Sixty-Seven: Threads of Love and Friendship, Part Two

Wedding Weekend continues as Marinette and Chat watch their plans come to fruition at the more formal event for Alya and Nino.


"I don't recall this being part of the plan, Mari," I mewled.

"Stop fidgeting," Marinette admonished as she put the finishing touches on a bowtie that fit rather snugly above my bell. Done in a surprisingly complementary fabric of a similar color to Nino's suit, it had been printed with a repeating pattern of a tiny yet recognizable cat paw logo. "And before you object again, kitty, you agreed to this weeks ago."

I knew my masked feline face had taken on a pleading expression. "I didn't think you were serious," I moaned. "I can't go as Chat! I'm supposed to be Nino's best man!"

Marinette stepped back and put a hand on her hip, then fixed me with her best Ladybug glare. "Are you or are you not wearing the suit I made for you under that rather sexy costume of yours?"

"Princess—"

"Answer me, kitty."

I dropped my head in defeat, for just a few moments earlier, I'd donned the tailored suit Marinette had designed for me. We'd finished the final tweaks and sent the wedding party on ahead to the park a block away from the Bakery, leaving the two of us to finally get ready ourselves. Looking up, I took a brief moment to appreciate the fabulous gown Marinette had changed into, as well as how her slightly-curled hair was falling in waves around her face. "As instructed," I muttered. "But I still don't see how I can pull this off!"

"Have you ever doubted any of my Lucky Charms?" she asked.

"Well, now that you mention it-"

"Chat," she said with an evil twinkle to her eye. "Don't make me break out the pheromones."

My masked eyes widened. "You wouldn't dare…!"

Smiling slightly, Marinette moved to her old dresser, where her purse sat. Waving away Tikki, she unzipped it slightly and retrieved a tiny vial. "You've been warned," she laughed as she put it away.

"Fine," I mewled again. "The timing is going to be close though."

Stepping back to me, she pulled me toward her via my bell and kissed me on that unmasked spot of my nose; she'd been doing that a lot lately, and it never ceased to get my engine going. "If there is anyone I can trust to get the timing right, it's you, Chat. Just chill and do your thing."

"But—"

"Kitty," she said quietly. "What's wrong? I've never seen you this agitated," she asked, eyes darting to my tail. It had been dancing of it's own accord for some time now, telegraphing my anxiety.

I closed my masked eyes. "I'm worried," I said softly. "These are our best friends and it's the most important day of their lives. I don't want anything to go wrong – or do anything that would make it less special for them."

"Adrien," Marinette said quietly as she brushed back one of my more unruly bangs and then cupped her hand against my mask. "Nothing will go wrong. We've got this."

Leaning into her touch, I could feel her calmness and let myself internalize it. "We do?" I asked.

"We do," she said firmly. "Now, up and out for you," she added nodding toward the skylight over her old bed.

I glanced upward and then looked back at her. "We have a lot of memories in this space, don't we?" I asked, thinking of how many hours I'd spent curled up beside her on the chaise lounge by the window or perched on the edge of her desk as she worked through her latest design issues.

"Yes," she smiled. "I'll see you in a few?"

Nodding, I pulled her hand to my lips and kissed the back of it. "Until then, Milady," I bowed, and then in a quick movement, leapt up the steps of her ladder, then leapt again through the conveniently open portal.

Landing on the tile of her rooftop patio, I vaulted to the railing fronting the street and paused, looking across to the park below. Per Marinette's plan, a small wedding pavilion had been set up on the far side where there had been the most open space; it also, conveniently, required entering from the rear gate, allowing for the sleight of hand we were hoping to attempt. I swallowed a bit as I saw the line of vehicles pulling to the curb and disgorging friends and family; that queasiness of unease was threatening to overtake the calm Marinette had worked so hard to instill.

