Come in professional clothes.
Marinette wore a pair of black cigarette pants, black heels, and a soft red blouse. Her makeup was done up but not so heavy as to imply anything but professionalism. Her hair was left hanging down past her shoulders.
Bring a dress bag to carry anything you need with you.
In her right hand, Marinette held a hanger zipped inside of dress bag. The garment container held her mask, a casual dress, and a few basic toiletries tied in a smaller bag so as not to rattle around and attract attention.
Go to the front desk. Tell them you are an employee meeting with me and need the access card.
"Hello!" The woman sitting at the receptionist's station greeted Marinette as she stepped into the foyer. "How can I help you?"
"Ah, yes, hello. Um…I'm here to meet with Mr. Agreste." She lifted the hanger to draw the woman's attention. "We have to discuss the new piece in my collection."
"Oh, of course. Mr. Agreste let us know that someone would be by. Let me grab you the elevator key." After a moment of rustling materials, the woman handed a metallic silver card to Marinette's outstretched left hand. "The elevator is right back there" the woman stated as she gestured further back into the foyer. "Once you enter, swipe the card against the sensor and it will allow you to choose the fourth floor."
"Thank you so much."
Heels clacking rhythmically against the floor, Marinette boarded the elevator and ascended. The door opened with a ping, revealing a long hallway stretching in two directions. To her left, two doors spread rather far apart. To her right, the same. She stepped out and walked to the furthest door on the right with the number he had specified.
Knock three times, loudly. Wait a few seconds and then come in.
Deep breath. Knock, knock, knock. Breathe again. Unzipping her parcel slightly, she gingerly reached in, retrieved her mask, and secured it in front of her eyes—somehow without snagging the hanger in her delicately coiffed hair. Identity in place, she reached for the door handle and entered his home.
Marinette had never actually had the opportunity to see Adrien's condo in person. The apartment she had with Alya had been their default gathering place since long before Adrien had moved out of the manor. The pictures he had sent when he moved in were fairly close to what she could see now. White walls covered with bookshelves and framed posters. Notably few of them were of himself as a model, but a large movie poster of his mother adorned the wall space to her right. The entry way emptied into the living space directly ahead and, based on what Adrien had shown the friend group, the kitchen would be directly to her right past the wall.
There were a few notable differences in the condo's appearance from what she knew. First, the floor was littered red rose petals creating a path further inside. Second, the seating in the living room had been pushed against the available walls making room for a large blanket which had been set out on the rug—perhaps a bit redundant but very romantic, nonetheless. Third, a large cutting board with charcuterie had been set on the blanket along with empty wine glasses—and it smelled divine. He must have baked some brie in pastry.
Stepping forward with a smile forming on her lips, Marinette lurched to a halt when she heard Adrien screaming—
"WAIT! I am SO sorry, but just…wait….hold on….just a second!"
Based on the strain and panic in his voice, she could only guess that he was struggling at some task just beyond the wall in the kitchen.
"Again, so sorry, I heard you knock, but then I couldn't find where I put my blindfold and before I knew it I heard the door opening so…..uhhhh…just give me a second to find this darn thing. Oh shit, did I leave it out there?"
She cast her eyes at the picnic, and where there was indeed a puddle of black fabric next to the wine glasses. Her smile had returned to her face as she listened to his flustered exclamations, and she felt the weight of the evening lifting.
"Close your eyes!" She called out, hanging her garment bag on the coat hooks next to the entrance.
"What?"
"I said, close your eyes!"
"Oh um…ok."
Striding forward, she bent down to scoop up the blindfold and turned to face the kitchen for the first time. It was lovely and expensive looking certainly, but her eyes gravitated towards the man standing behind the island. His hands were pressed securely over the top half of his face, the perfect parody of an anxious child who just walked in on something he shouldn't have. He wore a white button down, sleeves rolled up to his elbows and buttons taken down to mid chest. Good lord I can't tell if he's sexy or adorable.
Catching her bottom lip beneath her teeth, she approached him, her Tether pulling her closer and closer. She stepped around the island and made her way behind the man who had captured her heart. Her nose an inch from the back of his neck, she whispered.
"Hi."
"Hi." His voice was quiet and shaking a bit as he exhaled out.
"Do you trust me?"
"Of course… What do you…what do you need?"
