Hello I know it's been a while, I'll be honest,I wrote this chapter and rewrote it at least 4 times because I could never be completely satisfied with it . Since this is such an important chapter I might improve it later but for now I decided to post it. I'm sorry for the delay , my dear readers but to make it up to all of you I have a little spoiler at the end
The sun had begun to set, in the process painting what was once blue skies with a lovely soft pink color. Marinette really admired the beauty and the romance of the city. Honestly, she didn't know if it was the magic of living in Paris or the fact she was going on a special date with Adrien but no matter where she looked she saw love and bliss.
It really was the perfect day to go out with her kitty. She was so happy he decided to plan a date for them. Although planning things was usually her territory, she had to hand it to him when it came to the romance department.
Near the Seine and standing outside the wonderful cruise called "Làmour Etterner," the bluenette could hardly believe her kitty had chosen such a wonderful and gorgeous place for their date. With a smile and a sense of intrigue she hopped on board. Once inside she was immediately drawn to a trail of red roses.
Like a ladybug drawn to flowers, Marinette started following the roses knowing they were leading her to her prince.
As she followed the trail, the distinct sound of a single piano started to get louder. As the notes kept being played and replayed, she felt both her feet and heart start to go along with the melody.
Every key played... every rose... every step... combined to make her heart beat faster.
She continued forward in rhythm with the song letting her ears and heart guide her to her kitty. After cruising across the ship, she found herself entering a ballroom.
A smile bloomed on her face as she entered and saw him on the other side.
He looked like a real prince with an elegant black suit and a green tie that perfectly matched his beautiful eyes. His fingers danced across the keys of the piano to set up the mood. The way he smiled and played on the grand white piano was enough to leave the bluenette mesmerized. It was times like this that she had found it hard to believe that the gorgeously wonderful blond in front of her was her boyfriend.
Feeling the way she was looking at him, Adrien almost missed the next note. She was looking at him with so much affection in her gorgeous bluebell eyes that it made it almost impossible to concentrate. With her looking so pretty, the temptation to stop playing, run to her, and hold her in his arms was almost too much for him to take.
Always unable to resist his bugaboo, he peeked once or twice to see her. As she walked to him with tender smiles and an ivory dress, a picture began to form in his mind. He could just imagine her walking down the aisle with that same smile and just being the prettiest bride in the world. Knowing that the bluenette would hopefully be his fiancé by the end of the night made Adrien feel like the luckiest cat in the world.
In perfect synchrony as always, she reached him just as he finished the song.
As soon as the final note was played Adrien finally had the chance to focus all his attention on her. He always called her princess, but on that night and under that light, she looked like a queen to him. Her loose blue hair brushed her shoulders like waves on the ocean and her smile lit up the room more than all the candles combined. The ivory tone of her short white dress made her eyes and her hair stand out.
"My kitty," she whispered, her eyes looking at him with the same admiration he looked at her.
"My princess," he whispered back, making her blush slightly. He loved it when his bug got flustered like that.
Without missing her chance and hoping Adrien wouldn't notice her red cheeks, she kissed him. It wasn't a quick kiss either. In her opinion, a kiss to show him all her love and appreciation could... and should... take all the time in the world.
The blond quickly adjusted to her soft and sweet lips. He proudly admitted that she had given him many types of kisses so far. However, despite how many kisses they had shared, the "Thank you for being the best boyfriend" kiss still remained his favorite.
After the kiss, Marinette stayed in his arms, the place she knew she had always been meant to be.
With the most inviting smile, Adrien asked, "Are you ready for the next surprise?"
She nodded and let him gently take her hand, guiding her into the dining room. The bluenette was impressed as she looked around. The room he took her to had to be the best restaurant she had ever seen. Somehow it was even bigger than the ballroom. It had a huge table with roses and candles... and the food smelled amazing.
It looked like something she had only seen in magazines. As soon as they arrived, the server guided them to the only table and brought out the Hors d'oeuvre... which happened to be her favorite.
She felt her cheeks heat up and glanced from them to him. "How did you know this was my favorite?"
"I can't reveal all my secrets, but I can tell you everything is extra special because I cooked all of the food myself." The proud smirk he gave her was completely Chat Noir, so Marinette didn't know if he was actually being serious.
