A/N This chapter got a little bit out of hand, and I couldn't for the life of me figure out where to break it in two parts... So you're in for a treat! The longest chapter I've ever came up with, both fics considered. (and it wasn't even on the original outline... even if I LOVE it now it's out there.)
[Chat Noir] Are we going to talk about what happened Sunday night?
[Ladybug] I really, really want to forget that night.
[Chat Noir] Alright then. If you change your mind I'm here.
[Ladybug] I know, silly kitty. You're always there, that's what I love most of you.
On Tuesday morning, when Adrien opened the door to their joint office, he blinked a few times, closed the door, took a second to compose himself and opened it back again.
"Marinette? What the hell is happening here?"
The young designer was tucking back her phone in her purse, a slick black leather minuscule purse hung on her shoulder by a fine strand of shiny leather. She was wearing her black kitten heels that made her pale and smooth legs look longer. She was clad in a navy blue halter dress with baby pink ribbons around her waist and along the hem that fell just below her knees. Pink tulle peeked from under the dress. A light matching shawl was spread out on her shoulders. She had tied her black hair into a cute french braid, and her makeup was very natural, barely noticeable. Standing besides their work table, she was holding a picnic basket in one hand, and examining some sort of list in the other.
"Good morning Adrien!"
He entered the room, looking unsure on how to interpret all this. True, if she looked at herself, Marinette was way overdressed for an ordinary day at the office, and Agreste had a cafeteria available for the employees, so there was no need to bring meals to work. His confusion was understandable:
"Mari? Did I miss a memo or something?"
Her smile widened, still a little bit unsure about her plan:
"Actually, I'm taking you on a date. On seven dates, to be exact."
Adrien stared at her, seemingly at loss for words:
"But… Why?"
She giggled:
"Well you made it quite clear yesterday that despite my cruel assumptions toward you, you're inexperienced in the dating field. If you really want to launch a first dates themed collection, we have to fix that."
He smirked:
"So it's all work and no fun then?"
Marinette blushed slightly, her previous confidence faltering:
"No. I wanted to make it up to you for wrongly assuming you were a serial-dater, but I also happen to need to thank you for taking so much good care of me on Sunday. I'm really not proud of myself, of how badly I reacted when I felt overwhelmed, and I truly wish you never had to see me in that state of weakness… But I'm really grateful for what you did."
This time, Adrien truly was speechless. She sustained his incredulous gaze for a minute or two, before breaking the silence:
"So, Adrien, can I take you on seven dates today?"
Snapping back to reality, the blond smiled back at her:
"A little ambitious aren't we? But yes, I'll gladly go with you."
Beaming, Marinette pulled out her list, complete with addresses, estimated walk time between destinations and so on.
"I'm gonna leave the picnic basket here, I made time to retrieve it before the picnic date."
"God Mari, you planned it to the minute."
She nodded happily:
"Yup, I did. Now, remember this is supposed to be teen first dates, right?"
Adrien looked at her quizzically:
"Yeah, what about it?"
"Well, she laughed, normal teenagers don't go on dates in suit and tie."
"Do you want me to head home and change?" he offered.
Closing the distance between them, Marinette loosened the knot of his tie, pulling it over his head.
"Nah, we'll work with what we have. Remove your jacket please."
"If I'd known I was going to undress in front of you today, I would have put on way nicer underwear." Adrien snorted with a nervous laugh.
Marinette stilled like a deer in headlight in front of him, her hands still on his tie, prompting him to instantly dissolving into apologies when he realized what he had just done:
"Oh my god, Mari, I'm so sorry, I'm an idiot. This was so insensitive of me and-"
She put a finger on his lips, cutting him:
"Adrien, don't. You took me by surprise, that's all. You're not usually that forward with me."
"But still, I-"
"But nothing. I'd like it very much if everyone could stop watching what they say around me like I'm about to to have a mental breakdown at any given time. It's been four years, Adrien. I'm okay. Really."
He raised a skeptical eyebrow, crossing his arms in front of him:
"You weren't that okay Sunday night."
"Sunday was too much of everything, Marinette sighed, my best friend was getting married, nobody bothered to mention to me you were back in town so I was shocked to see you, I had a very long and very stressful week… The encounter with Nathanael was just the icing to the cake. In normal circumstances, I would have been just fine."
She could tell he didn't believe her, but out of all the people she knew, she truly didn't want him to treat her differently because of what had happened.
After what felt like an eternity, Adrien sighed and removed his jacket, shaking his head.
