((Note: This story also exists on its own in chapter form since it's much longer than the other one-shots in this collection. Go to my profile to find it. Enjoy ))

((8/1/20: This story has been updated with an additional 8,000 words in the middle of the fic. More to love))

"Only the best. Only the best for me and Adrikins, that's what I said. I don't want the stress of planning a wedding, I told them I wanted the best wedding planner in all of Paris and nothing less! Don't you agree, Adrikins?" Chloe Bourgeois raises her eyebrows at Adrien sitting across from her in the limo.

It's been nearly a decade since an Akuma wreaked havoc on the streets of Paris, since Chat Noir and Ladybug defeated Hawkmoth; nearly a decade since Paris has seen their superheroes. Nearly a decade since the superheroes have seen each other.

After obtaining Hawkmoth's Miraculous, there was no more need for Ladybug and Chat Noir to patrol the streets of Paris. Master Fu allowed them to remain guardians of their Miraculous' but to only transform if the city truly needed them. And it never did. The two heroes parted ways, never knowing the other's identity.

Everyone went their separate ways after graduation day at Francoise Dupont, as many do. After Gabriel was taken into custody after his vail as Hawkmoth was lifted, Adrien became the head of the family company: Agreste Fashion.

A busy life under the spotlight. Meetings to attend, deadlines to meet, appearances to keep. And that's when Chloe Bourgeois strode back into his life. As someone in the industry, it was an easy match to make in the eyes of the public and corporations. She was an understanding companion when he needed her, and after a year she was his fiancée.

And he was content.

"Adrikins!"

He blinks his eyes in surprise, realizing he had spaced out. "Yes?" he replies politely.

Chloe narrows her eyes slightly, "It was your idea to come back to Paris to get married, I wanted to stay in Milan, but you know I love you, so I agreed. The least you can do is appreciate that I'm making the best of this situation."

His eyebrows raise, "Yes, thank you, Chloe. What were you saying about the wedding planner?"

She smiles contently, "I got us the best planner in Paris, she does everything: the gown, the venue, the food, she's incredible. Anyone who's anyone in France uses her for their big day." She clasps her hands together in excitement, "And we are much more than 'anyone'. She should be paying us for the privilege of doing our wedding."

"She sounds amazing. What's her name?" Adrien implores, truly curious.

Chloe scoffs, "Someone as ionic as her doesn't have a name, she goes by 'M'."

"'M'? And we're on our way to meet with her right now?"

"Of course! Our wedding will be the most fabulous in all of France! Oh! I've got to post about this," she pulls out her phone and starts typing.

He smiles and turns back towards the window, watching the cars and the buildings go by. He looks up at the roofs, remembering vaulting over buildings with Ladybug as a kid. Now nearing 30, his responsibilities take priority, leaving Chat Noir just a name from the past. He unconsciously fidgets with a ring on his finger, a placeholder after he hid his own Miraculous in a secure location.

Their limo pulls up to a boutique in the center of Paris. The building is clean and modern, large glass panels reveal a large studio with two dozen employees working inside.

The driver opens the door for Chloe and Adrien. Chloe steps out in a chic yellow dress, Adrien in a simple suit. A few photographers catch a few shots of them before they enter the boutique.

"Miss Bourgeois, Mr. Agreste!" A woman greets them as they enter, "We are honored to have you here."

"Are you M?" Chloe asks, looking the woman up and down.

The woman laughs quietly, "Oh no, I am senior representative and designer Margaret Flinn. M is quite busy at the moment putting the finishing touches on our last client's dress."

"I didn't come here for you, Ms. Flinn; I'm here for M." Chloe chastises, "I demand to see her right now." She crosses her arms.

Margaret clears her throat, "I can set up an in-person appointment for tomorrow. Though, I can assure you that I am her most trusted colleague, and that she would still be doing the final design and planning after you and I have a discussion over what your vision is for the wedding."

Chloe scoffs, "Am I supposed to do everything?"

Adrien puts a hand on her shoulder, causing her to lower her intensity. He smiles at Margaret, "Tomorrow would be great. 2:00?"

She smiles appreciatively, "That would be perfect."

"We'll see you tomorrow then." He nods, turning Chloe towards the door, when something catches his eye across the room.

He leads her out to the limo, opening the door for her, "I just remembered, I have to pick up something around the corner, I'll meet you back at home."

She rolls her eyes, "Why not just let an assistant do it? That's why I hired them."

"I'll be quick" he assures her before closing the door and watching the limo drive out of sight.

He walks back into the boutique, Margaret greets him again, slightly confused, "Mr. Agreste, is there something you need?"

His eyes wander around the studio office. "I was wondering if I could look around for a bit; see how things are run here; it seems very impressive."

Her eyes widen, "Of course, take a look, I'm sure everyone would be willing to answer any questions you have."

His eyes land on the item that previously caught his interest across the room, "How do you know M?"

She raises her eyebrows, "Oh, we went to university together, she was top of our class. We decided to open this place right out of school and just got lucky with the business."

He smiles, "'Luck' has nothing to do with it, based on what I've seen of the work you've done here."

"T-thank you, Mr. Agreste." She lowers her eyes. Some designers motion her to come over, "I must get back to work, but feel free to continue to look around."

"Thank you." He wanders between drafting tables, smelling a sweet aroma drifting in from elsewhere in the building. He comments on the work of the employees, giving feedback and praise.

Eventually he makes his way over to a glass display box next to a walled-in office. He cracks a smile looking down on the pigeon feather hat preserved inside the display. He leans in closer, taking in all the detail for what feels like the first time, but is far from it. His nose twitches slightly at the thought of his first time wearing this hat.

He straightens up and notices the door to the adjacent office is slightly ajar. He peeks inside, pushing the door further in to get a better look.

His heart jumps when he spies the slender woman inside; her black hair trimmed short since the last time he'd seen her. But he knows it's her. With her back to the door, she works around a mannequin dressed in an exquisite white gown. With a small tin of beads in one hand and tweezers in the other, she crouches in her black overalls and white t-shirt, working along the bodice.

He lingers in the doorway, watching her work, unconsciously taking a step into the office, the door creaks.

"Margie?" She lifts her head at the sound of the door. She turns and sees a wide-eyed Adrien standing in her doorway. "Oh!" she exclaims, startled, she jumps at the sight of him, sending a few beads rolling along the paneled flooring.

"Sorry," Adrien rushes in and kneels down, picking up as many beads as he can. "I'm so sorry,"

She kneels down next to him to collect the wayward beads. "It's fine, it's fine, don't worry about it," she assures, keeping her face turned away from him.

He catches the last bead from rolling away and turns his body to face her, "Here".

She holds out the tin and lets him pour the beads back into it, keeping her head down, "Thanks," she breathes.

They hesitate, neither moving to get up off the ground.

Adrien tries to catch her eyes, "Marinette?"

She looks up, a strained smirk on her face, "Mr. Agreste?"

He raises his eyebrows, "Please call me Adrien, unless you want to be solely referred to as 'M'?"

A more relaxed smile crosses her face, "Adrien" she replies calmly, but can feel her insides fluttering with butterflies.

He helps her to her feet and she sets the tin of beads on her drafting table. "Is Chloe with you?" she inquires nonchalantly. She turns back towards him, "Congrats by the way. On the engagement."

He smirks, "Thanks, and no, I told her I would catch up later. I saw the pigeon hat and had to see if it was you." He leans against the table.

"Oh, yeah, it's me," she tucks a strand of hair behind her ear.

"You seem to have really made a name for yourself, M."

She rolls her eyes, "The 'M' thing was Margie's idea, thought it added to the exclusivity of our brand."

"Seems to have worked. This is incredible" he adds sincerely.

"I can say the same to you, Mr.Country-Hopping, CEO, Cover-of-every-magazine guy." she jokes, warming up to her old friend.

He lets out a laugh, "Yeah, I guess that's me." He pauses and sighs, "Wow, I can't remember the last time I felt like...this." He fiddles with the ring on his finger.

"Like what?"

He gazes thoughtfully at her for a moment, then shrugs, "Hard to say, maybe Paris just has that effect" He dismisses.

Marinette catches herself staring at him, tearing her gaze away. "Yeah, I mean, I bet you're busy with the company, and now the wedding..." she trails off.

Adrien keeps his eyes on her, "Marinette, I-"

"Marinette?" Margaret knocks on the door and peeks her head in, seeing her and Adrien leaning against the drafting table together, "Oh, I didn't know you were in conference with Mr. Agreste."

They immediately straighten up, Marinette clears her throat, "No bother, what is it you wanted to ask?" she replies with a level tone.

Margaret looks down at her tablet, "Just checking the gown's status."

She picks up the tin of beads, they rattle inside, "It'll be done by the end of the day."

Margaret nods, "Sounds good. I'll check up on the other groups now. Sorry for interrupting." She dismisses herself.

There's a moment of silence before they each begin to talk at the same time.

"I should get back to work" "I really need to finish this"

Adrien walks towards the door, but turns back, "We should catch up some more. Are, uh, Alya and Nino still in town?" He adds, almost as a second thought.

"Yeah, we should all meet somewhere for lunch or something. I'll text her." Marinette replies.

"Oh, give me your phone," Adrien exclaims, "I have a different number now," he adds his number to her phone, "so text me when you set a time. My schedule has been more flexible lately" he hands her phone back.

She tries to control the goofy smile on her face, "Will do," she replies, careful not to touch his hand as she takes back her phone.

He lingers by the door to her office again, "See you tomorrow, nonetheless."

Her eyebrows pull together, "Wait, why?"

"For the wedding consultation, with Chloe."

"Oh. Right. See you then." She waves as he closes her office door behind him.

She releases a sigh, collapsing into her desk chair. She rests her head in her arms on her desk, "Tikki?" she mumbles through her arms.

Tikki flies out from under the desk, "What's wrong, Marinette?" she chirps.

"I don't know if I can get through this," her words still muffled against the desk, "planning Adrien and Chloe's wedding? It's a bit much right now,"

Tikki hovers near her head on the desk, "Do you still have feelings for him?"

She lifts her head, "You know I do," she puts her head back down, "it was bad enough that the engagement announcement was splashed across every single news source for a month, but now I have to plan it myself?" she sighs deeply, "I thought I would be able to handle this, but I don't think I can,"

"Can't you just tell Chloe you're booked or something?"

She shakes her head, "She'll single handedly ruin this company if I turn her away now." She straightens up and smooths her hair, "I've just got to keep it together."

"You've got this." Tikki nuzzles up against her arm.

"Thanks, Tikki." She picks up the tin of beads, "I'm just going to finish this up and call Alya."

~

"Beautiful as usual" Margaret compliments as she packages the gown from Marinette's office.

"Thanks. I think I'm going to call it a day now." She picks up her purse and heads for an elevator in the corner of the studio floor.

"See you tomorrow." Margaret waves her off before rejoining the few remaining people finishing up.

Marinette swipes an access card which opens the elevator doors. She steps in and rides it up to her apartment on the 3rd floor of the boutique.

She steps into her generous apartment and video calls Alya on her phone. She relaxes into the couch as Alya picks up. "Hey girl, actually done with work at a reasonable time?"

Marionette sighs, "Yeah, for once." She stretches her arm behind her head, "So you're not going to believe who came in today,"

"Chloe?" Alya says knowingly, "It was all over social media, that's she's having the 'wedding of the century' done by, none other than 'M' herself." She smirks.

