"Here, let me get that for you!" Marinette insisted as she grabbed the door. She frowned at the blonde man who was trying to make his way through into the apartment block with all of his shopping. "I don't know you. Who are you?" she added with a frown.
"Um, Adrien," he introduced as he tried to rearrange his bags in order to shake her hand. "I'm new. I moved into 113 this morning."
"Marinette," she replied, taking the outreached hand. "I'm in 112."
"Awesome," he said. "Any chance you could get the lift button?"
"It's broken," Marinette replied with a grimace. "Has been for a while."
"And the landlord hasn't fixed it?"
"Well, he had to replace all the boilers and stuff last month and so..." She trailed off and hoped he understood. Marinette glanced at all the bags Adrien was trying to carry and then checked the stairs. There was no way he was going to fit. "Here, let me carry some of that for you!"
"No, it's okay," Adrien began to insist. But Marinette all but pulled the bags out of his arms.
"My parents run a bakery, so I'm used to hauling heavy sacks of flour around," she explained as she led the way up the first flight of stairs. Marinette could hear him panting behind her so didn't try to continue the conversation. When they reached the top of the stairs, she expected him to speak, but when he didn't she led the way down the hall in silence. She stopped outside the door to apartment 113. "This is you, right?"
"Yeah, thank you so much!" Adrien said. "I didn't realise how much stuff I'd bought. It looks like a lot less in the trolley…"
"Use a basket," Marinette advised with a light laugh. "Well, if you ever need anything…" She trailed off again as she stared up into his handsome - if slightly red from exertion - face. The sheer quantity of shopping he had been carrying with him had distracted her from his own features, so Marinette now took the time to appreciate them fully. His styled hair was blond, his eyes bright green and his smile dazzling. His skin was clear and his face had a chiselled quality to it.
He could be a model, Marinette she realised she could feel her cheeks reddening, so she forced a cough and choked out a hasty, "Well, I have a cat to feed, see you round!" She turned quickly to unlock her door, trying to ignore how her voice had raised in pitch.
"Yeah, see you round!" Adrien replied cheerfully. Marinette let herself in, turned, saw he was still standing there. She forced herself to be polite and waved before slamming the door.
"Tikki, am I blushing?" Marinette moaned to the ginger cat who was perched on the kitchen counter. "Damn, why does my face do this? I work with models and nothing. Cute guy moves in across the hallway and-"
A ringing noise interrupted her soliloquy. Marinette pulled the mobile out of her back pocket and answered the call.
"Alya?"
"Girl, I need to go out this evening. I need to drink alcohol and I need to dance."
"What on earth has happened?" Marinette flopped onto her sofa, phone held to her ear.
"I have had enough of my boss," Alya moaned. "I work my butt off. I have written for the sports columns and the tiny boring little stories and everything else that no one cares about ever and then this art thief has stolen another piece and who does he let cover it? Claude. I mean seriously? He's an idiot. Does he have a best friend who knows all about art and design? No. No, he does not." Marinette made no attempt to interrupt. "And so I need to drink before I do something stupid like quitting my job."
"Alright, you've convinced me," Marinette said with a small smile. "Where do you fancy? That little bar at the end of my road?"
"Yeah, that sounds good, then I can crash at yours," Alya mumbled as a reply.
"Yeah, you might meet my new neighbour!" Marinette said before she could help herself.
"New neighbour?"
"Yeah, his name is Adrien and he lives across from me and Alya he is gorgeous."
"Now when you say gorgeous, do you just mean he would make a good model for your next male clothing piece?" Alya asked with a laugh.
"Well he would, but he was handsome too," Marinette insisted. "It's going to be so nice to have someone my own age in this apartment block. I mean I love my neighbours, they're all lovely, but still."
"You should invite him to come with us tonight! Is he new to the area?" Alya asked.
"No idea, he didn't say," Marinette admitted. "But I only just met him about a minute ago."
"Maybe next time then," Alya relented. "I'll aim to arrive at yours by seven, yeah?"
"Sure, see you later."
Marinette hung up and looked over at Tikki, who still sat on the work surface.
"I suppose we better eat then," she mumbled. Tikki only blinked those large, somehow understanding eyes.
An hour and one reheated meal later, Marinette pranced around her bedroom throwing outfits together. Tikki was pawing at items of clothing on Marinette's bed as if trying to make suggestions.
