Author's Note: Thank you all for the reviews, favourites, and follows. I hope you all continue to enjoy this final chapter.

Picnic date take two.

The word date might be a little hopeful as neither Marinette nor Adrien actually stated it was a date but on the other hand Adrien had overheard Alya refer it to a date and Marinette hadn't denied it so Adrien wasn't going to give up hope.

It was amazing how much could change within a week.

As soon as his transformation had vanished that fateful Monday night, Marinette let out the biggest squeak ever as her cheeks turned a deep scarlet and her eyes suddenly rolled into the back of her head. He had barely caught her in time as she suddenly went backwards dropping the flowers he had given her.

It took a good five minutes kneeling on top of the scattered flowers with Plagg cackling like a madman in the background for Adrien to revive Marinette.

When he did Marinette instantly turned pink again as she let out a string of adorable, incoherent, squeaks. It took another fifteen minutes for him to realise that she was trying to invite him inside for a proper talk.

After some initial awkwardness as they kept talking over each other, stammered like mad, and kept insisting the other one should speak first, they finally sat down and actually had a discussion.

It was agreed they both liked each other very much but this had been an eye-opening experience (in more ways than one!) on the fact they still didn't know each other as well as they thought they did.

So they agreed not to jump into anything until they got to know each other better which, as Plagg later pointed out to Adrien, was another way of saying they were dating.

Adrien could have jumped for joy.

(He did jump for joy until Plagg reminded him he had school in the morning and should go to bed.)

And after four fantastic days of being able to talk and laugh with and flirt with the girl he loved without any masks between them, Adrien was going to go on another picnic with Marinette.

Nervously, Adrien wiped his sweaty palms against his jeans and coughed to clear his suddenly blocked throat. He then hesitatingly reached out of the Dupain-Cheng shop door only to snatch his hand back and shift on his feet.

"Oh for the love of-" Plagg cut himself off crossly. "Just go in already! Just because you got the day free doesn't mean you actually have the whole day to stand around."

"I know, I know," Adrien said hastily, "it's just…do you think I should have brought flow-?"

"No!" Plagg interrupted loudly. "Paris would appreciate it if you stopped picking their flowers before they run out entirely."

"I only did that because the florists was shut!"

"Uhuh," Plagg said disinterestedly, "you should go in. hover out here any longer and your Princess might think that you're not that keen on her after all."

Adrien crashed through the doors without a second thought causing Mr and Mrs Dupain-Cheng to look up startled as he staggered onto his feet. Plagg snickered somewhere beneath Adrien's shirt collar as Adrien felt his cheeks flush bright pink in embarrassment.

"Hello Adrien," Mrs Dupain-Cheng greeted him warmly, "I see you're eager for your picnic."

"I-I-I erm, ah, yes?" Adrien stammered out. "And to see Marinette too!" he added quickly.

Mr Dupain and Mrs Dupain-Cheng shared a smile. Adrien's stomach twisted as he tried to work out whether it was one of their usual warm, friendly, ones, or they were telepathically communicating their plans to threaten bodily harm if he laid a hand on their daughter.

"Good to hear, son," Mr Dupain grinned, "now then," he stepped from behind the counter and Adrien gulped as he was suddenly reminded how gigantic Marinette's father was, "I wanted to have a little word with you about Marinette."

"Y-yes, Sir!"

"Now then," Mr Dupain said gently, "I know Marinette is a pretty girl," was this a trick question thing? Adrien felt like he was supposed to agree but if he agreed did that make it sound like he was only dating Marinette for her looks? "And also very strong willed and persuasive," Mr Dupain continued unaware of Adrien's inner turmoil, "but we want you to know Adrien that you don't have to give into the pressure, you have the right to say no."

"I, wait," Adrien blinked, "what?"

"Dad!" Marinette squawked. Her cheeks were bright pink with embarrassment but Adrien's eyes were more drawn to the sudden outfit change. She was wearing a sweet dress that he strongly suspected she had made herself. It brought attention to things he had never noticed about her before. Like her knees! She had such cute knees! "You're not funny!"

"I don't know," Mrs Dupain-Cheng chuckled, "I thought it was rather hilarious. You should have seen his face."

"Hmmph!"

A little relieved that Marinette's parents weren't going to threaten Adrien within an inch of his life, Adrien suddenly relaxed and saw the humour in it all and laughed as well.

"See sweetie," Mr Dupain said, "Adrien thought it was funny."