"Keep your eyes closed" she whispered right in his ear. She had popped onto tiptoes and reached both hands up to place them over his own. As her skin made contact with his, he gasped lightly. Her Tether was practically singing with the rightness of it. She slowly lowered his hands down to the island counter and slowly dragged her fingers back up his arms, his shoulders, his neck, and over his cheeks, the black blindfold dragging behind her left hand. She took her time placing the fabric over his eyes and tying it behind his head, savoring every jagged breath she could hear coming from his lips.
"How does that feel? Not too tight?"
"It's perfect."
Displaying a peace sign in front of his face she asked, "How many fingers?"
"Ummm… all ten?"
"Good guess, but you failed. Luckily for you, a failing grade means that you…" she drawled out as she gently grasped him by the shoulders and lightly directed him to turn around so that his back was to the island, "get a kiss." Hands still on his shoulders, she tilted her face up and placed a kiss gently against his lips.
Hands found their way to her hips and gently pulled her flush against his body. He kissed her back, and she wound her hands up behind his neck and started twining his hair between her fingers. The golden strands were soft, quickly becoming mussed beneath her ministrations as the two of them became absorbed in each other.
Shifting their legs, Marinette could feel his erection against her thigh. Smiling against his lips, she pulled back just an inch.
"Hi" she whispered with a chuckle. "Good to see you again."
Chucking himself, Adrien replied "I wish I could say the same."
"I like the place."
"Ahhh, you reveal another clue. So, you've never been to my condo."
"How much does that really tell you? Do you have that many women over for visits?"
"Huh. I suppose it doesn't let me know that much more. Did everything go okay finding the place?"
"It went perfectly. I suppose the real trick is figuring out how I'll leave without raising eyebrows."
"You'll just have to stick around for a while. Julie is on duty until 9pm, so after the shift change you leaving shouldn't be connected to when you came or who you were visiting."
"Well, I don't think we'll have any trouble finding something to do for a few hours."
"Of course not! I spent a pretty penny on fancy cheese, so we need to make use of it all."
"Is there anything you need me to do for the date?"
"Yeah, can you grab the bottle of wine off of the counter? And then I guess you can lead the way to the living room."
She did just that. Guiding him to the floor, she poured them both a small glass and handed one to him before taking stock of the food. Fruits, meats, jams. Hard cheese, goat cheese, and brie baked in pastry and topped with candied walnuts. Fresh sliced baguette.
"You don't mess around when it comes to charcuterie."
"I'm offended you ever doubted me! Can you hand me something to try?"
Working on his request, she fielded his questions.
"So…is it rude if I ask what you're wearing?"
"Not at all. You're at a disadvantage after all. I did exactly as you asked—business professional. Black slacks and red blouse. And the mask of course."
"You seem taller than I remember. Heels?"
"You are indeed correct. I'm about 5'3" without heels. Positively tiny."
"Nothing wrong with tiny! I bet you'd fit well under my chin for hugs. That's a great quality in a wife."
"You're not wrong there. I read somewhere that people need something like ten hugs each day to maximize their happiness."
"Interesting. I'll need to keep that in mind as I search for a wife—one who can provide an adequate quality and quantity of hugs. I'll admit…I don't think either of my parents met that quota with me." His voice seemed sheepish, but Marinette knew that pain resided in that admission.
"Do you want kids someday?" she asked, lifting her own treat to her mouth.
"Yeah, I think I do. You said you wanted two that night in the garden, right?"
"Three kids. Although who knows, maybe we start with one and see where we go from there. I wouldn't want to bite off more than I could handle."
He was quiet for a few seconds, and his brow was furrowed above the blindfold. "I worry about having kids." She remained quiet, leaving him space to think through his words unrushed. "I love my mom, and she was so good at being a parent. But she's been gone for half my life now. And my dad…well my dad isn't exactly the poster child for affectionate parenting. I do love him, but…I guess I'm worried about how I'll be as a parent when I have so little to model from my own experience."
"I know your father hasn't been the best at parenting, but I think you could learn. You have all of the base qualities."
"What qualities would those be?"
"Well, you're incredibly kind. And curious, which is something you can use to show your kids the world. You have a strong moral code to teach your children right from wrong. And you care. Honestly just caring about being a good parent is a great start. And as for learning, I think my dad is pretty awesome. I'm sure he'd be willing to take you under his wing." Her Tether hummed with an odd mixture of emotions that she couldn't quite puzzle apart. He was…happy? Or maybe he was touched by the offer. But there was also a deep pain which she couldn't find the source of.
