This was it.

It was time.

Moving day.

The night before, Marinette had stayed up with her parents to watch bad movies, play video games, and snuggle together in a blanket fort on the couch. It was simple and warm and wonderful, and it was their way of saying goodbye to one another.

Once Marinette had fallen asleep against Sabine, Tom had gently covered them with the rest of the blankets, turned off the television, and then tried to fall asleep on his wife's shoulder. His arm cradled both women, and in the dark, holding them both as they slept, he wept. While sitting there in the dark, he remembered when his wife had come home from the hospital with their little girl after a hard pregnancy, and how they had slept just like this on their first night home as a family.

The first night that it wasn't just the two of them.

And now it was the last.

And now, here they were, all huddled together, and Tom felt like it had only been a moment. Just a heartbeat ago, Marinette had been swaddled and sleeping in the crook of his arm. And now she was getting ready to leave, all grown up, and still just a child. And he was going to have to let that child go.

And Tom knew that Marinette would be over all the time and that she was just down the street, but after that night, this wouldn't be home for her anymore, no matter what she said or how hard they reassured each other. After tonight, there wouldn't be any music drifting down from the attic, or extra plates in the sink, or piles of laundry, or abandoned sewing projects on the table or…

Or anything.

So he held his girls, and he paid close attention to every rise and fall of their breathing as they slept against him, and he inhaled deeply against his daughter's head and caught the scent of her shampoo, and he cried.

He tried to control his shaking, but Sabine woke up enough to realize what was going on. She leaned over to kiss him on the cheek. He then leaned into her as she whispered, "Oh, baby. You're a good dad, Tom. I am so glad you're the father of my little girl. You are such a good dad."

Tom tried to answer, but his tears were threatening to come out in a sob, and he knew that if Marinette woke up, the spell would be broken. So, he nuzzled his wife and kissed her, and did his best to hold her as she hugged him so tightly.

"I can't do this," he finally whispered. "She wasn't supposed to go."

Sabine didn't correct him. She just held him tighter and joined him with her own quiet tears.

Eventually, they drifted off to sleep.

Morning came too soon, and when the last box was loaded and the last poster was taken down, Tom hugged his little girl. Not with a bear hug or a massive dad hug. He just held her close.

"You're sure you don't want us to come and help? Because we'd love to," Tom said.

"Daddy, no. You and mama work the shop. Let me and Adrien do this, okay? And then we'll have you over to see. Please?"

"But I can help," Tom whimpered.

"If you come and help, you'll never leave, and if you make a scene, I might go back with you."

"Then I'm definitely coming," Tom said.

"Daddy, stop. Hey, I love you." Marinette kissed his cheek.

"My love for you is greater than the number of stars in the sky," he said. "You're everything good in this world, and I am so proud of you. Just, please don't forget us. Please don't forget how much we love you."

Marinette started crying as she hugged him back. "Of course I won't. I love you so much, and I'll be right down the street. All you need to do is call me, and you can come by anytime, always."

"I know. So will we, if you need us."

"I'll always need you," Marinette whispered. "You're my dad."

She hugged him tighter as she started to cry. "You're my dad," she said again.

Sabine, desperate for something to focus on before she collapsed in a mess of tears, approached Adrien. He was loading the last of Marinette's things into the back of a moving truck with the help of the Gorilla.

"That should be everything, Ms. Cheng," Adrien said. "We'll get everything unpacked and setup today and tomorrow, and then, um, would you like to come over for dinner? We can…"

Sabine pulled Adrien into a hug. "I don't ever want to hear you call me Ms. Cheng again. Do you understand me?"

Adrien, confused, pulled back and stared at her. "What should I call you, ma'am?"

Sabine hugged him tighter and kissed the side of his head. "Mom, silly. Call me mom."

Adrien hugged her back.

"Thank you… Mom." Adrien choked out.

"You're a good person, Mr. Agreste. Now, so we're clear? I won't put up with any in-law garbage, either. It's just mom. It's high time you were able to lean on a parent, and now you have two. So you lean, mister. You're our son now, and I'll hear no more about it."

"But, Mari and I aren't married, yet."

"Like I give a shit, dear." She leaned back and looked at him. "You take care of my girl, you understand?"

