AN: I love cheesy sappy romances as much as the next person but sometimes a story needs more than a straight-up happily ever after from Point A to Point B for me. I love twists, I love drama, and I love realism or relatable situations in fics because that's the beauty of fiction – an escape from reality and from things we might or hopefully never experience.
Speaking from experience because I'm extremely clumsy – accidentally smacking yourself with anything with enough impact no matter the size can and will make you bleed. I busted my top lip that way a long time ago with a thin iPad. /Cry. And while it's not an iPad, I still feel for Adrien. LOL.
Both months ten and eleven happen on two separate occasions. And when Adrien mentions a crib instead of a basket – some time has clearly passed, whether it's days or weeks is up to you but it's not really important. Just felt like pointing these two things out.
To those that are learning a bit of French with my chapter titles – yay! I'm glad and feel bad for not putting a translation like I do with my other fic… oops. My own French is limited to two short years since I chose it as an elective in school.
Anyways, thank you to those leaving positive reviews! And to those becoming frustrated… well, what can I say, I'm a troll. LOL. Honestly, what fun is a story if you can't drag a reader so deeply into it? It just validates that I'm doing something right… err... at least I think so.
My convoluted plots will probably never get praised as much as AO3 stories on Tumblr but… *Shrugs* I'm a FF purist and that won't ever change.
I'm uploading fairly fast because the next one will take some time to come out due to being busy. Just as readers, I too get impatient with stories not updating fast enough. I like to upload as soon as I finish typing up a new chap so here ya go.
Enough of my ramblings and happy reading~
Le Naufrage
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"You are handsome" Marinette bitterly thought. "The way you have control over my life" "My heart" "Everything" "You sure are handsome, Mr. Agreste" Marinette panted angrily as she desperately fought the urge to not break down right then and there.
Not allowing him to speak, she grabbed the nearest object on his coffee table and threw the thick leather book at his face. She couldn't see it but the book managed to nip his top lip.
"I… I… can't believe how stupid I was! How stupid we've both been!" she elaborated as her entire body violently shook, "I convinced myself that I was finally letting your alter ego out of my heart and moving forward with a genuinely nice guy but… oh god, this whole time… this whole time…" Marinette quick-paced to Adrien, balling up her tiny wrists, "You had my daughter, our daughter!" her voice quivered as she continuously pounded them against his chest.
Adrien remained silent allowing the minor pain of her hitting him resonate in the dead silence of the living room. "I've always loved you… I ran away because… I was guilty of loving you so much and telling you about our daughter in the way that I did" Marinette clutched onto his shirt as she slid to the floor, completely breaking down, "I've been depressed this whole time… I… I… I want my five years back!" she wailed as her shaking hands continued to hit whatever body part on him they could touch.
Finally, deeply sighing, Adrien bent down to her level and wrapped his arms around her. Tightly embracing her despite her struggle against him.
"Marinette, I know you're not really mad at me so what is it that you are mad at?" he calmly tried to ask as he gently rubbed her back. His own tears stung his eyes as his composure slowly started to slip.
"I…" she began.
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The eighth month.
Marinette was the first to wake up from what Alya would refer to as 'the throes of passion.' She had a bright smile plastered on her face as she watched her school crush peacefully sleep next to her side.
His tousled blonde hair, soft breathing as his bare chest rose, one hand bent under a pillow while the other on his stomach, the glimmering black ring sparkling in the first rays of light.
Has he always worn that black ring? She stopped paying so much attention to him once Chat Noir entered her life.
"How can one man be this utterly gorgeous?" she asked herself, blue eyes turning dreamily as she sighed and bunched up the sheets covering her chest. Smirking, she decided to straddle him and lean her head down to place light kisses up his chest.
First kissing the top of his hand and then moving over the rest of his skin. She didn't get to reach his lips as he wiggled around, fluttering his sleepy green eyes open.
Yawning, he smiled and placed his hand on Marinette's waist.
"This is a pleasant way to wake up" he said as his thumb massaged her hip bone in a circular motion.
"Don't expect to get an encore of what happened last night this morning" she teased lightly tapping her right index finger on his nose.
Raising a mischievous brow, he rolled his hips gaining a small moan from her. "You sure about that?" he chuckled.
Marinette glared at him, "You're a gorgeous evil sneaky man, you know that?"
"Didn't you read the fine print? Gorgeous evil sneaky man is on my resume" he chuckled again, gaining control over the situation and flipping her back onto the bed.
Giggling, her head fell on a pillow causing her hair to sprawl all over like a halo.
