La Séance Photo
Nathalie was waiting for him the second he set foot in the door, and that’s when Adrien knew he screwed up big time. Her face was concentrated with more disapproval than Adrien had ever seen, practically vibrating with anger as he conjured up his best innocuous expression.
“Care to tell me where you’ve been all night?” Ah, so she’d noticed that he’d snuck (read: sprinted) out of the house the evening prior. He was really in the hot seat now.
“I went to help out a friend, and I didn’t have time to ask for permission. Sorry.” He shuffled his weight from one foot to the other, awaiting his punishment.
“At least Mr. Parker had the forethought to have his boss call us and tell me he would be working the night shift in his office. Why is it that I know where he is at all times but not you?”
“I’m sorry Nathalie. I won’t run off like that next time.” Adrien idly wondered who’d called in for Peter while Nathalie finished her lecture before banishing him off to his room. He didn’t mind. He’d been planning on disappearing to his room for some good old fashioned solitude anyways, listening to Nathalie’s reminders about the evening’s photoshoot get further and further away.
Only, his room wasn’t empty. Spiderman was hanging precariously from the ceiling, inspecting the DVD’s that lined his wall.
“Peter?”
At the sound of Adrien’s voice, Spiderman turned, his face masking disappearing, leaving Peter exposed from neck up. It was weird, seeing his friend’s face on Spiderman’s body. That being said, Peter looked like a disaster. Adrien had seen prettier roadkill.
“Hey Adrien!” Peter swung off Adrien’s upper level, landing neatly in front of him. “Sorry, I had to go for a walk and it’s just-”
“Peter, it’s fine,” Adrien interrupted. “Whatever you’re going through, that you can’t tell me, you deal with it however you need to.” The fact that Peter had even the thought to apologize for taking off was all Adrien needed. He’d been making excuses for people his whole life. Peter never tried to hide behind flimsy excuses and had been realer with him than any other person around him.
Peter stepped forwards, gripping Adrien in a tight, almost desperate hug. “I’m going to go take a nap. Thank you for being you, Adri.”
“I’ve got a photoshoot this evening, as Nathalie so helpfully reminded me at the tail end of her lecture, so I’ll be gone late afternoon.”
“I’ll come with you,” Peter offered quickly, despite the fact he was literally swaying on the spot.
“No, you need to go sleep.”
“I’ll sleep, but then I’ll be there.” He staggered in the direction of Adrien’s door.
“Might want to get rid of the Spidey suit before going out there,” Adrien reminded him, although the mental image of Nathalie’s expression were she to find out that Peter was Spiderman was an entertaining one.
“Good point.”
True to his word, Peter was awake and refreshed by the time Adrien had to leave, dressed head to toe in the Agreste fall line.
“You dressed up and everything,” Adrien nodded appreciatively.
“Yeah, well I don’t want to be wearing something gross while surrounded by a bunch of rich people in designer clothes.”
Adrien raised an eyebrow, but chose not to comment. To his knowledge, the only photoshoot Peter had attended was the one where he’d brought Adrien food, and even then he’d only seen the inside of Adrien’s dressing room. Adrien himself was dressed in a simple hoodie and jeans. After all, he’d be stripped out of whatever he was wearing within the first few minutes on set.
And so the duo made their way to the Agreste winter line shoot. Agreste shoots were quite possibly Adrien’s least favourite thing on planet Earth, behinds akumas and the Papillon, of course. Any attention he might have received on a set was amplified by ten since he was the owner’s son; everyone fawned over him like a golden calf. All while expecting nothing but the best from him.
“I called Felix,” Peter said as he held open the door to the studio for Adrien.
“And?”
“He said he would rather eat marbles than go to New York. He’ll be there.”
“That doesn’t sound like-”
“Adrien Agreste!” Adrien’s sentence was instantly cut off by the head fashion photographer of his father’s company, Albert Serres. Great. Albert was the strictest of all the photographers he’d worked with over the years. Granted, the guy had an artistic vision and churned out some of the best shoots the fashion world had ever seen. But he was a pain in the ass to work with.
“Albert! Hi,” Adrien laughed awkwardly. Albert gripped his arms, inspecting his canvas, turning Adrien’s head to inspect his jawline.
“And you’ve brought fresh meat!” Albert exclaimed, eyes landing on Peter.
“Oh no, he’s not-”
“Take your shirt off,” Albert demanded. Peter glanced at Adrien, who shrugged, uncertain of what to do.
“Okay.” Peter shredded his shirt, displaying his muscles for Albert’s inspection. Being Spiderman had done Peter well. His muscles were highly unlike any normal teenager’s, as his were well defined and prominent, testimony to all his crime fighting and physical endurance.
“Where do you find these models, Adrien? This young man looks like he was carved out of marble! If we crop out the face, perhaps obscure it with props, go for a more abstract look…” Albert grabbed a random bunch of flowers, holding it up to cover Peter’s face. “I love it! The fashion magazines will eat him up!”
“Sorry, did I just get hired for my body alone?” Peter looked between Albert and Adrien, a bewildered expression on his face.
“I guess so,” Adrien rubbed the back of his neck as Albert ran off, yelling instructions to people to get Peter’s measurements. “If you want to leave, that’s totally fine. I didn’t mean for you to be part of the photoshoot too.”
“Nah, I think it’s time for me to walk a mile in your Agreste brand shoes.” Peter presented himself to a lady with a tape measure who promptly pulled down his pants and began her measurements.
“Are those…ninja turtle boxers?” Adrien squinted, attempting to make out the design.
“They’re actually the Hulk. I get a discount.”
“Does that mean you have Iron Man ones too? Wouldn’t that be weird, having like, your surrogate dad’s face on your ass?”
“Actually, the Iron Man ones just have one big face right on top of my-”
“Dressing room three,” an assistant instructed Adrien, steering him away from Peter who was still being thoroughly violated by a tape measure.
