Peter and I walked hand in hand to the nearest taxi station. Even from the other end of the building, I could still hear the annoying shouts from the morons named Lila and Alya. But right now, that didn't matter. Peter called a taxi while I waited patiently on the park bench thinking to myself. 'Hey isn't this easy.' My mind flew back to what Chloe said months ago while we were still in Paris.
"Whatever you do Marinette," Chloe started, I turned towards her. "Don't make bad choices when you fall in love. That one choice you or your partner make could either make or break your relationship." She whispered. "Like mine." She said. I looked at her confused.
"What do you mean?" I asked as my pulse started to quicken.
"I broke it off." She whispered. I held her as she started sobbing. I couldn't believe Chloe broke off her engagement. He hurt her and that was something I wouldn't allow. But I guess that's what love is- a weapon.
I wasn't sure what she meant at the time, but after my relationship with the class, I guess finally realized not everyone will want to stay in your life.
"Marinette, the taxi's here." Peter said getting me out of my daze.
"Right, coming." I gathered my things and walked towards the black taxi.
"Hello! My name is Taylor! Where can I take the two of you today?" Taylor asked enthusiastically.
"The amusement park on Elm Street, please!" I said, matching her excitement.
"Of course!" Taylor pulled the taxi back onto the road and towards the general direction of Elm Street.
I sighed and looked out the window. The buildings, cars, trees, and people passed by in a blur. I smiled warmly as we passed by the hero's monument. I was familiar with the Avengers but I still had many questions. My eyes stopped on the bronze Spiderman statue. I'm not sure what it was, but something seemed familiar. I shook my head. 'That's impossible. I've barely met anyone yet.' I reasoned to myself, but I still couldn't shake the feeling of doubt sewn into my mind.
"We're here!" Taylor exclaimed as the car came to a gentle stop.
Peter reached for his wallet while I glared at him.
"I'll make you a deal," he started. "I'll pay for the taxi and you can pay for the tickets." I stopped for a second.
"Fine." I gave in. Peter got out his wallet smugly and paid the fare plus a tip.
"Thank you! Have a wonderful day!" Taylor waved goodbye. Peter and I both waved as the black taxi pulled back onto the road and towards the highway.
We turned to face the amusement park. It was a very large area all sectioned out for the different amusements the park had to offer. We walked under the large sign saying "The Big Apple Amusement Park" to a red box ticket booth.
"Hello! How many tickets?" The employee questioned.
"Two please!" I answered. The clerk rummaged through a few papers on his desk. During this time I didn't notice Peter, once again, getting out his wallet. He pulled the exact amount of cash needed, so when the attendant handed us two tickets, Peter gave the money before I could even say 'thank you'.
"Thanks." Peter said whilst grabbing the tickets. He pulled me over to the nearest available bench.
"What was that?" I said angrily.
"That was a thank you." Peter replied smugly. I looked at him like he was crazy. "For the interview, for Alya's name, for being nice, and for the opportunity to threaten someone with dad's name. I don't know why but it felt good." Peter explained causing me to laugh.
"Okay fine. You're forgiven," I paused. "but I am paying for the food and games. End of discussion." I finished. Peter sighed dramatically and got up from the bench to stand in front of me.
"Fine, whatever you wish, Lady Marinette." He replied with a bow. I giggled and dragged him over to a milk bottle toss stand.
I gave the stand owner a ten dollar bill so both of us could play. Peter stepped up first. He aimed at the metal bottles and over exaggerated the throwing part making us laugh. This method was surprisingly effective because he knocked all of the bottles down on his first try.
"Congratulations, you can pick from either the plushies or the bags." The employee said unenthusiastically. I eyed a red cat with green eyes and black spots. It would be the perfect plushie to tease Plagg and Tikki with. It looked like a mix of them both- their child... Peter followed my gaze to the plushie and pointed at it for the owner to see. He grabbed the plush and handed it to Peter who then handed it to me.
"Aw! Thanks, Peter." I awed. Peter stepped down and let me step up to the marked spot on the ground. I picked up a baseball and threw it at the three bottles. I knocked down the top bottle and the bottle to the right leaving the left for my second, and final, attempt. I sighed and heaved the final ball at the standing bottle. It fell to the ground with a satisfying thunk.
"Congratulations, you can pick from the keychains or the bags." He pointed to the display behind him. I looked over at Peter to ask what he wants when I saw him staring at the Spiderman keychain. 'Must be a fan,' I thought.
"The Spiderman keychain, please." I ordered. He took the keychain and handed it to me which I then handed to Peter.
"You didn't have to get me that." Peter said frowning.
"You got me the plushie, so it was only fair." I explained, causing him to roll his gorgeous, hazel eyes.
Even if we can't find heaven,
"Fine." He conceded. He looked behind me and his eyes lit up. "Wow. They have a Ferris Wheel here!" He exclaimed.
"What's a Ferris Wheel?" I asked. He looked at me like he just saw a ghost.
"You've never been on a Ferris Wheel?" Peter asked, horrified.
"No?" I asked, still not understanding why he was so alarmed.