His eyes quickly darkened as he used one hand to lift her bottom a few inches off the mattress making her wrap her legs around his waist. His other hand firmly supported his weight as he pulled her body closer and crashed his lips with hers.
Marinette weaved her fingers through his messy hair tugging as things started to get heated once more.
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The ninth month.
"You know, despite being a national treasure, I still don't agree with adding milk to coffee" Marinette commented as she watched Adrien make himself a café au lait.
Rolling his eyes, he took a long and loud slurp of the drink, "Gotta have some sweetness in my life" he raised his cup, toasting.
Snorting, Marinette almost had dark bitter coffee coming out of her nose. "It has been exactly thirty minutes since you've said something cheesy"
Adrien smirked, "new personal record" he said as he caged Marinette into the corner of the counter where she was leaning against.
"Are you looking for a reward?" she innocently asked, fluttering her long eyelashes at him.
Quietly placing his cup on the side, he nodded and raised her chin with the pad of his thumb. Leaning down, his lips ever so slightly ghosted over her own as her breath hitched.
"Having you here is reward enough" every word vibrated against her lips as her lips automatically parted, awaiting a kiss that never came as someone coughed.
"Okay you two, adorable little girl and one very hot aunt in the room" Alya announced as she held Emma's hand and entered.
"Daddy!" Emma excitedly ran to Adrien who bent down with opened arms.
"Good morning, baby girl" Adrien smiled as he twirled his daughter in his arms and gave her a big kiss on the cheek.
Marinette took a sip of her coffee and smiled, watching as Emma giggled and how weightless Adrien looked whenever he was with his daughter. Not a single care in the world.
"Good morning, Marinette!" Emma greeted as she extended her arms out gesturing for Marinette to get closer.
Marinette happily obliged and leaned her cheek in for Emma to kiss. "Good morning, sweetie" she felt a surge of love instantaneously fill her.
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The tenth month.
Marinette stared at her reflection on her long mirror. She was getting ready to go out on a date with Adrien but frowned when her miraculous earrings didn't agree with the long dress she chose.
She had promised Tikki that she'd never take them off but part of her felt like it was starting to lose its hopeful optimism. It had been five years since she's last seen Tikki, having tried just about everything to get her earrings to work again.
She went to Buddhist monasteries in China, even as far as Tibet and India but nothing seemed to work and Tikki's last words had been vague.
Five years ago, when she had begged her parents to let her study abroad, she had been so wrapped up in her own grievances that she had completely ignored Tikki's warnings.
"Marinette, please reconsider. I don't think it's a good idea to travel so far…" Tikki frantically told the broken girl but it had fallen on deaf ears as Marinette hurriedly packed her clothes and minimal personal belongings and left. Tikki sensed that Plagg would know soon enough about her leaving the country but both kwamis had no power to stop this.
Things were fine for the first three months to the point where Tikki herself started to believe that maybe nothing bad would happen to her by being separated from Plagg and the Chat Noir miraculous for too long.
Distance was their weakness.
Exactly three months into Marinette's choice to live in China, Tikki started to grow weaker and weaker as the days passed. Again, Marinette was consumed in her own darkness that she didn't pay too much attention. Tikki was partially to blame for that much at least since she'd hide her sickness as best as she could from the fragile girl.
When it got to the point of no return, a crying Marinette held a dying Tikki in the palms of her hands.
"Don't leave me too! Please! Tikki, I need you!" Marinette's sore throat trembled as she raised her palms to her cheek. Marinette had known her fair share of loss but to lose Tikki as well was the last of her breaking point.
Marinette hated the fact that she wasn't there for Tikki after all the sweet and caring little kwami had done for her. She hated the fact that she was showing Tikki the reality of her chosen. She was just a flawed, broken soul that could never hold onto her loved ones for very long.
Tikki weakly patted the hot tears away. She wished she could tell Marinette how much she loved her and how, despite how long she's lived and passed her powers onto other young women - Marinette would always be her favorite. She wanted to ease her chosen's personal pains and to encourage her in the most positive lucky charm filled ways she could but her strength was slipping just as her consciousness.
She wished she had more time to share cookies and continue watching Marinette grow into a beautiful, bright, independent young woman.
"Find Chat Noir…" Tikki squeaked out before vanishing into a bright red little light and returning into her magical earrings.
Since that fateful day, Marinette's earrings remained in their Ladybug state. Five sharp black dots with a glimmering red light swirled inside her earrings and she feared that if she were ever to take them off then she'd really lose Tikki's presence altogether.
