A/N: Thanks again for all the wonderful reviews! Every single one I read makes my day! Enjoy chapter 3!


Adrien loved the routine he and Marinette had fallen into.

Every few nights Adrien would muster up the courage to come knocking at her door and ask her to try the new recipe he made, or she'd shoot him a text telling him her door was unlocked and to let himself in so they could eat croissants and play Ultimate Mecha Strike.

When they were together, things were so easy. He'd crack lame jokes and 'pretend' flirt with her, and she'd roll her eyes and tease him right back. He loved being around her. From what he could tell (seeing that she continued to hang out with him), she enjoyed spending time with him, too.

It started as a once a week thing- they were both incredibly busy, after all- but after a month or so their lives became even more intertwined. He didn't know who had initiated it, him or her- both of them, maybe?- but soon they were grocery shopping together, folding laundry in front of the TV while watching the latest Netflix reality dating show and mocking it endlessly (but secretly loving it at the same time), barging into each others' apartments to steal a roll of paper towels or a glob of toothpaste, the whole nine yards.

They hadn't known each other for very long still, but it was a closeness that Adrien had never felt before, one he longed for his whole life. Coming home to his apartment wasn't just a relief because he could rest after a hard day of tutoring or classes. He now had something greater to look forward to- Marinette's kind, calming presence.

But Marinette wasn't the only important person in his life. While she was quickly becoming a strong contender for the role of 'Adrien's favorite person to be around,' that spot was still being proudly defended by his best friend, Nino. The past few months he had been traveling from city to city, entertaining at clubs now that his DJ career had finally taken off. Recently he had texted Adrien to tell him that he'd be back in Paris. While making plans to hang out, Nino suggested he stay over at his apartment.

"What I'm hearing is you're between places right now and you don't want to crash at your parents' house," Adrien had said on the phone when he had asked if he could stay over for a week. "Is that right?"

"Exactamundo, my friend," he said proudly. "So tomorrow's good, yeah?"

"Of course. I'll see you soon."

"Miss you, bro."

"You too. And if your mom makes you dinner, bring home the leftovers."

"Duh."

With the short notice and Marinette's extra hectic schedule for the past couple of days- she was assisting with a major design project for one of her internship's top clients- he didn't really get the chance to tell her about his week-long visit.

She found out soon enough.

Nino had arrived with just a couple duffle bags of belongings and a whole crate full of leftovers from his mom's house. He gave Adrien a fistbump, then stifled him with a crushing hug, and it was like no time had passed at all. A few hours later, Adrien was destroying him in Ultimate Mecha Strike (of course) when the front door swung open.

Adrien didn't even need to look up to know who it was.

Since becoming so close, Adrien and Marinette had developed the habit of leaving their front doors unlocked while they were home for easy access. Cue Marinette strolling in around 9 pm and making a beeline for the kitchen. "Hey, I'm stealing two of your eggs, okay?" She didn't even bother glancing in his direction as she opened the refrigerator door.

Nino stared at the intruder in shock. "Bro, do you know her, or is this the lamest robbery ever?"

Adrien kicked him playfully, dropping his remote. She always received his full attention when she entered the room. "Nino, this is Marinette. Marinette, Nino."

Despite himself, Adrien felt himself becoming slightly nervous. He was never someone who had a large group of friends. Now, with two of his favorite people in the world meeting so suddenly, he desperately hoped they would like each other.

She finally looked up, noticing the other occupant. "Oh! Hi. Sorry. Didn't mean to interrupt you two." She smiled at him in that effortlessly disarming way of hers. She looked radiant in a black dress he suspected she designed herself, her hair curled in soft waves.

Adrien's heart seized at the sight of her. She looked beautiful. She always did, of course. How could Nino not love her?

He flinched at the thought. Well, not like that. The normal kind of love. Ugh. Whatever.

"So this is the famous Marinette!" Nino dropped his remote as well, standing up alongside Adrien. "I swear I've heard your name at least a thousand times over the past month."

