Chapter Text
“Do you remember the beginning of the school year?”
Adrien stretched and smiled at Marinette, who was carefully sewing something onto her dress. “Hmm?”
She glanced at him and gave him a soft smile, making his heart leap in his chest a little bit. “The Homecoming dance. It feels like it was three years ago, not eight months.”
“Yeah.” Adrien frowned and rolled over onto his back on the chaise, staring up at the ceiling. “I was still living with Father then.”
“Yes,” Marinette said. Adrien heard her turn her sewing machine off and step over to him, her face coming into focus above him. She nudged him with her knee and he sat up willingly, letting her sit beside him and fold into his side. “I’m glad you’re not anymore.”
“Me, too,” he said quietly.
She hugged him around his waist, tucking her face into his neck. “You thought I was going to go out with Luka…”
“I never thought that,” he said, laughing slightly.
“It was ruining your life…”
“No!” he laughed more.
“And you kissed the most vile human on the planet,” she continued, her shoulders shaking slightly as she tried to hold back her laughter.
“Yeah, that did happen, but in my defense, she sprung it on me and I didn’t know how to politely decline,” he said, wrapping his arm around her shoulders, leaning his head on top of hers.
“You’re so polite,” Marinette said. She pulled back slightly and grinned up at him.
Adrien felt his heart rate pick up as he considered his next words. “Hey, Marinette? Since we’re reminiscing, I actually did have something I wanted to ask you about… from that night.”
She frowned and pulled away. “You’ve wanted to ask me something for… eight months or so?”
He nodded, frowning when he realized he was chewing on his lip. “Did… did you give me my powers?”
Her face was perfectly confused. “Did I what?”
“Come on, Marinette,” he said. “Did you somehow gift me my powers using your own?”
“Uh…” She smiled slightly. “How would I even do that?”
“Well, you have the power of creation. It’s probably pretty powerful,” he said. He relaxed slightly at the thought that she had no idea what he was talking about. “Remember, Father indicated that you did. He was pretty positive that I was powerless.”
She was quiet.
“Marinette?”
She stood up suddenly, startling him, and started to pace. “You know, I always wondered if I somehow did? Because when you were running from Luka, and he was coming after you, I felt so powerless to help, because I didn’t want to use my powers in the lunchroom and get in trouble, so I just breathed into the universe that I wanted you to be able to save yourself, and then… and then I felt all warm and then you were saved.” She put her face in her hands. “And I never said anything because it’s just… it’s just, it’s weird!”
He smiled slightly. “Oh.”
“So maybe, yes, subconsciously, I might have given you your powers, but I didn’t know that I did, except I wondered, but I didn’t want to say anything in case it wasn’t true, but then Gabriel mentioned it and I froze, and then you never said anything about it for months, and now I’m kind of freaking out.” She flopped back down on the chaise, head still in her hands. “Adrien, what if I cursed you with destructive power that you still don’t fully understand? What if one day you’re super upset and you run your hand through your hair and then you can never grow hair again? What if you touch someone when you’re angry at them and they disappear? That could all be my fault and I would never forgive myself, never, ever—”
Adrien couldn’t help it. He laughed.
Marinette’s eyes flashed to his, narrow, angry. “What?” she demanded. “What is so funny?”
He just laughed again, closing his eyes as he tried to stop. “I’m sorry,” he gasped. “I just… you’re panicking because… you gave me… powers, and it’s all I ever wanted, and…”
“Allegedly, or, uh, maybe gave you powers,” she corrected him. “I don’t know that I actually gave you powers.” She poked him in the side. “Stop laughing.”
“It’s funny,” he said, calming down slightly, smile still wide on his face.
“It’s not!” she argued.
Adrien sighed. “Marinette, go finish your dress. Prom is in two days.”
She squeaked and stood up. “You’re right! I still haven’t finished the bodice or done any of the embroidery or…” And she was off in her own world, muttering under her breath as she went back to her sewing table.
Adrien just smiled as he watched her.
Marinette. His lady.
---
“Alright, dudes,” Nino said, straightening his tie, again, before giving Adrien and Luka a nervous thumbs-up. “Let’s go get the ladies.”
Adrien groaned and stood up. “Finally! It took you so long to be ready.”
“Oh, please, Mr. I-Have-To-Make-Sure-My-Hair-Looks-Perfect,” Nino scoffed. “You took a pretty long time, too.”
Adrien looked at Luka, his eyebrows raised. “Well?”
“Nino, you did take longer,” Luka said, clearly trying not to smile. “But Adrien, you were more infuriating.”
Nino smiled triumphantly. “Ha!”
Adrien rolled his eyes. “Hey, let’s just go get the girls, huh?”
“Excellent idea,” Luka said, smiling as he led them all outside Nino’s house to where the Gorilla was parked.
“Alright,” Adrien said as he slid into his seat, “take us to the Dupain-Cheng bakery, please.”
With a grunt and a nod, the Gorilla pulled out of his spot and drove towards the bakery.
“I’m excited to see the girls,” Nino said, fidgeting with his tie. “I’m sure they’ll all look so good.”
“Especially with Marinette designing all four dresses,” Luka added.
“Is it going to be weird for you, being the…” Nino paused.
Adrien bit back a smile as he watched his friend struggle.
“Seventh wheel?” Nino finally asked.
Luka just smiled and shrugged. “I’ve been doing it all year.”
Nino did an awkward finger gun at him and grinned sheepishly. “I guess that’s true.”
Luka just rolled his eyes good-naturedly as Adrien laughed.
They pulled up in front of the bakery in record time, the three boys exiting the car quickly and walking into the store.
“Boys!” Sabine said, smiling warmly. “Oh, please make yourselves comfortable. I’ll go get the girls—they’ve been ready for a while but waited to come downstairs.”