Snapping out of her thoughts, Marinette lightly rubbed her earrings and deeply sighed. After all these years, she was terrified of facing Chat Noir again. She knew she owed it to Tikki but her selfish heart had kept her away from the rooftops of Paris knowing already that she would break down the minute she saw him again.
Tonight, she didn't want to wallow in her sorrows as she normally would most nights. Marinette readied herself and walked out her door. Eagerly looking forward to her date night with Adrien.
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The eleventh month.
Adrien tugged at the inner cuff of his shirt and adjusted his blazer. Staring at himself in the mirror, he watched his reflection of himself placing his watch on his wrist as the miraculous ring mocked him.
The intense black with a green paw print emanating a glittering green swirl. Adrien knew Plagg was in there. Whether in an eternal slumber or turned into something else beyond his understanding - he didn't know. Adrien refused to believe that Plagg died, he was too stubborn for that.
Lightly touching his ring, he deeply sighed. Sometimes he wondered why he still bothered on wearing it. Part of him feared the worst, paranoid that if he should ever take it off it could mean the destruction of his miraculous. The other part of him would give just about anything to have his annoying kwami bickering, complaining, and just being his friend again.
Their relationship was rocky at times and definitely weird but Adrien did love Plagg even with his grotesque fondness for camembert.
Five years ago, when he first found out that he had fathered a child, he had been so wrapped up in his own shock over both his Lady abandoning him and having to take care of a daughter he's just learned about. Wrapped up in his own emotions, he had completely ignored Plagg's warnings.
"Hey, uhh… Adrien, I think you really should go after Ladybug" Plagg frantically told the broken boy but it had fallen on deaf ears as Adrien paced around his room with a sleeping baby in a crib in his room. Plagg wouldn't admit it out loud but he was inwardly freaking out, sensing that Ladybug and Tikki were going somewhere where neither he nor Adrien could follow.
Things were fine for the first three months to the point where Plagg himself started to believe that maybe nothing bad would happen to him by being separated from Tikki and the Ladybug miraculous for too long.
Distance was their weakness.
When it got to the point of no return, a crying Adrien held a dying Plagg in the palms of his hands.
"Don't leave me too! Please! Plagg, I need you!" Adrien's voice raspy as it trembled. Raising his palms to his cheek, he cradled Plagg and allowed himself this moment of weakness.
Adrien hated the fact that he wasn't there for Plagg after all the kindhearted, mischievous little kwami had done for him. He hated the fact that he was showing Plagg the reality of his chosen. He was just a sensitive, broken soul that could never hold onto his loved ones for very long.
Plagg was the opposite of Tikki in just about every single way. Where she could openly talk about her feelings, he couldn't. He wanted to tell Adrien how much he's grown to love the boy, seeing first hand how much hurt and how much tragedy followed his current chosen but regardless of his hardships, Adrien remained a positive person carrying a smile on his face no matter what.
He honestly didn't care about all his previous chosen but despite how long he's lived and passed his powers onto other young men - Adrien would always be his favorite. Plagg would surely miss asking for cheese and being lazy while serving his purpose all while watching Adrien grow into a more confident, caring, independent young man.
"Find Ladybug…" Plagg whispered before vanishing into a bright green little light and returning into his magical ring.
Since that fateful day, Adrien's ring remained in its Chat Noir state. He wholeheartedly wanted to save Plagg but at the same time he didn't know how his heart would handle seeing his Lady again. There was so much they needed to discuss and he didn't know if he could keep his composure throughout it. It's not like he knew how to find her as he hasn't returned to the rooftops of Paris in years.
Snapping out of his deep thoughts, he finished getting ready for his date and pushed aside his troubles for the evening. Tonight, he didn't want to wallow in his sorrows as he normally would most nights.
Adrien quickly put on a belt and walked out his door. Eagerly looking forward to his date night with Marinette.
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The twelfth month.
"Thanks for watching, Emma. I still can't believe you got her to eat all her vegetables in one go. Okay, I'll see you in the morning. Bye" Adrien chuckled and hung up from checking up on his daughter.
Holding his smartphone in his hand, he looked down watching his black ring shine. Tonight, he decided he would tell Marinette the truth.
Marinette took a sip of her wine while waiting for Adrien in the living room. Massaging her earlobes, she felt a warmth seeping from her red earrings deciding that she would tell Adrien the truth tonight.
They had been dating for four months but rekindling their friendship for a whole year. There was an unspoken heavy aura surrounding them as Marinette watched Adrien enter the living room.
"Sorry, Alya called" Adrien apologized.
Marinette shook her head with a small smile, "No worries"
An awkward silence swept over them. Adrien nervously tugged on his tie trying to loosen the cotton material.
