A gust of cold wind ruffles stray raven locks of hair peeking out from underneath a pale pink hat as Marinette burrows her face further into her scarf, as she hastens to sooner reach her apartment building about half a block away. An annoyed huff escapes her lips, breath visible in the air, as she internally bemoans the recent dismal weather. She silently reasons with herself that it was only the first week of March, and that warmer, more bug suitable temperatures were in the near future.
As she reaches the main door of the apartment complex, she fumbles for her keys with half numb fingers, before she slides the correct one into the lock and steps in with a small sigh of relief to be out of the unforgivable wind.
Her mood brightens considerably as she begins her ascent of the stairs to the third floor as she remembers something in the even nearer future. Her and Adrien finally had a whole weekend together, with no work or studying to interrupt them. While they occasionally would have a shared evening off together, they were usually too tired to do much other than snuggle up on the couch and watch Netflix, not that it was a bad thing. But just because something wasn't bad doesn't mean she didn't want to spend more than a few stolen hours together when they were too exhausted for anything else.
With the defeat of Hawkmoth three and a half years ago, their lives had calmed down considerably. Of course Ladybug and Chat Noir had continued their regular patrols and occasionally stopped a mugging or assisted the police if they were available. But overall they didn't see as much action as they used to, and while that was a good thing, no more worrying about risking their lives and safety of their loved ones, in the past year or so she had found herself itching for something more.
She shakes herself from her thoughts, as she reaches the door to her apartment, she fumbles with her keys once more, eager to get inside where it was far warmer than the drafty hallway. A fresh surge of excitement and curiosity runs through her as she remembers the text Adrien had sent her earlier that day promising her a special surprise when she got home to kick off their weekend together. As she steps into the warmth of the apartment she inhales deeply, the scent of steamed dumplings and rice reaching her nose. She smiles fondly, since Adrien wasn't the best of cooks and was absolutely hopeless when it came to baking. She wrinkles her nose at the memory of coming home to a smoke filled apartment after his attempt at making her a birthday cake last year. However he had made it a point to learn her favorite meal from her mother, and thankfully it hadn't been overly complex and she could safely say that his dumplings could now give her maman's a run for their money.
"Adrien?" she calls out, hanging her coat and other outerwear on the hook next to the door.
"In the living room," came his muffled response, as if he was under a blanket.
Sliding off her shoes, she turns and takes the three steps to enter the living room, stopping as she takes in the sight in front of her with wide eyes. 'Well I guess I wasn't wrong about the blanket part' she muses as she takes in her boyfriend's creation with a giggle. A massive pillow fort currently occupied about three quarters of their small living room, comprising of all the couch cushions, two of their kitchen chairs, and probably every blanket and pillow in the apartment. A mop of sunshine hair appears in front of her at the sound of her giggle, verdant eyes smiling up at her, accompanied with a grin to rival a cheshire cat.
"Does the princess wish to inspect her new castle first or purrhaps she'd purrfur to sample the efforts of her purrsonal chef?" he offers standing up to wrap his arms about her waist. One thing Marinette had discovered about her kitty, even before they had started dating, was that he was extremely cuddly, taking any excuse to lean against her or wrap an arm around her. She realized that he had most likely been more or less starved for physical affection given his upbringing and welcomed his affections with enthusiasm. Nothing better to warm up a cold bug then a cuddly cat after all. Contemplating her choices for a moment, the rumble of her stomach interrupted said train of thought, making her decision apparent.
A chuckle accompanies a pair of soft lips against her forehead as a blush sets fire to her cheeks. "Okay then, food first then we will adjourn to Fort Cuddles." He teased softly, taking her hand in his and leading her toward their kitchen.
"Sorry minou, I didn't really get the chance to eat lunch, things have been hectic with getting everything ready for the show next week." she apologizes, lacing her fingers with his.
