Adrien

One moment, Adrien was trying to save their trip from turning into a privacy-less week of overbearing care at the hands of Nino's overzealous mother; the next, Plagg was hissing in his jacket and digging his claws in Adrien's shoulder—something he hadn't done in a long while.

"Adrien?"

A cold shiver crept down his spine, the coats in his arms almost slipping from his grasp. That voice. That overly sweet, fake sound that made his skin crawl, and was no doubt accompanied by a matching pretentious grin. His eyes darted to Marinette in a feeble hope she hadn't heard, hadn't noticed anything yet. No such luck. With a bewildered look in her eyes, his love was staring at him with slightly parted lips before shifting her gaze to the last person Adrien wanted here right now, the one who was already standing before him.

"Lila," he all but seethed through his teeth. The one time he showed his face in Paris and she just had to be here! There was no way this was a coincidence, even if he was extremely careful in getting those tickets, opting to go through Noël Lahiffe instead of the palace resources he had at his disposal.

"What a pleasant surprise!" The walking menace rushed to give him customary cheek kisses.

Adrien neither responded, nor even tried to smile in return. If he hadn't already irrationally disliked this woman, then months of being cut off from the few people he loved solely to prevent her from finding him had surely done the trick. "Can't say I share the sentiment."

"I didn't know you were back in Paris," Lila cooed, ignoring his remark, that sickeningly artificial smile of hers on a full display. Reaching forward, she pretended to fix the lapels of Adrien's jacket, her voice a tad louder than just a moment before. "You should've informed me of your return. I am your fiancée after all."

His blood ran cold, eyes jerking to Marinette. Let her not hear this despicable lie! Let her not—

Marinette's eyes widened, her lips parting. She took a step back, a mask of disbelief on her beautiful face.

Adrien growled, glaring at Lila. He wouldn't allow her to give the woman he loved the wrong idea!

"As I told you already, Lila," Adrien spoke through his teeth clenched together, yet still making sure each word was as clear and as loud as possible. "There will be no engagement of any kind between us. You aren't my fiancée, and you never will be."

Turning away, he headed toward Marinette, praying she wouldn't run away until he'd reached her.

She must have been too shocked to even move, too stunned to protest when he reached for her hand. "Marinette, this isn't—"

"You're here with a friend?" Lila appeared by his side. "Do introduce us, Adrien."

"This is my girlfriend, Lila." Adrien stepped in front of Marinette, partially obstructing Lila's view of her. This woman didn't deserve to even look at his Princess, let alone speak to her.

His "fiancée" didn't think so. She quickly erased the mask of stupor from her face and offered her hand to Marinette. "Hello, I'm Lila Rossi. Adrien's fiancée."

He could've cataclysmed her on the spot if he could! She wasn't worth the effort, though. Nor was he willing to compromise his identity because of someone like Lila. Instead, Adrien turned to Marinette and said the first of many things he should've told her weeks ago, "Mlle Rossi is a woman my father wants me to marry, but I never agreed to that, and there wasn't and never will be any engagement between us."

Marinette gripped his hand, watching him with her eyes wide open, searching for the truth on his face. Whatever she saw must have satisfied her because she tried to smile and slightly nodded Lila's way. "Oh…um… hello?"

"Wait, is this…" Lila's gaze flickered up and down Marinette's body, a sugary smile stretching across her face a moment later. "Is that the girl you told me about? The one—"

"Lila, not here." Adrien interrupted, tightening his hold on Marinette. He had to be careful. Lila knew much more than Marinette did, and the last thing he needed was for Lila Rossi to reveal what he had only about two weeks left to tell Marinette himself.

"Oh, come on, Adrien." Lila smiled, tilting her head to the side to get a better look at Marinette. "You can't blame me for being curious."

Perhaps he couldn't, but her curiosity didn't sit right with him for some reason. It was probably nothing but his own dislikes and biases, but that glint in Lila's eyes didn't look too friendly. He should get Marinette out of here, as fast and as far away from Lila as possible. Plagg seemed to agree, restlessly rummaging in his jacket, his hisses vibrating against Adrien's chest.

