Well, that had certainly been…something… Mari thought to herself as she paced the room. She hadn't been able to stop thinking about him since breakfast. It had been clear he was still adjusting to the group, coming off somewhat stiff and rigid in the way he talked and his actions but Mari could still feel the kindness that leaked out as the edges of his personality began to show.

"Oh Tikki! He's just so interesting! And he must be smart too! He already speaks Chinese so fluently and now he's thinking about studying another language at Uni."

"Can you believe he's a model! I can't believe I didn't recognise him straight away. I try to follow all of the biggest names in fashion, but I guess I have always been more focused on the actual designs then the people wearing them. But wow! Could you imagine, being the son of a famous fashion designer?"

Mari held her hands to her chest as she did just that, paused in her pacing as she looked up at Tikki gushing, as if she hadn't been there for the whole interaction. Hidden safely away in the confinement of Mari's small shoulder bag, quietly listening to the conversation and waiting eagerly for Mari to slip her the occasional maple covered blueberry.

"He certainly seemed...captivating" Tikki finished choosing her words carefully. She hadn't failed to notice the way Mari had reacted to the newcomer. With the Kwami's ability to sense certain things about their holders Tikki had been privy to the sudden speeding of Mari's heart.

Taking no notice of the double meaning behind her Kwamis words, Mari walked over and flopped herself onto the daybed situated in the corner of her room. A soft smile lingering on her face.

As she laid there thinking back to her morning at the cafe her phone began to vibrate from its place on her desk. Mari wondered who would be messaging her, having only left Ayla a few hours ago she doubted it would be her. She had mentioned putting her coffee and bacon high to good use by finishing her latest assessment. Something about bias in media reporting Mari recalled wandering over to her phone.

It was Luka, letting her know he had a last minute gig at a local joint their group regularly populated. With their offering of cocktails, antipasto style platters and of course their speciality, chocolate fondue it was easily a favourite spot for the younger generations of Paris.

He had messaged in hopes she would come along. Talented as he was, Luka was still shy about performing. Having only started playing for local cafes and the like in the last few months.

Mari replied letting him know of course she would be there, ever happy to help out such a good friend. As she sat and pondered the idea though, she realised with Luka playing, it meant she would be sitting there alone in a most likely very busy bar.

The idea made her shudder, not the makings of a good night. Phone in hand Mari plodded back to the daybed Stretching herself out on it before sending a quick text to Ayla.

Mari- Luka's playing at The Square, I told him I would go and watch, wanna come keep me company?

Ayla- Mmm what time? Should be fine. I'm dragging Nino along too though :)

Mari- He starts at 4 so I'm going to get their a bit earlier to see if he needs any help setting up

Ayla- okies I'll see you around 4! 3

Mari- 3

Mari sat her phone down beside her and rolled over to look out towards the open window next to her. The Autumn sun still shone with warmth but the cool breeze that drifted in kept the temperature pleasant. Mari's thoughts drifted back to Adrien as she wondered where he was and what he might be doing, before long the warmth of the sun on her skin had drifted Mari off into a dreamless sleep.

…..

Once home Adrien headed straight for the shower, despite what Marinette had said he was sure he smelt.

As the hot water rained down over his head Adrien shut his eyes, thinking back to his morning and his almost impossibly good luck.

His father had agreed to let him take a short hiatus from what had been a full time modeling career since finishing high school the year before. For once Adrien and his father had been in agreement that it wasn't something he could do forever and he would need a career to fall back on eventually.

So they had come to a decision, Adrien had been given 12 months to do what he pleased, to a degree. In that time he had to pick a University degree to pursue and was still expected to do the occasional shoot but only for his father's fashion lines Which left him more than enough time for a social life of his own.

Adrien had expected it to take a while before he developed a social circle of his own but his luck continued with his chance meeting of Nino earlier that day. Nino, who had been so accepting of him and his awkward shyness, had quickly struck up a conversation with him which led to the invite for breakfast.

Following breakfast they had exchanged numbers and had been texting each other ever since. Thinking about breakfast brought him back to thoughts of Marinette, Marinette and those sparkling eyes.

"I've never seen anything like it, Plagg. Her eyes, it was like they called to me. Pulling me towards her." He paused and lent his head against the stonewall of the shower.

"But it was more than that, when I looked at her I felt… right. Calm and warm." Adrien reached for the taps turning them off before stepping out of the shower.

Wrapping a towel around his waist he left the bathroom. Kwami floating lazily behind him.

"I really hope I see her again! She just seemed so sweet and sincere."

"Well." The kwami drawled as he flitted lazily over to Adrien's phone, tapping it with his little black paw.

