"Happy Birthday, dear Emma," they sang. "Happy birthday to you."

There was a cheer of applause before Emma squeezed her eyes shut really tight then blew out the five candles on her cake.

Another round of "yay!"s rung through the house while Alya took picture after picture. Soon enough, Marinette cut the cake and pieces were being handed out to all the family.

Including her parents.

"For Mimi," Emma said, handing out the cake because she was a whole five years old now and could do that. "And Papi."

Marinette saw her papa smile at Emma, thanking her and affectionately ruffling her hair.

Emma giggled, then gave him a hug.

It warmed Marinette's heart how readily Emma had accepted Tom and Sabine as her grandparents. She remembered the day she, Adrien, and Emma all went over to Marinette's parents for a dinner, only to explain to Emma that she now had two sets of grandparents. Emma had been so excited and then spent the rest of the night picking the names Mr. Dupain and Mrs. Cheng would be called. Out of all the names they came up with, Emma liked Mimi and Papi, so that's what they became.

Adrien came up beside her and wrapped an arm around her waist, grabbing her attention. "I like this," he whispered in her ear, referring to the family gathered in his-their-kitchen.

It was going to take a bit of getting used to before she called it her home, too.

She leaned her head on his shoulder. "I do, too," she whispered. She watched as her papa talked with Gabriel, who wore a smile on his face as he happily ate the slice of cake in front of him. Her maman was talking with Alya about who knew what, but the way Alya was waving her fork in the air proved it had to be exciting. Nino and Nathalie were listening to Emma talk with her mouth full, Nino teasing her about it and Nathalie covering a smile.

"Do you think they'll notice if we slip away for a few seconds?"

Her brow furrowed as she looked up at him.

He smiled. "I cleaned out the guest room," he whispered. "I'm also hiding all the presents up there."

"Well, then," she said, setting the cake down. "Let's go."

He grinned, then placed his own plate beside hers before taking her hands and slipping away from the crowd.

She wondered if Adrien caught the knowing look of their fathers and just chose to ignore it, or if he truly missed it all together.

He led her upstairs, pulling her along excitedly. She couldn't keep the grin off her face as she followed him, allowing her to pull her into the... not so empty room.

Her jaw dropped.

"Do you like it?" he asked. "Nino helped me bring that desk up here saying that you've told your mom that you've wanted a large desk like that for a while. And then those are Gabriel Approved mannequins right there, male and female. And that sewing machine is actually one that one of my father's top designers was going to get rid of because they tried it once and didn't like it but it's supposed to be the top of the line-"

Her lips were firmly pressed against his before he could finish, just shut him up for one moment because she was absolutely floored that he'd taken the time and consideration he did to fill this space that was now her office.

When she pulled away, her hands still holding his shirt, she didn't dare open her eyes and instead leaned her head on his shoulder.

"Um..." he said, "I'll take that as you like it?"

"Yes," she quickly replied, letting his shirt go to wrap her arms around his torso in a tight hug. "Yes, yes, yes. Thank you. Thank you so much. I love it." She pulled away so she could look him straight in the eyes. "Thank you."

He grinned. "You're welcome. It's not fully finished yet. There's still a thread rack and drop-down ironing board that needs to go on the wall, but those will be up soon enough."

Her grin widened as her heart fluttered and her head spun. "It's perfect," she said. "I love it."

"I'm glad."

Marinette was going to lean forward to kiss him again, only for Adrien's phone to ring and ruin the moment. He glanced at it and blanched. "Um..." he said, shooting her a sheepish smile as he shoved the phone back into his pocket. "I think we should grab the gifts and get back to the party."

From already having planned a wedding, Marinette knew what to expect. She had been fairly confident in her ability to plan one within the span of three months. She didn't want anything too extravagant, and Adrien confirmed he didn't either. Just something small and sweet with everyone they cared about attending.

However, there was one new problem this time around that she wasn't fully certain how to tackle.

"Who's going to watch Emma on our honeymoon?"

Marinette bit her lip while Adrien rapped his fingers against the table.

That was the million-dollar question. Marinette handled many challenges that came her way the first time she planned a wedding, but then again, she hadn't had a young daughter to think about.

"It's going to have to be a mix of your family and mine," Marinette said.