"We have somewhere to be, so please, excuse us," Adrien said, taking a step away, and halting a moment later. He already let slip who Marinette was to him, but, perhaps, if he were to confirm that she wasn't just a random girlfriend of his but the Ladybug he went searching for, it'd get Lila and his father off his case? They did agree to leave him alone if he were to find his Lady. So slightly turning back, he added, "Do let my father know that I fulfilled his conditions and there will be no marriage."

Lila's lips pressed into a thin line for a split second before stretching into a forced smile. "Of course. I'm heading to the palace tomorrow morning, so—"

"Sounds perfect. Have a good evening, Mlle Rossi."

He itched with an urge to leave, so not waiting for Lila's reply, Adrien strode out of the building, pulling Marinette after himself with one hand and holding their coats in the other. They swiftly walked out of the building, across the street, and a few blocks down until Adrien saw a secluded park in a nearby alleyway, perfect for having a private conversation away from prying eyes.

"I'm so sorry about that." He sighed, letting Marinette's hand go.

"Can I have my coat?" She held out her hand, trying to warm herself up with her other.

Adrien jolted upright. "Yes. I'm sorry. Let me help you." He held her coat up and helped her in it, putting his own on right after. The moment he buttoned it, his phone chimed.

Nino: We're goners, dude. Mom took a liking to Alya and we're moving to my home as I'm texting you this because "No son of Maryam Assia Lahiffe shall ever stay in a hotel when he's in town! Especially not when he's bringing his first girlfriend with him and such a wonderful one as Alya at that". I'm not sure she'll let me off the hook for failing to tell her I'm coming in the first place, so I'm kind of toying a life and death situation here, but I did manage to keep your presence a secret, so enjoy this trip for me, will you? Stay out of trouble while you are at it!

"Perfect," Adrien mumbled under his breath, barely suppressing a groan. Back in the hostile surroundings and without his best man. Was this what growing up felt like?

Adrien: Enjoy your visit. Btw we ran in Lila in the foyer. Can you check that out for me?

"Alya's going to Nino's home," Marinette said quietly, looking at her cellphone. "She's picking up her things right now."

"Yeah, Nino just told me," Adrien echoed her tone. "I should've expected this, though. With how much Nino works, his family rarely gets to see him, and his mother adores him. There is no way Noel wouldn't have told her Nino was coming to the show and she wouldn't have tried to ambush him."

Marinette glanced at him from under her eyelashes. "You make it sound like it's a bad thing. Family's important. Nino should've told them himself."

"Perhaps." Adrien sighed. "But I think Alya's being here has also something to do with him keeping quiet. Bringing your girlfriend to meet your family is a huge deal. It means something. It's a milestone."

"That's why we aren't meeting yours?"

A ripping pang in his chest, Adrien had to take a moment to gather himself and find the right words. "My family is a bit complicated." He couldn't look her in the eyes. "You just saw Lila. My father didn't even ask me about it. He just decided one day that I have to marry her and that was it—"

His phone started chiming. Repeatedly. Insistently.

Marinette looked away. "You should take that."

"Sorry." Adrien glanced at the screen and froze.

Nino: Dude!

Nino: Dude, WTF. Why did you let her close?

Nino: Didn't I teach you anything? Didn't all of your teachers teach you ANYTHING? Do you want to flush months of our hard work down the drain?

Nino: There is a transmitter on your jacket I didn't place there. Right above your heart. GET RID OF IT!

Nino: ASAP!

Nino: Unless you want your butt kicked.

Nino: Because you know, even my mother won't stop me :(

Adrien cursed under his breath, taking off his coat and lifting the lapel of his jacket. Just as Nino said, there was a tiny transmitter attached. Right at the place Lila had her hand on for a few seconds back in that foyer. Adrien ripped it off, cataclysming the thing to dust with his fingers, with a few not-so-savoury words on his lips.

"What's wrong?" Marinette watched him with her eyes wide.

"Lila placed a location tracker on me," Adrien growled. "I didn't even notice when."

