Authors Note: This is the first fanfic I've written in a super long time! Hope you enjoy!
It was springtime in Paris. The flowers were blooming, the birds were singing, and Marinette Dupain-Cheng was discovering if it was possible to literally melt from embarrassment. Per usual, it was because of Adrien Agreste. Her day had started off innocuous enough, but by last period everything had gone haywire. What Marinette had failed to take into account, is that it was the day her class had to decide on what to do for their charity event. Every year, all the classes in her school chose a charity and decided on a way to raise money for it. The class that raised the most money won a celebration; this year a diner at the mayor's hotel. As the class representative, Marinette was in charge of organizing, meaning she had to get everyone to agree. A daunting task when Chloe was in your class.
Their last class ended early to give them time to work things out. First came choosing which charity to support. Alya and Max wanted to give technology to people who couldn't afford it, Nino was all for after school music programs, Rose wanted to support community gardens, the list went on. Everyone in the class seemed to have a cause they were passionate about. Finally Marinette put it to an anonymous vote. After 3 rounds of narrowing down the options, Adrien's suggestion of donating to a local animal shelter won out.
Then, came deciding how to raise the money. Kim thought it would be best to do a race where people pledged a donation for every mile you completed. This idea was shot down when over half the class point blank refused to be athletic. No cause was worth running for. Mylene thought they should do a bake sale since Marinette and her family made the best treats in the city. The class seemed to latch on to that idea until Chloe, realizing Marinette would be the star, spoke up.
"Excuse me!" she barked over the general noises of agreement that her classmates were making to Mylene's plan, "but why should we have to act like common merchants?"
"Chloe's right," chimed in Sabrina, always quick to support her 'friend', "anyway, doesn't every class do a bake sale? How will we raise money if we can't stand out?"
"Marinette's parents run the best bakery in Paris, that's better than any of the other classes can say," Nino retorted.
"We can't be just like everyone else if we are expecting to win" Chloe shot back, "we have to show that we're better."
"Oh and you know how to make us win?" Alya asked sarcastically.
"Well of course I do," Chloe smiled brightly at the class as she snottily replied, "I've been raised to know what's good quality after all."
"Oh what is your great plan then your majesty?" Alya added a mock bow for effect.
"The best assets for this class are obviously me and Adrien," she ignored the not so subtle looks being thrown her direction by her classmates, "so the best way to raise money is a date auction."
"Uh Chloe, I…" Marinette started before Alya elbowed her in the ribs.
"That's a great idea Chloe," Alya loudly stated over the murmurs of discontent voiced by the rest of the class.
"Alya, what are you doing!?" Marinette whisper yelled at her friend and vice class representative.
"Think about it," Alya then paused for dramatic effect, "you could get a date with Adrien!"
"But… but… but wouldn't Chloe bid more for a date with him? My allowance can't compete!"
Alya waved her hand dismissively. "Don't worry about her, I can distract her or something so she can't get him. Just think about getting a date with Adrien and saving starving kittens while you're at it."
"But wouldn't that hurt the auction, she'd give so much money?"
"But we'd be saving Adrien from a date with the human embodiment of a hornets nest so the karma should even out."
"Yeah…" Marinette replied dreamily, too absorbed in imagining a date with Adrien to object further.
The loud sound of the school bell rang out over the muttering of the class. The school day was over and they still hadn't come to a consensus.
"Okay everybody, we'll pick this back up on Monday" their teacher called out as they all began to pack up their things.
As the two girls returned to their desks to collect their stuff, Alya began to conspire about how to make this date auction happen. Marinette, on the other hand, was in her own little world. Her eyes shone and her cheeks were rosy as she thought about being able to have alone time with Adrien. Strolling through the park. Riding the carousel. Feeding the ducks. Him laughing at a joke she'd made. She didn't even notice that Alya was still talking.
"Hey girl, back to planet earth."
"Wha?"
"I said you'll need to convince as many people as possible to do this auction. We're gonna work with Nino to get to everyone to agree." Marinette just nodded. She knew once Alya got her teeth into something that she wouldn't ever let up. Given that Alya and Nino was sorta dating, it wouldn't be hard for her friend to enlist his help. And since Nino was best friends with Adrien… She went back into her fantasy world. Not noticing anything around her until…'Thump', Marinette bumped into something solid.
