Marinette wondered how she allowed herself to be dragged into this situation. Alya had her hand, and was currently dragging her through every jewelry and accessories shop they had near them.
"You want a new outfit for tomorrow night?" Marinette had frowned.
"No, that's not what I said!" Alya responded, rustling through her closet. Marinette glanced down to her sketchbook, looking at the newest order. A pair of faux leather pants and a white baggy sweater to go over them. A really cute outfit, Marinette remembered the customer wanted the outfit for her senior photos. The sound of snapping fingers made her look up. Another outfit was pressed to Alya's chest.
"That's cute, but it sorta clashes with the red tips," Marinette fingered the ends of her own hair to demonstrate. Alya nodded knowingly and hung the dress back up. She sifted through more clothing. Another dress, this one purple and black.
"Maybe. What else you got?"
"Ooh, this one is cute," Alya said.
"So, are you going to tell me what you actually said?" Marinette tried.
"I want new… additions to my outfits. What's the word?"
"Accessories?" Marinette offered.
"Yes, that! If I keep wearing the same dresses over and over again, I'm gonna need something to… to spice it up. So we're going shopping!"
"When? I don't have the time tonight."
"Tomorrow. Our plans are at seven, so we'll have plenty of time before then. You get out at three tomorrow, right? And I get out at four. Then we hit the stores!"
"Sure thing, Alya." Marinette rolled her eyes, knowing it was unlikely they would actually have time to shop. It seems she misjudged Alya's dedication to shopping, however, because she got home at four, as promised, and they hit the town.
"How about these earrings?" Alya gasped, pointing through the glass case. Marinette shrugged.
"Pearls won't match the dress. Plus, they're not your style."
"Yeah, you're right. Oooh, those are the same color as that dress!" She scampered off, and Marinette followed, glancing unexcitedly over the earrings. One problem about being poor and having good taste was that the cheap stuff almost never lived up to expectations.
When Alya had thrown down her dresses in frustration, Marinette remembered.
"Hey, I have this dress from a couple weeks ago. The order was cancelled, even though it was in perfect condition and there was nothing wrong with it…" Marinette had taken a breath, shoving away her irritation. "Anyways, it's got a good style, and it's about your size. I can do a quick modification, if you want."
"Is it that white one that's been laying around?" Alya had asked excitedly. Marinette nodded. "It's white and orange, with a bit of black. You would look good in it." And she was right. It was almost perfect for Alya, just a quick hem in the shoulders and it fit beautifully. Alya had gushed and gushed over the style, leaving a very pleased Marinette in her wake.
"What about these?" Alya held up the next pair of earrings. Marinette glanced up quickly, and raised an eyebrow.
"Too gaudy," she answered immediately. Alya huffed, placing them back onto the rack.
"You're too picky," Alya countered. Marinette rolled her eyes.
"You're too willing to buy everything you see. If I wasn't here, I'm sure you would've bought the pearls and those monstrosities. You should be happy you dragged me here."
"I'm definitely reconsidering, I'll tell you that."
"How about these?" Marinette pointed, and a worker came over and unlocked the glass case. Marinette turned the earrings over in her hands. They seemed sturdy and glittered prettily in the false lighting.
"Oooooh, I like it!" Alya grinned. Marinette returned the smile easily.
From there, Alya picked out cute little bracelets and hair clips, none of which she would wear to their outing. Marinette knew from experience.
"Okay," Alya announced as Marinette scanned the store, unimpressed. Everything was tacky and boring, copying many styles that are too many years old. "I'm done for tonight. Let's go get ready!"
"Are you gonna tell me who we're going with? You just said 'we aren't going alone', which doesn't make me feel very comfortable about any of this." Marinette flicked a tasteless feather hair band back onto the rack of baskets.
"Oh girl, trust me. You're gonna be the happiest person alive," Alya cackled.
"Wait, is this a double date?" Marinette gasped. Alya just laughed. "Alya, I don't want to date anyone!"
"Girl, please—"
"No, Alya. I don't have time for a relationship! This is such a bad idea, why didn't you tell me?"
