Adrien struggled against the ropes which held his arms securely behind his back. He couldn't escape the enchanted cords no matter how hard he struggled. Currently, he was in a back room of a church. It was a pretty church, one of those white walled, stain glass windows, and a white picket fence on a green grassy hill. It looked like something out of a fairy tale to be honest. Which given the current situation, made sense. Adrien twisted his head and glared at the glowing rope which wouldn't budge.
Finally giving up, he sat down on one of the few wooden chairs in the room, by the window. Outside, past the few feet of extra green grass which surrounded the church, Paris was in utter mayhem. Adrien could only watch as smoke began rising from certain sectors of the city and people were shouting and screaming.
Adrien could do nothing and he hated it.
This was all Chloe's fault.
The day had started normally, he had come to school, sat down and everything had been fine. Then, Chloe had gotten her hands on something of Marinette's. Apparently, it was what Marinette had called her dream journal; where the sweet blackette had written all her greatest and most secret dreams and desires. Of course when Chloe had begun reading them aloud to the class in an obnoxiously loud and grating voice, her deepest secrets were no longer hidden. Adrien had been… flattered? He didn't know exactly how to respond when he realized that Marinette had a huge crush on him and had… planned their future to a t. It was slightly awing to know that she had envision them having three kinds, Emma, Louise, and Hugo, a cat, dog, and hamster. But it was also very embarrassing. And if it was embarrassing for him, then he could only imagine how humiliating it had been for Marinette.
And then when she looked at him. Her bluebell eyes met his unsure green ones and began welling up with tears. She had shot out of the class room, snatching her journal back from Chloe who was guffawing at Marinette's mortification. Alya had raced after her, but only a moment passed before the ground began trembling and Alya ran back in, flushed and out of breath shouting, "Marinette's been akumatised!"
All hell had broken loose. Chloe began screaming her head off, coming to him of all people asking for protection, since she would obviously be the source of the Akuma's rage… again. But this time, Adrien just couldn't bring himself to offer the blonde defense. Chloe had gone too far this time and needed to face the consequences. Usually, an Akuma didn't do anything life threatening and this was Marinette on top of that. He doubted her power would be anything lethal.
So Adrien had ditched Chloe. He rushed out of the class and entered the bathroom. Just as he opened his mouth, a cold feeling settled over him and he felt the hairs on the back of his neck rise. He turned; behind him stood Marinette… akumatised.
Her black hair was out of its normal pigtails and fell to the base of her neck. A red flower pinned the stray hairs out of her face. Her face glittered and her lips were red with lipstick. However, long black tear lines ran down her face, as if she had been crying large dark tears. She wore a long black gown which had a train that floated above the dirty bathroom floor. Her journal was clutched tightly in her right hand. She looked so… forlorn.
"My Adrien…" Her voice wafted over him and he shivered. There was something incredibly unnatural about it.
He gulped. "H-Hi Marinette."
He was doomed. He couldn't transform in front of her and Ladybug was nowhere in sight. Marinette giggled and held out her hand, long black nails protruding from her fingertips.
"I want you to be a part of my dream… my future. Please… please say yes." Her eyes were so large and Adrien could see the makings of more black tears. He physically could not bring himself to say no. But he couldn't say yes either.
"I…"
He had always thought of Marinette as a sweet girl. A bit skittish, but he assumed that was because of his celebrity status. It wasn't as bad as it had been when they first began going to school together. Two years seemed to have taken the edge off of her nervousness around him. But with the revelation of her… crush on him, he suddenly understood why Marinette had acted the way she did. Although he admitted she was pretty, beautiful even, his heart was set upon another. In another life, where he hadn't met Ladybug, he could have seen himself dating Marinette; maybe even getting married years later. But whatever he thought of Marinette was ultimately eclipsed by his lady.
"You see… there's another…"
Before he even finished, Marinette's eyes narrowed and her red lips pressed together. Her stare was piercing. "Who," she spoke.
Adrien couldn't say Ladybug. So he did the only thing he thought he could. He ran.
He shoved Marinette away before bursting out of the bathroom. He tried to ignore the second of anguish that had passed over Marinette's features as he shoved her. But he had to get away and transform. It was the only true way to save his friend. That and he needed to find Ladybug. However… he never made it. The hallway began morphing into a hill. Adrien had frozen as reality itself began to bend. A grassy green hill with a church and everything appeared, sucking and twisting the school walls.
"This is my power," Her voice said from behind him, "to bend reality to my will in order to make dreams happen… my dream."
