#hero cafe

[thebasilbuffet]

[Ems begins setting the gloves]

"GET OFF OF ME YOU LITTLE TWERP!"

(Basil violently grabs Ems and throws her across the room. Yikes.)

"AND DON'T TOUCH MY FRICKING GLOVES EITHER!"

[freedom-shamrock]

Hero Cafe - Chapter 4

Also on AO3

<<< Check out Chapter 1 << Go back to Chapter 3

⁂

Viperion was running casual rounds, what Chat liked to call pop-up patrol, though he usually added a pun in there somewhere, when his lyre chirped with an incoming call. He rolled across the next flat rooftop, shedding his momentum and coming to a stop. He pressed on the correct yellow diamond on the instrument and weapon to pop up his communicator screen.

"Hey Chat," he said with a smile. "Long time no see." He pressed the tip of his tongue to the back of one fang. Those had been a surprise development when he became an adult, by miraculous standards. He was used to them, but they were fun to press his extra-sensitive snake tongue to. In time, Chat Noir had picked up a set of sharp teeth as well, and Ladybug acquired actual functioning wings.

"Good to see you're back," Chat replied. "Short visit or long one, this time?" He was carrying a box wrapped in the same brown paper as all the gifts he'd been leaving for Marinette.

"A nice long stay." He was glad to be home for the foreseeable future.  While he enjoyed traveling and performing, he didn't care for the drama, headaches, and chaos. His mum's boat had more than enough chaos to tide him over for a lifetime. Plus, Marinette, his heart and home,  was here. It was no surprise to anyone who knew him that he was more creative, writing loads more music, when he was here.

"Excellent," Chat said with a purr. "That being the case, there's a new place you need to see." His grin was eager and almost as full of joy as he'd seen on the young man Luka knew hid behind that mask.

"Is there, now?" Viperion drawled, suspecting he'd already seen it. But it would harm no one to let Chat Noir think he'd brought him there. It would also provide him more information on the situation.

"Hells to the yeah," Chat replied. "Let's meet up, and I'll show you." He held up the box in one hand. "I have something to drop off anyway."

⁂

"Now before we get there," Chat said, pausing on the edge of a rooftop to give Viperion as serious a look as he'd ever seen on the cat's face. "Are you fortunate enough to be familiar with the angel known as Marinette Dupain-Cheng?" He waved one hand and quickly amended, "No identifiers, just… do you know who she is?"

Viperion grinned. Oh, he knew her all right, and since Chat's civilian self was there when Ladybug gave him the snake miraculous, he knew the other man was aware of who he was and that he knew Marinette. But appearances had to be maintained. "You could say I'm well acquainted with her, and her work."

Chat beamed at him and hopped happily from one foot to the other. "Oh good. She's so invested in the things she does, and you can't really know her if you aren't at least passing familiar with her work."

Viperion nodded. Chat wasn't wrong.

"So…" Chat took a deep breath. "Are you a member of the crushing on Marinette club?"

He squashed the laugh that wanted to erupt out. Melodie tried to warn him, but he thought she was being melodramatic. "There's…" He cleared his throat. "There's a club?"

Chat snorted. "Of course there's a club. I mean… you've seen her. She's just amazing." He sighed dreamily. "So clever, so quick, and all in that adorable package."

"She is the whole package," Viperion agreed. The'd been officially dating for just shy of two weeks, and that was just enough time to realize how much more incredible she was than he'd previously thought. "Pretty sure I'm the president of the club. I've been crushing on her for… a very long time."

"Pffft. Good luck wrestling that title away from Queenie and Ryuko," Chat said, laughing. 

It was as he'd expected. The entire team was drawn to her, and it made sense. She was divine creation and deserved all the affection. And they were all improved from their interactions with her. She made them all better, stronger, happier, just more of who they were simply by her presence, even if the rest of the team wasn't aware of that.

"Anyway, as if she wasn't already the pinnacle of perfection, she made a very special place for the heroes of Paris." He led the way to Marinette's balcony.

While Luka had seen the Hero Cafe several times with his precious muse, coming to it from the rooftops let him see it the way the other heroes surely had. It was an oasis just for them, painstakingly crafted with all their needs and comfort in mind. As he landed lightly on the floor, it felt less like a mere place and more like a love letter to the heroes in her care. He couldn't have kept the smile from his face even if he wanted to, and he really didn't want to.

Even before being paired with Tikki, before taking on the mantle of guardian, Marinette obviously had so much love to give. Her dual roles only enhanced that, and while he was sure she would have been content dating just himself, coming to the cafe like this with Chat reinforced his belief that she'd be happier if she was allowed to love all of them in whatever way she was called to. Who knew that being on the road so often with Jagged would open his eyes and his heart to relationship options that would better fit his own situation?

"Isn't it incredible?" Chat asked, pulling Viperion out of his own headspace.

"It really is," Viperion agreed softly. Yes. He'd make sure Marinette understood how important this really was to the other heroes, if it was the last thing he did. He felt the huge smile stretching his face. He was going to enjoy that.

⁂

Luka swept his hand over the top of the chest he'd helped Marinette disassemble, transport, and reassemble on the balcony. They'd found it when they were wandering about Port de Grenelle. One of the larger yacht owners was getting rid of it as part of a remodel. It was designed to take the weather, but having been on a rich person's yacht, it was more attractive than the storage cubbies on the Liberty. It was a perfect addition to Marinette's cafe, allowing another place for outdoor storage, but also serving as a bench for times when more of the team was present and the few chairs weren't enough.

Marinette opened the chest and tucked in the little bins she'd been assembling in her sewing corner for the past week.

"Whatchya got there, Melodie?" he asked, leaning forward in interest. He was surprised when she handed him the one labeled Viperion.

