Disclaimer: I do not own Miraculous Ladybug. It belongs to its respective owner.

Once Upon A Time

Once upon a time, there lived a girl named Marinette Dupain-Cheng. She always wore a red cape adorned with black polka dots, and so the villagers gave her the nickname "Ladybug".

"Marinette, I need you to deliver this bread and soup to your grandmother," Marinette's mother, Sabine, said as she handed her daughter a basket containing a loaf of bread and hot soup. "She's gotten very sick, so hopefully, this will help her get better."

"Sure thing, mom," Marinette replied, smiling. She closed the basket and hopped out of her seat on the dining table.

"I also need you to pass by the market to get her some apples," Sabine said, digging her hand into her apron's pocket. She took out several coins, counted them, and then dropped a good amount of them into her daughter's hand. "Remember; grandma likes red apples. Green ones won't do."

"Don't worry, I know what grandma likes," Marinette said, laughing. She turned around and headed for the door, pocketing the money.

"Be sure not to stray from the path, and remember not to talk to strangers," Sabine reminded her like always. Although Marinette was old enough to take care of herself, Sabine still saw her as the little eight-year-old girl bringing goodies to her grandmother. "And beware of wolves!"

"I know, I know," Marinette said, putting on her red hood.

"Be careful!"

She smiled. "I always am."

Marinette walked down the path of her humble little village, greeting her friends and neighbors as she made her way to the marketplace. It was bustling with people by the time she arrived, but she still managed to catch a glimpse of her best friend through the sea of people.

"Alya!" Marinette exclaimed, hugging her caramel-haired friend. She looked down and noticed the basket full of fruits and vegetables in Alya's hand. "Out grocery shopping?"

"When am I not?" Alya sighed.

"Hey, I'm out buying food every day too," Marinette laughed, lifting up her basket. "It's not that bad."

"Only because you don't have to go for your evil step-sisters," Alya hissed. "Chloe and Sabrina boss me around all the time. Chloe even started calling me Cinderalya. I'd give anything to live a simple life like you."

"My life's nothing special, really," Marinette laughed. "All I do is deliver food."

"I'd pick that over cleaning, cooking, sewing—basically every house chore you can think of—any day," Alya said. "And it must feel great to have nice clothes to wear. Anything's better than these rags."

After this, Alya walked ahead to get to the fruit stand, knowing that her best friend needed some apples for her grandma like always. Marinette jogged to her side, preparing her money as they approached the stand.

"Four red apples please," Marinette said, holding out her money for the clerk to take. The old man smiled gratefully and gave her the shiniest apples he had. After placing them in her basket, she exclaimed, "Thank you!"

"You're welcome, Ladybug," he replied, waving goodbye as she and Alya left.

"I'm going to head home before Chloe and Sabrina die of starvation," Alya rolled her eyes by the time they reached the end of the village.

"They really can't take care of themselves, huh?" Marinette asked, closing her basket shut.

"They'd probably burn water," Alya said as they both laughed. "I'll come by your parents' bakery to get some bread later on, all right?"

"Alright, I'll see you then," Marinette said, waving her friend goodbye. When Alya's figure disappeared in the distance, Marinette turned around and headed into the woods, following the dirt path before her.

Deep within the woods, a boy with wolf features was lying under a tree. He had his hands on the back of his head and his legs crossed as he stared up at the blue sky.

"There's nothing to do…" Adrien mumbled, shutting his eyes. His right ear suddenly twitched, and he sat upright, sniffing the air. His once confused expression turned into one of absolute joy at the familiarity of the scent. "Ladybug must be here!"

And he was right. From where he stood, he was able to see a spot of red and black in the distance slowly approaching.

"Maybe I'll get to talk to her today," Adrien said to himself, grinning. But as Ladybug approached him, he felt his confidence diminishing, and he ran to the back of the tree to hide from her.

He cursed at himself internally for avoiding her once again, but thought that it was for the best. He feared that he would scare her, and that their encounter would have her take a different path the next time she was off to deliver.

Adrien peaked from behind the tree, sighing as he watched her walk farther and farther away.

Ladybug was well-known for being very kind and caring, and Adrien only hoped that if he could muster up the courage to introduce himself, she could be his first friend. Maybe she would be the first to look beneath his exterior and learn to like him for who he truly is.

He wanted to meet her and talk to her, but he couldn't find the courage to do so. For now, he would just watch over her.

"Why, thank you, Marinette," Grandmother Cheng said from her place in the bed, graciously accepting the bread, soup and red apples her granddaughter brought her.

"You're welcome, grandma," Marinette said as she placed the food on the dining table. She didn't stray from the path and arrived quickly enough that the bread was still fresh, the soup was still warm, and the apples were still juicy. "I hope you feel better."

"I'm sure I will," the old woman laughed heartily. "Be careful on your way home."

"I always am," Marinette smiled, waving goodbye to her grandmother before shutting the wooden door behind her.

She walked down the path once more and made a few more deliveries in her grandmother's village before making her way back to hers. She made her way back home, placed the basket on the table, and she sat down to rest her feet. Her grandmother's village was very far; she was always so tired upon returning home.

"Welcome home," her father, Tom, greeted her. He entered the room carrying a tray of pastries, and behind him was his wife, who carried loaves of bread. "How's your grandmother?"

"She's fine," Marinette replied. "I'm sure she'll feel much better now."

"That's good," her mother smiled. "Oh, Alya's waiting for you out front, by the way. She doesn't seem to be in a very good mood."

"Probably Chloe and Sabrina again," Marinette said as she hopped out of her seat to see her best friend. Alya was fuming with anger, her knuckles turning white from her strong grip on the basket's handles.

