45. Chapter 45
Having a date with Adrien Agreste was one of Marinette's childhood fantasies.
She imagined herself meeting the teenage model at her doorsteps, clad in his crisped designer suit and a bouquet of roses that would greet her together with his sunshine smiles. He would fluster seeing her in a matching self-designed dress, and more when she thanked him with a kiss - that, if she didn't melt into a puddle of goo first before she met his emerald orbs.
Hundreds of gratuitous daydreams flashed in her scandalous mind throughout her early Lycèe years. May it be an ice cream date, a movie date, a picnic or a stroll in a park date, as long as Adrien accompanied her, she'll be happy.
But she never, for the life of her, ever imagined that it would happen eventually, and catastrophically.
Not only because Adrien was Chat Noir...
"Did I make you feel breathless?" a certain blond asked her, still donned in his feline suit.
"Breathless?" her voice hitched before she erupted. "It's more like suffocated!"
...but because her expectation exceeded her reality.
Marinette was so glad her knees didn't wobble as they safely landed on the ground. Thanks to that, she was able to deliver another fitful of blows to her offender.
"You were trying to plummet us to the ground!" the designer complaints only earned a chortle.
"But we didn't, Princess. In fact, you still looked regal as ever." he chided, somewhat pleased that he was still wearing his Miraculous uniform else she'll leave him bruised the next day.
He made sure that her hair will not be ruffled by the cold wind during their free fall, and somewhat satisfied that her dress remained unwrinkled. His action wasn't an over-the-top teasing - he simply did it to ease her nervousness.
He didn't expect that it'd be so exhilarating.
"Wipe that smug off, you mangy cat. I'm so mad at you right now!"
"Aww, Bugaboo." he chuckled again, but this time he reached out her hand to kiss it. "I'm also mad at you. Madly in love."
It was cheesy yet she blushed profusely on his line, and the sound of his delighted purr told her that her reaction was obvious in his night vision. Her stupid Kitty was so proud of his stoked ego.
Unfair, she grumbled mentally. Her heart was still overwhelmed by her two favorite boys being one at the same. And when he dropped his transformation, she knew she'd be a goner.
"Cat got your tongue, My Lady?"
Adrien was wearing his slicked blond hair with an apple green Polo that was slightly tucked in his designer jeans. A latest Gabriel leather belt and his short boots gave him a perfect casual look, and with his short-sleeved shirt, it displayed his well-ripped biceps. On his wrist, he tied her beaded lucky charm - the one that she gave to him when they were in collège - like a bracelet, and on his hand was a single red chrysanthemum.
In floriography, it means 'I love you.'
"Unfair," she grumbled audibly, unabashed on his blushed face. "Showing your dorky nature moments ago, then all of a sudden you flipped into this ridiculous Cat-sanova? Are you trying to give me a heart attack?"
"Can't blame a man for romancing his woman." he slipped the flower behind her ear. "Forgive me?"
"Isn't this...kinda direct?" she gulped with her anxious eyes focused on her sandals for a fear to meet his dejected face. "Li-like you...and me... and I understand that taking things slowly was not our forte. But - "
"Marinette." the seriousness of his tone halted her thoughts, especially when he tilted her chin to meet his gaze. "I love you. We might be too young in everyone's eyes, but we're not just ordinary youngsters - we got far more experiences than an average adult. We've faced a bunch of enemies that are more dangerous than notorious criminals and witnessed deaths like undertakers on cemeteries. Hell, we're both magical superheroes with unusual familiars!"
Her giggles lit a fire that burned his chest.
"I don't want to repeat the same mistakes." he went on. "Letting our emotions and insecurities rule over our happiness. I don't want to lose you again."
Small hands reached and cupped his cheek. "You will never lose me, Chaton. I'm forever yours."
"Marinette."
"Adrien."
As their lips drew closer, a voice suddenly shrieked. "Is that a Camembert I smell?"
"PLAGG!" the red kwami thwarted his head. "What did I tell you about ruining the mood?!"
"But Tikki." the black kwami bemoaned with insolence. "I'm a god of destruction. 'Ruining' is always my game."
Adrien had to muster all of his strength not to bury his kwami alive.
Sensing the shift in the atmosphere, Marinette feigned a cough.
"So." she began. "I've heard from this dashing Knight of the land that my Purr-ince prepared a grandeur surprise for me."
