Miraculous:
Tales of Ladybug and Cat Noir
Chapter Six: First Date
Adrien stood at the bakery's front door, steeling his nerves to walk in. Marinette's father was baking and her mother was decorating so neither had notice his presence yet. It was strange. He'd been in this situation before when he'd come to have lunch with the family as Cat Noir. Without his mask, the situation was much harder to handle. Back then he had been adamant about declining Marinette's supposed feelings (knowing now that she was trying to protect her identity and love for Adrien himself) and while the situation had made him nervous since he didn't want to hurt her feelings, he was much more nervous now.
Now he was approaching them as Adrien Agreste. Now he wouldn't be able to slide past the questions on future work or providing a home and stable environment for their daughter. He wanted to present all that he was and everything he would promise to do for her as her boyfriend and future husband.
Husband…can't get too far ahead of myself. It hadn't escaped him that while they had admitted their feelings to one another, the knowledge that they were now boyfriend and girlfriend needed some getting used to. Okay…let's do this.
He opened the door to the bakery, the bell ringing above his head, and immediately both adults looked up to greet their customer. "Well, hello Adrien!" Tom greeted.
"How are you feeling? We were so worried when your father called to say that Marinette stayed with you all night," He told them WHAT!? "To help keep your fever down. Are you feeling well enough to be out so soon?"
Adrien took a few precious seconds to make sure his heart was still in his chest and put on his most convincing smile. "Yes, Mr. and Mrs. Dupain-Cheng. I'm feeling much better. I stayed home from school today just as a precaution. This date is partially a thank you for Marinette's help not only last night but for so many times she was kind to me."
"So, you'll be going as friends?" Mrs. Dupain-Cheng smirked. Though Tom didn't say anything, he was paying close attention.
Right, here goes. "Actually I…" He looked at Tom's overbearing stature and his eyes flicked to the door by instinct making sure he knew where he could exit. "I wanted permission to date your daughter…officially, sir and ma'am."
Both parents looked at each other and smiled. It was Mrs. Dupain-Cheng who spoke first. "Oh, how cute. We were hoping you two would finally get together."
Tom nodded. "Yes, it's about time!" He moved forward and Adrien's fists came up without conscious thought but then he wrapped Adrien up in his arms in a tight bear hug. If he didn't constantly go out on patrol as Cat Noir, he probably would have bruised ribs.
When he was released, Adrien took a bracing breath to make sure everything in his chest was where it should be. "So…you're not…um, worried at all?"
Tom raised an eyebrow. "I suppose I do have questions, but with all the modeling you do I figured for now money wasn't a concern. Of course, money was never our daughter's motivation. She always talked about your hair, your eyes, your generosity, your…"
"Tom, please, I'm sure Marinette's told him all about that." Mrs. Dupain-Cheng patted his arm. "Why don't we let Marinette know that Adrien is here for him?"
Adrien squared his shoulders. "No, it's okay. There's actually something I wanted to say first." He looked Tom in the eye. "While I do make money from modeling, I don't have access to it right now. It's in a trust until I turn 18. What I do get is an allowance and while it's probably significantly more than most kids my age, I find that I don't spend a lot of it. I've been investing in various companies from what I've learned from my father's company. I'm not sure either if I plan to keep modeling but with Marinette's obvious talent in fashion design, I do think we'd make a good team. I could model part time and manage her future fashion lines if that's what she decided to do. Regardless, I know that I want to make Marinette happy, no matter what we decide to do in the future. Of that you have my word."
Tom's eyes were wide and his mouth slack jawed for long moments. Eventually he teared out of one corner of his eye and patted Adrien gently on the shoulder…well gently for him. Adrien felt the jolts all the way down to his shoes. "You're a good, honest man, Adrien, and I'd be proud to call you my son-in-law one day."
He blushed and scratched his head. "T-thank you, sir."
Marinette's mother smiled and rolled her eyes. "I'll let Marinette know you're here."
"Marinette! Adrien's here for you!"
