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Chapter Text

Marinette took one last look around her room. She was about to take one of the biggest steppes of her life, up to this point. She was moving out of her parents’ house. With course work demanding more of her time going into her third year of university, and starting her student internship, her commute was becoming unbearable. This whole thing was Alya’s idea really. When Marinette started talking about moving closer to campus and work, her best friend immediately suggested they move in together. The plan quickly changed to Marinette, Alya, Alya’s boyfriend Nino, and his best friend (they said his name was Adrien, right?) all moving in together.

Marinette had yet to meet the illusive Adrien. Apparently, his father kept him rather busy and Nino was lucky to get any time with his best friend. They met first year of university. They were dorm mates, and when Adrien had free time, they were inseparable. Though the situation was a bit strange, moving in with someone she had never met, if Nino thought so highly of his friend, she could at least give this whole thing a chance.

“The truck’s all loaded up, Breadstick!” Tom, Marinette’s father, called up through the trap door. Marinette picked up her last bag and with one last look around the room, headed down stairs. She found her mother and father, along with Nino, Alya, and Ivan, eating croissants and catting. They had all come to help her move her things to the new apartment. Alya and Nino had moved in the week Prior and Adrien had been living there for almost a month now.

“Eat now, dear. We’ll head out when all of you are done,” her mother, Sabine took the bag and handed her a plate with a croissant spread with strawberry curd. Marinette ate greedily, eager to get under way.

Once everyone was satisfied, they loaded up in various vehicles and made their way across town. They apparently picked the perfect day. Traffic was light, and they made good time getting there. Alya and Marinette grabbed some smaller items and headed to the elevator to make sure the door was open, and their room was ready for Marinette’s stuff, while Nino lead everyone else to the service elevator to bring up the bigger things.

When they reached their apartment Alya had Marinette test her key. Opening the door smoothly, Marinette stepped into her new home. It was gorgeous. The main level was dominated by a large open space containing the living area, dining area, and the kitchen. The walls were crisp white, and the floors were a light honey colored hardwood. The living area was defined by a large white area rug, set at an angle to the right of the doorway. Furnishing this area was a brown leather couch with two matching armchairs around a black coffee table facing a huge TV set into the corner of the room. Connected to the TV were all the modern gaming consoles and a row of bookcases along the wall held a large variety of movies and videogames.

As her eyes continued to scan the room she noticed the kitchen. It was separated from the rest of the room by a large bar-top island, complete with four barstools. The sink was set into the kitchen side of the island and sported a high-necked faucet. Across from the sink was the countertop gas range, and to its left, was that… it really was… double convection ovens. ‘Have I died? Is this heaven?’ Marinette thought to herself. The things shoe could do with that kitchen. The rest of the kitchen was comprised of a rather large fridge, generous counter space, plenty of cabinetry, and a door she guessed was a pantry closet.

“How is it at all possible that we ca afford this place?” Marinette asked string wide eyed at the, obviously way out of their price range, apartment.

“About that,” Alya said teasingly, a broad grin on her face. “Adrien’s dad might happen to be,” she paused, searching for the right word. “obscenely rich. Adrien might have convinced him to buy this place and only charge us campus housing level rent.”

“So, two more things about this Adrien to add to the list of things I know about him.” Marinette muttered. The list was sadly short, making her a bit nervous about moving in with someone she’d never met. Alya and Nino had assured her that he was a good guy and she had nothing to worry about. She trusted them, but that didn’t take the nerves away.

The rest of the main room was taken up by the generous dining table with comfortable seating for four. Marinette walked in taking in everything. On the right side of the room, just past the living area, was a stair case leading to the second level.

“We’ve set up the master bedroom as a shared office. There’s even more than enough room for you to set up your sewing equipment,” Alya began as she gestured to the open double doors across from the entry. “The main bathroom is through that door and connects to the office as well.” She pointed to a door to the left of the double doors. “The bedrooms are upstairs. There’s only one bathroom up there. It’s a Jack and Jill style between the two rooms,” she continued heading up the stairs. “Luckily the toilet and shower are separate from the sinks, and the boys have agreed that that shower is ours and they will use the downstairs. Girl, this is gonna be perfect!”

At the top of the stairs was a landing that overlooked the main area below. There were two doors opposite the banister, and Alya went straight for the first one. “This is our room,” she said opening the door to reveal a generously sized bedroom with two beds and two dressers. “There’s the walk-in closet. I left you the longer side,” she gestured to the door in the corner of the room. “And, girl, before you say anything, you have way more clothes than me, and if you want to make it fair,” she emphasized the word with finger quotes, “you can let me borrow things, and help me puck out outfits for dates and stuff. Now let’s drop these bags off and head down to help with the rest.”

Moving her stuff in went smoother than she had expected. She only tripped three times, and only one of those times was she carrying anything. Only an old coffee mug she liked, but wasn’t too attached to, ended up breaking. All in all, a successful undertaking for one of the clumsiest people in the world.

It was close to 9 pm, when she finished unpacking her room, with Alya’s help, she’d do her sewing stuff in the office later. “I’m getting hungry, I think I’ll make some dinner. Any requests?” she asked her roommate.

“I’m not sure, maybe we should ask the boys, you need to meet Adrien anyway,” Alya shrugged as she walked to the door.

The smell that meat their noses when the door opened informed them that someone had beat them to making dinner. It smelled delicious, Italian, carbonara if Marinette’s nose was right. She stepped out and looked down into the kitchen. There was a tall blond man busy at the stove.

“Perfect timing!” he called up to them, his baritone voice carrying easily through the apartment. “Dinner’s almost ready. I was going to send Nino to get you girls in a second.”

They went down the stairs and Marinette maid her way over to the man’s, who must be Adrien, side. “Hi!” she cheered holding out her hand. “It’s very nice to finely meet you. I’m Marinette Dupain-Chang.”

“Yeah it’s great to finally meet you!” he said as he took off an oven mitt and turned to shake her hand. “I’m Adrien Agreste.”

Time stopped…

Adrien was that Adrien? Adrien Agreste. Son of her fashion idol and as of next Monday her new employer. Maybe this was heaven. Or maybe hell. Only time would tell.