His phone chimed again.

Nino: The rest looks good for now, but I suggest you put those cloaking devices to use from now on.

Nino: And stay away from Lila!

Nino: And Felix. I know you love your cousin, but he's been hanging out too much with that fox lately."

"Will do," Adrien replied and shoved his cell phone in his pocket, putting his coat back on.

Neither of them said a word as he did that. Marinette wouldn't even look at him, alternating between watching the ground and glancing back to the street. His lips pressed together in a thin line. He had to fix this. He shouldn't have waited for Marinette to find out about this part of his life like that. And he'd better stop stalling and tell her everything, because if Lila's existence made Marinette look like she was considering escaping his presence at any given moment, then what would she say to the rest of it?

"Marinette—"

"So—" They spoke at the same time.

"You go first." Adrien nodded.

Marinette clasped her hands together behind her back, bouncing on the heels of her feet in her place, her eyes glued to the ground. "Why didn't you tell me your father had a fiancée chosen for you?"

Because he was too happy living in their blissful little bubble? Because he didn't want to complicate things? Because he dreaded Marinette's reaction to the mess that was his life? Because he despised Lila too much to even think of her? Any of these would've been a better answer than the one he blurted out: "I kind of did."

She looked at him dumbfounded. "I would remember something like that."

He bit the inside of his cheek, looking for words. "I might have not specified the details, but do you remember how I mentioned my father forcing me to do something so awful I was willing to leave my life behind and move to Dupont if he wouldn't drop it?"

Marinette nodded.

"Well, that was it. Being married to Lila is that something awful. I don't even know her that well. Quite frankly, she gives me the creeps. Not to mention, I would never marry someone I don't love, and Lila and love aren't compatible in my brain."

Marinette looked away. Adrien's heart stumbled in his chest. She would know he was sincere, right? She must. They'd gotten so much closer over the last few weeks. Marinette knew him by now; not to mention she shared the trust and love for him with Ladybug, and his Lady would know he wasn't lying… even if he'd never mentioned Lila to her either.

"From what she said, I'm guessing your father still insists on that marriage?"

Adrien hesitated to answer, but Marinette would find out sooner or later how things stood between them at the moment. Might as well tell her this bit himself. "I haven't spoken with my father since I came to Dupont, but yes, I believe so."

Marinette's eyes widened, lips slightly parting. "Adrien…"

He shrugged. "That's fine. It's actually for the best that we don't communicate right now."

She hesitated for a moment; then, reached out, speaking quietly, "Do you want to talk about it?"

Her touch on his shoulder was gentle and full of concern, despite her being upset with him just a few moments earlier. Adrien laid his hand on top of hers, seeking her gaze with his. She was amazing, and he wished he could tell her everything right now, right here, but some of the topics were too sensitive to discuss in a poorly lit garden square on a random Parisian street. Especially anything concerning his family.

"Perhaps a bit later?" Adrien whispered with a sad smile on his lips. Finding out about Lila was more than enough for one day. They can start on the other stuff tomorrow. In a more private setting. After all, he had only two weeks left: there was no delaying it any further.

"Are you sure?"

Adrien nodded. "We have a few days to ourselves. There will be plenty of time to discuss my family's drama. Lila's bit is enough for tonight."

"Okay." Marinette gave him a shy smile, the kind that never failed to warm his heart and lift his spirits. Especially now, when her smile was all he wanted: a sign he wasn't dumped yet.

But… there was something he should tell her today. The most important part of this whole "Lila" debacle, actually.

"You should know, though," Adrien said, looking at Marinette. "Before I left for Dupont, my father and I made a deal. He gave me a condition to fulfill if I wanted to walk away from this arrangement with Lila, and as I told her, I've already done that. I should be a free man."

"Should be?"

"My father usually keeps his promises, but he's been acting a bit weirdly lately, so just in case, my friends and I prepared an escape plan."

Marinette curled an eyebrow. "Like sneaking out under the cover of night?"

