Chapter Text
The next few days were a blur, and honestly Adrien wasn’t sure how well he remembered any of it. But there were a few things that stood out in his recollections.
Ladybug had given a press conference. She explained that it was actually Adrien who had discovered his father’s identity and approached the heroes with what he knew, which had the benefit of actually being true. He hoped this would reduce the amount of suspicion he was under, even if years of being in the spotlight told him there would still be those who would be critical of his choices. Either for not figuring out his father’s identity a long time ago, or for betraying his own family. But he figured that was better than being under suspicion for the rest of his life.
Marinette had held his hand through the crowds of paparazzi that seemed to swarm him everywhere in the days after Hawkmoth’s arrest and trial. Nino, Chloé, and Alya often shoved through the crowd, creating space for them to move forward.
Nino’s parents, Naima and Emir Lahiffe, had remained steadfast in their willingness to take him in even in the light of his father’s identity reveal to the world at large. In fact, they were more terrified of him being placed at the mercy of the system.
And then Marinette’s parents had made him the same offer for almost the exact same reasons.
Emir Lahiffe and Sabine Cheng had almost come to blows over who would take him in, while Nino and Marinette fought to keep the peace between their parents for Adrien’s sake. And in the end, Adrien suspected the Dupain-Chengs had only let it go because the Lahiffes were already legally registered as foster parents.
Though Nino told him it might be more that the Dupain-Chengs hoped he would one day become their son-in-law, and that living with his future wife while they were still minors might make things awkward.
Whatever the reason, it was strange to be wanted, to actually be fought over.
But for the most part, Adrien wasn’t sure what day it was or what was taking place in his father’s trial or what he was missing at school. Nino kept bringing back homework for him, but the academic work could not hold his attention for more than a few minutes. He spent most of his time mindlessly watching some random anime or listening to music, but he was barely aware of any of that either. It was just to have some noise to drown out his thoughts and feelings.
Sometimes it worked. Sometimes, it didn’t.
Today, he wasn’t even trying to distract himself. He was just laying spread out on Nino’s bed, staring blankly at the ceiling.
When Nino came in Adrien started. Had a whole school day gone by already? Because Adrien had only gotten up from the bed once since Nino had left. Had he really just been staring listlessly at nothing for hours?
Nino jumped into the bed beside him. “Talk to me, dude.”
“What’s there to say?” Adrien’s voice cracked from disuse.
“Dude!! There’s a ton to say! And you might feel better if you got it out.”
Adrien considered it. Maybe Nino had a point. But where to begin?
“I always thought receiving the miraculous was the best thing that ever happened to me.”
“And that’s not true anymore?”
“That’s the thing, I think it still might be. But it’s so complicated now! I thought… I thought that defeating Hawkmoth would be a day of celebration.”
“Yeah…”
“I want to hate him,” Adrien admitted.
“You’re definitely allowed to hate him,” Nino said emphatically.
Adrien shook his head. “But I can’t.”
“I get that, too,” Nino said, his voice suddenly soft.
Adrien stared distantly at Nino’s bedroom wall. “I keep thinking that maybe I could have done something different.”
“You mean not take down Hawkmoth?”
“No. I mean if I tried harder to be there for him when mother first disappeared, I might have been enough for him. That maybe he would have given up on his own. I did try in the beginning, but he only pulled away, and eventually I gave up trying. What if I had kept trying?”
“Dude! He was the parent. It wasn’t your responsibility to take care of him.”
“But I wonder if I could have anyway,” Adrien said wistfully.
It was silent for a moment. Adrien felt Nino’s eyes on him, considering him stoically.
“It wasn’t your fault,” Nino said eventually.
“Yeah, I know that. Sometimes, I don’t feel it though. I just wish there had been another way. I wish that in the end, I didn’t have to add to his pain.”
It was silent again.
“I still love him,” Adrien admitted. “Even knowing what he was, even knowing what he did specifically to me as Chat Noir, and as Adrien, too. I still love him.”
