I use Google Translate, so I apologize for any errors.
Enjoy reading!
I don't own Miraculous: Tales of Ladybug & Cat Noir
Adrien opened his eyes with a groan. He didn't feel like getting out of bed, so he just stared at the gray ceiling of his room, deep in thought.
The day came. A day that Adrien loved and hated at the same time. A day in which the boy's faith and hope that his father would join him to spend time together increased significantly. A day when that same faith and hope plummeted to the bottom along with his self-esteem. A day when his fake smiles and mask were particularly hard on him.
Father's Day.
He flinched when the alarm went off, which meant that breakfast was fifteen minutes away.
"Maybe I shouldn't go to school today..." he thought, closing his eyes again.
"The alarm's already gone off," Plagg remarked, appearing from his perch on the dresser. – If you don't want to miss breakfast, it's time to get up."
Despite his reluctance to get up, Adrien knew that Kwami was right. The guy groaned, but still got out of bed.
Fifteen minutes later, he opened the door to go down to the dining room. After his morning shower, Adrien felt a little better, and the thought crossed his mind that his father might be there.
The guy walked into the dining room with a smile that disappeared immediately when there was only a single plate of light breakfast and a glass of juice on the long table.
Well, I'm not surprised, he thought, sighing as he sat down at the table.
"Hey, dude", Nino said, holding out a fist as Adrien took his seat.
"Hi," Adrien said, thumping his fist.
"Your father..."
"Yeah, he's still the same," the guy said, putting on a fake smile. – But the day isn't over yet! Maybe he'll find time for me!
"This isn't normal, dude", Nino said, crossing his arms.
"My father is just a very busy man," Adrien reminded him. – I am sure that if he has a break or free time, he will be happy to spend it with me.
Of course, the guy didn't think so. He was already well aware that his father had no desire to spend time with him, preferring instead to immerse himself in his work.
Only madame Bustier, who had entered the study, interrupted his thoughts, so he tried to focus on the lesson.
It was one of those rare days when Marinette wasn't late for school. The fact was that he and his mother were making a special chocolate cake in honor of Father's Day. That's why she showed up ten minutes before class started.
And she noticed that Adrien was depressed today. His bright green eyes were dull, his hair was a little less perfect than usual (she knew what his perfect hair style looked like!), and it was obvious that he was having trouble smiling. Overall, her crush looked depressed.
Thanks to his dialogue with Nino that she had heard earlier, Marinette was able to understand that it was his father who was at fault. But she still couldn't understand how Gabriel Agreste didn't want to spend time with his son, who was so sweet, so kind, so ... beautiful...
"Hey, girl," Alya called softly, patting her on the shoulder. – You're stuck?"
- And? What? Err... - the girl comprehended what was said. - yes! I mean, no! Or yes?... Anyway, I'm worried about Adrien.
"What's wrong with him today?" Ladyblogger frowned for a moment, but soon understood. "Father's Day, right?"
"Yeah," Marinette said. – On this day, he will be alone again.
"Maybe today's your chance to tell him," Alya suggested suddenly.
- What? How is this even related? - The girl was surprised too loudly.
"Marinette, do you have anything to add to the lesson topic?" madam Bustier said.
"I'm sorry," she said.
"Please don't distract the class anymore and don't get distracted yourself," the teacher asked, and the girl nodded.
After a few minutes, she spoke again.
- What does Father's Day have to do with my declaration of love? - Marinette asked quietly.
"Invite Adrien to dinner tonight," Alya clarified. – We both know your family likes Adrien. I think this dinner would be good for both you and him. And after dinner, you tell him.
"And then he'll fall in love with me, we'll get married, have three kids and a hamster!" the girl had already imagined all this in her head.
"Slow down, girl," her friend smiled. "First, invite him to dinner".
Marinette silently agreed with Alya. She would have started thinking about how exactly to ask Adrien to come over for dinner, but mадам'adam Bustier mentioned something about a literature essay that they would have to write in three days, so she had to focus on the lesson to hear the necessary information.
Adrien was the last to leave the office. Even though it was just physics – his favorite subject, he didn't feel any enthusiasm at all. For most of the lesson, the guy just stared at one point on the screen: he was lucky that he had studied the topic of the lesson earlier in homeschooling.
