I just had to. Besides, there are two versions of this left.
•••
Marinette fidgeted in her seat, not wanting to sit still even if she was on the verge of being burned at the ear by a hot iron. Her mother held her arm once more, the fifteenth in the past hour, to make her stay. She pouted up at her mother, looking at the older woman at the mirror.
"I'm so nervous, maman." She muttered, playing with her fingers, "What if he backs out? Or, or what if he thinks that he doesn't want to get married to me anymore?"
"You're joking, right?" Alya laughed from behind her, "That's totally impossible, that boy probably loves you more than you love him."
"Hey!" Marinette frowned, "I love him just as much!"
Sabine smiled at her, "And why would you think that he would run away then?"
Marinette sighed, slumping on her chair, earning a 'tsk' from her hairdresser.
"Sorry." She whispered to him
"But what if he's just, I don't know, forced? I mean, his father knows that I'm a designer, what if he's just being forced to marry me so someone could take over the business?" She asked, "Or he just doesn't want to marry other people and he thinks that I'm at least bearable." She gasped, "This day is ruined."
Alya rolled her eyes playfully, "Only you could think that, Mari."
"But what if? It's possible!" Marinette reasoned
Sabine rubbed her daughter's arm up and down gently, "He won't, dear. Do you really think we'd let him marry you if we weren't sure of him?"
"Yeah! And if he ever does that, he won't make it out of the venue alive. Trust me and Nino on that one." Alya grinned
Marinette kept quiet as the two women talked her out of her wedding jitters. She smiled at them occasionally, not wanting to nod and prolong her sitting sentence on that same seat. The hairstylist deemed her ready once he put the final strands of her hair in big loops and sprayed it with heaps of hairspray. Alya, Sabine, and the whole crew who were in charge of Marinette that day went out of the room as she told them that she would dress up.
She sighed and walked over to the pristine white wedding dress waiting to be worn. Marinette was itching to try it on for months. Well who wouldn't if it was a collaboration between her and Gabriel Agreste of all people. It wasn't exactly grand grand, Marinette aiming for a simple wedding, something highly unlikely from a famous man. It took weeks for them to finally match their ideas up. Marinette wanted some lace, Gabriel decided to put some lace. Gabriel wanted it sleeveless, Marinette could live with a sleeveless dress. It was as simple as it could get for someone like Gabriel but both were satisfied, both deemed it was perfect.
Marinette smiled weakly, running a hand up and down the skirt. It had been surreal planning the wedding. She was still not sure how everything happened, it just fell back into place since almost a year ago when he decided to propose. She was about to slip out from her robe when she heard tapping from the huge windows overlooking the garden of the hotel they were staying in.
She furrowed her brows. There weren't balconies as far as she knew. She gasped in realization and turned around, seeing a masked superhero tapping on her window, giving her a sheepish grin.
She opened it, letting him in. He immediately gave a kiss on her knuckles, something both were used to.
"What are you doing here, Chat?" She raised a brow
"You didn't expect me, Princess?" He asked, sitting down on her couch to be used later for a photoshoot
She smiled then turned back to her dress, "Well I didn't expect that a Parisian superhero would just drop in so suddenly a few hours before my wedding."
"A wedding? Princess I thought yoy'd be loyal to me!" He faked a frown, "You wound me, Princess. Maybe I won't stick around for cake."
"Hah, yeah, be here for the cake." She sat down next to him, "Hey, Chat, you think I'd be left at the aisle alone? I mean, I feel like, I feel like this isn't real."
He frowned for real, cat ears drooping, "You… think that this wedding isn't real?"
"Yes? No? I don't know." She shrugged, "Maman said that it's just wedding jitters but what if it wasn't meant to be in the end? What if we decide to file a divorce after a few years? What if it won't work out? Where would I be?"
"With me, away from here and the guy you're going to marry. He sounds like some bigshot who doesn't actually love you." He scoffed, "But I think he loves you, Marinette. Maybe he's not very expressive of it-."