"Ah sorry," she said as she looked up to see who she'd hit, only to be met with Adrien's clear, green eyes looking down at her.
"No problem, Marinette," he smiled causing her face to heat up to around 900 degrees Celsius.
"Ad.d. …, I was, eh, sorry, I didn't… eh, um…" she stammered. Internally she was cursing herself for not being able to form coherent sentences when he was around.
"Have a good weekend," was his reply as he graciously ignored her verbal fumbling. He turned to leave but before he made it more than three steps Alya darted in front of him.
"Adrien, hi! Just the person I wanted to see."
"Oh, hey Alya, what's up?"
"I was wondering what you thought of the date auction idea?"
"Eh, I'm not so sure about it to be honest. I know Chloe is excited about it but it just feels wrong to put yourself on sale like that." He frowned while he spoke, seeming genuinely troubled by the prospect.
"Really, that's too bad, Marinette was really looking forward to it," Alya replied with a sigh as she pulled Marinette closer to her, pinching her in the side while doing so.
"Yeah… It could be fun? Right? Going a date with you! I mean! Hanging out together… if I won you… I don't mean that you're a prize but… Alya?" Marinette looked to her friend for help.
"What she means is that it could be a good way to get to know other people from our school and make new friends. Aren't you always talking about how you wish you could get to know more people?" Alya added smoothly.
"Well yeah, that's true," Adrien scratched the back of his neck sheepishly, "I guess I didn't think about it that way."
"So you're in? Good." Alya didn't give him time to reply, she just smiled brightly and pulled Marinette away.
Adrien stood dumbfounded after the girls left. He hadn't meant to agree to anything, but Alya just had a way of getting what she wanted. 'But would it really be that bad?' he thought to himself. If he didn't think of it as a date he could use the time to get to know another classmate. But then there was Chloe. He knew she'd want to get him, and she would treat it like a date. Interacting with her as Chat Noir, and seeing how she treated their classmates as Adrien, made him really not want to spend extra time with her. But hadn't Marinette said that she'd want to get that time. He thought there had been something along those lines in her rambling. He remembered when they were practicing for the video game tournament together the semester before. Marinette could really be fun to be around and he did want to get to know her better. Even if she had trouble forming complete sentences.
"Yo Adrien," Nino clapped him on the shoulder, "what do you think about this whole date thing Chloe thought up?"
"To be honest, I don't know," he replied, "it just feels like we're going to be put on display, like a piece of meat."
"Dude, you're a model. Aren't you kinda always on display? And it's for charity, don't forget about all those little kittens you'd be helping."
"Why are you so into this? Did Alya put you up to it?" The only answer he got was a slight blush that crossed Nino's cheeks. 'So it was Alya's doing, she's really focused on making this happen'. "I know you want to help your girlfriend, or crush, or whatever Alya currently is, but I'm still not sure, something about it just doesn't feel right to me."
"She's not my girlfriend," Nino sputtered, "we're just…" He was cut off by Nathalie who had approached unnoticed.
"Your father expects you home directly after school," she spoke in a monotone yet somehow still disapproving voice, "say goodbye to your friend."
"Yes Nathalie," Adrien replied dejectedly, "see you later Nino." He always hated leaving his friends to go back to that empty house. How it could be so lonely yet have so many staff members at the same time eluded him.
Marinette lived in a house that was practically the opposite of Adrien's. The next morning she woke up to the scent of freshly baked bread wafting up from her parent's bakery. Her house felt warmed, lived in, and full of love. She yawned and stretched before checking her phone, finding a message from Alya.
A: Nino says he got Max and Kim to agree! I hit up Rose and Juleka yesterday and they said they'd do it to! We already know Nathaniel will just go along with whatever you want so we're good to go!
M: Kk, I'll start figuring out the logistics today then, Marinette replied before flopping her arm over her eyes. She could actually get a date with Adrien. She felt her face heating up just from the thought. Walking through the park together, having a picnic on a blanket under a tree, maybe even leaning up against his shoulder. She couldn't help giggling to herself while she played through the fantasy. 'wait, a picnic! That could work!'
M: What do you think about making everyone a picnic lunch to have on their dates?
A: Perfect! Would your parents help us make them?
M: I'll ask, would your mom be up for contributing something that's not bread based?
