I'm not the kind of girl who should be rudely barging in on a white veil occasion
As she walked down the aisle she felt how every piece of her heart fell to the ground.
Marinette couldn't believe this was happening. It had to be a thing of nightmares, she had to be dreaming, this couldn't be real… but it was, and she knew it, no matter how badly she wished for it to be some kind of illusion, reality always came to hit her on the face.
Sacre Coeur had always been a beautiful place to Marinette. The basilica's design was beautiful, and the view it had from outside was outstanding, she didn't have much memories here, she was grateful for that, because now Sacre Coeur had become in a painful place to think of.
She shouldn't be there in the first place, but she couldn't stay away, she had to see it with her eyes, she had to convince her brain that this was real. She had to get over it.
It was a late night, as quiet as a Parisian night could be, and while the sector had been closed and counted with security on the perimeter, that was no obstacle when you had superpowers. Marinette had easily sneak out under the nose of the guards and found herself inside of the chapel.
As she walked down the corridor she couldn't help but imagine herself in a white dress, a dress designed by her, the most beautiful and soft silk flowing around her skin, delicate details on top of her shoulders, a long but elegant back cleavage, and a veil designed not to cover up said cleavage. Her hair would be in a stylish braid bun with only a few pieces of hair loose to emphasize her face. She could see herself on it, she could see a different decoration too, more simple, and not inside a church, but on the outside, flowers all around, something more relaxed, that's for sure. But the most important thing in her fantasy, the biggest dream was the guy waiting for her at the end of the aisle.
But you are not the kind of boy | who should be marrying the wrong girl
The perfect guy, the guy she had loved for so long was standing there with elegance, wearing a black tux that made contrast to her bone white dress, a tux that made him look as refined as he was, a tux that made his factures stand out and look as perfect as they were. Not that he needed the help.
His factures were beautiful, more than beautiful, they were haunting. How such sharp factures were also the softest? And his factures weren't the only haunting thing about him. Marinette couldn't understand how magical this guy was. How did a guy overcome all the odds of being sad, mean and angry? How the same guy became the sweetest, the funniest, the loveliest person in the world?
He was an enigma, and Marinette had always loved riddles, she was good at them, and even when she wasn't she enjoyed the journey and the questions it brought.
Adrien was Marinette's favorite riddle. She could spend her life trying to figure him out; along the years she had figure it out one piece, a little piece of the puzzle that he was, a piece that gave her answers as well as questions. Figuring out he was Chat Noir, her flirty, loyal and dedicated partner, had been a surprise, but also made so much sense, Marinette couldn't believe she hadn't figure it out sooner, she felt so dumb.
Life had changed after that, for the good.
It had been awkward at first, after all it was a lot to take in, but they had worked things out quickly, and their relationship had grown strong, they became the best friends they always wished they were, they started to share secrets and cover for the other, they became an essential part of each other's life. They had so many memories together, but only one kept echoing inside Marinette's mind as she looked at the white ribbons and roses. Those memories made Marinette's fantasy end and her mind rewind to a real piece of life she had lived.
It had been a late night; a thunderstorm was taking over Paris. The thunders were lighting up twice as brighter the City of Lights, the rain was dropping on the pavement, creating puddles and running down the streets, the rain was a dark mirror on the floor reflecting tourist smiles, locals dreams and neon signs on top of the attractions of the lovely French capital.
There was no sign of trouble but from her balcony she saw a dark spot running on the rooftops.
She had smiled at it, and rolled her eyes. With how wet the rooftops were it wouldn't be a surprise if he swept; and she was not going to miss a chance to tease him. She had transformed and followed him, jumping from rooftop to rooftop with the help of her yo-yo.
It didn't take her long to catch up with her partner, she had been excited the first second she was close, ready to jump in and scare him so she could laugh at him for getting scared, but soon she realized Chat Noir wasn't having a good night.
She didn't have cat senses as he did, but she didn't need them to smell him because he was ricking on liquor.
