Pack

When Adrien woke up the day his heat ended, he felt like a weight had been lifted off of him. He felt sticky and gross and all kinds of unclean (physically and mentally), but he wasn’t painfully aroused anymore. He hoped Plagg had been able to keep out of sight when he wasn’t being used as a communication device for Ladybug.

Fumbling, he pressed the button that would connect him to his father’s study. “I think my heat’s over.”

His father took a moment to reply. “That’s excellent news, Adrien. I’ll send someone with clothes for you and you can take a shower. I’m sure you need one.”

A male servant showed up a scarce few minutes after with a change of clothes, and Adrien waddled to his bedroom with sticky thighs. He couldn’t wait for this shower.

Plagg showed his face when he was clean again, naked but for the the fluffy white towel secured around his waist. “I never get used to my kittens presenting,” he grumbled. “You owe me a whole wheel of camembert after that.”

“Sure, Plagg, whatever you want.”

“What are you going to do about Marinette?”

That gave him pause. Over the years, his romantic feelings for his Lady diminished under her constant string of rejections, and, somehow, those feelings had begun transferring to Marinette.

Marinette. Sweet Marinette, who had been sitting behind him in class for almost four years now. Marinette, who brought sweets to school when her parents had a surplus at the bakery. Marinette, who had a smile for everyone who was ever kind to her. She was beautiful and intelligent and kind, and Adrien wondered how he’d never seen her before.

Of course, now that he was an Omega and she was, somehow, an Alpha (which didn’t fit his vision of Marinette, at all, like, what the hell), things were bound to change. She had offered courtship. Courtship. Not only that, but she’d managed to resist the smell of his heat, and she’d willingly come back all week to sit with him and talk with him. When his older brother had presented, it was nothing like that. He was constantly having to come home due to Omegas and their “overbearing scents.” How strong was she, to be able to resist what so many found impossible to look away from?

Finally, he said, “I’m going to accept her offer.”

Plagg made a huffing sound. “Finally. I’ve been watching you dance around her for a year now. It’s getting annoying.”

“Thank you for your unending support,” Adrien snarked, whipping his towel at the small god before moving to dress.

He dressed quickly, doing his best not to wince. His… well, his vagina, no reason to call it anything else, hadn’t quite healed up yet, and every once in awhile some blood would leak. To combat stains, he slipped on some black jeans (no sweatpants; Agrestes don’t wear sweatpants) and a comfortable shirt. And, since Marinette would probably be coming over again, he ran a brush through his hair and scrubbed at his teeth. She’d seen him at his worst, he knew, but he was still vain enough to want to look attractive.

Dressed and, eventually, stomach full, he approached Nathalie. “Did Marinette bring any homework for me? I’d like to get a head start on catching up. What day is it today?”

Nathalie opened up her file folder and pulled out a few sheets of paper. “Today is Saturday. I was just about to leave to go pick Mlle. Dupain-Cheng up from school. Would you like to come?”

He brightened at the idea, but his rear twitched, giving him a thousand reasons not to. “I don’t think I can sit down for a car ride today.”

“Very well. I’ll return shortly. In the meantime, I believe your father wants to speak with you.”

He sighed but headed  to his father’s office after taking his homework from her. He relished in the feeling of being able to move around. The heat room was nice, obviously, but it was also a single room. He’d missed being able to walk around the mansion freely.

He knocked on his father’s office door, surprised when instead of the usual come in, he was greeted with, “Who is it?” His father sounded very irritated, which wasn’t unusual, but somehow it was… different.

“It’s Adrien, Father. Nathalie said you wanted to see me.”

A pause. Then, “Ah, yes, come in.”

With some amount of trepidation, Adrien pushed the office door open. His father sat, prim as ever, behind his desk, though his pleasant mask was visibly cracked. And it didn’t take long Adrien to see why.

“Félix?”

His older brother smirked at him from where he was leaning against one of the office’s many windows. He was even more handsome, objectively, than he was when he left four years previous. His hair was a paler color than his own, and it was slicked back with perfection. His clothes were monochrome and elegant, and the only blemish on his pale skin was a dark purple bruise, just peeking out from the collar of his shirt. “Salut, Adrien.”

