A/N: Oops, sorry I forgot to post on Sunday. I'm fighting the edges of burnout right now after a very hectic week last week (the worst circumstances to land on my birthday week!) and then we actually celebrated my birthday this weekend - Frozen the musical on Saturday and party on Sunday, but now I'm exhausted!

Anyway, I hope you enjoy this chapter, please leave a comment if you liked it!

Chapter 4

The next few days were a whirlwind. Adrien and Marinette stayed behind for an extra week once school finished, using the extra opportunities to spend as much time together, running every morning, grabbing coffee on the way home, studying in the library. They were having loads of fun, the secret of fooling everybody making everything seem like a game, and only the two of them were in on it, especially once Alya and Nino went home for the holidays, planning to spend half the time with her parents and half the time with him.

Now it was friday, the day before Marinette and Adrien were due to go back to Paris. They had decided to celebrate the successful week and to take one last evening to be their true selves before they reached the final hurdle, making their relationship seem convincing to Gabriel.

Marinette was sitting on the sofa in Adrien's apartment, waiting for him to be ready so they could head out for dinner at the best restaurant in their little university town. She was scrolling through the news sites, reading each article that was written about them, scrutinising the pictures and smiling whenever they inferred exactly what they wanted them to infer. One particular favourite of hers was from Tuesday, Adrien's arm was thrown across her shoulder as they walked, her arm snaked around his waist, her body hunched towards his as she laughed at something he was saying. She remembered exactly what it was, a genuinely hilarious product of Adrien's wicked humour, making the picture even more special. It was real.

"Hey," Adrien said, walking into the room as he tucked his cufflink into his shirt. "You ready?"

"I am indeed," Mari replied, untucking her legs from underneath her and slipping her stockinged feet into her tall black block heeled court shoes, perfectly complimenting her maroon dress. "I was just going through this week's news. I'd say we've been very successful."

"We have indeed! I got a text from Natalie earlier on and I think it's having the desired impact on my fathers end as well. He's seeing an increase in positive press for the brand along with an increase in public opinion about us as a family. You know, because the mate I've chosen is not some insanely hot stuck up model prude but a genuinely nice relatable girl who I've known since I was 11," Adrien responded, his back facing Marinette as he shrugged on his jacket and picked up his wallet and keys. He then turned to face Mari, confused at her laughter, but the smile left his face when he saw her, the air rushing out of him when he registered how beautiful she looked.

"I don't know whether to be honoured or offended by that," she said, before looking up. "What's wrong?"

Adrien shook himself back to real life, closing his eyes for a second before reopening them and getting just as struck by his stunning best friend.

"Nothings wrong. Come on, let's go or we'll miss the reservation." He quickly walked across the room to the front door, opening it and letting Marinette out in front of him before following and locking the door behind him.

The restaurant was only round the corner from the apartment building, so the two of them decided to walk. Marinette held out her hand once they got outside, which Adrien gladly took, gently swaying their arms as they walked in companionable silence, both of them enjoying the cold crisp air.

Once they arrived, they were shown to a circular booth by the window, allowing them to scooch a little closer to each other on the bench, close enough for their knees to touch, the contact making Adrien gulp. Marinette pretended not to notice, deciding that it was an involuntary move, instead choosing to study the menu, despite them already knowing what they were ordering, having ordered reward take out food from here when they finish exams but couldn't be asked to dress up and go out.

Adrien called the waiter over, efficiently placing their order while Marinette studied his face. He had on his public model mask as he spoke, the normally relaxed expression on his face replaced by the straightening out of his features and a small polite smile. They both thanked the waiter when he took their menus, leaving them nursing full drinks. It wasn't long before they both relaxed, shifting their bodies to face each other more as the conversation flowed freely between them, just like it had done for as long as they'd known each other. They were laughing at an inside joke when their food arrived and they immediately did what they always did. Marinette gave Adrien the vegetables she did not like while he gave her his extra slice of garlic bread, keeping one for himself. They then gave each other a third of their meals, sharing the deliciousness between them so they could compare which meal was better on the way home. They had developed this routine over years of eating out together, both of them knowing exactly what the other liked and didn't like. It worked for them and allowed them to get the most out of every meal, even though Alya and Nino looked at them like they were weirdos everytime they did it.

