Work Text:
11/02/2018.
Adrien nervously passed a hand in his hair, messing it up again as he stared fixedly at his reflection in the bathroom mirror. Wednesday would be Valentine’s Day. And he absolutely didn’t know how to handle it. The only time he had tried something, three years prior, for Ladybug, he had taken an arrow to protect her and couldn’t remember half the fight.
“Plagg? Do you have any idea about what I could do?”
“Frankly, I don’t advise. We saw how my ideas went. Would love to help you, but maybe we can avoid side eye looks. Ask someone with experience.”
“Mmm… Maybe you’re not wrong. But damn…”
“Nino? He must know what he’s doing, no?”
“That’s not dumb…”
With a nervous sigh, the teenager walked out the bathroom, grabbed his phone on the bedside table and called his best friend, biting his lips while it rung. Hopefully he answers…
“Hey dude! Everything’s alright?”
“Nervous,” answered the blonde with a half-smile, “I… I wanted to ask you. How does one handle Valentine’s Day? I know it’s important, plus like. It’s Marinette. Really want to make her happy, show her how important she is to me… but honestly, I don’t know how to!”
“Yeah, fair, it’s not obvious. First off, ask her to do something. Whatever. Invite her over, go out for a picnic, or a restaurant, do something together. Girls love that, just being asked, show you thought about it.”
“Ok, I see… Well, gotta have something to do. She’s very demonstrative, but I feel she likes calm too…”
“Possible. Y’know, you spent a lot of time with her, I think you can trust yourself. Second thing. Flowers and chocolate. It’s basic, yes, but it’s important. It’s part of the tradition. And maybe find something specific to gift her…”
“Thanks dude.”
“No problem. It’s normal to help. Don’t stress yourself too much, alright. Already having the day with you, she’ll be overjoyed. So, breathe. She won’t hate you if you stay simple. Good luck!”
“Thanks, really. And good luck to you.”
“Nino answered with a wink before hanging up. Adrien sighed. Ok. Breathe. Find something. A gift… He remembered the good luck bracelets they had exchanged, how happy she’d been with the gift. Nino was right, she’d like having something durable. Kay. A necklace, maybe. He could already envision her twisting the chain around her fingers to calm an anxiety wave. She often had those. For the hangout… A simple picnic would be the best. Big gestures were more her thing, after all. She was a sunbeam, bright, warm, present…
The blonde shook his head. Focus. He needed to focus.
Mm. So. A necklace. An invite to a picnic. Roses, red of course, and chocolate.
Not so bad… It was already an established plan. Thanks Nino.
“Come, let’s get onto this Plagg!”
**************
Marinette was pacing nervously in her room.
Wednesday was Valentine’s Day.
And she only had three days to prepare.
And she didn’t know what to do. At all. It was so enormous. Their first real Valentine’s, it hadn’t been possible last year with Mister Agreste…
“Hey, Mari. Breathe. Don’t you want to let go, for once?”, asked her best friend from the sofa.
“I’d love to, Alya, but I can’t. I don’t know how to. I need at least a plan… something.”
“I know, Ladybug… Come on. You’ll get through. The date is his responsibility, ok? Asking you out is on him.
“But…”
“He’s like you. He doesn’t have experience. He will ask you, don’t worry.”
“Thanks. I… I want to make him something special but…”
“You don’t know what to do.”
“Indeed. I wish I could sew something, except I don’t even know what I want to do. Or could. Any idea?
“Mm let’s see. Scarf, already done. Beret… What happened to that beret, by the way? You told us you dropped it, forgot to sign the card, and afterwards…”
“Long story,” answered Marinette, “maybe he still has it. Oh, what do you think about a small plushie? I could sew one…”
“Why not,” approved Alya.
“Thanks girl, really!”
“No problem. Any idea for the shape?”
“An animal, I think. When we were looking around the boxes, we had found a frog plushie his father had made, with a recorder and messages. He was so happy to find it again, maybe we could give it a friend…”
“Oh that’s cute. Looks like a very good idea.”
“And I’ll embroider a four-leaf clover somewhere, and a heart, to tell him how lucky I am to have him.”
“You’re adorable,” smiled the journalist, getting up and ruffling her friend’s hair, I’ll let you think, you’re on track now.”
“Yes, really! Well I still don’t know precisely what I’ll do, but I have an idea… Thanks Alya! Thanks so much!
She hugged her friend before running to her desk, brain boiling. She’d find something, an idea, an animal… there was… it was strange, but he made her think of one in particular, when thinking about it, with his agility, his discretion, his eyes…
The stylist grabbed a notebook, started to scribble, big smile on her lips. Creating was her ressource, her expression, and creating for Adrien, her treasure, her rainbow in tempest moments, was fantastic. She wanted to offer him the world, he was her universe.
**************
14/02, noon.
Adrien grabbed the big picnic basket the Gorilla was holding, and thanked his bodyguard for bringing it. He then turned around, going back to the top of the stairs to the school. He knew Marinette would take a few minutes to arrive, which allowed him time to breathe. With a hand in the basket, he checked everything was there. Checkered tablecloth, for the esthetic, cardboard plates, plastic glasses and cutlery, a big bottle of apple juice, four ham-butter-salad sandwiches prepared this morning, as well as a pack of pan bread, one of ham, cheese, and salad, just in case, and jam and chocolate spread for dessert. And, in the corner, the wrapped gift, with a heart shape chocolate box and red roses freshly bought by Nathalie.
Perfect.
Ok. Breathe.