"Let's go." Peter said. He pulled me towards the semi-long line for the ride. "I still can't believe you've never been on a Ferris Wheel. Who's never been on a Ferris Wheel? I don't know anyone! It's a Ferris Wheel!..." Peter ranted. "Next you're going to say you've never had funnel cake." Peter said sarcastically. He looked at my blank expression. "Not even funnel cake?" Peter ranted once more, and I giggled. "You know what. I'll be right back." And just like that, Peter left.
I stared at the large wheel standing in front of me. It's steel bars reflected the sun blinding anyone who tried to look at it. It seemed like a death trap waiting to happen. It went really slowly which only solidified my thoughts. I looked at the very top. The top was at least four stories high. I gulped down my fears as Peter came back into view with one funnel cake. I stepped up to the attendant's booths just as Peter caught up to me.
"Hi!" I greeted. He greeted me back and turned to the attendant working there.
"Hello!" Peter said cheerfully.
"Okay! Unfortunately- well, fortunately for you, the party behind you is a party of six, and it's six people per capsule. So, you have the option of going alone, or with the people behind he party of six." Peter and I looked at each other and laughed.
"We'll go alone." Peter said. The attendant smiled and led us to a bright red capsule.
"Have fun!" She said.
We sat down and the observation capsule started to move. Peter handed me a fork and a knife while he kept the cake and another fork. I cut up the funnel cake and forked a piece with my wooden, biodegradable fork. I gently placed it into my mouth and let the flavors sink in.
Heaven,
If I said funnel cake was delicious, that would be a huge understatement! It was the most mouthwatering, savory, scrumptious fried food I have ever tasted. The flavors of sweet and salt worked together in perfect harmony even as they were being chewed up. The flavors still stayed together.
Heaven,
Apart, the sweetness came from the powdered sugar atop. It was the fluffy kind of sugar where it melts your heart instantly. But some people don't like sugar, they prefer lemons.
Lemons are disguised as a fruit. Looking at it, without the knowledge of its flavor, one may think it's sweet when in reality, only the rind is. The inside is sour. It leaves a bitter taste in your mouth as you silently wish you never fell for the lies of a lemon.
The actual fried cake part was great on its own. It was distinct in a way of flavor. Unlike a lemon, the name is deceiving. When one thinks of cake, they think of sugar- mostly. But when you bite down on the deliciousness of the funnel cake, it gives you a whole different perspective of the dessert. It gave a new but amazing feeling. I just wanted more of it.
"How is it?" Peter asked eagerly, snapping me out of my thoughts.
Heaven,
"Flavorful. Amazing. Heavenly. AMAZING!" I replied like a psychopath. He chuckled at my crazy antics.
"I knew you'd like it." He said smugly.
"Ah of course. You know me so well, especially when you met me only a couple of days ago." I said sarcastically. Peter beamed.
"You know it-" Before Peter could finish his sentence, the ride stopped.
My eyes widened, and my breathing quickened. We were almost to the highest point of the wheel, so we were left a wonderful view of the high rise buildings.
"Hands put your empty hands in mine. And scars show me all the scars you hide? And hey, if your wings are broken. Please take mine 'til yours can open too. 'Cause I'm gonna stand by you." Peter gave my hand a comforting squeeze. "Don't worry. I'm sure they will call maintenance and get the ride to work, or get us all out." He looked at my dubious expression. "How about, in the mean time, you tell me about yourself." I giggled slightly and let the moment be as cliche as Peter wanted.
"Fine." I smirked. "But your next."
"Deal." He said.
We sat for a few hours munching on our funnel cake and talking about our lives. Peter now knew everything about me- besides the fact that I'm ladybug, and I now knew almost everything about Peter- I'm sure he kept some things a secret, everyone does. After what felt like half an hour when it was actually 3 hours, the maintenance crew started evacuating people from each capsule. I guess they realized it'll take a while to fix, so they'd have to take everyone out. When it was our turn, Peter climbed out first onto the very high set of portable stairs the crew set up for us. He turned around and offered me his hand.
"Thank you!" I smiled and took his hand. Peter held my hand to steady me until we got back to the solid ground.
"Sorry about the wait. As an apology from the Big Apple Amusement Park, we are giving you these free tickets for the cotton candy stand and the caramel apple stand. And we are paying for your taxi home if needed." The head crew said to us in a bored manner as he handed us six tickets. "Just go to the taxi station right there," He pointed to a short line near the exit. "Show the people working there this ticket," He gave us both another ticket. "And they'll let you skip the line and go into the next upcoming taxi, and they'll pay the fare." He finished gruffly.
"Okay, thanks!" I thanked him, and we walked towards the caramel apple stand to make use of our tickets.
After an hour or so, when the sun started setting, we went to the taxi line. And showed our tickets to the attendant there. She was much nicer and let us in the next taxi that pulled up. We showed our tickets to the driver and he took the ticket and drove back to hotel. I assumed the same happened with Peter, but before I left, he offered to walk me to my room, again. By then, it was full on night time, and the moon was high above us.
"Can I just walk her to her room? I'll pay you if you stay here?" Peter asked the driver. I tried to protest saying I was fine, but the driver insisted on waiting here for free. We thanked him and Peter and I walked arm in arm to my shared room.
"Thank you for an amazing afternoon and night." I said gratefully.
"It was really fun, thanks for coming with me." He responded. I went up on my tippy toes and gently places a light kiss on Peter's cheek which made both of us blush a light red.