"You cooked?" she asked incredulously. She had seen Adrien baking but she still didn't think she had seen him actually cook. She figured he would hire the best chef in all of Paris.
Rubbing the back of his neck he admitted, "Of course... I might have had a little help from Sabine and Tom. I know you prefer the taste of homemade food, so instead of hiring a personal chef, I decided to give it a try and cook for us."
It was impressive how well her kitty knew her. She couldn't believe how much effort Adrien had made to cook an entire dinner all by himself. "It must have taken hours preparing everything," she pointed out.
Adrien explained, "You always put so much effort in everything you do. It was the least I could do. I only had to burn it three times before I got the hang of it. I hope you like it."
If someone had told her Adrien would cook for her, Marinette would never have believed it. No matter how it tasted, she was going to love it. To her pleasant surprise, dinner was even better than she could ever have anticipated. Maybe it was a little biased to think it was the best food in the world, but she didn't care. She loved the food almost as much as she loved the chef.
As if the delicious food wasn't already enough. The song that played in the background was her favorite Jagged Stone song. Was there any little detail her kitty hadn't thought of?
During dinner, Adrien sadly found it hard to completely pay attention to Marinette. While he would normally listen carefully to her, even while she talked about fashion and materials, for some reason he found it hard to focus... well, he knew the reason. His brain was stuck worrying if she would say yes? Was dinner good enough? Was the date all even close to enough for her? Was the speech he prepared romantic enough? Wait, did he even remember all the words he wrote?
Marinette noticed he was rubbing the back of his neck and was making his model smile. After being with her kitty and having him as her partner for so long, she learned to pick up on subtle things that most people wouldn't notice about him. She knew exactly when he was giving a genuine smile versus when it was the media smile. It was clear that behind his cool exterior hid a worried cat. She wondered what could possibly have her laid back and relaxed kitty so on the edge, especially on such a special night... that's when it hit her.
Marinette smiled softly. "I know what's going on and why are you so distracted."
"You do?" All color drained from his face.
She took his hand and said what her concern was... and figured was his concern too. "You're nervous about the way your father seemed to have decided everything about our future."
That was definitely on his mind... considering that everyday since they had dinner with Marinette, Gabriel would personally send away many, many, many nannies, bodyguards, and tutors because they apparently weren't good enough. Adrien feared at that rate Kitten would be in college before Gabriel could find a proper nanny.
Despite his high standards, the blond tried to defend his father. "He has good intentions."
Marinette didn't know if she actually believed he had good intentions. According to Lila, the liar, he wanted to use Kitten as a sacrifice. The bluenette knew she was being paranoid about Gabriel, and thinking he could actually be Hawk Moth. Just because he was a complicated man, as the media like to put it, it didn't make him as evil as Paris' worst supervillain.
Besides, the longer she kept that crazy idea in her brain, the longer the real Hawk Moth stayed free. "Then are you worried about Hawk Moth? " Marinette tried again.
"Why would you think that?" he asked.
She sighed, "because we're no closer to capturing him than we were years ago, because he akumatized you, protected Lila..."
While Adrien still held a grudge against Paris' supervillain, he knew better than to let it ruin their night." Hey, can we please focus on us tonight. We still have other nights to go after Hawk Moth and catch him."
Marinette wanted to believe him, but part of her also knew the truth, "it's going to be hard to catch him considering he hasn't done anything in months. What if he's planning something big? For all we know, Lila could have been a distraction. Need I remind you that the Butterfly Miraculous is still missing and that he knows who we are?"
Grabbing her hand, he promised again, "Bugaboo, don't worry. His days of freedom are numbered. He will pay for everything he has done to you, to me, and to Paris. that's a promise."
She really wanted to believe him, however that little part of her still led her to ask, "How can you be so sure?"
He smirked, as if the answer was the simplest in the world, "because, Ladybug always wins against Hawk Moth."
She sighed, "I wish I had your confidence."
He took her hand and admitted, "Marinette you're amazing. I believe in you... and you should too."
Since talking about his father and villains was beginning to give Adrien indigestion, he begged, "Now, can we please not let villains ruin our date? How about we change the topic to something more cheerful? Like the fact you are moving into the mansion."
It was a good thing Marinette didn't have food in her mouth or she might have choked. "I didn't think it was what your father suggested during dinner. But with Lila interrupting, I didn't think it was decided."
