A/N: In which Adrien finds himself pitted against the greatest charmer and ultimately discovers he can play dirty as well.

Or, in which I can't get any inspiration for my other fanfics and my brain decides to shit this idea out.

Friendly Competition

Part 1

This was it.

Today was the day.

The day where he would finally walk into Marinette Dupain-Cheng's bakery, and come out courting the most perfect girl in all of France.

He could picture it now. He'd walk inside and see her at the counter, maybe decorating some cupcakes or cleaning the counter. He'd introduce himself with a smile and politely request to speak to her parents in privacy.

She would probably be confused. After all, what could Vicomte Adrien Agreste want with her parents; simple people working in a small bakery in the middle of the modest town? To formally request a courtship to begin between him, a Viscount, and their daughter, a peasant, isn't very common. The possibility would probably be the furthest reason from their minds.

His father had been very adamant in his refusal at first of potentially beginning a courtship with the young maiden. He told him that he needed to marry a woman of the nobility, a girl with grace and etiquette.

Gabriel had then suggested he try to purse Lady Chloe Bourgeois. The Bourgeois were very wealthy and a close family friend, with a daughter about three years younger than Adrien's 22. The Count was convinced that the two blondes would make a very handsome couple.

While it may be true that Chloe had grace and etiquette in public, in private it was an entirely different affair. She was mean to her servants, greedy, selfish, always willing to make someone feel beneath her. Since Adrien had grown up around her, he knew what she was like, and was not willing to dedicate the rest of his life to her.

Luckily, it didn't take too long to change his father's mind.

He remembered the day he happened to glance in Marinette's way in vivid detail. The Marquis Damocles was hosting a social gathering in the gardens of his mansion. The Agrestes, along with many other noble families, were invited to attend.

Adrien, always eager for socializing, happily went along with his father, who looked less than thrilled. It didn't deter his mood, though. Being mostly cooped up in his manor during his life didn't exactly include social gatherings every weekend.

He had hoped to see his friend Nino there, a very successful musician who had a history of playing at nobleman's parties. It was, in fact, the very reason they met. Nino, along with his other musicians, played at a ball held in the Agreste manor. Adrien happened upon him after the band took a break, they started talking, and a friendship very soon developed.

At the Marquis's social, he was disappointed to see his friend's band wasn't playing. Still, he'd try to make the most out of the social.

As he wandered around, looking for a friendly face, his eyes caught sight of a girl at an overly large table, filled with pastries of all kinds. Cakes, cupcakes, macarons, eclairs, all of it.

While normally he would've been positively drooling at the sight of so many sweets, it was the girl who had completely captured his attention.

Her hair went down to her mid-back, the sunlight reflecting off the black tresses making her hair almost look blue. Her eyes were the color of the ocean. He was sure if he could get close enough, he could probably get lost in them. Her lips were full, and pink, and looked soft to the touch.

The girl's lips broke out into a radiant smile, displaying a set of pearly white teeth as she directed her attention to a little girl who barely reached the table. From the back it looked like it resembled little Manon, the daughter of Lady Chumack, but he couldn't be too sure.

The beautiful woman gave her a cupcake and patted her head before the little girl took off, most likely looking for either her mother or her friends. Meanwhile, the blackette relaxed and started to situate the treats on the table.

It was obvious she wasn't of the nobility, she was most likely a peasant. Maybe wealthier than most since it was obvious she was involved with a bakery, but still poor enough to not tempt anyone of the higher class.

Adrien's eyes became half-lidded as he gazed at her, the corners of his lips turning up into a soft, fond smile.

Damn. He was enamored with a girl based purely on her inner and outer beauty. He didn't even know her name.

He flinched when a male servant came upon him, asking him if he would like a glass of wine. He accepted, and as an idea came to him, leaned in closer to his side, unintentionally making the man a bit wary.

"Tell me, who is that girl?"

"Which one, Vicomte?"

Adrien's green eyes strayed to the lovely woman, watching as she now gave a little boy a macaron to eat with a smile just as large as the one she presented to Manon.

He found himself automatically smiling in reaction.

"There. The one at the table, with all the pastries."

"Oh," the servant breathed in understanding. "That is Marinette Dupain-Cheng, only daughter of Tom and Sabine Cheng. Her parents run the best bakery in all the kingdom, I hear."

The blond nodded slowly. "I see. Do you happen to know her marital status?"

The servant turned, giving the inquiring man a strange look. Why would a man of his stature care about a peasant's marital status? Then again, he was no one to question the Vicomte.

"She is single, last I hear. No suitors."

