Marinette stepped into M2M Squared with a fake smile plastered on her face. Or, a half fake smile. Was she exited to see Max? Of course. Was she particularly in the mood to see friends after her therapy session? Not quite.
"You here to see Max?" Alix asked from her spot at the front desk, heaving over a clipboard so Marinette could sign in as a guest.
"And you." Marinette smiled as she grabbed a pen and signed in. "How're you feeling?"
"I'm alright." Alix answered as Marinette slid the clipboard back across the desk. "Baby Monkey-Bunny should be here any day now." Alix placed her hand lovingly on her abdomen. "Can't wait for maternity leave. Working right up until I go into labor so I can have sixteen whole weeks of baby snuggles before I'm back here. How are you doing?"
"I'm fine." Marinette answered shortly, trying to ignore the biting teeth of jealousy creeping up the back of her neck. So what if all her friends were getting married and having kids and had great careers? She was a murderer. She had no right to be jealous. And Alix is great. Marinette was happy for her and Kim, really truly happy for them. "I'll see you later, Alix." Marinette stepped to the side and mashed the elevator call button in a sudden flurry of agitation.
"Marinette." Alix called after her friend. "It's nice seeing you." With a quick nod, Marinette disappeared into the waiting elevator and was whisked up to the top floor.
"Marinette!" Max called a jolly greeting as the girl stepped off the elevator and into his office. "Here for a status report?"
"As always, Max." Marinette stepped up to the platform Max was currently on top of and peered at his work. "It's coming along nicely."
"Thanks. Should be finished soon. Maybe sooner if I get a bit of work in on Saturday." Max put down the tool he was using and grabbed another one, bending down to get a better look at the metal in his hands.
"Alya would kill you." Marinette laughed, turning to glance at the other projects in the room.
"It's her bot." Max argued as Marinette stepped away and crossed the room to watch the security monitors.
"It's also her wedding." Marinette reminded with a grin, leaning over to examine the street below through camera five. "Max, have you-"
"Seen anything suspicious? Nope. Talked to your therapist who reminded me once again not to feed into your obsession for security? Yes, actually." Max looked up from his project. "You can't keep doing this, Marinette. There are cameras everywhere they need to be; your place, Adrien's place, the manor, all the hot spots, I promise."
"But maybe we could use some more along the south side of-"
"Marinette!" Max cut off with an exasperated sigh. "I love your visits here, I do. I love having you as a friend. I don't blame you for your paranoia, it's understandable, but you have to be aware that that is all it is. You're afraid, it's understandable. But it's just not reasonable to provide any more security than we already do. We have holders everywhere who will be there to protect you if need be-"
"I'm not worried about me, Max. I'm-"
"Worried about us and worried about Paris. Marinette…I know."
"I'm sorry. I don't mean to be aggravating, Max. I just-" Marinette let out a breath as Max encased her in a tight hug.
"I know. I know. Mari, I love having you here, I do. You're like a sister to me. But next time you come here…I want it to be because you want to see me. Or Alix even. Not to check up on the city, okay?" Marinette just nodded in false agreement. They both knew how unlikely that would be.
Fifteen minutes later, Marinette found herself walking into Go Ape! and swiping her membership card at the counter.
"Good to see you, Ms. Dupain-Cheng. Here for the equipment or Kim?" The greeter smiled, coffee in hand.
"Both. Kim's my trainer today. It's Wednesday." Marinette answered with a smile as she turned for the locker rooms.
"That it is. Have a good day, Ms. Dupain-Cheng!"
———
"You're going down, Dupain-Cheng!" Kim called with a smile as Marinette entered the sparring room, towel around her neck. Marinette laughed and shook her head.
"I don't doubt it. Saw Alix today. Baby is getting bigger every day. You ready?"
"As I'll ever be." Kim chuckled as he walked around one of the training dummies to meet his friend. "Got the nursery ready, the hospital bag packed, car seat installed…so much to do, man. It's like a whole thing."
"Well, I mean it is a whole human being." Marinette laughed and placed her gym bag and towel down on a nearby bench before dropping to the mat to stretch. "So what is it today? Hand to hand combat? Fencing?" Marinette joked as Kim gave an anxious grin.