"It's fine bugaboo, cuddling is better with a full stomach anyways. Though don't be annoyed with me if I accidentally take a little cat nap." he says as he picks up a bowl set on the counter, filling it with rice before setting it on the table. She smiles at him before sitting in one of the two remaining chairs, lifting the lid of the steamer basket in front of her careful, taking a moment to close her eyes and enjoy the comforting aroma of her favorite childhood meal.
"This smells amazing chatton, a pawsitively purrfect way to start a clawsome weekend together." she complimented with a smirk, before selecting a dumpling from the basket and blowing gently on it before taking a bite.
"Mari, you punned! You know what that does to me." he exclaimed, taking her free hand in his dramatically, pressing fervent kisses against it. "Purrlease, pun some more." he gazes at her, green eyes smouldering.
She chews thoughtfully, before putting her chopsticks down, swallowing before taking a sip of water, enjoying the look of anticipation on his face. "A-fur-mative" she murmurs, raising an eyebrow at his purrformance. He responds by trailing kisses up the length of her arm, before leaning in to steal a kiss, letting out a whine of disappointment when she uses one finger to turn him away with a burst of laughter. "Ah minou, you get worked up so easily."
"Only you can make this kitten purr with just a few words, my lady." he assured, before helping himself to a dumpling.
They continue to banter back and forth as they eat, exchanging remarks about their respective days and how crazy the past few weeks had been for the both of them, with Adrien finishing the last of his midterm exams today and Marinette's internship becoming even more stressful with the upcoming spring release.
After they finished their meal, Adrien took her bowl from her, despite her protests that since he cooked she would clean up, and insisted that tonight was special and she should go change into something more comfortable and suitable for a pillow fort. With a sigh she relents to his wishes, edging past the pillow masterpiece in the living room before slipping into their bedroom. Pulling on her favorite pink with with polka dot pajama pants and a black sweatshirt with bright green cat eyes on the front and some fuzzy socks, she wonders what else her kitty planned for tonight. After throwing her hair up in a messy bun she makes her way back to the kitchen, sneaking up on the blonde at the sink before wrapping her arms around him from behind, resting her cheek against the warm plane of his back.
"What did I ever do to deserve a boyfriend as meow-velous as you?" she mumbles, inhaling his scent.
"Mari," he whines "you know what your puns do to me."
"Sorry kitty, your reactions are too cute I just can't help myself." she giggles, giving him a quick squeeze before stepping away.
"I wish I knew of something that got you as flustered as your puns make me" he pouts before placing the dishes in the drying rack, turning to pull her back against him, settling his arms around her waist. "And you deserve me by just being you bugaboo, though I think saving Paris from countless akumas and the delusions of my father means that you deserve a purrfect boyfurriend and more."
"Hey you had equal part in all of those battles, I couldn't have done it without you chatton. Despite whatever the public believes."
"And my reward was the love of the punderful princess in all of Paris, no, the world!" he exclaims with a grin, leaning down to kiss her nose.
"Alright alley cat, I surrender, you are not only the most pawsome boyfriend you are also the cheesiest."
"Did someone say something about cheese?" drawls Plagg, picking his head up sleepily.
"Plagg, you just ate, how are you still always hungry, we don't even have to fight akumas anymore." Adrien groans, before moving to the fridge and selecting a piece of camembert, tossing it toward the kwami. Selecting a cookie from the box next to the fridge he offers it to Tikki who also had awoken from her nap, which she graciously accepts before snuggling up against her companion.
Marinette smiles watching him interact with Plagg, his annoyance only surface level as he really cared for the little god of destruction. "C'mon kitty cat, you still have yet to give me a tour of my surprise." she beckons holding out her hand to him.
"As you wish, my lady." he turns, declining her hand with an extravagant bow, gesturing to the living room. Giggling she ruffles his hair as she passes by, turning back into the living room, she surveys the plush construction again, marvelling at the time and effort it must have taken.
"Shall I give you the grand tour?" he asks from behind her.