She grinned at him. "Go ahead. Open it up."

He unlatched the lid and peeked inside to find fabric the teal color of his super suit. He raised an eyebrow. "What did you make…" he glanced at the stack of bins. "...for all of us?"

Marinette giggled. "You'll have to take it out to see.  And it's too late to stop me. They're all done already."

He let out a snort. "As if I could deny you." All she had to do was shoot him the kitten eyes, and even if his goal was to help her, he'd cave.  Well… she didn't quite know that.  And to be fair, if her well-being were truly at stake, he was pretty sure he could even endure those. He pulled out a loose pair of sweats, a zip hoodie, and a soft fabric domino mask a little larger than the one Sass provided, and without the fangs.

"They're in case anyone needs or wants to transform while they're here." She pointed to the extra fabric he'd helped her hang in the corner two days ago. "That'll drop into a privacy screen. Heroes can go back there, transform, change, and come out looking mostly like their transformed selves in their own themed sweats." She beamed at him.

He shook his head, knowing there was a stupid smile on his face and not caring at all. "This is why you're the guardian," he murmured. "You think of everything. You take such good care of us." He set aside the bin and leaned into her space, close enough to feel the heat of her skin on his own. "And in return, I plan to take very good care of you." He heard her breath catch a little.

She tilted her head just enough to meet his eyes, her bottom lip trapped in her teeth for a moment. "Is that a promise, or a threat?" she asked, all Ladybug in attitude and posture.

"Yes." He gently pounced at her, lowering her to the floor as he kissed her stupid.

⁂

Luka was cuddling with Marinette in the Hero Cafe when Chat Noir stopped by. It turned out that the new storage chest made a great loveseat.

"Ah," Chat said, looking a bit surprised. "Princess! Good evening!"

Luka smothered his laugh as he saw the black cat awkwardly attempting to hide a parcel behind his back. He loosened his grip on his girlfriend and gently encouraged her to go meet the hero.

"What do you have there, Kitty?" she asked knowingly.

Chat Noir smiled meekly. "A token of my appreciation." It sounded like a question.

"I've told you I don't need gifts, right?" she asked.

Chat nodded, his shoulders hunched a little so he could cant his head up for the most effective angle for his kitten eyes.  Adrien definitely knew how to position his body for the best impact. "But Princess," he whined plaintively. "You're awesome and deserve gifts."

Luka couldn't hold back the chuckle then. "C'mon Melodie. Let the nice cat give you a gift. He's right."

Chat beamed at Luka, clearly appreciating being backed up.

"Oh." Marinette looked at the two of them, suddenly a bit flustered. Luka knew she could hold her own around either of them, but she was still kind of new to the idea that she was allowed to like them both, and it wasn't common for her to be Marinette around both of them. "Um… Chat, this is Luka. Luka, this is Chat Noir, obviously."

Luka reached out and shook Chat's hand, finding this whole thing amusing. "Have a seat. Let us get you fixed up with a snack or something." He waved toward the cafe chairs and eased past the hero and his girlfriend to reach the refrigerator.

Chat glanced from Luka to Marinette. "Uh, I don't mean to interrupt."

"Pffft! As if," Marinette said with a giggle. "This is the Hero Cafe. You are welcome here any time."

"You're not interrupting anything," Luka added. "We were waiting for you."

Chat's eyes went round in his surprise. "You were?"

Marinette bounced a bit on her toes in her excitement. "Luka helped me set up some new amenities." She scampered over and demonstrated the drop curtain. "You now have a changing cubicle, if you need it." She peeked out from behind the curtain. "Luka fits no problem, so it should be more than big enough for any of the heroes."

"And that's not even the best part," Luka added.

Marinette tugged the rope to raise the curtain before pouncing toward the storage chest. "I've made a sweatsuit for every hero." She pulled out the top two boxes, showing the labels of Viperion and Chat Noir."

Chat was absolutely silent as he opened his box, and the joy and awe on his face was something he'd never seen his friend wear before. 

"You want some of Papa Tom's classic stew from tonight, or the orange sesame chicken from last night?" Luka asked, pulling out a plate as he looked over the menu on the whiteboard.

"Oh…" Chat fumbled a little, quickly sneaking a hug to the hoodie before carefully folding it back up. "I don't really need anything. I should probably get back to work."

"You should probably have a meal first," Marinette countered.

Chat looked down at his hands, a hint of pink visible in his cheeks despite the low light. "I'll take the orange chicken."

Luka assembled a plate, popping it into the microwave.

"Is there milk in the refrigerator, or did I forget to bring that up?" Marinette asked.

"I can go get it," Luka assured her. He'd distracted her from her stocking task, after all.

Marinette shook her head and darted down her ladder before he could stop her. "No worries.  I got it."

Luka shook his head, letting out a breathy laugh. His Melodie was capable of great bravery, but she could also bolt in panic at the first hint of intimidating conversations.

"So… are you two dating?" Chat asked. It was only because Luka knew both Adrien and Chat so well that he could see the other man bracing himself for painful news. His smile went a little pinched.

"Yes, but," Luka replied.

Instead of looking hurt, Chat looked confused, which was definitely preferable. "Yes… but?"

"Yes, we are dating," Luka added, considering the best way to explain. He was glad they'd gotten Chat Noir solo for this first. "But we don't have a traditional relationship." He pulled the plate out of the microwave and went to join Chat near the table. He only had to wave toward the bin that doubled as a bench, and the hero sat down. "I know Marinette is special to other people." 

Chat blinked at him in surprise, but didn't speak.

"And I know you're one of the people she holds in highest regard," Luka added.

The poor cat hero was apparently surprised and flustered to receive such praise. They needed to work on his self-esteem, probably on both sides of his mask.

