Second Chances

engaged -------->chp49

Marinette was aware of how Emma was shaking her arm, frantically begging her to say yes. But Marinette felt as though she'd just been hit with a punch to the chest as the reality of everything came crashing down upon her not for the first time in these last few days. She was going to marry him. She was going to be his wife. She was going to be Emma's mom. They were going to be a family.

And suddenly, her worries seemed small in comparison to how excited she was for all that to become reality. "Yes," she said, her voice surprisingly weak. "Yes."

Emma squealed happily before wrapping her arms around Mariette's torso.

Marinette looked down at the girl in fondness then hugged her back before looking up at Adrien. The smile he gave her completely stopped her heart. "Can I have 'mommy's' hand?" he quietly asked, a teasing lit to his voice.

She grinned and complied, holding out her left hand for him to take. His smile was wide and his eyes positively gleamed as he took the ruby ring from the little velvet box and slid it onto her finger with the most tender of care.

She felt the tears well in her eyes. The next thing she knew, Adrien had both her and Emma wrapped up in his embrace. She sniffed, then happily leaned against him, pressing her face into his neck and leaving tear stains on his shirt. But considering the way he simply squeezed them both tighter, she doubted he minded.

Emma was very clingy the rest of the day. She didn't let 'mommy' out of her sight and seemed to completely forget that 'mommy' had a name.

But Marinette was perfectly okay with that.

Eventually, it was time for Emma to go to bed. Marinette helped bathe her, then let Emma sit on her lap while Adrien read a chapter in the book.

She was out before Adrien even finished.

"She had a long day," he commented, marking the page and closing the book.

"A long weekend, from the sounds of it," Marinette added.

He hummed his agreement. Emma was soon tucked in with Plagg at her back and Tikki under her arm. They slipped silently from the room then made their way downstairs.

Once at the bottom of the stairs, Adrien caught Marinette's hand before she could take another step towards the front door. She whipped around to look at him, only to see a sly smirk and a mischievous sparkle in his eyes as he tried to drag her into the living room. While Marinette pretended to struggle against him, she allowed him to lead her and pull her on top of him as he collapsed onto the couch. She giggled and hid her face against his chest, then peeked out of her hiding spot to look at him. And when she met the gentle glint in his eyes, she knew she wouldn't be able to resist the urge to kiss him.

Twenty times over.

When was the last time she just made-out with a man? She felt like a teenager again, but the somewhat foreign sensation of the ring reminded her that she wasn't a teenager and she was engaged to the man who had his hands all over her and made her so immensely happy.

But then she also registered that he'd just presented her with a ring and they only just talked about that that very morning.

She pulled away, her breath coming in heavy pants just as his was. "Adrien," she said between breaths. "Just where. Did you get. This ring?"