Just to say, later in this chapter I will mention football, by which, to some, I mean soccer.

Time for a bit of fluff all round I think. The last chapter was a little sad. But first...

Marinette Dupain-Cheng. Ugh. That girl had made her life a misery in school, and here she was, back again, ruining her life. Marinette had been liked by everyone when they were teenagers. Always so... nice. The memory made her shudder. Such a good two shoes. And now she was trying to move in on her Adrikins again. That girl needed to be taught a lesson.

Ever since Chloe Bourgeois had been dumped by her latest beau, the American tennis player, and with Adrien back in Paris, she had set her sights back on her first love. They had always been perfect for each other, both beautiful, both rich. Even though Adrien wasn't really rich anymore, his dad still was, and the old man would die someday. Adrien was his only heir, so she would just need to be patient. And everyone would notice her on the arm of the gorgeous ex-model and heir to the Agreste fortune.

She just needed to convince him that they were perfect for each other. And that meant getting the piece of trash, Marinette, out of the way.

What did Adrien see in her anyway? Just a college dropout nobody who managed to get knocked up straight out of school. She was pathetic.

Chloe was confident that Adrien would see this, he just needed a little push. Her devious mind was hard at work, coming up with solutions to her problem.


It was time to have a talk to Celeste about Adrien.

Keep it cool, Marinette, it's just friends, hanging out. Nothing to be nervous about.

"Celeste?"

The young girl looked up from her cereal bowl to see her mother sat at the table, nervously twisting her fingers together. She hummed in response and went back to eating her breakfast.

"I've got plans with a friend to have a picnic in the park today if you wanted to come along," Marinette began tentatively.

"Who is it? Alya?" Celeste asked between mouthfuls.

"No... it-it's um.. Adrien?" Way to play it cool, Marinette.

"You mean, Professor Agreste?" Celeste questioned, finally putting down her spoon and giving her mother her full attention.

"I guess, yeah. Is that weird? It's weird isn't it?"

"A bit, I guess, but... I mean, he's an old friend of yours. It doesn't have to be weird. A few of my friends were meeting at the park later today anyway so I can just hang with them instead," she went back to finishing her breakfast, "that is, if you don't mind of course!"

Marinette waved her hands in front of her.

"Of course I don't mind. We're getting there for twelve thirty, okay?"

"Sounds great. I'm finished with my breakfast, can I be excused?"

Marinette nodded her agreement and marvelled over how well that conversation had gone. It constantly surprised and pleased her just how mature her daughter was, especially considering she was only twelve. She had definitely gotten lucky when she was blessed with Celeste.


Unusually for a bank holiday, especially so late in the year, the sun was shining. Adrien was already waiting in the park, sat on a red chequered blanket, basket by his side and reclining back on his forearms, legs stretched before him. He hadn't noticed the pair arrive so Marinette took the moment to drink him in.

Celeste was the first to greet her teacher, smiling and waving at him before spotting a group of her friends and dashing off, the girl a whirl of excited energy. Marinette was a little more reserved, shy at seeing him after things had got so heated between them last time. She smiled and waved bashfully at him, lowering herself onto the blanket next to him and crossing her legs, careful not to touch him in any way. Her actions were painfully awkward.

A slight frown puckered his brow and Adrien sat up straighter, scooching closer to Marinette and offering her a flirtatious smirk.

"Hey, Mari, how are you feline today?" he asked, leaning in slightly to catch her eye. He didn't realise what he had said until she stiffened and looked at him quizzically. Adrien widened his eyes, feigning innocence, and flashed her his best model smile while inside his head he was screaming at himself, in a voice that sounded suspiciously like Plagg.

Hey Adrien, your Chat Noir is showing.

"Umm... I'm good, thanks. How are you?" she asked, her tone somewhat stilted. She was a little off kilter from their passionate kisses at the party, her dream about Chat Noir and now... did he just pun?

No, it's my imagination, she told herself sternly. I'm just thinking about Chat at the moment and imagining him in places that he definitely isn't. I miss him, that's all. The party just brought back old memories from that time and now I'm thinking about him. It's completely natural. Stop over-analysing things, Marinette.