The food was delicious and every morsel had been consumed by them by the time the waiter came back to collect the plates and take dessert orders. They had a similar dessert routine, choosing two desserts that they both wanted and planning to share them.

"So," Marinette said, leaning back against the booth with her wine glass in her hand. "What was better, your dish or mine?"

"Don't we normally debate this on the way home?" Adrien asked, copying Marinette's movement to make eye contact.

"Yes, but we have time while we wait for dessert to come, so why not now?"

"Ok, well I think you know my answer. My chicken will always be better than your pasta. Although your pasta was very delicious fresh from here rather than takeout."

"Nope, disagree. Pasta is so much better all the time. Yes, it was better straight from the kitchen on plates, but it always beats your chicken. It's so wholesome and delicious."

"I don't know about wholesome. It's so carb heavy I don't think I could have more than a third of a portion."

"Oh look at you, mr can't have too many carbs because my body is a temple. Well I enjoy food and my fulfilling and wholesome Italian pasta meals are a reward for the extra long runs you've been dragging me on this week."

"Excuse me for trying to make sure my best friend is healthy so she lives a long happy life and doesn't leave me alone to succumb to my father. Plus we're about to go home and spend your birthday with your parents. We can eat our bodyweights then and I promise I won't make you do any extra exercise."

"Thank you. Mainly because I fully plan to gorge myself on all the delights at home. My parents were kind of bummed though when I said that I'd be getting there late the night before my birthday when I planned to get there a few days before. But I haven't actually told them the truth so they were more than happy at the reason I was going to be late once they saw the news."

"I get that. I'm sorry I'm keeping you away from your fully deserved 21st birthday family blowout." Marinette put her hand on Adrien's knee in a comforting movement.

"You don't need to be sorry. I'm actually really excited to spend the first few days in your insane home. I can't believe I've known you for nearly 10 years and have never stayed over. You've stayed at mine. But then again your Father's a hard ass and would never allow it."

"Yup, you have no idea how many times I begged but he kept saying no. Fourteen year old me was a pain"

"Oh I know. I couldn't shake you."

Adrien pulled away in mock offence at Marinette's sarcasm, making them both collapse into laughter. Then something outside the window caught his eye. A glint of a camera lens.

"We have company," he said, scowling as he faced Marinette.

"What? Where?" She turned her head to follow Adrien's gaze, but he quickly stopped her with a finger under her chin, directing her face back to him.

"Don't look. Sorry, this night was supposed to be for us, not to be captured by the Paparazzi. I honestly thought they had enough from the week which is why I suggested we actually come here rather than ordering take out."

"It's ok. It comes with the agreement we made. They're relentless and we both knew that."

"I guess you're right." Adrien's hand was still on Marinette's chin and a glint formed in his eyes. "Well why don't we give them one last thing to fully erase any doubts before the ball."

Marinette smirked at him, her eyes matching the glint in his. "What were you thinking?"

"This…" He slowly leant closer to her, tilting her head up towards his as she swallowed, her eyes going wide before she closed them and the gap between them, meeting her lips to his. It was a soft chaste kiss, but it made both their hearts race, the feeling of their lips against each other sending delightful shivers up their spines. Adrien's other hand slowly moved over to her knee, while Marinette's rested on his arms. All too soon he was moving away, not wanting to go to the extent of the doorway kiss, which he probably would have done if he gave into the strong feelings running wild in his chest. But, before he broke the kiss, he gently bit Marinette's lip, causing her to gasp and move to deepen the kiss, but he pulled away before she could. They were still close enough to feel each other's breath when their eyes met, both of them searching through the blue and green expanses for something to explain whatever was happening.

"Your desserts. Cheesecake for the lady and sticky toffee pudding for the sir. Enjoy."

Marinette and Adrien jumped and separated as their plates were put in front of them, both of them blushing at the interruption but smiling gently to themselves. Marinette then caught Adrien's eye, laughter threatening to bubble up as she looked at his plate.

"Healthy huh? Try to fool someone else babe!"

They both burst out laughing then tucked into their desserts, stealing bites of each other's plates as they continued to banter, the kiss and all the unexplained feelings pushed to the back of their minds.