The cool wind mussed Marinette's hair and she reached up to readjust her blue knitted hat. There were barely any leaves left to be strewn about, so the air howled through the mostly empty street. She shivered. Adrien, sitting next to her in the pedicab, moved fractionally closer. She took a sip of coffee and closed her eyes, savoring the warmth. Adrien cleared his throat and she looked at him.
"You know how I knew you were French?" he asked, completely out of nowhere. Marinette furrowed her brow, but he wouldn't let her answer: "Because Eiffel for you."
"What?" It was too early for his nonsense.
"You know, like the Eiffel tower? 'I fell for you' or Eiffel for you?" He bit his lip and looked at her. It was hard to tell whether he was trying to go for a joke or a pickup line. Either way, it failed. It wasn't funny, and it definitely wasn't charming or cute.
Adrien shifted nervously in his seat, no longer looking at her. Marinette brought her coffee closer to her face to warm up her numbing nose. "Can you be quiet until we get to school?"
Adrien slumped in his seat. "Oh, uh, yeah. Sure."
Marinette leaned back and closed her eyes, happy for a few minutes of rest before a surely exhausting handful of hours at school. Her seat dipped as they hit a pothole, and the driver grunted something which might have been an apology.
"Can I have some coffee?"
"You don't drink coffee," Marinette grumbled. She was tired, couldn't he see that? She didn't want to talk to him, and she definitely didn't want to share her precious caffeine with him. She glanced at his face. He looked so hopeful, almost like a child. Coffee was a gift to the world, and meant to be shared with everyone. He did look tired, and just because she hadn't seen him drink coffee unless he was around her didn't mean that he didn't drink it at home. Besides, he looked awfully anticipative. Wouldn't it be cruel to deny him? She sighed. He was taking her to school; she did owe him. She handed him the thermos, but snatched it back after it was clear he wasn't going to stop until she made him. "Don't drink it all." She wrapped her arms around the thermos protectively. Adrien laughed.
"I don't think anyone but you would even be able to."
They were silent for the rest of the trip to school.
...
Luka led Adrien to the garage. Their band, Toxic Jungle, practiced every other day in their drummer's house. There were four members: Luka Couffaine, the lead singer and guitarist; Godfrey Canard, the bassist; Lucas Coffin, the drummer; and now Adrien Agreste, the keyboardist. The band mainly performed original punk-rock songs, but they also covered quite a few Jagged Stone singles. When Adrien had confessed to Luka that he hadn't practiced very much since he'd given him the sheet music, Luka had just laughed. Typically no one practiced until they all met up. Apparently, that had been one of the previous keyboardist's pet-peeves, and one reason he'd ultimately quit the band.
"Guys, I found us a new keyboardist," Luka entered the room, swinging the guitar off his back and flopped on a chair. He lazily strummed the strings while Adrien met the other members of the band.
Godfrey was shorter than the rest of the bandmates. He had shoulder-length blonde hair with about an inch of brown regrowth near the roots. His eyes were rimmed with piercing black eyeliner, and he wore finger-less leather gloves with fake spikes at the knuckles. A few months ago, the confident set of Godfrey's jaw and edgy clothes might have made Adrien think that the boy was dangerous. Then, he'd seen true danger in the form of one Marinette Dupain-Cheng and her family, and Godfrey's little show almost seemed childish. He glared at Adrien and cracked his knuckles, obviously trying to assert his seniority. Adrien had to stamp down his urge to flick the boy's nose and laugh.
Lucas seemed more laid back. He wore a simple blue shirt and dark jeans. His short black hair had neon blue tips, but it was blended well into the rest of his hair. His eyes weren't as dark as Godfrey's, though he also wore a little eyeliner, and in general seemed much more friendly and open.
"How'd you guys meet?" Lucas asked.
"Oh, I was hanging out with some friends and we went to a music shop. Luka recognized my friend Marinette and they, uh, kind of started talking...I guess." Adrien wouldn't really call their exchange 'talking,' but Luka was right there, so what else was he supposed to say without potentially offending the guy?
Lucas looked a little surprised. "Marinette the ex?" Adrien nodded.
"You're friends with that Marinette?" Godfrey looked decidedly less neutral and more irritated by the mention of her. His expression made it clear that he didn't understand why Adrien would choose to be around her. "How? She's a total bitch."
"She's fun to be around," Adrien said, trying to defend her without arguing with Godfrey less than three minutes after they'd met. He wasn't afraid of him, but Adrien didn't want to cause any more turbulence to a band which had just lost a member.
"You guys should have seen her," Luka called from his corner. He strummed a strong chord on his guitar. "She was totally still into me. It would almost be embarrassing if I wasn't willing to take her back."
"So you're friends with Marinette, are you in her class?" Lucas asked casually. "Do you know a girl named Juleka?" Luka glanced up from his guitar and sent a look at Lucas. Adrien didn't know what that was about and he certainly didn't want to get into it.
"Oh, yeah. I sit right behind her, actually. How do you know her?"
A loud minor chord rang from Luka's chair. "She's my little sister." Adrien shouldn't have been as surprised as he was; they had the same last name, and now that he looked closer, they had similar styles. Still, it was hard to imagine the outgoing, creative Luka being Juleka's big brother. She'd always seemed so quiet and reserved. Granted, Adrien didn't know her that well, but he just couldn't imagine her jamming out and sharing her heartfelt songs with everyone like Luka did.
"And I'm a little into her." Lucas confessed. Luka looked a little uncomfortable with the idea of that, but didn't say anything. Lucas turned a hopeful look at Adrien: "Do a brother a favor and spread some good news about me?"
"Alright," Adrien agreed easily. He wasn't sure exactly what he'd say, or how much it would help, but he'd try.
"We should get started. My mom needs me back in a few hours to help with some chores or something." Luka stood and made his way to the sole microphone set up in the garage. He adjusted the height and looked at the rest of them: "Alright, let's start with a cover. Adrien, do you have the sheet music for A Little Lie?"
The band started and stopped every few minute. By the end of the two hour practice session, Adrien was sure he was playing worse than before.
...