"Yes ma'am," Adrien said.

Sabine bopped him on the head.

"Yes mom," Adrien said through a laugh.

"That's better," Sabine said. She pulled him back into a hug and patted his back. "I love you so much. I'm so happy you're a part of our family, and I'm proud of you. You are always welcome here, no matter what."

She felt him shudder a bit in her arms.

"I love you, too," he whispered. "Thank you for this. For accepting me. I swear, I will never let her down. I'll never let any of you down."

"You never could, you goof."

Sabine had thought that focusing on Adrien would keep her from crying.

She was wrong.

Once the hugs were done and the goodbyes were said, the two kids piled in the front of the truck with the Gorilla and drove a couple blocks down, only to pile out five minutes later in front of their new apartment building. Tom and Sabine had volunteered to shut things down for the weekend, but Marinette scolded them enough that they kept it open.

When they arrived at the apartment building, they were greeted with a bit of a surprise. Adrien and Marinette had figured they would be spending most of the day unpacking and getting things ready. So of course, they were stunned when they were met by a team of movers, designers, and craftsmen all running around like chickens with their heads cut off when they arrived at their apartment. Standing in the middle of the tornado of activity was Chloé. She was directing people at a frantic pace and injecting just the right amount of bitch into her voice to make sure she didn't have to repeat herself.

"Hi, Adrikins!" Chloé said with a cheerful waive. "And Marinette. Hello."

The young couple watched as their furniture was being positioned against freshly painted walls, new dishes were being stacked in cabinets, and fresh, new sheets were being applied to their bed.

"Chloé," Marinette said, stunned, "You did all this?"

"Please," Chloé said with a chuff. "This was nothing. A few calls and some pocket change was all it took to make this place presentable."

"Where's Sabrina?" Adrien asked. He looked around.

"She had to work this afternoon. Please, sweetie. Just because I rarely do for myself doesn't mean I don't know how. I've had new lighting put in, because for Christ's sake, Adrien. Flood lamps? Really? I've also had the walls repainted, your disgusting counters have been upgraded to granite, you're welcome for that, and I've ordered the entire apartment be converted to have the latest smart home technology. Your carpets have been redone, as no goddaughter of mine is going to crawl on anything other than the best. The hardwoods have been replaced with better hardwoods, and you now have a garden tub because for fucks sake, Adrien! A stall? A fucking stall?! Ugh! She's pregnant, you absolute turnip of a boy! She's going to want to alleviate the pressure on her spine in a nice, big, warm tub! Moving on, I've replaced the kitchen appliances with ones that aren't terrible, and, oh yes, and I've had the skylight checked. It works fine."

They blinked at her.

"…For ventilation?" Chloé offered.

"Ooooh," they both said.

"But Chloé," Marinette said as she looked around. "This isn't a house. It's an apartment. I don't know if this is allowed."

Adrien rubbed the back of his head. "Um, yeah. About that? Sooo, did you know that you can actually buy an apartment permanently?"

Marinette stared, her eyes wide. "What?"

Adrien grinned and shrugged.

"We own this?"

Adrien nodded. "Surprise?"

"But, but…" Marinette stammered. "Isn't that, um, expensive?"

Chloé looked at Marinette. "He's rich. Didn't he tell you?"

Marinette stammered. "He, he told me an amount, but…"

"How much?" Chloé asked, her arms crossed.

"This isn't the time, girls," Adrien said with a nervous laugh.

Marinette leaned in and whispered an amount to Chloé.

"HA!" Chloé said. "Seriously? That's how much you think he's worth? Sweetie, add two zeroes on to the end of that number."

Marinette nearly collapsed. She looked to Adrien. "Is she right?"

Adrien nodded. His cheeks were red from embarrassment. "I'm sorry. I only found out this week. Um, apparently what I thought I had was just what was in my immediate savings. Sabrina spoke with Nathalie and helped transfer my portfolio a couple days ago."

"What you thought he had was just from three months of royalties earned from the Gabriel brand using his image," Chloé pointed out. "Nathalie might have worked something special into his contracts."

"Oh, my God." Marinette steadied herself against the wall. "We're rich? Like, like rich-rich?"