"I want to scream and curse and punch something with all my might," Alya said through gritted teeth. "But I'm not going to. I have self-control."

Marinette picked out a fresh loaf of bread and wrapped it for Alya, who mentioned earlier that she was going to come by for some. "Let it out," Marinette said.

"Okay, so—first of all—I got invited to the Prince's ball!" Alya beamed, jumping up and down excitedly. "Can you imagine it? Me, a commoner, invited to Prince Nino's ball!"

"I'm so happy for you, Alya!" Marinette exclaimed. "What's so bad about that?"

"That's the good part," she said, and her smile slowly faded into a look of anger. "The bad part is that my step-mother, Chloe and Sabrina were invited too. After they found out that I was also invited, they made an entire list of chores for me to do before the ball, and if I don't finish them in time, they won't let me go."

"What? But if the King invited you, then—" Marinette began.

"Then I should be going too, I know," Alya sighed. "But you know how they are…"

"You should start your chores as soon as possible then," Marinette said, handing Alya the bread.

Alya shook her head, dropping her coins into Marinette's hand. "The ball is in three days. I'm sure I'd be able to finish the chores in time, but I also have to cook for them and make their gowns. I probably won't even have time for myself. I might not even be able to finish making myself a gown in time."

Marinette frowned. She wished that there was something she could do to help Alya, but she knew she couldn't. She didn't own any ball gowns, and although she knew how to sew, her family couldn't afford enough fabric to make them. She wouldn't have time to make the gown even if she was provided with the fabric anyway because she was busy with deliveries.

"I'm really sorry, Alya," Marinette said sincerely. "I really wish I could help."

"Hey, it's all right. It's going to be hard, but I'll find a way," Alya smiled reassuringly. "I always do, don't I?"

Marinette smiled. If there was anyone who always looked on the bright side of things, it was Alya.

"Thanks for the bread," Alya said as she placed it in her basket. "I should get started on my chores."

"Do your best!" Marinette exclaimed. Alya nodded and exited the bakery, and the moment she did, Sabine called her daughter to the back.

"Marinette! I need you to deliver these sweets to the Barbots!"

She sighed. "Yes, mom."

The next day, Adrien hung around in his usual spot beneath the same tree, waiting to see Ladybug. He decided that he would talk to her today, but then again, he said that the past hundred times.

"I'll introduce myself today," he muttered to himself. "I will. I definitely will."

Adrien looked up and saw the familiar red dot approaching him, and he lifted up his hand to wave at her, stopping halfway when his eyes landed on his claws. Along with his fangs, wolf ears and tail, he looked absolutely terrifying.

What human had wolf features?

Like always, his confidence vanished, and he hid behind the tree to avoid her. When he heard her walk past, he peaked from behind the tree, watching her go in the same direction she did every day.

Sighing at his failure once again, Adrien was about to turn away, when he caught sight of a pair of blood red eyes through a bush. The eyes followed Ladybug, and the bush shook seconds after she was lost to view. Adrien caught a glimpse of a black tail as the creature moved away from his hiding place, furrowing his eyebrows.

"This doesn't look good…" Adrien said as he followed as well.

Marinette walked down the same road she had been walking down for as long as she can remember. She'd been delivering since she was eight years old, and quite frankly, it was getting boring. There wasn't anything interesting that ever happened whenever she walked to her grandmother's.

She came across the usual fork in the road, and she stopped to look both ways.

She always took the path on the right because it was the quickest way to her grandmother's. It was straight ahead—a good fifteen to twenty minute walk. Then, she looked to her left. She'd never gone through that path before. Surely, it would still lead her to her grandmother's house, right? It was perhaps just a longer way to get there.

Feeling adventurous and longing for excitement, Marinette chose to take the left path.

But it wasn't long before she realized she was lost.

"Where am I?" she whispered to herself, panic rising in her chest. "I don't think I've ever been in this side of the forest before."

The bread in her basket smelled so good, she noted as her stomach rumbled. The scent was so strong; it was starting to get hard to resist taking a piece for herself. Marinette controlled herself, however, and continued on her way.

Snap.

Marinette froze in her tracks. Her heart made a leap, and fear washed over her. She gulped, and began to walk again, this time, much faster.

Snap.

There it was again.

"Am I being followed?" she thought to herself, too afraid to turn around to check. Instead, she picked up her pace, hoping to see her grandmother's cottage in the distance so that she could break into a sprint to safety. "Why did I take this road? Why didn't I just go right like always?"

From the corner of her eye, she saw something huge and black with crimson red eyes, and that alone was enough to send her running away in fear.

"A WOLF!" she screamed internally. She had heard stories about wolves from the people of her village—that they were horrible, dangerous, blood-thirsty creatures that feasted on human flesh.

Marinette ran as fast as her legs could carry her, desperate to get as far away as possible from the animal. She turned her head to see how far it was from her, to see it not more than ten feet away. Turning her head was a terrible mistake, however—while she wasn't looking, her foot got caught in a root, sending her tumbling to the ground.

She screamed in complete terror as the wolf pounced on her, pinning her with its claws. It snarled and opened his mouth, ready to devour her—

—when the wolf was suddenly pushed off of her.

Marinette was freed from the creature's grasps, and could only watch as her savior—another wolf— battled with it.

"Wait, that's not a wolf," she noted as she went off to hide behind a bush. She watched the fight from her hiding spot, observing her hero. "It's… a boy."

The boy was thrown at a tree's trunk with extreme force, but even so, he picked himself back up to continue fighting. He swung his right hand powerfully, clawing the wolf's eyes and making it howl in immense pain. It whimpered and blindly ran off, slamming into trees in the process.

