Over the years of 'almost relationships,' Marinette had never quite reached the 'meet-the-parents' stage. The closest she'd ever come was with Luka and their on-again, off-again dates at the bakery, or their casual drop-ins for tea and cake. But having Adrien here, sitting down for a meal on a random Tuesday night, it felt almost like she was presenting him as a worthy suitor.

"Adrien, my boy, how's the car? I told Sabine all about it; it's like a dream come true for Bond fans." Tom's eyes glistened as he mentioned the famed Aston Martin. It's no surprise to anyone how much her father liked the secret agent. You only had to hear him talking to Miss Moneypenny (the oven) to agree.

"I didn't take you for a Daniel Craig fan, Mr. D."

"I'm more of a Pierce Brosnan one myself, but I can't deny Craig was a good Bond."

"Maybe I can take you for a spin sometime?"

Marinette sat in silence, absently playing with the cake on her plate as Adrien and her father seemed to be developing some sort of bromance. Her head kept turning back and forth between the two men as they chatted like old friends. She hadn't realised they knew each other this well, she thought Adrien had just dropped in a couple of times in the past, not that her father had already got his name engraved ready for the family tree–and at this point she didn't even know if she was joking.

Her father had gone above and beyond, creating everything from heart-shaped macarons to a soufflé fit for a king — far more elegant than her and Adrien's attempt to fix Gammy's cake.

The rest of the family weekend had been quite eventful. Chloé had spent most of the time asleep on a sun lounger, only engaging with Marinette when she wanted to talk designs. But everyone else had been quite lively.

After the initial coolness from Kagami, Marinette had grown quite fond of the girl, finding that they got along really well. A similar thing had happened with Félix, though she couldn't shake the feeling that there was something more there, as if he were hiding something important.

The biggest surprise, however, came in the form of Gabriel Agreste. The morning after she gave Gammy the sweater, he requested a meeting in his suite. Naturally, she brought Adrien along, considering the designer terrified her to no end. But the meeting turned out to be quite insightful. Gabriel mentioned Adrien passing on her designs — something she hadn't quite forgiven him for yet — and he wanted to discuss her future. He inquired about her work for Mary and asked if she had considered joining the design team. When she explained that there was no room for advancement at House of Humphries beyond second assistant, Gabriel just happened to have a contract for a position within his team.

She had thanked him gracefully but mentioned that she needed to think about it (and discuss it with Adrien) — if anyone knew about working for Gabriel, it would be the son of the founder. As always, Adrien had been honest but not forceful in telling her what to do.

Would it advance her career? Certainly.

Was Gabriel challenging to work for? God, yes!

Would she regret it? It was a possibility down the line.

Gabriel had given her a month to mull it over, and it was weighing heavily on her mind.

"Don't you think Adrien would look great in a tuxedo, Marinette? Maybe surrounded by flowers and holding a ri—"

Sabine interjected by sitting beside her husband, shoving a croissant rather aggressively into his mouth and cutting him off. "Would either of you like another drink? Tea, or wine?"

Marinette glanced at Adrien, his smile just as knowing as hers. The journey back from the villa had been filled with laughter as they'd recalled the amusing scenarios they'd encountered at each event. She couldn't help but ponder what might unfold during Félix and Kagami's wedding weekend. Meanwhile, Adrien entertained thoughts of potentially 'misplacing' the rings or raising eyebrows by injecting some risqué anecdotes about Félix into his best man speech — maybe even jokingly claiming responsibility for Félix's black eye. He was certain Kagami's mother would be after him with her samurai sword.

"We're fine, thanks, Maman. We'll have to leave soon to get to the bar." Oh yes, this was a huge step in their relationship. Marinette had invited Adrien to 'quiz night'. It just didn't seem right that he wasn't there. He was as big a friend to her now as Alya, if not more.

"Ahhh, she's invited you to the odd crew."

"Papa!" she scolded, feeling a flash of heat stretch across her cheeks. "We're not odd!"

Tom shrugged before looking at Adrien. "She's never brought in an outsider, let alone a boyfriend."

"Oh, I'm not her —"

"He's not my boyfriend." Marinette almost shouted the words out to the table, the flush on her cheeks intensified even more, Adrien looking slightly taken aback.