Chloé crossed her arms. "Sweetie, you're debutant rich. You don't need to worry about getting picked up by a fashion line- you're going to end up owning one. Two hundred years ago the commoners would have chopped your head off on general principle. Also," Chloé paused. She closed her eyes and steadied herself for a second. "I got you something as a move in, engagement, having a baby gift."

"Chloé, you've already done so much," Adrien said.

"Well, too bad." She looked to Marinette, and for a moment, a range of emotions passed over her face. She bit them down and said, "I spoke to my mother."

"Caline?" Marinette asked.

Chloé swallowed. "No."

Both Marinette and Adrien froze. "Oh," they said.

Chloé dug in her purse and pulled out an envelope. "I reminded her she owed me a favor for never going to the press after she abandoned me." She handed the envelope to Marinette.

"What is this?" Marinette asked. She opened the envelope and slid out the letter. If her eyes were huge before, now they were the size of dinner plates.

"The internship lasts for one year," Chloé said. "I told her you'd need to work from home as you're pregnant, and she actually softened at that. Apparently, she did something similar, or at least she thinks she did. You'll have a quota, and you'll be a part of a team, but… Congratulations. You are now an official apprentice to Audrey Bourgeois."

"You did this for me?" Marinette said, her voice small.

"It wasn't all that hard." Chloé said. She turned around and wiped at her face for a moment as she cleared her throat. "Apparently, ever since Adrikins left home, uncle Gabriel has been screaming at whoever he can in the fashion industry to avoid you two, which has automatically made you both the most sought-after talents in the design world. Mother nearly tripped over the chance to snatch you up."

Adrien turned Chloé around and hugged her. "You're the best."

"Of course I am, dear." Chloé reminded him.

"I need to lie down," Marinette said.

"Perfect! Let's do a bedroom tour," Chloé said, grinning.

"Are these new sheets?" Marinette asked as she wandered into the master bedroom. There was a king size cherry sleigh bed in the center of the room, underneath a vaulted ceiling. While this was impressive, Marinette's eye, as always, was drawn to the fabrics in the room.

Chloé nodded. "1000 thread count, Egyptian cotton. This is, by far, the single greatest thing I can do for you. Trust me."

"She's right," Adrien said. "They're super nice."

Marinette felt the bed. "I don't see what was wrong with myyyyooooooooooohhhhhhh I'm picking up what you're putting down." She laid against the sheets and gently glided her hands over them. "Mine."

And so, to their great surprise and delight, what had looked to be a weekends worth of work turned into an hour of unloading at most. The workers and movers cleared out pretty quickly, as they had been going for 36 hours and were now finished. Chloé was as well. Her blood at this point was a mixture of Red Bull, mochas, and possibly dark magic. It was hard to tell.

This left the three teens standing in the well-furnished living room. A new stereo system was playing soft jazz over the apartment surround sound system, and Chloé had lit a scented candle. "There we go," Chloé said with a nod. "In an hour, it won't smell like, well, it smells."

Marinette was a bit miffed she hadn't done a lot to get things ready, but she had to admit, the daughter of the world's greatest fashion icon had done a bang-up job with the place.

Chloé smiled and then blinked. "Wait. Did you even go in the other bedrooms?"

Marinette shook her head.

Chloé practically shoved her towards them. "Go look! If I'm going to do all this work, then I am getting praised for it!"

"You really have eye for design," Marinette mused. "I'm super impressed, Chloé. This has all been wonderful."

"It's not over!" Chloé snapped. "Move!"

Marinette wandered into the second bedroom, where all her sewing supplies were now stored with her desk. Her design posters were up, and her sewing dummy was already propped in the corner. It was her very own office. Marinette noted that it was also stocked with new bolts of fabric, a new filing cabinet, and on her desk was a small stack of designs with notes that looked like they were in Audrey's handwriting.

"You approve?" Adrien asked from behind her.

Marinette smiled and nodded as she leaned back into his arms. "Heck yes. This is wonderful, Adrien! Thank you."

She then wandered into the third bedroom.

"Oh," Marinette said. She put her hand to her mouth in shock.

