"You have a message," was the first thing Plagg said to Adrien that night when he walked into his room, his awful day weighing down on his shoulders.

To his utter shame, he was still living at the mansion, but he wasn't looking forward at living on his own if it was depriving him of what little human contact he still had at home. Natalie might've been his father's assistant, but she was as close as a motherly figure as anyone could get to him in his life, and he was reluctant to leave her behind without anyone to replace her and wait for him at home.

"A message? From Ladybug?" he asked, looking at his kwami expectantly.

As usual, the small god drawled it out, munching happily on his piece of Camembert before saying, "LB wants to meet you tonight. At the usual spot, at eight. Apparently, it's urgent."

Adrien groaned, defeated. "Plagg, it's five to eight as we speak. Eat that cheese quickly, we're going out tonight."

Before Plagg could even protest, Adrien said the magic words, and they were both engulfed in the familiar green light. Seconds later, Chat Noir was running on all fours on his familiar rooftops, eager to meet with his lady on the time she had set.

She was waiting for him, on their favourite rooftop. On the rooftop where all their meaningful moments had happened. When she had first admitted she had a civilian crush. When he had told her he liked her beyond friendship. The first akuma they had battled. The beginning of their beautiful friendship.

It didn't help that she was gorgeous, distracting him from the beeping sound in his headphones. She was beautiful as always, her ponytail floating behind her. She spotted him instantly, smiling at him softly. "Evening, Chat Noir."

"Evening, my lady. You called?"

She squirmed uncomfortably in front of him. "I… There's no easy way to say this so… Chat, I'm pregnant." She took a deep breath, before going on despite her fears, "and it's yours."

He stared at her blankly, eyes blown wide and mouth slightly agape. "You… You're sure that…"

Ladybug had a sad laugh, "That I'm pregnant, or that it's yours?"

"...Both, I guess? I mean, I would never doubt you, but-"

"I am," Ladybug said, cutting short to his rambling. She handed him a small square of paper folded in four.

He opened it only to find what he recognized to be an ultrasound picture. It the middle was a little white bean. "Is that…"

"Our baby. Yes. I'm four weeks along." She smiled softly, draping a protective hand over her stomach. "Don't worry. I know we never talked about that night, and I won't ask anything from you."

This seemed to reconnect Chat Noir with reality. His eyes snapped up to hers, and he frowned. "What are you saying? It's mine too, of course, I want to get involved. I never brought that night up because I figured it was just a one-time thing for you."

This apparently took her by surprise, because her eyes widened. "Why would you assume such a thing? You were my first time, and you know it."

"Because you never brought it up…" Adrien groaned. They were a special pair of idiots, weren't they? "Okay, what about this: from now on, whenever something bothers us, we talk about it instead of letting it fester like we did. For the sake of the baby. And our relationship."

Ladybug shook her head softly. "But how, Chaton? With the masks in the way, how are we supposed to raise a child together? I just don't see-"

Adrien's blood ran cold.

No.

Nope.

Not on his watch.

"Like hell, you're doing this on your own, stubborn bug. Plagg, claws in." Before she could say or do anything to change his mind, the familiar green light washed over him, leaving a rather determined Adrien Agreste in its wake. He held out his hand, smiling. "Hi, my name is Adrien, and I'm the father of the little bean in your belly."

He expected her to be surprised.

He expected her to be furious with him.

What he hadn't expected, though, was for her to open wide eyes, tears pooling quickly in her eyes.

She took a step back, her hand in front of her mouth. A broken sob tore through her, confusing Adrien even further. "Of course you're you, stupid, ridiculous, blunt minou. How could you have been anyone else? I fell out of love with you only to fall in love with you again, you stupid, mangy cat."

Her words barely registered in his as panic washed over him. Was she really that disappointed about who he was? What had he done wrong?

He was still trying to figure out what to do to comfort her when Ladybug rushed into his arms, embracing his midsection tightly, her head resting in the crook of his neck. Hot tears were streaming down her face, and he tentatively wrapped his arms around her. "Bug? Do… do we know each other? In… in our civilian lives?"

She nodded against his neck, tightening her grip on him. "We do. You-You can't know how happy I am right now," she cried in his arms, lifting two oceans of blue toward him.

"What… What do you mean? Are we friends or something?"

Adrien's brain was swimming in utter confusion, up until Ladybug stood on her tiptoes, pressing her lips to his softly. "Tikki, spots off," she whispered against his skin before kissing him again.

When he dared to open his eyes again, Adrien finally knew what pure bliss was.

Because, standing within the embrace of his arms, gazing at him with a loving embrace, was his best friend in the entire world. The only other woman he had ever opened his heart to.

Marinette.

His Marinette.

Relief and happiness washed over him like a tidal wave, and he hugged her back fiercely, peppering kisses all over her face.

"I love you."

Words he had refrained himself from telling her during their night of passion, worried it was unfair to her with dozens of what-ifs related to Marinette on the back burner.

Words he now could tell her over and over again, until his tongue refused to speak them again.

"I love you," he said again, and she quietly mewled into their kiss.

