HAPPY HALLOWEEN! Here's the last chapter of the story!
Song(s) Included, With/Without Modifications:
Monster Mash - Bobby Pickett & the Crypt Kickers
I Swear - All-4-One
Immediately after getting the call, Marinette made a dash to the metro station to go on her way to the Hôtel Dieu Hospital. She rang her parents up as she was pacing around the train car.
"Do you have any idea what his condition is?" Tom asked over the phone.
"I don't know! They wouldn't say! No details at all!" Marinette said, her tone filled with panic.
"Stay calm, Marinette," Tom said. "Just get to the hospital and get to Adrien before his father finds out!"
Marinette looked up at the nearby TV screen out in the subway and she saw that Nadja Chamack, the news anchor, was reporting on what happened.
"Don't be bemused, it's just the news! Nadja Chamack here, reporting on BIG news! Famed model Adrien Agreste has been hospitalized!" Nadja said as the picture of Adrien (after the fire) was up on the screen. "More details to come!"
"I think that might be sooner than we think, dad..." Marinette muttered.
"Is it on the news?" Tom asked.
"Yes..." Marinette said, face-palming.
"Get there before Gabriel, pronto!" Tom directed.
"On it, dad!" Marinette said as she hung up the phone. She sat in the seat with a loud sigh, and her anxieties started her thoughts to race around like the Kentucky Derby on steroids.
'Oh, don't tell me he only used "paperwork" as an excuse to go and actually do himself in! He's been so happy the past few weeks!' Marinette fretted. All kinds of gruesome scenarios raced in her head.
Did he jump in the Seine? Did he get himself a gun and shoot himself?! What the hell happened?! Almost every possible worst case scenario was playing out in her mind. Each one scarier than the last, and each one causing her skin to go cold and her heart to race.
'I... I never told him! I never told him anything!' Marinette thought, about to cry. She shook her head, thinking, 'Pull yourself together, Marinette! You don't know anything right now!'
Once there, she dashed in, and ran to the reception desk.
"Hello, my name is Marinette Dupain-Cheng! I'm here to see Adrien Agreste?" Marinette said, sounding panicked.
"Oh yes! Come with me." The nurse said as she escorted her to Adrien's room.
"How is he?" Marinette asked.
"Just a few broken ribs and bruises. They're all minor injuries. Nothing he won't make a full recovery from." The nurse said.
"Thank God!" Marinette said as she sighed in relief, feeling better. The tension and fear rushed out of her, and she smiled.
"But I honestly didn't recognize him when he came in." The nurse said to her.
'I don't think the average person WOULD.' Marinette thought as she was brought to Adrien's room.
Marinette saw that he was lying in the bed, but he wasn't covered head-to-toe in bandages like last time. He had a few bandages on his abdomen and a few on his arm, but otherwise, he was fine.
The nurse knocked on the door and said, "M. Agreste?"
No answer. She saw that he was clearly asleep.
"You can stay in here until he wakes up, and you can visit with him." The nurse said to Marinette.
"Thank you." Marinette said as the nurse left and left Marinette there.
She sat down on the chair next to the bed, and she looked at her boyfriend (or fiancé?) in worry.
'I don't believe this! I haven't even told him my true feelings, and yet I almost lost him! I'm so stupid!' Marinette thought, wondering what she was thinking.
The shock of the news wore off, replacing it with fatigue and fear. What if his injuries were worse? The thought of this scared her even more. Tears were beginning to well up in her eyes and she started talking to him as if he were awake.
Her phone started ringing, and Marinette picked up to find that Alya was calling.
"Alya, hi." Marinette said as she picked up.
"Girl! Are you there? What's the verdict?" Alya asked. She'd put Marinette on speaker so the rest of the girls could hear what happened.
"Good news and bad news," Marinette said. "Bad news, he's pretty banged up. Good news: he's gonna make a full recovery. Just a few broken ribs and some bruises."
"That's good," Alya said as she heard loud sighs of relief. "So, is he awake."
"Not yet." Marinette said.
"Okay. But seriously, I haven't seen a ring on your finger, girl. Since when are you two engaged?" Alya asked.
"I'll get answers about that later. Right now, he's going to recover. I'll keep you posted." Marinette said as she hung up the phone.