It was a nursery. The crib was carved from cherry. The fully stocked changing table and wardrobe were, too. There was adorable hero-themed wallpaper lining everything, a rocking chair, a baby swing, a reading lamp, everything. It was completely ready to go. There was even a top of the line baby monitor sitting on the side table.

"You approve?" Chloé asked from behind her.

Marinette turned with tears in her eyes and hugged her. "Thank you," she said against the blonde's cheek. "Thank you so much, Chloé. I can't believe you did all this."

"Ugh, you doof, of course I did. You played the sister card, remember?"

Marinette hugged her tighter. "Thanks, Chloé. I love you, too."

"This never fucking happened," Chloé whispered back.

"Oh!" Marinette whispered. "Before I forget, I have a favor to ask…"

They pulled apart as Adrien rounded the corner. "So, would you like to stay for dinner? I was going to cook, but I notice of all things, we forgot about groceries." He held up his phone. "Chinese?"

Marinette thought on it. "I can keep that down. You know what I like." She looked to Chloé. "You're welcome to stay."

"No thanks," Chloé said, dismissively. "I have dinner reservations with Sabrina. We've got the private table at LaDonna's. Apparently, mom knows the manager."

"Well, you have fun, and tell Sabrina I said hi," Adrien said. He hugged Chloé. "Thank you for this."

"You're my brother, moron. I had to do something. God knows what Dupain-Cheng would have done to the place."

"I'm right here," Marinette said, her arms crossed.

"I know," Chloé replied. She stepped away from Adrien and waved. "Toodles, kids. We'll be by later this week for the party."

"What party?" Adrien and Marinette both asked.

"Byeeee!" Chloé said. She shut the door behind her.

"Should we worry?" Marinette asked.

"Naah," Adrien said.


The food would be there in ten minutes.

That worked out.

It meant Marinette had ten minutes to have a panic attack.

"Okay," she said as she paced the bedroom. Beside her, Tikki was hovering. She had borrowed her back from Chloé for the evening to take care of something important.

Also, she needed her wing-woman.

"Tonight's the night. I can't put it off anymore, Tikki. I'm going to tell him."

"Good for you!" Tikki said.

Marinette stopped pacing and looked to the kwami with wide, frightened eyes. "What do I do?"


"You just tell her, idiot," Plagg said. "She's a big girl. She can take it."

Adrien continued to pace the kitchen. "I should have done this before, Plagg. She deserved to know before we moved in together!"

"So, why didn't you say something, then?" Plagg asked.


"What was I supposed to say?" Marinette asked. "Hey sweetie? Wanna come over and hang out? We can spend some time together, watch a movie, oh. By the way? I'm Ladybug."

Tikki shrugged. "Well, yes. Marinette, there's no way to conceivably live together and keep your hero identity a secret."

Marinette held up her phone and shook it at the kwami. "I've read thirty-three fanfics on the Ladyblog that would argue otherwise!"


"But those are just stories," Plagg said as Adrien shook his phone at him. "And, like, they never get your identity right. Well, okay there was that whole stack of them that came out after you voiced yourself, but still. That's all make-believe. That girl in the other room? She's reality. Trust me when I say she's going to be okay with this."

"But what if she's not?" Adrien asked. He stopped pacing. "What if she's mad that I deceived her?"

"Do you honestly think she won't understand?" Plagg asked.


"It's more than just understanding!" Marinette said. She was sitting on the edge of the bed. "He's my best friend. He's the boy I fell in love with, Tikki, and I kept this from him. And yeah, I know I was supposed to keep it quiet, but this is such a big deal! I should have said something when we got engaged."

Tikki thought on it. "Yeah, probably. Marinette, listen. He loves you with all his heart. He's going to accept you for who you are. That's just who he is, and you know it."

"I do," Marinette said. "I just don't want to let him down."


"How the Hell is being a superhero letting her down?" Plagg cried out.

"Because I wasn't honest!" Adrien somewhat yelled back. "If I kept this from her, she might think I'm not trustworthy. She might think I'm not… I'm not good enough for her. For this family."


Tikki frowned. "That's a load of hooey! If you're not good enough, I'd like to know who is. Marinette, I'm sick of this. It's time you woman up and do what you know is right! Now, you march right out there and you tell that boy the truth! He loves you, and I swear to you, as the kwami of creation and luck, that he! Will! Accept you!"