Adrien chuckled. "Something like that." Stepping closer, he reached for Marinette's hand, slowly, carefully, silently asking for her permission with his eyes. "I promise you, Marinette: if my father won't drop this arranged marriage thing, I'm leaving everything behind and coming to Dupont. But if he does come to his senses, then I'll take you to meet my family straight away." Her hand in his, he curled his fingers over hers, keeping her warm. "I love you, Marinette. I want to be with you, no one else. The only reason I didn't tell you about this is because I didn't want to pull you into this unnecessary drama if I could help it. Especially because it's almost over. You deserve better."

She looked at her hand enveloped in his, her voice quiet, almost inaudible. "You'd better settle this arranged marriage issue as soon as possible. I'm not the type to date someone else's fiancé."

"I'm no one's fiancé, Marinette. I swear."

"And if this relationship is to work, I want you to be honest with me. I want to know everything there is to you: the beautiful and the ugly. I'm not delusional, Adrien. Every person has skeletons in their closet no matter how perfect they seem from the outside. You're not an exception; neither am I, but while you know everything about me, I know next to nothing about you."

He couldn't look her in the eyes. If only she knew how many skeletons he was hiding… would she still be here, letting him hold her hand?

"I'm sorry. I should've told you about Lila. I should've told you everything a long time ago, but… I was so happy with it being just the two of us, free of my family's drama and issues. I didn't want to spoil it. But, you're right: if I want this to work, I have to tell you everything. You have the right to know. And I promise I will tell you everything. Just maybe not tonight? We're here to enjoy our trip. I don't want to ruin it any more than it has already been. Perhaps once we go back to Dupont?"

She took a moment to respond, her eyes lingering somewhere to the side before she looked at him and nodded. "Alright. I trust you. I can wait till we're back home."

Adrien's face brightened as he squeezed her hands in his. "So, I'm not dumped over this? Please, don't dump me, Marinette. I love you so much. I promise I'll tell you everything, just don't leave me."

Her eyes widened for a speck of a second before softening with the words she was yet to say. Ladybug had warned him: for Marinette to admit she loved Adrien out loud would be akin to agreeing to follow him and her dreams to Paris. A huge step, one she still hesitated to take, one he would never push her to scale, even if he couldn't stop whispering his own confessions of love every chance he got. But for now, that soft look in her eyes was enough. Her gently squeezing his hand was sufficient.

"I'm not dumping you over some obsessed fangirl, but you'll have to start trusting me more, and once this trip is over and we're back home, you're going to tell me everything, and we'll have to figure this thing out together. Okay?"

"I trust you with my life," Adrien breathed out. "Even if I don't act like it."

"I trust you, too." She smiled at him.

He couldn't help but pull Marinette to his chest, holding onto her for dear life. Her frame, tiny but strong, fit perfectly against him. Her arms wrapped just at the right spot around his back. Her eyes softened, the perfect shade of pink painting the plain of her cheeks. His lips were on hers before he could even think about it. A lingering, gentle, chaste touch at first, a burning, yearning kiss soon after.

His Lady. His Marinette. She was the last drop of water on this Earth, and he was a man, dying of thirst. Addicted, and not ashamed of it. Adrien had been kissing Ladybug for many years, but nothing could compare to being with Marinette. Everything was so much more vivid, colourful, and intense. Every touch, every glance, every kiss.

Electrifying.

There was no way he could live a day without this woman anymore. No way he could exist and not lavish her with all he had. Dreams weren't enough. He couldn't be satisfied with just Ladybug any longer. He needed Marinette as well, needed her more than he strived for air, water and food.

She pulled back, breathing heavily. He leaned her forehead against hers.

She smiled at his touch. "Shall we start on that walk back to the hotel? I need to unwind after all the excitement."

"Of course." Adrien kissed her cheek one last time before pulling away. Remembering Nino's advice, he reached into his jacket's inner pocket and pulled out two pin-sized devices. "We'll have to use these, though."

"What are those?" Marinette looked over the one Adrien placed in her hand.

"Cloaking devices." Adrien pinned his to his collar.

