I'm back in the Smoulder-verse! And I'm not even going to pretend this is a oneshot this time around. But it IS tooth rotting fluff, that I can promise you!
All I can say is you can thank the anon on tumblr who asked me "how does Adrien propose?" because they started this whole madness!
^O^
A Wedding and Two Proposals
"Ladies and Gentleman, please put your hands together for the Bride and Groom!"
The doors to the reception hall opened and the already dazzlingly bright room (adorned in all manner of vivid reds, oranges and purples) seemed to grow brighter as the happy couple stepped inside to thunderous applause. Adrien jumped, whooping and cheering more loudly than he'd ever done in his entire life. All sense of decorum, all the manners which had been drilled into him since birth, all of that forgotten with an air of "screw it, my best friends just got MARRIED!"
And what a wedding it had been. Less than one hundred people and very intimate. Nino had proposed on holiday, taken by a moment of spontaneity and overwhelming love as he'd brought Alya to Morocco, his place of birth. Alya had been so taken by Marrakesh, the golden sun, the energy, the music as well as Nino's extended family, that she had insisted on having the wedding here- foregoing a more traditional French wedding. In her own words, "It's not really our style anyway."
To Adrien, it still seemed so surreal, even as Nino and Alya made their way over to them, looking more blissful than he'd ever seen either of them. The fact that they'd spent a year and a half planning, the late nights, the never-ending list of things to do, all of it leading up to the moment where they'd stood together, surrounded by a pool of lilies, and declared each other partners for life.
"Oh my god," Marinette whispered in his ear and, though he was facing away from her, he could tell she was as close to tears as he was. "They're married! Look at them."
"I know," he replied. Marinette must have heard the wavering in his voice, as she reached down to squeeze her hand in his. The interaction was short lived however, as Nino and Alya finished embracing their parents and he was wrapped in a group hug so tight he was sure to stop breathing. The tears fell freely now as Adrien recalled the countless amount of times the four of them had been like this, the years they'd spent huddled together for reasons both joyous and terrible. It was a beautiful constant in his life.
Speaking of beautiful constants.
As they sat down in their seats, ready for the meal, Marinette already had a tissue ready for him. Adrien turned to her, kissing her softly in thanks. Their eyes met, and once again Adrien found himself taken by the strange kind of energy they shared throughout the day. He didn't know if it was the wedding bringing out his inner romantic, of if something between them had shifted as they watched their best friends of ten years get married. Whatever it was it was…different. "I've always got your back, Kitty," she uttered, snuggling closer to him.
Adrien smiled to himself. She did. She really did.
Like most of the day, the meal passed by in a blur of emotion, laughter and tears. The parents and siblings got up throughout the meal to share embarrassing stories, sing songs (most of which were actually written by Nino) and show cute photos of when Alya and Nino were children. Then came the first dance, which was a mashup of various upbeat dance numbers from their teens. Another tradition was eschewed as Nino and Alya flipped, kicked, sashayed, and generally owned the dance floor- further cementing their status as coolest couple ever.
It would be a miracle if their dance didn't go viral.
"Marinette, please tell me Adrien hasn't used all the crying tissues yet," Louis popped his head between them later on, his shoulders shaking and tears streaming down his face, when Nino and Alya eventually succumbed to a slow dance. "Nathanael ran out."
"You're the one who keeps crying!" Nathanael called out as he flopped down across the table from them, offering a little wave in greeting.
Marinette arched an eyebrow, "You know how much of a cry baby he is, and you didn't pack enough tissues to withstand the flood?" she giggled despite the incredulous tone she attempted to keep, her fingers brushing against her neatly pinned hair. Placing her hands in her purse, she found a spare pack of tissues and handed it over to Louis. "Honestly Nath, I'm disappointed in you. You call yourself Louis' husband?"
"Aha! See? Told you amore!" Louis winked at Adrien, who tried to hide his smile.
"I can see you laughing there, Banana-Brain," Nath poked his tongue out at Adrien, who put his hands up innocently. "Luckily weddings put me in a good mood, else I'd be warning the happy couple that marriage is a mistake."
Louis gasped, clutching his chest dramatically. In the space of a breath, he'd dropped the tissues and hurried over towards Nathanael, scooping him up in his arms bridal style. "Well I suppose it's time to convince you how much of a good husband I can be then. To the dance floor!"
