Marinette woke up with the feeling that everything was slightly off. The glow that filtered through her closed eyelids wasn't the same that she was used to. It was… different, almost... But she didn't want to open her eyes to investigate, so it took her sleep-addled brain a moment to process that sunlight meant morning.
And morning meant it was probably time for school.
Her eyelids fluttered open, and she covered her mouth to stifle a yawn while her other hand groped around for the shelf where she usually laid her phone. Instead, her fingers knocked against a small table that shouldn't have been there, and she lazily rolled over to see her cell resting on an unfamiliar surface. Still not awake enough to realize, she grabbed it, quickly scanning the screen, and jolted up in a panic when she saw what time it was.
"I'm two hours late!?" Marinette scrambled to escape the sheets, but only wound up getting tangled and tumbled to the edge of the bed where her wall was located. Instead, a decorative dresser filled her vision. She blinked at it a moment before her gaze trailed up, where her hatch was not letting in the bright sunlight; it was actually coming from a pair of shaded windows on the opposite wall.
"Marinette!" Tikki's voice squeaked out as her kwami flew into the bedroom that Marinette slowly recognized was not her own. "We're in the future, remember?"
"Oh…" Marinette pushed herself up and carefully worked to untangle her legs from the comforter. "Right. I'm just a little disoriented, sorry."
Once she had herself free, Marinette stepped off the bed and stretched while Tikki hovered in front of her. "It's not exactly Wednesday anymore, so there's no school for you today."
"I'd be really late for class if so," Marinette sighed as her arms flopped against her sides. "About seven years too late."
Tikki giggled and zipped over to the doorway. "Alya left on patrol this morning, but Nino is awake and in the living room."
Marinette tidied up the bed before leaving the room and shuffling down the short hallway, quickly picking up the sound of a conversation as she moved.
"What? No way, a deposit is a deposit." Nino slowly paced along the carpet between the couch and coffee table, his cell phone against his ear. "They can't get it back, even if they have canceled everything."
"Would you like some breakfast, Marinette?" Wayzz flew up to her when she entered, and she nodded, her curious gaze quickly focusing back on Nino.
"Are you kidding me?" Nino suddenly stopped and shook his head, not seeming to have noticed Marinette's arrival. "It's in the contract that they signed!" Whoever he was on the phone with must have been upset by that answer, because even from her place across the room, she could hear garbled shouting.
"An independent contractor!? Look, I'm sorry the venues won't give them any refunds, but I lose a full day too!" There was a quiet pause before Nino's free hand clenched into a fist and his face contorted with anger. "Oh, yeah? Well maybe she should get him to pay for all the damages! Because It's not my fault the groom couldn't keep it in his pants!"
Nino whipped his phone away and practically smashed the screen with his finger before tossing it at the couch, then balked when he spun and finally noticed Marinette standing in the room. "Oh, hey..." His expression relaxed, and he tried to nonchalantly shove his hands into his pyjama pockets. "'Sup?"
Marinette raised a curious brow and quietly asked, "What was that about?"
"Uh…" Nino seemed hesitant as he fiddled with the rim of his cap. "The wedding I was gonna DJ got canceled last minute. Bride found out her husband-to-be cheated the night before."
"Ouch…" Marinette winced.
"Yeah, the guy was like a gentleman, so it's a bit of a shocker. Real fun affair," Nino muttered before letting out a half-hearted chuckle as he flopped onto the couch. "No pun intended."
"Does that mean your day is now clear?" Wayzz asked as he flew over to Marinette, carrying a croissant wrapped up in a napkin. She thanked him and settled on the other end of the couch, breaking off a piece to share with Tikki.
"'Fraid so, little dude. At least I get to keep the deposit, but still, it sucks to lose out on a day of work." He rubbed at his eyes and let out a tired sounding sigh. "Not to mention that since it's so last minute, I won't be able to book anything for a job tonight."
Marinette paused in the process of taking a bite of her croissant, her worry momentarily overruling any concern about staying away from future-specific knowledge. "Do you need the money badly?"
"No, no!" Nino sat up and waved his hands quickly, only settling down when Wayzz brought a croissant out to him as well. "I mean... The extra money would be nice, but we're not pinching for it, if you know what I mean. Alya and I make enough to split the bills and still stash a little into savings."
Marinette bit into her croissant with a satisfied nod, not certain if she should press further or even if he was willing to share more. How much could she really know about the future?