As I extended my baton and crossed the alleyway to drop into a run along the rooftops, I wondered why I was feeling so unsettled; I was Chat Noir for crying out loud, one the Heroes of Paris. I fought akumas on a daily basis with a puntastic attitude, and yet, here I was freaking out about my best friend's wedding. It wasn't without reason, for Marinette was attempting to partially make good on her promise to Alya that the Heroes of Paris would be at the ceremony; as carefully as we'd tried to time it out, though, we'd not been able to come up with a plan that allowed both of us to appear as our alter-egos in such a way that it wouldn't be obvious that our civilian selves were missing. And since Marinette was well aware she would need to make last-minute tweaks to Alya's dress right up to the moment she started down the aisle, it was left to me – as Chat Noir – to get in, wow the crowd, and get back out before Adrien was needed for his best man duties.

The timing was exceptionally tight, and I still thought the whole idea was nuts; but a promise was a promise. My anxiety, perhaps, spoke more to my deep-rooted fear I might screw everything up. Landing on a chimney with a far better view of the park below, I took a deep breath, then another, trying to find that inner calmness I depended on when turning back Hawkmoth's latest efforts to ruin my day.

My feline eyes caught movement at the slightly raised dais fronting multiple rows of white folding chairs; Nino's jaunty hat had a few reflective embellishments, sparkling in the late afternoon sunshine. Most of the seats had filled, but he was still alone onstage as he waited for the minister and, of course, the rest of his wedding party.

That was my cue.

Taking a final deep breath, I rolled off the chimney and extended my baton slightly to helicopter over the fence of the park, dropping in gently beside Nino on the stage. "Hey," I smiled as Nino genuinely looked surprised; the timing on my appearance as Chat had not been discussed with the happy couple, intentionally, so the photos would catch unguarded reactions. I tried not to smile at how the assembled crowd had collectively drawn in their breath at my appearance while simultaneously grabbing their smartphones. "A little bug told me you were getting hitched today. Congratulations!"

"Thanks, Chat," Nino smiled. "Uh, nice bowtie."

I smiled and straightened my tie with a paw. "It's important to dress to purrfection for the occasion," I replied. "Especially when it involves the most popular deejay in Paris."

Waving to the crowd, I hammed it up a bit as only a good model could do, posing carefully with Nino for a few moments so his guests could snap a few gadzillion photos. Knowing I was on a tight schedule, though, I smoothly pivoted back to my main mission without seeming to be breaking momentum. "Listen, I don't want to be the center of attention on your special day-"

"Of course you don't," Nino laughed as he rolled his eyes.

"—so I'm going to find a nice hidden perch," I continued. "Since these sorts of events seem to attract Hawkmoth's attention, we'll just be keeping a weather eye out for you and your guests."

"Thanks," Nino said, before leaning a bit closer. "And if you happen to see my best man…"

"I'll let him know you're looking for him," I winked before extending my baton and waving again as I rose into the blue sky.

Initial duty complete, I double-vaulted over the first rooftop I found then tacked left, running along the spine of the buildings near the park until I located the alleyway I'd scoped out earlier. Sliding down my baton, I dropped my transformation as I trotted to the street, carefully easing Plagg into a hidden pocket Marinette had sewn into my vest. Seeing the coast was clear, I quickly crossed the street and then casually started walking down the sidewalk toward the entrance closest to the wedding, slowing further as I merged into the line of last-minute arrivals. I lost a little more time saying hello to old acquaintances, some that I'd not seen since Lycée, but in the event I found Marinette waiting beside a small decorative screen divider at the rear of the seating area.

"Hey Adrien," she smiled. "Right on time."

"Thanks, Prince—Mari," I replied, catching myself before I leaned down to kiss my fiancé in public. It was another reminder that we still had work to do, though it did allow me to have a little fun with her. "Where is your feline beau?" I asked as I opted instead for the traditional air kiss.

"You just missed him," she smiled wider. "He made a surprise appearance."

"Bummer," I smiled myself. Glancing to the stage, I could see Nino had been joined by the minister and was looking more nervous than when I'd left him as Chat. "That looks like my second cue."

"See you in a bit," Marinette laughed and then leaned closer. "You do have the ring, right Chaton?" she asked quietly.