“Félix!” he exclaimed, forgetting himself and letting the excitement wash over him. He started running to him, but the pain made him wince. No matter, though; his brother came to him instead, wrapping him in a hug. Adrien felt himself freeze. How long had it been since he was given a hug as his civilian self instead of when he was wearing leather? “What are you doing here?”

Félix chuckled, letting the sound wash over Adrien. “I just wanted to come visit my little brother. I’ve got some big news.”

Adrien found himself grinning up at him. “I think my news is a little bigger.”

Félix’s face twisted in confusion, and then his nose twitched and his arms were gone. “Goddammit! All this cologne in here, Jesus Christ, you’re an Omega?”

“I just got done with my first heat.”

“Adrien, where has Nathalie gone?” Both brothers turned at the sound of their father’s voice.

Adrien felt his face heat a little. “Oh, uh, she went to get Marinette from school.”

“I forgot it was a half-day today. I’ll let the kitchen know to make a bigger lunch than usual.”

“Wait, who’s Marinette?” his brother asked, scanning Adrien’s face.

What was she? How should Adrien introduce his classmate to Félix? It wasn’t like she was just a classmate, since he intended to accept her offer of courtship. “She’s my intended,” he settled on finally.

His father’s face shifted. “So you’ve decided to accept the offer, then?”

Adrien nodded. “If she’ll still have me.”

“You know a female Alpha?”

Adrien nodded again. He felt like he’d be doing a lot of that for the next while. “We’re in the same class. When I presented in class, she was the only Alpha that didn't try to jump me. She even came over while I was in heat to keep me company. Oh, Félix, wait until you meet her!”

He saw his brother’s ears twitch. “I hear the car.”

Adrien brightened immediately.

“Félix, go greet Nathalie and Mlle. Dupain-Cheng at the door and explain to Nathalie what, exactly, it is you’re doing here. Adrien, I really do want to speak with you before I let you go.”

Adrien groaned but moved to stand in front of his father’s desk. Félix nodded in turn. “Should I tell the kitchen you want extra for lunch on my way?”

“If you don’t mind terribly.” The sarcasm dripped from his father’s lips.

Félix vacated the room, leaving Adrien and their father alone. “What did you want to talk about, Father?”

“Well, Adrien, now that you’ve presented and you’re about to accept a courtship offer, I believe it’s time to revise our sex talk.”

Adrien groaned.

One embarrassing fifteen minutes later, Adrien and his father made their way to the dining room. Marinette was sitting next to Adrien’s assigned seat, and he quickly (and gingerly) sat next to her. “Hey,” he said, softly.

She gifted him with a smile as bright as the sun. “Hi, Adrien.” Then her face hardened, just a little. “Why didn’t you tell me you had a brother?” She tossed her head toward Félix to indicate just who she was talking about, in case there was any confusion.

Thankfully, Félix answered as he cut into his salmon. “I left for Shanghai four years ago. At first, I believe he was too shy about being in a new school, but then I became irrelevant to his everyday life. Right, Adrien?”

His face flushed. “Something like that.”

Marinette caught something; he could see it in her eyes. “Shanghai?”

“Ah, yes, I went to school there. I just graduated a few months ago.”

“My mother’s family is from Shanghai.”

He was then audience to Félix’s gears turning. “What’s their name?”

“Cheng, with the characters for ‘to make.’

Félix choked on the bit on salmon in his mouth.

And, as if on cue, everyone’s heads whipped around at the sound of bare feet slapping against marble. Adrien noticed Félix’s face turn red and he only had a minute to ponder why before a young woman who looked remarkably like Marinette stepped into view, wearing only a pair of boxers and an oversized shirt. “Fé,” she said in slightly accented French, “I couldn’t find my clothes, so I borrowed yours.”