Gabriel sighed as he went through more reports. More and more employees-talented employees-were leaving Agreste Industries for competing fashion houses. He understood, of course. They had better hours, better pay, and a more promising future (if the last year and seven months were any indication). He didn't begrudge them for leaving a company to which they really held no loyalty. He just wished they would stay. He needed the talent, he needed the visionaries, he needed...help.
Ever since his wife had disappeared, he'd been less and less inspired to create himself, which left the fate of Agreste Industries in the hands of his employees. And now his employees were leaving after more than four quarters of bleak finances. He shuffled through the papers again. He had forms to fill out and resignations to accept. It was heartbreaking work.
His phone dinged with an alarm. It was time for Adrien to have dinner. Gabriel stood and walked to the door, only to nearly run into Natalie. She simply stepped back and apologized, as unfazed by anything as ever. He smiled at her gently. At least he had her. Natalie had been his friend for years, since before he'd even met Emelie, and she'd been almost as close with Emelie as Gabriel had been. She'd been the maid of honor at his wedding, for Christ's sake. Sometimes it was nice to know that he had someone who missed Emelie as much as he did.
"Sir...Gabriel, where are you going?" Natalie asked. Gabriel looked at his watch.
"It's just past six-thirty. I haven't had dinner with my son in so long, I was going to join him." Gabriel moved around her and walked into the hallway.
"We've got news from one of our partners," Natalie said quietly. "It might be best if you responded to them now and had dinner with Adrien tomorrow."
Gabriel looked down the hallway. How long had it been since he'd even seen his son? He knew Adrien was safe-Natalie made sure of that, he knew. But knowing Adrien was safe was different than talking to him, seeing it for himself. He remembered the days when Adrien was still young, back when things were so easy and simple. Didn't he deserve a little of that now? Hadn't he had enough suffering? Couldn't he have thirty minutes with his son-the same son who was nearly an adult?
"Gabriel, they're threatening to stop funding Project Indigo."
Gabriel hesitated for a moment more. Then he turned and went right back to his desk. Natalie brought him dinner a few minutes later. He didn't go to bed until well-past midnight.
...
Adrien paused his piano practice and looked towards his bed. Plagg padded over and jumped on the mattress.
"Yup, you've got a text. The unimpressed one has summoned you to dinner."
Adrien pushed away from his piano and sighed. "Alright, I'll go. I think I've got the song down for the most part, anyway. The concert's a few days away, anyway, so I think I'll be fine."
Plagg snorted. "Compared to all the other pieces you've got in your repertoire, I'm pretty sure a few punk-pop songs will be easy."
Adrien ruffled Plagg's head, and he hissed up at his partner. Adrien laughed before slowly making his way to the dining room. Though she'd 'summoned' him, as Plagg put it, Natalie wasn't sitting at the table. Neither was his father. Shocking. He glanced out the window in the dining room. It wasn't snowing. It hadn't snowed since the Makara had showed up. But it was so cold the trees were freezing from the inside out, and frost lined the ground.
He sat down in front of the only plate at the table and slowly started eating. He should have brought his phone. He should have known no one would be there. He should have been too used to it to still feel hurt by the loneliness.
Gorilla stepped into the room with a glass of water. He placed it in front of Adrien. "They forgot to give this to you." Then he turned to leave.
"Wait," Adrien just barely held himself back from grabbing onto Gorilla's sleeve. "Can you sit with me?"
Never one to complain, Gorilla sat next to Adrien. He didn't say anything, and neither did Adrien, but it was enough. Just the company was enough.
...
Cat Noir waited patiently on her balcony as Marinette scrambled around her bedroom, throwing clothes under her bed or into the drawers of her closet. She threw off her dumb fuzzy socks and slipped on an over-sized hoodie. She couldn't believe she'd forgotten Cat Noir would be coming! This was a disaster!
Cat Noir knocked at the slightly opaque glass door which led to her balcony. He only looked like a vague black smudge through the door.
"You know, you could just come outside?" he offered. "I don't want to intrude in your room if you don't want me there."
He was so sweet, and so thoughtful. She used to gag at the idea of girls being attracted to guys who were like their dads, but it seemed to be true. The only person Marinette knew who was more wholesome than Cat Noir had proved himself to be was her own father, Tom Dupain. He was just as sweet as her dad, just as gentle, and just as nice. He respected her and her opinion, and he understood her jokes, he could figure out her moods, and he didn't get frustrated if she forgot he was coming to talk to her.
Before he'd proven to be such a douchebag, Luka had seemed the same way. It was almost funny, that Marinette had a type that was so her opposite.
Marinette threw the balcony door open and invited him in. She promised herself she would never go through this embarrassment again. She'd put their meetings on a calendar or something. She'd mark the date, and invite Alix over to clean her room or something. This would not happen again.
"So, any news?" Cat Noir asked. He followed her movements as she fidgeted in front of him, awkwardly moving to her couch and kicking away some clothes she hadn't noticed earlier.
"Nothing," she sighed. "Sorry. But they're still looking. My family is diligent, and they don't forget."
"If you trust them, I trust them," he nodded. Then he glanced around the room and walked to one of her picture-coated walls. "Why do you circle these?" He was staring at a cluster of Agreste designs.
"I don't understand them," Marinette flopped onto her lounge chair and huffed, staring once more at the circled designs. "Agreste Industries is a wildly successful fashion house, and they make millions of dollars every year. I used to really look forward to their magazines and all their collections coming out. But lately, they've been releasing more and more designs which I just...don't like."
Cat Noir shot her a confused look and she flopped back, genuinely frustrated, and it came out in her voice. "The colors are basic, the pieces are lackluster, I'd say the silhouettes are classic if I wanted to be nice. It's just...there's no imagination. It looks like pretty pictures of someone showing off their clothes after they've just learned to construct-uh, that means made-some garments. It's basic and boring, and I just don't understand how designs like this are making millions of dollars. So, I put them on my wall to try and see if I can tap into that energy."
Cat Noir stared at her for a second, and Marinette took a deep, calming breath. She was so tired, and getting worked up about a few boring, gray designs, wasn't going to help her with anything. A ripping sound snapped her eyes open. She watched as Cat Noir tore down the circled designs from her wall, mouth hanging open.
