4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

Alya charged into the apartment past a bewildered Marinette. "Girl, why didn't you tell me you moved in with Adrien?"

Marinette blinked as her best friend immediately went snooping, looking through the magazines on the table, checking out the pictures lining the fireplace, scanning the books on the shelves, and flipping through the mail on the stand next to the door.

"Nino didn't even know. I had to learn about it from your parents." She whipped around to give her the evil eye and brushed back wavy strands of hair from her face. "Do you know how lame that is? I show up to your place and your mom looks embarrassed for me."

"Well, you two have been busy with the wedding planning, and I didn't want to disturb you."

"Liar." She crossed her arms. "What are you hiding?"

Marinette finally closed the door. "Honestly, I can still barely believe it. I keep thinking I'm going to wake up any second."

Softening, Alya smiled. "It is pretty unbelievable." She hauled Marinette to the couch and made her sit. "Spill everything."

Marinette started with the discovery that Adrien owned the apartment and concluded with the disastrous surprise visit from her parents.

Alya nearly fell off the couch from laughing so hard, eyes screwed shut and cheeks bright with mirth.

Marinette raised a brow. "It's not that funny."

A tear leaked from her friend's eye and she swiped it away. She sat up and smoothed her face into a picture of calm, fractured by the occasional chuckle. "Okay, sorry. What happened next?"

"He made me dinner." She groaned. It was such a quiet, awkward dinner. But, at least, he could cook.

"That must mean he likes you. Guys don't do that for just anyone."

"I think he sees me only as a friend." She inhaled and straightened her slumped posture. "But that's okay. It's better this way. Less stress, you know? I can finally relax and be myself around him."

"Right," Alya said doubtfully. "Well, at least you'll never be starved of eye candy."

Vanishing the image of Adrien's dreamy smile and mesmerizing eyes from her mind, she changed the subject. "So what did you need?"

"You're still my maid-of-honor, right?"

"Of course."

Alya pulled magazines, cloth samples, and pictures from her book bag. "We've moved up the date."

"You're not pregnant, are you?"

Her friend went all bug-eyed. "No. We just don't want to wait forever to get married. Who knows what could happen. Chat Noir could beat Ladybug, and we'd all be done for."

"That's not going to happen," she said, not fully registering the front door opening.

"What's not going to happen?" Adrien asked while tossing his keys into the bowl on the stand.

Marinette bolted to her feet. "Adrien!"

Barely holding back a laugh, Alya muttered, "Relax, huh?"

She shot her friend a look, but Alya ignored her and said to Adrien, "Chat Noir defeating Ladybug."

His jaw ticked, but then he smiled. "Marinette is right. That'll never happen."

"Regardless, Nino and I are moving up the wedding date."

"Yeah, he just told me."

"Good. You being here will speed things up." She spread the contents of her book bag on the coffee table and began organizing everything.

Marinette walked to him, wringing her hands. "Is it okay she's here?"

His eyes turned from two hard emeralds to fields of lush spring grass she wanted to curl into. "Yeah. This is your place now too."

Her heart fluttered against her ribs.

"So," Alya said, breaking their locked gazes, "your job is to plan a joint bachelor/bachelorette party. Something that'll be fun for everyone. Here's the guest list."

And that was how Marinette found herself, hours later, walking with Adrien to different stores to pick up items needed for the party.

"I can't believe they're getting married in two weeks," she said.

A horn honked in the distance. Plenty of people meandered between the stores and cafes, filling the background with chatter and clanking dishes.

He laughed. "I can. They're crazy for one another."

"I know. But after university, not before, sounds more responsible." She looked at the checklist on her phone. "So, we still have to get the drinks, find a DJ, though I'm not sure what Nino is going to think about that, and order a cake. I can have my dad do that. Oh, and get decor—"

"Marinette?" a familiar voice asked.

Looking up, she found Nathaniel standing in the middle of the sidewalk, tall and slender, red hair shining under the sun. She stopped and beamed at him. "Hey!"

His hair was still long, and he stood straighter, with more confidence. It even showed in his eyes. He looked great, and she made sure to tell him that.

Color rose to his cheeks, but then he glanced at Adrien behind her and paled. Dragging his gaze back to her, he asked, "How've you been?"

"I'm well. Just out shopping for Alya and Nino's party. They're getting married."

He moved out of the way for a couple strolling by. "I heard."

"Oh, and you're on the guest list." She tapped him on the shoulder. "So make sure you keep next Saturday night open."

"You'll be there?" he asked, fingers grazing the spot she'd touched. A corner of his lips lifted.

She nodded. "It'll be at our place."

His small smile fell, and he glanced at Adrien again. "Oh, so you two are together?"

"You could say that," Adrien said, suddenly so close his body heat warmed her.

Marinette choked out a laugh. "We're just roommates."

