of her, Chat wails in fright as he's blown off his feet.

Spying the lamppost nearby, Ladybug whips out her yoyo, the wire wrapping tightly around the pole. Clutching tightly, Ladybug fights against the wind as it yanks at her feet, grabbing onto Chat's tail as he sails past. Thank God for the superstrength because she doesn't think she would've been able to hang on otherwise.

The wind halts abruptly and bothe superheroes plummet to the ground. Ladybug groans at the ache, hauling her head up to spy the akuma turning away with a pleased smirk, a small tornado building at her feet.

"Chat, c'mon," Ladybug encourages, picking herself up. Her partner groans before righting himself, shaking his head reminiscent of a dog. It's unbearable how adorable it is. Biting down on the urge to squeal, Ladybug chases after the akuma, Chat hot on her heels.

It doesn't take long to find the akuma – only a street away. She hasn't noticed the crime-fighting duo yet, intoxicated in the havoc she wreaks.

"A little Chat Noir will take the wind out of her sails."

Her partner ( why does that sound so good? ) pounces, mind too caught up in the fight to think straight. Ladybug lashes out, instinct pouring through her, snatching up Chat's belt-tail and yanking. Chat halts abruptly with a yowl.

"Easy, tiger," Ladybug giggles, "You better think before you leap."

Gently, Ladybug releases Chat's tail and with playful grumpiness, Chat cradles his abused tail in his hands and for a moment, Ladybug's terrified that she's accidentally hurt the love of her life, but she tames it with the ease of which she sees through his facade. It thrills her how easy it is to see the truth – entrenches her conviction deeper that they are made for one another.

"You got a plan?" Chat replies, a challenging crook to his masked brow.

"Just follow my lead," Ladybug chirps, eager to prove herself; eager to prove that she's not clumsy, klutzy Marinette Dupain-Cheng, but confident, assured Ladybug.

( She's never been one to fall prey to male validation; she just craves his attention like a drug addict craves his next fix. )

Ladybug sprints for the row of clustered buildings, racing up the sides, her feet gripping to the walls. It's thrilling what she can do – now unrestricted by laws of physics ( bleh ) and simple common sense.

It only takes Chat a second to catch on, sprinting to the other side of the street and charging across the wall. She spies the black oblivion of his suit in the corner of her eye and it's like she can't take her eyes off him, not even for a second. And if she did, what a tragedy it would be.

Simultaneously, the duo leap at the akuma with war cries, who pivots with frightening speed, ugly sneer painted across her blue-tinted face. "Not you again!"

Umbrella thrusted at them, the duo are pushed away by a harsh wind, sending them and a cluster of cars across streets. Ladybug can't help the cry that claws free of her throat, echoed by Chat's own scream, the pair thankfully land with ease.

Ladybug can't even think about asking if Chat's okay before she has to dodge a car, vaulting to the side. Then, it becomes an interesting game of parkour as she ducks, dodges and hurdles over a variety of vehicles. Heart thundering, blood roaring, Ladybug's barely caught her breath before she spots a bus hurtling at them through the air.

If Ladybug had any idea what she was doing, she might not have done, or at least abruptly let go of Chat. Instead, she's deep in the waters of fight mode, collaring Chat with her arm and yanking him against her until there's not even a hairsbreadth of space between them. Her yoyo whips out in front of her, spinning into a shield and Ladybug hopes and prays for the best.

( She really doesn't want crushed flat by flying bus written on her gravestone, thanks. )

It's only when her yoyo saws through the side of the bus, depositing her and Chat inside the bus safely with no major injuries does Ladybug finally relax. And breathe in citrus-scented shampoo.

Her body goes rigid and her heart threatens to burst out of her chest for an entirely new reason. With a strangled noise, face so scarlet it could put her suit to shame and flailing limbs, Ladybug shoves Chat away from her, her body burning from his touch.

Holy shit, she thinks in a green-tinged haze, I just hugged Chat Noir.

She only sinks further into her embarrassment when her push sends Chat careening into the side of the bus and he grunts as he slides down the side of the bus, clearly dazed.

Ladybug squeaks, yoyo littered at her feet as she tries to wrap her tongue around an apology, but of course, it doesn't exactly go to plan. "I sorry you! I mean – push you no? Ahh! Okay are hurt you?"

No matter how many times Ladybug means to say 'I'm sorry, I didn't mean to push you. Are you okay?', her tongue refuses to curl around the words correctly, heady with the taste of Chat's touch.