Before he could go home for lunch, Marinette came up to him.
"W-hi, Adrien," the girl said shyly.
"Hey, Marinette," the guy greeted her. – Did you want something?"
"I... um... I just noticed that you're not so pretty today..." she stammered, her eyes widening. – No, I didn't mean that you're not beautiful today, because you're always beautiful… It's not that I didn't stare at you, because I definitely stared..." - No! I didn't mean that I was staring...
Adrien honestly didn't know how to react.
"Inhale, exhale," the girl thought, and then said clearly:
"Adrien, I'm inviting you to join us for dinner tonight.
She mentally congratulated herself for not stuttering. It remains only to wait for a response. "Let him say yes, let him say yes."
"I really want to say yes, Marinette," the guy said. – But I don't think my father will let me go and... I still hope he'll join me for dinner... " he smiled ruefully. "Sorry to disappoint you."
"No, no!" she said quickly. – I'll never be disappointed in you!" But if you suddenly change your mind, then come back. You will always be welcome in my home.
"Thank you, Marinette," he says, and this time, for the first time that day, he gives her a brief but genuine smile.
The girl couldn't help but smile at him. How was it that this kind, fair-haired guy with a heart of gold had a father who ignored his own son? It just wasn't fair.
Before they could say their goodbyes, the Akuma notifications went off.
"We need to find a safe place!"
"We need to hide!"
After that, they rushed in different directions to find a place and transform.
"Hello, Chaton," Lady Bug greeted her partners he landed beside her.
Akuma was a man in his thirties. His one-piece suit was white, and his hair was hidden by a black hat with a white ribbon. His eyes were pale green, and on her white cheeks, just below them, was a series of black rings that ran all the way down to her neck. In addition, metal bands were wrapped around his body, on which various key chains hung. There were metal chains in his hands that he could swing freely.
"Good afternoon, my lady," Chat greeted. – Have you figured out what's going on?
She found it odd that her partner had gotten straight to the point, without a single pun or flirt. But she decided to ignore it for the first time.
"As I understand it, the Akuma throws its chains, and then the person hits disappears and appears on the Akuma's body in the form of a keychain," Lady Bug explained.
"Okay," the guy nodded. " Let's finish up today quickly, bugaboo.
"Chat," Marinette put a hand on her partner's shoulder before he could rush into the fight, " tell me, what's wrong?"
"It's Father's Day, my lady," Noir said. – And I... don't have the best relationship with my father." To be honest, for the most part, I'm just being ignored... so let's get this Akuma out of the way as soon as possible.
Her heart sank. The second most important person in her life also had problems with her father. And again, the one who had a heart of gold.
For a moment, she imagined her dad ignoring her, preferring to mind his own business, and shivered. Then she mentally thanked everyone and everything for having a very loving father.
"Oh, Chaton," she said softly, placing her hand on his cheek to stroke it gently. – I'm so sorry. How are you doing?
"To be honest, it was pretty bad this morning..." the guy admitted. – It's better now.
"But it's still bad?" - for some reason, she decided to clarify.
"I'm only holding up now because of my friend," he smiled softly but sincerely. – She invited me to dinner, but I still want to trust that my father will make time for me today.
Marinette was glad that her partner had someone so that he wouldn't be so hurt and lonely. Admittedly, there was even a small part of her that was jealous that that friend wasn't her. However, she had already invited Adrien today and was hoping that he would come.
"I hope you'll accept her offer," the girl said, and Chaton nodded. "Alright, let's engage in battle.
"It wasn't your fault," Chat Noir said, offering his arm to the man when the not-so-easy fight with Akuma was over. "It's all the Monarch's fault.
"If I were a better father..."
- No! - The guy interrupted sharply, causing the previously akumatized one and Lady Bug, who was standing off to the side, to flinch and fall silent. "Don't you dare say that! From what I heard during the fight, you were a good father! His voice was getting hoarse, and his eyes were watering, but he didn't dare give them a chance. – There are a huge number of children in the world who are not needed by anyone! Or who have parents who ignore them, insult them, beat them, or worse! To have such a parents a good father is a reward, gratitude and a right, that every person, and even more so a child, should have… To be completely honest, it's fathers like you...
