#and adrien and marinette both think of ways they can sneak away from their wedding to transform

[wield-the-mighty-pen]

Can we all take a moment to appreciate that this scene, at most, takes place a couple of weeks after they officially got together, and already Adrinette have a wedding vision board?!?!

And like, sure, Marinette has been planning their future together since day one, but does anyone really think that Marinette would allow Gabriel to so much as view this, without first receiving Adrien's approval?!? She even went so far as to put this in the sketchbook she brings along with her, so really anyone could see it. The logical explanation is that Adrien has not only seen these designs but has put his seal of approval on them.

Also, just wanted to point out the little hamsters on the page

[sariahsue]

Footsteps

Marinette’s about to get married to her soulmate, a man she’s never met before. Too bad she meets that cute groomsman in the hallway first. Rated G. 4,000 words.

***

Marinette bunched the white lace of her train into her fists and walked faster, eyes searching the empty marble hallway. Just keep walking. She could get through today. One foot in front of the other.

All she needed was some fresh air. She thought a building as enormous as this one would have at least one window that she could open. Instead, sunlight streamed through vaulted arches taller than the bakery she'd lived in her whole life, mocking her.

Marinette poked her head around a corner into a side hallway, saw nothing but closed doors, expensive paintings (that couldn't be an actual van Gogh, right?), and a plush white rug, and walked past.

All she needed was a few quick breaths, a little bit of air to cool off her flushed face, and a few minutes away from her hovering family and bridesmaids so she could pull herself together. And then she would get right back.

How big was this building? Each hallway she looked down offered a new way to get lost, with smaller hallways coming off of the side hallways and as many doors as there had been guests and staff just an hour ago. She gripped her train harder. Staff that had disappeared to the banquet hall to set up for the reception. Guests that were nowhere in sight because they were being seated in the chapel right now.

A door snapped shut somewhere behind her, and she whirled around, her heart in her mouth at having been caught, but no one was there. Her eyes traced crystal vases on marble tables only put there to break up the vast space the building contained. Nothing moved. And nothing looked familiar.

Can I even find my way back now? 

It was a problem she would have to deal with later. She didn't have the capacity for one more thing to go wrong right now, so she marched forward to continue her quest.

Her heels click-clicked as she walked across the polished floor, and she could have sworn she heard the door closing once again.

The shoes were going to give her away. With shaking fingers, she reached down and unstrapped them. They swung from her hands as she kept going.

Just a few days ago, Marinette had been so excited to finally meet her soulmate and get married. Why had the feeling deserted her today?

She knew the answer. All week it had been building, but now that the day was here, the swirling anxiety that had been simmering below the surface of her joy just couldn't be ignored any longer.

Most people gave themselves a few weeks or at least a few days after meeting their soulmate to get married, but her husband-to-be, Adrien, had insisted on being "traditional." No seeing each other until the wedding. She hadn't even talked to him on the phone yet. They would fall in love at first sight, as she walked down the aisle. If she'd met him before, maybe right now she wouldn't be so-

Marinette bumped into a glass-topped side table, sending the empty crystal vase on top tilting dangerously. Dropping her train, she managed to grab it before anything smashed. She stood there, frozen, listening, waiting to see if anyone would scold her, but no one was around. With a whispered "Sorry!" at the vase, she put it back in its place and kept searching through the maze of hallways.

It must have cost a fortune to rent this humongous mansion for the day. A new worry stuck in her throat. I'm not going to be able to fit in with my husband's family, am I?  Adrien would love her completely. That's just how it worked. But what if her in-laws hated her because her parents weren't rich too?

Her panic spiral was halted by the sight of a familiar blue rug pattern in one of the side hallways. Marinette made her way over, window quest forgotten, and she tripped over her dress the whole way there.

The long, white walls were filled with paintings of fruit and flowers, like the ones she used to make in art class (but with lighting skills so good it made her want to cry), and no… she hadn't been down this way before. Even as upset as she was, the artist in her would have remembered.

Marinette took a few seconds too long to glare at an apple, and by the time she heard the whispering, it was far too late for her to hide.

"Sneaking," a male voice whispered.

Marinette turned toward the voice. Had someone seen her? Did someone know she was roaming the building alone? She saw no one. And she saw nowhere she could quickly hide.

A few feet in front of her, the hallway turned a corner and continued out of sight. Some of the hallways had been like that, leading to more corridors and rooms that she hadn't bothered to explore. The footsteps came closer.

"Sneaking around the corner."

If she held very still, maybe he wouldn't notice? She walked backwards and pressed into the white wall, the fabric of her dress rustling loudly with every step, every breath she took.

His shoes squeaked as a hunched figure came into view.

"I'm not sneaking!" Marinette blurted out as soon as she saw him.

He jerked up straight.

She noticed three things instantly. He was blond. He was holding his hands around his eyes, like binoculars or a mask, and he was in the nicest tuxedo she had ever seen.

The man was also quite a bit taller than her, but he still jumped back in alarm when he saw her, and finally lowered his hands. Brilliant green eyes went from shocked to soft and warm and inviting.

"S-sorry," he finally said. "I was the one sneaking around. No worries."

"Oh," Marinette said, heart beating in her throat. "Right. I wasn't sneaking."

He smiled, and Marinette was glad she was already leaning against a wall. He had to be the single most beautiful human being she'd ever met her in life.

"Um, nice to meet you?" he said. When he held out a hand to shake, she quickly took it. His hand was soft and gentle and warm. No ring on either hand that she could see. Gorgeous and single!

Guilt swept through her, making her drop his hand. Here she was, getting married in literally a few minutes and ogling someone else. But he was still smiling at her. No, she had to stop thinking like a single woman. But he was so pretty.

"Of course. So, uh," He looked down at her dress. "You must be the bride, huh? Marinette? Nice to meet you."

Sweat prickled on the back of her neck. Judging by his outfit, she'd just been caught by a member of the groom's wedding party, a groomsman or a family member. Would he tell her future husband that she was out here getting cold feet? Not that it wasn't true, but she didn't want her soulmate to know about it.

"And you are?" she asked, hoping to divert attention away from herself. "One of the wedding party, right?"

"Yeah," he whispered and reached for her hand again. "I am. I was out here looking for you. I'm A-"

She shrank back. No matter how much she wanted to, she shouldn't be thinking about him this way. She was getting married to someone else.

The man dropped his hand quickly, eyes roaming her face, like he was looking for what he had done wrong. When he couldn't find anything, he ran his fingers through his hair and stammered out an apology. Marinette watched each lock fall back into place, the light catching each strand and making him glow.

"I'm-" he tried again, a blush rising in his cheeks. "Ni- W-winston."

"Winston?" Marinette couldn't help but laugh a little. That was the least French-sounding name she'd ever heard.

"Winston the groomsman," he said, not looking at her. "Yes, old family name. My father's name, and his father's name, and I think I have an old uncle. Because we're British way back there somewhere on my mother's side-"

"Nice to meet you, 'Winston.'" It was apparent he was nervous, and she didn't want him to feel uncomfortable, so she changed the subject. "What are you doing out here? You were looking for me?"

"Um." He looked around the hallway for inspiration, and Marinette immediately regretted her question as she watched his discomfort grow.

"I- He- The groom wanted to meet you before the wedding," Winston confessed.

"He did?"

"Yeah, he wanted to break tradition and see you, but Fa- his father is stifling stick in the mud."

"Yeah?" The knowledge was somehow both comforting and unsettling. She and her future husband had both wanted to meet first, but her father-in-law… she wasn't going to fit in.

"Yeah," he breathed. "He can't wait to meet you. But he couldn't get away, so I thought I'd come out here. And, wow, he's going to love you. You're amazing."

Marinette flushed at the compliment. "Isn't that how it's supposed to work? Love and first sight and everything?"

"Sure," Winston said, "but you know what I mean."

In the distance, an organ started playing softly, but Marinette barely heard it. This man would go through all that trouble for a friend of his? He was so kind, and she was going gooey under his intense gaze.

"What are you doing out here?" he asked quietly.

Just like that, the glow was gone. Would he believe the truth, that she was just hoping for some fresh air? He might be sympathetic. But he might not be. Who would feel sorry for a bride on her wedding day?

"I was… looking for the bathroom and got super lost." She adjusted her skirt with one hand to give herself something to do and then laughed nervously. "This place is such a maze."

Winston didn't answer right away. He studied the train of her dress, mouth a thin line of disappointment. Her shoes dangled from her loose fingers as she waited, and she adjusted her grip.

"You don't have to get married today, you know," he said. "You can call it off."

Marinette squirmed at how perceptive he was - or maybe she was just obvious - and pushed her hair out of her eyes. When it fell back into place, Winston reached out to tuck it behind her ear but stopped himself. His hand hung there awkwardly between them until he let it slowly fall.

"It's okay to be nervous," he said. "I know lots of people who didn't go through with their weddings. Loads."

Marinette smiled at the lie, grateful he was trying in spite of everything, though she was still a little worried he was going to tell Adrien about this conversation, or that word would somehow get to her future in-laws. She wasn't sure which would have been worse, giving her in-laws ammunition or disappointing Adrien.

"No, I really did get lost," she said. "I didn't mean to get all the way over here." And to make it sound convincing, she added, "Do you know the way back?"

"I can walk you." Adrien stood up straight, his smile returning.

"Oh, you don't have to," Marinette said quickly. There might still be a chance for her to find a window and that breath of fresh air she'd been hoping for.

"I insist." Winston held out an arm for her, and like the idiot she was, she eagerly took it. His free hand settled over hers, and they began to walk.

Her heels swung from her other hand, and without their added inches, the difference in their height was ludicrous. But Winston didn't comment on it, just matched her pace without making her feel rushed.

Together, they left the small hallway and stepped back into the still deserted main hallway. Sunlight poured through the windows, reflecting off the gleaming floors and sparkling crystal chandeliers high above. Winston's hand on hers was comforting, and he was so sweet to help her, but now there was no chance for her to get away.

Feebly, she said, "I think I recognize this part now. You can get back."

"Oh, they won't miss me," Winston said. "I'll make sure you get back safe. Is there anything else you need?"

Marinette sighed. As kind as he was handsome, and she hoped he never removed his hand from hers. Why did he have to be so nice and gentle?

After several more turns, she really did start to recognize things. How had she wandered so far? Her family must have been worried by now.

Marinette didn't bother to escape from him again, and Winston didn't let go of her, even when they stopped in front of the bride's room with its white and blank, gleaming, bronze plaque.

"I can't wait to see you coming down the aisle in a few minutes," Winston said. He lowered his arm, and her hand slipped away from his sleeve. She felt the loss of his touch immediately. "I mean, if you still want to," he added quickly.

"I'll be fine," she squeaked. "Thanks."

"Okay," he said, waving goodbye without moving away. "Great. See you."

Yup. He was definitely the most adorable, sweet, and beautiful man she'd ever met. "Why couldn't I be marrying this guy?"

Winston took a step back. "What?"

Huh? She'd said that out loud? She'd said that out loud! 

Fumbling for the handle behind her, Marinette said a hasty goodbye and launched herself through the door and slammed it shut without looking at his expression. What was she supposed to do now?

"Girl, where have you been?"

In seconds, Alya, Sabine, and Tom were gathered around her. Marinette leaned her back against the cool door, wondering if Winston was still staring at the spot where she'd been standing.

"Are you all right?" her father asked.

"Just needed some fresh air," Marinette said, staring at their shoes. "Then I got lost. Have you seen this place?"

"Marinette," Sabine said, lifting her daughter's chin with one soft hand. "You can tell us the truth."

The tension in Marinette's body all came out in a rush. Her shoulders slumped, and she slid down the door two inches.

Tom brought over a chair, and Marinette tried to sit down, only to find that her dress was caught in the door. What else could go wrong today? Without peeking into the hallway, she opened the door and removed her train - to her relief, it didn't look like she'd ripped it - and then collapsed into the chair.

"It's okay to be nervous," Sabine said.

Marinette nodded, though that wasn't the entire problem anymore. She was supposed to be marrying a friend of "Winston's" in a few minutes, maybe his best friend or even his brother. He would be standing there, witnessing her marriage, knowing what she'd just said. How was she supposed to show her face out there now?

Her parents and Alya doted on her, trying to put her fears at ease, but it was only making everything worse. She couldn't ignore her anxiety while everyone was talking about it. They flitted around the small room, fetching her water, guiding her to sit down in front of the triple mirror vanity, offering to brush her hair out. "That always calmed you down when you were little," Sabine said.

Marinette nodded.

"If it makes you feel better," Tom said, "I'm sure he's just as nervous as you are. I was nervous, too."

"Everyone expects you to be a little anxious." Sabine picked up the bristle brush while Marinette avoided looking at herself in the mirror. "You're marrying someone without ever having met him. That's terrifying. But you're going to be okay."

Marinette nodded again, dumbly. They waited for her to say something, respond with her usual cheerful attitude, and when she didn't, Alya jumped in.

"Sabine, didn't you get married and move to France at the same time?"

All four of them knew the story. Marinette had grown up hearing it, had loved hearing her parents' own love story.

"I found out my soulmate's name two days after my twenty second birthday," she said. Marinette could almost mouth the words along with her mother, they were so familiar. "I couldn't believe he was so far away. I started teaching myself French almost immediately, but the first time we got on the phone to speak to each other, all I could say was hello!"

A tug on Marinette's scalp told her that Sabine had found a small knot. She set the brush down and started to pick at it with her fingers.

"I moved away from home to a strange country, and was learning a new language, and was nervous about meeting my soulmate, but as soon as I saw him, it didn't matter," Sabine said. "You're going to be fine. As soon as you see him, you'll love him, and everything will be okay."

"I know all that," Marinette said. "But I'm scared now!" Not to mention distracted by "Winston," and the crushing guilt that reminded her she shouldn't be.

"Well," her father cut in. "What do you want to do about it, Marinette? Do you feel like we should wait a little bit?"

"Yeah," Alya added. "We can tell them there's something wrong with your dress or whatever if you need a few more minutes."

"I'm sure Adrien would understand," Sabine said. "He seemed very kind when we talked to him."

A few more minutes sounded wonderful, a chance to collect herself, do delay the inevitable. Or a chance for her anxiety to get worse. She took a deep breath. "No, let's just get this over with."

"Very convincing." Alya picked her clutch up off the vanity and started fishing around inside it. "You sound so pumped. Let me just text Adrien." Alya pulled out her phone.

"No," Marinette said, covering the phone with one hand. Her fake nails clicked on the screen.

"Waiting's not going to make it easier. I don't need any more time to worry. It's like you said, when I see him, everything will be fine. So let's just so see him. I want to see him."

"All right." Alya dropped her phone onto the table and grabbed the eye shadow. "Come here, then."

Marinette sat as still as she could while Sabine finished her hair and Alya did her makeup and Tom hovered around, asking what he should do to make her feel more comfortable. When they didn't give him any ideas, he started telling funny stories from Marinette's baby days.

Marinette only half listened, making sure to smile when someone else laughed. Maybe Winston had asked "What?" because he hadn't heard what she'd said. She had said it quietly, after all. That was logical.

Eventually, Tom had to leave the room to check on how things were progressing. Marinette missed his voice and his stories. The silence was too easy for her anxious mind to fill.

If she could just make it a few more minutes, if she could just make it to the altar, then she'd fall in love with her soulmate at first sight and everything would be great. No more worrying. No more wondering.

The final piece of her outfit, her veil, was laid out neatly on the flower-print sofa, waiting for her. When Alya declared her face perfect and Sabine could find no hair out of place, Marinette strapped her heels back on and stood, knees shaking, and retrieved her veil. She seemed like another woman in the mirror as she watched herself put it on.

Marinette did want to meet Adrien. She did. A few days ago, she'd felt excited. Just his name was enough to put a smile on her face. Her parents had met him, and she'd devoured every detail of him they could give her. Elation had bubbled through her chest as she had designed her wedding dress. It had taken weeks to finish simply because she was having so much fun designing it that she hadn't wanted to stop. If she could remember what it had felt like then, maybe she could recreate the feelings now.

The door creaked as it opened, and Tom walked back in. "It's time," he said, extending his arm for her.

Marinette plastered a smile onto her trembling lips and leaned on his arm to compensate for the weakness in her knees. No one else needed to know about her struggle, least of all Adrien.

The walk down the hallway to the chapel didn't take as long as Marinette thought that it should have. The organ music was too loud, but still not loud enough to drown out the breathing and whispers of a room full of hundreds of people, everyone who was ever important to her, and more that she would get to know well in her lifetime as Adrien's wife.

The processional song began to play, and Marinette walked in, staring at the pink petals on the carpet in front of her. Pews creaked and fabric rustled as everyone stood for her. And she kept her face down.

Don't make eye contact with the groomsmen. You're getting married to Adrien, so don't look for adorable "Winston."

Marinette forced her face up, searching out the people she knew. For her bridesmaids and Alya, her mother in the front row. Her school friends throughout the year, aunts and uncles who had flown from all over the world. A few held tissues, some waved at her. They were all smiling.

Everyone was smiling except for her.

She should be looking at her new husband - her soulmate - for the first time. He was probably looking at her. Had he already fallen for her? Was he wondering why she wasn't looking at him?

That curiosity was nothing compared to how much she wanted to look for the man she'd met in the hallway. There was something seriously wrong about that. It went beyond the guilt that she felt. It was a strangeness in the situation that she didn't have time to think about.

The line of petals thinned and disappeared halfway to the altar, and the organ music swelled.

The temptation was too great. Marinette raised her eyes, looking at the groomsmen first, looking for the friend that shouldn't have liked as much as she did. Because she was marrying someone else, she reminded herself as she quickly scanned their faces. And because she had only known him for about two minutes. What was wrong with her?

Her gaze skimmed them all twice, three times, but Winston wasn't there. Her footsteps stuttered to a halt before taking a big step to match her father's long stride. The hand holding her bouquet started to sweat.

Could he not bear to watch her marrying someone else? No, that was ridiculous. He didn't feel the same way. He wasn't feeling torn like she was.

He had definitely been part of the wedding party. He'd said so. So who was he?

The carpet ended, and Marinette heels clicked on marble as realization clicked into place. He was part of the wedding party, but not one of the groomsmen, so that must have meant…

For the first time that day, her heart pounded from something other than anxiety.

Marinette held her head high and looked for him. And she found him. "Winston." It had been a ridiculous name anyway. Adrien suited him much better.

Adrien smiled broadly at her. That wonderful smile she first saw out in the hallway was now a hundred times brighter, focused solely on her. He had snuck out to see her, had so gently guided her back when she was lost, had made sure she was comfortable, and offered to call off the wedding.

No wonder she had liked him so much. Love at first sight, just like everyone said.

He reached out a hand for her as she took the last few steps to the altar. Marinette slid her fingers into his, and they fit perfectly.

"Hi, Winston," Marinette whispered as she nestled herself into his side. "Could the groom not get away again? Are you getting married for him too?"

"I said the groom was going to love you," he said. "And I was right."

The last notes of the organ faded away, and a hush settled over their friends and family. This was it. They stepped together up to the altar. The first step of their lives together.

***

Author's note: Merry Christmas! You're getting something completely un-Christmasy. Huge thank you to @ours-polaires, @khanofallorcs, @vivalasaturn, and @noirshitsuji for reading over my outline of this and making sure everything made sense!

[mochegato]

Covert Matchmaking

Covert Dating     Covert Romance     Covert Wedding     Covert Marriage     Covert Pregnancy

Honestly?  This was really just an excuse to write Dad Jason scenes.

 Marinette was giggling on the phone when he walked in the room.  That was not a good sign.  Jason’s danger senses started tingling.  She looked over to him when she heard them come in the room and quickly got off the phone. “Hey,” she smiled innocently at him.

Jason bounced their baby in his arms, making cooing noises and funny faces at her, which she completely ignored as she continued crying.  “Her Majesty is awake and very hungry.” He gently handed Catherine to Marinette.  “Who was on the phone?”

“Dick.”  She pulled up her shirt and started nursing Catherine, who immediately stopped crying and latched on.

“Okay, could be worse.” He plopped down next to them, tossing his arm around Marinette’s shoulders and stroking Catherine’s head as she nursed.  “Did you hear that Catherine?  Mommy is conspiring again, creating problems we’re going to get dragged into fixing.”

“What are you teaching our daughter?” She exclaimed in mock insult.  “I’m working with Dick, not Tim.  That makes it scheming not conspiring.”

“Oh, my mistake.  Of course.  What are you and Dick scheming about?”

“Matchmaking,” she grinned, a dangerous glint shining in her eyes.  Jason shuddered.  She and Dick were relentless when they were trying to ‘help’ the family.

“Nope.  Never mind. We don’t want to know.  Catherine and I are going to discuss the sub textual imagery in A Midsummer Night’s Dream as soon as she is done eating.”

She stuck her tongue out at him.  “We don’t need you anyway.  Dick and I have this handled.”  

Jason gave a heavy sigh.  “Okay, just be careful.  They’re almost there already.  They don’t need much of a push.”

Marinette gasped, indignant at the suggestion, “What do you take me for? Alya?  I can be subtle!”

“Maybe” he gave her a dubious look while he pretended to scrutinize her, “but can Dick?”

She rolled her eyes at him, “When he needs to be.” Jason scoffed at that.  Dick was about as subtle as a taser shock.  “And they don’t seem to suspect anything yet.”

“What do you mean ‘yet’?” He narrowed his eyes at her. “What did you do?”

“I didn’t do anything, which was rather the point.  Dick was just calling to let me know Adrien and Duke left to work on a mission together.”  She grinned even wider.  “Shame nobody else was available to help out.  Adrien was the only one that was free during the day today to help Duke.  Awfully coincidental the drug ring needed to be investigated during the day so Signal would be on call and the investigation had to happen on a day Tim and Bruce were working on a merger, Steph and Cass are still away on their girl’s weekend, and Dick is on call for work.”  She shrugged innocently.

Jason groaned at her.  “Here look,” she turned her phone to show him a picture.  The picture showed Adrien looking softly at Duke as he was facing the batcomputer, his arms out as if he was in the middle of explaining something.  She swiped the picture to the next which showed Duke with a blush and a smile looking at Adrien who was laughing.  “Dick sent them.”

Jason started to say something but just shook his head instead when Catherine started gurgling.  Marinette handed her to him along with a burp cloth.  He tossed the cloth over his shoulder and started patting Catherine gently against it.  “Come here Tinkerbell.  That’s right, Dada has you.  Dada. Da Da.  Say Dada.  I know she’s the one that feeds you but I burp you so… just as important.”

