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Summer was on its last legs. Spring, though somewhat cold and long, particularly because it took up a large part of Gabriel’s trial, eventually gave way to sunlight and blossoms, which quickly ushered in the heat, and along with it, Marinette and Adrien’s graduation from school. By the time Gabriel finally pled guilty, summer had already arrived, but two whirlwind months later, and it was nearly over. Soft breezes blew a chill into the air. Nights turned colder, shorts became less common on public streets, and people began layering their clothes to account for the warmth of the midday day sun and the cool of the evening.Marinette and Adrien ambled slowly along, hand in hand, stopping briefly in front of the carousel by the Eiffel Tower. The summer tourists were mostly gone, and months after the scandal of Gabriel’s secret coming to light, Adrien was finally free to venture outdoors without worrying about being approached every few meters. It still happened on occasion, but the novelty of the debacle had worn off, and he could largely breathe and walk in peace.The two sat side by side on a bench, each nursing a warm cup of tea to help heat up their cold fingers, internally musing about the events of the day. Their kwamis huddled in Marinette’s purse, munching on cookies and Camembert. Suddenly, Adrien broke the comfortable silence.“You know you’re it for me, right, Marinette?”The girl in question looked abruptly over at her companion, somewhat taken aback by his awkwardly worded statement.“Um, yes? I don’t follow.”Adrien gulped audibly.“I mean, like, there’s never going to be anyone else that I ever want to be with. Ever. You’re the only one I want. I want to be with you... for the rest of my life.”Marinette sat, staring at him, dumbstruck. She always knew they both felt this way about each other, that feeling of having found their soulmate, but neither of them had really said it in so many words.“I mean, we never really talked about it, you know?” Adrien continued, trying not to ramble. “It’s just, I just wanted you to know that, so that, one day, it won’t be a surprise if... I propose to you.”Adrien’s face turned scarlet. Marinette looked amused. He watched her apprehensively, as though afraid that she would laugh at his disastrous attempt to proclaim his eternal love.She cradled his cheek in her hand.“Minou, you know you’re the only one for me.” He let out a breath, relieved. “I only want you, too. Forever.” The smile she gave him was crooked, bordering on a chuckle, but entirely fond, and entirely loving.“And if I were to ask you to marry me..." he trailed off, still slightly insecure.“I would say yes,” she finished for him, overcome by love for her silly kitten.He turned to face the carousel again, anxiety melting from his body.“But..." Marinette added, and he turned back to her, mild panic written on his face. “Who’s to say I won’t ask you first?”The grin that took over both their expressions was so wide, it almost hurt.“Anything you want, my lady.”
Approximately 7 Months Later:
Attention, my little chatbugs! I have some major news in store! If you’re a true lover of our favorite heroes, and a true shipper of LadyNoir, then be at the Eiffel Tower Friday night by a quarter to 22:00! This is top secret, though! I can’t say much to avoid word getting back to a certain hero, but be advised, there will be something major going down, and we need your help! I promise it will be an engaging experience! This is not a drill!
See you there, Paris
Your favorite Ladyblogger, A.C. 💋4 Days Later:
14:00
Marinette bounced from foot to foot nervously, shaking her hands at her sides, arms bent at the elbows as she blew out breaths through rounded cheeks.“Ok, Marinette, you can do this,” she told herself.Tikki hovered in front of her, fondly watching her chosen as she battled against her nerves.“Oh, Marinette,” she said in her sweet, squeaky voice, “you’re going to do great. Adrien’s going to love it!”Marinette ceased her bouncing, allowing her hands to rest at her sides and she inhaled deeply and let it go.“You’re right, I know,” she told her friend. “It’s just, I’ve been planning this for so long, I’m terrified it isn’t going to go right.”Her kwami gave her a caring, if knowing, look.“Marinette, even if things don’t go exactly the way you want them to, that doesn’t have to be a bad thing.”“I know, Tikki, you’re right,” she conceded. “Everything’s going to turn out fine.” Tikki nodded satisfactorily. It was clear from Marinette’s face, however, that she was still struggling slightly, warring internally with herself. Finally, she exclaimed, “Oh, but, Tikki, what if he hates it?! He’d never tell me because he’s too nice! He’ll just smile through it to make me feel better!”Tikki performed the equivalent of a facepalm (without the palms), shaking her head at her nervous human. Some things never change.“Marinette!” The woman in front of her froze in place, mid-hand flap. “You’ve got to get out of your head. You’re running out of time to get ready. Just trust that everything will be alright.”Marinette’s face was overcome by determination.“Yes. You’re right. Tikki, let’s do this.” And she turned on her heel, headed for the front door.“Umm, Marinette, aren’t you forgetting something?”Marinette froze once more, this time mid-stride, then glanced over her body and shrieked.“It would be a little difficult to go to the market in your underwear, don’t you think?” the kwami offered helpfully.Marinette dashed to the restroom, nearly slamming the door shut behind her before she turned on the shower.