It had been a rough day for Adrien. When he requested the day off to help their new housemate move in he was not expecting it to turn out to be the complete opposite. He had an extra photo shoot added on instead. As a result, not only had he not been able to help moving anything, but he had yet to meet Alya’s friend who would be sharing the house with them. He was a bit nervous about that. He wasn’t the best at meeting new people. So maybe he was a little relieved that he was not able to be here when there were so many others here. Maybe…

Now, however, he was confident. He was making dinner for everyone. He had Nino, and even Alya, to support him, and he knew this dinner would be delicious. ‘Thanks Lila, at least one good thing came out of that relationship,’ the memories momentarily bubbling up like bile in the back of his throat. He squashed them down and returned to thinking about how the evening might go.

A few minutes later he heard a door open upstairs and a low exclamation in an unfamiliar female voice. “Perfect timing!” he called up. “Dinner’s almost ready. I was going to send Nino to get you girls in a second.” He heard then come down the stairs and felt her approach him. She had an electric presence that gave him goosebumps when she came near.

“Hi!” her voice sent a pleasant shiver down his spine. “It’s very nice to finely meet you. I’m Marinette Dupain-Chang.”

“Yeah it’s great to finally meet you!” he said as he began to turn to face her. “I’m Adrien Agreste.”

His hand froze seconds before contacting hers. He forgot how to breath. He was confident that standing in front of him was the most beautiful woman he had ever seen.

He was in trouble...

Chapter Text

The four settled into a routine of sorts. While they were all busy, which severely hampered possible group hang out time, Alya and Nino insisted on taking one night a week for movie night. They decided on Thursday nights, since it was the least likely for one of them to be pulled away. At first it was awkward for Adrien to be around Marinette; language ceased to exist whenever she walked into the room. After a few weeks of answering her with weak grins and nods, he was able to relearn how to hold a conversation. Finally, a month passed and the two settled into what Adrien felt he could call friendship.

One Saturday, after a long photo shoot, Adrien burst into the apartment. He slammed the door shut and slumped back against it. He took a slow deep breath and pushed off the wall, rubbing his brow to relieve the building tension. He shuffled to the couch grabbing the remote and flopped down. He wasn’t expecting anyone to be home, so you couldn’t blame him for startled yelp he let out when someone spoke from behind him.

“Bad day, huh?” she giggled at his surprised expression. That sound could make even the worst day better. “Sorry! I didn’t mean to startle you.”

“It’s OK. I’m just used to having the apartment to myself on Saturdays,” Adrien put on his best smile and waved her off. It was a horrible day, but he didn’t need to put that on her. “And I’m just tired, is all.”

“All right, I’ll leave you to it,” she turned to head back to the office. Before she made it three steps she stopped. “You know what, no,” she came back over to the couch. “You’re not getting away with that anymore.”

“Getting away with what?” Adrien’s brow furrowed in confusion.

“That model smile,” Marinette pointed at his face accusingly.

“Model smile?” Adrien’s eyes grew wide.

Marinette stood tall and put her hands on her hips. “The smile you use when you don’t want to bother anyone else with your problems.”

“Wha…” was all he could say.

“I might not have noticed it, but we’ve been spending more time together, here and at the office. I know your real smile and laugh now,” her stern expression softened, and he voice lost its edge. “This is your home, and I’m your friend. This needs to be a safe place where you can be open and honest,” she walked around the couch to kneel down in front of him. “Please, don’t hide behind fake smiles. Not here, not with me.”

Adrien was sure he hadn’t blinked for a full minute. “I’m sorry,” he looked away, rubbing his eyes. “Showing emotions is a sign of weakness to my father. When my mother disappeared, I wasn’t even allowed to properly mourn,” He looked up to find Marinette staring at him eyes wide and mouth open in a gasp. “I’m not used to this,” he ran his hand through his hair while Marinette let concern take the place of surprise on her face. “I had a really rough day. After too many long photo shoots I approached my father and asked if I could take a bit of a break. I didn’t even ask for time off really, just fewer shoots,” he leaned back as he rubbed the back of his neck. “My schedule has been running me ragged recently.”

“Oh Adrien!” her voice brimming with concern. “Is there anything I can do for you?”

“Can you give my father some of your kindness?” Adrien chuckled as his joke drew an amused giggle from his friend. “But seriously, watch a movie with me?” he patted the couch next to him.

“I’ll get some popcorn, you pick the movie,” she jumped up and headed to the kitchen.

Before he knew it, she was back, and he was starting the movie. They sat in a companionable silence for a few minutes before Marinette reached over and began running her fingers through his hair. Tension melted out of his body as he relaxed into her touch. When her arm began to tire, she tugged on his shoulder and guided him to lay his head in her lap, where she continued running her fingers through his hair in a more comfortable position.

‘This girl is going to be the death of me,’ Adrien mused. ‘Not only is she beautiful, but kind and caring as well.’ He felt something he hadn’t felt since is mother disappeared, safe. He was safe to feel here. He didn’t have to be perfect here, with her. His eyes became very heavy, and before he knew it he had fallen into the most restful sleep he’d had in a while.

Chapter Text

“Dude! I can’t believe summer is almost over!” Nino flopped on the couch next to Adrien. Marinette chuckled from the kitchen where she and Alya were getting snacks for everyone. It was movie night and they were settling in for their customary hangout time. “My classes start in two weeks.”

“Yeah, I know!” Adrien sounded way more excited than anyone should be for school to start. “I’ve got all my textbooks and supplies…”

“Dude, how are you this excited for school every year?” Nino cut in. “Seriously, what are you going to do when there’s no more school to go to? Like when you have your PHD or something.”

“Come on Nino, you know school time is when my father backs off on the scheduling,” Adrien said sheepishly. “While you guys have had summer break, I’ve had summer work.”

“Wow, I’m only getting more responsibilities at my internship,” Marinette lamented as she handed Adrien a drink and a bowl of popcorn before settling on the floor in front of the couch.

“That’s ‘cause they’ve realized what they’ve got in you girl,” Alya chimed in, causing Marinette’s to cheeks to heat up slightly. Alya sat next to Nino taking a sip of his drink before handing it to him. “You’ll be running that place in no time.”

“I doubt my father will give up control any time soon,” Adrien chuckled. “He has noticed your work though. He asked about you at dinner on Monday.”

That caught Marinette completely off guard. Her face was now an inferno. “Gabriel Agreste asked about ME?” Her eyes were blown wide and she pointed at herself weakly.

“Yeah, he said you supervisor was impressed with you,” Adrien grinned, pride radiating from every pore. “He said you work hard and the quality of both your designs and products exceed expectations.”

