[Thank you all so much for the sweet comments and for wishing me luck on the ACT (it went really well!). Hope you all enjoy this chapter, there will be more!]

Chapter 5

Adrien and Marinette leapt away from each other at the sudden noise, both with startling blushes spreading across their faces. Neither had expected Marinette's parents to come home so soon, but that's not to say they weren't (somewhat) glad.

The two didn't even have time to process what had happened when Marinette's dad vaulted into the room. Upon spotting his daughter, he rushed forward and smothered her in a giant bear hug.

"Maribear! You're alright! Oh we're back Mari, we're finally back!"

"Dad I can't breathe." Tom jumped back in surprise and smiled guiltily, only to place his large hands on her petite shoulders.

"Sorry about that Mari, it's just great to be home again!" Behind her father's immense figure, Marinette could just see her mother enter the shop with a delighted smile on her face.

"Mom!" She yelled. Sabine laughed out loud at the sight of her daughter and did her best to smother her in a hug as well. Tom immediately jumped right back into the hug. The two parents held their child and Adrien had no idea what to do. He had just been standing awkwardly to the side, trying to tame his raging blush.

He didn't really know what to think of the situation, but he was still extremely happy for his friend. Adrien still couldn't believe that he had been just about to kiss Marinette. What was he thinking? What if she didn't want to kiss him? The model could not stop thinking about her. However, he was almost grateful that her parents had arrived, because he had no idea what would have happened if he'd gone through with it. She had just looked so pretty, with the sunlight glittering in her eyes, and her hair sparkling like the night sky a-.

"Marinette, who's this?" He'd been so absorbed in his thoughts that Adrien nearly jumped when his friend's mother spoke. He hadn't expected to be noticed so quickly.

"Oh, mom, dad. This is Adrien. He goes to school with me, and he was kind enough to offer his help while you two were gone."

Marinette's father laughed out loud and Adrien didn't know whether to be scared or overjoyed.

"That's great! Good on you Adrien! Come 'ere kiddo!" The boy's figure was immediately engulfed by Tom as he was pulled into a hug not unlike the one Mari had just received. Adrien was stunned. He'd received more hugs this week than he had in years. But with a hug count of zero, it wasn't hard to beat. Despite the size of the hug, it wasn't soundproof, seeing as Adrien could still hear Mari and her mom talking from a few feet away.

"Mari dear, isn't this the boy you've told us so much about? The one in all those pictures in your roo-"

"SSHHHHhhhhh! Mom he's right there." She hissed. Adrien felt himself blush a bit at their conversation. It was kinda cool that Mari's parents already knew about him. And it was even cooler to know that Marinette cared enough to to tell her parents about him before they had even really met.

It was too soon when Tom finally let go. But then the man smiled proudly at the boy as if he were his own son (which Adrien would be happy to be). And Adrien, of course, smiled back. It was as if he had known this man for years, even if they had only met just two minutes ago.

"Oh Mari sweetie, you and your friend look exhausted. How about the two of you relax upstairs while Tom and I finish up down here?" Marinette looked appalled at the suggestion.

"But Mom, you just got back!"

"We had time to rest on the plane dear, now go. Go and hang out with your 'friend'." By now Sabine was attempting to push Marinette upstairs, but the girl refused to go rest while her parents had to work. Though after a few minutes of gentle persuasion, the stubborn girl finally gave in and led Adrien upstairs.

They then entered the cozy living room and both flopped down onto the empty couch with a loud, simultaneous sigh. The two looked at each other and couldn't stop the laughter escaping their mouths. It wasn't long before they were laughing just for the sake of laughing. But after a few minutes, the two were finally able to calm down enough to to speak somewhat clearly.

"So, what did you want to do Adrien?"

"I dunno, what did you want to do?"

"Adrien, you're the guest, so you have to choose."

"Aww, you're so cruel Mari. Okay, how about we watch a movie? I don't think I'm awake enough to do anything else."

"Sure. What movie?"

"I chose the activity Mari, now you gotta choose the movie. I don't even know what movies you have."

"Okay fair enough." Marinette slowly slid off the couch and dragged herself over to her family's movie collection while Adrien tried to hide his laughter. To him it looked as if Mari was sliding across the floor like a snake.

"Mari I'm sorry, but you look really funny."

"I know." Marinette smiled to herself to hide her growing blush as she browsed through the movies. It wasn't long before one caught her eye. "Hey, what would you say to watching Tangled?"

"What?"

"Tangled, you know, the Rapunzel movie."

"Sorry, but I don't think I've seen it. It is good?"

"Of course, it's one of my favorites movies."

"Then let's do that." Marinette immediately started scooting toward their DVD player, and once the movie was ready, she scooted back to the giggling Adrien and jumped up right next to him. She nearly expected him to scoot away, but her heart fluttered as she felt him scoot slightly closer.

"Okay you're gonna love this!" As the movie began, Adrien was sure he would love it. Especially if Marinette enjoyed it. Then, he heard the opening line.

"This is the story of how I died."

