Two days after Adrien and Marinette return to Paris, they make plans to meet up with Nino for dinner at a new noodle bar that's just opened, since he's returned from his DJ competition.

While they're sitting in a booth and waiting for him at the restaurant, they discover three things: a) Nino has won his competition, b) that Alya is back from Martinique earlier than planned, and c) she has discovered from an online gossip column that Adrien Agreste and Ladybug were spotted shooting a fashion editorial together in the French Alps before Marinette has had a chance to tell her anything.

Neither Adrien nor Marinette are surprised that their intrepid friend has learned about this fashion editorial, given that she's continued to track any news articles about Ladybug and Chat Noir even after learning that the superheroes are actually her friends (she says it's because she wants to make sure that the news outlets report the news accurately, but Marinette knows it's because she wants to make sure that nobody gets a scoop before she does, especially now that she has a direct line to Ladybug herself)

The main problem is this: when someone does get the scoop before Alya does, shit hits the fan.

Alya: I GO OVERSEAS WITHOUT ACCESS TO MY PHONE FOR ONE WEEK

Alya: ONE WEEK

Alya: AND /THIS/ HAPPENS

Alya: WHAT THE ACTUAL FUCK

Alya: I AM GOING TO KILL YOU

Alya: YOU CAN'T SURPRISE ME LIKE THIS

Alya: TELL ME EVERYTHING

Adrien looks over at Marinette as she snickers into her phone.

"What's up, bugaboo?"

"Alya found out about the shoot. And I think she's figured out that we're dating."

"Uh oh."

Marinette grins. "I have an idea that's going to make her even more mad. You in?"

"Do I have a choice?" replies Adrien, laughing.

"Not really," says Marinette, sticking her tongue out.

A few minutes later, Marinette shows Adrien the series of increasingly infuriated texts she's receiving from Alya, which are steadily increasing in their incoherence as Marinette continues to send her friend the selfies that they have just taken.

"I think Alya wants to murder me. Or possibly both of us. I'm not sure."

"Yikes. Does that mean we should both be in uniform when she comes over?"

"Nah. I can take her as a civilian. You though, I'm not so sure."

"Says the girl who only signed up for gym class to stare at my butt. Might I remind you who the national level fencer and basketball player is in this relationship?"

"Whatever, mon chaton. I can take you any day."

"I know you can," says Adrien, snaking an arm around her shoulder with a toothy grin. "So, what do you say we send Alya one with the two of us kissing?"

Marinette laughs as the waiter brings their food to the table, a bowl of pho for Adrien and a large plate of udon noodles for her. "If you want to risk death, sure."

"To die with the taste of your cherry chapstick on my lips? A sweet death indeed. I welcome it with open arms."

"You are so cheesy," says Marinette, groaning.

Adrien picks up a chopstick and pretends to stab it into his chest.

"Buginette, you wound me. You know I'm crazy pho you."

"Please stop."

"You're the only one pho me."

"That's because nobody else has my kind of patience."

"Udon know how much I'm into you. You make me soy happ—"

"Enough," says Marinette, pressing a finger to his lips before shutting him up with a kiss.

Unfortunately, the minute she pulls away, Adrien's eyes glitter with mischief and he leans over to pick up the teacup sitting by her plate and places it next to his.

"I think we make a cute cupple, don't you agree?"

Marinette's eyes narrow into little slits.

"Adrien Agreste, I swear to god—" she hisses, and only the arrival of a highly amused Nino at their table saves Adrien from being tossed headfirst into purrgatory.

Nino smiles happily at his friends, who seem much more comfortable together than the last time he saw them together, when both were blushing fools who could barely string together two sentences in front of each other.

"Well, it looks like the two of you finally worked things out!" he says with a broad grin. "I guess all it took was a trip out of town, huh?"

"Aha, yeah..." replies Adrien, looking at Marinette fondly. "I think both of us needed a change of scenery."

Marinette beams at him before turning to Nino. "So I hear that you won your competition! Congrats! Dinner's on me."

Adrien frowns. "Wait, I thought I was covering this one?"

"When did we agree to that?"

"Well, we didn't, but it's the gentlemanly thing to do…"

"Mon chaton, you know you don't have to pay for every meal we go to together, right?"

"But I like to treat you, ma princesse," says Adrien, mildly petulant.

Marinette sighs and looks at him with an exasperated, if fond, smile.

"I know, but you don't have to do it every time. You already paid for my coffee earlier."

Nino watches their quietly combative exchange in silence before coughing and waving his arms to capture their attention.

"You know, I can pay for my own dinner! Don't have a lover's quarrel because of me. Anyway, you should probably save your energy for Alya."

Marinette whips her head to stare at Nino, eyes wide.

"What do you mean?"

"What, Alya didn't tell you? She's joining us for dinner. I told her I was coming and five minutes ago she said she was going to come along too. She was talking about having a bone to pick with you or something. I'm not sure what it is, but she sounded pretty mad. You better get ready."

"Shit. Shit. Shiiiiit," mutters Marinette under her breath, while Nino bursts into laughter and Adrien looks at her with concern.