The boy fell to the ground in exhaustion, hissing at the blood pouring out of his left paw. "He's a lot stronger than he looks," Adrien mumbled to himself.

Marinette walked out of her hiding spot and stood right behind him. "Excuse me?" she asked, making the boy's ears twitch. She looked over his shoulder and saw his injury. "Y-you're bleeding!"

The boy slowly turned his head around, and Marinette felt her face grow warm. His eyes were a gorgeous shade of green, and his hair gold like sunshine. He had black wolf ears, paws and a tail, but if she didn't know that he was part wolf, she would've guessed he was part cat.

It was scary, she thought. She had never seen a creature like him before. She had never seen a half-human half-wolf before. He was dressed like any other villager, with only the animal features setting him apart from everyone else.

"It's fine," he suddenly said, snapping her out of her thoughts. "I've had worse than this, trust me."

"Oh no, this is my entire fault," Marinette said, rushing to his side and kneeling down to his level. She inspected his paw carefully. While she did, Adrien soaked in her features—black hair, blue eyes, pale skin. She was very pretty, he thought.

"It's no one's fault," Adrien assured. "Besides, it was my decision to fight the wolf. It was inevitable."

"Why did you?" she asked.

Adrien brought a hand up to scratch the back of his head, smiling, and his wolf ears drooped down. "I couldn't just let you get eaten. I had to at least do something to prevent it." Marinette's eyes widened slightly at his kindness.

"I'll wrap this up for you," she said, taking out a roll of bandages from a secret compartment in her basket. She held out her hand. "Can I have your paw?"

Adrien hesitated before placing his hand on hers. He watched her put her basket down to bandage his injury, and his eyes remained wide as they observed her.

"Is everything all right?" Marinette asked as she kept her eyes glued to his paw. "You keep staring at me."

"H-huh? Yeah, I—I mean, it's just—" he began clumsily. "Aren't you… scared of me?"

"…No," she replied sincerely. "No, I'm not."

"Really?"

Marinette nodded. "Why would I be scared of my hero?"

Adrien's eyes widened. He had never been treated so kindly before, nor had he ever come across a human who didn't fear him. When she was done, Marinette stood up and dusted her dress.

"Do you know how to get to the next village from here?" she asked the wolf, who stood up as well.

He nodded, grinning. "I'll take you there."

They walked in silence, and upon reaching another fork in the road, Adrien told her, "The one on the right should take you straight there."

"Alright," Marinette said, turning to face him. She tilted her head slightly to the side. "Thank you…"

"Adrien," he smiled. "And you? Or should I call you Ladybug?"

"Really? You too?" she huffed, eyeing her red cape with black polka dots. "It's the cape, isn't it?"

"What else could it be?" he laughed. "The first thing that comes to mind when you see something red with black polka dots is a ladybug, so you really shouldn't be surprised by that nickname. You brought this upon yourself for choosing to wear it all the time."

"Then maybe I should start calling you something like…" she paused. "Chat Noir!"

Adrien's face fell at the name. "Do I really look like a cat to you?"

"A little bit?" she laughed, pinching her thumb and index close together. "Just call me Marinette."

Adrien nodded. "Thank you for treating my paw."

"Thank you for saving my life."

He smiled. "It was nice meeting you."

"It was nice meeting you too. Goodbye," she said, heading down the path on the right. Suddenly, she stopped and jogged back up to him. She picked out a red apple from her basket and presented it to him. "Have it. It's good for your paw."

Adrien was shocked at first, but his expression softened shortly after.

He took the apple out of her hands, and smiled.

"Thank you, Marinette."

"You're welcome, Adrien."

Their meeting was the first of many.

Every day, Marinette would find Adrien sitting under the same tree, seemingly waiting for her company. They walked to her customers' houses together, and Adrien always stayed out of sight whenever she went up to knock on the door. He couldn't risk being caught and having them both separated. They had only recently met, yet the wolf felt as though they had known each other for much longer.

"Off to Grandmother's house again, my Lady?" Adrien grinned when Marinette came into view. Rolling her eyes with a smile on her face, she reached into her basket and threw him a ripe red apple.

"When am I not?" she answered, walking past him. Adrien caught up to her and munched on the apple he was given. The two joked and laughed on their way to Grandmother's—Adrien making the occasional pun, making Marinette slap her forehead in annoyance.

Adrien hid behind a tree, waiting for Marinette to exit her grandma's house. He leapt to her side when she finally did, and began walking back with her.

"Hey, Chat?" Marinette suddenly said.

"Hey! I'm not a cat," Adrien said, tossing his apple core over his shoulder.

She laughed. "Right, sorry. Well, anyways… I hope you don't mind me asking, but…" she began. "Were you… born with your wolf features?"

Adrien grew silent.

"Y-you don't have to talk about it if you don't want to!" Marinette exclaimed, waving her hands in front of her. "It's just—"

"No," Adrien said, laughing sadly. He looked down at his hands—his paws—and clutched them tightly into fists. "I wasn't always like this."

"You weren't?"

He shook his head. "It's a curse, I guess you could say. My mother was a werewolf, so either I'd become one as well or at least grow a few wolf features. Clearly the latter happened. I would've actually preferred to be a werewolf. Human by day, wolf by night? It doesn't seem to be as bad as this," he said with a frown. "These features started appearing when I was twelve years old. I used to live in a nearby village, until I was chased out of it because of this curse. Humans fear wolves."

"I don't," Marinette said.

"I thank you for that," Adrien smiled, and he stopped walking upon realizing that they made it to his usual tree. "It's nice to have someone to talk to."