"Luckily we've got some time before any of that becomes necessary" he said. Quickly changing the subject, he asked "What's one place in the world you've always wanted to visit?"
For a second, Marinette considered taking his bait and walking away from what was really on his mind. Just for a moment. "Your bedroom" she deadpanned.
A spluttering cough exploded from Adrien, prompting him to take a sip of wine to wash down the baguette and toppings which had become trapped. After a few moments, he cleared his throat and gathered his composure enough to feign nonchalance. "I - uh - I think that can be arranged."
Marinette handed him a napkin with a wry smile on her face. "I'm kidding. Besides, I've been to your bedroom before."
His forehead wrinkled together above his blindfold. "Wait, you said you'd never been here before, how could you have been to my bedroom?"
"I mean your old bedroom, at the manor." She used his moment of stunned silence to take a bite.
"Huh. Was this during your teenage obsession years? And was I there? You didn't break in to steal my boxers, right?"
"In order, yes, sometimes, and no."
"Sometimes? So you've been there several times. Very interesting."
"I was also there enough to understand your worries." She had managed to bring it back around. "I mean, I don't pretend to know everything that you've gone through or all of your thoughts and feelings or anything" she rushed out. "But I have seen how your relationship with your father has been strained, and how you've struggled with that."
Adrien was silent for a few moments. His thumb was rubbing circles against the adjacent finger in a self-soothing motion. She was glad that he had the blindfold on so they couldn't look each other in the eyes. It was so much easier to talk that way. "He has always wanted me to be perfect. And I have always tried to be that for him. But deep down I know that I can't be perfect. No one can."
"You're afraid of disappointing him."
"I'm terrified." The Tether hollowed out her stomach as he spoke. "I have disappointed him so many times in the past despite my best efforts. And even now…right here with you I worry that I'm disappointing him. Spending my time on clandestine dates with a woman who is not one of the hand-picked women he has chosen as an option for me to marry. And I can't…I can't waste time."
The breath caught in Marinette's throat. Please don't let him end this so soon. I can't be the only one to fight for this.
"But I think even more than that…I'm terrified of disappointing myself. I have…I have done everything in my life for his sake." His voice was a little ragged, emotion caught in his throat as he fought for composure. He jolted as hands gently cupped each side of his face, then softened into them.
"You deserve to be happy" she whispered. Then she wrapped her arms around his neck and held him tight. The hug required her to settle in his lap, their legs a tangle. His face was buried in her neck. Her Tether arced in her stomach a moment before she could hear and feel him sobbing into their embrace.
She held him for what felt like hours. As he wept, she brushed her fingers in lay and comforting patterns across the nape of his neck and across his shoulders. She peppered soft kisses at his temple and whispered soft words against his ear. "It'll be ok…let it out…I love you…I'm here for you…It's ok to be sad."
When his breathing evened out, she felt empty. Her Tether felt empty and numb.
"He doesn't have long."
The words were quiet and hoarse. She was unsure at first that she had even heard them.
Pulling back slightly to bring them face to face, she spoke. "What?"
His face was streaked with tears, his blindfold damp. "My father. That's why…that's why all of this is happening. He doesn't have long." By the end his voice had tapered off to a whisper, ending in silence which spread between them.
Grief. That's what he's been feeling.
"So the marriage deadline…that's because he's not going to be around much longer?"
A nod.
Pulling him back into a hug, she said with tears starting to clog her throat "Well that just proves you don't need to be perfect. In his last months, all he can think about is making sure that you won't be alone. You'll have someone to take care of you."
A fresh sob tore from Adrien's throat, and he held her so tightly the air rushed from her lungs. They stayed that way until both of their tears had subsided. Her legs were tingling uncomfortably beneath her, having fallen asleep in their awkward position. They slowly separated, and she let out a small hiss of pain as she extricated herself from his lap. The clock on the stove said that it was just after 9:30.
Marinette suddenly felt very vulnerable. "I uh, I'm sorry if I overstepped any boundaries." She laid her hand on top of his on the blanket. "But I'm glad you told me." He flipped his hand over so that their palms could touch.
"It's after Julie's shift. If you need me to go so that you can have some space, I can do that. Or…" she cleared her throat. "if you need me to stick around a while longer, I can do that too."
He didn't hesitate. "I don't want to be alone."