((Updated 8/18/20))
~ A Few Months After the Fire ~
"Alright, open your eyes..." Adrien says excitedly, holding Marinette's hands on the sidewalk, pulling her forward to an unknown reveal.
She uncovers her eyes and her mouth drops, reading the sign above the door, "DC&A, as in Dupain-Cheng and Agreste?" she comments, slightly amused as her heart flutters.
He puts an arm around her, "I had to justify it to my financial team somehow. But don't worry, it's all yours and you can run your business however you want." He assures. "Wanna go inside?"
She nods, "Of course!"
He instantaneously scoops her up in his arms. Marinette's laugh chimes out as she wraps her arms around his shoulders, cheek to cheek with her boyfriend. He carries her through the new glass doors of her newly rebuilt bridal boutique, kisses her briefly, then sets her down.
"Adrien..." she says in awe, taking in all the new equipment, desks and chairs, and supplies lit in the late afternoon light. "This is amazing... it's better than I could've ever imagined," she blots the corner of her eye with the sleeve of her cardigan, "Thank you, Adrien."
He takes her by the hand, "You haven't seen the best part yet," he leads her towards the rear of the building. He turns his head back, "Oh, and the bakery is still on the second floor, and our new apartment is above that, like your old place; and I've contacted all your old employees and they all said they'd return!"
"You really thought of everything," she remarks.
"I hope so. I had to do something when visiting hours ended." He leads her to an office door next to a glass encased, slightly singed, pigeon hat.
"Oh my god..." Marinette touches the glass, "they found it?"
He beams, "Yeah, one of the few things to survive, actually." He wraps his arm around her shoulder and pulls her close as she looks at the hat.
She smiles at an old memory, leaning her head against his chest.
After a moment, he whispers, "You wanna see your new office?"
Marinette dabs away another tear with her sleeve. "Yeah"
He pushes open the door and guides her in ahead of him. Wide eyed, she gazes upon the elegant detail and accents of color that catch her eye. Some of her designs are framed along the light, dusty-rose, colored walls. "Adrien..."
"Go sit at your new desk," he insists from behind her.
She walks cautiously over to her desk, as if the wrong move would end this dream-like state that she felt. She sits in her chair and looks up at Adrien across from her, surprised to find him on one knee, just inside the doorframe. "Adrien..." she breathes out, nearly inaudible, "are you..."
Adrien struggles to keep a big goofy grin off his face and to keep his heart from leaping out of his chest. "Marinette Dupain-Cheng, I love you. I loved you even before I knew I loved you. I can't change the past, but I was hoping to be a part of your future. Whether-"
"YES!" She cries, practically flinging herself over her desk, and falling onto her own knees in front of him.
He opens his arms as she falls into them, "Excuse you, I wasn't finished" he teases, feeling Marinette's body shake from emotion.
She bites her bottom lip, "Sorry, please continue," she giggles. She clears her throat, trying to regain her composure but failing.
"Thank you." He pulls a red velvet ring box out of his jacket pocket, "Whether it's as your friend, husband, or partner in black leather," Marinette covers her mouth, stifling a laugh, "I don't ever want to leave your side." He opens the ring box and reveals a generous, but still modest, engagement ring. "Marinette, will you marry me?"
"YES!" She cries louder than before, throwing herself at him, causing them both to tumble to the floor. "Yes," she whispers more intimately as she lays on his chest.
They kiss as Adrien pushes them up into a seated position. He sighs dramatically, "Whew, for a second I thought you would turn me down."
Marinette shakes her head, a grin stretching from ear to ear, "Did you actually ever doubt me?"
"I would never, M'lady." He holds the ring between his index finger and thumb. "May I?"
She holds out her hand in response. He slowly slides the silver band up her finger, wanting to remember this moment. Adrien's mouth hangs open slightly, as he takes in the image of Marinette with his ring on her finger. He swallows hard and suddenly remembers to breathe.
"It's purrfect," She effuses, kissing him passionately, her arms draping around his shoulders.
He lets out a chuckle between kisses, "Now this definitely feels like a dream I had once," he chides, and immediately gives into her.
~ Present Day ~
"Alya, it's fine," Marinette chuckles in front of a full-length mirror in the back of a church on the east side of Paris.
Alya tucks individual stray hairs back into Marinette's up-do. "You can't just look 'fine'. You gotta look 'fiiiine'." She pulls out the bottom of the white satin dress, scanning for imperfections, "You only got one shot at this and the world is watching." She coaches.
"Don't remind me," she frets, trying hard not to think about the photographers and reporters waiting outside the church grounds, itching to get the first glimpse of Adrien Agreste and his new wife.
Despite Adrien's best efforts, Marinette did come across a few articles regarding their relationship that popped up ever since the news of his break up with Chloe surfaced. They seemed to realize quickly that Marinette and the broken couple had all attended Francoise Dupont High as teens. Some articles portrayed this as a 'high school sweethearts' kind of story; while others tried to spin it so it seemed like Marinette had always been with Adrien, as a secret relationship since high school. Those articles made her throat tighten, unable to hide the mixture of contempt and vulnerability that came out of her in those situations.
She shakes the thought from her head, "But that doesn't matter. This is our day, and they can't take that away." She replies confidently.
Alya removes one final piece of dust from Marinette's gown, admiring the soft pink petals that flow from the bodice and down the train. Her own bridesmaid dress a matching soft pink. "I'm so happy you guys are finally getting married." She laughs to herself, "Remember all those crazy schemes we had in school to get Adrien to notice you."
"Oh my god, of course." She shakes her head in embarrassment, "What were we thinking,"
Alya comes up behind Marinette and leans over her shoulder, "We were thinking that you guys were meant to be together, and guess what, we were right all along." She holds Marinette's shoulders and shakes her excitedly.
She smiles and turns around to hug Alya, wrapping her arms around her tightly. "Thank you." She whispers.
~
"You're Adrien Agreste. What could go wrong?" Nino chides, sitting in a chair behind Adrien checking himself over in the mirror.
His hands brush off his pants for the 50th time, "I don't know. Probably nothing. I've never felt this way before." He spins around towards Nino, "I'm nervous, anxious? I'm not sure. There's nothing to worry about though. All I have to do is walk up there, say some things, try not to cry, and boom, I'm with Marinette the rest of my life." He smiles despite his racing heart, "I've been on magazine covers and have given speeches before. I don't know what's wrong with me now."
Nino sighs, "I know the feeling, bro. I was the same when Alya and I tied the knot." He rises and crosses the room.
"Really?" He asks, fidgeting with his hands.
"Totally, a total mess." He straightens Adrien's bow tie, "It's like, right now, you're just Adrien. You've been 'just Adrien' your whole life; like how I used to be 'just Nino'." He guides Adrien to sit down in the chair. "Your soul can tell that change is coming. It's goin' all crazy trying to find out what's up.
"But," Nino continues, "when you see her," Nino looks off into the distance, his tone softening, "she's coming down the aisle, you feel your soul connect to hers. You feel whole. Your nerves are just a memory.
"When you walk out of here, you're not 'just Adrien'. You're the version of you that only exists when you share a soul with another person. You're complete." He pulls his attention back to Adrien who is sitting with his mouth slightly agape, seemingly enraptured by Nino's speech. "At least, that was my experience." He adds.
Adrien stands and pulls him in for a hug, "Thanks, man" he says genuinely.
Nino pats him on the back, "Any time, bro."
They separate and look over themselves in the mirror one last time. "I think I'm ready." Adrien breathes.
"Then let's have ourselves a wedding!" Nino cheers as they head out into the hallway.
~
A hush falls over the crowd as Adrien and Nino, with the other groomsmen, step out in front of the rows of pews. The officiant stands at the center, nodding towards Adrien, who responds back with a silent nod as well.
Melodious music drifts in as the bridesmaids appear at the other end of the aisle. Alya leads the train of women, holding Manny in her arms as he shakes a small pillow which has the rings securely attached to it. The crowd has a collective 'aww' moment when they see the toddler ring bearer.
Once they get situated at the front, there's a moment of silence.
The guests rise to their feet and gaze expectantly up the aisle.
