Chapter Text
“Ohhh…” Tikki noised in awe as she picked up a cookie from the snack plate. It was still warm and just about to hit the moment when the outside would become crisp while the inside remained soft and gooey. Greedily, she opened her mouth wide, much too excited about taking that mouthwatering first bite. “Ahhh…”
“AHHH!!!” Mariette screamed.
The sudden noise took the kwami by surprise, shocking her so much so that she snapped the cookie in half before it all came crumbling into imperfect chunks. Tikki narrowed her eyes at the mess, biting back a whimper at how that delicious first bite of a perfectly round cookie was so cruelly taken from her. She tried not to grumble, despite her loss, tossing a chocolate chip into her mouth, the taste somehow more bitter than sweet — reflecting her feelings at that very moment. “Why are you screaming, Marinette?”
“I won!” The holder screamed. “Oh my kwami, Tikki, I won!”
Tikki gathered up a few crumbles and munched on them as she watched Marinette spin around in her chair. “Won what, Marinette?” Her holder's enthusiasm was somehow getting to be infectious and Tikki found herself getting over the rude interruption from earlier.
“The contest! ZAG's Teens Design contest!” She chirped excitedly as she motioned for Tikki to come see the details.
“Well then, congratulations!” She hovered over to her holder.
“I really gave it my all with my entry, I’m so relieved I won!” Marinette almost looked a little smug.
Tikki’s eyes shifted over to the screen and saw that the theme of the contest was Ladybug and Chat Noir merch. She gave her holder a look before bursting out laughing. “Of course Ladybug would win a contest themed after herself. I would be disappointed if you didn’t!” She joked. “So, what’d you win?”
“Hehe! See for yourself!” Marinette grinned as she scrolled down to the prizes.
Tikki’s eyes skimmed the screen, reading out loud. “The winner will receive a cheque for €250, have their designs made into merchandise featured in the Official ZAG store, and go on an all expense paid date with a secret celebrity. Hint: He’s a Parisian teen with blond hair and green eyes…” She gasped and looked at the Guardian incredulously. ”Marinette… you don’t actually think—”
“Who else could it possibly be, but Adrien?!” Marinette squealed and began to daydream. “Ahhh!!! I won a date with Adrien Agreste, Tikki!”
“Ah, but that’s not for certain—” Tikki shook her head and sighed as she watched Marinette with fondness. “She can’t hear me, can she?” She hoped for her holder’s sake that things would pan out well.
With Nathalie and his father out for the weekend doing business in Italy, Adrien finally had some free time all to himself without any lessons or work obligations to get in the way. Sighing dreamily, he gazed at Marinette’s new post on Instagram. His friend was showing off some Ladybug and Chat Noir themed pieces she had entered into a design contest, her smile absolutely radiant with the announcement that she'd won. “She’s so amazing…”
While Plagg was trying to reach the new level in Miraculous Crush on Adrien’s cellphone, a message notification pinged on one of Chat Noir’s accounts. Plagg was about to grumble something about Cataclysming the device when he realized it was the message he’d been waiting to receive for weeks. A mischievous grin formed on his face as he clicked to confirm Chat Noir’s attendance. “Hey, Kid, you’re gonna be late for your date!” Plagg cackled as he gobbled down the last piece of his Camembert and floated over. “Best not to leave your girlfriend waiting.”
“She’s not my girlfriend!” Adrien blurted out all too quickly instead of saying his usual “she’s just a friend.” Face flushing red, he straightened his posture as his kwami got in his personal space, cheese breath permeating up his nostrils. “Wait, what is this about a date?!” He furrowed his eyes as he watched Plagg grin like a Cheshire cat. The kwami lifted up the phone to display the contents of the message and with each and every word, Adrien’s eyes grew wider. “Plagg… WHAT HAVE YOU DONE!?”
Marinette changed into her prettiest date outfit to accept her reward for the contest. The whole process of being dolled up and interviewed was surprisingly fun, unlike when Ladybug and Chat Noir were supposed to be “interviewed” by Nadja Chamack.
After signing a few forms for legalities’ sake, she was informed that the new Ladybug and Chat Noir merch would hit the shelves by next Heroes’ Day. Unbelievably excited to see her designs brought to life by the official ZAG store, she couldn’t wait to receive the prototypes she was promised. In the meantime, however, there were other prizes in store for her. While the cheque for two-hundred and fifty euros was a plus, there was another prize she was looking forward to— a date with the dreamiest blond-haired, green-eyed boy in Paris!
After having been kindly dropped off and escorted to her seat at the upscale restaurant, Ratatouille, Marinette’s mind began to race. Despite all of her excitement, it suddenly dawned on her that she was actually going on a date with the boy she loved! Sure, it was more or less a forced set up, but a part of her knew she wasn’t any closer to asking him out otherwise and was determined to enjoy the event to the fullest.
Or so she’d told herself...
Panicking as she tried to do a quick crash course with Tikki about which utensils to use for each course, her stomach was doing flips and she hoped so badly that she wouldn’t be so nervous that she’d throw up. She tried to calm herself down by processing the information, but the distraction, however, could only last so long, because, before she knew it, the entire restaurant’s attention shifted toward the entrance.
“Oh my gosh… what is he doing here?”
“Do you think he’s here for a date?”
Tikki’s eyes widened as she gazed up at her holder. “Uh… Marinette… your date is here…” A small, smug smirk spread across her face as she snuck back into Marinette’s pochette.