"Yeah," Marinette said snarkily, "but Adrien's sense of humour isn't that great either. You should hear his puns."

A little zing of sheer happiness zapped into Adrien's heart at that.

He wasn't going to lie.

He had his own insecurities as well. Ladybug never looked at Chat Noir the way Marinette looked at Adrien and he feared for a while that she would only express interest in him because he was Adrien and not because of who he truly was. His fears have been laid to rest in the last few days. Yes, Ladybug now looked at him adoringly, but Marinette was now comfortable with him to tease and sass him about his puns. They were slowly merging their two separate relationships into one and it was utterly thrilling.

"I'm sure they were funny," Mr Dupain said stoutly, "you just have no appreciation for classical humour."

Marinette rolled her eyes.

"Here," Mrs Dupain-Cheng held up a basket. It looked almost exactly like the one last week that had changed their lives forever. "You kids have fun now."

"But not too much fun," Mr Dupain stressed, "Adrien has photoshoots and can't afford to have any hickeys showing."

"ARGH!"

Adrien blushed even deeper as Marinette snatched the basket and his hand with her free one and dragged him out of the bakery as her parents' laughter followed them. He could hear Plagg snickering away beneath his shirt and was fairly certain Tiki was having a good giggle at their expense too.

"I'm sorry about them," Marinette mumbled, "They think they're so funny and witty."

"That's okay," Adrien smiled softly, "it was nice. I was terrified that your Dad was going to threaten me with a rolling pin or something."

"Well," Marinette grinned slyly, "Dad did consider it." Adrien paled rapidly at the thought and Marinette laughed. "But Mum talked him out of it and reminded him it would be much more effective to inform you that our ovens are big enough to put a body in."

"Princess," Adrien croaked, "you're not funny."

"I wasn't trying to be, Kitty," Marinette replied sweetly. Adrien shuddered at the implication as Marinette squeezed his hand comfortingly. then it suddenly occurred to both of them at the same time that they were holding hands still but Marinette was about to pull away and stammer out her apologies, Adrien clung onto it. He liked the way their fingers locked together perfectly. "I…erm…ah…you…Guh…" Marinette stammered out. "So you totally pick the catbot because it's based on Chat Noir?"

"Oh," Adrien grinned, "like you don't pick the bugbot because it's based on Ladybug. You know I think that could be considered cheating, My Lady."

"Oh please!" Marinette snorted. "I could kick your butt with the catbot with one hand tied behind my back."

"Oh really?" Adrien raised an eyebrow. "Well then challenge accepted. We'll have a rematch using each other's favoured bot and we'll see who the real champion at this game is."

"Oh," Marinette's grin turned into Ladybug's fighting grin. The one that always sent his stomach somersaulting and also the one, he realised, that she wore whenever they played or she was stepping up to the challenge. "You're on!"

They bantered the rest of the way to the park and then they moved onto discussing the promos for Ultra Mecha Strike Four which apparently has Akuma-based bots to battle. They found a discreet corner in the park to lay their blanket down and Plagg and Tiki flew out to join them.

"Your cookies," Marinette said as she offered a pink napkin wrapped round several chocolate chip cookies, Tiki thanked her sweetly before she settled down and dug into her cookies, "and I have some cheese Danishes for you Plagg."

"Never mind that!" Plagg said impatiently. His eyes bigger and full with greed as he eyed the picnic basket. "I want the cheese stuffed basket!" he demanded imperiously. "It's why I've put up with all this nonsense the last week from the moment I encouraged Adrien to transform so he can go to that auction thing. It's time I get my prize!"

Adrien spluttered at that. "You mean all of this!" he gestured wildly. "Happened because you wanted a picnic basket yourself?!"

"No," Plagg sniffed, "all of this," he waved a paw mockingly, "happened because you were too stupid to remember to de-transform. And it's not just a picnic basket," Plagg added haughtily, "it's a cheese stuffed picnic basket!"

If Adrien was an anime character he would have collapsed face first at that.

All of this, the picnic, the Akuma, his accidental slight to Marinette, Marinette's anger towards him, his grovelling and identity reveal, and this current (hopefully a) date, all of it, all happened because Plagg wanted the infamous Dupain-Cheng cheese stuffed picnic basket.

It was all for Plagg's love of a picnic basket!

Adrien didn't begrudge him for his selfish greed though it did also result in a wonderful afternoon with Marinette that ended with a shy, quick, kiss on his cheek and plans for another day together.

Adrien decided he loved picnic baskets too.