"Adrien!" She never called him by his name when they were in costume, it was too dangerous, it was true that Papillon had been defeated but they still had secret identities to protect, it was Superhero 101 knowledge. But extreme situations deserved extreme measures. Measures that paid off, Chat Noir stopped running and turned to her, the sudden move made him slipper, his feet left the ground and he hit the roof with his body.
Marinette wasn't in the mood to laugh or tease him anymore, something serious was happening. She kneel to his side, and give him a tender smile when she found herself on her camp of vision.
"What are you doing, silly kitty?" She asked as she petted him, running her fingers through his hair
"Enjoying the view" He smirked "Beautiful view, sad you can't see it, sometimes I feel sorry for you, you can't see how beautiful you are, while I'm lucky to do so… you are so, so pretty, people come to visit Paris and miss the most beautiful masterpiece, and here I am, looking right at you… a turn to my bad luck, I guess"
"You are drunk" Marinette said, trying to hide the emotions he had light up with his words
"Very" He nodded "Something that has no correlation with my words, the alcohol only gives me the power to say things that are already in my head, out loud, like have I already told you how much I missed you? I missed you badly, Buginette, I'm never leaving Paris again, two days without seeing you made me a mad men"
"I missed you too, but I didn't miss your no sense, and since you are drunk that's the only part of you I'm getting to see. You have to go home, and sober up"
"What's the fun in that?"
"What's the fun in being drunk?"
"You don't feel a thing"
"Not true"
"Yeah, it's not true, but it feels different. Dreaming that your heart belongs to me is easier than when I'm being rational"
"What?" Marinette asked perplex
"I'm in love with you" Chat said in middle of a giggle, leaning closer to Marinette
"You are in love with… me?" She blinked fast
"So madly in love with you" He turned himself to the side, this allowed him to embrace her in a thigh hug and kiss her cheek in a soft touch "Since I was fourteen years old, since it was a teenage crush… and then it developed into more, and I thought I couldn't love you more than I did and one day you reveal your identity and I know I was wrong, there's no limit for love when it comes to you, because I find myself loving you more than I already did, and it feels wonderful. But I don't want to bother you with my feelings, we both agreed to stay friends, I was too scared to confess my love in that moment and then the moment never came. And then I started dating Chloé" He laughs again; a struck of pain hits them both "It's a good image for the company, it's good for business, I repeat that to myself, the business needs help, once that my father left everything to find my mother I'm in charge, and this is the only way I have to keep his legacy… and I can't have you while I'm with Chloé, but I also don't have feelings for her so I keep loving you…
"Adrien…" I love you too
"I'm marrying her, princess" He sighs, saying it before she can make her declaration "It's the only way to help my father, is the only way to save the business, if that business dies my father is going to blame me for life, he is going to hate me, and the only way is to marry Chloé and get money. I feel so awful, I feel so dirty… but it's the only way, and I can't disappoint him, not with this… I'm always disappointing him, I'm never what he wants me to be, I never do what he wants me to do, I'm failure after failure on his eyes, and I wish I wasn't, I just wish he loved me unconditionally, but that's not the case and I have to do things like that to be the son he wants, and I need to do them, at the end is not for him, is for me, I need to do these things"
How was Marinette supposed to say something after that? She knew how much his father acceptance meant to him, he had said it right there.
"But… if you… if you by any chance love me back… then forget everything, I'll run with you wherever you want me too"
Marinette's heart burst in a firework show, a firework show that last as long as the sound of one. Reality hits her again.
His father means the world to him. Can she take away that? She's only a girl, he can fall in love with anyone he wants to, he can stop loving her at any moment of his life, but his father? His father is a constant, and Marinette can't break that.
"I'm sorry, Adrien… I don't love you like that" And that's the biggest lie that has come and would ever come out of her mouth. It burns in her tongue, like tasting strong liquor, it starts with a bad taste and then spreads like a wildfire down your throat.
