Chapter Twelve

Evelyn silenced her alarm mere seconds after it chimed through her room, already having been awake for a solid twenty minutes. She got out of bed and glanced at the outfit she'd laid out on her chair the previous night; a simple black pantsuit with an elegant, cream colored top. A nervous flutter shivered through her and she chewed at the inside of her lip as she started to get ready.

She was going to photograph Ilaria and Ludwig's wedding today, and she was extremely nervous. She had scoped out where the ceremony and reception would be held so she knew what to expect and what the lighting would be like, but she was still quite anxious. She hadn't photographed an event like this in ages, and her worries wouldn't leave her be. What if I've lost my touch and they hate every shot? What if I mess up so badly that even heavy editing can't fix the mistakes? I can fix the lighting and vibrancy, but I can't go back and change the angle I took the photo at. What if-

Evelyn took a deep breath and cleared her mind. This wasn't helping her; quite the opposite. She needed to calm down and try to not let her anxieties get the best of her. Today was a very important day; it was her first job in a long while and it was a chance to get her career back on its feet after the long dry spell it suffered.

She took another breath and grabbed her phone to put on music to keep her mind occupied. She unlocked it, her worried frown melting into a broad smile when she saw she had a text from Adrien. She immediately opened it and grinned wider as she read it.

Good morning, my love. Good luck at your wedding today. I wish I could be there to help do whatever a photographer's assistant would do. Don't get too anxious. You will do wonderfully and all your worry will be for nothing, so save it for when you need it. Remember what I said the other day? Every time you get worried, tell yourself to save it for when you need it, because you never will need it, not as long as you keep telling yourself that. Well, you know how much I hate texting and it's taken me fifteen minutes to type this all out, so I'll conclude this now. I love you, Evelyn. - Adrien Meyer

She giggled and sighed happily. God, he was so cute. He was so formal when he texted and she found it entirely adorable. She typed a reply, wanting to send one even though she knew he'd likely not reply to it.

I love you too darling. Good luck at your wedding too and give the guys and girls my love! See you tomorrow

Ironically, Adrien had a wedding to attend that day, too. It wasn't as uncommon as one would think, two weddings on the same day, especially not in a big city such as this one. She opened her music library and set her favorite song to play first, Mr. Blue Sky. She smiled as the song began and turned it up before starting to get ready.

She did her makeup first, deciding to go a little fancier than she usually did. She did eyeliner as well as eyeshadow, and picked a deep red lipstick instead of a pale gloss. After applying her fake eyelashes, she carefully got dressed and positioned her wig on her head. Her hair was beginning to grow back, though it was nowhere near a length she could comfortably leave the house without having it covered. She was putting weight back on, too, which was a welcome side effect of Adrien treating her to both restaurants and home cooked meals whenever he could. She was finally starting to look more like she had before her illness took over her, and that made her happier than words could say.

Evelyn made sure her wig was taped properly to her head, not wanting to cause a scene by having it become dislodged. She then went downstairs to fix up breakfast and pack a lunch, as well as triple check all her gear to make sure she had everything she'd need for the day.

Her thoughts drowned out her music as she sipped her tea and ate, her leg bouncing as she hoped with a furious desire that today would turn out all right. If it didn't, it would crush her. Everything had finally started to go right, and if this didn't, she'd know that none of it was true, that her life would fall apart again. She just wanted to have all the things that mattered sorted out, and this was the last thing on the list. She just hoped she wasn't asking for too much.


"Big smiles!" Evelyn called out, grinning as well as Ilaria and Ludwig smiled. She snapped a few photos and looked at them briefly before feeling pride swell in her chest; she hadn't lost her touch over the lengthy dry spell she'd had. She had dearly missed taking photos and was more than happy to be back to doing just that; there was a unique joy that photography brought her that she couldn't seem to find anywhere else.

"Ludwig, could you bend Ilaria over and kiss her? Like they do in movies." Evelyn said, moving her tripod a few feet closer.

Ludwig nodded and slid his hands around Ilaria's tiny waist, giving her the most tender, loving smile before closing his eyes and kissing her. Evelyn's heart nearly burst as she rapidly clicked her camera's remote; the more photos, the better. She could already tell the photos were going to turn out wonderfully. She had a beautiful couple, wonderful weather, and lighting so perfect, she only had to set up one reflector.

