Adrian had really let this get out of hand.
Gabriel Agreste was away at New York Fashion Week for the month. Only he could extend 7 days into 30 just to get away from his son. Normally, the gorilla and Natalie stayed behind to babysit, but his father had needed them this time for some reason or another, leaving him alone in the giant metropolitan mansion.
Mentioning this all to Nino in morning classes had been his ultimate downfall. He'd latched onto the idea of a party, and Alya had barged in from the row behind, inviting herself and a furiously blushing Marinette along to the hang out. Of course then Chloe had overheard and declared her attendance to the class, who had all fallen in step behind her. And that had all led to this.
Kids spilled out of front doors, flung wide open, and milled around in the courtyard. Several were draped over the couches in the parlor and he'd already foisted several couples out of some guest rooms throughout the course of the night. But given the late hour, his classmates were finally starting to lose their enthusiasm. Some wandered out to walk home, and a few were already sleeping where they'd landed, overturning cups and plates.
Adrian scowled at the mess. Yes, he'd definitely let this get out of hand. And to top it off, he hadn't made it to patrol to meet up with Ladybug. A perfectly good night with his love, ruined by his classmates.
"Want some help?"
Adrian looked to the left, eyebrows raised in surprise. He thought he was the last one up. Marinette stood about ten feet from him, her legs crossed and hands behind her back, blushing as she stared at the ground. Occasionally her blue eyes darted up to meet his before looking away with a shy smile.
"W-with the clean-up, I mean. We really t-trashed the place. Sorry about that," she rambled, fluctuating between blinding smiles and reddened glances.
"Sure," he replied, smiling easily. Help would be nice with this mess. He ran to the kitchen to grab some trash bags. When he returned, Marinette had already gathered up all the cups in a neat stack.
"Wow that was quick!" Adrian complimented, rewarding him with another blush. A pleasant warmth blossomed in his gut at the sight. He realized he was enjoying making Marinette blush.
"My parents have a bakery with a patio area for people to sit and eat. I usually get stuck bussing the tables after the rush," she explained, and he found that she seemed less anxious around him if she was busy with something. Occupying her hands seemed to have a calming effect. Keeping that in mind, he followed her from room to room while she gathered the trash, chatting lightly. About her home life at first, and the small things he knew about her from school. Adrian liked listening to her talk. Her voice got breathy when she talked about things that excited her, like fashion. She had a quirky sense of humor that he found genuinely funny, even if she tripped over the lines when she looked at his face.
After about an hour, the house was back to some semblance of order, not counting the teens strewn throughout the interior. Marinette began to shift on her feet anxiously in the entry way.
"I really should be going then. Un-unless there's anything else I can help with? Help you I mean. N-not that you need help! I'm sure you are perfectly capable-"
"You can't leave now-it's four in the morning," Adrian pointed out, grinning down at her. "Besides, if everyone else is sleeping over, you might as well too."
A strangled sort of squeaking noise came from Marinette, which she quickly stifled with a hand to her mouth. She removed it just as fast, keenly aware that her actions made her look ridiculous. Adrian thought she looked adorable. Who'd have thought?
"Come on," he jerked his head towards the stairs. "You can sleep in one of the guest rooms."
"I wouldn't want you to get in trouble…" Marinette started but Adrian help up a hand to stop her and winked.
"It'll be our little secret."