Adrien feels his heart trying to leap out of his chest, growing anxious in this short breadth of time.
Then, the first note of a wedding march rings out. Everyone's eyes are fixated as Marinette steps out onto the aisle with her father.
With all eyes on her, she glides in time to the music, her eyes only focused on Adrien.
When they lock eyes, Adrien feels everything, and everyone fall away, as if they're the only two people in the world. He feels a serenity wash over him. Nino tugs at Adrien's suit jacket when Adrien, a bit dazed, tries to step forward and meet Marinette halfway up the aisle. He blinks in realization of the situation, and sheepishly steps back in line. Nino shoots Alya a knowing look, and she smiles and rolls her eyes.
Marinette's father walks with her, arm in arm. He laughs silently, slightly squeezing her arm to remind her to breathe. Her eyes widen as she takes a breath, squeezing her dad's arm in thanks.
Tikki and Plagg watch from the rafters, out of sight of the guests.
"I never thought this day would come! It's finally happening!" Tikki squeaks excitedly, shaking Plagg.
Plagg scoffs, "Yeah, those hopeless idiots finally did it." He turns away from Tikki and quickly wipes a tear from his eye.
When Marinette reaches Adrien, he takes her hand and mouths "Wow", a slight smirk on his face. She turns her face to hide her blush as they position themselves before the officiant.
They motion for the guests to sit and the ceremony commences.
"We are gathered here today to celebrate the love that has blossomed between Adrien Agreste and Marinette Dupain-Cheng. A love that shows us that a partner can come from where we least expect it, and that time is one of the most important factors to finding true love."
They continue, "Love is a balancing act. A give and take, a push and pull, but always returning to center. Finding the one whose rhythm compliments yours, is like discovering a long-lost symphony that one the two of you can hear..."
Adrien and Marinette's hands stay linked between them throughout the ceremony. His thumb gently rubs the back of her hand. His eyes never leave her, wishing time would slow down so he could live in this moment forever.
"Do you, Adrien Agreste, take Marinette Dupain-Cheng, to love and to hold, in sickness and in health, for rich or for poor, as your lawfully wedded wife?"
"I do" he swears.
"Do you, Marinette Dupain-Cheng, take Adrien Agreste, to love and to hold, in sickness and in health, for rich or for poor, as your lawfully wedded husband?"
"I do"
"May we have the rings?" The officiant asks and Alya steps forward, having had them removed from Manny's grip. They hand Adrien Marinette's ring first, "If you have vows prepared, now is the time." They prompt.
He releases one of Marinette's hands and holds the silver, engraved, band between his fingers. "Marinette," he breathes out, trying to focus, "you've always kept me grounded. Whenever I would feel myself slipping away, you caught me. You always catch me." He shares a secret smile with her, which she returns. "I promise to strive to be worthy of your love, to be the man you deserve. To catch you when you fall. To love you forever." He slides the ring onto her finger, breathless.
The officiant hands Marinette Adrien's ring. "If you have vows prepared, now is the time."
She breathes out a shaky breath, a slight sniffle. Adrien holds her steady, giving her an encouraging smile. She takes a deep breath, looking from the ring to his eyes. "Adrien, you'll never know how much you mean to me. How much of my heart has only been full for you." She quickly wipes away a tear from the corner of her eye. "You're the one who has saved me, in more ways than one. I promise to be worthy of your love and worthy to love you in return. To love you forever." The smooth ring slides onto his finger with ease.
He holds her hand and brings it to his lips, kissing where her ring meets her knuckle.
The officiant smiles, "Then, it is my honor to now pronounce you, hus-"
With a crash, the wall behind the officiant bursts inwards, into the church. People scream as debris shoots into the crowd and dust fills the air. Adrien puts his arm around Marinette, putting himself between the destruction and her, both of them buckling down to their knees.
Through the clouds of dust, a figure appears, coming into focus, someone floating above the pulpit on a cloud of white butterflies.
"What kind of wedding doesn't include the 'Does anyone object?' part?" A shrill voice exclaims "How ridiculous!"
Marinette squints up at the figure over Adrien's shoulder, "Chloe?"
Chloe descends a bit, her eyes narrowing as she focuses in on Marinette. A silver mask covers her face, allowing her burning blue eyes to show. Her purple suit is stylish yet demanding. A wicked smile crosses her face, "That's Miz Butterfly, to you." She outstretches her arms and bellows, "Fly, my Akumas!"
A swarm of glowing butterflies bursts through the opening in the wall. A panic ensues among the guests, everyone trying to make a break for the exit and swatting at purple the butterflies, neither to any success.
Adrien jumps up, still keeping his arms around Marinette, "Everyone!" He calls out, trying to break his voice over the crowd, "Everyone try to keep calm!" He yells, but it's no use.
The butterflies faze into the guests' items. Suddenly the room full of frantic people is still and silent, waiting for instruction, with eyes glowing purple.
Adrien slowly turns around to face Miz Butterfly, keeping Marinette behind him. "Where did you get that Miraculous?" He asks sternly.
"You mean this? Your daddy's old plaything?" She touches the Butterfly Miraculous broach pinned to her lapel. "Seems that you can get anything from an evidence lock-up, for the right price." She laughs darkly.
"What do you want?" He demands, his jaw clenching.
She holds her finger under her chin thoughtfully, "I just want a happy ending, Adrikins. Why don't you want that for me?"
"I, I do wish you were happy." He admits, "But I can't make you happy, not in the way you want."
Miz Butterfly's eyes narrow, focusing back on Marinette, who's eyeing Miz Butterfly angrily. "It's you." She sneers, "You're the reason Adrikins has turned from me. We were going to be happy! This should be my wedding!"
The akumatized crowd lurches at them from behind, tearing Marinette from Adrien's side. Both of them are held steadfast by their brainwashed friends and family. They struggle to break free of the countless hands holding them back but only more guests join in.
With Marinette's arms and legs held securely, Miz Butterfly hovers down to her, grabbing her face, "Ever since high school you've been in my way! Trying to steal Adrikins from me!" She pulls their faces together, just inches apart. "Now it's my turn to steal him from you." Miz Butterfly whispers menacingly.
"Get your hands off her!" Adrien shouts from the otherside of the church.
Miz Butterfly drops Marinette's face and starts to eye Adrien. "Please don't! Don't touch him!" Marinette barks at Miz B. "I'll do anything, don't take him away from me." Her voice bleeds into pleading, feeling herself start to get choked up, tears forming behind her eyes.
"Why? Because you're nothing without him?" Miz B mocks her.
She shakes her head, "Because I love him."
"And I love her!" Adrien calls out, still fighting against the Akumas. His face darkens, "And I'll never love you."
Miz B rolls her eyes, "That may be true. But it's nothing I can't fix." She points to one of the akumatized, "You!"
The person steps forward, purple eyes still glazed over.
"I name you, Memory Worm!" Miz Butterfly shoots her arm out in the person's direction and they are immediately engulfed in a cloud of purple smoke.
When the smoke clears, Miz B picks up the akumatized person, now a large purple worm, about the size of her arm. "You are nasty! But you'll get the job done," she sets it back on the ground and it starts to excrete a blue fog from its pores. It digs through the floor of the church, quickly disappearing beneath them.
Blue fog starts to seep up through the floor and the ground outside. "Get a good whiff, you two; and all your worries will fade."
"Mari!" Adrien calls out desperately, "Whatever happens, we'll find a way back to each other. I promise." The fog rising up to his hips.
"I promise too." Marinette says with shallow breaths, not wanting to breathe in the thick blue fog.
"Cute. But too bad you won't remember. No one will." Miz B floats above the rising cloud. "No one will remember anything about your relationship, not even a sickeningly sweet 'high school sweethearts' memory." She scowls, "So say your goodbyes. I promise there won't be any more 'hellos'."
The fog rises to their chins; other guests are already completely engulfed. Adrien and Marinette struggle to keep their chins up while still being restrained. "Talk to me, Mari, please."
Being shorter, Marinette starts to be consumed by the fog first, "I love you, Adrien. I'll find you!" She tilts her head back as far as she can to stay above the fog.