Marinette rubs her temples at the thought, "Don't remind me." She shakes her head, "And no, I actually had a conversation with Adrien, alone, in my office. He kinda snuck up on me, really." She turns her face away as her cheeks grow warm.

"You're kidding! Was it weird, you didn't spazz did you?" She raises an eyebrow.

She scoffs, "Oh please, don't you think I've matured past that phase?" She smiles, looking back at Alya who has a knowing look, "Only a little,"

"Mmhmm. So, when're you guys running away together?"

Marinette cheeks glow bright red, "Shhh, no no no, don't even- I would never, how could you say such a thing?"

She laughs, "I'm kidding, I'm kidding... mostly." She winks.

Marinette sighs, "Anyway... he was wondering if you and Nino were free to get lunch or something this week or whenever."

Her eyes light up, "Gettin' the group back together? Sweet! One sec," she turns and shouts behind her, "Hey, you free for lunch with Marinette and Adrien this week?"

Nino walks into frame behind Alya holding their toddler, Manny. "Adrien? Sure! I'll just drop this guy off at grandma's house."

"We're in! How about this Saturday?" Alya looks back at Marinette through her phone.

"Fine with me. I'll text Adrien and let him know. He has a new cell number," she mentions off hand.

"Hmm," Alya scrutinizes, "that explains the lack of contact over the years..."

Marinette shrugs, "Things happen, life happens. He has a whole company to run."

"So do you!" She points out, "It's just that, I was pretty sure he had forgotten about us."

Marinette shakes her head, "Well he hasn't. And it will be super nice to catch up all together. Make up for lost time."

"You're right," she nods, "this will be nice." Crying is heard in the background, "Oh, I better go see what that's about. See ya."

"See ya, I'll let you know when Adrien confirms."

"Cool cool." Alya waves before the call disconnects.

~

Marinette wears a dark navy dress, heels, and large sunglasses at her desk, her foot tapping rapidly as the clock inches towards two o'clock. She tugs at her dress, not used to wearing the formal business clothing which she only pulls out of her closet for meeting clients. It was another idea Margaret had for upscaling their brand, and of course, she was right.

Tikki flies out of her desk, "Chloe won't recognize you, don't worry. I bet she hasn't thought of you since Francoise Dupont High."

She cracks a smile, "I mean, you're probably right, but I'm still worried. What if Adrien mentioned that I'm M, or that he's meeting up with Marinette tomorrow, so she suddenly remembers me and will connect the dots and-" there's a knock on her office door. Tikki flies to her hiding spot.

Margie peeks her head in, "The Agrestes are here."

Marinette straightens up, instantly regaining her professional composure. "Send them in."

Chloe bursts in first wearing a white jumpsuit, "M! So glad to finally meet you in person. I couldn't trust anyone else to get my wedding right but you."

Marinette stands to greet her, "I'm honored to give you the wedding you want most," she says through a slightly strained smile. She motions for Chloe to sit in front of her desk.

"Adrikins!" she calls back as she sits.

Adrien trails in and closes the door. He smiles warmly at Marinette, "You must be M."

"Duh," Chloe interrupts, "I came here for M, so I get M. It's so funny sometimes how you doubt me." She turns back towards M and pulls out her phone, "So here's the list of things I want at my wedding."

Marinette leans in and looks at the list, struggling to control her expressions, "Uh, can you explain what you mean by... 'horse holding train'?"

"I thought you were a professional," she mumbles, "I want to ride in on a horse at the ceremony, it will bring me down the aisle to Adrien. Another 5 or 6 horses will come in behind me holding up my vail train. But they must all be very well behaved and trained; they will not soil the pristine nature of my all-white wedding. So, white horses obviously."

Marinette realizes that her mouth is hanging open a bit, "Oh, I see." She continues looking at the list, but then looks up at Adrien. "Adr-, er, Mr. Agreste. Do you have any requests for the ceremony or reception?"

He shakes his head, "As long as Chloe is happy, I'm happy."

"Aw, Adrikins, that's right." She leans in for a kiss which he returns; a quick peck, but takes all of Marinette's willpower not to react.

"Can you send this list to me? And I can get started right away on the planning." She slides Chloe's phone back across the desk, "And what date did you have in mind for the big day?"

Chloe picks up her phone, "Next month, the 17th."

Marinette's eyes go wide behind her sunglasses, "Next month? Some of the things on your list require more than a month's notice, Miss. Bourgeois."

Chloe's eyes narrow, "I was told you're the best wedding planner in Paris." She states sternly, "Unless I'm mistaken, I believe you will Get. It. Done."

Adrien puts a hand on her leg, "Chloe, darling, there's really no rush."

She turns to him in astonishment, "Adrikins, every other month this year is taken by some other major celebrity couple's wedding day. It would be a total faux pas if we were to impose our wedding on a claimed month. Think of the press and the gossip that would follow; it could even bring down Agreste Industries. It must be next month." She turns and smiles at Marinette before standing, "I'll be in for my dress fitting next week. The list includes my measurements and the style I want." She starts walking towards the door, "Come along, Adrikins. Let M get to work."

He stands up from his chair, giving Marinette an apologetic look. He looks to see if Chloe has left the office before turning back to her and whispering, "See you for lunch tomorrow." He smiles before following Chloe out.

Marinette lowers her sunglasses, taking them off. "This is worse than putting up with her during school." She mumbles.

~

"Where do you think you're going?" Chloe interrogates as Adrien comes out of his office and picks up his keys, "Driving yourself? What is up with you lately?"

The couple had taken up residence in Adrien's old home, Agreste Manor, which had sat unoccupied for years as Adrien took up residence around Europe for business. Chloe had called to have it prepared for their arrival as soon as she gave in to Adrien's request for a Parisian wedding.

He walks over to her lounging on the couch. "I've finished my work for this morning; I'm going out to meet up with some friends for lunch." He answers honestly.

Chloe raises an eyebrow, "'Friends'? Who?"

"No one you need to worry about," he starts rubbing her shoulders, "Nino, Alya, -did you know they have a kid now?" He adds, automatically diverting the conversation slightly, knowing the reaction Chloe may give if he mentions Marinette. He didn't want to risk triggering Chloe's memory and putting Marinette's business in peril.

"Must you really meet with them?" She looks up at him, "I've built up your image to where it is now; don't let an afternoon lunch ruin what I've done for you."

"They're friends, Chloe." He says, trying to keep an even tone. "It's not about image."

"And when was the last time you talked to these 'friends' of yours? You haven't mentioned anyone from your past life since we've been together, and who knows how long before that? You, and I, have become who we are now by blocking those kinds of people from our pasts." She reaches up and runs her hand down his arm, caressing him.

"I'm still going to go." He says plainly.

Chloe stands suddenly, "Don't you care?! Why aren't you listening to me? I'm trying to protect you. What would your father think?!"

"I'll keep an eye out for reporters." He states before heading out the door, holding back any replies he also has stored up in his mind.

"Adrikins!" He hears her yell through the door.

As he walks out to his car, he feels that familiar feeling he felt when he was with Marinette in her office. It's only dampened by the guilt Chloe laid on his shoulders. With a slight pang in his chest, he drives into the city.

Adrien parks his car down the block from the cafe they planned to meet at. He walks with his head down, trying not to make eye contact with people until the chime of the cafe door sounds. He looks around and spies Alya and Nino at a back table. A smile spreads across his face as he heads back towards them.

Nino is the first to notice him. His eyes light up and he stands to greet him, "Adrien, bro, you look so good! How've you been?" He pulls Adrien in for a bro-hug.

He chuckles a bit, "Thanks, thanks, so do you. I'm good."

"And you're engaged? That's crazy!" Nino exclaims.

"To Chloe." Alya adds with a slight intonement, standing, "That is pretty crazy." She says with a hint of sarcasm. Adrien and her hug.

Adrien sits down after the hug, "I heard that you guys have a kid? That's truly amazing, congratulations!"

"Yeah, his name's Manny." Nino instantly takes out his phone and starts flipping through his photos of their child.

Adrien grins at the small toddler, "So cute," he coos. A bit of guilt bites at the back of his mind, nagging him about how much he left behind in this city.

Nino elbows him jokingly, "You think you're gonna have a few rugrats of your own someday?"

Adrien smirks, fidgeting a bit in his seat, "Yeah, I would love to," he shrugs, "but I've brought it up to Chloe before and she didn't seem so keen on the idea," he shakes it off, "but whatever makes her happy, you know."

Alya opens her mouth to comment when her phone buzzes. She looks down and checks a text message. "It's from Marinette." She reads further, "'Caught up at work, can't make it. I'm really sorry. Go on without me though, I promise we'll hang out again sometime!' Aw, that's too bad" she comments at the end.

Adrien's shoulders drop a bit. "Yeah, too bad" he says, losing a bit of that energy he had when he left his house.

There's a pause before Nino breaks the silence, "Hey, what do you guys want to eat? I'm starving."

The mood is revived as they start to discuss their orders. In the back of Adrien's mind, he makes plans for afterward.

~

Marinette has a myriad of papers strewn about her office; some with possible menu options, dress designs and fabrics, venue decorations, seating arrangements, and so on.

Her hands have a slight tremor as she tries to flesh out another dress design, her eye has a slight twitch from straining her focus. She figured that if she locked herself up in her office to get a head start on Chloe's wedding, she could justify going out to lunch with everyone. But as the piles of papers grew higher, she lost track of time and of herself. Just creating the timeline of the schedule makes her realize how little time she really has.

There's a knock at the door. Her head stays bent over her desk, focused, "Margie?" she replies, her voice cracking a bit from not being used all day.

"Wrong again." Adrien steps into her office, closing the door behind him.

Her head snaps up at the sound of his voice. "Adrien? What are you doing here? You're supposed to be with Alya and Nino."

He walks further in, closing the door behind him, "I was. We had a really nice chat. But now, it's nearly seven o'clock." He holds up a takeout bag, "And it seems like you need a break."

Her eyes struggle to focus on him, after having stared at papers and screens 10 inches from her face all day. She rubs her eye with the back of her hand, "Seven? Already? I-I can't stop now though, there's so much to do for Chloe's wedding, for your wedding."

Adrien sighs sadly. He sees the pencil in her hand trembling. He sets the bag of food on the floor next to her desk and kneels besides her. "You need a break." His hands enclose around her right hand, easing the pencil from her grasp and holding her hand steady. Her hands are cold and stiff compared to his warm and soft caress. "Have you eaten today?"

A small buzz runs up her spine in reaction to his touch. She shakes her head slightly, "I... I think I had a granola bar around six... right after I woke up..." she answers still slightly out of it, slowly becoming more present in the moment.

His heart sinks a little, "That's not good, Mari." He reaches into the bag and pulls out a cup of soup, a sandwich, and a muffin. He clears a small area on her desk and places the food down.

She shakes her head, "You didn't have to do this, you shouldn't have. Are you still hungry? Have some of this sandwich or something," she insists.

"No no, this is all for you." He moves her pencils to her drafting table and then sits across from her, looking at her expectantly.

Marinette sighs, "Fine." She takes a bite of the sandwich and seemingly all the tension in her body releases. "Thanks." She says with half a mouthful of food.

"Any time." He replies, relaxing into the chair. He looks around at all the papers, "If you're doing all this, what are all those people in the rest of this place doing?" He asks cheekily.

She swallows another bite, "Everything has to come through me, for approval and everything. The initial planning, the dress itself, it's all me." She takes another bite.

His eyebrows raise, "Wow, that's a lot."

