A/N: Hey, guys! Here's a new fic, I hope you enjoy. Also, I have no clue on how a designing company works or anything, and I really don't want to waste time researching it. Feel free to correct me, it would be great help. I'll try to update once a week, but no promises. Thanks for reading and please leave a review! :)

Marinette Dupain-Cheng was known for her many talents. She was an extraordinary designer, superb baker, quick thinker, kind and thoughtful friend, and—although this skill was not recognized—she saved Paris at least twice a week. However, she did have a noticeable flaw: time management. Given this, Adrien was not surprised in the least when she ran through the doors of the new apartment she shared with Alya, out of breath and a bright flush fresh on her cheeks. Her white blouse was wrinkled and untucked from her black pencil skirt. Adrien wondered how she had run from work to here in those clothes, even though it was only a block away. At least she was wearing ballet flats and not heels.

"Sorry," she apologized between pants, her body bent over with her hands clutching her knees. "We had… an emergency... at… work."

Adrien frowned to himself, watching as she brushed some hairs that had escaped her bun behind her ears. She dropped herself onto the couch next to a frowning Alya. The usually fierce and sassy redhead had the look of a concerned mother as she looked down at her friend, who was still panting as she shifted into a more comfortable position, wrapping her arms around the nearest pillow. Alya pressed play on the movie they had planned on watching, before pausing it before the opening credits even had a chance to roll.

"Boys, come with me," she demanded, walking into the kitchen before either of them could protest. Adrien looked over to Marinette, wondering if she would be hurt by Alya's exclusion of her. The girl in question was fast asleep on the couch, and he looked with concern at the bags under her eyes and frail frame. Marinette was always petite, but this was an unhealthy level of thin. Adrien's brow crinkled in concern before he followed Nino into the kitchen.

"Alya, I'm worried about Marinette," Adrien admitted as he joined her at the table. Alya sighed, shaking her head.

"I am too, the girl's working her butt off. This was the earliest she's come home over the past two weeks. Seven o'clock! She's been working eleven-hour days and she just started two months ago. She's always stressing about something at home. Just yesterday she spent thirty minutes deciding which shower curtain would go better with her bathroom theme. Plus the side designs for Kitty section and Jagged Stone are taking up the free time she does have. And she won't say no to whenever Kagami and Luka need a babysitter."

Adrien's frown deepened, trying to think of the last time he had seen Marinette relaxed. When her cheeks weren't flushed from running around they were pale, and he thought again of how much thinner she had looked. She always had bags under her eyes, despite the extra makeup she uses in a vain attempt to mask them. His poor friend was going to exhaust herself to death.

"How can I—uh, we help her?" Adrien asked, determination etched into his features.

"I don't know," Alya sighed. "I'd tell her to hire a personal assistant but she can't afford that, obviously. Heaven knows I'd do it myself if it wasn't so hectic at the newsroom."

"I can help our little dudette with some babysitting, but with the end of term comes finals so I don't know how much help I can be," Nino said, adjusting his baseball cap.

"I have to shadow my father for the next few weeks," Adrien defeatedly added. They all moped at the table, their shared concern for their friend diminishing any enthusiasm.

"Wait," Adrien suddenly stood up, a grin stretching across his face.

"What?" Alya asked, also standing. She followed Adrien back to the living room, confused as he hastily throws on his jacket and runs out without explanation. As he runs through the streets of Paris, Plagg pokes his head out of his jacket.

"What the cheese are you doing?" he asked, annoyed that his nap had been interrupted by Adrien ripping the jacket off the coat hook.

"I have the perfect plan to help Marinette," Adrien explained, still running through the streets.

"You woke me up just so you can help your girlfriend? You interrupted my pawesome dream."

"Let me guess, it was about cheese," Adrien said, slowing down to catch his breath, before ducking into an alley.

"Not just any cheese—"

"Camembert, yes I know," Adrien said with a hint of annoyance.

"Oh, camembert, the only perfect thing on this earth. Hey, why are we in an—?"

Plagg's question was cut off as his holder called for his transformation, vaulting from rooftop to rooftop the rest of the way to the Agreste mansion.

MLB

"Adrien, I have told you it is required of you to shadow me. It is crucial if you are to be prepared for taking over the company," Gabriel told him in his usual emotionless tone.

"But father, think about it," Adrien begged. "Shadowing Marinette will be the perfect opportunity to get familiar with the company."

"That is the whole purpose of shadowing me, Adrien."

"Yes, but it must be different for an employee. I'm sure if I know their routine and system then I will be more prepared to run the company."

"And you will know the routine by shadowing me," Gabriel argued, looking back down at his tablet. Adrien sighed, desperately thinking of how to convince his father.