“Why?” Nino asked, but there was no judgement in the question.
“Because I understand,” Adrien said. “I’ve actually been wondering that if we had figured each other out earlier, before Ladyubg and I had been through the fire together, before you and I were solid, I wonder if I would have joined him.”
Nino didn’t say anything, just continued to wait.
“He was trying to revive my mother.”
“Do you wish that he had?” Nino asked.
Adrien closed his eyes. He missed her so much, but it was a distant ache. Not an all consuming ball of grief the way it had once been. He didn’t need her anymore.
“It’s totally normal if you feel that way. She was your maman,” Nino said.
“I… I don’t know if I even knew her.”
Nino’s brows furrowed together. “What do you mean?”
“My father said on one of the loops that this had been her plan. She knew what was going to happen and she wanted to be revived. Doesn’t that mean she didn’t care if the city was terrorized?”
Nino leaned back. “I don’t know, dude. Maybe her plan was just to find the Ladybug and Black Cat the way it sounds like they found the butterfly and the peacock somewhere in a cave. Maybe it was your father that escalated that to terrorism. Or maybe her plan was world domination! We can’t know what she was thinking. She can’t tell us.”
“I remember her being so kind,” Adrien said. “I remember her smile and her patience. I remember laughing while she chased me as a child or smiled with pride after a piano recital.” He turned to Nino, looking at him fully for the first time since their conversation started. “How do I reconcile any of that with what I know now? What if she wasn’t a good person?”
“She didn’t have to be a good person to be a good maman.”
Tension Adrien didn’t know he had been feeling released.
“I guess that’s true. So I’m allowed to love her still?” And Adrien knew the question was a little ridiculous after just admitting that he still loved his father, but he needed to ask it anyway.
“Dude! Of course! She’s your maman!”
“But haven’t you and Marientte and others said I don’t have to love my father?”
Nino paused, clearly thinking for a moment. “I don’t think we owe our parents love. But you are also the only one who gets to decide how you feel about either of them. Sometimes, I don’t understand how you can love your father, but you say that you do and I can respect it.”
“To me though, the difference is, your mother gave you attention. She gave you her time and her care. So, even if she was the most evil person and the rest of the world condemns her, you can still love her. You can still recognize that she cared about you!”
“Nino?”
“Yeah?”
“I love you. Thank you for being the brother that I never had. I don’t know how I would have gotten through any part of this without you. You were there in the be…” Adrien trailed off, as his throat lodged closed and suddenly he was crying again.
He was so sick of crying.
Nino’s arms wrapped around him from the side. “I love you, too, Dri. You’re one of the best people I know. You make it easy to love you.”
…
A few more weeks went by and Adrien was starting to feel normal again. He was attending school and the class was happy to have him back and they were considerate enough to not ask questions.
And with Nino, Alya and Marinette things felt almost normal except easier somehow. Because there were no secrets.
Marinette still occasionally stuttered and blushed around him, but she hadn’t said anything about her feelings. And it occurred to him that she didn’t know that he already knew. She probably wouldn’t say anything after everything in his life had been shaken up and scrambled. And even a week ago, he likely would have agreed. But now, he found himself hoping that she would say something.
He would have said something himself, but he still worried that maybe she saw him differently now. He didn’t want her saying yes to him out of some sense of guilt or obligation.
“Dude! Do you even hear yourself?” Nino had asked when Adrien shared his thoughts.
“Thank you!” Plagg exclaimed.
“It’s not fair that there’s two of you ganging up on me,” Adrien whined.
“She’s been crazy about you since forever!”
“As I’ve always told you!” Plagg added. “You just never listened.”
“Yeah, yeah yeah,” Adrien waved dismissively.
He still thought it should be her choice. He wasn’t going to push it by asking her out before she was comfortable.
“She literally visits you every day!” Nino continued to rant. “You don’t do that for someone you don’t care about.”
