It was 8:30 pm and Marinette was rummaging through her closet to find something decent to wear. Rose was sitting on her bed, humming a joyful song while painting her nails in pink.
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"Rose? What do you think I should wear between those two dresses?" asked Marinette, showing Rose a burgundy long sleeved fitted short dress and a red sleeveless pleated mid-thigh dress with a large black belt in its middle.
"Definitely the red one. Red looks so good on you!" she squealed. "And you should wear it with opaque black tights and your short black boots!"
"Yes good idea! And I'm sure I have my black leather short coat somewhere..." she said while looking for it.
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Marinette went to the bathroom to change and re-do her hair. She opted for a low messy bun and let loose some strands of silky black hair to frame her face. She did her makeup but kept it natural. After all, its not like she was going on a date or anything, just a casual outing... with a freaking walking god who's a renown supermodel and who also happens to be her boss' son!
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"Marinette! It's almost 9 pm! Don't keep your date waiting..." called her roommate in a sing-song tone.
"It's not a date!"
"If you say so."
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Rose was grinning and Marinette let out a sigh, rushing to the door.
"Your purse!" called out the blond haired girl.
"Thanks! See you later! Bye!"
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Marinette ran down the stairs and to the main entrance of the dorms. Adrien was already there, waiting for her. He stepped out of his car as soon as he saw her.
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"Hey there, you look lovely tonight." greeted the young man, smiling.
"T-thank you... I... You look good too!" stuttered Marinette, her cheeks coloured with a light shade of pink.
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Adrien opened the passenger door for her to climb in the car. He took his seat behind the wheel and turned to look at Marinette. He had to admit that she was really beautiful tonight. He smiled softly.
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"I was thinking of going to that new coffee-bar that just opened near the Tuileries Gardens." he suggested. "I've read they have the best baked goods around."
"Yes that seems nice! But... I can tell you that they don't sell THE best pastries in Paris." she answered.
"Oh, you've already been there?" he asked, a bit confused.
"No. I just know that my family's bakery makes the best macarons, cupcakes and croissants. You should come and try them someday."
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She grinned and Adrien let out a breathy laugh.
"Is that an invitation?" he asked, winking at her. She suddenly felt her face growing hot.
"No! I-I mean... yes? I mean sure but... it's closed now, for at least the next year so..." she stammered.
"Really? What happened?"
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Marinette looked at Adrien, who had started the engine. She saw concern in his eyes.
"It's... temporary. My mom comes from China and had important family business to attend there. My parents had to close the bakery and rent their... well, our house, which is above the bakery, to be able to pay the bills..." she answered shyly.
"I see... So is that the reason why you moved in the university dorms?"
"Yeah... I was supposed to stay with them for at least a couple of years, continue to work part time at the bakery but... you know the rest. It wasn't planned at all. It all happened just two weeks before the beginning of the first semester."
"I see... You know, you don't have to be shy about that. I think it's great that you managed to attend this good university and to live on your own on such a short notice."
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Adrien smiled softly. She lost herself in the green of his eyes for a few seconds, and thanked him timidly. After a moment, he cleared his throat, and Marinette thought she saw a dust of pink on his cheeks.
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After a short car ride and casual conversation, they arrived at the coffee-bar. The waitress assigned them a small table in a quiet corner. The place was lovely. They selected their coffees and pastries and chatted animatedly about the new Jagged Stone album that just came out. Marinette was surprised at how easy it was to chat with Adrien. She would have thought that, coming from a rich family and being a celebrity among the fashion industry, he would be maybe a bit snob or condescending. But he was none of that. In fact, he seemed like a simple nice guy, who did not really care about his fame.
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They discussed everything and nothing, laughing a lot, having a good time. They switched from coffee to white wine, and after two glasses, Marinette's shyness seemed to have completely vanished.
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They decided to take a walk near the Seine, now that the sky was clear and the air was warm. They couldn't stop laughing, talking about their best friends' most embarrassing stories.
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"... and then, Nino woke up on the roof, half naked, wondering how the hell he got up there!" revealed Adrien, laughing.
"Oh my god! I... I can't imagine how lost he must have been! That reminds me of that time when Alya..." continued Marinette.
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It was past midnight when the car pulled up in front of the university dorms. Adrien opened the passenger door for Marinette. When she got out of the car, she bumped her foot against the curb and lost her balance. She braced herself and closed her eyes, thinking she was going to hit the pavement face first, but the shock was less violent than she assumed it would be. In fact, her face and torso hit something firm but soft at the same time.
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When Adrien saw Marinette falling, he jumped in front of her to try to catch her. With the momentum of her fall, her body collided with his and he tumbled backward. His heels bumped against the curb, which made him fall on his rear, with the young woman across his lap.
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When she realized what happened, Marinette was instantly mortified. She shuffled awkwardly, trying to move away from Adrien.
"Oh my god I'm SO sorry! I-I can be so clumsy... Oh god I didn't want to knock you down! I understand if you want to fire me! I... ok kill me now." she rambled.
"Hey... It's ok, don't worry Marinette. Are you alright? Did you hurt yourself?" he asked gently, putting a comforting hand on her shoulder.
"N-no... I'm fine... Are you?..."
"I'm good. I..."
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Adrien forgot what he was about to say. His eyes met her big bluebell ones, then they slowly drifted to her pouting lips. He felt his heartbeat suddenly increase, fighting against the urge to kiss them...
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He was brought back from his daydream when Marinette stood up and presented him her hand to help him. He took it and was surprised by how strong she was, as she was pulling him on his feet.
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Adrien rubbed his nape with his other hand, a habit he had since childhood.
"Well, that was... a very nice evening. I haven't laugh that much in a long time... Thank you." he said, his cheeks hot.
"I... Thank you. I had a great time too..." she answered shyly.
"See you tomorrow at work?"
"Hum... y-yes see you tomorrow."
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Adrien didn't notice he was still holding her hand. He let it go slowly, and she shivered at the caress of his fingers as they left her palm.
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Marinette walked to the door and turned to wave at him before entering the dorms. She almost ran to her room, closed the door behind her and she dropped onto her bed, dumbstruck. Well, she was screwed.