Adrien retreated to the cave later that day, the rest of his workout forgotten as he slumped against Tikki. For the few moments Adrien and Tikki actually were together while living in the valley, being close to her felt the best. Almost as good as spending an entire day with the princess. With Marinette. Adrien could feel his cheeks warm up as he sighed in contentment.
"Someone's happy," Tikki chuckled as she looked over, curling her head to be in view of him.
"It was absolutely perfect," Adrien sighed.
"Oh?"
Adrien looked down at Tikki's eyes, curious about his day.
"I finally got to see Marinette again."
"The princess? How is she? Was she exactly like you remembered?"
"She was so much more than that! She's smart, resourceful, creative, beautiful, lively. Her happiness is contagious, no wonder no one could help being happy around her. We spent the whole day trying to make baskets out of reeds to catch some fish."
"That doesn't sound very romantic."
"It wasn't the act itself. It was who I was with. We messed up so many times, but she was so determined to get it right. I then showed her one of the rivers where the fish come from, so we made a little pond to catch the fish in. We were able to a bunch of fish, too much for us to eat, so we put them back out into the lake."
He looked down to Tikki, who was smiling, bringing her head closer to nuzzle his leg.
"I'm glad you got another chance with her."
"Me too. Now staying in the valley won't be so lonely."
"Hey!" Tikki lifted her head, scrunching her face at him. Adrien pulled it to him so he could rest his own head against hers.
"Not that you aren't plenty of company, but being awake at different times has made the day a little lonely."
"I know, I'm only teasing." Adrien nuzzled his head against hers before letting it go, resuming his relaxed position on her stomach while she laid her head down.
"Do you think you'll mate with her when you get home?"
Adrien could feel his cheeks heat up, and he was certain it wasn't from Tikki's fire breath.
"M-mate?"
"I forget the human term for it, but I was told there is a celebration between humans when they decide to mate."
"Marriage"
"That's it. I knew I heard it before."
"I told you before, when Marinette was marrying Theo."
"Oh, is she still?"
"She hopes not, she doesn't want to go home until she is certain he won't force her to marry him."
"Oh dear, how are we going to get her back home then?"
"I just have to convince her to talk to her parents about it. They told me they just want her home, that's all. I'm sure they would be understanding about cancelling the wedding."
"I hope so, the poor thing. Did she say why she doesn't want to marry him?"
"She doesn't like him. Says she tried to make it work, but his personality makes him a terrible person to be around."
"That's logical, even as a dragon I wouldn't dare mate with someone I didn't like. What amazes me is how she could stand being around Plagg for so long."
"Plagg?"
"Her dragon protector. Sour, cranky and rude."
"Maybe he's nicer to her than to his own kind?"
"Probably, the elders didn't speak much of him other than he was the youngest and didn't like rules."
"That would explain kidnapping a princess after over a hundred years of noninterference."
Tikki hummed in agreement, before raising her head in realization.
"Wait, if all she wants is a man with a good personality, why don't you marriage with her then? You have a great personality, it should be no problem for the princess to fall in love with you!"
Adrien reached behind to scratch his neck, feeling his cheeks heat up again.
"I don't know Tikki, a knight and a princess, that's some one people only read in books."
"Books?"
"Stories that we keep so generations after us can learn them."
"Well, some stories have grains of truth in then. Not all kingdoms started with a king and queen."
Adrien crossed his arms, thinking on Tikki's words. While she was right, times were different now. He was a knight, duty bound to protect Princess Marinette at all costs, thus why her parents trusted him to retrieve her. But to betray their trust and fall in love with the princess, it could forever compromise their positions and the kingdom.
"I can't Tikki. As much as I would like to, Marinette is a princess and I'm her knight. She knows that, at least to the extent I serve her father. She won't see me as anything more, and I will respect that."
"Oh Adrien," Tikki lamented, bringing her head close to him.
"At least we can be friends, so she'll know she has someone who cares and will protect her. Her friendship would be the greatest gift she could give to me now." Adrien reached forward to pet the dragon between her two horns, Tikki closing her eyes at the affectionate pet.
"So long as you'll be happy, I think being friends with her should be just fine."
"I think so to. You should meet her sometime. I think you would like her."
"You think so, she sounds wonderful how you describe her."
"She is, a little bit crazy, but determined and hardworking. She told me she worked at a dairy farm for the fall while she and Plagg were in hiding."
"A dairy farm?"
"Yeah, she said Plagg requested payment in cheese for his protection services."
"Figures," Tikki growled.
Adrien laughed, "you really don't like him do you?"
"He's demanding and condescending. He called me Bug! Can you believe it? Bug!?"
"Quiet down Tikki," called out one of the other dragons, still trying to sleep. Adrien was certain if dragon's could, Tikki would be blushing in embarrassment.
"The only good thing about him is he keeps to himself."
"Well hopefully we won't have to hear from him again until he is ready to give up Marinette."
