"Are you sure you don't want me to just wait for you?" Marinette questioned her best friend over the phone as she locked her front door behind her. "I really don't mind the wait. You and Nino deserve the quality time."
"I'm totally sure." Alya answered back as Marinette stepped up to the crosswalk, looking both ways before stepping over the curb and out into the street. "We're not rushing. Nino's gig is in thirty. I'll leave as soon as the first song's over. You just make yourself comfy."
"And the spare key is-"
"Under the mat, duh. Go into the lobby, get in the elevator, go to floor four. It's simple."
"And it's apartment 454, right?" Marinette made it to the other side of the street, feet hitting the sidewalk as the sound of thunderous applause echoed through her phone's speaker.
"What? Yeah! Sure. Look, they've started the music for the opener so I can't really hear you. Just make yourself at home. I'll be there asap."
"Wait, Alya I-" Marinette groaned as she pulled the phone from her ear and stared down at the blank screen. "Okay, no big deal." She assured herself, looking up at the buildings around her. "Dove Crossing, Floor Four, Apartment 454." Marinette found the apartment building with little difficulty, pushing open the door to the lobby with a quick glance around the interior.
The lobby was nice. She could have designed better, but still, nice. She could see why Alya and Nino had picked the place. She scanned the lobby; front desk, mail boxes, pool entrance..elevators! She hit the button for floor four as she entered the elevator, glancing around curiously. The security camera in the corner caught her eye and she smiled. With Alya being an up and coming reporter and her fiancé, Nino Lahiffe, quickly gaining traction in the music industry, it never hurt to have some added security. Leaving their spare key under the mat though..Marinette was sure that would be a focal talking point in their next conversation. Who leaves their key under the welcome mat anymore? It's just asking for someone shady to come along and let themselves into your apartment.
The elevator doors opened and Marinette stepped out into the hall, examining the signs in front of the elevator.
"Apartment 425-475." Marinette read, turning to the right and glancing at each door number as she walked. "448, 450, 452…454!" Marinette examined the door, frowning down at the welcome mat. "Living in a gangsta's purr-adise?" Marinette stared at the animated cat with sunglasses far longer than necessary before she shrugged and bent down to check under the mat. Sure, Alya's style was typically more..refined..but Marinette had never been to Nino's previous home. Perhaps the hideous doormat was one of his contributions to the new place. Just as Alya had said, a small green key sat on the ground under the top left corner of the mat. She unlocked the door, carefully placing the key back under the mat before she stepped inside and shut the door behind her.
The apartment was not at all what she had been expecting. In her parent's home Alya had tended to lean towards a specific color palette. That is to say..her room was orange, just multiple shades of orange everywhere. It was her favorite color. And sure, maybe your home doesn't necessarily have to have a monochromatic color scheme, especially when living with a partner, but this was..
"Cats." Marinette spoke to herself, taking in the walls with a deep breath. "It's all…cats." Her eyes danced from the kitchen, with its cat paw themed oven mitts and black cat cookie jar, to the living room where a large cat tree took up a whole corner of the room, it's platforms paired with the multiple shelves around the living area making it possible for a cat to get to almost anywhere in the apartment without touching the floor. She walked down the hall, peered into the bathroom and promptly decided that Alya must have lost her mind. Who in their right mind would have a shower curtain of an orange cat with a towel over it's shoulder, holding a toothbrush and a tube of toothpaste that read 'So Fresh and So Clean Clean'? She could almost give a pass for the cat themed toothbrush holders, but the 'wash your paws' sign over the sink? Horrendous. She was nearly to the bedrooms when she heard the front door begin to open and she turned and began walking down the hall as fast as she could.
"I don't know what you were thinking with this decor. Why didn't you ask me? I would've-" Marinette's body slammed to a stop as her eyes took in the man standing in the front doorframe. Blonde hair. Green eyes. Tall. Muscular. Carrying a giant duffel bag. In Alya's apartment!
