Adrien's perspective for Chapter 11. Only checked for errors once, just gonna' apologize in advance right now. ƪ(˘⌣˘)ʃ
Adrien could feel his heart pounding against his chest as he stared out the window. The ever-changing scenery did little to calm his nerves. He toyed with the window switch and cracked the window ever so slightly to let a breeze into the car.
She's really letting me meet her family…..
That thought alone made his heart skip a beat. He was really meeting the parents of the woman he loved. How should he act? What should he say? He started to sweat as he realized he hadn't gotten a gift for them. Would they look down on him because he didn't bring a gift to bare? He wasn't asking for her hand in marriage just yet, but was this too rude to forgive?
He turned to Marinette as she navigated the car over a bridge. She seemed as relaxed as ever as if she hadn't just offered to take him to meet her parents. He just couldn't read the young woman next to him. She hadn't seemed to think about it, but it bothered him to think that there was a chance that her parents may not like him.
"Do you think they'll like me?" He asked quietly from the passenger side.
He watched as her chin tilted ever so slightly in thought, surprised by the sudden question. "Ummm…." As she turned to him, he could see a hint of playfulness in her eyes. "Like you? Not at all." His heart stopped for a fraction of a second before she continued. "Love you? I know they will."
He breathed a sigh of relief. Of course, there was no way that she could truly know if her parents would 'love him', but somehow hearing her say it with ease made him feel better about meeting her parents. She just had a way about her that made him feel peaceful, always.
"Thanks." His eyes drifted to her arm. He tried to beat down his rising feeling of guilt. "Does it still hurt?" He knew it was a stupid question, but he felt the need to ask.
"Just relax and look at the scenery. We pass through a pretty woodsy area, so you'll get to see lots of nature." She said while drumming her nails on the steering wheel.
He huffed to himself as he turned his back to her and looked out the window.
I should've known she wouldn't give me a direct answer.
He just couldn't forgive himself for hurting her. Plagg's words reverberated throughout his head in a never-ending loop.
Better be careful with that power of yours before it gets out of hand again.
Again?
He did his best to push it to the back of his mind. A part of him really wanted to talk to Marinette about what Plagg has said to him, to somehow get to a clearer state of mind that he knew she could give. He watched from his peripheral as she tapped along to the beat of a song he didn't know while humming.
If he were to bring it up, she would only worry and it would completely ruin the trip, he refused to do that to her. He just might have been able to think straight if he had opened up to her, but only at the expense of her not being able to think clearly while on her trip. It just wasn't worth it.
He gently shook his head as he rested it on the window.
I'll wait.
He didn't have a choice
xXx
There was no amount of pep talk that he could give himself that would prepare him for meeting her parents.
As Marinette pulled up to a parking spot in front of the bakery, Adrien made haste to open the door for her.
"Just be yourself and they'll love you. I'm going to go ahead first; do you mind getting the bags?" As he watched her walk up to the door, he felt like a child being told to wait at the register in a grocery store.
He shook his head before going to the back seat to get the little bit of luggage that they had.
"Ready to meet your in-laws?" Plagg snickered from the dashboard.
Adrien rolled his eyes as he pointed to his pocket. He didn't even have a witty remark to offer, he was too nervous. He could hear her parents talking in an excited and fast tone as they addressed their daughter.
Is it too late to hide out in the car?
As if her parents had heard his thoughts, he could hear her mother and father asking about him.
They're just people, humans, like you. You were bound to meet them at some point, right? He tried to remind himself that if he passed out now, it would make a horrible first impression. He forced himself not to look like the life was being sucked out of him as he approached the family.
It brought him a new kind of joy to see her so happy to be around her family. A smile like no other graced her features as she walked up to him. When was the last time she had been this happy? They had only been there for two minutes and she was already glowing. As she went to grab the bags, Adrien held them out of her reach, not wanting her to carry the luggage no matter how light they may be.
Adrien had only ever heard her talk about her parents, to see them up close gave off a similar feeling of meeting celebrities. It would be an understatement to say he was surprised to see that her father looked nothing like he had expected him to. As Marinette's father looked at him, Adrien felt himself break a sweat.