Adrien's eyes open wide but they are not looking at her, in fact his green tinted eyes are avoiding her, mostly because the forest inside of them is flooding in pain.
Marinette reaches for his hand but he dodges her, he is hugging himself as he was trying to put pieces back together
"Adrien…" She says her name in a low tone. At this moment he is crystal and any strong noise can break him
"I need my time… I need space" He whispers
"I understand" Marinette nods. Of course she understands, she needs it too, she needs to get used to the idea that she has lost him forever, that he will never be hers.
The memory ends there, but the pain remains. Not only because of the sadness of the old situation, but the torment of the one she was living.
Marinette and Adrien had spaced out, it didn't only reflect in their civilian lives, where everyone seemed curious for their "fight" status, no, it also had moved to the other part of them; Ladybug and Chat Noir weren't a team anymore. Patrolling by themselves, fighting against crime alone, it had been only two times in the period of six months that they had teamed up once again, but those times had been exceptions.
Marinette had tried to reach a few times, but she hadn't tried enough. They hadn't spoken in eight months. They barely had seen each other outside of the masks, and when they had crossed paths as Adrien and Marinette, they had only shared an aching look, and followed their path without an attempt to speak.
She should have tried harder, it was too late now.
Marinette give a final round to the chapel and she left with her heart aching.
I sneak in and see your friends | and her snotty little family all dressed in pastel
And she is yelling at a bridesmaid | somewhere back inside a room
Wearing a gown shaped like a pastry
Marinette shouldn't be here, not again. That's what Tikki kept saying every time she was able to go out of the little bag Marinette was carrying. And Tikki was right, but Marinette couldn't help herself so there she was.
Sneaking out ended up being harder than it had been last night, now there was real people inside the church, talking and waiting for the couple to appear. There were also cameras and journalist.
Marinette rolled her eyes, of course Chloé wanted everyone watching her wedding, as she was from royalty or a celebrity. True must be told people were going to watch it, but not because of her.
A shout around the corner made Marinette stay still, her body pressed against a cold wall. She wasn't supposed to be there, but again there she was.
Since the church itself was filled with people, Marinette had sneak out on the hallways around it, where no one could see her, but where she would be able to see other; it was a good plan till Marinette realized those hallways and rooms were being used by Chloé, her family and her bridesmaids. Now she was trying to get the hell out of there.
A few people had passed by her, not saying a word which was good no one recognized her, they only thought she was another guest to the event. After all she was wearing a dress.
She had thought about the possibility of being caught, and the chances were less if she wore adequate clothes for the situation.
The dress was short, over the shoulder and made of chiffon so it flowed from her waist to the top of her knees. The arctic blue color made her skin glow, and made her dark hair look blacker, the white bow that was holding the pony tail also helped to do. For final touch, she was wearing white flats, she would usually go for kitty heels, but in case she had to run, she chose the ballerina shoes.
"That's not how it's supposed to look!" Marinette could recognize that angry scream anywhere.
It was true Chloé had gotten better with time, she was even bearable, but deep down in her core, she was still the same Chloé that had make Marinette's life miserable year after year.
Marinette took a step forward to the direction of her voice.
"Marinette, no" Tikki said from her bag, she was frowning
"Hide" Marinette answered, it was the sweetest way she had to shut her up.
Marinette made her way down the hallway, looking at both sides of it at every step till she reached an open door.
Marinette couldn't understand why she was surprised by looking at Chloé in a wedding dress. Chloé would never know but she had been part of the designing team for her dress. Marinette didn't knew at the moment that it was her dress, Chloé hadn't requested anything special, she just asked for something big, expensive and elegant. Or that's how her coworkers at De Villeirshad described it.
The dress wasn't one of Marinette's favorite creations, she never felt the magic, the butterflies in her stomach, that she always felt when she designed something she really liked. Designing wedding dresses was another phase for Marinette, one that she really enjoyed, but that dress didn't brought her happiness at the moment she finished. It wasn't the only design, but now by looking at Chloé wearing it, it was becoming her most hated one.
