Continuing Tales

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A Miraculous: Tales of Ladybug & Cat Noir Story
by DarkReyna16

Part 30 of 37

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Oftentimes, Marinette found herself stopping to contemplate the phenomenon that was her life.

But it never involved her life as Ladybug, oh no. She had gotten over her superhero status years ago.

Instead, it was the mundane things in her life that she marveled over: her acceptance into IFA, her talents being recognized by one of the most respected fashion teachers at her college, getting a job at one of the hottest boutiques at the time (though that had soured all too quickly), and…hmm, what else…

Oh yeah: being able to make out with her ex-supermodel childhood crush/boyfriend.

Somewhere within her, Marinette wondered if she should be annoyed that Adrien’s lips were softer than hers. But then her brain disconnected and she stopped thinking about anything that didn’t involve her getting closer to him. The movie they were supposed to be watching played on, muted and completely ignored as Marinette pressed forward, climbing into Adrien’s lap, pushing him back into the arm of his couch. He didn’t seem to mind; his arms slid around her waist, holding her to him as they kissed, the heat between them increasing with every press of their lips against each other, every soft sigh exchanged between them. Their clothes shifted and crumpled in between them, annoying obstacles that they were. Marinette growled under her breath, her hands catching the collar of Adrien’s shirt, feeling their way down to undo the first button she could find without looking, for her lips were still firmly attached to Adrien’s, and she planned to keep it that way for as long as possible.

The moment her fingers made contact with the bare skin of his chest, Adrien shuddered, shifting under her, a haggard breath escaping him. The sound made Marinette’s heart race, and she pressed her palms flat against his chest, determined to grope as much of him as possible, her lips finding the underside of his jaw, kissing a trail to his ear.

“Ah! M-Mari…” Adrien groaned when she caught his earlobe in between her teeth and began to suck gently. She giggled, feeling mischievous as one of her hands slid lower, lower…

Adrien’s hand mimicked hers, sliding further south, creeping its way to her backside…

But just as he reached the waistband of her jeans, his hand jerked up, right back to the small of her back, as if he was afraid of being reprimanded.

Marinette sighed.

“Adrien,” she grumbled, pulling back to frown at her red-faced boyfriend. “I told you already—you don’t have to keep acting like a gentleman when we’re making out.”

“Sorry,” Adrien apologized with a cringe. “I don’t mean to be so…”

As he struggled for a word, Marinette, with a flat look, provided one for him.

“Saint-like?” She suggested. Adrien chuckled awkwardly.

“Basically,” he admitted, glancing away and rubbing the back of his neck. Marinette took this moment to shamelessly ogle him: with his toned and tanned body and fresh haircut, he looked every bit the supermodel he had been for nearly his whole life. The only difference was, now that he had retired, this sight was for Marinette, and Marinette alone.

She smirked at this.

“…not like I don’t want to touch you,” Adrien was saying, Marinette only half paying attention to his words at this point as she eyed him hungrily. The bright red blush that filled his face at this admission distracted her from her lust for a moment, and she found herself fawning over how endearing he was before her mind was sucked right back into the gutter as he shifted under her, giving her a better view of his abs. “I’m just…trying to be careful, I guess? It kind of goes back to me wanting to cherish you and everything—hey, are you listening to me?”

“Mm-hm,” Marinette hummed as her fingertips traced patterns into the skin of his torso. Adrien shivered under her touch, his face growing even redder, and Marinette grinned.

“S-somehow, I don’t think you are,” he accused her with a husky voice and hooded eyes. Marinette stuck out her tongue before she reached for the hem of her shirt, tugging it up and over her head, since it seemed like Adrien wouldn’t be doing it for her any time soon. As she let the garment of clothing fall carelessly to the floor, it was with delight that she registered the way Adrien’s Adam’s apple bobbed as he swallowed, his eyes darting rapidly in between her face and the lacy black bra Alya had talked her into buying for her birthday last year. (Bless that woman.) Marinette smirked, leaning teasingly over him so that her bust was dangerously close to his face.

“See something you like?” She teased with a wink. If possible, Adrien turned a brighter shade of red, and she laughed, leaning back before she broke the poor boy. “And please relax. I appreciate you wanting to be careful with me, I really do. I’m happy that you care so much.”

She gripped Adrien’s jaw with a hand, wanting to keep his eyes as she leaned over him again, this time face to face, letting her eyes burn into him.

“But you don’t have to treat me so gently, Adrien. I’m not made of glass, and I won’t break the minute you stop being careful.”

After all, it wasn’t like he didn’t know that she was used to rough and tumble situations in her life…ah, but they weren’t talking about that just yet, were they…?

Some of what she said must have registered well enough in Adrien’s mind, however—she saw the uncertainty in his gaze vanish, replaced with something completely different: desire. As he kept her gaze, Marinette felt his hands deliberately slide down her back, resting firmly against her backside. She couldn’t help the squeak that left her when he gave a squeeze, her laugh breathless.

“There,” she huffed, grinning down at him. “Was that so h—mmph!”

Adrien didn’t give her a chance to finish her teasing; he swooped in, mashing his lips into hers, swallowing the delighted yelp that escaped her. Before she knew it, they were on the other side of the couch and she was on her back, Adrien’s weight pressed against her as he showered her in hot kisses. Not all of his weight, though—he was propped up by his elbows, as if he was afraid of crushing her. This made Marinette huff a little bit, because she didn’t care if he was heavy, she just wanted to feel all of him right now, and the fact that he was endeavoring to be so careful both touched and frustrated her at the same time—

Suddenly, his teeth sank into her neck, and Marinette promptly forgot every irritation she had with him, save for the one borne of embarrassment when she let out a totally embarrassing moan of pleasure at this contact.

Adrien froze. Marinette held perfectly still, biting her lip as she felt a creeping blush flash through her face. She was quite aware of the trembling of Adrien’s body, pressed as close as they were, though she had a sneaking suspicion that it wasn’t appropriate at the moment.

“Don’t you dare,” She warned him, though the forcefulness of her command was ruined by her complete mortification.

And it was too late anyway—Adrien was already laughing.

“S-sorry,” he gasped in between his laughter, pulling back a little, his beautiful grin making Marinette pout. “Just…I wasn’t expecting that.”

“Neither was I,” she admitted in a grumble, the heat in her face increasing as she glanced away from him. “It’s…been a while. You know?”