Nathaniel relaxed and repositioned the drawing pencil behind his ear. "Great. Then I'll be there."

"We should finish that list, Marinette," Adrien said, his voice hard at the edges.

She nodded. "It was great seeing you."

Before she could wave goodbye, Adrien nudged her forward and left Nathaniel staring after them.

"Are you okay?" she asked him.

His jaw was set and his brows were low. "Yeah, why?"

"You were acting weird."

He rubbed the back of his neck. "I just need to wrap this up soon. I have another photo shoot tonight."

She shrugged, and they soon had bags of decorations in each hand. The drinks were to be delivered later. Mostly alcohol, and lots of it.

"Are you sure it's okay to have everyone drinking in the apartment?" she asked, as they walked. "We could always rent a place or go bar hopping as Nino suggested."

"Reservations won't be possible on such a short notice. Besides, the apartment is big enough. And safer," he added with a smile.

She groaned. He was always going to think that was her parent's top concern, and, therefore, hers. Which reminded her they were on their way to the bakery and of how she really didn't want a sequel.

"You know, I can order the cake by myself," she said. "That way you can get ready for your photo shoot."

He checked his phone. "I have time."

"But just in case. You don't want to be late."

Raising a brow, he asked, "Are you trying to get rid of me?"

She spluttered, nearly coming to a stop. "Yes. I mean, no. Of course not. I. I was just trying to be considerate."

After watching her for a moment, Marinette doing her best to maintain an innocent facade, he said, "That's what I like about you. You're always so kind." He gave her a dazzling smile. "Like with Nathaniel back there."

She blinked the fogging effects of his grin away. Nathaniel? "Yeah. I guess."

"You always try your best to make people feel comfortable."

He wasn't wrong. But just what was he getting at?

"I remember he had a thing for you back at Dupont," Adrien continued. "Did you ever date him?"

Her feet slowed to a stop. "Date?"

"Go out? To eat or something?"

If she wasn't mistaken, he seemed a little jealous. She looked around, but the world appeared the same. Everyone had one head, down was down, and up was up.

A shop's door opened with a ding. "Marinette, honey," her mom said. "What are you two doing standing out there?"

Marinette looked around him at her. "I need a cake for Alya's party. Is that cool?"

"Certainly. Come inside, put those bags down, and take a break. I'll get you something to snack on."

With a sideways glance at Adrien watching her like she was his prey, she went inside. The aroma of fresh bread and sweet pastries wafted toward her, and she inhaled deeply. She missed smelling that all the time.

"Marinette," her dad said with glee. As her mom went to the back of the store where they made the bread, he darted around the counter to wrap Marinette in a hug that lifted her feet off the ground and dangled her bags. "It's good to see you."

She chuckled. "I love you too, Papa."

He put her down, stepped back, and looked—glared—at Adrien. "Hello, young man."

Elbowing his side, she corrected him, "Adrien is his name. Remember?"

Her strike had zero impact. A house could land on him, and he would probably walk right through it without notice.

"Bonjour," Adrien said, putting down his bags. "Your bakery smells as delicious as I remember it. And it looks very safe."

Marinette pinned her arms to her sides so she wouldn't slap a hand to her face. The groan, though, escaped her lips.

One of Tom's brows lifted. "Is that supposed to be a joke?"

Adrien swallowed. "No. I just thought the walls looked...intact, and the door didn't stick, which means the foundation is good, right? And–"

When her father unconsciously cracked his knuckles, Marinette passed him her bags. He took them without removing his leveled gaze off of Adrien. She was just being cautious. The man had never been violent in her life, but he had also never been in this kind of situation.

"I thought safety is important to you," Adrien said, brows curved in confusion.

"That's not—"

"Dad," she said, grabbing his arm and pulling him toward the back door, "I need to have a word with you." Then she addressed her mom as they passed. "Adrien has the notes for the cake."

Sabine nodded.

Once they were in the living room, she tried to speak but her father said, "I'll not have you with someone who so casually talks about your intimate life. To your parents no less." He threw his arms up in dismay, not remembering he held her bags. Some items tumbled out. "And then jokes about it."

A giggle bubbled up in her chest. She thought of the situation, then of Alya's reaction, and she had to admit it was pretty amusing. By the time the little laugh reached her lips, it turned into a full-fledged guffaw.

"This is not funny, Marinette," her father said around gritted teeth as he crossed his arms.

She straightened and wiped her teary eyes. "It is, Papa, because he seriously thinks you're talking about safety. Then and now."

"But your mother asked—"

"If we were being safe, and he thought she meant locking the doors and whatnot."

His face bunched up in uncertainty. "Seriously?"

She nodded. "We're just friends. He's very respectful and wouldn't act like that. And he'd probably be mortified if he understood what the real topic was about, so can you not mention it? Just go back down there and be nice? Please?" She smiled as sweetly as possible to convince him.