"So. No tie, no jacket. Any other layer I should shed?"
She smiled, the awkward tension between them slowly dissolving:
"Are you wearing anything under your shirt?"
"A black undershirt, why?"
Marinette took a few steps back:
"Okay, so take your shirt out of your pants, and undo the top two or three buttons."
He did as instructed, and the young woman found herself facing a quite handsome man, wearing black business shoes with plain black suit pants. His light green shirt had been pulled out of his pants, and the undone buttons were letting show the black fabric underneath. Extending a hand, Marinette ruffled his perfectly styled hair a little, making it look a bit messy.
"Voila, Adrien Agreste, perfect modern teenager, she grinned. Now come on, we're going to miss the boat."
The first date Marinette had planned for them was actually a little boat ride down the Seine, something Adrien had seen many people do through the years but never tried for himself. They chatted quietly as the professionally discrete employee maneuvering the little boat made them glide seamlessly down the river. They caught up about the previous years, what they both had been up too, and the young lady couldn't help but revel in just how right it felt to be there, sitting besides him talking and laughing like they didn't have a care in the world. She provided him with a few shameful anecdotes about Nino and Alya that he promised her to put to good use the next time their friends meddled a little too much in either of their lives.
The spell that encapsulated them in a private cocoon was soon broken tough, as the boat ride came to an end. Thanking warmly the man that had driven them down the Seine, Marinette tipped him generously before heading back to Adrien, who seemed ticked off about something:
"Hey, aren't I supposed to pay if it's a date?"
The young lady laughed, pulling out her planning:
"Well, traditionally the man pays for everything. Nowadays though, many women take it upon themselves to split the bill and such. And today is my treat whether you like it or not. Remember I need to redeem myself for misjudging you?"
Laughing, Adrien followed her as she led the way to a commercial building.
Entering the building, the blond breathed, utterly amused:
"So I guess this is the cinema date?"
Marinette looked back at him, uneasy all of a sudden:
"Umh yeah… I may have cheated a little on this one."
Adrien's kind eyes found hers, full of worries:
"What do you mean?"
"Well, the blackette answered softly, on firsts dates the guy typically tries to impress the girl by treating her to some stupid romantic comedy… And I truly despise them so much I couldn't bring myself to spend a single penny on one. How do you feel about superhero movies?"
Her partner face lighted up like a Christmas tree:
"Are you kidding me? They're my favorite! What are we seeing?"
Grinning, Marinette took the tickets out of her purse:
"The latest Vigilantes, have you seen it yet?"
"No, Adrien replied, but I've been dying to. After you?"
Marinette reluctantly let him get them both over-greasy popcorn and sodas, only because it seemed to make him childishly happy, and they chose their seats eagerly, both genuinely impatient to see the movie. Somewhere halfway through, Marinette found her fingers intertwined with Adrien's on the shared armrest in a fashion that prevented him from painting it as strictly professional. And yet, he didn't seem care the slightest. Actually, her partner was completely absorbed in the movie, looking absolutely fascinated with the story. The young woman caught herself not so subtly staring at his relaxed features, only snapping out of it when he cast a glance sideways and smiled at her broadly.
All too soon, the movie was over, and they exited the cinema hand in hand. Again, Marinette was not so sure this could pass along as professional, but after all she was supposed to show him what dating was like. Since he had been the one to grab her hand in the theater lobby, he couldn't mind that much, right?
"That movie was awesome! It's the best of the franchise yet, no doubt! I can't wait for the next one, do you think they're gonna expand on what happened to the villain at the end?" she heard the young man gushing excitedly as she led him to the next date, a faint smile painted on her lips.
When she pushed the glass door of a little nice cafe, Adrien's stomach growled loudly behind her. Laughing, the blackette spun on her heels to look at him:
"I was going to ask if you were hungry, but I guess this answers that."
He blushed lightly, and nodded shyly:
"Yeah, I'm famished in fact."
"But you just ate an entire bucket of popcorn not even thirty minutes ago!"
"What can I say? I'm a growing boy."
She laughed heartily as they sat at a small table near a wall completely covered in windows:
"Adrien, you're twenty-two. I'm pretty sure you're done with growth spurts."
"Nuh-uh. I'm a teenager today, remember?"
Marinette rolled her eyes and picked up her menu to hide the blush spreading - again - on her cheeks. It was clear Adrien was having the time of his life, and it warmed her heart to no extent. She always knew he had missed out on a big part of his youth, and being able to fix that - heck, fix that on their working hours nonetheless - made her really happy.
