*****SO, SO, SO, SO SORRY for the late update, my life has been super crazy. I'm going to try to get more regular updates for y'all!

Chapter 11

-Marinette-

The alarm went off just as Tiki had planned, and the kwami zoomed up from where she'd been resting to rouse her holder.

"Marinette, you need to wake up! The fashion show is at 11, but you need to be at the Agreste's to ride there with Mr Agreste at 10! And it's 9:15 right now!" Tiki's words worked and the stressed girl flopped out of bed onto the floor.

"Ah! I'm awake!" She scurried to her feet and ran to her dresser, flinging through clothes to decide what to wear.

"I know this first part is casual, but I don't want to screw his whole thing up by picking the wrong outfit!" Marinette worried, but Tiki just sighed.

"Marinette, we already talked about this. Just dress like you normally do- use your classic style!" The young designer thought for a moment.

"I guess you're right, Tiki. I'll use my classic style, but I'm going to jazz it up just a bit!"

By 9:45, Marinette was dressed and ready, in her classic light pink shirt, but a pair of dark grey dress pants replaced her typical pink ones. She'd kept her classic jacket, but taken it just a short step further with her necklace with the charm from Tiki. She'd started to put her hair into pigtails again, but decided she wanted to do one thing a little more originally. Marinette instead styled it in a classy messy bun. She hurried down the stairs with her clutch with Tiki, her phone and the official invitation from Gabriel Agreste inside it. She grabbed a pastry for an on-the-go breakfast before beginning her short journey to the Agreste mansion.

Before she knew it, Marinette was standing in front of the Agrestes. Mr Agreste was emerging from his house for the first time in a while, escorted by the Gorilla and Nathalie. Adrien was nowhere to be seen, but Marinette didn't really want to see him right now.

"Ready to go, Miss Dupain-Cheng?" Mr Agreste asked with the smallest trace of a smile.

"Yes, I am ready," Marinette said with as much confidence as she could muster. The Gorilla grunted and opened the door to the car, and Mr Agreste gestured for Marinette to enter with Natalie first, before he slipped in after them. The drive was brief, but Mr Agreste did not waste much time.

"I have a special seat saved for you in the front row to watch the show, but at the end, you will walk out with me as they announce us as the designers. Nathalie will make sure you're ready a bit beforehand."

"Thank you, Mr. Agreste." Marinette tried to remain composed as they pulled out in front of the venue, knowing that this appearance meant a lot.

-Adrien-

He stood in the dressing room in front of the mirror, looking over the new outfit from his father's line. It was a light blue shirt with slim fitting white pants made from find fabrics. It was a similar outfit to what he'd worn in the perfume commercial. Marinette has designed a white fedora as a top accessory, and the look was finished with a sleek white suit coat. Plagg floated around him as he fixed the outfit, the little kwami admiring the fabric.

"Well made clothing, I'll admit your dad is very talented." He rasped, but Adrien just wanted to groan. He wanted this whole thing to be over. There was a knock at his door and he was called out to the catwalk for the start.

Next thing he knew, he was beginning his strut down the catwalk, and as his eyes scanned the crowd before posing for the cameras, he found Marinette in the front row, just behind the cameras, and he found himself gazing at her big blue eyes as they watched his movements. Her face was expressionless, but her eyes were alive with curiosity and excitement. He couldn't help but repeat history- he winked at her, and her cheeks pinked. He smirked just a little extra and the cameras ate it up, until it was time for him to strut back into the changing room. Adrien quickly pulled on a suit that was his father's Ladybug-and-Chat-Noir-inspired outfit for the show, the last one displayed that would be the 'finale'. He watched from the side as the other models took their turns, portraying different looks, many of them with Marinette's additional accessories that Adrien's father was including in the new line. Adrien had no doubt that his father was going to hire her soon- his father wasn't one to waste potential. Except maybe his own.

Finally, Adrien's moment came. The organizer ushered him to just behind the curtain as the announcer introduced his outfit.

"And now, Gabriel Agreste's final piece, a Miraculous inspired outfit dedicated to Ladybug and Chat Noir and modeled by his son, Adrien Agreste!" Adrien took a short breath before stepping out into the open and allowing the public to muse his father's final piece: Dark black pants with shimmering green stripes like slashes on the sides beneath a red and black dotted vest beneath a black suit coat. Finishing the look was a white mask Marinette had made decorated with black and green meeting red and black pattern. He heard the typical oohs and ahhs, but when he looked forward to Marinette, she made no reaction except for a short and definite nod of pride.

When Adrien turned back to the curtain, taking a final pose, as the designers were announced. He stepped back to retreat, but he felt a hand at his back and when he turned, he felt his mouth drop open.

"Father." he rasped. The elusive designer's face was blank, but Adrien saw a smile tug at his mouth just the slightest. But what surprised him more was standing beside him was Marinette. She'd seemingly appeared next to his father. Of course she would be there, she'd designed a lot of the accessories that had been modeled.

"Come," his father said, and Adrien followed as the two designers walked back onto the catwalk with him, each of them taking a bow. The cameras flashed, and the reporters made their statements, but all Adrien focused on were the words the his father whispered so lightly that only he and Marinette could hear.

"I am so proud of both of you."