Chapter Eight
"Adrien and I were married this morning."
"You were what?" Alya was the first to speak, sheer surprise in her voice– there was no room for any other emotion. Nino leaned back in his seat, blinking at the two of them, as if trying to comprehend this news. Silence lingered for a moment after this, and Marinette squeezed Adrien's hand, both offering reassurance and searching it.
"M-marriage?" Tom stuttered out. "You– you went and got– you are too young for such a thing!"
"I'm eighteen."
"That doesn't mean you're mature enough!" Tom shouted, and next to her Adrien flinched. She shifted to move closer to him, but it was Adrien that brought her into a sheltered embrace. "That's– Your– Marriage is not something you rush into–"
"We've been planning this for months," Marinette stood up, cutting him off, hand still in Adrien's. "Trust me, Papa, I did not rush into this. We went over other possibilities, and we felt that this was the best– the only– option for us."
"'Only'?" His voice was a snarl, but his face only read panic. "How was this your 'only' option, you're– you're not–"
Adrien swiftly stood up next to her. "Sir, this was my idea, if there's anyone to be upset at it's me."
"Don't you dare," Marinette growled at him, hand tightening around his. "We decided on this together, don't single yourself out."
"But you didn't want to at first–"
"I've always planned on marrying you, I just didn't expect us to be this young," she was surprised as her voice rose. "This is what I– we– felt was best! You are the best thing in my life, this morning was the best day of my life– and I would do it a million times over again!"
Her frustration instantly melted away at the soft look Adrien was giving her, and for a moment all seemed right once more. Things were going to be okay, because they were going to go through this together, as always.
"Marinette," Sabine's voice was soft, nothing like the shouts from moments ago, drawing her attention back towards her parents. "Marriage is something special, and something you most certainly should've talked to us about first. I... I'm not sure why you decided to go about it this way, there were other solutions you two could have gone about when it came to his father, instead of something so impulsive–"
"It wasn't impulsive, and this wasn't just about his father!" Marinette snarled back, not meaning to snap, but her emotions were once again rising. The fact that they were treating the idea of her and her kitty as something wrong set off alarms in her head, instinctively going on the defensive to protect her partner.
She had known that this was coming, that a marriage in this manner wouldn't be welcomed with open arms– but she just hadn't been ready for it to be now. She had just wanted to enjoy her birthday, not be lectured nor her decision belittled. The marriage was something she had wanted to address later, when they were used to the idea of her and Adrien being together– when she was used to it. When they knew how to approach the others, approach Adrien's father– when she knew how to break the news!
Adrien's hand slipped out of hers, an arm wrapping around her shoulder instead. "I can promise you– sir, ma'am– this was far from something impulsive."
"She's a child!" Tom snarled, and Marinette flinched at her father's tone– as it wasn't easy to snap him out of his happy demeanor. "You're both children! I don't care what the law says– you're at the age where you should be exploring relationships, learning to navigate them– not making a commitment you are not ready for!"
Marinette gritted her teeth. "You know nothing about our relationship."
"And there's the other problem," Tom's shouts were not getting any quieter, jabbing an accusing finger at them. "A couple of secrets is one thing– but closing off every aspect of your relationship from us? If that's the kind of decisions you're making, without even consulting–"
She cut him off. "I am an adult."
"You haven't even been one for a day!"
"Enough," Sabine said, her voice cutting through the shouting. "What's done is done, Thomas, and arguing will get us nowhere," her gaze turned towards the two of them, expression unreadable. "However, I must agree with your father on this. I'm very disappointed in how you chose to handle this."
The silence in the room was not calm– the tension churning between them, ready to snap back into the chaotic shouts. Anything Alya or Nino might have had to say remained unvoiced, their friends lingering off to the side, not sure of what to do. The expressions on their faces were uncertain, clearly wanting to do something, but this was not their place to do so, and she was grateful for their silence.