Time seemed to slow, allowing Adrien to look around and take in the reactions of the table’s occupants. Félix looked like he was about to have a conniption, his father looked like he’d just sucked on a particularly sour lemon, and Marinette looked as if someone had drained all the blood from her body. He could understand Félix’s reaction if this woman was his lover, and he could understand his father being upset at the lack of modesty, but why was Marinette reacting like this?

After the long moment passed, Marinette slammed her palms on the table and bolted to her feet. “Huiqing?” she demanded, voice high and tight, and Adrien started. That was a Chinese name.

This woman must be part of Marinette’s mother’s family.

For her part, this woman--Huiqing, Marinette called her--looked very happy to see Marinette. “Jing!” she exclaimed. The Chinese name that left her lips confirmed Adrien’s suspicions. “Oh, I mean, Marinette!” She rushed to his intended’s side and wrapped her in a hug. “It’s been years! I didn’t know you were friends with Félix’s younger brother!” Her French was remarkably good for a Chinese woman, he had to admit. He only hoped he sounded that good when he spoke Mandarin.

A throat cleared, and every head in the room swiveled to his father. “Mlle. Dupain-Cheng,” he said, tone carefully neutral, “do you know this young woman?”

Marinette nodded slowly. “She’s my cousin. But I thought you were in Shanghai.” She directed the latter part to Huiqing, a confused expression on her face. “Why are you in Paris?”

This time, it was Félix’s throat that cleared. “Bridgette is part of the reason I came home.” With a flick of his head, Huiqing or Bridgette or whatever her name was skipped to Félix’s side, wrapping her arms around his neck so her breasts were flush against his back. “Father, Adrien, this is my bondmate, Cheng Huiqing, though she’s adopted the name Bridgette for easier speech while in France.” As if to prove his point, one of Huiqing/Bridgette’s hands brushed hair away from her neck to display a large, purple bruise over the scent gland. “She wanted to meet my family before we officially married, and I’ve been wanting to visit for a while, so she decided to come with me.”

Adrien knew his brother well enough to tell when he was lying. It had been four years, yes, but some things never changed. His brother’s bondmate hadn’t come as an afterthought. When Félix planned his trip to Paris, he never thought for a second she wouldn’t come. Will Marinette and I be like that? he wondered absently. Will we be a single unit?

He looked to his father, whose face was unreadable. He wore that mask often, usually when he was displeased, and Adrien wondered why Félix would dare bring a person whose relationship to himself was an indiscretion. With his newly heightened sense of smell from his presentation, he could tell this woman was a Beta. Agreste men (or, at least, the Alpha men, he amended silently) went after Omegas exclusively. It was something of a tradition, from what Adrien heard about his ancestors. For an Alpha to bond with a Beta was normal, but Agrestes weren’t normal. They were extraordinary. The family would accept no less.

He’d been beyond relieved when his father approved of Marinette. Not only was he beginning to fall for her, he trusted her, far and above any other Alpha he knew (aside from Ladybug, of course, but his chances of landing her were beyond fantastical in nature), and he knew he would be safe in a relationship with her.

Because he knew there was no other option. Now that he was an Omega, he would be expected to bond with an Alpha. It was just how things were done.

But, then again, Félix and his father never saw eye to eye on many things.

Finally, his father said, “It’s a pleasure to meet you, Mlle. Cheng. If you would, please locate your clothes and join us for lunch.”

“Sure!” Huiqing/Bridgette/whatever chirped. She skipped out of the dining room and his father waited until the sound of her footsteps had faded away before he turned his stony face to Félix. Adrien gulped and looked at Marinette in what he hoped was a reassuring way.

Thankfully, all his father said was, “We will talk about this later.”

After lunch, his father beckoned all four youths back into his office. Adrien felt a thrill in his stomach when he noticed Marinette was walking close enough to him that their hands would occasionally brush together. Now that he knew she was an Alpha, he noticed her confidence, the way her chin was held high, the steel in her bluebell eyes. How had he not seen it before?