Marinette gave him a small smile. "Well, I'll see you tomorrow, Adrien."

"Until then, Ladybug," he said with a bow. He waved goodbye as he watched her go, and he couldn't stop smiling for the rest of the day. He really wanted tomorrow to come around already.

Marinette returned home with the brightest smile on her face to find her parents talking to a brown-haired boy standing by the counter. Sabine's face lit up when her daughter entered their humble little bakery.

"Marinette! You're back!" she exclaimed a little too excitedly.

Marinette raised an eyebrow, her smile fading; there was definitely something going on for her mother to be acting this way. Sabine ran over to her and grabbed her wrist, dragging her to the counter. She stopped her right in front of the boy.

"This is Theo Barbot," her mother said. "He's the son of one of our most valuable customers."

Theo had chestnut brown hair, hazel-colored eyes, a soul patch and a tan complexion. He was three or four inches taller than her, and based on his attire and the axe strapped to his back, he must be a huntsman.

He held out a hand for her to shake. "Nice to meet you, Marinette," he said with a welcoming smile on his face, his voice deep and smooth.

"Nice to meet you too," she replied uneasily. From the corner of her eye, she could see her parents grinning to each other, and she had a very bad feeling about this.

When Theo left the shop, Marinette immediately turned to her parents with a raised eyebrow.

"What was that all about?" she asked, arms akimbo.

"Theo's a nice boy, isn't he?" her father, Tom, asked.

"Oh yes, he really is," Sabine added. "What do you think, Marinette? I'm sure you two would make a lovely couple."

"So, basically, they're trying to set you up with Theo Barbot?"

"Exactly."

Marinette was out helping Alya go grocery shopping, but she tagged along mostly because she needed to rant about her parents' doing. Clearly, she wasn't interested, so why couldn't they just stop?

"Well, I don't really blame them," Alya said, making Marinette's jaw drop.

"I thought you were on my side!" she exclaimed.

"Just hear me out," Alya began, waving her hands in front of her. "I think your parents just want you to find a guy already. There's no doubt in my mind that they heard of Rose and Alix's recent engagement, and Juleka and Mylene's recent marriage. Maybe they're just waiting for you to live happily ever after too."

Marinette scowled.

Seeing her friend's expression, Alya laughed. "Hey, you don't even know the guy yet," she said. "Maybe he's the one for you, you never know."

Alya was right about that, but when she spoke that last part, Marinette could only think of a certain blonde boy who was part-wolf.

"Maybe…" Marinette mumbled, and she continued to follow Alya around in silence. She was so wrapped up in her thoughts that she didn't hear Alya call her name three times.

"—Marinette!"

"H-huh? What?" Marinette asked, snapping back into reality.

"Finally, you hear me," Alya said. After paying the clerk for the fresh vegetables she just placed into her basket, Alya asked her, "You're a little quiet today, don't you think?"

"Oh, I am? I'm sorry," Marinette apologized. "I'm just… thinking, I guess."

"Thinking about what?" Alya asked, tilting her head to the side. "Something happened during one of your deliveries?"

"No… well, yeah, but—" Marinette bumbled. "Well, you see, I kind of ran into a wolf—"

"A wolf?!" Alya exclaimed loudly, earning a few stares from passersby. Marinette shushed her, and Alya apologized before continuing, "Are you okay? Are you hurt? You know wolves are dangerous, right?!"

"No, they're not!" Marinette defended. "This one's… different." She didn't want to tell Alya that she met a boy who was part-wolf because if she did, then either Alya would go searching for him, or she'd just think she's crazy.

"How so?" Alya asked, making more room in her basket for more groceries.

"He's very kind. His hair—fur is the color of gold and his eyes are this beautiful shade of green, and he's not like other wolves. You see, he doesn't harm humans. He's just… misunderstood, is all. He just wants to be accepted, and—"

Alya laughed. "Woah, slow down there. It's starting to sound like you're falling in love with this wolf."

Marinette's ears burned. "What are you talking about? I can't fall in love with him. I mean, he's a wolf for crying out loud." Part-wolf, she mentally corrected.

"Mylene fell in love with a beast."

"He was a prince under a spell."

"Potato, potatoh," Alya waved a hand. "Is this wolf the reason why you won't accept this Theo Barbot's love?"

Marinette didn't say anything for a good five seconds, making Alya raise her eyebrow in suspicion, until she finally answers, "…Of course not." Switching subjects, Marinette asked, "So, how was the ball?"

While Alya excitedly talked about her experience at the ball dancing with the Prince in her beautiful gown and glass slippers, Marinette could hear her best friend's words slowly fading in the background. After hearing her neighbors' recent engagements and marriages, she began to think about her love life.

Marinette would never settle for a "the end".

She wanted her own "happily ever after" too.

The following day, after a quick stop by the marketplace, Marinette walked back home, unsurprised to find Theo inside. He was talking to her parents again, and she couldn't stop herself from rolling her eyes when they left upon noticing her presence.

"Good morning, Marinette," Theo greeted politely, oblivious to her exasperated sigh.

"Good morning, Theo," she responded with a smile. "What brings you here today?"

"I just came by to get some bread," he said, lifting up said bread.

"I see," she said, making her way to the back of the counter. She picked out a nice little cake, wrapped it up, and carefully placed it in her basket. "Well, I'll be off. I have to deliver this to the Bustiers."

"Oh, I'll come with you!" Theo exclaimed. "It's actually on the way back to my house."

The corner of Marinette's lip twitched.

"Great."

Marinette and Theo walked down the village side by side in silence. Marinette didn't really mind since she honestly had nothing to say to him, but she could tell by Theo's fidgeting that he was wracking his brain for something to say to break the silence.

