She shouldn't have come.

Eyes looking over her body one last time, Marinette sighed softly and threw on an oversized t-shirt over her swimsuit, tugging it down and gripping her elbow as she stepped out of the change rooms. Alya raised a brow at her and she just avoided her gaze.

"Mari…"

"Can we just go to the guys already?" she muttered.

"Okay… but are you sure that you're okay?"

A fake smile found its way onto her face and she nodded. "Yep! I'm fine."

Seeing Alya open her mouth to protest she quickly grabbed her by the arm and started dragging her back to the beach.

Her eyes catching sight of familiar messy blonde waves and a –very- nicely toned back, Marinette released her friend's arm and quickly snuck up behind him as he talked to Nino.

And of course promptly jumped on his back.

But with his cat senses, he simply caught her and kept talking.

She groaned and just collapsed on his back, grumbling about how stupid he was.

"That's not very nice to talk about your boyfriend like that," Adrien teased, drumming his fingers against her legs.

Yep. That dork was her boyfriend. A very cute dork, but still a dork.

Nino and Alya were trying to contain their laughter, but to little prevail. Marinette glared at them and huffed before nestling her face in the crook of his neck.

"Comfortable, Princess?"

"Stop sounding so smug."

"What?! I'm just enjoying the beach!"

She rolled her eyes. "Obviously."
"… And maybe I'm enjoying your naïve little surprise attack… just a tiny bit."

Marinette promptly jumped off his back and stuck her tongue out at him before tossing her head away haughtily. He chuckled and gently grabbed one of her hands to place a little gentlemanly apology kiss on her knuckles. Even four months into their relationship her insides still got filled by butterflies. With a little groan at his cuteness she dramatically fell into him and let him wrap his arms around her waist happily and nuzzle his cheek against her hair.

"You do love me!"

"You're lucky that you have your looks going for you."

"Not my lovely personality and claw-some humour?" he joked.

She rolled her eyes, but was smiling anyway. "You wish."

With a little quirk of her lips, she turned in his arms and smiled widely at him, going on her tiptoes to press a butterfly kiss to his jaw. He grinned goofily at her and Marinette couldn't help but laugh.

"You're such an idiot."

"Only when you kiss me like that."

Her cheeks heated up to the point of being tomato red and she looked away. "You're such a sap."

"And you love it," Adrien was grinning like a love-struck maniac (something that she'd decided defined him quite well).

Being the wonderful opportunist dork that he was he swooped down for a kiss, his lips drawing closer… "KEEP THE PDA TO A MINIMUM, AGRESTE!"

Did Marinette mention that it was a class trip?

Adrien's face heated up and he grumbled at the interruption. She chuckled and patted his cheek as he turned to retort at Kim.

"GO KISS ALIX!"

"ALREADY HAVE!"

Everyone on the beach froze and set their attention on Kim who just realised what he said and was slowly dying of mortification and seemingly muttering what was probably a mix of curses and prayers. Alix was not going to be-

"KIM!"

-happy.

He seemed to pale and Marinette winced as Alix stormed over to where he was her face ruby red.

"Alix! My favourite girl! Can I just say that you're looking especially cute in that sports biki- AHH!" he jumped back as she tried to punch him.

In vain he attempted to run away, but she angrily grabbed him by his cheap souvenir shark tooth necklace and kissed him. A single moment of silence passed before everyone hollered and whooped.

Alix moved away from Kim after a long moment, her face burning.

Marinette grinned and when Kim looked her way she mouthed, "ice cream" the jock grinning before asking his girlfriend the same question to which she started dragging him in the direction of the ice-cream stand. With a little smile she turned to find Adrien with a soft affectionate arc to his lips.

"What?"

He pressed a little kiss to the crown of her head. "I saw that."

She blushed. "I did nothing."

"You gave Kim a little nudge." Adrien bumped his hip into hers.

"I… was just helping out a friend that's all."

With her lips set, she laid her towel down beneath a beach umbrella, Adrien following with this little smirk.

"Of course, my lady."

"Don't get sarcastic with me," she poked him hard in the chest before sitting down cross-legged on her towel and shooting him a look.

