The Gabriel building was tall and imposing, and Marinette never imagined she'd see it from the inside. From the black tile floors to the stainless steel beams and abstract statues lining the foyer of the reception area, to the contemporary couches in the waiting area, to the ornate chandelier that hung over three stories from the ceiling, and finally the elaborate fountain on the other end of the reception area, it felt like walking into a whole other world. Marinette stuck to Adrien's side as they walked past the reception desk and straight to a glass elevator already holding three passengers. They were all in sleek grey and black business wear, probably the latest from the Gabriel line, and an air of superiority hung with them as they stood to the back of the elevator.
Adrien, unflinchingly, walked inside with Marinette hurrying in beside him, her palms sweating terribly as she stood rigid. They rode in silence to the 8th floor as a few other passengers got on and off along the way. Marinette let out the breath she was holding and leaned against Adrien once it was just the two of them in the elevator.
"Are you feeling okay?" He asked with a soft chuckle.
"Hmm? Oh, yeah I'm fine, I just didn't expect this place to be so, so…" Marinette stuttered out.
"Yeah, I get it." Adrien laughed as the elevator made it to their floor. "But you get used to it. Not everyone here is that stuffy."
"It does all feel pretty intimidating." Marinette said softly, hugging her sketchbook to her chest as she followed Adrien out of the elevator.
"Just think, once we win the showcase you'll be here for a whole season designing clothes." Adrien offered happily as Marinette's face turned beet red.
"Don't say things like that! I'm already so freaking nervous just being here." She squeaked out, holding her sketchbook up to hide her face. He sounded so confident, like it would be nothing at all to win. Why couldn't she be more like that?
"You need to start giving yourself more credit, Marinette." Adrien began in a soft, reassuring voice as he placed a hand on her sketchbook, lowering it so he could see her face properly. "No one would be more deserving of that prize than you."
"And...and what about you?" She asked, the blush on her face warming as she tried to look away from his entrancing emerald gaze.
"I'm here to help, but I could never do what you do. I can't create like you can." He smiled down at her and Marinette returned his gaze, only then noticing how closely they were standing.
They suddenly heard footsteps approaching from further up the hall, the two of them turning their heads to see a man in a grey suit quickly walking up to them carrying a stack of folders in his arms.
"Good afternoon, Klaus." Adrien said once the man was close to them.
"Good Afternoon, Adrien. I was sure you would reschedule your appointment after today's attack." The gentleman politely responded.
Adrien gave a soft scoff. "We both know it's rare my father lets that happen." Adrien took half a step back and gestured to Marinette. "This is my friend Marinette Dupain-Cheng."
"Mlle. Dupain-Cheng it's a pleasure to meet you in person." Klaus said, offering his hand as she politely slipped hers into his to shake.
"The pleasure is mine, M. Klaus. What do you mean in person?" Marinette asked curiously.
"Well every time a Gabriel competition is announced your name comes up when discussing winners. Our editorial team can't get enough of you, and just between us," he added, leaning in and speaking in a lower tone, "you've got yourself a lovely cover shoot on standby if you want it."
Marinette made a noise halfway between a gasp and a squeak of surprise, quickly covering the lower half of her face behind her sketchbook as Klaus gave her hand a squeeze and a light chuckle. Adrien nudged Marinete encouragingly and gave her a knowing look and a smirk as her eyes darted from him to Klaus.
"You must be messing with me." She breathed in disbelief.
"You're more than welcome to check with them later, but I'm here to escort you both to M. Agreste's office. If you'll follow me this way…" Klaus gestured toward the end of the hall he'd just come from and Adrien and Marinette walked ahead.
"Told you." Adrien whispered quickly to Marinette as they went.
She playfully swatted at him, her face still burning until they approached the large, thick doors that marked the entrance to Gabriel Agreste's executive design office. There were clouded windows in each door through which Marinette could see blurry figures walking back and forth. She stepped aside for Klaus to open the door and once inside she could see that the decor was monochromatic like much of the building and the Agreste mansion. It seemed that unless it was on clothes this man was not a fan of colors…
Klaus walked in first, Adrien and Marinette in tow as they passed people running from one side of the space to the other with swatches of fabric, color boards, mannequins, and sketch pads. Each desk has a drawing tablet, an assortment of alcohol pens, stacks of sketch paper, and at least a few fabric samples, as well as a frazzled designer scribbling away in their pad. Marinette was practically vibrating with excitement as she took in everything that was happening on the design floor and it must've been palpable because Adrien leaned down to her.
