23. Dinner at the Dupain-Cheng's
"You can stay, if you want. For dinner?"
Adrien looked up from the game guide in his lap to Marinette's flushing face, the blue of her eyes startling against the dark of her hair. She held the controller stiffly in her hands, back ramrod straight as she waited for his answer. He thought of the mansion waiting for him a few streets away, its spacious halls and lavish luxuries chilling his being and shrinking his will. His mind drew away from the cold, clinging instead to the security and warmth found in the comfort and genuine smiles offered in a quaint shophouse above a simple bakery. As he drew in a deep breath, the scents of Sabine's cooking and Marinette's floral scented shampoo soothed away the frost, and Adrien felt more at home than he'd ever been.
He smiled. "Dinner would be great."