“A week is a while for you?” Adrien teased, leaning over to kiss her cheek as his hands wandered further south; he appeared to be over his giggle fit and eager to get right back to the moment. Marinette obliged him, making quiet sounds of approval as his fingertips brushed over her skin.

“I don’t just mean making out,” she corrected his assumption, tilting her head to the side in silent invitation, which Adrien took, his lips pressed against the pulse point of her neck. “I mean it’s been a while since I’ve…been with anybody.”

Adrien stopped again.

“…Oh,” was all he said. Marinette frowned, for his tone of voice was strange. It was like he was suddenly uncomfortable, for some reason she didn’t understand…

“Adrien?” She asked softly, turning her head, but she couldn’t see him when he still had his face pressed against her neck. “Everything okay?”

He took way too long to answer, in Marinette’s book. She was about to wriggle out from underneath him and demand to know what was wrong, but then he was suddenly pulling back, sitting up and moving off of her. The loss of his warmth was terrible; Marinette shivered in the sudden chill, though the room was anything but cold.

“Adrien?” She questioned again, sitting up and wrapping her arms around herself as she wondered if she would need her shirt for this conversation, for Adrien did look uncomfortable, his face the reddest it had been all night. What was wrong?

Adrien sighed, pushing his hair out of his face, the action ruffling it. Distracted, Marinette wondered for a moment how that new haircut of his would look under two black cat ears perched atop his head.

“I…should probably tell you something, Marinette,” Adrien prefaced, uncertain green eyes glancing away from her.

Marinette stared at him.

He wanted to do this now?

“…Can’t it wait?” She questioned, feeling cowardly for asking, but honestly, she had only come over here on the eve of Fashion Week to de-stress, and making out with her boyfriend seemed like a good way to do that. She had thought that they had reached a mutual understanding about this issue—that it could wait until they had time to focus on it—but oh no, now he was bringing it up, and she wasn’t ready yet, she wasn’t ready to face facts just yet—

Her panic must have been evident in her eyes; Adrien’s eyes widened in response, and he held up his hands in a placating manner.

“No, no, it’s not—” he stopped, cleared his throat, and tried again. “It isn’t anything…serious. Just…something you should probably know, before we…go any further. Here,” He clarified, gesturing between them.

The knot in Marinette’s stomach unclenched, and she allowed herself to breathe.

“Oh…okay?” Tucking a strand of hair behind her ear, Marinette sat forward, wrapping her arms around her legs as she looked expectantly at her boyfriend. “What’s up?”

Adrien sighed, this time running both hands through his hair before they came to rest at the back of his neck.

“Okay…so, here’s the thing…um,” he hesitated, his face practically glowing red at this point. “I mean…well, my dating history is kind of…incomplete. I mean, I’ve dated other women before—oh, but you know that, you’ve met Eri—”

“I’m pen pals with Eri,” Marinette reminded him with a smile. Adrien nodded.

“Right. So, yeah. Um, the thing is…there have been a lot of women—well, not a lot of women—just, like, a handful of women? Ugh, that still sounds bad. Look, my point is—is—”

Wow, he was really struggling to say just whatever it was that he needed to say at this exact moment. Marinette’s head tilted to the side as she watched him, her brow puckering slightly. It was as she was watching him flounder that an odd thought occurred to her, one that she had never considered before. And she supposed she had never considered it before because, well, quite frankly, Adrien was gorgeous. He might not have been as kind and charming with his previous girlfriends as he was with her, but still, there was no doubt in Marinette’s mind that women still flocked to him in droves, simply for his looks.

But still…even if Adrien had had a lot of girlfriends, he had confessed to her that he had only truly been in love with one woman.

And because she knew Adrien was a true romantic at heart…if he had only been in love with one woman, then it was possible that…

“Adrien,” Marinette cut into her boyfriend’s babbling, staring curiously up at him as she asked, “…Are you a virgin?”

Whatever blood that was not yet in Adrien’s face seemed to surge there in an instant, making him look like…well, a virginal bride on her wedding night.

That was more than enough confirmation for Marinette’s theory.

Don’t laugh, do not laugh,’ Marinette sternly ordered herself, though it was a struggle, because oh god, he was adorable.

“You don’t need to be embarrassed,” Marinette told him, reaching forward to take his hands away from his face, where he had promptly placed them after Marinette had called him out. She smiled up into his blushing face, wanting to reassure him. “It’s not a big deal.”

Instead of being reassured, Adrien pouted. And this time Marinette did laugh, because his adorableness was off the charts, and he was slaying her.

“Do you know what the paparazzi would do with such scandalous information?” He asked her over her giggling, raising his eyebrows in an exaggerated fashion. “My playboy image could be ruined.

“Ahahahahaha!” Marinette laughed, clutching at her stomach now. “Oh god, they’d have a field day! Your heartbreaker reputation is what sells magazines! This would be terrible!

“Yeah, well, let’s keep this our little secret, okay?” Adrien requested, reaching out to press a finger to Marinette’s lips. “And I mean just between us. I know you and Alya like to share,” here he wrinkled his nose, “but if she finds out about this, she’ll never let it go.”

“You’re probably right,” Marinette admitted, sobering up. She moved Adrien’s finger from her lips, kissing the palm of his hand. “I won’t say anything to her…though you really have nothing to be ashamed of. There’s nothing wrong with being a virgin, Adrien.”

Adrien pursed his lips, still completely red in the face.

“Yeah…just something I don’t want to be spread around is all.”

“I understand,” Marinette said, pressing a kiss to his knuckles next, as he had done for her so many times before… “We’ll keep it between us.”

It would be easy enough, to neglect mentioning this one little detail to Alya. After all, what was one more secret between her and Adrien…?

Speaking of him, he was giving her a rather peculiar look at the moment. Marinette raised her eyebrows at him.

“What?”

“…”

Adrien said nothing at first, tilting his head to the side. He loosed his hand from her grip, resting it against her face, his thumb stroking her cheekbone, painting a trail of red as her skin reacted to his touch.

“What?” Marinette asked again, though the sound was a little more breathless this time around. Adrien gave a slight shrug, leaning in.

“Nothing…you’re just taking this a lot better than I expected you to.”

Marinette’s eyebrows disappeared behind her bangs.

“What did you expect me to do? Call you a prude?”

“I was expecting you to call me out for lying, actually,” Adrien admitted with a cringe. “I doubt many people would actually believe me, thanks to my reputation…”

“I can tell when you’re lying, Adrien,” Marinette reminded him with a slight smirk. “You have a tell, remember?”