"What the heck are you doing" She hissed. She wouldn't lose her temper with him, especially not when her mom might overhear. "Put them back!"
"No," Cat Noir headed towards the balcony. She followed him, but he was too tall for her to grab the images back from him. She forced herself to be gentle with him-she didn't want to hurt him. But she also didn't want to repurchase those magazines and hunt the designs down again.
"This is not funny," she growled. "You're a hero, you can't go around stealing others' property, especially mine!" He crumpled them in his hands and she glared at him. "Are you serious? How am I supposed to be able to properly study the designs if you've ruined the image?"
He frowned at the papers in his hands. "There's nothing to understand here," he mumbled. "Look into Agreste's finances. You're not the only one who doesn't understand the designs. You're really talented, Marinette. Don't let some famous, rich, untalented people influence you. It'd be a real shame."
He swung away, magazine pages in hand. Marinette knew she should probably be angry at him for something-the principle of stealing or something. She couldn't bring herself to feel anything but extreme flattery. If Mei saw her now, she'd be laughing her ass off. The ever-irritable Marinette Dupain-Cheng, calmed by a few stolen papers and some nice words. If it wasn't so sweet, it would be pathetic.
...
"This is exclusive footage of the latest Makara attack! Once again, a huge thanks to everyone who takes the chance to snap pictures or take videos and send them to me. I really do appreciate it, and you made my job so much easier when I have all the pictures available to me. Tonight's footage is from a police officer fan who allowed me to post footage from their body cam. It's really cool to see how much Ladybug and Cat Noir have grown as partners. It's easy to see how much Cat Noir trusts Ladybug when he doesn't even freak out as the Akuma smacks his staff away when he's falling down the Makara's back. The easy chemistry between them, and how easily Ladybug swoops in to catch him? I swoon.
"As always, if you're reading this Ladybug or Cat Noir, thank you for your service, and good luck in your next battle!"
-Alya Cesaire
Author and Creator of the Ladyblog
"Is there something interesting out there, Mr. Kurtzberg?" Mrs. Mendeleiv narrowed her eyes at the only redhead in the room. "Something more interesting than my lecture?"
"Yeah, actually," Nathaniel answered. The whole class turned to look at him. There were only so many people brave enough to talk back to the science teacher, and he was easily the funniest of them. "Almost everything out there. There's some grass in front. I've been watching it grow. Interesting stuff."
Kim coughed out a laugh, but one glance at the unamused Max sitting next to him had Kim straight-faced again. Marinette gave Kim a sympathetic look, but he didn't even glance her way. She turned back to the worksheet in front of her. She hadn't been paying enough attention to fill it out herself, so she used Alya's as a reference.
"That's such a funny joke!" Mrs. Mendeleiv laughed. The class groaned; they all knew that tone of voice. Nathaniel was about to get in trouble again. "Why don't you tell that same joke to Mr. Damocles?" She stopped her fake laughter and glared at her student. "Principal's office. Now."
"I would," Nathaniel shrugged. "But I don't know where that is."
"You've been going every two weeks since school started," Mrs. Mendeleiv tapped her foot on the ground impatiently. "And you're telling me you forgot? Again?"
"Yeah," Nathaniel grinned at her, a perfect mask of innocence. "What can you do, am I right?"
Mrs. Mendeleiv sighed and walked to the door. "Follow me." Nathaniel got up, slowly packed his things, and sauntered to the door. He turned and winked at the class. Whatever anyone had to say about him, he was always willing to take some hits for the class.
The door closed and the class burst into loud conversation.
"Poor Nathaniel," Alya frowned. "He keeps getting in trouble."
Marinette scoffed and exchanged a glance with Nino. He shook his head and chuckled.
"Don't feel too bad for him," Nino said to Alya. "Mrs. Mendeleiv used to teach his dad and every time he pisses her off, he gets twenty bucks."
"Really?" Alya asked, shocked. She lowered her voice . "How old is she?"
"She keeps dying her hair and getting injections of botox, so we can't tell," Nino said, disappointed. "I've always wondered, though."
"Well, do you at least know what she did to his dad?" Alya now had that interested reporter look in her eyes.
"We're not totally sure," Marinette said. "But she definitely singled him out during her lectures and made him feel stupid, or something."
"Speak for yourself," A new voice popped up next to Marinette, and she rolled her eyes. "With enough money, you can figure anything out. Of course, a peasant like you wouldn't know that."
"Chloe," Alya greeted. "Do you know what Mrs. Mendeleiv did to Nathaniel's dad?" Two blondes stood in front of the desk: Chloe and Adrien. Chloe leaned her hip on the desk and faced Alya completely. From across the room, Sabrina sent the table a hurt look and tried to talk to Mylene. Marinette did her best to ignore Chloe and turned to Adrien instead. She didn't care about what happened to Mr. Kurtzberg, and she didn't want to overhear Chloe saying something which would piss her off. Besides, Adrien wasn't so bad.
"Adrien," she greeted. He turned to her with hopeful puppy eyes. Alix mumbled something to Nino behind her, and Nino snickered. Kim pulled them into conversation from behind them, and they started talking about Kim's upcoming swimming race against his cousin Ondine.
Adrien stepped away from Chloe, and towards Marinette. "Does this happen a lot?"
"Does what happen a lot?" Marinette asked, taking a sip of her almost empty thermos. She made a face. She was getting closer to the dregs, which was disappointing. Adrien gestured to the room around them. Juleka and Rose were hunched over a piece of paper together, speaking to each other quietly. Ivan timidly attempted to invite himself into Mylene and Sabrina's conversation. Lila was sitting in her desk, where Max had wandered and was now talking to her. Kim glanced at Max every once in a while, but did his best to stay focused on his conversation with Alix and Nino.
"Teachers leaving the class alone because they're afraid or annoyed?"
"Oh yeah," Marinette nodded. "All the time. They didn't used to, back when we were split up, but once they combined our classes together, we got to be too much for them so their patience and willpower runs out a lot faster than before."
"Do you think they'll get better about it?" Adrien looked worried. "By spring or something? It feels weird to be in school and not...learn." Marinette's lips quirked up of their own volition. He was such a goody-goody, it was adorable.