"Okay, okay. Fine. If you feel absolutely nothing for this guy tonight, then you can call it off immediately, okay? It's not set in stone, it's just a double date. Just give the poor boy a chance. Don't make him third wheel with Nino and I, you know first hand how uncomfortable that would be."
Marinette could admit, she had a point. Her arms crossed, and she huffed.
"Fine. One date. But it's more likely than not that it won't work out." They fell into a silence, and after a few minutes, Marinette caved. "Tell me about him," she huffed.
Alya tried to hide a cocky smile, but failed miserably. "He's a good friend of Nino's. He's handsome and sweet, really good personality. Pretty eyes," Alya sniggered, and Marinette furrowed her brows.
"Why are you laughing," Marinette asked cautiously.
"No reason, girl. Just picturing your face when you see him."
Marinette had that dangerous thought, the one she had been ignoring since she was told they "weren't going alone". Ignoring it felt like she was balancing on a high wire. Falling would cause the flood of dangerous thoughts she repressed to be released. She held on, pushing the thought away. It wasn't him. It wasn't.
"I better be starstruck," Marinette grumbled, and Alya stifled another laugh.
"Trust me, you will be."
Sabrina had messaged her.
She didn't understand why. It seemed so odd for her to finally be answering her ridiculous messages, sent drunk and sober. Why would she be responding after so long?
We should get coffee.
That was what the message read. Why would she want to get coffee? Why now? Why not three weeks ago, when she so desperately grasped the pill bottle, wondering if it was worth breaking that oath to Adrien? Where was Sabrina when she gazed longingly at the traffic in the road during rush hour, thinking about the relief of jumping in front of a moving car? Where was Sabrina when she couldn't stop herself from staring at the kitchen knives? Or the time she looked at the hiking equipment, eyes stuck on the ropes? When she looked at a bridge, thought of jumping? Where was Sabrina?
Working, Adrien had said. Working and working and never resting, he said. Managing three jobs is difficult, Adrien told her. She has almost no free time, he reminded her. No time for you.
She was here now, though. Maybe that was all she could manage. She knew Sabrina was a hard worker. She knew Sabrina was an entrepreneur, and she was trying to live her best life. Was Sabrina's best life one that didn't include her?
Based on the message, she doubted that was the case.
She shoved aside her pride, her spite, her anger, her betrayed heart. She did it for her mental health. She did it for herself.
Yes. Chloe messaged Sabrina back. Coffee sounds good.
Marinette walked into the entrance to the apartment building and bumped straight into Juleka.
"Juleka?" Marinette asked, puzzled. Juleka, to her knowledge, didn't live in this apartment building. Marinette was almost sure she never had, and didn't have plans to move in, either. So why was she here?
"Marinette," she greeted quietly. "Nice to see you again, Alya."
"Marinette?" A small, blonde head peeked past Juleka's shoulder, and Marinette's confusion grew.
"Rose?"
"Oh, it is you! How are you doing?" Rose's bubblegum voice grew louder as she pushed past Juleka's lanky frame to hug her. Marinette hugged her back, rather perplexed. She knew Rose's mother owned this building, but she had never seen Rose there before.
"What are you guys doing here?" Marinette asked as Alya introduced herself.
"Oh, girls! Welcome back!" Mme. Lavillant's voice came from the nearest doorway, and Marinette turned to see her head poking out into the hall. "Rose was finally introducing me to Juleka here! You think I'd have known my daughter's girlfriend before then, but I guess crazy schedules do cause for delays," Mme. Lavillant laughed. Juleka blushed a bit, and Marinette's mouth formed a little "o".
"How long have you two been going out and I didn't know about it?" Marinette demanded.
"Oh, do you know Juleka already?" Mme. Lavillant asked, eyes widening.
"We work together," Juleka explained.
"Oh! How lovely!" Mme. Lavillant exclaimed. "You girls should go out together sometime! I'm sure you'd all have a blast!"
"Actually, that would be a lovely idea!" Alya told her, smiling kindly. "But, we have to excuse ourselves. We have a double date tonight and we don't want to be late!" Alya said. Mme. Lavillant gasped knowingly.
