Vulnerable

14

"It's more like being lazy than getting sick." She laughed. Oh, the morning sickness Mom warned me.

"You were saying earlier that you don't feel comfortable in your own skin. You're the most confident person I know and that's a hard statement to believe." He ran his thumb over the top of her hand. "You're not...really really sick, are you?" he asked, panic in his voice.

"No, I'm not sick, Adrien." She laughed again. Let's see how long I can play with this cat.

"Well, that's a relief." He said. "You're a productive person too."

"Well, I'll have to spend more time taking care of myself in the coming months." she said. Wait, did I give it away? She looked up and saw his confused green eyes. "Adrien?"

Adrien shook his head, trying to process what was said. "I'm a little lost, Mari."

Just tell him! Now is the chance! She quickly looked down to word the right sentence. After all we've been through over the years, I think I should toss him a treat that will trip him up. She looked up at her husband and reached for his free hand. "I have some big news for you, Kitty."

He blushed after hearing that nickname. Haven't heard that in years, he thought.

Right when she was about to tell him, the waiter walked up to the table with a tray of food they ordered. The couple thanked him and watched him walk away from the table.

"Would you like to tell me after we eat?" he asked, smiling at the food her ordered. He pulled his hand back and unraveled the silverware in the napkin.

Marinette nodded and placed a napkin in her lap. "Sure. I can tell you after dinner." She said.

After a few minutes into eating dinner, the couple heard the music duo play from their table. Adrien suggested to go up and watch the performers after their strawberry parfait dessert, to which another idea came to Marinette's head.

"Haha! You have whip cream on your cheek!" the blue haired woman laughed before pecking his cheek.

Adrien laughed with her and held her arm as they walked upstairs to watch the performers. "I'll pay the bill when we're done watching, if that's okay."

"That's perfectly fine." She said, hugging his arm as soon as they reached the top.

They watched the violin and piano duo with a crowd of people who were already eating upstairs. They applaud the duo after a couple songs, but Marinette felt the time was right to tell him.

"Um...Adrien...there was something I was trying to tell you before our food came." She said to catch his attention. She held both of his hands and swung them in the space between them.

"What is it, Marinette?" he asked with a hint of confusion, looking down at her.

Marinette felt the same wave of happiness as earlier, then tried to whisper in his ear. "We're going to have a little Ladybug or a little Chat Noir." She giggled.

Adrien blinked a few times before smiling. "R-Really?!" he asked. "Positive?!"

Marinette nodded and hugged him. "We're going to be parents, Adrien!!" she squealed, then was surprised when her love picked her up.

"This is amazing!" he laughed. he put her down and kissed her lips. "I'm so happy! This is really exciting!!"

"Adrien, I'm home!" Marinette shouted, walking into the living room with Alya. By now, Marinette was showing and she held a special gift bag for her husband. "He's probably in the back room working out." She told Alya.

"The model in him says to work out?" Alya questioned, but shook the thought and grabbed an apple from the kitchen counter. "Relax Mari, you had a long day at the doctor."

"I can't! I'm super excited to tell him what the gender of our baby is! Sorry that I dragged you to work to pick up my gift." Marinette apologized while sitting on the edge of the couch.

"I was always curious about your work." Alya said, sitting on a kitchen stool. "How did you mangaged to keep them quiet about the gift?"

"I may have Mr. Agreste pay them a tiny bit extra." She joked. "They know not to make a pregnant woman mad, I'm guessing."

"So was Mr. Agreste the last one you told about the pregnancy?"

I'm still getting used to the set of words. Pregnant. Pregnancy. Baby. And it's only been 17 weeks. "Yeah, well, Adrien called him when I visited my parents to tell them. I guess there's quite a few parties for the little one." Marinette sighed happily.

"Can't combine them, I see." Alya rolled her eyes. She threw away the apple core and picked up her bag. "I'm glad you asked me and your parents to go to the doctor with you today. We understand if Adrien had to work."

Marinette nodded and smiled. "Thanks for coming along with me. The visits are so nerve wracking that I want more loved ones for support. Adrien already apologized a hundred times this morning."

"Text me how he reacts." Alya said, opening the door. "And don't drool too much over his abs, again, miss Ladybug." She laughed as she walked into the hallway.

Marinette blushed and quickly closed the door. "Ugh, that girl." She grumbled. She mentally pictured what Adrien could be doing and her face turned beat red. Stop it! It was love that got you two this far, not just his body!

"Marinette, are you home?" asked a familiar voice. "Sorry, my music must have been too loud to hear you walk in earlier."

"Adrien!" she squeaked. She quickly walked into the living room to grab the gift bag. She bumped into him in the hallway before she could reach the back room. "S-Sorry." She blushed when she saw his muscles and wet hair as if he just took a shower a moment before. He was wearing his pajama pants and house slippers. She found a hoodie on the floor and handed it to him. Damn you, hormones, she cursed.

"You alright?" he asked, taking and pulling the hoodie over his torso. "I hope you and the baby had a good time at the doctor." He said with a big smile on his face as if he's been waiting all day for the one and only word of the result.

She giggled and nodded. "We're just fine." She said. "I called Alya and my parents to help me stay calm at the doctor. Then I had to go by work to pick up a special present." She said while rocking on her heels.

"Is this the big reveal for me?" he smiled, pointing to the bag. He watched her nod and sit on the couch. He sat next to her and looked like the same excited and smiling teenage boy he was.

"Well, first of all, the baby is healthy and I'm already 17 weeks along. Hard to believe, isn't it?" she asked.

"You still look really cute, in my opinion." He said, sneaking a kiss on her cheek. He heard a giggle and nuzzled her neck. "Can I know the gender now? I'm an impatient cat."

"Okay! Okay! I guess I teased you enough." She said and held up the gift bag.

Adrien sat up and placed the bag between them. He tossed the pink and blue tissue paper aside, at one point throwing it, and looked inside. "an outfit? All I see is a black outfit."

"Take it out...by the hanger, though." She said as she reached in to hand him the small clothes hanger.

He lifted the gift out of the bag and automatically awed. He held a black and red with black dots tutu dress with the words "Daddy's Little Ladybug" embroidered on the top. The red tutu was decorated with black spots. "I-It's a girl!" he nearly shouted. "Did you make the dress, Marinette? It's so tiny and cute!" when he looked up, he saw Marinette take a picture on her phone and laughed.

"I made it a while ago at work when the baby was all I thought about." She said. "We're going to name her Emma Agreste, and she's going to be our little puurincess." She giggled.