"About this wedding, when do you leave?" Sabine asked, taking a sip of her tea.

"A week from Saturday, in the morning," Marinette responded. "We're flying to London and then from London to Belfast." She leaned forward across the table, grabbing another slice of cake and putting it on her plate before licking the crumbs off her fingers.

"I bet it's going to be a beautiful wedding, and who knows, you might get some ideas for your own," Sabine pointed out, leaving Marinette unsure of where she was going with this.

"Believe me, from this one, the only thing I've learned is what not to do. Listening to Kagami talk about family rifts and costs has honestly scared me," Marinette explained, stretching forward to grab another slice of cake for Adrien.

She ate the frosting off hers and passed it over to him, who, in exchange, had eaten the base off his to pass over the frosting to her.

"Like the flowers," Adrien began. "I'm all for pretty flowers, but as soon as you mention they're for a wedding, the price goes up by a thousand euros. I'd be tempted to say they're for a funeral — or just skip them altogether."

Chat Noir looked up in shock from where he was lounging on the sofa, glaring at Adrien as if he were a Martian from another planet. "That's sacrilege! How could you not have flowers at your wedding? Weddings are meant for red roses."

"I agree with that. I mean, you spend all this money on flowers which die within a week of using them," Marinette said, ignoring her partner's outburst.

Chat Noir gasped, glaring at her as though she'd gone insane. "M'Lady! How could you!"

"You know what would work better? A plant!" Adrien exclaimed, his eyes lighting up with excitement.

"A plant! You're carrying a friggin' plant down the aisle for your wedding? Next, you're going to tell me you'd have it attached to a little bag around your wrist."

"You could have the roots in a little wristlet and carry it like a hanging basket," Adrien suggested enthusiastically.

Marinette couldn't help but smile at her friend. Chat Noir, on the other hand, looked like he was about to strangle the guy.

"Then when I get home, I could put it in a pot and water it, and keep the plant forever. It would be a great way to remember the wedding," Marinette added. Chat Noir's face turned pale and slightly green.

Sabine glanced between Marinette and Adrien, her expression mirroring Chat Noir's. "So, let me get this right. You won't be having flowers at your wedding, you'll have a plant." She pointed at them, prompting Marinette to let out a small chuckle.

"Our separate weddings." She smiled at Adrien, who was beaming back at her.

"Yes, exactly," he agreed.

"That's because you're just friends, right?" Tom said, raising an eyebrow at his daughter.

Jumping to her feet, Marinette snatched her phone from her pocket and checked the time anxiously. If she wasn't careful, her parents might start auctioning her off to Adrien with a detailed PowerPoint presentation of her pros and cons.

"Oh, look at the time! Adrien, we've got to go or we'll be late," Marinette exclaimed, clumsily searching for her coat and shoes around the room. She tripped over her own feet while retrieving her bag, nearly tumbling toward the table. With eyes shut tight, she prepared for a face-first collision with the cake, only to find herself landing in the midst of the most heavenly-scented embrace... And that's when she realised his hands weren't exactly in the most innocent of places.

"Hands off, buddy," Chat Noir said, a low growl following.

Adrien clearly caught onto the tension, his hands retracting. "Sorry — I should have — I didn't mean—" He rubbed the back of his neck, shooting a glance at Marinette's father before returning his gaze to her.

Her father responded with a booming laugh and a hearty slap on Adrien's back, sending him stumbling forward. "Have a good night, kids. I'm looking forward to the wedding."

Sabine let out a disapproving grunt at her husband, who quickly shrugged and turned his attention back to Adrien and Marinette. "I mean, looking forward to hearing about the wedding."

Marinette shot her father a quick glare before impulsively grabbing Adrien's hand and yanking him toward the door. She released his hand abruptly upon hearing her father exclaim, "I knew it!"

Marinette had never been so excited to dive into a quiz night. This time, it wasn't just about Kim's haphazard guesses and random choices—it was a chance for Adrien and her (well, Chat Noir) to shine together. As they tackled the questions as a team, Marinette couldn't help but feel a rush of excitement and admiration for Adrien's quick wit and charm.

