Chapter 23

"Oh my god, Adrien," Plagg rasped in a loud whisper. He had been watching the blonde pace in an alley a few blocks from Marinette's parents' bakery for almost twenty minutes now. "Why are you so nervous? You've spent every waking hour with this girl for the last week. And not a few non-waking hours too," he added with a grin in Adrien's direction.

Momentarily pausing his pacing, Adrien just glared at him. "Not helpful, Plagg."

"Whatever," he gave up on the pep-talk. Adrien was being ridiculous anyway. So over-dramatic. "Feed me," he commanded. "Marinette always feeds me," he whined, floating on his back, and draping an arm over his eyes. His charge did learn his dramatic tendencies from the best, after all.

Adrien continued to worry nervously with the bouquet of flowers he had bought, but stopped pacing. Progress, I guess, thought Plagg.

Marinette had told him to come over later if he felt up to it. She probably expected Chat to show up in her window, but Ardien didn't feel right being there in secret again without officially meeting her parents. He'd run into them before, sure, but it was different now. He knew how much Tom and Sabine meant to Marinette, so he wanted to do this right: make a good impression. He had enough familial issues for the two of them, he wasn't ever going to give her parents a reason to dislike him and cause problems for her.

He took a deep breath. "Okay, let's do this." He opened his jacket for Plagg, who gratefully zoomed in, the promise of going towards food all he needed to entice him. Adrien walked as self-assuredly as he could muster, out of the alley and turned towards the lights of the bakery which he could just about make out in the distance.

Marinette looked up from her latest design, a patchwork of muslin hanging off a mannequin that would act as a template for the formal dress she was creating for Alya. Nino hadn't asked her yet, but Marinette went ahead and got started. It was only a matter of time, and she had been inspired that morning, watching her best friend transform. Orange really was Alya's color: warm but also firey. She smiled imagining Nino seeing her in it, and her thoughts drifted to another boy, whose color was most certainly green. A vibrant peridot...

"Marinette?" her dad's voice called her from downstairs. She looked at the clock, worried that she had gotten so caught up that she forgot to go help with dinner. Her parents would often leave her to her designs and only call her when the food was ready, but she liked being with them when they cooked. The kitchen was their natural habitat, and she loved to be in their universe, teasing each other and her dad spouting horribly perfect cooking puns. She rolled her eyes, but smiled. They were her perfect couple.

The clock said it was only quarter to 6.

"Hmm," she said to herself. She still had an hour. "What is it, Papa?"

"You have a visitor!" Her dad practically squealed, and her brows furrowed further. What is he up to? Her dad was a notorious prankster in the house. She opened the hatch and descended into the living room cautiously. Almost at the bottom of the stairs, she spotted him. Standing next to her mother and talking with an open expression on his face. To anyone else he would seem completely at ease, but she noticed the nervous fidget in his hands.

"Adrien!" she squeaked in surprise, and promptly missed the last two stairs, narrowly avoiding falling on her face by catching the bannister. He rushed over to help her. Once upright, he glanced back nervously at her parents.

"We've invited Adrien to dinner!" Sabine excitedly informed Marinette. "Here dear, put these in some water for me, would you?" she handed Marinette a large bouquet of wildflowers. She looked at Adrien, waiting until her mother had her back turned and mouthed 'Suck-up' to him. He blushed and shrugged. She rolled her eyes, still smiling, and walked past him into the kitchen where her parents were already busying themselves with dinner preparations. He was a surprise, but definitely not unwelcome.

"Afraid to get your hands dirty, pretty boy?" She called over her shoulder to him.

"Never," he immediately responded, a Chat-like smirk gracing his handsome face. He looked relieved. Maybe he had been worried she would be angry that he showed up unannounced. Silly Kitty, she shook her head.

"Then what are you waiting for? Let's make dinner." She laughed as he practically scampered after her, taking the flowers and vase she had found and kissing her cheek quickly before going over to fill it up with water. Marinette blushed prettily and smiled. Looking over to make sure her parents' backs were turned, she caught her mom's eye. Sabine simply winked at her, delighted beyond words for her daughter's happiness and that Adrien seemed to be such a gentleman.

Next to her, Tom started humming a wedding march under his breath. "Tom!" she whispered to him, nudging him with her hip. He smiled at her and wiggled his eyebrows. She couldn't help but smile back. Looking over at the two teens who were preparing the vegetables in an easy rhythm, she found herself not at all averse to the idea.

Adrien was in love with the Dupain-Cheng family. Sabine had just made him the best meal of his life, and Tom had him beat for sure when it came to puns. Marinette perhaps laughed a little too loudly when he lost the impromptu pun competition her dad had started, and only he knew why. This burly yet gentle baker had bested Chat Noir in his own forte: puns.

