Love Language
by Rose Thorne
Disclaimer: Don't own Miraculous Ladybug or make any money writing fanfiction.
Chapter Four
Kagami put together preparations for Marinette's return, and was glad she'd had the foresight: Marinette's favorite tea perfectly steeped and kept at the appropriate temperature, macarons she stole down to the kitchen to procure, and she changed the sheets on the bed to a soft fleece, under which she put a heated mattress pad, turned on and ready to go. Under the blankets, warmed by the pad, she had a robe waiting.
For Tikki, she put together a sort of bed—a pillow with a heating pad under the fleece pillowcase, and a second fleece pillowcase as a blanket, warm and waiting.
So when Marinette returned a couple hours later, she was ready, able to wrap her in the warm robe immediately after she detransformed, able to press the hot tea into her shivering hands, able to give Tikki a macaron to recharge, to show her the warm 'bed.'
Tikki, immediately after consuming the macaron, burrowed under her blanket with a contented sigh. Marinette summarized the fight, which had featured a shapeshifting Akuma. After recharging in the cold, she had informed Chat of her engagement and the need to defeat Hawkmoth before she could have the wedding. Chat had enthusiastically congratulated her, agreeing it was beyond time to defeat Hawkmoth.
The fondness in Marinette's voice for her partner made Kagami smile; once Chat had grown a little and stopped pursuing her romantically, their relationship had strengthened into an easy friendship. Marinette hadn't shared too many details on that yet—she was still acclimating to Kagami's knowledge of her Ladybug identity—but oddly enough it seemed, of all people, Lila Rossi had enabled them to get to that point. It was probably her one decent act in her life, and it had been accidental.
Once the tea was finished, Kagami stripped her of her chilled and slightly damp clothing and bundled her off into bed, reveling in the Tikki-mirroring contented sigh Marinette made at being enveloped in the warmth after being out in the cold. Even transformed, the cold seeped in, and having to recharge hadn't helped.
Marinette pressed against her under the blankets, and Kagami was glad to feel the remaining cold giving way to a luxurious warmth that eased them both to sleep.
Kagami was happy to wake before her; watching Marinette sleep was almost meditative, especially when she was able to ease Marinette to use her shoulder as a pillow, curling around her soft body. She was content to let her sleep—though many thought Marinette slept too much, the truth was she didn't, often burning her candle at both ends and never truly recovering energy spent on Akuma battles.
She only left the bed, pulling on a robe, at a soft knock on the door. She found a servant carrying covered breakfast trays, and their rings in separate velvet boxes. The servant placed them on Kagami's table and departed.
Marinette stirred, presumably at the scent, and Kagami sat next to her on the bed, petting her hair. As loathe as she was to wake her, she knew food was necessary, as the battle had expended much of the energy she had gotten from the meals the previous day. Well, as had their activities prior.
"Hey," Marinette murmured sleepily.
"Hey yourself," Kagami replied, getting an amused snort in return. "It's nearly 10:30. Mother seems to have expected we would sleep late. Breakfast has only just arrived."
Marinette stretched, one breast peeking briefly out from beneath the blanket as she did, before sitting up. Kagami almost regretted getting her comfortable with nudity.
Almost.
She handed Marinette the silk robe she kept in her room for her, pale pink with embroidered cherry branches thick with blossoms, which also fell lazily under them. It had been the start of the war of symbols that had culminated in last night, and perhaps would continue on through the wedding and even beyond.
She had given it to her the first night she'd spent here as Kagami's official girlfriend. They'd had sleepovers as friends before, but this occasion had been the first since Marinette had shyly agreed to try dating her, when she was still too self-conscious to bathe with Kagami outside a swimsuit.
When Marinette saw the silk robe Kagami held out to her, she'd hesitated to take it.
"My wet suit will ruin it," she'd protested.
"I'll simply buy you another," Kagami had retorted.
A spark had entered her love's eyes then, one she recognized now as stubbornness. And without a word and with not a hint of shyness, Marinette had stripped off her bikini, quickly dried the remaining water on the enticing expanse of skin that had been revealed. Only then had she taken the robe.
But not to put it on.
No, she had stood there in all her glory, examining the fabric and stitching, oohing and aahing over the quality.
It had been a delightful torture.
"Do you know what cherry blossoms symbolize in Japan?" Kagami had finally asked.
Marinette hadn't even glanced up. "In China they symbolize beauty and the power of feminine sexuality."
Kagami's breath had caught at that.
A mischievous little smile teased the corners of Marinette's mouth. "And love, of course."
This was the girl she loved and fell more deeply in love with every day.
She'd explained the Japanese—or really, Buddhist—idea of the ephemerality of life as represented by the sakura, as well as the way it symbolizes renewal—the coming of spring after a long winter.
And how Marinette had come to represent renewal to her. Then she'd leaned in to kiss her cheek, the corners of their lips just grazing.
Marinette, her face pink, had abruptly realized she stood naked before Kagami at that point. She'd quickly donned the robe and tied it shut.
Now, Marinette took the robe and put it on but left it open, almost an invitation, as she sat at the kotatsu.
