We hope you like the prompts for this year and we're excited to see all the amazing content to come out of this event!
Let's celebrate August by stepping through the looking glassâ weâre here to get sucked into the worlds of fairy tales, coffee shops, and the supernatural! Theyâre childhood friends, theyâre royalty, oh my god, theyâre roommates again.
And we have a cute calendar this year too đ
Tell your friends! Â Tell your co-workers! Â Tell your bartender!
because weâre about to get alternate universe up in this bitch.
Important Things To Note:
1. If you'd like for us to reblog your post please @ this blog (@auyeahaugust) and use this year's tags: #auyeah2020 and/or #mlauyeahaugust so we can see it!
2. We're all here to have a good time so we will not be reblogging any hate/salt content and we hope you won't be creating any.
3. While NSFW content is allowed we encourage you to put it under a cut/the read more feature. We will not be reblogging any NSFW that is not under a cut.
4. We highly encourage the artists participating to include image descriptions of your work to be inclusive of those with visual disabilities. Hereâs a link about learning how to do so.
5. If your content has something that could be triggering to others please put a content warning either on the post or in the tags (common ones include but aren't limited to: gore, death, harassment, etc.) We will be trying our best to tag them as well [format: #tw (content)] but it helps us out if your content comes with its own warnings!
6. And lastly, remember to have fun! You don't have to follow the calendar or complete every day; this event is merely to inspire and celebrate our shared love of all things AU! Additionally, even though this event started as an ML fandom event, it is open to any fandom/ship that wants to participate! So don't stress out over it â€ïž
I wanted to use the Alyanette prompt from the I Ship It Too event on @mlshipfleet and the cafe AU prompt from @auyeahaugust so here are some of my favorite girls opening their own Gal Pal Cafe. :DÂ
I saw today's prompt for @auyeahaugust (College AU) and thought it would be the perfect opportunity to share the beginning of this fic I've been working on!
It's actually based on @e-milieeee's post, I couldn't resist the cooking trope đŹ
Hope you enjoy!
Read on AO3 (gasp)
---
Lesson 1: Ratatouille
Adrien Agreste was the perfect man. Good-looking, hard-working, charming, he was the prime example of the son-in-law every parent wanted, and the people his age who didn't want to be him wanted to date him.
Marinette Dupain-Cheng wouldn't deny she might be classified in the latter category, although less so than when she was younger. She was good friends with the model now. Voluntarily so. You didnât fight and defeat Parisâ number one villains for years, growing from a teenager into a young adult together, without getting close. Their respective crushes on each other had faded over time, but it didnât mean they wouldâve said no if all the circumstances aligned, although they wouldnât have admitted it out loud.
The one thing Adrien Agreste wasnât, though, was a good cook. Not that he didnât have everything he could possibly need in his kitchen. The apartment he now lived in, although a huge step down from the Mansion that had once been his home (but what wouldnât be), was still a lot bigger, and a lot more comfortable than what a normal student should have been able to afford.
It was a lot better equipped, too.
Marinette had told him the contractors were abusing his trust by installing things that were way more expensive than they ought to be, knowing he wouldnât double check, but heâd waved her concerns away. With his fatherâs demise, heâd just wanted to move out as quickly as possible to avoid the crowds of paparazzi, and if signing a very large cheque could provide him with the knowledge the workers wouldnât blab, then so be it. He couldnât bring himself to sell the Mansion despite the knowledge it had been Hawkmothâs lair the whole time -there were too many memories associated with his mother there- but heâd had some offers to rent it out for movie settings which would definitely cover the costs of keeping it, as well as his rent. Heâd looked into his finances and put all the money heâd earned as a model in a bank account, and donated the rest to a fund to help Akuma victims. There was no way he was keeping his fatherâs dirty money when so many people had suffered at his hands.
It left little time for him to learn basic cooking skills. He was often too tired to make anything when he came back from his nocturnal meanderings, so he went for the easy solution: food delivery. There were so many restaurants nearby he couldâve eaten something different every night for a month and still not have gone through all of the options. It was more diverse than anything heâd ever eaten, and it suited him just fine.