Adrien resisted the urge to kick him again, this time harder. "Ha. He's exaggerating." He glared at his friend, who didn't seem to pick up the cue.

"Nah, man, for real! I started keeping a tally but I gave up past 37 times in one phone call."

Marinette clenched her jaw in the way he knew she did whenever she was holding in a laugh. She shot him a curious look, and he groaned internally.

"And you're the famous Nino," she said, graciously changing the subject. "I've been wanting to meet Adrien's DJ friend. I've heard your stuff on Spotify- you're amazing."

He grinned at her. "Thanks. You have good taste."

She laughed. "I'll take the compliment." She turned to Adrien. "Again, sorry to interrupt. Cool if I take these?" She held up the eggs in her palm.

Adrien smiled warmly at Marinette in that special way he reserved just for her. He felt Nino watching him with interest over his shoulder, but ignored it. "Of course. You know you don't have to ask."

"Yeah, but I don't want Nino to think I'm rude."

Nino gave her a thumbs up. "All good, dude."

She chuckled, and the fear in the pit of his stomach dissolved. Even if Nino obliviously embarrassed him, he was thrilled they were getting along.

"Are you off somewhere tonight?" Adrien asked, trying not to sound overly interested. He knew at this point that Marinette didn't have a boyfriend, and he was too invested in his friendship with her at this point to screw everything up by making a stupid move. With her being single, it just made sense that there'd be plenty of guys out there throwing themselves at her feet. Maybe she was dressed for a date, then.

And if she is, you have no right to be jealous. She's your friend. If Marinette's happy, I'm happy. Even if I would also be really sad.

But she quickly dismissed his fear. "Just got back, actually. Alya and I went out for dinner and now we're baking brownies."

"Alya's over there?" He didn't bother masking his interest this time. He had been wanting to meet the amazing best friend Marinette sang praises about.

Right on cue, a girl with glasses and dyed, reddish hair with dark roots strolled in with the confidence of a proud fox. "Sorry, I couldn't wait. I'm too curious." She eyed the three of them with a curious flint in her eye. "Hi, there."

"Alya," Marinette warned, glancing nervously at Adrien. He raised his eyebrows, and she looked quickly away.

She sauntered over to him, sticking a hand out for him to shake. "Alya Cesaire. Best friend of Marinette Dupain-Cheng and apprentice reporter for Channel 7 News."

He took her hand, grinning appreciatively at her boldness. Marinette had described her perfectly. "Adrien Agreste. It's great to finally meet you."

"Likewise."

Nino was by their sides in an instant, his eyes zeroed in on Alya. Adrien fought back a laugh at the 'lovestruck puppy dog' look he was giving her. "Hey. Nino Lahiffe. Best friend of Adrien and up-and-coming DJ." Instead of holding out a hand to shake, he raised a fist. She fist-bumped him, smirking curiously.

"Hey yourself. Marinette played me some of your stuff, actually. You're good. Would you ever be interested in doing an interview?"

Adrien hid a smile behind his hand as he watched Nino flush up to the brim of his hat. "I-I, uh, I've never been asked to do an interview before. Seriously?"

"Seriously. Here's my card." She presented it with a flourish, winking at him.

Marinette caught Adrien's eye as Nino shakily accepted it, grinning from ear to ear. She raised her eyebrows at him, and he nodded at the pair, making a face. She giggled.

"It's like they have their own secret language already."

"Right? It's insane."

Their attention snapped back to their friends, who were both looking at them like there were creatures in a zoo.

"What?" Adrien's cheeks were a little pink. He scratched at his jaw in a lame attempt to cover it up.

Alya's smirk was directed at him now. He felt he was in dangerous territory. "You two are so perfectly in sync. And it sounds like you're together all the time- which I guess makes sense, the way Marinette talks about you."

"And that's our cue to leave," Marinette said hastily, linking her arm around Alya's and giving Adrien an apologetic- and a little embarrassed?- smile. "It was nice to meet you, Nino."

But he wasn't letting this opportunity go.