Adrien couldn't fight. He was tied up and deposited to the back room of the church. His clothes had transformed into a white tux and a red flower, mirroring the one in Marinette's hair was in his coat pocket. And he had sat there for a few hours. Bringing him to where he currently was now. Moping over the whole ordeal.
He could only hope his lady would be able to swoop in and save the day without him. Since his clothes had morphed his ring had disappeared. Instead his hands were wearing white gloves. He almost wanted to tear his hair out since the Akuma already had his ring. And most importantly… Plagg was not helping.
"Hahahahaha! This is just too funny! I can't believe that you are getting married." The little kwami floated back and forth clutching his stomach.
"Plagg! How can you be laughing at a time like this! Hawkmoth already has one miraculous and… and… and Ladybug isn't here and I can't protect her!" Adrien borderline yelled.
Plagg snorted, still giggling, "Looks like you're the damsel in distress!"
"Plagggggg!!!"
"Look kid, believe it or not, things are not as bad as they seem. You're getting married, you should be happy!" Plagg snickered. Just as Adrien opened his mouth to protest, Plagg cut him off. "And I know for a fact that Hawkmoth doesn't have both miraculous. It's physically impossible right now. All we have to do is wait and everything will correct itself. Trust me kid."
Adrien wanted to bang his head against the wall. Of course during a harrowing time like this, Plagg wasn't fazed at all. Plagg never took anything seriously anyway.
The door opened and Plagg hid in Adrien's coat instantly. His jaw almost hit the floor when Adrien realized it was his father standing there.
"Adrien," his dad coughed. He almost looked guilty. "I… I don't know what to say exactly." His father straightened himself. Adrien could see his dad entered his, "business mode".
"It's time." He said.
(Line Break)
Adrien found himself awkwardly standing in front of the alter. An elderly pastor stood behind it, his face covered in nervous sweat. The church was filled with friends, all of whom seemed to be hostages more than guests. Nino fidgeted behind him, also dressed in a tux with his hands tied behind his back. This was so painfully uncomfortable for the both of them. Then, music began to play. It was soft piano, slowly growing louder, but each note was sweet and calming. The door opened and a terrified Manon walked out.
She haphazardly scattered flowers everywhere, almost running down the aisle. Spying her mother in the crowd of guests, the little girl ditched her job and ran towards her. The audience held a breath, expecting something to happen to Manon but the music kept playing. From the entrance appeared Alya, also scared but the bold girl stuck her chin in the air and faced her fears head on. She wore a mermaid style red dress with a sweet-heart neckline and a red flower was pinned in her hair. She took hesitant steps forward. Adrien heard Nino suck in a breath behind him.
Deciding to relieve some of the tension, Adrien turned towards his friend and said, "She looks pretty doesn't she?"
"Beautiful…" Nino whispered.
Adrien was happy that at least out of all this mayhem, his friend got a memorable sight. Alya reached the podium and took a step back, brushing her small train behind her.
Then, Marinette came out from the dark wooden doors. Adrien found himself at a loss for words. Time came to a stop. Marinette wore a princess styled dress. It began as white on the top and shifted towards a pale pink at the bottom. The whole dress seemed to sparkle with every step Marinette took. She clutched her bouquet tightly in her hands. The black tear marks around her eyes had disappeared and Marinette wore a beaming smile behind a small veil. She looked so… happy.
Adrien felt his heart stop. He forgot that this was all a perverted version of reality. He could almost believe that he was getting married to the beautiful girl who walked down the aisle. Then the image shifted. For a second, he saw her as she really was. Long nails, tear stained eyes, and her book in hand. Adrien felt his resolve harden. He had to get out of this.
This was not the real thing, and Marinette deserved the real thing.
She stopped in front of the alter and Adrien took a small step beside her. They were nearly shoulder to shoulder. As the pastor began, Marinette tilted her head slightly and whispered inhis ear,
"Sorry it took so long, my love. I was trying to find my other best friend. I was hoping he'd be here."
Adrien was curious. He had never seen Marinette hanging out with anyone other than Alya, Nino, himself, and occasionally a few other classmates. She had another best friend?
"Who?" He found himself asking.
"Just a mangy alley cat…" Marinette replied.
Adrien blinked. No…
"He's been my greatest friend for the past two years. He's annoying… but I trust him with my life. I really wish he was here. I looked all over Paris for him." Marinette sighed.
