Adrien

"It says here that Emma will need to nap once a day and will usually go down for between 1 and 2 hours depending on how much fresh air she gets. What does fresh air have to do with a toddlers sleep schedule?" Adrien said, Marinette chuckling from where she sat on the floor playing with Emma.

When they'd finally removed themselves from the bedroom, Marinette had changed into the Chat Noir jumper (he was still ignoring the tightening in his gut from seeing her in it), and had taken to playing with Emma in the lounge. Their thoughts that Emma knew the space was answered as soon as Emma entered the room... and headed straight to her baby doll and pushchair.

As Marinette settled down to play 'babies', Adrien had headed to the kitchen to get them both a drink... the bottle of whisky in his cabinet had never looked as appetising as it did at this exact moment. However, he stopped himself as he realised drinking just before meeting his fake girlfriend's parents with a toddler in the house – who happened to be their grandchild – would not be his best idea. He needed to make himself presentable, the perfect father (and boyfriend material) for their girls.

On the counter, near his cafetiere, was a large red folder. A folder which contained a number of different instructions; including, how to clean out Emma's baby bottles, what she likes to eat and play with, when she bathes, what to do if she gets a temperature and finally her napping/sleeping schedule.

It also gave them information on her favourite songs, tv shows, movies and teddies. Adrien knew now exactly what 'baby do do' was... and no it wasn't something that ended up as the contents in her nappy. It seemed Emma had taken on the role of being Pink Fong's number one Baby Shark fan.

"Fresh air helps them sleep. It wears them out."

"It says here she likes to go to the park near her grandparents house. Where do your parents live?" Adrien came to sit on the sofa near to where Marinette and Emma were playing, the folder in his lap as he studied it more intently than he did any textbook for his baccalauréat exams.

"Oh, it's the park where the Ladybug and Chat Noir statue is," Marinette said, taking the doll off Emma and giving the small child a kiss on the head. She giggled before standing up and stumbling over to him, climbing up onto his lap.

"By the pâtisserie boulangerie?" Adrien was quite sure his mouth was watering just from mentioning the boulangerie. There was nowhere else in Paris which did quiche like those bakers.

Marinette giggled again and Adrien wondered if he would ever be able to go back to life without this sweet sound. It had only been hours since their first meeting in the coffee shop, yet having her near him felt right. A warmth glowed steadily in his chest. Whether it was their situation with Emma causing the sudden surge of feelings, or Marinette herself, he wasn't sure, but all he knew was what should feel awkward and forced didn't.

Not wanting to read into the situation too deeply, he pushed the feeling down, storing it tightly to look at more closely another day. Right now, he just needed to survive the night's gathering.

"That's my parent's place. They'll be pleased to know you know of it."

"Oh, woah! I love that place," he responded truthfully.

"No need to gush to me, Adrien. Save it for them." She laughed again and he felt his stomach physically swoon.

Before he could respond again, Emma had snuggled into him and started to stroke his tummy. "Papa mow!"

He froze. Did Emma just ask him to meow? Oh, God! He looked at Marinette who seemed to be staring at him quizzically. He had an option here. He could laugh it off or...

"Meow!" He went for option two which emitted a fit of giggles from the small girl. He looked at Marinette glad with the answer he chose, the smile of her face growing wide and making her eyes dance. Adrien made the sound again, sending the young girl screaming once more.

"Marinette, Marinette," Adrien chanted, "listen, listen!"

"I know," she laughed, "I can hear!"

"Meow!" he said again.

"Mow!" Emma repeated, causing a chain reaction of responses between himself and Emma. They grew louder and louder with each meow, Marinette laughing along with them and joining in on the fun too.

A buzzing came from the doorway, Marinette standing and making her way over to the phone allowing him and Emma to meow at each other.

"Thank you," he shouted before moving into another round of meows with Emma.

"Papa funny," Emma said, before grabbing his cheeks and planting a kiss fully on his lips. Remaining still, he wasn't quite sure what to do. After all, he'd only known the child for a few hours and secondly... well, it was weird. His first ever 'proper' kiss on the lips with a small child. Did toddlers kiss their parents like that, or had he just committed a crime?

"Thank you, Emmie," he said, the small child reacting joyfully at the politeness of his words which then earned him an additional nose rub.

He heard Marinette talking on the phone to someone downstairs and he guessed it was her parents. A prickling sensation ran from the base of his skull to the bottom of his spine; he felt fear like never before.

He'd never really met the parents of a girlfriend. Him and his last girlfriend had been thrust together without a choice. Their parents thought it was the best for their companies and therefore cutting out those who it concerned. Therefore, he already knew the parents.

The door unlocked in the hallway, the noise obviously a conditioned response for Emma as she bounded off his lap and down the hallway only to shriek loudly as she came face to face with her grandparents.

"Woah, and who are you?" A loud booming voice echoed from the hallway into the lounge and Adrien found himself standing and straightening himself up like a soldier for his colonel. Maybe he should have worn a suit for this, or maybe at least a dinner jacket? He most certainly should have put his socks on.