"Why don't you ask that guy from this morning,I'm sure he has her number."

"Yeah, I don't want to push my luck though, plus what if she doesn't want me to have her number. I don't want to put Nino in that kind of situation." Just as Adrien finished the sentence, his phone that the Kwami had taken a seat on vibrated, lighting up the screen to show a text message from none other than Nino.

Nino- hey dude!

Nino- one of our friends Luka is playing a gig tonight at The Square

Nino -wanna come?

Adrien laughed out loud at Nino and his habit for double texting that Adrien had quickly picked up on.

Adrien- Ah yeah sure, what time?

Nino- Mari said he started at 4 so around then

He paused his texting conversation with Nino, Mari said he started at 4, did that mean she would be there? Too anxious to ask, Adrien instead replied.

Adrien- cool, umm

Adrien- what do I wear? I've actually never been

Nino- WHAT? Man you need to get out more!!

Nino- whatever you want I guess

Nino- it's pretty cas

Nino- I'm just wearing jeans I suppose

Nino- hadn't actually even thought about it

Nino-... but then again I'm no model

Nino- … and my dad isn't one of the biggest fashion names in Paris

Nino- so no one cares what I wear

Nino- but yeah! Causal

Adrien-okay casual I can do that

Excitement began to well in his chest, his social life was on fire!

"Ask and you shall receive I guess." Plagg quipped with a smirk.

…..

Mari woke with a start.

"Shit, shit, shit! Tikki! What time is it? I'm supposed to meet Luka!" Mari jumped up from the daybed and shuffled around looking for her phone to check the time.

With a strained huff Tikki dragged Mari's phone from under the pillow.

"Umm 2:30, plenty of time if you start getting ready now."

Mari sat back on the bed and rubbed the sleep from her eyes, still groggy from her unexpected nap, before she reached over and took the phone from her kwami, quickly checking it for messages. Once satisfied she hadn't missed anything important Mari moved from the bed to begin shuffling through her clothes for something to wear.

During her sleep the warmth of the sun had been sapped away by dark clouds. Rolling sounds of thunder in the distance warning of potential downpour. Mari pouted at the thought, before settling on a pair of black tights and an oversized grey knit sweater with a boat neckline. Her choice of clothes, casual but stylish while also having the added bonus of being incredibly comfortable and warm.

She then ran her hands through her dark hair, gathering it up into a messy bun, her favourite time saving style since starting uni. It required little effort which suited her perfectly as she more often than not had precious little time in the morning. Preferring to sleep than bother with such things as complicated hairstyles. Thank god the low effort messy style was in at the moment.

Finally Mari yanked a pair of brown ankle high boots from her cupboard floor before climbing downstairs, her little pink shoulder bag in hand Tikki cradled safely inside. Her favourite pink silk ribbon held between her teeth waiting to be tied around her bun.

Mari bid a quick goodbye to her parents, who were situated at the kitchen bench sipping tea and laughing with each other as they gazed over the puzzle they were attempting. Their quiet happiness proof that genuine love could last a lifetime.

Once outside Mari was grateful for her choice of wardrobe, the Autumn breeze had now picked up in earnest, whipping up any loose leaves and litter that speckled the ground and sending it in a flurry along the street. Not wanting to be out any longer then needed she began a brisk walk down the street towards The Square tying the pink ribbon around her bun as she went.

….

Her brisk pace helped to keep her warm but Mari was more than happy to be out of the wind once she arrived at The Square. She pushed open the heavy, old wooden door, noticing they had painted since she had visited last. Red paint was no longer chipping in places, instead it shone with a still wet look that seemed to make the original and worn brass handles glisten in the late afternoon sun.

Once inside she spotted Luka instantly, his shaggy dark hair with teal tips noticeable anywhere.

"Luka!" Mari called out to get his attention, her hand held high in the air so he would notice her between the sea of people.

"Oh Mari. You made it!" Luka beamed at her, thin pale lips pulled into a wide smile, dazzling Mari with his perfect white teeth. Luka glanced at his watch before looking back at Mari.

"You're even early! I don't start playing till 4." He continued as he pulled Mari in for a tight warm hug, the kind only Luka could give.

"Ahh yeah, I thought I would try to get here early so I could help you set up. So what can I do to help?" Mari spoke into Luka's chest, still enveloped in his embrace. Their height difference meaning she only came up to his collarbone. Not that Mari was exceptionally short, it was just that Luka was tall. Not quite as tall as Adrien though.