"Imagine coming to work someplace like this every day." He whispered.
Mariette giggled. "I don't think I could ever leave, there's just so much going on!"
"Adrien, there you." Gabriel called to them as he walked past the designers and up to the teens. "Mlle. Dupain-Cheng, a pleasure to see you again as always."
Marinette was used to his monotone and politely smiled and nodded. "Good afternoon M. Agreste, it's nice to see you again too."
"I hope you've been making progress on your showcase design. Adrien told me you two had plans today so I apologize for the inconvenience this sudden visit may cause you."
Adrien raised an incredulous eyebrow. His father didn't think twice about rearranging his schedule and now he was apologizing to Marinette for it?
"Oh no, not at all! I mean sure it was pretty sudden but I'm extremely happy to be here." Marinette began hurriedly.
Gabriel nodded. "That's good to hear. Klaus, why don't you give Mlle. Dupain-Cheng a tour until we're finished?"
Klaus nodded and stood beside Marinette, gesturing for her to walk with him to the designer's stations.
"Adrien, my office please." Gabriel said simply as he turned on his heel, hands behind his back, expecting Adrien to follow.
Adrien and Marinette shared a quick look before each went in opposite directions, Marinette with Klaus and Adrien behind his father. Gabriel's office was not too far away from the main design floor and as soon as they were inside and the doors closed the silence was deafening. Adrien walked up to his fathers desk as the older man made his way to the wet bar and poured himself a drink before walking back to his desk.
"So Adrien, how was the Tsurugi dinner party?" Gabriel asked.
Adrien hadn't expected his father to ask about it and didn't know how to correctly answer.
"Oh, it was actually fine. The usual, you know." Adrien shrugged as Gabriel took a seat at his desk, Adrien sitting in the chair on the other side of the desk.
"Good, good." Gabriel began absentmindedly as he pulled a stack of paper and contracts between himself and Adrien. "Here is the executive contract, it outlines all of your duties in the next coming months. An apprenticeship of sorts. And here are your last few modeling contracts for the year. I thought it'd be best to slim them down in light of your new responsibilities…"
The two of them went on like that for the next hour or so, outlining Adrien's new position with the company, furthering his education after lycee, and to Adrien's pleasure there was more free time available to him than when he was just the top model.
"I don't find it necessary for you to continue your piano lessons and you've become fluent enough in Chinese to be able to scale back." Gabriel began once all the documents were signed. "I do, however, still require you to pick up a steady amount of modeling contracts. Our public relations manager has been monitoring your popularity and moving you into shoots geared toward a more adult audience will be beneficial."
"Yeah, that'll be fine." Adrien agreed, honestly too drained to keep negotiating over more paperwork.
"Very well. At least 6 or 7 a year should suffice." The older gentleman leaned back in his chair, drumming his fingers on the desk and looking up at the ceiling thoughtfully. "Adrien, aside from the paperwork there is one other thing I'd like to discuss with you."
Adrien tensed, going over in his mind quickly everything he'd done in the last week that he could have possibly done wrong. His mind immediately went to what if his father discovered his sneaking out but then Gabriel spoke again.
"I've appreciated your discretion with the press over yours and Mlle. Tsurugi's relationship but I think it may be necessary to disclose something."
Adrien lifted an eyebrow and his mouth opened to speak but he was too stunned, so Gabriel continued.
"If you have a relationship then I would need to be aware of it before any speculation gets out of hand."
"You want to know if Kagami and I are dating?" Adrien surmised.
"To put it plainly, yes. She's a fine girl from an influential family, and if you are then I see nothing wrong with it. There will be plenty of events for you to attend in the future and I'm sure she wouldn't mind accompanying you."
Adrien felt his hands clamming and his mind drawing a blank. In all his years on this earth his father had never asked so much as what his favorite color was, now he wanted to know about Adrien's love life? Now it made sense why with his new job he was given more free time; Gabriel was probably hoping he'd spend it all with Kagami.
Adrien cleared his throat and tried not to let the mortification show on his face. "We, uh, we haven't really ever put a label on it or anything…"
Gabriel regarded his son's face carefully before shrugging his shoulders. "Well until you are ready then as I said before, your discretion is appreciated since Vivían also mentioned the benefits of marketing you as an eligible bachelor."
"Yeah I guess there is some merit there…" Adrien muttered in agreement.