She looked back at Adrien, whose breathing was a bit labored. He seemed so damaged and fragile, like when they first met.
"Adrien, I'm so glad you're going to be okay," She said as she took one of his hands into her owns. She felt the roughness of the bandages under her fingers and she began crying. "I was so scared that you were in an even worse state, maybe dead!"
Marinette sighed, realizing her words wouldn't be answered. Tears still falling from her eyes.
"You had me so worried, you stupid tomcat!" Marinette wept. "I seriously thought you were actually going to leave me behind! But... I don't know how this happened, but if you really did plan on it... Oh, I don't know what I would do!"
She felt his hand twitch in response to her voice. Realizing he was hearing her, her heart started to soar with hope.
"Adrien... Listen, I know I never told you this, but I..." Marinette cried as she squeezed his hand tighter. "I... I... I-"
"Marinette!" The voice of her mother shouted from outside the room.
Marinette looked up and saw her parents come in, and at that moment, Adrien groaned and his eyes blearily opened up.
"Son, thank goodness!" Tom said as he and Sabine sat down. "Marinette called us, frantic! She got a call that you got admitted here!"
Adrien was silent.
"The nurse told us that it was a car accident." Sabine said.
"A car accident?" Marinette asked, scared at the words. "You were hit by a car?!"
"Almost." Adrien said, pinching his fingers.
"Don't be so nonchalant about it, kitty cat!" Marinette said, about to cry again. "I was afraid you'd OD'd or actually tried to-"
"Marinette, I wasn't going to do that, I purromise." Adrien said, punning and winking at her.
Marinette sighed in relief, stifling a laugh, saying, "If you're making puns, then you're definitely going to be okay."
"Yeah," Adrien said. "I just wasn't planning on being in a hospital bed until I was a LOT older."
Marinette sighed and said, "Seriously, if you still have a sense of humor, you'll be fine."
"Definitely," Sabine agreed. "We were really scared when we got Marinette's call."
"I'm glad you're in good spirits and you're in better shape than we thought," Tom said. "Now, we know hospital food isn't the best. Marinette, think you can stick around and keep Adrien company while we go and get some things from the bakery?"
"Great idea!" Marinette said.
"We'll be back soon," Sabine said as she and Tom stood up before leaving the room. "How about you two talk?"
Once the door was shut, Marinette looked at Adrien, who seemed a bit nervous about something.
It was quiet with awkward tension for a few seconds.
Realizing she needed to move things along, Marinette gave him a confused, albeit flattered expression before playfully saying to him, "Your fiancé, huh? I don't remember you ever proposing to me."
Adrien gave an awkward laugh.
"Yeah, sorry about that..." Adrien began, rubbing the back of his neck in his usual, anxious tic, his face red. "I... I honestly needed an excuse to make sure you were allowed to stay by my side in case something like this went down."
"I still don't understand how this happened," Marinette told him. "And why."
"Remember that scum that tried raping you that night?" Adrien asked.
Marinette nodded.
"Those same guys thought they'd have better luck doing more damage to me by running me down instead of beating me up the traditional way." Adrien explained.
"Seriously?" Marinette asked, her eyes wide.
"Yep, and those guys were drunker than skunks," Adrien clarified. "Swerving from side-to-side in the lanes, hugging the center line, zigzagging... I ran and ducked out of the way just in time, but I hit the pavement hard. I blacked out. Someone called an ambulance, and thank god that they did."
"How'd they know it was you?" Marinette asked.
Adrien gave her a smile and he said, "I think it was obvious to them who I was."
"Wait, you mean..." Marinette began.
He nodded.
"You had your hood down?! In public? Alone?!" Marinette squealed.
Adrien confirmed with a nod and said, "Yes."
Marinette squealed before getting out of the chair and gently hugging him saying, "Oh, I'm so proud of you, minou!"
She peppered his cheek with kisses in response, and Adrien laughed. Once they calmed down from their high, they sighed in content.
"Marinette..." Adrien said as he rubbed circles on her knuckles while looking at her with love. Marinette looked back at him, also with love in her eyes.
"Adrien, I... I've been meaning to tell you, but I-" Marinette began, but she heard Adrien quietly hush her.
He took his hands away, cupped her face in his hands, and started pulling her face closer. His lips were pursed and his eyes were half-lidded. Marinette mirrored his movements and puckered her lips, too.