He observed the students pass on after the other, couples nestled in embraces. At one point, Nino passed, winked and gave an encouraging smile, to which the blonde answered with a nervous nod
Finally, Marinette appeared, she ran towards him, Adrien opened his arms wide to her and made her spin when catching her.
“Happy Valentine’s Day, my love”, he whispered before kissing her on the forehead, “how are you?”
“Happy Valentine’s Day, treasure,” she answered, kissing him on the cheek, “I’m good, even more with you. So. Picnic?”
“Yes! There’s a bit of way, hope taking the subway isn’t a problem to you?”
“Not at all! Let’s go!”
He smiled, took her hand, pulling her to the station, asking how her classes went, if all was good, she answered, asked the questions back, asked if Nathalie was ok. Half an hour of travel passed in a blink, laughing, talking, holding hands, nestled in each other in the wagons. When they exited the subway and entered the Monceau park, they smiled, exchanged a kiss to mark officially the beginning of their lovers’ hangout.
They sneaked through the alleys, walking till they found a fakely antic arcade, columns supporting a dome. After a look exchanged to agree, they settled, Adrien opening the basket’s covers, disposing the tablecloth, the plates, glasses and cutlery, before taking out the sandwiches and fillings.
“Adrien, that’s a prince feast you prepared for us!”
“The bare minimum for my queen.”
“Treasure!”
She curled up against him. A book picture, two teenagers picnicking outside in the February cold threatening snow, close and cute to make people lovesick. Each took a sandwich, hands grazing when they reached for the same, making them laugh. It was so easy to exist, to be together.
They had struggled to find each other, to tame the relationship, had moments of silence, of panic, of jealousy, of over-involving the other, but they were realizing the building was becoming more and more fluid. Easier.
“Adrien? Were you stressed for today?”
“Yeah. Panicked. Didn’t know what to do at all… I went to Nino for advice!”
“Really? Think I forced Alya to try and reassure me for like an hour on Sunday!”
“Good thing we have them, uh?”
“Oh definitely. Oh, wait, I made something for you, hope you’ll like it!”, she said, taking a package hour her school bag.
“I’m sure of it, you never miss!”
He winked, before taking out his own gift out the basket, handing it to her with a whispered “for you”. After a countdown, they teared the wrappings together, discovering a black cat plushie, and a silver chain with two charms, a Ladybug and a four-leaf clover.
Adrien detailed the plushie, observing attentively, and spotted four four-leaf clovers, one on each paw in place of pads.
“Oh this is adorable Mari! He’s so cute!!
“Your necklace is beautiful,” she answered while putting it around her neck, “could you close it for me, please?”
“Of course. I’m happy you like it.”
“Adrien! It’s gorgeous!”
“I struggled so much to find what to make for the charms. I picked symbols of luck because you’re my lucky charm, I am unbelievably lucky to have you with me, you always support me, you’re encouraging me to be myself, it’s just… I’m so happy to have you…”
“Me too. And wait. Did you say “make”? You created them yourself?!?!?”
“With Nathalie. Apparently, my father kept things to create jewels, she helped me once I chose. The colors are melted glass…”
“Oooh, that’s adorable, you put so much effort into it…”
“You deserve it, truly, my queen. I love you, you know? I want to see you smile and be happy, relaxed, be with you on hard times, every day to the end of time. I love you Marinette.”
“I love you too, Adrien,” she whispered, melting closer in his arms, “my hero… I hope I will always be by your side to see you grow and know yourself. You’re amazing.”
They smiled, kissed with the fluttering lightness of a butterfly, ate in silence for a while. The sun was shine. The cold didn’t bother them, pushed aside by the warmth of their presence and love. The whisper of time couldn’t graze them as they prepared sandwiches for each other, exchanged bites, removing a crumb as an excuse to caress their cheek.
Slowly, gently, they were learning peace, staple too rare in their chaotic lives, teenagers, part-time heroes, trying to know themselves, to grow, to exist. Finally they could stop, be free.
“What if we run away, go live our own live?”
Barely a whisper from Adrien, a dream unexpressed.
“Can’t, parents would worry too much,” mumbled Marinette, “though it’d be great. But just being there together, is already a runaway. It already an escape, rewriting history, living together on our own rhythm. Don’t you think?”
“Yes. We feed on moments we steal.”
“Beautiful. And poetic. Thanks for the picnic, Adrien. For the escape. For the garden, the walk. For your presence. Thank you for existing with me. For tolerating my disappearing sometimes, my panic waves, my stalking tendencies…”
“It’s nothing princess. You too are present, staying even if I disappear. Even if I don’t always listen or understand you. And you talk to me, teach me to live. Thanks to you.”
“I want to live like this forever, in the fantasy of you and me, where dreaming is comfortable.”
“We’ll make it so all our life will be like that, then, Marinette. Right?”
“Promise. I love you. I won’t go, I won’t abandon you, unless you ask me to.”
“And I won’t. I will stay, whatever happens. And if there’s difficulties, tensions, secrets… we’ll learn to talk. To exchange. To pacify ourselves.”
“Yes. Together. Life isn’t easy, but with you it’ll be possible…”
“With you. Together. Against the rest of the world.”
“You and me, together against the rest of the world, Adrien,” she approved, “forever.”
Adrien nodded, left a kiss on his princess’s forehead. Even if the promise was obvious, it felt good to say it out loud. To promise, with their still awkward words, to always watch after the other, with the other. Magical.
Marinette stared at the sky, leaning on her love’s shoulder. It was crazy how comfortable that was, to simply be there, together, looking at the sky, share sandwiches, giving gifts, exchanging the love words she’d been dreaming about for years. Time stopped, an electric current between them, brushes strong as embraces, thoughts open as the space around them. Magical.