20. Chapter 20

"So." the old lady began, eyeing a cuddle pile of drenched teenagers on the backside.

They might've whisked some rain away with a towel but still not enough to combat the coldness that seeped through their bones that even a blanket and a companion's body heat couldn't stop their shivers.

"How did you two end up in Argentan?"

Adrien looked at Marinette who simply shrugged her shoulders.

As if they could tell them that some goons kidnapped them, took them in a remote mansion, made an escape by hitchhiking on top of a truck, and then dropped off to an unknown place only to be realized that it was part of Orne.

So they choose the most plausible explanation.

"We got lost." the blond said.

"Again." his companion added.

"Really?" the driver interjected with a mild humor. "Are you both idiots or what?"

Instead of being offended, Sean's words triggered an inside humor that made them giggled.

"Yeah, we're idiots."

"Not just idiots." Adrien gushed as he snuggled himself more. "But also stupid. Stupidly in love."

The mother and son were half-grinning and half-cringing in his reply.

Inside Marinette's pouch, Tikki was highly amused on the twist of events, unlike Plagg who groaned at his charger's cheesy line - and he was supposed to love cheese.

"They were crying moments ago, then got mad and began shouting at each other, only to be followed by ridiculous giggles, and now they're getting frisky!" the black kwami complained. "And the worse is, I still don't have my Camembert!"

"Why don't you stop being a self-centered doofus and admit that you're happy for them?" the red kwami swooned. "As if you haven't witnessed how teenage love works."

Plagg grimaced. "You know, I have this inkling feeling that the Guardian handed us to do matchmakings, instead of 'saving the world' purpose shits."

"It goes to show that your kittens cannot resist my bugs' charms. And vice versa!"

"You don't get it, Tikki! You're not the one who's being tortured almost every night hearing about his lovesick gushings! Now I'm so not looking forward to this new development!"

Fortunately, their chargers didn't hear his complaints else Adrien already squashed the pouch.

"I thought you two have a wedding to be attended today?" Marinette asked their saviors.

"Yes, we have. And we did." the old lady responded. "It was a smooth-sailing ceremony, thanks to you, but because of this weather, the Bride and the Groom decided to stay in the chapel together with some guests and wait till the rain stops. And since we have a vehicle running, thanks to you young man, we went ahead to the reception then detoured here due to road blockage. Who would've thought that our paths would cross again?"

"Road blockage?"

"Ah, there's an ongoing construction near the south-end which rerouting some public vehicles. Some property damages, I've heard."

So that was why there was no bus in sight.

"See? If we left the post, we might've been traveling off to Caen by now." the raven-haired girl bumped her companion's shoulder, only to get a poke on the cheek.

"If we left the post, M'lady, we wouldn't be here with them right now." he teased. "And we might've not done the things we made back there."

She blushed profusely.

The rain gradually stopped as they drove towards their destination.

"We're here," Sean announced, making the two poked their heads outside the van windows.

They gaped.

Before they revealed a chateau with cream-colored exteriors that match the roadway leading to its entrance gate. It wasn't as grandiose as the one in Versailles or those in Loire Valley, but it has a humble ambiance enough to say that the house held a lot of cultural and historical interactions.

When the copper gates opened, a garden full of roses and hanging lanterns came into view. There were several wooden tables neatly scattered on the grassy grounds, with long rectangular ones on the inclined hill.

The place was completely soaked by the rain.

It was obviously a wedding reception area, an outdoor one, and despite the unforeseen weather, the organizers were able to salvage those tangible and non-waterproof decors.

The service crews and the caterers halted their work as they gave a small bow to Sean and his mother, and then a warm welcoming smile to their young guests.

Once the four left the van, Sean excused himself as he talked with one of the organizers about reconstructing the venue, leaving the three with a uniformed maid.

"Camile." the mother instructed her. "Why don't you prepare a room for our guests in the north wing and bring them some appropriate garments for the party?"

"Yes, Madame," Camile answered, ushering the two flabbergasted teens inside.