17:45
Adrien’s leg fidgeted nervously as he sat on the metro, headed toward home. Marinette had taken the day off of work at a local boutique, where she was interning as part of her design program. Her excuse was Adrien, and spending the one-year anniversary of his father’s arrest with him, but there was more to it than that. He knew full well the day was difficult for her as well. They went through it together, after all, in a much more personal sense than anyone in Paris realized.Absentmindedly, his hand palmed the front his jacket, fingers twitching nervously as he continued to practically bounce in his seat.Eventually, he disembarked at the stop closest to home, walking the short distance back to the apartment he still shared with Marinette, though he hoped that it would not be for much longer. As wonderful as the place had been for a first venture on their own, it wasn’t big enough for the life he planned with her, and he was hoping to get started on that as soon as possible, starting tonight.Marinette would have been preparing dinner, as they planned to eat in privacy, away from prying eyes on the momentous date, but they also planned for a jaunt across the city as Ladybug and Chat Noir once night fell, both as a treat for themselves, and to give the city a symbol of their dedication to continuing to protect them. He couldn’t wait.As he stepped inside the front door, he was greeted with a plethora of wonderful aromas. Whatever Marinette was cooking smelled amazing, and he walked closer to the kitchen where a myriad of scents attracted his interest.Passing into the kitchen, he found Marinette stirring something on the stove, her back to him, humming to herself as she swayed slightly to the music in her head. For a moment, Adrien only stood there, overcome by how genuinely adorable his girlfriend was, besotted grin appearing crookedly on his face.As though she could sense someone watching her, Marinette’s head turned to look at him, still somehow surprised to see him standing there, face flushing slightly from embarrassment.“A- Adrien, I didn’t hear you come in.”“Mmm, indeed, Bugaboo,” he responded, sly smirk overtaking his features, and he prowled closer, hand coming around her waist as he hugged her from behind and placed a soft kiss on the juncture between her neck and shoulder.“Wha-” she said breathily, clearing her throat. “What are you, a cat?”“Mmm,” the blond affirmed, firmly nipping the skin his lips had just been ghosting over.Marinette giggled and gasped at the same time, making the sound come out airy.“Naughty kitty.”Adrien chuckled deeply.“I’ll show you how naughty I can be.”In an instant, Marinette had spun around in his arms, noses brushing as she looked into his eyes, her own narrowed.“Not yet, Chaton.”At his responding pout, she smirked, then touched the spoon in her hand to his protruding lower lip. Before he had a chance to lick it, though, she closed the rest of the distance between them and took the same lip in her mouth, sucking on it languorously before pulling back and licking her own in satisfaction.“Mmm. Delicious.”Adrien gawked at her, heat pooling at his groin. Recovering, he slid his hands from her waist down to her hips and gripped tighter, leaning in.But Marinette leaned back, further from his lips.“Nah-ah-ah,” she tutted, extracting herself from his hold and smirking as she turned off the stove, motioning for him to sit down. He complied, albeit a bit begrudgingly.As Adrien sat there, Marinette placed a plate of coq au vin in front of him, simmered to perfection and covered in a rich Burgundy wine reduction sauce. The man was practically starving, having skipped lunch because his nerves were getting to him all day, and the food looked exquisite. Still, when Adrien looked up into his partner’s eyes, the hunger in his own was for something else entirely.He drew a hand slowly up underneath the hem of her dress, reaching higher and higher on her inner thigh.“Absolutely divine, my lady,” he purred seductively, “but perhaps just this one time, we can have dessert first.”Marinette watched him as his hand slid dangerously higher, coming into contact with the lace of her panties, then leaned over him with a fire lighting in her eyes. She brought her open mouth next to his ear, ghosting ever so slightly against its ridge as her breath tickled the microscopic hairs.