Patting my vest pocket, I smiled a Chat smile. "Absolutely. Not having it would have been a catastrophe."

"Seriously?" I heard from behind the screen. "Enough canoodling, you two. Adrien, get up there are rescue my future husband. Mari, this zipper is stuck again…"

"Yes, Madame," I replied with mock seriousness.


The second wedding was as beautiful as the first. Marinette had taken the time to scope out the angles in the park, ensuring that the late afternoon rays of golden sunshine would give the stage and it's participants a warm glow, making them almost appear as though they were in soft focus. Tastefully arranged flowers didn't overwhelm the space, though there were just enough to give the air a gentle rose scent tinged with a touch of lilac. And everywhere you looked were nods to the couple in terms of tasteful splashes of color evoking Nino or Alya.

Alya's gown was stunning, a multiple layer affair in white with a long train that extended all the way down the aisle as her father walked her to the altar; small flourishes in understated tones had been done at her waist, and blinking slightly, I thought perhaps Marinette had snuck in a slight hint of brown at her collar, a nod to her alter-ego. Now, as she stood across from Nino, I could see more of the insider details Marinette had pointed out to me as she'd worked on it in our apartment, like the subtle octagonal pattern evoking our supersuits that shimmered slightly when caught by the light or the small stylized shell pattern woven into the dress hem, suggestive of a certain turtle holder. As beautiful as the Fox Miraculous was in it's own right, it came off as a subtle accent at Alya's neck, a wonderful statement on Marinette's eye for design.

Nino was resplendent in three-piece suit of dark green, with that jaunty hat I'd caught earlier. He had insisted on not standing out when working with Marinette on his outfit, and seeing him there next to Alya made me understand the wisdom of that decision. For though he was directly beside her for the entirety of the ceremony, Alya remained the center of everyone's attention – and rightly so.

The ceremony was a simple one, and I was a bit sad not to see the same magical ribbons bespeaking how their love would bind them for life; still, the words, spoken as they had been for centuries when bonding one to another resonated across the crowd. By the time I handed Nino the ring, there wasn't a dry eye to be found; or, if there had been, it was eliminated when the pastor gleefully announced:

"You may now kiss the bride."


Close to twenty hours after arriving at the Eiffel Tower, I landed on the railing outside my balcony at the apartment and yawned widely. The reception had been a multiple hour affair, culminating in what I thought had been a funny roast of my best friend, though his expression told me I might not have been as successful as I'd hoped. Shortly after, Marinette and I had trundled them into the back of a limo we'd rented, sending them on their way to a week-long honeymoon at the Agreste cottage in Nice. Yawning again as I slipped off the railing, I smiled at the surprise gift package we'd left for them in the master bedroom; four newborn-sized onesies, two each of a turtle or fox theme, made from the special fabric I'd picked up for Marinette weeks earlier. There were also two adult versions, in case the couple decided to… cosplay… while enjoying their time together.

Rolling through the open balcony door, I slid it closed behind me and worked my way through the still-cluttered suite and into the living area. Tail twitching, a feline ear caught Marinette's key in the door, and feeling somewhat sly, I dropped into my cat crouch and waited patiently with a full-blown Chat smile. As she stepped through the door, I surprised Marinette by weaving around her on all fours, purring as loudly as I could as I pretended to be her domesticated kitty.

Wait, I thought. Who am I kidding? Of course I'm domesticated. And totally hers.

Laughing, she dropped to her knees and held my face to her chest. "Now that is a wonderful way to be welcomed home."

"I know," I smiled as I twisted around and managed to scoop her up into my arms.

"Hey!" she squeaked as I started to trot toward her bedroom. "What are you doing?"

"Congratulating you on a job well done," I purred as I pushed through her door. "Unless," I said as I paused over her bed, "you'd prefer some other way of my expressing appreciation."

Marinette managed to lean up and press her lips to mine, a smoldering affair that left me breathing a bit hard. "What do you think, kitty?" she asked, her eyes sparkling in the semi-darkness.