After love, Ariah would cradle her husband, who burrowed against her in a sweaty infantile bliss; she would stroke his big magnificent body, smooth his springy hair out of his eyes, murmur I love you! My husband. She could not have believed that any wife had ever so adored any husband.
Adrien shouldn't be nervous. It was supposed to be the happiest day of his life. He was marrying his best friend and his partner—something he’d dreamt of doing for years now. He shouldn’t be sweating like a racehorse at the thought of watching the love of his life walk down the aisle toward him in a little less than an hour. But… how could he not? This was Marinette Dupain-Cheng! Only the most amazing person alive. His Queen. The goddess whose presence he, a mere mortal, was not worthy to be in—
Something poked his nose. Adrien shooed whatever it was away and looked back through the open window he was standing by into the garden their wedding was about to take place in. Marinette really outdid herself with designing the space. One of the most elegant yet cozy settings he’d ever seen—
A gentle touch to his jaw. A featherlight kiss on his lips. Yet no woman in sight.
Adrien held his breath, a smile brightening his face a moment later. "Is someone using her Miraculous to see my tux before the wedding?"
Tiny bells of his Princess’ giggles filled the space, an invisible someone whispering beside his ear, "I designed it, you doofus. I already saw it."
"It’s one thing to design it and another to see it on me," Adrien said quietly, side glancing back into the room his groomsmen were chatting between themselves in. "Are we trying to avoid the guys figuring you out or doesn't matter?"
A gentle touch to his chest; she’d laid her hand against his heart, chasing away all of his jitters. "If you want me murdered in cold blood by my maid of honour for tricking her, then, by all means, let them know I'm here."
He caught her invisible hand and brought it to his lips. "I did not sacrifice myself countless times over the years to give you into Alya’s wrath now."
The men in the room laughed at something. Adrien glanced their way again. Too engrossed in their conversation, not a single one of them paid him any attention. "How about we move somewhere more private? The roof, perhaps?"
"Sounds good. I’ll wait for you up there."
She was gone in a moment, the absence of her warmth against him igniting yearning in the pit of his stomach. He had to go to her. This wasn’t nearly enough. He needed more. Just a few more minutes of holding her close.
Nino cleared his throat. "And where are you going? Alya told me to keep an eye on you."
"Washroom," Adrien answered. "Want to accompany me?"
"Nah, I’m good." Nino chuckled, glancing at Luka.
Luka shook his head. "I’ll pass too."
"Do me a favour, though, and make sure not to be seen," Nino added, a knowing smirk on his lips. "Because you know that if someone manages to steal a peek at said someone's fiancée’s dress, my wife will exile me to the couch for a week. And my couch is not that comfortable, so I’ll come over to your place."
"Then I’d better be extra careful." Adrien chuckled, reaching into his bag for a box of multicoloured Camembert, poking his sleeping Kwami in the process. "Plagg, wake up. We have to go."
Yawning, Plagg looked over the white wedge Adrien was offering him. "And why would you want to be invisible on the day of your wedding?"
"To not get Nino in trouble."
"I like the way you're thinking," Nino said, standing up. "I’ll go distract Alya for you, but you have like ten minutes tops, okay?"
"Yes, sir." Adrien saluted and turned to Plagg. "Ready?"
"I hate transformations," Plagg grumbled.
"You’ll live." Adrien smirked and tossed the cheese in Plagg’s direction, barely waiting for him to finish eating before calling for his transformation.
"It’ll never cease to amaze me," Luka said when Adrien vanished from sight. "Marinette outdid herself with this one."
"She sure did," Chat Noir said, already climbing out of the window. "Thanks, guys. I owe you one."
Less than a minute later, he stepped onto the roof of the Château Bouffémont, one of the most beautiful buildings on the city’s outskirts. Picturesque gardens, rolling hills, and a cloudless blue sky… yet his eyes were glued to her instead. A vision in red he loved to marvel at, the most stunning of sights that still rendered him speechless even after years of being together. He could barely muster his Chat Noir charm. "And here I was hoping I would finally see your dress since, you know, you saw my tux."
She laughed, lighting up the space with her smile. "Will you ever give up?"
"Should I?"
Her smile told him everything he needed to know. Chat stepped closer and, taking her in his arms, claimed her lips in a lingering kiss. Gosh, she smelled divine! And her skin… So smooth and tender. Especially her lips. He'd kiss them forever if he could.
She pulled away, struggling to steady her breath. Leaning her forehead against his, she watched him from under her long eyelashes with the softest expression on her beautiful face. "I missed you."
His lips tugged in a smile as he gently nuzzled his nose against hers. "I missed you, too."
"I love my girls," she whispered, stealing a quick peck to his cheek. "And the last few days with them were amazing, but I need a few quiet moments with you alone if I want to survive this day."
