Adrien was sitting at his piano, practising a difficult piece of music. Plagg was flying around him, a piece of camembert between his paws. For the umpteenth time, the boy made a mistake on a part.

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"Arg!" he said ragingly." I have no difficulty with this part usually. I can't concentrate..."
"Maybe it's because you have a pretty girl with black hair on your mind?" replied the kwami, mockingly.
"Plagg, how many times do I have to tell you? My heart belongs to Ladybug and to her only." replied the young man.
"Yeah, right..." he said with a grin, before flying to his cheese supply.

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Adrien played the part again and made the same mistake. He sighed. Suddenly his cell phone rang.

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"Hello?" said the blond man as he took the call.
"Hey dude!" Nino replied. "Say, are you allowed to go out tonight? "
Adrien sighed. "I don't know. Why?"
"Me and the girls are going to have a picnic. Why don't you come with us?"
"I'll ask. Anyway, I'll probably eat alone at a big empty table, as usual..." he said, with a sad look. "I'll text you as soon as I get the answer."
"Awesome! Later!"

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Adrien stretched his arms, then left his room to try to find his father's assistant. He met her by the front door.

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"Hello Nathalie." he said.
"Hello Adrien. Are you done practising your piano?"
"Yes. Actually, I wanted to ask you if my father is available. I have to ask him something. »
"He's busy. He'll be able to see you around 9:00 pm."

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Nathalie noticed the young man's sad look.
"He asked me to tell you not to wait for him for dinner."
"And I guess he said I should stay home as well..." Adrien whispered.
"No, he didn't mention anything like that."
"So I could go out and meet some friends?" he asked, full of hope.
"I don't see a problem with that." replied the woman. "But be back by 8:30 pm."
"Thank you very much, Nathalie."

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Adrien rushed into his room and grabbed his phone to send a message to his best friend.

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A- Hey Nino!
N- Yo! So, dude, can you come with us?
A- Yes! Where do we meet?
N- At Marinette's parents' bakery, in an hour. She prepared the meal with her father and we have to help her carry all this.
A- All right! I'll ask my bodyguard to take me there.
N- See you!
A- See you later!

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Adrien laid down on his bed and began to daydream, smiling. Plagg, who had just woken up from his post-camembert nap, approached.
"Why are you smiling like that?" he asked.
"What?" replied the blond man, suddenly pulled from his thoughts.
"You look like your head is in the clouds."

The young man did not answer. He pointed at the pocket of his jacket, letting his kwami know that he was about to leave. Plagg slipped into his hiding place and Adrien left.

.

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The black car parked in front of the bakery. Adrien got off and went in through the open front door. Mr. Dupain was serving a client. When he finished, he greeted the young man. Marinette came down at the same moment. She was staring at her phone, so she didn't see that her father was standing in front of her. She ran straight into him and fell backwards. Tom helped her to her feet, laughing at how clumsy his daughter was. She looked up and saw her friend smiling and blushed.

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"Oh Adrien! Y-you're here already?" she said.
"Good evening, Marinette. I'm a little early, but I was looking forward to hanging out with you guys." he replied.
"About that... Alya just sent me a text message. There's been a misunderstanding and she has to stay home to babysit the twins. And Nino will keep her company..."

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The young man's smile faded.
"So, the picnic is cancelled?" he said, disappointed.
"Uh... Actually... since you're here... and the food's ready... We could go... together?" she replied, blushing.

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The blond man's eyes lit up. His cheeks turned pink when he realized he would be alone with Marinette. But why am I suddenly embarrassed? He thought. Marinette is my friend, I shouldn't feel that way... He looked at her. When their eyes met, he felt a strange tingling in his stomach. I... really like her, but I don't have feelings like that for her... don't I?

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"S-sure!" Adrien replied, nervously passing a hand through his blond hair. "So where are we going?"
"There's a new park a few blocks from here. That's where we were supposed to go with Alya and Nino. We could go there?" she said.
"Yes, good idea!"

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At the same time, they wanted to grab the basket of provisions that was sitting on the counter. Adrien accidentally put his hand on top of Marinette's hand. The two teenagers jumped and pulled their hands away. This did not go unnoticed for Mrs. Dupain-Cheng, who drew a sweet smile. The young man took the basket and they walked out.

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Once they arrived at the park, they chose a spot in the shade of a large oak tree. Adrien set up the blanket while Marinette was taking out the meal. They sat down facing each other. The young man rushed to serve his friend, before serving himself. The teenager smiled at him.
"Thank you, that's nice."

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Adrien took a bite of a ham and cheese baguette. In his pocket, Plagg's mouth was watering.
"It's really delicious, Marinette." he said.
"Oh it's not really that complicated!" she replied.

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The two friends chatted while eating. Marinette was surprised not to stutter. They had a good time. After the meal, they put the plates away and Adrien laid down on his back, his arms crossed behind his head. He timidly patted the blanket next to him, inviting the girl to lay down with him. She laid down slowly next to him, her heart pounding. The young man looked at the clouds, thinking.
"You know..." he said. "It's been a really long time since I've had such a nice dinner..." He suddenly looked sad. "Since... since my mother's death, actually."

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Marinette turned to her friend. Her heart was broken when she saw the sadness on his face.
"I'm sorry. It... must be hard for you..."
"My father... he's often far too busy. So most of the time, I eat alone. I'm tired of the loneliness..."

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The girl put one hand on her friend's shoulder.
"If you want... you can come and eat at my place, from time to time, after school. My parents have always been welcoming with my friends. We could... study together afterwards."

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Adrien placed his hand on top of hers. He lifted himself up on his elbow and looked into the girl's eyes. Her heart skipped a beat.
"You... you can't imagine how your offer warms my heart..." said the blond, with a slightly hoarse voice.
"It's nothing!" declared Marinette.
"Yes, it means a lot for me. You know the expression to be alone in the middle of a crowd? That's almost always how I feel... I..."

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Adrien looked down and gently shook his head, blond streaks stroking his forehead. He would like this moment to never end. Not having to go home, to this cold hearted house, dealing with his crazy schedule... He never had a normal childhood. He felt that he was only beginning to see what real life was.

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He slowly pulled his hand away from his friend's hand and stood back up. Marinette did the same. The young man smiled at her.
"Sorry, maybe I opened up a little too much..." he said.
"Don't be. I'll always be there if you need to talk." replied the girl.
"Thank you very much, Marinette... I have to go, my bodyguard is waiting for me."

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He left the park and got to the black car. He waved at his friend before rushing into the backseat.

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Back home, Marinette went up to her room.
"My God, Tikki, I didn't think he was so lonely..." she told her kwami.
"Yes... It's really sad. But I felt that your presence was good for him today. And you were able to have a whole conversation without losing your composure!" replied the creature, winking.

.

That evening, Adrien fell asleep peacefully, which happened too rarely. He felt serene when he was with Marinette. There was something special about her. A kind of gentleness, a natural kindness. Tonight, he felt like there was a connection between them. He couldn't really explain why. He surprised himself by wanting to see her more often. What if... What if Plagg was right?