"Yeah, but I love it, most of the time," she looks up at him consciously, realizing how she's been coming off, "not that your and Chloe's wedding is a burden or anything, or not fun, or a pain. I'm honored, we're all honored, to be doing this for the two of you-"

Adrien holds up his hand, "No, don't worry, don't even think of it like that, don't treat me," he sighs, "just, treat me as a friend, please. Not Mr. Agreste, just like," he pauses, "like the past 10 years never happened."

Marinette stops eating, studying him slightly. "I'm sorry."

"Don't be. It's not your fault." He hunches forward in his seat. "I'm just tired. Being away from Paris, away from people who knew me before I took over the company... it was a lot, it still is. Of course, I basically grew up under the eye of the press, and my father, but that was nothing compared to now."

He stares off into a corner of the room, unfocused, "I needed to come back, though. Something was calling me back." He unconsciously twists his ring and looks up at Marinette. "I shouldn't be dumping all of this on you; it's very inconsiderate of me."

A gentle smile pulls at her lips, "It seems like you deserve a little time to act 'inconsiderate'."

"What?" He straightens up in his seat.

She looks him in the eye, "No one is going to judge you here. No scrutiny. No press. You need some time where, maybe, you don't have to think before you speak, just say what you want in the moment."

He feels his heart skip a beat. "You're right," he breathes, seemingly in awe of the concept. He twists his ring.

She takes another bite of her sandwich, "You're right, too. There are people here in Paris that genuinely care about you, as a person- Alya, Nino, me..." she feels the blush threatening to fill her cheeks, "and pretty much everyone from school" she finishes.

He nods, smiling at her, "I can feel it. Just being in this city is a relief to me, being with friends," His smile falters, "But it also reminds me how much I've changed, how much I've missed." He shakes his head, "Nino and Alya were showing me pictures from their wedding, and of Manny, and I felt so bad for missing those moments."

"I know that they understand, that it's not your fault." Marinette leans in, "You can't stop the passage of time."

"But I could have made different choices," his eyes linger on her for a moment, "not cut myself off from everyone after my father was arrested." He states.

"We didn't exactly reach out either," she admits, "I, or, no one knew how to help you. We let you cut us off when we should have been with you all along." Her voice shakes slightly at the memory.

Adrien takes a deep breath, "We all have regrets, I guess." He looks away and smiles. "I should really get going," He stands slowly, "I'll keep everything you said in mind while I'm in town. Maybe I'll have to visit more."

"You really should." Marinette blurts out, pressing her lips together in regret.

He nods, "I will." He starts walking towards the door, "Take care of yourself. Please," he adds genuinely.

She stands suddenly, "Adrien!", she calls out.

He turns around in the doorway, "Yeah?"

Her hands clench together, "Just, uh, thanks again, for this." She motions towards the food.

He smirks, almost sensing the unsaid words, "Text me if you need anything. Food, company, anything." He says before closing the door behind him and waving goodbye.

"Bye," Marinette whispers as the door closes.

~

Shortly after his departure, she allows herself to finish eating and calls it a day. Stepping out of her office, she catches the last few rays of sunlight disappearing behind the buildings. She sighs as she walks through the empty design floor towards the glass doors. She rests her hand on the protruding door handle for a moment before stepping outside.

She keeps a hand on the door, not wanting to lock herself out accidentally, which has happened a few times. The chill of the AC from the building nips at her ankles as the rest of her body warms in the last drops of sunlight. She had locked herself in her office before the sun rose this morning, as she, more often than not, does due to deadlines and scheduling. So she revelled in what natural light she could obtain, before the shadows inevitably take over.

The air is still warm, but she can feel when the sun has disappeared, signaling her to retreat back inside.

She closes the door and pulls out her phone to text Alya: 'Hey how was lunch? Sorry again i couldn't make it'

Her phone chimes before she reaches the elevator. She reads Alya's text on her way up. 'It was really nice! I think nino was just glad to have someone new to show manny off to. We exchanged numbers, memories etc. It pretty much turned into a 4 hour lunch.'

Marinette smiles at the screen as she steps into her apartment, flipping on the lights, 'I'm glad you guys got to catch up'

'He stopped by ur place right?'

She grabs a bottle of water from her fridge before sitting on the couch. She knew she shouldn't feel embarrassed by Alya's question, but she did. 'Yeah, dropped off some food.' she replies, hoping that will be the end of her questioning, but she knows it isn't when her "typing" icon lingers a bit too long.

'I think he was low-key-high-key bummed when I read that text you sent me about being too busy. We told him that it was normal for you but he seemed distracted sometimes and then he insisted on buying your food and dropping it off. He asked about you and your business (AND IF UR DATING ANYONE). So TELL me what happened. Or I WILL facetime you.'

Mari feels her cheeks burn, something she wouldn't be able to hide from Alya face to face. So she types 'we JUST talked like NORMAL friends do.' and sends it. 'Yeah, we only talked about his regrets and his father being arrested and his anxieties from being in the public eye and how I'm probably going to work myself to death some day.' She elaborates in her head, realizing that they really did dig a little deeper than she previously felt in the moment.

'-rolling eyes emoji- if you say so' Alya replies, effectively ending the conversation.

She leans her head back against the couch, "Tikki? What even happened down there?" she moans.

Tikki emerges and sits in her lap, "I think it was two stressed out friends finding comfort and understanding in each other's shared past."

Marinette lifts her head to look at her Kwami, "When did you study sociology?" She asks, a little impressed.

"Late 1800s." She says in a matter-of-fact tone, ending with a giggle.

Her eyes widen at this knowledge, "Right..."

"But seriously, of course you guys still feel a connection. That's what good friendships are like, when you may not talk for years but can pick up right where you left off when you do." She shrugs.

Marinette nods, "You're right. Friendship. That's all it is. And I don't want it to be anything else." She speaks it into the world, trying to convince herself. "If Adrien needs a friend, I'll be his friend; I know he'd do the same for me."

~

'What even happened over there?' Adrien's mind buzzes all the way home. His mind had wandered during his drive, but luckily driving through Paris was like muscle memory to him. He only realizes he's spaced out once he puts his car into park in his driveway.

Stepping inside the Manor, a voice calls out. "Adrien!" Chloe shuffles around the corner wearing a golden robe. "Why is there a picture of you eating with your hands at some dirty diner?" She holds out her phone, practically shoving it in his face.

He takes a step back to help focus his eyes on the screen. "'Adrien Agreste Takes in Local Fares with Friends'." He reads the headline, scanning further through the uneventful article, "I told you I was having lunch with friends. And this article is pretty neutral on the event anyway." He shrugs.

She yanks her phone back, "Ugh! I cannot believe you sometimes." She holds her fingertips against her temples, "This photo captured you, in a wrinkled shirt, shoving a sandwich into your face like a barbarian. It paints you out to be like a common Parisian, and you are better than that." She stomps her foot on the marble floor.

Marinette's words ring in his mind; to act 'inconsiderate', worry free. A privilege he's weary of acting on at this moment, despite what he had brewing on the tip of his tongue.

"I'm sorry, dear. I guess I didn't see the photographer." He answers in a level tone before walking past her towards the stairs.

She huffs, mumbling to herself just loud enough to make sure he hears, "I knew I shouldn't have let you go out." She continues at a normal volume, "Well, I did warn you, Adrikins; the dangers of going out with these people." She follows him up the stairs, "I'll be soaking in the tub if you need me."

He nods, "I'll be in our room."

Chloe saunters off towards the bathroom while he stalks into the master bedroom, his father's old room. He settles onto the edge of the bed, a bit of the light he had accumulated from seeing his friends drained away into the carpet.

Being in this room still made him anxious, even with his father locked up miles away he feels as if he'll be scolded for even stepping foot in here. It's sleek and clean, not unlike the office downstairs. The only thing that's changed since his father slept here was the small array of Chloe's possessions now scattered around the room: her slippers, her makeup, her clothes.

He removes his shoes diligently, tucking them away in the closet before changing out of his clothes and stepping into the shower attached to the bedroom, happy that Chloe preferred the tub in the guest bathroom.

The steam builds as his brain tries to reply his day, grasping for that light again.

He smiles to himself at the memory of Nino gleefully recounting the highlights of their wedding reception as if it were yesterday, and the loving look Alya gave him as he did. Apparently Alya's sisters and Nino's brother had coordinated a prank where at the end of the 'first dance' they bombarded the dance floor with confetti and started their own choreographed dance to upstage the couple.

Everyone laughed at the memory, even Adrien who, thanks to Nino's vivid retelling, now felt like he was there.

Would he have stories like this after his wedding?

He finds it easy to imagine the reception of Chloe and his wedding. Colleagues instead of friends. Expectations and a schedule instead of pranks and laughs.

'Whatever makes her happy.' He reminds himself, locking himself back into the present where the regrets of the past can't catch him.

'No, she's not dating anyone' Alya's voice reaches out and grabs him from lunch, not letting him get away that easy.

He was only slightly surprised by this response. Marinette is a busy woman with a lot on her plate, she reminds him of himself in the early years of running Agreste Fashion. Romance was the last thing on his mind until Chloe started hanging around the company. Her familiarity amongst the constant change and unknown territory of his career made her a desirable foothold.

'No, she's not dating anyone'

Alya said Marinette had briefly dated Luka Couffaine because they attended the same university, but only lasted about a year since Luka dropped out during her sophomore year. Anyone else was not worth mentioning because they only lasted a few months or just weeks together. And since she started the company a few years ago, she hasn't dated anyone at all.

'No, she's not dating anyone'

Seeing her as "M", versus seeing her the next day with her pencil clamped in her hand, was a stark contrast to say the least. The fact that Alya and Nino knew that Marinette overworking herself, cancelling social plans, was a normal occurrence, it worried Adrien.

A large part of him feels guilty, being the direct cause of her burnout in a way. 'Maybe I'll surprise her at work again, to check on her' he justifies, 'afterall, we didn't get to hang out as much since she missed lunch.'

He shuts off the shower.

~

"Another Sunday?" Tikki exclaims as Marinette starts dressing herself in her comfortable work clothes: a knee length yellow skirt and a tucked in t-shirt. "You promised Margaret you wouldn't work on sundays anymore. Remember? Because you deserve breaks?" Tikki urges, following her out of her bedroom.

"I know, I know; but hey, I slept in, that's all I need." She insists, grabbing a granola bar off her kitchen counter before heading to the elevator.

Tikki groans, "You can't keep overworking yourself like this forever."

Mari hits the first floor button, "I know. After this wedding I'll give myself more time off."

"That's what you said last time." Tikki objects.

The elevator dings and opens up to the ground floor. "I mean it this time, I promise." She swears, stepping out onto the design floor.

"You said that last time too," Tikki mumbles to herself.

Early afternoon light shines through the glass front of the boutique. Marinette meanders her way to the doors, basking in the amplified rays before planning to shut herself in her office as usual.

She closes her eyes, focusing on the warmth on her bare arms and face.

A knock on the glass startles her.

Her eyes fly open to meet the gaze of Adrien, smirking awkwardly on the other side of the door. Flustered at being caught in her private moment, she shouts through the glass, "What- what are you doing here?"

He holds up a large, white paper bag, "Lunch redo." He shouts back. "Can I come in?"

Still grappling with his sudden appearance, she unlocks the door and lets him inside.

"Thanks. I texted Alya last night and she said you'd probably be working today even though it's sunday." He continues. "So we agreed we'd help make sure that you actually take a break this week."

"'We'?" Is all she's able to say as Adrien hands her the bag. Looking inside there's a variety of breads and pastries with jam containers.

