Work Text:
“Goodnight Princess.” Miss Terra said, ushering the ladybug holder through the sun roof of her bedroom.
She was lucky the akuma happened while she was on babysitting duty. All she had to do now was slip in through the bakery and act like she had been downstairs the whole time.
Mannon certainly thought she was sneaky, giggling as she transformed back and crawled under the covers to fake that she’d been sleeping.
Miss Terra jumped to the neighboring rooftop and across the street from the bakery to detransform in the alley between apartments. She had checked for cameras almost as soon as she’d met Wayzz.
“Shell-”
“Woah…” A voice had her cutting off her words and spinning around.
“Adrien!” She yellped, shocked she’d missed his presence. Kwami she must have been more tired than she thought and it may have cost her identity.
The blonde meanwhile absolutely lit up. “You know who I am?”
Warning! Warning! Think fast, “Well yeah! Paris is all over your face- or uh your face is all over Paris!” She felt her face turn scarlet under the mask.
End her suffering.
“Oh…” He looked a little disappointed. “Right. That makes more sense.”
Miss Terra drummed her fingers on her wrist, very conscious of her ward in her apartment.
Then again- Mannon had likely fallen asleep while faking and Tikki knew where the cookies were… And she hadn’t had to use Shelter so her timer wasn’t a threat…
Maybe she could spend a little time talking to Adrien…? As a post akuma treat?
“Were you caught in the akuma fight?” She asked, trying to sound casual.
Adrien made a sheepish expression, “No- well uh yes. I was leaving fencing practice and saw my friends Alya chasing after the fight, she runs-”
“The Terraport yeah.” Miss Terra smiled fondly as she thought of her friend, she was the kids favorite reporter. Buzzy and Fuzzie especially got a real kick out of their sister chasing them across the city, and Princess Ladybug and Catman loved being treated like celebrities.
Alya had a much easier time with them than any other reporter, which was a problem when Miss Terra had to drag them back from spilling the secrets of the miraculous to the wide world of the internet.
Adrien looked delighted to hear she was a fan, no doubt ready to run and tell Alya that her blog was watched by even the most evasive hero in Paris.
“Well, I should let you get on your way.” She smiled, no doubt his bodyguard would be looking for him and the last thing she wanted was for Adrient o get in trouble for going missing just to talk to her. “Stay safe Adrien!”
The turtle holder moved to go transform somewhere else.
“Wait!” the blonde stepped forward, before hesitating.
Miss Terra turned her head to look at him. He looked so nervous- he had no right to look that cute!
“I guess I don’t really know how the whole super hero thing works but uh- I know you really look out for those kids- and Paris so- so thank you.” Adrien still appeared nervous but he had a genuinely kind smile stretched across his face, so unlike the ones plastered across billboards and posters.
“Thank you.” Miss Terra found her face becoming very hot again. “That means a lot Adrien. Stay safe, okay?”
After that the girl had to make a speedy escape. If she didn’t she’d be at risk of falling for him all over again.
+x+
After that Marinette noticed Adrien was much more eager to follow Alya around during akuma attacks. Which gave her more heart attacks than she’d like to admit.
This was the opposite of staying safe, and if anything she was pretty sure it was directly against his fathers wishes. Adrien would often pull his hood up with a face mask, or add a hat and scarf to cover his features in the hope of not drawing extra attention and his fathers ire.
That Marinette could fume about all she wanted but this one technically wasn’t his fault.
Riposte was hot on their heels and not for the first time Marinette wished her miraculous was better for fast travel. Yeah turtles were supposed to be slow or something, but the Ladybug’s yoyo or Cat’s staff was looking really appealing right now.
If she wasn’t so focused on not getting cut in half she might relish getting to carry Adrien bridal style, but as she narrowly dodged the falling light post that had taken the slash aiming for her, it was the farthest thing from her mind.
“She’s from a prestigious fencing family. If hers is anything like mine I’d bet they weren’t going to take it well.” The blonde in question said, holding on to her tighter as she made a jump for the rooftops.
“Any ideas about the akuma?” Miss Terra asked as she ducked behind a chimney and set Adrien down for a second to grab her shield and start messaging the rest of the team her planned destination.
She was a little frustrated she’d missed the fencing tryouts that caused this whole mess but if Fu calling her in randomly was anything to go by she doubted she’d have time for the team even if she had made it.
“Probably in the saber…” he said wincing.
“Oh boy…” Miss Terra hated the akuma’s where it was part of their body.
“There you are!”
Bringing her shield up to absorb the blow, Miss Terra kicked for Riposte’s feet to try and unbalance her.
“Not very sportsmanlike.” Adrien said as she scooped him up again and started to the Louvre.