“I’m not doubting that she cares about me! I’m doubting that she’s still in love with me.”
Nino threw his hands up in frustration. “That’s you doubting yourself, dude. Trust me when I say her feelings for you have only gotten deeper.”
Adrien wanted to argue, but he didn’t have an argument. He hoped Nino was right. Marinette did visit him every day. Sometimes, she came in through the front door with Alya in tow, and the four of them would hang out in Nino’s room for the evening watching movies and throwing popcorn at one another.
But more often she swung into the room as Ladybug just after school was out before Nino had managed to get home. She had a knack for showing up whenever Nino couldn’t be there. He wondered if they were tag teaming, or if Marinette just wanted to be alone with him sometimes and was using her knowledge of Alya’s dating schedule to her advantage.
They didn’t do much. Sometimes, they barely even said anything. But he was so glad that she was there, offering him snuggles and company.
About a week after his father’s trial had started, she had offered him the use of the snake miraculous again.
He took one look at it and shook his head. “No.”
She frowned. “But why? Won’t it put space between you and all that’s happened?”
“It could do that, yes. But it will take me just as long, and none of you will remember it.”
Her face softened in understanding.
“I already have too many memories that no one else shares. And besides, a big part of why I used it before was I was afraid I was going to be akumatized if I wasn’t okay.” Then he shrugged. “And I don’t have to worry about akumitization anymore. I’m actually allowed to have bad days now.”
“Wouldn’t you rather have good days?”
“It’s kinda luxurious to have bad days actually,” he told her, his lips upturned into a smirk. “It’s real. It’s me. I don’t have to pretend. It’s freeing.”
Her arms had wrapped around his shoulders then. “I’m really really glad you don’t have to pretend anymore, Chaton.”
He loved it when she called him that. Especially when he wasn’t transformed. It just held so much affection it made him physically feel warm.
He shook his head at himself. Nino was definitely right. She definitely still loved him. But when would she say something? He hoped it was soon.
He climbed up to the top of the new bunk bed that took up a huge corner of Nino’s room.
“It’s your room, too, dude! You have to stop referring to it as mine.”
Adrien rolled his eyes. It would always be Nino’s room in Adrien’s head. Adrien liked thinking of it as Nino’s room. He had always enjoyed being in Nino’s room, had always felt accepted, safe, and free in Nino’s room. Whereas, Adrien’s room had always felt like a cage. A really lavished, well funded, and fun cage. But still a cage.
Adrien glanced around the room. It was definitely a lot more cluttered now with Adrien’s clothes, and some of his things - mostly just games and anime that he thought Nino would enjoy. He didn’t bring everything. Not only was there no room, but also Adrien wasn’t all that attached to the things that he had collected over the years.
Nino had wanted to bring the foosball table. His parents had vetoed him. Nino would still occasionally grumble about it, insisting that the game table could have doubled as a desk if they put a board over it, which always made Adrien smile fondly though he very much agreed with Nino’s parents.
All in all, Adrien loved the new set up, and coveted how much time he got to spend with his best bro. He was even becoming more comfortable with Noël and Nino’s parents, though he often worried he might be intruding.
Nino kept insisting he wasn’t.
Breakfast was often a quiet sleepy affair, punctuated by yawns and snuggles. Naima made a point of including Adrien in these rituals. Adrien wasn’t sure if she was doing this from a place of genuine affection or a desire to make sure he felt included. Adrien was grateful either way even if he suspected he was stiff and awkward in his foster mother’s hug. But he definitely didn’t want her to stop.
Dinners were an entirely different affair. They were loud and chaotic, and at least once a week they included Nino’s aunts, uncles, and his cousins. Adrien was definitely overwhelmed. He was accustomed to eating the vast majority of his meals alone in a huge empty dining room with vaulted ceilings.
