Chapter Text
Marinette was floating high above the clouds, and she never wanted to come down. Honestly, she didn’t think she ever would. Within a matter of minutes, her entire life had changed for the better.
Adrien Agreste wanted to go on a date with her. With HER! And...he had told her that he was falling in love with her. She couldn’t believe it. Yet, here he was, holding her hand and looking at her like she was the center of his universe.
When the final bell rang, she attempted to let go of his hand and take her seat, but his grip tightened. “Class is about to start. I’m going to need that hand to write.”
He looked up at her with kitten eyes that rivaled Chat Noir’s. “I like the way your hand fits in mine. I want to keep holding it forever.”
The newness of the situation still made her feel nervous around Adrien, but the steadiness of his hand and the sincerity in his eyes gave her the courage to reach up and kiss him on the cheek. He immediately dropped her hand and touched the side of his face.
Adrien’s mouth was agape. “What was that for?”
His look of shock caused her to giggle. “I wanted to give you something to tide you over until we could hold hands again.”
He quirked his brow. “How about lunchtime today?”
“I think I can squeeze you in,” she teased playfully.
***
That day, Marinette found concentrating in class an impossible task. Instead of listening to the lecture, she found herself staring at Adrien’s bouncing, golden locks on multiple occasions. When the lunch bell rang, her notes were incomplete, but her heart felt full.
As she gathered her belongings and stuffed them into her backpack, Adrien hopped out of his seat and stood in front of her. Without saying a word, he slung her backpack over his shoulder and held out his hand.
When she took his hand, he shot her a dazzling smile. “Thank goodness...my hand felt empty all morning.”
She felt a firey blush creep up her neck and spread across her cheeks. Using her free hand, Marinette covered her face and groaned.
“You can’t just say stuff like that!” she mumbled through her fingers.
Adrien chuckled. “Why...whatever do you mean? I thought you liked me.”
She dropped her arm to her side. “That’s the problem! Just because you asked me out, it doesn’t mean that talking to you got any easier! Ugh...you probably think I’m super weird...and you’re going to rethink wanting to date me...and then…”
“Woah! Marinette! No...I would never do that! Okay, so your feelings for me make you a little nervous. That doesn’t make you any less kind, selfless, or brave. I’ve seen you do incredible things. That’s why I called you our ‘everyday Ladybug’ last year. You’re amazing without even trying, and that’s why I’ve started to fall in love with you. We’ll just take it slow. Trust me, I’m not that scary.”
“I know...it’s just...sometimes my mind starts running a million miles an hour, and I get all of these ideas. Alya tells me that I tend to overthink things, and she’s right.”
“Yes, but we need people whose mind works like yours.”
“You think so?”
He took her other hand in his. “Marinette, you are smart and creative. Those are only two of the reasons why I admire you. However, if you get nervous around me in the future, I will wait patiently by your side until you’re comfortable again. I will never let anything happen to you as long as you’re with me. All I want is for you to feel safe and loved. Okay?”
Hearing Adrien’s words made her insides melt. “Okay.”
“Now, where would you like to go to lunch?”
“Oh, umm...my parents are actually expecting me to come home for lunch. And everything happened so fast this morning...I didn’t have time to tell them anything before class started. D-did you maybe...uhh...want to come over? They’d be more than happy to have you.”
“Are you sure? I don’t want to cause an inconvenience.”
Marinette shook her head and laughed. “Are you kidding? My parents love feeding other people. They’re bakers. They always make plenty of food. Besides, Alya comes over all the time. There’s a chance that they’ll ask a lot of questions, but they like you. That and they’re definitely going to find out that we’re dating sooner or later, so why not tell them today? If...umm...that’s okay with you.”
Adrien beamed. “Your parents are amazing, and I would love to eat lunch with your family. Let me just text my bodyguard and let him know where I’m going to be.”
He let go of one of her hands, fished his phone out of his pocket, and quickly typed out a message. Adrien then led her towards the classroom door and carefully guided her down the stairs. They walked hand in hand all the way to the bakery.
Sabine squealed upon seeing them walk through the door together. “Oh my goodness! Tom! Get out here! Come and see who our daughter brought home!”
Tom sauntered into the store and gasped. “Has my little girl finally brought home a boyfriend?”
Marinette hesitated, but a gentle hand squeeze from Adrien gave her a much-needed confidence boost. “Yes, papa.”