The gears in Adrien's head began turning as he tried to process what Marinette just said. Mangy alley cat, friends for two years, trust him with her life??? Pieces of a puzzle that had been in Adrien's mind for the past two years began fitting together. When Adrien frantically looked at Marinette, wide eyed in disbelief, it was like he had finally taken off Ladybug's mask. Eyes which were bluer than the sky, dark hair which made the night jealous, milky skin which models would kill for, and a soft glow about her; Marinette was Ladybug… and Adrien really was screwed.
His lady couldn't come rescue him since she was right beside him, the instigator of this whole ordeal. He couldn't transform, not in front of so many people. What could he do???
"I do." Marinette said, bringing Adrien out of his hysterical thoughts.
Adrien could only see the pastor's mouth moving, his words muddled and drawn out as if the moment was going in slow-motion. He only caught the end.
"--as long as you both shall live?
There was a pause. Adrien knew he was supposed to answer. He opened his mouth and hoarsely said,
"I do."
There wasn't anything else to do at this point. He just had to play it safe until he could transform and… who was he kidding? Without Ladybug to purify the akuma, he couldn't do anything.
"I-I now pronounce you… husband and wife. You may now… kiss… the bride." The pastor stuttered.
Marinette closed her eyes, a small smile on her lips as she faced Adrien. His hands felt like lead as he lifted her light veil. Adrien sighed. As he leaned forward he let the thoughts of doom and gloom, which had been plaguing him, disappear. At least he knew that he was marrying his lady. The one he swore to love with or without the mask. With that thought in mind, everything didn't seem so bad.
Their lips met in a sweet, but brief kiss.
Adrien pulled away from Marinette who had crystal tears in her eyes and a wide smile on her face. Actually, it wasn't that bad at all.
… That was when she screamed.
A piercing howl was let loose from Marinette's mouth. She clutched her head as she sank to the ground. Cracks appeared in the churches walls and people began running around, panicking. The golden ropes which had held most of them in place disintegrated and the attendees began racing out. Alya, whose red dress was beginning to morph back into her everyday outfit called for Marinette. She began running towards her best friend but Nino held her back.
"It's too dangerous! We have to go!" Nino, with strength Alya didn't know he possessed, picked the crying journalist up and ran out of the crumbling church. But Adrien barely noticed the desperate exchange. His attention was solely on the screeching girl in front of him.
"Marinette!" He cried.
Her entire image was shifting. From the wedding dress she had so proudly worn, to the floating black gown and a journal clutched tightly to her chest, to her pink jeans, white t-shirt, and black jacket. The images were fighting with each other and all Marinette could do was cry and scream for it to stop. Adrien tried to reach out and touch her but his hand hit an invisible barrier.
"Kid!" Plagg flew out, "You have to speak to her! She's the only one who can fight the akuma!"
"Marinette!" Adrien began. He planted his feet and tried to stand steadily as the whole foundation shook beneath his feet. "You are the bravest girl I know. The kindest, most loving, most courageous friend I have!"
The images kept shifting, the akuma fighting for control.
"From the day I met you, I knew you were the one! You don't have to dream any of this! You don't have to force reality! This is all fake and you don't need it!" Adrien continued.
Marinette began clutching the journal even tighter as a dark purple began to encompass her body. The akuma was winning…
"You don't need to pretend that all of this can happen because it can happen. When I first met you, when you ran into me and strung me up with your yoyo," Adrien's voice broke. "I knew that I liked you… with or without the mask."
A crack tore open the roof of the church and Adrien could see the outlines of the school hallways appear through it. A clap of thunder sounded as the reality which the akuma had created began to fall apart.
"You don't need this… because you deserve the real thing. And a couple years from now… if you still want this dream… I'll give it to you… because I love you."
The akuma gave one last terrifying howl before the whole picture exploded. There was a loud booming sound and Adrien rushed forward, embracing Marinette in order to protect her from whatever debris fell. But the only thing which hit his back was dust.
Adrien looked up and Marinette and he were in the school hallway again, still hugging tightly. Marinette's grip slowly relaxed. After a moment, she looked up into his eyes.
"D-d-did… you r-really mean… t-hat Chat?"
Pulling Marinette to her feet, Adrien replied, "Of course my lady."
Marinette sobbed before burying her face in his chest, crying. Adrien continued to hold her, rubbing her back and letting her release all her pent up emotions. They stayed that way for a while.
After Marinette pulled away and wiped her tears, she coughed. Suddenly, the situation felt very awkward and Adrien began fidgeting.