"Of course, dears! We'll have to arrange that for a later date! You two have fun!" She called as Alya dragged Marinette upstairs. Marinette waved, barely moving her foot so she didn't trip on a step. She didn't miss Rose's frown as they left.
"Girl, did you even pick your dress yet?" Alya chided as they grabbed their stuff.
"I have two to decide between. Help me?"
Alya rolled her eyes fondly. "Of course."
Nino arrived at Adrien's apartment dressed in a light green button down and black slacks. A pair of aviators hung from his shirt, and his favorite sneakers covered his feet. He gave one glance at Adrien and laughed.
"Dude, you may have quit modeling, but you've definitely not lost your skill. Stop showing me up, man!"
Adrien didn't know what was so funny. He was dressed similarly to Nino, but with a white button down and black slacks. A black vest hugged his shoulders, and Adrien was in the process of rolling up his sleeves to counter the random heat wave. His shoes were dark and shiny, reflecting the setting sun through the window. A black watch rested against his wrist.
"Dude, it's just a double date. We're not going to Fashion Week in Paris!" Nino rolled his eyes. Adrien glanced down, confused at what was wrong, before Nino grabbed his collar and dragged him out the door.
As they started down the street, Adrien's thoughts started to wander.
"Hey, do you think Marinette would want to go to Fashion Week? I know she's a designer too, so I bet she'd love to go. And it'd be easy to get tickets because… why are you laughing?" he asked Nino, whose face was twisted as he attempted hide his giggles. He broke at Adrien's puzzled face.
"Dude!" Nino cackled. "You're going on a date tonight and you're still thinking about her? You're so screwed!"
Adrien's face turned red, and he looked into the street. "I just…"
Nino composed himself, barely. "Hey. If tonight doesn't work out, just ask her out! She'd go nuts if you took her to Fashion Week."
"I dunno man," Adrien shrugged. "I don't think she'd say yes to a date. Maybe if I just brought her as a friend."
"Adrien." Nino had stopped moving, looking at Adrien in disbelief. He put his hands on Adrien's shoulders and stared him in the eye. "Guys don't bring girls to Fashion Week as friends."
"Well, maybe I do."
"She's not dense. She'd understand your true intentions," Nino countered.
"What if my true intentions were to bring her as a friend?"
"I've never heard a bigger lie in my life, and I've heard Chloe claim she was done drinking. Just ask her out, dude!"
Adrien sighed, shrugging again. Nino rolled his eyes. They set off down the street again.
"You like her, it's obvious."
"Yeah."
"What do you like about her?"
Adrien smiled a bit. "She's kind. So kind, and sweet. She doesn't take shit from anyone, if the stories from Sabrina are true. She's selfless, and has a great sense of humor. She enjoys the same shows as me. I've never seen someone so motivated, or smart. Hell, to top it all off, she's gorgeous. I don't know, man. I don't want to risk losing our friendship if she says no."
"What if I told you there's no chance of that happening?" Nino asked after a second.
"She told me she didn't have time for a relationship between her jobs."
"Oh. She did?"
"She implied it."
"Oh, shut up man. She was probably talking about that one weird guy she talked to at work. Ask her out, you won't regret it."
Adrien hummed, looking at the sun set. He wondered if that was true.
Ding!
Adrien pulled his phone from his pocket.
Message From: Rose Lavillant
Hey did you know Marinette's going on a date tonight? I just saw her and she said she was going on a date with her friend.
He slipped his phone back into his pocket.
"I think I would."
"It's getting hot in here~" Alya sang as Marinette stripped to change into her dress. "So take off all your clothes~"
"Alya!" Marinette laughed. She slipped on her red dress, decorated with black polka dots. It was casual, with a slim bodice, short sleeves and a loosely hanging skirt. The pattern was where she got the name for her online shop.
"Ohhh, scandalous neckline!"
Marinette chuckled, reaching behind her and zipping up the dress. Alya finished, pulling the zipper past the part Marinette couldn't reach.