Now, the ceiling was low, and there were so many people that every nook and corner was occupied. The chatter was constant and loud, and the smells. There were so many unfamiliar foods and spices Adrien had never experienced before and they all smelled different than anything he had ever eaten.
Needless to say, it was a lot and Adrien had a lot of practice at playing as eye candy or as a wallflower during his father’s parties. But here, Emir kept pulling him in, thrusting more food into his hands or pulling him into some game with Nino’s cousins when Nino himself wasn’t there.
He had never once felt so welcomed.
Nino had caught him in tears after one such evening with the extended Lahiffe family.
“Dri, what’s wrong?”
Adrien shook his head rapidly. “Nothing! I’m happy!” Adrien insisted.
“Could’ve fooled me, dude,” Nino said, taking a seat beside him.
“Your family is so kind, Nino,” Adrien confessed. “I love them all so much even though I can barely keep track of their names! And no one cares, no one gets upset. They all go out of their way to include me! The son of Paris’s supervillain!”
“You’re not your father, dude!”
“I know! I know!” Adrien conceded. “But they don’t know me. Not really. And they’re all so nice. I’m afraid I’m going to do something wrong, and this will all just vanish. Like, it’s too good.”
“But they do know you by proxy.”
Adrien frowned, turning to Nino with furrowed brows. “What do you mean?”
“Dude! I’ve never really told you this, but… I was kind’ve a shut-in before we met.”
“What?!” Adrien repeated, unable to picture it.
“I didn’t really have friends. I mean, people were friendly to me and I was, too. But…” Nino shrugged. “I just never felt like I fit anywhere. I preferred to spend my lunch break listening to my tunes, you know?”
Adrien did not know any of this.
“So, why did you offer to be my friend that first day?” Adrien asked.
Nino snorted. “You said Chloé was your only friend. And I’ve seen the way she treats Sabrina, dude. Not to mention Marinette and Kim. And I thought you deserved to know what a good friend could be like.”
Adrien was crying again.
Nino kept talking. “And with you, I don’t know. It was easy. You were always so straightforward and genuine. You were always so thankful, and it felt good. Like, you needed me. Being your friend never felt like a chore. I never preferred music over us hanging out. And I never felt like I didn’t belong like I did so many other times I tried to make friends.”
“This is all great, and I’m glad that you told me, but what does it have to do with your family?”
Nino glanced away. “Well, like I said, before I befriended you I kept completely to myself. That was true here, too. I was always quiet and in the corner and the other’s would try, but I ignored them.”
“Why?” Adrien asked.
Nino shrugged. “I don’t know. I was an emo kid or something. But after you became my friend, I realized that I liked it and that maybe I wanted that with other people, too. It’s how I was able to become close with some of my cousins and with Alya. It was because of your example.”
“Really?”
“Really! And when I first started opening up, you were the only thing that I ever talked about.” He caught Adrien’s gaze and held it. “Everyone in this family knows who you are. And I don’t mean that in some celebrity sense. They know who you are to me. You never had to prove yourself to them. You still don’t. They already love you.”
Adrien slammed his arms around Nino. They almost fell over, but Nino was able to stabilize them both.
“Dude!” Nino objected.
“I’m not sorry,” Adrien murmured. Nino squeezed him harder.
Adrien didn’t immediately stop feeling like an intruder at Lahiffe family events, and he occasionally still worried that he was a burden for Naima and Emir, especially when his foster parents were hounded by paparazzi wanting to know about Adrien.
“Someday, you’re going to realize you’re part of this family,” Nino had told him. “It’s not something you have to earn or deserve. Family just is!”
Adrien wanted that to be true. He wanted it so bad.
A few days later, Noël started pranking him. And the first time Adrien had tried to play it off. He understood that Noël might feel threatened by Adrien’s presence. Adrien who was suddenly stealing his older brother’s and parents’ attention.