Marinette wasn't that knowledgeable compared to Adrien in terms of castle's architectural designs since she was not the one who lives in a Palais, but she wasn't dumb not to identify the aesthetics of the building.

She felt distraught how they left some puddles of water and wet footprints on the floorboards and carpets as they passed the halls but the maid didn't mind it. She even beamed at them when she opened their assigned room.

"Feel free to use the towels and robes inside," she told them. "As well as some clothes in the closet. I don't think Monsieur and Madame d'Eu would mind it. This is actually their suite when they were a bit...younger."

The pig-tailed girl could've sworn Camile winked at them before she closed the door and left.

"That...was weird," she muttered. Her companion nodded silently.

The realization hit them when they began to scan the entire room.

There was a wardrobe full of formal clothes for men and women, and a single bathroom with no dividers. The only furniture inside was a stool for a mirrored dressing table, and a single bed.

And currently, they were soaking wet.

Adrien could only think of one possibility to solve their problems.

"Adrien?"

"Ye-yes?" he squeaked, unable to meet the girl's inquisitive eyes.

"What's the fastest record you've made so far in taking a bath?"

A blush crept in uncontrollably as he rubbed his neck. "Uh...forty-five? No - thirty minutes? Why?"

Marinette smirked. "Mine's three."

For a student who has a reputation for tardiness, he didn't question her claims.

"O - okay."

"So I got dibs first."

He jolted when the bathroom door suddenly banged behind him.

It took him a whole minute to grasp the reason behind his Lady's question.

"Well, well, well." Plagg hovered above his face with a derpy grin. "I know you're not thinking about having a joint shower since you're both wet and you don't want her to get sick, and you're not thinking about changing together even if you'll try your best not to take a peek, because hey, you're a gentleman and you don't have weird thoughts on your beautiful and sexy girlfriend. I mean, who am I talking here?"

"Shut up." the blond scowled while rummaging some clothes inside the cabinet. "Did Marinette bring something to change inside?"

"As far as I can tell, no."

The boy froze.

And when the bathroom door opened, his eyes screwed shut with his back facing hers.

"You're next!"

"O - okay!" his pulse quickened, afraid to turn around and see something...inappropriate.

How will he be able to go inside the bathroom without opening his eyes?

"You can turn around, you know."

He coughed. Did she just bestow him a go-signal to witness her miraculous glory?

"You - you sure?"

"Kitty." she frowned. "I need to get my clothes."

Blood gradually drained out from his face as his panic grew.

Their relationship progressed so fast he couldn't handle it anymore. Not that he didn't like it, but his poor innocent heart might not take it he might die.

Adrien almost shrieked when he felt her damped hand on his right shoulder.

"Don't make me throw you in the bathtub, Agreste." he heard the threat laced on her words. "So move your ass out there so that I can get my clothes!"

"Don't do this to me, Mari," he whined, summoning all of his strength to turn around and look at her. "I might lose my..."

"Lose what?"

He realized that Marinette was wearing a long bathrobe with a towel tufted on her head. On her shoulder sat Tikki with a blanked stare. Behind them was Plagg snickering on his awkward demise.

"...my irresistible wet look?" he piped, then glared on his kwami.

"That 'wet look' will be nothing once you get sick!"

"Yeah. Sorry." the blond replied, rubbing his neck as he walked sheepishly towards the bathroom.

"Adrien?" the raven-haired called him.

"Yes?"

"Were you expecting a joint shower?"

He banged the door closed as a reply.

.

.

.

.

Adrien was wise enough to bring his change of clothing inside, as well as some undergarments he found inside the drawing cabinet.

He immediately stripped his wet clothes and dumped them inside the laundry basket, on top of Marinette's.

When his eyes zeroed on a strip of lace that was buried underneath, he knew it was a trap formulated either by his Lady or by his evil kwami.

"Pervert." Plagg guffawed much to his charger's annoyance.

"I'm not." the blond defended, forcing himself not to swat and flush the miniature god in the toilet.