Evelyn got a few different shots, so they'd have a variety, and before long, finished up. She took her camera off her tripod and walked over to show them a few of the photos.

"I got a lot, but we can take more if you aren't satisfied with the ones I got." She smiled and showed them a few of the better ones, really hoping they liked them.

Ilaria grinned and gushed at every single one she showed them, and even Ludwig nodded in approval a few times. She'd done well.

"They're so beautiful!" Ilaria exclaimed, hugging Evelyn tightly. "Thank you so much, sweetie, we love them!"

Evelyn grinned and hugged her back briefly before letting go and shutting off her camera. "I should have them all edited and burned onto a DVD within three weeks, maybe more, depending on how many I have."

"Thank you." Ludwig said, nodding. "Are we done here?"

"We are." She smiled and put her camera away into its bag. "And don't you two worry about posing at the reception, all the ones I get there will be candid. Is there anything specific you want photographed?"

"The cake!" Ilaria grinned. "And the decorations, and our first dance. And Ludwig said he wanted some of us and his brother."

"Will do." Evelyn promised, packing away the rest of her gear. "Meet you two there? If you ask your driver to take a little bit of a longer route, I can get there before you two and snap some photos of you coming into the reception area."

"I will." Ludwig nodded. He took his bride's hand and lead her away to the limousine, unable to hide how truly happy he was.

Evelyn smiled to herself as she finished gathering her things, her mind flooded with thoughts of Adrien for some silly reason she refused to let her thoughts linger on. Well, perhaps it wasn't so silly of a reason, but she insisted on telling herself that as to not get her hopes up. They had only officially been a couple for a few weeks, which meant it was far too soon to be thinking of having a day like this with Adrien. Even so, that didn't seem to matter to her brain. As she loaded her things into the taxi she rented and stared out the window as the driver took her to the reception, she daydreamed.

Has Adrien thought of me at the wedding he's at? She wondered, her heart skipping a beat at the thought. Has the thought of us getting married someday crossed his mind, too, or am I getting too ahead of myself? God, I hope it has. He's all I could ever want and more. Please have let it cross his mind. Please have him feel the same way towards me as I feel towards him. She didn't quite know who she was pleading to, but she desperately hoped that regardless of who heard her, her dreams would come true.

Before too long, the taxi pulled up to where the reception was being held. Evelyn paid the driver, got out all her things, and headed inside. No one paid her any heed, which she was grateful for; she hated feeling conspicuous at weddings. She didn't waste time in snapping a few tester shots, picking the best flash to use.

After she was done, she barely had time to down half a water bottle before Ilaria and Ludwig arrived. She dashed to the spot she'd scoped out to get a clear shot and started taking photos of the newlyweds as they came into the reception area, smiling and waving to their friends and family. The moment was over quick enough and the two of them greeted a few guests before sitting at the head table to have lunch.

Evelyn took her things back over to where she had her gear all prepared for her and sat on the ground, taking a moment to catch her breath and relax. She had gotten a little stronger since she'd finished the last of her chemo treatment, but she still tired out quicker than a normal person would. She grabbed her little cooler she brought and ate half the sandwich she made, hoping it would help her feel less tired.

Evelyn considered herself lucky, others had it a lot worse than she did when it came to recovery. She only had the fatigue and occasional dry mouth, and though the former was a pain in the ass, she was used to dealing with it. She finished the rest of her water bottle and pulled another from the cooler to drink later; she disliked ice cold water. She yawned and double checked her hair and makeup to ensure that both still looked good. Relieved that she didn't look awful, Evelyn then weeded through a few photos, deleting blurry ones or ones that had captured a blink. She smiled to herself, proud of what she had so far.

I truly am on the mend. She smiled to herself, surveying the matters of her health, love life, and now her career. In every way.


It wasn't long after lunch when Ilaria excitedly waved Evelyn over, ready to take a photo with her husband and new brother-in-law. Evelyn rushed over, smile on her face and camera in hand. She looked up at the trio and blinked in surprise.

"Gilbert?" She asked, surprised to see the red eyed, silvery blond standing by the newlyweds.

Gilbert looked over and though surprised, grinned. "Evelyn! What the hell, you're the photographer?"