"The ones Nino gave you for your birthday?"

"Yes. The ones that will hide us from everyone's eyes, but we'll still be able to see each other."

"And why do we have to hide from everyone's eyes exactly?"

"Not from everyone. Just Lila's."

She gave him a look. "You aren't serious."

Adrien took the device from Marinette's hands and pinned it to her coat's collar. "She didn't place that tracking device on me because it looked good, you know. Lila's been trying to track me down for months. And I don't know how, but her being here tonight is not a coincidence. I bet even now she's somewhere around the corner watching us."

Marinette frowned, glancing around. "Let me guess: she's in love with you?"

"More with what I can give her than me."

"Oh? And what is so alluring that you can give such an impressive woman as Lila?"

Adrien shivered. "Please, don't tell me you found her impressive. The only impressive quality about her is her persistence. And not in a good way."

Marinette chuckled. "But you can't deny that she is beautiful and has a good fashion sense."

Adrien smirked, bringing her hand to his lips. "You're gorgeous and create fashion. How can I ever be satisfied with anything less?"

Her cheeks reddened as he brushed his lips against her skin. Adrien grinned. He loved Marinette's blushes. He loved how it wasn't even the heavy make-outs that brought those out of her. His random compliments, feather-light pecks to her fingertips, soft brushes against her skin; he never knew when her cheeks would flood with the prettiest of pink, but he was willing to explore and learn just to see them more often. "Come on, let's not spoil the evening talking about Lila. We have a night in Paris to explore, and I have the perfect place to take you."

Marinette tilted her head to the side, little stars of curiosity sparkling in her eyes. "Oh? And where do you want to take me?"

"You'll see." He bopped her nose, reaching for the cloaking device pinned on her collar. "Ready?"

She nodded, even if a bit hesitant. With a swift move, Adrien activated both devices simultaneously, erasing them to the eyes of everyone but each other.

"It should be just around the corner." Adrien quickened his steps, dragging Marinette along, a small garden nestled between buildings coming into their view soon after.

Marinette quirked an eyebrow, an amused smile on her lips. "Another square garden?"

"Not exactly." He pointed to a building behind the cluster of trees. "Look over there, behind the park."

Marinette focused on the direction Adrien was pointing at, her head slowly tilting to the side. "A wall covered with graffiti?"

"Not exactly." Adrien headed towards it. "It's called a Wall of Love."

"A Wall of Love?"

"Yup. Supposedly, it has 'I love you' written in over three hundred languages on it."

Marinette's eyes widened. With another glance at the wall, she was the one pulling Adrien towards it now, stopping only as far as the fence would allow them.

"It's closed already." Marinette pursued her lips, leaning over the fence. "We'd have to come back tomorrow. I want to see it closer."

The moment the last word left her lips, Adrien swept Marinette in his arms. "Your wish is my command."

With a surprised yelp, she gripped at his coat. "Adrien! Put me down!"

"Then how will I take you over the fence?"

"You want to climb over?"

His lips stretched into a grin. "I don't see why we can't. We aren't stealing or breaking anything. It's a public attraction, so we aren't really trespassing either. We're just saving time by taking a closer look at the wall today rather than coming back tomorrow when we could be exploring other things. Not to mention, it'll be crowded tomorrow, and something like this is better experienced in a more private setting like right now."

Marinette's eyes lingered on the wall for a few moments before she mused, "And no one will see us since we're using your cloaking devices, right?"

"That's correct."

She wrapped her arms around his neck and nodded. "Okay. Let's do this."

The fence—one that would've been a little challenging for petite Marinette to climb over—was anything but hard for Adrien to get on the other side of, even with Marinette in his arms. A few moments later, they were already standing by the wall, marvelling at the intricate brush strokes and curves of the letters painted on the tile.

"Incredible," Marinette whispered, her fingers barely glazing over the words. "They all look so different but say the same thing. Like this one—" she pointed to particular writing, "—looks so awkward compared to its more elegant neighbour. Or the one on the left of it? It's nothing more than a scribble. And this one? A masterpiece. But they all say the same beautiful thing. How did someone even come up with this idea? That person is a genius."