Marinette took a deep breath and looked at herself in the mirror one last time. She was wearing a pink dress with black circles in the trim and black leggings. Over her dress she had a red cardigan. She kept her hair down since she remembered Adrien liked it that way. Maybe I'll grow it out. It was kind of fun having long hair when I used the black cat miraculous. "Are you sure you want to stay behind, Tikki?"
The little kwami nodded. "Without Hawk Moth, there shouldn't be any reason for you to transform. If I sense anything, I'll go out and find you. As the guardian, I'll always be able to tell where you are now. The same goes for Plagg. Take this night for yourselves. You've earned it!" The kwami gave her friend a little snuggle under her chin, making Marinette smile.
"Thanks, Tikki. I'm so nervous. Wish me luck!"
"You don't need luck, you two are soul mates."
Marinette walked down the stairs and could feel her heart pounding in her chest. Was she really enough for Adrien? How many hearts out there would break when they found out his heart belonged to her? Don't think like that Marinette. Not tonight. Tonight, you get to live out your dream come true… She saw Adrien, surprisingly still in one piece, standing next to her father and mother. He was wearing a pair of black pants with a yellow shirt and a black leather jacket. The jacket had green trim which she couldn't help find fitting. "H-hello, Ad-drien." Some of her stammering remained, making her blush.
In true Cat Noir finesse, Adrien bowed and offered her his hand. "Milady, your chariot awaits." She giggled and took his hand. He brought her hand up to his lips and kissed the back of it. So many times Cat Noir had done that to her and she always pulled away, saving herself for Adrien, for this. Now when his warm lips touched her skin, she felt shivers go all throughout her body. Adrien must have picked up on it since he looked up at her and smiled with a wink. "Shall we?"
She nodded and waved goodbye to her parents. Outside, true to his word, sat their chariot. Somewhere the powers that be were laughing because on the street in front of her parent's bakery shop was a rickshaw. She saw it and started laughing.
Eyebrows going up in worry, Adrien looked at her. "What is it?"
She waved away his concern, her laughter remaining until she felt tears come to her eyes. "I-it's nothing. I'll tell you later." He walked her forward, keeping her hand in his, and like any gentleman, allowed her to get inside first.
Once inside, the rickshaw took off towards its scheduled destination and while she asked where that was, Adrien was adamant about keeping quiet. So, to pass the time, Marinette shared the tale of the planned date gone wrong after one of Adrien's photo shoots.
"Haha, that's sounds like you. The plan was so complicated, just like your luc—" She threw a hand over his mouth before her could say lucky charm. She flicked her eyes over to the driver and Adrien nodded.
"So, then of course, that giant baby showed up and everything went to hell in a hand basket," she finished the story. "I even told you no when you offered me a ride home!"
"Haha, that's right! You said you were taking a coleslaw home. I always wondered what that meant." Adrien wrapped an arm around her shoulders and pulled her close. "Well, you finally got that rickshaw ride, I guess." Marinette blushed and managed a nod.
Thinking back to that day, she said, "You know, I was kind of surprised. You proved you were pretty good with kids." She was satisfied when it was Adrien's turn to blush.
The rickshaw ride took them to an area Marinette knew well but hadn't had a chance to visit yet. The streets of Montmartre. Seeing it all lit up at night took her breath away. When the vehicle stopped, Adrien got out and helped Marinette down. "Adrien, it's so beautiful." He pulled her down the beginning of the street which was iconic as being the most romantic in all of Paris. The buildings were some of the oldest in town and there were all kinds of restaurants and shops along the cobblestone walkways.
"Aren't you afraid people will recognize you?" Marinette asked. "Then the paparazzi will chase you and we'll have to hide…"
He shrugged. "I'm done hiding," Adrien half glanced at her. "If they find me here…" he leaned in and give her a peck on the cheek. "We'll just have to make sure they get my good side because all of your sides are gorgeous."
Marinette's mouth dropped at how openly he was able to express his feelings. "You won't be…embarrassed if people find out that you're…?"
