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It was right before Marinette stood before her modern design course to present an asymmetrical A line skirt when she began to regret the third energy drink and stick of sugar free gum that served as her breakfast this morning and her dinner last night. As she bent down to fix the hem of the dress she had arranged on the manikin, the room began to spin and the last thing she remembered was the horrified faces of her classmates as the room went dark.
She regained consciousness as the paramedics were lifting the stretcher in the ambulance.
“Don’t worry sweetie,” the kindly medic, said to Marinette as she patted her gently on the shoulder. “We are on our way to the hospital.” Marinette smiled and closed her eyes, her head was really hurting her. “Someone will meet you there, we got your emergency contact off your cell phone.” Marinette hummed in agreement, not really listening to the lady.
“Who did you call my mom or dad?” Marinette asked.
“You’re fiance, I believe.”
“My fiance?” Marinette asked, trying to sit up. The woman smiled and gently pushed her back down onto the bed.
“Yes, your contact that is labeled as Future Hubby.” The words registered in Marinette’s brain before she passed out again.
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“Hello?’
“Hello, sir, this is Accueil Hospital. We are calling about your fiance.”
Adrien looked at the phone wondering if this was a scam. Sure enough, the caller id said the name of the nearby french hospital. “I am sorry, I think you may have the wrong number. Who did you say you were calling about?”
“You’re fiance,” the woman stated again. Adrien could hear papers being shuffled. “We picked up Mlle Marientte Dupain-Cheng from ESMOD and she is currently being transported to our hospital.”
“Marinette is hurt?” Adrien asked, nearly dropping the phone. “I’ll be right there.” Adrien hurried to get his shoes on and to grab his house keys while ordering a car through the app on his phone. As he waited for the car to arrive, Adrien wondered to himself, “I wonder why they thought I was her fiance?”
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On the way to the hospital, Adrien called Ayla and Nino and they agreed to meet him there. Then Adrien leaned his head back against the headrest and tried to process the emotions running through his body since he received the phone call.
The moment the woman had said Marinette’s name, Adrien felt like his heart had stopped beating. It had taken him a long time to move on from Ladybug and when he had finally accepted that she would always see him as a partner first, Adrien had finally been able to see Marinette for everything she was, beautiful, talented, funny and caring. If only he had been able to tell her that but as it was between his modeling and his own university classes he didn’t have time to hang out with his friends much less date Marinette the way she deserved to be dated. And now she was in the hospital and Adrien had never told her how he had felt. In that moment Adrien realized that he couldn’t waste his life waiting for his schedule to be clear or the perfect moment to declare his love. Life was passing him by and it was time he seized it by the horns and started living.
As the ride share pulled in front of the hospital, Adrien remembered the bazaar reason he had received a phone call about Marinette from the hospital. It would have made more sense for them to have called her parents or Ayla but why would they call him? Why did they think he was her fiance?
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Marinette woke up with cottonmouth and a pounding headache. She groaned when she tried to open her eyes and was blinded by the bright lights of the room.
“Girl, it's about time you woke up,” Alya said.
“How long was I out?” Alya was sitting in the chair next to the bed.
“About an hour,” she said, setting down the magazine she had been flipping through. “The doctor came by a little bit ago. Said you were just exhausted. Girl, I told you to get more sleep.”
“You know I had to finish that skirt,” Marinette said, as she tried to sit up and reached for the cup of water sitting on the bedside table. Alya handed it to her friend and after taking a sip of the cool water, Marinette began to feel better. “How did you know I was here? Did my parents call you?”
“No, your fiance told me,” Alya said with a grin. Marinette had just taken another sip of water that she promptly spit out on Alya.
“What!” she shouted. “I thought that was a dream. They really called Adrien?”
“They sure did,” Alya said as she wiped her face with a paper towel. “And then sunshine called me and Nino. I called your parents. They are all around here somewhere.”
“Adrien is here?”
Alya shrugged. “He was the first to arrive. When Nino and I got here, he was pacing the waiting room like a nervous nelly. Nino took him to get a cup of coffee once we heard you were going to be alright.”
“Oh my god, Alya. What am I going to say to him?” Marinette pulled a pillow onto her face and screamed into it. “He must think I am insane!”
“Why DO you have him listed as your hubby on your phone? I thought you were over him.” Marinette looked at her best friend and was about to answer when the door to the room opened and the boy in question entered the room with Nino tagging behind.
“Hey, you’re awake!” Adrien said, “We just ran into your parents and they are headed back to the bakery to open back up now that they know you are ok.” Adrien looked at her and smiled and gently patted her hand. “You are alright, right?”
“Yes I am fine, thank you for coming by the way,” Marinette said shyly. “I am sorry they called you.”