"Louis! Put me down!" Nathanael laughed, squirming in Louis' hold. "I take it back, you're the best husband ever, I was just teasing."
"I cannot hear you, I'm going deaf in my old age," Louis' voice became comically loud, his throat croaking as if it'd suddenly gained twenty years extra use. "We have become an elderly married couple you see?"
"Hmm, definitely heard the sound of his back clicking," Marinette chuckled, wiggling her eyebrows at Adrien. For some inexplicable reason, this made him feel hot under the collar and he shifted awkwardly in his seat. He'd thought he was used to her eyebrow wiggles now.
Apparently not.
"You're not old, you're twenty-six!" Nathanael rolled his eyes, flicking Louis' nose and shooting Marinette a reproachful look as she buried her perfectly made-up face in Adrien's shoulder, pretending to be scared of Nathanael's wrath and totally oblivious to the way Adrien felt his heart flipping dangerously. What was wrong with him? "And don't you encourage him, Mari!"
"Forgive me, I still can't hear you. What was that? I'm totally sex?" Louis yelled ever louder, causing most of the guests in the nearby vicinity to turn and stare in amusement or roll their eyes. "Why thank you darling husband, you aren't so bad yourself!"
"LOUIS!"
"Ugh you two are so gross," Alya grinned, almost floating over from the edge of the dance floor. The train of her silky white dress floated around her as she walked, the soft layers looking how Adrien imagined clouds would if they moved like ocean waves. "Get out of here already before you make me puke."
Nino followed behind her, his off-white suit jacket slung casually over one shoulder and looking more like a model than Adrien, who still did dabble in the occasional photoshoot from time to time. "Babe, it's not like we're much better. We did smooch in front of, like, eighty-five people."
"Heck yeah we did!" she cried, and the pair shared a high five as they sat in the seats reserved from them, right next to Adrien and Marinette's.
"Sometimes I wonder how I got mixed up with all you crazy people," Nathanael sighed, no longer making attempt to leave Louis' hold. "Guess I'm just a sadist."
Adrien laughed outright at that. "Please, like you're much better Tomato Head. You're the one Indiana Jones-ing it around Asia with Lou."
Nathanael was silent for a moment, jokingly glaring at Adrien before wrapping his arms tighter around Louis' neck. "I thought we were going to dance, honey?"
Louis beamed. "As you wish!"
"You know that counts as a win, right?" Adrien poked his tongue out in triumph and, were it not for the presence of the Bride and Groom, he was pretty sure he would have been flipped off for that comment. Alya had jokingly made a rule that nobody was allowed to swear in front of her dress.
"And I guess that's another euro in the Princess Bride jar," Nino wiggled his finger at Louis. "You're going to beat Adrien at this point."
"THAT MOVIE IS A CLASSIC!"
The six of them froze for a minute, caught between staring at both Adrien and Louis, both of whom had yelled out in protest.
Then the laughter began.
Eventually the reception room became too hot, flooding with warmth as more and more guests spread to the dance floor. Adrien followed Marinette out onto the balcony, the cool evening air kissing his heated skin as he squeezed his hand in hers.
The balcony was wonderfully quiet, offering spectacular views of the garden, with the lily pool and stone arches lit by hundreds of lanterns. Each small light reflected on the surface of the pool, making it seem as though they were surrounded by starlight above and below. Moonlight bathed Marinette's skin, caught the light of the pearls on her dusty-red dress and made the tiny flowers in her hair glow.
Adrien couldn't breathe as he watched her lean against the railing, sighing in contentment.
"You know," Marinette chuckled sweetly, "I'd like to think that everywhere I go, there's a balcony where Chat Noir can show up whenever he wants to bug me."
"I do no such thing. If anything, you're the bug, Bugaboo." Was he talking? Were there actual words coming out of his mouth? Probably not coherent ones.
Marinette scoffed, flipping around to rest her back on the stone ledge of the balcony, careful not to knock over a nearby flower pot. "Purr-lease! For the past seven years you've been a constant thorn in my balcony's side. Not that I'm complaining however," she giggled as Adrien wandered to over, wrapping his arms around her and nuzzling into her neck. Seven years. That was a long time to be with someone, wasn't it? "I'm merely thinking of my paw balcony."
"Purr-lease? Paw? You know Maribug, I think I'm rubbing off on you," Adrien smiled gently as she reached up to brush her fingers against his neck, right where his bell would have been.