"Ah, crap," Nino mumbled through his own bit of breakfast before practically inhaling it and jumping up off the couch. "I need to pick up my equipment!"
"Can it not wait?" Wayzz flew off after him down the hallway as Nino disappeared into the bedroom. Marinette heard drawers slide open and quickly slam shut again in a frenzy. "Alya instructed us not to leave Marinette alone in the apartment!"
"I can stay here on my own, you know." Marinette turned to stare down the hallway, hearing a hushed exchange of words between Nino and Wayzz as they appeared to be arguing. "You may think I'm a kid, but I'm fifteen and perfectly capable of taking care of myself."
"In normal circumstances, it would be acceptable," Wayzz answered as he flew back out of the room. "But there are some… concerns about the apartment building itself."
Marinette blinked at that, her eyes widening. "Is… Is it safe here?"
"Safest place in Paris!" Nino shouted back, pulling a shirt over his head and putting his cap back on as he stumbled into the room. "I mean, hard to beat any security when you live with a pair of superheroes." He then hesitated as he adjusted his jeans. "But, uh… There have been a few break-ins the last few weeks. Alya's just worried because one of our floor neighbors was a victim."
"Oh." Marinette gulped and exchanged a nervous glance with Tikki. "Was anyone hurt?"
"Yeah." Nino nodded, pointing at her and frowning when he saw that she was still in the pyjamas she had borrowed from Alya. "Which is why you need to get dressed and come with me."
"I still believe this is highly irresponsible," Wayzz argued, floating up in front of Nino's face. "Marinette could see something that might jeopardize her past and change this timeline!"
"Relax, dude!" Nino tugged at his cap as Marinette scrambled back to the bedroom to find her clothes from the day before. "We'll take the non-scenic route and avoid all the crowds. Besides, wouldn't it be the same risk if Foresight shows up and she leaves the apartment to join the fight?"
Wayzz had his arms folded and pursed his lips, but the kwami eventually relaxed with a sigh. "Very well. As long as you are careful about it."
So Marinette got dressed, but contrary to what she thought about taking a cab or walking the streets, Nino brought her up to the roof. After checking around to ensure that the coast was clear, he transformed and instructed her to do the same.
It was a surprisingly good plan, mostly because she hadn't thought of the obvious. As superheroes, they could move faster than the average human, and with Nino leading her through back-alleys instead of above them, she didn't notice anything that seemed like it might give away future sensitive information about this Paris. While she hadn't actually agreed with the idea of going out, Marinette also didn't like to think about staying cooped up in the apartment for however long the akuma took to resurface. As long as they were careful, she could stretch her legs with the quick run before heading back.
Soon enough, she leapt down beside Nino to duck past a busy plaza. They sprinted out of people's view before anyone had a chance to realize the heroes were even there and hid themselves away behind a janitorial looking area.
"Shell off," Nino said once they were alone, and the flash of green light left him standing in his jeans and t-shirt.
So Marinette transformed behind the shed and followed after Nino while Tikki quickly ducked into her purse. Despite agreeing that she wouldn't snoop around their future, Marinette couldn't help her gaze as she stared up at the impressive building before her. High columns decorated the front, and dozens of windows spread out over five gigantic floors. It was a prestigious looking place, with tan bricks and a domed rooftop that sported a well-polished clock face.
"Is this your university?" Marinette asked without thinking.
"Oh, haha, yeah." Nino jolted to a stop and let out a hesitant laugh. "Guess it's okay to say that, so long as you don't tell past me? Although, you're actually the one who found this place after looking into their design programs." Nino then tilted his head back as he narrowed his eyes. "Huh… Wonder if this is why you suggested it?"
"I guess future-me did this in her past?" Marinette trotted after Nino as he continued on, leading her into a massive entryway of bright marble and more pillars, where two staircases arched up along the sidewalls and connected at the second floor. It was completely empty of any other people, thanks to the weekend. "But if she doesn't remember, why would she suggest it?"
"Coincidence? Subconscious memory? Maybe it's a sign that I'm not screwing this up as badly as I thought." Nino shrugged as he turned into a wide hallway. "There's a ballroom that they rent out to students down here. One of the janitors said he could look after my stuff last night so I wouldn't have to lug it in so early, but if the wedding's canceled, then he'll probably want to leave soon."