"Good night!" I said softly.
"Good night, Marinette." He said. I closed the door and rested my head on it until I knew he'd left. Then I screamed.
"Chloeee!" I yelled.
"Yes yes! What? Ooh! How was the date! Aw! You two are such a cute couple! I bet you kissed him already!" She saw the remains of the blush on my face. "Eee! You did! Aw!" She paused. "Make sure to be careful, Mari. You're my sister, and I don't want to see you hurt. If he hurts you Dme Miel's wrath will fall upon him." Chloe said and clenched her fists.
"Don't work Chlo. I'm sure he's not the type to do it on purpose." I said. Before Chloe could say a word, my phone buzzed. I opened it and saw it was from Peter.
Peter: Hey! Sorry, I wasn't sure if you're awake.
Me: No It's okay! What's up?
Peter: Did you want to go to the Hero Museum with me this weekend?
I paused. I really wanted to, but Chloe and I planned to look at houses this weekend.
Peter: If not that's fine.
Peter: You don't have to.
Peter: If you don't want to I mean. If you do then we can. But if you don't then that's okay, too.
Me: No, I want to, but Chloe and I are looking for houses this weekend.
"We can just look at a few instead? There's no rush." Chloe said sneaking up behind me.
"You know it's rude to invade someone's personal messages." I rolled my eyes.
Me: Actually, Chloe said it's fine. So will I be meeting you there? And what time?
Peter: Yes, and 11am Saturday. See you there! Goodnight!
Me: Goodnight!
Finally. The day I've been waiting for! It's Saturday!
"Marinette, I made you some of your famous croissants. They're on the counter as well as some promising houses in the downtown area. Ooh you look cute Mari!" She complimented. I sported a collared, white blouse, a cargo skirt, a black waist corset, a leather jacket, black leather boots, and rectangle framed sunglasses.
"Thank you! Is it too much? Should I keep the jacket? Should I get rid of the corset? How about the boots? I don't know..." I ranted
"Mari, it's cute! I like it! Keep the jacket and the corset. The boots are cute as well! But keep the sunglasses on your head when your inside. Like me." Chloe flipped her hair.
"Thanks, Chlo!" I hugged her and went to the kitchen to look at the houses and to eat croissants.
"Wow, Chloe! These houses all look amazing!" I praised.
"Thanks! I shuffled through all the acceptable houses/flats in the area and these three stood out to me the most."
There were three pieces of paper on the counter. On the left was a two story fairy cottage with ivy growing along a trellis on the front of the house. It had three bedrooms and four bathrooms, as well as a living room, kitchen, an old servants quarters-which I could turn into a sewing room, and garden.
The middle one was a grey Victorian styled house, it had four bedrooms, six bathrooms, two living rooms, a cinema, a gym, a sewing room, an office, and a pool, all on 3 stories and an added basement.
The right one was a spacious apartment flat. It was 2 stories with the kitchen, living room, laundry room, master bedroom, master bathroom, dining room, and office on the first floor. On the second floor there were four bedrooms- one can easily be a sewing room, a gym, a cinema, and two bathrooms as well as a hot tub on the balcony.
"It's really hard to choose, but the one on the left is too small."
"Yeah, I was thinking the same thing." Chloe swiped away the left paper into the recycling bin.
"And..." I paused. "The one on the right is too big, we'll never use all that space."
"Yeah, I agree with you." Chloe said as she swiped away the right paper into the recycling bin. "So you agree with the middle one?" Chloe asked.
"Yup! It's perfect."
"Okay, I'll call the realtor to make an offer." Chloe packed her things and left out the door. A few minutes later, I followed her actions.
I hailed a taxi to take me to the Superhero Museum. When I got there, I was amazed at the size of the building. It was an Athenian styled building with tall pillars and a triangular roof. At the front was another bronze statue of the avengers. I walked up the large stone steps to the entrance of the museum. I show my ticket to the person working there, and I enter the main room. When I enter, I see Peter already there.
"Hi! Sorry, did I make you wait?" I asked.
"No, I got here like five minutes ago, your fine."
"Thank you." I smirked as his face turned red. Peter stuttered while I just laughed and dragged him to the next room.
"Hey Peter?" He hummed. "Are there usually this many bodyguards here?" I asked while eyeing the men and women in black suits and sunglasses.
"No. Maybe they had a bomb threat or something. But don't worry, we're fine." Peter pointed to a sign. "Hey! There's an international hero exhibit. Maybe they'll have the heros you had in Paris?" Peter said, taking my mind off the bomb threat.
"Oh yeah! We had a whole team, but something happened so now we only have two: Ladybug and Dme Miel." I ranted on many close battles but we always won. "You have the Avengers here, don't you?" I asked.
"Yup! Who's your favorite?"
"Um... Spiderman, I guess." Peter looked at me questioningly. "Well, he saves people even though many people hate him. That's an admirable thing to do. Still save the lives of people who hate you..." I trailed off at the end as I realize that's what I've been doing. I've been saving Paris even though most of Paris hates me.
"I get that." Peter said with a hint of blush on his cheeks. "So you want to go to that exhibit first?" I nodded.
