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“Hey! Stop! What do you guys think you’re doing!?”
“Tsk! I-It’s Prince Adrien! Watch your back you chink! We’ll be coming back for you.”
The first time he spoke to her was when he was six years old. She was in the middle of a fight with a group of kids that were making fun of her Chinese descent.
He was just coming home from Nino’s house when he heard a loud shrill scream. In the secluded corner of the park, a girl with blackish-blue hair was trying to fend off a group of girls he recognized were from his class. Unable to stand by and just watch Adrien had jumped in immediately.
After making sure that the bullies had been chased away, Adrien examined the fallen girl. Although he had never spoken to her before, Adrien knew exactly who she was. After all Marinette Dupain-Cheng was the only Chinese student in his grade, and they shared all their classes together. She was always alone and quiet in the corner of the room.
But one day after school a melodious laughter caught his attention, and there under the shade of the trees was Marinette giggling at something a girl with tannish skin had said.
‘What a beautiful laugh,’ Adrien thought.
“Adrien! Hellloooo!!!!” Nino chimed waving his hands in front of Adrien.
“Ah! Sorry Nino, what were you saying?”
“Dude you were making those icky goo-goo eyes my parents make before they start making out!” Nino shivered, “You have a crush on one of them?!”
“N-no way!” Adrien flushed.
“Bro I didn’t know you had a thing for Alya? You should have told me! You know she’s in my class right?” Nino raised his brow.
“Huh? Alya?” Adrien asked confused.
“Ooohhhh!!!! So it’s Marinette that you have a crush on!?!?” Nino laughed.
“N-n-no I-I don’t!!!”
“Adrien and Marinette sitting in a tree K-I-S-S-I-N-G!!!” Nino sang out loud.
“Nino! Stop!” Adrien hissed.
“Pffft! Don’t worry I won’t tell anyone. But man you sure know how to pick them. You’ve heard those rumors about her right? Apparently she’s really weird and like her family eats dogs and stuff…” Nino trailed off with a shiver.
Adrien scrunched his brows in disgust, “Nino you know rumors aren’t always true…Plus those aren’t very nice things to say about someone.”
“Sorry! I know how you feel about rumors since you’re subject to so many…I promise not to mention it again! But anyways so that new game that came ou-“
Half-listening to Nino’s ramble, Adrien glanced at Marinette’s smiling face one last time before they exited the school grounds.
‘She should smile more often…’
From that moment on, Adrien found his eyes constantly drawn to her, but he never had the opportunity to talk to her until now…
Adrien picked up her fallen snapback, “Here you go! Are you okay?”
“I could have handled them myself,” Marinette huffed as she snatched the hat out of his hands roughly.
Placing her hat back on, Marinette tugged her jacket and sweater back in place and dusted off her leggings before she began strutting away.
“Ah- wait!” Adrien yelled before running in front of her.
Marinette rolled her eyes, “And what do you want ‘Prince Adrien’?”
“P-prince?” Adrien frowned.
“Well that’s what everyone calls you isn’t it? Your family lives in that giant castle-like mansion with hundreds of servants, and you guys own like half of Paris.”
“You shouldn’t believe everything you hear,” Adrien retorted, “We live in a normal house that’s just slightly larger than usual! And we have exactly a hundred servants. Not hundreds. And we definitely do not own half of Paris!”
“Right cause you only own a third of it instead right?”
“You’re the one talk! Your family eats dogs!” Adrien blurted out in frustration.
But as soon as the statement left his mouth, he immediately regretted it. The aura around Marinette darkened immediately before she roughly shoved Adrien out of the way – intent on getting as far away from him as possible.
Not wanting to end on this note Adrien abruptly grabbed her arm.
Marinette yanked her arm away as if it was burned, “Don’t touch me! Leave me alone! People like you shouldn’t associate yourself with people like me,” Marinette hissed.
“L-look I didn’t mean what I said, but I was just angry hearing you bring up those false rumors about myself…I know how much it hurts to have people spread false information about myself…so I guess what I’m trying to get at is that I’m sorry. I don’t believe in anything they say about you, so you shouldn’t believe in what they say about me either.”
For the next few seconds, Marinette stared into his eyes silently as if questioning the veracity of his words before glancing downwards.
“I’m sorry too. I guess you’re pretty alright after all,” Marinette mumbled quietly, but Adrien heard her.
Grinning Adrien pulled her into a tight friendly hug, “I like you too!”
“W-woah back up there buddy! Nobody said I liked you! Stop hugging me!” Marinette yelled trying to worm her way out of Adrien’s arms.
“Nu-uh! We just made up so we have to hug until all our negative feelings disappear as we produce more oxytocin!” Adrien stated hugging her harder.
Marinette sighed resignedly and raised her brows, “Oxy-wha? You’re a strange one aren’t you?”
“You are too! So like uhhh we should become friends,” Adrien shifted awkwardly.
“Wh-what? Why?”
“I’m not going to let go until you say yes!”
“Alright, alright! I’ll be your friend. Just let me go already I can’t breathe!”
Adrien finally released Marinette with a big grin, but as he caught sight of the scratches on her face and the darkening bruise on her cheek he frowned, “You are hurt, follow me my house in nearby! My mom can make any boo-boos disappear like WHOSH!” Adrien stated while throwing his arms in the air for emphasis.
“No thanks. Plus that’s impossible,” Marinette huffed in disbelief.
“I don’t know how mom does it, but she always makes my boo-boos disappear like magic! Don’t tell anybody but I think my mom is really Houdini!” Adrien whispered conspiringly.
Unable to handle the ridiculousness of his assumptions Marinette burst out laughing. Adrien could only watch in awe hearing her laughter again. He never heard a laugh that stirred such bubbly feelings inside him. He felt his heart beating faster, and butterflies fluttering in his stomach. Her laughter made him ridiculously happy.
“I like your laugh.”
Marinette blinked, “Uhhh thanks, I guess?”
“Marry me.”
Unable to keep up with Adrien’s sudden outbursts, Marinette was stunned into shock with her mouth gaping open and close like a goldfish.
“I’ll take that as an yes!” Adrien laughed.
Before she could retort, Adrien leaned down and pressed a loud kiss on Marinette’s un-bruised cheek, “You’re mine now! I placed my cooties on you so you can't marry anyone else!”
“Come on waifu! I can’t wait to introduce you to mom and dad!” Adrien grinned as he began tugging Marinette towards his house while rambling on about various adventures they’ll go on in the future.
Completely dazed and enraptured by Adrien’s charm, Marinette finally knew why he was called ‘Prince Adrien.’ It wasn’t until they were in front of his house did she finally regain the ability to speak.
“B-but why me?” Marinette spluttered.
“Huh? Why what?” Adrien asked tilting his head to the side in confusion.
“Why do you want to marry me?”
“So I can listen to your laugh everyday!” Adrien said matter-a-factly while grinning cheekily as he pushed open the front door.
“Mom! Dad! I got married! Come meet my waifu Marinette!”