Gabriel nodded and folded his hands in front of himself, still leaning back. "And may I ask about Mlle. Dupain-Cheng?"
At this Adrien nearly choked on his spit as he leaned forward, sputtering. "Wh-what about her?"
"Is she...are you two, well…" Gabriel asked carefully as Adrien put his hand up to stop him.
"No, father, she's a friend—we're just friends." He was feeling too hot and thoroughly embarrassed now, starting to stand up. "Are we done? Are there any more papers?"
Gabriel shook his head, leaning forward on his desk now. "No, no you're all finished here. I'll see you at home."
Relieved, Adrien stood up, letting out a breath. "Can I, uh, get a bottle of water?"
Gabriel gestured to the wet bar and Adrien quickly grabbed a cold bottle, briefly waving goodbye to his father before quickly leaving the office.
Marinette, meanwhile, felt like she'd wandered into a fashionista's dreamland. Everywhere she turned there were things being created and collaborated on and she was humming with excitement.
"So Mlle Dupain-Cheng, what would you like to see first?" Klaus asked once the two Agreste men had disappeared into the office.
"I'm not even sure, it's still so surreal being here." Marinette hugged her sketchbook closer to her chest, looking around. "And just 'Marinette' is fine."
Klaus nodded. "Well then, Marinette, how about we see the closet first?"
Marinette nodded enthusiastically as Klaus gestured for her to follow him to another set of doors that led to a room with clothing, handbag, and shoe racks that lined the walls from ceiling to floor. Each section they walked around had more designer clothes and dressers with mirrors and accessories on display than Marinette had ever seen in one place. She darted from rack to rack admiring each item with Klaus occasionally pointing things out to her.
"And here is an item that I'm sure you'll recognize." Klaus said, showing off a hat display.
Marinette's eyes lit up when she saw the soft gray and rounded shape of the derby hat she had created so long ago. She walked up to it, gently stroking the synthetic feather as her smile softened.
"Aww, I can't believe it's still here."
"Of course, all the designs you've entered to M. Agreste have been featured in his and other magazines. It's become an official part of his past collections, we wouldn't throw away something made with such clear talent." Klaus explained.
Marinette straightened up, nervously twirling a lock of hair around her finger. "Yeah, that makes sense."
This was all business to M. Agreste, of course he'd never keep anything like this out of sentimentality and from some girl he barely knew. It was absurd to think otherwise.
"Marinette, if you please? We're going to head back to the design floor." Klaus held open the door for her and Marinette picked up her head immediately.
"Oh, right."
They headed back upstairs into what Marinette was sure would be her favorite place in the whole building. This time instead of observing from afar Klaus led up directly up to one of the designer's stations. The man at this desk was wearing striking violet suspenders which perfectly accented his white dress shirt, gray slacks, and violet rimmed glasses he wore. Marinette was thankful someone here wasn't afraid to wear some color.
"Good afternoon, Henri." He began politely.
"Yes, yes, hello Klaus, can't you see I'm busy?" Henri began impatiently as he scribbled away on his pad, not even bothering to look up.
"I can, so i've brought you a second pair of eyes to look over some of your work with." Klaus gestured to Marinette. "I'd like you to meet Marinette Dupain-Cheng, one of Adrien's classmates and a fellow designer."
At this Henri did look up and as he did so Marinette could feel his bright blue eyes scrutinizing her as he pursed his lips. "Hmm. Oh yes, I've heard of you. Rumor has it you'll have a desk right next to mine by this time next year."
Marinette blushed and waved her hand nervously. "Oh well I don't know about that, I mean I'd be honored to even be considered."
Henri raised an eyebrow, almost dismissing Marinette's answer. "Do me a favor, mon cher, look at this design and tell me what it needs."
Henri picked up his pad and practically thrusted into Marinette's hands, not even giving her a second option. She looked nervously at the business-like, knee length dress he was drawing and shrugged a shoulder.
"Well, I think it's nice…" She offered.
"Nice? Oh come on, I thought you were a designer. Surely you can come up with something better than 'nice'. Now tell me exactly what you think." Henri insisted.
Marinette chewed her lip as she looked it over. "I mean, it looks a little bit too simple here." Marinette turned the pad as Henri looked over at what she was pointing to. "So there's two darts in the back and I'm thinking if you lift out a panel in the waistline…"
"Oh wow, okay I get it, I get it, kind of going for a sixties thing, right?" Henri asked, his eyes lighting up at the thought, handing her his pencil.