Noël had tricked him into throwing a pie into his own face. It was a quite clever setup, and Adrien really should have seen it coming. He had burst out laughing after the fact, licking the cream off his lips. But when he came out of a shower with his hair dyed green, Adrien was far less amused, nevermind that it was temporary. But when Adrien woke up with his face covered in sticky thick maple syrup, he was completely livid.
The younger boy lost it in a fit of maniacal giggles.
“Noël!” Adrien shrieked in genuine anger. Noël’s laughter dissipated like it never was, and took off running. Adrien bolted out of bed and chased after him downstairs, through the living area, and into the kitchen.
Only when he spotted Emir and Naima watching, did Adrien halt on the spot, while Noël kept on running in a wide loop around him and went pounding back up the stairs. “I’m s-sorry!” Adrien stammered, his head hung in shame. How had he forgotten so quickly that he was a guest in this house.
“Whatever for, dear?” Naima had asked with an amused smile, soaking a dish towel in the sink and holding it out to Adrien.
“Umm… for chasing Noël?”
Emir chuckled. “Based on the state of your face, Adrien, it looks like Noël might’ve deserved it.”
“You’re not mad?” Adrien said, genuinely confused, taking the offered towel, and clearing is face of sticky residue.
“That depends on the state of your pillowcase. Noël Lahiffe get your butt back down in here!” Naima called. “But if it’s ruined, it’s not you I’m mad at,” she added drolly.
Noël came pounding back down the stairs and stood before his mother, his expression sullen and pouty.
“What have I told you about pranks?”
Noël hung his head. “That they have to be harmless.”
“And was it harmless?”
“Yes! I was going to add feathers, but Nino said he was allergic. So I didn’t do that.”
“Nino knew about this?” Adrien asked, shocked.
Noël nodded. “It was his idea!”
Adrien bolted from the room. “Nino!”
Emir and Naima's laughter echoed behind him.
Nino was laughing, but already on the fire escape, calling for his transformation. Adrien was only two seconds behind.
So now, Chat Noir was chasing after Carapace. It took him a block to catch Carapace in a tackle. They rolled together onto a roof.
Nino was still laughing hysterically.
“What the hell?” Adrien demanded.
Nino was still laughing. “Look! He wanted to prank you. That was his idea.”
“And you didn’t talk him out of it?”
Nino laughed. “No! Do you know how many times he’s pranked me?! He has a new target! I am not going to discourage that!”
Adrien was so confused. “You threw me under the bus?
“You’ve always said you wanted little siblings!” Nino defended.
“Yeah, and?” Adrien asked, still not following.
“Well, little siblings are often an absolute pain! And now, you’re getting the full experience.”
Adrien felt like he had been sucker punched. “He’s treating me like he treats you?” he breathed out.
“Yup!” Nino said, popping the “p” with a huge grin on his face.
Adrien was crying again. “I have a little brother,” he choked out, the revelation being real for the first time.
“You do,” Nino confirmed.
“He’s so annoying.”
Nino laughed. “Yeah, he is!”
“I love him.”
“Yeah, me too,” Nino said with an exasperated sigh.
When they went back, Adrien chased Noël again while the younger child shrieked in mock fear, but once Adrien caught him, he just seized Noël in a bear hug, gave him a sloppy wet kiss on the cheek-
“Ew! Gross!”
-and started tickling him relentlessly. He was rewarded with uncontrolled laughter.
Afterwards, Adrien went to Nino’s parents and gave them both a hug - the type of hug he usually reserved for Nino or Marinette, where he just let himself cling to the person holding him. In the past, he had always been stiff, afraid to need their comfort and love, in fear that it would be gone.
But now, he understood. He didn’t need to be afraid. “Thank you for accepting me not just into your home, but into your family,” Adrien said.
“We are honored and privileged to be your family, Adrien,” Emir said. “We hope you realize that you will be expected to come home and visit every holiday season even once you’re an adult, out on your own.”