"No, the red is too bold," Marinette said before turning to ask Tikki's opinion. "Is the red too bold?"
Tikki mewed helpfully.
"I'm glad you agree." Marinette dumped the red dress and scanned her pile of clothes. Tikki pounced on a new piece of fabric and meowed again. "Pink?"
Marinette picked up the pale pink dress and held it up to her body.
"But what shoes? I don't really fancy heels." Tikki answered by jumping down from the bed and sitting next to a pair of black pumps. "Classic, I like it."
Marinette dressed and slipped on the pumps. She shoved her phone, keys, and wallet into her black Chanel bag. She'd found it second hand online and had fallen in love with it. But Marinette would never admit to Alya how much she'd paid for it because they both knew the answer: too much.
Her doorbell rang and she hurried to answer it. However, when she opened it, she found Alya was talking to a tall dark skinned man and Adrien, who was standing in his own doorway.
"Um, hi?" she said.
"Mari, this is Nino," Alya made the introduction. "He's Adrien's friend." Marinette studied the smile on her friend's face. "I was thinking we should invite them to the bar this evening if you don't mind?"
Marinette knew that smile; Alya was interested in one of them.
"Sure, let me just grab my jacket."
Five minutes later and the four young adults were walking towards the bar at the end of the road. Marinette soon realised that Alya most definitely had her eye on Nino.
"Is she always this forward?" Adrien asked her as they walked.
"Alya? Yeah I guess, she's a journalist so she's good with people," Marinette replied.
"And what do you do?" Adrien asked.
"I'm a designer of sorts. Trying to make it in the big world of fashion," Marinette said. "But most of what I do is small stuff."
"Small stuff?"
"Like fixing ripped clothes," Marinette elaborated. "Or adjusting things. Although, I had a client whose daughter would only wear dresses that had six buttons down the front, so I had to design and make a load of things for her until her daughter grew out of that phase."
"That's really cool!" Adrien said.
"Nah, the cool stuff is when kids want custom costumes," Marinette said. "I had to make a load of Disney princess dresses for one girl and then corresponding villain outfits for her father. They sent me some photos of them playing later and…" She trailed off, feeling embarrassed.
"That's really cute," Adrien said with a genuine smile. They arrived at the bar and took a seat at one of the outdoor tables. Nino offered to get them all drinks and Alya when with him to help carry them.
"So what do you do?"
"I'm a pianist," he replied. "Mostly jazz in bars or recording soundtracks for people."
"And you make a living from that? You must be really good!" Marinette was fully aware she was gushing, but she couldn't quite stop herself.
"I'll play for you sometime if you like," Adrien offered with an easy smile. But Nino and Alya arrived back with drinks at the moment, so Marinette did not manage to reply.
"Right, now we are all drinking for my sorrow at how shit my job is," Alya declared.
"How shit it is?" Nino questioned.
"Yeah, her boss won't let her take the big stories," Marinette explained. "Despite the fact that she's the best journalist there!"
"Oh I'm not the best," Alya replied. "But I'm a damn sight better that Claude."
"What's the story you want then?" Nino asked.
"There is this art thief about," Alya explained. "They've stolen a few minor pieces, but recently they've been getting bolder. And I want to find out who they are! I have half a mind to go after them anyway." She took a long swig from her drink. "But enough about work! Drink!"
And they drank.
"Mari?" Alya whined the next morning. "My head hurts."
"You shouldn't have drunk so much," Marinette scolded playfully. "Here, have a croissant."
Alya groaned in response, so Marinette took the croissant and shoved it into Alya's open and drooling mouth.
"Thanks," Alya mumbled through a mouthful of food. "It's warm…"
"Well, it was only taken out of the oven about ten minutes ago."
"You made them?"
"No," Marinette replied with a laugh. Alya sat up with a groan. "I popped to my parents of course!"
"I love your parents," Alya mumbled. "I think I might give up journalism and just sit in their bakery and eat all the leftovers."
"Or become a food critic," Marinette suggested with a playful roll of her eyes. She pulled out her own pain au chocolat and took a bite.
"Now that is a fantastic idea," Alya agreed. She finished off her croissant. "I should shower… What day of the week is it? Am I late?"
"Saturday," Marinette replied. "You don't work today."
"Excellent, I'm gonna start on this art thief case!"