 "I knew that before we even talked about dating." Luka shrugged. "At least before we talked about how a relationship might work now that I'm done traveling for a while." A polyamorous relationship hadn't really occurred to him before his more recent tour run. It turned out that Jagged's drummer was a member of a long term triad.

 "And… you're okay with me coming here? Giving her gifts?" Chat asked.

"I don't own her," Luka explained. "And it would be terribly wrong of me to try to control who she sees and spends time with. Ultimately, I want my Melodie to be happy." He shrugged again. "Sure, she might be able to be happy with just me, and she was willing to try that, but I think she'll be happiest if she's not expected to be so… restrictive in her affections."

"Oh." Chat Noir sat with his hands folded neatly in his lap, his mouth a tight O and his eyes as wide as pie plates. "So… it's okay that I like her?"

Luka smiled, nodding. "It's fine with me, and I can assure you that she does like you. Very much." While it might have been good for Marinette to have this conversation herself, he wanted to help her. "And it's not exactly a platonic feeling."

Marinette appeared with a jug of milk. "I'm back. Sorry about that." Her music was adorably flustered, and he suspected she'd had to talk herself into coming back up here to have this important conversation.

"Get Chat his drink and come sit with us, Melodie," he suggested, settling himself on the bench with just enough space between himself and Chat for her.

Marinette did as he asked, though she initially attempted to sit on one of the chairs. Luka slipped a long arm around her and tugged her into place between them. "So… uh… what have you two been talking about?"

Luka gave her a sly smile as he slipped an arm around her.

When she turned to Chat, the hero immediately went flustered. "Ah… eh… Luka was explaining your relationship?"

"There's no need to be nervous," Luka assured the other man. "Or shy. Though if you prefer to talk about this without me, I understand."

Chat did not look reassured.

"No," Marinette said quietly. She shook her head. "No, that's not how I want to do it."

"Okay." Luka gave her a gentle side hug. "You're in charge of this, Melodie. We'll do things how you want, and at your pace." He knew it was the right response when she leaned into him for a moment.

"This is kind of new and I'm really awkward," she muttered.

Luka chuckled and met Chat's softly amused look.

Chat cleared his throat. "So you two have an… open relationship? Is that the right name for it?" He obviously wanted to help make things easier for Marinette, and that only endeared him to Luka more.

"Not…" Marinette huffed. "It's not exactly open. We're not... neither of us are just going to go out and date other people. That's not what this is. There's… more communication than that. But, we're not opposed to bringing other people into the relationship." After their initial conversation about what their relationship could look like, she'd gone on a research bender, reading anything she could about polyamorous relationships. She'd brought back each new understanding to Luka, either over the phone or in person so they could discuss what was a fit for them.

"So a new person in the relationship would be dating both of you?" Chat asked, his head tilted.

Luka buried his smile in Marinette's hair. While he wouldn't personally be adverse to that, he had no clue where Adrien fell on the romantic or sexual spectrums.

"Not… exactly." Marinette frowned and stared at her toes. "So if one of us wants to date someone else, in addition to each other, we'll talk about it. It's a… respectful check in to make sure everything still feels comfortable and good. It's not a good idea to use polyamory as a bandage for a relationship that isn't working." Her mountains of research were showing. "And you might be surprised how often people do that.  So we check in. And if things aren't okay, we address that first, figure out what's wrong and deal with it before complicating things with another person." She glanced at Luka and he offered her an encouraging smile. "These people could be dating just one of us, or both of us. And each relationship will have its own negotiation and agreement."

"Oh, wow." Chat swallowed, and Luka realized his pupils were larger than normal. "That's… it sounds like really thoughtful planning, but also kinda complicated."

"Life is kinda complicated," Luka offered. "And it gets more so any time we make a new friend or add something new to our lives, hobbies, people…"

"Instruments," Marinette teased.

Luka chuckled. "Yes, instruments definitely complicate things."

Chat looked amused. "Really?"

"He's got this hurdy gurdy that is such a dramatic shit," Marinette pointed out. "It has a tantrum if it's not played every three days or so and goes wildly out of tune."

"Clyde is a dramatic shit," Luka agreed.

"He had to make space in his luggage to bring it with on his last tour because it was such a brat last time he went away." She giggled happily. "How did your bandmates like Clyde?"

Luka snorted. "They could all relate. Jagged has an acoustic guitar that does the same thing."

They sat in silence for a moment, smiles on all their faces before Chat finally spoke again. "I imagine being a superhero makes relationships even more complicated."

"Probably," Luka agreed. "But maybe a lot of the complications there are more superficial than you think. Or it gets easier with practice."

"And with anything, you have to weigh the positives against the negatives," Marinette suggested. "You have to figure out if it's worth the complication."

Chat nodded. "Yeah. Definitely not something to rush into without thinking it through."

"Enough serious stuff," Luka said. "You should eat your dinner before it gets cold, and we should watch that movie if we're going to."

"We could bring the laptop up here if you'd like to join us," Marinette offered.

"Thank you for the invite, Princess. But I think I'm going to pass for tonight. I do have work to get back to." Chat gave her a sweet smile. "But perhaps another time we could do that."

Luka encouraged Marinette down into her room so they could leave Chat to his thoughts.

⁂

Chapter 4 link will eventually be here >>

If you’re so inclined, feel free to support me over on Ko-Fi

[freedom-shamrock]

Hero Cafe - Chapter 2

Also on AO3

< << Go back to Chapter 1

Oops?  It’s not a one-shot anymore.