Chat rubs his head with a groan and the crooked smile that dances on his peach lips ( ha! She knew Tikki was wrong about the colour! ) is breathtaking and Ladybug sorely wishes that it would be socially acceptable of her to take a picture so she could look at the smile even after it's gone even as the sight of it makes her thoughts vanish into nothing more: hehe, pretty.

"It's fine, bug," Chat responds, "Just be a little more gentle next time? I've only got nine lives after all."

Ladybug thinks she might love him more for his ability to put her at ease. If only slightly. The vivid flush dies down just a tad as she yanks her thoughts away from that pretty, pretty smile and pretty, pretty words and gears it towards getting out of the bus.

Thank God all it takes is opening a window and Chat's baton. Her mind is still half-mush.

"Maybe she's got some unresolved anger issues," Ladybug ponders, using the akuma as an excuse to retain her mental faculties.

"Or she didn't pass her driving test," Chat comments as the pair bolt down the street, running in the general direction they'd been flung by the akuma. They come to an abrupt stop as a chilling voice resounds.

"Hello, viewers."

Ladybug snaps towards the screen to her side, cracked into shards with fragments missing from the middle of the screen. The akuma's wickedly gleeful face grins from the screen. "Here's the latest forecast for this first day of summer. Looks like Mother Nature had a change in plans. Summer vacation is officially over!"

"Already?" Chat quips with a cheeky grin, "But I look so good in a swimsuit."

. . .

Ladybug's mind goes blank.

.

.

.

IT TAKES LONGER THAN LADYBUG would like to admit for her to regain some semblance of thought ( because Mon Dieu: the idea of Chat in a swimsuit ) before she fumbles through an explanation of the akuma camping out at TVi's headquarters.

Luckily, the journey over to TVi's headquarters gives Ladybug a chance to truly recover from Chat's words ( as well as mentally store the thought for later ). The two burst into the empty tower, chaos reigning indomitable with upturned furniture and smashed screens, all of which displays the akuma's smirking face.

"Hey!" Chat calls, bringing the pair to a halt. His green, green eyes are planted on a cardboard cutout – probably the only untouched object – of a smiling blonde girl wearing a blue sundress, a blue-and-yellow parasol thrown over her shoulder, "That girl reminds of someone."

I'm gonna vote for Mireille!

"It's her!" Ladybug realises with a gasp, eyes shifting to the image of the giggling akuma, "The akuma must be in her parasol."

The pair don't waste any time, bolting for the stairs. They race up the stairwell, hearts thundering, checking the studios on each floor before they finally find the right one on the uppermost floor. The akuma cackles on the screen beside the doors. "In Stormy Weather's world, it's winter wonderland forever!"

The duo march backwards, pausing for only a second before charging at the doors, bursting through into an empty studio. Instantly, their eyes pin on the small television laid out on the floor, portraying Stormy Weather's giggling self.

"It's a recording," Ladybug says, eyebrows chasing her hairline. An evil cackle sounds and her and her partner's head whip to the side where Stormy Weather laughs, an irritating smugness displayed in her eyes. She gives no warning as she foists her umbrella in the air, a shock of electricity sprouting from the tip and landing on the lights above.

Ladybug dodges, skidding across the floor when the room's abruptly plunged into darkness. Stormy Weather giggles once more, but Ladybug struggles to pinpoint exactly where with her new handicap.

"Frosty the Snowgirl's getting away," Chat says and Ladybug grumbles inwardly at the obvious conclusion that her partner has night vision. Why didn't she get night vision? Ladybug picks herself up, hands spread out in front of her and marches forwards. Surprisingly, her hands don't stop her from tripping over one of the lights, "Do I hear a damsel in distress?"

"S-Some of us don't have night vision." Ladybug gasps as she feels Chat's hand clamp down on her wrist, dragging her to her feet and pulling her behind him.

"C-Chat!" Ladybug squeaks with a distinct feeling that her blush right now could be seen regardless of Chat's night vision.

The aforementioned cat chuckles, "No need to bug out. Just trust me."

I do, sits on her tongue. More than you think.

Chat yanks her down the corridor with surprising force, the atmospheric music of Stormy Weather's giggling doing nothing to calm Ladybug's nerves. Chat's touch both incenses and calms Ladybug's nerves in a maddening paradox. This is the boy she trusts with her life; this is the boy she's head over heels in love with.