"What?"
But Alya had already grabbed her overnight bag and locked herself in the bathroom. Marinette sighed, then picked up the bag containing the spare croissants and pain au chocolats and headed to her front door. She had planned to give them to Adrien and Nino, as a sort of thank you for accompanying them the previous night. At least, that is what Marinette told herself.
Yet as she stood outside Adrien's front door, she couldn't help but overhear some sort of argument.
"-not allowed!" Adrien's voice was saying loudly.
"So? Like you'd report me for it!" Nino replied. Marinette began backing away.
"Don't be an idiot Nino," Adrien retorted.
"I'm not an idiot!" Nino shouted back. He burst out of the front door and crashed straight into Marinette in his anger.
"Sorry!" she squeaked. "I was just going to bring you breakfast but you were arguing…"
Nino deflated and ran a hand through his short hair. Adrien appeared behind him.
"Marinette," Adrien greeted her. She watched as he hastily pulled a smile back onto his face.
"Here." Marinette shoved the bag into Nino's chest before retreating back into her apartment. "Enjoy!" She shut the door and released a breath she didn't realise she was holding. "Ooh that looked like something I did not want to walk into," she told Tikki with a grimace.
It wasn't until she was emptying a can of cat food into a bowl for Tikki that Alya appeared from the bathroom towelling her hair dry.
"You alright?" Alya asked. "Are you still feeding Tikki that crap?"
"Yes, it's the only one she likes!" Marinette defended her choice of cat food.
"It's full of sugar and processed rubbish!"
"Look, you find another one she likes and I will buy it, but I would rather she didn't starve!" Marinette replied with a pout. Something of her earlier discomfort must have shown on her face, as Alya frowned.
"Whats wrong?"
"Huh?"
"You look a bit put out, what happened?" Alya asked, concerned for her friend.
"It sounds like the neighbours are arguing."
"The old couple?"
"I wish, I went to give Adrien and Nino some croissants and they were arguing about something," she replied. Alya grimaced.
"Well, I better be off, lots of evidence to gather!"
Marinette did not see her new neighbour for a few days, but after having heard him fight with his friend she wasn't really sure she wanted to. It was a bit awkward.
But as she made her way down the corridor to her front door the following Monday, she heard a yelping sound from his apartment followed by-
"You stupid cat! Get off that! It's cheese! Ow! Why do cats have claws?!"
Marinette was going to let herself into her own apartment and ignore him. Really, she was. But something drew her back to the sounds he was making. Her hand reached out and knocked before she knew what she was doing.
Adrien answered surprisingly quickly, but he stood with the door held closed around his stuck out head, like he was trying to trap something inside.
"Marinette, hi, um can I he- Ow! Get off you daft animal!"
"I was wondering if I could help you, it sounded like something was dying…"
He opened the door wider and pulled her inside before slamming it behind him.
"That beast found its way into my apartment and is ransacking my groceries!" He pointed to the fattest black cat Marinette had ever seen. But it was a cat she recognised.
"Plagg?" she said. "Is that you? I thought you'd been taken to the shelter after…" she trailed off as she picked up the cat - whose body was almost as big as Marinette's petite torso - and began stroking him. "His name is Plagg, the old man who lived here before owned him. But when he died someone came and took Plagg to a shelter. I guess he found his way out. Who's a clever boy? Hmm?" Plagg laid back in Marinette's arms and soaked up all the attention she was bestowing upon him.
"Plagg?" Adrien questioned. "What kind of a name is Plagg?"
"I dunno, Master Fu said he came with the name," Marinette replied. "He's a lovely animal. But he likes cheese. Do you have any camembert?"
"What." It was meant as a question, but it came out of Adrien's mouth more like a statement. "No?"
"Here, hold him." Marinette thrust the cat into Adrien's arms. She disappeared out of the door and reappeared a few moments later. She had a packet of camembert in her hand and Adrien noticed how Plagg was now pawing to get to it.
Marinette broke off a small piece.
"Give me your hand," she instructed. Adrien complied and she dropped the camembert into his palm. "Give it to him."
Plagg all but devoured the cheese and continued to lick Adrien's palm for a while after it was gone as if searching for any more molecules.
"He's now your best friend," Marinette told Adrien.
"But I can't look after a cat!" he insisted. "You have a cat, he likes you! You take him!"