"Well you know what they say about cats rubbing on things," she countered and Adrien pulled away just enough to see the playful quirk of her lips. He blushed.
Seven years.
Seven years was a long time to be hopelessly in love with someone. Ten years if you count the three years they'd spent mutually pining for each other (Plagg still won't let them live it down).
"Me-ow," he purred, pulling her closer, only to have Marinette roll her eye and push him away by his nose. A classic move.
"Easy there, Kitten! We can't start canoodling-"
"Cat-noodling!" Adrien interrupted cheerfully, needing to say the pun as soon as it came to him. Marinette laughed, the sound perfectly at home on such a beautiful night. Adrien couldn't ever remember feeling more serene, not even on the morning he'd woken up holding her for the very first time, in their very first apartment, all those years ago.
Six years was a long time to live together. Six years was a long time to share a life together.
But I want to spend longer than that with you, he thought as he watched Marinette scrunch her mouth in amusement at his pun. I want to spend the rest of my life with you.
Funny. They'd always talked about their future. Even before they got together, during the days where he doubted she returned the love he felt for her, he knew his lady would always be there. It had always seemed inevitable that he would spend his life with her one way or another, grow old with her. The knowledge was so far rooted in his mind, that is was right there alongside information such as 'you need oxygen to breathe' and 'you need food to live.' For Marinette's love was just as vital, just as important, and it had been since the moment they'd come together on that rainy rooftop what seemed like forever ago.
So… why did it suddenly feel like such an epiphany?
"We can't start cat-noodling," she amended with a hum, totally oblivious to the series of mental car-crashes happening behind Adrien's eyes. "Not yet at least. Not until Nino and Alya leave and we can escape to our suite for something suite-er than dessert- also are you totally aware that I'm owning your butt in the pun department right now? What's the matter minou? Champagne make your pun skills weak?"
I want to marry you, he thought, his mind reeling as the realisation hit, as the floodgates opened. You're so beautiful and amazing and I'm so hopelessly in love with you and I want to MARRY you and oh no I need to say something normal right now don't I? To make you think I didn't just make a huge life-changing decision? Oh my god Agreste SAY SOMETHING! ANYTHING! Don't make this weird!
"Hnngfff."
Blinking, it took Marinette a few seconds of confusion before she tilted her head back and roared with laughter. "I'll take that as a yes! Should I get you a glass of water?"
Adrien didn't trust himself to speak. Hiding his burning face behind his hands, he nodded three times and Marinette reached past his fingers to press a soft kiss at his temple. On her way back into the reception hall, she passed Nino and offered him a hug for good measure. Watching all of this with glazed eyes, Adrien moved to cover his mouth, afraid that if he didn't then he'd spill his newly-formed secret.
And he really didn't want to do that. It wasn't his night; the attention was supposed to be on Alya and Nino after all. He wasn't about to steal their thunder. No way.
"Sup' bro? You look kinda weirded out," Nino's eyebrows crinkled in confusion as he took in his best friend's appearance. Adrien hurried to appear nonchalant by straightening his suit jacket (a cream colour slightly darker than Nino's) and pull at his soft green tie. The actions seemed stiff and awkward, even to him.
"Weirded out?" he laughed, though it sounded more like the human equivalent of a wheezing llama, so he passed it off with a wave of his wrist and almost knocked the glass from Nino's hand. "I'm not weirded out. Why would I be weirded out? You just got married dude, I'm happy for you!"
"Sure," Nino deadpanned, taking a swig of champagne, which he'd moved further out of Adrien's reach. "That's why you're all jibber-jabbery."
"I am not jibber-jabbery," Adrien protested with a huff.
"You are the literal king of jibber-jabbery," Nino smirked taking another swig of champagne.
"I'm going to ask Marinette to marry me."
Whatever champagne had been in Nino's mouth was now sprayed across the balcony floor. He leaned forwards, coughing and spluttering, and turned to Adrien with a flabbergasted expression. "What the FUCK, man?!"
"Hey! What did I say about swearing in front of my dress?"
The sudden appearance of Alya at the glass door made both young men screech simultaneously, leap backwards and cling to each other. Whatever playful anger had crossed her features was gone as the bride snorted, placing a hand on her hip. "Wow! You know it's true what they say. Couples who've been together forever really do become a double act. I guess I just thought Adrien would have declared it sooner- you know at the whole 'speak now or forever hold your peace' bit?" She turned to Adrien and poked out her tongue. "No backsies, Bambi."