They were only a centimeter away from a kiss when...
"Why wasn't Nathalie told about my son's condition? More to the point, why wasn't I informed?" A familiar voice said from outside, interrupting the two of them.
Marinette stood from her chair and looked outside the window. Her eyes popped open at the sight.
Gabriel Agreste.
"What the hell?!" Adrien said, spitting at the sight of him. "Why is he here? And more importantly, how did he find me?"
"Your accident was reported on the news." Marinette explained.
Adrien rolled his eyes in anger at the scene.
Marinette looked at the older Agreste as he was demanding answers from the staff.
"Neither you nor your assistant were on the emergency contact information." The receptionist said to him.
"I'm his father," Gabriel stated, still stiff and formal as always. "I distinctly remember having us on the emergency contacts."
"It's not there." The receptionist repeated as he showed Gabriel the paperwork.
Frustrated, Gabriel said, "I demand to see my son!"
"I'm sorry, but only those who are on the emergency contact information are allowed to see him, unless he verbally consents otherwise." The receptionist told him, remaining patient with the man.
"This is outrageous! I'm his father!" Gabriel snapped, his voice dropping an octave.
"Last time I checked, he disowned you." Marinette said as she stepped out of Adrien's hospital room and stood at the door with her arms crossed.
"Mlle. Dupain-Cheng." Gabriel greeted as he stepped closer.
Marinette rolled her eyes before saying with a neutral tone, "M. Agreste."
"Thank you and your family for housing my son, but this little charade of his ends now." Gabriel said as he tried to get into the hospital room.
"It's no joke, Monsieur," Marinette said, refusing to move. "He doesn't want to see you. You lost your right to be a father to him when you tried breaking us apart."
"Stand aside," Gabriel ordered darkly, only for Marinette to spread her arms out to block the door. "I'm going in to see-"
"You're staying right where you are, sir." Adrien said from in his room.
Gabriel looked up and saw that Adrien wasn't looking at him. Instead, he was staring at the wall as if it were more interesting.
"Stop being so defiant," Gabriel commanded as he tried to force himself in. "First you get romantically involved with this girl, then you start neglecting your responsibilities in favor of being with her, and now you have the audacity to leave home and get yourself in the hospital again! When will you learn-"
"When will YOU learn that I'm not a kid anymore?" Adrien interrupted. "Now, I want you to leave."
"I'm not going anywhere," Gabriel argued. "You're coming back home-"
"Home for me is the Dupain-Cheng bakery," Adrien told him firmly. "And you're not family."
"How can you say that about your own flesh and blood?!" Gabriel growled. "Ever since your mother-"
"Exactly!" Adrien shouted. "Ever since Maman died, you haven't been my flesh and blood - you've been my jailer. There's a difference."
Marinette nodded in agreement as she looked at her boyfriend.
"Young lady," Gabriel said as he addressed Marinette. "I want you to leave me and my son alone. I need to talk to him."
"I'm not your son anymore!" Adrien snapped. "Yes, we need to talk, but I want Marinette to stay here!"
"This is between you and me, Adrien," Gabriel said. "I won't have an outsider listen-"
"Listen up, M. Agreste," Adrien stated, emphasizing the formality. "Either Marinette stays while we have this conversation, or you leave and we don't have this conversation at all! I won't budge on this."
"You heard him," Marinette said to Gabriel as she walked to the side of the bed and sat down in the chair. "Either leave now, or let me stay here while the two of you clear the air."
Gabriel looked at the scene before saying, "Fine."
There was silence for a second, but Adrien took a deep breath and said, "So, you finally found me, huh? Bet you're pissed off that I'm in the hospital again."
"Yes. I told you that Mlle. Dupain-Cheng here is a bad influe-" Gabriel began.
"Don't you dare call her that! If anyone's the toxic influence here, it's you!" Adrien spat, before beginning to break down crying. "Why can't you just let me be happy? Let me be free?! I know Maman wouldn't want me to be miserable like this! But you seem happy whenever I'm in a bad state, like right now!"
"You think seeing you like this is what I want?!" Gabriel snapped. "I don't remember saying-"
"YOU NEVER SAY SHIT!" Adrien screamed, lying down on the bed and turning his back on him.