"Okay, okay, okay! I'll leave you alone about your cupid tendencies."

She swept her leg underneath his feet and he fell with a little 'oof', landing on his back.

"Mari!"

"Hmm?" Marinette turned to Alya with an innocent smile.

She gave her an exasperated look and gestured to the fallen form of the blonde. "You just- you- you just did that leg sweep-y thing on your boyfriend!"

"He's used to it."

"She's so abusive!" Adrien cried dramatically, throwing an arm across his brow.

Nino chuckled as he came over and slung an arm around Alya's waist shaking his head softly. Like the rest of the class he was used to their antics by now.

Their entire relationship was puns, flirty remarks, false dramatics, Marinette not being able to deal with her dork of a boyfriend and Adrien's need for kisses and cuddles (which she could deal with).

Who would've thought? Sweet, clumsy Marinette and polite, refined Adrien in such a relationship?

Their class had a complete fit. If it hadn't been so embarrassing, they would've laughed. But it was, so she'd suffered through the reddest cheeks that she'd ever had with their entire class interrogating them and Adrien answering all the questions like a nice boyfriend.

"Mari?" Adrien groaned.

"Yes?"

"You have to kiss me better now!" he leant closer with a little grin.

She pushed him away by his nose. "No."

"You're so cruel!"

He was rubbing his nose as he pouted and she gently moved his hand away and pressed an apologetic kiss to the sore spot. With a goofy grin he grabbed her and tugged her into his chest.

"ADRIEN!"

"What? I'm just enjoying the perks of having a wonderful girlfriend."

"I hate you."

"You don't," she caught that victorious grin that he sent to Alya and Nino.

Alya threw her hands up in the air before turning around and starting to storm off. "Nope! Can't take the sickly-sweetness anymore! You're on your own, Mari!"

With a laugh, the DJ saluted his friend with a wink and jogged after his girlfriend. Marinette giggled as they left, trying to stifle them into his neck. He made a weird squeaky noise.

"NO!" he let her go and rolled away, "It tickles!"

When he glanced over a cheeky grin had already possessed her face. "It tickles you say?"

"Crap."

He leapt to his feet and he bolted, Marinette jumped up too with a wild grin and ran after him.

And the chase began.

And Marinette then remembered exactly how hard it is to run on sand. They were both fumbling about as they ran and -like usual- everyone paused for a moment to watch them struggle. She glared at them when they started laughed, shouting, "LIKE YOU CAN DO ANY BETTER!" before sprinting harder towards him.

It was like that for barely three more seconds before Adrien sent her a smirk and ran into the water. She groaned, but ran after him anyway (like she was going to let him win that easily). With a merciless grin he kept running deeper into the ocean, Marinette lagging behind, desperately trying to make sure that she didn't fall over.

"Adrien, seriously can we just go ba- AHH!"

She tripped and fell into the water with a large splash and a high-pitched shriek. For a single moment she was underwater before she pushed herself up and gasped, water riveting down her face. Adrien was already there offering her his hand with his eyes wide and anxious.

"Are you okay, Princess?! No injuries? No pain anywhere?"

"O-other than being soaked to the bone? No."

Grabbing his hand, he helped haul her up to the feet, gently grasping her elbows once she was upright.

"Mari?"

"Shit," one glance down at her drenched t-shirt and the awful feeling as it stuck to her skin, made her utter that single word.

It was completely see-through, the colour of her skin seen through the wet fabric. What if he saw them? What if he could see them through the shirt? She felt tears spring into her eyes and her throat constricted.

"Mari? Hey-" he caught sight of the tears and without another word picked her up, her legs and arms instinctively wrapping around him as she was pressed against his chest. The steady motions of him walking made her squeeze her eyes tightly shut. More tears streaked down her cheeks.

There was a soft crunch of sand beneath his feet and it wasn't long before she was set on the ground underneath their beach umbrella. Adrien sat down and gently pulled her down with him.

He opened his mouth, but she interrupted him, murmuring, "Could you lend me a shirt?"