"You two know each other?" Ludwig asked, raising a brow.

"Nope. Impromptu skit." Gilbert snorted and rolled his eyes. "She's Adrien's girlfriend. We were talking about her at the rehearsal, remember?"

"She's the one I told him to bring, but he couldn't because she had to wor-" Ilaria gasped, looking mortified with herself. "I made you photograph our wedding instead of letting you come!"

"Firstly, you didn't make me do anything." Evelyn said quickly, not wanting to let the bride get upset on her wedding day. She smiled reassuringly and continued. "I am more than happy to photograph you two, this is the first job I've had in ages."

"But I wanted you to come as a guest." Ilaria said sadly.

"The wedding isn't over yet." Gilbert chimed in with a shrug. "If you really want her to come, you can just have her join in and ask your sister to take photos of the reception. Who really cares about professional reception photos, anyways? Everybody takes a bunch on their phone."

Ilaria's mood immediately brightened. "That's perfect!"

Evelyn shifted on her feet and glanced between the three of them, a bit uncomfortable with the idea. "I really don't mind continuing taking photos; it doesn't feel right to leave a job half done."

"But the ceremony and the formal photos were all that really mattered to us, photos of the reception were just a bonus." Ilaria insisted. "Please celebrate with us, Evelyn? You've already worked so hard and the photos are so much better than I dreamed they'd be!"

"I really wouldn't want to impose."

"Impose?" Gilbert laughed out loud. "You couldn't impose on Ilaria if you tried. Come on, you should join the party. Adrien won't shut up about you. He's right over there, see?"

Evelyn glanced to where Gilbert was pointing and immediately, her heart started pounding. Adrien was talking to Antonio, looking as beautiful as he always did, if not more. The suit he wore took her breath away, he looked so good in it, and his hair was tied back loosely, which left a few curls down to frame his face.

"You absolutely have to join the celebration." Ilaria grinned, giving Evelyn a big hug. "We'd love to have you, right, Ludwig?"

"It does seem weird to make you keep working when you know Adrien and Gilbert." Ludwig nodded in agreement.

Evelyn chewed on the inside of her cheek anxiously; she'd never been in a situation like this before and it was a bit uncomfortable. "You're sure?"

"One hundred percent! Go put your camera down and get a drink, sweetheart!" Ilaria said happily. "Enjoy yourself and go give that man of yours a big kiss."

Evelyn's cheeks burned and she managed a small nod and a gracious thank you before being ushered toward Adrien by an insistent Gilbert.

"Hey, turn around, you dumb asshole." The German snorted, tapping Adrien's shoulder.

"Gilbert, I'm in the middle of a conversa-" Adrien looked a bit annoyed as he turned, but the frown disappeared into a shocked, delighted grin when he saw who stood next to Gilbert. "Evelyn?"

"Hey, you." Evelyn said with a shy smile and a wave. "Small world, eh?"

Adrien beamed and swept her up into a big, tender hug. "You're kidding me! You're photographing Ludwig and Ilaria's wedding?"

"I was, until Ilaria forced me to join the celebration." She laughed a little and hugged him back.

"She's such a darling, isn't she? Ludwig is a lucky man." He chuckled, letting Evelyn go to instead cup her cheek. "But not half as lucky as I am, I think."

Evelyn felt her cheeks warm as she leaned into the gentle touch. "Oh, hush, you."

"If you insist, my dear Evelyn." Adrien hummed, a smile tugging at his lips as he leaned in and kissed her.

Evelyn returned the kiss willingly, though kept it chaste, despite Adrien's subtle efforts to change that. She wouldn't have minded a deep, passionate kiss if they were alone, but in public? She wouldn't dare; she had no desire to draw attention to herself, nevertheless in such a raunchy way.

Adrien pulled away a few moments later, grinning. Evelyn smiled back without hesitation. God, how she loved seeing him happy.

"One second, I'm thinking of how much I miss you, and the next, I find that you are right behind me." He brushed a stray strand of hair behind her ear. "My love, can you get any more perfect?"

"There's no need to flatter me, I'm already yours." Evelyn answered, her cheeks once again pink. She was getting more used to flirting, but she had yet to shake off her shyness.

"Is that a promise?"

