Marinette

Marinette wasn't surprised in the slightest by the sight of her best friend standing by the bakery's door with her sleepover bag at her feet and her school backpack slung over her shoulder. That amused spark in Alya's eyes was also nothing out of the ordinary. Neither was the smirk on her face the moment her eyes travelled to Marinette and Adrien's linked hands.

"Well, now I understand why it's ten in the evening and I haven't been called yet," Alya crooned, her grin widening. "And before you say that I promised to wait until you called me first, may I point out that I'm not calling? I'm here for our monthly sleepover in person. Not over the phone."

Marinette barely suppressed a chuckle, a smile still making it to her lips. Of course Alya would be too impatient to wait. Especially when it came to Marinette's non-existent-up-to-this-point love life. But that didn't mean she'd let her off the hook easily. "Wasn't it supposed to be next week on Saturday? You know, the day we don't have school the next morning."

"Yes. Yes, it was. But I'll be busy next week," Alya came back without a hitch. "So, I'm here tonight, and I took my school stuff with me for tomorrow. Nothing to worry about."

"Except the amount of actual sleep we'll get?"

"I have no idea what you're insinuating, M. We always get enough sleep on our sleepovers."

"I feel like I'd better leave you two alone," Adrien whispered, leaning down to kiss Marinette's cheek. "I'll see you tomorrow?"

"See you tomorrow." She lightly squeezed his hand before letting it go, mourning the loss of its warmth already.

"Bye, Adrien!" Alya waved and lost all interest in him the moment Adrien wished them good night and turned around to leave. To her credit, she did wait until he was some distance away before leaning closer to Marinette with a wide grin on her face. "You two looked awfully cozy together. May I congratulate you already?"

"Have you been waiting for long?" Marinette turned her attention to her purse, searching for her key. Her parents were long gone to bed. Otherwise, they would have let Alya in to wait for Marinette inside.

"Ten minutes or so, but I see what you're doing, M."

"Should I not be opening the door?"

"You shouldn't be avoiding my questions."

"And I won't. As soon as I'm in my pyjamas in my bedroom, with my teeth brushed. You know, the same time I would've been ready to call you."

Alya's lips curled into a pout. "Okay, fair… but just so you know, every minute you're stalling is a minute your best friend is suffering in agony."

"You'll survive. Your morbid curiosity will keep you alive."

"Touché." Alya chuckled. The moment they stepped inside and the door behind them closed, though, she grabbed Marinette's hand and pulled her toward the stairs. "Let's go, M! I'm not getting any younger. Hurry up! Let's get you ready for bed."

Marinette laughed and ran up the stairs, Alya hot on her heels. They stopped in the kitchen to pick up snacks and water and headed up to Marinette's bedroom. It took them about fifteen minutes to get ready for bed, but once they finally crawled under their blankets, Alya flipped onto her stomach and grinned, "I've been a good and very patient friend, haven't I? Now, reward me. Spill the beans: are you two finally together?"

Marinette yawned and stretched her arms, bathing them in the moonlight seeping through the windows. Alya could wait a couple more minutes, someone had to teach her patience after all.

Alya glared her way. "You're doing this on purpose now."

"Maybe a little, but who can prove it?"

"Just spill it. Is Adrien off the market or not? Should I start developing a defence plan to protect you from those vicious fangirls of his?"

Marinette snorted, a chuckle slipping her lips. "Come on. Most of them left him alone already, and the ones that didn't, aren't that bad."

"You're kidding me, right?" Alya pursued her lips. "They glare murder your way any time he as little as talks to you. I'm afraid to imagine what they'll do if he starts dating you?"

"Give up?"

"That's one of the possibilities. Or they can start planning your murder, and no one will ever find your body. Do you really want that?"

"Come on, Alya—"

"Nuh-uh! You can never be too careful when it comes to the broken hearts of young vixens on the prowl. Now, stop stalling and tell me if you two are together or not before I start torturing you myself."

"You wouldn't dare."

"I will."

"No, you wouldn't."

"Watch me." Alya smirked, getting ready to pounce, eyeing Marinette's most ticklish spots.

Marinette nervously giggled, shifting away.

Alya's smirk darkened, a glint sparkling in her eyes. She slowly moved her hand.

"Okay, yes! Yes, we are! As of this evening, we're officially together," Marinette cried out before Alya could touch her. This was not worth it. Alya was too good, and Marinette was way too ticklish to ever win a tickle war.

