For the second time that day, Adrien Agreste could do nothing but stare. Marinette had been inspired by him? He hadn't even really realized that she really ever thought all that much about him until a few minutes ago. It wouldn't be fair for him to expect her to think about him as often as he thought of her.

Looking back on it, Adrien spent a lot of his time focused on Marinette. He couldn't help it; there was something about her that he couldn't quite figure out. Despite their admittedly awkward interactions, he kept getting glimpses of an entirely different personality underneath, one that drew him to her like a moth to a flame.

He had seen a lot of that girl today. She had been so unexpected, first by simply being present, then her work, and then the kiss. His face flushed at the memory. Maybe it was time for him to mix things up, too. Adrien couldn't have her doing all the work.

A smile on his face, the blond turned back to the sheepish designer.

"I'm honored, Marinette."

He took a few steps towards her, before taking her hand in his. He could feel her heartbeat speeding up. A flicker of guilt passed through him, but he told himself it would be worth it. Mere inches from her, he gently grasped her chin, making Marinette look him in the eyes.

Marinette was pulled from her thoughts by a hand on hers, feeling a blush spread across her face when her eyes met his. Her heart pounded as he drew closer to her lips.

She was momentarily confused as an impish smile spread across his face. He quickly pulled away, leaving a stunned Marinette to stare as he grabbed her suit and ran to the gardens.

"No peeking!" he called over his shoulder.

Once the shock had passed, Marinette began to laugh. This was how she had hoped and imagined Adrien would be- carefree, unguarded. But it was uncanning how that smirk and his playfulness reminded her of… Chat? Obviously it couldn't be, but Marinette entertained her fantasy for a few moments. To finally be able to tell the truth to someone?

Putting those thoughts aside, Marinette began a leisurely walk to the rose gardens again. He had gotten a head start, and it had been long enough, hadn't it? She privately noted that she wouldn't exactly mind seeing him undressed.

Stopping at the entrance to the hidden center, walled by large rose bushes and topiaries, she called out for him. Getting no response, she bit the bullet and strode ahead. Today almost felt like a dream- she couldn't reconcile all the things that she had done that weren't quite in her character. What was one more?

Her breath halted when she caught sight of him. As if on cue, Adrien turned around to face her, a winning smile on his face. It was somehow better than she had imagined it. He held out one of the rose blossoms from (Marinette suspected) the nearby bush.

"A beautiful flower for a beautiful girl," he stated, tucking it behind her ear. Marinette laughed as he turned to face her.

"So, how do I look?" he joked.

"Absolutely perfect," she replied.

"Shall we go, my lady?" he said, offering her his arm in an exaggerated manner.

Marinette was struck by a sense of deja-vu. She could have sworn she had been with Chat in that moment. Who knew that Adrien was so much like him? She grabbed his arm and allowed herself to be escorted back.

They spent a few peaceful minutes under the willow tree, relishing the silence and the company, before the elder Agreste called for the crowd's attention.

"Ladies and gentleman, thank you all so much for attending today's event. And thanks to all of the designers who participated and shared their work with us. Before we get to announcing the winner of today's contest, there shall be some prizes for some other notable work. For a very inventive use of seams in his design, Mr. Vincent will receive a one-on-one consultation with industry mainstays including myself, and… "

Mr. Agreste didn't get to finish his statement before the short man from earlier rushed away in a burgundy blur, crying out about the injustice of this decision. Privately, she agreed with the judges' decision (and quite frankly, he might not have even deserved the consulation) but Marinette felt her heart sink- he was prime akuma material. Nobody was quite sure how to react, a rumble of noise spreading through the throngs of people.

Unfortunately, they weren't left waiting long. Just when people were growing restless, a loud shriek rang out from the back of the crowd, and everyone turned away from the (ow-empty stage. A woman was wrestling with her skirt, as it had seemingly come alive. The fabric wrapped around her and engulfed her legs. Resistance was futile, and soon she toppled to the ground. Her fall revealed a masked man standing behind her with a pair of sewing shears which he waved as if conducting an orchestra. His swings became more frenzied, and more people began to struggle with their outfits.

Marinette didn't realize she was running until she had grabbed Adrien by the hand and retreated to the rose gardens. She had to transform and help those people!

She paused with her hands on her purse. She couldn't let Tikki be seen by Adrien, but where else could she transform at this point?

So stuck in her own dilemma, she didn't notice Adrien staring awkwardly at his ring.