“You’re not funny.” She pretended to glare at him. But Catherine chose that moment to make a gurgling noise that sounded like a laugh.  Jason gave her a smug smile.  Marinette gasped, “Catherine Sabine Todd!  Do not encourage him.”

As soon as Catherine had burped, he started bouncing her, taking her over to the window to show her the city.  Catherine was gurgling at him, her arms waving in jerky motions. “And that there is a pigeon.” He said softly, pointing out the window, “People say those flying rats are harmless but those people have never swung into one at a high velocity.  Don’t listen to those people.  They’re fucking morons.  Pigeons hurt.”

“Jason!”

“Sorry, sorry.” He laughed.  “Those people are fucking assholes”

“Jason!” Marinette giggled at him and watched him fondly.  She studied him as he stood in front of the window, face covered in stubble from not having shaved in a few days and his hair a mess.  He was shirtless and his sweatpants sat low on his hips, holding their baby so gently and lovingly.  “You better be careful.  You keep looking that sexy and acting that masculine, you’re going to make me want to start trying for our next kid.”

Jason smiled at her, “Let’s get to the point that I’m no longer sharing your boobs, then we can start trying.”  He carried Catherine over to Marinette, “See those?”  He pointed to Marinette’s breasts, “Those are mine.  I’m just letting you borrow them.”

“Oh my God!” Marinette laughed, pulling her cardigan closer around her.

“I just want to establish ownership.  I’m loaning them out.  I get them back in a few months.”

“You’re an idiot.”

He gasped dramatically and looked down at the almost sleeping baby, “You hear the way she talks to me, Catherine?  Such abuse.”

He walked back to the window looked out the window again for a few moments, silently patting Catherine as he rocked her, then quietly said, “I was thinking that maybe we might want to adopt a kid or two… maybe from Crime Alley… or something.  I don’t know.” He tried to keep his voice light and easy, like the thought had just come to him, like he hadn’t been thinking about this since he was a teenager.

Marinette walked up and hugged him tightly from the side and leaned her head on his shoulder, watching their daughter in his arms. He held her like he was trying to shield her, protect her from the city.  He leaned over a fraction of an inch to show he appreciated her presence. She gave him a kiss on the cheek and brushed her finger gently along Catherine’s cheek.  “I think that is a brilliant idea.  I’d like that too.”  She looked out over the city along with him for a few more moments.  “I still want to practice for more kids though.”

He shot Marinette a devilish grin and leaned down to kiss her. “What do you think the odds of her staying asleep if I put her down?” He whispered against her lips.

<><><><><> 

Jason was laying on the floor in front of Catherine while she worked through Tummy Time, cooing encouraging words to her and rubbing her back every so often to let her know he was there with her, when there was a knock at the door.  Marinette turned off the video Jason hadn’t seen her taking and jumped up to answer the door.  She quirked her head to the side in well-acted confusion, “Hey, I thought it was just Duke coming over.”

“Thought I’d give him a ride,” Adrien shrugged, walking past her to say hi to Catherine.

Marinette smiled at Duke and gave him a hug as he came in.  “From the manor?”

“No,” Duke responded with a smile.  “From your office.  Apparently Dick assumed you would be in the office today and Alfred had already left to run errands, so Adrien offered to bring me over.”

“Awfully thoughtful of you,” Jason said quietly to Adrien with a wink.  Jason stood up and picked Catherine up, handing her over to Adrien.  “Actually, this is perfect.  I was just walking out to go to work so you can entertain Catherine while she’s working with Duke.”

Jason gave Catherine a last kiss on the forehead and turned to give Marinette a quick peck on the lips and a slap on the ass before leaving.  Marinette turned bright red.  “Sorry,” she said quickly to Adrien and Duke. She took a deep breath and turned to Duke, “Come on, let’s get your measurements and we can start talking about style for your suit.”  She thought for a few moments. “Actually, Adrien can you take his measurements while I feed Catherine?  That way Duke won’t have to just hang around while I’m nursing.”

Adrien looked up at her with wide eyes and glanced quickly over to Duke, a blush already spread across his face imagining all the contact he would have with Duke while taking his measurements. “Uh.  Are you sure?  You usually like to do that yourself.”

“Only if it is okay with you both. She could probably wait a few minutes.  I just thought it would save time.”  She shrugged.

Duke and Adrien looked awkwardly at each other for a few moments before Duke spoke up, “I’m fine with whichever.  You are both really good at your jobs so whoever makes more sense to do it, is fine.”

“I… I can do it then.” Adrien answered with a quiet smile.

Marinette smiled at them and took Catherine into her bedroom to nurse.  When she returned with a freshly fed and burped baby, Duke and Adrien were standing rather close to each other, unnecessarily touching each other’s arm from time to time.  Marinette smiled to herself and took a quick picture to send to Dick along with a thumbs up.

She worked with Duke for another hour or so discussing suit styles and colors, sketching a few rough ideas for him to choose between. Adrien spent the entire consultation entertaining Catherine until she fell asleep in his arms.  Marinette caught Duke sneaking glances at Adrien holding Catherine, a soft smile on his face, whenever she stopped to sketch an idea or write a note.  When they were done, Alfred knocked at the door to take him home.  But while Duke was thanking Marinette and saying goodbye to Adrien, Alfred had made his way to the couch holding Catherine and bouncing her in his arms, speaking quietly to her.

The three watched them with a smile.  Marinette leaned over to Adrien and Duke and whispered conspiratorially, “I don’t think Alfred would object if you decided to go out for lunch.  And if you happened to take a while during lunch, so he has an excuse to spend more time with Catherine, I don’t think he would be upset.  He was saying the other day he doesn’t feel like he gets to see her as much as he would like.”

Duke and Adrien looked at each other with smiles. “Yeah, I think we could do that. What are you in the mood for?” Duke asked.

“Let’s walk around and see what looks good.” Adrien responded with a beaming smile.

Marinette closed the door after they left.  “Did it work?” Alfred asked without looking up.

Marinette smiled back.  “Like a dream.  Thanks Alfred.”

“No problem, Miss Marinette.  I’ve got money riding on this too.” He smiled back.

<><><><><> 

A few nights later, Duke showed up at their door again.  Marinette answered the door with Catherine in her arms and another well-acted look of confusion, “Hey, Duke.  What are you doing here?”

Duke looked at her unsure, “Alfred said he couldn’t make it?  He asked if I would come and babysit for you instead.  He said you said it was okay?”

“That was me he talked to.” Jason said walking in the room. He was dressed nicer than Duke had seen him dress in a month or two.  His face was actually shaved and his hair combed.  “Sorry I forgot to pass on the message.”

Marinette looked back at Duke with a smile, “Actually this is perfect.  I asked Adrien to watch her since Alfred couldn’t do it but Adrien is still a bit nervous around Catherine.” She leaned in like she was revealing a secret, “He thinks he’s going to drop her if nobody else is around.  Having you here will help him feel better.  If you are okay with it?”

Duke rubbed the back of his neck as a slight blush dusted his cheeks, “Yeah, I mean… sure, yeah.  I can do that.  I’m happy to help.”

“Great!  I’ll let Dick know he doesn’t have to swing by during patrol after all.  Actually, can you take her now so I can get finished dressing?”

Duke shot her a big smile, “If you insist.” He took Catherine and cooed quietly at her.  “Hey darling, how are you doing today?”  Catherine gurgled back at him and stared in anticipation, waiting for him to make more noises at her.

A knock sounded at the door.  Jason answered it and let Adrien in.  Adrien walked in with a smile.  His smile faltered when he saw Duke.  “Hey.  Sorry, was I not supposed to watch her tonight?”

Jason sighed, “Marinette asked you and Alfred asked him and I slept through Alfred telling me.  Sorry, Catherine was up a lot last night and remembering things is hard. Honestly, I’m considering just going to the manor for a night to get sleep at this point, but breastfeeding makes things difficult for Pixie to get sleep even if Catherine wasn’t with us, so it wouldn’t help her.  So you two are co-babysitting, if you don’t mind.”

Adrien grinned widely.  “I’m fine with that.  We’ll have fun.”  He walked over to Duke and Catherine and leaned over to look at Catherine’s face, standing closer than necessary to gush over his niece.  “Hey Kitty Cat.  You ready to have some fun with your uncles?  Once we get rid of the boring stiffs.”

Jason looked affronted.  He turned to Marinette, “boring?”

“It’s okay.  He’s just trying to act cool.  We all know you’re cooler.”  She cooed at him with more than a touch of patronization.

“Excuse me.  Of the two of us,” Adrien motioned between himself and Jason, “which one has ridden a dragon?”  Jason rolled his eyes.  “That’s what I thought.”  He looked over to Catherine and Duke and pointed to himself with a knowing grin, “Cooler.”

Duke smiled back at him with a blush.  “Sounds pretty convincing to me.”

Adrien slung his arm around Duke’s shoulders and smiled smugly at Jason.

Jason glared at the two of them, “Which one of us has actually come back from the dead?”

“Oh, Sweetie, that’s not a contest you’re going to win against him.” Marinette clapped him on his back.  She grabbed her purse and slung it over her shoulder.  “Come on, let’s go on our totally not boring date so we can get home in time to have an exciting night of sleeping before you get up early to check and see if there are any new books in the library, you wild man, you.”  Marinette grinned at him.

“You,” Jason shook his finger in her face and glared at her playfully, “are declaring war.”  

She giggled and opened the door for him.  “Have fun you guys.  Oh, and there is some wine in the refrigerator if you want some.” She called out as she closed the door behind them.  

Duke and Adrien looked at each other and smiled awkwardly.  “Want to order pizza?” Adrien asked.

A few hours later, after a totally not boring date, Marinette and Jason quietly unlocked the door and slipped in unnoticed.  They looked around to see where Catherine was and found her happily gurgling at the mobile above the pack ‘n play in the living room while Adrien and Duke snuggled up together asleep on the couch.  Some movie was playing quietly on the television. “Night seems to have gone well,” Jason observed quietly, nodding to them.  

Jason gently kicked Duke and Adrien to wake them up and looked over to the pack ‘n play when Marinette started giggling at it.  “What did they do?” He asked warily.  He walked over to see his daughter in a Signal themed footie outfit and a black beanie with cat ears.

“Kitty Cat looks pretty good, don’t you think?” Duke asked behind him with a smirk.

Jason shook his head and groaned, “I can’t believe we handed that nickname to him.  And now Duke is doing it, too.”  

Marinette smiled and kissed his cheek. “He was going to find a way to make a pun of her name no matter what.”  Jason sighed, picked up Catherine, and started to change her diaper, making cooing noises at her while he did.

“I have to head out.  I’ll see you guys later.” Duke nodded to Jason and kissed Marinette on the cheek who then thanked him for helping.  He turned to Adrien and gave him a hug and whispered something to him that made Adrien blush before he headed out the door.

“So, how did it go?” Marinette asked lightly, taking layers off to prepare to nurse Catherine.

“It went fine.  She was an angel.”  Adrien answered with a lovesick smile.

“And between you two?  You looked awfully cozy when we got home.”  She shot him a knowing smile.

“It went pretty well.”  He rubbed the back of his neck.  “I’m hoping it will go even better tomorrow.”

“Tomorrow?” she asked with a quirked brow and an excited smile.

“On our date.” He said shyly.

She squealed quietly as she hugged him.  “That’s so awesome.  Good luck! Let me know if you need anything. And thanks again for tonight.”

“I will.  And thank you.  Night. And especially to you, Kitty Cat.” He gave Marinette a kiss on the cheek and hugged Jason before leaving.

Jason locked the door behind him.  “Proud of yourself?”

“Yep.  Proud and really excited.  I hope they find as much happiness as we have.” She looked adoringly into his eyes. “They deserve it.”

“Nobody deserves to be this happy… except maybe you and Catherine.” He leaned against the back of the couch and pulled Marinette close.  

“You do,” Marinette said quietly stroking his face gently before she snuggled into his chest, holding Catherine between them. “You deserve to be happier.”

He wrapped them in a warm, protective embrace, planted a kiss on the crown of her head, and sighed contentedly.  “That isn’t possible.”  

 @redboy-1515

[jasmehraj]

Wedding au

A timinette.

This was a request from Huntressofartemis10. I hope you like it. I am thinking of making a part 2 of this story.

________________________________________________________________________________

Marinette was very excited. Today was the day, she will be finally wed. The day her dreams come true. The day when she will be Mrs. Agreste and she will have three kids and hamsters and and and....

"Girl I can hear you overthinking." Alya her best friend. I was so afraid I am going to lose my friends but she didn't. Adrien managed to convince Lila to talk with me and I admitted my defeat. She got everyone back. All her friends were back. Tikki wasn't very happy with it.

Me and Adrien grew close. He confessed his love for me on our 10th date. Kagami left the country but they were still friends. She was even coming to their wedding. When I told her about the wedding yesterday her eyes went wide, maybe Adrien forgot to tell her? and she hesitantly tried to tell me something... She said that she is going to be here tomorrow and then she hung up.

Lila, well Lila didn't even try to ruin it!! She was just smiling and said,"Congratulations."

I am also going to reveal my identity as MDC. Hawkmoth is still a threat so, the wedding is going to be in New York but I am not afraid because I have my friends to back me up.

Chloe talks to me every once a week. We are friends, she shows me the side she never showed anyone else. She always gets quiet when I bring up Adrien. She also tried to tell me something but I hung up because Adrien was calling me.

Now sitting in a flight to New York, her phone tinged, it was a message from Tim. She met him this month. He was a coffee addict just like her and sleep deprived. She loves hanging out with him. They both solve puzzles, mind-games, riddles and share coffee recipes. She doesn't know what relation she has with him but only thing she knows is that he understands her like no one else does. When she told him about the wedding he looked so lost. He excused himself quickly.

Luka just smiled a sad smile and congratulated her.

She was now sitting on a plane going to New York. She wanted to make her Wedding dress but Gabriel told her that she is going to be the face of Gabriel's brand after him and Adrien. So, she HAS to wear a Gabriel original. It was not what she wanted but she couldn't question. Adrien just gave her a small apologetic smile. She understood and obeyed that is what she is supposed to do. She looked at her phone. There were multiple messages from Tim and others but she didn't get time to read them because the voice of Pilot rang through the speakers.

The plane landed and she went to her room and started getting ready. It was time for her wedding. She sat in the limo and they made their way towards the hotel. There were many people there. Her father looked very sad. I took his arm and he led me inside. When I entered, Adrien wasn't there. Where is he? She looked everywhere. She can't see her friends either. Where are they? Many cameras were there. She was just standing there confusion clear on her face. Where are they?

Tim came in looking like he just came running from somewhere,"Marinette, don't hmphhh-" He was cut off when three guards came and held him one covering his mouth.

"Stop that I invited him."She dropped the bouquet. She was going to him but was stopped by a hand. He turned to look at Natalie,"Mr. Agreste has forbidden him to come here."

"He's my friend. Release him this instant."

"No, Marinette. Take him away." Tim was so done he just knocked them out. They were just three men he had taken care of bigger villains,"Marinette. Don't Marry Him."

"Why Tim?"

"Because-"

He was again cut off this time by Adrien,"Princess come here let's start the ceremony."

"No Marinette he is cheating on you." Everyone's head whipped towards Adrien.

"Marinette, princess I am not cheating on you. Why would I even do that? I love you."

The door flew open three figures came flying all in a purple attire.

"Kagami, Luka, Chloe."Marinette was panicking today was supposed to be perfect. What is the meaning of this?

"We are the truth. We take care everyone who lied and tried to hurt our friend."They went towards Adrien and surrounded him. Adrien suddenly started blurting out,"I don't love you. I just used you as a distraction when Kagami left me. You were never supposed to be successful. I wanted to ruin you. You will marry me ignoring everything because you are so deep in the fantasy world that you couldn't see me sneaking out at night, cheating on you everyday, you even ignored the fact that I call you princess which Chat Noir called you. I am Chat Noir. After we get wed, father will make you sign a contract that will make the brand MDC, every single penny his, mine. You will never get out of the house. You will be our prisoner. You will be a puppet who will be controlled and I will finally have my revenge when I'll see you cry." He gasped for air and then continued. "Kagami broke up with me because you pointed out Lila was a liar and that I knew she was, that I told you to take the high road. She broke up with me. Chloe stopped talking to me and that Luka, I wanted to get rid of him but he became famous, it became hard, sometimes I just wanted to cataclysm him. I never told them that I was dating you and I stopped you from mentioning that either. When you told them about the wedding they came flying to save you because they knew what I do every night.They told this scum-TIM too. I kicked them out but this scum somehow beated the security and came in here."

Marinette didn't know when she started walking, when she reached him. But when she did, she slapped him hard and took off his ring,"What-" He was cut off by another slap and another and another until he was unconscious. Then she ran away. The akuma following her. Tim ran to catch up to her and carried her bridal style. "Tim I-" Tim cut her off by putting a finger on her lips.

They somehow lost the akuma. He put her down. She couldn't cry now. No. She has a job to do.

She held out her hand to Tim," Timothy Jackson Drake Wayne. I am giving you the miraculous of Black Cat. Will you agree to fight alongside me and have my back to retrieve the miraculous from the hands of Hawkmoth? Do you agree?"

"Yes I do." He had a determined look on his face.

He put the ring on his finger. Plagg appeared and as soon as he did he was in her face,"Bug Gabriel Agreste is Hawkmoth. He did all of this so he can akumatize you to achieve his goal. It was his plan from the start."

Marinette turned to Tim,"To transform say, Plagg Claws out. To detransform say, Plagg Claws in."

He nodded,"Plagg claws out." He was now dressed in a cat themed suit but with a cape and a utility belt along with the baton.

She said,"Tikki spots on."Her dress changed. She was now wearing a much mature outfit with a full face mask and armored boots. She had multiple yoyos on her hips. She also had a dagger almost which was very hard to see near her yoyos."Let's go."

Tim followed her. They both reached near the akuma. It was still searching for Marinette and Tim.

"I think the akuma is in the stack of photos they came with as an evidence." She nodded and they get back to work. Ladybug called her lucky charm, It was a statue that looked like her but curled up. She immediately got the idea. She put her in an alleyway and told her plan to Tim. They called the akuma to follow them and it did follow them. They reached the alleyway and swung away but the akuma got distracted by the lucky charm. She tied them up mid-air using her yoyos. Tim cataclysmed the pockets of all three of them and a black butterfly fluttered out. She purified it and called her miraculous ladybug and everything was back to normal.

She looked at Tim to see he was searching for something in the baton. His ears twitched and he threw his head over her head calling cataclysm,"Be careful Ladybug, Hawkmoth is sending Akumas for you." She shut all the emotions she was feeling and turned to Tim,"What are you doing?"

"I am a detective, a hacker and an inventor. I am tracking Hawkmoth Aka Gabriel. AHA."

"You found him?" She looked at him.

"He detransformed and is at the wedding avenue. It is all over the news."

"Let's go."

They went through the front door. Gabriel was speaking to the reporters,"Don't listen to anything he said. It was under the akuma's influence-"

"Gabriel" Ladybug's voice was firm but strong that made every single person quiet down. Her parents came running to her,"Is our baby alright?"

"Yes, we have taken her to a much safer place." They looked loads relieved but still tense.

"Gabriel." She spoke again.

"Yes." She came near him.

"Why did the akuma attack your son?"She asked. All the while Tim stealthily reached behind him and pulled some tape from his utility belt. As he was talking to Ladybug he covered his mouth with tape and grabbed his arms. Many people came forward including the police.

"Back off." Ladybug showed the dagger threateningly. They all seemed smart enough. She ripped his tie off and snatched the miraculous. In her peripheral she saw Natalie trying to escape but she threw two yoyos one rolled around Natalie and the other was wrapped painfully on her open mouth drawing blood and stopping her mid sentence (Dussu-). She walked to her, the crowd parted for her. She pulled a chunk of her dress off. She was wearing the peacock miraculous. She ripped it off to and both were secured in her yoyo. They threw them with each other.

"Gabriel Agreste and Natalie Scouncer. I ,ladybug the guardian of the miraculous curse you for eternity for misusing the miraculous of butterfly and peacock miraculous and giving pain to them. Thus you will feel all the pain you ever gave to anyone, you will feel all the pain you've given to Paris and the miraculous together and you will never be able to wield the miraculous again. Citizens of Paris the reign of hawkmoth has thus ended."

Then she turned to the police,"Arrest them they are the terrorists who terrorized Paris for 6 years. You must have got the idea. You can search for Parisian news if you want to know what I am talking about." The police officer nodded. They cuffed both of them who were glowing and growling in pain.

"Miss. Dupain Cheng will reach the hotel along with her friends in an hour." The Dupain Chengs nodded.

"BUG out." "GOODBYE."

They both landed in an alleyway and detransformed. She immediately cried on Tim's shoulder. Tim doing the same as they hugged each other and Tikki and Plagg nudging their cheeks with sad faces.

This wedding was not what her dream was like. Even Adrien was not how her dream Adrien was like.

After an hour they both somehow reached the hotel. Their friends tackled them in a hug.

"I have to change this. I can't bear to wear this." Said Marinette. Everyone nodded.

They all changed their clothes and cried hugging each other and fell asleep. At least they were in this together.

________________________________________________________________________________

Tim is from another universe. He has yet to find a way back. Suggest me should I make a part or not?

Love,

Jasmehraj.

[ronninoir]

Can I Steal You For A Second Chapter 37 - Epilogue

Summary: Adrien is forced to participate in a new dating show, but becomes more excited when Ladybug says she’ll participate as her civilian self.

AKA: AU where Adrien doesn’t know Marinette, the superheroes are 22 and Gabriel is mean and ruthless but not Hawkmoth.

Read on AO3

Start from the beginning Chp 1 on AO3

Epilogue

Marinette was floating on clouds. The entire wedding had been absolutely perfect. Alya and her Maman had helped calm her down before the ceremony, Adrien had cried as she started walking down the aisle with her father, and all of the girls from the show had sat in the same section together and had cheered the loudest when they were pronounced husband and wife. Marinette had barely even noticed the cameras swarming around, recording everything for their faithful viewers.

Rumor had it that because of their popular season, The Bachelor had been renewed for a second, with a different fashion company sponsoring it and a new man being chosen. Rumor has it that Lucy’s aunt from America may be taking a note from Gabriel’s book and is trying to get a Bachelorette going for next year too, with Lucie as the star. Marinette liked the idea of Lucie being able to find love and even told her that if they needed help with anything, like a guest appearance for a date or anything, Marinette would be there to help. Lucie gave her a big hug in a way of thanks.