"I'm sorry, the way Marinette talks about me? Details, please." He placed his elbows on the counter, resting his chin in his palms cheekily.

Marinette rolled her eyes at him, but Alya was only getting started. "Oh, where to begin! First she's raving about this great guy who rescued her from the treacherous front door that won't unlock-"

"Alyaaa," Marinette whined, releasing her to cover up her face with her hands.

Alya grinned mischievously, forging ahead. "And then you're out her cooking her dinner all the time like such a perfect gentleman- her words, by the way-"

"Oh my God, seriously? Why do you live to embarrass me?"

"What? I'm just saying it makes sense you want to hang out all the time with your amazing super handsome- again, her words- neighbor friend! Where's the lie?" She looked back at Adrien, her grin devious. "And knocking down her front door to come to her rescue? You really are something else, Agreste."

Marinette was blushing furiously and Alya was laughing good naturedly, and all the while Adrien is trying to sort out his thoughts which are exploding in his head.

Wait a minute… what a damn minute… is there a possibility that Marinette is as into me as I am into her?

The thought filled him with so much elation and joy he felt like he could float.

Until Nino promptly dragged him back to planet Earth.

"Oh that's nothing compared to how Adrien talks!"

He whipped his head towards his best friend, mouth agape. "Uh, bud, we don't need to share details here-"

"No, I need the details," Alya interrupted, eyes shining with excitement. Marinette had stopped wallowing in embarrassment as well, looking at Nino curiously.

Nino beamed under Alya's attentive gaze. Adrien was officially done for.

"He's all 'Marinette is so kind Nino,' 'Marinette is the closest thing a human being can be to perfection Nino,' 'Marinette smells like vanilla and strawberries, isn't that the greatest Nino?'"

"That's so exaggerated," Adrien said gruffly, knowing full well that it wasn't.

Alya didn't miss a beat. "Did you know Marinette had Adrien's modeling pictures in her bedroom when she was a kid?"

Nino's jaw dropped. "No way! That's hilarious!"

"Yeah, so funny," Marinette said sarcastically. "He already knew that, anyway."

"Does he know that when he did that one shoot for his fragrance line that you downloaded the ad off of YouTube and made the audio your ringtone and then-"

"Okay okay okay! No more details, please!" Marinette quite literally shoved her hand over Alya's mouth to stop her from saying another word, her face beet red.

Adrien had tried to suppress his laughter for Marinette's sake, but it slipped out after that one. Nino eyed him like a tiger stalking its prey. "You laugh, Adrien, but a week ago you said Marinette sent you a voicemail and you listen to it in the middle of the day when the kids you tutor are being brats to feel better-"

"Nino!" Now it was his turn to shove his hand over his mouth.

"Awww, that's so sweet," Alya gushed.

Nino peeled off Adrien's hand. "I know! My bro can be really sensitive and stuff."

"So is Marinette! They're perfect for each other, aren't they?"

Marinette and Adrien, wide eyed and absolutely humiliated, watched their two friends endlessly swap stories about the two, laughing louder and longer with each teasing remark about their relationship.

Adrien also didn't miss how they were gravitating closer and closer together as they spoke. Huh.

"Okay, we're leaving," Marinette grumbled to Adrien, stalking out the door with the eggs in hand. "Feel free to join us for brownies when you're done having your fun, you two!"

He followed her out, glancing behind him to see if their friends had noticed their exit. They hadn't.

Once they reached Marinette's apartment, she closed the door and sighed loudly. "Wow. They're… quite the pair."

"Yeah," Adrien agreed, crossing his arms over his chest and leaning against the wall. "You were right about Alya. She's great. She and Nino together, though…"

"Dangerous combination," Marinette finished, shaking her head with a smile. "They live to humiliate us don't they?"

Adrien chuckled. "Yeah. They do."

Then there was a beat of silence. Not their usual, comfortable silence when they had ended a conversation and simply continued to enjoy each other's presence.

One of them needed to address the elephant in the room- both of their friends were clearly hinting at their mutual attraction for each other. But was it all teasing or was it real?