"Yes, exactly what I was thinking. And over here," She drew four circles over the torso, "If you add some colored buttons here you could really make it pop."
Henri gave a small squeak of approval as Marinette handed him back the pad. "I love it! See? The rumors are true…" He gave Klaus a knowing smile.
"That's what I've been trying to tell her." He nodded.
Marinette's cheeks turned rosy as the two praised her, and before she knew it Adrien was calling her name.
"Hey Marinette, did you get a good look around the place?" He asked. For some reason he sounded out of breath and was tugging at his shirt collar.
Marinette nodded. "Yeah, it's even more amazing than I thought." She beamed at him. "Did you finish up with your father?"
"Yeah, we're all done here. Are you ready to go back to your place?"
"Ooh Adrien, aren't we feeling bold today?" Henri teased as both teens blushed.
Adrien put his hands up defensively. "No, nothing like that, we just have a project to finish up, that's all."
Henri raised his eyebrow, unconvinced. "Hmhmm, well regardless we'll be seeing more of Mlle. Dupain-Cheng in the future whether she's on your arm or not-"
"Okay, it's time for us to go now." Adrien said quickly, placing his hands on Marinette's shoulders and gently ushering her to the door. "Klaus, thanks again for all your help. Henri, I'll see you at my next fitting."
"Absolutely, I just might make your next outfit a groom's tuxedo!" Henri teased further as a mortified Adrien and thoroughly flustered Marinette waved goodbye before heading to the elevator.
"How are you doing over there?" Marinette asked, looking over her shoulder at Adrien sitting before the mannequin. They had arrived at Marinette's house not too much later and immediately began working on the gown. Tom had brought up a plate of pastries as the two worked and before they knew it hours had passed and it was already late in the evening.
Adrien's brows were knitted together in concentration as he carefully bedazzled the sash and skirt of the dress. He insisted on picking the design and doing it himself, and after a few misplaced rhinestones quickly reset by Marinette, Adrien was on a roll.
"I'm doing alright, how are the accessories coming?" Adrien asked, his eyes barely leaving his work.
"Almost done. After this we'll have plenty of time to make your suit."
Marinette stood up from her desk, placing down the necklace she was crafting and the faux rubies she was laying into the chain. She leaned back in her chair, stretching her arms high above her head and groaning.
"I think we need a break." She said, letting her arms drop as she gazed lazily at Adrien.
He gave a sharp laugh and sat up straight, taking a long look at the design he was working on in the sash. "I guess. We have been pulling some long hours here."
Marinette hopped up from her desk and skipped over to the chaise beside Adrien, scooting close to him as he pulled the folds of the dress so she couldn't see the jewels.
"What are you doing over here, nosey?" He laughed.
"Come on, just a peek?" She pouted with her bottom lip sticking out.
Marinette placed both hands on Adrien's upper arm and leaned into him, batting her thick lashes and whimpering as he tried leaning in the opposite direction. The blush on his cheeks would've been unmistakable if Marinette wasn't so keen on annoying him into submission.
"Ugh, alright!" He grumbled as he dropped the skirt of the dress.
Marinette giggled victoriously and turned the mannequin towards herself to more properly see the sash. She saw the rhinestone design and the careful loops they made across the sash before dissolving into the skirt in what looked like a burst of stars raining down the black and red fabric.
"It's my first time doing something like this, so don't judge me…" Adrien began apologetically as Marinette shook her head.
"No, no it's...it's gorgeous." She looked over at him, beaming, and then back to the dress.
"There are still a few finishing touches to add, but since we finished so early there will be time for those later." Adrien began, scratching the back of his neck. "It's hard to get a good idea of it while on the mannequin. Don't you think you should try it on?" He asked carefully.
Marinette blushed furiously and leaned away from Adrien. "W-what? Right now? It's barely done, and it's a bit cold in my room for this." She stammered out as she turned her face away so he wouldn't see the blush.
"I-I didn't mean anything weird by it." Adrien held his hands up defensively. "I mean you'll be wearing it anyway at the showcase, shouldn't we make sure it fits well?"
Marinette considered this and sighed, standing up to unzip the dress from the mannequin. "Well you do have a point there—but you'd better not peek while I'm changing!" She added quickly before taking the dress and rushing behind the screen on the other end of the room as Adrien blubbered.
"I-I wouldn't do that!" She could see his face turn bright red as he turned around on the chaise to explain himself.
Marinette knew he was being sincere but seeing him so flustered made her want to tease him just a little.