"What? Dating the most beautiful and amazing girl in all of France? Let them find out." He leaned over and opened the door to a little shop indistinguishable from many of the others. The name above the door said "The Lucky Kitty".
Hee hee, how fitting. Inside Marinette was greeted with beautiful glass cases filled with rings, necklaces, and crystal figurines. "Adrien, it's so pretty." She let go of his hand so she could take a look at all of the beautiful pieces of art while he went to speak with the owner. She worked on jewelry, too. Her memories of Adrien wearing her clothes and accessories still made her smile. I didn't think about it at the time but technically Adrien changed clothes in my room which meant for a second there he was… She could feel the steam leaving her ears. Stop it Marinette! Stop it!
They had a line of little figurines of different animals and flowers. They were all by Swarovski, Marinette's favorite. She saw beautiful water lilies and roses, butterflies, hummingbirds, and dolphins. Two particular figures were a must buy so she picked them up and was about to purchase them when she saw the price tag on the bottom. They're how much!? Regrettably, she put them down but made a mental note to come back for them.
"Whatchya lookin at?" Adrien popped up behind her making her jump.
"Oh nothing! Just lots of cute things. You know me and cute things!" She tried to block his view but it was impossible when he was naturally a head taller than her.
"Huh." He easily reached around her and found the ladybug and black cat figurines. "I agree. These are cute." He turned and walked them back towards the owner. "We'll take these, too."
"N-No, Adrien, really. They're way too expensive and I can always come back for them later…"
"It's nothing, Marinette. Come on, let me do at least this for you for taking care of me when I was sick." He smirked and winked, knowing the effect it would have on her.
Come to think of it, this place is probably nothing to Adrien. He and Chloe probably visit places like this all the time. Ew, did I just think of him and Chloe? Moving on… She tried to push down her embarrassment and smiled when he held up a bag to her. "I figure you can keep the black cat and I'll hold onto the ladybug?"
She nodded and took the present. "Sure, yeah. Thank you…" He took her hand and left her back out of the shop. "So, what did we stop in there for to begin with?"
"Oh, I had to pick something up for later."
Dismissing the obvious clue, Marinette continued to walk with Adrien down the streets of Montmartre. A few people did recognize them along the way, mostly tourists, and Adrien happily posed with Marinette when they asked for a photo. She was sure to hear about it from Alya later. After a while, during around the time the sun had just begun to set, Adrien stopped at a corner restaurant that had a valet standing at the front door. It was called the Terrass.
"Welcome, Monsieur Agreste and Mademoiselle Dupain-Cheng." He bowed and opened the door for them, allowing them inside.
Inside, a waiter led them through the first-floor seating, and then the second-floor seating. Nervously, Marinette leaned over to whisper to Adrien, "Are you sure it's okay to be here? I feel a little underdressed." The tablecloths alone reminded her of the gala on New Year's and she instantly recognized the glasses as being fine crystal.
"You look beautiful, Marinette. Nothing short of perfection," he assured her.
The waiter opened a side door which led to stairs that eventually took them to the roof. The multitude of candles and red flowers reminded her of Cat Noir's rooftop surprise in times long past. "Adrien, this is amazing."
"Only the best for you." He walked them to the only table set with tableware and pulled out her chair, allowing her to sit. The other tables had tablecloths but were clear of plates and the glassware was upside down.
Marinette sat down while the waiter poured them water. "Did you reserve the entire rooftop for us?"
Adrien shrugged casually. "I wanted to have some quiet privacy with you on our first date. Besides, I figured more people would make you nervous, too."
Marinette couldn't believe it. No matter how she looked at it, she didn't feel worthy of so much detail and attention. They got their menu and she was partially thankful it didn't include prices because she probably would have insisted on just sticking with her water. Across from her, Adrien seemed completely at ease in such an environment and she was once again reminded of how different their upbringing had been. "I don't get it. How can you be so trusting?"
"What do you mean?"
"How do you know I'm, I don't know, after you for the money or the attention?" she wondered, though even the words tasted like venom in her mouth.