"I wouldn't hold my breath," Marinette said. "Max is too much of a smart-alec, Nathaniel's too much of a smart-ass, and Chloe's too much of a bitch for the teachers to stay sane for too long."
"Watch it, Dupain-Cheng," Chloe said without any heat behind her words.
"Right," Marinette nodded. "I meant Lila."
Chloe agreed and turned back to Alya.
"Anyway, are you free later?" Marinette looked at Adrien. "You've been letting me come to school with you lately, and I figure I might take you out to lunch or something to pay you back."
Adrien looked at her with bright eyes, expression open and shocked. He opened his mouth, a smile on his lips, but then something crossed over his eyes, and his face fell.
"I wish I could," he mumbled. "But I can't. I have a photo shoot later. I can't miss it. My dad might be-" he cut himself off and shook his head a little. "I just can't miss it." He looked up at her, eyes pleading. "Maybe another day? On Saturday or something?"
"Don't look at me like that," Marinette frowned. She would normally be fine with waiting a few days to see one of her friends, but there was something about Adrien's expression which seemed too...off for her to leave him in good conscience. "I'll just wait until your photo shoot is over, and we can do something after. Maybe I'll see some dumbass from Agreste Industries and see if they knew anything about my stolen designs."
"Yeah, you might find someone there," Adrien said kindly, but Marinette could tell he didn't think she would find anyone. She was about to snap at him not to patronize her when he poked her between her eyebrows.
"If you keep frowning like that, you'll get premature wrinkles."
She swatted his hand away, but took care not to frown again. "You sound like my mom."
"You know," he suggested, "You could wear one of your designs and get the photographer to take a professional picture. You could use it for your portfolio."
"That's actually a really good idea!" she said, surprised. Who knew, Agreste had a brain in that pretty blonde head of his.
"If you're going to the photo shoot, you'll see me posing in front of a photographer. Now, I'm no photographer, but I can see us together." Marinette stared at him. Nino winced and shrugged sympathetically. Adrien blinked a few times, obviously flustered now. "Wait, let me try that again! I'm no photographer, but I can picture us together!"
Marinette shook her head a little. He tried so hard and failed so miserably, it was almost a little endearing. She pulled him down next to her. She took out her phone and snapped a picture of both of them together. It was cute, but Adrien was obviously not ready for it. He was looking down at her, mouth open like he was about to say something, and he was a little blurry since he was catching his balance from being tugged down so suddenly. He was so tall that the top of Marinette's head only came up to his armpit. It was nice to be the good looking one in a picture with a professional model. She saved it to a new contact and handed him her phone.
"That can be your picture," she said, "Now give me your number."
"Wait, really?" A grin slowly overtook his face as he eagerly punched his number in her phone. He turned to Nino: "I told you it would work!"
"Pickup lines don't work," Marinette laughed, "But I need your number to find you later, in case I don't find you right away."
"Oh," Adrien looked conflicted, like he wasn't sure whether to be happy or disappointed. He evidently decided on happy. His mouth curved into an impish smile, and his eyes sparkled with patient delight. "Well, send me that picture and I'll save it as your contact image. I'm excited-this is the first time I'll have a picture of such a pretty girl on my phone."
...
Luka held the door open for the rest of his band. They all walked into the small restaurant, instantly surrounded by a reprieve from the increasingly cold Parisian air. There was a charming chatter throughout the establishment, and a team of waiters were bringing out trays of soups, sandwiches, and pasta out of the kitchen. It smelled delicious, and Adrien couldn't wait to eat. He didn't understand the look Lucas and Godfrey shared as they all sat down in the booth the waitress led them to. She took their drink orders and left them to decide what they wanted from the menu.
Luka swung his guitar around his shoulder and started strumming.
"Could you not?" Godfrey demanded. "Just once, could you leave it alone?"
"I wish I could," Luka hummed experimentally as his fingers danced across the neck of the guitar. "But when the spirit of music calls to you, you can't just ignore it."
"Tell it to leave a message," Lucas looked at the approaching waitress. "Tell it you're busy."
Luka was about to respond when the waitress stood in front of them, asking if they had chosen what they wanted. The table was silent, so Adrien cleared his throat and pointed to a pasta dish on the menu. Lucas and Godfrey followed his lead and ordered, but they kept glancing at Luka. Adrien quickly found out why.
Luka ran through a simple chord progression and closed his eyes. The waitress looked at him, confused. Lucas hid behind his menu and Godfrey glared across the table.
"Cold and dark,
is it in my heart,
or just the air outside?
A warmth inside,
maybe something liquid,
underground round,
liquid ground gold..."
Luka trailed off and opened his eyes. The waitress looked at him uncertainly.
"So, you want the potato soup?"
Luka strummed his guitar again and sang in agreement. The waitress shook her head and walked away from the table. The four of them sat at the table, talking about the upcoming concert with varying levels of excitement. Adrien told Lucas that he'd been trying to hype him up to Juleka, but it wasn't working as well as Lucas had thought it would. Lucas didn't mind. He said he'd wait forever if Juleka would just give him a chance-he'd always liked her. He liked how well she listened, and how creative and sweet she was. Lucas had been ready to continue on, but Godfrey looked bored and Luka kept strumming his guitar and humming along uncomfortably, so Lucas left it alone. Adrien and Godfrey people-watched while Lucas and Luka talked about the logistics of their concert.
Fifteen minutes passed, twenty minutes, thirty minutes. Luka looked around and waved over a waiter.
"Can I help you?"
Luka strummed angrily at his guitar and patrons turned to see where the noise was coming from.
"My stomach sounds like this," Luka said irritably as he picked an aggressive tune on the guitar, "But it feels like this!" There was silence. The waiter glanced at the three other boys at the table. Not one of them would meet his eyes. "It's empty." Luka explained. Adrien jumped in:
"We ordered about half an hour ago, so we were just wondering where our food was at?"
"Oh!" the waiter exclaimed. "Let me go check on that for you!" He was leaving before he'd finished speaking. Luka continued glumly plucking at his guitar until the food arrived. It was delicious, but Adrien was too embarrassed to actually savor his pasta. After splitting the bill and paying, the band mates left the restaurant.