Marinette was the happiest she had ever been, and she could tell that Adrien was too. He never let go of her hand. At one point she told him she had to go to the bathroom and he automatically offered to come with her, before a blush spread on his face and Alya escorted her instead, laughing all along the way. They had danced their first dance, she had danced with her Papa, who had blubbered throughout the whole ceremony and dance alike, and Adrien had danced with his new mother-in-law. By the end of that dance, neither Sabine, Adrien, nor Marinette had walked away with a dry eye.

Then came the fun part. The girls had asked Marinette if it would be okay to play a small prank on Adrien and Marinette had graciously let them run free. It started with Lucie asking Adrien to dance, and offering him a beautiful red rose while she did. Then she was interrupted by Juliette, who also offered him a rose before she was interrupted by Hanna and so on and so on until Adrien had a bouquet of roses and was laughing while dancing with all of his ex-girlfriend’s in attendance.

When Adrien was on the last girl, Marinette interrupted and said, “Can I steal you for a second?” to which Adrien laughed. As they danced, Adrien whipped out the rather large bouquet of roses the other girls had given him and he asked, “Marinette, will you accept these roses?” to which she laughed and said yes, kissing him once more. Everyone cheered for the happy couple.

Towards the end, as guests started dancing more and showing off for the cameras, Marinette and Adrien were slow dancing in the corner.

“Do you want to get out of here?” Adrien whispered into Marinette’s ear.

“What do you mean? It’s our wedding, we can’t just leave it early.”

“Come on! Come for a run with me! No one will even notice!” Marinette gave him a pointed look and he amended, “We’ll only be gone for 15 minutes. One lap around Paris and we’ll sneak back in and no one will notice.”

Marinette was about to say no when Adrien gave her those puppy (kitty?) eyes and she felt a slow smile spread across her face.

“Yes!” Adrien quietly celebrated while spinning and waltzing her closer and closer to the closest exit, which conveniently was right behind the band.

As soon as the coast was clear, they both whispered their transformations and took to the skies for the first time as a married couple. They ended up on the Eiffel Tower, hidden away from onlookers for the first time that night. 

“Do you think this is what our life will be like now?” Ladybug asked, glancing around to make sure no one was close by, even though they were hundreds of feet up into the air.

“What do you mean?” Chat asked, pulling her close.

Ladybug rested her head on his shoulder, “Hiding from cameras and fans and just constantly being watched? Are we ever going to be invisible again?”

“We never were truly invisible. Not really.” Ladybug shot him a look and he chuckled before explaining. “Well, first off, we are the heroes of Paris. We’ve always been under a spotlight.”

“That’s not what I meant and you know it.”

Chat began gently stroking her hair and she leaned into his touch. “Okay, okay. I’ve never been invisible. And truly, neither have you.”

“Please, before I met you, I was a nobody who led a secret life. No one knew who Marinette Dupain-Cheng was and probably never would have if it hadn’t been for the show.”

“I disagree. I would like to think that even without the show, we would have ended up together. You were meant to become Mrs. Agreste and even without Gabriel/Agreste Fashions, you would have made a name for yourself in the fashion world without me.” He pulled her chin up so he could look deeper into her eyes. “That’s why no one is going to blink twice when you and I become co-CEOs of Agreste Fashion. You have the talent to prove that you are where you are meant to be. I’m the only person using my name to get a position in that company. You deserve it.” Ladybug felt her eyes begin to fill up with tears and Chat leaned down and gave her a gentle kiss.

“So, are Ladybug and Chat Noir dating, married what? Are we going to have to have a whole separate wedding ceremony for our alter egos?” Marinette asked, trying to change the subject to something much lighter.

Chat laughed, “You know, Bugaboo, I would marry you every day of the week if I could. Plus, how fun would it be to say that you’re getting meow-ied every day!” Chat burst into laughter and Ladybug couldn’t help but join in.

“That was a terrible pun.”

“I do what I can,” Chat said with a wink.

“On a more serious note, what about Hawkmoth? We may be happy and Ladybug and Chat Noir have finally found each other and what not, but Hawkmoth is still out there and we still have no idea who he is.”

Chat paused for a moment before answering, “I guess we’ll just have to figure it out as we go. As long as we’re together, there isn’t a fight we won’t lose. He’s sloppy and we’ll be able to find him and return his miraculous to where it belongs.”

“Speaking of where things belong... I’m pretty sure it’s been longer than 15 minutes and we have an entire wedding hall full of people that expected us to be in attendance the entire party.”

Chat rolled his eyes but sat up and stretched like the cat he was before standing and offering Ladybug a hand. Instead of letting go of her hand after she had stood, he used it to pull her close to him and engulf her in a hug.

“Thanks for being my partner in every aspect of my life.”

“I’ll always be there for you, Kitty. No matter what stands in our way.”

The hug lasted a couple more seconds before they broke apart. Ladybug was just about to jump and head back towards their wedding when Chat pulled her back and held out his hand.

“Together?”

She smiled and nodded, “Together.”

And together they jumped.