"He'll only come back here, you may as well accept he is now yours," Marinette said with a laugh. "I have a spare litter tray somewhere," she mused. "I'll find it later and bring it round."
"Marinette, I can't look after a cat," Adrien said again. Marinette raised an eyebrow at him.
"Why not?" she asked, unconvinced.
"Because- Because… I don't know how! And I have never had one before! And-"
"You are flailing for lame excuses. You feed him in the morning and in the evening. Cheese is just for a treat. You have to clean out the litter tray after he's used it and you'll have to pet him a bit. Easy peasy. Plus cats give great advice."
"Cats give great advice," Adrien repeated in a disbelieving tone.
"They do. Give it a week, if you don't like it after a week, I'll take him," she compromised. "Deal?" Marinette held her hand out for him to shake. Just before he took her outstretched hand, she withdrew it. "But if I'm right, and I think I am, you have to accompany me to my friend's art gallery opening." She stuck her hand back out and Adrien paused before taking it with a smile.
Five minutes later, back in her own apartment, Marinette had to hold in a scream at her own daring. She texted the story of the entire ordeal to Alya and then squealed into a pillow with delight.
"Tikki I can't believe I did that! That was like a grown up confident version of me! You should have seen it," she told the ginger cat that had jumped onto the end of the sofa. "That was almost like asking a guy on a date!" She flopped back and tried to slow her breathing down. "Tikki, will you make Plagg behave? I'd really like to turn up to one of these events with a sort-of date, even if it is just as friends…"
Tikki mewed in response and settled down for a nap.
"I need to draw something."
And so she did.
"The police aren't telling me anything," Alya moaned later that evening. "I tried everything, but they gave me nothing. I am seriously wondering if they just don't know anything themselves."
They were sitting in the bar at the end of the road again. Marinette was sipping at her peach iced tea and listening to Alya, who was just getting increasingly frustrated with her job.
"And Claude is even more useless I swear. He seemed happy to run with the 'police are idiots' line, but there is no point in that," she ranted. "Distrust in the police just causes unrest."
"So what do you know about the piece?" Marinette asked.
"It's a relatively new piece of art, but no one knows what it looks like or what piece it is," Alya told her. "I've heard it was worth a couple of hundred euros, which is a lot-"
"But nothing that is too well known by your average joe," Marinette finished for her. "I hope Nath is alright, this is hardly the sort of thing you want going on when he's trying to open his gallery!"
"Yeah, I'd advise him to up his security," Alya mused.
"Yeah I might, though as my parents have offered to do the catering, I imagine my dad could just sit on anyone who tries anything."
The two young women laughed good-naturedly.
"Maybe I should come along to this gallery opening thing," Alya said. "I mean someone there might be in on the business, right?"
"I doubt it," Marinette replied. "Nath wouldn't associate with that sort!"
"Not knowingly he wouldn't!"
"Besides, you don't have a ticket!"
"But I'm sure my best friend could get me one," Alya said as she shuffled towards Marinette and batted her eyelids at her. "If I offered to do a very complimentary piece on how great all the art is…?" she added as an incentive.
"I will ask-"
"Thank you! Thank you!" Alya squealed.
"I can't promise anything!" Marinette giggled back. "But he could do with some good publicity with all this negativity about the art world going on."
"Is it affecting your work?" Alya asked, genuinely concerned.
"No, design is far enough away from that sort of art for people to consider it differently. Besides, people always need stuff adjusted!" Marinette replied. "Though I have some great new designs for my portfolio!"
"Yeah?"
"Yeah! I'd been thinking about stained glass windows and how they spread the light. Then how that could be transferred to-"
"Hey!" Nino's voiced interrupted Marinette's explanation. "Fancy seeing you two here!"
"Nino, what are you doing here?" Alya asked. Marinette couldn't help but notice that her friend had sat up a little straighter upon Nino's arrival. She'd also flicked her hair back and flashed her most dazzling smile. Marinette smiled herself at her friend's behaviours, before turning her attention back to the conversation.
"Well I was supposed to be meeting Adrien here for a drink," he explained. "But obviously, he's not here yet."
"So you've stopped arguing?" Alya prompted.
"Arguing? Oh, that!" Nino glanced at Marinette, who blushed guiltily. "It wasn't a real argument, just a slight disagreement. But the arrival of baked goods kind of sorted everything out. Thanks for those by the way!"