He laughed softly, "Because…it's you."
The answer was so simply, Marinette just stared at him. "Because it's me? How does that matter?"
He looked around and currently their waiter was nowhere to be found. "Because ever since I've known Ladybug, I knew I could trust her with anything and everything and I think you knew you could always trust me the same way. You've never lied to me and when the situation was dire, I always knew you'd pull us through." He put his hand over hers on the table. "If I remembered correctly, back when we were in my father's basement, you said something about loving the boy behind the model. You knew about the real me before you knew the famous, rich me. That's who you fell in love with. After knowing Marinette for so long, I know it's not in your personality to be anything but pure and honest in everything that you do. You aren't driven by money or fame. You want to be a designer because you like to see people wear your clothes. Their happiness makes you happy. You've always been that way, striving for other's happiness. So, I figured it was about time you had some who strove for nothing but your happiness."
Marinette couldn't say anything against that as their meal arrived and Adrien reach down and pulled up a small, square, and flat box. It was a jewelry box. "Was that what you had to pick up before?"
"That's right." He looked across the table at her. "Open it."
What do I do? Whatever's in there is probably worth a hundred of my allowances but if I say no, it'll break his heart. Gathering her courage, Marinette carefully picked up the box and opened in. Inside were two crystal bracelets. Not understanding, she looked over at him and he reached over and took out the two beaded bracelets. One alternated with black and green spheres with a little silver cat charm and the other one alternated black and red spheres with a little ladybug silver charm. "I always wanted to do a couple's piece of jewelry but considering I have my ring and you have your earrings as well as your very cute Tikki pendant," he winked, "I thought maybe matching bracelets would work for us."
Marinette looked at both, their themes impossible to miss, and felt her heart soar. "Adrien, these are beautiful." He took hold of her hand and it was so warm and smooth Marinette imagined his hands going to other places. He put the bracelet on her then quickly put his on to match. "I don't know what to say but thank you. This date has been amazing."
"Oh, and it's not over yet." They ate their meal and conversed about the next day when they would go to school. Adrien offered to give her a ride every morning, but she insisted she lived so close already that it didn't make any sense. With his busy schedule with Chinese, fencing, and modeling, the only time they really had was the weekends, aside from a weekday here and there.
After their meal, Adrien took them back downstairs and walked together hand in hand to where the rickshaw was waiting for them. The ride took them away from Montmartre and back towards the Seine. Becoming more comfortable around Adrien, especially when there were not a whole lot of people around, Marinette took hold of his arm and leaned her head on his shoulder. Adrien seemed to like this because he leaned his cheek against the side of her head as well.
The next portion of the date took them to Love Lock Bridge where Adrien remembered poor Rose wanting to perform the tradition with Prince Ali. He only hoped Marinette was as smitten with the legend as he was. The rickshaw stopped at one end of the bridge; his itinerary finished for the evening. Adrien thanked the man and tipped him before offering his elbow to Marinette. "Shall we?"
When it was just the two of them, Marinette seemed much more at ease and he hoped that meant she was also enjoying herself more. While placing their padlock on the bridge was on his to do list, he had a quick stop to make before that. "Would you like some desert?" Andre's cart was located in the middle of the bridge, upon his request, and Adrien was happy to see Marinette's eyes light up when she saw him.
"You didn't! This is amazing!" she giggled. "All the times I came here wishing it was on your arm or even just in your presence." She gasped. "Did I just say that out loud?"
"Marinette, I want to hear everything you have to say, embarrassing or not. To be honest, there was a time when I felt like no one loved me. I had fans, sure, but they didn't know me enough to love the real me. Anything you desire I want to give you, even something like this." Adrien stopped before the ice cream man. "Good evening Andre."
"Hello Adrien, and I see you have sweet Marinette by your side." The ice cream man did a spin and fluttered his eyes in adoration. "Ah, the love between you two just makes this old man's heart fly. Some sweethearts ice cream, yes?"
"Yes, please!" Marinette chirped.