"Oh, ma Purr-incesse." he clasped her hands dramatically and placed it on his chest. "You have no idea how my henchmen prepared our dwelling place for us to enjoy the night."
"Oh? And these henchmen of yours happened to be enrolled in Francoise Dupont's?" she teased, letting herself be led to a place.
"Loyal peers, those people. In fact, they were the ones who planned the itineraries and everything!"
"Including a To-Do list?"
"Yeah, that too." he grimaced at the idea. "They somewhat pitied my abilities to woo a lady, despite the fact that most of them are singles."
The kwamis guffawed as they flew towards the vehicle's compartment.
"Where are we goi - Adrien." Marinette stopped dead in her tracks.
In front of them was a black Peugeot Speedfight in Chat Noir's colors.
"I was supposed to rent a white horse or a carriage, but given the limited time and resources, I opted for a modern yet classic approach," he explained sheepishly. "There are lots of rental vehicles in Caen that accepts student driver's license, as long as it met the requirements."
The designer looked at him with disbelief.
"Oh, don't worry My Lady. I drove a motorcycle before. Once." he supplied, but the silence made him think otherwise. "And this is the latest, and one of the safest Peugeot released in the market."
"Kitty - "
"It has a SmartMotion engine of 135mpg with an increased Economy by ACG. It has more Power available as it worked with Synerjet single-indirect fuel injection."
"Minou - "
"This is a liquid-cooled type, Princess. Its management disables the flywheel during acceleration and deceleration when the battery is sufficiently charged - not to mention its SynchoBraking concept, making it accident-free!"
"Chaton - "
"Most of all, look at its features! Not only it has digital dials and 100% LED lighting, there's a built-in GPS that assures you that we'll arrive at our destination at no time. And look at the black and neon green finish, and three-clawed design here, doesn't it reminds you of a Cataclysm right?
"Adrien." she gave him an impassive look. "I don't have any issues with the specs. My issue is this."
On the side was a quote 'Attire goes in the Wheel' stuck in neon reflectors.
"It's wheely tyre-riffic." he beamed.
"It's wheely tyre-ribble." she deadpanned. "And don't give me that Kitty Eyes™, or that foul mouth you have for puns because I'm not going to ride any vehicles that mashed Fashion and Motors into destruction!"
"But it's veer-inspiring!"
"No."
In the end, she rode the motorcycle.
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"Oh no." Rose murmured when she saw a broken mirror.
When Sabrina accidentally dropped Chloe's compact, it erupted a nonsensical commotion.
"See?! Even Rose agreed that this is a grave situation!" the mayor's daughter exclaimed as she refused her bespectacled friend's fervent apologies.
"She wasn't referring to your damaged make-up, Chloe," Juleka interjected calmly. "Rose was concerned on the mirror."
"It symbolizes bad omen." Max supplied. "According to the ancient Romans, breaking a mirror means seven years of bad luck. Sometimes, a message of someone's misfortune."
The students shuddered at the idea.
Alya's thoughts flew immediately to her best friend. She grabbed her phone to send her a message but stopped herself.
The brunette sighed exasperatedly. She didn't want to interrupt her precious date because of her nosiness.
"Hope Adrien and Marinette are okay."
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They weren't okay.
When Adrien secured themselves and whirred the engine to life, their motorcycle wobbled and stopped. He had to turn the knob multiple times to make it work since it was an Automatic with no pedals, but for some unknown reasons, the motorcycle would stop after covering a certain distance.
"Are you sure you can manage it?"
There wasn't any malice on Marinette's words, but it was evident in the tone that she was worried.
"Fret not, my Lady," he assured her. "I might be out of practice, but we can manage it. Unless your weight is the reason."
He snorted when she slapped his arm.
The summer wind was able to penetrate their helmets, and with its clear visor, the designer could see the glittering stars in the sky.
"This is nice." she sighed, wrapping her arms around her companion as she rested her chin on his shoulder blades. "The stars are brighter here compare to the ones we often see on Eiffel."
A large hand squeezed hers, making the skinship a bit intimate. "It's the pollution that makes a difference. You can even feel the breeze in the air."
She hummed to agree. "Aren't we getting late, mon Minou?"
"Poetic Night ends at eleven. And tonight's a half moon, so we don't have to worry about the tides. The highest we might get is nineteen meters, and that would be around ten o'clock. Besides, there's a causeway and a dam that regulates the sea level."