She did like the bridesmaids dresses, maybe not her color of choice, the pastel tone of yellow didn't flatter any of the girls wearing them, hey but it was Chloé, her history proposed that she had done that on propose.
Chloé was screaming as she walked in her wedding gown; her bridesmaids were following her and trying to calm her down. Marinette knew nothing was going to calm angry Chloé at that moment.
Marinette doesn't want to see more of Chloé, she turns around and makes her way down the hallway once again; she turns to the left and has to stop her way.
This is surely not what you thought it would be | I lose myself in a daydream
Adrien is there and he is frowning.
A knot forms inside of Marinette's stomach by looking at him. For a moment she is scared that he saw her, but when he looks up she realizes that his sight is in a death point, and not in her direction.
He is wearing a white tux with a gold tie, and while model Adrien Agreste can make any piece of clothe look good, white is definitely not his color.
Maybe is just Marinette's brain playing with her; after years of picturing him marrying her in a black tuxedo with little touches of silver, she can't imagine him marrying in other colors, as unconventional the all black tuxedo would be for a wedding, Marinette can't see nothing but that as the perfect choice.
Also he should be wearing a smile.
A smile was always the most expensive thing he wore. His real smile was a sparkly diamond that only the luckiest could see. He made such a simple gesture the most luxurious thing on him.
Marinette always felt the richest person in the world; she owned so many of that smiles, more than anyone could ever have.
She missed those smiles. She missed him.
So she looked from afar; there was pain on her heart already, a little more of suffering wasn't going to change a thing.
He promenade around a short space, his shoes made a sound that after a while took it's own rhythm, his hands were on the pockets of his pants, and even from Marinette's distance he could see he was whirling his fingers around his thumb, he always did it when he was nervous. Marinette wished she was in front of him, then she could take his skinny hand between hers and rub her thumb, calming him down, maybe even leave a kiss on his knuckles as she had done many, many times. But she couldn't, and that sucked.
"Adrien, you are doing it again" Nino appeared at one of the doors, and walked to his best friend
"I'm sorry, I'm not doing it consciously" The blonde answered in between a gasp. He squinted his eyes and pinched the bridge of his nose "It's a lot to take in"
"You are still on time to run the hell out from here, you know? You just say the words and we run"
"Isn't your job the exact opposite? You are my best man, you are supposed to support me" Adrien covered his face with his hand, then moved to brush his hair out of his forehead
"I'm supporting you… I'm trying to help you here, an engagement is supposed to happen because two people love each other, a wedding is suppose to be a happy moment" Nino sighed "You are supposed to be feeling the luckiest man on earth, but since you got into this mess I haven't seen a real smile from you. This is not how things are suppose to be, Adrien"
"You don't get it" Adrien shook his head to the sides. He turned at the opposite direction of Nino; placing his hands against the wall and then pressing his forehead. "It's the only way"
"There's always another way"
"Not for this. My father-
"Your old man can be a cold hearted statue, yeah, I know, but I also know that he would never want you to marry just for business
"You still don't know my dad"
"Adrien, I'm being serious here, he doesn't look that thrilled
"Because that's him. There's nothing left to do, and I got nothing to lose"
Nino gave a sigh of despair
"Then it's time to go, she will walk down the aisle in a few minutes"
And as the two friends left the hallway, so did Marinette, still hiding in the shadows that the church provided.
Fond gestures are exchanged | and the organ starts to play
A song that sounds like a death march | and I'm hiding in the curtains
It seems like I was uninvited by your lovely bride-to-be
Marinette almost made her way out of the church without being recognized. Almost.
But in her defense, it was Alya.
"You are here" Alya said taking her by her shoulders.