Adrien knew it was real for him. He wanted it to be real for Marinette, too.

Before he mustered up the courage to bring it up, she spoke. "It's funny. They bounce off of each other really well, right?"

"Surprisingly well for people who just met." He couldn't tell if he was relieved or disappointed that he didn't bring it up. Maybe both?

"I'll bet you five bucks Alya asks him out before the end of the night."

Adrien grinned at her. "You're on. I bet NIno asks her out first. He's tenacious."

"And she likes to have the upper hand."

"I guess we'll see, then. And I heard something about brownies, right?"

She poked him. "You're a bottomless pit, I swear. Help me gather the dry ingredients. We can eat all the brownies in front of our undeserving friends when we're done."

"I like that idea."

An hour and a half later, they were out of the oven with Nino and Alya still nowhere in sight.

Adrien turned to her with a grimace. "They're probably making out on my couch at this point. I don't think they're coming over any time soon."

She laughed. "Poor Adrien. Too afraid to go home?"

"Petrified. Movie?"

"Sure."

And this chain of events is what led to the two of them passing out on Marinette's couch in the middle of the second Pirates of the Caribbean, Marinette leaned up against Adrien's chest, his arm protectively wrapped around her waist. They were awoken by wolf whistles and the flash of Alya's camera later that night.

Adrien swore to Nino that he would kill him.

Later, in private, he asked for a copy of the photo.


The first time Marinette saved Adrien's life was a week after they met each others' best friends.

Well, 'saved his life' was a bit of an exaggeration, even if he claimed it wasn't

As much as the Alya and Nino unit annoyed Marinette to no end with their constant teasing of her and Adrien, she was really sad to see Nino go.

Alya even more so, even if she hadn't said it out loud yet.

The four of them had been spending a lot of time together throughout the week. When he and Alya weren't scheming, he was genuinely sweet and doting towards her friend, which made her heart swell. Alya deserved a good guy, and Nino had proven himself to have a heart of gold. She could tell he adored her by the way he hung onto her every word, his pupils practically contorted into hearts.

Adrien had voiced his own approval about the potential couple when he and Marinette were alone. "He's one of the most respectful guys I know, Marinette. And I've never seen him fall so hard and so fast before. If they do end up together, he'll treat her well. I can guarantee that."

"And she'll do the same for him," Marinette replied honestly. "Alya hasn't dated much, but the guys she does date she's fiercely loyal to. She's also the most fun and thoughtful girlfriend ever."

That look passed over Adrien's face, the one where the corners of his eyes crinkled and his expression softened- a look, she had noticed, he only gave to her- and he opened his mouth to respond. "Well, I could see you-" And then he stopped himself, blinking quickly. "I-I mean, I could see you… knowing that. Because she's your best friend."

Marinette was puzzled at that response, but wrote it off as one of Adrien's 'blonde moments,' as she affectionately dubbed them.

As her best friend, Marinette also caught on that Alya had fallen hard for Nino in turn. It was the way she held herself around him, confident but relaxed, gravitating towards him naturally with a subtle lean. They also never ran out of things to say to each other, falling into bouts of witty banter that would be so quick Marinette and Adrien could hardly get a word in edgewise.

Me and Adrien. Since when do I start thinking of us as a unit?

Marinette frowned, her brow creased. Alya and Nino's words had started getting into her head. Publicly Nino declared all these sweet things Adrien was saying about her in a successful attempt to embarrass his friend, and privately Alya insisted he was in love with her.

"I don't know, Alya," Marinette had said, self-consciously crossing her arms. "Adrien is a really nice guy. I'd hate to mistake his kindness for romantic interest."

She stared at her like she grew a second head. "He sends good morning and good night texts every day, girl. He's learned how to cook your favorite foods. He goes all dreamy eyed every time you walk in the room. And you like him too! So what are you waiting for?"

She squirmed under her friend's intense stare. "I mean… I don't want to hurt our friendship if I'm mixing his signals. And I like the way things are now, anyway."