So this is what the intense gaze of a father is?
Nearly forgetting his manners, he struggled to set the luggage down before holding out his hand. "It's a pleasure to finally meet you, sir."
If he wasn't dripping in sweat before, he surely was swimming in it now as Marinette's father didn't make a single move to shake his extended hand.
I've done something to offend him haven't I?
As he beat himself up for not even introducing himself properly, he could hardly register the next words out of Marinette's father's mouth. "Just call me Tom. Welcome home, son." Before he knew it, he was being engulfed in a back-breaking hug.
He had to wonder if her father could feel his heart racing. A flood of relief washed over him in waves as he realized the people he was dealing with. These were the people that raised the woman he loved. Had he truly expected them to raise such a caring and loving child while being cold and unwelcoming people? He felt silly for even thinking that her parents would want to chew him out.
As Tom released him, Adrien offered them a warm smile. "Um, thank you?"
Not even a second passed before her mother welcomed him with kisses and a loving hug only a mother could give. "And Sabine is just fine. We're more than happy to have you here."
Hearing it made him feel like he had definitely made the best decision of his life to join Marinette on this trip.
"Well come on in," Her father said as he grabbed the luggage. Adrien trailed after the family as they led him inside the house. His senses were overwhelmed by the smell of freshly baked bread and cookies as soon as they opened the door. Now, he could honestly say this was the best decision.
Can I stay forever?
xXx
Everything seemed to blur together as things moved in a fast pace around him. Between arriving at her parents' house, getting a tour, making deliveries, and meeting her friends, he could honestly say that they had accomplished a lot during the few hours they had been in her city.
He watched as Marinette talked with the very last customer of the day. She had long since gotten the signature and was now just carrying on a conversation with the woman and her child.
Adrien smiled to himself at seeing her interact with the family. The little girl had nearly tackled Marinette to the ground in glee when she rang the doorbell. The little girl had been talking nonstop as she filled Marinette in on all of the things she had missed since being away for so many months.
Plagg rested himself on Adrien's shoulder as he watched his owner.
"You've got it bad, huh?"
Knowing quite well what Plagg was referring to, Adrien let out a sigh and watched as the cold puff of air dissipated into nothing. "Yea." He felt choked up just thinking about how much he loved and cared for this one person. Was it possible to love someone this much? Was it supposed to hurt this much to know he may mess things up?
At seeing his owner downcast, Plagg pinched his owner's cheek.
"Hey, hey, hey! Don't look so sad, sad boy."
"How can I not after what you told me earlier today?" He had said it in such a matter of fact tone, though calmly. It was his honest thought. He didn't know what to think, let alone do if he potentially posed as a threat to Marinette. He sighed once more as he turned to Plagg. "Do you think she'd be happy if I was gone?"
"Honestly?" Plagg asked as he mulled over his owner's words.
"Truthfully."
He didn't like this. Being left alone with his thoughts. If he got to thinking, it was quite easy to convince himself that she would be much better off without him. Watching her be so happy around all of these people today, it brought on a wave of joy at seeing her so excited, but a flow of wavering feelings at knowing he had kept her from this as she had been catching Kwamis and battling akumas while harboring him in her home.
"Then yea." Plagg said genuinely. "She would be happy to not have to worry about such a troublesome person. I imagine that she was always a happy person prior to you coming into her life."
Adrien nodded his head in agreement. "Yea, I-"
"But I don't think she would be happier without you, just happy. I think you make her a happier person even if you cause her trouble at times."
Adrien couldn't hide his smile at Plagg saying such kind words. He couldn't ever remember a time when Plagg had ever said anything sweet to him. Adrien couldn't help but tease him.
"Oh, did you just say something nice and not related to cheese? I think Tikki is rubbing off on you," He said as he poked Plagg in the stomach with a laugh.
Plagg didn't hesitate to swipe his hand away. "Let's make that the last nice thing I ever say to you," He said before dipping back into Adrien's pocket.
Adrien could only snicker to himself at the thought of Plagg being nicer due to Tikki's influence. It was kind of him to say that she was happier with him around, but he couldn't get the thought out of his head.
Just what would her life be like without me?