"I'm only joking, Adrien." She giggled from behind the screen as she heard him huff.
Tikki zoomed out of her hiding place and the little kwami inspected the rhinestones on the dress closely as Marinette began taking off her clothes.
"This is really pretty, who knew Adrien had an eye for design?" She said softly.
Marinette pulled the dress up and looked in the mirror, frowning slightly. The dress fit perfectly but the bodice showed off more cleavage than Marinette anticipated. She turned from one side to the other, holding the front up as she inspected the deep plunge of the neckline. She wondered what possessed her to do such a risque design and wondered if a sheer material over the chest area would be necessary.
"Maybe there should be more padding here…" she muttered, further lamenting her chest.
"You say something?" Adrien asked from the chaise.
"No, it was nothing." Marinette answered back quickly as she strained her arms back reaching for the zipper. "Uh, actually do you think you could help me out for a second?"
She could hear the scuffing of Adrien's feet on the floor as he walked toward the thick screen.
"What's up?"
"I, um, I need you to zip me up. I can't quite reach…"
Adrien didn't speak and Marinette wondered if she overstepped. Maybe he wasn't comfortable with this request. What if he—
"Okay, turn around." He agreed as he stepped behind the screen with her.
Marinette did as he asked, pulling her long midnight colored hair up out of the way with one hand and the other pressing the front of the dress to her chest so it wouldn't fall.
Adrien's fingers grazed the skin of her back lightly as she felt him tug the bottom of the zipped end taut with one hand and fiddle with the zipper with the other. Marinette's breathing became shallow as she tried not to focus on how warm his touch was or how carefully he pulled the zipper up, almost afraid to pull too hard and rip it off the gown. She felt him fumbling with both hands to do the small hooks at the top of the back and could feel his breath in the nape of her neck.
"You, uh, don't have to do that part, just the zipper is fine." She looked up into the mirror and caught a glimpse of his face behind her, his mouth pursed in concentration before nodding and looking up into the mirror as well.
Marinette let her hair cascade around her bare shoulders and she turned around to face Adrien, the fabric swirling and swaying with her as she moved. He was still standing so close to her so when she turned around to face him she was lightly brushing against his front. Adrien took a couple of steps back once he noticed Marinette was barely a breath away and close enough to...
"So how do I look?" She asked, lifting her arms.
Adrien took in a sharp breath as his heart pounded behind his chest. Marinette was already a beautiful girl but at that moment she was stunning. The fabric hugged her every delicate curve, the sleeves resting gracefully below her shoulders, and as Adrien's eyes travelled to the waistline of the dress he saw how the rhinestones sparked in the light each time she moved. The dress was amazing but when it came to how Marinette looked in it he was at a complete loss for words.
Marinette, still waiting for an answer, felt her skin heat up beneath his gaze. Was this dress too much on her? Adrien wasn't saying anything, was this design a mistake? Was he thinking of a way to gently break to her that she didn't look as good as she thought she did in it? She looked away, tucking a stray lock of hair behind her ear, her eyes almost prickling with tears.
"Um. I guess it doesn't really suit me, huh?" she asked in a small voice.
Adrien shook himself mentally, his brain beginning to function again, and he finally found his words. "No, not at all, you look beautiful!"
Marinette peeked up at him beneath her lashes, her brow furrowed in worry. "You sure? I mean, because you weren't saying anything…"
Adrien shook his head and smiled, gently tilting Marinette's chin up to face him better. "I didn't say anything because I couldn't think of what to say. I mean it looked nice on the mannequin but on you...wow...if you don't win the showcase then there's something seriously wrong with the world." He gave a half laugh."
Marinette returned Adrien's smile and took his hand in both of hers. "If we don't win." She corrected him.
Adrien wished he could stop staring at her, he really did, before she thought he was being a creep but he couldn't seem to look anywhere else. "Can you walk around in it?" he asked, in a bid to bring his attention back to the main reason Marinette was in the gown to begin with.
Marinette let go of his hands and picked up the skirt, taking a step forward. "Yeah, I should be able to-ah!"
She tripped, not realizing her shoes had been in front of her feet beneath the dress. Marinette stumbled forward but didn't hit the ground, instead she collided into Adrien's chest, his muscular arms holding her up. Marinette looked up into Adrien's brilliant emerald eyes, her face turning beet red at how close she was to him and she opened her mouth to apologize but Adrien spoke first.
"Are you okay?" He asked, his face full of concern.