"You're not Plagg." The man spoke, eyeing her as if she was the one breaking into her best friend's apartment. The nerve! He let the duffel bag drop to his feet and her eyes followed it instinctually. Breaking into Alya's apartment with a giant bag. Why would he have a duffel bag unless he was going to steal something? Or kill her.
"Shit! Get out of here!" Marinette yelled, grabbing the first thing she could reach, which turned out to be the cat themed cookie jar, and hurling it at his head. As he yelled in surprise and tried to dodge the projectile, she made a break for the bedrooms, sliding into the master and slamming the door behind her. She locked it as quickly as she could and backed away from the door, heart pounding in her chest. Should she call Alya? The police?
"Miss? If you don't come out of there I'm going to have to call the police." The man called from the other side of the door.
"Call them then!" Marinette yelled back, voice shaky. "You can't just waltz into someone else's apartment!"
"Yeah I know, that's why I want you out of there." The man answered back with a laugh, as if this situation was in any way funny.
"I'm not coming out!" Marinette cried, jumping when she felt something soft and furry brush up against her leg. "Wha-"
"Can I at least have my cat then?"
"Your..your cat?" Marinette choked out as she looked down at the creature rubbing against her leg. The black cat looked up at her with its giant green eyes and meowed, head tilted to the side as it took her in. "Oh my god. I'm in the wrong apartment."
"Yeah. Obviously." The man on the other side of the apartment door chuckled. "Where are you supposed to be? You don't seem like a thief to me."
"I'm not! I swear! I'm supposed to be visiting my friend and her fiancé. They just moved in this week." Marinette unlocked the door and swung it open, watching in slight shock as the cat walked out and wrapped itself around the man's ankles.The man bent down and picked up the cat, settling it in his arms before he turned back to Marinette with a contemplative frown.
"You're one of Alya's friends?" The man questioned, seeming satisfied when she gave a curt nod. "How'd you get in here?"
"Alya told me their spare key was under the mat. Apartment 454. I checked the number before I came in." Marinette began to violently wring her hands, nerves setting in the longer he stared down at her.
"Alya and Nino's apartment is 455. Apartment 454, this apartment, is mine." The man glanced down at her hands then back up to her face. "No harm done?" He questioned, holding out a hand for her.
"Besides your cookie jar." Marinette winced as she shook his hand. "I'm Marinette."
"No big deal. I'm sure I'll find another one somewhere." The man shrugged as they both pulled their hands back from each other. "I'm Adrien."
"Nino's friend." Marinette groaned, head in her hands. "They told me you lived in the building. You were a reference, got them off the wait list."
"I did." Adrien deposited the cat on it's cat tree and opened a closet door, pulling out a broom and dust pan. "Nino told me they were looking for a place, I saw the vacancy across the hall…three birds with one stone."
"Three?" Marinette questioned as Adrien began to sweep up the broken glass from the cookie jar. "I can get that. It's my fault."
"Just stay back. I don't want you to cut yourself." Adrien finished sweeping up the glass and dumped it in the kitchen trash can. "Three birds. Alya and Nino wanted an apartment, The apartment manager wanted to fill the vacancy and I crave intimacy because I had a traumatic upbringing. With them right across the hall, not only do I have my best friend, I also got to meet Alya. Making new friendships is important to me." Adrien stashed the broom and dustpan back into the closet they'd come from and glanced up at the cat clock on the living room wall. "When is Alya supposed to be back?"
"Um.." Marinette followed his gaze, studying the clock for a moment. "Half an hour?"
"Want a drink? I don't have anything great, but it'll kill the time at the very least."
"If it helps me forget what just happened," Marinette groaned, already taking a seat at his kitchen table. "I'll take anything."
(A/N This was inspired by something but it's been so long since I wrote the outline that I honestly have no idea exactly what it was inspired by. I'm thinking a meme, but who knows for sure? Not entirely sure if this will have more to it or not. I thrive off comments. They are literally my motivation. Good, bad, in between. If you want more- I'm happy to deliver in exchange for feedback)