Having firmly scolded herself, Marinette actively decided to relax and enjoy this afternoon. A date with Adrien. Adrien Agreste. She was on a real, bona fide date with the Adrien Agreste, previously gorgeous model, teen heart-throb and star of her own personal fantasies. Although the date came with a self-imposed label of 'just friends' attached.

Sixteen year old Marinette was very busy fangirling in the back of adult Marinette's head. She mentally shushed her teenage self.

Adrien gently touched her arm, bringing her focus to him and his beaming smile. It made her heart fly to imagine that she was the cause of that smile.

"I'm much better for seeing you, Princess," he assured flirtatiously, and once again Marinette was forced to push aside thoughts of her old partner. What was with her?

Finally able to focus on the here and now, they fell into an easy rhythm. It was amazing how much they had in common. It seemed like they never really ran out of conversation. And if at any time they did stop talking, it was completely natural. There was no awkwardness. It was like they had always been together, always been best friends.

She didn't even have this level of comfort with Alya, and the reporter was her longest running friend, someone who she could tell all her secrets to, who listened without judgement (mostly) and wasn't afraid to tell Marinette how it was. She needed Alya in her life.

But now Marinette was coming to see that she needed someone like Adrien in her life as well.

Where Alya was her driving force, always putting her out of her comfort zone, pushing her into the deep end and waiting to see if she could swim, Adrien was the calm waters, the quiet acceptance. He didn't feel the need to push, to make her do something new. He just allowed her to be who she was and she did the same for him.

So while Alya was her best friend, comfortable silences didn't exist for them. Alya was too full of burning curiosity and passionate energy.

Somehow she knew, Adrien could be her eye in the storm.

But the eye of the storm could be dangerous too, couldn't it?

She shrugged off the thought. Nothing about Adrien said danger. He was nice, polite, respectable and very, very sexy.

"So," Adrien asked, "would you call this our third date?" The blonde smiled lazily into Marinette's face and suddenly her heart kick started into an erratic beat, her face glowing at the inherent implications of the third date. Oh yes, very dangerous.

"Th-third date? I uh... I thought this was our first date? Not that it's actually a date just a picnic in the park between friends?" she squeaked, glancing around herself nervously, making sure Celeste wasn't within hearing distance.

"Well, there was drinks, and then the party... now this?" Adrien inched closer to her and their hands were a hairsbreadth apart. His fingers itched with the desire to hold hers.

"I don't know," she replied, shyly looking up at him through her lashes, "I thought the drinks was just friends catching up and the party... that was a friendly gathering, lots of old friends... not something I would exactly call a date..." stop saying the word 'friend', she rebuked herself. "Besides, we did agree that today was just... as friends," you did it again! "Right?" she hedged, biting her lip uncertainly.

Adrien's eyes were drawn to the action and he licked his own lips reflexively.

Marinette couldn't remember why she had insisted that this be platonic. Was he always this... hot?

"Okay, so this is our first date, but not really a date. As friends," he grinned playfully at her and nudged her with his arm. "But. Let's just say for the sake of argument that this was our actual first -not just as friends - date... How am I doing so far?"

Marinette laughed at his childish charm and nudged him back.

"So-so," she considered, bringing the hand that wasn't resting tantalisingly close to his up to her face and tapped her lip thoughtfully. "I'll give you six out of ten, solid effort. You know, if this was our first date."

Adrien gasped, feigning dismay.

"I've never received such a low grade in my life! This is just embarrassing," he put a hand to his forehead and flopped onto his back to stare dismally up at the sky. He took the opportunity to lay his hand over hers, entwining the fingers, and getting a thrill when she tightened her fingers around his. This date was starting to seem awfully real.

"You're just going to have to try harder, Professor," she teased.

"Nope, that's it, I'm done. I give up," Adrien exclaimed dramatically, making as if to stand back up, but not letting go of her hand. "I'm going somewhere my romantic efforts are actually appreciated."

Just as he was rising to his feet - Marinette really wasn't sure where he was going with his game but she had the perfect idea to put a stop to it - she tugged on his hand where their fingers were still joined, and pulled him back down onto the blanket, causing his chest to press against hers, their faces brought nose to nose. He saved her from toppling backwards with the momentum by wrapping an arm around her waist. Then again, she thought, taking in his satisfied expression, maybe this was his plan exactly...

