As it turned out, the last week before a wedding was a perfect excuse not to have time for serious conversations. Even with the team of people Gabriel had hired to help pull off the extravagant affair, Marinette still found herself racing between appointments and tying favors until the wee hours of every night.
Her seamstress had come through, creating two extra dresses which seamlessly matched with the red and black dress that Alya would be wearing. Originally Marinette had contemplated having every member of their wedding party in a different complimentary color palette, but her virtual rendition of their wedding party had left her gagging. She had settled for the black dresses with red accents and the black suits with green accents, smiling at the uniquely fitting color scheme.
She loved the aesthetic flare of the skirts of the girls' dresses, with the peekaboo hint of red at the neckline and at the bottom hem. It had been Alya's idea to wear red converse sneakers and Marinette had added to it by hooking a ladybug charm to each pair. It had taken an unmeasurable amount of effort to track down two extra sets of red shoes and an extra pair of green shoes for Plagg, but Marinette deemed the time spent completely worth it. Her wedding party was going to be fashionable and comfortable, and Marinette couldn't wait to see them all come together.
At Marinette's request, Chloe and Alya had accompanied her to the last fitting of her wedding dress. Standing in the full-length mirror, admiring the dress that had only been slightly modified from the one she wore in the photoshoot the year prior, Marinette had felt the reality of the day hitting her. Trying to suppress her tears, she turned to squeal with her friends, accepting their praise and excitement along with their exuberant hugs.
The entire week had been a whirlwind, and Adrien had been but a passing blur of quick kisses as they passed each other over dinner, and only seconds of cuddling before dropping off to sleep sometimes fully dressed on the top of Marinette's comforter. Skidding into Friday, they both felt disconnected, overwhelmed and drowned in excitement.
Adjusting the flower clip in her hair, Marinette took one last glance in the mirror. Their rehearsal dinner was tonight, and they had already survived the hilarity of their actual rehearsal earlier in the day. Gabriel had been alarmed by the addition of Plagg into the wedding party, muttering under his breath about the destruction of the wedding photos because of Plagg's hair and then abruptly looking like he was going to faint when Tikki appeared on the scene.
Refusing to go by any other name, Tikki introduced herself with quick hugs for everyone. Her hair was short and spikey, fire red everywhere except for the five black polka dots that were expertly placed throughout her spikes. Her big blue eyes were wide and stunning, blinking with a false innocence which charmed even the startled Gabriel. Her laughter was like music and her voice was as soft as a sonnet, and Marinette couldn't help her affectionate smile every time Tikki bounced her way. Tikki in human form was as beautifully wonderful as Tikki in kwami form, and Marinette couldn't believe how lucky she was to have a chance to experience it.
Smiling to herself, Marinette turned to retrieve her purse, jumping as her balcony doors flew open. Stepping back, her eyes went wide as an elegant figure dressed in blue glided into her room.
"Ladybug, I presume," the woman spoke with an aloof air, tilting her chin so she could examine Marinette over the tip of her nose.
Marinette would have recognized that look anywhere. She steeled herself against her own nerves and squared her shoulders to face the masked woman. "Lavande Agreste. I was wondering if you would show up." Her voice sounded more confident than she felt, and Marinette prayed that she could keep up her façade.
"A little bug said some very rude things to me," Lavande made her way further into the room, pausing to study the pictures hanging on Marinette's wall of her and Adrien. It was a collage of their entire relationship, including pictures from news articles of their superhero selves and the newest pictures from their engagement shoot. The pictures told the story of their love, and Marinette saw a hint of softness cross Lavande's face as she continued to run her fingers over each frame.
"I was angry," Marinette confessed, tossing her purse onto her desk and crossing her arms. "I should not have been rude to you, but I meant what I said. If you can't be the person he thinks you are, you shouldn't be a part of his world." She leveled her eyes at the back of Lavande's head, holding her stare steady when Lavande turned around.
"I don't know if I can be the person Adrien remembers." The admission was quieter, with a hint of defeat seeping into the words. "I have had to protect my heart for so long, I don't know if it remembers how to love anymore." Clasping her gloved hands together, Lavande peered at Marinette from behind her blue mask. "Duusuu, my kwami," Lavande clarified noting Marinette's confused look, "she was surprised that I was willing to come at all." Soothing the feathers on her gown, Lavande took a deep breath. "You don't know what Adrien's father is capable of, what he wanted to do. I couldn't stay here for that and I couldn't take Adrien with me. I knew Adrien was destined to become a holder himself, how could he not with two holders as parents, but I never imagined Fu would give him Plagg. I never imagine Fu would put a target on his back like that." Brow furrowed, Lavande glared at the ground with her fists clenching.