To make matters worse, they were on separate sets, so for the next five hours Adrien posed under mood lighting all the while wondering how Peter was holding up. In fact, he didn’t so much as glimpse Peter until the end.
“For a fashion line, you’d think they’d make me wear more clothes.” He looked like he’d been rubbed in a glittery oil from head to toe.
“What did you wind up modelling?” Adrien adjusted the cuff links of his suit. He’d been put through everything from suits to pyjamas, as well as a full cover shoot. Needless to say, he was beginning to wonder if he could get chafing from changing clothes so much.
“Underwear.” Peter frowned. “And probably something else. They made me sit in this glowing pool, it was literally so weird. I don’t think they’re really keeping my face in it, though.”
“Do you want your face in them?”
“Depends on if I look hot or not.”
Adrien laughed. “Let’s change and get out of here. We’ve got a patrol tonight.”
“First time seeing Ladybug after your lover’s quarrel,” Peter reminded him. “Luckily I’ll be there to smooth everything over when you inevitably make a stupid joke that misses its target.” He slipped a silver chain with a solid silver spider pendant around his neck, the spider coming to rest mid-chest.
“Is that…?” Adrien’s eyes went wide as Peter pulled a shirt on. And with Peter’s quick nod of confirmation, Adrien’s mind was officially blown. The Spiderman suit was right in front of him and had been all this time, hanging around Peter’s neck.
He considered the Spidey suit to be the best of all Iron Man’s creations (and opinion he’d formed after befriending Spiderman, but a valid one nonetheless) and his best friend was just walking around with something so valuable on his person at all times. At any given moment, he could just turn into the masked hero on the spot.
“Could I, you know, try it on sometime?” Adrien asked as they headed out the door. Peter cast him an odd look.
“I’m not sure if that would even work. Mr. Stark’s put a lot of security mechanisms in it, and it’s voice activated so there’s always a slight chance that it will just taser you if you try and put it on.”
“Damn it.” Adrien frowned, scrapping his mental montage of him in the Spidey suit, swinging through Paris and just generally impressing Ladybug, his mind supplying him instead with the image of him on the ground after being tased, electricity coursing up his body. He shivered slightly as he got into the car that was waiting for them.
“Don’t act like you’d actually wear anything besides leather,” Peter snorted, a finger idly playing with his chain.
“How many times do I have to tell you, that wasn’t a conscious choice!”
“Well, it’s become your modus operandi.”
“For a genius, you barely make sense.”
As soon as they reached home, the two boys ran upstairs to Adrien’s room, excited to suit up and head out for the night. Adrien was just excited to see Peter suit up in front of him. Sure, he’d seen it once before but at the time he’d been a little more concerned about not dying to fully appreciate it.
“This feels weirdly invasive,” Peter commented as Adrien waved a hand at him, impatient to see the advanced tech work its magic.
“You just modelled underwear.”
“Yeah, but you’re looking at me like you expect me to do a flip or something.”
“Would it help if I transformed first?” Adrien shook his hoodie, causing Plagg to fly out. “We’re transforming.”
Plagg gave him a sarcastically interested look. “Oh, we are, are we?”
“We’ve got an audience!” Adrien hissed, looking pointedly at Peter, then at his kwami. Now was not the time for another one of Plagg’s stubborn spells..
“Oh hello,” Plagg zoomed over to Peter. “You’re Peter. I like you.”
“Hello little god,” Peter beamed at him. “It’s nice to finally meet you.”
“Notice,” Plagg drawled, turning back to Adrien. “How he didn’t think I was a genie from a lamp.”
“He also already knows what a kwami is. That’s an unfair advantage. Just get in the ring.” Adrien pouted, thrusting his hand in the troublemaker’s direction. Thankfully, Plagg finally listened to his chosen’s wishes, transforming him. The vibes had already been ruined, however.
“Is he always like that?” Peter laughed.
“Unfortunately.” Adrien scowled, tail swishing behind him. “Your turn.”
Peter just gave him a cocky grin as the familiar suit started covering up his chest, swallowing his shirt within the tiny threads of the suit that spread outwards. The whole transformation only took a few seconds but Adrien watched, transfixed, determined to make it last as long as possible.
“Cool, no?” Spiderman spread his fingers wide, flexing his large eyes.
“So freaking cool.” Adrien couldn’t stop himself from staring as Spidey nimbly leapt up to the windowsill, peering out at the night skyline. He followed his (super cool) friend out into the cool air, watching the hero’s practiced swings from his webs as they made their way to the usual meeting spot.
Ladybug raised a suspicious eyebrow when the two of them showed up at the same time, Adrien still smiling like an idiot.
“My Lady,” he bowed slightly, pressing a kiss to the back of her hand.
“Are you two good now?” She looked between him and Spiderman, a tiny smile tugging at the corners of her lips. God, Adrien wanted nothing more than to kiss her right now.
“The best,” Spiderman answered for him after a moment of awkward silence in which Adrien simply stared at Ladybug. He was doing a lot of gazing that night. “Thanks for being so understanding, petite bête.”
Adrien watched Ladybug consider this new nickname as she squinted her eyes, tilting her head slightly. “Maybe work on that one,” she decided.
“Damn, I thought I’d nailed that.” Spiderman shook his head, wrapping a web around his wrist. “Patrol time?”
“You go ahead, Spidey, I’ll be there in a moment.” Finally, Adrien had remembered to speak. Spiderman shot him a wink and finger guns before running off.
“Now why on earth would you want us to be alone? Something tricky up your sleeve, chaton?” Ladybug smirked, stepping closer to him, resting a single hand on his chest.
“Because I was a jerk boyfriend,” Adrien said honestly, placing his hand atop hers. “You’ve never been anything but understanding with me and I went ahead and completely steamrolled everything.”
“Chat, it’s fine. I swear, I’m not mad.”