Little did he know that this habit would be disrupted by his best friend moving in next door.
Marinette had been looking for a new flat. Not that she didnât enjoy living with her parents, but she found herself wanting a little more privacy now that she was at University. The reveal that she was Ladybug had brought a lot of attention to the Tom and Sabine bakery, which was good, but a lot of it was journalists prowling around in the hopes of getting an exclusive interview with her. She was tired of being pretty much mauled anytime she left the house, and although she could easily leave via the rooftops as Ladybug, she refused to let them dictate how and when she could get in and out. Which is why, when sheâd seen the words âĂ louerâ on a window of Adrienâs building as she visited him for their weekly game night, she didnât think twice about calling the number. Adrien had been a step ahead of her, so the owners were expecting her call. A week later, she had officially moved into the flat across from his.
She hadnât paid much attention to his habits at first. She was too busy settling in, and with all the planned evenings with Nino and Alya, plus the ones with the Miracuclass students who remained in Paris, she didnât see how late he came back at night, and ordering in didnât seem out of place. What better than a pizza for poker night? Or sushi for movie night? It was easy .
As winter settled in, though, and nights out dwindled to once every fortnight, she noticed the ballet of scooters and bikes that came almost at a fixed time every night. Generally when she was about to fall asleep, doing a grand job at waking her up. Groggily stalking up to the window one evening, sheâd noticed Adrien meet the delivery person as he came back from wherever heâd been, paying his due and coming up. Sheâd dismissed it due to midterm season approaching, but exams had come and gone and things hadnât changed. She kept an eye out, and after two additional weeks of seeing Adrien collect a brown paper bag, knowing fully well that he ate a sandwich every midday thanks to her fatherâs well-meaning gossip, sheâd decided to take action. She couldnât let her partner have such a questionable diet.
âWhat's it going to be tonight?â She asked, leaning arms crossed against her door frame one night as he appeared on the landing.
Adrien froze at the top of the stairs and looked at her like a deer caught in headlights.
âErâŠâ He raked his mind for something, anything that would sound even remotely healthy, but nothing came. He sighed defeatedly. âNone pizza with left beef.â He mumbled, his head lowered guiltily. Heâd seen the meme the night before, and had wanted to try it out.
âWhat?â
He repeated a little louder.
âOkay thatâs it, youâre coming over to my place for dinner.â
He knew from her tone of voice thereâd be no arguing with her, so he sheepishly followed her inside her flat, still clutching his pizza box. He wasnât too unhappy about the outcome, if he was honest. Marinette was a good cook. Heâd have a nice meal tonight.
âWhat about the pizza?â He asked weakly.
âWe can use it as⊠bread, or something.â The girl suggested, crinkling her nose at the thought. For someone who came from a long line of bakers and was part Italian, calling the contents of the box pizza or even bread seemed inherently wrong.
Adrien trailed a little behind her as she walked towards her kitchen, marveling at what sheâd done with the place.
Marinetteâs apartment mirrored his in terms of structure, but whereas his decoration was very minimalistic, hers was a lot more eclectic, without looking cluttered. Her furniture wasnât a set, yet fit together very well and gave the space a cozy feel. The painted walls, as well as the coloured posters, curtains, rugs and cushions made it feel very homey. He wanted nothing more than sit on her sofa and snuggle under the knitted blanket with her to watch a movie.
Platonically, of course.
Adrien walked into the kitchen and was greeted by the pastel yellow of the walls and warm lighting. Her utensils provided nice splashes of colour that brightened up the room. He particularly appreciated the Ladybug-themed colander that was drying next to the sink.
âIf you look in that bottom draw,â she indicated with her foot before reaching for a jar of dried rice in a cupboard, âyou should find some saucepans, if you could take two out please, Chaton.â
He obliged, resisting the temptation to lift her up to help her. He knew she wouldn't appreciate it.
âCan I put you in charge of cooking the rice?â She asked, handing him the packet. Adrien accepted it but looked at her quizzically.