Adrien shot Nino a glance.
Luka very visibly tried not to smile.
Moments later, footsteps sounded from the stairs and all three boys sat up straighter.
Adrien’s breath got caught in his throat when Marinette came down the stairs. Her dress was red and… honestly, he couldn’t really describe it, but it was gorgeous and fit her perfectly and he loved her he loved her he loved her he loved her he lo—
“Whoa, Alya, you look dope,” Nino said, startling Adrien out of his thoughts.
Alya beamed, running her hands over her hips, the orange fabric moving smoothly under her hands. “Thanks, dude,” she said, winking at Nino.
Adrien looked up to see Chloe and Kagami walking down together, heads close together as they whispered and laughed about something.
“Hey.”
He jumped and smiled at Marinette as she appeared right in front of him, chewing on her lip slightly. “Hi,” he said softly. “You look beautiful.”
She smiled. “You look handsome.” Raising her hands to his lapels, she adjusted his jacket just slightly.
“Thank you,” he said quietly.
They stood like that, quiet and calm, for a moment, just looking at each other with soft smiles on their faces.
“Gross,” Chloe said, breaking the silence. “Get a room.”
“I mean, we could,” Adrien said, smirking suddenly, raising his eyebrows at Marinette playfully.
She shoved him lightly, laughing. “Stop.”
“It’s not even that far away,” he added, gesturing up the stairs. “We wouldn’t have to go very far.”
“Shut up,” Marinette said. She grinned. “Or I’ll make you.”
“As enjoyable as this is,” Alya said dryly, “shouldn’t we be getting to a dance right about now?”
Adrien backed away from Marinette. “Okay, okay,” he said, raising his hands in surrender. “To the car!”
“Wait!” Tom Dupain’s voice rang out from the back of the bakery. He rushed into the room with a camera in his hands. “Pictures!”
And they all complied.
---
“Do principals usually make speeches during dances?” Kagami asked, her eyebrows furrowed together as all the students came to stand at attention in the middle of the dance floor.
Adrien just glanced at her and shrugged before looking back towards Principal Powers.
“Thank you, everyone,” she said, smiling at her students. “I’m pleased that prom is going smoothly. No strange weapons making us into something we’re not.”
Everyone laughed politely.
Marinette was suddenly standing beside Adrien, slipping her hand into his.
“What’s going on?” he whispered.
She shrugged.
“After great deliberation with the administration and the school board and as many experts as we could contact, the Sky High administration has made an extraordinary decision,” Principal Powers continued.
Adrien watched as Alya took her phone out of… whoa, okay, Alya, pulling a phone out of your cleavage… how did she even get it down there… no, focus—as Alya opened her camera app and started filming.
“Because of what happened during the homecoming dance, we recognize that splitting students into a hero/sidekick dichotomy can cause problems. Well, we’ve seen it cause problems several times throughout my time as the principal of Sky High, especially recently, such as with Mr. Agreste and Mr. Couffaine in the cafeteria early in the year. The dichotomy doesn’t help anything; rather, it hinders all of us from being able to grow and learn to help each other to the best of our abilities.” Principal Powers paused, for dramatic effect, Adrien was positive. “And so, we’ve decided to intermix the classes at the start of the next school year. There will no longer be a hero class and a sidekick class. Instead, you will all be heroes.
“Some of you will surely argue that students who have lesser powers should remain sidekicks—after all, they could never save the day like a real hero could.” She raised an eyebrow. “I think, however, that it has been proven that even if you don’t have a spectacular power or a flashy trick, you can still be a hero. It’s what’s inside you that matters.” She nodded. “Thank you. Enjoy the rest of the dance.”
“Oh my god,” Alya whispered, saving the video and shoving her phone back down the front of her dress. “Did you hear that?”
“Obviously,” Chloe said.
“We’re going to be heroes!” she squealed, turning and clutching Nino’s arm. “No more sidekick classes for us!”
“It seemed as though she was saying we will all learn everything,” Nino said dubiously. “I don’t know if I want to have to learn everything.”
“No, she said we’ll all be heroes,” Luka said easily. “Relax, man.”
“Oh.” Nino beamed. “Cool!”
“So we will all be in the same classes next year,” Kagami said, a question in her tone.
“Maybe,” Alya said. “But, I mean, obviously they still have to consider class size. It would be cool, though!”
“Well, we’re in different grades,” Chloe said, rolling her eyes. “So, no, we won’t be in the same classes.” She paused. “But you and I will.”
Kagami beamed at her.
Adrien smiled down at Marinette. “Hey, remember your speech at the beginning of the year?”
She laughed softly, rubbing her thumb across the back of his hand, over and over. “Yeah.”
“No more hero/sidekick dichotomy. Just students. Wanting to save the world.”
She nodded, her smile growing. “Just a bunch of kids doing their best.”
He drew her closer to his side, smiling the whole way. “Just a bunch of high school kids, all working together to make the world a better place.”
“Stop,” Alya said, laughing. “Please, stop. Luka, stop them.”
Luka just gave her a wry expression before turning and walking away.
“No, Luka, you were my only hope!” Alya called as she rushed after him, dragging Nino, Kagami, and Chloe behind her as she went.
“It was a good year,” Marinette said, smiling up at him still.
“Hmm.” He drew her into himself, wrapping his arms around her waist, smiling when she placed her hands on his shoulders. “It was a hard year.”
“But good?”
“But good.” Adrien smiled down at her as they swayed back and forth. “I mean, my father became my arch-enemy, my arch-enemy became a great friend, and my best friend became my girlfriend…”
She grinned and placed her head on his chest.
“But hey.” Leaning down, Adrien pressed his cheek to the top of her head. “That’s high school.”