"Hi" Marinette whispered, trying to cover the scare she had given it by jumping in front of her
"What are you doing here? Marinette what are you doing to yourself?" She asked
Marinette tried to come with a excuse, one that could be good enough for Alya to believe, but said excuse didn't exist, Alya had a radar for lies
"Marine—
The sounds of the bridal march, played in the melodic harmony of an organ, made the both of them stop looking at each other and to the door behind them, doors that were slowly opening.
Alya took Marinette by her wrist and pulled her to the last seat, if they were lucky Chloé wouldn't look in their direction and Marinette would be safe, because difference to her, Alya had been invited.
The music kept playing and the doors were finally completely open.
People in their seats were standing up and turning around to look at the bride, but Marinette's eyes weren't on her, she was trying to look in between the thousand of faces, to find one at the altar, but it was useless.
She floats down the aisle like a pageant queen | But I know you wish it was me
Don't you?
There was Chloé in all her snotty self.
She was smiling, you could see it since she wasn't wearing a veil. Her father was smiling at her, Marinette couldn't deny that it was sweet.
But the situation made Marinette's heart ache. There it was, reality had finally hit her and it hurt, it hurt more than any pain she had ever felt before. Getting hit by akumas for years hadn't prepared her for such sorrow.
Marinette's hands were in fists, she was biting her lip and her eyes were closed, she was trying to keep it together.
"You shouldn't be here, you are a masochist, Marinette" Alya whispered
"I have to, is the only way, I have to get over it"
"You shouldn't have to get over it" Alya said, and those were the last words they spoke for a long time.
The ceremony didn't have any difference to others Marinette had seen, maybe the cameras and the lack of intimacy, but those were things that surely only Marinette had noticed.
She didn't realize how long had it been till Alya elbowed her
"You could do something" Alya whispered between her teeth "Save him and you from the hell you two are living"
"What are you talking about?" Marinette said surprised
"You love him and he loves you, don't tell me you don't know that"
"I know" She nodded "Well, I knew… a lot can happen in eight months, probably he doesn't anymore, we haven't been in contact"
"He loves you, Marinette, and he misses you and he can't stop thinking about you" Alya said "I know your reasons, you have told them a million times but believe me, they are not worth the pain you two are going through"
"His father means everything to him"
"You mean everything to him. He needs unconditional love, and you love him like that. I know Adrien, he won't think twice if you tell him you love him, his father's acceptance is not what he needs, you can make him see that. Tell him you love him and safe him from this stupid situation"
"It's too late, Alya"
"No it's not, you are still on time"
"What if you are wrong? What if I make a fool of myself?"
"Does it matter if you save Adrien of an unhappy marriage?" Alya raised a brow
"No" Marinette said
"Then, there comes your moment" Alya pointed at the altar
"Should anyone here present know of any reason that this couple should not be joined in holy matrimony, speak now or forever hold your peace"
Marinette's heart stopped.
I hear the preacher say "Speak now or forever hold your peace"
There's the silence | there's my last change
I stand up with shaky hands | all eyes on me
Alya took Marinette's hand and give it a pat, also smiled her, encouraging her.
Marinette took a deep breath and all her courage, reminding herself that this was Adrien, the love of her life, the guy who was about to make a terrible mistake, it didn't matter if he loved her or not, this was about his happiness, she had to save him from this freak show.
She gave one last look at Alya, and she knew she could do this.
Marinette jumped out of the bench and walked to the middle of the corridor, no one seemed to pay attention to her, they were busy trying to look good for the cameras, watching at the couple in front of them.
Marinette didn't expect that, now how was Adrien going to turn to see her, why didn't this work as in the movies? Now she had to really speak to catch everyone's attention.
She could do it, she was Ladybug, she fights against criminals every day, this is easy compare to that, right?
No it's not and it has never been, she has never been courageous enough to tell Adrien she loves him. But she has to, maybe this way she can put sense in that brain of his.
But…what about Chloé?