"So, I thought we'd kill two birds with one stone here. Make it a lunch date and a coffee date."
He pouted, and she refrained herself from pointing out just how adorable he looked like that:
"Does that mean there's only three dates left then?"
The blackette stared at him in disbelief:
"My, you're getting greedy Mr. Agreste! But don't worry, consider the coffee date a bonus one."
"Well, excuse me for actually enjoying myself."
Their playful banter lasted all through the light meal they shared, Adrien all too eager to get a taste of Marinette's cheese-steak panini and offering her bites of his turkey sandwich in exchange. When they were done eating, the designer got up and made a quick stop to the bathroom before ordering two hot beverages.
[Ladybug] How's your day so far kitty? You're awfully quiet, cat got your tongue?
[Chat Noir] Sorry, currently busy having a blast with an old friend, you?
[Ladybug] Revisiting my childhood.
She handed him his drink, a white chocolate mocha, before taking a sip of her latte. Adrien tasted his before smiling broadly:
"Hey! You remembered too!"
Marinette stared at her drink intently:
"Of course I did. So, ready for a stroll at the zoo?"
If the young lady had previously thought Adrien looked childishly upbeat on the first three dates, it was nothing compared to how ecstatic he was at the zoo, stopping at every single cage and commenting out loud just how great each and every animal was, offering her random facts about some of them, and trying to interact with the monkeys. Marinette laughed at his joyful antics, letting him happily reel her into his overwhelming enthusiasm. Stopping an ambulant vendor before she could even react, the young man bought them some bright pink cotton candy they shared as they argued playfully about which big cat was best, the black panther or the giant tiger.
Halfway through the afternoon, Marinette announced to a slightly annoyed Adrien that it was time to say goodbye to his new furry friends and head to the fifth date. His disappointment was short lived though, his good mood returning instantly as he noticed where his friend was leading him:
"We're going to the video games' arcade?"
She beamed at him, visibly pleased with herself:
"Yup. I hope you're not a sore loser, Agreste."
Marinette saw with delight her partner tense besides her, resolve pouring into the green irises:
"Who says I'm going to lose?"
"Try me."
As it turned out, Adrien was really good at every game they tried out, but Marinette kept winning over and over again by a few points. When he pointed out just how lucky she was, she frowned and crossed her arms on her chest:
"There's no luck involved, this is purely skills, I'll have you know."
"Come on Mari, you keep beating me by almost nothing."
Marinette smiled, looking at the time on her phone.
"It's because you put on a good fight, with a little training you'll probably be able to beat the master someday, young padawan."
"No need to get so smug about it."
She giggled, tugging on his arm:
"Come on, Mr. Sore-Loser. Let's move on to the dinner part of today."
They walked back to Agreste's offices, still arguing about their respective video games skills. Once they reached the building, Adrien offered to fetch the basket in their office while Marinette waited for him outside.
[Chat Noir] I know you don't wanna talk about it, but I'm crazy worried about you. You seemed pretty upset that night.
[Ladybug] Don't worry about me silly kitty. I'm fine. Besides, bestie's away for a few days but she apparently enlisted me a babysitter while she's unavailable.
[Chat Noir] Meaning?
[Ladybug] I have a friend looking after me. And you're still there :) I promise I'll text if I'm feeling blue again.
[Chat Noir] Ok then. Gotta go, dinner time for the kitten.
Upon the young man's return, Marinette smiled at him warmly:
"Let's head to the park on the other side of the street."
Following her, the blond asked softly:
"When you mentioned dinner, I have to admit I figured an actual restaurant?"
She scoffed:
"We're teenagers today, remember? Teenagers don't wine and dine, that's way too expensive for someone with only a part-time job or living on allowances. Picnics are the real deal when you're short on money."
They found a quiet spot besides a huge tree providing a little shading from the late afternoon sun, and Marinette pulled a blanket from the basket, laying it on the ground. She then took out an assortment of cheeses, crackers, vegetables and a few other goods along with two plates. Digging in again, she pulled out a bottle of white wine and two glasses, smiling shyly at her friend raising an eyebrow at him:
"That's kinda my second cheat of the day. Let's just agree our teenagers are closer to eighteen than twelve, okay? Can't in my right mind fully enjoy good cheese without wine."
"I happen to completely agree with that statement. Here, let me help."
She handed him the bottle and watched in silence as he filled their glasses. The wine was still chilled, thanks to the iced packs she had thought to put in the basket to preserve the cheese throughout the day.