He was washing dishes with Tom, enjoying the calm monotony of it, and just basking in the warmth of the household. Glancing covertly over at Marinette who was packing up the leftovers with her mother, he realized quite forcefully that it wasn't only the Dupain-Cheng family that he was in love with. It had taken some time to converge this generous and beautiful, if not sometimes bumbling, girl with the confident force that was Ladybug. However, the more he knew her, the more he realized they were very obviously one person. Just like different parts of his personality shone through depending on if he was Adrien or Chat, it was the same for Marinette. He thought he was in love with Ladybug, and he still was, but Ladybug was only part of what made up Marinette. If he hadn't been so infatuated with the masked hero, maybe he would have paid more attention to the incredible girl right behind him everyday in class. He cursed himself for being so blind, but couldn't come to regret the path that led them here. Now he knew all of her. She was confident, and bold, and brave, and creative, and beautiful, and kind. She was Ladybug and she was Marinette. His Lady.

Tom nudged him, handing him a dish to dry, and looked at him with an amused expression. Adrien realized he had been staring at Marinette, and smiling.

"Sorry," he muttered ducking his head a bit.

"Never apologize for that, my boy." He responded earnestly.

He smiled at the man, touched by his easy acceptance and his kindness the entire night. He wasn't going to lie, Marinette's father looked imposing, and he had been a little nervous to show up in a way that more or less declared his attentions towards Tom's only child and daughter. While he was sure Tom would be a force to be reckoned with if someone hurt Marinette, the man had been nothing but welcoming to Adrien, and as Adrien had no plans of ever doing anything other than love his daughter-hopefully for the rest of their lives-he didn't need to worry about the possibility of Tom's hidden wrath.

He pondered that thought as he finished drying the last dish, and looked quickly back over at Marinette. He could picture growing old with her. It seemed ridiculous even to him. They had only really known each other for a few weeks, but he had known her in pieces for over a year, and loved a part of her for the entirety of that time already. So maybe not so crazy, he thought hopefully.

One glance at the clock told him it was probably time to leave. It was almost 10, and the last thing he wanted to do was overstay his welcome. Still, he was reluctant to go.

Tom must have seen something that pointed to this on his face. He clapped one large hand on the boy's shoulder.

"You're welcome anytime, son. Don't be a stranger." He winked at Adrien, and he felt as if they were rooting for him and Marinette almost as much as he was.

"Thank you, sir."

"Tom!" Marinette's dad shouted, pretending to be offended.

"Tom, then. Really, thank you both for dinner. It was delicious."

"We hope to see you soon, Adrien." Sabine walked towards them, followed closely by Marinette.

"I'll walk you out." Marinette grabbed his hand as he waved to her parents with the other and pulled him out the door and down the steps. Stopping in front of the entrance to the bakery, she turned sharply and kissed him.

Surprised, Adrien was definitely not displeased. Grabbing her waist with one hand he pulled her closer and cradled her head with his other. Her arms snaked up around his neck and burrowed into his hair before retreating as she pulled back and rested her forehead against his chin catching her breath. She ducked her head to nestle under his chin and he wrapped both arms around her. He had no idea what he did to deserve such a gift, but wasn't about to speak and shatter the bubble they seemed to be in.

"They loved you," her voice vibrated against his chest. "While some forewarning, would have been appreciated," she trailed off and pulled back, narrowing her eyes at him.

"I'll be sure to send my 'I'm coming over to meet the parents' smoke signal next time," he remarked and nodded seriously. She slapped his chest lightly, the ghost of a smile on her lips.

"Seriously, though. Thank you." She said earnestly, looking up at him with a peculiar look in her eyes.

"For what?"

"For coming over. For getting to know them. For being you."

"Sorry for surprising you, but I know they're important to you, and I don't know exactly what we are. I know it's kinda happening quickly, whatever this is, but I wanted them to know me so I could, I don't know… court you?" He cut off his babbling and Marinette looked amused.

"Kitty, consider me courted." She gave him another kiss, before untangling herself from him reluctantly and beginning to walk away. "Oh and chaton?" She turned around and stared him down while still walking backwards, her Ladybug grace bursting out with this spurt of confidence. "As for 'what we are', you're my boyfriend. Does that work for you?"

"That's paw-sitively purr-fect, M'Lady," he winked at her and smiled widely.

She giggled, but he caught a touch of blush spread across her cheeks in the low light spilling out from the bakery.

"Sweet dreams, Bugaboo," he called, just before she closed the door.

"Sweet dreams, Adrien." She slipped inside and shut the lights off before making her way back to the warmth of her family home. Adrien just stared after her.

He turned to walk away and heard Plagg start to hum the wedding march from inside his jacket.

"Oh, shut up, Plagg," he says, but without force. He feels the kwami chortle, and he continued down the road, finding himself not at all averse to that future.