Thank you for continuing to read! Your comments have been wonderful. They have been giving me life during the last few days of this school year.

Today was the last day of school, and I am one happy teacher! Please enjoy this slightly longer and (hopefully) extra-fluffy chapter.

Enjoy!
_

I'm cross posting this on AO3 and on Tumblr.

Tumblr: gryffindorcls (I will be posting my fics to the "Princess In Training" blog)

AO3: clslovegood47

I own nothing but the plot.

The feeling of having Marinette's hand in his own made Adrien's heart soar. She didn't just give him butterflies-no, she ignited fireworks inside him. It was like every cell in his body wanted to celebrate her closeness.

When they were apart, a dull, empty ache permeated his being. His heart felt so full when she was near, and here she was...with him! He still hoped that this wasn't all just a dream.

He absentmindedly stroked her knuckles with his thumb. Marinette hummed happily and rested her head against the window. The glow of the midday sun cast a halo of light around her raven hair as she wistfully gazed at the passing scenery. Adrien looked lovingly at his girlfriend, and he felt his heart thump loudly in his chest.

"You're so beautiful," he stated reverently.

Marinette whipped her head in his direction. Her eyes were wide, and her mouth was slightly agape. She released a quick breath, and her mouth curled into a petite smile. Her cheeks flushed, and she looked down at her hands. The evolution of her reaction made more fireworks explode inside the lovesick boy.

"I still can't believe that you're saying those words to me," she said looking up through her long eyelashes, "I've always dreamed of having you look at me like that."

"My lady, you are radiant, and I have always been looking. You just haven't noticed until now. Even when you were Marinette I couldn't help but notice your beauty," he smiled.

"Really?"

"The way you always blushed and stuttered...I found it endearing. I just didn't realize that I was feeling love for both Marinette and Ladybug. I didn't think I could be in love with two people at the same time, so I kept pushing any feelings for other girls out of my head. I loved Ladybug so much it hurt. It made me blind, but everything is crystal clear now. I will never take you for granted again. We've danced around each other for far too long. I am going to cherish every moment I get to spend with you. You are the light in the dimly lit world that I've been living in for years. When I look at you, I can finally understand why people write love songs."

Marinette breathlessly whispered, "Oh my…"

Tears welled in her eyes, and she hid her smile with one of her hands. He slid closer to her and cupped his hands on her cheeks. She removed the hand from her face and moved it to gently stroke the hair on the back of his head. He wiped away a stray tear and leaned in closely.

"I will never stop reminding you of how incredible you are," he said softly while moving to rest his forehead on hers.

Marinette closed the space between them and her lips landed on his. Adrien passionately returned the kiss making sure his actions conveyed what mere words could not. Language had limits, but the love he felt for his lady knew no bounds.

As the car came to a stop, they slowly ended their kiss. Both teens sported wide, toothy smiles.

"I think we have arrived at our first stop, my lady," Adrien noted.

"Lead the way, good sir," she responded adoringly.

Adrien hopped out first and rounded the vehicle. He stood up straight as he opened the cabin door and held out a hand for Marinette. She placed her hand in his, and he guided her out onto the sidewalk. They locked arms and walked towards a small cafe.

Before reaching their destination, Marinette halted in front of the window of an upscale boutique. The store appeared to sell various clothes and accessories in many different styles. The featured display hosted an array of sparkling and colorful jewelry.

She unhooked her arm from Adrien's and peered into the store. Missing her warmth, Adrien stood next to Marinette and put his arm on the small of her back. She instinctively moved closer to him all while keeping her eyes fixed on the window display.

"Would you like to go inside?" Adrien asked.

"No," Marinette answered quietly, "I'm just looking."

"What caught your eye?"

She pointed to several charm bracelets that were draped over a mannequin hand. "I've always loved the idea of charm bracelets. They're memories that you can collect and wear."

"I've never thought of them that way," he said thoughtfully.

"I think that your clothing and accessories should be a reflection of you. What you put on your body should tell your story, and charm bracelets kind of embody that...well, at least they do for me."

"No, I definitely understand what you're trying to say. I may not live and breathe fashion like you, but I do share a house with someone who does. My father says that the clothes I wear and the poses I do during photo shoots need to convey a message to the people who look at the pictures."

Marinette hummed in agreement. She then fell quiet while keeping eyes locked on the bracelets in the window.

Adrien broke the silence. "Do you have a charm bracelet?"

"No I don't," Marinette added with a sigh, "I plan on getting one someday, but for now I don't mind just looking. We can go in a minute. You haven't had much to eat today. I'm sure you're hungry."

"I don't mind looking, Princess. Take as long as you'd like," Adrien grinned reassuringly.