"Pop pop!" Emma's voice had Adrien melting once again — these women were going to kill him.

Pop pop — a name he used to call his own grandfather before he died when he was only 7 years old. They had a close bond and, like with his mother, it was a hard one to give up and forget.

"Pop pop! Up!"

Rustling sounded from the hallway, followed by a groan from the booming voice. "Well, aren't you just the sweetest little thing? She looks so much like you as a child, Cupcake. Except for the blond hair and green eyes."

"Yeah, well, those are all her father." Marinette's sweet voice was music to his ears.

Maybe she could do some damage control before they met him? Sweeten them up and make him seem like a competent male who could — independently — look after a toddler.

The pounding footsteps that progressed towards the lounge mirrored that of his heart. Every step another pulsating heartbeat; a hard pounding which threatened to break free out of his chest.

Is this how Gladiators felt before battle?

"And where is this father?"

Adrien felt every single bone in his body tremble, including the 26 individual ones in his feet.

Straightening himself a little more, he scurried around the sofa, hand poised ready to shake the big guy's, before realising it was coated in a thin layer of sweat which he proceeded to wipe down his jeans.

Unfortunately, in his heist (and thanks to Bunnyx's redesign of his apartment), Adrien tripped over a 'Little People' Princess set and ended up falling onto the floor in a rather dramatic army roll, before rocking like a baby turtle stuck on their shell.

"Here." Marinette sighed, her hands falling to her hips as she looked down at the heap of Adrien on the floor.

"Nice to meet you, Sir," the blond said, a hand reaching up from his position on the ground.

The silence overpowered the situation and Adrien was quite sure Tom was weighing up the pros and cons of killing him.

Pro: Marinette wouldn't be stuck with a loser.

Con: Yet to find one.

Shrivelling up into a ball and disappearing sounded the only reasonable choice at the moment. That was until his darling ray of sunshine burst out laughing. The joyous sound of an uncontrollable toddler which then launched a chain reaction of smiles and laughter from himself and Marinette.

"She's quite the fun one isn't she."

"Pop pop, down!" Emma squealed, kicky her little legs and almost nailing her grandpa in between his own.

"Feisty little thing, isn't she?" Tom laughed, lowering Emma down and watching as she scurried away to jump onto Adrien who was still on the ground. Pushing himself up and taking a giggling Emma with him. He placed her on her feet and walked as she ran off towards her pile of toys.

"Welcome to my home," Adrien said, turning his attention to the lounge and presenting it like a prize winning dog at Crufts.

Expecting Tom to bite his head off and then murder him, his mouth dropped as Tom toed off his boat-like shoes and headed over to the patio window, the one with the impressive view of the Eiffel Tower.

"Wow! That's quite some view." The large man crossed his arms over his chest and kept his attention in front of him, until a smaller person arrived by his side.

"Pop pop, moo moo."

"What you got here, Princess?" She handed the cow puppet in her hand to her grandpa before placing two fingers by her ears and making a rather adorable 'moo moo' sound.

Tom continued to play with Emma and the cow, the view forgotten and instead firmly placed on his granddaughter. So focused on watching the two playing, Adrien almost jumped out of his skin when a hand rubbed up his back. He was never used to being touched at the best of times, having a hand caressing him in a soft and caring way was foreign and he wasn't entirely sure what to do.

"Are you okay?" He turned to come face to face with Marinette. Her bright blue eyes, looking at him with such care he could have cried. It seemed she actually wanted to know how he felt, she wasn't just saying it for the act.

"Yeah," he said, examining the scene. "This is good, no, actually...it's great."

The warmth radiating through the room was glowing. Even with this bizarre situation everyone was still there and supportive. However, he was still yet to meet 'the lioness', known as Marinette's mother. He could only pray she'd be as taken by Emma as everyone else was.

"Honey, the big man downstairs gave me your bag."

Marinette made her way over to her Maman, taking the bag and rummaging through it. Holding her breath until her hand clenched something, inside her purse.

Suddenly Marinette moved and revealed a smaller, more delicate version of Marinette. Sabine Cheng made her way into the room with a smile on her face and acceptance in her eyes. She headed straight over to Adrien, wrapping her arms around him and embracing him delicately.

"It's lovely to finally meet you, Adrien. Now, where is my granddaughter?"

"Lao Lao."

Adrien watched as Sabine placed a hand to her mouth and lowered down onto one knee, allowing the small girl to move from her grandfather and over to her grandmother. Taking Emma into her arms, Adrien felt the tightening in his chest as Sabine cradled Emma's head into her shoulder and held her granddaughter tightly to her.

"Don't think you two have got out of this," she began, a little sharp for the softness she was cradling the child with. "You both have a lot of explaining to do. But right now, I'm enjoying this moment with this beautiful little girl."

A thickness pushed down Adrien's throat as he realised what was to come, looking towards Marinette he wondered if his newly promoted fake girlfriend was feeling the impending doom too. However, instead of worry or fear, he watched as tears rolled down her cheeks.