"Lead the way!" I said, boldly grabbing Peter's hand. We walked in and I went straight to the Shanghai part. I saw Lady Dragon's beautiful statue. The artifacts displayed were incredible! They had many photos of her in her many forms, facts on her first appearance, and a replication of her miraculous.
"Been to Shanghai?" Peter asked.
"Yeah! I went to give my Uncle his gift." I explained "And to run away from a certain class." I mumbled. I didn't think Peter heard me, but he asked.
"Lila and Alya?"
"Yeah. Lila lied to my class, and most of Paris, so they all hate me. Well, except for Chloe and a few others, of course." I said. He frowned, but he could tell I didn't want to talk about it.
"Okay. Tell me more about Lady Dragon. She looks interesting." Peter said, eyeing her costume. I smiled.
"Well, it all started when I met F-Lady Dragon and I uh," I looked at Peter, hoping he didn't notice my slip up. He did.
"Wait, so you know who Lady Dragon is?" Peter asked.
"I uh-" I racked my brain for an excuse, but I found nothing.
"Actually, don't tell me. It's fine. She probably asked you to keep it a secret, and I respect that." Peter smiled.
"Thank you." I said sincerely. I dragged him over to the Paris exhibit. It featured me, of course, as a wax figure. It looked so life-like! My statue was next to some newspaper headlines about deadly akumas and some about how heros weren't showing up anymore. It also featured my miraculous, but fake obviously. Next to me was Dme Miel, a.k.a. Chloe. She had also had her miraculous shown, and a wax figure, but this time, instead of newspaper headlines the papers showed her autograph. Classic Chloe.
"Wow." Peter stared in awe.
"I know. Sometimes it doesn't even feel real to me." I said talking about how I take down criminals.
"Yeah." Peter said in the same manner even though he isn't a superhero.
"There used to be other miraculous holders as well like: Rena Rouge," I said with obvious distaste. "Carapace, Viperion, Pegasus, Roi Singe, MultiMouse and Cha-"
"Chat Noir." A new voice said coming from the doorway. I turned to see who the somewhat familiar voice belonged to.
"Hi Mari. Did you miss me?" He asked cockily. I folded my arms.
"No." I said coldly. In the doorway were Gabriel and Adrien Agreste. That's why there were bodyguards everywhere! Two dumb celebrities were visiting!
"Mari, who's that?" Adrien said angrily while pointing to Peter.
"H-" I started.
"I'm Peter, Marinette's boyfriend." Peter lied.
"What!" Adrien asked outraged.
"Yeah, so what?" I asked getting the plan.
"Mari, you can't be serious. You're choosing him," Adrien said with such distaste. "Over me!? A supermodel! Someone you knew for years! Someone famous! I've got everything! Good looks, great personality, smart, rich, a father who could start your business, and, if I haven't said it already, Good Looks!!!" Adrien ranted. "Not to mention, I was also a superhero. Chat Noir to be exact." He added smugly. "I don't see lover boy over here having any of that."
"Y-You were Chat Noir?" Mr. Agreste stuttered. Adrien nodded while Gabriel smirked. Thinking he won me over, Adrien came closer to me. He was about to put a hand on my shoulder when I backed up into Peter's arms.
"Touch me Agreste and I'll have you sued before you can try on your daddy's next outfit." I threatened coldly.
"W-What?" He asked. Gabriel stepped forward.
"Excuse me, Miss. Do you know who we are?" Gabriel said with slight sass.
"Yeah, I kinda said your last name just now. Honestly! The stupidity of people." I responded coldly. A cold smile spread on Gabriel's face.
"Good. Then you know what our family can do to you. We can have you sued for no reason. We have good lawyers. They'll make our case stronger. Your lives will be ruined." Gabriel threatened. I scoffed.
"What family? Last time I checked, it's just you and your son- who you push away?" I scoffed louder.
"And why would I do that?" He prodded.
"Because after your wife mysteriously left, you terrorized the city to get two pieces of jewelry to bring her back. And you think after that, everything will be all sunshine and rainbows for your family while the rest of Paris will be in ruin. Am I right?" I asked with exaggerated hand motions. Both of the Agreste's froze.
"That is an outrageous accusation young lady. Especially because that statement is of the utmost false." Gabriel outraged. He threw down his hands which made his appearance more disheveled which, unknowingly to him, gave Peter and I a direct view of a purple butterfly pin resting behind his candy cane patterned ascot tie.
"Are you sure about that, Hawkmoth?" I said and pointed to the pin. Gabriel was quick to cover the pin up, not before everyone in the room saw it.
"And what are you going to do about it? No one will believe a teen wannabe fashion designer over a respectable designer." So that's where Adrien gets his stupidness from.
"Maybe not, but they'll believe the security cameras." I smirked and pointed to the four cameras placed in each corner of the rectangular-shaped room.
"I-I'll sue you before you could say anything!" Gabriel said getting nervous.
"On what grounds?" I raised an eyebrow.
"On-On... What would you sue me for then?" He said smugly.
"Class A Assault Conviction for threatening, Attempted Assault for Adrien trying to grab my shoulder, Threatening Defamation of Character, Threats of Libel, Threats of Slander, Emotional Distress Damages, and Class C Misdemeanor charges. Which just those, that'll land you, Gabriel, at least two years in prison and thousands of dollars. And before you start talking about evidence, may I remind you about the security camera's."