Exhaling, as if the weight of the world had been lifted off his shoulders, he said, "Of course. Consider it forgotten. Now let's go help your mother." He turned and went down the stairs.

Marinette bent to pick up the fallen packages of balloons.

"That was good of you to explain the situation to your father," Tikki said, peeking out of her purse.

"I can't have my dad hating Adrien. Not if I plan on marrying him one day."

Tikki giggled at the joke. "I think he likes you."

"Of course my dad likes me."

"No. Adrien. I know you noticed that bout of jealousy."

She grabbed the last bag and stood, shaking her head. "He's probably just curious. I wouldn't be surprised if he tries to set me up with Nathaniel, like he did with me and Nino."

"Marinette," her mom called from the first floor.

Tikki hid in her purse as she went downstairs.

Before entering the bakery, she paused. Adrien ate a slice of salmon pie at the wooden work table with her parents standing on the other side. They seemed to be conversing just fine now, no suspicious looks or minced words.

Adrien noticed her and smiled, then her parents followed suit.

She could get used to this sight.

oOoOo

"Come here, kitty kitty," Ladybug called with a sly smile. That would surely make Chat's hackles rise.

She peeked around a chimney, but found nothing.

Tiptoeing to the next one, she jumped to the other side, yo-yo at the ready.

Still nothing.

She swung across the street and landed on another roof. "Oh, kitty."

Since running away was no longer an option, she'd decided to go hunting for answers.

A shadow moved.

She whipped around, flinging her yo-yo at the darkness. Silver flashed in the moonlight, his staff deflecting her weapon before vanishing.

She ran after him, leaping to the adjoined rooftop, down the balconies, across moving cars—a chorus of honks ensuing—and up another building.

"Chat, stop. I just want to talk."

He ignored her, not even slowing down a fraction.

Stubborn cat.

She chased him across Paris, bounding from property to property, toward the Eiffel Tower.

"Will you just stop already?"

He vaulted himself to the Eiffel Tower, then ran up and around the sides of the iconic structure.

She had a harder time making her way up, having to rely on her yo-yo. Each throw slowed her down that much more.

Stopping her ascent, she leaned out, the ground looming hundreds of feet below her, and latched onto a thick beam with her legs. The wind blew through her pigtails as she hurled her yo-yo at the black blur that was Chat.

As soon as the string grew taut, she jerked back with everything she had, ripping his hold from the structure. He fell, arcing out, down, and back to the Tower where she'd tossed him onto one of the lower beams.

After climbing down, she stepped to him as he tried to untangle his arms from his torso. He stilled when he heard her coming, then hopped to his feet and ran.

She yanked him back, dropping him to his rear. He got right back up.

"What's the matter?" she asked, pulling him back down. "You don't like being leashed?"

He continued to struggle against his binds.

She sighed and sat on him, straddling his torso. "You're not going anywhere until you talk."

He froze and stared at her with wide eyes.

"What does Hawk Moth want with the Miraculouses? And how does that benefit you?"

His surprise turned to indignation. "Get off of me."

"Answer me first."

He breathed out hard. "Don't make me use Cataclysm."

"Don't make me pull that ring off."

"You wouldn't."

She clenched her jaw. He was right, of course. "Just tell me why. If it's to save the world, I'll gladly hand the earrings over."

Tikki gasped. Marinette, you can't trust him.

That was a given.

"I've already told you as much as I can," he said. "Let me go."

"No."

He called on his special power and hovered the hand radiating black bubbles of utter destruction over the string binding him.

She glared at him. "You wouldn't."

"I'm not the hero anymore, Milady." His voice was snarky now that he had the advantage. "Let me go."

Her commanding posture slumped. "Fine." She got to her feet and released him.

He spun up to a crouched stance, a cat ready to pounce. "Don't chase me again," he said, tone sharp enough to draw blood.

She reluctantly nodded.

When he stepped to the ledge, she couldn't stop his name slipping from her lips in a longing way.

"Don't." Looking over his shoulder at her, emotions flickered across his stony face so fast she couldn't pinpoint them. Then he jumped off the Eiffel Tower, scaling one-handed down its side.

Chat ran past an advertising column she knew held Adrien's image, slapping a hand against it as he went. The structure's internal light flickered out before the whole thing crumbled in on itself.

She sat with her feet dangling off the edge. "What am I going to do, Tikki?"

What you always do: never give up.

AN - Another chapter! And it's a thousand words longer than all the previous ones. I have the next one outlined and tomorrow I get to write!

Thank you so much for reading and commenting. I absolutely loved reading them all! This is an amazing fandom and I'm happy to contribute!

My sister and I had a couple good laughs going over this, mostly at ourselves: her misreading words (Chat eating Ladybug) and my own flubs. Lol. Thanks for making editing fun, sis!

Update: and another one done!