âSure!â He replied excitedly. âDo you have the instructions anywhere?â
Marinette stopped in the middle of washing vegetables sheâd taken out of the fridge and squinted her eyes as she gauged whether or not he was joking. He seemed genuinely at loss for what to do.
âHave you never prepared rice before?â
âNo?â
âItâs like pasta.â His clueless face made her sigh defeatedly. âYouâve never made pasta either, havenât you.â
âDoes instant ramen count? Or pasta boxes?â He flinched slightly.
âHow youâre still alive and actually fit is beyond me.â She rolled her eyes. âRight, I guess we really are starting with the basics then. Consider this lesson number one: pour some water in that saucepan.â
She moved away from the sink to allow him to access it, but stayed close enough to be able to turn the tap off for him. He clearly had no idea of how much water was needed.
âRight, now put the saucepan on the hob, and turn it on.â She saw a smirk spread on his face. âAnd donât even think about making a joke, I know what it sounded like!â
âYouâre no fun, Buguinette.â He pouted, pressing the button she indicated.
âAdd a little salt, and then weâll just let it come to a boil.â
Next, she handed him a chopping board and tomatoes. She hesitated before giving him a knife. âCan I trust you not to cut yourself?â
âHar har.â He grabbed the knife. âJokeâs on you, because salad is actually the only thing I know how to make. How do you want these?â
She resisted making a comment on how knowing how to make salad wasn't something he really could brag about. âSliced. Weâre making ratatouille.â
âOoh, nice!â
He listened as she talked him through the recipe, impressed by the fact she didnât need a cookbook to remember how to prepare it. She taught him how to prepare an aubergine, which he could recognise thanks to the emoji, but could not imagine how to bring to an edible form.
âWe just want to sear them in some oil with the courgettes, then weâll let them cook gently with the rest of the vegetables and the herbs.â
Heâd been quite dainty on the amount of herbes de Provence heâd added, which had prompted her taking his hand and shaking the spice pot to cover the tomatoes with it.
He looked at her concentrated expression as she stirred the pan and couldnât help but smile, his hand still hovering above the hob.
Marinette looked at him inquisitively. âWhat?â
âNothing.â She raised her eyebrows. âI just forgot how cute you are when youâre bossy.â
Marinette stammered in response, her cheeks pinking. It didn't matter how at ease she felt with Adrien now, she still couldn't take a compliment from him. He grinned and took advantage of her distraction to steal the wooden spoon from her and taste the dish.
âAuthorisation to add a little salt?â He asked, refilling the spoon with ratatouille for her.
She took it, trying not to focus on the fact his lips had been just where hers were. She let the flavours flood her palet thoughtfully.
"Authorisation granted."
She smiled fondly as Adrien excitedly added missing spices to the mix.
"See? I am a competent cook!" He added with a satisfied smile.
"Please, you're barely a sous-chef." Marinette snorted. She backtracked her slightly harsh words seeing her partner's pout. "Don't worry though, you'll get the hang of it! It's just a question of practising." She rubbed his back encouragingly. "Would making the plates pretty make you feel better?"
"I think so." He mock sniffled.
Marinette made a point of taking out her Chat Noir plates, which she'd been planning on keeping for special occasions. The way Adrien's face lit up upon seeing them made the fact they were her only dishes that couldn't be dishwashed seem irrelevant. Adrien made a mental note to try and find matching Ladybug ones, although he wasn't sure if he would be gifting them to her or keeping them for himself.
Marinette busied herself with tidying up the kitchen and laying the cutlery as he worked on the presentation. Had her phone been nearby, she would've taken a picture of him as he blepped in concentration.
"Does this look good enough for Madame la Chef ?" He asked as he presented the plates to her. He'd positioned the vegetables around the rice so as to make it look like a flower.
"It's perfect, Chaton." She kissed the top of his head as she passed behind him with a packet of smoked ham. She rolled the slices into little roses and planted them in the rice.
"A table?" She asked as she finally sat down opposite him.
When Adrien came home from his morning run a couple of days later, a fresh croissant in hand, he found a conscientiously wrapped package on his doormat. The black polka dots on the field of red were a dead giveaway as to who it was from. He grinned as he picked it up and opened the door.