Marinette’s teeth began to chatter and she could feel a small bead of sweat begin to run down the back of her neck. “I-I’m ready!” Seeming determined, she painfully swallowed the lump in her throat.
Tikki covered her mouth as she giggled. “Good luck, and make sure to be on your best behavior!” And with that the purse clamped shut.
“Wait— wasn’t there a contest where you could win a date with him?”
“Ah… he’s quite handsome up close!”
A few gasps squeals could be heard as his footsteps came closer; she thought he must’ve been waving to his fans.
Her throat felt dry, she immediately went for a glass of water and began chugging.
The faintest hint of his laughter echoed through Marinette’s ears — she knew that laugh, it was one that she could recognize anywhere. She grasped at her chest; his laugh — somehow it could both place her heart at ease and swell with so much joy.
“Sorry I’m late, but congratulations on winning the design contest!” He called out her name, making her stiffen in her seat. “Marinette?”
“You’re here! I’m so excited to go on this date with you—” Eagerly she turned, attempting to give him her brightest smile. “Adri— Ah— Ah—!” All the color just drained from her face and her jaw dropped, mouth hung wide open.
“Look at her! She’s absolutely speechless!” A random stranger commented causing a few of the other restaurant patrons to giggle.
This was a disaster, the worst possible outcome, because out of all the people in Paris, it had to be the only other person who had any sway over her feelings.
“Haha, cat got your tongue, Princess?” A mischievous grin graced his features — he’d cleaned up good, his hair slickedback and his leather ensemble looking somehow badass, yet classy, and fashionable.
Her mouth twitched and her body began to feel faint. “Chat Noir!?” She managed to scream as the glass slipped through her hands and shattered into pieces like her plans.
“Marinette!? Are you okay?” When he leaned in closer, the scent of his delicious cologne made her brain short circuit.
The last thing she saw was herself reflected in his gorgeous green eyes before everything went black.
Shivering as a cool breeze drifted through her hair, Marinette began to stir. A soothing hand patted the top of her head to tame the fluttering locks and faintest sounds of someone singing made her wince. It wasn’t that their singing was bad; on the contrary, it was nice, but the song they sang—
“Little Kitty on a roof...”
The lyrics caused a sudden chill run through her body, making her shoot herself up into a sitting position. “Cha-Chat!”
“Marinette!” He beamed, his voice warm. “You’re awake!”
Taking note of how she was no longer in a restaurant, but instead outside in the open, she turned to Chat Noir with furrowed brows. “Hm… what happened?” She asked with a small groan.
“You passed out at the restaurant.” Chat Noir responded, concern evident in his tone.
“O-Oh? Did I?” Her voice was shaky as she dropped her face into her hands. “So-Sorry, that must’ve been so embarrassing!”
“Marinette. Don’t worry, there’s a voucher you can use for next time you go.” He watched as she muffled her groans. “Really, Marinette, it’s no big deal! They were more concerned about your well being...” Mindful of his claws, he gently stroked the side of her face in hopes of placing her at ease. “And truthfully, so was I. If you weren’t feeling well, then you could’ve just said so.”
“I-I’m sorry for having caused you so much trouble!” She blurted out, her cheeks flushed as she peeked through her fingers.
“You’re never any trouble, Marinette.” He reassured her, knowing how she always put others before herself. Her shoulders stiffened as he lifted her chin upward. “Are you sure you’re feeling better?” He murmured, the way her long dark lashes fluttered almost alluringly were drawing him in.
“Yea-Yeah!” Wondering why she was stammering, she began to fiddle around with the hem of her dress. A part of her felt a little foolish; she’d put in so much effort and gotten all dressed up because she was so sure that she’d be meeting Adrien. Holding back her tears, she tried her best not to sound disappointed. “I-I’ll be fine now, so you don’t have to stick around…”
“But…” The way she bit her bottom lip made Chat Noir suddenly hyper aware of how the pink gloss faintly smelled of sugar and strawberries. Mentally, he told himself to not focus on that fact, despite his curiosity threatening to kill him. “What about our date?” He suddenly blurted out, surprised at his own enthusiasm.
“Um…” Marinette told herself to think quickly, knowing it would be such a bad idea to go on a date with her partner whom she held just the slightest glimmer of affection for. “Uh, there’s no need to make things awkward… you already rejected me once.” She struggled to make an excuse. “Besides, you like Ladybug…”
“I do, but…” Chat Noir grimaced, realizing he hadn’t once thought about Ladybug while with her. “She isn’t my girlfriend and the one I’m with right now… is you, Marinette.” As she peered up at him, he found himself getting lost in the depths of her sky blue eyes. Despite this entire situation having been caused by Plagg’s mischief, it was also so improbable that Adrien thought that, perhaps, it was fate. And so, he didn’t want to waste an opportunity to spend time with the girl that, deep down, he knew he was also crushing on. “I— after finding out you were the one I would be going on a date with, I… I actually felt a bit relieved. You’re amazing, you totally deserved to win, and I… I was looking forward to spending time with you…” He couldn’t help but notice how pretty she looked all dolled up. “I-I purromise to show you a good time, Princess, so just for today, won’t you let me be your prince?”
Marinette’s lips parted slightly in awe, she could see herself reflected in his eyes along with sincerity and hope. He extended his hand out to her and she found herself grabbing on without hesitation. “I don’t need a prince…” she found herself relaxing against his touch, “I just need a friend.”
She flashed him the kindest smile and Adrien felt his heart squeeze, a sudden surge of happiness coursing through his entire body. “Well then, I guess it’s a good thing that I’ve always considered you to be a very good friend, Marinette.”