⁂ 

Chat Noir happily bounded over the rooftops, a bulky parcel in his arms as he headed to his new favorite place. It was his night to patrol with Carapace, and he was delighted to get to introduce his long-term hero buddy to Marinette's Hero Cafe. He'd wanted to be the one to escort all of the B-team members, but Ladybug had objected to him patrolling that much. Something about exhaustion consuming her kitty. But she had agreed to some schedule swapping so he could have the absolute joy of inducting most of the B-team to their exclusive club. Chloe was going to love that aspect.

"Okay, dude," Carapace called, keeping pace with Chat and his ungainly package. "I give up.  Where are we going and what the heck are you dragging around with you?"

"You'll see. We're nearly there," Chat replied, dropping to the roof of his old college. He patted the brown paper wrapped bolts of cloth. "This is pale pink damask and sage green bamboo jersey that is utterly decadent to touch."

Carapace stared at him for a moment. "D-damask and jersey?  Are those fabrics?"

Chat Noir nodded. Didn't everyone know what damask and jersey were?

"Are we going crafting?  Because I've gotta tell you, I'm not handy in that way." Carapace looked a bit reluctant, like he didn't like having to admit that.

Chat laughed. "This isn't for us. Don't worry, I'd be way over my head if I had to actually make something with these." He felt a delightful warmth in his belly as he thought of Marinette creating things with them, though. The colors fit the springtime scheme she'd been designing with recently. "They're for our hostess."

"Hostess?" Carapace asked.

Chat nodded. "As Ladybug instructed me, take a different route each time you come.  We don't want to lead anyone to her."

Carapace's eyes went wide. "We're going to Ladybug's house?"

"As if." Chat snorted and shook his head. He gestured toward the twinkle-lights on the balcony across the way. "Have you ever met Marinette Dupain-Cheng?" He took his team mate's expression of awe as an answer. "I know, dude. I hear ya." He sighed happily. "The one and only, beautiful and amazing Marinette has made something very special just for the heroes of Paris. Come check it out." He led the way over to the pleasantly lit and comfortable little rooftop cafe. As they both touched down, Chat waved grandly to the tables and kitchenette space. "Welcome to Marinette's Hero Cafe. It's a place where you can warm up, get out of the weather, catch a snack, or even recharge your kwami." He leaned the fabric parcel against the wall so he could better show off the amenities. "She's keeping us stocked up on a variety of snacks, including kwami favorites. Leftovers from family dinner are in the refrigerator." He pulled out the pot, closing his eyes and enjoying the aroma of tonight's dal soup. He loved family dinner. Even when he ate alone at the Hero Cafe, it felt so different from eating alone in his father's house.

"Woah," Carapace whispered reverently enough to make Keanu Reeves proud.

Chat served himself some dal, popping it into the microwave. While it warmed, he leaned down to tap lightly on Marinette's skylight. There was a bright glow from her room, and he wanted to thank her in person. The skylight raised slowly just as the microwave beeped.

"Oh," she said softly. "Chat Noir, Carapace, good evening."

Chat smiled warmly at her. "It's a beautiful evening, Princess." He bowed to her.

Her brilliant eyes rolled a bit, but she looked happy. "Silly kitty."

"This is an amazing thing you've done for us, N-uh Marinette," Carapace said, fumbling her name a bit. It was to be expected when one stood in the presence of a goddess. Chat was grateful he'd gotten to know her when he was still an awkward teen, and had moved past the truly embarrassing presentations of adoration.

Her cheeks pinked a bit. "I just wanted to do something for you, the heroes who risk yourselves every day for the rest of us." She shrugged. "I know it can't be easy, and while I'm sure people thank you all the time, those are just words."

Chat sighed happily. Of course words were cheap and Marinette would never be satisfied with such flimsy appreciation. But then, neither would he. "You have no idea how much this means to us, Princess," he said, reaching for the parcel he'd lugged across rooftops for her.

Her eyes went wide. "What is that?"

He lay the package before her as though he were a servant and she the highest empress. "A mere token of my gratitude."

She picked at the seam, where the paper was overlapped and taped. "This looks like more than a mere token, Kitty."

He held up one finger. "You've given up this space to us, Princess." He turned briefly to look out into Paris before looking back. "With a view like this, you've given up the most inspirational place in your house." He waved his hand around to the cafe itself. "And you've put time, effort, and money into this."

"Because I wanted to," she pointed out.

Chat nodded. "Yes. And I want to make sure you have what you need to make your design dreams come true, even with you giving so much to us." He gave her mid-level kitten eyes, hoping that holding back a bit would allow him to step up if needed.

"Fine, I'll accept," she allowed, shaking her head and smiling. She peeled away the paper, and his large cat ears picked up her gasp. It was followed by a soft sigh. "These are amazing," she whispered.

"Please enjoy them." He nodded then finally went to retrieve his dal from the microwave.

"Oh I will," she promised, carefully lowering them into her room. "You two have a good night now. And if there's anything you find I'm low on, or that you'd like me to have in the future,  please add it to the suggestion box."

Chat was savoring his dal when Carapace settled in at the little table with his own bowl. "I love this stuff."

"Few things are better than food prepared by the Dupain-Chengs," Carapace agreed.

Chat nodded. "Tom and Sabine liked this plan of Marinette's and are helping with the food." When Ladybug told him how the cafe came to be, he'd loved that part of the story. What he wouldn't give to have a family that loved like they did.

"I can't help but notice how familiar you are with Marinette, though," Carapace said, his words slow like he was being careful with his choices.

"She's my friend," Chat pointed out. "Has been since Evillustrator targeted her."

Carapace looked surprised.

"She was a great help for that fight, and she's…" He hesitated. Ladybug knew some of this, but he'd been careful to keep it on the down low otherwise.  And he knew Marinette never mentioned their friendship, unlike some people who constantly claimed to be besties with one or more of the heroes. "She's been there for me when I needed it."