Before they considered the trays, Kagami opened the velvet boxes, finding Marinette's ring in the first she opened. She carefully eased it from the slot and took her hand, sliding it on. The happy flush on Marinette's face was pure beauty in her eyes. Her brilliant blue eyes were misted as she gazed at the ring on her hand, at their intwined fingers.
Marinette took the other box, easing her hand from Kagami's, and mirrored her motions, entwining their fingers again when she was done, the rings beside one another on their hands.
It was picture perfect, but neither of them reached for their phones, instead focused on each other, their knees brushing under the warm kotatsu.
"Mari-tō," Kagami finally murmured, "you need to eat. You need the calories after the battle last night. And I confess to being rather hungry myself."
Marinette giggled, sounding as young as she had when they'd met, the sound almost self-conscious. "Of course, mon beignet. I'm so hungry I could eat you."
Heat rose to Kagami's cheeks at the suggestion. "I certainly would enjoy that… but after you've had breakfast, ma mandarine."
A blush rose to Marinette's cheeks, and she knew her fiancée was remembering what they had done the night before. If that pet name garnered that reaction, she'd absolutely be using it more often.
One of her favorite things about their relationship was that everything had become a friendly and sometimes erotic competition, from the symbolism war to the development of pet names. Kagami was absolutely never bored with Marinette, and was always intellectually stimulated by her quick wit.
Marinette reluctantly let go of Kagami's hand to remove the covers from the trays in front of them. Both trays had a Japanese breakfast featuring oyakodon, tamagoyaki cut into thick slices with thin wedges of avocado between each, and a variety of side dishes, as well as fruit and some pastries. Marinette's tray was absent of natto, which she had tried early on and determined she was not a fan of, but the rest of the dishes were all ones she had tried and the cook knew she enjoyed. The pastries were obviously fresh from Tom and Sabine's bakery, likely picked up on the way home from the jeweler.
They said nothing more, focusing on eating until all that was left on their trays was the fruit and some of the pastries, which Kagami knew from experience they would snack on the rest of the morning.
Only then did Kagami pull their phones over from the other side of the kotatsu where they were charging, unplugging them. She handed Marinette hers.
"Shall we check what has been said on social media?" she asked with a smile.
Marinette grinned in answer and unlocked her phone, calling up her Instagram. "Hundreds of notifs. You?"
"About a thousand, but it seems many of those are Adrien tagging us on posts that include pictures and video other people took at the airport."
They leaned closer so they could see each other's screens as they scrolled through.
adrienagrestebrand: The videos seriously made me tear up. Beautiful! You look so happy.
alyaladyblogger: I'm with Adrien. Holy cow, you two take romance to a whole new level! #ninoneedsaninstagram says he's up for DJing if you want.
kittysectionband: Rose actually cried watching. Looking forward to the nuptials!
More of Marinette's classmates offered congratulations as well, including those in other classes at Collège Françoise Dupont.
jaggedrocksofficial: Congrats! I look forward to meeting my niece-in-law! I'm totally writing a song for the reception!
Marinette was sent into a giggle-fit at Jagged's reply. Kagami stared at her, not certain whether her mother would be pleased with the rock star providing the music at the event.
"Remember, it's our wedding, not anyone else's. I'd love him to play a few songs," Marinette said finally when she saw Kagami's expression. "But I think just a few. Maybe have Kitty Section play one or two. Maybe let Nino DJ a couple songs, too. But otherwise, we'll decide what we want music-wise."
Right under Jagged's comment was one by rockncrocsitter, which Marinette explained was Penny Rolling's personal account. We'll get in touch for deets - in Paris in 2wks. Lovely proposal!
gathersnomoss: Our favorite designer marinettedesigned has gotten engaged to her lady love! Gonna be a rockin wedding!
That was their joint account, as it turned out. The next one was Clara Nightingale's personal account, though it was followed immediately by her professional one.
singsweetnightingale: Like Jagged, a song I shall write - I hope to receive a wedding invite!
claranightingale: The engagement of a muse, such incredible news!
That made four possible musicians.
"You don't know any other musicians, I hope," Kagami said with a soft laugh.
Marinette grinned. "Well, XY, but ew. Plus he's a plagiarist, not a real musician."
They were in absolute agreement on that.
Some responses, unfortunately and predictably, were racist and/or homophobic. They reported those comments and blocked the offenders, as engaging with them was a waste of energy. Kagami wouldn't let mediocre trolls touch the wonderful mood they were in.
They also had replies from reporters. Alec Cataldi's was particularly obnoxious, largely because he posted requests for an interview every couple hours like the desperate wash-up he was. Regardless, with his penchant for ridiculing his guests, Kagami had no intention of being interviewed by him. Nadja Chamack had privately messaged her congratulations to Marinette, and asked if she and Kagami would be making a public statement; much more professional.
Marinette found one that made her laugh for over a minute; only then was she able to tell Kagami it was the account Jagged had made for Fang.
rockincroc: I'm ring bearer, yeah?
"Mother would be appalled." Kagami laughed. "Let's put it on the maybe list."
Marinette left the kotatsu just long enough to grab a sketchbook from her bag, and they spent a pleasant several hours fleshing out wedding possibilities.
As I was writing this chapter, I abruptly realized that this is part of the "Catch a Falling Star" series. Obviously, more fics take place between then and this one, but it's in the same 'universe' as it were.
These two are just so much fun.