Hello and good morning (it's morning for me, anyway)! If I sound overly enthusiastic, it's because caffeine is fucking amazing (but only if it comes from energy drinks). This is a little late, mainly because I've been looking for a job for-fucking-ever, but unfortunately, "writing cheesy fanfiction" doesn't look very good on a resume... so yeah. Still poor as hell.

Also, I've been working on getting my other fanfic off the ground, which you all should read. Seriously, please read it. I promise it'll be good. I mean, clearly, you all enjoy my writing (?), so it can't be that bad.

...I am not beyond begging.

Marinette counted down the days until Saturday, and when it arrived, counted down the hours until three.

She must've planned twenty different outfits since he'd invited her, but none of them seemed right. In the end, she ended up going with her lucky red dress, which was modest and understated, but practical. (And the best part: it had pockets!) With that, she'd paired a black clutch and flats (she could only imagine the disastrous effect heels would have on her already-clumsy feet). She didn't have the confidence to change her hair too much, so she settled with drawing it back into a single ponytail instead of two, and kept her makeup simple and light.

Her mother swore that she looked perfect, but Marinette couldn't help self-consciously adjusting her bangs as Adrien's limousine pulled up in front of the bakery. Adrien emerged, wearing a black tuxedo that was probably worth more than her dad's car, by the looks of it. She blushed, suddenly feeling drastically underdressed, but Adrien didn't seem to notice.

"You look lovely, Marinette," Adrien said, smiling in an odd way as he looked her up and down. "Red is... your color."

"T-thanks," Marinette managed to stutter out, blushing even brighter red. She waited for him to say something more, but he just stood, staring at her. She cleared her throat uncomfortably. "Um, are we going to go...?"

Adrien blinked, blushing suddenly and looking away. "Yes. That's... right."

He held the door open for her and she climbed in clumsily. As the door closed and she waited for Adrien to rejoin her, she patted her clutch reassuringly. Within, she knew Tikki was probably sighing at the awkward exchange between the two friends, but it was still nice to know that she wasn't alone.

As the car pulled away from the bakery, Marinette sat in an uncomfortable silence. Next to her, Adrien was staring thoughtfully at the ground, eyebrows drawn together. Oh, jeez, Marinette thought dreadfully, I'm boring him. God, what do I say?! What would Ladybug do? She was about to ask him about the test they'd taken the previous day, but luckily, was spared the awkwardness.

"You wouldn't happen to have a sister, would you?"

...Scratch that.

Marinette resisted the urge to cringe. "Um, why?"

"No reason. Do you?"

What kind of question is that? "No. No, I'm afraid I'm fresh out of sisters at the moment," she said, narrowing her eyes. He's probably wondering if I have a prettier sister, or a more graceful sister. Or maybe he's into older girls, she thought gloomily.

If Adrien wasn't such an oblivious dork, he probably would have sensed her jealousy and kept his mouth shut. Unfortunately, he is an oblivious dork. "Are you sure? Not, like, a cousin or something? Anyone who looks like you, but doesn't act like you?"

"I have a mother, if you'd prefer," she retorted, but inside, she felt like she was being stabbed in the heart.

"No, that wouldn't work..."

Marinette mentally scoffed, attempting to swallow the lump in her throat. Is this a nightmare? She was contemplating pinching herself just in case, but the car slowed to a stop before she could, and Adrien got out. Still huffing angrily, Marinette opened her own door. As she walked ahead of Adrien toward the building, she was too busy thinking to even look up. Just who does he think he is? Just because he's rich and hot and smart, he thinks he can just have his pick of the litter?

She walked through the open doors, stomach starting to ache from anxiety. It wasnt until she felt Adrien tap her on the shoulder that she actually looked around and realized where she was.

Oh, good. This is just perfect.

She clutched her arms to her her chest, turning to look at Adrien. "Why are we in Chloe's hotel?" she asked dreadfully.

Adrien smiled, as if everything was okay. "You'll see. Come on."