"I know. I love you too. Keep talking to me, don't let it take you." Adrien's voice strained from his effort to still break free.
Mari smiles, "This was the best day of my life. I'll never forget it. I'll never forget it. I'll never forget..." her voice fades away as her face dips below the fog.
"Marinette!" Adrien cries, struggling harder and harder, until the fog reaches his chin. He glowers up at Miz Butterfly floating above it all.
She smiles mischievously, "See you soon," she waves her fingers at him as he too is overtaken by the fog.
~
"Come in,"
Margie enters Marinette's office, "The last order of the day was sent out. I'm gonna send some of the drafters home, if that's alright with you."
Marinette barely looks up from her work, her face down on a pile of papers at her desk, "Yeah, no problem."
Margie hesitates by the door, "You wanna go out for drinks tonight? Some of the other girls and I were gonna meet up since it's Friday. We could have a little fun?" She tries to encourage.
Marinette shrugs, "I still have final paperwork to do for the Phillips wedding, I should really get it done."
"Oh. But that reminds me," she ducks out of the office for a second and returns with a magazine, "That Agreste guy got married last week. Apparently Angeline got to plan the whole thing."
Marinette takes the magazine in her hand. The cover is of Adrien Agreste and Chloe Bourgeois kissing in front of a chapel, petals floating down through the frame. She frowns at the bottom caption reading 'Dress designed by Angeline Flur', "Damn, we could really use that kind of publicity. I bet she's already getting calls from all over France." She groans, tossing the magazine to the corner of her desk.
"We'll get her next time. Just because she's more well known doesn't mean she does a better job than us." Margie argues, trying to keep optimistic.
She crosses her arms on her desk, "But fame also pays bills. We don't even have any more events to plan until next month!" Her voice drops to a whisper, "I don't know how we'll make it to the next quarter."
Margie nods knowingly, "We'll get there by being better than the competition. Turtle beats the hare, right?" Mari shrugs. "You sure you don't want to go out for drinks? It looks like you need one right about now."
She shakes her head, "I don't know."
Margie smirks, "We'll be at The Birdcage around 9 if you change your mind."
She nods, "Thanks. Maybe I will."
Satisfied, Margie takes her leave, closing the door behind herself.
Marinette's smile fades as she gets back to her work.
A red blur zooms out from her desk, "Marinette! Marinette!" Tikki cries, flying all around her.
She sits up, dropping her pen, "Tikki? What's wrong?" She asks concernedly.
Tikki lands on her desk and tries to catch her breath. "A minute ago, we were at your wedding, but Chloe, Miz Butterfly, the Miraculous, Adrien-"
"Slow down," she cautions, "what is happening? Why did you say we were at my wedding?" Her eyes briefly glance over at the magazine cover.
Tikki flies onto Mari's open hand, "You were marrying Adrien when Chloe came in using the butterfly Miraculous and wiped all your memories, but Plagg and I were able to escape."
"Marrying Adrien? Agreste? Don't you think that's a bit outlandish?" She remarks.
Tikki sighs, "Tell me what you know about him. What memories do you have of him?"
Mari's eyes narrow, thinking back. "We went to the same high school." She looks back at the wedding photo of him and Chloe. "He put gum on my seat on his first day, and I knew he was just another Chloe. I tried to avoid him as much as possible. He never even tried to explain himself," turning back to Tikki, "There's not much else to say."
Tikki is wide eyed, staring back at her, "We've got to fix this."
"Are you feeling alright? You don't have another Kwami sickness, do you?" Marinette inspects her small friend.
Tikki waves her off, "No, I'm fine!" she assures, "It's you and the rest of this city who need help." Her eyes suddenly light up, "What do you remember about Chat Noir?" she queries.
Mari leans back in her seat, her shoulders slightly tensing, "We fought akumas together for years. Haven't spoken to him since we got Hawkmoth, though. Why?"
Tikki relaxes a bit, "At least that seems the same" she mutters to herself. "You never found out his identity?"
"No, of course not." She swears. "What's with you, why are you asking me this stuff?"
Tikki flies up to her eye level, "I told you. Chloe used an Akuma to wipe Paris' memory of your and Adrien's relationship, so she could marry him." Tikki lifts the magazine so it's facing Mari.
The corner of her mouth turns down slightly, "Okay...I guess I believe you?" She admits tentatively. "Only because I trust you." She redefines. "But why did you ask about Chat?"
Before Tikki could answer, the door bursts open.
~
Adrien stalks through the halls of Agreste Manor; he unconsciously fidgets with his wedding ring.
Plagg zooms up beside him, resting on his shoulder, "What? No honeymoon?" He chides.
Adrien is taken aback, "Plagg?! Wh-where did you come from? My Miraculous is in the safe-" He looks down at his hand and jumps upon seeing the Cat Miraculous on his finger, "When did-?!"
"Things are a bit messed up right now." Plagg waves his paw dismissively, "Don't worry about me. Now answer me."
Adrien continues down the hall, eyebrows furrowed, "I-it had to be slightly postponed, Chloe is working on a new trip for us." He says neutrally, no emotion in his voice, but still a bit on edge by the sudden appearance of this Kwami.
"You, uh, feeling alright, bud? Shouldn't you have a post-wedding glow, or whatever you humans say?" He says, tugging on a strand of Adrien's hair.
He shrugs, "Yeah, I'm good." He looks down at his wedding band, "I'm just a bit tired. More like a post-wedding slump." He says, putting on a smile.
Plagg rolls his eyes, "Mmmhmm, yeah, so, what do you know of Marinette Dupain-Cheng?"
Adrien stops suddenly, scooping Plagg off his shoulder into his hands. "What did you say?" he eyes his Kwami.
Plagg doesn't make eye contact with him, "Marinette Dupain-Cheng. What do you know of her?" Adrien opens his mouth to protest but Plagg cuts him off, "Don't ask why. Just answer."
He's slightly taken aback, "Marinette? I think she was in a few of my classes in school? She was friends with Alya and seemingly everyone," He looks away from Plagg, "besides Chloe and me."
Plagg sighs, "Yeah, that sounds about right," he shakes his head, "and by 'right' I mean, totally completely wrong!" He snaps.
Adrien drops him, "I don't have time for this." He stalks off towards his office.
Plagg catches up with him, "The reason you're a miserable poo head is because this isn't how things are supposed to be!"
Adrien closes his office door in Plaggs face.
Plagg groans, phasing through the door as Adrien leans against the wall and looks out over the Parisian streets. Plagg sits on the frame of the window sill, "Okay... so, why did you marry Chloe?" He asks almost sincerely.
He doesn't respond to the question for a moment, but gives in, "She has been my only friend for a long time, and we're both in the industry; it just seemed inevitable, expected." He explains, never looking down at Plagg.
"I guess I understand, but what I'm sayin', and you gotta believe me, that there's like a parallel universe where you actually end up happy, and with the girl of your dreams!" Plagg encourages.
Adrien's eyes narrow, "Yeah, that's how the theory goes, infinite possibilities and all that. And who said I'm not happy?" His tone gets a bit defensive.
"Don't kid yourself. I've never seen you so miserable! This timeline is not what's supposed to happen to you! It was an Akuma-"
"Akuma?" Adrien cuts him off, "Hawkmoth, my father, is in prison, there hasn't been an Akuma in nearly 10 years."
"Yeah, until Chloe got a hold of the butterfly Miraculous and wiped the whole city's memories!" Plagg starts getting in Adrien's face.
Adrien recoils from his persistence, "Why, why would she do that?"
"She was jealous! Why else? You broke off your engagement when you reunited with your true love..."
"Marinette?" He asks, finishing the sentence. He focuses back on the city, looking into the distance. "That doesn't sound like me. I would never drop a commitment like that." He states, losing ground with Plagg.
"Mmhmm, what if it was for Ladybug, for example?" He casually flies over to Adrien's desk.
He immediately looks to Plagg, following him, "Ladybug? We haven't spoken in years,"
"So, you do remember something after all," Plagg teases, resting on the back of Adrien's office chair. "And you still love her."