"Yeah, her and Nino should be over soon with more food. So you won't be needing that." He points to the granola bar sticking out of her pocket.

Mari scoffs, "So there's no way out of this, is there?"

"Nope." He smiles with a hint of mischief. "Where do you want to set up? I can help clear one of these drafting tables." He suggests, glancing over one of the sketches laid out.

She shrugs, "We- we can just eat in my apartment." She resigns.

"You live nearby?"

"Yeah, just two stories up" She points to the ceiling.

His eyebrows raise, "Really? No wonder you can't stop working."

Her cheeks redden, "You're one to talk. Besides, it's very convenient." She retorts, handing him the bag back, surprising herself at her assertiveness. "Come on." She steps in front of him and leads him back to the elevator, "Alya knows her way up."

Adrien gladly follows, "I bet it is convenient." He agrees. "What's on the floor above us, then?"

"The bakery. It's where we handle the wedding cakes and any other pastries needed." She states, becoming more aware of his presence with each step as the elevator doors open.

He chuckles to himself, "Remind me to sneak up there when you're not looking. If it's anything like your parents baking, I'll gladly taste test anything you require."

They step inside and ride the elevator up to her place. "It's not much, sorry if it's kinda dirty, I don't get much company." She frets.

Stepping inside, her kitchen is to the left and living room is to the right, both are highlighted with pastel colors throughout the layout. From the light yellow curtains and matching kitchen cabinets, it definitely wasn't 'messy' by any definition. It was mostly orderly, with just enough chaos to feel really lived in. 'Soft' was the only word Adrien could think of to describe the mood of the space, reflecting its occupant perfectly.

"You can set that down here. I'll get some plates." She motions to the white wooden table with four matching chairs with pink cushions just outside her kitchen.

"I like your place." He sets the bag down as his eyes keep wandering, eventually finding their way back to her when she returns with the plates.

"Oh, thanks! I tried to do what I could, you know. This building was originally a rental and most of our money went into fixing up the first two floors, so I lived here to save money, but there's only one bedroom so I don't know what will happen when we have kids. We'll probably have to find a new place..." she rambles, realizing her thoughts have crossed topics, "Uh, I mean 'we' as in whoever I marry, whoever that turns out to be, who knows? I don't." She clears her throat, mentally bracing herself for his response.

"You want to have kids?" He asks genuinely, with a bit of awe in his voice that was unintended.

She presses her lips together in a straight line, "I mean, yeah, someday, hopefully, you know," she takes a seat, collecting her thoughts, "It seems fun? Rewarding? Maybe I just love babies," she dismisses, gazing unfocused at the table and twisting a stand of hair at the nape of her neck.

Adrien sits across from her, "Yeah... I feel the same way." He confesses, his heart beating a little louder in his chest.

Mari sits up and shakes her head slightly to clear her thoughts, "You'll be a great dad. C-Chloe is lucky to have you." She nods encouragingly, forcing herself to look him in the eye as she says it.

The mention of Chloe's name breaks him from this daze he realizes he fell into. "Uh, thanks, but-"

The elevator dings and Alya bursts in followed by Nino. "Heyy!" She greets them, carrying a tray of coffees and a bag of fruits.

Marinette gets up to hug her, "You didn't have to do all this. And you know I don't like you tricking me out of my work." She murmurs as they embrace.

Alya throws an arm around her shoulders, "If I never forced you to take a break, I'd never see you and you'd never take the day off. Besides, it was Adrien's idea really."

Mari jokingly stares Adrien down with a smirk, "I'll forgive you this time because you didn't know better."

He reflects her tone back at her, "I take full responsibility either way. Alya's right to get you to take time for yourself."

Nino joins Adrien at the table, "Yeah, you gotta chillax more."

Marinette rolls her eyes as she grabs some extra bowls for the fruit Alya starts unpacking. "I'm an adult, I know when I need a break. And it just so happens that I don't need them that often."

"I wouldn't exactly say you were firing on all cylinders when I came by yesterday," Adrien counters, pulling the baked goods from his bag.

Mari accidentally meets Alya's 'I told you so' glare as they both start to fill their plates. "That-that was just because it was the end of the day." She stammers, "And I got a good night sleep and I was ready to go again today until you showed up."

"You're not a machine, girl. But if you were, you could take a look at your manual for 'maintenance' and 'required down time'." Alya jests, spreading jam on her croissant before taking a bite.

She groans as the rest of them chuckle.

They spend the rest of the afternoon eating and reminiscing about school. Mari is able to fill in a few blanks that Alya and Nino couldn't yesterday. Like how Nathanial is currently working for an animation studio in America, Rose and Juleka moved to the countryside to run a pottery business, and Kim is a phys ed teacher at a public school west of the city.

At three o'clock, Alya and Nino had to go pick up Manny so things started to wrap up. They insisted on Marinette keeping the leftovers.

"We should do this every week, I can't stand not seeing you for weeks at a time." Alya grabs her purse from the entry way and calls the elevator.

"We'll see," Mari shrugs, definitely not wanting to promise anything, even if she had a good time.

The elevator dings. Nino comes out of the kitchen, "Oh we should, especially since Adrien's in town. Who knows what will happen after the wedding."

They step on together, "Yeah, who knows?" Alya winks at the doors close.

"They're right." Adrien's voice echoes from the kitchen.

Mari takes a steadying breath and joins him, watching him hand wash the dishes from their meal. "So you don't know where you guys will be going after the wedding? Where you'll be living?" She slides a towel off the rack and starts drying the dishes as he rinses.

He shrugs, "Not really. I think I want a more permanent home, not like before when I was constantly traveling for work. I like it here, in Paris. It's probably just nostalgia but it definitely has something," He hands her a plate. "But it was hard enough convincing Chloe to have the wedding here, let alone live here longer than necessary."

She carefully rotates the ceramic plate in her hand, her grip on it probably tighter than required. "I feel it too, the something. It's a good location for business, for sure, but I still wouldn't rather be anywhere else. Like I'm meant to be here." A few memories of being Ladybug flash in her mind, wondering if that's why she's attached to the city, even though it doesn't need protecting any more. She wonders if Chat Noir feels the same.

They finish up and Adrien starts, "So, what are you going to do with the rest of your day?"

She lingers around the dining table, straightening the chairs, "Uh, honestly, I'm just gonna pop into my office for a bit-"

"Nope, no, no work." He stands across from her, the table between them, "We're gonna... go for a walk." He says enthusiastically.

He starts walking towards the elevator but Marinette lags behind, "But what if someone sees you and takes a picture like yesterday? Won't Chloe be worried?" She asks genuinely.

He freezes, remembering that earlier he had mentioned last night's incident off hand. "Right..." Mari opens her mouth to insist on working when Adrien gets an idea. "Oh! I know where we can go."

After some coaxing, he leads her out to his car parked behind the building. Her inner teenage heart wants to leap from her chest from spending so much time with Adrien, but her rational adult mind kept her calm, and the itching to get some work done also helped mellow her mood.

It doesn't take her long to catch onto where they're going. "The school?" She postures when they're about two blocks away. "I don't think the front steps of our school are going to hide you from the press."

Adrien smiles as they pull into the shadows of Francoise Dupont High. "They won't be able to see me if we're inside the school." He corrects, stepping out of the car.

She follows suit, her eyebrows knitted together, "Adrien, I understand that you're rich and famous now but we cannot break into the school." She remarks incredulously but still follows him to the back set of doors.

"Who said anything about 'breaking'?" He chuckles, reaching above the door frame and producing a key. "Damn, that's a lot easier now after puberty."

Her jaw drops, "How did you know that was there?"

He holds the brass key between his forefinger and thumb, "I was leaving fencing late and Gorilla wasn't here yet so I was walking around and saw the janitor leaving the key up there. Which came in handy because I may have needed to sneak back into school sometimes when I was, uh, late." He confesses, opening the door and returning the key to its hiding spot. He holds it open for her.

She walks slowly through the threshold, "As long as you take the blame if we get caught, or at least pay my bail." She cautions, but can't help but think of how useful this information would have been as Ladybug. Having to sneak in and out of school before and after fights used to leave her in an awkward situation with the hall monitor.

The sunlight from the waning afternoon sun lit the windowless boiler room until Adrien let the door close behind him. "Adrien?" She squeaks, unable to see anything.

"This way," he suddenly takes her hand and leads them through the dark. Just like muscle memory, his hand finds the door knob, letting them into the bright, main atrium of the school.

Their hands linger together as they adjust to the light and take in the familiar sight of the halls and classrooms. Marinette is quick to remedy this, slipping out of his fingers to walk further towards the stairs. "It feels so...small." She comments, running her hand along the banister.

"Yeah. I mean everything looks the same except for the new paint job, but it's definitely smaller than I remember." He follows her up the stairs, looking down into the courtyard which is bathed in rich sunlight.

"Miss Bustier! She still teaches in the same room, it seems." Marinette walks into the classroom, not bothering to turn on the lights for the sunlit room. Some of the posters have been changed but otherwise it's the same as she remembers. "Come on!" She urges him, walking up to the second row of seats and sitting down.

Adrien slides into his respective seat in front of her, twisting around to look at her. "Just like we never left." He jokes before banging his knee on the underside of the table, "Agh, well, now I know things are smaller."

She leans forward on her elbows, laughing, "Careful, you don't want to damage these relics" She slides her hands along the desks surface.

"You're right, they belong in a museum. 'The desk where Marinette Dupain-Cheng, a.k.a. M, doodled one of her iconic designs'." He announces, gesturing to the table.

She scrunches up her nose with embarrassment, "Yeah, well, more like," she gets up and stands next to his seat, imitating a museum tour guide. "This here is the desk where THE Adrien Agreste sat when he attended public school for the first time. And learned what real life is like." She then mimes taking several photos of the piece of furniture.

He chuckles, "Well then, between the two of us we could probably get this place certified as a national landmark." He slides out and stands next to her. Being here and this close to Adrien, Marinette realizes how much of a growth spurt he really had. He had always been taller than her, but this was much more drastic than when they were kids. Having been 155 centimeters basically since freshman year, it was obvious that Adrien had grown closer to 183 centimeters since she last checked.

"Ha, yeah. I don't think my accomplishments warrant anything like that, but I bet you could get that for yourself no problem." She takes a couple deliberate steps away from him before heading back to the hallway.

He strides back to her side, "You're kidding. You started your own company, I just inherited mine,"

She scoffs, "Agreste Fashion is doing better than they have in decades with you in charge. You've earned your place there, everyone knows it." She defends passionately. "Not to mention being a model for half your life."

"That was still nepotism." He reminds her with a half smile on his face.

Marinette rolls her eyes, leaning forward on the banister, "Yeah I guess, but you were still good at it." She blurts out, instantly regretting it.

He laughs, "Aw, thanks", leaning in next to her, their arms brushing each other, overlooking the ground floor. "But this isn't over until you admit you're incredible too." He maintains, fidgeting with his ring.

She shakes her head, "I couldn't have gotten this far without Margie, or my parents-"

"Marinette." He nudges her with his shoulder, raising his eyebrows at her.

She stares back, only to resign with a sigh. "Fine. I'm 'incredible'."

"You are." He beams.

If her inner teenage heart wasn't already vibrating in her chest, it certainly was now, and ready to burst. She bites her tongue, trying to ground herself in reality. "T-thanks." She whispers, unable to look at him. In an instant, the easy going atmosphere was gone, at least for her. She has principles, and there's a growing fear that she will cross a line.

