Probably Lukadrinette and the Core 4, although I’m very curious about Lukadrino! I just need to figure out what the Luka/Nino dynamic would be… Maybe they’re dating, maybe they’re both in love with Adrien and being bros about it. Rarepairs are my jam and should be protected at all costs.
I also really like Kittybella, and I think Zoé and Nino would get on really well as friends, so there’s a lot of potential there as well. And recently, @trishacollins brought up the possibility of Mari having dated both Luka and Chloé… She meant at different points in time, but I think they would be very funny as a trio. They could potentially balance each other out well enough to stand the test of time!
Part of me thinks it’d be really funny if we had Feligami on the one hand and all the other kids in a complicated polycule on the other. Oh, you thought the Love Square was complicated? How about the Love Dodecahedron???
And of course, there’s whatever Gabeminath & extras had going on. We would have no plot without them.
im hoping at one point, nino is able to prove that he can keep a secret, bc i really really really want adrien to tell nino that hes chat noir 😭😭 its like a need, i miss adrinino, but the way nino is rn, idk if adrien would be willing to trust him with something that huge.
the last time nino talked with adrien about superheroes, he very quickly revealed his identity to him. and from adrien’s reaction, im sure that put him further down the list of people to tell. BUT i am optimistically hoping nino shows that he is taking superhero secrets more seriously this time around, so nino can be there for him in a very real way. nino also famously did not like gabriel, so he could ground him as adrien comes to terms with his death.
i mean, i had my doubts about alya knowing, considering she was obsessed with finding out ladybug’s identity and wanting to be the first to release that info. but when shit hit the fan, alya tightened up and left that in the past to protect her friend, (which is just beautiful bc wow u got the arbiter of truth to keep a secret and lie/coverup for u thats love right there) and i can only hope nino is able to do the same for his best bud
i am also selfishly wanting lukadrinino interactions bc they could have jam sessions together and talk about superhero things together ☹️ i want adrien to have some more friends he can lean on goddamnit
do you see lukadrino as 3 boyfriends, luka and nino fighting over adrien, or adrien being mirac team's free pass
If I were writing a Lukadrino story, I think it would start with everyone as friends, but, then, as Luka and Nino realize that they both have feelings for Adrien, things get a little competitive and heated until they decide that they need to share because they don’t want to lose their friendship with each other or mess things up for Adrien by making things awkward and bitter. So Luka and Nino both end up dating Adrien while their relationship with each other becomes more queerplatonic in nature.
But, you know, I can see it all three ways, actually.
In my Springtime in Wonderland series, Nino and Luka are fighting because of Adrien. Nino thinks that Luka is bad for Adrien because Luka is currently dating Marinette (with whom Adrien is in love) while also (in Nino’s mind) leading Adrien on, so Nino is an enraged mama bear hell bent on protecting Adrien from Luka. Their confrontation scene is in Chapter Twenty-One of Nachtmusik.
I’ve also written Nino and Luka as partners in taking care of Adrien in To Waltz Among Shades, most notably in Chapter Seven. I think they would make a great team because they’re both chill and mature. They both have a protective older brother nature, and I think they’d get along well.
And then I headcanon Adrien as asexual and ship him with everyone, so I can see him as the whole team’s free pass as well. I imagine he gets snuggled and loved on by everyone because that’s what he deserves.
This drabble is dedicated to @draethdarkstar to say HAPPY BIRTHDAY month! I hope your September has been amazing and will continue to be!
___
“We should do something.” Nino lifted his head enough to look down the couch at his boyfriends. “This is the first time we’ve all been together in weeks.”
Adrien yawned and curled into Nino’s side. “We are doing something. We’re watching TV.”
“But we should go out, right?” He leaned past the blonde to look at Luka. “Right?”
Luka tried to stifle his own yawn. “We can go out if you want.”
“I don’t want to,” Nino frowned. “I guess I feel like we should. We haven’t been on a group date in...”
“Months?”
“Yeah. That’s probably not a great statement for our relationship.”
“I can get ready,” Adrien murmured even as he stretched his legs out over Luka’s lap so he could slide down Nino’s arm further to rest his head on his lap.
“Really convincing,” Luka teased and pinched the other man’s calf. “Maybe we can go out tomorrow night.”
“I’ve got a club gig tomorrow night.” Nino slid his fingers into Adrien’s hair and heard a content humming sound in reply. “Maybe Sunday?”
“I’ve got a fitting in the morning,” Adrien muttered.
“And I’ve got band practice in the afternoon. We have to work on a new set so it’ll take a while,” Luka sighed. “No wonder we haven’t seen each other.”
“You guys are the ones travelling all over the place while I’ve got to hold down the fort.” Nino closed his eyes and rested his head on the back of the couch. He shouldn’t have let that slip out but he’d grown tired of being alone in the loft they’d rented together. Gabriel had Adrien traveling for more and more events and shoots and Luka toured on and off with Jagged Stone for most of the last year.
He really hadn’t minded at first. He’d moved out of a cramped apartment he shared with his family into a spacious loft he could’ve never afforded on his own and he even got the whole place to himself a good bit. The shiny newness of it all wore away though as he spent more and more dinners alone in front of their big TV and woke up to a half empty bed more mornings than not.
Adrien sat up with a guilty expression. “I can go jump in the shower. We could do dinner and maybe--”
“It’s fine for us to stay here. I’ll order some food.” Nino got up from the couch and tried to shake the funk that was settling over him. He hadn’t meant to bring anything up. He just wanted to enjoy having both of them around at the same time and now things were going to be weird.