The anger that flared on Lavande's face made Marinette nervous and she glanced to her purse wishing that Tikki was in there instead of downstairs helping her father make last minute adjustments to the wedding cake. Cautiously, Marinette took a deep breath. "I suppose you mean that Mr. Agreste went from hero to villain," waiting for Lavande to acknowledge her words which she did with a small nod, Marinette continued. "He gave up his miraculous, willingly, a year ago." She saw the change in Lavande's facial expression as she pressed on. "He gave it up the day that Adrien asked me to marry him, in a restaurant in Italy with cherubs dancing on columns and a sky-blue ceiling." Unwinding the chain from around her neck, Marinette held out the flower pendent. "Gabriel gave me this before Adrien proposed. Even then I could tell how special it was to him. For all of his mistakes, he never stopped loving you. They never stopped wanting you back."
A single tear rolled down Lavande's cheek. Her breath hitched as she kept her eyes trained on the ground. "I… that was not what I was expecting." She didn't look up at Marinette, instead she turned toward the balcony doors, moving through them to stand at the threshold. "Thank you, Ladybug," Lavande whispered, disappearing into the night without looking back.
Unsure of what to think, Marinette slid the necklace back around her neck and headed downstairs to leave for her rehearsal dinner.
"This," Plagg said raising a hand to motion toward Adrien, "is the definition of nervous." Laughing, Plagg nudged Nino, both of them diving to opposite ends of the couch as Adrien threw an apple between them. Dramatically, Plagg plucked the fruit from the couch cushion and took a loud bite. "Seriously, human mouths, what a gift!" Crunching a second time into the apple, he winked at Nino as he kicked out at Adrien.
"Stop!" Adrien snapped, kicking back at Plagg as he completed another line down the center of the room. He had been pacing for a solid ten minutes, nerves building inside of him and making him fidget to the point that he couldn't sit still. All of the worst-case scenarios had collided in his brain, creating a dumpster fire of every absurd disruption that could possibly happen which would prevent Marinette from becoming his wife. Growling as Nino tossed a balled tissue at his head, Adrien went to dive at his best friend, hoping that strangling Nino might work off his nervous energy.
"Ahem." Gabriel Agreste stood at the door to changing room, suit matching the rest of the wedding party while his disapproving frown was a direct contrast to the guilty smiles of the other two groomsmen. Clearing his throat again, Gabriel gave Nino and Plagg stern looks. "Please give me a moment alone with my son."
Plagg and Nino scrambled to their feet, tripping over each other as they made their way out of the room, whispering good luck wishes to Adrien as they made their escape. As the door clicked shut behind them, Adrien launched himself into his father's arms. "Dad, I'm going to die." He was trembling with his anxiety as his father began to chuckle.
"I prefer Dad to Father, by the way," Gabriel smiled at his son as he pushed Adrien back onto his own two feet. "You aren't going to die. You're nervous, and that's perfectly normal." Taking Adrien by the shoulders, Gabriel straightened his posture and then set to work on fixing Adrien's tie. "Before you do this," avoiding eye contact, Gabriel yanked on Adrien's shirt sleeves, aligning them flawlessly with the edge of his jacket sleeves, "I need to talk to you. You said something last weekend and it has been festering in my mind. I would prefer you go into your marriage without secrets, with Marinette or with me. I would hope that today would be a starting point, a rebuilding point if you will." Swallowing hard, Gabriel finally looked at Adrien, resting both of his hands on his son's shoulders.
"You were Hawkmoth," Adrien blurted out, seeing the pink dust over his father's cheeks, "but you aren't now. Someone else has Nooroo and he is safe. All I want to know is why. Why did you do it and why did you give Nooroo up. If you answer those two questions, truthfully, maybe we can move past it. Although, it's not every day that a father tries to kill his son over a ring." Adrien smiled to make sure his father knew he was kidding.
Scoffing, Gabriel shook his head. "I didn't want to kill you per say. I mean not as Chat Noir… as Adrien… maybe sometimes." Gabriel shook Adrien's shoulders back and forth, both of them nervously laughing. "I thought that getting the miraculouses would bring your mom back. She didn't like that I was obsessed with them. I wanted to understand their power, I dreamed of someday replacing Fu as the guardian of them all. In my misguided and grief driven mind, I was convinced she would come back if I achieved my goal. It took me a long time to realize that my obsession was what drove her away." Gauging Adrien's reactions, Gabriel paused only briefly to sort out his words.
"The day that you and Marinette were engaged, Fu was there. I said my goodbyes to Nooroo and gave him back to Fu. I spent so many years blinded by my own grief and loss that I forgot that I still had the greatest source of love in the world. I had you." Ruffling his fingers through Adrien's hair, Gabriel swallowed again to try to control his emotional reaction. "I gave up grieving for my past that day and decided that your future was more important. I'm sorry for all the wrong I have done. I will make it up to you and spend the rest of my life doing better, if you'll let me."
"Yeah," Adrien breathed, leaping forward to hug his dad tightly. He felt the sob catch in his throat and buried his face in his father's chest. He felt five years old again, scared of the clown on television and hiding in his father's arms. He remembered being ten years old, anxious about his first photoshoot and his father carrying him piggy back style through the park to chase away his nerves. The hug on the airplane on the way to Italy last year, and Gabriel straightening Adrien's tie in the hotel before the dinner where he asked Marinette to marry him. Every good memory came flooding back, washing away the pain of the last six years. Clinging tightly, Adrien whispered, "I forgive you. I love you."