A: I can probably convince her.
M: Check in later?
A: Got it.
Smiling to herself, Marinette threw off her covers and climbed out of bed. She'd probably have to trade help out in the bakery for a while to get them to agree, but they wouldn't say no to helping out a charity. Everything seemed to be working out! Alya just had to find out how to get Chloe out of the way for a few minutes and she'd get to spend time with Adrien!
Sunday morning rolled around and Adrien needed time to himself. He was used to not having much free time on the weekends, but this one had been worse than usual. Nathalie had left his schedule free for the charity event the following weekend, but instead of cancelling anything, she had apparently just doubled his work this weekend. His Friday and Saturday had already been back to back photo shoots, interviews, and lessons, and Sunday was going to be just the same. At least there hadn't been any akuma attacks. He didn't know if he would have been able to get away and he hated to think of Ladybug trying to fight on her own.
He looked over at his alarm clock and saw that it was only 6:30 am. He didn't have anything to do until 8. Realizing this was probably going to be all his free time for the entire weekend, he decided to get up. Going through the city in the early mornings was one of his favorite things to do. And going through as Chat would let him get that feeling of freedom that he was craving.
"Plagg," he poked his sleeping kwami.
"Too early, try again later," the tiny cat grumbled.
"If you get up there's some stinky cheese in it for you"
"Where's the cheese," the kwami's eyes shot open and he zipped around Adrien's body, sniffing for the dairy goodness.
"Here," Adrien pulled out a small piece of camembert from the mini fridge beside his bed. He'd gotten it with his Christmas money. It was always a good idea to have cheese on hand, and he was sick of his room smelling like it. He waited for the 30 seconds it took for his kwami to consume his weight in cheese then whispered "claws out" and jumped through his window.
Flying through Paris was just what he needed. 6:30 am on a Sunday meant that the streets were nearly empty. There was no one to gawk at him or to stop him. Just him and freedom. Well and Plagg. He enjoyed the noise more than anything else. Most people would have called the dawn hour a time of silence, but Adrien knew better. He knew silence. He knew the feeling of straining for any noise at all to indicate that someone was there. He had sat for hours in his room just hoping to hear footsteps in the hall. To know that he wasn't alone. But here? Here there were the noises of alarm clocks ringing, of cars driving down the streets, someone whistling to themselves as they walked. He could hear shutters opening, birds chirping, and a million other sounds of the city being lived in. Existing.
He darted around the city until the streets were starting to fill, knowing that meant he had to be back soon. But he just couldn't make himself. Finally he decided to just detransform and walk back, it was the most procrastination he could justify. He sighed to himself then looked up in surprise as he heard some squeak his name.
"Oh, hey Marinette," he said as he saw her looking at him with an expression that looked a lot like shell shock. He would have been weirded out, but he'd gotten used to Marinette at this point.
"What are you doing here? Not that you shouldn't be here. It's great that you're here! What's up?" She tried to lean up against the wall of her family's bakery only to topple over on to a pile of baskets.
"Marinette!" Adrien exclaimed, "are you okay?" he ran over to help her up.
"I'm good, just a normal day. I… oh no the baskets!" She was looking down at the whicker picnic baskets that she had fallen on to. Most of them seemed okay but one or two of them looked like they wouldn't be able to hold anything anymore.
"I'm sorry about your baskets."
"They're for the date auction, I'm working on picnics for everyone," she seemed genuinely sorrowful as she picked up the pieces.
"You've already put that much work into it?"
"Well yeah," she looked up at him and her face turned pink. "It will be fun! Everyone spending time together. Us spending time together! And food! My parents and Alya's mom are making food. For Friday!" It seemed like she'd just keep going so he cut her off.
"I didn't realize you'd already started working, I…" he stopped when he felt his phone buzzing. Nathalie. "Sorry, Marinette, I'm late, see you Monday." He turned away as he answered the call, leaving Marinette, unmoving in front of her house.
After he got off the phone with Nathalie, she'd just wanted to be sure he'd be back on time for his shoot, he thought back on his interaction with Marinette. She'd seemed so excited about the date auction. And so upset over the broken baskets. She must really want it to work out. He finally shrugged and thought 'how bad could it really be' and pulled out his phone sending one text to Nino.
A: Alright, I'm in