In that moment it didn’t matter that Hawkmoth was still out there or that Lila had tried to ruin their lives, or even all of the hoops that Gabriel had made them jump through. Together, they had survived it all, and together they would thrive “Till death do us part.”

~~~

And that's the end!!!

Oh my gosh guys, this has been such an amazing journey! Thank you all so SO much for reading and supporting this story in the past year. It has been a wild ride and we have loved every part of it. My sister is thinking about possibly writing a sequel to this that would involve more Hawkmoth moments and bringing that section to a close. If you're interested... let us know! She also has some other random fic ideas floating around her head so be on the lookout if you're interested! Again, thank you all for your awesome support! YOU GUYS ROCK!

@momor3202

@legendaryneckjudgestudent

@discoveringmiraculouswriters

@adrianarfox

@verooquieremimir

@jeminiikrystal

[ao3bronte]

Mamma Mia AU [Part 5]

READ PART 4 HERE!

I Do, I Do, I Do, I Do

“Marinette! There you are! I was beginning to worry—oh god, are you okay? Why is there mascara on your cheeks? Are you crying?!”

Juleka is running over to Marinette in a flash, pulling a makeup brush out of god knows where, “I’m fine, really. I just have some...allergies to the garden, that’s all.”

“Bullshit,” Alya crosses her arms over her chest, having been the one to spot Marinette sneaking into the venue in a state of disarray, “What did Adrien say to you?”

“It’s not…” Marinette bites her lips as Juleka smooths a makeup brush over her skin, carefully erasing any sign of her teardrops, “He tried to apologize and I...I kind of unloaded on him.”

Alya sighs, “Girl, I love you, but can you please keep it together for the next few minutes, at least? I was having a panic over here when you didn’t show up.”

“I’m so sorry,” Marinette steels herself and allows Juleka to continue fixing her face, closing her eyes to centre herself. She has to focus on Alya right now, not her pesky feelings. She could do that for her best friend; she owed her that much, “I promise, I’m fine now. I think I just needed to get that off my chest.”

“Good,” Alya exhales before cupping her palms to her mouth, “Marinette’s here! We’re all good to get started.”

“Oh, thank god,” Joséphine and Sophie sigh in relief as they peek around the corner, “I’ll let the officiant know we can get started.”

Rose helps Juleka collect her things and sets them to the side, straightening her gown as Juleka follows her out towards the hallway. Marinette follows suit beside Alya and fiddles with her veil several times before fluffing it upwards just so. It drapes down to her waist perfectly and Marinette deftly arranges the train of her dress before coming up to stand in front of her, “You’re all ready.”

“Thanks, girl,” Alya smiles, giving her best friend one last big hug before the ceremony begins.

As the music starts to fill the picturesque venue, Ella and Etta make their way down the aisle first alongside Nino’s younger brother Noël and his closest cousin Alexandre. As the two couples split to their respective sides, Juleka and Rose follow suit, tossing rose petals in their wake. Rose had been adamant that there be a flower girl in the wedding despite not having any children in the party and took on the role with feverish delight.

Nora walks next, side by side with one of Nino’s best friends in the music business, and then Joséphine and Sophie join the fray with Nino’s collaborator and producer respectively. Marinette holds her breath, both entranced by the scene in front of her and horrified at what’s about to come.

Marinette takes her place at the beginning of the aisle, still as a statue. Adrien walks up beside her and holds out his elbow for her to take, which she does with all the finesse of a rusted robot before they start their slow, mechanical walk down the aisle.

“You look beautiful, by the way,” he whispers, his voice barely audible as the music begins to swell.

Marinette squeaks a brief thank you, her back ramrod straight.

“And I know this isn’t the right time but…” his voice trails off, his model smile still plastered to his face as he speaks to her like a ventriloquist, “There’s only two people who know Chat Noir is back in town and I have a feeling they're both in this room."

~

“Welcome to Alya and Nino, and to all your friends who have gathered here together this afternoon...” the officiant begins as everyone sits, their eyes glued to the gorgeous couple at the centre of it all. Marinette desperately tries to focus except Adrien is staring intently at her from the other side of the room, his lips mouthing something she can’t quite ascertain.

And then it clicks.

I’m sorry for leaving you, M’Lady.

“We are all here in this glorious celebration of Nino and Alya's unconditional love for one another…”

What?! Marinette mouths back, blinking repeatedly. She must be dreaming and this is all just a very elaborate hallucination based on her imagination of what’s going to happen at Alya’s wedding tomorrow and she’ll wake up in just a minute—

I’m Chat Noir! And you’re Ladybug!

There’s no way this can be happening. There’s literally, absolutely, positively no way—

“...and today we remember that a wedding between two people is a heartfelt and meaningful ceremony that represents…”

No you’re not!

Adrien’s eyes widen with worry, his expression pale, I am! And I’m sorry that I—

“Alright, enough is enough,” Alya announces, spinning around to glare at her maid of honour and her future husband's best man, “If you have something you need to say to each other, you need to spit it out right now!”

The crowd gasps, then begins to murmur as Adrien leaps from his place beside the altar to run over to Marinette, “I have spent one thousand, four hundred and twenty three days regretting the choice I made to leave Paris because it meant leaving you. I never should have—”

Marinette finally finds her voice, “Am I getting this right? You’re apologizing in the middle of Alya and Nino’s wedding to tell me, to say to me—” Marinette flings her arms into the air, “I can’t believe you’re doing this right now!”

“If you had just let me talk to you—”

“Don't get all self-righteous with me,” Marinette counters back, embarrassed beyond all belief, “Because you have no one but yourself to blame.”

“I know, which is why I’m trying to apologize now that I have the whole picture—”

“The whole picture?! If you hadn’t just dumped me and gone off to some foreign land, we wouldn’t even be having this conversation!”

Their audience gasps. The photographer drops his camera.

“Hey, hey, wait a minute! I had to leave Paris. When my father found out I had applied to universities behind his back, he personally called up every single one of them and told them that I was prohibited from ever getting a post secondary degree while I was living under his roof. My job — my only job — was to model for Gabriel, so I had no choice! The only way to secretly get an education was to move to the Haus of Gabriel in Shanghai under the guise that I wanted to use my modelling as a way to further the brand overseas!”

“So you…” Marinette flounders, her indignance and guilt warring against each other, “You left because of that?”

“I didn’t want to leave, Marinette,” he pleads with her, his flushed cheeks and watering eyes revealing just how sorry he is, “But I had to. He had taken everything from me. I wasn’t even allowed to leave the house once I graduated, except to say goodbye to all of you.”

“But…”

“And every Christmas I came back to try and find you. Everyday, I’d go out looking for you. I’d call you but you’d never answer. I left notes. I did everything because I was crazy enough to think that you would be waiting for me.”

“I—”

“And every January, I’d go back to China feeling like an idiot. I’d lost the love of my life, the woman I’d loved for years and all because I couldn’t handle being used as a pawn in my father’s business. I can’t tell you how many times I wanted to come back and find you, until I did this week and—”

“Sorry, can I just...can I just butt in?”

Marinette and Adrien turn away from each other to gawk at Alya.

“If you’re talking about what I think you’re talking about — and judging by your faces, you are — I just want you to know that while I’m furious with the the two of you for interrupting my wedding day, I really, really, really want the two of you to work this out because I wouldn’t be anywhere without you guys and I can’t believe you’ve been hiding this under our noses this whole time!”

The lightbulb ignites above Nino’s head after Alya briefly whispers something in his ear, “Dudes! Dudes! Oh my god!”

“You took the words right out of my mouth, babe,” Alya grins, tugging insistently on her fiancé’s shoulder as he continues to freak out, “Look, you have our blessings, but can we please get on with this? I really want to get married!”

Red faced and humiliated beyond her wildest dreams, Marinette gathers herself. Adrien scampers over to the other side of the aisle and tries desperately to keep it together except he can’t stop looking at her, his fingers itching to reach out and touch. How the hell is this happening? And how is he going to ever earn her forgiveness now that they both know who they truly are?

“I have loved you for so long, Adrien! And I loved Chat Noir too, with all my heart, even if I never got the chance to tell him.”

Her words echo over and over again in his ears like an enchantment, tugging him further and further under her spell. She loves him! Both sides of him! She’s loved him all of this time! There’s still a chance!

“Alya, I want to spend the rest of my life with you. Today, I vow to love you and hold you in my arms as long as we both shall live.”

“Nino, I want to spend the rest of my life with you. Today, I vow to love you and support you as long as we both shall live.”

Marinette begins to tear up again except this time, she’s not sure if it’s because of the wedding or him.

“Nino, please place this ring on Alya’s finger and repeat after me: With this ring, I take you to be my lawfully wedded wife for now, forever and always.”

Sliding her wedding band up her middle finger, Nino gives the love of his life an everlasting smile, “With this ring, I take you to be my lawfully wedded wife for now, forever and always.”

“Alya, please place this ring on Nino’s finger and repeat after me: With this ring, I take you to be my lawfully wedded husband for now, forever and always.”

Vibrating with barely contained glee, Alya returns the favour, “With this ring, I take you to be my lawfully wedded husband for now, forever and always.”

The officiant, relieved that there were no other spontaneous distractions, raises his head in exultation, “Now that you have dedicated yourselves to each other with your vows and the giving and receiving of rings in front of all who have assembled here, it is with great pleasure that I may now pronounce you husband and wife!”

The party roars, cheering and crying from their pews as Nino hoists his wife into the air and spins her around, “You may now seal your vows with a kiss!”

The rest of the ceremony passes in a blur of movement. The wedding party follows Alya and Nino as they parade back down the aisle, dancing and skipping and partying down the stairs and into the gorgeous garden courtyard where the photographer has already set up his equipment. Marinette stumbles into autopilot as she directs the wait staff to deliver hors d'oeuvres and specialty cocktails she had created specifically based on the couple. The Alya Punch was a blood orange margarita while the Nino Spritz was a twist on a gin and tonic, with a little orange zing.

She’s almost gotten herself completely distracted by the revelry when a strong pair of arms snag her by the waist and lead her into a shaded alcove on the edge of the courtyard.

“Did you mean what you said before?” Adrien asks, his heart racing, “Have you really been in love with Chat Noir and I all this time?”

Marinette hesitates, shaken and stunned, “I never stopped. And I hate myself for it.”

“What?” Adrien reels back as if he’s been slapped, “Why?”

“Because for four long years, I fought with an imaginary ghost by my side. I could never forget you, even if I wanted to. And I did. I tried everyday to get over you. I worked eighteen hour days and fought akumas and gave up on my dreams so that I could do what needed to be done.”

“I’m so sorry,” Adrien rubs his hands over his cheeks and eyes, “I never should have left you without an explanation.”

“You couldn’t tell me without exposing your identity,” Marinette concedes, sagging against the stone alcove they were hiding in, “I just...I thought you were going to be gone for a semester, not an entire university degree.”

“I wanted to do something more with myself…” he trails off, glancing down at his shoes, “And I knew that if I didn’t take the opportunity when it presented itself, I would have lost it forever. My father still has no idea I have a degree in Science and Engineering. I was even accepted for my Masters in Architectural Design this past May.”

Something poisonous shatters in her heart, “So you’ll be going back to Shanghai after this?”

Somehow, Adrien begins to appear even smaller than he already feels, “Sunday night. Just long enough to be ghosted by my father for dinner.”

“Oh.”

“Yeah.”

The air cools uncomfortably between them, “Well, then I guess there isn’t really anything else to say.”

“What?”

Marinette finally gains the courage to look up at him, “You’re going back to Shanghai and I’m staying here to hopefully finish off what we started here together. I can never leave or travel or live my life so long as Le Papillon continues to terrorize Paris. And that’s all there is to it.”

“I…”

“The only ‘I’ in this team is me, Chat Noir,” Marinette says, straightening out the wrinkles in her dress with all of the grim determination of a woman who’s falling apart on the inside, “Please, don’t make this harder than it is.”

He snags her wrist as she goes to leave, “Wait, Marinette! There has to be something I can do—”

“There’s nothing you can do,” she levels with him, her words scraping like shards of glass on her tongue, “Goodbye Adrien. I wish you all the luck in the world on your Master’s degree and I hope you find your freedom and a great job out there. You’ve always been a good person and you deserve to have a happy life.”

She tugs her arm free and steps back into the sunlight to take her place beside the rest of the wedding party.

She doesn’t look back.

~

When All Is Said And Done

The wedding reception goes off without a hitch.

Everything is glorious. The food is divine and everyone is taking part in the generous libations being poured. The music is blasting through the speakers and everyone is dancing to the beat with their partners and their friends in a celebration of love. Marinette supervises from the sidelines and makes sure all of the gifts are accounted for, still too embarrassed to socialise much after completely humiliating herself in front of everyone during the ceremony.

As the clock strikes midnight, Nino raises his glass in the air and calls for everyone’s attention, “Here's to us and to everyone here who came out to celebrate! Let’s have one more toast!”

The party cheers and raises their glasses, downing them all in one go.

And with that, the party is over. Guests trickle out of the venue slowly, calling Ubers to get them home. Marinette leaves the wedding favours to Rose and Juleka and collects the decorations as fast as she’s able to. Her feet are aching and she kicks off her shoes, skirting around each and every table to grab centrepieces and the like. She’s nearly finished when she spots the source of her agony by the door, helping Sophie cart off the wedding gifts to the room they’d rented upstairs.

Her chest aches. It really does feel like goodbye now. After tonight, she would never see him again. She’d delete his number and stop following him on Instagram and TikTok. She would stop torturing herself with imaginary conversations as she leaps through the night searching for akumas and fighting bad guys. Weddings were a symbol of love and a symbol of new beginnings and this was about as close as she’d ever be able to get at having a fresh start.

With her head held high, she hops in her parent’s bakery van and listens to the gentle hum of the engine as she sits silently in the passenger side, her father’s fingertips on the steering wheel a good enough lullaby as anything. Her mom helps her out of her dress and she retreats for the night, feeling the heaviness of the day slip from her shoulders. 

She would have time to mourn tomorrow. 

~

And she does mourn for a few days. She cries into her pillow as Sunday turns to Monday. She watches Adrien’s Instagram story about getting back on the plane before unfollowing him and then cries some more, her eyes red and itchy from the overwhelming deluge of emotions four years in the making purging from her soul. 

She laughs through her tears as Alya and Nino tag her in TikToks of their vacation adventures in Spain, travelling from Barcelona to Valencia to Ibiza. Watching Nino cringe as he chews on the black pudding tapas is certainly a highlight, especially when Sophie gifs it and turns it into a meme that blows up once she uses it in a Buzzfeed article. 

When Marinette eventually gets to Kagami’s feed, her eyes nearly bulge out of her skull. Somehow, Luka (of all people!) had convinced her to travel to Los Angeles for a mini vacation and he was trying to teach her how to surf. She's obviously a natural at it and by the time Marinette checks all of their Instagram stories again, Kagami is weaving through the waves like a pro.

For everyone else, things are looking up.

And eventually, things would start to look up for her too.

By Tuesday, Marinette gets out of bed and stays out, turning on her sewing machine for the first time since before the wedding. Glancing at her email that had somehow been filled with commission requests over the weekend, Marinette feels a little like she’s standing at a crossroad and this time, she has no desire to run.

With her scissors in hand, she turns towards her fabric collection and feels a genuine smile pull at her lips as she gets to work on the first of three bridesmaids dresses for Joséphine. They would be powder pink and cocktail length, the perfect look for a lighthearted springtime celebration beneath the cherry blossoms.

She could go job hunting later. There’s no hurry anymore now that all is said and done.

READ PART 6 HERE!

[nerdypanda3126]

One Step Ahead

Adrien shows up on Luka's doorstep with some big news and an unexpected question.

“It’s just...I got to thinking…” Adrien paused to take a deep breath before the words rushed out of him. “If something ever happens to me you’ll take care of her, right?”

Read on Ao3

A soft knock at the door of his apartment made Luka pause. He wasn’t expecting anyone. Maybe it was just a kid playing a prank, or someone with the wrong address. But when the knock was repeated, Luka dragged himself off the couch to check who it might be. When he looked through the peephole and saw Adrien Agreste on his doorstep, his first response was to grind his teeth together. His second was to sigh and open the door for him.

Adrien looked up at Luka sheepishly. They hadn’t really spoken since the wedding. Luka told himself he was happy for them both and left it at that. He locked away any potential for jealousy— boxed it away in a small, secret part of his heart, and promised himself to never think of it again. He still kept in touch with Marinette, as much as he allowed himself to, and she usually told him how Adrien was in the same breath.

He and Adrien had a simple, unspoken understanding. They both loved her. They both understood the other's position. There wasn’t usually any need for their paths to cross. Luka had even relinquished his Miraculous when Adrien and Marinette had started dating after the identity reveal to make things easier on everyone. Even though it killed him to give up Sass. Marinette had protested, of course, but Luka’s mind had been made up. He’d only get in the way.

“Can I come in?” Adrien asked, as shyly as Luka had ever known him to. This was a breach of protocol and they both knew it. Luka stood aside in silent acknowledgement.

Once inside, Adrien started to wring his hands nervously and pace along the entryway tile. Luka had no clue what Adrien wanted, but if he was here, it must be important. Luka shut the door and leaned back against it to wait for Adrien to spit it out.

“I have some news,” Adrien started. Luka nodded for him to continue. “Marinette’s pregnant.”

Luka’s eyes widened before he could stop them. He managed to close his mouth quickly, but his teeth clicked with the force of the motion.

“She doesn’t want to tell anyone yet.” Adrien stopped pacing and met Luka’s eyes, solemnly swearing him to confidence. “Her mom and dad don’t even know yet.”

Luka cleared his throat. “So why are you telling me?”

Adrien picked up his pacing again. His nerves were starting to make Luka fidgety, too. He almost wanted to reach out and grab Adrien just to make him stop moving. Finally, he did stop, and he faced Luka at attention, although he was still fiddling with his Chat Noir ring.

“It’s just...I got to thinking…” Adrien paused to take a deep breath before the words rushed out of him. “If something ever happens to me you’ll take care of her, right?”

Luka blinked. Once. Twice. He still couldn’t process what Adrien was asking. Adrien let out his breath in a huff.

“Last night. Marinette and I were talking about being superheroes as well as parents. How it would work, you know,” Adrien tried to start again, “and it made me think about all the narrow misses I’ve had.”

He fixed his eyes on Luka’s. “And I thought about Marinette. Being alone. I wouldn’t want her to miss me. I would want her…” He tensed his jaw. Luka braced himself for whatever was coming. “I would want her to move on and fall in love again.”  

The words knocked the breath out of Luka. Adrien waited. He knew what his words meant. It was their mutual understanding, blown wide open. It was an admission that Marinette could have loved Luka once. That if Adrien hadn't been in the picture, Marinette could have chosen Luka. That if the worst should happen, Luka had Adrien's blessing.

Luka braced himself with a hand on the doorknob behind him as he slumped backwards. He’d been doing his best not to think about what ifs. Now they all came crashing in on him. His eyes couldn’t seem to focus on anything except a spot on the floor directly behind Adrien.  

In his peripheral, Adrien shifted uncomfortably. “You’ll be there for her, won’t you?”

Luka nodded. Automatically. Of course he would be. He’d always be there for Marinette.  

There was an awkward pause between them.

“Orchids are her favorite,” Adrien started cautiously. Luka’s eyes snapped up. “She likes surprise gifts, but gets embarrassed if they cost too much.”

He waited for Luka to object, to say something, but Luka was still reeling from almost a decade of repressed feelings rushing back at once.

“She likes a splash of coffee in her cream. And don’t tell her, but she acts just like Sabine, especially when she’s angry.”

Luka’s swirling thoughts finally caught up to him. Adrien was being helpful, in his own way. He was giving Luka tips on courting Marinette. For if he ever needed them. He swallowed past the lump in his throat and managed to pull himself upright again.

Adrien’s cheek pulled up in a sad half-smile. “Babies make her smile every time.” Tears were starting to gather in his eyes. “She’ll be a fantastic mother.”

Finally, Luka understood. Adrien was terrified.

“And you’ll be a fantastic father,” he managed to say.

Adrien avoided Luka’s eyes. “I can’t be a father,” he admitted quietly.

Luka reached out to grip Adrien’s shoulder and shook him the smallest amount. “Marinette thinks you can be.”

Adrien cleared his throat and wiped at his eyes hurriedly. “Uh, what else? She hates glitter. I bought her a card once covered in it and she went on for a solid ten minutes about it.”

Luka pressed his thumb into the hollow of Adrien’s shoulder. Enough to hurt. “Adrien, you can’t run away from this.”

Adrien shrugged Luka’s hand off irritably. “I’m not. But being Chat Noir... Let’s just say I know the odds aren’t in my favor.”

“They would be if you didn’t throw yourself in front of every shot.”

“That’s just it, though. That’s what I do. That’s what being Chat Noir means. I’m the sacrificial pawn.”

Luka couldn’t help the mean chuckle that slipped through his teeth.

“What?”

“It hasn’t occurred to you to change your strategy?” Luka asked.

Adrien opened his mouth, then closed it.

“Let me get this straight. Your first thought after hearing you’d be a father was not, ‘I’d better be more careful,’ but ‘I’d better make sure that if I die in battle, my good friend Luka will pick up the pieces of my shattered family’?” Luka was being cruel, he knew. But that didn’t mean it wasn’t the truth.

Adrien still hadn’t recovered. He was just glaring at Luka now.

“What if, and here’s a crazy idea, but what if you let someone look out for you for once. A bishop to your pawn.”

“I can’t let Marinette-”

“I wasn’t talking about Marinette.” Luka’s voice was firm. He could almost see the gears moving in Adrien’s head.

“You’d be Viperion again?”

“As long as you need me.” Luka crossed his arms over his chest. As far as he was concerned, the decision was made. Marinette was happy with Adrien. Which meant it was Luka’s job to keep Adrien safe. Nothing more to it. “With Second Chance, it doesn’t matter if you make stupid mistakes. Although I’d really appreciate it if you at least tried to show some restraint. For Marinette’s sake if not for mine.”  

Adrien nodded thoughtfully. He went to tuck his hands in his pockets and he seemed surprised to find an object inside one of them. Probably Marinette's Lucky Charm he always had on him. He fiddled with it while he processed. Luka could guess what he was mulling over. It wouldn’t be comfortable to work together again. But they were both bound to Marinette, one way or another.

“Alright then,” Adrien said eventually, “but I need you to do one more thing for me.”

Luka shrugged.

“Come over for dinner tonight? Marinette’s making dumplings and I think she’d love to see you.”

Luka smirked. “As long as I get to tell her you want me to woo her in the event of your untimely demise.”

“What makes you think she doesn’t already know?”

Adrien pulled the snake Miraculous out of his pocket. They both stared at it in Adrien’s palm.

Luka let out an incredulous laugh as he picked up the bracelet with shaking fingers. “She knows us well, doesn’t she?”

Adrien nodded. “Always one step ahead.”

As Luka fastened the bracelet around his wrist, Sass appeared in a flash of teal. Instantly, he took his customary place settled on Luka's shoulder, hiding in his hair while his tail wrapped lightly around Luka's neck. Luka felt Sass nuzzle against his neck and couldn’t help the happy tears that sprang to his eyes.

“Here we are, then.” Adrien laughed. “One big, happy, kwami-filled family.”

Luka nodded and swiped his tears away with his thumb as he cleared his throat.

“To be honest, though, the team hasn’t been the same without you. I’m surprised Marinette didn’t ask you to come back sooner.”

Luka paused to think as he tucked a finger underneath the familiar bracelet and tugged at it gently. Why wouldn’t Marinette come to give this to him herself? Why would she risk sneaking a Miraculous, Luka’s Miraculous, to Adrien without asking him explicitly to deliver it?

When the answer hit him, Luka shook his head and started chuckling at their mutual stupidity. “It had to be our idea.”

He watched as Adrien gradually came to the same conclusion he had. “She wanted us to talk.”

Luka nodded. They’d both been so stubborn—Luka thought he’d be in the way and Adrien probably thought Luka was bitter—and sweet, sensible Marinette, sick of being caught in the middle, had been forced to knock their heads together.

"Always one step ahead," Luka murmured.

They both paused as they met each others’ eyes, caught in the new unspoken understanding that was washing over them. They both loved her, and that probably wouldn't ever change. But it didn't mean they had to be at odds with each other. If anything, it made their friendship stronger. Because they both understood the other's position.  

"So, dinner?" Luka broke the silence.

Adrien nodded before he lowered his head and glanced up at Luka.

"You won't tell her I freaked out about being a dad?"

Luka reached back behind him for the doorknob and opened the door again before he shot a smirk at Adrien. "What makes you think she doesn't already know?"

[virgil-is-a-cutie]

The Color of Passion AU!Miraculous Ladybug Headcanons

Color of Passion is a Mexican show, it's amazing. Check out a few clips in YouTube! The show starts with 2 orphaned sisters living with their older sister and her husband. The middle sister is jealous of her older sister and wants her hubby...and stuff happens.

In this au, Nathalie never was Mayura

Marinette and Adrien are married

Marinette is 24 while Adrien is 25

Marinette is 7 months pregnant

They live in a mansion that Adrien bought after leaving home

Sadly, Lila and Alya live with them because their parents kicked them out and Mari was fine with taking her old classmate Alya in but Lila pressured Mari to take the two of them

Lila is jealous that Mari and Adrien are married

Even more jealous when Alya announces that she and Nino are genna get married

She sneaks out at night to find anyone looking similar to Alya and takes pictures of her during a date to make it look as if Alya is cheating on Nino

Lila lies to Nino that Alya cheated on him and uses the pictures as evidence

This causes Nino to leave Alya alone at the altar