Marinette was stunned. She sat there, mouth agape, for what seemed like an eternity. Adrien reached over and ruffled her hair. “Don’t act so surprised. You have to know how amazing you are. It was only a matter of time before they realized what I did…” his face softened into an expression that held so much emotion, Marinette was sure she was imagining it.

‘Is this real?’ Marinette thought to herself. ‘Am I dreaming? This must be a dream. Gabriel Agreste doesn’t ask about student interns. And since when does Adrien look at me like that?’

“Woah, turn down the brightness Sunshine, I’d like to be able to see the screen,” Alya’s words shaking Marinette out of her thoughts. “We all know you think Marinette hung the stars, now let’s watch the movie already!”

“Yes dear,” Nino said as he took the remote and pressed play, starting the queued movie.

Marinette turned to face the tv and leaned back against the couch between Adrien’s knees, but she couldn’t focus on the movie. Wat Alya said playing over and over in her head. ‘Could Adrien really feel that way about me? We’ve gotten closer recently. I think I spend more time with him than Alya, but he hasn’t said anything about liking me more than a friend, has he?’ She grabbed a lock of hair and began chewing on it.

A gentle hand reached forward and took her hair from her hand, “That’s a bad habit to have, Marinette,” Adrien chuckled. Then she felt his fingers running through her hair. Fingernails gently running across her scalp put all confusion and anxiety out of her mind. She finally relaxed, still unable to focus on the move, but this time for a very different reason.

Marinette must have fallen asleep, because the next thing she knew she was being shaken awake. “Come on Sleeping Beauty, let’s get you to bed,” Alya reached down to help Marinette up.

“Nah, she looks more like snow white,” Nino interjected. “You know, with the dark hair and pale skin?”

“I am not some Disney princess,” Marinette said, grabbing Alya’s hand and hoisting herself up, stumbling slightly, overbalancing, and toppling back onto the couch. Right onto Adrien lap.

“Well hello there, Princess,” Adrien crooned as a Cheshire grin crossed his face. He easily stood up holding Marinette princess style.

“Put me down!” Marinette squealed, her face a red as fire engine. Adrien set her down on her feet but kept ahold of her waist while she glared up at him. “That was not nice,” she said smacking him on the chest. In that moment she realized just how small she was compared to him. She barely came up to his chin, and he could easily wrap his arms around her twice.

“Good night, Princess,” He smiled down at her for a moment before releasing her and heading for the stairs.

Marinette stood frozen for a time before her brain kicked back into gear. “THE CARNIVAL!” she shouted, her arms shooting up into the air and she did a little hop. Everyone stopped and looked at her.

“I’ll take this one,” Nino said to the others before approaching Marinette and gently lowing her arms “What about a carnival, Nette?”

“The Summer’s End Carnival!” she said, regaining a bit of her composure. “It’s this weekend. We should go, we should all go together.”

“That’s a great idea Marinette!” Adrien beamed at her.

“I’m in,” Nino chirped.

“That settles it, Summer’s End Carnival on Saturday,” Alya said then made her way up the stairs. When she reached her door, she turned the group with a sly grin, “It could be a double date,” she winked and darted into her room.

Marinette felt her face once again heat up and glanced at Adrien. His face looked as red as hers felt. Turning back to her room she yelled, “Alya!” and charged up after her roommate.

With the revelations of Adrien’s feelings for her, Marinette was sure Friday was going to be unbearably awkward. The morning seemed to confirm her suspicions. Breakfast was oddly quiet. Poor Nino tried his best to start conversations but met with little success. Marinette found herself absentmindedly staring at Adrien, only to quickly avert her gaze when he noticed, a blush rising on his cheeks mirrored by heat building in her own. Mercifully, the time quickly came that they had to head off to work.

At the Gabriel offices, however, she found it easier to interact with him in a more natural capacity. By the evening they were laughing and joking like normal.

As Saturday rolled around, the four friends found themselves very eager for this last hurrah of their first summer as housemates. They wanted to have as much time to enjoy everything, so they decided to get as early a start as possible. Marinette was surprised at how easy it was to get up and ready that morning. She would normally drag herself out of bed sometime around 10:00 on a Saturday, take her time getting ready, and head over to her parents’ bakery to help for the rest of the day. Today however she was up at 6:00 and ready to go by 7:30 when they left to make the short walk to the carnival.

“And here we are,” Nino announced grandiosely. “The Summer’s End Carnival,” dropping the act, he added, “This is gonna be so cool dude! I’m gonna win you the biggest stuffed animal, babe,” he said, putting his arm around Alya’s shoulders.

“You better,” she replied playfully. The couple took the lead leaving their friends to train slightly behind. They decided to go on some rides first before fatigue and greasy food could render them less appealing. After a particularly fast spinning ride, Marinette wasn’t feeling up to many more. Her head was spinning slightly, and her stomach was churning.

“I think I need to sit the next couple of rides out, guys,” she grimaced. “You go on without me.”

“I’ll stay with her and make sure she’s ok,” Adrien stepped beside her. “You two go have fun. We’ll meet up for lunch after.”

After Nino and Alya had waved goodbye and headed to the next ride, Marinette turned to Adrien, “You didn’t have to stay with me, I don’t want to ruin your fun.”

“Nah,” Adrien disagreed. “I’d just feel like a third wheel with them.”

“I know what you mean,” Marinette rolled her eyes.

“Pluss,” Adrien continued. “How can I have any fun if you’re not around.”
“Stop it!” Marinette blushed. “I don’t need flattery.”

“It’s not flattery if it true,” Adrien grinned. “I love Nino and Alya, but I wouldn’t have come today of it wasn’t for you.” Marinette wasn’t sure if it was possible to blush any more than she already was, but Adrien seem determined to find out. “Shall we?” he asked, offering her his arm. She looked at it for a moment before sliding her arm through his.

“We shall.”

They walked around together, arm in arm, visiting the different stalls selling all sorts of wares. They talked about everything and nothing, Marinette was just happy to be there with him.

Suddenly, Adrien’s demeanor shifter. His brow furrowed in thought.

“What’s on your mind?” Marinette asked.

“Was Alya joking about this being a double date?”

Adrien’s question caught her off guard. “Well,” after a slight pause her words began to spill out. “She seems to think that you like me, and she knows I like you and so I think she thought that if she put us in a date like situation we might figure it out…”

“Hold on, hold on.” He stopped her. “She knows that you like me? So, you do like me?” his eyes were wide with surprise and, Marinette couldn’t deny it this time, hope.