She steps away from the railing, her hands fidgeting with each other, "Uh, I- actually just remembered. There's a few forms I have to send in by today. They're really important. So, can-can you drive me home? Please?"

A tinge of sadness crosses Adrien's features, but he's quick to conceal it. "Y-yeah, of course."

Marinette turns and starts down the stairs, trailed by Adrien who takes a last glance around the school.

She waits for him at the boiler room door. He reaches for her idle hand and the door at the same time, to guide her back through the darkness, but she clasps her hands together. "Why don't you hold this door open to let the light in, and I'll walk to the other side and open the door... That way we don't have to walk in the dark." She suggests, keeping her hands against her torso.

He blinks, readjusting his thought process, "R-right. Good thinking," he admits, opening the door for her.

She quickly traipses through the now dimly lit boiler room, the atrium light providing just enough residual luminescence to make it to the other side without issue. She pops open the back door and does the same for him.

When he's about halfway through, Marinette feels a hand clamp around her wrist. She looks up to face the stern looking officer. "Miss, tell me what is going on here." He demands, trying to pull her away towards the street.

She slips off of the door, letting it slowly close as she's jerked away, "Nothing! Please let go of me!" She retorts, twisting her wrist in his grasp.

"'Nothing'? Yeah, just a woman breaking into a school on a sunday. Come on." He yanks her again.

"Stop it!" She cries to the empty streets, using her other hand to brace the one being pulled.

The backdoor of the school bursts open, "Let her go!" Adrien barks, marching over to the officer.

He stops, eyes wide, "Mr. Agreste? Wh-what are you doing here?" He asks, slightly bewildered but not loosening his grip on Marinette.

"I was being escorted around my old school by my former classmate. I came here for...inspiration, on a new project I'm working on." He bluffs, "So if you would be so kind as to let my companion go." He finishes in a terese tone.

The officer drops her wrist, allowing Marinette to leap back, cradling it in her other hand. "I'm sorry for the confusion, Mr. Agreste. I'm sure you can understand my point of view on the situation" he counters, trying to save face. "No harm done."

"Quite." Adrien snaps. Without another word, he puts his arm through Mari's and walks her back to the car. He keeps his head level until he's sure he hears the police car drive away. Once the engine sound dissipates, he ducks his head down to her. "Are you alright?" He comforts, now more guilty than ever.

She pulls her arm from his so they walk separately. "I'm fine, maybe some bruising but that's all." She assures, more bitter towards the officer than him.

"You don't want to even say 'I told you so'?" He urges, trying to make her smile as he unlocks the car.

"I'm just ready to go home, I think." She deflects in a polite tone, getting in the passenger seat.

He sucks on his teeth, starting the car, "Of course."

The ride back is quiet and thankfully short for the two anxious adults. Adrien pulls in behind the boutique and Mari steps out promptly. She ducks her head back in before closing the door. "Thanks again for... today." She expresses, not wanting the incident to wash over everything else.

He smiles, leaning against the steering wheel, "Any time," he swears.

She gives a timid wave and watches him pull out before heading upstairs.

Once in her apartment she makes a beeline for her bed and flops face first onto her bed. "Tikki?" She mumbles into the comforter, her shoes still on her feet hanging over the edge.

She flies out from under the bed, "Was it that bad? What happened there?" She points to Marinette's red and blue splotched left wrist.

She shakes her head, "Just some officer tried to forcibly pull me into his cop car before he saw Adrien was with me."

"That's terrible. So Adrien talked the officer down?" Tikki rests on the bed and leans into her bruising wrist. A warm sensation spreads through her joint, easing the discomfort.

"Thanks, Tikki. And yeah he did, but I feel like he didn't even need to. The officer was obviously afraid of getting on his bad side."

"Adrien is pretty famous around here. He probably didn't want Adrien to file a complaint against him."

"Exactly!" Mari rolls onto her back. "He's just on a whole different level than I am, or ever will be. He always has been." She sighs, kicking off her shoes.

"That doesn't mean you can't be friends." Tikki reasons, still healing her wrist.

She closes her eyes, "He said Chloe was 'a little distraught' when she saw the photo of him at the cafe. I know he's playing it down, I can tell. So he's not allowed to be seen with Alya and Nino, or me. What kind of friendship is that?" She argues.

There's a moment of silence before she responds. "Maybe it's the kind of friendship he needs the most. Because it's all he has."

A tear falls from the corner of her eye. "I know. I'm just selfish for thinking it's more than that."

~

"You've reviewed the proposals, correct?"

The voice of a level headed business woman breaks Adrien from his day daydream. He clears his throat and straightens some papers on his desk, glad that it's just a conference call over speaker phone. "Yes, I have. We are going to be moving forward on production with slates one through four and number seven."

"Great. That will get put in right away." A male voice responds.

"I believe that was the last item on the agenda?" The woman confirms.

"Correct." Adrien answers, "Good talk, everyone. Shoot me an email if anything comes up and we'll talk wednesday." He recites before everyone signs off, ending the call.

He pushes out from his seat and stretches, glad to have finally finished the two hour long meeting.

He sighs and heads to the living room where Chloe is on her phone. "Hey, Chlo, do you want to have lunch now? I just finished my call."

She finishes texting and looks up at him, "Of course, Adrikins! I'll tell Raphael that we'll be at his place in 30 minutes."

"L'Arcane? Isn't that a bit fancy for just lunch?" He sits on the arm of the couch opposite her.

She scoffs, "Fancy? I wouldn't have us step into a restaurant that was any less accredited. You were just at that diner with your friends, haven't you had enough of that slop yet?" She presses a button on her phone, "Marie? Call Raphael and tell him that we'll be needing a table in 30, no, make it 40." She hangs up and walks over to Adrien, letting her arms drape around his shoulders. "I'm going to get freshened up. You should do the same," she kisses briefly before heading upstairs.

He splashes some water on his face in the downstairs restroom before returning to his office to wait for her return. He stares out the front windows overlooking the gates to the property. Absentmindedly, he turns his phone in his hand, flipping it over against his palm. "It's fine." He whispers to himself, pulling up Marinette's contact in his text messages.

'Hey' -DELETE-

'I couldn't stop thinking about you this morning' -DELETE-

'How's your wrist?' -SEND-

15 minutes pass, during which his hands start to get clammy. Until finally: 'It's totally fine, don't worry. Not even any bruising'

He quickly types, 'I'm still sorry about how things ended yesterday' -SEND-

'Well everything up until that officer showing up was fun. Including lunch with Alya and Nino! So i think that stuff overshadows the one jerk :P'

He exhales a breath he didn't realize he was holding. 'Haha i'm glad. I'll still make it up to you'

A few minutes pass before his phone dings again: 'That's not necessary. Really.'

He smirks to himself, 'It is. Really'

"Adrikins!" She knocks on his open office door, "The driver's ready, lets go."

~

It's nearing three o'clock when there's a knock at Marinette's office door. She inhales sharply when she sees a familiar blond peeking in. "Sorry, Margie said I could let myself in." He smirks, still waiting for confirmation to come in.

She clearly wants to be annoyed but can't bring herself to commit. She nods, signaling him to come in. He does so, closing the door behind him, holding a small pastry box.

"I'm at working, Adrien, so you better be here because you have concerns regarding your wedding." She warns, raising an eyebrow as he sits down.

"Uh, yeah, of course." He sets the small white box on her desk, "And I just so happen to have this cake with me to thank you for meeting with me without an appointment...and for yesterday."

Her eyes soften, "I told you not to-"

"Well I did." He pushes the box closer to her, "Chloe and I went to lunch and I decided I'd take this to-go. For you."

She nods wordlessly, "Right. Thank you." She chokes out. "I'll save it for later."

A silence hangs for a moment too long. Adrien breaks it, rubbing his palms on his thighs, "So, about the wedding-"

"Right. So is there anything you want as part of the wedding? The reception? Chloe kinda made this list for me but it's your big day too." She rambles, forcing herself to switch back into work mode; deciding, if Adrien is going to be here during work hours, she's going to do work.

He's taken aback for a moment by the onslaught of questions, jarring him from his train of thought. "Uh, I, I don't think my opinion matters that much in this situation. As long as Chloe is happy, I'm happy." He recites.

Mari stares him down skeptically, "I'm sure. Are you certain there's not one thing you want? I'll try to squeeze it in without her noticing."

He twists his ring, "Well, I guess, maybe stained glass windows? I just like how they bring color into spaces."

She smiles encouragingly, "I'll see what I can do" She types it into her never ending list of details for the wedding, but inserts it at the top. "Are you coming in with Chloe for her fitting tomorrow?"

He straightens up, "Um, should I be?"

She shrugs, "It's mostly checking measurements and if the base form my seamstresses put together is in the right direction of what she wants. I'll also be showing her what I have so far in terms of venue and the basic, well normally it's basic, but since the timeline is short, it's actually closer to the final design concept." She explains.

He nods, "Maybe I'll sit in on that part if I can." His phone buzzes. He checks it and his eyebrows raise, "I better get back to my office." He stands and heads for the door, "See you tomorrow!"

"See ya," she's able to squeak out before he closes the door behind him.

~

Marinette grumbles the next morning as she adjusts her pencil skirt, tucking in her blouse to make sure it looks right. She puts on her dark sunglasses per usual, just as Margie knocks on the door. "The Agrestes are here."

Marinette stands up behind her desk as Chloe and Adrien file in. "Oh, M! I can't wait to see what you're put together so far." Chloe boasts, taking a seat with Adrien, holding his hand in anticipation.

She nods, "It's good to see you again, Miss. Bourgeois, and Mr. Agreste." She gives the tiniest of smiles in his direction, "I have the overall design concept and venue to show you here, then Margaret will take you to get final measurements and thoughts for your dress down."

"Goody. Then let's get to it already." She shrills. Adrien pats her hand in an attempt to ease her mood.

Marinette swivels her large desktop screen so everyone can see the display which is already open to her presentation. "The invitations have been designed and are ready to be printed and addressed. I have sent the guestlist to your assistant for your approval. A selection of white flower varieties has been chosen by our florist for the arrangements and bouquet. White silks have been ordered for the gown and venue dressings. The venue is a large church on the east side of Paris-"

"That? That's the place where our ceremony is taking place?" Chloe points at the screen showing off the inside of the church, with pronounced stained glass windows flanking either side of the pews.

"Y-yes, Miss. Bourgeois." She affirms, knowing where this is going to go.

"Stained glass? No, no, it simply won't do." She waves her index finger in disapproval.

She shoots a glance at Adrien, that he doesn't see behind her glasses. She clears her throat, clicking through to show a rendering that displays the venue with added decorations. "I thought stained glass windows at the venue would help add some color to-"

"'Color'?? I explicitly said 'White' and 'White' only. The dress, the flowers, the aisle, the guests clothes: White." She hisses.

Adrien pats her hand, "Darling, M is a professional, if she thinks it would liven up the space-"

Chloe scoffs, "If she's such a professional, she'd know that the customer is always right. She exists to make my vision a reality."

"Chloe, I'm the one who told M that I'd like stained glass windows for our wedding. I figured since you gave your list, I could add just one more thing." He tries to reason, holding her hand.