"No problem," Marinette replied. "They were from my parent's bakery so I get them free anyway."
"Free baked good and great company, I think you two are worth remaining friends with!" Nino laughed as he sat down.
"And why are you worth remaining friends with?" Alya teased. Nino looked slightly taken aback by the question but quickly recovered.
"Are you suggesting my incredible wit isn't enough of a reason?"
"Yeah, and we'd keep Adrien around for his puns," Alya quipped.
Marinette watched the two young adults banter back and forth with a feeling of contentment settling in her heart. It was about time Alya found someone who was genuinely interested in her and Marinette couldn't help but feel that Nino was a good match.
Adrien never actually turned up that night and Marinette soon headed home leaving Alya and Nino to flirt. Marinette didn't mind, she had a design to finish and she knew she should've started on her dress for the gallery opening a week ago.
She'd bought the fabric for her dress earlier that day from her favourite little fabric shop along with some padding and new cotton. It was a navy so dark it was almost black with small white polka dots. Her design was a simple bodycon dress with bust cups and a lace insert at the waist.
Marinette realised it wasn't quite as formal as the situation required, but she loved the design so much that she'd chosen to make it anyway. Paired with cream heels, a smart matching bag and a blazer it would look just fine.
She'd already cut the pattern, so began pinning it to the fabric on her work desk. Marinette lost herself in the rhythmic actions of pinning, cutting and sewing.
That is until her phone rang. She frowned; not wanting to stop in the middle of a seam. The phone continued to ring. The end of the seam got closer. The phone continued to ring. She just had to tie it off.
The phone stopped ringing.
"Oh damn," she cursed. She unlocked her phone to read the name of her missed caller: Nathanael. She hit redial and waited for him to pick up.
"Hey?"
"Sorry, I missed your call! I was just trying to finish a seam and-"
"It's okay, I understand," Nath replied good-naturedly. Marinette could believe his words, he'd often ignored calls when in the middle of a painting. "Look, I was just calling about the gallery opening, I think I'm going to have to delay it."
"What? Why? It's this weekend!" Marinette could not contain her shock.
"Well, the string quartet pulled out on me last minute for some other gig that is actually paying them." Marinette heard Nath groan. "And the only other suitable musicians I can find are school children or expensive. And while I have nothing against children it's not really the classy air I was going for…"
"But you can't cancel it! You've got all those guests coming and I'd convinced Alya to come and give you a great review," Marinette embellished the truth slightly.
"You had? She would do that?"
"Of course, she would," Marinette said. "I suppose speakers are out of the question?"
"Well I thought about it, but it would somewhat ruin the aesthetic," Nath replied. Marinette sighed.
"Look, it's past midnight," she said as she glanced at the clock. "I will think on it and get back to you. But don't cancel anything. We can make this work!"
"Thanks, Mari," Nath said.
Marinette hung up and sank into her chair. She'd lost all enthusiasm to finish off her dress. She needed to fix Nath's problem. But where was she going to find a classy string quartet by Friday?
The solution to her problem arrived the very next morning as she left for a meeting with a new client. Marinette was just pulling her door shut behind her when Adrien left his own apartment.
"Hi," he greeted her with a smile. "I'm just off to try and find some cat food for Plagg. He didn't like the ones I tried yesterday."
"Piano," Marinette stated. She was staring up at her neighbour as if he was the solution to everything.
"Excuse me?"
"You play the piano."
"I do," Adrien agreed with an amused smile. "What of it?"
"You know that gallery opening I mentioned?" Marinette prompted, snapping out of her daze. Adrien nodded. "The musicians cancelled."
"And you want me to fill in?"
"He can't afford to pay anyone for it," Marinette pleaded. "But you'll get tonnes of free food and-"
"I'll do it," Adrien interrupted
"Really? You're the best!" Marinette jumped as if about to launched herself into a hug with Adrien, then realised how inappropriate that would be and restrained herself. "Thank you so much. I'll let Nath know."
Adrien accompanied her down the stairs and out of the apartment block, discussing times and things before they parted ways; Marinette to go to meet her client and Adrien to some unknown location in the opposite direction.
Author's note: So I found this in my drafts and I have no idea where I was going with it... I think it was going to turn out that Adrien was the cat burglar stealing the art? No idea...