Chapter 7

Adrien sat halfway down a long, polished table, tapping his pen idly on the arm of his chair as his eyes scanned the room of editors. They had spent the last two hours debating the specifics of the Student Gala that was to commence the following evening, and the meeting seemed to finally be nearing a conclusion. His father's team was working very closely with the IFA, taking what was to be a fine school exhibition and turning it into a much more formal event. Plenty of prestigious names in the fashion industry were now to attend.

Everyone had their jobs laid out for them: the event planners on the Agreste payroll knew the evening's schedule inside and out; the caterers had been updated on the final plate count and menu selection; and a couple dozen assistants were prepared to fulfill their roles backstage and help the designers and models be ready when they needed to be.

With the amount of detail that had gone into preparations, it was laughable that anything could ever possibly go wrong.

Adrien concealed a small sigh of irritation as three older gentlemen got into an unnecessary argument over what the proper length of the introductory speech should be. The amount of work he'd been loaded with that day had been more frustrating than usual, and he was anxious to get this meeting over with as quickly as possible.

The night before, he'd arrived home to find his phone full of texts from Marinette, describing everything that he as Chat Noir had told her shortly before. Apparently, she had been simultaneously conversing with Meesh, whom he concluded was both appalled that something so crazy had happened, as well as extremely awed that Chat had thought to rescue her collection as well.

Adrien found himself rather pleased, despite himself, at how much Marinette praised Chat Noir for what he did.

Though he would've loved nothing more than to keep talking to her for the rest of the night, he was sure Marinette would've continued to the point of collapse if he hadn't insisted that she needed to sleep.

And when his phone went silent, his thoughts had been free to become a tangled mess, with Marinette filling every last one of them.

He replayed that hug over and over again, recalling easily her warmth and delicate, shower-fresh scent. He couldn't help it. Holding her in his own two arms had been, well… amazing. In that moment, everything had felt right in the world. And she was the reason why. He pictured her once again in that gown, seeing her confidence and beauty as she had traveled down the runway, and he wished that he could hold her again…

They had been in touch nearly constantly throughout the day once Marinette had finally woken up – after a solid 14 hours of unconsciousness, of course – and each of the sweet, brief moments that Adrien allowed her to distract him from the stress of work had been the best parts of his day.

After dropping Meesh's collection off at her house, Marinette had told him she'd taken her own designs to her parent's bakery for safe-keeping. She had been in her old lofty room since then, finishing up every last detail of her collection and sending him pictures.

Towards the latter half of the afternoon, Marinette had texted him that her parents wanted to treat her with a nice dinner, to celebrate the fact that's she'd finished her work for the Gala. She'd already invited Alya and Nino, and was hoping he would like to join them as well. He had, of course, enthusiastically accepted her offer.

That was, until his father had ordered him to participate in this ridiculous meeting.

Glancing down at his phone to check the time, his incessant tapping took on a more impatient tempo.

Marinette had messaged him a couple times, asking how the meeting was going. They had already been at dinner for over an hour and a half, and he was missing it.

Finally, as one last assistant left with instructions to triple check the event's music selection, all eyes turned to the head of the table, where Gabriel Agreste surveyed everyone with his piercing, cold gaze. Nathalie, his assistant for as long as Adrien could remember, stood quietly beside his chair, dutifully making notes on her tablet.

Gabriel waved a hand dismissively. A sigh of released tension echoed around the room as everyone stood and began filing towards the door.

As Adrien pushed in his chair and gathered up his things, his father surreptitiously caught his eye. With a twitch of his finger, Gabriel motioned for him to wait behind. Adrien straightened up, inhaling deeply, and began channeling the ever-standard, calm, detached demeanor. As the last person left, he turned to face the end of the room where his father and Nathalie stayed unmoving.

"Yes, father?" he said in an emotionless voice, smothering all frustration he felt about missing what was surely a delightful evening elsewhere.

Gabriel leaned back in his chair and eyed him closely.

"You have been spending a lot of time with that Dupain-Cheng girl as of late," he said, wasting no time and hitting straight to the point.

Adrien stiffened slightly, but kept his expression blank.

"Yes, I have," he said simply.

'How did he know this?' he thought to himself, 'What does it matter to him?'

Gabriel regarded him with an unreadable expression.

"She is an IFA student, one of your former schoolmates… the daughter of a baker," he said mildly.

Adrien said nothing. These weren't questions, they were simple statements of fact. Why was his father gathering information about Marinette?