"The execution is certainly unique, but I wouldn't say that about the idea," Adrien said, glancing her way. She would remember the story one day, and he wasn't sure if he was looking forward or dreading that time. "Many people, especially those newly in love, attempt to say it in more ways than one, including languages."

She glanced his way, a corner of her lips curling. "Why do I feel like you're speaking from experience?"

"Because I am." Adrien turned his attention back to the wall. "At one point in my life, I learned to say I Love You in at least fifteen different languages. Wouldn't remember half of those now, but that did happen."

"Now that's the story I want to hear."

"Nope. It's way too embarrassing."

"Come on. Please?"

"Not happening."

"I'll start guessing if you won't tell me. And you know me: I'll imagine the worst-case scenario right away."

She would. And he'd hate for her to do that. "Okay, fine. But I was a kid so cut me some slack. No laughing."

"I'll do my best."

"And this is between us. Even Nino doesn't know the tale."

Marinette gasped. "Oh, wow. I feel honoured."

"So, I was seventeen and in love for the first time." Adrien started.

"Young and in love," Marinette echoed, grinning from ear to ear. "What could go wrong?"

He sent her a look. "Me being terrified to tell her."

"Why would you be scared to tell her?"

"Because she was amazing? Because I didn't think she felt the same way, and because I was an awkward baby chick who hasn't come out of his shell yet, or so Nino was telling me."

Marinette laughed. "I mourn not knowing you back then."

"You promised not to laugh." Adrien pursed his lips.

"Okay, okay. I'm stopping." She muffled her giggles. "Please, proceed."

"So, as I was saying," Adrien continued. "I was scared to tell her, but at the same time, I wanted her to know. So, I learned how to say 'I love you' in Chinese."

"Chinese? Why Chinese?"

"One of her parents spoke the language, so I assumed she'd understand."

"Did she?"

Adrien shook his head. "Not a word. That or she didn't show she did."

Marinette muffled a snicker. "Sorry. What happened next?"

"I tried Spanish. She laughed and said she loved the garden where we were, too. I moved to Japanese. Then, Russian. Then there was Italian, English, Arabic, German, Polish, Greek. I even tried Scottish Gaelic and Scots, Hebrew, Korean and Xhosa if I remember correctly."

Marinette was having trouble suppressing her snickers, but when Adrien looked at her, she said with the most serious expression on her face, "That's a lot of languages."

"And none of them helped me," Adrien grumbled. "I don't think she even realized I was telling her something and not just sneezing every single time."

Marinette gave up, her laughter echoing around the square. "I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I shouldn't laugh. I'll stop. Give me a sec."

"That's fine." Adrien echoed her chuckle. "It is hilarious." Stepping closer, he caught Marinette's gaze with his. "But there is a silver lining to that disaster."

"Which is?"

"Now I know a bunch of languages to tell you how crazy in love I am with you."

She held his gaze for a few moments before turning back to the wall, even the tips of her ears slowly turning red. "And which one of those do you know?"

He pointed to one. "This one is Chinese. Wǒ ai nǐ."

"Aha!" Marinette grinned. "My uncle once told me it's a common misconception to use Wǒ ai nǐ to express romantic love."

"Really?" Adrien quirked an eyebrow. "And what does one use for expressing romantic love?"

"Wǒ xǐhuān nǐ." Her smile turned smug as she pointed to the wall. "I know these two. English and Spanish, right?"

Adrien nodded, reading. "I love you. Te quiero. And this one—" he pointed at another, "—that's Japanese: daisuki. That's German: ich liebe dich. Polish: kocham cię. And this one is Russian: ya lublu tebya. Scottish Gaelic: tha gaol agam ort. And this one is Scots: loue ye."

"You're such a show-off, M Noir."

"You wound me, Princess. All I want to do is to deliver the message."

"Deliver the message?"

He stood right beside her. His hand at her face, Adrien brushed away a stray hair from her forehead, not missing the way her cheeks flamed and the breath got caught in her chest. "I saved the French for last," he said, leaning closer, about to whisper yet another confession.