Adrien nodded and rummaged through his bag to grab a white shirt from his bag and offer it to her. Before she could slip off her t-shirt, he gently touched her arm.

"What's wrong?"

"I-it's nothing," Marinette muttered.

"Marinette," she froze.

Adrien called her Mari, Princess, my lady, sometimes even Sweetheart, but he didn't call her Marinette unless he was deadly serious.

"I'm just being stupid," she said with a little frown, "mine aren't even that bad."

He frowned softly. "What are you-?"

She pulled down the collar of her t-shirt to show a scar on her shoulder, head turned away. It tracked down to her upper arm, the pale mark painfully obvious against the slight tan on her skin. There was a long moment of silence and tears welled up in her eyes.

Soft hands gently touched her face and brushed her tears away.

"Can I look at the rest?"

"Minou…"

"Please."

She silently slipped off her shirt, a short-lived feeling of relief passing through her as the uncomfortable fabric was removed. Marinette glanced up at him. He was carefully looking at a faint scar that marred her waist, the mark disappearing beneath her high waisted bottoms. Warm hands turned her around carefully so that he could see her back. She grimaced as he traced the scars softly.

"I know that they're not pretty, but-"

Lips pressed against her right shoulder blade, words murmured against her shoulder. "They're beautiful, Mari."

She felt her cheeks go pink and she buried her face in her hands as he pressed little kisses over the scars on her shoulders. Adrien's arms wrapped around her waist, pulling her into his lap and he nuzzled his nose against her cheek.

"Why'd you get so upset, Princess?"

"I- I thought that-" she took a deep breath, "I thought that you'd think they were ugly…"

He gently turned her around, so that she sat facing him. "Why would you think that?"

"I-I don't know."

Adrien sighed and pressed little kisses all over her face, mumbling between each one. "You-are-the-most-beautiful-idiot-that-I've-ever-met."

She glared at him. "I'm not an idiot if anyone's an idiot it's you."

"I object to that statement."

"Of course you do."

"And," Adrien pressed a quick kiss to her forehead, "if you ever think that I'd think you were anything less than drop dead gorgeous, you're fooling yourself."

With a little scowl she pushed his face away grumpily. Marinette should've known that he wouldn't have thought any less of her because of her scars, but that bastard cat was just being smug. He chuckled and when she glanced back at him, Adrien gave her a puppy face, bottom lip jutted out.

Glowering she pressed a quick grumpy kiss to his lips. "Stop being cute."

"I know that you don't mean that," he stole another little peck from her as she grumbled.

"Stop being such an annoying cat then."

"No can do; it's part of my charm."

When she laughed he joined her, sneaking another kiss and leant away to rub his nose against hers. A little kiss to his nose and he was staring at her softly with a little grin.

"You're such a needy kitty."

His lips turned up at the corners. "I've heard that one before."

"Oh? I'm going to have to think of something new to say then won't I?"

After a long moment of looking at her like she was everything, Adrien's smile turned soft. "For the record I think you're most beautiful person that I've ever met… scars or no scars."

"You've met hundreds of female models."

"All hideous compared to you, Princess."

She rolled her eyes. "Now you're exaggerating."

"Okay, okay just a bit."

"A lot," Marinette said drily.

"But I'm not joking; you're the most beautiful person that I know in every kind of way."

"You've seen me drool in my sleep."

Adrien grinned. "And it's adorable."

"Only you would think that."

A small blush spread across her cheeks at his stupid sweetness and glanced over to where Alya was burying a sleeping Nino in the sand.

Slipping out of his lap, she stood up and offered him a hand up. "We should probably enjoy the beach right?"

He took her hand and stood up, tugging her closer with a little smile. "I'm enjoying it plenty enough already, but whatever the lady says goes I guess."

Marinette grinned at his words as he spun her around lightly by the hand, a little giggle finding its way out of her mouth. Of course with her great clumsiness, she promptly tripped into his chest.

His shirtless, bare, very naked chest.

She squeaked and jumped away from him. Adrien sighed and shook his head.

"For someone who saves Paris every other day, I find it very odd that you can't bear to look at me shirtless."

