30. Their Poor Best Friends

Since the first day of their friendship, Alya had been witness to almost all degrees of Marinette's fretfulness, ranging from nervous fidgeting to full on panicking. They were like a package deal that came with the girl, and Alya wouldn't have had her best friend any other way. The cause differed over the years; unfinished homework, Adrien, an overdue project, Adrien, long hours at the bakery, Adrien, Alya hooking up with Nino, Adrien—

But Alya never recalled seeing Marinette at this level of hysterics.

"The pin won't work!" said Marinette, voice pitched an octave higher than normal as she yanked out a bobby pin from her intricate updo with a jerk of her hand. "This stupid hair won't hold! This is bad, really bad. My hair looks horrid, the dress is horrid, my face is horrid—the wedding is ruined!"

"Chill, girl," said Alya, sighing as she patted Marinette on her bare back for the fifth time in half an hour. "If you keep trying to adjust your fringe, you're going to undo the coils Juleka spent so long styling. Here, sit down and hold still."

"There's no point," Marinette said, moaning into her hands but complying as she let Alya push her back down onto the stool in front of the vanity. "I'm a walking disaster, Adrien's not going to want to marry me."

Alya shook her head as she swept back Marinette's bangs with a finetooth comb. "Marinette, that man has had you as his girlfriend for the last eight years and his fiancée for the last six months. I'm pretty sure he's dying to have you as his wife for the rest of his life."

"Yeah, well, he's got bad taste," said Marinette with an unhinged laugh at her own reflection as Alya fixed the navy bangs with flowered hairpins. "Look at me, I can't even get ready for my own wedding without everyone helping me."

Scowling, Alya dropped the comb back onto the vanity before walking around to stand in front of Marinette and grab onto her bare shoulders.

"Okay, listen up," she said, narrowing her eyes at Marinette's own wide blue ones. "You are beyond gorgeous today, Adrien is going to flip his shit when he sees you and so will half the room. Your hair is fine, have more faith in Juleka. Your dress is out of this world. I mean, you made it! And everyone knows that everything you make is nothing short of amazing."

Alya gestured at the bridal gown Marinette wore, the silks and laces coming together to form one of Marinette's grandest creations to date. The strapless lace and satin ribbon bodice coloured a creamy off-white clung to her torso and exposed her arms. The material gave way to clouds of chiffon and layers of bobbin lace, falling down to a full skirt that brushed the ground as she walked. Glass beads and subtle floral embroidery adorned the gown and Marinette seemed to glitter like a fairy whenever she moved, lending an almost ethereal grace to her form.

"And that includes mine," Alya added, pointing to herself, at the full-length maid-of-honour dress made of pale gold satin. "And Juleka's. And Rose's. And Mylene's. And Alix's, who's really happy to wear one despite what she might say. You've really outdone yourself, Marinette. No one expects you to organise the entire wedding single-handedly, you're bound to need some help."

Marinette only groaned.

Sighing again, Alya shook her head and crossed her arms. "Besides, I haven't seen you this hung over about how you look since we were teenagers. What gives?"

Lifting her head to meet Alya's gaze, Marinette pouted and looked away. "It's a special day for both of us, I just … I just wanted to be sure that everything would be perfect for him. Adrien deserves that much."

An exasperated smile touched Alya's lips. "Girl, you could walk down the aisle in nothing but a trash bag and that man would still think you were the most perfect being in the universe."

"But I'm not though," said Marinette in a small voice, hanging her head. "I'm accident-prone, self-important, disorganised—I'm late for appointments, I trip over my own feet, sometimes I concentrate so much on my projects that I don't notice his calls and texts—"

"But he loves you."

Pausing, Marinette met Alya's eyes. "Wha—"

"'We like someone because,'" quoted Alya, the words ringing through Marinette's mind from a long forgotten day spent under a tree in the park outside her parents' bakery, pointing out passages from an old quotebook in their laps.

"'We love someone although,'" Marinette and Alya finished in unison.

Marinette nodded. "Yeah, I remember."

"Perfection doesn't mean being perfect, Marinette," said Alya, her gaze softening. "In his eyes, you already are. For all your strengths, flaws, and everything in between. Some flyaway hairs or loose hemming on a dress isn't going to change that."

Alya laughed, giving Marinette and affectionate prod on the shoulder. "You do need to work on paying attention to calls and texts, though."

Relenting with a smile, Marinette sighed. "I guess you're right."

"Dude."

"Not now, Nino."

"Bro, seriously, I need to take a leak really bad."

Adrien grit his teeth, willing himself to maintain his winning smile even as he suppressed the urge to kick his best man in the shin. "Nino, please, don't do this me. Not today."

"I'm trying!" keened the taller man, fidgeting as he rolled his weight from one leg to the other. "Believe me bro, I am!"

"Ten more minutes," Adrien begged, turning to speak to Nino as casually as if they were talking about the weather. HIs back turned to the church pews full of chattering guests, only Nino was privy to the petrified look of wide-eyed terror gracing Adrien's face. "Just ten more minutes, Nino."

Nino let out a whining noise like a dog denied its spot on the couch but Adrien had stiffened, struck by a sudden thought.

"For my speech, do you think it would be better if I came off as touching or humourous?"

"Oh come on man," said Nino with an impatient hiss, "we've over this same point like fourteen times in the last hour—"

"Like, maybe I should throw in some bakery jokes—"

"Bro, if you value this marriage, you're not going to even breathe a single pun."

"Okay, okay, but what about—"

"God damn it, Adrien! Stop trying to change the speech five minutes before the ceremony!"

Adrien suppressed a groan. "Nino, I think you might need to sneak me a drink."

"No way, bro. You might be an evil potty-denier, but I'm not letting my best bro go through his wedding drunk off his ass."

Affronted, Adrien allowed a scowl to slip past his calm, polite charade. "Give me some credit, it's not like I'm planning to get wasted. Just a sip, a little Dutch courage."

Holding his body noticeably rigid, Nino stared straight forward as he shook his head. "No way, don't you dare think I've forgotten the incident with the shandy."

"Are you still blaming me for—"

Music filled the church, led by the pipe organ in an unmistakable melody. A shift of movement at the entrance caught Adrien's eye and he turned, the words dying in his throat at the sight before him.

Walking down the aisle, on the beefy arm of Tom Dupain, was none other than Marinette.

She glowed like the sun, her smile beatific like an angel's as she approached. Her dress, the dress she'd spent weeks working on and screeching at him when he tried to catch a peek, seemed to be made of pure starlight with how it glimmered and floated around her form. Fresh jasmine flowers had been woven into her hair, the bouquet of snow white roses made purer by her touch.

His princess, his lady, his wife. Her radiance blinded him, and Adrien forgot how to breathe.

If only his mother could see him now.

His eyes solely on her, he was barely aware of the swell of the music, watching the short exchange between father and daughter before she left Tom's side to cross the few steps between them to join his.

"You're the most perfect being in the universe," he breathed, extending a hand with a reverent bow.

Marinette giggled, taking his hand. "I guess it really does take one to know one, doesn't it?"

A/N: Finally, almost a month after the event month was over, this thing can be marked as finished. :D

I was a complete derp throughout, leaving all the writing for the final three days of the month and then taking almost the whole of the next month to finish posting it, but here we are, guys!

Thank you for all the kind words and support, I hope to see you again.

P.S.: Feel free to visit my Tumblr and drop me an ask or something now and again! This one is super thirsty for asks. xD