He grabbed her hand and led her into the elevator, and Marinette found herself turning red at the contact despite her frazzled nerves. This might not be so bad. Maybe Chloe won't be here... and maybe pigs can fly.

As the elevator closed, Adrien checked his watch. "We're a little late, but it'll probably be fine. Maybe."

Marinette nodded, trying not to focus on the fact that they were still holding hands. "What exactly are we late for?"

Adrien grinned. "I guess there's no point in keeping it a secret anymore. Every year, my father holds a gala in this hotel, and fashion designers and models from all around the world come--"

"--and watch the fashion show!" Marinette finished for him. "Oh my God, we're going to the yearly Gabriel Gala?!"

Adrien laughed and (unfortunately) released her hand. "I knew you'd like it."

"Like it? This is amazing!" She gasped suddenly. "Oh, I must be so underdressed!"

Adrien shrugged. "If I was allowed to, I'd be wearing a T-shirt and jeans right now. Normally, I hate these types of things; they always drag on for hours. But maybe with you it won't be so bad."

Before Marinette could stutter out a response, the elevator doors opened into a large banquet hall full of some of the most beautiful dresses she'd ever seen. There were sheer overlays, mermaid silhouettes, corset bodices, tiered skirts, and V-necks so deep, Marinette blushed at the sight of them. Glancing around, she saw multiple familiar designers and models, and even recognized a few of the dresses from her gazillion fashion magazines. Being in a room with so much talent and beauty should have intimidated her, but she actually felt much more at home. After all, why would anyone care what she was wearing with so much else to look at?

She grasped Adrien's arm excitedly, shaking him a bit harder than she meant to. "Adrien, look! Look at her dress--no, wait, look at that one! Oh, I should have brought my sketchbook!"

As Marinette pointed out the various dresses in the crowd, Adrien grinned from ear to ear. I should bring her to all these events, he thought happily. Watching how excited she was about the gala was almost enough to sooze his nerves, at least until he made eye contact with his father across the room. He watched as Gabriel's eyes shifted to Marinette, who was still clinging to his arm. Here it comes, Adrien thought as Gabriel started toward the couple.

"--absolutely gorgeous, but it must be so itchy--"

"Marinette," he said, putting an hand on her back to still her. "My father, he--"

"Adrien," Gabriel greeted coldly as he approached. "You didn't tell me you were bringing a guest. Or that you'd be thirty minutes late."

Adrien sighed. "You remember Marinette Dupain-Cheng. She designed the winning bowler hat for the competition a few months ago?"

"Ah, yes. It's good to finally meet you in person, Miss Dupain-Cheng." He smiled at her, but it was lacking sincerity or warmth.

"It's nice to meet you, Mr. Agreste," Marinette managed (she wasn't about to tell him that they'd already met, both as herself and as Ladybug). "I'm so sorry. I didn't realize--"

"Oh, I know, Miss Dupain-Cheng. My son is constantly forgetting to mention things like this to me," Gabriel said pleasantly. "He can be quite absentminded at times."

"I'm right here," Adrien said with annoyance.

Gabriel looked at his son coldly. "I'm aware." He smiled at Marinette again. "You'll have to excuse my son. Events such as this one tend to put him on edge. But may I say that you look lovely, my dear."

"Thank you, Mr. Agreste. To be honest, I feel a bit out of place--"

"Nonsense," he said dismissively. "Minimalism is big right now, and besides, you're a designer, not a model. Now, I don't mean to be curt, but if you'll excuse me, I have a gala to host."

With that, he disappeared back into the crowd, leaving Marinette confused and Adrien frustrated.

"I'm sorry about him," the boy lamented.

Marinette shrugged, frowning. "Didn't you ask your father before inviting me?"

He shook his head. "I forgot, actually. I was... distracted. But, hey, that went pretty well, as far as I'm concerned. He likes you, I think."

"You think?"

"Well, it's hard to tell with him. He definitely seems to like you more than--"

"Adrikins!"

Marinette recoiled from the sound, instantly wishing she could disappear. "Is it too late to hide?" she asked Adrien under her breath.

"Afraid so."

