"Omagaud," Adrien moaned, eyes rolling up to heaven. "This soufflé is divine, Mrs. Dupain-Cheng."

The woman chuckled, holding a napkin up to her lips. "I'm glad you're enjoying it Adrien."

Marinette gave Adrien a half smile, barely caught by his peripheral view of her.

"So, Adrien," Marinette's mother started. "Marinette said you're working for Agreste…?"

"Yes," Adrien choked down a mouthful of food. "I'm a model," he said, flashing a brief smile. "I was hoping, actually, that Marinette would sign on to be one of my designers. Once she's established, that is."

The entire family's eyes widened slightly, Marinette's parent's exchanging knowing glances before her mother replied. "I'm sure she was more than ecstatic when you said that."

"Yeah," Adrien drawled, head slumping so he was looking at Marinette. "She wouldn't shut up for a while…"

Marinette blushed scarlet at that, choking a bit before glaring at him. "I was surprised, is all," she spat, hand gripping the table cloth. "It's not every day that your dream comes true."

"So I was your dream?" Adrien muttered, just loud enough for Marinette beside him to hear.

"I mean the job opportunity is amazing!" Marinette exclaimed too loudly, covering up anything her parents could have heard.

Adrien gave Marinette a pointed look, but she refused to meet his gaze and instead turned to stewing around the remnants of her meal.

"And I'm glad it is amazing," Marinette's mother said softly. "Amazing enough to bring you home after so long."

Marinette looked up at that, blue meeting the gray of her mother's eyes.

"I'm glad you're home sweetie," her mother said.

XXXXXXXXXXXX

"So how were the men of New York?" Marinette's father asked, giving his daughter a nudge as she came into the kitchen with a stack of dishes.

"Uh," Marinette stuttered, freezing mid-step to blush. She shifted the stack of dinner dishes in her arms, fumbling for a moment. "Rather wild." She finally said.

One of her father's bushy eyebrows rose slowly, holding her captive.

"Handsome?" He asked.

"Rugged," she shook her head. "More like…" she made a vague circle around her face with one of her hands. "Cowboyish?" She cocked her head. "Aggressive, even…?"

"Okay?" Her father replied. "So do you think you'll have any lasting friends-"

"Definitely not," Marinette said gravely. "At least not guy friends…"

Her father hummed in response, methodically dipping dishes into water before lathering them with soap and rubbing them clean.

"And Adrien?" He asked quietly.

"What?" Marinette asked, voice squeaking a bit. "What about Adrien?"

"Is he one of those 'not going to be friends' guy friends?" Her father prompted.

"I-," Marinette cut herself off. She huffed, looking up for a moment. "I didn't meet Adrien in New York. We just met on the plane" She said instead.

"Okay," her father said simply, dipping another dish into the soapy liquid. "Well he's welcome here any time, just so you two know. He needs more fat on him too, by the way."

"Yeah," Marinette's eyes narrowed. "Model diet, eh?" She punched her father's shoulder lightly, before pausing. "Thanks," she said, resting her forehead on his broad shoulder.

A moment passed in relative silence, the quiet conversation of Adrien and Marinette's mother floating in from the other room for a moment.

"Let's go play video games," Marinette's father smiled, turning Marinette around into a hug. "It's been too long."

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

"Soooooooo you haven't played Ultra Mecha Strike III?" Marinette asked, one delicate eyebrow perched precariously high upon her forehead.

"No…" Adrien said, staring down at the controller blankly. "I played Ultra Mecha Strike I back in High School, but it's been, like… ten years…" he trailed off. "God that's depressing," he groaned. "When did I get old?"

"You're not old!" Marinette exclaimed, bumping shoulders with him as she wormed over to his side of the couch. A shallow smile appeared on Adrien's face as he looked up from his hands to Marinette. He rather liked her being this close-

Marinette's Papa plopped down beside Marinette, taking up the remaining room on the couch and making Adrien jump slightly. So much for that moment.

Behind Marinette's father trailed her mother, carrying a bowl of popcorn.

"You're not playing?" Adrien asked Marinette's mother, offering his controller up to her.

"Oh, no," she said pleasantly. "I've never been one for playing video games. I do enjoy watching you guys plays, however."

"And watching Papa get his butt kicked," Marinette snickered, firing up the game.

"Hey! Not true!" Marinette's father exclaimed. "I win sometimes!"

"But not often," Marinette sing-songed.

Adrien made eye contact with the figure of Marinette's pouting father, only to be met with a determined scowl and eyes glittering with four years of vengeance.

Alright then, Adrien thought. So Marinette's good at this game…

3 hours later…

"What the fuck?!" Adrien exclaimed, throwing down his controller. "Again?! Literally every time I'm sooooo close and then, then," he jabbed an accusing finger at Marinette, "YOU mess it all up!"

"That is my specialty," Marinette said, wiping imaginary dust off her shoulder. "Have you guys submitted to my supreme dominance yet, or do we need another round to prove that I'm better than both of you guys again?"
"Another round!" Adrien hollered, refusing to submit despite the futility of his victory.