Yeah, she doesn't like the girl, she is mean and she is marrying the love of her life but she is a person. Chloé is in love with Adrien, or her version of being in love, and this is her wedding, a wedding that's being broadcasted for all the world to know. Can she embarrass her like this? She could, she has all the reasons to… but Adrien would never, because Adrien is not in love with her but he cares about her, he cares deeply and considers her his friend; Marinette can't ruin that.
I can't do this, it's too late.
Marinette puts her hands on fists and gasps; how stupid of her to think this was going to be like a movie, how stupid of her to think she could do something like this.
"Hey! What are you doing?!" The shout loud covers the words of the preacher who was about to continue the wedding speech. And that scream is what puts Marinette in the spotlight.
Marinette knows that voice perfectly; right now she isn't sure if to thank her or to hit her for what she has done. Alya is smirking from her seat.
"What is she doing here?!" Chloé shouts, she points at her with her bouquet of white roses, making petals drop to the ground "Security!"
Marinette sees how two guards are walking down in her direction, the cameras are all turning to Marinette, people gasp as they look at her, the whispers start, all the words seem to be judgmental but Marinette swears that she listens words that encourage her, a few sighs of relief are echoing in the walls of the chapel too.
She stays there, still unsure of what to do. Her eyes look at every corner of the decorated church, she start to recognize people, she tries to overlook the cameras around her, and her sight keeps running through the place till they fall in green tender eyes.
Horrified looks from everyone in the room | but I'm only looking at you
What is she supposed to say? What is she supposed to do?
Adrien is looking at her, his mouth is hanging open and he seems to have lost the ability to move.
Marinette can't judge him; apparently she lost the ability to talk. But is because there are so many things to say; How can she tell him everything she feels when two guards are coming to get her? When there's thousand of guest she doesn't know, and she doesn't want them listening her deeper feelings.
What does she says? How does she say it?
Where can she start?
Maybe from day one, from the day he showed her his kindness, how gentle and real he was, when he lent her the umbrella and they shared a cute moment. The day she fell for him.
Maybe that was too cheesy, maybe she was just a child then and her feelings wouldn't be understood.
She could tell him about the confusion she had between him and Chat Noir, how she was frying her brain trying to decide who she loved, only to discover weeks later than they were one and the same.
No, she couldn't say that, they had public.
She didn't know how to do this.
How did people simplified love into words? Love was so big, so bold, so full of energy that she couldn't describe him. If she could only make him feel what she felt when she looked at him, if she could show him that his happiness was hers, if she could only put all those things into words, but she couldn't; especially not now with so many people.
She should have told her feelings at the moment the opportunity showed, now she was stuck.
Why did she had to lie? She hated lies and she had told him the biggest lie of her life.
Wait.
When the guards were in front of her, Marinette dodged him; her Ladybug skills didn't go anywhere when she was out of the costume.
"Adrien" Finally her voice came out of her lips, and the sound of his name made Adrien take a step to the front "That night, on the roof… I lied"
I'm not the kind of girl who should be rudely barging in on a white veil occasion
But you are not the kind of boy | who should be marrying the wrong girl
So don't say "yes" runaway now | I'll meet you when you're out
of the church at the back door | Don't wait or say a single vow
You need to hear me out | and they say "speak now"
"I hope is not too late" She says lastly.
"Take her out of here!" Chloé shouted one more time.
Marinette gives one last look to Adrien before letting security take her out, that's when she sees he is smiling.
Adrien's is smiling so bright, almost as he was about to laugh. Anyone could think he is laughing at her, or maybe that it was some kind of coping mechanism, but Marinette knows that smile way too well, and her heart burst in to flames once she sees it.
It's not too late.
Marinette doesn't know how Adrien is going to fix the mess she created, but she knows he has a plan, after all they are a team, they will always have each other's back.
Giving one last smile to him, she makes her way out of the basilica with two security guards behind her.