"Adrikins!" Chloe cooed as she emerged from the crowd, wearing a glaringly yellow dress and gaudy makeup (even more than usual). "I'm so glad you made--ugh. What is it doing here?"

"Hello, Chloe," Marinette greeted begrudgingly.

"Yeah, hi, whatever. Adrien, what is she doing here? And why is she touching you?"

Adrien cleared his throat. "Um, Chloe," he said gently, "Marinette is my... date... thing. I know you and I usually end up 'together' but--"

Chloe laughed obnoxiously, putting a hand on her hip. "You're joking, right? Her?" She laughed again, but it sounded more forced and almost painful. "Surely you're joking."

Adrien frowned. "No, I'm not. Marinette is my date."

"Are you sure she didn't just wander in off the streets? I mean, look at what she's wearing."

Marinette rolled her eyes. "Coming from you."

"Listen, Chloe, this might be hard to hear, but I never asked to be paired up with you. In fact... I actually kinda hate being paired with you," Adrien stated forcibly. "I have a hard enough time getting through these things without you constantly on my back and pushing me around. It gets old, Chlo. I'm sick of you pretending I'm your property. I'm your friend, not your boyfriend. Get it?"

Chloe gawked at him. "But I--"

"I'm not done. For the record, Marinette and I are not dating either, but that shouldn't matter. As my friend, you should be supportive of me, no matter who I choose to be in any kind of relationship with."

Chloe's lips curled into a snarl, but Marinette wasn't fooled. She could see the hurt in her eyes. "But... You--!"

"Unless you're going to apologize to me or Marinette, I don't want to hear it. Come on," he said, tugging his date, who was in just as much shock as Chloe, toward the buffet table.

Once they were safely out of earshot, Marinette said, "Adrien, that was... Um, wow."

"I'm sorry," he said remorsefully, crossing his arms. "I didn't mean to lose my temper in front of you like that. It's just... Chloe is just like my father. They think that just because we're richer, we're worth more."

Marinette raised an eyebrow. "Adrien? That suit is worth more than me."

"That's not what I mean. I just... I'm sick of being around people who don't know what they have when they have it."

The girl nodded thoughtfully. "I understand."

Adrien smiled sincerely. "I knew you would. You're so... understanding."

Marinette laughed. "For lack of a better word."

"Shut up," Adrien chuckled. He paused. "So, what do you think of this festival coming up?"

She shrugged. I think it's gonna be a disaster. "It sounds fun," she said instead.

Adrien smirked. "Yeah, you must be pretty excited, what with your boyfriend being the main attraction."

Boyfriend? Does he mean... himself? Oh, wait. She rolled her eyes. "I told you, I don't like Chat in that way."

"Calm down, I was joking. Although... Alya did show me that video of you saving him. Maybe you two are closer than you're letting on?" He waggled his eyebrows suggestively.

"You saw that, huh?" She laughed nervously. "I wouldn't really call it 'saving,' I was just... doing my part, ya know? I mean, Chat and I aren't exactly friends, but--"

"Wait, what do you mean? We're not--you're not friends?!"

She smoothed her skirt, smiling slightly as she thought of her kitten. Of course they were friends; just not as Marinette. "We're more like... acquaintances."

Adrien bobbed his head. "Like, close acquaintances?"

She snorted. "Sure, we'll go with that."

Adrien wilted, but she didn't notice. "What about Ladybug?" he asked after a moment. "What do you think of her?"

She waved her hand dismissively. "She's cool, I guess."

"You guess? Ladybug is amazing! Far better than Chat Noir."

She smiled, her face heating slightly. "True, but..."

Adrien cocked his head. "So you do like her then?"

"O-of course I do. I just think Chat deserves recognition, too. I mean, where would she be without him? He's her other half, what makes her whole."

"Huh." He gave her an odd look before turning his attention to the stage at the far end of the room, where people were starting to gather for the show. "It looks like it's about to start. You ready?"

She grinned determinedly. "I was born ready!"