Adrien frowned.

“Oh yeah…and you still won’t tell me—?”

“Nope.”

“Dammit.”

Marinette laughed, ruffling Adrien’s hair just to tease him. He pouted and captured her hand, lacing his fingers with hers to apparently discourage any further misbehavior. Marinette allowed this.

“It’s okay,” she said again with an affirming nod. “It’s honestly not a big deal.” She frowned a little. “That being said…if we’re going too fast—”

“Oh, no,” Adrien interrupted with a swift shake of his head. “No no no no no, that’s not why I stopped. I just…well…it seemed like something you should know, before we, um…” He swallowed. “…Went any further.”

Oh, he looked terribly self-conscious now. Marinette felt so bad; it looked like it cost him something to admit what he saw as a flaw to her, but she was just sitting here thinking how damn adorable he was.

To help put some of his fears at ease, Marinette drew him down to her, gently pressing her lips to his until he melted against her, a content sigh escaping him. Marinette giggled and pulled away, just able to resist the protesting noise that left Adrien, though his kitten eyes were making it very hard to remember what it was she needed to say before they went any further…

“I mean it,” she said, even as Adrien leaned in to nuzzle her neck. “If you need some time—ah—I don’t want to push you before you’re ready—”

“Mari,” Adrien grumbled, pulling away to meet her eyes; Marinette felt her skin erupt into flames at how sexy he suddenly looked, with his ruffled hair, pouting lips, and eyes that looked so very, very hungry… “I am more than ready for this if you are.”

Wow. Marinette came over here to make out with her boyfriend, but it looked as if she would be getting to sleep with her boyfriend for the first time as well. All in all, tonight was shaping up to be a very good night.

Barely getting her nod of affirmation out of the way, Marinette lunged, mashing her lips to her boyfriend’s, her hands burying themselves in his hair. Adrien made a low sound in his throat, and he sank into her, his passion rivaled by hers as they kissed each other hungrily, the heat between them escalating, the temperature in the room skyrocketing—

A shrill ringing sound pierced the silence of the room, startling them both; they jumped, and Adrien let out a startled yelp, followed by a groan of pain as Marinette’s knee landed dangerously close to his groin. Marinette apologized profusely, but Adrien waved off her concerns with a strained smile. Nevertheless, he moved a little gingerly as he went to answer his cell phone, which was vibrating against his coffee table, demanding his attention.

“Hello?” His voice was way too husky for a simple phone call, Marinette couldn’t help but notice. She bit her lip and crossed her legs, reminding herself to behave, but unable to help her wandering eyes as they trailed over Adrien’s back; she noticed the little shiver he gave, almost as if he could feel her gaze on him. A second later, however, he went rigid.

“What? No, they’re not meant to be in gold, they’re supposed to be in blue. I told you this, Trey!” He paused, and Marinette sat up straight, beginning to frown. That sounded suspiciously like something had gone wrong with work, and considering it was her fashion line that was premiering with Agreste Fashion tomorrow, she was not comforted by what she was overhearing.

“Wait, what happened to the garment bag? …They spilled what on it?”

Okay, now the mood was officially ruined.

“What happened?!” Marinette demanded to know, scooting forward to see Adrien’s face. He let out a low oath, glancing askance at her, as if he had forgotten she was there.

“Trey, let me—let me call you back, okay? No, I’m heading out, I’ll call you back in the car.” Adrien hung up and sighed, turning to Marinette. “I’m sorry, Mari. Apparently, there’ve been some last-minute disasters—”

“I’ll go with you,” Marinette decided, leaning over to snatch her shirt from off the floor. She was forestalled, however, by the hand on her shoulder.

“Mari, no, you don’t have to come,” Adrien assured her, looking anxious. “You’ve already stressed about this enough—this is something I can take care of, I promise.”

“But what if a stitch is loose on one of the outfits?” Marinette protested right away, her teeth sinking into her bottom lip. “What if one of the masks got destroyed while my line was being transferred to le Carrousel du Louvre? What if we don’t catch a tiny tear in one of the outfits in time, and they come apart at the seams as soon as someone tries to wear them, leaving them naked on the runway?!”

…Okay, so there was a slight chance that she might be exaggerating. But at this point in the game, Marinette was definitely panicked. Everything she had worked towards her whole life hinged on how tomorrow went, when her prêt-à-porter line was displayed for the world to see. It would be the first time people on a global scale would be able to see what she could do, what she was capable of. So everything had to be perfect. At this late in the game, Marinette could not afford mistakes.

…But even so…if everything did go right tomorrow, but nobody liked her designs…if Marinette failed to make an impression in this world she was so desperate to be a part of…what would she do…?

“…ri? Mari? Marinette!”

Marinette blinked, startled out of her rapidly spiraling thoughts. Adrien’s hands were cupping her face, and worry was clear in his green eyes as he stared at her, his golden brows furrowed. Marinette stared up at him in surprise. Oh…had he been talking to her…?

“Sorry,” she apologized belatedly, cringing. “What did you say? I didn’t catch it.”

Adrien smiled a little, placing a gentle kiss upon Marinette’s forehead.

“Please breathe,” he requested, resting his forehead against hers as he stared deep into her eyes, almost as if he was trying to will her into believing him with the force of his eyes alone. (It was a very convincing argument, Marinette had to admit.) “Everything will be fine. I promise.”

Marinette’s lower lip jutted out.

“Then what’s all this about ‘last-minute disasters’, huh?”

Adrien cringed.

“Right…well, I’m gonna go take care of those right now. All I need you to do tonight is to get some sleep.”

Marinette let out a bitter laugh.

“Oh, right, ‘sleep’. Remind me, what’s that again? It’s been a while.”

Adrien chuckled under his breath, pecking Marinette’s lips.

“Everything’s going to be fine,” he repeated, the quirk of his eyebrows indicating that Marinette should repeat after him. She gave a sigh, pressing her lips together in rebellion for a brief moment before she gave into his expectant look.

“Everything’s going to be fine,” she echoed him, and was rewarded with another kiss.

“Good. Now, I’m really sorry, but I have to go.” He let go of her, beginning to button his shirt back up. “If you want, you can spend the night here.”

Oh. That was generous. Marinette had to admit, she was a little eager to try out Adrien’s bed…but in her fantasies, he had been in bed with her. Sleeping alone in his house did not appeal to her in the slightest.

