Chapter Text
Exactly twenty years ago, Marinette Dupain-Cheng met her soulmate. Now, she was just minutes away from marrying him. They practically spent their entire lives together, and yet, she still couldn’t fathom that she was about to spend the rest of their lives together.
She knew nothing would change, not really, at least. She would love Adrien just as much, if not more, and she’d still wake up next to him in their apartment. The only difference was a fancy marriage license and a new last name. It was just forever after with the love of her life, no big deal. Marinette thought she was handling it pretty well.
“I think I’m going to throw up,” she groaned, pacing the floor in one of the Agreste’s guest rooms. To be fair, she hadn’t thrown up nor fainted thus far, which was a win in her book.
“Sweetheart, everything’s going to be fine,” her mother reassured, placing a hand on her arm to get her to stop.
“Your mom has a point,” Alya jumped in, standing in front of Marinette to fix a few loose strands of hair due to her pacing. “Your dress is perfect, there’s not a single cloud in the sky, and I swear on my life that Adrien will be at the end of the aisle waiting for you.”
“I’m not worried about that,” Marinette said. “I think it’s just nerves. I feel like I can run a marathon and fall into a coma at a moment’s notice at the same time.”
Her mother let out a good-natured laugh. “That’s the standard for your wedding day. I was just as nervous as you were when I married your father.”
“Really?” Marinette asked, eyes wide open with shock. “But you’re always so calm!”
“No one’s calm on their wedding day,” she smiled. “I promise you, once you see Adrien for the first time, nothing else matters save for the two of you.”
Marinette frowned. “If I can even make it that long.”
“…I might have an idea,” Alya smirked. “Sabine, I might need your help. Will you be alright on your own for a bit, Marinette?”
“Yeah, I’ll be fine,” she sighed. “I’ll just be pacing a hole into the floor.”
“Perfect. Be right back!”
Immediately, Marinette resumed pacing the room. She had to work out all her nervous energy somehow, and sitting still would only drive her crazy. It wasn’t long before she heard a knock on the door, and she moved to open it, only to find the back of her husband-to-be. Naturally, she slammed the door in shock.
“Adrien! What are you doing here?” she asked through the door. “You aren’t supposed to see me yet.”
“I know, but Alya said you needed me.”
At that, she cracked the door open an inch. Adrien's back was still towards her, but he had his hand outstretched to her. Marinette took it without hesitation.
“Is everything okay?” he asked, squeezing her fingers.
“I’m fine,” she reassured. “It’s just the nerves, you know? There’s nothing to be nervous about, but…”
“You can’t help but feel anxious, right?” Adrien finished for her, and she smiled at how well he knew her. “I get it. I think I’m just really excited to marry you, and it’s coming out as jitters.”
Marinette smiled, despite him not being able to see it. “It’s exactly that. I’ve been pacing all morning… Your parents might need a new rug for the room.”
“Don’t worry about it. Mother’s always happy to redecorate,” he chuckled before squeezing her hand again. “Is there anything I can do to help calm you down?”
Marinette let go of his hand and wrapped her arms around him from behind. “Having you here is more than enough, Kitty.”
Adrien’s hands laid over top hers, and they fell into a comfortable silence. They stayed like that, her leaning her head against his back and him playing with her fingers around his abdomen. For the first time all day, they were calm. After a while, he broke the silence.
“I found a love for me
Oh darling, just dive right in and follow my lead
Well, I found a girl, beautiful and sweet
Oh, I never knew you were the someone waiting for me.”
Marinette had always loved Adrien’s singing voice, a talent he inherited from his mother. It took her a while to snap out of her comforting daze and find her voice.
“It’s our wedding song,” she noted.
“It is,” he said softly, and she could just imagine a smile just as soft on his face. “Sing with me?” She was never one to deny Adrien anything ever, but when he asked so sweetly, how could she say no?
“'Cause we were just kids when we fell in love
Not knowing what it was
I will not give you up this time
But darling, just kiss me slow, your heart is all I own
And in your eyes, you're holding mine.”
Before she could get to the chorus, the sounds of their parents calling for Adrien echoed down the hall, and she tightened her grip on him. “Do you have to go? Can’t you stay?”
“Believe me, I don’t want to go either,” he sighed, squeezing her hands. “But think of it this way… This is the last time I have to leave before I stay by your side for the rest of our lives. When you walk down that aisle, I will be right there waiting for you. Okay?”
“Okay,” Marinette sighed before reluctantly letting him go. “I’ll see you soon, Kitty.”
“Never soon enough, Milady.”
Let it be known that Adrien Agreste was, on an average day, a patient man. Standing under the arch in his mother’s garden, waiting for Marinette, however, was a different story. Time seemingly passed excruciatingly slow, just to torture him. He watched with unbidden excitement as their wedding party slowly made their way down the path.
They all looked amazing, of course, in the dresses and suits Marinette designed herself, but he wasn’t ashamed to admit that he wasn’t paying much attention to them. Nino had to nudge him a couple times to keep him in check before he started bouncing. Then the music swelled, and Adrien straightened in anticipation.