"You read my mind." Chat pulled her closer, a low rumbling of a purr starting up in his chest. He didn't try to stop it. His Lady loved his purrs, and he loved placing light butterfly kisses along her jaw as she relaxed in his arms. "How long do we have?"
"Five minutes?" Ladybug tilted her head to give him access to her neck. "Maman went to check if… if everything’s ready, and when she’s back… I'll have to be in the room, trying to relax with meditation breathing exercises Alya gave me."
"She should have just sent you to me." He purred against her skin between kisses. "I’m way better at relaxing you than any exercises ever will be."
"Why do you think I’m here?" She opened her eyes, gently caressing his cheek with her hand.
He kissed her again. Slowly and tenderly, with the love and reverence his bride deserved.
"Thank you for the basket," she breathed against his lips as they pulled apart. "I assume Plagg was helping?"
He better not find out his Kwami messed up his carefully-arranged gift. "What did he do?"
Ladybug giggled, reached for her yo-yo and showed him a picture of the basket Adrien had arranged to be delivered to his bride this morning. A simple token of his appreciation he had personally filled with treats she loved and little trinkets holding special meanings and memories for the two of them. A half-eaten wheel of Camembert in the middle of his masterpiece was certainly not one of his ideas!
"I'm going to kill him," Chat growled. "I don't care that he’s immortal. I'm killing the moron for stinking up your present."
"Come on, it wasn’t so bad. It’s rather sweet… in a way. At least where Plagg is concerned."
"He gave you his half-eaten leftovers."
"And have you ever seen Plagg share?"
She had a point. "I’m still going to kill him."
Ladybug laughed, cradling his jaw in her palm, her thumb tenderly caressing his skin. "Don’t worry, he didn't spoil anything. It was still the perfect finale to the month you’ve given me, Chaton. There were so many tears that my make-up had to be redone a few times. Alya promised to scold you for that, by the way. "
Chat leaned into her touch, his eyes closing, the purrs in his chest gaining a decibel in volume. He hadn’t done anything special. He had only sent her flowers every day, arranged a few spa days for her and her friends, given her a couple of presents, or rather hid them in various places for Marinette to find, and took her on a dozen dates he hoped she’d remember for quite some time. Nothing any man in love wouldn’t do for his bride. "You deserve the world, my Lady. I wish I could give you so much more."
"All I want is you, Chaton." She bopped his nose, her lips stretching in a smile. "And I nowhere near deserve all of that—"
Chat shook his head. "Lies. All month long, you made my favourite dishes and gave me the most amazing presents every day—"
"Little trinkets. Nothing special. And some of those were just letters; not worth much."
He leaned down, kissing his lips slowly. "Those were the best of them all."
"Marinette!!!" Alya’s voice thundered below them. "Marinette Dupain-Cheng, you have ten seconds to get your butt back here before I’m coming for you, and believe me, it isn't going to be pretty when I do!"
Chat tightened his hold on his Lady, pulling her closer. "I think we’ve been caught."
"You think so?" She grabbed his face and smooched his lips one last time. "I better go if we want this wedding to happen. Can't marry a dead bride, now can you?"
"Marinette!"
"No, I cannot." Chat quickly stole another peck before letting her go, a lopsided grin still lingering on his lips even after she was long gone from his view. Gosh, he loved this woman. He was born to adore and protect her, and he couldn’t wait to marry her. To become her husband and to call her his. To snuggle up with her in their bed and quietly talk into the night, and later, prove to her over and over again just how much she meant to him.
***
Of all the daydreams Marinette had about this day, none came even close to reality. The venue—the magnificent Château Bouffémont— was straight out of a fairy tale. One of the most elegant and graceful buildings Marinette had ever seen, it stood wrapped in a blanket of luscious gardens filled with century-old trees, neatly trimmed shrubs, and arrays of beautiful flowers. There was history about it. Charm, authenticity, and character. Something Marinette had tried to express in her dress. Something that defined her and Adrien’s relationship.
"You’re alright, pumpkin?" Tom asked, coming to stand beside her, the biggest of grins playing on his face.
Marinette couldn't help but reach out and give her father a tight hug. His dream of walking her down the aisle was finally coming true and she couldn't be happier for either of them. "Thank you for everything, Papa. I love you so much. You and Maman."
"We love you too, pumpkin." Tom’s arms tightened around her for just a moment before he pulled back, tears glistering in his eyes. "Now, go and be happy for us. Alright?"
"Will do." Her eyes shifted to Alya and Kagami, quietly talking at the glass-panelled double doors that led out to the garden where the ceremony was about to start. Marinette couldn’t help but smile. Without them, this day wouldn’t have been going as perfectly as it was. Not without Alya’s resourcefulness and negotiation skills that were irreplaceable in finding the best options for everything quickly and efficiently. And certainly not without Kagami, under whose watchful eyes none of the people involved even thought of making a mistake or slipping up. She’d have to thank them somehow because those two made the day she was marrying the love of her life truly—
"Earth to Marinette." Alya snapped her fingers before fixing a stray strand of Marinette’s hair back in place. "You’ll want to join us here in this reality if you want to get married today."