"Oh he is." She nodded, thinking about the hundreds of ways the blond had expressed his love for her
"Yeah? So what's gotten you so nervous?" He asked gently
"I don't know." She muttered, "That's the problem."
He pulled her close to him, hugging her sideways but making sure that her hair wouldn't be messed, "I'm serious about the offer though. If you ever feel like something's wrong, tell me, okay? We'll fix it."
She nodded, keeping close to his body warmth. They stayed like that for a while, Marinette just glad that one of her bestest best friends could see her before the wedding started. She frowned once she heard knocks on the door, asking if she was done.
"Uh, no, sorry." She called, letting Chat out through the same window but not before telling him that Ladybug couldn't attend the ceremony
"It's fine. I couldn't either." He replied then jumped away
She quickly got in her dress, not having the time to relish the feeling anymore since Chat sidetracked her. The people went in just after her response then they started the thirty minute photoshoot. She was rushed to the car, being reminded over and over again that her groom was already waiting at the altar.
Marinette took a deep breath once she was left alone in the car. She could see the closed doors which were going to be opened in a few minutes. She stepped out of the car, several cameras taking photos of her. She smiled and walked towards the doors, waiting for her cue.
One, two, ten seconds passed and Marinette was waiting, still waiting.
Then the organ started playing. It seemed like an eternity as the doors slowly opened. She stared at the ground as it opened, only looking up once she was going to walk. She grinned at her groom who was smiling weakly at her. She looked like the world to him, holding her carefully as if she were fragile and precious, well, she was. She was everything a man could ever dream of in a wife. She was flawless, perfect. Worth it.
She stepped up the altar, intertwining her arm in his. They sat side by side and looked up at the man who would finally tie them both to each other as one.
"Dearly beloved,"
Adrien's heart was pounding harshly in his chest. He swore that he wouldn't cry. He swore that he wouldn't embarrass himself in front of all these people.
"You okay?" The woman beside him asked, giving him a sweet smile
He nodded, fixating his eyes back on the preacher.
"we are all gathered here to witness the union of man and wife in holy matrimony." The preacher started, "Now if anybody believes that this wedding should not happen, please speak now."
The wait was agonizing. Both Marinette and Adrien's heart were pumping at full blast for so many different reasons.
"Alright then, let us now witness the union between Francois Moreau and Marinette Dupain-Cheng."
Adrien's heart sank to the bottom of his stomach. He dared to even come there after chickening out. Well, it was his friend's and Princess' wedding, why shouldn't he? He was invited twice. But it was heartbreaking. He wanted nothing but to curl in on Alya's lap and try to seek refuge on his best friend's girlfriend. He promised himself he wouldn't cry.
Dammit Adrien, stop it. It's your fault you didn't ask her out sooner. She's happy now.
And he was dying inside. He wanted to let her know. He wanted to let her know so badly how much he loved her, how much he craved for every fiber of her, how much he cared deeply whenever he would show up as Chat and tell him all about their relationship's mishaps. He often found himself staring at her for a little too long during all those nights they spent together up at her balcony or in her room with a bucket of ice cream or a box of pizza. He longed for those moments but Francois proposed to her and it was all too soon. He couldn't go back to where they used to be anymore. Marinette was a married woman, completely off limits, and who was he if he stood up and yelled that he objected? Who was he in her life anyway than just some model friend from collège?
He could almost hear Plagg poking fun at him that night, telling him, yelling at his face, that he was a cry baby. Oh he was going to cry a lot after this. Or maybe during because he was certainly crying now. He put a finger up to his cheek and it was instantly wet. He used his handkerchief to wipe away the tears, hoping that his eyes weren't too red and blotchy. He stood up, catching the attention of many people and marched out the room.
He couldn't do it. It was basically suicide to sit there and watch his love get married to someone else that was entirely not him.
He walked towards the park at the opposite street, sitting down on one of the swings. He felt Plagg come out of his coat and pat the man on the cheek with his tiny paws.