Mari froze, where had that thought come from she wondered to herself slightly worried. Sure he was handsome there was no doubt about that. He was a model for crying out loud! Of Course he was handsome. But Mari wasn't the kind of girl that spent her days constantly thinking about boys and so the uncharacteristic thought startled her.

Before Mari could think about the reason her thoughts apparently kept wandering back to Adrien, Luka had released her from his arms and was speaking again.

"Ahh I'm almost done, I just need to grab a stool from the back room and finish plugging in the mic and speakers. You can help with that if you want?" Luka had raised his hand, usual black nail plolish chipped in places and ran it through his hair.

Though his voice was its usual soft and quiet self Mari knew Luka was stressed, he only played with his hair when he was stressed or nervous. Quickly she darted out her delicate hand and grabbed his larger one lifting it up to her chest and giving it a tight squeeze of reassurance, paired with a warm smile. Then set off on her mission to find a stool for Luka to use.

Together they worked quietly, until Luka was set up and ready to go. Giving everything a final once over he turned to Mari and gestured towards the bar. "Well I'm good to go, just gotta wait till the manager gives the all clear. Wanna grab a drink while we wait? Then we can snag you a decent table. I'm Assuming Nino and Ayla will be coming?"

Mari nodded her approval as the pair began to wander towards the bar.

"Of course they're coming, have you ever seen Nino turn down good food?" Mari giggled at the thought while they waited their turn to be served.

It was only early but still the little bar was swarming with life. People milling around the bar with drinks in hand, while others sat at tables laughing together and enjoying the various array of foods The Square had to offer.

More still hung outside on the old wooden deck, drinks in one hand, cigarettes in the other, all while chatting together. The odd person or two gesturing in exaggerated movements to emphasize whatever points they were conveying to their peers. Clearly some people had had more to drink then others, but everyone seemed in good spirits despite the sudden turn of the weather.

Once they had received their drinks the two made their way through the crowded bar, looking for an unoccupied table to claim for themselves.

"So how's the new job going? Are you still loving it?" Luka asked as he slipped into an open booth they had managed to snag, the other occupants having just left.

Mari's smile dropped as she chewed on her bottom lip and thought to herself before answering.

"Ahh, yeah it's really good. Very different to working in my parents bakery. Well obviously, I mean I'm selling phones and stuff to people, not croissants. But like I mean, I like working with people and most of our customers are really nice so it's fun." The whole time she spoke Mari never looked up from her drink, swirling it absentmindedly with her straw.

"Woow! What did we interpret? Are you guys having the talk or something? Mari you're wearing your serious face." Nino's voice startled Mari, she hadn't seen him approach as her gaze had been firmly fixed on her drink.

As her eyes ficked up to catch Ninos she snorted in complete surprise. Standing beside him was Ayla and on his other side Adrien. The person she couldn't seem to stop her thoughts from wandering too. Mari tried to cover her undignified snort with a cough but failed, if the look Ayla shot her was any indication.

"What? No!" I'm… we're… we were just talking! Talking about work I mean." Mari stuttered out, gesturing wildly back and forth between herself and Luka as she felt a blush warming her cheeks.

"Ugh not still with that guy you work with right?" Ayla groaned as she slipped into the opposite side of the booth from Mari, with Nino quick to follow suit, slipping an arm around Ayla as he did so.

It was at that moment someone stepped up to the microphone Luka had previously set up and began to address the crowded bar. "Well that's my que! Wish me luck!" Luka waved to the group, before placing a quick kiss on the top of Mari's head, walking off towards the person speaking into the mic.

Mari felt herself blush further from the affection Luka had shown her, purely platonic affection that was. Before noticing that Adrien was still standing awkwardly beside the booth and that the only empty seat was beside her.

"Hi Adrien, I didn't know you were coming too" Mari looked up at him as she spoke. Yup, he was definitely taller than Luka! she thought, not even noticing that she was staring now.

"Oh, umm…I mean, I can leave if you want? I didn't mean to intrude or anything." Adrien answered in a small voice. Looking very unsure of himself as he slipped his hands into the pockets of his jeans. Black frayed jeans that he wore really, really well Mari noticed as she took a sharp breath in through her nose.

"What no! I didn't mean it like that! I'm sorry! Please have a seat." Mari continued to ramble, half to herself and half to Adrien whilst gesturing to the open spot beside her.

"I mean, I'm actually really glad you're here! I'm really happy to see you, I didn't know if I would see you again.So it's really nice to see you!"

Oh god, Mari paled in shock, did she really just say all of that? Out Loud, To Adrien? What was wrong with her?

Mari looked down at her drink again before taking the straw between her lips and taking a long, long sip. Anything to distract herself and take her eyes off of Adrien.