Adrien nodded. "Maybe Alya can hop in to assist?"

Marinette's brow furrowed in thought. "Possibly. Nino is working from home at the moment. He still picks up DJ gigs, but mostly, he's home editing film clips together."

Adrien nodded. "Then the next question is how long do we get to honeymoon before Emma needs us home again? Because I really want to go for as long as we can before Emma has a meltdown."

Marinette gave him a sweet smile. She was really excited for the trip. Adrien had told her just what he had in mind, and Marinette had been excited ever since. But then again, she was a bit nervous because she remembered what a honeymoon normally consisted of. And while she had talked with Adrien about having kids, she was a bit nervous about making those children with him.

She tried to remember just how nervous she had been with Nathaniel and how their wedding night had consisted of them being blushing idiots before just cuddling together and falling asleep in their underwear. She wouldn't be that way with Adrien, she knew. She had a little more confidence to... well, sleep with her husband on their wedding night. Especially to try to conceive a child.

"What's got you so lost in thought?"

She jolted out of her thoughts, eyes locking on his as she came back to reality. "Nothing."

"Didn't seem like nothing," he said, reaching out to rest a hand on her arm.

She clammed up for all of ten seconds before letting go a sigh. "It's irrational. It's nothing."

Adrien waited.

And Marinette was weak. "I'm... just a bit nervous for the honeymoon. It's nothing."

Adrien gave her arm a squeeze. "Would it help if I admitted I'm a bit nervous, too?"

Marinette looked up at him to see his sweet, comforting smile.

He nodded. "I mean, I really love you and... and I can't wait to be married to you, to have kids together and be a family. But at the same point, I'm a bit nervous for the wedding night. I don't know why. It's not like I haven't been married before or haven't, you know, made a kid. I..." he sighed, giving her a smile.

And she returned it before giving into her desire to lean against his shoulder. "We're a mess."

Adrien snorted, then wrapped his arm around her to hold her close. "We're each in the second round," he said. "And I think that even though we know what to expect, we're each still nervous because... well... we know what to expect and that it's not always perfect."

"It's not," Marinette agreed, slipping her hand into his resting on the table. "But that doesn't mean the best parts of it aren't worth the struggle."

He held tight. "Yeah."

They stayed like that for just a moment longer, relishing the silence.

"Maybe," Marinette said. "No more than a six-day honeymoon. It was day five Emma was beginning to stress out. We may be able to push her slightly because if she's bouncing around and having sleepovers with all her favorite people, it may cause a bit of a distraction."

Adrien grinned. "That sounds good to me. We'll just have to be sure to facetime her every day at some point."

"That sounds good to me."

June came, and Marinette was signing new-hire paperwork with Gabriel Agreste. After writing her name twenty or so times, she finally set the pen down.

"Welcome to the company," Gabriel said with a smile.

"Thank you, sir."

He hesitated. "I think 'Gabriel' would be just fine," he said. "You're to be my daughter-in-law in barely a month's time. I think you should be allowed to call me by my first name."

Marinette grinned. "Thank you... Gabriel."

He smiled, but it only lasted a second. "Now, onto your training. Seeing as this is a lower lever position, you won't be designing. That isn't to say you should stop," he pointedly warned. "But the job itself is the tailoring and creation of pieces via my designers' specifications."

Marinette nodded. "Understood."

"I'll have you shadow a couple different people," he said. "So that I can assure that once you return from your honeymoon, you won't be lost on what all needs to be done."

"Thank you."

He smiled then checked the clock. "We have time for a tour of the design house and I'll introduce you to a couple people you'll be working with. I'll keep those conversations brief so you have ample time to make it to your catering tasting."

She felt absolutely over the moon with excitement. "That sounds perfect."

She followed him out to the car that would take them to the building. "In the meantime," Gabriel began once the chauffeur started the car, "how is your dress coming along?"

"Well," she answered. She couldn't help but remember the whole design session with Gabriel where they created her dress. Adrien had to forcibly drag her out of the office after she spent a good three hours with Gabriel, making possibility after possibility. "I finished the base. Now it's just the bead work and adding the lace and the tulle petticoats. Oh," she said, her smile falling. "And the veil."

"I'll complete the petticoats for you," Gabriel said. "As well as the veil. Consider it a thank you for assisting me in the design for Nathalie's dress. It had been giving me fits for weeks."

