Today really didn't go as planed for Marinette. She forgot to charge her phone when she went to bed, so of course it was completely dead this morning. Since her phone was also her alarm clock, and that Rose slept at Juleka's last night, she woke up already 30 minutes late for her morning class.
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She got up and got dressed, tied her long black hair in a messy bun, grabbed a banana and ran across the campus. Naturally, she had to miss the last step leading to the university's entrance, and to drop the books she was holding.
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In the afternoon, she had totally forgot that she had a test for her fashion's history class, so she hadn't study for it. She was able to answer all the questions (thank god it was mostly multiple choices questions) but she barely finished on time.
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She had a four hours shift at Agreste's that night, so she ran as fast as she could. She had been working there for two months now. Unfortunately, her bad luck stroke again. It had rained in the afternoon and while she was just across the street from work, a car going too fast passed beside her, rolling in a giant puddle, splashing water all over her.
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"Oh come on! Now what?!" shouted angrily Marinette, stomping, water dripping from her now wet hair and clothes.
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She stood there for a few seconds, bewildered, then shook her head before crossing the street. She then noticed a man staring at her, his eyebrows raised in surprise, a small smile on his lips.
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"Ah...M-mister Agreste!" said the young woman, suddenly more aware of her now messed up look.
"Please Marinette, I already asked you, call me Adrien. Mister Agreste is my father." answered her boss's son.
"S-sorry! Erm..."
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She didn't know what to say. She was so embarrassed!
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"Don't stay outside like that, you'll catch a cold." said Adrien, smiling softly at her. He opened and hold the entrance door for her to come in the building.
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"Come with me, I have some towels in my office. And I'm sure I'll be able to find you something dry to wear."
"I'm ok! You don't have to! It's just a little bit of water..." she tried shyly. Adrien chuckled.
"A little bit? You're soaking wet. You're literally standing in a puddle right now."
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Marinette groaned. She didn't know which god she pissed off today but he must be really mad, with all the bad luck she had. She nodded slowly, her face now feeling on fire.
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She followed the model to his office. He let her in but she stayed near the door, worried to ruin some papers or furniture with the water still dripping from her clothes. She looked at her reflection in the nearby mirror and mentally cringed. Her hair were flattened, her mascara was running down her cheeks and her clothes were sticking to her body. At least she wasn't wearing a white blouse, or she would have died right there from embarrassement.
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Adrien handed her a thick towel, still smiling. She took it, thanking him and proceeded to dry her hair and her clothes. She noticed that he was still looking at her, but seemed lost in his thoughts. He shook his head and his green eyes met her blue ones.
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"You can stay here while I go check for some spare clothes. You can use my washroom to freshen yourself up if you wish. Don't worry about being late, I will tell Nathalie what happened."
"T-thank you..." Marinette stuttered.
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Adrien came back a few minutes later with pants and a t-shirt borrowed from one of the employee. Marinette had cleaned her face and she was tying her damp hair in a low ponytail. Her clothes were still clinging to her figure, which didn't go unnoticed.
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She took the dry clothes from him and went back in the washroom to change. The pants were a bit too big for her but they were at least warm and comfy. She stepped out of the office and turned to thank the young man for the umpteenth time, before heading for the employees' room to put away her belongings.
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"It's my pleasure, Marinette. Oh and wait! By the way, would you like to go for a coffee later tonight?" asked Adrien. "I have some free time, and since our best friends are dating, we could, I don't know, maybe reveal their most embarrassing secrets?" The model was now grinning, his eyes sparkling with mischief.
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"Well, why not? That could be fun." laughed Marinette. "But I'd like to go back home after my shift, to at least look decent."
"No problem, I can pick you up at 9pm. Where do you live?" asked Adrien.
"Erm... well..."
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She was embarrassed to reveal that she was living at the university dorms. He probably lived in an opulent apartment in one of the more prestigious areas of Paris. He was the son of one of the most influential designer in Europe, after all.
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"Could we rather meet at the café?" tried Marinette.
"Nonsense. It seems that you had enough trouble today. Let me at least pick you up. That way you'll be sure to arrive at least dry." Adrien blinked at her she felt her cheeks flush.
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"W-well... Promise me you won't laugh..." said Marinette shyly. His face became suddenly serious.
"Why would I? You don't have to be ashamed, you know. I know that you study full time and can only manage to work part time. Student's life can be really tough."
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"Thank you." answered Marinette, smiling a little. "I live... at the dorms on the university campus..."
"Really? Nice! I would have loved that! You're lucky." He smiled softly at her.
"Hmm. Lucky is not the first word that would come to my mind." she answered. "I would say... desperate?" she tried.
"Why? You live at a place where you can meet a lot of great people. You can never really feel lonely..."
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She felt a pang in her heart. He seemed lost in his thoughts for a moment. When she met his gaze, she smiled softly.
"I never thought about it that way... But you're right. And since my best friend and my parents are abroad, I'm kind of relieved that I have at least a nice roommate to keep me company."
"I'm glad. So, 9 pm sounds good for you?" he asked.
"Sure! See you later Adrien... and thanks again for everything."
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For the first time since she was working there, Marinette felt like her shift was taking forever.