"Hey, it's alright." The Kwami spoke softly, "She's just one girl, okay? Maybe now you can let her go and, I don't know, go back to Ladybug?"
Adrien shook his head no, "I barely even see her anymore."
Plagg shrugged, "Maybe some other girl then. There are literally millions of women your age who are head over heels for you and Chat Noir."
"It's… it's not that simple anymore, Plagg. I'm not some reckless teenager who can go out with complete strangers. I want a long term relationship with someone who's willing to stay." He sighed, "Marinette," he felt tears prick at his eyes again, "Marinette was the one I found and, and now she's married," he buried his face in his palms, "I might as well be single for the rest of my life."
He stayed for a good hour and a few minutes. He waited until he could hear the deafening roar of the crowd coming out of the church. He couldn't help but imagine how it would've felt like to be the one next to Marinette, celebrating because he was going to spend the rest of his life with her. It would've felt so nice. Francois should feel so nice.
He waited until almost all cars were at the reception. He waited until Nino and Alya flooded his phone with calls and texts. He waited until they found him. He waited untik he could bear to put up a smile on his face to 'celebrate' with the newly wedded couple.
"Is there something wrong, Adrien? Please tell us." Alya said, the two sitting down on the swings next to his
He shook his head no, "I'd rather not bother you with it."
"Yeah you'd like that but don't you think it won't bother us if we didn't know?" Nino asked
Alya shushed the two then pressed her phone to her ear, "Hey, Mari. Yeah, we found him. Mhm."
Adrien listened intently on the one-sided conversation.
"Sure, we'll be there. Yeah we're on our way, actually. Don't worry too much, okay?" Alya smiled weakly, "Yes missis Moreau."
She put her phone back in her purse then turned to the two.
"She was asking about me?" Adrien raised a brow then frown, "Why should she? She has Francois now, she should think about him."
Alya chuckled, "Adrien wait are you jealous?"
Adrien blushed deeply, "No."
"Dude you like Marinette?" Nino exclaimed then placed a rather strong pat on Adrien's arm, "Why didn't you tell us earlier?"
"It wouldn't change anything. I don't want to ruin her day. It's for Marinette, I-." He paused, "Let's just… let's just go, okay? I don't want to talk about it anymore."
The reception was even more heartbreaking. The people were all happy, Adrien could barely keep his eyes off of Marinette but that also gave him a good view of him. He wanted to talk to her. In private. He wanted to hug her at least one last time as Adrien or as Chat. He was informed that they would move out of Paris after the honeymoon and he would barely see his Princess anymore. He had to have one last chance.
He walked as bravely as he could to the table of the bride and the groom.
"Can I have a dance? As a friend?" He offered his hand
Marinette looked up at her husband who just nodded in return. She followed him to the dancefloor, her hand placed on his shoulder and his on her waist and their other hand intertimwined with the other's. They danced in silence for a while, Adrien forgetting what to say.
"I, um," he started, "congratulations, Mari."
She smiled weakly, "Yeah. Thanks."
"So I heard you were moving out?" He raised a brow
"Mhm. We're going to live in Nice." She answered
He broke his smile and sighed, "I'm-. M-Marinette I just wanted you to know that whatever happens, if you happen to have anything you wanted out, you can just tell me, okay? I'm your friend and all that and friends do that and-."I love you.
Marinette smiled at him and nodded, "Yeah, I'll do that."
He nodded in reply then enveloped her in a tight hug, not wanting to let her go. Marinette hugged him back, although not as fiercely. She was just glad her feelings for him hadn't resurfaced and he was glad that he had the self-control to not run off with her. He wanted to transform and run away then and there but this was Marinette's day and it will be.
He pulled out the hug and brought her back to her husband, reluctant to let her hand go. He sat back down to his table that was shared with Alya, Nino, and most of their class back in collège. Nino patted his back and whispered to him that it would be alright.
He would be alright. Hopefully. He wasn't going to be mourning. He would be happy. His friend, Marinette Dupain-Cheng, was now married. He should be happy. But he can't. What a cry baby.