To his surprise, Marinette pulled him into a kiss before he could do so. Her eyes lingered on him once they parted, soft and sparkling. She nibbled at her lip, her breath hot against his mouth as she breathed out:

"Je t'aime aussi, Adrien. Je t'aime tellement."

"So you finally said it, my Lady."

"I did."

"And does it mean you're coming to Paris with me?"

"It means I'm strongly considering it. Deal with the arranged marriage thing first, and then we'll talk."

"Okay." Chat cradled his Lady closer, his hold on her soft and gentle and full of love. "And just in case you were wondering, the condition I had to fulfill to avoid marrying Lila was to find you, which I did, so that shouldn't be an issue anymore."

A quiet 'Oh' slipped Ladybug's lips as she raised her eyes to him. "That's why you suddenly came to search for me instead of waiting until after graduation?"

Chat hummed, watching the waves gently roll against the shore. This was exactly what he needed. Someplace quiet and calm and just the two of them, cuddling in silence. Free of Lila and his father—

"Is there a special reason your father suddenly decided to marry you off to Lila?"

Chat internally groaned. He should've expected it, though. His Lady was one curious bug, and if Marinette was holding back most of the time, Ladybug knew him too long and too well to do that.

"Not that I know of." Chat shrugged. "Father was always fully on board with me searching for you, but then he suddenly just summoned me and said I have to marry Lila to secure an Italian connection which is a ridiculous notion in itself: Lila is a distant, non-blood-related relative of the Italian Crown. Union with her won't give us any assurance or strengthen the French-Italian alliance in any way."

A frown creased her eyebrows. "A marriage with you can secure a French alliance?"

Chat froze. Things related to his royal duties had never really come up in their conversations before because Adrien had been focusing on his education and training, not running the country. Father had only recently started to allow him in his meetings, but it wasn't something he was willing to waste his precious time with Ladybug talking about.

His silence must have given Ladybug the answer she needed, because she suddenly tensed and pulled away, gaping at him with her eyes wide. "Adrien, who are you?"

The fact that she used his real first name alone shot the adrenaline up his veins. The moment he thought of answering her question, a familiar terror gripped at his core. Chat breathed in, closing his eyes. "You know I can't answer that."

"Okay, but can you confirm that a marriage with you will secure a French alliance?"

Perhaps whatever it was preventing them from sharing their personal information had been weakening with each new bit they found out about each other because Chat Noir was pretty sure he wouldn't be able to nod a few months ago if asked the same question and still be dreaming.

Ladybug swore under her breath, crawling out of his lap. Stomping towards the water, she nibbled at her lip, her voice cracking with every word. "You never told me what Lila wanted out of marrying you."

He stood up as well, following her. "Power, influence, money."

Ladybug looked at him, holding her breath. "... the throne?"

He couldn't move, neither answer nor bow in the agreement. She didn't seem to need that to understand him.

With a sharp intake of air, Ladybug turned around, wrapping her arms around herself. Her body trembled as she started to pace around. A strangled sound escaped her lips as she held onto her stomach as if she were feeling sick.

"Marinette…"

"Don't." Her voice shook. She was facing away, but Chat could feel the tears gathering in her eyes.

He turned his gaze to the water, its gentle waves, the crescent of the moon mirroring on its plain. Just a moment ago, the scenery was blissful and serene. Right now, something was creeping under the water surface, crawling between the gardens down the shore, threatening to jump at him at any moment.

"Is that so terrible? Me being the prince?"

She knew. Ladybug knew. Not suspected. She knew. Otherwise, he'd be back in his hotel room right now.

"I'm a baker's daughter from the province. What do you think?"

Chat dared to step closer, hoping beyond hope she wouldn't chase him away or run herself. "But it's just me. It's always been just me. Does my last name really change everything?"

She closed her eyes, inhaling deeply a few times before glaring his way. "Don't you dare try to guilt me into accepting this as if it's nothing special! Because it is. You are a prince! The Prince of France. The sole heir to the French throne! And who am I?"