Adrien straightens up, "I mean, that was just an old crush, a childhood crush, what makes you think..." Adrien tries to convince, but meets the unmoved gaze of Plagg, "...I still love her,"
Plagg smirks, "You've still got it bad for her, and you know it. Why don't we pay her a visit? Talk over this Akuma business," He shrugs nonchalantly.
His eyes widen, "You know where she is?"
Plagg nods slowly, "The fastest way to show you is if you transform, which I know you wanna do..."
"Plagg, claws out!" Adrien shouts, and in a flash of green, Chat Noir appears in his place.
He checks his locator and sees a waypoint on the other side of Paris has been added. He rolls his shoulders before leaping out his office window into the sunset.
He doesn't miss a step, all his muscle memory working smoothly as he leaps over Paris for the first time in a decade. He feels his muscles stretch in ways they haven't been tested since he locked up his Miraculous.
The waypoint leads him to a wedding boutique; the interior lights dimmed for the night. Chat checks his map again and tries the door, finding it unlocked.
He cautiously walks towards the back of the boutique, keeping an eye out for any bystanders.
His ears perk up at the sound of a voice, leading him to a closed office door. He leans against the wall and listens: "-Only because I trust you. But why did you ask about Chat?"
A shiver runs up his spine at the mention of his name. He bursts into the office expecting Ladybug, but instead is stared at, wide-eyed, by a young woman with short black hair.
"Chat." She states calmly, as if she was half-expecting him, despite the burn in her cheeks.
He clears his throat, his eyes darting around the room, "Sorry, I didn't mean to..." when he finally meets her gaze, something clicks, "Marinette?" He asks incredulously, shifting his weight.
"You remember me?" She returns the question, becoming hyper aware of the space and the silence around them.
Chat flashes a smile, "I was actually just, uh, thinking about you earlier," he says lightly, "weird coincidence,"
Marinette's face pulls in, "Oh. Well, by coincidence, too; I was also just talking about you..."
His eyebrows furrow, "Yeah, I heard..." he admits.
"So, why are you here?" She asks, moving so the desk is between them.
"I, uh, was actually looking for Ladybug; guess I took a wrong turn or something," he looks down at the locator on his staff, attempting to reinterpret the location marked by Plagg.
Mari feels her cheeks grow warm, her hands grip the back of her chair. "Oh, well, sorry to disappoint," she says quickly, but then feels a tug on her shirt from behind her. She looks back while Chat is distracted, seeing Tikki gesturing wildly. Mari squints at her, unable to decipher what she's trying to communicate.
"My Kwami led me here. Told me he knew where she was...among other things," he puts his baton away dejectedly.
"Other things?" She inquires, trying to steer the conversation away from the topic of 'Ladybug'.
Chat leans up against the wall, shoulders slumped forward, "Yeah, but I wouldn't want to make you worry. I'm still processing what he said, myself." His gaze settles on a clearing on the floor between them.
"Try me." She steps out from behind her desk and rests against its front face.
His eyes focus back on her, "I guess it does concern you, after all." He clears his throat, "Apparently, all of Paris has had their memory wiped by an Akuma. So, everyone would forget that you..." his eyes shift around the room, settling back on the floor, "that you, and Adrien Agreste, were in a relationship?" He shifts his weight awkwardly, "I'm sorry if this seems out of the blue. I was hoping to consult Ladybug about this first before-"
"I remember you..." Marinette says to herself, but effectively cutting Chat off.
"What did you say?" Chat pushes off the wall to stand freely, taking a step towards Mari.
"She was concerned if I still remembered you, after asking me about Adrien..." her words drift off in thought, almost forgetting about Chat standing right in front of her.
"Who asked you about Adrien?" Chat's voice lowers, cautiously crossing the room towards her.
Her eyes stay unfocused, deep in thought, "...Chloe wouldn't know our identities so the Akuma wouldn't affect them..."
His eyes widen, "I didn't mention Chloe, how do you know it's Chloe?" He asks, a little more urgent than before.
Now only a couple feet apart, Mari's eyes lock onto Chat's, shocked and desperate. "You're Adrien Agreste..." she whispers under her breath.
He takes a step back, but she catches his wrist, holding him in place. "Am I right?" She pleads, grasping for some concrete information in this mess.
His mouth hangs open as he stares at her. His mind is a wreck from the accusation. He simply nods 'yes' in response.
Mari doesn't loosen her grip on him, her body struggling to keep up with her mind.
Something clicks into place in the midst of chaos in Chat's brain. "You're Ladybug." He states, the words flowing off his tongue without his conscious permission.
She nods, not exactly surprised by his revelation.
A smile blows wide across his face, he pulls her into a hug, practically lifting her off her feet; her arms loose at her sides as Chat envelops her. "This is...amazing, I missed you so much!" he says incredulously, pulling away to look down at her face. His smile fades when he sees her face still in a concentrated state.
"So, you know everything?" she asks, not meeting his eyes, "Regarding the...akuma? Chloe?"
Chat swallows hard, "I-I guess. So what do we do?"
"We...can ignore it." She suggests, backing away from Chat.
"Ignore it? What do you mean?" He asks solemnly, giving her her space.
She presses her lips together and shrugs, "I can't imagine a life where I, where we, love each other, Chat, er, Adrien. We're completely different people." She puts on a sympathetic smile, "I think you feel the same way. Plus, you have Chloe, and you guys seem to belong together. It doesn't matter if she caused all this. Maybe this is how things are supposed to be." She rationalizes.
"You believe you're happier like this, than with me?" Chat asks, a little hurt. He detransforms, turning back into Adrien.
"What do you mean 'like this'?" she crosses her arms, "Just because I'm not with you does not mean I'm suffering." She reads the regret on his face and backs down a bit. "Don't think of it like that... but yeah," She admits, realizing how it sounds. "I'm sure you're a great guy, but you can be a great guy with Chloe too. I just don't feel like I'd ever have room in my life for a relationship, especially one with you..."
"How can you say that when we were in the middle of our wedding before the Akuma?" Adrien pleads.
She takes a breath, "That wasn't me; it was a different me. We know nothing about each other. Aren't you at least content with this life? Why should we risk everything for a reality we can't remember? What about your commitment to Chloe?"
His mouth trembles slightly, trying to find words. "Marinette..."
Tikki zooms out of the desk, "Marinette, you're not being rational. I'm telling you two were friends in school, that you loved Adrien more than life itself, you both said 'I do'!"
"Enough!" She snaps, "I'm tired of you guys telling me things that I should know and feel, or what I've said that I never actually have." She pinches the bridge of her nose, "Now... Mr. Agreste, I'm sorry but I must lock up for the night. So if you would kindly show yourself to the door," she says coldly, gesturing for him to leave.
Red-cheeked, Adrien stares at her, "I-I'm sorry, Miss. Dupain-Cheng. Goodnight." He says politely, walking out of her office.
Tikki flies into Marinette's face, "Why are you doing this? I thought you said you trusted me!"
Marinette sighs and collapses into her office chair, "I do. I believe that what you're saying is true, that in some alternate universe me and him were together, but I barely know who he is. The only real memory I have is him putting gum on my seat."
"Marinette, you have to open yourself up if we're going to set things right again!" Tikki reiterates, finding this harder than she expected.
She shakes her head, gathering her things and standing up, "But nothing is wrong." She shrugs, heading out to lock the front doors. "I'm going to change upstairs and then I'm meeting up with Margie. Don't wait up for me." She locks the boutique doors and stalks past Tikki floating in the office doorway.
Once Marinette goes upstairs, Tikki holds her head in her paws, "I can't believe this is happening. I've got to talk to Plagg."
She phases out onto the darkening streets of Paris, flying above the streetlamps, sensing Plagg isn't too far away.
She finds Adrien sitting in the dark on a secluded bench at the nearby park, clearly having just walked there from the boutique. He lifts his head as she floats down next to him, "I think she's right," he ruminates.
"Marinette?" Tikki fills in the blank.
He nods, "I could never abandon Chloe like that. I don't know what came over me." He leans his head over the back of the bench, closing his eyes.
Plagg is sitting on the armrest, "I'm losing him too, Tikki. He's already giving up." He turns back to Adrien, "I thought you loved Ladybug, huh!" he scolds, "You can't let her go!"