"A scoop neckline is hardly scandalous," Marinette rolled her eyes, slipping on a pair of black wedges, elevating her a few inches taller. Alya grabbed her heels, balancing the straps on one finger as she sashayed through their apartment, searching for her mascara.
"Here!" Marinette called, tossing it to her. Alya fumbled, but managed to keep the makeup in her hands.
"Now where's my phone?" Alya muttered.
"By the sink," Marinette responded offhandedly.
"Oh, shit!" Alya shouted. Marinette peeked out of the bedroom, fastening an earring to her ear.
"What?"
"We're running way too late! Grab your bag! Finish your makeup on the way!" she threw Marinette her lipstick, and shoved her heels onto her feet. Marinette grabbed her bag and shoved the lipstick inside, making sure she had her phone and wallet. They burst through their door, giving their neighbor quite the scare. Marinette raced to the stairs, feeling her feet wobble as she careened down them.
"Marinette, careful!" Alya called behind her. Marinette scoffed.
"I'm totally fine, Alya!" she responded, right before she tripped and fell down the stairs.
As they approached the restaurant—a rather nice one, Adrien noted—Nino's phone dinged.
He blinked, and pulled out his phone. His face contorted, going from confused, to worried, to surprised, to laughing. Adrien waited.
"Well, it seems your date fell down the stairs as they were rushing to leave—don't worry," he reassured as Adrien's face worried itself, "she's fine. Remembers her name and everything." Nino chuckled.
"Why are you laughing?"
"Once you get to know this girl, you'll understand," Nino coughed out the rest of his laughs. Adrien rolled his eyes, but his thoughts wandered again.
Marinette's clumsy like that…
Alya dragged Marinette—slowly now, because of her hurt leg—into the doors of the restaurant. Marinette looked around, wondering where Nino and her date were.
"We had a reservation," Alya told the hostess, "Lahiffe?"
"Ah, yes! Right this way. The rest of your party is already here." The hostess gestured to another waitress, who smiled and led them through the maze of tables.
"This is nice," Marinette commented, limping slightly and cradling her arm a bit, covering up the scrape on her elbow. "How'd you manage to snag this?"
"Nino and I have been meaning to get here for a while, but why experience it alone when we can share the experience with friends?" Alya winked at her as they rounded a corner. Nino caught her eye, and smiled, winking and standing up. His friend did too, and Marinette narrowed her eyes. She knew the back of that head. He turned around, and both of their faces went slack.
Adrien was making small talk with Nino when his face lit up, smiling and standing. Adrien assumed their dates had arrived. He stood, hearing a small gasp behind him. Great, he thought. She recognizes the model, Adrien Agreste.
He turned, and froze. She recognized him all right.
Their eyes met.
Hearts stopped.
Blood froze.
Lungs collapsed.
Knees weakened.
Faces flushed.
Lips tingled.
Fireworks.
Marinette's eyes darted between Alya and Nino, who shared knowing smirks as they greeted each other. She glanced back at Adrien. She smiled nervously.
He relaxed, taking a few steps forward to greet her.
"Hi," he said, smile creeping on his face.
"H-hi."
"Fancy seeing you here," Adrien gazed down at her. "You look beautiful,"
"O-oh." Marinette swallowed, blushing slightly. "Thank you. You look great too," she shifted on her feet, and Adrien's eyes widened.
"Right! Holy shit! Marinette, are you okay? Nino said you fell, but I didn't realize it was you at the time, and—!"
"Adrien," she laughed softly, placing an arm on his bicep. "I'm fine."
Adrien didn't miss the red scrapes on her arm, or her slight limp as they walked to the table together. Adrien pulled out her chair for her like a gentleman, and she laughed, shoving him slightly. He chuckled, helping her into her seat and sitting next to her. Once, seated, Marinette reached forward and flicked Alya's forehead. The brown girl wrinkled her brow.
"Why would you do that?" Alya asked.
"Was it really necessary to keep my date's identity a secret?" Marinette deadpanned, wincing slightly when her arm rested oddly on the table. Adrien's brow furrowed, but one glance from her made him look away.