“Yes, I like you,” she said softly, digging her toe into the dirt. “And you like me too?”

“Since the day we met. One look at you and I was a goner,” he pushed a stray hair behind her ear. “And then I got to know you and found out that you’re even more beautiful inside.”

She looked back up at him, his words giving her confidence. “Well then, yeah, I guess it’s a double date,” she said with a coy grin. “Though I would have liked it better if you had asked me out for our first date.”

“Well, I’m sure we can rectify this situation,” he took her hand and bowed brushing his lips across her knuckles. “Marinette, my lady, would you do me the kindness of accompanying me to dinner one evening?”

Marinette giggled at his antics. “Of course, I will good sir,” She said curtsying.

“All right, Princess,” Adrien offered his arm to her again. “What would you like to do now?”

Slipping her arm through his she said, “You,” she poked him in the chest, “are going to win me a big stuffed animal.” They both let out a laugh as they headed out to find the games.

Later, when they met up with their friends, they were still walking arm in arm, Marinette clutching a giant stuffed panda that Adrien won for her, and Adrien wearing a pair of cat ears mon by Marinette.

“What is this!” Alia cried when they came into view.

“What are you talking about Alya?” Marinette asked innocently.

“This!” Alya pointed her finger and moved it in circle indicated her and Adrien.

“Oh this!” Marinette exclaimed in foe realization. “I picked up a stray,” she went up on her tip toes and planted a soft kiss on Adrien’s cheek. His eyes went wide, and he bought his free hand up to cover his cheek. “Isn’t my Kitty adorable? I think I’ll keep him.”

Chapter Text

“Ok, Vincent is satisfied with the shots from today,” Lilly, the production coordinator, instructed. “Adrien, great work today. I don’t think I’ve seen that kind of smile on you in a while.”

“Thanks, it’s easy to smile when you’re happy,” Adrien quipped, shooting a covert glance toward the raven-haired intern heling pack up props.

“Ooo, has our Adrien found himself a girlfriend?” one of the assistants chimed in.

“What, no!” Adrien and Marinette had decided to keep their relationship private for now, especially at work. They weren’t sure how Gabriel would react and would rather not find out too soon.

“Oh, so a boyfriend?” another assistant crooned.

“No, no. It’s nothing like any of that.” Adrien protested. “Things are just going really well with my friends. We went to the carnival the other day and had a great time.”

“Sure, honey, don’t wanna tell, we won’t force you,” the assistant winked.

Adrien hurried to his dressing room to get away from the teasing. If this was how they were when they only thought he had a girlfriend, how bad would they be if they knew it was true, and what would it be like for Marinette. Keeping their relationship secret was sounding more and more like the right idea. He changed into his regular clothes and left to head home to get ready for his date tonight.

“Hello, son,” the voice caught him off guard. Adrien’s head shot up eye’s locking with Gabriel’s. “I was hoping to catch you before you left.”

“Hello, Father,” Adrien adopted his father’s stoic tone and demeanor. “What can I do for you?”

“I think it’s about time I visited this apartment of yours and meet your housemates.”

“I’m sure we can arrange a time…”

“I will join you for dinner this evening.”

“Father, we had pla…”

“Plans can be changed, this is the only time I have open.” Gabriel said with a note of finality. “Come Adrien, my driver will take us.”

The drive home was painful to say the least. The two sat in silence. Adrien sent a text t Marinette letting her know what was going on. He began to worry when thy walked up to the front door and he hadn’t received a response. He unlocked and opened the door.

“Hey guys! I’m home!” Adrien called out. “And I…”

“Kit-Adrian!” Marinette burst out of her bedroom, eyes blown wide and mouth agape with shock when she saw who was standing in the entry. She looked stunning in a red A-line off the solder cocktail dress.

“a guest with me,” Adrien finished. “My father will be joining us for dinner this evening.”

“Mr. Agreste! How nice of you to join us,” Marinette rushed down the stairs to greet their guest. The way the wind caught the dress and accentuated her movements didn’t do anything good for Adrien’s composure.

“Are you in the habit of wearing formal attire to dinner at home?” Gabriel questioned. The judgement Adrien could see in his father’s face turned his stomach.

“No sir, I just finished this dress and wanted to show it off,” Adrien was amazed at her quick thinking, though he was sure that the statement was mostly the truth “Marinette Dupain-Cheng, by the way. I’m a…”

“A student intern at my company, yes,” the judgement faded slightly, and Adrien almost thought he saw a small smile flash across his lips. “Your name has come to my attention several times. Your supervisors seem very pleased with your work. Also, I’ve spoken with Adrien about you, he seems to be rather fond of you.”

“We’ve all grown pretty close living here these past few months,” Marinette supplies, smiling at Adrien.

“Well, you wanted to show off this new dress…” Gabriel made a circular motion with his finger indicating for her to spin to show off the whole dress. Marinette tentatively turned around as she was told. “Very good work for a student,” Gabriel muttered to Adrien. “The stitching is close to perfect. The design is simple, but elegant. Very nice work Miss Cheng.”

Marinette’s face was beet red. “Thank you so much Mr. Agreste,” she said as her shoes suddenly became very interesting.

When things began feeling awkward, Adrien sprang to the rescue, “We were actually planning on eating out tonight. Classes start next week, and we wanted to enjoy a night out. Nino and Alya should be home soon. Why don’t I show you around the apartment while Marinette gets changed?”

“Nonsense, a dress like that deserves to be seen,” Adrien froze, “Where do you have reservations?”

“We, uh… don’t have reservations father,” Adrien answered, “We were… going to… get pizza and then walk around the park, maybe catch a show.” Marinette wasn’t the only one who could think on her feet. He really hoped his father would believe him.

“That won’t do.” Gabriel protested. “I will call a restaurant and secure reservations, you will go put on appropriate dinner attire, as will your other house mates when they return. Meanwhile, Miss Cheng will show me around the apartment.”

“Yes Father,” Adrien said as he gave Marinette and apoplectic look as Gabriel took out his phone and called his assistant to get reservations. She looked terrified, her eyes pleaded with Adrien not to leave her alone with his father. Adrien gave her a reassuring nod and headed upstairs to change into something nicer. As soon as he was out of sight he pulled out his phone and sent a group text to Alya and Nino.

