"I know its not till this afternoon, but I thought it'd be fun to hang out beforehand," I tell Marinette as we grab our morning coffee. There's supposed to be a band playing in the park this afternoon, and Marinette said yes to going. "I'm excited about it, but I wish there weren't so many people crammed in here!" Marinette sighs in frustration, and I take her by the hand, leading her through the crowd. Once our drinks are called, we head out to the back patio where we have to ourselves.

"I know we live in one of the busiest cities in the world, but some days I long for peace and quiet. Here you go, Tikki." Marinette drops a small hunk of cookie into her purse. "Well, we're would you go, if you were to leave? I mean, nothing's hold us back, love." "A deserted island perhaps. Maybe in a abandoned pagoda in China. It wouldn't matter as long as we were together."

A cold claw of unease grips my stomach. "Marinette, your not-your not unhappy here are you?" Marinette grasps my hands. "No, no! Of course I'm happy, Adrien! Its just…." she sighs. "If we have kids…." she starts, "When we have kids," I correct her. "Okay, when we have kids, they'll be the future Ladybug and Cat Noir. But as you know, that doesn't always have to meet fighting bad guys, and it doesn't have to be limited to Paris. It would be nice to have some privacy the first few years of marriage." Marriage.

I do want to propose to her, but for that I need a ring. I lean over whispering, "Would you like to skip town and use the Voyage? We can listen to music anytime." "I want to, but we aren't supposed to use the Miraculous for personal gain. You know that."

Before I can respond, a man talking loudly knocks into Marinette's chair, nearly splashing her with coffee. "Hey, watch where your going!" I snap, but the man pays me no mind. Calm down, deep breaths. "Marinette, he made me so mad…" "Come on, let's go. We both need to get away."

We exit into the back alley which is covered by a tangle of vines. Transforming quickly, Ladybug merges her Miraculous with the Horse's, and into the portal we go.

"Where are we?" I ask, taking her hand. We're on some sort of dirt path that curves upwards into the forest. "I'm not sure. But there's a cabin over there. Come on, Kitty." "Wait, let's detransform." "Good idea."

The cabin or shack is small, and Marinette knocks on the door. The door squeaks on its hinges as a large man peers out at us, stroking a long red beard. "Travelers! My, my, its been quite some time since I had company. Please come in."

The inside is cozy, with a small wood stove, and wood stacked in the corners. There's a small couch in the middle of the room, and Marinette and I take a seat, while our host grabs a chair from the kitchen. "As you can see, I'm a woodsman and trapper, living off the land. But I can tell your not from around here. Name's Jack, by the way." We give him our names, and Marinette is smooth as she says we're just passing through. "Is there anything up the path?" "Ah, your wondering about the Pagoda. The Temple elders kept it up for a few years, but eventually it fell into disrepair, and it was abandoned." "Temple?" I ask. "Yes, the Temple of the Miraculous. Thanks to Ladybug and Cat Noir, the temple was restored a few years back. Now, there's a work of craftsmanship."

Marinette and I glance at each quickly, now knowing were we are. Tibet. "The elders visit me every year, seeing if I need anything. Speaking of which, I've forgotten my manners at offering you food or drink. Hold on."

The atmosphere is peaceful inside the shack, and Marinette leans her head against my shoulder as we listen to the hissing and the crackle, snap, popping sound from the fire.

"Right, here we are. Spiced cider and bread and cheese." "What do you do in the winter, Jack? Doesn't it get lonely up here?" Jack blows on his drink thoughtfully. "I used to, Adrien. But there's even beauty in winter, and I'm busy all day long checking the trap lines and fishing. Still, I never say no to company. The only company I don't care for is the Ice Lion, who knocks on my door at least a few times during winter."

"The Ice Lion?" we ask together in puzzlement. "The wind." "Clever. Jack, could you show us around your shack?"

Jack is more then willing and gives us a proper tour. Marinette looks intrigued and asks lots of questions. I wonder what's going through her mind. We stay till late afternoon. "I'm sorry to see you go. Enjoy your travels!" "Thank you for your kindness. We won't forget you."