After a moment, his father continued. "Adrien, you have handled yourself well enough in the public eye thus far in life. When you are part of a name as prestigious and well known as Agreste, there are a number of societal roles we must adhere to when it comes to how we are observed around others."

Adrien nodded. He understood all this, though he had never really had to make exceptional strides to stay in a good light.

"I know, father. But I'm afraid I don't see how tha–"

"Then I expect you to choose who you throw your infatuations at a little more carefully, rather than chasing after commonplace, no-name girls who have no practice handling themselves around those of higher class."

Adrien bristled, shock and indignation suddenly pulsing through him. It was all he could do to maintain his placid façade. But still, he instantly spoke up.

"Marinette is nothing like that! She would never–"

"This is an important event," Gabriel cut him off sharply, standing up to place his hands behind his back and make his way to the door, Nathalie following wordlessly after him. "And that girl is among those whose work is to be judged. If she was to be highly rated and the word of your, er… relationship with her were to spread, the repercussions of people feeling slighted are not something I want to deal with, nor will I permit our name being held responsible if she were to get attacked for any of this as well."

"Father, you don't know her! She's–"

"What is more, considering her status, there are guaranteed to be others like her seeking handouts if they are given any reason to believe that there was unfair special treatment. That being said, I expect you to consider the consequences of your actions around that girl very carefully. If I see any reason that that girl is the result of hindrances in either your performance in this company or our image in the public eye, your connection with her is to be terminated."

"But father, I–"

"That is all, Adrien."

"Father wait, would you jus–"

"I said that is all."

His hands were shaking, but Adrien bit back the many retorts that threatened to spill out of his mouth. As had been the case so many times before, he knew that arguing any more with his father – even on something so absurd as this – would do nothing to help.

He watched Nathalie shut the door to the conference room behind them with a snap as his father made his way passed the glass paneled wall and down the hall to his office.

'How in the– he doesn't– how could he look at someone as amazing as Marinette and think of her as lesser?! As a hindrance?!'

Adrien took a deep breath to calm himself as he put on his coat and left as well, heading in the opposite direction. But as he followed the halls and stairways out of the building, his frustration didn't abate. If anything, now that his father was gone, he was automatically removing his adopted detachment, and his anger was flowing even more freely.

How could his father make such insinuations against Marinette? Of all people, he chose Marinette to disapprove of and criticize?! How was that fair?! He knew nothing about her!

'And he certainly isn't about to keep me from her,' Adrien though determinedly, making his way towards the nearest subway station with every intention of joining Marinette and everyone else to celebrate.

"He doesn't know what he's talking about, Adrien," came a voice, and looking down, Adrien saw Plagg leaning out of his coat pocket to peer up at him. "He may make a lot of cool things and run a major company, but your dad sure does find a lot of ways to be wrong about things. He's even more of a dunce than you can be, so don't worry about it!"

Adrien quirked a small smile at his Kwami's attempts to cheer him up, but it wasn't doing much to help this time. Even as he made his way onto the subway, with Plagg continuously chatting his ear off to distract him, his mood remained dark.

After several minutes, Plagg ducked out of sight once more and Adrien climbed the stairs of the subway station, only a block away from the restaurant Marinette had told him they would be at.

The sun had set and a dusk was falling over the city, quickly cooling the air that had been so warm and spring-like that afternoon.

Checking the time on his phone, Adrien's heart sank a little further, and he quickened his pace.

'Maybe they are still eating?' he thought with a last little bit of hope.

But as he neared the warm, bright lights spilling across the road from the restaurant's windows, a small bell chimed and the doors swung wide to reveal Marinette, her parents, and Alya and Nino. They were all chatting animatedly as they descended the few steps down to the sidewalk. Tom let out a booming laugh at something Alya had just said.

Marinette was pulling out her phone to start typing something when Adrien's approach from the end of the street caught her attention.

"Adrien!" she cried, a huge smile coming over her face. "You came!" The rest of the party turned to look as Marinette hurried forward to where he stood. Adrien did his best to smother all the negativity he was feeling. Just the sight of her was already helping to calm his mind, and he smiled at her.

"Sorry I'm late," he said, automatically stretching his hand up to scratch his neck. She stopped to stand in front of him, her smile fading a little as she peered up at his face more closely.

"What's wrong? What happened?" she asked him.

"I'm fine," he said quickly, averting his eyes and looking anywhere but at her. "Don't worry about m–"

"Adrien!" Nino cut his words short as he and the others joined them. "Where've you been, dude? Marinette has been checking her phone all night!"

