Tom Dupain-Cheng sat back with a tired sigh, a content smile on his face as he listened to the comforting, familiar silence of his home. The bakery was closed for the day, and Marinette and Sabine were home with him, their chatter reaching his ears.
But soon, it would be just him and Sabine as Marinette moved out when the big day all fathers dreaded came.
Marinette was getting married.
He was happy for her, he really was. Adrien was a good man whom Tom cared for deeply, and he trusted the boy and knew he would be a good husband. But this was his daughter, his only child who was going away to another man. She would be pledging herself to another, someone who would be there with her at all times and take his place.
He was saddened by the idea, but he saw the happiness on Marinette's face as she planned the wedding, and he saw the love she had Adrien shared. Adrien cared for Marinette and loved her deeply. They both acted like newlyweds with their affection and playful teasing. They looked at eachother with love in their eyes, and Adrien was always eager to be around Marinette.
Yes, his daughter would be in good hands.
But that didn't do much to make his heart ache abide with the approaching wedding date.
He looked up at the sound of his wife approaching, a smile on her face as she grabbed her red purse. She beamed, walking up to him and standing on her tiptoes to place a kiss on his cheek. "I'll be back once I'm done with these arrends," she promised.
He smiled. "I could always come with you," he said, getting up from his seat.
She shook her head with a grin. "This will be really quick, and I know that you will be busy with the pies. But why don't you take a break from the baking and assist Marinette with the wedding planning?"
He blinked in confusion. "But we already have the cake, the table decorations and the dresses taken care of. What more could be planned?"
Sabine just grinned. "The music. Marinette is undecided on what to pick." And with that, she was gone.
Tom frowned. Music? Then it dawned on him. Oh, the music for the reception.
Clearing his throat, he was turned to prepare a plate of warm cookies and two glasses of milk for himself and his daughter. He knew Marinette was stingy now with what she ate, as she wanted to fit in her dress. But he knew for a fact that Marinette was already in perfect shape. She could probably eat the whole plate of cookies and still have a great figure! She had great restraint for living in a bakery her whole life.
He chuckled as he poured the milk, thoughtfully smiling. He stayed there for a moment, thoughts swirling with the fact that his daughter wouldn't always be by his side in the bakery anymore once she tied the knot.
He was pulled from his thoughts when he heard the soft footsteps of his daughter approaching. He turned to see Marinette standing in the doorway, a smile on her face as she pushed her shoulder length dark hair back. She had decided to grow it out and wear it down years ago. The look was more mature on her, and he always smiled when he saw his beautiful daughter. Yet it saddened him that he would never see those pigtails again.
Good Lord, he was finding a lot of things to be saddened about.
He presented the plate of cookies to her. "I made us a little snack," he said.
She giggled. "You know I still need to fit in my dress," she said, snatching a warm cookie from the plate.
He grinned. "So what? Indulge a little."
"I'll indulge at the reception," she commented, taking another cookie. She cleared her throat as they walked into the sitting room where he set the milk and cookies down. "Papa," she said. "The wedding is only two months away, and I still need to practice my dancing."
He straightened up at those words, understanding the message. He smiled at his daughter and took Marinette's small hand in his.
"What shall we start with?" he asked.
She smiled as she flipped through the options on the small table. She pulled out a disk before putting it in the CD player. An upbeat tune filled the room, and Marinette bounced to the rhythm. "Why not this one?" she asked.
He grinned, jumping into the chicken dance and causing her to laugh in amusement. "What a good start," he chuckled, taking her hands and swinging her around.
"Please don't dance like that at the reception!" she said with a laugh as he spun her around.
The room was filled with music and breathless laughter as father and daughter danced to the songs that played on the CD. At one point, Marinette stumbled when she bumped into a chair, her cheeks rosy from all the bouncing and dancing.
"You think you'll be able to dance in high heels?" he asked with a teasing grin.
Marinette rolled her eyes, grinning back. "I'll manage," she said. "Not all the songs involve senseless beat's and jumping."
As if on cue, a slow song came on, and Tom went still at the melody. Marinette's gaze softened, and she took his hand in hers, looking up at him with wide blue eyes. "Papa?" she asked.
He smiled, taking her one hand and pulling her close to him. "Alright," he said. "Let's practice."