A large, cushioned chair had been placed in the room, and Adrien lowered himself into it slowly. Marinette settled into the chair next to his, and he noticed that Félix and Bridgette remained standing. His father took his place behind his desk and folded his hands together. “Onto business, then.” Adrien heard a drawer opening, and his father reached into it and withdrew a slip of paper. “Mlle. Dupain-Cheng was kind enough to compile a list of proposed courting gifts for my approval. She has already given the gift of food in the form of sweets from her parents’ bakery and, if Adrien so decides, the gift of comfort by way of sitting and visiting with him during his heat.”

Adrien vaguely registers the sounds of surprise from both Félix and Bridgette, but he stares forward at his father instead. “That sounds reasonable to me,” he said, finally glancing at Marinette, whose face had taken on a red tinge.

“My thoughts exactly,” said his father. “Her other proposed gifts include a warm sweater for clothing, protection from other Alphas, and a silver watch.”

Adrien found himself nodding. He knew Marinette was a skilled seamstress, so the sweater wasn’t unexpected. He would be glad to have some sort of buffer between himself and other Alphas, as well, and he was relieved she wasn’t trying to give him gold. “Those sound perfect.”

“Hold on!” Adrien and Marinette both turned to look at Félix at his outburst. “Isn’t this all a little sudden?” he continued, looking a little angry. “I mean, if he just finished his first heat, he must have only presented a week ago! Why are you rushing a courtship?”

Adrien opened his mouth to respond, but Marinette beat him to it. “Forgive me, M. Félix--” Adrien almost giggled at how she addressed him, but he restrained himself-- “but I believe your opinion isn’t as important of a factor in this as Adrien’s. I made the offer and, by some miracle,” she added, glancing at him and turning red, “he accepted. He’s no less capable of making rational decisions now that he’s presented.”

“If it makes you feel any better,” his father said, the smallest bit of venom in his words, “they won’t be left alone together until the courtship is completed. They will see each other at school, and, should they decide to spend time outside school together, I will require either Nathalie, Adrien’s bodyguard, or Mlle. Dupain-Cheng’s parents to be in attendance. In any case, Mlle. Dupain-Cheng has exhibited a remarkable degree of self control, and I have decided to entrust Adrien’s safety to her when those I employ are not in the vicinity.”

When Félix failed to respond, Adrien took an opportunity in the silence. “Actually, Marinette, I’ve been wondering… why did you make your offer? I thought you didn’t like me.” She was polite, sure, but until about a year ago she could hardly speak to him.

Her face was blank, eyes round. “Are… are you serious?”

“What?” he asked defensively.

“Adrien, I’ve had a crush on you since you gave me that dumb umbrella back in collège.” Her face was red once more, and Adrien felt his mind go into overdrive. “I mean, I wasn’t exactly subtle. Everyone knows!”

“I didn’t!” he choked out.

“I did,” his father added, unhelpfully. “Adrien, this girl looks at you like you hung the moon. How did you not notice?”

“You’re not helping!” Adrien whipped his phone out of his pants pocket and sent a text:

[Does Mari have a crush on me?]

Nino texted back immediately.

[i mean yeah???]

[shes been drooling over u for years now]

[alya n i figured u just werent syaing anything 2 her]

[*saying]

Adrien groaned. “I am so sorry I’m so oblivious,” he said, mostly to Marinette. “Oh my god, I tried to set you up with Nino.”

“And he and Alya are now a little closer to getting their shi--stuff together because of it.” Adrien’s ears perked at the swear that almost left her lips. He’d never heard her swear before, and the prospect was… indecently exciting. What would such vulgar words sound like falling from her pink mouth…?

Get it together! a voice that sounded suspiciously like Nino’s said in his mind.

“Don’t worry about it, Adrien,” Marinette was continuing, so he focused his attention back on her words. “It’s not a big deal anymore, I promise you.” Then she paused, an unreadable look taking place on her face. “Does that make you uncomfortable with the idea of c-courtship?” she asked. He noticed (and secretly delighted in) her returning stutter.

“No!” he rushed to say, and he winced at how loud his own voice sounded in his ears. “You’re the only one I trust to do this with.”

Her face settled, and though Adrien wasn’t sure why she looked a little upset, he was just as unsure as to how to fix it.