Marinette's mouth went dry as she tried to speak, unable to think straight upon meeting his gaze. She was suddenly a 14 year old girl again having fallen into her prince's arms as he saved her from falling, and even as he helped her stand back up she still couldn't speak. Adrien's hands were on her waist, steadying her, his eyes scanning over her body for any sign of injury and his breath warm as he held her close to him. She had her hands still on his chest and could almost feel his heartbeat and wondered if she was imagining that it was beating as fast as her own as she continued to look up at him.
"Yeah, I'm...I'm fine. just clumsy, you know." She breathed, finally finding her voice.
Adrien was still holding her, why was he still holding her? He already made sure she was okay, there was no reason to keep holding her close to him. Marinette was clumsy sometimes, he already knew that, so why couldn't he let her go? Her bluebell eyes sparkled up at him almost expectantly and he hoped she couldn't tell how fast his heart was racing as her hands lay upon his chest. Before he knew it his gaze was traveling down her face, across each tiny freckle that dusted her nose and to her pink lips…
RINGGGGGG
The teens jumped apart as Marinette's cell phone rang loudly from her desk, stuttering out apologies as Marinette quickly stepped around Adrien to answer it. She picked the phone up, seeing it was Alya calling her and tried to push her annoyance down as she answered.
"Hey Alya, what's up?" Marinette asked.
"Just checking on you, girl. I didn't hear back from you after the Akuma attack, but I figured you and Adrien ran off together somewhere."
"Oh man, the cafe!" Marinette groaned, slapping her palm to her forehead. "I'm so sorry, I totally didn't mean to leave you guys like that. Also I didn't run off with Adrien, we had an appointment to go to his father's building and are at my place at the moment."
"Oohhh, needed a little more alone time, huh?" Alya teased as Marinette's cheeks flushed.
"N-no! We're working on our design, you know that!" Marinette looked quickly over her shoulder at Adrien making his way back to the chaise and shot him a "thumbs up" before turning back around.
"Yeah yeah, I'm just messing with you, girl." Alya laughed over the phone. "Anyway, I wanted to remind you that Juleka invited us all to her place on Saturday afternoon, are you and Adrien good to come?"
Marinette turned back around to Adrien and held the phone away from her ear. "Are you free to go over to Juleka's house this Saturday?"
"Yeah, I am." Adrien shrugged his shoulders, reaching into his back pocket for his cellphone.
Marinette turned back to the phone. "Yeah, we're both free."
"Awesome, because Luka asked about you, too. I never did hear how your last date went." Alya added.
Marinette's face blazed and she turned around quickly to glance back at Adrien before walking toward her desk, hoping he didn't hear Alya.
"Alya! It wasn't like that!" Marinette insisted through clenched teeth in a harsh whisper. "He was playing at a club and I was there for support."
"Uh huh." Alya deadpanned, unconvinced. "When you touch back down in reality let me know. Anyway, good luck on the presentation tomorrow!" Alya said before hanging up the phone.
Marinette sighed and put the phone back on her desk. Alya sure had a knack for terrible timing. She turned back around to face Adrien and picked up the hem of the skirt again.
"I'm gonna put this back on the mannequin." She shrugged sheepishly before starting back to the screen.
Once behind and out of Adrien's view Marinette let out the breath she'd been holding and laid her hand over her chest. It was abundantly clear that she needed to get her feelings sorted for Adrien before she combusted. She peaked out from behind the screen at the back of his perfectly coiffed hair and sighed, wondering how on earth he had such a magnetic hold on her. In a matter of seconds she had gone from cool back to clumsy Marinette, but this time instead of politely shrugging off her awkward behavior as cute and quirky, something in Adrien's eyes had changed and she could swear he was about to kiss her. Marinette shook her head and hid back behind the screen, as if that could be true. She and Adrien were friends. Just friends. But try as she might she could not shake her feelings.
Adrien pinched the skin between his eyes and let out a soft groan once Marinette had disappeared behind the screen. What was wrong with him? Was he really about to just kiss one of his best friends? He needed to get it together but he couldn't stop picturing Marinette in that dress. Suddenly she wasn't just one of his classmates or his best friend, she was a woman with all the beauty and maturity puberty had blessed her with. If he didn't get it together soon he might end up crossing another line like he did with Kagami that he wouldn't be able to come back from.
Just then Adrien's phone buzzed with a new text message and as if the universe had seen his dilemma and decided to screw with him, Kagami's name flashed across his screen with a message.