Sabine beamed up at Adrien as Tom clapped him affectionately on the back.

"We tried to wait for you, dear," Sabine said apologetically, "but Tom and I must be up early tomorrow and the restaurant wouldn't let us keep the table if we weren't ordering so…" She held up a small white box towards him. "I hope it's alright that we still ordered something for you."

"Oh! Oh no, you didn't have to do tha–" he started sputtering, but Sabine and Tom just beamed at him.

"Of course we didn't have to, but we weren't about to let you starve when you'd been stuck in a meeting this whole time!" Tom said, chuckling.

Grinning hugely, Adrien gently took the box from Sabine's hands, gratitude washing over him.

"Thank you!" he said, opening the box's lid to reveal caramelized pork and sliced potatoes covered in a mushroom and onion sauce, and sprinkled with fresh rosemary sprigs. The delicate, savory smell wafted around him, and his mouth watered in eager anticipation.

"We listened to what these three thought you might like," Tom gestured one of his large hands to Alya, Nino, and Marinette.

Marinette was smiling gently at him, but there was still a slight crease between her eyebrows.

"This is wonderful, thanks so much!" Adrien said, grinning at all of them.

"Of course, sweetie!" Sabine replied, reaching up and gently patting him on the cheek.

"Don't worry about missing all the fun though," Alya said cheerily. "The night has only just begun!"

"We're going to do karaoke, dude," Nino said, swinging an arm over Adrien and hanging it around his neck. "I've been wanting to try out that new bar by la Seine that just opened last month, and getting all my favorite people to go on a night of celebration is as good a time as any."

Adrien laughed at this. Leave it to Nino to make sure there was always music involved in a Friday night on the town.

"I was just about to let you know where we were going," said Marinette, holding up her phone, "but, well, your timing was impeccable."

"If only we didn't have to be up so early," Tom lamented with a wistful sigh. "I'd love do go out and do some singing! Honey, maybe we could–"

"The last time you chose to stay up late before a four am shift, you burnt several loaves of bread, mixed up the dye colors for the macaroons, and dropped an entire tray of eclairs, all before ten." Sabine said with a smirk, raising an eyebrow at her husband. "We are getting you home and to bed on time. Let the kids have their fun without our intrusion."

"Don't worry, you guys are never an intrusion," Marinette said with a smile, stepping forward to give her parents a hug and a quick peck on each of their cheeks.

"We'll make sure to get you on the mic next time, Monsieur Dupain," Nino said with a chuckle. "It'll be great to see you belt some notes!"

"Well it's a marvelous night for a moondance, with the stars up above in your eyes!" Tom began singing loudly in a boisterous, jazzy voice, making Adrien jump and the others double over with laughter.

"Come on, dear," Sabine said, giggling and wrapping her arm around his to pull him gently away from the group. "Have a wonderful time, you guys! We'll see you tomorrow!"

"Can I just have one more moondance with you, my love!"

The four of them laughed as they watched the couple make their way down the street and disappear around the corner, Tom still singing jovially at the top of his lungs.

Nino, with his arm still around Adrien's shoulders, grabbed Alya's hand and began leading them down the road in the opposite direction. Alya looped her arm around Marinette's, and the group made their way to the subway station Adrien had just come from, chatting happily.

Marinette stayed close to Adrien as they boarded the train, and she made a point to take the seat next to him.

Adrien pointedly ignored the concerned looks she kept shooting him, and instead began enthusiastically eating the food while laughing at Nino's jokes. They were sitting very close together, though, and Marinette did manage to catch his eye, but he quickly looked away as he had before. With Nino and Alya keeping up a constant dialogue with him, there was never another chance for her to ask what was wrong, so she seemed to finally lay the matter aside for the time being and joined in their cheerful banter.

Adrien finished off his meal with gusto by the time they exited the train, and disposed of the box in a recycling bin at the top of the steps as they exited the platform onto the street above.

The bar was only a short block away, and the street was filled with lights and laughter as the people of Paris enjoyed the freedoms of a Friday night. Strains of upbeat music were coming from several nearby locations, and Nino twirled Alya around as they walked, both of them grinning at each other.

Adrien looked at Marinette as they followed close behind, and she smiled lightly at the sight of them.

In that moment, he felt a sudden urge to take her up into his own arms and dance with her down the sidewalk as well. Shaking his head a little, he thrust his hands into his pockets and looked resolutely forward as they rounded the corner and their destination came into sight.

"After you, my dear!" Nino said to Alya as he held the door open for them.