Gabriel was stunned silent as Adrien continued his spiel. Marinette continued to watch and listen, tears in her eyes.
"Maman was my entire world! I tried to save her, but I failed! And you've been blaming me ever since! Every time you looked at me, all I felt was that you were ashamed of me!" Adrien said, his voice choked up from tears, still not looking at Gabriel. "Before putting me in school, you just loaded my schedule with too much! You didn't even want to breathe the same air or be in the same room with me!"
Again, no answer from Gabriel.
Adrien, who was still crying, said, "That's why I left! You can't be bothered with my happiness, and I needed to set myself free! And now that I am, I'm not listening to you anymore! That's why I changed my emergency contact information to the Dupain-Chengs."
Gabriel heaved a sigh through his nose, and he said, "Once you're discharged, I'm bringing you back home and-"
"You don't have the authority to do that anymore," Marinette cut in. "He's eighteen. He can do what he wants. If he wants to stay with me and my family, then it's his legal right."
Outright ignoring her statement, Gabriel said to Marinette, "Mlle. Dupain-Cheng, I don't want you seeing Adrien-"
At this, Adrien shot up from the bed and faced Gabriel.
"DID IT EVER OCCUR TO YOU THAT MARINETTE'S THE ONLY REASON I'M STILL EVEN FUCKING ALIVE?!" Adrien hollered at the top of his lungs, cutting Gabriel off.
It was dead silent for a few seconds. Marinette stared in brief horror, Gabriel in shock.
Adrien, crying, said, "I wanted to die. Legitimately, honestly die! I didn't want to live anymore without Maman, and you weren't helping me cope with my grief, instead keeping me cooped up in the house, blaming me for her death, never letting me out of my room for anything other than food! I was your dirty little secret since the fire!"
Adrien turned his girlfriend, swung his legs out of the bed, took Marinette's hands into his own.
His eyes glued to her, he said, "But then ma belle Marinette came along! While we didn't hit it off right away, I can't imagine a world where she didn't exist!"
Marinette looked at him with wide, teary eyes, both shocked and flattered at the same time. She covered her mouth with her free hand before letting Adrien continue.
"She helped me make friends! She showed me that the people who truly value me don't care about my scars. That I'm not at fault for what happened to Maman! That I matter to people! And most importantly..." Adrien said as he pulled Marinette closer. "That even a beast like me can love and be loved."
While still sore from his injuries, he held Marinette like a delicate piece of porcelain and kissed her cheeks, and she resisted a blush in response.
He said, "She saved me, and I feel like a human being with her! I'm not scared to show my scars when she's around."
Marinette felt so happy at Adrien's praises of her.
"Marinette makes me so happy. Happier than ever before," Adrien said as he turned to Gabriel. "You owe her my life! You should be thanking her for bringing me away from the brink of suicide!"
Gabriel gawked at the scene as Adrien glared at him with unadulterated rage and hatred.
"You're not wanted here, M. Agreste. I'm not going back to that hellhole you call home. In fact..." Adrien said as he took a deep breath and pulled Marinette into his arms.
"Get out. I never want to see you again." He said with the darkest tone he'd ever mustered up in his life.
Hearing that, Gabriel merely stood up and stormed out of the room without a word.
After a few moments of silence, Marinette turned to her boyfriend and asked, "Are you sure about this?"
"I've never been more certain of anything, Marinette. Come here," Adrien said as he made her sit on his lap. "Je t'aime."
He kissed her lips again and hugged her closer. Marinette hadn't felt this safe with him since he saved her from those exact thugs before. In response to his fervor, Marinette gently wrapped her arms around his neck and returned his kisses with passionate, loving ones of her own.
"I..." Marinette began as she pulled away. "I..."
"Yes?" Adrien asked.
"I..." Marinette tooka deep breath, her face redder than an apple. She looked Adrien in the eyes. "Je t'aime aussi."
Adrien gasped, and his heart thudded harder than ever. Tears of joy started leaking down his cheeks. He started kissing her even harder, hugging her as if she would fly away if he didn't hold on tight. His bandaged hand raked through her hair.
They stayed like that for a while, until the nurse came in to bring Adrien in for tests.
When Adrien was helped out of bed by the nurse, the worker turned to Marinette and said, "This may take a while. Think you can wait in the waiting room?"