Marinette looked to Tikki. "You're sure?"


"YES!" Plagg snapped at him. "Now, who are you?"

Adrien sighed. "I'm Adrien Agreste."

Plagg floated in front of him and slapped him with his tiny, adorable paw. "Louder! Who are you?"

"I'm Adrien Agreste!"

"I can't hear you! How are you supposed to be the person she fell in love with if you can't even find the courage to do this one simple thing? You're gonna get out there, march right up to her, and tell her the truth like the Goddamn hero that you are! Do it for her! Do it for your family! For fuck's sake, do it for you! Now, WHO ARE YOU?"


"I'M MARINETTE DUPAIN-CHENG!" Marinette yelled. She jumped to her feet and stormed out of the bedroom.

They nearly collided in the living room, both of them breathing hard. They stopped and starred at each other for a moment.

"I HAVE SOMETHING TO TELL YOU!" They both shouted.

DING DONG.

They both blinked.

"The food is here," Adrien said.

They stared at each other.

Marinette looked to the door, back to Adrien, back to the door, and back to Adrien. "Yes. Right. The food. That we will eat. Food."

Adrien nodded. "Right. Food. For eating. I've got it. I just wanted to tell you."

"Yes, good. I also wanted to tell you. About the food." Marinette said as Adrien scuttled to the door. "I can do this I can do this I can do this," Marinette chanted to herself.

She looked to Adrien as he paid a delivery girl and shut the door. He was holding a bag of food and chanting something to himself.

"I can't do this," Marinette whimpered.


Fortunately, they were both calmed down by eating.

They were sitting together on their new couch, their living room illuminated by candles and the fire that was now going in their tiny gas fireplace. Their oak coffee table was strewn with boxes of Chinese food and cans of soda.

"Thank you so much for getting this," Marinette said. She was leaning against one end of the couch and slurping down some noodles. "This really hit the spot."

"Of course," Adrien said. He was leaning against the other arm of the couch, facing her. Their legs were somewhat tangled together. "To our first dinner in our new home." He held up his container and leaned forward.

Yay! Their first meal in their new home!

Marinette laughed and bumped her takeout box with his. "I still can't get over this," she said. "It's like a dream. Oh! Who should we have over, first?"

Adrien took a bite of General Tso's chicken. "Well, technically we had Chloé over, first."

"Oh God, you're right," Marinette said. "Well, forget about that fact. Who should it be? Someone special."

Adrien thought about it. "Hmmm," he eyed Marinette. "How special do you want to get?"

"It should be someone ultra-special," Marinette said. "We shouldn't go halfway."

A small smile crept onto Adrien's face. "What are your thoughts about, say, Chat Noir?"

Marinette about choked on her noodles. "Seriously? Oh lord. He'd eat us out of our home and fall asleep sprawled on our couch!"

Adrien frowned. "He's not, he's not that bad."

"I know," Marinette said, smiling. "I'm being silly. Actually, I think he's a wonderful person to invite over. He is Paris's greatest hero, after all."

"Please," Adrien said. "No disrespect, but Ladybug clearly has him beat."

"Ladybug would be a red stain on the concrete if not for Chat Noir," Marinette pointed out. "He's the reason she's still alive. He's invaluable."

"She's invaluable. Without her, the city would fall to Hawkmoth. Chat Noir is just the muscle to back her up. She's the brains."

Marinette frowned. "He's more than that. Chat Noir is smart, Adrien. I should know. I've met him numerous times. We even took on an akuma together."

"Well so have I. With Ladybug," Adrien said. "And let me tell you, she's amazing up close."

Marinette eyed him. "How amazing?"

"She's beautiful, and smart, and really cool," Adrien said, oblivious to the look his almost-wife was giving him. "It's easy to get lost in her eyes."

Marinette took a large bite of noodles. "Her eyes, huh? Well, Chat Noir is easily the sexiest hero in Paris. He's nothing but muscle, and his confidence is extremely attractive. And don't you ever tell him I said this? But I like his jokes."

"His muscles, huh?" Adrien asked. His voice got slightly quieter. "And you think his jokes are good? Really?"

Marinette nodded. "He's held me close a few times. Makes a girl happy to be rescued."