"Why thank you sir!" she said with a wink, and stepped inside, followed closely by the rest.

They found themselves in a small entry chamber, with a smooth black polished floor that sparkled from the golden lights that hung overhead. There was a small line of people waiting to be allowed into the main bar that lay past the floor-to-ceiling screen behind the welcome counter.

The place itself was rather cozy and intimate, though every table and seat was fully occupied. Through the slats in the screen, Adrien could make out a crowd of people seated at small dining tables with tiny warm lanterns and candles at each. The people were cheering on whoever had just climbed on the stage that stood at the far end of the small room. A bar counter was just visible off to one corner, lit with the same gold lights that filled the entry. It created an interesting contrast with the blue and violet lights that shone brightly from the stage, filling the rest of the space with a soft, magical glow.

Gentle music reached them as Nino made his way past the throng of people and up to the girl behind the counter.

"Hi!" he greeted her with a smile. "I called ahead with a reservation this afternoon under 'Nino'?"

"Summer comes, winter fades. Here we are, just the same…"

A woman's honey voice rang out, and there was a scattering of cheers from the crowd.

"Ok, just one sec," the girl said cheerfully to Nino, scrolling through a list of names on the tablet displayed in front of her. "Party of four?" she asked, looking up at each of them in turn.

"That's right," he nodded.

"There used to be an empty space. A photograph without a face."

The woman's voice was joined with that of a man's and the music swelled into a sweet harmony.

"It's a pleasure to have you with us tonight, DJ-Nine!" The girl grinned at Nino and Alya, who chuckled at the recognition. "We'll have a table ready for you in just a moment."

Adrien glanced down at Marinette.

She stood on her tiptoes to peer over the crowd up to the stage, her hands clasped excitedly over her heart as she watched the couple singing with a smile.

He felt a tug at the corners of his own mouth as he watched her sway gently to the tune. Some of the low-lying anger about what his father said still remained, but for now, he was content to just be around her. A warmth began to fill his chest.

"So please don't say you love me, 'Cus I might not say it back. Doesn't mean my heart's not skipping when you look at me like that…"

They were lead to an alcove towards the back center of the room. A small, round table sat surrounded by a curved booth, which they all slid into, Alya and Marinette in the middle, with the guys on either side of them. They ordered a round of drinks from the waiter.

"Just please don't say you love me, 'Cus I might not say it back."

The song ended to applause from the audience, and the couple on stage laughed and bowed before making way for the next karaoke group.

The waiter brought their drink orders to their table, and Alya raised her glass in the air.

"I propose a toast!" she said, beaming at Marinette. "To the craziest, most talented designer Paris has ever seen, who not only finished an entire freaking gorgeous collection in just two weeks, but also managed to get done a whole day in advance!"

They all raised their drinks, and Marinette giggled, trying to cover her beat-red face with her free hand.

"To Marinette!"

"Cheers, Marinette!" the guys echoed Alya, and they all took a happy sip as Marinette laughed and stuttered her gratitude.

"Alright! Let's get this party going!" Nino said, rubbing his hands together excitedly.

Alya and Nino began looking through the long list of songs excitedly, and Adrien watched Marinette taking everything in with her wide, cheerful eyes.

"Hey, it looks like there are a number of songs that can be done with the live band," Alya said enthusiastically, pointing at the list for Marinette to see. "Oh my gosh, you gotta do this one with me!" she said, pointing one of the titles out. But Marinette shook her head laughing, her dark hair falling over her shoulder.

"Oh no no! I'm gonna need another drink or two before you even think about dragging me up there!" she said with a giggle.

Alya rolled her eyes, but grinned.

"Fine, but I'm getting you to sing with me one way or another, friend!" she said. Then, turning to Nino again, she began plotting which songs to duet or try as a whole group.

The two of them quickly put their names on the list, and they all chatted happily while they listened to a handful of other performers. Some of the people singing were actually pretty impressive, while some were hilariously awful and played to the crowd's encouragement and amusement.

Alya's and Nino's turn came right when their waiter brought them a second round of drinks. Alya took a quick sip, then they both ran up to the stage laughing, hand in hand. They approached the band members who were sitting off to the side and got into a hushed conversation.

The man who had played the keyboard for a couple of previous songs was looking between the two of them with raised eyebrows before a wide smile spread across his face. He gave Nino a fist bump, nodding in agreement to something they had said, and sat back down while the rest of the band took up their instruments. Nino pulled a mic over in front of the keyboard and experimentally thrummed a few notes. A hush fell over most the crowd, and a few people whooped when they realized what was happening.