Everything was bathed in an ombre of warm colors as the sun set. The days were getting shorter now, and so much colder. Since the Makara had started attacking, Paris hadn't seen any snow, but in the winters the streets were lined with a permanent frost. Adrien tugged his jacket closer to him and pulled his scarf up higher, so that it almost covered his nose. Luka walked ahead of them, but Adrien hung back with Lucas and Godfrey. The scenes at the cafe ran through his head like a broken tape. It was becoming more and more obvious why Marinette had broken up with Luka.
"Why..." Adrien paused. "Just why?"
"Don't ask, brother," Lucas shook his head. "Understanding isn't possible."
"Does he-"
"Every time," Godrey growled. "Every goddamn time."
...
Adrien walked to the kitchen. He stepped in, and all the chefs turned to look at him. A few scolded him and told him to leave, but he had a request.
"Could you make another plate of food?"
There was a second of complete stillness, like the kitchen couldn't comprehend the question. Adrien was about to repeat his request, but that proved unnecessary.
"A second plate?" someone called across the kitchen. "Do we have enough?"
"Don't look at me," A chef in front of Adrien crossed his arms and glared at the chef next to her. "I didn't know he'd ask for more!"
"Well, who was in charge of meat? We need another one on the fire, now!"
With a task now laid in front of them, the kitchen was buzzing with noise, and a flurry of movement. Adrien glanced behind him and grinned at the uncomfortable bodyguard standing in his shadow.
"See, I told you it was no trouble."
"You idiot!" the head chef yelled at a new line cook, face red. "We cook medium rare, never medium well! We do not kill the meat twice! Who hired you? Get out of my kitchen!" The line chef scampered out of the kitchen, with a few more experienced chefs telling him to be back the next morning, and that the head chef hadn't meant it.
"I'd not call this 'no trouble,'" Gorilla admitted. "But I'm looking forward to the beef wellington too much to complain now."
Adrien and Gorilla walked back to the table. Adrien chattered about his day, and how well his concert with Luka's band had gone. Gorilla had nodded in praise and approval. He'd even asked a few clarifying questions, which was clear progress. Adrien had kept the conversation up until Gorilla brought up Marinette, and noted that it was a bit difficult to see what Adrien liked about her. Adrien wasn't ashamed of how he felt about her, but it was a little awkward spilling his heart out to his usually taciturn bodyguard.
Adrien clammed up at that point, and Gorilla had made it a point of recalling every interaction between them he'd seen. It was at times like this that Adrien missed when Gorilla didn't speak at all.
...
"These are some pictures from the fight today! I love these types of pictures, where Ladybug or Cat Noir stays with the Akuma victims and talks to them, the most. It's hard to believe, but I was an Akuma victim once. After I was purified, Ladybug stayed and talked to me. She was the first high-profile person who deigned to take the time and answer all my questions. That talk with her inspired me to start the Ladyblog, actually! She's seriously kick-ass, as we all know, but it's nice to be reminded of her soft side, and that we can totally lean on her, like both the Akuma victim and Cat Noir are doing in this picture!
"As always, if you're reading this Ladybug or Cat Noir, thank you for your service, and good luck in your next battle!"
-Alya Cesaire
Author and Director of the Ladyblog
Marinette handed Adrien's driver a muffin. He grunted in thanks. She noticed he didn't talk much. At any other time of day, she would have thought him rude. This early in the morning, she appreciated his silence. She glanced at the gray skies above. Clouds had been hovering for a few days, and she was getting irritated waiting for the rain to come. She tugged her thick green jacket tighter around her. She climbed into the pedicab and sat next to Adrien, who was already munching on the croissant he'd bought. The driver started pedaling carefully; this was around the time people started to seriously slip and fall on the ice, and it was harder to see where the thick patches were on the road since the sun was starting to rise after school started.
She sat next to Adrien and unfolded the blanket her mom had packed for them, throwing it over their legs.
"Coffee?" she offered. He took a few sips wordlessly.
"I hate the taste of coffee," he confided. She snatched it away from him, as close to offended as she'd ever been in her life.
"Then why do you drink it?" she took a long sip, internally apologizing for all the ounces that had been wasted on Adrien's untalented, ungrateful, uncultured palate.
"This is going to sound dumb," Adrien warned. Marinette huffed, unwrapping her breakfast. "I like having a choice." Marinette didn't comment, so he continued. "I've had too much of my life decided for me already, it's nice to be able to choose something for myself, especially when it's something everyone else absolutely does not agree with."
"Well, if it's for a little teenage rebellion, I guess I'm fine with you drinking some of my coffee." Marinette took a bite of her muffin and immediately spat it out of the side of the pedicab. She pulled back inside of the covered pedicab.
"Woah," Adrien raised an eyebrow. "Was it poisoned?"
"Worse," Marinette glared at the muffin. "Raisins."
"Oh?" Adrien had that tone of voice which usually led to a lame pickup line. "You don't like raisins? Well what do you think of-"
"Of course I don't like raisins!" Marinette shoved the muffin back in the brown paper bag her mom had packed for her. "They're small and dry and they stick to your teeth, and they're not even their own fruit! They're just old, useless grapes which still need to be sold! How useless is that!"
"-dates," Adrien finished lamely. Marinette wasn't finished. He had brought the topic up, and she was going to let him know exactly what she thought.
"They might be fine when they're in cereal, but that's because they're rehydrated with milk. How stupid is that? You dehydrate a fruit, and the only time it's edible again is when you re-hydrate it!"
"Why are you so passionate about this?" Adrien sounded resigned. His driver chuckled a little in front of them both. She told him every single instance a raisin was acceptable, and when they weren't. That somehow got her to the topic of fruit jerky, and freeze-dried berries. By the time they reached the front of the school, Adrien's driver was shaking with laughter, and Adrien promised he'd never ask her about fruit ever again.
...
Gorilla sat at the dining table, waiting for him. Sometimes, that was all Adrien wanted. Sometimes, all he needed was the assurance that someone would be there for him for him to talk to.
...
Marinette smoothed her hair down and sat on a chair on her balcony. Goosebumps raised up and down her arms, and she pulled out a plush poncho to warm herself. She pulled out her phone and scrolled through the Ladyblog, trying to see anything new. Any minute now, Cat Noir would come for her bi-weekly report. And this time, she might just have something to report.