She sighed.

"So, you're a huntsman?" she asked, although it was so obvious. But if starting a conversation would calm him down, then might as well.

"O-oh, yes. Yes, I am," Theo answered, eyeing the axe strapped to his back. "Deer, geese. Especially wolves."

Marinette almost stumbled at that last part.

"Wolves?" she found herself asking. Theo nodded. "Why hunt wolves? What's so bad about them?"

"They've eaten and killed many huntsmen, and they've stolen many of our crops," Theo replied. "All wolves are vicious creatures. They deserve to die."

Marinette was fuming at his answer.

"How do you know that?!" she found herself screaming.

Theo raised his hands up in defense. "I-I didn't mean to offend you! I was just telling the truth. Pardon my bluntness."

They reached the village's intersection in no time, and Marinette was so grateful. She couldn't stand hearing anymore of his bad opinion on wolves.

"Well, this is where we part," Marinette said. "See you."

"Goodbye, Marinette," Theo said, watching her go. She walked at a fast pace, looking eager to enter the forest. When she disappeared behind the trees, he shrugged, and went off in the direction of home.

Marinette walked down the path in the forest, scowling.

"Not all wolves are vicious…" she mumbled to herself. Suddenly, she felt someone poke her shoulder. Blinking, she turned around to find no one there. She shrugged, and upon turning around, she came face to face with no other than Adrien. She jumped a good meter back upon realizing how close they were, making the wolf-boy laugh.

"Good morning, Ladybug," Adrien grinned, jumping to her side. Marinette welcomed his company as usual, and handed him a shiny red apple like she always did, and they walked in the direction of the Bustiers' home in the next village. While he munched on the fruit, he noticed something off about Marinette. She was usually smiling and bright and cheerful, but today, she was just so quiet.

After finishing up his apple and throwing the core away, Adrien asked, "Is there something wrong, Marinette?"

"Just a little something bothering me," she replied, scowling. He noticed her grip on her basket tightened, and he wondered how bad the situation must be to her.

"I'm all ears," Adrien told her, his wolf ears perking up. "What's wrong?"

"My parents," she groaned. "They keep trying to set me up with this boy in our village."

At this, Adrien felt his heart drop. He didn't know why that phrase upset him so much, but decided to push away the thought for now.

"Oh," was all that came out of him. He was silent, until: "Is he your type though?"

"Him? Definitely not," Marinette said, and Adrien's face lit up. "I mean, he's really kind and all, but…"

"But?"

"He doesn't like wolves."

"Well, he isn't very different from the rest. No one does," Adrien laughed. "Humans fear wolves. I mean, we're horrible, sickening creatures, aren't we?"

"I don't think so," Marinette muttered. "Well, not anymore when I met you."

Adrien's heart made a leap, and his smile grew wider. "Thank you, Marinette," he said.

She smirked. "How could I even call a flirty cat like you vicious?"

"Way to kill the mood—Hey! I'm not a cat!" he screamed.

She laughed clear and crystal-like, and Adrien couldn't help but join in with her laughter. After her quick delivery to the Bustiers, Marinette and Adrien walked in the direction of her village side by side.

"Do you ever feel lonely, Adrien?" Marinette suddenly asked, breaking the silence between them.

"I did, at first," Adrien confessed. Then, he shrugged, continuing, "But I got used to being alone, and after a while, it just… didn't seem to matter anymore."

"Don't you miss living in your village?"

She kept asking questions because she wanted to know more about the boy walking next to her. She refused to ever see him as the monster parents told their children at night, the monster the people of her village feared. She wanted to know Adrien; human or wolf or both, she didn't care. There was more joy in life because of him, and she wasn't ready to give this all up just yet. She wanted to keep him in her life, despite what everyone said about wolves.

"Sometimes. I do miss people's company," he replied. Then, he turned to her and smiled. "But I have you now, Ladybug, and that's more than enough for me."

"You're so cheesy, it's gross," she scoffed, turning away to hide the red on her cheeks.

"Why're you turning away, huh?" he teased, running over to the side she was facing. Marinette responded by turning the other way, and they just ended up laughing and running around the trees in the forest. They stopped their little game upon reaching Adrien's tree, and both were sitting at the bottom to catch their breath.

"Thanks again for walking me back," Marinette smiled, tired from all the running.

And it was that smile that made his heart flutter, that smile that made his face grow warm, that smile that sent his whole world spinning.

"No problem," Adrien responded, ignoring the loud thumping of his heart. "See you tomorrow?"

She nodded, getting up. "See you tomorrow," Marinette grinned.

He smiled. "I'll be waiting right here, like always."

Days flew by, and Adrien and Marinette have gotten very close over the time they spent together. Both of them were always looking forward to seeing each other because each day was always so much better than the one before.

"And Ladybug strayed from the path, I see," said a familiar voice. Marinette knew the owner of that voice all too well, and didn't even bothering turning around to greet him. She was sitting in the middle of a field of flowers of all sorts, her delivery basket meters away, and only containing a single red apple inside. On her lap was a collection of daisies, lilies, jasmines and more, and she played with their stems and petals.

"Good afternoon, Adrien," she answered, her eyes kept fixated on the flowers on her lap and in her hands. "There's an apple in the basket for you."

"Thank you, my Lady," Adrien said, picking out the fruit from the now empty basket. He then sat down next to her, tilting his head and observing her. "What are you doing?"

"I'm making a flower crown," she replied simply. Adrien watched as she twirled the colorful flowers' stems together and carefully fixed each one's petals with gentleness and utmost care. She worked quickly and diligently, finishing the crown at the same time he finished his apple. Marinette held up her work proudly and smiled at the results.