"Yeah, I agree. It's not like I was gonna stand her up or anything," Adrien added. Nino rolled his eyes.
"You both would've been freaking out for the entire week if we told you. At least this way you can be yourselves, right?"
Adrien shrugged, and Marinette looked to the ceiling, purposefully avoiding everyone's gaze. Adrien turned to the darker girl.
"Nice to finally meet you, Alya. I've heard a lot about you," he told her, smiling kindly. Alya laughed.
"Oh, Adrien, between these two and the stories they've told me, I'm surprised you're not glowing with heavenly light!"
Adrien laughed loudly, and Marinette blushed hard, Nino rolling his eyes.
"But, yes. It's nice to meet the man who steals my boyfriend from me and sneaks my best friend to dark corners where no one knows what they do."
"Ritual sacrifices," Adrien answered immediately. Marinette and Alya both laughed, and Nino made a face.
"Dude, c'mon. At least tell us the deets!"
"Keep talking like that, Nino, and you're the next sacrifice," Marinette managed to say with a straight face, before making eye contact with Alya and laughing again. Adrien grinned widely.
Their waiter came, and they ordered drinks, finally pulling out their menus and glancing over them.
"Oh!" Alya exclaimed, pushing her menu farther into the table. All three of them looked at her as she pulled out her phone. "Did you guys see that video? The one with the two people saving that family from being run over?"
Marinette shared a glance with Adrien. She couldn't be talking about that, could she?
"What are you talking about?" Nino asked.
"You'll see!" Alya gleefully grinned. She flipped her phone around, and pressed play.
The view was grainy, from someone's phone. The camera shook as the person adjustd their hands and zoomed in on a familiar toddler who screamed, red-faced. The father struggled to move his child off the crosswalk.
The boy's face pinched and turned even redder as he pulled and pulled against his father's slipping hands.
"Look at this little brat," Someone snickered offscreen. "This is why I don't want kids."
The street was currently empty, so the child seemed to be in little danger. The father grasped for the child's arm again, and the boy screamed loudly.
The light turned green.
The boy slipped away from his father.
"Oh, that's not good," the person holding the phone muttered, following the kid with the camera.
And as if on cue, the roar of a supercharged engine blasted from the speakers on Alya's phone. She winced and turned it down slightly.
The camera jostled again, and Marinette watched herself leap into view, grabbing the small boy as someone else pulled the father to the other side of the street. The purple and orange car zipped past, pulling her back slightly from the force of the wind. She forced herself forward, stumbling onto the sidewalk as people made room for her arrival. The kid was still screaming.
"Yo, is she alright?" Someone asked, pushing forward through the crowd. Police sirens approached from behind the camera.
"That's basically it," Alya said, going to pull her phone back. Nino stopped her, peering intensely at the screen.
"Wait, wait, wait," he said, angling the phone back to them. All four watched as the woman looked up, and Marinette's face looked into the camera, looking around at her surroundings for the father.
Marinette felt Nino and Alya slowly look up at her. She grinned nervously.
"You didn't tell us you saved someone's life, Marinette," Alya started, face flashing through different emotions. Nino glanced back at the screen, and let out a laugh of disbelief.
"Apparently, it wasn't just Marinette," he pointed to the screen, and Alya stopped just in time as Adrien's face turned toward the camera.
"O-oh, yeah!" Adrien scratched the back of his neck. "T-that was me…"
"Yeah… me too." Marinette sighed.
"Why didn't you tell me?" Alya demanded. Nino nodded in agreement.
"I-I dunno! I got distracted!" Marinette defended, before realizing what she was insinuating. A blush overcame her and Adrien's face. Alya narrowed her eyes, glancing between the two of them.
She sighed. "I'm impressed, but just surprised you didn't tell me you saved this kid's life."
"Yeah, guys. I would've believed the "I was saving a kid's life" story more than the "I didn't impregnate Marinette" story." Nino told them. Marinette squeaked, Adrien started choking on his water, and Alya's mouth fell open.
"You what?" Her hands slammed on the table, and the nearby diners looked over, concerned.