"Yes." Marinette said as she kissed Adrien's lips once more before leaving.
Once she got out to the waiting room and sat down, she called Alya up on video chat via her tablet. She was sitting with the girls (and some of the boys).
"Hey girl. How's Adrien?" Alya asked.
"He's going to be fine," Marinette reported. "Just a few minor injuries from dodging an incoming car."
"That's a relief," Zoé said. "We were worried."
"I was, too," Marinette sighed. "And you'll never believe what happened..."
She started explaining Adrien's final confrontation with Gabriel, including his last words towards him.
"He seriously said those seven words to that sperm donor of his?!" Alix asked in surprise.
"He did," Marinette said before blushing. "He said that it's because of me that he hasn't killed himself. That I... I saved his life."
"Really?" Myléne asked. The girls' eyes were welling up with tears, moved.
Marinette nodded, blushing and saying, "Anyway, I'm sticking around, and my parents are going to be bringing food for him. I'll be sure to visit regularly until he gets discharged."
"We get it, Marinette," Rose said as she took Juleka's hand. "You need to be by his side as he recovers."
"Thanks girls," Marinette said. "Now, I'd better get going. See you later?"
"Yeah, girl. Keep us posted." Alya said before hanging up.
Marinette sighed in relief as the call ended, feeling like things were looking up in dark times. Like the sky had gotten dark enough that she could see the stars. She let her fatigue wash over her and she closed her eyes.
Over the course of Adrien's recovery, he did remote schooling, Marinette brought him his homework and food to eat. Every spare moment, Marinette was at his side. They held hands, and Marinette was there to support him in his recovery.
"I can walk, Princess," Adrien laughed as he walked with a minor limp. "It's just a bit hard to breathe."
"You gotta take it slow, Adrien!" Marinette laughed in response. "You can't breathe so hard that your ribs get worse!"
"But I can't not breathe," Adrien laughed in response. "Come on, Princess, take it easy on me."
"You need to take it easy on yourself, silly!" Marinette said as she supported Adrien in his walking.
Tom and Sabine, who were watching from nearby, were looking at the scene in romantic delight.
"Oh, how cute are they?!" Tom said.
Sabine giggled, agreeing with, "They'll definitely be together for all time."
Before they knew it, the night of Halloween was upon the city. The moon was high, the eeriness of the holiday was over the city, and everyone was having fun. Kids and adults alike were in costumes, candy and treats were being passed out, etc.
At the Dupain-Cheng house, Marinette was up in her room. She styling her hair into its usual pigtails. Once she finished, she turned to the changing screen and said, "Are you almost ready, Adrien? We're running late as it is."
"Don't worry, Princess," Adrien said. "I'm almost done. And... Purrfect!"
Marinette stifled a laugh at his joke. He came out from behind the screen, and Marinette smiled with a minor blush.
"Wow... It looks good on you." Marinette said, giggling.
"Of course it does: you're the one who made it." Adrien said as she
Barring Marinette and Adrien, the entire group, in their custom-made suits courtesy of Marinette, were dancing on the deck of the Liberty.
"I was working in the lab late one night, when my eyes beheld an eerie sight..." Rose, dressed in her tutu-laiden pig suit sang as the rest of the band were playing the music. "For my monster from his slab, began to rise, and suddenly, to my surprise."
"He did the mash!" The Couffaine twins (Luka dressed in a teal snake-themed suit while Juleka was in her tigress costume) sang, while Ivan (dressed as a blue ox with huge horns) was playing the drums.
"He did the monster mash (the monster mash)! It was a graveyard smash! (He did the mash) It caught on in a flash! (He did the mash)!" Rose sang wtih the rest of the band (barring Ivan, given that his singing was horrible) singing backup.
Some of the rest of the group were dancing the monster mash along with the music.
"Hey, when are Marinette and Adrien gonna show up?" Alya, dressed in her fox suit with her hair in a ponytail, asked as she and Nino (his turtle suit on) were dancing together.
"I don't know. We know it's pretty typical for Marinette to be late, though." Myléne said, wearing a grey suit that had a hood with mouse ears on it. She was dancing closer to Ivan.
