Marinette looked over her shoulder as she and Adrien left Lila fuming on the street corner, her uncertainty growing more prevalent with each step they took. She couldn't believe she'd just done that! She basically just confirmed to Lila Rossi of all people that she and Adrien were dating. She didn't even know if they were dating! She didn't know what this was, now that the two of them knew their masked identities! They had just been returning from Master Fu's and had been laughing about his penchant for flower-pattern shirts when Adrien had slipped his hand into hers and she'd let him and then Lila had come and…
And then he'd put his arm around her waist and pulled her away as if she were the only person that mattered. It took Marinette far too long to realize that she'd already acted, and oh focaccia and cheese she'd put her head on Adrien's shoulder as if it were the most natural thing in the world…
And it was.
"What's on your mind, Purrincess?" Adrien whispered into her ear, and Marinette jumped at his closeness, though she shouldn't have. When she turned to look at him, her face flaming, she saw a familiar cat-like grin on his face, and gently shoved at his shoulder again.
"Just… Just thinking about Lila and… And what if she gets akumatized again?" Marinette frowned, looking down at her feet as they walked. "She's always been troublesome, ever since Collége, but at least when we switched schools she backed off a bit… But now that she thinks we're…" Marinette trailed off, glancing at Adrien again, and his grin widened more.
"A couple?" Her face flamed, but she nodded. "Are we?" He asked, derailing her completely.
"W-What?" Marinette stopped dead in the street, staring up at him with wide eyes, only to stumble as the person behind her buffeted into her from the sudden obstacle.
"Hey watch it, miss!"
"Oh, s-sorry!"
Adrien chuckled and pulled her over to the side, drawing her against him in a way that certainly did nothing to calm her nerves or settle the blush that threatened to overtake her entire body. He looked down at her with gentle green eyes, his hands resting on her waist.
"We know about one another now, and… You're my Lady. I don't want to ever be apart from you, Marinette, whether we're in costume or out of them."
"I must be dreaming…" Marinette whimpered, and Adrien raised an eyebrow, his earnest look becoming playful once again.
"Well I have been told that I'm quite dreamy," he teased, and Marinette groaned at the pun, burying her face against his chest. She hid there, safe for now, pretending for the moment that it was smooth, supple leather instead of soft cotton, and pretending just for a moment that when she looked up his face would be covered by a mask. But why does it matter? Adrien is Chat Noir, and Chat Noir is Adrien… What I say to one, I can say to the other, right?
Oh, why is this so difficult?
"I mean it, Marinette," Adrien murmured more softly this time, even as his hand came up to stroke her hair. "Would you… Would you have me? I know you said that your heart was held by another, but… It's been years since then and maybe…" He trailed off, his voice hopeful, and Marinette had to stifle a giggle. Oh, how absolutely ridiculous we've been all this time!
"It was you…" She murmured against his chest, unable to keep her giggles in any longer.
"W-what?" Adrien pulled her back, his gorgeous green eyes wide in shock, in hope, in… Marinette bit back another giggle, almost picturing the black leather cat ears atop his head.
"That other person I'd given my heart to all those years ago… I was talking about you, Adrien." She explained, biting her lip and smiling around the gesture.
"You mean…"
"Yes!" Marinette giggled, bringing her hand up to stifle the sound.
"Oh. My. God." Adrien started laughing, and then Marinette couldn't hold it in anymore. Soon, they were collapsing against one another, laughing so hard that tears leaked from their eyes. They laughed at the missed moments, laughed at the loneliness and the awkwardness and the pain. Laughed at the stupidity of youth and the miscommunication and the sheer hilarity of their situation until their sides ached.
Then they simply clung together, holding one another for dear life, as if letting go would surely mean they'd awaken from this crazed fever dream and they'd return to whatever normal they'd escaped from. Marinette hugged herself against Adrien, burrowing her face into the crook of his arm and closed her eyes, relishing in the moment to simply be with him.
Eventually, the two broke apart, cheeks flushed and eyes glittering. Marinette felt a joy bubbling in her chest that she'd never experienced before and beamed at Adrien, who smiled right back at her with similar jubilation.
"So... Does that mean yes?" He asked, catching her hand again and playing with her fingers, tentative and hopeful once more. "Will you be with me, Marinette Dupain-Cheng?" Marinette giggled again, her every movement light as she wrapped her arms around his neck.
"Silly kitty, I always have been," she smiled, gently bunting her forehead against his, "whether I knew it or not!"
The smile he gave her lit the sky like the dawn.