This is an AU story where Adrien and Marinette are adults, with a family.

Enjoy reading!

A.

x x x

It was a lazy Sunday morning. The sun somehow broke through the window blinds and shone in Marinette's eyes. She closed her eyes and rolled over. It was better now. She opened her eyelids and met Adrien's happy gaze.

"Good morning, M'Lady." He said with his cat-smile.

"Could you stop reflecting the sun?" She asked, smiling at him in response.

"I try. But you forbade me to dye." he reminded her.

"Someone would finally realise that you're patrolling the city as Cat Noir." She replied.

"But just think about it. I would look seductive as a black-haired Cat Noir."

"Watch out, because you'll fall into narcissism." she warned him. "You'll spend hours in front of the mirror, in love with yourself."

"Never!" he assured her. "I've been in love only with you. And I always will."

"Really? You're not bored yet?"

"Marinette…" he began in stern voice and pulled her closer.

He was about to kiss her when they heard a soft voice from the door:

"Mommy?"

Marinette giggled when she saw Adrien's expression.

"How do they do it?" He asked in a whisper.

"This is called a radar, Kitty." She whispered and stroked his cheek. "What's up, Emma?" She asked louder, rising to her elbow.

"Can I come to you?"

"Sure, Sunshine." Marinette agreed immediately, and Adrien just sighed. But he smiled at the sight of green-eyed four-year-old blond jumping on their bed. His female copy. And she also reflected the sun.

"Because Hugo says you're not Ladybug!" Emma immediately complained.

"How's that possible?" Marinette was surprised.

"You told me that if someone asks, I should say that you're not." The six-year-old boy grumbled from the threshold. He had black hair after his mother, but his eyes were as green as his father and sister.

"But I didn't mean the family!" Marinette laughed.

"So, if grandpa Gabriel asks, can I say?" Hugo asked, squinting, and her parents exchanged quick glances.

"Hugo…" Adrien began seriously, but Marinette silenced him with her eyes.

"Come here, honey!" she called her son. "I meant our closest family. Me, dad and your siblings. Understand?"

"I think so." Hugo nodded and took the opportunity to hug his mother. He was six years old, so it wasn't easy to hug her. He was almost an adult! But on the other hand, his dad was also an adult, and he hugged his mother very often. So how was it with cuddles? He made an internal note that he would have to raise this subject during a male conversation with his father.

"I could have thought about the children before…" Adrien muttered, glancing at Marinette, surrounded by Hugo and Emma.

"Yeah, sure. I almost see you going back in time." Marinette laughed, kissing the heads of her children.

"I'll bring you Louis." Adrien sighed, getting up. "You still have a place on your stomach."

"I can handle, Kitty!" she smiled at him in response.

After a while, her youngest son climbed on her. He was only eighteen months old and was still somewhat clumsy. As always, he kicked her mother under the ribs while he was climbing, but Marinette – as a superheroine – didn't even blink. Adrien leaned against the door frame and looked at his wife, besieged by their three children for a moment. Though so many years passed, he still wondered how it happened that this perfect woman had chosen him from all the guys on Earth.

Marinette looked up and smiled at him.

"I will make breakfast." he offered and before he left, he sent her a kiss.

And Marinette hugged her children more tightly. She had time to think that her life was wonderful when the phone rang.

Five minutes later she entered the kitchen as Ladybug, holding Louis in her hands that wasn't easy, because her youngest child tried to catch Plagg. Behind her, the older children ran shouting over each other who had been right in the morning.

Adrien froze in the middle of preparations for breakfast. Ladybug in the kitchen didn't mean good news.

"Yes, honey." She nodded at her husband's silent question.

"But it's Sunday…" he moaned in protest.

"It won't take time. Leave me one croissant." She whispered, passing Louis to Adrien and kissing both on the cheeks.

"Be careful, Bugaboo." he begged.

"I always am, Kitty." she smiled at him and touched his cheek. "Anyway, I'm afraid you'll have a harder task than me."

She looked meaningfully at their children. Hugo and Emma had just begun pulling each other's hair, and Louis gave the impression that today he would hunt a flying cat.

"Maybe we'll exchange?" Adrien winked at her knowingly.

"Apparently you like challenges, don't you?" She laughed in answer. "I'll be right back."