"Make those charges tripled. Me and my step father will also send our lawyers."
"What's he going to do? You two, like my son said, are nothing."
"Are we seriously going over this again!" Peter asked me excitedly.
"Yes, use his name as much as you want." I waved him off. Peter chuckled evilly.
"I'm sorry," Peter started, making the Agreste boys smirk as if they won. "I didn't mention how I'm Tony Stark's adoptive son. My bad. So not only will you getting lawsuits from MDC, you will also be receiving lawsuits from the Iron Man and his son." After hearing this, Adrien and Gabriel's blood ran cold.
"Y-You wouldn't dare." Adrien spoke up.
"I already called while Marinette was explaining the charges you could face." Gabriel was about to retort when his phone rang.
"Hello Nathalie." He listened while Peter and I smirked. "I see... If I go to jail, what about Adrien... I see... Fine I will. Goodbye." He hung up. "What will it take to remove the charges?" He asked trying to cover up his desperation.
"The miraculous and I won't tell everyone who you are. Both of them." I stated.
"Fine. What about the other charges?" He asked taking out the pins.
"I can't help you with those."
"Fine. Here." He threw the precious miraculous over to me. When I put them on, out came Duusu and Nooroo. I nodded to them and took the pins off. "Okay. Paris won't know who you are, but the pins are going back to Ladybug." I nodded at him, and we left through the other exit.
As soon as we were out of ear shot, I pressed myself against the wall and sunk to the floor. I started to weep my eyes out. Peter understood, so he sat down next to me and placed a comforting arm on my shoulder. Before I knew it, I was telling him about how I was Ladybug and Chloe was Dme Miel and how we've been fighting Gabriel for years.
"It's okay Marinette. Just know that I'm going to stand by you." Peter looked at my tear-stained face. "Oh, tears make kaleidoscopes in your eyes. And hurt, I know you're hurting but so am I. And love, if your wings are broken. Borrow mine so yours can open too." I looked up at him with a broken smile. "'Cause I'm gonna stand by you."
Peter: Hi
Me: Hello!
Peter: So long story short- my aunt wants to meet you.
Me: Okay! What about you adoptive dad? I thought you were adopted by Tony Stark because your parents passed.
I eagerly bit my lip. I was hoping I didn't cross the line by mentioning his parents.
Peter: Nah. Tony adopted me because my aunt was diagnosed with cancer, but she didn't want to overwhelm me. While she did tell me after Uncle Ben was brought back to life, Aunt May wanted me to be in good hands, so she let Tony adopt me.
Me: Wow. I bet there's a whole story there.
Peter: You have no idea.
Me: Soooo... text me the address and I'll come over when?
Peter: Is tomorrow too short notice?
Me: Nope! That's perfect. I'll be there at 5.
Peter: Sounds good! Bye!
Peter: Bye!
"Who were you texting, Mari?" Chloe asked plopping down next to me.
"Just Peter. His aunt wanted to meet me."
"Not tomorrow right? Remember we have a meeting with the house's realtor tomorrow from 2 to however long it takes." Chloe said.
"Oh yeah. That's what I was forgetting." I facepalmed causing Chloe to laugh.
"Don't worry about it. I don't think it'll take over an hour, and if needed, you can always leave early." Chloe reassured.
"Thanks, Chlo." I said. "Now, who's up for round two." I said and grabbed the remote ready for the next movie.
"Yes! But this time it's my turn to pick." Chloe snatched the remote out of my hand and turned on what she wanted. I rolled my eyes as she flipped her hair.
Chloe and I showed up early for the meeting. When we got there, we were amazed by the gorgeous exterior or the house. A nice lady named Lisa welcomed us inside and gave us a tour of the house. The interior was beautiful, my favorite part was the library! The family was moving to an apartment farther downtown, so the house came fully furnished! After we sat down, Lisa started going over costs, fees, taxes, etc. Something about Chloe was off today. She seemed to be stuck in the past.
"Are you okay, Miss Bourgeois?" Lisa asked.
"Yeah. It's just- the last time I was looking for a house, was with my ex-fiancé." Chloe smiled sadly.
"Tell me, Chloe. Not as Miss Bourgeois and the realtor, but as Chloe and Lisa. Have you ever been in love?"
"No diamond rings, that set in stone. To the left, better left alone" Chelo responded.
"But don't you want to feel like a princess by someone who treats you like he's your prince? You can't be lovesick forever." Lisa said. She felt like a therapist; Trying to help Chloe with her problems.
"Didn't wanna be a princess, I'm priceless. A prince not even on my list. Love is a drug that I quit. No doctor could help when I'm lovesick." Chloe smiled.
Lisa respected her space for the rest of the meeting, but before it ended, Lisa gave Chloe her number for 'if you ever need anything.' I rushed over to the nearest taxi station right after we signed the Purchase Sale Agreement saying that we agree to the transaction. I waited for the next taxi and hopped aboard.
"Where to, Miss?" The driver asked.
"20 Ingram Street, please!" I said. The car ride was short, so I got there around 15 minutes early. I walked up the stairs to the apartment number Peter gave me earlier. When I got to the door, I took a deep breath and knocked.