"I still believe this is a ridiculous idea," Wayzz muttered from his hiding spot in Nino's pocket. "You're doing all of this for a set of speakers?"
"Hey! Those babies aren't cheap!" Nino frowned at Wayzz's disapproving look. "I mean, it's not the price really… Adrien gave me those to help me start up my business! It's the sentiment, y'know?"
Marinette almost tripped at the mention of Adrien, and her brain fired up with all sorts of thoughts, but she bit back the curious questions that clamored to the forefront of her mind. Besides the fact that information about Adrien might have been heartbreaking anyway, she couldn't know too much about their future. Nino probably wouldn't say anything either.
But seven years… So much might happen in that time. Adrien could have changed. Maybe even stopped modeling due to a freak acne accident? He might have grown more amazing than he already was or turned out to be a man just like his father… Marinette shivered at that, and to calm her mind, she settled on a general question that sounded safe. "Ah, uh, so…" Marinette started softly. "How is Adrien? If you can say, that is."
"Uh…" Nino glanced back before turning and shrugging with a smile, walking backwards without watching where he was going. "I'll just say that he's living the dream, I guess? No spoilers though." He winked at her.
With his back turned, Marinette tried to warn Nino as a door along the side of the hall opened, and someone quickly stepped out, but her yelp was too late when Nino and the other man collided. Instead of falling into a mess of tangled limbs, however, like she expected, the stranger quickly reacted and caught Nino by his forearm, planting his feet firmly against the floor in a move that seemed to stabilize the two of them.
"Oh, 'sup?" Nino smiled from his half-crouched position at the man clutching his arm. "Thanks for the save, dude."
Marinette's brain ticked slowly for a moment as her eyes moved up and down this new figure, taking in familiar green eyes and styled blonde hair, her heart pounding with recognition. Speak of the devil…
Regardless of how much he had grown, she would know him in any time-line.
"Nino? I thought you were at home with—" Adrien's gaze lifted away from his friend as he helped Nino up, finally noticing Marinette frozen in the corridor in front of them. "—Marinette?"
"Uhh… Umm… H-hi...?" Her voice practically squeaked as she stammered incoherently.
Why was her heart reacting this way? She shouldn't be like this. She had already let go of these feelings. It was probably the dark denim jacket, white undershirt and pants combo, with his hair swept back in a way that made it look wild and untamed, silver studded earrings complimenting it all perfectly. How had nothing about him changed apart from his height? He looked like he had just walked out of a photo shoot.
So... Basically the everyday appearance of Adrien Agreste.
In her defense, she was more startled by the fact that she'd just run into someone that would recognize her and obviously see that she wasn't the adult Marinette that he knew… If they still knew one another in this time.
Adrien rubbed at the back of his neck as he gave Nino a curious look. "You know, I didn't expect this kind of situation with Marinette..."
Marinette blanked completely while Nino jumped up at that. "Actually, this is my fault! I brought her with me because I couldn't leave her in the apartment. Break-ins and all that. Not that we don't think mini-bug can take care of herself." Nino chuckled. "It just wasn't a scenario we wanted to chance."
Marinette's eyes flicked between Nino and Adrien with uncertainty. Had she heard correctly? The blood was pounding a bit too loudly in her ears to be sure of his words, but it sounded as if… as if… "W-wait," Marinette finally stammered out. "You know... about me?"
"Oh, uh! Yeah! All of the team does!" Nino playfully elbowed Adrien in the chest, his voice lowering to a whisper as he winked. "Isn't that right, Aspik?"
"Uh…" Adrien hesitated before grinning. "Yes! On occasion. I ah… help out Luka when he travels." Marinette felt her legs tremble slightly when he gave her a wink. "I guess you could say you gave me a second chance?"
"Bro…" Nino shook his head. "Too much."
Adrien awkwardly cleared his throat and shot his friend a narrow look. "So, mind explaining why you dragged Marinette out into the open?"
"About that," Nino started to explain, his wide grin faltering hesitantly. "See… The gig I had this weekend was canceled, so I needed to pick up my equipment before they left."
"Nino." Adrien's stern tone had Nino wincing as Adrien frowned and crossed his arms. "If something happens to the speakers, I can just replace them, I don't mind." He waved a hand in Marinette's direction. "This seems a little trivial to risk Marinette being seen by someone outside the team that might recognize her."