"What's this for?" Adrien asked. "Do you deliver these kinds of things too?"

Marinette laughed. "No, stupid. It's for you."

Adrien blinked, and pointed an innocent finger at his face. "For… me?"

She nodded, placing it on his head. "There you go. Now you look somewhat okay." He gave her a flat look, making her burst out in laughter. "I'm just kidding."

"Or should you say…"

Her eyes narrowed. "Don't say it."

"You were just…"

"Adrien, I'm warning you—"

"Kitten?"

"That's it," Marinette said, swiping the flower crown off of his head. "I'm taking this back."

Adrien reached out for it. "No! I'm sorry! Just give it back!" he exclaimed. When Marinette gave it back to him, he kept it in his hands, looking down at it as if it were the most precious thing in the world. Marinette noticed this.

"Is there something wrong with it?" she asked.

Adrien shook his head, and finally turned away from the item to look at her. His eyes were gleaming with happiness. "No, it's just… Thank you," he said, placing the crown on his head. "It's been a while since I've received a gift from anyone."

This wolf truly was a sad character, Marinette thought.

"I want to do something for you too!" Adrien suddenly exclaimed and jumped to his feet, startling her in the process. He looked down at her with wide eyes, and he looked absolutely silly with the flower crown placed over his messy hair. "What would you like?"

"M-me?" Marinette stuttered. "Oh, no, I'm fine! I don't need anything in return—"

"There has to be at least something I can do to repay you," he insisted.

Marinette patted the spot next to her. "Then spend the rest of the say with me," she said.

"But… don't you have deliveries?" he asked even though he would gladly spend his entire day with her even if she didn't ask.

"All done," she smiled.

Adrien retuned the smile, and sat next to her. They spent the rest of their time talking about nonsense and reality and everything in-between. By the time the sun began to set, Marinette stood up.

"I should get back home before it gets dark," she said, stretching her arms and sleepy legs. Adrien stood up as well, stretching and making sure his flower crown was still intact.

"I'll walk you back," he offered, and she nodded.

When they reached their usual parting spot, Marinette looked up at him and smiled. "I had fun today, Adrien. I'll see you tomorrow?"

He nodded. "See you tomorrow. And thank you for the flower crown."

"You're welcome," she said. "Good night."

"Good night, Ladybug."

Marinette waved goodbye to him one last time, and walked back in the direction of her village. Adrien watched her go, trying to figure out what this feeling in his chest was, when it suddenly hit him. It was something that was never supposed to happen, something that would never be accepted by the people in her village.

But this couldn't be happening. He was a wolf and she was a human, for crying out loud.

Adrien touched the flower crown resting on his head, and felt his two wolf ears while doing so. He lowered his hands and saw those of a monster's, and his tail came swinging from behind him. No matter how much he struggled or prayed, his claws and fangs would never disappear.

If only there was a way for them to be together because Adrien realized that he fell in love with Marinette.

The Wolf fell in love with Little Red Riding Hood.

The next morning, Marinette woke up with a smile on her face. She never thought that she would end up liking delivering so much. Well, clearly, it wasn't delivering that made her like it so much…

She leapt out of bed, and looked out her window to see the bright sun and the cloudless blue sky. She quickly washed herself and threw on her clothes, a spring in each step she took. Her parents noticed this, and smiled, probably thinking it was because of Theo Barbot. (But they will never know the real reason why).

After picking up some apples, three for Grandmother and one for Adrien, Marinette kept a smile on her face while walking in the direction of the forest.

"MARINETTE!" someone suddenly screeched, startling her.

Marinette jumped and whipped her head around at her name, only to be attacked with a hug by no other than her best friend. When Alya let go of her, she screamed in her face excitedly before jumping up and down with joy. Marinette covered her eras while Alya screamed.

When she was done freaking out, Alya exclaimed, "PRINCE NINO IS LOOKING FOR ME!"

"What?" Marinette blinked.

"Remember how I told you that I lost one of my glass slippers at the ball?"

She did? Marinette must have missed that one. Oops.

"Y-yeah?" she lied. "What about your shoe?"

"Well, starting tomorrow, royal dukes will be going to every house in the kingdom to make every single maiden try on the glass slipper!" she exclaimed. "And since it's my slipper—"

Marinette screamed excitedly. "ALYA, I'M SO HAPPY FOR YOU!" she exclaimed, hugging her friend tightly. "You're getting your happily ever after!"

"I can just imagine the looks on Chloe and Sabrina's faces once they realize the shoe fits me," Alya grinned. "Now, it's your turn to have a happily ever after. Theo Barbot?" Marinette scowled, and Alya laughed at her expression. "I'm just kidding. How does this guy look like anyway?"

"Like that," Marinette said flatly, pointing a finger behind her. Alya turned around to see a tall brunet walking towards them with a smile on his face.

"Good morning, Marinette," Theo greeted kindly. He then turned to Alya, saying, "Marinette's friend."

"Good morning," she greeted in return. She then presented her best friend, "This is Alya. Alya, this is Theo."

"Nice to meet you," Alya said, holding out her hand.

"Likewise," Theo replied, shaking it. "I'm sorry, was I interrupting something?"

Alya shook her head. "No, not at all. I was actually just about to leave. I have some chores to do," she sighed. "I'll see you around, Marinette! It was nice meeting you, Theo!" Alya gave her best friend one last hug before leaving the two of them alone.

"So, Marinette," Theo began. "Deliveries?"

Marinette lifted up her basket. "Of course," she replied. "There isn't a day without them."