"There's another shack up not that far from mine," Jack says gruffly. "If you ever thought to move here, well, I'd love to have you as neighbors."

We get back to Paris around dinnertime, and Marinette wants to pick up things at the store for supper. "Help me make it?" she asks, and I nod, willingly.

The apartment is dark and quiet we get back to Marinette's, and she flips on the lights, walking over to a note on the counter. "Out for dinner with Papa. Be back tonight. Mama." she smiles at me. "Its good there getting a date night in." "What did you think of Jack, and his way of life, Bugaboo?" "I loved it. Sure, it would be hard work, but no one would be there to bother you, and could set your schedule. Even the little ones could help with the garden when they got bigger."

Both of us get lost in our thoughts, as we make chicken fried rice. There it is again, talk of kids. I need to get moving on ring buying, but that can wait till morning. "I'm glad there was already a shack built, for I'm no craftsmen." "Adrien, I'm seriously considering the shack." "Love, let's just give it a few days to think about it." Marinette blushes. "I know, I just want to start living my life with you."

Marinette seems sad when I leave, and I feel lonesome too, as I head for home. I comfort myself that night is but mere few hours and it will be morning in no time.

Marinette is right though. Of course she wants to start living her life, for most of her teenage years were spent fighting Hawkmoth. There's plenty of time for kids, but I know Marinette's wanted them ever since we became friends.

In the morning, I rise early, showering and putting on nice clothes, and head off to the jewelry store. Making a custom ring is harder then I thought, and I feel my phone vibrating in my pocket.

Marinette: If I didn't know you were Cat Noir, I'd ask him to look for you.

Adrien: What, don't you trust this handsome ball of cuteness?

Marinette: I would, but you've had a naughty tail one to many times.

Adrien: Don't worry, Naughty Tail is good today. Out of errands, but let's meet for lunch at the cute little sandwich shop.

Marinette: Okay. Be good and I love you.

Adrien: Sending kisses, from your Smitten Kitten.

By the time I finish at the jewelers, its nearly time to meet Marinette. In fact, when I get to the restaurant she's already secured us a table. "Sorry I'm late!" I pant, sliding into the booth. "Its fine. You look nice. Do you have a hot date or something?" she teases. "Yep, she's sitting across from me."

"So, how did you errands go?" "Sorry, that's top secret. At least for the next few days." "And here I thought cats were the only curious creatures. For I am a curious ladybug." I grin, lowering my voice. "So, that does give me permission to call you Curious Bugaboo?" The look that she gives me confirms my answer. "Didn't think so." Marinette giggles. "Aw, don't pout. There may be cat nip on the menu."

We're still giggling as the waiter takes our order and we order the soup and sandwich combo. "Gosh, I'm hungry," Marinette says. "Mama and Papa needed help in the bakery, so I was baking cookies all morning."

"Making cookies sounds fun. But maybe not the running around part." "Are you sure you weren't napping in a sunbeam somewhere. Come on, you can tell me." "Sorry. Hey, should we make cookies this afternoon?" "Peanut butter chocolate chip, right? Its a date." "I thought we were already on a date. We must be setting some kind of record."

Turns out, it really is perfect cookie making weather, for after the lunch, the clouds roll in and the heavens open.

While the cookies bake, we watch a movie and then have warm cookies with milk. Ah, a perfect afternoon.

We play on our phones for awhile, just enjoying being together. I take off after supper, wishing the ring was already made. The sooner Marinette says yes, the sooner we can be together all the time.

I play video games with Plagg to take my mind off things, and it cheers him up to be doing something together. Its around midnight when I head to bed, thinking of Jack. I know how it is to be lonesome, and I hope I can visit him again soon.

Then it hits me. If I can set up the shack before I propose the house would be all ready. Smiling to myself, I let my eyes drift close, thinking of the quiet woods. Now that I've had a taste of what my future could look like, I'm ready to start living it. Just like Marinette. Now, to sleep, for thoughts of the future can be saved until morning.