He didn't have long to fester on the thought as Marinette hugged the little girl and her mother goodbye.
"Who were they?" He asked thoughtfully as he nodded to the door she was just at.
Marinette smiled fondly at being around the familiar faces. "Ms. Chamack and her daughter, Manon. I used to babysit her when I was in high school. It's crazy to see how big she's gotten."
No wonder the little girl seemed so happy to see Marinette. He thought as he remembered her extreme reaction. "Do we go home now?"
Marinette linked hands with him with a warm smile. "We could go home….or we could stop and get ice cream before heading back."
"Won't that spoil dinner?" Adrien asked as he watched her swing their arms.
"We'll get a small. Manon told me Andre was located near the river bank not too far from here."
Adrien quirked an eyebrow high on his face. "Andre?"
"The ice cream vendor. Makes the best ice cream in all of France. He typically goes all throughout my town, but there are times where he even goes to different cities." He could tell she was already drooling at the idea of trying the savory ice cream.
As Marinette happily told him about all of the wonderful experiences she had with eating his ice cream as she led the way, Adrien couldn't help but laugh. To hear her get so excited about something as small as ice cream, made him happy.
"What's so funny?" She inquired after his laughter died down.
"You, you're so happy to be here." He breathed in a deep whiff of the winter air. "It's nice to see you happy."
He smiled as a rosy sheen coated her cheeks. "Yea, well, uh…I guess? I just feel like it's been forever since I've visited….Plus you're with me, so it's even better."
He gave her hand a gentle squeeze. "Thanks for inviting me, Bugaboo."
She rolled her eyes at the silly name. "Well, it wouldn't have been fun to stay at home anyways." She said with a shrug of her shoulders.
He looked down at the small woman. She seemed so nonchalant about this but he thanked the heavens that he was lucky enough to fall for someone like her. Well rounded, kind, absolutely beautiful, and caring. Thinking such positive things about her left a bitter taste in his mouth now. He didn't want to think of what he could potentially lose in the upcoming days after getting more answers. He groaned internally as he tried to maintain his upbeat mood. He really couldn't afford to be a downer right now when he just wanted to enjoy his time with her.
Marinette watched the man she was currently linking hands with. She couldn't pinpoint it but something was definitely bothering him. Throughout the walk, his mood had slowly gone downhill out of nowhere. Surely he knew that if something was bothering him, he could just come right out and say it. She had invited him out because she thought he would be able to take his mind off of things away from all of the magic in Paris, had she failed her mission? He had seemed so happy before, why was he suddenly dragging his feet now?
Marinette stopped walking, effectively stopping him from taking further steps. At his inquiring look, she placed a firm hand on his shoulder and gave it a tight squeeze with a serious look in her eyes. He could feel himself squirming under her scrutiny.
"I know what's bothering."
Adrien felt his blood run cold at her statement, there was no way she could know unless Plagg had said something. Adrien had been with Plagg all day, so there was no chance of that.
"You do?" He asked, clearly interested in humoring any answers she could give.
She gave a curt nod. "Mhm." She leaned close and peered into his eyes. "It's written all over your face that something is bugging you, you wear your emotions on your face."
He'd be lying if he said he wasn't guilty of it, it wasn't exactly something he could control. "Well, aren't you perceptive?"
"I sure am. I told you, I'm fine already." She pulled up the sleeve of her jacket. "It's nothing but a small wound on my arm, I can barely even feel it." She stated as she began flailing her arm around.
"Stop, stop." He said as he gently grabbed her arm. Surely her arm wasn't healed in this short amount of time. There was no reason for her to put on such a strong front. "I get it, I get it, you're feeling good." He placed her arm gently at her side. She wasn't necessarily wrong with what she said. He was truly worried about her arm on top of worrying about what Plagg said. "Sorry, I feel bad about hurting you."
"I already said don't worry about it." She huffed. "What is it going to take for you to believe me when I say my arm is okay? I swear I'll do pushups if it'll help cement the idea in your worrywart head." She said as she bulged out her muscle and patted her arm.