"I won't know the designers," Adrien argued, grasping at straws. "If I shadow Marinette I'd be able to understand our employees and know what is the best thing for them, which will increase the success of our company."

"I suppose," Gabriel agreed, going silent for a short moment before addressing Nathalie. "Fit Adrien's schedule to match that of Miss Dupain Cheng's."

"Yes! Thank you, father!" Adrien exclaimed, suppressing the urge to run up and hug the man.

"Now, Adrien," Gabriel said before he could leave. "I'm warning you this is not an opportunity to… flirt with or impress Miss Dupain-Cheng."

"What?"

"If I hear news of you two being distracted during the workday—"

"It's not like that!"

"You know I don't approve of romantic involvement between employees, and seeing as you are to be her employer in the near future it would be even more frowned upon. However, seeing as you seem to be very taken with this Marinette,—"

"She's my friend, father!"

"—and considering she is a responsible and committed young lady, I will allow lunch dates during her break—"

"That's really not necessary!"

"—and a relationship of sorts with her. As long as you promise it will not, under any circumstances, interfere with the company."

"Of course," Adrien replied after a surprised silence, his voice cracking slightly. Blushing and flustered, he escaped his father's office as quickly as possible.

Plagg flew out of hiding as soon as his room door closed behind him. Dialing Alya's number, he anxiously paced his room. Alya answered after the first ring, asking him a billion questions before he had a chance to answer any of them.

"Is Nino with you?" he asked, interrupting her interrogation. She told him he was before going on speakerphone.

"You better have a good excuse for running out with no explanation," Alya warned him, and Adrien could practically sense her sitting impatiently on the edge of her seat, assuming she was sitting.

"I just spoke with my father—"

"Your father!" Alya spat. "First, he has to make you work tirelessly and not allow you any free time as a teenager, and now he's draining the energy out of my girl. I don't even want to hear what your father had to say!"

"Calm down, I think you'll appreciate this particular conversation."

"As if! I swear, Adrien, the next time I see your excuse of a father I'm going to break off his toenails and shove them down his throat before I—"

"Alya, babe, you need to chill," Nino said. "Listen to what Adrien has to say."

"I talked with my father, and I suggested I shadow Marinette instead of him. I can help her finish her work faster and run errands for her. I could even crack some jokes to get her to loosen up and enjoy herself. It's the perfect plan!"

"Bro, you're a genius," Nino told him excitedly, and Alya squealed before silence ensued.

At the apartment, Alya had just muted the phone. She looked at Nino with what he dubbed her scheming look, one eyebrow raised and a mischievous smile on her lips.

"Babe, I think Adrien just outdid me," she told him, her smile growing.

"Huh?"

"For years I've been trying to set those two up, and Adrien just did all of the work for me. Why didn't I think of it?! Working by Marinette's side all day every day? He's bound to fall head-over-heels in love with her."

"I don't know, Al. Remember his mystery chick I told you about? He's talking about her more than usual, and his usual is a lot. It would take a miracle for him to stop liking her."

"And do you know anything about this mystery girl?"

"Seriously? I bet I know everything about this dudette besides her name. My man's constantly talking about how clever and funny and brave and beautiful she is."

"Do you know how he knows her?"

"From what he says she's from work."

"What about what she looks like?"

"Don't get me started! Do you know how much I've heard about how 'adorably petite' she is and how 'her hair is as black as the night sky'? And not to mention the 'cerulean eyes as blue as the sky.' The guy even talks about the perfect contrast between her night sky hair and day sky eyes. It's ridiculous! One time, he even told me how many freckles were on her nose."

"Hmm…" Alya hummed with a victorious glint in her eyes, ignoring Nino's annoyed rant. "Black hair, blue eyes, works at Gabriel, and clever. Does that sound like anyone we know?"

"Umm…" Nino tightened his lips in thought, Alya shaking her head in his obliviousness.

"This mystery girl sounds a lot like Marinette," Alya not-so-subtly hinted, looking at Nino expectantly.

"Duuuude," Nino drawled, his eyes looking about ready to pop out of their sockets. "Adrien's mystery girl is Marinette?"

"I bet my blog on it," Alya told him.

"Umm… hello?" Adrien's voice said from the still muted cell phone. Nino quickly clicked unmute, apologizing for the unexpected silence.

A knock on Adrien's door interrupted his phone call, and Nathalie walked into his bedroom. She had her tablet in hand, as usual, and was typing quickly on it.

"Hey, guys," Adrien said into the cell phone. "I'm going to have to talk to you later." He clicked the end call button, waiting for Nathalie to look up from her tablet and deliver her message.

"You are expected at Marinette's office at eight o'clock in the morning," she started, briefly glancing at the tablet again. "You will attend any meetings, fittings, or photo-shoots where she is needed. Most of her time is spent designing and sewing in her office. You will run any errands she has from you, which will acquaint you with the building and the other workers."