Marinette's mother yawned, her father groaned, and Marinette smiled wickedly.

"You're on!" She shrieked, resetting the arena.

"You two," Marinette's father moaned, "can duke this out yourselves. I'm out," he said, throwing up his hands in surrender. "And into bed I go," he said, beginning to trek out of the room.

"Aw, Papa," Marinette paused the game, making Adrien whine in protest.

"It was very nice meeting you, Adrien," her father said. "Feel free to come over any time you want."

"Oh, yes," Adrien said, popping up from the couch instantly as his immaculate shell of manners reformed. "Thank you very much for your hospitality. I had such a wonderful evening with you three…truly, I could not have spent my evening better elsewhere, so thank you."

"Oh, you're welcome Adrien." Marinette's mother said, stepping forward. "And like Tom said, you're welcome any time."

Adrien gave a warm smile to the two, before he was engulfed in a monstrous hug by Marinette's father. He hesitantly hugged back, unsure why his heart was pounding so loudly.

Once released from the beastly hug, Sabine stepped forward, wrapping delicate arms around Adrien's much taller frame. "I hope you'll come again soon," she said softly.

"Ahem," Marinette coughed, dropping her controller back onto the couch. "I guess we're done with the game…" she shyly made eye contact with Adrien, before turning slightly to face her parents.

"I'll show Adrien out," she said to them. "You guys head up to bed."

"Alright," Marinette's mother said, taking her husband by the arm. "Have a good night Adrien."

"And you as well, Mrs. Dupain-Cheng, Mr. Dupain-Cheng," he said. He then followed Marinette down the narrow steps to the bakery floor.

"Well that was interesting," Marinette said, reaching the door but stopping there.

"And frustrating," Adrien said, leaning forward to meet her at the door.
"Frustrating?" she prompted, biting her lip slightly.

"The game, yeah," he said, eyes narrowing playfully. "As well as in other ways..."

"Other ways?" she asked innocently, head tilting up to his.

Adrien swallowed thickly, the air heavy with their mingled breaths.

"Can I kiss you?" he asked quietly, voice tinging on husky, his body freezing but wanting to lean in closer to her.

"Yeah," she breathed, tangling her fingers in his hair to bring his lips down to hers. Almost instantly his hands were on her, one gripping her back and the other her jaw, guiding her closer to him until they were flush against one another.

Electricity and fire were burning through Adrien's body, consuming his senses until he was completely blinded by bliss.

"Marinette," he moaned softly, biting her lower lip to take a breath. She was panting heavily, her chest rising and falling with every breath.

"Adrien?" she asked shakily, blue eyes electrifying him again. "Can you kiss me again," she panted softly.

In response Adrien leaned forward, cupping her jaw to meld their lips together. Their teeth clashed briefly before lips parted and tongues mingled, deepening the kiss.

Then they broke apart, both gasping for breath. She pushed back slightly, bringing him out at arms-length.

"It's late," she said quietly.

"I know," he said, stepping closer to her again. She looked up to him, concern briefly flashing behind her eyes. He froze. "Too fast?" he asked.

She nodded, ever so slightly, retracting her hands from his chest to reach behind her to the door.

Adrien swallowed again, guilt instantly welling up in his throat. "I'm sorry," he said.

"No, don't be," she said, brushing up against him again. "I'm just tired. It's been a long day."

"Right," Adrien said, brushing past her to the cold outside air. He paused, turning back to her.

And Marinette met him in a kiss, surprising him into stepping backwards, before he regained his balance and grasped her tightly.

"I thought you said too fast?" he said, pulling back for breath.

"Yeah, well," she shrugged, brushing a strand of hair behind her ear. "I definitely think that this should happen again. What do you think?"

"Definitely," Adrien confirmed, his heart hammering and body overheating despite the cold.

"I'll text you tomorrow," he said with a smile, tracing the curve of her bottom lip with both his eyes and his thumb.

"Okay," she said, relinquishing his hand into the night. "Good night, Adrien."

"And good morning to you," he called back, waving over his shoulder as he started out to the sidewalk. He heard her giggle before turning the corner, a profound smile contorting his features for the rest of the walk home.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Author's Note: Ehhhhhh how's it going people? I'm on break but am busier than usual, so I ended up writing this all today -_-

Not that that's a bad thing, I just tend to make more grammatical and spelling mistakes when I write in one sitting. So, I apologize if there are more mistakes than usual…

Anyway! WHOA ACTUAL SMUT FLUFF! (If you can even call it that!). Just so ya guys know, that's about 80% of how raunchy this story will get – nothing explicit (I am sorry) though there will be explicit … implications? Wow I can't explain stuff. Basically, there will be sex, but implied sex (yay).

It's really awkward typing "Mrs. Dupain-Cheng" and "Mr. Dupain-Cheng" repeatedly, so they will be "Tom" and "Sabine" soon if I can help it (which I should I mean sheesh I'm the author pffft).

Please let me know what you guys think! I promise we'll go back to the actual plot (after next chapter that is)! I greatly appreciate feedback and commentary! Thank you and I hope you enjoyed!