"I…"
"I…"
They spoke at the same time.
"You first."
"You first."
At that… Adrien began laughing. Marinette only rolled her eyes and whispered, "Silly cat."
"Personally," a cranky high pitched voice stated, "I think you both are idiots."
"Plagg!" Adrien said, relieved his kwami was okay.
Marinette instantly remembered her own kwami. She quickly opened her purse and asked, "Tikki? Are you alright?"
A red blur flew out of the pastel pink bag and fondly nuzzled Marinette's cheek. "Now that you're alright, I'm just fine."
Marinette's brow furrowed. "But how am I alright? Ladybug's yoyo is the only thing able to purify akumas. How am I… well… unakumatised?"
Adrien timidly raised his hand, "I would also like to know. Because I started freaking out and this cat," He said gesturing to Plagg, "was as cool as a cucumber."
"Plagggggg…!" Tikki groaned. "You could have at least told him!"
"Told me what?" Adrien asked.
"Well… in essence, when Marinette captures an akuma with her yoyo, she purifies it right?" Tikki began explaining. "To purify something you have to cleanse it with something pure. And well…"
"True love's kiss." Plagg said smugly.
Both Marinette and Adrien turned a bright crimson. Tikki shrugged guiltily. "I mean, it's not the first time a Ladybug has been akumatised… there has to be a failsafe."
"But why didn't you just tell me in the first place!!!" Adrien growled at Plagg.
"I'd thought it be better for you to figure it out on your own—Hey!" Plagg narrowly dodged Adrien's hand. "I helped you at the end!"
This time, when Adrien reached to snatch his kwami, he didn't miss. Stuffing Plagg into his shirt pocket, he relished in the muffled silence which followed.
"Well…," Tikki began, "I'll just leave you two alone. I think it would be good for you to talk things out. And I'm only saying this once," Tikki turned to Marinette, "I think you should skip the rest of school." With that, the red kwami flew into Marinette's purse, leaving the two teens quiet.
"Thanks… for everything." Marinette breathed.
"I really did mean it, you know," Adrien said softly. "You deserve to have all your dreams come true… properly." He wrapped his arm around Marinette's shoulder and gave it a small squeeze.
"One day…" Marinette replied, looking into his eyes.
"One day…" he echoed.
(Epilogue)
Ten years later…
Adrien came home after a long day at work, ready to collapse into bed. He opened the door to the bedroom and found Marinette sitting on her side of the bed, reading a familiar looking book.
"Is that what I think it is?" Adrien asked.
Marinette smiled fondly. "It's my dream journal I wrote when I was… sixteen? The thing which started the whole…" She waved her hands.
Adrien just grinned and flopped onto the bed, his head near Marinette's lap. Out of habit, Marinette began stroking his blond hair and Adrien purred… as close as a human can get to purring.
"I'm still having a hard time believing that nearly all of it came true. We're married, little Emma is sleeping along with Hugo and we have a cat…" Marinette whispered.
Adrien propped himself up. "Why wouldn't it have come true?" He raised an eyebrow.
"Well for one, when I wrote this, I could barely speak coherent sentences around you. Second, you just seemed… so unattainable I guess. To me, you were perfect and I wasn't. I know it seems silly now, but back then… I don't know…"
"I wasn't perfect," Adrien sat up and wrapped an arm around his wife.
"I know." Marinette replied, snuggling into Adrien's chest.
"Nor was I unattainable. I was just a stupid kid who was so focused on the girl wearing the mask; I couldn't recognize the girl without the mask. And I hurt her." Adrien said somberly.
"You know I don't blame you for any of that." Marinette responded, looking into Adrien's mesmerizing green eyes.
"If we want to get technical, it was all Chloe's fault." Adrien snickered. "But then again, when is it not?"
Marinette playfully punched Adrien's shoulder. "She's gotten better… and if it hadn't been for her, I might, to this day, be a bumbling mess of words around you."
Adrien raised his hands in surrender, "Alright, you win princess. But you know what I'm thinking?" Adrien's voice dropped to a low husky tone.
Marinette raised an eyebrow before leaning closer to her husband, her fingers trailing up his right arm. "Enlighten me." She practically dared him.
"I promise to fulfill each and everyone one of those dreams." He stated.
"So?"
"Emma… Hugo… I owe you one more." He grinned.
"I suppose you do."
End.
A.N.
Well I should be focusing on other stuff but I had this sitting in my folder and I just wanted to write it. I hope you enjoy this fanfic; I did.
Have a good week!"