Alya shook her head at her. "Girl. I love you. I promise not to say I told you so when you guys finally become a happy couple and get married and have babies-"

"A bit intense there, Al-"

"He's your soulmate, Marinette! I'm telling you!"

"Speaking of soulmates, I heard you and Nino went to the movies yesterday for some one-on-one time-"

"Hey, don't change the subject!"

As much as she wanted to believe her friend, Marinette's mind had been made up. Friends for now. And as close as they had gotten, they still hadn't known each other for very long. Jumping into a relationship could feel like too much too quick, right?

Of course, the universe had a funny way of throwing Marinette headfirst into "too much" situations.

Cue her standing in her hallway having just gotten back from her internship, her eyes as wide as saucers as she took in the sight of Gabriel Agreste standing in the hallway, right in front of Adrien's door.

She gripped her purse tighter in her hands, feeling her palms begin to sweat. Oh my gosh. It's my idol. And Adrien's dad. He's in my hallway. Do I say something? Do I pretend not to recognize him?

He was staring at Adrien's door with a steely gaze that made her shiver, looking as if he wished he could burn holes through the wood.

Okay. Bad mood. We're going to ignore him.

She awkwardly shuffled past him and stood in front of her own door, fumbling for her keys. He didn't give her a second glance. Out of her peripheral vision, she saw him whip out his phone and dial a number.

She couldn't find her keys. Why does she never organize her purse? She had pulled out her ID lanyard three times now thinking she had found them.

"Adrien. It's your father. You need to pick up your phone."

Marinette winced. He must have gotten his voicemail. That wasn't good.

"I've been waiting in front of your apartment for five minutes now. Have you forgotten our appointment? Call me back immediately. If you're not here by 6:30 I'm leaving."

He hung up. Marinette could practically feel dark clouds flooding the hallway with his stormy mood.

Finally, she felt the cold metal of her keys in her hand. She glanced down at them longingly, her escape from this awkward situation.

But Marinette couldn't let Adrien face his father's wrath like this. She had to do something to get his mind off of Adrien's tardiness.

So she turned around, putting on what she hoped was her most charming smile. "Monsieur Agreste?"

He turned around. For the first time, Adrien's father seemed to notice her. He narrowed his eyes behind his glasses. "Sorry. I don't do pictures."

She fought to keep from flinching. "I wasn't going to ask for a picture. I'm Marinette, Adrien's friend."

Now his expression resembled one of mild interest instead of deadpan boredom. "Oh? The designer?"

She flushed. She had forgotten that Adrien had talked to him about her designs. "Yes, that's me. It's nice to meet you."

Marinette extended her hand, her heart stopping for half a second when he hesitated. If she left her hanging with her arm outstretched in the hallway, she'd die of embarrassment. Thankfully, he accepted her handshake.

"It's nice to meet you as well. Do you happen to know where my son is right now? We were supposed to meet."

"No, sir, but he usually is back by now. It's possible his bus is running behind- that happens every now and then."

He raised an eyebrow at her. "You seem to know his schedule pretty well."

She couldn't help but feel that he was insinuating something with that statement. Not quite knowing how to respond, she lamely offered, "well, he does live across the hall."

"That's true."

There was a pause. Neither seemed to know what to say next.

Mr. Agreste's presence made her nervous and fidgety, but all she knew was that she couldn't leave him standing in the hall waiting. He would only get madder the longer he'd be out there. This is for Adrien.

"Would you like to step into my apartment while you wait? I could make you some tea."

She held her breath.

He considered her for a moment, his eyebrows drawn. He looked her up and down and she resisted the urge to squirm.

She didn't expect his next words. "Did you design the blouse you're wearing?"

Marinette blinked at him. "Um, yes. Yes, I did."

Mr. Agreste pursed his lips. Then he nodded. "I'll take you up on that tea. Do you have any of your designs handy? I'd like to see them."

Now she did squirm. "You don't have to do all that, sir. I'd hate for you to think I invited you in to look at my work and not because you're the father of my good friend."