"Girl!" Most if not all of the French Riviera must have heard Alya's excited squeal as Marinette scrambled under her comforter trying to avoid her best friend's clutches and overzealous congratulations. Unsuccessfully so, because Alya dove right after her, tightly squeezing Marinette in her arms. "I'm so happy for you! How did it happen?! Did he ask you or was it you who did the asking? Did—"

"Alya, calm down." Marinette laughed, trying to untangle herself from Alya's arms. "One question at a time."

Which, perhaps, wasn't the wisest of requests to make so late at night on a Sunday evening. Alya wanted to know everything in such tiny details, they managed only a few hours of sleep before an alarm woke them up for school. And with her best friend in the house, Marinette didn't have a chance to hit the Snooze button and get those precious extra ten minutes of slumber. On the bright side, they arrived just in time to catch Adrien and Nino loitering about the school's entrance, not very subtly waiting for them.

"Good morning, Princess." Adrien walked towards them, wrapping Marinette in his arms as soon as he could. His lips brushed against her cheek, that goofy smile she'd come to love playing on his lips. "Missed you so much."

"Good morning, Kitty."

…

Marinette's cheeks flamed. Where did that cheesy nickname even come from? Why would she call him that? And why in the world did Adrien look so pleased she did?

"Looks like someone will be one of those extra cheesy PDA couples." Alya chuckled, waiving at Nino.

"Nothing gross about a little affection." Adrien squeezed Marinette in his arms, pulling her closer, at the same time sticking his tongue out at Alya. "You're just jealous I have a beautiful girl to hug and you don't."

Alya laughed. "Joke's on you. I've been hugging Marinette since we first met back in lycée, and I didn't have to bribe her with a high-profile fashion show to do that."

"I didn't bribe her. It was a fair deal, and I tried my best to win. Marinette's just too good."

"So, you finally admit it." Marinette grinned, her gaze lingering on that handsome face of his. She hit the jackpot with this one.

"I never denied it. But don't forget that you yourself said that with some practice, I'll catch up to you in no time."

"Until you do—" Alya smirked, "—try not to bet any more Chattel fashion shows on it. You'll go bankrupt—that is, assuming you'll be able to get those tickets at all. I checked it last night. It's long sold out."

"Actually…" Adrien let Marinette go, reaching for her hand instead as they started walking to their class. "I already have the tickets. All four of them."

Marinette almost tripped on thin air. "What? How?"

"I told you I have connections."

"Adrien, really. How?"

He held her gaze in silence for a few more moments before letting out a dramatic sigh. "Alright, fine, I'll tell you. I called someone I know and asked them nicely if they could get me some of those not-available-to-the-public tickets they keep in reserve for special, last-minute guests."

Alya snorted. "Right. You'd have to be crazy rich or a celebrity to get some of those."

"Or you have to be polite and charming and ask them nicely with a smile." Adrien showcased the perfect example of said charming smile. "Like that. That'll get you four second-row seats but only because the first one was already fully reserved, something for which the person I've spoken to didn't fail to apologize countless times."

That cocky grin on his pretty face! So kissable and yet so infuriating. Marinette couldn't help but roll her eyes. "Right. And I'm a magical unicorn from planet Vespa, here to save the world with my powers of glitter."

"Nice to meet you, Mlle Unicorn." Adrien dramatically bowed in greeting. "May I trouble you for some of your magical glitter? It'll look lovely sprinkled across my beautiful girlfriend's hair."

"Only if you tell me the truth about how you got those tickets, flirt."

"But I already did." He pouted. "I asked for them nicely."

"Really?"

"Yes."

"That's impossible."

He had the audacity to look offended, motioning to the kicked puppy look on his face. "Does this face look like it can lie?"

No, it didn't. His stupidly pretty face looked the farthest thing from that of a liar, but… "As Alya said already, only the rich and famous can get those tickets with a phone call, not regular people like us. The best you could've gotten with that goofy smile of yours is four places on the waiting staff for the afterparty."

"Well, maybe—"

"Come on, dude," Nino intercepted with a chuckle. "Tell them the truth."

Adrien jerked his head Nino's way. "Nino, shhh. Saying your little brother got me the tickets because he's DJ-ing at the event and owes me a favour doesn't sound half as cool as claiming it was my natural charm and charisma."

Nino laughed. "To be fair, you did ask him nicely, and you were charming and charismatic doing that. So there's that."

"See?" Adrien turned to Marinette. "I didn't lie."