"Of all the crazy things he said, that's the one that makes most sense. It would be very helpful in taking care of Kitten. Besides, it would come with the bonus that I could spend so much more time with you and our kitten."
"You really want me to move into the mansion?" she asked again, hoping Adrien would change his mind.
"Yeah, isn't it exciting? Us living together!" He tried again, hoping she would get as thrilled as he was about it.
"Sure..." Of course she loved the idea of being closer, however excited wouldn't be exactly the best word to describe how she felt about moving. Afraid? Nervous? Definitely felt more accurate. Living in the Agreste Mansion under Gabriel's roof didn't seem exactly like a dream. Even if the man wasn't Hawk Moth, that mansion still looked like a prison.
Noticing Marinette's skepticism, Adrien explained, "I promise, that after we adjust to having a baby, we'll definitely get our own place. The money I make modelling is more than enough to take care of you and Kitten... and get a decent house. It's just that, in the beginning, it would be easier if we all lived inside the mansion. I know it's a lot moving to the mansion, but as long as we're together everything will be fine."
His words were enough to convince her. Part of her was still a little terrified, however she knew as long as she had her kitty by her side, she could face anything... whether it was Hawk Moth or Gabriel, she was ready. With a genuine smile she finally agreed, "As long as I'm with you and our kitten, I don't care where we live.''
Adrien couldn't be happier with her answer. After his mother's disappearance, the mansion stopped feeling like home. Honestly, and unexpectedly, he found that feeling again when he hung out with the Dupains, especially Marinette. Knowing that she would be there by his side and make it feel more like a home than a prison was the happiest Adrien had ever been.
With the excitement, he wasn't able to hold it in anymore. It was time to take the next step in their lives. With an innocent expression, he asked, "are you ready for dessert?"
Marinette nodded and he carefully took her hand and guided her to the deck. If the inside of the ship was beautiful, the outside view was amazing.
Marinette couldn't believe how beautiful Paris was. Her smile widened even more when she saw André. The ice cream man was there on the ship, making two delicious looking ice creams. The man was almost a legend that was so hard to find, yet here he was waiting with their ice creams.
His smile was so friendly and kind as he gave them the best dessert ever. "I wish you both a very happy life... for both of you. Might I just say, that of all the combinations of flavors I ever created and matched, I never found a couple who's flavors were so perfect for each other as yours."
After giving Marinette a chocolate and mint ice cream and a blueberry and strawberry to Adrien, the man disappeared downstairs... almost as if by magic.
The blond looked at Marinette, and the whole scene, with a tense and pensive look. Now was the moment. Would she say yes?
While Adrien considered if it was the right time, Marinette took advantage that her kitty was distracted and filled her ice cream spoon and aimed it at the tip of his nose. Luckily, with his cat-like reflexes, he opened his mouth in time to eat it.
"You really are a cat, aren't you?" she asked.
After liking his lips, he offered her a little of his. "I thought you like that about me..."
They continued eating and stealing from each other's ice cream until Marinette noticed the Eiffel Tower in the distance.
With a smile on her face, she walked to the bow in order to see it better.
She could see the stars and the Eiffel Tower. That night, the stars seemed to shine particularly brighter and the Seine sparkled with the lights from the city. It amazed her how she hadn't noticed how beautiful it all was, but then again, she had been distracted with Adrien. But now looking at everything from the skylines to the couples on shore, to the monuments in the distance, she understood why Paris was called the City of Love. She now realized why this made couples kiss and hold hands, and why so many poems and songs were written about the city. It was beautiful, and that made passion flow in the air. It reminded her of all her favorite love stories.
"Did you know we're close to the place where my dad proposed to my mom? I think from here I can see the bridge where he proposed. He bought her an ice cream from Andre's and got down on a knee. He always says the magic of the ice cream kept them together. It might seem silly, but I always wanted a proposal like that."
Marinette leaned a little in a little over the railing to see the spot better. "There's no way to make a better proposal than that," she added... with her mind intoxicated by the beauty and love of Paris.
"Are you sure?" Adrien asked while gently getting on one knee.
Not seeing what he was doing behind her, Marinette instantly freaked out with momentarily having forgotten about the time Chat proposed, but now that she remembered, she was panicking. Why would she say something like that? Talking about proposals. After refusing last time.