Breakfast and washed hands later, he sat on his couch, facing the present. He was torn between tearing the wrapping, or being civilised about it. Before he could choose, Plagg flew nearby and obeyed his cat instincts, swiftly disappearing back into his Camembert cabinet with a grin to avoid his holder's reprimands.
"Je sais cuisiner." He read the title and laughed, holding the book in front of him. It was an old edition, a yellow hardback with a picture of the author on the cover.
A post-it note stuck out from the top of the book. He opened it to get to the bookmarked recipe.
For Adrien - saw this and thought of you! Since you're so keen on instructions, this might do the trick! Feel free to use it often ;-)
Love, Marinette
P.S.: I suggest we try this recipe next!
Adrien read through the page, and felt his stomach grumble. He was very pleased at the thought that something had reminded her of him and that she'd bought it for him. The "love" and the fact she was obviously looking forward to repeating their cooking experience were added bonuses.
AU Yeah August Day 5: Bed Sharing Lukagami and/or Day 28: Road Trip Lukagami o__o)/
i know i said only lovesquare but,,, lukagami was too good to pass up thank you for enabling me hehe
@auyeahaugustâ
âAre you still up?â
Kagamiâs eyes flew open and met Lukaâs.
They lay on their sides, facing each other in the still silence of night that was only occasionally broken by the soft rustling of water, or an errant thump that came from the houseboat bumping into the harbor. Moonlight glowed from a window.
Kagami hadnât been sleeping, not really. Until now she still found it hard to completely fall asleep on the Couffainesâ boat. The constant, gentle rocking unnerved her. She liked steady. She liked solid. She liked certain.
And yet somehow sheâd still ended up here. Ended up with him.
I have no regrets, she thought. Except, maybe, that I hadnât done so earlier.
âYes,â she answered softly, a small smile coming to her lips. Something about the night made her keep her voice hushed. âWhat are you doing awake?â
âI could ask you the same,â Luka said. He reached a hand out and brushed back a lock of hair that had fallen over her face. âYou should sleep, love. You need it.â
Kagami couldnât help the slight flush that came to her cheeks at the affectionate name--and Luka, ever observant, noticed. His smile widened, and he rested his hand on the side of her face.
âI love you,â she blurted out spontaneously.
Luka grabbed her hand, and brought it to his smiling lips.
The Mamma Mia story no one asked for. Un grand merci to my French teacher⊠for the vocab (He was an absolute legend).
Written for @auyeahaugust (Day 28: Roadtrip)
Four clicks of secured seatbelts and a thump at the steering wheel.
âNino, you got the towels and chairs?â asked Alya, from the driverâs seat.
âCheck.â
âMarinette, snacks?â
âCheck!â she chirped.
âLuggage all loaded, Adrien?â
âCheck.â
Marinetteâs heart melted even more when she glimpsed the excitement in the boyâs face from the side view mirror.
Alya pulled her sunglasses out of thin air and slid them on. âLetâs roll.â
T-minus 8 hours to Marseille for their beach getaway.
âŠ
Four hours and 17 minutes into their car ride, theyâd already finished two party-sized chip bags, played âNever Have I Everâ (much to Marinetteâs embarrassment because some people asked very specific questions), stopped for lunch, along with two bathroom breaks, took a wrong exit, delaying them another half hour and theyâd all managed to squeeze in a nap (Nino offered to take a driving shift for Alya to rest).
Conversation had come to a lull with the shine of the afternoon sun. They were simultaneously restless, exhausted and bored out of their minds.
Marinette had a tune stuck in her head. It drove her insane that she could only remember a specific part of it. She hummed it under her breath to see if that made a difference.
Wait⊠it was almost there.
Humming it louder now, she kept repeating that little melody. That was when Alya joined in. And she had lyrics.
âAnd all Iâve learnedâŠâ she sang in English.
Marinette joined in, correcting herself along the way from the vague words she remembered in the next line.
âHas overturnedâŠâ
The girls turned wide-eyed to each other with identical beaming smiles.
âI beg of youuuuuuu!â
Everyone was startled when Nino chimed in on the chorus.