Glancing quickly over to her daughter and satisfied that she was otherwise occupied, Marinette brushed her hand up his arm, feeling the warmth of his skin through the cotton of his top. Her fingers danced along his collar bone and she could feel his pulse jumping in his throat. By the time she wove her fingers through the hair at the nape of his neck, Adrien was practically nuzzling her hand, and Marinette was left speechless that she, plain, boring, clumsy Marinette, could have this effect on the man that she liked. It was at that moment that she realised maybe her feelings for him had never really gone away, that they were just buried, waiting for the man to bring them back to the surface.

She took in his gaze, green eyes burning with emotion and desire. Marinette could easily lose herself in those eyes, the sea of emerald somewhere she would happily drown.

"I suppose I could be purrr-suaded to up your grade, Agreste. But I want something in return." What was happening? Now she was punning? And flirting? Marinette was once again determined to get Chat Noir out of her head, and it looked as though Adrien was only too willing, if unwittingly, to comply.

"And what is it that you want, Dupain-Cheng?" he teased her slightly breathlessly, caught, unblinking, in her cerulean gaze.

With her hand anchored in his hair, the silken strands woven between her fingers, Marinette drew Adrien's face closer, his stuttering pulse and shallow breath making her bold. His eyes closed, hiding the gorgeous green and Marinette mourned the loss only briefly, before she closed her own and slanted her lips across his.

This kiss was different from their last.

This time their minds weren't clouded with the taint of alcohol, and this sharpened their senses. Marinette could taste on Adrien's lips the strawberries that he had been eating. She could feel the full yet firm surface of his lips pressed against hers, softly moulding together. She could hear the hitch of his breath as they pulled back slightly before coming together again, the kiss deepening. Marinette could feel the hairs on her arms stand up as a shiver coursed through her body and she could feel his lips curve slightly into a smile at the sensation, although not enough to break the kiss.

There was a small part of Adrien's mind that was aware that a park full of students, some of whom he taught, was right next to him. He was also marginally aware that anyone who cast a glance their way would have no trouble spotting them. They weren't exactly hidden. That small part of Adrien's mind was slowly being drowned out by the more prominent thought exploding through his head.

Marinette Dupain-Cheng was a phenomenal kisser.

He knew that this wasn't the first time they had kissed. And the heated make out session at Alya and Nino's party had definitely been a turn on. Those kissed were explosive. But these kisses... they were softer, sweeter, and his heart was having a hard time staying put in his chest. He could feel the rapid tattoo it was beating on his ribcage, and the only thing saving him from embarrassment at such a strong reaction, especially considering how chaste their kiss was, was the fact that he could feel Marinette's heart beating just as hard, and the notion made him smile.

He gently nibbled on her lower lip and felt the breath of her sigh whisper across his, sending arrows of awareness down to below his belt. It was a swift reminder not to let this kiss get out of hand, as much as he wanted it to. Marinette seemed to realise the same thing as she pulled away, chest heaving as if she had just run a marathon.

But then, so was his.

The two grinned at each other like love-struck teenagers but pulled further apart, mindful of any potential audience. They didn't fully break contact, however. Their hands lay, tightly clasped, between them as they once again turned their attention to the picnic basket.


There he is, Celeste squealed internally, biting her lip to contain her excitement. Lucas was in her class at school and already thirteen, and she was completely in love with him. She could see him playing football with his friends, using their hoodies as goalposts, the boys all whooping and jeering at each other, clearly having fun.

Celeste was sat with a few girlfriends, wishing she could join in the action. She wasn't particularly sporty, but she was energetic and loved to run around. Instead, she was chatting with some of her best friends. Not that she didn't like just sitting in the sunshine, enjoying a few moments of peace and time spent with her friends, but the current topic of conversation was not one she wanted to get involved in.

"Look, Celeste. Isn't Lucas so dreamy. He's so good at football," Louise pointed out, nudging the blushing bluenette.

"Yes, the way his hair blows in the breeze when he runs, and he's wearing shorts. He's so cute, don't you think Celeste?"