Marinette grinned. "It was no trouble. I think the only thing you needed was a fresh set of eyes because I know I start glancing over minor issues when I've been staring at a design too long. The dress will be beautiful, and she'll love it."

Gabriel hummed his agreement. "I believe she will."

Adrien held down the flaps of the box while Marinette ran tape over it. With a smile, she patted the top. "That's the last of them," she said.

Adrien grinned. "Perfect. I think we should start taking all this down," he said, motioning to all the boxes that held the contents of Marinette's entire room.

"But lunch first," she said. "Then Papa should be off work and Nino will be here to help take everything over to our place."

Adrien's grin widened. He couldn't help it. It was three days until the wedding and they were packing up Marinette's old room to move over to what was now their home and he really couldn't be happier. "That sounds good to me."

But neither made a move. They stayed with their hands resting on the box, staring at each other until Adrien moved forward first. Marinette met him half way in a sweet, lingering kiss.

"I'm really happy," she whispered. "I'm really, really happy."

"I am, too," he returned, his lips brushing against hers.

"Yes, but..." she pulled away so she could look at him. "I didn't think... it would be so easy. Like, we just... clicked and I'm so excited and I didn't think that it would be like this because I was so hesitant but now I'm not and am I making any sense? I don't think I am."

Adrien shot her a warm smile. "I think I understand," he said, shifting his hands so they'd cover hers.

Her smile told him that meant the world to her.

He couldn't resist kissing her again.

Adrien was freaking out.

"Deep breath," Alya teased, handing him a glass of water. "You'd think you wouldn't be so nervous, considering this is the second time you're a groom."

He glowered at her. "Not. Helping."

She chuckled, then took him by the shoulders before he could walk away. "Hey. I'm dead serious. What do you have to be nervous about? You and Marinette are a great pair. You two act like you're married already. You love her; she loves you. The wedding is perfect and beautiful and everything is going smoothly. She'll walk down that aisle, I'll hand you a tissue because you'll start crying-don't you deny it-and then she'll stand across from you and you'll say vows and give rings and boom! Married. And then you two get to run off and have a fabulous time on your honeymoon and come home and raise Emma and have two more little ones and everything will be perfect because I don't see anything but happiness in the future for you two."

Slowly, the tension in Adrien's shoulders eased, and he couldn't help but chuckle at his friend's speech. "Thank you, Alya."

She grinned and squeezed his shoulders. "I'm really happy for you, you know. You deserve to be happily married to a fantastic woman. I would not have set you guys up if I didn't know you two wouldn't be perfect."

Something about her words caused him to pause, and it took Alya a full five seconds to realize her slip-up.

"Uh," she began. "It... it wasn't like that in the beginning," she explained. "But then... I don't know, you two were each so lonely and cute together that I couldn't help but meddle a little bit-"

Adrien tackled his best friend in a hug, silencing her rant. "Thank you, Alya."

She relaxed into his hold, returning the hug. "You're welcome, Adrien."

Marinette was holding a brown paper bag.

Again.

One would think she would be fine with this being the second time. But no. She was completely freaking out.

"Well, you haven't had to use it. At least that's a positive."

Marinette glared at Nino.

He just gave her a smile. "Come on, Mari," he said. "You'll be fine and you know it. You're just nervous now. Give it another fifteen minutes when you walk down the aisle and you'll be fine."

Marinette groaned and let her forehead slam against the vanity.

Nino just laughed. "Hey," he said, laying his hands on her shoulders. "Look at me a moment."

She rose her head and looked at him in the mirror.

"This is your wedding day," he said. "To a great guy with an awesome little girl who already thinks you're her mom. The day will be great, but even if it isn't, it's just a day. You and Adrien will have the rest of your days to be happy with each other. And you two will be happy with each other. That's a fact that's clear as day."

Marinette had to pause as she stared at him. "Since when did you get so smart?"

Nino smiled and placed his hands on her shoulders. "Since I had a really amazing supportive best friend walk me through my wedding day."

"You're the best, Nino."

"I try."

Adrien was wound up like a spring. He tried to relax, tried to think of what Alya had told him, but he just couldn't help it. His shoulders were tight, his stomach was in knots, and nothing, not Alya's hand on his shoulder or the sight of Emma tossing flowers down the aisle, helped.