"Blackberry and peppermint an explosive mix, that's a fact! But oftentimes it's the opposites that attract!" He served up the ice cream and gave them two spoons. Adrien took the cone and handed it to Marinette. He could have handed her a gold bar with the way her eyes were sparkling. Of course, show him a tray of macaroons and he'd probably have the same kind of eyes.
Marinette took the ice cream and walked away with him slowly. "I know it's just ice cream and probably propaganda about two people being together forever but…"
"I think if you believe it can all come true." Adrien reached forward and took one of the spoons out, holding it up to Marinette's mouth. "Now say ah." Somehow it was more Cat Noir's voice that came out but Marinette giggled and took a bite. "I could do this all day."
"Ha, well fair's fair." She took the other spoon and offered it up to him. Deciding to press his luck, Adrien took hold of her hand and brought it into his mouth very slowly, savoring the taste and her reaction. He didn't hold it very long, though, because he quickly laughed and held his stomach for fear it would burst.
"Oh you!" She slapped his arm. "Are you trying to seduce me, or what!?"
"I just had to see your reaction. It was totally worth it!" He laughed and used his spoon to get more. They shared the ice cream a little at a time and between the two of them, simply enjoyed the quite sound of the river water lapping against the bridge's posts. "So, we tested one legend, care to try for a second?"
"I'm not certain double up on legends will double up our chances for success, but sure, why not?" Marinette finished the cone and threw the trash away in a nearby bin. Digging into his pocket, Adrien removed his chosen padlock and held it up for her to see. It was gold colored with the engraving 'ADRIEN & MARINETTE: SOULMATES'.
Marinette looked at it in awe. "I don't understand. We only came to the realization about our identities last night. We decided on the date this morning. How did you have time to prepare so much?"
"Trade secret." He winked at her and held up the key. "Want to do the honors?"
"Um, how about you open it and I'll place it on the bridge?" She held up the padlock and Adrien reach down and opened it with a click. Marinette then chose an open spot on the fence and closed it with a similar click.
Marinette stared at the padlock there, lost to most in the sea of padlocks, for several long moments. Adrien came up and put a hand on her shoulder. "Hey, everything okay?"
She blinked. "Yeah, sorry. It was just that word. Soulmates. Tikki said it too. I don't know if such a thing even exists but the idea of two people being so perfect for each other, of one being create to match the other, because they're really two halves of a whole is so beautiful, don't you think?"
"I do and I believe the word perfectly matches us, too." He turned Marinette towards him and looked deep into her eyes so that she would believe every word he said. "Something made Master Fu chose us, out of everyone in Paris. And even if we were chosen, it didn't have to be with the miraculous for creation and destruction, the yin and yang of the entire miraculous box. We've had our powers switched and quickly learned we both brought something to the table that the other couldn't do."
Marinette laughed. "Yeah, I was responsibility, you were humor."
"And you're pawsitively exceptional at it, Milady," he grinned. "But our hearts fell in love on their own accord, without us even knowing we were falling in love with each other. Even when other options came along, our spirits just couldn't do with a mere imitation." He cupped her cheek. "You are my perfect partner and love. We are opposites in many things but it's because we fit the other like no one else can. Where I am weak you, Milady, are strong. Where you stumble, I'll always be there to pick you up. We were made for each other, little bug, and I believe that with every fiber of my being. I love you, Marinette Dupain-Cheng."
He leaned in then and kissed her even as he saw his words made her cry tears of joy. She tilted her head back and kissed him in return. It wasn't possessive or lustful, there would be time for that later. He simply wished to convey without a doubt, how much he loved her and would always love her.
Marinette pulled away and hugged him to hide her tears. He allowed for the distraction and they stayed together like that for a while. Eventually Marinette pulled away, her tears mysteriously gone. "So, what now? The rickshaw is gone, do we need to call a cab?"
Adrien snorted in dramatic flair. "A cab? Never for my beloved!" He walked her to the opposite end of the bridge, which they were already near, and gestured to a small gondola moored nearby. "I think you'll find this mode of travel more appropriate."