The girls all knew about her crush. It was a common topic for them to touch on because of how easily she blushed. It was common for the friends to tease each other. Celeste had done her fair share as well. She knew it was just friendly ribbing, but she direly wished to change the topic.

They all knew she was just avoiding the subject when she suddenly disappeared but no one minded when she brought back a wide array of picnic foods for them to share. The girls heartily dug in.

"Hey, isn't that Professor Agreste?" one of the girls, Chantelle, asked, pointing back in the direction Celeste had just come from.

"Oh my goodness, he's so handsome!" said Louise.

There were general murmurs of agreement around the group. The consensus since the beginning of the school year was that Professor Agreste was the most attractive teacher they had, and all of her friends had a school girl crush. Had it not been for her single minded obsession with Lucas, perhaps she would have been just as enamoured.

"Wait, isn't that your maman, Celeste?" her best friend, Denise asked, catching everyone's attention.

Celeste glanced back to where her mother and teacher were sat, sharing a picnic and shrugged.

"Yeah, maman and Professor Agreste are old friends. They went to school together and haven't seen each other in years. They're just catching up," she explained to the group of gawking girls.

"Looks like they're more than friends to me," one of the girls exclaimed, wiggling her eyebrows in what she assumed was a suggestive way. "Looks like they're on a date."

"No they're not," Celeste was quick to deny, suddenly wishing that the conversation was still on her crush. That teasing was familiar ground and could be handled more easily. She glanced back to where the group were playing football, sad to see that their game had come to an end and a few were heading home. Her attention was soon diverted back to the topic at hand, however.

"I think they're holding hands!" someone practically shrieked. It was strange enough for the preteens to see one of their teachers in a real life setting, but for one of their parents to be on a date with said teacher? This was definitely news worthy.

"Oh my gosh, your maman is dating Professor Agreste, they're going to get married and he's going to be your père!"

The girls all squealed at the notion and Celeste sat in silence, slowly going pale. Everyone was amused and had found a new subject with which to tease their easily flustered friend.

"They're just friends!" she snapped, lower lip slightly pouted and arms crossed. Everyone fell about laughing, clutching their sides. Celeste pushed the closest girl, who only laughed harder as she fell sideways onto the grass. A small smile crossed her lips at her friends antics. She knew they didn't mean any harm. Suddenly, Celeste was laughing with them all, all annoyed tension gone from her body.

Conversation gradually started again, an upcoming test being the next focus and they all fell into an easy companionship, joking and laughing, playing games and telling stories. Celeste loved days like these. Peaceful, sunshiny days before the harsh winter arrived, where she could just spend time with friends.

Before she knew it, it was time to go home.

Just at that moment, a certain brunette boy with chocolate brown eyes walked past their little gathering, clearly on his own way home. With a smirk, Denise raised her arm, offering him a wave.

"Hey, Lucas," she called, and Celeste looked up, her face burning a deep red.

"Hi girls," he greeted, coming closer. "Hi Celeste," the boy bashfully singled out the blushing girl. Denise slyly nudged her best friend as she sat there silently gawping up at her crush.

"H-h-hi L-Lucas," she smiled dreamily at him, cheeks still flushed a pretty pink.

"I'm just on my way home, but I'll see you at school tomorrow?" Lucas asked, smiling brightly down at the group of girls, all of whom nodded enthusiastically back at him except Celeste, who just stared at his face until her best friend nudged her again.

"Y-yeah, see you tomo... tomor... bye," she finished lamely, and as he turned to head off, she buried her face in her hands, groaning loudly.

"Did... uh, did you say something?"

She pulled her face back out of her hands, her face cherry red as her eyes met his again, his eyebrow raised in uncertainty.

"No!" she cried, too loudly in the quiet of the emptying park. "No," she said again more softly. "I didn't anything say... I mean, I say nothing did, uh... forget it. See you at school," she muttered, and she quickly turned her face away.

Confusion and a little hurt crossed his features at being so thoroughly dismissed by his school friend but he shrugged one shoulder and walked towards the park gates.

Behind him he heard an explosion of girlish giggles and teasing, but decided just to ignore it.