Hi Adrien, I was hoping to catch you before you left school for the day but I guess I just missed you.
Adrien thought for a moment. Did he have plans with Kagami after class that he'd forgotten about? He didn't think he did, and he didn't remember seeing her in the building either. He typed out a reply.
Sorry, I had to go to my father's building today unexpectedly.
The three little dots beneath his message drummed on the little chat box as Adrien awaited her reply, but he didn't have to wait very long.
If it was so unexpected why was Marinette with you?
Adrien blinked a few times before he replied back.
She and I had plans to go to her house after class, the trip to see my father was a detour.
Adrien waited again as those three dots appeared.
So are you at her house now?
Yes.
Are you busy this weekend? I was hoping to see you Saturday.
Adrien inwardly groaned and was kind of glad Marinette seemed to be taking her time getting changed.
Sorry, I have plans to go out Saturday already.
With Marinette?
Yes
This time Adrien did have to wait a little longer for a reply but what he received wasn't quite what he expected.
I've noticed you two have been spending a lot of time together these last couple of weeks. I understand that she's your friend but don't you think it's weird always being around each other?
Adrien leaned back in the chaise, his brows furrowed . He didn't find the amount of time he and Marinette spent together weird at all, they were friends so why would it be?
No, why would it be weird? He asked, genuinely confused.
Nevermind. I'm just a little annoyed that I haven't seen you much lately.
Adrien hoped Kagami wasn't feeling jealous, after all, what was there to be jealous of? he rubbed his forehead and let out a sharp breath through his nose just as Marinette reappeared from behind the screen in her usual clothes.
"Everything okay?" She asked, draping the dress carefully back over the mannequin.
"Uh, sort of." Adrien began as he looked up at her, his eyes almost pleading. "Kagami really wanted to hang out this weekend too, would it be alright if I invited her with us on Saturday?"
A look of surprise flashed across Marinette's face and she gave a weak smile. "Um, yeah. Sure, that should be fine, I guess."
"Cool, I'll text her back now." Adrien turned back to his phone and began typing back to Kagami.
Marinette turned her back so he couldn't see the look of disappointment on her face. She had nothing against Kagami but the thought of her and Adrien together made Marinette's heart ache, a feeling she found she never quite got over in all these years. She listened to the tapping of Adrien's fingers on the keyboard and pulled a lock of hair behind her ear as she turned around slightly to see him.
"Um, it's getting pretty late. Do you want to stay for dinner?" She asked carefully.
Adrien looked up at her and gave an apologetic smile. "No, but you're right, it is late. I should be going." He stood up, grabbing his back off the floor and pulling the strap over his shoulder. "I could come by early tomorrow morning and pick you up, that way you won't have to walk with the dress to school."
Marinette nodded and gave a sweet smile. "I'd really appreciate that."
Adrien nodded and anxiously tugged the strap of his bag and he looked down at their feet. Why was he acting so weird with Marinette? Why did he feel so self conscious talking to her, all of a sudden. Adrien cleared his throat and stepped forward to wrap an arm around her. He meant to go for a friendly side hug but it awkwardly turned into a tangle of limbs as they both tried to figure out where their arms should go. Finally Adrien felt Marinette's small frame press into his as her arms wrapped themselves around his middle and she relaxed against him. He leaned his cheek against the side of her head and took a deep breath, her hair smelling sweetly of sugar and strawberries, and he relaxed as well. There was no weirdness this way, Adrien felt just as comfortable embracing Marinette as he did in the company of Ladybug and that was something he was sure wouldn't change.
"Tomorrow's gonna go great, I just know it." He said, starting to rock her slowly from left to right.
Marinette took a deep breath, the spiced scent of Adrien's cologne wafting up to her nose as she nestled against him in his protecting and comforting embrace.
"I hope so." She said, pulling away just enough to tilt her head up to look into his face. "I'll see you in the morning, okay?"
The corners of Adrien's mouth turned up in a crooked grin. "You trying to kick me out, Dupain-Cheng?"
"Hey, you're the one who said you needed to go home." Marinette giggled as she stepped out of his arms. "I tried to offer you food."
Adrien chuckled and walked to the steps leading down the trapdoor of Marinette's room. "I promise I'll let you treat me to lunch when this is all over." He winked at her as Marinette scoffed despite the wide grin on her face.
"Goodnight Adrien."
"Goodnight Marinette." He smiled before disappearing downstairs.