"Huh. Well, Ladybug's pretty toned, too." Adrien said. "She's taken me for a swing several times. Not exactly something I'm complaining about."

From the next room, Tikki and Plagg watched.

"This is weird," Plagg said. "What are they even doing?"

"I'm not sure, but I am loving this." Tikki continued to hold Marinette's phone steady as she filmed.

"Ladybug's nothing to write home about," Marinette said. She crossed her arms. "I mean, she's okay, but seriously. She's kinda plain, if you ask me."

"How can you say that?" Adrien asked.

"She's stuck up, for one." Marinette said. "She rushes into things, she never appreciates her partner, she still hasn't captured Hawkmoth, she, well, I could go on, but I mean, we have to sleep sometime."

"Well, Chat Noir is annoying," Adrien countered. "He's brash, and shallow, and his jokes are pretty lame. Sometimes. And those muscles don't make up for his needy personality!"

"Stop that!" Marinette said. "That is not fair! Chat Noir is fantastic and you know it!"

"Oh yeah?"

"Yeah!" Marinette snapped. "And don't you try to fool me, mister! We're engaged now, so it's okay for you to say it!"

"Say what?" Adrien asked nervously.

"You're just saying all these things because you dated him!"

Adrien dropped his box of food.

Yay! Their first spill in their new home!

"What are you talking about?" Adrien half-yelled.

"I heard you in the bakery with that little girl," Marinette said. "You were doing your Chat Noir voice, which is perfect by the way, and you called her purrincess. How would you know that's how he flirts unless he'd done it with you?"

Adrien's mouth was opening, but sounds weren't coming out.

"I mean, did he dump you? Was it mutual? I'm not mad, Adrien. Really! I mean, I've had exes, so I have no room to talk, but you shouldn't bad mouth him like that! He's a good person, no matter what happened between you two! If there's a chance to be friends, I want to help you find that with him."

"Like you're one to talk about dating superheroes!" Adrien snapped.

"What does that mean?" Marinette asked, confused.

"You've been seeing Ladybug!"

"What?"

"Behind my back, no less!"

"WHAT?"

"Oh come on!" Adrien yelled. "You talk about her all the time, she visited you on your balcony, you two share intimate secrets with each other…"

"WHAT?!"

"And I was okay with it!" Adrien yelled. "I know the two of you have a troubled past. I mean, how does she go from calling you cute to treating you like garbage?"

Marinette gaped. "Did Chat Noir tell you that?"

"Look, I know she took your miraculous away unfairly, and that it hurt you! But you shouldn't put her down, Mari. She doesn't deserve that!"

"Chat Noir doesn't deserve what you said, either!"

"Yes, he does!"

"No, he doesn't!"

Yay! Their first fight in their new home!

Marinette leapt to her feet. "I can put down Ladybug if I damn well want to!"

Adrien jumped to his. They were nose to nose. "And I can badmouth Chat Noir all day long if I feel like it!"

"Why would you say these things?" Marinette yelled. "You have no right to! I know Chat Noir better than anyone! He's one of my best friends!"

"I've known Ladybug for years!" Adrien yelled back. "She's the best friend anyone could ever hope for!"

"I'm not going to stop defending Chat Noir, Adrien!" Marinette shouted.

"And I'm not going to stop defending Ladybug!" Adrien shouted back.

"AND YOU WANNA KNOW WHY?" They both yelled at the same time.

"SPOTS ON!"

"CLAWS OUT!"

There was a flash of light.


Notes:

That's a good place to stop.

This chapter should have been two chapters, but I realized I committed to 50 total, and There's at least two more chapters worth of story to tell, so... we'll cut it off, here. Still, that made this one massive.

NEXT TIME!

Well, shit. That was about the biggest thing we could've done for this story.

Um, the fallout?

Oh. Oh, there's fallout. Like, like ALL the fallout.

SEE... The after-reveal conversation!

SEE... Shocking confessions!

SEE... How the kwamis react!

ALL! NEXT! CHAPTER!

Be here tomorrow to see what happens next! Same Bug Time...

MARINETTE: You think I'm in the mood after all that?

ADRIEN: I mean, I could go either way...

...Same Bug Channel!