"That was a terrible pun."

"I know," Adrien smiled.

"I-I'm just… this would be easier if you didn't look like… that!" Marinette gestured wildly at his entire body.

"You're not in the worst shape either, but I'm not letting it get to me."

In retrospect what she did next probably wasn't the most Marinette-esque thing that she'd ever done, but it was definitely something that Ladybug would do.

Marinette slowly walked towards him hips swaying and he audibly gulped his Adams apple bobbing. His eyes fell to her stomach and his cheeks went ruby red. She smirked; although Adrien liked to put up a front he was still as innocent as a lamb. She stopped right in front of him, nose almost touching him as she stilled and cocked a hip, arms crossing over her chest.

"You were saying that you weren't letting my state of undress get to you, hmm?"

He took a deep breath, still blushing madly. Was it bad if she liked torturing him sometimes? She grinned cheekily and bopped his nose, his cheeks going a few shades darker. No, it wasn't.

But she wasn't that mean, so Marinette supposed that she could spare him any more embarrassment.

"C'mon."

Following, Adrien seemed to be struggling to form a sentence and she couldn't help but laugh to herself at how the tables had turned.

"It's not fair to tease me like that, Mari… especially when you look like that."

"Like what?"

"Like you're nothing less than a goddess."

Going on tiptoes, she pressed a little kiss to his cheek for his sweet compliment, her own cheeks burning.

His arm slowly wrapped around her waist as they walked and she giggled, leaning into his slightly as comfort settled in.

"It's cute by the way."

"What's cute?" she glanced up at him.

With a handsome smile he tapped her hip where her high waisted bikini sat. "Your swimsuit. Is this the project that you didn't want me to see?"

She nodded and glanced down at it. The two-piece was pretty simple; just a pair of high waisted bottoms and a high-neck halter top, both of which were blush pink with a single thick white stripe vertically in the middle. She'd be lying if she said that she hated it.

"Well it's adorable," he said fondly.

"Thank you," she could barely swallow back one of her designer rants (she wasn't going to risk getting caught into her excited rambles about her hobby, no matter how cute Adrien thought it was).

Casually he lifted his arm so that it slung over her shoulder.

"You know…" Adrien asked a little cheeky glint in his eye, "as much as I love this bikini- and I really do- I can't help but be disappointed that you didn't wear that Chat Noir bikini that I gave you."

It took barely two seconds for her to feel her cheeks burn scarlet and for her to glare at him with puffed cheeks.

"What?"

"Adrien! It's horrible."

"It's not that bad."

"It has a kitty face on it! And whiskers."

He grinned. "That's what makes it so awesome!"

She slapped his arm with a little glare. Adrien raised his hands in surrender and tried to press a little apologetic kiss to her cheek only for her to rebuff him by jogging over the rest of the way to Alya.

"Hey, girl! You good now?"

"Yeah, why wouldn't I be?"

Alya tucked some hair behind her ears. "You seemed really self-conscious earlier and when you fell over earlier something seemed to be wrong and you were talking with Adrien for ages so I thought that I might check."

Marinette smiled. "Putting your reporter skills to good work aren't you? But yeah I'm good."

Alya grinned, "Well now that we've got that out of the way," she winked, "you better give me a twirl so I can get a good look at this bikini!"

Marinette laughed and nodded, pivoting lightly on the spot to give Alya every angle of the swimsuit.

When she stopped the momentum lightly pushing her on the spot, she scowled at how wet her pigtails were (someone had distracted her from the uncomfortable feeling). Reaching up to take them out, hands stopped her and a soft mumble of, "I'll do it," in her ear. She let him gently take out the hairbands and shake out her hair, the feeling of his nose pressed to the top of her head eliciting a smile from her as he pressed a little kiss in the same spot.

"I'm sorry," he murmured softly.

"You're too cute for your own good, you know that right?"

She felt him grin into her hair, his arms finally wrapping around her waist.

A loud sigh interrupted the moment and they turned their attention to Alya.

"What did you do this time, Agreste?"

"… I might have brought up the Chat bikini."