He thought it was supposed to get easier to breathe once he saw Marinette, but Adrien was left even more breathless than he was before. Her dress was stunning; one of her best designs by far. She quite literally looked like royalty with her ballgown made of lace and tule, no doubt intricately hand sewed herself. And Marinette… she had always been beautiful and always would be. But watching her walk down the aisle, she was nothing less than ethereal.
Adrien hadn’t realized he was crying until Nino pushed a handkerchief into his hands. He quickly wiped his tears away before stepping forward as Marinette’s parents gave her away. Tom placed a reassuring hand on his shoulder, and Sabine pressed a motherly kiss to his cheek before taking their seats next to his parents.
“I love you,” he whispered, unable to contain his emotions for much longer. He took her hand in his and gave it a reassuring squeeze before leading her into place in front of the officiant. Despite standing just a foot away, Adrien didn’t hear a single word the officiant said. As far as he was concerned, nothing else existed save for the beautiful woman in front of him.
It was strange to think about how so little had changed in the twenty years they spent together. Adrien always had cherished Marinette; as a friend, as a soulmate, as a lover. Nothing could ever change that. And while that love evolved from platonic to romantic over the years, the love he had for her remained steadfast and unwavering.
Marinette hadn’t changed at all. She’d come into her own as a person, of course, but she was still his loving, smart and stubborn best friend. She still tripped over her own two feet, stayed up till the wee hours of the morning to work, and dabbed icing on his nose whenever she baked. And to think… Adrien had the honour of loving this wonderful, wonderful woman for the rest of his life. He didn’t know what he did in a past life to deserve such a chance… But boy, was he grateful.
“Adrien,” the officiant said, looking at him expectantly. “Your vows?”
It was then that he realized that in his nostalgic and love-induced reverie, everyone had been waiting on him.
“Sorry,” he smiled sheepishly. “It’s hard to think when there’s a literal angel in front of me.” Marinette blushed furiously, the crowd laughed gently, and he considered it a win in exchange for a bit of embarrassment. “On this day twenty years ago, you entered my life. Little did I know then that I had met the love of my life. There are so many other paths my life could’ve taken, but I will forever be thankful for the path that led me to you. Ever since then, you’ve been a rock and an eternal source of joy for me.
“For the rest of our lives, I promise to express my thanks for having you in my life. I promise to share your burdens when they become too much for your shoulders, to support you and your endeavours, to forever remain your best friend. Most importantly, I promise to love you more than the day before, every day for the rest of our lives.”
By the end of his vows, Adrien was barely keeping it together. His voice had cracked multiple times, and he was crying once again. This time, Marinette reached up and cupped his face, wiping his tears away with her thumb.
“Never in a million years would I have thought that falling through a kitchen door – twice – would bring me so much joy. The first time, I met you, my forever best friend and soulmate. The second time, you were waiting for me on one knee and asked me to marry you. Maybe before the night’s up, I’ll fall through for a third time for the sake of nostalgia.” Adrien chuckled wetly at that, as did the rest of their guests.
“We were just unknowing kids at the time, and that’s not to say we’re not the same kids we were then,” Marinette continued, squeezing his hands. “But I am so thankful to have met you so early in my life. When I say I don’t remember life before I met you, it’s the truth. I have had the honour of growing up by your side and creating an entire lifetime’s worth of memories before the rest of our lives even started. I promise to continue to make memories with you, to stay steadfast by your side, and to love you unconditionally. I will be your home and your safety net, just as you have been for me for all this time.”
Resigning himself to the fact that he wouldn’t stop crying for the rest of the day, Adrien forewent wiping his tears in favour of wiping Marinette’s.
“Now, seeing as no one would dare object to these two…” the officiant chuckled, turning her focus to him. “Do you, Adrien Agreste, take Marinette Dupain-Cheng to be your lawfully wedded wife? To have and to hold from this day forward, for better, for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and to cherish, till death do you part?”
“I do,” he replied immediately, squeezing her hands.
“And do you, Marinette Dupain-Cheng, take Adrien Agreste to be your lawfully wedded husband? To have and to hold from this day forward, for better, for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and to cherish, till death do you part?”
There were happy tears in her eyes and a soft smile on her lips as Marinette squeezed his hands back. “I do.”
Nino and Alya then stepped forward, handing Adrien and Marinette respectfully their wedding bands. Adrien didn’t know what brought him more joy; having Marinette slide a ring on his finger, or sliding a ring onto Marinette’s finger.
“With the power vested in me,” the officiant grinned, looking between the both of them. “I now pronounce you husband and wife. You may now kiss the bride.”
Without hesitation, Adrien stepped forward to wrap his arms around Marinette’s – his wife’s! – waist and met her halfway with a kiss. In doing so, the garden erupted with cheers as he stepped into the rest of his life with Marinette.
Fin.