“Nice try, Minou,” she whispered, then pulled back triumphantly and flounced away to ready a plate for herself. Adrien readjusted himself in his pants to alleviate some of the discomfort he was experiencing in that region, then cleared his throat. Marinette pretended like she didn’t notice, holding in a throaty chuckle.They shared the meal, discussing each other’s days, occasionally stopping to share a soft kiss before resuming the conversation. As dinner drew to a close, Marinette cleared plates and served tarte tatin for dessert, much to Adrien’s pleasant surprise.After suggesting a walk despite the cool night, they both donned their coats and ventured downstairs, emerging into the brisk air. As the park came into view, Marinette became visibly more nervous, fidgeting with her waist tie and the ends of her scarf. Adrien watched her bemusedly, distracted briefly from his own thoughts. Their jaunt as masked heroes was only a couple of hours away, and he was beginning to feel anxious that things wouldn’t work out the way he planned.Suddenly, Marinette came to a stop beside him and turned to face him directly. In the back of his mind, Adrien mused that it was the same bench they sat on several months before when he awkwardly announced his intention to propose to her... someday. As he continued to observe the woman in front of him, she closed her eyes in apparent nervousness, flapping her hands in front of her as though trying to shake something off of them.“Ok,” she said, eyes popping open. “Adrien. This has been the most difficult and wonderful year of my life, and even though we went through so much to get where we are now, I wouldn’t change any of it if it meant I couldn’t have you.” The man before her watched her in wonder. “Adrien, I love you, and I’ve loved you since you gave your umbrella to a stubborn, clumsy girl who wouldn’t give you the time of day. I’ve loved you since that clumsy girl fell out of the sky and tangled us together in a magic yo-yo. And I’ve loved you since you looked at me with those endless green eyes and made me yours just by being you. That was it for me. There was never going to be another person, no matter what.”Beside them, the lights to the carousel came on, and the music started up as the horses began to prance in their fixed positions. Marinette beamed.“This is the spot, when you first told me you wanted to marry me, and that was the moment when I knew I had to do this.” As Adrien watched, Marinette lowered herself down to one knee, drawing a box out of her coat pocket and holding it out in front of them. The height disparity was so great with her on her knees and him standing, that suddenly she realized it probably wasn’t the best idea, looking down awkwardly at herself. Before she could get up, though, he got down on both his knees and joined her on the ground.“Adrien, will you-”“Yes!” he cut her off before she could finish, causing both of them to laugh at his eagerness.She opened the box, still laughing breathlessly, and inside was a black ring in the shape of a cat’s head. The mouth gaped open, forming the ring itself, fangs and ears protruding. For its eyes, two emeralds gleamed. Adrien stared at it in stunned awe.“Adrien Chat Noir Agreste, will you marry me?”He could only nod mutely, unable to find words to express just how earnestly he meant it. She laughed again, eyes full of tears of joy, and removed the band from the box as he raised up his left hand, still speechless. “I told you I’d propose to you first,” she teased through a grin. Adrien looked down to view the ring resting on his finger, but the image was blurred, and he realized suddenly that he was crying.“Bugaboo, you- Marinette, my lady, how did you...?” His voice trailed off as he searched her face, unsure of what exactly he was trying to say, then he looked down at his left hand again. “It’s perfect.”And before she could react, his lips were against hers, hands cradling the sides of her face, carousel lights and music still going in the background as she brought her arms up to wrap around his neck and pull him tighter.Then there was a loud whistle, and they pulled apart in surprise, both turning in the direction of the noise and seeing Nino and Alya, as well as Marinette’s parents, and even Emilie coming toward them, leaning on Tom’s arm for support.Rising, Marinette broke down into hearty laughter, incapable of stemming the joy bubbling out of her. Adrien was quickly in the same state, unable to believe just how much his life had turned around in a year- unable to describe how much this day meant to him, the fact that she clearly chose this specific day, the one year anniversary of his father’s defeat, for such a momentous occasion not escaping his notice. In one evening, the day had been rewritten, all its painful memories so much less now as they were overwritten by others new and beautiful.Congratulations were given all around. The park began to fill with more people as the night grew later. They remained in each other’s company until the cold became a bit too much, and the time for Ladybug and Chat Noir’s appearance drew closer. Adrien bid his mother, friends, and future in-laws goodbye, waving as they walked in different directions with a subtle wink to a certain reporter. As Marinette looked away, the redhead returned the gesture, giving one last wave before she turned away and disappeared into the distance.