Finally letting his own tears fall, Gabriel hugged his son close. "I love you too, son." Kissing the top of Adrien's head, Gabriel pulled back slightly. "Now, that's go get you married to the love of your life, shall we?" Wiping a hand over his own face, Gabriel smiled at Adrien who mirrored the motion.
Neither of them noticed the blue figure, crouching outside of the window, shedding tears of her own.
"You look beautiful, girl!" Alya touched the flowers in Marinette's hair, wrapping an arm around Marinette's shoulders and holding her phone out. "Say Camembert!"
Giggling, Marinette looked up at Alya's phone, tilting her head closer to her best friend. There would be plenty of professional pictures to choose from after the ceremony, but Marinette would never deny Alya the opportunity of a well-positioned selfie. After the first shutter click, Tikki and Chloe leaned in behind them, all four of them sticking their tongues out for the camera.
The wedding planner clapped her hands signaling it was time to line up for the processional. The three bridesmaids would walk the aisle first, each of them meeting their partners at the top of the stairs outside. Marinette's father was also waiting at the top of the stairs, an adorably nervous mess according her to mother.
Listening to the music begin, Marinette watched each of her friends disappear out of the open door. The timing of the entries were designed to give Marinette a minute alone before making her way down the aisle. Closing her eyes to listen to the first song guide her friends down the aisle, she jumped when she felt a hand on her shoulder.
"I'm sorry," Lavande said, her face bare to the world without the covering of her mask, "I didn't mean to startle you." Her voice was gentle, the coldness thawed from it and leaving behind the voice that Adrien must associate with his mother. It hummed with caring and softness and Marinette instinctively began to relax. "I wanted to give you something." Using both hands, Lavande unpinned the peacock from the front of her shirt. "May I?" She nodded towards Marinette's bouquet, moving to pin the brooch to it following Marinette's nod. "It is blue and very old," Lavande's fingers lingered for a moment on the brooch before pulling her hand away, "you may choose to keep it or return it to Fu. I leave the decision in your very capable hands." Touching Marinette's cheek, Lavande leaned forward and pressed a tender kiss to Marinette's forehead. "Please take care of them for me."
It took Marinette a second to register that Lavande was leaving. Spinning, she felt her dress twist around her legs as she tried to catch Lavande's arm. "You could stay, you know," Marinette spoke with a hint of desperation, feeling as if she would lose Lavande forever if she let her walk out now. "They'll forgive you, they'll love you again, I know they will."
A sad smile parted over Lavande's face. "Maybe so," she whispered, not turning around to look at Marinette, "but today is about you and Adrien, not about me. It is time that I stop being selfish with my life. If someday you want to come looking for me again, you'll know where to find me."
Hearing the music change over to the song that would carry Marinette down the aisle, she silently watched as Lavande stepped through the door and away from the ceremony. Telling herself that she would find her again, Marinette refocused on her own path, carefully maneuvering her skirt to start her own walk down the aisle.
"Wife," Adrien whispered against her ear, making Marinette giggle as they twirled across the dance floor. "I love youuuu." Adrien teased, kissing her cheek and then trailing another kiss across her jawline. He was feeling elated and slightly tipsy, and the absolute happiest he had ever been in his entire life.
Everything had been perfect. Marinette had appeared at the top of the aisle, a vision in white and flowers making Adrien's heart stop beating in his chest. The whole world narrowed to her beautiful face, and the sounds of everything else fell away. So much so that when Marinette's father wished Adrien good luck, he responded "you too!" making the entire crowd laugh at his response. His face had blazed red, but Marinette had kissed both of his cheeks and everything had instantly felt better in the world.
Their vows were simple and sweet, a mix up of cultural and family traditions that they had crafted themselves. When they had each recited their token line, "I promise to love you through the good and the bad, the high and the low, and all the crazy in between, and to be miraculously yours for all of the days we are gifted on this earth," laughter had broken out through the bridal party as Plagg whispered, "real subtle, guys."
Then they were husband and wife, kissing in front of all their families, friends, and Gabriel Agreste's very important people. Adrien only recognized the faces of the first four lines of guests and he couldn't even bother to care. He had managed to marry the woman of his dreams, fulfilling a promise he had made himself at fifteen years old.
"I'm so happy," Adrien whispered against Marinette's lips, pulling her tighter to him as they kissed in the middle of the dance floor, "you are my lucky charm, m'lady, everything wonderful in my life is because of you."
"And you, my husband," Marinette squeaked on the last word, cheeks burning from smiling so much, "you are my silly kitty, the reason I laugh, the person who keeps me alive, and my partner in all things. I love you." Pulling him down by both cheeks, Marinette kissed Adrien as the cheers rang out all around them.