"Handle what, exactly?" Marinette asked her mother softly. "Because I know what you're thinking, and I can tell you right now that it's wrong. Adrien's father was one concern we had, just a mere fraction of why we decided to do this, but there were more pressing ones that lead us to this... decision. One that we would have made in a few years anyways."
"You don't know that."
Marinette let out a laugh, full of bitterness. A sharp feeling entered her heart, but she merely gritted her teeth. They wouldn't understand, and she had known that, but even if they weren't accepting of this she knew that they had no say in the matter. As her mother had said, what's done was done, and she felt no regret for having kept it a secret.
"Mom, Dad, I love you– but honestly you don't know a thing, especially about me. Adrien was always going to play a role in my life, and the fact that at one point I thought it would be less than marriage was naive of me. Nothing you have to say will change the fact, so there's honestly no point in discussing it. You can either accept it, or me and Adrien will just move on without you."
"Mari," Adrien whispered at this, while Tom pulled back as if he had been physically hit.
Even her words had surprised her, and someone took in a sharp breath– yet she stood by what she had said. She turned towards Adrien, gaze unrelenting. "You're my priority, and nothing will change that."
"Your family is important."
"You're my family." He was more than that– her partner, her other half, her everything.
She let her gaze shift back towards her parents, and a twinge of guilt tugged at her heart when she saw their expressions. Perhaps her words had been unnecessary, because even if they were true she knew her parents would always be a part of her life, even if they didn't agree with her discussions they would still stand by her. Her father looked hurt, and the words Sabine had been about to say seemed to be drowned out by what she had said.
The only thing she heard was her heart hammering, and Adrien pulling her in close. She melted into his embrace, her back against his chest– for he was the only source of safety she had felt in a long time, because who else could protect her? With the danger they faced every day she had long learned that Chat Noir was the only one she could turn to. Home had long stopped being a shelter for her, because the only place she would find it was in his arms.
Her eyes flickered towards the doorway as they caught sight of some movement, Alya and Nino. They looked at her for a moment, and Alya gave her the smallest of nods. This conversation wasn't one they were meant to be a part of, and even though she didn't want them gone she was glad that they were leaving. As they left she turned back to her parents, who were still digesting her words.
"Mari," her father finally said, his voice soft. "We will always support you, no matter what, but you have to understand that we don't agree with this. We're just afraid it will be something you might regret down the road."
"And if it isn't?"
"Then we will be happy for you, because that will be a wonderful thing," Sabine said, taking a step towards her. "We're only worried about where this will take you. Marriage is not something to take lightly, it is a commitment like no other."
"Mme Cheng," Adrien spoke up hesitantly. "If I may, I just want to say that I promise that I love your daughter with everything I have. She is the most important thing in my life, and we will take care of each other. We know that marriage is not something little."
She smiled sadly at him. "I know that you might know that, but can you truly understand that?"
Marinette felt Adrien hold her tighter at the question, and they didn't reply. They knew where her parents were coming from, and just as much as they needed to accept this they would need to accept how her family saw this. They didn't know the life they lead, nor the bond they held. There had always been a love between them, even before it had been romantic, and the trust they had formed was something that couldn't be compared. They were each other's half in every sense– connected by heart, trust, and magic.
All her parents saw though were two children, but they had not been kids for a long time now.
"We do," Adrien replied. "I'm afraid the ones that don't understand are you guys."
Tom narrowed his eyes at Adrien, and Sabine laid a hand on his shoulder. Marinette shivered as she realized her mother was crying, and she carefully pulled herself out of Adrien's embrace, making her way over to Sabine and pulling her into a hug.
"I'm sorry, Mom," she whispered. "I didn't mean those things I said to you. I love you."
"I love you too," Sabine said, returning the embrace, and moments later Tom's large arms enveloped both of them. "I just wish you would have talked to us about this beforehand. We would have listened."
"You wouldn't have approved," Marinette said, closing her eyes as she felt tears stinging them. "I'm sorry it had to be this way."