When she did finally look back over towards him she noticed he was now seated beside her, and giving her a shy smile. "Oh? Well I'm glad, I'm really happy you're here too, I was hoping you would be." Adrien kept his eyes trained on Mari's, his smile lopsided but more confident now. Which only seemed to make things worse for her.

Panicking Mari stood up abruptly,

"Well, I need a drink! I'll be back!" Her words came out high pitched and too loud startling everyone at the table. Mari didn't care, she slid past Adrien out of the booth, leaving everyone speechless and staring at her still, very full drink that sat atop the table.

"Umm, yup! So, I'll go get us all a pitcher of something to share." Ayla announced to the shocked silence before climbing out of the booth and following her very frazzled best friend. A Worried look clearly etched on her face.

Ayla placed a hand on Marinette's shoulder as both girls waited by the bar. "Hey, umm so want to tell me what all of that was about?" Ayla asked, tone soft, looking at Mari with kindness written in her eyes but a small frown on her face.

Marinette turned, giving her full attention to her friend.

"Honestly? I'm not actually sure. It's so weird, I haven't stopped thinking about him since breakfast. Then he turns up here… with you guys." Mari stopped briefly and shot Ayla an accusing look before continuing.

"And I guess I just panicked. But then, did you hear what he said? What did he mean he's happy I'm here too?" Mari looked at Ayla, trepidation in her eyes as she grabbed her upper arms in a panic.

"Ahh, well I guess it means he's happy to see you? And so what if you haven't stopped thinking about him? He's hot! Shoot your shot girl!" Ayla winked at Mari with a wicked grin plastered on her face.

"Ayla!" Marinette shrieked horrified. "I can't do that! Plus he's a model, I'm sure he's harassed by girls constantly. I don't want to make him feel uncomfortable, especially if he's going to become a permanent part of our group. That would just make things… so awkward."

Mari had released her grip on Ayla letting her hands fall limply back to her side. Her eyes downcast and dark while she chewed on her lower lip in thought.

"Ahh, yeah. Because things aren't already awkward. But anyway try not to think about it, let's just get something to drink and listen to some awesome music yeah? And you can worry about everything else tomorrow"

With a reassuring pat on the shoulder Ayla ended the conversation, grabbing the attention of the girl behind the bar and ordering a pitcher for the table.

Once they were settled back in the booth Ayla got to work, filling everyone's glasses with The Squares house special Mimosa as she spoke trying to regain a sense of normalcy.

"So, modeling huh? What's that like?" Ayla asked looking briefly up at Adrian as she passed him a glass.

"Umm, busy, is I guess the easiest way to describe it. There's a lot more to it than just the photo shoots and fashion shows. It can actually be pretty exhausting, and stressful at times." Adrian ran a hand backwards through his messy golden hair.

"I mean, I was homeschooled all through high school, mainly because of the hours it required. Also because my father doesn't believe in public schooling, but I think that's just because he's a bit of a control freak." Adrian added with a soft laugh before continuing.

"So it didn't leave me with much in the way of a social life. Most of the people I modeled with being five or so years older than me at the time. So I'm really excited for this break! To get out and do my own thing for a while, find something to do with my life that's just… mine, you know?"

Mari sat forward in her chair, elbow propped on the table, chin resting in her hand,listening intently as Adrian talked. Trying to imagine what his life had been like prior to their meeting, what an insane amount of pressure to be put on a teenager.

Not that her teen years hadn't been plagued with their own ridiculous ordeals and stresses, but she had always had her civilian life to escape to. Being Ladybug was taxing but at least she could escape the public's eye as Marinette, Just a normal girl with a normal life.

"But you still had friends your age right? You still got to be a kid?" Nino asked between mouthfuls of his drink.

"Your parents didn't expect you to go though being a teenager alone did they?" Nino looked at Adrien questioning, his dark brows furrowed together.

"When my mum was around yeah. I had plenty of friends and did all the kid stuff. But once she left not so much. I had my best friend Chloe and we are still really good friends but that was about it. Dad didn't have much time for that sort of thing." Adrian paused taking a deep drink from his glass before continuing.

"And not that he would admit it but I don't think he was coping very well after mum. But anyway what about you guys? Did you all go to school together?" Adrian took another drink, looking around the table and couldn't help the envious pang that shot through him at how comfortable they all seemed together.

"Yup! I met Mari and Nino my first year at high school and we've been friends ever since." Ayla smiled sweetly as she looked around at her closest friends and planted a kiss on the side of Ninos face. "Nino and Mari have been friends since like third grade though."

……