"Actually…" He grabbed a small object off the bench behind him and presented it to her like it was a bomb ready to go off. "I was thinking you might try this."
"A yo-yo, Kim? Is everyone conspiring with my therapist? What happened to patient confidentiality?" Marinette groaned as she stretched her other side.
"Doesn't exist when you can't officially be a patient because you're a superhero." Kim playfully flicked Marinette on the temple and she growled, snatching the yo-yo from his outstretched hands. "Come on, Buggie! Hit me!" Kim dashed playfully to the other side of the room and Marinette weighed the yo-yo in her hand hesitantly. "Come on, Mari. It's a plastic kids toy. Couldn't hurt me even if you tried."
"Kim..I don't.." Marinette frowned, thinking back to her magical yo-yo. It had been so long since she'd used it for anything other than swinging across Paris. "I'll just miss." Marinette lay the yo-yo back on the bench and Kim nodded.
"Next time then. Wanna go in the ring?" Kim nodded toward the boxing ring on the other side of the room and Marinette nodded enthusiastically.
"I'm taking you down."
———
"I'm serious, Marinette. You've got to make it to one of our shows. It's insane." Luka smiled through the screen of Marinette's phone as she pulled her hair into a loose bun.
"We catch our flight Thursday afternoon so hopefully we'll be all reunited sometime Friday!" Rose squealed from her spot next to Luka, arm wrapped around Juleka.
"We miss you lots, Marinette." Juleka smiles.
"I miss you guys too." Marinette pulled on her slippers and started packing her bag. "Where's Ivan and Zoé?"
"Oh!" Luka jumped in. "Meant to tell you. Ivan's FaceTiming Myléne, you know how much they miss each other when he's here with us on tour. And Zoé's practicing her duet with Jagged for our last concert tomorrow." Luka's face softened as he talked about the girl. "You've gotta hear it. We'll record it for you. Sucks Adrien couldn't come on tour with us, but Zoé is doing great. They both said to tell you they say hi and that they're okay. And Jagged asked me to ask you about coming on tour with us again…but I'm guessing the answers still no."
Marinette rolled her eyes. "I'm not piggy backing off your success just because I made your costumes. You guys deserve this."
"So do you, Marinette!" Rose argued. "Without you, Kitty Section wouldn't be nearly as far as we are."
"Yeah!" Juleka agreed. "We started out as some impromptu thing and now look at us- we're the opening act for freaking Jagged Stone. I mean, he's our dad, but still! If you didn't stand up for us in the first place we never woulda got this far!"
"And besides!" Luka continued. "Jagged wants you to make more costumes, for him and his band too, why not do that?"
"Guys, I appreciate the support, but you know I don't design anymore." Marinette glanced at the clock and hurried to gather her things. "Shit! I'm gonna be late. Chloé's gonna kill me. Gotta go! Love you guys!" Marinette hurried through all their parting words and ended the video call. By the time she had managed to get her phone crammed back into her pocket, her feet had already touched the bakery floor and drawn the attention of the three bakers gathered around the shop's counter.
"There you are! I was beginning to think you'd forgotten." Sabine cheered as she shoved a box of treats into her daughter's hands. "You two will be lucky to get there fashionably late." Sabine pushed Marinette towards the front door as Tom laughed.
"She'll have your neck." The older man reached out and pat the younger boy next to him on the shoulder. "You're free to go son. See you at four in the morning for your shift tomorrow."
"Thanks, Tom." Adrien slipped out of his apron and laid it gingerly across the back counter. "I just need to find Plagg and then we can get going."
"I keep telling you to just be firm with the creature." Sabine rolled her eyes and whacked a large ornate bell on the front counter. "Plagg! If I don't see you in this room in three seconds you will be forbidden from attending game night for the next three months!"
"No! No! I'm here!" Plagg came hurrying into the room with a wail, landing in Adrien's front pocket.
"How-" Adrien's eyebrows furrowed as he looked down at the snarky little god.
"They have cheese there, Adrien." The kwami stressed, curling up into a comfortable little ball. "Now away, fair taxi! To the cheese!" Adrien rolled his eyes and headed for the door, only to be bumped not so subtly by Mr. Dupain. Adrien acknowledged him with a confused glance and Tom nodded to the young woman across the room. "Marinette." Adrien began with an uncomfortable amount of cheeriness. "Want a ride?"
