Wolfish Grin- A Miraculous Ladybug Fanfic

An Instinctive Problem

 "I can't believe this is happening, Bri!"

   Bridgette sleepily turned to her best friend Lilly, mumbling out a "what?" Lilly giggled at her friend. "My sister Alya- you know her blog she does?"

"Yeah, what about it?"

"She's livestreaming! Look!"

Bridgette shook herself awake from her nap, prying her face away from the napkin on their cafe table. Alya was indeed livestreaming- from the back of the newest Akuma. 

"That's something only Alya would do." Bridgette decided, burying her face back in her napkin.

"Yes, but Bri, look at that." She reluctantly turned to stare at the screen. The dog girl from the last akuma attack was jumping around with Ladybug and Chat Noir. "Who's that? Have they figured out yet?"

"The police haven't caught her name. She looks awesome, doesn't she?"

Bridgette didn't hear.

She was deep in dreamland.

______________________

"Ladybug! You see that?" Gray yelled, pointing frantically at the bracelet on the Akuma's wrist. "I think that's it!"

Ladybug gave a curt nod. "Chat, distract!" 

"Will do, m'lady. MREEOW!" he let out a meow as he jumped into the Akuma's line of sight. "Hey girlie! I think your lipstick smeared!"

 "Gahh!" Reine Beauté cried, lunging at Chat Noir. "You will pay! YOU WILL ALL PAY! NO ONE CAN WEAR ANYTHING THAT CONCEALS WHAT THEY TRULY LOOK LIKE BUT ME!"

"What a drama queen." Gray mumbled to herself. She launched herself into the air, throwing her whip at Reine Beauté with a grunt. It seemed to follow her wishes as it wrapped around the Akuma, tightening like a constrictor snake.

   "Thanks Gray!" Ladybug yelled, making her way towards Reine Beauté. She snagged the jewelled bracelet from her wrist, shattering the metal in the process. A purple butterfly fluttered out, desperately beating at the air in an attempt to escape.

   "Not so fast." Ladybug said, trapping it in her yoyo. "Au revoir, petit papillon," se said sweetly as she watched a white butterfly flutter peacefully from her yoyo.

   "Miraculous Ladybug!" she yelled loudly, throwing up a polka-dotted mirror. Magic swept across the city, returning everything back to status quo. She turned towards Chat.

"Bien Joué," she said, fistbumping Chat Noir. She turned to Gray Wolf, awkwardly biting her lip. "Uh, good job, Gray Wolf. We thank you."

   "No need to be so formal." Gray said, her tail flicking behind her. She was getting used to the feeling.

   "Ah, sorry. I just... do you want to fistbump at the end of an attack too, or...?"

"Nah, I'm good with no-touchy policies." she said, flashing a wolfish (pun definitely intended) grin. She cleared her throat. "So...am I supposed to reveal my identity now, since you guys know I'm not an Akuma, or what?"

   Ladybug and Chat looked at each other. "Sorry, puppy, but we don't even know each others' identities...unfortunately." he gave Ladybug a sly grin. "But we could always start now."

   Ladybug whacked Chat upside the head, but he seemed unfazed. Gray raised a brow, snickering a little. "Chat, I will not go over that conversation again. Good day to you."

   She whipped her yoyo out and swung away. Gray glanced down at her collar, then at Chat's ring. Two of his five pads were gone. She still hadn't any idea how to use her superpower, so that wasn't a problem for her yet.

   They stood there awkwardly for a moment.

   "You know, sometimes I want to follow her." Chat's voice cut through the silence that had stretched over the two. "See who she really is. But, you know, she would probably snap my neck."

   Gray glanced over to him. This wasn't the Chat she saw on the news reports. He stared off to the horizon (or whatever you could see of it in the Paris smog), eyes wide, shiny...vulnerable.

    Yearning.

   Gray gave him a soft, sympathetic look. "Hey, I may be able to help... if you're willing to do something."

   Chat turned to her, eyes wide. "How? What?"

   "Do you mind revealing your identity? I'm a girl like Ladybug, so she'll tell me a lot faster than she will you. Maybe, if you're lucky, I can get you guys set up in civilian life, and whenever I stage an "accidental" reveal..."

   He squinted at Gray. "It sounds like a good plan, but...a lot of work on your part. You've gotta have a reason. Not just out of friendship-not yet."

   Gray smiled. "Well, let's just say I'm a shipper. Don't ask what that is. Doesn't matter. Just... remember the offer, 'kay? I'll be waiting."

   ______________________________

   Adrien lay on his bed, contemplating his options. Gray said she could help him win over Ladybug, and he was more than tempted to cooperate. She had a Miraculous, and she was against Hawkmoth, so she was good, right?

   "Plagg, what do you think?" he didn't even turn to look at his Kwami. Plagg knew exactly what he was talking about. Whatever Chat went through, Plagg went through.

   "Honestly? I think you can trust her. I've met a few Grays in my time, and well...the wolf Miraculous isn't stable. Whoever's fused with Sybyl this time, she's doing a good job of keeping it under control. And too, the Wolf was made to keep light and dark at a healthy medium. Gray has always tried to get Ladybug and Chat together, though they've never succeeded. I think the Kwami has an emotional problem of some sort, and for whatever reason, Ladybug and Chat Noir together will make it go away."

    The Kwami finished his speech, leaving Adrien dumbfounded. It wasn't just Gray wanting to help, it was her Kwami too. Sybyl, Plagg had said. Maybe she could help.

   "So next time I see her... we're going along with it?" Adrien asked.

   "I don't care one way or the other." Plagg answered, turning around. Felix was still sound asleep, a book lightly dangling from his hands. He didn't care whether or not Sybyl got what she wanted- they weren't exactly the best of friends.

   But Tikki? He could bear to see her again.

 (A/N) I'm sorry this took so long, I just ran out of inspiration. And, about a month or two later, I come back ready to go! The story's not dead, don't worry, it just may take a while. I WILL finish this, no matter what.

   Thanks for reading, as always! Feedback of all natures is welcome!