“Now that that’s in the open,” said his father, snapping Adrien’s attention back to him, “I believe we should discuss Adrien’s modelling.” He heard Huiqing/Bridgette make a questioning noise in her throat before Félix shushed her. “As both myself and--” he took in a deep breath, as if to prepare himself, “--Félix can understand if you would rather not see him modelling now that the two of you are courting--”

“If Adrien wants to keep modelling, he can keep modelling,” Marinette interrupted, such strength in her voice Adrien wasn’t sure he recognized it. “Just because we’re courting doesn’t mean I own him. His body belongs to himself.”

“Are you sure this girl is an Alpha?” Félix asked, sounding genuinely curious. “I mean, she doesn’t act like one. Maybe she just bought a bottle of pheromones or whatever.”

Adrien looked back to Marinette just in time to see her stand, fire in her eyes. “Want me to lift my skirt up?” she asked venomously, clutching the offending pink fabric with both fists. “Would that satisfy you? Look, M. Félix, I’m not sure what I’ve done to offend you, but I hope you believe me when I say I care about Adrien. I loved him when I thought he was a Beta, and that still stands, four years later.” Her face was cherry red now, but she barreled on. “He’s handsome, absolutely, but he’s also wicked smart and he loves those awful puns and he’s awkward and I love him, and I hope that never, ever changes. I want to still love him in ten, twenty, fifty years, because I like the way being in love with him makes me feel. I want to be able to eat my meals with him and I want to play video games with him and I want to cuddle with him and I want to talk to him and I want to be with him.

“I haven’t known you long,” she continued, “but I can tell how much you love your brother. It’d be hard not to love someone like Adrien, honestly. And I can tell you mean a lot to him. Because of this, I want to like you. I want to like what he likes. Whatever I did to make you dislike me, I hope we can overcome it, for Adrien.”

The room was silent, so silent Adrien was sure he could hear his blood pounding in his ears. He knew Marinette was capable of impressive speeches, but being the subject of one was a new feeling entirely. To know that someone felt that strongly about him made his palms sweat and his heart pick up speed. How had he not noticed the intense feelings she’d harbored for him for so long?

Suddenly, Marinette went even redder and sat down and his father, to his surprise, started clapping lightly. “It’s always a pleasure to hear your speeches, Mlle. Dupain-Cheng. You’re very eloquent for your young age. Tell me, Mlle. Cheng, have you inherited these genetics as well?” Adrien wondered what other speech of Marinette’s his father heard. He never came around the school, where they took place, so how would he have been able to listen? He made a mental note to ask Nathalie later.

Huiqing/Bridgette started, as if she was surprised to be addressed. “Uh, no, monsieur. Uncle Tom is much more outspoken than our side of the family. She probably got it from him.” The He’s on the Alpha side of the family went unspoken, but it was heard nonetheless.

“In any case,” his father continued, settling his gaze back on him and Marinette, “I believe this is settled. I would like the bond to be finalized by Adrien’s next heat if you find the courtship agreeable. He’ll be eighteen by then, after all, and once he’s a legal adult any Alpha can move in on him. Does that work for you?”

Three months, Adrien thought. Marinette has Three months to give me three courting gifts, one of which is abstract, and woo me. “That sounds fine with me,” he said, voice strangely small to his own ears. Félix made a scoffing sound in the back of his throat, but their father threw a glare his way to quiet him. Adrien looked beside him, to Marinette, and waited for her answer.

Finally, she said, “Three months sounds good to me.”

Adrien, Félix, and Bridgette/Huiqing walked Marinette to the car to see her off after their discussion. Félix was still acting grumpy, but Bridgette/Huiqing was chattering happily at Marinette. “You should come by the bakery soon,” Marinette said, hugging her cousin as they reached the car. “Maman and Papa will be happy to see you. Oh! Do you want me to call you Huiqing or Bridgette while you’re here?”

