Miraculous Red Hands: a Miraculous Ladybug Fanfiction

Chapter Twelve: Good Night

Published: 9.16.18

Words: 1283

{ hey babes i haven't posted anything for the entire summer haha anyway at least i'm writing something now :) ! }

After the eventful evening, Marinette slumped onto her day bed with a satisfactory grin. Tikki flew over to her, cautiously. She had been scared of how the night would end, especially considering the akuma attack. 

"How do you feel, Marinette?" Began the Kwami in her signature squeaky voice. 

Marinette glanced at Tikki, and broadly smiled. "I haven't had that much fun since Adrien and I ran from the press! Everything was nearly perfect," the teen said. "It was unfortunate about the school nurse, though. I'm glad her grandson is okay." 

Marinette sat up, wary of her bruised ankle. Despite the safe conditions of the Dupain household, Marinette always seemed to trip or break something once a week, at least. 

"At least you brought peace to Paris and kept up the dinner with your friends. That's the most impressive thing I've seen since fire was created!" Tikki praised her miraculous holder. Marinette blushed, but her smile seemed to fade slightly.

"Wasn't it... odd that Chat Noir knew about Papa? Adrien is the only one I told about him."

Tikki panicked. She had hoped that Marinette would ignore Chat Noir, but when he mentioned her own father, she became more interested. I wish we could slow down a bit! Tikki begged. She wanted her Chosen to be fully determined to save Paris and not be distracted with the whole Chat Noir is Adrien Agreste situation.... But love always prevails, Tikki's brain rationalized. That's what Plagg would say. 

The pink kwami melted into her emotions at the mention of her counterpart; the yin to her yang. That flirt would tell Adrien Ladybug's identity so that we could be together with our Chosen without any secrecy, so why shouldn't I?

Tikki absentmindedly looked at Marinette as she threw on a black Jagged Stone t-shirt and pink sleep pants, going on about how Adrien was dressed so handsomely for the dinner. "And--Oh! He's such a gentleman, Tikki... You should've seen him when he rushed to get me an ice pack for my ankle!"

Plagg always hated secrets, Tikki mused. She began swimming in her thoughts, recalling the last thousands of Chosen people Master Fu and previous masters had given her to. Plagg was always an arm's reach from her, and when the Chosen's identities were eventually revealed, they almost always ended in eternal love. But this is different, Tikki scolded herself. Hawk Moth has reigned evil among the people of Paris, and it's between Plagg and I to endure through this so we can save not only ourselves and Nooroo, but the entire country. 

Tikki had been so wrapped up in herself that she didn't hear the first three times Marinette called her kwami. "--kki? Tikki! Are you okay?" Marinette asked, concerned written on her brow. Tikki snapped out of her haze, "Oh! Yes, sorry Marinette. Just thinking about the last akuma, is all."

"...Okay. I was asking if you have any suspicions of Chat Noir?" Marinette asked as she began putting away her pile of dresses. "Wh-- Huh?" Tikki stammered, "What do you mean?"

"Well, he was acting super weird when Bubonique was trying to flip our minds against each other, and he seemed jaded when I left to detransform. I know he's trying to take this seriously, but he seems to be losing his grip on this whole fighting crime gig. He didn't even use cataclysm!" Marinette shut her closet door with a dull twump, and walked carefully up to her bed, Tikki in tow. 

"It's been an odd day, Marinette, I can tell you that." Tikki answered carefully as she flew over to her side, making herself comfortable.

"Definitely. I'll talk more with Chat Noir if I get a chance next time." Marinette began covering herself in her pink sheets, yawning as she glanced at a nearby clock. It blared 11:46 PM, so she decided to go ahead and turn off the lamp next to her. "Good night, Tikki," Marinette concluded. 

"Good night, Marinette."

As Marinette's eyes adjusted to the light's absence, the hazy yellow street lamps outside her window shone lazily throughout the city of Paris. Her stressed mind wandered between the two boys. How did Chat Noir know about Papa? And why did he seem so out of it tonight?  Marinette quizzed herself. 

I hope Adrien enjoyed the dinner, too. She thought back to the conversation the four teens had before Adrien was forced to go home. Adrien seemed eager to hear my opinion on my counterpart and my partner.... It's almost like he has a crush on Ladybug! Marinette snickered a bit at her own joke.

She began slipping in and out of consciousness, until she eventually gave in to the peaceful slumber that awaited her. 

* * * * *

"What did you think, Plagg?" Adrien quizzed his kwami as he applied toothpaste to his toothbrush. "About what?" Plagg inquired absentmindedly, stuffing a wheel of cheese into his oversized cheeks.

"About wha' Ladybug said aft'r the akuma attack," Adrien replied with a mouth full of teeth-whitening paste. 

"Oowh, that! W'hell--" Plagg swallowed the cheese whole. "--I think she's right, Adrien. You've got to get your head in the game! Can't have you freezing up like that during an akuma attack!"

Adrien wiped his face with a towel after spitting out blue mouthwash. "Now's not the time for High School Musical references, Plagg." 

"I'm not sure what that is, but I'll take offense anyway." Adrien glared at him. "What I mean," Plagg continued, "is that Ladybug and you are a team. Without either of you, Paris could be in ruins by now. Didn't you hear her? 'I can't do with without you'? She meant it, Adrien." The model stared at the kwami, surprised at his compliancy to speak so maturely on the matter.

"You're right, Plagg," Adrien concluded. 

"When am I not?" Plagg huffed.

Adrien grunted and crawled into his monochrome, oversized bed. "Good night, Plagg."

"Good night, Adrien." The clock on his desk was blaring bright red numbers, but he ignored them. He flipped over onto his stomach, facing the long windows. If he unfocused his vision, they would merge into one another, revealing what they really were: steel bars of captivity. He had been treated like a god by his fans, but considered merely a model to earn more money and publicity by his own father. He hated how everyone idolized him. No one except Alya, Nino and Marinette understood his pitiful situation. To outsiders, they see him as the pinnacle of the wealthy upper-class, and would give anything to be in his shoes. Adrien would, in turn, give anything to be treated as a normal bystander. 

Marinette understands, Adrien mused, recalling the time he and the baker's daughter ran throughout Paris to escape his bodyguard. I had a good time tonight, for once. He thought over the plentiful foods Mr. Dupain had prepared for the lot of them, and Marinette's eager but restrained joy during the whole event. He loved seeing his friends enjoy their lives so easily, even if he couldn't enjoy his own fully. 

Adrien began thinking about how Ladybug was probably disappointed in him during the attack, and how he had to talk to her as soon as possible to clarify that he is capable of protecting Paris without being tricked by Hawk Moth.

He fell asleep as the distant walls and ceiling began to constrict him, forcing him further into his mind.

{ Well fellas this took a couple hours but it was worth it ugugug sorry for a filler chapter after like three months of nothing but ily and i hope you like what's coming next ;;;;)))))) }