Author's Notes: Adrien is a college student with a major sweet tooth. Between study sessions with his best friend Nino he visits a bakery for some treats to help them get through the night. He always seems to go during Marinette's shift, but it's just a coincidence...

Adrien leaned back with a groan, head thunking gently against the base of his couch. Nino was sprawled atop it, pencil in one hand and energy drink in the other.

"Remind me again why I'm double-majoring?"

"Probably the same reason you still do everything your father wants you to even though you're twenty-one. No good reason."

"I didn't ask for a lecture, Nino." Realization crossed his face. "Shit. My calculus notes are in my textbook and I lent it to Kim."

Nino snorted. "Of course you did. Do you need them tonight?"

"I have a test on Thursday that I need to study for, so yes." Adrien sat up, reaching for his phone.

"It's Monday, Adrien. You can study for calc tomorrow."

Heaving a sigh, he relented, checking the time. "Fine. We've still got at least a couple hours of homework left. I'm going to stop by the bakery and grab something." He quickly jumped up, grabbing a jacket from the rack by the front door of his apartment. "You want your usual?"

"Yeah." Nino tapped the eraser of his pencil against his lips, staring at the page in front of him. "Better hurry up. You're the only one here who knows how to do the physics assignment."

Adrien hadn't even registered the comment as he walked out the door, snagging his keys on the way out.

…

The bell hanging from the front door of the bakery chimed as Adrien pushed out open, a sharp contrast to the silence of the night.

"Hey, stranger." A familiar voice drew his eyes to the counter, slender arms crossed as they leaned on it. "Long night?"

He couldn't keep the smile from his face as he saw a cheerful smirk tugging at her lips. "Test tomorrow. We need some study fuel."

"A test, huh?" She hummed, nose scrunching in thought. "A dozen mocha macarons, half a dozen pain au chocolats, and half a dozen chocolate éclairs. Did I get that right?"

Adrien let out a low whistle. "Impressive."

She shrugged. "Hey, I work night shift. I have to keep myself busy somehow. What's the test on?" She grabbed a couple boxes and busied herself taking pastries out of display cases and packaging them.

"We're analyzing classic literature. The test tomorrow is over Candide, which my friend has barely touched."

"Gen-ed classes are rough." Her fingers ran over the keyboard with practiced speed, totaling the price of Adrien's purchase.

He chuckled. "Tell me about it. I'm a business and education major, so absolutely nothing to do with famous works of literature."

She nodded in agreement. "Fashion design. One of the most useless classes I took was something about story composition."

"Fashion? I wouldn't have guessed."

"Yep. Doesn't bring in a whole lot of money, though."

"Difficult industry."

Something gleamed in her eyes as she turned the payment screen to face him. "Unfortunately, working in a bakery has me rolling in a different kind of dough."

A grin split his face as he produced a credit card from his wallet. "Was that a pun?"

"Just mixing things up a little." She put the boxes into a plastic bag and slid them across the counter. "Good luck on that test, by the way."

"If you're not around the next time I come, I'll assume you've gotten your big break in the fashion industry."

She rolled her eyes goodnaturedly. "Oh, wait! Do you want a free sample? We have some strawberry banana mini muffins I'm supposed to give away."

"You know I'd never turn down free food." Adrien took one off the tray and started toward the exit again, stopping at the sound of her voice.

"Take one for your friend, too."

He raised an eyebrow. "Are you sure?"

"Please? If they're sitting here in front of me for too much longer, I'll eat all of them."

Suppressing a laugh, he accepted another. "Well, if you insist. Good night."

"Good night." He let the door close after him and glanced back through the window as he headed to his car, but she had already busied herself arranging displays with a small smile on her face. She was majoring in fashion design, had a gift for bakery related puns, and never forgot an order. He didn't know her name, but it was a start.