Adrien: Guys, big change of plans. We’re going to dinner with my father… all of us. Dresses and suits and stuff.

Alya: Oh, hell no! He isn’t ruining my girls date!

Adrien: It’s my date being ruined too.

Alya: You will always be my Sunshine, Sunshine. But she is MY GIRL.

Adrien: We’re not ready for him to know about us yet. Please, just play along for tonight?

Nino: Dude! That’s messed up! Just wrecking your plans like that.

Nino: Babe, we should probably go along with it. You’ve been wanting a reason to wear that dress Nette made you.

Alya: Oh boy, you know just wat to say to me.

Alya: I’m still not happy about this, but I’m gonna wear the hell out of that dress!

Adrien: Watch out bor. I think you’re in trouble.

Nino: Yeah, the best kind!!!

The conversation continued between Alya and Nino while Adrien got changed and picked out something for Nino to wear. They got home soon after Adrien went back down stairs.

“Girl is that the dress?!” Alya cried as she walked through the door. “You look hot!”

Marinette smiled sheepishly and tilted her head toward Adrien’s father, “We have company!”

“Oh, Mr. Agreste! I’m Alya Cesaire. Nice to finally meet you,” Alya held her hand out for a handshake. “Adrien texted to let us know we would be having donner with you, but he forgot to mention you were here already.”

“Yes, he can be forgetful,” Gabriel shot a glance at Adrien. “Nice to meet you Miss Cesaire, I have heard a lot about you, and Mr. Lahiffe,” his gaze drifted to Nino, “pleasure seeing you again,” his expression said that it was in no way a pleasure.

“You too dude, I mean, sir,” Nino paling under Gabriel’s gaze.

Adrien stepped in to diffuse the situation, “Why don’t you guys go get ready and we can head out.”

Soon enough they were all ready and, in a limo, Gabriel had called. The trip to the restaurant was quiet, no one knowing how to break the ice with Gabriel Agreste. Dinner, though it started out awkward, turned out to be immensely enjoyable. After the they had eaten in relative silence, Gabriel decided to take his leave.

“I have an early meeting in the morning, Adrien,” he said dabbing his mouth and preparing to leave. “Call the car when you and your friends are ready to go home.” With that he left, and the four friends had the rest of the evening to share.

“Second double date in two weeks,” Nino piped up. “This one at a fancy restaurant and your fathers credit card.”

“Well no exactly how I wanted tonight to go,” Adrien reached under the table to hold Marinette’s hand. “But when I’m with you everything’s better.”

Marinette blushed fiercely, “Same to you Kitty.”

Chapter Text

The pillow flew with unerring precision, striking its target, Alya’s stubborn face. “It’s Thursday Als, we’re having movie night, like always,” Marinette stressed, exasperation dripping from her words.

“All I’m saying is that Nino and I wouldn’t mind if you guys wanted to have a date night instead,” Alya threw the pillow back with much less fervor. “I mean, look at your luck with dates so far, and when classes start things will only get busier.”

“Adrien and I have already talked about this,” Marinette said, lips curled in a soft smile. “movie night is far too important to us. You guys are for too important to us. We decided we don’t want to be one of those couples who gets completely wrapped up in each other and looses connection with their friends.”

“Oh Girl, you and Sunshine are just too precious!” Alya squealed as she threw herself at her best friend. Marinette was knocked back onto her bed. Laughing she returned the hug.

“Now come on, the boys will be waiting for us.”

“Hey bro, who’s turn was it to pick the movie tonight?” Adrien asked looking at their movie collection.

“Oh yeah, Dude, are we still doing that tonight?” Nino sounded confused.

“Yeah, Marinette told me what Alya suggested and we talked about it,” Adrien said, a small smirk on his face. “The thing is, while a date would be amazing, movie night is too important. We set it up to have time with the four of us together,” Adrien walked over and sat at the table with Nino. “You guys are still our best friends, and there is no way we’re letting that go.”

Adrien was a little startled when Nino look intentionally away from him. Then he heard the unmistakable sound of a sniff.

“Dude! Are you crying?” Adrien couldn’t keep the glee out of his voice.

“C’mon man, you can’t drop cheesy shit like that and expect your bro to be unaffected ,” Nino retorted whipping his nose.

“Sorry man, I forget what a soft touch you are sometimes,” Adrien chuckled. A red hat smacked him in the face. “Dude, I think you due for a trim,” Adrien said indicating his friend’s shaggy hair.

“So, Sunshine, what are we watching tonight?” Aliya’s voice reaching them from the top of the stairs.

Nino laughed, “I guess that answers your question.”

“Good! I was hoping it was my turn,” Adrien jumped up and went to the movies shelf. “The greatest Disney Pixar film of all time…”

“Wall-e?” Marinette interrupted.

“Toy Story?” Nino interjected.

“Incredibles?” Alya piped in.

“We need to discuss criteria for best Pixar film,” Adrien glared at the group. “No, we’re watching Up!”

“Better get the tissues for Nino,” Alya chortled.

“Babe!” Nino protested.

“You gonna deny it?” Alya quirked an eyebrow, shooting him a challenging look.

“No,” Nino look dejected. The other three couldn’t help but laugh. After a couple of seconds Nino joined them. Adrien took in the scene. This is why movie night was so important, and why he never wanted to give it up.

Chapter Text

Adrien was yanked from his near sleep state as the bus lurched to a halt, the breaks hissing angrily. He jumped slightly when he felt a gentle hand on his knee.

“This is our stop,” Marinette’s voice drew his focus, helping him to regain his wits. He looked around and was surprised that he recognized their surroundings.

“I thought we were going to your parents’ house not mine,” Adrien’s brow knitted together in confusion.

“We are, it’s right over there,” she pointed out the window toward the park his mother would take him to when he was a child. That’s when it hit him. He knew that bakery. That bakery made the best sweets in all of Paris. He had that on good authority; it came straight from his mother, the person whose opinion he trusted more than anyone else.

“That’s your parents’ bakery?” His eyes were wide as his jaw hit the floor.

“Looks like you’ve seen a ghost Sunshine,” Alya said nudging Adrien.

“Dude, how about we continue this riveting conversation somewhere that doesn’t smell of body odor and too many different types of cologne,” Nino shooed them toward the door.