“That’s okay,” she replied, pulling her shirt back over her head and tugging her dark hair out of her collar. “If I stay here, I really won’t sleep, because I’ll just be waiting up all night for you to get back.” She gave him a slow once-over, smirking when she noticed the blush that filled his face afterwards. “I kind of want to finish what we started earlier.”

Adrien made a show of folding his arms over his still-bare chest, for he hadn’t finished buttoning his shirt back up yet. He gave her a scandalized look and Marinette laughed.

“I’m not just a piece of meat, Marinette!” He protested over her laughter. “I have feelings, too!”

“You’re such a dork,” she teased him, leaning forward to kiss him again. God, he was such a good kisser…it was almost torture for her to pull away, especially because Adrien followed her, lips still puckered. Giggling, Marinette halted him with a finger to his nose, pressing him back. “You have work to do, remember?”

“Oh yeah.” Adrien sighed, rubbing the back of his head and ruffling his hair in the process. “Work, right…I’ll drop you off at your place first, then.”

“Adrien, I drove myself here,” Marinette reminded him as she stood up, making her way to the foyer, where she had left her boots.

“Oh yeah. Damn.”

Marinette laughed as she hopped in place, trying to get her boots on.

“What? I can drive myself ho—waah!”

Predictably, she slipped. Marinette shrieked, her arms flailing wildly, but before she could topple over, strong arms caught her, righting her once again. Marinette blushed, cursing herself. She hated this ‘damsel-in-distress’ trait of hers. Thank god Adrien never laughed at her clumsiness.

“I didn’t say you couldn’t drive yourself home,” Adrien mumbled in her ear as he held her to him, her back to his chest. Marinette shivered in delight. “I just hate every minute I have to spend away from you.”

Marinette tried to discourage the silly grin she could feel spreading across her face, only to fail immediately.

“You act like you won’t see me tomorrow,” she pointed out, turning around in his arms to look at him. Adrien leaned over, kissing the spot just under her earlobe.

“That’s too long.” He complained. Marinette laughed a little breathlessly, leaning back in his grasp so neither of them could get too carried away.

“You’re such a sap,” she teased him, stretching on her toes to kiss his nose before she wriggled out of his grasp and danced away, grabbing her coat from the hall closet and pulling it on, along with her hat, scarf, and gloves. “But that’s one of the things I like about you.”

“Is another thing how devilishly handsome I am?” Adrien inquired, striking a pose.

Hello, Chat,’ Marinette thought with a smirk.

“No, the other reason how dorky you are,” she rebutted, skillfully ignoring Adrien’s pouting as she kissed his cheek. “I gotta go, and so do you.”

“Okay, okay,” Adrien sighed, opening the door for Marinette. The blast of cold air after such a hot evening was unappreciated, and Marinette bundled herself further into her scarf to hide her pout. Her discontent was still obvious, however; Adrien chuckled as she stomped outside, ready to fight winter. “Get some sleep, Mari. I’ll see you tomorrow.”

Marinette turned to him once again, tugging her scarf down to speak as she gave him an anxious look.

“Don’t be afraid to call me if you need anything adjusted, all right?” She told him, chewing on her lip again. “If I need to, I can swing by anytime, just ask.”

“I know,” Adrien assured her, a smile on his lips. “I promise I’ll call you if we absolutely need you. Just focus on getting some rest tonight, because tomorrow’s going to be hectic. It won’t be a good day for you to be sleep-deprived.”

“Right,” Marinette mumbled, blushing as Adrien reached forward to caress her cheek. He chuckled, reaching up to tug her hat lower over her ears. Marinette noticed the way his fingertip trailed down her left earlobe, brushing against the pink sapphire earring, his gift to her…before coming to rest on her Ladybug Miraculous. His expression went blank, unreadable, like he was trying to hide whatever he was feeling from her. Marinette reached up to squeeze his hand, feeling the shape of his ring—the ring that never left his hand—through her glove.

They stared at each other, mutually understood information hanging in the air between them, making them tense. Marinette searched Adrien’s gaze as he stared down at her, and she wondered if he was thinking the same thing she was—of the moment when this would finally have to be addressed, and when that moment might be.

It was still for a very long moment…and then—

“Good night, Marinette,” Adrien whispered, gently disengaging his hand from hers.

Somehow, Marinette mustered a smile.

“Good night, Adrien,” she replied, stealing one last kiss before she turned, feeling her blush deepen as she made her way down Adrien’s walkway, acutely aware of his eyes on her back until she passed through the gate. As she walked to her car, she laid a hand over her heart, as if the gesture would be enough for it to quit pounding. (It wasn’t.)

“I love you, Adrien,” she whispered to herself, the heat in her cheeks intensifying.

She hadn’t told him that yet. But she would, someday, possibly someday soon.

It was just another thing to add to the list of things going unsaid between them.

 


 

Adrien sighed as he adjusted his cuff links. No matter how many times he had gone through with these fashion shows, it still pained him to have to dress up for them. True, he looked good in his three-piece suit—black, of course, save for the gold vest to match his cuff links—and true, he didn’t have to be up on the runway during this fashion show, but even so…

Focus,’ he reminded himself sternly, drawing in a deep breath. Right. Tonight wasn’t about him. It was all about her.

Le Carrousel du Louvre had never looked so beautiful to Adrien when he had arrived earlier that evening: a grand, golden building accented perfectly by the glittering lake and glass pyramids that sat before it, a shining beacon in the darkening night sky, as if it was comprised of fallen stars calling to their ancestors in the sky, displaying that they could still shine bright, even while grounded here on earth. Adrien had only let himself admire the building for a brief moment before he headed inside to the staging area. Here, stars glittered as well, though they were of a different variety: from the bright spotlights overhead illuminating the vast stage set up in the middle of the grand room—the city backdrop surrounding the entryway leading to the backstage area glinting with tiny little lights in its miniature windows—to the fashion icons of the world sparkling in their own regard as they mingled and greeted one another, supernovas recognizing their kin.

It was the epitome of the fashion world: a bright, dazzling, blinding fairytale land.

Adrien was so relieved to no longer be such a large part of it.

“Wow! Look at you! Not even in this fashion show, yet you still insist on turning heads!”

Adrien grinned rather sheepishly as Desiree approached, looking stunning in a little black number, her dark hair piled on top of her head, her make-up flawless and dramatic.

“Hello, Desiree. You look lovely,” he greeted her. Desiree shrugged it off, as if the compliment was inconsequential, as she gave him a sly smile, eyeing him up and down.