Alya, of course, is heartbroken and runs to Mari and Adrien's home in her wedding dress

Lila smirks smugly to herself to which Mari notices

Mari confronts Lila about it to which Lila denies that she had anything to do with Alya and Nino's wedding

They yell at each other and Lila tries to go to her room upstairs to which Mari follows after her

"YOU HAVE EVERYTHING I WANT! IF I CAN'T BE HAPPY THEN ALYA SHOULDN'T BE HAPPY EITHER!" Lila shouts to Mari

Marinette is gripping the handrails tightly

"Please Lila...LEAVE OUR HOME!" Marinette yells

Lila roughly pushes Marinette

Since Marinette was leaning against the handrails she's caught by surprise as it breaks

Lila watches horrified as Marinette falls from the top floor to the bottom one

Marinette lands on a glass table

Lila rushes to call an ambulance, not noticing that Nathalie saw everything

Adrien rushes home and sees the ambulance carrying Marinette to the ambulance vehicle and hops in to be taken to the ambulance

A few hours later, Lila, Alya, and Mari's parents arrive to the hospital only to meet a very worried Adrien

"She's gone into labor," he said weakly as he grips his hair before quickly making his way to Marinette's room

Everyone is shocked

A few more hours later and only Tom and Sabine stayed

Adrien walks up to them with red puffy eyes who smiles weakly at them

"It was...it was a girl."

Tom and Sabine are shocked before smiling softly

"What's her name?"

"Marianna. Marianna Dupain-Cheng," he says softly as he watches his daughter in the incubator.

Marinette sadly passes away

(In the show the three girls are all sisters and the oldest is married and preggers which the middle sister is jealous of and...I mean u can go to wiki to know what happens. Either way the oldest sister dies bc of middle sister. Idk why but the hubby of older sister marries middle sister) a few months later Sabine and Tom get a tired looking Adrien holding a 2 month old Marianna in his arms

"I...I can't...I'm sorry. Lila...Lila has been still living at the house and...I don't feel as if Marianna is safe at all with her there," he breathes out weakly

Tom and Sabine understand and agree to take care of Marianna

They know how Lila is and are disgusted with how much later on, a few months later, forces Adrien to marry her

When Marianna is 4 years old, Adrien informs her grandparents that to their shock...that Lila is pregnant

Of course, Lila and Adrien seem like a happy couple, but Lila knows Adrien prefers to visit Marianna at the bakery which she can't go to

Is very jealous of the baby, the one sign of the true love between Marinette and Adrien

Even if she and Adrien are married she's not satisfied and cheats on him behind his back

Ends up pregnant by one of her lovers and passes the child off as Adrien's

As both kids grow, Adrien spends more time with Marianna

Marianna

Her middle name is Chloé so her full name is Marianna Chloé Dupain-Cheng since Chloé actually became friends with Marinette

She has Marinette's blue hair, and Adrien's green eyes

Her hair reaches her waist

She is 5'3 tall

Loves to bake

Knows about her mom from stories from her grandparents and her dad

Has freckles

Personality is similar to Marinette's

Is single as a pringle

24 years old

Is of course the sweet child

Stays far away from her mother's old classmates children except her aunt Chloé and uncle Nino

Doesn't see Lila more than just a bitch

She kinda...kind of almost likes her half sister

Lilith

The daughter Lila had with one of her lovers

Her full name is Lilith Amanda Rossi Agreste

Adrien had taken Marinette's last name and Lila didn't want to take it so she kept her last name and gave her daughter the Agreste name to show she was "Adrien's kid"

Curly auburn hair that reaches her waist

Has dark green eyes

Is 4'11

Is 19 years old

Personality similar to Lila but she has anxiety and very secretive

Is sleeping with Allison's fiancé

Sees Marianna as a sister

But is somewhat jealous of Marianna and Allison

Is the problem child

Can tell that her father doesn't love her a lot

Allison

Is Alya's daughter

Is 20 years old

Is friends with Lilith

Is about to get married

Is an idiot like her mother who still trusts Lila

Adrien

Took Marinette's last name

Works at the bakery, gave up modeling

Hates Lila still

Was never told that Lila caused Marinette's accident since Nathalie was in shock and didn't exactly think anyone would believe her

Hates that Lila made Lilith be a model to which caused her to become closed off and wild

Lives at the Mansion, but sleeps in a separate room from Lila

Introduced Marianna and Lilith to each other when Maria was 11 years old and Lilith 6 years old

...they kinda got along

Till Lila filled Lilith's head with lies

Tag list: @vixen-uchiha @maribat-archive @mystery-5-5 @thebananathatwrites @let-me-perish @bluerosette23 @chibiphoebe @lenoreofraven @maribug-adrienoir @unholykrow @g-arya @hyperactivecherry @monkeebratz

Fun fact: there's a behind the scenes video in YouTube of the fall scene

....might make more idk since I can't remember much of the telenovela.

[ladylb]

To Cry

Chapter 17  Lila Just Can't Escape

This chapter can be found here on AO3

To start at the beginning, chapter 1 is here on AO3 or here on tumblr

Summary:  Lila wants to sneak away and come up with a plan, but the class will not have it as they process everything that they've already heard and then some...

Lila looked around nervously as the other students crowded around her. Alya, Nino, Rose, Kim and a few others surrounded her as they watched Marinette interact with Jagged Stone and Penny the way that Lila had previously been saying that she was helping them with their wedding plans, which didn’t sound real at all right now, obviously.

Their classmates were still taking in the information that Chloe of all people confirmed that Lila didn’t know Jagged Stone or his crocodile Fang, not Kang, and according to Jagged not only did he not know Lila, but Fang wasn’t a rescue that she found in Australia, but from a farm of some kind.

Plus, there was the bomb that Marinette admitted to, that she considered Adrien as ‘just a friend’ and the one from Adrien that he was NOT secretly dating Lila, like Lila had suggested.

Their classmates whispered to each other as they tried to understand it all as they waited for the answer to Rose’s text to her friend Prince Ali asking if he knew Lila.

Meanwhile, they couldn’t help themselves as they listened in on Marinette’s conversation with the visiting celebrity and his fiancé as they ignored the crowd and Lila. Honestly, it was as if Marinette didn’t care about Lila or the situation at all.

“Well Marinette, back to business. Do you think that you could make something for Fang for the wedding and maybe for us too? We want him to be our ring bearer.” Penny asked Marinette nicely.

Marinette looked thoughtful as she glanced at Fang, “actually, I think a whole tuxedo wouldn’t be quite right, I mean as Jagged says he’s really Rock and Roll the way he is.”

Jagged grinned, “well, you got that right but if we’re getting dressed up, it wouldn’t be right to leave out Fang.”

“Oh, I know, I was just thinking about making him a sparkly tuxedo coat with twin tails and a matching top hat. Oh, and I could make it so we could tie the rings to the top of the hat so he could carry them for you!” Marinette looked excited by the idea as she pet a happy Fang’s head, “you’ll be the best ring bearer, won’t you Fang?”

“Marinette!” Jagged Stone exclaimed as he surprised her when he picked her up and swung her around as Penny laughed, “that is such an awesome idea! Can you do that for us?”

“Sure Jagged, now please put me down.” She squeaked as she smiled up at him before he put her down.

“That’s Uncle Jagged to you Miss!” He wagged a finger at her and she laughed along with him and Penny.

“And soon I’ll be your Aunt!” Penny grinned.

“I’m looking forward to it.” Marinette answered, which was when the five-minute bell rang, “but we’ll have to talk about it after school.”

“You’re on Marinette love!” Jagged grinned as he led Penny back to the limo, Fang happily walking ahead of them, a bit loopy from all the pets, “see you later Marinette!”

“I’ll call you to set up an appointment for measurements!” Penny called out.

“I look forward to it.” Marinette told them brightly. “Bye Jagged! Bye Penny and Fang!” Marinette waved goodbye to them as they got in the limo and waved from the vehicle as they drove off, just as Rose’s phone chimed.

Rose read the response to her text and gasped, “Lila! You lied about knowing Prince Ali too!”

“What?!” More than once classmate exclaimed.

“I, I can h-hardly believe it!” Rose squeaked as Alix took her phone.

Alix frowned as she read the text herself, “hey! It says it right here, he doesn’t know a Lila Rossi and he’s never partnered or worked with an Italian Ambassador’s daughter on anything!”

Everyone gasped as Nino asked as he looked at Lila, who was pouting a bit, “Dude, what else have you lied about?”

“Oh, uh, you know celebrities they can’t tell people who they’re really close to…” Lila tried to explain as she started to pretend to cry, “I-I mean, I’m s-sure Prince Ali is just t-trying to protect me!”

“Try again Lila,” Chloe pointed out. “Even Jagged Stone, the musician that you claimed htat sung your praises repeatedly didn’t recognize you just now or even admit to knowing you. He’s probably unable to keep a secret for as long as you claim to have known him, like his engagement announcement that lasted, what? A week as a secret, tops? That’s saying a lot about a guy that willingly adopts Dupain-Cheng.”

“Thanks?” Marinette wasn’t sure if that was a compliment or not.

“Plus, she wasn’t dating Adrien, unless he’s lying about that.” Kim pointed out.

Adrien shook his head almost violently in denial as he stayed away from Lila.

“I’m not. Not only do I NOT like her like that, but I don’t think I’m allowed to date anyway.” Adrien pointed out, before he quietly added, “besides, there’s uh, that other girl that I like anyway.”

“But… but… but,” Lila stammered, fairly certain that her lies were finally being exposed, “I can explain.” She turned to Adrien and pleaded as she grabbed his arm again, “you can tell them about us, they’re your friends, they can keep our secret!”

Adrien frowned, “we have no secret because we’ve never gone out Lila. Stop trying to lie about it, I have never dated anyone! Unofficially or officially.”

Lila wiped her eyes and stomped her foot, “if you just give me a minute everyone I can explain!”

“No, you can’t. You’ve told so many lies, why would anyone with half a brain cell believe you now?” Chloe sneered as she flipped her hair over her shoulder dramatically, “not that I believed any of them in the first place. Come along Sabrina.” Then she waltzed away with Sabrina following right behind her.

“Coming Chloe!” Sabrina answered as they left the main group.

Alya gasped as something finally sank in and then she screeched at Lila, “WAIT! That TOTALLY means that you DON’T know Ladybug!” She pulled out her phone, and glared at Lila as she pointed a finger at her. “If I didn’t have to get started with cleaning all of this up, I’d deal with YOU RIGHT NOW!”

Alya took a deep breath as she clutched her phone like a lifeline and looked at Marinette, “I am SO SOOO sorry Gurl and I want to give you a better apology later, but I gotta get out of here before I do something STUPID that might land me in jail.” She glared at Lila again who shrinked away from her, because even Lila realized that you do not cross Alya.

Then Alya marched away from them as she started typing furiously while mumbling, “I have to delete those stupid interviews, write SO many apologies and retractions! Oh my gosh, and Ladybug! What must she think? UGH!”

Nino shook his head at Lila, “dude, not cool.” Then he glanced at Marinette, “Dudette, I’m totally sorry too and I’d apologize more, but I think I need to be on Alya watch.”

Marinette nodded, understanding how horrible this was for Alya and glad that she had her boyfriend there for her.

Nino then added, “just don’t forget, we are so talking more about this later Dudette.” Then he ran after Alya.

“So not cool.” Kim shook his head at Lila as he shouldered his bag. He then took a breath and pouted a little as he turned to Marinette as he said, “I’m sorry Marinette, I haven’t been a very good friend lately, I know I don’t really deserve it, but could you forgive me? Please?”

Marinette smiled at the jock as she replied, “sure Kim.”

He nodded, “thanks!” Then he headed inside too, followed by the rest of the class as they also apologized to Marinette on their way in. Which finally left behind Adrien, Marinette and Lila.

“You did this!” Lila pointed at Marinette with a growl as she finally quit trying to grab Adrien again now that her audience was gone. She was sporting a glare and a twitching eye as she realized that her spell over the class had been broken.

“I did what? Allowed the truth to be known? It was going to happen eventually.” Marinette shrugged, “so I send Jagged an interesting little video. All I had to do is to have a talk with him Monday night to be ready to get it.”

She didn’t need to mention that she sent the video minutes before he showed up. Marinette had insisted that he shouldn’t show up at all until she had some actual proof of Lila lying and the lies about Fang were certainly enough for Jagged to come running.

Marinette looked at Lila, “you’re the one that lied about someone special to me.” Then she glanced at Adrien, “and about Adrien too, this is all on you Lila.”

“I’ll get you back.” Lila swore.

“How?” Marinette tilted her head and raised an eyebrow at her, “and why? What horrible thing have I done to you Lila besides not believe you and let my friends know that they can’t trust you? It’s not like I threatened to take everything and everyone you hold dear away from you, that’s not my style. It’s yours.”

Lila growled loudly, “and I meant it too!” Then she raised her hand to slap Marinette, who only stood there to take it.

Adrien though, quickly stepped up and blocked her from hitting Marinette. “That’s enough Lila. You were warned not to lie and now you’re going to have to live with the consequences of your lies falling apart. Leave my friend alone.”

Lila huffed, “as if you’d do anything about it. I could ruin both of your lives and do it with a smile.”

“That sounds like a threat to me.” Marinette stated and glanced at Adrien, “did that sound like a threat to you?”

“Yeah, too bad we don’t have it on tape.” Adrien commented sadly.

“Who said we didn’t?” Marinette’s eyes twinkled as she gave him a wry grin, “my phone has been recording everything since Jagged arrived.”

Lila screamed and stomped away, “I’ll get you Marinette Dupain-Cheng, if it’s the last thing I do!”

Marinette and Adrien watched her stomp away, as Adrien sighed. “Well, someone should call Ladybug, she’ll probably be akumatized before class starts.”

“You know, I think that’s okay, Chat Noir and Ladybug can handle it.” Marinette shrugged, “I’m just glad that it’s not me. Besides, Ladybug already knew that Lila was a pot that was getting ready to boil over any day now. Sooner is better than later if you ask me. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I have to run and, uh, pick up something that I forgot at home, yeah.”

“Sure, I’ve uh, gotta hit the locker room.” Adrien replied as they both darted away to transform for the inevitable akuma battle.

As Marinette darted back home as a purple butterfly was released from Hawkmoth’s lair, only to fly in the direction of a certain Italian girl…

…

After the battle with Lila’s newest akumatized version, Ladybug and Chat Noir pounded their fists together, “pound it!”

Lila of course screamed at them, accused them for ruining her life and was about to stomp off to go home on her own, after they politely declined giving her a ride due to the rumors that could surface if they were seen together.

“After all, I would hate to risk your safety if just helping you home made it look like we were friends, which would be very dangerous and I’d never endanger my friends by telling them who I am or even by spending time with them while I wore my mask.” Ladybug loudly announced just as Nadia the local reporter showed up, but before they started taping. Ladybug shrugged as she added, “besides my Kitty here anyway.”

Chat Noir grinned at Ladybug’s comment. Lila growled and left them angrily.

“Whoa! Care to comment on your best friend’s most recent temper tantrum?” Nadia asked Ladybug.

“I’m afraid that I don’t know that girl, aside from all the times that we’ve had to save her from Hawkmoth’s influence.” Ladybug rolled her eyes as she added with a slight mutter, “you’d think she enjoys it.”

Chat Noir cleared his throat, “I’m afraid Ladybug and I have to scat as well Nadia.” Then he nodded to the north, indicating that’s where he wanted to go and Ladybug nodded that she understood.

“Right, bye Nadia.” Ladybug waved goodbye, “bug out!”

Then they left together, only to stop on a nearby roof.

“My Lady, can we uh, talk?” Chat Noir asked her hesitantly since it was the first time that they had met after what had happened the other night, after Ladybug had cried herself out.

Ladybug nodded, “of course, I just can’t right now Kitty, but maybe later, like tonight on patrol?”

Her earrings beeped for the second time to emphasize how much time she had to get back home.

“Oh, uh, sure. How’s 9:00pm? I could bring something to share for dessert.” He offered flirtatiously.

Ladybug sighed, “Chat, I know we need to talk about what happened and we will, but it would really help if you pulled back on the big romantic gestures right now, please?”

“No big romantic gestures, got it!” He confirmed with a grin.

“I mean it Chat, I need a break from all of that, but we’ll talk about it later. I’ll take care of the snacks; I’ll tell Viperion and maybe Pegasus about the meeting?”

“What? They, I mean he’s still got his Miraculous?!” Chat Noir exclaimed.

Ladybug nodded, “it’s one of the things that we need to talk about.”

“Milady.” He looked at her sadly, with his ears and tail drooping at the news. “I, I kind of wanted it to just be us.”

She looked down, sad for some reason. “Look, Viperion, he’s uh, he’s been a really good friend and I think that it would help if he joined us this time, is that okay?” She looked up at him with those gorgeous eyes that he just could not deny.

Her earrings beeped for the third time.

Chat Noir sighed, “as you wish my Lady.” *(author’s note, can I really not write a story without this phrase anymore? I guess not. It’s a quote from the movie The Princess Bride. It literally means ‘I Love You.’ I’ll let you decide if he knows that meaning though.)

“Th-Thank you. I-I’ll see if he can make it,” Ladybug tried again, nervous and blushing now for some reason. “I’m sorry, but I g-gotta go now Chat…” her earrings chimed again, “bug out!”

A disappointed Chat Noir made his way back to the school, not really knowing why he had mixed feelings about spending time with his Lady and their new team members that evening. Still, he wouldn’t miss any time that she would give him for the world, even if he had to share it.

[arolla-pine]

No room to swing a Cat? - p.25

(25) – Kagami

“So, now explain yourself!” Marinette smiled coquettishly. “Why were you picking me up as both selves?”

“It wasn’t intentional, believe me!” Adrien admitted. “I just… I just couldn’t keep away from you…” he added and pulled her closer.

“Yeah, right…” she rolled her eyes not believing a word. “Why did you start as Cat Noir, then?” she asked and wrapped her hands around his neck.

He couldn’t miss the opportunity of kissing her again. He had a feeling that when he’d started, he would never stop. That was something new for him, because he’d never felt that way before. Even… Even when he’d dated Kagami…

Suddenly, a thought about his ex-girlfriend made his blood curdle. He broke the kiss and rested his forehead on Marinette’s forehead. For a moment he stayed that way, with his eyes closed, and she was stroking his neck, as if she knew what was happening in his mind.

“Tell me about Kagami…” she whispered.

“Now?!” he jerked his head and looked at her in shock.

“You haven’t yet.” Marinette smiled.

“Now it’s irrelevant…” he shook his head. “A fire-fire method worked faster and more efficiently than in your case.”

“In my case it would be faster if you didn’t make me confused by picking me up as Adrien and as Cat Noir. How did it happen that after months of sitting in your room you chose me to help you instead of Nino who was at hand? Theoretically we hadn’t seen each other for years!”

Adrien glanced at her, uncertain. For a while he was struggling with thought, but finally he sat down in the armchair and pulled her to sit down with him. She sat on his lap and put her legs through the arm of the chair. She leaned her head against the backrest and – watching Adrien carefully – waited for his story.

“On that day I had enough of all this deadlock. I knew overworking on programming was my excuse to stop thinking about losing my time. But that led me to wasting it more and more. Suddenly I realised that it had been like three years of not moving on…”

“So, not months but… years?” Marinette asked in whisper and reached his hair to stroke it softly.

“Seems like that…” he glanced at her, and her heart ached when she saw so much pain in his eyes. “I was sneaking out sometimes as Cat Noir, prowling around… And two weeks ago, somehow… I just came to you. When I saw you on your balcony, I thought it was quite natural to visit you and to ask you for support. We used to be good friends, right?”

Marinette nodded without a word, but she knew that they were so much more for each other. They were partners. And he also was her first love…

“At that moment I thought that maybe if I tell you about my problems, I’d be able to move on… I couldn’t foresee that your house was about to collapse and instead of talking about my life I’ll be saving yours. When I recall that moment, when you told me about collapsing, my heart stops every single time. It was so close… I could lose you and I wouldn’t even know about it! If I didn’t visit you that day, you could…” he stopped suddenly and tears appeared in his eyes.

Marinette smiled tenderly and ruffled his hair. He didn’t know that she could have saved herself on her own. Besides, the danger wasn’t that serious as they thought. The house was still standing…

“But everything had a happy end…” she said softly. “You brought me here and all of you took care of me… However, I was so confused that day…”

“It wasn’t an easy evening for me either. I had to be careful not to blurt out my superhero identity…”

“Oh…” Marinette blushed suddenly when she remembered that dinner. “All those jokes… About kittens… That must have been killing you…”

“Didn’t you see that I stopped eating?” Adrien laughed.

“Oh, Alya was unbearable that evening! She insisted so hard that you should have an opinion on my dating Cat Noir! And all that investigation…”

“At least I have told you my name before the wedding…” he joked, recalling what Marinette had said that evening.

“I don’t remember you proposing…” she muttered.

“You preferred to shack up?”

“Seriously, Cat?”

“Well… that’s what people say about a couple who’s not married but living together, right? But honestly, I’d prefer our kittens weren’t illegitimate.”

“So in hurry to have kids?” she glanced at him suspiciously and it suddenly occurred to her: “Everything to avoid the answer, right?”

“What was the question?”

“About Kagami…”

“You told me that you didn’t want to know what had happened!” he reminded her with reproach, but she only rolled her eyes.

“I don’t want to know details!” she winced. “Probably I’d jump out of the window…”

“I know that feeling…” he muttered, and when she glanced at him, intrigued, he explained: “I wanted to jump out every time you mentioned Luka…”

“You asked!”

“I know. I was a fool. I don’t know why I asked… Maybe to feel worse…”

“Or maybe to help me?” she smiled and put her fingers in his hair, slightly moving between strands. Her eyes followed her palm as if watching a light in his hair was a kind of therapy. “I think that I wouldn’t be the same person if I wasn’t with Luka…”

“Don’t tell me I should thank him!” he winced.

“Are you jealous?” she chuckled and glanced at him. “You should thank him. I wouldn’t be here if I wasn’t with him…”

“And what… What if he came back?” Adrien asked, feeling a knot in his throat.

“Probably he would be happy that I’m happy…” she whispered and continued observing the light in his hair. “I don’t know… Maybe not… Our break up wasn’t amicable.”

“But if he came and begged you to forgive him and…”

“No, Adrien.” she stopped him by putting a finger on his lips. “That’s the ended story. You know… It wasn’t easy but I have forgiven him. I didn’t want to keep that sorrow in my heart. But I’ll never get together with him again. He cheated on me. He broke my heart…”

“I broke your heart too… I betrayed you.” Adrien whispered.

“When?” she was surprised.

“Ladybug, Kagami…”

Marinette hid a smile when she thought that Adrien counted her alter-ego as her own opponent. On the other hand she realised that it was high time to share her big secret with Adrien – as if Tikki sent her a message with a reminder, using a telepathy or a virtual glare. It awakened a hint of anxiety.

“How could you betray me? We were friends, Adrien. We weren’t a couple. All I could do was to support you when your heart decided…”

“I don’t know if my heart decided… Kagami was the first girl that I felt comfortable with. Besides, she gave me a sense of safety. I knew she cared about me, the real me. Not the famous Adrien Agreste, the model, but me, just Adrien… We became friends. She… She kind of domesticated me… Just later…” he hesitated and winced. “I needed some time and some distance to discover how toxic was our relation. When I left for a few weeks I saw our relationship, finally free from her influence. And I realised how possessive and jealous she was. She cut me off from all my friends. I was to be only hers. She was the same like my father. He also wanted to keep me locked in the house, completely isolated. Now I get it why he was so happy seeing me with Kagami. He knew I was protected from the world. And under control. So… When I understood that all, I broke up with her. Immediately after coming back to Paris. God, she was so furious!”

“Oh, I remember…” Marinette sighed. “I didn’t know that akuma was caused by your split. Oh, it was such a tough fight. I was afraid that we wouldn’t defeat her.”

“But… you weren’t there…” he was surprised. “How…?”

“Adrien… I think I should have told you earlier… Uhm… I was there… By your side.”

He glanced at her in shock. So many thoughts crossed his mind, so many memories hit him at the same moment, but he couldn’t believe that two the most important girls in his life turned out to be one…

“Wait…” he muttered.

“Just calm down, Adrien…”

“How can I be calmed down?!”

His reaction surprised her. No expected delight, relief or maybe a hint of disbelief… He kept her in his embraces, on his lap, but looked at her, frowned – as if something was growing inside him, something that was about to explode. And finally it exploded, indeed.

“So, now I get it, at last! Your questions on the rooftop this afternoon and your advice to come to my girlfriend. You knew I was talking about you! And you didn’t tell me anything! No wonder that you kissed me as soon as I get here. I’d already confessed my feelings even though I had no idea I was confessing to you!”

“Let me remind you that I confessed my feelings to you a week ago. And I didn’t know that I was confessing to you either!” Marinette answered back wryly.

“So you decided to pay back?”

“Do you think it was easy to reveal my identity?”

“I do hope it wasn’t. At least I understand finally why you were asking about Ladybug at the beginning…” he said with reproach.

“Why?”

“To make sure I don’t blame you for breaking my heart?”

“Nonsense!” she replied outraged. “I’d rather say that you were questioning me about yourself, hiding under your mask! How will you explain all those allusions to the programmer living next door? Then you came here as Cat Noir, despite taking care of me as Adrien, so you could come normally, in your civilian self… But no! You preferred to ask a million questions about Adrien as if he was a stranger to you…”

The guilt appeared on his face immediately. He glanced at her remorseful.

“I’m not proud of that…” he admitted after a while. “But… After all that… it was so difficult to believe that someone could… you know… so selflessly… and not so possessively… just love me…” he confessed and her heart melted instantly.

“My poor sunshine… And how could I argue with you?”

“See? I’m so pathetic that you even can’t quarrel with me…”

Marinette began stroking his hair, and he hid his face in her neck, as if he needed her comforting him. He hugged her closer and then he looked up. For a while they were staring in each other’s eyes, but at the next moment Adrien muttered something under his breath and kissed her – but not like he’d kissed her before, but passionately, as if he couldn’t express all the feelings suppressed for so long. They were so focused on themselves that they didn’t react neither to short knocking nor to a sudden opening of the door. They broke their kiss when they heard Alya’s:

“Nino, I think I have a heart attack…”

—

No room to swing a Cat? p.24  <-  Previous part |  Next part  ->  No room to swing a Cat? p.26

Start reading from the beginning

[mcheang]

Romeo and Juliet AU

The ending was sad so I included an alternate happy ending.

Basically the Gabriel company detests carbs, and by extension the best bakeries in France. The Dupain-Chengs cannot believe those snobs insulted their bread and actually have such an unhappy strict diet.