"-They did the monster mash! (The monster mash) It was a graveyard smash! (They did the mash) It caught on in a flash! (They did the mash) They did the monster mash!" Rose sang, again with the Couffaines singing backup.
Kagami (in her Chinese dragon suit) was doing some tricks and dance moves with her bokken, spinning and dancing along. Marc and Nathaniel (dressed as a goat and a rooster, respectively) were dancing together, freestyle. Alix, in her rabbit suit, had joined them.
Kim and Max (a monkey and a horse) were also joining in on the action, with Kim really monkeying around, going a bit wilder than what was appropriate.
Meanwhile, Zoé, dressed in her bee-wasp hybrid suit (with her hair in a braid and parts of it dyed black), was standing to the side and drinking some punch.
"The zombies were having fun (Wa ooh)! The party had just begun (Wa ooh!)...!" Rose sang.
There were footsteps heard from nearby, and Alya looked in the sounds' direction.
"Hey guys! Sorry we're late!" Marinette said. Everyone looked at the scene and they all gasped.
There were Marinette and Adrien, dressed as a ladybug and a black cat, respectively. The mask Adrien was wearing didn't cover his scars (which it did in the original design - the modified final product was Adrien's idea), he had black cat ear hair clips, a skin-tight suit that covered him from neck to toe, including a belt that acted like a tail, boots, and it had a bell at the neck.
Marinette was wearing a red and black-spotted jump suit with a turtleneck and a smaller domino mask.
"Girl, you look great in that suit! Sure, it's a little simple compared to our suits..." Alya said as she examined her BFF.
"She's the loveliest little ladybug in the garden, huh?" Adrien said as he hugged her before kissing her cheek.
"Adrien, dude!" Nino said as he came up towards Adrien and they did their handshake. "Nice to see you out of the hospital, buddy."
"Nice to be out," Adrien agreed. "You look great in that suit."
"Thanks." Nino said as clapped Adrien on the shoulder.
"Did Marinette make everyone's suits?" Adrien asked, looking at all his friends in awe.
"Sure did," Alix commented. "She even made the stage clothes for Kitty Section."
"You're an amazing designer, Marinette," Adrien said as he pulled her closer. "So, wanna show me how good of a dancer you are?"
"Dance?" Marinette asked as Adrien took her by the hand and brought her onto the dance floor.
"They played the monster mash!" Rose sang as Adrien and Marinette were shimmying and shaking to the music. "(The monster mash!) It was a graveyard smash! (They played the mash) It caught on in a flash!"
Adrien took Marinette's waist and dipped her down by her waist before pulling her back up and continuing to dance.
"(They played the mash!) They played the monster mash!" Rose sang with joy.
While everyone else was dancing to the music, Adrien was looking at his girlfriend love and some trepidation in his face. He took a deep breath.
"You know..." Adrien said as he did an underarm turn with Marinette.
"Yes, Adrien?" Marinette asked as she let herself get pulled back into his chest.
"I... I've really been hating my surname for a while," Adrien admitted to her. ""Agreste" sounds like "arrest", doesn't it?"
"Yeah, now that you mention it..." Marinette asked as she kept dancing to the music while thinking about Adrien's comment.
Adrien hooked Marinette by the waist before dipping her down. She laughed as she felt ticklish Adrien's hand on her waist.
"So, I'm thinking of changing it." Adrien said as he hooked her hand with one of his own, put his hand on her waist and started pseudo-waltzing with her.
"What?" Marinette asked while looking at her black cat-suited boyfriend. "Change your last name? To-"
Adrien held his gloved hand up to stop the music. Everyone stopped what they were doing and looked at the scene.
Marinette looked at Adrien, and saw he looked anxious, serious, and hopeful at all at once.
"Marinette..." Adrien began, taking her hand into his own. "You've come to mean everything to me. I know I said this in the hospital, but I can't imagine the world without you in it. I can't imagine where I'd be right now, if I hadn't met you... Hell, I probably would've legitimately hung or shot myself, maybe even OD'd on something."
Everyone watched and listened in silence as Marinette looked at him, her eyes wet with emotion.
"Whenever I'm with you, I'm confident in showing my scars. Like you said before: these scars are badges of honor, not the mark of a sin, so now I accept them with pride," Adrien continued. "You've tamed this beast and... I..."