"I had no idea," Carapace muttered. "She… I've met her as a civilian, you know. And she's never said a thing."

Chat nodded. "She's as good as Milady at keeping things to herself."

⁂

Check out Chapter 3 >>

I have a lot of ideas for this, but only a super vague plan for an overall arc, so we'll decide in the end if it actually has plot or if it's just a series of day-in-the life moments for our heroes and Marinette.

If you’re so inclined, feel free to support me over on Ko-Fi

[freedom-shamrock]

Hero Cafe - Chapter 3

Also on AO3

<<< See Chapter 1  << Go back to Chapter 2

Marinette scrambled down the stairs, gripping tightly to the railing to avoid crashing in a heap at the bottom. She dashed across the living room and yanked the apartment door open to reveal Luka. His hair was longer and he seemed a little taller than she remembered from their last visit, things she hadn't been able to see in their video chats. It had been too long.

"Luka!" she cheered, raising both arms up in the air.

He chuckled, pulling her into a tight hug. "Oh it's so good to see you, ma Melodie."

Her feet left the floor, and she responded to his exuberance by wrapping her legs around his hips and giggling. "Oh I've missed you so much."

His arms tightened around her and his face nuzzled her neck, tickling her just a little. "This kind of welcome home is only going to encourage me to keep going away because you know I love coming back to this."

"Nooooo," she whined. "That's so mean." She gave him the best kitten eyes she could, something she'd become quite good at thanks to her exposure to Chat Noir.

He let out a slow sigh and loosened his hold, so she did the same. "I could never be that mean to ma Melodie. Not on purpose." He pressed his forehead to hers.

She found her feet touching the floor again. Despite all their joking about it, she knew he hated going away. It was a necessary part of building his audience though, and she wouldn't dream of discouraging it. He'd done a really good job using social media to build a following, but to really make it as a musician, he needed to put himself out there where people could see and meet him, not just hear him. It was a tried and true model, and it was already working for him. His shows in Paris could no longer be held in coffee shops and intimate venues, and he'd sold out the larger bars for his last few solo shows.

"How was this leg of the tour?" she asked, sliding her hands down his arms. She enjoyed the feeling of his beautiful muscles under her palms. "Any needless drama?"

Luka snorted. "I was providing backing guitar for Jagged Stone. That man thrives on drama."

"You're not wrong." Marinette had definitely seen that in her frequent stints as album cover art and stage costume designer for the rockstar. "I'm beginning to think drama is his muse," she suggested.

Luka let out a surprised bark of a laugh. "Oh god, I'd never thought of it that way. But you're so right!" He let go of her hands, reluctance clear in his movements. "Get your shoes on, Melodie. I've missed our walks."

Luka's returns to Paris, especially after the longer gigs on tour with Jagged, had developed into a routine. He'd check in with his ma and Juleka first, then he and Marinette would catch up as they strolled aimlessly through Paris. He'd join her family for dinner and they'd end the evening snuggling. Other than the catching up, it wasn't that different from many of their regular get togethers. Sure they hung out in her room, or his dorm content in each others' company as they worked on their own art forms, and sometimes they went out to eat, but all in all, they preferred the simplicity. There was enough perceived complexity in their relationship already.

By the time Marinette had shoved her feet into her sandals, Luka's guitar was strapped to his back. They'd learned early on that their greetings, especially the ones after long absences, were not compatible with sketchbooks or instruments. As she closed the door, he swept up her hand and brought it to his lips. She returned his smile, happy heat prickling in her cheeks as she shook her head indulgently at him. Luka wasn't a grand gestures man. He much prefered to provide a constant stream of everyday affection. Frankly, it was her preference as well, and she often accused him of being unaware of how much his mere presence, much less his continuous gentle touches, pet names, and unquestioning support affected her.

They held hands as they walked to their preferred cafe for this side of town. They wandered aimlessly, taking turns deciding when to cross the street or turn a corner. All the while they talked, catching up on the things they hadn't over the phone.

"Is your super secret project done?" he asked as they settled onto a bench in a quiet part of a park. It was early evening, and most people were rushing home from work, yet.

Marinette grinned. "Yes." She hadn't told him anything about the cafe she'd set up for the heroes, because she wanted it to be a surprise. When he was in Paris, he wore the miraculous of the snake, moonlighting as the hero Viperion. In fact, Sass was riding in her purse with Tikki right now, and she would slip the bangle on his wrist before too long. "I can't wait to show you."

He flashed her a bit of pouty lip, fluttering his eyelashes. "You're going to make me wait?" His voice wavered plaintively.

"Surprises are most fun when revealed at the right moment," she replied, reaching out to lightly tap his nose. "Surely you know that, Star."

He closed his eyes, a blissful smile on his face as he listened to a song only he could hear. Luka had turned out to be far more perceptive than anyone realized. She and Tikki felt he likely had a bit of his own magic tied in with that whole heartsong knack of his. He'd always known she was Ladybug, or almost always, and he'd realized that she was the new guardian. It was only when that added responsibility seemed too much for her that he revealed his secret knowledge and offered to be there for her in whatever way helped. Just having someone who knew, someone she could talk to, and who could balance her when she was spiraling had made a huge difference.

⁂

She'd shown the cafe off to him when they got back from their walk, and for the first time in their acquaintance he was truly speechless. Sure, there had been times when he couldn't find the right words, but this wasn't like that. He didn't have words, clumsy or otherwise. He'd rubbed his hands eagerly and grinned, fidgeting with giddy energy over each amenity she showed off.