A black figure jumped from rooftop to rooftop in the distance. Her heart beat harder in her chest, and her face warmed a little. She tried to stop watching him as he came closer to her, but it was impossible to read whatever was on her phone.
Something heavy landed on her balcony, and Marinette jumped out of her chair.
"Hey there," Cat Noir grinned down at her. Looking at him now, after she'd shown him a part of her she'd never planned on showing anyone, after she'd seen the asshole in him, she felt even closer to him than she had ever before. It felt less like infatuation, and more like she had a right to like him as much as she did. Before, he had been so kind and patient, it felt like he could have anyone, and it would have been fine. Now, she knew what he was like when he was furious, and deep in her heart, she knew she was the only one who could deal with him when he was like that.
(Even deeper down she knew this wasn't true, but she usually chose not to think that much about it.)
"Cat Noir!" She smiled up at him. He looked oddly pleased about this, but Marinette didn't want to question it. She had news. "My family found something." That snapped him into business.
"They did?"
"A few of them went to the scene of the Makara attack a few days ago. The Makara left behind a few puddles of silvery substance, and the police didn't pick up the vacuum cleaner Ladybug had created. They couldn't get it to work, but they still tried to put it on top of the liquid, to see if maybe that could get it started or something. Nothing happened. The liquid didn't even stick to the vacuum. It was like it wasn't there. My cousins even touched the end of the vacuum-totally dry."
"So…?" Cat Noir looked at her like she had all the answers in the world. She would forever deny it, but she'd purposefully left her statement blank so he would ask her to explain, so he'd think she was intelligent.
"So, no one but the Miraculous holder can use the magic. And, the Miraculous will nullify the effects of the Makara's magic."
"If Ladybug could somehow create a giant tarp, we might be able to save the streets of Paris from now on," Cat Noir brainstormed. "Or at least some of it. And maybe she could make a mask, or goggles, and the advanced ones won't affect us anymore!"
"Maybe." Marinette didn't even want to think about making a tarp big enough to cover a couple of blocks of Parisian streets.
She'd quickly learned that the bigger the object she created, the harder it was on her body. If she made something which could transform, it felt like caterpillars crawled inside of her skull. If she created large objects, her fingertips felt like they were burning off. The largest thing she'd made so far was a net to catch an Akuma, and that had been like holding her fingers above a fireplace. She didn't see how it would be possible to create something as large as Cat Noir was imagining without burning off her fingers.
"I think this also means that you could use Cataclysm on anything the Makara leave on the city, and it might destroy it. You could get rid of Stress Street, and the silver puddles."
"You said nothing happened when Ladybug's Lucky Charm touched the puddles," Cat Noir pointed out. "What makes you think Cataclysm would do anything?"
Wayzz's words ran through her head. The Ladybug was designed for defense. Of course the Makara's attacks wouldn't affect her creations. The Black Cat was meant for attack; it would only make sense if his power could do damage to the Makara's products. But he didn't know what she knew.
"I don't know for sure," she said carefully, "But I think it would make sense. Ladybug couldn't find or destroy the Akuma's weak points, but you can. Why wouldn't you be able to get rid of the Makara's special abilities?"
"I guess I can try it," Cat Noir pursed his lips and looked out at the Parisian night. "Maybe tomorrow."
Marinette went and stood by him, leaning on the railing next to him. She would normally be cautious of the rusting old barrier, but she felt completely at ease with her partner next to her. She knew that if she fell, he'd be there for her. He wouldn't let her fall. She glanced at him. Too bad she'd already fallen.
"Since we've stopped using cars, the sky has looked beautiful," Marinette noted. She took a deep breath and shivered. The newspaper insisted that it was now spring, but the weather hadn't yet gotten the memo. She wrapped her arms around herself and studied the mottled colors in the sky.
She had once gone camping with her dad when her mom went to visit friends in Italy. They'd stayed up late and stargazed for hours. The sheer number of stars had astounded Marinette, as had the patchwork of colors in the sky. It hadn't been a simple indigo sky, but rather a tie-dye of pinks, purples, and blues. The varying brightness of the stars had illuminated the beauty of the sky even more, and it had all taken Marinette's breath away.
Paris's sky was nowhere near as magical as the sky in country, but after almost two years without cars, trucks, or busses, the air felt much cleaner, and there were more stars to see in the sky.
"Yeah," Cat Noir mumbled next to her. "You know, my mom once took me to the countryside. She had a business meeting there, and she took me along. She let me play all day while she worked. After night fell, I convinced her to stargaze with me. She actually lay next to me and told me a bunch of stories from when she was younger. It was one of the best memories I have with her."
They stayed out for a while longer, not talking about anything of real importance. Around ten, Cat Noir left, and Marinette went inside. Tikki tried to get her to sleep, but inspiration had struck. She worked for a few hours, until her back ached. Only then did she let Tikki guide her to her bed.
...
"Today's video is thanks to some cameras my friend Max Kante. He let me have some cameras and I've placed them all around the city so that we could have unique and totally exclusive images of the fights, the Makara, the Akuma, and, of course, our Parisian heroes! Sometimes the cameras allow us to get one of a kind pictures like the one in this collection of Ladybug posing like a real-life action figure as she jumps off the Makara. Other times, it gives us the hardship behind the fight, which we see in the image of Cat Noir getting slammed into the Makara's side by a particularly vicious Akuma. It should give us more appreciation of all the heroes do for us.
"In other news, Cat Noir seems to have figured out how to get rid of the remaining effects of the Makara. He's slowly been Cataclysming the fragrant weeds left behind by the Makara. He's slowly getting rid of Stress Street. Ladybug has also been making progress. A few of you noted that the heroes seem to flee the scene as soon as they use their power, but Ladybug seems to have powered through this and can now use Lucky Charm twice before leaving. She's been making incredibly large yoga-mats to cover both the silver puddles left behind by the Makara, as well as the acidic puddles left by the slimy, pink Akuma from a few months ago. I'm so proud of our heroes!
"As always, if you're reading this Ladybug or Cat Noir, thank you for your service, and good luck in your next battle!"