âDonât go wasting youâre emooooootion! Lay all your looove oooon meeee!â
âWait, what is this?â said Adrien.
Their musical number came to a screeching halt. Literally. Alya almost drove them off the road. Â
âABBA, of course!â she told him, as if it were the most obvious thing in the world. Everyone else was still recovering from the near-death experience. âHavenât you heard of Mamma Mia?â
All that came from the back was silence. Marinette turned in her seat to face the confused-looking boy.
âYou havenât, have you?â she said. It shouldnât have come as a surprise. Ever since Adrien had started going to school with them, there was a lot they had to explain to him about pop culture. His father was very controlling over what his son was exposed to. But really? Not allowing him to watch Mamma Mia should be a crime.
Adrien answered with a shake of his head. âWhat is it?â
âOnly the best musical ever.â Alya exclaimed, followed by a gasp. âWe should play it for you!â
âAlready on it,â said Marinette from where she fished her phone out of her bag, connecting it to the aux cord.
âBut, dude, you need to get the story to properly enjoy it.â Nino spouted facts.
Thus, commenced a briefing of the entire plot of Mamma Mia. Marinette did most of the talking, while Nino and Alya filled in the blanks. Of course, they didnât forget the mandatory inclusion of singing a few lines. To help get the point across. Absolutely necessary.
In that span of 15 minutes, she probably said more coherent lines to Adrien than in the four years theyâd known each other. When Marinette was passionate about something, she was unstoppable. Not even her mega crush could hold her down.
âOkay, let me get this straightâŠâ began Adrien, his eyebrows furrowed. âSophie has three potential fathers and she invites them all to her wedding.â
They nod.
âAnd in the end, she doesnât find out who her real dad is and doesnât get married either?â
âDonât forget, her mother marries one of the dads at the wedding,â Nino added.
âAt her daughterâs wedding?â
âAt Sophieâs wedding,â confirmed Alya. âAww Iâm so proud! Youâre picking this up fast.â
Marinette blushed when she felt Adrien pull close to her seat to say something. âWhat exactly is the point of the plot if they donât figure the things out?â he said in a whisper their other companions could clearly hear.
The audacity of his question gave her enough courage to ditch all nerves. âOh no no no, Mamma Mia doesnât need plot.â Nino looked offended. She patted Adrienâs hand above her shoulder. âThe story is just a backdrop for an hour and a half of ABBA music.â
âMari, just start the playlist,â urged Alya, reaching for a sip of the smoothie she bought during lunch.
With the opening chords to âHoney, Honeyâ, they were set for the next couple hours of their trip. Alya was in charge of the English to French translations. Every once in a while, someone would say which character was singing and fill Adrien in on details in between scenes. By âDancing Queenâ, the boy was able to sing/holler the chorus along with them. Their mini dance party was going fantastically.
Then came the song âVoulez-Vousâ.
âVoulez-vouuus?â the three belted. Followed by Marinette and Nino breaking off to do the backup âAh-haâs, while Alya kept the main melody. They sang the last line in the chorus together. âLa question câest voulez-vouuuus!â
âItâs in French!â Adrien marvelled.
âYeah! Sing with us on the next one.â Nino reached for the console to turn up the volume from where he sat with Adrien.
The girls had been mumbling gibberish throughout the verse, but the end of the pre-chorus they had set in stone. âYou know what I meaaaan!â
âNow Agreste!â called Alya.
âVoulez-vouuuus!?â All four shouted.
The âAh-haâs became more of âAhahahahahaâs as they broke out into giggles.
Then came the question none of them had expected.
âVoulez-vous quoi?â said Adrien through the mirth.
The soundtrack continued, unbothered, while everyone had gone silent in disbelief.
Alya was the one to test the waters. âWhat do you mean, âVoulez-vous quoiâ?â
âThe song is asking someone if they want something.â He leaned in between the two front seats to look them in the eye. âBut the question isnât complete. At least, not in the French part. The English is being sung too fast. Does it say anything else Iâm missing?â
Snickers came from Ninoâs side of the car. Marinette bit down her grin at Alya reaching back to pinch him.