After dinner with her parents, Luka happily helped Marinette bring the leftovers up. When they reached her room from the kitchen, she realized Chat Noir had been there. She rolled her eyes and shook her head at the brown paper wrapped bolts of fabric that hadn't been in her crafting area when they went down to dinner. 

"What's that?" Luka asked, following her lead and setting down his burden on her desk.

"Gifts from Chat Noir, most likely." She'd been trying to discourage him; she really didn't need anything in exchange for keeping the hero cafe running smoothly. Even if she wasn't the guardian, trying to take care of her team, she was grateful to the heroes of Paris. But that cat was a master at changing the subject and was incredibly slippery about getting out of promises.

"Ooooh," Luka murmured in a delicious low voice. "Gifts from the kitty cat, hmmmm?"

Her cheeks went hot. "It's not like that," she insisted.

Luka laughed.

"I keep telling him to stop…" she sliced through the tape with a sharp scissors, sighing in awe at the fabric hiding inside. He had such good taste in fabric, and an almost terrifyingly accurate understanding of what she wanted or needed at any given time. She knew he came from money, but she tried to feel at least a little guilty that he was giving her fabrics she'd coveted but couldn't afford unless they were part of a commission.

"I think it's exactly like that," Luka said, looking closely at the fabric, then smiling at her. "But you are amazing, Melodie, so it's not a surprise that he'd be wooing you."

She sighed, her shoulders drooping. She hadn't meant to encourage Chat Noir's boldly stated affection for her civilian side, but it would be a lie to deny that she didn't enjoy his flirting. He was sweet and a bit over-the-top, but nowhere near as obnoxious as he'd been when they were younger. It was nice to feel wanted, but she worried Luka would step even further back than he already had, and oh god she wanted him closer, not farther away.

"Oh, mo ghaol," he murmured, gently cupping her face in his hands.

His skin was warm against hers, grounding her in the moment. She met his eyes and her breath caught, stupid tears welling up. For the last two years they'd had this odd not-quite-dating relationship. They attended universities eleven minutes away from each other (by foot, and he usually biked), and they spent a ridiculous amount of time together… when he was in town. He'd spent so much in his second and third years, touring with folk, rock and even classical groups while attending lectures remotely. When it was clear that they had chemistry, and that they were definitely both interested, they'd talked about how that distance could come between people in a romantic relationship. They were both willing to risk their friendship on a romance, but only if the odds weren't stupidly stacked against them. So while their cuddles weren't remotely platonic, and they hugged and touched in a way that sent a distinct message, they were free to date others. But somehow in that time, neither had. He wouldn't accuse her of being unfaithful, because that wasn't an expectation he had. But she didn't want him to think he had competition, either.

He leaned in and kissed her forehead. "Let's put this food in the refrigerator so we can have a good snuggle on your bed. There's something I wanted to share with you." He smiled, and it was shy. "Questions I have for you. And I think this will all be okay then." He raised his eyebrows in question.

Marinette nodded, gulping down the sob that was trying to crawl out her throat. She snatched the rolls, since nothing would break if she dropped them and she always got extra clumsy when her emotions ran away with her. The cafe was quiet tonight. Not a big surprise. No one was on patrol, though that didn't mean there weren't heroes out and about. Chat had dropped by, after all.

That duty tended to, they settled on her bed, in a familiar and comfortable position. Her head rested on his shoulder as his arms encircled her. After a moment, she rolled toward him, pressing her face into his shirt.

"You okay, Melodie?" he asked as he gently rubbed her back.

She nodded. "You had something to talk about?" He'd probably gotten another tour offer. He'd only just gotten home and now he was going away again. She was proud of him, and so glad people were recognizing how amazing he was. But it still kind of sucked.

"Yeah." He took a deep breath. "I talked to my counselor right before I came home, and it looks like I'm done touring until after uni. Surprise."

She froze for a moment. Those were not the words she was expecting. At all. She raised herself up on her elbow to look him in the face.

He gave her a smile, sweet and soft. "I'm going to need to be on campus working on my final project, which is going to be a solo album and all the trappings that go with it. I have to do the marketing, the art, setting up a release party, promoting it with local shows, and all that budgeting crap. Conservatoire de Paris has been great about letting me do my music and get credit for performing while taking classes at a distance, but they want me here to do the final project."

She knew her mouth made a little o shape, but nothing came out. He wasn't going away. Not for a whole year. It was the best news. The sobs had been replaced by giggles that she fought to keep at bay. She didn't want to interrupt anything he had to say right now.

"Since I'm going to be in Paris," he said slowly. "And you're going to be in Paris." He lightly booped her nose with his pinkie. "I was wondering if maybe you'd be interested in revisiting us." He gestured between them. "Specifically negotiating what kind of relationship we could have."

"Yes." She nodded eagerly. "I'd like that."

He looked as happy as she felt. "I'll be around to help you balance your super secret side gig, though I think you've been doing a lot better with that lately." He grinned. "Then again, you have a whole team bending over backward to help and comfort you." He winked. "In both forms."

She gasped. "Luka!" She swatted at him gently. "It's not like that."

"It's totally like that," he insisted. "But that's okay, too. It makes me happy that you're getting all the love and attention you deserve."

She wanted to interrupt, but he was on a roll.

"And to help keep things from getting awkward later, I'm fine sharing you with them," he said. Nothing in his face or voice contradicted the statement. "If you want to date other people while you're with me, I get that. You're multifaceted, and I may not be everything you need."

She gawked at him.  "What?" She shook her head. She'd always felt that it was fine to be attracted to other people while being true to just one. "Why would you…"

"Just let me lay this out for you, Melodie," he said, brushing her cheek with his knuckles. "Let me tell you what I'm willing to go for if it means I get to be with you."

She sighed and nodded. "Fine."