"Question 21. What is a group of pandas known as?"

Kim turned to Nino, who then glanced over at Luka, prompting Luka to shoot a look in Adrien's direction. It was like a game of non-verbal ping pong until Adrien finally answered. "An embarrassment."

"Woah! No need for the insult," Kim said, glaring at the group's newcomer.

"No, you doofus!" Nino exclaimed. "That's what a group of pandas are called."

Marinette quickly scribbled it down before smiling at her newest friend. He had been amazing tonight, and best of all, everyone, including Luka, had fully embraced him. He had integrated so quickly and effortlessly into their group, it was as though they'd been friends for years.

She stretched out, placing a hand on Adrien's arm and smiling up at him with a sense of pride that he was there with her.

"Well, I knew that one," Chat Noir sulked from the other side of her. "Where's my praise?"

She rolled her eyes and prepared for the next question, pen poised over the paper and eyes already on Adrien.

"Question 22. Queen guitarist Brian May is also an expert in what scientific field?"

"Now, that's an easy one," Chat Noir gloated. "It's..."

"Astrophysics." Chat Noir and Adrien spoke at the same time.

Luka smacked Adrien on the shoulder before standing up. "This guy seems to have it covered, so I'm going to take the opportunity to go to the gents."

He turned to look at Marinette, giving her a quick wink before heading off towards the restrooms. For someone who had been staunchly anti-Adrien, it seemed that the tide was turning tonight. Nino and Luka were practically vying to be Adrien's best friend, with each one eager to claim the title of Adrien's ultimate wingman.

"I'll go and grab us some drinks, if that's okay?" Marinette said, glancing from Adrien to the others.

She stood and began to walk away, and in a flash, Nino jumped straight into her vacated seat to chat with Adrien about some new DJ gear or whatever. Her stomach began to bubble, not from nerves, but from the realisation that everything felt so normal and natural, like they all belonged together. It sounded strange, but it was almost as if this scenario had played out in a past life—as if she and Adrien were destined to be friends, destined to find each other.

Lost in her usual lack of concentration, Marinette tripped over her own feet and crashed into someone's back. "Oh, gosh! I'm so clumsy, sorry about that!"

She wasn't prepared for what happened next. As the girl turned around, Marinette recognised the eyes, but the rest—the hair, the makeup—was different, the glare almost demonic.

"You should watch where you're going. You could end up a squashed bug if you're not careful."

"S-sorry?"

The woman in front of her plucked a cherry from her glass and placed it in her mouth, her tongue circling around the stem as she glared into Marinette's eyes. She gulped, an uncomfortable feeling shooting down her spine and settling like a stone in her stomach.

"Where's your partner, Marinette? I'm yet to figure out how my plan went down."

"W-who are you?" Marinette asked, her voice wavering as she stared at the woman in front of her. The woman's eyes seemed to bore into her, unnervingly intense.

The woman's laugh was chilling, sending a shiver down Marinette's spine. "You'll find out soon enough." She leaned in closer, her voice a menacing whisper near Marinette's ear. "And watch out, Bugaboo, because next time your little sidekick might not be so lucky."

With a gasp, Marinette instinctively covered her mouth, her mind racing in a frenzy of panic. Her eyes darted around the room, searching desperately for her partner's, only to lock onto Adrien's concerned gaze. She stumbled backward into someone else, murmuring hurried apologies before abruptly turning and bolting out of the room.

As she hurried through the corridor, her heart pounded in her chest like a drumbeat of panic. The mere thought of someone discovering her secret identity sent waves of fear crashing over her. She couldn't afford any slip-ups, especially with Adrien involved.

Her footsteps echoed loudly in her ears as she darted down the hallway, desperately seeking refuge from the unsettling encounter. Every corner seemed to loom with potential threats, and her mind raced with worst-case scenarios. What if the woman had followed her? What if others knew too?

Without a moment's hesitation, Marinette veered toward the nearest exit, her breath coming in quick, shallow gasps. The urgency to escape and gather her thoughts propelled her forward, her path guided by a primal need to find solitude and safety in the dimly lit back alleyway.