“Well…” She huffed good naturedly, “I’m not really much of a fencer.”
“I meant the akuma.” The blonde said, a playful smile on his lips despite the peril.
In the end, she was very glad for Adrien’s presence. He had stepped in with one of the sabers on display to defend Princess Ladybug while Miss Terra had been getting into position with the lucky charm.
When everything was said and done, the Ladybug holder had run into the blonde’s arms thanking him.
“Thank you.” Miss Terra approached as he scooped the little girl up and placed her on his hip. “I don’t know what would have happened if you weren’t here.”
“Happy to help.” The blonde smiled.
Miss Terra released the akuma victim to her classmate and began ushering Princess Ladybug and Catman home.
+x+
The next morning in class Nino pointed out a new accessory on his seatmate’s wrist.
“Dude, that bracelet rocks” He held up Adrien’s wrist and turned it over. “It looks like Miss Terra’s miraculous!”
“I know.” The blonde smiled, displaying it better. “My father is releasing a line based on the miraculous holders and I got first dibs on the accessories.”
Marinette got a better look, it did look very similar to her miraculous- at least her transformed one. Albeit with a watch band instead of the beaded one and the whole thing was silver.
“I’ve got a fitting for the new line this afternoon.” Adrien continued.
Alya suddenly lit up, “Hey, Adrien I got a great idea! Why not see if you can bring Marinette with you.”
The bluenette, knowing Alya’s intentions, felt her face grow warm.
Adrien seemed to be thinking. “I probably could. Father was pretty impressed with your bowler hat, it shouldn’t be too hard to convince him- or really Nathalie to let me bring a plus one.”
“I- uh-” She scrambled. “If it’s not too much trouble.”
“No way, we rarely get to hang out! This is perfect!” He began typing rapidly on his phone.
After getting approval, Marinette spent all of lunch on cloud nine. Not only was she getting to spend time with Adrien she was going to get to see a real model fitting for a new Gabriel line.
“You can thank me with treats.” Alya said as Marinette did a happy dance outside her locker.
“A fresh berry and cream cheese danish will be waiting on your desk tomorrow.” Marinette promised, hugging her best friends.
She had time to catastrophize about her chosen outfit for the day not being good enough and build fantastical ways for the day to be ruined while Adrien was busy taking a test he’d missed the week before for a photoshoot.
And Alya had plenty of time to talk her down from those same fears before leaving them to head home.
Adrien’s bodyguard drove them and Marinette tried desperately to think of some topic of conversation.
“Do you have a favorite hero, Marinette?” Adrien asked suddenly. Hand on his chin and looking out the window.
“Uh- it’s so hard to choose ya know, you’re so adorable- I mean they’re so adorable, the little ones I mean..” She said, waving her hand in the air and feeling uncomfortably warm.
Honestly asking her to choose between her wards was like asking a parent to pick a favorite child. She loved all of her little teammates equally.
“What about you?” She said, drumming her hands on her knees.
“Miss Terra.” He said, with such little hesitation that Marinette was left speechless. But he didn’t stop there. “She’s just so cool, and nice! She looks after her teammates like a big sister to the other heroes and comes up with the coolest plans to take out akuma.”
Marinette knew Adrien liked her alter ego just fine but she had no idea he felt so strongly about her as a hero.
“And I won’t lie, I think she’s really pretty too.” Adrien sighed, still not looking around to her. Thank Kwami for that as Marinette was sure her expression would be a dead give away. “I started following Alya around for the Terraport just to try and see her again. We’ve met a few times before and- man she’s so- so- miraculous.”
Marinette made a small noise like a choked sigh.
Her mind was spinning so much she barely remembered anything she saw at the fitting. But the image of Adrien in a Miss Terra themed jacket still managed to burn itself into her brain.
+x+
“You can hold on to this for me right?” Marinette had whispered to Wayzz as she slid off her bracelet and handed it to him. “That way if any akuma shows up you can just come find me.”
It would be fine, she said.
It’s just for a quick photoshoot, she said.
“Terra- Terra!” Wayzz called, not willing to risk using her real name.
The latest akuma was a return to form as apparently Juleka had suffered something to call down Reflekta again. That alone would be worrying but the senti-monster that came with her was the greater concern.
Its wider range attack had already turned everyone in the immediate area to copies of the akuma.
“Woah, what are you?” Wayzz saw that one of the hiding reflect-clones was looking up at him.
“I am Wayzz.” He greeted. “So you must not be Miss Terra then.”
“No, I'm Adrien.” He said quickly. “That’s Miss Terra’s miraculous. Did you lose her?”