"Yes, please lead the way, my knight in shining leather" she requests, biting back another fit of giggles at his theatrics. With another feline grin, he lowers himself to all fours, making sure she has an uninterrupted view of his backside, knowing her obsession with it. Marinette lets out a soft groan, aware of his payback for all the puns earlier, her cheeks turning a bright shade of red as his posterior wiggles its way beneath the pink blanket draped over the backs of the other two kitchen chairs and she can't help but reach out and give it a quick squeeze.
"And you know exactly what that does to me, minou." she giggles at his over exaggerated yowl, before kneeling to follow him. "Keep it up kitty and this fort won't be the only thing wrecked by the end of the night."
Adrien's own face is lit aflame at her insinuation, as he makes some final adjustments to the blankets and pillows in the main open area, with walls made out of couch cushions, he double checks that behind her curved cat pillow from her childhood bedroom is a small box hidden beneath a blanket. Taking a deep breath to hide any nervousness he turns and gestures to the cat pillow and its surrounding nest of blankets and additional pillows. "Your throne awaits princess" he offered with a wink.
Grinning she moves to take her place on her 'throne' tucking a blanket across her lap. "Does this mean I'm the princess of cats?" she inquires with a raised eyebrow.
"Only one cat, my lady, I don't intend to share with any strays" he replies, taking one of her hands in his and raising it to his mouth to press a kiss against her knuckles, maintaining eye contact the entire time. A blush darkens her face once more at the sudden shift in his demeanor, from playful and teasing to serious and sensual.
"S-so," she stammers, cursing the old habit that only managed to flare up whenever he really managed to catch her off guard. "What kinds of things does a princess do while visiting Fort Cuddles?" she continued, turning to him with a look of curiosity replacing the embarrassment.
Adrien grins, delighted by her flustered state he caused. He would never get tired of how gorgeous she was when her cheeks were bright red, the same color as her Ladybug suit. He turns in response to her question, producing a tablet from the pillows behind him. "Why she enjoys some entertainment and the company of her most loyal knight of course." he purrs, moving closer to wrap an arm around her shoulders before tapping the screen to start the movie he had selected earlier. As the opening credits start playing his fingers loosen around her shoulder to once again brush against the top of the small box just behind her, the butterflies in his stomach surging once again, seemingly determined to escape through his throat. Swallowing he turns his attention back to the device propped up in front of them, tucking Marinette closer to him and resting his head atop hers, his nerves settling at her sigh of comfort.
Outside the wind picks up, battering the windows, as they lose themselves in the movie and each other, oblivious to the building storm outside. Humming with contentment, snuggles deeper into his embrace relishing their closeness. While what they were currently doing didn't differ much from a typical evening in together, she found she enjoyed the simplicity and comfort it provided after a long day. While part of her may miss the adrenaline rush of an akuma battle from time to time, nothing could compare to the sheer bliss of being in the arms of the love of her life.
Her shifting draws Adrien's attention away from the movie, and glancing down at her he can't help but be utterly enchanted by her expression of complete serenity. His gaze traces her features slowly, he commits each one to memory so that he can remember exactly how she looked tonight, in this moment. From her defined brows, to the way the light from the tablet made her bluebell eyes sparkle, to the dusting of freckles across her nose, over the soft curve of her cheek, down along her relaxed jaw, coming to rest on her slightly parted pink lips. His heart skips a beat as her effortless beauty once again astounds him. He can't help but press a kiss to her cheek whispering a soft "I love you" against her skin.
As bright blue eyes turn to meet his own, a smile of pure joy gracing those pink lips, she returns the sentiment, "I love you too, Adrien." Leaning up to meet his lips with hers briefly, he's once again overwhelmed by how completely perfect she is for him. She was passionate and confident to his reserved and cautious, strategic and resourceful to his impulsiveness and inexperience. But it wasn't all about balancing each other out. Marinette was also relentless in her kindness, he wouldn't doubt if she really wanted to she could make the proverb about killing with kindness true. She could be almost stubborn when it came to understanding what he was feeling, what he needed, without pushing any boundaries. She would comfort him whenever his fears and insecurities flared up, or whenever he had a nightmare about his father. She was his biggest supporter in his decision to attend university despite the fact that most people their age had already graduated and starting careers in their fields. She was his everything, and he hoped that she would want him as hers.