Outside there are more cameras and reporters, the flashes and the press try to reach her out for questions, none of them is aware of what had just happened, but they are curious about why she had been taken outside by security.
That gave Marinette a hard time avoiding them, but she finally made her way out.
Marinette ran down the street to the stairs, running down as fast as she could till she reached the end, were the gazer and the carousel was.
She ended up sitting in the carousel, since there was no one around, an odd thing in the place, she thought it was a nice place to sit and cry.
"Oh, Marinette" Tikki said coming out of her purse. "I'm sorry"
"Don't be, Tikki" Marinette smiled between the tears "I'm happy, you didn't see him but he was smiling, he was smiling at me!"
"But I don't understand! He didn't stopped the guards!"
"I'm quite sure he is doing damage control, right now" Marinette giggled
"Are you sure, Marinette? I don't want you to get your hopes up just because he smiled"
"I know him, Tikki, you do too, trust me on this one, okay?"
"Okay"
Marinette and Tikki waited for a few minutes, the only sound around them was the water dropping on the fountain on their sides; that changed when the sound of wheels on pavement, screams of reporters and steps took over the hill.
At the same moment, Marinette's phone rang. Tikki took it out of the bag and they both read the message that the screen showed.
"Trocadéro in ten minutes" They said at the unison
"Are you ready?" Tikki asked
"As ready as I can be" She sighed "Tikki, you know what to do!"
Marinette made it to Trocadéro in record time, she sat on the top of the building, her legs hanging and there she waited.
She didn't know how things were going to play out but she had a good feeling about it. They had get over worst things before.
Marinette closed her eyes and enjoyed the evening breeze, she did her best to ignore the whispers of the tourist pointing at her, she was used to it and while sometimes she took her time to take pictures and have a word with them, today wasn't the day to do something like that.
The sound of foot hitting the ground make her turn around.
"Good evening, milady" Adrien was there in her Chat Noir suit, using his staff as support and leaning into him.
"Long time no see, Chat Noir" She answered, standing up and walking on his direction
"Been busy, planning my funeral and stuff" He whispered as he took one step closer to her
"Funeral, uh?" Marinette couldn't help but giggle
"Yeah, but don't worry, it's been canceled" He assures her "A dramatic, Oscar worthy, situation happened. Seriously I was so shocked that I couldn't react at first, it was like being in a movie"
"A movie" Marinette laughed, she thought the same "And how does that movie end?"
"I don't know… maybe you could help me out with that" Adrien pressed his forehead against hers, keeping his eyes open to look at hers.
"Maybe… so what happened?"
"Well so the handsome protagonist of the movie is about to get married, but as usual, the love of his life appears at the wedding, she stands in the middle of the aisle in absolute silence, she is just looking at him with those big blue sapphires she has for eyes, and the world completely stops for him, he can only see her, but he still wonders if is all inside of his mind, if it's a trick of his imagination. The bride is hysteric, and she has the right to be, yet our protagonist can't focus on her because the girl opens her mouth and talks… she says she lied to him"
"Interesting" Marinette purses her lips
"Very" Chat nods "It takes him a second but he understand what she is talking about, and the grey sky turns blue once again. His lady loves him back… now he doesn't understand why she lied, but who cares? Not him. And then faster than he can realize, she is out and his fiancé is trying to keep going with the ceremony, but he can't do it anymore, he never wanted to but now is impossible to do it. So he takes all the courage he has and gets ready to face the consequences his actions are about to provoke, but it doesn't matter, not if after that he is going to see her, and she will finally explain him… why did she lie?"
They both smile at each other.
The moment is ridiculous; Marinette couldn't stop thinking how ridiculous it was. Wasn't it supposed to be devastating and dramatic? And maybe rain should be falling and they should be looking at each other with pained eyes. Wasn't that how it worked in romantic movies? But no, they were smirking and raising brows, and flirting, not as much as they were used to, but there was a little hint. Yet Marinette thought it was perfect, it was them, and that was enough to make it romantic.