Marinette smiled and continued the slow dance with him. They moved slowly, listening to the music that tugged at both of their heartstrings.
He hadn't forgotten about the father-daughter waltz. It had always been fresh on his mind, as it would be the last dance he would share with his daughter when she was single. But he had been avoiding it, as he had known he would be a blubbering mess when the time came for their last dance together before she went to be with her husband.
"You're doing great," he said. "You have yet to step on my toes."
She grinned back. "Only because I'm not wearing heels."
He hummed as he held her close. "Well, then we will just need to practice more to prevent any accidents."
Marinette smiled into his sleeve. "Yeah, I like the idea of practicing."
The days flew by and became weeks, then months. Preparations were made, yet no matter how well he planned, Tom was never fully ready for the big day. The day of the wedding came, and Tom was waiting in the hallway, heart hammering in his chest. A swirl of emotions were overcoming him; pride, happiness, sadness, and dread. He was proud of his daughter and happy that she was getting married. Yet those hopeful emotions were met with negative ones.
He smiled, knowing she would be alright. He looked down at the simple box he carried in his hands, wondering if he should give this gift to Marinette and if she would find it amusing.
He looked up at the sound someone approaching, and he smiled once more when Sabine came down the hall. "Hey," he said, standing up and adjusting his suit.
She smiled up at him, and it did not go unnoticed by him how her eyes seemed to glisten. "Hey," she said, reaching up to fix his tie. "You doing okay?"
He grunted. "I have to call your father when this is over with. He told me once that I would know how he felt."
She laughed, hugging him. "Why don't you go see your daughter? She doesn't have to walk down the aisle for another ten minutes."
He pulled back with a frown. "Is she alright?"
"Wedding jitters," she said simply. "She's worried about the lighting, the music, and the food. Everything really."
"Ah," he said with understanding, nodding. He grinned. "On it."
Upon entering the room, he saw Marinette pacing the floor, her white dress shimmering in the light. She looked up when he entered, face lighting up. "Papa!"
"Honey," he said as he shut the door. "You alright?"
She nodded quickly. "Yeah! I'm fine! I'm just…" she trailed off.
"The food has been taken care of," he said. "I've seen to it. Nino made sure that the music is prepared and ready." He looked up, listing all of her worries with comforting solutions.
She smiled at him. "Thank you, Papa." She strode towards him, wrapping her arms around him in a hug. "I'm going to miss you," she murmured.
He hugged her back. "Well, the honeymoon will only be for a week, then you and Adrien will be moving in next door to the bakery in that nice art studio."
She laughed. "My main concern is tripping on my high heels."
He pulled back with a grin, displaying the box he had brought. "Will these do?"
Marinette let out a surprised gasp when she opened the box and saw white, satin slipper shoes. A pale pink design decorated them, matching her wedding dress. "Papa!" she exclaimed with joy, kicking off her heels and slipping the shoes on. She let out a content sigh. "Much better!" she said, wiggling her toes.
He pulled out his phone with a smile. "Can I dance with you before the clock strikes midnight, Cinderella?" he asked. "We've got less than six minutes."
She laughed, taking his hand as the music began to play. "There will be many more dances between you and me to come," she promised as they danced. She blinked as her eyes glistened, and he pulled her close as they swayed to the music.
He walked her down the aisle. He gave her away to the beaming groom. He watched as they said their vows, shared their first kiss as husband and wife. He followed after them with Sabine as the newlyweds walked out of the church. Through it all, Tom was smiling, sharing his daughter's joy and happiness.
The reception came, and everyone was congratulating the bride and groom. Food was served, music was played, and Marinette and Adrien had their first dance as a married couple.
Then, the father-daughter dance began. As Tom took Marinette's hand once more with a teary smile, he savored the moment. Marinette moved closer to him with a smile, embracing him as they danced. He smiled when she buried her face in his shoulder. "I love you, Papa," she whispered as the music began.
He smiled, placing a kiss in her hair. "I love you too, Marinette." He blinked away the tears as they danced together. As the music played, he realized something in that moment.
His daughter held on to him in ways she never would hold onto Adrien. There were things only they shared together. It was what made them father and daughter. It was what made their bond unique as they danced.