"No! No, Nino's making a bad joke. A bad, bad joke." Adrien said through his teeth, glaring at Nino. Marinette took in a deep breath, refilling her lungs before she blacked out.
"Not funny, Nino," she managed.
Nino smiled evilly, "You seemed nervous, Marinette. Care to explain why?"
"Care to explain why Alya can't find half of her bras anymore?" Marinette asked sweetly. It was Alya's turn to choke on water, and Nino flushed a bright red.
"That's my girl," Adrien mutter, sending her a wink. Marinette grinned back.
Their waiter came back. They placed the group's drinks on the table. "Ready to order?"
"Dude, I'm telling you! You gotta listen to DJ Bubbler!" Adrien told Nino excitedly.
"Meh, maybe."
"I've already made him listen to a couple songs," Alya reassured Adrien.
"They were okay."
"Nino, shut up!" Alya laughed, shoving his shoulder. She bit into her food again, munching and saying, "—ino ith beree aganth twyin nu thins."
"Oh my god, Alya," Marinette laughed. "I have no idea what you just said."
Alya swallowed, "I said 'Nino is very against trying new things'."
Adrien snorted. "That's true. He didn't want to change his haircut when we were younger because he thought he only looked good with the haircut he had."
"And he doesn't want to hire anyone new at Busy Beans because he's too used to his crew," Marinette added.
"Wow, is this make fun of Nino day? Because you all suck."
"Sorry, Nino," Alya said, not sounding sorry at all. Nino rolled his eyes.
"Sure you are."
"Is everything okay tonight?" Their waiter asked.
"Yep. Can we get the check?"
"Of course," the waiter walked away and returned. Adrien went for his wallet, making sure Marinette was distracted. Alya pointed to a painting on the wall, waiting for Marinette to turn around and look, before winking at Adrien. He grinned, handing his card to Nino for the check.
"Wait," Marinette said, looking over at what Nino was doing.
"Marinette, bathroom?" Alya asked, grabbing her hand and dragging her out of her seat.
Marinette's brow furrowed. "You didn't even give me a choice!"
"You would've said yes anyways, let's go!" Adrien watched her drag Marinette away.
"Alya's good at that," Adrien commented.
"Yeah, we've thrown a couple surprise parties for Marinette, so Alya's the dedicated 'distraction'." Nino told him. Adrien nodded, glancing behind him. Marinette and Alya were long gone.
"So, have a fun date?"
"I hate you."
"Liar," Nino laughed. "You're happy I'm your best friend, who is willing to secretly set you up with your crush on a date."
"Yeah yeah… Thanks man."
"It was nothing, bro."
"Ready to go?" Alya asked, grabbing her bag.
"You all suck," Marinette declared as she snatched up her purse. She clearly understood what happened. Adrien smiled cheekily.
"You still love us," Alya teased. Marinette rolled her eyes.
"Yeah, you're lucky I do."
Adrien tried not to take that too seriously, but he'd be lying if he said he didn't smile wider. He stood and offered his arm to Marinette, remembering her leg and arm. She chuckled at the gesture, but took his arm nonetheless.
They exited the restaurant, and Alya turned to them from Nino's side.
"Nino and I are heading to his place to watch this movie. Adrien, do you mind making sure she gets home okay? I know she didn't hit her head, but I'm still worried about her leg and—"
"Of course," Adrien cut her off. He sent a smile at Marinette, and she returned it. They set off in different directions, but Adrien didn't miss the wink Alya sent him.
"I can't believe we got set up," Marinette told him. He laughed.
"Yeah, Nino was really secretive about who my date was. It was sorta funny, actually. He almost slipped up a couple times, and made up these crazy sentences to cover it up."
Marinette smiled. "That sounds like Nino."
They fell into a silence, comfortable but empty.
"Did you make your dress?" Adrien asked at last.
"I did. Alya's too."
"It's incredible. I wish you made my clothing instead of Gabriel," he winked at her. She giggled.
"If you want me to, I could."
"Oh, no no. I know you have a lot of order from your online shop and—"
"Adrien," she cut him off. "What would you have me make, hypothetically?"
He grinned, "A cat hoodie."