Then Marinette entered.

And the world completely faded away.

The only interruption was Alya tapping his arm to hand him a tissue.

Everything was so vivid yet surreal. He barely could hear the officiant. He just repeated vows he meant from the bottom of his heart and then slid the ring on her finger before she slid one onto his.

Then, he had the honor of lifting the veil from Marinette's face and kissing his wife.

The reception was a whirlwind of excitement and happiness and the only person he could focus on was his wife.

His. Wife.

He couldn't stand to leave her side the entire night. The least amount of contact he could manage was holding her hand. If she let go, he felt like he just might explode. Thankfully, she didn't seem inclined to let his hand go, either.

Somehow, the reception ended and the guests chased Adrien and Marinette into their escape limousine while tossing rice at them. It took a minute for their laughter to calm and the events of the day to catch up with him. He looked over at Marinette, taking in her beauty and her smile and the stars sparkling in her eyes, and suddenly, reality began to feel real and tangible once again. And the reality was this woman was his wife whom he had just married and he couldn't be happier. "You're so beautiful," he whispered.

Her grin widened. She took his cheeks in her hands, and he completely melted into her touch. "Have you looked in a mirror, handsome?"

"Why would I bother? My view is too spectacular to look away."

Even in the dark light, he could see her cheeks darken. He couldn't help but lean forward the extra inch to close the distance between their lips. She wrapped her arms around him, grabbing his hair, his vest, his collar, and clinging tight.

With one hand on the seat back to steady them, he wrapped his arm around her waist and tugged her close, pressing his lips on hers again, and again, and again. And then when he swallowed a little whine she made, a fire lit in his belly that reminded him that they were married and it was their wedding night and if he wasn't burning beforehand, he felt positively on fire now.

She pulled away and started peppering kisses along his jaw. That's when he reached over to press the button for the privacy screen against the driver. He turned to press a kiss to her lips again, and she hummed happily.

"Wife." He said against her lips. "My wife."

She giggled pulling away to rest her forehead against his. "And you're my husband."

"Your husband." He said. "All yours. On-"

He paused, realizing he was unable to finish that sentiment. If he could say 'only hers' he would. But he couldn't. Not when Chloe held a part of him and his past.

But there was one thing he could say. "Marinette?"

"Hmm?"

He cradled her jaw in his hands, and she wrapped her fingers around his wrists. "I wish that I could tell you how happy it makes me to be all yours and only ever yours."

She sucked in a breath. "I... guess neither of us can return that sentiment."

"No," he said. "And that's okay. I understand."

"I know you do," she said, sliding closer even though he wasn't sure how that was possible. "And I'm so thankful that you do."

He grinned. "But," he said, smiling at her. "I can say that I am so, so thankful that I was blessed with a second chance, and that I am so thankful that that second chance is you."

He could see her eyes water, and he was ready to brush those tears away.

She sniffed, and he caught the tears before they tumbled down her cheeks. "I'm so thankful you're my second chance, too."

And with that, he couldn't resist kissing her once again. She returned his actions with a vigor, grabbing his head and shirt and practically crawling in his lap to get close enough.

Not that he was complaining.

He got off several good kisses on her cheeks, forehead, and jaw before she whined in protest, wiggling away from him so as to return the favor. Lazily, his eyes drifted open, only to register that they had stopped. And the house that he was looking at looked really familiar.

Oh... that was theirs.

Theirs.

The fire was back.

"Marinette," he whispered, pulling her away.

She whimpered her protest, her eyes lazily drifting open half-mast.

"We're home."

He watched as those words clicked for her as they did for him. Home. Their home.

He took her hands in his and led her out of the limo, shooting a 'thanks' at their chauffeur. He tugged her towards the front door while they giggled all the while. He pulled the key from his pocket and unlocked the door, but he didn't open it. Not without first sweeping Marinette up into his arms and getting a squeal from her as she wrapped her arms around his neck and curled up against his chest.

He squeezed her close, nuzzling her forehead before reaching for the door and shoving it open. Once he was standing in the hallway, he kicked the door shut. "Welcome home, Mrs. Agreste."

Those words struck him down to his core. Mrs. Agreste. This woman held his last name because she was his wife. He was so happy. Boundlessly, unabashedly happy.