He drags her up a flight of stairs, his breath heavy and harsh, pierced by a sharp, panicked cry of "Duck!". Ladybug follows his command on instinct, practically flattening herself to the ground as the echo of something metallic and likely heavy reverberates in the stairwell.

Chat snatches up Ladybug's wrist again, yanking her up the final flight of stairs before they burst onto the rooftop, a storm whipping and lashing around them, Stormy Weather the eye of it all, cackling like all her Christmases have come at once.

( Ladybug will later realise that Chat's grip had slid down from her wrist to her hand and for a few marvellous moments, he'd still been clutching to it wonderfully tightly. And she will scream. Loudly. )

"You airheads," Stormy Weather hisses in glee, "You fell right into my trap."

With a wave of her umbrella, the clouds swirl above Stormy Weather, condensing into a fierce hurricane that lashes against Ladybug's suit.

"There's no way out! Party's over, fools."

Ladybug's hand slides out of Chat's grip all too easily as she faces Stormy Weather with a snarl. "We're just getting started!" Without hesitation, Ladybug summons her lucky charm in a burst of warmth and pink, a polka-dotted towel landing in her awaiting hands.

"A bath towel?" Ladybug splutters, brows creased at the perplexing sight of it, "What am I supposed to do with this?"

Chat intones drily, "Great. So, we're about to be obliterated, but at least we'll be dry."

"Just hold your whiskers," Ladybug replies, eyes fixed on Stormy Weather. As much as she'd like it to be, this isn't the time to get moon-eyed over Chat.

"Hale!"

At Stormy Weather's command, a showering of hale plummets from the sky and Ladybug does not squeak as Chat yanks her to her knees in front of him by her wrist, protecting them from the downpour with the swift turn of his baton. "So, what's the plan for getting the akuma back? My arm's starting to get a cramp!"

Ladybug blinks and the world is drenched in monotone grey, making it so much easier to notice the highlighted objects required for her plan: a pipe, a beam, another pipe, the towel and a billboard.

With a pleased beam, Ladybug turns to Chat, jabbing an eager finger at the billboard. "See that sign over there? Check it out."

There's no hesitation as understanding gleams in Chat's green, green eyes and perhaps it's pathetic how much it thrills her, but not even her parents understand her as easily and as swiftly as Chat does

"Alright," Chat responds, "Cataclysm!"

The baton is sheathed and Chat directs a smirk at Stormy Weather. "Hey, Coldie Locks – is that all you got?"

Chat doesn't wait as he begins to run, fist clenched over his Cataclysm. Ladybug watches in wonder as Chat dodges Stormy Weather's enraged blasts with feline grace, vaulting over the billboard, sliding across the beam under his feet as his hand drags across the supporting beams.

With a shriek of a creak and a moan of a groan, the billboard topples back and Ladybug uses Stormy Weather's distraction to wind the yoyo wire around the akuma's ankle. Stormy Weather blasts a hole through the billboard, soaring through it as the billboard leans over the fans, knocking down a pipe.

Ladybug twists, sliding under a pipe, leaping over the revealed fan, towel clenched between her two hands. The towel catches and Ladybug's soaring in the air, dragging a screaming Stormy Weather down. The umbrella is knocked out of her hands, caught in the gale of the winds.

Chat, also sent flying by the storm, catches the umbrella, slinging it with a powerful throw towards Ladybug. Ladybug releases her grip on the towel, sinking back to the ground. She lands with a thud, Stormy Weather sprawled out ungracefully on the billboard displaying her own face, hand reaching out to catch the umbrella.

It snaps over her knee, akuma fluttering desperately in the wind. A heartbeat passes and then the akuma's caught in the yoyo, released into the calm air the next. The lucky charm is thrown, the trigger words yelled, the cure racing across Paris to return it to its sunny September day.

It's a miracle, really, but to Ladybug, nothing could beat Chat's wide smile, those shining eyes.

Love me, love me, love me, her heart sings. Please, please, please.

( And the universe sighs. )

.

.

.

I'm surprised I finished this chapter this quickly. Please don't expect constant updates like these. You'll only be disappointed.

And I still have no idea where I'm going with this. Apparently, there's gonna be 12 seasons of MLB, and no matter how much I love the show, I am not rewriting 12 whole seasons. The absolute max is only the first four and that is a big if. Honestly, I might just finish off S1 if I'm doing a full re-write, diverge from canon and do a reveal and call it quits. Or I might just pick and choose my fav episodes. It's all up in the air currently.