Alya shot Nino a grin, gathering the mic into her hand and swinging her hips to the beat as he started playing a jazzy tune. The band followed his lead and they fell into an easy, upbeat groove.

"The way you wear your hat," Alya began in a sultry voice, and the some of the crowd cheered in approval. "The way you sip your tea. The memory of all that, no no they can't take that away from me!"

"The way you smile just beams…" Nino joined her in a smooth harmony, and there was more applause as they really got into the swing of things together.

"Wow!" exclaimed Adrien as Marinette cheered beside him. "They sound amazing together!"

"Right?" Marinette said, nodding in agreement. "I've seen them perform together during a couple of Nino's smaller concerts, and they always totally kill it!"

"… The way you haunt my dreams, no no they can't take that away from me!..."

Marinette reached for her drink, and taking a sip, she turned to face him pointedly.

"Ok, now spill. What happened?"

Adrien blinked down at her in shock, his smile disappearing at the abrupt change in topic.

"I don't… That's not… Nothing! It's fine, I'm fine."

Tripping over his words, he tried to pull an innocent grin back onto his face, but she wasn't buying it.

"C'mon Adrien, I know you better than that," she said with a slight frown at his attempts at evasion.

"It… it was just some stuff at work. Long day, you know, and lots of people wanted my help with things," he said shrugging, and turned back to face the performance. It wasn't a total lie, his day had been pretty busy.

Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Marinette regarding him closely.

"Is it something to do with your father?" she asked softly.

Adrien froze in the middle of reaching for his drink. An unbidden flood of emotion coursed through him, as if her saying it out loud had officially opened a door. Of course she would see straight to the heart of the matter. That was Marinette for you.

Sighing in mild defeat, he slumped a little lower in the booth, and allowed the scowl he'd been fighting all that night to finally paint his face.

"Yeah, it is," he said, reaching his hand the last few inches towards his drink and downing perhaps an unnecessarily large gulp.

"I don't want to push you, Adrien," he heard her say, and glancing at her he saw that she was looking down at her hands, now seeming a little unsure. "But I just… I mean, if you need to talk, you know I'm always here to listen."

As with so many times before, he felt the sudden, strong need to just reach out and pull her close to him. To just hold her. To feel her steady comforting presence with his own two hands. Here she was, wanting so much to help him and support him, but also respecting him enough to give him space.

"…The way we danced till three, the way you changed my life…"

Their hug from the night before flashed through his mind once again.

The idea of lying to her, in that moment, seemed very wrong. She had already trusted him with so many things. He knew he now needed to trust her enough to understand everything, especially how he felt. She deserved the truth from him.

"My father has convinced himself that my relationship with you somehow risks endangering my public reputation," he finally said, turning to her.

Marinette's eyes widened in surprise, and he hurriedly continued, trying desperately to convey how absurd he thought it was.

"He said that… if you were to get high marks from the judges tomorrow, people would warp it into being favoritism. And that they would either attack us for it, demanding similar special treatment, or they might feel slighted and go after us for some convoluted revenge. But that's not going to happen. I won't let that happen. If I had to address every single person who came forward with even the slightest complaint, I would!" As he spoke, his words began to rush together with urgency in his desire to explain everything to her. "I-I'm sorry, I'm so sorry that my father feels the way he does, I just…"

Marinette watched him as he said all this, her expression unreadable.

"Do you think things would end up better if we didn't spend time together?" she asked.

He shook his head vehemently, completely rejecting the idea. Try and stay away from her? Now that was damn near unthinkable.

"No. Absolutely not. Please, please Marinette, don't take any stock in what he said. I mean, for the longest time he had Nino banned from our house just for suggesting that I should get a birthday party, remember?"

"Adrien, I don't want to be a cause of strife or tension… for you or your father."

"Marinette," he said, his voice colored with emotion as he turned to better look her directly in the eye. "You are one of the most important people I have in my life. I am so lucky to know you, and… You are… I value our friendship so much. I… I don't… Please don't think you could ever be something like that."

His heart was pounding. Part of him was embarrassed by the honesty in his own words, but much larger part was just so determined to make her understand how much he cared for her, and that he was completely against everything his father had said. Though the thought had never crossed his mind before, he suddenly found that he was afraid of losing her.

Marinette looked at him in surprise for a moment before a soft smile spread across her face. She turned slightly to better lean into his side. Gently, she rested her head on his shoulder, laced her arm through his, and began tracing his tattoo with her soft, warm fingers.