And considering the look she was giving him, one that was warm and happy to the point tears began welling up in her eyes again, Adrien knew his wonderful, amazing wife felt the same way. Her hand cradled the back of his head, pulling it down so as to meet her forehead. "I love you," she whispered.

"I love you, too," he returned. "I love you so much."

After a long moment, he set her down so as to lock the door behind him. But with that meant they were tucked away in the privacy of their house. Alone. On their wedding night. He turned back to Marinette, who still looked as beautiful as ever.

"Are you still nervous?" he asked on a whisper, pulling her close to him.

She allowed him to tug her against his chest and rested her head against his shoulder. "A little," she admitted. "But at the same point, we're married and I trust you and I love you. Nervous or not, I'm ready."

He snuggled her closer before it became too much to bear. He was ready to not only fulfill the marriage with his wife, but also prove to her that she could trust him being in such a vulnerable state. He wanted to be her safety. But mostly, he wanted to be hers.

She pulled away first, her eyes meeting his as the slowly made it up the stairs and to their- their-bedroom. With a bed that they had only just recently picked out together. Even though there was no one else in the house, he still pushed the bedroom door closed. It made the room feel private and intimate. It was only them, together, now.

She curled up against his chest, and he held her there, nose pressed into her hair and hands wrapped around her waist even though the were itching remove the veil and every last bobby pin holding her hair up into the beautiful updo.

He gave into the at desire when he felt her lips placing a featherlight kiss to his neck, just above the bowtie she was removing. He gently removed the veil comb from her hair, setting it down on the dresser where she set his bowtie. Their hands brushed, and Adrien wrapped his hand around hers, holding it for a moment before he felt her reach for the first button on his vest and give it a tug.

One by one, he removed the bobby pins from her hair, watching as each tendril, perfectly curled, fell free and hung past her shoulders. And one by one, she undid every button on his vest and shirt. And that's when she placed her hands on the skin of his abdomen.

Heat flared in his belly underneath her fingertips. And when she slid her hands up his chest, rolling them over his shoulders and down his arms to remove the vest and shirt ensemble, his nervousness was tucked away under the fiery desire to claim his wife as his own.

And with one last bobby pin, the remnants of her updo came tumbling down over her shoulders. He couldn't help but stare, entranced by the stunningly beautiful woman in front of him, his wife.

His wife.

He took her by the shoulders and kissed her. He struggled to restrain himself until she responded to his touch and his kiss and then completely lost himself in her affection. He wrapped one arm around her shoulders and back, pulling her flush against his chest. With his other hand, he cradled the back of her head, using his new leverage to angle their lips together and kiss her deeply.

Her moan unraveled him.

He squeezed her tighter, and she wrapped her arms over his shoulders, one hand digging into his hair and holding him there. And he loved it.

His hand stroked her hair, landing in between her shoulders below her neck. He could feel the zipper to her dress underneath his fingertips, and it slowed time down.

He pulled away, looking at her in the barely there lighting. Their breaths were heavy, mingling in the small space between them. Slowly, he took hold of the zipper pull and tugged it down the length of her back, filling the room with the tantalizing sound of her dress being undone.

He was becoming undone.

With the zipper down at her hips, her raised his hand back to her hair and pulled her close to lean their foreheads together. "I love you," he whispered. "And I am the luckiest man alive to have you as my wife."

"And I love you," she whispered in return. "And I," she said, slowly stepping away from him, her dress falling from her shoulders. "Am lucky to have you," her dress hit the floor. "As my husband."

Come light of morning, Marinette was decidedly groggier than she normally was at...

What time was it?

She opened her eyes, but the first thing she registered was the fact she was not in her room. She shifted, trying to figure out where she was. A figure shifted behind her, an arm tightening around her waist while a very nice chest rubbed up against her very bare back.

And the night she had the very physical pleasure of spending with her new husband came flooding back to her.

She let her eyes drift closed as Adrien pressed his lips into the spot her neck met her shoulder to leave a lingering kiss. She sighed blissfully. Ah well, this was her honeymoon. Their plane didn't leave until noon, meaning she could take her sweet time waking up today.

And she got the pleasure of doing so in the embrace of her wonderful, amazing, incredibly loving husband.