"You just didn't specify crucial details." Alya chuckled, glancing at Nino. "You didn't tell me your little brother is DJ-ing at the Chattel show? He must be good."

"He's decent." Nino's proud grin was the size of Jupiter. "And guess who taught him to make his first mixes?"

"So you aren't just a mad scientist with a passion for inventing cool tech, but also a good DJ?"

Adrien gasped, sending a disappointed look Alya's way. "You did not just insult Nino with a 'Good DJ' label. Nino isn't good. Nino's awesome. He's fantastic. One of the best I've ever heard. Most of my playlists are made by Nino, and you should listen to the mix he gave me for my last birthday. That'll change your mind as to the level of his mastery."

Alya arched an eyebrow. "He gave you a music mix for your birthday?"

"That and a very innovative cloaking device."

"Cloaking device?" Both girls asked in unison.

"What? It's a perfectly good present," Nino grumbled. "One of a kind. I made it myself."

Adrien nodded. "Irreplaceable for when I want to be left alone and people can't stop bugging me."

"And I have a synchronized one, so if we both use them, we can see each other, but no one can see us."

"Marinette?" Alya leaned closer to her and loudly whispered. "I hate to break it to you, but I think your new boyfriend and his BFF are a thing."

Marinette snorted but went along. "You don't say?"

"I know." Alya started to count on her fingers. "Living together, working together, travelling together, giving each other homemade gifts, and even using synchronized cloaking devices. That's like a top romantic tier."

Nino laughed, echoing Adrien's chuckle. "Pretty sure this guy is too in love with Marinette to even notice anyone else."

"Oh?" Alya arched an eyebrow, a teasing smile on her lips as she continued to walk. "And would you like to get noticed, M Lahiffe?"

Nino's chuckle turned awkward. A moment later, he fell quiet, halting his steps. "Actually, yes. I'd love to finally get noticed."

Alya's smirk vanished from her face as Nino grabbed her hand and continued, "By someone fun and smart and beautiful. Someone who won't stand for lies and someone who is not going to let anyone walk all over her. Someone who values friendships and will kill for her family. Someone loyal and someone I can spend hours with talking about nothing in particular and never get bored. Not to mention someone so gorgeous and so incredible, I'm still not sure if I'm worth her attention. Bonus points if her name is Alya Cesaire."

Alya's face was the colour of a fire engine by the time Nino finished. "I… Nino… is that…."

"Should we give them some privacy?" Adrien whispered, leaning closer to Marinette.

She nodded and quietly followed Adrien to their classroom, leaving the couple behind.

"She doesn't have a reason to refuse him, right?" Adrien asked once they were some distance away.

"Are you worried she might?"

"I don't know. I was sure she wouldn't, but now that it's happening, I'm starting to freak out a bit."

Alya would never. Marinette knew her friend well enough to know how deeply she felt for Nino already. Seeing Adrien worry like a mother-hen for his friend was cute, though. "She shouldn't. Not unless he'll be asking her hand in marriage straight away."

"Nino wouldn't do that. Not unless he plans to scare her away, which, as far as I'm aware, he isn't."

"Well, sorry for assuming. But someone did mention Nino wouldn't get into a relationship unless he's serious enough to look for an engagement ring."

Adrien's chuckle echoed in the hallway. He squeezed her hand with the softest of looks in his eyes. "I did say that, didn't I?"

"You did."

"I might have exaggerated a bit."

"Just a bit?"

"Tiny, minuscule amount."

"Right." Marinette giggled. She was still curious. "But did he?"

"Did who what?"

"Did Nino look at engagement rings already?"

Adrien shrugged, leaning down to kiss the top of Marinette's head. "If he did, I was too busy courting you to notice."

Another peck to her hand, a gentle touch against her skin; she'd miss the warmth of his hand in hers during the class and in the lecture after that. Perhaps, they could meet up after school for lunch? She had a ton of work, but somehow nothing seemed so important anymore.

"After you." Adrien opened the door of their lecture hall for her.

Marinette held on tighter. He'd pull away as soon as they reached his usual seat in the second row by the door.

Adrien didn't stop, walking straight to her and Alya's seats instead. "Mind if I sit with you?"

Marinette's cheeks flamed up. Letting him do that was as good as announcing to the whole class they were a couple now, because, from what she knew of Adrien already, there was no way he would simply sit beside her without stealing a kiss to her knuckles or her cheek, or wrapping his arm around her shoulder, or tacking stray strands of her hair back in place, looking at her like she was his everything. The man was excessively affectionate, and Marinette loved that. And it wasn't like them still holding hands wasn't doing the announcement already. Alya might have been right: a few of his rather persistent fangirls could use a bit of cold water dumped over their heads. The man was hers, and Marinette wasn't afraid to flaunt it.