"We would've helped Adrien," Tom said. "We still will, I–"
Marinette shook her head. "There was more reasons, Papa, nothing would've changed."
"You're too young," Tom insisted, and she just sighed as her parents held her. She hated the secrets, and she hated that there would always be secrets.
At the very least there would be no more secrets between her and Adrien.
"What kind of reasons?" Sabine asked, and there was no hiding the worry in her voice.
Marinette just shook her head again, and she felt the crushing embrace loosen slightly. She did the same, pulling back. She looked at her parents, and while the frustration from before was gone, she knew this wasn't something that could just be brushed off. She wasn't sure how things would go forward from here, but as long as it was forward it would be okay.
"You wouldn't understand."
"Not if you don't tell us," Tom said, grabbing her hand. "You are okay, right?"
"Of course, Papa," she wiped a few more tears that were forming. "Today's just been overwhelming for me."
Topics weren't dropped easily though, and she could see the thoughts turning in their heads, trying to make sense of actions she could not explain. She removed herself from their grasp, returning to Adrien's, where everything felt right. She leaned up against him, the faint scent of Chat brushing by her nose. She let out a shuddering breath, far from relaxed, but her racing heart was starting to slow.
She would be fine. They'd be fine.
"Marinette," Tom said slowly, whose eyes were slightly wide. "Are you... pregnant?"
"Wha-what?" she yelped at this question, both her and Adrien jumping "N-no! Why would you think that? We're not– we haven't even–"
"Well, when you said other reasons–"
"I would have told you if I was pregnant!"
"Well apparently you haven't been telling us anything–"
"Tom!"
"Am I wrong?"
"How you're handling this is!"
"Marinette," Adrien asked softly, arms pulling her in close as her parents' focus turned towards each other. "Are you okay?"
"Yes. No," she muttered back, before shaking her head. "I'm... overwhelmed."
"I know. I'm here, okay?"
"I know," she muttered back, leaning up against him.
Pregnant... if only. Honestly, as young as they were, the idea almost sounded nice compared to the secret life they lead. Settling down and having a family was something she had always wanted, and the thought of Chat holding their baby made her heart melt. If their only worry would be looking out for a little one in the future... that sounded so wonderful compared to the stress she lived in.
She hoped that one day that would be a reality for them, they had both expressed interest in having kids before, but the actual idea that it could be so close made her heart jump. Of course 'when' wasn't exactly something they could answer right now, not when akumas were still running about. Bringing a baby into the world wasn't truly an option right now.
Marinette went still in Adrien's arms, fresh tears stinging her eyes. She turned, burying her head into Adren's shoulder to try to silence them, but the reality was already slapping her right in the face. His arms tightened about her in worry, voice sounding strained.
"Mari?"
"I want kids," she whispered.
Adrien blinked at this. "...So do I?"
She shook her head. "We can't have kids. Not... not when we're still..." she let out a bark of a laugh. "It's just another thing in our life that's been decided for us, isn't it? Can't go to school, it'll be a miracle if we can hold down a job–"
That seemed to recapture her parents' attention. "What do you mean you can't go to school–"
"And it would be nothing but cruel to bring kids into all of this," she spat. It had been frustration before, but now it was bitterness rising up in her. "And we don't even know how long this will last– or what will come after," her hands curled into fists. "It's not fair, Adrien! It won't matter when we're ready, because even if we are we don't get to decide when that is!"
His embrace became tighter, as if he could somehow pull her closer. "We'll figure it out, I promise."
"We've been at this for over five years!" Her voice broke as it rose into a shout. "And how much progress have we made?! None! Every step we've taken just leads us back to square one– or if anything we've only taken steps back! We were left alone, left to deal with a mess that wasn't even ours in the first place!"
When they were younger it had almost felt like a game, just defeat the akuma and all would be well, but with every year that passed it was quite clear they were only fighting minor battles within a war. Hawk Moth wanted more than just their Miraculouses, he wanted to see them defeated at his feet. If they showed one weakness he would exploit it. It wasn't just herself at risk when she ran off to fight, but her friends and family if even as much as her name was revealed.