"…We may never, never meet again, on the bumpy road to love…"

"Thank you, Adrien. You're one of the most important people to me, as well." Marinette's voice was still quiet, but Adrien could hear a determination behind it. "You've helped me more than you know, and I'm very thankful for you. For as long as you want me around, I'll be here. I promise."

Adrien smiled a true, easy smile for the first time that evening.

The resolution in her words was more reassuring than he could've expected. Waves of gratitude rushed over him, but no matter how he phrased it in his mind, any form of "Thank you" just didn't seem enough to convey what he was feeling. Whatever words he searched for, they were evading him.

So instead, he said nothing, and simply rested his head on hers.

"…The way you changed my life, no no they can't take that away from me…"

Even though the music was lively and the crowd around them enthusiastically cheered their friends on as they sang, Marinette and Adrien felt as if they were in their own little bubble, separate from it all. In that moment, they simply felt safe in their own company.

Marinette's closeness and the methodic movement of her touch was incredibly comforting. And somehow deeply familiar. Somehow, it felt so right, as if they had sat like this a hundred times before. With every line her fingers made, the remainder of his frustration washed further and further away, until all he was left with was a clear, content, peaceful mind.

Adrien felt that he could sit there happily with her forever.

"…No they can't take that away from me!"

All too soon, it seemed, Alya and Nino finished their song. The place was suddenly filled with an enthusiastic ovation. Many people had recognized Nino as DJ-Nine, despite how different the song was from his usual music style, and were shouting their adoration.

When Marinette broke away from Adrien to join in the crowd's cheers, Adrien wanted nothing more than to pull her back to his embrace. But that felt selfish. And he knew that their friends would give them no end of grief if they found them cuddling so close, so he followed her lead and began applauding as well.

"You guys were amazing!" Marinette cried as the other two found their table once again. "That was completely fantastic, oh my gosh!"

"Thank you!" Alya said, laughing giddily from the rush of stage adrenaline. "That was so much fun, you guys gotta get up there and try it!"

"You guys really were fantastic," Adrien chimed in. "How did you do that without practicing?"

"Nino's played around with that song a few times when he was warming up," Alya explained, settling into her seat and reaching for her drink. "And that was on the list of numbers the band would play live, so it was pretty easy when we all know it well enough."

"So, you guys talk about anything interesting while we were gone?" Nino asked them, and Adrien noticed a slight twinkle in his eye as he said this.

Marinette exchanged a quick, knowing glance with Adrien before smiling and saying, "Nah, not really."

"We were pretty much just cheering you guys on," Adrien said with a grin, agreeing mutually with her to just leave what they'd discussed alone. There was no need to spoil a perfectly good night.

And what a good night it really turned out to be.

The crowd was luckily small enough that there were plenty of opportunities for every party of people to take turns on the mic. The bartender kept the drinks coming, and it wasn't long before Adrien's mind was filled with a pleasant buzz, all the confidence that usually came with his mask now coursing through him easily. They all began befriending people from other tables to joining up for a number of songs.

The longer the evening went on, the sillier the performances became. Even the most dramatic of numbers were done with such over-the-top passion that the place was nearly always ringing with warm laughter.

At one point, Adrien and Nino danced and sang a stirring rendition of 'Guy Love' that had the crowd cheering and Marinette and Alya practically falling out of their chairs as they wiped tears of mirth from their eyes.

At another point, the four of them teamed up with three people from another table and belted 'Bohemian Rhapsody' with amazing gusto. Half way through that number, the entire bar joined in, making it one of the most epic songs of the night.

Marinette seemed to prefer watching other people perform, but Adrien still loved the joy that rolled off her the few times she went up and sang. Alya was easily the biggest star of the show, but similarly to how he'd watched her gain confidence on the catwalk the night before, Marinette quickly became more comfortable behind the mic as the evening progressed. She had a beautiful, silvery voice that rang strong with a joyful enthusiasm, and he knew he would never tire of it.

Finally, towards the end of the evening, Alya managed to convince Marinette to sing one duet with her before they left. After a quick whispered conversation, Marinette nodded in excitement to whatever Alya had suggested, and they hurried up to the stage.

Adrien and Nino exchanged an enthused look as their girls set up the song's back-track and moved to center stage as the little beads on the screen ticked the time down and signaled the song's start.

"If you could take my pulse right now, it would feel just like a sledgehammer!"