He was getting choked up, as was Marinette. She looked at Adrien, and he seemed certain. Taking off his domino mask, Adrien stepped back and dropped to a knee.
"I know I labeled you as my fiancé without doing this beforehand, but I'm damned glad I did," Adrien said with a smile before looking back up to her. "That said, I want to do it properly."
Marinette gasped and covered her mouth when she saw him pull out a small box and open it to reveal a simple heart-cut diamond ring on a silver band, and it was sparkling in the lights. Everyone was gasping and squealing in response.
"Ma chérie Marinette," He began, looking at Marinette with hope. "I know we're young, and I know I have a lot of issues I need to work out, like what I'm going to do with my life... But I know this: it won't be worth it without you."
Marinette, choked up and crying tears of joy, sniffled as she let him continue.
"I promise you that this battered, bruised, scarred tomcat will treat you like the queen you are, and while it'll take time, I'll give you the world," Adrien continued, tears streaming down this face. "I owe you my life, and so I want to share it with you. I want the two of us to walk down the path of life together, cherishing every possible moment we have together. So, Marinette Dupain-Cheng... Will you let me change my last name to yours, and... Will you marry me?"
Marinette cried, fell to her knees, and started sobbing into her hands at his proposal. While her voice was still raw with tears, she said, "Yes! I will!"
"She said yes!" Alya cheered as everyone started cheering and clapping as Adrien (just as choked up, teary-eyed, and happy) helped his red-spotted sweetheart to stand. He slipped the ring on her finger before pulling her in for kisses.
"Where'd you get the ring?" Marinette asked, calming down and smiling.
"I went and got it the day of the accident. I was going to propose to you sooner, but..." Adrien began, letting the rest of the sentence die on his tongue.
Marinette nodded in understanding. She looked back up at him and he planted a kiss on her lips. He hugged her and they started cuddling. Everyone went back to cheering.
"I swear by the moon and the stars in the skies. And I swear like the shadow that's by your side." Adrien quietly sang.
He saw the anxious look in Marinette's eyes, which were askance in worry. He smiled, put his hand on her cheek and directed her face to look him in the eyes.
"I see the questions in your eyes, I know what's weighing on your mind," He sang to her as he used his free hand to pull her closer. "You can be sure I know my part."
Marinette giggled as she snuggled her face against his chest.
"Cause I'll stand beside you through the years and you'll only cry those happy tears," Adrien sang as he rubbed the top of her head. "And though I'll make mistakes, I'll never break your heart."
Everyone cooed as Adrien pulled Marinette out from his arms and started kissing her again, hugging her like his life depended on it (again).
The following evening (a weekend), Marinette and Adrien decided to go out on a "proper" date. Now unafraid of his scars or being out in public, Adrien decided to take Marinette out for a restaurant and ice cream date. He dug out one of his older suits for the occasion (when Marinette asked, he responded he wasn't thinking).
Marinette was in one of her homemade pink cocktail dresses. Her hair was down and she was wearing light makeup as well as jewelry (including the ring).
They sat at a nearby restaurant (an inexpensive one) with outdoor dining on the upper-level patio. It was a clear evening sky, the moon was out and the stars were shining. The moon's pale light was acting like a small, romantic spotlight for the two of them. Adrien was holding Marinette's left hand in his own two hands, looking at her like she was the only thing in the world that mattered.
"And I swear by the moon and the stars in the skies, I'll be there. And I swear like the shadow that's by your side, I'll be there." Adrien sang to her as they waited on their food.
Marinette looked up at Adrien, so proud that Adrien was willing to go out in public without his hood now. But to her, there wasn't a man more attractive in the whole world.
Time passed. They graduated lycée by each other's side. At the Hôtel de Ville later that day, they were holding hands while standing in front of the mayor, Marinette's parents, and Alya and Nino. They'd just slipped the wedding bands onto each other's fingers.
"By the power vested in me, I now pronounce you M. and Mme. Adrien Agre-" The mayor began, but Adrien cut in.
"M. and Mme. Adrien Dupain-Cheng." Adrien emphasized, a big smile in his voice.
The mayor smiled before saying, "M. and Mme. Adrien Dupain-Cheng, then. You may kiss the-"
Adrien didn't hesitate to kiss his new wife, and he pulled her in closer before smacking his lips onto hers without any restraint. The mayor chuckled at the sight.
