Marinette opened her front door to the smell of cooking, and her mouth was already watering.

'Welcome home!' Adrien said, leaning back from the stove to smile at her. He'd found one of her aprons, and was stirring a medium sized pot that now wafted steam gently, creating the perfect image that Marinette wanted to come home to for the rest of her life.

For that moment, she was momentarily breathless. She set her bag down with a slightly shaking hand.

'Hello Adrien!' Tikki flew over Marinette's shoulder, purposefully oblivious. 'Did you have a nice day?'

'I did! I went and saw Nino, he got back today from his gig.' He laughed, and shook his head. 'I can't believe so much has happened since he left.'

'You're right about that. What are you cooking?' Tikki grinned.

'It's supposed to be soup, but it kind of turned a bit more stew-like. I'm calling it garbure, and hoping for the best.'

'Well it smells delicious, right Mari-everything alright?'

Adrien returned his attention to the girl still standing in the doorway, who had turned the deepest red, her hands to her mouth. She did not, however, immediately respond to Tikki's question.

'Marinette?' He asked, approaching her.

'Yes? What? I'm Marinette!'

'I know you're Marinette, otherwise I'd have asked how you got into the apartment,' Adrien grinned, moving over to her and brushing a loose strand of her hair behind her ear. 'I'd hope she doesn't let just anyone in here.'

Somehow, she flushed darker. 'N-nope! Only Marinettes here! Hahaha,' her laugh sounded almost a little strangled. 'A-and Adriens!'

'Jeez, cool it Romeo,' Plagg said from his shoulder. 'She'll have an aneurysm if you keep it up.'

Adrien waved him off, but took a step back. 'Sorry,' he noticed, 'personal space.' He took the cue of her relaxing slightly to the space and returned to his pot, taking up the spoon again. 'This should be ready soon, do you want to eat now?' He asked gently.

'I-I, um, bathroom,'

'We might just go and freshen up first,' Tikki suggested. 'Do you need to know where anything is? You seem to have navigated the kitchen pretty well for your first time though,'

'Nah, we got this, sugarcube.' Plagg grinned. 'If Marinette had had anything to hide in this kitchen then we would have found it by now, no sense in shame at this point.'

Marinette managed a nod, before diving into the bathroom, shutting the door behind her.

Tikki landed on her vanity mirror with a grin.

'Well then, I guess you're lucky he didn't find your "kiss the cook" apron that Alya gave you for Christmas last year,' she teased.

Marinette ran the sink, and splashed some cool water on her face. 'You're damn right. I think I might literally have had a heart attack. Did you see him out there? With your eyes?'

'Yes, Marinette, that's why I spoke to him,' Tikki replied lightly.

Marinette splashed another wave on her face with determination. 'The hottest, most amazing, most wonderful guy in Paris is currently in my kitchen in a handmade apron that's too small, cooking me dinner after I come home from work looking sweaty and gross and he still manages to smile at me and say so easily "welcome home!" like he's my goddamn house-husband that I want to immediately get married to and have all of his babies right then and there? How am I supposed to cope with that?'

'Well, I wouldn't recommend you having -all- of his babies at once, for starters.' Tikki grinned.

'Tikki!' Marinette whined. 'How am I supposed to be rational in the face of all of, that?' She gestured with drippy hands to the closed door.

Tikki laughed for a moment at Marinette's face. 'Isn't there that nice church just down the road? I'm sure your parents would be thrilled to be the witnesses.'

'Come on, Tikki,' Marinette managed, rolling her eyes. With a hint of regained composure, she looked into the mirror behind Tikki and straightened her shirt. 'You're terrible, you know that right?'

'I only want what's best for you,' Tikki returned with a smile.

'So you're saying you want me dead?' Marinette managed a grin back, however.

There was a tentative knock on her door, nearly providing that very demise.

'Marinette? Is everything alright?' Came Adrien's voice, to which Marinette gestured pointedly.

Tikki shrugged back wordlessly, a smug grin on her tiny face.

'Uh, yeah, everything's fine! Just talking to Tikki,' Marinette returned, not taking her eyes off the kwami with a frozen face.

'Ok, sure. I-oh, hi there,' Adrien looked down in surprise as the door was suddenly flung open, and Marinette nearly stomped past. 'Are you sure you're ok?'

For a brief moment she rummaged around in her bag, before presenting something small and silver to him at arms length. 'I nearly forgot, I had your key made today. Here,' she said as she dropped it into his open palm. 'I hope you always feel welcome.'

'Marinette, you look like a stormcloud. Are you sure you're ok?' He looked between the key in his hand and her face with concern.

'Breathe, Marinette,' Tikki said from his shoulder. 'Big breaths.'

Marinette took a long breath in, and let it out equally as slowly, her shoulders relaxing ever so slowly.

Adrien hastily stowed the key in his pocket, before taking off the apron and draping it over the nearby chair. 'Here, it's okay,' he said, lowering his stance, trying to look calming. 'Do you need to sit down?'

'No,' she said, after another long breath. 'I'll be fine. I just, what did you make?' She questioned, clearly changing subjects.

He glanced over at the pot behind him. 'Oh, garbure, I think. I haven't done a whole lot of cooking before, but I followed the recipe really carefully so it should be okay. I don't think it's right but I don't think it's bad either, so,' He looked back at her. 'Is that okay?'

She was visibly looking calmer now. 'That's perfectly okay. I just, sorry about this.'

He smiled at her, and her heart lurched once again. 'Don't apologise, it's ok. Considering how many of my freakouts you've dealt with this weekend, I think you're owed a few.'

'Heh, that's true,' she smiled slightly.

He turned to grab the bowls he had left on the counter, and started ladelling soup. 'How hungry are you?'

Marinette was surprised to find herself starving, when she couldn't have thought of her stomach a moment ago. 'Seriously hungry. Can I help with anything?'

'No way,' he grinned over his shoulder. 'I gotta earn my keep somehow.'

Shrugging, she seated herself at the table, where two places were already set. She turned the spoon over in her hands.

'Do you want to talk about it?' Adrien asked, his eyes on the soup.

'A-about what?' Marinette replied, nearly dropping the spoon.

If he'd've been Chat, his tail would be swishing, she could see it already. 'I think I've just seen about six emotions in the last ten minutes,' he smiled gently. 'I mean, I don't mean to pry, but,'

Marinette caught the look on Tikki's face, and took another huge, calming breath.

'I'm sorry, maybe it's just kind of hitting me of how crazy this all is.' She turned her eyes to the ceiling. 'Don't get me wrong, I love y-having you here, but what a crazy weekend.'

Adrien missed the slip, but by the sly glances, neither kwami did.

Adrien turned and smiled at her. 'I love being here, too. For the first time in a complete forever I've had a day where I don't have to worry about scheduling, or meeting expectations. It's a complete weight off of my shoulders.' He approached her with the two steaming bowls, and set one down in front of her. 'And I have you to thank for that.'

She could feel the heat rising across her face. 'I-I'm sure anyone would have done the same,'

'But you've gone above and beyond.' His eyes fell to his key he had set on the table earlier, and the softest smile spread across his face. 'Truly, above and beyond.'

Marinette hastily shoveled a spoonful of garbure into her mouth before she could expire, and burned every single tastebud she had.