"Hello! You must be Marinette! Peter's told me so much about you!" A woman said when the door opened.
"I am she. Thank you for having me over, Mrs. Parker-Jameson."
"Please, Marinette, call me Aunt May!"
"Thank you, Aunt May!" I smiled brightly. "Is Peter here?"
"I think he's in his bedroom. If not, he'll be back soon. Believe me, he's been ranting about your visit for hours." Aunt May joked. I blushed. "And it looks as if you have been doing the same." Aunt May laughed. I muttered an excuse and stepped inside. "Peter's room is down the hall to the left. You can wait for him there if he's not here yet."
I followed Aunt May's instructions and came to a civil war inspired room. I looked around the quaint room. To the left of the doorway was a bunk bed next to a side drawer and a window at the foot of the bed. Across from the entryway was a very cluttered desk with a chess board and many posters on the wall. I peeked at some papers on the desk. They were newspaper cut outs of the avengers- mainly Spiderman. 'He must be a fan.' I thought again. I was about to pick up the top newspaper when I heard a loud Thump and a 'crap that hurt.' from outside the window. My eyes widened as I surveyed the room for a good hiding spot. My mind raced as I rolled under the bed just as the window was opening. I heard footsteps slowly walking across the floor. I finally got the courage to peek out under the overhanging bedsheet. The pattern the figure was wearing was vaguely familiar. Then it hit me; The person in the room was Spiderman. I yelped as his suit slipped to the ground revealing black, ripped, skinny jeans and white socks.
"Who's there?" A familiar voice asked. I crawled out from the bed only to see Peter in normal clothes but with a Spiderman mask on. "Marinette?" He asked.
"Peter?" I asked
"What are you doing here? You're 10 minutes early." Peter took off his mask and ran his fingers through his hair.
"Sorry, Peter. I had an appointment with the realtor, but I'll tell you about that later," I waved off. "So I thought it wouldn't hurt to be early?" I said. "I'm really sorry, Peter."
"No, it's not your fault Marinette. Honestly, you would've found out anyway." He chuckled. A knock came from the door. "So it's not weird? That I'm like part spider? You're not too grossed out?" Peter asked.
"Even if we're breaking down. We can find a way to break through. Even if we can't find heaven. I'll walk through hell with you. Love, you're not alone. 'Cause I'm gonna stand by you." I assured him.
"Marinette? Is Peter there? Dinner's ready, can I come in?" Aunt May asked slowly opening the door.
"Wait a minute!" I said to her trying to block the view while Peter put his suit away.
"Oh! Okay then!" Aunt May said winking. "Dinner's ready and Uncle Ben is almost here. Come to the kitchen when you're both ready." She said and left.
"Hid it?" I asked.
"Yup!" He smiled. "And Marinette, I was going to tell you tonight anyway since you told me yours." I blushed harder.
"I guess I spoiled your plans then." I laughed.
"Yeah, but that's okay, I can still tell you about it after dinner."
"Okay." I agreed. "Shall we go?" I asked.
"We shall." Peter said taking my hand as we walked out the door.
Peter led me towards the kitchen. Aunt May was finishing up the tableware while we sat down. It was a circular wooden table with four matching chairs. Peter and I sat next to each other with Aunt May across from me and a seat for, who I assume is, Uncle Ben next to me. After Aunt May finished putting everything on the table, my eyes widened with hunger.
"This looks amazing, Aunt May!"
"Well, Thank you Mari!"
The family started with a short religious prayer, but we all eventually dug into the delicious meal set in front of us.
"This is amazing!" I praised.
"I know it's not how your Uncle Cheng Shifu cooks, but this is how us New York folk cook." Aunt May admitted.
"How did you know my Uncle was Chef Cheng Shifu?" I tilted my head. I saw, out of the corner of my eye, Peter slightly start to panic.
"Didn't you tell Peter? He told us?" Aunt May asked.
"No, I-uh don't remember telling Peter about my Uncle." I forced a laugh to ease some tension. Everyone looked towards Peter who seemed embarrassed.
"I uh- actually. Tony might've done a background check on you after I started mentioning you really often." Peter scratched his neck as his face turned a vibrant shade of pink. We all laughed.
"I'll admit. Chloe was tempted to do the same on you because I kept talking about you too. I eventually got her to not pry, but she was seriously thinking about it." I laughed.
After a whole night full of teasing and embarrassing stories here and there, we ended up leaving at ten past eight. Peter offered to walk me home, but he really meant to talk about his other persona. I waved goodbye to Peter's family and we walked to the nearest park. Peter and I found a secluded part of the park with a wooden bench and many white, pink, and red rose bushes. Peter took my hand when we sat down.
"I was going to tell you here," I giggled. "But, I guess you had other plans." He teased.
"You know it." I said and leaned my head on his shoulder as the sun started to set in the sky.
"So, you start school next week, right?" Peter asked.
"Yeah! I'm glad I know one person there." I joked.
"Eh, you'll be perfect." Peter said causing me to blush.
"Thanks. So how'd you become Spiderman?" I asked.
"Well, funny story, actually. Uh my class went on a trip to a lab, and a radioactive spider came out from its cage thing and bit me. Yeah. Before you ask, yes, the spider's dead." I laughed.