Marinette smiled then surprised him when she elbowed his ribs gently. The action made him squirm and she knew She'd exploit that weakness later. "I thought cats hated water?"
"Thankfully I'm not afraid of falling in so as long as there's no akuma on the loose, we should be fine."
She swatted him and looked around quickly as if saying the very word would summon the demon creators. "Don't say that! I'm still not used to not having to worry about them!"
"Nooroo and Duusu are back with their friends. Everything's going to be fine." Adrien walked her down the steps to the gondola driver and carefully helped Marinette inside. She clung to him when the boat tilted unexpectantly and her face ended up against his chest, making him chuckle quietly. "I've got you."
She blushed with embarrassment and allowed him to lower them into their seats. Once they were secured, the man used his stick to push off the edge of the river and join the flow going downstream. The entire shore was lit up with lights from nearby businesses and the reflection of the Eiffel Tower gave the perfect romantic setting. "You weren't lying. You really did pull out all the stops, didn't you?"
"Yep. You are well worth it, Milady, and this won't be the last time. I still have plenty of tricks hidden up my sleeves." He held onto her hand and sighed with a smile when she rested her head on his shoulder. It was a simple move but being unaccustomed to physical contact, he found such gestures affected him greatly. It was comforting and relaxing for him.
"A-Adrien?" Marinette stuttered, getting him to look at her inquisitively. Why was she suddenly so nervous again? "Will you kiss me again? I k-kinda like it cause you're r-really good at it."
He laughed softly. "As you wish."
Marinette sighed blissfully when Adrien covered her lips with his own again. Something about the softness of his skin and the scent of his cologne, made her want more of him. She'd never been in love before and even when she was with Luka they hadn't gotten as far as kissing. She figured Adrien was so good at it because he'd probably done it before. When he pulled away a second time, it was mostly to come up for air. She felt her heart beating ridiculously fast so she held onto his arm and looked bashfully away until she could calm herself down again.
"Going to school just got a whole lot more fun," she heard Adrien say.
"What!?" she choked. "W-we can't do that at school!"
"Why not?" He gave her his sad puppy dog eyes…kitty eyes? It'd probably be a whole lot more effective with those adorable cat ears curled down on his head.
"Aside from everyone watching us, I'm pretty sure a few girls would try and kill me if we did that in front of them."
"Who Lila and Chloe? They can try but I think a certain cat superhero would be able to come save the day if they did."
She shook her head and held up a finger, speaking in a whisper. "That's why knowing each other's identities is so dangerous. We can't simply transform to come to the aid of the other. People would start to ask questions—Alya specifically."
"I suppose you're right." Adrien puffed out his chest comically and put his hands on his hips. "Then I'd have to make sure to protect you as Adrien, devout boyfriend and protector!"
Marinette giggled. "Sure, you could do that. But seriously, we can hold hands and stuff, maybe pecks on the cheek, but I don't want to rub it in. Even if akuams won't be fluttering around, I don't want to unnecessarily hurt anyone else's feelings."
Adrien smiled at her warmly and ran a hand over her hair. "That's my Marinette, always thinking of others." He sighed dramatically. "Very well. If you insist, I'll try my best to resist your charms while at school. But once that bell rings…" he winked. "All bets are off."
She giggled and together they enjoyed the rest of the romantic gondola ride. At the end the man moored again, and Adrien carefully pulled back onto solid land. "So, what did you think of our first date?"
Marinette looked practically woozy so much that Adrien put a hand on her back to keep her close. "Words can't express how wonderful it was. You went through all this trouble…for me."
"No trouble," he insisted. "It was my pleasure." He kissed her on the cheek then began walking alongside her holding her hand. They walked up the stairs back onto the street where he began looking around in confusion. "That's strange."
"What is it?"
"My bodyguard should be here to give us a ride home. He's always on time." Adrien looked at his phone watch and narrowed his eyes. "And technically we're a few minutes late. That's not like him." He started to make a call when his phone flashed and turned off. "Ugh, my battery's dead. Too many selfies, I guess."