Adrien nodded his head, waiting for her to leave so he could talk to Plagg about the whole situation, but she lingered in the doorway. She observed Adrien as if she were searching his soul, her eyes narrowed and lips pursed.

"May I ask you a question?" she asked, and her tone made Adrien fidget in his seat. He nodded his head yes. "What are your feelings for Miss Dupain-Cheng?"

"She's one of my best friends," Adrien honestly answered, though the words felt a bit strange as he said them aloud.

Nathalie simply nodded, turning toward the hallway and closed the door behind her. Plagg flew out of his hiding place, a teasing glint in his eyes. He started laughing hysterically, clutching his little kwami stomach.

"Plagg? Why are you laughing?"

"Even your father's secretary knows about your crush on pigtails, but you can't even admit to it."

MLB

"I'm here!" Marinette announced, one arm clutching a folder filled with papers, the other holding a board of fabric samples between her arm and her side as she made sure the herbal tea in her hand wouldn't spill.

"You're late, Miss Dupain-Cheng," Madeleine Alari, head of the wedding department, stated.

"I'm so sorry," she quickly apologized, and Adrien knew to expect one of her rambles. "I had dropped my breakfast onto my skirt, so I had to change, but then my parents insisted I run to the bakery to taste their new—" she cut off as she made eye contact with Adrien, her nose scrunching in an adorable but confused manner. "Adrien?"

"Hey, Marinette," he greeted, flashing her a warm smile. She waved awkwardly in return, looking at Madeleine questioningly.

"I'm assuming Miss Sancouer has failed to inform you," she guessed in an annoyed tone. "Adrien will be… your apprentice, of sorts."

"I get to shadow you," Adrien explained further, smiling again.

"Oh," Marinette squeaked out, taking a seat next to her friend, fidgeting with her locket necklace.

The meeting went on as it normally would, Adrien occasionally asking questions about certain terms—which the lady designers, who had enjoyed the presence of the unexpected but good-looking man—were more than happy to answer. Soon (but not soon enough, as Marinette saw it) it was over, and Adrien followed Marinette to her office. He subtly looked her over as they walked, noticing how the dark blue of her knee-length dress accentuated the color of her eyes. She paused in front of a door, clearing her throat as she looked down at the ground.

"So…" she started, forcing her gaze up but avoiding his eyes. "We're working together."

"Yep," Adrien exclaimed, his smile brightening. "Isn't it fantastic?"

"Yeah," she agreed, though her voice was weak and slightly shaky. She looked once again at her black heels, regretting the choice due to her added clumsiness around Adrien.

"Are we going to…?"

"Oh, of course," she huffed out, blushing as she opened the door to the office. Adrien examined the room, looking over the drawn-out designs of wedding dresses, bridesmaid dresses, tuxedos, ties, shoes, and just about any piece of clothing you can find at a wedding pinned to a bulletin board. A pink gown was pinned to a mannequin, and on another a pure white wedding dress with a billowing skirt hung. There were a few dresses and tuxedos hanging on a rod in one corner of the room, and fabric was strewn over an ottoman on one side of a desk, while on the other side fabric cutouts hung over the back of a chair.

"What are you working on first?" Adrien asked, watching as Marinette placed the folder from the meeting and the fabric samples on her desk.

"I was planning on finishing that bridesmaid dress,—" she pointed to the mannequin with the pink dress, "—so you can just watch, I guess."

"What do you have left on it?" Adrien asked as she grabbed a needle and thread.

"All I have left is the sleeves, the zipper, and then I need to hem it to fit the model," she explained, picking up the light pink fabric on the ottoman.

Adrien watched as she cut the chiffon and draped it over the shoulders of the mannequin, stitching it onto the rest of the dress. She stepped back, examining the gown with a satisfied nod before kneeling down to hem the dress. She expertly and quickly sewed on the zipper, making it blend into the gown with ease. Next, she bent down to hem it. Through the whole process, they were silent. Marinette would occasionally hand him a needle or the spool of thread, which he took silently as he continued to watch her with awe.

Finally, Marinette cut the extra thread, standing to admire her latest masterpiece. It was a blushing pink gown with a twisted bodice, the sleeves small but still covered the shoulders. Marinette had hand-embroidered cherry blossoms along the waistline, the branches of the blossoms entwined gracefully. The skirt of the dress hung loosely, not quite touching the ground.

"And done," Marinette declared with a nod. A faint smile played on her lips, and Adrien couldn't help but notice how they matched perfectly with the color of the gown.

"What now?" he asked, ripping his gaze away from her lips and to her eyes.