Her eyes narrow and a mocking smile appears as her tone drips with faux sympathy, "Oh, Adrikins. I understand your need to have a hand in everything, that's what makes you a great CEO. And I love that about you. But wedding planning is not the same as running a clothing company." She tucks one of his stray hairs back into his coiffe. "Planning a wedding is hard work. That list was hard to put together. Sometimes I wake up in the middle of the night wondering if Abrielle should sit next to Helena or Leon! And I don't want to burden you with any of it. So just leave the planning to me so you can focus on work. Okay, hon?" She gives him a peck on the cheek to punctuate herself.

Adrien's lips are pressed together throughout her speech, until he is given space to speak. "You're right, darling." He resigns, "I'm so lucky that you care so much."

She nods, "I know." She violently turns her attention back to M. "So besides the venue, everything looks great, really great. But how about we take a break from the boring stuff so I can see the dress?" She asks, despite already standing and heading for the door.

Marinette, who had been trying to avert her eyes and seem distracted by the fibers of the carpet during Chloe's sermon, stammers back to attention, "Uh, sure, of course. Margaret is just outside the door to help you."

"Lovely." She turns in the doorframe back to Adrien who is still sitting in the chair, his eyes unfocused. "You're right, Adrikins, best not see the bride in her gown before the wedding. I'll catch up later. Love you." She bids before striding out the door.

The only sound is the muffled voices of staff outside her office. Marinette takes off her sunglasses, "Hey, I-"

"I apologize for putting you in that position." He says flatly, standing up but still staring at the desk. "Have Chloe call for the driver when she's finished up here. I'll catch up with her at the house." He turns to leave, putting his hands in his pockets.

"Adrien!" Marinette calls, running out from behind her desk and grabbing his hand.

Her sudden contact catches him off guard, her fingers wrapping around his. He stops.

As her mind catches up to her impulsive actions, she drops his hand and steps forward and fully closes her office door softly. With her back and palms against the door, she stares at his shoes. "I know it's none of my business." She says in almost a whisper. "But- just, as your friend," she inserts, "I...I want to make sure..." -'that you're doing the right thing? that she actually cares about you? that you actually love her?'- "that you're okay?" she chickens out, lifting her gaze to meet his lowered one.

A desperation sits just behind his eyes, one he hopes Marinette doesn't notice; even though he can plainly see the reflection of it in her eyes. "I'm...fine." His shoulders relax a bit. "Chloe just... she knows what she wants, is all." He shrugs as if something is crawling up his back.

Marinette nods, "I've noticed. But-" she looks at the floor again, trying to swallow the lump in her throat, "she shouldn't, in my opinion... talk to you like that. Putting you down? Like your wants don't matter? It's not-" she trails off, unable to summon any more courage to finish that thought. "You matter. Not just in that the media cares who you have coffee with; but because you have friends who care about you. And, and not everything is about work. Isn't that what you tried to tell me?" Her jaw trembles, realizing what she's done.

Her hand feels around for the door handle behind her, "Sorry, I shouldn't have said anything,"

She turns her head to the side to find the handle, but as her hand is about to grasp the handle, Adrien closes the distance between them and wraps his arms around her.

He stoops down so his arms are under hers, holding her flush against him. It takes a second before Marinette's own arms lower from hovering over him, wrapping around the tops of his shoulders. "Adrien?" She breathes out his name.

It takes a moment for him to react. He pulls back slightly so he can look at her. Slack-jawed, he stares at her, "I..." he doesn't dare complete the thought. "-Thanks." He ventures, "Coming from you, it means a lot. I mean it." He pulls her in close again.

Still a bit stiff in his arms, Marinette is too concerned to fully enjoy his embrace. "I guess I'm saying, you can talk to me, or Alya and Nino. We want to be there for you." She leans a cheek on his chest, "When you leave Paris again-" she says with certainty, "don't forget about us this time."

"I never forgot you." The corner of his lips pull up, as he rests his cheek on the top of her head.

"Ridiculous!" They hear Chloe's muffled shout from elsewhere in the building.

Adrien and Marinette immediately back away from each other, pulling their arms to themselves.

The moment between them hangs in the air, neither one wanting to acknowledge what was there.

Adrien clears his throat softly, "I... have to go think about... the wedding. At home. Have Chloe call our driver when she's done."

Marinette nods and steps aside as he reaches for the door and walks away at a quickened pace.

Margie rounds the corner to find Marinette in her dumbfounded state in the middle of her office. "Hey, uh, M, can I get your help over here with Miss. Chloe?" She asks in a professional yet urgent manner.

She snaps out of it, flipping back into work mode. "Right. Yes." She grabs her sunglasses and joins Margie and the seamstresses who are all huddled together while Chloe is on a pedestal, pinching and pulling at the dress base on her body.

"It's about time!"

~

Nearing nine o'clock, Marinette locks up the doors to the empty boutique. Her feet drag, exhausted from the mountain of changes to the dress and the venue and the food and the cake that she decided to get a head start on. Not to mention the emotional and mental effort she used confronting Adrien, and putting up with Chloe.

Her phone chimes inside her pocket. She sees a text from Alya, of simply '!!!!!!!!'.

Marinette replies as she starts walking towards the elevator, 'What is it?'.

Alya texts back instantly, "There was a Chat sighting! Chat Noir! A real one!"

Marinette freezes, stopping right before the elevator, a million thoughts running through her head. '...It can't be. Why is he here? Is there danger?...'

'Are you sure?', she texts back once her self-induced trance is broken, her body waking up. She swipes her card and gets on the elevator to her loft, her foot tapping anxiously all the way up.

Alya sends a link to the, mostly inactive, Ladyblog; only really serving as an archive after Ladybug and Chat Noir were no longer needed, until now apparently.

The link leads to the media feed of the blog, where there were five new posts about seeing Chat vaulting over rooftops. 'I think this is the real deal' Alya adds, 'I can still spot a real hero a mile away'.

The elevator opens to her apartment and she runs over to the windows that overlook the streets. Her eyes scan the rooftops the best she can from her vantage point. Then, out of the corner of her eye, she catches a glimpse of the all too familiar silhouette. Her throat tightens.

She racks her brain on how to wrap up this conversation with Alya. 'That's cool. I'm gonna turn in though, really tired.'

'I'll keep you updated! gnight', Alya replies.

Marinette tosses her phone onto the couch as Tikki flies out. "Marinette, do you think it's really him?"

She paces back and forth, glancing out the window, "I-I think it is. Why would, - how, - you think someone's in danger? That Hawkmoth is back? Is someone Akumatized?" She runs back to the window, looking for any signs of a fight.

Tikki flies to her side, "I think we both know there's only one way to find out for sure," she hints.

Marinette looks wide-eyed at her Kwami, "Are you serious? We're  only supposed to transform again if the city really needed us!"

"As far as you know, Chat Noir seems to think he's needed..." Tikki wiggles excitedly.

"I can't believe you're actually trying to convince me to, what, become Ladybug again?" She answers, waving her arms around, flustered.

"I think you'll find that it's just like riding a bike," Tikki encourages.

Marinette holds her arms still, trying to center herself, closing her eyes, "If there's no real danger, I think Master Fu would understand the...misunderstanding, if he was here. Plus, I'm the Guardian now, so I should check on the other Miraculous holder, right?"

Tikki zooms around her, "So, I think what you want to say is..." she says expectantly.

Marinette opens her eyes, "Tikki, spots on!"

Tikki flies into her earrings and Marinette transforms in a burst of light.

The familiar tingle of her body being covered in a red and black suit immediately sends her back into her Ladybug mindset. She walks over to a mirror and touches her mask, "Oh my god..." She looks over herself, running her hands over her arms. She picks up her yo-yo and spins it around experimentally, finding all her muscle memory intact.

She takes a deep breath and exhales it slowly.

She makes her way up to the rooftop, not feeling the wave of nausea she expected when she looks over the edge. Marinette flips open her communicator and sees Chat's location.

Her yo-yo zings out, and she begins to soar through the night sky; her mind eases, gaining all the confidence back from all those years ago.

She tries to remain unseen. Seeing one superhero return may be a fluke; but seeing two return? She didn't want to cause any false alarms before she could confirm there being any reason for Paris to worry.

Her heart pounds with excitement as she flies from roof to roof across Paris. She lifts her face to the stars, breathing in the crisp night air.

She approaches the Palais de Chaillot, which overlooks the Eiffel Tower. She silently lands on top of a nearby roof and approaches the cat dangling his legs over the side of the building.

Chat's ears perk up and he whips around to see Ladybug. His mouth hangs open in awe, "Fancy meeting you here, M'lady."

She freezes; her heart skips a beat looking into his glowing green eyes.

She shakes the feeling loose. "What are you doing up here?" She asks plainly, standing over him.

"Taking in the view." He stretches and pats the area next to him, "Join me."

Ladybug sighs, "You know what I mean." She bends down but doesn't sit, "Is Paris in trouble? Is Hawkmoth akumatizing people again?" She asks sarcastically, pretty sure she knew the answer at this point.

Chat senses this. He presses his lips together, "I just needed a break, an unaccounted for break," he looks out towards the Eiffel Tower, "a break from life."

Ladybug straightens up and sighs, resigning to sitting next to him, "I think I know how you feel." They stare off over the top of Paris. "I forgot what this felt like," she reminisces.

"I thought I remembered what this was like," he turns his gaze towards her, "but I was wrong. It's so much better."

They stay there, simply breathing together, taking in the view they could never see as civilians.

After the initial moment passes, Ladybug clears her throat, "So, still in Paris? You never left?" she folds her hands in her lap, trying to deal with the slightly awkward bubble she feels rising inside her.

Chat shakes his head, still looking ahead, "I'm actually just visiting for a while."

"Oh,"

"You uh, ever get with that guy you had a crush on when you were a kid?" Chat asks nonchalantly.

Ladybug leans away from him suddenly, eyebrows raised "I can't believe you just asked that," she can't help but chuckle to herself anyway.

He smirks, "Just wondering,"

She rolls her eyes, "I... never did. He's actually engaged, currently, to someone that's not me." She tries to keep her tone light-hearted.

He sighs, "Well, it's his loss...and mine", he winks.

She scoffs, nudging him, "You really haven't changed at all."

"Well," he tilts his head to the side, "I'm actually soon-to-be-wed, myself."

Ladybug blinks in surprise, "Oh, wow, congratulations. Seriously, congrats," she leans in and wraps an arm around his shoulders for a one-armed hug.

"Thanks," he smiles. "I wish I could invite you to the wedding, you and your plus one."

She laughs, "Thanks for the offer. I don't really have time for weddings, or even dating, at this moment anyway. Kind of a 'married to my work' sorta thing." She shrugs it off, diverting the subject from herself, "Your fiancé, what are they like?"

Chat hesitates a moment too long, "Oh, she's, she's great, really great,"

Ladybug smiles genuinely, "I'm glad. I'm really happy for you." She says softly.

He mirrors her smile, letting himself absorb her enthusiasm for just a second, "Thank you."

Silence hangs in the air momentarily as Chat's mind churns. "But," He blurts out, breaking the silence, "but I think I may be making a mistake."

Ladybug's eyebrows furrow, "'A mistake'? What do you mean?"

"I, I don't know if I can go through with it anymore." He leans over and puts his head in his hands.

"'It'? The wedding?! Chat why? You just said she's great!" Her eyes harden, "This better not be because of me." She says sternly under her breath. She starts to stand up, "I knew I shouldn't have come here, I'm not going to be a part of this-"

Chat catches her wrist in his hand. "Please... stay," he pleads, "this isn't because of you, I promise." Ladybug looks down on him, his eyes distressed, "There's no one else I can talk to about this."

She pauses, trying to take in the situation, before replying, "Alright. Start from the beginning." She carefully sits back down.