-Alya Cesaire
Author and Director of the Ladyblog
"I just saw the video! If Cat Noir ever wants to retire as a super hero, at least we know he has a career as a gardener guaranteed!"
-Guest
The winter chill permeated the air, and the frozen grass crunched beneath the class's feet. Breath puffed out of the studen'ts mouths, completely visible in the air. Everyone grumbled as they completed yet another circuit around the school. They passed a winter-struck garden. It was a beautiful mixture of barren branches and ice crystals. It was usually a source of inspiration for Marinette. Nature was the one muse which kept on giving. If she observed, she could always find new patterns, textures, or color-combinations she hadn't yet thought of. However, being forced to walk around her school when it was literally freezing outside tended to suck the enjoyment and beauty out of the scenery. Adrien trudged next to her. Max was complaining to Kim about Nathaniel's 'out of control behavior.'
"He's normally just a nuisance in class," Max huffed. "If he wants to waste his own academic life and leave class every day, that's his prerogative, but when his attitude affects all of his classmates, that is where I draw the line!"
Max continued to criticize him. Kim listened, but didn't say anything, whether in agreement or disagreement, about the matter. Marinette certainly didn't agree with him. If she wasn't trying to be extra nice to Max for Kim, she would have told him exactly what she thought-that it wasn't Nathaniel's fault that the witch had them walking around the school until they made a ditch. It wasn't Nathaniel's fault that she was punishing everyone for his actions. And it definitely wasn't Nathaniel's fault that Max had forgone wearing a hat, gloves, or a scarf that morning.
Marinette sped up, and Adrien followed, staying firmly by her side. They passed by Juleka, Nathaniel, and Alya.
"So, you started your ASMR channel as a dare?" Alya investigated.
"Well, yeah," Juleka mumbled. Nathaniel draped his arm over her shoulders.
"I'm glad she did," he said. "I love listening to her videos. So does Mylene. The keyboard one is my favorite-I listen to it while I draw."
"You know who else likes your ASMR channel?" Adrien piped up. Juleka jumped before turning to face him. "Lucas."
"Lucas Coffin?" Juleka questioned. Adrien nodded. She didn't say anything after that. Alya had turned her attention to the ever-talkative Nathaniel and was grilling him about his art: How had he started? What did he draw? Did he post his work online? Where?
Nathaniel answered eagerly, only too happy to have the attention his work deserved.
Adrien reached down and grabbed Marinette's thermos and took a few sips of coffee. He handed it back to her, and they continued circling the school.
"Hey, Marinette," she looked up at him. He was grinning down at her and she prepared her eyes to roll. "Do you know what my shirt's made out of?"
"Cotton," she said immediately. Adrien's face crumpled.
"...boyfriend material."
"Stop that. Drink more coffee." She handed him the thermos and he walked sullenly next to her as she trudged through the unbearably cold winter morning for another ten minutes. Every once in a while Adrien would tell Juleka something else about Lucas, but for the most part, the class walked in silence. It was too cold for more energy to be expected.
Eventually, Mr. Damocles flew out of the building-literally. A few days ago there had been an Akuma which was able to turn people into animal hybrids. Before she and Cat Noir had been able to purify the Akuma, it had transformed a few unfortunate people, including her principal. Now the man was permanently half owl. He'd never made the slightest indication that he was unhappy about his condition-in fact, he seemed to like it. Mr. Damocles swooped in front of the class and landed on a barren tree. He hooted at Mrs. Mendeleiv to bring the students back inside until she finally acquiesced.
...
Marinette had never been a curious person. She usually let people mind their own business and stayed out of it (or at least, she thought so). She tried not to ask too many questions about peoples' pasts, or families, or why they were having a bad day. She knew the importance of secrecy, and she didn't want to put someone in a position they had to lie. Sometimes, though, it was impossible to stay out of it. There were people in her life which she knew wouldn't fight for themselves, so when they were hurt, she stepped in, or asked if they needed her for something.
Nino was one such person; he was so easy-going and kind that he never wanted to stand up for himself in case it caused friction. Marinette was never one to fear a fight, so whenever she saw her childhood friend suffering at the hands of anyone, she stepped in and helped him out.
Kagami was another such person. For all that the girl was totally kick-ass, she was entirely too polite to put others in their place, especially her mother. So, Marinette took it upon herself to help her friend, and try to get Mrs. Tsurugi to see reason. (She'd been working on that for years, and she still hadn't gotten any results, but Marinette Dupain-Cheng was no quitter.)
She didn't have many other people to fight on the behalf of. Sometimes her friends talked to her about their problems, but that wasn't very common; they usually went to someone more level-headed and fair, like Alix or Nino. She never forced others to tell her their problems, she always let them come to her; it was a personal rule.
Climbing into Adrien's pedicab, seeing his down-turned face and absent minded finger-twiddling, she found herself breaking that rule.
"Are you ok?" she asked. She'd known him for a while, and she could comfortably call them friends, now, even if he kept trying out new pickup lines on her for whatever reason. He took her to school every morning and she gave him coffee and they talked in school and stuff and they had a surprising amount in common. She'd found herself opening up to him faster than she would have expected. He was nice and endearing and a little awkward at times, but he was a good person. And now it looked like he needed her to beat someone up for him. "If someone's giving you a problem, tell me. I'll take care of it for you."
Her mom would be proud. Three sentences and not a single glare.
"No, I'm fine," Adrien finally glanced away from the window of the covered pedicab to look at her. "It's just...the band broke up. Toxic Jungle, I mean."
Marinette paused. This didn't seem like bad news. It seemed like a great thing, actually. Why was he so sad, then? "And that's...bad?"
"Well," Adrien looked up, considering his words. "It was an interesting time. I finally got to play music I liked, and I could say I was in a band. Also, Luka kept talking about you. I heard a lot."
"Don't listen to anything that jack-ass said," Marinette snapped. "He's an asshole and didn't know me at all. If I never saw him again in my entire life, it'd be too soon."
"I spent a lot of time with him, Lucas, and Godfrey," Adrien said. "I totally understand now why you broke up with him. We went to a restaurant-"
"Oh no," Marinette groaned. "Did he sing out his order?"