She nodded, which made him smile wider. The two of them hadn't been officially dating for more than a few weeks, but each loved the other deeply and though Evelyn hadn't been in many relationships, she didn't need the experience to know that what she and Adrien had was no ordinary romance.

"Then you should know that I am yours as well." Adrien murmured, speaking softly so she was the only one who could hear it. "Always and forever, until my last breath."

Evelyn was taken aback by both his words and the sincerity of his tone, in the most wonderful of ways. It was all she could do not to kiss him right then and there.

"How the hell am I supposed to best that?" She asked with a flustered giggle.

"You best me in many ways that I cannot hope to compete with. Let me have this little win, hmm?" He teased, pressing a kiss to her forehead.

"Depends, what's in it for me?" Evelyn loved the banter between the two of them; it was delightfully flirtatious and witty.

Adrien leaned in close, sending a shiver down her spine as he purred, "If you want, I'll show you tonight, mon amour."

Evelyn froze, not knowing how to react. Did he mean sex? She didn't see what else he could mean. She was surprised, though not because she hadn't thought of having it with him. She had, in moments she tried to pretend never happened and in her dreams as well, if the couple times she'd woken breathless with him on her mind were anything to go off. She'd indeed given it more than a little thought, but hearing an implication that he had as well was baffling. She was skin and bones, even despite her slight weight gain. Why would he want to have sex with her? God, she didn't even know what to do. Would she even like it? She hadn't in college, but maybe that was because her boyfriend at the time had no idea what he was doing and neither had she. Would things be different now? Shit, what if Adrien expected more from her than she could give? She knew a lot about sex, but knowledge and experience were very different things in this aspect. Was it too soon in their relationship to have sex? She didn't know that either. Was there a certain amount of time that they should wait for it not to be considered improper? Did she care if there was? She wasn't so sure she did, if she were being honest.

"Evelyn…?" Adrien's voice drew her out from her thoughts and she realized that she hadn't replied. He looked concerned.

"I, uh...sorry. Lost in thought." She said, avoiding the topic in favor of having more time to mull it over.

"We don't have to do a thing." He assured her, his brow creased in worry as he took up one of her hands in his. "I take flirting too far too soon sometimes, I apologize."

"No, no, you're fine. It just took me by surprise." Evelyn gave him a small smile, not wanting him to be upset. "I...maybe? I don't know. Let me think about it, okay?"

"Don't let what I said influence your decision. I'm more than willing to wait as long as you want to, even refrain from sex permanently if that's what you want. I'm not with you because I want to have sex with you, I'm with you because I love you." Adrien stared into her eyes as he spoke, wanting it to be absolutely clear that he was being serious about this.

Evelyn's heart melted once more and she nodded, giving him a peck on the lips. "I love you, too. Thank you."

"Don't thank me, it's human decency." Adrien said, squeezing her hand and letting out a soft sigh. "Shall we sit?"

Evelyn nodded and followed him as he led her to the table he was seated at. Her heart was so full; Adrien was so good to her. She couldn't have asked for a better man in her life, and was beyond grateful that he called her his own. Everything was going perfectly, and for the first time in a long time, Evelyn could confidently say that she was happy. Completely and truly happy.


A/N: In response to the anonymous, and might I say rather rude, review that asked that I return the names to what they were before: Yes, I am aware there are canon names for the male characters and common ones for the genderbent ones. With all due respect, this is my fanfiction, which I have worked hard on, and if I wish to change the character's names to something I like using more, I will. It isn't against any regulations on this site and I am not in any way trying to claim that I own the characters, so I see no harm in it. I apologize if I have annoyed you, but I like the names as they are now and though I am sorry for the mild inconvenience, won't be changing them back.

Also, while I'm already writing a note, I wanted to make it clear that I am in no way trying to romanticize mental illness. Being in love doesn't make your mental illness magically go away, and I don't want to make anyone think that it does. Evelyn's depression was brought on by her diagnosis and being alone in America, which is why I'm going to have it get better from here on out. It isn't entirely an accurate representation on recovery, I know, but it's just a story, so I'm not going to worry too much about it. Again, I'm not trying to romanticize mental illness, so please don't think it's a desirable thing to have.

As always, thank you all for reading! I hope you enjoyed chapter twelve!