Marinette had the perfect idea for her outfit for the costume party Nino was throwing. His brother just rented a flat downtown and wouldn't move in for another week. The timing couldn't be better.

She dashed down to the fabric store just after school with a wad full of hard-saved cash from all those extra weekends she worked in the bakery with her parents. This was what she wanted to spend her money on. In her room she'd already designed the actual outfit and now just needed materials.

Her biggest expense was obviously material, but there was a good chunk that went towards spring steel boning for the corset. She clapped her hands with glee as she waited in line with all of her items.

Then she heard someone behind her clear their throat. She forced herself to look ahead and avoid eavesdropping or staring, because both were rude. Instead, she just bit her lip and tried not to be in anyone's way.

The person cleared their throat again, more insistently. It was a loud sound that made her flinch. Perhaps she was in their way. She shrunk in on herself some more and scooted as close to the customer ahead of her as would physically allow without encroaching on their space.

"AHEM!" the person tapped her firmly on the shoulder.

Marinette turned to see someone standing behind her wearing a sheet over their head. He had in his hands a couple things; scissors, black mesh fabric, and clear beading thread.

"Am I in your way or…?"

"Guess who!" they said excitedly.

"Uh…do I know you?"

"Yes," the male voice said and nodded vigorously.

"Are we friends?"

"We are."

"Hmm…may I?" She held her hands up to the sheet before she received a nod. Her hands pressed against their head, then down his shoulders, around his arms, to his hips. "Huh?"

She walked around him to his back and spread the sheet out smooth to see if she could pick anything out. Nada.

The boy in the sheet was breathing heavily. It was probably wretchedly hot under that fabric inside the store. He was probably waiting for her to guess who he was quickly so he could take it off and breathe normally again.

Approaching his front again she pressed her palms against his chest.

He shivered as her hands traveled across his abdomen.

Firm. That was all that went through her head in that moment. It was quickly followed by thin.

"I really have no idea…wait!" she paused. Then she took the sheet in the front into her fists and pulled it tight to reveal the silhouette of his backside. Her face was scrunched up in thought as she kept poking and prodding. Finally, she decided to hazard a guess, "Nathanael?"

He sighed dramatically, "Nooo."

"Nino?" He was her second guess, but Nino didn't have any curvature to his derriere so she was pretty positive that wasn't Nino.

He clutches at his chest under the sheet and moans painfully, "Oh, ow, you stabbed me in the heart! Come on, Marinette, I believe in you. Who am I?" Then he had an idea. He snuck a hand out from under the sheet and grabbed hers. He pulled it up to where she couldn't see, but could feel as he slipped her hand into his hair. "Who has hair like this…and I'm NOT Nathanael?"

Marinette was running her fingers through his hair trying to figure it out. As she gently scratched his scalp his head tilted and he hummed happily.

"Um…" Tall, firm, thin, with long, soft, fine fluffy hair...

Her squeak let him know she'd guessed who he was and Adrien began to laugh.

"Took you long enough," he grinned beneath the sheet.

Her fingers had frozen their movement in his hair, but she hadn't taken her hand back. It was like she wanted to, but it was stuck to him magnetically or something. Her hand curled into a fist and her nails scratched his scalp once more and he sighed.

"You know, you can do that all day if you want," he crooned.

It was like she'd been shocked by lightning at hearing him talk in that low, smooth voice. She reluctantly took her hand back and smiled bashfully up at him, "Uh…yeah." Her mouth was moving, but she had no idea what she was saying.

"Yes you'll massage my head all day?"

"Whatever," she shrugged dreamy eyed. It had just occurred to her that she'd just felt up Adrien Agreste, in a store, in plain sight of a dozen other people.

Blink, blink, blink.

"WHOA! What are you doing under that sheet?" she asked, suddenly coming back to full consciousness. Although, when he was wearing the sheet she didn't seem to stutter. She'd have to file that away and come back to it at a later date.

"I'm buying stuff for my costume to Nino's party!" he grinned.

"You're going to Nino's party?" Well, damn, that changed things. She suddenly realized Adrien would see her in her outfit and she blushed. It was one thing to playfully show off her body to her friends, but it meant something to her to show it off to her crush. It made the idea of wearing it more intimidating.

"Of course! I asked Nathalie and she said as long as I don't tell my father. You know how that goes."

She didn't. Not at all. His father needed to attend some relaxation classes or something to chill the heck out. Yoga? Hot fusion? Therapy? Something to de-stress in the way that worked for him.

She nodded, anyway, to let him know she sympathized, "Why are you wearing the sheet?"

He turned from side to side, as if trying to see if there was anyone listening. She couldn't tell how he could see from under that sheet in the first place. Her breath caught as he leaned down next to her to whisper, "Shh. I'm incognito." She could practically hear the grin in his voice and felt his breath warm on her cheek.

"I see." She turned around to see if the customer ahead of her was done. It was a little old lady buying dozens of odds and ends with a coupon for every one. "Um, I could help you with your costume if you need to get any. HELP, I mean!"

Adrien laughed boisterously. "If I need to get any help I'll be sure to come to you."

"Good," she nodded, "Good. Great. Okay."