Adrien is depressed because Kagami is moving away to Japan. They had never been in an official relationship but there was some flirting. Plus she was one of his few friends.

Nino cheers him up and suggests he sneak away to the Dupain Cheng party where he can break out of his diet.

Rolland informs Marinette he is trying to get her engaged to Luka. Marinette exasperatedly says they are just friends.

Adrien falls in love with Marinette at the masque. She is gorgeous in her Ladybug costume. Marinette feels the same about the dashing stranger in a black cat suit.

The lovebirds are stunned to realize their new love is an enemy.

Adrien sneaks onto Marinette’s balcony where they profess their love for each other and plan to get married.

Unfortunately, after the wedding, Chloe insults Ivan and Mylene. Ivan is enraged. Adrien tried to break up the fight but Ivan pushes Chloe down the stairs, severely injuring her. Angered, Adrien calls the police on Ivan. Because the mayor gets involved, Ivan is sent to jail.

Marinette is horrified at the news, doubt clawing its way to her heart. But she decides to give Adrien the benefit of the doubt. “I shall not speak ill of my Husband.”

Gabriel is worried about his Son and decides to send him off to New York.

Marinette and Adrien are both depressed at this, but do spend their honeymoon together in a hotel.

After Adrien leaves, Rolland happily announces Marinette is now engaged to Luka. Marinette is horrified and protests but Rolland threatens to disown her if she refuses.

Marinette resolves to run away but in the process, is involved in a car accident, sending her into critical condition.

Nino sends Adrien the news but Adrien misinterprets it and thinks Marinette has entered a coma and is dying. He rushes back to Paris.

Inside the hospital, Adrien steals a bottle of sleeping pills. He comes across Luka who asks him to leave. Adrien refuses. After a brief scuffle (Adrien blocked Luka from calling a nurse), Adrien locks Luka in a closet/bathroom.

Adrien’s drinks a fatal dose of sleeping pills in time for Marinette to wake up. Horrified, she watches him die in her arms. Heartbroken; Marinette does what Juliet does (there are syringe needles left by some nurse to inject to her IV)

Her family and Luka enter and are horrified by what they see. Nino explains the situation. Rolland is immensely guilty he forced Marinette to this. Gabriel is regretful he never really knew his Son.

Alternate ending

Marinette calls the nurse and Adrien is saved. Their marriage is made known and Marinette’s parents offer their blessing. Ivan is released from jail. Chloe is forced to apologize.

[munofsilver]

Putting Everything in Place 5

Day five Artist/Muse of @chlonathweek You can read it on Ao3.  

Nathaniel wakes up on his own. Once again a figure is there. "Maybe this time its Queen Bee checking up on me as I asked."

He makes his way to the window and opens it only to find the figure jumping down to greet him. Nathaniel was right it was Queen Bee. "Is something wrong?" She asked acting like she isn't there every night.

"Just seeing if it was you," Nathaniel smiles.

He's happy to see Queen Bee. Since she's here, he's guessing the figure that usually there isn't. "Anything to report?" He has to make sure.

"Just me tonight. Whoever you saw must have seen me and ran off."

That sounds right. Nathaniel and Queen Bee said their goodbye and nights before she flies off. Nathaniel went to sleep while Queen Bee circles around to lands on the roof again. Like she does every night for the past week ever since she found out about Nathaniel's memory dreams.

She usually gets some sleep after her daily visit. Queen Bee leaves when she notices that Nathaniel is awake. Fling off home, so she can detransform, make breakfast, drop Nicole off and visit Nathaniel. Her new morning routine.

Nathaniel was drawing when Chloe came to visit. While she was looking through the window, Dr.Tumbler sneaks up behind her. "He's been drawing a lot more now."

Chloe doesn't speak or look away. Almost like she wants the doctor to leave. Instead, he moves in next to her. "Come with me there is something I want to show you, please," he taps her shoulder so she would look at him.

Chloe takes her attention away from Nathaniel just for a moment and glances at the doctor. With an eye roll, she complies and follows the doctor as he leads her to a different room. As Chloe steps in she notices that all around her she can see drawings and a few painting that Nathaniel has made. The shocked blond can tell they are made by him because it's in his style.

"He's been making art of you a lot lately. It used to be Queen Bee and the other heroes. Mostly Queen Bee. As you can see from the left wall," he points to the left side of the room.

Clearly even with drawings of the other heroes, Queen Bee would be the main focus. She's happy to be Nathaniel's muse again. Even if it's as Queen Bee. Dr.Tumble turns her to the right side of the room, "Now his muse is you."

The happy Mrs. Kurtzberg is bursting with joy, as a tear rolls down her cheek. The right side was full of drawings of Chloe. Some with a small child in her arms. Like she's holding a baby. "I've come with a decision. Next time you visit you can bring Nicole."

Those words are the words Chloe has been waiting for Dr.Tumbler to say for what feels like forever. Another tear fall as she cries with joy, to the point that she hugs Dr.Tumble. "Thank you so much."

He laughs as he gently pushes her off. "I think he knows about his wife, so I gave him his wedding ring back this morning."

"He knows I'm his wife?"

Dr.Tumble shows her the room again, "I think this says it all,"

Chloe now full of smiles enters Nathaniel's room. Right away Nathaniel shows her his hand. "The thing missing from my hand has been returned."

Chloe looks at it like she has never seen it before. Then she takes her usual seat at the table. "I gave it a once over before I put it on. There's a date on it. We've been married for seven years."

"W…..we?" Chloe's eyes widen. 'He really does know!'

Nathaniel takes his usual seat at the table. "Am I right? You're my wife."

Chloe still in shock was able to conform Nathaniel's guess. "Yes," she squeaked. "Did Natalie tell you?"

"Ever since I found out I had a daughter and wife, I had a feeling we are married with a child. You are the only person that visits me every day. Marinette is once a week. Sometimes she would bring Adrien. Alya and Nino have only visited me three times since I've been here. Even though my sister does visit me a lot, not every day."

Today is turning out to be a great so far. Chloe can't wait to bring Nicole over. She would be happy to see her father after four months without him. She's going to surprise him. "How was the night watch?" Nathaniel whispers.

"Nothing to report. I stayed for a bit after you dozed off and went home," Chloe whispers back.

They shared a smile and leaned back in their chairs.

"Did he give you back all your things or just the ring?" "Just the ring for now." "It's a start," they both say.

"Do you want another check tonight?" Chloe lowers her voice.

Nathaniel shakes his head, "Stay home with our daughter. I'll be fine." Nathaniel looks down at the table, "Our daughter. Did anything happened to her during the attack?"

"Sadly yes. She saw you transform. Lucky that's all. Neither of the akumas or Lady Papillon harmed her."

Nathaniel looks worried. Chloe picked up on that. "Don't worry. I'm sure she won't tell anyone. I already had that talk with her."

Nathaniel's smile returns. "Dr.Tumble told me you've been drawing more than usual. I take it you're no longer stuck in an artist block," Chloe tease.

Nathaniel starts to blush, making Chloe laugh. "Don't worry I think it's sweet you like to draw me. Even if it is as Queen Bee."

The blush deepens. Chloe leans in very close to Nathaniel. They are now eye to eye. "I've been wanting to do this for way too long," Chloe smiles.

Then she kisses Nathaniel as she wraps her arms around his neck.

Chloe smiled all the way home. She even bought a sweet, creamy turtle cheesecake. One of her guilty pleasures when she's in a good mood like she is today. "What treat did you bring today?" Asked the babysitter.

"Hello, Adrien would you and Hugo care for some turtle cheesecake?" She places the box on the table. "Then again Hugo might be too young for that. Nicole came here honey!"

The little blond two years old come dashing into the kitchen and hugs her mother. "Hi, Mommy."

Chloe hugs her daughter back and kisses her cheek. "I got a surprise for you. A nice cheesecake. Will you be joining us?" Chloe looks at Adrien.

"A tiny piece for Hugo though," Adrien helps his son into one of the two high chairs.

Chloe cuts the cake into many pieces. Two small ones for the kids. Past two to her friend, so Adrien can take one home for the Mrs. They eat the sweet, creamy, delicious cake while talking like they did back in college when Chloe started to change.

"You should visit Nathaniel sometime. He's getting better," Chloe pours some milk in Nicole's sippy cup and hands it to her.

"If you don't mind watching Hugo, then I can. Unless I go without Marinette," Adrien helps Hugo put his jacket on.

"Do you need her there?"

That is a good question one that Adrien keep in mind all the way home. Chloe, on the other hand, has some good news for her daughter. "Nicole honey I have good news for you. How would you like to see daddy tomorrow?"

The little girl's eye light up. "I see daddy!" She cheers.

"First we have to get you ready. That means a bath tonight." "I like baths." "I know you do. After dinner, it'll be bath time." "Then see daddy?" "That's in the morning."

Chloe was true to her word. After she finished cleaning the table she gave Nicole a bath. After a sweet cute bedtime story Nicole was out, and Chloe goes to bed early. She can't wait to bring Nicole to visit Nathaniel. Early in the morning, Chloe got up made breakfast and got Nicole up.

Once everything and one is ready, Chloe and Nicole left the house. Both are excited as can be. As soon as they got there waiting outside was Dr.Tumble. That made Chloe worried. She has Nicole looking all cute for her visit.

"Hello, Chloe. Don't worry nothing is wrong. I just wanted to meet your daughter. I never got too before. Only saw a picture of her once," Dr.Tumble kneels down and offers his hand to Nicole. "Hello, Nicole. I'm Dr.Tumble. I've been taking care of your father."

Nicole shakes his hand, "Hello."

Chloe enters the room first while Nicole stayed back with Dr.Tumble. "Hello, Nathaniel. I got a surprise for you."

Nathaniel was drawing his muse again. He puts the drawing down looking up at Chloe full of smiles. "A good one I hope."

Chloe opens the door, soon Nicole enters the room. As soon as he sees her, Nathaniel stands up only to fall to his knees, as Nicole runs to her father and the two embraces in a big hug. One that Nathaniel doesn't want to end, he feels like if he did Nicole would disappear. "Hi daddy," Nicole cheers with a smile.

She's happy to see her father again. Nathaniel feels the tears in his eyes. Ever since he found out about Nicole, he's been wanting to see her.

"What is taking so long? Can't you drive any faster," a Chloe in pain yells at her sister in law.

"I'm already going 70. If you want me to go fast. I'll go fast," Natalie steps hard on the gas pedal.

"You don't need to go that fast, Natalie. Everything is going to be fine Chloe," Nathaniel tires to calm down his wife.

Natalie slows down back to 70, while Chloe lets out a scream of pain. "Why does this have to hurt so much?"

"We're here, now you can stop being a drama queen," Natalie whines.

"Natalie I swear I would…"

The opening of the door shuts Chloe up. Soon she's being rushed in the delivery room. nine hours later the sound of a baby cry tells Nathaniel his daughter is here. Chloe doesn't care about crying as she holds her baby for the first time. "You are the best thing to happen to me. I will never stop loving you. You're my everything, and I'm going to give you everything," Chloe says to her crying baby.

Soon the baby stops crying, but Chloe hasn't yet. Even Nathaniel himself has tears. "I can't take all the credit. Your father will be here also. In fact, he helped create you," they both chuckle."Do you want to hold your daughter?"

Nathaniel takes his daughter into his arms. He just smiles at her, right now he has no words for how he feels besides happy and over joy. "She needs a name," Chloe tells him.

Looking into his daughter's eyes, Nathaniel says, "Nicole Kurtzberg."

Nathaniel picks up Nicole, while Chloe pulls up a third chair. Nathaniel places Nicole on the chair then sits next to her, with Chloe on the other side. "I say this is a nice surprise," Nathaniel smiles.

"If you want I can bring her over more often," Chloe starts to dig around in her tote bag.

"That would be nice," Nathaniel rubs Nicole's head.

After digging for a bit, Chloe brings out a little blue box and an envelope. She hands both to Nicole. Nathaniel looks confused, and so does Nicole. Then Chloe brings out a sippy cup and places it on the table. "Mommy?"

Chloe puts her finger on Nicole's lips. "This is a birthday gift your daughter wanted to give to you. Sadly Dr. Tumble said she couldn't. Since now she's able to visit you I thought now you can revise it," Chloe sighs she hated how Dr.Tumble controlled her.

Nicole hands her gift to her father. "I can't believe Dr. Tumble wouldn't let you give me a gift from my own daughter," Nathaniel growls. "You could have said it was from my mom or something."

"I told him the same thing," Chloe shakes her head.

He opens the envelope first. It's a handmade card drawn in crayon. Written in marker in Chloe's handwriting says, "I love you, daddy. Happy birthday. From Nicole."

Then he opens the box. Inside was a red folder. Nathaniel opens it and sees a bunch of drawings in crayon. On the bottom of each drawing written in marker was the name of the picture. Of course, the writing is in Chloe's handwriting. Nathaniel goes through every drawing. "It seems our daughter has picked up your love of drawing."

Nathaniel puts the drawings back in the folder and the folder back in the box. "So it seems," Nathaniel has a bit of pride in his voice.

"Daddy like?" Nicole asked.

Nathaniel hugs his child. "I love them. Thanks for a lovely gift."

Nicole hugs her father back. Not wanting to be left out Chloe joins in the hug. It was a pleasant visit. They would have stayed longer, but it's time for Nicole's nap. "You don't have to go. Nicole can take her nap here," Nathaniel points to the bed in the room.

He doesn't want his family to go yet. Nicole is getting tired; they haven't had lunch yet. "That is tempting, but after her nap, we usually eat lunch."

"That's fine. You can also have lunch here. This place does have a cafeteria."

"I guess we can do that."

Nathaniel gets the bed ready for Nicole. Chloe carries there now sleeping toddler to the bed. Nathaniel takes Nicole and places her under the covers and tucks her in. With a kiss on the forehead, he remembers when his mom would do that when he was younger.

After Chloe gives Nicole her own forehead kiss, the two sit in their usual spots. While Nicole is sleeping, they talk a bit quieter. "Our daughter looks like she's still a baby," Nathaniel glances at his sleeping child.

"That's because Nicole is only two years old. Her birthday was a few months ago." "I missed her birthday. I hope I don't miss her next one." "Her birthday was a few days before in happened. I think you will be there for her next one. You just had a breakthrough. At least to me, you did."

They both seem to agree on that. Chloe wants to talk to Dr. Tumble about seeing if Nathaniel can be released. He seems to be okay with knowing about his family. "You mom's leg is finally healed," Chloe just remember that. "She will be visiting you soon now that she can."

[rosegardentwilight]

Steal My Heart Chapter 4

A03

Summary: Prince Plagg had waited for the day that he could meet his betrothed, but when he does, he is met with a different reaction than he expected. He becomes determined that despite her mistaken assumptions, he will woo and win the Princess's heart. Meanwhile, Prince Adrien finds himself thrust into an adventure after a brief encounter with a thief named Ladybug.

Pairings: Cheesecake and Adrienette. 

A.n.- And the next chapter is up! I want to thank those who are supporting this story, it means the world to me.

Thanks to Blue and Adam for tearing this chapter to pieces and making me put it back together. They push me to write the best story I can for you all.

Alya clutched the potion close to her chest as she neared her house. He said this would cure her sisters of any illness, but until she gave it to them, it was just an empty promise. By the looks of it, things were worsening. The twins tossed and turned, and Alya didn't doubt that they had both had a fever. "Alya?" They chimed in unison. She rushed to their side instantly placing her hand on their forehead. Just as she suspected: fever. Hopefully, she got there just in time.

"Shhh," she hushed. "Save your strength. Drink this." The medicine went down smoothly enough. Now it was time to wait. Alya wandered over the window and glanced down. She was worried. In the time it took Alya to get the money, potion, and come back, she hadn’t heard a word from Mari. If Marinette got caught, surely there would be rumors spread around of the execution. Ladybug’s reputation had scattered throughout Luominen. In this case, no news was good news. No. She couldn't think like that. Marinette couldn't be gone. Alya had to have hope that she was alright.

"Come on Marinette," Alya whispered. "Please be safe." As the night stretched into the early morning, Alya's eyes started to droop close. Fear, worry and anxiousness had wrung her dry as she constantly checked on the twin’s condition to see if the plague deteriorated overnight. They seemed to be better, but until more time passed, it would be impossible to tell. Alya knew that this burden was never meant to be placed on her, but her parents worked day in and day out to cover feeding everyone. Her older sister hadn't been seen in years, so it was up to her to step up and take care of the family. "Alya!" The pair of voices jerk Alya from her sleep. Next thing she knew she was engulfed in hugs from either side. "You're here!" Alya smiled to herself before the three of them burst into giggles. Alya hugged them tighter. She didn't want to think of how close to death they were, but that was a thing of the past. They were alive; that's all that mattered. "You're home!" "Of course, I am! There's no way that I would leave you two behind." Unless it was completely necessary, like in the case of gathering medicine. "You promise?" She gave another squeeze and kissed the top of their heads.

"I promise."

“What will you do?” Adrien’s voice was the first to cut through the silence. “When all this is over,” he added to clarify. His words caught her completely off-guard as they had been walking quietly for a solid twenty minutes. The memory of the water filling her lungs wouldn’t be one she’d be likely to forget soon. Marinette had tried to scream, but it’d only caused her to swallow more water. Despite thrashing to stay above water, there was little hope that anyone would save her. When all was lost and her vision had started to blacken, the one thing she could remember is hearing Adrien’s voice as she drowned in the darkness. I need you. Surely, he couldn’t have meant it outside of the necessity of getting his stuff back. He couldn’t propose to his sure-to-be-stunning Princess back home without it. But then again, if that were the case, why was the air flooded with tension? Why couldn’t they speak more than a few phrases at a time to each other? Why did her stomach start to flutter every time she caught him sneaking a glance her way? And even more so, why did she turn away bashfully and allow the heat to reside in her cheeks? “I—“ The word tipped off her tongue before her brain had a chance to catch up. “I’ve been saving for a while. I want to find my own little plot of land.” “By yourself? Won’t that be lonely?” His questioning tripped her up once more, but she quickly shook off any doubt in her plan. If she was alone, she couldn’t get hurt.

“No more than your arranged marriage.” Marinette was sure that her statement stung, but he was digging into her personal life, and for her sake, she couldn’t let him. After a few more days he would back to his kingdom, forgetting all about this little adventure - and especially her. Being out here in the forest for days on end had made it easy to imagine the possibility of someone like Adrien developing feelings for the likes of — “Now, wait just one minute.” Marinette stopped in her tracks, his sharp tone suddenly skyrocketing her heart. She refused to fall for him. So instead, she pushed any thought that said otherwise down and turned back towards him. Her hand rested on her hip, daring him to continue. To her surprise, he obliged. “I’ll have you know that the marriage to Chloe is my father’s plan for my life, not mine.”

Not she believed a word of it, Adrien was bound to have some say in his marriage. But the man that stood in front of her had rage burning in his eyes and rigid jaw.  

“You can’t know the pressure that I’m under to do what’s best for my Kingdom.” “So, your Kingdom would thrive on a loveless marriage?” Marinette rolled her eyes before taking a seat on a nearby rock. Adrien followed suit on a fallen log across from her, face scrunched and lips in a tight line.

“I can’t expect someone like you to understand.” “Someone like me,” Marinette scoffed. It was only a matter of time before his real thoughts of her showed through. Enough distance couldn’t be placed between them at that moment. She stood up and started to march away. However, she stopped in her tracks when Adrien grabbed her wrist. “No- I didn’t mean it like that.” The contact caused a hitch in her stomach, but it was overtaken by anger. She snatched her hand back. “I think that’s exactly what you meant. At least have the decency to admit it.” “Sometimes I wish I didn’t have my title. Is that what you want to hear? I would give anything to have one day where everything wasn’t planned out for me. I could do what I want without thinking about the consequences for the Kingdom.” He sighed to himself. “I could have a say in who my Queen is without my father’s input.” “You want to be like everyone else?” What a silly request for a crowned Prince. He didn’t have any idea what it would be like to be on the other side of the castle walls. He wouldn’t last a day. “You have a chance to make a difference for your people, and you want to squander it so you can what—fall in love? Relinquish your title? You don’t need it to get your heart broken.” “Is that what happened to you?” He struck a nerve, and she couldn’t hide it. Eyes widening, mouth dropping open against her will, she dashed her eyes away. She could tell she knew he’d misspoken.

“Marinette”-

“His name was Luka. We were in love...once.” He sat back, obviously not expecting her to answer. She was surprised at herself.

“What happened?”

“It doesn’t matter; one day I thought we were going to be together forever, then next he was gone.” “Marinette..” Adrien’s voice trailed off. “I don’t need your pity.” She hadn’t gotten where she was with people pitying her. “Look, it’s getting late, we only have a couple of hours of daylight left. There’s no use in standing around.” With each step she allowed her annoyance to fester. Right, when it seemed that they were taking two steps forward, then something like this happened. She couldn’t get distracted with thoughts of what happened to Luka or what the Prince thought of her. Marinette’s stomach jerked as she dared to look back to see Adrien running his hand through his hair. Why was she so harsh on him, it wasn’t like he knew her past.

She couldn’t turn a blind eye to the fact that the Prince risked his life to save hers not even a couple of hours ago. Once she came to, the only memory burned in her mind was how he’d hugged her so tight.   “Right, it’s getting late,” Adrien muttered.  

When had he caught up to her, but more importantly why hadn’t she heard him coming? Heat traveled from ear to ear, and Marinette wished that Adrien wouldn’t catch her. She turned her head to the side and bit her lip to prevent any explanation she wouldn’t be able to expound upon. Despite their spat, she couldn’t help but hope she wouldn’t deal with the grueling silence.

The Queen had spent the duration of the morning meeting with the cook preparing for the arrival of their company as well as finalizing the details of her daughter’s wedding. Tikki had been clear that she wanted the whole kingdom to be invited. Her mother hadn’t argued with her; it would have been what the King wanted as well. A swell of pride resided in her chest wishing he could have seen this. There would have been numerous conversations around the table with the royalty of Tuho as they watched their kids fall into love. Speaking of her daughter, she needed to discuss the food choices and have Tikki decide what she wanted for the feast. The Queen looked around the courtyard which was the third place she had checked. She sighed; why was her daughter never around when she needed her?

Tikki wandered through the castle in an attempt to find her mother. She had to find her mother to discuss the wedding; after all, three days would fly by faster than she could imagine. She wandered into the throne room only to find it empty- well almost empty. "Looking for someone?" The sound of agonized screaming would be preferred to Duusu's voice. Why couldn't she leave the Kingdom already? It was apparent that she was making no headway in stealing Plagg. The respectable thing would be to know when the battle was lost and concede gracefully. It wasn't like she was here to support the union between them. Tikki had it in mind to have the guards keep her as far away on the day as possible. Her wedding day wouldn't be the best time to let the witch run around and wreak havoc. "Not you," she retorted, folding her arms against her chest. "I don't even know why you're here." "I take offense to that." Duusu placed her hand against her chest in feigned hurt. "I'm here to offer my sincerest wishes." "You can drop the act, Duusu. You're not fooling anyone. Your plan has failed. Plagg has no interest in you." "You seem smug for someone who had no choice in this arrangement. Your parents did all the work when you were a little girl." "What do you mean?" Tikki cocked an eyebrow. Part of her hated falling for the bait that Duusu dangled in front of her. "Oh, didn't they trust you enough to tell you? This whole marriage?" She motioned between Tikki and the door. "It had been planned since you were three." "You're lying." Her parents would have told her—her father would have told her. There were so many opportunities with so many conversations. "You can ask your mother if you don't believe me, but it's widespread knowledge." That made it worse. She was the last one to know if Duusu was speaking the truth. It wouldn't make sense for her to lie about something she could easily ask her mother. "I will." Tikki knew that she shouldn’t run, it meant that she was allowing Duusu to win, but wasn’t one thing her father taught her was to pick her battles? Right now, she couldn’t care less about what he taught her through the years. They knew about this the whole time, and they decided to keep it from her? What was the point? Didn’t they trust her? The distrust upset her more than the arranged marriage, but part of that might have been due to falling head over heels in love with Plagg.

Tears streamed down her face as she ran through the halls wondering where to escape. The outside wall would be nice, although her tears were sure to dim the view. Her room was another option: she could lock herself away not seeing anyone until her anger died down. A pair of arms caught her, stopping her in her tracks. “Tikki, what’s wrong?” If it weren’t for his soothing voice, she wouldn’t have realized her beloved was the one who held her. She clung to him, too upset to reply.

Plagg didn’t question his Princess needing his strength as she held him, clearly upset. What bothered him was if he didn’t know what was wrong? He was unsure if he was in the position to try and fix whatever it was. She would tell him eventually, but for now, he would comfort her the best he could.

A light prodding wouldn’t hurt; at least he had the knowledge that whatever was upsetting her probably didn’t involve him; otherwise, she wouldn’t be in his embrace. “Tikki?” He gently purred outside her ear. “Is there something I can do?”

“Just hold me,” she whispered against his clothes. Plagg obliged, but shortly noticed that her crying was drawing unwanted attention. “My love, how about you go to your room and grab a blanket. We will meet up at the wall in ten minutes and continue this away from prying eyes.” It wasn’t that the servants hadn’t seen them embrace before, but he feared more for any servant that tried to interrupt them. Tikki peeled back just enough for Plagg to see her puffy eyes and evidence of tears. He wished he could kiss all of that away. His fingers threaded through the loose strands of her hair as the other hand cupped her face, his thumb stroking her cheek.

“Alright,” she agreed. “I won’t be long.” “I’ll count the heartbeats until you arrive,” he promised, placing a feather kiss on her forehead.