He shakes his head, "I can if she doesn't want me. She doesn't like me as Adrien, and she never wanted me as Chat, at least, how I wanted her." He sighs, "I've realized it was childish and inappropriate of me to flirt with her after she turned me down. I would hate me too."
Tikki nods admittingly, "Yeah, but we kinda need that flirtatious cat back if we're gonna-"
"I'm married!" He sits up suddenly, "What kind of man does that make me if I truly pursue another woman only a week after I've wed Chloe?" He stares down both of the Kwamis, "It's not the man I am."
Plagg rolls his eyes, "Oh come on. We told you that Chloe's the reason we're even in this messed up reality." He flies in Adrien's face, "She literally tore you from your happy ending; Ripped you and Marinette from each other's arms on your wedding day! You're telling me that you want to keep living this sham of a life? How can you even look her in the eyes after hearing this?!"
Adrien's face remains stolid, staring back at his Kwami floating inches from his face. "Are you questioning my judgement? Or are you asking me to turn my back on the oldest friend I have?" Adrien shifts along the seat to put space between them, "Chloe and I grew up together, worked together; she's one of my only friends. Maybe the other reality was the one she was saving me from and this is the real one." He argues.
"Are you-" Plagg scoffs, "Did any of my words get through your thick skull??" He huffs and turns his back.
Tikki softly encourages Plagg to step back to cool down, taking his place. "Adrien," she addresses gently. His face eases a bit, not wanting to be rude to a Kwami that isn't his. "I understand it's hard to imagine your life being any different than how it is right now. But we're trying to tell you that Chloe stole your memories and rewrote your past. You had lots of friends, including Marinette. She's... struggling, like you, on believing there's true love waiting for her once we fix all this."
"Chloe also tried to burn Marinette alive." Plagg calls back from over his shoulder, "Just saying."
Tikki nods, "Yeah, that too."
Adrien's eyes widen, "That doesn't sound like Chloe; she's not capable of... murder?" He asks incredulously.
Plagg rejoins Tikki, "Well you have never truly been on her bad side then." He confirms.
"You've finally found Ladybug, Adrien. We all know you can't let her go."
An old lovesick look flashes across his face for a second, thinking of Marinette and Ladybug as one and the same; and how she was just within reach. He nods determinedly, "I have to go talk to her again, at least."
"She's at The Birdcage!" Tikki announces.
"Great! Plagg?" His voice drops, "I'm sorry for yelling at you. Is it possible for you to find some evidence that Chloe isn't who I think she is? It would really help." He says in a more open, apologetic, tone.
Plagg crosses his arms, "Shouldn't be that hard. Anything to prove to you she's a snake."
~
"Marinette! Over here!" Margie calls out across the bar.
The interior is clean and classic, with an original wooden bar top and stools. It has a low ceiling and is only frequented by locals who know about it, resulting in an intimate but not crowded environment.
Marinette had changed out of her business dress into a more casual black skirt, red tank top, and jean jacket; an outfit she debated over for a good 15 minutes, not wanting to over or under dress for this rare excursion out. A sigh of relief escapes her as she spies Margie and their other coworkers dressed to a similar degree.
"I'm so glad you came!" Margie hugs her as Marinette joins them at a standing table.
She smiles nervously, "Yeah, you were right, I could use a drink, or two," she mumbles the last part, wondering if Margie could sense how her life had been turned upside down since she last saw her.
Margie smiles delightedly, "I knew it! I'll get you a drink, on me." She and the other girls head to the bar to order while Mari holds their spot at the table.
It had been a while since Mari participated in any sort of night-life, she wasn't even a big fan of it during her time at university. She sighs, realizing the reason she can even afford to go out right now is because business is slow. When they were busy, it wasn't unusual for Mari to stay up till midnight in her office or review sketches on her couch while some reality show played in the background. She longed to be that busy again.
She couldn't understand the sudden drop off in business this past year or so. She knew that they were lucky that the Boutique was sustainable at all during the five years they've been open. Margie and her had to work second jobs during the beginning; now she worries that they may be returning to those circumstances soon.
Her spirits lift as the ladies return with glasses in hand, Margie slides Marinette a glass of vodka-cran. "Thanks."
They all clink their glasses together and take their first sips of their drinks of choice. As Mari lifts her glass to her lips, she spies a familiar figure over the rim of her glass. She chokes on her drink, only calling Adrien's attention to her faster.
Margie pats her on the back as she coughs, clearing her airway. "Are you that out of practice?" She jokes.
Marinette recovers herself, her eyes drifting up. Margie follows her pointed gaze and gawks at Adrien approaching them. "Oh my god?" She says under her breath, everyone at their table unable to hide their stares.
Still dressed in a dress shirt and slacks, he sticks out like a sore thumb, as if his famous face wasn't enough to draw attention. Visually assessing the situation he's walking in on, he puts on the charm, "How are you ladies doing this evening?" He says in a voice like silk.
The half-dozen of their coworkers just continue to stare awestruck at him. Margie is the only one to form words, "We're all well, Mr. Agreste, thank you. What brings you here tonight?" She says in her work-voice, a tone she reserved for talking to clients. It probably helped steady her nerves.
"I needed to consult with 'M' on a... project we discussed earlier. I was told I could find her here." His eyes drift from Margie to Marinette.
Everybody manages to tear their eyes away from Adrien to stare, even more wide-eyed, at Marinette.
Her toe taps on the floor, she clears her throat, "It seems whoever told you I was here neglected to mention my office hours?" She retorts, making her co-workers jaws drop at her tone.
He's unwavering, "They understood the importance of our discussion." He turns to the ladies surrounding her on both sides, "I do apologize for interrupting your night out, but I would like to borrow 'M' for a while."
Before Marinette can oppose, everyone basically pushes her in his direction gleefully. Margie is able to whisper in her ear, "Why didn't you tell me Agreste Fashion wanted to partner with us?", before giving one last shove to place Mari in front of Adrien.
Her arms are pinned at her sides, one hand still holding her drink, a feigned smile on her lips, not wanting to make a scene. "Right. Of course. Why don't we talk over there."
Adrien follows her lead as the ladies erupt into a frenzy of hushed discussion behind them. "I really am sorry for bothering you all. Tikki didn't mention you were out with friends."
She slides into a wooden booth and table, wanting to keep prying eyes away. "I'm not surprised."
He sits across from her, entering the bubble of silence that hung between them.
"Why are you here?" She prompts with a hint of impatience.
His eyes follow the curve of her cheek, remembering how he used to dream of kissing Ladybug there, as a teenager. But finding his mind is teetering dangerously close to wanting the same thing now.
"Mr. Agreste."
He snaps to the present, shocked at how easily he slipped. The narrowing of her eyes was not a good sign they were on the same page. "I'm here because I want to get to know you." He says honestly. "Even if we don't listen to our Kwamis about this other reality, maybe we can be friends. We did make a pretty good team as Chat and Ladybug." He says in a low voice.
Something flashes in her eyes, she looks down at the corner of the table. "I guess."
A spark of hope flickers in his chest. "I can't believe, after all these years, I finally know who was behind your mask. This wasn't how I imagined the reveal would be," he leans forward a bit, arms resting on the table.
Marinette's mind barked at her 'This is Chat Noir This is Chat Noir', a constant reminder she apparently needed. But giving into those thoughts, to reignite the bond she and her partner shared from 10 years ago, was something she intentionally smothered many years ago. "How did you imagine it?" She asks curtly, but still curious.
He sighs out a half laugh. "You wouldn't approve."
"Just tell me."
His head ducks, an embarrassed smile spreading, "I thought... if we ever wanted to be more than partners, we would trust each other enough to reveal ourselves. We could date like normal kids." He avoids her eyes, "Don't judge me; you remember how hopeless I was back then, I'm sure."
She hopes the dim light of the bar is enough to hide her blooming cheeks, "I remember."
"Did you ever think about how it would happen?"
Her eyes tighten, "I tried not to, since it was never supposed to happen..."
"-But you did anyway. Indulge me." He urges, amused.