“But you weren’t responding earlier?”
“I’m sorry, I was busy.” She slid an arm around him, hooking a finger beneath his belt and pulling him closer. Adrien let out a breath he didn’t know he’d been holding. Hearing her say that was a bigger relief than he’d ever admit.
“Have I ever told you how in love I am with you?” Adrien cupped her face, kissing his Lady like she was the only thing that mattered in life. And in many ways she was, at least to him.
“Everyone good now?” Spiderman landed close, way closer than he needed to be, and Adrien pulled away from Ladybug to glare at him. Of course he was there to interrupt.
“Don’t give me that look, it’s tradition for me to cockblock you both.” Adrien couldn’t see Peter’s face but he knew the boy was wearing a shit-eating grin.
“I hate you,” Adrien declared, rolling his eyes as he turned back to Ladybug. “I think he’s a big boy, don’t you?”
Ladybug giggled. “I’m not sure I understand.”
“He can handle a little PDA.” Adrien lowered his mouth to hers once more, taking his sweet time with the kiss, fingers rubbing circles against Ladybug’s jaw.
“I can’t, actually, I’m notoriously childish,” Spiderman called.
Adrien sighed, lightly catching Ladybug’s bottom lip between his teeth before pulling away. She was sweet, like a special candy designed specially for him. He would’ve been content just to gaze at her for the rest of the night, but there was the pressing vibe-killer that was Spiderman currently making retching noises.
Honestly, how had he ever seen that boy as a mentor? Now that he knew it was Peter, Spiderman’s joking nature was showing through more than ever. Sure, Spidey had his gems, but he also had just as many coal moments as any normal person. And this was currently one of those moments where Adrien would like nothing more than to see how far he could kick a human being.
“Chat, you look like you’re about to kill something,” Ladybug laughed, spinning her yoyo.
“Or someone,” Adrien growled under his breath. He wasn’t actually mad, just slightly annoyed, perhaps a bit more than slightly. Spiderman, however, was jumping around like a kid at Christmas.
“I finished patrol, by the way,” Spidey said, far more gleefully than Adrien would’ve liked.
“That was fast, even for you.” Ladybug turned to him, folding her arms over her chest. “You know we could be attacked at any moment.”
“Please, Mademoiselle Bug, I have faith that no harm will come to us tonight. It’s a night off and I think we’ve earned it.” It seemed as thought Peter was physically incapable of standing still. Constantly in motion, he seemed to move to a sort of a rhythm, whether it be kicking rocks, tapping his fingers or shifting his weight from side to side.
“Mademoiselle Bug? Why so formal?” Adrien asked, his smile returning. Spiderman simply shrugged.
“She shot down petite bête and I can’t think of anything good. My next thought was La Dame Rouge, but that sounds like….”
“Like a stripper name, yeah,” Ladybug rolled her eyes. “Just call me Ladybug, please.”
“No! I’m determined to come up with the perfect nickname for you. Ladybug is a mouthful.”
“So far every single nickname you’ve come up with has been more syllables than Ladybug,” Adrien pointed out. Spiderman glared at him.
“It’s the principle of the thing.”
“Wow, Chat, I wasn’t aware you even knew what a syllable is.” Ladybug was peering at him, almost mockingly. Now that wouldn’t do.
“Does My Lady take me as uneducated?” Adrien retorted, eyes glinting.
“To be entirely honest, I’m not convinced you don’t live in an alley somewhere, matou.”
“You wound me.” Adrien pressed a dramatic hand to his chest, glancing at Spidey, who was surveying the scene with a look of amusement. At least, Adrien thought it was amusement. It was rather difficult to tell. “I’ll have you know I can speak three languages.”
“I don’t believe you,” Ladybug challenged. Adrien straightened up, cleared his throat, conjuring up an English phrase in his mind. Unfortunately, only one came to mind, and he barely thought twice before letting his mouth spew it out.
“You can’t beat this dead horse!”
Spiderman let out what could only be described as a guffaw, clutching his stomach as he rolled onto the rooftop, laughing his head off.
“What does that mean?” Ladybug glanced at Spiderman, then back at him, entirely confused.
“It means he likes my shirt,” a breathless Spidey supplied. If Ladybug had been able to speak English that would’ve been a dead giveaway of Spiderman’s true identity, but lucky for him Ladybug was adorably confused.
“Shut up,” Adrien grumbled. “But I’m actually a well-educated boy, despite whatever preconceptions you have.” He puffed out his chest for emphasis.
“Really?” Ladybug still didn’t appear to believe him.
“I’ve read all Shakespeare’s works.” It was a true fact. His father had forced him to read lots of classics, all of which he hated and retained absolutely nothing of. They were boring, especially compared to his favourite comic books.
“Yeah, well that’s just a normal thing,” Spiderman said, rising slowly, still wheezing slightly. “Everyone’s read Shakespeare.”
“No?” Ladybug frowned. “The only time I’ve read it is in French class.”
“That takes all the fun out of it. You’ve gotta read it on your own time, going completely feral because someone you know quoted it and you felt uneducated when you didn’t understand the reference.”
That explains why he knew so much about it during the heist, Adrien thought, thinking back to how readily Peter had identified the Shakespearean quote that won him the game.
“I just read them because I’m a man of class,” Adrien lied. He was not the sort, never would be, the type to seek profundity within old writing. The lessons of past didn’t always coincide with the problems of now and he didn’t have time to sit around and draw up the similarities, unlike Peter apparently.
“You’re a liar, Chat.” Spiderman called him out, winking at Ladybug. “Men of class don’t feel it necessary to impress upon others that they are, in fact, men of class.”
“Well what would you know about class?” Great comeback, Adrien. Care to stick your tongue out too? Perhaps blow him a raspberry while you’re at it?
“Ladybug, who do you think is classier?”