"Dad! a loud childish voice shouted.
"Sofia! The man exclaimed as he pulled away from Noir and held out his hands towards his daughter.
The guy, realizing that the situation had changed, moved aside to Lady Bug. He knelt down, knowing that his legs wouldn't hold him up, as he watched the father lift and spin his child.
It was after that that he didn't hold back. Chaton put his hands over his mouth to be as quiet as possible, and squeezed his eyes shut as tears ran freely down his cheeks.
"It's fathers like you who are my heroes..." he whispered, bursting into tears.
Marinette's heart bled as she heard her partner's tears. She sat down next to him and pulled him to her chest. Chat buried his face in the crook of her neck, trying in vain to stop the tears from falling. It was painful and jealous to look at a happy father and daughter when he couldn't get even a little bit of the same.
The girl started stroking her partner's hair when his crying suddenly increased. Marinette had never seen her partner cry so bitterly. She was almost immediately reminded рассказыof Chat's rare stories about his civilian life, namely that his father didn't pay attention to him.
She connected the dots very quickly.
"Oh, mon Chaton," she whispered softly, hugging him tightly.
For the second time that day, she was grateful that she had a good father.
"Shhh..." she tried to calm her partner gently; they were extremely lucky to be alone, apart from father and daughter. "It's not fair that such a good kitten has such a bad father… Shhh ... don't cry, Chaton… Everything will be fine... shhh...
Marinette held him close, giving him all the comfort he needed. She could still feel the tears running down her collarbone.
As the crowd began to gather, Lady Bug wrapped her arms around Noir's waist and carried him to a nearby rooftop, out of sight. Chaton didn't seem to notice the change of scene at all.
"It's all right, mon Chaton, it's all right..." the girl whispered. "I'm right here, kitten.
After a while, the guy's tears became less and less frequent, and he himself became quieter and quieter.
"Thank you, my lady," the boy said softly as his breathing steadied.
"Please, kitten," Lady Bug said, " if you need comfort or help, I'm always here for you."
In response, the guy muttered something softly, and then pulled away, but still hugging the girl.
"Thank you again," Chaton repeated. – "I think if you weren't there, I'd fall apart."
Marinette didn't know what to say to that, so she just nodded. Since Noir was clearly not ready to move after such an emotional shock, and the girl did not want to leave him alone, they just sat on the roof looking out at Paris.
"Chaton -" she began cautiously. – How often does your father ignore you?"
"Only occasionally does he pay attention to me. For example… Okay, I don't even remember.
"I'm sorry," she said, putting a hand on his shoulder. – But you mentioned that you were invited to dinner." I think you should go.
"It's just that I'm hoping that my father will give me some time today, you know? What if he comes and I'm not there? What will he feel?
"Chaton," she said softly. – You have a good heart and that's fine, but just be selfish for once. Take care of your own feelings, not others'.
"I - I'll think about it," he said, still a little uncertain. – You definitely have a point."
"All right," Lady Bug said, " are you ready to leave, or do you want to sit down again?"
"I think we should separate," Chaton agreed. – If I do go to dinner, I need to clean up."
They gave each other a final hug, then parted ways.
"I heard from Alya that Marinette invited you to dinner," Nino said when they reached each other via video link.
"Yes," said Adrien, leaning back in his chair.
"Are you coming?"
"I - I'm not sure. I hope that...
"Dude," his friend interrupted. – Don't you dare tell me it's your father. If he's going to spend the evening working, that's entirely up to him. And you should go and have fun... and before you think about it, don't ask your father's permission, "Nino turned his head as someone called out to him," okay, dude, I have to go." And I hope you go to Marinette's after all. See you soon!
"Bye!" Adrien said back, turning around.
"So, are we going to visit the Pigtails?" Plagg asked from the bed.
"I already told you, don't call her that," the guy reminded her.
"Blah, blah," kwami mimicked, then repeated the question. – Are we going to visit the Pigtails?"
"I'll definitely go," Adrien said after a while. "But why are you going there?"
Plagg didn't know what to say, since he couldn't say that he would be willing to meet Tikki. "They'll probably have a cheese plate!"
"Okay..." the boy said slowly, not quite believing his kwami. "If you really want to go too, then I don't mind," the guy got up from the chair to start getting ready.