She shrugs, "I don't know. I was always worried it was going to happen by accident. Like, an Akuma would actually get one of our Miraculous, or we'd get knocked out and change back, or something." She replies in a hushed voice, despite being out of range of anyone around them.
"That does sound like us, or at least something that would happen to me. Though I guess you could chalk this up as an accident as well." He smiles so genuinely that Marinette can't help but join him, easing into the presence of her old friend. "So you run a Wedding Boutique? That's really neat." He comments.
Her face falls a little, "Thanks. It's nothing compared to what you run though: all of Agreste Fashion Industries." She thinks back to the pretense given to her coworkers, "My friend over there might be disappointed that we're not actually making some business deal."
Adrien's lips press into a line, "I guess that is what I alluded to."
She shakes her head frantically, "Don't worry about it, honestly. I'll just tell her that you ran too hard of a bargain and I had to turn you down."
He's still able to pick up on the slight panic in her voice, like she's hiding something, "I can help you, I want to help you if you need it." His mood turns serious.
This catches Marinette off guard. She stammers to find some excuse, "We're not, you don't need to, we'll be fine-"
His hand reaches across the table, holding her fidgeting hands in place on the surface. "Please let me help you. It's the least I can do after... all these years." He squeezes his hand on hers, his face somber.
The contact shakes something in her, the last memories of Chat that she has, "Why did you never come back?" Her voice breaks.
He knows what she means immediately. He keeps his hand on hers as if the connection was the only thing keeping him from reliving the past. "I was ashamed. You obviously didn't know Hawkmoth was my father at the time, but I couldn't face you, Ladybug, after we caught him."
She pulls her hands away, tucking them under the table, "I waited for you every night that week." She says calmly, not wanting to give into the emotions she worked to hide, "You were one of my best friends. And we never even said goodbye."
"W-we didn't need to, we're together right now. It wasn't goodbye." He jokingly rationalizes, but his guilt is inching up his throat behind his taut smile.
She smiles sadly, "I guess not." She sighs and her eyebrows raise, "I guess I did imagine a different way we'd reveal ourselves."
"What was it?"
Slightly smug, she gazes up at him, "I imagined telling you who I was as a celebration for defeating Hawkmoth."
He stares at her, wide eyed, "You can't be serious."
She nods, nonchalant, "100% serious."
He puts his head in his hands, "I can't believe this!" he scolds himself.
"And-"
"'And'?!" he echoes, his head snapping to meet her gaze.
"And, I'm only saying this because it was a long time ago, and you're married now..." She conditions, "I...I did like you. But I was stubborn. I wouldn't give you the satisfaction of knowing that your constant flirting... worked." She shrugs, but her hands are sweating under the table.
Adrien's jaw drops.
"So, yeah..." Marinette tacks on when he doesn't reply.
His mind is short circuiting, to say the least. Marinette starts to shift under his, seemingly, unblinking stare.
The bar crowd moves closer to their table, encroaching on their private bubble.
Adrien gets up abruptly, hands in his pockets, "Can we finish this conversation at your office?" He eyes the bar goers around them.
She nods wordlessly, still fretting over what Adrien is really thinking of her confession. Was she clear enough that the crush was in the past?
She slides out from the booth and follows Adrien to the door, passing by Margie and the others whose attention is immediately grabbed by their re-appearance.
He smiles charmingly, "Sorry to take M away but there are papers to be signed."
The table of women gasp simultaneously, eyes fixing to Marinette who smiles and nods to keep up their story, not stopping to allow them to ask questions.
The crisp night air enters their lungs, the street lamps are nothing compared to the moon tonight. Marinette takes the lead, while still walking by his side. "It's right around the corner. We can walk."
He nods, his eyes still strained in a way that makes it seem like he's holding back his words. He's either thinking about what to say or he just knows if he opens his mouth he won't be able to stop himself.
The air is charged between them, and they both can feel it. Their arms brush and Mari flinches, "Sorry," she whispers, keeping a wider gap between them, but soon finds herself nearly touching him again, like a magnetic pull.
She concentrates on this so hard that she nearly walks past her own boutique. She takes two steps before realizing Adrien has stopped at the front door, with a raised eyebrow.
She doubles back and fumbles in the dim light. Patiently, Adrien waits until the large glass doors pull towards him, both of them stepping into the dark office, lit only by the streetlights and moon.
Marinette finds her throat dry while she backs into the doors, shutting them.
Adrien turns to see her silhouetted against the glass, his jaw would have dropped again if he wasn't watching himself.
He stands just out of the light, shrouded in the darkness of the office. Even without the skin-tight leather suit, she sees Chat. She swallows, "A-Adrien, I-"
"We got it!" Plagg exclaims, emerging with Tikki, who is holding some papers, from elsewhere in the office.
Marinette's hand flies to her chest, "God, you scared me!"
Adrien jumps a bit but doesn't comment.
"Sorry," Tikki apologizes before Plagg can say something rude, "but we did find proof that Chloe is not who she seems!"
"Yeah-heh, read it and weep, Adri-kins!" Plagg mocks as Tikki lays the papers out on a nearby drafting table.
Marinette and Adrien stand on either side of the table corner. Marinette reaches to turn on the desk lamp, shedding some light on print-outs of several emails.
Adrien pulls one towards him and Marinette does the same, reading their contents. "This... this is an email Chloe sent to someone saying my Boutique is unprofessional and low quality." Her voice starts at disbelief but hardens towards the end. She pulls another email from the pile. "Same with this one! 'It's filthy and poorly managed. I suggest taking your business elsewhere'." With each email she reads, her anger slides towards grief. By the end, she's fully leaning forward on the table, head hanging. "We're going bankrupt, because of her?! I've barely spoken to Chloe in my life! W-why would she do this?"
"Because in the real world, you 'stole' Adrien from her, so she's gonna chase you out of the industry too, as if taking your memories wasn't enough!" Plagg exclaims, zipping back and forth frantically.
Marinette turns her head as she lets out a sob, covering her mouth. "Everything I've worked for is ruined."
Adrien moves to her side of the table. An arm wraps around her shoulders. She stiffens and Adrien lightens his touch. "Marinette," he says gently, "please listen to me. I had no idea she was this vicious. We're going to fix this. And...I don't love Chloe. Not after this, maybe not ever." He admits to her as much as himself.
She looks at him from the corner of her eye, "What do you mean?"
He squeezes his eyes shut, "I mean, if I came back to you after my father got arrested, if I didn't shut myself away, maybe we..." His arm pulls her a little closer into his side. "Maybe we still could-"
She ducks out from under his arm, taking a step back from the table. Her arms are wrapped around her torso as if holding herself together. She doesn't meet Adrien's eyes when he turns to her, "It's too late" she replies in a soft voice.
"It's never too late. I can imagine... loving you." He takes a step towards her. "I know it's hard, choosing happiness, especially in the face of the unknown. I've failed that choice all my life, but now I'm choosing to believe in my happiness, our happiness."
"You can imagine yourself loving Ladybug. That's all." She shakes her head..
He freezes in his tracks, about an arms-length away from her. "But you are Ladybug." He reaches out to her but retracts, not wanting to push the situation. "When will you realize that you're one and the same?"
She lifts her head up slightly, scanning him, trying to tell if he's genuine.
He takes a half step forward, "I spent years loving you and didn't know it. Please, give me a chance."
She leans her head back and closes her eyes, pressing her lips together, struggling to open herself to the whole situation, "Let's just get the Butterfly Miraculous back" she concedes, walking around him, back to the table where their Kwamis are waiting. "What do we do?" She asks their ancient companions. She can feel Adrien's gaze on her back.
Tikki speaks up, "We have to get the butterfly Miraculous back from Chloe-"
Plagg flies out and chimes in, "Yeah, then Tikki and I can purify it and undo the bad things it was used for. Including erasing you ding-dongs' memories."
"We'll worry about that part later." Marinette says firmly, with her arms still crossed she turns back towards Adrien, "You think you can act like you love her long enough to find where she's keeping the Miraculous?" She asks formally, switching back into her role as Leader, suppressing the ache in her chest.
He nods through his sunken expression, "I'll do my best."
"I can standby as Ladybug," she suggests, "if Chloe saw 'Marinette' hanging around she'd probably get suspicious."