"Not at all." Her smile said it all as she settled in for the class with Adrien by her side.

About five minutes later, Alya and Nino entered the room, both flustered and grinning from ear to ear. By the way they held each other's hands, Marinette guessed Nino had been noticed, and her best friend had finally made it official.

"I guess that's my cue." Adrien sighed, turning to Marinette as soon as the last of the credits rolled off the screen. Gently, he brushed a few stray hairs off her forehead, a shy smile playing on his lips. "I'll miss you."

She'd miss him too. The warmth of his body beside her. The steady beating of his heart by her ear. His arms around her frame. They were only a week into their relationship, but she already might have been addicted. "Let's watch another one."

Adrien chuckled, leaning his forehead against hers. "We've already watched three movies tonight. It's past midnight. Quite frankly, I'm amazed your father hasn't kicked me out yet."

Marinette wasn't. Papa and Maman loved Adrien. They trusted him with her, and she… she didn't want their first-ever cuddling session to end so soon. One evening wasn't enough, and Adrien was too warm and comfortable to snuggle against to let him go after just three movies. Especially since it was their first stay-at-home-buried-in-blankets movie date. "They're asleep already, and it's Saturday, meaning I can stay up all night because no one has to get up early tomorrow. Do you?"

Adrien shook his head. "I saved all of the weekends for my girlfriend the moment she agreed to give me a chance."

"And since it's still the weekend, she says we will watch another movie." Marinette grinned. "Or are you about to refuse me my lawfully-allocated time with you?"

Adrien chuckled, pulling Marinette in closer. "Never."

"Then, how about… Oh! Holidate! Christmas is coming. Never too early to get in the spirit, is it?"

Adrien settled back into their pile of blankets. "Nope. Especially if it's with you in my arms."

Marinette pressed Play, leaning her head back onto Adrien's chest, shifting a bit to get even more comfortable. She wasn't going to finish the movie, she knew that already: her eyelids felt heavier by the moment. Who cared, though? She had a boyfriend for the first time in her life and she deserved to fall asleep in his arms, watching their fourth movie in a day.

The movie started and Adrien pulled the blanket higher to cover her up to her neck, stuffing an extra pillow behind himself. "I hope you realize, I'm not going to last long."

She let her lips curl in a smile. "Counting on it."

The next morning, they were woken up by her parents way past breakfast time, sprawled on Marinette's bed, buried in a mountain of pillows and blankets, sporting matching bedheads and goofy smiles. Marinette couldn't be happier and hoped that it would soon become a regular occurrence in the Dupain-Cheng household. From the looks of it, so did Adrien.

A week later he took her to his place: a luxury apartment close enough to the beach for most of the windows to have an ocean view.

Marinette barely suppressed a gasp at the incredible view. The foyer was spacious and light but it could never rival the open-spaced living room-dining room combo. With its floor-to-ceiling windows and decor done in whites, crèmes, and reds, it was everything you'd expect to find in an upscale seashore apartment. The kitchen was state of the art and all three bedrooms were huge. How Nino managed to fill one of them full with his tech was beyond her.

"You like it?" Adrien asked, coming to her from behind with a lopsided smile playing on his lips.

"I love it!" Marinette twirled around to look at him. "I love it so much I feel I should warn you that while this might be my first visit here, it certainly won't be the last one. This view alone…" She motioned out the windows to the ocean kissing the shore. "Can you imagine how many incredible outfits this view can inspire? Tons! So many I won't ever need another inspirational spot to create."

"You're welcome here any time." Adrien kissed her cheek, wrapping his arms around her midsection. "Hungry?"

"Just a bit," Marinette whispered, her eyes glued to the outside scenery once again. "But not enough to make me eat instead of busting out my sketchbook and sketch."

"Then, how about I leave you alone with this view and I go prepare us some snacks? You won't be able to sketch much after Nino and Alya get here. Those two take board game nights way too seriously. No distractions. You're in it for a win, or you're out. Victory at any cost!"

"Good point." Marinette chuckled, turning to her boyfriend. Standing on her tiptoes, she kissed his cheek. "You know you're way too good to me? Like an unfair amount of perfect."

Adrien smiled, leaning down. His lips pressed against her forehead as he whispered. "You deserve so much more, Princess."