Marinette barely noticed the sun lowering in the sky, her full focus on the man next to her. They had spent the afternoon chatting and eating and flirting. After the brief slip-up with the kiss, it had been innocent enough, with many of the children Adrien taught sharing the park with him on this autumnal afternoon, especially the daughter of the woman he wanted to be dating. He had a reputation to uphold in front of the students and so did Marinette. That didn't stop him from keeping their fingers entwined for most of the afternoon following their kiss.

Now, it was getting cold. Marinette shuddered beside him and he looked down to see the fair hairs on her arms raised by goose bumps. Adrien sighed a little sadly, but forced a smile onto his face. He had been enjoying spending the day with her and didn't want to part, but it was time they were all going home.

He said as much to Marinette, and she pulled an adorable pouty face at him. He laughed boyishly and stood up, pulling her to her feet. Reluctantly she allowed him to do so.

Looking around, Marinette spotted her daughter still sat with her friends. At one point, Celeste had come over and pilfered the remains of the quite substantial picnic, taking her spoils back over to her group of friends.

Now, the group were sat around in a semi-circle, a brunette boy that Marinette vaguely recognised stopping to chat to the school girls.

"Do you recognise that boy?" Marinette asked Adrien, indicating where her daughter sat, face glowing with embarrassment.

"Oh, that's Lucas. He's in the same class as Celeste," Adrien grinned down at her. "I'm surprised you don't know who Lucas is," he teased, stepping closer to Marinette to share his warmth and feel some of hers in the cool of the late afternoon.

"Is he the cause of my daughters 'distraction' in school by any chance?" Marinette questioned, looking knowingly up at her own distraction.

"Far be it for me to tell someone else's secrets," Adrien demurred, avoiding the question, but Marinette didn't need his confirmation. The look in her daughters eyes was one she knew all too well.

"I'm surprised you knew she had a crush on him," Marinette admitted, smiling coyly up at the professor.

"Why are you surprised? It's written all over her face," he exclaimed, careful not to let his voice travel over to the group only a short distance away.

"Because," she replied in a husky tone that caused the hairs on the back of Adrien's neck stand to attention, "I used to look at you like that all the time."

When had she gotten so close, Adrien wondered, feeling the brush of her skin on his, her eyes all that was in his field of vision.

"I really want to kiss you right now," he whispered, voice gravelly.

"I know, me too," Marinette agreed, unconsciously leaning closer before remembering where they were and taking a step back. "But, we can't."

Her smile was wide when she heard his whine of disappointment. It was nice to know the attraction wasn't one sided, that he wanted her just as much as she wanted him. It made her feel confident, sexy, alive. Every nerve ending was attuned to the man standing next to her.

Taking a moment just to be together in the knowledge of each other's desires, they both took a breath and then deliberately stepped away from each other and faced back towards the pre-teens, ready to call Celeste away.

"Walk us home?" she asked and he grinned down at her.

"My purr-leasure."


A blonde haired woman dressed in her signature designer yellow and black was currently crouching in the bushes, careful not to get any leaves or dirt on her very expensive couture outfit.

Snooping on her future husband and his current minor distraction was actually beneath her, and normally she would have one of her underlings do it for her, but she was short for time and she hadn't managed to persuade anyone on such short notice.

Even Sabrina, her oldest and dearest friend, besides Adrien, of course, had refused to help her today.

They were all so ungrateful.

So that was why she found herself in her current predicament.

She watched the two kissing, and it was so sickeningly sweet that she wanted to throw up. It was no matter though. After a shower and some sanitary wipes, those deliciously firm-looking lips of his would be decontaminated enough for her to kiss, without the stain of Marinette Dupain-Cheng to spoil them. Chloe whipped out her phone and took a quick snapshot of the couple. She didn't know what she would use it for, but you never know.

With that, she snuck off to have a shower of her own and a change of clothes. Just in case any nature had found its way on to her. She smiled to herself.

Adrien will be mine.

I hope that was fluffy enough for you. And I like the idea of Celeste being pretty much just a young Marinette since Nathanael wasn't around much. I imagine them having a sort of Gilmore Girls thing going on.

Chloe hasn't changed as much as Adrien would like to think. He's still a little naive and oblivious when it comes to his childhood friend.

There are sixteen planned chapters for this fic plus an epilogue, so I hope you don't mind the slow burn too much. See you in a few days.