Why is she so nice to me? Here she was injured and yet she was so focused on what he was feeling and how he was faring. It just wasn't right. He knew apologizing now would result in little to nothing as it would only fuel her need to tend to his wounded feelings.
The best apology is a changed attitude.
He smiled as he patted the top of her head with a shake of his. "You've done enough, milady, thanks. I believe you when you say you're fine." He linked their hands once more and planted a gentle kiss to the back of her hand. "I think I just need to stay out of my own head."
She offered him a reassuring smile. "I couldn't agree more, that's a mighty dark place to be in." She said, referring to his mind. "Try to focus on what's happening around you, we're almost there." Marinette continued to lead the way to their destination.
Focus on what's around me. He smiled as Marinette began talking about the wonderful feast they were bound to have once they returned home. How could I possibly want to focus on anything else but you? Even if it killed him, he vowed to calm himself for the remainder of their trip.
It wasn't long before Marinette and Adrien could spot the vendor in the distance. With no one around, the man stared out at the waves of the bank.
"Ah, Andre!" Marinette all but ran the rest of the way as Adrien followed behind.
"Marinette!" Warmth spread across the jolly man as his eyes landed on her.
Adrien wasn't surprised to see them exchange a warm hug. By now he had come to see that Marinette was very loved by pretty much everyone in the town.
"Oh, and who is this? A fiancée?" Andre asked as he eyed Adrien with a glint in his eyes. "It's about time, moi cheri."
Marinette's face flushed a deep red as she held up her left hand with an embarrassed look. "Now Andre, do you see a ring on this finger?"
He shrugged his shoulder with a knowing smile as he began digging in his cart for the perfect ice cream for the two. "The left finger has a bright red string to it and no one can see that. You can't fool these old eyes, he's clearly smitten."
Marinette obviously tried to laugh it off as Adrien's face joined her in a battle of redness. He wasn't even sure how to go about responding to what was said.
Adrien tried to cover up his embarrassment with a laugh. "She's uh, just a great friend." That I love. He'd die before confessing his love to her like that.
"Great friends don't always hold hands like lovers, I spotted you two further down the bank," He said as he winked at the two.
Adrien took a glance at Marinette though quickly looked away when he saw her doing the same. It was fair to say that he had suffered more than enough embarrassment and they had only been there for a minute.
"Now, now, no need to feel embarrassed." He pulled out the plastic flute glasses to place the ice cream in. "Look here. Sweet moist brownies, as sweet as her heart." He said with a wink directed at Marinette. "Drizzled in the warmest of fudge, giving off heat like your spark." He added three scoops of fresh vanilla ice cream. "Deep alpine vanilla, as deep as his love." Andre drizzled hot fudge on the sundae. "With a nice fudgy topping, your feelings are something to be proud of." With his creation nearly complete, he grabbed whip cream and a cherry. "Adding whip cream, like how you both are on cloud 9." Adrien watched as Marinette tried her hardest to conceal her blush. "Lastly a cherry, your love can only grow stronger with time. Wala!" He placed both Marinette's and Adrien's hand on the creation.
Adrien had to admit, he was pretty impressed. The man had managed to make the ice cream look so good in a matter of seconds. On top of that, he had come up with rhymes all while doing so. Adrien could already feel himself drooling.
As Marinette went to pay, Andre held up his hands. "No need, it's on the house for you. Think of it as a congrats for finding love."
"Andre, we're not-we-we just. Ugh, thank you." She said with a warm smile. It was clear that no matter what was said, he would sing the same tune.
They exchanged their goodbyes before Marinette led Adrien to a set of stairs where they could sit and eat their ice cream in peace.
There was something about eating ice cream in winter that Adrien truly enjoyed. Adrien held the ice cream as he assisted Marinette with sitting on the stairs. Once the two were situated and they were sure they were alone, Adrien and Marinette let their Kwamis come out and into the open.
"Ohhhh wow." Plagg's eyes widened as he eyes the delicacy. Adrien had to grip Plagg by the tail to keep him from diving right into the ice cream.
Adrien watched as Tikki's eyes did the same, though she was good at restraining herself. Marinette giggled at their Kwamis reactions before taking the spoon and scooping a bit for Tikki.
