start notes—

Chat Noir has expressive wings, and Marinette can't quite get enough of it.

my tellonym: milkisande

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wings

look over your shoulder,
there's an angel in the wings.

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"I know you have a habit of falling, but I thought that was only limited to me?"

It's a corny joke, and a terrible pickup line (not to mention completely inappropriate, given that they're right in the middle of an akuma fight and Chat Noir really could've injured himself if she hadn't flown it to catch her), but it results in the desired effect. He's taken by surprise and left entirely speechless, exploding into a shade of red that almost rivals the color of her own suit.

But then comes her favorite part: his wings, unprompted, spreading out and forward, covering his face the same way someone's hands would in embarrassment. The wings serve as a feeble attempt to shield his blush, though ultimately futile— and really only serves to make him all the more adorable.

They defeat the akuma fairly quickly after that, with Ladybug a lot more invigorated to fight (citizens wonder what could've made her so re-energized), but leaving Chat Noir a fumbling and blushing mess. As soon as the akuma is purified, he pulls her away and flies them over to one of the vacant rooftops overlooking the city.

"What was that about?" Chat Noir finally asks, breathless, as they land on their feet.

Ladybug only serves to look entertained, as she smiles back at him. "What?" She asks, almost a little too innocently. "So you can dish it out but you can't take it?"

Her eyes are twinkling with mischief, and Chat Noir is once again left fumbling for words.

Ever since Ladybug realized that Chat Noir was completely weak to flirting and cheesy pick-up lines, she immediately took the chance to tease him for all the times he's left her in that state. (After all, it's only fair to exact revenge after he's spent almost two years tirelessly punning and using terrible jokes to try to capture her heart. Not like he failed, though.)

Chat Noir audibly hmphs, then pouts. "That's not fair."

Ladybug feels a grin threaten to escape her lips, but she keeps her face neutral. "I was just kidding around! You used to do the same thing."

"Yeah, but… you... !" He huffs. "I don't get why you're doing this now!" Visibly flustered, Chat Noir leans across the railings and crosses his arms. He doesn't notice, but his wings follow suit, curling inward as if they were crossing as well.

Cute.

Ladybug realized early on that Chat Noir had no idea his wings tended to mimic his feelings, so it quickly became her favorite pastime to tease him and watch them subconsciously react without his knowledge.

They flared outward when he was angry or passionate, and curled inward when he was upset or at a loss for words. They hovered over him when he was scared, and sometimes they'd start flapping when he was extremely excited or happy about something. To her complete amusement, Chat Noir would only realize he was flying when he was already ten feet off the ground.

When Ladybug had gotten the miraculous, and consequently, her wings, Tikki explained that they weren't easy to use at all— it entailed having complete confidence and belief in being a miraculous holder; in being a hero. In fact, Marinette herself spent months mastering the art of flying, spending the early part of her superhero career jumping over buildings instead.

Chat Noir, on the other hand— from the beginning, was already at home in his wings. He started flying his first week, entrancing everyone as he zipped through the sky with ease. At the time, it was clear to everyone that she was jealous. Ladybug wasn't sure about being a superhero, but he was, from the very start, already confident that he'd be amazing at it. Chat Noir's wings became an extension of himself, and she always wished that she could have the same relationship with her own.

Ladybug only realized later on that it was because Chat Noir didn't really like himself outside his superhero persona. She's only heard bits and pieces about his real life outside the mask (understandable, given that they can't know anything that might reveal their true identities), but she knew enough to know that he was much more quiet and withdrawn as a civilian; that he couldn't purely express himself the way he could as Chat Noir.

So seeing the superhero completely comfortable and happy with himself as he flew around the city, Ladybug could never hate that about him.

Besides, his wings' reactions are cute. And she could easily spend the rest of her life discovering all the different ways he expressed himself in that way with no regrets.

Ladybug exhales, before walking forward and smiling at her partner. "Why am I doing this?" She puts her finger to her chin as in a thinking position, then hums... before suddenly planting a kiss on his cheek.

"You're adorable." She finally remarks, watching as the words process in his head.

Chat Noir's twenty feet in the air before he realizes it.

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end notes—

grrr i might ;n; end this challenge early i overestimated my workload n this might be too much hHHHhhHhhH but we'll see ! if ever, i might just make short fics instead of longer ones like the first (more like this length or shorter) ! will also be editing this over time but thank u for the support so far im very grateful there r people who still enjoy this ;u; (see you again tomorrow - hopefully a lot earlier coz im tired of uploading at 11pm im not a night person vnkdf)

thank you for reading! ( ´ ∀ `)ノ～