“Bridgette,” said her cousin firmly. “I’ll be Huiqing in China and Bridgette in Europe. Tell your parents I’ll come visit as soon as I can.” Sending a sidelong glance at Adrien and Félix, she added, “I’m pretty sure M. Agreste wants to talk to me and Félix before too long.”

“Good luck,” Marinette told Bridgette gravely. She finally turned back to Adrien and offered him a smile, which he returned. They’d had exactly no time alone, so not much conversation had occurred, even if it needed to happen. He would have to tell her about being Chat Noir, eventually. It wouldn’t be fair to her to keep such a big secret, right? And he wanted to talk to her about her crush on him. And, and…

He wanted to talk to her.

“I guess I’ll see you at school on Monday,” he said, fidgeting with the hem of his shirt. What kind of lame sendoff is that? Nino’s voice screamed at him. You just agreed to sleep with her in three months and all you can say is “See you in school?”

But she just smiled at him in that gentle way of hers. “If you’re feeling up to it tomorrow, we could hang out? Nino and Alya could come too, so we’re not alone and awkward.”

“That sounds great,” he replied. Maybe meeting up with his friends would help him relax and talk to Marinette.

Her smile widened just a fraction, her eyes soft and kind and, dare he say, loving. “Great. Just text me if you’re up to it tomorrow. We don’t even have to do anything, really. We can just play video games and binge on sugar.”

“What better way is there to spend a Sunday?” he joked. “I’ll text you tomorrow.”

Marinette nodded and a briefly conflicted look crossed her face. “Yeah, okay. See you later.” Then she let Nathalie usher her out the door and into the car.

Adrien felt a hand fall on his shoulder, and he looked back to see Félix. His face was slightly red in a way that meant he was either embarrassed or angry, though Adrien couldn’t quite tell which, which made his stomach knot up a little. “We have a lot of catching up to do, little brother.”

“So do we, Félix,” their father interrupted, making both them and Bridgette jump. “Please join me in my office.” It wasn’t a request.

Félix sighed and obeyed.

As night drew closer, Adrien grew more and more restless. As soon as it was an acceptably late hour, he excused himself to his room and locked the door. Plagg was out just a second later, and Adrien felt the familiar, calming yet exhilarating feeling of his transformation wash over him.

For the first time in a week, Adrien was no longer Adrien, but Chat Noir.

He slid out his bedroom window and raced out into the night. Can’t keep Ladybug waiting.

Light as a feather, he bounded over the Parisian rooftops with ease taking in the cool night air and all the scents that came with it. He wondered how many little smells he’d missed in his pre-presentation years. Maybe Marinette would show them to him.

Just as he thought that, he picked up on Marinette’s smell. Of course, he couldn’t be sure if it was her or her parents’ nearby bakery that produced the delicious scent. Since his enhanced sense of smell was so new, it was hard for him to tell what was her actual scent and what smells clung to her from the bakery. As such, he disregards the smell and makes his way up and over to the top of the tower.

Two figures were already waiting for him. One of them was a new sight, the fox. Seeing her immediately put him on edge and he thought of Lila and all the damage she did. He quickly schooled himself. Ladybug trusts her, so I should, too. The other, Ladybug, was as familiar to him as his own reflection. His romantic attentions may now be focused elsewhere, but Ladybug, his partner, his best friend, would always hold a high rank in his life.

He wondered if Marinette and Ladybug would get along. He knew he’d like that. Maybe their (eventual) children would call her “Aunt Ladybug.” Maybe they would have Ladybug and her mate over for the holidays. Maybe they’d be able to watch all their kids grow up together while they moved on with their adult lives. Who knew?

He landed on the metal of the tower with a soft whump, knees bent in a crouch. “Good to see you, my lady,” he said, teasingly, and looked up at her.

Ladybug looked like all the blood had drained from her body. Her skin was whiter than normal, her nostrils flared, her pupils dilated. He flinched back automatically. Why was she so upset?

The new fox looked just as confused as him, and she stepped up to put a hand on Ladybug’s shoulder. “What’s wrong?”

Ladybug pointed one shaky finger at Chat and said, with a devastatingly familiar stutter, “A-Adrien?”