Arms wound around his waist as he leaned against the counter and scrolled through the dinner options on his phone. He took a deep breath and knew it was Adrien without needing to turn around. he heard the soft strumming of Luka’s guitar from the couch and let himself sink into the soothing sound.
“I miss you so much every moment I’m away from you,” Adrien promised, his voice soft. “I know Luka does too.”
While he felt relief, guilt mixed in with the feeling. “I know; I miss you guys too,” Nino said quietly. “I didn’t mean to...it’s just hard sometimes. I guess I just didn’t realize it would be like this.” He stared down at his phone but he wasn’t paying attention to what was on the screen anymore. He was listening to the way Adrien’s breathing was in sync with the melody from Luka’s guitar. It was mesmerizing in a way.
Adrien stepped away and before Nino could miss his presence, the other man was leading him back to the couch and sitting him beside Luka before taking his other side. The song changed and Nino realized there’d been a sad note to it before that was gone now.
“I’m going to ask to take the next leg of the tour off,” Luka announced, his strumming never ceasing.
“You don’t have to do that.”
“I want to,” he shrugged. “I miss being here, with both of you, and I’m feeling a little burnt out anyway. I need a change.”
“And I can get Nathalie to loosen up my schedule,” Adrien decided with a firm nod. “It’s not worth missing out on spending time with you guys.”
“Now I feel like a baby,” Nino complained. “I wish I hadn’t said anything.”
“And I wish you’d said something sooner. I’m sorry we haven’t been here.”
“I’m sorry too.”
“The only way this works is if we’re open with each other,” Luka reminded them.
Nino still felt embarrassed but he also felt better. It was a balance he could live with. He sank down a little on the couch and Adrien slouched beside him with a chuckle. Luka continued to play even as Nino moved as close as he could without bumping the guitar and the trio enjoyed being in each other’s company because at the moment, that was all that mattered.
This one is also surprisingly hard, because Miraculous is the shipping show by excellence, and they’re all pretty compelling! That being said —
1. Feligami
Hopefully there’s no doubt about it by now. They single-handedly kicked me out of a months-long writer’s block, and ever since I’ve written paragraph over paragraph about them... with no intention to stop! 💜❤️
2. Lukadrien
With how much I talk about the Sentikids, you’d almost forget Luka was my favourite character back in season 3! Every time I write him, he and Adrien go heart-eyes over each other. It’s almost against my will at this point.
There’s so many interesting things to explore about them, from the angstiest to the sweetest. Luka feeling left out in Wishmaker only to bask in love in Migration. Adrien opening up about his Aspik trauma to someone who can understand. Luka being, to this day, the only person who figured out Chat’s identity. Two very pretty boys who are unlucky in love and terrible at getting what they want... Has anyone ever written Luka x Cat Walker? Lukatwalker? I think someone should write Lukatwalker. Don’t look at me, I have too many WIPs already!
3. Lukadrinette & Adrino
See, that’s where rankings get complicated, because where the Hell do I put Lukadrinette hmm? Hmmmmm? I love the three of them together more than I love Adrinette and Lukanette individually, but less than Lukadrien on its own. It’s a question of balance, I think.
And at the same time, Adrino. There’s just something so comforting about them. The warmth of it all! The dorky flirting in Rocketear! Nino being willing and ready to throw hands with Gabriel since the early episodes of season 1! I love Lukadrien, I love Lukadrinette, but there are universes in which my brain won’t accept any endgame other than Adrino. The Reverse is one of them — all it took was that one conversation between Adrien and Claw and BOOM!!!!! Clawdrino!!! They’re kissing as we speak. I follow the brainworms where they take me.
“But Nina!” I hear you ask, “why not get the best of both words by writing Lukadrino?” to which I reply that you are so right. I’m very curious to see where that might lead us. Unfortunately I am, as previously established, battling an army of WIPs, so the exploration will have to wait.
4. Ladynoir
For the Strikeback of it all. And the London special of it all, too! Marichat was my favourite side of the Love Square for a very long time, but recently I’ve had a craving for…
5. Adribugnoire. Or whatever it’s called.
I’m a hurt/comfort enthusiast, so this surprises absolutely no one. It’s perfect to explore Mari’s crushing responsibilities and her relationships to the people in the know (Kagami Felix Kagami Felix Nathalie Kagami Felix Plagg Bunnyx Kagami FELIX FELIX FELIX). It’s perfect to explore the Sentilore, which you know is my brand. It’s perfect because if I’m going to put a character through the angst machine, you better believe it’s going to be Adrien. It’s perfect because have you seen Bug Noire??? She’s so pretty!!! The London special spoiled me so much!!!
Special mentions:
Julerose and Marcaniel are very cute, of course. DJWiFi I think works best as a QPR, but I might be biased because Kittybella!!! I love Kittybella. Zoenette is also cute. I love Alyanette and especially Loveyalya, the pining is simply excellent. Speaking of the Loveybug AU, Loveyblanc… All these dynamics are so fun to play with, but I rarely get around to it because the Sentikids take up so much of my writing time. As they should! 💚💜❤️
And then there’s the box of ships I don’t want to be canon/endgame, but which I think bring something extremely interesting to the story. Feligami would not be as compelling as it is if it weren’t for Adrigaminette. The plot would not exist at all without Gabeminath. Cholila has so much narrative potential. I’m not rooting for them, but I enjoy what they bring to the table!