Adrien had been shifting uncomfortably from one foot to the other for about five minutes now, standing in front of the Dupain -Cheng family bakery. He had the courage to walk to the door, but he couldn't go any further. He couldn't make up his mind to go in, as he still felt that he shouldn't have come it was a family dinner.
"Why don't you come in?" Plagg asked, peeking out from under his shirt pocket.
"I... I think it's all for nothing," the guy admitted.
Kwami opened his mouth to say something, but the door suddenly opened, so he hid.
"Adrien?" A woman's voice said.
"Good evening, Madame Cheng," the boy said.
"Did you accept Marinette's offer?" she asked.
"Yes," he said. – Only if it's still in effect! I don't want to cause you any inconvenience!
"Don't worry, you'll always be welcome in our house, - Sabine smiled. - Can you go to our house for now, Marinette's there... and the flowers?
Adrien had completely forgotten about the bouquet of lilies of the valley in his hands: "I just didn't want to come empty-handed."
"Then give this to Marinette and she'll put the bouquet in the vase," she clarified, returning to the counter as they entered the bakery. "We close in fifteen minutes, and Tom and I will join you."
Adrien went into the living area of the house, where he found Marinette setting out the cutlery. She was wearing a pale pink short-sleeved shirt and a knee-length pink skirt.
Before the guy could say hello, the girl turned around and saw him. She squealed and almost dropped her extra plates in surprise.
"Ah-Adrien! she stuttered a little. – You still came..."
"Yes, thank you for the invitation," the guy said, and then held out the flowers. "This is for you."
"M-me?" she blushed, which he found very endearing. – Thank you… I'll put the bouquet in a vase.
Marinette went to the kitchen cabinets that were above the stove, where she took out a vase, then filled it with water, and finally put the flowers in it.
"I'm glad you came," the girl said, smiling softly.
"I'm glad to be here, too," he agreed, smiling back.
When their eyes met, they couldn't tear themselves away from each other. Marinette was lost in the emerald green, and Adrien was lost in the diamond sky. To be honest, her eyes reminded him of his Lady's, so it was a pleasure to look into them.
They would have been standing there if it hadn't been for Sabine, who came into the room and approached the oven, which he'd just noticed was working.
"Ah… I'll be right back!" Marinette said quickly, then disappeared from sight.
"I think you can sit down at the table," Madame Cheng suggested.
"Don't we have to wait for Marinette and Monsieur Dupain?" Adrien asked.
"Tom will be the last to join us," Sabine clarified. "And Marinette will be here any minute."
He nodded, taking a seat by the window.
Madame Cheng was right: the girl joined them in a few seconds. She sat down slightly awkwardly next to the guy, also giving him a slightly awkward smile.
"Here I am!" Tom rumbled cheerfully as he entered.
"Good evening, Monsieur Dupain", said Adrien.
"Hey, son! the man also greeted him cheerfully. "Did Marinette invite you?"
"Yes, that was very nice of her.
"That's right! " - Tom said." She's sweet, beautiful, kind, and a wonderful cook! And also...
"Dad! the girl interrupted, blushing deeply. "Don't embarrass us!
"She certainly is," Adrien decided to confirm for some reason.
Marinette shot him a look of disbelief that he didn't help her close the subject.
"That's it, son! Tom smiled as he sat down at the table. – You don't want to -"
"Tom," his wife interrupted gently now. "Don't embarrass them.
"All right, all right," Monsieur Dupain said. – But everyone understood my point of view.
After that, they all finally gathered around the table. While they were all having dinner together, Adrien noticed that Marinette was acting a little different. She seemed to have become even cuter and softer, but most importantly, she interacted with him normally. He was somewhat used to the fact that she was communicating with him strangely, but now everything was just super, which could not but rejoice.
Marinette didn't know how, but she was perfectly normal during dinner. She spoke calmly with her lover and never once stuttered. They even smiled sweetly at each other a couple of times, while her heart was racing with joy. Not only that, the girl once noticed a particularly gentle look being sent to her.
Time passed quickly, and it was time for dessert, which the guy did not know about.
"Dessert?" Adrien asked.
"Yes, chocolate cake," Sabine clarified. – Is that a problem?"