"W-what?! No-"

"Ssshhhh, just wait."

"Don't worry, this is actually a very fun story, and the truth is, it isn't even mine…" Adrien sighed in relief. He didn't even know who this character was, but he definitely didn't want to see him die. Though Marinette seemed calm enough. Maybe he wouldn't really die. It was a Disney movie after all.

As the movie began, the two sat side by side, making little comments here and there, but mostly watching the movie. Just ten minutes in and Adrien was absorbed in the story. He hadn't gotten to watch many Disney movies at home (his father said they were a bad influence), so the whole experience was new to him.

He watched in awe as Rapunzel and Flynn first met, and how they journeyed together to see the floating lights. He loved seeing the two grow closer, almost like how he and Marinette had grown closer that past week. And when they had finally made it to the floating lights, he started to quietly sing along to the "I See The Light" song.

"All at once, everything looks different, now that I see you…." As he spoke those last few words, Adrien looked over at Marinette to find her asleep. What was even more surprising, was that her head now rested on his shoulder. He hadn't even noticed. It just felt so...natural. He wouldn't dare wake the girl up when she looked so peaceful though. So he decided to finish watching the movie.

The second his eyes met the screen, Adrien was absorbed in the story yet again. He gasped and laughed, and nearly cried. By the time the film was ending, he had claimed it as his favorite movie of all time. And as the closing credits scrolled down, Adrien yawned. He hadn't even realized how tired he was. Maybe he would just lie down for a few minutes, just a short nap before he would head home…

Half an hour later, Tom and Sabine made their way upstairs to find their daughter cuddled up next to Adrien. The two sighed in a loving manner, and Sabine made sure to snap a few pictures before they were forced to ruin the moment. Tom carefully picked up his daughter and carried her upstairs, while Sabine gently shook Adrien awake. After a few minutes, the still half-asleep teenager was led downstairs as he continued to try and wake himself up. Once he could finally comprehend what Sabine was saying, he turned down her offer of walking him home, and insisted he go on his own.

Still partially asleep, Adrien left the bakery and entered a nearby alleyway to transform. Plagg may have said something about him crushing on a girl, but the boy couldn't be sure. The kwami was in his miraculous before he could say another word.

After transforming, Cat Noir lazily jumped from building to building as he made his way home. The whole day had felt like a dream. Even more so when he could barely stay awake. He couldn't believe his luck lately. Maybe he had Marinette to thank for that. She was probably lucky or something. His lucky charm. The cat couldn't help but smile. He had two lucky ladies now; two great, talented furrends. Maybe he could introduce the two sometime. He had a feline that they would get along purrfectly. Cat laughed out loud as he soared through the air. He hadn't had enough puns today. And he had been working in a bakery for goodness bake. There were dozens of bakery puns he could have thrown out there.

Adrien sighed. He still didn't know how to describe his day. Fun, pawesome, terrific? No. None of those words really worked,because it had been so much more. Purrfect? Magical? Magical. That was the word. And it didn't just describe his day, it mostly described her. Lucky Marinette, with her purrfectly magical personality. He couldn't help but sigh at how great she was.

Once Cat swung into his bedroom, he was finally able to look in the mirror and see a magical grin plastered across his face. And when he detransformed back into Adrien, that smile stayed. It stayed as he let himself flop onto the waiting bed, and the next morning, he could still see traces of the smile sparkling in his eyes.

"Okay Mari spill it. I saw you and Adrien at the bakery together, what's been going on?"

"N-nothing Alya, he's just been helping out." The blogger groaned and rolled her eyes at the incomplete answer. She couldn't wait any longer, and they only had a few minutes before class would start. "Wait how did you see us at the bakery? Alya were you spying on me?"

"Of course I was spying on you, you're my best friend I gotta keep an eye on you. Now fess up, this is our last class of the day."

"Okay, okay, i'll tell you. The truth is that my parents have been out of town for a couple weeks, so I've been working the bakery on my own-"

"WHAT?!" The blogger stood with a start and nearly hopped onto her chair.

"Alya ssshhhh, let me explai-"

"NO I WON'T SSSSHHHHH, WHY DID YOU NOT TELL ME CHILD?!"

"Alya, sit down, everyone's listening now, pleeeeaase-"

"Umm, what's going on?" Marinette turned. It was Adrien. He could save her from her fuming friend.

"Adrien, thank goodness. Could you help me with Alya? I kinda just told her about the bakery and stuff."

"Oh, that explains it." The boy then turned his attention to Alya. Adrien had no idea why, but she was now gaping at her friend rather than scolding her. Though he figured the latter was a better alternative. He briskly walked over to her and gently pushed the girl back into her seat, surprisingly with no resistance.

"Thanks Adrien." Marinette said. "Wait, why is everyone staring at us…." All of the gaping faces in the room immediately looked away before the model had a chance to turn around. Marinette had no idea why they were staring though. It wasn't as if the whole class knew about their adventures in the bakery. Right?

That thought was quickly lost as the teacher entered and the class settled down. Alya was still too stunned to ask any more questions, so Mari got off easy that day.