Kagami flopped back unceremoniously on her bed with her phone clutched to her chest. She shouldn't have spoken to Adrien that way but she was irritated; what Lila said really worried her. She didn't believe Marinette to be the boyfriend-stealing hussy Lila insisted she was but the amount of time she and Adrien spent together was starting to get under her skin. They were practically dating now, weren't they? After all there was no possible way Kagami could misunderstand that kiss from the other night…
With a heavy sigh Kagami rolled over and brushed a finger over the dried petals of the rose Adrien had given her years ago. It was long dead and had barely a little red left in it but she could never get rid of it. That rose reminded her daily that there was hope for a future between her and Adrien, but knowing how much he treasured his friends Kagami knew there was no way she could ever avoid seeing Marinette if she and Adrien were to make their relationship public. She would never be so petty as to demand he stop hanging out with her, but she could make it clear that Marinette had to respect their boundaries and Saturday was a good time to start. Maybe she didn't need Lila's help, Kagami surely had things well under control...didn't she?
"You are in sooooo much trouble!" Plagg said in a sing-song voice as he floated around Adrien's room with a piece of cheese between his paws.
Adrien rolled his eyes as he sat at his desk, chewing the end of his pencil. "Plagg I'll finish my homework in plenty of time, everything's fine."
"Not with your boring 'ole homework assignment, I mean with Kagami."
Adrien looked up at his kwami, cocking his head to the side. "What are you talking about?"
Plagg gulped down the slice of cheese he was twirling in the air before lazily sinking down to Adrien's pillow. "From what I could tell from those text messages she was pretty angry, and you just signed your own death warrant by inviting her out with you and Marinette this weekend."
"Plagg, I think we need to have a little chat about respecting each other's privacy. You don't see me reading your private message, do you?"
"That's because kwamis don't have phones!" Plagg blurted.
"Whatever Plagg, my point is you shouldn't be reading my texts."
"And you shouldn't be making that poor girl feel like a third wheel." Plagg retorted.
Adrien turned to look at Plagg. "Who, Marinette?"
"Nooooo, Kagami!"
Adrien rolled his eyes. "How am I making Kagami feel like a third wheel?"
Plagg zoomed over to Adrien, sitting on the top of his computer monitor. "Well it's obvious Kagami is jealous of your friendship, and why wouldn't she be? You treat Marinette more like a girlfriend than you do Kagami."
"That's ridiculous. I don't treat Marinette any differently than I do Alya or Nino." Adrien insisted.
Plagg folded his tiny arms and gave Adrien an incredulous look. "Really? Because I've never seen you stare passionately into Nino's eyes like you've been doing Marinette."
Adrien thought about all the time he'd spent with Marinette over the last couple of weeks, trying to think if he acted out of the ordinary with her. A few instances came to mind, namely earlier that evening but that hardly counted as a passionate moment...right? Adrien shook himself mentally and waved his hand dismissively at Plagg.
"Whatever. I've already made up my mind though; I'm gonna give this thing with Kagami a chance and see where it goes. I'd really appreciate your support in this though." Adrien looked up at Plagg who was still sitting with his arms crossed.
"Yeah, I bet you would." Plagg grumbled.
Adrien scoffed and rolled his eyes, reaching for the remote that controlled his light switch. Plagg was a stubborn little thing, there was just no getting around that fact. "It's time for bed, we've got an early day tomorrow."
Plagg yawned and floated over to where Adrien was making himself comfortable beneath the sheets. "As long as you promise to get me another cheesecake from the bakery."
"After annoying me like that, you expect me to buy you snacks?" Adrien asked, raising an eyebrow as Plagg curled up on his pillow.
"Of course I do, I'm your favoritest kwami in the whole world." Plagg replied innocently.
Adrien gave a soft chuckle and turned off the lights. "I don't know, Kalki's pretty useful, and Trixx sure does have a fun sense of humor…"
Plagg's ears perked up. "What? I'm tons more legit than them! Need I remind you I hold the power of absolute destruction in just one in my tiny paws?"
Adrien continued to tease. "Yeah, but teleportation is a pretty great power. I could be anywhere I wanted and never be late to anything…"
"You have a personal driver to take you places!"
"And if I could create an illusion of myself I could definitely work out being in two places at once…"
"That's what that creepy Wayhem kid is for!" Plagg argued as Adrien let out the laughter he'd been holding back. "Har har, very funny. Just for that I expect twice the amount of cheesecake tomorrow!"