Chapter Text
Plagg tumbled out of the ring as Adrien’s transformation fell. He had barely made it back to his room after fist-bumping his partner at the end of another successful akuma cleansing. It had been a battle like all the rest. Cue arrival of akuma, followed by some fighting, a cataclysm and a lucky charm later and the victim was freed, the butterfly de-evilized, and the miraculous cure fixed everything back to the way it was. Adrien walked over to his Ladybug poster and turned it over. It was almost full of tally marks. He added one more and sighed.
“One hundred. One hundred akumas and I’m no closer to winning Ladybug over than I was over two years ago,” Adrien hung his head.
Plagg’s heart broke for his chosen. It had been annoying at first, his chosen’s obsession with Ladybug, though honestly it was nothing new to him. But it had gotten more and more depressing as the weeks turned to months turned to years. Tikki and her stupid rules, Plagg thought to himself.
“I give up, Plagg,” Adrien turned to his startled mini-god. “I told myself if nothing changed after the 100th akuma then I would move on. She’s obviously not interested and I just keep getting hurt by putting myself out there. I’ll always be her partner, and I guess that’ll just have to be enough.”
Plagg hesitated. Tikki would kill him. At the moment, looking at the unshed tears in his chosen’s eyes, he couldn’t care less. “Well now you’ll have time to pursue someone else. That Marinette girl is pretty cute. Not as cute as, say, a really good aged camembert, but no one’s perfect,” Plagg said as nonchalantly as he could.
“Oh come on, Plagg,” Adrien huffed. “I’m not exactly looking for a relationship right now.” However, Plagg couldn’t help but grin at the pensive look on his chosen’s face.
~~~~~~~~~~~~
He couldn’t stop thinking about her. Ever since Plagg had mentioned Marinette, Adrien couldn’t get her out of his head. They’d been becoming closer and closer friends over the past two years and were finally at a point where she wasn’t stumbling over her words around him...well, at least not all of the time. Over the next few weeks, they hung out a lot more at school and even went out with Alya and Nino on the weekends, the latter not missing how smitten Adrien had become with their petite friend. Adrien couldn’t help but realize how she was so nice, and really kind, and actually pretty amazing. He tried not to get his heart involved. Really, he had tried.
“Hey, Marinette,” Adrien called out to her after class against his better judgement. His smile grew wide as she turned toward him, a slight blush on her cheeks. “Do you want to catch a movie with me this weekend?”
Adrien instantly regretted his question. Her jaw dropped open and it looked like he had broke her. What was I thinking? he chastised himself.
“Like...like a d...date?” Marinette finally found her, albeit stammering, voice.
“Well,” Adrien rubbed the back of his neck nervously. “Yes.”
If it was possible for Marinette to look any more stunned, she did. All she could hear was Adrien asking her out on loop in her brain. Alya, never very far from her BFF, leaned into the conversation.
“Of course she does! How’s Saturday night work? There’s a great horror movie that is coming out. It’s right up both of your alleys,” Alya elbowed Marinette to bring her back to reality.
“Yes! Saturday! Movie at the horror theatre. I m...mean theatre at the horror movie!” Marinette continued to sputter trying to correct herself.
“Saturday night it is. Pick you up at 7?” Adrien grinned as Marinette nodded her head enthusiastically. “See you then, Marinette.” Adrien walked over to his chauffeur, waving back at her as he stepped into the car.
“Yeah, see you then,” Marinette said dreamily, absently waving even after the sleek, silver car was long out of sight.
~~~~~~~~~~~~
Their first date was as awkward as a first first date should be. They both blushed a lot; Marinette got caught up in her words although she was getting better. He was honestly a little surprised when she was the one who offered up a second date. It was slightly less awkward and they both enjoyed the other’s company immensely. They talked about school, friends, and even Paris’ superhero duo. Marinette was surprised when Adrien told her how big of a Ladybug fan he was. Adrien, in turn, tried not to get choked up when Marinette fiercely defended Chat Noir’s importance in every battle to date. By the third date, Adrien was already at Marinette’s house playing board games with her parents. Cuddled up on the couch after to watch a movie, Adrien couldn’t stop the goofy smile that had taken up permanent residence on his face whenever he was around her.
“What are you smiling at?” Marinette squealed, hiding her face in his shoulder. “That girl just got cut in half!”
“I like you,” Adrien replied simply, unaware of what was happening on the screen. Marinette paused the movie.
“Well, I’d hope so. We’ve been dating for three weeks now,” she said as she gently pushed his shoulder away. Her smile suddenly faded and her eyes found the ground. “I mean, I am your girlfriend, right?” She looked back up at him shyly.
“As long as I’m your boyfriend,” he smiled as he wrapped his arms around her. A genuine smile spread across her face even as she rolled her eyes. “And what shall I call you? Princess?”
She scrunched up her nose as a black, leather-clad feline came into mind. “No, definitely not.”
“Well how about doudou ?” he asked teasingly.
“Adrieeeen!” Marinette shoved his shoulder again. “You are not going to call me ‘pookie!’ And what am I to call you? Mon loulou?”
Adrien stuck out his tongue in disgust. “Ack no! Let’s just say...I’m not a dog person. How about ‘hot stuff’?” He raised his eyebrows suggestively. Marinette rolled her eyes for the umpteenth time.
“If you’re not a dog person, then ma puce is probably off the table too, then?”
“Actually,” Adrien rubbed his chin thoughtfully. “I kinda like it. It’s got a nice...ring to it.” He snickered internally. Maybe one day he could share with her just how fitting it was. “And what do you think of ma crevette?”
“Ugh, no. I’ve heard enough short jokes to last me a lifetime.”
Adrien lifted his head, an idea coming to him. He shifted closer to his girlfriend but turned slightly. He brushed a small piece of hair back behind her ear, his hand coming to rest on her cheek. “And what about, mon coeur?”
Marinette’s breath caught as Adrien looked at her like she was his whole world. She got lost in his green eyes, every train of thought derailing as he lowered his lips to hers. It was a chaste kiss, but it held the promise of so much more to come.