She made a sound in understanding. "Right. I forgot you're a furry."
"Marinette!" He laughed, and she joined in. "I'm not a furry!"
"Okay, 'Chat Noir'."
"I can't like cats?"
"You can like cats," Marinette explained, trying to hide the grin on her face. "But when you want to be a cat, that's when it gets weird."
"I don't want to be a cat!" He exclaimed.
"No, you're just calling yourself one!" she replied cheekily. He laughed harder, and she did too, trying to compose herself but failing miserably.
"Okay, okay!" He told her through his laughs. He grabbed her shoulders gently, shaking her slightly as calmed down.
"Did you know you have the cutest dimples?" Marinette found herself saying. Adrien smiled proudly.
"I did. I'm very proud of them, too."
"Nerd."
"Dork."
They fell into a silence again.
"Tonight was a lot of fun," Marinette said as they approached her apartment building.
"I'm glad you agree." He held the door open for her and helped her inside. They approached the stairs, and Marinette carefully made her way up them, Adrien watching her every move closely. At one point she stumbled, and he wrapped his arms around her waist, feeling her back press into his chest. She breathed out, and his eyes caught her lips. She didn't notice, steadlying herself and continuing upward. They walked quietly to her apartment, and Marinette stopped a few feet from her door. Adrien turned to look at her, and felt her hand slip into his. She took a step forward, looking into his eyes deeply.
"Thank you for calling that first time," Marinette murmured.
"N-no problem." He cleared his throat. His eyes jumped to her lips quickly, before going back to her blue eyes guiltily. Her lashes were long over her eyes. Her lips were pink and perfect.
"Was this a date or a friendly outing?" Marinette asked, and he could sense her nervousness. He smiled softly.
"I'd like it to be a date, but—"
"No buts," she shushed him, leaning in slightly more. "It's a date."
He hummed in agreement, leaning a bit closer. Her breath, hot and sweet, washed over his face, and he could smell a sweet vanilla perfume. They both leaned closer, but not close enough. Adrien's hand slipped onto her waist, the other still holding her hand. Their noses bumped a bit, and Adrien could see her freckles now, close enough that they weren't invisible to his eyes. Her chest presses lightly to his, and Adrien could tell she was struggling to control her breath. He looked at her eyes, and they were fluttering open and closed. He slid his eyes shut, moving forward finally.
They met in the middle, and Adrien noticed she tasted like vanilla and sugar. Her lips were soft, and he felt her push closer, her hand sliding up his chest and the other gripping his collar. His hands slipped around her back, one resting on her waist. There were no coffees to be wary of, no pizzas to burn in an oven. Just her and him.
The kiss wasn't too long, but definitely was too short. They seperated quietly, not pulling away but not reconnecting. Marinette laughed a quick breath, her lips quirking up. Adrien copied her.
"Thank you," she breathed quietly.
"Of course," he responded breathlessly. "Do you wanna go out again sometime?"
She laughed a bit. "Yes, Adrien. I'd like that."
"It's a date." He said, failing to keep the smile off his face.
"It's a date," she repeated.
Adrien kissed her again, feeling his lips curl against hers. She hummed contentedly, tilting her head.
They kissed a lot, both struggling to no avail to keep smiles off their lips. Eventually, they heard people heading up the stairs, and Marinette herded herself into her apartment, kissing him one last time.
She licked her lips quickly, winking and saying, "You taste good, Adrien," before pulling into her apartment and shutting the door. Adrien laughed loudly, ignoring the strange looks he got from the other tenants. He went down the stairs, a skip in his step.
Adrien left the apartment building, feeling truly happy for the first time in too long.
A Fun Epilogue:
Marinette, with the help of Adrien's connections, and Alya's advertisement, was able to open up her own boutique. Paris fell in love with her unique designs.
Adrien used his free time to go to night classes at the nearby college. He studied hard and got a degree in education. For someone who was homeschooled, he sure is a great public school teacher.