“Yes, she removed my miraculous prior to being hit by Reflektdoll but I lost her in the fray.” The green kwami looked over the boy. It wasn’t technically I lie, Marinette had likely been hit already if his inability to locate her was anything to go by.
Overhead, Catman had already made his appearance, and Princess Ladybug was approaching on the horizon.
Wayzz didn’t know how long it might take to find Marinette, and he remembered her words about Adrien helping during Riposte and defending Princess Ladybug even without a miraculous.
“Adrien Agreste.” He said quickly. “If I asked you to wear my miraculous could I trust you to return it after the akuma has been handled?”
“Of course.” he said quickly, taking the miraculous offered to him. “If I can’t figure out a way to get it back to her I’ll just give it back to you.”
“Good. All you need to say is-”
+x+
Marinette was tugging at the skintight thigh high platform boots she’d been forced into with renewed vigor. She couldn’t find Wayzz and was struggling to even walk with these nightmares on. “Juletka, you're supposed to have better taste than this!” She screamed, finally freeing her right foot from the pleather death traps and wriggling out of the other.
Thank goodness this dress came with built in shorts.
She saw Princess Ladybug summon her lucky charm which appeared to be a large flat disk.
Marinette huffed and began scaling the stairs to the eiffel tower to try and get closer. Even if she couldn’t use her miraculous she was already hit and could shield the others and help with the lucky charm.
“Princess, Let me see the lucky charm.” She said arriving next to the ladybug holder, panting with the effort of getting up there.
“Miss Terra?” She asked as the teen took the object from her hands.
“A mirror- okay why a mirror?” Marinette looked around while a fit of giggles picked up beside her.
“You look so silly!” Princess Ladybug shouted.
“There you are!” Reflektdoll turned its attention to them and Marinette could see Reflekta in the robot’s eye.
“Whoops-” Something dropped down in front of them. “Stealth may just be key in this fight Little-bug.”
Marinette gaped. Wearing her miraculous, holding her shield was a total stranger! Wayzz had given her bracelet to some blonde guy who was wearing her miraculous.
“Miss Terra I assume?” He smiled at her. “Your friend asked me to step up and step in when he couldn’t find you. I’ll be your shield for now.”
They moved higher up the tower with Marinette fuming as she held on to her substitute's shoulders.
“Cataclysm!” Catman had been using his small size and dark suit to hide among the beams of the tower and now lunged forward to bring his hand down on the senti-monsters head.
Instead of the expected result of a large pile of dust and one falling akuma, cracks formed across the robot’s body and it sputtered and shook with the trapdoors that made up its eyes shuttering.
“Has he ever cataclysmed an amok before?” the substitute turtle asked, putting her down.
Marinette shook her head, “Not that I know of.”
“Look like it just got riled up.” He said as Reflektdoll began firing wildly.
“Eeep!” Princess Ladybug brought up the disk, pointing its mirrored side toward the akuma.
It succeeded in bouncing the beam back at the attacker and caused the robot to fall from its descent, but they all watched helplessly as it flew from the girl's hands and spun as it landed in the mess of destroyed trees and cars at the base of the tower.
“I’m sorry…” She said quietly.
“Hey, it’s no one's fault.” the blonde said quickly. “We just gotta figure out something else.”
“We’re here!” Buzzy Bee landed on the ground with Fuzzie Fox riding on her back.
“Perfect.” Marinette said as the final piece of the plan clicked into place. “I think I know how to get inside the robot. Fuzzie, give it something to aim for, Buzzy when you have a clear shot Venom it. Catman, protect Princess Ladybug while she looks for the lucky charm. We're going to need it to get in.”
“How so.” The substitute turtle stepped up to look over the side.
“It’s not just a mirror, it’s a coin to open that hatch.” She pointed as Fuzzie Fox’s illusion caused it to turn.
“Or something with a flat edge like it?” He held up the shield, it was slightly different than hers and the ridge around the circumference was thin enough it would likely do the trick.
“Perfect.” She grinned. Okay maybe this wasn’t the worst thing to happen, she was still getting that bracelet back pronto though.
“Venom!” Fuzzie jabbed the sentimonster in the pigtail causing it to freeze.
“Here we go!” The blonde picked Marinette up again and jumped to land on the back of its head.
Jamming the ridge of the shield into the slot they twisted it out and tossed it aside.
Reflekta was struggling to stand after being tossed around so much in the last few minutes.
“The controls-” She pointed and he slammed the shield down on top of the center panel. A feather fluttered out. “Now for Reflekta.”
“You’ll- pay for this!” She gagged slightly but did aim her bracelet at the blonde.