The rest of the class went by fairly normally. Their teacher taught while the students 'listened', and the two lovebirds passed notes. Well, anyone other than the two would describe it that way.

'Hey Mari, do you want to start fencing today, or is it too soon?' Marinette smiled at the note and made sure to write a quick reply.

'Yes, I would love to start fencing. And don't worry, I got plenty of sleep last night. :)' Though Adrien couldn't see it, while reading the note he was smiling as if he'd just gotten a yes to a proposed date (which wasn't far from the truth). Before that smile could vanish, he wrote his response back gleefully.

'Sweet! We can walk there together after class if you want. My instructor can get everything ready for us and then we'll have the gym to ourselves. That sound good?' He didn't have to wait long for an answer.

'Yes! That'd be great! Plan on that 3"

Marinette was jolted back to reality with the sound of a deep, gravelly voice penetrating her eardrums.

"Adrien, do you and your 'friend' have everything you need for this session?"

"Yes Mr. D'Argencourt. Thank you so much for letting us use the equipment."

"Of course Adrien, it's my pleasure." Mr D'Argencourt smiled at his pupil and swiftly left the gym with a soft click of the door behind him. Marinette stood awkwardly to the side and wondered how in the world she would manage fencing. It was true that her experience as Ladybug could help her, but still, fencing was entirely new to her. She really hoped that Adrien would be a good teacher.

"Okay Marinette, you ready to fence?!"

"Mmmhhmm!" Adrien smiled and skipped over to the lockers where they kept the fencing equipment. He pulled out a large, white suit which he handed to Marinette.

"Here, this should fit you. Umm the girl's locker room is over there. My stuff's in my locker, soooo, I'll be right back!" Adrien ran off in the opposite direction while Mari spun on her heel to go get changed.

A few minutes later, the two white clad teenagers entered the room, one looking ready to fight, and the other, very confused.

"Adrien, how in the world are we supposed to fence in these things?"

"I don't know, it kinda just happens…"

"Okay, that helps a lot. So… now what?"

"We need to get you a foil."

"Foil? Like tin foil?"

"No, a foil is what you use to fence. It's the sword looking thing." Marinette's face dawned with realization, but she also looked a bit crestfallen that she had been wrong. So Adrien took a step toward her and whispered loud enough for her to hear. "Don't worry, I thought the same thing when I started." The designer laughed quietly to herself and looked up at Adrien sweetly, while he smiled down at her with something resembling adoration.

"So do I just stab people with the foil or what?" Adrien laughed out loud and was tempted to just say yes, but if he was going to teach Mari fencing, he was going to do it right. He started by telling her the several safety precautions he had been taught for years. Of course he wanted to start right away, but he wouldn't take any chances with Marinette's safety at stake. The girl listened intently to the list of rules she would need to follow, and Adrien was sure she wouldn't break them. They added in a few jokes here and there to lighten the mood, but the fun really started once the fencing did.

Adrien would step back and show his friend how to perform the move, while she would then try it on her own. Most of the time, she picked it up pretty quickly, but here and there Adrien would step in to straighten her arm or tell her to change her stance. She never complained when he helped her, in fact Adrien was sure he saw her blushing a few times. It was cute to say the least.

Just for the fun of it, Adrien had decided to show Mari a new move he had learned in the past few months. It had taken a while for him to perfect it, so he was surprised when the designer asked if she could try it as well. The move wasn't particularly difficult, but it required precision and timing. The first few tries were a disaster, and looked nothing like the final result. But after giving her a few more pointers, Mari was eventually able to perform the move, even if it was anything but graceful. The girl jumped up and down once she had finally done it, and the look on her face nearly made Adrien swoon. She was just so happy, so full of joy and kindness and it was absolutely beautiful. And of course she immediately insisted on trying it again, and Adrien let her. But this time, Marinette's excitement got ahead of her. After taking a small step backwards, her foot caught on the hem of her outfit, causing her to trip backwards. But Adrien wasn't going to let her hit the floor. He was by her side in a second, catching her in the most romantic way possible, which caused the both of them to blush furiously. The boy tried smiling to hide the blush, but it only made it worse.

Adrien's face was only inches above Mari's, and to any bystander, they would probably look to be dancing. He was holding her tiny waist as if letting her into a graceful dip. They were so close. Adrien could feel the girl's breath flowing along his cheeks, breath smelling of vanilla and sweetness. She was staring into his eyes with her own glowing, sapphire-like orbs. It strangely felt like their moment the night before. He had been so close then, it had been so… peaceful. But now, the room was silent. Only their quiet breaths and the soft thump of their hearts beating in their chests broke the silence. Maybe he could try. Maybe, just maybe, this moment would be it. The moment he would see if they were meant to be.

He slowly, excruciatingly slowly, closed the gap. He only dared close his eyes once he saw the girl's face start to inch closer as well. Adrien didn't know what to think, what to expect. But as his lips met hers, he smiled. Little did he know that he was making that girl's dream come true.