Adrien knew he’d lost instantly. He wasn’t even surprised to hear Ladybug side with Spidey.
“You wound me, My Lady. Either way, I am amongst the highly educated. Top of my class.” That was true. Adrien’s homeschooling had been far more rigorous than his public schooling. While he may not be on Peter’s level, Adrien was still a solid year ahead in most of his studies.
“I must agree, Chat does have his intelligent moments from time to time,” Spidey shrugged.
“Do you two…hang out?” Ladybug looked between them, expression incredulous.
“No, I don’t even know this man.” Spidey glanced at him.
“Yeah, who even are you?” Adrien retorted, doing his best to deadpan it, but the second Spiderman laughed, it was over for him.
“I feel like I’m missing something completely,” Ladybug interjected.
“It’s probably for the best.” Spiderman cleared his throat. “Chat just has this incredible inability to act like a normal person for two seconds, I think it’s the cat in him-”
“Hey!” Proving Spidey’s point exactly, Chat leapt at him. Naturally, Spiderman retaliated by quickly tying him up in a web, leaving Adrien to hang upside down from a chimney.
“I think now is a good time for me to call it a night.” Spiderman pretended to dust his hands off, admiring his handiwork. “See you guys later!” And with an evil laugh he raced off, leaping into the night.
“This is animal abuse!” Adrien called after him, just knowing that Peter would be snickering to himself the whole way down.
“You look cute like this.” Ladybug lightly tapped the tip of his nose, eyes sparkling with amusement. Adrien swung forwards slightly, pretending to try and bite her. God, he really was a cat boy after all. How embarrassing.
“Are you going to let me down?” It was difficult to give someone kitten eyes while hanging upside down but Adrien was nothing if not persistent.
“Oh chaton, I have no idea how that would work. You’ll have to cataclysm your way out.”
“Damn it.” He flexed his hand, readying himself to activate his powers.
“Before you do,” Ladybug paused him, “there’s something I want to try.” She sounded almost…shy?
“Oh?” He cocked an eyebrow as Ladybug approached him, gently cupping the sides of his face, pressing a soft kiss to his lips. His eyes fluttered shut of their own accord, allowing him to enjoy the moment, so tender and gentle, alone under the moonlight with his Lady. She had a way of bending time and space when she kissed him, so that the only thing that ever existed was her and all that she was. The world meant nothing when Ladybug, the girl of his dreams, was right there and more real than ever.
“I’m so in love with you,” he breathed when she pulled away, eyelashes fluttering. At his blatant declaration, she blushed.
“I don’t entirely understand why.”
“I always have, always will.” He gave her a benign smile. “In the sun and in the rain, in the day and night. I would love you whether you gave me the worst of you or the best. Even if it was you and me against the world. Life isn’t paradise, far from it, but you, My Lady, are the sunshine on my worst days.”
“A poet to rival that Shakespeare guy,” Ladybug whispered, a hand running through his hair. “That’s…very sweet, Chat.”
“I meant every word and I’d say more but I think I’m going to pass out if I keep hanging like this. Cataclysm!” Chat Noir’s destructive power raced through him, disintegrating the webs that bound him and allowing him to climb down, the world spinning slightly before his eyes,
“I guess this is goodnight, then.” Ladybug readied her yoyo but Adrien reached out, capturing her hand.
“It doesn’t have to be.” He looked at her, pleading. There was nothing more he wanted than to do away with all the secret identity bullshit. Spiderman’s reveal had gone off without a hitch, and Adrien saw no reason as to why his and Ladybug’s couldn’t be the same.
“Yes, Chat, yes it does.” Ladybug’s expression hardened into a sort of finality. “I don’t know what you’ve got going on with Spiderman concerning your identities, but that’s too dangerous for us.”
Adrien’s miraculous beeped and he sighed in resignation. “I can’t wait for this to all be over, My Lady, so I can love you in every form of your being.” He gave her another smile, this one sad, and twirled his baton above his hand. “But for now, I’ll bid you a goodnight.”
“Goodnight, minou.”
“Goodnight Buginette.”
Adrien just managed to make it back in through his window before his transformation dropped, Plagg zooming off in search of Camembert. Peter was perched on the balcony that wrapped half of Adrien’s room, his expression vacant as he stared out at the stars.
“Stargazing? Or thinking?” Adrien climbed up the stairs, joining Peter on the second level.
Peter’s gaze never moved from the night sky. “There’s a storm coming. I can feel it.”
“Like…a storm storm or a storm storm?”
“Even the tides change four times a day,” Peter offered cryptically. “My spider senses have been more active than usual. They warn me about danger, but lately it’s been a constant buzzing in the back of my mind. Maybe going to New York for thanksgiving will do me some good.”
“We’re in danger?”
“You more than me, I fear.” He flipped into the air, landing on the floor below them effortlessly, feet barely making a sound as he touched down. “Sometimes I wonder if I was right to come here.”
“Of course you were!” Adrien hurried back down his stairs to join Peter once more. “I can’t imagine life without you now. You’ve helped us out so much.”
“This far, yes. What is coming; follows.”
“Huh?” Adrien hated it when Peter said went into his mind like this. When his usually animated thought process went internal, Adrien struggled to understand what the boy was talking about.
“Whatever is happening in the future is a product of every move I make right now. What I choose to do in these next few weeks sets the stage for what is to come. And I can’t afford a misstep. I’ll only learn if I made a mistake once it’s too late.”
He looked at Adrien, his dark eyes reflecting the night sky, voice dropping to a few octaves with his next sentence.
“Whatever happens will happen and I’ll deal with the consequences. I’m done running.”
Marinette did not stop blushing all the way home, the memory of Chat’s words still fresh in her mind.
‘You, My Lady, are the sunshine on my worst days.’ ‘I can’t wait for this to all be over, My Lady, so I can love you in every form of your being.’ The sincerity with which he’d said everything had warmed her from the inside out. How could he be so genuine, so helplessly in love with her, despite all that she was?