"This! This is why I wanted to pick them up before anything happened!" Nino waved his arms out before wrapping one around Adrien's shoulders and prodding his friend in the chest. "You spoil me, dude! But quit spending your money on me!"
At that moment, the door Adrien had stepped out of opened again, and the men stiffened. Marinette heard the sound of two high voices chattering behind them.
"Nino! What are you doing here?" a woman asked.
At the sound of his name, Nino pulled Adrien alongside him and the two of them stood in front of Marinette, blocking her view of the pair of women that had stepped into the hall, but also shielding her from theirs. "Yo, ladies! Just picking up my equipment! Looks like the wedding was canceled last-minute, so no gig tonight."
"What?" one of them gasped. "They canceled the day-of? That's so rude!"
"Yeah, but I guess they had some major drama, eh? The bride's dad was pretty pissed." Nino shrugged.
Marinette tried to remain still, her heart pounding in her chest. Though she hadn't moved a muscle, it apparently wasn't enough for the sharp gaze of the two ladies.
"Guys? Is there a reason you're hiding a small child back there?"
'Small. Child?' Marinette indignantly puffed while her heart simultaneously jumped into her throat.
Adrien peered over his shoulder, sending her an apologetic look. "Aah… yeah." He placed a hand against her back and shifted just enough for her to see the two girls standing before them. "This is uh, Nino's... Girlfriend's... distant cousin? She's a bit shy because she, uh, doesn't speak French very well."
The two women peered down at her curiously, one with a round face covered by a smattering of freckles and wearing a rough pair of overalls. She strikingly contrasted with her taller friend, who's long hair fell over her shoulders as she leaned forward in a casual business outfit made up of dark pants and a sweater.
Marinette waved to them awkwardly. "Umm... N-Nǐ hǎo?"
The short woman before them clasped her hands together and let out a soft squeal. "Nino! She's adorable! How much French does she understand? Don't worry! We won't judge!"
"Uh, not enough." Nino exchanged a nervous glance with Adrien. "But ah, sorry, Estelle, we've actually gotta jet. Alya's probably freaking cause I took her without saying anything. Didn't want to leave her alone in the apartment!"
"Nino! You're terrible!" The short woman—probably Estelle—laughed and lightly slapped his shoulder. "You should definitely text her. Don't do this when you two have kids!"
"Haha, yea, I'll be sure to remember that." Nino chuckled hesitantly, fiddling with his cap as the two women stepped past them.
"We've got some photos to develop anyway." The other girl waved a film camera in the air with a wink. "Thanks for being our professional model! These pictures are smokin'!"
"For sure!" Estelle exclaimed, looking over her shoulder at them. "Don't forget to text me your email later, Adrien. I'll send the best shots to your wife!"
They waved goodbye, and the pair of women eventually disappeared down the hallway.
Wife…?
Marinette's head suddenly felt like it was spinning, threatening to float away from her body, so she jumped when she felt a hand on her shoulder. "Marinette?"
"I'm okay!" she squeaked as she immediatley spun around. "I-I mean… Y'know, I probably shouldn't have heard that, but it's not a… a big deal." She gave her two future-friends a reassuring smile, though her voice sounded rattled, even to her own ears. "People grow up and get m-married... all the time, right? It's not surprising."
Nino opened his mouth as if to say something, but then stepped back and averted his eyes, a heavy looking expression on his face while he crossed his arms and rubbed a hand against his chin. "Ah, yeah... Sure." He then jerked a thumb over his shoulder. "I think we should be getting out of here pronto. I don't want that to happen a second time."
"How about I take her?" Adrien suggested as he turned to face Nino. "You go get your speakers, and I'll bring Marinette back to your apartment sooner, rather than later."
"You sure about that?" Nino asked, making an odd face. "I, uh… You can't exactly transform right now, right? That's how we got here in the first place."
"We should be okay," Adrien said with a curious expression, his lips lifted in a confident smile as if he already had an idea forming. "You'd probably need to get a cab anyway. Wouldn't it be weird if someone spotted Carapace carrying your speakers across Paris?"
Nino slapped his forehead with a hiss. "Ah! You're right! Didn't think this whole plan through. But… You're positive you wanna take her?"
Adrien nodded. "I was headed in that direction anyway. Your place is close to—Umm, an area I need to stop at. There was a little cell phone mix up this morning."