Slamming her hands against the cold metal bar, she finally made it outside, gasping for air and her chest tight with fear. She needed to breathe, but each inhalation felt like a struggle against suffocation.

"M'Lady, breathe for me, please. It's okay, I'm here. No one is going to hurt you, or me." Chat Noir's voice was a lifeline in the darkness, but she couldn't tear her eyes from the ground. Shadows encroached on her vision, darkening her surroundings with an ominous hue.

"Breathe, Bugaboo, come on. You're making yourself a target for an akuma." Chat Noir's urgency pierced through her panic.

Closing her eyes, she focused on the rhythm of her breath, desperate to regain control. Her mind raced with terrifying possibilities. What if she couldn't compose herself? What if an Akuma sensed her distress?

"Just hang on for a second, don't go anywhere. I'll be right back." Chat Noir's words echoed in her ears as he vanished into the shadows, leaving Marinette trembling with unease in the lonely alleyway. She clung to the hope that he would return soon, her heart pounding in her ears with every passing second of uncertainty.

She wanted him to stay. The sense of security that Chat Noir brought was palpable. She always felt better when he was near—her heart screamed for him to return and make her feel safe, the way only he could.

As panic seized her, she sank to her knees, her breathing quickening to frantic pants and her vision dimming once more. The shadows loomed around her, heightening her sense of vulnerability.

"Marinette?" a voice called out, accompanied by the frantic sound of footsteps approaching her. "Marinette!"

As she lifted her head, her eyes locked with vibrant green, and a sense of relief washed over her. Chat Noir was there, his familiar gaze calming her like it always did. She was drawn forward, her body meeting the comforting softness of a sweater—unlike his usual leather attire.

She was lifted to her feet, her arms still securely wrapped around him, finding warmth and security in Adrien—not Chat Noir. She closed her eyes and immersed herself in his embrace, trying to quiet the storm of conflicting emotions within her.

Adrien's presence was comforting, his touch gentle and reassuring. Her heart ached with gratitude and confusion. Here was Adrien, holding her close in a moment of vulnerability. Yet, as his hands moved soothingly over her back, a nagging realisation tugged at her heartstrings.

Despite her unwavering affection for him, another feeling stirred within her—a sense of longing that she dared not fully acknowledge. She had always seen Chat Noir as a partner, a friend, but now, in Adrien's arms, she couldn't ignore the warmth and safety she felt. Her thoughts from the villa resurfaced as he held her tightly in his arms.

She wrestled with them, torn between her deep affection for Chat Noir and the subtle awakening of something new with Adrien. As she gazed into his eyes, she wondered if he could sense her inner turmoil. Would he understand the silent battle waging within her as she clung to him, seeking solace from the tumult of her emotions?

"Are you okay?" She heard him whisper in her ear, her eyes remaining on the vision in front of her, the vision which seemed to be fading away downtrodden into the background. She wanted to shout at Chat Noir, to tell him to come back. But she also wanted this moment right now, this moment with Adrien.

"I'm okay," she whispered, burying her head into his neck.

"Good," he said, continuing to hold her. "Do you want to go back inside? I could always take you home."

She stepped out of his arms, her hands clutched tightly to her chest as she tried to smile. "I'm fine, honestly. I just needed some air."

"Is it okay that I stay with you?" he asked, his eyes looking hopeful.

"Always."

He smiled, and as she leaned against the wall, Adrien settled beside her, engaging in lively conversation about anything and everything. She felt herself calm–her breathing regulating itself and her heartbeat slowing, all thanks to Adrien. Their exchange was suddenly interrupted by the arrival of a frantic-looking Nino.

"Dude! Dudette! You need to come back in! We've won! We've finally fucking won!" He let out a weird laugh, before running back inside.

Adrien looked at her, his eyebrows wiggling and she knew full well he wanted to brag about his help–and to be fair, he would be right. She started to giggle, Adrien laughing with her, as always, before he offered her his hand. She smiled and accepted it, feeling a rush of warmth at his touch. Together, they walked back into the bar, leaving behind the quiet moment outside.

Yet she couldn't shake the lingering sensation of everything that was happening with Adrien, her thoughts wandering to what it meant for their friendship and her growing feelings.