"I'm okay with you dating the heroes of Paris," he explained. "Any and all of them while you're with me. Though if you're going to date beyond that group, I'd like us to talk about it first; not that I want veto power." He paused, looking contemplative. "I think it'll be easier for me to share you with them because you're their Ladybug, our Ladybug. Our guardian." He beamed at her. "Our most miraculous one."

⁂

I'm in Minnesota and have been under stay at home orders for 33 days. Fortunately I'm able to work from home, as is the hubby. Unfortunately his gig is full time and mine is part time, and the bulk of the MANAGING THE FAMILY burden (dinners, food supply, kid school, kid free time, cleaning, etc) has fallen to me. This means I somehow have LESS time to write. I have to tell you, it's making me insane. Last weekend I declared everyone my room mates and was not responsible for anything. HA. We are trying to fix the imbalance.

mo ghaol - Scots Gaelic for "my love"

If you’re so inclined, feel free to support me over on Ko-Fi

Check out Chapter 4 >>

[freedom-shamrock]

Hero Cafe

Also on AO3

The idea for this was sparked by a recent comment Dawn_on_Fire made on AO3 on the BAMF Marinette story "Snack Chat."

⁂

Marinette looked over everything in the mini refrigerator while Tikki ran down the checklist.

"It looks like you've got everything set, Marinette," her kwami said brightly.  "This is such a sweet idea. I'm proud of you for moving past your worries to make this happen."

She closed the door and stood up, gazing proudly at her balcony's new setup. Superhero work was exhausting and took a lot of reserves. A few months back, she'd started bringing a bag of end-of-day breads and pastries whenever she was on patrol or training with any of her teammates. While they'd all appreciated it, Chat Noir had actually gotten tearful in his gratitude. Her partner was far too thin. Sure, his black suit emphasized that, but she'd picked him up enough times to know that it wasn't an illusion. She'd heard enough to know that his home life was garbage, and while she couldn't ask, it was clear he wasn't getting enough to eat.

It had taken far too long to come up with a solution that didn't involve her going out every night to feed her kitty. Lycee had gotten intense and she was stretched too thin as it was; she couldn't afford to give up more sleep if she wanted to keep all her commitments and ensure Paris' safety. 

Pitching the plan of creating a superhero rest stop to her parents was easier than she'd expected, though perhaps pointing out Chat Noir's dangerously underweight physique, and likening it to her friend Adrien's, was all it took.  Her parents were feeders and caretakers; they couldn't abide underfed children.

"It was so nice of your parents to get you the mini-fridge and microwave," Tikki said. "You're not the only member of the family with great ideas!"

"We Dupain-Chengs are creative." She tickled the little red being's tummy. "And I'm sure it helps to have the literal embodiment of creation hanging around us." 

Tikki shook her head. "I'm drawn to creativity, and I might boost it because we're so close all the time. But I can't make what isn't there."

Resting her hands on her hips, Marinette surveyed the finished project. It far exceeded her plans of a cooler and box of snacks, with boxes to sit on. She'd found a tiny table and two low profile chairs at a cafe that was changing out all of its patio furniture. She'd expanded her brightly colored awning to cover the entire patio, not just the corner where the food was kept.  She'd added curtains on all sides that could be dropped for privacy or protection from the weather, though she expected they'd stay rolled up most of the time. For the nights when more than two heroes were out and about, she'd added a storage bench full of blankets.  Her fairy lights had been swapped out for a larger set.

Tikki swooped over to the pseudo-kitchenette and hung up the laminated page explaining all the features of the space. Then she darted over to circle the empty rings in the new ceiling. "Let's put up your sign. Then you'll be officially open for business."

"Business," Marinette snorted, but picked up the little sign she'd crafted. "This is a philanthropic activity. I don't get paid for it."

"True," Tikki agreed. "But you do get peace of mind."

Sighing happily, Marinette nodded. "Yeah.  I do."

⁂

"Where are we going?" Chat Noir asked as Ladybug led him over the rooftops.

"It's a surprise." She couldn't look at him right now; she was afraid her giddiness would give her away. She couldn't wait to see his reaction. They were nearly there. "You'll want to vary your approach trajectory in the future to prevent suspicion."

"So it's someplace we'll be going routinely, then?" he asked, and she could imagine him tapping his clawed index finger against his chin as he followed. "New roof for meeting or training?" he guessed.

"Nope. This is way cooler." She paused on a roof where she could see both her old college and the faint twinkling of her patio lights. She had her glee under control now, and could glance over at him. "I know we've saved and met a lot of civilians, but do you happen to remember Marinette?"

His smile practically lit up the night. "Marinette Dupain-Cheng? The amazing up-and-coming fashion designer and daughter of the folks who run my favorite patisserie?  That Marinette?"

She nodded. She'd managed to stay out of akuma attacks as a civilian for the last two years, so she was frankly surprised he remembered her so clearly.

"She's amazing," he gushed. "She's so kind and brave, and she's as creative as you are. You should probably consider her as an option for a third string miraculous wielder. I bet she'd be fantastic."

She turned away so he wouldn't see the hot blush in her cheeks. Why did her partner's effusive praise please her so much? This was ridiculous! "Sounds like some kitty has a crush," she teased.

"Won't deny that for a moment," he said, completely unperturbed. "I think it's impossible to meet Marinette and not develop a crush."

"Really?" she asked, her voice squeaking in surprise at the confirmation.

"It's like a whole new law of physics," he said, rubbing his chin with one knuckle. "If you are capable of romantic or physical attraction, you will be attracted to Marinette."

"What?" Where had this come from? "Hyperbolic much?"

"Not at all," he insisted, utterly serious. "Every one of my friends who have ever come in contact with Marinette has gotten a crush on her."