Adrien starts towards the door, "Hopefully I won't need the back-up. Just follow when you're ready. Come on, Plagg." He jerks his chin to signal his Kwami.
She responds with a silent nod that he doesn't see as he exits the boutique and walks to his car parked around the block.
Once out of sight, she finally relaxes, collapsing back into a nearby office chair. She covers her face with her hands.
Tikki flies closer to her, "Why are you turning him away?" She demands, getting a tad frustrated with her Chosen.
She lowers her hands, "Chat and I had a complicated relationship at best. And the most I know about Adrien was from magazine covers; and I'm expected to drop everything for him?" She vents, putting her head down on her desk.
"I promise you this will all be worth it, once we get that Miraculous back." Marinette gives a skeptical smile. "Are you dating someone in this reality? Is that why you're hesitant?" Tikki prods, losing patience.
Mari sits up and shakes her head, "No, I've actually never dated anyone before."
"Any crushes?"
She shrugs, "I guess, but not like I was obsessed with any of them, really." She smirks slightly, "I had basically accepted that I don't need anybody, relationship-wise, to be content. But then Adrien Agreste, of all people, turns out to be Chat and my fiancé? I think it's broken me." She lays her head back on the desk.
"But 'content' doesn't really mean 'happy'. And Adrien will make you happy. You two have the strongest bond of any of the Chosen I've ever seen." Tikki confides, hovering near Marinette's head.
Marinette stands slowly, "Thanks," she holds Tikki and nuzzles her against her cheek as an apology. "Let's get that Miraculous. Spots on"
It doesn't take long for Ladybug to catch up to Adrien in his car. She stays low on the rooftops, jumping quickly between gaps.
The car pulls into the Agreste estate, Ladybug leaps over the fence, hiding out of sight of the windows.
Her communicator rings, she picks up and becomes connected to Adrien's phone so she can hear as he goes inside to confront Chloe.
Adrien enters the main atrium, he calls out "Chloe?" His voice echoing through the dim house.
She strides out, looking down on him from the top of the stairs. His jaw tightens. "Adrikins! Where have you been? I just finished booking our flight to L.A., we're leaving tomorrow!" She says in a chipper tone, gracefully making her way down to him.
"That's wonderful," He outstretches his hand and she takes it, pulling her into his arms.
"I'm already packed and everything. I was in the middle of packing your outfits for you, to make sure we don't clash." She kisses him reassuringly, her arms wrapped around the back of his neck.
He pulls out of her embrace gently, keeping her at arms distance away. "I'll let you get back to it then. I'll bring your bags down for you while you do that." He smiles politely, not wanting to raise suspicion.
She pulls herself closer to him, against his boundaries. "So thoughtful... what did I ever do to deserve you, Adrikins?" She replies in a low voice, her arms sliding down and wrapping around his waist.
He tries to hide the tension building inside him, trying to hide any obvious recoil from her touch. "Your bags in your closet?" He asks, trying to slip away.
Chloe nods, "In my storage closet, yes" her grip around him unrelenting. "Adrikins?"
"Yes?"
"I was hoping that we could consummate our marriage before we take flight tomorrow," she traces his jawline with her manicured finger.
Adrien swallows hard, internalizing the thought. "O-of course, Chloe; I was just hoping the same thing,"
She bites her lip, "Lovely..." She drops her arms from him. "I'll go back to packing for now." She starts up the stairs but looks back, "Feel free to join me when you're ready," she winks before heading back up to their bedroom.
Adrien lets out a sigh of relief, whispering into his phone as he climbs the stairs, "Sorry you had to hear that,"
"She is still currently and legally your wife." Ladybug remarks back in a hushed voice, "And you can't have her raising any red flags."
Adrien heads the opposite direction as Chloe at the top of the stairs, entering a room that was converted to hold a bulk of Chloe's clothes, closing the door behind him. "I'm still sorry,"
Ladybug shrugs, "Just stay focused. You're looking for a butterfly broach."
"Well I've gotten myself in her closet. Seems like it'd be a good place to hide it." He kneels down and unzips one of Chloe's suitcases. Shuffling the inner contents, he searches for the Miraculous. When he comes up with nothing, he moves onto the next one, and the next one, and the next...
"Anything?" Ladybug questions, her voice higher with growing anxiety.
"Nothing yet." He closes the last suitcase back up, getting to his feet. "I'm gonna start checking drawers,"
"Adrikins," Chloe's cold voice sends a shock up his spine as he whirls around to see her in the doorway, "looking for something?"
Adrien swallows hard, keeping his cool, "I think I've misplaced my watch. Thought it might have gotten mixed up in your things." He states simply.
She raises an eyebrow, "Oh. You sure you're not looking for this?" She reveals the butterfly Miraculous from her robe's pocket.
He keeps a straight face, "Why do you have that? It was my father's."
She strides into the room, "I don't know how you caught on so fast. I'm almost impressed." She circles him, like a lion taunting its prey. "Does Dupane-Chang know?"
"No." He stays stationary, trying to calculate her next move.
"So, you want her? Still?" She frowns in disgust.
He nods, "Always."
"You're stronger than her, I see that now. You deserve someone who can return that strength to you." Her hand rests on his shoulder as she continues to stalk. "But we can fix that again," she smirks sinisterly.
Suddenly, Ladybug smashes in a nearby window, throwing herself between Chloe and Adrien, forcing her back. She readies herself defensively, her hard eyes staring her down.
Chloe easily regains her footing. Her eyebrows raise, "Ladybug? Can't say I was expecting you. I see the suit still fits." She chides.
"Return the city's memories." Ladybug practically growls, "I won't ask again."
"Then don't." She pins the Miraculous to her blazer and is consumed by a purple cloud, emerging as Miz Butterfly.
Ladybug pushes Adrien back behind her, "Uh, Mr. Agreste, get out of here!" She instructs, her eyes never leaving Miz B.
He makes a break for the door but is blocked by a swarm of butterflies, creating a dense wall all around them.
"How did you know about the Akuma, Ladybug?" She asks coolly, stroking her Miraculous, pacing around the room. "How did you escape my Memory Worm's fog?"
Ladybug keeps herself between Miz B and Adrien, "I was out of town." She lies, "When I returned, I easily put the pieces together."
Miz B scoffs, "'Lady Luck', indeed."
"Why are you doing this, Chloe?" She questions, "There's other guys out there besides Adrien Agreste."
"I don't need another guy, I had him!" She points accusingly towards Adrien. "But then Marinette Dupane-Cheng stole him from me! I was just simply taking back what was rightfully mine."
Ladybug nods cautiously, "I understand that you and Adrien had a life together before this... Marinette came into the picture. But, you also don't own Adrien. And perhaps you two...weren't meant to be..." she suggests, feeling something within herself stir at the thought.
"How dare you!" She roars, lunging for Adrien behind Ladybug.
Ladybug blocks her, bracing herself as Miz B pushes against her.
"Chloe." Adrien addresses her while she struggles in Ladybugs grasp. "I will always love Marinette over you, I'm sorry. No matter how many times you make me forget her, I will always find my way back to her." He swears, maintaining eye contact with her.
Ladybug's heart flutters. She craves a chance to look back at his face, to really see if he means it, but she can tell his tone is true even with her focus stuck on keeping Miz B away from him.
"Why?! What does she have that I don't?" She snarls at him over Ladybug's shoulder, "I have the looks, the money, the fame, the presence of someone that belongs on your arm. She is beneath you in every way!"
He shakes his head, "No. She's above me, and you. I also know about the emails, the ones where you're trying to ruin her business. It's just one more thing I can't forgive you for." he disavows.
Miz Butterfly breaks free from Ladybug, knocking her to the floor and sliding into Adrien's feet. Miz B leaps backwards, her fists clenched. "I guess if you want something done right, do it yourself. I will make sure she dies never knowing true love." She sneers.
Ladybug's heart stops momentarily, Adrien's hands automatically reach down to grasp her shoulders, pulling her against his body protectively; something, luckily, Miz B doesn't notice. Ladybug then easily sheds away the fear. "I can't let you do that." She shakes her head, getting to her knees.