"I'd like to propose a toast." announced Adrien, holding his glass up. Smiling shyly, Marinette lifted hers, raising an eyebrow at him.
"A toast?"
"Yes, to an incredible day and an awesome friendship."
Their glasses clinked together, and as she tasted the wine on her tongue, Marinette couldn't help but blush a little at his heartfelt praise.
They watched the sunset together, talking about their previous dating history.
"I still can't believe that you went on only three real dates yet."
"Yup, laughed Adrien, and none of them even lasted to the dessert. Girls that are only interested in my wallet or my status are easy to spot, and sadly it seems to be the only kind of girl I'm able to attract. What about you?"
"I went on a few meaningless dates when I was a teenager, and then there was Nate. Complete void ever since."
The blond raised an eyebrow as he watched her put the remnants of their meal back into the basket:
"I don't remember you dating that much in high school."
Marinette felt her cheeks blush bright red.
"Ah! Uhm… it was mostly until fifteen, I kinda focused on design after that."
If he noticed her shoulders tensed, or the "coincidence" that she stopped dating altogether the very same year he got to her school, he didn't mention it.
Eager to change the subject, she fumbled around in the basket and pulled out two sweaters, two sets of gloves and earmuffs. Taken aback, Adrien stuttered:
"Marinette, you do know we're in summer right now? And not anywhere close to the North Pole?"
"Yup, but we're gonna need them for the last date of the day."
She saw a shadow pass in her friend's gaze, but it was so faint and over so fast she thought she was imagining things. Shrugging it off, she got up and took the arm he offered her as she led him to an indoor skating rink.
The man besides her groaned audibly when he realized what she had planned for the evening:
"Come on, you can't be serious Mari?"
She grinned at him, tugging on his arm:
"It's gonna be fun. What's your shoe size? Forty-four?"
He sighed, defeated:
"Forty-six. Mari, I haven't skated for at least six years, you're only doing that to make fun of me."
Ignoring his pleas, the blackette rented two pairs of skates before turning back to him.
"I'll remind you that between the two of us, I'm the hopeless klutz. Here, gigantic skates for your enormous feet."
"Hey! I'm six feet three, what did you expect? If I had tiny little feet like you I'm not even sure I would be able to stand. My balance center would be all messed up."
Laughing heartily, Marinette tucked their belongings into a rented locker, handing him the key for safe keeping since she didn't have any pockets. Both warmly bundled into their sweaters, they headed to the rink laughing and teasing each other.
They ended up skating almost two hours, Adrien actually truly enjoying himself. Turned out his body remembered the movements and it came back naturally. He even put on a show for Marinette, lifting her from the ground and spinning two or three times on himself. She squealed in fear when he did, but laughed and grinned openly at him when he deposited her back safely on the ice. At the end, both exhausted and out of breath, they headed back to the lockers, still bickering sweetly.
As they headed out of the building, Marinette felt Adrien take her hand into his, pulling her to a stop.
"Is this the part where I walk you home?"
She looked at him, confusion spreading on her face:
"But Agreste's offices are in the opposite way, don't you have a car to retrieve?"
"Nope, I'm a teenager, remember? I'm pretty sure teenagers don't have cars."
Shaking her head, Marinette sighed:
"Adrien, walking me home sounds really nice, but how are you going to get home afterwards? Or to work tomorrow morning? I'm fine, really, I'm just going to call a cab."
"Not after all the trouble you went through to organize all this. I truly had a great time, so at least allow me to walk you home, please?"
"There's nothing I can say to change your mind, huh?"
"Nope." Adrien laughed, offering her his arms. She locked hers onto it, and they fell into a comfortable pace together, heading toward her apartment in a pleasant silence.
Once they reached her building, there was an awkward pause, Adrien staring at her, looking like he wanted to say something. Softly grabbing her hand, he whispered:
"If all the romantic comedies I saw on planes are right, I believe a goodnight kiss is in order when the date went well, correct?"
Her heart stuck somewhere between her chest and her mouth, Marinette only nodded, unable to tear her eyes away from his. Leaning in gently, the blond pressed his lips softly on her cheek, the gesture full of tenderness. Then Adrien hugged her tightly, whispering in her ear:
"Goodnight Mari. Thank you very much for the day, I had the best of times."
Flushing bright red, the young lady couldn't find her voice back. So she simply waved at him and entered the building, allowing the door she put between them to hide her breakdown.
[Ladybug] I'm fucked kitty. Utterly and completely fucked.