--

As the gala came to a close, Adrien watched thoughtfully as Marinette spoke with some designer that he was supposed to know the name of, but didn't. Despite the fact that he'd discovered absolutely nothing of use, he couldn't help the satisfied feeling in his heart, watching her be so at ease with herself, so happy. It was more gratifying than he'd like to admit, knowing that he was the cause of the smile on her face.

It wasn't just that, either. She'd not only made the gala tolerable, but actually fun. He hadn't enjoyed any kind of formal event since his mother had disappeared, but he'd enjoyed this one. It made him realize how alike they were, Marinette and his mother. They had that same light in their eyes, that same zest for life. It was a side of her he'd never really seen before, and he found himself enjoying it thoroughly.

Of course, there was still that thing at the back of his mind, the one he'd been trying to forget since he saw her in the red dress outside the bakery. Seeing her wearing that exact shade of crimson gave him the idea that she might even be related to Ladybug. It would make sense, after all, the way she didn't seem to idolize the heroine. But for whatever reason, the idea that Marinette and Ladybug could be cousins or something actually made him uncomfortable, and if possible, more guilty than before.

"Adrien!" Marinette grinned as she rejoined him, a bounce in her step. She held out a slip of paper for him to see. "That model over there just gave me his number, in case I ever need someone to help me with designs!"

Adrien narrowed his eyes, looking over her shoulder at the boy in question, a brown-haired, blue-eyed pretty boy he recognized as Julian Thomas. "Who, Julian? Nah, you don't want him."

"What? Why not?"

Because he's a total player and would crush your soul for sport. "He's, uh... He's had work done." He snatched the paper from her hand, tearing it up before she could protest. "Besides, you already have a model friend. Me."

"Wha--hey!"

"Here, come with me. I'll set you up." He led her toward another model, and she followed reluctantly. "Hey, Missy. This is Marinette."

Missy Poirier looked up from her phone. She was possibly the most beautiful human being Marinette had ever seen, with dark, smooth skin, high cheekbones, and thick, curly hair. She had a soft look about her, but her dress was straight-up badass. It was pure white and hugged her figure tightly, revealing her midsection and going down to her mid-thighs. Standing next to her made Marinette feel like a troll, but Adrien didn't seem to even notice her beauty.

"Hello," the model said with polite indifference, her thick accent making her sound Australian, maybe.

"Marinette is an aspiring designer, and I was wondering if you might consider modeling for her sometime."

"Well, that depends how much she's paying."

Marinette cringed. "I don't, uh--"

"Let me take care of that part," said Adrien. "What do you say? Can I give her your number?"

Missy seemed to consider, looking between the couple. "Well, as long as I'm getting paid... Sure. It was nice to meet you, Marinette...?"

"Dupain-Cheng," she finished. "Nice to meet you, too."

Missy looked back down at her phone, signaling the end of the conversation, and the two heroes pardoned themselves.

"What was that about?" Marinette demanded.

Adrien rubbed the back of his neck nervously. "Well, I just figured... I can come over and model for you whenever you want, but you'll probably need a girl, too."

"But I don't have any money!"

"I'll pay for it."

"I--I don't want you to pay for me!"

Adrien adjusted the lapels of his jacket. "It's not that big of a deal." Besides, it's worth it not to see your heart break over someone like Julian. "We should probably get going."

"Wait a minute, Chat--"

"No, princess, I won't--"

They both froze.

"I mean..."

"What I meant to say..."

"Adrien!"

"Marinette... is what I meant to say."

"I just said Chat because--"

"I was just thinking of princesses, because... you look so pretty and--"

"See, what happened was... Are those cupcakes? I have to go... over there... to check out those cupcakes!"

"Yeah, and I have to..." He cleared his throat. "I have to get water for my... yeah."

"Because I live in a bakery," Marinette explained awkwardly. "So I have to look at cupcakes."

"And I have to save my voice for... you know, modeling. So I'll be right back."

"Yep. Yep. Okay."

They stared at each other for a moment longer before turning in opposite directions and walking quickly away.

That was a close one, they both thought simultaneously.

Aw, jealous Adrien. So cute.

Seriously, go read it.