"I’m here." Marinette rolled her eyes. "Present and ready to become Mme Adrien Agreste."
"Nah.” A corner of Kagami’s lips curled up. “She's either still on that roof in Adrien's arms or already on her honeymoon. Again, in Adrien's arms. But certainly not here with us. Typical Marinette."
"That's—"
"It's normal for a woman who's about to marry someone she's been pining almost a decade for to want to be with said man instead of literally anywhere else," Kagami continued. "Don't worry. We get it."
"Speaking of the man." Alya pointed outside to the garden. "It’s starting. Here he comes."
The sounds of Handel's "Air" filled the space; Marinette’s attention turned towards the pair walking down the aisle. It wasn’t that common of a practice, but Adrien insisted no mother—or mother-in-law—of his would ever walk to her place at his wedding alone. Marinette fully supported the idea, especially knowing how much the two adored each other. Yet, her chest tightened, despite the broad smiles on Sabine and Adrien's faces. For all the love her parents had been giving Adrien, she wished Emilie Agreste could be the one walking beside her son today. The woman who Adrien spoke so highly of should've been able to see the incredible man her son had grown up to be. And even though it was impossible, Marinette would never stop wishing she could have met the woman and thanked her for bringing such an amazing person into this world.
The pair reached the mother of the bride’s chair, and Adrien leaned down to kiss Sabine’s cheek. With tears in her eyes, the woman wrapped him in a motherly hug and whispered something into his ear. When Adrien pulled away, his eyes glimmered with tears as well.
"Do you have your note?" Alya asked Kagami as soon as the music changed, and Nino started his walk down the aisle.
"Of course." Kagami pulled a postcard-size card from her bouquet with "Just You Wait" written on it.
Marinette let out a giggle. "You’re not seriously doing that, are you? I thought that was a joke."
"Building up anticipation in the man who can hardly wait as it is is never a joke." Alya smirked, holding her own card with "Till You See Her" printed on it. "You’ll thank us when you see his absolutely priceless face when he lays his eyes on his gorgeous bride."
"Luka’s almost at the end of the aisle," Kagami said, taking the door’s handle. As soon as Pachelbels’ "Canon in D" started playing, she opened the door and gave them all a smile. "See you on the other side."
"And that’s my cue." Alya stole one more glance at Marinette to see if everything was in order. Then, she reminded the flower girls—the most adorable, tiny humans in their cute, little dresses and big, shining smiles on their faces—and the ring bearer—Ivan and Mylène’s sweet little boy—of their responsibilities in the next few minutes. With a final nod in Tom’s direction, Alya was gone, leaving Marinette in her father’s care.
"Are you ready, sweetheart?" Tom offered Marinette his elbow.
"As ready as I’ll ever be." She smiled, every emotion she’d ever experienced fluttering in her stomach. This was it. Their big day and their moment. Adrien was already out there, waiting for her, and if she was honest, despite all the nervousness and slight anxiety, Marinette couldn't wait to walk down that aisle, tell the whole world how much she loved that man, and start the rest of their lives together.
The sounds of "Wedding March" by Mendelssohn filled the air. Everyone seated in the garden stood and turned in their direction. Tom grabbed the door handle, a smile playing on his lips as his eyes sparkled with tears. "You've chosen well, sweetheart."
Marinette grinned, tears forming in her eyes as well. "Thank you, Papa."
With Tom holding the door open for her, Marinette stepped onto the sun-filled terrace and sucked in a breath at the sight before her. There at the altar, waiting for her, was the love of her life. Handsome and dashing as ever, he stared slack-jawed right back at her. After a moment, a goofy, love-sick smile melted his expression, and she couldn’t help but return one of her own, her cheeks flustered, her heart racing, and ladybugs in her stomach refusing to settle down. She loved it when he looked at her like that.
Her father patted her arm, calling her back to reality. With a sheepish grin, Marinette clung tighter to his arm, stabilizing herself as she allowed him to guide her down the grand staircase and down the aisle, each step bringing her closer to Adrien. He was the only thing Marinette could see. Lost were the guests, their sparkling eyes, and their bright smiles. She couldn't see the bounties of white and cream roses, ranunculus, carnations, amaryllis, and baby's breath with sprinkles of deep red peonies spilling out of the containers lining their path to the pergola. The white structure she walked towards was drowning in flowers as well, but her eyes remained fixed on the man with pure love and adoration all over his handsome face standing under it. The man who made her life worth living every day. The man who was her best friend, her partner, her other half. The man who watched her like she was his whole world and to whom she wanted to run to right now, forgetting about everyone and everything just so she could kiss him senseless. If not for her two bridesmaids, fully aware of her thoughts and threatening murder with their glares, Marinette would've done exactly that.