“Do you think he could ever love me as Marinette?” She asked Tikki after a shower, wringing her hair out as her kwami considered her response.
“I have no doubt about it. But either way, it will be a different kind of love. A more mature one, more human less fantasy.”
“Ugh.” Marinette tossed her towel aside. “Is it selfish of me to just want to remain anonymous forever? No matter who Chat turns out to be, he’ll still be Chat, but I know that things will change. A personality like his can’t be hidden, I know he’s probably like that in real life, but I’m the furthest thing from Ladybug a person can be.”
“You can’t be different from Ladybug, you are Ladybug!”
Marinette shook her head. Tikki didn’t get it. In Chat’s eyes, she was a goddess, incapable of doing any wrong. However, Marinette Dupain-Cheng was a certified class A fuck-up with a black belt in awkward. Chat Noir deserved someone as amazing as Ladybug all the time and until Marinette got over her own insecurities, that wouldn’t be happening.
For starters, Chat was gorgeous (the admission annoyed her, although she’d always known he was attractive) and while she didn’t consider herself to be bad looking, per say, it wasn’t much to write home about. Like any other girl, she had stretch marks, acne scars, little parts of herself that weren’t very superhero-like of her. Marinette may not know Chat’s true identity, but she knew enough to know that he was strikingly handsome underneath the mask. His bone structure alone was the sort of thing people wrote poetry about. Let alone his bright eyes, silky hair, and toned body. And somehow she’d managed to trick him into thinking he was in love with her.
To think those thoughts aloud in her head was a strange experience. Something had been bugging her for some time, and perhaps this was it. That nagging feeling that she wasn’t good enough for her amazing superhero boyfriend because she couldn’t be an amazing superhero girlfriend all the time. It was unfair and she hated it.
She wanted to talk to someone, someone who would get it. But it was late and she was tired and almost certain that Spiderman wouldn’t be willing to come talk to her. It was at times like these she felt bad about pushing him into the role of her personal therapist but at the same time his unwavering acumen made him all too easy to talk to.
Yet she could imagine what he’d say. He’d tell her it was normal to feel like she had to live up to the expectation the other half of her set. He’d reassure her by telling her he felt the same way sometimes and she’d wonder what the boy underneath the mask could possibly have to be insecure about.
Maybe it wasn’t the same, to have a mental projection of him, but at the same time the Spiderman in her head’s words assured her, allowing her to drift off to sleep.
Her subconscious picked up on her agitated state, warping her dreams to become stranger than usual. Curiously enough, the only face that stood out to her was Peter’s or rather, Helios. The premise of her dream was lost, and all she knew was that wherever she was didn’t have very good lighting. It was almost entirely dark, the only light in the room coming off Helios.
He was upset about something, but she didn’t know what. His mouth was open in a silent scream, his eyes burning with a fury she’d never imagined he could possibly feel. As she watched, fire raced over his limbs, his eyes igniting. Everything was moving in slow motion and she knew if she turned her head, she would see what had pushed him past his breaking point. But she couldn’t bring herself to. If it had broken Peter, it would surely demolish her. Everything was getting brighter as Peter’s power mounted, his eyes turning from a subtle blaze to a supernova, washing out her fuzzy surroundings further.
And when it was so bright she could no longer see, she awoke, panting from fear, her heart threatening to beat out of her chest.
Because it was fear she felt. Peter in that dream had been the furthest from the cheerful boy she’d come to adore. That Peter was powerful beyond belief and angry. So angry. There wasn’t quite words to describe how the dream had made her feel. It was different than a nightmare in the sense that it felt so real. The heat that had come off him in rolling waves had felt real. The light that was burned into the back of her retinas had followed her in the form of photo-bleaching when she’d opened her eyes, casting black spots across her vision.
“Tikki?” Marinette sat up, rubbing her eyes. “Precisely how powerful is Helios?”
Tikki stretched, hovering off her pillow. “You’re up before your alarm,” she observed.
“Could Helios destroy the world? Like if he was bad, could he hypothetically completely wipe out humanity?”
“Yes,” Tikki said honestly. “If it weren’t for that gem on the front of his chest, Helios would be able to create a mass inferno that could, hypothetically, completely wipe out humanity. But he can’t. The gem in his chest is necessary for him to be able to control the phoenix’s power. Without it he would burn up the second he tried to use the power.”
“But let’s say for a second that Helios isn’t a normal human. What if someone other than Peter Parker were to wield it. What if someone like Spiderman could use it? He’s already got super strength and mutilated DNA, so would removing the gem kill him too?”
“We’re dealing with a lot of hypothetical here.” Tikki frowned. “I can’t really say. The extent of the phoenix’s powers has been kept secret for most of history. That kind of power tends to attract an unwanted attention. But we can’t test that theory, since, for all intensive purposes, Spiderman cannot wield the phoenix miraculous.”
“You’re right,” Marinette sighed. “I just had a dream that kind of…freaked me out to say the least.”
“The miraculous is out of our hands now. No matter who becomes the next guardian, whether it be you or someone else, the phoenix miraculous should never be one of their responsibilities. It was not meant to work in harmony with our kind, always meant to be more independent than the rest of the miraculous team.”
“Why does Helios fight by our side, then?”
“Because you asked him to. Would you rather Peter joined the other side?”
The memory of Peter’s glowing eyes flashed through her brain, only that wasn’t from her dream. It was of him, in the street, aura of pure fire surrounding him. One of the dangers of his power was that he could potentially be turned bad, as Master Fu had warned her initially. Could that happen to Peter? Was that what her dream had been trying to tell her?
“I can tell you’re overthinking it,” Tikki interjected, drawing her attention away. “You can’t see the future, Marinette, nor can you tell what people will become in the future. There’s always the possibility Helios could become the villain, but everyone has that potential. Don’t discredit the good he’s done because you think there’s a part of him that could turn bad.”