He sighs with relief, a silent thank you. "This dilemma is kinda why I came out here. Needed to clear my head, remove myself from the situation." He looks over at her, "Doesn't hurt that I thought there'd be an off chance I'd get to see an old friend,"

Ladybug smiles thoughtfully.

"Anyway, like I said, I'm just visiting. And I ran into an old friend last week. And, and she just reminds me of everything that life could be."

She shrugs, "Well, the grass is always greener, as they say." She comments, not really wanting to steer him either way.

He shakes his head, "It's more than that. She cares about me. Being around her, it's like realizing I've been stumbling through the darkness and my life could have ended up a lot different from now, if only I had opened my eyes sooner."

She looks at him, a bit dumbfounded, "You're serious?"

He nods, "Believe me, I'm not normally that kind of guy, I'm not trying to be." He straightens up, "Even if she rejected me, I would still break off the engagement." He rises to his feet and starts pacing, "It feels like I've been on autopilot for a while now. Ever since we caught Hawkmoth, since I graduated, since I was assigned my job and everything else about my life, nothing has made me feel anything, anything real; until I came back to Paris. And she is just the... embodiment of feeling home."

Ladybug blinks in amazement, having never seen Chat Noir like this, "Do you love her?" She muses, watching him pace.

He stops, gazing out over the city, taking it all in, "I think I always have, in a way. It just took me this long to realize it."

She nods, "I'm not going to tell you what you should do, but I think you already know what you have to do."

He holds out his hand and helps her to her feet. "Thank you, for everything." He pauses, still holding her hand.

"I miss you." Ladybug admits, giving his hand a squeeze.

"I miss you too." He leans in, resting his cheek on the top of her head, "I feel like we never had a proper goodbye."

"We didn't," she whispers, looking up at him.

Chat smirks, "I guess, I just never wanted this to end. Goodbyes just seem permanent."

"Then... let's not let it end." Ladybug ventures.

His eyebrow quirks up, "What do you mean?"

Ladybug backs up and throws her yo-yo into the air, "Lucky Charm!"

A small spotted notebook and pencil fall into her hands. She flips it open and starts writing something.

Before Chat can ask, she rips out the paper and folds it, handing it to him she warns, "Don't get any ideas, but, here's my number, my real phone number."

He holds the folded paper between his fingers, "You're really doing this?"

"Well we've already broken one rule tonight, I don't see why we can't text each other as friends." She hands him the notebook.

A slightly mischievous smile comes on his face, "Seems like you have changed, Bugaboo", he teases as he writes his own number down, folds it, and hands it to her.

She throws the notebook into the air, "Miraculous ladybug!" She recites as it disappears into thin air, leaving the papers behind.

"Does this mean we may meet again?" He intones, bowing slightly to his partner.

She playfully curtsies back, "Perhaps. Maybe next time you don't get seen by everyone in Paris."

He nods, "That's fair, you got me." He stands on the edge of the roof, "So this is only a 'goodbye, for now'." He salutes before vaulting himself into the night.

She waves him off as he blends into the night.

~

Chat leaps in through his old bedroom window and detransforms. He falls back onto his bed and sighs. He holds Ladybug's number in his hand, still folded.

"So, should I start planning your funeral for when you break up with Chloe?" Plagg zooms up next to him.

He opens his mouth to counter, but realizes he's right, "I guess so."

"Now you gonna lock me back up? Now that you used me? Like an old relic?" Plagg chides him, his paws on his hips.

He shakes his head, "Never again." He rolls over to his stomach and holds Plagg in his cupped hands, "I'm sorry, you know; I just thought I needed to protect you."

"Protect me? Or was Mr. Adrien-boss-man just too busy for me?"

"A little bit of both I suppose." He hugs him close, Plagg only resisting a little before giving in. "I think having you around is just going to make it more tempting to run away as Chat Noir." He chuckles quietly.

The door to his room bursts open. Plagg immediately finds a place to hide and Adrien stuffs Ladybug's number into the pocket of the suit jacket he's wearing.

"Adrien!" Chloe shouts and sees Adrien sitting up on his old bed. "What are you doing in here? You've been gone since dinner, haven't answered my messages, and you're sitting in the dark in a child's room." She marches over and leers above him.

He maintains eye contact with her, not giving into her domineering energy. "Chloe, I need to talk to you, regarding the wedding-"

"Your suit is so wrinkled! What have you been up to, seriously?" She unbuttons his suit jacket and eases it off of him. "I'll have this sent to the cleaners right away, Adrikins. I want you to wear this one in the engagement shoot tomorrow. Now tell me where you've been all day."

"Chloe-"

"You met with those people from school, didn't you? I warned you about that. But we'll discuss it at a later time."

"Chloe."

"The damage is done." She starts to walk towards the door, "I'll make sure this jacket is just like new by morning."

He stands, filling the door frame behind her, "Chloe, I'm calling off the wedding." He says sternly.

"That's really funny, Adrikins" she brushes off, looking at something in her hand.

He follows her into the hall, "I'm serious, I won't marry you."

"How about you go wash up and I'll meet you for bed in a bit." She insists through a forced smile as she walks down to the foyer, a folded piece of paper in her fist.

~

"I thought he would text me by now." Marinette sighs, checking her phone the next day before returning to her work.

"Maybe he thinks Ladybug would text him first, since you came up with this idea." Tikki remarks, munching on a cookie on the corner of her desk.

"I left his number upstairs." She groans.

Suddenly her phone rings..

She snatches it, "Unknown caller. Do you think-?"

"Either way, you should probably answer." Tikki points out.

She nods and picks up, "Hello?"

"You skank! I knew it! I knew Adrien was hiding something, being manipulated!" Chloe growls through the phone.

"Chloe?" Marinette's mind struggles to catch up to what's happening.

"Surprised I found out about you, huh?! Thought you could get past me? Whoever you are, Adrien is not available for the taking, he is marrying me! Your mind games may have led him astray this far, but I refuse to let him go without a fight." She hisses.

"I'm a very powerful woman," she continues, "I have ways of making your life miserable if you do not keep. your. distance." The line cuts out.

Her phone hums as she struggles to comprehend what Chloe threatened at her.

A knock at her office door makes her jump. Adrien peeks his head in, "Thought I might find you here." He jokes.

She steps out from behind her desk, still clutching her cell phone with burning red cheeks, "I think you should leave." She states, keeping her emotions tied back.

He hesitates from taking another step, "W-why?"

"I'm not quite sure, but I'm asking you to leave." She keeps her eyes down, unable to look at him.

"Marinette," he strides in and takes her hand in his, "please tell me. Why are you acting like this?" He begs.

Her eyes gaze unfocused in the space between them, "Chloe, she called my cell, told me to stay away from you." She looks up at him, "Does she think there's something going on between us? How does she know we've been hanging out?" A bit of panic rising in her voice.

He shakes his head slowly in disbelief, "I'm not sure. But I think I know why she may feel threatened," his eyes wander from her face, "I told her I want to cancel the wedding."

Marinette's eyebrow raises, "Like, change it to a different month?"

He shakes his head, "No, no, like, cancel. As in, I broke up with her."

She looks at him in disbelief, "Adrien, why, why would you-"

"Because I love you" he breathes, his eyes locked on her.

She gives into his gaze before she starts to squirm under it, looking away, "This isn't happening. I can't, I won't be the reason, the mistress, oh I can see the headlines now," She tries to break her hand from his grasp, which he obliges to.

She backs away from him, "It's been nearly 10 years since we last spoke before this past week, don't you think you need to reassess some things?" She pleads, trying to be strong as her heart screams at her for being stubborn.

"I have. And I can't let time pass me by anymore." He keeps his distance, "I'm not asking you to say you love me back; just that you'll give me a chance, to forget what anyone else will think." He pleads.

"Who said I don't love you back?"

Adrien's eyes light up, but Marinette keeps her head down. "I've loved you, ever since that rainstorm, you lent me your umbrella. I thought I would grow out of it, this silly crush, after high school... after you left Paris... after you got engaged, and it makes me feel like a horrible person-" she finally looks up at him, her eyes getting puffy, "because I couldn't."

Adrien quickly closes the distance between them and embraces her, leaving no space for doubt. "I should have realized sooner, seen who was right in front of me." His head bows, leaning into her, "You showed me that I deserve better, to make choices for me. To be happy."

She holds him tight, as if letting go would result in realizing this moment was just a dream. "I've always wanted that for you, whether I was a part of your life or not." She confides, batting away the tears forming.

He smiles warmly, "Well, you're in my life now, and I think it's gonna be harder this time to get me out of it."

Marinette hums contently, finally fully giving into the idea that her dream is her new reality.

After rocking there a few moments, she tilts her head up to him, "What now? What do we do about Chloe?"

He kisses the top of her head, "Don't worry, I'll handle her, and the press. I still don't understand why Chloe thought I was seriously fooling around with someone else while I was still with her." He puts his hands in his pockets, suddenly making a connection, "The number..." he murmurs to himself.

"'Number'?" Marinette echoes back in confusion, leaning against her desk as she watches him.

He nods, thoroughly checking his pockets, "Yeah, a phone number I, uh, received yesterday, she must have thought it was another woman, that I was cheating on her..."

"But, then she called that number, and I picked up? Whose number was it supposed to be?" She asks curiously.

He sighs, recollecting the contents of his pockets, "Uh, another good friend of mine..." his brow furrows in thought, he slowly looks over at Marinette, "who I ran into yesterday... unexpectedly." He cocks his head, "Did you, by chance, give out your cell number to anyone yesterday? Any guys?" An incredulous smile playing on the corners of his mouth.

After processing this revelation, Marinette's eyes slowly grow wide, and concerned. "I... I... don't, remember..." she states unconvincingly, looking away.

Adrien smirks and wraps his arms around her from behind. He leans forward and whispers in her ear, "One last rule to break, M'lady,"

Her lips part slightly, moving without words; until finally her voice returns, "C-chat Noir?"

He practically purrs with satisfaction, "Aaand with that, I think we just cracked a few cold cases, Bugaboo." He gently places a kiss on her cheek.

"I can't believe this." She whispers to herself, still in a bit of shock, but no longer resisting him.

"It's always just been you and me, the universe pulling us together..." He rocks them side to side, "It all makes sense now."

Marinette's mind plays back every memory of Chat and Adrien, finding that all the pieces fit, "How did we not realize we were who we were?"

Adrien chuckles, "Maybe it comes with the mask; infinite face-blindness."

"So, you, Chat, were talking about me, Marinette, last night?" She asks, her mind still trying to catch up.

He nods and turns her around in his arms so they're facing each other, "Thanks for the advice". He tilts her chin up slightly, cupping her cheek, "May I kiss you, Marinette?"

Her mind stops reeling, his words, the words she always dreamed of, bringing her to the present. "Yes" she breathes.

As their lips touch, a jolt of energy runs through her veins. The kiss is seemingly brief, but filled with passion and nearly 10 years of longing.

As they part, Adrien is only aware of the blush on Marinette's cheeks and the thudding inside his own chest.

"I've never felt like this with anyone before. I could just marry you right now," He confesses.

She takes a step back, a bit woozy from the kiss, "You still have to deal with a steaming Chloe. How would that seem to people if you broke off one engagement and immediately married me." She retorts, trying to stay logical, even though the other half of her mind was ready to run to the nearest courthouse.

"I don't care about what people think." He declares but his shoulders slouch a bit, "But I should probably go straighten things out with her." He kisses her again and reluctantly walks towards her office door. "You probably have the rest of the day free, now that you're not planning Chloe's wedding anymore."