He watched as the young nobleman's lips curled up into a devilish grin, and his eyes shined with calculation. Seeing this, the servant uneasily asked if that was all, to which he received an answer in the affirmative.

Though it was none of his business what an Agreste was planning, he was still ever curious of what was going on through that man's head. His first thought was that he planned to court her, but that was ridiculous. A Viscount and a peasant? Never.

It was now officially three days after the whole affair. Adrien stood outside the bakery, across the street.

He breathed in deep.

Alright, Agreste, you can do this. You're a Vicomte, they won't deny you a courtship with Marinette. This is probably the potential match of a lifetime for them.

True, while he could most likely achieve permission to court Marinette due to his status, it wasn't a guarantee that she would like him in return. If she detested him, he'd call the entire thing off. But he hoped it wouldn't come down to that. He honestly didn't know what to do in case the maiden didn't like him. There was no one else he considered at the moment being with.

Also, what if he grew to dislike her? He didn't really know her, has never spoken to her-

Relax. This is what courting is for, to figure out if the person is someone you could envision spending the rest of your life with.

He sighed before straightening and squaring his shoulders. This was ridiculous, he needed to get in there already and speak to her parents. Otherwise the romance would stop before it had even begun.

Adrien picked up his head and strode across the street, straight to the modest bakery. He didn't pause as he opened the door, his ears picking up on the light sounds of the bell ringing.

However, he froze as he saw her behind the counter. Her cheeks were flushed, most likely from exertion, and her hair was done into two, low-hanging pigtails that draped over her shoulders.

She blinked at him, in confusion, before applying a smile to her features.

"Good afternoon, Vicomte." She bowed her head in respect before lifting it again to speak with him. "What would you like?"

Well, it's not pastries.

"Actually, uh-I'm not here for pastries," he replied, mentally cringing on his earlier stutter. "I would like to privately converse with your parents, if you don't mind."

Marinette tilted her head, narrowing her eyes a bit. "Hm. You're the second man who has asked to speak with them today."

Wait. What?!

Second?

Who was the first?!

On the outside, Marinette could see Adrien to be smiling and nodding politely, and still requesting that he still see them nonetheless. Internally, he was screaming.

No. No no no no no no no! This can't be happening! I didn't plan for something like this to happen. What do I do? What if she's already committed to a courtship? God, I'd look like a total idiot.

He willed himself to relax.

You know, maybe it isn't a potential suitor after all. Maybe it's a customer, maybe it's a friend of her parents's. You never know.

"Hold on just a moment," she answered in a light, adorable voice that he desired to hear more of. "I'll go ask them if they could see you."

She disappeared behind a door behind the counter. Adrien waited patiently, taking on the proper stance that was ingrained into his brain since childhood. Stand perfectly straight, eyes forward, and hands clasped behind the back.

About a couple minutes later the blackette returned with a small smile.

"They said they're willing to see you. This way, Vicomte."

As Marinette led Adrien towards the back, where her father's study was, she couldn't help but wonder why he was there. Having a Baron ask to speak with her parents was surprising enough, but now a Vicomte? What was going on?

Adrien remained silent the entire time during their walk, only talking when he thanked her for leading the way after she had knocked on the door and was granted permission to enter.

Marinette walked away after that, claiming she had to go back to the counter and serve possible customers. Adrien took a deep breath, tried his best to relax, and opened the door.

He was greeted by the sight of a large, older man with brown hair and green eyes sitting behind a desk, with a slightly-younger woman with black hair and gray eyes seated in front of the desk, though off to the side a bit.

But what really drew his attention was the young Baron sitting directly in front of Marinette's father.

"Vicomte," Mr. Dupain greeted with a respectful nod. "Please, have a seat. Would you like anything to drink?"

"No, thank you," the blond replied, wary as he took the empty seat next to the Baron. There weren't many reasons why a young man wanted to speak with a maiden's parents, so it was most likely he was here for the same reason Adrien was.

"Vicomte Agreste, what a coincidence seeing you here," the Baron greeted, smiling though Adrien could see right through the fake pleasantry. Growing up in high society trained him to see past a person's lies.

So, he played right back, plastering on a fake smile. "And you, Baron Barbot. Tell me, what is the reason you are here, this afternoon?"

Mr. Dupain chose this moment to speak up. "The Baron has requested permission to court my daughter, Marinette."

Adrien froze, he stared purely horrified at the older man. "You-uh-didn't grant him that, did you?"

An extremely rude response, but he had to know the answer.

Tom tilted his head, eyes scrutinizing the young blond. "By your response, would it be wrong of me to assume that you want the same thing Baron Barbot does?"