"Well..." he began awkwardly. – Actually, I'm on a diet right now, so I can't eat sweets. And honestly, I wasn't expecting dessert.
"You didn't mention it?" Sabine asked her daughter.
"Uh... I guess I forgot?" The girl said shyly, smiling awkwardly.
"Well," Madame Cheng said, " I can't force you, Adrien. But if you do stay, none of us are going to turn you in to your father... or the dietitian.
The guy thought about it. They were supposed to be right about everything. No one will tell his father or dietitian anything, but the calories he will get from chocolate (mmm ... how long has it been since he ate chocolate!) cake, can be burned during a night walk, in the form of Chat Noir.
"I - I'll stay," he decided.
- Super! - Marinette was beginning to think that this wonderful evening was over. – I assure you, you won't regret it!"
"I don't doubt it," said Adrien, smiling. – Everything prepared here is by definition delicious.
"That's good," Sabine said, finally getting dessert out of the refrigerator.
The guy couldn't help but let out a happy sigh when he saw a two-tiered chocolate cake with whipped cream and cherry berries.
"Wow..." he breathed. "It looks delicious."
Marinette smiled at Adrien as she passed him a piece of cake.
"Enjoy your meal," she said.
"Likewise, Marinette," the guy said, smiling.
Dessert was quieter than dinner. Adrien didn't really want to talk, either; he was enjoying the taste of the chocolate cake. His eyes were rolling with pleasure.
The girl blushed when she heard the soft moan of her passion. She took a quick look at him and saw him close his eyes in pleasure, аhis lips curling into a smile.
She leaned her elbows on the table, looking at him, and suddenly it occurred to her that today was not the day when she should declare her love.
"Do you like it?" - she asked, noticing how carefully he was licking his spoon.
"Yeah," he muttered. - Very tasty.
After a while, the dessert was finished.
"Let me help you," the guy suggested as Madame Cheng began to clear the table.
"Don't worry about it," Sabine said. "You and Marinette can go up to her room.
"I wouldn't mind staying longer," Adrien admitted, " but I've already left the house without permission, and I don't want to get caught doing it. I'm surprised Natalie didn't call me sooner."
"Then thank you for coming, son," Monsieur Dupain said, helping his wife.
"Thank you for the invitation," the guy said.
"Marinette, show our guest out," Madame Cheng said.
They left the table and walked to the back of the building to get out, stoppingивright in front of the front door.
"Thanks for tonight, Marinette," Adrien said, scratching the back of his head. – I had a wonderful time with you and your family.
"It was nice, too, Adrien," she said. – And as I said earlier today, you will always be welcome here.
Marinette came close to him and kissed him gently on the cheek. Both the boy and the girl blushed at the gesture.
"Um, thank you," Adrien said shyly, then opened the door to get out. – See you at school!"
"See you at school!" Marinette said goodbye.
When the blond man was well away from the bakery and there was no one on the street, a kwami peeked out of his shirt.
"So, how was your evening?" - he asked. "Did you have a good time with the Pigtails and her family?"
"That was wonderful, Plagg," Adrien admitted. "I wish I had a family like that.
"Then marry her and her family will be yours!" The Kwami of Destruction suggested, as if he had solved a great riddle. - It couldn't be simpler!
"I love Lady Bug," he reminded her, blushing at the mention of her lover. "And Marinette is just a really good friend.
"Oh, if you only knew," Plagg muttered, giggling as he disappeared into the inside pocket of his shirt. "If only you knew.
"So, how was dinner?" – Alya asked when the first lesson ended.
— It was wonderful! - Marinette replied, waving her arms wide. – And I practically didn't stutter all the time! Only occasionally did I get the words mixed up, but that was very very rare! We...
She suddenly caught Adrien's gaze and soft smile as he looked at her. She sent a similar message back, and he smiled even more broadly.
"Did you tell him, girl?" Ladyblogger asked the main question, noticing their interaction.
"No," Marinette said easily.
"W-what?" - Alya asked, surprised.
"No," she repeated, directing her gaze to her lover's back as he and Nino started laughing at something. – Right now, he needs a friend first, not a lover. I will return to my confession in the future.
"I'm proud of you, friend," Alya said.
Marinette smiled.
"I'm proud of myself, too."