Adrien had nodded vigorously, suddenly too choked up to form actual words. It might have taken him until he was sixteen, but Adrien had no doubt the Lahiffe’s would be his family for the rest of his life. And Noël was now his favorite.
“What?! Traitor!” Nino exclaimed.
Adrien laughed. His phone buzzed, and he glanced down to see a text from Marinette.
Princess: Meet me here in your suit as soon as you can.
Adrien read the text, and the accompanying map. It was the rooftop where most of their patrols started. They used it because it was out of the way without a lot of sight lines, so it was difficult for people to get pictures.
Me: Are you okay?
But she didn’t respond. He waited several seconds, his anxiety soaring. What could have happened that could be so urgent?
“You okay, mec?” Nino asked.
“I don’t know. Marinette wants me to meet up with her urgently.”
The concern melted off of Nino’s face, and Adrien tried not to be irritated.
“I’m going to head out,” Adrien said, gesturing to the window. “Cover for me?”
Nino shook his head. “You don’t have to sneak out dude. Just go downstairs and say you’re heading out to see Marinette.”
“But what if they say no?”
“They won’t,” Nino assured.
“How can you be so sure?”
Nino laughed. “Because I ask every few days to go meet Alya!”
Adrien headed down to the dining room and found Nino’s parents sitting next to one another sharing a dessert. It was rather cute.
“Uh… sorry to interrupt, but I was wondering if it was okay if I head out to see Marinette tonight?” Adrien asked.
Both of Nino’s parents smiled at one another.
“Be back by ten,” Emir said.
“And text us if anything comes up,” Naima added.
Adrien was so shocked at how nonchalant they both were about his leaving, he didn’t move for several minutes.
Nino burst out laughing. “Better get a move on, dude!” Nino said, clapping him on the back. “Don’t want to keep the princess waiting.”
Adrien didn’t need to be told twice.
…
Chat Noir ran through the city, some of his panic fading as he leapt from one rooftop to another. If she had actually been in trouble she wouldn’t have texted. She would have called or shown up, or something.
But he rushed anyway, eager to see her.
The scene he arrived at was completely different than he had anticipated.
There was a picnic blanket, with place settings for two complete with cutlery and wine glasses. Candles and rose petals were strewn everywhere, and music was playing - it sounded like one of Nino’s softer remixes.
But his lady was nowhere in sight.
“Hey, kitty cat.”
He whirled around and there she was, but she was transformed as Multimouse, and he found himself blushing.
“Cat got your tongue?” she prompted, with a teasing lilt to her voice. Even her eyes sparkled with amusement.
He smiled brightly. “A mouse, actually.” Then he gestured to the setup. “What is all this?”
“It’s your purrfect first date.”
He grinned, and reached out for her hands. “Don’t you mean our purrfect first date?”
She nodded. “Oh, I hope so. But just so you know, this is only the beginning. The first course so to speak.”
“What else do you have planned?”
She shook her head. “Nope! You told me not to tell you!”
The statement stopped him. “Wh-what did you do?” he asked, though he already knew.
“I used the snake to interrogate you for information about creating the absolute perfect surprise.”
“How many loops?”
She glanced away. “It was a lot. I lost count.”
“Liar.” The snake didn’t let you lose count.
Her eyes whirled to his. “Are you seriously accusing me of lying on our first date?”
“You don’t have to tell me. I just wanted to know what kind of kiss I should hit you with right now.”
She smiled. “Oh, so I’m being graded on effort?”
He nodded. “Like under ten, you get a chaste kiss. One that is as sweet as you are.” And he kissed her exactly as he described.
“Mhmm,” she purred.
“But if it’s a few dozen, that deserves a little teasing.” He nipped at her lips.
“Uh huh,” she agreed, her eyes closed.
“A few hundred? And I might push my luck.” And this time he gently sucked on her lower lip, and her lips parted. He accepted the invitation enthusiastically.
They lost themselves in one another for several minutes before he finally pulled away.
