*A/N* Heloooooo beautiful fandom! I'm happy to report that I, in fact, did not fall off a cliff, or die of Corona... But I haven't posted any new content for the last year for a very good reason. I was busy giving birth to a beautiful baby boy! He's perfect in every way, but transitioning to being a mom of three and struggling through severe post partum depression took all my focus. I still love this story and am determined to finish it! A huge thank you to everyone who has followed my story this far. You guys are the reason why I haven't given up on this story like I have so many others. Merry Christmas! And I hope you enjoy this new chapter!

CHAPTER 17

Marinette checked her appearance one last time in the reflection of the cafe window as she rushed past it and around the corner. The sight of Adrien leaning against the building, one hand stuck casually in his pocket, distracted her long enough to stumble slightly on the uneven sidewalk. It just wasn't fair how handsome he was.

His face lit up at the sight of her.

"I'm so sorry I'm late, Adrien." She began as she regained her balance. "I got caught up in a design project, and one thing led to another and well, you know how designers are! I knew I should have set an alarm." She frowned in frustration and Adrien chuckled lightly.

"Don't sweat it, Marinette. Believe it or not, I have all the time in the world." He offered her a lopsided grin as he opened the door to the LadyNoir Cafe and gestured for her to enter.

"Well, that's a first," Marinette replied lightheartedly, stepping through the doorway. "Back in school, it seemed like you were barely allowed any free time at all."

Finding an open table, they settled in across from each other, a feeling of comfortable familiarity smoothing Marinette's frazzled nerves. She found it a little odd, considering the fact that she had never once before felt at ease when he was within a mile radius.

"My father doesn't seem to understand the difference between protection and imprisonment." Adrien said, aiming for a lighthearted tone but not quite reaching it. "But enough about me, I want to know how your interview went!" He said, leaning slightly across the table toward her.

Marinette stifled a groan as she ducked her head slightly.

"I totally bombed it." She whined.

"What? What happened? My father wasn't mean to you was he?" He questioned, a haunted look ghosting across his features.

"Well, I..." she averted her eyes. "I may have told your dad off because he's a complete jerk to you and tries to treat you like a child, even though you're obviously not a child anymore and you deserve so much better than that cold-hearted, manipulating, pathetic excuse for a father." The words tumbled out of her mouth as Adrien gaped at her. She clamped her jaw tightly shut as heat flamed in her cheeks.

"You stood up to my dad? For me?" He asked in bewilderment, and she shyly nodded her head, still unable to meet his gaze. "I don't even know what to say, Marinette." He scratched the back of his neck. "I... I can't believe you would give up something like that for me." A hint of a blush colored his cheeks.

"You're my friend, Adrien, and one of the purest people I've ever met." Marinette stated, determination flaring in her gut as she finally lifted her gaze to meet his. "I'm sorry I haven't really been there for you like I should have been. I could come up with a million excuses, but the truth is I've been a lousy friend for a long time, and I owe you an apology. You deserve better than that, Adrien."

"Thank you, Marinette." He replied, a tender smile touching his lips as he reached across to place his hand over hers. "You have no idea how much that means to me."

"You're welcome, Adrien." she replied, a warm feeling blooming in her chest.

Out of nowhere, a tall brunette practically tackled Marinette from behind in an enthusiastic hug. Her sleek, dark hair cascaded to her waist, and Adrien couldn't help but notice the intricately colorful tattoos covering her forearms.

"Danica! Hi!" Marinette exclaimed excitedly through a veil of dark hair. "I didn't know you were working today."

"Yeah, one of the baristas called in so I had to come in and cover for him." Danica replied as she pulled away. "The curse of being the boss, I guess."

"Adrien, this is Danica. She runs this cafe." Marinette explained and Adrien reached out to shake Danica's hand. "Danica, this is my friend Adrien Agreste." She continued with a smile.

"Wait, the Adrien Agreste? As in the model?" Danica gawked.

"Former model." Adrien corrected. "My days of posing are officially over."

"What a shame." Danica frowned. "How come you never told me you're friends with one of

the most famous faces in Paris?" She playfully slapped Marinette's arm.

"Would you have believed me of I had?" Marinette countered with a wry expression and Danica let out a half chuckle.

"Not even slightly." Danica smirked. "Any chance you can hook a girl up?" She nudged Marinette with her elbow expectantly.

"Danica I don't th-"

"Sorry, Danica," Adrien cut in. "I'm not on the market right now."

Danica let out a sigh.

"You can't blame a girl for trying." She shot him a good natured wink. "Well, what can I get for you two? I make a killer Spotted Lady. It's a strawberry cream smoothie with dark chocolate chips."

"Ooh, that sounds delicious. I'll have one of those." Adrien replied.

"You got it! Marinette, I'm guessing you want the usual?" Danica looked to Marinette with a quirked brow. "Dirty Chai Noir Latte with whipped cream?"

"Of course." Marinette said with a chuckle. "Can you add a couple croissants to that as well?"

"Absolutely. I'll get this out for you guys in just a few minutes." Danica shot another wink at Adrien and strode off.

"I take it you've been here before." Adrien joked as Danica made her way back to the counter.

"Oh, a few times." Marinette replied with a wink. "This is one of Alya's favorite hangouts. Can you guess why?" She joked lightly as she gestured around to the posters and photos of Ladybug and Chat Noir covering the walls.

"Can you blame her? This place is awesome." Adrien replied, scanning the room. "I like that one the best." He said pointing to a photo of his alter ego and his partner in action. Marinette turned to see.

"Yeah, that's a pretty good one." She agreed as she rested her chin on her palm. "Alya took that one for the LadyBlog. It really captures Ladybug and Chat Noir's dynamic."

Adrien hummed thoughtfully.

"And Ladybug's graceful power." He continued. "I never get tired of watching her."

"Oh, you're a fanboy!" Marinette chuckled. "Careful now, mister, or your girlfriend is going to get jealous." She chided playfully, though a traitorous part of her heart twisted painfully.

"Well, we actually aren't officially a couple quite yet, but I'm hoping things will go that way soon." He responded with a shy smile. "She's amazing."

Marinette cursed herself for the twinge of jealousy that stabbed at her. She just had to bring it up didn't she?

"She had better be to deserve you." Marinette replied, trying to sound playful but it came out a little to quiet and soft. She cleared her throat as Danica brought their drinks and rushed off to greet new customers.

"So tell me about your new place! Nino seems really excited about it." Marinette redirected, desperate to change the subject, and took a sip of her drink. Perfection, as always.

"It's definitely a lot smaller than I'm used to, but it can't be worse than crashing on Nino's couch like I have been lately." He joked as he peeled off just the tip of his straw wrapper. He then blew into the straw, shooting the rest of the wrapper at Marinette like a tiny missile.

Surprised, Marinette couldn't help but chuckle at his antics. She had never seen this side of him before. It was refreshing.

The two of them spent well over an hour talking about anything and nothing before they said their goodbyes and parted ways. Marinette felt lighter somehow. Hearing that Adrien was seeing someone had caught her off guard, but she reminded herself that she was sort of seeing someone as well. She just needed a little time to work through her old feelings, and had just taken a huge step in that direction.