"You can try first."
Tikki didn't need to be told twice as she happily ate what was on the spoon. "It's absolutely delicious." Tikki didn't hesitate to take more.
Before Adrien could even move to get his spoon, Plagg tugged some more before biting Adrien's finger.
"Ow!" Adrien instantly let go of Plagg's tail, allowing the Kwami to scoop in and take some of what Marinette was offering Tikki. At the content moans of pleasure from the sweetness, Adrien glared at him. "Was it that serious?" That was the first time Plagg had ever bit him. He couldn't say he was surprised that he was bitten over food. The glutton.
Plagg threw the same glare back at Adrien with annoyance. "Yes, it was. I'm hungry."
Marinette laughed as she held the ice cream up for Adrien to take some. "Now now, you two. Let's play nice. In Plagg's defense, Andre never fails to impress with his ice cream."
Adrien rolled his eyes at Marinette jumping to his Kwami's defense. He scooped some of the ice cream and brownie on to the spoon before popping it into his mouth. He didn't shy away from dipping his spoon back into the ice cream right after, causing Marinette to smile. "How can something be so warm, but so cold and perfect at the same time?" He could have cried glorious tears of happiness at how happy his taste buds were.
"What did I tell you? The man knows his stuff." Marinette took a scoop and sighed in content. "Legend has it that he's scoured every continent in hopes of learning their secretes about how to make the perfect ice cream."
"He surely has learned some amazing things."
Adrien couldn't imagine being so good at one thing that it was nearly perfect. He turned back to where Andre's ice cream cart had once been.
Andre seems so happy to give people such joy too. Adrien didn't normally talk to people on the streets randomly, but he felt it would have been easy to strike up a conversation with the man. With such a kind and warm aura, who wouldn't want to talk to the man?
It wasn't long before the ice cream was gone, thanks to Plagg mostly. Marinette and Adrien chose to relax a bit before heading back as they watched their Kwamis fly around the river bank. Adrien brushed a gentle hand through Marinette's hair as she leaned her head on his shoulder.
She seemed content as she basked in his presence, at least he hoped as much. He truly wondered what was running through her mind as she gazed out at the lovely scenery before them. It was like she didn't have a care in the world as she made it a point to enjoy her time with him.
I can't lose her.
His mind was racing with millions of thoughts. It would be impossible to relax until he had answers. He unconsciously glared at Plagg as he watched him float around nonchalantly and with ease. How dare he after basically ruining Adrien's chances of being able to calm down for the rest of the trip? What was the point in telling him if he didn't plan on giving him answers? If he didn't even know the answers at that?
"Ya' know," Marinette started, causing Adrien's eyes to soften as she looked at him. She gripped onto his arm slightly tighter. "I'm really going to miss this."
If his mind wasn't racing before, it was surely doing a marathon now. There was no way she could know what he was thinking or what was bothering him since he hadn't actually voiced his concerns to anyone but Plagg. Was this a premonition? Her speaking the destiny that was bound to happen?
It took everything to keep him from screaming with what she said, though his heart had yet to stop beating at an irrational pace.
He cleared his dry throat. "What do you mean?"
"It might be because I'm in my hometown with my parents, but it's nice to feel like I'm being taken care of and not really 'adulting'." Marinette's eyebrows furrowed together as she tried to think of how to clarify her thoughts. "Mom's making dinner in a toasty warm house for us. It's not like we really have to do anything. No job right now, no cooking, no Kwami battles for that matter. I almost feel like a kid again."
Adrien nodded his head as he took in her words. He chuckled as he thought back to how eagerly Manon had spoken to Marinette about her day and life for. Kids really had no filters or a single care in the world. He had to wonder if he had been as carefree or fun as a child.
"I wouldn't blame you if you wanted to stay here forever." He noted. Loving parents, nice home, fun city, and pastries for days? Why wouldn't she want to stay?
"Don't tempt me," she joked. "There are millions of reasons I could stay here, but there's also a million and one other reasons and responsibilities that I have to go back to Paris of course."
His question bubbled on the tip of his tongue before he decided to just ask. "Do you think everything happens for a reason?"