21:30
The newly engaged couple re-entered their apartment two hours after departing for their long “walk,” well aware of their plans to transform and take a run across the rooftops, but reluctant to let go of each other’s lips for long enough to even call for their transformations.As the door slammed shut, they stumbled, mouths indivisibly merged, hands sliding frantically over each other’s bodies, pushing against each other in an amorous battle for dominance. As Adrien gained the upper hand, he pressed Marinette against the wall, leg sliding between her own, bulge in his pants firmly prodding against her pelvis. He slid his hands down her legs, gripping the backs of her thighs solidly and lifting her up to straddle him as he held her up, undulating against her core.Marinette keened in response, lifting her chin as much as possible in the tight space she inhabited as Adrien nibbled on her jaw and neck. Suddenly, there was an obnoxious sound, startling them out of their hormonal stupor, and Adrien dropped Marinette’s legs to the ground as they both looked at each other, mouths open, breathing hard, eyes heavily lidded.“Shit,” he muttered, reaching into his coat pocket and pulling out his phone, which was alerting him it was time for their appearance as superheroes. Adrien reached down, awkwardly resituating himself for the second time that evening as Marinette giggled knowingly.“Problem, Chaton?” she asked cheekily.Adrien growled, leaning down and pressing a firm kiss to her lips.“We’ll finish this later,” he vowed, and she swallowed from the intensity in his stare, the deep rasp of his voice, which were causing heat to pool between her own legs.His gaze didn’t waver as he called, “Claws out!”Marinette’s face flushed as she watched Chat Noir appear before her. The sight of him transforming never got old, especially not when she was as affected as she was in that moment.Still panting slightly, Marinette breathed, “Spots on.”They took each other’s hands, heading for the apartment balcony, and flew off into the Parisian skyline.