He arched an eyebrow. "Make no mistake, Marinette. I would never look at your work out of obligation. I want to see it because I'm interested in whether you have anything unique to offer."

Once again, he took her by surprise. Nodding with a slightly dazed expression, she quickly unlocked her door and invited him in.

For the first five minutes or so, she found herself silently begging Adrien to hurry up and get there. She made their tea while Mr. Agreste sat stiffly on her couch, flipping through her sketchbook carefully. She glanced over at his expression more than a few times but couldn't get a read on him.

It wasn't until she sat a mug in front of him that he spoke. "Do you have the physical form of any of these readily available? This dress, perhaps?" He pointed to one of the sketches.

She leaned in to see which design he had indicated. "That dress was a gift for my friend, Rose. I don't have it with me but I have pictures."

"Pull them up."

Marinette willed her hands not to shake as she pulled out her phone- Adrien still hadn't texted her back she noticed- and found the pictures Juleka had sent of her girlfriend trying on the garment. It was a blush colored frock with hand-stitched embroidery that had taken her hours and left her fingers covered in band-aids, but it was one of her proudest accomplishments. Rose had quite literally burst into tears when she saw it.

Mr. Agreste was silent once again while he scrutinized the image, zooming in to get a better look at all of the details. Marinette held her own mug of tea in her hands, taking short sips of the too-hot liquid to ease her nerves.

He set her phone back down on the table. Removed his glasses. Cleaned them daintily with a cloth he pulled from his pocket. "It would have been better with a more expensive fabric, and the stitching would draw the focus it deserves if you would have used thread a shade or two darker. It is, however, quite exquisite."

Marinette nearly dropped her mug. She set it down quickly, her hands shaking tremulously. She hid them behind her back. "Thank you so much, sir."

Adrien had explained to her his delicate relationship with his father. He had told her how they loved each other deeply, but his father's expectations of everyone were insanely high. Even his words of praise lacked true warmth and were usually followed by sharp criticism, according to Adrien.

With that in mind, his review of her dress would go down as one of the greatest compliments she had ever received in her life. She had half a mind to snatch back her sketchbook and write down what he said, word for word, right then and there.

"You are welcome," he said calmly, either not noticing or choosing not to comment on how much his praise had meant to her. "I thought my son was being dishonest with his review of your talents as he often is when it comes to his friends, but I see he was accurate in his praise of your work. You have an eye for detail that even some of my most practiced designers seem to lack."

The rush of endorphins from this second compliment was dulled by his criticism towards Adrien. Ever the loyal friend, Marinette didn't think twice before speaking up.

"Adrien isn't dishonest. He genuinely sees the best in people. It's one of his greatest strengths."

His eyebrows shot towards his hairline. She tensed, but didn't back down, choosing not to avert her eyes from his as much as she desperately wanted to look away.

"Seeing the best in people, as you put it, is hardly a strength. In the world of business, if I chose to 'see the best' in my new hires rather than use a critical lens to analyze their strengths and weaknesses, the Gabriel Agreste brand may be no better than the JC Penney sales rack." His response was measured, but not harsh. She sensed he even appreciated her challenge.

So she kept going. "In that specific context, sure, I understand your point. But when it comes to Adrien and his friendships, he celebrates their successes and their talents in a way that builds them up, making them work even harder to achieve their goals. That right there is a strength, and one he should be proud of."

Mr. Agreste pursed his lips, considering her words. "Hm."

Hm. That's all she got. But it felt like a victory.

"Can you show me any designed pieces you have on hand?" He picked up his mug of tea and took a small sip.

She smiled at him, and this time it wasn't forced. "Of course."

Now that she felt she had earned his respect, Marinette felt no fear in showing her work to Adrien's father. She took his criticism thoughtfully and glowed under his praise as they scrutinized each garment. She even went so far as to defend some of her creative decisions when he questioned them, and, in turn, he would either accept or disagree with her point. Most of the time he disagreed, but she didn't take it to heart. He was, after all, one of the biggest names in the fashion world. He knew what he was talking about.

