Chapter Text
Marinette’s senses go on high alert when she realizes that the house is quiet. Too quiet. With two children, a baby, and an overly enthusiastic husband, there is always some kind of noise. She looks down at baby Louis, who is sleeping peacefully in the wrap against her chest as she bakes in the kitchen. One accounted for, three to go.
She cranes her neck to look around the corner into the dining room, where she had last heard Hugo and Emma. There are scraps of paper, markers, and crayons covering the table, but no children. A look in the opposite direction towards the living room shows Marinette that Adrien has vacated his spot on the couch, where he had been working on lesson plans for the end of the semester.
She hums quietly to herself, thinking that maybe Adrien has taken the two children outside for a walk. It is newly spring in Paris, and finally warm enough to enjoy the park that is just a block away from their apartment. Marinette smiles as she drops cookie dough onto the baking sheet, imagining her little boy and girl chasing each other through the grass with her husband not far behind.
Just as she has managed to lose herself in her baking again, Marinette hears a creak in the hallway, quickly followed by a shushing sound and muffled giggles. Squashing the desire to jump around the corner and see what’s going on, she instead begins to hum a little louder. Not loud enough to wake Louis, but enough to give her family the impression that she hadn’t heard them trying to sneak up on her.
Out of the corner of her eye, Marinette sees a little head peek around the open door into the kitchen. Swallowing a laugh, she turns away and busies herself with the remaining cookie dough. Seconds pass, and she hears two sets of sock-clad footsteps cross the tile towards her.
Marinette feels a tap on her back. Before she can whirl around to face the little mischief makers, Emma shouts triumphantly “Poisson d’avril, Maman! Poisson d’avril!” Marinette turns as she feels for the paper fish she knows they’ve taped to the back of her shirt, and smiles generously at the two children.
“Emma!” Hugo groans. “You’re not s’pose to tell her! You gotta wait ‘til she finds it!” His pout is adorable as he watches his younger sister dance in celebration of their prank. Adrien begins to laugh, drawing Marinette’s eye to where he is leaning against the doorframe.
“Papa! Tell Emma that she did it wrong!”
“She’s just excited, Hugo,” Adrien says as he steps into the kitchen to wrap his arm around his son. “I’m sure Maman is impressed that you snuck up on her so well.” He winks at Marinette as Hugo looks up at his mother.
Marinette crouches down to hug the little boy. “You did such a good job, I didn’t even see you!” She feels Emma pull at the back of her shirt. “I want hugs too, Maman!” the little girl cries.
“How about we all go cuddle on the couch and you can tell me all about how you snuck up on me?”
Both children shout their agreement as they run to Adrien, grabbing his hands to pull him towards the living room. Marinette smiles fondly at her little family, feeling the infant against her chest shift, and thinks to herself how lucky she is to have found such happiness.