heartstrings
by taylortot is a complete Miraculous Ladybug fanfiction published on Archive of Our Own.
One of Marinette’s rare unlucky days turns into something treacherous. Thanks to a certain cat, the real danger passes, but there are other things to be more afraid of. Her heart, for example, might be one of them.
heartstrings contains examples of:
- Anger Born of Worry: Marinette, directed at Chat after he gets hurt rescuing her. The words "You stupid cat!" appear a number of times.
- Big Damn Kiss: The kiss between Marinette and Chat Noir in the first chapter, which goes on for several minutes, even after Chat's transformation has dropped (Marinette keeping her eyes closed the whole time).
- Broken Pedestal: Marinette loses respect for her fashion idol Gabriel Agreste after learning that he had someone take photos of her and Chat and leaked them to the media to hurt Adrien.
- Calling the Old Man Out: Adrien confronting Gabriel about the photographs of Marinette and Chat.Adrien: You can do whatever you want to me. You can take me out of school! You can book me for whatever events you want, I don’t care! Just - Just leave Marinette out of it!
Gabriel: Why do you care about her so much? She’s clearly not interested in you.
Adrien: What do you want from me? I’ve done everything you’ve ever asked of me. I do it without resisting. I’m perfect. What else do you want from me?
Gabriel: As your father, what I ask of you is -
Adrien: You don’t treat me like your son. You treat me like your property. You’re doing this because you think you can use this to make me sit and stay. You thought you could use Marinette to hurt me. You thought that would make me come back to you, right? That I could be your puppet again? I will not disrespect you or your name in public, and I’ll follow your schedules, but you don’t pull my strings anymore. Who I spend my time with, that’s up to me. - Captain Obvious: After seeing a purple butterfly mask appear around the mugger's faceChat Noir: It’s an akuma!
Ladybug: Thanks, I got that! - Chekhov's Gunman: The mugger from the first chapter later resurfaces as an Akuma named The Screamer, who again targets Marinette.
- It's All My Fault: Chat insists on blaming himself for Marinette being targeted by the Screamer.
- It's Not You, It's My Enemies: Soon after Chat and Marinette's relationship is leaked to the media, Chat tells Marinette that he's breaking up with her. Kinda subverted in that he has every intention of getting back with her as Adrien.
- Mugging the Monster: Played with, in that the mugger has just enough luck to jump Marinette after she sees him coming but before she can get away to transform. Crosses into Bullying a Dragon after Chat Noir intervenes and the mugger still insists that he wants the money, rather than run away.
- My God, What Have I Done?: Adrien's reaction after Chat and Marinette's relationship is exposed, putting her in danger.
- Rescue Romance: The plot kicks off when Chat intervenes to save Marinette from a mugger, though Marinette also ends up helping him after he drops his baton in the process.
- Right Behind Me: When Marinette walks in on Nino gossiping to Adrien about her relationship with Chat Noir.Nino: I wonder if Chat Noir has gotten to first base yet. He’s a pretty smooth guy, isn’t he?
Marinette: D-D-Do you mind?
Nino: Sorry!
Marinette: Keep your nose out of my business! Just because I’m suddenly in a headlining article in every newspaper in Paris does not mean you-you-you can just discuss my love life in public. And with him of all people! - Two-Person Love Triangle: In contrast to the series' Love Square, in that Adrien doesn't have seem to have quite as much conflict over his feelings for Ladybug as Marinette does over Adrien and Chat Noir. This is in part because Adrien starts suspecting Marinette is Ladybug fairly early in the story.
- Voice Changeling: The Screamer's power.