"So about my final essay." Marinette batted her eyes at Adrien in the most seductive manner she could muster.

His laugh was loud and heartfelt. Poking her nose with his finger, he grinned. "I'm not writing it for you just because you took on one too many commissions. But I can help you tell one or two of your customers to wait until you're done with exams or find a different designer."

"First of all, I did not take on one too many commissions." Marinette pouted. Last few weeks, Adrien had been doing nothing but shaking her back to sanity by teaching her how to effectively manage her time and workload. That included her learning to say 'No' to some people and taking more time for herself and her needs. "And I'm not asking you to write it for me. I was just wondering if we could go over the last few classes worth of notes together so I can write it myself. The last whole section is way too confusing and you're so much better with this subject than me."

"I can do that," Adrien nodded. "But in return, you'll have to help me with one of my assignments tomorrow. It requires more creativity than I have and we both know which one of us excels with that."

"It's a date then." Marinette's lips stretched in a smile. "Tonight at my place? I'll supply the pastry."

He nodded. "Tomorrow at mine. I'll cook pasta."

"Ah! My favourite." Her cell phone chimed. "And that's my cue. See you after class?"

He reached for her hand, bringing it to his lips. One soft kiss later, he whispered, "I'll be eagerly awaiting your call, Princess."

She didn't even bother to fight the blush covering the tips of her ears. They've been dating for almost a month now, and everyone and their mother knew how crazy they were about each other. Why both of them continued to make up excuses in the face of needing help with schoolwork to see each more often was beyond her.

Marinette plopped on a chair, utterly exhausted. The final year at a university was not child's play. Especially since the start of her relationship with Adrien a month ago, studying was the last thing on her mind.

"Your coffee, Princess." Adrien placed a cup before her and settled on a neighbouring chair. "How are you feeling?"

"Ready for all of this to be over with."

"Soon," Alya said, sipping from her cup. "Just exams left. Then, we party: first, off to Paris for a week, then, here for the holidays."

"Yeah, just exams left…" Marinette echoed. She knew the material. That wasn't an issue. The problem was her overwhelmingly low supply of energy to even think about studying in the next week or two. Cursed be all the end-of-semester projects and deadlines!

Nino added something. Marinette could scarcely hear him. Alya laughed, so did Adrien. Perhaps, she could benefit from an early bedtime tonight? But then, Adrien said he had a surprise for her—

"Marinette? Hey, Marinette, are you here?" Alya snapped her fingers, all three of the present watching Marinette attentively.

Her smile was a bit shaky, just like her attention at the moment. "Yeah, just a bit tired."

"Well, you can always rest on the train, I guess."

Adrien jerked his gaze to Alya. "What—How—Nino! You told her?"

"I didn't!" Nino raised his arms in defence. "I swear I didn't, Adrien."

"Don't worry." Alya smirked proudly. "He didn't tell me anything, but I am an incredibly good journalist and if there is a mystery or a secret or a scoop, I'll find out. And you, Adrien, aren't so good at hiding stuff."

"That's because I wasn't aware I had to look over my shoulder with you, too!"

"Guys, what's going on?" Marinette murmured, her sleepiness somewhat vanishing.

Alya shrugged, standing up. "I'll leave the announcement to Sunshine. He did go all out on this one. Let's go, Nino. I still have to pack."

"Are you going somewhere?" Marinette frowned. "You haven't told me anything."

"If I did, I'd ruin the surprise," Alya smirked. "And while I do love to find out stuff, I know when to keep my mouth shut. Good luck, Sunshine. Don't be late."

With that, Alya tagged Nino away before he could utter a single word.

Marinette turned to Adrien with a silent question in her eyes.

He grinned, his hand reaching to the back of his neck. "So… you know how tired you are after all that studying?"

'Yeah? What about it? I just need a few good nights' sleep and I'll be back to normal."

"I have a better idea. Have you ever gone skiing?"

"Are you warm enough?"

How could she not be, lingering in Adrien's arms under a heavy blanket by the fireplace after a full day of skiing? Well, mostly trying to ski, but failing more often than not. Snowball fights were great, though. Alya and she won every single one of them.

"Couldn't be warmer," she whispered, cuddling closer. "What about you?"

"Couldn't be warmer as well," he echoed.

The clock struck eleven, stirring them both out of their cozy, little bubble. Marinette looked out the window to the snow slowly dancing its way to the ground. "Should we follow our friends' example and get some rest?"