“Of course I came, I was worried about you.”
“Yeah, dudette, you gave us quite the scare,” said Nino.
“Maybe next time, she will remember to eat something and go to bed on time,” reprimanded Alya.
“I’ll do better,” Marinette promised. A silence filled the room. Marinette was so nervous that Alya or Adrien would bring up the fiance thing that she was considering pretending to fall asleep so they would leave without asking. Lucky for her Alya always had her back, and Adrien was too much of a gentleman to embarrass his lady with such a personal question in front of others.
Unfortunately, Nino was also in the room.
“So dudette,” Nino started with a laugh, “when’s the big day?” Alya smacked her boyfriend atop the head while Marinette sunk down into the pillows and pulled the blanket over her head.
“Hey drop it Nino,” Adrien said. Marinette peeked at him through the blanket and saw a pink blush flooding his face. Marinette sighed, she owed her friends the truth.
“Look,” said Marinette, sitting up in the bed but not meeting Adrien’s eyes. “I have nicknames for everyone in my phone.” Marinette pulled out her phone and began to scroll. “See Alya is listed as Bestie. My parents are Queen MA and King PA. That dude I met at the club last week is Senor Bad Breath. No one is listed by their full name.”
“Oh yeah, who am I then?” Nino laughed again. Alya proceeded to step on his foot. “Ow babe, what was that for?”
“I’m trying to get you to keep your big feet out of your mouth for once!” Alya laughed and then gave Marinette a sympathetic look.
“It’s alright, Alya.” Marinette held up her phone. “See you are listed as DJ Nimrod.” The whole group laughed.
“So my name in your phone is Hubby?” Adrien asked. Marinette turned bright red and looked away from him.
“And that’s our cue to leave,” said Alya, pulling on Nino’s sleeve. “I’ll call you later, sweetie,” Alya leaned over and hugged Marinette while whispering in her ear. Adrien watched as Marinette swallowed and nodded her head. “Bye Sunshine.” Alya waved as she pulled Nino out the door, leaving Adrien and a very embarrassed Marinette.
“Marinette?” Adrien asked, starting to worry as Marinette was still not looking at him. He saw her take a deep breath as she raised her head to meet his eyes.
“What you need to understand first,” Marinette began, her hands wringing her sheets. “Your name has been Hubby in my phone since you first gave me your number when we were 14.” Adrien was shocked to hear that. During the time when he was sure she hated him, she had labeled him as Hubby in her phone.
“But why? That's what I don’t understand.”
“It’s because,” Marinette hesitated before mumbling and rushed out the last part of the sentence. “It’sbecauseIaminlovewithyou.” Adrien felt a giant grin spread across his face as Marinette buried her head in her blankets.
“You love me? Or Loved me?” he asked, getting excited. “Marinette?” He heard her mumble from underneath the blankets. “Will you talk to me?” But the girl refused to leave her blanket cocoon. Adrien sighed and pulled out his phone. This simple device was the answer to his love problems. “Do you want to know how you are listed in my phone?” Marinette poked her head out from her blankets and nodded her head. Adrien scrolled down to her contact and held the device out to her.
“Princess?” she whispered. Marinette looked confused before looking at Adrien with an expression of wonder and understanding on her face.
“It was the only fitting title,” he said with a shrug. “That is until I was able to change it to something more personal, like love or girlfriend.” He smiled down at Marinette taking her hand. “And I am really hoping that the reason I am listed as Hubby in your phone is because you feel the same way.”
“I do,” Marinette said, finally pulling the blanket away from her face. “Ever since we were 14, I knew I wanted you in my life as my partner.” A sly smirk grew across her face. “I guess I really am lucky in that regard.”
“Oh and how so?” Adrien asked, leaning closer to her face.
“There is only one person who calls me Princess,” she smiled as she leaned towards him to whisper in his ear. “Isn’t that right, Chat?” Adrien pulled away quickly and searched her face for the truth. Marinette smiled.
“Partners,” he whispered. “My Lady!” Marinette laughed as Adrien pulled her into a sitting embrace on the hospital bed. The long hug turned into slow loving kisses and sleepy cuddles as the two rested on Marinette’s hospital bed. Adrien rose as the sun began to set for the evening, with every intention of returning later in the evening. As Adrien opened the door to leave, he turned back to look at Marinette.
“How long do you think we need to wait to make my name in your phone legit?” Marinette laughed.
“Do me a favor and wait until I am fully healed before you propose.”
“No promises,” he said with a wink and a laugh. Later that night as Adrien was preparing to visit Marinette, he pulled out his cell phone and changed her contact listing.
It now read Future Wifey♥️.