Marinette chewed over the thought for what seemed like hours as Adrien waited. Obviously, her answer wasn't as clear cut as he thought it would be. After a while, she finally spoke.
"Do you remember the first time we were at Master Fu's massage parlor. Like the very first day when you were tied up and naked." She laughed as his face instantly reddened.
"Don't remind me." There were so many things he wanted to forget about that day. Trying to kill Marinette, being wrongfully tied up, being incredibly naked in all of his glory, just to name a few.
"You gotta' admit that was kind of funny. But remember how I said it was a coincidence that all of this happened because I didn't want to find Kwamis or be associated with any of this?" Marinette continued as Adrien nodded his head. "Master Fu told us that nothing is truly a coincidence and then he went on to talk about fate and destiny and what not."
"So…You do think everything happens for a reason?"
She used her free hand to point up at the stars. "As much as there's a reason behind exploding balls of gas being in the night sky. Even if we can't see it, there's a reason for everything. Sometimes it's beautiful," she said as she smiled at the lovely scenery that dusk provided, "and other times it's not, but there's still a reason for it."
Then what's the reason for this? Why was he being put in such a hard place right now? He didn't want to think negatively, but there had to be a negative answer to his question. He could feel it in his bones.
He sucked in a deep breath before breathing it out and looking at the puff of air that followed. "I couldn't agree more, milady. I hope the reason we're together is for one of those 'beautiful reasons' you mentioned." He couldn't afford anything else with her but a beautiful reason.
"You know it, who else can say that they met under such weird circumstances?"
He laughed knowing that they certainly had a story for the books. Who would believe such a crazy story? A boy from the past meets the girl of his dreams as they fight evil. Not exactly the common beginning to a love story.
The thought of having a love story with Marinette left a tingling sensation inside him that he couldn't deem as good or bad.
Is this going to be a tragedy like Romeo and Juliet, or would the world be so kind so as to give him a fairytale happy ending?
Marinette looked at her watch and smiled. "We should probably start heading back. Mom is going to be finished with dinner soon and you'll absolutely love everything that she made, no doubt about it."
He stood and offered a hand to his princess. He motioned towards the river bank. "Let's make a wish before we head back." He had thousands of loose coins in his pocket, might as well put them to good use.
"Good idea."
The couple beckoned their Kwamis to come to join them near the bridge's edge. The two shivered as a gust of cold wind blew the river's air in their direction. It was definitely time to go back to the safe confinements of the warm home.
Adrien handed each Kwami and Marinette one random franc that he fished out of his pocket. He used his thumb to flip the coin in the air as he pondered what to wish for.
The real question is, what shouldn't I wish for?
If he were honest with himself, he had hundreds- No, thousands of wishes on his mind. He was forced to think about how he could technically have a real wish under his belt if they were to capture all of the Kwamis. Marinette had made it quite clear that it was dangerous to even think about using the wish, but his mind had always wandered back to the thought somehow. Why make it so that a wish was even possible if people weren't meant to use it in the first place?
He huffed to himself. Then again, why did God create the apple if Eve wasn't meant to eat it in the first place? Regardless of the answer, she did and that didn't exactly turn out well.
There was just no winning in this situation.
Maybe if I make my wish vague enough, it'll come true, but if it's too vague then maybe it won't. Why am I thinking so hard about this, it's just a wish in a river.
He was shaken from his thoughts as he watched his Kwami hurl the coin into the river. With a plop, the coin floated on top for a second before disappearing into the murky water.
Plagg spoke his wish with his eyes pursed closed and hands clasped tightly together. "I wish that I can eat all of the cheese that I love throughout the next year." As if pleased with his wish, he smiled to himself.
Adrien looked at where the coin had landed before turning back to Plagg. "You just said your wish out loud."
"So?" He asked nonchalantly as he sat on his owner's shoulder.
"If you say your wish out loud, it won't come true."
Did he know if this was true? Absolutely not, but if felt like some unspoken rule that wishes like this were meant to stay silent.
"You're kidding, kid." Plagg was hoping Adrien was trying to play a joke on him.