"Watch me!" Miz B busts the rest of the window that Ladybug had broken on the way in, her cloud of butterflies carrying her towards Marinette's boutique.
A sudden silence falls and they both take the moment to regain their composure, clearing their minds. Adrien helps Ladybug to her feet and rests a hand on her shoulder, "Are you okay?"
"Did you really mean what you said just then?" She looks up at him through her eyelashes.
"When?" He asks, fully aware of what she means, his face turns a shade redder.
"When you said you loved Marinette, that you'll always find your way back to her..." Ladybug trails off, lost in the thought.
He turns her towards him, tilting his head down to meet her gaze, "I wasn't lying just to anger her, if that's what you're thinking." He slowly takes her right hand in his, "I will always love you, I will always find my way back to you." He reiterates softly, his other hand gently caressing her cheek.
Ladybugs heart thuds in her chest, practically shaking her entire frame. "I didn't know anyone could feel that intensely, especially for me." She confesses. "I'm not used to this." Her fingers move along his palm.
"Me neither, not like this." He returns, their chests almost touching.
"And..." she gasps silently at her own realization, "I didn't know I could feel this intensely about...anyone."
Adrien's heart melts into the depths of her eyes. His fingers graze softly under her chin, tilting her gaze up, then whispers, "May I kiss you?"
Her lips part, "Yes" She says softly, but assured.
He bends down to meet her lips. He's tentative at first, their lips brushing against each other. He starts to back out when she pulls him back, her arms draping behind his neck. "Adrien-" she breathes out, a longing tangled in the tone.
Following her lead, he wraps his arms around her waist, deepening their kiss. It's more intense, yet still more tender than any kiss Adrien had shared with Chloe, he remarks in his mind fleetingly before all his thoughts are consumed by the presence of his Lady.
Unaware of the warning beeps, Ladybug detransforms mid kiss, but it doesn't faze either of them.
Marinette's only clue that her suit had peeled away was that she could suddenly feel the real heat radiating off the back of his neck along her now exposed forearms. Her fingers, no longer restrained from her suit, stretch into his hairline along the nape, caressing his soft locks.
Adrien smirks into their kiss, feeling her exposed fingers tangle in his hair. "Must have been one strong Akuma to make me forget this." He murmurs, intoxicated by her touch.
"If you two are quite done, we have a Miraculous to get back." Plagg interrupts, hovering next to them.
Marinette drops her hands almost immediately, turning her face away from Adrien to break the kiss, giving a sheepish look toward the Kwami. Meanwhile, Adrien lingers, still holding her close, kissing her temple when she turns away; only releasing her from his arms once regretfully opening his eyes to see Plagg's disapproving glower.
"Plagg, they're falling in love again! Don't interrupt." Tikki chimes in a few feet back, scolding him.
"Oh, I'm sorry, I wasn't sure how many times we were gonna let crazy Chloe burn down the boutique," he points out.
Everyone's gaze turns to the horizon where a definite cloud of smoke is forming.
"This has happened more than once?" Marinette queries concernedly.
Plagg nods, "At least you're not in the building this time."
Adrien's face turns into a mixture of hatred and disgust, "We have to stop her." He steps back, "Plagg, claws out!"
"Tikki, spots on!" Marinette transforms right after him.
They gaze over each other, as if seeing the other for the first time. Chat reaches out his hand, and she takes it in hers. "We should get going," she whispers as the moon begins to rise over the city.
He smiles, "You're right. We're late for a wedding." He kisses her hand before vaulting himself out the window, with Ladybug close behind.
They traverse Paris easily, landing in the street, looking up at the burning boutique. "No one's inside, right?" Chat asks Ladybug.
"Right. We just need to focus on getting that Miraculous." She affirms. They look up to Miz Butterfly hovering over the boutique, giddy with power.
"I'll follow your lead, M'lady." He watches as the firetrucks begin to arrive, creating a barrier around the block.
She looks around as the fire fighters start to douse the flames. She throws her yo-yo into the air, "Lucky Charm!"
A tape recorder lands in her hands. Chat straightens up and scrutinizes it. "What are we gonna do with that?"
Ladybug tucks it under her arm, "Distract her. I'll join you in a second." She instructs before slinging herself up onto a nearby rooftop.
Chat smirks before launching himself up to Miz B's elevation, immediately catching her eye. "I know all's fire in love and war, but I think you've taken it a bit far." He jests, landing on a neighboring roof.
"Oh, Chat Noir. Were you out of town too when I erased Paris' memories?" Miz Butterfly sneers, a hint of sarcasm in her voice.
He shakes his head, "Nope. But when there's a villain in need of justice, I'll be there." He gestures grandly, "So here I am."
She rolls her eyes, "You're too late, you stupid cat. By now, Marinette Dupane-Chang has been reduced to ashes."
Ladybug swings in next to Chat, "Are you quite sure?"
A voice starts to echo behind the smoke, "Thank you, Ladybug! Thank you for saving me!" Marinette's voice calls out from the neighboring roof.
Miz B's eyes grow wide and furious. She zooms through the smoke cloud, followed closely behind by Ladybug and Chat.
Miz B darts from location to location, trying to find the source of Marinette's voice. "Where is she?!" She growls.
With her distracted, Ladybug and Chat wait for an opening.
"Thank you, Ladybug! Thank you for saving me!"
Miz B zeros in on the source, lunging off her butterfly cloud, behind a rooftop chimney. In her clenched hands, she finds the tape recorder playing Marinette's voice. After the split second of realization, Chat and Ladybug tackle her. Chat restrains her arms as Ladybug unpins the Miraculous from her.
"Nooooo!" She wails as she detransforms back into Chloe, with Chat holding her hands behind her back.
Marinette tosses the butterfly Miraculous into the air, "Miraculous Ladybug!"
A flash of pink radiates out from them, encompassing the entire city.
Ladybug shields her eyes from the flash of light, unconsciously holding her breath until the ringing in her ears subsides.
~
She cautiously opens her eyes.
"Then, it is my honor to now pronounce you husband, and wife. You may now kiss the bride." The officiant proclaims, taking a step back.
Still taking in her surroundings, Marinette's mouth hangs slightly agape, but before she can get any words out, Adrien kisses her passionately, practically lifting her off her feet.
She gratefully kisses him back, as her mind races to keep up with what happened.
"Finally," he whispers as they part. He grins as they face their friends and family together.
The crowd erupts in cheers and claps and whistles as they make their way down the aisle together hand in hand.
Adrien helps gather up her dress as they get into an awaiting limo outside the venue. Gorilla closes the door behind them, quickly wiping away a few tears that had started to well in his eyes.
Once in the privacy of the back of the limo, Marinette is able to catch up, "Okay, so, do you remember everything? The Chloe, Miz Butterfly, thing?"
Adrien nods slowly, "Let's just be glad it's over. That everything seems to be back to normal." He squeezes her hand assuringly.
"But where is she now? Where's the Butterfly Miraculous?" She continues, "What if she tries to do something like that again?" Her voice breaks at the thought.
"Looking for this?" Plagg swoops in triumphantly, holding the Butterfly Miraculous beside Tikki.
"Everything is reset. Plagg and I purified the Miraculous." Tikki announces, "All wrong doings from Miz B are reversed."
Adrien holds out his hand, "I'll watch over it until we get home. It was my father's, after all. I feel partially responsible for it." He admits. Plagg places it in his hand and he tucks it away inside his suit jacket. The Kwamis exchange a nod and disappear back into their hiding spot.
"What about Chloe?" Marinette asks, "She's tried to kill me, at least twice now."
"I promise she'll never come near you again. I'll do everything I can to bring her to justice." He kisses her hand, "But no more worrying, please. After all that, I think we deserve to have a bit of fun at our reception."
She visibly eases, "You're right. No more worrying tonight." She leans her head against him, wrapping her arms around him.
He chuckles softly, "I love you, Mrs. Dupain-Cheng-Agreste."
She tilts her head up and kisses him, "I love you too, Mr. Dupain-Cheng-Agreste."
"Now that has a nice ring to it." He comments, kissing her again as they drive off towards the rest of their lives together.