Marinette buzzed her lips together, letting out a sound like a dissatisfied horse while she ran a hand through her hair. “I should just go to school, see Peter again, and get over this random fear I’ve developed of him. He’s not scary, he’s like the least threatening person I’ve ever met.”
“Precisely! Plus, you said you made that thing for him!”
She grinned at Tikki’s vague knowledge of all her fashion terms. “It’s a winter down jacket. Paris gets colder in the winter, and I thought he could use something of the sort. I don’t think he even has a raincoat. Every time it’s raining and I see him, he’s completely soaked through.”
Placing the giant puffer jacket in a plastic bag, Marinette ran through her mental checklist for the morning. All her homework was done, she was up early for once, it all seemed to be on track for a good day.
For once in her life, Marinette Dupain-Cheng was at school sixteen minutes before the bell, clutching Peter’s present in her arms. Peter and Adrien were already there, seemingly talking to…Adrien’s chest? Or maybe they were talking to each other while inspecting something inside Adrien’s jacket? Either way, it was an odd sight to behold.
Peter, always attentive, glanced up as she neared. “Hey Marinette! You’re early today!”
“Uhh yeah! I just woke up earlier than usual today! Meaning I had time to finally remember to give you this!” She thrust the bag into his arms, avoiding his curious gaze.
“Gee, thanks Mari!” Peter pulled the jacket out, inspecting her craftsmanship.
“Some of the stitching might be a little weird, I’ve never actually made like, a proper jacket before, but it seemed like something you’d like and I know puffy jackets can be ridiculously expensive and it seems really impersonal because there’s not really a design on it but-”
Peter cut her off by wrapping her in a hug. “It’s so perfect, thank you.”
“That’s really amazing handiwork,” Adrien commented, eyes tracing the seams as Peter pulled the jacket on.
“Comfy.” Peter retracted his arms from his sleeves and sat down promptly, tucking his knees under the massive jacket, the bottom half of his face disappearing inside the jacket. Adrien laughed, flicking the hood up and hiding the boy from view entirely. Now he was just a jacket on the ground, sitting upright.
“What is going on here?” Alya and Nino joined them, both glancing at Peter’s self made cocoon.
“Marinette made me a jacket,” came Peter’s voice.
“And your first instinct was to hide in it?” Alya bent down slightly.
“Yeah,” Peter raised his head slightly, bringing his shiny eyes into view of the small crack between the top of the neckline and the end of the hood. “Pretty much.”
He stood up, rearranging himself and pushing his hood back. How had Marinette even managed to be afraid of this boy, even for a second?
“Parker.” And just like that, Marinette’s morning begun its descent. Chloé was marching in their direction, her eyes fixed on Peter.
“Sunshine,” Peter cocked an eyebrow, grin never faltering as she neared their group.
“I need to talk to you,” Chloé hissed, narrowing her eyes as her gaze roamed around the group, ponytail whipping as she turned her head.
“What’s the magic word?”
Chloé rolled her eyes, voice barely above a whisper as she practically mouthed, “please.”
“I’m sorry, I couldn’t hear you!” Peter gleefully waved a hand at her. “What was that?”
“For the love of god, Peter Parker, you’re the most incompetent imbecile I ever-”
“I don’t hear you saying itttttttt.”
“Fine! Please!” Chloé stomped her foot. Peter was grinning ear to ear as he followed her away from the group, casting a look back at Adrien that seemed to say ‘fuck man, I don’t know’.
“That was…” Marinette said, uncertain how to finish the sentence as she watched Peter and Chloé’s retreating backs.
“Bizarre?” Offered Adrien.
“I was thinking more along the lines of fucking weird as hell,” Alya said. “But that’s a bit more proper, I guess.”
“Glad one of us has a slight sense of decency,” Nino mumbled, the end of his sentence being cut off by the bell.
“Let’s see if they make it back on time,” Marinette whispered to Alya as they headed up the stairs. The duo were nowhere in sight and she couldn’t help but wonder what on earth Chloé had needed to talk to Peter about so badly that she was willing to openly approach him.
But when they got to class, both Peter and Chloé were sitting in their respective seats, paying no mind to one another.
Adrien leaned down to say something close to Peter’s ear but Peter waved him off, turning on his tablet and tapping something on the screen. Marinette was only a semi-nosy person by nature, but for some reason she felt personally invested in whatever was going on between her arch-nemesis (besides the Papillon) and her foreign friend.
Luckily, before she could dwell on where Peter and Chloé’s relationship might stand, the screams of people in the streets reached her ears. Just what she needed, a good old-fashioned akuma battle. It was the cherry on top.
The next few weeks were bland and uninteresting in Peter’s eyes, which was why he was so excited on the day before the fourth Thursday of November. Within a matter of hours, they would be on a plane and en route to New York.
Within a matter of hours, he’d be home.
Adrien had managed to convince his father to let him go by promising to do modelling work for Chloé’s mother and her magazine, Style Queen, while he was there. And Peter had managed to account for both Spiderman and Chat Noir’s disappearance to Ladybug by telling her that he (Spiderman) was accompanying Peter Parker on his trip back home to do some suit renovations. He’d also told her that Chat Noir was visiting family in England for a few days and would not be around for patrol.
Akumas wouldn’t be a problem. Ladybug was strong and capable of protecting Paris without them. Within the past few weeks, there’d been plenty an akuma here and there, but none of them had been challenging. It was like the Papillon had relented ever so slightly. Perhaps he’d actually taken Peter’s words to heart.
“Peter! Felix is here!” Adrien called from the front entry. Showtime.
Peter flipped nimbly across his bedroom before landing lightly and walking out into the hall. Felix’s blond head was visible in the front doorway, in conversation with his cousin. This was really happening, really coming together.