She had been named Guardian, meaning that even once this was all over there was truly no end. She had responsibilities, she needed to protect powers people would kill to have. It was something she would either have to carry until her death, or forfeit the memories she possessed to escape it all.
"Do you regret it?" Adrien asked, and she found herself hating his question.
Because she didn't. If she could go back she'd accept the earrings once more, and everything that came with it. If she could pick someone else to carry her burden she wouldn't, because as much hate as she felt there was love. Where there was hurt there was also healing. She couldn't regret it, and she knew she would never give it up. She would pick the earrings again and again, she would pick Tikki, and she would always pick Chat.
She didn't need to answer Adrien's question, because he could see the answer on her face. He knew her too well– something else she could never give up.
"I hate him sometimes," Marinette whispered. "For leaving us alone. For leaving us with this."
It was amazing how she could hold so much respect for Master Fu, yet be so bitter at the same time.
He held her tighter. "I understand," he whispered in her ear. "I know."
She gritted her teeth, holding back a sob as more tears came. A frustration she had been keeping in for a long time. Sometimes it was anger and bitterness when she thought back on her former master, but despite her words she couldn't hate him, not the man that had been like a grandfather to her. That had brought her into this wonderful world of magic that she treasured so much, but had also brought her so much pain.
The silence was comforting, just there in Adrien's arms. It was so much like the nights they had spent transformed holding each other, when the stress became too much for them and the tears had come. There was no one else they could talk to about it except each other, after all.
She had been weak today, letting it all spill over. In front of her parents, her friends. She had always kept the pressure she lived under so carefully hidden, and she had no idea how she was going to explain what had slipped through her splintering facade. For now she was fine to be wrapped in her kitty's arms, and pretend that everything was okay in the world.
Her eyes slipped open as she felt Adrien's arms tensed around her, and she opened her mouth to speak, but before she could say a single word she suddenly found herself slammed up against the wall, Adrien's entire form tightly pressed up against her. Marinette's eyes flicked up in confusion, but what she saw made her mouth go dry.
A purple glowing mask highlighting his face.
Adrien knew he should have been more vigilant.
He knew first hand what led to akumas, he had spent countless times talking to the victims they had freed from Hawk Moth's control, and what had led up to it. He should've known for himself that the rising tensions and the raw stress he had seen would be exactly what would draw an akuma in– yet he had only let his focus be on comforting Marinette, not even sparing a glance to keep an eye out for the telltale butterfly he should've known would come.
He noticed it just as it flew over Tom and Sabine's heads, the two worried parents watching their daughter, not knowing how to react to the outburst they had just witnessed. The akuma fluttered right over their heads, wings flapping as it carried itself towards the promise ring on Marinette's finger. The Dupain-Cheng's eyes widened as they spotted it, but were out of reach to step between it and their daughter.
Adrien didn't hesitate, terror pounding through him as it closed in on Marinette, clearly the akuma was easily drawn to the sheer burden Marinette was living out. His hands tightened around his wife, spinning them about to pull her away from the incoming butterfly, the action slamming her up against the wall as he sheltered her with his own body. The last thing he heard was her startled gasp, and he watched as the black creature merged with the Ladybug charm on his wrist.
He took in a sharp breath, startled as his own thoughts seemed to increase tenfold– his fear, the stress, it swiftly became the only reality he knew. His body went still, he and Marinette still pressed up against one another, but he didn't even hear her voice as she called out to him, nor feel the way she urgently shook him.
His thoughts were like an echo, everything strangely empty despite the intensity he was feeling with his emotions. The strongest thing he felt was a sheer desire to protect Mari, the fear of something happening to her drowning out everything else.
Hmm...
