Work Text:
APRIL.
Marinette is one the roof of her hotel, equipment surrounding her as she keeps her gaze on Gabriel’s hotel room. Its’ weird, she thinks that he would come to Gotham of all places; and maybe Adrien would say that she’s overthinking things – but well, he did have the grimore. He has the means and reason to try to beat up a couple of teenagers for the miraculous. Even though she isn’t certain of Chat’s age – he says and does things, that remind her of her own friend group. She’s desperately trying not to think of that.
She hears foot steps and ignores them as she stares at Gabriel – who is doing nothing. Nada. Zip. Zero. Zilch. “You know technically, this is illegal right?” A modulated voice speaks, and Marinette barely startles. “So is being a vigilante and you don’t see me judging you.” She pauses, and looks up before her nose twitches in disgust. “but I am judging that costume. What the hell are you wearing?”
Red Hood lets out a huff, and crosses his arms. “It’s called a helmet,”
“It’s a disgrace is what it is.”
He snorts, “sure, okay kid. It protects the head. Safety over fashion.”
She scoffs. “Never talk to a fashion designer again.”
“Is that why you’re staked out here with all this equipment? He is a designer.”
She shakes her head, “Don’t worry about it Mr. Helmet, it’s big girl business – something you wouldn’t be able to understand.” Oracle laughs in his ear and he crosses his arm. “Yeah, somehow that isn’t gonna work on me.”
She gazes up at him, and presses her lips together. She could get the bat family to help her out – but that would be telling someone not in the loop and Marinette keeps her loop within hands distance. It’s not an option. “Look, I won’t tell on you for vigilanting around, and you won’t tell on me. I’ll leave and we can pretend we haven’t seen each other.” He shrugs, seems fair enough to him. “Alright then.”
AUGUST.
Her and Chloe are out at a bar – something fancy, something that Marinette is in no way interested in but Chloe is Chloe and she dragged her out for a drink or two and according to the Parisian Heiress, she wouldn’t be caught dead in anything that didn’t measure up to her. So – here she is, ignoring one of the guys whose hitting on her, somewhat uncomfortable with the attention. The bartender shoots her a pitying look – and she almost wants the guy to touch her so she can assert her dominance.
He doesn’t – just keeps talking and no matter how many times she says she’s not interested, he just won’t leave. Chloe is off talking to some blonde chick with her own dark haired friend (and maybe one day, Marinette will look into the fact that her friend group seem to either collect rich people or blonde and dark haired combination types. Today, she is not nearly drunk enough to question the universe.)
She immediately spots two guys walking in – and they both look like they could break her if given the chance, and she glances at the guy who is going on again about how he could just show her a great time if she would let him – bullshit that he keeps spewing. She huffs, “Sorry, my boyfriend just walked in.”
She stands, quickly and makes her way over to the guys, letting the dress that Chloe forced her into drape against her skin like honey dripping off of fresh fruit. She’s delectable, and she knows it. She places her hand on the guys arm, and sends a nervous smile. “Hi.” He raises a brow questioningly, and she tilts her head into the other guys direction.
“Hi. Can you make out with me real quick?”
Both he and his friend stare at her for a long moment before she becomes somewhat uncomfortable with the silence and she mentally clinks her tongue against the roof of her mouth. That’s the last time she gets a few drinks with Chloe – why would she say that. She drops her hand and goes to turn before he’s yanking her against him, and letting his hand move to cradle her chin before he’s pressing their lips together and melding their bodies. He's a good kisser – she should have learned his name before she started this, really.
She can hear Chloe in the background – along with his own friend’s laughter. After a few, breath-taking moments and she thinks she should really get his name – he lets her go. She’s wide-eyed and red from the top of her head, down to her toes and he smirks at her, lips curling upwards – pleased with himself.
“ I- um – thanks?” she squeaks and he lets out a guff of laughter. “Sure, shortstack. I think that guy is gone now though.” Chloe’s manicured hands wrap around her bicep, and he drops his gaze to it for a moment before flicking back upwards. “Well ? uh, thanks again? I’m Marinette?” Chloe snorts, “And that’s our cue to leave. Let’s go DC.” Once they were far enough away, Chloe lets her go. “Do you know who you just made out with?” Marinette shakes her head, “Only you would manage to make out with one of the most eligible bachelors in the world, and not know. Only you, DC.”
DECEMBER.
It’s not like she meant to get hired under Red Hood – not really – but they clicked. Somehow, they stupidly clicked together, and now she’s working with him and his crewmates for some stupid mission. She lets out a huff as Roy follows behind her. “Well,” she says, carrying on her and Roy’s conversation from earlier. “That’d depend on whose in my bedroom with me-“ she says before running straight into Red Hood’s chest. She blinks and looks up – and then blushes. She can’t see it – because of the stupid helmet, but she feels the judgement. The way his brow raises upwards in confusion and she swallows. “Well – Roy and I were just talking—”
“She sleeps with a gun under her pillow.”
“’s that true?”
Marinettes’ blush intensifies as she looks everywhere but Red Hood and Roy, and in her mind she promises vengeance. “Yes?” It comes out as more of a squeaked question. “It’s Gotham!” He nods, then grins at her. “Good Girl.” Suddenly, she’s choking and Roy’s laughing as he hits her back a few times. “Jesus Christ, Lady. Take a breath.”
Oh yes, vengeance will happen, and it will be sweet.
APRIL.
“Ladybug, LB, Marinette, Bestest Person ever,” Adrien starts and Marinette pinches her nose. Granted, she wasn’t suppose to have company over – let alone her team, and so when Adrien walked through the door, his suit for the Gala in his hands without looking around – she really should have expected her identity to be exposed.
“Chat Noir.”
“Ahaha…ha.ha..haa.”
“Chat Noir.”
He tosses the suit at her, “Plagg got into it and ripped the seams. Bye Bug!”
He takes off and Marinette – looks into the sky for a moment, before she’s calling for her transformation and stalking down the hallway to her previously alive teammate. (She’ll kill him. She’ll strangle him if it’s the last thing she does.)
“Marinette? Ladybug?” Jason’s voice picks up from somewhere behind her and she winces, twisting around to see her sort of boss, definite crush. Okay, so maybe this was a terrible idea. She glances around and once she finds a window, she sends him a shaky grin – and then jumps out of it.
“JUST ONCE,” Roy yells behind her, “JUST ONCE. ONE OF YOU FUCKS, I’D LIKE FOR YALL TO TALK ABOUT YOUR FUCKING FEELINGS INSTEAD OF FLEEING.”
Jason has scampered after her, and catches up to her on her favorite roof – and Ladybug winces. He breathes out. “I’m not mad.”
“You aren’t?”
“Nah. You’ve always been a tiny badass. Whether it was as Marinette or as Ladybug.” He shrugs, like it’s no big deal and he can see the act working on her. He crosses his arms. “It actually answers like every question I do happen to have about you except for one.”
She blinks – and nods, wearily. “Shoot.”
“Nah, I don’t have my guns right now. Kinda ran after you.”
She tries not too – but she laughs. Once she calms down, “Okay what was the question?”
“Let’s go on a date.”
“What?”
He shrugs, “A date. You know, me and you. I like you. Liked you as Marinette. Liked you as Ladybug. This actually solves all of – well not all- but a lot of my problems. Roy would kill me if I didn’t ask you out now.”
She wilts, “So you’re asking because Roy?”
He shakes his head, “Nah. I’m asking because I like you and I want to date you. I’ll pick you up tomorrow at six pm. Wear something nice.”
She blinks once. Twice. Then nods. “Okay.”
“Okay?”
“Okay.”