"I wasn't going to but okay." He chuckled. "Hey Peter," I said after a long, comfortable pause. He looked at me.
"Yes?" He asked.
"Thank you for being there for me." I said and adjusted my head on his shoulder.
"Mari, Even if we can't find heaven. I'm gonna stand by you. Even if we can't find heaven. I'll walk through hell with you. Love, you're not alone. 'Cause I'm gonna stand by you." He smiled, "And I just- I just wanted to ask if," he paused. "If you'd be my girlfriend." He waited with bated breath.
"Yes!" I squealed. I gave him a small peck on his lips. Peter deeply exhaled.
"Thank you, Marinette." He responded and pulled me closer.
That was three years ago. Today, I'm meeting Peter at that same spot for a picnic. I'm currently wearing an asymmetrical, lower thigh, red dress with a small, three inch slit in the right leg. Chloe is going to drop me off so she can 'make sure my outfit is ready'. I'm not going to think much of it, though. I know people keep secrets, and I respect that. I got there right on time. Chloe is insisting that she walks me to the spot so she knows I'm okay. I start walking in the direction of our meeting place I stop short at what I saw. I saw some petals scattered around the grass and a lovely picnic basket waiting on the bench all illuminated by gorgeous, string fairy lights. I gasp.
"Peter! Y-You didn't have to do all of this!" I exclaim blushing hard.
"You're right. I wanted to do all of this, because you are such a wonderful person, Marinette. I don't know how anyone else could possibly be more kind, creative, or caring than you. And I want you to know that Yeah, you're all I never knew I needed. And the heart, sometimes it's unclear why it's beating. And love, if your wings are broken. We can brave through those emotions too. 'Cause I'm gonna stand by you. And oh, truth I guess truth is what you believe in. And faith, I think faith is having a reason. And I know, know love, if your wings are broken. Borrow mine so yours can open too. 'Cause I'm gonna stand by you. Even if we're breaking down. We can find a way to break through. Even if we can't find heaven. I'll walk through hell with you. Love, you're not alone. 'Cause I'm gonna stand by you," Peter took a deep breath. "So, I wanted to ask you," Peter pulled out a small box from his pants pocket and slowly got on one knee. I gasp and my hand flew to cover my mouth. "If you would marry me."
"Yes!" I jump, and I tackle him into a hug. Peter slips the ring on my finger and kisses me.
"Yay!" Chloe squeals. "Took you long enough, Peter." She rolls her eyes.
We both laugh and sit down to enjoy our bacon and ranch chicken sandwiches- just like, the day we first met.
Chloe's POV:
"Hey, Mari!" I greeted. "Ready to go?"
"Yup! I'm coming." She says and walks towards the door of her store.
I pull her towards the bakery I found earlier this week. Wallflour. I personally think the name is corny, but Marinette seems to like this place. I'm guessing it reminds her of the good parts in Paris. When we arrived at the bakery, it was so crowded we could barely get in. 'They're usually crowded, but not like this.' I think. I grab the only available table while Mari gets us coffee. I wait a good fifteen minutes, and Marinette is back with the coffee. We start chatting on upcoming events like her wedding, school, or fashion when someone came up to us.
"Hello, do you mind if I sit here?" The guy said pointing to the only available seat in the room- a booth seat next to me. "It's the only open seat and I really need to drink my coffee" he asks me.
"Go ahead, I don't mind." I tell him. "I'm Chloe." I offer him my hand.
"Ned." He returns smiling. Mari and I continue our conversation including Ned from time to time. He seems like a really cool person. He's outwardly kind, blunt but honest, and really charismatic. Not to mention, he's single. Before we start to leave, Ned turns to me.
"I had a great time, Chloe. Thanks for including me!" He pauses. "Could I get your n-"
"Excuse me, are you still using this table?" A young couple asks us. Their kids peek out from behind them.
"No, it's all yours." I respond. "Sorry, what we're you saying, Ned?" I ask.
"Oh-uh . I hope we see each other again. It's been a fun morning. Bye!" He says and speed walks away from our awkward conversation.
"So," Mari wiggled her eyebrows. "What's with you and Ned?" I blush.
"We're just friends." I respond.
"And friends have each other's numbers, right?" She leads. I facepalm.
"That's what I forgot! I was going to ask for his number! Maybe I can still catch up to him." I say looking through the windows. There was no sign of him. I sigh. "I guess that's just my luck."
"Don't worry, Chlo! I'm sure you'll run into him again! Didn't he say he comes here often? We can come here every Thursday? Maybe you'll run into him again?" Mari says while I brighten up.
"Oh yeah!" I smile.
We proceed to come here every Thursday, but we could never find him.
"It's hopeless." I dramatically say throwing a pillow onto my face.
"It's okay, Chloe. You may see him somewhere else. All it takes is time." Mari says siting next to me.
"Thanks. Can I borrow the bunny miraculous?" I say sarcastically. A blue and white portal shows up across from us and out comes BunnyX.
"No." She says and disappears back into her burrow. We laugh. Alix always knew how to cheer us up.
We're now arriving at the wedding, it's taking place at the garden where Peter proposed and where he asked Mari to be his girlfriend. Marinette goes to the back to get ready while I sit down after being put in my Maid of Honor gown and makeup. I take a seat near the gardenias and swallow the fact that Marinette won't be my bestie anymore, she'll now also be Peter's wife. I flinch out of my thoughts when I hear the crunch of leaves behind me.