Marinette jumped down, feeling the beam but not being any more affected than before, and managed to grab the wrist holding the bracelet. As the amok vanished around them, Marinette shoved herself forward and both girls tumbled to the ground.
Slamming Reflekta’s wrist on the ground caused the bracelet to shatter.
“Quick, don’t let it get away.” She pointed as she rolled off of a very confused Juleka.
“Shelter!” The blonde aimed his shield at the butterfly and feather that were drifting higher in the air. A bubble formed around them and dropped into the turtle’s waiting hands. “One akuma storage bubble for the lovely lady.”
“I found it!” Princess Ladybug shouted as she held up the mirror she’d extracted from the rubble.
After they regrouped, the substitute turtle released the feather and butterfly that were promptly caught and purified.
“You’ll have to get yourselves home okay?” Marinette moved to hide lest the miracle cure reveal her identity.
“Ah, I got you.” The turtle picked her up a third time and began sprinting for cover.
She wriggled to try and get free. “Nice as this is, I don't need you knowing my identity when the cure goes out.”
“I wouldn’t worry too much.” He turned a corner into an alley and put her down. “Shell Off.”
In a flash of green light her replacement was gone and instead-
“Adrien?” She said- perhaps louder than strictly necessary.
He slid the bracelet off. “And I believe this is your Marinette.”
She stuttered as the miracle ladybugs proved him correct. “But how did- and you… How?”
“I suspected ever since I saw you by your family's bakery.” he explained sheepishly. “I was trying to think of what was over there that Miss Terra would be so interested in. Alya already suspected Miss Terra went to our school after the whole thing with Pharaoh, and you get really flustered whenever I brought her up sooo…”
Marinette groaned. Clearly she hadn’t been nearly careful enough with her identity.
“But the bracelet confirmed it.” He took her wrist and slid it on, causing it to return to the flower pattern pendant she was used too. “You’ve never taken it off the whole time I’ve known you. And the first time you do Miss Terra isn’t available for the fight.”
He grinned sheepishly. “Don’t worry though, I don’t think anyone else figured it out.”
+x+
To her absolute shock Master Fu was fine with it. She told him- she had to tell him.
She was just a guardian in training, he was the Guardian.
“I knew there was a risk that someone would eventually find your identity, under normal circumstances I would re-assign the turtle but the fact it was Adrien Agreste is a large relief. He was my choice for your partner before the miraculous became age-locked.”
“Really?” Marinette said, cupping Wayzz to her chest in relief they wouldn’t be separated just yet.
“Yes, as such I think we can trust him with this secret. Besides, I was thinking that if something should prevent you from stepping in, having a second hero on call would help.” Master Fu took a book from the shelf and flipped through it. “In addition to helping cover for you in civilian life as well.”
She hadn’t considered that. Truth be told Marinette was pretty sure she’d garnered the reputation of a coward because she’d run as soon as an akuma appeared.
+x+
Marinette didn’t have a safe way to talk about what happened with Adrien for the next few days, but she did see him smiling at her a lot more. Thankfully everyone being aware of her crush meant her panicked reactions weren’t seen as too weird.
Eventually, Ms. Mendeleiev assigned a new group project and Nino and Alya had already pared off so that left her and Adrien to head over to her home.
“I don’t think I’ve been here since the incident with Gamer.” Adrien said, following her up the steps to her room.
“Yeah…” Marinette shoved the trap door open and set down the plate of treats her parents had forced on them. She had already sent Wayzz up to hide some of her more embarrassing photos.
Once the door was shut and she was sure her parents wouldn’t barge in Marinette signalled for Wayzz to come out of hiding.
“So- we should probably talk about the whole- hero thing.”
“Oh yeah, how did talking to your boss go?” Adrien sat on her chaise lounge and took one of the cookies.
“Lucky us you’re one of the people he approves of knowing. Apparently you were going to get a miraculous before the age lock went into place.” Marinette took a macaron for herself.
“Age lock?”
And that led to her explaining why she was the only miraculous holder over the age of 10.
“And he even gave me permission to lend you the miraculous again if something should keep me out of another fight.” Marinette finished explaining.
“So I might get to be Sub-Terrain again?” Adrien brightened up.
“Sub-Terrain? What?” She leaned back in her desk chair.
“Ya know, cause I was the substitute teacher for the day.” He smiled.
“Yeah, I guess.” Marinette fiddled with her pigtails. “I don’t think I would mind the help. Princess Ladybug already likes you.”
“But not too often.” Adrien cut in. “Otherwise I’d be deprived of my Miss Terra sightings which I just can’t pass up.”
The bluenette flushed.
“And now that I know your big secret…” Adrien trailed off. “I feel no qualms about asking you to the movies.”
“Eh?”