Adrien hadn't slept a wink.
Well, that was mostly true. The last he remembered seeing was the glow of his phone around 4 am.
He sat up in bed, hair sleep-mussed. His eyes were sticky and heavy; just the attempt to part them slightly was exhausting.
But sleep had been hard to come by.
Every time he closed his eyes, he kept flashing before the brilliant scarlet dress. Hair the exact shade of Marinette's,in a soft braided crown around the back of her head, with flashes of the same ribbon woven through.
The detail he'd seen of the back of the dress was impressive. In a particularly reckless moment, he wished he had the presence of mind to snap a photo with his baton.
Through all his years of schooling, Adrien had grown adept at memorization. It was part of why his marks were so high. It was why modelling came so easy to him. His body would just memorize the pose, a trick he happily carried over to his times behind the mask.
But until last night, he had never wanted to curse that skill more.
He found himself helpless to do anything but think about what he'd seen, and that realization in turn had him baffled as to what it might mean. Leaving him with no choice but to mull over the mystery.
With a sigh, Adrien kicked off the covers and headed to the bathroom.
Not once did he have the slightest idea that Marinette might even have a crush on him.
She was a friend. An amazing, talented, incredibly kind friend.
Plodding to the shower, Adrien let the warm water sluice off his back, half-hoping that it would inspire some thought he'd not already run over and over in his mind all night.
But the only thought that had stuck in his mind was fear. Fear that he might have hurt her feelings, without being any the wiser. Fear that he might still.
Time had only strengthened the depth of his feelings for his partner. And amazing though Marinette truly was, it was very hard for him to suppress his feelings for Ladybug.
Plagg knew he tried.
Dripping, Adrien stepped out of the shower to grab a towel. He was half tempted to just call off the plans, and go back to sleep for half the day.
But he needed answers even more.
Pacing back and forth on the hardwood foyer, Adrien was anxious for the others to arrive.
Ever since graduation, he had met up with Nino every weekend. With a full course and modelling load - and a whole secret part time job with odd hours -it was a lucky break when he managed to sneak over to Nino's apartment. Those Saturday morning breakfasts had quickly become the new normal.
When the first year of University was wrapping up, and Nino and Alya started talking about moving in together, Alya and Marinette both had become permanent fixtures in this weekly ritual.
Adrien wasn't always able to make it with photo shoots scheduled wherever his father thought was a good idea, but he definitely had mentioned he was coming this time.
With the four of them, the only place big enough for them to all meet comfortably was his own apartment, but everyone pitched in to bring food. After years of only sweets on special occasions, Adrien could never argue with the weekly prospect of omelettes and homemade crepes from scratch.
Or the company.
"No offense, Adrien." Alya chided, blazing a direct path to the kitchen counter top with a grocery bag in hand. "You look like a mess."
"Thanks," Adrien groaned, leaning against the door as he held it open. He could count on Alya not to sugar coat things. "I feel like it, too. I just had a problem that kept me up late."
"A physics problem?" Nino raised a brow, as. "Man, that's brutal. Don't load up your classes too much. Not if your old man won't let you off the hook on the photoshoots."
Alya got started on the omelettes, while Nino was helping to chop up veggies and meats.
Adrien blinked. Tired though he was, he was on heightened awareness for their missing member. His eyes darted out into the hallway. "Where's Marinette?"
Aya shrugged. "Marinette was going to stop in to see her parents before she headed over."
"Awesome," Nino grinned. "I've missed the bakery."
Snorting, Alya poked him with the spatula. "No. You've missed the cookies."
Nino chuckled. "That too."
Adrien grinned, ever amused by his friends' antics. He tried to keep busy, getting together the plates and silverware.
Marinette's arrival was heralded with cheers and a flurry of still-warm baked goods.
"Sorry I'm late." Her face was flushed, slightly winded from her clear sprint across town. "Dad insisted on giving me these fresh from the oven. I figured we could hold off on crepes until next weekend."
They all huddled around the island as Marinette pulled item after item from the bag. There were cookies and croissants, and a cheese danish that Plagg would no doubt snag the moment everyone was occupied.