âAdrien, âVoulez-vousâ is the question.â Marinette made sure to emphasize her words very clearly.
âNow youâre just repeating the lyrics!â A tiny note of frustration in his voice.
Was she really going to have to explain this?
âAdrien.â She faced him completely now, clasping her hands as she organized her thoughts. ââVoulez-vousâ is basically⊠asking someone if they want to⊠you know.â
He very seriously did not know.
âTo do le crac crac,â she wheezed.
The car exploded in howling laughter from Alya and Nino. Adrien just looked haunted, as if he were revaluating every conversation heâs had in his life. Marinette sunk into herself, refusing to turn away from the window.
Only Nino and Alya sang the next few songs after that.
By âTake a Chance On Meâ they had recovered from the embarrassment. The group was able to coordinate a four-part harmony, with the help of Adrienâs musical knowledge. (How could he be so perfect?) Marinette and Alya sang the melody while Nino and Adrien took the bottom âTake a chance take a chance take a chanceâ. They made it a point to sound like robots.
Marinette decided that that was the most adorable Adrien had ever been in all the time sheâd known him.
The final two songs had them swaying in their seats and waving their arms in the air. Alya didnât want to miss out on the fun, which caused Nino to have a mini heart attack.
âAlya, for the love of God, do not take your hands off the wheel!â
The piano and Amanda Seyfriedâs voice paired wonderfully with the setting sun. Marinette felt someoneâs fingers entwining with hers as they waved in the air. Adrien brought their arms down and hugged her from behind.
âSo, I say, thank you for the music,â he sang over her shoulder. His voice was hypnotizingly velvety. âFor giving it to me.â
He pressed a kiss to her hair and released her to offer Alya one too. Even the horrible cheesiness of what he said didnât register through her head.
Her face still burned from where his lips touched, but from the rear-view mirror, she saw Nino stick out his cheek to Adrien. âDonât I get one too?â
He poked his friend in the face. âIn your dreams, bro.â
The song ended and the car became quiet once again.
Alyaâs yawn was what brought them out of their comfortable silence.
âAlya, I can drive for a while,â Adrien offered.
She mustâve been very tired if she didnât protest. They pulled over at a gas station and switched. Marinette retied her ponytail to look more presentable and not like the sleepy mess she felt like.
âMamma Mia was fun,â he said, clutching the wheel.
Behind them, Alya and Nino were curled up together, already asleep. Marinette pulled out her phone to snap a picture. She had a whole collection for their future wedding slide show.
âYeah, it was,â she answered.
âYou got it?â He motioned at her phone, focusing on the road.
âYou bet I did!â
The wedding slide show was her and Adrienâs collaborative effort.
Marinette switched the radio onto a random pop music station, turning it very low to not bother the sleeping couple. âYou have to watch the movie now.â
Adrien chuckled. âThe songs were really catchy. Iâm going to be singing them all week.â
âThatâs a guarantee, but itâs not too bad. Quoting ABBA lyrics has been proven to make anyone fall for you.â
âInterestingâŠâ
His serious face got her worried. Marinette had to be careful what she told Adrien, because sheâd learned the hard way, that he had a terrible habit of taking things too literally.
âWell, no, it isnât âprovenâ,â she said quickly. âBut itâs cute.â
âSo, Iâd be cute if I serenaded someone with, say, âVoulez-Vousâ?â he teased.
âYouâre already cuteâ I meanâŠâ What was she saying? âNot that youâre cute, but⊠oh my gosh, did you say âVoulez-Vousâ?â
Did he just imply what she thought he did? No, he was just joking. She wished she could morph herself into her seat and disappear.
Adrien was stifling his laughter.
âHey, I love this song,â Marinette lied and turned up the radio, mega-focusing on the song she didnât even know.
This vacation was going to be a long one.
âŠ
The vacation did wonders for Ladybug. Taking a break was everything she needed. Yes, it had totally been awkward at times, with Adrien, whenever Nino and Alya ditched them on the sand. Despite that, sun-bathing and swimming their days away was the most fun sheâd had since school had ended.