The telepathy pierced through the silence, and Adrien shuddered at how familiar it sounded. His mind instantly told him 'Hawk Moth', though if it was from the connection between them or simply an innate knowledge of what the akuma would do, he wouldn't know. It was strange how easily he recognized the way his enemy sounded despite their few encounters with him, but clearly it had been burned into his mind.
Just as easily as he could feel his emotions, he could sense Hawk Moth's. The surprise, a caution, and the careful consideration. He knew that the man could sense him as well, and perhaps if he dug deeper he could find more, but that didn't seem to be the villain's intention right now. He just sat there in Adrien's mind, present, but unsearching– just considering.
No. Hawk Moth concluded after a moment– and he withdrew from Adrien's mind.
He let out a gasp as he was suddenly free from binding power– the black butterfly slipping out from the bracelet. Though the intensity of his emotions had died down, fear was building up just as quickly– the realization of what had almost happened flooding his mind.
"No!" Marinette shouted, her voice ringing throughout the room. "Fight it, Adrien– you dumb cat– fight it!"
Her fists were slamming against his chest, eyes closed and tears falling down her cheeks. She seemed even more hysterical than before, a fear of her own etched across her face. His grip on her tightened, especially as the butterfly swooped towards her again, and he shifted to place himself between them once more. The akuma looped away again– clearly his emotions hadn't been what Hawk Moth had been looking for in a victim, and it didn't seem interested in going through him again. Despite the intense emotions ringing through the room, the butterfly fluttered towards the doorway, and it was only when it was out of sight that Adrien found himself relaxing.
"Mari," he whispered as he turned back towards her, cradling her cheeks. "It's okay."
She looked up at him, taking in a strangled breath as she fought against her sobs. Relief momentarily broke out across her face, hands digging into his shirt, and she broke down sobbing once more.
"How can you say that!" She shouted, hands both pushing and clutching at him. "It isn't– it isn't! Why did you do that?! Why did you do that?! You promised me! You promised me you would never be akumatized!"
He wrapped his arms about her, pulling her against his chest as she cried and cursed at him.
"How could you!" She screamed, anger in her voice and fear in her eyes. "You promised me!"
He had promised her, many years ago, on a rooftop after a sudden call. Ladybug had been distressed then too, though she had tried to hide it behind a smile. She had simply leaned up against him, the two of them watching the sunset. She had asked him to promise her something, something so simple and so obvious, but he would do anything for her.
Promise me you'll never let yourself get akumatized, no matter what happens.
Of course, m'lady.
"Better me than you," he whispered softly, and she let out another strangled cry. Her fear and frustration seemed to melt away at once, and she collapsed into his arms. He cradled her closer, his support being the only thing keeping her from collapsing to the floor. He felt tears of his own in his eyes, which he did his best to blink away.
This was from more than just today, this was everything pouring out at once– how long had she been keeping this all in?
"You promised," she whispered hoarsely into his shoulder. "I c-can't– not again– n-no–"
"Shh," he whispered, and she curled up against his chest.
His eyes flickered up to her parents, who were making their way towards them, and he swiftly shook his head. He could see the concern in their eyes, but he knew that Marinette didn't need them right now. This was a side of his Lady he had seen before, though not as intensely, in private moments when they had been tucked away from the world– just letting everything out.
But like the faithful parents they were they didn't stop, Tom reaching out to take his daughter into his own arms.
"No!" Marinette roared the moment the hand touched her shoulder. "Stay away! Stay away from him! Don't you dare touch him!"
"I'm okay," he whispered to her, and she fell quiet at his words. "We're okay."
She was shaking with silent sobs, but stiller than before. With one hand still holding her, he ran the other hand down her back, calming her in ways he had before. Guilt twisted through his gut as he felt her shiver, fully aware of what she must have felt when the butterfly touched him. The mere thought of his partner being akumatized... it was something he couldn't even imagine, even though he had felt it only minutes ago. He wasn't sure how long the akuma had been merged with him, but it must have felt like an eternity.