"For better or worse, 'till death do us part, I'll love you with every beat of my heart."
After their wedding, Marinette and Adrien immediately went home and started talking about what they were going to do for their futures. Marinette already got accepted to a great fashion program within the city for university, meanwhile Adrien was still figuring things out, so he decided to work with Tom and Sabine in the bakery until he decided on what he wanted.
While they still lived with Tom and Sabine, whenever there was a free moment, Marinette and Adrien would retreat into Marinette's room where they would cuddle, coo, kiss each other, etc.
"And I swear, ooh, I'll give you everything I can, I'll build your dreams with these two hands."
Several more years passed, and Adrien and Marinette decided that they needed their own little love nest. With Marinette's online fashion boutique making waves and Adrien discovering a love for physics, they moved into a reasonably-priced apartment nearby the bakery.
Adrien had finished hauling in some of the furniture, with Marinette sitting in a chair nearby.
"Adrien, are you sure I can't help you?" Marinette asked.
"Chérie, you've worked hard enough already today," Adrien insisted. "If you overdo it, it could be problematic."
"At least let me hang up our graduation and wedding photos?" Marinette asked as she took a few frames out of the box.
"Of course, mon amour." He said, causing her to blush.
Adrien came up behind his wife and hugged her.
Marinette grew a wistful look on her face and asked, "Do you ever regret it?"
"Regret what?" Adrien asked.
"Cutting ties with your father? Marrying me so young?" Marinette elaborated.
"Why would I regret that?" Adrien asked, appalled with her doubt. "Marinette, I said it back then and I'll say it again now: you saved my life. You brought me from death's doorstep, and I want to stay away from there as long as I can from now on. It's all thanks to you."
"Really?" Marinette asked.
"We'll hang some memories on the walls, and when (and when) just the two of us are there. You won't have to ask if I still care." Adrien sang to her as Marinette giggled, put a Command strip on the wall, and hung one of the bigger frames.
It was their wedding picture, with the entire group outside the Hôtel de Ville, and Adrien looked so happy.
"Cause as time turns the page, my love won't age at all," Adrien crooned as he knelt down, lifted his wife's shirt, and cupping Marinette's still-flat stomach with his hands, gave it a bit, fat kiss. "And I swear (I swear) by the moon and the stars in the skies I'll be there (I'll be there)."
Marinette giggled. He stood back up, cupped Marinette's cheeks and pulled her in close for a hug.
"And I swear (I swear) like the shadow that's by your side, I'll be there (I'll be there). For better or worse, 'till death do us part, I'll love you with every beat of my heart (beat of my heart)..." Adrien sang while kissing her cheeks.
Within the year, Marinette and Adrien were in the hospital again, only this time it was for a good reason. In the maternity ward, Marinette was sitting in a hospital bed, holding a bundle of pink fabric in her arms. Adrien was sitting beside her, tears of joy in his eyes.
"Welcome to the world, Emma Xia Ping Dupain-Cheng..." Marinette said, looking at her giggling baby with a big smile, and teary eyes.
Adrien wiped away his tears, sniffling with joy.
"Wanna hold her, Adrien?" Marinette asked.
Adrien took his daughter into his arms, and smiled at the baby. He was worried that his scarred face would scare his daughter, but instead of cries... He heard laughs. The baby was looking at him like absolutely nothing was wrong. Adrien was again crying tears of joy. He gently cradled her in his arms.
"She's beautiful..." He murmured.
"Just like her father." Marinette said, moved by her husband's joy.
"I can't wait to give her more siblings to play with, and we'll raise them with all the love and care that your parents did for you," Adrien said. "I promise to be a better father than M. Agreste."
"I know you'll be a better father than that, Adrien," Marinette said. "And I know that they'll grow up loving their father and his handsome face."
Adrien stood up from his chair before kissing his wife. He sat on the bed, and the two of them cradled their daughter, looking at her with all the joy they ever had.
"And you know what else?" Adrien said, turning to Marinette. "I think our version of "Beauty and the Beast" will be a much better bedtime story for them."
"Definitely." Marinette agreed with a giggle.
THE END! HAPPY HALLOWEEN EVERYONE! Hope you enjoyed the show!