"Here, you can use mine." Marinette was about to hand over her phone when they heard chuckling from behind one of the buildings. His senses went on alert as he instinctually put Marinette behind him as five creepy looking guys came out and approached them.
"Look at this, boys. It's two for one night," one of them said. "The boy looks scrappy but the girl…" he licked his lips. "And here I was feeling a little lonely tonight."
Marinette glared at him. "Then go play with yourself like you're used to and leave us alone!"
"Not until we take everything of value from you two." A second one said, opening up a pocketknife. A second flicked his wrist, revealing a butterfly knife, while a third had metal knuckles. "You don't really need them and besides, with rich boy here you'll be able to replace them easily, right? So, help us out, yeah? That purse, your earrings, the guy's ring, and both of your bracelets."
Marinette's hand went to cover her bracelet and held it close to her heart. "No. Why don't you two leave before you do something you regret?"
The group got closer, and Marinette could have sworn she heard Adrien growl. Before they could get surrounded Adrien glanced behind him. "Marinette, I need you to run."
She gawked at him. "What!? No, I'm not leaving you."
He looked at her sternly, the fury in his eyes making her jolt. "I can take these guys but I can't do that if I'm worried about hitting you by accident, too. Please. I'll be fine but I need to know you're safe first."
Marinette wanted to argue more. After all, it was five against two. "Don't be silly, you're outnumbered and you're not Cat—" she stopped herself. "We're not them right now. You're not invulnerable. You're just Adrien."
He looked hurt by her words but shook his head. "I can protect you just as much as Adrien as I can as him. Trust me."
Those were the words. She couldn't deny him when he asked because in every instance when she'd asked him as Ladybug to trust her, he'd always had 100% faith in him. "Alright, I'll go get help, just don't hurt them too badly, okay?" She kissed him on the cheek and turned around, only to face another of the men who had come up behind them. Now the odds broke down to three-to-one. Growling, she got an idea and spoke behind her to Adrien. "Give me a boost?"
"Of course, Milady." He crouched down and she carefully stepped onto his back, thankful she hadn't worn heels that night. He stood up quickly, pushing off the ground to launch her into the air. She flipped forward over the guy and landed behind him. "Now go!"
She shut her eyes and took off, hating herself for the fact that she was leaving him behind. If he got hurt, his dad would never let them out together again. Chances were that may still be happen. She'd have to worry about that later.
Adrien could practically feel the hair on the back of his neck rise like hackles on a cat. He watched as one of the men took off after Marinette but when he tried to give chase, another hoodlum grabbed him by the back of the collar. That was when something in him snapped. In normal, everyday situations he was passive aggressive. He liked to get along with everyone. When it came to push and shove, all his years of self-defense training kicked in.
His father was no fool. He knew people would come after Adrien for one reason or another. He wanted his son able to defend himself. Now, after several years of a myriad of martial arts, he was more than capable of handling a few thieves. He reached behind him and grabbed the man by the wrist, painfully twisting it as he spun around. He landed an elbow into the guys' side and flipped him onto the ground.
Not giving his armed opponents a chance to rethink their strategy, he whipped out a leg to knock the butterfly knife out of the person's hands. It went spinning and landed back in the river. He spun around and caught the same guy in the chin with a well-placed roundhouse. He went down hard, his face bouncing off the pavement. The other three were able to start landing hits so Adrien spun low and tripped two of them so he could get out from between them and reassess the situation. Marinette's not wrong. I can definitely feel the blow more without my suit but everything Cat Noir is lives inside me. I can do this.
A confident smirk rose to his lips, "So, who else wants to feel my claws?"
Marinette ran through the streets, her pursuer still somewhere behind her. She could hear his feet against the stone scraping with each step. I have to shake him or I won't be able to call for help! She ducked into an alleyway and immediately saw her salvation. She grabbed a metal trash can lid and crawled on top of a larger dumpster. When the thief came barreling around the corner, she swung and made sure he hit square in the middle of her lid. He fell to the ground and for good measure, she jumped off the dumpster and landed on his privates.