"Um…sure." Marinette headed out the door to the alleyway where the cars were parked and Adrien let out a big breath of air he hadn't been fully aware he was holding. Following her lead and sliding into the driver's seat, Adrien glanced over to find Marinette curled into the passenger seat, clutching her purse like her life depended on it. He tried not to groan as he started the car and backed out of the alley, eyes darting to his partner every so often.
When he had first met Marinette he had been convinced she didn't like him. After the gum incident at least…but then, she had gone from angry to stuttery and he had assumed that meant that she wasn't upset with him anymore, but maybe a little guarded. Their relationship had really taken off after they switched to lycée. Finally they had been able to talk to each other, full conversations. Marinette had been a great friend. And then Ladybug had began to stutter around Chat Noir and Adrien had thought, "I've ruined it. I've made ladybug uncomfortable with all my flirting" and so he had backed off and then! Then Marinette and Ladybug had been the same person and he had been ecstatic and overjoyed but destroyed at the same time for the way he had found out and- Adrien glanced at Marinette again, taking small form in with a sigh. The stutter was back. Only this time, it was different. Before he hadn't been able to place it, but now…..as Gabriel Agreste's son he was no stranger to submission. And the way Marinette clammed up and immediately agreed to anything and everything in his presence was surely that. He had tried to talk to her before, to ask how she was feeling, to ask what he'd done wrong, but each time she had refused and taken a step back. Tikki and Plagg told him to be patient. But even as he had began working under Tom in the bakery, spending 90% of his time within reaching distance of Marinette…their relationship had not improved. They were deregulated, out of balance, Yin and Yang no more. And was he crazy for loving her still? Even while watching her deteriorate before his eyes? He'd never forget the panic attacks she had endured the first few month. Never forget the way she had suffered when they all tried to go back to normal like nothing had happened. Never forget the day he saw her-
"Adrien?" Marinette's voice broke through the images in his head of her leaning over the edge of the Eiffel Tower, hope in her eyes as she had let go of the railing and tipped, ever so slightly forward. He had caught her then and hadn't let her out of his sight for days after, only easing up when she had agreed to begin seeing Mylene once a week. The sessions helped, he could tell, but it seemed as if things would never go back to the way they were before-
"Adrien? Are..are you okay?"
Adrien's head snapped to Marinette and she flinched at the sudden movement.
"Sorry! Sorry. I was just thinking."
"Are you going to get out of the car or…"
"Huh?" Adrien looked around and realized they had made it to Alya and Nino's apartment. He couldn't remember driving, but he quickly shook his head and opened his car door anyway, stepping out into the cool air. Marinette came around the hood of the car and together they strolled inside and up to floor five, knocking on their friends' door as they both shared a small smile at the way the door rattled with the beat of whatever song Nino was playing inside. It was Sabrina who opened the door and she gave them an apologetic smile.
"Chloé's already in a bad mood. You guys are cutting it close." Sabrina stepped aside to allow them in and Adrien rolled his eyes as he searched for the blonde girl.
"Chloé! I'm three minutes late. Deal with it. Marinette too!"
Chloé's head popped out of the kitchen and she scowled at them.
"I said seven pm sharp for a reason, Agreste! We have wedding details to go over before you all get crazy competitive and start screaming at each other."
"Chloé," Alya reminded, appearing from the kitchen with a bowl of popcorn and a half-exhausted half-frustrated groan. "I hired you to plan my wedding, not my game night. We can talk wedding details at the rehearsal dinner Friday night."
"There's just simply not enough time, Césaire. We must go over the last minute changes tonight so that we have ample rehearsal time Friday. To not have enough time to rehearse would be ridiculous. I'm the highest profile party planner in all of Europe! For me to run out of time, it would just be utterly ridiculous!" Chloé threw up her hands in a wide gesture of disaster as voices in the kitchen grew louder.
"Okay! Okay! Everyone's here! Snacks are ready!" Kim yelled, carrying in five different bowls of food from the kitchen and setting them on the living room coffee table. "Let's get this party started!"