“What a joyous day! Come in, son! Come in! I hope you are hungry because my wife has prepared a wonderful meal. We are so happy to have you here!”
Adrien looked at Tom with wide eyes. “Really, sir? Wow...thank you! I’m very excited to be here.”
“Son, you are always welcome here. Our home is open to any friend...or boyfriend...of Marinette’s.”
“Thank you, Mr. Dupain.”
Tom turned to Marinette. “He’s very polite. You should keep him.”
Sabine walked over and stood next to her husband. “Alright kids, lunch won’t be ready for another half an hour. How about the two of you head up to Marinette’s room and relax for a bit? I’ll call you when it’s time to set the table.”
“Okay, maman.” Still holding his hand, Marinette took Adrien up to her room and guided him to her chaise.
Instead of sitting down, he let go of her hand, put their belongings on the floor, and took in his surroundings. “I’ve always loved your room. It’s so warm and inviting.”
“Really? It’s nothing like yours. You have so much cool stuff.”
“Yeah, but it doesn’t mean anything when you have no one to share any of that stuff with. Video games just aren’t as fun when you're always playing in single-player mode.”
“You know...we could...umm...fix that if you wanted.”
He knitted his brows. “What do you mean?”
Marinette bit her lip. “Well, the last time you were here, we played a game. We could play a few rounds of Ultimate Mecha Strike right now if you wanted to.”
“I would love to.”
“Oh, and maybe sometime you could join us for one of our family gaming sessions! My dad would love to have a new player in the group!”
“Wow...that sounds amazing! My dad would never sit down and play video games with me like that. Honestly, he doesn’t do much with me. He’s usually too busy, but that’s okay.” Adrien deflated and looked at the floor.
Seeing the sadness darken his features broke Marinette’s heart. “Hey...don’t worry about him. If you ever feel lonely, just call me. I’m always here to talk.”
Adrien’s face lit up. “You know...I might just take you up on that. Thanks, Marinette.”
“There’s no need to thank me. I care about you. If I didn’t, I probably wouldn’t have had a crush on you. Also, if we’re dating now, we’re going to be talking a whole lot more. Actually, we’ll probably be talking all the time.”
“I can’t wait.” He reached up and gingerly touched her cheek. “Is...is it okay if I do this?”
She took a moment to close her eyes and lean into his touch. “Mmmhmm...it feels nice.”
“Just let me know if you’re ever feeling uncomfortable.”
“Adrien, do you know how long I’ve waited to do stuff like hold your hand or cuddle?”
“Cuddle?”
Realizing what she said, Marinette once again felt her face turn red. “Uh...yeah, but only if you’re okay with doing that!”
He grinned and moved closer to her. “I wouldn’t mind trying that right now.”
“I...um...wow...okay.” She took a deep breath, calmed her nerves, rested her arms on his shoulders, and ran her fingers through the hair on the back of his head. “That’s fine with me, but only if I can kick your butt at Ultimate Mecha Strike at the same time!”
The sound he made in response sounded almost like a purr. “In your dreams, Princess!”
Marinette moved away as she was struck with a sense of familiarity. “Wait...did you just call me ‘Princess’?”
Adrien scratched the back of his head. “I...uhhh...yes?”
“Hmmm.”
“D-do you not like being called that?”
“No, it’s not that. It’s just, I can only think of one person who’s ever called me that, and…”
Marinette looked up at her new boyfriend. She’d spent a year and a half studying Adrien’s features; however, it suddenly felt as if she was looking at him for the very first time.
“His eyes are the same color as yours. People don’t realize it, but they are,” she noted absentmindedly.
Adrien’s eyes darted around the room. “I...uh...and who might you be talking about?”
“Chat talks the same way, too,” a voice echoed inside her mind.
Marinette quickly brushed the idea away and shook her head. “No. I’m sorry. You know what? Never mind…it’s stupid. Let’s just play the game.”
Adrien’s body appeared to visibly relax after hearing her last statement. “Okay, yes...sounds great!”
Once again, Marinette buried any lingering thoughts regarding her partner and turned her attention towards setting up Ultimate Mecha Strike on her computer. However, before the game had the chance to load, an Akuma alert popped up on her phone.
Marinette groaned. “Ugh...no! Not today.”
“Hey...um,” Adrien began, “I need to go. My dad expects me to go home whenever there’s an Akuma attack.”