Once they were off the bus, Adrien looked the opposite way down the street from the bakery. Sure enough, there was the grey monolithic prison he called home for twenty years. Then he looked back at the bakery.

“Oh my god…” Adrien breathed.

“What is it Kitty?” Marinette gently held his arm, concern lacing her voice.

“You lived above the bakery, right?” Adrien’s mind raced to piece the puzzle together. “And you would help sometimes, right?”

“Yeah, I would help in the kitchen, or tend the register,” it was Marinette’s turn to be confused.

“You’re the bakery girl!” Adrien couldn’t believe that he hadn’t put this together before.

Marinette’s eyebrows knitted together as she gave him a puzzled look. “Well I did live, and sometimes work, in a bakery…”

“No, the bakery girl!” Adrien cut her off. “My mom used to take me to that park to play,” He pointed to the park across from the bakery. “and ten we would go on walks there when I was a bit older. Most times she would take me to her favorite bakery,” he indicated Tom an Sabines, across the street. “for a treat before heading home.”

“And the bakery girl thing?” Nino interjected.

“You see, there was a girl I would see at the bakery all the time,” Adrien began, sheepishly. “I thought she was pretty, but I wasn’t good with new people…”

“Wasn’t good with people?” Alya guffawed. “As in past tense.”

“Ok, I’m not good with new people,” Adrien continued, a little flustered. “anyway, I would watch her while my mom bought our pastries. My mom would encourage me to say hi, but I couldn’t do it. Until one day I got up enough courage. I picked a flower in the park and I walked up to the girl. She was drawing something, so I tapped on her shoulder. She looked up and I froze, I held out the flower and said ‘here.’ She took the flower and I ran.”

“That was you!” Marinette’s eyes were wide with shock.

“OH. MY. GOD.” Alya doubled over with laughter. “Adrien was flower boy! That is so perfect!”

“You knew about this, babe?” Nino said indignantly. “How is the first time I’m hearing about this? How old were you when you did that dude?”

“Thirteen,” Adrien wished the ground would open and swallow him right then. “Look, up until then I had spoken to a total of one other person my age, and I grew up with her.”

After a couple of agonizing minutes of his friends laughing while his girlfriend stared at him, apparently stunned by this revelation, Adrien finally cleared his throat, “Don’t we have somewhere to be?”

Marinette seemed to snap out of her trance, “Oh yeah, we should get going.”

It was Saturday and Marinette usually helped he parents in their bakery on Saturdays. Somehow, Adrien’s schedule was clear today. He didn’t remember the last time he had a free Saturday. With this development, he asked if he could tag along. He’d heard a lot about Marinette’s parents and how amazing their bakery was. When Alya and Nino heard they were going to the bakery, they decided to make it a group outing.

They followed Marinette down the street to the side door of the bakery. She led them into the kitchen.

“Mama, Papa, I’m here!” she called out as she opened the door. “And I have guests!” Adrien hung back, not wanting to intrude.

“Breadstick,” a mountain of a man turned from the stove grinning broadly at Marinette. “it’s about time you got here.” He said with a chuckle.

“Be nice Tom,” a small woman with dark hair, just like Marinette’s, came through a door that Adrien supposed lead to the storefront. She playfully slapped the Tom on the arm. “Hello, dear,” she turned and smiled at her daughter.

“Papa Tom! Mama Sabine!” Alya rushed past Marinette and threw herself at the older couple.

“Hey dudes!” Nino said waving as he walked over and was pulled into the group hug.

“It’s good to see you kids too,” Tom said. He glanced over at Marinette then his gaze fell on Adrien. “Why don’t you to go take over in the front?” He gestured to Alya and Nino.

Adrien wasn’t sure what to do, and when Marinette turned to look at him, he realized he’d basically been hiding behind her. This wasn’t like meeting random people at one of his father’s events, or fellow students at work. This wasn’t something he’d been preparing for.

“It’s ok kitty,” Marinette said in a soft voice. “They’re going to love you. They really are some of the nicest people in the world.”

“They must be,” Adrien let out a soft nervous laugh, “they raised you.”

She blushed, “You’re sweet, kitty. Now come on,” she grabbed his hand, lacing their finger together. That gave him a boost and he steeled himself against his nerves. She lead him over to her parents.

“Mama, Papa, this is Adrien Agreste,” She said with a wide grin.

Adrien straightened his posture and put on his best ‘model smile,’ “It’s nice to meet you Mr. and Mrs. Dupain-Chang,” Adrien held out his hand.

“it’s nice to meet you too Adrien,” Tom said, and shocked Adrien when he pulled him into a warm hug. Adrien froze. He hadn’t experienced something like this in a very long time. He didn’t know what to do. Hugging his friends was nice and comfortable, hugging Marinette was similar but more. Tom hugged him like Adrien was his own son. Adrien felt moisture build up at the corner of his eyes as he slowly returned the hug. “And it’s Tom and Sabine, understand.” He added as he released Adrien.

“Come here sweaty,” Sabine said with a warm smile on her face as she also wrapped him in a hug. “It’s so nice to finally meet you. We’ve heard so much about you.”

“I’ve heard a lot about you too,” Adrien grinned, beaming as a warmth flooded his chest, wiping the nerves away.

After they pulled apart, Adrien looked over to Marinette who was wearing the biggest smile he had ever seen.

“Making eyes at my daughter,” Tom said behind Adrien. “Is that the first impression you want to make, son?”

Adrien gasped, “No sir, I’m sorry sir, I meant no…”

“Easy son,” Tom laughed, “I was just teasing you. Mari told us all about you two, and that you’re keeping it secret for whatever reason.”

“I’m sorry,” Adrien regained his composure. “My father wouldn’t be as accepting as you two are. He thinks girls are a distraction and I should focus on school and work.”

“Well, it’s obvious to us you care about our daughter,” Tom clapped him on the shoulder reassuringly. “Now, we have baking to do. Wash up and get an apron on.”

After washing up Marinette handed him his apron and they joined Tom at the prep table. “Are Alya and Nino going to help with the baking too?” Adrien asked looking toward the doorway into the storefront.

“Oh no, they aren’t allowed in here,” Marinette giggled.

“Why not?” Adrien asked confused. “They’re both excellent in the kitchen.”

“They can both cook, that’s true,” Tom agreed. “But they can’t bake to save their lives.”

“Is it that different?” Adrien asked, not as confident in the task he was about to do.