Properly neutralized, she dropped the lid and looked around for anything else she could use. A few items caught her eye and she smiled. That'll do in a pinch.
Adrien was down to three attackers but they proved more talented, and less easily duped, than their partners. Adrien was getting tired but if he turned to run, he didn't think he could out last them in terms of endurance. Not after all the fighting he'd already done.
"Adrien!" he heard his angel shout.
Adrien gasped and turned to see Marinette running back towards the right. Before he could chastise her for coming back, she threw something into the air.
"Catch!"
His hand reached up and caught the metal pipe she'd given him. It was four feet in length and about the same width as his Cat Noir staff. "Nice! This'll do." He spun it expertly and his opponents stepped back with unsurety, giving him more room. "I think now's an appropriate time to give you guys a chance to run. If you've learned your lesson, then take your sleeping friends and go."
The men growled and the one with the pocketknife said, "I ain't letting a little rich, pompous brat scare me off!"
Adrien widened his stance and lowered his upper body so that it was parallel with the ground. Then he said in a dangerously low tone, "Wrong answer." With his favorite weapon at hand, his confidence and a second wind of adrenaline kicked in and he disarmed one opponent, knocked out Knuckles, and was about to slam the tip of his pole into the last one's face when a chain flew over his head, wrapped around the guy's neck and pulled him harshly into the ground, knocking him out cold.
He turned and saw Marinette take the other half of the chain, spin in, and use it to tie up all five thieves on the ground. "Aw, all we're missing is the bow," he quipped.
The sound of the police finally could be heard ringing in the air. Marinette took his hand, getting him to drop the pipe, before she started pulling him along. "Come on, unless you want to explain the media what happened here, we should get going."
"After you, Milady." He ran with her to a more lighted area of Paris. From there he was able to call his bodyguard to ask where he was. The conversation was weird and an ominous feeling fell over Adrien. "That was odd."
"What was?" Marinette wondered.
Not wanting to worry her, Adrien shook it off and shrugged. "Nothing. My bodyguard's watch and the car's clock both were off by an hour and it isn't even daylight savings time. Don't know how that happened. He's on his way to get us now."
Marinette nodded and shivered rubbing her arms when the wind blew. It was much later than Adrien had intended to keep her out tonight. He shrugged out of his leather jacket and draped it over her shoulders. "There, better?"
She smiled and snuggled into his residual warmth. Looking up at him, she blinked innocently, "What about you? Are you okay? Did they hurt you?"
"Nah, barely even touched me." He left out the part that he might have a few bruises under his clothes he couldn't see, but he didn't have any photo shoots until the weekend, so he should be fine by then.
His bodyguard came and the two got into the car to return to Marinette's. They knowingly said nothing about their encounter to each other or else Gorilla might overhear. When they arrived, Adrien walked Marinette to her door and once again scratched his head nervously. "Sorry about what happened at the end there but I hope you had a good time."
She looked at him fondly, reluctantly taking off his jacket to return it to him. "I had a wonderful time. Better than anything else in my life. Being with you…having an us…it's a dream come true."
"The same goes for me." He leaned forward and kissed her slowly, wanting to savor the moment to last him until the next day. When they pulled apart, he sighed and rubbed his nose against hers. "Tomorrow is going to be sooo hard…"
Marinette giggled and scratched his chin. "Don't worry. I'll make sure to give my kitty lots of pets throughout the day to hold you over." To prove her point she added a scratch behind the ear which Adrien comically leaned into and purred.
"Okay…" He picked up her hand and kissed the back of it, bowing dramatically before coming up with a wink. "Until tomorrow, Bugaboo."
She laughed and rolled her eyes, "Goodbye, my prince," she said, waving to him before she disappeared into her house.
A girl watched the scene play out in her mirror as the boy practically skipped back to his car from in front of the bakery. While they have proven more formidable than I was expecting, they wouldn't be miraculous owners if I had been successful in my first attempt. Besides, it's more fun this way…