"I see. Where are you delivering to?"

"Ah, just my grandmother's and a bunch of other people in the same village," she replied. She turned to look at the entrance of the woods behind her, waiting impatiently for Theo to leave so that she could see Adri—deliver already.

"Oh, do you mind if I tag along—?"

"No!" Marinette screamed too quickly, starling Theo. "U-uh, I mean, no because—it's a really long way and, you know, being with someone might slow me down because it's a bit of a distraction I guess, and I have to get home as soon as possible to help my parents out at the bakery… you know?"

Marinette bit her lip at how quickly and terribly she delivered her lie. Despite this, Theo's expression remained unchanged.

"I understand, don't worry," he laughed, and Marinette sighed in relief. "So, that explains why you look like you're always in such a rush…"

"Always in a rush?" Marinette asked.

Theo nodded. "You always look so eager to go into the forest."

She laughed nervously. "Right…" she said. "Well, I'll be going now. I'll see you later!"

"See you later."

Marinette waved goodbye before turning around and walking into the forest. Theo turned around himself to head back in the direction of home, when he stopped in his tracks. He knew Marinette was lying to him, and the curiosity of why she didn't want him to tag along burned inside of him. He really wanted to get closer to her, but Marinette never looked interested. Like he said earlier, she was always so eager to leave, so eager to enter the forest.

Theo turned around and entered the forest as well, no longer able to suppress his curiosity. He walked down the path, stopping when he heard distant laughter. He followed the voices, and hid behind a tree when he saw two figures from a distance. He moved from tree to tree until he was close enough, and peaked from behind it.

"Marinette…?" he whispered, eyes widening.

From where he stood, he was able to see Marinette sitting under a tree next to a boy who happened to look part-wolf. The boy was eating a red apple, and he must have said something funny because Marinette covered her mouth with her hand, laughing.

He watched the scene before him enviously, and turned around to head back to the village. He walked away, his head hung low, and his heart split in two.

"No wonder she never looked interested…" Theo muttered to himself. "She already has someone she likes. And he just so happens to be a wolf."

"Poor child," said an unfamiliar voice. "Heart broken, and filled with envy."

Theo jumped at the voice, and withdrew his axe. "Who's there?!" he asked, looking around.

"No need to panic. I'm not a threat," said the voice. A masked man appeared from behind a tree, clad in black and violet attire with the shape of a butterfly printed on his mask.

"Who are you?" Theo asked, lowering his weapon.

"A wizard of sorts, I guess you could say," he replied. "You may call me Hawkmoth."

"What do you want?" Theo asked, suspicion written in his eyes.

Hawkmoth laughed. "I think the real question is, what do you want?" he asked. "Isn't it a shame? The person you're in love with is in love with someone else."

Theo looked down, clutching his axe tightly. "I thought I had a chance…"

"I can give you that chance," Hawkmoth said.

Theo raised an eyebrow. "I'm listening."

Hawkmoth held out his hand, and a butterfly as white as snow appeared on the palm of his hand. "This little butterfly can make her love you. It can grant you powers stronger than you can imagine. And most of all…" Hawkmoth smirked. "It can eliminate that wolf."

"You mean…?" Theo trailed off. "Wait, why are you so willing to help me?"

"That wolf stole something from me too. I want the same thing you want: revenge," he said. "One thing, however—my powers are limited. You must complete this mission otherwise I will die. I've waited long for someone as driven as you, so do not let me down."

"What happens if I succeed?"

"Then I gain absolute power. And for helping me get that power, I promise to grant you anything you want," he answered. "Ladybug's love, perhaps?"

Theo, blinded by jealousy and hatred for the wolf who took Marinette from him, nodded. "I accept."

Hawkmoth grinned evilly.

"Perfect."

Hawkmoth covered the snow-white butterfly with his palm, and tainted it black as death. He sent it flying in Theo's direction, which then flew right into his axe. Theo's eyes widened when he saw his entire body get covered by some kind of black and violet cloud. Suddenly, his face shot up, and a glowing butterfly-shaped ring appeared around his eyes.

"Huntsman," Hawkmoth said, grinning evilly. "Destroy that wolf."

"Woah, how did you do that?!"

"Magic, my Lady. I guess you could say I'm quite the… mewsician."

"Oh, shut up."

Adrien laughed. "Okay, fine, I'll stop with the puns."

"Really?" Marinette asked, eyes hopeful.

"Mhm."

"Are you sure?"

"Pawsitive."

Marinette groaned, slapping her forehead, and Adrien only continued to laugh. She soon joined in with his laughter, stopping when she eyed her delivery basket.

"Oh, I should probably deliver these now," Marinette said, standing up and stretching. She picked up her goodie-filled basket and held out a hand for Adrien to take. "Come on, let's get going," she smiled.

Smiling himself, Adrien grabbed her hand, but just as he was about to lift himself up, his eyes widened at the sight of the shadow looming behind her. "Watch out!" Adrien cried, pulling her down, and turning himself around to shield her with his body so that he would take the blow instead.

The villain swung his weapon, and fortunately missed his back, but he surely didn't miss Adrien's left side. Adrien let out a scream of terror, eyeing the blood slowly dripping down his arm. Marinette's eyes widened at the sight of the culprit.

"Th-Theo?!" she yelled. "What are you doing?!"

"Oh, nothing," he replied, swinging his black axe over his shoulder. She smirked, "Just planning on eliminating a vicious wolf."

Theo swung again, but Adrien and Marinette rolled out of the way just in time. Despite his injury, Adrien still managed to carry Marinette and set her down behind a bush.

"Stay down," Adrien told her, ignoring the pain in his side.