22:15
Getting closer to the Eiffel Tower, Ladybug began to slow down, looking below her in confusion. As the two of them landed near the top of the structure, she gazed down in wonder at the hundreds of people below.“What’s going on?” she asked to no one in particular. “I thought the city-wide celebration was over hours ago.”Chat Noir watched her, nearly brimming with some kind of nervous energy.“They’re here for us, my lady.”Ladybug looked at him and cocked her head, still bewildered.“But, how did they know we would be here?”Chat grinned, but behind that smile, his partner could detect some apprehension.“You trust me Ladybug?” he questioned, despite knowing the answer.She continued to look at him in perplexion.“Of course, Chaton.”“Then close your eyes,” he commanded softly, and she complied.There was the sound of rustling, and Ladybug felt herself being led closer to the edge of the platform they were standing on.“Just, don’t move, my lady.”She nodded in confirmation, still at a loss as to what was going on.It was a few more minutes (maybe less, but it was hard to tell when she couldn’t see anything) before she finally heard.“Ok, open them.”Immediately, her eyes blew wide, and before her was vast, empty air, but as her vision traveled lower, she could see that on the ground, there were hundreds of people holding candles in the darkness of the night. As she studied the oddity longer, she realized that the people holding candles were positioned very strategically. The lights formed letters, the letters formed words, and the words formed a single sentence:
MARRY ME LADYBUG
Ladybug let out an incredulous breath, disbelieving that what she was seeing was real. Then she whipped around, a sound drawing her attention behind her, where Chat Noir stood holding a microphone in one hand, a single red rose in the other. Behind him, she noticed some video and audio equipment, and a monitor showing live footage of them, positioned off to the side and currently catching their profiles.He drew closer, eyes focused and intense, microphone held low next to his leg.“Marinette Dupain-Cheng,” he began quietly, making sure it wasn’t loud enough to be caught by the microphone, lest anyone should hear her real name. Then he raised the device to his lips, holding out the rose to her, which she accepted as he continued in an echoing voice. “My lady, you’ve taken this unlucky cat and given him love, a home, something to look forward to every day.” In the next moment, he was kneeling down on one knee, and it was so much less comical than when Marinette had tried it a few hours before. Face beaming, he pulled out a small box from somewhere behind him and opened it to reveal a beautiful ruby ring, surrounded by black diamonds and set in a white gold band. “It would make me the happiest man in the world, if you would be mine forever. Bugaboo, will you marry me?”“Yes!” the scarlet hero cried, throwing her arms around his neck as he tried to stand and nearly knocking the two of them to the floor. Below, the crowd let out a deafening cheer, though it was slightly muffled by the distance.Tears streaming down her cheeks, Ladybug laughed blissfully as her partner slid the ring onto her finger, wasting no time before crashing their lips together to the delight of everyone watching. When they pulled away, their faces were overcome by grins, foreheads coming to rest against each other as the cold air lingered unnoticed between them.“Everything, Chat Noir, you’re my everything.”“My lady, I could never tell you how much you mean to me.”She laughed again, gaze turning to take in the people down below.“But, how did you- Chat, we both-”“I know, my lady. I guess we were just made for each other.”“But you know what this means, Chat, don’t you?”He looked at her quizzically.“It means we’re going to have to have two weddings.”Chat’s jaw dropped, suddenly realizing something he had never considered before.He recovered quickly, however, smirking to his fiance (times two).“Good. Marrying you once isn’t enough, anyway. I propose we do it again every year.”Ladybug scoffed.“Chaton, that’s crazy! We can’t do that- it’s not realistic, not to mention, can you imagine trying to plan it over again year after year?”“That’s ok, I’ll just get Alya to help. She’s the one who helped me orchestrate this in the first place.”It was Ladybug’s turn to gape.“Why do you think I made you promise to stay off the Ladyblog and news sites for the last few days? She was setting it all up.”“Chat, I thought you just didn’t want me to have to read anything about the anniversary.”“Well, yea, that, too, but that was mostly an excuse.”Her deadpan look was met with a shit-eating grin.“Alya helped me, too, with the carousel,” she told him, laughing at the irony. “You’re really too much, you know that Minou?”“Yea, but you love me,” he countered, raising her left hand to kiss the back of her knuckles.“That I do, Chaton.”From the ground, they could hear a chant growing.“KISS! KISS! KISS! KISS! KISS! KISS! KISS! KISS!”Ladybug smirked at her partner, overwhelmed by just how much love she had for him.“Better give the people what they want,” she said through a smile, drawing closer to her partner and fiance.Chat’s face split into his trademark grin as he wrapped his arms around her waist and leaned down, head tilting to the side, breath ghosting over her lips.“As you wish, princess.”As their lips met again, captured on camera and streamed on every television station and news media outlet, all of Paris went wild.Parting, the heroes let out a collective sigh and waved in tandem to their city, to the people they loved and watched over. Together, they launched off of the tower and into the night, Ladybug dropping her rose purposely for some lucky citizen to catch. All of Paris waved back, watching the pair soar into the distance, and Chat let out a joyous whoop, eager to get home. After all, he and his lady had some unfinished business to attend to.