“It is, but you’ll be fine, son,” Tom said calming his nerves ever so slightly. “We’re going to start easy with baguettes.”

As the day went on it became clear that, while he couldn’t match Tom or Marinette, Adrien had a knack for baking. His baguettes were evenly golden brown and had a good consistency. He made a batch of cupcakes that, though not as moist as Marinette’s, were delicious. He even helped prep the croissants for the and some sourdough for the next day.

After putting the last tray of croissants in the rack Tom turned to Adrien and Marinette, “If you two could clean up in here, I’ll head up and get dinner started.”

“Ok Papa,” Marinette said happily. Looking over at Adrien, she pointed at a cupboard, “Cleaning supplies ate in there, can you get them please.”

Adrien retrieved cleaner and towels, bringing them to Marinette. She walked him through the cleaning process and they made quick work of tidying up the kitchen. They chatted and joked making a task that would usually bee monotonous, very enjoyable.

Once the kitchen was cleaned and the supplies stowed, Adrien started for the door to the stairs to head up for dinner. Marinette grabbed his arm and pulled him close. She wrapped her arms around his neck and he wound his arms around her waist.

“Thank you for doing this today,” She said, staring lovingly into his eyes.

“Thank you for letting me,” He smiled back at her. “This was an amazing day. I love your family.”

“They seem to think pretty highly of you too,” she giggled.

Adrien leaned in, closing the distance between them. Marinette wen up on her toes, meeting him half way. Their lips met in a soft slow kiss. Adrien reveled in the touch of Marinette’s lips. They were soft and supple, and tasted faintly of strawberries. He lost himself in the kiss. Until a voice behind him pulled him violently back into reality.

“I thought you two were supposed to be cleaning in here not getting dirty,” Adrien could hear the grin in Alya’s voice. They broke apart, both blushing fiercely. “Nothing to be ashamed about, you’re dating after all.”

“Alya!” Marinette growled at her friend.

“Just maybe find somewhere more private next time,” Alya sniggered. “Anyway, they sent me down to tell you dinner is ready. Get your butts upstairs.”

Chapter Text

“I think I could sleep for the next two weeks!” Adrien threw himself onto the couch.

“I know what you mean,” Marinette ruffled his hair. “Up,” she gently lifted his head. He propped himself up on his elbows, allowing her to sit down before he laid his head back down in her lap. “Did the show have to be this weekend?” She complained as she began running he fingers through his hair.

“Father said there was no other time if he wanted this line to have enough time out before fashion week hits,” Adrien explained. The debut of this special line was apparently very important to his father, though he couldn’t understand why. The unusual release of a new line brought with it a lot of extra work for Adrien; extra fittings and photo shoots, a new commercial, interviews with fashion magazines, and a runway show. All of that wouldn’t bee too bad if it hadn’t coincided perfectly with midterms and his father’s sudden desire to have Adrien more involved in the business side of the brand. Adrien was drained, he had nothing left, and Marinette didn’t have it any easier. She had one job or another at all his photo shoot and filming the commercial on top of school work, her own midterms, and personal projects. She seemed to spend most of the time she was home in their makeshift office/workroom sketching up new designs, creating pieces for her collections, or knitting. To be honest he felt like he didn’t get to spend any time with his girlfriend for the last month and he missed her. That was going to change now that this craziness was over.

“Mari?” her name came out softer than he had meant it as he looked up into her eyes.

“Yeah, Adrien?” her eyebrows rose as her eyes softened in concern.

“Promise me something,” he held her gaze and the corners of his mouth turned up in a small grin. “Promise me that whenever things get busy well make time for each other. I’ve missed you,” he reached up and tucked a stray hair behind her ear.

A warm smile replaced the concern on her face, “I’ve missed you too,” she twirled his hair around her finger, “We can definitely make time for each other.”

“No matter how,” his words were cut off by a yawn, “busy we get?”

“No matter how busy we get,” she smiled and then had to stifle her own yawn, “Now look what you’ve got me doing,” smacking him lightly on the chest. He only grinned. This was the best way to rest after all that stress.

They stayed there in companionable silence, just enjoying being together. After a few minutes they adjusted positions, so Marinette could sniggle down in front of Adrien to be more comfortable.

Adrien must have dozed off at some point, because the next thing he knew, he was waking up to the sound of his friend’s voices.

“Look how adorable they are!” Alya squealed, obviously trying, and failing, to contain her glee.

“Babe, you didn’t just take a picture of them, did you?” Nino chided.

“Of course I did, what kind of best friend would I be if I didn’t take pictures of my girl being so adorable with her boyfriend?” Alya sniggered.

“I want a copy,” Adrien said, not bothering to open his eyes.

“You got it, lover boy,” Adrien heard them move to on of the arm chairs. “We doing movie night tonight, or should we push it back one more night?” Marinette stirred but didn’t wake up. Adrien felt her breath even out. He finally opened his eyes to look at the beautiful girl, asleep in his arms.

“I really don’t want to wake her, and I think I’m gonna fall back asleep any minute now,” a yawn forced it way out as if to prove his point. He looked over where Nino was sitting in the arm chair, Alya draped across his lap, “can we do tomorrow? I know we’ve had to move it back a couple of days already, but I’m afraid we won’t be good company until we’ve had some rest.”

“That’s just fine, Sunshine,” Alya smiled fondly at him. “You take care of my girl, ok?”

Adrien beamed back at her, “Always.”

Alya jumped up grabbing Nino’s hand, “Come on Mr. DJ, lets let them have their rest,” she dragged him toward the stairs.

“Yeah, dude, get some rest,” Nino interjected, “Don’t worry about movie night. Let me know when you want to hang, man.”

“Sure thing, man,” Adrien listened as they went upstairs. He kissed Marinette’s hair and settled back down. Before long he was out again with a contented smile on his face.

Chapter Text

The sewing machine whirred as Marinette joined the first seam on her new gown. This had to be perfect. They were going to the Gabriel Christmas party and she was determined to show her coworkers what she could do.

“You know, you’re adorable when you concentrate like that,” her boyfriend said from his desk on the other side of the room.

“Is that so,” Marinette deadpanned, not bothering to take her eyes off her work.

“Yeah, your brow scrunches up in the cutest way, and you stick your tongue out the side of your mouth a little. You’re just so,” she heard wheels rolling on the har floor. She had just enough time to stop the seam she was working on and brace herself as he rolled his chair up behind hers and wrapped his arms around her waist resting his chin on her shoulder, “adorable.”