“So who, exactly, are you trying to impress if you’re not going to be up on stage?” Desiree winked. “As if I don’t know already. You’re gonna give my poor star pupil a heart attack, you know. Isn’t she already under enough pressure without you looking like that?”

Adrien frowned, self-consciously smoothing his hand over his hair.

It wasn’t exactly his intention to fluster Marinette today…that had been the last thing on his mind when he had gotten dressed for this event; he wasn’t even sure that he would see her before the show began. But now Desiree was making him worry that he would indeed distract Marinette from what was no doubt going to be a huge night for her, career-wise…

Desiree laughed and patted Adrien’s shoulder.

“I’m just kidding,” she teased him with another wink. Adrien shook his head good-naturedly. Typical Desiree—always causing mischief.

“I’m actually dressed up because I’m going to be performing,” he admitted, nodding his head towards the grand white piano on the other side of the room, where an orchestra was setting up to do a sound check. Desiree’s eyes widened in delight.

“Oh, how lovely! And who roped you into that, I wonder?”

“No one,” chuckled Adrien. “I’ll only be performing when Marinette’s line showcases. It’s, um, a surprise for her, to give her courage. The critics here are tough, after all.”

“Aw, that’s so sweet,” Desiree cooed, and Adrien flushed in embarrassment. “I think she’ll do wonderfully, don’t you?”

“Yeah,” said Adrien, nodding to himself as he glanced up at the stage again, his eyes going to the curtained entryway that hid the backstage from view. Marinette was undoubtedly back there somewhere, doing a last-minute check before the show started. He hadn’t seen her yet today…he hoped she was doing all right…

Of course she is,’ said a voice in his head that sounded strangely like him, for a change, scoffing at his worry like it was nothing. ‘She’ll be fine. She’s Marinette. She’s Ladybug.’

…Okay, now was probably not the time to focus on that, but he supposed his inner voice did have a point…

“Where are you sitting, Desiree?” Adrien asked to distract himself. “If you need a closer seat, I can see if I can pull some strings—”

Desiree laughed.

“That’s kind of you, darling, but I already promised some friends that I’d catch up with them during the show. I’ll be cheering for Mari-doll from over there,” she said, gesturing vaguely to the right. “Let’s wish her luck together, all right?”

Adrien smiled. Wishing luck to the literal embodiment of good luck seemed a little redundant, but…

“Of course,” he promised, and Desiree flounced off with a parting smile, to the right of the stage, where she was gaily greeted by some fashion higher ups Adrien vaguely recognized; now that he was no longer a model, he was no longer bothering to memorize all the big names, save for when it came to running his fashion company…a career he was beginning to ponder over, admittedly. True, it had been his goal to open his own fashion line—this was what he went to college for—but at the time, it had been because he was chasing his father’s shadow.

But he didn’t want to be Gabriel Agreste’s successor. He wanted to Adrien Agreste, his own person, with his own goals and desires. And, as his therapy sessions with Ivan progressed, Adrien found himself wondering more and more: was being the CEO of a fashion company really for him? Or was it like modeling, something he chose to do because he didn’t know what else to do with himself…?

Questions for another time: a cool voice from overhead interrupted his thought process.

“Ladies and gentlemen, please take your seats. The show will begin in five minutes.”

Letting out a slow breath, Adrien settled into his seat, readjusting his cuff links once more. The program he was holding for the show stated that Marinette was slated to go last in tonight’s prêt-à-porter display, meaning Adrien had about an hour before he needed to do anything. Still, as the lights over the crowd dimmed, and the spotlights aimed at the stage intensified, Adrien found himself crossing his fingers.

Marinette was indeed much luckier than the average person…but it couldn’t hurt for him to wish a little more for the woman he loved, right?

And so the first night of Fashion Week began.

Though the lights flashed and the music swelled, accentuating the beautiful models as they strutted on the stage in their bold fashions, Adrien could not focus. There were four designers being showcased tonight, but even if someone held a gun to his head and demanded that he recite the names and fashion lines of the first three designers, Adrien would be shit out of luck. Instead, he focused on only his watch and his foot, counting down the minutes while he counted the taps of his shoe against the floor, anxiously awaiting for it to finally be time…

He glanced up as the third designer made a brief appearance, waving to the crowd gratefully as they applauded him. As he began to make his retreat, Adrien stood up. It was time.

The orchestra went still as Adrien approached the piano. He took a seat carefully behind the grand instrument, undoing his cuff links and pushing up his sleeves. He allowed himself to breathe for a brief moment, positioning his hands above the keys.

For you, Marinette.

Adrien began to play, his chords the only sound in the room, but not for long; soon the rest of the orchestra picked up again, swelling along with his dynamic notes to match the superhero theme of Marinette’s line. Adrien felt the stares aimed at him, supposing that it was something of a marvel that he was playing piano at a fashion show rather than modeling up on the runway, but he didn’t care—behind the piano was where he’d rather be, especially if it meant he got to play for Marinette again.

Soon enough, he felt the gazes on his back leave him, and a soft muttering filled the room. Adrien chanced a brief glance over at the stage, smiling when he caught sight of the red-headed model in the Peacock-inspired outfit. He knew the order: he had just missed the Fox-themed outfit, and next would be the outfit based on Emerald Shell, followed by the Bee, the one for Chat Noir, and then finally, Ladybug. The best must be saved for last, after all.

The crowd was a sea of cell phones, all snapping pictures of Marinette’s designs. Because she was near the stage, Adrien could spot Desiree smirking smugly as her colleagues spoke emphatically to each other, obviously impressed. Adrien couldn’t help but grin as well, hoping that Marinette could see the crowd’s reaction from backstage somehow.

Adrien could tell by the lighting and musical cues which outfit was being showcased at what time—as the spotlights dimmed and the orchestra went silent again, with only him still playing, he knew without looking that the Chat Noir outfit would be displayed at the moment, the dimness needed to show off the luminescent paint on the jacket. He swallowed, trying not to let his nerves affect his playing as the muttering increased around him, nothing distinct for him to make out, though he had a feeling not all of it was positive.

Not about you,’ he sternly reminded himself, and continued to play, the music picking up again as the lights came back on, some of them taking on a red hue as the star of the show arrived—

Adrien peeked. The model wearing the Ladybug outfit sashayed confidently down the walkway, parasol over her shoulder, sassy smirk in place that was almost as alluring as the actual Ladybug…but then again, Adrien was biased. As the noise of the crowd grew, a combination of comments, applause, and the clicking of cameras, the model struck Ladybug’s famous battle pose: legs apart, fists raised and ready for action…well, one fist raised, since the model had the parasol to hold onto, but still, the move was enough to bring a grin to Adrien’s face. He wondered if Marinette personally coached the model on how to pose at the end, and the thought amused him.

