At last, the day arrives. I may not have obtained your Miraculouses just yet, Ladybug and Chat Noir, but the last few weeks have been leading up to this day! Prepare, my evil akumas, to darken the hearts of Paris!

A flurry of chimes from her phone woke Marinette the next morning. She glanced at the time.

"Ten thirty," she said happily. "Six and a half hours of sleep! Not bad!"

"Glad you got some rest," said Tikki. "Looks like the akumas are starting now."

"Sleep well, m'lady?" Chat Noir asked, running up next to Ladybug on a rooftop.

"Better than I thought I would," she answered with a grin, still running. "You?"

"Slept like a cat," he said. "Any idea where the akuma is heading?"

"Not just yet. He–"

She stopped suddenly. "Oh no."

"What?" Chat Noir looked down at the street and watched the akuma walk into a florist's shop.

"Not more flowers," they groaned simultaneously.

Alya glanced at her phone before remembering she'd checked the time all of ten seconds ago. It was ten past one, and Marinette was supposed to be over by now.

With a sigh, Alya skimmed through social media. She'd resolved not to cover any of the akuma attacks on the Ladyblog today, which was hurting her journalist's heart. Fortunately, there didn't seem to be too many akumas today – at least, not as many as the past week. A florist had messed up several orders, which led to first the stressed customers being akumatized, then the florist himself. Other than that, most problems seemed to be working themselves out. Which meant Alya wasn't missing much on her blog.

A text notification popped up.

Nino: Yo Marinette finished her dress, right?

Alya: She said she did

Nino: Oh good

Nino: Lila's prom date was wondering

Alya smiled ruefully. She and Nino had been communicating constantly to get Marinette and Adrien together for prom, selectively telling their best friends what they needed to know. She still regretted telling Marinette that Adrien had asked someone to the dance, but apparently he'd been asked out just minutes before Marinette's promposal. So in some ways it had spared her from rejection. Go figure.

She heard footsteps running up the stairs. "Sorry I'm late," Marinette huffed. "Took too long in the shower."

"Girl, what am I going to do with you?" Alya laughed. "Well, you're here now. Let's get started."

Chat Noir landed in his room and detransformed. "Good thing I don't have to do a ton of makeup," Adrien said to Plagg, running to the bathroom. "I don't know how I'd be able to run back and forth between akumas and… How's my hair?"

"Your hair is fine."

Adrien started changing into his tux. He'd argued a little bit against standing out too much, but his father had insisted on the white tuxedo.

"As the son of a fashion empire, you will be expected to stand out," his father had said. Adrien had acquiesced, although he didn't like it.

Adrien was wearing all but his suit coat when the news station on the TV started showing another akuma attack. "Plagg, transforme moi," he said immediately.

"I have my dress now," Marinette said, running up the stairs with a bag and hanger in hand. "Sorry, I–"

She tripped; Alya caught her. "Careful! Don't worry, we're not in that much of a rush."

"I know, but if I keep forgetting things…"

"Let's just remember them all now. Do you have your shoes? Jewelry?"

Marinette's blank face answered her.

"Go ahead and get them now. There's time."

"Uh… I'll just wait for a bit first. I'm still not done with hair and makeup."

She was finishing up hair when Alya's phone buzzed. "Aw, man," Alya sighed. "I'm missing another akuma…"

Marinette gave her hair one last spritz of hairspray. "I forgot something for my hair at home," she said, putting the can down. "Be right back."

"Don't forget your shoes and jewelry!" Alya called after her as she ran down the stairs.

Don't worry, thought Marinette. I definitely will.

"Your hair is different."

"I know it is. Come on, let's get this akuma over with."

"I like it like this."

"You'd say that no matter what I did to my hair."

"Probably."

Nathalie checked the time on her tablet. This wasn't good. Adrien usually did his best to be on time, but once in a while…

He came rushing down the stairs. "Sorry," he said, slipping into his suit jacket.

"Don't run," she said. "You'll mess up your hair."

Adrien smoothed down his bangs a little bit and headed outside. The Agreste limo was waiting outside to take him to Lila's.

"The flowers are in the minifridge," Nathalie said, following him to the car. "After picking up your prom date, you will take photos at le Trocadéro at 4:30. The Grand Hotel Paris is opening its ballroom doors at 7, so you should expect to be there by 6:30. The event ends at midnight, at which point the limousine will be ready to pick you up."

"If my friends need a ride…" Adrien began.

Nathalie sighed. "They're hardly friends if they take advantage of your material comforts."

"I offered. It won't be too many friends."

"I'm not going to stop you."

Adrien hugged Nathalie tightly. "Merci, Nathalie."