“Oh, really? Well, I guess that explains why I never see you during one.”
“Uh...yeah. So, I’ll just get going. My bodyguard is probably already waiting for me outside.” He walked up to Marinette and kissed her on the cheek. “Please stay safe, and if this clears up...maybe we can hang out again later? Or I could call...I’d really like to hear what suggestions you have for our first date.”
Marinette’s breath hitched. “D-date?”
“Yeah...that’s what couples do. They go on dates and spend time with each other.”
“I...umm...grounds sate. I MEAN! Sounds great!”
He chuckled and kissed her forehead. “I’ll see you later, Marinette.”
“Bye!” She waved as she watched him open the hatch and disappear into the room below.
Once he was gone, Tikki zipped into view. “Marinette! You need to transform! Chat Noir is probably already there.”
“You’re right...Tikki, SPOTS ON!” Marinette threw her head back and allowed her transformation to wash over her.
She then climbed onto her balcony and unsheathed her yo-yo.
“Ladybug?” Chat’s stunned voice asked breathlessly, “No...it can’t...that’s not...I just...why are you coming out of Marinette’s room?”
She froze. “Good afternoon, Chat Noir! I was just...ummm…I think the better question is why are you on Marinette’s balcony?”
“Okay...fine. Don’t answer, but I’ll have you know that I was visiting my girlfriend who lives close by, and I transformed in an alleyway behind near her house. I was just making my way across the rooftops to meet you at the Akuma battle,” he paused before continuing, “However, I was definitely not expecting my lady and my princess to be the same person.”
“Yes, well, you see...WAIT.” She narrowed her eyes at him, “What did you just say?”
Chat shifted his grip on his baton. “I...uhh...called you my Princess, and right now I’m just hoping that this won’t lead to our first fight as a couple.”
“Adrien?”
“Umm...yes?”
“Oh my God...OH MY GOD...It is you. I thought I was going crazy. Ohmygod...I’m dating Chat Noir!”
“Ummm...also yes?”
Ladybug groaned. “I can’t believe this. Why was I ever nervous around you? You are a pun-loving dork...a loyal, brave, and kind dork, but a dork, nonetheless.”
Chat’s ears drooped. “I guess you’ll probably want to break up then huh?”
“What? No...where did you get an idea like that?”
“You don’t like my puns.”
“No, I don’t like your timing...just like your timing for this conversation. Not good, Chaton. You probably should have waited until after we defeated the rampaging Akuma. You’re so lucky that I love you.”
He perked up. “You still love me?”
“Of course, you silly cat! I’ve always loved you. True, we have a lot to talk about, but it’s definitely going to make sneaking away for Akuma battles much easier. I was hoping to keep this a secret, but I guess it we’ll just have to figure it out. We’ll have to keep this a secret from Master Fu though.”
“Yeah...we wouldn’t want him to take...WAIT...hold on. Am I the boy you were in love with?”
Ladybug bit her lip. “Yeah. If it wasn’t for...well...you, I would have fallen for...um...you ages ago. I’m so sorry for breaking your heart so many times.”
Chat sheathed his baton, ran to her, scooped her up in his arms, and twirled her around. “No. Don’t be sorry. That’s amazing. You’re amazing. All of this is amazing. I can’t believe that I moved on from the girl of my dreams only to fall in love with the girl of my dreams again, and to top it off, she’s loved me all along! How did I get so lucky?”
“Chaton, as much as I love being in your arms and having this conversation with you, I wasn’t joking about the whole terrible timing thing. We really should uhh...you know…”
“Oh, right. Yeah. We’re the ‘saviors of Paris’. We should probably get on with that whole Akuma thing.” He gently set her on the ground.
She beamed. “Alright...shall we?”
“We shall, my lady...oh, wait...one more thing!”
“Yes, Chat?”
“When we’re done can we try that whole cuddling thing? It seems like it would be a step up from hand-holding.”
Ladybug rolled her eyes. “Only if we can defeat this Akuma before my mom calls us downstairs to set the table. We only have like 20 minutes before that happens.”
Chat extended his baton. “Okay...I get it. Work now, cuddle later.”
“Thank you, and...yes, kitty, there will be lots of cuddles.”
“Sounds paw-sitively purr-fect, my lady. I’m ready whenever you are.”
Ladybug shook her head and laughed. “Let’s get this done...together.”