“Felix!” Peter raced down the stairs, smiling brightly at the Brit.
“Peter,” Felix replied in his usual blank manner.
“Now that you’re here, we’re ready to go! Adrien, go get your suitcase!”
Peter wasted no time in enthusiastically loading everyone’s luggage into the back of Adrien’s car. The Gorilla was to drive them to the airport where Tony Stark’s jet would be waiting for them (if all went well) where they would then fly straight to the Avengers headquarters, land, then be driven to Peter’s apartment. The whole prospect was so exciting, he was practically vibrating as he buckled his seatbelt.
“Floor it!” He said to the Gorilla. The Gorilla did not, in fact, floor it, but he did drive both carefully and responsibly which was probably for the best.
“So, Felix, what have you been up to?” Adrien braved, breaking the silence.
“You know, the usual. Causing problems on purpose,” Felix deadpanned.
“Did you watch the new season of the Mandalorian yet?” Peter asked. He’d been placed in the front seat and had to swivel around to look at his friends but figured a slight neck cramp was worth it.
“Yes, obviously,” Felix said.
“The what?” Adrien frowned, clearly lost. The poor boy, Peter had yet to find the time to educate him on Star Wars. Maybe they could have a marathon while they were in New York.
“Okay, no spoilers because I haven’t gotten to see any of it yet,” Peter lamented. “I’ve been so busy doing stupid school work. Get this; the principal found out that I’m technically academically ‘gifted’ and he’s been assigning me so much extra work. It’s not even harder! There’s just more of it.”
“Peter is doing particle physics,” Adrien sighed.
“Boring,” Felix said. “Couldn’t they give you something interesting?”
“I know, right! My entry assignment was literally on quantum physics. They could at least try and have me prove the existence of a multiverse.”
“You know, before you showed up, I was technically considered smart,” Adrien chimed in once again.
“They didn’t know what they were missing.” Peter fiddled with his anklet, adjusting it slightly. Suluu was fast asleep in his suitcase, having consumed copious amounts of straight cinnamon mixed with boiling water before they departed. Cinnamon seemed to be her favourite spice, but anything hot would do in a pinch. And now she would be well rested by the time they got off and returned to his apartment. Hopefully that would put her in a far less swear-y mood. It had been awkward on his last visit when he’d tried to tell Aunt May that there was no way Suluu had learned that kind of language from him.
It hadn’t gone well.
Peter directed the Gorilla to steer them away from the regular entrance to the airport, instead driving towards a security check-in point. Tony Stark’s jet wouldn’t be stored near the other planes, given how the plane probably cost more than all the other airplanes and airport combined, but it also needed special security clearance to get them to it.
“Peter Parker,” Peter said to the security guard, producing his written documentation Tony had sent over a week prior, stating that Peter had full use of his jet. A few full body scans later, Peter was allowed to continue on his merry way and direct the Gorilla down the runway.
As the jet came into sight, Peter heard twin gasps from both Adrien and Felix (although Felix would sooner say there was a leaky tire than admit the sound came from him). It was a gorgeous sight, Peter had to admit. The sunlight was reflecting just right off its sleek surface, welcoming the boys to a new adventure they could share together.
It didn’t take long for them to load everything up and bid the Gorilla goodbye. As Peter had suspected, the plane was self-flying, leaving the boys entirely on their own.
“Whoa!” Adrien was openly marvelling over the plush seats and shiny tables. “This is even better than my father’s plane!” Felix just sniffed before sitting down in one of the seats.
The plane began to rumble beneath them as the engine started up, preparing for takeoff, so Peter took his seat, drinking in his friends’ reactions, making sure they were enjoying it as much as he was.
There was a magazine sitting on the seat next to him and Peter frowned, picking it up. Tony had left a small sticky note on the front in his usual messy scrawl:
Not sure if you’ve seen this yet. Might order a few of the prints for Avengers tower. Never knew you had such a knack for modelling.
Oh no. Peter’s eyes slid from the note up to the title of the magazine. It wasn’t a magazine at all. It was a fashion catalogue. Specifically, an Agreste brand winter edition fashion catalogue.
“Adrien? They actually printed these photos?” Peter flipped through, somehow marginally shocked to see his own abs in the underwear category. Throughout the entire photoshoot, he hadn’t really been under the impression that they’d actually print them. Thank god his face wasn’t-
Nope, he’d spoken too soon. No sooner had he flipped the page before he was greeted with his own face looking up at him, exuding a far more confident vibe than Peter actually felt on a day to day basis. The only reason he’d managed such a smoulder on set was because, quite frankly, he’d been taking it all with the world’s smallest grain of salt. Now his face and name were tied to the fashion world in possibly the worst way possible.
Although the photos of him in the pool were admittedly pretty cool. Would it be considered vain to order images of himself?
“Why on earth are you in these magazines?” Apparently there were multiple copies of the catalogue on the plane and Felix had found one, holding up another photo of Peter, just in case he’d somehow missed it.
“I’m actually a world renowned model, Felix.”
“These spreads aren’t supposed to be released for another week,” Adrien turned another copy over in his hands as they took off. “How’d he get these? My dad’s security system is one of the best in the world.”
“Yeah, Mr. Stark kinda likes to have access to everything.” Peter continued to ogle himself as he flipped through. Adrien was the cover boy, obviously, but Peter was quite honestly impressed with how many of the shots had made it in.
In an attempt to distract his friends, Peter grabbed a remote, pressing a button that caused a flat screen TV to descend from the ceiling. That successfully deterred them from any further commentary as he put on a random action movie.
The flight was only six hours, shaving two hours off the usual Paris to New York flight times. That was one of the perks of being in Tony Stark’s jet. So the time in New York was the exact same as it had been when they left France; four in the afternoon.
They’d bypassed the airport entirely, touching down on the landing pad atop the Avengers facility. The roof opened up, swallowing the plane and bringing them within the building.