She had her eyes closed and her smile was so pure and absolutely beautiful.
“So what’s the number, buginette?” he asked.
“4,734.”
He pulled away in surprise. “Marinette? Please tell me you weren’t that anxious about our first date. Because more than anything, I just want to spend time with you.”
She shook her head. “It wasn’t like that. I just… I had so much fun. You did, too. And most of those was just you telling me about all the loops that I didn’t remember.” And then she blushed. “Well, either that, or you, umm… demonstrating loops that I didn’t remember.”
He grinned. “So what you’re saying is that we made out a lot.”
Her blush deepened. “I also may have just wanted to know what it felt like.”
“And what did it feel like?” he asked softly.
She glanced down at her feet. “It was way harder than I thought it would be.”
“Why?” he asked, in genuine confusion.
“Because there were such amazing moments. Moments where I felt like I was flying and you were so happy.” She looked up at him then. “Happier than I’ve seen you since…” she trailed off glancing at him.
He squeezed her hands reassuringly. “You can say it.”
She smiled. “The happiest I’ve seen you since Hawkmoth was taken in. And well, I wanted you to remember them,” she whispered. “And when I said as much, you would just smile so big and then reset it.”
He laughed. He couldn’t help it. And pulled her into his chest. “I’m glad you got the full experience. You would not believe how many times you did that to me.”
“I’m sorry,” she whispered. “For ever putting you through all that.”
“What do you mean?”
“You knew all the secrets. You figured everything out. And instead of us shouldering that burden together, I let you carry it alone.”
He smiled gently, and cradled the side of her face against his palm.
“I wasn’t alone.”
“Weren’t you?” she asked, her eyes turning glassy.
He shook his head. “No, I had you. Even if you didn’t remember, I had you. I promise you were there for me the entire time.”
“Even once you gave it to Nino?”
He laughed. “I know you won’t believe it, but you still were. Every time you stumbled over your words, every time you blushed. I knew that you loved me. And most of the time that was enough.”
“And when it wasn’t?”
“I went crying to Nino.”
She laughed. “I’m glad he’s been there for you, too.”
“Nino’s awesome, but I don’t want to talk about him right now.”
She grinned, and nestled against his chest. “I’m really proud of you, Chaton. And I hope… I hope we never have to keep those kinds of secrets from one another again.”
“Are there some kinds of secrets you want to keep?” he asked, slightly appalled at even the idea of secrets between them.
She grinned playfully. “Well, of course!”
“What?!”
“My boyfriend apparently likes over the top surprises!”
All the tension bled out of his form and he smiled back at her. Her boyfriend. He was her boyfriend. He would never get sick of that word on her tongue.
“I love you so much, Marinette.”
“I love you, too.”
She kissed him again, and again. And he didn’t even need to go on a date. He was already flying, ecstatic and giddy beyond belief with her finally in his arms without any substantial secrets between them.
“Adrien?” she whispered against his lips.
“Yeah?” he breathed.
“Can we talk about how much time you spent in your time loops?”
He pulled away. “We can if you want.”
“Sass said you had developed more than a year’s worth of memories.”
He rubbed the back of the neck. “Yeah, I was there,” he squeaked out in embarrassment. “That seems like it could be right.”
She looked appalled.
“Look! You told me to abuse it, and I abused it like crazy. But… when I realized I was getting addicted - getting to the point where I wasn’t sure I would be able to pull myself out of a loop, I gave it to Nino.”
She shook her head. “I’m not mad at you, kitty. I’m worried about what your life has been like, and how much I’ve missed that you needed that much of an escape.”
He eased her hand up to his mouth before depositing a gentle kiss. “I’m okay, now, m’lady.”
“I just hate that…”
He put a finger on her lips before she could spiral into guilt. “It was worth it to get to this moment. Now, shall we go have the most overplanned perfect first date that ever was?”
She nodded. “Please.”
It was the best first date ever, but more than that, it was the first of many to come.
...