"Does it matter now?" Ladybug asks
"Yes it does"
"Can we stop talking in third person?" Adrien laughs at that
"Yes we can" Her hands rounded his neck in a hug
"I lied that night because I… I was scared that I could take away from you something you wanted so, something it meant the world to you, I just couldn't do it, so I lied. I told you the worst lie I have told in my entire life and as consequence I hurt us both. I love you, Adrien Agreste. I have loved you for so long… it wasn't love at first sight, you know that, but I fell for you quick. When you showed me who you really were inside, I couldn't help but love you, and as the years passed you only showed me more reasons for my heart to choose you. It's true that there was a moment that my heart started a war, I thought that my love for Adrien had drifted and that my heart had landed in a new land, but at the end it was always you. My heart chooses you even when it doesn't know is you" She giggled at the final statement
"That's something we have in common" He smiles at her
"And these months had been an eternal sorrow; missing you has been terrible, I didn't only lose the guy I loved, I lost my best friend, and that hurt, but made me realize that one of the reasons why I love you so much is that. Being your best friend is what makes me love you the most, I love to help you out, I love to give you advice and I love when you do the same. I love to tease you and joke around, I enjoy so much laughing at you and prank you, I love that it's not the romantic relationship portrayed in movies, I love that we can still be silly and not take things seriously, I love that my love for you is based on friendship, even if it wasn't like that on the early stages of it, I love that it is like that now, and I wouldn't change a thing of it. I love you, all of you, and I love who I am when I'm with you. I love you, I love you so much that I gave up my happiness for yours, and well, I know it was a mistake, but I want you to understand how much you mean to me—
"Marinette" He interrupts and leans closer, his lips softly brush against hers "I know, because that's how much you mean to me"
And he kisses her.
Marinette has imagined their first kiss, their real first kiss, so many times that she can't count them, but none of them she saw herself in this situation. But it doesn't matter, because it's perfect as it is. She can feel tears falling, she isn't sure if they belong to her or to Adrien, maybe both of them are crying, she wouldn't be surprised. Besides the tears, there's so much passion, so much feelings, ten years of what ifs, ten years of thinking this moment would never come, ten years of loving each other, and it finally paid off.
That night, when every news channel is talking about the failure of the wedding, as many people are talking bad about Adrien Agreste and are putting down and calling Marinette by horrible names, when whole Paris is talking about the amateur pictures taken of Chat Noir and Ladybug kissing, when Adrien's phone is getting spammed by texts, emails and calls; that same night, Marinette and Adrien are out of their masks, out of wedding dress and tuxedo and out of the real world.
As if the suffering they went trough had never happened they talk about the future, and made plans to get out of the city as soon as they can, let the fire of the situation appease and handle things later.
"Do you think we will ever be able to come back?" Adrien laughs, as he plays with strains of her hair
"One day they'll have to get over it, right?"
"I don't know, maybe you will be marked as "the girl who crashed Adrien Agreste's weeding" for the rest of your life"
"Ugh, please no"
"I like that name for you" Adrien teases her and she rolls her eyes "Not joking around, thank you for crashing my wedding, princess"
"Any time, chaton"
"I love you" He kisses her cheek
"I love you too" She answers
"Say it again"
"How many more times are you gonna ask me to?"
"Till I get tired of hearing it"
"Will that time ever come?"
"Not ever"
"Dork"
"Your dork"
"Yes, my dork"
Finally after ten years of loving him, he was hers, and she was his, and the world was perfect. It hadn't been too late.
And you say let's runaway now | I'll meet you when I'm out of my tux at the back door
Baby, I didn't say my vows | so glad you were around when they said
"Speak now"
Hope you enjoyed. This is part of my Love You Like A Love Song series on AO3, that I'm now posting here. I don't really understand how FF works (it's been a while and i became a grandma and forgot everything about it) so sorry if there's a mess or i can't answer comments or anything tbh
all the love xx