"Adrien, what are you—?" Marinette began.

"I'm not letting you get hurt," he smiled before turning around and sending Theo a spinning back kick to the face. Marinette could only watch in horror as they fought.

Adrien was absolutely no match against Theo and his new powers. The wolf's attacks were blocked or dodged every single time, and he only ended up being thrown in every direction, hitting trees trunks and tree branches.

Adrien crumpled to the ground, hardly able to move due to all the trees he hit and his blood loss. Laughing maniacally, Theo approached the injured wolf and withdrew his axe.

"This is where you meet your end, wolf," he said, holding up his axe to deliver the finishing blow. Adrien closed his eyes, and only waited for a pain that never came. He opened his eyes to find Marinette standing above him with her arms out, and he let out a gasp when he saw the axe sticking out of her right arm.

Theo managed to shift the axe's trajectory at the very last moment, but he just wasn't fast enough to completely miss her. Marinette winced at the crimson blood that dripped to the ground, but she remained rooted in her spot.

"No," Marinette said, letting out a cry when Theo slowly removed the axe. "I won't let you kill him."

"M-Marinette…?" Theo gasped. "No, I didn't want this—I just— he said—"

Theo's head began to burn intensely all of a sudden, and he dropped his black axe. He fell to the ground, clutching the sides of his head, and let out a sickening scream. A black and violet cloud engulfed him, disappearing almost as quickly, and Theo fell to the ground weakly. A black butterfly flew out of his axe and slowly faded to white before flying away.

In another part of the forest, Hawkmoth clutched his heart and crumpled to the ground. "What is happening?!" he cried. He looked down at his hands, screaming in terror when he saw them slowly fade into white butterflies. "NO, IT CAN'T BE. H-HE COULDN'T HAVE FAILED ME—"

Hawkmoth let out one last scream before he completely turned into butterflies as white as snow, and they all flew off in different directions.

Theo shook his head, groaning when the burning finally disappeared. He looked up to see two injured people and a bloody axe within arm's reach from him.

"M-Marinette?" he stuttered, eyes wide when he saw the bloody gush on her arm and the blood on the wolf's side. He stood up and picked up his axe, arms trembling. "Did I… do all this…?"

Adrien and Marinette remained silent, and only nodded. Theo dropped his axe in terror, slowly backing away from them. "No, it can't be… I…" he began, covering his face with his hands in shame. "This isn't what I wanted… I'm so sorry…"

"Theo, it's okay," Marinette reassured. "We know you didn't mean to. We forgive you."

"No, Marinette, it's my entire fault. All because I wanted you to…" Theo trailed off, looking down. He had never felt so disgusted with himself, and he wondered if he could ever feel all right again. "You both got hurt because I was selfish and full of envy. I'm so sorry."

Without another word, Theo fled back to the village, ignoring Marinette's cries for him. When he disappeared behind the trees, she turned around and ran over to the injured and writhing wolf on the ground.

"Adrien, stop moving, you'll just make it worse," Marinette said worriedly, placing his head on her lap. She took off her red and black polka-dotted cape and threw it over him.

"It's not as bad as it looks, trust me," he laughed. He tried to lift up his wounded arm, but it only fell back down. "…I was wrong. That hurt a lot."

Marinette laughed. "You idiot."

He grinned, proud at himself for being able to make her laugh in such a bad situation, but his lips slowly curved downwards when his eyes landed on the bloody cut on her arm. "You got hurt too…"

Marinette turned to look at her wound, and then turned away from it to look back into his eyes. "I couldn't just stand by and watch him hurt you. I didn't want to lose you," she said.

"Why?" Adrien asked, wincing at the pain in his side.

Marinette stroked his hair, and smiled down at him. "Because I love you, Chat."

Adrien's eyes widened upon hearing those words, and he suddenly couldn't feel the pain all over his body anymore because all he could think of was the feeling of her lips on his.

She had kissed him.

For so long had he been labeled a monster, and then came Marinette, the only person who saw beyond his appearance and came to accept and love him for who he truly was. When the kiss ended, Adrien looked into her bluebell eyes, and placed a hand on her cheek.

He smiled. "I love you too, Ladybug."

Days later, Adrien and Marinette were sitting side by side under their usual tree in a comfortable silence, both leaning on each other's shoulders for support. They watched the clouds roll by in the blue sky above them, soaked in the bright sun's rays, and enjoyed the gentle breeze travelling around them.

No one would ever accept their relationship. Wolves were feared amongst the villagers, so there was no way that they would come to accept Adrien. But she chased away those thoughts because all that mattered right now was that Adrien was there with her, Adrien was still alive, and he loved her in return.

If this wasn't what you would call love, then neither of them saw the need for words.

Marinette would never get to experience dancing at a ball with the Prince while wearing a beautiful gown and glass slippers like Alya. She would never get to experience being woken up by true love's kiss like Rose or Juleka. She would never get to experience a magic carpet ride and see the world with her Prince like Alix. And she would never get to experience living in a gorgeous castle with all her friends (that were former talking furniture) and her Prince like Mylene.

But it didn't matter.

Marinette smiled as she interlocked her fingers with Adrien's.

Because in the end, they all had their "happily ever after".

A/N: The fairytale!au that no one asked for (why fairytale idk I just wanted to write a LadyNoir au and then I thought of fairytale and I was like oh why not LOL). I had so much fun writing this. ;w;

Loosely based off of the Vocaloid song The Wolf Who Fell In Love With Little Red Riding Hood because I love that song and LadyNoir and both universes had to meet in one way or another. LOL probably my third LadyNoir fanfic based off of a Vocaloid song whoops.

Thank you for reading!