Adrien's eyes widened with glee when she pulled out the final piece: a whole spinach and Gruyere quiche.
Marinette giggled, biting her lip to stifle it when his eyes met hers. "I mentioned to my parents where I was going and they absolutely insisted I bring it along."
Smiling serenely, Adrien finished grabbing a pitcher of orange juice from the fridge. The kind he knew that she liked.
Nino grinned, setting the plates into place on the table. "That's it, Marinette. I'm sorry. We're adopting your parents."
Alya cackled, scooping up another omelette onto the empty plate. "Not sure we can, Nino. That whole over eighteen thing makes it all a bit messy."
Rolling her eyes, Marinette folded the bag back up to fit in her pocket. "They will feed you all anyways, you know."
"Of course," Alya grinned, proceeding on as if she hadn't heard a word. "One could always marry into the family."
Adrien coughed, sputtering back the orange juice that had just gone down the wrong pipe.
The acid still stung the back of his throat, leaving him to wallow in his shame as he ate a little more slowly than the others.
Everyone else had already finished and were set up in the living room, busy working on their own schoolwork.
Alya and Nino were leaning into one another, stealing cookies off the plate sitting on the coffee table. And being genuinely adorable. Alya had a reporting class that required more knowledge on more formal digital cameras, so Nino was diligently going over her recording giving pointers on her form to fix the next time around.
Marinette looked over at the pair of them with fond amusement that echoed his own.
Her eyes flitted over to his and he turned away, having the grace to blush at being caught out.
She was curled up in the settee with a sketchbook. It wasn't the blue one. That, he had already surreptitiously spotted in her bag.
A furtive little smile curved Marinette's lips. And it drew his full attention as he tried to finish his breakfast.
As he had long ago, he felt like an outsider looking in.
But this time, he was in on the secret.
After all, he had seen the red book several nights ago.
"And what are you scribbling away at, Marinette." Alya grinned, noting his discomfort and making a point to fill the otherwise awkward silence.
"I've got a slate of outfits to design for class. The professor wants us to just keep putting ideas to the page, brainstorming for now." She sighed. "I've hardly had time to stop, honestly, and he's been so cryptic in just how much he wants us to have in the book over these two weeks."
Adrien coughed. "Are all your sketchbooks for that one class?"
She blushed. "Well...not all of them. Technically."
"Technically?" Alya grinned. "Sounds like a story there."
Marinette shrugged, a pale pink blush staining her cheeks. "I...may have picked up an odd commission."
"A big one?"
Marinette nodded. Her lips quirked in hesitation. "And a secret one, honestly."
Oh. Adrien thought, quashing the surprising wave of disappointment he hadn't known was there. So the book wasn't for her? Confused, he propped his head up in his hand at the bar, his fingernails scratching at the nape of his neck.
"It's for...a friend." Her eyes strayed out the window.
"That whole book? For one project?" Alya snorted. "Must be some friend…"
Marinette's blush deepened, her lips curving upwards "It is."
Adrien was tempted to jump in with twenty questions of his own, but Alya beat him to the punch. "Anyone I know?"
Marinette collected herself, pressing a smile into place. "Sadly, it is a secret project. My lips are sealed."
Adrien frowned, sitting up straight. "But you're carrying the book around, right? Isn't that risky?"
Marinette tilted her head, watching him with too canny blue eyes. "It's possible for sure. But inspiration strikes at the oddest times. I'm more afraid that I will miss out on a great idea."
Alya arched a brow. "You have that much to plan?"
"I'm getting ideas down for everything. All the fabrics. All the accessories." Marinette shrugged. "They don't have to go with my plan, but it is a start for sure."
Sighing, Adrien set his fork down on the counter top, attempting to digest this new tidbit of information.
So, Marinette was making this project for someone else.
A friend. Someone she clearly was trying to protect.
He scrubbed his hand over his eyes, trying to make sense of it all.
And of the one mystery she definitely hadn't explained: Why was it his picture - and his measures - in the book as a groom?
Adrien felt his cheeks burn, as his own mind not-so-helpfully added one additional tidbit.
How was it that her measurements were so spot on?