He sounded so sincere, but his words didn't match up with her reality at all.

"So much concentrated energy and compassion," he continued with a sigh. "Definitely doesn't hurt that it comes in such an adorable package. She's deceptively strong, but so nurturing.  I know she'd treat a sweetheart right."

She let out an undignified squawk and tripped off the edge of the building. 

Chat was snickering when he caught up with her at the next rooftop over. "So shall I add you in the crushing on Marinette club?"

"Oooh, no." She shook her head. Dating herself? That'd be a trick.

He smirked. "Aaah yes. Denial. I remember that stage.  You should just move on to acceptance. Then we can talk about how awesome she is when we're playing hot-or-not. Spoiler, she's hot."

"Are you dating her?" she asked, hoping to derail that trainwreck. "Because if you're not, it sounds like you want to."

"I wish." His amusement turned to wistfulness. "I don't dare get that close to her as my super self or my bland civilian self." He shook his head. "It wouldn't be safe for her."

"Wow," she whispered. "That's both really sad and amazingly wise all at the same time."

Chat Noir shrugged.  "I've grown up a bit the last few years."

"I'd noticed," she pointed out with a grin.

"No, I mean mentally… emotionally." Another shrug. "I was kind of stunted when we met. But I've learned."

She patted his shoulder. "Well, we're heading to Marinette's," she said. "She's got snacks for us."

His eyes were wide, and a blush kissed his cheeks.

She swung herself over, landing just before him, so she could see his face as he looked around the renovated space. 

"Marinette's Hero Cafe?" Chat Noir read the sign she'd hung up with Tikki as the final touch. His mouth was open a little in awe. He crossed into the kitchenette where a little chalkboard on top of the microwave declared stew the special of the evening. She'd worked with multi-colored chalks to draw designs like she'd seen in various cafes around the city. He reached out and ran a finger over the stack of dishes and peeked into the refrigerator, stocked with energy drinks, a pitcher of water, fruit, cheese, and the pot of leftovers.

After he'd read the laminated sheet and marveled over every last detail, he turned to her. "Did you already see this?" he asked.

Ladybug nodded. "She flagged me down and shared the idea with me when she was just starting work on it.  It's… grown a lot from what she first envisioned." She shrugged. "It's probably a little over the top. What do you think?"

He beamed at her. "I love it." He glanced down at the skylight, but her room below was dark. "If she were home… or awake, I'd have to thank her profusely.  Grandly.  In true Chat Noir style." He struck a pose, then dabbed.

"You're ridiculous," she said, snorting with laughter. "And while thanking her is fine, you really don't need to go over the top."

"But…" He waved around them at the remodeled space. "She made this for us. I know she used to use this space for brainstorming and designing."

"She still can," she pointed out.

"Yeah, but… I don't think she'll feel as free to do so now.  Maybe during the day, but not at night." He rubbed at his chin. "I know what she's like. She's set this space aside for us, and I bet she doesn't even really think of it as hers anymore."

She stared at him, blinking in stunned silence. How did Chat Noir know Marinette so well?

"She'll want us to feel comfortable here without risks, so she'll probably take care of the space, and bring up the leftovers from dinner." He pointed at the refrigerator. "But she'll want to leave it for us."

"I hadn't thought of that." It wasn't true. She had thought of it, and felt the pros outweighed the cons. "Maybe she feels it's worth it? It's her way of thanking us for taking care of Paris."

Chat Noir lifted the glass cover off a platter of pastries to pluck out his current favorite, a croissant with just enough dark chocolate to make it feel decadent. "I may not be able to thank her tonight, but mark my words, I will rectify that in the future."

"There's no need to get all over the top and ridiculous about it," she cautioned.

"Pfft. I am Chat Noir," he announced. "Ridiculous is what I do."

She shook her head.  "That's what I'm afraid of."

"And Marinette deserves an extra helping of my gratitude."

"Chaaaat," her tone was a warning.

"Think she'd accept payment in exotic fabrics?" he asked.

Ladybug stared at him, stunned for approximately the fifth time in the last hour. He knew her, Marinette her, well enough to know exactly what would appeal. She found her voice after a moment of heavy silence. "I think Plagg needs to add a tag to your collar."

His luminescent eyes blinked slowly in confusion.

"You are clearly Marinette's cat."

⁂

It’s not a one-shot anymore, and you can now check out Chapter Two if you’d like.

If you’re so inclined, feel free to support me over on Ko-Fi

[freedom-shamrock]

Ignoring the laundry and working on the next installment of Hero Cafe.  Going to be having a virtual ATLA marathon today, so I can fold laundry and eat then.  :)

[freedom-shamrock]

I really love the Hero Cafe story, do you have any plans to continue it? I'd love to see what happens when Chat Noir actually thanks Marinette, especially with how Stunned she already was about it all when she was Ladybug.

Thank you so much!  I’m glad you enjoyed it. I agree this has a LOT of potential for fun.

This was an utterly random story that I threw together with no planning.  And as such, I didn’t really plan for sequels or additional chapters.  If I were a normal person, we would just have to be content with it as is.  I am not normal, so the likelihood of it staying a one-shot, however, is statistically very, very low.  

Of my 130 stories on AO3 (holy crap I hadn’t realized I’d written so much), 6 are ATLA and 124 are MLB.  Of the ATLA stories, 2 are one-shots.  Of the MLB stories, only 11 are one-shots, though many of them started life as one-shots, such as my BAMF Marinette series.  I’m not good at one-shots.  I’m a serial novelist at heart.

So this is a long-winded way of saying, I can’t guarantee anything, I’m not even going to pretend that I will beat those odds this time ‘round.  :)

[hero-in-high-tops]

How It Should Have Ended: Deadpool