She admitted, it was worrying to be so far from Paris, but gladly, there werenât any Akumas during her time away.
Patrol with Chat Noir wasnât eventful, so they found themselves lounging on top a roof, playing truth or dare.
âTruth,â she answered to his question.
âWhatâs so special about that guy you like anyway?â he asked.
She shook her head. âNot this again.â
Ladybug loved Chat. Her partner was one of the most important people in her life. But she didnât love him the way she did Adrien. Before they had become friends, she could agree that the âloveâ she proclaimed for him was more of an obsession. Once they started hanging out more, she learned so much about him and that caused her to fall even deeper.
âYou have to answer, itâs part of the game.â He leaned against his baton. If only she could punch that stupid smug grin off his face.
Ignoring him, she went to leave. âLooks like the cityâs safe. Iâll be going now.â
âWait Ladybug!â He called.
She turned in annoyance.
Chat cleared his throat and took a deep breath.
Here we go again. Another love confession.
âIf you change your mindâŠâ
Was he⊠singing?
âIâm the first in line.â
He was most definitely singing. And he didnât sound bad. Actually, he was quite good.
Chat probably noticed her shock, because he came closer, tucking her hair behind her ear.
âHoney, Iâm still free.â
Her stomach dropped; she knew that song. Oh no.
âTake a chance on me?â
Why was her heart beating so fast? She couldnât bear to look him in the eye.
He had stopped and was looking at her expectantly, a glimmer of mischief in his eyes.
âI-Iâll see you on Monday for patrol again, okay?â Ladybug almost tripped when she swung away.
It wasnât the first time Chat Noir had managed to fluster her. She hated to say it, but over the years it had happened more frequently. Until now, itâd been easy to deny.
The puns, she could deal with. The pet names, she admitted, made her feel nice, but she didnât let that cloud her judgement. Now, the singingâŠ
Really, that was her breaking point?
My, my, she thought, cringing at herself internally for even completing the sentence. How can I resist you?
Let it be clear that I know how cringey the last line was, but I had to hehe. Anyways, hope I made you smile (:
Dear Mother, Iâm in a Feathered Jail (AU Yeah August) Day 2: Wings
Dear Mother,
So I- I have wings now. Last week, I saw bumps appearing on my back, and they grew, and grew. Feathery and white.
I knew that Father wouldnât be happy when he saw them- he secretly thinks anyone with wings is a freak, even though the public love them. I didnât want to be exploited any more than I have been for modelling, so I tried⊠to hide them. I wore backpacks instead of my usual satchel. I wore chunky hoodies. But they continued to grow, until they were too big to hide. So I decided- Mother, I decided to- to cut them off. But standing in front of the mirror with a razor, I couldnât do it. I got cold feet. So the next day when I went downstairs for breakfast, I had ripped holes in my jacket, which my wings protruded from. Just my luck this was the one day in the month that Father was also present- he saw them. He didnât say anything, but I knew from the look in his eyes that he saw. And I did not like the glint in his eye.
I was right to suspect something would happen. Because the next day, I was told I would not be going to school. Father stood there. And someone else, in a white coat. A doctor. With a knife. He- he clipped my wings, and it hurt, Mother. It hurt.
He didnât cut them off, because the public- they love the people who have been blessed with wings. However, they don't know what's going on behind the scenes, behind the smile that is the mask I wear, that I only feel safe to remove once I am in the confines of my room. That is when I let it all out. I cry, Mother. I cry.
They think that this is a blessing. I see it as a curse.
So I have become a pawn. More so than before, I mean. Like I need to be any more special than I have been made out to be.
And I write this, Mother, staring out from my windows at a bleak sky that holds no promise, no light on the horizon, any previous hope swamped out entirely by the blackness that is my future. Wall-to-floor panes of glass, framed by black bars.
Bars.
Like a jail.
I know that I am trapped here.
Because I may have wings, but I will never be able to fly.
I may have wings, Mother, but I, Adrien Agreste, will never be free.
-Your Adri
@auyeahaugustâ
Read it on ao3 here: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25658449/chapters/62341771