"We have been so, so blind," she told him before a fleeting thought made her panic. "Oh my gosh, how will I tell Gabriel I slept with his son!?"

Adrien paused his attack of kisses on his lady's face when he heard her panic concern.

His father. The man that barely knew how to treat a human being as a human being and as cold as the Antarctic.

Well shit.

You know what? It didn't matter at this very second.

Honestly, he didn't want to think about it right then. Right then, he wanted to just focus on one of the best news he has ever received. Right then, he wanted to drown this amazing woman in his arms with all the love he had held for her and hadn't able to give and show until now.

Adrien resumed his previous action, placing a lingering kiss on the corner of Marinette's lips and continuing a path along her jaw.

"Adrien," her voice slightly groaned, both out of bliss and annoyance. "How are we going to tell your father?"

"I don't want to discuss that right now. Let's talk about something else."

Marinette gave in, for now, feeling content with the man revering her. "Okay, minou."

They moved over towards the edge of the rooftop they were currently on, Adrien weary and keeping a close eye on Marinette and his little beany baby.

Call it the overprotectiveness or his chat tendencies, but he wasn't going to let anything happen to his sudden double bundle of happiness.

He couldn't fight off the urge any longer and caved from his protectiveness that lingered through every fibre of his body. Maybe it was nervousness, fear, the instinct of a soon to be father, but he couldn't resist against grabbing Marinette and pulling her away from the edge of the roof. He pulled her against his chest as he leant back, holding her close as he wrapped his arms around her securely, his hands resting above her stomach.

Marinette giggled at the change of position, resting her head against her kitten's shoulder, her hands coming to rest above his. "Are you happy, Adrien?" she asked.

He placed a kiss on the temple of her forehead then placing her head below his chin. "I couldn't be happier, Marinette."

Both smiled as the overall thought of everything that's happened from the past month. Call it fate, destiny, but luck gave them the opportunity to be together at long last.

A yawn escaped from Marinette as she fell further against the warmth of her partner. A deep hearty chuckle vibrating through his chest and her back.

Adrien chuckled against her skin. "Someone's tired."

"I guess this pregnancy is finally taking effect," Marinette admitted.

"It is getting late," Adrien observed. "Can't have you exhausted for work."

Marinette smiled, holding onto his arm tightly. "Alright. We better leave then."

Adrien helped Marinette up from where they were sitting, never letting go of her hand as he looked at her earnestly.

"I'm walking you home," he declared, taking hold of her hand again.

She scoffed but surrendered the appendage without a fight. "It's ridiculous, Adrien, I could transform and fly home just fine."

"But that would deceive the purpose of walking my brand new girlfriend home," Adrien replied, hoping she wouldn't crush his hopes and dreams right on the spot.

Thankfully, she only gazed at him through her lashes as they climbed down the roof, smiling broadly. "Girlfriend, heh? When did I agree to that?"

They reached street level, and Adrien chuckled. "Well, we are going to raise a child together. I think I can safely assume you're my girlfriend now. Unless you want something more? Cause I can have a ring by tomorrow evening and-"

"Girlfriend is fine, silly minou. For now," she cut his rambling short.

They walked in a comfortable silence, enjoying each other's company and warmth. Words and ideas were rushing through Adrien's mind, going from college tuitions to cribs and bottles. Did she want to breastfeed? How did she feel about washable diapers? How did she like Louis for a boy's name? What surname would they give the child? He didn't care much about Agreste, but his father would have a fit if he let the name die, and Agreste-Dupain-Cheng was a mouthful.

There was a lot they needed to discuss, but right now, he only wanted to enjoy her company.

She finally, finally was his.

"Adrien," she asked him after a while, "what are we going to tell your father?"

He inhaled sharply. The thousand dollars question. "What about the truth?"

Marinette nearly choked on thin air beside him, looking at him disbelievingly. "Are you out of your mind?"

Adrien chuckled. "Wait before you lapidates me. If we take the magic out of our relationship, what happened is quite simple. Two old friends fell in love with each other, shared a night of passion and you ended up pregnant. What's wrong with that story?"

"How out of nowhere it seems? You are aware your father will accuse me of trying to use you to climb the ladder of success?" Marinette insisted, clutching his hand for dear life.

Adrien scoffed dismissively. "Whatever I do, whoever I love, my father won't be happy. Might as well be the love of my life, pregnant with my child."

They reached the bottom of her apartment building on these words, and he held onto her hand.

She faced him, cheeks red with a soft blush, "What is it, Adrien?"

"Can… can I kiss you?"

His question was tentative, shy even. Marinette giggled, thinking how odd Adrien was timid about kissing her while his child was growing in her womb. She smiled at him warmly, her hand lingering on his arm.

She tiptoed again, pressing her lips to his firmly. It was an entirely new kiss, something he only had dreamed about before. She was kissing him fiercely, his lips dancing with hers passionately, pressing her body against his. Her voice hoarse against his throat, she choked out, "Will you stay?"

Adrien backed off, looking at her questioningly. "Do… do you mean?"

"I have yet to have my second time," Marinette said smugly.

And at that second, Adrien knew she had won.

He was head over heels for that woman. And he would do whatever she would ask of him.