Adrien, who had managed to remove his heart from his throat around halfway through Alya's mini-speech and only once he realised she hadn't heard his confession, offered her a weak smile. "Wouldn't dream of it Al."
"Hmm, you better not buddy boy," Alya smirked, sauntering over to Nino whilst gracefully sidestepping the spilt champagne. "Would hate for you to contribute to the homewrecking model stereotype. Anyway, Babe!" She grabbed her new husbands hand, gracefully leading him back inside. "Nanny is looking for you, she wants another picture."
"Of course she does," Nino laughed fondly, laughter which abruptly died the second Alya's back was turned. He swivelled his head around to fix Adrien with a hard stare, mouthing the words "We will talk about this or you are dead bruh."
Adrien had just about enough time to mouth the word "Sorry" back (and he was sorry, truly, he didn't want to come across as a copycat, lord knew he knew what that felt like already and didn't wish it on anyone else) before the happy couple disappeared inside. Back they went into a world of love and merriment, a world of promise and hope for the future, a world flooded with sparkling lights.
He was alone, standing half in shadow, looking at the pooling light before his feet and wondering when Marinette would be back. She always brought the light with her.
Leaning back against the railing, Adrien tilted his head to the sky and allowed himself to breathe, letting the weight of his decision settle inside of him, envelop him like a well-loved blanket. His palms curled around the edges of the ledge and he closed his eyes, feeling the coldness of the stone soothe him.
It took some time but slowly, very slowly, his lips curled upwards. From there, the faintest of smiles grew and grew, until Adrien was beaming up at the stars, hoping that they were smiling back, hoping that they would give him luck.
Maybe his mother was up there amongst them, wishing him well.
He took a great shuddering breath, running a hand through his hair and stepping forwards off the balcony rail, repeating the decision in his head over and over. A secret vow.
Propose. He was going to propose. To Marinette.
The fear would come eventually, of that he was convinced. But at that moment in time, a wave of calm washed over him and a soft laugh fell from his lips, echoing in his soul. In that moment, nothing could shake him. It was the right decision after all. One he should have made years ago.
"You look happy."
Adrien looked away from the endless night sky, turning instead to his hopefully soon-to-be fiancée. He didn't think it possible, but somehow her presence managed to make him feel even lighter than he already did; it was as if he could step off the balcony and dance on air.
"Of course I'm happy," he uttered, reverent and so incredibly in love as he held out a hand to her. "I have you, don't I Princess?"
Without hesitating Marinette reached out a took his offered hand, fingers linking through his, and Adrien gently pulled her towards him. Taking the water, which she'd brought him, out of her hands and placing it on the balcony behind him, Adrien stepped closer. His fingers caressed her cheeks and Marinette sighed into the touch; a sigh which melted his insides, a sigh he wanted to hear for the rest of his life.
"You do," she replied, standing on tip-toes so that her lips pressed against his in a sweet kiss. "And I'm not going anyway. 'Fraid you're stuck with me!"
"Nothing scary about that, love bug."
Adrien's hands lowered until he was cradling her lower back, his arms encircling her waist as he held her somewhere between softly and protectively. Though she didn't know it, his responding kiss called to her. With every move, every touch, every soft sigh against her, Adrien vowed to love her forever, promised to propose to her the way she deserved.
You don't know yet, he thought, pulling away from her to rest his forehead against hers, offering the occasional kiss to her nose. But you will. You'll see. I promise.
Her responding hums of contentment filled his heart with hope. A part of him, the more romantic part, thought it might be her soul responding to the call of his own, and it was calling her, desperately, wonderfully. It would never stop calling for her, caught in a state of blissful agony, until he heard her reply.
"We should go to more weddings, if it makes you this sappy," Marinette giggled, snuggling under his chin. Adrien rested his head on top of hers, drowning in the scent of strawberry shampoo and home, and sighed.
All he couldn't think was that he was glad she couldn't see the grin which formed on his face at just whose wedding they might be attending next.
"Yeah," he replied. "We should."
I won't be updating this as frequently as I did with Smoulder, as I am currently writing a novel ^^; and I've got my artist/writer fanfic collab with Edendaphne to work on too (It's called When Duty and Desire Meet and I've loved working on it!) I'm a busy bee! Hehe!
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