And she grabbed her magic yo-yo. After a moment she was gone. And Adrien – as always in such moments – looked through the window anxiously. He didn't like when she went out without him.

x x x

"I'm back!" Ladybug announced jumping inside the apartment through the window.

Adrien raised his head from an illustrated book he had been reading to the children. His eyes were visibly relieved when he saw his wife, and she traditionally rolled her eyes.

"You don't have to protect me every time." She murmured, anticipating his question, or rather answering a question he'd never asked. Well, unless in mind.

"I know." he muttered in reply.

"I'm a big girl."

"I know."

"So, what's the problem?" she asked, approaching the couch and taking Louis from Adrien's lap. With a skilful move, she placed the youngest son on her hip and bent to kiss her husband.

"I can't not-worry about you." He whispered, holding her face close to his.

"I know, honey." She whispered seriously. "I'm also dying of anxiety when you leave without me."

"You see?!" he smiled triumphantly, as if he hadn't known it before.

"We must ask grandparents to look after children more often, then we'll be able to go out together for our special actions."

"As I understand, you mean your parents."

"I wonder how you guessed it?" She winked at him and headed for the kitchen, with Louis on her hip. "Have you left me some breakfast?!" She called over her shoulder.

"Yummy!" her son answered, pointing at the croissants placed on the kitchen counter.

"You want one?" Ladybug asked Louis tenderly.

"I do." Adrien added, standing in the door.

"Maybe we'll eat on the terrace?" she suggested, taking the plate. "I'll just drop the spots."

After a while, she appeared on the balcony as Marinette. Louis went to his toys corner, while Emma and Hugo stuck in a tent installed in the other corner. Parents finally had a moment for themselves.

"Was it hard?" Adrien asked, putting coffee cups on the table.

"I would give a weak three on a scale of 10."

"You always give a weak three." he noted.

"We had ten only once. And enough." She sighed.

"I still don't believe that we won that day."

"And I don't believe that we managed to keep our identity secret." She shook her head. "It's been so many years, and I still have shivers on my back when we have to go visit your dad…"

"Now he's just a harmless grandpa."

"Adrien, your dad isn't so old!" Marinette replied.

"I mean, he has three grandchildren, Bugaboo. Not his age."

"Oh, OK…" she giggled and reached for a croissant.

"Mommy?" Hugo asked, suddenly materialising at the table.

"Obviously…" Adrien muttered and exchanged amused glances with his wife.

"What's up?" Marinette turned to her son.

"Why do you have to keep your identity secret?" Hugo asked.

"Oh, honey…" Marinette sighed and took her son to her lap. "You know that there are some bad people in the world, right? If they found out who we are, you would be in a great danger. By protecting our secret, we protect our loved ones. You, honey."

"So, if it's such a huge secret, how did you know with daddy that you were you?" Hugo asked.

"Uhm…" Marinette bit her lower lip and gave Adrien an amused look.

"Tell the story, mommy!" Emma shouted, jumping into Marinette's lap next to Hugo.

"Tell the story, tell the story!" Hugo asked.

"Tell the story, tell the story!" Adrien joined, leaning his chin on his elbows. A familiar Cat-Noir-smile appeared on his face. Marinette glared at him, and he just laughed out loud.

"Sto(r)y!" Louis shouted happily leaving his toys. After a moment he climbed on dad's lap.

Marinette felt she was in a minority. She sighed, settled herself more comfortably, hugging the children and began the story.

"A long time ago, there was a girl. Her name was Marinette."

"Mommy. Are you so old?" Emma interjected.

"You know the rules. We don't interrupt when someone tells the story." Marinette reminded her severely. "We leave all the questions to the end. Comments as well, Adrien!" she added, looking warningly at her husband.

"I love you, Bugaboo." He whispered with a smile, and she sighed. She was more than sure that he would embellish her story.

"I love you too, Kitty. And now we're listening! Once upon a time there was a girl. Her name was Marinette. She wasn't extraordinary…"

"Not true!" Adrien interjected.

"Adrien!"

"I have to stop you when you're embellishing!"

"I'm not!" Marinette said indignantly. "Before I became Ladybug, I was completely…"

"Don't even dare to finish this sentence, because we'll really argue." Adrien warned his wife. "Okay, kids. Mommy doesn't know how to tell the story. I will tell. And mommy doesn't interrupt!" He grinned at his wife and she rolled her eyes.

"OK, I'll give you a chance." She sighed.