'Maybe I should start planning ours,' she thinks to herself, a drunken smile manifesting on her lips at the thought. She nods, unable to come up with words.

"I'll be back as soon as possible." He promises.

"Bye, Kitty," she breathes out as Adrien leaves, catching one last glance at her. She feels her knees wobble underneath her. Tikki quickly flies out and pushes Marinette's chair under her right before she collapses. "Ohhh, Tikki, what just happened?"

"Fate." She squeaks.

Marinette sighs contently, closing her eyes and leaning her head back in bliss.

The sound of her office door opening stirs her, "Adrien?"

~

"Chloe?" Adrien pockets his keys as he looks around the foyer of his house. "Chloe, I know you're home. Please don't make this harder than it already is."

Chloe appears at the top of the stairs, staring down at him, "Adrikins, home so soon?" She coos.

His eyes narrow, "We need to talk. You need to listen to me."

"Oh, I heard you loud and clear, Adrikins. When you said we were through. That you were leaving me for some slut you just met." She seethes, her teeth clenched at the end.

"I never said-"

"You didn't have to." She begins her descent down the staircase, pulling out the folded piece of paper, "I gave her a proper talking to, nonetheless."

"Chloe, I never cheated on you. Nothing happened before I called off the wedding, I swear." Adrien defends, standing his ground.

She stops a few steps from the floor, "You can't call off our wedding, Adrikins, don't you understand?" She holds up the paper as if examining it, "One of the great things about technology, really," a devilish smirk crosses her previously cold face, "everything is traceable." She flicks the paper at him, it slowly drifts to the floor between them.

His eyes follow the paper on the ground, then back up to her twisted face. "What did you do?" He accuses.

"Nothing you can prove." She starts her way back up the stairs, "I warned her, Adrikins. I did. It's too bad you had to bring her back into this." She turns back and leers at him, "I guess we'll just have to find a new wedding planner."

Adrien's breath catches in his throat. He runs up the stairs and cuts her off, "What did you do?!" He demands, all the while trying to keep himself from trembling with fear for Marinette.

She raises an eyebrow, "Say the wedding is back on. Tell me that we will be wed, and then maybe I'll think about stopping what's been set in motion."

He shakes his head, "No." He starts to back down off the stairs, "I will never marry you. You're not the person I thought you were." He crosses the foyer and opens the front door.

"Then you haven't been paying attention." He hears her say as he shuts the door behind him.

He runs around the side of his house, "Plagg! Transform me!"

In a flash of green, he shoots out over the streets of Paris, making a bee line for Marinette's boutique.

He opens his communicator, "Please, please, please," he prays, but she doesn't pick up.

Chat forces himself to keep his head clear, battling all the horrible things that could be happening to Marinette. His eyes blur over with tears. He wipes them away without missing a step.

His heart stops when he spots a cloud of billowing smoke rising ahead of him. He pushes himself faster.

The sound of fire engines ring in his ears. He touches down in the street as firefighters form a barrier around the inflamed boutique. The heat radiating off the building singes his face.

"It's too dangerous", "Stay back!", "Is there anyone inside?", "It's Chat Noir!"

The voices of the firefighters and onlookers penetrate his dazed state.

He scans the crowd of staff huddled by the ambulances, with no sight of her. "I'm coming, Marinette." Chat whispers to himself. He takes a step back before getting a running start, throwing himself through the already shattered front windows.

He keeps his head down, his eyes squinting through the smoke. He covers his mouth and nose with one arm and feels his way through the smoke with the other. He tries to take a deep breath but feels the smoke sting his throat, "Mar-cough-Marinette!?" He calls out blindly, trying to yell above the crackling roar of the fire.

Chat blinks hard, his eyes watering from the heat and smoke.

A small red blob comes into his vision, "Chat Noir! Over here!" A tiny voice squeaks out, "Hurry!"

He pushes his way past desks and tables already blackened with soot, avoiding the areas where the ceiling has caved in, following the floating red blob.

He coughs hard as he reaches the doorway to Marinette's office, he leans against the frame, trying to catch his breath.

Unable to see through the smoke, he gets down on the floor and squints, spying the vague shape of a body on the floor opposite him. "M-marinette, can you hear me?" He calls out as he crawls towards her. He tries to blink away the soot in his eyes as he nears her. As his eyes focus, he realizes that she's not moving.

His heart drops as he tries to check her breathing, not picking up anything.

"Chat!" Tikki cries, directing his attention to Mari's ankle, handcuffed to her desk.

He crawls over, fighting back real tears, "Ca-cataclysm!" He croaks, disintegrating the pair of handcuffs.

Coughing, he moves to a kneeling position, smoldering papers and sketches surround him. He scoops up Marinette, holding her motionless body close to his chest.

He gets to his feet, still crouching to avoid the worst of it. Tikki flies out in front of him, guiding him through the now almost unnavigable first floor.

"This way!" She cries, leading him to a backdoor.

Chat's heart pounds as he dodges his way across the floor, fighting his way through the smoke and debris.

In one final push, he bursts through the backdoor, the smoke pouring out behind him. He struggles for a clean breath, gasping, coughing.

Once he catches his breath, as best as he can, he leaps up onto a rooftop a few buildings down from the remains of the boutique. He stumbles on the landing but regains his footing.

He looks down at Marinette, her head cradled against his chest; eyes closed, lips slightly parted. Her normally pale complexion taking on a slight blue-ish hue behind the soot.

He lays her down on the roof, checking her breathing again. Nothing.

Not giving into panic, he starts performing CPR. "Please, please, please..." he murmurs as he starts compressions. He tilts her chin up and breathes deeply into her lungs. Her chest rises but falls on its own volition.

He repeats...

And repeats...

And repeats...

He smooths back her charred hair as he breathes into her again. "Please..." he whispers, as their lips part, the light draining from his eyes, "Don't leave me...I've just found you,"

He repeats.

One last set of compressions. He leans down and attempts to breathe life back into her, giving her every last bit of air that he has.

He watches her chest fall in dismay.

No longer able to hold back the sobs, his body shakes from their release. He pulls her head onto his lap, holding her hand. "I'm sorry" he wails, "I shouldn't have come back to Paris, I was stupid to think that I could," he kisses her hand softly, trying to memorize everything about this feeling, the shame and loss that he deserved to feel. "I love you."

Suddenly, he feels her finger move against his palm.

He inhales sharply, then noticing her chest rise and fall, struggling for shallow breaths.

"Mari, can you hear me?" He begs, "Squeeze my hand, squeeze my hand if you can hear me."

Her fingers weakly grasp at his hand, but it's enough to make Chat the happiest man in Paris. "You're going to make it, you're gonna be just fine, Bugaboo." He picks her up in his arms and kisses her forehead.

The firefighters douse the last of the flames as Chat leaps down from above with Marinette in his arms. "She's alive" He says gratefully, handing her off to a paramedic.

A few onlookers clap and try to get Chat's attention as he watches Marinette get loaded onto an ambulance and drive away.

~~

"I'm sorry, I shouldn't have come back..."

A familiar voice fades in and out of the fog clogging Marinette's mind.

"I love you..."

'Adrien?' She feels a sharp sting in her chest, burning from the smoke. Her hand twitches from the sensation.

"Mari, can you hear me...squeeze my hand..."

She struggles to gain control over her own limbs, easing her muscles into moving, feeling the weight of a hand against hers.

She feels a kiss on her forehead. The weightlessness of flying through the air.

"She's alive..."

Her body shifts to a solid surface. The sound of ambulance doors closing, and a heart monitor, which lulls her back into a fog.

~~

Adrien knocks on the hospital room door, "Hello?"

An older woman nurse looks up from a clipboard, in front of Marinette laying silently in the bed. "Yes, dear?"

He takes a step into the room, "I just wanted to check in with how she's doing..." he says, his voice still a bit raspy from the smoke.

The woman nods, "Well she's stable now. A few burns, trying to get oxygen to those lungs as best we can."

He looks over the nurse's shoulder as she adjusts the clear oxygen mask over Marinette's face. She's been cleaned up, soot washed from her skin and hair, dressed in a hospital gown. Bandages patch her arms and one on her cheek, from what he can see. An IV drips next to her bed.

"She's been in and out of consciousness. I'm sure she'll come around soon." The nurse remarks.

"Thank you," he says, pulling up a chair and holding Marinette's hand on the bed.

"I heard Chat Noir pulled her out of that burning building uptown. You should be thanking him." She says before leaving the room and closing the door behind her.

Adrien sighs, "Oh I will," he mutters under his breath.

He tries to remind himself that her eyes will open again, as doubt clogs his thoughts.

His eyes grow heavy, they close, and he catches a few moments of rest; but he's startled awake when he feels his hand being squeezed.

His head jerks up and he locks onto Marinette's bug blue eyes: the most beautiful sight to him. He kisses her hand gently, "How are you feeling? Do you need anything?"

She opens her mouth, her voice is dry and raspy, "I-I'm f-fine. You don't s-sound too good yours-self,"

"I've been worse; you know." He shrugs with a sad smile, "I'm sorry. I dragged you into this and now...Chloe, god, I'll make sure she pays."

She squeezes his hand again, "Don't focus on t-that," she insists, "You saved me."

He smirks, "Chat Noir saved you, Bugaboo. I know it's easy to mix us up," he jokes. He coughs and resumes, "I told Chloe to pack her things, that I never want to see her again. I think she actually listened to me for once. Or maybe it was because she caught wind that Chat Noir came back just to save you." He smiles and shakes his head in disbelief. "And don't worry, I'll have a new boutique for you ASAP, bigger and better than the old."

"You don't have to," she replies, gaining a bit of strength.

"Well, my future wife deserves only the best." He winks.

She scoffs, "Did I agree to marry you in the middle of the fire and forget?"

He shakes his head, "No, I'm joking-"

"Because the answer would still be yes."

He stares at her incredulously, "You're just full of surprises today, aren't you?" He leans over and lifts her oxygen mask and gives her a quick kiss. "But this doesn't count. I'll properly propose when there's a bit less drama in our lives."

"There'll always be drama for you, Kitty." She jests, coughing out a laugh.

He rolls his eyes, "I have a feeling you're right."

Marinette sighs deeply, "I love you"

"I love you too"

~ 1 Year Later ~

There's a knock at the door. Marinette looks up from her desk and smiles.

"We're closing early, remember?" Adrien greets, "All our employees have left, we should too. After all, we're the ones who'll need the extra time." He walks over to her desk and kisses the diamond ring on her finger.

"I just had a few final things to look over," she assures, closing a file on her desk. She stretches and stands, laying her head on his chest, "I can't believe it's tomorrow."

He wraps his arms around her as they sway to silent music, "By this time tomorrow, you'll be Marinette Dupain-Cheng-Agreste. Quite the mouthful for a little lady" he teases.

"It's everything I am, everything I love." She pecks him on the cheek before gathering her things.

They walk together out of her office, past a charred pigeon hat, and out onto the streets. As she gets into the passenger seat of their car, she looks back at the sign above the door, 'DC&A'.

She holds Adrien's hand as he drives them to dinner, the sun just beginning to begin its descent towards the horizon. "It's supposed to rain tomorrow," she gently intones, a smile in her voice.

He laughs softly to himself, "How perfect. Maybe you can finally give me my umbrella back?"

They both laugh lightheartedly. As it dies down, Marinette sighs out, "Silly Kitty".