When she finally reached him, Adrien gave her a smile that somehow put all the others he’d given her to shame. "You’re so beautiful," he whispered, his eyes turning glassy.
She mouthed a thank you in return, unable to stop smiling.
Tom cleared his throat, speaking quietly. "I’d threaten you to take care of my little girl, son, but you’re already making her very happy."
"She’s my greatest treasure." Adrien bowed slightly to the man. "Thank you for raising such an amazing daughter."
Tom sniffled, murmuring something incoherent in return, his eyes shimmering with tears when he turned to Marinette to give her a kiss. "I love you, sweetheart."
"I love you too, Papa," Marinette whispered, giving him a tight hug before accepting Adrien’s hand and joining him under the pergola.
For the next fifteen minutes, she wasn't sure what was happening around her apart from the beating of her own heart and the feel of Adrien’s hand holding hers all the way through the ceremony. It even took a slight nudge from her groom to bring her back to reality when the time for their vows had come.
"Marinette," Adrien started, taking both of her hands in his. "Until about ten years ago, I hadn’t been living much at all. Existing? Absolutely. But living? Not even close. Then, you fell from the sky right into my life and changed me forever." He paused, his smile quivering on his lips, tears gathering at the corners of his eyes. "You've become my best friend, my partner, and today, you'll become my wife. Words aren't enough to express how happy I am about that." His voice cracked. Adrien breathed in and continued, the softest of expressions on his face. "You are my inspiration. You make my every day, my every struggle, this whole journey worth living. I love you, Marinette. I love you so much that if I had a choice, if I was given thousands of lifetimes, millions of timelines and realities, I'd still find and choose you because we were meant to be. I was born to adore you, and nothing would ever be able to separate us. Not in this reality. Not in any other."
Marinette bit on her lip, holding back her tears. She couldn't cry. Not yet. She had to tell him how much she loved him first. Even if her voice trembled and her heart threatened to escape her chest. Even if she could barely breathe, nothing but him in her vision. "Someone once said that love is not finding the one person you can coexist with. No. Love is finding that special someone you can’t live without. For me, that person is you, Adrien." She didn't miss the way his smile softened, the way tears filled his eyes, the way his hands lovingly squeezed hers. Like her, like them, was everything that mattered at the moment. "I look at you, and I see everything I ever wanted, everything I ever needed. You’re my rock, my best friend, my biggest supporter. With you by my side, nothing scares me. Whatever the future throws at us, we can conquer as long as we are together." She had so much more to tell him, so much of her heart to express. Yet, none of the words could ever embody everything she felt for this man better than a phrase she had told him a thousand times already; one she would never cease to repeat. "I love you, Adrien. I love you more than I ever thought I could love anyone. And I can’t wait to spend the rest of my life loving you even more with each passing moment."
Adrien didn't wait for the officiant’s "You can kiss the bride", nor did he remember that there were "I Do"s to be said or rings to be exchanged. He didn't even bother to wipe the tears rolling down his face as he pulled Marinette to himself, capturing her lips in a kiss so tender and full of love, yet so passionate and yearning that there was no way Marinette would ever forget it.
Clapping, whistling, and excited shouts filled the space as Adrien pulled away, his eyes on her and her alone.
"Shall you exchange the rings now?" the officiant said with an amused chuckle.
"Absolutely." Adrien grinned, turning towards the ring bearer boy.
Marinette couldn't help her own smile, every word in her vows never being truer than at this moment. Life without Adrien was something she neither could nor wanted to imagine anymore. As Ladybug, or Marinette.
"With these rings, do you take each other as lawfully wedded?" the officiant asked, as soon as Adrien had obtained the rings.
"I do." Adrien took Marinette’s hand and slid the ring on her finger, "My Lady. My Princess. The Love of My Life" engraved on the inside of the band.
"I do." Marinette slid the ring she had prepared for Adrien on his finger, the words she placed against his skin expressing only a fraction of what she felt for this incredible man at this very moment:
"My One and Only. My One True Love."
***
Read it on A03.
This was written for @alwaysandforeverzine and has a spectacular art accompanying this story by an amazing @cat-saturn. Find it on Instagram or Tumblr.
I have my bridal shower tomorrow 10/13/19🙌🏼 got my robes prepped 😍 for myself and girls but omg I’m excited! I’m taking in every moment because I know I will never feel this type of excitement again until my kiddo and future daughter get married 🥰😭
Every moment counts🙌🏼 we got our marriage license yesterday and dude had us give an oath and I literally almost started crying 🤣 but I quickly snapped out of it only cus my fiancé’s brother was there🤣🤣🤣