"Marinette—"

"No!" She took a step back, shaking her head, keeping him at an arm's distance. "Let me freak out. I'm allowed to freak out. It's not every day I find out I've been soulmate-matched with the future sovereign of my country."

Running her fingers atop her face, Ladybug groaned. "How stupid of me! I should've known! Of course, you're a royal! Only the royals would have the privilege of knowing their soulmates. Who else could you have been? I should've known. I should've guessed. And you!" She poked her finger straight at his chest. "You're supposed to be a monster of some kind! You're supposed to be deformed or something. Why would they keep you locked away otherwise? Huh?"

Chat chuckled, throwing up his arms. "Sorry to disappoint?"

"Gosh! You listened to us theorize all those crazy ideas about you and said nothing! Nothing!"

"That's not true. I told you the prince wasn't a monster and that he was a normally-looking guy."

"You said he was handsome and had a great sense of humour!"

"Wouldn't you agree, though?"

Ladybug glared daggers at his pretty face. He deserved it! "Guh! I should've known! I feel so stupid."

"You aren't stupid." He reached forward for her hand. She didn't flinch away. "And those were fun to find out. It's not every day you hear what people think of you."

"If you'd appear in public, they wouldn't be talking nonsense."

"Believe me, if I could, I'd go public at this very moment. The 'my parents keeping me inside the palace walls since I was a toddler' part was actually true. I just wasn't imprisoned or shackled or kept half-alive."

She tensed, raising her eyes to him. "Why would they do that? Is that because you can use magic?"

Chat nodded. "Though, it's more of what kind of magic I can use than simply being able to use it."

She watched him for a whole half a minute before asking, "And you can't tell me yet?"

He closed his eyes and tried to simply think of it. The dream around him slowly started to disappear, his body stabbed by terror. He gripped Ladybug tighter and breathed deeply counting from one hundred backwards. "Don't think so."

"Stupid dreams," Ladybug mumbled, stepping closer and laying her head on his chest.

He wrapped his arms around her, glazing his lips atop the crown of her head. "I love you, Marinette. Royalty or not, I'm your Kitty. Baker's daughter or not, you are my Queen."

She held her breath, relaxing into his touch a moment later. Wrapping her arms around his back, she closed her eyes and melted against his chest. "Damn it, Chat. I can't stay mad at you if you say things like that."

"Why are you mad at me, my Lady?" he breathed against her neck, his lips lavishing her skin with light butterfly kisses. "I didn't choose the family I was born into."

"But your family places you way out of my league. I mean you're a prince and I—"

"You have no idea who you are yet," Chat whispered into her ear. "Believe me, we're more equal than you think. If anything, it's me who should bow in awe to your greatness."

A chuckle slipped her lips. "I'm pretty sure I'm not some long-lost love child of anyone important. Neither do I want to be. I like my parents just the way they are, thank you very much."

He couldn't help but laugh, his hold on Ladybug tightening. Pulling away slightly, Chat brushed her bangs to the side. "I'm not talking about your parents. I'm talking about you."

She watched him attentively for a full half a minute before speaking. "I'm guessing it has something to do with the magic you say I have?"

Chat nodded. "We're equal, no matter our last names or where we came from."

She rolled her eyes, a smile playing on her lips. "What am I, some kind of powerhouse that has the magic of the universe sealed in her?"

His fingers gently stroked her cheek, his thumb brushing atop her lower lip. "That's pretty much it."

"You're kidding, right?"

He shook his head. "I'm planning to tell you everything in the next two weeks, so not much longer. I just have to find the right time and place because, believe me, it is a lot to tell."

"No kidding." She let out a deep sigh. "Just you being an Agreste is a kick in the gut. Then, magic stuff. Our dreams. Soulmates. Who knows what else?"

"I think that's pretty much it." Chat leaned his forehead against hers. "Would you like some kisses while we wait for all the secrets to come out?"

"I'd love that," Ladybug whispered against his lips, closing the distance between them.