She didn't want to pressure him. Even for her, it was painful to remember the time she had to refuse to marry him. Surely it would be even worse for him after she just told him that no one could ever top his father's proposal. He should be so mad that she was so insensitive and made it sound like he could never be that romantic.
He had organized the most perfect and amazing of dates, and she had to find a way to ruin it. The bluenette was certain he hated her. Why did she have to bring it up and talk about proposals? She was dumb, and now he wasn't even saying anything because she hurt his feelings. She had ruined their whole night because of her mouth.
"Your romantic was proposal too... I mean your proposal was romantic and I would have said yes. I wanted to say yes, but there was just the identity thing and also there was kitten... not to mention we weren't even together it was a mess and I wasn't expecting it..." Why didn't he cut her off from her misery and word vomit and say something? Pleading she asked, "Please say something."
When he didn't say anything, Marinette took a deep breath, preparing herself to turn and face him. She expected him to be angry, disappointed, or mad. Luckily, she was surprised to turn around and see a smirk on his lips and an engagement ring in his hand.
Of all the possible scenarios in her head, she didn't expect that one.
With his hands shaking and trying his best to seem calm and sure of himself, he grabbed her hand and began, "Marinette I didn't believe in soulmates until I met you. From the moment we met for the first time when you fell from the sky like a beautiful clumsy angel, I knew you were special. I always knew you were my soulmate, and you always knew I was yours. Even with the secret identities confusing our brains, our hearts always knew we were made for each other. I love your confident and stubborn Ladybug side as much as I love your clumsy and cute Marinette side. Looking at you right now, I see both sides and I wouldn't take one over the other. You're perfect and you make me a better person, a better man, and a better hero. I love you, and if you're not ready to say yes, I'll wait a year, or two, or five, or twenty. You are my best friend, my soulmate, my partner, my better half, and my entire world all wrapped in one. So... My Lady, My Princess, Mother of my Child, Love of My Life, will you make me the happiest cat in the world and marry me?"
Marinette was shaking almost as much as the boat and Adrien. However before she could give an answer, the motion of the waves combined with Adrien's shaking hands were enough for the ring to fall out of his hand, rolling across the deck and straight to the Seine.
The blond watched in horror as the worst thing imaginable happened. He couldn't believe this was another disaster of a proposal.
His first thought, however silly it might've been, was that there was no way she was going to say yes without the ring. The whole evening had been a bust. He no longer had a ring for her. She was going to say no again for sure.
"Yes." Her voice was low because of her nerves but her answer was clear.
"What?" Adrien asked, unsure if he heard her answer correctly.
With a smile that left no question, she answered again, "Yes I'll marry you, silly cat." She almost screamed that time just to make sure he heard her.
"But the ring?" He pointed to the river as if she hadn't seen the embarrassing moment.
She laughed and kissed him. Under the strong influence of her soft lips, Adrien finally relaxed. He had been on the verge of freaking out so many times during the date, but now after hearing the yes, and feeling her passionate kiss, he was happy.
It's worth it to say that this new "I'll marry you, silly kitty" kiss was now his new favorite type of kiss.
With a smile, she explained, "I don't care about the ring. I love you. You're my soulmate, the father of my child, my best friend, and I want nothing more than to be your wife."
"My wife?" He asked, part of him still not believing it.
When she nodded, he did the next logical thing and screamed, "You hear that Paris? I'm marrying Marinette!"
While he screamed, she opened her purse to reveal the bracelet he gave her on her birthday all those years ago.
"You still have that?" he asked, noticing the bracelet she carefully held in her hand.
"It's my favorite piece of jewelry. Now put it on me, silly... since we don't have the ring."
After he gently put the bracelet on her wrist, he pulled his own from his pocket with a smirk. He explained, "it wouldn't be right for me to propose to My Lady without the lucky charm you gave me."
With a smile, she carefully took it out of his hand and tied it around his wrist.
Of course, the next day, Aquacat would swim and find the ring, but for now he would just enjoy the beauty of Paris as he held her hand.
She felt that everything was about to change, like it was the beginning of a new chapter in her life. For once, she wasn't scared of what could happen in the future. She was excited to see where her story went next.
Okay , as I promised here's the spoiler I promised .We still have not seen the end of Hawkmoth . He'll be back . There's also a character from the show I haven't introduce here but am super excited. can you all guess who it will be and why will Hawkmoth be back?