Day 21

Marinette marked her calendar with four interviews she had lined up. For all her faults, Chloe had been immensely helpful with telling Marinette everything she needed in an assistant. Then Alya had kindly jumped on the bandwagon and put Marinette's ad on a couple social media sites. The results had been immediate.

"I'm so proud of you, Marinette," Tikki said. "This is a step in the right direction."

"Chloe said I need to hire two assistants," Marinette said.

"And I fully agree," Tikki said. "You need time to design again because that's your passion. You also need someone to help you run the company. Doing it all on your own isn't an option anymore because you need time to spend with Adrien and take care of yourself."

Marinette nodded, frown tugging at her lips. "He's been gone so much lately with the academy. What if this doesn't work, Tikki?"

Tikki gave her a soft smile. "Marinette, there is only so much you can do. But tell me: would you regret doing this even if Adrien wants to give up?"

Feeling tears prick at her eyes, she turned away from her kwami but shook her head anyway. "No. No, I wouldn't regret it."

Tikki floated down to rest on Marinette's shoulder. She didn't say a word, simply patted Marinette's shoulder in support.

Feeling the tears coming, Marinette quickly wiped them away then turned to see what other work she could do for the day before heading home.

"I'll be gone tomorrow," Adrien warned her.

"Oh?" Marinette asked. Again?

Adrien nodded. "I have a training day for the national team, then there's a welcome dinner of sorts. It will last all day."

"Oh," she said. "O-okay. I hope you have a good day." She added a smile. "And that you have fun."

He gave her a smile, a real one that surprised Marinette a little, but she couldn't say that it didn't make her feel surprisingly warm inside. "Thank you."

"Can I shove them together already?" Plagg grumbled.

Tikki giggled, "I know. Patience is hard."

Plagg growled. "Adrien's so close to being ready to pursue her to the ends of the earth again. But it's hard when Kagami is doting on him at work. Even after twenty-four years, the idiot doesn't know what a flirt is."

"Well, as long as he's not returning it."

"He's not. Not purposefully, anyway. He thinks it's friendly banter. Kagami may not be perceiving it that way."

Tikki could only roll her eyes. "I'm trusting you to keep him focused."

"I'm not going to drop the ball when we're this close. Trust me, Tikki. Soon enough, he'll have that ring back on his finger, and they'll be back to being the lovebirds they always were."

Day 22

Adrien had to leave first thing in the morning, so Marinette's dare consisted of journaling why she loved Adrien in the first place and why she was pursuing him again on top of texting him in the middle of the day "I love you."

Because she did. Even if he didn't love her in return, she did love him.

And then, to prove it, she cleaned the house.

She was dusting the master bedroom when she found it: a little card addressed to Adrien wishing him luck as well as the courage to get out of a bad relationship.

Marinette's heart sank for a second. But the more she stared at it, the hotter a fire burned in her belly. Who the hell was this Kagami and what did she know?

"Tikki!" she shouted.

The little kwami came rushing into the room. "What?"

Marinette waved the card in the air. "Did you know about this?"

Tikki stared at the card, but Marinette continued shouting before she could answer.

"And who the hell is this 'Kagami'? And why have I never heard of her?"

"She's the new fencing instructor Adrien hired so he could be freed up to be on the national team."

All she was seeing was red. The world zoned out, and she could no longer hear Tikki, that is, if she was talking. She only stared at the card with a fury boiling inside her.

"Come on, Tikki," Marinette growled, marching out of the room.

"Where are you going?"

"To tell this woman to shove this card up her presumptive ass!"

"Marinette, simmer down!"

"Simmer down?!" Marinette challenged. "This woman is telling Adrien that he should end the relationship with me and you expect me to 'simmer down'?"

"You are not going to drive all the way to the fencing academy to yell at that woman, are you?"

Marinette paused. Tikki had a point: driving to the academy for five minutes didn't sound appealing. But as she looked at the little red kwami, an idea sparked in her mind that had her feeling pretty smug. "No," she said. "I'm going to fly there."

Marinette had the pleasure of seeing Tikki's eyes widen in shock.

"Tikki, spots on!"

It had been a year since she transformed. And while it felt fantastic, it was a painful reminder of how out of shape she'd gotten.

Apparently, she was going to have to run over the rooftops on a daily basis again.

She hit the school and took a moment to catch her breath before she detransformed. Now, card in hand and Tikki hiding in her jacket, Marinette marched into the academy. She had to ask a student where Ms. Tsurugi's office was, but the moment she found it, Marinette burst through the door and shut it forcefully.

Marinette took a moment to look this woman up and down. She was in a red fencer's uniform, her hair was short and sleek, and her eyes were sharp. Marinette was loathe to admit Kagami was an attractive woman. Maybe Adrien had a thing for Asian (or half-Asian) females.

"May I help you?" Kagami asked, her voice laced with irritation and expression sharp in warning.