The place burst into another round of cheers as the girls broke out in pitch perfect harmony, nailing the intro with identical wide smiles on their faces.

"…I don't admit it, I play it cool…" Alya soloed, grinning widely as the crowed hollered their approval.

"WOOHOO! That's my babe!" Nino cheered, "Get it, Alya!"

Adrien whooped along with his friend and the rest of the crowd as Marinette stepped forward with her mic and began the next verse.

"…I feel the fever, and I won't lie, I break a sweat. My body's telling all the secrets I ain't told you yet!…"

As they harmonized on the chorus, she and Alya danced to the beat, and Adrien watched happily as Marinette positively beamed in the spotlights, waving her free arm in the air above her and swaying her hips smoothly to and fro.

Just then, Nino leaned over to him and said into his ear, "So, when are you gonna finally ask Mar-bear out?"

Adrien jumped and whipped around to face his friend, stunned.

"W-what are you talking about?" he demanded, staring incredulously, but Nino just laughed and rolled his eyes, settling back into their booth.

"C'mon dude, are you serious? You've been spending nearly every moment of your free time with her for the past couple weeks. Even when you're not with her, I see you texting her non-stop," Nino said with a grin, gesturing up to the girls on the stage, "I saw you guys being all cozy when Alya and I were doing that first song. You've been as close to her as possible tonight, and you've barely taken your eyes off her."

Adrien reflexively reached his hand up to scratch the back of his neck, looking sheepishly from the stage to Nino and back again. He couldn't exactly deny that any of this.

"…You've taken over the beat of my body, you just don't let up!..."

"We're not like that, man. I mean… She and I… Marinette and I are just friends, ya know?" he tried to defend himself.

But even as he said this, his heart clenched, and all at once he hated the way those words tasted in his mouth.

"Adrien," said Nino, a serious note in his voice now, "I know you. I've seen the way you've been around other girls, and not once have you been this serious about someone. I know you have feelings for her! And frankly, Alya and I are still shocked that nothing has happened between the two of you yet. I mean we've been rooting for you guys since, what, early high school?"

"There's nothing going on between us, Nino," Adrien sighed.

Nino regarded him closely for a few moments before shrugging and turning back to the stage.

"Ok, whatever you say dude."

"…So close together. So far apart…"

Adrien looked up at the stage as well, watching the glow of the lights reflecting off of Marinette's dark, cascading hair as she laughed and twirled around. The music still played loudly, but he could hardly hear it anymore. His mind was a tangled mess as he thought through Nino's words over and over again. He shook his head, trying futilely to clear it.

They were friends. Just friends. Friends.

But no…

That word may have applied before, but now…? Now, he realized, he wanted to be more than that. Much more.

Something had changed in that moment they had shared together in the booth. Or… maybe he was just now aware of something that had been changing all along? Replaying the last couple weeks in his mind's eye, he thought through all of their time spent together, all of the conversations that they had, all the vulnerabilities and victories they had shared.

Marinette. Strong, brave, beautiful Marinette. This girl was kind, she was creative, and funny. She was bold, despite her insecurities. She was selfless and sincere. She cared deeply about others, and stood up for them.

And she cared about him, too. She saw past all the defenses he put up. She saw him for who he was.

And now, he wanted to say there was a closeness, a deeper level of affection between them than there had ever been before. As he watched her, he became aware of some strange force that made him want nothing more than to draw near to her and never leave her side.

Suddenly, Adrien felt entirely thunderstruck as he realized what he'd been unable to say to her earlier. He thought he'd wanted to thank her somehow, but that wasn't quite right… The truth now flashed through his mind and rooted him to the spot.

'I love you.'

There. That was it. Those were the words that had been just beyond his reach.

This girl… Marinette… he loved her.

Shock radiated through him as those words rang clear in his head. There was no way… It was too soon! They'd only been spending time together over the last couple weeks! But no, that wasn't right either… They'd known each other for years, been friends for years… The months spent apart never erased that. And their time together now only solidified something that had been there for so long.

"…The truth is out, no stopping now, I'm getting closer…"

Adrien's mind began racing. This sudden comprehension opened up a floodgate of thoughts as everything he'd been conflicted with since that first night they'd made dinner started to smooth out.

He loved her. He loved talking to her, loved spending every moment possible with her, loved supporting her dreams and endeavors. And she supported him, he realized. She always had. She was one of his very first true friends. She had always been there.

And even now, it was her who had seen past his walls. Marinette saw through him in a way no one else had before.