Adrien straightened in his seat, abandoning his earlier panic. He needed to be strong, and assertive in his request. No father wanted a nervous man for their daughter to marry.

"Yes, I do."

He ignored the probable dirty glares thrown his way by Theo, never straying his eyes away from Tom's stare.

The man finally cracked a small smile. "Well, this is certainly unusual. A Vicomte and a Baron, each seeking our daughter's hand. Very unusual, isn't it, my darling?" He turned his attention to his wife, smile widening and eyes twinkling with love and affection.

Sabine nodded. "Yes, it is," she agreed quietly, observing the two young men. However, her eyes lingered on Adrien the longest. She just had a certain feeling about him...

A corner of her mouth imperceptibly lifted.

Tom spoke again, eyes flickering between the two in front of him. "While normally, a father would grant the higher-ranking man permission to court..."

Adrien's stomach soared, for he was exactly one rank above Theo.

"...I won't, in this case."

And then it plummeted.

"I want Marinette to choose. After all, in the end, she will decide who she will marry. Be it either of you, or neither. We won't stand in the way of our daughter's happiness, Marinette is free to make any choice in this endeavor. Do you understand?"

Both nodded. While Adrien was pondering of how he could win the girl's heart, Theo was bitterly questioning on how a woman could possibly be granted the choice of her suitor. Women didn't know anything of the matter, it was the men's job to choose the woman he wanted, and it was hers to accept it.

He mentally questioned her father's sanity in his decision.

"You can both attempt to win my daughter's heart, but ultimately, she will be the deciding vote on who she ends up with. Agreed?"

Both nodded. "Agreed," they murmured simultaneously.

"Then I believe our discussion is over. We still have a bakery to run."

Tom stood and quickly walked over to his wife and held out a hand. The smaller woman smiled and blushed as she took her husband's hand, allowing him to help her up.

Adrien couldn't help but smile at the interaction. Theo merely turned and walked to the door.

The blond took the opportunity to step up to her parents, squashing his fears as he cleared his throat.

"Excuse me, Monsieur and Madame Dupain?"

Having their attention previously on each other, they didn't notice the man approach. They turned their heads and smiled at him in curiosity.

"Yes, Vicomte?" Tom asked.

"I-uh-" Jeez, how could he explain this? He knew there was only one way: honesty. "Well, I haven't exactly talked to your daughter before this afternoon. You see, I saw her at the Marquis's recent social gathering."

Tom nodded, eyes narrowed in suspicion. "Yes, I remember. My wife and I were unable to attend, for we were visiting a sick relative."

"I hope they are feeling well," he blurted out, briefly going off-topic.

Sabine smiled. "My mother is feeling better. Thank you, Vicomte."

Adrien shook his head. "Please, call me Adrien. If there is a chance I could court Marinette, I don't want any formalities between us."

Tom brightened, finding that he beginning to like this prospective suitor. "Very well, Adrien."

He smiled before continuing with his earlier speech. "As I was saying before, I saw her there and I-well-" he blushed and couldn't help but rub a hand along the back of his neck in embarrassment.

Immediately Tom and Sabine grew suspicious and nervous.

"Wh-What did you do?" Sabine whispered in shock.

Adrien's green eyes impossibly widened when he understood their alarming concern. Damn, by the way he was talking, anyone would've misunderstood!

"No! Oh, no, no no! I didn't do anything at all! I was just going to say how beautiful I thought she was."

A sinking feeling resided in his stomach at his admission. Oh, God, just how pathetic did he sound?! He felt like banging his head against the nearest wall for his stupidity.

However, her parents didn't look the least bit amused at all. In fact, it looked like they positively glowed in pride and something else he couldn't place.

"You thought she was beautiful?" Sabine asked, smiling widely, almost slyly.

He couldn't get out of this one. As such, he bashfully nodded his head. "Yes. Still do, actually." A chuckle laced with ironic amusement slipped out of his mouth. "I was trying to work up the nerve for three days to speak with you about a courtship. I guess I should've came sooner, huh?"

Great. He wasn't planning on babbling like that. No girl's parents want a babbling, pathetic suitor for their daughter. How did he screw up so badly? He was supposed to be strong, clever, and self-assured. Not this mess he currently was.

They were smirking, he guessed they were mentally ridiculing him for his demeanor.

"Perhaps you should've, although my decision still would've been the same," Tom said, chuckling.

Adrien nodded in understanding, deciding to continue his full question.

"Since I didn't speak with her, I don't really know anything about her, other than that she's beautiful and kind. Could you please tell me something about her? Like what she likes to do in her free time? Or what color she likes? Or-"

Tom cut him off with a laugh. Adrien didn't know how to feel about the reaction.