"Yes," Marinette said, flashing the card in front of Kagami's face.

The woman's eyes narrowed at the card before leveling at Marinette.

I've faced akumas scarier than you, hussy. If you think I'm scared of you, think again. Marinette cocked her hips and glared back.

"So," Kagami began. "You're the problematic girlfriend."

"Girlfriend?" Marinette repeated, feeling as though she'd gotten hit in the chest.

"You know, you don't deserve him."

"Oh?" Marinette challenged, ready to hear just what this woman had to say. "Enlighten me."

"Adrien's been walking around for days, miserable because of you. It's clear on his face he doesn't want to keep letting you walk all over him. Every time I see him, he looks stressed."

"And you know that's because of me?" Marinette challenged.

"Yes. He's told me so."

Marinette couldn't deny how much that hurt.

"So yes, I wrote him that card telling him to get out of a bad relationship," Kagami continued. "And now you have the audacity to come here and yell at me in my own office. Let me inform you that you don't own him. And if you care about him whatsoever, you would walk out of his life. He doesn't deserve to let you hold him back from happiness."

Marinette bit her cheek before she completely went Ladybug on this woman. She could feel Tikki press her tiny paws against Marinette's chest, over her heart. Simmer down.

"Well," Marinette said. "Let me clarify a few things. The first being that you have absolutely no business sticking your nose in this. Absolutely none. The second being that this is something that Adrien and I have to work out without some presumptive woman giving advice to get out instead of fixing it. Thirdly, I actually do have right to Adrien. More so than you."

Kagami scoffed. "Just because you're dating him doesn't mean you have a 'right' to him. He deserves to walk out of that relationship and find someone who would actually care about him."

"I wasn't finished," Marinette growled. "Because I have a fourth point to correct you on."

"And that is."

"I'm not his girlfriend." With that, Marinette stuck out her hand, showing off the ruby ring Adrien gave to her. "I'm his wife."

Kagami's eyes were wide as she stared at the ring. Marinette watched in satisfaction as Kagami's face turned pale in an instant. "Which brings me to my first suggestion: Stay. The hell. Away. From my husband. He is mine, and if you think I wouldn't give the damn world for him, you're wrong."

With that, Marinette spun on her heel and marched out the door. She hoped Kagami jumped when she slammed it shut behind her.

To say Adrien was exhausted was an understatement. He was only halfway through the day and he was ready to go home and crash after a hot shower. However, for the moment, he was happy to sit down for a break.

"Working hard out there?" Plagg asked from his spot hidden in Adrien's bag.

"Yeah," Adrien groaned. "I haven't worked this hard since I was Chat Noir."

Plagg smirked. "It'll whip your lazy butt back into shape."

"Lazy?!" Adrien hissed

"Oh, don't deny it. By the way, you got a message."

Adrien's brow furrowed. "Don't change the subject."

"It's from your wife."

Adrien yanked his phone out of the bag faster than he could blink.

"I love you," read the first message. But then there was a second one.

"I just want you to know that no matter what we've been through or what we go though, I love you. I love you to the ends of the earth and back. I can't wait to see you when you get home and hear about your day."

Adrien stared at the message with a stupidly sweet smile for the rest of his break.

Adrien got home late. The practice ran late and then the head coach of the national team made an announcement and introductions and there was a dinner then by the time Adrien finally got out, there was traffic and construction all the way home.

Adrien grumbled. And here he was hoping that he could have a little quality time with his wife. They had a lot of air to clear, and Adrien knew that it wasn't going to happen overnight.

Unfortunately, when he got home, Marinette was fast asleep on the couch.

"She's been running herself into the ground, lately," Tikki told him. "She wanted to stay up for you, but—"

"It's okay, Tikki," he assured, looking at his exhausted wife. "She deserves it."

Tikki gave him a sweet smile before flying off with Plagg to who-knew-where.

Adrien took a moment to look his wife over, curled up on the couch. He almost got her a blanket, but decided that her bed would be the more comfortable option.

Would he like her to come back into their room? Yes. But he didn't know if she was ready for that. So, the guest room-slash-her-room-for-way-too-long it was.

He picked her up from the couch, feeling his muscles in his back strain. He must have overworked himself today; she wasn't that heavy. She had never been.

When he curled her up against his chest, his heart beat wildly. He missed this. He missed the feel of her small body pressed against him. He missed the fierce protectiveness that flooded him when she was here, curled up next to him and safe. He missed…

He missed her bring his wife.

And that was his fault.

He snuggled her closer, his heart nearly giving out when she gave a happy sigh in her sleep. He wanted this. He wanted this back.

All too soon, he placed her down on the mattress, making sure her head was comfortably on the pillow before pulling the covers up over her. He took a moment to admire her, his beautiful wife. And when the temptation became too strong, he gave in, pressing a kiss to her temple. "I love you, too," he whispered. "To the ends of the earth and back."