"Well…" she started, glancing at the clock on her wall. Panic filled her eyes as she frantically ran around the room, grabbing measuring tape and a clipboard. "I'm late!"

"Late for what?" Adrien asked, but she didn't respond as she hastily threw things in a pink bag. She was mumbling to herself, worrying him. She was stressing way too much! No wonder she was always exhausted.

He strode over to her, grabbing her arm and turned her to face him. Placing both hands on her shoulders, he looked into her blue eyes, concern washing over him as she appeared even more nervous than before.

"Marinette," he said firmly, watching as she stiffened even more. "Please, calm down. Take some deep breaths. It's not the end of the world."

She obeyed, closing her eyes and breathing in and out slowly. He smiled as she loosened in his hold. He watched as she continued to breathe deeply, mesmerized by the way her mouth formed a small "o" as she breathed out. She opened her eyes, and he immediately forced his gaze away from her mouth to her eyes, again.

"Now," he started calmly, smiling softly as he grabbed both her hands. "What are you late for?"

She opened her mouth to speak but was interrupted by a door opening. In the doorframe stood a man maybe a couple of years older than Adrien, chocolate brown hair gelled perfectly into place and a slight stubble on his chin. The angles of his face were sharp, and his honey-colored eyes seemed to glint mischievously as they met Marinette's. Adrien's stomach tightened as the man shot an award-winning smile toward his friend, bringing a pink tint to her cheeks.

"Oh, h-hi Brigham," she greeted, letting go of one of his hands to swipe her bangs to the side. Adrien's odd feeling worsened as he noticed her stutter.

It's normal, he told himself, resisting the temptation to glare at the new-comer. Marinette stutters all the time.

"I-I forgot you were here coming," she admitted, the pink on her cheeks darkening. "Er—coming here."

"You're fine," he chuckled, walking into the room and shutting the door behind him. His kind smile disappeared when he noticed Adrien, still grasping one of the designer's hand. Adrien quickly let go, regretting the emptiness it left… in his hand. Because it made his hand warm. And now his hand was empty and cold. Yep, that's why.

Brigham looked over Adrien, recognition immediately filling his features. He stuck out a hand in a friendly gesture, offering a strained but still welcoming smile. Adrien took it, shaking it before pulling away awkwardly.

"I'm Adrien Agreste," Adrien greeted, returning the smile with a forced one of his own.

"I know," he said truthfully, folding his arms across his chest. "I'm Brigham Welling, nice to meet you."

"Nice to meet you, too," Adrien replied, subconsciously taking half a step closer to Marinette.

"So…" she said, grabbing the measuring tape and clipboard from her pink bag. "Let's take your measurements."

Adrien watched with a sickening feeling as she scurried around Brigham with measuring tape in hand, both of them blushing whenever her hand brushed against his body, which—considering the task at hand—was a lot.

"I spoke with Adela this morning," Brigham told her, a humorous smile on his lips.

"Oh?" Marinette said, a matching smile tugging at hers. "What did she say?"

"She invited me to tour her yacht."

Marinette burst out laughing, her eyes crinkled in the most adorable fashion as she bent over slightly, clutching her stomach. Adrien's heart flew at the sound and then dropped as he caught Brigham staring at her with fondness. He internally growled when he remembered who had made her laugh, and he once again had the urge to glare at him.

"Adela's a model, by the way," Brigham said, addressing Adrien. Adrien pushed his thoughts away, releasing his hands from the fists he just realized they were in.

"And she's completely in love with him," Marinette added, continuing to take measurements. "You should've seen the first photoshoot they did together. She may be gorgeous but the girl needs to learn how to flirt."

"You were at the photoshoot?" Adrien asked, feeling obliged to something, anything, despite the dryness of his mouth.

"I was there to keep an eye on the clothes," Marinette informed him. "You should know how many mishaps can happen at a shoot."

Adrien nodded, wincing as he recalled many times something had ripped or how planned outfits had been misplaced while he was modeling.

"That's how Marinette and I met, actually," Brigham said, a wistful smile on his lips. Adrien found it irritating how much he smiled. Especially at Marinette.

"Well," Marinette sighed, scribbling on a clipboard. "That's all for today, I should be able to have the tux adjusted to your measurements soon. I'll see you then for the fitting."

"Hopefully before then," Brigham responded, his eyes looking deeply into Marinette's, bringing a red flush to her cheeks.

"Y-yeah," Marinette agreed bashfully, looking down at her shoes as Brigham left the room.

Adrien glared at the door as the nuisance of a model left, his stomach churning with an unknown emotion. He looked at his dear friend, who was humming as she set the clipboard on her desk, her cheeks still flushed. His heart twisted, and he swallowed, regretting the upcoming fitting with his new enemy.