It was a tiled bathroom with modernized functions for hot and cold showers. There were a bathrobe and a towel that was hanged behind the door. Various brands of soaps, shampoos and toiletries were displayed on the wall, and even though he saw his usual brand, he selected a vanilla-scented one. A scent that likely fit for his girlfriend.

Girlfriend, he thought. Can he consider Marinette now as his girlfriend?

They both acknowledged that they loved each other, and the feeling was mutual, but they haven't solidified their relationship.

Of course, he wanted to establish something with Marinette and would like to label her as his girlfriend so that he could claim her as his.

The question is, will Marinette accept him as her boyfriend?

Ladybug laid some ground rules that their relationship will be nothing but professional. But how about Marinette to Adrien? Will it also be followed considering that Ladybug was Marinette and Chat Noir was Adrien?

They've already broken a barrier when they revealed themselves and destroyed more when they confessed their feelings. So why not try to shatter it completely?

Besides, no one could deny the unbreakable bonds between Ladybug and Chat Noir.

My power is Cataclysm, he mused. And my guardian is a god of destruction.

After drying himself, he slipped a navy blue denim and a lime green chino shirt. It wasn't that much of a tight fit, but he had to plop out a collar button for a breather.

For his hair, he needed a comb and a gel to manage it. He knew that raking his tousled hair by hand wouldn't do justice at all.

He knocked on the door. "Marinette, are you done now?"

"Yes!" was her immediate reply.

Adrien almost tripped himself when he saw her sitting on a stool wearing a blue summer dress with a hair draped on her neck.

He had seen her in various hairstyles, and all of them were beautiful, but the loose one was his favorite.

He almost lost his breath when he saw her eyes gleamed as he walked towards her, making his heart somersaulted with love and adoration again.

Mine, he thought with resolution. She's mine.

"Your hair looks funny." Marinette chuckled as she stood up, but before she could touch it, he stopped her by gently holding her wrist.

"A - Adrien? What's wrong?"

He reached her other hand with his, drawing both closer to his lips as he kissed them.

He took a deep breath, and once he saw the roundness his beloved's bluebell eyes, he uttered, "Go out with me you will?"

Wait, what?

The designer blinked thrice, and with amusement on her face, she answered, "Of course, we have to. Actually, Maman was waiting for us outside."

"No - no, that's not what I meant!" he choked. "I - I mean we have to go out, but I'm asking you not that go out, as go outside, not that we can't go out, but I mean I want us to go out as go out. Urg! God, what's happening."

The girl laughed at his stuttering words, which reminded her of their weird interactions way back in collège.

"Relax, Chaton." she cooed, caressing his head to calm his nerves. "You can speak slowly. I'll listen."

"Marinette..." his voice hitched again.

"Yes?"

"Will you..."

She hummed for encouragement. Not that she was teasing him, but she wanted him to relay his desire through words. And in his eyes, she could see the motivation she rarely seen in his two personas.

"Will you go out with me? Not going outside, okay? But you and me, go out as together, not as going outside together, okay?"

"Okay...?"

"So..." he trailed off sheepishly. "Will you grant my humble request to go out with me and be my girlfriend?"

Silence.

The model braced himself for rejection, but when he felt a soft peck on his lips, he shuddered with relief.

"Yes." she gave a watery reply while nodding. "I'll be your girlfriend."

He gave his Chat-esque grin as his emotion surged out. "That's...meow-velous."

The designer had to muster herself not scowl.

"On a second thought - "

"No!" he whimpered. "You can't take it back!"

"And why not?" she sassed, only to make him press her body towards him.

"Because I'm not letting you go."

The two were about to share another kiss when a phone sounded.

"Oh. That's mine." Marinette wiggled herself out much to Adrien's dismay. "I found some spare chargers to plug our phones."

"Who's the mood killer this time?" he huffed, raking his hair with mild irritation.

She didn't answer him. Instead, she showed him the caller ID.

It was Alya.