Only Ladybug had ever come close to that kind of intimate perception, knowing the greatest facets of him better and deeper than anyone else before. But there had still always been that separation, that line they could never cross.

With Marinette, there were no masks to come between them. She had known exactly what was on his mind, both that night at his place, and again earlier that evening. He couldn't hide things from her, and now he didn't want to. He trusted her now just as much as his Lady. He wanted to tell her everything.

Adrien let out a laugh, feeling giddy. Despite the mess of everything flooding his mind, there was one thought that rang clear; he loved Marinette, and though he didn't know if she felt the same, there was no going back for him now.

"…If you take my pulse right now, it would feel just like a sledgehammer!"

Marinette and Alya finished the song to receive a standing ovation.

Adrien and Nino whooped and hollered enthusiastically as the girls made their way back to them, laughing and breathing hard from the stage adrenaline.

"Beautiful as ever, babe!" Nino said, pulling Alya in to give her a quick kiss.

"Thanks, love," she said, giggling as she ducked under the table to grab her purse.

Adrien beamed down at Marinette as she let out a shaky laugh, reaching her hands up to cover her bright red cheeks.

"Ooh that was so much fun!" she said. "I can't believe I did that!"

"You were stunning," Adrien told her, grinning hugely,

Marinette snickered and rolled her eyes.

"Hardly, but thank you," she said, shaking her head and high-fiving a couple people who passed by from a nearby table, before making her way into the booth to grab her own belongings.

"Are you kidding? You sounded incredible up there!" he replied earnestly. "Don't sell yourself so short!"

"But I am short, there's no denying it!" she said, and he laughed, reaching out to help her as she climbed back out around the table.

Her hand felt soft and warm in his, and he was very aware of the tingling that filled his fingers when they let go.

The four of them left the karaoke bar in high spirits, with several people shouting farewells to DJ-Nine as the doors swung closed behind them. It had gotten pretty late by now, and the guys decided mutually to accompany Alya and Marinette back to their place to see that they got there safe. They were all pleasantly buzzed from both the night's drinks and the wondrous atmosphere of the bar, and it was a short but happy train ride and walk, filled with a little more singing and frivolity.

When they arrived at the front double doors of the apartment building, Nino and Alya moved off to the side a little and embraced to say their goodbyes.

Adrien looked down at Marinette, who grinned up at him, reaching a hand to her rosy cheek to brush a lock of dark hair behind her ear. And for the dozenth time that night, the desire to hold her welled up inside him.

But this time he didn't fight it.

As Marinette opened her mouth to say something, he reached one arm out to her with a smile, rested his hand on her shoulder and pulled her close to him, wrapping her up in a tight but gentle embrace. She gave a small squeak of surprise, but after a moment, she wrapped her arms around his waist in turn, and his heart felt fit to burst. She lay her head against his chest as she had done the night before, and he rested his cheek on top of her soft hair, inhaling her sweet scent with great pleasure.

Seeing Nino and Alya separate and look over at them, he reluctantly let go of Marinette. She was blushing furiously. Now that he knew exactly how he felt about her, the sight made him ridiculously happy, and he had to fight the chuckle he felt building in his throat.

"You'll do great tomorrow," he said, beaming down at her.

She smiled and looked down at her hands.

"Well, we'll see," she said.

"C'mon girl!" Alya called to her, already at the top of the steps and holding the door open, waiting.

Marinette glanced up at her, the back at Adrien, shooting him a grin as she climbed up as well.

"I guess I'll see you there, then?" she asked him, and he nodded enthusiastically.

"Yeah, for sure!" Nino chimed in, smirking between the two of them.

Marinette paused at the door to wave to them before disappearing inside.

"Sleep well, Mar," Adrien called after her as the door closed, and with that, the two of them headed off down the street. "You were right," he sighed as they walked.

Nino glanced at him.

"I usually am, but which time are you referring to, specifically?"

Adrien snickered, elbowing his friend in the side.

"You were right about Marinette. I… I like her. I like her a lot."

Realizing what Adrien was talking about, Nino's eyes grew wide with excitement, and a grin split across his face.

"Dude! Yes! That's awesome!" He flung his arm around Adrien's neck and gently bumped his fist against his chest in a supportive fashion. "So what does that mean for you?"

A grin slowly began to pull at the corners of Adrien's mouth as well, and he suddenly felt the giddiness from before return.

"It means I'm gonna do it. I'm gonna ask her." His heart racing, he looked up at the sky and let out a laugh. "Tomorrow, after the Gala, I'm gonna ask Marinette to go out with me."