Nino kept his identity as DJ Bubbler a secret, but continued making more and more money off his albums. When he's older, he claims he would like to reveal himself as DJ Bubbler, but for now he's happy to be a secret. He was able to buy a nice home with Alya, where they "settled down" (Nino knows nothing will ever be settled when he's with Alya, but that's one of the things he loves about her).
Alya's blog became bigger and bigger, and she eventually pitched an idea to a cartoon company. She is now the proud director of her own animated cartoon, and owner of the Ladyblog, the blog all about her show.
Chloe had started with coffee, then onto soda, then juice, then water. She sobered up, with the help of Sabrina and her trusty therapist. She's living large, doing something she's always been good at: voice acting in a popular cartoon, directed by Alya Cesaire. She's never been more loved by the public. The tabloids are still filled with her name, but it's no longer something to be ashamed of.
Juleka and Rose got married two years after their first date. They adopted a small boy named Marc and are raising in the country, away from the hustle and bustle of Paris's busy streets.
Paris Fashion Week was chaotic as hell. Marinette would claim it to be the best week of her life, however. The author sorta wants to write a story about that, but the author is also super busy so we will see. Let her know what you think.
The first time Adrien met Marinette's parents, they piled his arms full of pastries. He couldn't see over the mound of croissants, and he had never felt happier.
The first time Marinette met Gabriel Agreste, she had to physically restrain herself from kicking him in the balls. She settled for dumping her scalding coffee over his red pants "on accident".
Marinette never stopped being clumsy, but Adrien became very good at catching her. Many Parisian will claim being a witness to Adrien Agreste catching his girlfriend in public.
Nino accidentally published an unedited album with filler titles for his songs, including: "tHiS bAsS dRoP iS bItChIn BiTcH", "Attack Beaver in a Mailbox", "no alya you do the dishes", "My Life Hasn't Been The Same Since Friends Ended", "*evil laughter*", "My blanket smells like feet but it's on my head", and "FUCK I BROKE MY PHONE". It's his most popular album.
Alya has been messaged constantly after the release of the album. Everyone wants to know if she knows the famous DJ Bubbler. She laughs and tells them "if I knew him, you would too."
Marinette visited Slice Guy's frequently, quickly being accepted into the family. Someone jokingly put her picture in the "Employee of the Month" picture frame, and it's been there ever since. The title now reads "Best Not-Employee We've Ever Had". Everyone assumed Alix did it, but it was actually Sabrina.
Alya found herself in more precarious situations with every new story she chased for her journalist career. One of her favorite stories to tell is "The time I got stuck upside down with my head inside a sewer and my feet being sniffed by a bear". Many people do not believe her, until Marinette backs her claim up with the ever famous "I had to pull her out with the bear's help" quote.
Adrien and Marinette moved in together after eight months of dating, ten months of knowing each other. Adrien's depression and self harm hadn't been a problem since they started dating. Marinette's stress was considerable eased with Adrien around. Adrien can confidently say he's happier than he's ever been, and Marinette can happily say she's calmer than ever.
The day of their wedding, Adrien will claim after the kiss that tied their lives together, he heard Marinette whisper "you taste good". Marinette denies this accusation.
And that's a wrap!
Thank you to everyone who left a message down below! You're the best!
Thank you to everyone who liked this story! You're the best!
Thank you to everyone who took the time to read this story! You're the best!
This originally was supposed to be a oneshot, something I never thought would go this far or touch as many people as it did. I am so grateful and glad that everyone here joined together as a community and followed along, raising this story to places I never expected. I thank you for that.
This was definitely an experience I will remember. Writing this fanfiction was fun, and I felt like I was writing this for myself, unlike so many stories I've written before. Writing for yourself really is something that everyone should try. It was an experience I believe should be shared with the world.
But thank you for taking the time fore reading this story, and sticking with me through the hardships of me not updating. It truly meant the world to me. I'm so glad people enjoyed this story as much as I did.
Feel free to leave a last comment, or review! I will continue to answer them, even when the story is done!
Also let me know if you would be interested in a Fashion Week Sequel to this story! I can't promise I will write it, but encouragement to write it would definitely be a deciding factor!
Thank you for all the dedication! I'll see you in another story!
~Ani