"No, he seems to have evolved since you guys went out. He composed a verse for the dish he wanted and the waitress had to guess what he meant. And when it took too long for the food to arrive, he sang at the waiters." Adrien paused and leaned closer to her. "I don't think you understand, Marinette. I've had the craziest six weeks of my life. He sang at the waiters about being hungry. Not to them-at them. And he kept making me listen to how he thought I felt inside."
"So Godfrey got tired of it all and quit?" Marinette guessed. "I'm not surprised. He's been putting up with this bullshit for a year now. I'm actually shocked he lasted this long."
Adrien shook his head. "No, Lucas finally asked Juleka on a date and she said yes, so he quit, which made Godfrey quit, and I wasn't going to be left alone with Luka, so I quit, too." Adrien pulled the thermos from Marinette's hands and took a sad sip. "Still, it was interesting. I haven't had much chance to actually meet a lot of people, you know. My parents have always been really protective, and the only reason I was able to go to public high school now was because I enrolled myself before my dad could tell me 'no.' He constantly tells me what to do, and he doesn't even say it himself, he gets his personal assistant to do it. It was nice to have an activity I'd chosen for myself."
"Well, then come over to my house. You can be my personal model, and if you want to do something musical, play some atmospheric music at the bakery."
Adrien finally smiled at her. That was odd. She only just noticed that she really hadn't seen him that morose before. She liked it better when he had a smile stuck on his face. It made him light up, like he was literally glowing from the inside out. Without the smile, he looked dim and defeated and tired. It was really not his look.
She would tell him that her parents would be able to pay him, and what she wanted from a male model later in the day. Right then, she was content to sit back in comfortable silence.
...
Gabriel barely mustered up the energy to get up from his stiff office chair. He crossed the room and dropped onto the futon. It had replaced the sleek leather couch a few weeks ago. He pulled off his dress shoes, glasses, and suit jacket. He lay down. The second his head hit the cheap pillow, he was asleep.
Natalie walked into the room just as Gabriel's phone dinged to remind him to have dinner with Adrien. She turned it off, pulled a blanket over Gabriel, then shut the lights as she left.
...
"I found a website the other day," Gorilla said. It was becoming less shocking when Gorilla started conversations on his own. "It's called the Ladyblog. You should look it up, it's quite informative and easy to navigate. My niece showed it to me. I think you'd like it."
"Actually, my friend Alya is the one who runs the Ladyblog," Adrien said. "I didn't know you had a niece."
"Her name is Genevieve," Gorilla said. "I'll have to tell her that you know Alya Cesaire. She'll probably follow you around until you introduce her to your friend, then."
"I'm sure Alya would be more than happy to talk to one of her fans," Adrien encouraged. "And I wouldn't mind having her around. How old is she?"
"Almost nine," Gorilla shook his head in amusement. "She's obsessed with Ladybug. She says she wants to grow up to be just like her."
"Ladybug's alright," Adrien said noncommittally.
"Can you think of a better role model for a young girl?" Gorilla challenged. Then he rolled his eyes. "Other than your little girlfriend."
"She's not my girlfriend yet," Adrien argued. "And besides, how is Ladybug a good role model? She's a little…" Adrien trailed off. What exactly did he not like about his partner? She was always there for him, and she tried her best. She was rude and harsh, but she was usually just pumped full of adrenaline, and it wasn't like he was always a perfect gentleman when he was suited up. Sometimes she got in his way, and she stumbled or stuttered every once in a while, but she was human. He'd surely gotten in her way multiple times before, too. Why exactly did having her as a role model make him uncomfortable?
"A little?" Gorilla prompted. Adrien pursed his lips. She was too good at making him feel unnecessary.
"She's an unrealistic goal," Adrien finally said. "She's too powerful, and too reliable, and too good at what she does. Is that really such a good role model?"
"There's no better type," Gorilla said. "She's human, and she makes mistakes, I'm sure, but it sure is hard to point out when she's putting her life on the line for the good of Paris. She's a nice figure to look up to, especially when you're a young girl. Same with Cat Noir, of course, but Ladybug has been here longer."
"Right." Adrien continued to eat, and Gorilla let the subject go.
...
"This is for you," Marinette held out a bracelet to Cat Noir as soon as he landed. It was an almost complete circle, made completely out of sterling silver. It had taken forever to make. Marinette usually didn't work with jewelry, but when the inspiration struck, she had the materials to create what her imagination guided her to. "The constellation is Leo," she told him. "You're a cat, you know, so I thought it was fitting. Also, I'm a Leo. So, if you wear it, you can think of me."
She refused to be embarrassed. She absolutely refused.
Cat Noir took the bracelet from her, looking completely awed. "For me?" He looked up at her. "You're sure?"
"Of course I'm sure," Marinette led him inside. She didn't have any news for him, but she was hoping he'd have enough time to watch a movie with her, or at least let one run in the background as they talked. "I kept thinking about what you said last time, and I really wanted to make something for you which had to do with stars. So take it and say thank you."
"Thank you," Cat Noir said automatically. "Wait, you made this?"
"Of course," Marinette frowned at him. "I don't buy things anymore. It's never exactly what I want, and it's a waste of money. I make whatever I want to wear, and I make any presents I need for my friends, too."
"You're amazing," he said, slipping the bracelet on his wrist.
"It fits," Marinette grabbed his hand and studied the fit of it, pleased. She hopped up onto her bed and patted the empty space next to her. Cat Noir obliged and sat next to her. He asked if they could watch an action movie he'd recently heard about. When she questioned him about it, he admitted that he wasn't very interested in the idea, but he knew she probably would be, so he wanted to watch with her.
She rented the movie and they watched it in companionable silence. Every once in a while, Marinette would laugh at some ridiculous action sequence, or Cat Noir would grouse about the lack of emotional buildup in the plot.
The two hours were over too quickly, and he had to leave. He promised to be back in two weeks and he was off. Marinette noted the upcoming date in her new desk planner.
...
"I think these pictures speak for themselves, but can I just say? Ladybug is my idol.
"As always, if you're reading this Ladybug or Cat Noir, thank you for your service, and good luck in your next battle!"
-Alya Cesaire
Author and Director of the Ladyblog