She straightened her glasses. "Well… it's no problem."

No problem, maybe, he thought as he climbed into the limo, but you're the reason today is going so smoothly. So, thanks.

Despite Marinette having to "go back home" at least three times to retrieve what she'd "forgotten," Marinette and Alya were ready by a little past 4. Only a little late.

Nino and Nathanael were waiting downstairs. When the girls walked in, Nino stiffened in shock. Nathanael blushed and looked away, his face the color of his hair.

Alya laughed. "Oh, come on," she said. Her curls bounced as she walked over to her boyfriend. "It's just me."

"Just you?" he said in disbelief. "The most beautiful girl in the world just decided to become even more so?"

"Oh, shut up," Alya said, pleased.

Marinette stood awkwardly by Nathanael. "Er… You look nice," he said shyly.

"You too," she said.

Their parents were all waiting outside with cameras. "Oh, you're all growing up so fast," bubbled Sabine Dupain-Cheng.

"Mom, we need to get to the Trocadéro–"

"Oh, just a few here first."

Adrien glanced at his watch. He and Lila had finished up their duo photos – he wasn't calling it "couple photos" because that felt wrong – and the others were supposed to have arrived already. Which was especially important considering that he didn't know when–

His phone buzzed, and his heart sank. Guess the next akuma was coming now.

"I'm going to use the restroom before anyone else gets here," he said to Lila. "Um… stay here."

"Okay… Where else would I go?"

He was already walking quickly out of there. Lila sighed, her sunset-orange evening gown swishing behind her as she made her way to the side of the stairs. She hadn't thought it would be this weird, taking Adrien as her prom date. Maybe the night itself would be better.

Alya, Nino, and Nathanael filed out of Madame Cesaire's sedan. "Where's Adrien?" Nino asked Lila with a frown.

"Don't look at me like I ate him. He's been in the restroom for almost twenty minutes."

"Oh, there he is," said Alya, nodding towards the approaching figure in white.

Adrien slowed from a run into a jog down the steps. "Sorry about that," he said.

"Your hair." Lila brushed his bangs back into place. Alya and Nino both stiffened.

"Is Marinette coming?" Adrien asked them.

"She forgot her purse at home," Alya sighed. "I don't know what I'm going to do with her."

"I'm here! Sorry, I–"

Adrien turned around just in time to catch her. Miraculously, her face missed his white tux.

They pulled apart. Something in Adrien's chest got quiet as he took a look at his friend – one of his best friends, wearing the dress he'd helped her finish. A soft pink color, strapless because she'd cut off the shoulders, decorated with the flowers he'd stenciled on last night. Her hair was swept up in a simple bun, and her eyes were as blue as ever.

Marinette's heartbeat doubled from a) getting to see her crush in a tuxedo, he looked so handsome, and b) tripping right into him.

"S-sorry," she stammered, straightening back up. "Your makeup didn't get on you, did– I mean, my makeup–"

Adrien glanced briefly at his dress shirt. "Nah, my clothes are safe," he said. "You look lovely."

Her heartbeat went from double speed to a complete halt. This was it. She was dead.

"You too! Uh, I mean, not lovely, maybe handsome, but… thanks?"

Adrien laughed gently. Marinette did too.

They turned to face the rest of the group. Everyone was staring at them.

Mon Dieu, they're so perfect together, thought Alya and Nino.

Mon Dieu, what am I doing here? thought Nathanael and Lila.

The six of them finished up photos at six fifteen and boarded the Agreste limo. Adrien and Marinette took a toilet break that for some reason lasted half an hour.

"Come on, we're going to be late!" Alya called to the two teens running from the nearest restroom.

"Your hair," Marinette said, breathing hard, as they both climbed into the limo.

"Oh," he said, sweeping his fingers through it. "Thanks."

"Glad you could join us," said Lila, linking her arm through his. She hadn't put this much effort into asking him out just to be shown up by another girl.

The limousine's engine started. Nathanael smiled at Marinette. She'd made friendly conversation with him all afternoon… he appreciated it, he really did, because he couldn't start a conversation to save his life. But he kept thinking… maybe she'd have been happier with… someone else.

Adrien and Marinette watched the city go by outside the limousine. So far so good. Now for the rest of the night.

A/N: Hey all! We're reaching the end soon! Final stretch hype!

Marinette's prom dress can be found here, replacing all the "dot"s with ".": thebirdfromthemoon-art dot tumblr dot com/post/146302377027/rule-number-1-when-designing-dress-theres-never

(that's all I had to say. I'm going back to school soon so it might not be an immediate series finish, but it'll literally be within the next two weeks. So. Enjoy!)