"Aren't our friends sweet? They're giving us free passes to one of the most romantic destinations in Normandy."
"I'm not surprised if one of them snagged an entrance ticket to Mont Saint Michel," he smirked, doubtful if it was Alya or Chloe who did the negotiations. "And I bet the potluck money they're waging must be far greater than our current expenses."
"What are they betting again, Kitty? Is it about 'who will ask first'?"
"I think it's 'who will get more kisses', Buginette."
"Dream on, stupid cat." she rolled her eyes. "Though I'd rather say it's 'who will land to the hospital first'."
The boy gasped indignantly. "You're questioning my ability towards safety precautions?"
"I'm talking to an embodiment of Bad Luck here," she remarked.
"And I'm talking to an embodiment of Good Luck here." he retorted.
"Smartass. Why don't you finish your job making this motorcycle work so that we can leave this place?"
"As you wish, my Lady."
Turning the engine on again, Adrien maneuvered their vehicle easily as they fast approached Avranches.
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"Uh - oh." Alix uttered when she saw the broken glass.
When Kim recklessly shoved his plate after he commenced a binge eating contest, his water glass fell and shattered on the floor.
Of course, Miss Bustier reprimanded him in public.
"Is he going to be cursed or something?" Mylene asked, referring to the destroyed item.
"It's actually the opposite," Juleka replied with a smile. "In Indian tradition, breaking a glass by accident means good omen."
Nino eyed his phone. He was tempted to send his bro a message but decided not to. Curiosity aside, he doesn't want to interrupt the two, especially if they're in a middle of something private.
"Hope Marinette and Adrien are okay."
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They weren't okay.
Their motor failed them again in the middle of the road, so the two had to drag their vehicle under a street light.
Marinette didn't say anything as she observed her companion fiddling something on a small toolbox. The way his brow creased deeper with sweat dripping on his temples told her that he was getting frustrated.
Adrien's 'perfect son' image taught him how to compose himself in a stressful situation, which was carried over by his superhero self every time they encountered a difficult Akuma. She knew both sides of him, and by simply merging these personalities into one, she understood completely why he was doing such mundane things, despite their abilities to transform and travel in a faster pace using their Miraculous.
"I'm not being rude," Tikki told her. "But I don't think it's an abuse of power if you and Adrien will transform in order to arrive there on time. Same with you summoning your Lucky Charm."
Plagg has a different opinion but decided not to voice it out.
"I'm sorry." Adrien apologized with sober eyes on the engine. "I should've prepared properly. I was too lenient that I forgot to make a contingency plan. Why did I choose a motorcycle even though there's a chauffeured car available?"
"Adrien - "
"All I want is a perfect date with you." he couldn't stop his blabbers, likely due to his desire to vent out. "A - and our friends made an effort to make everything possible, but I failed them, especially you, and I - "
"Why don't you shut up for a minute, Kitty."
He did. He barely registered how near her face was and how warm her lips were when she pressed it on his.
It was chaste yet sweet.
When Marinette fluttered her eyes open, she was taken aback when she saw the tears flowing from his eyes.
She paled with mortification. "I - I'm sorry, Adrien! I didn't mean to surprise you with something unpleasant! It was uncalled for, and I should've asked permission, but - "
"Unfair." was his sniffled reply. "I want to kiss you more, but you moved away, and I can't pull you back because my hands are dirty, and I don't want to sully you, especially your clothes, because you're too pretty tonight."
She rolled her eyes. Why am I in love with this dork?
"I want to kiss you again. Can I kiss you again?"
She kissed him again.
It was longer, giving him the reins to domineer the kiss since her poor Kitty needs some solace. When she wrapped her arms around his neck to adjust their angle, he purred for approval.
He gave a dissatisfied growl when they separated.
"We're not supposed to make out outside, you know." she pointed out.
"Don't care."
She pecked him. "Happy now?"
Adrien scrunched his nose with a thought "Hmm, a few more probably, and we'll call it even."
The designer scoffed at his wolfish grin. The nerve. But before she could comply with his request again, a vehicle suddenly honked behind them.
"Please tell me it's not another crap who wants to ask for directions or someone who wants to flirt with you again." the model groaned begrudgingly.
She wanted to yell 'fuck off' on the stranger but swallowed her words after they recognized the driver.
"Care for a joyride, kids?" Master Fu asked.