But so do I, she thought privately. Cocky, maybe, but according to Gabriel Agreste, she had reason to be.

By the time they heard Adrien's voice in the hall, they were pondering Marinette's latest design she had been working on: a tailored suit for a design competition.

"Black is classic," he argued, a crease forming between his eyebrows.

"But if I want to stand out from the competition, the last thing I want to do is give them a black suit," she defended. Still, she made a note in the margins of her sketchbook.

"That would make your piece even more impressive. If you can elevate the classic black suit, it becomes far more extraordinary than if you had used bright yellow fabric as a cheap gimmick to stand out."

That made her pause. His lips twitched it what may very well have been a smile as he took another sip from his tea. He knew he had won that one.

"Father? Hello? Are you here?"

They both turned to look at the door. Mr. Agreste sighed and stood up, walking to the edge of her apartment and swinging her front door open. Marinette leaned forward from her spot on the couch to watch their exchange.

Adrien whirled around in the hallway, staring at his dad in shock. He was an absolute mess- he was breathing heavily, his hair in complete disarray, and his backpack still slung around his shoulders. Marinette's heart twisted for him. He really was working himself ragged these days.

"Hello, son," Mr. Agreste said calmly.

The bewildered expression didn't leave his face. "Father… you realize that isn't my apartment, right?" His voice heightened in pitch as he fell into panic. "What are you doing in there?"

That's my cue, she thought sardonically.

Marinette got up from the couch, inching into his line of sight. "Hey, Adrien." She smiled at him calmly.

He blinked. Rubbed his eyes. Squinted at her. It was as if he couldn't believe the sight before him- his father standing at her door, her standing behind him with a mug of tea in hand, like this was all totally normal. "Hey, Marinette." His eyes flitted between the two. "Uhh… so this is my dad."

"She gathered that," Mr. Agreste said dryly. "Why are you thirty minutes late?"

"My bus broke down," he quickly responded, some of the panic returning to his voice. "And I had to run the rest of the way here. And I left my phone charger in one of the classrooms and someone stole it before I could get it back, so my phone died."

Mr. Agreste narrowed his eyes, but held back any criticism he had thought to give. "Well, regardless, I'm glad to see you. I'm eager to see your apartment."

Adrien seemed relieved. "Great. But um… why are you in Marinette's apartment?" He was now looking squarely at her, an apology in his eyes. He clearly thought she had been suffering for his sake for the last half hour. She waved him off, holding back a laugh.

"She invited me in," Mr. Agreste explained. "We've been discussing her designs. You were right- they're very good."

At that, Adrien's expression finally cleared. He smiled warmly at Marinette. How the hell was she supposed to pretend like she only wanted to be friends with him when he kept looking at her like that? "Of course they are. She's amazing, isn't she?"

Now it was his dad's turn to look between her and Adrien with a bemused expression. "Yes. She is."

"Thanks, both of you. Seriously," she said, fighting off a flush. "I won't keep you any longer, Monsieur Agreste. Thank you so much for all of your advice. And it was great meeting you."

"You as well, Marinette," he said, offering her a final handshake. "I look forward to seeing your work in the future."

She blinked at him. "Sir?"

"You said you've got a one year contract with your internship, yes? When that's over, you'll be hearing from me. We could use more people like you working for the Agreste brand."

Her eyes widened. "I… thank you so much. I sincerely look forward to it."

She glanced over to Adrien to see what his thoughts were. He was positively beaming, holding out two enthusiastic thumbs ups. 'You deserve it', he mouthed.

Now Mr. Agreste smiled at her, a real one this time. "We'll be in touch." Walking over to Adrien, his smile was replaced with a small frown. "Stand up straight. Your posture looks terrible."

Adrien straightened, then shot a look to Marinette when his dad wasn't looking. She stifled a giggle behind her hand.

Later that night, Adrien had sent her a text begging her to join them for dinner if she could stand it.

She did. Happily.