I'm Here

Chapter 16

Five years have passed. Marinette and Adrien are both twenty-two and have graduated from an arts college in Paris. They were still together after all these years, and now they'd bought a house together.

"Adrien?"

Adrien turned from his desk in the office to see Marinette, "hey, Bugaboo."

"What are you doing at three in the morning? It's summer, and there's no work to do."

"Well, Cat Noir and Ladybug still have work."

"What do you mean?"

Adrien gestured for her to come over, "look at this. Remember five years ago? I was Akumatized and threatened to kill Allan."

"Oh yeah..."

"How could I have gotten Akumatized? My dad was in jail..."

"Do you think...?!"

Adrien nodded, "someone else got their hands on the Miraculous... How blind am I to not realize this before?!"

Marinette wrapped her arms around him and hugged him, "look, it's not your fault. You couldn't have known."

Adrien sighed, then smiled, "so you're ready to go?"

"I don't know why you wanted this dinner so badly, but yes. Let's go." Marinette smiled as Adrien took her hand and led her down the street to a fancy restaurant.

"It must be nice to be able to live in the open now, huh?" Marinette smiled as she read through the menu, Adrien doing the same. Before going to college, Adrien was able to reason with Nathalie, and even leave on his own to be with Marinette. Now everyone knows that Adrien really isn't dead.

"So ready for dessert?" Adrien asked after their meal.

"You bet! I hear the crème brûlée here is amazing." Marinette smiled.

They talked, laughed, and ate their dessert until Adrien stood up.

"Hey, you okay?" Marinette asked, "sit down, so we can pay..." Her voice trailed off as soon as she saw Adrien get down on one knee. She covered her mouth as he pulled out a black velvet box from behind his back.

"Marinette Dupain-Cheng. I have loved you forever and I want to continue to love you for the rest of my life. " Adrien opened the box, revealing a beautiful diamond ring, "Will you do me the honor in becoming my wife?"

"Oh my gosh... Yes! Yes!" Marinette smiled as tears of joy ran down her face and Adrien slid the ring on her finger, "I promise. I won't disappoint you. And I'll help you with the Hawk Moth case."

Adrien smiled as he took her hands, "I love you."

Marinette chuckled as she grabbed Adrien's face and kissed him, "I love you too Cat Noir."

Adrien smirked, "okay. Come on. Let's go home."

Marinette nodded as they got up, left the restaurant, and headed home.

Marinette admired the ring as she sat next to Adrien at the kitchen table, maps laid out, "wow..."

"So we need to go to the jail and interrogate my dad. See if he still has the Miraculous." Adrien explained.

"Sounds like a plan." Marinette nodded.

Adrien saw the look on her face, "so what's on your mind?"

Marinette smiled as she only shrugged, "oh... Nothing. I was only thinking about... Us."

"What about?"

Marinette bit her lip as she reached across the table to hold his hand, "I want to start a family."

"I do too." Adrien gave her hand a squeeze.

"I need you, Adrien."

"W-what?!" 

"I know I said 'no' some time ago, but... I'm ready. I just need you..."

Adrien looked at her with wide eyes, "y-you're sure? I don't want to hurt you..."

"I'm sure." Marinette stood up and pulled him out of his seat, "we need to give ourselves a break. We have our plan, and we can put it into action first thing in the morning." Marinette explained as they walked towards their room, "but I also want a way to celebrate. I want some alone time with my fiancé."

"Then there's no way I can say 'no' to that." Adrien smiled as they walked into the room, shut the door, and locked it behind them.