“Dude, are we in the same building as Captain America right now?” Adrien asked, doing his best to peer out the windows as they came to a stop. An airplane hanger was the only view, no Avengers greeting party or anything. Not that Peter had been expecting one. He hadn’t really spoken to Cap since the time he stole his shield then got his ass handed to him later on.
“Presumably,” Peter said, distributing their luggage to their respective persons. “Although now that I think about it, he might be in Scotland right now.”
“Sick!”
Felix was more of the silently appreciative sort but Peter watched his eyes grow slightly larger as they stepped off the plane. The large windows along the front of the hanger offered a view of the training grounds, where Falcon and Ant-Man seemed to be engaged in some sort of practice. As far as Peter was aware, Sam had yet to actually beat Scott. The little dude seemed to beat out the wing suit almost every time.
“Let’s go, guys. I could only get clearance for those two to be on the property for ten minutes, max.” Happy, always the cheerful one, stepped out of the elevator at the far end of the hanger, pointing between Adrien and Felix.
“Happy, no one’s going to notice if they’re here for like, two minutes extra. If I just say they’re with me, don’t they get unlimited access?” Nonetheless, Peter lead their little party in the direction of the elevator.
“I purposefully registered them as third party visitors to get them out of here as soon as possible.”
“Adrien, Felix, this is Happy, Mr. Stark’s head of security,” Peter sighed, gesturing vaguely in Happy’s direction.
“Pleasure to meet you,” Adrien said brightly. Felix just nodded.
“I’m only here because it’s my job.” Happy was just as hospitable as ever.
“Is Mr. Stark here?” Peter had been hoping it would be Tony who welcomed them off the plane, but as long as he showed up to thanksgiving dinner, Peter would settle for Happy.
“You think I know where he is every second of every day?”
“Isn’t that your job?” Felix asked. Happy frowned at him.
“I thought you only spoke French.”
“Felix lives in London,” Peter explained. “Adrien is the one who I live with in Paris, but he’s a supermodel who travels all over the globe so he’s picked up English.”
“What is with Americans and assuming all the time?” Felix grumbled, in French. “I don’t even look French.”
“Felix, you and Adrien are practically twins. I don’t know what ‘French’ looks like to you, but honestly that’s a mistake anyone could make. I told Happy one of you was French and since Adrien spoke to him in English, by process of elimination, he probably deduced that you were the French one. It’s not an unreasonable conclusion.” Peter responded in effortless French and Happy looked at him like he’d grown another head.
“What are you telling him? I heard my name!”
“I’m telling him how much work you do for Stark Industries. He has a newfound respect for you,” Peter lied, shooting Felix a warning glance.
The elevator opened up on the ground floor and they filed out, headed straight for the front entrance.
“That dude just went straight through a wall!” Adrien called, pointing down a separate hallway.
“Oh, Vision, yeah, he doesn’t really grasp the whole ‘aesthetic’ concept so he just tends to ignore the walls and doors in general,” Peter said casually, holding open the door to allow his friends to walk through.
“We don’t have all day. I’ve got plans this evening.” Happy checked his watch impatiently as the group climbed into the car.
“They haven’t been in New York before, let them marvel for a moment.”
“Are you going to the apartment?” Happy whispered to Peter as they pulled away from the headquarters, headed downstate. Peter glanced at the two boys in the back who were staring out the back windshield, watching the building get smaller and smaller as they drove away.
“Duh, where else would I go?” Peter asked, turning back around to face Happy.
“I don’t know, but aren’t they both rich? Won’t they be a tad bit…underwhelmed?”
“Probably!” Peter’s voiced cracked slightly. “But we’re going to get sandwiches from Mr. Delmar’s sandwich shop for dinner, so that’ll make up for the lack of space. Plus, Felix lives in London! Unless you live in freaking Buckingham Palace, your flat is tiny. He’ll be used to it.”
“Yeah but you live in a literal mansion while in Paris, don’t you?”
“Well I don’t see you renting out the Avengers headquarters!”
“Are you at least going to tell them about how rats ride the subway?”
“Yeah, Happy, when I gave them a New York crash course, the first thing I told them was about the rat infestation! Of course I didn’t mention the rats!”
“Okay, then the pigeons then. Or if not the pigeons, the Santa gang that hangs around Times Square that and mugs people?”
“We’re not going to Times Square!” Peter sighed, rubbing his temples.
“You can’t just not go to Times Square, Peter. You said these kids have never been to New York. They probably dream of going to Times Square!”
“Yo, Felix, Adrien,” Peter turned back around, gripping the headrest, speaking in French so Happy wouldn’t be able to understand him. “If Times Square blew up tomorrow, would either of you be at all sad?”
“Is anyone hurt?” Adrien asked at the same time Felix gave a flat ‘no’.
“Yeah, they don’t care too much,” Peter told Happy.
“Did that kid just ask if Times Square is blessed?” Happy glanced in the rear view mirror at Adrien.
“No, he said ‘blessé’ it means like, injured.”
“Why was he asking if Times Square is injured?”
“You know what, Happy, how about you just focus on driving?” The trip was off to such a great start so far and Happy had really helped Peter welcome his guests to America.
Soon enough, they were outside Peter’s apartment. It was a bit of a struggle to wedge their suitcases up the stairwells but eventually they made it to the front door. They’d bade Happy a goodbye and he’d barely even waited for Felix to finish getting his suitcase out of the trunk before he’d sped off.
Peter knocked, almost hesitantly, shifting his weight from foot to foot as he waited for May to open the door. She’d been alarmingly enthusiastic about having guests, and she really hoped she hadn’t gotten too worked up about it and-
The door flew open, and there was Aunt May, wearing a beret and striped shirt, full baguette in one hand.
“Bonsoir!”
Oh, so it was going to be one of those kind of visits.