"I'll tell you one thing, you're going to have to spend time with Marinette and figure the rest out yourself. Anyway, she loves designing all kinds of clothing, though I find she mainly sketches gowns. That is all I'm willing to tell you."

Sketching clothing...

His eyebrows lowered in concentration.

Sketching clothing...how could he incorporate that in his attempts to woo her?

He was snapped out of his mental musings by Tom's hand on his shoulder.

"You want to court her, right? Then why are you standing in here when Marinette and the Baron are out there?" He asked cheekily.

Shit!

Adrien tossed out a quick good-bye and thank you before running out of the room, hopeful he wasn't too late...again.

Meanwhile, the couple shared a laugh in the now-empty room.

"I like him," Sabine commented, giggling. "I find him much more agreeable than that Baron."

Tom agreed with her, nodding. "Yes. I see potential in Adrien as well."

The corners of his mustache crinkled when he smiled.

"I trust she will make the right choice."

Adrien slowed to a walk when he was about to head back into the bakery. He straightened his clothing, trying to make himself not look like he had just got done sprinting throughout the house.

Taking a breath, he calmly strode forward to see Theo in front of the counter, leaning in towards the flustered ravenette. His lips were curled into a flirtatious smirk and his eyes were half-lidded, while Marinette was biting her lip and her eyes were blown wide.

"I shall see you tomorrow then," Theo murmured seductively, before turning on his heel and striding out the door.

Dammit. He missed his chance, again.

He had about as much luck as a black cat.

Marinette turned to look at him, her cheeks gradually returning to their normal, pale state.

"I hope your visit with my parents went well, Vicomte."

He only shook his head dejectedly. "Just Adrien," he muttered, turning away and walking out the door, leaving the aspiring seamstress confused in his wake.

Why didn't he come here earlier? Why didn't he just leave the study like Theo had and manage to talk to her before he did? Now she had plans for tomorrow with him, and it looked like she was beginning to like him.

What would he do now?

"Well, Vicomte, I have to say. I'm surprised you're this slow. I had heard you were one of the smartest noblemen in the kingdom," Theo mused, suddenly appearing next to the depressed man. "Why, you practically let me have her!"

Adrien directed a frosty-green glare at the conniving man, saying nothing in return.

"Just give up, Vicomte. She's practically almost in my bed already. You have no chance."

"Is that what you're planning?" The blond hissed. "To just bed her and toss her, like your other conquests?"

It was no secret that Baron Theo Barbot had a rather large history with women. He was known to be the best charmer of them all, no woman had ever refused him. The idea of Theo treating Marinette the same way, just using her, made Adrien's temper spark. He knew the girl deserved much better, she deserved a man that would genuinely love her.

Theo shrugged. "Honestly, I was thinking of it. But now I can't help but think of the possibilities with her. I can't picture myself ever tiring of her, so why not make her my wife? Besides, it would do to have heirs."

"You don't deserve her," Adrien ground out through clenched teeth. "All you feel for her is lust."

Theo raised a brow. "And you don't?"

Adrien's cheeks tinted pink at the insinuation. "I do," he admitted. "But I would marry her before doing anything."

He shook his head and tsk'ed in pity. "You're too soft for your own good. You have no business in these games. While you talked with her parents, God knows why, I made plans with Marinette. You need to play dirty, something that, I'm sure, you have no concept of. Face it, Vicomte, you have no chance with her. Now, if you will excuse me, I must be off. I have a big day to plan for tomorrow."

With one last grin, he set off down the street, leaving the higher-ranking nobleman standing outside of the bakery, alone in the summer sun.

He glared at the street below him, silently fuming. Theo was right, he was the charmer of the two of them. He'd win Marinette's heart in no time, and he'd end up marrying her and the two would end up having little brown-haired, brown-eyed babies.

His mental misery was cut short when he noticed something moving against his leg. Peering down, he saw a black alley cat rubbing itself against his leg, purring in content.

He sighed.

As much luck as a black cat.

He looked back up towards the bakery, emerald eyes taking in the pastries in the window, the girl inside with her head bent cleaning the counter, and up towards the roof, where he happened to spy a small balcony littered with potted plants.

Heh. Just like a princess to have a balcony. Or a high-bred Lady, like Juliette. Balconies were common in the books and plays he had read in his studies, they were settings for most romantic rendezvous between the girl and her lover.

He looked back down at the cat, still purring against him.

Black cat. Balcony. Romantic...

An idea flickered to life in his mind, causing his lips to curl into a sinful, calculating smirk.

Let's just see how much of a concept I have of playing dirty.

A/N: In French, Juliet's name is spelled 'Juliette'