Marinette squealed suddenly. "Look! There's a hamster one!"

Adrien laughed. Her excitement filled him with warmth. "Are you sure you don't want to go inside?"

"Yeah, I'm sure," she affirmed, "I couldn't afford anything in that store even if I wanted to buy something...AND whenever I go into stores like that, the salespeople always just follow me around and ask me if I need help. I know it's because they don't trust teenagers who are walking around their store, but it makes me feel a little uncomfortable."

"I can't say I've ever had that happen to me."

"That's because you're Adrien Agreste."

"Yeah...that's true."

"Everyone in Paris knows who you are."

"That is also true."

"And you're rich."

Adrien shook his head. "Well, I guess I'll just have to go shopping with you then."

Marinette turned her head away from the window and locked eyes with him. She smiled sweetly, and he felt his heart melt.

"You would really go shopping with me?"

"My lady, I would go to the ends of the Earth for you. I think I can handle a few shopping trips. Besides, it would be nice to go shopping with someone other than Chloe."

They shuddered in unison and laughed.

Marinette turned and put her arms around Adrien's midsection. "That would be nice, kitty. I'd really like to do that with you sometime."

Adrien reached out his hands and pulled her close. "Does this mean I get a second date?"

She nodded. "And a third, and a fourth, and a fifth."

He smiled and nuzzled his nose against hers. Marinette planted a chaste kiss on his lips, and he felt his legs go weak.

She pulled away and looked him in the eyes. "Alright, Chaton. You have not been taking care of yourself today. How about we get you some food?"

Adrien laced his fingers between hers. "That would be lovely, my lady. I'm paw-sitivly famished. Shall we?"

Marinette gently bumped her body into his arm and released a small, breathy laugh.

"We shall. I've waited for fur-ever for this moment," she said grinning.

"You made a pun! And a cat pun, too!" Adrien beamed while holding open the cafe door for his girlfriend, "I thought you didn't really like puns."

Marinette walked through the door and took Adrien's hand again. "No, I actually kind of like puns. It's your timing that needs work."

"So...that means?"

"It means that maybe we should hold off on the puns and flirting when there's an Akuma around. I care about you, and I want you focused so you don't get hurt."

"That makes sense. Sorry if I ever seemed like I was just fooling around. Being Chat Noir just makes me so excited, and then seeing you just brought out a whole new side of me."

"Oh, Chaton. You know the reason I say this stuff is because I care about you right?"

"And I care about mew," he said while turning his head and nuzzling her temple with his nose.

"Silly kitty," she laughed.

He pulled his face away, placed his fingers under her chin, and turned her head towards his own. Their eyes met.

"I'm never going to stop protecting you though," he said with more seriousness.

"I know," she responded, "but like I said before...please just try to be more careful."

He closed the gap between them and left a light, feathery kiss on her lips. It was his unspoken agreement to her-his promise to work on looking out for himself even if he was protecting her from harm. Even though conversations regarding their superhero partnership would surface again in the future, at this moment, nothing more needed to be said. For the rest of the day, he was ready to focus on their blossoming relationship.

CLICK!

The sound of a phone camera caused them to pull away from each other. Upon looking up, the couple saw two girls giggling behind their phones.

"It's Adrien Agreste," one of the girls whispered loudly to the other.

"I know," the other one responded, "I can't believe he kissed someone! Who is she?"

The two girls continued to smile and talk excitedly in hushed tones as they walked out of the cafe. Adrien paled.

"Oh, no," he mumbled.

"That's going to show up on Instagram, isn't it?" Marinette asked worriedly.

"Yeah, probably," he groaned.

She took his hand and gave it a light squeeze. "It's okay. You told me that if I could handle Alya, then I could handle your Instagram followers."

Adrien smirked. "True, but I was hoping to keep you from my fans for just a little bit longer. I'm selfish...I wanted you all to myself."

"What about your dad?" Marinette winced.

"I was going to tell him tonight anyway. I still have a pretty good feeling, but we'll see. Let's just hope that this doesn't mess things up. He doesn't exactly like rumors about me spreading around. This might make him mad"

"Well, that won't do. Let's not let it become a rumor then."

"What do you mean?"

Marinette grinned, pulled up her phone, and opened the camera app. She turned on selfie mode and said, "Smile!"

"Oh, you really are the smartest princess in all the land!" Adrien exclaimed.

He moved closer to her in the frame. Seconds before she took the picture, he leaned in and kissed her cheek. The resulting image showcased a rosy-cheeked Adrien and a giggling Marinette.

"This is the cutest picture I've ever seen," he declared.