She clawed at his shirt, slowly steadying herself on her feet, pushing up against him as her lips found his. He returned the kiss without hesitation– this was their therapy, and though it was merely a candle to what they must have truly needed, it was something they had done many times before. Clarity must have returned to her, but still he wondered if she even realized that her parents were right there, that they weren't even transformed.
They were panting as they pulled apart, faces wet from tears that were no longer falling. His hands cupped her face, both intently staring at the other.
"We're okay," he told her, as he always did.
She laughed, both bitter and sweet. "No, we're not."
That was something they both knew too well. His thumbs wiped away her lingering tears, and his gaze only pulled away to look at Tom and Sabine. Between their concern he could see a horror– and he didn't blame them a bit. The pressure he and Mari lived under was a reality they had kept hidden, and clearly seeing the worst of it come to light was something they didn't know how to handle.
Before they could say a word, before the relief could fully settle, a beeping interrupted the silence. Sabine pulled a phone from her pocket, glancing down at the akuma alert. Adrien cursed under his breath– it not even crossing his mind that the butterfly would find another victim– which should have been the first thing he had thought off.
Marinette's expression shifted as she pulled out her own phone, her face hardening into the determined expression Ladybug was known for. A mental shift he experienced himself when akumas went out to play, where everything in their civilian life was set aside, no matter what it was.
Still there was an uncertain gleam in her eyes, not being able to simply push it all aside with a snap of her fingers, and Adrien's hands closed around her wrist right as she opened her mouth to blurt some excuse.
"Marinette," he said, and she looked up at him. For a moment he was lost in the intense blue of her eyes, able to so clearly see the struggle she was masking so well. He closed his eyes, knowing that walking out right now would do nothing for them, and he lowered his voice to a whisper. "Let me handle this, okay?"
Her brow furrowed, relief there only for a moment before the stubbornness set in. She opened her mouth to protest, a gleam in her eyes that he knew meant that she thought he was being an idiot, but he pulled her in for a kiss before she could say a word. His hands cradled her face, slowly slipping to her ears, and her eyes flew open as he carefully slid off her earrings, reflexively tensing as he pulled them into his grasp. As they separated he carefully tucked both earrings into one hand, the other slowly sliding his Miraculous off of his finger.
"Talk to your parents," he said softly, pressing the ring into her hand, closing it into a fist. "Then come find me, okay?"
A scowl came over her face. "I'm not–"
"We both know you don't want to leave things like this," Nor did he think she was ready to change into a fight– not without a chance to simply breathe. "I'll be okay for a few minutes," he let his voice slip out of a whisper so Sabine and Tom could make out his words. "I need to talk to my bodyguard, he's supposed to be with me during akuma attacks, but I'll be right back, okay?"
And without waiting for a reply he turned, Ladybug Miraculous clutched in his hand as he headed towards the door. He pulled his phone out of his pocket, eyes scanning the current akuma report. It was only a couple of streets over, clearly the akuma hadn't gone far, and it seemed the victim was a child on an akuma-enhanced tantrum. His gut twisted at the thought of a child's mind being manipulated in such a way, slipping into the nearest alleyway as he exited the bakery.
Tikki had her arms crossed as he slipped on the earrings, coming out of the Miraculous in a burst of pink light, which were now silver in his possession. "Maybe a bit of a warning next time?"
"Sorry," Adrien apologized. "The last thing she needed was more pressure on her though, today... didn't go as planned. And Hawk Moth clearly doesn't plan on giving us a rest."
Tikki's gaze softened. "I agree with you there, you taking the earrings for this fight was probably the best idea. She won't be happy that you left her behind though."
He let out a chuckle. "I'm sure she'll be right behind me, I know m'lady."
Tikki opened her mouth to say something, but was silenced by the sound of an explosion. She glanced out of the alley, before turning back towards Adrien. "You know the words."
"Tikki, spots on!"
Make a fourteen year old a guardian, Fu said. She can handle it, he said.
(I do love Fu... but this was so much responsibility to give to the children!)