so i never post on this account but LISTEN i have a horrible long and elaborate fake dating marichat AU fic idea that I need to get out there so excuse my ramblings:
so in this AU, adrien doesn’t get to go to public school and is homeschooled and still strictly controlled by his dad. but, both marinette and adrien still get their respective miraculous and the show continues pretty much the same except marinette and adrien never meet. adrien relishes in the freedom in being chat noir and still develops his infatuation with ladybug. without her crush on adrien, marinette remains always confident and stands for what is right, she even goes out with nathaniel, and then luka, for a while.
so, after a couple years of superheroism, chat and lb defeat hawkmoth. then, master fu gathers them and asks them to return their miraculouses as they are no longer needed. LB is sad, but agrees. Chat freaks out as being chat was his only freedom. He reluctantly agrees, but then before they do, he asks LB if they can reveal their identities and confesses his love. LB declines, saying they need to move on and not jeopardize Paris. Heartbroken, Chat obliges and the two part ways.
after losing to LB and Chat, Gabriel gives up on hawkmoth and throws himself into giving Adrien the best life as possible, through controlling him still (but with better intentions?)
now where the fic begins:
fast forward about 8-10 years; adrien and mari are both in their mid twenties. marinette is a successful designer/tailor in paris. adrien, at his father’s push, is first a successful lawyer.
mari and adrien meet when gabriel hires her to start tailoring suits for the law firm. they form a fast friendship and marinette gains a crush on adrien (but now, as a confident adult, doesn’t become a blustering idiot and keeps it lowkey) but maintains her friendship with him.
then, gabriel tells adrien that he has got adrien on the ballot for running for office for mayor of paris (taking over after mayor bourgeouis retires) Adrien doesn’t want to, but obliges anyways. Marinette stays on to help with the campaign and tailor adriens new look.
then, as part of gabriel’s plan, he introduces Adrien to wealthy, powerful, and beloved Lila Rossi, hoping and pushing them to start dating (and towards a quick engagement) to rally support for Adrien’s campaign.
this happens right as mari was ready to ask adrien out, finally, but believing he is in love with Lila, decides against it and retreats into heartbreak, and that night, after a peptalk from Alya, goes home and to her apartment balcony to wallow.
MEANWHILE, adrien has had it. his father forcing him into a relationship breaks him, and feeling nostalgic, he longs for the past and goes back to master fu’s place, to beg for the ring back. only, master fu has passed away and his daughter greets him. cut to adrien being given the box as he was one of two (gasp, who else could it be?) being written to take care of it. he takes the ring and immediately transforms, feeling free for once since hawkmoth’s defeat. as he explores paris, he sees mari on her balcony, and seeing one of his only real friends upset, he goes to her.
mari freaks out, why is chat back?? she has to feign ignorance tho (obviously) and after the initial freak out, they talk some more blah blah blah.
next day, adrien notices mari is distant from him (bc of the Lila thing) and that night goes to her as chat to see whats wrong. then, after some plot stuff, mari, thinking back to alya’s advice about making adrien jealous, asks chat for a favor and they begin to fake date without chat knowing who mari is trying to get over. in exchange, mari helps chat to “track down ladybug”, which mari impulsively agrees to.
sure enough, the ladyblog revives with new sightings of chat noir and a “mystery girl” who is soon revealed to be marinette. gabriel sees this, but ignores it, its all in the past, adrien is his only focus now. nathalie, on the other hand, sees this and sets out to take chats miraculous and all the others in order to put it all away for gabriel’s sake.
cue the hunt for ladybug, marinette’s inner battle of what to do, and her partnership with chat as marinette bringing them closer together for more than just their own interests.
UPDATE: i may now just write it…. maybe. also ask box is now open (oops) if yall have any questions!
UPDATE 2: here it is!
royal-raccoon
illmamnim
lenoreofraven
lyra-kotto
kitnoir
snekwami
sphenodontia
kinnycups
squigglegigs
marinettas
ruinedchildhood