"Hi, Peter." I wave. "You ready?"
"Kinda. I'm nervous but also really excited." He says. "Oh and we're about to start the wedding processional. I wanted to introduce you to he best man who will be at your side when the ceremony starts." He motions for me to follow him as he led me towards where he got ready. "Wait here." He says. There were muffled voices, but eventually, Peter stepped out with- Ned?
"Ned?" I ask.
"Chloe?" He responds.
"You guys know each other?" Peter looks confused.
"Yeah we met at a bakery. Kind of how you and Mari met." I point out.
"Yeah, sorry I had to leave early. I was late for a meeting." He lies.
"It's okay. You can catch me up before the ceremony." I say and pull his arm towards a more private spot. "What gives? You left me at the bakery! I thought we were going to be friends or more, but you didn't stay just like my ex-fiancé." I compare. I know it was unfair of me to compare someone as nice as Ned to my dumb fiancé, but I was really caught up in the moment and didn't want to ruin my make up by crying.
"Y-You thought we could be m-more?" Ned stuttered. "I-I was going to ask for your number, but I got really nervous, so I left. But Chloe," he stared into my eyes. "I want you to know that Even if we can't find heaven, I'm gonna stand by you. Even if we can't find heaven, I'll walk through hell with you. Love, you're not alone, 'Cause I'm gonna stand by you." He finishes. I blush when he calls me 'Love'.
"Do you really mean that?" I ask.
"Every word." He responds. We were both leaning in when we everyone started taking their seats telling us the ceremony was about to begin.
"I guess we should go?" I blush.
Ned agrees and we get into position in front of the other bridesmaids, groomsmen, and Marinette and Uncle Jag. As soon as the music started playing we all started to walk out to the isle. Ned and I walk arm in arm together. When we reached the end of the isle, Ned pulls me into a short kiss shocking everyone- mostly me. We pull away and split apart, Ned to Peter's side and me to Mari's. The rest of the ceremony goes by in a happy blur until we get to the vows. The vows were so beautiful.
"Peter, I'll be your eyes 'til yours can shine, And I'll be your arms I'll be your steady satellite. And when you can't rise, Well, I'll crawl with you on hands and knees 'cause I do." I smile in happiness for my best friend. I can imagine Ned doing the same.
"Marinette, I'm gonna stand by you, Even if we're breaking down, We can find a way to break through. Even if we can't find heaven, I'll walk through hell with you. Love, you're not alone, 'Cause I'm gonna stand by you. I do." He says sweetly.
"I now pronounce you husband and wife, you may kiss the bride."
We all start heading to where the wedding reception will take place. Mari and I change into a more suitable dress and return to the reception. I was wearing an asymmetrical, lower thigh, white dress with pearls sewn onto the front. Mari was wearing a simple, white, floor length dress with a small train and mid thigh slit. It was strapless with crystals encrusted on the bodice.
"Good luck, Mari!" I whisper as she heads to the stage to sing a song she made for her husband.
"Hello everyone! I wanted to thank you all for making it today!" There were some loud cheers. "Throughout the journey I've had with Peter, he's always been telling me how he'll stand by me," she looks at her loving husband. "So, this is a song I wrote for him, from his words." She finished. She looks at the band behind her and gives a signal. Marinette starts singing and it looks like everyone in the room is enraptured by her beautiful voice.
"Hey, Chloe!" A voice says behind me.
"Hey, Ned!" I greet.
"I-I was wondering if you wanted to dance?" He stutters.
"Of course!" Ned leads me to the dance floor as the final verses were being sung.
Marinette's POV:
I looked over at Peter for support as I stepped onto the stage. I gave a short speech on how I got inspiration for this song, and started to sing. I had a great time singing, it was like I could release all of the feelings I felt during those times in a song.
"Even if we can't find heaven, I'm gonna stand by you. Even if we can't find heaven, I'll walk through hell with you. Love you're not alone, 'Cause I'm gonna stand by you. Love you're not alone, Oh, I'm gonna stand by you. Thank you!" I finished. Many claps and whistles were heard. After I got off the stage, many people came by to congratulate me- mainly Uncle Jag.
The rest of our night was a bliss. I spent it with my family and my husband's family and Lisa. Lisa was like an older sister to us as well as a therapist. The night was an overall success, of course there were minor things that went wrong, like the fact that some of my old class showed up. They didn't make it past the front gate. Or the fact that Alix almost spilled her drink on my dress. She always haves the best saves, I bet it has something to do with her miraculous.
Anyway, so now I'm here at the same flower garden. About to tell my husband that we're having a baby girl.
"Peter," I grab his attention by using his real name.
"Yes, Mari?" I place my hand on my stomach.
"She's a girl." I say. Peter picks me up and spins me around the memorial bench we have with both of our names engraved in a gold plaque forever.
Even if we can't find heaven, heaven, heaven, heaven
I laugh at Peter's playful antics. He puts me down and whispers
"I'm gonna stand by you."
Thank you DanicaTrussell for requesting a part two, sorry it took so long!
(8481)
Song: Stand By You
By- Rachel Platten