Marinette tapped on her wine glass debating whether or not she should take another sip before speaking.
"Marinette…!"
"Adrien…!"
They both said in unison.
Another second of silence fell on them but quickly dissipated with light chuckling.
"Please, you go first" Marinette freely gave him the pass with a flick of her palm.
Adrien coughed and paced around, his heart quickly beating as he braced himself. "M-Marinette, y-you know I love you" he started, "but I want our relationship to be built on trust and there's a huge part of my life that I can't just pretend never happened because it did" he finished and then added while frowning, "I'm sorry for ruining our evening already"
Marinette took her sip of wine after all and shook her head again, "No Adrien, I agree with you. I love you too but… for the longest time I've been trying to run away from my own past and a big part of my own life"
"So… you still want me to go first?" Adrien semi-joked.
Marinette nodded, "Please do"
"I… uhh… about ten years ago my modeling career started to really pick up as a teen. Back then I thought it was such a drag but then one day… my life changed completely"
"How did it change?" Marinette asked, her fingers visibly shaking as she played with the hem of her shirt.
Adrien stopped his pacing to face her, "I was given a box that contained a magical ring"
"A m-m-magical r-ring?"
"I don't know… don't know how else to say this…" he hesitated, running his fingers through his hair, "I was Chat Noir and I was hopelessly in love with Ladybug"
In that moment, Marinette shot up from her seat on the couch, tipping over her glass of red wine all over the white carpet in her frenzy. "What… what did you just say?"
Adrien's eyes widened, he expected her to be shocked but she looked the most vulnerable he's ever seen her in that very second.
"I…I… I'm Ch-Chat N-Noir?" he fumbled over his words.
"You are handsome" Marinette bitterly thought. "The way you have control over my life" "My heart" "Everything" "You sure are handsome, Mr. Agreste" Marinette panted angrily as she desperately fought the urge to not break down right then and there.
Adrien was rendered speechless and utterly confused with her reaction. She didn't even allow him to try and reason with her as he watched her take a thick leather bound book he had been reading on his coffee table and chucked it at him.
The impact was forceful enough to manage a small cut on his upper lip. It immediately started to throb and bleed as he licked the iron rich taste away.
Adrien allowed Marinette to blow off all her steam and direct all her pain at him as she physically gripped onto his shirt and pounded her tiny fists against his chest. She violently shook as she wailed, sliding down on the floor and still trying to hit him anywhere she could.
Finally, deeply sighing, Adrien bent down to her level and wrapped his arms around her. Tightly embracing her despite her struggle against him. He wouldn't let go of her, not now, not ever. He had heard every word that came out of her mouth and while shocked, he also felt relieved.
"Marinette, I know you're not really mad at me so what is it that you are mad at?" he calmly tried to ask as he gently rubbed her back. His own tears stung his eyes as his composure slowly started to slip. She didn't need to say it out loud but he knew she was his Lady. She had always been his and the irony of it all deserved its own stupidity award. They had both been consumed by their own demons that the obvious answer wasn't clear to them. Both as lovers and classmates, how stupid could they both have been to not have noticed it before?
They had both wasted five years.
"I…" she began.
Adrien continued to support her as he kissed her temples and continued to gently massage her back in a circular motion.
"I lost our baby, Kitty" Marinette wheezed, still coming down from her hyperventilating episode. She finally told him the truth. The truth that had ridden her with guilt and sadness for years.
Adrien was confused again, wasn't Emma their only child?
"I lost our baby" she repeated, "I lost Louis!"
Marinette clarified but he felt like a boulder had just been placed on his back returning him back to square one. He should've been ecstatic, overjoyed, happy that he finally had found Ladybug and how he could finally introduce his precious daughter to her mother but they still had one more secret to hurdle over.
"Marinette, who's Louis?"
"O-Our s-son"
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Done! To be continued.
The truth is finally out on the table but there's still one more hard discussion they'll need to brave through.
And how will Plagg and Tikki return? Will Paris ever see the return of their superheroes Ladybug and Chat Noir after a long five-year hiatus? Is there even a reason for them to return when Hawkmoth hasn't wreaked havoc in forever?
More Emma in the next chap!
Until next time~ ;D
Please do review! Follows and Alerts tell me that you guys are at least interested in the story but reviews really let me hear out what your feedback and personal opinions on my stories are!
If anyone is afraid to leave reviews due to language difference - please don't be! I can fluently read Spanish and partial French! :) And hey, that's why Google translate was invented after all! LOL.
So ya know the drill! Tell me what ya think! ;D