"Ah, yeah." Nino grinned widely, appearing to stifle a laugh. "Alya told me." He then looked at Marinette and raised a curious brow. "That plan sound alright with you, Marinette?"
Marinette jumped when her two friends turned their attention back on her, and she waved her hands quickly in front of her. "It's okay! Umm, yes. Perfectly fine." She smiled softly and nodded, but couldn't help her eyes as they briefly flicked back toward Adrien. Her nerves wouldn't stop jittering. Why couldn't he have grown up less cool? He still seemed like the same Adrien she'd always known, which was the one she had unfortunately fallen for and given up on.
So Nino gave them a quick goodbye, and she followed after Adrien when he moved down the hall in the opposite direction of his friend. Instead of going out the main entrance, however, he veered off through another set of doors, traveling deeper into the building.
"Aren't we leaving?" Marinette asked, pointing out past the grand entryway.
"We're making a quick stop," Adrien assured her as he kept strolling down another hall. "I think this might be a better idea than just walking you through Paris."
"Walk?" Marinette paused, but quickly trotted after him when he kept going. "We're not taking a cab too?" Or have his driver take us? Marinette wondered to herself, curious about that bit of info. But she didn't press. It might have been something she shouldn't learn. Like how he's married, her brain fired out, and she physically stumbled at the intruding thought, mentally scolding herself for letting it bother her.
Adrien didn't seem to notice her fumble as he led her to a set of double doors. "It's probably not a good idea for us to be seen getting into a cab together." He held open the door for her and waved his hand at the grand theater inside. "That might draw too much attention, and I'm afraid of what the press may try to dig up."
"Right." She nodded, letting that answer satisfy her curiosity, even though she thought it sounded off. Then again, everything was off about her situation. I'm in the future. And there's nothing wrong with Adrien trying to avoid a little bad press. We've done this before.
A short while later, Marinette had on a new coat with a matching hat and sunglasses, borrowed from the university's drama club, which happened to be unattended since it was the weekend. Adrien promised he'd return all the clothing before they were missed.
Marinette admired the outfit, checking out her reflection in the dark window of a storefront as they waited at a stoplight, if only to keep her eyes off of the man standing right next to her. She was failing miserably, because her gaze kept flicking back to him. She couldn't get over how tall he had grown. He was still handsome, even with his bright eyes hidden behind a pair of sunglasses and wild hair smothered for the time being beneath a comfortable looking beanie.
He caught her side glance right as the walk sign turned green and asked, "Is the outfit okay?"
Marinette faltered, but quickly caught herself and bolted after him over the crosswalk. "Of course! You've really got an eye for fashion, but that's not surprising considering it's practically your life!" She waved her hands in a panic. "Not that you have to confirm that if it still is—or isn't! I shouldn't know too much."
He chuckled. "Well sure, what can I say, then? I just know what looks… uh, good." He cleared his throat and averted his eyes for some reason. "I mean, it comes with experience." As they reached the other side of the road, Adrien stepped gracefully up onto the curb, then stopped to pose like in one of his photoshoots.
Marinette paused at that, then let out a soft shriek when one of the cars behind her honked as the traffic light changed. She practically leapt up onto the sidewalk and nervously giggled, trying to fight down the embarrassed blush she could feel warming her face.
"Any particular reason you were doing a photoshoot at the university?" she asked as she jogged to catch back up with him, trying to make some kind of conversation that might not be classified as future-specific knowledge.
Adrien hummed as if considering whether or not that would be too much information. He must have decided it was safe. "Nino asked if I could help out some of his classmates. They wanted to try their hand at model photography."
"I'm sure it was a breeze with you helping." Marinette smiled up at him. "What with you being a professional and all."
"Of course!" Adrien beamed, taking a confident step back before he strolled around her in what appeared to be another runway strut. "Although I've had a few years since you last saw me to purr-fect my catwalk." He then froze as Marinette blinked at him, but she was more surprised by his reaction than the joke he'd made. "But, uh… We should probably get out of here before anyone notices us."
Author's Note: Thank you all for the lovely comments! I love hearing that folks are enjoying the story so far! I also post this on AO3 underneath the same username, and only recently started posting here on Fanfiction. I have the next chapter coming soon, but after that, the daily updates will slow down, as it's all been caught up to the one over on AO3. Because of quarantines, I've had a lot of time to spend writing, so I normally update once every 5-6 days.