"Are you sure you're not biased?" Marinette questioned teasingly.

"Nope," Adrien wiggled his eyebrows, "Could you send me that picture?"

It took a few minutes for him to create the post. The caption he wrote simply stated, "You're my happy place". He tagged Marinette and sent the image off into cyberspace.

Adrien sighed. "Okay, it's done."

Marinette rolled her eyes. "Look, it was going to happen sooner or later. Now, come on! Let's go get some food. I'm starving!"

The two teens walked up to the counter hand in hand and ordered. After some protesting from Marinette, Adrien paid for the meal. The couple then proceeded to walk over to a table and wait for their food to arrive.

"You didn't have to do that," Marinette pouted.

Adrien shot her a confused look. "Do what?"

"Pay for me."

"My lady, please let me spoil you. I've always wanted to shower my girlfriend with gifts...and now I have one. I have all this money, and spending some of it on you seems pretty worthwhile to me."

Marinette softened her expression. "Okay, Chaton."

Adrien perked up.

"Just don't go too overboard." She finished her statement by bopping the tip of his nose with her finger.

"I will not make promises that I can't keep," he smiled.

"Adrien…"

"Please?"

Marinette huffed playfully. "Fine."

Adrien's smile brightened. "Changing subjects...I have a question for you."

Marinette rested her head in her hands. "And I may have an answer."

"Why did you get so excited about the hamster charm in the store window?"

"Oh, it's silly."

"Try me, my lady."

Marinette bit her lip. "Uhm...I've always wanted a hamster. I kind of have this dream of getting one with you actually."

He stared at her with wide eyes. "That's adorable."

"Really?"

"And also really quite funny."

"How so?"

"Well, as it turns out, I've also always wanted to get a hamster...with you."

Marinette put her hand over her mouth with her hand, lowered her head, and giggled softly. Adrien scootched his chair closer to hers.

He leaned over and whispered in her ear, "I guess that means you're my soulmate."

Marinette blushed furiously and covered her face with both hands. "You can't just say stuff like that to me in public!"

"And not have the opportunity to watch you blush," he laughed, "no way!"

Marinette groaned, and Adrien snaked his arm around her shoulders. She leaned into him, and he squeezed her tighter.

"Ugh!" she exclaimed, "You're so mean!"

"But you still love me," he teased.

"No."

"Yes, you do."

"Yeah, you're right. I do."

Adrien tenderly kissed the top of her head causing Marinette to giggle again.

After several minutes, the server brought their food to the table, and the pair happily chatted and ate their much-needed meal. Happiness radiated off of both teens.

Their conversation was abruptly interrupted by Adrien's ringtone. He groaned and looked at the caller ID on his phone. His eyes became wide when he saw who was calling.

"It's my dad," he said with disbelief, "He never calls. It's usually Nathalie or my bodyguard."

"Well, pick it up!" Marinette said with urgency.

Adrien pressed the answer button. "Hello, father. Excuse me for one moment."

He covered the receiver with his hand and turned to Marinette.

"I'm sorry," he apologized, "I'm going to take this outside. Will you be okay?"

"Yes, I'll be fine. I'm Ladybug...remember? Now go." She shooed him with her hands.

Adrien smiled and quickly walked outside the cafe. He took a deep breath and moved the phone to his ear.

"Sorry, father," he began, "I had to move somewhere quiet."

"Why is there a girl on your Instagram page?" his father asked without greeting him.

"I was actually planning on talking to you about that tonight. Did Nathalie speak to you about arranging a meeting?"

"Yes, she did. You seem to be having an interesting day," Gabriel stated with undetectable emotion.

Adrien cringed. He hoped he wasn't in trouble, and he really hoped that his father wouldn't make him come home.

"Yes, father. I am," he said politely.

"Is there anything I need to be worried about," his father questioned.

"No, sir."

"Fine. We will discuss it when you come home later."

"Does that mean I can stay out?"

"Yes, Adrien. Like I said, we will talk later."

Adrien gasped with excitement. "Thank you!"

An audible sigh could be heard on the other line. "Goodbye, Adrien."

"Bye, father. Thank you again!"

The line disconnected, and Adrien tried to contain his excitement. If his father was letting him stay out, then he probably wasn't angry. He was still nervous about talking to his father, but he still had hope that it would go well. Nonetheless, he knew that no matter the outcome, he would defend his lady. Marinette was far too important for him to let his father do anything drastic.

Adrien looked at his surroundings before turning in the direction of the cafe. His eyes landed on the charms in the window display. An idea popped into his head, and he grinned.

"Surely my lady won't mind waiting for a few extra minutes," he thought as he pushed open the store's door and walked into the boutique.