Abruptly, all the spotlights went out, save for just one, still beaming down on the Ladybug model. Adrien glanced up at the ceiling with a frown. He was quite sure there weren’t meant to be any more lighting cues; it was the end of the show for the night, and Marinette was supposed to come out to take her bow for the crowd…so what was going on?

One of the violinists near Adrien gasped, and he glanced at her curiously, but she was not looking at him. Her eyes were focused on the stage, her mouth hanging open in what appeared to be slowly dawning horror.

Adrien’s eyes snapped to the stage. At first, he didn’t see anything worth being alarmed about. It was just the Ladybug model, just standing there…

And then he saw them—dark tendrils of something were slowly winding their way around the shocked model’s legs, immobilizing her and steadily working their way up her body.

“…Caught you, Ladybug…” Whispered a voice that somehow carried throughout the vicinity, the shadow tendrils constricting around the model. The voice sent an absolute chill through Adrien’s spine, and the mutters he heard around him, wondering whether this was part of the show or not, began to change from intrigue to fear.

The model began to shriek, but only for a moment—the darkness climbed higher, covering her mouth and effectively silencing her. Her fear was contagious—the crowd began to panic as well, jumping up to flee for the exits. Adrien caught a flash of Desiree’s terrified face before the man beside her grabbed her arm and yanked her towards the crowded aisle. Adrien jumped to his feet, knocking the piano bench back in the process, his heart in his throat, his right hand clenching into a fist so tight he could feel his ring digging into his skin. He could not just sit here and watch this. He was a superhero, damn it! He had to—

“Hey!”

Adrien’s head whipped around, and he spotted her, standing on the ledge just over one of the exits: clad in red and black, her dark hair tied back into pigtails, her bluebell eyes burning fiercely.

Ladybug.

As Adrien’s heart leapt for joy, Ladybug jumped down from her perch, striking a defiant pose as she glared at the darkness surrounding the model.

“If you’re looking for me, I’m right here,” she announced, daring to smirk. “Looks like you caught the wrong Bug in your trap.”

…So it seems…” The chilling voice whispered again. Adrien watched as it slowly unwound itself from the terrified model, and he rushed forward as she was flung offstage, catching her unconscious form just in time; she must have fainted from fear. He glared up at the stage, where the darkness was swirling, re-forming…

It took the form of…a woman, Adrien thought. The shape of its body suggested as such, with long hair that fell to the floor, pooling around her. Adrien could make out nothing else, save for her eyes, which were hard to miss, since they glowed an eerie white, striking amidst the otherwise dense darkness.

Adrien placed a name to this figure just as Ladybug said it out loud:

“Shade.”

The one and only,” whispered Shade, spreading dark hands wide, as if welcoming Ladybug. “A pleasure to finally meet you face to face, Ladybug.

“Wish I could say the same,” Ladybug drawled, scowling as she unhooked her yo-yo from her hip, whirling it so fast it became a red blur. “What happened? Did the Butterfly get tired of traumatizing people and finally send you to do his dirty work?”

Adrien crouched, hovering protectively over the unconscious model as he watched Shade tilt her head at a strange angle that made chills creep down his back once more. Good god, how the hell was she doing that?! If it was a snake thing, he didn’t like it.

…I beg your pardon…?” Shade asked, as if Ladybug had asked her to solve a complicated math problem. Adrien watched Ladybug’s scowl deepen.

“You heard me! And why are you working with the Butterfly anyway? The Miraculous aren’t meant to be used for evil! You’re supposed to be a hero, but instead, you’re shaming every value the Miraculous are meant to stand for!”

Shade just stared at Ladybug. It made Adrien antsy; there was no way to distinguish her facial features at all, so whatever she was thinking was a complete mystery. If only he could sneak away and transform…but it felt wrong to leave the model there, unconscious and defenseless…

Ladybug, for reasons all her own, seemed to take Shade’s silence as a good sign. She took a cautious step forward, though she still whirled her yo-yo, much to Adrien’s relief. She was on her guard, and while it would make him feel better if she had Chat Noir on her side right now, he was just happy she was being careful.

“It doesn’t have to be this way, Shade,” Ladybug coaxed, her gaze locked with Shade’s glowing eyes. “It’s not too late. I don’t know what the Butterfly’s holding over you, or why you decided to join him, but—”

One moment, Ladybug,” Shade interrupted, raising a shadowy hand. “You seem to be operating under a certain…misconception. If I am…understanding correctly…you seem to think that I am working with the Butterfly. That is incorrect.

Suddenly, Shade’s face split, and white, razor sharp teeth appeared in her face.

am the Butterfly.

Everything stopped. Breath, heartbeats, time. Everything.

Even as Adrien saw Ladybug’s yo-yo swing to a slow halt, he could not tear his eyes away from Shade, horrified.

All this time…

All this time, they had been under the impression that they were two entities. Why? Well, they had just assumed. After all, it was unprecedented for a Miraculous wielder to wield more than one Miraculous at a time. Unheard of. And sure, Hawk Moth had wanted both the Ladybug and Black Cat Miraculous, once upon a time, but they had never thought he wanted to use both of them at the same time. Was that even possible…?

“I don’t believe you,” Ladybug spat, but Adrien could hear the wariness in her voice. The fear.

Shade’s smile disappeared. Adrien was not sure whether to be relieved or terrified about that.

If you need proof…

Shade waved a hand down the front of her torso. And, right before Adrien’s very eyes, it appeared, just below Shade’s neck, just above her chest: the Butterfly Miraculous.

Suddenly, Adrien was fifteen years old again, clutching the Butterfly Miraculous as he stood outside Master Fu’s massage parlor, trying not to think of it as the only piece of his father he had left. His feelings had still been muddled, the pain too blinding for him to make sense of it just yet. He had just been staring at it, wondering if he was even ready to part with something that had caused so much pain in other peoples’ lives—

But then the matter was taken out of his hands. Literally.