Tikki didn’t want to let go of her Prince completely, especially after her fight with Duusu. It was for the better until they were alone and she could tell him everything. Although Plagg’s touch calmed her for the time being, Tikki still found herself flustered by the time she got back to her room. Tikki couldn’t understand why her parents had kept this from her in the first place. If nothing else, they could have arranged visits while Plagg was growing up instead of thrusting her into this world now. Despite everything, her feelings towards the Prince hasn’t changed. If he were to know of their betrothal since he was that young, it would explain why he was all too comfortable to spout her praises. Their meeting was a manifestation of what he’d waited for. But why had his parents told him and yet hers didn’t give the same courtesy? Tikki’s gaze snapped up the moment she felt another presence in the door. “Charles? What are you doing here?” She eyed him. “My mother is not here.” “I am here to talk to you.” The request seemed odd; Charles had never come to her about any matter of importance; that’s why he was the royal advisor to the Queen.

"What do you have to tell me?" Her hands grazed over the blanket on her bed before bundling it in her arms. "You must feel the pressure mounting: meeting your beloved Prince’s parents and the wedding around the corner." He poured some water into a goblet and handed it to her with a kind smile. Tikki set down the blanket and took the goblet. Taking a sip, she realized she hadn't even thought about the pleasing Plagg's parents, but it added to the butterflies in her stomach, what if they didn't like her? The alliance was resting on the marriage, and if they called the wedding off- she couldn't think about a life without him. "I hadn't thought about that," she admitted. Not that she needed more things to make her toss and turn at night.

"What if you could make your problems and worries about the Prince go away?" Tikki paused. As lovely as that sounded, it meant she would lose him, and that wasn't an option. She loved him, and that wouldn't change, no matter what obstacle faced them. There were bound to be things that they would face when they were ruling their kingdoms. Tikki knew that they could conquer anything if they encountered it side by side. "But I"— Her voice cut out as her vision began to spin and her knees started to wobble.

“Princess, is everything alright? Are you feeling ill?”

“Oh—oh, it’s nothing; I probably just need some air.” She attempted control over her feet to cross to get the room, but they barely lifted off the floor as if they were lead. Why was the window so far away?

"What- what is happening?"

Her hand flew up to her head to try and stabilize the pounding. Tikki's body hit the floor hard, her voice wanting to scream for help, only for the words to die in her throat. She fought her heavy eyelids. "No hard feelings, your highness." Charles stepped forward to loom over her. "This plan has been in place for years now, and I can't allow you to step in at the last minute to ruin it." The hope of anyone hearing her hoarse cry for help was dying with every second. Thoughts of Plagg flashed in her mind, how she wished that he would come in and save her, but he was on the outside wall waiting.

And she would leave him waiting. Who knows what was in store for her once she passed out: if she woke up at all. Her eyes fluttered closed, and the last thing she could see was her hand reaching for the door. He found that he could only stare at the princess as reality sunk in. What had he done? If the poison didn’t kill her, she would be able to identify him as her attacker. Leaving her out in the open like this was just as dangerous. Charles took Tikki by the arms and dragged her behind the folding partition screen. At least this way she would be out of sight, and it would take longer to find her. Panic and paranoia began to set in. He couldn’t stay here if the Queen found out what he had done; it would be the gallows for him and war across the nations. An idea suddenly hit him: he would ask the Queen for her pardon to leave before Tikki could be discovered. He would flee - and by the time they figured out he was the culprit, he would be long gone. For this plan to work, he would have to act quickly. Without another thought, he bolted out the door.

Pollen walked through the halls unable to keep her lips from tucking back into a smile. Since Prince Plagg came to visit, Tikki's change of mood was quite palpable. She was happier than Pollen had seen in a while. Certainly, it was no doubt who was the source of the Princess's new spirit. Despite being ordered to watch the pair, Pollen had given them their space and only reported back the most important details to the Queen. It was essential to provide the two space to allow love to bloom. Not that they noticed her presence when she did accompany them anyway. Pollen had even caught the exchange of kisses on foreheads, cheeks, and hands. Nothing made her buzz with excitement more than the knowledge that Tikki had found love. With the wedding around the corner, it seemed to only add to her list of responsibilities during the day. She didn't mind, not when it would be worth it to witness such an event. The marriage would even bring about the opportunity to travel if her Lady wished to continue to be served by her. She could see her friends in the neighboring kingdoms and provide Tikki the comfort of home. There was no doubt in her mind that she would follow her Princess no matter where the path took them. Pollen neared the door to Tikki's chambers and noticed it was unlocked and slightly ajar. That was unusual. She was sure she locked it when she left this morning. Her Lady wouldn't leave the door open if she came back early. "Hello? Princess, are you there?"

There was no immediate reply - but Pollen wasn’t worried. There were times in emotional distress that Tikki remained quiet even if Pollen was right next to her. A shiver shot up her spine as she ventured further into the room.

"Princess?" The odds of Tikki leaving her room open and unattended were low. The reality that someone broke in to steal something seemed more believable, but nothing in the room appeared to be touched. Pollen couldn't shake the nervous twist in her stomach, working its way into knots. She rounded the corner with the divider and stopped dead in her tracks.

No. "Tikki?" Pollen dared to venture closer. What was her Lady doing on the floor? The maid’s hand reached out to try and stir her awake, but it was useless. Why wouldn't she wake up? The panic inside her rose to her throat and was released in the form of a scream. Tikki's body didn't move an inch. Shaking the Princess didn't wake her from her slumber. Chills began to crawl over Pollen’s skin.

“Tikki!” The Princess had never been such a heavy sleeper, but as she continued to shake her, there was no response. She needed to get Plagg - he’d know what to do.

Pollen jumped to her feet and raced through the halls.

"Help!"

She raced down the hall, breathless with panic. Pollen rounded the corner, Pollen ran straight into something— or rather someone. "Pollen, what's wrong?" Plagg’s green eyes narrowed in concern. Her breath caught in her chest, keeping her from answering; her mind and thoughts were swirling.

"Ti—” No, she needed to calm down. Tikki depended on her. "Prince Plagg, Something is wrong with Tikki." Plagg’s eyes widened as his tan skin blanched. "What?" "She's not waking up." "Show me."

[miraculousturtle]

to you, i thee wed (chapter eleven)

They didn’t know they were marrying each other until the bride got to the altar. And then panic ensued. Married at First Sight AU.

(AO3//FF.net)

Parts: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11

WC: 5.8K

(yes, this is an update on 06-12-18 lol)

Magic spells weave their way into existence when girls fall in love for the first time. Little threads that flow across years, stitching together from the beginning when thunder sounds and lighting strikes. A soft pitter-patter of rain traps budding love under an umbrella, the sound mimicking the thudding in her chest.

The steady heartbeat under Marinette’s ear years later echoes that same youthful wish, a reassuring reminder that this is all real. Her husband strokes the notches of her spine as they doze through peppered rays of morning sun.

Words have magic, Marinette knows, but to think a startled hello could lead to this is mind boggling.

(I now pronounce you husband and wife.)

Adrien’s voice is rough with sleep. “I’m gonna miss you.”

She smiles against the fabric of his shirt, curling her fingers in the cotton. “It’s only for one day.”

“Yeah,” he says, pulling her closer. “But I like this.”

His arms are heavy and present around her, making her sink into the mattress in her childhood bedroom. She relishes this moment, letting it soak into her bones because there will never be another one quite as perfect. She pecks his shoulder in agreement before cuddling into the twilight of dreams and reality.

Adrien hums with sleepy delight, pushing her closer to memories of young superheroes with destruction and creation at their fingertips. Bright smiles and laughter ring happily in her ears, helping her forget the layers of unrest that are buried inches deep. Yet children grow up as days go by and Ladybug finds herself very much—

alone.

(Her yo-yo grapples with the edge of a building, but she slips mid-swing into nothingness. She falls and falls and falls...)

Marinette jolts awake seconds later, her heart pounding, but Chat Noir is not there to save her.

(Where did you go?)

Adrien hisses in pain, not completely awake, but getting there. He rubs his side with grimace. “You okay?”

(“Whoa. Be careful there, Bug.”)

She sends him an apologetic smile and sneaks a cool hand over his ribs. “Sorry. You ever hear about how your heart goes too slow so your brain freaks out because it thinks you’re dying so it wakes you up? So it makes you have falling dreams to give you a little jumpstart?”

“I’m gonna go with a solid no, but I take it that’s what happened? Your heart rate went too slow? Even with this handsome guy right next to you?”

Marinette giggles and shrugs her shoulders. “I don’t think I would call you handsome.”

“Oh, that’s right,” Adrien muses, his mouth quirking into a lopsided grin. “I’m hot stuff to you. I remember now.”

Marinette shakes her head and affectionately ruffles his hair. “I shouldn’t have told you that.”

“I completely disagree,” her husband says, snatching her hand and placing a kiss on her palm. “I’m glad to have all this blackmail on you.”

“Whatever. Let’s get up. We have a busy day ahead of us.”

Adrien pulls her down and she falls backwards on the bed. “Can’t. I’m broken.”

“Ha! I really think you’re not broken.”

“I feel broken. Brokenhearted that we won’t be able to spend all day together.”

Marinette rolls over and carefully rests her chin on his chest. Adrien grins and hugs her, silently gloating in his own personal victory. A tiny flame strokes her heart, feeding happily on his joy.  

“It’s only for one day, you silly goose.”

“Believe I told you I was cat,” he retorts, unable to be swayed.

Playful exasperation rolls through her, yet she still smiles. “Adrien,” she warns.

“Marinette,” he replies, much the same.

“Gah, Adrien!” she pouts. “You’re making it impossible for me want to leave this bed now.”

“Ah, yes, my evil plans are working. If we stay in bed, then we don’t have to do work things.”

Marinette laughs and squirms out of his grasp. “Okay, but I actually have to do work things today. Like check on my shop and clean my apartment.”

“Your apartment can’t be that bad.”

“Sadly, my apartment is terrible. Pre-wedding disaster and all that,” she says. “Can’t have you over tomorrow when I don’t even remember what the floor looks like.”  

Adrien sighs in defeat. “Yeah, mine is just as bad. Damn. Too bad we can’t live in a hotel or something.” He grins, patting her leg. “Or here! With your nice and fabulous parents!”

Marinette’s eyes go wide before crossing her arms into an x. “Nope! No, no, no,” she says sternly. “We are most definitely apartment hunting like a proper married couple and that’s that.”

She huffs for good measure, catching Adrien’s cheesy grin. She lightly leans into him. “What?”

He laughs and slowly gets up. “Nothing. You just remind me of someone I used to know. She could be very serious and sensible. I really admired that about her growing up.”

“Oh? What happened?”

He shrugs, eyes drifting elsewhere for a moment. “Eh, we fell out of touch when I moved away.” But he leans forward and presses a kiss to her cheek. “But thank you for being the practical partner right now.”

The little flame that rests inside her heart sparks bright as she turns her head and brushes her lips against his. “Should I show you just how practical I can really be?”

He halts for a moment, but then kisses her through his words. “Only if you give a thorough demonstration.”

Marinette smirks as her fingers caresses the side of his neck. “Of course, Professor,” she adds with a dramatic purr.

Adrien sucks in a startled, shuddering breath as she peppers kisses down his jawline and settles on the spot under his ear, and licking lavishly to bite the lobe. His fingers press into the skin underneath her nightshirt, resting precariously on the band of her shorts and the exposed parts of her hips. He moans slightly at the back of his throat as Marinette bites down on his neck.

“I thought,” he gasps, “you weren’t a morning person.”

She kisses the skin she almost bruised. “This morning wood be different if you weren’t here.” she whispers.

Adrien gulps, going still. “Oh.”

Marinette giggles in the crook of his neck and revels in his timidness. Oh, how the tables have turned. She preens as she kisses him again, her pride coming through her smile much to Adrien’s amusement.

“You’re enjoying this way too much,” he says, his voice deeper than usual.

“Mmm hmm,” she hums. “This is kinda my favorite morning pick-me up.”

Adrien laughs breathlessly as he snakes his hands to cradle the base of her neck, his light touch causing goosebumps to prickle at her flesh. Sensing the change in her attitude, he smirks as he kisses her, his tongue tracing the outline of her lips. He nibbles at her lower lip before the velvet of his tongue touches the inside of her mouth.

Marinette moans into the kiss, her face flaming hot as Adrien touches her shoulders and her back, holding her so close that all she can taste is him. She melts into his hold, content to be thoroughly kissed while their shirts rise up and they are skin to skin. Need sparks at this touch and temptations whisper in her ear to seek more.

She clings to him, her hands lost in his hair as she brings him closer, never wanting to let go. Adrien partially lays atop her, his weight a pleasant sensation and she squeals girlishly in delight. Wandering hands travel up the curve of his spine, and he kisses her harder for a brief moment.  

Adrien pulls away panting seconds later, hair disheveled and green eyes bright with want. He smiles, small and tender, touching a part of her soul she didn't know she had, and cups her face. His thumb strokes the apple of her cheek.

They lay in silence, Marinette under his gaze, her world vibrant green with flecks of gold. She swallows as her eyes travel to his swollen mouth, his lips red and gorgeous. He smirks.

“Good morning.”

Marinette blinks before she laughs, her nose wrinkling as she leans to kiss him again. “Good morn—”      

There is a loud knock at the trap door, and both Marinette and Adrien spring apart.

“Marinette! Adrien! Breakfast is ready!”

Adrien’s head whips toward the sound of her mother’s voice, his stomach grumbling.

Marinette laughs and stands, offering her hand. “Come on, hot stuff. Let’s go eat the most important meal of the day.”

Her husband presses his lips to her hand and winks. “It sounds like a date.”

“You’re incorrigible.”

Adrien slowly stands with little help, but joy echoes in his voice. “Hey, you’re the one who willingly married me.”

The tray settles on the coffee table with a quiet thud in her parent’s living room. Freshly dressed and slightly nervous, Marinette and Adrien greet Doctor Laurens for their first marriage counseling meeting. She pours hot, steaming liquid into wintery white mugs without spilling a drop. Crisp aromatic coffee creates a cozy scent that she hopes settles into the appointment.

“Thank you for meeting us at the bakery,” Marinette says.

Adrien hums in agreement, a knife in his hand clinking against the plate as he hands the doctor a piece of dark chocolate cake. “Yeah, no. Thank you. We really appreciate it.”

The doctor laughs, delight etched in her features as she forks a piece of cake in anticipation. “We can have all our meetings here if your parents continue to bake for us. It all smells so good.”

Marinette warms at the praise. “Wait till you taste it. It’s even better.”

Doctor Laurens does as instructed and melts under the taste. Sipping her black coffee, she basks in the generous hospitality. “Oh, the other two are going to be so jealous that I came here today and they didn’t,” she says.

Marinette preens again and pours coffee both for herself and Adrien. Nerves dance under her skin, but so far, she keeps the dark doubts at bay. Playing a good host helps her be brave.

Adrien sighs happily as he takes a bite of his own cake. “Seriously, your family bakes so well.”

Marinette peeks at her husband from the corner of her eye, mug perched at her lips. “Wait until Papa actually bakes. A simple chocolate cake like this? Done in his sleep.”

“And your mom?”

“Ah, Maman creates the most stunning spun sugar creations. She wins a lot of competitions! Really my parents could be executive pastry chefs to the most famous hotels in the world, but they like running a simple and sweet bakery instead,” she says dreamily. “They are by far the sweetest and most humble people I know. I really love them…”

At everyone’s silence, Marinette blinks and blushes at her own rambling. She hastily sips her coffee, but slightly burns her tongue. Adrien rushes to hand her a napkin as some dribbles down her chin.

Doctor Laurens chuckles as she eyes them both, a pleasant smile on her face. Taking reprieve in one bite of cake, she grabs her notebook. Adjusting her glasses on her nose, she focuses on the newlyweds across the table. “Shall we get started?”

Marinette takes a breath and nods. “I think so.”

(She hopes.)

Adrien squeezes her knee in solidarity.

Doctor Laurens leans forward. “First and foremost, my colleagues and I want to apologize for somehow missing the fact that the two of you knew each other before the wedding, but…” she trails off, mouth twisting with mischief. “You two have certainly become the most fascinating outliers in our experiment in more ways than one. And your updates about doing your assignments have been generally positive.”

Adrien lets out a little laugh, rubbing the back of his neck. “Well, um, it really caught us off guard, but...I don’t know...it’s been really nice…” he says, taking a quick glance at Marinette. “Marinette is a very wonderful person to be married to…”

This is the part where Marinette reminds herself to breathe before she forgets how, but her skin is on fire from head to toe from Adrien’s praise and it’s only been a little over a week since they’ve been married and—

(Once upon a time, a little girl used to not like herself at all. She thought she was useless and clumsy and not cool and even though she’s grown up, that little girl still speaks up from time to time, still—

—wishes she’d just get things right.)

“Do you worry that this is all too good to be true?”

Adrien whips toward her direction, his laughter gone. The world becomes purple, doubts outlining her vision and she refuses to look at him right now.  

Doctor Laurens tilts her head to the side. “Oh?”

All eyes on her and Marinette’s heart is ramming in her chest, about to pop out, spilling all her secrets. Tension rolls off her husband in waves and a part of her wishes she could take back the last five seconds, but she won’t.

She can’t.

(Words have magic, she knows, and sometimes curses need to be cast first.)

She swallows, fingers clenched into tight fists. “Yeah,” she whispers. “I really do.”

“Why is that, Marinette?”

The question is expected, but she inwardly flinches. Briefly glancing at her husband, Adrien’s mouth in a firm line. Yet she refuses to back down, her resolve already made. She’s not the same girl she used to be, not afraid of failing.

“What if,” she starts before pausing, carefully chewing on the words she wants to say. “What if we fuck it all up so much we end up in a divorce? What if I fuck it up so badly that we never want to speak to each other again?” she says, gaining momentum. “I married Adrien Agreste, a boy I used to know, and now we’re legally bound to each other? That’s just...that’s just a lot to ask someone.”

Doctor Laurens gaze is calm, her voice simple, without accusation. “But you knew divorce was a possibly when you signed up. You knew that it might not work out.”

“Yeah, I know. It’s just—Adrien’s not a stranger to me. He’s much more important than that for me to treat him like a stranger. And maybe I’m just processing everything still, but I feel if I don’t take this seriously then it’s all going to fall apart and I am terrified—”  

Her words come to a swift halt with a gentle hand atop of hers.

She stutters a gasp, the room coming into focus as green fills her view.

“Hey,” her husband says. “I’m scared too. Just as terrified . Just as scared for the same reasons.” He runs his other hand through his hair, shifting more to face her. “Look, I was ready to walk away from all of this on our wedding day when I came and found you, but then—Marinette,” he pauses, a shy smile peeking through. “I don’t think I’ve told you this, but you were the reason I decided to go through with this.”

“Wh-what? Me?”

Adrien chuckles. “Yes, you. When I was about to call everything off, you just—you were so passionate in that moment when you said you wanted to marry me, there was no way in hell I was going to walk away from such a declaration. I had to, well, I had to marry you,” he says warmly. “If only for a moment, I didn’t want to lose my chance to be your husband.”

Marinette’s heart skips a beat, warmth rushing through her body. There’s a ringing sound squealing from somewhere, but she’s not sure where, until she feels cool tears drip down cheeks as she chokes out a sob and tries to compose herself.

Oh, I’m surprise wailing. Oh dear.

“Marinette? No, no, don’t cry!”

She nods and sucks in deep breath, her chest heaving slightly still, but she’s no longer wailing. She lets out a watery laugh. “Ugh, I’m sorry,” she says. “You just...caught me off guard! And I’m just...really touched,” she laughs again. “Wow, I forgot how wild therapy can be!”

Doctor Laurens hands hands her a tissue packet. “It’s even more intense when there are two people. Do you feel better now? That was quite an emotional display.”

Marinette blushes deep red and turns towards Adrien. “I’m not sure exactly how I feel, but it’s a good weird, to say the least…” She smiles and grabs his hand again. “But, thank you. I don’t know how to respond to that eloquently, but just know I’m glad I married you. I’m just still...processing, I guess?”

His fingers are her tether. “Thank you. Me too. Processing and stuff.”

“And when you came after me, by the way, you’re the reason I didn’t give up. I wanted to. Badly,” she admits. “But you looked very princely chasing after me and well, how can a girl say no to that?”

Adrien laughs. “Good to know then, my princess.”

Marinette pauses at that, a memory in the back of her mind getting caught on the nickname, but she’s not exactly sure why. As she searches for the memory on the tip of her tongue, Doctor Laurens’ voice pulls her out of her thinking.

“I’m really proud of you both,” the doctor says. “I think despite how much the two of you have had to process, I am beyond amazed at how well the both of you are able to keep positive attitudes. Really, that’s the number one reason these marriages fail: they have poor attitudes.”

“Oh?” Adrien asks. “How come?”

“Well,” she explains “It is awfully scary to marry someone you don’t know. While there is only so much trust you can have in us to match you with someone who will compliment you and your values, people are still unpredictable.” Taking a moment to sip her coffee, she continues. “For example, a large reason the two of you were paired was because how much you both focused on equality and being partners in your marriage. But, who knows? Maybe things won’t be so even in practice. After all, have you two talked about what type of place you want to rent in the meantime?”

“It doesn’t matter,” they both say, then laugh.

“As long as it’s a good compromise between work for both of us, I’m sure we can figure something out,” Marinette adds.

Adrien looks at her and nods. “Yeah, and money won’t be an issue, so whatever Marinette wants.”

“Yeah—wait, what?”

“What?”

The mood changes with Marinette’s next sentence. “What do you mean money won’t be an issue?”  

“Um, Marinette? I kinda own a fashion empire?”

“So? That doesn’t mean anything. We still have to budget no matter how much money you have. I don’t want you to—to just pay for everything!”

Sweet feelings gone, Adrien straightens his shoulders. “Not to sound like a douche, but it really isn’t going to make a dent in my wallet.”

“...you still sound like a douche and that doesn’t mean it’s not going to make a dent in mine.”

Adrien huffs. “Okay, fair. But I want to at least pay the rent. That seems like a husbandly thing to do.”

“And while the offer is sweet, I would rather if we could split it because that seems like the modern thing to do.”

“It’s just rent, Marinette,” Adrien argues. “You can pick whatever you like as long as you’re happy. Why won’t you let me do this for you?”

Marinette sighs, suddenly feeling exhausted. “And I do want to be happy, but it doesn’t feel right for you to just all for rent for some fancy-ass apartment.”

“Fancy-ass? What—”

“Okay, okay. Hold on here, you two,” Doctor Laurens interrupts. Rubbing her forehead, she mumbles to herself. “Wow, I did not see money being such an issue for you two.”

Marinette pins her gaze on her. “Why do you say that?”

The doctor sighs. “In the grand scheme of things, Marinette, isn’t it nice to have a partner who can help with the bills while you’re so busy with your business?”

Marinette blinks and forces herself to take a calming breath. “Yes, I do think it’d be nice to have my husband financially support me, but I don’t think it’s appropriate to take advantage of Adrien in the middle of this experiment. Despite that we’re legally married, it’s not like we planned this. It’s not like—” she pauses. “It’s not like we had time to plan a life together since we were never together when we got married. I just don’t think I can take his money.”

“Marinette,” Adrien says, sounding just as tired as she feels. “No one is accusing you of taking my money. Can’t you just at least think about it? About me paying the rent.”

“I…”

Doctor Laurens clears her throat. “Marinette, let me put it this way for you: Adrien paying the rent doesn’t make you less than equals, you see? In a marriage, you share what you have.”

“But—our marriage is still so new!”

The doctor continues, wearing a small smile. “Before we end today’s session, let me offer this suggestion to you both: you are not obligated to take care of each other in a marriage, but do so willingly because you want to. You do not have to do each task fifty-fifty, but instead find a balance in all your tasks to make sure the work is divided as best as it can be in the moment. Sometimes that means you will be the sole provider financially, but you’ll need lots of emotional support. Sometimes you’ll be the sick one and sometimes you’ll be the caretaker. At the end of the day, you are a team, and each thing you do is important. For both of you will always be equal if you work together however you deem fit, okay?”

Marinette nods, tentatively agreeing.

“Okay,” Adrien says, his tone not completely convinced either, but trying.

Doctor Laurens stands and grabs her purse, adjusting the strap on her shoulder. “I think the two of you have some things to think about,” she says cheerily. “Don’t worry about me, I can show myself out. See you both soon for our next appointment!”

Both husband and wife nod and watch wordlessly as she leaves the apartment before the door shuts with a small click.

The buzzing in Adrien’s pocket fills the room. He quietly drags his phone out of his pocket and silences it. There’s a figurative ticking that Marinette can hear as seconds go by, neither saying anything.

“Well—” Adrien says, trying to break the silence, but comes up short.

Marinette swallows and bobs her head. “Yeah...I feel kinda weird now.”

Adrien drops his head to his knees and heaves a large sigh. “Me too, and I have to go….do you...do you want to walk me out?”

Marinette straightens up and nods awkwardly. “Yeah, sure. I’d—that sounds like a good idea.”

They both get up and Adrien grabs his coat off the rack. Shrugging it on, he picks up his packed duffle bag and rocks stiffly on his heels. Marinette takes time with her steps, not exactly sure how to complete this conversation when everything feels a bit...off...now with so many emotions spent between them.

“Well, um, I’ll see you tomorrow? And uh, have a good day at work?”

Adrien smiles tightly, but it doesn’t reach his eyes. His fingers fidget with the strap of his bag across his chest.

“Marinette—”

“—Adrien.”

They both speak at the same time, but interrupt the other. Both shut their mouths immediately and try to encourage their spouse to speak.

“You were saying—”

“No, no—you first.”

Adrien sighs and walks forward, pulling her into a hug. “I’m still—processing whatever that was but, I meant what I said this morning. I’m gonna miss you today.”

Marinette breathes deep and catches the cool scent of his cologne. “Yeah, me too....fights are normal I guess?”

His chest vibrates under her ear. “Very normal, I think.”

“I don’t like it,” she whispers.

Soft lips find her forehead. “Same.”

Marinette looks up at her husband and steps on her tiptoes. “Be safe and come back soon.”

And despite everything, the wide smile on Adrien’s face made things a bit better.