"Shit is right, Marinette Dupain-Cheng," rings out a voice filled with cold and righteous fury from behind. "I am going to kill you. And I'm going to kill you too, Catboy."

"What did I do?" asks Adrien innocently as Alya slides into the booth across from them, glaring at them with the intensity of ten thousand suns, her hair practically vibrating with incandescent rage.

She cracks her knuckles and leans across the table.

"What did you do? I'll tell you what you did, you sneaky little—" she begins, when Nino gently interrupts.

"Soooooo, does that mean the two of you are finally dating? Alya, you owe me thirty euros. Forty, actually, since there's visual proof."

Alya harrumphs and leans back in the booth, momentarily defeated.

Marinette narrows her eyes. "Excuse me, what is that supposed to mean?"

Nino laughs. "I bet her that the two of you would get together before the summer ended, and she said that it would be at least six months into lycée before you so much as held hands, let alone kissed. But it looks like I was right! You and my main man are finally boyfriend and girlfriend. It's about damn time."

"Seriously, watching the two of you interact has actually been painful," added Alya.

"Well…we're not boyfriend and girlfriend yet, exactly," says Adrien.

"Excuse me?" interjects Alya, hackles raised once more. "And what is that supposed to mean?"

Marinette waves her arms. "It's just a silly thing I said—I told him as a joke that we couldn't be official until he'd taken me on at least three dates."

Adrien stares at her, eyes wide. "Wait, you were joking about that?"

"I mean…yes, and also no? I don't know," stammers Marinette. "I guess I never really thought about it?"

Alya leans forward. "So, how many dates as he taken you on so far?"

"Two," say Marinette and Adrien in unison.

"Ooh la la," trills Alya. "Where were they?"

"Well, the first was at the wedding reception my parents were working at," starts Marinette.

"Ehhh, doesn't count," Alya cuts in. "You were both at the resort because of your parents."

"But we were dressed up and everything!" protests Adrien.

Alya shakes her head. "Nope. You've only gone on one date. So what was the other?"

"Stargazing under the stars by a lake," says Marinette, sighing as she remembers the events of the night. "It was really nice. And then I was too sleepy to walk back, so he carried me back to the resort."

"Sounds like you did good, my man," comments Nino.

"He did," says Marinette, smiling proudly.

"Thanks," replies Adrien with a bashful grin, raising an arm to rub the back of his neck.

"My question is this," says Alya. "Are you counting tonight as another date?"

Marinette considers. "Well, I don't know…we could call this a double-date, maybe? Since all four of us are here?"

Nino suddenly grins. "Well, if it is, Alya, then you can pay for my dinner tonight and then you'll only owe me twenty euros for our bet."

"Watch yourself, Nino," retorts Alya. "Keep that up and you'll see what happens."

"Ohhhh, is that a threat?" rebuts Nino, raising an eyebrow.

Marinette laughs. "Careful, Nino, Alya has claws."

"I thought my man was the one with claws! Adrien, bro, back me up here!"

"Sorry Nino, I only have claws when I want to fight," says Adrien. "And honestly, I don't think my claws would do much good against Hurricane Alya."

"So I'm going to be alone and defenseless? Man, that's not cool. I trusted you, dude!"

"Don't worry, Nino, I'll protect you," says Marinette, laughing. "I can save you from Big Bad Alya. I know all of her secrets."

Alya snorts. "Girl, do you really want to go there? I have so much more leverage on you. Do you really want Adrien to know about your fancy schedule?"

"What schedule?" asks Adrien, looking back and forth between the combative best friends. "Your class schedule?"

"Don't worry about it, mon minou," says Marinette, patting his shoulder, as Alya snickers and a waiter warily approaches the table, asking Nino and Alya if they know what they want to order.

As they wait for the food to arrive, the four friends swap stories about the events of the past two weeks, and after they finish their noodles, they lean against the back of their chairs and settle into a comfortable silence as they wait for dessert to arrive.

"This is so nice," comments Marinette. "I'm so glad we can hang out like this again. It's been way too long."

"It really has," says Alya.

Adrien's eyes light up with mirth, and he leans forward. "You know what?"

"Uh oh," mutters Nino, recognizing the look in his eyes.

"I think we're going to be friends phoever!" he crows, as Marinette smacks him on the back of the head with the dessert menu.

After they finish their strawberry and matcha flavored mochi (and Adrien tells the waiter "Thank you very mochi," and earns another smack), Nino looks over to the flashy karaoke display in the corner of the restaurant, where a small crowd has been gathered and performing all night.

"I think we should cap tonight off with some karaoke! Let's make this a night to remember."

"But Adrien—" starts Marinette, as Alya interjects.

"Can't sing. I know. This is my revenge on you, for not telling me that the two of you are finally dating and leaving it to a gossip column for me to find out. He has to sing and you have to listen."

"Hey!" shouts Adrien, while Nino pats his arm consolingly.

"Okay, but Alya, consider this: you're going to have to listen to him too. Are you really willing to suffer through that?"

Alya gulps. "Maybe this wasn't the best idea."

Adrien's eyes glitter as he gets up from the table and walks toward the flashing screen. This is going to be his night to shine.