“And you are extra cuddly right now, you almost made me ruin my stitch,” she let out and exasperated giggle. “I can’t afford to mess this up. I need this gown to be perfect.”

“And it will be,” she could hear the grin in his voice. “You’ll be the most beautiful girl in the room.”

She turned to look at him, “You’re sweet,” she pecked him on the cheek, “though, that’s not likely. There will be models there,” she turned back to her sewing machine, “Now shoo. I need to get to work if I want to get this done in time.” She heard the whirr of the wheels as he rolled back to his desk. The only sound she heard for a while was a soft sound of typing, until Adrien decided to break the silence.

“Do you really not know how beautiful you are?” Adrien’s words caught her off guard. She paused her sewing as she felt warmth creep up her face. After a moment she regained control and continued her work. When she didn’t respond Adrien continued, “Seriously, I’ve seen you next to those models, during shoots and runways. Even without being all made up like them you still shine in comparison.”

“You have to admit that you’re a little biased,” the heat in her cheeks doubling.

“I’m not the only one who’s noticed,” there was an earnestness in his voice that Marinette couldn’t ignore. “Do you know how many people have asked me for your number?”

Marinette nearly destroyed the current seam she was working on in her shock. She spun around, eyes wide, to stare at her boyfriend in disbelief. “Guys have been asking for my number?”

“Not just guys,” Adrien said with a Cheshire grin, wiggling his eyebrows. She didn’t know what to do with this new information. Her confusion must have shone on her face, because Adrien’s smile fell, and he rolled back over to her. He took her hand, “What’s wrong? Does it make you uncomfortable that people are asking about you?”

“No!” she saw the concern on his face and wanted to reassure him that she was ok. “No. It’s just that the only people to tell me things like that have been the people who are supposed to.”

A crease formed between Adrien’s eyebrows as he squinted at her, mouth slightly agape. “What does that mean, Mari?”

“You know, my parents,” se began counting off people on her fingers. “my other family members, Alya, my ex...” she gasped slightly eyes wide as they shot up to collide with Adrien’s. She had never talked about her Nathaniel in front of Adrien before. Adrien just chuckled.

“I already knew you had an ex,” his smile calming her a bit.

“How?” was all she could say.

“Nino told me,” he gave her a small shrug. “His name was Nathaniel, right? Nino always called him Nath though.”

Marinette began to fidget with her fingers in her lap. She looked down at them and couldn’t bring herself to look back up at Adrien, “Yeah, we dated through most of lycée,” she told her hands. “He’s an artist. He used to have me model for him a lot.”

She felt Adrien’s hand as he gently caressed her cheek and moved it under her chin. He gently raised her chin until she was looking him in the eye again, “It’s ok that you had boyfriends before me,” his smile was sweet, and calmed her nerves even more. “We’re together now, that’s all that matters,” he leaned in a gave her a chased kiss. “They’re a part of your past, and what makes you who you are.”

She couldn’t help the smile that his words put on her face, “I’m sorry I was being so weird,” she felt she owed him an explanation, but when she opened her mouth it all just cam out in an endless string of words “this is my first real relationship since him, and we’re still friends, and I didn’t know if that would be weird, and I didn’t know how to bring it up, and you’ve been so amazing, I didn’t want you to think that I…” Adrien cut her off with a finger to her lips.

“It’s fine Mari,” his smile widened at her startled ‘eep’, “I haven’t talked to you about my previous relationships either,” his smile fell as his brow furrowed and his lips pressed into a frown. “Though none of mine ended with us still being friends.”

“I’m so sorry Adrien,” she reached out for his hand. He eyes grew wide for a second before their corners crinkled and his mouth turned up in an affectionate smile.

“Oh, it’s ok Marinette,” he took her hand, “it’s in the past. I have you now, and I don’t see us ending any time soon.” He lifted her hand to his lips never breaking eye contact. His lips lingered longer than normal, and Marinette could feel the emotion he put into the contact. “It’s getting late,” he stood never letting go of her hand. “We should get to bed,” he helped her to her feet, leaning in to plant a soft kiss on her lips.

Over the next month this became their nightly routine when they didn’t have other plans. Marinette worked tirelessly on her dress with Adrien keeping her company. Sometimes he would work on course work, sometimes he had paperwork from his job at Gabriel, and others he would just watch her work, starting up conversations when she could spare the attention.

From time to time he would chime in with deeper questions that would catch her off guard and would invariably lead to a meaningful conversation. He seemed to time them perfectly, right when she had finished a task and was trying to decide if it was too late to start on the next. They covered topics like preferences they had yet to bring up, philosophical ideas, and even managed to talk politics without arguing.

One night as Marinette was finishing up, she heard Adrien clear his throat behind her, catching her attention.

“Yes, Adrien?” she didn’t turn around, focusing on finishing up what she was doing.

“Have you ever thought about,” he faltered, “about what you want?”

“What do you mean, what I want?”

“What you want, you know,” he paused again, “from us.”

She gasped as her head shot up. She slowly turned to face him. She was sure she looked like a deer in the headlights. We’re going to have this talk now? She felt her pulse quicken. I knew this was too good to be true. He’s going to tell me that he thinks we’re better as friends. That we had fun, but we should see other… her mind froze when she felt his hand on her cheek. She finally focused on him, his eyes were soft and creased at the corners, his mouth was swept up in a gentle curve, and his head was slightly cocked to the side.

“I’m not one for casual dating,” his voice was soft and earnest, “and I think we’ve seen, over the last few months, we fit well together,” he lowered his hand from her cheek and took both of her hands in his. “I’m not saying I think everything will be perfect between us, but I need you to know, I can see a future with you.” Marinette opened her mouth, not sure how she was going to respond to that.

Thankfully Adrien cut her off before she could say anything, “I know it’s much too early for an engagement or anything like that, I just need to make absolutely sure we’re on the same page regarding, well, us.”

Marinette felt a warmth fill her whole body and creep up her face. Muscles she didn’t know could be tense were relaxing. She didn’t know it before, but that was exactly what she needed to hear from him. “Oh, Adrien! I feel the same way,” she felt tears well up in the corner of her eyes, “I want a future with you too,” the tears fell as Adrien closed the distance between them. He pressed his lips to hers in a kiss that was so much more than a kiss. It held a promise of a lifetime together, filled with all the love he had to give.