As the end credits roll, Marinette reaches out to pause the movie, turning the tablet face down before stretching her arms behind her with a yawn.
"I have no idea how you're going to make this weekend any better kitty, cause tonight has been purrfection." She pauses, brows furrowing as her fingers bump against something hard amongst the pillows behind her. "Adrien what-" she stops, taking in his anxious expression as her fingers close around the object to bring it in sight. Her breathe hitches as she takes in the dark blue velvet box sitting in her palm. "Adrien is this…"
He shifts, so that he's kneeling before her before gently taking the box from her open palm, hands shaking as he cradles it before her.
"Marinette you have been by my side since we first met, whether as Chat Noir and Ladybug or as Adrien and Marinette." he pauses, taking a deep breath, eyes meeting hers in an earnest attempt at calming his racing heart. The shock on her face melted as she realized just how worried her kitty was. He smiles, butterflies calming down slightly before continuing. "You've saved my life countless times both in the literal sense but also emotionally. You've been my rock as I process the actions of my father and move forward from them, and also as I discover more of who I am and what kinds of person I want to be in the world, not as a tool of my father or a guardian of Paris, but as plain old Adrien." he explained. "And the kind of person I want to be most is the kind that returns everything you've given me and more. All I really want in life is you by my side, every day and night for the rest of our lives. I want to help you achieve your dreams and find new ones. I want to share every experience that comes my way, good or bad, with one person and that's you Marinette." he confessed, eyes pleading with her to understand how much she meant to him. "So…" he pauses taking in a shaky breath as he mentally psyches himself up to ask the most important question of his life. "Marinette Dupain-Cheng, will you mar-"
"Yes," she responds breathlessly, before he can finish his question, blinking back tears. "Yes I will marry you Adrien, mon chaton." she reaffirms, surging forward to wrap her arms around his neck, ring box knocked to the pillow strewn floor. "Silly kitty" she murmurs, brushing her nose against his. "Like you even need to ask." she teases before fitting her lips against his as a physical affirmation of her answer. Adrien immediately melts against her, lips moving with hers in a practiced dance, sliding and pressing together in an age old promise of love and devotion. He poured every emotion into that kiss, his relief, his joy, his love and passion, everything. His teeth tenderly nip at her lower lip in hopes of acceptance to the dedicated probing of his tongue against hers as the kiss deepens, a purr rumbling from his throat at her small moan. Eventually they part just enough to breathe, blue and green eyes peering out from behind heavy lids, to gaze at each other, lips still parted as they catch their breaths.
Biting her lower lip, Marinette leans back with a squeal, hands feeling around the blankets below them, searching. "I'm sorry Adrien, I got so caught up I didn't even let you put on the ring, or finish your question, or-" she stops mid sentence as his he tilts her chin up to meet his gaze, once again presenting the blue box, but this time it was open, revealing its contents. Inside nestled in cream satin, a silver and gold twisted band wrapped around a small diamond in the center, not too large as to be a hindrance while working, with a small ruby to the top left and a peridot to the bottom left of the center stone.
"I thought that the red and green would be a nice little touch on our identities since not only is Adrien proposing to Marinette, Chat Noir is proposing to his Lady, and you said you didn't like the plain diamond rings that are currently in fashion and-" he's interrupted by soft pink lips meeting his in a brief caress.
"It's pawsitvely purrfect minou, just like tonight." she assures, pulling back and offering her left hand. He chuckles and slides the ring onto her finger before pressing a kiss to her fingertips, moving up her arm, lingering for a moment on her pulse, smirking at its rapid beat, before moving up and capturing her lips between his once more. Pawsitively purrfect indeed he silently agrees, purring as he melts with happiness against his fiancé.