"What do you mean 'deported'?"

Marinette sighed, turning to look at him with a frown. "I haven't applied for citizenship yet, Adrien," she said. "I mean I've been coming here on temporary visas because then I go back to China within a month or two. I didn't know I'd actually get the job here. I was, what, one of a dozen applicants?"

Adrien's brow furrowed. "But my father said he needs you to start now."

"Unfortunately, I can't," she said. "I have a week before my visa runs out, Adrien. I have to be gone by then."

He didn't want her to go. He couldn't let her. "There has to be a way to extend it."

"I already asked," she said. "And the process for citizenship is a long one that's going to take a while. They said… a year maybe."

"A year?"

Solemnly, she nodded.

Out of nervous habit, Adrien rans his hands through his hair, grabbing at chunks of it as he paced the floor.

"Adrien."

Suddenly, she was in front of him, stopping his pacing. She looked up at him with her beautiful blue eyes and a worried brow he really wished he could smooth out. "Calm down."

He forced himself to let go of his hair, and her lovely lips curled up into a soft smile. "There. Now don't worry about it."

"But you're leaving," he pouted, not caring that he sounded like a three-year-old at that moment. There was very little Adrien actually wanted in life. He grew up in a broken family, yet a wealthy one. They were prefect on paper, and he had everything he could have ever wanted.

Except a whole family.

He watched his workaholic father drive his mother away. And she'd left him.

She just… left.

Now twenty-three, Adrien had given up the hope of ever having a perfect family. He would admit that maybe he had trust issues. That he grew up in a family that abandoned him and a company that had used him. He'd been fooled one too many times in his life.

And then he met her.

She was still just a university student, learning the art of fashion in her home country of China. But she'd sent out an application for Gabriel's internship program, and despite the distance, Adrien's father picked her. He'd been sent to pick Marinette up from the airport three years ago, and that's when he met the bubbly sweetheart known as Marinette Dupain-Cheng.

At first, he thought she was cute—he allowed himself to have those thoughts about girls every once in a while—but slowly, she started coaxing an odd sort of friendship out of him. And he couldn't help but get swept up in the thought of having a friend.

He was always cautious though, never letting himself get to close until one day, when he saw Marinette passed out on her desk in the wee hours of the morning. He asked her why she was there. She explained that she had to finish a project and it took forever to find the right fabric from the storehouse while trying to find a male replacement model for her fabric line. But he'd never forget the answer she gave him when he asked why she didn't ask him for help.

"Because I didn't want to bother you. You're busy enough as is."

Somehow, those words resonated within him. Here she was, staying up hours after everyone had already gone home because she figured her own way through a problem instead of asking him for a tiny favor.

It was a risk for him, but he threw all caution to the wind and allowed himself to dive deep into his friendship with her. And that little give on his part made her open up deeper and deeper, and Adrien took more and more until he realized he really hated the word 'friendship'.

Especially now that she was two steps from leaving his world for far too long of a time.

"I'll be back," she assured, reaching forward to grab and hold his hands. "I promise."

"Marry me."

Silence.

"W-what?" Marinette asked, her blue eyes wide and confused.

"Marry me," he said, his hands tightening on her own. "Think about it. Marry me, you'll get a green card. You'll appear steady to the company, and considering I'll be your husband—"

"Adrien," Marinette interrupted. "You can't be serious."

"I am."

Another pause.

"Okay."

His heart skipped a beat. Was she serious? "Okay?"

"Okay."

His heart beat wildly as the realization that the girl he'd somehow developed a crush on despite swearing off any sort of relationship just agreed to marry him. "Okay."

"Can…" Marinette's gaze hit the floor. "Can we talk about it tomorrow? I'm really tired."

"Okay," he assured. "Yeah, that sounds good. I'll do a bit of research on how that really works and we'll talk about it in the morning."

"Okay." She pulled her hands from his and started back towards the door. "I'll see you tomorrow."

"Tomorrow."

With that, she grabbed her purse and slipped her shoes on while he opened the door for her. "Drive safely," he said.

"I will." She gave him a wave before descending down the stair that led up to his apartment, where they had spent the evening munching on pizza and watching a movie.

Adrien watched until she was fully out of his sight before shutting the door and leaning against it. He never would have guessed he would be so excited to be married. Never. Not with how his own parent's marriage had turned out. Yet here he was with a stupid smile on his face, reaching for his computer to shop for a ring.

He had to make it realistic, after all.