She shook her head and quirked a brow at him. "If I didn't know better I'd think that you were gay for Chat Noir."

He choked and starting coughing trying to get rid of the lump in his throat, hitting his fist against his chest. Marinette –being the amazing girlfriend that she was- just laughed. Not even bothering to stifle it, she laughed freely, only stopping when Adrien's choking got deadly. She beat at his back until he coughed the last of it out, his pretty green eyes glaring her down.

"It's okay, minou; I won't tell anyone," he scowled and she pressed a little joking kiss to his lips.

He stared at her dazed for a moment before grinning.

Marinette barely blinked before she was dragged into his chest again. She gave him a warning look, but he wasn't fazed, his tugged lips directed at her as he peered down at her.

"When did you get there?"

"Ha ha; now let go of me."

"Nooooooo!" he nuzzled his nose against hers like the kitten that he was.

She groaned half-heartedly and tried to push him away only for him to clutch her closer.

"Alya," she turned her head to find Nino struggling to sit up in his sleepy stupor (his sand blanket wasn't helping), "they're burning my innocent eyes with their grossness! Do I not get a moment of peace from them?"

"I know, sweetie; and I'm sorry, but we all have to deal with it."

With a huff Marinette finally managed to push him away, her hands pressed firmly against his chest to keep him at arm's length. "This isn't always with consent you know."

Nino and Alya shared a look. "Sure."

That was when she made the mistake of removing her arms to bite back (she needed her hands to gesture with obviously). Arms wrapped around her waist before she could do a single thing and she was pulled so that her back was against his chest.

"On the contrary I think it's always with consent," his voice low and silky, his breath tickling her ear.

She laughed softly and turned around in his arms to wrap her arms around his neck. Tugging him down to eye level, Marinette weaved her hands into his blonde waves, twirling them in her fingers.

"So by consent you mean that… you're okay with me randomly kissing you all the time?"

He nodded softly. "Always."

Marinette smiled for one single long moment…. before a laugh bubbled through her throat and she had to laugh into his shoulder for a moment.

"What's so funny?"

She pulled him into a soft gentle kiss, her lips moving softly against his for a moment. She'd never get tired of kissing him. "You're such a needy dork."

"But I'm your needy dork."

"This is what I'm talking about!" she giggled, her hands falling from his hair.

He grinned and pressed his lips against her temple before he shuffled closer to Nino and Alya.

"You love me anyway."

Marinette's lips tugged up as he pulled her into his lap, his head resting on her shoulder. "Yeah… just a bit."

"Just 'a bit'! I'll have you know that you love me senseless! There is no doubt about it and if you say otherwise I swear to god that I'll know that you're lying!"

Another laugh escaped and she nodded. "But of course, minou! I wouldn't love you any less than that."

That was how Adrien started ranting about how much she loved him.

What else was she supposed to do, but spin around in his arms and shut him up by kissing him? He hummed softly as she pulled away and ruffled his hair with a little smile, turning back to look around at everyone relaxing happily on the beach, some of them lounging around, some of them teasing Alix and Kim mercilessly and the rest attacking each other in the water.

She grinned softly and curled into Adrien's arms, letting the gentle warmth envelope her as the sea air twirled her hair around, tickling her boyfriend's nose and making him sneeze. With a little laugh, she grabbed his hand and pressed a kiss to his fingers.

"Minou."

"My lady," he whispered back.

"'Love you."

"'Love you too," a soft peck of his lips against her hair.

And she did. She really did love that dumb cat.

A/N THE SEQUEL IS FINALLY FINISHED! It took me three weeks, but it's finally done and dusted and I can move onto other fanfiction projects (which hopefully won't take anywhere near as long). I'm sorry anyone who has been waiting for this fic for weeks since I announced the possibility, but here it is!

If you haven't read the first Beautiful Scars then go check that out and if you enjoy fluff read my other Adrienette fic called To Keep You Warm which might also eventually have it's own sequel (I'm so excited for the prospect when I get around to it) and if you like my writing style I suggest that you follow me so that you can look out for more future fics! Enjoy!

-Blue