It had been there and gone before he could even blink, yet too quick for him to see. Within the space of a heartbeat, it had snatched the Butterfly Miraculous and had disappeared, the shadow…her shadow…

“It was you,” Adrien breathed, staring at the dark figure on stage. His voice had been barely above a whisper, but she still turned to look at him, as if she had heard him. There was no confirmation in those eerie eyes, but still, Adrien knew:

It had been her all along. The resurgence of the Butterfly hadn’t been an accident, or a conveniently-timed coincidence. The Butterfly—Shade—had set up a well-laid trap, and had waited patiently all these years for them to be so distracted that they didn’t notice until it was too late, and the trap was springing closed.

The only thing missing was—

Why?!” Ladybug demanded, her yo-yo spinning twice as fast now, echoing her enraged disbelief. “All this time…you’ve been hiding in the shadows all this time, using anyone and everyone you could get your hands on, even children!

Ladybug’s eyes were full of furious tears. Adrien hated the sight of them.

“Why would you do all this?! What could we have possibly done to make you hate us so much?!”

Shade stared at Ladybug. Slowly, her frightening smile appeared again, and a soft, chilling chuckle began to issue from her, filling the silence with sharp glass and cold amusement.

...Would having a reason make it better, Ladybug?” She inquired, twisting her head at that odd angle again, her snake-like smile still in place. “If I wove you a tale of some tragic backstory, would that make sense of my motivations for you? Would you find it in your heart to forgive a loathsome creature like me? Perhaps even pity me, if my reason was good enough?

She was beginning to swell, Adrien abruptly noticed. He caught his breath as Shade’s form warped, growing in scale as she reared up…like a cobra poised to strike. Her glowing eyes flashed yellow, narrowed into slits as she gazed down at Ladybug, who seemed frozen, her mouth open in horror.

“It was you,” he heard Ladybug whimper, and another realization crashed into him: that creature she had spoken about to him and Emerald Shell? The one that had inexplicably broke into her apartment and nearly did god-knows-what to her? It was right there in front of them.

Which meant…

It was possible that Shade—the Butterfly—knew Ladybug’s secret identity.

The thought made Adrien’s blood run cold.

What’s the matter, Ladybug?” Shade crooned. “Not going to try and reason with me? ...Or perhaps…you fear a creature like me for having no reason other than because I want to? Or because I can?” Though she was much too large to be allowed on such a narrow stage, Shade did not let that stop her, her form undulating like an actual snake’s, making Adrien’s adrenaline spike as the threat of her presence prickled over every inch of his skin. He wanted to help Ladybug—he had to—but the model…

Does that scare you, Ladybug?” Shade hissed, her quiet voice carrying through the dead silence of the abandoned building. “A villain with nothing redeemable about them…someone your toy cannot purify…someone you cannot save…does that make you feel like a failure?”

Adrien jumped to attention when he noticed that the darkness that was Shade was beginning to creep its way towards Ladybug, dark tendrils grazing her legs in an almost loving caress, something Ladybug did not seem to register as she stared up at Shade. But the darkness was beginning to wind its way around her, like the tail of a python, and Adrien began to panic.

“Don’t listen to her, Ladybug!” he cried, the sudden pale shade of the spotted superhero’s skin alarming him. “She’s just trying to get into your head! Don’t listen!”

Ladybug gave no sign of whether she heard him or not—her eyes were fixed on Shade as she simultaneously constricted and towered over Ladybug, slowly swaying from side to side. Ladybug’s head followed the movement, as if she was transfixed. Hypnotized.

The whole of Paris is against you,” Shade hissed, her head lowering bit by bit, her fangs showing again. “Citizens who would work to expel their demonic neighbors…citizens who would oppose you to fight their protestors…the city is tearing itself inside out, and there is nothing you can do about it, Ladybug. You’re a failure. It’s hopeless. It’s over.”

Damn it. Adrien had to do something!

Carefully laying the unconscious model down on the floor with muted apologies, Adrien shoved his hand into one of his pockets, searching for Plagg. He had to help Ladybug, even if it meant transforming out here in the open, even if it meant revealing himself to their enemy…even if it meant thrusting the issue both he and Marinette had been dodging for so long into the light…

Just as Adrien’s thumb and forefinger closed around Plagg’s tail, a door leading into the room was forced open, and something whizzed through the air just as Shade reared back, looking like she was about to strike—

“Force Field: Activate!”

Shade hissed and spit in outrage as her face crashed into the force field that slammed down around Ladybug just in the nick of time, her dark tendrils fleeing from Ladybug, as if the light of the force field physically burned her.

Light…

“LB! I’m here!”

Adrien whipped around, spotting the green turtle-themed superhero as he rushed into the room. He swore he was never more grateful for the appearance of Emerald Shell than he was in that moment.

“Whoa,” Shell said, slowing his dash to a stop as he approached Ladybug, his eyes wide behind his goggles as he stared up at Shade, who still writhed and spat in agony. “What the hell did I miss?”

“Shell,” Ladybug greeted, half weary, half angry as she pressed her palms against the force field, glaring up at Shade. “Meet Shade. And the Butterfly.”

Adrien watched as Shell’s head whipped around so fast that he winced, rubbing it through his hood.

“What?! But…I thought—”

“We all thought,” Ladybug said regretfully as Shell called down his force field, freeing Ladybug to resume her defensive stance, whirling her yo-yo as Shell raised his shield. “But we were wrong. They aren’t two people. They’re the same person.”

Shell sucked his teeth.

“Well ain’t that a bitch?”

“‘Bitch’ is a good word,” Ladybug replied dryly as Shade finally seemed to return to the moment, shrinking down to her original form. Her eyes were white again, narrowing in fury as she glared at the two heroes.

The turtle…” she hissed, and Shell gave her a salute.

“Yo.”

Shade’s eyes swept the room, resting once more upon Adrien, who felt another wave of terror pulse through him as he suddenly realized something else:

She knew. She had known when she stole the Butterfly Miraculous from him all those years ago, and she knew now. He could see it in her eyes.

The enemy knew he was Chat Noir.

Red suddenly invaded his vision, and Adrien blinked, unsurprised to find that Ladybug had jumped in between him and the threat. She wasn’t a superheroine for nothing, after all…

“You wanted me, right, Shade? I’m right here—come and get me!” Ladybug taunted, and fear of a different variety seized Adrien. It would be different if Ladybug were free to roam about, avoiding attack as she always did with her amazing luck…but now that she was responsible for the one unconscious civilian and the hiding superhero in the room…

Shade seemed to recognize the same thing, for her terrifying smile reappeared, and she spread her arms wide, as if to invoke chaos itself into being.