Adrien shrugged his shoulders. "I mean, I don't know if it's true, but if you want to risk n-"
All playfulness left his tone as he gave his owner a deadpanned stare. "I want another coin."
Adrien pulled out an ecu and handed it to him. "Gotta' wish for something different now."
"What are you? The wish guru?" Without waiting for an answer, Plagg tossed the coin into the river with a triumphant smile.
"What'd you wish for? More cheese?" Adrien snickered.
"I'd rather bite your finger again than tell you and risk losing my wish. I'll have you know though, I didn't wish for anything for myself this time."
"Oh." Adrien would be lying if he didn't say that caught him by surprise, it was such an unlike Plagg thing to do. Now his curiosity was piqued. "May I ask who your wish is in favor of?"
"Nonya," Plagg said before flying into Adrien's coat pocket to gather some warmth.
Guess I should have expected such an answer after telling him he'd lose his wish. He turned to the girls who seemed to be pondering their wishes. He liked not being the only one to be taking his wish seriously. He was amazed and somewhat envious that Plagg had known right what he wanted from the start. Even after wasting a wish, he was quite quick with his second one.
"Do you really think your wish won't come true if you say it out loud?" Tikki chimed in after some time.
Adrien didn't even know she had listened to what he had told Plagg. "Who knows? Wouldn't want to risk it."
"I thought that might be something adults tell kids just so that the kids don't say it out loud and so that the adults don't have to get whatever the kids wish for."
Adrien hadn't thought about it like that, maybe that could be the case.
"I always say my wishes out loud," Marinette said before tossing the coin into the river with her good arm.
Tikki nodded her head. "It's true, sometimes she makes wishes at 11:11 and she always says it out loud."
"Besides, I would hate to think that there is some unforgiving fairy out there that would think that me saying my wishes out loud is absolute taboo."
"Plus, I've never heard of a mind-reading fairy, so how would they know the wish if it wasn't said out loud?" Tikki added before throwing in her own coin.
Adrien held up his hands in his defense with a chuckle. Everyone was clearly against his original take on wishes. It was fair to say that everything they had said sounded logical and that he would try to reevaluate his opinion on saying wishes out loud.
"Then what did you guys wish for?"
Without missing a beat, they answered. "Not saying it out loud."
Adrien could only stare dumbfounded at them. Had they not just listed out reason upon reason for why they shouldn't keep their wishes to themselves? Had he missed something?
"But you just said there are no mind-reading 'fairies' and that you need to say it out loud." He used air quotation marks.
Marinette shrugged her shoulders. "We can just whisper our wishes to ourselves so that they can hear and no one else can."
"Do you really think some fairy is going to say, 'Wow, she said her wish to herself, better grant that one'?" He just realized how odd the thought of another being actually working to grant wishes was. "An actual fairy at that?" The more he thought about it, the more audacious it sounded.
"Weirder things have existed," Tikki said with a wink.
She's right, look at who I'm talking to. At this point, who knew what was true or not about wishes.
"I figured we would give it a 50/50 shot. Right now, I'll keep this wish to myself, tonight will be a little different."
Were they supposed to make wishes tonight? "What are you talking?"
"You'll find out later." She nudged him. "Go ahead and make your wish, slowpoke."
He looked down at the coin nervously. Why was this so difficult for him? It wasn't as if this would be his dying wish.
Trying to push off some of the pressure, he shook his shoulders. I shouldn't think so much about it.
With that thought in mind, he chucked his coin far out into the river.
"Wow, look at it go," Tikki said as they watched it soar out of sight. It was so far that they couldn't even hear the plop of it dropping into the water.
"Yay, all of our wishes are complete. Let's head home." Marinette opened her bag to allow Tikki to go back to the warm confinements.
Adrien took Marinette's hand in hers as they began the short trek back home.
Jokingly she decided to ask, "What did you wish for?"
"My lips are sealed, princess."
He certainly wouldn't risk saying this particular wish out loud.
They had already established that there was a reason for everything.
He could only hope that- wish that, his wish would true.
Every story deserved a happy ending, right?
So I'll probably do 1 or 2 more of these in the bit of free time I have (:
Thank you everyone for the support.
I truly hope you and your families are happy, safe, and well.