Adrien hummed under his breath, burying his face into the crook of her neck. "After a few more minutes."

Marinette couldn't help a chuckle. "You said that an hour ago. At this rate, we'll oversleep tomorrow as well."

"So? We're on vacation. We're allowed to sleep in."

"Not on Alya's watch. And especially not when she booked me into ski lessons first thing after breakfast tomorrow morning."

Adrien groaned and squeezed her tighter. "I can't wait for the time I'll have you all to myself. Twenty-four seven, not just an odd hour here and there. Should I steal you away one of these days?"

Marinette giggled, leaning her head against Adrien's, softly stroking his hair with her other hand. Her gaze focused on the flame, flickering in the fireplace before them. Truth be told, she wouldn't mind being stolen by him. And as hesitant as she was to admit that, after only a little over a month of dating this man, Marinette didn't mind serious thoughts of building a future with him anymore. Including the part where she might have to move to Paris. Not solely to be with him, of course. She had her own ambitions that led her there. However, that was a thought for another day. Now, she had a clingy boyfriend to get to bed so neither of them would be murdered in cold blood by her best friend for sleeping in again.

"A penny for your thoughts?" Alya settled down beside Marinette on the couch. "I finally caught you alone for five minutes and you're lost in your mind."

"Sorry." Marinette slightly chuckled. "Just thinking. What's up?"

"Boys went out to get us some food. We have like half an hour max to share secrets."

Marinette laughed. She missed Alya. Perhaps, they did get a bit excited with their new relationships, cutting back on their girls' time alone more than she'd like in the last month and a half. "Want to start?"

"Sure, why not?" Alya grinned. "So… you know the skiing trip we just went on?"

"Yes?"

"So, Nino might have—at least I think he did—probed me about moving to Paris with him!"

Marinette glanced Alya's way with an amused smile on her lips. "Don't tell me you refused him?"

Alya puffed. "Girl, you know me. I was born in the wrong city and I live to correct that unfair mistake. I'm moving to Paris the day after graduation and if Nino's willing to help me, I'll make sure to reward him plentifully."

"You have him wrapped around your finger already," Marinette chuckled. "Sometimes I suspect he loves you more than his tech."

Alya laughed, grinning. "That's quite a compliment. Now, your turn. What's going on with you and Sunshine?"

Marinette turned back to look out the window. What was going on with them? They'd been dating for a month and a half, and Adrien had been nothing but a perfect boyfriend: attentive, caring, and supportive. She could hardly imagine her life without him now. His presence was changing her life. Gone were stressful all-nighters and races against quickly approaching deadlines. She'd stopped stressing over her ability to manage both the bakery and her fashion career. Relocating her family's business to Paris was more than viable with Adrien's help, so why shouldn't she focus on getting into ESMOD and her dreams, hiring someone to keep the bakery running on the side? After all, she had one life, and if she didn't enjoy it now, she might not get a second chance to do so. And if she didn't follow the path her heart desired most of all, would she forgive herself for that later?

"I think I'm ready," Marinette whispered, a soft smile gracing her lips.

"Ready for what?" Alya cocked her head to the side. "Don't tell me Sunshine proposed, because the way you two are going, I would not be surprised but I will strangle him with my own two hands. He can't just swoop in and steal you away from me in a matter of months and get away with that!"

"No." Marinette chuckled. "No proposals yet."

"Yet?"

Marinette laughed. "As you said, we're kind of moving fast, and Adrien's full of surprises. So while I don't think he'll pop the question soon, I wouldn't be surprised if he did."

"Let's say he did. Hypothetically, of course," Alya said, watching Marinette closer. "What would you say?"

Marinette didn't need a moment to think about it. She'd been doing that too much lately. "I'd say I love him. And I'd say that I don't think I'm ready for marriage yet. However, I'd also tell him that when we go to Paris in a few days, I'll be going with the intention of looking at the city I am now more than willing to move to."

Alya almost jumped in her place. "Really?"

"Really." Marinette nodded. "I'm ready to take this to the next level. No more 'maybe we'll work out'. I want it to work out. Adrien makes my life better. He makes me a better person, and I'd be a fool to throw that away without really trying. If that means moving to Paris where I can also follow my dreams of creating a fashion empire while not giving up on the bakery? I should've been ready a long time ago."

"Girl!" Alya squealed and lunged forward, tackling Marinette in a tight hug. "Dibs on being your maid of honour when Sunshine does propose."

Marinette laughed, hugging Alya back. "As if it could ever be anyone else."