Have it your way, Ladybug…

Emerald Shell suddenly cursed loudly. Both Adrien and Ladybug’s heads whipped around, and it was with horror that Adrien registered the swirling pool of darkness that seemed to be sucking him into the floor, no matter how hard he fought to get away, like quicksand engineered by the devil himself.

“What the fuck?! Get it off me! This is so not cool!!” Shell protested, and though the situation was dire, there was something almost comical in the understatement of Shell’s last sentence…comical and familiar. Weird…

Ladybug yelped as well, and Adrien turned to find her in much the same compromising position as Shell, though she was sinking slower. He stepped forward, wanting to help and hating that he felt helpless in this moment, but she shoved him back with a hand.

“Don’t you dare!” She snapped at him, glaring as she struggled with the dark pool of evil that was sucking her in. “Protect Giselle! Both of you get out of here, now!”

Adrien scowled. This was why he hated being in civilian form when akuma shit went down…but then again, Ladybug would probably act like this even if he was Chat Noir right now…

Well, just because he felt helpless didn’t mean that he had to be.

“The lights,” he huffed, snatching up Giselle’s limp form again as darkness began to appear underneath her, hoisting her over his shoulder. Ladybug paused her struggling long enough to give him a bewildered look.

“Huh?”

“The lights,” Adrien repeated urgently, jumping out of the way of the pool of darkness that sudden appeared underneath him, only for another one to form. Damn it, Shade wasn’t fucking around tonight. “Think about it: she’s made of shadows. Shadows need light in order to be seen…but only a little light. Too much—”

Ladybug’s eyes widened in understanding.

“—And they disappear,” she finished for him, returning Adrien’s proud grin with a smirk. As he leapt out of the way of another patch of black quicksand, Ladybug, now submerged to her hips, drew her arm back, sending out her yo-yo towards the light control panel set up next to the stage. It was far, and if Adrien didn’t know just how long her magic yo-yo could stretch, he would worry it would never make it—

But Ladybug’s luck held—her yo-yo smashed into the control panel, and light flooded the room once more.

Aiyeeeeeeee!!!” Shade screamed, the sound excruciating as her form tore itself apart, scraps of darkness fleeing the stage. Her power broke, and Adrien found that Ladybug and Emerald Shell were not stuck in the floor like he expected they would be, but just standing on top of it. Which made him wonder…had they even been sinking in the first place? Or had that been one of Shade’s famous illusions?

He watched as Ladybug and Shell exchanged similar bewildered looks, but Shell was the one to shrug it off first.

“Way to think on your feet, LB.”

“It was Adrien’s idea,” Ladybug admitted, side-glancing at him almost furtively, causing him to blush. Emerald Shell gave him a grin and a thumbs up, which was odd in its own respect; he was not used to positive reinforcement from the turtle man.

“Nice going, dude.” His expression abruptly returned to grim as he approached, shrugging his shield back onto his back. “We’ve gotta go after her.”

“Right,” Ladybug agreed, though she pinched the bridge of her nose and sighed. “Finding a shadowy villain in the middle of the night…god, the headache’s coming already.”

“I know it's the City of Lights and all, but we've still gotta try,” Shell pointed out, though he gave a sympathetic pat to Ladybug’s shoulder. “Hopefully Whiskers’ll show up soon; then we’ll have more manpower.”

Adrien blinked in surprise.

“You actually want Chat Noir to show up?” He blurted out without thinking, blood draining from his face when he realized he had spoken out of turn. Well, it wasn’t like he said ‘me’ or anything, but still…

Emerald Shell gave him an odd look.

“Well he’s part of the team, y’know?” he said with a casual shrug, and Adrien found himself conflicted. “Anyway, you and that model should head home, dude. Uh, not together, of course,” he hastily corrected himself with a shifty glance at Ladybug. Adrien stared, his neck prickling. That look was suspicious…almost like—

“We’ve gotta go, Shell,” Ladybug interrupted, stealing Adrien’s attention before he could follow his thought pattern to its conclusion.

“Right. Be careful, dude,” Shell bade him before he turned and ran for the exit, Ladybug following him.

Or she tried to, anyway.

“Ladybug!” Adrien cried, catching hold of her arm before she could get far. She turned back to him, bluebell eyes wide, lips parted in surprise. With that expression, he was able to see under the mask, through to Marinette’s face. And that made this harder, because he was scared for her.

There was a good chance that Shade knew who she was. Adrien was already compromised, but it might not be too late for Ladybug, if he could just tell her—

Ladybug turned her head away from him as pink colored her cheeks. This distracted Adrien—what did she have to be embarrassed over?

Her flower shaped earrings caught the light, glinting just above her Ladybug Miraculous. This distracted Adrien too, amusing him a little. He didn’t know whether or not Ladybug knew her extra piercings would appear along with her transformation, but he supposed it was a moot point anyway, seeing as how he knew everything. Still, it amused him to wonder how he would have reacted to seeing them if he hadn’t started to connect the dots on Valentine’s Day…

“Adrien…” Ladybug said quietly, glancing at him and then away again. Her skittish expression was familiar; she probably thought he wanted to confront this unspoken understanding between them. ‘Not yet,’ her eyes pleaded with him when she glanced his way again. And though that discussion was not his reason for distracting Ladybug from her line of duty, it made him wonder when she would be ready to have this conversation…or if she would ever be ready to have it at all.

But they were questions for another time. As Adrien loosened his grip on Ladybug, he frowned, twice as concerned about her well-being, now that he knew the truth.

“Be careful,” he told her…though it came out more like an order; his tone was unintentionally stern. Oops.

To this…Ladybug smirked.

“Don’t worry,” she said, raising the arm he had finally released and clenching her hand into a determined fist. “I’ve got this.”

Of course she had it. She was the miraculous Ladybug, after all.

Adrien nodded, watching as Ladybug bounded for the exit, her long pigtails bouncing behind her. At the door, she paused.

“I just hope my partner shows up soon,” she said idly, her eyes twinkling as she glanced at him from her peripheral vision. “I’m kind of unbalanced without him.”

Adrien snorted as she finally left, hoisting Giselle higher into his arms, determined to get her somewhere safe as quickly as possible before he transformed and came to the aid of his teammates. Again, Ladybug’s parting words reverberated in his mind, and he shook his head.

“You always have that backwards, My Lady.”

Back to Us

A Miraculous: Tales of Ladybug & Cat Noir Story
by DarkReyna16

Part 30 of 37

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