“Will do.”

To: Marinette Dupain-Cheng

From: Emilie A.

Subject: Commission Appointment?

Dear Ms. Dupain-Cheng,

Hello, my name is Emilie. I truly do adore your work. There is such a quiet beauty to your pieces that create a timeless look. I would like to meet in person to commission some unique outfits from you. What is the best way to go about that?

Thank you.

Best,

Emilie

To: Emilie A.

From: Marinette Dupain-Cheng

Subject: Re: Commission Appointment?

Dear Emilie,

Thank you so much for the kind words! I have been developing my style for a long time now and it has finally taken its shape that I am more than happy enough to create.

I would love to meet in person so that you can try on pieces that I have already. We can meet at my store W-F of this week.

Which would be better: a morning or afternoon appointment?

Sincerely,

Marinette

Marinette tucks her phone into her back pocket, a small smile on her face despite her uneasy heart. She rubs the ache out of her shoulder and leans against the counter. Tikki lounges on a little sofa while chewing a stray chocolate chip as if it was a kwami-sized bon bon. The song and dance number of a bollywood movie echo in the kitchen.

Her eyes linger on the golden outfits and upbeat love song in the movie. A beautiful woman and a handsome man play hide and seek but never fully catch the other. Tikki doesn’t need subtitles to understand what it’s saying, so Marinette isn’t exactly sure what is happening in the plot, but it at least sounds fun.

Thoughts drifting back to the recent email, Marinette stretches her back and sighs contentedly. The center of her chest hurts, but she pushes it away.

“At least that’s one good thing,” she mumbles to herself.

Tikki’s antenna moves in her direction and she pauses the movie. “What’s wrong, Marinette? Is it the apartment? I think you’ve made great progress! It wasn’t as bad as I remembered…”

Marinette laughs and picks up one of Tikki’s cookies. “I should take offense to that, but I gotta say, it really helped with you picking up all the stray wrappers you stashed everywhere!”

“I stashed away? Excuse me?!”

Marinette lightly pokes the small god’s forehead. “Uh-huh. You and that big sweet-tooth of yours. I thought I was going to be stepping on candy and cookie wrappers for weeks!”

Tikkie puffs out her cheeks and pouts. “You make it sound like I have a problem.”

“Oh, you definitely have a problem. Full-on sugar addiction. But I think retirement has made some kwami a little lazy,” Marinette sing-songs with a giggle.

Tikki bounces up from her seat and points a little nub at herself. “Lazy?! Me? Lazy!??”

Marinette bites back a grin. “Yes. You.”

Tikki flies up and becomes eye level with her charge. She gestures to herself again, adorably infuriated by Marinette’s claims. Marinette has to remind herself to not laugh as she’s lectured by a creature that fits in the palm of her hand.

“I am a kwami,” Tikki emphasizes. “A being of creation, a god of good luck who has in turn created hundreds of demi-gods spanning eons and yet you dare call me lazy?!” Tikki moves her little nubs, utterly flabbergasted. “Am I getting fat by human standards? Is that the problem?”

Marinette finally breaks and she buries her face in her arms while she laughs. She feels Tikki tug on her hair lightly, whining to tell her what’s going on. When Marinette finally peers up, she is met with one ruffled little god.

She affectionately pets the side of Tikki’s bobblehead. “I’m sorry,” Marinette apologies. Her eyes crinkle at the corners from her smile. “I just love to get you all riled up sometimes. It’s cute~”

Tikki blinks for a moment, but then her face twists with annoyance. Throwing her head back, she groans her displeasure. “Marinette~” she whines. “You know how gullible I can be!”

“Of course I know, oh wise god of creation,” she retorts. “Why do you think I gotta exploit it when I can for….THIS.”

Marinette’s hand dart from her side and she tickles her little god. Tikki’s laughter rings through the air as she begs for mercy, but Marinette is having too much fun.

“All the tickles for Tikki!”

“Ma-Marinette!” Tikkie cries. “You’re too big! No fair! Mercy, mercy!”

After one final onslaught, Marinette relents, giggling at the way Tikki slightly pants from being so winded. She rests her chin in her hand and offers her finger as a truce. “You’re the most important thing in my life, you know?”

Tikki looks at her and hugs her finger. “I love you too, Marinette.”

Marinette whispers her love when she is most comfortable in the quietness of the moment or so she’s been told. She lets her affections fall easily from her lips and from her hands as she appreciates those she cherishes most. In these moments, like after intense laughter or in the wee hours of the morning, her heart thinks more than her brain.

The refrigerator kicks on with a hum, the overhead light buzzing.

“What’s wrong, Marinette?” Tikki asks.

With such a simple statement, the mood veers from silly to serious. Marinette sighs and lets the unease that’s been weighing her shoulders since this morning speak.

“Do you I think I rushed into this whole arranged marriage thing?”

The red kwami gives a small smile. “In my experience, arranged marriages are usually a rushed thing unless you’re a prince or a princess.”

“I don’t know him, Tikki. Like, really know him.” Marinette confesses in the small walls of her home. In her space. In a place she is going to have to give up for thirty days after the end of this week.

Tikki hums thoughtfully. “I think you know him better than you think. And marriage, no matter how well you have known someone, no matter how long you were with them, ends up creating two new people anyway. Like a metamorphosis.

“But,” she adds, booping Marinette on the nose, “the change will be a good thing. I can feel it. Trust me, Ladybug, as you have done for all these years.”

Marinette swallows down tangled emotions and weakly nods. “Okay. I will.”

“Good, because you’re my current favorite Ladybug.”

Marinette scoffs. “I’m your only current Ladybug.”

Looking over at the window, the sun has set and makes her wistful of when she would patrol after doing homework on school nights. An idea strikes her then and she finds it in herself to smile.

“Hey. Do you know what we should do?”

Tikki eyes her, curious at her excited tone. “What?”

Marinette kisses her kwami’s head. “Become Ladybug and remind Paris that their luckiest gal still likes to be seen in the evenings.”

Tikki gasps and beams. “Let’s do it!”

Marinette smirks and says the phrase she didn’t know she missed so much until today.

“Tikki, spots on!”

The transition from autumn to winter leaves Paris chilly, stuck with a sleepiness that covers the city. Lights twinkle like a starry sky, and Ladybug trapezes over rooftops with ease. She knows Paris like an intimate lover, knows her every curve, her every line. Her yo-yo catches on steel beams before she throws herself to fly over streets again.

She can hear the people’s whispers and shouts as they see her rush by, call after her in good cheers and Ladybug feels the weight of her life melt away until she walks on air. The world happily turns this evening and Ladybug is glad to be a part of it.

Peace kisses her skin with tenderness after all these years, but in its touch, a part of her still rings empty. Peacetime follows Ladybug into adulthood without half her heart.

She doesn’t let it hold her down anymore aside from wistful wishing.

("When we defeat Hawkmoth, we should go on a real vacation together. Just you, me, and our kwamis. It'll be perfect!")

Melancholy doesn’t suit red or hope, but in all the new things in her life, Ladybug wishes for a moment she can revel in familiar people and things. Her dream comes back from this morning in which Chat Noir didn’t catch her, but—

—for a split second, she thought she heard his voice.

Loneliness presents in weird ways, she reminds herself and finds herself at their old homebase.

The symbol of Paris greets her without words as Ladybug takes a seat in one of the many steel beams. There is comfort here as she leans against the cool metal, catching glimpses of lovers walking down below, clasped hand in hand. Random reminiscing reminds her of a time when she moved her hand too close to her partner’s and the way her face heated up afterwards. Oh, how that confused her for months afterward, she remembers fondly.  

"Oh, Chat, where are you?" she wonders to the Eiffel Tower. "Can't you come home now?”

Ladybug asks this time and time again and yet, the world never changes. Paris is still Paris as she is still Marinette. Never a sign that her other half will come, never anything, neither a hello nor a goodbye and yet—

The hairs on the back of her neck stand up, as if with one blink her soul knows something is about to change. She swallows as air shifts into something heavy, a little vibration tingling through the metal under her seat.  

"Is there still a home for me to come back to?"

A chill goes down her spine. Her heart sticks in her throat as she peers over her shoulder, and time stands still.

Outlined by moonlight, Chat Noir wears a weak smile. Taller and older, Ladybug knows that smile anywhere, from the curve of his lips to the white of his teeth. Her heart knows even quicker when she tries to stand up, but she can't move.

"Wh-when—" she tries to quip, but everything gets caught on her tongue. "Of course," she rasps.

She's not sure exactly who moves first or how they end up this way, but the relief that sinks into her very bones by his embrace is all she can hold on to in this moment. Her face burrows into his chest and his chin rests atop her head and they cling to each other like every hello and goodbye they've missed over the years.

Every moment, every smile, every—time they didn't say "I love you" and "Be safe" one last time and—

—well, they cry.

(There'll be time to kill him later. He has nine lives for a reason.)

THANK YOU FOR READING.

was there plot in this chapter or what? Dear lord. Much plot. Could I break it up? NO. Not really.

Here is the part where I usually ramble and stuff about my life. Anyway, I have been at my new job for about six months now! Yay! I'm also out of the house 12 hours a day! Not yay! But I am starting a career so yay!

My mom is doing really great! Extra yay! Her health seems to be good and that's awesome.

Um, let's see. I'm also working on a poetry collection for young adults! And coming back to this was a little hard because my brain was like POETRY and writing prose took a little bit to get back into.

I would like to thank my beta readers: @booksfullofme and @princessofharte. They did a great a job!

Thank you so much for all the continued support from kudos, comments, bookmarks, and subs!

Love you!!!!

P.S. Buy Me A Coffee? 

NEXT

[sillyxkittyy]

Writing Prompt Day 12

AU Yeah August- Day 12: Royalty (Adrinette)

Putting the teacups on the platter, Adrien sighed softly. Yet another day at work; another day at being told what to do by people with a higher social class. He didn’t hate his job, really; he couldn’t, really. He’s been doing this practically since he was born.

“Adrien! Please bring the tea!” A feminine voice exclaimed from another room.

“Yes, Queen Sabine” Adrien replied softly, immediately taking the tray and walking to the other room. Being the son of a butler wasn’t that bad; he had been living here his whole life and the King and Queen were actually really nice to him. They always treated him and his father kindly, especially since the death of his mother. How she’d probably be proud of him... plus, he was the princess’ personal butler, and she was probably one of the sweetest people he’s ever met. Walking fast, he arrived in front of the Queen and immediately bowed to her.

“Your Majesty” he said before giving her the cup of tea. The queen smiled.

“Thank you” she nodded in approval. Adrien smiled at her before taking the tray again and walking off in direction of the princess’ room. On his way, he had to avoid and be very careful not to run into one of the queen’s nieces who were running around. Most of the royal couple’s family was sleeping at the castle tonight as tomorrow was the princess’ wedding. Everyone was frenetic and preparing the last minute details, running around the castle. It was almost stressful to watch them. As soon as he arrived in front of the princess’ door, he knocked softly. Over the years, the two of them had come up with their own special knock so she could know whenever it was him at the door. She ordered him to come in and he slowly opened the door. Marinette was sitting on her bed, wearing her sleep robe and she was playing with the ruffles on the bottom of her dress. Adrien put the tray down on her dresser and brought her cup.

“Thank you” she whispered, taking it in her hands. She took a sip.

“Are you okay?” He asked, sitting down next to her. Marinette sighed.

“Not really” she looked up to him. “I don’t want to get married” she admitted.

“What? But you’ve been preparing for this for so long!” He exclaimed, his eyes widened in shock. Marinette smiled sadly.

“That’s true. Doesn’t mean I want to. I’m gonna marry a guy I barely even know! That’s not fair! Why do my parents have to choose my husband, the guy I’m gonna spend the rest of my life with?” Adrien completely understood what she must feel. He would never be in a similar situation but it must really suck for her. He took her hands.

“It’s gonna be okay. I promise” he gave her a reassuring smile. Marinette smiled back.

“Thank you. You really are the best” she replied softly.

“Hey... since this is your last day at doing whatever you want... let’s do something” he proposed. “Come with me” he stood up and walked off quickly, a slight smile on his face. Curious, Marinette followed him, chuckling slightly. She immediately recognized the way to the rooftop, a place they used to go a lot when they were younger. How she missed those moments. They didn’t have much of them ever since the announce of the wedding a few months ago. She absolutely loved spending time with Adrien, her best friend, when she could. He was the only one who understood her, the one person she had in her life for as long as she could. Hopefully when she’ll be married, she can still spend some time with him... What made their little escapade to the rooftop so exciting was the fact that literally no one knew about it and that they almost had to sneak around to get there. As soon as they arrived, Marinette looked up to stare at the stars. They were especially glowing tonight and she found them absolutely beautiful. She noticed from the corner of her eye that Adrien was leaning against the border, looking at the distance. She went to stand beside him.

“You okay?” She was the one who ask this questions as she noticed he looked distracted. Adrien nodded.

“Yeah... yeah I’m fine” he lied. He couldn’t really tell her why he was like this, why he really was upset. He looked over at Marinette, who’s eyes were sparkling beside him. It made him smile. She always made him smile, even when she wasn’t trying. She brightened up his days when they were rough just by her presence by him. With that smile of hers, with her good mood... it was crazy, impossible to love her the way he did, yet here he was. It was a pain, sometimes, to be in love with her. He always knew he would never have a chance with her... but it still hurt a lot. To know that tomorrow, she would be married to some other guy. Some pretty prince who was definitely better than he could ever be. To see her wear a ring that another guy gave her... it stung like the devil, he couldn’t deny it. He didn’t want to ruin her new relationship with his own feelings. He had to be happy for her, no matter what.

“Adrien?” He suddenly heard her say.

“Yeah?”

“You’re gonna be there at my wedding, right?” She asked, a bit nervously. He gave her the softest smile.

“Of course. I’m gonna be sitting in the front row” he promised. “At least if I can” Marinette smiled slightly.

“Good. I don’t think I can handle it if you aren’t there” she admitted. Adrien chuckled and took her hands.

“Don’t worry. I’ll be there if you need me. I always will be” he assured her. Marinette looked down at their hands and back at him. She was suddenly feeling a bit flustered. He was always going to be there for her. He had always been. Whenever she needed a shoulder to cry on, he was there. Whenever she needed company, he was there. Whenever she needed someone to cheer her up, he was there with a joke to crack. He wasn’t just her butler, he was her best friend. And she loved him. Why did she have to seek love with a random guy when the one she wanted was right in front of her? How she wished she could just cancel everything and just be with him... but she couldn’t. He was of a lower class than her and who knew how her family would react if she announced she was in a relationship with her butler... it just couldn’t be, and yet, it didn’t stop her from wanting it. She looked up to him and smiled.

“Thank you. I’m lucky to have you” she spoke softly and sincerely. She squeezed his hands and scooted closer to him. Adrien looked at her with such love in his eyes, Marinette wondered how she had never noticed it before. He loved her just as much.

“I’m lucky to have you too” he replied. “And you wanna know something? Your future husband will be a lucky man to have you as his wife” he added with a small smile. Did he really just say that? She blushed, feeling her heart flutter.

“Aww, Adrien..” she looked at him with a shy smile. “You’re too sweet” she let out an uncontrollable giggle. Their faces were now a few inches from each other. Marinette gulped nervously; she could feel Adrien breathing on her face. Her cheeks were on fire. She noticed that he was staring at her longingly with a cheeky smile on his face. He lifted his hand to play with a strand of hair near her face. She bit her lip.

“Don’t thank me. You know it’s the truth” he whispered. Without them realizing, they were both leaning in closer to each other, and before they knew it, their lips touched. It took them a while to realize that they were kissing, and as soon as they did, they both quickly pulled away. Marinette was immediately freaking out; what was she doing? She was already betrothed with someone, why was she kissing another guy, her butler? If her family learned about this... the worst part? She actually enjoyed it. Now she was just embarrassed. Embarrassed and scared. She looked down at the floor, taking a few steps back. She noticed that Adrien was doing the same.

“I-I should uh- get back down... see if my dad... uh- needs help” he suddenly said nervously, clearing his throat. Marinette was so stunned, she couldn’t answer. She simply nodded her head as a response. She watched Adrien leave and started playing with her hair awkwardly. What was she going to do now? Even though, fortunately, no one knew about this, but how could she marry someone else when she was in love with Adrien, especially after she kissed him? She took a deep breath; she had no choice. She had to face it, whatever the challenges. It’s not like she could avoid it, right?

The next day, Marinette stood in front of the mirror with her wedding dress. She was so nervous, she was actually trembling. Why did she come to this? She bit her lip. Her mother came from behind her, a big smile on her face.

“My daughter is getting married. I’m so proud!” She exclaimed, tears in her eyes. She was going to disappoint her. She was going to disappoint them all. She gave her the best smile she could give.

“Thank you, mom” she replied. She watched as the queen elegantly walked off and felt like crying. Her cousin Bridgette came to see her next. She went in and hugged her excitedly.

“My younger cousin, a real woman now! I sure hope your future husband will be a gentleman. If he does anything wrong to you, you know I’ll break his bones” she warned. Marinette couldn’t help but chuckle.

“I know that. Thanks” she grinned awkwardly. Bridgette walked away as well, jumping in excitement. Marinette started arranging her haircut in an attempt to calm herself down. The closer it got to the wedding, the more nervous she got... suddenly, she heard footsteps from behind her and turned around. There he was. Not her groom, but rather her butler, who was wearing a vary fancy smoking, fancier than usual. He had a big grin on his face. Marinette felt like her heart skipped a beat. It was absolutely wrong, yet she couldn’t help it. She couldn’t stop a smile from growing on her face.

“Look at you, being all fancy” she said with a chuckle. Adrien came closer to her and smiled.

“Me? Did you look at yourself?” Marinette turned around again to look at her reflection and Adrien approached her, hugging her shoulders. “You look splendid” he complimented. The dark haired girl blushed.

“Thank you.” She turned to him. “But I’m still scared”

“I know. But it’s gonna be okay. I’m sure you’re future husband is going to be great” he assured her. Marinette wasn’t reassured though; she was more scared than ever. What if it didn’t work out? What if she didn’t like the guy? She could never feel the spark wth her future husband, no matter how hard she tried, because of what happened last night. She looked at Adrien, with his sweet look and even if he tried to hide it, she could tell that behind that smile hid an inexplicable jealousy and bitterness. Nonetheless, he was helping her get ready, he was supporting her, he was comforting her... suddenly, an idea popped into her head. It was crazy, absolutely crazy. She shouldn’t do it... but she had this crazy urge to. The night before, she had a dream about running away with Adrien that and realized that maybe she was meant to be with him. Why be with some random guy when she already found the right guy? She couldn’t marry someone while dreaming of someone else. She took Adrien by the arm and dragged him in a corner. The blond boy immediately looked at her with confusion. Marinette took a deep breath.

“I can’t do this” she let out.

“Yes, you can. I’m sure you can” Adrien said but the girl shook her head.

“No... no I can’t! I can’t marry that guy! He’s a complete stranger, and I can’t just- marry him when I...” she could feel the tears dwelling her eyes. “... when I love you.” She confessed, looking at him in his eyes. Adrien stood there, a bit shocked. He could feel his heartbeat accelerate. “I love you too, Marinette. I always have” he admitted before sighing. “But... we can’t be together. I want to, but what about your parents? Your status? And my father? No one would approve” he looked in sadness. Marinette took his hand.

“We don’t need their approval” she spoke and Adrien raised an eyebrow. “We can run away” the boy’s eyes widened.

“Run away? Are you serious?” He asked, skeptic.

“Listen... I know this isn’t ideal but... like you said, no one would approve of our relationship. And... I want to be with you” Marinette looked at Adrien, who was pursing his lips in thought. He then smiled nervously.

“Okay. Let’s do it. It might go wrong, and we’ll probably get in trouble, but...” he paused. “Let’s not think about that” he finished. Marinette grinned happily, hiding how nervous she was. Adrien laughed slightly and took her bridal style.

“Let’s go, princess” he exclaimed quietly before running off the door, away from everyone’s judging eyes. They didn’t know where they were going, but they did know that together, they would be happy, no matter what.

[patagoonie]

Dedication

Miraculous fluff month 2018 prompt #5: Dedication

Adrien wants to make Marinette a scarf so he goes looking for some help from the Dupain-Chengs. AO3 | FF

Sabine looks up when she hears the bell at the door ring. Ready to greet a new customer, she puts on her smile and starts “Welcome to Tom &.. Oh! Adrien, hi honey, how are you? ”

“I’m fine Mrs. Cheng, how are you?”

“I’m doing well dear, thank you for asking. What brings you to our fine establishment? Are you looking for Marinette? I’m afraid she just stepped out for a delivery but you are welcome to wait for her upstairs.”

Adrien looks embarrassed, like he is trying to get something off his chest and has no idea how to go about it. Finally, mustering up his courage, he grips his backpack strap and says, “Actually, I wanted to talk to you, if that’s ok?”

Sabine blink, a little taken aback but smiles nonetheless, trying to ease a bit of the anxiety she could feel radiating off of the young man.

“Of course Adrien, what can I do for you?”

Adrien takes a breath and reaches down into his backpack, carefully extracting a familiar looking blue scarf from it.

“You see, Marinette made me this a couple of years ago. I love it, it’s very soft and warm and makes me think of her whenever I use it…” Adrien smiles, stroking the soft yarn of the well used scarf. Sabine remembers when Marinette was making it, she was adamant that it had to be perfect and flawless since it was going to be a present for a ‘special someone’.

“I wanted to ask, ” Adrien continues, “if at all possible, could you teach me to knit?, I really want to make her one but I’m afraid I have no idea how to and… well, Marinette is so amazing I just want her to have something that hopefully makes her smile, the way this one does to me.”

Sabine feels her heart melt a little, this boy really cares for her daughter. She gives him a gentle smile and says “Of course! I’d love to teach you but I’m afraid you’re asking the wrong person.”

Adrien’s expression falls and she rushed to explain, not wanting to make him feel like his request was being denied.

“The person you want is Marinette’s father, Tom”

“Tom?”

“Yes, he is the knitting genius in the family, followed closely by Marinette, I just never picked up the habit, don’t really have the patience for it I’m afraid. Give me one moment, I’ll call him over”

Sabine turns around and looks at her husband, who is doing a remarkable job at pretending to knead a ball of dough. She walks up to him and puts a hand on his shoulder, leaning in to whisper to him “I assume you heard everything, ” he looks a bit sheepish “you want to take over this one?”

“Yes, of course ” he leans down to kiss his wife’s forehead, “Can you keep an eye on the oven? The loaves in there should be ready soon”

Sabine nods, grabs his collar before he can straighten up for a quick kiss of her own then moves further into the back, closer to the oven to look at the timer.

Tom smiles at his wife then turns around, walking to the front of the bakery to stand in front of Adrien.

“So, what’s this about wooing my daughter with a homemade scarf?”

Adrien blushes furiously and starts stammering “It- It’s not like that! I mean, Marinette is amazing a beautiful and I’m thankful she picked me as her boyfriend and I just want to see her smile and make her happy and-”

Tom can’t help but laugh at this, they we’re both so easy to tease, he would miss this awkward teenage years once they were gone. He puts a hand on Adrien’s shoulder to try and stop his rambling “Relax son, I understand.”

Adrien takes a deep breath to try and calm himself then looks up at Tom. “Can you teach me? Please?”

Tom pretends to think, pulling a exaggeratedly serious face while humming “I don’t know.. Do you think you can handle the responsibility, that comes from wielding the knitting needles?”

Adrien smiles, being around Marinette enough that he learned to pick up on the playful tone her father was using.

“Yes! I promise to only use my knitting powers for good”

“Good good, don’t want you to turn around and become one of those yarn bomber rapscallions that are running around Paris lately.” Tom sneaks a quick glance at his wife who is doing her best to hide a mischievous giggle hidden behind her hand.

“No no,I swear I’ll be good!”

Tom smiles and wraps his arm around Adrien and gives him a gentle shake “Alright then, let’s get started, you have a lot to learn!”

Adrien beams up a Tom, barely able to contain his excitement.

Over the course of the next few weeks Adrien starts taking covert knitting lessons at the bakery with Sabine running interference for Marinette.

Tom was a gentle teacher, explaining what he did wrong in detail, taking time to show him how to improve and celebrating his progress.

Slowly, the scarf took shape. Only to be unraveled and remade at the slightest imperfection, Adrien wanted his scarf to be perfect, much like Marinette did when she was making his.

Finally, the scarf was done. It was a lovely shade of pink. Adrien held it in his hands, marveling at the payoff for all his hard work.

“It’s perfect… ” Adrien turns around to look into the proud expression Tom was sporting. “Thank you so much!”

“No, thank you, son, Marinette is going to love it”

“You really think so?” Adrien says excitedly, holding the scarf to his chest.

“Of course! She’s gonna talk about it non-stop, it will make her week when you decide to give it to her” Tom says, patting the young man in the back.

“I hope so!” Adrien looks at his watch and stands up, “I have to go, again, thank you so much I had a lot of fun making this”

Sabine stands up to walk Adrien out while Tom puts away the supplies they had been using. He faintly hears his wife tell Adrien to come visit for diner some other time.

Once everything is back in order Tom turns around to receive his wife at the door with a hug.

Sabine sinks into the hug, they both stand there, enjoying the moment and each others company.

After some time, Tom leans down and asks, “How did the pictures come out?”

Sabine giggles “They came out great, I already added them to the box of memories we’re keeping for their wedding”

Tom smiles, giddy with the prospect of seeing those two, years from now, blushing up to their ears when confronted with the collection of adorable pictures he and his wife had been safekeeping. It would be so good.

I’m trying to participate in @miraculousfluffmonth 2018, I can’t promise to do all the prompts (or that I’ll do them in order) but Imma try my best. Wish me luck!